#come on bro this idea has been brewing inside my head for the past few days

[c0riiander]

he needed the compensation

[krisdreaming]

Kitty

Pairing: Kuroo Tetsurou x reader

― In which Kuroo finds himself just a little bit jealous of your cat

WC: 2.2k

A/N: Kind of cracky? It’s a little odd, but I had a lot of fun writing it. Heavily based on my own experiences of cat ownership. I definitely wouldn’t say I’m back to normal writing or anything, but this is an idea I’ve been working on for a few days now in short bursts, and I wanted to share it bc I enjoyed it. Also, I know the pacing is weird, let’s just agree to roll with it.

“Okay, Mittens, here we are!” You announce to the cat carrier as you step into the living room. Tetsurou is right behind you, and he steps off to the side as you carefully set the carrier on the floor. He can’t help but smile as he watches you stoop down and open the door, trying to coax the cat out into the room. He knows how long you’ve been waiting for this. 

Hesitantly, the cat pokes his nose out of the carrier and looks around the strange room, then takes a few more steps to give your fingers a sniff, finally butting his head against your hand. You scratch behind his ears, eliciting a grumbling purr. After four years of only seeing your childhood cat on breaks from school, today you and Tetsurou picked Mittens up from your parents’ house. The extra weeks of searching for an apartment that allowed pets are all worthwhile just seeing the grin on your face.

“Come say hi!” You beckon suddenly, turning that smile to Tetsurou. He hesitates for half a second. He’s met Mittens several times now, but he can’t say the cat has ever had a particular affinity for him. He crosses the room anyway and crouches down, the movement causing the cat to turn from you and assess him coolly. 

“Hi, Mittens, remember me?” He extends his fingers, and the cat gives them a disdainful sniff before turning and slinking off.

“He probably just wants to explore,” You chirp, jumping to your feet. “I’d better fill his food dish and make sure he knows where the litter box is!” Tetsurou nods and watches you scurry off, blissfully unaware of the affect this cat is going to have on his life.

It starts later that evening. The dinner dishes are drying, and Tetsurou wants nothing more than to curl up on the couch with you and watch mindless television. If he’s lucky, you’ll even let him lay his head on your lap and run your fingers through his hair. 

The two of you settle on the couch and scroll through Netflix in search of the perfect show. When you’ve finally decided on something, Tetsurou tosses the remote on the coffee table and shifts closer to you just as Mittens jumps on the couch next to him. 

“Aww, c’mere!” You pat your lap and the cat wastes no time accepting your invitation, padding across his lap to yours, kneading your thigh for a few moments before turning in a circle and curling into a neat ball. In no time, he’s purring away. 

Tetsurou lets it slide for a little while, figuring the cat will soon decide to go have a bite to eat or use the litter box or whatever else it is that cats do, leaving your lap free for the taking. It’s not that he’s getting impatient or anything, but when he shifts his legs to get more comfortable, his knee brushes the cat’s back. With a startled sound, Mittens lifts his head and peers at Testurou.

“Tetsu,” You murmur, elbowing him lightly, “Careful, you’ll scare him off.” After another moment, the cat lays his head down again. He looks awfully comfortable there. Stifling a sigh, Tetsurou rests his arm on the back of the couch around your shoulders and leans his head against yours in resignation.

A few episodes later, you shift more upright and the cat stands, jumping from your lap and loping off in the direction of the litter box. “Well,” You chuckle softly, “Guess we should go to bed before he gets comfy again, huh?” You turn to Tetsurou, who immediately softens at the sight of your sleepy smile.

“Sounds good to me,” He agrees a little too quickly, getting to his feet and pulling you up, too. He presses a light kiss to your lips before turning to get ready for bed.

It’s only been a few weeks, and sharing a home with you is still new to him. Every night, he still feels a thrill of pleasant warmth just thinking of crawling into bed next to you. After a long day, there’s nothing he loves more than pulling you close and burying his face in the crook of your neck.

Tonight, you lay nose to nose, chatting and giggling. Tetsurou’s hand rests on your hip, his fingers just beneath the hem of your sweatpants absently tracing against your skin. You reach out and rest your palm on his cheek, face scrunching into a grin as you lean forward to press a chaste kiss to his lips. He loops one leg across both of yours, enjoying the closeness. That is, until he hears a small meow and sees a pointy pair of ears pop up behind you. Mittens rests his front paws on your thigh, and Tetsurou isn’t quite sure what to make of the look he’s giving.

“Aw, come on, sweetheart.” You back away from Testurou, creating a pocket of space between you, and pat the mattress. With a satisfied mew, the cat settles in. Your hand has left Tetsurou’s cheek and is now resting on Mittens’ back. 

“I think he’s settling in well,” You say softly, smoothing the cat’s fur. Tetsurou can only nod. “He had a chance to explore and check out the apartment, and it seems like he likes it,” You go on, a tiny smile on your face as you watch Mittens’ eyes slide shut in contentment, his purring building. “I’m glad.” At that, your eyes slide up to meet Tetsurou’s, clearly expecting him to chime in.

“Mm-hmm,” He hums. “I’m glad, too.” He is, truly. Mittens makes you happy, so that makes him happy. With time, surely Mittens will warm up to him a little more. He scoots as close to you as he dares and leans in to press a kiss to your forehead before settling in to sleep.

Sometime in the middle of the night, he wakes up, bleary but just conscious enough to recognize that the cat is gone. As he slips back into sleep, he slides an arm around your middle and pulls you close.

The next morning, he wakes up to an empty bed. He has a vague memory of waking up just as the room began to fill with the first light and looking over to see Mittens pawing at your arm. You must’ve gotten up to tend to him.

As he slides out of bed, he can just make out the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting from the kitchen. Following his nose, he makes his way down the hall. He can hear you shuffling around and clanking dishes in the kitchen. That sound is all too familiar - maybe you’ve gotten a head start on breakfast.

He thinks you must hear him coming down the hall, because you start talking. “Who’s hungry? Hmm? Are we ready for breakfast?” Tetsurou all but bursts into the kitchen, half-expecting a spread of pancakes and bacon all ready for him. Instead, he’s greeted by you, scraping the last of a tin of paté onto a small dish while Mittens watches, already licking his chops. You stand back with a satisfied hum, watching as the cat hungrily descends on the meal. Despite himself, Testurou feels himself deflating. 

“Hey Tetsu, you’re up! Wanna have something quick for breakfast before we go grocery shopping? I think there’s some cereal left in the cupboard. Or toast, if you’d rather.” You reach for your coffee mug and peer at him over the rim, waiting for his response.

“I’ll have the cereal, unless you want it,” He says finally, reaching for the refrigerator handle.

“All yours!” You say brightly, then take a sip of your coffee. He pulls a mug from the cupboard and lazily sloshes coffee inside. “You wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” You ask then, eying him critically.

“Nope,” He manages a grin. “I’m fine, I promise.” You nod, but something in your expression says you’re not quite convinced. To his relief, you let it go at that.

That afternoon, Tetsurou is in the bedroom looking through his unpacked boxes one last time. In the shuffle of the move, it seems he’d gathered up some of Kenma’s things by mistake, and Kenma has been after him to return them. He’s collected a small box of things he’s come across that belong to his friend, and this afternoon he’s planning to drop them off. When he hears you call, he moves to the doorway to listen.

“Come on, where are you hiding?” Your voice is muffled. You must be across the apartment.

“Babe,” He calls back, “I’m in the bedroom.”

“Come out, handsome boy!” He’s taken aback by the unusual pet name, but he shakes his head. You mustn’t have been able to hear him.

“Babe,” He says again as he makes his way down the hall. “I’m-” He stops short when he finds you in the living room, on your hands and knees peering under the couch. “You’re looking for the cat,” He says, shuffling a few steps backwards hoping the doorway would be so kind as to swallow him up.

You laugh. “Totally looking for the cat,” You confirm with a chuckle, “He’s got a vet appointment this afternoon, remember? Somehow he always knows.” You stand up and go to check the kitchen, and just when he thinks he’s in the clear, you turn back with a smirk. “Don’t worry, you’re my handsome boy, too.”

“Shut up,” He ducks away, but you still manage to reach up and pat his cheek, chuckling as you walk past. 

“Anyway, you’re leaving soon, right? Have fun at Kenma’s,” You call over your shoulder as you continue your search. He goes back to the bedroom to grab the box of Kenma’s stuff and catches Mittens slinking out from under the bed. 

“Good luck, bro,” He says as he watches the cat slip out of the room and down the hall. Judging by the direction he’s headed, he’ll be intercepted soon enough. “See you later!” He calls out, shutting the door behind him just as he hears your cry of success.

Sitting in Kenma’s living room, the conversation inevitably swings around to the events of the past few days. A polite question from Kenma leads to Tetsurou telling Kenma the entire events of the past 24 hours. If nothing else, he’s sure his friend will find it amusing. 

When he realizes Tetsurou’s finished talking, Kenma lowers his phone, fixing his piercing gaze on Tetsurou. His lips tilt upwards in a slight smile before he says, “You’re jealous of the cat.”

Inhaling a sharp gasp, Tetsurou frowns. “I’m not jealous of the cat,” He rebuffs quickly. It’s absurd. Kenma raises an eyebrow. Okay, maybe he’s a tiny bit jealous of the cat. But is he going to admit it? Never.

“You’ll work it out.” Kenma assures him, the slightest hint of a chuckle in his tone. Tetsurou sighs. Some day maybe he’ll learn not to be surprised by Kenma’s astuteness. 

he thinks it over on the way home. He just needs to get used to it, he decides. He’s never had a cat before. He’s gotten used to it being just the two of you. He and Mittens will get used to each other with time. Ridiculous as it sounds even in his head, he’ll learn to “share” you with the cat.

When he gets home, he finds you in the kitchen. “How’d the vet go?” He asks, glancing around. Mittens is nowhere in sight. He sidles up next to you and rests his chin on your shoulder. You lean into his touch, he notices with satisfaction.

“It went well. He’s staying healthy, even for an older cat.” You run your fingers down Tetsurou’s arm in a soothing motion. 

“That’s good,” Tetsurou murmurs. As if he senses you’re talking about him, Mittens walks into the room and then heads to his water fountain for a drink. You don’t miss Testurou’s eyes following him.

“You and Mittens aren’t so different, you know,” You giggle. Testurou narrows his eyes at the cat, who shifts onto his haunches and levelly returns the stare. “You both think you’re being cool, but you just want my attention.”

“Pfft.” He waves his hand as though brushing off the idea.  

“Don’t play coy with me,” You insist, and Tetsurou sheepishly meets your gaze. “You two are going to love each other soon,” You say confidently. “Don’t worry, I have plenty of attention for both of my handsome boys.” You giggle.

“I’m never gonna live that down, am I?” He sighs.

“Nope.” You pull him in for a kiss, lips curling up into a smile against his. “Come on, let’s go watch some TV,” You say, lacing your fingers with his and giving his hand a tug. “I’ll play with your hair,” You promise, shooting him an all-too-knowing grin. Now, that he can’t say no to. As you lead him out of the kitchen, he shoots one last smug glance in Mittens’ direction. 

[mlqcconfessions]

hi! can i request the guys realising they’re in love with you/mc? how would they react to it and when would the realisation happen? just something a lil cute for the quarantine ✨

SUGAR SWEET not really, this got really dark

Warning: Backstory spoilers (with some alterations!)

MLQC Headcanon - When I First Realized

Victor

He still remembers the day when you first walked into his office

He hadn’t thought much of this new producer (just that she seemed like a dummy)

A few more meetings with you, and he realized that his initial impression of you was wrong (something that doesn’t happen often)

You didn’t seem like a dummy, you were a dummy

He’s never seen someone so all over the place, barely able to collect herself sometimes

At one point, he found himself almost looking forward to your visitations

As a CEO, he’s learned to control his emotions quite early on in his life

He forbid himself from showing any weaknesses (but he knows everyone else’s?)

So when he realized he was acting like a human being abnormal, he became irritated

He assigned more tasks, and required more proposals from you

By giving you more work, he eventually gave himself a chance to divert away from you (drowning in paperwork meant distracting his mind)

But for some reason, he just couldn’t seem to forget you

Maybe it’s the way you act tough

Maybe it’s how you avoid his eyes, but glare at him when you think he’s not looking (Victor knows everything)

Or maybe it’s your smile, and how you never show that in front of him

So he started wondering, what could he do to make you not so afraid of him?

As he got lost in his thoughts, his eyes gravitated to the pile of papers on his desk (he hasn’t so much touched those yet)

“Huh, unbelievable” (he then quickly passed off any interferences with his work)

A considerable amount of time has gone, and he’s escaping an abandoned building with you

He can feel the tension in the air, as the currents electrify his surroundings

Victor looks over to you, weary and frail from constant running, and clenches his fists

Whoever is behind this, they’re aiming for you

Before he could think of a plan of action, he suddenly catches you as you leap out in front of him (you’re writhing with pain as the bolt lashes against your back)

In his arms, you’re there, limp without consciousness, unaware of the turmoil inside his heart

He thinks back to when he was just a boy, and that brave girl who jumped to save his life (he had made it his lifelong goal to find her, but to no avail)

Now he knows it was you all this time, and he won’t let anyone hurt you ever again

Even if he has to break through time.

Kiro

He was a celebrity for as long as he can remember (one of the most popular child stars of his day!)

But it’s not like he desired to be in the spotlight for fame

He needed to find her (and that was his mission since the start)

“For you, I’ll reach even greater heights”

This was the only way he could possibly search the entire city to find her

By stranding himself in the public eye

He has never forgotten about her (she was on his mind everyday)

Whether he wants to or not, flashbacks of the experiment table run across his mind

He can picture the little girl next to him, seeming to be about his age, her eyes closed into a peaceful slumber

The red thread connecting the two of them continued to circulate, and he was forced to watch it all

If only he could rip out the needles binding him and escape this orphanage with her (he eyed the room for any possible routes)

She was so close to him, yet unreachable

He tried to grab hold of her hand, so as to stop this nightmare from consuming her

But one of the masked figures noticed his activity, and nonchalantly increased his dosage

The boy tried so hard to keep his eyes open, to fight back, but what power did he have?

He was only five

Many years passed, and Kiro returned to Loveland to boost his career as a superstar

He was now known as everyone’s sunshine, radiating with bright energy and beauty

Friendly with all, it’s not difficult to disclose your personal information with him (but no one really knows the darkest parts of the sun’s shadows)

Even now, he was still trying to find her

She must be around my age (but how would he know what she looked like now?)

With doubts in his mind, he takes a walk in his disguise to momentarily hide from the flashes of cameras

There was no destination in mind, just a desperation to be somewhere

He felt lost in this world where everyone knew who he was (but who would be able to rescue me?)

His eyes drift towards a supermarket, with a young lady stationed near the chips aisle

She should be around her age, maybe the height too?

As he walks past the store, he got a good look at her face (his heart nearly stopped beating)

Although the features were more mature compared to his memories, it was still the same shining smile as the little girl’s

How could he ever forget that smile? (the sole ray of light that shone on him in the darkness)

Without hesitation, he marches towards the market, nearly slamming into the automatic doors

He grabs the bag of chips she was reaching for, in hopes of getting her attention (in a relatively gentle way)

As she was about to yell his name, he quickly covered her mouth, allowing him to look clearly into her eyes

Ah....it was really her

“Shhh...I don’t wanna get noticed”

Lucien

In his world, everything was ordinary

Bland, boring, and lifeless

It has been this way for as long as he can remember, and he’s grown accustomed to this lifestyle

There was nothing he could do about it, nor did he want to waste efforts trying

It was easier to ignore the impossible, and focus on more important matters at hand (and this continued for years)

He had heard that a producer from a company was looking for him, and that she should be arriving any minute now

He had no plans to involve himself with television, so he decided to politely decline the offer to join her

Lucien wandered around his office, organizing his desk to welcome the unwanted visitor

He looked at his bookshelf, colored with a dull grey all around

It wasn’t anything new, just a little depressing at times

He noticed a butterfly floating past his windows (colorless like everything else in his sight)

Then he saw her, the visitor

Suddenly his eyes began to burn (his muscles started pulsing at the temples)

Why....

There was no explanation that he could think of

He trusted his eyes enough to know that this was not a dream, yet can he see color?

What makes her so different?

His original plan was to refuse her offer at the door, but instead took out his china set and began to brew some tea

Meanwhile, you arrive at the floor Professor Lucien should be on (you ask around, but no one knows where he is)

You ask a younger-looking gentleman, who leads you to an office a few doors down

You enter cautiously, but the professor is nowhere to be seen

As you’re about to leave, the gentleman pushes a cup towards you (it’s steaming with freshly poured tea)

As she grabs the cup, her touch reveals its true colors, never-before-seen

It puts a smile on his face at the sight of the extravagant change

....how beautiful

“Um, do you know when Professor Lucien will be returning?”

“I can go ask the researcher next door, if you’d like”

“Oh, that would be great!”

He can’t help but let out a chuckle as he calls his colleague next door, to which she replies with absurdity

“What are you talking about, Lucien?” (he can’t help but feel amused at the producer’s shocked expression)

He peers curiously into her blushing face, his first time seeing such a flattering hue

Gavin

He wasn’t always sure about when he first fell in love with you

He just knows that he did

At one point, you were the only thing on his mind

“Bro, you’re in love with her!”

Despite Minor’s annoyed words, he just couldn’t understand (love? what a joke)

He was sure that this wasn’t love, just a fleeting spark of a moment’s interest

He shielded you from the rain with his umbrella, but it’s not love

He stared at the picture of you in the school newspaper for hours (Minor had to take it away from his hands), but it’s not love 

He goes to your every recital (on the roof so you don’t notice him), but it’s not love

No matter which way he looked at it, he WAS NOT in love with you (Minor is slamming his head into the table)

But looking back, he does have an idea as to when this interest started

It was late spring, just on the border to becoming autumn

He was starting to lose conscious, surrounded by knife-bearers

Gavin was cornered on the school roof, blood flowing out at a dangerous rate

Then, he heard a soft melody encompassing the air around him (piano...?)

As he tried to locate where the sound was coming from, one of the gang members pushed him off the edge

His world spun around as he outreached his arms, desperately trying to grab onto anything available

Nothing.

All energy left his body, reverting him to a corpse (maybe my next life wouldn’t be so bad....)

Suddenly a heavy, rapid, surging melody sounded (taken from Campus Date!)

Gavin’s life flashed before his eyes, and the next thing he saw was the entire city beneath his floating feet

“....! What...is this..?”

While he was trying to collect himself, the roaring notes of the piano continued, as if they were in agreement with his adrenaline rush

He quickly regained control, letting the booming wind merge with this foreign power inside him

He gravitated towards the window, where the school’s music room was located

His ears soon landed on a beautiful voice, accompanied by the rhythmic taps of the keys (it was her!)

He still wasn’t sure how this Evol awakened inside of him, and is still wondering if this was love, but one thing’s certain:

He, for all eternity, would dedicate his life to protecting her (cue the Minor squeals!)

Shaw

He never thought of himself as a stationary being

Too much of a hassle

With his skateboard, he cruises around the city at his own pace, looking for any amusements in the area

Unable to find anything worth pursuing, he returns to his alleyway to finish the graffiti piece he was working on earlier

He recalls the time when he briefly met his brother, at the airport a while back

He laughs just thinking about that moment (he’s never seen his brother so furious)

Come to think of it, he was protecting a girl that day

Determined to make his day fun, he decides to go find her himself

You waited in the bus, hoping that your precognition doesn’t come true

“If we just get past this block, it’ll be fine”

You’re almost sent out of your seat as the driver brakes at the bus stop, one before your destination

A tall guy, occupied with his headphones, steps in

Shaw immediately is able to spot her, and promptly places himself in the seat next to her

The bus was nearly empty, yet he chose to sit next to you instead (just why..?)

As for why he sat there, Shaw couldn’t think of a reason either

He simply thought whatever happens next might be fun

He glanced over at the girl, who fidgeted nervously next to him

He cracked a silent smirk as he adjusted his headphones (he could feel her gaze on him)

“Wanna listen?”

“N-no..”

You couldn’t get your head around this guy, and exactly what he was planning

But you had your own problems to worry about, and it arrived much sooner than expected

Shaw noticed the girl was clutching onto her dress tightly, and glanced at her face

She looked like she was in pain for some reason, but there was nothing he could do to help (Do I wanna help in the first place?)

He jolted as she suddenly got up and yelled for the driver to stop the bus

The driver, of course, passed her pleas off (the bus wasn’t at the stop yet, anyways)

He inquisitively looked at his surroundings

There was nothing off, which means there was no reason for her to get so panicky

He became very interested in what she was going to do next, so he willingly gave her a hand

In the blink of an eye, the sky became dark and rain started to pour outside

Your eyes go wide at this unusual happening, but waste no time in rushing out the door (the driver gave up on running the bus in this weather)

He discreetly follows the girl as she runs towards the crosswalk

He’s a little taken back as she plops down on the cement, a sigh of relief across her expression

Without saying anything, he hands her a transparent umbrella (he tries hard to not laugh at her conflicted face)

“You’re welcome”

He decides not to ask her what that was all about

He could sense that they will be meeting again in the future soon

WOWZERS. This took me a lot longer to complete than expected.... (it’s so long!!!!) I did alter some details, just to fit what I want more.

I guess I took this a different route than what the request was, so I hope anon who submitted this is okay with it

I went for a more “when was an important turning point in their relationship” compared to “when did they fall in love” (because I think it captures the essence of the game better)

Hope you enjoyed. I’m now going to cry at all the hurt ;_;

[bapyess1r]

PuNK

WARNINGS: cursing

Pairings: Rafe Adler x OC

Tags: @desertvvitch , @courtenbae , @tiecladartist

Chapter 5

Rafe’s POV

‘What in the hell… How could I have missed this?!’ I thought, continuing to go inside. All along, I’d been falling in love with Lyric’s voice. All this time, I’d been lusting after her. ‘Well this is certainly going to make the workroom a little awkward….’ I went to my usual corner and ordered gin and some fries. I waited eagerly for the band to start playing. When they finally came on, I stopped eating to stare at her in awe. This show was different from the others. It felt much more personal than before. Because I now knew why she rushed after paperwork sometimes. She had to be here. Suddenly, I felt a bit bad for giving her so much to do on the weekends. I poured a bit of gin in my glass and finished it in one gulp, already pouring myself another.

The lights in the room dimmed and the audience went wild. I rose to my feet as soon as Lyric stepped onto the stage. Like every night, she looked incredible. Like every night, she sang her heart out. And like every night, the band received a standing ovation. I was thoroughly impressed. She had a talent. I couldn’t help but to look at her differently. She wasn’t just my assistant anymore; she was a star. When the performance ended, I watched as the band made their way to the bar. She didn’t leave off for once. Then again, she didn’t work in the morning (even though I was considering calling her into the office). I couldn’t decide if it was a bad idea to go talk to her just yet so I stayed in my corner as the club turned on Senses Fail. I drank a good bit until my nerves had numbed. Suddenly, it was a great idea for me to talk to her. So I stood up, fixed my hair, adjusted my shirt and made sure I was presentable and approachable. I didn’t want to scare her off…

I weaved my way between the tables until I ended up behind the band but something was said that made me stop in my tracks.

“Rafe can honestly be such a prick…” I heard her say. ‘Woah…’ I thought, crinkling my brows. I didn’t want her to see me yet and I wanted to hear more of what she had to say. I sat on a barstool at a high table behind them and just leaned back into my seat, listening in on the conversation between the band. “Like…. he just… these past two weeks were horrible! I mean, I was almost late every day last weekend. And this weekend I had to put some pages aside to finish in the mornings.” She exclaimed.

“He overworks the hell outta you, bro. I remember when you texted me about the lunch thing the other day.” Said one of her bandmates. I frowned. ‘What lunch thing?!’ I thought, racking my brain to remember such a time. I looked behind me a moment just as a guy with fuschia hair asked her the same question I wanted to ask.

“What happened?” He asked.

“So it’s literally getting close to my lunch break. I was just about to get off and he sent me to go get his lunch and it took all of my lunch period to go get it and bring it back. I had nothing to eat all day except a cheese stick. Good shit.”

I nodded in a sort of shameful acceptance. I did do that.

“Oh! And that meeting! He fucking yelled at me because his coffee was cold when he was late! I showed up on time, dammit. Don’t get pissy with me because you fucked up, y’know?” I listened to her continue to vent over drinks about several incidents that expanded into months ago; how she was one bad day away from quitting and how she was ready to risk being a broke musician. And that worried me. From the sound of it, I’d honestly been treating this girl terribly. Despite how I may have been acting towards her, Lyric was a reliable assistant and I did appreciate her. I was getting used to having her around the past 4 years. And it was disappointing to know that she’d been busting her ass for me this whole time and barely got to rest, write music, or even breathe. I suddenly stood to grab my things and leave the club. This was her night off and I wanted her to enjoy it. So I ordered her and the band a bottle anonymously. I wouldn’t call her in in the morning; I wouldn’t send her work to do at home and I wouldn’t have her come into work earlier than scheduled. She deserved the break. And a chance to eat… no wonder she was so thin.

I walked home for a while. Thinking about what else I could’ve done to her. What I could’ve said to her. Suddenly, the fan boy in me kicked for a second. ‘I’ve been treating my favorite vocalist like shit!’ I thought. With that, I sighed. I just wanted to go home and go to sleep.

Lyric’s POV

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. When I looked at the clock it was way past noon. I groaned and threw the covers off, rubbing my hands down my face. “Coffee…” I murmured as I stood to cross my small apartment. I rubbed my eyes and walked into the kitchen. Even though I was hungover to hell, there was so much I remembered. I just needed to put the pieces together again. I began to start a pot of coffee and lit a cigarette. I was in the stages of quitting. So far it was going well and I no longer needed it as badly. But some mornings, I just really needed one.

I sighed as nicotine filled my lungs and stared out the window as I waited for the coffee to brew. As I looked along the New York skyline, I began to reflect on my week; something I hadn’t had a chance to do in a while. I faintly remembered a guy buying the band a bottle of really nice whiskey. I remembered looking back to thank him and only seeing the back of him as he left. Call me crazy but he looked a lot like my boss. But there was no way in hell Rafe would’ve gone to a trashy dive bar. It wasn’t his scene. ‘Speaking of…’ I thought, grabbing my laptop from the plush blue velvet couch. I don’t know why it stuck but I began to remember Rafe’s struggle with finding that cross. I figured maybe I could do a little digging before the day was out. Just then, the coffee maker did that sputtering noise it tended to make as if emptied the contents into the pot. ‘But first… coffee.’ I gave a long sigh and made myself a cup. I milked it barely and sugared it asmuch as possible without killing myself before curling up on the couch and beginning my research.

Hours had gone by. Rafe hadn’t called nor texted me all day which was very unusual for him. He would almost always call me in for some bullshit I could do at home. Or have me run and grab a spare suit from the dry cleaners… Not that I minded being unbothered for the day. I found some time to play my guitar and write a little music. And I was able to finish a song I’d been working on. After that, I continued to search for the Saint Dismas cross. And just like that… ‘Gotcha.’ I thought as my eyes widened in excitement. I found a link with a picture of the cross to it. Apparently, it was going up for an auction in the next week in Italy. I let out a laugh and sat back on my couch. “Well holy shit.” I couldn’t wait to see his reaction when I showed him this.

Rafe’s POV

I sighed heavily, rubbing my hands over my face. As I leaned into my chair, I stared at Lyric’s desk through the open doorway. I was beginning to get anxious. This woman that I’d found myself fawning over for a month was working right under my nose and I barely even knew it. ‘Should I tell her that I know?’ I thought as my leg bounced quickly. ‘What do I say to her? Should I apologize?’ Suddenly, a knock tore me from my thoughts. When I looked up, that talented woman stood before me with a thin folder in her hands. My heart skipped as I let my eyes run over her hips in her leather pencil skirt. I straightened my posture but my stale expression never faltered.

“Good morning, Ms. Lewis.” I said in my everyday tired tone.

“Mr. Adler!” She smiled widely and pushed a curl behind her ear, revealing a single golden braid. I tried to conceal my laughter. The poor girl must’ve missed one when she changed her hair this morning. But I wouldn’t tell her. I’d let her figure it out. She then turned around and closed my office door behind her. ‘What is she doing?’ I looked at her with furrowed brows and she sat the folder on my desk before me. She gestured to it excitedly and crossed her arms over her fuzzy green sweater.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

“Open it and find out!” She sang, pursing her lips to suppress a smirk. I scooted towards my desk in my chair, eyeing her suspiciously as I opened up the folder. Before me was a few pages printed from an auction site in Italy. Heading it was a large picture of the cross I’d been so desperately looking for. ‘You’ve got my attention….’ I thought as I leaned forward, straining my eyes to read the fine print. It would be going up for bidding at their next event at the Rossi Estate. It was next week. I let out an amused chuckle. I was impressed. Very impressed. I looked up at her with an approving expression and leaned back in my seat, tapping on the papers before me.

“Where did you…. How? Sam and I have been searching for weeks and—”

“I told you! You didn’t google hard enough.” She said in a sultry voice as she leaned onto my desk. I forced a laugh as I found myself mesmerized by her brown eyes. ‘When did she find the time to….’ I thought, shaking my head as I stood to lean on my desk as well. We both stared at each other a moment from across the desk.

“This is good work, Lyric. Thank you. Honestly, I…. ha ha! We’re one step closer to finding Avery’s treasure because of you.” I praised her. Something I never did. Though I was beginning to think that I should have… At the sight of her relieved smile, an idea came across my head. I admired her figure and began to wonder how well she cleaned up… “Come with me.” The words left my mouth before I could even really think about it. The smile on her face disappeared as her brows raised and her eyes widened.

“What?” She said in confusion.

“Come with me.” I reiterated, slowly. “I’d like for you to accompany me as my date.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed as a slight blush tinted her cheeks. I smiled gently at how adorable she’d become. “Why me?”

“Well you found it’s whereabouts, you deserve to see it through.” I shrugged.

“You want me to come with you to Italy?” She was still in shock; which was fair. Considering my treatment of her lately, this was a massive jump.

“Why not? You can keep me company. It would be nice to have a familiar face around.” For the first time to her face, I think I smiled at her. Not a fake business smile that I put on for these corporate jackasses but a genuine pleasant smile. She looked at me as if she’d just seen an alien.

“May I ask why you’re being so….”

“Cryptic?”

“Nice…. You haven’t yelled at me this morning, ordered me around… you didn’t even bother me yesterday! Is everything okay?” She asked me and I burst into laughter.

“I guess I have been a bit uptight lately, huh?” I said rounding the desk to sit on it next to her. A very informal thing I found myself doing with her around. She didn’t move from her position, she just looked at me in surprise and bit her lush lips. “So how about it?” I asked again.

“Um… I don’t really have the cash to get to Italy.” She told me awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll take my jet—”

“The company jet?! I’ve only ever seen it from the outside!” The excitement in her voice was enough to make me chuckle a little.

“Well now you can actually fly in it.” I said. It’s a shame the things I hadn’t done with her, especially with her being my assistant and all. “And I’ll have a dress picked out for you—”

“No, no. Nothin’ good ever comes from someone else picking my clothes for me. I’ve got a dress.”

“Are you sure? Not something you wear to the club on the weekends, Lyric- this is a black tie event.”

“I’m aware. I have formal dresses. I’ll wear the one I wore at the company dinner last year.”

“I don’t remember that one.” I chuckled, trying to remember what it looked like.

“You barely looked at me.” She said plainly and I frowned a little. I really had been shitty to her.

“Well things are changing. Have your passport ready and your bags packed. Make whatever arrangements you need and by the end of the workday next Thursday, we… will be on our way to Rome.” I said, rounding my desk to gather up all the papers and putting them back into the folder. She stood up, straightening her back like a soldier. Clearly she was taken aback by my sudden demands. Demands that had nothing to do with a fat folder of paperwork or my Starbucks order.

“It’s a date!” She smiled before it awkwardly fell. “I mean…. I’ll be ready, sir.” I smiled to myself and opened my laptop to start my work for the day. I still had to play boss. Just for a while.

“That’ll be all, Ms. Lewis. Thank you.” I said briefly.

“Okay…” She said turning to leave but then she turned on her heel as if she’d forgotten something. I looked up at her as she began to speak. “Oh! You have a 2 o’clock with Mr. Ackles again.” She told me. I groaned tiredly. I hated meetings. They were tedious and boring and quite frankly a waste of time. Also I wasn’t dressed to meet anybody today. A thin grey sweater and slacks wasn’t appropriate for meeting with that asshat. With a long sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Alright… um… I need you to do me a favor then. Could you please grab my dry cleaning for me? I’m sure there’s a suit there getting cleaned now. Just bring it to the office and hang it on my coat rack?” I asked her. She blinked at me a couple times in silence and I looked about awkwardly. “Is something the matter, Ms. Lewis?”

“You…. you said please- never mind. Yes, sir. I’ll grab it for you.” She said as she turned to leave again.

“Thank you, Lyric.” I called on her way out. I smirked as the door closed and looked over at the folder she’d brought me. “Goddamn Saint Dismas…” I mumbled, suddenly remembering that I needed to inform Samuel. “He’s going to love this…” With that, I picked up the phone and dialed his number.

[lurafita]

Kitten Peter! ch. 2

Go here for the plot bunny that started it all: clickbait

Go here for the actual first chapter I wrote for the plot bunny: more clickbait

Go here for the Ao3 link: how can there be even more clickbait

Okay, let’s start this. As with all the other stories, EVERYONE that comments on any of the parts, get’s automatically put down in the tags. If you don’t want to be tagged for this or future parts, (but still want to comment, in which case: bless you), just write “no tag, please.” Or contact me via messaging here. I completely understand if you want to keep your notifications as clear as possible.

Despite the many, many promises that he was not about to have a mental breakdown because his ex was coming back, Pepper had herded Tony (and Peter) out of the lab and into his living room. Then the fiery redhead had made him something to eat. A very poor attempt at fried vegetables with rice, that the billionaire had forced down his throat through pure will power. The woman was a great friend, a fantastic assistant and a marvelous CEO, but she could barely boil water.

Not that Tony would ever tell her that.

As he chewed his way through the mushy rice and cotton like broccoli (how did you even get vegetables to take on this kind of texture?), he couldn't help but envy Peter. The little kitten was happily munching on his chef cooked, kitty appropriate, fish dinner.

It had taken another hour after that to make the woman believe that he really was okay, before Pepper had finally left for the night. With the sudden absence of someone inquiring if he really was alright, Tony found himself asking the very same question.

Was he okay?

The feeling of tiny claws digging into his pant leg diverted his attention momentarily to the tiny brown kitten scrambling up into his lap.

"You realize these pants cost 900$, right? And here you are, poking them full of tiny holes and spreading your hair all over my general wardrobe."

Contrary to his words, he immediately scratched Peter's head once the kitten had made his way up and into his favorite spot.

"We are going to get some visitors tomorrow, Petey. This tower was actually not always this empty, you know? I mean besides the business departments and all the other S.I. staff."

Peter was apparently not finished with climbing his human, and proceeded to scale up the inventor's shirt. Tony kept a careful hand underneath his kitten, content to let Peter climb up on his own, but ready to catch him should he slip.

"They used to live here, you know? The Avengers. Earth's mightiest heroes. I was one of them. AM one of them, but you know this. You have seen my suit. I'm Iron Man, and therefore the best, right?"

Peter had made it up to Tony's chin and was rubbing his little body affectionately along his beard and cheek. Tony smiled.

"Right. Anyway, the rest of the team has been away for some time... I think they left about two weeks before I found you, and they are coming back tomorrow and I... I don't know how I feel about that."

He sighed deeply, as if finally admitting that part to himself, after having spent the last few hours denying any negative thoughts to Pepper.

Peter settled himself on his right shoulder and rubbed his head against the skin on his neck, letting out a tiny mewl that sounded almost prompting.

"It's not that I don't want them to come back. They are my friends, and I actually like having them around. Even Barton, and that guy is a menace, I tell you. If he tries kidnapping you into the vents, you go ahead and scratch up his stupid face, got it?"

He ran his fingers over Peter's small back, and the kitten started purring. Tony relaxed.

"You will like them. There is Rhodey, who is my best friend, actually. I met him in college and he... well, he has been looking out for me ever since. He is also an Air Force Colonel and probably the most level headed of all of us. He has a suit that is almost as cool as mine, but he buckled under the peer pressure and gave himself the moniker of Iron Patriot, which isn't even a fraction as cool as his previous 'War Machine'. Then there is Bruce, my science bro. He is the strongest Avenger and he might even be smarter than me, but we are not gonna tell him that. He also turns into a tall, green rage monster on occasion, but he is really just a big ol' marshmallow on the inside. Clint is our modern day version of Robin Hood, just without the stealing from the rich and giving to the poor thing. ... On second thought, scratch that. He always stole my fucking coffee and then drank it himself. As if he wasn't perfectly capable of brewing his own. So, yeah. Modern day Robin Hood with less altruistic intentions and only marginally better fashion sense. I'm not sure if Thor is on earth right now, so he might not make an appearance tomorrow. If he does, try not to climb him, okay? I know he is easily confused with a tree, and his stupid cape is probably a very big temptation for your little claws. But you just never know when that big lug decides to twirl his glorified hammer and light up like it's the fourth of July. And if Thor electrocutes my little Petey-Pie, I'm gonna blast his head off, Asgardian royalty or not. So we better avoid that and don't go climbing up any aliens, okay? Trust me, it's not worth it. His beard doesn't hold a candle to mine."

On cue, Peter rubbed his head against the billionaire's bearded chin, letting out a contented mewl.

"Natasha is a bit more difficult to describe. I'm pretty sure if Fury ever manages to clone her, he will jsut retire every other superhero and agent on the planet and fill all his mission teams with Black Widow clones and take over the world. ... Come to think of it, that's a very scary thought. Friday, remind me to hack into Shield later and see if they have any kind of cloning research in the works."

"Of course, boss."

Peter didn't startle anymore when Friday's disembodied voice sounded throughout the tower, but he had started batting his paw in the air whenever she spoke. Like he was waving hello. Tony thought it was precious.

"Anyway, Natasha is pretty badass, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Just hit her with the eyes and she is gonna be a goner for sure."

He could actually picture Natasha stopping in the middle of kicking Clint's ass, just to give Peter a tummy rub. He would have to be vigilant from now on. He wouldn't put it past Barton and Romanoff to try and kidnap (catnap?) his little Petey. He was going to write an anti-kitty-napping code into Friday's mainframe.

"And that brings us to... to Steve."

His mood took a nose dive. There was the crux of the matter. Steve.

Peter, clever little kitty that he was, noticed the change in his human immediately, and bumped his head against Tony's cheek with a questioning meow.

"It's... complicated. Steve and I, we used to be in a relationship. Shoot, I haven't given you that particular talk yet, have I? So, when one mature cat really likes another mature cat, and they decide to have a bunch of little kittens together... wait, that's called a litter, right? Okay, so if these two cats really like each other, and are both of a consenting age, they might decide to have a litter of adorable little kittens together, you know, if one was in heat and it's like mating season... do cats have mating seasons? Actually, this comparison doesn't really work, because neither Steve nor I were trying to get each other pregnant... You know what? You are way too young for this kinda talk, mister."

He carefully took Peter into his hand and held the kitten in front of his face, so he could look directly into the big, round eyes.

"I do not want you getting any ideas of running off with any mangy, ruffian tom cat, or some little pussy hussy, that tries to lay their dirty, perverted paws on you, got it?"

Peter leaned over the rim of Tony's hand and licked him on the nose. Tony grinned.

"Okay. But we will be having a 'stranger, danger' talk later."

He then cradled the kitten in both hands and cuddled him into his chest.

"So, back to the Steve issue. We were together. As, in a relationship. All official like, with going on dates and pet names and everything. The media even had a ship name for us: Stony; which, not very original, but no one has ever accused mass media of originality, so what can you do. Anyway, Steve and I were a 'thing', and I thought we were a 'good thing', you know? I mean, we hadn't dropped the L-word yet, but we had been going steady for a pretty long time, and that was kinda a first for me, and... I liked it. Him. Us. Being an 'us' with Steve. And it was good. Comfortable. And then Barnes came back."

His hand stopped petting Peter at the memory, and the kitten softly tapped his paw against Tony's thumb. When Tony looked down, he once again couldn't stop the thought that Peter must somehow understand him, because right then, the little kitten was looking up at him with an almost too human expression of worry and sympathy. He smiled at him and resumed his petting.

"Long story short, Steve slept with Barnes and broke up with me. And, look, it's not like I don't have sympathy for the guy. The things Hydra did to him and made him do... Suddenly being free of all that and having your best friend there with you...  And I understand Steve's side of things as well. Kinda. Those feelings he has for Barnes, they probably weren't anything new. But back in his time, same sex relationships weren't simply frowned upon, but downright illegal. Then there was the war and the serum and everything else... They probably never really had the time or opportunity to realize exactly what they felt for each other. And then suddenly Steve wakes up decades in the future; and everything is different and he gets put on this team of super idiots and there is fighting and aliens and more fighting and in the midst of all of this, there is the cultural shock of having just skipped like two whole generations..."

Tony had been thinking a lot about it, actually. He wasn't always honest with himself, and he wasn't always good with his emotions. It was something Rhodey had said to him a long time ago. That sometimes, in order to understand our own feelings, we had to understand the feelings of those around us.

And with Peter's calming influence, he had been thinking a lot about Barnes and Steve and himself and their relationships.

At first, fresh after the break up, Tony had just been angry. Hurt, too, but that was so much harder to face than the anger had been, and so he had settled on that instead.

After the team had left for the compound (and Tony understood that his personal relationship drama could not stand in the way of the Avengers availability for missions and their need to keep up their training regimen.), he had locked himself in his lab for three days, trying to tinker his anger and hurt away. Then Pepper had lost her patience with him and hauled the genius out of there and made him see a therapist and sleep and eat (not in that order, though).

Any protestations that he didn't need to see a shrink just because his boyfriend broke up with him, were waved away by the woman ("Someone taking care of your mental health has been long overdue.")

It hadn't helped. The therapist and the food and the sleep, non of it had helped and Tony just got angrier and angrier at his own inability to let it all fucking go. (He had missed his Iron Man suit, and being an active Avengers, but even Tony, as much as he hated to admit it, knew that he hadn't been in the right frame of mind for it)

But then had come that fateful night, where Tony had taken his therapists advice to take a peaceful, relaxing stroll around some neighborhood. It hadn't been peaceful, and it hadn't been relaxing, and Tony had been pissed all the more for it. And then he almost got shot by some two bit thug. But he didn't regret it one bit, because those were the circumstances that brought Peter into his life.

Ever since the little kitten had launched himself at Tony's almost murderer and saved the billionaire's life, things had started getting better. Having a tiny, fluffy creature to take care of and adore, had left Tony no time to dwell on his anger. Watching as the kitten explored his new home with too much enthusiasm and too little coordination, had made the man smile and laugh more in those first few days, than he had in weeks (months?).

Cuddling up with Peter anywhere and having the little fluffball purr up a storm, never failed to relax Tony and often lulled him into a deep, and thankfully dreamless, sleep. He quit going to his therapist and started taking Peter with him wherever he went. Pepper wasn't impressed the first time he showed up to a board meeting, with the kitten neatly tucked into his shirt's breast pocket. But she had quickly given in when she saw that Tony actually paid attention during the meeting, and was much more open to listening to the boards suggestions, while he was playing with Peter.

He talked to Peter all the time, about everything. S.I. business, new projects, what he thought about any particular book or movie, his robots, his suit, absolutely anything that came to mind. Aside from the Avengers. Until now.

"So, really, I get it. Those two are probably some kind of star-crossed, destined to be, once in a lifetime, lovers. And I don't even begrudge them finally being together. I just... I hate how it happened. I hate that Steve all but ignored me when Barnes came back from the dead. I hate that he slept with him while we were still an item. I hate that it made me feel like I had been a stand-in for Barnes all along. I hate that I have hardly talked to any of the team since they relocated to the compound. I hate-" He sighed. "I hate that I don't hate him. I kind of want to. I feel like that would be easier, you know?"

Peter just looked at him with his big, adorable eyes and laid his little paw on Tony's chest, right where the genius' heart was beating. Really, sometimes it felt like the kitten understood every word.

"I miss him, but not in the way one misses a significant other. I miss arguing about reading the newspaper on my tablet versus reading it on paper. I miss confusing him with pop culture references he doesn't know about. And I miss him getting on my case about spending too much time in the lab. But I'm not too hung up about all the couples' stuff. Not saying I didn't enjoy the se-  wait, this isn't appropriate for young kitty ears. It's not like I didn't like our 'intimacy', but looking back on it now, I think Steve and I, we were always more of a 'friends with benefits' type of relationship, with more weight placed on the 'friends' part of the deal. Don't get me wrong, I'm still angry about Steve cheating on me like that, and how it all went down, but I think I can forgive him. I mean, obviously we will need to have it out, first. We didn't really get to the 'break up talk' before I pretty much kicked everyone out, and I guess that's partly on me. But, I want to forgive him. So, if Steve and I manage to clear the air between us, and all that sentimental stuff, ... yeah."

Peter had climbed back up to Tony's shoulder and lovingly rubbed his head against every part of his human's face he could reach. Tony laughed.

"Love you, too, Petey. You are the best kitten in the world, you know that? I will tell Vincent to make you something extra special for breakfast tomorrow."

Tony brought his hand up to massage his fingers into the soft fur, while Peter burrowed himself into the man's neck and purred until they both fell asleep.

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tbc

Okay, let me first say, I understand if people might be a bit confused over Tony's seemingly easy forgiveness here, but I hope I managed to portray that in this story, Tony and Steve's previous relationship isn't meant to be the main plot point. It's actually not even meant to be a particularly important plot point. The story's main plot is the relationship between Tony and Peter, and Peter being an adorable little ball of fluff. :-)

Also, I didn't want Tony to be completely broken up because things with Steve went south. Matter of fact is, romantic relationships sometimes don't last. They sometimes don't work out. And sometimes someone messes up. Steve cheated on Tony. That was a douche move, no question. But I didn't want to just bash his character. Steve didn't cheat on Tony because he didn't value him, or because he is just is a super asshole. These are very special circumstances, and things didn't go great, and Steve isn't perfect, and he messed up. But he didn't do it with malicious intent, and he is still a good guy, and he will try his best to repair the trust between him and Tony.

Tony is gonna get a bit of funny, petty revenge on Steve, though. With Peter's help, of course. ;-)

Sidenote: I would really like to know your opinion about Tony's aborted efforts to have 'The Talk', with kitty Peter. :-) :-) :-) I hope it was as funny to read, as it was to write!

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