#days deserves more love you get to know so much about the organization outside of com and 2 and it makes them all human and interesting and | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

temis-de-leon · 4 months

Text

Shy gn!reader goes to their first date with the Demon Brothers

Characters: Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo and Beel (x reader, separately)

Main Masterlist

Part 1 , Part 2 , Dateables version

Romance Anon: Could I request headcanons for Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub react to shy gn s/o who asked what he would like to do for their first date because he made them happy by accepting their confession so they want to make him happy?

A/N: I asked my brain, "hey, how about we write a little bit" and it answered "how about we fucking don't"

Mammon

He’s ready to turn every single one of your outings into a date, but he’s also excited to have the opportunity of organizing the best first date you’ve ever had.

He’ll make sure you won’t ever regret confessing your undying love to him.

It needs to be memorable and special, so going to the casino is a big no-no. You’ve gone together numerous times already and the image of losing every piece of gold in his pocket and his wallet in front of you on such a special occasion makes him shiver in fear and embarrassment.

A fair or a festival are good choices, but, as much as he’d love watching the city skyline on the ferris wheel or winning a plushie for you to cuddle and think of him, those aren’t available all of the time.

The idea of having dinner and a movie makes him remember the projector in his room, but his brothers could spoil that very easily and bile reaches his mouth at the possibility.

You could go shopping, but that doesn’t feel too intimate, does it?

He becomes desperate after hours of thinking and scratching his head and it’s not until he enters his car to go out for a drive and clear his mind that he realizes he has the perfect solution.

Having dinner together and watching the city skyline are romantic activities, but who says you have to do it at home or on top of a fair attraction?

It’s not even two days later when you find yourself sitting on his car’s hood with take-out ramen in your hands, patiently waiting for him to get a blanket out of the trunk.

The chirping sound of crickets and the distant city noises fill the cold night, but the only thing he can think of is the fondness of your embrace slowly warming his body and making him smile like a fool.

Leviathan

He’s already happy that you like him back and he kind of forgets about everything else, so your offer feels like a slap in the face. An enthusiastic reminder that you’re both now starting a relationship.

That thought makes him cry and yell in the emptiness of his room with non-contained happiness.

He fears you’re going to be disappointed with his ideas for your first date, though.

Going out of the house makes his heart pound in apprehension, anxiety quickly scratching his neck and prickling his brain with needles.

Reading through his manga collection, watching multiple shoujos and playing every otome game he has only make him feel worse and inadequate for you.

Why do you want to go out with someone like him? Reclusive, a bitter sad excuse of a demon who can’t get out of the house without an incentive or a pep-talk.

Do you still like him, despite all of that?

Or is it that… you like him including all of that?

Do you want to be seen holding hands with him? Do you want everyone to know that you like him, of all people?

He can’t set your first date in his room, that would be too pathetic; but, at the same time, going to a café like any other normie couple doesn’t feel like him at all.

What’s a place that combines the comfort and privacy of his room and the outside world?

He asks Henry and his beloved pet stares at him with unblinking eyes. Almost immediately, reality hits him like a train.

Of course! The Royal Aquarium!

The blue lights and the submarine life couldn’t be a better substitute for his room and you’d get out of the house! It’s perfect!

Plus, he gets the opportunity of showing off his knowledge of the ocean, something he hopes will impress you.

He wants to do more for you because you deserve it, but he needs time.

There’s a Ruri-chan convention in a few weeks. Maybe you could go together…

For your second date, perhaps…? No pressure, though!!

Satan

He’s a romantic at heart and he’s been picturing how your first date could go since you confessed to him, so you can’t imagine the happiness he felt when he was granted the opportunity to let all of those ideas become real.

A big gesture would feel impersonal and kill the essence of a newborn relationship, so, although he wants to impress you, Satan will not go overboard.

There are museums where he could show you his knowledge on Devildom’s art and history, but he doesn’t want to spend your first date speaking like a pedant scholar.

There are also high reviewed bookstore cafés, as well as his beloved cat cafés, where you could go to have a hot beverage in a soothing space, but that isn’t exactly what he wants.

He wants to talk to you, hear the nervous stammering in your voice while you blush and struggle to look at him in the eye, and going to a bookstore would quiet your conversations, so he keeps that idea for the future.

The cat café is his favourite, but you would expect that from him and he wants to surprise you at least a little.

He gets the perfect idea while feeding the stray cats behind the House of Lamentation.

Knowing where every single cat in the neighbourhood lives, as well as those who prefer the outskirts of town or even the countryside, shows him a part of the area that no one else has ever seen.

A few days later, Satan looks giddy and enamoured walking by your side while you both feed the cats you encounter, following a path full of flowers that lead you to an abandoned viewpoint.

You’re sitting together, surrounded only by the felines that know when to leave you alone, and, despite the beautiful scenery that displays beyond, Satan can only look at you.

Asmodeus

His first impulse is to go all the way.

Showing you around for his fans to know that you two are dating sends a shiver of excitement down his spine, eyes glowing in delight while he ponders which outfit he should wear so he can match with you.

His plans for your first date seem generic, but a closer look into it lets you know that he has it all planned to make you both the centre of attention.

Other’s and each other’s centre of attention, that is.

You’re colour coordinated, your orders in the café are trending in social media and the weather is so good that little to no people are staying inside their homes.

The both of you are being seen just as you deserve.

Beautiful, together, happy.

Jealousy and envy surrounds you, all of his fans photographing your first date with a mixture of admiration and resentment, wishing to be you; wishing to be him more than ever.

The combination of your company, the external flattery and his own satisfaction makes him think that there couldn’t be a first date better than this one.

He couldn’t be more wrong.

You’re not truly alone until the night comes and the residents of the Devildom have no other choice but to leave you to your own devices to continue with their lifes.

You walk close to him, bumping your hips with his until you both start smiling and giggling. Your voices are almost a hush and he finds the way you lean into him to hear his words better quite addictive.

He feels your breath on his skin, your eyes on his. His hands are itching to bring you even closer and never let you go and it’s not until you kiss under a streetlamp in an empty park that he understands why your first date is so perfect.

You’re with him and he’s with you. That’s enough.

Beelzebub

You already know what he’s thinking, although you may be misinterpreting his execution.

While, yes, he wants to take you out to his favourite dinners and restaurants, Belphie advises him to not go all the way. You don’t have the same stomach as him and ending your date feeling ill would leave a very bad impression.

He doesn’t want you to see him as a permanently hungry beast, anyways. It’s not what he wants you to think whenever he’s close to you, even if he acts like it most of the time, so it doesn’t take much convincing from his twin to agree and search for a more delicate plan of sorts.

He wants the full experience: drinks, starter, main dish, side dish and dessert, but why would you have all of that in the same establishment?

There’s a map in his head where every food related store is highlighted in bright neon colours.

A juice and smoothie bar to start the date followed by a true hamburger restaurant, not any of those fast food chains that only serve half of what is shown in the pictures. Far from there, a walk long enough for you to comfortably digest the food, is a stall specialized in fries. Made in a dozens different ways, they are the perfect last savoury treat to eat before ice cream or a pastry.

Asmo recommended him the retro ice cream parlor and Barbatos took him to the traditional bakery once.

If you don’t like burgers or fries, however, there are more places you could go, just tell him! Whichever you prefer, he’ll be fine with it!

His main goal is for you to have a good time with him, after all, and, although food is a necessity to keep his sin in track, he knows it won’t be what will make your first date perfect.

You being his date is what will make it perfect.

262 notes · View notes

yelena-bellova · 10 months

Text

Heartfirst: A Ted Lasso Story - Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty: Believe

Plot: Richmond and West Ham face off in the deciding match of the season.

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: language

A/N: Well, we’re almost at the end. I wanna thank everyone who’s patiently waited for this one through my depressive waves and exhaustion. Means a lot. This one’s short and sweet, but hopefully it brings some smiles <3 Enjoy!

—————

The long anticipated day had arrived.

Richmond versus West Ham.

From the first crack of dawn, the entire town of Richmond was abuzz. Shops were closed, pubs were bustling, even those who didn’t care about football were showing their support. This was the highlight of the year.

Y/n was up with them, so anxious she was barely able to eat or sit or do anything but anxiously pace her apartment. The caffeine in her morning tea didn’t help either. Caring, it turned out, came with enough nerves for the whole team.

Jamie had spent the night at his place, the two of them agreeing he needed rest more than they needed time together. He’d made Y/n promise to text him when she got to the stadium so he could sneak out and see her before the match.

Y/n waited as long as possible, which was still two and a half hours ahead of the match, before getting dressed. The controversial #9 shirt was now standard uniform and she put it on with pride. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture in the mirror, sending it to Jamie. His response was quick.

Jamie Tartt: Magic

We’re def gonna win now.

Y/n smiled, more giggly than anything else. She gathered the rest of her things and headed out.

Despite getting there early, the traffic surrounding the stadium was substantial. There were fans lining the streets, waiting for the gates to open. All along Nelson Road, you could hear the Richmond chants. Everyone was ready for a match.

Y/n parked in the staff lot and headed into the building. There wasn’t much work to do on game day. Pressers and interviews were already lined up and organized. Higgins wouldn’t even be in until right before everything started. She had time to spare.

Deciding some calm before the storm would be nice, Y/n slipped into her office. There were still a few leftover things there, books and papers and such. Some computer supplies and her chair. Eventually she’d move back in once Keeley was more settled, but for now it felt like a ghost town.

From her desk, she could hear the roar of the crowd filing into the stadium. Their cheers and collective conversation. Y/n settled into her seat and simply listened, uplifted by the enthusiasm penetrating the walls.

There was no way to know on her first day at Nelson Road what would transpire. That she would find the family she’d always longed for or the love she’d never let herself have. That she’d have a job she could take pride in. It had all come to be in spite of her best efforts and beyond what she thought she ever deserved.

A tear slipped down Y/n’s cheek. Her world was golden.

When it was finally time, she headed back downstairs, texting Jamie when she was outside the locker room. The boys’ chatter could be heard through the doors. The adrenaline was practically seeping out the cracks.

Jamie slipped out, him and Y/n sinking into a hard embrace outside the door.

“Hi,” Jamie mumbled into her shoulder.

“Hi,” Y/n giggled, running a hand over his hair.

“I like this.”

“What?”

Jamie swayed them lightly, face still buried in Y/n’s coat. “Getting to see you before a match. Don’t have to come up with excuses now.”

Y/n laughed as he moved them around, pulling back eventually to properly see Jamie. She placed her hands on his cheeks, “How’re you feeling?”

“Good,” Jamie smiled, “Good. We got this.”

“Yeah, you do,” she beamed, “Are we gonna be one of those couples that has some pre-game good luck ritual or something?”

Jamie glanced down at Y/n’s chest. The sight of her wearing his number seemed special enough. “Long as you’re wearing that, we’re set. But,” he adjusted his grip and nudged Y/n’s nose, “Can never have too much luck.”

Dipping her slightly, Jamie smiled into an easy kiss with Y/n grinning equally. It was a routine they could settle into quite comfortably.

“OI!”

Jamie startled and pulled them back up. Roy was coming out of the coach’s office and stalking towards them. When he reached them, somewhat awkwardly, Roy held out a badge to Y/n.

“It’ll get you on the pitch,” he explained, “We save ‘em for sick kids and rich pricks that want a good story to tell their rich prick friends.”

Y/n rubbed a thumb over the badge. V.I.P. Was he offering what she thought he was?

“If you distract him or I catch him tryin’ to show off for you,” Roy pointed to Jamie, “You get the fuck out of there.”

When Y/n nodded, barely hiding her smile, Roy headed back down the hall.

“I love you too, Roy,” Y/n called.

He grunted as he rounded the corner.

“Guess we’ve got his stamp of approval,” Y/n mused as she fiddled with the badge.

“Guess so,” Jamie chuckled, “You gonna do it?”

“Yeah. But I’m starting out in the box,” Y/n wrapped her arms around Jamie’s shoulders, “I am here for people other than you.”

Jamie smirked, “But mostly for me, right?”

“Tell yourself whatever you need to,” Y/n smiled against his lips, leaving one more kiss, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Jamie replied and stole one more hug from her, “Next time I kiss you, it’s gonna be on the pitch.”

“It better be.”

Y/n stepped away, dragging her hand down Jamie’s arm and holding his fingers till they were forced by space to part. They turned away from one another, beaming.

Y/n went through the staff entrance into the stadium, melting into the crowds until she reached the elevator. She took it up to her respective level and entered the owner’s box. It was twenty minutes to game time and most guests were already in their seats. From her spot, she could see the top of Keeley’s pigtails in the front row.

“Hello,” Y/n greeted in a sing-song tone.

Keeley squealed and stood up to hug Y/n, sliding over a seat and letting Y/n settle next to Rebecca.

“You remember my dear friend, Flo, I’m sure,” Rebecca gestured to the brunette on her other side.

“Of course,” Y/n reached over and squeezed Sassy’s hand. They’d met at a staff event Rebecca had invited her best friend to.

“You have a lot of gaps to fill in,” Sassy winked theatrically, “With scandalous amounts of details.”

Y/n looked between Rebecca and Keeley, “Do you just go around broadcasting my love life to everyone?”

“You’re dating one of the most popular players in the country,” Rebecca pointed out, “It’s not going to stay a secret forever.”

If they were honest, Jamie and Y/n really hadn’t considered the publicity. Everything had come to be so suddenly that the press were the last thing they were thinking about.

“How’s he feeling?” Keeley asked.

“Good,” Y/n answered, looping her arm through Keeley’s, “Definitely no repeats of last time.”

“Good,” she nodded.

“And,” Y/n turned towards Rebecca, “Have we had any run-ins?”

Where West Ham was, Rupert followed, and everyone was eager to know how Rebecca was handling it.

“Yes, and all is well,” she smiled, only half-forcing it.

Sassy snorted from beside her best friend. Differing interactions had clearly occurred.

Nevertheless, Y/n accepted the answer, “Okay.”

Soon enough, Higgins and his wife joined the group along with Barbara. When the whole group was assembled, the Hammers and Greyhounds came onto the pitch. As they stood in front of the crowds, Richmond looked noticeably…shaken.

“Something happen?” Keeley asked.

“I don’t know. Everything seemed fine when…” Y/n shut her eyes and bit her lip, “Shit.”

Rebecca looked over, “What?”

“Beard asked me for any videos or photos I had from the season,” she explained, “He said it was for something he was putting together.”

The women took a breath, while simultaneously holding one.

The tears passed and the match started like any other. The first fifteen minutes flew by without either team scoring, which felt like some sort of victory. It was short-lived though, as by halftime, West Ham had scored twice.

Y/n found that watching a match as a player’s girlfriend was a whole new experience. Anytime Jamie made a move, she was practically out of her seat. If a Hammer looked like he was going for him, anxiety flooded her chest. Every emotion was heightened, a blessing and a curse.

When the boys headed off the pitch, there was nothing left to do but fear. No matter how hard the women tried to appear calm, each of them were sweating out the possible loss.

“That’s it,” Y/n announced once she’d grown too nervous to stay still.

“Where are you going?” Keeley asked as Y/n climbed over her legs.

“Down there.”

“I didn’t think your badge got you that far,” Rebecca half-asked.

Y/n hopped on one leg around Sassy on the aisle. “It doesn’t,” she replied, “Keep a closer eye on the printer.”

Weaving through the crowds, Y/n made her way to the staff entrance. Halftime seemed the most logical moment to sneak down. The announcers would be on break and commercials would be running.

Once she got to the pitch, she hurried along the edge, oblivious to any puzzled looks she received. Even if she was simply a passive observer, Y/n could feel a rush of energy sweep over her. She couldn’t imagine what the boys felt like every time they stepped up.

“Hey,” Will brightened up when he saw Y/n, “You made it.”

“Yeah,” Y/n squeezed his hand quickly, smiling to Nate on the other side, and settled into the empty seat. “There’s perks to being on Roy’s good side.”

The three shared a grin of anticipation before Trent leaned out of his seat and patted Y/n’s shoulder.

“Nice to see you down here,” he smiled, winking.

And the feeling that filled her, though she’d expected it to be out of place, was one of belonging. Like there was nowhere else for her than right where she was.

When the fifteen minutes were up, the Greyhounds and Hammers reentered the pitch. Jamie’s eyes went to the dugout to find Y/n looking back at him. They shared a soft smile, their eyes lighting with glee. This was a special moment.

Roy was quick to spot the spark. “I’ll fucking take you out,” he promised.

Y/n nodded, “Yes, coach.”

The boys came back with a new fire lit under them. They were playing not only like they had something to lose, but like they were actually enjoying themselves. It was a perfect combination.

Jamie got the ball to Dani, who in turn missed a shot off the goalpost. Sam took another shot at it only to recieve the same outcome. The third attempt, made by Colin, was still no dice. It wasn’t until the ball got returned to Jamie that he finally put it away, a perfect shot.

“YES!!” Y/n leapt out of her seat, throwing her fists in the air and not even bothering to hide her bias.

After the boys finished celebrating, Jamie looked straight over to Y/n, slapping his hand over his chest. It took them both straight back to Wembley.

“He’s gonna do it again,” Y/n said adamantly, settling back in next to Will.

“He’s gonna do it again,” Will repeated. Neither of their eyes moved from the pitch.

Jamie was off again, moving across the field when a West Ham player swept past him, tripping him. He rolled rather harshly into the grass.

The second he went down, Y/n was up and breathless. She had to catch herself before she ran out onto the pitch.

“Get up, get up, get up,” she whispered.

The referee rightfully called a penalty and Richmond gained a free kick. Just after it was called, Sam helped a grinning Jamie to his non-injured feet.

Y/n smirked and shook her head, “Fuck.”

While it was Jamie’s shot to take, he rolled the ball over to Dani. Dani in turn passed it to Isaac, which surprised everyone.

“Crap,” Y/n uttered.

Nate looked over, confused, “What?”

“Just…” Y/n struggled, “Guard your face.”

The knowing spectators sat at the ready as Isaac lined up the shot. He took careful steps back before surging forward and power kicking the ball. It was fast, but flew past the net and straight into the crowd. The stadium groaned with disappointment, it would have been Richmond’s assurance of victory.

“Shit,” Y/n mumbled, running her hands over her hair.

“Wait, wait, wait, guys,” Nate drew Will and Y/n’s focus upwards, “Look.”

Mike Dean was crossing the pitch to the posts. He inspected something in the net before signaling that it was indeed a goal. Isaac had just sent it through the netting.

Nate, Will and Y/n jumped out of their chairs, grabbing onto one another in a victorious embrace. Richmond wasn’t out of the ring just yet.

With stoppage time started for the grounds crew to replace the net, the Greyhounds headed to the sidelines to discuss strategy. Once enough had been said, Jamie jogged over to the dugout, making a beeline for his girlfriend.

“Hey,” he smiled, “What’d you think?”

Y/n exhaled shakily, “Yeah, we’re definitely breaking up after this because I can’t take the stress.”

Jamie laughed.

“No, seriously,” Y/n grabbed his hands, “My palms are a fucking river, my mouth’s dry. I can’t do this on a regular basis.” She pulled their intwined fingers between them, urging Jamie to look at her. “You’re brilliant.”

While his cheeks were already flush red, the hue deepened at the compliment.

“You’re a fucking menace out there, and you don’t stop being one,” Y/n practically commanded, “Because I got news for you, you’re in their fucking heads. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that once you’re in somebody’s head,” Y/n grinned, “You don’t come out.”

Y/n pressed a palm to Jamie’s cheek, the sounds of the crowd and everything around them disappearing. “You’ve got this.”

Jamie’s self-confidence wasn’t lacking, but there was something about hearing those words come from one specific person that made it shoot sky high. If Y/n believed in him, he could win the whole fucking thing.

“And you need to go now before Roy kills me,” Y/n finished.

Just as Jamie was about to tell her he loved her, their attention was drawn to the side. An indignant Rupert was marching down the field, brushing past the Greyhounds.

“I gotta…” Jamie said distractedly.

“Yeah,” Y/n slipped her hands away, Jamie headed back to the boys.

The whole team watched in shock as Rupert berated his head coach before shoving him to the ground. The stadium was stunned into near silence. An unprecedented moment.

The boys headed back out to the pitch as the ref whistled and Rupert had no choice but to leave. The crowd came back to life fully and began a rousing chorus of ‘Wanker’ to carry him off the field.

“Holy shit,” Y/n exhaled.

“What was that?” Will asked without really seeking an answer.

There was no time to look any further into it as the match restarted. There was serious hustle from Van Damme before the Hammers eventually made a goal, bringing the score to 3-2. However, one of the players was found to be offside and it returned to a tie.

Finally, it came down to the very last minute.

Jamie carried the ball to Richard, who was taken down by a Hammer, and Richmond earned a free kick. If they made it, they could take the whole thing. They just needed a really, really, big move.

As the coaches huddled, Ted looked back at the seats. “Hey, Nate,” he called, “Nate, come here.”

Hesitantly, Nate got up and joined Ted at the front. Ted called out to the boys and began pointing to the former assistant coach.

“What’s happening?” Y/n asked Will as Ted began to shout something about an Oscar.

“I don’t know,” Will mumbled.

Whatever it was, the boys seemed to understand it, and each headed to their marks. Y/n prayed that the unconventional coaching methods of Ted paid off one last time.

The ref blew the whistle and the teams set off. Sam laid the ball off to Dixon, who slid it over to Bumbercatch. Jamie, exaggeratedly, made a run for it, screaming for a pass.

For two seconds, Y/n stood wildly confused, before she spotted Sam. No player was near him. She and Will clutched onto one another.

This was it.

Bumbercatch got the ball to Sam.

Sam made a perfect goal.

The entire stadium, from field to nosebleeds, went wild. And once the ref called it, it became overwhelming.

The Greyhounds had done it.

Y/n and Will latched onto one another and jumped up and down, somewhere between tears and screams.

The pitch became flooded by the players, the coaches and the fans. Y/n didn’t secondguess her decision to run on, following the rest of the crowd. Trent and her ended up beside one another, racing up to the growing group of Greyhounds.

As she looked around, searching for anyone to congratulate, she spotted Colin, hand in hand with a man she’d never seen. Just before he dragged him into the victory circle, the mystery man spotted Y/n and smiled.

“I think you belong with me.”

The two shared an understanding look, Y/n’s eyes flicking briefly to Colin, who looked ecstatic.

“I think I do,” Y/n smiled back, grabbing the extended hand and racing off with them.

The whole team was locked in an embrace, surrounding a dancing Ted. They cheered and chanted and fell into one another. All the while, Y/n and Colin’s beau held onto one another, letting their other halves enjoy their moment.

Jamie, however, was already searching around frantically. The second they made eye contact, he and Y/n were snaking through and past their friends to get to one another.

Jamie threw his arms around her, lifting Y/n up and spinning her around. Y/n’s eyes began to water as the full emotion of their magnificent win sunk in.

“You did it,” she cheered as they spun.

Jamie set her down finally, took one good look and pulled Y/n in for an earth shattering kiss. The one they’d both been waiting to share longer than they even knew.

When they eventually pulled back, breathless and giddy, all the joys around them seemed to amplify. Naturally, Jamie and Y/n ran straight back into the team huddle. Once the boys saw Y/n, she got passed around from body to body in big sweaty hugs. Even Roy swept her into a firm embrace.

There was singing, there was chanting, there was so much pure happiness. After a season filled with so many trials and tribulations, the Greyhounds had earned their perfect moment in time. And it was glorious.

————

Heartfirst Taglist: @lalla-04p @optimisticsandwichgladiator @makingmunson94 @taytaylala12 @storysimp @sokkigarden @lightninginab0ttle @poohkie90 @alipap3 @verra-nerevarine @shineforever19 @spaceagechimera @burnafter-reading @qardasngan @cyberpvnk-enthusiast @sogoodtoheritsvicious @buckybarnex @angelsunflxwer @blueanfield @thewildestwonderland @sablecities @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @strawberryacethingz @mentalistfan @tortilla-maria1 @katdahlali @for-fuck-sake-im-alive @glitterquadricorn @jamieolivia27 @imvibin69 @katlizada @lil-tracys @fanaticalfantasist @heyitz-julia @cactajuice @peachyy-tea @notalxx @rockchickrebel @anxiety-prime-max @mentalistfan @loveforaugust @jellycolors @actuallybarb @heletsmelovehim @lovinnscarletknight @imfalling-inlove @leslieiscrying @meg-ro @littlemisssunshine192 @beboldbebravethings @maydayfigment @spencerreidsbookclub @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @lemoonandlestars @im-a-weirdo-for-life @mindless-rock (tags cont. in comments ❤️)

#heartfirst #ted lasso fic #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso fanfic #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt imagine

278 notes · View notes

mvltisstuff · 1 year

Text

boyfriends - e.b

summary: after dealing with her boyfriend for years, she finally decides to end things with help from buck.

evan buckley x reader

based on the song boyfriends by harry styles :))

a/n: guys i’m on s5 and what the duck is happening. also pretend ravi has been there for longer bc i literally love him

the table was set with thin candles and ceramic plates under a maroon tablecloth. there were light rain noises coming from outside, calming the room with the dim lights. the aroma of homemade pasta and white wine was filling the room. dressed in her neat jean skirt and black top, y/n sat in one of the chairs at the table.

the door unlocked and swung open with an aggressive stomping coming in with a swaying man. “hey, princess! sorry i’m late i was just busy.” slurring his words together, he walks over as she stands up.

“i thought you were at work.” she states, quietly. she’s confused as he should smell like an office, but instead radiates a busy bar and whisky.

“oh, the guys wanted to go out, sorry about dinner,” he says, slumping on the couch.

“i planned this whole thing, cam. you really couldn’t blow them off for one night?”

“it was just dinner! it’s not like we didn’t have food here.”

“yeah, food for us, that i made for you!” she starts getting annoyed but it’s impossible to argue with a drunk person. “it’s fine, i’ll just take it to work.” clearly annoyed, she pulls the plates out and clears them off into tupperware.

“well don’t be pissed at me because i wanted to hang out with the boys,” he says, his words barely making sense. she doesn’t fight back, knowing he won’t even remember this in the morning.

“go to bed, cameron.” y/n says, before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

————————————————————————

dressing for work, y/n wakes up to throw on her uniform. she gathers her things to prepare for another long shift at the 118, and she notices his keys gone, along with his work belongings.

she walks out the door after grabbing the leftovers she had spent hours preparing for someone who spent hours not caring. she walks into the station to be greeted by her real family.

“hey, y/n!” eddie says, organizing one of the trucks with buck.

buck gives her a sweet smile, noticing the abnormal lack of excitement on her face. she walks over and talks to them a bit, drained of energy but still ready to force herself through the day.

as much as she didn’t want to leave her apartment, being at the station felt more of a warm welcome. stepping in through the garage doors, the cold air from her apartment and life outside had evaporated.

the team goes upstairs to the kitchen, as bobby is making coffee for everyone. y/n leaves her extra food on the counter to show people.

“what’s all this from, y/n?” bobby asks. “you didn’t have to bring this.”

“oh, it’s just my l-“ she cuts herself off. “i made this to bring to you guys. i made the pasta myself.”

“it’s delicious!” buck says, a mouthful of pasta and covering his mouth. he tries to lighten her mood after seeing directly through her lies.

he had met cameron before, never really being a fan of him. she’d brought him to one of the gatherings, and he spent the whole time ignoring her existence, and then getting mad at her for being upset. he knew she deserved better, and honestly, he thought, she deserves him. he wanted to help her, but didn’t want to cross the line and help where he wasn’t needed.

“really, buck? couldn’t even heat it up?” hen asks, slightly disappointed but expecting nothing else from him.

they all walk away back to their own chores around the station, as bobby stays in the kitchen. “hey, y/n!” buck runs up behind her.

“yeah? you ok?”

“that’s… kinda my question to you.” he stutters a bit. “it’s just- just wanna make sure everything’s okay, you don’t seem as… bright and bubbly as normal.”

buck and y/n had been friends for a long time, knowing how each other felt all the time. they were able to connect with one another so easily, and buck knew that something was wrong with her. he missed her happy mood, that seemed to have faded away more with every shift.

“oh, i’m fine, buck.” she smiles. “it’s just been a lot of work and sleeping, and repeat.”

she lies to him again about cameron, even though he knows the truth. “y/n/n, come on. don’t lie to me.”

“what?” she peeps out.

“talk to me, please.” he begs her to open up because he just wants to make her feel better. “is it cam?”

“n-no, buck. stop, it’s fine.”

that answer alone told him everything he needed to know. he doesn��t know all the details of their relationship, but it’s almost like cam pretends they aren’t even in one.

y/n doesn’t know why she defends him so much, or why she sticks up with it. she’s hoped things will change for a while, but usually nothing looks up. she loves him, she does. at least she thinks so. she provides so much for both of them, and has put in so much energy to their relationship, only for broken promises in return. she has hope that the time she’s put in was worth it, but every day when she goes home to him it becomes weaker. being a first responder, she wants to help everyone she can. she wants to be able to fix their relationship and she wants to feel valued, for once. people tell her all the time how she saved them, and she so badly wants him to realize that everyone needs to be saved. she’s given him the world, and it’s not long before she takes it all back.

“i know it’s not. i’m here for you, and if he’s not good to you i’m gonna be-“

“buck, just drop it! i’m doing the best i can!” her voice raises in defense, and he pulls her into the locker rooms. “im drained from this relationship, right now and i cannot get into this with you right now. this is my only escape, evan.” her light tears form in her eyes before her breathing becomes sharper. the other workers look at them, but with death stares from hen, chimney, and eddie they look away. they’re listening too, they never really liked him either but figured it was none of their business. it hurts to see their friend in this situation.

“i know, it’s gonna be ok.” he pulls her into a hug in hopes to calm her down. “you didn’t make that for us, didn’t you?”

“no, i made it for him. then he came home completely wasted and told me not to make a big deal out of it. i spent my one day off making this big ass dinner for him, and he couldn’t even take a minute to say thank you.”

“look at me, y/n.” buck pulls away and places his hands on your shoulders. “it is not your fault he’s not good enough for you. he is not. good. enough.”

“no,” she whispers.

“yes,” he says. “you deserve better than what he’s giving you.”

she shakes her head and his heart breaks more. there is no way that he has given her so much shit that she doesn’t believe it’s his own fault. the tears come stronger and run down her damp cheeks. “i can’t just leave him, buck. i cant hurt him like that because some part of me still loves him.”

“i know, but it is for the better.”

“i don’t think i have the power to end things. he wouldn’t listen to me and i can’t bring myself to break his heart.” she cries.

“you need to leave him before he breaks yours any more than it already is.” y/n calls back into his chest, and he sits her down on the benches. his own eyes are becoming glossy at the pain of watching his best friend have to deal with this. he’s had his own fair share of bad relationships, but they never meant anything because he is scared of this happening. it hurts his heart to know that she’s been carrying herself through this relationship as he’s just been more weight on her shoulders.

————————————————————————

the door of the apartment swings open again, as usually. surprisingly, the smell of liquor doesn’t hit y/n’s nose. cameron walks in, placing his bags on the floor by the door. “y/n?”

“y/n? where are you?” he calls out again and she makes her way out of the bedroom. “hey, you. did you make dinner?”

“no.” she says, maintaining eye contact.

“o-oh? we don’t have leftovers?”

“no, cameron. i took them to the station.” she says. “you would remember i told you that, but you were too drunk to remember.”

“what are you talking about, y/n? i went out for drinks, i don’t know why you have to be so bitchy about it.” she’s made her decision to leave, but the names still sting inside.

“well, you don’t have to deal with it anymore.”

“what the hell is that supposed to mean? youre not actually leaving me.” he let’s out a patronizing chuckle at her words, but she stands her ground.

“i am leaving you, cameron. my stuff is in my car, and we are over.” she doesn’t move from her spot on the ground, scared to move her glued feet like she’d fall over.

he laughs again with a critical grin on his face, again. “and where do you think you’ll go? i pay for this apartment, i pay the bills. you have nothing without me. y/n.”

“i work at the best fire station with the highest ranking paramedics and firefighters out there.” she retorts back. “i’ll be just fine without you, hell, i practically have been for the past two years.”

“you’re embarrassing yourself, baby girl.” y/n’s expression scrunches up from the cringe of the pet name that she’s always hated.

“don’t ever call me that again.”

“you have no where to go, you can’t stay at your stupid job forever.” he takes a step closer, and she takes another one back.

“actually, she’s going to stay with me until she can find an apartment.” buck says, coming around the corner, sensing her fear.

cam rubs his face. “y/n, please. we can do this together. you know i love you.” his immediate switches in mood is what she can’t control anymore, and she can no longer deal with it.

“some version of me out there still loves you back, and i feel insane amounts of nothing but pity for her.” y/n spits out at him.

“you’re a fucking psycho,” he says, and buck runs over to create more distance, standing between the two. y/n turns around, running her hands through her hair, trying to disappear.

“we’re leaving, y/n/n.” buck says, gripping your waist. “let’s go.”

“fuck, whatever. get the hell out.” cameron finally moves to the side and y/n and buck walk out of y/n’s old ‘home’ for the last time.

they stand outside in the parking lot, standing side by side as a speechless y/n stares in the distance. “i won’t stay for too long, i’ve found a few nice apartments to look at.”

“don’t worry about anything, y/n. you can stay there forever if it means you’re not there anymore.”

being faced with this much kindness and loving actions overwhelms her, making even more tears that she didn’t know she had pool in her eyes. “don’t cry, please. it’s ok, i’m here.” he pulls her back in and pats the back of her hair. “why don’t you drive over to my place, i’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

they go their separate ways and start driving to his nice apartment and already, it feels more like home than hers ever did.

buck pulls out his phone in the parking lot, in his car. he dials a few numbers and pulls the phone to his ear.

“hey, maddie. you busy tonight?”

————————————————————————

going up the stairs, y/n only had the energy to bring in a single bag to his apartment tonight. they walk side by side to his door together, his arm around her shoulders. buck fumbles with his keys and looks at her red, worn out eyes.

when he unlocks the door, y/n immediately notices all her family around bucks kitchen. she places her eyes on everyone, bobby and athena, hen, ravi, chimney and maddie, even christopher and eddie are there. “hey, y/l/n, welcome home.” athena is the first to say. and for the first time of the night, a fixed smile shines through her.

“hi guys, you all crowded in here?”

“thanks to this one, we wanted to be here for you, y/n.” hen says, pointing to buck.

“you did this?” she asks, sweetly, as if they all had just wrapped her hurt heart with the bandages of their love.

“i guess you could say that.” buck smiles, not wanting to take credit, but happy that he’s finally put some light in her mind.

“y/n, come over here and show us how you made that pasta.” bobby says, calling her over to start making dinner. “maddies going to start a salad.”

“ooh! i can make margaritas!” buck exclaims, excitedly.

“um, i can get behind that!” chim says.

everyone gathered around the kitchen, y/n notices her family all around, taking in the love they’ve given her. they would never have to take the time out of their day to come hang out in bucks tiny apartment if they didn’t truly care about her.

after a while, only buck and her remain in the kitchen. as everyone else squeezes into his living room, some people literally sitting on top of each other.

“hey, i don’t know how to thank you for all of this.”

“you don’t have to thank me for anything. this,” buck says, looking around the room. “is what you’ve deserved. and i will do anything to make sure you know that.”

they keep their eyes together, feeling everything from the day come down on them. both of them have their fears, but they seem to fade away and they forget about everyone else. realizing how much he really cares about her has changed everything for her. she loves buck more than she would ever have been able to love cameron. she reaches up impulsively, grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him in. she gives him a deep kiss and buck swears he’s levitating off the ground. his heart is on fire, waiting for this moment since they met. he didn’t expect anything in return, but he will say that this is a pretty nice reward.

buck leans back and shines a toothy grin at her, and she giggles. “you are very welcome.” he says, barely being able to get words out from his happiness.

they look over after hearing tiny giggles in the room. they both look over simultaneously, seeing christopher with an adorable, shining smile at them. he’s covering his mouth, but failing to conceal himself. “hi, christopher.” buck says.

“hi, buck! hi y/n!” he says, still not being able to wipe the smile away.

back in the living room, with maddies legs draped over him, chimney says to hen with a smirk, “and just like that, i am 20 dollars richer.”

“oh come on, chim, we all knew it was bound to happen.” hen laughs and they welcome y/n and buck back over.

#911 #911onfox #bobby nash #eddie diaz #evan buck buckley x reader #evan buckley #evan buckley fanfic #evan buckley x reader #athena grant #henrietta wilson #maddie buckley #howie han #ravi panikkar

473 notes · View notes

holdinbacksecrets · 2 years

Text

neighbors with seventeen

seungcheol: your balconies are side by side. at first, you simply acknowledged each other before sharing surface level conversation that evolved into pouring him a glass of your favorite wine over the railing— missed droplets met the pavement like rain. last night, he laughed after spending hours talking, wondering why you’re still meeting this way. he’d prefer having you closer

jeonghan: not only are you coworkers, but you’re also neighbors, and the people you work with have enjoyed creating their own stories as to why you arrive at every faculty dinner and party together. he’s aware. he’s heard their whispers in the office kitchen, but you have absolutely no idea. you’re too distracted by the feelings growing for him and the embarrassment you felt at the last meeting when you were caught staring by your supervisor

joshua: he signed you up for a couples pottery class, and your heart beats like crazy whenever he knocks on your front door to pick you up. you never asked why he chose pottery, but he had a plan and made you a set of tea cups and a matching tea kettle. you settled for a couple of popcorn bowls and a dish to set keys or jewelry in. he uses the popcorn bowl you gave him on a regular basis and sends pictures of the various foods it’s perfect for

jun: he’s so beautiful, and you find yourself looking through your peephole to avoid running into him because he makes you nervous. a man hasn’t made you this nervous since your third year at university, but this is so much worse. this feels so domestic. he writes his grocery list in the elevator. he hums in the hallway. he takes pictures at the park you frequent when the weather is perfect. he helped you with the massive flower pot you were struggling to get inside your apartment. he invited you over for dinner when a snowstorm kept you housebound through the weekend. he leaves your packages outside your door with funny notes taped to their cardboard… if you see him one more time you’ll fall in love

soonyoung: he got sick at your birthday party and had to leave early. he felt absolutely terrible about it and spent weeks organizing a plan to make it up to you. the very first day you met, you had a busan keychain. he asked about it. you hadn’t been for years, but you think about the trip every day— miss the ocean and its scent in the breeze. finally, when his plan was finished, he asks if you’ll be home that evening. he hands you an envelope. inside is a keychain of a plane. a second envelope contains another keychain of ocean waves. the final envelope holds a plane ticket with a note from the ocean “my breeze misses you, and i can’t wait to see you again. i’m so excited, i’ll stick to your skin”

wonwoo: he reads in the courtyard with an americano. one morning, you came down with an extra slice of banana bread. he asked you to join him after shared gratitude. you wrote down the title of his book and read it cover to cover that night. the next time you see him, you have pumpkin bread and wide eyes, excited to share your thoughts on the novel. you leave with a list of recommendations and his number

jihoon: his music is too loud, and you can’t fall asleep. you’re close to knocking on his door before realizing it’s actually him. he’s singing. he’s playing the guitar, and you forget about your long day and the craved sleep. you listen to him until the sun rises and the melody ends

seokmin: you wonder if he shows his exhaustion to anyone else but you, along with the tears and dissatisfaction. he’s so hard on himself, but you’re so damn proud. you feel lucky to know his sincerity and witness his laughter when the moon is high. he rests his head on your shoulder when the movie ends. he tilts his head from across the table while you sip tea and share dreams you’ve suppressed and described as tiny, intangible streams of thought. he told you otherwise, that they’re like shooting stars craving your nurturing and deserving of your efforts. you support one another. you love each other. there’s an intimacy existing here that has never been known by you before him

mingyu: when your parents come to visit, your mother catches a glimpse of him across the hallway. he looks at you first and smiles before greeting them respectfully. your mother immediately says “once you break up with that boyfriend of yours, go for a handsome man like him with kindness in his eyes. do you know my daughter? she’s quite stubborn and far too romantic— a dangerous combination. keep an eye on her for me, hmm?” you quickly usher your parents into your apartment, cheeks hot and blossomed. he bites his lip to keep from laughing because this all could’ve been avoided if you had told your parents that boyfriend of yours hasn’t been yours for months, and you’re entirely smitten with the kind, handsome neighbor

minghao: the walls are so thin, and he’s heard you cry yourself to sleep four nights in a row. on the fifth night, he knocks. you stop immediately, covering your mouth with your hands and apologizing. he tells you he was about to start a movie (he wasn’t) and would love some company (only yours)

seungkwan: he’s slept over and made breakfast in the morning. he vacuumed and did your laundry when you broke your foot. he helped in any way he could. he sent your parents updates via text. he kissed the tears on your cheeks when you were overwhelmed and everything hurt, when you felt a silly kind of worthlessness. but it wasn’t silly, and he told you so

hansol: you’ve watched his cat when he goes away for weeks because of work. the majority of your texting conversations are about his cat until an accidental text is received showing him with friends at the ghibli museum. you respond with ghibli reaction memes, and he brings you back a paper bag of goodies. you tell him you might fall in love with him, and he blushes even though you were mostly joking

chan: he’s been your neighbor for three years, and he’s become your favorite person. it’s starting to freak you out— how you’ve finally grasped a richer understanding of the desire for marriage, for a life partner. he’s the only person you can imagine beside you— intertwined with your journey and holding your hand, but you’re terrified to tell him so

#seventeen scenarios #seventeen reactions #seventeen imagines #seventeen fluff #seventeen blurbs #seungcheol scenarios #jeonghan scenarios #joshua scenarios #jun scenarios #soonyoung scenarios #wonwoo scenarios #jihoon scenarios #seokmin scenarios #mingyu scenarios #minghao scenarios #seungkwan scenarios #hansol scenarios #chan scenarios

838 notes · View notes

my-castles-crumbling · 1 month

Note

If you receive this message, post a snippet from your most recent WIP! Then send this ask to three others authors you admire ❤️

Okay!!! This is from the chapter of Clandestine that I posted last night!

TW: Mentions of abuse

“He used to read me stories when we hid,” Regulus continued, feeling like he was far away as he remembered. He could feel the blanket over his long hair, hear Sirius’s whisper and see the shining light of the torch Sirius had nicked from a Muggle store down the street. The warmth, the secrecy, the knowledge that though the world outside was chaos, they were secure where they were. “He’d get them from our tutor, I think. There was this one about a family that had a dog, and a small house, just…a normal life. And one of the little boys got hurt and his Mother fixed it. Got a bandage, or used a charm, or something.” He snorted. “I think the point of the story was to show that small injuries could be fixed with help, you know?”

Potter nodded, expression serious, eyes on Regulus, looking mesmerized.

“I asked if it was a fiction book,” Regulus shrugged, voice flat. “The first time I read it…I didn’t think it was real. Because the mother in the story said ‘I love you’ and kissed the little boy. I thought it wasn’t real.” He turned away, mortified, because a traitorous tear slipped down his cheek. Sniffing, he wiped it away and continued, twisting his mouth up to stop from crying more.

“After times when Mother hurt us, or locked us in our rooms for days, it always made things better. To hide there with him. Like Mother couldn’t find us,” Regulus murmured, another tear falling. “I think, looking back, Sirius did things to get in trouble on purpose, sometimes. To protect me. He thought he was protecting me from knowing what our parents were like, but I knew. I knew they never…And it just got worse after I- after I got older,” he swallowed, unable to say any more, tears coming in streams, now.

Fuck. How had he allowed this to happen? He turned away, cursing himself. He was so stupid. So idiotic, to allow himself to be so ridiculously vulnerable. He berated himself in his head, the self-hatred and anxiety crashing over him in waves, goosebumps forming over his neck and nausea forming. Why had he given Potter more ammunition against him? More of a reason to run off? Surely he had enough?

But just as his breath began to speed up and he almost choked on his own sob, an arm wrapped around his shoulder and he gasped.

“You didn’t deserve it,” Potter whispered, voice rough with emotion.

“But it happened,” Regulus said, wiping at his face, desperately trying to hide his tears, still staring outward.

But Potter’s next response was much more firm. “Never again,” he said.

Regulus tried not to. But somehow, he found himself turning into Potter’s arms, and once he was there, in the warmth and the comfort, and the security, he didn’t want to leave.

#marauders #asks #ask #ask cas #harry potter #marauders era #marauders fandom #fanfic #harry potter marauders #the marauders #jegulus #trans regulus #fic: clandestine

32 notes · View notes

onmyyan · 9 months

Note

Hey-o!!! Mind racing anon here I just reread through your venomreader x yandere batfam AGAIN! And my mind started racing

What if while reader is captured in the timeout cube and they start getting sick. Like venom hasn’t eaten anyone in awhile and like in the movie starts to eat his host aka reader.

So reader starts becoming pale and weak and coughing and throwing up blood from having their organs literally being eaten to sustain the symbiote and the batfam sees this and it leads to absolute CHAOS!!!

I’m talking arguments and fights breaking out between them about what to do and how to help reader.

I think Bruce would try and figure out why reader is all of a sudden sick and want to do tests and scans to help find the reason. But he starts to get more and more worried as readers health declines and there is nothing coming up on any results. He tries everything he can think of but it doesn’t help his children are becoming manic and going crazy so he has to try to keep order all the time.

But then you have Jason going absolutely FERAL trying to get to reader and take them to a hospital and hold them and comfort them because he can’t believe he let it get this far when he swore to protect them. He stands outside of readers room and begs them to let him know what’s happening and how he can help. He brings them all kinds of medicine and food, he even brings reader some weed from their hidden stash to try and keep them calm or help in anyway. His eyes are red and puffy all the time from him crying every time he sees reader weakly throw up or cough up their blood.

Dick is freaking out and won’t let reader out of his sight but every time reader coughs or vomits or starts to collapse he’s crying and begging Bruce to do something or he will. He’s tried braking into the room to get you (they all have) but Bruce changed the code or something so nobody tries to run off with them.

Tim pours through all security footage trying to see if maybe you poisoned yourself with something in order to try and escape or at least trying to find what caused all of this but he’s coming up empty, he starts getting desperate and researches every disease known to man. He now goes through every checklist of symptoms he can to figure out what’s wrong. He also know knows way too much about diseases and if reader ever get a sniffle or a cough after this he immediately thinks their dying.

And Damien put on the face of not caring in front of his family. He looked as if he’s unbothered by everything but his room was destroyed the same day all of this started and he had barely slept or ate. None of them have. He’s started to stalk the outside of readers cell as if he was guarding them and he watches everything reader does. He claims it’s to make sure reader isn’t tricking them by doing this to themselves but it’s really because his mind has made him believe reader might die and because of that thought he can’t stand being farther than a couple steps away. He’s surprisingly the one who advocates the strongest to let reader out in order to help them and he becomes manic at the thought of returning the next day and reader being dead in the cell and he CANT handle it.

Meanwhile reader is just like well…fuck… and debates on telling them about venoms diet but knows they can’t because then reader is admitting to letting venom eat people and that is SURE to go over well with the vigilantes against killing and all that🙄🙄🙄

Anyway yeah I am feral for yandere batfam

Also I know this is long but I love it and I love you and merry late Christmas and happy new year and yeah❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Bonus:

Venom!Reader: yeah I’m a monster now and I don’t deserve love because of the horrible things I’ve done

Yandere Batfam: You have never done anything wrong in your life. We know this. And we love you.

Venom!Reader: *surprised pikachu face*

2nd Bonus:

Batfam member: I hate that alien that has attached itself to you. If I had it my way it would be kept in a jar for the rest of its days studies by scientists.

Reader: Venom said if he had to choose for me to marry someone he would pick you.

Batfam member: You know I’ve always thought aliens were cool. I think Venom is actually a really good influence on you and you should definitely listen to him more often. *pulls out a ring and gets on one knee*

This is absolutely amazing and genuinely lit a spark under me regarding that story, thank you so so much for sending in this wonderful piece it's delectable, I've been having serious writers block with that series and this single ask had me running to the editor cuz it's so good like?? Of course your body would break down without it's needs being met it's so perfect, again thank you for sending this in cuz it inspired me ❤️❤️❤️ you go glen coco

#yananswers #anon submission #straight venomous

124 notes · View notes

toomanywatchers · 5 months

Text

How Steven Lim Impacted Me Growing Up:

I may have joined the Watcher fandom about a year ago, but I have known Steven since the early days of BuzzFeed. That's right, I have always been a Worth It guy since Season 2 if my memory is correct. I have been a fan of food content as some of the many reality TV shows I would watch with my family growing up were competitive food shows a la Gordon Rasmey shows. The thing that differed me from the rest of my family is that I would indulge in YouTube content more than traditional media.

That is why I believe middle-school-me was inclined to click on my first Worth It video; “$17 Fried Chicken Vs. $500 Fried Chicken”. Though I clicked for the visually satisfying display of fried chicken-based dishes, I stayed for a completely different reason. Steven not only crafted a well-organized show while displaying a fun dynamic with his coworkers, and might I add his close friends- Andrew Ilnyckyj and Adam Bianchi- Steven also made a show beyond food and getting to share those experiences with friends;

He made a show to exhibit a wide range of cultures and traditions among various backgrounds masked by the concept of food/cooking for others. Covering a wide range of foods while also traveling to different countries to experience the culture face-to-face, and sharing these experiences with the world via YouTube. For me, a kid mainly watching people goof off while playing video games with each other, a show with so much substance should have not captured my attention at that age, but it did.

Now that I am an adult (of sorts), my appreciation for what Steven has made with Worth It has just blossomed into something real with meaning, and understanding. That same love and appreciation for Steven has tied over into Watcher when I realized he was one of the 3 CEOs of the company. Where, might I add, I see him coming out of his shell even more with Shane and Ryan and ultimately having the creative freedom to make what he wants to make, and make it how he wants to make it.

With the fact that he can create whatever now, Steven still bases his shows on a deeper meaning in understanding all the sides of various people.

Family. Passion. Love. Appreciation. Learning. -and- Experiencing.

Not only are his shows based on this deeper meaning, but he has also shown his selflessness by helping raise money for many charities and speaking out for the Asian and LGBTQ+ community. Let’s never forget too that he put the burden of dealing with the business side of Watcher and putting aside his creative wishes to make sure the company stays afloat. He has done so much for us, the fans, and the one thing this man deserves is our respect.

Steven Lim is truly an amazing guy from what I can see/what others close to him say on his behalf. Along with the few conversations I've been granted to have with him in the obeaver chat on the Wiscord. Steven cares about Watcher so much, and it shows. He has truly inspired me, along with the rest of team Watcher, to push and create. To push myself outside of my comfort zone to better myself as a creative individual, and all in all inspired me to take the leap and actually pursue my dreams in video production.

I hope Steven knows how much the fans love and appreciate everything he does for us, and I hope that one day I can say all of this and more to him in person.

We love you Steven Lim, and we are excited for what you continue to make for us all! <3

#steven lim #watcher #watcher entertainment #buzzfeed worth it #homemade #dish granted #travel season #we love steven lim #steven lim appreciation week #slaw

43 notes · View notes

ghostofskywalker · 2 years

Text

Call It Even - 2

Crosshair/Fem!Reader

Words: 2,703

Summary: Instead of returning to the Empire after the destruction of Kamino, Crosshair reunites with his brothers and sister on the Havoc Marauder. But there’s a new member of the team that he wasn’t expecting, and the two of you don’t see eye to eye, so why is he so fixated on the fact that you got along so well with everyone else?

Note: this marks the end of this little series! i hope you've enjoyed it :)

Clone Troopers Masterlist

In the days following your conversation in the cockpit, Crosshair expected things between you and him to not change too much. Yeah, you had agreed to not argue, but he didn’t expect you to ever seek him out or act in any way but tiredly cordial around him when you came into contact with him. But that was apparently not the case, and he didn’t know how to feel about it.

Instead of glaring at him when he stepped in to make a cup of caf after he woke up, you smiled and wished him a good morning. You didn’t bat an eye when Wrecker invited him to sit with you two at breakfast one day, and something tugged at his heartstrings, leading him to actually accept his brother’s offer. What you said that night had rung true, you weren’t his best friend, but you also didn’t treat him like an outsider either, and sometimes he wondered whether or not he deserved that kindness from you, after all that he’s done.

One thing that hadn’t changed since your conversation was the strange feeling in his stomach whenever he remembered your sleeping situation. It had to be jealousy, there was no other way to describe how he reacted, but he didn’t understand it and he couldn’t even admit his feelings to himself, let alone his brothers. He had never been good at expressing his feelings, and he knew that he couldn’t spring this on you at random, as you had just started to become friends with him, an out of the blue love confession (if that’s even what this feeling was) could send you running the other way.

He discreetly tried to figure out if you and Echo were anything more than teammates, or if you both just had a natural disposition to cuddling and a tendency to get cold while you slept. As far as he (or any other member of the team) was aware, there was nothing going on between you and the ARC trooper, which allowed Crosshair to feel a fleeting glimmer of hope, that maybe something good could come from all this. But as much as he tried to keep his feelings a secret, he obviously wasn’t doing a very good job at it, because Hunter approached him about it, not-so-subtly telling him that he should do something about the way he felt, no matter how much Crosshair denied those emotions.

They were on their way to a market to replenish rations, ship parts, and medical supplies, and Hunter organized the team very specifically to make sure that he and Crosshair were working together to get the medical supplies. Tech, Wrecker, and Omega were to get anything they might need for the ship, and you and Echo were on ration duty.

Hunter must have seen Crosshair’s expression as you and Echo walked off into the crowded market, because once they were out of earshot, he spoke his mind. “You really need to make a move or something.”

“What are you talking about?”

But not even his sullen glare was enough to stop Hunter from continuing with this line of conversation. “Her and Echo aren’t together, and I know you know that, so what’s stopping you from telling her how you feel?”

“I am not having this conversation with you right now,” he said. “I only asked if-”

“You said you wanted to make sure they weren’t up to any funny business while the rest of us were sleeping, but I don’t think that’s true,” Hunter said. “Because the combination of lovesickness and jealousy you look at her with is not helping your case.” Hunter made an exaggerated face, clearly parodying his brother while also trying to hold in his laughter.

“I don’t look like that,” Crosshair snapped. “And I don’t have any feelings for her, no matter what you seem to think you see.”

Thankfully, Hunter knew enough to drop the subject there. “Alright, I won’t bother you about this again. But just promise me that you’ll stop lying to yourself about how you feel, because it can’t be healthy.”

Of course it would have been a miracle had Crosshair listened to the advice of his brother, but it didn’t happen in this situation. Instead, he just kept his feelings in and glared at anyone who tried to broach the subject.

This was supposed to be a quick job, and in-and-out mission that scored them some extra cash and favor with Cid, but it seemed that things never turned out that way. What they had previously thought to be just a mining facility had actually turned out to be a weapons factory for the former separatist army, and some of the Super Battle Droids were still active.

You insisted on making sure you got what the team had come for, and it was what hurt you in the end. Package in your hand, you stopped to radio in to the rest of the batch when a blast from one of the battle droids caught you in the thigh, searing through the loose pants you wore and burning your skin. Two more blasts hit your back, singing your robes and it was clear to anyone that this was not something you could simply walk off.

Crosshair had to watch from his perch up high as you crumpled to the ground, and immediately he began to kick himself. Why hadn’t he seen that droid’s blaster before it was too late? What if you never recovered from this? He radioed to the rest of the team your position, and kept watch for any more droids as Wrecker gently picked you up and carried you away from the action.

By the time he made it back to the Havoc Marauder, Crosshair was in full worry mode. Part of him didn’t even understand his natural reaction to the situation: he had never felt this way about anyone else, so why was this so different? But there was another part of him that did understand, and it was the same part of him that agreed with what Hunter had told him a little while ago in that market. He knew how he felt about you, and he could no longer ignore it.

He had to stop himself from shoving Tech aside to see you, but Echo had made it very clear that no one was to bother him while he was patching up your wounds. Hunter was already in there to offer assistance, and so Crosshair was relegated to the cockpit, keeping the ship steady and bringing it into hyperspace as they set course hack to Ord Mantell. He could hear Wrecker and Omega talking quietly from the gunner’s nest, Wrecker clearly trying to console the young girl and tell her that everything would work out, and he found himself desperately wishing that you were okay and wanting to express his sorrow in the same way they were.

After what felt like forever, Hunter and Echo emerged from the makeshift medbay on the ship with positive news: you wounds had been treated with bacta and you were going to make a full recovery. Tech returned with them, taking control of the ship from Crosshair.

“She’s sleeping right now, but do you want to see her?” Hunter asked his brother quietly, as if it were some big secret how he felt. Crosshair didn’t trust himself to speak, so he just nodded and stepped away before Hunter or Echo could change their minds.

The makeshift medical bay was actually one of the bunks, with the curtains around it pulled to maintain some level of privacy. He gently pulled back on the linens and stepped closer to your bedside, eyes desperately searching your face for some reassurance, although it never came.

Your face, while not contorted in pain, was almost startlingly blank as you slept, turned on your side as to not crush the bandages on your back and legs. He wanted to reach out and take your hand, he wanted to offer comfort in any way he could, but he didn’t. It was like his body stopped working as he looked at you, and he hated the feeling of hopelessness and blame that he assigned himself after this happened.

And like anyone who doesn’t really know how to handle their feelings does, he immediately decided that he never wanted to experience that again, even if he was to deny himself the joy and positive aspects of love. And so as he stepped away from the bed and pulled the curtains to once again obscure your sleeping form from his view, he made a pact with himself to get over whatever he felt for you.

***

Getting over you turned out to be the same thing as avoiding you, and Crosshair hated it. But he hated that feeling of hopelessness even more, so he kept to it. Now, instead of eating breakfast with you and Wrecker each morning, he woke up earlier and ate. He found any excuse to be away from you, no matter how much it broke him to do so. His rifle had never looked cleaner and he was a frequent flier in the refresher, even if he just stood there and stared at himself for a few minutes before returning to the rest of the ship.

He didn’t think anyone had noticed his sudden change in routine, because every day on the ship went the same as always. You still ate breakfast with Wrecker, you still spent time with the others, and you still slept in the same bunk as Echo. That was still the most painful part of all this for Crosshair, because he accidentally allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if he was the one you cuddled up to every night. He didn’t realize how stupid he was being by acting like this, and it only served to hurt him more than if he actually admitted to you how he felt.

But apparently Crosshair had underestimated his brothers’ attentiveness to his feelings, because the next time they stopped to refuel, Hunter once again organized the team in a way that made it obvious that it was intentional.

Wrecker, Omega, and Hunter were in charge of getting more medical supplies, as many of them had been used while you were in recovery. Echo and Tech were looking for some hyper-specific part that would apparently make the ship run twice as smooth on half the fuel. Which meant that you and Crosshair were in charge of replenishing the ration supply.

Hunter had to have noticed the way Crosshair had shrunk back into the shadows after you were injured, and this had to be some half contrived way of his to try and get him to admit his feelings. But he didn’t say anything, instead shooting a private glare of disdain at his brother to communicate his feelings about the pairing.

The only sound between you and him was that of your boots hitting the ground as you walked around the market, and it seemed that you and Crosshair were almost goading each other to see which one would crack first.

The only exception was when you and him arrived at a stall selling small round fruits, and you turned to speak to the vendor. “Do these will hold up well in storage?” you asked. “I’m looking for something that travels well.”

The vendor smiled and started to tell you about the best way to keep his product for ensured freshness, and Crosshair just zoned out. The sound of your voice, although not exactly the same as he remembered, was bringing back all those uncomfortable feelings that he didn’t want to admit to himself.

It was love, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

But how could he be in love with a Jedi? Would you even be allowed to return his feelings? He knew that just because the Jedi Temple was now a pile of crumbling ashes that was ruining the visual aesthetic of Coruscant’s top level, it didn’t mean that you were going to automatically forsake the way that you had lived your entire life.

You didn’t speak to him for the entire time that you shopped for rations together, other than the occasional question about his brothers’ preferences and whether or not he thought something was a good price. But as you and him were walking the dirt road back to the ship, you finally broke the silence. “Did I do something to hurt you?”

At first, the question threw him off guard. This was his issue, it had nothing to do with you. “What are you talking about?” he asked, not sure how else to respond, how else to explain his actions.

“I think you know,” you said, clearly not in the mood to dance around the issue. “I thought we had a truce.”

“We do.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?” you asked quietly, and he could hear the way your voice shook slightly, giving away how you really felt. “I thought we were getting closer, and then you started pulling away from me, and your brothers too. Wrecker asked me why you don’t eat breakfast with us anymore, and I didn’t know what to say, because I had no idea why. I didn’t expect to be your best friend, but I didn’t think I was that terrible to spend time with.”

The look on your face stopped him from speaking right away. Immediately, he regretted his actions because of the pain that they had brought you. And it had caused him pain too, he couldn’t ignore. “You’re not,” he responded.

“Then why have you been avoiding me?”

“Because after you got hurt, I blamed myself. I was up high, I should have seen that droid coming,” he said, the words falling out of his mouth before he could stop them. “And I’ve been having all these feelings that scared me so kriffing much, so I listened to my natural instincts and removed myself from the situation.”

There was a few moments of silence before you spoke in return, and you focused on the one part of his sentence that he didn’t want to admit to. “What do you mean you’ve been having feelings?”

“It doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t be able to return them anyway.”

He expected you to stare at him in shock, or drop the subject and suggest they return to the marauder, not take his hand in yours and lean in. When your lips made contact with his cheek, he instantly decided that he never wanted to forget how good it felt. “Crosshair,” you said quietly as he looked up from the ground and into your eyes. “I like you too, if that’s what you were implying.”

“But-”

“The Jedi Code was never something I followed completely,” you said, a soft smile on your face. “And I will always mourn the way of life that I lost when the Empire rose, but I don’t wish to hide my attachments anymore. Because when we started to grow closer, I felt myself falling for you.”

Crosshair couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I think you had a lapse of judgment there.”

You leaned closer to him, and he leaned in too. “I don’t care what you think of yourself Crosshair, but you deserve love just as much as any other person.”

“I don’t-”

You squeezed his hand and glared at him. “You don’t get to make that call. And I know you don’t think I’m telling the truth right now, but I am. You are just as deserving of love as anyone else.”

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, lips hovering above yours but still too far away to feel anything. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of the road, or that any of his brothers could walk up at any moment and see them like this. All he cared about was you.

“Please,” your voice was quiet and slightly breathy, and he didn’t wait long to oblige.

Forget the feeling of you kissing his cheek, the feeling of your lips on his was a memory he never wanted to let go of, no matter what happened.

- the end -

i no longer have a taglist! if you're interested in being notified when i post, you can follow my library blog @ghostofskywalker-library and turn on notifications!

#tbb crosshair #crosshair x reader #tbb crosshair x reader #tbb crosshair x you #crosshair x you #the bad batch fanfiction #the bad batch x reader #bad batch x reader #star wars x reader #star wars fanfiction

199 notes · View notes

novantinuum · 3 months

Text

Fandom: Steven Universe Rating: General Audiences Words: ~7.3K Summary: “Connie, can we talk?” When a much needed moonlight conversation with his best friend turns into an attempted (and failed) "spring break” from all his responsibilities as a half-Gem, Steven finally comes to terms with the full truth of his heritage and all six thousand years of its consequences. Takes place between The Question and Made of Honor.

It's been five long years, but I've finally finished the second chunk of this old ass Steven Universe wip. See, this is why you can't discount the possibility of a fic author coming back after goddamn years, HAH. Because sometimes we sneak up on 'ya. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 2

Steven scales the sand covered steps with a hop and a skip, the mere possibility of getting to spend the night at Connie’s enough to make him float across the boards, his toes barely touching the surface. Finally, a real, legit Jam Buds sleepover! Where they can play games and muse over deep philosophical topics and laugh over stupid nonsense until the whispers of dawn, and then sleep in until noon the next day— the promise of blueberry pancakes wafting into the room to awaken them from their slumber like a golden fried miracle. In their almost two years of being best friends, somehow they’ve never had a real one. At least, not a real one in his books. He doesn’t count their weekend stay on that jungle moon because they were fused the whole time. And then the one other occasion he slept at her house, during that blizzard a year ago, they were sequestered to different rooms and barely got to hang out at all.

This time, though… this time things will be different. That is, if her parents even allow it. The fate of their sleepover is still sadly riding on a big ‘if.’

But he has high hopes tonight! Tonight Dr. Maheswaran allowed Connie to come over to Beach City on Lion even though it was past her normal curfew. Adding to that, she’s been getting more and more lenient about her daughter’s involvement in Gem stuff as of late. Her frantic demand for texted updates every half hour has since softened into a far more palatable brand of motherly concern. At this point, she only asks that she send a quick notification right before she leaves his house via bus, Lion, or warp pad.

He swings the front door open, entering the very beach house in question. Or— put more specifically— his own ‘room,’ just external to those held in the heart of the temple. Beyond the wide mouth of the attached cavern, two out of five of the gems on the temple door are alight. Pearl and Amethyst’s. He smiles, glad that they’re all finally seeking the rest they deserve. Now, as for the others… Though he doesn’t boast any clairvoyance of his own and thus can never know for sure, he likes to believe Ruby and Sapphire warped away on a romantic walk.

Absentmindedly humming the melody from that song he was working on earlier, he slips his phone out of his pocket. He needs to text his dad where he’s going before he completely forgets in his excitement. (A common occurrence, really.) Even if he doesn’t live with him in the van anymore and goes on a whole bunch of dangerous missions across the planet all the time, he knows Dad still appreciates knowing if he’s planning on being outside Beach City overnight. Ease of mind, and all that. His fingers blaze across the keys.

hey just so u kno im headed to connie’s for the night

He presses send, and watches his message pop up in a blue bubble on the screen. After a brief pause, he quickly adds:

love u dad!!!

Steven garnishes the text with a colorful slurry of heart emojis, so frequently used that they all show up on the very first page of his emoji keyboard as suggestions. There, perfect. Send!

He sets his phone down and begins gathering necessities for the night. Out comes his cheeseburger backpack and a fresh change of clothes. His phone charger too, can’t forget that. Next he swipes his toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb from the bathroom. (Although upon second thought, he decides to forego the comb.) A few bags of Chaaps go into the bag, along with his GameKid, in case Connie wants to pass that go-kart racing game she likes back and forth and compete for the fastest time trial. That just leaves one more essential item to track down. Oh pajamas, where are you in a young man’s time of need?

As he scours the loft for the missing clothes item, he hears the tell-tale sign of the temple door opening. His head spins around at record pace.

The laughter clues him off before he even sees their faces. The two Gems exiting the temple are nearly buried under an assortment of burlap bags and tools, among which include shovels, rakes, and handheld garden hoes. He can just barely distinguish the word ‘fertilizer’ printed in faded ink on one of the four bags.

“Oh ho, we’ve got to get you some cheesecake sometime,” Amethyst says to the green Gem next to her with a peel of laughter. “Trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve felt that custardy goop sloshin’ around inside.” She drops the stack of fertilizer bags, which hit the floorboards with a resounding thud. “Oh hey, look who’s back!”

He grins wide, waving from his loft.

“Hey Amethyst! Hey Peridot!”

“Good timing, we were totally just gossiping about you.”

Peridot pokes her head up over the mass of metal tools she carries, eyes blown wide under her visor with her usual untamable enthusiasm. “She was telling me how you’ve really been the progeny of Pink Diamond this whole time. Hah! I guess this means on technicality I never rebelled against the Great Diamond Authority after all!”

Steven’s smile falls flat, his grip on the backpack growing taut at the sudden mention of his mo- of Pink Diamond in this context.

Thankfully Amethyst is quick to sense the tense shift in atmosphere and steps in. “Nah, believe me, ya’ still did, ya’ nerd.”

“Oh. Well!” She presses her lips into a thin line and lets the tools fall out of her arms, mentally directing them to hover just before they hit the floor to minimize the clatter. “Never mind then! I…” Her cheeks flush with hardening light. “I think I need to step aside for a moment.”

The two youngest Crystal Gems watch in silence as Peridot hurriedly toddles back through the open temple door, disappearing beyond a mini mountain of junk in the vast trash heap that is Amethyst’s room. He glances down at his hands, still clenched tight around the straps with a white knuckled grip.

Amethyst noisily clears her throat. In an instant his attention shoots back up, meeting her sympathetic gaze. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she says. “I don’t think she really gets how big a deal all this is, yet.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” he replies with a small shrug, the tension that once wracked his body slowly easing. “She’s still learning. I bet the news is pretty confusing for her, coming from Homeworld.”

And with that his attention slips back to the puzzling and peculiar mystery of his missing jammies. He presses his fist to his chin, humming a bemused note. They aren’t anywhere to be found on the floor, or in the hamper. Maybe they got stuck under his bed spread?

“Oh, Steven,” Amethyst says with a long sigh then. He watches from the corner of his eyes as she flops face first into the couch and props herself up on her side. “You care too much sometimes, y’know that?”

“Yeah, I know…” he murmurs softly, whisking his comforter completely off the bed. At that point he catches a glimmer of soft cottony blue— tucked tight in the tight space between the mattress and the wall— and his entire mood makes an abrupt heel turn right into joyous relief. His brow rises high. “Oh, hey! So that’s where my pajamas were hiding! Mystery solved!”

“Sometimes way more than people deserve,” she continues unhindered, lazily winding her fingers through her hair.

The pajamas go right into the cheeseburger backpack, joining everything else he’s packed for the night. Across the room, the temple door still stands ajar and waiting. Every once in a while the sound of clattering metal rings from within Amethyst’s room, accompanied by nasally yelps of frustration. Peridot. He imagines she’s attempting to harness greater control over her metal based telekinesis abilities, training hard in isolation as a means to cool herself down from embarrassment. To make up for what she sees as a social blunder, perhaps. Or… to impress the group with a show of what she’s truly capable of. The whole scenario is intimately familiar. About a year and a half ago— before Lapis, before the hand ship, before all the happenings that molded him into the person he is today— he stood directly in her place. The newbie. The proto Crystal Gem… with unreliable powers, low confidence, and little understanding of the truth. When all is said and done, this little spark of himself he recognizes within her makes him far more willing to give her the benefit of the doubt with her awkward phrasing.

“I don’t think she meant anything by it, if you’re still talking about… all that.”

“And you’re probably right, but. It’s okay to get… mad, y’know?”

Something in her voice gives him pause. Maybe it’s the measured hesitation in her words that clues him in, or the desperation lurking just beneath. In any case, he has the niggling sense that this is something she’d been thinking about for a while.

“Like, in general,” she continues. Even though Steven isn’t looking at her, he can nearly sense the intensity of her gaze through the little hairs rising at the nape of his neck. “Forget all of this— you’re allowed to get upset about stuff. To put yourself first for once. Just sayin’.”

His eyes narrow, more in prolonged exhaustion than anything. Just as he informed Connie, it seems that Amethyst is still on that ‘Operation: My Duty is to Make Steven Feel Better’ kick. And good grief, does he wish she wasn’t. He’s never once asked any of the Gems to spend their energy on him like that. In fact more often than not, it simply makes him concerned that she’s deliberately shirking her own self care in favor of supporting his.

Stars.

Amethyst deserves so much better.

His pocket buzzes, providing a well-timed escape from all these thoughts. A text! He grins as he pulls out his phone to catch a glimpse of it:

Stay safe and have fun, kiddo.

Dad’s message ends with a thumbs up emoji. Sweet, now to gather his stuff, ask Amethyst where everyone else is so he can say goodbye real quick, and hit the-

“Steven, Steven!” Peridot yells, barreling into his room at a full sprint. “Look what I can do now!”

He gasps and quickly scuttles down the stairs to meet her, happy that she’s no longer confining herself to the lonely isolation of the temple. “New metal ability?” he guesses, confirmed by her wide proud grin. “Show me, show me!”

Even Amethyst’s interest is piqued, the Gem casually kicking her feet over the side of the couch as she sits up with a groan.

Still running at them, Peridot flicks her hand in the air, motioning in a tight circle as a little gardening spade follows her telekinetic command and wildly swings around her head in a razor straight arc. “Look how much control I have now! I even- EEEUGH-!”

In an instant, her foot catches on the same pile of tools she dumped on the floor earlier.

Peridot must have lost mental control of the spade as she tripped, because suddenly it’s careening straight at Amethyst’s head. Without a second thought, Steven dives in front of her. He raises his arm in instinctive defense, but truthfully he hears the resonant clang of metal against hard light before he even consciously registers the fact that he’s summoned his shield. Another clang sounds, this time against the wall’s crystal. Amethyst yelps. Something dubiously aerodynamic zips over their heads at a thousand billion miles per hour as all three of them duck.

The window by the door shatters into oblivion. The tool to blame, however, is now insidiously nowhere to be seen.

Recovering, the three of them gawk blankly at the scene of their crime. Steven fidgets, absolutely at a loss for what to do next.

“Uhh…”

“Ooops,” Peridot mutters, spilled out face first on the floor.

Amethyst breaks out into raucous peals of laughter. “Dude, that was awesome!” she says as she holds up her hand to the other Gem for a high five. “I’ve never been almost poofed by gardening equipment before!”

She shakily raises her own hand to accept it, vision still clearly unfocused as she rides the shock of it all. “I, uh— you’re welcome?”

The temple door peels open again. Peridot scrambles to her feet in seconds, falling into line with the other two co-instigators. Out rushes Pearl, who practically crumbles to bits right then and there upon seeing their dumbfounded expressions and the shards of glass littering the floor.

“What on Earth happened?” Pearl screeches. “Is everyone okay? Why is the window broken, who—!?”

As quickly as it began, her fit halts. Steven figures that the sight of them uninjured is reassuring enough to quell the bulk of her panic. Still, there is the rather damning issue of all the damage they caused. Fearing their goose is cooked, none of them dare avert their eyes from the elder Gem. Pearl glances back and forth between their sheepish, guilt stricken faces and the busted window, pursing her lips.

Relenting, she crosses her arms and sighs heavily.

“I guess I’ll let Greg know it needs to be fixed. Again.” And with that she spins on her heels. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, swiping through her phone contacts. “Thank goodness he’s rich now…”

The moment she passes back through the doorway, Steven, Amethyst, and Peridot all gasp in relief.

“Well that just happened,” he says, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He can’t help but laugh. The purple Gem boisterously joins in right behind him.

“I legit thought P was like, gonna implode for a second,” she chimes, so tickled by amusement she has to gasp for breath midway through. “I don’t think I’ve seen her so pale since— since that time you straight up sacrificed yourself to Homeworld!”

His mouth presses into a slight frown at the grim reminder, his own laughter cut short.

Peridot rolls her eyes. “Eh heh heh, yeah! Laughing at poor, humiliated Gems! How hilarious! I’ll have you two dirtbombs know that my technique was absolutely perfect when I was practicing by myself.”

“O-oh, sorry,” Steven cuts in quick. “We didn’t mean to sound like we were laughing at you. I honestly think it’s super cool, how much you’ve improved at all the metal stuff!”

She squints at him. “Hmmph.”

Crossing her arms, she drifts into the corner by the bathroom to sulk and lick her wounds.

Steven’s chest tightens as he climbs back to the loft to grab his backpack. Gosh, he hopes they didn’t hurt her feelings too bad. He slings the straps over his shoulders, the weight settling comfortably on his back. Watching from below, Amethyst serves him a mischievous, knowing smile.

“So, backpack man. I never asked. You and Connie. You’re bailing us for an extended breather too, huh?”

His brow raises. He leaps from the upper level, landing right beside her.

“Wait, you know about—?! Aww man, am I that predictable?”

“Nah, Sapphire just said earlier that you might go stay with her.”

“She predicted that,” he says, deadpan. “That’s literally what a prediction is.”

Peridot ambles back towards them as they banter, still looking a bit sullen but overall in higher spirits than before.

“But dude, chillax, I ain’t judgin’ or anything,” Amethyst says before his worries could wander too far. “Honestly, I think everyone needs a break after all the… well, you know.” Grinning, she loops her arm around the other Gem’s shoulders. “And hey, ol’ Peridactyl here and I are skipping town for a day too. We’re gonna go on a rampage!”

Ever the troublemaker, she gives her a noogie, loose fist flattening the meticulously maintained edge of her platinum hair. Peridot flushes dark green and squeaks, flapping her hands at her in a futile attempt to evade her attack. He can’t help but giggle at the sight. Nerds.

“We’re actually checking on the garden we cultivated at the southern edge of facet 3,” Peridot explains while fixing her hair. She runs her fingers through it, reshaping as needed. “Thus the shovels and fertilizer. But she also promised a duel to help me master my metal powers!”

“So we may be gone a while,” the quartz says with a wink, nodding towards the broken window.

“Hey! I’m not that bad all the time!”

“What can I say though, we shorties gotta stick together.”

“Woo, shorty squad!” Steven cheers, pumping his fists into the air. “You gotta show me this garden when I get back. I bet it’s real pretty.”

“It’s ultimately a work in progress,” Peridot says, puffing out her chest. “Just like my metallokinesis.”

Amethyst jabs a finger in the air. “Oh, and speakin’ of pretty. Before I forget…”

Mashing her lips together in concentration, she presses a hand to her chest, gemstone glowing as she pulls something from inside. He watches, enraptured as always, as a familiar half-moon shape emerges from within. Clusters of small, shimmering crystals catch the light, encased within a thick rind of stone. He lets out a gasp. The amethyst geode! The one they found together in that abandoned quarry while out on Ruby’s cowboy adventure! He completely forgot. Awww look, it’s like your little sister, he’d joked. He thought the way the glow of the sunset diffused through its complex faceting was really pretty, and so they decided to split it fifty fifty. Plus, something about that specific chunk of quartz simply resonated within him, to say the least. Like, in a deep “this should belong with me” sort of way. He’s not quite sure how else to explain it. He remembers his dad questioning with some measure of amusement why they, literal living Gems, would want to keep a geode of all things as a souvenir, but Amethyst merely shrugged and explained she was like, 99.9% sure it was inert.

Dude, she said, not every hunk of mineral you find is sentient. It’s not like it’s weird for you humans to collect dolls, or action figures or whatever. I just think it’s funky lookin’.

Standing before him in the present, she offers it for Steven to take. Peridot lets out an ‘oooo,’ dark irises glittering at the sight of the delicate purple crystals.

“Your half. I’m not carryin’ this for you any longer, man. Unlike ol’ P, I don’t make a good handbag.”

“Rude…” he says, taking the geode in one hand as he drops his backpack and unzips the hamburger patty pocket with the other.

“What? It’s true! She can store like, a thousand things in there indefinitely, but me? Go too long, and all I get is wicked indigestion.” Upon this declaration she belches, crude and unrestrained. This seems to tickle Peridot pink, who giggles something fierce. Amethyst gives her belly a pat. “Ahhh, that’s better.”

The geode nestles nicely between his pajamas and his spare underwear. Licking his lips with stubborn determination, he fusses with the zipper until the overstuffed bag is completely sealed. He doesn't need to pack this silly ol' hunk of rock, but… some stubborn part of him can’t bear the thought of leaving it behind, and anyways, he figures Connie will think it’s pre-

Oh… Oh shards! Connie! She’s been waiting on the beach this whole time!

“Oh shoot!” he cries, rushing to sling the bag over his shoulder again. “I, uh- I really gotta get going! D’ya know where Ruby and Sapphire went? I kinda wanted to say bye to everyone before I left…”

Peridot shrugs, and utters the wordless vocalization universally recognized as ‘I dunno.’

“Those two? They left to be all cute and gross like, half an hour ago,” Amethyst says. “I’ve no idea when they’re comin’ back.”

The moment those words leave her mouth, Steven hears the warp pad behind them activate. A wave of affection crests within him at the familiar sound of the Gem’s teleporter come to life- almost bell-like in its melodic resonance- and he swings around just in time to watch two of his most favorite people in the whole world take form from within the radiant blue glow of the warp stream. If there’s one thing constant exposure hasn’t dampened, it’s his fondness for that sound.

“Oh never mind, looks like they’re crashing our wild party right now,” the purple quartz amends. “Look lively!”

When the light fades, Ruby and Sapphire step off the warp pad side by side, pressed so inseparably close to one another they might as well have already been fused.

The backpack’s weight jostling as he moves, Steven dashes across his room and throws his arms around the pair, whooping in delight. “Ahhh, you’re here! You’re back! Just in time!”

“Steven!” Ruby cheers, reciprocating his hug in kind.

“Hello, Steven!”

Even with their faces currently obscured from his sight as he embraces them, he doesn’t require any visual to hear the smile evident in a familiar voice. Well, two familiar voices. But though they are currently apart, Steven knows Garnet is always there with them, kept alive within the spirit of their love. Love for one another, and for everyone else, too! In Sapphire’s voice, he recognizes tones of Garnet’s unconditional affection, as unyielding as the future stretching to the horizon before them. In Ruby’s, he finds an open playfulness, and a fierce passion running miles deep for every facet of life and experience she’s come to adore on Earth. In the end, Garnet is just as much a part of them as they are a part of her.

In a complete betrayal of her height’s assumed strength, the short red Gem lifts both him and Sapphire off the ground as they laugh, the weightlessness of the trio’s joy almost physically palpable between them.

“So, quick curiosity question,” Ruby asks soon enough, pointing at all the glass strewn across the wood flooring once she’s set them both back down. “What’s with the window?”

“That’s—” he glances towards Amethyst and Peridot, who are both shaking their heads vehemently, signaling for him to shush right this instant— “a very long story. Pearl said she’s gonna talk to Dad and get it fixed.”

Sapphire smiles, nuzzling into her partner’s side. “Don’t worry, love— it’ll be fixed well before our wedding.”

Steven’s expression folds into a nervous wince. He threads his fingers together, shifting on his feet awkwardly. “Oh hey, uh… about that… I know I promised to help y’all start on the planning tomorrow, but—”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Sapphire says, and holds up her gemless hand. “We understand you need some time apart from us, to reflect.”

Amid this conversation, out of the corner of his eye he catches view of Pearl exiting her temple room, phone in hand. An uncharacteristically dopey smile stretches wide across her face as she texts. From what little he’s aware of, she’s been meeting up with a few human women lately. He can’t help but wonder who the lucky someone is on the other side.

“Yeah!” Ruby eagerly chimes in response. “We can start all that whenever you’re ready. After roughing it in the wilderness with me, you deserve a break!”

“And Steven…” The clairvoyant Gem parts her bangs. Reflected in her singular ice blue iris is boundless love, and wisdom, and… and maybe, he realizes, maybe a whisper of sadness. “While we both acknowledge the importance of spending time away from loved ones to recollect oneself, please know that you will never be a burden to us. We’ll always be here to listen, if you want us to.”

“Thanks, that- that means a lot.”

Pearl strides across the warp pad to join their group.

“Good news! Greg has the new window on order,” she shares, lifting her phone to her gem and stashing it away in her headspace with a quick glimmer of light. “It won’t arrive until early next week, but that should give us more than enough time to replace it and clean up the house for the big day, don’t you think?” Her glance then passes to him, and she gestures at his backpack. “Oh, Steven! Are you going somewhere?”

“Just spending the night at Connie’s. I’ll probably be back sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

She crosses her arms, serving him a wide, knowing smile that would’ve had him rolling his eyes if he weren’t already in such a blissful mood about it. “Spending the night, that’s new!”

“Yeah,” he says, not able to help the slight nervous laugh that bubbles up from deep within the more he thinks about this turn of events. “Yeah! It’s gonna be so awesome.” He turns back towards Sapphire, threading his fingers together. “Hey, will I… do you think I’ll find what I’m looking for?”

The clairvoyant Gem hums for a moment, fingers pressed to her lips.

“Yes,” she ultimately responds. “But try to eat your ice cream quickly.”

“Wait, what?”

“And remember- we love you.”

“We love you a whole lot!” Ruby chimes.

“Yeah-ya,” Amethyst says, pumping her fist in the air. “Go take your break, little man. You deserve it.”

“And you’ve got to come visit our garden when you’re back!” Peridot adds, gently spinning a small bent nail she must’ve found on the floor in circles above her pointed finger.

Steven laughs, pulling the straps of his backpack snug across his shoulders. “I’ll come check it out, I promise.”

The last person who steps closer to bid her goodbyes to him is Pearl. She strides forward to tuck a stray flyaway curl behind his ear, her hand then gliding down to rest against his cheek. He leans into her affectionate touch with glee, reveling in the knowledge that he’s wholly and relentlessly loved.

That he’s needed.

“Be safe, Steven,” she says.

“I’ll be fine. But please—” he wraps her in a tight hug— “don’t forget to take care of yourself too, okay? We’ve all been through a lot lately. And you for longer than most.”

Pearl gives a warm chuckle. “Look at you, always watching out for us. When did you grow up so fast?” They pull apart, and she briefly clasps both her hands on his shoulders. “I’ll be sure to let Greg know where you’re off to, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I already texted him.” Waving, Steven starts to shuffle his way to the exit. “Bye, everyone!”

An overlapping chorus of goodbyes sings back to him as he leaves. The very last voice he hears before emerging out into the brisk nighttime air is Amethyst’s:

“See ya’, Ste-man!”

The moment he closes the door he exhales deeply, allowing the weight of his Gem heritage and all the responsibilities and unspoken expectations that comes with it to slough from his mind like grains of sand between his fingers. No crises, no monsters, no more constantly holding his family together on his own. He’s only recently realized how much the others have relied on him for morale all his childhood. Thankfully, through every hard fought battle- be that literal or interpersonal- they’re getting better and better at taking care of themselves.

And starting tonight, he’ll commit to taking care of his own emotional well-being too, by taking some much deserved ‘me’ time.

Well, ‘me plus Connie’ time. He’s left her waiting long enough.

She sits on the beach right where he last saw her, leaning against Lion like he’s a big, soft, purring beanbag. He can’t help but grin. Lion himself may object, but as far as Steven is concerned, this is a pretty apt description.

Connie stands as he jogs those last steps towards her, and effortlessly slings herself on the magical creature’s back. Lion rises on his paws as well. “You ready?” she asks, offering her hand.

“Yup!” He gives the overstuffed cheeseburger on his back a pat. “All in here! Sorry I took so long.”

Their fingers connect. With a brief grunt of exertion Connie’s grip tightens around his wrist, and she pulls him up behind him. Truth be told, he doesn’t need help climbing on Lion’s back at all, with his floating ability. But his best friend is strong, and so thoughtful… and though he might burn to cinders if he ever admits it out loud, he’d give up anything for an excuse to hold her hand.

“It’s fine,” she says, scruffing the top of Lion’s head. He purs, leaning into her touch. “The two of us have just been stargazing out here."

“Hey, uh... your mom knows I’m coming over now, right?”

“Umm…”

The mild panic that flashes over her face says it all.

“You didn’t tell her?” he asks in shock, more surprised than anything else. Ever since the hospital incident, Connie and her mom have grown closer and become a lot more honest with each other. Or at least, so he thought.

“Well, I haven’t told her yet. It’s just- she already bent her rules to let me see you tonight. I’m kinda… worried that if I ask in advance over the phone she’ll say no. But I’m also worried she’ll just say no anyways... y’know? Aughh, maybe this isn’t a good idea after all.”

She groans, and buries her face in Lion’s cotton candy mane. Steven frowns. His heart thrumming with concern, he rests his palm on her shoulder.

“Hey. I’d love to have a sleepover with you, but only if you’re comfy with it. I’d hate for you to feel pressured into doing anything for my sake.”

“No, no… it’s not that I feel pressured,” she says, voice muffled and tiny. “I’m just… so scared of getting in trouble that it’s hard to even talk to her some days. I don’t even know why!” She lifts her head, revealing glossy eyes. He swallows. The sight of a friend on the edge of tears is always a punch to the gut. He’s seen far too much of that in recent days.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, she gazes towards the sky- towards the boundless cosmos they can’t reach on their own- as if she dreams she may find the answer she yearns for somewhere among those stars. “I love my parents,” she continues, “but it’s just- sometimes I feel like I can’t ask them for anything. That I still have no control of my life at all. I’ve come so far with them on that, on them not hovering over me 24/7, but then I just- just get so paranoid about things, and-! Gahhh!” she cries, gripping the hair at either side of her head. “Compared to everything you’re dealing with it’s dumb, I know.”

“It’s not dumb,” he says. “Everybody’s going through tricky stuff all the time. And just because some of it may seem less heavy compared to everything else, it doesn’t mean it’s less heavy for you.”

“Yeah…”

“And hey— worst case scenario, if she says no, I’ll just come over and see you tomorrow. No big deal!”

“Yeah,” she repeats, her countenance lightening ever so slightly. “I guess you’re right. What’s the harm in asking?”

“So… Jambuds night still on?”

“Oh, it’s on,” she grins. “But before we leave, one question—”

“Yeah?”

“A few minutes ago… Was that a gardening spade that flew out the window?”

“Yup,” he says with a nervous laugh, wrapping his arms around her midsection as Lion begins to sprint across the shore. “That was Peridot. Don’t ask, I don’t really understand how it happened either.”

~~~

Steven and Connie give a sharp yelp of glee as Lion exits his portal and skids to a rapid halt right in front of her parents’ home.

“Man, I don’t know if I’m ever gonna get used to that,” Steven quips, sliding off the feline’s back and holding out his arm to help his friend down. “It’s just like the roller coaster at Funland, except three times more awesome!”

“And more scary,” Connie adds, accepting his offered aid as she hops to the ground as well. “‘Cause like, at least the Thunderbird has a lap bar.”

Lion serves the two of them a dull grumble, his tail flitting around every which way as he stalks his way across the quiet neighborhood street towards the Maheswaran residence.

“Aw, no!” he says, rushing forwards towards the curb and running an apologetic hand through his fur. “I’m sorry, bud. We didn’t mean it like that— you’re perfect just the way you are, lap bar or not.”

But before he can move one more footstep up the path to their front door, Connie stops him by the shoulder.

“Wait—”

He fixes his gaze square on her, barely even breathing as he watches his friend’s anxious glance shift from Lion, to him, to the homey glow of the living room window. Hmm. It seems Dr. and Mr. Maheswaran are still awake, even at this late of an hour.

“Let me handle things in there… okay?” she requests. “I don’t want any of my silly nonsense becoming your burden, too.”

Steven nods, and pantomimes zipping up his lips. An extra flick of the wrist is all it takes to lock them up and throw away the key.

She gives a faint sigh of relief at his agreement, and lowers her hold on his shoulder until the very tip of her pinkie is dancing along the outer ridge of his hand. Clueing in to her silent ask, he interlaces their fingers together, squeezing tight as a show of camaraderie and reassurance. He hums, and tilts his head towards the doorway.

“Shall we?”

Connie fishes her own key (a real one, not metaphorical) out of her back pocket. “Well… here goes nothing,” she says, interlaced with a soft, nervous laugh.

She unlocks the front door and pushes her way in, tugging him along. (Yawning, Lion plops himself down on the front lawn, apparently holding zero interest in facing what comes next.) Steven can’t help but sweat as he steps through the frame and promptly matches eyes with her two very not thrilled parents sitting side-by-side on the couch. Of the pair, her mother— with her arms crossed and expression taut— seems the most irked. He swallows, tugging at the collar of his shirt. Oh geeze, this can’t be good. The last thing he wanted when he called up his friend tonight was to get her in trouble!

Connie doesn’t even match eyes with them as she scurries on past, instead leading him straight towards the stairs.

“Hey Mom, hey Dad, I’m back!” she blurts out in a flustered hurry. “I brought Steven with me and he’s gonna stay for the night I hope that’s okay with you, I promise I’ll leave my door open, okay, goodnight!”

Dr. Maheswaran springs to her feet, expression blown wide with frustration.

“Connie. Connie Varana Maheswaran, get back here this instant!”

Steven stops in his tracks right along with her like he, too, were sitting in the hot seat. The hairs at the back of his neck prickle with nauseating dread as his friend lets go of his hand and— despondent, gaze wholly fixed upon a segment of carpet that’s fraying at the joint right where it meets the hard wood floors of their entryway— steps forward to accept her fate. Her mother continues, tone softening with a weighty dose of parental concern.

“When you texted you’d be back in ‘a few minutes,’ your father and I expected that to mean five. Maybe ten, at most. Not almost thirty. Connie, we were worried sick that something happened to you out there. You have to keep us in the loop if you’re going to be out so late.”

Her father nods in agreement, still perched on the edge of the couch. He leans forward as he prepares to add his ten cents, clasping his hands together with his elbows perched atop his knees.

“If you want us to continue to loosen up your curfew like you’ve asked,” he says, “you’ll need to prove to us that you can be responsible.”

“And this?” Dr. Maheswaran throws her arms out. “Was not it.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Connie cries, gripping even tighter at the strap of her baldric as she makes her case. “I really, truly thought it was only gonna be a few minutes! But then Steven was trying to pack some stuff, and I completely lost track of the time, and I—”

Her mother serves him a sharp gesture, brows threading tight. “And why exactly is he here so late in the first place? You know we have a strict rule against boys sleeping over.”

Steven swallows, feeling for all the world like his flip-flops are glued to the floorboards amidst his deep embarrassment at this mess. Yep. There it is, just as she predicted earlier. Oh boy. He almost wonders what the odds are of him spontaneously developing some sort of super-boosted diamond invisibility power out of nowhere, because right now he craves nothing more than to phase through the walls and disappear from this whole confrontation entirely. Stupid, stupid, stupid… he should’ve never agreed to come here tonight in the first place.

Connie, however, doesn’t seem so easily deterred from their mission.

“Mom, please listen,” she says, tone soaked with desperation. “Some crazy Gem stuff happened the past few days and he says he really needs some time away from his home right now, so I thought that maybe we could—”

“Absolutely not.”

“But it’s not like he hasn’t spent the night before! Remember the last—”

“The last time was just an exception because we were snowed in.”

“Yeah, but- a snowstorm’s not the only reason someone might need a different place to stay!”

Dr. Maheswaran plants her hands upon her hips, voice raising in volume. “Young lady, I’ve already bent the rules enough for you tonight. When I say no, I mean no.”

Biting at the inside of his lip, Steven resolves to just see himself out. After everything he’s witnessed within his own family unit the past few days, he really, really doesn’t want to watch this argument unfold any longer than it has to. He reaches forward to tap at her shoulder, inhaling shakily through his nose.

“Uh, Connie, I—”

“Oh come on, please?” she outright begs, smashing her hands together as if in prayer. “Just one night, just one more exception to your rules for Steven’s sake, that’s all I’m asking. One!”

The two of them proceed stare at each other with iron cored intent, both scrying the other’s features for any exploitable weaknesses, both daring the other to bend to the other’s resolve. Steven clenches his jaw tight as he glances back and forth, watching this silent showdown unfold like it’s some sort of abstract, emotion-based tennis match.

And then— a true blessing— Connie’s father (who he’s starting to suspect is the natural balance to her mom’s strict rules) finally steps in.

“Honey,” he says while rising to his feet, voice as calm as the midnight tide. “Remember that night in San Carlos…”

At his side, Connie visibly cringes.

He has absolutely no idea what the significance of this ‘San Carlos’ place is to Dr. Maheswaran and the others, but the mere reminder of it seems to be enough to bring them all to a state of heavy pause. Her mother clenches her fist tight at her side, squeezing her eyes shut as she reflects upon all the (unknown) relevance of her husband’s timely comment.

Then, all that tension snapping like an over-stretched rubber band:

“Fine. Fine,” she relents, lifting a finger to rub at her temple. “But… not in your room. We’ll set up the couch instead. Now, go get in bed. I expect to see lights out in five, all right?”

A surge of palpable relief courses across his friend’s features.

“Yes, Mom. Goodnight. Love you.”

She steps forward for a quick hug and kiss, which her mother returns in kind.

“Love you too,” she hums, clutching her safe and close for just a beat longer than usual. “Even when you do drive me crazy sometimes…”

Connie moves on to embrace her dad, who presses an affectionate smooch to her forehead, before crossing over to him. She wraps her arms around him tight, nestling her chin against the crook of his neck as she— no longer weighed down by the intimidating burden of a thousand nebulous what-ifs— softly exhales all that pent-up stress and anxiety against his ear.

“Well,” she whispers, “it’s not exactly the sleepover we hoped for, but- you’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, your couch is real comfy!” he says, making his voice as chipper as he can muster despite his slight disappointment. Pulling away from her hug, he reaches up to adjust the slipping strap of his backpack on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll just be downstairs, and we can still have tons of fun tomorrow. Anyways… nighty night.”

A slight smile creeps its way upon her lips as she slings him her rhyming response. “Don’t let the robonoids bite?”

“You betcha!” he chirps, throwing up a pair of finger guns.

Connie giggles bright and clear before spinning on her heels and twaddling on up the stairs, pausing for the briefest of moments at the landing to glance back at him with a grin and a slight blush. He waves her off.

And then… as she disappears around the corner to get ready for bed… there were three.

Not super sure what the proper etiquette is when one enters a friend’s house totally unprompted and pressures their parents to adjust their rules on the fly, Steven flashes them a nervous, closed-mouth smile.

“So…” he begins, shuffling upon his feet.

But thankfully, he’s not forced to think of a continuation to this utterance, because Dr. Maheswaran sees fit to take the reins of conversation for him. She visibly deflates, pressing a hand to her temple as she vents air through her lips.

“I’m sorry you had to watch all that,” she apologizes, sliding her glance between him and her husband. “It’s just that… this isn’t something we normally allow. But I suppose, as with everything, that sometimes making the best decisions as a parent means growing with the times and adapting your own rules.”

Steven gives a wholehearted nod. “I understand. Thank you,” he says in earnest, “for letting me stay here tonight.”

“Anyways… I’ll go find some blankets for you,” she hums, and strides down the hall with renewed purpose.

The living room plunges into complete silence as she travels upstairs, leaving him alone with no one for momentary entertainment but Connie’s dad, who he admittedly hasn’t interacted with much on his own and thus isn’t sure how to make casual small-talk with yet.

Mr. Maheswaran clears his throat, noisily and awkwardly. “So… it’s been a rough couple of days for you, eh sport?”

Rapping his fingertips against the worn straps of his backpack, he rocks back and forth upon his heels. “Yeah, you could say that…”

~~~

Deep within the folds of his overstuffed bag, that amethyst geode he socked away earlier pulses with a quick burst of energy. It manifests in the form of a low level frequency too high for human ears to pick up on— just one chime, at first. Then two.

Three.

Four.

Steven, even with his Gem heightened senses, doesn’t pick up on it. Perhaps it’s because he’s deep asleep, or perhaps it’s because his body is too organic in build to properly intercept the signal. But either way, it doesn’t matter. The consequence is still the same.

This geode— unbeknownst to him or Amethyst an old rebellion tool intended to aid in luring unsuspecting Gems into traps with its irresistible song— continues chiming for hours and hours, its piercing melody calling out to the lonely night in perpetual harmony.

And far, far in the distance… hundreds of miles away… something lurking within the folds of the inky darkness calls back:

Mine.

#su #steven universe #connie maheswaran #amethyst #peridot #pearl #ruby #sapphire #priyanka maheswaran #doug maheswaran #steven/connie #(in that early show Lightly Teased sort of way)#su fanfic #my writing stuff

16 notes · View notes

dudadragneel · 11 months

Text

Hello guys! It's me!

How are you doing?

AFTER HALF A CENTURY...IM BACK WITH ANOTHER SICKFIC!

Now, this one was supposed to be a little drabble but I got a little carried away...

Anyways, enjoy!

Thinking about Hyunjin who has a really bad stomachache and he’s been crying on and off all day and can barely eat anything but once he feels a bit better he goes with reader to the library while she study’s in silence and he just kinda tries to distract himself with reading, but then he starts feeling nauseous and can’t really talk because yk you gotta be QUIET in a library. So he has to text her to tell her he feels like he’s going to vomit but she’s not quite getting the hint that he wants to leave so he has to be really blunt with her 😭. THEN she takes him outside and he just dry heaves, then she gives him water and he just throws up the water. but when they get in the car…oh that’s a WHOLE new situation and mess.

LIBRARY DATE

While you were on your midterms, Hyunjin was in a well-deserved rest period. However, the poor boy's body was feeling the toll from the last promotion. His immune system wasn't doing that great and he ate something that didn't sit well with his stomach.

He woke up with a really bad stomach ache, it was a sharp pain around his middle, especially sharp in the pit of his stomach. The pain was so strong he actually started crying at some point.

- babe, it hurts!

- oh baby. I know it does. I gave you medicine, it will take some time for it to work. Do you want to eat some light soup? Or maybe a fruit?

- no...it feels horrible...I feel like I've eaten enough for the week.

- but you didn't eat anything. Not since last night.

-I know....but I just can't, it's hurting too much.

- oh Hyune...do you want me to rub your belly?

- yes...

You sat next to him at the edge of the bed where he was lying down and proceeded to rub his belly. He felt comfortable with your touch and closed his eyes to try and rest. In a few minutes, he managed to fall asleep.

You let him rest while you finished doing your chores at the house and prepared something light for him to eat in case he woke up feeling a little better.

A few hours later, he woke up feeling a little better, the pain was barely there and he was actually feeling a bit hungry.

You had prepared some light snacks for him, as you thought that would sit better than soup.

- Hey sleepyhead.

- Hey babe.

He said going towards you like a little kid for a hug.

You hugged him as he buried his face on your shoulders and spoke softly.

- Are you feeling better?

- Yeah...a little....

- Do you want to eat something?

- Yeah...

- Come on.

You said as you grabbed his hand and walked to the table. You served him the snacks you were preparing before in hopes he'd be able to get at least a little bite in.

- You don't have to eat everything. Just pick what you think your stomach will agree with.

- Woah! Thank you, honey.

You just smiled as you sat in front of him while he ate. You kept scrolling through your phone and chatting with him.

- Hyune

- Hm?

- I'm thinking about going to the library to study later. Are you gonna be ok alone?

- Can I accompany you?

- are you sure? Are you feeling better?

- Yeah. I think going out of the house might help me feel less stressed.

- Okay then. Why don't you finish eating and while you digest your food, I'll take a shower and get ready?

- ok!

He did as you told him, he sat on the couch and patiently waited while you showered and gathered your stuff.

The local library wasn't that big but it was beautiful and cozy and definitely helped you feel more concentrated to study.

You found a free table, sat down, and organized your things, you put on your earphones to help you concentrate more. Hyunjin just sat in front of you, completely in love seeing you so focused. He loved seeing how passionate you were about the things you did, even if it was just sitting down and studying.

He couldn't really keep on using his phone so he decided to look for a book about art to read while you studied.

At first, he was entertained, almost like a toddler, he managed to learn about some other painting techniques and he was happy that this outing turned out to be productive for him as well.

But then things started to go south. As he was reading, the stomachache from earlier was starting to turn into full nausea.

And unfortunate to him because, ironically, he picked a book that had tons of Van Gogh's paintings in it, and all that swirling werent helping at all.

He brought a hand to his stomach and gently pressed on it because even though he felt nauseous, the pain from earlier was still lingering around.

He tried to stay focused on the book but the more he tried to read or look at the pictures the more his stomach twisted. He placed the book on the table, closed his eyes took and deep breath in, and exhaled, trying to keep the nausea at bay.

He kept bringing his hand to his stomach and fidgeting on the chair, most to catch your attention, but you were basically in another dimension of full focus, and he didn't really want to use his phone and risk feeling even worse.

But the nausea was growing stronger, so he had no other option. He got his phone and texted you, but the contents of the message weren't shown so you just shrugged it off as him trying to distract you.

He sent a few more texts, but you didn't even bother looking up, part of you wanted to show him that you could stay focused even when he incorporated a toddler to annoy you. But little did you know the distress he was in.

He set down his phone and lay his head on his arms, but the nausea was reaching its peak. He could feel the little he had eaten earlier sloshing around and his mouth started pooling with saliva. He started to swallow convulsively but things just weren't working.

He felt something rushing up his chest and a foul taste in his mouth, he was gonna throw up and there was nothing more he could do to avoid it. And you still hadn't read his texts. He didn't want to talk, first because you were in a library and it was really quiet, and second because he was afraid that if he opened his mouth he'd throw up right then and there, but he had no other choice. He needed to get out of there.

He abruptly put down your book and if you weren't in a library, you would've yelled at him.

You looked straight at him but before you could even get angry, he took his only chance.

- I'm gonna throw up.

He said as quietly as possible but still urgent. Apparently, just admitting that he was gonna be sick, made his stomach contract and he was quick to cover his mouth to surpass a gag.

- Shit.

You said standing up and getting to his side. You just grabbed his arm and wrapped your arm around him as you guided him out, his body already bending over as his stomach contracted again.

Unfortunately for him, some people noticed the sudden commotion.

For some reason, the bathroom wasn't near the room you were in, so you just took him outside in the yard.

He bent over, hands on his knees for support while you kept on holding his arm and rubbing his back.

He spat out the thick saliva that had filled his mouth as you two were walking out of the room.

He felt awful, saliva kept filling his mouth over and over again and he just kept spitting it out. But the nausea was still there and it was strong.

He tried straightening his back for a bit to see if he would feel any different, but it just made his stomach flip again.

He bent over one more time and began gagging again, you could feel him tensing up under your touch with every gag but nothing but saliva came out. You felt horrible and could only hope people would just pass by and not notice him.

- Hyune? May I try something?

He just nodded. You massaged his stomach with a bit of pressure to see if you could stimulate it somehow to help him get whatever was making him feel bad out. But it didn't work, he just kept dry heaving.

- I-I feel awful...my stomach is churning and flipping but nothing is coming up...

- Oh baby...Why don't you try drinking some water? Maybe trying to get something in will help you throw up. Don't take small sips, just try to drink as you normally would.

You handed him your bottle of water and he drank it just as you said.

He drank almost half a bottle and he could feel his stomach revolting inside him. He bent over again and gagged a few times before his stomach contracted a little more and brought up all the water he had just drank but nothing else.

You kept rubbing his back as he proceeded to throw up water and thick saliva. In a few minutes, he was left dry heaving again. You gave him some water to rinse his mouth and then wiped it.

- Babe? Why don't we sit down for a bit?

- Hmm...

You guided him to a nearby tree and helped him sit down.

- How are you feeling?

- Sick...

- Okay. Let's go home. I'll go grab our stuff.

- I'm sorry...I'm sorry for interrupting your study...

- Don't apologize...I should be the one apologizing for not noticing sooner... Just wait here, I'll be right back.

He lay his back on the tree and tilted his head back with his eyes closed. He took deep breaths and tried to pay attention to his breathing or the sound of the leaves rustling with the wind, anything that could distract him from nausea in his stomach.

You grabbed your stuff and apologized for the sudden commotion and left to get the sick boy waiting by the tree.

- Come on, let's go. Can you stand?

- Can you help me?

- Of course.

You positioned your arms beneath his while he held you for support, and helped him to his feet. You stood like that for a while, with a firm grip on him, to make sure he wasn't feeling faint before heading to the car.

- Do you prefer to roll down your window or the AC?

- The AC...I'm afraid that any smell will enter the car if the windows are open.

- Okay. Babe, tell me if you feel like throwing up, okay? So I can at least try to pull over.

- Okay.

The first 30 minutes of the ride were okay. He kept his eyes closed while you held his hand, thank God for automatic cars. You kept quiet the whole time because you didn't want to overwhelm him.

But then, the worst happened. Traffic. For some reason, traffic stopped. And you felt desperate because you wanted to get home fast, so Hyunjin could rest.

- Shit! There must've been an accident or the traffic lights are broken...you okay?

He just nodded and closed his eyes again. You knew he wasn't okay, he was far from being okay. Traffic felt like it was moving one centimeter at a time.

He was okay at first because the car wasn't moving but the realization that he'd be stuck in a car for god knows how long while feeling sick made everything worse.

The nausea which was somewhat controlled, increased ten times. He squeezed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh while his hands gripped his thighs and the door handle with such force his knuckles turned white. He tried taking deep breaths but the sudden movement of the car made his stomach jolt. He felt something coming up his throat and started to swallow convulsively. There's no chance in hell he was gonna throw up inside the car, he had already ruined your study day and now he was going to soil your car with vomit? No chance.

You were too focused on the road, trying to understand what was causing the traffic jam, so you didn't notice him fidgeting by your side.

He managed to swallow it back but it was a useless effort. As soon as it went down it shot back up, hot foul tasting liquid hitting the back of his throat. He gagged and quickly brought his hands to his mouth, fearing the worst.

The gag snapped you back into the reality of the car.

- Hyune? You okay?

He barely made eye contact with you when his stomach jolted one more time, making him gag once more. But this time, vomit gushed out, slipping through his fingers, and soiling both him and your car.

- Oh my god! Hyune!

His stomach didn't give him time to think before contracting again and sending even more pale vomit up, once again escaping through his fingers.

You were shocked with the situation unfolding before your eyes so it took a few seconds for you to react.

You quickly reached for the glove box and found a little towel you always kept with you, considering how he had gotten sick in the car before.

- Oh babe! Don't worry.

You placed it on his lap and told him to open his hands and let the vomit fall on the towel, while you drove a little more. Once you stopped again, you looked for a plastic bag inside your stuff so that Hyunjin could throw up everything making him feel bad.

- Here. Use this.

- S-sorry...I'm s-sorry...

- Don't apologize. It's not your fault you're sick.

He closed his eyes as he gagged again, this time inside the bag, liquid coming out and hitting the back making a sickening sound. You could only rub his back and mutter some words while you drove.

- Oh baby, just let everything out.

He burped another wave, followed by another one making him bend forward a little and you could feel him tensing up under your hand.

- Just get everything out.

He gagged a few times until he threw up again, vomit mixing with the liquid inside the bag. The car was starting to smell and you both wanted to get out of there.

Thankfully, the traffic jam stopped and you as fast as you legally could to get home.

Arriving there, you went straight to Hyunjin's door to help him.

- Here. Let me get rid of this.

You threw away the bag filled with vomit and turned your full attention to him, who was sitting inside the car facing you.

- We're home, baby. Let's go. Can you stand?

- I don't kno-

He was cut off by a sudden gag that sent up more vomit making him bend forward and you barely escaped from soiling your shoes. You shifted to his side and rubbed his back as he vomited again.

- Here. Rinse your mouth and let's go up. You need to take a shower.

He rinsed his mouth and you helped him up, wrapping your hands around him and carefully heading to the elevator.

Arriving home, you went directly to the bathroom with Hyunjin. You helped him out of his soiled clothes and tossed them in the dirty laundry basket.

- You don't need to stay here...

- Hyune, we've been dating for quite some time now...you don't need to be embarrassed. I just don't want to risk you fainting in the shower. But I'll turn around if that will make you feel more comfortable.

- Thank you...sorry...

- it's okay, honey.

Thankfully the shower ended without any accidents, despite him dry heaving over the rain for a brief moment.

You helped him change clothes and then got the bed ready for him to sleep.

You embraced him in a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. And that was the last straw. He started to cry and sob and buried his face in your shoulder.

- Honey? Baby? Why are you crying?

You said with a cute voice and almost crying yourself.

- I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...

- it's okay, baby! Stop apologizing.

- but...I ruined your day...you couldn't study because of me, your car is completely dirty...I'm sorry

He said breaking down even more.

- Oh baby! There's nothing to apologize for. You were sick! It's not your fault! You didn't ruin my day! Stop worrying about that! Hyune, I love you! I'd never, not once, think that you ruined my day.

You said as you cupped his face in your hands and wiped his tears away.

- promise me you'll stop feeling guilty about it.

- I- I promise...

He said pouting. You kissed him and then embraced him again as you two lay in bed.

- How are you feeling?

- Still a little nauseous...

- Wait here a little bit, let me grab a bucket just in case.

You grabbed the bucket at light speed and went back to bed. You cuddled him and started rubbing his belly. He sunk under your touch and within minutes, the poor tired boy was fast asleep.

You changed your approach and kept stroking his hair until you fell asleep as well.

The night went on without any other incidents, the poor boy had his energy completely drained after everything that happened and you couldn't be more grateful that he managed to sleep like a rock until midday.

39 notes · View notes