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whitherliliesbloom · 3 years

Text

weaving the present, illuminating the future

[ ffxivwrite2021 ] ★ [ masterlist ] ★ [ prompt #30 - abstracted ]

[ illya & friends ] ★ [ 2,849 words ] ★ [ streamers au ]

modern / streamers / online celebrities au where the spud squad are all popular streamers who frequently collab together. centers around illya and kaye mainly, but briefly mentions a bunch of other friends and illyanaud.

abstracted- withdrawn in mind, inattentive to one's surroundings

the spud squad announce their indefinite hiatus right after releasing their one year anniversary single, and illya cannot help but to feel just a tad bit melancholic.

Illya hasn’t bothered checking her notifications, or looked at either her computer screen or mobile phone, really. The sounds of ping after ping on linkcord, text after text and the flood of new tweets mentioning the one tag she followed on twitter easily made her overwhelmed - and so she’d opted to switch her devices off entirely before burying herself under the covers for the evening, trying desperately to distract herself with a copy of a manhwa that she’d borrowed from Laurelis.

But it was futile, her head is empty and heavy, yet swirling with a myriad of many emotions all at the same time. And after feebly reading and re-reading the same page over and over only to realize she hadn’t been paying attention to the contents of the book at all, she closed the manhwa shut with a heavy sigh before closing her eyes, praying to the heavens that exhaustion would lull her quickly to sleep.

Outsiders would merely assumed she was simply nervous from the release of their newest single, Ultramarine Hymn, a collaboration between the members of their massively popular streamer group made in celebration for their one year anniversary. They’d prepared for months, working together with a widely renowned music composer and even performing live on stage with a set of professional make up artists, producers and videographers to film their first ever music video.

For everyone barring Mint, it’d been their first time ever singing and dancing for a large audience online. While the experience had been undoubtedly fun, it was still their first real exposure doing anything of such professionalism and scale- and so her flat mate Kaye wasn’t surprised at all to find her shaking like a leaf as she sat next to him on the couch just several minutes prior to the premier of the video.

While the premier of their first music video was indeed a good half of the reason why Illya felt so out of sorts and nervous for the rest of the night up until sunrise, the true reason for the melancholy she bore in her heart came from the announcement that was posted right after the release of the music video, and it’d kept her awake for a good portion of the late night until she mercifully fell asleep, clutching the lavender purple ribbon she’d worn in the music video tightly in her hands.

The spud squad was going to go on an indefinite hiatus shortly after the release of Ultramarine Hymn - a result of an eight months long business trip Kaye had been assigned on as a professional programmer. Streaming and being something of an internet celebrity was never the man’s main source of income, so it’d be unwise of him to turn down the golden opportunity to further his career in favor of staying behind to continue streaming.

Naturally, Lily was going to move overseas with him as well - and while she has made it clear to her audience that she will continue streaming whenever she could afford the free time to, the radically different time zones between Eorzea and Doma meant it’d be difficult to participate in anymore spud squad activities - at least until she and Kaye would return.

Mint too, announced that she’d been preoccupied with practicing for auditions into several professional idol management companies... and while Illya herself isn’t as busy as the other three, juggling between helping with business at her mother’s florist, studying for an entrance exam into a medical school and streaming on top of that has become quite a hectic endeavor.

Thus with much reluctance, the six of them came to a consensus and decided to announce their indefinite hiatus, a news that they’d hoped would sit well with their impressively large audience of fans if it came with the release of a music video to remember them by.

Illya knew that it was a necessary change of process - that new doors are being opened for each of them and it was only right for them to seize the opportunity to chase their dreams. Deep inside, Illya truly did feel overjoyed for her friends, loved them all with of her heart so much that the hiatus was but a small fraction of the cost to pay in exchange for their happiness.

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a hint of melancholy and bitter sweetness within that earnest joy and cause for celebration. None of the six of them knew when they’d next be able to work on something like this again, or if they’d even find the time in the future to work together again at all. It was perhaps because of their shared understanding - that unspoken sadness between all of them that they’d agreed to prepare something special to celebrate one year of their collaboration - a song that spoke of hope and a brighter future.

‘The more you give up, the more regrets await you.’

By the time the sun rose, accompanied by the shining of morning light through her pastel pink curtains and the melodic chirping of birds nesting upon the wisteria tree just outside her window, her phone has been assaulted with a mountain of unchecked notifications that she dreaded to sort through.

The girl knew she couldn’t possibly keep her phone locked and switched off forever, and so she’d booted it up after washing up in the shared bathroom, before walking out of her bedroom, staring down at her screen with a light frown.

The smell of fried bacon wafts through the apartment. The sound of sizzling oil intermingles with Hazel’s cheery singing, and Illya takes the time to open the latch of her enclosure, allowing the little sparrow to flutter about the living room until it settled peacefully next to the potted sunflowers that sat upon the window sills of the kitchen, watching the raven haired man flipping eggs effortlessly with a flick of the frypan.

“Good morning, Kaye. Thank you for making breakfast, again.” Greeting with an ever bright smile, Illya sits herself down at her designated seat at the dining table upon a bright floral cushion, watching as the man turns his head back for a moment before returning his attention to the stove.

“It’s Sunday, so it’s my turn. You don’t gotta thank me.” He walks over to the dining table to dump the steaming hot sunny side ups and crispy bacon onto their plates, cups of orange juice already poured and waiting, which Illya takes into her hand to take a quick sip out of.

“You checked eorzeatube and twitter yet?” The young man asks as he sets the frypan down, gesturing towards the phone in her hands.

“N-no... Is it urgent?”

“Not really, no.” Kaye raises an eyebrow, sitting himself down and jabbing a fork into his bacon. “But aren’t you curious about how the music video did?”

“I-I am... A little, I suppose... but-”

Her stammer gives her away her listlessness, and Kaye shoots the girl a furrowed scowl and a frown.

“Is somethin’ botherin’ you?” The man asks, and Illya’s lips curl upwards into a wide, deceptively warm smile.

“Just nervous is all.. What if the fans didn’t like it?” it wasn’t a complete lie, though not the total truth, but Illya was always exceptionally talented at hiding her negative emotions, and Kaye seems to buy it enough to slump back against the back rest of his chair and toss the bacon into his awaiting mouth, chewing quietly and swallowing before speaking.

“You won’t know till you see for yourself.”

It’s an unfortunate reality that he’s right, and Illya finally gives in and taps onto the icon for the twitter app, waiting for the timeline feed to load before her star spangled violet eyes widen in complete disbelief.

99+ notifications, an equally unbearable amount of private messages in her inbox as well as the first tweet literally being about the music video - Moth’ir’s retweet of their short promotional video from their official spud squad twitter account, which has garnered over 40 thousand likes and 10 thousand retweets.

#spudsquad and #ultramarinehymn are trending, and Illya gives in to her curiosity enough to tap on the tags and scroll through the tweets.

cosplaycon2022 hype!!! @/oracleoflight • 18h my good friend illya and her friends #spudsquad just released #ultramarine hymn and it’s so so so good!!! please give it a watch!!

EEEEEEEEEE @/driftinintiawind • 18h @/academician you didn’t tell me your gf was an idol bro???? GOOD SHIT #ultramarinehymn

pink is JUSTICE @/rosepinkcutie • 17h OHHHHH I’m goihng to cwyg #ultramarinehymn made me cryuy. iT’S SO GOOD...... #spudsquad i LOVE YOU

Alphinaud @/academician • 17h Do give your support to #spudsquad ‘s new music video, #ultramarinehymn ! They’ve worked very hard on it!

soliriii @/windupsunshine • 17h thank you #spudsquad for all the joy you’ve given me for the past year!! what a way to celebrate <3 #ultramarinehymn

hien’s booty @/floortank • 16h HEY #ultramarinehymn IS SO LIT THOUGH????? WTF

thancredwaters @/gunbrkrs • 16h #spudsquad Good job my daughter hasn’t stopped playing this song on repeat for the past 2 hours.

Nyx @/underthebloodmoon • 15h Sharing a good friend’s music video here. #ultramarinehymn #spudsquad

Nidhstinien @/azuredragoon • 15h [youtube link] #ultramarinehymn nice

vergotohelldad @/reveilleur • 14h only 4 hours after release and #ultramarinehymn is already trending. twitter has some fucking good tastes in music thank the twelve.

Lamittens! @/lalamitt • 14h Oh to be spud squad long time fan :pleading: I’m so fed... #ultramarinehymn #spudsquad

nhelly @/blackestmage • 13h I turn around and #spudsquad decided to drop an absolute banger. loving #ultramarinehymn !!

Aymeric de Borel @/officialborel • 13h A wonderful song that elicits a sense of optimism and hope. #ultramarinehymn

kafuuchi @/cloudsysmile • 13h hey is it just me or is kaye getting hotter :blush: still a kayelily simp tho!! #ultramarinehymn

KoKomi Komi @/sangopriestess • 12h @/starblossoms Congratulations on the new MV!! It’s very catchy! #ultramarinehymn

The scroll is endless, timeline filled with a mixture of both familiar and unfamiliar twitter handles, yet all collectively singing praises and awe for the music video and the song. It’s hard to not be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of positive reception their hard work and efforts have received, and Illya tears her eyes away from the screen to look up at Kaye with a twinkle in her wide violet eyes, and the man looks back at her expectedly.

“I-It...It seems to be very well received.”

“’Seems to be’? The video’s got over five hundred thousand views on eorzeatube from the past 18 hours.”

Illya almost chokes on her eggs, eyes blown wide as she swallows her food abruptly and her voice raises into a high, bewildered squeak.

“F-f-five... hundred thousand???”

By the twelve, that’s far more than even their highest recorded number of viewers on their biggest stream - and it’s been less than a day since the release of the music video. She cannot imagine just how ecstatic Mint must be at having such a successful idol-esque debut.

“Does that ease your worries now?” Kaye asks, snapping the girl out of her train of thoughts once more, and he is met with a smile and an affirmative nod in response.

“It does... thank you, Kaye.”

Knowing that weeks of preparation, practice and hard work has paid off and finally bore fruit was the biggest relief Illya’s experienced in a while, and the simple knowledge that the sentiment of their song got through to a good number of the fans warmed her heart.

But in the midst of the joy, there was yet an underlying somberness lingering in the air between the pair that was not lost to either of them, as silence quickly fills the atmosphere and quickly turns the space around them cold.

Scrolling through the top tweets didn’t exactly help either - because while it had quickly eased Illya’s worries of the music video being negatively received, in between praises for the song came the posts of fans who were dejected by the hiatus announcement.

Most of them had been supportive, of course... Their audience has ever been so welcoming, understanding and wonderful to them. But that perhaps made the disappointment they felt even worse on Illya’s melancholy, as she once again quickly slips back into the depths of her own internal mind.

Because as well received as the music video they’d released is, it still ends with them going their separate ways, and it fills Illya with a sense of already festering loneliness that she refuses to admit verbally to.

She never did like goodbyes.

‘The time that flows in the blink of an eye. The fear of continuing to be as we are.’

Neither Kaye nor Illya particularly enjoyed talking about their troubles, not even to each other, and so while Kaye could make an educated guess on why Illya seemed so despondent, he makes no comment on it. He was never the best at comforting others anyway.

He lets the silence fester between them even after Illya sets her phone down to focus on her plate full of breakfast, fishing his own device out of his pants pocket and begins to type away at it.

It isn’t until after a whole ten minutes has passed that he’d finally look up from the screen, expression unreadable yet his voice sounding a modicum more relaxed than it had been a while ago as he calls out to Illya as she was drinking the last of her orange juice.

“Hey, you’re free tonight, right?” The raven haired man asks, and Illya sets her glass down with a quirk of her eyebrow, if there was even a hint of sorrow in her, she didn’t allow him to hear it.

“Um... I am. Why?”

A smile from Kaye is a rarity, let alone one that carries such gentleness and ease... but the one he’s wearing now is so warm that it blows away the storm clouds that she hadn’t even noticed hanging over her head.

“Then, are you cool to do an Among us stream tonight? With the other four, of course.”

Sparkling lavender eyes widen, and Illya is silent for a brief moment before stuttering out in response.

“A-aren’t you going over to Lily’s place to help her pack though?? And... the others.. aren’t they-”

“I’ll only be there for the afternoon. We’re only gonna be flying next week so there’s no rush. As for the others, I already asked. You can even invite Alphinaud if you want, the more the merrier.”

“But didn’t we just announce that we’re going on hiatus? I don’t want to trouble the others if they’re too busy either-”

Her pink lips slightly part, voice timid and soft. Hesitation and uncertainty briefly flashing through her twinkling eyes as she averts her gaze from the man and hides them under the shadows of her pure white bangs. But it does little to keep the light red burn of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose from Kaye, who only rolls his eyes at her in response.

“Gods, stop being so nice. I said I already asked and they’re down for it.... well, mostly. Ichi said he wanted to sleep but I’ll drag him outta his bed if I have to. We may be on hiatus, but it’s not like we’re gonna stop hanging out together, right?”

Though Kaye’s tone is rough and his words are painfully honest, his tongue as sharp as the gaze of his midnight blue eyes, Illya knew there was kindness laced beneath his huff, and the tension in her body slowly begins to fade, making way for a brighter, far more honest and radiant smile that washed away the chill of the air like a spring breeze.

He’s right, as he often is.

Even if they may go their separate ways in the future, they will still always remain connected as friends, holding the memories they made together close in their hearts.

Her phone’s buzzing with notifications again, and she takes a peek down at the lit up screen, her heart warming at the equally excited messages from her beloved friends. From Mint who is spamming :mikurave: emotes, to Lily who was telling Ichi that no, a schedule with his bed isn’t a valid excuse and Nanami who was offering to set up the stream for the night... Things are all as it should be, right here and now where they are together - where they are home.

“If everyone’s fine with it then... I’ll join too. Don’t raid Ichi’s flat, though!”

Illya lets out a giggle that rings out like windchimes in a cool summer breeze, and Kaye clicks his tongue with a shrug of his shoulder.

“He gave me his keys for this exact reason, he doesn’t mind. How do you think he always makes it in time for our streams? All I need to wake him up is a fork and porcelain plate and-”

“Kaye! That’s... that’s so mean-”

‘I'll hug you with equal parts expectation and anxiety. You and I, weaving the present, illuminating the future.’

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legionofpotatoes · 3 years

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we decided to watch all story cutscenes from the new resident evil village videogame on a whim, since it’s not really our cup of tea gameplay-wise but seems to be this massive zeitgeist moment that made us morbidly curious. And I know how much everyone cares about my thoughts on things I know very little about, so. let’s get into it huh gamers. and yeah spoilers?

for context, I’ve only played resident evil 4 and a small portion of 5. I also read the wikipedia entry for 7’s plot recently. all this to say I was only vaguely aware of how tonally wacky the series was going in

I also completely gave up following the plot of the mutagens’ soap opera, so that paid off in spades here as you might imagine

anyway so that baby in the intro. that baby’s head is just massive. humongous toddlerdome. when ethan finds the baby’s head in a jar later on. there is no way that head would fit into that jar. bad game design. no not even game design. basic stuff. one hundred years in prison for jar modeler

if I see a single functional hetero marriage in video games I will cry tears of joy. I understand their misery is kind of The Point irt them badly working through the hillbilly romp trauma but like. sheesh. at least set that up as an emotional story goal the plot will help resolve. but nope they start off miserable and it goes nowhere

I know I know the mia thing has a huge wrinkle in it but like. not really in terms of dramatic function?? set up a happy end to the re7 nightmare (miranda can keep up appearances for all she cares) and then take that all away from angry griffin mcelroy for manpain. it will still absolutely work to set up the dramatic forward momentum. why throw in this cliche Hollywood Tension in their marriage if you’re not going to address it oh maybe because it’s normalized as automatically interesting because nuclear families are a self-propagating pit of a very narrow chance at emotional happiness relying on social stigma to preserve their empty function oops my baggage slipped in yikes abort mission

I called him griffin mcelroy because I saw his face on twitter and. yeah. I will continue to do this occasionally. my house my rules

... fuck the reason I’m hung up on this is specifically because the rest of the game is so tonally dexterous (which is a shining point to me! more on that later!), and yet they felt weirdly compelled to create the aesthetic trapping of a family-at-odds trope without following it through too well. a sign of both the good and the bad stuff to come

but listen the real reason why I wanted to talk about any of this is to nitpick the fascinating backwards-engineered nucleus of the entire thing; in that this game essentially creates a melting pot of just SO many disparate horror tropes and then makes a no-holds-barred unhinged effort at weaving thick lore to piece them all together. it is truly a sight to behold. like straight up you got your backwoods fright night situation, your gothic castle vampires, your rural-industrial werewolves, and don’t forget your bloated swamp monsters over there, with then a hard left turn into robotic body horror, and the entire ass subgenre of Creepy Doll writ large, and the bloodborne tentacle monsters, and a hellboy angel bossfight, which rides on the coattails of a mech-on-mech pacific rim bonanza, and just jesus henry christ slow down

almost all of these are textural hijack jobs that don’t really get into the metaphor plain of any of those settings but the game sort-of makes an argument that the texture IS the point and revels in it. It is kind of admirable almost. The same reason why the intro felt boxed in and unmotivated is also why the rest of the game just blasts off of its hinges to the point of complete and self-indulgent tonal abandon. I kinda loved that about it. lady dimitrescu made sure to hold her hat down as she bent forward in mahogany doorways and then suddenly she’s a giant gore dragon and you settle in your temp role as dark souls man with Gun to take her ass down. Excellent??

this rhino rampage impulse to gobble up every horror aesthetic known to man comes to head when the game wrestles with its FPS trappings in what is the most hilarious solution in creating visceral player damage moments. Since most cinematics and the entire game is in first person, that leaves precious little real estate for the devs to work with if they really want to sell griffin’s physical crucible. To wit. This dude’s forearms. Specifically just the forearms. They are MASSACRED throughout the story. The poor man lives out the silent hill dimension of a hand model. by the end cutscene he looks like a neatly dressed desk clerk who had decided to stick both his grabbers into garbage disposal grinders just a few hours prior. like in addition to everything else it manages to rope in that tinge of slapstick violence into its general grievous genre collection except this time it IS for a lack of trying! truly incredible

but wait his miracle clawbacks from everything his poor paws go through are retroactively explained away, yes, but far too vaguely and far too late to console me as I sat and watched everyone’s favorite baby brother reattach an entirely severed hand to his wrist stump by just. placing it on there. and giving it a lil twist ‘n pop terminator-style. and then willing his fingers back into motion right in front of my bulging eyes. this game just does not care. it does not give a shit. and boy howdy will it work to make that into one of its strongest suits

cause generally speaking resident evil was THE premiere vanilla zombie content destinaysh for like a decade, right? and as the rest of the world and mainstream media started encroaching and bloodying its blue ocean it went and just exploded in every single conceivable horror trope direction like a smilodon on catnip. truly, genuinely fascinating franchise moves

yeah the big vampire milf is hot. other news; grass... green. although I do love the implication that her closet is just identical white dresses on a rack. cartoon network-level queen shit

apropos of nothing I’ve said there’s also this hobo dante-devimaycry-magneto man, and I can’t believe this sentence makes sense. anyway he made that “boulder-punching asshole” joke referring to chris redfield and it was probably the only easter egg that really landed for me and boy did it land hard. I have not seen him punch the boulder in re5, mind. I had only heard about how funny it is from friends. and here this dude was, probably in the same exact mindset as me, trying to grapple with that insane mental image. with you on that ian mckellen, loud and clear

I advocate vehemently against the shallow pursuit of hyper photorealism in art direction but I gotta admit it works really in favor of immersive horror like this. the european village shacks especially gave me super unchill flashbacks to my rural countryside retreat in western georgia. I could smell the linoleum dude. not cool

faces are weird in this game. can’t place it. nice textures, good animation, but the modeling template is... uuh strange? and the hair. it has that clustered-flat-clumpy look that harkens to something very specific and unpleasant but I just don’t know what. sue me

griffin’s mental aptitude to take all this shit in stride and end every seemingly traumatizing bossfight involving some fucking eldritch being yet unseen through mortal eyes by essentially throwing out an MCU quip is just. What the fuck dude? I mean that was funny how you casually yelled the f-word at a god damn werewolf that you considered a fairy tale an hour ago but are you like, all right?? it was swinging a sledgehammer the size of a bus at you, ethan

oh oh the vampires are afraid of cold and your last name is winters. I get it haha

Pro Gamer Nitpick: boss fights seemed a bit unnecessarily long?? idk why the youtuber we picked decided the ENTIRE propeller man fight counted towards the vital story scenes he was stitching together, but man mr big daddy lite there really had some get up and go huh??

why are they saying dimitrescu.. like that. is it really how you say that word or is the english language relapsing into its fetish for ending every single word with a consonant at all costs

I’m not saying it’s a dramatic miss of a twist in context of all that’s going on, but the “you died in the last game actually and have been DC’s clayface ever since” revelation is low-key. it’s. it’s just funny to me, I dont know what to say. century-old god-witch fails her evil plan after she mistakenly removes heart from what was definitely NOT just some white guy with eight fingers after all

chris realizing he’s about to become the player character and immediately swapping out his tsundere trenchcoat for the muscletight sex haver sweater

the little bluetooth speaker-sized pipe bomb he taped to his knife was nuclear?? really??? I must have missed something because that is just too good. I buy it though I totally buy it. chris just got them fun-sized nukes in his car trunk for, you guessed it, Situations

anyway this is all for now just wanted to briefly touch on how unexpectedly funny and tonally irreverent this seemingly serious game turned out to be. did not articulate any cathartic story beats whatsoever but my god it had fun connecting those plot points. he just fucking put his severed hand back on his stump and it Just Worked todd howard get in here

#text #another one in my bulleted review series with no rhyme or reason #sorry resident evil fans this could be a painful read pls turn away #i know almost nothing about it but i am gonna be super fake familiar and critical of this one hey ho

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heartsywritesthethings · 4 years

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Tickling! Plus Ultra! 5 (End)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

The class of 1-A was quickly transported over to Momo Yaoyorozu’s mansion after both Bakugo and Deku were taken from the villains. They all had bags with their clothes and other items with them, standing in the middle of the foyer awkwardly. Even Momo seemed to be awkwardly standing around, even though this was her house. Sure, he had a few of the students over before, but never in a situation like this. Bakugo was being more distant than usual, not even standing near Kirishima like he usually did. Deku was smiling, but it was strained. Even Kirishima who was usually their spot of light in darkness, seemed to have a cloud over his head.

“Alright, everyone, let’s get everyone settled and…uh…” Momo said, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. She took a deep breath before leading everyone to their rooms.

“We should try and play a game to get everyone’s spirits up before we fall asleep.” Iida said, though the steam had left his voice. All of that running around had really taken the wind out of him.

“I…I think I’m a little too tired for our kinds of games tonight, guys.” Deku said, rubbing at his sides absently. All of the tickling from both their games and…especially since Toga had really done a number on his ticklish nerve endings. He wasn’t exactly ready for another round.

“‘Night.” Bakugo said curtly. He stepped into a room and closed the door behind him. The other students of 1-A heard the lock click and that was about it.

“Guess he’s tired.” Kirishima hummed to himself. He stared at the door a moment longer, wanting to go in and help Kacchan. It couldn’t feel good being attacked and kidnapped so many times by the league of villains. He couldn’t even imagine what those villains must have done and said to him.

“Well, everyone else is going to have to share bedrooms. I’ll take the couch in the main room since Bakugo took a room to himself.” Momo said with a small sigh. Not that she could blame him, but it still wasn’t entirely fair for him to just lock himself in some random house.

“Don’t worry about it, Momo! Since you were so nice to let us stay in your house, I’ll take the couch.” Kirishima said with a charming smile. Momo thought about it for a moment before shrugging. She was absolutely exhausted after making so many things on such a short notice earlier tonight.

“Alrighty then. The rest of you can follow me.” Momo said, waving for the rest of the class to shuffle behind her.

On the couch, Kirishima checked his phone for just about the millionth time. He was waiting for Bakugo to finally tell him that he was alright. A meme. A link to a Youtube channel. Anything. When nothing came across, he decided to put matters into his own hands. In the Bakugo Squad Group chat (Chaos Crew), he decided to share the code for the game that Bakugo couldn’t say no to.

QWTRZ - Among us code.

Kirishima’s red character ran around the lobby as he waited for his friends to join.

A pink character with a flower named SlimePrincess joined.

A yellow character with the dum sticker named ChargeBolt joined.

A white character with the floppy brown hat named 0 joined.

A purple character with a red beanie named EarJackD joined.

Kirishima chewed on his bottom lip as he waited. If they waited much longer, then they would be kicked for inactivity. Damn…Bakugo must really be in a bad mood if he didn’t want to play a game where he could slaughter his friends.

An orange character with an egg on top named ExplosionMrdr joined.

Kirishima smiled at his screen and began the game. The little sprites began running around the map and Kiri’s character stuck with Bakugo’s. He wished that there was a way he could chat with him within the game, but just sticking with him was good enough.

Well, that was until the little orange guy turned around and stabbed him in the back. Kirishima pouted at his screen. Just like Bakugo to kill him first thing in the game.

As a ghost, Kirishima’s character followed Bakugo’s around the map as he jumped in and out of vents and slashed at passersby. It was a short game and an absolute slaughterhouse. The very last crewmate who was left alive as the game ended had been Sero.

The next game, it was Kirishima who was the Imposter. He followed Bakugo around, ready to kill at a moment’s notice. As he did, Bakugo’s character ran to the button and pressed it.

What the hell?

ExplosionMrdr: it’s ****** hair.

SlimePrincess: Proof?

0: Proof?

ChargeBolt: Where?

EarJackD: No one died, Denki.

EarJackD: Kinda sus.

ExplosionMrdr: u idiots its literally **** hair

ExplosionMrdr voted.

0: Anyone wanna follow me to Medbay? I gotta get scanned.

RedR10t: Ill go with u

ChargeBolt: How do I vent like pink did?

EarJackD: im voting denki. Sus af.

EarJackD voted.

ChargeBolt voted.

RedR10t voted.

SlimePrincess voted.

0 voted.

No One was Ejected. (1) Imposter remains.

The game continued. Kirishima followed Bakugo again, but this time decided to turn off the lights and then kill Bakugo’s character in front of the medbay. No one saw because of the lowered lights.

There was a frustrated yell that the entire mansion could hear. Bakugo stormed out of his room and the sound of his pounding footsteps grew louder and louder. Kirishima stared at his phone screen as he heard his impending doom get closer and closer to him.

Bakugo grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet.

“Is it you? Are you the imposter?” Bakugo yelled in his face.

Wait, what?

“U-uh, it’s just a game, dude and I didn’t mean to kill you–” Kirishima stammered. This was definitely not the reaction he had wanted. Sure, the frustrated scream and the storming out of the room was something he wanted, but this seemed like something more.

“Did you sell us out, shitty hair? Did you tell that stupid group of low lives what we were up to?” Bakugo yelled, almost as if he didn’t even hear anything that Kirishima had said.

“Dude, what are you talking about?” Kirishima asked, putting his hand on Bakugo’s wrist. It was a small gesture, but Bakugo retracted his hand. Bakugo ran his hands through his hair in stress.

“Just fucking tell me if it’s you. You can’t keep lying to my fucking face.” Bakugo continued, his voice trembling. Small sounds of footsteps could be heard as the others in the class peeked out of their rooms to see what all of the commotion was about. Kirishima frowned and took Bakugo’s wrist and led him into a different room.

“Alright, dude. What is going on? I’m sorry for killing you in the game, but this is a little much.” Kirishima said. He reached out and placed a hand on Bakugo’s shoulder, but he pulled away.

“There’s someone here, shitty hair. Someone here that could have sold us out. Could still be selling us out! It could be you for all I fucking know!” Bakugo yelled, pointing an accusatory finger in Kirishima’s direction.

The red head sighed, a look of pity crossing his face. Whatever those villains had said to him…they made him think that there was some kind of traitor among the UA students. With how many times they had been caught and Bakugo had been kidnapped…it would make sense to a degree.

“Kacchan…look at me.” Kirishima said, stepping closer to Bakugo.

“Don’t get close to me!” Bakugo said, flinching away from his friend. He looked away from the red head, his body shaking all over. Kirishima took the risk of getting burned and wrapped his arms around Bakugo, hugging him as tightly as he could.

“Katuski…please. Take a deep breath, man.” Kirishima said softly.

Ever so slowly, Bakugo melted into the embrace. He wrapped his arms around Kirishima’s waist and buried his head in Kirishima’s neck.

“That bastard…whoever it is in this dumbass class…I’ll kill them.” Bakugo grumbled. Kirishima shook his head, squeezing Bakugo closer to him.

Having been taken hostage so many times has really gotten to him. After being beaten around and taken away from his friends so many times, it was perfectly reasonable that some trust issues towards his friends would start to surface.

“None of us would do that to you, man. Seriously. You may be loud and obnoxious, but everyone in this class thinks of you as a friend.” Kirishima said, resting his hand on the back of Bakugo’s head. He could feel something wet against the shoulder of his shirt and he just knew that Bakugo was…crying. It broke his heart.

“There’s…someone here, Kiri. They’re going to take us down from the inside. It’s so damn stupid.” Bakugo wheezed, clawing at the back of Kirishima’s shirt. Kirishima sighed heavily, feeling tears of his own in his eyes as he held his friend. It really broke his heart to see Kacchan like this. This hurt.

“No one is out to get you, Bakugo. Even if they are, I-I’ll protect you, okay?” Kirishima told him. He meant every word of it too. He pat his hand against Bakugo’s back and pulled away ever so slightly.

“Come on, let’s go to bed, okay?” He said.

Bakugo pulled away and wiped his face wildly with his shirt.

“Whatever. Yeah, sure. You should probably sleep in a bed, dumbass.” He grumbled and turned to walk back up to the room that he had stormed out of. Kirishima sniffled and wiped his own tears from his face. He snatched up his phone and his bag of stuff as he walked up to the bedroom. Once inside, Bakugo threw himself on the bed with very little grace. Kirishima set his stuff down on a nearby bedside and crawled into the bed as well. Once he did, Bakugo slowly pulled himself by Kirishima’s side. He rested his head on Kirishima’s shoulder, threw an arm around his waist, and tangled their legs together. Kirishima couldn’t help but smile as the blonde got himself comfortable.

“Despite everything, I’m glad the class got to know your special weakness. Now I can tickle you out in the open,” Kirishima said, sliding his fingertips up and down Bakugo’s back. Bakugo squirmed slightly, but he didn’t remove himself from Kirishima’s side.

“Bet your ass that I’ll kill you tomorrow. You won’t escape my wrath.” Bakugo grumbled, pushing his face further against Kirishima’s shoulder.

“Plus ultra?” Kirishima teased and tweaked a couple of Bakugo’s ribs.

“Pluhus Ultra.” Bakugo chuckled.

Kirishima hummed softly and pressed his lips against the top of Bakugo’s head in a soft kiss.

“Shut up and go to sleep, shitty hair.” Bakugo said. Kirishima let his fingers drag up and down Bakugo’s back just a few strokes longer before he slowly drifted off to sleep.

12/25

-Ga!babe

#25 Days of Fics #GA!babe #submission #Tickling Plus Ultra #12/25 #a lil bit of among us in there #some traitor/imposter angst #NICE #still love that horikoshi just forgot that completely #that's the end of the my hero fics for this baby!#nicely done babe always love your writing #and the bakusquad is just so good #and now I'm caught up enjoy the double post since I suuuuuuuuck

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jubilantwriter · 4 years

Text

jasper woos a couple of cryptids the au - also known as CreepyPasta AU

[Context/Summary: Jasper has been living by himself for quite some time now. College said that he’d lead a promising life, but all he’s gotten was a mediocre job that barely pays enough, a rinky-dink house his mom left for him before her untimely death, and the crippling, depressing, crushing feeling of loneliness that seems to permeate from his entire being. After watching a few cooking videos on YouTube, he begins his foray into the culinary crafts with a meager pantry in hopes of connecting with others and cultivating a new hobby to stave off the bleakness he feels. However, the woods by his home house a little secret that watches him every episode, and as his camcorder catches glimpses of the creature, he begins to dub the creature “The Pale Man” and feeding it his leftovers.

Of course, it’s probably just a raccoon, and the figure is just a result of his overactive imagination and experimental uses of weed.

...Probably.]

////

The rain pounds heavily against his window. Jasper looks up from his chopping, ignoring the red blinking light coming from his shitty camcorder and frowning as the rain beats out a rhythm. It's raining hard enough that even the treetops outside in his backyard would fail to provide a proper shelter for anything hiding beneath them. A bit of worry wells up in his chest.

"Uhh, change of plans, guys." He grabs his camcorder from where it sits precariously on a stack of books and magazines, sliding the strap past his hand and onto his arm where it sits snug enough to stay still, but not enough to break the already flimsy strap. "Pantry lasagna is canceled. It's pantry canned soup night." He grabs a can of tomato soup and idly wonders if he has time to boil some eggs, cracking it open and pouring its contents into a bowl. With a quick movement, he shoves the bowl into his microwave and nukes it for a good five minutes, tossing a paper towel over top of it to keep the soup from splattering everywhere. The blinking red light catches his attention as he sidesteps to his fridge for some eggs. Boiled eggs are good and all, but maybe the Pale Man would like a change of pace? Bread goes good with tomato soup AND yolky eggs. "Remember kids," he says as he grabs four eggs in each hand, "too much of a good thing is a bad thing, unless you're a big ol' Pale Man." Oil is splashed onto a pan as he quickly begins the process of cracking eggs into a less than heated pan. "Oh that was probably a bad idea," he mumbles, camera lens pointed at the ground. "Also remember to wait for your pan to heat up before you crack eight eggs into it."

The rain continues to pound like an annoying aunt knocking on his door. He's tempted to yell at the rain to go away, but that might just scare the Pale Man off. The microwave beeps, and he yanks it open and yells as the scalding hot bowl burns his hands.

"Fucking-! And don't forget to use protection when you're fffucking taking things out from the instant goddamn oven from hell." The eggs begin to sizzle as he grabs the sleeves of his hoodie tied loosely around his waist and carefully pulls out the bowl of soup with the makeshift oven mitts. With a quick wave of his hand, the paper towel is knocked off and he gets a whiff of mediocre tomato soup. Idly, he thinks he can do better, give the Pale Man something better, but his emptying fridge speaks volumes for his wallet.

The eggs continue to sizzle.

He remembers a trick he saw once from a video - carefully pour a bit of water into the pan to create steam and cover the eggs with a lid, letting the whites on top cook. A risky gambit if he's not careful, but when has he ever been careful?

He grabs a cup and quickly fills the bottom bit of it with water, pausing long enough to remember to address his audience. "Something something water creates steam which uhhh helps the egg whites cook and- here, just look." He slides the camcorder from his arm to his hand and pours the water carefully around the edges of the eggs. Before it can splatter oil all over him and his stove, he covers the pan with a lid and lowers the heat just enough.

"Voila, steam. Dudes at home gotta be careful though- you can probably start a kitchen fire this way if you're not. So like, just eat a little bit of raw egg whites until you're good enough for this skill. It's not gonna kill you probably. Or just scrape it off. I'm not judging. Just like, don't die."

It's exhausting narrating all the time to the empty air. Normally, he'd feel a pair of eyes settling on his back as he cooked, and he'd feel just a little... less lonely as he spoke into the air. But now. With the rain pattering so loudly against his window.

He looks out into the forest behind his house.

His audience must be feeling cold and wet by now.

He grabs his largest plate and removes the lid, turning the stove off as the camcorder slides back onto his arm, lens face down as he grabs a spatula to aid in the egg removal. As he stares at the meal in front of him, he wonders if the smell alone will be enough to coax the Pale Man out of hiding. But habits are habits for a reason, he supposes. He kicks his backdoor open, soup and plate in hand as he carefully sets both down and turns his back.

It only takes a few seconds usually.

And usually, the Pale Man makes his getaway when Jasper has his back turned.

But.

A single splash.

That's all he needs.

A single splash, and Jasper turns on his heels to come face to face with a creature hunched over, spindly, pale fingers with curled and claw-like nails reaching towards the eggs and soup. The creature freezes, eyes bright and shining like the LED high beams of fancy cars that blind Jasper as he drives at night. LED lights that have just the slightest tinge of blue to them, like they could be white if he let the lights blind him enough, but with that slightest bit of blue that lets Jasper know that the lights aren't meant to like normal lights. Encasing those bright eyes is a pool of black nothing, a face that is faceless to everyone but him as he feels like staring into the shadows themselves.

But.

There's a mouth, barely hidden, fangs and teeth bared in a grimace that Jasper can't tell is a sign of discomfort, or aggressiveness, or fear. And strangely enough, what looks like blonde hair is plastered against the creatures head, soaked and darkened by the rain that continues to plummet from the sky above them. Clothes too small and torn cling to the creature's lanky frame, the Pale Man still managing to be eye level with Jasper despite being hunched over. He can only imagine how tall the Pale Man must be if he stood at his full height.

For a moment, the two of them merely stare at each other.

So.

The Pale Man isn't a hallucination after all.

Jasper blinks and tilts his head to the side, trying to see more of this creature that's been gracing him with his presence since... well, he can't be completely sure, now can he?

The Pale Man blinks slowly, before realizing that Jasper still hasn't moved and decides to make the first move. The creature lets out a high, terrified whine before stumbling backwards, away from Jasper, away from the hot food that Jasper made just for him.

"Wait!" He reaches out to the creature, lurching forward and avoiding the food with a stumble, tripping into the rain and mud as he feels the cold drip into his clothes and into his hair, the clothing plastering itself quickly to his skin as his bangs obscure his vision. But his hand feels something cold, almost leathery but not quite, slick with rainwater and solid and trying desperately to be warm as Jasper take his free hand to brush his bangs out of his face and-

Ah.

So the Pale Man's face isn't actually made of shadows. Rather, he thinks, something is hiding the Pale Man's face as he accidentally but gently cups the trembling creature's cheek in his palm.

"Heya, bud." He chuckles softly to try and ease the creature's fear. "It's alright."

The Pale Man blinks, and Jasper realizes that his eyes don't blind him like he expects. Sure, they're bright as hell and if he stares for too long, he's sure his eyes won't like the strain.

But the light is different from high beams in the night. The slight blue tinge is clearer up close, he realizes, and the more he stares, the more he realizes.

"...You know, you have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen."

The Pale Man's eyes widen as he stares into Jasper's eyes, and he can see that they glow in the night sky, glow and shine just a bit of light on Jasper's face, and he bets that the light reflects off his wet face like a scene from a movie, carefully choreographed to highlight the best features of his face.

He wonders for a moment what the Pale Man sees. If he sees the best parts of Jasper's face and likes what he sees.

Jasper gently brushes the Pale Man's bangs out of his pretty, glowing eyes and smiles.

"Food tastes better hot and warm, and also when you're not sitting in the mud and rain. You wanna come inside with me?"

For a moment, he thinks the Pale Man will bolt. He's bolted dozens of times before. There was only one time, one time he didn't bolt.

When Jasper was at his lowest point, completely fucked on some whackass weed that probably wasn't weed, face down on the cement and quietly hoping he would die because life wasn't worth this amount of loneliness and suffering and dry ramen noodles that he doesn't have the energy to properly cook. But then something sat down next to him, ate his offered ramen noodles that he didn't have the energy to cook, and sat with him until he could talk, until he didn't feel like decomposing on the spot, until he could move again and force himself to eat something that wasn't dry ramen noodles spiced with powder from a foil bag.

Back when he thought he was talking to a raccoon and hallucinating wildly by himself.

Except he wasn't by himself.

And he hasn't been by himself.

And making videos to pass the time and feign human relationships felt less and less like a desperate bid for attention, and more and more like a way to finally reach out to someone and connect with them.

Suddenly talking to the open air wasn't as depressing as it used to be.

The Pale Man slowly stands up, hunched over as Jasper's hand remains cupping his cheek as he nods quietly.

"...okay." His voice comes out raspy, unused, and like he's speaking through a broken TV speaker. But Jasper finds that he doesn't mind.

In fact, he quite likes the sound of it, actually.

"So the Pale Man has a voice after all!"

The Pale Man doesn't answer, but ducks his head in an embarrassed sort of manner. He doesn't bolt though, and Jasper moves his hand down to take one of the Pale Man's bony and pale hands.

"Let's get you inside, where we can dry you off and get you warmed up." He squeezes the Pale Man's hand gently, and feels a warmth blossom in his chest when the Pale Man squeezes back tentatively. They walk back to his house as their footsteps slosh and splash in tandem with one another. The Pale Man's bones creak and crack and Jasper can only imagine what sleeping in a forest can do to one's body. If he lets go now, will he just go back to the forest?

To be cold, and creaky, and silent?

And lonely?

Jasper holds tighter to his hand.

He never lets go of the Pale Man's hand.

And the Pale Man clings desperately to his.

He takes the bowl of soup, and the Pale Man takes the eggs with a human sort of grace that lays just a tiny bit of curiosity in Jasper.

But he can dig into that later, he thinks.

Instead, as he stands there with a cooling bowl of soup in one hand, and a soggy, dripping wet Pale Man in the other, he figures that the first thing he should do is grab some towels.

Maybe some blankets.

Toast some bread.

And probably turn off his camcorder.

#cw weed #camp camp #cc jasper #cc daniel #mentions of weed use #lemme know if theres anything else i can use as a tag just in case #yeah jasper uses weed but #not a lot of it #and mostly because hes super fucking depressed #its not a main feature of the au but its there #mostly to show that jaspers not Really Feeling Life #and hes hoping it'll make him feel a lil better #oh yeah davids in here too #not in this drabble #but he's here #and hes just as important #this was supposed to be a jaspdanvid au after all #this all started because i thought itd be funny to have a scary cryptid #and jasper just going 'oh dang! dont do that'#and moving on with his night #drabble #ughusdfh I needed to post something SO #have this #don't really care if this shows in the tags but #HERES SOMETHING SORRY FOR NOT POSTING ANYTHING #IN A LONG WHILE #IM WORKING ON IT #creepypasta au #i have a few other things for this au #but i have no idea if i'll ever commit to making it a Full Thing one of these days

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sweater-daddiesdumbdork · 4 years

Text

That Be Some Good Buttercream

Summary- Steve and Bucky get your help in replicating a howling commando days battle using Christmas baking fun. But... Does anything ever quite work out the way it should? Set in the same characters I used in Night In, Looking Pretty Fly and Popping Pez and Mismatched Socks. Written for @official-and-unstable-satan 300 Follower Celebration Challenge. She still has many prompts, check it out. Prompts in italiacs. No warnings, all fluffy.

Word Count- 1.6k

A/N- so proud of your accomplishments babes, you are an amazing writer and I love getting lost in your stories and listening to your ideas. I know your just gonna keep going up from here. Love you always babygirl 💚😈💚😈💚😈💚

“Bucky, they came around from the south end”

“No they did not. I remember Steve, I was there.”

“Yea, and so was I”

You and Sam had been listening to the two super soldiers carry on at the oversized table in the compounds kitchen dining area for a good hour before you readjusted the volume on the tv once more. Sam, half laying over half the couch remained scrolling on his phone, remarking.

“Aint gonna do you no good, they just get louder.”

You sigh and hit the off button, he was right. Might as well go see what these two were up to anyways. Pushing yourself off the couch, Sam promptly stretched his legs out onto where you were sitting, making himself comfterable. “See you on the other side Kid!” He joked, settling into watching youtube.

Wandering in, you saw the two men bent over large map, Steve with pencil in hand drawing arrows to discern where they started from, stretching it across what looked like a military base. Bucky shook his head.

“No no no, Punk, I wasnt up there, I was down here”

“Bucky, I had you up on the highest point, it just looks weird on paper.”

“You know what, this is pointless.” You could see Bucky getting aggitated with there project, pushing himself away from the table. “We need like... a 3D model to get this right.”

Steve to straightened up, his arms folding as he looked down at the heavily marked paper. “Well... Tony does have some...” You interrupt in this time, moving over to the table and taking a peek at what they were doing.

“You know, I have an idea of how to make you two a 3D model.” Both the men quirked brows, curious as to what you had in mind. "Givingerbread reanatcment.”

You expected a rebuttal, a laugh, anything, since you were joking. But the two of them actually looked thoughtful, glancing at each other. “It would be easier then trying to draw it out” Steve mentioned. “And easier then trying to get Tony to set up the AI model for us.”

“Plus we get some fucking cookies... Im in.” Bucky grinned, obviously pleased in the options of snacks. What started as a joke from you became a very serious matter as the two Soldiers dragged you into the kitchen. The two of them looking at you expectedly.

“I was just joking guys, Im not making you a hydra replica gingerbread base. You know how much shit that would take.” At this point you backtracking a bit, wishing the words hadnt fallen out of your mouth so damn easily cause you thought is was funny.

“Nonsense, you wont be doing all of it. Were going to help.” Steves already moving to wash his hands as Bucky is digging through a drawer and slipping on a god damn “Kiss the Cook” apron, he found in a drawer, ties it swiftly around his back and rolls up his sleeves.

“You know you always wanted to boss us around Doll.” Bucky smirks, wiggling brows in a teasing manner. “You finally get your chance.”

You look between the two men, the two of them nodding in encouragement, Steve composed as ever, waiting for You to explain how to start, and Bucky well he was opening drawers, pulling out random stuff that he thought you might use. He held up a spatula with a smirk, slapping the utinsel against his palm. “How about we get this train moving kids.”

Relenting, you turn to your phone for a recipe. “Okay fine, since you all insist. We need flour, sugar, eggs, ginger, cinnamon....” While your listing, both men are scrambling to find everything, and piling it on the counter, yourself you bring out some bowls, cookie cutters, lets face it. You needed the actual men to decorate like howling commandos. Turning on the oven to get it preheated, you search for decorations. “Steve, store run? We gotta make this accurate you know, and Buckys all dressed up for a day baking. Hate to send him." You just kinda motion lver Buckys getup, the kiss the cook stretched over his chest, the apron a size to small for him really.

Your already grabbing paper and jotting down a detailed list of food coloring, frosting, candies and such. Steve snatched the list when you held it out, he had a general idea of it all and nodded. "Dont hesitate to put Bucky to work. He just pretends to be all intimidating."

You roll your eyes and back in the kitchen theres a "Steve your a dick" retort from Bucky whos looking over the mess of ingredients piled on the counter. Steve, seemingly joyful as he grabbed keys and left, you suspect you might not see him at least another hour or two. No worries, you had the other super soldier on hand.

Heading back in you hand Bucky a bowl and eggs. "Start cracking, separating yolk from white, and no shells." You cant help but from watching him, looking a bit like a lost child, before he he starts to crack eggs and inspect for shells. You watch from the corner of your eye as you put together the dry ingredients, and start mesuring out the molasses, talking him through the rest of the buttercream frosting ingredients.

Dipping your finger in his finished product, you lick the tip of your finger, smirking at his widened eyes. Yea Steve, hes very intimidating. You maybe took a bit to much pleasure in teasing Bucky on occasion. "Mmmhh my very favorite part.... "

He cleared his throat and looked away, it might be a bit mean, but he would give it back later, this was a dance the two of you played. "Okay, what now?" He said a bit gruff and you grab your rolling pin, holding it to him.

Eyeing it a moment, his brow arched. "Ya want me to roll the dough?"

"Yea Buck, nice and thin, since you two want to make all these outer buildings as well." Pointing to Steve's sketching, And you reached in the dough and piled it on the counter on front of Bucky. "And Steve said to put you to work."

"I notice you gave Steve the easy job." He muttered as he started to flatten the dough.

"I knew you were more capable."

Bucky couldn't hide the grin at the compliment, and afterwards you both measured, cut and got the cookie sheets in the oven. Stealing part of the couch back from Sam and watching trash tv till the oven beeped. Bucky vaulted over the couch, head back into the kitchen and pulled them out of the oven.

"Are they firm?" You ask, peeking at them, a light brush of your fingers against them. The room smelled like bake gingerbread and smooth sugar. Tempting delectables to say the least.

"Yup, now what?"

"Cool and mantle your buildings." You say as You slide them off onto wire racks. "Go get the frosting, and I will show you." Already he was rummaging in the fridge to retrieve it. Peeling off the plastic cling, you pick up one of the cooler pieces and edged it with icing. Folding two pieces together. "Easy as that. You try."

Bucky took it so seriously, the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he piped that icing. His brows furrowed together in a dip right at the center. You bite back a grin and get a large dollop of icing on your finger and flick it at the man. Landing right in his face. He drops his cookie in surprise and blinks though the icing. "Fucken hell, Y/N! Whats that for?" Wiping it off, he flicks it back at you and you squeal getting hit.

That's war!

"Oh its on Barnes" smirking as you grab a cookie and crumble it, shooting it at him. Cookies fly, icing it flung, flour, and sugar is used to blind one another, you two ducked around the table, screaming and yelling insults playfully.

Bucky tried using the hose at the kitchen sink to spray you, in which you ducked and rolled right into him, the two of you collapsing in a heap on the floor among all your hard work, broken and scattered. Steve stood in the doorway, arms laden with two paper bags, his jaw hanging open at the mess. Bucky pokes you to get your attention and the two of you sit up, covered. Head to toe in frosting, flour and cookies.

"I was just gone an hour..."

"Its a long time to be left unsupervised." You shrug as you smear some frosting off your shirt and lick it off your finger, Bucky helped himself to your shirt frosting to since he had thrown half the bowl on you.

"Oh damn, thats good!" He grins.

"What about this is good?! You mean your gingerbread murder scene?!" Steve toed a dead gingerbread man with the tip of his shoe.

Bucky looked around and glared at his friend. "IT WAS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE" His voice raided to defend the mess and you promptly stuff a cookie in his mouth to shut him up.

"Come on Steve. Did the Hydra base not look like this after you two and the howling commandos were done?" You throw a cookie at him which bounced off his chest. "Eat a cookie, you feel better" next to you Bucky continued eating broken gingerbread men, grinning at his friend and nodding.

"Best damn cookies besides your mama's!" Bucky added between mouthfuls

"I just... Pick this up you two before tony throws a fit." Turning with the bags of candy he bought, passing Sam, he ditched them on the man still scrolling youtube

"You couldn't watch them for two seconds Sam?"

"And break up that little love fest? Puh-lease" Sam grinned at Steve and dug into the paper bags looking through the snacks, pulling out twizzlers.

"SCORE!"

@what-is-your-plan-today @p8tn0lish @kitkatd7 @stuckonjbbarnes @sebbbystaaan @kimisama1989 @simsadventures @that-damn-girl @imanuglywombat @jtargaryen18 @stardancerluv @princess-evans-addict

#satanoutofcontext #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes #steve rogers #sam wilson #mcufam #fluffy #writing challenge #sweater writes #amber writes

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missmonsters2 · 5 years

Text

Drive Her Crazy || Part X

PAIRING: Wanda Maximoff x OFC/Reader

Summary: AU. Meet Wanda, the new ‘It’ girl. She’s built her social standing as a social influencer through Instagram and vlogging on Youtube. Queen Bee in her social circle, she’s got everyone wrapped around her finger. She’s perfect, you think. Girls like that require a little finesse, and you’re ready to play the game.

Warnings: Non-healthy relationship, psychological games, smut. 18+ only.

NOTE: Wow, I can’t believe we are finished. Thank you to everyone who read this story, enjoyed it, liked it, reblogged it, or commented! My heart is super full. This is the happiest ending for our lovely crazies 💛

[Please watch out for my next series which will feature Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader, The Color of You 😊]

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII || PART VIII || PART IX

PART X of X

Count: 5231

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

“Great work, Vision! You’re good for today.”

Vision sighed, pulling off his headphones, and walking out the recording studio.

He thanked everyone for their hard work on his way out.

The single he recently released was doing quite well, and he was quickly gaining a fanbase.

His breakup with Wanda had actually inspired some pretty good lyrics, and with some help to finesse the finished product, the single was becoming a hit.

Vision hadn’t spoken Wanda since they split up at the party, but it’s not like he could avoid the headlines Wanda and her new girlfriend made. It was everywhere because you were so famous.

He still often spoke to Tony who updated him with what everyone’s been up to and Pepper was kind enough to give him advice from time to time.

Digging his hand into his pocket, he felt his ring there. He couldn’t bear to get rid of the engagement ring he got Wanda yet. It felt like it was the only thing left of her he had.

As he walked out of recording studio, the exit he usually took was blocked off by cleaners, so he turned another way.

It was a hall of records. Vision smiled slightly as he passed by each one.

But then he saw one that made him stop.

It was your record, for the first album you released that has now gone triple platinum.

He saw a couple more of your records framed up.

He was reeling.

This was too weird.

Someone was passing by, and Vision stopped them. It was Ryan, the engineer that would be helping him with his album.

“Ryan...what’s this? Why are her albums framed up here?”

Ryan gave him a weird look as he gazed over your albums.

“She’s an artiste at this company. Has been for a really long time. You never see her around, though. She’s been here long enough and produced enough results that they just let her do her own thing. In fact, you guys share the same manager.”

“What?” Vision choked.

Ryan had his eyebrows scrunched at Vision. Maybe he was a fan?

“I-I gotta go,” Vision said as he turned around and bolted out.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

“Can I look yet?”

“No, and don’t you dare peek.”

You have your hands over Wanda’s eyes as you safely guide her into your guys’ new home. She had mostly been busy with work, so you had taken the liberty of making sure everything would be set up.

Of course, you still had sent her a billion texts to see what type of furniture and color theme Wanda preferred.

Today was the move-in day, and you had picked your girlfriend up when she was done work for the day.

“Please, I just want to see now,” Wanda whined, and you hushed her.

“Patience is a virtue, love,” you tease her. You hear her huff slightly.

“Well, I’m very naughty,” she teased you right back, and you had to bite your lip.

Dear lord, you needed to move faster before Wanda decided she wanted to have her wicked way with you without you being able to show her the whole place.

Once you’re in the perfect spot, you smile as you kiss the back of Wanda’s head gently before releasing your hands.

Wanda’s eyes flutter open, awe washing over her as she takes a look at the entire place.

It was big.

It was beautiful.

It was her dream home.

The soft, pastel colors and marbling of the furniture was a dream. She turns around, jumping into your arms, kissing you right on your mouth.

“I love it,” she gushes. “Thank you for taking care of all this.”

You merely hum happily, leaning in to kiss her again. Wanda walks around the house, touching nearly everything and gushing about how everything looks perfect.

By the time you make it back to the living room, she turns to you, head tilted to the side with her fingers on her chin.

“You know, maybe there is one thing that’s missing,” she says, taking a look around herself.

“Really? What?” You ask, trying your best to think if you missed anything.

Wanda looks back at you with a wicked grin.

“I think we need to christen the house.”

Before you know it, you’re revisiting every room in the house again.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Wanda is on cloud nine by the time she reaches her friends for brunch the next day.

“Hey, girls. Sorry, I’m late,” she greets them as she takes her seat next to Lily. Her other friend Anna from her party and at the charity was there too. Finally, Stacey had been invited by Anna.

Lily was snickering as Wanda took a seat. “What happened? Miss DJ didn’t want to let you out of bed?”

Wanda immediately flushed red at her cheeks, the heat traveling all the way to her ears.

Because that’s exactly what happened.

You had tried to convince her to stay in bed longer using your sexy, cocky smirk she liked, and your deft fingers and tongue.

Managing to keep in her in bed for another half hour, Wanda put all her willpower into getting up and running to the bathroom where you couldn’t follow.

She definitely wanted to stay in bed longer too.

“Damn, girl, you really getting it,” Lily whistled, and Wanda had to push her friend playfully.

“I’m so jealous of you,” Anna whined as she sighed wistfully with her head in her hands. “I can’t believe you’re dating Lady Phantom. I had no idea she was so romantic. Everyone’s been talking about how she serenaded you at your party.”

Wanda only lightly chuckled, cheeks warm from the praises.

“Oh!” Anna exclaimed as she sat upright, pulling her phone up and searching for something before showing it to Wanda. “Since your last interview where you revealed you were dating her, so many other tabloids are picking it up.”

Wanda grabbed the phone, looking at the headlines.

LADY PHANTOM HAS A GIRLFRIEND?

INFLUENCER WANDA MAXIMOFF BAGS ELUSIVE DJ.

LADY PHANTOM AND WANDA MAXIMOFF CAUGHT HOLDING HANDS AND KISSING WHILE WALKING

DJ LADY PHANTOM AND INFLUENCER WANDA MAXIMOFF BUY A HOUSE TOGETHER? IS THE ELUSIVE DJ SETTLING DOWN?

Wanda bit her lip as she clicked on one of the headlines, skimming through it.

A close source says that Lady Phantom may have whisked Wanda Maximoff right off her feet from new artist Vision. The source says that the DJ romantically serenaded Wanda at her birthday party recently. Swoon! What a lucky girl!

The smile on Wanda’s face was so broad as she passed her phone back to Anna.

She was the girl who locked you down.

“It’s crazy how they’ve already got this much information. We just bought the house in Los Altos Hills,” Wanda says offhandedly, casually dropping the neighborhood she now resides in.

“What?” Stacey exclaims, surprised, and a little bit jealous as well. She had tried to cling to you during the party, but you didn’t seem interested at all.

“Nice houses there aren’t under $1.6 million and the photos you posted to Instagram...shit, how much was it?”

Wanda just smiled and shrugged, she wasn’t about to brag how you and she got a $5 million dollar house.

It was crazy to her. She would’ve never been able to buy one of the beautiful houses of Los Altos Hills with Vision.

It just felt like her dreams of having everything she wanted in her life and to share it with the person she loves was all coming true.

The rest of the brunch went on as usual. The girls were screaming in excitement that she would be doing a photoshoot with David King. Wanda hadn’t even told them that she would be auditioning for a movie soon after.

“Excuse me,” Wanda called the waitress as she was passing by. “Could I get an order of the traditional breakfast bowl to go? Medium poached eggs and extra hollandaise sauce, please.”

The waitress nodded with a smile before leaving.

“You bringing some for your girlfriend?” Lily asked with teasing in her tone.

Wanda nodded with a smile, “Yeah, we, uh, didn’t have time for breakfast this morning, and she had to go to the studio right after. I’m going to visit her with food.”

Lily sighed adoringly, “Oh, young love, how it is...”

“You’re younger than me, Lil,” Wanda said, and they both laughed.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Wanda was on her way, closing in on the studio to see you when her phone started vibrating.

She transferred your food into her other hand that was holding up her bag as she dug her free hand into her back pocket, tongue out as she picked up.

“Hello,” she answered, not being able to check the caller ID before she picked up.

“Wanda--” The voice was frantic.

“Vision?” Wanda answered confusedly. Why was her ex calling her?

“How’ve you been? I heard your single is doing well. I’m happy for you,” Wanda told him warmly regardless of why he was calling her.

“Yeah, Wanda, listen, you need to break up with your girlfriend. I told you there was something wrong with her!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Wanda said heatedly. How could he just call to say that?

“I knew this opportunity to sign on was too good to be true. She’s from the same company, even has the same manager as me! I know she sent her manager to recruit me on the day of your birthday. She set me up to not show up!”

“Did someone tell you that?” Wanda asked, her walk becoming brisker as she was getting heated.

“No, but--”

“Then how the hell do you know that’s true? So what that you’re in the same company with the same manager? She tells me she hardly talks to her manager as she essentially handles her own work. Also, even if that were true, no one told you to drink yourself to a blackout state and miss my birthday. You could’ve signed on, had your celebratory drink, and left,” Wanda huffed.

“I am not hashing this out with you again, Viz,” Wanda said finally.

“Wanda, please, listen to me. There really is something off about her. She’s clearly obsessed with you. Who knows how long she’s been plotting to get you.”

“You want me to be offended my girlfriend wants me and finds me desirable?”

“No, I want you to be offended that she has no boundaries and sabotaged me to get you!”

“That’s seriously insane, Vision. She’s a famous DJ, and I’m just a social influencer. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Wanda--”

“Vision!” Wanda interrupted him. “I don’t want to hear about this again. We’re supposed to have an amicable breakup. Seriously, don’t call me again if you’re going to just say this.”

She could hear him saying something else as she hung up. She huffed again, rolling her eyes slightly.

Wanda tried to shake off the icky mood that the call put her in. She didn’t want to be grumpy when she saw you.

She placed her knuckles against the door softly as she knocked.

It wasn’t you who opened the door, but the guy seemed to have recognized her and let her in, putting his finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet.

She sheepishly shrugged her shoulders as she tiptoed in.

There she found you, your back facing her as you were looking over the recording, playing it with headphones on.

Wanda heard you hum lightly before you pressed a button to speak to the singer inside the recording studio.

“That was pretty good, but can you try redoing the last line? Instead of just holding the note on the last word, do a vocal run.”

The singer nodded, clearing her throat as she got ready.

Everyone watched as she redid it, and it sounded amazing. The difference was so subtle, but it sent chills down their spine.

“That’s perfect! Great job. Why don’t you take a break?” You suggested.

Once everyone began to relax, you turned around, surprise in your eyes as you saw your girlfriend standing there.

Wanda immediately went over to embrace you, kissing you softly.

Damn, you were so sexy when you worked.

You hummed into the kiss, clearly enjoying it.

“Mm,” you pulled back slightly. “What are you doing here? I thought you had brunch with your friends.”

Wanda gave you a half-smirk, holding onto the lapels of your leather jacket. “Well, I thought since you weren’t able to get breakfast this morning due to your shenanigans, I thought I’d bring you some.”

“What kind of shenanigans?” A dude from the back yelled, and everyone laughed as you rolled your eyes.

You looked back at your girlfriend, adoration just filling your eyes as you looked at her. Grabbing her hand and the food off the table, you led her out.

“C’mon, let’s eat outside. There’s too much testosterone in here.”

The boys laughed again, and Wanda giggled.

You led her out to the back where a lovely table and bench were in the shade under a tree.

Taking out the food, your stomach nearly ate itself, smelling the aroma.

You really were hungry.

But the hunger was definitely worth keeping Wanda in bed as long as you could this morning.

“So,” you said as you scooped some food onto your spoon. “How was brunch?”

“It was good. Lily, Anna, and Stacey were there.”

“Stacey as in...that girl from your birthday?”

Wanda scrunched her nose up at that but nodded. “Yeah...she totally wants to kill me so she can date you.”

You laughed, bringing your hand to your mouth. You swallowed your food before talking again.

“I highly doubt she could get the drop on you, so no worries there.”

“You’re damn right,” Wanda mumbled as you smiled.

Wanda watched you eat, her mouth curling upwards without her even realizing. You were always so focused on your food while eating, and she thought it was endearing.

“So,” Wanda says. “Have you...seen the tabloids by any chance?”

Your licking remnants of hollandaise sauce from your lips as you hear Wanda ask that. You nod, scooping more food.

“Mhm,” you say, spoon in their air as you have yet to put it into your mouth. You tilt your head, brow quirked as you look up slightly. “I hear a very, very attractive social influencer has bagged an elusive DJ. Apparently, they’ve been spotted buying a house together. How scandalous.”

Wanda is grinning ear to ear. God, why were you also so funny?

“Yes,” she plays along. “All the tabloids are saying that the DJ is settling down, can you believe that?”

You’re trying to hide your grin as you reply. “Buying a house is now settling down? Whew, that is quite the leap. What will the public say when she gets married?”

“Do you think she’s considering marriage?” Wanda asks, biting her thumb lightly as she regards you. God, she hopes you are.

You’ve finished your food, packing it away back into its bag to be thrown away later.

You look at Wanda.

And by God, she just might be everything you’ve ever wanted.

The thought of someone else won’t even cross your mind.

If it isn’t Wanda, it just won’t do.

You brush your leg against her lightly under the table, gently smiling as you lean back on your hands a little.

The two of you are gazing into each other’s eyes, just feeling like everything is right in the world.

“I would say that now she’s found the right person, it’s a part of her plans.”

Wanda beams.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

The next two week passes by quickly, and before Wanda knows it, she’s heading over to meet up with David King at his studio bright and early.

Her stomach is exploding with butterflies as she walks in.

Wanda wishes that you could be here with her, but you were stuck doing an interview with someone for a magazine today.

David’s assistant recognizes her for today’s appointment, greeting Wanda with a friendly smile and a handshake.

She leads Wanda over into the room where David is just finishing setting up the lighting.

“Hey!” He greets as he comes in to hug her with a kiss on her cheek. “Are you ready for some collaborating today?”

Wanda nods excitedly.

“Great! Let’s talk about what you want your theme to be. Once we have that, I’ll know what other magazines to send your photos and interview to in addition to posting it on my website.”

Wanda and David sit at the table, he pours her some tea while they work together on what she wants out of this photoshoot and interview.

“I want to show my personality, that I’m not just some dumb social influencer. I won’t just rep anything, and there are brands I really care about working with. I also want to show that I have other interests as well, like...acting.”

David smiles, kindly at her. “Yes, I’ve been told you’ve secured an audition in two weeks.”

Wanda bashfully smiles and shrugs, “Not so much me who secured it, but I definitely don’t want to disappoint her.”

David snorts, “I’m pretty sure you could murder someone, and she wouldn’t be disappointed.”

Wanda just boisterously laughs because she does get that vibe from you, but that just makes it all more endearing to her that you love her so.

After they’ve settled on themes, they immediately work on taking photos as David wants to use as much natural lighting as he can. David finds that the whole process is really smooth because Wanda is someone who wants to be a part of the process, not just doing everything he tells her.

It’s much more fulfilling to work with her. He is quite happy you got him to take a chance on her.

Once they’ve taken photos, they’re both looking over them. Wanda gives her opinion on some of the selections as an amateur photographer herself, and David finds it so refreshing.

Wanda was definitely not afraid to give her opinions, ask for perspective, or ask for his reasonings.

In the next part, they work on the short essay David can post to his blog along with the photos. Additionally, he gets her to answer a few interview questions so the magazine he picks to give his photos to can use the answers she provides too.

The entire collaboration takes the whole day, so by the time they finish, the sun has just finished setting.

“It was so great to work with you, Wanda,” David gushes as he goes in to hug her again. “Seriously, I haven’t had such a great collaboration like this in a long time.”

“Oh my god, no, please. It’s such an honor to work with you,” Wanda modestly says, while she raves about him.

David just grins as her while she turns to get her things in order.

“I’m so glad your girlfriend was able to get me to meet you. I was honestly surprised by the whole thing.”

“What do you mean?” Wanda asks as she starts to pack her things back into her bag.

“Well, you know,” David says with a shake of his hand. “I actually usually have a very strict rule about not working with social media influencers. I’ve tried a couple in the past, but I found them to be incredibly vapid.”

Wanda just smiles, unsure how to answer but pleased that he obviously found her different.

“I’ve actually seen your vlogs and Instagram before, it was my boyfriend Liam who had originally discovered you months ago. Your girlfriend was over that day, and I showed her your profile. I didn’t think she would actually end up finding you, befriend you, and then end up dating you.”

It was like time slowed for Wanda.

What?

You actually had known of her beforehand?

Wanda immediately flashed back to when she first met you and invited you inside for drinks.

“What do you do for work?”

“I suppose Vision would say I’m a photographer. It’s nothing really, I post vlogs and brands pay me to represent their stuff.”

“No way! That’s seriously amazing. So, you’re kind of famous?”

But by what David said, you would’ve already known what she did and that she had a following.

Why did you lie?

Vision’s call from two weeks ago popped into her mind, and she felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach.

God, was what he said true?

“Are you okay?” David asked with worry as he looked at Wanda, who looked a little pale.

Wanda snapped out of it, turning to him with a smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says, pulling her bag onto her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s crazy how things work out, isn’t it? I’ve got to head home now. Once again, thank you so much, David.”

He hushes her and sees her off.

Wanda is making a beeline, hailing for a cab.

She needs to see you.

Now.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

“This is beautiful, thank you. Please keep the change.”

You took the bouquet of flowers you just bought from a flower shop on your way home.

It was filled with all of Wanda’s favorite flowers and wrapped together nicely. You wanted to congratulate her on her big day with David. You knew once he would post it to his site and give it to whatever magazines, Wanda was going to be blowing up.

It definitely would work in her favor for her audition in two weeks.

You drove home, idly tapping on the steering wheel as you thought about what to have for a late dinner. You knew it was unlikely that Wanda could eat much today since they decided to get everything done today.

Maybe order in some pizza?

But then Wanda wanted to stay in shape as much as possible before her audition.

Maybe lemon & butter salmon?

You pull up into your driveway, turning your car off as you grab the bouquet.

“I’m home!” You call out as you walk in, but there’s no response.

The house is completely dark, which you find strange because Wanda is usually in the living room watching TV or in the kitchen when she’s waiting for you.

“Wanda?” You call out as you walk up the stairs.

You enter the bedroom.

The small lamp on the bedside is on, and you find Wanda sitting on her chair in front of the vanity mirror you got her.

You walk over to her, but she doesn’t talk to you.

“Baby?” You call softly as you kneel down before her, placing the bouquet down, touching her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Did something happen?

Was she hurt?

David had texted you when it was over that it went great, and thanked you again for getting him to meet her.

So, what was wrong?

Wanda looks at you with a still expression. She turns her whole body to you and her jaw clenches before she releases it.

“I want to ask you something, and please tell me the truth.”

You scrunch your eyebrows together because you have no idea what she wants to ask you, but you nod.

“Did you,” Wanda breathes. “Did you know who I was before you met me?”

The stillness hits you immediately.

You regard her, taking in her desperate expression as she looks at you.

You could’ve lied.

You could tell her that David may have shown you her profile before, but you hardly cared to notice or remember it.

You could’ve told her anything, and Wanda would’ve believed it.

But...there was something else there.

So, you didn’t.

“I did,” you admitted, watching as Wanda stood up, walking over to the other side of the room with disbelief on her face.

You stood up as well, crossing your arms but making no move to her.

“Why did you lie?” Wanda asked. “Were you stalking me? Is that how you found me at the fast-food chain?”

“I wouldn’t say stalking,” you say as if she was being dramatic. “I came to California for work planned months before, you just happened to be here as well. Was I interested in you? Yes. Did I somehow know that you were going to be there to eat and live in the same community? No.”

Wanda’s mind was reeling. She couldn’t help but replay Vision’s words over and over in her head.

“Did you want me? From the very beginning?”

You couldn’t help but quirk your eyebrow. There was definitely something she was hiding from you.

“As I said, I was interested in you, but I knew you were engaged.”

“Is it true?” She asked, and you’re not even sure what she’s referring to. “That you and Vision are under the same company? That you even share a manager?”

Ah, it hits you. Now you know where this is coming from. Vision had found out what he could. But you knew Charles would never tell him that you had purposely sent him to Vision.

“Yes,” you admit once more.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Wanda asks, frustration in her tone.

You shrug your shoulders. “As I told you, I don’t often talk to my manager as I handle my own affairs. It’s not really any of my business who he decides to sign on.”

“So you didn’t deliberately get your manager to sign Vision on and make him miss my birthday?”

You paused.

Another choice.

You could lie.

It would be so easy to.

But you had to push it more.

“I did show my manager Vision’s work on SoundCloud,” you say instead. It was true, even if it wasn’t the whole truth.

Wanda understands, anyways.

Her breath hitches, and she’s putting her hands to her face.

She can’t believe this is happening.

This time, you begin to walk over to her, standing right before her.

“You’re insane,” Wanda says with a crazed laugh. “Vision’s right. You are obsessed with me. You were sabotaging him to get me! What am I to you even? Some sort of sick prize?”

Your jaw clenches a little. She’s starting to hit on your nerve a little, but you remain patient.

You close in on her, backing her until she hits the wall. You raise your arms slowly to either side of her head, giving her ample time to leave if she wanted.

But she didn’t.

“I wouldn’t say signing him onto a record label, giving him the spotlight, actually earning money for his work, which I heard he’s doing pretty well now, by the way, is sabotaging him. Here’s the thing, Wanda. Yes, I did set him up. I told my manager to sign his untalented ass on and treat him like a king on your birthday. But guess what? Vision didn’t have to stay. If he really, truly, wanted to leave, Charles couldn’t have done anything about that. No one forced him to keep taking the next drink. No one told him to not care about you.”

Wanda is silent, angry tears come up to her waterline as she stares at you with a clenched jaw.

“I’m not putting myself up on a pedestal here, but it was me that came through for you every time,” You tell Wanda. “Am I obsessed with you? Maybe. But don’t stand there and pretend that you don’t enjoy my attention. You love the fact that Lady Phantom dedicates sets to you, serenaded you, bought you $100,000 necklace in front of everyone. You love people giving you accolades that we’re together. You love that people are jealous of the fact that they’re looking at me while I’m looking at you.”

You called her out, hitting her right on the dot.

She can’t even deny it because it’s true.

But Wanda still loves you. That much is real.

“So what?” She scoffs. “It’s all fake then? Everything you did was a meticulously thought out plan to win me? Everything you did was purposely done to draw me to you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with planning,” you say to her softly. “Even if I did plan it, it doesn’t mean I don’t care. I care very much. My heart was breaking about the fact you were with someone that was dragging you behind, making you feel guilty about wanting more out of life. It broke my heart to think that you spend every year alone on Pietro’s anniversary because he didn’t try to do more for you. It made me angry to hear people snidely make comments about you when Vision didn’t show up for your birthday. I hate when you’re not in the spotlight because that’s where you deserve to be. If someone is stealing it from you, I’ll do everything I can to shift the light to you.”

Wanda had a single tear slide down her cheek. She grabs onto the ends of your jacket, desperate to feel you closer.

She has to know.

She needs to know.

“Do you even love me?” She asks softly, and it nearly breaks your heart all over.

You lift one hand to lower it to her face, cupping her jaw and neck delicately. You move your face closer to hers, giving her all the time she needs to pull away if she doesn’t want you.

”I do. So much. In a way that only you could ever understand.”

Wanda doesn’t pull away.

She never wanted to in the first place.

This was never about breaking up.

You knew that. Which is why you risked telling her the entire truth.

She wanted to know that what you had for her was real, that she could never be replaced.

That you were hers.

You press your lips to her firmly, your tongue swiping her bottom lip as she moans softly.

She pulls you closer to her, pressing your body to hers completely as she melts into you. She lifts her arms, wrapping them around your neck as she continues to kiss you.

You push off the wall, redirecting her to your shared bed as you topple on top of her with a knee in between her legs.

You pull back softly, your hand drifting underneath her shirt as you caress the soft skin there.

Her eyes open slowly, and she just looks electric to you.

“I love you,” she says quietly, and you can’t help but press another soft kiss to her as your hand lowers into her panties.

“You secretly love it, don’t you? What I do to you.” You say against her jaw, and it’s a little muffled.

Wanda’s breath hitches, chest rising as you touch her just the right way against her clit, rubbing through her wet folds.

She nods, but you want to hear it.

“I want to hear you say it, baby,” you huskily say as you tease her. Your other hand is around the back of her neck, just grasping at her hair.

Wanda’s moaning shamelessly as you circle her clit again, diving lower as your fingers tease her entrance. God, it feels so slippery.

Fuck, she really wants your fingers in her. The knotting in her stomach gets even worse when you nibble her collarbone.

But she knows you won’t give it to her until she gives you what you want.

“I love it,” Wanda moans. “I love the way you drive me crazy.”

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captainsscarlet · 4 years

Text

All of the Stars - Bucky Barnes x reader

A/N: Hey, it’s ya girl. I wrote this in 5 hours over a discord call with @captainscanadian. I love this so much, it’s definitely the one project I’m most proud of. So enjoy and I promise, I’m not a heartless monster!

Summary: Hey look, it’s a rewrite of Endgame.

Warnings: Angst, tears, death mentions, spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.

Words: 3,674

23 days post Thanos

You were in the kitchen, heavy bags under your eyes from the lack of sleep. Every night, you dreamed of Bucky. There was no escaping it, it was something you had to push through. In your dreams, it jumped from laying in bed and waking up remembering he was gone and dreaming that he was in turmoil somewhere with no one to help him. A cup of coffee sat in front of you, being the only thing that kept you awake. Behind you, Steve had arranged a plate of toast, bacon and eggs, trying to coax you into eating something. These days, mostly you laid in bed with your mp3 player, listening to the playlist you had made for Bucky, filled with songs that reminded him of his life before HYDRA and of you as well.

“C’mon, you gotta eat…Buck wouldn’t wanna see you like this.”

It was the argument they used to get you to get up and try to live nowadays. It wasn’t like they were trying to be hurtful or upset you. But in reality, it did. You didn’t want to think about what Bucky would say right now, or that he would be upset because the truth of the matter was that if he was here, you wouldn’t be like this. You wouldn’t be in an ocean of grief.

These days, you leaned on Thor as much as you could. Most people stayed away, but you and Thor spent every sleepless night on the roof, watching the stars and telling memories about the loved ones who had died. And while Thor blamed himself, you reminded him each time that it wasn’t his fault. That Thanos was the one who killed everyone and not the God of Thunder.

You accepted the plate from Steve and began to pick at the food in front of you, managing to choke down some toast. You were pushing the food around your plate when you saw the light of…something. You looked up at Steve and you both ran outside, seeing a glowing figure…was that a woman? She was holding a ship in her hands and you held your breath. A few moments later, Tony Stark stepped out with Nebula and you let go of the breath you’d been holding, seeing him alive. You hung back while he said something to Steve but had to go back inside when he embraced Pepper.

It stung, and a part of you, some hateful and angry part of you, wished he had died instead of Bucky. It wasn’t kind and it was horrible for you to think that you could be so mean, but it was true. You loved Tony, but you would give him up in a second to have James Barnes back in your arms again. You went and sat back at the counter, pushing the coffee and food away from you and staring into space. The fact was you couldn’t change what had already happened.

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

You stood next to the new girl, a woman named Carol, as what was left of the Avengers discussed what had happened in the 23 days since that day. She chuckled slightly at Tony’s banter with Rocket but when Tony started getting upset, you stopped at stood up straighter. When he started yelling at Steve, you lost it and walked between them.

“You think you’re the only person who lost someone, Stark? We all lost someone! All of us! We could point the blame at any one of us. Hell, let’s look at you. If you hadn’t driven Bucky out of the states, if you hadn’t started a god damned war, I would have had time. I could have held him every night. But instead, I get memories of a year ago, when he was on the run. When you tried to kill him. Sure, there are some happy ones, but that is the main memory, Tony. We all are to blame.”

You didn’t stick around to hear his reaction. You went straight to your room and cried. You cried for Thor who lost his brother and his entire planet. You cried for Rocket, who lost his friends, the only family he ever had. You cried for every single person on the compound, including yourself. And it didn’t stop until late into the night, when your tears had run dry and you were too exhausted.

5 Years Later

You slammed your hand over the nightstand next to your bed, trying repeatedly to hit snooze but to no avail. Instead, you had to haul yourself up to do so, and by that time, you were already well awake. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you began your morning routine. Bathroom, clothes, coffee, food, and then off to work. Ever since ‘the snap’ as people were calling it, you’d been working with Steve on his support group. It had helped you through the past 5 years, and even helped you now. You try to keep things light and go with the flow, but somedays, it’s as if all of this happened yesterday and you lay in bed, crying, wrapped up in his clothes and holding the letters he wrote you from Wakanda.

But today was a good day. So you went out the door and walked to the building where the meetings were held. You unlocked the door and set yourself to work. Brewing coffee was saved for last, but you liked to clean before everyone got there. You set up chairs and tried to at least make the room somewhat cheerful. You had put on the stereo to a soft rock station while you worked and then set up your laptop and started answering emails. A lot of grieving people simply emailed instead of coming to meetings, whether they couldn’t leave home or they just wanted to remain anonymous and you and Steve tried to answer as often as you could. It hurt that you couldn’t answer them all, but you liked knowing that you could help soothe some people’s pain. You heard the door open and looked up from your computer, giving a small smile to the blonde man who’d walked in.

“Hey Steve. Just finishing up some emails and then I was gonna head down to the store and get something for meeting tonight. Anything in particular you want?” Your head went back down to typing as Steve walked toward you and put a hand on your back.

“Whatever you pick is fine. How you holding up? Nat said she hasn’t spoken to you since last week after group.”

You knew they worried about her. You lost contact with a lot of people after the snap. Tony cut you off completely, although Pepper emailed you pictures of their daughter. You’d been to New Asgard to visit Thor once or twice, but he told you not to come back. Whether it was because you reminded him of his failure or just because he’d rather be depressed and alone, you didn’t know. But you made sure the Valkyrie kept you in the loop, making sure he was at least alive. Nat and Steve were your only friends now and while you loved them, they could be very overbearing at times.

“I’m doing okay. I uh, I’ve been redoing my apartment. New paint, new rug, all that stuff.” Your fingers moved across the keyboard, your eyes not even looking up from the screen. “I know you guys are scared I’m gonna breakdown but honestly, Rogers, I’m fine. I’m trying to move on.”

Steve looked down at you and gave a soft smile before patting you on the back and going to get chairs to set up. “Can you grab more water and maybe some MnM’s?” You chuckled and gave him a thumbs up before settling back in and finishing up emails.

About an hour later, you headed to the store, music blaring in your ears as you walked, until a song made you stop in your tracks. It was one of the songs that Bucky had heard and insisted on putting on your phone. You remembered the memory so clearly.

You had been laughing and swatting at Bucky, screeching as he pinned you underneath him and began assaulting you with kisses. Bucky had started opening up a bit more and ever since, you had the time of your life. He kissed you more and wasn’t afraid to hold you, it was amazing. Your laptop had been playing some youtube playlist of old music, trying to compile a playlist for Steve of songs he might like to listen to while on the way to different missions. All songs from the 60’s and later. When the song ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time” by Harry, James and Helen Forrest came on, Bucky stopped and listened before standing and a ghost of a smile was on his face.

“What you thinkin’ about, Bucky?” You focused on his face before it turned to face you and he held out his hands.

“This reminds me of home. Back then, I mean. Sounds like some of the stuff we would have played back then.”

You stood up and took his hands in yours, placing one on your waist before putting your own on his shoulder and swaying gently. When a woman’s voice started to croon over the speaker, you hummed along, feeling Bucky rest his head against your own. And for a moment, you wished that you were in a snow globe. That this moment would never end and just go on forever.

You felt tears rolling down your face and quickly swiped them away. It was the one song that you refused to delete. But you always skipped it when it came on shuffle, simply for the fact it made you cry every single time. You leaned against a nearby wall and just listened, holding back every feeling until the 3 minutes concluded. You had to compose yourself. If anyone at group and especially Steve, saw your tears, they’d know that you’d been lying and that in truth, you hadn’t moved on.

After a brief time of just standing there, you took a deep breath and began again toward the store. You grabbed a case of water, enough MnM’s to feed a small army, or just one super soldier, and a medium sized platter of cookies. You paid and began your way back to the center, this time with no issues. A quick set up and a couple pots of coffee later, people started showing up. You hugged and greeted each person by name and allowed everyone some time to talk before you and Steve brought everyone to the circle and started the meeting.

“Anyone wanna start?” Steve asked, looking around. You waited about a minute before you began to speak.

“I uh…I went to the store and got water today, and our song came on.” You kept a practiced, even tone, not letting your emotion show through. “I think we all try to ignore those little signs that they’re gone…but you can’t. Because it means pretending they never existed…I think we just have to push on.”

Steve turned to you and reached over, taking your hand and squeezing. “You’re right. We gotta move on. The world is in our hands, it was left to us, guys. We gotta do something with it. Otherwise, Thanos should have killed all of us.”

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

You and Steve walked into the compound, you threw your bag on the table and walked into where Nat was, sweeping past Steve and heading straight for Nat, wrapping her in a hug. “I heard you were trying to get ahold of me, even though I’m pretty sure I’m old enough to watch out for myself.” You teased, grabbing a piece of Natasha’s PB and J sandwich and taking a bite. The redhead smiled up at you and held your other hand, before you both turned to look at Steve.

“You know, I keep telling everybody that they should move on and grow. Some do, but not us.” You moved your eyes back to Nat and squeezed her hand. You sometimes forgot how much Natasha was hurting, since she rarely showed that part of her to anyone. But she had lost the only family she’d ever known. Laura, the kids, Clint…even though he wasn’t dead, he still wasn’t here and that part was hard on Nat.

“If I move on, who does this?”

“Maybe it doesn’t need to be done.” The look in both of your friend’s eyes were sad and as Nat began to speak, you felt your own eyes water up. You moved to stand behind her and lean down, wrapping your arms around her chest in an attempt to comfort her. Soon after she was finished, you heard a beep on the security camera and your jaw dropped.

“Scott?” The man was speaking about a mile a minute and you knew exactly who he was. You’d met him before the boys went to the airport, and instantly liked him. And as soon as Nat confirmed that he was actually there, you actually had some hope.

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

The wave of guilt you felt as you got out of the car weighed on you. Sure, you and Tony had fought before but this time it wasn’t something trivial or unimportant. You had blamed him for Bucky dying and there wasn’t really a way to come back from that. Pepper had forgiven you, understanding your grief and letting you slide. But seeing Morgan and Tony, brought back just how selfish you had been and you hung your head in shame. Instead of talking shop with the boys, you headed inside and chatted with Pepper, even playing a little with Morgan before Pepper sent her out to save Tony from the others.

“Thanks Pepper…for letting us come here. I uh, I’m glad you and Tony got your happy ending.”

Pepper wrapped her arms around you and shook her head. “Stop blaming yourself. It’s been five years, y/n. You need to stop letting this get to you.”

You smiled and pressed a kiss to Pepper’s cheek as you saw them getting up to go. “I’m really happy for you Pepper.” As you walked toward the door, you waved goodbye to Morgan and looked up at Tony. “I’m happy for you too, Tony.” He turned and called your name but you just kept walking, following Steve to the car and climbing in the back beside Scott.

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

As you made your way to New Asgard, all the nerves you had pushed away came back. You hadn’t see Thor in years. And where you once were his friend and the person whose shoulder he cried on, you now were scared to face him. What if you reminded him of the bad things and pushed him into a depressive episode? You felt so much guilt for all the people you may have hurt when the Snap was fresh.

When Val looked toward the stack of empty beer kegs, you looked at her and your face dropped. He wasn’t just depressed; he was numbing the pain with alcohol. And while Bruce and Rocket may not understand, you did. You understood just how much Thor felt and what was weighing on his mind and heart.

When you knocked on the door, you didn’t expect an answer. Even so, you let Rocket try and when you ended up in the house, you couldn’t help but look around and want to cry. You knew Thor had to be in a bad place to live like this and it hurt for you to see it, but Steve had said you would do some good to see your old friend again, and you had hesitantly agreed.

When you came face to face with the God of Thunder, you expected a lot of things. Maybe to be thrown out, maybe a kiss on the cheek or even to be ignored. You did not expect to see him shirtless with a beer belly and his long blonde hair knotted and greasy. You tried to smile, truly you did, but it surely came out as more than a grimace and when Thor wrapped his arms around you, you had to hold your breath. But in all the bad, you were just happy to see him again, in any form. And now in his arms, it almost felt like it had 5 years ago, but a lot softer.

When he let you go, and Bruce mentioned Thanos, you saw the reaction. The tears, the wetness in his voice. And the fake strength in his voice as he tried to kick them out nearly broke you. But he came with you, for the beer of course. But as he was buckling himself on the ship, you reached out and took his hand.

“I missed you, Thor.”

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but it was something and at that moment, it was the most important thing in the world. Because he was still the person she saw five years before, whether or not he knew it.

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

During the ‘time heist’, you stayed with Pepper and Morgan. You played games near the lake with the smallest Stark and when Pepper jetted off in the suit Tony made for her and Happy appeared instead, you knew it was the end. The question was, had they done what needed doing. God, you hoped so. When Clint had come by, and told you about Nat, it killed you. The scream that came from you, it was loud and guttural. Hadn’t you lost enough already? Had you not been through enough than to lose your best friend?

You laid on the couch with Morgan, watching one of the home videos Tony had made throughout Morgan’s childhood when you heard a commotion outside. You pressed a finger to your lips and you and Happy both went to investigate. When you saw an injured Tony, you ran toward him, as he was supported by Steve and Pepper. “Did we… Did we win?” you asked, out of breath and looking to Steve for an answer. You got a nod and fell to your knees, tears flowing from your eyes as the reality hit. Clint tapped you on the shoulder a moment later and your eyes flew up to meet his.

“By the lake. We’ll patch Tony up but you should go down to the lake.”

You nodded, and began your way there but when you looked up, your breath caught in your throat. There, back facing you, stood James Buchanan Barnes, in all his glory. For 5 years you had prayed that you would hold him again. But this time, it wasn’t a dream. He was real and he was here. You wanted to fall to your knees again and thank god or whoever had made this possible.

But instead, you ran.

Your feet grew wings and you ran toward him with a simple scream of ‘Bucky!’ echoing in the trees. He turned and caught you in his arms as your arms and legs wrapped around him, completely enveloping him in your embrace. His own hands found their place on your body, holding you tight to him and pressing his face into your neck. You couldn’t stop crying, all you could do was hold him. Because he was real, and he was here.

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

The table was set. Well, tables. Many laughing and smiling faces seated and there you were in the middle of it, making silly faces at Peter and Morgan from across the table. That was until you heard footsteps and you all stood, clapping as Tony sauntered in.

It had been a couple of months since the battle. A month since Thanos had been gone. Tony had almost lost his life fighting him, almost lost the little life he had for himself here. But he fought and with Bruce working on him, he was a force to be reckoned with.

“Thank you, thank you everyone. Very happy to be back.” Everyone sat back down and you slipped your hand into Bucky’s, leaning against him as you both watched Tony. “I just wanna thank each of you, because, well honestly, if it weren’t for you, we would have lost and all this would be…nothing.” He gestured to everything around him. Dinner continued on, everyone passing things around and telling stories to those who hadn’t been around or just chatting.

You stood up, putting a hand on Bucky’s shoulder and excusing yourself, before going outside and settling yourself on the railing of the porch, looking out onto the lake. It was funny, how these things happened. You were sure that Bucky never imagined Tony as his next door neighbor but from where you sat on your porch, across the lake, you could see Tony’s house, just a short boat ride away.

While Bucky didn’t wanna stop fighting, he wanted a place where his family could be safe. So in the middle of the woods, they built their dream house, complete with your grandmother’s vintage record player sitting in the living room.

You felt a hand touch your shoulder and when you turned, you were shocked to see it was Tony.

“Hey kiddo. Nice place. Not as nice as mine, but you definitely could have done worse.” You chuckled and leaning into the man. Ever since his near death experience, you had talked. Long nights of discussing and thankfully, he forgave her. He understood, what you had said back then, and why you had felt that way. He was just so concerned and grieving and upset that he couldn’t handle any other person’s feelings at that moment.

“Thanks Tony.” You smiled before swinging yourself off the railing and pulling him back inside. “C’mon Iron Man, you got a party to get back to.” You pushed him back inside and leaned against the door frame, watching your family all play and laugh with each other.

A pretty perfect picture. And it was all yours.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #marvel x reader #thor x reader friendship #tony x reader friendship #endgame rewrite

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anony-phangirl · 5 years

Text

Asphyxiated By You

Chapter 1

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1,342

Warnings (for this chapter): Swearing, Shrek vs Beauty and the Beast debate (if that’s a trigger?)

A/N: A little off sched. Sorry ‘bout that. XD

Art piece companion by @raterina-and-rayla (This is good, I love. ^-^)

First | Previous | Next | Masterlist

—– —– —– —– —–

Things did not get any better for Virgil and Roman's relationship.

Truly, it was a good thing that Roman's best friend, another youtuber that Virgil liked- Thomas Sanders, had walked in on the argument and settled things between the two roommates.

And now, two years had passed by, and barely anything had changed- obvious as the two were arguing again.

"You take that back!" Roman exclaimed, clearly outraged by Virgil's statement.

"Well, can't take back the truth Princey." Virgil shrugged. "You just gotta admit that Shrek is a more superior movie."

"It is not!" Roman stated, fuming as he stomped his foot. "Beauty and the Beast is much *much* better than- than that movie!"

"Eh, I'd beg to differ. Especially counting in the fact that, there's just a better story to it than that old Disney film, and counting in the other fact that Shrek is less Stockholm Syndrome-y than that of Beauty and the Beast. Plus! The soundtrack is awesome."

"What?! How dare-"

And then, there goes the screaming, words mashing together as insults and arguments flew in the air.

And once again, Thomas had the absolute perfect timing, of arriving just as a full blown cushion war had began.

"Guys guys stop! You are acting like children, again!!" He called out, loud enough for the two to hear and stop throwing cushions at each other.

"He started it!" They both said, pointing at each other.

Thomas let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, whoever started, and whatever your argument is about, I can assure you that you two can settle this after you cleaned up the mess you made. Wouldn't want Patton and Logan lecturing you two again now would you?"

They both shook their heads.

"Great. Now, go on ahead and clean up your place. I'll take these chips and prepare some popcorn for movie night. Have you chosen your movie?" He asked.

The two glared at each other, which only proved to show that they haven't.

Thomas let out another sigh. "Well, I guess we'll be doing another vote later then."

And with that said in an air of finality, Roman and Virgil set to work, cleaning up the living room while Thomas set out to make snacks.

About thirty minutes later, more of Roman's friends- Joan and Talyn- arrived. They both ended up settling the whole debate on which movie they should watch, with Shrek having won.

Then another thirty minutes pass by before the beloved glasses gays- a nickname that Joan had once used to tease the two lovers that only stuck- finally arrived.

"Patton, Logan, come on in." Thomas greeted by the door with a warm smile.

Patton, Virgil’s quite tall friend, was the first to enter, in his usual outfit of a button up shirt with his cat hoodie tied up over his shoulders and around his neck, hanging behind him like a superhero.

His curly golden brown hair (which Virgil had found the habit of comparing to Daniel Howell’s hair) bounced slightly as he skipped into the place, his baby blue eyes filled with excitement, his freckles more obvious with that adorable smile on his face.

“Virgil! I missed you!” Patton said, giggling as he strided over to him.

And the next thing Virgil knew, he was being engulfed by his six foot one giant friend, while Logan, Patton’s boyfriend and Virgil’s other friend, entered the apartment.

Logan stood at five foot five, his posture was perfect, his dark blue eyes were calculating while he held an air of seriousness around him, his medium side part hairstyle was slicked back, not a single strand out of place, despite lacking the gel.

“Salutations, friends.” Logan greeted, before turning to his boyfriend. “Patton, dear, you just saw him yesterday, let him go before he chokes from lack of air.”

Patton flushed, giggling before he did. “Sorry Virge. And I know, Lo! But you know me.”

“Fortunately so.” Logan replied, a crack of a smile on his face. “Now, what movie have you selected for us to watch?”

“Shrek.” Virgil shrugged, smirking at Roman, who only stuck his tongue out at him.

Logan nodded.

“Well, what are we waiting for then! Let’s get movie night started!” Thomas smiled, before everyone headed to the living room.

-x-x-x-

Somehow soon, everyone found themselves comfy, with Thomas, Talyn, and Joan sat on the floor, and Logan, Patton, Virgil and Roman on the couch- with Patton and Logan cuddling and Thomas being stuck between his two friends who were both cuddled up to him (not that he minded, he loves his friends).

Soon quickly became half past midnight, with the third Shrek movie playing in the background as one by one people began drifting off- Logan falling asleep on his boyfriend, and Thomas and Talyn having drifted off on the floor next to Joan, who continued to watch with sleepy eyes.

Virgil himself began dozing off, snorting awake every now and then as he tried his best to avoid leaning against Roman. He'd really rather not fall asleep on the guy that he argues with on a daily basis.

But then, it's not as if he could stop himself, seeing as during the teachable moment with Merlin, the calm atmosphere of the movie slowly eased him to slumber, and the next thing he knew- It was morning, and he was in his bedroom.

"Wha..?" He groaned to himself, before groggily sitting up and blinking.

What had happened? Did Roman carry him to his room? The last thing he remembers from the night prior was dozing off…

Nevertheless, he let out a sigh before getting out of bed, letting out a yawn as he stood up, before stretching out his arms. He was still tired, but when is he ever not?

He let out a sigh before walking over to his bathroom, brushing the morning breath off his mouth before washing the sleep off his partly freckled face. He sighed as he looked at the mirror.

He still looked like a mess, but it wasn't like he was leaving the apartment.

And with a final sigh, he turned and left the bathroom, before leaving his own room. He headed to the kitchen, planning on eating some cereal, as he passed by the living room, the two nerds, still cuddled up together, lay asleep on the couch and the other three friends sleeping on a big comfy duvet on the rugged on the floor.

He let out another small yawn, smiling at the sight of his friends, before carrying on his way to the kitchen.

As he got there, he found Roman, already up and making breakfast.

"You're up early, Gavin." Roman grumbled as the sound of bacon being fried filled the air.

Virgil shrugged, giving Roman a tired morning glare. "Just hungry, Nines." He grumbled.

Ah the nicknames, sincerely adapted from that one interactive choice-based game, Detroit: Become Human. It was a game that they both found themselves agreeing on was actually good and something they enjoyed playing together as a sort of choosing.

Though Roman had mentioned how Virgil had acted like the one asshole, Gavin, in the game, not to mention the last name familiarity. Hence how the man began calling him Gavin, and Virgil ended up calling him Nines, as a reference to RK900, just for the heck of it.

"Well, I'm already cookin' up some bacon and eggs, so don't bother making your cereal." Roman waved.

He narrowed his eyes at him, before he grabbed his cereal box… It was unusually lighter than before.

"Did you steal some of my cereal again?"

"What? No! That's ridiculous!" Roman denied, almost immediately. "Now shoo! I might end up accidentally burning these if you keep distracting me!"

"I'll burn you for stealing my fuckin' cereal, you fuckin' asshole…" He grumbled, as he walked off to the dining room.

The day then continued on from there as usual, with their friends having left at noon- the normal arguments, to the very odd and unusual ones, it all just went on from there.

—– —– —– —– —–

General Taglist:

@irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @royallyanxious @alyssadashrub @my-happy-little-bean @onenightjoanly @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @ruuworld @trashypansexual @creepy-crawly-death-dealer @fluidityandgiggles @scarletnoiryt @xxladystarlightxx @sanderstalker @ccecode @uwillneverknowwho

Taglist for this fic:

@lcrnbw

If I missed anyone, please feel free to shout at me… or message me. XD

Also, if you wanna be removed or added to the general list (which means I tag you in all my stories, or most) then just ask via ask, reblog or dm

#ts-storytime #ts-storytime submission #ts-storytime 2019 submission #fanders big bang #fanders big bang 2019 #anony writes #prinxiety #logicality #roman crest #virgil reed #thomas sanders #joan #talyn #logan picani #patton cloud #logan and emile are brothers here #btw #XD #sanders sides

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chloes-yellow-cup · 6 years

Text

Nowish - Part 6

Bechloe. Staubrey. Bellas Squared/Stechlobree.

A story in which I convinced myself by accident that this could work. Let me try and convince you too.

Nowish Master Post - Everything on one page.

A Shared Lifetime - All my fics

Recommended Mood Music on Spotify. Artistic license taken with song release years.

Note on the links: The ones about music lead to YouTube vids for fun. Rest are GIFs or links to whatever gift idea I have.

Chloe’s Birthday and an accidental live sex show.

Only a tiny bit of smut in this one, but it’s there!

~B~

Wednesday, June 7th, 2017

Beca worked quietly in the hallway outside her room, trying to arrange her surprise while it was still hot and not wake up the sleeping birthday girl. Per her self-created birthday tradition, she was serving Chloe breakfast in bed and after last year’s almost debacle bringing things up the stairs, she’d decided to carry them up in stages and put it together out here. Currently she was arranging a covered plate, glass of orange juice and a single rose in a small vase on the tray for Chloe. Carefully she lifted it and nudged the bedroom door open with her foot, smiling as she saw Chloe buried in a huddle of blankets and pillows.

Setting the tray down on the dresser, she stealth crawled her way up until she was propped up on her right arm next to her sleeping wife. Slowly she leaned down and pressed feather light kisses all over Chloe’s face until she stirred, then captured her lips to ease her gently awake.

Chloe’s arms slid from the blankets and around Beca’s neck, humming in approval. “Mmm… Morning.”

The kiss broke as Chloe gave a sleepy stretch and Beca whispered softly into her ear. “Happy Birthday, Chlo.” She ran the back of her fingers across Chloe’s cheek, watching as those gorgeous cerulean eyes blinked open. She wasn’t sure how she could be more in love with this woman every day, but she was. Even though she’d been falling since that first day at the activities fair, she never took it for granted.

Chloe nuzzled under Beca’s chin and placed a kiss on her neck. “Thanks, love.” She pulled Beca down tight against her body. “Are you my present?” Her hand ran down Beca’s side until her fingertips slid under the elastic of Beca’s shorts and nails scraped lightly at her hips.

Beca moaned softly, pushing her body even closer. “I mean, I do consider myself a gift to mankind…” She hissed as teeth nipped at her neck. “But I did make you breakfast.”

“What if I want you for my breakfast?” Chloe’s hand moved to rest against her stomach, dipping further under her shorts and stroking lightly just above the juncture between her legs.

“Ungh… Breakfast…” Beca briefly wondered how many times she’d squeaked that word in the time since she’d met Chloe. It seemed like a lot. She swallowed. “I would consider… Sweet baby Jesus, Chlo… myself more of a dessert.” Against her will she found herself angling her body to give Chloe better access as her hand slipped lower. She could always just remake breakfast, right? Then Chloe’s hand stopped.

“Do I smell bacon?” Chloe sniffed the air. “Did you actually make me bacon?”

“What?” Beca blinked. “I… Yes.” She swallowed and tried to refocus again. “Do you… should I get…” She twitched a thumb over her shoulder. “Tray?” Words were complex when the blood was rushing elsewhere.

Chloe laughed as she kissed her one more time. “I love that you make me breakfast in bed, Becs.” She pulled her hand out of Beca’s shorts. “Huh. That’s… well that’s a phrase with two meanings.” Chloe giggled wickedly.

Beca rolled her way off the bed and groaned, sticking with the original intent of Chloe’s words. “I love that you all finally taught me how to cook things without burning the place down.” Beca had always been horrible in the kitchen; it was a long standing joke that all she was good for was coffee. But she had wanted to contribute more to the cooking while they were in college, for reasons she still wasn’t sure she understood, so the Bellas had taken turns teaching her one breakfast food throughout that first year in the house.

Chloe had taught her to make bacon after several weeks and false fire alarms. Beca still flinched every time it popped, grease screen or not. The day she discovered there was a company that made actually good microwavable bacon in a pouch, she was set for life. Unless it was something special, like for Chloe’s birthday, then she did it the traditional way.

Stacie had taught her how to make eggs, scrambled, fried and over easy, as well as bacon and cheese omelets, which had become Beca’s signature go to. She still wasn’t sure about adding milk to it, it went against everything she’d seen growing up, but she did it rather than face her wrath. Plus, they were eggcellent, if she said so herself. Which she did, often, to the groans of the others.

Jessica and Ashley had taught her pancakes, though they never turned out a perfect circle. Chloe said that just meant they were unique, like Beca.

Flo had taught her how to make Huevos rancheros, which sounded intimidating until she was told it basically eggs and a few other things mixed with chorizo, which also intimidated her until she found out it was essentially a spicy sausage.

Cynthia Rose had tried to teach her waffles, but after several failed attempts, Beca stuck with Eggos. Once in a while she’d help Chloe make them, but she’d accepted it was never going to be something she did well.

Amy said she would teach Beca a food from her homeland, but that just turned out to be the fact that she put the milk in the bowl before the cereal. “What kind of monster does that, Amy?”

No one could understand what Lilly was trying to teach, but when she pulled out a steak knife, most of them evacuated the kitchen, including Beca.

When they first moved into the condos, Aubrey had offered to teach Beca how to make French toast. Hesitantly, mostly out of PTSD from Bellas training, Beca had agreed. She had been more than pleasantly surprised to find that Aubrey was a patient teacher in the kitchen. She took her ability to break down a routine and used it to make the steps easy to remember. Beca didn’t do it that often, her slices turned out soggy more often than not, but on several occasions where Stacie would travel with Chloe, Beca would surprise Aubrey with French toast for breakfast. Beca always tucked away the shy, pleased smiles whenever Aubrey would come out and find a plate being loaded for her.

As Chloe sat up and arranged their mass of pillows as a backrest, Beca paused as she admired how that put her wife’s naked form on display. Since Beca had taken the day off, she had woken Chloe up just after midnight with a whispered “Happy Birthday on Hump Day.” Chloe had let out a sleepy laugh and let Beca thoroughly make love to her until they passed out in a warm mass in the center of their bed. That was another tradition Beca hoped to be able to continue and her favorite so far.

Beca brought the tray over to the bed and set it down as far as her arms could reach. “Wait!” She stopped Chloe from grabbing it. Beca climbed carefully on the bed and shuffled on her knees until she was able to lift it and set it gently over Chloe’s lap. She took the cloth napkin and flicked it open, draping it across her chest like a bib. “There.” When Chloe arched her eyebrow Beca shrugged. “Gotta protect the girls from any spillage.”

“Our hero.” Chloe deadpanned as she rolled her eyes.

“Breakfast is served.” Beca lifted the lid off the plate with a flourish. She’d made Aubrey’s French toast recipe, taking extra care to avoid her sometimes soggy results, with a couple scrambled eggs and a side of bacon. Sitting beside the plate was a small container of syrup and the tiny salt and pepper shakers they’d stolen from their many hotel stays.

“Becs, that’s real bacon. Not your microwavable pouch bacon.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled. “You do love me!” She poured syrup over her pre-buttered – Beca had the amount memorized at this point – French toast with a small pool to dip her bacon in.

“Until my last breath and probably beyond.” Beca smiled and leaned down for a kiss. She watched as Chloe took her first bite and moaned appreciatively. “I’ll be right back.” She scuttled off the bed and to the hall table where she’d left her own tray. She came back in, repeating the process to settle on Chloe’s left. Her own plate held her normal omelet and she applied the salt and pepper liberally.

“So, what do you want to do today, birthday girl?” Beca watched as Chloe thoughtfully finished her bite of food.

“You mean other than you?” Chloe wiggled her eyebrows. “That joke never gets old, by the way.”

“I hope not.” Beca’s voice was scandalized. “And yes, other than me.”

Chloe dunked some bacon in syrup and ate it. “I didn’t actually have anything in mind this year.”

“Chlo, you’re too young to be treating this as ‘just another day’ like my grandma.”

“I know. But. I just feel like things are perfect. I can’t think of anything I want to add. I do wish I’d have thought about a day trip to Disney earlier, it might not be so bad this early in June on a weekday.”

Beca’s mouth dropped open. “Oh man! Disney on Hump Day? That… I’m so disappointed in myself for not thinking of that!”

“Stacie would kill us if we went without them, especially on my birthday. I didn’t think of it until yesterday, way too late for either of them to arrange the day off.”

Beca nodded, her mind filing the idea away for future celebrations. “Alright. So. If you have no plans… Let’s spend a leisurely morning here, and I’ll take you out to lunch. Then we have dinner with the girls.”

“Sounds like a perfect day to me.” Chloe reached over and took Beca’s right hand, bringing it up to her mouth for a kiss. “Thank you, love.”

As Beca went to respond, Chloe’s phone started to ring. Beca pushed Chloe’s tray down so she could pull her legs free and gingerly roll to the side of the bed to grab it. Beca swallowed, helpless to stop her eyes from roving over the view as Chloe pushed to her hands and knees to reach her phone. Beca’s pulse beat harder and desire stood up and started waving to get her attention, which was already firmly on Chloe’s ass.

“It’s Emily!” Chloe bounced a little and Beca’s mouth went dry.

“Chlo, you can’t FaceTime – you’re naked.” Beca was still trying to wrestle with her desire to ravish her wife again.

“Oh, yeah.” She tossed the phone to Beca. “Answer, I’ll put on a shirt.” She slid off the bed and pulled a drawer open on their dresser.

Beca nodded absently, eyes still distracted by smooth skin. “Yeah, sure.” She looked down and hit answer before it went to voice mail. “Yo, Legacy.”

Emily’s smiling face filled the screen before her eyebrows furrowed. Her mouth was open, probably to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ “You’re not Chloe.”

“I’m so glad college is helping train that sharp brain of yours.” Beca forked up another small bite of her food.

“Shut up.” Emily stuck out her tongue.

“She’s getting dressed.” Beca’s tone was sly. “She wasn’t camera ready.” She loved watching that disconcerted look cross Emily’s face. She waited, knowing what was coming. It was one of her favorite things about Emily and Beca loved to provoke her into saying it.

“Gross.” But Emily was smiling, her tone affectionate.

“Beca, don’t scar Emily with that sex talk.” Chloe said as she crawled back onto the bed, grabbing a stand for the phone as she did so.

“Aca-mom 2, you can’t say sex when I know you’re naked!” Now Emily sounded, and looked, to Beca’s amusement, scandalized.

Chloe settled back in, pushing her tray against Beca’s. She balanced the phone in the stand so it sat on both trays and they could both see Emily and she them.

“Happy Birthday, Chloe!” Emily waved at her.

“Thanks, sweetie!” And she devoted her attention to the phone when Emily began to sing to her.

Beca waited half a heartbeat before she joined in. It had been too long since she’d sung with Emily, the girl – young woman, she corrected herself – she’d taken under her wing her senior year. Well, eventually. It was more accurate to say ‘when Beca finally got her shit together after the retreat’. She smiled at Emily’s excited grin as their voices blended. She heard a sniffle and looked over as Chloe wiped a few tears from her eyes.

“I love you guys.” Chloe smiled. “I don’t know how much more perfect this day can get, and it’s barely started.”

Beca squeezed her hand and went back to eating, letting them catch up. After a bit, she heard Chloe ask something she’d been wondering at for a while.

“How come I’m ‘Aca-mom 2’?”

“Well…” Emily’s voice trailed off and she squinted a bit.

“Spit it out, Legacy.” Beca nodded. “You know she’ll get it out of you anyway.”

Emily took a deep breath. “You kinda scared me my first year, Chlo.”

Beca interjected. “Because of the crazy eyes she’d get over Worlds and DSM?”

Chloe still looked a little mortified every time it came up. “I’m so sorry about trying to kill you with my eyes after the riff-off! I never really wanted you to crawl under a rock and die.”

Emily still flushed faintly at the memory. “I know, Chloe. It’s… I forgave you a long time ago. Like the next day when you made me cupcakes.” She grinned. “Though, you were still always nice to me… Beca kept running out of practice before the retreat. Maybe I’ve had it backwards this whole time.”

“You can’t just choose who your aca-moms are, Legacy.” Beca’s expression was stern, though her lips twitched.

“But, Beca. I technically met Chloe first. So really…”

Beca sighed. “You’re probably right. Plus, she is older. So I guess it-“ Chloe’s hand hitting her in the stomach stopped her words with a gasp. “Though she doesn’t look a day older than when we first met.” Beca said quickly.

Emily beamed at them, her happiness actually radiating through the screen to bathe them both in its warmth.

They spent the next half hour catching up while Beca and Chloe finished their breakfasts, before Emily finally had to go for class.

“I can’t wait to see you guys at the Reunion. And in October!” Emily bounced in her seat. “I miss you guys so much.”

“You miss Disneyland, you mean.” Beca pointed at her. “That’s ok. I get it. We’re second on your list.”

“Shut up. Disney is just like, a bonus to seeing all of you.”

“Don’t let her fool you; she’s bummed because we didn’t think about a day trip to Disney for today.” Chloe leaned her head onto Beca’s shoulder, careful not to bump the trays.

Emily’s eyes widened. “Oh. Em. Aca. Gee! That would have been amazing.” Her eyes darted over to Beca who nodded slightly. She knew Emily was thinking of next year just like Beca. They really were an aca-family. “I love you, Aca-Moms! Happy Birthday, again, Chloe! Tell my Aca-Aunts I said hello for me! I’ll call them this weekend.”

“Wouldn’t Aubrey be more of your aca-grandmother?” Beca pondered out loud before she could stop herself.

“I am not calling her that!” Emily gasped, shocked. “She’d make me do cardio or something!” Her voice dropped into a whisper. “For life!”

“Besides, she’s as old as me. What’re you trying to say Beca? Again, I might add.” Chloe’s voice purred in her ear.

“Uh…” Beca swallowed. “It’s cause she gradua-… firs… Heh-” and she trailed off as Chloe’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Uh huh. Keep going.”

“No, I think I’m good just dropping this here. Aca-Aunts it is.”

“Probably best.” Chloe looked back at Emily. “Love you, Em!” She blew her a kiss.

“Make good choices, Legacy.” Beca grunted at the elbow in her side. “What? She knows that’s how I say ‘I love you’!” Emily laughed, nodding.

“Beca.” Something in her voice made Beca meet her eyes and she saw Chloe’s eyebrow wing its way up. “You said that to me on your first Hood Night. Like, literally the fourth day we ever saw each other.” Her tone was almost shy and definitely quietly pleased.

Beca stopped, aware that Emily’s face shot had shot closer to her phone. She ran through that night in her mind, her lips twisting slightly as she hit that moment. “I… Oh. I did. Huh. Right after that whole jiggle juice thing.” Beca grinned as Chloe blushed. “I was so fucking stupid.” Chloe’s soft look was starting doing things to her insides, pulling and tugging, demanding she get closer.

Emily’s squeal would have made Ashley proud. “You guys are perfect.”

“Bye, Legacy. I’m about to do something that would scandalize you completely.” Beca’s hand reached blindly for the phone. She turned in time to see Emily’s face change, caught between horror and delight.

“Oh, GROS-“ The laughter cut off as Beca ended the call.

“Why, Mrs. Mitchell…” Chloe ran her hand down Beca’s arm as Beca handed her the phone. “Whatever could you have in mind?” She set it out of the way.

Beca was silent for a moment, as she moved out from under her tray and scooted to the edge of the bed, tugging it after her. “I’m going to make last night look like a warm up to the main event.”

“Oh. My.” Chloe bit her lip, her eyes darkening. “That’s a mighty big claim.” She lifted her tray to the side as Beca came around to get it after setting her own on the dresser. Setting Chloe’s next to it, she faced the bed.

“You’ll have to grade me later.” Beca moved closer and stripped out of her clothes, feeling Chloe’s eyes on her. “Let me know if I lived up to your expectations.” She stalked across The Expanse as Chloe pulled her shirt back off.

“You usually do.” She tugged Beca over until she was straddling Chloe’s leg.

Beca lowered herself slowly, savoring the pressure sliding between her thighs. “Usually?”

“Oh yeah.” Chloe pulled their bodies together. “Okay, maybe more like, all the time.”

Beca leaned her head down, stopping to whisper against her lips. “Happy Birthday, Chlo.”

~C~

Chloe sighed happily as she leaned back in the passenger seat of Beca’s convertible. After a completely wonderful breakfast in bed, a conversation with her aca-child and a second bout of birthday sex, she really couldn’t have planned the day any better than this. She smiled to herself. She was going to have to do some thinking about how to celebrate Beca’s. Beca did need a new laptop, but... It was on a Saturday this year, so maybe… She’d think on that a bit longer, maybe talk it over with Aubrey and Stacie.

She stretched a bit, all the right muscles just a little bit sore; Beca certainly had made good on her promise after breakfast. She’d never admit it, but Chloe kind of needed a nap after all that. Especially after the lunch they’d just eaten. So it was with surprise that she noticed they were driving past their exit. “Is this a kidnapping?”

“Maybe.” Beca kept her eyes on the road but turned down Lauv’s ‘I Like Me Better’ that she’d been singing with. “Maybe I’m taking you to my secret lair.”

Chloe leaned on the arm rest between them. “Beca, the only places you’d call your lair is your studio at work or at home.”

“Rats. This is true.” Beca snapped her fingers. “Curses, foiled again.”

Chloe settled back against the seat, eyes closed as the sun warmed her while the breeze blew over them. Beca had gotten the BMW 4 series convertible – in black sapphire metallic, of course – when she’d gotten promoted to full time producer last year. The bonus she’d gotten had made the perfect down payment. Originally she wanted to get something more practical for them, but Chloe had insisted they get something fitting for Beca’s new title. She was perfectly happy with the car they’d gotten upon reaching LA. It’s not like she had to impress artists or anything, just haul around a bunch of singing teenagers to their dance competitions or for pizza and ice cream.

They had fun picking out the bells and whistles – the M sport design, executive package, night blue Dakota leather upholstery, aluminum dark carbon trim, the driving assistance package that Beca thought ridiculously unnecessary – and literally every single option the car came with.

Chloe opened her eyes as they slowed to make a turn. “What…” She looked at Beca. “Why are we in a Cadillac dealership?”

Beca parked her car. “Sec.” She got out and moved around the back to Chloe’s side. “Madame.” She opened the door and held out her hand.

“Becs?” Chloe felt excitement beginning to bubble up.

Beca stepped back until the whole of the lot was behind her. She held out her arms. “Pick one.”

“What?” Chloe was sure she’d heard wrong. “Did you just say…”

“Pick one. Happy Birthday!” Beca rocked back on her heels, clearly pleased with herself.

Chloe had to whisper it. “For serious?”

Beca whispered back. “Dixie Chicks serious.”

Chloe squealed and launched herself forward, almost bringing them both to the pavement. She dropped kisses all over Beca’s face before planting several very thorough ones on her lips.

Beca laughed and spun her around. “Seriously though… Pick one. Whatever catches your eye. Whatever you want to put in it. On it, whatever.”

“Careful, Mitchell. I’ll take you up on that.” Chloe stepped back and tilted her head.

Beca leaned forward. “Dare you.”

And Chloe had taken her up on it, boy had she.

Once she settled on the Escalade, the salesman had finally come over after Beca had waved him off the first time. He kept showing her different options, and she kept adding them and Beca kept smiling. At the end of it, what she’d come up with was a 4WD Platinum trim (which seemed to be just a super luxury package) Escalade in Crystal White. She’d selected every option like they’d done with Beca’s, including a 4 bike carrier that could added to their trailer hitch, as well as innumerable roof carriers for whatever was required for Chloe’s competition trips and hauling her kids and their outfits. She may also have been envisioning various road trips the four of them could take when she added the ski carrier.

When they were all done, and she saw the price, she’d barely kept her gasp contained. She fully expected Beca to laugh and tell her ‘ok, funny joke, let’s get real now.’ But what Beca had said was…

“We’ll take it.”

Chloe had had been unable to speak, her ears filling with white noise for a second as the world faded out. “Becs..?” There was no way –

But the salesman was already shaking hands with her wife. “We actually have a fully loaded one on the lot, in that color. It won’t take long to get the carriers together; we can load them in the cargo area for you.”

The world came back in an instant. “Wait. That’s – Beca. How can we?”

Beca reached over and took her hand. “Yes. We can. Joel Cain signed with the label Monday. I got a bonus. This one’s for you. But I’d have done it anyway without it.”

Chloe barely restrained from throwing herself in Beca’s lap out of excitement. The news that Beca had actually gotten Joel to sign with the label was aca-mazing and she was so proud of her. The prospect of a new car was just a cherry on top.

She turned around. “So, wait.” The salesman looked up from gathering the paperwork. “You have one of these, with all this.” She pointed at all the checkmarks she’d made on a list. “In stock. Now. On this lot.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled at her. “You’ll get to drive it out of here once we get the paperwork done.” He stood. “I’ll go work with the finance guys. I’ll be back.”

Beca nodded. “Thanks, Barry.”

Chloe was up the second he was out of the office and pulling Beca to her feet. She hugged her tightly before pulling back to look her in the eyes. “Are you-“

Beca shut her up with a kiss. “Positive. We got this, love.”

Chloe let out another squeal and pulled her into another tight hug.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

~B~

Stopping at home to drop off Beca’s car, the two of them were going to go for a drive in Chloe’s new car. Beca took advantage of it and ran up to their room to brush her teeth. Midway she wandered over to her closet, thinking about changing to a lighter top, and as she turned around, she happened to look out her window, thinking she’d get Stacie to help her take out all the carriers and store them in the garage.

Her head slowly tilted, the brush idly held in her mouth. “Huh. So. Aubrey’s a boob woman. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”

She continued to watch, without really thinking about it, as across the way a topless Stacie was standing at the foot of their bed, head thrown back, while an equally topless Aubrey nuzzled at her breasts. Beca noted the way Aubrey would pull back a little before swooping back in and –

“HOLY FUCK! WHAT AM I DOING?!” Beca’s eyes shot wide in panic, the toothbrush angled out of one corner of her mouth, forgotten. “WhatdoIdoohgod.”

Beca, was in full prudish panic mode, and spun to look back into her own room. This was something she should not be seeing right now. Though, really, to be more honest, this was something she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to see… yet. That was a different animal all together and one she didn’t really have time to work out right then thanks to her current level of freak out.

Cautiously, she closed her eyes and turned around, fumbling for the string to close the blinds. She finally found it by blind luck and started to close them. Until it jerked to a halt. “Oh of COURSE you get stuck right now. Jesus Christ.” Beca jerked at the cords in her frustration. “Goddamned…. Blinds… fuckery… always happens… when it’s least convenient. Which is always.” The blinds snapped all the way up with a crash. “Fucking…”

Beca opened her eyes in frustration, momentarily forgetting why she had closed them. Until a vivid reminder sprang into view as Aubrey’s arm looked like it was moving back and forth, hand below Beca’s line of sight, and Stacie had wound her own hand into the back of Bree’s hair, pulling her head back, bringing Aubrey’s chest into sharp relief. “Oh my God. They’re totally sexing in front of my eyes.” She frantically tried to get the blinds down, but every time they got halfway they would stick and she would have to rake them to the top and start again.

She was so caught up in her curse laden and ongoing battle with the window treatments that it took her a minute to realize something had changed. Against her will, she looked across their yards before she could stop herself.

Aubrey and Stacie, still TOPLESS for fucks sake, were standing in the window, watching her. Beca watched as Aubrey’s hand came up, but it felt like everything was moving in slow motion like some film about an existential crisis Jesse had made her watch in college. The hand waved back and forth and Beca’s eyes shifted over as Stacie started laughing. Beca didn’t think her eyes could get wider as the panic mixed with mortification at being caught and, well yes, hello there lust. She swallowed as Stacie stepped behind Aubrey, her hands coming up to cover Aubrey’s breasts until Aubrey grabbed one, pushing it down over her stomach. And lower. Aubrey’s head leaned back against Stacie’s shoulder and that’s about when Beca mentally slapped herself. Repeatedly.

Completely unsure which emotion swirling through was stronger, though mortification was tying with too-rapidly-rising lust, she flattened herself against the wall like a cat burglar caught in the act. A high pitched hysterical giggle filled the room. “Maybe... yeah, no... Maybe they didn’t see me… Maybe?”

“Becs?” She could hear Chloe’s voice coming up the stairs. “Are you ok, babe?”

“Yes! Yeah. Yep. Everything is fine. Here. In our room. Nothing. Uh. Nothing is going on across the way. Nope.” Beca’s eyes darted around the room even though she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Maybe just an escape from the moment.

“I…” Chloe stopped in the doorway. Beca knew how she must look, pressed into the wall. Her eyes felt wide and probably crazy and, oh yeah, she had been brushing her teeth, so she probably looked rabid on top of it.

‘Fuck, I totally look like a rabid fucking cat burglar right now.’

“What’s all this?” Chloe’s finger wiggled at her. “This is new.” She walked into the room.

Beca waved her back as she hissed, “No, they’ll see you!”

“Who?” Chloe moved over and looked through the window. “And why are you whispering?”

“Aubrey and Stacie! They’re –” Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, unable to say the words. Chloe just stared at her, waiting. “TheyarehavingthesexandIthinktheysawmelooking.”

Chloe looked at her like she’d just grown horns. “Did you just say ‘having the sex’ like an old person?”

Had she? “Oh my god. Maybe?”

Chloe said, slowly. “I thought you were interested in this kinda thing. Isn’t that why we had our big talk?”

“We had our talk. I don’t know if they did! I don’t know if we’re allowed!” Beca flailed her arms. “This is like - sacred stuff if you’re not allowed!”

“Well – Oh.” Chloe stopped, her inflection changing to greatly intrigued as she leaned toward the window. “Are they naked?” She didn’t sound scandalized, like Beca thought she should, but this was Chloe and she was always more open with the ‘sex stuff’ as Beca had once called it.

“OH MY GOD. DON’T LOOK. Close the blinds, they’re not working for me again!”

Chloe stepped closer to the window. “Oh. Why, yes they are. Aubrey just turned her back to us and pushed Stacie down on her knees.” She sounded curious, more than anything, and Beca couldn’t believe she was standing their calmly like she was describing a golf game. “And… OK. Bree obviously keeps up her training more than I thought. I didn’t know that her leg could go that far to the side. Maybe Stacie’s been working with her on her splits.” After a pause, Chloe cracked up at her own statement. “In more ways than one.”

Beca felt trapped between two very strong emotions. She still firmly believed that she wasn’t allowed to see any of that because the four of them haven’t had a talk about it. But, ok, yeah. She kinda wanted to look.

Instead she just looked up as Chloe asked her, “Do you think we should get a notepad and offer scores on the most difficult positions? Or take notes, in case, you know.”

Beca eyes slipped closed. “Oh. My. God.”

“Like, I feel I should get popcorn and take the drive later.” Chloe snickered. “We’ll just watch Stacie take Bree for a drive.”

“Dude! Privacy!”

Chloe scoffed. “Hey, they’re the ones that didn’t close the blinds once they realized you were ogling them.”

Beca’s response was instant and indignant. “I was not ogling!” Except she was fully aware that was a lie. She totally had been. And, if she were to start being honest with herself, maybe wanted to do again.

“Then?”

“We’re not allowed yet!” But, Bree had been standing there, letting Stacie touch her, knowing Beca was watching. Maybe they were allowed. Curiosity was now rising beside the other emotions clamoring for her attention.

“Yet?” Chloe turned to look at her, one hip resting against the window sill.

“IF EVER. Oh my god.” Beca idly wondered how many times had she said ‘oh my god’ in the last five minutes alone.

Chloe’s eyes turned back to the window and widened. “Oh, my.”

Beca couldn’t fight it anymore, she had to look. She was only human after all. She leaned forward and peeked around the window frame. The window across the way was empty. She turned her eyes to Chloe, who quickly stepped back out of range, laughing.

“You should see your face right now.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

“You’re lucky it’s your birthday.” Beca paused and had to take a deep breath as Chloe’s smile widened. “And still that pretty.” She closed her eyes and took another breath. “I can’t believe you punked me like that.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Most of it was true.”

“What?” Beca blinked at her, feeling like she was still running a few steps behind.

“Yeah, no. They dropped to their bed just before you looked. But everything else totes happened.”

“So. They’re totally having sex. Right now. While we’re talking about it.” Beca said it slowly, as if she were processing at half speed. “Just… out of sight.

Chloe was already nodding. “Oh, totes. If we got the step stool we’d probably be able to look over and down onto the bed. We could always ask them to move it in front of the window for next time.”

Beca stared at her. “You… can’t be serious?”

Chloe stepped up to her and gently took the toothbrush that Beca had forgotten about out of her mouth. “Can’t I?” She placed a kiss to the corner of Beca’s mouth and put the toothbrush in her hand. “Why don’t you finish that up and we’ll go for a ride, yeah?” She spun on her heel and sashayed out the door, with far more hip sway than was necessary outside of a strip tease or catwalk.

“Uh…” Beca felt what was left of her brain melt and settle between her thighs. She called after her, “I mean… we could always give a return show…?” She ignored the quiver the thought of the others watching her and Chloe sent through her. There was already too much going on in her head to add that to the mix.

But Chloe was already downstairs, leaving Beca alone with her toothbrush and the knowledge of what was going on in the house behind her.

“Maybe I have time for a cold shower before we leave.” Beca muttered to herself as she went back in the bathroom to rinse out her mouth.

~A~

Aubrey pushed her chair back from her dining room table and stretched her legs out. “I can’t eat another bite.”

“Dinner was amazing, Bree, thank you.” Chloe reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Anything for the birthday girl.” Aubrey smiled at her before cutting a look at Beca. “Nice ride you got your girl.”

Beca jumped, a guilty look flashing over her face. “What?”

“The Caddy.” Stacie let out a whistle. “That is one nice looking tank you picked, Chloe.”

Beca leaned on the table. “I couldn’t tell you liked it, what with the lying on the hood like you were at a car show. Again.”

Chloe snorted with laughter but ignored her. “I know, right? Totally over the top. But… The ride was so smooth.” Chloe winked as Stacie leered at her. “But, it’ll keep me and the kids safe in the event that something stupid happens.” She sat up in her chair. “Plus, we can totally take all our gear in one car now, including our bikes, when we want to torture Beca with nature.”

Beca’s face morphed into a frown. “I don’t mind nature.” She scratched her nose. “I like sitting by the pool. It’s the ‘peddling through heat’ thing that gets me.”

“Cardio is good for you, Becs.” Stacie leaned over to ruffle her hair but Beca ducked out of the way.

“Why am I always saying ‘why cardio’ to you people?” Beca huffed and drank the last of her wine.

“Because you love us.” Aubrey said it simply. It was a fact that could still surprise her once in a while.

“Touché.” Beca shrugged. “Fine, we’ll take a trip soon. And I won’t even bitch about it. Much.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Stacie leaned one elbow on the table. Aubrey recognized the look on her face and tried to keep hers expressionless. Stacie had already talked to her about what was going to happen next. Aubrey was kind of looking forward to it. “Speaking of seeing.” Beca froze in the act of picking up the wine bottle to pour them all a bit more. Chloe reached over and took it, doing it for her.

“I don’t suppose we could all agree to never speak of this?” Beca’s face was turning an interesting shade of red that Aubrey hadn’t seen before.

“Isn’t the phrase ‘never speak of this again’.” Aubrey nodded her thanks at Chloe and picked up her refilled glass.

“No, ‘again’. Period. I would really like to not…”

Stacie interrupted. “Talk about how you totally were getting off on-“

“I WAS NOT.” Beca looked embarrassed. “I didn’t even mean… It was an accident… The blinds wouldn’t close…”

Aubrey started to laugh. “That’s what gave you away, by the way.” Chloe looked at her quizzically as she sat down. “The blinds were just going up and down.”

Stacie snickered. “It was like some sort of fucked up Morse code and went on for like - ever.”

“Oh god, please let me die right now.” Beca slumped forward and put her head in her hands.

“Aww.” Chloe reached over and rubbed her arm. “It’s ok, Becs. We’re all friends here. Very close friends apparently.” Beca just groaned again.

Aubrey took pity on her. “Beca.” Her tone pulled Beca’s eyes up immediately. “It’s ok.” The echo to her conversation with Stacie wasn’t lost on her. “I’m not mad. I mean, obviously. We waved at you.” She decided to leave it unspoken that they just as obviously were putting on a show.

“Me either, if anyone cares.” Stacie waved at the table.

“I’ve seen you parade through the Bella house when you forgot a towel,” Beca said dryly.

Stacie waved her hand across the table. “Like Aubrey said. We’re not mad.” And her voice changed at the last word, making Aubrey narrow her eyes. “It was ridiculously hot, actually.”

Aubrey laughed as Beca took a huge gulp of wine. “Stace,” she chided, though she thought it was obvious she didn’t mind.

Stacie held up her hands. “What?! It was!”

Stacie was absolutely right, and it still greatly surprised Aubrey that she had felt the same way. It was hot enough that Aubrey didn’t even think about pulling away or closing their blinds, which was what she would have done before her talk with Stacie the month before. But today… and she didn’t really know what all Beca had seen before they saw her, though she could guess. The thought that Beca might have been watching when Aubrey had slid her fingers into Stacie – well that was enough to cause more than a little arousal even all these hours later. It had made her bold enough to stand there, proudly. Agree to let Stacie cup her breast from behind, to push Stacie’s hand down between her legs to see how long Beca would watch them. To wonder how it had made Beca feel to watch it. If she… enjoyed it and was affected as strongly as Aubrey was by knowing Beca was there.

Aubrey smiled to herself. Though even in that moment, she had known that Beca’s top emotion was going to be panic. So it didn’t surprise her when Beca had quickly darted out of view, but it may have disappointed her just a little, which did surprise her a bit. And while they had chuckled over it, it hadn’t changed what they were doing. Not even when Chloe took Beca’s place. Though, she admitted, she had turned her back, not quite ready to be that open. Literally, considering what Stacie was doing with her mouth at the time.

‘Lord, we really all need to talk about this soon. There are too many different ways this could fall apart if we don’t.’ Aubrey shifted in her chair, both hating and enjoying the frission of desire stretching its claws down her spine. ‘Not tonight, but soon.’

Chloe traced the rim of her glass. “You guys were just celebrating the holiday.”

All of them looked at her, confused, but it was Beca who asked it. “What holiday?”

Chloe shrugged. “Hump Day.”

As the others cracked up, Chloe simply sipped her wine, looking beyond pleased with herself.

Beca wiped a tear from her eye. “I walked right into that.”

Chloe nodded. “Both eyes. Wide open.”

Aubrey stood up. “Alright, I’ll clean the table, you guys go sit on the couch.”

Beca stood and stretched. “I’ll help.” She waved her hand dismissively when Aubrey tried to stop her. “Whatever, it’ll get done faster. Besides, it’s not like the Bella house days, you guys have a dishwasher. I just gotta rinse and throw them in.”

Aubrey shook her head but relented. With Beca’s help they were done quickly, which Aubrey kind of wished they weren’t. She and Beca didn’t get to spend quiet time like this together very often. Maybe that needed to be another thing that happened soon. Find some reason to send their wives out to play while she and Beca… Well, she wasn’t sure yet, exactly, but she had a half image of Beca working on music while Aubrey read over contracts on the couch in Beca’s studio. It was a warmly domestic image that she usually associated with Stacie or, back in their college days, studying with Chloe. It helped tamp down the lingering desire into simple contentment.

The thought made Aubrey smile as she walked back into the living room and found Stacie braiding Chloe’s hair. She settled on the other side of the sectional with Beca. “Birthday braids. Good choice.” She’d just leaned back when she remembered that they still had to give their gifts. “Oh! I’ll be right back.” She set down the wine glass she’d brought in with her and went upstairs to her office. She had to lift a few folders until she found what she was looking for.

She laughed as she came back down. “We almost forgot.” Aubrey set the two envelopes on Chloe’s lap before sitting down again. “Happy birthday, Chlo.” She sat back down beside Beca who handed her the wine glass again. “Thanks, B.”

Chloe ran her fingers over them. “Aw, you guys. You didn’t have to.”

Beca snorted into her glass. “She’s on this ‘it’s just another day’ kick today.”

“Except it wasn’t just another day. You guys have all made it kind of perfect. I need to find a word better than ‘perfect.’” Chloe smiled. “Guess I haven’t reached Grandma Stage after all.”

Aubrey was indignant. “I certainly hope not. I don’t like to think what that’d say about me.”

“That you’re old.” Beca deadpanned beside her before grinning impishly as Aubrey’s jaw dropped. “Which you most definitely are not.”

“Nice save.” Aubrey raised her glass slightly before turning back to Chloe expectantly. “Well?”

“Hold on, just gotta do the ends.” Stacie finished her braid and sat back to admire her handiwork. “There. Perfect.” She nodded. “Go on.”

Chloe picked up the first envelope, her name in Aubrey’s neat handwriting, and opened it eagerly. “Ooh. A spa day before the reunion?!” She looked up at Aubrey, eyes dancing. “I love you!”

Aubrey laughed. “Glad you like it. I wasn’t sure-“

“Are you kidding? A day being pampered with my bestie? What’s not to love?” Chloe looked back down at the reservation and ran her fingertips across it. “Seriously Bree, I can’t wait.” She folded the paper and put it back in the envelope before turning to the other, unlabeled, envelope in her lap.

Beca nudged Aubrey. “You did good. The timing on that is perfect. She always worries, though she won’t admit it, about the reunion.”

“That’s cause of Alice.” Aubrey’s lip curled. She wasn’t always as thrilled about her reunions as she once thought she would be. There was always that bit of tension when they walked in, waiting to see if she’d hear ‘Oh, it’s you slut bags’ from the side. It hadn’t happened yet, which made the rest of the night more enjoyable. Well, and that and all the rest of her Bellas, new and old. She was learning to just enjoy watching Beca scan the area before leading them in and stop letting it get to her. Once the pressure was off, they always had a good time.

“You mean That Whore Alice™.” Beca’s lip curled to match.

“Let’s… not think of her now.” With Beca nodding, Aubrey turned back as Chloe started laughing and threw her arms around Stacie.

“You’re welcome.”

Beca looked confused as Stacie’s words were directed at her instead of Chloe. “What?” She looked from her wife to her friend as Chloe continued to giggle helplessly. “I’m missing something.”

Her words caused Chloe to laugh harder and Aubrey couldn’t help but laugh with her. “Chlo, you’ll have to show her.”

Chloe handed over the card she’d opened. Aubrey watched Beca scan the flowery and sentiment laden Hallmark moment.

“Yeah?” Beca shook her head. “I don’t get it.” She took the paper that Chloe then handed over.

The font for the first two lines was huge, Stacie was just obviously trying to fill the entire page in landscape mode. The rest of the lines were in slightly smaller print below.

One IOU for Chloe Beale Sex Toy Shopping Sextravaganza And some lunch if we work up an appetite being hot. Which, let’s face it. We will. Because we’re hot. From Stacie Conrad

“Oh for the love of…” Beca began to laugh helplessly, leaning on Aubrey.

Stacie beamed as she patted Chloe’s back and pulled away. “Exactly, B. For the love.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Making.”

They were interrupted by Chloe’s phone, and they knew it was hers because “Makeba – Dirty Ridin’ Remix” was the ringtone blasting from the kitchen. Beca had made it for her last month and Chloe hadn’t gotten bored yet. She wiped her eyes as she got up, kissing Stacie once before heading into the other room to answer it.

“Are you saying you think I need help in bed, Stacie?” Beca mock glared.

Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Oh Beca, I don’t think you wanna start…” but Stacie grinned wickedly.

“I dunno, B. Yet.”

“Oh… Jesus.” Beca’s face instantly turned red. “I… Yeah, nope. I surrender. Right now.”

Whatever else they might have said was interrupted by a loud squeal of joy from the kitchen. “You are!? WHEN!” Chloe rushed out into the living room. “Guys! It’s Jessica and Ashley, they’re moving to LA!”

“That’s aca-mazing!” Aubrey clapped once and echoed Chloe, “When!?” while Stacie and Beca let out a cheer at the same time.

Chloe just waved her hand. “Shhh. Uh huh… Yeah… No. Oh totes!” She was nodding and smiling like a bobblehead; it always made Aubrey happy to see Chloe so excited. “Definitely. I’ll call you tomorrow when I find his card.” A short pause, then, “No, we’re at Staubrey’s having dinner.” She looked back at the rest of them who were watching her with various degrees of affection.

Aubrey felt her heart thump at the nickname. It may have started as a joke but she loved how it tied her to Stacie. Beca, of all people, said she felt the same way about Bloe, even though it had come up at one of the lowest points of their relationship.

Chloe was nodding, “Sure, one sec. Girls, Jessley wants to say hi.” That was another Amy nickname that had stuck. She often joked that her nicknames had the power to make couples, and with a 3 out of 4 success rate, she might be on to something. She’d tried to make “LillyRose” a thing in college and while everyone had known that was doomed to failure, they were all not-so-secretly happy it had crashed before it left the gate.

Chloe switched from a voice call to FaceTime and Jessica and Ashley appeared on the screen as she turned it toward the couch. Their faces were pressed together as they yelled, “We love you guys! We won’t have to miss you anymore!”

Aubrey, Beca and Stacie yelled “We love you!” at the phone, trying to see who could be louder.

Beca threw herself at Stacie and tried to cover her mouth. “No fair, your lungs are bigger because you’re taller and they have to support your giant boobs!”

“That’s not how bodies work, Beca!” Stacie pushed her back and they fell into an impromptu wrestling match on the couch. It seemed to be more tickling and squealing than headlocks. Aubrey watched them, smiling with affection.

Aubrey heard Ashley ask, “Do they do that often?”

“Unfortunately.” Chloe mock sighed. “They’re like teenagers sometimes.”

“What, like all horny all the time? What, ow, stop hitting me Jessica. It’s a legit question for those two!” Ashley rubbed her arm.

“Perv.” Jessica wrapped her arm around Ashley’s head from behind and covered her mouth. “Sorry about her.”

“It’s not like she’s wrong.” Chloe turned the phone around and winked.

“Ha.” Ashely pulled the hand away from her mouth. “But we’ll let you guys get back to your after dinner wrestling whatever. Happy Birthday again, Chloe.”

“Wait! We have to sing! Chloe, go sit with the girls.” Jessica cleared her throat.

“When did you get so bossy?” Beca asked as she waved Aubrey over to the couch on the other side of Stacie as she flopped breathlessly back into her spot.

Aubrey rose and went were directed. “Hi. Would you like to be pot or kettle?” She laughed as Beca stuck out her tongue when Chloe sat down between Beca and Stacie. “Shall I count us down for old time’s sake?”

“Thanks, Bree.” Ashley said as Jessica smiled widely.

Aubrey switched her gaze from the screen to her best friend.

She counted, softly, “1, 2, 3, 4.”

By the end of the beautifully, if she said so herself, harmonized rendition of “Happy Birthday” Chloe was a sniffling mess. Aubrey reached behind Stacie to give a soft tug on Chloe’s braid and got a watery smile in response.

As they all wished Jessley a good night, Aubrey once again thanked the Universe for putting these women in her life. She couldn’t imagine anything different or anything that could make her life more complete.

“What was that about finding a card?” Beca ran her knuckles down Chloe’s cheek, smiling when Chloe captured it in her own and brought it to her lips.

“Oh. Uh.” She sniffed once, clearing her throat. “They’re moving. Like, soon. End of July soon. So they wanted to know if there was any housing here.”

“Oh there’s totally empty houses!” Aubrey sat up on the couch. “That would be aca-awesome.”

“Totes, right? I’m going to call them tomorrow when I find that guys number.”

“Oh I have it in my rolodex! I’ll give it to you before you head home for the night.”

“Of course you still have a rolodex.” Beca rolled her eyes.

“That’s saved your bacon once or twice, DJ Titanium. Like when you lost the number for AND forgot the name of the client you were supposed to show around the office last year?”

“Oh. Yeah. Right.” Beca shrugged. “One of us has to be an adult, I suppose.”

Stacie asked, “I really like adult things, does that count?”

Beca answered, “No” at the same time Chloe and Aubrey said, “Yes.”

Stacie was smug. “You’re outvoted, B.”

“Yeah yeah. I’m getting used to it.” Beca rubbed at the side of her nose with her middle finger.

“Real mature.” Aubrey raised an eyebrow.

“You still love me.”

Aubrey sighed. “Unfortunately.”

“Ha.” Beca sat back against the couch. “I win.”

Aubrey grinned to herself as Stacie spoke up, not-so-subtly redirecting the conversation. “Hey, Chloe. Are you getting a personalized license plate?”

“Oh man.” Beca leaned forward again. “This is going to require alcohol.” She leaned over and grabbed her glass from the other side of the table. “For the record, I still think ACA AWES would be fine.”

Aubrey laughed looked at her quizzically and back at Chloe, who perked up. “That does sound like you, so what else could you be thinking of?”

“I’m just having problems deciding between two.” Aubrey just twirled her finger, asking her to keep going. “OK, here they are. I-M-T-H-T-T-S.” She watched as they tried to put it together.

After a second of silence, Beca offered. “I’m the tits.”

Aubrey choked out a laugh. “Chloe!”

Chloe giggled and waved a hand. “No wait. There’s one more. W-R-T-H-T-T-S.”

“’We are the tits’?” Stacie laughed. “That’s actually more perfect than ACA AWES, Becs.”

“Bingo!” Chloe laughed. “I lean more toward the second, because of the whole ‘we’ thing. That could be my team or my wife, and it’s always going to mean the Bellas. Or all of the above.”

Aubrey winced. “But, Chlo… What will your kids’ parents think?”

Beca pointed at her. “See? Adult.”

Chloe’s face fell and Aubrey felt bad. “Oh. I didn’t think of that.”

“Who cares?” They all looked at Stacie. “They’re not paying for it. And she’s already established herself as a responsible, and trophy winning I might add, instructor. That suddenly won’t change cause she quasi has ‘tits’ on her license plate.” Chloe’s smile was getting wider by the second. “They’re not the ones in her bed. Who cares what they think?”

“What does the bed have to do with anything?” Beca asked but now Aubrey was nodding.

“All good points, hon.”

Stacie waited the slightest fraction of a beat. “No, those are on her chest.”

It was just long enough that both Aubrey and Beca were taking a drink and it caused them to simultaneously snort and almost shoot wine out through their nose.

Chloe looked coyly at Stacie and smiled. “Thanks.”

Stacie just leaned back and smiled smugly.

Chloe bounced in place. “So, Bree. What all does this spa have?”

Aubrey jumped up and grabbed her hand. “Oh! I forgot to include the brochure in the card. C’mere, it’s upstairs. I can get you that number too.” She tugged until Chloe got to her feet. “We’ll be back. Behave while we’re gone, will you?”

Beca groaned as they headed upstairs. “You know that just makes Stacie think inappropriate things, Bree.”

~S~

After she watched them head out of the room, Stacie looked back and smirked as Beca eyed her narrowly. “It’s like you expect me to jump your bones immediately or something.”

“I ain’t givin’ you no ideas.” Beca sipped from her glass and Stacie saw something shifting behind her eyes. “So, that party that I stupidly suggested we throw.”

Stacie scooted back until she could lean on the arm of the couch. “Yeesss. Not one of your smartest moves, inviting all our offices.”

Beca groaned. “I know. I was in a good mood. Or drunk. Or in a good mood while drunk, I don’t know. Whatever. I think we need to plan better this time, though.”

“What do you mean?”

Beca ticked them off on her fingers. “Last time we ran out of chips before the sun even went down. There was an emergency ice delivery that had to be made by 8. We almost ran out of beer. The last person didn’t Uber their ass out until like 3 in the morning.” That last was said just a little too casually, but Stacie couldn’t find anything in it that felt like it needed to be hidden.

She tilted her head. “You think they’ll be here late again?”

“The party is bigger.” Beca shrugged. “I mean, the invite said to be ready to Uber, no exceptions.” Beca rolled her eyes. “But in a more… office politics correct way. Thanks to Bree and her lawyer-ese.”

Stacie laughed. “You gotta admit it does come in handy sometimes.”

“Whatever. But…” And her eyes did that shifting again. “Yeah. I think it’s going to be really late before we get the last one out the door.” She cleared her throat. “Thankfully we have both Sunday and Monday to recover. I had one mother of a hangover last year.”

Stacie thought she was starting to see what Beca might be getting at peeking around the edges. It had crossed her mind that the party was a perfect time to see if they were all ready to maybe do this thing. Or start the actual talk about it. And, if the past few weeks had been any indication – hell, today alone was like a giant signal fire - it really was just a matter of time. But Beca had a point. They were all super drunk last year. Stacie actually didn’t remember the last person leaving or going to bed. She had woken up in her party outfit, makeup smeared all over her pillow like a cheap whore on a bender. Even Aubrey, while she’d managed to wash off her makeup and change into pj’s, took at least another hour to wake up after Stacie had crawled her way to hug their toilet.

Maybe… this was Beca’s way of telling her to wait. That the answer would be ‘yes’. Eventually.

Or Stacie was totally full of shit and reading things that weren’t there.

She decided to ignore it for tonight and focus on what she could answer without asking potentially awkward questions. “You’re right. Ok, so how about this year…” She thought a minute while Beca waited. “I know Bree has that full list of food and drink. I’ll look at it and see if she accounted for those random outages. Knowing her, she probably did, but I’ll check.” Stacie suddenly grinned. “Have you gotten the playlist ready?”

Beca groaned. “No! Chloe keeps adding things and now Aubrey keeps texting me her ideas.”

Stacie laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. Is this too much for you, DJ Titanium?” And for once she didn’t mean any of the underlying things that could, and usually did, mean.

Beca glared at her. “Don’t insult my honor, Legs.”

Stacie dodged the decorative pillow thrown at her, laughing easily.

46 notes · View notes

hoodiejaebum · 7 years

Text

Beautiful

Pairing: Bambam x Reader

Genre: Artist! AU smut, angst, fluff

it really IS all three

Word Count: 2.3k+

Warnings: body worship, sensuality.

A/N: This is the first in the Artist AU series that I’ve been dying to do for so long. I started this in like, March and I’m just now getting it posted because I finally had inspo to finish. I really hope you guys like it! My masterlist is here, and requests are still open! Also you can vote for next week’s Daddy here. Voting ends tomorrow at 9pm MST!

You shut the door behind you as you entered the art studio. You sighed, trying to find a seat that was not too far from the pedestal positioned in the center of the room, but not too close to it. You don’t want to seem like a teacher’s pet, you thought to yourself. Finally, you found one that was a desk away from the center—perfect for the aloof vibe you were trying to give off. Having no friends after you’d moved to New York was fine with you. You were pursuing your art career, and this was your first day in class. It was supposed to include in-depth study of the human body, sculpting, painting, photography and graphic design.

You plopped your bag down on the desk, took all your pencils in your hand, and turned sharply—right into the broad chest of someone who was 5’10” and smelled fantastic. Your pencils went flying and you were knocked directly backward into your chair.

“Fuck, my bad,” he said, immediately bending to pick them up without having to be asked.

“I can get ‘em,” you said softly. He stood and turned to you with a soft expression, his eyes crinkling just a little.

“Nah, I got it. I was coming over to introduce myself. I’m Bambam, I’ll be your model today.” He handed you the pencils and extended his free hand toward you. You shook it, shocked that you’d be starting with live models.

“I-I’m uh, Y/N,” you stuttered, pumping his hand twice. “Look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise,” he beamed, and swept toward another student.

“Okay, class, settle down,” your teacher stepped into the middle of the room. “Welcome to In-Depth Art I. Today, we’re going to be working with a live model.” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Bambam fidget with the button on his jacket sleeve. What is that about? You thought to yourself. There’s no reason to be nervous.

“For those of you who don’t know,” she said, pulling him by the sleeve into the center of the room. “This is Bambam. He’s a natural, and I’m sure you’ll all find him quite captivating. Does anyone have any questions before we start?”

When no one answered her, she grinned, turning to Bambam. “Okay, I’ll get out of your way and you can dive right into it, then.”

“Thanks, Helen,” he said, turning off the light and moving to the side of the room, where he removed his jacket. You expected him to just come sit down on the box in the center of the room, but he took off his shirt, too. His shoes and pants followed, and you were on the verge of hyperventilating as you looked around at your classmates, who seemed to be all too interested in their papers and pencils. None of them were paying him any mind except you, and you gripped the bottom of your chair as he inched down his boxer briefs, revealing himself to you.

You looked down and away as he walked to the center of the room, pulling up one knee and sitting directly in front of the warm light emanating from the front edge of the box. He caught your eye and grinned as your hand shook so much that you nearly dropped your pencil, your internal monologue beginning to get on your own nerves.

He’s looking—oh, god—you dropped your pencil, you fucking idiot! Okay, get a grip. Focus. It’s not like he’s staring at you. He’s not, is he? You looked back up just to check, and Bambam’s head was facing forward, not looking at you, or anyone, for that matter. He’s not staring. That’s a good thing. Pull yourself together. It’s not like you’ve never seen a naked guy before. He just happens to be really hot and really nice. Just draw, homie, you urged yourself.

The next two hours were spent trying to avoid eye contact and simultaneously looking at every inch of his body—trying to translate what you saw in front of you to paper.

You sighed and gathered your things as your professor excused you, and tried to keep your eyes on the floor, quietly putting your pencils into your bag. You turned and slung your messenger bag over your shoulder. You stopped a few inches short of that same chest and glanced up, an automatic apology slipping from your mouth.

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” Bambam tittered.

Your face went hot immediately, and you half-laughed. “You gotta stop sneaking up on me!” you pushed his shoulder playfully.

“Hey!” He grinned and leaned forward, bracing himself on the edge of the table. “I was wondering… Would you want to go get coffee with me tomorrow?”

You paused, slightly taken aback by the abrupt shift in conversation. “I—I’d love to.” You beamed up at him. “How about ten? Before class?”

“That works for me. I don’t have anywhere to be other than here,” he chuckled.

“Okay, I’ll see you at ten,” you smiled, and he grinned as you left the room.

The alarm went off, and you rolled over to face your boyfriend of two years. You slipped a hand into his hair and kissed his cheek softly. “Baby,” you whispered, your face inches from his, “it’s time to get up.”

“Okay,” he said, his voice thick with sleep, one of his eyes popping open and clutching the pillow closer to his bare chest. “Can I have like, five more minutes, please?” You kissed his forehead.

“Of course you can.” You got up and busied yourself in the kitchen. You sighed as you pulled a pan from the shelf, dropping four eggs into the basin once it was hot enough. You put the bread in the toaster, and Bambam walked out of the bathroom. He sauntered into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, filled the coffee pot and turned to face you as he pressed the power button.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he beamed and planted a kiss on your cheek.

“Morning, baby,” you cooed as he turned to the living room.

“How did you sleep?” he said, switching on the Xbox and waiting for the Youtube app to load. His head snapped back to look at you when you didn’t answer right away. “Babe?”

You hesitated, flipping the eggs to stall. “I slept… fine, I guess.”

“Well, did you have a night terror or did I just hog the blankets?” he murmured.

“You hogged the blankets, like always,” you said, contemplating telling him what was on your mind, then you huffed and pulled a plate out of the cupboard. “Truthfully, I keep having the same night terror. I’m always losing you.”

He walked into the kitchen, having thrown on Rain for quiet background music. “Losing me how?”

You gulped around the lump that had grown in your throat, and took a deep breath as your boyfriend sat down at the table. “I don’t feel like I’m what you want anymore.”

Bambam’s face softened more than you’d ever seen, his eyes becoming pools of molten chocolate. He gestured for your hand. “Come here,” he said, “turn off the stove and come here.”

You did as you were asked, and he pulled you into his lap, wrapping his arms around you and leaning back so he could stare into your eyes.

“You are the single most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on,” he whispered. “Let me show you.”

Bambam’s lips were gentle on yours, your mouths moving in unison like they were made for each other, like they’d always belonged to each other. His right hand caressed the back of your neck, the left cupping your cheek, his thumb rubbing back and forth along the skin there. He sighed into the kiss and you couldn’t help but smile at the familiar way his tongue slid out to greet yours. He pulled you against him, deepening the kiss further, getting more urgent with each passing second.

He hitched your legs around his hips and you hooked your arms around the back of his neck. He stood up and carried you slowly to the bedroom, whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

“Hang on,” he breathed as he set you down. He was gone for probably 30 seconds before he came back with a palette of acrylic paints, a couple brushes and a cup of water to dip in.

“You’ve been painting me for so long that I want to paint you for once, and show you what I see,” Bambam’s gaze was soft, making you melt as he stared into your eyes.

“I- I don’t know what to--” you started, but your boyfriend put his finger to your lips.

“Just take a deep breath and say yes, already,” he giggled, the perfect smile you that you’d sketched so often--but never been able to capture the true beauty of--spreading across his face. You inhaled at the sight and your pulse increased noticeably. You were apparently unable to help yourself. He still had this hold on you. Still.

“Yes,” you said. Bambam kissed you once again, his lips melding with yours effortlessly. You smiled at him and he pulled gently at the hem of your shirt, asking permission to remove it silently. You nodded and lifted your arms over your head, and he pulled it off in one fluid movement, like water in a creek. You unclasped your bra, setting it to the side. A gust of breath escaped your boyfriend.

“God, you don’t even know how beautiful you are,” he murmured.

He pushed you backward into the mattress and straddled you. He took the paints in one hand and had you hold the water cup, dipping his smaller brush into it. His hips were settled over yours as he went straight in with the dark blue paint, slipping it along the right side of your collarbone. “This part of you is my favorite place to kiss, because every single time I do, you get goosebumps,” he breathed, a grin seeping into his mask of concentration. The goosebumps appeared as instantaneously at his words.

He changed brushes, this time to a bigger one that could cover more surface area. He covered your chest in blue paint, and the sensation made you cold but you didn’t care. You closed your eyes and reveled in the way his brush glided over your body. He paused and changed back to the smaller one, and when you squinted at him, the color was yellow.

“This,” he said, pressing the brush to the underside of your breast, “is my favorite spot to sleep. I can hear your heartbeat and your breasts are so comfortable,” Bambam said, leaning forward to plant a kiss to your lips.

He moved the brush in a spiral pattern over your right breast, pulling it in smaller circles as he drew it closer to your nipple. He grinned as you arched toward him slightly and moved the brush to your midsection.

“This place...” he dabbed the brush in the glob of green on the palette, then pressed it to your navel. He drew another spiral, then looked up at you. “This is where our children are going to be. I love them already,” he said. “I’ve never loved someone I haven’t met this much.”

Tears of joy filled your eyes and he beamed down at you. “Will you make little artists with me one day?”

“One day,” he whispered, his brush now moving into the white, coming to land on your other breast. He drew a flower this time-- a lily with great detail. The bud of your nipple served as the carpel of the lily, and the petals fell beautifully over the rest of your breast. He mixed the grey, then went in with values, making the lily not only stand out more but also look more lifelike. He leaned back on his heels, admiring his handiwork.

“This is gorgeous,” he breathed, his eyes alight with wonder.

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t deny the way your heart rate picked up. “You’re so dramatic.”

“No, seriously. Go look at it,” he murmured, helping you up and sending you off to the bathroom.

You walked to the bathroom with your hands shaking, hoping that he hadn’t been exaggerating when his mouth had fallen open a little at the sight of his work.

Bambam followed you in, standing behind you as you turned to the right to look at your reflection in the medicine cabinet’s mirror. The first thing you noticed was the little lights that he’d placed on your hips, right in the divots. They had orange, yellow and red in them, glowing like no one’s business as your eye was pulled up by the vines connecting to the lily on your left breast. You’d have thought that it was a photo, the shading was so precise. You gasped at the spiral on your right breast. He’d done a rendition of Van Gogh’s Starry Night on that half of your body, and the green spiral on your bellybutton was a part of both paintings, connecting them beautifully.

“Bambam,” you said, tears filling your eyes once again, “It’s beautiful…”

He kissed your neck slowly, nodding his head and snaking his arms around your waist. “Just like you.”

You sighed and turned to press your lips to his, your mouths tangling harder and more quickly than ever before. You lifted his tank top off his body, pausing only to pepper kisses along the divot of his collarbones. He grinned and pinned you against the door of the bathroom, his hand dipping underneath the band of your sweats.

You hadn’t bothered to wear panties because you were just sitting at home, and he took full advantage of that. He grinned as his hand found your clit, smirking as you looked up into his face.

“I know this is what you really want, Y/N,” he said, “you want me to actually show you.”

#im jaebum #mark tuan #jackson wang #park jinyoung #choi youngjae #bambam #kim yugyeom #got7 #artist! got7 #artist au #artist! bambam #got7 bambam #got7 smut #got7 fluff #got7 angst #got7 reactions #got7 scenarios #kunpimook bhuwakul

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rinovarka · 7 years

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questions questions game:

rules are: if you get tagged you gotta say the rules, answer the questions, create your own questions (11) and tag 11 others so the cycle can continue. so I will tag people, but only answer if ya want!!

so the questions by @epoint25…

1. favorite scene from any movie

…I am racking my brains to remember BEST EVER SCENE but I cant?? Im at a loss??? Maybe the end scene in Dreamwork’s “Home” where Oh gives the “stone” to the Gorg, and explains why the Gorg wanted it so much?? I also love the scene in El Libro de la Vida where Manuel has to deal with the giant skeletal bull…any Cinderella movie the scene where Cinderella is able to leave her abusive fam forever…

Favorite scene in any text story (as I feel these more deeper) are

a)IDW Trypticon in Transformers:Salvation, his end…I only read this is TFWiki (as I JUST read the entire TFwiki on My Son just now) and…Trypticon across all Transformers series has been created for hate and destruction and has never had a say in his like…and the fact that he gets the opportunity to be free and…I cried….

b)scene in the book called “The Rapture Effect” where….basically, the AI, called “Core” in the story is trying to stop a war between an alien group and humanity, and eventually just…has an emotional breakdown and feels so bad about mistakes they made and feels alone and stressed, so two main protagonist humans help them out…and one of the humans have the same kind of insecurities and???? Its an amazing book okay, a recommended read, (though it has some rly drawn out tension and 0/10 female characterization,0/10 use of the diverseness of characters, needs a rewrite bc it has so much potential)

c)How to Train Your Dragon book series, not just a scene but…the whole arc with Furious, and Hiccup growing…aaaaa!!! (please read the series)

2. movie or tv show sequels or spin-offs that you think were a mistake.

…I am also at a loss again??? Can’t think of one rn sorry???

3. do you have siblings, if so do you get along with them?

I have an older sister and brother, I have an ok relationship with them, not as close as I suppose people “normally” have tho…

4. are you a city slicker or a farmboy (boy in this case being nongender specific)?

I live in the suburbs BUT if I had to choose…and its a close call…farm! I love to garden, ( I grew okra this summer, and am trying to grow kale, salad, and swiss chard!), and love the countryside nature. I love city too tho….

5. what was the best grade for you? elementary? high school? College?

Definitely college. In each grade, I ALWAYS had some existential crisis, especially in college, and social anxiety! BUT…I can deal with those crises better than I can with school drama and social circles. In college, aint nobody care about what you do! So, my last two years in high school, I WAS in college at the same time, and hOO boy I would make a storytime about senior year problems!

6. what’s your comfort video game? what do you play to relax?

…I don’t play video games, sorry!

7. who is your favorite actor, and what did you first see them in?

…I don’t particularly care for movies or celebrities tbh XD

8. which do you like more: marvel, dc, dark horse, other?

…dont murder me but I do not like either at all XD. I can not care for the superhero genre if my life depended on it! THOUGH, @eoscomic, @heartstoppercomic , @rejectedprincesses, and @iguanamouth sometimes makes cute comics that can be…weird? in a good way??

9. are you a fan of the transformers? if yes who’s your fav? if not, what is your fav robot\alien tv show-movie-comic-what have you?

…mmmm I have mixed feelings about Transformers…basically, I like certain concepts and characters in various series and know what generally happens in a good amount of continuities, but in no way would I sit down and read/watch a whole series…and I find it hard to talk to people in fandom and feel like people don’t like what I think, so I guess I am not a fan?? Maybe?? pseudofan??

Favorite characters….you cant make me choose just one…Trypticon, Metroplex, Astrotrain, Sunstorm, Skyfire, Starscream, Soundwave, Hound, Huffer, Tracks, Cosmos, Omega Supreme, Kappa Supreme…many I cant think on top of my head aaaa!!!

If you like having your feels ripped out of your limbic system, and sentient robots, watch Brave Police J Deckerd.

10. favorite yankee candle scent\flavor

I have SEEN Yankee Candles before, but I don’t buy candles. My sister buys Bath and Body Work Candles, and I think they smell good!! Dont remember the smells I like, though I remember there was a tomato vine scented candle and it smelled like hell…

11. can you cook? what can you cook? if you can’t cook what food do you like above all else?

I love cooking!! I am taking a culinary class next semester!! I CAN cook, but am not the best admittedly…I am allergic to dairy, egg, and abstain from high fat and pork…I wish I could bake decadent vegan desserts but ??? how??? (I settle for Cinnaholic cinnamon rolls and other rare vegan delectables…)

I like making Tinola (chicken soup with ginger, chayote squash…I add ripe papaya to it) and garbanzo bean coconut curry! If I can’t cook, I’d love to get chicken from Thai BBQ, sushi/poke bowl, or El Pollo Loco. Due to nostalgia, my top favorite food of all time is Beef Gyudon from Yoshinoya, which is sadly not in my state!

Questions for yall!

1) Nostalgic food?

2)What are two seemingly different YouTubers/artists/etc do you like??

3) Side dish: rice, pasta, bread, or potato??

4) 2d animation or 3d animation??

5) Song that is currently stuck in your head/on repeat right now?

6) What is one relatively unknown piece of media/story that you wished others would know about?

7) Steampunk or cyberpunk? (other punk?)

8) Are you inclined to science/math or social sciences/art/humanities?

9) Space or the ocean?

10) Cartoony art style or detail art style?

11) Giant robot friend or small robot friend?

@epoint25 @redacted-metallum @roboops @scotsdragon @bloodsweatandpreciousmetals @astro-femme @freeflighttemeraire @zerodestiny169 @phasesixes @brokeneisenglas @tracks-and-raoul

#question game #tag me ye

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lowat-golden-tower · 7 years

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Paging Dr. Birthday

Soooo yes. I know this is late. I know you're all screaming at me, "WHERE'S THE EMBRACING DARKNESS UPDATE." I'm sorry. Life's been crazy, and I haven't had much time or motivation to write. But I was determined to do something for the doc's birthday, even if it ended up getting posted two days later... oops....

But still! This is a good thing, because it means I'm getting my writing mojo back. Hopefully I'll have the new chapter out soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy some silly shenanigans with another set of egos. I struggled a bit with this but I'm very happy with the end result.

A very belated happy birthday to you, Dr. Henrik von Schneeplestein! May you continue keeping all our green beans safe, come Hell or glitch bitch.

AO3 Mirror

"Alright, listen, we gotta do this fer Schneeps. He's awesome, an' he keeps us put together, an' he jus' got outta havin' a bad rap with tha fans. He needs this. Especially after that video where Anti fucked wit'im."

Chase turned his head to shoot said glitch a look, the other Jacksepticeye egos following suit. Well, except for Robbie, but he was a little slow on the uptake. They could forgive him for it and just left him to contentedly chew on the kitchen table.

Anti, for his part, merely sneered at the group and proceeded to flip them off, his entire form briefly glitching in place.

Chase sighed and slipped off his hat so he could run a hand through his hair, ruffling it up and scratching at his scalp. "So. Glitchy arseholes aside-"

"Iǹh͞a̵l̴e҉ ͝my҉ ̶d̷ong̴, C͟h͟a̕se."̀

"-we need a plan. At least some ideas on what ta do. What about a surprise party?"

"I can make confetti! And streamers. And sparks! I can even make tha candles light up when he comes in." Marvin was quick to offer, wiggling his fingers and grinning with a flourish.

Chase pointed at the eager magician with a happy nod. "Yes. Good. What else?"

"If you can bake a cake, I can decorate eet to perfection! Mua! Tres magnifique. My masterpiece." Jacques cut in, kissing his fingertips. He was quick to go back to doodling, though, shooing away a curious Robbie before he could drool all over his sketchbook.

"Okay, cake, I can do that. And Marv can help, right Marv?" Chase looked back to the magician again, who gave an enthusiastic nod and thumbs up. "Sweet. Okay. So..." Slowly, his blue eyes slid to Anti, who was still sitting huffy and with his arms crossed.

Anti met Chase's gaze for a singular moment, then looked away and curled his lip into a disdainful sneer. "͘F̶o̧o͠k̡ off͏.̧ ̛I͟ ̵aiņ't͏ d͞o͞i͏n͢' ̡sh͟it̵e ͟fer̛ ͞t͏h̸ąt lo̵ony͟ ̕b̢in̨.̴ ̢Hav̵e ̧f̴ùn͝ ̸scar̢i͠n' tha͡ piss͢ out̷ta̸ h̴įm ͟f͢er ̡me, a̧n͏d ̶pr̛ob͘a͠b̢ly ̧gett̛in͞' s͜t́ab́bed̴ ͟wi̡t͜h a̶ ̛s̴ca̡lpe͡l͝ f͏er ye҉r͠ e̛f͞fo͟rt͘s. ͠I'm͘ ̀ou͟t!" With that, Anti glitched out of the kitchen, leaving behind the buzz of static and taste of iron.

Chase sighed and slipped his hat back onto his head. "Welp. Was worth a shot, at least. I think a cake'll be present enough, since I don't really know what Schneeps likes besides... medical... shite. Y'know. So let's just bake him a cake. Jacques can decorate it, and..." His gaze slid to where Robbie sat, clearly zoned out and drooling onto the table. Chase scratched at one of his sideburns. "...maybe Robbie can help. Mostly let's just make sure he doesn't drool on tha cake or anythin'."

Robbie looked up at the sound of his name, grunting curiously. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but it had something to do with the nice doctor who always stiched him back together when he fell apart. That and cake. Robbie liked cake. Maybe they would let him have some cake?

Before he could try to ask, there was the sudden crash of splintering wood from above. Chunks of debris and dust fell into the kitchen, frightening off those gathered at the table. Robbie ran out of the room with a lengthy cry, still heard quite clearly even after he'd gone down the hall. Marvin had his wand out at the ready, while Jacques and Chase coughed in the cloud of slowly settling dust.

"Who tha fook-"

"Greetin's, fellow citizens! Sorry I'm late, but I had ta save a train!" The confident form of Jackieboy stood upon the dust-strewn table, fists resting firmly on his hips. He wore a blinding grin, his head held high as if he hadn't just blasted a hole through their ceiling. "I heard we were makin' up plans for tha doc! I'm here ta offer my services."

Jacques wheezed, "Well ye can start by gettin' off tha fookin' table!"

In the end, Jackieboy was left to keep Schneep distracted and away from the kitchen. Which in hindsight, wasn't really all that hard, seeing as the doctor normally stayed cooped up in his office anyway. So Jackieboy's secondary task became keeping an eye out for any signs of sabotage from Anti, with a very minor tertiary task of corraling a hungry Robbie.

"Robbie, no, yeh can't eat tha eggs or tha flour. Not only is it bad fer yeh, but they need it ta make tha cake!" Jackieboy tugged the drooling, wide-eyed zombie back from the kitchen for the sixth time. The sleeves of his suit were covered in zombie spit by now and he internally sighed, not looking forward to washing the spandex. "C'mon, let's find yeh somethin' ta chew on." The hero grunted, dragging Robbie off down the hall.

Chase felt a twinge of guilt at Robbie's needy grunts and disapppointed groans, but they could make it up to him with cake later. If they got that far. Pursing his lips into a frown, Chase scratched at his hairline, almost knocking off his hat in the process. He squinted down at the recipe on his phone and scowled. "This doesn't make any sense. This is stupid."

"I told yeh, I could always just..." Marvin began, giving his wand a little wiggle.

Chase immediately shook his head. "No magic. Yeh've never conjured food before, an' no offense Marv, but I really don't want ta poison tha doc on his birthday. Or... us. Besides, it takes some of tha thought outta it, doesn't it? Jus' summonin' one up? Like goin' to tha store an' buyin' one. It's just cake. We can figure this out." Maybe. Hopefully.

"Whossat big bakin' YouTuber? Tha one Mark likes ta do videos with?" Marvin suggested after more wasted time spent staring at the recipe and dully cracking eggs into a mixing bowl.

"Rosanna Pansino? Oh yeah! Yer right, she's probably got a whole tutorial on bakin' a cake. Good one, Marv!"

Marvin beamed with happiness, and together the pair searched up the most appropriate video they could find. Her visual instructions made it a little easier. Soon enough, the cakes were in the oven, and the kitchen was an absolute disaster.

Chase and Marvin didn't look much better, and Chase laughed. "Yeh got egg on yer mask."

"Well you've got flour all over yer hat!" Marvin countered, grinning.

Chase removed his hat to find it had indeed changed into a different color, and together they both shared another laugh. Then he sighed and plopped his hat back on. "We're both a mess, and so's tha kitchen. I call tha shower first, then you should get one in before we throw tha big surprise. That way I'll be here ta check on tha cakes."

Marvin nodded. "I can try ta clean up a little in tha meantime. Magic's fine fer cleanin', right?" He put on his very best puppydog look and batted his eyelashes.

Chase snorted. "Yeah, yeah. But only ta clean. Don't do anythin' ta tha cakes!" He pointed at Marvin with severity, and the magician gave an obedient nod.

"O' course, o' course. No magic cakes!"

"Good. I'll be back."

The moment Chase was out of sight, Marvin's angelic expression turned a tiny bit devious. He smirked at the oven and raised his wand. "No magic cakes. But magic oven? Didn't hear any rules about that...."

When Chase returned to the kitchen later, he was happy to find it spotless.

He was significantly less happy to find the cakes already out of the oven, having apparently quadrupled in size. And multiplied. Chase was distinctly sure they only put two cakes in the oven, but the stack Jacques was busily decorating consisted of at least four or five.

Marvin, spying him, grimaced and was quick to duck past him out of the kitchen. "My turn ta shower! Gotta hurry before the party! Bye!" He was gone before Chase could really register the escape and try to stop him, thus leaving him alone with Jacques in the kitchen.

Chase sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. Sometimes, it felt like he had an entirely new set of kids to care for. Oh well. There was no real fixing it now. Especially since Jacques appeared to be "in the zone." Once the artsy ego got going, it was hazardous to try and stop him. Like stopping a speeding train, really. Last time Chase tried to ask him something while Jacques was in the middle of painting a portrait, he'd nearly gotten a paintbrush shoved up his nose.

Jacques was humming to himself, smearing acidic green frosting along the stack of cakes. He was hardly a baker or cake decorator, but he was the most creative out of them all. Chase wouldn't have given the important task to anyone else. Still, he felt it necessary to ask...

"You, uh... yer usin' food colorin', right?"

Jacques only response was to grunt his irritation at being interrupted and wave a hand. Chase wasn't sure if that meant "shoo" or "yes" but he was going to take it as the latter. Another word and he might end up with a pastry bag tip shoved somewhere very unpleasant.

"Robbie, no, yeh can have cake later, I promise! Righ' now Jacques has gotta work! C'mon..." Jackieboy whined as he barely caught a sprinting Robbie under the armpits. Chase had stumbled back, surprised by the zombie's efforts.

His surprise redoubled when Robbie's arms popped right off.

"Fook-"

"Jackie!"

"It was an accident. I ferget he can jus' fall apart like that!"

"Well stop'im, he's gonna get to tha cake!"

"CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE." Robbie stumbled towards the monstrosity Marvin had cultivated, jaw hanging and drool flowing freely. He might not have had arms anymore, but that was hardly going to stop him.

Thankfully, Jacques was not intimidated by a hungry zombie. The moment he heard someone drawing near, he whipped around and stuck his frosting-coated spatula in the ego's face. Robbie was so stunned by the move that he actually stopped, staring at the spatula with wide, confused eyes. "No. Bad zombie. Zat is a very, very bad zombie! Down boy! Heel! Go! Shoo-shoo! Begone from zis masterpiece! It ees not yet completed! Shoo!"

Robbie whined, then whimpered as the spatula was waved about in his face. He ducked away from it, tantalizing as the sweet smell of frosting could be, then turned tail and ran away again.

Chase watched him go, then looked down at the fallen limbs. He nudged one with a foot.

Jackie mimicked him, but with less limb nudging. "I should... probably..."

"...go give him his arms back, yeah. At least it'll keep Schneep distracted."

Schneep sighed while he diligently sewed Robbie's arms back to his shoulders. It had almost become busy work for him; a task he completed dozens of times a month. He could probably do it with his eyes closed at this point.

Jackieboy was no stranger to his clinic either. If the superhero wasn't coming in after a scrape with "evil-doers" or a crash landing, then he was bringing in one of the others. Robbie was, indeed, the likely suspect. Today was no different. Still, it was quite the feat that Robbie had managed to lose both arms at once. At least it prevented him from messing around with Schneep's supplies.

"Und just how did he manage to lose zem zis time?"

Jackieboy rubbed at the back of his neck, expression sheepish. "Oh, y'know... zombie things. Think he mighta been chasin' somethin'."

"Hmph." Schneep squinted at his stitching, then clipped the excess. He moved on to the other shoulder but not before shooting Jackieboy a suspicious frown. He was acting strangely. "Und you just happened to find heem like zis?"

"Uh, yup! Definitely. Had nothin' ta do with the accident at all."

"...right. Of course."

Robbie burbled out some nonsense while he tested his reattached arm. It thumped repeatedly against the little table until Schneep grabbed for it, pressing it down.

"Stop."

Robbie grunted at him, but seemed to listen- for the moment. Schneep had barely gone back to stitching when Robbie's arm flung out, knocking over an entire cup of tongue depressors. Schneep released a guttural cry of frustration.

"I got it, doc!" Jackieboy was quick on the draw, scooping up the wooden sticks and dumping them back into the cup. Robbie burbled and slapped his hand against the table in response; clearly amused and impressed. Jackieboy had to smile at the child-like behavior. "Gotta be careful, Robbie. Don't wanna break anything now." He reached out to ruffle the zombie's hair, resulting in multiple happy noises coupled with a dopey grin.

Schneep scoffed. "He should focus on not breakeeng heemself."

Jackieboy may have just been reading too into things as he was wont to do, but it sounded like Schneep was more agitated than usual. The doctor was almost always a salty individual, but this level of hostility was... out of the ordinary. Especially towards Robbie. Good thing they had a special surprise planned! Surely that would lift Schneep's dampened spirits. "Hey, at least he's easy ta put back together."

Schneep scrunched up his nose. "Yes... und drool is easier to get out of clothes zan blood."

Once Marvin was showered and the cake was completed, it was simply a matter of dressing up the kitchen. Between the three egos, it proved to be, well... a piece of cake. Marvin conjured up a majority of what they needed, or they dug it out of the closets from previous parties. Jacques told them where to hang what and kept everything in a healthy balance of color.

The cake itself shone like a brilliant beacon in the center of the kitchen, all greens and blues with little Sam's piped here and there. Jacques had done his best to add on some medical things like giving the Sam's surgical masks, stenciling out makeshift syringes and scalpels and even writing out "Happy Birthday!" in a lovely white script at the top. He'd really outdone himself. Chase had no doubt Schneep was going to love it.

"Okay, so I texted Jackie, an' he should be showin' up any time with tha doc. We gotta dim tha lights an' get into positions fer the big surprise! So find a good hidin' spot an' wait until tha lights come on to jump out, got it?"

The other two nodded. Marvin gave a little swish of his cape, and just like that disappeared in a puff of smoke. Dramatic, but effective. Jacques, on the other hand, was all drama and... almost zero effect. He hid behind a chair. Chase supposed it would do and slipped into the cupboard, leaving the door cracked to see.

The seconds stretched into what felt like minutes, then hours, with those gathered practically holding their breaths in anticipation. Their ears were primed to catch the softest squeak of floorboards, but it honestly took so long Chase was about ready to shoot Jackieboy another text. It was in that exact moment they heard the voices; several sets of footsteps accompanying them towards the kitchen.

"Jackie, honestly, zere is a coffee machine een my clinic!" Schneep sounded exasperated. Hopefully the surprise and cake would be enough to make up for whatever tactics Jackieboy had used to keep him occupied.

"Well, yeah, but tha one in tha kitchen makes such better coffee. I mean, yeh can taste tha difference. Besides, 's always good ta get up an' stretch yer legs a little bit."

"I am on my feets all ze time, Jackieboy. I hardly need more exercise."

"Of course. I just... I meant..."

"CAKE." Robbie. He was going to blow their cover!

"Ca-?" Schneep began, tone questioning, only to be abruptly cut-off by Jackieboy.

"Oh! Right! It was cake he chasin' after, before. Y'know, when he ripped his arms off? Poor thing must still be cravin' it, ahaha...."

There was silence, but Chase knew Schneep; he was probably squinting at Jackieboy with the upmost skepticism. He wanted to smack his forehead. Why, oh why, did all of them have to be so bad at lies and deception? Well, except for Anti, but he didn't count. Not as if he wanted anything to do with this, anyway.

Thankfully, Schneep didn't have anymore time to consider what Jackieboy might be trying to hide. At that moment, the kitchen light switched on. "Vhy is eet zo dark een here?"

"SURPRISE!"

Chase leapt out of the cupboard, arms flung wide with a grin on his face. He glanced across the kitchen, hoping the others had remembered their cue. Jacques was on his feet, gesturing towards the cake he'd spent painstaking hours on. And in another puff of smoke, Marvin reappeared, his cape swishing and wand raised. Just like that, bright green confetti rained from the ceiling, and the candles scattered about the cake lit up.

"Surprise...!" Jackieboy tacked on a few seconds later, giving some jazz hands and a sheepish grin of his own.

Robbie grunted, eyeing the cake, but apparently he'd learned his lesson.

Schneep openly gawked at it all. His stunned expression wasn't hindered in the slightest, as he'd removed his surgical mask for a nice coffee break. There was confetti in his hair but he either didn't notice or ignored it in favor of looking around to take it all in. He was speechless.

Chase's grin faltered when more than a minute had passed without some reaction from the doctor. He glanced at the other egos anxiously, and wasn't sure if he felt relief or more concern when his anxiety was mirrored back to him. Was this a mistake? Did Schneep hate it? Was he upset and just trying not to let it loose in front of everyone? Maybe Anti was right. Maybe this was a bad idea.

Robbie's drool dripping to the linoleum was the only sound, the zombie valiantly holding himself off. He only had eyes for the cake, though, completely oblivious to the growing awkward tension. Cake.

Finally, Chase began to lower his arms, expression crumpled into uncertainty and regret. "Do... you... not like it...?" The others followed his actions, dropping their arms. Marvin began to fidget with his cape.

Schneep blinked rapidly, as if coming out of a trance. The action finally dislodged the tears which had been gathered in his blue eyes; a thin film too transparent to be seen. They dripped down his cheeks and he slowly lifted a hand, touching at the wetness on his face. He looked as stunned as the rest of them. "Oh."

Chase tensed, his hands flying up. "Doc. Fook, doc, I'm sorry, I just thought- fook." He stepped forward, unsure of what to do but wanting to help.

"I knew zis was a bad idea!" Jacques bemoaned dramatically, though he'd said absolutely nothing of the sort prior to right this very moment.

"Oh no doc don't cry! Don't cry!" Marvin rushed forward as well, expression pained and guilty.

Jackieboy clutched at his head with a grimace. "Ahhhh fook, we made Schneeps cry, I can't believe we fooked up that badly." What to do? What to do? He was a hero! He should know this!

Robbie blinked at all of the commotion, turning around with a grunt. He tilted his head, watching the other egos hover around the doctor. No cake?

"Doc..." Chase tried again, his heart aching as he watched the ego brush more tears off his face. "Henrik, I'm sorry, I thought..." He trailed off, intially because he thought Schneep was starting to sob. His heart almost broke, but then he and the others realized it wasn't sobs bubbling past Schneep's lips, but laughter. Chase's blue eyes went wide; all the egos visibly flummoxed.

It took Schneep a few moments to form words between the laughter, and when he did manage it they were breathless; his tone giddy. There were still a few tears trickling down his cheeks but now the others were understanding them to be tears of joy. "No, no, no. You misunderstand. I am not upset! No! I am zo happy. I am..." He huffed out a breath, his broad grin making his eyes crinkle at the corners. "...I vas beginning to zink you all forgot, to be honest, I..." Schneep shook his head. "I vas not expecteeng a party like this, or cake, but just a 'happy birthday' or two...."

The words clicked in Jackieboy's brain, and suddenly he comprehended the cause of Schneep's prickly attitude earlier. He was upset that no one had stopped by to at least wish him a happy birthday. And when he registered the fact they'd gone above and beyond, throwing him a party, he'd just been too stunned to say anything. Stunned to tears, apparently. Jackieboy's heart performed a somersault in his chest. "Doc..."

"Don't look at me, I am a hideous mess! All zese snot und tears, agh. I need a tissue." Schneep sniffed, still scrubbing at his reddened face. The tension in room dissipated like air leaking from a balloon.

Chase smiled, and then he chuckled a bit himself. Relief flooded his system as he took off his hat to run fingers through his hair. "Henrik. C'mon. As if we'd ferget your birthday! We jus' wanted ta make it extra special."

"I'm glad yer not cryin' 'cause yer upset, but here." Marvin pulled a tissue from his sleeve after a bit of fancy handwork, passing it off to the sniffling doctor with a gentle smile. "We'd never forget your birthday, Schneep. Yeh do too much fer us."

"A cake is ze least you deserve." Jacques tacked on, having recovered from his dramatic display.

Robbie still didn't know the specifics of what was going on, but he grunted and nodded emphatically. Everyone was saying good things about the doctor, and he agreed.

Jackieboy laughed and gave Schneep a hearty slap on the back. "Yeh big sap! Lookit you, cryin' like a little kid. You underestimate us." He only beamed when Schneep sent him a look over his shoulder, giving a wink and cute two-fingered salute.

Schneep scoffed, taking a moment to blow his nose one more time before discarding the tissue. "Alright, alright, zo I vas mistaken. One of very few mistakes I am glad for. I only hope ze wax deed not ruin zis cake. Eet is enormous!"

It was Chase's turn to shoot Marvin a look, who grinned sheepishly. "I uh... mighta fiddled with tha oven... a bit. But like I said, yeh deserved a fantastic cake! No- a magnificent cake! Jacques did a great job decoratin', an' don't worry about tha candles. Magic fire means no melty wax. Bit of a trick I've been workin' on." He gave a wink of his own, grinning.

"Please, it was nozing! Child's play!" Jacques was silently preening at the praise, though, everyone could see it.

Schneep shook his head, but he was still smiling as he stepped closer to the cake. The others gathered around, Robbie showing brilliant self-control by not shoving his face into it straight away. "Eet's amazing. All of zis is. Zank you, all of you."

"Happy birthday, Schneeps. Blow out tha candles and make a wish!"

"Happy birthday, Schneep. Make it a good one."

"Good luck blowing them all out at once. Happy birthday."

"Caaaaake." Robbie grunted, turning to smile at Schneep. "Birfday."

Schneep chuckled. "Yes. Yes eet is, Robbie." The sheer size of the cake and the number of candles was a little intimidating, but Schneep was determined. He drew in a deep breath, prepared to try his best, when suddenly the very top of the cake exploded outwards. He choked on the breath he'd taken, shocked, stumbling backwards and sputtering. "Vhat-"

Frosting spotted everyone, and the furniture, but that was the extent of the damage. Multiple sets of blue eyes squinted up at the top of the cake, flabbergasted, but the cause of the explosion was immediately obvious. There, with his naked upper half sticking out from the top of the cake, was none other than Anti. Frosting and bits of cake were smeared all over his skin, his green hair sticking to his face. He bore the biggest grin of all while he flung his arms out to either side in a clear show of "Here I am!".

"ANTI?!"

"̧Su͢r̶prise! ̧I̸ ch͢ange͞d ͡my ͏m̶i͜n͠d̶.͢ ͏D́e̡cid͢ed͜ ҉to͟ ̡dro̸p͘ in òn̢ ̨you̴r ͏li͝ttle̛ pa̛rty͡ aft͢e̡r ҉all͞. ́I ͝h̢eard ̧t̢h̕is ̢w͝a̴s͘ ̶a ͝p͡opu̕l͢a̧r͏ th͠i̸ng ͟t́o d͝o͠, ̡f͢er̴ gi͡ànt̕ ̷cak͜és͢.̢ F̕ig̵u̕r͞ed̶ ͞y͠o̴u'҉d ͟a̧p̴p̧rec̢iat̶e͏ it̕.͡" Anti glitched a bit, his head jerking to one side while he leered down at the doctor.

Schneep's face looked torn between paling and being flustered, rapidly flickering between white and red. He sputtered again, absolutely floored. "Did you all plan zis?!"

"NO!" Chase was quick to deny involvement, though it was also obvious he was having a hard time swallowing down his laughter. "Anti wanted nothin' ta do with yer party!"

"Mon dieu!" Jacques pressed the back of his wrist to his forehead and made a show of fainting, Jackieboy faithfully running over to "catch" him.

The superhero rolled his eyes. "For fook's sake, Anti."

"W͟hąt̶? Yo̡u w͢anted̷ a ̷śu͝ŕp̴r͡i̢se,̧ I̷ gàve̛ ́it͝ ͜to͝ y͟ou!́ ͝Y̢ou͝ ̨şhǫuld bè ͏t̨ḩan͟king me̶!"

"Uh. I just... I was wonderin'...." All eyes turned to a fidgeting Marvin, the barest hint of his blush visible under the lip of his mask. "Are you... completely naked?"

That was clearly something no one else had thought of, as all eyes turned to Anti again; wide with disbelief. The glitch poked his tongue out, arms crossing over his chest. "O̧f co͠urs̷e͡.̵ ͏Ho͝w̷ el̀se̵ would ye͝h ̡d̀o ̧it?"́

"Oh god." Chase tugged the brim of his hat down over his face.

"Mon dieu!" Jacques cried again, falling heavier into a flustered Jackieboy's arms.

"Zat is disgusting!" Schneep shouted, pulling a face.

Anti scowled, his expression darkening. "W͠e ͡all̀ h̀a͠ve̢ ̡t̴ha̷ sąme̢ b̨ody̨! ̛I͡t's͟ n̕o̵t̕ ̵g҉on̴na͘ ͞k҉i͏ll ̶yeh́! L͘o̵ók̶- ͢Rob̛bie'҉s eat̛in'̷ i̢t!"͜ He pointed to where the zombie was buried to his shoulders in the sweet confection, finally caving to his desires.

Suddenly, no one really seemed to mind. Chase pushed his hat back up with a sigh, turning to leave the kitchen. "Welp. Guess we're gonna go buy a cake. C'mon everybody, I think tha bakery down the street's still open."

"Yes, good, I second zis idea. Perhaps ve can even get zome dinner." Schneep was quick to follow Chase out, Marvin at his heels.

Jackieboy hefted Jacques up into his arms bridal-style. "Let's go, princess. Have fun with Robbie, Anti! Don't make anymore of a mess." He trailed after the other three, Jacques more than content to be carried as he blew the glitch a farewell kiss over Jackieboy's shoulder.

"Salut!"

"͞He҉y͝! Wait!͞ Y͘e̛ a͠r͞śe̴h͞o̸le̵s!͟ ̴C͢o͘m͡e ́bac͝ḱ h̴e̡r͘e! ̸Ye͝h͠ ̡c͘an't j̸ust͡ c͡h͏a̸nge̡ y̵er m͢in҉ds!́ H̸ȩy̷!" Anti gripped at the top layer of cake, glowering after their retreating forms. Figured, that's what he got for actually trying to "participate" and "help out." Ungrateful bastards. He huffed, shifting to rest his forearms on the cake instead, looking down to where his zombie companion was still happily eating away. "͞Well̨.̴ ͏L̶eas̷t ̷I'̕m͡ no҉t̷ ̴a͠l҉on͡e,̸ ̡I͡ g͜u̴e͜şs.̴ Th͠ìn͜k҉ ̶ye͘h̛ c̢an̴ ̧eat̛ ҉tha̸ w̧hole t̵hing҉, R͜obb̡i̵e?͜"

Robbie's head popped up from a different layer, his body positively coated in bright green frosting and a half-decayed grin on his pale face. "Cake!"

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye egos #jsegos #dr. schneeplestein #chase brody #bro average #marvin the magnificent #robbie the zombie #jacques #jackieboy man #antisepticeye #paging dr. birthday #fanfiction #needle mention #dismemberment #nudity mention

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