#happy to look back on this and laugh eventually

[elizaleclerc]

suddenly, it was everything ✿

lando norris x reader

summary: fem best friend!reader and lando take a beach trip with friends as their relationship slowly turns into something more…(warning! smut & descriptions of blood)

songs: pink + white by frank ocean , the elevator by lizzy mcalpine , lunch by billie eilish (lol)

author’s note: i don’t typically write smut but i got an itch and had to scratch it with this one ; everyone knows about his feelings for you BUT you / hurt comfort / it’s always been you / other drivers playing matchmaker <3

word count: 4.6k

The warm sand tickled your legs as the ocean waves gently lapped at your feet. You had left your group basking in the sun on the beach to cool off in the refreshing water. Your close-knit friend group loved taking vacations during breaks in the intense racing season. This time, you found yourselves on the picturesque coast of France, staying in Alex's luxurious beachfront condo. You were grateful that he graciously offered to let everyone use his space for this trip.

Even as the only girl in the group, you were always welcomed with open arms, especially by Lando, who considered you his best friend. Charles, Lewis, and Oscar had all come to see you as a dear friend as well. They never complained about your company, as they relished in the joy of having you along on their adventures. Together, you formed a tight-knit family, seeking solace and tranquility in each other's company before diving back into the high-stakes world of racing.

You waded deeper into the water, feeling the gentle caress of the waves against your knees. Suddenly, you thought you heard the thump of feet on the sandy shore behind you. Turning your head, you caught a glimpse of Lando running towards you, his feet pounding against the sand with reckless abandon. You let out a playful yelp as you knew he was coming to splash water all over you.

Without hesitation, you raced further into the water, diving head first into the oncoming waves in an attempt to escape him. The cool water enveloped your body, sliding smoothly over your sun-kissed skin that was glistening with oiled sunscreen. Emerging from the water, you looked around and saw Lando swimming a few feet away from you, his bronze muscles rippling as he glided through the water effortlessly.

“How’d you swim away so fast?” He shouted, making his moves closer to you. 

“Maybe you’re just too slow.” You let out a hearty laugh. Eventually his body was swimming inches away from you as the two of you moved further out from the shoreline.

“Well, maybe you’re just a fish.” He added, out of breath. You saw the bodies of your friends laying on the sand grow smaller and smaller the further you swam away.

As you and Lando waded in the cool water, you could feel his gaze upon you. You turned to him with a grin, taking in the sight of his tanned face and wet curls. The sunlight danced off his green eyes, making them sparkle like crystalized emeralds. "What?" you asked, noticing a subtle look on his face.

"Nothing, you just...you look very happy," he replied, causing your smile to grow even wider.

You couldn't help but giggle at his observation. "Well, I am happy. I've always loved the ocean," you sighed as you leaned back and let the water support your weight, floating on your back. As parts of your stomach and thighs broke through the surface of the water, you caught Lando's gaze lingering on your body once again.

You hadn’t gotten these looks from him before, or maybe you just never noticed them. You had known Lando since you two were small children, and had followed his side as he made his way through his career, being there with him every step of the way. As his closest friend, of course there was media circulation rumoring a romance between the two of you in the McLaren paddock. But you knew that you would never risk ruining your friendship for a romance. It wasn’t until now as you floated with the movement of the waves that you started to see how people could start those rumors. 

~

On the sand, Charles and Alex watched you and Lando swim out in the distance. “I figured he’d chase after her.” Charles sighed once Lando had jumped up to chase you in the water. 

“It’s so interesting, watching them interact,” Alex added, “so close to being a couple yet so far away.”

“And she still doesn’t know he’s obsessed with her?” Lewis asked, perplexed. 

“Nope.” Oscar chimed in, “I’m just as ready for them to make it official as anyone else. I’m tired of him coming to me to talk about his feelings.” They were each laying on their own beach towels, sunglasses propped on their noses, gossiping about you and Lando like elderly ladies at teatime. 

“You know it’s nice to talk about your feelings, Osc.” Charles laughed and Oscar shook his head. 

“Not when it’s the same thing over and over again. ‘Oscar I swear I’m in love with her.’, ‘Oscar did you see what she was wearing today.’, ‘When she hugged me she smelled so good Oscar.’” He mimicked Lando’s voice and accent, earning laughs from all of the boys on the beach.

“I wish there was something we could do to just push them along. Something to really make her see just how whipped he is.” Alex thought out loud,and the group sat in silence thinking for several moments. 

“Actually- we might be able to.” Lewis finally spoke, and everyone turned his head towards him. “Lando does so much for her everyday without her actually realizing why he does it. Maybe we can sneakily drop some comments about it. Just to make her think. I’ve always wanted to play matchmaker.” 

“That could work,” Oscar hummed, already thinking of how he’d approach things. 

“Are we sure that she’s actually going to like him back? I don’t think he’d be able to handle that rejection.” Alex questioned. 

Charles scoffed, “Oh, she definitely likes him. It just needs to click in her head.” He turned his head and saw your towel folded up by the bags, and decided to grab it, hiding it under his own towel. 

“Mate, what are you doing?” Lewis grinned, and Charles held a smirk on his face. 

“Just wait, you’ll see.”

~

For at least an hour, you and Lando splashed and swam in the crystal clear water, mesmerized by the breathtaking scenery of the French coastline. The sun's warm rays caressed your skin as you lazily floated on your back, gazing up at the cloudless blue sky above. But as your fingertips started to wrinkle and prune from being submerged for so long, you reluctantly decided it was time to bask in the sun's warmth and dry off on the sandy beach.

Lando was behind you as you stepped out of the water, following you back to where everyone was laying out. “You guys should really get in that water, it feels great.” You exclaimed, your body still dripping wet as you stood next to them. 

“No thanks, Y/N, the sun and sand is plenty enough for me.” Oscar replied, his inflection filled with sass. 

“Fine,” You sighed contently, searching for your towel amidst all of the bags of stuff the group brought down. 

“Looking for something?” Charles asked, noticing your confused look. 

“Yeah, I don’t know where my towel is. I swear it was right here when I left.” You were so confused as to how you could possibly lose a bright pink towel, but you had done it. You were about to just lay on the sand to dry off, but soon Lando was laying down his own towel.

“Here, just use mine.” He offered, placing it in the spot you were laying earlier. 

Your brows furrowed, “But then you won’t have one.”

Lando shrugged, “Eh, I’ll just run back up to the house and grab another one.” Your lips parted in shock. The group had traveled far down the barren coast line, and Alex’s place was at least a mile walk, all through sand, from where they were. 

“I don’t want you to have to do that,” You objected, knowing that his body must be tired from swimming for the last hour. You felt the tiredness in your own body as you were more than ready to lay down again. 

“Y/N, I’m an athlete, I think I can manage a little walk back to the house. Don’t worry about it.” He placed a hand on your shoulder, motioning for you to lay down on his towel. So you silently obliged, laying down on the warm, dry fabric. 

As Lando’s footsteps slowly trudged away, Oscar turned to look at you lying next to him. “That was nice, huh.” 

You nodded, as you grabbed your sunglasses and hat. “Yeah, I don’t know why he was so nice about it.” 

Charles laughed, “He certainly doesn’t treat any of us like that.” 

~

His words stuck with you for the remainder of the time you guys were on the beach that day. Slowly, you worked your way through your memories with Lando. He was your best friend, the kindest man you knew, and yet he did treat you differently than the other guys. He wouldn’t have given his towel to Alex or Lewis and walked all the way back up to the house. You thought back to the multitude of times Lando had brought both of you lunch on busy days around the paddock, taking the time out of his schedule to eat with you so you wouldn’t have to be alone. 

Once Lando came back, he had grabbed some fresh cut fruit, offering you some first before anyone else. He put his new towel down next to you, as the two of you shared orange slices. The sweet citrus flavor flooded your mouth, but you were still stuck on Charles’s words. 

You laid on your stomach, head resting on your folded arms as you looked at Lando. He was laying on his back, his eyes closed under his sunglasses. Your eyes traveled all around him, watching his curls slowly dry the longer you guys were in the sun. Your sight moved to his slightly sun kissed cheeks, and admired the way some of his freckles had begun to show with the introduction of the summer season. You observed how the bridge of his nose had a small bump in it, rounding out at the tip of his nose, the curves of his lips leading to his perfectly chiseled jawline.

The image of Lando’s face had been imprinted in your mind since you first met him, but you weren’t sure you had ever really paid attention to the details like you were now. 

~

The group called it quits for the day just before dinner time. You all made the trek back to the house, and everyone showered the coarse sand and sunscreen off of their bodies. With fresh clean and tan skin, the group chatted around the kitchen as everyone pitched in to help make dinner. 

You and Lando had been put in charge of chopping up the vegetables that were going into the pasta salad. You had to convince Lando that you could be trusted with the large and sharp knife. He prepped and washed the veggies as you chopped them. The two of you stood inches apart, his arm often grazing yours, sending chills through your body. You had never felt that way before with his slight touch, which sent your mind whirling once again.

Suddenly, as you were going to make another slice into some round baby tomatoes, the sound of broken glass echoed through the room as Lewis dropped a bottle of sauce from the cabinets, your body jolting in shock. With the harsh movement, the blade from the knife cut part of your finger. 

You winced  as trickles of blood blended into the vibrant red of the tomato juice. Lando’s eyes shot over to you, and immediately noticed your fresh cut. It was deep into your skin, slicing right through the fleshy part of the tip of your index finger.

You stood motionless, staring at the deep gash on your finger as blood ran down your hand. Suddenly, Lando's strong hands grasped your arms and guided you to the sink. The other boys crowded around, their faces etched with worry as they repeatedly asked if you were okay. With Lando's warm body pressed against yours, he turned on the faucet and held your finger under the cold water, which quickly turned pink from the blood.

“Lando, you take her to the bathroom by my bedroom. There’s bandaids and plenty of first aid supplies in there. Hopefully the cut isn’t deep enough to need stitches.” Alex had moved over to the veggies, saving the ones that weren’t ruined from the mess of your finger. 

The pain radiated from your finger, searing and intense. You couldn't stop the tears from streaming down your face as Lando calmly guided you to Alex's bathroom. Every step felt like agony, but Lando's strong grip never faltered.

You were still in shock, the burning sensation making it hard to think clearly. But Lando was a natural caregiver, moving confidently to retrieve supplies from the cabinets. You stood there, feeling small and helpless, as he laid everything out on the counter.

With gentle hands, Lando lifted you up onto the counter, giving you a better vantage point for him to clean and dress your wound. Despite your tendency to cry at the slightest injury, Lando remained calm and focused, his protective instincts taking over. As he worked, you couldn't help but marvel at how well he knew what to do in this situation.

As he pressed a cotton pad against the cut, you felt your feet sway slightly in the air. The amount of blood soaking into the white pad made your head spin and your vision blur. His voice was gentle and soothing as he reassured you, “It’s alright, you’re okay”, his hand holding yours with a firm yet delicate grip. You could feel yourself leaning into his touch, seeking comfort and safety from the pain.

With a quick, determined movement, he snatched the bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the bathroom cabinet. The distinct smell of alcohol filled the air as he uncapped it, and you braced yourself for what was about to come. "This is gonna hurt," he warned, his voice full of concern. You felt a chill run down your spine as he poured the liquid over the wound, the intense burning sensation making you grit your teeth and let out a sharp whimper of pain. Your hand trembled uncontrollably as Lando's gentle touch on your thigh provided some comfort in the midst of this agony. "I'm so sorry, my love," he murmured as he continued to clean the cut, his eyes full of worry. "We can't risk an infection.”

You nodded as tears ran down your face again. He cleaned away any dirt and grime and wrapped your finger with a thin layer of gauze to help absorb any further bleeding. He then took a thick bandaid and finished up the job.

Your breathing finally slowed as you sniffled. Lando finally looked into your eyes, his own filled with sympathy for your pain. “See, all better.” He placed his lips delicately on your fingertip, giving it a soft kiss. 

You laughed sheepishly, only feeling the pulsating throbs of your wound. He took his thumbs and wiped away the rest of your tears, taking a moment to look into your glossy eyes. You both had paused, entranced in the eyes of the other. 

Lando then seemed to snap out of it, “You should head back to the kitchen. I’ll get everything cleaned up in here.” He cleared his throat nervously, and you hopped off the counter and left the room. You weren’t sure if it was the pain in your finger or if you had gotten burned earlier in the beach sun, but your cheeks felt flushed. 

~

Everyone sat at the dinner table chatting between one another, but you kept to yourself, only chiming in rarely. So many things played in the back of your mind. Lando caring for you at the beach, Charles’s comment, him standing against you as he rinsed off your finger, his delicate and generous touch as he bandaged up your wound. His voice echoed in your ear as he flooded you with reassurance, him calling you “love”. He had never adorned you with that nickname before. 

“Y/N, you alright? I didn’t fuck up dinner right?” Oscar asked, breaking your train of thought at the table. 

You forced a smile, “No, no, it’s delicious. Guess I’m just a little worn out from today.” 

“I don’t blame you,” Lewis sighed. “Long day of getting tired out with swimming, coming back to cook dinner only to cut your finger open.” He shook his head, “Thank god you had Lando here to take care of you. I don’t think any of us could’ve handled that much blood.” Lewis rambled on, but his words struck with you too. You felt like you were going crazy.

Had Lando always been this affectionate? Or was there just something about this beach trip that caused you to think and see him in a different light. Everyone went on chatting about various topics, many regarding the next phase of the racing season. 

As the night wore on and everyone retired to their rooms, you couldn't help but feel torn. Your body craved rest and the warmth of your bed, but your mind was consumed by thoughts of Lando. You had never questioned your feelings for him before, but now they seemed to swirl in a tangled mess. He was your best friend, and risking everything for romantic desires seemed foolish. Yet, your heart continued to ache for his touch and presence. You were torn between what you wanted and what you knew could potentially destroy your friendship. As you lay in bed, conflicted thoughts kept you awake, unsure of what the right choice was.

You decided to get out of your bed and travel downstairs to the kitchen. Your throat was dry and you longed for an ice cold water. It must have been 2am, so you weren’t expecting anyone to be awake as you were only clad in a revealing tank top and short shorts that clung to your skin. 

However, as you turned the corner into the kitchen, you stopped in your tracks. Lando, shirtless, dressed only in his boxers, stood around the kitchen island, drinking his own glass of water. 

“Oh-“ you muttered in surprise, as his tired eyes met yours. 

“Oh, hey.” His voice seemed languid, and you assumed he had not had a wink of sleep either. “What are you doing up?”

“I just um…couldn’t sleep I guess.” You shrugged as you poured yourself a glass, the cool liquid already sweating around the cup. 

As you awkwardly drank the water, out of the corner  you saw his eyes track up and down your body, further causing your mind to flip and turn.

“How’s the finger?” He asked, and you broke a smile. 

“Doing better. I don’t think I ever thanked you earlier.” You spoke softly, resting the side of your hip on the counter next to him. “Lewis was right, I think they might have fainted with how much blood there was.” 

Lando smiled, “Don’t mention it. I guess I just went into protector mode.” His words once again caused your heart to pulse. Your breath quickened, and as the seconds passed you were putting all of the pieces together. 

“Charles said earlier that you wouldn’t treat the other guys that way.” You blurted out, your mouth and heart seeming to operate separate from your brain. 

He furrowed his brows slightly in a smile, “What do you mean?” 

“I mean earlier with the beach towel. And the fruit. And healing me, calling me love, wiping my tears away. Why?” As you spoke the smile slowly dropped. You watched his toned, tanned, torso rise and fall with his breath. 

You looked into his eyes, there was a moment of connection, of reciprocation. Then he spoke in almost a whisper, like he was scared of anyone else hearing him, “I think you know why.”

“Lan…” Your voice cracked, and all at once everything seemed to make sense. Of course he had treated you this way. Of course you had let him. You wouldn’t want anything else. He was all you needed, all you craved.

He stepped closer, his warm hand finding its way to your hip and gently resting there. The intensity in his voice was palpable as he begged for your approval, “Please tell me this is okay,” his words coming out dry and desperate.

You looked up at him, your heart racing with anticipation. With a slow nod, you gave him the go-ahead, your lips already parting in yearning for his touch. When his lips finally met yours, it was like an electric shock, sending tingles down your spine and igniting a fire within. Your hands instinctively found their way to his neck, fingers tangling in his soft curls as your movements became synchronized with his. His hands traced random patterns on your waist, each touch sending shivers throughout your body as desire coursed through every inch of you.

Your lips trailed down to his neck, sucking and leaving love bites in between kisses. His breathing became heavy, “Easy now, I might not be able to control myself.” 

You smirked, meeting his eyes again as you traced his abs muscles, “I wouldn’t be one to stop you.” 

The kisses had become intense and passionate, his hands trailing all over your body. This time it was Lando that kissed along your neck and collarbone. His breath was hot against your skin, “Let me please you, I’m begging,” he muttered, and your legs became weak. 

“Not here…” You answered, and asked if you could go to his room.

Lando led you to his bedroom. He pressed you against the bed, peppering kisses along your collarbone and leaving love marks in his wake. Gasping for air, you slowly removed your tank top while he couldn't take his eyes off of you. His lips eagerly found their way to your breasts, causing waves of pleasure to shoot through your body. As he continued his journey down your chest and torso, Lando deftly slid off your pajama shorts, revealing more of your bare skin. "You are so beautiful," he murmured between kisses.

You were almost frustrated with how easily he found his way around in the bedroom, knowing he’s had plenty of attention from other girls in the past. His warm lips traced all the way down to your hips, and they arched as he took his time down your body. 

“I need you,” you whimpered, annoyed with how long he was taking to start pleasuring you. 

“Patience my love, I’m just getting started.” His voice vibrated off of your skin as he kissed your inner thighs. Then, as you were finally adjusting to his teasing, he licked all the way up your entrance, causing you to emit a soft moan. “Don’t get too loud now, Alex’s room is right next door.”

Lando's skilled tongue flicked and sucked against your sensitive core, causing you to squirm and moan uncontrollably. You tried to muffle your sounds with your hand, not wanting to wake anyone in the house. But the pleasure was too intense, each movement of Lando's mouth bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

Just as you were about to reach your climax, he pulled away and kissed you deeply. Your taste mingled with his on his lips as you caught your breath. Your fingers tangled in his curly hair, but before you could fully relax, he thrust two fingers inside of you. The sudden intrusion sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body, making you cry out loudly. Lando quickly covered your mouth with his hand, trying not to alert anyone to what was happening between the two of you.

He pressed his lips to your neck, “C’mon baby,” trailing kisses down to your collarbone. Your body trembled as he worked his fingers inside you, each movement hitting the perfect spot. His thumb found your clit and began circling, sending electric shocks of pleasure through your entire body.

Your moans turned into incoherent pleas for more as he whispered dirty words in your ear. With one final thrust, he brought you over the edge, your entire body shaking with pleasure. “That’s it,” he held you close, gently kissing your forehead as you came down from your climax. You traced kisses along his jawline, struggling to catch your breath after such an intense release.

As the passion in the room died down, Lando kept planting soft kisses on your neck. Your bodies had cuddled together, tired from the restless night and the intensity between you. You couldn’t believe how the night had unfolded, as things had become a complete 180 from where the day started. 

“Y/N?” Lando asked softly. Your eyes met his in his bed, limbs intertwined. 

“Hmm?” You hummed tiredly. 

“I want you to know, you mean way more to me than what we just did. I’ve waited a long time to really tell you how I feel. You’re the most important person in my life, and I hope everyday I can show you just how much I love you.” He reassured you, bringing a soft smile to your face. 

Tears almost came to your eyes, “You love me?” 

He grinned, tucking the hair on your face behind your hear and caressing your cheek, “I think I always have.” 

You kissed the tip of his nose, “I love you too, Lan.”

~

After a few hours of much-needed rest, you and Lando slowly emerged from the comfort of your shared bed to start the day. You were in the clothes he had lent you - his boxers hanging loosely on your hips and a baggy t-shirt that was now adorned with small hickeys peeking out from beneath the fabric. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon filled the air, tempting your senses.

As you tended to the breakfast dishes, Lando came up behind you at the stove and wrapped his strong arms around your waist, burying his head in the crook of your neck. He wore a cozy sweatshirt and matching sweatpants, enveloping you in his warmth as you basked in his embrace. Turning to face him, you cupped his handsome face in your hands and brought your lips to his in a sweet morning kiss.

“Oh shit.” A voice from the other side of the room exclaimed. Startled, you looked to see Lewis and Charles standing across the kitchen island, mouths almost to the floor. 

“Fuck, I owe Oscar twenty bucks.” Charles sighed. 

You and Lando just looked at each other with a confused expression.

[lemonlover1110]

can we get Toji reacting to reader's pregnancy

Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x f!Reader

Warnings: Pure Fluff

Discord +18 - Twitter - Ko-Fi

Ever since finding out that you’re eating for two, you’ve found yourself distressed. Not because this isn’t something that you were planning– Well partially because of that, but mainly because you don’t know what your boyfriend thinks of having more kids. You don’t have the heart to tell him that you’re expecting.

You don’t know how you’ve never had this conversation before, especially since you’ve started to talk about getting married. You know that he has a teenager, and probably he’s done with that part of his life. You also know that you’d be delighted to have kids, but if Toji wouldn’t want to have a child, you’re okay with that too. Your pregnancy changes everything though.

“Aren’t you two here early?” You ask, staring at the front door as Megumi and Toji walk in. Toji has a frown in his face while Megumi walks ahead, not a care in the world. You notice a stain on his school uniform and you tell him, “Put it in the washer, I’ll take care of it, Megs.”

“No, he can deal with the consequences of his actions in his little vacation.” Toji quickly speaks up, making you cock an eyebrow. You look back and forth between Toji and Megumi, hoping someone is going to fill you in. “Go to your room, Megumi. I can’t stand to look at your face anymore.”

“What happened?” You direct your attention to your husband since Megumi listens to his father and goes to his room. Toji sighs, walking over to you and pressing a kiss on your forehead. “Don’t tell me he–”

“Got into a fight. Got called in the middle of work to deal with his ass– Hey, at least he won.” Toji can’t help but chuckle because even though he’s mad, part of him still feels oddly proud. His kid is somewhat of a troublemaker, but hey, at least the kid can fight. He says something that makes the thoughts of worry that you pushed to the back of your mind, come back and even stronger. “Just glad I don’t have to deal with this much longer.”

“Right.” You awkwardly laugh. You follow Toji to your living room, and take a seat beside him on your couch. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, you do this all the time, but Toji immediately knows that something is off. Your face wastes no time in telling on you.

“You okay? You look a little off.” Toji comments, throwing his arm over you and bringing you closer to him. You’re a little far today when you’re usually all over him. The man loves his personal space, but not when it comes to you. 

“Weird day… Weird week.” You mutter the last part, but Toji hears it loud and clear. He kisses the top of your head before asking,

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” He proceeds to kiss the top of your head, and you bite down your lip. You have to tell him eventually, and you know that maybe this isn’t the right time to tell him, but he senses something is up.

“What do you think about having kids with me?” You speak a little fast, and if he wasn’t listening closely, he would have to ask you to repeat yourself. Toji takes a moment to think about it, acting perplexed. His silence is killing you and just when you’re about to repeat the question, he speaks up.

“Is this about the pregnancy test I found in the bathroom?” Toji mentions, and your eyes go wide. He’s known? He’s known all this time? He ends up kissing the tip of your nose before pecking your lips, “I’m happy with anything as long as I get to do it with you.”

“What about the comment that you made–” You begin and he interrupts you. 

“Was about Megumi, I’m making sure this one isn’t a troublemaker.” Toji clarifies as his hand goes to your lower abdomen. “I’m excited about this. I was wondering how long it’d take you to share.”

“Next time, speak up, I was scaring myself to death.” You lightly slap his chest, and he chuckles. You’re glaring at him, while he smirks at you. “You’re in so much trouble right now. Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

[hannieehaee]

Hehe hi luna! 🥺🫶 may i request birthday sex w chan except its his fake childrens day birthday and he finds it hilarious that you're taking it so seriously when actually you just want an excuse to spoil him for (another) day? 💕💕

18+ / mdi

content: birthday!chan, established relationship implied, lots of banter, (it's not actually his birthday!!) afab reader, smut, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, etc.

wc: 1538

a/n: im convinced this would actually happen in real life lol

masterlist

"god, you too?", chan laughed incredulously as soon as he stepped foot into your shared apartment, surprised at the sight but not really.

he should've known that the joke would make its way to you eventually.

"what? can't celebrate my boyfriend's birthday?", you pouted mockingly as you held out the small birthday cake out to him.

behind you stood a few birthday decorations you'd bought behind chan's back a few days back – dinosaur themed, of course.

looking at all the decorations clearly marketed towards children, chan chuckled again, walking up to you and staring you down as he attempted not to smile. unfortunately, the situation was too ridiculous for him to put his acting skills to use.

"you're the bane of my existence," he said once he was in front of you as you lifted up the cake in a silent gesture for him to blow out the singular candle.

"make a wish?", you ignored him.

sighing, he leaned down to follow your instruction, closing his eyes and taking a second to hum as he thought of a wish. blowing out the candle, he then straightened his back and gave you a forced smile (which barely hid the very real smile on his lips).

"happy?"

"very," you grinned, "what was your wish?", you asked as you put the cake down on the table nearby, now heading to wrap your arms around his shoulders.

instinctively, his hands glued themselves around your waist, pulling you in close, "for my girlfriend to stop bullying me."

"dude, that was a trick question! you're not supposed to tell me. everyone knows that. now your wish won't come true!", you gaped at him, mocking him with every word.

groaning, he buried his face in your neck, defiantly giving the empty skin of your shoulder a tiny bite.

you yelped, complaining at the sudden attack, "ah! i prepare you a birthday party and this is how you repay me?"

"what good do i get out of your mockery, baby?"

nudging him away from your shoulder, you gave him a suggestive look, "well, you know what comes with every birthday, right?"

"hmm", he pondered, "what might that be?"

you leaned up close, lips by his ear, "birthday sex?"

"oh ...", he breathed out, hands tightening on your waist, "is that so?"

with a bite to your lip, you nodded, separating yourself from him and walking yourself back to your bedroom, eyes glued to his own, "wanna come unwrap your present?", you asked before turning around and charging into the room.

nodding, he followed after you, catching up to you as he held you in his arms, practically tackling you. the act was followed by a heavy kiss as his hands wrapped around you once more, feeling you up through your clothes. your hands were equally needy as they ran through his hair, softly pulling in the way you knew he liked.

"you bully me a lot for someone who wants me this badly," he bantered into your lips.

"'bully'? is that how you thank your girlfriend for caring about your birthday?", you just were not letting go of the joke.

despite how silly the whole situation was, chan couldn't find it in himself to feel any type of real frustration. your dedication made him too fond (and surprisingly, a little horny), causing him to simply chuckle against your lips while his hands attempted to rid you of your clothes.

your newfound almost-nudity proved to be a bigger challenge than dealing with your teasing, as you now stood in front of chan with one of the prettiest sets of lingerie he'd ever seen.

"like your gift, baby?" you grinned at him, disconnecting from him and walking yourself back to the bed, sitting down as you presented your body to him.

any thoughts of a stupid birthday joke left his mind as he zeroed in on your body, breath now heavy at the sight.

"yeah," he went along with it, "best birthday gift ever," his words did not meet his eyes, as they showed lust that could not be portrayed through speech.

he threw off his clothing as he made his way to you, stumbling as he removed his shoes but determined nonetheless. finally reaching you, he pushed you back on the bed, crawling over you as his hands got their fill of your body.

"do i get to fuck you, baby? or are you gonna do it since it's my day?", he murmured into your neck, drinking in any pretty sigh you let out at his kisses.

"the birthday boy gets to decide," you breathed when his lips made their way to your tits, suckling at your nipples through the thin bralette you were wearing.

"mind if i rip my present, pretty?" his hands were itching to get you as naked as he was.

"you didn't like it?", you pouted mockingly, knowing that was absolutely not the case.

"i'll fuck you with it on, i don't care," he was serious too.

opting to hastily remove it instead, he went to reach for a condom from the bedside table, only to be halted by you.

"doesn't the birthday boy want to fuck me raw?", you looked up at him expectantly.

huh?

"baby?", he gulped.

"happy birthday?", you smiled at him, pulling him down for another kiss.

he practically growled against your lips, "happy birthday to me," he sighed before beginning to sloppily align himself to your cunt, refusing to disconnect your lips.

a groan vibrated into your open mouth when he finally entered you, breathing out praise as you sucked at his tongue.

he grew desperate quite quickly, falling in love with the feeling of your bare cunt within seconds. chan was sure this was the most unfiltered pleasure he had ever felt. your walls were too warm for him to process, making him entirely too lightheaded to even comprehend how good he was feeling.

the thought of your first time giving it to him raw being part of a lamely orchestrated joke crossed his mind for a mere second, but it didnt distract him from pounding into you with every ounce of desire imbedded in his body. he couldnt comprehend how good you were to him – how pretty and funny and perfect and just tailored to him you were.

making up an entire ruse of his fake birthday just to mess with him, luring him back into your room and then presenting your bare cunt to him ... yeah, he needed to marry you asap.

rocking his hips into your own, his hands held onto the back of your thighs for dear life, holding them up to get the optimal angle that allowed him to hit that spongy spot inside of you that he knew drove you crazy. the pretty whines of his name were just another reason as to why chan felt the sudden need to head to the nearest jewelry store and ransack them of the largest ring they had to offer.

"feel so fucking good ... fuck, i- pretty cunt keeps sucking me in," he moaned out into your lips.

the kiss wasn't even a kiss anymore. it was a disgusting mess of tongues sucking at each other while teeth clanked every once in a while. but it was a nastiness that chan lived for.

"channie ... fuck, need you to cum. need my pretty birthday boy to cum," you murmured as he sucked at your tongue, making it all the harder for you to let out a single sentence.

you knew his body too well. it was far too easy for you to spot his orgasm coming. luckily for him, he knew you even better, aware that yours was likely around the corner.

not wanting to risk cumming before you (which was very likely considering the gorgeous cunt warming up his cock at the moment), his hand slipped between you to flick at your clit, swallowing every pretty moan breathed out against his lips.

"where? where can i cum, pretty? hmm? need- need you to tell me where," he knew he was being obvious about his unspoken desire to cum in you, but he wanted a full-pledged confirmation that you wanted him to finish inside you – that and also a depraved need to hear you beg to be filled up.

"inside, channie ... you know- you know i want it inside. need you to fill me up," you whined, nails scratching at his back.

"gonna film you up ..." he promised, "gonna have you dripping for me, okay?"

only moments later and he found himself emptying all of him inside you as he gasped into your mouth, only to begin crying out against you when your cunt suddenly tightened with your own orgasm.

humping against you, he lost himself in the pleasure while his orgasm subsided along with yours. pretty sighs of his name filled his ears, making him murmur praise against your own.

finally falling limp against you, he lazily flipped you over so half your body would lay atop his own whilst he ran his hands softly up and down your back.

"did you like your birthday present?" you asked. he could feel your dumb smile against his chest.

chuckling, he gave up, "fucking love my birthday."

[beiiibeii]

bathing together

fluff!arlecchino x reader sfw

i was in the bath and suddenly i started hallucinating arlecchino with me so heres this

due to arlecchino being busy as a harbinger, times like this rare. you both make sure to make the most out of it. the calming music coming from the phonograph was playing in the background. there were rose petals, bath salts and dimly lit candles. it was all so romantic.

arlecchino was relaxing in the bath with you. you were sat in between her legs, her arms are wrapped around your waist so tenderly in the warm bubbly water. your back is against her. arlecchino's long hair is untied, loosing falling down against her back. her head nuzzled into your shoulder.

"i love you." you mumbled as you smile softly. your hands lightly hold onto her wrists as she holds you.

you can feel her lips curl up against your skin into a soft smile as she takes in the sweet scent of you. her arms give your body a light squeeze.

"i love you more.." she mumbled against your neck, giving you a soft and tender kiss.

her mouth and hold is warm.

shes so gentle and caring with you. she pulls away and pours some body wash into her hands. you hear the warm, steamy water splash around as she moves. soon blackened arms make their way to your back.

"your so pretty, my dear." she utters softly.

you could feel her breath on your shoulder. you laugh softly, her praise never fails to get old. she always enjoyed seeing you happy. you loved it when she was so sweet like this.

as she scrubs your back, she makes sure the be extra careful to not scratch you with her nails. her touch is so relaxing. you feel all tension leave your body when your with her. the dimly lit candles serving as lighting make her look so pretty. she rubs at all the right places, making you feel so good. her touch was so pure and loving.

"lower please, arle.." you sigh out in relief.

she obeys like the good husband she is. her hands lower down your back. her nails gently gliding down your back.

"here my dear?" she asks you.

her hands are exactly where you wanted them to be. you let out a soft, content breath.

"just right there my love.." you answered.

her mouth curls up ever so slightly again. shes happy shes able to be herself around you. eventually she washes the body wash off your back. the water drips down from your back. you turn your head to the side to face her with a light smile. she immediately leans in to peck you on the lips. leaving you with a blush on your cheeks.

"don't be embarrassed my dear, let me take care of you." her voice was gentle.

you feel her hands dip into your hair. her gentle fingers massaging your scalp with hair wash.

only you had her like a lovesick fool. she loves you so much, even if she doesn't show it sometimes. <3

[evnnkinard]

a tiny prompt: bucktommy + first morning/breakfast together ✨

buck wakes up slowly. opens his eyes, shuts them. takes a moment, awareness filtering into his brain in soft, hazy fragments; feels the sleep warm pillow under his cheek, first. the chill settling on his torso from where he's pushed the duvet down to his hips in the night. feels the warm, solid body of his boyfriend next to him. the line of heat down his arm, his side, his thigh, from where they're pressed closely together, still, telling him that they haven't moved an inch from each other, despite a whole night having had the chance to separate them in their sleep.

he opens his eyes, blinks, forcing the sleep from them, helpless against the soft smile already forming on his lips. rolls his head to the side. has to take another moment. tommy's still gone to the world, face already turned towards buck, slack and beautiful in his sleep. his hair's a mess of curls on his head, product having loosened and freed them in the night and his crows feet have smoothened out, only traces of the deep, happy lines that they are in the day. his lips are slightly parted, soft huffs of air escaping. buck wants to bottle the sound; wants to bottle every sound. hopes he gets to hear it again and again and again.

decides, a little desperately, that looking's not enough, that he wants- needs to touch. so he does, shifts closer. turns onto his side and presses his body into tommy's, rests his head in that safe place where tommy's shoulder meets his neck and gently throws a leg over tommy's own. doesn't want to wake tommy up, but can't help but want to touch more, still. trails his fingertips down tommy's chest, his side, carefully, so carefully, over his scars and then across his stomach, comes to a stop just below his belly button and then brings his hand back up, again. repeats. repeats. repeats.

he gets lost in the movement. lets his mind wander, landing gently on the previous night. thinks about how he'd cooked tommy dinner and how tommy had refused to let him wash up afterwards. how they'd slow danced in the kitchen, smiling and giggling and trading kisses. thinks about how he hadn't wanted tommy to leave at the end of the night, how tommy hadn't wanted to go, either. how easy it was to fall into bed together. thinks about how they'd kissed, then, unhurried and soft. touched, but hadn't had sex. how tommy had still wanted to hold him, be close to him anyway. how he'd stayed anyway.

he feels tommy shift beneath him, feels his breath change, humming contently as buck trails his fingers back up to his chest. stops there. presses his hand down, palm flat against his chest. feels his heart beating, strong and steady. thinks, fleetingly, that he'd carve out his own to keep it that way. and then there's a kiss being dropped onto the top of his head, a soft, sleep rumpled, "morning, evan," murmured into his curls.

buck tilts his face up, leaves a kiss, and then another, against tommy's jaw, murmurs his own, soft, "mm, morning," and then moves his hand from tommy's chest to cup his face. leans up as tommy leans down and catches his mouth in a kiss. feels his whole body sigh as their lips meet. swallows tommy's pleased moan. leaves a last peck against his lips as he pulls away, breathless. says, eventually, even though it's the last thing he wants to do, "we should get up. shower. get breakfast."

"mmm, yeah. not yet. wanna kiss you some more first."

and then suddenly, he's being flipped. can't help the embarrasing sound that escapes him as he's manuerved, expertly, onto his back again, tommy's weight pressing down onto him, hands caging in his head on either side. feels his face heating, blush quickly travelling down to his neck, his chest. stutters, "f-fuck. okay, that was hot," and reaches out, settles one hand against the back of tommy's neck, places the other back against his cheek. thinks, privately, about how he's going to have to ask tommy to do that again, sometime.

tommy laughs, smiles down at him, mischievous. lets his eyes roam, over buck's own, down to his lips and then back up again. he dips his head, purposely misses buck's mouth. kisses his nose, instead, his cheek, his jaw, trailing kisses down to his neck. buck's breath hitches in his chest, likes the way tommy's morning stubble scratches gently against his skin. and then tommy's making his way back up, and finally, finally, kissing his mouth. asks for permission with his tongue, swallows buck's happy little sounds as he grants it. kisses him and kisses him until they both have to come up for air, panting into each other's mouths. only gives buck a moment before he's sealing the gap, kissing him again, and again, and again.

they don't make it down for breakfast for a while.

send me a bucktommy prompt and i'll write you a little something <3

[sturniolo-simp4life]

Nobody- Chris sturniolo

warnings- confession, kissing, slight crying

summary- when y/n stays at Chris’s house for the night, unforgettable events happen.

not proof read!

You went to the triplets house for movie.

you had always been close friends with them- since middle school.

but your best friend was Chris. He was the one you met first, when he accidentally knocked your over, because he was late for practice.

you had always been very close with him, but around the 9th grade was when you started having feelings for him.

At first, it would just be butterflies whenever he was around you.

but you eventually fell in love with him. You loved the way he laughed, the way he smiled, just everything about him.

so when he got his first girlfriend, it hurt. A lot. You figured it would be better to be friends with him while he was in a relationship than to tell him your feelings and mess everything up.

It still hurt, to pretend to be happy for him and put up a fake smile whenever she was around.

this went on for about a year, until they finally broke up. As much as you hated to admit it, it made you really happy.

unfortunately for you, you still never got the guts to tell him how you really felt. You had talked to Matt and nick about it.

they told you that you should tell him whenever you were ready, but that was the thing. You wanted to be ready.

you really really did. But you could never find the words or courage to do so. Even when you thought you found the words, negative thoughts would flood your mind.

what if he didn’t feel the same way? What if he was disgusted by the fact? What if he could never see us being friends again?

those specific thoughts always clouded your mind, so you could never bring yourself to tell him.

right now, you were standing out on their porch, looking at the sunset. You loved sunsets.

you loved how the clouds always looked so fluffy, like pillows. You loved the mixes of colors- the oranges, the pinks, the yellow.

you loved how colors so different could still paint a breathing-taking picture, like they were meant to be together.

even with the view in front of you, you mind still lingered on Chris. Maybe it was about time you told him.

you had been holding in your feelings for years now, and you thought you might burst if you didn’t tell him.

but part of you was still saying no. He won’t like you back, they would say to you. You’ll ruin the friendship you have.

you sighed, not even realizing that Chris had come out to the porch. He had just been watching you- admiring the way your hair flew in the breeze, and the way you watched the sun set.

he walked to the rail, standing next to you. “What’s on your mind?” He asked. That seemed to snap you out of your trance.

“hey,” you breathed, looking at him. You loved looking at his face. The sun hitting just the right spots making his face glow. “I didn’t see you there.”

he smiled at you, sending a wave of butterflies through your body. “Penny for your thoughts?”

you chuckled you put out you hand. “Where’s my penny?” Chris rolled his eyes. “Seriously though,” he continued. “You looked like you were deep in thought.”

you sighed. “Yeah, it was nothing. Let’s go back inside,” you replied. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” Chris said, before you made it to the door.

you froze in place. Should I tell him now? You sighed and walked back to the edge, admiring the sunset for a few moments.

after what seemed to be a lifetime, you finally spoke up.

“remember homecoming in 9th grade?” Chris smiled at the memory. “Yeah. You didn’t want to dance with anyone. You were just sitting in the corner for a while.”

you smiled remembering how stubborn you where. “I didn’t dance with anyone because I wanted to dance with you. I was so jealous of that girl you were dancing with.”

you also smiled at the memory. “I turned everyone down hoping you would ask me but you never did.”

you turned to face him. “Look Chris. The point I’m trying to make right now is that I like you. I have for a while now.”

you took a breath and kept going. “I don’t want to be just your best friend Chris. I want to be more. I want to get married and have kids and I want us to grow old together. As cringey as it sounds, all of it is true.”

Chris just stared at you, wide eyed. “Please say something,” you mumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

after a moment of silence, a tear slipped down your cheek. “I’ll take that as a ‘you don’t feel the same way’ answer,” you mumbled.

you started to walk to the door, but Chris grabbed your wrist and pulled you back.

he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug. He rubbed you back softly as you hugged him tighter.

“listen,” he said. “I love you too y/n. So much. I was so afraid to tell you because I thought I wasn’t good enough for you. You’re a funny, sweet, pretty, amazing girl and you deserve the world.” He sighed.

“I just didn’t think I could give it to you. I mean, you had all these guys drooling over you, and I thought, one day you would just pick them over me, y’ know?”

he took a deep breath, staring straight into your eyes. “That’s why I always had girlfriend after girlfriend. I thought have that would make me forget about the feelings I have for you but they never worked.”

“I want us to live together and have kids together too. I want to wake up next to you and kiss your forehead, and I want to fall asleep next to you at night. I want to take you on cute little dates and I want to hold your hand and kiss you.”

he let go of the hug, still softly holding your shoulders. You were crying now, his words going straight to your heart.

“don’t cry,” he said softly as he wiped your tears away. He rested his forehead against yours, looking down at your lips, then up to your eyes again. “Is this okay?”

you smiled at him. “more than okay.” He looked at your lips again, desire filling his eyes. “Can I kiss you?” He whispered, still looking at your lips.

You nodded your head, and soon enough, his lips were connected to yours. The kiss was sweet and tender, filled with love. Your arm made its way to his neck, playing with the soft curls of hair.

when both of you released, he turned around so that you back was resting in the rail. “You know, I've loved nobody but you,” he whispered into your ear.

he then went to kiss you again, but the this time needy and passionate. He bit at your lower lip making you moan. He took the chance to slip his tongue into your mouth.

it wasn’t a fight for dominance. Your tongues danced together. He tasted like cherry. His hands made their way to your waist, and he started kissing your neck softly.

you gasped at the sudden contact, your hands tangling in his hair. His face made it back to yours as he kissed you again.

“well it’s about time,” a voice said behind you. Chris pulled off of you so fast, flustered. You were blushing furiously as Matt and nick smirked at you.

“if you guys are done making out, can we watching the movie now?” Matt asked. “Y-yeah,” Chris mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

you bit your lip as you walked inside. Chris linked his hand with yours, giving it a small kiss.

once you made it to the living room, Chris stood up on the couch. “I have an announcement to make!” He yelled, gaining everyone’s attention.

he looked at you before continuing. “It official,” he finally said. “Y/n is my girlfriend.” Your eyes widened as a blush crept up your face. Nick squealed with excitement and Matt smiled.

“Oh my god, it’s about time,” nick said. “You don’t know how much me and Matt had to bare because both of you would just yap about each other all the. Damn. Time.”

you laughed at nick. “I think you’re overreacting nick,” you giggled. “Trust me, I’m not.”

“all i have to say is if i hear you two fucking each other all the damn time, expect to get kicked out,” Matt said, making your face turn 10 shades of red, same with Chris’s.

“Matt!”

“hey, I’m just saying.”

a/n- this is one of my personal favorites ❤️

[wooahaes]

the (not-so-subtle) doting kind

pairing: non-idol!mark lee x fem!reader

genre: fluff. established relationship au.

warnings: food mentions. mark being a very doting bf on his gf's bday.

word count: 2.4k~ dont look at me when u compare this one to all the other bday fics

daisy's notes: what if i want him :(

For whatever reason, your birthday wasn’t a happy day for you… So Mark resolved to treat you normally. And if “normally” involves him doting on you the way he does when you have bad days, then so be it.

He tucked stray strands of hair away from your face when he saw you begin to stir. He’d say one thing to you, just to show you that he remembered. So he leaned in, lips pressing against your own. “Good morning. Happy birthday, baby,” he said, voice still a little hoarse from sleep. “Are we still going to get breakfast?”

“Mmhm.” You drew him back in for another sleepy kiss, only to draw him closer. You snuggled in, eyes fluttering shut as you dropped your head into his shoulder. “Morning…”

He giggled. Most mornings, he’d tease you a little with some sort of “my sleepy girl,” but he settled in instead. He peppered your skin with kisses, just to hear that slightly-annoyed groan as you finally opened your eyes. His lips pressed against yours one final time before drawing back. 

“Good morning,” he said again, thumb grazing the apple of your cheek.

Despite the slight annoyance at being woken up fully now, you sat up and stifled a yawn. The moment you went to move out of bed, you felt Mark’s fingers poke into your sides. You let out a strangled grunt, playfully shoving away at his hands as he giggled. He came up behind you, pressing a long kiss against your neck before moving to search through the closet. It became obvious soon enough what he was doing, always trying to find a way to tease you to make you smile. Eventually you swatted him away from you, and he laughed that goofy laugh before getting dressed, too. He kept waiting around, watching you as you looked through your options before settling on something. Of course, it was one of the things you owned that Mark didn’t have something he could use to match with you… But he could improvise. He stood back, watching you (half-admiring, half-studying) before going into his side of your shared closet. 

When he stepped out in a patterned shirt that mainly featured the same color as the shirt you were wearing, he saw the way you gave him a little once over before going back to packing your things into a bag. “You look cute.”

Mission accomplished. Mentally, he put a little sunglasses emoji guy right next to the thought. 

After a quick breakfast out, the two of you ended up wandering around the mall for the day. He held your hand the entire time, always pointing out something cool or something he thought you’d look good in. Today was your day, which meant he couldn’t play. You wanted something? He was already getting his card out. He’d been saving specifically so that he could spoil you on your birthday, and he was intent on carrying that out.

“Don’t worry, baby,” he said with this cute smile, “I got you.” 

It always earned some sort of playful eye roll or snort as you thanked him, always drawing out the words to tease him. He was obvious, but that was fine with him. What was the point of days like birthdays and holidays if he couldn’t spoil you a little? He carried your bags for you, too, ever the gentleman. Yet he was the one who slowed down, hand holding yours tight enough to tug you back, when the two of you were outside of a toy store. He pointed out two little lion plushies right next to one another.

“Babe. Baby.” He didn’t take his eyes off of them. “It’s us.” 

You’d giggled a little over it. “Pretty sure those are two male lions, Mark.” 

He turned back to you. “What?” Then he looked at them again, fully registering the bright orange manes that both of them wore. “Right. Still… We could still find a lioness. C’mon.” He tugged you toward the entrance, only to stop. “Unless you don’t wanna—”

“We can go places you wanna go, Mark,” you said, already making your way into the store. “Let’s go find a lioness.” 

You’d been insistent on paying for and carrying that bag, and Mark let the issue drop. Gentlemanly as he was, his hand was getting a little tired carrying all your bags… and it’d be rude to turn it into an issue when it wasn’t. You did end up taking the bags from him when you stopped to get lunch, saying you would go get the table while he grabbed the food. When he asked you to pick a place, you’d just shrugged it off.

“You know what I’ll eat,” you said. “Just pick somewhere.” 

Again, he’d almost pushed back on that. Today was your day, even though you weren’t treating it like anything special. But he knew how you felt, and he bit back any disagreement. He looked around the food court, picked two places, and asked you to pick from those under the guise of him being indecisive. You hummed to yourself, genuinely considering the two options before picking, and then left him standing there as you went to snag a table for the two of you. He went off to order your food, and soon enough he was sitting across from you, listening as you rambled on about something that happened at work the other day. Eventually, you pushed the conversation onto him as you nodded along to his own stories… all while sneaking little pictures of him. He smiled for them, and eventually got you to squeeze into frame so he could snap a picture of the two of you together.

The rest of the day was scaled toward him. You would push for him to pick places to go, things to do. The bookstore the two of you frequented became one of your stops, and he saw the quiet way you bought a book he put back alongside with another bookmark for him (sometimes he lost them, but he’d always take extra care when someone gave him one) without saying a word. A few other stores, too: you’d ended up buying him a few things, insistent on carrying his bags for him with this knowing smile that told him you knew exactly what he’d been doing all day. 

Then when you were leaving, Mark saw it. The way you’d been walking a step ahead of him for a minute, talking about finding a place to sit for a few minutes before you actually went back to the car. You’d slowed to a stop outside this chocolate place the two of you had sampled forever ago, watching in the window as a tall, handsome man was making them in view of anyone passing by. The guy looked up, flashed you a smile, and then went back to his work. Mark slowly made his way over to you, watching the magic happen for himself.

“We should get a box,” he said after a moment. He looked at you, practically glowing with excitement. “We can split it, if you want?”

For a few seconds longer, you just watched the man on the other side of the glass continue to work. Then you met Mark’s gaze, genuinely smiling that same smile he fell in love with years ago, and nodded. “I’d love that.” 

The two of you went into the shop, picking out flavors for your big box of chocolates. When Mark paid this time, you didn’t push back or question or tease him. You just leaned against him, still smiling that pretty smile, and thanked him in a soft voice that felt so genuine this time around. He tucked the box into one of the bags he was carrying, pressed a kiss against your cheek, and took your hand again as you left.

By the time the two of you got home and started sorting through everything you’d bought, it was late. When Mark looked up, asking if you felt like going back out for dinner, you’d shaken your head. You had sprawled out along the couch at that point, visibly sleepy from the long day as you abandoned the work of sorting out new clothes to be washed. He just crawled over to you, pressing his lips against yours.

“You wanna go take a bath? I’ll order dinner when we get out.” He pressed another kiss against your lips. “We can watch movies,” another kiss, “and then bust into those chocolates,” and another, “and it’ll be fuckin’ great, baby.” 

You agreed to it all too easily. The two of you ended up snuggling in the hot water for a while, talking about whatever came to mind. By the time the two of you were cuddled up on the couch again, dressed in matching pajamas (“Because we’re cheesy like that, you know?” was what Mark said to you when he bought them forever ago), he’d decided to apparently kill you with a thousand more soft kisses. The jerk was giggling the entire time, too, squeezing you in his arms and he peppered said kisses alongside the side of your neck—right where you were tickling, he’d learned back when the two of you were first dating.

“Mark!” You’d squealed at one point, nose crinkling as he mumbled something about how cute he found you. “You can stop. I know what you were doing today.” 

“What?” He played dumb. “Appreciated you? I’m always appreciating you, baby,” he giggled, kissing the spot where your neck met your jaw. “I’m lucky to have you, y’know?”

With a sigh, you pulled away from him. Ah. Shit. You’d been planning for a serious talk, then. “I mean it,” you said, taking one of his hands within your own. “I know what you were doing. And… I think it was really sweet.”

Wait, what? His voice grew softer now, heart racing in his chest. “So you aren’t mad?”

“I…”  You trailed off, turning away. “I thought I would have been. But… I dunno. I think when you walked up to me and said something about buying that box of chocolates, it just kinda hit me that you weren’t just spoiling me today because it’s my birthday. You were doing it because you love me.” For a moment, you tried to blink back tears. “I mean… I know you love me. And I knew that on the birthdays before—but I always kinda pushed people away because I felt like I wasn’t worth it.”

“You are, though.” The words fell from his lips before he could even think twice. Maybe if he did, he would have apologized for interrupting you, but some things were just too vital to hold back. “You’ll always be worth it, y’know?”

The tears you’d been fighting finally ran down your cheeks, and you nodded. “You made me feel special,” you said. “And not just because it’s my birthday, but because you actually care.” 

Something ached deep within his chest at that. Did that mean you had people who didn’t…? Yet he left the question unsaid. How long had he been dating you, and he still didn’t know everything he thought he should? Not because you were supposed to bare your soul to him—never that. But because he was your boyfriend, he felt that he should have noticed sooner. You told him that your birthday hadn’t been a happy day for you in a long time, and he’d accepted it at face value without pushing. If you wanted to tell him, you would, and he would listen the same way you always cared and listened to his problems. The same way you did today when you pushed him to open up, to talk, to share the day with you so it wasn’t just him doting on you endlessly. 

“Hey…” He reached up, wiping your tears away. “I’m sorry I went behind your back to try and spoil you today.”

You stared at him. “Mark, it’s okay—”

He shook his head. “I should have asked you first,” he said. “But I like celebrating you. You know I was kind of a mess when we first met, but I wanted to be better for you. Chenle can tell you how bad this place used to be,” he chuckled, hoping that you would laugh or giggle or something too. “So I like getting the chance to celebrate how much I love you. You still make me wanna be a better guy, y’know?”

Sniffling, you dove forward to hide your face in his shoulder. He just laughed softly, rubbing circles onto your back as you cried. He loved you, and he knew how easily you could get emotional in vulnerable moments like this. Always diving forward and hiding your face because no matter how many times he told you it was okay, you’d be embarrassed that you were crying on him when you were supposed to be happy. 

“We can have more days out like this, if you want,” he said, hand cradling the back of your head. He drew you back, just so he could see your face, watery eyes and all. “Today just needed to be perfect because I think you’re perfect, even with all the imperfections we both know we have, we’re kinda perfect together.” He paused, wondering if he’d talked himself in a circle again before settling on something simpler: “I just think you’re really cool.”

That had finally earned a laugh out of you, so endeared to him and the way he spoke. “Yeah?”

He nodded eagerly. “Yeah!” He smiled at you. “You’re pretty sick. I love being your boyfriend, y’know?”

You just drew him in for a quick kiss after wiping your face with your sleeve. When you pulled back, you just smiled at him. “You’re pretty cool, too, y’know.” With a clumsy kiss against the side of his mouth, you finally drew back and out of his lap. “Thank you for a really fun day, by the way.” Snuggling a little closer to him, you rested your head against his shoulder. “I had fun. I always do when I’m with you, but you know what I mean.”

He just chuckled, turning his head so that he could kiss the top of yours. “Yeah, of course. Happy birthday, baby.” He snuggled in for a cozy night with you, head resting against your own. “I love you a lot. Let’s do something cool next year, alright?”

You just let out a soft chuckle, too. “Alright.” You shut your eyes. “If it’s with you… I’ll always be happy.”

taglist: @twancingyunhao

[ih21506]

| Hidden feelings |

Pairing(s): Dean Winchester X Fem!Reader Sam Winchester X Fem!Reader (Platonic)

Genre: fluff

Warning(s): Age gap (Dean: 26 Reader: 21), no use of Y/N

Summary: You’re Bobby Singer’s daughter, and after John died Sam and Dean come to stay with you.

——————————————————

Sam sighed as he walked back into the house, lifting your head you saw the defeated look on Sam’s face.

“No luck?” You asked as he sat in the seat at the table across from you.

“Nope…” He mumbled, his eyes then landed on the collage work in front of you.

“I bet you don’t miss any of this?” I said, and Sam breathed out a laugh.

“Actually, I kinda do sometimes,” He said and looked over some of my papers.

—

The evening soon came and you had just finished making dinner. Your father and Sam sat at the table as they began eating, but there was no sign of Dean.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” You excused yourself and walked outside.

Soon enough you found the Impala, with a light shining on it, and Dean was working under it with a flash light. When you leaned against the impala, Dean stopped whatever he was doing and began to roll himself out from under the car.

“Sam I told you-” Dean cut himself off when he saw you, “Oh, hey Sweetheart,”

Your cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the nickname, and you turned your head slightly to try and hide it. You’ve always had a crush on Dean since you were both younger but knowing his reputation and that the feelings aren’t mutual, to your knowledge, so you always tried to suppress them.

“Are you… coming inside for dinner?” You asked as Dean stood up to get his next tool.

“I’m not hungry,” Dean said and went to lay back down when you gently grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“You’ve barely eaten since you got here,” You insisted, Dean looked down at your hand for a moment and you quickly pulled it away before he spoke again.

“I’m fine,” Dean told you, and a sigh slipped past your lips.

“Whatever,” You mumbled and went to walk away. You knew there was no way you’d be able to make Dean do what he didn’t want to do, so you just gave up now.

Suddenly your arms was grabbed and you was pulled back, now stood much closer to him than you was before. Dean practically towered over your smaller frame, your bodies were almost touching, and you faces were inches apart.

“I’ll eat later, happy?” He said to you and a small smile formed on your lips.

“Very,” You said back.

For a moment neither of you dared to move, until you forced yourself to step back away from him.

“I- I’ll… um, leave your food in the microwave,” You said while looking anywhere but at Dean, you then quickly walked away and back inside.

—

When Dean had finally decided to call it a night on fixing his car, he went back to the house. The first thing he noticed when he walked inside was the silence that filled the house and he figured everybody must have gone to bed by now.

As he walked down the hallway and past the living room, he briefly noticed the light coming from the tv.

Taking a step back, Dean looked into the room properly and saw ‘Friends’ playing on the TV, then his eyes moved to the couch where you laid with a blanket placed over you legs and waist.

Dean looked down the hall way and into the kitchen for a moment, then back at you, as he contemplated his next move.

Eventually, Dean stepped into the living room and walked over to where you laid. He pushed a piece of hair, that had fallen over your face, and tucked it behind your ear, taking a moment to admire how peaceful you looked while sleeping.

Snapping himself from his thought, and wondering what the hell he was doing, Dean slid his arms under your back and legs, so he could pick you up. Without waking up, you wrapped your arms around Dean’s neck and buried your face into the crook of his neck.

Walking upstairs, with you in his arms, Dean walked towards your room and used his foot to push your door open. He took you over to your bed and gently placed you down, before pulling your covers over you.

“Don’t forget to eat,” You mumbled as you shifted onto your side and Dean felt a smile tug on the corner of his lips.

“I won’t, goodnight sweetheart,” Dean whispered, placing a kiss on your forehead, he then quietly left your room.

——————————————————

[slight-gaming-addict]

just dance!

first year's version | masterlist | request rules

how housewardens are while playing 'just dance'

a/n: my boo bear @hathay made just dance headcanons for first years playing just dance a while back and i wanted to expand on it by making some for the housewardens<3

𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔

doesn't even know what's going on

ironically gets the player name 'happy'

can't keep ahold of the remote for more than five seconds before it's flying out of his hand

has to have someone force the strap onto his wrist

gets angry when he claims he's doing the moves perfectly but keeps getting fails

doesn't want to stop playing until he gets at least one star on a song

somehow keeps getting the remote to be upside down even though the strap is on??

is repeatedly hitting the person next to him

blames that person for the reason he's losing

is still trying to get a star when everyone else has left

ends up throwing the remote at the screen, breaking the tv.

𝑳𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒂 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓

is asleep the entire time

doesn't seemed bothered to want to play in the slightest

will leave the room growling about "herbivores not knowing how to be quiet"

if forced to play, wouldn't be the energetic type in the slightest

is sitting down when doing it, not moving to stand up at all

is just waiting for the song to be over so he can leave and not return

feels like the one song is being dragged on forever

does the least movements he can, even when he's sitting

is out the door before the scores are even shown

𝑨𝒛𝒖𝒍 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐

really tries but keeps tripping over his feet

has to keep bracing himself on the person next to him

is out of breath easily

insists on to keep going even when he's obviously having trouble trying to do the moves

makes everyone keep doing the same dance so he knows what moves are coming up next

still has difficulties executing the moves, even when knowing what's coming next

challenges riddle to a song, knowing full well that he wouldn't decline and it would be an easy win

is secretly practicing by himself trying to get better

decides it's a win when he gets three stars on a song definitely one of the easiest ones

𝑲𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝑨𝒍-𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒎

is having the time of his life

doesn't really care about his score, is just having fun with it

is encouraging some of the other players who are having trouble

doesn't get the highest scores, but does decently well

could probably get better scores if he was actively trying to

is laughing the entire time

the only housewarden (minus probably malleus) that actually has a smile on their face when playing

will try to get jamil to play with him at one point

has dance parties with the dorm mates regularly, along with jamil's hesitance to do so every time

𝑽𝒊𝒍 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒕

critiques how dumb the dance moves are

is actively commenting on how he could have thought of better moves for the song

dances like he's in a competition

barely puts in any effort, and is hitting every move perfectly

face would look like he's completely bored of it, but is still dancing

can't help but show other people how to do the moves when he sees them doing them completely wrong

ends up teaching people the moves more than him playing the game himself

eventually gets tired of trying to teach moves to people who don't know what's left and what's right and just leaves

𝑰𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝑺𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅

a try hard (only so he can win fast and get out of there)

would prefer to just play alone, insisting that playing with other people just get in the way

gives himself as much as room as possible from the person next to him

already knows most of the moves for the songs

gets annoyed if a song can't be agreed on

will purposely put on a hard song in the hopes of tiring out the others

ends up doing more songs than he initially thought he would do

isn't phased when someone falls, knocking down someone else in the process, and just continues like nothing's happening

leaves when people just start conversing with each other and aren't playing

𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒔 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂

also not completely sure what's going on, but fairs better than riddle

has to be taught that you just mirror whatever the dancer is doing, and you don't have to do the exact same movements how they are

isn't used to the modernized dance moves, or music that's used

feels weird at first doing certain movements, but gets the hang of it as time goes on

is caught off guard at certain dance moves that come up

doesn't understand what most the numbers and bars are telling him on the screen

laughs when he sees how other people look when dancing

ultimately has a good time playing, and would try it again if it was brought to him

buy me a coffee ♡

[5starl1ght]

Hello, could you please write prompt 6. **Cooking Together**: Characters A and B cook a meal together, resulting in a flour fight and a messy kitchen with Charles Leclerc, please <3

Here you go lovely! Hope you like it and thank you for asking o⁠(⁠(⁠*⁠^⁠▽⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠)⁠o

Cooking Together with Charles

Mesterlist prompt list

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon when you and Charles decided to tackle the kitchen together. The plan was simple: cook a homemade pizza from scratch. The reality, as you both would soon find out, was far more chaotic.

The kitchen was filled with the mouth-watering scent of fresh ingredients and the warm glow of late afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows. Charles, ever the perfectionist, was meticulously measuring out the flour while you prepped the toppings on the counter beside him.

"Are you sure that's enough flour?" you teased, watching him with an amused smile. "I don't want our pizza to turn into a pancake."

Charles looked up, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. "Just trust me, okay? I've got this."

He carefully poured the flour into a large mixing bowl, but as he turned to reach for the water, his elbow nudged the bag of flour off the counter. In a split second, a cloud of white powder erupted into the air, covering both of you in a fine layer of flour.

You burst out laughing, trying to wipe the flour from your face, but it only made matters worse. "Charles! Look what you've done!"

He stood there, momentarily stunned, before breaking into a grin. "Oops," he said sheepishly. "Guess we'll be having a floury pizza."

Without missing a beat, you scooped up a handful of flour and flung it at him. "Oops," you mimicked, unable to contain your giggles.

Charles's eyes widened in mock horror before he retaliated with a handful of his own. Soon, the kitchen was a battleground, flour flying everywhere as you both laughed uncontrollably. The counters, floor, and even the ceiling were dusted with white, but neither of you cared. It was a rare moment of carefree fun, far removed from the pressures of Charles's racing schedule.

Eventually, you both called a truce, collapsing onto the kitchen floor amidst the mess, still giggling. Charles reached out and brushed a flour-covered strand of hair from your face, his touch gentle and affectionate.

"You look beautiful," he said softly, his eyes full of warmth.

"You look ridiculous," you replied, smiling as you reached up to wipe a smudge of flour from his cheek.

He chuckled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to your lips. "Maybe, but I'm your ridiculous."

Together, you managed to clean up the worst of the mess and finally got back to making the pizza. Despite the chaos, the end result was

delicious. The dough was a little uneven, and the toppings might not have been perfectly distributed, but the experience of making it together made it the best pizza you had ever tasted.

As you sat at the table, enjoying your homemade creation, you couldn't help but feel a deep sense of contentment. Charles, still with a dusting of flour in his hair, was smiling at you with such genuine happiness that it made your heart swell.

"Do you think the kitchen will ever be the same again?" you asked playfully, taking another bite of pizza.

Charles shrugged, a carefree grin spreading across his face. "Maybe not, but I wouldn't trade today for anything. This was perfect."

You reached across the table, taking his hand in yours. "Agreed. We should do this more often—minus the flour fight."

Charles laughed, his thumb gently caressing the back of your hand. "Deal. But don't think I won't start another food fight if I get the chance."

You both laughed, the kind of laughter that comes from shared joy and unspoken love. The afternoon had been a wonderful reminder that sometimes, the best memories are made in the simplest moments of everyday life. Cooking together, covered in flour, laughing and teasing each other—it was these moments that made your relationship with Charles so special.

As the evening drew on and the kitchen was finally cleaned up, you found yourselves on the couch, wrapped in a cozy blanket, watching a movie. The warmth of the pizza still lingered, and the shared laughter echoed softly in your minds. Charles pulled you closer, his arm around your shoulders, and you nestled into his side, feeling completely at home.

"Today was amazing," you whispered, looking up at him.

Charles smiled down at you, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Every day with you is amazing."

In that moment, you realized that it wasn't just the grand gestures or the high-speed thrills that made your relationship with Charles special. It was the little things—the shared flour fights, the homemade meals, the quiet cuddles on the couch. It was being understood and loved for exactly who you were, in every silly, messy, wonderful moment.

And as you drifted off to sleep in his arms, you knew that no matter where life took you both, you would always treasure these simple, perfect days together.

[photogirl894]

🌼 Wrecker

Daisy 🌼

My second fic for the Clone Flowers fic event! Daisies are such sweet flowers, perfect for sweetheart Wrecker!! 🥰 This one isn't nearly as long as my first one, but I hope you'll all enjoy it nonetheless!! 💜 (divider by @firefly-graphics )

Flower Fic masterlist

You loved when you and Clone Force 99 got to have some downtime and could just spend a little while on any planet you wanted. You especially liked it because it meant you could do more things with Wrecker, the loveable giant that had caught your eye and stolen your heart.

He was brave and courageous while also compassionate and incredibly sweet. He would be the hardest hitter in battle yet have the gentlest touch with you afterwards, which amazed you. It was pretty apparent that the two of you had a thing for each other with your constant flirting, but nothing official had ever been said. Sometimes, it felt as though nothing needed to be said. You both just knew; it felt like a natural thing between the two of you. He was always the one you could turn to for comfort and he would protect you without a second thought. You were always the one he could run to when he needed reassurance and you’d always know just what to say in any situation. 

It was inevitable that you would fall in love with him.

Eventually, your travels with the Bad Batch took you all to Naboo for a bit of shore leave, which made you happy. Naboo was a gorgeous planet and perfect for some alone time with Wrecker. Sure enough, practically the moment the ship landed and the ramp went down, Wrecker was taking you by the hand and pulling you with him out of the ship, running through the grassy fields. The others didn’t try to stop you. They knew better than that. 

After running a ways away, the two of you laughing merrily, Wrecker stopped and suddenly lifted you in the air, spinning you around. Your happy laughter only increased at being raised up in his strong arms and seeing him looking up at you with the most adoring look in his eyes. Then he lowered you down so he could hug you, enfolding his arms around you and you wrapped your arms around his neck in turn. A few seconds later, he just fell straight backwards onto the grass and proceeded to roll down a nearby hill with you still in his arms, the two of you still continuing to laugh and giggle in the most carefree way.

Once you both finally reached the bottom of the hill, you rolled off of him and stated through heavy breath, “Wrecker, did you roll down the hill on purpose?”

“Sure did,” he answered, turning his head to look at you. “I thought it’d be fun.”

“You’re crazy,” you said through a smile.

“I know I am,” he replied. He shifted onto his elbow so he could gaze down at you. “But you spend a lot of time with me, so that must make you crazy, too.”

“You got that right,” you agreed.

When you both sat up, you realized that you had rolled down into a field of wild daisies, so there was a beautiful ocean of white and yellow before you.

“Oh, these are beautiful!” you exclaimed, caressing the daisies beside you with your hands. 

“What are these flowers called again?” Wrecker asked you. “They start with a ‘D’, don’t they?”

With a small chuckle, you answered, “They do. They’re called daisies.”

“Ah, now I remember!” he cried. 

Looking around at all the lovely flowers surrounding you, you stated aloud, “I have to make a flower crown out of these.” You shifted around, leaning your back against Wrecker’s arm, and started collecting the flowers, stems and all, into a small bouquet in your hand. Once you felt you had enough, you started to twist and braid them together so you could make a flower crown. 

It was about a minute later when you heard Wrecker muttering quietly behind you. He was not normally a quiet person, which meant he was deliberately keeping his voice low. What was he doing? You leaned your head back a bit to try and hear what he was saying. 

“...loves me…loves me not….”

Your head tilted curiously. Was he saying what you thought he was saying?

Pretending not to notice specifically the words he spoke, you returned to braiding your crown and asked over your shoulder, “What are you doing, Wrecker?”

“Uh….” He hesitated a second before answering, “I’m just playing a little game I’d heard about.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah…where you pick the petals off a flower and, for each one, you say ‘loves me’ or ‘loves me not’ while thinking of…a certain someone…and whichever one you get on the last petal is the truth.”

You smirked to yourself. “I see. And you uh...have a certain person in mind?”

“I do,” he responded. Though, he went back to picking the petals again.

Warmth rose up in your cheeks, wondering if he was thinking about you, especially given his reluctance to give a name. Your hands busied themselves again with your flower crown. You had already made quick work of it and tied the two ends together, admiring your work for a moment while you listened to Wrecker mumbling. The crown was a little shabby, but it would suffice. The daisies were holding together well and you smiled at work.

Just then, you heard Wrecker let out a despondent groan. 

“What's wrong?” you inquired, finally turning around. 

He turned back, too, a disappointed expression on his face. “I got ‘loves me not’...,” he said dejectedly.

It was pitiful and a bit sweet seeing how sad he was over that. You couldn’t help but put a hand over your heart. He seemed genuinely upset by that and believed the result to be the truth, like he’d said. 

“Well…the petals aren’t always right,” you told him, trying to reassure him. 

“They’re not?” he questioned.

“It is just a game. The way you can find out for sure is you can always ask your special person if they love you,” you said.

“I can?” he asked. 

You gave him a nod. 

He looked back down at the petal-less daisy in his hands, fidgeting with the stem. Was it really that easy?

Then his eyes found yours and he went on to ask, “Do you…do you love me?”

A tiny gasp left your lips. He was thinking of you! Wrecker did love you back! You felt as though your heart was going to sprout wings and fly over to him. Even though you were always sure there was something more between you, it just was comforting to hear confirmation out loud.

With a sweet smile, you took the flower crown and proceeded to reach up and place it upon Wrecker’s bald head. He seemed slightly confused at the gesture, but he also didn’t seem to mind it. Then, with a joyful laugh, you finally couldn’t contain your joy and you threw yourself forward at him, your arms coming around his neck and knocking him onto his back with a loud “Oh!” 

You pushed yourself up so you could look into Wrecker’s surprised eyes and you exclaimed, placing your hands on his cheeks, “Yes! I do love you, Wrecker! The flower petals were wrong! I love you so much and I have for a long time now!” Then you placed a firm kiss on his forehead.

A wide, toothy grin spread on his face at your answer and he replied, “What a relief!” His hand then came up to the back of your head and he pulled you down to him, bringing you in for a loving kiss that sent explosions through your whole body. He pulled away a few seconds later and declared, “I love you, too. So very much.” Then he sat up with you on his lap and he pressed his forehead against yours tenderly. “I'm glad that petal game was wrong. If it was right, I don't know what I would do.”

“That's why it's just a game. It's just meant for fun and no need to take it too seriously,” you said, nuzzling his nose.

“Well, I enjoyed kissing you and thought that was much more fun,” he admitted with gladness. 

A giggle of excitement and happiness sounded from you and, in the beautiful field of daisies, you kissed the love of your life once more. 

[bwere]

SHALL WE GO FOR A WALK?

content: 557+ wc – fluff, [requests are always open]

based on this ask – not proofread + pleasee send requests

A diligent worker, always the first to arrive and the last to leave. 

His life was consumed by work, leaving no room for leisure or relaxation. His vacation and personal days piled up, untouched and forgotten. He found solace in his work, using it as a distraction from the emptiness that filled his life.

He had gone so long without a true reason in his mind, that it had become a part of him. 

Then suddenly you entered it, like a breath of fresh air. You brought color and warmth into his monochrome world. Nanami found himself looking forward to something other than work. 

Spending more time with you, than his computer screen, while cherishing every moment along the way. 

He’d come home earlier than he used to, knowing that what’s waiting for him back home is his answer.

But recently you started to notice Nanami seemed more sluggish than usual, especially today.

He was in his office more, his fingers piecing away at the keys beneath them. The noise, vibrating through the hallway like it never stopped. 

You suggested that he take the remainder of the day off because you were afraid he was going to start overworking himself again. 

He was initially reluctant about taking your offer, but eventually gave in to your pleas.

To enjoy the small things in life that Nanami had been missing out on, you made the decision to go for a walk. You played a game where you had to find shapes in the clouds while you walked around the city. Nanami watched you with a tender gaze as you pointed at the sky and described the fictitious forms your imagination created. It was not the clouds that intrigued him, but rather the happiness and marvel in your eyes. 

After some time, you arrived at a park where the sun shone radiantly and the golden rays were warm but not sweltering. Sitting on a bench, you two took a moment to relax. Closing his eyes and soaking in the sunlight, Nanami plopped his head back. 

"What's wrong?" He asked whilst sitting up, sensing your gaze passing over his skin. In a way that makes him feel some sense of significance but does not render him to feel uncomfortable. 

To know you love him just as much as he loves you. 

“You’re my weakness.” you huff playfully, as an immense toothy grin began to display at the corners of your lips. 

For a moment he had a perplexed expression, leaving you to your thoughts for no more than a second, until a gradual chuckle appeared in his throat and washed through your ears.

“Do you know what you are?” he questions, sneaking an arm around your waist, pulling as close as he can. A content sigh escapes his lips as his shoulders collapse again against the bench.

“Hmmm what am I?” you reply with a laugh–letting your head fall into the crest of his shoulder.

“My purpose.” 

From that day forward, Nanami made sure to take time for himself, to enjoy the small pleasures of life. But most importantly, he made sure to spend those moments with you, the person who taught him that there was more to life than just work.

And if he started to revert back into his old habits, he knew you’d be there to save him. Always remembering what you told him the day you sunbathed together.

[storiesofsvu]

Forced Hand

Casey Novak x reader warnings: language, regular SVU case details talked about/mentioned, anxiety attack. it's a hurt/comfort besties. A combination of requests that were relatively along the same lines so I put it together into one. Welcome back to the blog Ms Novak, we've missed you! If you don't want to miss a thing, sign up for the taglist here! If you like what you read, don't forget to reblog/comment and always feel free to send in your own requests! They're always open!

You worked homicide, you weren’t supposed to be in a courtroom like this, and you certainly weren’t supposed be on the losing side. Your squad had picked up a case that later appeared to be linked to a string of open cases over at SVU and your captains insisted on working together. A few extra sets of eyes were always a good thing, a fresh perspective on the situation, they said.

What they hadn’t been able to prep you for was the viciousness of the case, and the fact that three of the victims were still alive. The crime scenes had been brutal and you were honestly shocked that anyone had survived through it, you’d been rattled to your core to discover your victims were all girls under the age of twelve. Girls who you had to watch be treated for shock on top of their injuries before retraumatizing them all over again with questioning to get their full stories, children who you then had to spend hours prepping for the brutality of a trial like this.

You were typically good with kids; Casey knew that which was one of the reasons she’d chosen you along with Benson to help her prep everyone. She watched with pride as you were able to break things down from confusing legal terms to something the girls could understand, how soft you were with them, how cautious you were how well you worked with Olivia in reminding them how strong and brave they were for doing this, and that the bad guy couldn’t hurt them anymore.

She also watched how that strong, encouraging façade would drop the moment you stepped into your shared apartment, weariness and exhaustion taking over your features and you turned down dinner and attempted to wash the day away in a too hot shower. You’d eventually reappear a couple of hours later in a pair of sweats and her worn Harvard tee, silently cuddling up to her side on the couch and she’d pass off her glass of scotch for you to finish. She’d put her work away, wrapping it up neatly so you wouldn’t have to see any of the crime scene photos again, urging you to lean into her embrace, pressing soft kisses to your skin and the top of your head until your stomach would let out a growl you’d finally submit to ordering some take out. You never said a word about it, and Casey never once pried or poked around until you said something, she let you go about your day, happy when she would catch you smiling or laughing with someone and she would always make sure she was ready and available for extra cuddles and wordless encouragement. She knew you were struggling, but that you were also handling it, and doing so in your own way, the case was close enough to over that you’d be able to breathe freely again in a matter of days.

However things were looking bleaker and bleaker as the trial strung along. The girls were strong on the stand for Casey, answering properly, detailing what they needed to, not matter how hard it was. When Casey turned around to take her seat again she caught your eye in the gallery and felt her heart tug at the tears shimmering in your eyes and the pain written across your face. What she missed was that pain turning into absolute outrage as the defence attorney started their cross and tore into all three of the victims like he was the devil. He twisted things around, barked out questions too quickly, stepped too close to the witness box, doing everything he could to get at least one person on the jury to side with him. And every motion he made broke down those poor little girls and their families even more. And you right along with them.

Casey lost you at lunch, no clue where you had ran off to when you weren’t in her office when she got there. Still, she knew you’d be there for the verdict, so she grabbed an extra coffee on her way back, deciding to go in the side door to avoid the press. She jumped a puddle as she crossed the street, cursing that she’d left her umbrella in her office, thinking the rain was done for the day. Dodging rain drops she finally rounded the bend to the side door and found you leaning up against the wall, staring down at your feet until you heard her voice.

“It’s raining, you should be inside.” She commented.

“I’m fine.” You replied, and her eyes caught the movement of your hand, hiding it behind your back and she realized you’d snuck out for a smoke.

“Okay.” She stepped up to you, kissing your cheek softly, “don’t get too cold.” She passed off the coffee and you took it from her with a small smile.

“Thanks.”

Her finger curled under your chin so she could catch your eye, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You mustered up a small smile, letting her kiss you softly before she disappeared inside.

Finishing your smoke, you stubbed it out with your toe and took a heavy breath, the last thing in the world you wanted to do right now was go back into that courtroom. You didn’t want to know the outcome, wanted to walk away from this forever and pretend it never happened. But you knew that those families were depending on you and your squads to help get them through it, to be the backbone when the verdict was read and help them figure out what their next steps were. There was a reason you preferred homicide.

The surefire grin on the perp’s face was the first tell, how casually he was talking with his lawyer, the nearly awkward, slightly guilty look on the faces of half the jury was the second, the way Casey’s hand tightened around her pen as she chewed on her lip, her jaw tightening was the last. You felt the burning in your stomach start to creep up your throat, your hands shoved into your pockets so no one would see them shaking as the verdict was read.

“Not guilty on all counts.”

Your ears were ringing, you couldn’t hear yourself think much less the commotion in the courtroom, the scared and confused questions coming from the girls as their parents scrambled to try and figure out any kind of an answer. Your vision was nearly blurring and this time it wasn’t from the tears, everything about this was wrong, it was more than wrong and it was disgusting. Someone grabbed your hand and it was as if you had been clapped on the ears and you could suddenly hear the cries of the girl beside you, the terror written across her tiny features as she looked up at you for an answer. You barely heard yourself when you spoke,

“I’m so, so sorry.”

Your chest was suddenly tight, squeezing all the air out of your lungs as pictures from the case began to invade your brain, memories collaborating with imagination, making everything even worse. You weren’t entirely sure what was happening but you knew you couldn’t let it happen in this courtroom.

When Casey heard the door heavily drop shut she instantly knew it was you leaving and her heart dropped into her stomach. A glance over her shoulder confirmed her theories, catching Liv’s gaze with an incredibly apologetic look in her eyes, the brunette nodded, her way of saying ‘I know you did everything you could’ before her head tilted in the direction of the door. ‘I’ve got this, go get your girl.’ Casey didn’t even bother to give the defence the privilege of a glance as she packed up her things and slipped from the courtroom. Unsure on whether you would still be in the building or not she headed toward the side exit, knowing there was a fairly unused bathroom over there that was still close enough to the part you’d been in. She heard the flush of the toilet through the door, the sound of the tap running as she pushed it open, catching you rinsing out your mouth, splashing cold water over your face as you struggled to catch your breath.

You barely even noticed someone else in the bathroom with you, your vision still tunnelling and filled with gruesome, bloody images and the faces of those poor girls while they told their horrible stories. Wiping the water off your face you took a heaving breath, it still felt like there was a cinder block resting on your chest and as much as throwing up had helped, there was stomach acid creeping up your throat, making it burn even worse. Your brain started to race, remembering all the things you’d said alongside Olivia to the girls, encouraging them that it would all be okay, that you’d caught the bad guy, now you were going to put him away. That their nightmares would eventually stop, they wouldn’t have to be scared anymore because he would be in prison, the promises you’d made them, every single one of them turning out to be empty.

“Oh god….” It came out as a half choked sob and you turned toward the window, bracing your hands on the sill as the heavy cries started to spill from deep within you, tears beginning to stream down your cheeks.

“Hey…” Casey’s soft voice didn’t manage to break through your conscious, but you felt the welcomed coolness of her hand between your shoulder blades and you shuddered, “it’s not your fault.” Her hand began to rub slow circles, “you worked your ass off and did everything you could.”

You tried to form even a single word but you couldn’t find your voice, another choked sob escaping your lips as you started to hyperventilate, completely unable to get enough air into your lungs, feeling even more like you were drowning.

“Whoa, whoa…” Casey’s arms cautiously wrapped around you, “c’mere.” She pulled you flush to her, frowning at the feeling of your heart pounding against your ribs and just how hot your skin was to her touch.

You didn’t struggle, but you protested a little bit, your hands pushing against her arms until she grabbed your wrists in one of her hands, restraining you as she leant forward, pushing open the window as far as she could. You let out a cry, not wanting to be forced to be still but the sudden woosh of cold air was a refuge to your burning lungs and your breath shuddered as you finally collapsed against Casey. Your eyes finally cracked open, tears continuing to trail over your cheeks as the cool breeze ghosted over your skin. You could feel Casey’s heart strumming against your back, slow and steady, a stark difference to yours pounding in your chest, her breath was cool on the side of your neck, breathing calm and even. Her chest rising and lowering slowly, and you were able to slowly match her breathing, calming yourself down and you felt like you could finally breathe again, sniffling as you relaxed in her arms.

“I’m sorry…” you finally whimpered.

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” She murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of your head, “you did your job.”

“I’m not strong enough.” You admitted with another soft cry, finally letting yourself turn around when Casey stepped away to grab a tissue. You took it from her but dropped against the wall, staring down at your shoes. “I can’t do this. I’m not good enough for it, I disappointed so many people today. I’m a complete failure.”

Casey’s hand found your cheek, wiping away your tears as she stepped back toward you, “you’ve been completely out of your comfort zone for almost a month, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you are not a failure.”

You dared a glance up at her, unsurprised at the complete empathetic expression on her face, “how do you do this every day?”

“You wouldn’t believe the amount of times I’ve cried in my office.”

“Case…” Your voice softened as the tears finally came to a stop.

“I know how incredibly hard sex crimes is, I didn’t want to be bringing that home to you every day.” She leant in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, “you see enough brutalization over at homicide, I don’t need you getting SVU’s baggage too.”

“I am never going to forget the look on that girl’s face….” You were almost talking to yourself, staring off into the distance and Casey’s thumb and forefinger curled around your chin, redirecting your gaze to her face.

“You will.” She assured, “and it is because you are strong, and you are strong enough. Do you know how I know why?” You shook your head, “because I see the cases that you bring home, the trials you’ve sat through, the amount of times you’ve taken down a perp, dismantled a defence attorney during a cross. You’re not used to living victims, and that is completely okay. Days like today will absolutely rip you to shreds and make you think that you aren’t cut out for it, but you’re going to wipe these tears, keep that pretty little chin up and come out even stronger on the other side. Okay?”

You nodded meekly, trying to hold back any remaining tears as Casey wrapped her arms tightly around you, tucking you into the crook of her shoulder as you finally relaxed into the embrace. She held you for as long as you needed, leaving tender kisses on the top of your hair and your temple, hands soothingly rubbing up and down your back.

“You’re incredible baby, don’t even forget that.” She murmured, “you were forced to try your hand at a new thing and now we know it’s not for you. You’re still an incredible rockstar when it comes to homicide and come Monday that’s what you get to go back to doing. Promise me you won’t let this drag you down too long?”

She pulled away from the hug, her hand brushing a piece of your mussed up hair behind your ear before caressing down the side of your cheek and she left a kiss on the tip of your nose, waiting for a response. You took a breath, finally feeling calmed down enough to feel human again when you finally looked up at her.

“Only if you promise to not keep everything bottled up and to yourself anymore.” You offered and her brow furrowed, “I know you Casey, you wear your heart on your sleeve, someone like you, doing something like this every day? That can’t be easy, I don’t need to know all the details but I don’t want you doing it alone. You shouldn’t have to cry alone in your office when you can come home and cry over a pint of ice cream with some extra cuddles.”

“Okay.” Casey let out a tiny laugh, her lips curving up into a grin, a warmth soothing through her at the sight of smile finally on your cheeks. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” Her arm wound around your shoulders, “now how about we get out of here? A pint of ice cream sounds pretty fucking good right now.”

“And pizza?” You asked, looking up at her with a pout and puppy dog eyes and she chuckled again, kissing the tip of your nose.

“The perfect combo. But that doesn’t answer what Disney movie we’re going to watch to forget about today.”

“Mmm…” you tugged your lip into your mouth as you thought, “Emperors New Groove?”

“That… sounds amazing.” She smiled at you, “you ready to go home?”

“Yeah.” You replied with a soft sigh, leaning into her side for a moment before her hand trailed down your arm, linking your fingers with her own and you were finally ready to leave the bathroom. “Casey?”

“Yeah baby?” She glanced back at you, nothing but adoration pouring from her eyes.

“Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you to the moon and back.”

____________

@bisexualcrowley @red1culous @imlike-so-gaydude @wannabe-fic-reader @altsvu @disneyfan624 @svulife-rl @svushots @mysticfalls01 @bumblebear30 @solemnnova @infernumlilith @australiancarisi @cerberus-spectre @emskisworld @thestarrynightslover @lawandorderuswnt @ex-uallyactive @hbkpop @samwithnoplan @multifandomlesbianic @narvaldetierra @dxtery @poisonedcrowns @a-little-bit-of-this-and-that @clarawatson @mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @yeeterthek33per @brooklynmhm @alexxavicry @daddy-heather-dunbar @7thavenger @augustvandyne @msvenablesbitch @happenstnces @valentinesfrog @geekyandgay98 @onmykneesformarvel @desperate-gay @riveramorylunar @irishavengersassemble @kmc1989 @holycrapraewth @noahrex @temp0rary-bliss @wittygutsy @chimnlex @nilaues @borinxnovak

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'Dating Chrissy' - Hellcheer Fic - Oneshot

'It seemed that word had traveled to all the bachelors of Hawkins High that the Queen Bee herself was open to dating (and her bonehead ex was safely out of the picture). So it fell to the brave and brightest knights to try for her hand.' Chrissy's single and Nancy encourages her to try dating. Eddie's not so thrilled. Eventual happy ending and post-Vecna. Also on Archive.

Eddie cupped his hands together and yelled… “Cunningham! C’mere. You’re a goddamn genius!”

The entire hallway seemed to freeze and then turn as one to peer at the head cheerleader who was trying (and failing) not to giggle. She was scooping out books from her locker with a very bemused looking Robin Buckley waiting beside her. Both of them were well used to Eddie’s dramatics. 

Chrissy grinned. “Yeah? No duh, Munson. Tell me something I don’t know.” 

Eddie was beaming from ear to ear as he strode towards her, weaving round the surprised students like he didn’t even notice or care about the stares. That Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham were friends was old news by now and so were the rumors about devil worship and black magic and so forth. No, for some explicable reason Chrissy seemed to enjoy The Freak’s company and their peers moved onto the next boiling pot of hot gossip. 

They didn’t know that the perfect and angelic looking Chrissy was a glorified freak at heart too.

(and boy how she’d squealed when Eddie first pointed it out, after stumbling across her trying to headbang - adorably - to his mix tape. She’d swatted his arm and said ‘Eddie!’ in such a breathy happy voice that it became a badge of honor now. Big bad scary Eddie had softened like cookie dough at the mere sight). 

More importantly perhaps, the other students at Hawkins High didn’t know about spring break or how the pair teamed up with other loveable misfits (‘The Party,’ Henderson dubbed them) to save the world like freakin’ superheroes. 

Chrissy had nearly died that evening in Eddie’s trailer and that was a decent enough ice breaker, all things considered. Ever since then they’d sort of been thrown together - the loser junkie and Queen Bee - and it turned out they made an excellent duo. Chrissy brought the brains and the brawn, and Eddie had a smart mouth and wheels. 

That kind of thing formed friendships, you know? As did carrying around the secret of Vecna all these weeks later because it was supposed to be kept totally hush hush. 

Annoyingly the government suits thanked them all most profusely and patched up their wounds - but their thanks didn’t extend to canceling finals or handing out honorary diplomas. Which meant the older kids still had to knuckle down and study. 

So all in all, things were looking pretty swell for Eddie right now. 

He presented his latest Math test like it was the holy grail itself, spun from solid gold. 

“B plus, baby, which means…drumroll please, Buckley…” he grinned as Robin dutifully taped her knuckles against the locker. “...I’ve passed O'Donnell’s class! The school’s gonna have no choice but let me graduate in green this summer, so long as I keep my head down and play nice. This dumbass you see before you is going to finally graduate. I fucking knew 1986 was going to be my year!” 

Chrissy gave a loud whoop and bounced on the tips of her sneakers. She looked like she wanted to launch into a whole new cheer routine just for him. 

“Eddie! That’s amazing news! I’m so proud of you!”

Eddie laughed and swung his arms around her waist before picking her up and spinning them around in circles. Chrissy giggled against his chest and didn’t seem to mind even though they were causing a small spectacle (Eddie didn’t give a shit but Chrissy could sometimes get blushy and pink if people paid her too much attention). In the distance, somewhere, Eddie heard Robin offer her own congratulations and pat him on the back. 

“Knew you could do it, Eddie!” Chrissy was saying. "I just knew it."

He set her down and jammed the test safely into his backpack. He couldn’t wait to show it to Wayne. Though his uncle never scolded him for his piss poor efforts with school before, he held out hope Eddie might someday find the motivation to straighten up and apply himself. 

(the government did fork out a tidy sum of cash in exchange for their silence and Wayne right away set up a college fund for Eddie (while he lay unconscious, being sewn back together like Frankenstein's monster). There was enough left over for Eddie to buy a brand new van and amp for his guitar which cheered him up). 

Maybe Eddie would actually get to use that fund now. 

“Nah, it’s all down to you, sweetness. Couldn’t have done it without your expert tutorage. Gonna buy you some candy or a big bunch of flowers to say thanks. What’s your poison? Roses? Want some wildflowers, Chriss? Or what about…what are they called? Chrysanthemums, like your name. I’ll fill your bedroom with them.” 

When she first offered her help, he’d not been optimistic honestly. A dumbass is a dumbass, right? But hell, Chrissy was a wonderful study buddy and again they proved they made an excellent team. He thought about all those late nights together studying old test papers, the cute revision cards she made with her pink and purple gel pens, the study timetable she decorated with stickers. Turns out Eddie’s a sucker for a gold shiny star sticker...especially when Chrissy herself pressed it to the tip of his nose.

O'Donnell should seriously take notes.

Chrissy swiped her hand against his arm playfully and gave it a squeeze. “Eddie, you’re sweet, but you don’t need to do that. You worked really hard and earned this fair and square. We talked about it... the answers were already there in your brain - just whizzing around like bats. You just needed help focusing and writing it all down.”

“We should celebrate!” Robin suddenly interjected. Eddie and Chrissy both seemed to jump, as though they’d forgotten she was a part of the conversation. “This definitely feels like something we should celebrate with cliche party hats and balloons. How about Saturday night at Steve’s place? We’ve got the night off work and I know his calendar... he’s got like zero plans.”

The bell rang so Chrissy shouldered her heavy backpack and they began to walk towards the lunch hall. 

Feeling a bit guilty for leaving her out, Eddie flashed Robin a huge grin and said that sounded great. They began to talk about logistics, invites, playlists, and Robin promised to bring along a pack of her dad's fancy imported beers if Eddie swore not to play any Black Sabbath. 

“As long as you don’t force me in the pool again, I’m sweet, ‘cause these glorious curls can’t handle it. And I’m not playing strip poker with you again because you clearly cheated last time and Steve nearly had a stroke,” Eddie chuckled. He noticed Chrissy was a bit quiet and gently bumped her shoulder. “How about it, Cunningham? Party this weekend at Harrington’s mansion? It’s time I finally showed you how to hangbang like a true rockstar.” 

Chrissy bit her lower lip. 

On hindsight Eddie should’ve known that things were going just too well for him. He was due a cosmic kick between the legs.

Chrissy began to speak and three things happened to Eddie all at once. His legs forgot how to function so he missed a step, his stomach heaved like he was going to seriously throw up, and it felt like some devilish spirit had just tipped an ice cold bucket of water over his head. It wasn't pretty.

“I…I’ll be there, Eddie, of course…but I might be a little late,” she said slowly. “I’ve got a…well… a date. You know Andrew from English class, Robin? Well he asked me if I wanted to see that new horror film this Saturday and I kinda' said yes. It’ll be rude to rearrange last minute, but it’s an early showing so maybe I can ask him to drop me off at Steve’s place after? You think he’ll mind?”

Eddie was vaguely aware of Robin saying something like oh wow. That’ll be fun, Chrissy. I’m sure Andrew won’t mind dropping you off afterwards. I thought you hated horror films or did he suggest it so he could play the ‘oh she’s scared so I’ll hold her hand’ move? Guys are seriously stupid. Is this your first date since…you know…?

Chrissy nodded.

“Since Jason? Yeah. I know it’s only been a month... but Nancy knows Andrew from the school newspaper and says he’s a real great guy. She thinks I should…what did she call it? ‘Put myself out there’…and try dating again. I got with Jason when we were freshman, you know, and it all happened so fast. He gave me his letterman jacket and we went out for milkshakes …and then we were suddenly boyfriend and girlfriend. He’s the only guy I’ve seriously dated…which I guess sets a pretty low bar,”  she added with a blush. 

It hardly needed saying but none of Chrissy’s new friends liked her stick-up-the-ass ex-boyfriend Jason Carver. Since the first day he’d been an absolute boor about Chrissy helping the party fight Vecna and threw his weight around when he felt ignored or sidelined (which he usually was). 

Chrissy admitted they’d been on the rocks for ages and his speech at the pep rally was when she knew for certain it was truly over. She’d just…outgrown him. 

And now she was talking about dating again. 

Eddie noticed that her hand closest to him was twitching and she was gnawing at her lip so hard it was in danger of being chewed right off. He suddenly felt like the world’s biggest jackass when she clearly needed a friend right now. 

Sighing inwardly, he took a deep breath. He tried to look supportive just like Robin. “You know what? I think that sounds great.”

Chrissy and Robin both looked up at him.

Chrissy’s baby blue eyes seemed to widen. “Oh Eddie, I’m being so selfish. If you want me to cancel, of course I will. It’s amazing news and I do want to celebrate with you. Honestly…do you want me to take a rain check?”

“No no, it’s fine. I’ll see you afterwards anyway, right? We can hang out then. You should go on the date, Chriss. Honestly.” 

“...Really?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely. It’ll be good for you to…put yourself out there. Nancy's right.”

“Oh. Okay…if you’re sure."

“Totally sure. Fly your freaky flag, Cunningham.”

He even pumped his fist into the air for good measure.

Chrissy smiled and then excused herself to go to the bathroom. 

Eddie and Robin waited outside and Robin peered across at him. She was wearing such a painfully exasperated expression that Eddie couldn’t ignore it…though it would serve her right if he did. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair before speaking, knowing full well where this conversation was heading. 

He’d had similar awkward chats with Nancy and Steve and Dustin which usually resulted in a lot of eye rolling (and name calling). 

“You look like an owl.”

“I’m just flabbergasted, Munson. Truly flabbergasted.” 

“Right…go ahead and spit it out before you explode.” 

“The wonderfully beautiful and amazing Chrissy Cunningham, who is honestly too good for the likes of any of us really, just asked if you were sure she should date…and you responded with…and I quote… let your ‘freaky flag fly’. You know that was the exact moment in chick flicks where the romantic hero finally admits their true feelings, and they both swoon and kiss face. It was the perfect setup…”

“Buckley…I swear to god...” 

“You’ve been making gooey eyes at Chrissy since day one, Munson, and now she’s ditched dickhead Carver and ready to move on…and you give her your blessing? Really? You’re seriously okay with the idea of her dating Andrew and holding hands and smooching and…”

“Okay…okay…hush!” 

The hallway was pretty busy and although Robin was using her inside voice, Eddie was still nervous about being overheard especially with her throwing around words like swoon and smooch. And also yeah…he wasn’t totally over the moon with picturing Chrissy doing any of that stuff with whoever the hell this Andrew was. 

“What exactly am I supposed to say?” he shrugged. He crossed his arms like a shield.

"You could start with being honest."

“Fine...here's the shitty truth. Did I think that maybe there was something between me and Chriss when everything went down with Vecna? Sure, yeah. I’d freak out when she flirted back or hugged me…but clearly I was wrong or misread things, and she only sees me as a friend. Which is fine, by the way, being her friend is a fucking honor.”

Robin was shaking her head. “Dude, it wasn’t nothing. We all noticed it.”

“Yeah? Look, it doesn’t matter either way. Deep down I knew how this fantasy would play out and I’ve got no expectations. This is reality. She’s going to a good college after summer and she’s so smart she’ll ace it and have this amazing perfect life…and my dumbass will only hold her back. I know how goddamn beautiful and amazing Chrissy is, okay? She’s a fucking angel. But I’m…me… and like you just said, she’s so far out of my league it’s like we’re a different species; she’s some lovely elf and I’m this cave goblin. I get it. In the real world…me and her just don’t make sense. I know it. She knows it. You know it.” 

Shit. He hadn't meant to let it all come pouring out at once. Clearly he'd been bottling up more teenage angst than he knew.

Robin was looking at him now with something akin to surprise and sympathy. She was evidently not expecting this outpour of brutal honesty from him. Sarcasm and jokes maybe, or him telling her to go to hell, but not whatever this was. For all her wise cracks and joking, Robin was annoyingly perceptive.

“Big words for a fantasy nerd. She’s your fairy muse, the princess at the end of the quest. You think you can really let her go?” she asked after a pause. 

“If this really was a dumb movie and I admitted all this stuff…you know what would happen? A big fat nothing. She’d blush and say ‘sorry, Eddie’ and be so crazy kind when she let me down. No swooning or…riding off into the sunset or whatever. Sorry to disappoint.” 

“So what if she has a good time with Andrew? What if they hit it off and sparks fly. You’d be fine seeing that?” 

“Fuck no but I’m still not going to say anything.” 

“But…” 

Eddie cleared his throat. “Look...I wasn’t lying to her. It would be good for her to date someone other than that prick Jason. After everything we’ve been through…she fucking deserves to be happy, you know? Let her be a kid and have some damn fun.”

He’d been so proud when she mustered the confidence to finally dump Jason, and when she stood up to her crappy asshole parents too. She was grabbing life by the horns and who was he to throw a spanner in the works because of feelings? 

Robin sighed. She looked like a deflated balloon.

“You’re a good guy, Eddie,” she said. “But this is going to end in heartbreak.” 

“I’ll handle it. Just stitch me right back up again, right? What’s a few more scars…”

**

‘Let her have some damn fun.’

He didn’t feel so benevolent when Saturday finally rolled around. 

Eddie arrived at Steve’s that afternoon trying to keep upbeat (the freshmen were coming so they decided to start the celebrations early so they could make their curfews and still have time to par-tay). He found plenty of other things to think about... and Robin came through with the promise of fancy booze as a well done gift.

Steve started up the BBQ and bought some beers and wine coolers with strict instructions to the younger party members they were only allowed one (though Lucas definitely swiped more). He was wearing a jazzy orange apron and still somehow managed to look effortlessly cool flipping burgers. He’d clapped Eddie on the back when he arrived and murmured something about third time’s the charm but he sounded genuinely pleased for him. He seemed fine with them commandeering his home for the evening (or was just used to it by now). 

Nancy had brought along party hats and balloons and streamers (again as promised. They looked like something from a kid’s birthday party and Eddie beamed - especially when she strong-armed Jonathan into wearing a pointy hat). 

They decorated everything tastefully at first, but after some wine coolers Nancy and Robin became more confident with their artistic abilities and the garden soon turned into a mess of white and red streamers and balloons.

Chuckling, Eddie settled back onto one of the pool loungers and cracked open the lid of his fancy beer feeling pretty good. Steve passed him a burger with all the trimmings and Max put Kate Bush on the stereo. 

(Dustin had heard about the gold stickers from Chrissy and brought along a sheet as a gag gift. Eddie was now sporting a star on either cheek. Jeff had them stuck all over his face. They were currently paying a silent game of who could pin the most on Steve without him noticing.)

It was chaos and Eddie loved it. They were all such weirdos.

They talked about everything and nothing for a while when he noticed Lucas and Max holding hands. They were dating again and it seemed to be going well. 

But seeing that made him think about Chrissy who was at that exact moment in time (he checked Nancy’s watch to be sure) sitting in a dark movie theater with her date, watching a scary film. Chrissy was terrible with horror films - she’d had to hide behind his hands when Will put on Friday the 13th - so it was a cunning move on Andrew’s part if he wanted an excuse to get close to her. Plenty of chances to hold her hand, tuck her close to his side, maybe even wrap his arm around her shoulders if he was feeling brave. 

Was she holding his hand right now? Were they sharing a soda with just one straw? 

He didn’t know Andrew nor did he want to give Robin the satisfaction of asking. Was he another Carver with big shoulders and perfect smooth blond hair? 

Eddie seriously needed a joint and Jonathan joined him down the street to smoke. It helped a bit.  

It was nearly 8pm when he finally heard a car pull up and the passenger door slam shut. They all looked round as Chrissy opened the side gate and stepped through to the garden. It was getting dark (though Steve had rigged up some electric lights), and they were still hanging out in the garden drinking and playing silly games. 

Chrissy gave them all a big wave and smiled brightly. She was thankfully alone. 

They beckoned her over (Nancy rushed up to give her a hug) and Eddie noticed no one asked where she’d been which meant they all knew about the date. He noticed Dustin and Steve glancing at him to gauge his reaction. 

Chrissy snagged a wine cooler from the icebox and plopped down in the spare spot beside Eddie. She wasn’t dressed up exactly but she’d made a noticeable effort to style her hair and put on a blue sundress that Eddie had once said was pretty. She was wearing a new perfume too. 

“Hey guys. What’s with all the streamers? Steve, why do you have stickers all over your ass?” She giggled. 

“Goddamn it.” 

“We like to party in style, Cunningham,” Eddie smiled in greeting. Jonathan had two party hats on his head now and was putting on some Dio. Finally. Jeff and Gareth let out a cheer. “Drink up, you’ve got some catching up to do. Wheeler was just explaining why there’s no bouncy castle.” 

Nancy spluttered something about not being kids anymore which was Robin’s cue to then suggest strip poker which everyone shut down. Steve offered to play normal poker and she accepted it grudgingly. 

The freshmen were ready to head off anyway and Robin went to the kitchen for more beers. 

“I still don’t know how to play,” Chrissy whispered to him. 

“Stick with me kid, you can be on my team,” he said conspiringly. “Only don’t blurt out what cards we have like last time, ‘kay?” 

Chrissy grinned and she nudged her leg against his. “Sorry I’m late. I’m really proud of you for today, Eddie. Now we can graduate together!” 

Eddie nudged her back. 

He very deliberately didn’t ask about her evening nor did she bring it up either, though Nancy apparently cornered her later on for a full breakdown. Eddie had just decided that he was at peace with things and didn’t need to know any details (the date was over, right? And she seemed happy to be here with him) when he walked in on Nancy and Robin discussing it in the kitchen while fetching ice. 

Nancy noticed him right away and raised her voice so that he could hear too. 

“...she said Andrew took himself way too seriously. Said it was like being with Jason all over again. Apparently he kept going on about all the writing awards he’d won and it came off as serious bragging, and he’s got his whole life planned out where he’s going to be this famous writer. You know Chrissy, she’s way too polite to shut that shit down, but she’s after fun, right? Who needs all that heavy stuff on a first date? She said it was like being interviewed for a job.” 

“Ugh. Way too much male ego,” Robin cringed. “Guess there’s not gonna be a date two for Andrew?”

“I doubt it, but she said it’s not put her off dating. Let’s hope the next guy shows her a better time.” 

Nancy was very pointedly looking at him now. 

He rolled his eyes and went back through to the other room where they were still playing poker. Robin was winning but Eddie and Chrissy were coming a close second (all Eddie’s doing - Chrissy, bless her, couldn’t bluff at all). Jonathan was staring at his cards as though he could magically change them with mere force of will...though maybe he was too stoned to see clearly.  

Eddie sat down on his seat and took a very large gulp of his fancy beer. 

Chrissy was leaning across the table to look at their cards and kept whispering questions in his ear, so he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her over so she could perch on his lap instead. Her perfume smelled like strawberries and vanilla and he took a deep breath. 

“Sit tight and buckle in, sweetness. We’re gonna win.” 

(they didn’t, but they were having too much fun to care)

**

Though poor Andrew didn’t get another date, Chrissy soon found herself another one. It seemed that word had traveled to all the bachelors of Hawkins High that the Queen Bee herself was open to dating (and her bonehead ex was safely out of the picture). So it fell to the brave and brightest knights to try for her hand.

This time it was a guy from the Photography club. Jonathan gave him the all clear when Chrissy probed. 

“He’s called James,” Chrissy revealed at lunch. She was picking at her sandwich. “He was very sweet actually - he wrote me a little note saying how he’d always had a soft spot for me from afar. We’re going to park up by the lake and go for a hike this weekend.”

Lover’s Lake. 

“A hike on a first date?” Nancy raised an eyebrow. “It’s not exactly traditional…”

Jonathan shrugged beside her. “I think it’s nice. Plenty of time and space to talk in private and get to know each other. He’s a quiet guy.” 

He promised to take Nancy on a hike and she softened like melted butter. 

“I think he’s going to bring his camera actually - he said he would show me how it works and then maybe we could develop the photos together too.” 

“All alone in the darkroom,” Robin sniggered. “This James seems to have it all figured out, I’m half impressed. What are you gonna wear, Chriss?” 

“Oh! I guess my workout gear? Or would that be too casual? Maybe I should wear some shorts? I can’t exactly wear a dress if we’re hiking.” 

“Wear those tiny black shorts you’ve got. That’ll give him something to photograph.” 

Chrissy blushed to the very roots of her hair but Eddie noticed she didn’t say no. 

Eddie kept silent throughout and focused on his own lunch. 

Unlike Andrew, Eddie actually knew James and had even sold him weed before. James was very different from Jason's all-American vibe; tall, dark hair (that always looked perfectly tousled), and a serious (but sensitive) expression on his face. He could often be found with a camera slung around his neck wearing the kind of shabby clothes girls seemed to feel were cool and artistic. 

Eddie sat behind him in class Friday afternoon and tried hard not to glare daggers into his back. Was he thinking about the weekend instead of whatever war the teacher was droning on about? He would be. 

To Eddie’s utter dismay James actually turned around when the bell went and gave Eddie a tight smile. 

“Hey Munson, you know Chrissy Cunningham, right? You’re friends?” 

“Sure.” 

“Well I’m taking her out this weekend, maybe she told you? But I’m kind of freaking out a bit…I mean…it’s her, you know? I thought maybe I should buy some flowers and surprise her? Do you know what she likes?”

A diabolical part of Eddie wanted to mess with him but he managed to keep his cool. This was for Chrissy, after all, and he wanted her to have a nice time.

“Get her Chrysanthemums,” he said, getting to his feet. “And make her laugh, alright?” 

That whole weekend Eddie tried to keep busy. He cleaned his entire bedroom, gave the kitchen a scrub, even mowed the patch of grass out front. Wayne didn’t say a word though he pressed a hand to Eddie’s forehead to make sure he wasn’t feeling sick. Eddie tried to practice his guitar but found his concentration was all over the place. 

He thought seriously about taking a long drive (maybe towards Reefer Rick’s and a certain lake nearby) but tossed the idea aside. 

When he got to school Monday, he wanted to just head to class and forget all about the weekend - though at the same time he desperately wanted to hear every detail too. It had been a gloriously sunny weekend (perfect for stomping around nature) and the lake had probably looked picture perfect. Did they have fun? Joke? Did Chrissy wear those tiny black shorts that cupped her ass so perfectly? Most importantly… did Chrissy have a nice time?

It was Jonathan who finally took pity on him. They were sharing a smoke out in the woods before lunch period. 

“Go on…hit me with it,” Eddie breathed out long and hard. 

Best to get a heads up now before lunch with everyone’s curious eyes flickering to him to assess his reaction. 

Jonathan watched him carefully as he spoke. 

“...Chrissy called Nance up last night on the phone. Said the hike was nice but really awkward. Apparently James turned up with roses which she hates and barely said a word the whole time. She figured it was just nerves and tried hard to fill in the blanks - you know how nice she can be - but he wouldn’t take the hint.”

“Ah…”

That Jonathan was saying that, when he was a pretty awkward guy himself, must have meant it was truly bad. 

“I guess you and Nancy won’t have to share the darkroom.”

Jonathan coughed and blushed but rather tellingly didn’t say a word. 

Eddie couldn’t help but feel pleased that it was a dud even though Chrissy looked pretty disappointed when she spoke about it at lunch. She told them how beautiful the lake was but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t coax much out of James which was frankly bizarre because even Mr Wheeler had warmed up to Chrissy. If she was a D&D character she would have critically high charisma stats.  

Eddie noticed that after Chrissy finished talking she didn’t touch her lunch. Her fingers tore up the sandwich into little scraps while their friends tore into James, oblivious. 

He could almost see the cogs of her brain turning. Hear the anxious little thoughts gnawing away at her confidence. 

Screw that. 

So of course Eddie interrupted and started talking about the time Jeff got so high at Rick’s place that he jumped into the lake fully clothed, forgetting that he couldn’t in fact swim. It had taken both Grant and Eddie to fish him out because he wanted to stay in and make friends with the ‘fishes’. He mimed it out at the lunch table, hamming it up to the max, and making Jeff’s blazed expression even more cartoonish. Jeff himself sat at the table and laughed along with the others at the performance, taking it in his stride. 

Eddie watched as Chrissy picked up her lunch and began to eat. She sniggered along with everyone else when Eddie pretended to be Jeff falling asleep in the bathtub (when they finally dragged him back to the house to hose down). 

She even munched on the chocolate muffin he threw at her. 

He felt his chest relax.

**

Chrissy was a popular girl and so the date offers naturally kept coming, and Chrissy bravely didn’t let the last attempts put her off. She wanted to try dating and reasoned surely the next one would be better? 

And it was. 

This time it was with another jock from the basketball team who Lucas was friendly with. He was called Christopher and apparently didn’t care about stepping on Jason’s toes one bit if it meant landing a date with Chrissy. Even Eddie had to admire the bold move. 

(and yes Chrissy laughed when Dustin pointed out the inevitable dilemma should someone call out ‘Chris/Chriss!')

Christopher was a jock but Lucas promised Chrissy he was one of the good ones and she accepted his offer to go to the town fair that weekend. Christopher had the typical athletes frame and swagger, but the smile he gave Chrissy by her locker seemed sincere. 

Eddie didn’t even need to get the lowdown from Lucas that Monday because he went to the fair himself along with the others. He was having a pretty good evening eating cotton candy and scaring Steve in the Haunted House, when he spied Chrissy and Christopher lining up for the ferris wheel. 

Keen to be a gent, Christopher was maintaining a decent amount of distance between them but when it was their turn to step on the ride, Christopher placed a hand on her lower back to help her up and they sat snuggly together in the small car. There was something intimate about the way their bodies were pushed together and they whispered back and forth. 

He saw Chrissy tip her head back in laughter and felt a knot in his stomach. Eddie really fucking tried not to stare. He truly did. 

That Monday Chrissy told them the date went well and Christopher had walked her home after, even impressing the dragon that was her mother when she spotted his letterman jacket. That bothered Eddie more than anything else, honestly, especially when he glanced down at his ripped jeans and scuffed boots. Her mom was such a damn cliche. 

Eddie had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. 

“...But I’m not sure there’s going to be a date two,” Chrissy said, nonchalantly sipping her water. “We both like sports but we don’t have much else in common, and I don’t know how I feel about dating another athlete…no offense Lucas...but it’s a lot of pressure. Plus the smug look on my mom’s face kinda turned me off. The last thing I want is for her to think I’m trying to crawl back into her good books by dating someone like Jason.” 

“But it went well?” Nancy pressed. “You had fun?”

Chrissy smiled. “Yeah I did…I think we can chalk that up to one successful date so far.” 

**

Then came David from the swim team. He had a BMW but was more interested in looking at his reflection than looking at her. 

Then came Joshua from band. Chrissy called him sweet but way too handsy. 

(Eddie felt his jaw clench, what did she mean by handsy? He was saved by Nancy who offered to find her guns…hard to say if she was serious or not)

Annnnnnd then along came John. 

John picked up weekend shifts at Family Video and asked her if she wanted to grab a milkshake after school. He seemed confident and cool and Steve told her he was saving up to take a year off before college and do some enlightened soul searching. Chrissy and Nancy made impressed ‘oooo’ noises when Steve explained that meant backpacking around Asia.

“I’ve never thought about traveling,” Chrissy said. “I think I’d like to, you know. California, Paris, maybe Rome? Wouldn’t that be so romantic? Or maybe go to England and see all the castles and lakes. I don’t wanna’ be stuck in the midwest forever.”

So they went out and had milkshakes. It was all so cute and twee. He knew Chrissy would probably pick strawberry, her favorite. 

The next morning Robin pounced on him as soon as he parked up his van. 

“So Chrissy rang me last night after John dropped her home on his motorcycle,” she greeted. 

“Be still my beating heart. How punk rock.” 

“The date went seriously well, Eddie. Chrissy’s made up. She was gushing about how interesting he was and how dreamy his eyes were. She reckons they’re the same colour as the sky...”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit early in the day for kicking a man when he’s down?” he grumbled, slamming the car door with more force than was strictly necessary. 

“They kissed.”

Honestly, that alone felt like a fucking bullet to Eddie’s chest and his face might’ve betrayed this for a fraction of a second before he pulled on his best DM mask. Instead he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He tried to look as cool as a cucumber though his thoughts were racing. Maybe it was only a polite peck on the cheek and Robin was just winding him up? Goddamn, had she worn her bubblegum lipgloss? Were tongues involved?

“And you’re telling me that delightful piece of gossip because…?” 

“Because she had a nice time! For all we know there could be a date two,” Robin explained, exasperated. “This is getting out of hand now, Munson.”

“Who Chrissy dates or… kisses…is none of my business, Buckley. I told you, there’s nothing between me and Chrissy. We’re just friends.”

“Look, I saw you at the fair looking fucking devastated when you saw her cuddling with that Christopher guy. What if she sees John again and this time they do more than kiss…what if they have sex?”

“Buckley!”

“What? You gunna’ be fine hearing all about that?”

“...it’s not…” he groaned. “I can’t have this conversation. Seriously.” 

He tried walking away but she clung onto his arm. 

“Eddie.”

Eddie looked back and was struck by how serious Robin looked.

His voice cracked a little as he said, “...they really kissed? She said that?”

“Yeah.”

Eddie groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. The idea of Chrissy doing that did bother him. It bothered him more than he could’ve ever imagined. He knew he had no right to feel jealous but it crept over him like a wave. Everything he’d said to Robin before all this dating mess was still true - he still believed Chrissy was out of his league, that she deserved better - but hell, he hadn’t even tried. He’d given up at the first hurdle and she was slipping away. He was such a damn coward. 

He thought about the last few weeks, about how desperately he wanted to be the one to take her out for milkshakes and hold her hand on the carnival rides. More than that…he wanted to be the guy to make her giggle and smile and feel happy.

But...didn't he do that?

Something twisted in his chest and he suddenly realized he was that guy. Had been all along. Didn’t she light up like a star whenever he hugged her or clowned around just to cheer her up?

She always looked at him like he was the only other person in the world. They were the perfect team, totally in sync.

Chrissy was his goddamn dream girl.

What the fuck was he doing?

“I don’t believe for one minute you’ve given up on her…” Robin said. 

Eddie sighed. “I’m such an idiot.” 

“Yep.”

“Is it too late, d’you think? Is she into John?”

“She’s into you more. Always has been.”

“What if…”

What if she didn’t feel that way anymore? What if she wanted to date John and go traveling? He had a motorbike and all Eddie had was a beat up van. What if? What if? What if?

Robin picked up on his panic and she offered him a shaky smile.

“Let me give you a piece of advice, loser to loser. If you want a chance with Chrissy Cunningham you’d better step the fuck up and ask her out now, because honestly? I think you’d be really perfect together. She’s been looking for you all this time, bonehead.”

Eddie huffed a laugh into the collar of his jacket and knew he was blushing. 

He clapped Robin on the shoulder. She was a pretty good friend, even if she was annoying as shit. 

“Now go get your princess!”

**

Eddie didn’t go to Chrissy right away. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. He didn’t want to be one of the other guys who casually held her back after class or slipped a note in her locker asking if she wanted a date. He was Eddie. Her Eddie. 

And Eddie’s pesky brain had a tendency to go into overdrive. 

So that weekend he drove like a wildcat to the ‘nice side’ of Hawkins. He didn’t dare knock at her front door wearing a suit and tie as he was pretty certain her mom would call the cops. Instead he parked his shitty van down the street and approached by foot. Her home looked exactly like a showhouse from the cover of Better Homes and Gardens magazine; pristine, tidy, unnerving. Even the grass was mowed in perfect lines. 

It was a reflection of Chrissy from before. Like ivy, it threatened to strangle her. 

Eddie would rather take his crappy trailer anyday. 

(so would Chrissy. She said she felt more at home in the Munson homestead than she ever had at her childhood home. It kind of sucked that she felt that way…even though it made Eddie’s stomach twist into knots). 

It started to rain (obviously) as he approached the house and carefully climbed the trellis. 

The rain made the wood slippery. It wasn’t the first time he'd scaled the side of her house, but it was the first time he’d done so carrying a heavy rucksack over his shoulder. He hoped the trellis would hold the weight okay. It would be just his luck to come crashing down into Mr Cunningham’s award winning rose bushes and alert the entire neighborhood. 

He knocked smartly at her window. 

“Eddie!” Chrissy hurriedly opened the window. Her expression was one of total shock. “What are you doing, you weirdo? You’re totally soaked!”

She was wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe and slippers. She looked as sweet as cotton candy. 

She was tugging him inside and he landed on the carpet with a soft thump. They waited for a second to see if the noise would summon her demon of a mother, but all remained quiet. She grinned at him like they were co-conspirators of a jewel heist. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked again.

She’d clearly just stepped out the shower. A neatly ironed outfit was spread out on the bed behind her and she had the radio on. He vaguely recognised the preppy tones of Cyndi Lauper.

“Clearly just dropping by to see you, Cunningham. Thought that was obvious.” 

Chrissy wrinkled her perfect nose and he had the irresistible urge to bite it. “And you didn’t want to use the door because…?”

She offered him a towel to dry off with and he took it gratefully. His teeth were chattering…from the cold and nerves. Eddie didn’t get nervous often but Chrissy always had this effect on him.  

“I’m making a grand gesture.”

“Okay…”

Only then did he open the rucksack. Chrissy watched him silently as he brought out a (crumpled) bouquet of orange and yellow flowers. Then a checked blanket. Then some cutlery and a Tupperware box. Then a few other items to really set the scene. He'd always had a good eye for detail.

He sank to his knees and spread it all out on her bedroom floor. "You're gonna' have to imagine the carpet is grass and there's a babbling brook somewhere."

"It's a picnic. Why are we having a picnic, Eddie?" she knelt down beside him on the blanket. "You made peanut butter and jelly!"

Her favorite snack. She used to have it as a kid before her mom got so fussy and it reminded her of her grandma. He used his lighter to light a candle and placed it carefully between them.

He took a deep breath. It was now or never…

“Are you going to see John again?”

She was clearly not expecting that. She blinked. “I…He mentioned something about meeting up again, yes.” 

“Chriss. Do me a favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t.”

He watched as her lovely blue eyes widened in surprise. 

“What do you…”

“Go out with me.”

His heart missed a beat.

“Eddie…?”

“Go on a date with me. We can do whatever you want… a hike or a dinner or movie. Whatever. Just as long as it’s with me. I’ll be real honest… I meant it before when I said you deserve some fun…but it’s been crazy watching you go off on these dates and come back each time goddamn bored or disappointed. You deserve fun, Cunningham… and I’m it. I’m the fun. Come out with me and let me show you a hella' good time.”

He wanted so badly to hide behind the curtain of his hair, but held steady. He’d been practicing that speech for hours - trying so hard to make it sound light and funny - instead of spilling all the lovey dovey stuff that he truly felt. Maybe one day he’d get a chance to say all of that...but... baby steps. 

“What do you say, Chriss?”

And then Chrissy was grinning from ear to ear. She began to giggle which turned into a laugh which turned into happy tears. If he could bottle that fucking amazing smile he would. He found himself grinning back.

“What took you so long, Munson?” she beamed. “I’ve been waiting forever for you.”

They should engrave that on his headstone. No words would ever sound sweeter.

She slipped her hand into his.

“So that’s a yes? You gonna date me?”

“I’m gonna date you,” Chrissy agreed. “I’m gonna date you so hard.”

[cipheramnesia]

Part 2: The Lonely Extermination of Athena Six

Awhile after Dr. Stevenson left, and after Dr. White's visits were rarely more often than once or twice in a month, Athena began to notice the iron cage. It grew very slowly between the earth and the sky, deep shadow bars tinting narrow strips of the world. The first ones she saw were in the sky, on a day where she could feel the sun inside her room. She felt the slim bands connect to each other overhead.

The small transistor radio at the nurse station had a square of dark bands around it. Dark lines grew from light fixtures and intercom speakers. While she sat with an orderly doing a geometry workbook that Dr. White was supposed to supervise, Athena noticed dark lines on the overhead fluorescent lights. The orderly said it was okay for her to go back to her room and read, so she sat at her desk to re-read a set of old fantasy novels. They were about a prince who was always beset by tragedy and sickness. Now matter how much good he tried to accomplish, he always hurt someone important. In some of the stories he traveled to other versions of his story and met happier versions of himself, or sometimes sadder versions, but mostly happier. Athena thought there were probably happier versions of herself somewhere.

The dark bands grew and crossed and multiplied. The more of the bands she could see, the harder it became for her to find the dancing light. She wasn't supposed to make the light dance anymore since Dr. Stevenson's accident, and the times the orderlies caught her, they stuck a needle in her and she fell asleep right away. That was also okay, but the lights made her happy, so she played with tiny sparks against her wall, too tiny for the camera in her room to see. Except with the dark bands the lights were harder to coax put and she was usually exhausted after trying.

Eventually the grid of darkness covered the sky in its iron cage. She only sometimes saw little dark smears from the radio or people's eyes sometimes. No one else noticed the grid, but she could tell because her thread was less bright and the omnipresent iron bars were visible through the walls and ceiling. She wished she could take them down and so she practiced more and more to control her lights. They were still waiting for her, only a little more out of reach, but she got stronger and reached further every day.

A little while after the grid was in place, Dr. White visited her. He was always very nice, but Athena noticed he didn't listen very much to what she talked about. He seemed to care more about if the orderlies and nurses liked him, but she could tell they didn't anyway. He opened up a box and laid two flat rectangles of woven metal on the table, then pulled his hands away quickly. Athena noticed he always did that.

"Athena, for the next few weeks we're going to try some new games and I think you'll like them very much." He gestured at the smaller, darker screen. "Closers call this a spark buffer, do you know about them?" He kept his arms close to his body, she shook her head for no. "It's okay, not a lot of people do." He gestured at the larger screen, with shiny metal weaving, and some kind of stone under it. "This is possibly a new prototype, and I hope you can help me make sure it works right."

Athena looked blank. "I don't know how... how it works."

"Don't worry," he laughed the fake laugh a little. "All I need is for you to make the dancing lights, and make them touch the buffer."

"The cage makes it hard," she said. "Can we go somewhere out of the cage?"

"Cage? What... I'm not sure what you mean."

Athena just shook her head and Dr. White slotted the new buffer into a small box. He stood up and took several steps back, suggesting Athena begin, so she did.

It was harder than ever before but eventually a flicker of light danced in her palm for an instant. Then there came a spark out of the buffer like a mosquitos into a bug zapper, and her light blinked out. She jerked back her hands as well, feeling a sharp stab of pain at her fingertips.

Dr. White wrote notes and she sucked her fingertips because they hurt. He said "Okay, let's repeat it and then try the other one."

Athena wished Dr. White would go away again.

[pttwice]

thinking about cg!jihyo taking little!sana to the gym with her. sana's not sure about going to the gym since she doesn't like lifting heavy weights, but she loves spending time with jihyo so she goes anyway.

as soon as they get to the gym, sana sits down on the exercise ball and bounces around for a few minutes while jihyo warms up.

"careful on the ball, love bug." jihyo keeps an eye on sana, a soft smile on her face as she grabs the weights off the weight rack. she starts her first set as sana slides off the ball.

sana walks around the gym, touching all the exercise equipment as she moves around the room. eventually, she gets on one of the treadmills and starts to walk on it. she's a little wobbly at first, but she quickly gets the hang of it.

"look! look! i'm doin' it!" she proudly holds her arms up, walking backwards on the treadmill.

jihyo laughs and gives her a thumbs up as she continues her workout. she moves through each set of her lift and makes sure that sana's still standing on both feet on the treadmill.

"do you wanna try a fun game with me, bug?" jihyo asks sana as she walks over to the medicine balls. she picks the lightest one up and hands it to sana.

"it's too heavy," sana says with a pout as she holds the medicine ball.

"it's okay, bug. sit down across from me and i'll show you the game." jihyo sits down across from sana, spreading her legs out into a v-shape. "okay, roll the ball to me."

sana lets out a small grunt as she rolls the ball to jihyo. once it makes it to her, she smiles a little. "pass it back, hyo!"

jihyo nods and smiles, passing the medicine ball back to sana. they sit there for a while, and while it wasn't originally in jihyo's routine, she was happy to play with sana for a bit. she knew that being at the gym could get boring for her.