#how they thought calling it water was SOOOOO WRONG AND STUPID

[cerealmonster15]

One thing that still bugs me about that whole watertok controversy a little while ago was when people were criticizing the semantics of whether or not the drinks could still be called “waters” after adding all the syrups and powders, soooo many people were like “omg words MEAN something. That is NOT water. It’s like, juice ✌️” like wtf no it’s not juice either lmao. There was literally no juice in those things. Like personally I wouldn’t call them water either, maybe a mocktail or something I guess, I don’t really care, but if people making the whole “words mean something” argument and then supplying an alternative word that was arguably MORE WRONG, then I don’t really think they actually cared about the ~word meanings~ as much as they said?? Like sure there were some good constructive critiques about the nature of the trend and all but I think some people were kinda just getting on their high horse for no reason other than to feel superior about some trend they didn’t care about lol

[jen-with-a-pen]

Dancing in the Kitchen

summary: After the worst night imaginable, your best friend helps you when you need him most. What you don't realize is just how much you've always needed him. or: Tony Dumps you. Steve picks you up and puts you back together.

parings: protective!best friend!Steve Rogers x best friend!f!Reader

word count: 4.9k

warnings: fluff, angst, self-doubt and insecurity, verbally abusive relationship elements, insults + language/name calling, reader cusses and so does Steve bc he can, no smut!, wearing Steve's clothes (very little to no description about reader's body so do with that what you will), intense feelings, confessions, crying, anxiety, best friends to lovers, intimate touch, VERY SLIGHT possessiveness, protectiveness, not Tony Stark friendly, cap quartet mention

a/n: these characters are out of college! It's set in their early-mid 20s following graduating and I thought it'd be a little more relatable (also since I'm not in college anymore I wanted this specific fic concept to be more relatable. self-indulgence and stuff). the cap quartet rent a house together. there might be more shenanigans in the future involving them. maybe. who knows? enjoy <3

If I've missed any tags, please let me know!

gif by @annislittleshopofhorrors | dividers by @saradika-graphics | warning banner by me ♥

my ao3 | my masterlist Read this fic HERE on ao3! ♥Reblogs and comments are highly appreciated as always♥

Everything was cold. 

Everything was ruined.

Everything was a fucking nightmare.

Dark clouds shrouded the night sky, hiding helpful moonlight. Rain pelted at you from above, mixing with fresh tears, drenching you to the bone as cold water collected on your skin and soaked through your dress. Your hands morphed into balled fists at your sides as you shook with rage, heartbreak, and the innate need to punch something.

You couldn’t wrap your pounding head around the events of the night; everything blurred together after ten o’clock. It was like a cruel joke, one where you waited an eternity for the punchline, begging for it not to be real no matter how hard you screwed your eyes shut and prayed. 

You didn’t want to believe it, yet there you were.

It sure as hell wasn’t the first time you found yourself standing at the backdoor of Steve Roger’s house on the cusp of a breakdown– and a breakup– warring with your own body to simply knock on the fucking door. Hell, Steve was already expecting you. He knew something was wrong the second you called; there wasn’t a warning text, just you, asking in a choked-up whisper if he was home. His response spilled out in a rushed ‘yes’ before you could explain further. A ‘no questions asked’ request, something not uncommon in your friendship. Steve, since day one, was one of your main sources of comfort within a thousand mile radius. 

Now, he was your only source of comfort within a thousand mile radius. 

Remnants of the phone call from Tony only minutes earlier echoed in your eardrums like a bad case of tinnitus. Annoying, repetitive. His hoarse, drunken slurry of vicious words clawed at the inside of your skull. Another fight. Another screaming match. Another forgotten birthday– this time, it included meeting your family. You’d planned it for months prior, making sure Tony knew not to forget it.

Your insides were twisting in knots as you waited at the restaurant awkwardly with your parents, brother, and an empty seat next to you. After an hour, eight failed calls and fifteen texts later, Tony finally picked up. Delight revived the few butterflies left in your stomach, only to be crushed, turning them into weighted dread as loud club music obliterated your ear drum as he shouted at you. 

“You bitch!” he spat. “Why the ever-loving f-fuck are y’blowin’ up my phone for?!”

You didn’t have time to process what he was saying before he’d already reloaded and shot you with more.

“What the hell is sooooo important? Huh? Y-you stupid bitch! You fuckin’ knew I’m busy t’night!”

You tore the phone away. Even at arm’s length, you, and the rest of your family, could hear every single thing he spewed at you. A couple from the table next to yours stopped mid-bite to turn and throw rude looks at you and your family.

“Tony, please, I–” 

“‘Tony please’– just shut up!” he mocked. “Just shut the fuck up! I don’t fuckin’ care what you gotta– what you have t’say! I can’t f–fuckin’ stand you anymore!”

Hurt and hunger morphed into churning waves of anxiety and embarrassment. Your throat was closing. Tears began stinging your eyes. You looked between your parents in shame, meeting their stunned looks filled with pity and disappointment. Your brother refused to look anywhere but the spot on his plate where he played with his food, sadness and second-hand embarrassment plaguing his face.

Yelling, jeering, and chanting echoed out of your phone. Tony didn’t stop. 

“Y’know what? I’m not doin’ this anymore,” he slurred, gulping some unknown liquid down, swallowing, gagging. More cheering. “We– we’re fuckin’ done. You’re out. I’m done.”

The other line fumbled. You winced as you heard Tony wet his lips, preparing the final blow. His breathing became heavy, ragged, hard enough you could smell the liquor through the phone.

“Fuckin’ cunt.” 

Click.

You loathed yourself for tolerating him; the endless cycle of poisoning you, providing the antidote, and taking it away when it seemed to get better. The whiplash from his unpredictable moods and personal attacks on you hurt as bad as it felt when he’d come around with endless apologies– accompanied by flowers, cuddles, and kisses– to heal each wound he was responsible for. 

This time, though, the stab was fatal. This time, you bled out; it’d been akin to getting gutted and hung helplessly in front of your fucking family. 

A sob snuck its way up your throat. You choked it down, willing your fist to reach up and knock on the door. You didn’t understand why this was next to impossible. Steve was your best friend. It wasn’t like he was a stranger. It wasn’t like he’d chastise you or yell at you or tell you to fuck off. Yet, there was a fear, deep down, feeding on the anxiety and self-doubt in the pit of your stomach, telling you the opposite; it whispered to you, telling you to run back to your car, scream into the steering wheel, and speed off to disappear from everything and everyone for just a little longer. It’d only be until you got your head on straight, until you figured out what to do with the apartment and your classes and your stuff and–

Knock. knock. knock.

In the blur of a million thoughts racing through your mind, you automatically reached up and weakly knocked, body tensing every muscle as you waited.

The door swung open, revealing one extremely concerned Steve Rogers.

Steve panted, a result from sprinting down the stairs from his upstairs bedroom in an attempt to open the back door by your first knock. Acutely aware of his jaw hanging from its hinges, Steve’s soft baby blues bore into you, scanning you up and down, stunned at you and your dress and how desperate you looked. 

Time stopped the second you saw him; it was difficult to describe, but everything magnetizing between the two of you was different. You felt different– different in the way he was familiar and somehow new at the same time. Steve felt different– different in the way you were single for the first time in two years and he was single since… forever ago.

This time was unlike the million other times.

You both stared. Your lips quivered, his parted in disbelief. Both your minds instantly went blank, unable to think of anything to say, to do. So, the sky thought for you. It opened its floodgates, releasing a torrential downpour as you stood inches from warmth, from comfort.

“Steve,” you croaked, reaching for him. 

It was then, everything came crashing down. 

You crumbled to the ground in a heap, knees buckling while your hand and arms braced for impact with the ground. Steve quickly abandoned his tight grip on the doorframe, catching you, helping you inside. Lungs gasped for air as heavy sobs poured from your chest and tears flowed steadily down your face. You pawed at Steve’s arm hooked around you as he stumbled back into the house, kicking the door closed and collapsing onto the kitchen floor with you in tow. He immediately pulled you closer and hugged you tightly against his chest. You heaved, crying out from the painful pit in your heart, digging your fingers into his flesh, hard enough to bruise. You buried your face into his t-shirt and bawled.

All of it– the rage, the hurt, the mess of balled-up emotions from the last two fucking years– came unraveled. Hands twisted into Steve’s t-shirt, balling the fabric and pulling it taut enough to rip. 

Steve didn’t shout. He didn’t complain. He didn’t utter a single word as he leaned against the kitchen cabinets, rocking you gently, squeezing you harder as his chest rose and fell rhythmically against your pounding skull, silently coaxing you to follow his breathing. Blubbering in his lap, stringing words together became futile as thoughts became unrecognizable. Another wave of panic and anxiety crashed over you. Steve’s mumbled shushes softened you; the deep timbre and honeyed bass of his voice and vibrations in his chest grounded you, welcoming you to safety. To home. 

“Shh… don’t worry, I got you. I have you. You’re okay,” he muttered, running a hand gently up and down your back.

“I–he–bu–” you fumbled, lip quivering as another sob overtook you. Rage clawed at the walls in the chasm of your chest. You screamed. Guttural, pained. Again. And again.

“Shh… it’s okay, let it out. You’re okay. You’re safe here,” he soothed, rocking you, adding in a lowered octave, “I’m here.”

“T–Tony,” you hiccuped, fists twisting more of Steve’s t-shirt. “He–he–”

“What, angel? What about Tony?” 

“He–he c–called me n–names a–and,” you shook your head violently, “he b-broke up with me. For real, this time.”

Steve cupped your cheek, softly wiping away fresh tears with calloused fingertips. While you continued to cry in his arms, his focus turned to the back door you tumbled through. Inside, he seethed; his rage nearly boiled over at the thought of anyone doing this to you, let alone Tony fucking Stark. Out of all the things you’d told him over the last couple years– all the threats, the cruel jokes and abandonment and insults– tonight was the ultimate cherry on top. It validated every time Tony’s actions made Steve think vengeful thoughts on what he’d do if he ever got five minutes with the douchebag. Just five minutes. Alone. 

He shook the thought away, looking back down to you. The last thing he wanted was for you to see him upset, let alone remotely think you were the cause of it. He’d promised himself that the first time you met.

Tony was going to fucking pay for what he’d done to you every single second for the last two years. And on your birthday, for chrissake. 

“What–” Steve swallowed the excess rage in his chest. “What kind of names, sweetie?”

You softened, sniffling, refusing to look at him. “He called me a b–bitch, a–and,” you bit your tongue, “a… cunt.”

The moment the word left your lips, Steve fought every last nerve in him not to put you to bed, get in his car, and go teach Tony a lesson on some fucking manners. Hell, even the idea of taking Bucky and Sam crossed his mind. 

He pushed the thought away, focusing back on you. You needed him. You came to him for help. No one else but him. 

Steve slid his hand off your back and placed it under your chin, thumb and forefinger gently coaxing you to look at him. Big blue eyes swam with concern and worry. In the dark of the kitchen, they seemed brighter than ever– a beacon guiding you back from the hurricane in your head.

In an instant, everything in your head went quiet. No more muffled echoes from the phone call. No more sobs readying to burst out your chest. No more caring about how swollen and puffy your eyes were, or the drying combination of mascara and tear stains running down your cheeks and neck. Your sopping wet dress that drenched the floor, and Steve, was pushed to the back of your brain, the cold no longer leaking into your bones as he brought you back down from the ledge.

All you saw was Steve. All you smelled, all you could feel, was Steve. 

Steve swallowed. His jaw slacked, tongue jutting out to wet his lips, slowly drinking you in for as long as he was able. 

And honestly? You couldn’t care enough to stop him. It’d been so long since someone looked at you the way Steve did.

Had he always looked at you like that?

“Listen to me. You are none of those things. Not even close,” he whispered, hoping you believed him. 

You nodded lightly. “I–I know, but it hurts,” your voice cracked again, eyes drifting away from him. 

“Hey, look at me,” he tugged at your chin, “you will never be anything like he says you are. Ever. Okay?”

You stared at him. A small smile pulled at the corners of your lips as you placed a hand on his, taking it from your chin to your chest. Warmth bloomed as it rested against your damp skin. 

“‘Kay.” Barely a whisper. Enough for only him to hear.

He paused, gaze holding steady on you, lips twitching at the corners. 

“Let’s get you up ‘n out of that thing, yeah?” He nodded to your dress. “You gotta be freezing.”

Gently, he lifted you off his lap, rising from the kitchen floor and pulling you up on your feet. Your legs felt like a wobbly blend of jelly and nerves that forced you to lean onto Steve for support. He anticipated this, catching you and gripping your shoulders. You didn’t say a word. Instead, you clung to him as he guided you through the living room and up the stairs to his bedroom. You passed by Sam and Bucky’s rooms, both empty for the night, just like Natasha’s downstairs. 

As Steve rifled through his drawers and closet, your focus wandered to his messy desk: the lamp cast a soft, warm glow across the room, sitting next to history books and sketchbooks stacked high on top of one another; pencils and dirtied paint brushes littered the surface, products of his latest art assignment. His bed was half-made, dark green covers on one side neatly tucked in while the opposite was thrown aside, exposing gray pinstripe sheets. The walls were covered with scattered art– some his, others his favorite artists’– posters and pictures of family, friends, and some local bands. You bit back a smile. Memories of the shows you both went to over the last few years played like a highlight reel in your mind. You never regretted it; you never passed up a single invite, even after the time Tony locked you out for a whole weekend. 

“Here, these are clean,” he handed you a neatly folded pile of his clothes before adding, “I promise.”

A fuller smile broke across your face. The first of the entire night.

“Uh huh, sure, I believe you,” you joked sarcastically. He feigned hurt, scoffing at your false accusation.

“I did the sniff test, if that makes you feel any better.”

You giggled, taking the clothes from him and turning to head to the bathroom.

“I’ll be down in the kitchen,” he called after you. “You, um, you want something to drink?”

You paused, turning to look at him from the bathroom doorway halfway down the hall. From where he stood, the saturated pink creeping up his neck and reaching his face was more visible than the light on his desk. You couldn’t help but hold in a snicker and flash him a relieved smile, thankful.

“Coffee would be a godsend, right now.”

Steve smiled, saluting you. “Coming right up.”

You headed into the bathroom, tossing the clothes onto the counter, slumping against the door the second you shut and locked it. Finally relaxing, you realized how much tension was pent up in your tired shoulders– which, in turn, prompted the realization you were holding your breath the entire time in Steve’s room. 

Brushing the self-induced lightheadedness, you slipped the ruined dress off your body and hung it up on the shower rod. You hated the color, the texture, but wore it anyway. For Tony. On your birthday.

You cursed yourself, pulling your bra off next– a pushup that held your rib cage hostage the entire night. Just how Tony likes it. 

Or, liked it.

You silently prayed Steve included some Bailey’s in your coffee. 

Pulling on Steve’s sweatshirt, the scent of him enveloped you instantly. You couldn’t help but nuzzle into the neck of it, filling your lungs with the familiarity of Steve. He was a quiet, sunny Sunday morning and freshly brewed coffee. He was a nice night in watching your favorite movies and playing cards. 

Your head was swimming, swirling, caught up in the entirety of your best friend. He was yours just as much as you were his. Through Tony, through other guys you’d subjected yourself to the last few years, none of them compared to Steve. 

You tugged the sweatpants on, catching sight of yourself in the mirror and realizing the runny makeup staining your face. You snorted at how fucking ridiculous you looked, remembering the caked-on layers you’d put on for the evening. Again, just for Tony. The snort turned into a giggle, utterly grateful for Steve not making fun of how you looked and for ignoring the mascara stains on his poor t-shirt from earlier.

But, again, it was Steve. He’d never make fun of you. Ever.

Butterflies– the ones you’d thought were long gone months prior– stuttered suddenly, alive and fluttering in your stomach. 

You instantly recognized the feeling: it was the same you had the day you met Steve.

The same feeling you’d get on roller coasters, or reading an exceptionally good romance novel. Giddiness, dizziness. It was as if you were spinning while the room stood still. Your head felt light, high on helium. Your skin burned. Meeting your own gaze in the mirror, you scanned yourself, the question ‘is this happening right now?’ running on a loop at the forefront of your mind. 

Bzzt.

You jumped at the buzz of a text. With the trance broken, you took into account your shaking hands and the bumping tempo of your heart. Turning on the sink, you made sure the water was as cold as possible before cupping some in your hands and splashing your face. Refreshing. Needed. You rubbed the rest of the runny wakeup off your skin, stuffing your face into the fluffy hand towel and silently promising to get the boys a new one. Picking up your phone, teeth chewed on cheek to hold in your smile at the sight of Steve’s name on the screen.

⍟ Steve: You doing OK? Coffees ready 

You looked at yourself in the mirror.

“You got this,” you told your reflection. “He’s only your best friend.”

The butterflies continued to multiply, bumping against one another, fluttering and escaping out into your chest and your limbs. 

“Fuck.”

You opened the door. 

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“I was beginning to think you climbed out the window up there,” Steve quipped upon seeing you round the corner into the kitchen. He couldn’t help the stupid grin spreading across his face when he saw you in his clothes. You looked more relaxed, more comfortable.

More like you. 

You noticed he changed, too, donning a heather-gray t-shirt that clung to his torso in all the right ways– ways you hadn’t noticed before.

You mentally scolded yourself.

“A–Almost. But I’d never pass up a cup of world-famous Rogers Roast.”

“Wow, world-famous? I would’ve preferred universally-renowned, but I’ll take it.” He held a mug out to you, one faded with a ‘I ❤ New York’ logo– the one you’d gotten for him during your senior-year college internship. “Made it just how you like it.” 

He paused as you took a sip. You could feel his eyes on you, watching you, biting his lip in anticipation as you drank. The coffee tasted like liquid gold, warm and comforting and all-around delicious. You didn’t care if you burnt your tongue. This was what you needed. 

He was what you needed. 

Was he?

You looked back up at Steve. His cheeks flushed as he pressed his lips together, entranced with the mug in your hands, eyes ever-so-slightly flitting from it to your lips and back again. 

“Thank you, Stevie.” 

“You’re welcome, angel.”

You pinched yourself, then took another sip.

Silence fell, comfortable and calm, as you both nursed your drinks, checking your phones and letting time pass. You didn’t care to check the clock. 

Steve cleared his throat and set his phone down. 

“So, um,” he began. “What else did you have planned for your birthday?” 

His voice was low, tender, careful with the question so as not to upset you. He was curious, however, and determined to see exactly how much Tony fucked up your night.

And your life.

“Oh,” you swallowed, chewing your lip in an attempt to remember what you’d originally planned.

“He was, ah, gonna take me dancing. After dinner, after he,” you took an unsteady breath, “after he met my family. It was the one thing he told me he'd let me do after dinner.” You shook your head, adding under your breath, “besides him.”

Tension seeped into the space between you both. You didn’t want to meet Steve’s stare; it was the one you’d always see whenever you told him about Tony, one filled with anger so palpable it made his arms flex subconsciously, one he thought he hid well enough so you never saw, but you always did. Without looking up, you already knew his jaw was clenched and his shoulders were stiff and his eyes bored a hole into the wall behind you. Butterflies started to somersault, crashing into the waves of worry and anxiety. 

“Why?”

You looked up. Blue eyes. Stormy, swirling, stubborn.

“What?”

“Why did you stay with him?” Steve asked steadily, voice barely above a whisper. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

You paused. “Because he wouldn’t let me leave.”

“I could’ve helped you. We could’ve helped you,” he gestured vaguely to the rest of the house.

Your teeth tore into your bottom lip. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.

“I–” Steve sighed and carded a hand through his dirty blond hair, frustrated, trying to keep his promise while also appealing to you and balancing the fragile tightrope you two stood on. “I care about you, angel. I care about you so fuckin’ much. I just wanna know why. Why he was– why you were–”

“I–” Don’t fucking cry. “I was trapped. Every time I tried to leave, he’d tie me down more. It… it wasn’t as easy as you fucking think, Steve. Rose-colored glasses, wool over my eyes, wolf in sheep's clothing, that sorta thing, ya know? These last couple years, I… I don’t know why tonight was it, and I don’t know how I was able to get out, and I just… I don’t fucking know. I don’t. I–” 

You felt tears again. 

“I– Angel, I wasn’t trying to–”

“No, I know,” you cut him off, setting down your mug to rub your face in your hands. “I know. But I need you to understand that I– God, my fucking brain feels so scrambled. I just feel so confused, I feel like I’m going insane right now. Fuck!” 

You tried to calm down, taking deep breaths to feed your strained lungs, holding on to each before exhaling. In, hold, out, repeat. 

The room was spinning again, whirling around like a sick carnival ride as your center of gravity began to give.

As you braced the counter, strong hands and warm, muscular arms engulfed you, lifting you back from the countertop and guiding you into the middle of the kitchen. Steve pressed into you until you relented, reaching your arms around him and pulling him closer. The tension in your shoulders melted, migrating to your chest where your heart surged the moment he touched you, where it pounded against your sternum, threatening to break out of its marrow cage. You inhaled him, savoring him, feeling him all around you.

Slowly, delicately, Steve unwrapped from you. He was careful with every touch, as if he would shatter you– even though he had no problem with putting you back together again. He’d done it a million times before, and he’d do it a million times again.

He’d do it all again for you. 

Steve carefully slid your hands from around his center, placing one onto his shoulder, then– nervously and ever-so-slowly– he held your other hand out, sliding down your forearm and entwining his fingers into yours. His free hand fell softly onto your waist, fingers absently and lightly kneading the fabric and skin underneath his palm.

“May I have this dance?” he whispered.

You looked up from the floor to Steve, speechless. You nodded.

Then, he started to sway. He guided you both, rocking side to side to an unheard rhythm and subtly spinning in unison under the soft glow of the kitchen light.

He smiled softly, boyish and genuine, with admiration and tenderness in his eyes. Something gentle and kind, something about the feeling and the familiarity of it– of him– sank into you the longer you looked at him. Your focus shifted around the features of his chiseled face. You recognized the light freckles stippled across his nose and cheeks leftover from the summer; the scar on his earlobe from the night Natasha drunkenly dared you to pierce his ear and failed; the faint worry lines sculpted into his forehead he inherited from his father; the soft, full pink of his lips that innocently parted when you caught him staring at you.

It was the feeling that felt foreign to you; the one missing from your life after the last two years. But, it wasn’t missing. It had been right in front of you the entire time stealing glances, accidental touches, and irreplaceable memories.

Steve had been there. 

Steve had been the one looking at you like that for the last two years. 

He wasn’t missing. He was just waiting his turn. 

And, judging by the realization that washed over your face, his waiting was over. 

Steve's smile widened as he squeezed your waist, wordlessly confirming the thoughts running rampant in your head. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the ghost of a cry, blinking away tears forming in the corners of his vision. 

Your lips trembled as you smiled back. Slowly, you snaked your hand from his shoulder to his cheek and cupped his face. He leaned into your touch instantly, stubble and skin rubbed against your palm as he kissed it lightly. The press of his lips sent a spark coursing through your veins, electrifying your body and the air around you. The two of you continued to sway while the kitchen spun faster, a blurred whirlwind while you both remained in focus.

“When?” you asked, voice barely audible.

“Since the day I met you.”

“Why didn’t you–”

Steve shrugged. “I wanted to get to know you first. Didn’t wanna be some random dude who just wanted you for your number. You seemed too special to rush into something. Still are,” he sighed. “I wanted to be your friend first, but before I could muster up some courage, Tony swept you out from under me.” 

Guilt crawled up your throat. “I– I’m sorry, Stevie.”

He stepped away from you, twirling you, then dragged you back to him. You could’ve sworn your heart stopped beating. 

“No, baby, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I promise. I–” his voice broke. “I wanted you to be happy. I want you to be happy. I just– I wish I did more for you. I should’ve done more for you.”

He tilted his head to the ceiling trying to stop his tears from falling, but you pulled him right back down to you. 

“Steve,” you started, keeping on his baby blues while your own voice struggled to remain steady, “you’ve done more for me than anyone else in the entire world. Hell, in my entire life. I just lost the last two years of my life suffering with someone I thought I loved. Who I thought loved me.”

You brought your other hand to his face. “You did all you could. I just… I thought it was gonna get better, you know? I thought, I hoped– God, I even fucking prayed– that he’d get better, but he didn’t. Nothing did. And I couldn’t find a way out. It’s like he conditioned me to believe he was the only one I had, like, he was the only one who’d ever save me.”

Steve frowned, but nodded in understanding. 

“I’m glad you came to me. Not just tonight, but every night. It was like reassuring me that I didn’t totally lose you, or like I never totally lost you.”

“You’ll never lose me, Stevie.”

His face, red-hot underneath your touch, moved closer to yours. You couldn’t tell if you were pulling or he was pushing. His hands gripped your waist the tighter you held his face, the two of you crashing into one another in slow-motion. The light above you grew brighter, the humming of the appliances was getting louder, the room spun at an infinitely unfathomable speed. 

You crashed together. 

Soft lips– softer than either of you could’ve ever pictured feeling– fit together like the perfect puzzle pieces. Neither of you moved, staying locked together until your hands slipped around his neck, pulling him closer and smashing his nose into your cheek. His grip became bruising as his fingers kneaded into your waist, steadying himself with your hips. You felt another surge of electricity as his tongue jutted out, parting your lips and swiping along the bottom before retreating back behind his.

He tipped you backwards on your heel, smirking against your lips as you flinched and grabbed onto the collar of his shirt. 

Setting you upright, he pulled away from the kiss and whispered, “I’ll never let you go.”

“Never?” 

“Ever.”

You kissed him again, and the butterflies went wild. 

[orangecarton]

Nordic Bunny x Reader WP (W.I.P.)

(Sorry in advance ;-;)

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TW: Swearing

Honestly this isn't your best moment. You kinda got scammed out of 20 bucks for what you thought was a cheap cosplay of an alien soldier and when you put on said costume you got screamed at to "get back to the ship" and got kidnapped by some purple fish looking creatures. Next thing you know you're in outer space in, what you can only assume is, some sorta Ren Faire for space dorks. It looked pretty cool, but people kept trying to put you to work and getting you to larp with them, talking about some "Ruler of the Galaxy" and "Nightmare to Humanity". It was all really charming but right about now is when you were starting to get the munchies, so naturally you went on the prowl for some poor vending machine and/or food cabinet.

Without any helpful signs around to guide you through this maze of Star Wars ride at Disneyworld and Metallica's love child, you got lost. After walking for a while you start to hear shouting. A sign of life, and perhaps snacks (or at the very least water. Because GOD DAMN was it getting hot). Walking closer the shouts got louder and you could make out some words.

"ANOTHER FAILURE! WHO THE HELL THOUGHT CRABS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA?!"

"Um, you did... sir."

"SHUT UP, DUM DUM! Are you calling me STUPID?!"

You reached the door and it automatically slid open, just in time for you to see one of your fellow cosplayers get zapped and turned into feathers by an extremely tall guitar monster. In this life or death situation you know it is important for you do react with dignity and poise, as to survive and stay alive. So you respond in kind,

"HOLY SH*T, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! OH MY GOD?!"

Your panicked state causing you to just freeze in place, stuttering and mumbling utter nonsense.

"Excuse me? YOU DARE INSULT AND MOCK ME?? YOUR FEARSOME RULER??!?"

The guitar man struts closer, is it wearing platforms??? He (???) Raises his hand, the one that shot the guy before you (rest in piece). You stumble back and scream,

"AHHHH DONT SHOOT ME PLEASE!! I HAVE BANANAS IN THE FREEZER I STILL NEED TO BAKE INTO BANANA BREAD. They've been in there for months, BUT I PROMISE I'M GOING TO GET TO IT I SWEAR!!"

He falters, and in this moment you take in his appearance. He had a dark robotic and skeletal build, donning some sick ass platform boots, a leather cap, a red tie, and huge shoulder pads. His face was that of an electric guitar, rocking red eyes and scarlet lipstick, and... wait is he just in his underwear?

"What the- You're a human?!"

He lowers his hand and you let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah... I'm a human. What about it?"

"How did you get up here?! Into my IMMENSELY IMPENETRABLE EVIL HEADQUARTERS?!"

"... I walked."

"...Oh."

You both kinda sat in awkward silence for a bit. The issue from before had presented itself once again when your stomach let out a noise that even Godzilla would be jealous of.

"You uh... got any snacks man?" You asked, the fear from before subsiding and your fallen brother in arms forgotten (R.I.P Nathan). Guitar man™ looks at you quizically, then turns around and whispers to himself (you could still hear though because he isn't a very quiet person).

"If I befriend this human... I'll be able to infiltrate the Earth AND TAKE IT OVER THUS BECOMING THE GRAND IMPERIAL EMPORER AND MOST EXTREME BEARER OF AWESOMENESS WHO HAS LOTS OF FRIENDS AND NEVER HAS TO HANG OUT ALONE!! MUAHAHAHA!!!"

"Sooooo... is that a no?"

He turns back around and smiles wickedly,

"Come now human! I will grant you snacks and in return you will become my friend, hang out with me, tell me all of humanities weaknesses and how to defeat Shred Force!"

"Yeah ok." You shrug.

He grabs your arm and just about drags you with him as he strides down the hallway. You stumble but manage to keep pace.

"Hey what's your name anyway?"

"You, my fair accomplice, can call me Nordic Bunny. RULER OF THE GALAXY AND NIGHTMARE TO HUMANITY"

"Cool cool."

What the hell have you gotten yourself into (Seinfeld credits play)

(Sorry for the bad grammar, here's a little doodle for compensation)

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[vanderlustwords]

This dress is karma is sooooo good. I applaud your work but while reading I thought what would happen if he did go through with it and she got to meet old cap and talk to him. Kinda like an alternative ending

She'd probably push him down the stairs or break his hip 😗 I'm jk LMAO kind of 👀

Thank you so much for reading!

Here's what I think would happen if Steve had gone through with it—drabble version.

Alternate ending to: This Dress is Karma

Count: 898

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

—You heard the doorknob jingle as you changed into the red dress Steve loved so much but had been off-limits in public. Because fuck him.

When you walked out, you saw Bucky stepping through wearily. You started to give him a small smile when you saw who he brought with him.

"Sorry, doll," Bucky muttered. "Old man wouldn't leave me alone until I let him come with me. I almost made him break a hip while he tried to run after me."

"I'm going to break his hip if he doesn't leave," you muttered before sighing.

You looked at Steve, who no longer looked like what he did half an hour ago. The sight of his aged face, white hair, and wrinkles made your stomach drop. The visible signs that he had chosen someone else.

Hot tears stung in the back of your eyes, and you feel your throat closing up.

"Why are you here?" You asked with a shake of your head. "You should've never come back, Steve. I never wanted to see you again."

The words alone feel like they might make Steve kick the bucket. His heart hurts at the sight of you. It was wrong to look at you. For him, years have passed, but the sight of you in that red dress makes him feel...nostalgic. Regretful.

"I just wanted to talk," he tried to smile at you, but you were stone cold. "Think we can have a few words?" Steve looked over at Bucky, who merely shrugged because he wasn't going to leave you.

"Bucky, why don't you take a shower?" You told him with a sigh. "We can go out for dinner and maybe call it early tonight. Cool?"

Bucky nodded slowly at you. His eyes travelled to Steve before he walked off.

When Bucky shut the bathroom door, and you heard the water turn on, you turned to Steve. "You have 15 minutes."

Steve pursed his lips but nodded.

"I just..." Steve struggled to find the words. "I just wanted to let you know that I loved you, I still do in some ways. If I had taken a moment longer to think about things, I would've stayed."

"That's great," you deadpanned.

Like he was expecting you to say more, Steve merely stared at you, but you didn't.

"I—I hope you'll be happy," Steve says.

You took a deep breath as your eyes fluttered closed for a moment before you reopened them.

"I'm only saying this because after what you did, there's nothing left between us and there's nothing in the world that could ever fix that now. You were a man who was out from his time and now you're a man with no time left," you swallowed.

Steve nodded, hurt filled in his eyes.

"I loved you, Steve," you said softly. "I still do because it's only been half an hour since you left for me. You're stupid if you think we weren't defined. But if what we had—all those years—couldn't compare to that one second you saw Peggy, then that's a shame. I bet when you chose Peggy, you couldn't stop thinking about me either, could you? That's the only reason you're here now even though you know you can't do anything."

Steve was silent, and it confirmed your words.

You snort with a shake of your head. "Sucks to realize things too late, but I hope you were happy those years too." You shrugged before you looked at him firmly. "I'm going to be happy, Steve. I'm going to be so happy without you and you're lucky you won't have to witness it."

Steve suddenly found it hard to swallow because he knew he was fortunate he didn't have to witness your happiness without him. It would break his heart.

Steve knows he'll never see you again after this.

That breaks his heart too.

So many things happened in Steve's mind. It was like he was trying to relive it all and savour the moment. He thought about that red dress on you right now. That red dress wasn't for him anymore.

Steve's going to miss that the most.

How does he always manage to let everything slip through his fingers?

You heard the water turn off, and you licked your lips.

"Time's up, Rogers," you tell him softly.

It was then Bucky left the bathroom with just a towel around his waist, and your head turned to him with a smile, and he gave you a look as if to ask if you were okay.

Steve watched all of it happen in less than a second. He knew nothing was going on...for now. But it was like Steve could just see what the future would hold for you.

After all, Bucky was much different from Steve in many ways. One of them was adapting to any given situation and appreciating what was in front of him.

Steve watched you turn back to him, his final look upon you. His eyes can’t help but trail over that red dress.

You were right. He was a man with no time left.

"This dress is karma, sweetheart," Steve says softly before he turned and left for the last time.

Continuation Imagine

[whoopsieintheuniverse]

Headcanon Time!

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhh I’m writing for Naruto again!

Kisame Headcanons

NSFW under the cut so Imma need the minors to not go under there. Thnks. 

Very polite, mhm. 

This is kind of canonical, but I just wanna emphasize how polite Mr. Hoshigaki is. He will kick your ass in training and then tell you to have a good day and genuinely mean it. 

He’s also just not very judgmental, which is probably due to how he was raised. 

I headcanon that Kisame had a very country, almost hilly-billy like family. In canon, there are no Hoshigaki names on memorials in his village; they’ve been expunged. I don’t know why but that’s some Hatfield-McCoy type shit. The Hoshigakis were menaces to society for no particular reason, and Kisame just had to go with the family.

After seeing what he’s seen, yeah Kisame is not judging you at all. 

Talks to Samehada and knows its responses like the back of his hand.

I think the bond to Samehada and its user works similarly to Venom and Eddie Brock. 

That shit is a symbiote and you cannot change my mind. 

A FULLY SENTIENT SWORD?? THAT HAS FOOD TASTE PREFERENCES??? yeaaaaahhh your honor, that’s a symbiote. 

Sometimes, who Kisame trains with is dependent on what chakra Samehada has a taste for that day. Kisame definitely soils her. Talks to her like a dog when no one is looking. 

Itachi has seen it. He says nothing, but he think it’s cute. 

Because of the bond between him and Samehada, I think Kisame can kind of taste chakra, too. He’s been bonded to the sword so many times that he has some of its powers even when not formally bonded together.

Kisame can swim, but he can’t fish.

 It makes no sense, but Kisame is terrible at fishing. He isn’t all that patient, and sedentary activities like that don’t strike his fancy all that much. 

Itachi is convinced that sometimes Kisame scares the fish away on purpose. 

As for swimming, Kisame, of course, is a strong swimmer, but did you know that wasn’t always the case? 

Kisame couldn’t swim all that well until he hit the ninja academy. I definitely think his family just chucked him into the water, and poor baby was pretty sure he was drowning until he remembered his gills. 

I think the “fussy, nervous kid growing up into a laid-back adult” trope is just funny, and it fits Kisame in my mind. 

Instigatorrrrrrrr. 

Again, pretty canonical, but one of Kisame’s favorite hobbies is starting shit. 

The rest of the Akatsuki is sooooo used to hearing him pipe up,” You just gonna take that?” during an argument. 

Itachi tries to get him to stop with one of his patented “Uchiha glares” but pouring fuel on a fire is too good for Kisame sometimes. 

Besides, he doesn’t do it often. More of just messing around. The Akatsuki is really the first place Kisame has been more comfortable of being himself and not just a weapon or tool, so his personality really has a tendency to chime through when he finds something funny amongst the members. 

In addition to this, Kisame also is very physical in a big-brother way. Very much will give Deidara a noogie. Is also the king of the shoulder-bump thing guys do when they pass you. Kisame is your annoying frat-brother confirmed. 

To go with the above, Kisame has not had many friends.

He didn’t allow himself to have friends. Thought they were liabilities. 

As such, even though Kisame will consider you a friend in his mind, he will be very independent. 

This is because he still struggles with the “shinobi have no friends” mentality, and because he doesn’t want his friends to think he can’t handle himself. 

To Kisame, if he isn’t firing at 500%, he isn’t good enough and other people will think that as well. 

Pls tell him he’s good. 

***********************NSFW CONTENT BELOW!!***************

 NSFW Kisame Headcanons

Get into it, yuh

Firm believer in “attitude adjustments”. 

Like, if there’s something seriously wrong, of course he’s not gonna be one of those guys that just pop it out unprompted. However. 

You feeling bad, babe? Shooot, let your man fix it. Hidan pissed you off? Yeah, let him make it all better. That movie made you sad? Sit on his lap and tell him alllll about it.

Let. Him. Pin. You. Down.

Kisame has such a huge thing for immobilizing his partner. Not even in a bondage way, but definitely with his body. Gets him hot for sure. 

It also makes him feel all mushy that you trust him enough to let him have that control. Think about it. You trust him, a missing-nin, a mercenary, and whatever else people call him. Despite everything he’s done and everything he’s been through, you still trust him and love him. Makes Kisame love you more each time.

Adventurous in bed. 

The Kama Sutra is a checklist for Kisame. No, I will not accept criticism, and no, I will not take it back. 

Every time, it’s kind of interesting to see what positions Kisame will think of next. 

He can’t help it! He loves every part of you, so of course he wants to see and touch and taste everything. One minute, you’re face to face and the next minute, he’s slinging you into a different  position. Just how it is babes. 

He will look out to not stress or stretch your body in any ways you can’t take, especially if you’re not a shinobi. 

Kisame has a thing for being used by his partner.

Now let me explain. To put it lightly, sit on his face. Use him as a dildo every once in a while. Take what you want from him, pls. 

Kisame just wants you to be completely satisfied by him. Using his body to get off like that is just *static noises*. Please just top him once in a while, I promise he will love it. 

So sweet after.

Kisame is not stupid. He knows his stamina is crazy, and he knows he’s rough.

Gives the best massages! Let him work out those knots he’s put into your back.

Likes to cuddle. He’s touch-starved and the first time you curled up to him, it freaked him the hell out. After that though? If you don’t cuddle up to him post-coitus, he’s going to assume something’s wrong unless you tell him otherwise.  

He also likes little forehead kisses and kisses on his shoulders. Don’t tell the guys, he has a reputation to keep.

[haikyuu-bf-scenarios]

Bokuto Kotaro: Second Encounter

First Meeting

i finally left my job at a restaurant which was very stressful so now i have much more time and i finally made my way back to my haikyuu fixation. im gonna try my hardest to knock a few of these out in quick succession

*edited*

“no more stolen hoodies?” Kuroo

“you are not who i want to see ever again, cat bastard”

“youre so mean to me you know that?”

“what do you want from me, Kuroo?”

“would you be nicer if it was Bo asking you?”

“i want to break you in half”

the rest of the class continued on in a similar manner

once the class had ended you tried to speed out of there and away from him

but the cheeky fuck followed you

when he caught up - 

which didnt take long bc of his stupid long legs -

he threw an arm over your shoulder and stirred you in the opposite direction as you were going

“what the hell are you doing? i want to go back to my dorm, thank you very much”

“well you seemed so interested in volleyball the other day i thought id bring you to practice with me today”

“ah no nonono!”

you start pushing against him trying to turn away but he just pulled you closer making escape impossible

“oh whats the big deal! i was under the impression that you loved volleyball”

“you are such an asshole! you know that?” you continued to struggle but you were already being pulled into the gym

“i hate you kuroo, i hate you sooooo much”

“whats wrong with volleyball?”

“nothing i just dont want to-”

“woah arent you the person who took my hoodie?” a very excited, very familiar voice yelled

and it shut you right up

“what are you doing here, are you gonna watch us play?!”

“yes they are. they practically begged me to come today, what with their huge-”

you jabbed your elbow into Kuroo’s side

“i told you its not like that, cat bastard”

Kuroo held his side groaning “duly noted, ah”

he clapped his hand on your shoulders and shoved you onto a bleacher

“how bout you just sit there before i regret bringing you here anymore than i do already”

“hey youre the one that forced me here”

he waved you off as he walked away to get changed

“wow you piss him off almost as much as i do”

“hmm, not as much as he pisses me off”

you started to pull your computer from your bag

if you were gonna be here for the next few hours may as well get some work done

“youre doing homework?”

“uh yeah? Kuroo kinda forced me here so i might as well”

“i thought you came to watch practice?”

you looked at him and felt all of your resolve soften

he just looked so sweet and innocent, you felt like you were breaking his heart

you answered him with what you hoped was a sweet smile, “ah, he kind of just grabbed me without asking. i’ll probably end up watching you play anyways, my focus isnt the best”

“Bokuto, lets go!” one of his teammates called for him to join their practice

“ah, i have to go now but hey, if you happen to space out just focus on me instead!”

‘is he, is he flirting with me???’

“yeah, sure...” you muttered dazed but he was already jogging onto the court

“Bokuto’s too dumb to consciously flirt with someone”

“excuse me?” you turned to Kuroo, who had just come from the locker room, “what is that supposed to mean??”

“it means dont take it the wrong way, (l/n), hes very oblivious”

you were going to respond but he had already moved away from the bleachers leaving you to scoff to yourself

‘what a dick’

you finally opened your computer to begin your work for your psych class

‘when that cat bastard inevitably needs help with this essay, hes gonna have to go somewhere else for help’

the team had finally stopped a while later for a small break

by that point you had given up on trying to write that essay

the noise from the boys (the balls and the arguing and the yelling) had kept you from focusing very well

not to mention watching Bokuto play was,,,, engaging to say the least

as the boys dispersed, him and Kuroo made their way to you, having set their stuff next to you at a previous water break

“so you finally gave up, huh, (l/n)?”

“shut up, Kuroo, yall are loud. itd be hard for anyone to concentrate”

“excuses, excuses” he teased, sitting down on the floor to your left

“besides watching you guys play is actually pretty cool”

to your right, however, Bokuto pulled off his gym shirt before starting to chug his water

“not to mention very,,,, distracting” that came much breathier than you would have liked

‘no one should be allowed to look that good without a shirt on, fuck’

“wow, Bo, very brave stripping in front of our company”

“huh?” he looked down at you two like he hadnt just done exactly that

when he laid eyes on you he started to apologize, realizing what was going on

“im sorry, im sorry, ill put it back on!”

you chuckled along with the rest of the team, feeling glad that you werent the one being teased for once, but also slightly bad

“its chill, Bokuto, I know you must be hot from playing so much”

he stopped himself from throwing the shirt back on, “really? thanks!”

“besides you could always consider this repayment for seeing (y/n) topless the other day”

“Kuroo Tetsurou, you shut your whore mouth!!”

this queued a bombardment of questions from the rest of the team

which Kuroo gladly explained, with an occasional kick in the knee from you when he started to tell it wrong

“ah Kuroo, you’re an awful person” Bokuto whined

“thank you!” your exclamation caused another ripple of snickers

the team engaged themselves into a different conversation while you gazed at Bokuto

“here,” you snatched Kuroo’s towel from him, completely ignoring his protests, “why dont you use this instead, no point in making your shirt even more sweaty”

you tossed it to Bokuto so he wouldnt have to use his recently discarded shirt

“thank you!”

Kuroo flicked your shin bringing your attention toward him

“hey that was mine”

“yeah, and?”

“and, what am i supposed to use now??”

“use your shirt, or maybe your jacket”

“you absolutely suck you know that”

“not as much as you”

he couldnt reply bc their coach called them back to practice

he gave you one last glare before running to his coach with Bokuto not far behind him

when practice finally came to a close the boys collected their stuff and walked out the door with you

once the cold air hit you hugged yourself, trying to bring some warmth back

“are you cold, (y/n)?”

Bokuto always made the cutest face in your everyones opinion

“yeah a little bit, i wasnt expecting to be out this late so i dont have a jacket or anything”

“here,” he reached into his bag an pulled out his volleyball hoodie, “you can wear this”

“you sure, wont you be cold then”

“nah, im still pumped from those matches!”

ah, im too tired for his endless energy right now

“how can you still have so much energy, Bo”

“i don know,” he shrugged, “but here wear it”

he shoved it into your hands, you set your stuff down before pulling it on

yup, just as nice and warm as you remember it being 

you shoved your hands in the front pouch as you continued walking

once you got to the point where you either go to the south dorms or the north dorms Kuroo said his goodbyes

“see ya, im ready to pass out”

“see ya, man”

“deuces, cat bastard” you snuck in

he gave you slick smirk, oh he wasnt done fucking with you just yet

“yeah, yeah, just make sure you make it inside before you two decide to start making-”

“dont you dare finish that sentence!”

he jogged away laughing before you could hit him

you huffed in annoyance as you turned back to Bokuto

“shall we continue?”

“you two dont get along very well, do you?”

“me and Kuroo? eh, we get along, as long as he keeps his mouth shut”

you added and an inaudible “fucking cat bastard” 

“hmm”

the rest of the trip was oddly silent for Bokuto’s personality, you assume its because the fatigue has finally caught up to him

although he did make the effort to drop you off at your dorm room

he didnt ask for his hoodie back, however

oh well, yours for now :p

masterlist

[who-ever-said-i-was-nice]

Yeyyy I'm glad i found you ehe xD and stalked you so i can found many

interesting HCs xD #sorrryyyyy

May i request for HC ikevamp about MC forget her period schedule and accidentally stain his bf's bed (arthur, moz, isaac, theo, whoever u like xD)

Thank you so muchhhhh and nice to meet youuu 💞💞💞💞

Oh my God! Nice to meet you too @liviavivi04!❤️❤️❤️ Btw Livia, dear I don’t mind, you don’t have to apologize for stalking me😂😂😂.I do it to. What who said that. Also I’m sooooo happy you like my hcs. I put mah hear and mah soul into it. Yes that was a meme reference, I’m a dork. Moving on, this is not what I’m here to do. I’m here to provide you with some wholesome Theo, Arthur, Isaac, Mozart, Jean because he deserves love, Comte because he’s a good mother and Leo because he’s dead inside content. I can’t do more at the moment but maybe I’ll do a part two if you’s like and this turns out ok

Theo

it was a wonderful morning

SIKE

you woke up and you turned sleepily towards each other

he smiled at you mumbling a good morning

you smiled back, but then you felt something

Theo saw the color draining from your face

you jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom

Theo was like the F is wrong with you you stupid Hondjie( he didn’t actually say it but his face says it all)

I’m kidding he would never say that he loves you to much he was just surprised until he smelled IT

he looked at the spot you where a second ago and..

there was a spot of blood there

he doesn’t mind one bit

You rush back and you see the stain and immediately start apologizing

“ Why are you apologizing for something like this?” It’s not like you wanted to stain the bed”

He actually helps you clean it up even thought you insist that he doesn’t have to and he also gets you snacks

Thank you for your services Theo

Arthur

he knows

that’s it that’s the canon

no I’m kidding

but he does know

he wakes up and smiles at you

then his smile fades and turns into confusion as he sniffs the air a little

“ Luv...?”

you immediately look down and panic

you rush to the bathroom

Arthur just sits there with a small smile on his face you little

he gets up and asks if you need anything and if he can come in to get a wet rag ok i take it back

you let him in and he gets the rag and cleans the stain

you exit the bathroom looking very distraught, only to find... nothing

not stain and no Arthur

you break down crying

a few minutes later Arthur is back with snacks and is like girl why u crying?

you cuddle and he feeds you the snacks

THAT’S MY BOO

Isaac

homeboy is just super confused

he can smell it but he doesn’t know how to tell you

or should he tell you? What if he sounds like a creep? What if you freak out? What if you break up with him? and the worst what if you yell at him

yup

he’s torn

actually he’s thinking about it so hard that you ask him what’s going on

but then you realize to and you look down and see the stain and panic

now we all know Isaac is a little sensitive to blood

not in a he will faint kind of way more like a I-will-pounce-on-you-and-suck-your-blood-out-and-most-probably-do-you kind of way ya know

but no it’s a canon that vampires don’t find period blood tempting at all so that is not why you panicked

you did so because he’s a little shy and socially awkward

when I say a little I actually mean a lot I’m just being nice

sorta

anyway you ran to the bathroom and Isaac sat there like well snap

he got up and slowly walked to the door and knocked

“ H-h-hey Y/N are you alright?”

you reassure him everything’s fine

you come out of the bathroom clean the stain and look at Isaac who may or may not be standing in the corner

yes he is that is definitely the case

you ask him what’s wrong and he says that if he had told you maybe you wouldn’t have freaked out

sweet baby boy is blaming himself

you kiss him gently and explain to him that it is ok, it was not his fault and you guys cuddle for like 1,2,3,4 fine fine 8 hours

yeah you cuddle all day, that was just a mediocre joke sorry

Mozart

ok so, clean freak

 you woke up after a long night of uhhh stuff

I’m kidding nothing happened, I make stupid jokes like this cause I’ve never written smut. In conclusion: I’m nasty

 so yeah

you woke up and turned to your boyfriend

Wolf swept a stray lock from your face and placed it behind you ear

you smiled and he smiled back

and then you felt it

you jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom

you went so fast and it was so unpredictable that you scared Mozart

like he jumped back in surprise

then he became a little confused like why did you leave? did he do something?

then something cathes his eye

a fresh blood stain on his perfectly white sheets

He’s quickly realized what happened and got out of bed

you came out of the bathroom only to find Mozart bent over the bed cleaning up the stain

“Wolf what are you doing?” “ Cleaning the stain are you blind” “ Yes , I mean no, but why, I can clean it” “ You sit down” “ Where did you get the rag from” “ I always have them on hand so if a particular forgetful girl stains the bed I can clean it up” “ I love you too”

Jean

poor boy has no idea what’s going on

so when you jump out of the bed and run to the bathroom and he sees a blood stain on the bed sheet he is shooketh

He gets up quickly and runs into the bathroom

“ Y/n are you alright?” “ Jean WHAT THE HECK I’M FINE AND I’M ALSO ON THE TOILET”

you shoo him out of the bathroom and you do your thing in there bla bla bla

you come out and explain to Jean very slowly what’s going on

he nods and points to the blood stain

“ So that’s your period blood”

you turn red and mumble out a bunch of thing and all of a sudden this guy says

“ Thank God I thought you where dying”

you raise your eyebrows and burst out laughing

he just stares at you ‘cause he was trying to be serious so like why are you laughing

he helps you clean up and you cuddle

Comte

he knows nr.2

he’s a pure blood so he can smell things better then the rest of the vampires

he’s also more educated in these things then the rest of the vampires

accept Arthur but he a little ho so it don’t count

anywoo so you woke up next to your boyfriend

Comte smiled at you and swept a lock of hair out of your face

“ Good morning ma chéri” “ Mornin’ ” you mumbled sleepily

but then all of a sudden

“OH sHIT” you bolt to the bathroom

Comte takes one stiff and is like yeah

however he is the gentlest gentleman out of all the gentlemen yes well done Lia

he gets up and asks if you need anything

when you say your fine he cleans the patch of blood and gets you snacks

you exit the bathroom and have no idea what the heck just happened because there is no stain, you have extra fluffy pillows, extra blankets, snacks, a hot water bottle and Comte the most important one of all🥰🥰🥰

“Y/N you don’t have to work today I have informed Sebastian that you will be taking a day off”

Damn Comte you went all out but like, doesn’t he always 

Leonardo da hot mess

what? yes I called him a hot mess and yes I made a joke about it

Damn I’m funny

Anyway Leonardo

he knows nr.3

so you woke up in Leo’s arms

“ Good morning Cara mia!’he smiled brightly and stroked your hair

“Wow that’s some bed hair” you playfully slapped his arm and giggled

and at that moment you felt it 

you pulled up the covers in a panic and saw the blood you shoved the blankets onto Leo’s head and rushed to the bathroom

“ Ow Cara what’s..oh”

yeah he smelled it before he saw it

but he’s a super chill guy

he gets up and knocks on the bathroom door

“You alright in there” when he hears a muffled yes he nods his head a small smile playing on his lips

he goes and gets a few extra pillows and blankets from the closet

when you exit the bathroom he’s standing in the middle of his messy room completely hidden by the bundle of blankets in his hand

“ Oh hello Cara mia!”

you burst out laughing

you to cuddled for the rest of the day

So that is it! Now that I think about it they should make a horror movie out of this like I’m not even kidding. Anyway hope you have an awesome day! Stay safe everyone!

Tags: @nad-zeta @jeanstan @sweettangy

[hopekiedokie]

Mall is Life | INTRO : She’s Broke, He’s Broke, We’re All Broke!

Summary: Your dad thinks it’s best for you to pay off the credit card that you just maxed out. Meaning, it’s time for you to finally get your very first job…at the mall. As a true blue spoiled daughter from a very rich family, what could possibly happen? Form a labour union and overthrow the oppressive government with 7 other underpaid and overworked guys??? Or maybe just form a bond with them and have the best time of your life?

Pairing: bts x reader

Genre: mall!au, lowkey a sitcom, fluff, eventual angst, and a whole lot of pure crack

Word count: 5.3k+

Notes: As I’m doing final rewrites for this, I overheard my co-teacher call one of our students a “crack” and I honestly have never related hard to a student. Anyways, transferring this from gdocs to tumblr took sooooo long. I literally aged 10 years. I didn’t think writing in this style would be such a pain so I really do hope you enjoy this! Keep safe and hang on while the world still seems like it’s on its way to destruction.

Posted on: 8th of Jan, 2021

— • masterlist | Character Guide | INTRO | next • —

Red

Red is all you see.

Your vision has been clouded by the colour red since the moment you stepped inside the mall.

Sale season is upon you and red tags are everywhere!

Buy one get one for a girlfriend sized “boyfriend t-shirt”, a free cookie if you get 7 drinks, 5% off on your next purchase from Kucci and… Gasp! 75% off for a light sabre handheld immersion blender???

Do you even cook or watch Star Trek or whatever it’s called? Heck no.

bUT IT’S MORE THAN HALF OFF and it looks cool so might as well get it.

Right?

You saunter off towards the sights of free or marked down signs to start making damages.

“Ehem.”

The sound of your best friend, Taehyung’s voice, freezes you in place and you feel like a kid caught in the act of stealing a candy.

Literally, you have both your hands in front of you with your mouth open and watering.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” His hands are placed on his hips, like a slightly inconvenienced Karen.

“Oh, uh...I was just, you know!? About to admire the general splendour!”

He was like, ya right sweetie.

“Shut up. This isn’t a Jane Austen book.”

Well, one can dream.

And lowkey, you were kinda expecting him to not get the reference.

…or even understand what you just said.

Damn.

You really need to give Taehyung some credit.

He is after all, your best friend and that is an achievement in itself.

“Focus, y/n. FOCUS. We’re here on a mission, don’t get distracted.”

Ugh, right.

Reality hit you again like a ton of bricks.

“And as if you can afford anything! Unless, you’re in for some service water.”

You scoff hard.

Though he isn’t lying.

See, the thing is, your family is rich.

Like rich 𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑯.

Like “rent a whole stadium for your dad’s morning run” rich

You, alone, though?

ʰᵉ ʰᵉ ʰᵉ

“Sorry, you’re absolutely right. We’re here for one thing only and that is to find a job! We’re not leaving until we get one.”

And that’s what you did for the next two hours

Job hunting

You might be wondering, “If we're so rich then why are we looking for a job?”

Well kids, let me tell you a quick story.

Here’s what happened

A week ago, you had probably the most embarrassing yet most eye opening experience of your life.

You were shopping

(like duh do you have anything else to do?)

And your credit card got…

Wait for it…

…………….

🚫DECLINED🚫

◉.◉

Like, that can happen????

Next thing you know, you’re on the phone with your dad and he is MAD

You don’t even know why he is so pressed about it.

Okay, so you maxed out one of his seemingly endless supply of credit cards.

BIG DEAL.

It’s not like he lost a bunch of money.

Maybe to a normal person, yeah…

BUT to you guys?

Come on! He can earn that money back in like two days.

Besides, he always goes on saying that he'd willingly give everything for you, his one and only princess.

bUT NOoOOoo! He has to teach you to be rEsPoNsIbLe with money! You need to be a 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏.

"What? You think I'm a money making machine here?"

Well, tbh he kinda is.

"You think money grows on trees?"

Well, technically, money is paper so...ya it kinda does.

"I don't slave around just so you could plunge yourself in all of your whims!"

Uh, actually.

You kinda do though if we refer back to your whole willingly-give-everything-to-you shtick.

So that wasn't real, huh?

ＡＬＬ ＭＥＮ ＤＯ ＩＳ ＬＩＥ.

smh

Taehyung, on the other hand...

Well, his mother’s old but rich sugar daddy just recently passed away and unfortunately all his money and prized possessions were inherited by his one and only beloved son.

All they got was a couple of stupid jewelry, which did allow them to pay for a new (less glamorous) apartment, but still

Eh.

What a complete disappointment.

11+ years of being a sugar baby, all for nothing.

So now it’s back to the slums for the both of them.

Sad reacs for a fallen warrior.

I’m talking about Tae’s mother, not the sugar daddy...

THOUGh rip for him. Uh,,,,

He’ll be missed? I guess???

(1 like of this post = 1 respect for him)

DW about his mother though. She doesn’t seem quite fazed by it.

“This is why if you find a rich old bastard, make sure he doesn’t have any kids. That or have an affair with their kid. Oh well, on to the next one.” She told you and Tae during the funeral.

It’s been three months since.

She’s currently working at a hair salon and also,,,,

Taehyung thinks she’s seeing someone again cause she’s been using her designated “𝑠𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔” parfum.

WHICH you still don’t know if you should be impressed or be concerned about.

Nonetheless, you respect the hustle of this woman. ✊✊✊✊

Unfortunately, her efforts are still not enough to satisfy their expensive needs so that brings us to the present situation.

Actually, it couldn’t have been more perfect though!

You and your best friend coincidentally just happen to be in the same dilemma.

Kind of

Well, not really

Plus, it’s not really the most pleasant circumstance bUT STILL

The point is, you’re in this together and that’s enough for the both of you.

:’)

“Ugh, this totally blows.” Taehyung says as you both sit on one of the food court booths.

“Which one, us not getting any jobs yet or the fact that we’re hanging at the food court?”

“Get used to it, princess. Honestly, you'll find that the food here isn't as disgusting as you think they are." He says as he fishes for his phone in his man purse.

"Well, at this rate, I won't be able to get used to it since I sTILL haven't found a job. Why are the good stores so demanding? Like, an intensive classroom and in-store training only to have a possibility to get hired??? To think that I'm a loyal Louie Button customer!"

(A/n: This is actually a real procedure for Louis Vuitton, at least in my own experience. But I only applied and never went through with the training cause I figured that it just ain't for me.)

You continue ranting your little heart out about how you could sue these stores for unfair treatment.

Taehyung, though, has long tuned you out and has pointed his full attention to his phone.

This is turning out to be a lot more disastrous than what he anticipated.

So he needs to phone a friend in.

Orrrrr a couple.

He's getting desperate, okay??

The entire spring collection was practically screaming out to him when they entered Kucci.

He's a 𝓚𝓾𝓬𝓬𝓲 𝓫𝓸𝔂 through and through.

He hasn't missed a single Kucci season collection in years.

IN YEARS, PEOPLE!

He can feel his right eye twitch at this blasphemy.

"I'm telling you! These stores are absolutely ungrateful-hEY! Are you even listening??"

"No. I thought that was obvious the second I whipped my phone out."

( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)

Rude

He didn't even try to deny it.

"You know, I really don't need you to be mean to me right now."

"Sorry y/n but this…" He lifts his phone up, "is more important right now."

What could possibly be more important than your current problem??

If you don't leave today with any form of productivity, you just might have to sell the entirety of your closet.

And we all know that ain't happening.

"By 'that', you mean?"

His phone vibrates a couple of times, indicating that he just received a bunch of messages.

He instantly opens them, disregarding you once again.

I-

Seriously, thIS bOy!

"Hello???? I'm still here and we're still hideously unemployed!"

He looks up to you with a smile that seems a tad bit too eerie.

Okay, this is somewhat alarming ngl.

"I called in some reinforcements."

Reinforcements... Huh?

What's that supposed to mean?

You stare at him with scrunched brows and mouth slightly agape.

And as if on cue, a male voice rings from behind you.

"Tae! We're here!"

"Jimin! Seokjin hyung!"

Ohhhhhhh

*Looks at the camera*

Them.

♫︎DUN DUN DUN♫︎

For everyone's information, Taehyung grew up a hair away from the poverty line.

He was in his preteen years when their family found success through his mother's sugar daddy.

He didn't grow up rich whICH there's NOthing wrong WiTh THAT.

A person's financial status does not define them.

Taehyung's friends, however, already have a collective definition in your head.

One word

༼ つ ◕◡◕ ༽つ MESS™

♫︎DUN DUN DUN♫︎

A hot mess you are so not willing to become a part of.

Tae keeps them away from you because he knows that they are not the type of people you would associate yourself with.

Which is why you've never met any of them.

...Until today.

♫︎DUN DUN DUN♫︎

Guess being besties with a broke Taehyung means it only makes sense that you finally meet them.

♫︎dUN dUn- ok that's enough of that.

"We got the Code 17 message. I can't believe I'll ever get that from you. This is history, man! We need to celebrate!" Someone says accompanied by what sounds like someone wiping a window.

You look at Taehyung with a very displeased look.

May god and every higher being out there give you strength.

He doesn't even look the slightest bit bothered by what might be one of the boldest crossovers to ever happen.

Also, "Code 17"??? Wth?

"What's wrong? You never ask to meet at the food court… And who's this with--oh." A different, softer voice talks this time.

"You guys remember my bestie, right? Y/n? Well, I think it's time you guys finally meet."

From behind you, Seokjin and Jimin share a slightly wary yet excited look.

Jimin, being the natural people lover that he is, instantly thinks that he's about to have another best friend.

From what he's heard from Taehyung, you two are slightly alike, being a total softie.

So don't be surprised if a montage of things like the two of you going on picnics at the mall garden or watching the premiere of the next Disney movie plays in his head.

Seokjin, on the other hand, being the woman lover that he is, instantly thinks that he's about to score big time.

He's heard a lot about you from Tae but the only thing that stuck (and pretty much the only thing that matters) is that you are HELLA rich.

$ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕪 $

So are we even surprised that what he imagines is him breezing through the luxury section of the mall, with his personal butlers in tow, and having everyone swoon at him?

“Y/n,” Taehyung gives you a pointed look as if telling you to be nice. “Meet Seokjin hyung and Jimin, two of my other best friends.”

Alright, you heard that these people work here at the mall.

So you’re gonna have to suck it up if it means being stuck with them for god knows how long.

You just hope they have some level of bearableness.

(Oh and some form of acceptable fashion taste too please, thank you very much!)

As much as you're not in the mood to smile, you still plaster on the sweetest one you can muster and turn around to face the two----

Oh

(o.O)

oh oh oh oh ho ho ho ho

Hello

hELLO indeed.

One of them has a white button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black slim fit trousers, and a brown newsboy cap like a cherry on top.

He's also wearing a brown apron with a small name tag that says 𝓙𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓷.

The other guy's more casual with his baby pink t-shirt, french tucked into his black ripped skinny jeans.

Personally, you wouldn’t really call them amazing outfits…

bUT SWEET BABY JESUS ARE THEY DOING THINGS.

GREAT THINGS

(Tbh maybe it’s their handsome faces that do it for you)

"Hi, I'm Jimin! It's very nice to finally meet you."

He extends his hand and you take it in a heartbeat because my god that smile.

Wooooooooooo

Now, that's what greets you into heaven.

"Tae says a lot of good things about you and I think- oof."

Cute pink shirt guy (rudely) shoves him to the side.

Jimin almost topples to the ground and it makes you want to stand and check up on him.

The poor cutie.

For some reason, you feel like Taehyung and pink shirt guy get along well.

"AND I'M Seokjin!"

This time, Seokjin swiftly takes your hand without any warning which leaves you feeling flustered.

“Umm… Nice to meet you..?” You manage to politely croak out.  

He gives your hand a kiss and then drops you a sultry wink.  

Thank god you're sitting right now.  

You'd be a lying fool to say that that didn't make your knees weak.  

But ngl, that’s a face that definitely greets you into hell.  

Like, no offense to his handsome face but you are sure there’s something completely devious going on underneath.  

No one can change your mind on that.  

"OKAY! Enough introductions, we’ll have plenty of time for that later... Where are the others??”  

“Hoseok hyung said that he's with Jungkook and they're on their way to get Namjoon hyung." Jimin says as he fixes his hat that slightly slid off.  

"Well, they better hurry!"  

Taehyung DEFINITELY did not have any reasons to cut your introductions off.  

He just did not like how you are practically drooling over Jimin and Seokjin.  

He’s nOT JEALOUS OR ANYTHING  

It’s just...  

It’s not like you’ve never been close to any hot guys before.  

Uh hello???  

HE’S HOT  

And you’re with him 24/7

Wait…  

Do you even think he’s hot???  

Okay now that’s a thought he never considered before.  

Damn bro  

Now Tae’s having an existential crisis…  

anD hE’s dEfiniTEly NOT jEALous!!!  

ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ  

"WE'RE HERE!"  

All four of you direct your heads to the sound of a new voice and you start to think that Taehyung might actually be playing a joke on you.  

Come on!  

THREE 👏  MORE 👏  HOT 👏 GUYS  👏

???  

This can't be real.  

This is literal heaven!  

Gasp!  

Are.  

You.  

DEAD?!  

Maybe you're right about Jimin being what greets you into heaven!

It all makes sense.  

“Dude, we came as soon as we could. We even pulled Namjoon out of his rabbit hole.” The handsome one wearing a sports jersey says. 

“This better be important. I didn’t even get to ask permission to take a break! I’m supposed to be stocking utensils right now.” The handsome one wearing an atrocious outfit of a bright blue shirt and a much brighter yellow pants chimes in.  

The handsome one wearing loose fitting jeans, a plaid button up and a black t-shirt underneath just stayed at the sidelines not saying anything.  

Out of all of them, you think he’s the most stylish one.  

Your eyes meet while you are assessing his outfit but he instantly looks away.  

A noticeable blush blooms on his cheeks and you almost swoon.  

Awww he’s extra cute.  

“Yeah, cause organising cutlery is more important than a friend in a literal crisis.” Taehyung says in a sarcastic tone.  

“So what are we doing here?”  

“What is this ‘crisis’ you are referring to?”  

“Yo, who is she?”  

Namjoon, Jin, and handsome jersey boy all talk at the same time.  

Ugh you need a massage.  

Being surrounded by these broke handsome men is making you lightheaded.  

“This is Y/n. You know, my other best friend.”

“Oh, your money buddy.” Handsome jersey boy butts in.   

Uh EXCUSE YOU, WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?  

You scoff hard and loud.  

Taehyung clears his throat and you thought he was going to make a comment defending you or something.  

Oh honey, you are wrong.  

Because for the nth time today, he just brushes you off.  

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyways, Guys, meet Y/n. Y/n, this is Hoseok hyung, Namjoon hyung, and Jungkook.”  

You didn't think it'd be possible but for the first time ever, you so badly want to rip someone's hair out.  

And not just someone, it's Taehyung.  

Normally, a sassy, moody, rude boy Taehyung doesn’t affect you at all.  

But then again, his negative vibes were never really directed to you.  

And given the current circumstance, you’re also not in the best mood as well.  

So you aren't as inviting as you usually are when you shook hands with the three boys.  

Somehow, even their overflowing handsomeness did not do anything for you now.  

Your presence, however, did something to the three boys.  

AND I MEAN A LOT.  

Confused, attracted, intimidated, confused, in awe, slightly scared, nervous, confused, hungry…  

What? Hoseok hasn’t had lunch and coincidentally, he started feeling his tummy rumble when he looked at you.  

…..  

Fun fact: Hoseok is DEFINITELY NOT A CANNIBAL NOR HE EVER PLANS ON BEING ONE.  

If ever you were thinking...  

“Okay, so here’s the sitch.” Tae starts to explain your situation and everyone listens to him intently.  

Little did you all know, the final member of the friend group just arrived at the food court and is now walking towards where you all are.  

It wasn’t difficult to spot your group with Namjoon’s obnoxiously brightly coloured towering self and the few girls hanging around.  

Probably Jimin’s fanclub.  

“And so, here we are!” Tae finishes, keeping everyone updated.  

"Wow, so you two are looking for an actual job? Like, here? At the mall??" A very baffled Seokjin asks.  

Tae rolls his eyes.  

"Yes. Is that really hard to believe?"  

"Actually, yes. It is."  

Another male voice is heard coming from someplace.  

“Yoongi hyung!”  

Oh great! Another one.  

Surely, this guy’s not that interesting.  

I mean, what are the fricking odds that he’s also an immaculate being??  

You turn around and your mouth drops to the floor.  

No no no no no.  

No way!  

Another freaking gOOD LOOKING GUY HAS WALKED UP TO YOUR GROUP.  

Okay, this is getting unbelievable now.  

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?  

Like, where and how on earth did Taehyung manage to get and round up SIX insanely good looking guys??  

What is this? Are you on The Bachelorette??

Wait no   

It's like Oprah!  

And instead of cars, she's giving away handsome men

You get a hot Asian man, you get a hot Asian man, you all get a hot Asian man!  

OR MAYBE  

Are you on MTV Punk'd?????  

Statistically speaking, a hot guy can have two or maybe three equally hot best friends

BUT SIX???   

ARE YOU KIDDING?  

Is Taehyung like Thanos? Collecting the six infinity stones?  

Thanos? lol.  

If anything, he's more like Henry VIII with his six wives.  

“So you guys didn’t even wait for me, huh?”

Yoongi, oh so casually, just takes a seat beside you   

Without even giving you a single glance or whatnot.  

“I didn’t know you'd be here at the mall today?”  

“Yeah, what are you doing here?”  

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “It’s a free country, I can be here whenever I want to be.”  

Well, can’t argue with that logic.  

The mall is practically your second home at this point.  

“... Also… uTunes is hiring and uh… I’m applying...”  

You don’t understand why but everyone else looks either shocked or annoyed at Yoongi’s announcement... 

Are you missing something here?  

“Man, you need to give it up! That place can suck it.”  

Yoongi gives Seokjin one of the scariest glare you’ve ever seen.  

It could rival against your dad’s famous death glares that he gives to his incompetent subordinates.  

Namjoon shakes his head disapprovingly, “You’re applying there again?? I can’t believe it.”  

Yes, again.  

This is going to be the seventh time he’s applying at uTunes Records, the most popular music shop there is.  

So many people flock to it even though we’re already in the digital age.  

But he doesn’t question it.  

All he cares about is getting a job there because the employees get to play their own music in the store.  

Do you know how much of a popularity boost that is?  

A CRAP TON.  

On top of that, one of the employees gets a chance to get signed by a record label every year.  

And if you're not awarded by that chance, you can still meet agents and get signed through their many parties.  

Because of that, so many people also apply for a job there.  

But they unfortunately have such high standards which is why even after three years, he still hasn’t passed their vibe check.

"Listen, seven's a lucky number. I have great feelings about this one. Besides, I've built up a strong résumé. Winning one of uTunes' own rookie dj contests must mean something, right? They can't not take me!"   

Wow.  

You've only known Yoongi for a solid three minutes, but you can already tell that he's quite passionate about this.  

"Hyung, all we're saying is that maybe you should consider doing something else? You could do so much more than run after that store." Jimin says and pats Yoongi's hand a couple of times.  

"All of you perfectly know getting a job there could quite possibly set my music career!"  

"Is that really it? Or is it because of a certain Daphne??" Seokjin teases him.  

The rest just mutters an "ooh" or an "aah".  

You seem to have been turned into an accessory.  

You so cannot relate to anything they've talked about since Yoongi came. 

It's like you're at one of your dad's social gatherings and all you can do is smile and nod.  

"ANYWAY," Yoongi interjects in their teasing. "So Tae, you're also looking for a job?"  

Jeez FINALLY.  

Something you can talk about that involves you.  

It felt like you were just back home watching some random show that doesn't require your input.  

Taehyung gives an overly dramatic heavy sigh.  

"Unfortunately, yes. Y/n and I both need one badly. But all the stores had been rejecting us left and right. Like, the audacity!" Taehyung rants all over again.  

Jimin, listens to him intently as if he hasn't heard all of this before.  

Seokjin seems to have been entertaining the surrounding ladies for a while now.

[by giving some ( ˘ ³˘)♥︎ and some (•̀ᴗ-)☞  ]  

Across the table, Namjoon complains to Hoseok about getting in trouble with his boss.  

Jungkook, well, he's just staring at the beautiful pizza this kid next to you guys is eating. (Someone's hungry too, okay?) 

While Yoongi just openly stares at you.  

Welp.  

What the frick are you supposed to do now?

Is Taehyung or anyone going to properly introduce you two?   

No???  

Okay fine.  

Seems like you're gonna have to get used to doing things on your own.  

You smile at him and timidly hold your hand out.  

"Uh hi. I'm Y/n. I don't know if Tae's ever mentioned me to you before but--"  

"Oh, trust me. He's mentioned you plenty. He actually never shuts up about you."  

ʰᵉʰ  

Ok  

You don't really know if he was stating that as a fact or if he's trying to be mean…  

"Oh ha ha… That must be really annoying then."  

"Yeah, it is actually."  

Your small polite chuckle died down your throat.  

Wow and you thought Taehyung can be rude.  

hE'S STILL JUST STARING.  

"Uh…" You finally lowered your hand that he obviously isn't going to shake.  

That is definitely going in your top 10 most embarrassing moments ever.  

God, can someone get you away from this guy?  

What's his problem?  

"SO, can any one of you help us? Like, any tips or something?" Tae concludes his really long and repetitive rant.  

Everyone's eyes FINALLY focuses on Tae again.  

Seokjin snorts loudly.  

Eww.  

He opens his mouth to say something but Tae immediately holds his hand up to stop him.  

"Anyone except you hyung. I don't think you're classified."  

Everyone laughs to that and again,  

ARE YOU MISSING OUT ON SOMETHING HERE?  

Seokjin raises one finger like he's trying to make a point. "If anyone is classified to give tips on how to get accepted, it's me!"  

"Yeah, just not on how to last on one." Namjoon loudly whispers to Tae.  

"HEY I HEARD THAT!"  

Ohhh….  

So,  

Does he constantly get fired from a job?  

Well, that's just sad.  

Hopefully you don't end up like him.  

😳  

"Actually," Hoseok starts, "how do you end up landing on so many jobs? Like, don't they know your reputation?"  

And that's your cue to finally insert yourself in the conversation.  

"Uh, what reputation?"  

"Sweetheart, you don't really want to know! It's not that big of a deal." Seokjin quickly steers you away from the topic but the other guys didn't allow it to happen.  

"Oh, you know. Just that, he's known to be the "job eater" here. Cause he pretty much eats a job and moves on from it in a flash." Namjoon graciously fills you in.  

So you were right.  

That's kind of impressive though…  

But a huge waste.  

"Still! It makes me very much qualified to give the unemployed a tip!"  

"Save it hyung, you might need it for your next job once you get fired from Uncle Aang's."  

Seokjin gives everyone a sheepish smile.  

What's that about?  

It almost looks as if he…  

"YOU GOT FIRED ALREADY?!"  

"Oh you bet I did."  

To be fair, how could he not stop himself from eating the free samples? Those pretzels are literal drugs.  

"You just got that job four days ago. I can't believe it!"  

"I can believe it." Yoongi says out loud.  

Can't he say anything nice?  

"Whatever! Point is, these stores still hire me no matter what."  

"You know what, that is a good point." Taehyung mutters, slowly turning convinced by Seokjin.  

Namjoon groans. "Are you for real Tae? If you want some job advice, maybe ask one from us who has only had one permanent job all throughout."  

"Guys, let's give Seokjin hyung a chance!" Jimin, ever the sweet positive boy, suggests.

"Of course you would say that."    

Not wanting to fade into nothingness, you insert yourself again in the conversation.  

"I want to hear what he has to say."  

Once those words left your mouth, you instantly regret it.  

A.) Seokjin gives you another wink and gives you a flying kiss that has you weak in the knees again- I MEAN WHAT. I SAID NOTHING.  

And B.) Yoongi is clearly not a fan of you sharing your opinions with the group.    

Despite the obvious protests of Namjoon, Seokjin still gives his number one "professional" advice  

And that is to have a perfectly 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 résumé.  

"A high quality résumé? YOU? What the fuck are you talking about?" Yoongi says, slightly amused and slightly tired of the older guy's shenanigans.  

"Don't believe me? Fine. But I'm telling you, it's all here on paper!" Seokjin takes out a folder from his backpack and waves it around.  

Namjoon immediately snatches it from him  

"5 pages long?? Are you for real?”  

Seokjin hums and watches smugly with a cocky grin as the guys read through his résumé.  

“Hang on, since when did you do balloon modelling?”  

"I don't."  

Hoseok gasps. "But bro, isn't that lying?"  

"Yeah, duh! How else are these people gonna hire you? You have to sell them what they're looking for."  

"What if they ask you to use these skills that you clearly don't have?"  

"Then you're just gonna have to fake it till you make it, baby!"  

Huh  

No wonder he doesn't last long on a single job.  

"And how's that working out for you?" Yoongi presses on.  

"Well at least I get hired, Mr. 7th Time's the Charm!"  

Yoongi is like ᶠⁱᵗᵉ ᵐᵉ ⁱ ʷᵒⁿ'ᵗ ʰᵉˢⁱᵗᵃᵗᵉ ᵇⁱᵗᶜʰ (ง'̀-'́)ง  

"That's not really the point of having a job, but I guess, whatever floats your boat, dude!" Hoseok finally sides with Seokjin.  

"So everyone is looking for a job then?" Taehyung realizes, "this is so cool if all of us get hired! We'll all face the real world together."  

"All of us except Jungkook though."  

Who?  

Oh that extra cute shy boy.  

You forgot he's here.  

Boy really hasn't said a word at all.  

"Did ya hear that? All of us are getting jobs!"

"You should get one too!"   

"That would be so cool!"  

"So what do you say? What are your plans Kook?"  

"Guys, don't pressure the kid!"  

The guys talk simultaneously, ultimately kind of pressuring Jungkook to say something before he even thinks about it.  

The table falls silent and everyone eyes Jungkook.  

The guys are like ( ･ิ ͜ʖ ･ิ) and ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)  

Jungkook is like (ʘ ͟ʖ ʘ)  

Then the guys are like (≖ ͜ʖ≖)  

So jungkook is like (¬‿¬ )  

In the end, they are all like 

(☞°ヮ°)☞ ☜(°ヮ°☜)  

And through it all, you are just ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ  

What the heck is going on?  

"Yeah, why not?" Jungkook simply concludes and the guys make various celebrating noises.  

Gasp!  

He can talk???  

"Okay, everyone calm down! Let's wait until after everyone gets hired before we celebrate." Namjoon scolds everyone.  

"Well that might take a while considering Y/n and I can't find one!"  

Namjoon places a comforting hand on Tae's shoulder. "Oh relax, there's like ten thousand stores in the mall!"  

"Actually, there are only 613 stores in the entire mall." Hoseok points out a matter of factly.  

You all look at him dumbfoundedly.  

Aaaand he just stares back at all of you.  

Is this some kind of trivia that you need to know if you work around here?  

Are you gonna have to memorise a lot of facts about the mall???  

Oh, you don't like that.  

Seokjin was the first one to react.  

"Dude?? What the hell?!"  

"I got bored once while I was on a break and counted."

Huh.  

Makes sense.  

Yeah, sure.  

Why not?  

Why wouldn't you just go and count the total number of stores out of boredom???  

…  

THAT WAS A SARCASTIC REMARK IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT.  

"Even if there are 600 stores here, there are only like, 20 good stores that exist!" Tae remarks   

You want to say you can't agree more but you stop yourself because you don't think you can handle another cold stare from Yoongi.  

"Are you perhaps pertaining to the high end stores?" Namjoon muses.  

"Yeah. What else?"  

Jimin's eyes widen in shock. "Hold on. So you two have only been looking at that small section of the entire mall?"  

"Yeah. Why?"  

Yoongi chuckles condescendingly.  

"Bros, you know that saying… 'Beggars can't be choosers'?" Hoseok tries to enlighten you two.  

You and Tae look at each other.  

What an epiphany.  

A very disgusting yet important epiphany.  

"Are you… Are you guys saying that… We need to find a job… Outside of that section??"  

They all nod.  

Ughhhhhhh  

You and Tae make an annoyed sound.  

"Welcome to the real world, peasants!" Seokjin warmly tells you.  

Could things get any worse?  

"Hey, at least we'll all be here together!"  

Ha ha 

Great . Awesome. Wow.

"Well, on that note, I really need to get back to work. Lady and gentlemen, may the odds be ever in your favour. Good luck!"  

Namjoon stands and walks away.  

One by one, the other working guys went back to work as well, leaving you unemployed slackers.  

Hey they didn't even give any actual help!  

Wasn't that the reason why Tae called for a… What did they call it?  

Code something something.  

Oh whatever!  

Anyways,  

So to summarize things  

You might end up working at an awful low end store.  

And you're unwillingly stuck with the wrong set of people.  

One of them is a total flirt and an actual pain to society.  

Another one might possibly hate you for unknown reasons.   

This tall dude seems to be really uptight.  

Then there's this guy that seems really weird.

The other one, well… He's cute and doesn't really have any negative points yet BUT you're sure something's wrong with him.   

And the last one literally said one thing during the entire time!  

Oh, you've got a really really long way before you can pay your dad.  

Good luck to you, indeed.   

[midnightsnyx]

Consequences - Matthew Tkachuk: part 5

summary: you absolutely hate Matthew Tkachuk so it’s just your luck when you wind up pregnant with his child. 

a/n: surprise!!! it’s part 5!! i wont be home sunday so i wanted to post this today. i’m really iffy on this part because i wrote and rewrote a lot of the scenes because i wasn’t happy with it and i’m still not 100% happy with it but if i keep picking it over i’ll end up deleting the entire thing and rewriting it from scratch

but yeah i hope u guys like it & thanks again sooooo much for the love on this story <3 you guys rock.

word count: 2.6K

warnings: swearing, angst w/ a lil fluff again and bad editing lol

ALSO the first part in italics is a flashback to before Matt missed the appointment! 

Part 5

“You’ve gotta stop moping, man.” Noah said, bumping his shoulder against Matt’s during morning practice.

Matt knew he was moping but he couldn’t get you out of his head and it was driving him nuts. He was attracted to you the moment you met even though you hated him, but lately something was different. He wasn’t sure if it’s from seeing you carry his child but the past couple months, you were all he could think about.

And it drove him insane.

“I’m not.” He mumbled, attempting to deny his teammates statement. Noah didn’t buy it though, because he grinned.

“You, me, and drinks?” He pointed at Matt. “Tonight at 9. We’re getting you laid.”

Matt forced a smile and nodded, knowing that Noah wouldn’t leave him alone until he agreed.

“The ultrasound is in the morning though so I can’t stay out late.” Matt reminded him.

“We’ll have you back in time for the appointment.” Noah promised and Matt believed him which was why the hurt on your face the next morning broke him.

. . .

21 weeks

“Noah Hanifin is at your front door.” Becca says, looking through the peephole before turning to look at you. Piled under a mountain of blankets with tissues surrounding you and an empty tub of ice cream sitting on the coffee table, you‘re the perfect picture of a broken heart.

You have been dodging calls and texts from Matthew for the past two weeks but in the last couple days, he’s been radio silent and you’re not sure if it hurts more, or less.

“Tell Noah Hanifin to fuck off.” You mutter, trying to dig yourself deeper in the pile of blankets. You know why Noah is here and it pisses you off.

Becca opens the door a little and you can see Noah standing there, holding a bag and looking uncomfortable.

“Can I help you with something?” Becca asks shortly and Noah sighs.

“Good to see you too, Becs.”

Becca’s shoulders tighten and you know without seeing her face that she is glaring at him. “What do you want, Hanifin?”

He hands her the bag he was holding. “This is for Y/N. It’s from Matt. He says he’s sorry.” Then he looks at you. “He’s in bad shape.”

You know he’s in bad shape because even though you’re hurt and angry, you’ve been watching his games. He’s being careless, taking stupid penalties, picking fights more than normal and you know he hasn’t been getting much sleep because there are bags under his eyes.

So you don’t need Noah Fucking Hanifin to tell you that Matthew’s in bad shape.

“That’s not my problem.”

“Oh come on, Y/N.” Noah says a little too harshly for your liking. “He fucked up, he knows that. Cut him some slack, he’s twenty two and he’s about to be a fucking father. He’s scared!”

“And I’m about to be a mother!” You snap. “He doesn’t think I’m scared?”

Noah groans in frustration. “Look. It was my fault, okay? I talked Matt in to going out that night because I wanted him to stop moping over you.”

You try to ignore his comment about Matt moping over you but your voice is unsteady when you answer him.

“Matt is a big boy, Noah. He can make his own decisions and he made the wrong one.” You watch Noah’s face fall. “Stop trying to stick up for him.”

Noah shakes his head and sighs. “You should cut him some slack. It was my fault.”

You watch as he leaves without saying another word. When he’s gone and Becca shuts the door behind him, she turns to face you.

“He doesn’t deserve forgiveness just because Hanifin ‘talked’ him in to going out and getting drunk. He made that choice.”

You slowly nod, watching as she walks to your kitchen preparing to throw the bag Noah dropped off in the garbage. You’re not sure what prompts you to stop her but you call out before she throws it out.

“Wait.”

She looks at you with a raised brow. “What?”

“Let me see what he brought.”

You know she’s pissed, but she brings it over and hands it to you.

“I’m going to go get ready for bed, okay?” She says and you nod, watching as she walks down the hallway. When she’s out of sight, you peak in the bag.

The first thing you see is a chocolate bar. It’s your favourite, and you’re surprised he remembered. There’s some candy and a box of popcorn and your lips turn up in a tiny smile when you pull out a movie.

It’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting, the movie you were very against watching because of how unrealistic it would be compared to actual childbirth. There’s a little sticky note that says, you should watch this even though it’s totally not accurate.

Then, at the very bottom of the bag, there’s a bigger note and you want to ignore it like you’ve done with every text he’s sent you but you read it out of curiosity.

Y/N,

 I know that I can’t make up for missing the appointment and I know there’s nothing I can say to make it better so all I’m going to do is say sorry. I am so, so sorry and I know I keep saying that and they are only words but it’s all I can think of to say.

So I’m sorry and I hope that you can forgive me soon because I miss you and I want to be there for you without having to ask my mom for updates on how you are. Please call me, or even text me. I just want to know how you’re doing.

 Matt

 You’re sniffling by the time you’ve read the note but when you hear Becca approaching, you wipe away the tears and shove the paper back in the bag.

“What did he give you?” She questions, sitting on the couch next to you.

You don’t want to tell her about the note so you just shrug. “A movie.”

“That’s all?”

“Yeah.” You lie. “Will you watch it with me?”

“Sure.” She says, taking the movie from you and putting it in to the DVD player before returning to the couch and curling up on the opposite side of the couch.

You try to focus on the movie but you can’t get Matt’s note and Noah’s words out of your head. You’re confused from what Noah said about Matthew ‘moping’ over you. The two of you were friends and you used that term loosely. If it wasn’t for the baby, you know you never wouldn’t have gotten so close to him. You never would have gotten to know the side of him that the rest of the world has never seen. You wouldn’t have learned how terrible he is at cooking but how gentle he can be.

But you also wouldn’t be in this situation right now. By yourself and pregnant with a broken heart.

So you’re not sure what hurts more. The thought of never having known him the way you do or having your heart broken.

. . .

22 weeks

Johnny: I’m really sorry to bother you but can you please come pick Matt up? He’s in bad shape and he won’t go home unless its to you.

It’s this text that has you standing outside a bar that Matt and the guys are. For Johnny to text you, you know that it must be bad and you’re proven right when the doors open and Noah and Johnny carry an extremely wasted Matthew Tkachuk out. You’re not sure he’s even awake until he lifts his head when Noah shakes him.

“Y/N’s here, bud.”

His eyes are closed but they open when he hears your name and his face lights up and he shrugs the boys off, stumbling towards you. He’s unsteady so you reach out to steady him, grateful when he doesn’t put much weight on you.

“You’re here.” He breathes and you nod slowly.

“And you’re drunk.”

He shakes his head quickly. “No, I’m sober as a judge!”

You hear Noah chuckle but you don’t react to him, pulling Matt’s arm around your shoulder.

“C’mon. Lets go home.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Noah calls out and you’re still pissed at him so you don’t bother looking back.

“Yeah.”

You get Matt in your car without a problem and when you start the drive back to your apartment, you try to ignore how he’s staring at you but it feels like he’s burning holes in the side of your head.

“What?” You mutter eventually and you see him shrug out of the corner of your eye.

“’m surprised you came to pick me up. I know you hate me.” He mumbles and you sigh.

“I don’t hate you.” You tell him, “I was angry with you. And I had every right to be.”

“I’m sorry.” He whispers quietly and when you glance at him, he’s no longer looking at you. He is staring at his hands and you notice the cuts from the fight he got in to at today’s game. It was a heavy loss and had a lot to do with how many penalties Matt took. They were dumb penalties, all of which he never would have taken if his head was in the game. You know it’s not entirely your fault but you still can’t help but feel a little guilty because you know he’s playing like this because you haven’t been talking to him.

“I know.” You say, pulling in to the parking lot of your apartment building. You could have very well dropped Matt off at his house but you know he’s too drunk and leaving him by himself could be dangerous.

He’s sobered up a little by the time you’re in your apartment. You make him drink a couple glasses of water before guiding him to your bathroom so he can brush his teeth with his toothbrush he keeps at your apartment and when you give him clothes that he keeps here too, you realize how much time he really spent here.

“I can sleep on the couch.” He says and everything in you is screaming to agree but he just looks so tired and you know he won’t get a wink of sleep on that couch so you shake your head.

“It’s fine.” you say, ignoring the small look of hope on his face, instead sending him out of the bathroom so you can get ready. You take your time, hoping that he will be asleep when you go to your bedroom but you find him laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. He doesn’t look at your face when you settle on the bed next to him but you do notice his eyes flicker to your stomach before you pull the blanket over you.

“It’s bigger.” He says.

“What?”

“Your stomach.” He clarifies. “It’s getting bigger.”

“Well that’s what happens when you’re growing a human being inside you.” You remind him and his lips turn up in a small smile.

“Y/N-” He starts to say but you cut him off.

“We’ll talk in the morning.”

He looks disappointed but he’s still drunk enough that you’re not comfortable having the conversation the two of you need to have. There are things that need to be worked out and said and you don’t want him to only remember half of it.

So you watch him nod and drift off before letting yourself fall asleep.

. . .

You wake the next morning before Matt. He snoring quietly and his back is to you which makes getting out of bed easier. He’ll be hungover for sure, so you decide to make breakfast while you wait for him to wake up. You’re also trying to think of what exactly you’re going to say to him.

You don’t know if you have it in you to still be so angry at him. He messed up and it’s not something you’ll ever forget but Noah made a good point when he said that Matt is only 23. You’re both still so young and about to be parents and despite wanting him to be perfect and never mess up, you can’t expect him to be.

“Hey.”

You turn to see Matt walking in to the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

“Hey.” You reply, turning back to the stove. You can hear him sit down on a bar stool and he’s quiet for a moment before speaking up.

“Thank you.” He says softly and it surprises you because you were expecting him to say sorry again.

“You didn’t have to come pick me up last night but you did.”

You shrug, turning around to look at him. “I know you would’ve done the same.”

“I would.” He says. “And I know you’re tired of me saying it but I am really sorry I missed the appointment. I promised I would be there and I let you down.”

You nod, walking over and sitting next to him. “You did, but I’m starting to think that I was too hard on you. You made a mistake, we all do.”

“I swear I’ll never miss one again.” He promises.

“Good, because I’ll shun you if you do.” You chirp and he grins.

After breakfast, the two of you are watching hockey replays and Matt is quietly talking to the baby. You can’t hear exactly what he’s saying but suddenly he looks up and grins.

“Can we tell everyone now? I thought we could make up an Instagram post or something.”

“I may already have one prepared.” You admit sheepishly and his smile lights up the room.

[theydontknowaboutusimagines]

This Christmas - A Harry Styles Christmas Series (Part 8)

Two life long friends. Secretly in love. Home for the holidays. Will they risk everything by telling the other how they feel? Or will they spend another year loving from afar? 

Read these first    

Prologue   Part 1    Part 2   Part 3    Part 4   Part 5  Part 6  Part 7

The next morning you woke up with the sun blaring through the window and your head feeling like a heavy paperweight. You looked over, seeing and hearing a sleeping Harry. He was the only person you knew who snored like that while sleeping on their stomach. You giggled softly before rolling over onto his back.

He let out a humpfh sound before going back to sleep.

“Haarrryyy,” you whispered into his ear.

Nothing.

“Harry, wake up,” you whispered again.

Again nothing.

You smirked getting an idea before bouncing up and down, “Harry, wake up.”

“Seriously?” He groaned, reaching back for you.

You giggled, “Yay, you’re up.”

“And you need a mint,” he joked, pushing your head away.

“I don’t doubt that,” you said. “I got pretty bad last night.”

“I’ve seen worse,” he said.

You sighed laying back down beside him.

“Hey,” he said, placing his hand on top of yours. “Are we… okay?”

You nodded,”Yeah, we are,” you smiled.

“Good,” he smiled, kissing the top of your head. “So, how do you feel about going out for breakfast?”

“I’d love to, but I need to get some writing done,” you sighed.

“But you have to eat,” he said. “And you’re hungover, so how much writing will you actually be getting done.”

“You’re a bad influence, Styles,” you pointed at him.

“So, I take that is a yes on getting breakfast?” He smirked.

“Yes,” you laughed.

**

After a hot shower, a change of clothes, and popping some aspirin, you two were walking your way to the cafe down the street. Harry smirked, grabbing your hand as you were walking. You smiled, picking your hands up and wrapping his arm around your shoulder. He laughed, leaning down to kiss you.

“Thank god you brushed your teeth,” he smirked.

“Fuck you,” you laughed, pushing him away, while you walked forward.

“Aw come on, babe,” he laughed, running after you.

You smirked as you picked up your pace.

“Oh, so it’s going to be like that, huh?” Harry laughed.

Next thing you knew you felt arms around you and a huge weight jumping onto your back.

“Bloody hell are you trying to kill me?” You groaned.

“Nope,” Harry smirked, popping the p.

You rolled your eyes as you walked forward trying to carry Harry to the cafe. When you got there, you pushed him off of you.

“I expect a massage later,” you told him.

“Gladly,” he smirked.

The two of you walked into the cafe and you smiled at the decorations.

“I love that they still decorate like this,” you said. “I remember when I was little I thought this was the North Pole.”

“Well, you were a weird one,” Harry said.

“Remind me why I agreed to this breakfast?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Because you love me and want to spend time with me,” he said, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

“Or it’s because you promised me free food,” you smirked.

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” he laughed.

You giggled kissing his cheek before sitting down at the table. You looked over the menu, ordering the same thing you’ve been ordering since you were little.

“We need to do something Christmassy,” you said. “It’s almost Christmas and I feel like we haven’t done much.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” He asked.

“Hm, I don’t know,” you said. “Why don’t you surprise me.”

“Challenge accepted,” he smiled.

**

Once you two were finished eating, you grabbed some hot chocolate to go. Instead of going back home, you two went to the local park for a walk. You smiled wrapping your arm around his waist as the two of you walked through the trail.

“So, I have a confession to make,” you said.

“Uh-oh,” he said. “Do I need to sit down for this?”

“No,” you laughed. “Do you remember when you mentioned how the main love interests reminded you… of well… you?”

“Yeah,” he said, looking at you.

“Weeellll,” you said. “You’re not exactly wrong with that.”

“I knew it!” He pointed at you. “I fucking knew it!”

“Yes, yes, you were right,” you rolled your eyes. “Are you mad?”

“What? No,” he said. “But I am a little worried about having to live up to those expectations,” he laughed.”

“There are no expectations,” you smiled. “Because nothing else could live up to having the real thing.”

“Sooooo, what you’re saying is, is you prefer me,” he smirked.

“I do,” you smiled.

Harry moved a strand of hair out of your face before leaning down to give you a kiss.

**

You stared at the page in front of you. Watching the cursor blink while you contemplated what to write next. You could picture it perfectly in your head but the words just weren’t coming out. Groaning you pushed yourself away from your desk, pacing around the tiny little space while you gathered your thoughts.

After about ten minutes, you finally felt some inspiration and the words were flowing out in buckets. You ended up finishing the chapter and quickly realized you had less than five chapters left in the book. You looked at the calendar and made a note to yourself to be finished by Christmas Eve. You could do it, you just might have some late nights ahead.

Speaking of late nights, you realized how dark it was outside and that your stomach was alerting you, you needed food. You shut your laptop, grabbed your coat, and walked towards the house. There weren’t many lights on when you walked inside, except for the kitchen.

“Hello?” You asked, looking around. “Is anyone here?”

“In here!” Harry called out from the pantry.

You giggled making your way over to him, standing in the doorway, “Um… hey, what are you doing?”

“I’m cooking dinner for us,” he smiled. “Mum went out with your Mum for dinner, so we have the house to ourselves.”

“Really?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Yep,” he smiled.

“Not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing,” you laughed.

“What do you mean?” He asked, pulling ingredients off the shelf.

“Because with your Mum and my Mum together, you do realize they’re going to be talking about us the entire, right?” You asked. “I’m pretty sure they’ve been planning our wedding for years.”

“Oh god, you’re right,” he groaned.

“Well, on the bright side, at least we can suffer together,” you giggled.

He laughed, “That is true.”

“So, do you need any help?” You asked.

“If you’re offering,” he smiled.

“Of course,” you said.

He smiled and handed you the vegetables to chop as he got everything else ready.

“Getting any writing done?” He asked.

“Took a little bit, but I did,” you smile. “I have only five chapters left to write!”

“That’s amazing,” he smiled. “When you finish, we’re going to celebrate.”

“And let me guess, by celebrate you mean let you read it?” You raised an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” he joked.

You rolled your eyes, “Again we’ll see.”

**

Once dinner was in your bellies and the dishes were in the dishwasher, the next activity was baking cookies.

“Is this part of your Christmas surprise?” You asked.

“Not necessarily,” he smirked. “I’ve got a bigger surprise for that.”

“Now, I’m intrigued,” you said. “Can I get a little more of a hint?”

“No, not going to happen,” he said.

“But why?” You whined.

“Because it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he said in a duhh tone.

“Oh… you mean like this,” you smirked, flicking flour in his face.

He gasped, looking over at you. “Excuse you.”

“Oops,” you said, innocently.

“Oh, oops my ass,” he said, taking a handful of flour and throwing it in your face.

You gasped looking over at him as you wiped flour off your face, “Oh, it’s so fucking on, now,” you said, grabbing whatever you could to throw at him.

“Shit,” he laughed, grabbing what was left and throwing it at you.

The next ten minutes is filled with shouts, squeals, and running around throwing various cookie ingredients at the other. Finally, you two declare a truce, when you notice the mess in the kitchen.

“Anne’s going to kill you,” you joked.

“Me? I didn’t throw the flour at myself!” He laughed.

“Yeah, but she likes me more than you,” you shrugged.

“I wish I could deny that, but unfortunately it’s true,” he sighed.

You giggled, “Why don’t we clean ourselves up first and then we’ll worry about the kitchen.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s sprinkles in my ear,” he laughed.

The two of you headed up to the bathroom, where Harry got each of you a towel out of the linen closet.

“You can take a shower in this one and I’ll head to the other,” he said. “I can let you borrow some clothes, so you don’t have to go out just to change.”

“Or…” you said.

“Or what?” He asked.

“We could… um… share uh… bath or whatever,” you said.

Harry’s eyes widen at your proposal, “Uh…”

“Wow, um… yeah… let’s just forget I said anything. Totally stupid,” you said quickly.

“No, it’s not,” he said, taking your hand in his. “Are you sure… I don't want you to think…”

“We’re both grown adults,” you said. “As long as you’re okay with it, I’m okay with it.”

“Um… okay, I’ll start the water,” he said.

“Okay,” you nodded.

The next several minutes were filled with silence. It was a bit awkward at first, but it really came down to nervousness. Normally, you weren’t so bold and forth coming this early in a relationship, or whatever it was you and Harry were at the moment, but there was something about being with him that made you feel comfortable. And yes, you both agreed on taking things slow, but this felt… right. It felt natural.

You slipped off your clothes leaving them in a pile on the floor before getting into the tub. Neither one of you glanced at the other, not wanting to make the other feel uncomfortable. Whenever he was in the tub with you, you finally turned around to face him at the opposite end.

“This is nice,” He smiled. “It’s been ages since I’ve soaked in the tub.”

“Alone or with company?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Both,” he said.

“Hmm,” you said. “You should really do this more often. Soaking in hot water really relaxes me.”

“Alone or with company?” He mocked.

“Depends on who the company is,” you smirked.

He leaned over, sloshing water with his movements, reaching for your hand, “Well, I would hope from now on, I’d be the only one keeping you company,” he smirked.

“Hmm… I could definitely arrange that,” you giggled.

“Good,” he said, pulling you closer to him, a tug on his lips.

Lacing your finger with his, you looked up in his eyes, “Whenever I’m with you… it feels… I don’t know… it just feels like no time has passed, but then it also feels like so much time has passed.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” he whispered, looking down at you.

Your lips formed a smile as you placed your hands on his cheeks before pressing your lips against his. The kiss was gentle and sweet as his hands ran over your naked back. In that moment, you felt the most intimacy you’ve ever felt with anyone. Your heart was almost ready to burst out of your chest and you knew that there would no longer be anymore going slow because your heart was finally ready to open up to him.

Before anything got too hot and heavy, a step you two were more than wanting to take, but thought better of waiting, you both got out of the tub, drying off before getting dressed. After you two laid in his bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, fingers laced together. Neither of you really said anything, being there was enough. Christmas music played from Harry’s phone as he softly sang the lyrics to you.

You smiled, snuggling yourself closer to him. You were on the verge of falling asleep, but you ignored it, wanting to savor every second of this.

And when you two finally were ready to give into your heavy eyelids, you heard an angry voice call out, “HARRY EDWARD STYLES! YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!”

Both of you shot up in the bed looking at each other, “Shit! The Kitchen!”

Well, it was good while it lasted.

**

What are some Christmassy Activities/ things should they do? Let me know! :)

[valkyriesryde]

Release the Hounds {6/?}

Chapter Six: Am I Supposed to Fight?

Pairing: Persephone!Steve Rogers x Hades!Reader

Chapter Summary: Both sides are preparing but the question of whether they will actually have to fight is still standing. And everyone has an opinion.

Word Count: ...2,000ish lol

A/N: Sooooo I’m a slack human being but I’m not giving up on this story! Just have a bit of a busy life at the moment hahah here you go fambam please forgive me. I’m going to try and smash out several chapters in the next week before I go on holiday/school starts back up.

Series Masterlist ~ Masterlist

As Hades stepped into the home of her brother she slipped off her coat and threw it over the back of the couch in the first living room. 

“Where art thou my dear brother?” She called through the house and a sweet whistle sounded down the stairs and around her. She dressed and presented herself much more casual than when she met with Thor. She no longer adorned her business attire, dressed in black jeans and a loose t-shirt. Her boots hitting the marble as she climbed the stairs. 

Loki’s house is extravagant. The outside something like a greek temple with its decorated ionic columns and statues. The inside much the same in its sense of power. But Loki likes to be comfortable.  His home has a, well, homely feel to it. Art adorns every wall, in every corner but the blanket is thrown lazily over the couch, there’s a pile of books on the coffee table and as she walks down the hallway she can smell the sea salt as if they were right next to the ocean. She can hear the horses in his backyard through the open windows. Hades always enjoyed coming to Loki’s home because thats what it was. A home. It wasn’t a place of work, apart from his office, his children come and go as they please, there’s always dishes to be washed and laundry to be folded. She felt welcomed here.

“Since when do you work this late?” She leaned on the doorframe of his office as Loki looked up from his piles of paper, his long black hair disheveled from running his fingers through it.

“I’m a very hard worker excuse you,” he smiled and offered her the seat in front of his desk, reaching into a draw next to him and bringing out two glasses and a bottle of nectar in a beautifully adorned glass bottle. Hades’ eyes lingered on the bottle as she ached for him to just hand the thing to her so she could pour it down her throat. Lord she needed a drink after this week.

“And I’m beloved by all,” her voice was sarcastic and she drooled as he handed her the glass and raised his eyebrows.

“By me especially,” he winked. Loki, forever the cheeky bastard.

“My biggest supporter,” she smiled and they clinked their glasses. 

Loki looked back down at his work, his forehead crinkled and his lip pulled between his teeth, she had an inkling to rip out the paper from under him but knew better to disturb him while he thought. It could be important afterall. 

So instead her eyes wandered, they moved to the ceiling tall bookcase to his right, spotting some of her favourites amongst his collection. She stood and walked towards the giant fish tank he had to his left and peered in, watching the exotic fish minding their business.

“Why can’t people be more like you,” she muttered under her breath and the red and blue fish with a tail that looked like it belonged to a feather dancer stared blankly back at her.

“They don’t like being stared at,” Loki chimed from his desk, his attention still on his papers. She sighed and fell back into the seat.

“Perhaps if you joined me for dinner and a drink or two I wouldn’t. Why are you working, work is off limits on our nights.” She was getting agitated, her entire week had been filled with work, forgetting about the normal stuff, the addition of the council and that damn god of spring was starting to give her a headache. “I’m sick of work! I just want a night off, please Loki.” 

“Well I’m sick of you being treated poorly by assholes who think they’re better.” His voice was stern and she leaned back for a second in shock at it. Loki was not often passionate about things. Unless someone had spoken poorly against him or, in Odysseus’ case injured his son and was just a “lying good for nothing asshole!” Loki fought when it was his reputation on the line, but this, this was different, the last time Hades had seen Loki fight for someone other than himself was when he went by Poseidon and they fought side by side with Thor, then Zeus, against their father. Hades prayed a war would not come of this strife that was forming between the Olympians.

“Thor told me what you’re doing, why didn’t you come to me about this? I would have told y-“

“You would have told me to stop, that it’s for nothing but I’m sorry to say Hades, you’re wrong.”  

Steve had his nose buried in his notebook while his mother went on about her campaign to “keep that wicked witch of the Underworld from getting her death grip on the council.” He sketched out the cornucopia from the gates, the flowers that had adorned it. The pages were covered in those sketches, one of her crown, how it was burned into his memory but he didn’t dare draw her face. Currently his pencil shaded a hand, with a vine twisted around it, the thorns piercing its skin and Steve couldn’t help but feel the prickle of the thorns in his own hand.

“Steve!” He jumped at the sound of his mother’s voice. The book slammed shut and he slid into his pocket as she dropped a clipboard into his hands. “Go around the council’s homes, get their signature. Thor needs proof that we will not stand for her to sit with us. We must band together in a time like this. I have no doubt the olympians will agree.” He dropped the clipboard onto the table and shook his head. She paid no attention to him, instead continuing her work as she wrote notes for the debate. “Sing your name too, we can’t forget about ourselves.”

He picked up the clipboard and walked out the door making his way out of the house towards Bucky’s home first. 

Bucky’s house always confused Steve, the interior and furniture changed every couple millennia but the outside, the general idea of it was always the same and it was never extravagant. Most homes in Olympus didn’t change much, they just added things to keep up with the times. Bucky’s home was basically a shack. A cabin in the woods. A beach house with the lake view to match. Made of dark wood with a porch that stretched around the entire front of the house. Bucky’s home was one that matched its owner in its entirety. Bucky was a relaxed man, he took things as they came and he was never very serious. It was one of the reasons Steve enjoyed his company so much because when his mother was up his ass or his work was being exceptionally hard Bucky was there with a pat on the back and a drink in his hand inviting him to watch the sunset over the water. 

They were best friends, could always count on one another no matter what, Steve knew that Bucky had his back always, and so he knew now that no matter how much Bucky disapproved of the situation he would still back Steve. 

“You’re mother is going to kill you.” Bucky sat leaning on his knees on the couch, his beer long forgotten about on the coffee table as he held the clipboard in one hand shaking his head at Steve. 

“Pretty sure she always kind of wants to kill me.”

“Never. You’re her special little boy, her one perfect creation,” Bucky cocked a smile at his friend who rolled his eyes back. 

“Shut up,” Steve leaned back and sipped at his own beer, watching it spin in his hands. It was a solid plan, if he went to the right people it would work, he could go behind his mother and her campaign and plead Hades’ case. Maybe even talk to Loki, though he wasn’t sure if Loki would believe him. He wasn’t overly sure if anyone would believe him. 

“You already know I’m on your side Steve. I know Hades, I remember the last time she sat on the council. She’s smart, she has the knowledge and the authority, she deserves to be there, but the younger gods, the once who have forgotten what she did, the ones that have never worked with her. They don’t know. They eat out of Demeter’s hands with all her bullshit about satan and how we ‘don’t need the dead in the business of the living’,” Bucky mocked Demeter, he was never afraid to do that in front of Steve, at first he felt slightly weird about it, like his mother would know if he ever spoke a bad word about her but he soon realised the Bucky was safe, he could be himself and say what he wanted without consequences, well, with little consequences. 

Steve thought about what Bucky had said, he knew that Bucky would be on his side, Bucky had never not shown support for Hades herself, just, ya know, the stupid shit Steve did in Hades…

But something stayed with Steve. ‘the ones that have never worked with her’, had Bucky worked with Hades? When would Bucky have to work with her? Bucky worked with the sun, he worked with prophecies and medicine, none of which concerned the dead.

“Start with Becca, she and I are one of the same, Pallas-Nat, she’ll be on your side too, I know she’s already talked to Loki about it. That’s who you should go to after, to him, if he knows, if he has confirmation from Nat, I know they hate each other because of Athens and Odysseus but he trusts her word, he trusts that she’ll choose the winning side.” Bucky went on and on about who Steve should see, who he knew that would be on his side.

He listened intently, took note and made a plan of what he should say to each. To Becca, goddess of the hunt, the best way was to talk to her about Bucky, they always fought side by side. To Natasha, goddess of wisdom, it was going to be harder. But if Bucky was right then she already agreed with Steve, they just needed to join forces.  

Hades,

I don’t know when you’ll get this, I plan on giving it to Peter to pass on, I know I can trust him to get this to you safely. There’s five days before the council debates and I thought you would appreciate an update as to what is happening in Olympus.

I imagine you have your own ways, maybe spies, Loki has probably discussed matters with you also. He said he had told you he would fight whether you liked it or not, how you told him that he was stubborn. You said I was stubborn as well, I guess I am, but I can’t help fighting for what I believe in. I believe in you. I believe that you should have a say and so do many of the others, Loki, Becca, Natasha, and Jane all agree with me. I think we actually have a shot but Loki thinks it will take your appearance to convince Thor and the lesser gods and nymphs that will be present.

I hope to see you there, please. 

Yours,

Steve 

Hades and Sam sat side by side on the balcony that overlooked the gates. They watched as night engulfed them and there was an eery silence between the two. A fresh argument still sitting between them, two sides of the same fight. 

Hades’ mind was fighting with itself, her guard was being torn down brick by brick as Loki and Steve tried to convince her to stand before the twelve Olympians. But Sam wasn’t a fan of the idea.

“What if it’s a trap,” he argued, “we don’t know what Demeter has up her sleeve,” he said, “we don’t need them!” He raised his voice and she let him get it all out.

“Are you finished yet?” She brushed her hand over her dress and looked at him as Sam nodded. “You’re right.” 

Sam was shocked at what she said, he expected her to rationalise her reasons, he expected her to tell him to mind his own business, to tell him that she would stand up for the Underworld. But she didn’t.

“I’m what now?”

“You’re right Sam. Everything about this is stupid. The living and the dead shouldn’t be mixed, bad things happen, bad things like husbands wanting to resurrect their wives, like people thinking they can make deals in order to mess with what is natural. They don’t respect us or what we do here, you’re right, it could be a trap. Demeter will make it a living hell for myself and the rest of you here if she can. You’re right, we don’t need them, we run things differently here, our systems aren’t the same.”

“Then what…” Sam looked at Hades in awe, there was fire in her eyes and he knew that look, she was sick of being undermined, she was angry, she was determined and if he knew her as well as he thought he did he knew what that look meant. She had a plan. “Then why are you considering it?”

“Because they need us.”

Chapter Seven: Here Comes Trouble

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[apenapaperandadoofus]

Hi! Can i request the RFA + V and Saeran with mc who can’t cook like she can’t even turn on the stove but she tried to cook for them as a way to cheer them up?? How do you think they’ll react to it? Thanks, have a good day 😁

Sure! And honestly that’s the perfect way to describe me lmao I can’t cook shit (ALSO EVERYTHING GOT DELETED SO I HAD TO WRITE IT AGAIN GD TUMBLRRRR!)

RFA+V and Saeran with an MC who can’t cook:

Zen:

He was a bit depressed since he was having a hard time with his role

Rehearsal was beginning in a few days and Zen still couldn’t get a feel of the character

So he was pretty sad

And you decided to try to cheer him up!

By cooking!

You asked Jaehee about his favorite food

Lamb kebab!

You waited until Zen went out for his jog and started working!

You put on a cute aprond and started working!

Everything was going well

Lmao who are we kidding everything was a disaster

First of all, you made the rice way to soggy so that sucks

And then while you were trying to grill the rest of the food it got burnt

And it set off your fire alarm

Which made everyone in the apartment fire because they thought there was a freaking fire

They called the fireman and everything

Until you explained that it was just the smell of your burnt cooking and that everything was fine

After everyone else calmed down and went back to their apartments, you saw Zen running towards you and giving you a tight hug

He had seen the fire truck go all the way to your place and he panicked

But you mumbled that it was because you burnt some food and set off the fire alarm

He laughed because he found it so cute, but when he saw your pouty face he grabbed your hand and guided you towards your home

He did try eating your food but it was burnt so you decided to just go an eat some fish shaped bread!

“Babe~ Thanks for trying to cheer me up! I love you~”

Yoosung:

You guys always ordered fast food because the two of you didn’t know how to cook lmao

Recently you saw Yoosung was pretty stressed, since finals were coming up and he was studying like crazy

That may have been because you promised no kisses unless he got some good grades

So he was working hard! But you didn’t want him to over do it

You decided to cook his favorite food!

You woke up early, while Yoosung was still making up for his loss of sleep due to the all nighters he was pulling

You diced to make him some omurice!

You turned on the stove and started cooking

I mean it was going fine until you had to cut the chicken and the onions!

First of all, you were paranoid while cutting the chicken because you didn’t want to cut yourself

But then you finished! And so the crisis was adverted!

Then you proceeded to cut the onion!

But while you were cutting it you started crying a bit

And you didn’t see where you were cutting and accidentally cut your finger

Just at that moment Yoosung was yawning and saying a lazy mornin’ while making his way to the kitchen

But he stopped when he saw you

You were bleeding a bit and your face was filled with tears

He immediately panicked and started shouting asking you what had happened

You tried to explain but he would let you talk

So you cupped his face and made him look at you

“Yoosung, I’m fine! I was trying to cook for you but while I was cutting the onion I started crying and accidentally cut myself. But it doesn’t hurt!”

Yoosung was immediately relieved and when you told him you were cooking for him he was so moved

He will eat everything you made for him, and later he will even try to return the favor!

Jaehee:

She was a bit stressed with the cafe, since she was having a bit of trouble getting the hang of everything that she had to do

So you decided to make her some lunch for work the next day!

You left the cafe early and went home to make Jaehee a cute chicken bento box!

Whenever you cooked you did it with Jaehee since she was the expert, but right now you wanted to surprise her!

You were doing a good job! You peeled the apples to have the forms of bunnies, put the rice on one side and the chicken teriyaki on another side!

Then you wrapped it up so you could give it to her the next day!

When you gave it to Jaehee she was so happy! And she even diced to feed you a bit

But then you tasted it and you wanted to barf

You had put wayyyy too much soy sauce!!!

“Jaehee! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Jaehee only shook her head and smiled at you

“Y/N, whatever you make is delicious, and I will gladly eat it no matter what.”

Beautiful please marry this woman 🥺

Jumin:

He was pretty busy with work

And didn’t get to spend much time with you :(

So you decided to make a romantic dinner for him!

You told the chef to take a day off and started working before Jumin came home

Yea but it didn’t work

He had a really weird stove

How?

How does that work?

Someone help me please?

You spent sooooo long trying to get the damn stove to turn on

You even started crying a bit

Jumin came home and he saw you sitting on the couch, holding your knees, with your head hung low

Elizabeth was beside you, purring and trying to get your attention

“Love? Is everything alright?”

He quickly made his way over to you, and sat beside you, rubbing you back

“J-Jumin” you sobbed “I-I tried cooking for y-you but the-the freaking stove didn’t want t-to turn on! And-and I really w-wanted you to e-eat my food b-but the stupid stove didn’t want to work!”

Jumin was relieved, since he actually thought he’d done something wrong, but then he chuckled and hugged you

“Love thank you. I’m sure your food would’ve been delicious, but you don’t need to worry about me. Just sleeping in the same bed as you cheers me up every morning.”

He kissed your forehead and after you calmed down Jumin showed you how his stove worked, although he never really used it

And you both cooked together!

Saeyoung:

Saeyoung was having a gloomy day D:

He was isolating himself in his office, and nothing you or Saeran did could bring him out

So you decided to cook for him!

Saeyoung honestly liked everything, so you decided to make some ramen!

Saeran did ask if you needed some help, but you told him that you wanted to do it yourself!

And so you started cooking, putting on your favorite songs and dancing around

While you were placing the ingredients in the pot you were dancing to one of your favorite songs

And you accidentally knocked it over with your elbow

You screamed as the pot burnt a bit of hand and your feet

Saeyoung ran to the kitchen, Saeran following close behind

“Y/N! Are you alright?!”

You bit your lip and cried and explained that you had knocked the ramen pot while you were dancing

“What? Ramen pot? Why the hell were you making ramen?” He asked while he checked your foot and hand

“I-I saw you were feeling a bit down so I wanted to cook for you and try to...sniff...cheer you up!”

Saeyoung looked at you surprised and sighed

“Y/N...you didn’t have to do this for me...”

You told him that you really wanted to, and he hugged you and kissed where you had gotten brunt

Saeyoung carried you to the kitchen and with Saeran they cleaned up the kitchen and made some food for you!

That night Saeyoung will hold you tight and whisper so many thank-you’s

V:

V was feeling a bit down since he had a bit of art block

So to cheer him up you decided to cook some pain de campagne which was one of his favorite food!

You wanted to make the bread from scratch, so you were working hard!

Finally you put the bread in the oven and went over to the living room to talk to some of the RFA members

Well you forgot that the bread was there

Later when V went to the kitchen to drink some water he smelled something burning

And he discovered the bread!

“Umm, love? Y/N, can you come here for a second?”

You quickly made your way to the kitchen and gasped as you remembered

You had made bread for him!!!!

And you forgot to take them out of the oven!

You became red in the face and started apologizing while explaining to V that you wanted to try and cheer him up

He chuckled and held your hands

“Thank you Y/N...that was so sweet of you.”

He will definitely feel better!

And later you will both cook some bread together!

Saeran:

Even though Saeran had gotten out of mint eye, he still had his ups and downs

One day he wasn’t feeling good, so he stayed in bed all day

To cheer him up you decided to bake some cookies for him!

Saeran was always making things for you and you wanted to repay him!

So you started getting everything ready

While you were making the cookies the whole kitchen was a mess

I mean you accidentally opened the flour and made it go all over your face

And then you put a bit too much sugar

When you started mixing you may have gotten the whole place dirty lmao

Then you put them in the oven and waited paintently!

Whenever Saeran has nightmares you had stayed up with him at night

So you were a bit tired

Nd you didn’t notice that you started dozing off for a bit

Until you remembered the cookies! And you got them out of the oven

They were a bit burnt :(

Saeran had finally woken up and was going to cook some lunch

But he saw you there with the cookies and he smiled

“Princess? What are you doing?”

You explained that you had made some cookies for him and Saeran looked as if he was about to cry

I mean you were both literally about to cry, Saeran because he was so moved and you because you had burnt the cookies a bit

Saeran kissed you and gently cupped your cheek in one of his hands

“Thank you. No one has ever cooked for me like this and...thank you. I love you, Y/N”

Then he takes a bite of the cookie and you laugh at the funny face he just made

He will definitely eat the cookies since you made them for him!

But next time he’ll help you lol

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Camila Mendes//Twenty Minutes

Request: Camila menses x reader where she takes care of r after they break their arm and their leg in like the upper thigh

Okay, so I decided I’d do this as a headcanon because it fit better and I like headcannons. I hope you like it either way! 

- Okay, so Camila would be at work or hanging out with friends when her phone would ring

- Her face would light up when she’d see your face flash up on the screen 

- Like the literal definition of the heart eyes emoji

- The two of you had only been dating for a few months 

- So you were still in that ‘honeymoon’ stage 

- Anyway

- So she’s super excited to hear from you because she’s been missing you all day

- And so she excuses herself from whatever conversation is happening around her and answer the call all cheerily 

- ‘Hey baby! I missed you!’

- She was literally so happy to hear from you

- Basically, her most favourite person in the world

- But then you wouldn’t reply...

- A man would

- And to say she was confused, would be one hell of an understatement

- ‘Hello? Is this Miss Camila Mendes?’

- The voice would be all serious and time would stop 

- Everything bad that could have possibly happened, would be running through her head

- You’re dead

- You’re dying 

- You’re in a coma

- You’ve broken every single bone in your body

- And then she’d realize that she hadn’t replied to this man

- So she’d stutter out a small ‘yeah’

- And the man would tell her that you’d been involved in an accident and that you’d been brought into hospital

- And her heart would stop

- Now a whole new set of questions would run through her head.

- What type of accident?

- Were you dead?

- Could they tell you that over the phone?

- But she’d shake the thoughts from her head, mainly for her own sanity

- And tell the man she’d be right there before hanging up

- Rather abruptly 

- Which she would feel bad about before remembering that you could be dead

- So she grabs her stuff and basically runs out of wherever she was

- She’ll text an apology later.

- She just needs to know that you’re okay

- She makes it to the hospital in like twenty minutes

- Like, she was running red lights

- And what’s a parking space? 

- Who knows?

- Not her

- And then finally she gets to the hospital

- Twenty minutes too long after she got the phone call

- Her heart is literally in her throat

- Her hair is a mess because of how much she’s ran her fingers through it

- ‘I’m here for Y/n Y/l/n’

- Her voice would be shaky because well she’s been on the verge of tears for about half an hour

- But the man at the reception would give her a reassuring smile before directing her to your room

- She would recognize that it was the man from the phone and she’d remember to thank him this time 

- Before running off down the corridor

- And then she’d get there

- Her hand hovering over the handle... 

- Her breath caught in her throat

- She has no idea what she’s walking into

- What state you’re going to be in

- But she wants to see you

- She needs to see you

- She takes a deep breath and opens the door

- She’s expecting the worst 

- With wires and tubes coming out of you

- But there you are

- Lying on the bed with your arm and thigh in matching bright yellow casts

- And you’re high off your ass on pain meds

- ‘Hi babyyyyyy’

- Your voice is slurred and bubbly

- And she furrows her eyebrows because what the fuck?

- This isn’t what she was expecting 

- She thought you would be at deaths door 

- Not giggling at a wall and happy 

- ‘I thought you were dead’ She’d say as she approached your bed

- ‘Me? Nah. I’m invincible.’ You’d say casually and she’s just stare at you like

- ‘...’

- But she’d recover quickly because you’re not dead!

- And so she’s ask what happened and you’d turn to her, a soft smile on your face and say

- ‘Oh you knowww. I was just coming home and then a car hit me and then someone gave me an injection and now you’re here.’

- Her jaw would drop

- ‘You got hit by a car?!!’

- The man never said that.

- He could have prepared her

- She thought you’d just fallen or tripped or something

- But no

- A whole ass car had smashed into her baby

- And you genuinely could have died

- So she starts to get upset 

- And you’re so confused as to why she isn’t as happy as you are

- (because she isn’t on pain meds ya dumbass)

- But you’re like ‘oh no. my baby. whats wrong?’

- And you’d move along so she could sit beside you on the bed

- Well, first you’d welp in pain and she would be next to you in an instant

- ‘Are you okay?’

- ‘Do you need a doctor?’

- ‘Some water?’

- ‘What do you need?’

- You’d look at her with wide eyes and a pout

- And say in a small voice 

- ‘cuddles?’

- Which of course she would agree to

- Her arms would wrap around you gently and from then on she’d refuse to leave your side

- She would do literally everything for you

- Even at the hospital

- ‘You do know that the people that work here are paid to look after me. Like for some of them thats literally their job.’

- ‘Yeah, but I like looking after you sooooo?’

- And of course this doesn’t stop when you get home

- She would wheel you out of the hospital and help you into the car

- Then she would help you up to your apartment and onto the sofa

- She’s already sent one of your friends round to make sure your apartment was good enough for you coming home

- And to get your favourite movie and snacks ready 

- ‘I was gonna throw a party but I thought it might be too much’

- ‘Good call babe.’

- ‘I’ll just throw one when you’re better’

- ‘Of course’

- As soon as you were settled she would wrap her arms around you again

- And she would refuse to be the one being cuddled 

- Because she needed to hold you to remind herself that you were still here

- And that you hadn’t died

- And then she’d start to get upset thinking about it

- Because you had only been together for a few months but she was already smitten

- And so were you with her so it was okay

- She was the first person to sign your cast 

- ...both of them 

- And they both had stupid messages/jokes written on them 

- She basically moved into your apartment 

- ‘to look after you’

- But when you were better she just didn’t leave

- Which you of course didn’t mind

- You loved spending everyday with your favourite person

- So maybe getting hit by a car wasn’t so terrible 

- (I mean it was, but ya know. You’d take on 100 cars for her. But if you say that to her she calls you stupid)

- Anyway

- She didn’t let you do anything for yourself 

- You wanted food?

- She’s getting it

- Even if she has to go to the store at 2am

- And you’d tell her that you could just wait until morning to get it yourself

- Would she listen?

- No

- You want the TV channel changing?

- She’s already up getting the remote

- (even if its literally right next to you)

- You need to pee?

- She’s helping you stand up before you even have the chance to finish your sentence

- And she’s constantly finding ways to touch you and be close to you

- Like with the cuddles 

- But its not just cuddles 

- Kissing?

- Hell yes. All the time 

- ‘to fix your injuries’

- Hand holding?

- Constantly

- But she has to make sure she’s sat on the right side of you so she’s holding your ‘good’ hand

- But after that cast comes off, she’s making up for lost time (in more than one way)

- She made the mistake of holding the hand on your broken arm 

- And when you cried in pain because she knocked it

- She actually cried

- And don’t get me started when she accidentally knocked your thigh

- She refused to go anywhere near you for a good day and a half 

- Even going as far as putting a pillow wall in-between the two of you in bed so she couldn’t hurt you

- But when she fell asleep you took it down (obviously)

- Telling her when she woke up that it ‘must have fallen down’

- Basically she did everything for you

- And she made sure you were okay

- And in no pain

- And not mentally scared by ‘almost dying’

- Protective girlfriend mode 

- Because she loves you and she was so worried when she got that phone call

- So she’s going to do everything she can to stop anything like that happening to you again

- Which of course you don’t mind

- Because you love her too

[staystreetly]

Chris Evans Imagine #5 If I Can’t Have You

trigger warings: still a lot of angst, little signs of depression maybe ?

authors note: part one was requested sooooo many times, i just HAD to do another one. i guess i will do part 3 and just drop it. i hope you enjoy this one the same way you did with the first one. let me know if you like it xx

*read Part One now!

It had been almost a few days since you had given Chris the ultimatum regarding your relationship. When you gave it to him, you never thought he wouldn’t choose you.

“If I can’t have you, If I can’t have all of you. If you don’t end what’s supposed to be a fake relationship with her and give me, give us the relationship we deserve, then I can’t be with you. I won’t be with you,” you whispered. “So, right here, right now, it’s either her or me.”

“You’re right,” he whispered. “You haven’t deserved any of the shit I’ve done to you and put you through. You deserve better… you deserve someone better than me. I’ve been selfish and I’m sorry.”

“What are you saying, Chris?” You asked.

“You’re better off without me,” he whispered.

The second he uttered those words your heart broke, no it shattered. You had been right, he was choosing her.

“I think you should leave,” you sniffled.

“Y/N, let me explain,” he said.

“No! There’s nothing more to say! I told you to make a decision and that decision isn’t me, so you can just get the fuck out! I never want to see you again!” you shouted.

You threw a pillow from the couch at him as you got up. You went into your room, slamming the door and locking it. You were fuming. Your cheeks were soaked with a mix of hurt and angry tears. When you heard the front door close, you fell down to the floor in your room and stayed there for the rest of the night as sobs took over your body.

Chris grabbed another beer out of the fridge, popped the top off and chugged half of it before going over to the couch in his living room. His phone kept ringing with calls and social media notifications.

“Guess the news broke,” he mumbled to no one in particular.

He didn’t even have to look at his phone to know what it said.

“Chris Evans is back on the market! Calls it quits with longtime model girlfriend! Fans are in shock!”

Chris sat on his couch staring at the blank screen of his TV with the beer in his hand. He felt like crying, but he no longer had any energy or tears left in him. He had been crying since he left your house a few weeks ago. That night seemed like years ago, and yet it was still completely fresh in his memory.

The hurt and anger in your voice as you pleaded with him to end what wasn’t even a real relationship. The puffiness of your eyes from crying over him and his stupid actions. He hated himself for hurting you, for causing you pain, but what he hated the most was how he didn’t even see it, until that night.

How could he had been so fucking selfish? How could he even put on the appearance that he was with someone else for three years when he had you… You were everything to him. You were his rock, but he was too blind to see it.

He didn’t even know why agreed to have a PR relationship. He had told himself he was over that shit before it even happened, but then he ended up in one. It was probably because, in the beginning, it was only a few appearances and public dates, but then with his movies and his huge career moments, the appearances became more and more.

It just felt like a job, which in a way it was, so maybe that’s why he never really thought about it as a relationship or that it was a big deal.

But obviously it was, he only wished he realized that before he hurt you as badly as he did.

Somehow Chris had removed himself from the couch and made it the bed. He hadn’t slept in that bed in ages because he was usually in yours. He couldn’t bring himself to look anywhere but up at the ceiling because seeing your side of the bed empty made it even more real. He felt the cold breeze in his room as the air came on and flowed through the house. He missed the warmth of your body. He missed your lips pressed against yours, the way your body fit perfectly with his.

Everything. He missed everything.

The media and the fans were probably talking about him and how he’s probably mourning the loss of a relationship and staying MIA to deal with the breakup. They were right, but just not about who the break up was with.

This breakup was his fault in two ways. The first being because you had gotten to the point of walking away anyway, but the second was because even though he chose you in his heart, he knew you deserved better.

So, yes, he chose you over her. He would always choose you, but Chris didn’t want to be selfish anymore. He knew you deserved more than to just go on like nothing happened once he broke it off with the PR bullshit. He didn’t deserve to have your heart after what he had done to it.

He had tried to tell you that, but you wouldn’t listen to him. Of course, had roles been reversed, he probably wouldn’t have either.

Chris deserved to be miserable, to feel what you had felt almost the entire relationship. He deserved to watch you heal and move on to someone who treated you the way you should have always been treated.

He should have been that person. He had plenty of chances to be, but he never was.

Another day went by and Chris finally forced himself to take a shower. Once you start smelling yourself, you know it’s bad. He let the hot water run over him as he stood still in the shower. He kept replaying everything he did wrong with you.

He should have ended it the first time you begged him to stay. He should have ended it all those times he promised he would. Hell, he should have ended it the moment you two got together. He never should have agreed to carry on with it when he had you.

He had you to stand next to him, to hold his hand, to be there for him. There were so many times he wished you were there instead of her, but he knew because of the arrangement you couldn’t be. Not even to the side, not even as a friend because no one could risk a cheating scandal coming out.

But looking back now, if one had, at least he would have had you.

He told you he loved countless times, especially whenever he was about to leave you, but he should have shown you.

How could he keep saying he loved you when he treated you like someone who didn’t matter to him.

Maybe had shown the love he had for you, you never would have considered leaving him.

And he wouldn’t be alone crying in the shower.

Chris sat with im front of his desk as he wrote down a story onto the creme colored pages in his leather-bound journal. He had been up all night writing out his feelings as they were still bottled up inside of him. He came across pictures of you in his room and how happy you both looked.

That seemed like so long ago and really it was. The particular picture was taken on your first date in one of those photo booths. The Chris in the picture was nothing like the Chris staring at the picture. Writing whether it be a short story or just journaling, was like therapy for him.

He knew he couldn’t go on like this forever and he needed to let it out.

And that’s exactly what he was doing. Normally, when it came to super personal feelings, Chris needed time to really decide if he wanted the world to hear them, but right now, he needed them to, but more importantly, he needed you to hear it.

-

You hadn’t heard from Chris since he left your house. Since he chose her over you. You had taken the last few days to heal yourself and get yourself in the right state of mind. If he didn’t want you, then that was on him. You had already cried more than enough tears over him, so you told yourself you weren’t going to do any longer.

You willed yourself to get out of the house because there were too many memories. His favorite orange juice was still in the fridge. The smell of his cologne still lingered through the house. It was just too much for you.

However, weeks and months went by, and you went out, you started to move on. Until one day. You hadn’t expected to see what was the headline news on all the gossip magazines.

“Chris Evans is back on the market! Calls it quits with longtime model girlfriend! Fans are in shock!”

You stared at the front cover with wide eyes. He-He broke up with her? Well, you meant like the arrangement. But why, he left you. He chose not to be with you… you felt so confused.

“Fuck you Chris Evans,” you mumbled as you slammed the magazine back on the shelve.

Just when you thought you were getting stronger, he broke your heart all over again.

As soon as you got back to your place, your phone was going off with notifications out the limit. Your phone had never gone off like that. You didn’t have time for this, you didn’t care what it was, you just wanted to be left alone.

Until you saw that Chris Evans had tagged you something on Twitter. It was a video of a movie trailer.

“Going on without you is killing me every day. @ Y/N I love you, this one is for you.”

Your hands were shaking as you stared it. You had yet to click on the picture because you were terrified. What was this? What was he doing? Why did he make it public?

You bit your lip as you sat down on the floor in your living room. If you were going to watch this you didn’t need to be standing up. You turned up the volume on your phone and took a deep breath before clicking play.

[glitterylukess]

favorite yb & calm lyrics! ♡

I was tagged by @sunshinecal & @unofficiallylukes on the calm one so I combined them, thank u so much 🥺💝

youngblood

youngblood: so who you been calling, baby, nobody can take my place / when you're looking at those strangers, hope to God you see my face

Idk I feel like this lyric is so true but so painful at the same time

want you back: you know even though I know that you're gone / all I think about is where I went wrong

this one hits me hard bc I always wonder what I'm doing wrong when people decide to just... leave, you know. it hurts lol

lie to me: now I wish we'd never met, 'cause you're too hard to forget

it speaks for itself

valentine: Got nothing but love for you, fall more in love every day

Idk this one is cute

talk fast: burn, crash, romance / I'll take what I can get from you

I love love love this song

moving along: scared of moving on, but you're already gone

another one that hits me hard, this song is beautiful but sad at the same time lol

if walls could talk: some things are meant to be secret and not to be heard

no meaning, I just LOVE like's vocals in this part

better man: thought I'd found the highest of highs, you came and topped them all

this line sooooo sweet bye

more: and as we fall, time is frozen / I know we break, but we're not broken

my favorite song of the album. I relate to this so much

why won't you love me: you say you can't wait and need to make a change / You told me it's so hard to be lonely

also no meaning I just love this part so. much.

woke up in japan: time is up, the end is just a dream

the lyrics to this song are so good wtf

empty wallets: I always believed in second chances, I always believed in you

speaks for itself pt 2.

ghost of you: too young, too dumb, to know things like love

I took this song in so many ways and that's why I love it

monster among men: the stupid truth is I'm so bad for you

this whole song. that's it

meet you there: and if we're meant to, I'll meet you there

I loved this song since the beggining the lyrics are beautiful idk why most people don't like it lol

babylon: but still the hardest part is knowing when to let go

so beautiful and sad. calum's voice is everything

best friend: through heaven and high water

I wanted this tattooed last year but I changed my mind lol, everytime I hear this it makes me feel like I'm not alone 🥺

when you walk away: I'm so bad at letting go / how do you make it look so easy?

you already know

midnight: I take the chances that I'm given, 'cause I'm desperately all yours

beautiful lyrics and beautiful song. I love midnight sm

calm

red desert: won't you leave all your fears at the edge of the world?

no shame: go on, replace me, when you're cravin' somethin' sweeter than the words I left in your mouth

SO GOOD

old me: and they wondered how long I could keep it up / while I wondered if I'd ever, if I'd ever get enough

this whole song means so much to me

easier: the hardest part of all is that we're only built to fall

teeth: call me in the morning to apologize, every little lie gives me butterflies

wildflower: you know you are my favourite fantasy / a fatal love song

this song makes me so happy bye

best years: I promise, darling, you won't regret, the best years

this is so cheesy but this lyric reminds me of the years I've been in this fandom and how much they helped me 🥺

not in the same way: I know you think I'm bulletproof, but you know how to hurt me too

at this point you can tell I've been hurt so many times sorry

lover of mine: when I take a look at my life and all of my crimes, you're the only thing that I think I got right

another one that I use to remind myself of the reason I'm still here 🥺

thin white lies: I don't think I like me anymore, can someone tell me who I was before?

I couldn't relate to this more than I already do

lonely heart: down on my knees, I'll always follow / I promise you until the end of time

the lyrics are beautiful and luke's vocals in this part are amazing

high: I know I'll never meet your expectations, but the picture that you paint of me looks better in your mind

this songs hurts me so much it is so sad

kill my time: In a city full of lonely people I just want you all to myself

love this one <3

OK SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG and this post is so fucking long too I'm sorry. nobody wanted to read my opinions probably LMAO

I hope you find this interesting. I tag @ashtonsunshine @aliencal @sunshinelukee @hemmoangel @wntyoubck @gigglyirwin (you can avoid this if u want) I'd love to read your favorite lyrics 💖

[recurring-polynya]

a little in love now and then, part 7/? | ao3 | ff.net |

Summary: Abarai Renji doesn’t have a fortune, but he does appear to be in want of a wife, at least in Lady Kuchiki’s opinion. Fortunately, Lady Kuchiki also  has a sister, and a woefully eligible one, at that. (itty bitty Hisana Lived! AU)

Rating: T, for minor cussing

This time: The Truth Emerges:   Rukia and Hisana come to an understanding. A few understandings.

Older parts: | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 |

Rukia studied her own face in the mirror as her maid carefully unpinned her hair. She wondered if she was pretty. People told her she was sometimes. Being pretty wasn’t something she usually cared much about. She had two ice-based sword attacks, a third-rank kidou master certification, and was cleared to use shunpo in combat. She was the Fourth Seat of Squad Thirteen, and ever since she came back to duty, her captain had been making vague little hints about the vice-captain’s examination, something he didn’t do toward Kotetsu or Kotsubaki (both of whom she could beat at arm wrestling).

Anyone who wanted to marry her, she had long assumed, was in it for the surname, first and foremost. And who could blame them?

She was pretty sure Renji wasn’t in it for the surname. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“You have to go, Rukia, they’re your family.”

Rukia chewed the inside of her cheek. She’d grawed over that one for years, like a dog worrying a bone. Why couldn’t he have appealed to her sense of greed? Told her how great the noble life would be, all rich silks and richer food? She could have gone off with a cheeky wink and a mercenary grin. Maybe she could have convinced her family to still let her see him, toss a few favors to someone who had done so much for her in the past. Or maybe she would have just refused altogether, stayed at the Academy, virtuously giving up the fancy life to live according to her own principles. To stay with the only person left of the little family she’d made for herself.

Instead, he had pushed her away, as though the blood that she shared with Hisana had anything on the blood they had spilled for each other, time and again. She loved Hisana now of course, and Touma, and maybe Byakuya, a little, but that was a thing she had decided. A choice she had made-- to give her love to the people who wanted her, instead of the person who didn’t.

But… but maybe she had it all wrong. Maybe Renji had wanted to be the altruistic one, hadn’t wanted to stand in the way of her happiness. Maybe he had just said the first stupid thing that popped into his thick skull. Why had she spent so many years trying to assign meaning to the words of a knuckleheaded boy who used to get stuck trying to jump out of the window of the zanjutsu dojo in his eagerness to catch her attention? More than once, even.

She wondered if he thought she was pretty, either now or back then.

There was a light rap on the door.

Mikan nudged her. “Miss Rukia?”

“Ah, come in?” Rukia called, and Hisana’s face poked into the room. “Oh, hello, Sister.”

“Go have a cup of tea, will you, Mikan?” Hisana dismissed Rukia’s maid. “I want to dote on my sister for a bit.”

“Yes, Lady,” Mikan nodded, setting the last kanzashi on Rukia’s dressing table, and getting up to leave.

“Sooooo,” Hisana drew out, picking up a hairbrush and settling herself behind Rukia. “His manners could use a little work, eh?”

Rukia raised an eyebrow at her sister in the mirror. “Save it for Byakuya. I’m wise to your tricks.”

Hisana grinned mischievously. “So is Byakuya, he just enjoys indulging me.”

“If you believe that, I think he’s finally managed to pull one over on you.”

“Perhaps,” Hisana teased. “But I didn’t come here to talk about Byakuya.”

Rukia set her jaw. Feigning indifference would only play directly into Hisana’s hands. No, directness was her only hope. “He’s not terrible,” she announced. “Abarai, I mean. We both know how terrible Byakuya is.”

Hisana waved a hand dismissively. “Yes, that goes without saying. “Not terrible”? Goodness, I feel like I should order my sister-of-the-bride kimono!”

“Here is my offer,” Rukia plowed on, ignoring this tomfoolery. “I am willing to give Lieutenant Abarai a chance. But in exchange, I need some space. I barely know the man.” She tried to meet her sister’s eyes in the mirror, but Hisana was concentrating on untangling a knot that may or may not have actually existed. “Can you do that? Can you stop throwing lordlings and fancy boys at me for five minutes so I can actually consider one of them?”

Hisana hummed softly. “That seems very reasonable…” she said lightly, and Rukia prepared for the other shoe to drop. “As long as you actually give him a chance, and don’t just use this as a ploy to get me off your back.” Hisana looked up. “You’re very charming, Rukia, when you want to be, and Lieutenant Abarai seems like the sort of upright young gentleman you would rope into helping you pull a grift on your loving sister.”

“Hisana!” Rukia squawked. “He is neither upright, nor a gentleman, and also, I would never pull a grift on you!”

Hisana’s eyes were steely in the mirror. “That’s a rather harsh thing to say about someone you just met. And we both know there’s nothing shameful about an honest, well-executed grift.”

Rukia sighed. Well, she had been looking for an opportunity. It wasn’t a good one, but at least it was an opportunity. “Er, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

Hisana cocked an eyebrow. “Has there?”

Rukia picked up one of her kanzashi, adorned with a green and white water lily. She fiddled with it, running her thumb over the smooth enamel. “It wasn’t lying. I don’t know Lieutenant Abarai very well. But, er… this isn’t… exactly… the first time we’ve met.”

“He was involved in your rescue, no? And something about jail?”

Rukia pressed the pads of her finger over the sharp points of the hairpin. “Ye-esss. That’s all true. But also…” She took a deep breath and then forced the words up from her heart and out her mouth at a speed that would have impressed her brother-in-law. “Renji’s from Inuzuri. I knew him there. We came to the Seireitei together, enrolled at the Academy together. I haven’t spoken to him in years. He’s not a stranger, but he might as well be.” There. It was out.

Hisana leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “So, in Inuzuri, would you classify him as just someone you knew, or a friend? Or maybe a… rival?”

Rukia squeezed her eyes shut guiltily. “I may have pulled a grift or two with him!”

Hisana gasped. “Rukia! How could you?”

“I’m sorry, Sister!” Rukia wailed.

“How?” Hisana wailed in return, with the vibrato of a professional actress. “How could my own sister underestimate me like this?” Her face resolved into a deadpan. “Really, Rukia. They do a little profile in the Bulletin whenever someone new makes Captain or Vice-Captain. It listed Renji’s home district-- as if I couldn’t tell he was from the deep South after thirty seconds of talking to him--cripes, that accent is nostalgic. I also happened to notice that he graduated from school the same year you would have. There’s no way you wouldn’t have known him-- you would have met at the Consolidated Shinigami Recruitment Station, if nothing else.”

Rukia hunched with shame.

“I suspected there was something more to it, though-- why else would a young man like that want to work for your brother?”

“The position was open?” Rukia offered hopefully.

“The vice-captaincy of the Thirteenth has been open for years! He didn’t even apply-- presumably he didn’t want to be your commanding officer--”

“I wish you wouldn’t gossip about me with my captain,” Rukia groaned.

“I wasn’t,” Hisana excused. “We were gossiping about Renji. No, Byakuya came home, very pleased about this absolutely excessive job application he had received, the first day the position was open. Mark my words, Renji was waiting for Shirogane to retire. I bet he even hangs out at that awful sunglasses shop.”

“I don’t know why he does anything,” Rukia excused. “I haven’t talked to him in years. Maybe he has a crush on Brother.”

“Byakuya wasn’t the one he couldn’t keep his eyes off at dinner,” Hisana returned pointedly. “That kimono was a good call, no?”

Rukia wanted to shoot off another sharp-tongued retort, but she came up empty. Had Renji really been looking at her during dinner? She had been too grumpy to pay attention. It was highly likely Hisana was imagining things, or at best, exaggerating, but her stomach fluttered at the thought, anyway.

“Childhood friends, I supposed,” Hisana was grumbling. “Academy sweethearts, possibly. But your old grifting partner! I don’t believe this. I don’t believe you.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Rukia excused, knowing full well it had been exactly like that. “He’s the only other person I ever met down there with any decent spiritual pressure. And he’s painfully honest, he wasn’t even a very good con man.” Somehow this lie seemed more disloyal than anything else she had said about Renji. People were always trusting his stupid, honest face. He was creative and charismatic and had an excellent sense of people. He had never once let her down on a job. The only thing that made him a bad con artist was how much he hated doing it.

Hisana’s face had gone still and serious. “You left him. When Byakuya adopted you.”

“We were already drifting apart,” Rukia sniffed. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t enough to cover the larger truth they were both thinking. Of course she had left him. That’s what we do, isn’t it, Sister?

Hisana was brushing Rukia’s hair a bit too roughly, and Rukia let her. She clenched the hairpin in her fist, letting it bite into her palm.

“You’re very lucky,” Hisana finally said, her voice rough. “To get a second chance. Don’t… don’t make too many assumptions about his feelings. People… can be more forgiving than you expect.”

Rukia didn’t loosen her grip on the hairpin. She wanted to absolve her sister, to tell her she had done nothing wrong. But she couldn’t do that without absolving herself in the bargain, and that wasn't something she had any right to do. She didn’t particularly want Renji’s absolution, either, but maybe that’s what it would take to finally prove to Hisana that she really and truly forgave her. “Fine!” she announced, trying to pull the conversation out of this treacherous territory. “What proof do you want that I am honestly and truly entertaining that overgrown doofus as a romantic prospect? Wear his hair ribbon tied around my arm? Buy matching sunglasses? Smooch him in public? I assure you, Byakuya will hate all of those options.”

Hisana straightened, pulling herself back together as well. “Well, you have to stop calling him a doofus, for one.”

“That, I refuse to do.”

Hisana reached around Rukia to place the hairbrush back on the table, and smoothed her hair one last time with her hand. “Maybe you could just tell me how it’s going once in a while. I hear that’s a thing sisters do sometimes.”

Rukia swallowed. “I can do that.”

Hisana smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She leaned forward, and kissed the back of Rukia’s head quickly before rising. “And don’t you worry about Byakuya. I have him under control.”

“Do you, though?” Rukia asked.

Hisana frowned thoughtfully. “Yes. Whatever you decide about Renji, I’ll bring him around.” She frowned. “But, uh, I’ve been playing a little fast and loose with details, so do me a favor, and try to talk to Byakuya about this as little as possible.”

“That,” said Rukia, “is something I can definitely agree to.”