#i can't go back to sitting in a room with people i hate for eight hours not even able to go on my phone i can't

[kenzie-ann27]

nothing gives me that kendall roy in secession kenergy quite like standing up to my mom via text then putting my phone on do not disturb because I fear confrontation

[bri-sonat]

Bloodied Waters

Pairing: Brienne of Tarth x Reader

Warnings: mentions of blood and slight violence, a tiny bit of angst, fluff, non-sexual nudity and intimacy. Slight canon deviation.

Synopsis: When Brienne returns covered in traces of battle, you give her comfort and safety - and a nice bath.

A/N: This has been sitting finished since July but I haven't wanted to post it for many reasons. For some reason I don't hate this fic anymore so I am taking the opportunity now so I can't revert back to my original state, lol. As per usual, English isn't my first language and all that.

Thank you to @daydream-cement for being the most supportive and encouraging friend I could ask for, and for reading this and giving me your opinion months ago.

Two months.

It had been two months since you had seen her last. Since she rode off to fight Gods knows what battle. In this time of uncertainty, you couldn’t be sure where she was sent off to anymore.

The imminent threat of the Night King and his army breaching The Wall weighed heavily on the land and it resulted in Brienne being away more than usual – but she had never been away this long.

You couldn’t be blamed when you began to wonder if she was still alive after the six-week mark and she hadn’t returned or been heard from. No one had from the company she had departed with. And when it hit eight weeks, your worries didn't get any better. 

So, they were all either dead or still fighting for their lives. Those were the only reasons your stress-ridden brain could come up with.

If she had been removed from this mortal realm, she would have died alone. Alone somewhere. Probably in immense pain.

Even if it hurt you to even entertain the thought, you hoped her possible death had been fast. That way, she didn’t have to suffer.

Your heartbreaking thoughts were cut short by the sound of a horn, signaling that the group had returned and to open the gate. From your window, you could see a band of people on horses, three of them unmanned, which made you feel uneasy.

It was usually easy to spot Brienne in a crowd of people, but her straw-blonde hair was nowhere to be seen. The pit in your stomach that had been growing over the past weeks seemed to drop when you couldn’t find her.

Maybe the chance of her losing in battle was more probable than you had been willing to accept.

But until someone explicitly told you that she had perished in battle, you would have hope for her survival.

You witnessed as the gate was opened and the warriors rode in - the people and horses disappearing from view before the gate was once again closed.

Staring out the window and waiting for a knock on your door was only going to drive you mad, so you decided to pass the time in some other way.

Scurrying about your room, you tried finding something to do but restlessness got the better of you, and you soon found yourself waiting for that knock on the door that could either be the face of your love, or the worst possible news.

After fifteen minutes of silence, you started to land in the fact that she may not have returned, and the person who knew about your relationship was slowly making their way to your room to deliver the bad news.

You couldn’t take the agonizing pain so you left your room to venture for some hot water – hoping a nice hot bath might allow your tense body to relax. If even in the smallest bit.

When you returned to your room, hot water acquired, you were surprised to discover that there was no one waiting outside your door, nor had you met someone on your walk to or from. It was strangely silent.

The bath basin sitting in the adjacent room to yours looked more and more inviting by the second and you sprang into action before the water in your hands turned cold.

Pouring the large water cans with hot water into the vessel, you pondered how it would be to bathe with Brienne. How it would be to have such calm intimacy with the person you loved more than anything in this world.

The thought made you the tiniest bit sad and even if you wanted to keep the image in your head for as long as you could, you knew it was better to think about something else for now until you knew that the fantasy was a possibility.

You filled the rest up with the cold water from the large bucket next to the basin so it would even out to a nice lukewarm temperature.

Just as you were about to take your clothes off, a knock on the door disrupted your actions and you nearly ran to the door to open it – desperate for any piece of information regarding Brienne.

When you opened the door, you were met by a face you knew all too well, only this time, it was covered in dried blood, grime, and dirt. “Brienne, oh, Gods.”

You reacted quickly by ushering her inside your room and closing the door after her. She didn’t say a single word and her eyes were empty – apathetic and void of any emotion.

You didn’t know if the blood was hers or not but there was only one way to find out.

Carefully, you sat her down on your bed and undid her sword belt and fur cape before you began removing each piece of her dark armor, sneaking eventual glances at her emotionless face, your heart breaking each time she did not even make a move to look at you. She just stared dead ahead.

Never had you seen her like this before.

When all her armor was discarded, you were hit with the stench of iron, sweat, and mud – the smell of what you assumed to be battle. You moved your attention to her gambeson and gloves, working fast to get everything off to assess her condition – if she had been injured or not.

You remained quiet throughout your entire undressing of your girlfriend, if Brienne wanted to talk – she would. You assumed she needed some silence to process everything and just enjoy being back in a safe location.

The moment her gambeson and the rest of her clothing had been removed - you took hold of her dirty hands to guide her up to a standing position. You raked your eyes over her body and found nothing except for more blood, most likely having run down her neck and invaded the skin protected by the armor.

“The blood is not mine,” Brienne croaked out. The sudden noise made you jolt, your eyes snapping up to meet her desolate ones.

“Right...,” you responded, her statement confirming that she was not wounded in a way that would warrant blood. With your worries settled, you guided her to the other room. You had poured the bath for yourself, but she needed it more.

Slowly, she stepped in, her hand in a steadfast grip in yours as she descended into a sitting position until her entire body was underneath the surface – releasing a sigh once the water enveloped her.

You let go of her hand and grabbed a bar of soap sitting on the table next to the basin and she let the hand you had previously been holding fall under the water as well.

Brienne sat in the basin, staring into nothingness – her breathing slow. You rolled up your sleeves, kneeled next to the tub, and submerged the bar in the warm water before you began gently cleaning her skin from the stench and the mud and blood that tainted her soft skin.

Starting with her face and neck, you used your hands to gently apply the soap and you observed the suds turning a brownish red as it mixed with the blood and dirt on her skin.

As your eyes scanned her face, you noticed that her disheveled blonde hair had also been soiled by blood spatter and dried mud. 

“Close your eyes.” It was a gentle command, and Brienne complied – closing her eyes without question.

Using a cloth, you dunked it in the water and allowed it to soak before wringing it out – bringing it to Brienne’s face to wipe away the lather. You dipped it in the water again to rinse it, but you caught a glimpse of it before you did – the color of the froth alien on the white fabric.

With her face now clean, you moved on to her hair. 

Normally you’d utilize your own mixed hair wash for this, but you didn't wish to leave Brienne in her current state to go and collect it. Soap would have to do.

Your movements were slow and calculated as you pressed gently on the bottom of her chin, signaling for her to lean her head back. Brienne complied and tilted her head back and you maneuvered yourself so you could have the perfect view needed to wash her dirtied hair.

Utilizing one of the jugs you had carried the water with, you dipped it in the water to fill it up and used it to wet Brienne’s straw blonde hair, going over it once or twice before you were confident that all the strands were permeated.

You grabbed the bar of soap once again and dragged it against the palm of your hand – getting a decent amount on it before placing the bar to the side and rubbing your hands together. Tenderly, you started massaging the soaping into her blonde curls and scalp, making sure that all the dirt and blood loosened from her locks.

Brienne hummed as your hands mildly rubbed her head – adoring the alleviating feeling it gave her. The feeling of comfort and security. Her eyes were still closed, and she could feel the corners of her lips twitch the tiniest bit as you pressed a kiss to her forehead before moving to fill the jug with water to rinse the soap out of her hair.

You worked softly and slowly when you combed your fingers through her locks – pouring the water over her hair as you did, making sure that all the lather was washed away.

With her hair, face, and neck clean – it was time to wash the rest of her body.

You moved away from the head of the basin and switched to sit at the side of it again, kneeling next to it. You grabbed the bar of soap and immersed your hand into the water that was starting to turn red at this point and started to cautiously drag the bar across Brienne’s chest – removing all the dried blood and dirt.

Whilst one of your hands was in the water, the other one rested on the rim of the basin, right next to Brienne’s ear, and before you knew it, you felt her leaning her head against it. A small smile started playing on your lips at the intimate position you had found yourselves in.

You had never experienced this type of closeness with your knight before – it was incredibly heart-warming and you wouldn’t complain if you found yourself in this position again; without the blood and dirt, of course. 

Brienne’s head rested against the back of your hand at the same time as yours worked on washing her arms, hands, chest, stomach – anywhere you had seen dried signs of battle.

You enjoyed every single second of the casual intimacy. The fact that there were still new ways to be so deeply close even after so many months made you incredibly giddy inside even when the situation you discovered it in was somber.

Like it had the entire time, the only thing filling the silence in the room was the splashing of the water as it hit the sides with your hand continuing to move as it scrubbed Brienne’s skin. It remained like that for a very long time until the blonde woman opened her mouth to speak for the second time since she had come home. Your hand that was scrubbing her sides halted briefly before continuing - her voice surprising you. “Thank you.”

“For what?” You couldn’t help but inquire as to why she was thanking you. What you were doing right now only seemed like the most obvious choice. You took care of each other in any way the other person needed, and you were more than happy to offer her this small service.

She was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again – her voice low, almost like a whisper. “For this... and for giving me a reason to keep fighting. It... It didn’t look very promising for a few moments, and I was... I was harboring the idea that I would never return to you again.”

You leaned forward to press a kiss to Brienne’s forehead as you continued scrubbing her skin beneath the surface of the water. “This is the least I can do for you... you take care of and for me every day. I wanted to return the favor. Thank you for coming back to me. And you’re welcome. I’m glad to provide you with a reason to keep fighting if it’ll bring you back to me each time.”

Brienne hummed and whined slightly when you removed your lips from her skin. To have someone care for her in the way you did made her feel so gleeful and she was so grateful for you and all you did for her. “Still... Thank you.”

“Anything for my knight.” You smiled as you washed her and finished your response – already knowing the next words coming out of her mouth.

The blonde woman chuckled slightly and silently, having had this exact interaction with you many times before. By now, she knew you did it as a way of making her smile and it worked; every single time. “I’m not a knight.”

“To me you are. You’re my knight.” You saw the smile that crept up on Brienne’s lips at hearing your words, even if she had heard them many times before at this point. “Besides, if you were a man, we both know you’d be a knight by now. You have the traits of a knight, so in my eyes, you are a knight. Even if you don’t have the title.”

Brienne adjusted her head to press a kiss to the back of your hand before returning to rest her cheek on it again. “You’re too nice to me. Thank you.”

“I only treat you in the way you deserve to be treated. Not my fault you’re such an incredible person.” You said this in a way that made Brienne smile and blush – something that you did with ease many times over the two years you had known the adorable knight. It only got worse once you began your relationship because it made you able to be more frank with your compliments.

The blonde didn’t offer a response to your words – silence filling the room once again. The way Brienne spoke about the battle, it seemed to have gone bad, so much so that she thought she wouldn’t make it. You knew she would talk to you about it if she needed to and you had no reason to ask but a part of you wondered what happened that caused her to see no hope.

The rest of the bath went by in tranquility, the occasional kiss on Brienne’s forehead and the planting of lips on your hand mixed with the comforting sounds of water making the second part of the experience a very pleasant one.

After helping Brienne out of the now red-stained water and planting her before the burning fire in the other room to dry with a fur wrapped around her, you told her to stay put before running as fast as you could to her room to collect her comb, and dry and clean clothes for her.

You didn't wish to leave her but the clothes she arrived in were bloody and dirty, and you knew Brienne would appreciate the gesture. 

When you returned, she sat with her legs drawn up to her chest with her arms wound around them on the fur you had put on her.

You slowly approached her and sat down next to her – her folded clothes placed on your bed, the comb resting on the pile. “Hi.”

Her skin was dry now. Her hair was still a bit damp but you knew it wouldn’t be long until it was fully dried as well.

Brienne sighed and leaned her head against your shoulder. She stared into the crackling fire – the flames dancing in her beautiful blue eyes. “...Hi.”

“How are you feeling?” You wrapped an arm around her naked form and pulled her close to you. You had missed her so much and you were not ready to let go anytime soon except to get undressed to join her in bed.

“Better now... A little tired.” Brienne hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks, and she was exhausted at this point. The adrenaline had finally worn off completely and she felt the fatigue creep up on her like she had expected it to once she was back in your safe company.

“It’s getting late... Do you want to go to sleep? I will deal with the water tomorrow.” The sun had started setting as you were washing Brienne and it had been well below the horizon for a while now. You pressed a kiss to the top of the knight’s head and awaited her answer.

“Yes, please.” Brienne sat snuggly in front of the warm hearth, but she knew that it was much nicer to be in your embrace. It was warm, cozy, and oh-so-comfortable.

“Okay... Let’s get you covered and tucked in.” You stood up and began removing the things scattered about the bed. Brienne’s discarded armor, her dirty clothes, her cape, and her sword were swept off the mattress and placed on a round table close to the hearth. Her clean clothes and comb remained on the bed, and you squatted down next to her to lay a hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to get dressed?”

Brienne leaned her head against your hand and closed her eyes. “No. I want to feel you pressed against me entirely. I don’t want clothing to restrict me from sensing all of you.”

You almost melted from her sweet words. You rubbed your thumb against her skin, the pad of it grazing against the tip of one of her scars. “Alright, my sweet Brienne.”

The knight lifted her head from your hand and you slid it down her arm – leaving it to rest on her bicep. You gently rubbed it up and down as she opened her eyes and stood up.

You swiftly removed the pile that was on the bed and placed them on the table as well. You would have to comb her hair tomorrow instead. 

With the bed empty, Brienne could pull off the furs and crawl in under them – covering her bare body and providing her with warmth and comfort for the first time in weeks.

She laid on her back as she watched you undress, folding your clothes and placing them on top of your trunk.

You finally crawled into bed and cuddled up next to Brienne, her skin incredibly soft. She hummed as you slung one arm and leg over her torso, bare skin against bare skin, and rested a hand on your thigh.

Her other arm went around your shoulders and pulled you closer – your head resting on her chest.

Her rhythmic heartbeat was a consistent reminder that she was indeed alive and still with you. After two months of being apart, the whole situation felt imaginary, but her steady heartbeat let you know that it was real – that she was indeed with you. “I can hear your heartbeat.”

Brienne’s hand on your thigh rested securely and her thumb drew soft lines across your skin. She smiled at your words as she kept her eyes closed to invite slumber. “It’s beating because and for you.”

Her words caused you to pull yourself even closer to her, which was impossible to do at this point. A smile and a blush crept up on your face, she always said the most adorable things and you had no idea what you did to deserve her love, but you were so thankful for her. “You’re sweet. I love you so much.”

Brienne chuckled quietly and you could tell she was close to falling asleep by her voice. “You bring out that side in me... what can I say? I love you, too. Thank you for being here when I returned.”

“I will always be here when you return,” you whispered. You were starting to feel the weeks of worried sleep catch up to you by now and you were more than ready to finally fall asleep in her embrace once again.

The only response Brienne gave was a hum and it fell silent after that.

You heard the knight’s breathing even out after a few minutes, and it signaled that she had fallen into a slumber that you hoped was a deep and restful one. You could only imagine the conditions she has been having to sleep in, and you couldn’t see them being comfortable.

You listened to her breathing and heartbeat for a few more seconds before sleep claimed you as well. Now back with a safe Brienne, you knew that you’d sleep incredibly well. You always did with her.

When you awoke the next morning, Brienne would kiss you all over to make up for two months of being away from one another. But that was up to you in the future to find out. Until then, you were more than happy to finally be with her again, and you remained clinging to your knight all night long.

------

taglist: @na-shoba, @pastanest, @the-fuck-do-i-know, @christies-fleur, @idontlikepexple, @lord6-6fandom, @sapphicmitski (can't tag you for some reason)

[afewproblems]

Prompt 53. "I'm flirting with you!" Part Two

A follow up to This Post

@happymediummm I promise the answer to your ask will be up soon in part three!!

Eddie stews in his room for three days following the incident at Steve's house. 

Wayne attempts to coax him out with food and coffee, even opening up the pack of bacon they'd been saving in the freezer, anything to try and get Eddie to talk to him. 

"I'm just worried s'all," he says softly from Eddie's doorway on the third day, his expression pinched in that way Eddie hates, "you should go out, do something, come on".

Wayne claps his hands together and disappears for a moment only to return with a tape case from the living room.

"Wayne, no--"

"It's overdue Eds, just bring it back for me would ya?"

Eddie groans into his hands at the triumphant expression on his uncle's face as he gets up from his bed and tugs on his leather jacket. 

"Since your friends work there," Wayne says brightly, gesturing with the tape as he hands it over to Eddie, "you should see if they waive the late fee for us". 

"I agreed to take it back, not talk to people," Eddie grumbles under his breath as Wayne shakes his head and gives his shoulder a squeeze.

"At least you won't be growing mold anymore, sitting there in the dark," Wayne says with a wink, ignoring the indignant scoff Eddie makes.

"Store closes in a half hour kid, you better hurry!"

Shit.

Eddie grumbless petulantly as he hurries out the door, ignoring the way Wayne compares his groans to a haunted house door.

He doesn't smile at the jib, and it doesn't make him laugh for the first time in days as he gets into the van, it doesn't!

The parking lot of Family Video is empty, but what did he really expect on a Wednesday at half past eight in the evening. 

The Open sign is still on at least but the low lights in the building and the bright copper glare of the sunset make it so much more difficult to see who is working tonight. 

He could just toss the tape into the return slot and wait out the late fees, he's sure another video store will eventually open up in Hawkins, they can take their business there.

Eddie sighs heavily as he shuts off the van and yanks out the key, "dammit Wayne," he mutters under his breath as he gets out and makes his way to the door. 

Eddie winces at the sharp jingle of the bell above the door and looks around, his head on a swivel, looking for any sign of Steve and his big, stupid, hair.

Robin waves from the counter as Eddie spots her, she's grinning at him with a sly look on her face as she leans against the counter, the multiple buttons and pins on her vest clink against the glass surface.

"There he is," Robin crows, drumming the counter, "I was beginning to think Steve had kidnapped you or something, were you allowed out for good behavior?"

She seems to realize what she had just implied and winces, shaking her head as Eddie snorts mirthlessly. 

"Uh, no, I just came to return this for my uncle," Eddie mumbles, keeping his eyes level with the counter rather than Robin's eyes. 

She frowns at him, taking the tape he slides across the counter and scanning it without dropping her gaze. 

"What's with you?" She says suspiciously. 

Robin drums her fingers lightly against the counter, as the large computer beeps acknowledging the return.

"Nothing, tired," Eddie shrugs, he's not about to tell Robin about what happened, though it is weird that she doesn't already know? 

Maybe she wasn't in on it, he can't imagine that Buckley would approve of a prank like that on another 'friend of Dorothy' but she was Steve's best friend first and foremost.

A song comes on over the small Family Video speakers, humming in the background. 

'All I wanna do when I wake up in the morning is see your eyes

Rosanna, Rosanna…'

Robin wrinkles her nose, her eyes traveling towards one of the large speakers in the corner before looking back to Eddie, a large grin in place.

"God this sappy shit, I told Steve not to put this one on the tape, you must hate Toto".

Eddie shrugs again, glaring at the floor, wishing he could burn a hole into it that he could escape through. 

"He did play it…didn't he?" Robin asks quietly, a small trace of anxiety in her voice as she leans away from the counter.

Eddie stops himself from rolling his eyes; if he was being honest, the tape was a nice touch --really sold the whole prank, honestly.

He looks back up to find Robin staring at him, and sighs heavily, thrusting his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," he huffs, taking a step back towards the front door, Robin's eyes follow his path in confusion, "I wasn't much of a fan of the choices".

"But it's fine right," Eddie scoffs, "he can use his little tape on someone his shit will actually work on next time".

"What?" Robin says incredulously, her face scrunches into a frown as Eddie laughs.

"You know Buckley, I'm surprised you were on board with this?" 

"Eddie, what the fuck are you talking about?" Robin hisses, shrill and loud, as she finally walks around the counter towards him.

"Oh don't give me that, he's your best friend, you're going to tell me he didn't tell you about his plan?" Eddie shakes his head as a high pitched laugh bubbles up out of his chest.

"I don't know what plan you're talking about Eddie," she says in a low voice, her eyes wide and angry, "the only thing Steve was going to do that night was tell you how he felt about you". 

"Yeah right, Steve Harrington, wants me? And that's not a fucking joke?"

She sucks her teeth, letting her eyes roam over his face, "this was such a mistake, okay, get out". 

Eddie sneers sharply, "a mistake?"

"Yeah, I never should have gotten his hopes up". 

Robin crosses to the window behind the counter and shuts off the second neon open sign before breezing past Eddie to pull the cord on the other sign, nearly hard enough to yank it down. 

No, no, no, no, it's not true, she's just saving face, she has to be…

Robin stands beside the door, a furious glare aimed at Eddie, "we're closed, get out, I need to go check on Steve". 

Unbelievable, Eddie does roll his eyes at this and heads towards her for the door, he takes the push bar in his hands and leans on it to swing the exit open before turning to Robin one last time, he wants so badly to have the last word it hurts.

"Better go check on King-Steve, I'm sure he's devastated," Eddie snarls, the furious fire from before burns bright in his chest as he watches Robin stiffen in the doorway.

"I haven't talked to him since Sunday Munson, until just now, I thought he was with you!"

Robin reaches out to grab both doors in her hands.

"Asshole," she scoffs, her eyes never leaving his as she locks the doors in his face. 

***

1980, Hawkins, Indiana

Eddie sniffles as he walks home, he can feel blood trickle down his chin from the split lip Paul gave him while his knee aches from where he hit the ground. 

He's not even sure what he did.

Paul had been so nice recently, talking with Eddie almost every day, eventually taking him under his wing. Paul was a year above Eddie at their Middle school, and when he had told Eddie to meet him under the bleachers after school, how could Eddie say no? 

It didn't help that Paul had soft blond hair, big hazel eyes that crinkled when he smiled, and the nicest laugh Eddie had ever heard.

What Eddie hadn't been expecting was Randy and David, also in Paul's grade, to be waiting for him. 

He breathes out a wet sob and keeps walking, scrubbing his face harshly as their trailer in Forest Hills comes into view, almost home.

Eddie reaches into his pocket and winces when he realizes his keys are gone, alongside his backpack.

They must have fallen out of his pocket in the scuffle.

The backpack was a different story.

He limps up the steps of their porch, wincing as the fabric of his jeans pulls at the drying blood on his knee, and knocks on the front door.

"Comin," Wayne calls from inside, "coming, wasn't expectin' anyone-- Ed?" 

Wayne's face goes through a series of expressions, from surprise, to anger, before settling on concern. 

He leans down and brings his hands up to Eddie's face, turning it gently to see the damage.

"Who did this," Wayne says quietly, he stands up to his full height, looking around the trailer park behind Eddie while tucking him closer.

"It was at school," Eddie sniffles again, his voice growing tight, "I'm okay". 

Wayne looks down at him for a moment before shaking his head and moving out of the door to pull Eddie inside.

"Hurt anywhere else?" Wayne asks as he walks Eddie to the kitchen, one arm around his shoulder as though afraid the fourteen year old will collapse at any moment.

"I fell, my knee hurts," Eddie mumbles as he sits at the kitchen table in the corner while Wayne crosses to the cabinets and busies himself with grabbing two clean wash clothes and peroxide from the cupboard above their stove.

It's quiet for a moment while Wayne wets one of the clothes at the sink and makes his way back to Eddie.

He kneels on the floor, balancing his weight on his good knee while the other remains bent at a more comfortable ninety degree angle. His joints creak slightly as he gets comfortable but he still smiles at Eddie all the same.

"Won't you be sore after this?" Eddie sighs, wishing Wayne would just let him go to the washroom now to clean himself up. 

"You let me worry about that," Wayne grumbles as he reaches up to wipe the blood and dirt from Eddie's face with the wet cloth. It's warm from the water and Wayne's gentle hand.

"So, you gonna tell me what happened?" Wayne asks softly, as he reaches for the bottle of peroxide and tips it into the second cloth. He tilts Eddie's face to dab gently at the now dirt free cuts.

Eddie sucks his teeth at the sting and closes his eyes.

He doesn't even know where to really start. 

Paul hadn't been the one to push him off his feet, that had been Randy, but that hadn't stopped Paul from laughing and calling Eddie a fairy. 

David had been the one to take his bag, dumping everything out into the dirt and ripping it until the zipper broke. 

Luckily all of his school books were still in his locker, but all of the campaign notes from his most recent D&D game had been in there, along with the worn copy of the Hobbit his mother had given him. 

All of it was still sitting in the mud and grass by the bleachers, stomped into the ground by David's white sneakers.

Eddie shrugs as Wayne leans back slightly. He takes Eddie's leg and slowly bends the knee at the joint, his eyes search Eddies for any sign of strain. The only sting comes from the way the jean material pulls at the drying blood from his scrapes.

Wayne breathes out and scrubs a hand over his tired face, his fingers catch on the grey stubble as they slide down and drop into Wayne's lap.

"I'll make an appointment on Monday with the principal," Wayne says as he stands up with a stifled groan, turning away from Eddie who shakes his head like a wet dog. 

"Wayne you can't--"

"Edward, what do you expect me to do? You come home lookin' like hell and you won't tell me what happened?" 

Eddie bites his split lip hard enough for the faint taste of copper to stain his tongue once more, how could he tell Wayne just what those boys had yelled at him as he sat in the dirt cradling his head, wishing he'd just gone home.

Wayne sighs loudly as he raises his face towards the ceiling, his lips move slightly but Eddie can't make out what he's saying before he looks back at Eddie, his expression worn.

"Okay, okay," Wayne murmurs, walking back towards Eddie, he pulls one of the other mismatched chairs towards himself and sits down, "I won't call, but you have to meet me halfway, alright?" 

Eddie hesitates, swallowing roughly, maybe there was a way to tell Wayne without telling him everything.

"There were some boys at school, um," Eddie picks at one of the holes in his blue jeans, pulling at the frayed thread absently, "I guess just, one at first but…".

His eyes burn suddenly as the words rip through him once again.

"He told me to come to the bleachers and then," Eddie's voice wobbles this time as his throat tightens, "there were more of them and they…called me--" 

Eddie shakes his head, ducking it down to hide his shining eyes, he doesn't notice Wayne coming closer until he feels a hand in his hair and the dam finally breaks.

Six years later, Eddie can still remember what his uncle told him that day as he cried in his arms.

"People can be cruel, especially when they don't understand, and sometimes that means being careful of who you open yourself up to. But you can tell me anything Ed, and I'll love ya no matter what. You always have home to come back to". 

Eddie knew people like Steve Harrington. He'd been around them his whole life. 

Sometimes they went by Paul, sometimes by Jason, or Billy.

But that didn't make them any less dangerous, any less capable of inflicting hurt on people that were different. 

So, Robin could say that Steve wasn't like that until she was blue in the face, because she was…wrong…

Wasn't she?

Taglist: @ihavekidneys @superchellerific @zerokrox-blog @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @croatoan-like-its-hot @messrs-weasley @samcoxramblings @warlordess @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @lostonceandneverfound @shunna @fairytalesreality

Part Three now up!

[whatitshouldvebeen]

Hii! I feel like I’ve been loving angst and smut all being put in one fanfic as of recently, so I thought about heartbreaker Johnny because we all know he’s not the most loyal man 🌚 so I was wondering if like it could be the sort of where the reader was basically taken by the slaughter family and instead of killing her they kept her as bate for more victims like she’s very attractive and they use her whenever they go out to hunt, (I hope that makes sense but I figured that would prob be the only reason they kept someone alive 😭) but ok so one day basically she and sissy are sitting on the couch watching Tv in their free time , and Johnny walks into the house with yet another girl, like the 3rd girl of the week, and like the reader rolls her eyes and sighs a little too loud out of jealousy and I guess Johnny notices, so later on he like teases her about it and she pretends to hate him when in reality he was one of the things she looked forward to when they first kept her alive, so they kind of like hate fuck? Or jealousy fuck idk, but she ends up riding him at some point,

(also I’m sorry this is so long, I had this whole long elaborate idea in my head 😭)

I finished 😈

Johnny Slaughter x reader

MINORS DNI this is fairly fucked up please spare yourselves

Contains: abuse, angst, blood, degradation, humiliation, knifeplay, mentions of self-harm, implied cannibalism, jealousy, fingering, hate-fucking, and breeding

(Sorry for double spacing, I still don't know how to format on mobile)

Eight months ago, Johnny Slaughter brought you home for dinner. 

Well, he brought you after a full night of fucking you out of your senses in a seedy hotel room. And it was thanks to your chemistry with him that—when he made clear that you were to be the family's next meal—you were able to talk your way out of it. 

"Johnny, you don't have to kill me," you pleaded.

"Well I can't let you go, doll," he said, looking down at you with a predatory gaze. You were in the gruesome basement with the scent of death flooding your nostrils, but nothing felt so visceral as the blade of his Bowie knife at your neck, one wrist flick from ending your life. 

"You don't have to. I can help you." 

He barked a laugh. "Yeah? How so?"

You'd swallowed hard, then placed your hands on his firm chest. He'd raised an eyebrow but didn't pull away. "I'll do what you did to me: lure people back to the house. I'll bring in five times my weight in the first month, I swear."

"You do have a certain," Johnny's eyes flicked down to your breasts, "charm. But how can I trust you?"

"Come with me. If you see me doing anything against you, you can claim to be my caretaker. Say I'm mentally unwell."

"How exactly are people gonna believe me if I say that?" He asked, his head cocked. 

You held out your arm somberly, self-harm scars littering your wrists. "It won't take much convincing, Johnny."

Rather than the usual looks you received when people noticed your scars, Johnny's face lit up. 

"You like the pain, huh?" He'd said in a low tone. 

"Proves I'm still alive, doesn't it?" You responded, a strange sort of calm flooding you at his reaction. You tried to lower your wrist, but Johnny caught it with his free hand. 

He removed the blade from your neck, then brought it to your wrist, making a quick, shallow cut. He then brought the blade to his wrist and made an identical cut. Finally, he brought his wrist to yours and pressed the cuts together, mingling your blood with his.

"Blood oath. If you break my trust, I'll know."

You nodded, adrenaline lighting up every inch of your body, especially the cut.

"Oh, and," his eyes narrowed, and he reached a gloved hand down, cupping you through your shorts, "this pussy is mine. If I hear you slept with another man, I'll kill you both myself."

Once again, you nodded, and watched entranced as he brought your wrist to his lips and licked it, humming contentedly at the back of his throat. 

"Let's see how long you can last, sugar."

—

Now, you and Sissy sat on the couch, watching the only TV channel available when Johnny kicked the front door open. He had a screaming young woman thrown over his shoulder, pounding his back with her fists.

Johnny locked eyes with you, wearing that same predatory smile he often had. Ever since you'd shown an aptitude for luring people back home for slaughter, you and Johnny had become quite competitive. It didn't take long for him to recognize that you had fully assimilated into the family, and he'd allowed you to hunt on your own.

This month, Johnny had been far more successful than you – three kills to your zero. His cockiness was becoming unbearable, and that smug look on his face stirred up a now-familiar ache in your gut.

You let out a sigh, rolling your eyes and crossing your arms as you turned away from Johnny, sinking deeper into the couch. Sissy looked at you and shook her head as Johnny slammed the door to the basement behind him.

"How you feelin', girly?" Sissy asked, patting your forearm.

You shrugged. "I don't like it when he does better than I do at bringing people home."

Sissy stroked your arm as she leaned closer. "Hon, I don't think that's your problem." She smiled, revealing her tooth gap as she caught your eye. "You wishin' Johnny was the type to settle down, hm?"

Your eyes widened, and you shook your head. "No!" You responded a little too quickly. "I just... I wish he wouldn't sleep with them," you added in a low whisper.

"Well, don't you sleep with those guys you bring home sometimes?" Sissy asked with genuine curiosity.

"No, I..." The oath you made to Johnny flashed in your mind. "I don't."

Sissy giggled. "I'll get grandpa to bed and take Bubba out tonight. Sounds like you and Johnny need to talk."

–

You remained on the couch until the door to the basement clanged open. Johnny had been down there for a while, and by this point, your jealousy had you seeing red. You stood up from the couch and turned to face Johnny in the narrow hallway by the stairs. He wiped his blade off on his bloody shirt and locked eyes with you.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, you haven't been pullin' nearly as many people as I have. Losin' your touch, sugar?" He taunted, leaning against the staircase and toying with his knife.

You put your hands on your hips. "Some months I got more than you did!"

"Yeah, like that month you brought in those slimy truckers. I couldn't even stomach their rancid, fatty meat." He spat in the corner by the door. "But it figures. You have lower standards than I do."

"'Cause I'm not sleeping with them!" You yelled, your fists trembling at your side.

Johnny's smile grew so wide it reminded you of a great white shark.

"Jealous?" He purred.

Your face heated, and you sputtered. "No, I fucking hate your guts, you piece of shit! Why would I be jealous?"

He pushed off the staircase and approached you slowly, a dangerous sway to his step.

"Needin' some attention? Has mean ole Johnny been denying you?" His tone was sickeningly sweet as he stopped in front of you, making your rage feel small and insignificant in his overwhelming presence.

It was true. When you were first brought home, Johnny had fucked you and only you daily for two straight months. He was the only thing you ever looked forward to in this hellhole, but in the last few months, Johnny had been using you less and less.

And you couldn't deny the anger that swirled in your gut whenever he brought a girl home. You knew how he was; you remembered how he'd hooked you that first night, and some of those girls he brought home had that same cock-drunk look in their eyes, some even willingly descending into the basement before realizing their fate.

It ate you up inside. Johnny had sworn you to him, but he took whoever he pleased, and the jealousy was making you more irritable than usual. You probably would have brought at least two men home this past month if it weren't for your overly-aggressive demeanor scaring them off.

But you couldn't help yourself. When you got horny, you were straightforward about it. Johnny had gotten you used to being with him, and without him to satisfy your urges, you were becoming more unhinged.

So now that Johnny was inches from you, admitting he was neglecting your needs with that cocky grin on his face, you couldn't believe the surge of desire that coursed through you. You hated how your body reacted, despised the urge to close the gap between your bodies, and grab him by his slicked-back hair, mashing your lips onto his. Damn it.

Johnny leaned even closer, whispering against your ear. "I can smell your cunt, you little slut."

Your face flushed deep red, and you pushed Johnny away as hard as you could. He took two staggered steps back, which gave you an odd sense of satisfaction.

That was until his predatory eyes narrowed, sending a shiver down your spine. He closed the distance between you two in one stride and crashed his lips against yours. You stumbled against the wall, cracking the drywall under the force of his kiss. Johnny couldn't care less.

His hands found your shorts, practically tearing them off your body to plunge his thick fingers into your needy core. You gasped and blushed harder as you heard the sound of your wetness squelching around his digits.

"You fucking brat," he growled low in his throat, biting your lip. You whimpered in response as he withdrew from you, bringing his fingers to your lips. You parted them, sucking yourself off him greedily, your eyelids fluttering shut.

When he removed his fingers, he harshly grabbed your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. "You've been a real bitch lately. Are you in heat or something?" He asked mockingly.

"Shut up, Johnny," you panted.

He ignored you entirely, turning your chin from side to side. "You need fucked, don't cha?" A slow grin formed on his handsome face. "Beg me for it."

Blood flooded to your core at his words, but you tore your chin from his grip. The words 'I'd rather die' welled up in your throat, but you realized Johnny might take you up on that offer, so instead, you glared at him.

"I'm waiting, darlin'," he drawled.

Your eyes unwillingly traversed his body, and you thought about how good that muscular form under his bloodied clothes felt against you. The thirst was truly getting to you, and he looked like a tall glass of red-tinted water.

Shame flooded you, and you squeezed your eyes shut. "Please, Johnny," you mumbled.

"What's that, doll? Please, what?" He asked, looking entirely too satisfied with himself.

You gave him a spiteful look, hoping that your hate might set him on fire. "Please, fuck me," you said through gritted teeth.

"Ahh, there's my little kitten. You'll need to do something for me first, though," he said.

"Oh, come on!" You spat. "What could you need from me that you don't already get from your sluts? I'm the one who isn't getting any!"

Johnny couldn't have looked more pleased. "Jealous AND possessive. How pathetic."

Your anger grew white-hot, and you slapped him. Hard.

The instant your hand made contact with his chiseled jaw, you knew you'd made a grave mistake. His eyes narrowed to slits, and he slammed you against the wall by the throat. You felt his blade against your collarbone, digging in, rivulets of blood rapidly staining your shirt.

"I'm sorry!" You squeaked out from between already-bruised lips, memories of the first time you'd begged for your life flooding your senses. He tightened his grip.

"Remember who you owe your life to, dollface," he snarled, pressing the knife deeper. "I like that bitchy mouth of yours, but if you ever try to hit me again, I'll end you. Understand?"

You nodded as tears ran down your cheeks, unable to muster more than the tiniest of breaths. Yet, even as your life balanced on a knife's edge, your desire dripped down your thighs.

Johnny loved a fight, but when he fought, he always had to win. In Johnny's mind, the only true victory was taking his opponent's life. His demand meant he didn't want to kill you, you realized. He was holding himself back because... some part of him wanted you around.

Johnny's eyes moved from yours to your cheeks where tears formed salty streams that raced down to your chin, slipping down your neck and pooling against his grip.

You always knew Johnny loved tears; be they from fear or ecstasy. As light began to prick at the corners of your vision, you wondered if you'd pushed him too far.

All at once, he released you, and you fell to your knees, choking on air.

"Suck my fucking cock," he commanded. He gave you next to no time to recover before his thick length was in your face, stiff and upward-curved. 

Your throat was already aching, and you could barely breathe, but you complied, taking his flushed tip into your warm mouth. 

His cock was salty and musky, and your envy flared. Johnny was never yours, was never going to be yours, but you had grown to crave him, and the fact you were likely tasting another woman on his cock made you livid. 

There was no woman in the world who wanted to please him more than you did, and you were going to show him that he needed you at least half as badly as you needed him. 

You poured all your hate, anger, and devotion to him into sucking his cock. Johnny was a narcissist through and through, and for some fucking reason, you reveled in it. The higher you put him, the higher he brought you with him, and the harder you fell when he spurned you. 

Tears continued to pour down your cheeks as you forced yourself to deep-throat all of him. He let out a delicious groan. "Fuck yeah baby, take it!"

You gagged and sputtered, saliva gushing from your lips when he grabbed the sides of your head and pulled you as far as you possibly could go. He held you there, choking on spit and pre-cum, until you couldn't take it anymore and pushed off his muscular thighs, stumbling backward onto your ass.

Johnny took this as an open invitation. He knelt down in front of you and grabbed your knees, pushing them apart and slotting himself between them. 

"You need this cock, don't you?" He said, using one hand to tease your clit with the slick head. 

"I need it," you respond, your voice raspy.

Johnny grinned wickedly before he plunged into you, making your back arch off the floor and your legs tremble. 

"Knew you were too proud to ask me on your own," he said as he gripped your hair and thrust so deeply into you that you saw stars, "so I wanted to see how long you could hold out. After all, it ain't like I wasn't getting any."

Jealousy bubbled up yet again from your core, and turned those stars in your eyes green. You needed him to know those sluts had nothing on you. They weren't form-fitted to his cock, they weren't so rabidly in… 

Your mind drew a blank. In love?

No! You hate Johnny. He's your captor.  Your judge, jury, and executioner. 

You love him?

You really were pathetic. Tears bloomed in your eyes again, and as Johnny sunk his teeth into your already-bleeding collarbone, you sobbed out loud.

He ground his hips against yours, his cock completely filling you. "There's my girl," he rumbled against your bloody skin. You practically melted. His girl. His. But he wasn't yours. Even though the two of you were clearly sexually compatible, and you couldn't do much more in his personal life for him than you already were, he still remained out of reach.

Then, it hit you. 

"Cum inside me, Johnny," you begged.

His harsh thrusts slowed. "What?" He pulled back and looked down at your tear-swollen eyes gazing back up at him so desperately. "You're joking."

You shook your head.

"Then you're a fucking idiot," he muttered, returning his attention to your neck and rocking his hips so that you felt him at every angle. 

"No, I'm not!" You protested, and you felt his smirk against your neck before he gripped your hips and pulled you closer. 

"You are, but I'll humor you. Why?" 

He wasn't moving, he was just holding you impossibly close, planting small, bruising bites up and down your neck. You felt every inch of him viscerally, and lust clouded your mind as you struggled to articulate your thoughts. 

"I- I want-" you moaned, writhing in his grasp. 

"Speak up, sugar," he chided, digging his fingernails into your hips.

Fuck. Your vision was spinning, and you let your head fall back and hit the hardwood floor. Johnny didn't allow you to rest long; he took one powerful hand and gripped the back of your hair, pulling you to face him. 

"I already know, so why don't ya just admit it?" He whispered, his lips inches from yours. 

Your eyelids fluttered shut, and you squeezed your thighs around his hips. "I want your baby, alright?" You admitted, humiliation mixing ice with the fire in your core. 

"Honey, there've been more women than you who've wanted that. What makes you think you're so special?"

Shame and desire in equal measure painted your cheeks, but you finally knew what to say. 

"I'm the only one you kept." 

He hummed against your pulse point. "You already kinda act like a mama; cleaning the house and makin' my favorites for dinner." Johnny's lips, which had traced a path along your neck, paused for a moment. He lifted his head slightly, his dark eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. "But I thought you hated me."

"Hate you so much it reached the end and flipped to the other side, I guess," you conceded.

Johnny rewarded you by slowly resuming his thrusts, giving you the cock you craved so primally. "I hate you too, baby. I hate how every damn thing you do drives me crazy, how you make me lose control then force me to keep you safe from me." 

He leaned close, fire burning in his gaze. "I hate that I can't kill you 'cause I can't imagine my life without you in it." 

In that moment, as your lips met again, it was a collision of contradictions—the fierce passion that had grown in the midst of hate and chaos.

Johnny was on a mission now, and you felt it in every fiber of your being. He sat up on his knees and pulled you into his lap without breaking the kiss, pistoning his cock so deeply you felt the head bruising your cervix. 

But you didn't care, you reveled in the pain. Johnny was claiming you, finally. All those women, and none had him like this—breeding them like the bitch in heat that you were. You moaned so loud Johnny broke the kiss with a cruel laugh. 

"You hopeless little slut," he chided as he moved one hand to your back and bent toward your chest. He licked at the still fresh blood before reaching your nipple, rolling it between his teeth and sending shockwaves through you. 

You gripped his shoulders and rode him harder. A low groan escaped his lips, and you felt his length somehow become even more hard before a warmth spread through your core as his cum shot deep inside you. The sensation was too much to bear and you came as well, holding onto him for dear life as you rode out your orgasms together. 

When he was done, he laid you back down on the floor and stood, leaning against the wall and gazing down at you, the girl he'd chosen to claim entirely. 

You laid spread-eagle on the floor, your chest caked in blood, wanting to meet his eyes but unable to move as his precious cum seeped from your abused pussy. 

"Get used to this," Johnny said, as he grabbed a cigarette from his pants pocket and lit up, "you want my baby, you're gonna get it."

[fourmoony]

MWAH i beat you to it !

reader is a sacred 28 kid and rebels like sirius, forming a close bond with the boys especially remus <3 but even after everything, reader sides with voldemort, having to fight against her friends in battle </3 if this didn't make sense no worries, i love all of your work lovely, have a wonderful day !! 💞✨

omg i'm blushing!!! thank you sm for requesting lovely!! have a wonderful day right back <3 i suck at writing battle scenes so I skipped that, hope you don't mind!!!!

f!reader 1.2k words cw: mentions of all horrible things to do with the black families behaviour, mentions of war

"I don't get it." Sirius shakes his head, brows furrowed. Like it's a joke he can't grasp the punchline of. A sick, cruel joke.

James and Remus are yet to say anything, at all. It weighs heavy throughout the room, their silence. The ache in your heart keeps growing and growing, down to the marrow in your bones, your soul. It doesn't matter that a part of you knew this was coming - from the moment muggles started to disappear all over the country, when the whispering grew more common at balls and gatherings amongst the sacred families. It doesn't matter that you knew you'd be forced to pick a side sooner or later, because you never knew it would hurt this much, could never have prepared for how unfair it feels.

Remus won't meet your eyes. That doesn't matter either, because all he would find is cold indifference. The reality, unfortunately, is that you will be accepting of this role, of this life, of the evil person you will become, the things you will do. As your father's only heir, it is your duty. Much like it had once been Sirius' duty. Before he'd run. You'd never been as brave as Sirius. Rebellious, yes. Brave, no. He'd run and was better for it. You'd run, and your family would never stop hunting you, hunting the people you love.

So you allow the mask to slip over your face, allow the hurt to bleed internally, because soon, it'll stop. Soon, you'll become so cold that you won't feel it anymore.

"What's not to get, Sirius?" James asks, voice thick.

With anger, with sadness. With betrayal. You don't blame him. James, aside from Sirius, who you'd known since you were babies, was your first friend. Fast and hard, you'd been enthralled by James Potter. Best friends by the end of the first week at Hogwarts and inseparable ever since. He'd had hope. Always, always, had hope. James is the sun. He sees the best in everyone, in everything, and he'd had hope that you'd change your mind. That you'd leave your family and the sacred twenty-eight behind. Or, at the very least, stay out of the war that loomed over all of your heads. You'd taken that hope and crushed it with a simple sentence. Right into dust.

"How? How can you just..." Sirius trails off, winces as though the sentence brings him physical pain.

He can't say it. Can't say that after everything; the pranks, the friendship, the family built, that you're getting up and walking away. Picking the other side. He'd thought you better than that and you know it must hurt worse because Sirius knows. He knows too well that it could've been him, cowardice and too afraid to walk away.

He could've been branded with the mark that sits heavy, now, against your covered forearm. A reminder that you can never go back. Not in any way that matters.

"It is my duty Sirius. You'd know about that if you hadn't abandoned it." You reply, cold, indifferent. Your voice sounds foreign, acidic as it comes from your mouth. You try not to choke on the words.

Your best friend flinches as though physically hurt. The words were intended to sting, intended to break down that metal shield he wields so well. You need them to hate you. Need them to let you walk away. Remus finally looks up. Hurt swims in his eyes. Defeat, too. He'd known. Of all of them, he'd known how hard you tried to fight it, how much you tried to push back. And in the end, you'd given up. You'd allowed the darkness of your birth right, your family, that stupid fucking sacred twenty-eight, to swallow you whole. To take you from him.

It cracks and shatters and splinters your heart, that his gaze turns hateful, cold. He's never looked at you such a way in all the years you've known him. Remus is your best friend, your soulmate. Two twin flames, caged animals scared of their own capabilities, pushed around and torn down countless times. The only difference is, you're allowing yours to be set free. Remus never allows the wolf to win.

He'd always understood you best, even in ways Sirius could never.

"He didn't abandon anything. He ran for his life." Remus' voice is sharp as razors, the unbridled fury unlike you've ever heard before.

But you don't back down. Chin raised, your eyes narrow upon him, "If he didn't spend all his time desperate to be someone he's not, pretending to be someone better, he might have been something."

Sirius seems to collapse into the chair, at that. As though the defeat has washed over him, accepting that you're gone, out of reach.

James' look of horror banks itself in your memories, a box you'll lock and throw away the key for, later. When this is done. You force your hands not to shake as you bite, "But you are not better, Sirius. You cannot outrun your bloodline, the Black name. You are one of them, rotted and twisted. Just like you feared. Only now, you're a stain on the family tree. Even they don't want you."

Your soul shakes at the way Sirius gets up and walks out of the room, the way he slams the door shut so hard it shakes the photographs on the walls. Photographs of you all, kept dusted and pristine by James' mother. Your heart breaks in two at the disgust in James' eyes, the white hot anger in Remus'.

"Let me see it." Remus demands.

He stands, tall and menacing in a way you never thought he could be. Remus, your Remus, always so careful and gentle. His hand reaches for your sleeve and you stand, too, dodge his harsh grip by the skin of your teeth. Your blood spikes.

"You didn't." James whispers, eyes distant.

It hurts. It hurts so much you want to rip your own skin off to be free of the shame and the pain, the way you already miss them. But you think of the darkness, of the blissful emotionless darkness that faces you once you are free of them. Once they hate you. Once you fulfil your duties, your birthright.

Remus' eyes are demanding, and before he can lunge at you again, you pull up your sleeve. Your best friends. They look at you like a stranger. The house falls silent, the world falls silent as the invisible string between you pulls taught and snaps. With it, the final piece of your soul withers up and dies. It's done.

"Leave."

James looks to Remus, his friend shaking so violently he thinks he might actually strangle you.

"We could've kept you safe." James pleas, standing as though he can sense you're about to leave. That he's never going to see you anywhere other than on the other side of a wand, again.

"I made my choice. I'll see you on the battlefield."

You don't spare them a glance as you disapparate, wind and nausea pushing against you as you tumble, landing directly into the darkness of your bedroom. Then, and only then, do you allow yourself to shatter into a million, tiny pieces.

[brnesblogposts]

Birthday Girl

(repost)

pairing: avengers x reader

a/n I kinda hate this but i needed to write because it’s been months. this only includes the og 6 + wanda & bucky, i could add in others too, just ask! or give me recs because i really don’t know what to write.

reblogs appreciated if you enjoy !

———————————

Eighteen years. That's how long you've been on this earth for (not counting the few off-planet missions you've been on), and as of today, you are officially an adult. You weren't a big fan of birthdays—I mean, you used to be when you were younger, and there was nothing to worry about. As you've gotten older, birthdays have become a reminder of the multitude of responsibilities you'll have to adopt.

You hadn't told anybody it was your birthday; reminding them was the last thing you wanted to do because the Avengers are known for their parties, and they look for the smallest reason to throw one. This year, though, that wasn't going to happen, or at least you were hoping they'd forgotten. 

It was 8:00 a.m., your alarm is blaring loudly on the bedside table, and without opening your eyes, your hand feels around for your phone and eventually finds the snooze button—just five more minutes. 

Suddenly, you become aware and alert. As you stir yourself awake, your body senses a loud, continuous noise, and you feel as if you're being watched. "HAAAAPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR Y/N, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU," your eyes shoot open to find Natasha and Wanda at the end of your bed singing their hearts out and grinning so hard their jaws must be hurting. 

"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead, it's your birthday!" "My girl is all grown up," Natasha says, wiping away fake tears dramatically. "Vision is making waffles for you; get up so you can eat 'em while they're still hot!" Wanda slaps your ankle, and you curl into a tighter ball. "Five more minutes," you whine, and to your surprise, the two women are not putting up with your nonsense today; your blanket is ripped off you, and you're met with the cold morning air. "Be downstairs in 5 minutes or I will pour a bucket of water over your head," Natasha retorts sternly; she is not messing around. You sit up, looking half dead, but you crack a smile, and with contented sighs, the girls leave your room. 

The kitchen erupts into roars of cheers as you enter wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. It's too early for this. 

The first to hug you is Tony, who says, "Happy birthday, kid; just because you're eighteen doesn't mean I'm going to stop being your overbearing father figure." You smile at him because that's all you can do and there are about eight hundred other people to hug; you just want your waffles. 

"Lady Y/N, Happy Birthday!" Thor booms, "In Asgard, at your age, you can start drinking; I brought you back some Asgardian mead for us to share!" Just as he finishes talking, there is a chorus of "no"s and stern looks sent his way. "Thank you, Thor; maybe when they're not looking," you say with a wink, and he returns a smile.

"Happy birthday, y/n." Bruce smiles; you'd be lying if you said you didn't have a soft spot for the guy. You give him a quick hug, which is awkward because, well, it's Bruce.

"Y/N!" "Happy birthday, pal!" Steve hugs you and accidentally lifts you off the ground; once he puts you down and you can breathe again, you thank him.

"Happy birthday, y/n! Now that you don't have a bedtime, we can spend more time scheming!" Clint smirks. The man is your partner in crime and also the reason why you get into trouble. You ignore his snide remark and give him a hug. 

"HAPPYBIRTHDAY Y/N!! I know you're eighteen now, but that doesn't mean anything because you're only a year older than me. What I'm trying to say is.. you can't boss me around." 

"Thank you, Pete," you say, and you smile. You swear his birth certificate is wrong. The kid doesn't seem a day past 14. 

"Happy birthday, doll; it would seem you're catching up to me," Bucky says as he hugs you. "Eighteen and one hundred and six?" raising an eyebrow "Yeah, same thing," you sarcastically rebuttal.

As everyone sits and tucks into their waffles, you take a second to look at everyone. You're happy they didn't forget. 

[vortex-detected]

After Class

𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭!𝘭𝘦𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 (not specified) 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙: 𝘯𝘰 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: 1.5K (my minho bias is showing-) 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: enemies to lovers, slow burn (kinda??), suggestive (making out), comfort 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: cursing, reader has a meltdown (like always?? why do i always do this), minho is kinda out of character (in my opinion, but its cute), minho is kinda mean? but its made up for, reader hits minho, lmk if i missed anything!! 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: You're one of the worst dancers in the class, according to Minho, and how much he pays you special attention because of how behind you are. Yet, why does he pick you as his partner for the pairing dance he assigned?

A/N: Hi. I thought of purple Lee Know when I wrote this, cause like.. why would I not?? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! This was a lot longer than I wanted, but I can't help it, it's Minho. I also listened to skz-replay on repeat as I listened to it, so like, shout out to skz-replay and the motivation it gave me?? I'm rambling, let's get on with the fic!!

“You know you’re doing the move completely wrong, right? Your left foot goes behind your right, not the other way around. Dumbass.” Minho says, glaring at you. “Well, Dumbass, you only showed the move once. Unlike some people, who watch the video once and get it immediately, some of us have to watch it more than once,” you reply, rolling your eyes. He smirks, “So we agree you take longer to learn the dance? Alright, good to know.” “You bit-” “Let’s keep going! Yeah?” he cuts you off, turning around to start the music again.

You sigh, watching him do the move again, making sure you saw how to do it right. Lee Minho is one of the best dancers in your class. He bossed people around, making sure the dances were perfected by everyone. He’d film videos at home, so he can come to class and show them. He took over the teacher's job, as she didn't do anything. She watched him in awe. Everyone did. Except you. You couldn’t deny him of his charms when he dances, or his handsome features. What you could do, though, was his personality. He was a bitch most of the time. Harsh words towards you when you specifically struggled with a move, only to keep you after class to pay special attention to you because “you need it.” It made you feel little, and you hated him for that. It seemed he hated you, too. 

“Yah, [Y/N]. Are you even listening to me?” Minho asked, snapping his fingers in front of you. You shake your head, suddenly getting shy. Everyone’s eyes on you made you want to crumble in a little ball. “Y-Yeah. Sorry. A lot’s been going on recently. Can… I go outside for a bit?” you said, looking down and messing with your fingers. “Be quick. I have an important role for you,” he said, making your head snap up as you looked at him. You nod quickly as you stumble out of the dance practice room, still very overwhelmed. 

You go to the roof as you sit down on the wall. You look up towards the sky, looking at all the clouds. You scroll through your messages and go to the group chat with you and all the dance majors.

Lee Minho- 11:24 PMHere’s the new choreo. I expect you to at least know the first by tomorrow's class.[Video Attachement]

You open the video and you stand up, propping your phone somewhere you can see it. You watch it a couple of times, eventually getting the hang of it. You start it over and start dancing. You watch Minho in the video, which he thoughtfully mirrored, so you didn’t have to do it yourself (really the only thing he’s good for). You follow his movements and just like that it’s over. You sit down, grabbing your phone. “You’ve improved in the, what, eight minutes you’ve been gone?” a voice startled you. You whip your head around to find Minho standing in the doorway. “How long have you been there?” you ask. “Long enough to understand why you took so long outside. Care to come back downstairs so I can show you what I have planned?” he asked (more like stated). You sigh, standing up. “Sorry,” you say, walking passed him. He grabs your arm to turn you around. You look at him, startled. He isn’t one for touching, so this surprised you. “I… wasn’t lying when I said you improved. You did great,” he said, looking at you sincerely. You nod, ripping your arm from his hold, “Thanks. I work better when I’m alone.” He hums, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now get downstairs before I push you down.” “Oh, ouch. And you’re back in your dance mode.” “I never left.”

You both reach the dance studio, only to find everyone in pairs. “What… is this?” you asked, looking at Minho. “Well, if you only returned to class five minutes ago, you’d know I put everyone in pairs. I paired everyone, and you-” he pauses to flick your forehead “are stuck with me.” he finished, smirking as he saw your face drop. “I’m- Minho I am your worst option, why did you pick me?” “To show your full potential. You’re better than you think, I saw it myself a couple of minutes ago. You just need the right environment.” he explained. “But-” “Alright guys, it’s almost three. Start wrapping up, and we’ll continue our pair dances tomorrow!” he cut you off, once again. You start walking towards your stuff, but then- “Oh, [Y/N]. Not you. We have to catch up to everyone else since you left for so long.” he smirked. You sigh and sit down, waiting for everyone to leave. 

Minho comes to sit by you asking you a few questions about what you wanted to do. “So, I was thinking of a hip-hop song? That seems like it would be your strong suit, as I saw up on the roof. What do you think?” he asked, not wanting to limit you to one genre. “I have my own question,” you ask, something burning at the back of your head. Everyone has already gone, so you can speak freely. “Ask away-” “What’s the real reason you chose me?” you ask, your insecurities slowly getting the best of you. “What? I already told you, dumbass-” “That. That right there. That’s why I’m so fucking confused, Minho.” you say, standing up suddenly. 

“You always told me how bad I was, telling me how much I needed to improve. Calling me a dumbass and slow for not getting it immediately. You always held me back after class just to scold me even more. Why choose me? I am the worst possible option for you. Your comments justify that, you know? I mean, Felix is a good dancer, I’m sure he’d understand if you wanted to switch with him-” “[Y/N.” “I won’t take it the wrong way because you deserve to dance with someone better than me-” “[Y/N].” “-Or Hyunjin! Hyunjin’s great. He seems to be close to you, too. So switch me out for him-” “[Y/N], please.” he pleaded, coming up to grab your hands. You stop pacing around and look at him. “Why? Why me?” you say, finally letting all your emotions out, the first tear falling. He sighs. 

“I want to get closer to you. I’ve always been mesmerized by you. You dance well, I hope you know that. You aren’t as bad as I make you out to be and I’m sorry I made you feel that way. You’re amazing, I-I was just teasing. I never actually thought about you that way. I sometimes get jealous of you because I think you dance so well, despite how long you’ve been in class. Yes, you do have things to improve on, but so do I. So do I. None of us are perfect and I- fuck- I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I’m truly sorry.” he rambles, pulling you into his chest. You sob into his shirt, clinging onto him. He rubs your back, making sure you feel safe. You pull away and stare at him. “I don’t know if I should be happy all of that was teasing or if I should be fucking furious at you,” you say, shaking your head. He chuckles, “If it’ll make you feel better, you can slap me.” You raise your hand, “Wait! I’m not finished!” he said, suddenly trying to avoid your hand. 

You drop your hand, raising your eyebrows. “You hit me lightly, and I get to do something in return.” “And that is?” you wonder. “You have to hit me first.” You raise your hand and lightly hit his shoulder. “Ow- That wasn't lightly!” he pouted, rubbing his shoulder. “I can go harder,” you said, slowly raising your hand back up. He grabs your wrist, bringing your hand back down, “Kinky, but I still have to do my thing.” he said. You look at him questioningly. “What are your plans, Lee Minho-” before you could finish, you felt something stopping you.

Minho attached his lips to yours and it felt electrifying. You paused for a second, tensing up. He pulled back. “Fuck. I fucked up, didn’t I? I-I thought- I’m sorry-” he said before you cut him off with your kiss. He reciprocated immediately, bringing you closer to him. You wrap your arms around his neck, fingers dancing in his purple locks. You pull away to breathe. “You didn’t fuck up. I was just caught off guard, Min,” you said, smiling. He smiles back, smashing his lips back into yours with more passion. You feel him lick your bottom lip, asking for permission. 

You back away. “Maybe we should catch up with the others, yeah? Show them what we’re capable of,” you say, patting his shoulder. He nods, “Y-Yeah. We should, then can I kiss you more afterward, yeah?” he said, trying to catch your lips again. You block him, “Slow down there, tiger. You haven’t even asked me out yet.” “Isn’t it obvious you’re already mine? You always have been since you joined the class,” he said, trying again. You look at him with a blank stare. He rolls his eyes. “Go out with me? Saturday? I'll take you to dinner, yeah?” he asked, faint pink on his cheeks. “I’d love to, Min,” you said, pulling him into another kiss.

[sehnsuchts-trunken]

Nice To Meet You - Guys Like You | Part I

an interactive top gun fic series! with a poll waiting for you at the end!

summary: Nat introduces you to the squad for the very first time. You expected a lot, but certainly not two of the most drop-dead gorgeous men ever to flirt with you.

6k only a tw for alcohol ig? otherwise just simping. on every and all ends.

guys like you masterlist | top gun masterlist

Nat's keys clanging onto the living room table should have been your first hint that something was not going to be normal about this evening. That she appeared in your doorway instead of vanishing into the shower next was an absolute red flag.

"We're going out tonight", she announced, not a trace of a smile on her face. You turned off your phone with a sigh and propped your head up on your pillow.

"Gee, not even a 'hello' or 'how are you' today, hm?", you asked.

"You need to go out", she went on, completely brushing over your interruption. She was dead-set on giving you a speech, you could tell. She was still sweaty, her hair slicked back, her flight-suit zipped up, but she was looking at you as though she hadn't just been through hours upon hours of what you'd probably call torture. "You've been just sitting in this room for the past two weeks and I can't stand it anymore."

You sat up with another sigh, tugging at your oversized, sauce-stained shirt that you were suddenly much too aware of.

"Nat, please, I need to get settled first."

"You settled a week ago."

She wasn't taking any bullshit today. She had let you off the hook too many times already, up until now swayed by your half-assed arguments of why you were hiding in your bedroom. "You're going out with us tonight."

"Us?", you asked, dreading the answer. Nat didn't have any friends outside of work here.

"Me and the squad", she said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say.

"No", you laughed. "No, definitely not."

She frowned, finally moving out of the doorway and settling at the foot of your bed instead. At least it felt more like an eye-to-eye conversation now.

"It's just the squad", she shrugged.

"Just the squad?", you asked. "Just the squad? Nat, those people fly multi-million-dollar aircrafts on a daily basis, they're all ripped as hell and make thrice the money I made back in San Fran. I don't even have a job."

"First of all, you've applied for jobs, it takes time", she reasoned. (Sometimes you could have slapped her for her rationalism.) "Also I'm one of those people and my job never bothered you before."

You stared at her like she'd gone mad. How could she not get this? Yes, they were normal to her, they were her colleagues, her friends, but to you? Um, hello?

"Yeah, because I have pictures of you pooping your diapers", you said, exasperation lacing your tone. "I've known you for as long as I can remember. Those people have never met me. And I don't need them to meet me at my worst."

Even though she'd been dead-set on getting you out of this apartment, she still softened a little at that.

"You're not at your worst anymore", she reassured, smiling at you. "You're beyond that. You're starting a new life now."

"Still", you snorted. "I'm a nobody compared to you guys."

"God, don't say that!", she groaned, reaching over to squeeze your hand. "That kind of thinking is exactly why you need to get out of here for a few hours. You're coming with me, I don't care what you have to say about it. We leave at eight, we'll get takeout on the way and I promise that if you're not feeling any better by midnight, we'll go home."

You knew that you couldn't argue with her. She was determined to get you out of this apartment and even if you didn't agree, she'd drag you out screaming. She'd have no problem either - she was way stronger than you.

"I hate you", you mumbled, no real malice behind the words. She just grinned and got up to stretch.

"Great", she chuckled. "I'm gonna go shower and then get ready. If you're not done by eight I'm carrying you into the car myself, I don't care."

You just grabbed a lonesome sock from the bed and threw it at her as she turned and walked out, leaving you to yourself, your own thoughts and the realisation that you actually had to meet all those high-maintenance people. It took two seconds before you were tearing open your closet and dragging your shirt over your head. You had barely one and a half hours left to get ready and lord help you if you weren't finished on time.

...

You were buzzing with so much nervous energy when you got in the Uber that you felt like you were about to mutate into a bee. You couldn't imagine that would be any worse than what was about to happen anyway. Honestly, you'd been dreading meeting Nat's friends for months now, but it had got much, much worse when you'd moved out to San Diego. Because it had become a very real possibility. And today, well, today seemed to be the day that all those fears that had been festering for weeks and weeks would truly become reality.

You spent the entire car ride staring out of the window, thinking about how they'd surely all sneer at you, look at you with that expression just in between pity and arrogance that somehow all rich people wore. Maybe there'd be one or two decent people. Hopefully there would. Nat wasn't usually friends with absolute dickheads, but then again even back in highschool she'd got along with most of those popular jocks that wouldn't have looked twice at you. To be fair, she'd thrown some punches here and there, but you'd still rather keep to yourself than meet a bunch of snobs. At least you knew that Nat would be with you and that she wouldn't break her promise - if you weren't enjoying yourself, she'd take you back home dead on twelve.

You let out a last sigh when the car stopped, climbing out of your seat as slowly as you could while Nat paid, trying desperately to stall for as long as you possibly could. But she tutted at you and tucked her arm into yours, dragging you with her through the parking lot and over the threshold.

It didn't take long for you to realise that this was a navy bar. There were very, very few people in civilian clothes - in normal ones, you'd say - most of them were clad in uniforms. You could have rolled your eyes at that alone. Why were navy men always so goddamn eager to show off that they were navy? They couldn't seriously think anyone was going to throw themselves at them just because of their fucking uniforms. You'd much rather keep a very safe distance away from any and all navy guys - a radius of at least two miles.

"There they are", Phoenix said, a grin playing on her lips as she pointed at the corner with the pool tables. You internally braced yourself, taking another deep breath before you even dared to look where she was pointing, clutching the little purse you'd slung over your shoulder to ground you.

The bar wasn't particularly crowded yet and you could make out a group of people - not in uniform, thank god - huddled around both of the pool tables. As far as you could see, there was only one other woman. Of course. You should've guessed that Nat was flying with a bunch of testosterone monsters.

You hadn't expected much else, of course... but it still made you hyper-aware of the dress you'd picked out.

Nat whistled and let go of you when you got close enough to the squad (your skin was practically burning up and you were seriously considering turning around and making a run for it, but you'd never been too good at running and were much to scared to face-plant on the floor). The guys turned around like dogs, answering to her whistle and nothing more, and way too many pairs of eyes landed on you in the span of a single second.

"Alright?", Nat grinned, shoving you a little step in front of her. It wasn't like you were shy. You really weren't. Maybe you weren't exactly extroverted, but you certainly weren't shy. Usually. So you couldn't even be mad at her for forcing you to come out of your shell like this. "I'd like to introduce you idiots to my roommate."

One of the guys put his pool cue down and immediately your focus switched to him. You had to admit that for a moment there you forgot how to breathe. He was tall and he was blond and he had strikingly green eyes and broad shoulders and that button-up was really doing things for you. You'd expected Nat's friends to be talented and rich, sure, but not that goddamn handsome.

"You never told us your roommate's stunning", he drawled, all Texan accent dripping from his words like molten honey and sticking to your brain, and his grin almost sent you careening straight into his arms. You needed longer than you should've to really process his words, only realising that oh god, had he just called you stunning? when Nat was already rolling her eyes.

"Do not, Bagman", she hissed, "flirt with her or I will end you."

Bagman only chuckled at that and strode towards you, holding out his hand and luckily you had enough braincells left to grasp it. Normal, you told yourself. Totally normal greeting. You did your best to ignore the heat in your cheeks and the way his fingers felt.

"Hangman", he introduced himself, that award-winning grin still on his lips. "But you can call me Jake."

He winked, completely brushing over Nat's threat. She slapped the back of his head and he finally pulled his hand from yours as you stuttered out your name.

"What did I just say", Nat seethed, practically dragging him away from you. He just shrugged and chuckled to himself.

"Can't help myself around beautiful ladies, I'm afraid."

She slapped him another time for that and he brought his hand to his hair to rub over the spot that you were sure must already have been sore. Nat had a wicked right hook.

"Keep it in your pants, Bagman", she threatened again, then turned back to you. "Alright, now that the worst is over, I'll introduce you to the others."

She spun to stand next to you, eyes narrowing as she paused for a second. You could barely raise your eyebrows. All of this was so overwhelming. You'd expected everything from embarrassment to ridicule, but certainly not that anyone was about to flirt with you. And one gorgeous piece of human being as well.

But he probably did that with everyone.

He was navy, for gods sake! What were you thinking? Navy guys were toxic assholes that brought a new conquest home every night only to leave them unsatisfied and doing the walk of shame in the morning. You had enough troubles already, you really didn't need to add another man to the pile.

So you straightened and made yourself swear not to give Jake another second of acknowledgement.

Nat seemed to have finished her assessment of the group, whatever it had been, and she didn't look satisfied.

"Where's Bradshaw?", she asked.

"Probably doing what he does best", Jake sighed, snatching the pool cue up again and leaning over the table to take a shot. "Slow ridin'."

You had seriously no clue whatsoever how pool worked, but he straightened again with a self-satisfied expression and you guessed he must've done good, especially when his friend groaned. He caught your gaze and you snapped it away, cursing yourself for already fucking up on your promise. Nat huffed.

"He better have a convincing excuse", she muttered. "I thought I told everyone to make a good first impression."

Then she clapped her hands.

"Okay! Anyway. Next to Bagman, that's Coyote."

Coyote raised his beer at you and smiled. You gave him a little wave.

"Next to Coyote that's Fanboy and next to him that's Payback."

You waved at them too, laughing as Fanboy waved back with just a little too much vigor and as Payback threw you a sloppy salute. Nat turned to the other pool table.

"Over there that's Fritz, Yale, Harvard, Omaha and Halo."

She grinned, grabbed you by the shoulders and maneuvered you around, pointing at a man with big glasses on his nose, sitting in one of the few chairs that were facing the pool tables. He stopped popping nut mix into his mouth the second your eyes fell on him, his hand hovering uncertainly in mid-air.

"And that's", Nat said, almost prideful, "That's Bob."

"Ooh!", you keened, a little more confident that everybody seemed at least somewhat happy to see you and a little more excited now that you remembered a person from Nat's stories. "Backseater Bob?"

"That's me", Bob chuckled, red tinting his cheeks as he smiled, putting away the nut mix to wipe his hands off on his pants and reach one out to shake yours. You couldn't help but mirror his grin - his fingers were soft and he was gentle with you, a bit unlike Jake. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too", you nodded, already comfortable with him after all of two seconds. You understood now why Nat was so glad to have him as her backseater - he seemed like the complete opposite of the navy cliché that you despised so much.

Bob just smiled at you for a moment. His glasses made his eyes a little bigger than they probably were and honestly, you could see yourself getting along well with him. He seemed sweet and genuine and kind and you could feel your anxiety start to let go of you, start to slip away a bit.

"Oh", he let out and straightened. "D'you want something to drink?"

"She does", Nat interrupted before you could decline, as though she'd already known you would. She probably had, to be honest. She knew you well enough. "Would you get us two tequila shots and two mojitos?"

"Two tequila shots and two mojitos?", you laughed, turning around to her in surprise.

"I told you, you need to let loose", she grinned. "And we're letting loose tonight!"

"Oh yeah", you snorted, pushing her away by her shoulder as Bob got up and walked over to the bar. "Really letting loose apparently."

Nat only laughed and let herself flop down on one of the chairs, patting the seat next to her with Bob's nut mix on it. You grabbed it and sat down as well, brushing your hand down the front of your dress, smoothing it out.

You watched Nat's friends bustle about the pool tables. Watched Nat's squad as they talked and laughed. Watched Jake - just out of the corner of your eyes, really! - as he clapped Coyote on the back and you could've sworn that even though you really definitely weren't looking!!! his eyes were fixed on you. It had you fiddling with the straps of your dress.

"So?", Nat asked eventually, drawing your attention back to her. "They're not as bad as you thought, are they?"

Internally, you had to agree with her. Okay, maybe you'd been a little overdramatic. Maybe they weren't as bad. They didn't seem so. But also you'd known them for less than two minutes and you knew just how good people sometimes were at deceiving you.

"Give me a minute to get to know them and I'll tell you after", you smiled.

"That I can work with."

"Ladies", Jake's voice rang out, just before he stepped up right in front of you, leaving you practically no choice but to look up at him. He was grinning, the pool cue still in his hand. "You'll play a round, won't you?"

Nat shifted in her seat.

"Haven't got your ass kicked enough yet?", she asked.

"You know you couldn't kick my ass if you tried, Phee."

"We'll see about that."

She was up in a second, grabbing the cue from Jake and strolling over to the table as you watched her. You hadn't moved. You weren't about to.

That almost lazy kind of teasing they had going on reminded you of all those other people like Jake that she'd been friends with throughout her life. Not that you didn't make fun of each other - wasn't that practically the baseline of every friendship? But with them... You couldn't put your finger on it just now. It wasn't that they actually despised each other, you knew what Nat's hatred looked like and it wasn't this, and it certainly wasn't flirting either, you knew what Nat's type looked like and as handsome as you found Jake, he definitely wasn't it. Maybe it was just the combination of their personalities, maybe it was nothing at all. It was a bit like they still hadn't quite decided that they liked each other, even though they obviously did get on.

"What about you?", Jake asked and you blinked up at him in surprise. Sure, he'd addressed the both of you, but you'd kind of just assumed that he'd meant Nat.

"Uh, I don't play", you said carefully, still unsure if - and if, then why - he was talking to you. Hadn't Nat just agreed to play against him? Were two players not enough somehow? Was this like, a group game?

Jake raised his eyebrows.

"You don't play pool?", he asked, like he'd never met anybody who dared not play pool.

"No, I don't", you said, very slowly, as though that would somehow lessen the risk of miscommunication. "I don't know how to."

The corners of his lips tugged upwards at that, just slightly, like he wanted to hide his grin from you. Was he making fun of you? Honestly you couldn't even be mad at him if he was - you'd expected pretty much nothing else from the squad. But it did come as a bit of a surprise now that your impression of them all had so rapidly changed.

"Well we can't have that", Jake tutted, reaching out a hand again, hanging in mid-air as you looked at it sceptically. This whole situation was a little overwhelming. Or maybe it was just him that was a little overwhelming. "You're at a navy bar, Sunny. You have to know pool."

You glanced from his hand back up at his face and felt kind of daft with how much time your brain needed to process all this.

"Sunny?", you asked, because of all the questions that you had this was the easiest one to phrase. And maybe because it was the thing that had thrown you off track the most. Jake's grin only widened.

"Navy nature to give nicknames, darlin'", he chuckled while you realised that you'd still not taken his hand and that at this point it probably started being weird (and heavy) to hold his arm out like that. So despite your earlier promise, which, you had to admit, you'd already thrown out of the window a second after you'd made it, you acknowledged him very much. As carefully as you possibly could, you put your hand in his as he talked, and immediately he tightened his grip on you and helped you stand up. You were a little too close to him now, a little too close for good, and if Nat hadn't been occupied racking the pool balls she probably would have kicked Jake in the face. But he didn't seem to mind, only carried on talking, apparently not whatsoever surprised by the sudden close proximity or by how easily the pet names had slipped off his lips.

Sunny. Darlin'.

"And that's just a lovely dress", he went on, leaning in even closer, so close that for just a second you almost could have felt his breath on your ear. "I think yellow might be my new favourite colour."

He pulled back with a wink and then he was gone, just the weight of his hand resting in yours left as he led you to the pool table Nat was setting up. He let go of you the very moment she looked up, a smile on her lips, and your breath caught in your throat. Jake was playing a dangerous game and he was pulling you down with him.

He strolled around the table back to Coyote, who was still holding the other pool cue in his hands, and Nat took the few steps towards you, her smile dropping a bit.

"Bagman bother you?", she asked, genuinely a little worried.

"Nah", you said, a little shaky, and shook your head. "I'm fine."

It wasn't a real answer, but she let it slide, nodding as she watched Jake return with the second cue now.

"You just let me know if he does", she muttered and then there he was, too quick for you to respond.

Nat was usually protective. She always had been, and rightfully so. Always a little weary of guys you went on dates with, always a little weary of guys you brought home. You'd minded sometimes, like back in college when you'd had a crush on that guy from musical theatre and she had threatened so vividly to break his neck if he hurt you that he'd never talked to you again. But she had clearly been right about most of them and so you really should trust her, really, you should... and yet.

She was practically telling you to stay far away from Jake. She was doing it the other way around, for now, but you were sure she'd give you the whole speech tomorrow morning as well. And you'd just met this guy, it wasn't like you were head over heels in love with him, but he was charming and flirty and it was working on you.

He was just about to open his mouth and, you guessed, start explaining pool to you when Nat suddenly straightened.

"Bradshaw!", she called out, so loud that the whole bar must've heard her, and you turned to see what - who - she was looking at as if in reflex. The crowd nothing short of parted for him.

A ridiculous Hawaiian shirt on that caught your eye first, then those sunglasses - were that Ray Bans? Hadn't they got out of style like, a decade ago? - and then... Oh, and then.

"That's a pornstache", you said, quite dumbly, you had to admit, and Nat snorted. You turned to her and then back to him and even though you were still very much gaping, you were laughing now too. "Like, an actual 80s pornstache."

Pornstache had caught sight of his squad apparently and was making his way towards you and the closer he came, the less funny you felt about the whole situation.

Pornstache was attractive.

Maybe it was the hair. Maybe it was the swagger in his step, the fact that he was practically oozing confidence. Not that the others weren't, but he... well, you kinda couldn't look away from him as he approached. Maybe it was the moustache after all.

You hadn't ever met a man who could pull that off.

He shouldn't be allowed to either.

God, how was Nat working with all these gorgeous specimen? They should all be sued for looking like that. It was too much power in the hands of the navy.

Pornstache stopped short in front of you, a light grin on his lips, and someone - Jake perhaps? - let out a resigned breath.

"You're late", Nat said, crossing her arms like she always did when she didn't like something. His grin only widened.

"There needs to be someone fashionably late in every squadron", he chuckled, slipping off his sunglasses and hooking them into the collar of his shirt and if it had been up to you you'd have forced them back up on his nose because now you had to watch as he glanced from Nat to you and took you in. He was way too attractive to be eyeing you up like this.

Men like him didn't eye you up like this.

Especially not in yellow sundresses.

Not that the dress wasn't pretty. It was. And you weren't overdressed like you'd have been in the black one that you'd had hanging at your closet door too. But it was kind of weird to be standing in front of all these testosterone-y men in a cute little dress like that.

Though Jake seemed to have liked it.

God, first him and now Pornstache...

"Rooster", Pornstache said, reaching out a hand for you to shake. "Or Bradley. But you can call me whatever you want."

You could practically hear Nat rolling her eyes as you shook his hand, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen into your face as heat rushed through your arm and straight to your cheeks.

"What is it with you guys tonight?", she sighed, uncrossing her arms and grabbing her pool cue instead. She turned back to the table that she'd finished setting up and nudged Jake away to take his place, apparently at her wits' end and done with the conversation. Pornstache - Bradley - wasn't.

No, he was still looking at you and you still couldn't look away.

"So you're Nat's new roommate, I assume?"

You couldn't help but admire the way his voice sounded. If it already had you melting like this within two minutes of meeting him, you didn't want to imagine how you'd react if you heard it in the morning. Or late at night. Or close to your ear. Or- Wow, you really needed to fucking stop.

"Yeah", you choked out and cleared your throat as embarrassment set in. You shouldn't be thinking about Nat's colleagues like this. You shouldn't be thinking about anyone like this. You needed a drink and to cool off. God, where was Bob with those tequila shots? "Yeah, Nat's new roommate."

Bradley nodded, that damned grin still on his lips.

"But you knew her before?"

"Yeah", you said again, a little steadier this time. "Yeah, I've known her my whole life."

You should stop saying 'yeah' that much. It was making you sound like that was the only word you knew. Yeah.

"Really?", he asked and raised his eyebrows, glancing at Nat who was now leaning over the pool table and taking her shot, totally concentrated. "She never told us, just said she was introducing us to a friend who's recently moved. If you've known her that long, she could've introduced us back at Top Gun."

"You went to Top Gun with her?", you asked, raising your eyebrows to look at Nat too. "She never told me."

"Seems like she didn't tell us much about each other", Bradley said and somehow, he seemed rather amused by it - his lip was quirking up and his moustache followed and you felt like that should rather be funny than attractive. Shame that it wasn't.

Before you could say anything more, Bob came back with a tray in his hands, balancing a bunch of glasses. He barely seemed to notice Bradley, too focused on not letting anything fall and shatter.

"Tequila or mojito first?", he asked. Nat straightened up and grabbed the two shot glasses from the tray.

"Tequila", she said, back to at least a half-grin. "Thanks, Bob."

She gave one to you and clinked them and the two of you downed your shots like you'd always done - one big sip in sync, heads thrown back and glasses practically touching your noses and laughs on your lips when you put them down again, with just a bit too much fervor on Bob's tray.

"Now the mojito", she chuckled, taking the cocktail glasses next and handing you one again.

"You ladies seem to be enjoying yourselves", Jake suddenly said, leaning against the pool table with that grin on his lips but somehow, it was tighter now and his voice was a little strained. Maybe it was the tequila just blurring up your senses for a moment. Maybe your perception was fucked.

"Have to", Nat grinned and winked at you. "After all you lot aren't any help."

Bradley and Jake started protesting like she had somehow insulted their honour, but she only laughed and turned back to the game, already taking a sip of the cocktail in her hand. You followed her example.

Bob carefully sat down the tray on one of the chairs and picked up the nut mix again. You couldn't help but smile. It was somehow endearing, the rest of them sipping beer and drinks and him just popping nut mix into his mouth like a grad student.

"So, Sunny", Jake said, suddenly so close again that you could smell his aftershave. "Your turn."

You glanced at the pool table and raised your eyebrows. You should probably say no, thanks, I can't play, goodbye and leave it be. Leave him be. Nat would probably prefer if you did. She'd probably prefer if you turned around and joined Bob and made friends with her backseater instead of let Bagman, like she so affectionately called him, teach you how to play pool. But he was an attractive man and you were only human and anyway, you imagined you'd have enough time left to talk to everybody else. So you looked up at him and his impossibly green eyes that you couldn't get over and took the cue out of his hands.

"Only if you teach me", you said, stopping short at the end to ponder if maybe, just maybe.... So you grinned and added "Bagman" and watched his face fall for a second as you pushed past him and tried to make sense of the pool table.

Alright, so there were nine balls in different colors and if you were right, you were supposed to push them into the pockets in the corners and at the sides. Right? But that couldn't be it. It couldn't be that easy.

Jake had apparently restarted his original train of thought and turned around to you, his chest almost - just almost - pressing into your shoulder.

"I was planning on teaching you, Sunny", he chuckled, straightened and turned a little more serious. "A'ight, it's actually quite easy once you got it. So we've got ten balls in total and your goal is to pocket the nine colored ones. But you're only allowed to strike the cueball, the white one. With me so far?"

"So far", you nodded. "So basically I have to like, hit all these other balls but just with the white one and not with the cue? And if I pocket the cueball then what happens?"

"That's a foul", he explained patiently. Honestly you hadn't expected he'd react so well to dumb questions. "If you pocket the cueball, your turn's over and the other player-"

He stopped short. You were just about to ask if he was alright when you heard it too.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

The music was gone. Completely gone. Someone had turned off the jukebox.

"Every fucking time", Jake muttered, running his hand over his face as you looked at him and frowned. You were missing something major here and honestly couldn't think of what. But then Nat put down her cue and her drink and maneuvered around Jake to pry your drink from your hand as well.

"You're gonna wanna see this", she chuckled, one of those rare, all-consuming grins on her lips and you could hardly do anything but stumble after her as she made her way through the crowd. You didn't think anything could have prepared you for the next five minutes.

Because okay, Bradley was sitting at the piano. Okay, Bradley could also play said piano. And okay, Bradley could sing as well. And just maybe he really wasn't bad. Maybe he was really, really good.

Maybe Nat thought the same because you hadn't seen her that carefree in a while. Maybe everyone did - almost everyone, at least, because almost everyone was laughing and singing along and having the time of their lives. Maybe you did too.

No, you definitely did too.

Bradley had popped his sunglasses back up on his nose and was clearly enjoying being the center of attention for a minute. And you couldn't help but be completely enamoured by it. By him. You couldn't help but laugh along with Nat and let her twirl you around and sing, too loud and probably much too off-key, and fall from Bob's arms into Fanboys and you really couldn't help but somehow feel like a part of the group.

And then the song was over and you were panting, your cheeks hurt from grinning and you had to brace your palm on the lid of the piano to not fall over.

Fanboy's arm was still wrapped around your shoulder somehow and you didn't know if you were leaning on him or if he was leaning on you, but it didn't really matter. You were glad now that you had chosen that summer dress - it was light and breezy and you didn't have to worry about sweating through skin-tight fabric or anything like that. No, you just had to sweep your hair out of your face and throw your head back and laugh.

And look at Bradley, maybe, whose eyes were twinkling with amusement. He looked straight out of a fever dream. His sunglasses lay abandoned on the piano lid - he had really pretty eyes. How had you not noticed before?

"Is this like a regular show you pull off?", you asked, a little breathless as Fanboy untangled himself from you, the conversation the rest of the squad was starting up now fading into background noise. You were running high on adrenaline, the tequila was finally hitting your system, the anxiety was fully disappearing and because spirits were so high, your confidence came crashing back into you like a huge wave of relief that had you collapsing on the piano bench right next to Bradley. "'Cuz it seemed like everyone was quite used to that."

He chuckled, turning his head so he could look at you. He was tall, you realised, really really tall, at least taller than you by a head and you didn't know if it was this apparent because you were suddenly sitting or just because you were suddenly so close to him. Not that you wanted to complain either way.

"Let's say it's not the first time", he smiled. You raised your eyebrows.

"i'll ignore that you're deflecting for now", you laughed, not quite caring that he was deflecting at all. (You were pretty sure you knew the answer anyway.) "And instead I'll say I'm impressed. I've always admired people that can play."

"Do you play?", he asked, genuinely interested, drawing his hands back from the piano as the jukebox started up again. You had to say you'd liked the live music a little better. A little a lot. After all, Bradley Bradshaw was a sight to behold.

"No", you said. "Not anymore. I played... Well, I kinda had lessons back when I was little, but my family- Yeah, no, I don't play."

You swallowed and he raised his eyebrows, but luckily didn't comment on your stuttering. You really didn't need to traumadump on people you'd met half an hour ago. If it had even been half an hour. (It probably hadn't.)

"I could teach you", he offered and maybe you were wrong, maybe you were stupid, maybe you were tispier than you'd thought but you could've sworn that just for a moment, he glanced down at your lips - but you probably were wrong and stupid and tispier than you'd thought.

"Slow Ride."

You looked up to see Jake leaning against the piano, a beer bottle in his hand and a forced grin on his lips, entirely focused on Bradley next to you.

"Bagman."

You glanced back and forth between them as they stared at each other in silence.

Maybe you shouldn't be here. This felt like you really should not be here. Were you missing something? You'd thought that the squad was like one big family. These two seemed more like they were about to rip each others throats out and you didn't know if you wanted to be in between them when it inevitably happened.

"So you're back in showbiz, I see", Jake chuckled, putting his beer down on the piano lid.

"Some people can actually make it there, whether you believe it or not", Bradley shot back, his eyebrows raised and his lips still twisted into that grin that you were pretty certain was an act in itself.

Jake let out a dry laugh.

"Maybe you should change career paths", he suggested. "Actually do make it somewhere."

"Maybe I should leave", you muttered, already halfway off the bench and on your way to down the mojito Nat had left on the pool table, just to get out of whatever this was. Even though whatever it was came closer than anything else had so far to what you'd expected, it threw you off track more than the rest had. You needed a minute. And you needed a drink.

"Don't worry", Bradley said, turning back to you after throwing a last glance at Jake. "Bagman's gonna go now."

"And leave the poor woman with you?", Jake chuckled, straightening up with a grin. His beer bottle clinged against the wood. "I don't think so."

Having the both of them stare at you had your skin crawling.

That confidence that you'd had earlier? Gone. The anxiety you'd thought you were done with? Back. Fun! Where was Nat to get you out of this? Where was Nat when you needed her? You should've listened to her and kept away. You should've sat down next to Bob and had a pleasant conversation, but no. No, you had to find the two troublemakers of the team and get right in between their little quarrel.

"I was about to teach the poor woman how to play piano", Bradley said, eyes still fixed on you.

"Really?", Jake asked. "Because I was about to teach her how to play pool."

He raised his eyebrows and Bradley did too and they were looking at you all silent like they expected you to say something now and oh god, what had you got yourself into?

Two of the most gorgeous men you'd ever seen - to your great dismay - who were friends, no, colleagues of Nat's, who flew multi-million-dollar aircrafts and spent their days saving the world, looking at you and flirting with you and... flirting with you.

Nat had been right, no matter how this would work out.

You'd really needed to get out of your bedroom.

...

So you've tripped and fallen right into a love triangle, it seems. What are you gonna do?

a/n: this somehow didn't really turn out the way i wanted but i dont mind? like, im quite happy with how it did turn out tbh!!!! and im so excited to finally publish this chapter ahhhhhhhh lets see what happens!

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♥ 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ♥

❝there's nothing you could do or say, i can't escape the way i love you. i don't want to, but i love you❞

♡ manjiro sano ♡

a/n: back at it again with the sad mikey shit :p

content: bonten arc!mikey x timeleaper!reader (y/n), angsty (lol as usual), hurt with comfort (yay!), mentions of suicide and suicidal talk, enemies to lovers (?), mikey just needs some love bruh, not edited as always. 

...

“what the actual fuck is wrong with you?!” you screamed in fury, drenched in blood that was mostly not yours. you walked inside the living room of the very expensive penthouse you resided in along with eight other men. you saw the silver haired male sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in his hand, unhinged from your loud outburst. 

“you’re staining the carpet.” mikey brashly commented, watching the blood drip down your body and form puddles on the floor and getting on the carpet. this only made your blood boil even more, you were trying to have a serious conversation with him about how your whole team just got annihilated and he cares about the damn carpet??

“i called you at least fifty times to give me backup, there was a fucking bomb explosion you shit for brains! everyone is dead and i would’ve been dead too if i didn’t go out for my smoke break.” your voice trembled, tears welling in your eyes that threatened to spill in front of the emotionless man in front of you. the sight from earlier was horrific, screams from people you worked with being heard, blood and guts flying everywhere. 

it was something you’d see in a horror film. 

“tough luck for them. go take a shower and clean your mess up.” he ordered, gulping down the red wine in the glass in one go before heading towards the grand staircase. 

“do you- are you not at least feel a little bit of remorse? they died because the people they counted on let them down. they’re dead for fuck's sake, manjiro!” you bellowed at his back, quickly wiping away the tears that accidentally slipped out. mikey turned around, giving you a bitter smirk as he inched closer to you, making you take a few steps back. 

“should i go there? use my magic powers to bring them back to life? should i, y/n?” mikey sarcastically asked, mockingly batting his eyes. 

“that’s not wh-”

“then what the fuck do you want me to do, huh?!” this time, he was the one screaming in your face, a vein popping in his neck. your eyes widened, throat becoming dry as this was the first time that he raised his voice at you. 

both you and mikey disliked each other, never once getting along with each other. for starters, you hated him for how he disregarded izana’s death, treating your best friend’s name as some kind of taboo thing to be said around the house. not to mention that he stole izana’s whole look, making your hatred even worse towards him as you couldn’t help but mistaken mikey for izana at times. 

you, too, died on the day izana was shot. however, it wasn’t on the scene, as kisaki and hanma took you down before you could even reach the place. next thing you know, you’re ten years into the future in some abandoned alleyway. 

after figuring out your situation, you did some digging and research to find kakucho. you later did, as the wanted posters plastered all over the city gave it away. kakucho was ecstatic to see his old friend once again and begged mikey to have you join bonten. at first, the short little smurf strictly declined, not wanting to add in another member of tenjiku inside bonten. 

to be fair, you didn’t wanna join bonten either. you were tired of living as delinquent and jumping from gang to gang. you wanted to live a simple life, in a small apartment, work a nine to five job and have a cat. 

but things didn’t go as you planned. 

“they had families too. parents, wives and kids. those people deserve to know what happened to their loved one because of you.” you tried to reason. 

“i’ll have koko send out a message to their families.” mikey bluntly answered, making your jaw drop from how absurd he could get. 

“a message? you think that the life of their loved one, who’s now gone, is worth just a message?” you questioned, shocked and refusing to believe that what your ears were hearing was a lie. 

“look, i don’t have time for this shit. if you wanna have a sappy little group therapy session or something for them, then do it on your own time as you please. i’m leaving.” mikey harshly spoke, his voice laced with agitation.

“what if it was sanzu? ran, rindou, koko or even kakucho. what if i was in there, mikey?” you spoke, but your words came out as a whisper, yet it rang loud in mikey’s ear. 

“as i said, tough luck.” he spat out before turning his heels, walking away to his room. 

“you fucking piece of shit! yeah, go crawl into your little hell-hole like you always do.” you bitterly said, yet none of the words faltered him as he continued to take the steps upstairs. 

“y/n?” you heard the familiar worried voice behind you, turning around to be met with the scarred man who had the haitani brothers trailing behind him. you broke down into tears, stepping a little back to make sure that he doesn’t touch you and get blood all over him. 

“what’s wrong, are you hurt? you’re covered in blood! let me see, y/n.” kakucho sternly said, walking closer to you. 

“no, your clothes will get ruined.” you sniffled, making him scoff as he pulled you into his chest, the warmth of his body comforting your conflicting feelings. 

“it’s okay, y/n. everything will be okay.” gentle fingers stroked your back soothingly, as you drenched kakucho’s suit with blood and tears. 

“they’re all dead! it’s all because of me and that stupid little shit. i couldn’t save them, kaku.” you choked on your tears, shoving your face deeper into his chest. kakucho let out a heavy sigh, hugging you tightly. 

“you did everything that you could, y/n. you know it, i know it, the whole world knows that. stop blaming yourself.” he calmly responded, but you shook your head in denial. 

“no, if mikey sent backup, they would’ve been alive now.” your hand clutched onto his button-up, feeling your knees growing weak. 

“you know we can’t go over the boss’ orders, y/n.” kakucho gave you a sad smile as you peered above, the pads of his thumbs wiping away your tears. 

“i hate mikey.” 

“come on, let’s go get you cleaned up.”

---

it’s been about a week since the incident, kakucho ordered you to take a small break to recover and get your mental state back in check. over the course of week, the executives were pretty busy and were rarely seen at home, sometimes too tired to even make it back home and they ended up sleeping at headquarters. 

strangely enough, after that whole argument you had with mikey, you haven’t crossed paths with him this entire week. to which you didn’t complain, it’s not like you wanted to see him either. 

“you guys heading out early again?” you chewed on one of the waffles kakucho prepared for everyone, hearing him hum in response. 

“yup, the haitani’s haven’t been home for like a week and i don’t think they could come back until next week. koko’s been buried under paperwork too, but i forced him to go sleep at home last night. he should be heading out an hour or so after me though.” kakucho explained, making you groan in annoyance. 

“that means it’s me and this huge empty house once again. it’s so boring!” you whined, making him chuckle as he squished your cheeks. 

“you got mikey.” he answered, which wasn’t wrong, but it’s not like you both liked each other. 

“are you kidding? him being home and not is the same thing. hey, how about i come to work and help you guys out. you know, so that we all can finish early and come home sooner and be happy! teamwork makes the dreamwork you know.” you gave kakucho the best puppy eyes you had, only to be flicked on the forehead as you winced in pain. 

“nice try, but no. stay home and rest up, also, check up on mikey. i know you don’t like him, but he’s going through a lot right now. you know that today’s izana’s death anniversary, right?” kakucho softly spoke, making you quiet down as you nodded. 

“of course i know, i’ve been trying to forget it though. it still makes me sad, you know?” you let out a heavy sigh. 

“mikey’s younger sister, emma, died on the same day as izana. his older brother’s death anniversary was last week as well. mikey needs someone, y/n. we tried to warm him up, but every year, he pushes us away. it’s your turn.” kakucho gave your a small smile, watching you in concern at the same time as you tried to process this new information he just spewed out at you. 

“how is he still alive? after losing so many people like that, i would’ve killed myself.  i mean, in all honesty, i was in a really dark place after izana died. i don’t think i’d even be here without you, kaku.” you said, an overwhelming feeling of sadness coming over you from hearing that about mikey. 

no wonder why he’s so cold, sad, mad and lonely all the time. he’s still coping, even after all these years. 

“he’s going through that now, so be his kakucho. i’m running late, so i’ll head out soon. i’ll message you later.” he ruffled your hair before untying his apron and heading up to his room. 

soon after kakucho left, you decided to hang around the living room area and watch some tv. koko woke up soon and ate brunch, to which you accompanied him as you both gossiped together, giggling like a bunch of sassy teenagers. you bid the long silver haired male goodbye, locking the door behind you as you glanced at your phone. 

it was almost three in the afternoon and there was pretty much no leftover that were left in the fridge. you decided to make lunch since there was still you and mikey in the house, you assumed that the others would just be eating out or getting takeout. 

you cooked a quick meal of rice and curry, plating a dish for yourself as you sat down and ate alone. the silence inside the house was deafening, and you couldn’t help but reminisce the moment you spent in tenjiku. it was always a loud house, full of pranks which you devised with the haitani and your poor victims would always be kakucho and shion. 

sometimes it would be izana, but that was only for you though. 

you held a special place in izana’s heart, no one understood him better than you. you didn’t mind serving him and you were ready to go to the very end for him, but now he’s gone. which is why it almost felt as if you no longer had a purpose to live or keep on going. 

you washed your plate after clearing it up in no time, deciding that you should bring up some food for mikey. you were growing a little worried on if he was even alive or not. he never stepped out of his room unless he needed to go to the bathroom or occasionally came down to eat when no one was there.

you knocked on his door a couple of times, but there was no answer. you scoffed, getting annoyed as the hot plate from the steaming food burned your hand. 

“i’m coming in, asshole.” you said loudly, twisting the door nob, only to be met with darkness. you’ve never been inside of mikey’s room before, the familiar scent of his soft vanilla fragrance meeting your senses. 

“jesus, are you a vampire or something?” you joked, switching the lights on, your eyes examining how his room was neat and tidy. you saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, facing the window as his back was towards you. 

“mikey?” you called out, yet he never responded. you furrowed your eyebrows, setting the plate of food down on the dressing table. you walked to him, tapping his shoulder yet he didn’t budge. 

“mi-”

his head turned around and you almost let out a scream from horror. mikey’s face was as pale as a ghost, lips chapped as his eyes were red and puffy, streaks of dried tears on his cheeks as dark eyebags formed under his eyes. you saw pictures in his hands and you recognized that one of them was izana’s while the other photo contained a tall man with black hair and a blonde little girl. 

“get out.” mikey lowly whispered, eyes full nothing but despair. 

“mikey, you’re not okay. just talk to me, i’ll listen, i promise.” you begged him, your heart shattering to pieces as you’ve never seen him in such a terrible condition before. 

“please, get out, y/n.” your name rolling off his tongue sent chills over your body, you wanted to break down in tears in front of him. respecting his request, you quietly left, shutting his door. 

you went to your room, silent tears streaming down your face as the image of mikey’s condition was engraved inside your mind. you felt sick, like the lunch you ate an hour ago was about to come back up your throat. 

you decided to take a short nap, hoping that perhaps it would clear your mind. 

---

a loud strike of thunder startled you, making your eyes shoot open as you breathed heavily. your room was lighted by the dim light coming from your lamp. you glanced at the clock and saw that it was only five in the afternoon. 

you got off your bed, slipping on your slippers as you let out a yawn. feeling thirsty, you headed towards the kitchen. as you walked past mikey’s room, you noticed that the door was slightly opened and there was a cold breeze coming through, sending shivers down your spine. 

you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, clearly remembering that you closed the door of his room before you left. you walked towards his door, eyes peaking inside and you saw the man nowhere inside his room. 

inviting yourself into his room, you walked inside and noticed that the sliding glass doors to his balcony was opened. you walked closer and you saw him sitting dangerously on the rails, making your heartbeat increase. 

“mikey!” you yelled as you rushed inside, watching the man turn his head to look at you, dull eyes piercing your soul before giving you a small sad smile. he pushed himself off, making your eyes go wide. 

“NO!” you screamed in panic, quickly leaning over the edge and grabbing his hand. mikey gasped, now hanging in the air from the tall penthouse nearly twenty stories high. 

“why are you doing this, mikey?! have you gone insane??” you grunted, trying to keep your grip on him as tight as possible as your hands became slippery from the rain. 

“just let me die, already. i want to have some peace for once in my life, not go through anyone’s death or cause it, i want to be free. please, let me go, y/n.” mikey begged, his face drenched with water, the wind blowing against his hair. 

“i won’t let you go, mikey. i need you to be here! i want to see that stupid little face of yours everyday i wake up for my morning coffee, or when you hog the tv remote. i’ll save you, no matter what! i’ll keep coming back to you in any shape or form to save you.” you cried, your tears falling on his face as you saw his own eyes swelling. 

“save me, y/n.” he croaked, tears pooling in his eyes before falling down his face. suddenly, you felt your hands loosing grip, making you yelp. 

“mikey!” you bellowed, watching him slip and falling. 

---

“NO!” you rose from your bed, heart beating erratically as you felt like you just ran a marathon. cold sweat drizzled down the sides of your head, the familiar sound of thunder making your heart drop. 

you scrambled out of your bed, running towards mikey’s room, ditching the idea of knocking as you barged inside. you were relieved to his windows closed and the balcony door shut, as the man was tucked away in his bed, fast asleep. 

you softly closed the door, letting out a breath of relief. you glanced at the clock and saw that it was well past midnight. you tried to piece together exactly what the fuck you just dreamed of. 

you heard shuffling sounds coming from downstairs, peaking from the stairs to see kakucho sweeping the floor. your lips curled upwards, heading down as quietly as possible, wanting to surprise the zoned out man. 

“boo!” you giggled, closing your palms on his eyes, startling him. 

“you little shit.” kakucho breathed out, chuckling afterwards as he pinched your cheek.

“thought you weren’t gonna be home anytime soon.” you cocked an eyebrow, sitting on the sofa while watching him settle the broom down before taking the empty spot next you. 

“yeah, well, i had a bad feeling for some reason and decided to come home.” he shrugged, and for some reason your throat felt dry. 

could this all be a sign that something terrible was initially supposed to happen today? everything seemed off. 

“it’s so strange. i actually woke up from a bad dream just now.” you let out a shaky sigh, leaning back and sinking in the sofa. 

“what did you see?” kakucho asked, intrigued to hear about your dream. 

“i saw mikey trying to kill himself by jumping off from his balcony. i swear, it felt so real.” you said, voice wavering in fear and anxiety as the scenes kept replaying in your mind. kakucho gave you a concerned look, taking a hold of your hand. 

“did you check up on him after waking up? is he still alive?” he asked in panic, and you quickly assured him that mikey was fine, to which he finally relaxed. 

“i can’t tell if what i saw was a vision or not. i’m so scared, kaku. what if-” you paused, trying to recollect your thoughts. 

“what if something like that actually happens and i couldn’t have prevented it even after knowing.” your eyes glossed with tears, making kakucho’s heart swell with ache. 

“nothing like that will happen, y/n. we’ll make sure mikey is okay.” the scarred man assured you, pulling you into his embrace as he stroked your hair. 

“did you go to see izana?” he asked. 

“yeah, i gave him his annualy nagging for dying before me. that stupid jerk.” you mumbled, making kakucho chortle. 

“still mad at him, huh?” kakucho smiled, seeing your eyes glimmer. 

“yeah, i miss him.” you said with a sad smile, feeling kakucho’s breath hitch. 

“yeah, me too.” he replied. 

---

the next few days the house was embraced with a familiar silence, the executives on a very important mission to europe came up. this left you and mikey alone once again. you were getting bored of watching the same old shows and movies. 

you decided that you had enough of this cycle of hate and awkwardness, storming upstairs as you barged inside of mikey’s room. you found the man busy on his laptop as he casually laid on his bed, not even bothering to look at the door. 

“don’t you know how to knock.” mikey snickered, eyes still not shifting from his screen. 

“get up.” you demanded, standing at his door with your arms crossed over your chest. 

“and who are you to order me around? as far as i remember, i am your boss.” he gave you a small smirk, getting under your skin. 

“yeah, well it would’ve mattered to me if i actually gave a shit. so, stop being a stubborn asshole.” you scoffed, walking to his bed before harshly grabbing his hand, dragging him off his spot. 

mikey yelped, quickly sliding his laptop off of his lap as he was forced to stand up. you dragged him downstairs as he looked at you with utter confusion. 

“where the hell are you taking me? let me go, y/n.” mikey protested, trying to loosen himself from your grip, but you tightened your hold on his hand instead. 

“somewhere that’s outside of your room and this house. you and i both need some air.” you shortly answered, shoving him out the main door as you locked it behind you. you saw him watch you with an unamused facial expression, not moving from his spot. 

“what? you want me to carry you outside too?” you taunted, making him roll his eyes. 

“you’re seriously annoying.” he grumbled, turning around as he walked towards the elevator. 

you remembered that sanzu told you a couple of days ago how there would be a carnival that would be held near the beach today. you decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to lighten mikey’s mind and hopefully bring you both closer. 

maybe not as friends, but hopefully mutuals. 

the walk there was quiet, but it was short. the colorful lights beamed, screams of people of all ages being heard from all corners. 

it delighted your to know that finally you were able to hear screams of joy and not of pain or agony. 

“it’s so loud.” mikey mumbled under his breath, following you as you both walked through the entrance. you saw the little kids riding the merry-go-round, seeing their smiles and laughs lifted your soul. 

maybe there is some good in this world. 

“don’t you wish you could be a kid again?” you sighed, sitting next to mikey on the bench he was resting on. 

“not really.” he answered, eyes strictly focused on his hands. 

“mikey, look in front of you.” you said, but he didn’t budge. you scoffed, grabbing his face and forced him to look. 

“don’t you see? there’s more to life than just being coped up in grief, sadness and loneliness. look at those teenagers on that rollercoaster, they look so happy and free. yet, there hearts might hold some tragedy.” you explained, giving him a small smile as his mouth fell agape. 

“i don’t understand.” mikey spoke, yet his words came out like a low whisper. 

“that girl with the blue hair might’ve lost her mom earlier this year, that boy might be recovering from childhood trauma from a neglectful family, and that other girl might be dealing with a family divorce. we’ll never know because even they are trying to move past those things. life is too short, we don’t know who’ll die next or not.” you placed your hand on his, feeling him flinch a little under your touch, his gaze shifting to your face. 

his hands felt cold and clammy, slightly shaking. mikey couldn’t register this feeling in his chest, it felt like he was being suffocated. 

“you think i don’t want to? i just can’t stop, it’s like my mind doesn’t have a pause or delete button.” he admitted, not wanting you to let go of his hand. 

“then let me help you.” you gave him a mischievous grin, making his brows furrow. 

“huh?” he asked in confusion, before letting out a yelp as you pulled him out of his seat. you both ran towards the big rollercoaster that you saw the group of teens riding on earlier. 

“hope you’re not scared of heights, sano.” you teased, making him scoff. 

“of course i’m not, i kill people for a living you know? a little height doesn’t scare me.” mikey defended, making you giggle as he sounded like a little kid trying to prove himself otherwise. 

“whatever you say so mr. tough guy.” you mocked, trying to egg him further. the workers there led you and mikey to a cart for two, strapping you both tightly in. 

“alright everyone! th-”

“excuse me, could you just check our straps again? this feels a little too loose.” mikey interrupted, as someone walked forwards and tugged on the straps. 

“sir, you both are all set to go.” the lady smiled, making mikey give her a nervous one back. 

“you could always hold my hand if you’re scared, you know.” you whispered to him with the ulterior move of mocking him. 

“shut up, i’m just making sure that we both don’t have our dead bodies delivered to the penthouse by the end of the night.” mikey quickly said, looking away from your eyes as he glared at the employee for making him look stupid. 

“alright everyone, the ride will start in five seconds! hold tight and enjoy the ride!!” the employee announced, making everyone squeal with excitement. 

the rollercoaster began to climb higher and higher, until the people below you looked like tiny dolls walking around. your heart rate increased, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you approached the peak. 

“fuck, i didn’t realize it was this high.” you heard mikey breath out, turning your head to see him with his eyes screwed shut. you grabbed his hand, holding him tightly as he opened his eyes, looking at you. 

“i got you, sano.” you smiled, before the ride dropped with an incredible decceleration. both you and mikey screamed, watching the white haired male’s screams eventually turn into laughs. 

his smile was precious, so beautiful if you would add. you saw how his hair flew in every direction as the ride threw you both in loops and turns. yet, he never stopped smiling, his fingers interlocked with yours. 

“holy shit, that was insane.” mikey’s eyes glimmered, full of light as he carded his hands through his messy hair. 

“i know right, can’t believe the invincible mikey is afraid of rollercoasters.” you joked, making him throw a glare at you. 

“tell anyone and i’ll kill you.” he lazily threatened, before his eyes landed on the bumper cars. 

“let’s go on that!” mikey outbursted, grabbing a hold of you as he dragged you to the bumper cars. 

mikey and you sat in different cars, and because he’s a little shit, he chased you to bump into you. the whole time if was you screaming in panic as he got close to you, followed by fits of giggled from both of you as soon as you would collide. 

“see, i’m such a pro.” he sassily commented, making you roll your eyes. 

“i want funnel cake.” you pointed at the stand that sold the sugary treat, making mikey tilt his head in confusion. 

“the hell is that?” he questioned, making you gasp.

“you never had funnel cake?!” you said in disbelief, and to your horror, he shook his head. 

you and both rushed over to the stand, ordering one as you thanked the man. you took a piece and placed it in your mouth, humming in bliss as the taste of powder sugar and deep fried batter welcomed your taste buds. 

“open.” you held a piece in front of his mouth, to which he accepted your offer, taken aback from the taste. 

“that’s pretty good.” mikey said, taking a few more. 

you both continued to navigate your way through the carnival as time passed, the sun beginning to set. mikey played a few of their games, winning a huge ass bear as you jumped in excitement. 

“your girlfriend must be very happy.” the worker chortled as he handed mikey the big stuffed animal. 

“oh, we’re n-”

“here.” mikey cut you off, placing the stuffed bear in your arms before stealing the plate of funnel cake, walking ahead. the worker looked at you with a smile to which you reciprocated one. 

“it’s getting pretty late, we should head back.” mikey cleared his throat, averting his gaze from yours. 

“let’s ride the ferris wheel before we go, it’s on the way to the exit.” you suggested and he hummed in agreement. 

you both reached the ride, giving your last ticket to the employee before the door to a cart was opened. you sat down with the stuffed bear in your lap as mikey took the seat in front of you. 

“enjoy the ride! our fireworks will begin shortly.” the worker said before starting the wheel. 

“it’s my first time in years coming to the carnival.” you said with dreamy eyes as you peered out, seeing that you both were slowly going up. 

“yeah.” he bluntly replied, not being able to take his eyes off of you. mikey never realized how beautiful you were, how your eyes would sparkle with adoration for those whom you cared about yet it held so much depth. 

“you still mad at me?” mikey asked, making you look at him with a questioning look. 

“for?” you asked. 

“you know, the other day where the mission got fucked over.” mikey said with a soft tone. 

“yeah, i was really mad. i wanted to punch you in the face so bad, but, i got over it.” you assured him, giving him a warm smile. 

“i said a lot of stupid shit and was a real big asshole. i’m sorry for that.” he apologized, his voice sincere and warm. 

“it’s okay, it’s in the past now.” you said, playing with the fur on the bear. you saw him sigh in relief, becoming more relaxed from your answer. 

“that week was just hard to get through. it felt like it would’ve never ended.” mikey spoke, gazing out the window as he watched the people outside. 

“i know, mikey. which is why i need you to know that you’re not alone. you could always talk to me, i’ll be your person.” his eyes softened from your words, throat burning as his eyes began to sting. 

“i watched every one of them die in front of me, and i couldn’t do anything. this wasn’t supposed to be the life i planned to live. shinichiro was supposed to have his bike store established, emma getting married to ken-chin, and izana-” mikey choked out, your breath hitching as the name of your dead best friend rolled off his tongue. 

“i’m sorry.” mikey quickly blurted out, watching your eyes become glossy. 

“i know how it feels to feel hopeless, lonely and consumed. that’s how i ended up in bonten. after losing my parents, i needed a purpose to live, to which izana gave me in tenjiku. after he died, it felt as if my life no longer mattered. he was my best friend, my person.” tears streamed down your face, as mikey’s fingers gently wiped them away. 

“but, i know he wouldn’t want to see me like this. you have to live for those whom you’ve lost. your sibling wouldn’t want to see you lead a miserable path. i found my purpose and you need to as well.” you took his face in the palms of your hands, stroking his cheek as you looked at him adoringly. 

“my purpose is you and my loyalty to bonten. this is the life i want to live in, hearing you nag at me all the time. i want to wake up every morning to the smell of kakucho’s breakfast, go on batshit crazy trips with the haitani’s and haru, get spoiled by koko and the list goes on forever.” you honestly spoke, watching how his eyes softened, never realizing how much the guys meant to you. 

“but how? tomorrow isn’t promised to us, how could you live a life in constant fear?” mikey asked with a shaky breath, making you sigh. 

“you’re right, but you have to realize that fear will shadow you in everything that you’d ever do. this ferris wheel could suddenly break and kill everyone on it, including us. you just have to take the risk.” you reasoned, making him hum in agreement. 

“i guess.” mikey mumbled, giving you a smile that warmed your heart. 

“i’ll help you find your purpose, let me be your person, mikey.” suddenly, the fireworks went off, and the tension within the cart felt like a magnetic field. you didn’t realize when your face was a few inches away from mikey’s. 

you could feel his breath close to your face, eyes falling on his lips as you couldn’t hold back anymore. you placed a hand on the back of his head, pulling him into you as you felt his soft lips on yours. 

the taste of the sweet funnel cake resided on his lips, making you deepen the kiss. mikey’s hands found home on your waist, indulging in your touch that fogged up his senses. 

your whole body felt feverish as mikey’s hot touch sent your body on fire. the white haired male’s face was warm and red, your lips never stopping any movement as you both continued to kiss desperately.

you both pulled away, breathless as the fireworks show continued. 

---

the next few weeks following that little date you and mikey had, you both hadn’t spoken a word to each other. every interaction with him was painfully awkward as you would often bump into him which would result in a very silent two second eye contact before you both scurried off. 

yet, you both still showed affection to each other through silent actions that didn’t require complete confrontation. 

you would cook meals often since the other guys were rarely home, once again leaving you and mikey together alone. you would make sure to plate food for mikey and place it in the fridge so that he’d warm it up later and eat it. 

in return, mikey would place a new dessert in the fridge for you to try from his favorite bakery that he went to every day for his daily taiyaki.  

today for some odd reason, mikey hadn’t touched his breakfast or lunch as the food remained untouched in the fridge. you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, going up to his room as you knocked a few times. 

“mikey? i’m coming in.” you alerted him beforehand, opening the door, only to step into an empty room. you snooped around for a little, trying to see if he left a note or anything but nothing was found. 

as if on cue, your phone buzzed in your pocket. 

mikey: thank you for everything, y/n. please take care of bonten for me.

your eyes kept reading the words over and over again because it seemed as if they were dancing around. you mind couldn’t process what you read, panic rising inside you.

you called him about twenty times, yet it would go to his voicemail. you cursed under your breath, feeling helpless. even if you were to call one of your friends, it wouldn’t be any help because they were scattered in different cities around japan right now. 

you tried to think of places that he might be in, but your mind was blank. 

well, there was one place but the chances of him being there was very slim. yet, you silently prayed to whatever god there was up there that mikey would be there. 

you arrived by the amusement park, shivering as the bipolar weather promised that it would snow soon. you walked further in as you were now on the boardwalk right above the beach. you went down the wooden stairs, stepping onto the soft sand. 

you looked at all directions to find mikey, yet your efforts were fruitless. 

it was too late. 

tears welled in your eyes, your heart clenching in pain as you felt your whole work come crashing down. the beach was empty, it was only you who was there. 

suddenly, through your blurry vision, you made out a figure with silver hair walking towards the waves in the distance. without any hesitation, you picked up your feet and bolted. 

it had to be him, it just had to.

you nearly tripped, but as of right now, you didn’t care about anything. 

you quickly wrapped your arms around him, stopping him from walking further in to be consumed by the waves. 

“please, don’t do it, mikey. please, i beg you, i’m here now.” you sobbed on his back, feeling him becoming stiff. 

“y/n?” mikey gasped, not believing that it was actually you. 

“i won’t let you die, mikey. you can’t leave me!” you cried, feeling him turn around to face you. 

“how did you find me?” he asked, still in shock at how accurately you knew him. 

“my heart led me here.” you answered, looking up at him with glossy eyes. his face was pale, lips slightly chapped, cheeks rosy from the cold. 

“y/n..” mikey whispered, stroking your wet cheek as you cried harder. he bit his tongue, trying to prevent himself from crumbling at the sight of your tears.

“no, please, just don’t say anything.” you placed a finger on his lips, hushing him as you silently sobbed, your heart aching. 

“i tried, y/n. i tried so hard to not fall apart, but i can’t. i think i’m beyond saving at this point.” his voice cracked, making you shake your head in denial. 

“i’ll pick up your pieces and put you together. i’ll save you, mikey.” you promised, holding him close to your chest, afraid of loosening your grip on him in fear of losing him. 

“how do i stop letting this guilt eat me alive? i killed my siblings, i run a criminal organization and all of this is just proof that i have no purpose in life to continue.” mikey responded nonchalantly, voice dry as ever and sharp, lacking taste. 

“you need to forgive yourself, though your siblings’ death wasn’t you fault. let me be your purpose, mikey.” you looked at him with hopeful eyes, watching a  tint of pink dust over his cheeks even more aggressively than the cold. 

“huh?” he blinked in confusion and you offered him a shy smile. 

“wake up every morning for me, live your life to the fullest for your siblings, and work on becoming the best version of yourself. you still have many, many, and so many years ahead of you in life. you can’t give up now, i won’t let you. i need you to spend those years with me.” you spoke with glimmering eyes, the sunset kissing your face as you looked at the man in front of you. 

“you..” mikey breathed out, not being able to find the right words to form a sentence. without thinking twice, he cupped your face and pulled you in for a kiss. 

you smiled against his lips, having your answer. 

“even if i fall apart in this darkness, i want you in my arms forever. i love you, y/n.” mikey peppered small kisses all over your face, making you giggle. 

“i love you too, ‘jiro.” you responded, leaning in his touch. 

you knew that you couldn’t escape from the way you loved him. 

[ponyosmom35]

comfort

Simon Riley x reader

Liability series chapter twenty eight

Synopsis: reader gets into a massive fight about politics with her father, leaving her upset as she and Simon go up to her room to calm her down. 

Warnings: fighting, angst, cursing, fluff, Simon is a sweetheart. 

Liability series:

https://www.tumblr.com/ponyosmom35/733401347573088256/simon-ghost-riley?source=share

she rushes up to her room with Simon hot on her trail. His heavy footsteps following hers as shes stomp to her childhood room. She slams the door open ignoring the loud yells from her father from downstairs. She paces back and forth as Simon gently closes the door.

“no he’s such a fucking idiot! I literally don’t understand how the fuck he can act this way?! Like he doesn’t fucking listen, he just waits for me to be done talking so he can push his idiotic views on me fuck it’s so goddamn stupid I hate being here!” she rants loudly

“baby” Simon says gently

She whip around to face him, her red and angry face finds him sitting on her bed scratching the back of his head. “am I wrong? I mean you can’t just pick and choose when you support trans rights, you can’t sit here and say that you don’t care what people do as long as their happy and then turn around and make all of those horrible points! what the fuck that is fucking insane and it makes me sick that he thinks that way! It doesn’t even make any fucking sense” she exclaims

“love-”

“Simon he just keep interrupting me without letting me get a single point out, like that isn’t how you have a fucking conversation let me speak, why don’t you respect me enough to hear what I have to say?”

“y/n-”

“I listen to him and once I start to speak about something that he doesn’t agree with- that's when he stops listening. Give me basic respect goddamn he has no idea how to talk to somebody then the fucking gaslighting starts, ‘oh I'm sorry I’m a terrible father who you can't stand I love you more than you'll ever know’ shut the fuck up with that I’m not gonna feel sorry for you and apologize this is a matter of human fucking rights-”

“baby stop, take a deep breath” Simon interrupts. She glares at him as she attempts to keep her anger at her father rather than shifting it to him. “do you agree with him or something?” she asks, crossing her arms. 

Simon stands and places his hands on her shoulders, staring down at her lovingly. He knew that it took quite a lot to work her up to the point where she would actually fight. Once she reached that level she was not gonna back down. Though he didn’t like seeing her fight with her father, he coudln’t help but admire the way she stuck up for what she believed in. He smiles “no I’m so proud of you and how you fought for what's right. you are 100% correct with everything you said”

“its so fucking infuriating” She says as her lips begins to tremble. Her eyes gloss over and she tries to blink away the tears but they fall quickly. He pulls her into a hug instantly, rubbing her back comfortingly. “I know lovie”

“I’m not even upset it’s just…” She trials off “I get it” he responds

Simon pulls back slightly, pushing her hair behind her ears and wiping the tears. She sniffles and he lets her go, allowing her to take off her glasses and clean them off from the fresh tears. She stares at the wall as the voices of her parents arguing through the walls pierces her ears. Simon wraps himself around her, pulling ger into him as he holds his head on her shoulder. She holds onto his forearm as he begins rocking them back and forth. He starts kissing her neck, knowing how ticklish she was there. 

She bursts out laughing at the song and allow him to turn her body, so they were facing each other. He pulls her into him, lifting her up in the air over his shoulder. She gasps as the air is taken from her lungs and wheezes loudly. “put me down” she laughs

“sorry love, I can’t control myself” he says in his thick british accent. She cackles as he spins us around three times. His hand slaps her ass as he allows her to slide down to his chest. He holds her body close and falls limp, smiling up at him. He clutches her tighter and she gasps as it begins to hurt. She wraps her arms around his neck and pull myself around him. Allowing him to hold her like a child.

“I love you so much” she said.

“I love you too darling”

a/n

this is based on a real fight I got into with my dad, I wish I had a Simon to calm me down ugh

[isuckatwritingsobenice]

Bad Idea Right?

A/N: Bad Idea Right? By Olivia Rodrigo with Levi from my Fame AU story. If you read this story it’ll make more sense. Songfic!

Warning: Smut, Swearing,smoking, Cheating, Jealousy, Drinking, P in V, nudity

Nav! // Masterlist

Haven't heard from you in a couple of months

But I'm out right now and I'm all fucked up

And you're callin' my phone, you're all alone

And I'm sensing some undertone

And I'm right here with all my friends

But you're sending me your new address

And I know we're done, I know we're through

But, God, when I look at you

‘Meet me at eight.’ Is all the text reads. I sit there staring at it, unsure what to do. Hange is hosting a kickback at their place, but I’ve been here for a while. I only came because Levi wasn’t going to be here. I didn’t need to worry about running into him. But now, he texts me asking me to come over. Should I go?

“Hey, you okay?” Hange asks me as they hand me a drink. I nod and accept it, shutting my phone off and tossing my head back to finish the drink. After the week I’ve had, I need this.

“I’m fine, just tired. Works been kicking my ass.” I respond, and Hange nods with a frown.

“Well, at least your out of the house. Let me know if you need anything.” Hange says, and I nod as they walk over to Erwin and Armin who are having their own conversation.

‘Hey, How’s the party?’ Megumi’s text reads. I sigh and open it, typing out my message before another comes in from Levi.

‘I’m getting take out. It’s 7:28, I expect you here by 8, 8:10 the latest.’ I frown and linger in the chat with Megumi. I’m sure if I tell him no he won’t hate me. But I know we shouldn’t see each other. We shouldn’t even be friends. He cheated on me. With Petra of all people. Why should I go over? I’ve moved on, I’ve started a new relationship. I don’t need him anymore.

But I want him. Quickly, I text Megumi back. ‘Hey, the parties going great. I don’t feel so well though, so I might crash at Hange’s tonight.’ I respond, before texting again. ‘I’m gonna have a few more drinks so I might not answer.’ I send the text before going to Levi’s message. I write to him. ‘Fine. I’ll be there by 8:20, don’t rush me or I’ll take longer.’ I reply, before he begins to type, the three dots appearing on my screen. ‘Don’t take long.’ Is all Levi says, before I roll my eyes. He’s so needy. ‘8:30’ I type back, before shutting my phone off and tossing it to the side. He’ll live by a few minutes of me being late, it’s not the end of the world.

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts (I cannot hear my thoughts)

Like blah-blah-blah (blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

Should probably not

I should probably, probably not

I should probably, probably not

“Okay okay, one more drink.” I giggle, leaning on Annie’s shoulder as Hange hands me another drink. At this point I’m not even sure what time it is. It’s late, the music is loud. Eren is rolling a blunt with Zeke while Mikasa is pouring shots.

“You said that a few minutes ago.” Connie says, who’s a bit more sober than I am, but only because he got here late with Sasha and Niccolo.

“Shut up. Just, just let me be okay.” I respond. Annie lifts her glass and taps it against Sasha’s before tapping mine too. The three of us toss our heads back and take our drinks.

“Levi! You made it!” I hear Hange say happily. Fuck. I forgot. I check around looking for the time before I see it on the stove across the room. 10:57. Almost two hours after I told Levi I’d go see him. I don’t look at him, instead I point to the bottle and ask Sasha to get me another drink.

“Let’s take another shot.” I say, and Sasha nods leaning down to grab the bottle.

“No no, you’ve had enough.” I hear, and at that theres a hand on my back. I take my head off Annie’s shoulder and look to see Levi.

“Hey Levi.” Annie slurs, and we both laugh. He just nods before peeling me off her further.

“I’m taking you home.” He says, before I roll my eyes.

“Levi! Don’t leave! You just got here!” Hange whines, and I nod in agreement.

“Hange’s right, at least have a drink with us.” Connie says, and Jean comes back from wherever the fuck he was.

“When did you get here?” Sasha asks him and he shrugs.

“I’ve always been here I was just in the bathroom.” Jean says, and Sasha laughs.

“Take a shot with us. We have rum.” Erwin says with a slight smile. Levi rolls his eyes and let’s me go, Erwin reaching over to the kitchen island to get Levi a shot glass.

“Fine. One shot. Then we’re leaving.” Levi says looking at me, and I just nod lazily as I hug Annie again, who just smiles and doesn’t say much else. Even drunk, she’s still relatively quiet.

Seeing you tonight

It's a bad idea, right?

Seeing you tonight

It's a bad idea, right?

Seeing you tonight

It's a bad idea, right?

Seeing you tonight

Fuck it, it's fine

“Just one more right? Just one more?” Mikasa teases Levi as he takes another shot with Erwin and Zeke. He’s on his sixth, I’m not sure which one I'm on. Levi just flips her off before setting his glass down.

"Fuck you." Levi says, and Mikasa laughs and leans into Eren who is high out of his mind.

"Y/n you okay?" Zeke asks as I lay my head against the couch.

"Mhm~, just tired 's all." I respond, my words blur together.

"Someones had too much to drink." Jean jokes and pokes my side. I jerk forward and laugh, before Eren holds up his blunt to me.

“ You want?” He asks, and I contemplate it for a minute. I haven’t smoked all night, might as well. I nod and he moves from his place near Mikasa to over to me, sliding the blunt between my fingers so I don’t burn myself. His eyes are slightly pink, showing how high he really was even though he seemed calm.

I lift the blunt to my lips, watching as Hange walks over to the speaker to change the song. Only now do I realize how many people are here, and that it isn’t just my friends but other people I don’t know.

Before I can register it, Levi’s next to me, his hand around my wrist as he takes the blunt and puts it out on the ashtray in front of me. He pulls me to stand, and leads me towards the door of the apartment. I wave to everyone goodbye, leaning onto Levi for support as I giggle about being over dramatic. He doesn’t answer me though, and I know where this is going.

Yes, I know that he's my ex

But can't two people reconnect?

I only see him as a friend

(The biggest lie I ever said)

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex

But can't two people reconnect?

I only see him as a friend

I just tripped and fell into his bed

Now I'm gettin' in the car, wreckin' all my plans

I know I should stop, but I can't

And I told my friends I was asleep

But I never said where or in whose sheets

And I pull up to your place on the second floor

And you're standing, smiling at the door

And I'm sure I've seen much hotter men

But I really can't remember when

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” I say, and Levi doesn’t answer, instead pressing himself closer to me. We’re on his couch, my shoes are god knows where. My shirt is somewhere else entirely while his hands fumble with the back of my bra. Had we both been sober we would’ve been past this by now, but we’re not.

“Shut up and help me. I cant think with you like this.” Levi says, clearly frustrated. I sigh and shake my head, sitting up. He sits and stares at me before I say it again.

“ Levi this is wrong.” I say, and he frowns. He stands and moves away from me, on the farther side of his living room. “Your right.” He says, looking down. He stands by his large windows, the balcony showing behind him. It’s dark out, the street lights doing nothing but define his body even more than it already is. I shouldn’t be thinking like this.

This is wrong.

He has a girlfriend.

He cheated on me. With Petra. He isn’t mine anymore, he’s her’s.

If Megumi knew he would kill me. If he was here he would be so disappointed. I look back at Levi, who’s looking at me. His eyes are trailing down my body, and for the first time in a long time I feel self conscious under his gaze.

It’s been so long.

If Megumi was here he’d ask why I would do this to him.

But he isn’t here.

“Ah fuck it.” I say, standing and walking over to him. He doesn’t have time to question me. I pull him into a kiss, moving to undo the straps of my bra, letting it fall off my shoulders. “This is probably a bad idea.” I say against his lips, and he laughs, his hand tapping my thigh, before I feel him pick me up.

“Maybe, but it’s the best thing we’ve ever agreed on.”

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts (I cannot hear my thoughts)

Like blah-blah-blah (blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

Should probably not

I should probably, probably not

I should probably, probably not

Seeing you tonight

It's a bad idea, right?

Seeing you tonight

It's a bad idea, right?

Seeing you tonight

It's a bad idea, right?

Seeing you tonight

Fuck it, it's fine

“Levi- Levi fuck-“ It’s hard to be quiet now. The blankets aren’t even on the bed anymore, neither are our clothes. Levi doesn’t let up though, his forehead against mine.

“What? Missed me too much?” He asks, but he doesn’t let me answer, instead his lips crash into mine, teeth smacking against one another in a hungry kiss. My legs wrap tighter around his waist, pulling him closer.

“I did. Fuck, I’m close.” I say, almost entirely out of breath. The heavy breathing makes me lightheaded, the pillows long scattered off the bed, so my head hits the mattress.

“He can’t fuck you like I can. He doesn’t know you like I do.” Levi says, his brows scrunched up together. He’s upset.

“He doesn’t, he could never.” I say back, and it’s true. Megumi was nice, he was a good guy. But he wasn’t Levi. Levi grins at this, grabbing my face and pulling me into a rough kiss. It’s enough to make my back arch, enough to send me over the edge.

This is a horrible idea.

But if it’s so bad why does it feel so good?

Yes, I know that he's my ex

But can't two people reconnect?

I only see him as a friend

(The biggest lie I ever said)

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex

But can't two people reconnect?

I only see him as a friend

I just tripped and fell into his bed

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex

Can't two people reconnect?

The biggest lie I ever said

I just tripped and fell into his bed

My brain goes-

I can't hear my thoughts

The biggest lie I ever said

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts

I just tripped and fell into his bed

[cherryrainn]

━━ ✧ 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫

─ ✩ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ; glamrock freddy + reader (platonic)

─ ✩ 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ; going through a tough time so i wrote this. glamrock freddy's one of my comfort characters and i just needed to do a little something to feel a bit better </3

─ ✩ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ; mental health struggles, past self-harm, depression, and coping with emotional pain

the pizzaplex was alive with the sound of children's laughter, colorful lights, and the cheerful melodies of arcade games. but for you, the day had been anything but cheerful. it wasn't the demanding work at the pizzaplex that was wearing you down, but the constant battle with your own mental health.

as you navigated through the bustling pizzeria, you felt like an outsider in your own life, disconnected from the world around you. anxiety, stress, and exhaustion clung to you like a heavy shroud, making even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming.

and as you glanced at the stage, you saw freddy and all your other friends in all their magnificent glory, performing for a delighted audience. their bright and vibrant presence only served as a stark contrast to the darkness that seemed to surround you.

all you wanted in that moment was to escape, to find solace in the one best friend who had always been there for you, freddy. he had a way of making you feel like a superstar, even on your worst days.

you leaned against the table you were cleaning, feeling utterly defeated.

a small boy, no older than seven or eight, approached your table, his face twisted into a mocking grin. he pointed at the sponge in your hand and sneered, "why are you cleaning? are you too stupid to do anything else?"

normally, such taunts from kids barely registered with you, but today, they struck a chord. the words cut deeper than you'd care to admit, and a lump formed in your throat.

"i'm just doing my job, kid. everyone here is supposed to help keep the pizzaplex clean."

the child, undeterred, continued to mock you. "yeah, but you're probably so dumb that they won't let you do anything else. my mom says people like you are just losers."

the words stung, and you felt a lump in your throat as you clenched your fists. you tried to remind yourself that it was just a child's thoughtless taunts, but today, it felt like a relentless assault on your already fragile self-esteem.

with a heavy heart, you decided not to engage further with the taunting child. you muttered a resigned "whatever" under your breath and turned your attention back to your task.

after a few more moments of cleaning, the child seemed to lose interest and scampered off to join his friends. you let out a sigh of relief as you watched him go, grateful that you didn't have to endure any more of his hurtful comments.

after finishing your cleaning duties, you couldn't bear to stay in the main area any longer. you retreated to a staff-only room, a small space tucked away from the bustling pizzeria. your headache was intensifying, and you desperately needed a moment to collect your thoughts.

sitting down in one of the chairs, you rested your head in your hands, the pounding in your temples growing stronger. the weight of the day, the unkind words from the child, and the relentless thoughts in your mind had taken a toll on you.

as you rubbed your temples, you absentmindedly pushed up the sleeve of your shirt, revealing a glimpse of your past self-harm scars. the sight of those faded marks served as a painful reminder of your struggles, a visual representation of the battles you'd fought in the past.

the room felt suffocating, and you hated yourself for ever resorting to such harmful coping mechanisms. the self-loathing welled up inside you, and you berated yourself for not being stronger, for not moving beyond your past mistakes.

your eyes filled with tears, and you couldn't help but whisper harshly to yourself, "why can't i just be okay?"

you heard the door to the room creak open. in walked freddy, the animatronic superstar himself. he seemed to have finished his performance, and his presence brought a sense of comfort to the room.

freddy's giant frame took up a significant portion of the space as he entered, his robotic joints creaking softly with each step. he turned his bright, expressive eyes toward you, and a smile formed on his painted lips. "ah, superstar," he said warmly, "i've been looking for you."

you managed a weak smile in return, appreciating his concern but unable to voice your troubles. you didn't want to burden him with your problems, especially when he was such a beacon of positivity and cheer.

freddy's eyes studied you for a moment, as if he could sense something was amiss. "is everything all right?" he asked, his voice gentle but tinged with a hint of worry.

you nodded, not trusting yourself to speak without your emotions spilling over. you tried to maintain the façade of being okay, not wanting to trouble him with your personal struggles.

freddy's gaze shifted to your rolled-up sleeves, and he noticed the faded scars on your arms. concern deepened in his bright eyes as he gently pointed at them. "superstar," he began, his voice laced with genuine concern, "what happened to your arms? why do you have those marks?"

you sighed, realizing that it would be hard for him to comprehend. "they're old scars from a time when i… well, when i was really struggling. i used to hurt myself as a way to cope with all the pain and stress."

freddy's eyes filled with sadness and sympathy as he tried to grasp the concept. "but why? why would you hurt yourself when you were already hurting? it doesn't make any sense."

you nodded, understanding his confusion. "i know it doesn't make sense, freddy. it was a way for me to release the emotional pain i felt. but it wasn't healthy or the right way to cope. i've been working on finding better ways to handle my feelings, and i've come a long way since then."

freddy tilted his head, his curiosity unabated. "what are those better ways? how do you deal with your feelings now?"

you hesitated for a moment, pondering how to explain your current struggles and the lack of support in your life. "it's not easy. i don't have therapy or any professional help, so i just try to deal with it on my own. sometimes, it feels like my life is dreadful, and i'm not sure what to do."

a heavy silence hung in the air for a moment, and then freddy spoke again. "okay. i want to help. even if i don't understand completely, i want to be there for you. let's think of some things that might make you feel better. how about... dancing like nobody's watching?"

you chuckled softly at the thought of a giant animatronic bear dancing to lift your spirits. "that's a sweet idea, freddy, but it's a little hard to dance when i'm feeling so drained."

freddy's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. "how about we start with something simple? maybe we can find a hobby you enjoy. drawing, listening to music, or even trying out some mazercise moves with roxanne? it's a great way to get moving and feel good!"

you chuckled at his suggestions. "drawing sounds nice. i used to enjoy it when i was younger. and i guess i could give mazercise a try, even though i'm not as athletic as you guys."

freddy beamed, delighted that you were willing to give his ideas a chance. "that's the spirit, superstar! we can even do them together. i'll be your mazercise partner, and you can teach me how to draw."

you agreed, feeling a warmth in your heart as freddy tried his best to support you. it might not be a perfect solution, but his presence and willingness to help made a world of difference.

[frogmanfae]

Quill Kipps X GN! Reader- coffee date

Summary: Quill Kipps asks you on a date, George hates him, and Lockwood is oblivious. You go anyway and talk about pretty much nothing, which is nice when you have the whole world on your shoulders at any given moment

A/n- this feels rushed to me but I still think it's cute

*Reader pov*

"What did he want?"

"Jeez, George let me come in before you start bombarding me with questions." I pushed past him and set my bag on the floor.

"Well? Did he offer you a job at Fittes? He wants to take you, I knew it!"

"I'm not going to Fittes. Calm down. He just wanted to chat. As acquaintances. Normal people. He didn't offer me a job."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. You can't get rid of me so easily. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go out again. I just came back for my wallet."

I grabbed my wallet and ignored George's glare as I walked back out the door. Letting out a sigh, I went to the local shopping center.

The truth is, I had actually been returning home to just stay there, but Kipps stopped me across the street and asked me out for coffee. I'll be honest, I know my friends hate him, but I think he's a nice guy. He seems genuine enough, especially since his gift faded almost completely and he became a supervisor as opposed to a group leader. He's less stuck up anymore.

However, after I had accepted, I realized I had no clothes to wear to a casual date. My wardrobe was almost exclusively athletic clothes for work and about two very fancy outfits for formal events.

I went through a few stores before I eventually just decided to wear a nice long sleeve v-neck and some nice jeans. Nothing fancy, but better than basketball shorts and a stained hoodie.

Once I got back home, George still seemed upset but didn't say anything as I made my way up to my room I shared with Lucy, but she was on a trip to see her ghost locked friend this weekend, so it was just me. I changed into comfier clothes and got into bed.

It was still early morning, but the sleep schedule of an agent is all over the place. We're mostly nocturnal because we work all our cases during the night. George and Lockwood are likely to be getting to sleep pretty soon too.

We didn't work a case last night so it's a bit of a struggle to fall asleep. I usually get so exhausted I'm barely able to make it to bed at all.

I listen to my surroundings. Lockwood and George are arguing about something I can't make out. There's young children laughing outside. There are some birds singing in the trees by my window. And now it doesn't take long for me to fall asleep.

*time skip*

I get up at eight o'clock pm. A bit of an early day for any of us, but honestly I'd rather not be seen leaving anyway. It's to my benefit George and Lockwood are asleep.

I get dressed in the outfit I bought yesterday. Suddenly, it doesn't seem as nice as it did in the shop. I frown and try to fix it but to no avail. I just sigh and go downstairs, writing a note telling the others I've gone to the library. I grab my bag and begin heading out the door when I hear a voice.

"Where are you off to at such an hour?"

I whip around. "Lockwood! You scared me!" I huff. "Just the library."

"Are those jeans?"

"Yes? What about them?"

"I didn't even know you owned a pair. Why so dapper for the library?"

"I just felt like it. Now can I please leave? They close in an hour and I've still got to walk there."

He motions toward the door. "Have at it. I'll see you later." I turn the knob again. "Oh! One more thing! I don't know who it is you're meeting with, but tell them I said hello." He smiled and ducked back into the library, leaving me there with my mouth agape.

I looked at my watch; 8:30. "Shit!" I run out and get a cab to take me to the cafe Kipps agreed to meet me at. I tip the driver before rushing into the building to see Kipps sitting at a booth alone.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! I got a bit held up at the agency." I sit across from him.

"Oh! It's no matter! I was actually running a bit late myself." He smiled. "One of our new recruits is a bit nervous and I had to calm him down so he didn't quit."

"Goodness that's stressful."

"All in a day's work. What's your drink, I'll go get it for you."

"Oh no I couldn't possibly-"

"I asked you to accompany me, so I'll be the one paying, okay? Now, what would you like?"

I smile. "A (f/d) please."

"Coming right up." He goes to the counter to order both of our drinks.

He returns a few minutes later and slides mine in front of me. "One (f/d) just for you."

"Thank you very much, Sir Kipps."

"Oh please, call me Quill." He waves his hand. "I'm not your rival anymore. Well, not directly."

I nod. "Right, you just train our rivals now." I laugh a bit. "It's alright, I can't imagine I've got much longer with my gift."

"It's not that bad after a while. Sure, at first you think your entire world is collapsing, but you get used to it." He shrugs as he takes a sip of his drink. "But let's talk about something else. I want to get to know you outside of work."

I nod. "I'd like that."

"So... What do you like to do? For fun?"

"Hm... I like going to the movies. And the library. And there's this place in my hometown where you can go to just break stuff, lots of fun."

"That sounds awesome!"

"Right? I'll have to take you sometime, it's brilliant!"

"Does that mean you're interested in this being a regular occurrence?"

"I'm not opposed to the idea." I take a drink. "Though, I didn't tell anyone I was meeting with you."

"Ooh, risky~" he flexed his eyebrows.

I scoffed. "As if. I could take you down if need be."

"Honestly, I don't doubt that." He looks at me.

We both just start laughing. It's nice to finally have some new company that I don't live with.

We stay there for about an hour before he has to go to work. Before he leaves, he hesitantly kisses my cheek. "Give me a ring, will you?"

"Uh- Yeah! Yeah, of- of course." I bumble out.

He chuckles. "I'll see you around."

"Be careful tonight!"

"I always am! But I'll be extra careful! Just for you!" He smiles and waves as he walks out the door. I start my way back home, keeping an eye out for any early visitors.

I get back rather quickly, only to find George standing by the stairs. "Where've you been?"

"Out. Didn't you read my note?"

"I don't believe it. You were out with Kipps weren't you?"

"No. Whats it matter anyway?"

"Because I am essentially your brother, I worry about you."

"There's no need. I was alone and back before the curfew bells rang. It's all fine. Now, if you'll excuse me-" I push past him. "I need to get out of these clothes and into some sweatpants."

I go up to my room and change into my athletic clothes. We don't have a case to work tonight, so it's going to just be a chill night in. I go to the library and sit next to Lockwood.

"How was your date?" He asks, not looking up from his magazine.

"It wasn't a date!"

"If you say so..." He turns the page.

"... It went well."

"Well how splendid." He looks at me. "Mind telling me who it is if you're going on a second?"

"You know, I think I'll wait to disclose such details for a while longer."

I smile. It's refreshing to have something to myself. Nobody demanding for me to share. It's just something for me.

Me and Quill is just my little bit of information. Splendid.

[gildengirl]

Abby and Townsend Headcanons

Things that Edward Townsend loves about Abigail Cameron:

Her eyes. Those gorgeous green eyes. They're a mix of hazel tones and emerald hues with a brightness to them that goes beyond the colour. Townsend doesn't stand a chance against them.

Abby has this walk. He can't tell if it stems from her legs or her hips, or what it really is about her movements that are so mesmerizing. All he knows is that his heartbeat still jumps at the sight of Abigail Cameron walking towards him.

Her hair. It's true that Abigail Cameron could be the star of a shampoo commercial, but it isn't so much the look of it as it is the feel of it. The most at peace Townsend's ever felt is falling asleep with her head on his chest and his fingers in her hair, while he wonders how it is that the strongest and bravest woman he's ever known can still be so soft and gentle—and how on earth is he the one who gets to hold her?

Her smile. Her laugh. Her generally sunny disposition. He's seen it win over assets, diffuse the tensest of situations, and coax out the kind of information that people would usually take to the grave before giving up. As much as it's part of her spycraft—her charisma, her charm, and everything that makes her magnetic and unforgettable and Abigail Cameron—he knows that it's just as much a part of her. He doesn't ever want to think about what his life would be like without her constant bursts of sunlight.

Her scars. As much as he hates to think about how she got them and who put them there, each one is a testament to perhaps the truest fact about Abigail Cameron: she isn't one to sit back and watch the people she cares about get hurt. Once he would have seen them as the markings of her rather reckless character, but he's come to understand and admire the constellation that she's acquired over the course of her career. He always makes sure to kiss every single one.

Her heart. It's the compulsive catalyst that sends her jumping in front of bullets. It's the reason behind every scar she's ever collected. It's what keeps her fighting for whoever is lucky enough to be loved by her, and from it blooms a kind of loyalty that he'd never want to be on the other side of. And really, it's her heart that made him fall in love with her. He'll love it as long as his own is beating.

Things that Abigail Cameron loves about Edward Townsend:

His eyes. They're a piercing icy blue that makes Abby melt every time. With the help of his height, Abby could spot them across a dark, crowded room in an instance.

His voice, and more specifically, his accent. It has a certain effect on her and that's all I'm going to say about that...

Townsend is such a nerd. He always seems to know the most obscure historical facts about England, he's read The Lord of the Rings more than ten times (at this point, Abby highly suspects the man knows Elvish), and his favourite book is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of which he has multiple editions. "Seriously, you think I have too many pairs of shoes, but you have eight—nine copies of Sherlock Holmes?" "You do have too many pairs of shoes." "NINE COPIES?!?" "What's your point, Abigail?" "It's the same book!" As much as she teases him about it, there's just something about his intellect and academic quirks that gets to her.

Townsend has this soft, tempered smile that almost entirely belongs to Abby, and she totally knows it. Over the years, Abby sees it slip onto Townsend's face for Zach, for Cammie, for their own kids, and all of Abby's family that Townsend now considers his own. It makes her love it even more.

His arms. They're where she finds peace, where she calls home. She's never been a woman that needs saving, but the safest she ever feels is when his arms are around her, holding her tight. Somehow everything always becomes quiet and slow, and she feels she finally knows what it is to be loved.

Townsend is stoic. He's the strong and silent type to a T. And while Abby enjoys the thrill that comes from getting a rise out of him, there's nothing else that grounds her more—that comforts her more than his quiet and confident nature. He's the calm, still, blue water to her wild and raging storm. She's pretty sure she'd be lost at sea without him.

[terrence-silver]

"Sooner or later, you'll understand. I had to do this. This is for your own good, okay? Let me take care of you."

I love this for Terry. As terrifying and restrictive and authoritarian as he most definitely is, under the surface, I feel like there's a little ember of well-meaning there. Because his way is obviously the best and only way.

---

Terry is good.

Terry Silver is good.

He's done so good.

Sure, the room to your chambers is locked, and you had carved iron bars on all of your windows installed as a precaution, but that was the way it has to be because it is an extreme measure in a likewise extreme situation. Because you're acting extreme, so he counters you in extreme ways, his hand extremely pushed. Don't you know that the energy you put out into the world is the energy you'll inadvertently get back? The glass you pour into is the glass you drink from? Especially where he was concerned? That if you bite him he'll simply neuter you? De-claw and skin you singlehandedly so you can't do that shit anymore, keeping your hide and teeth as trophies? All these things; plush, velvet gold-embroidered thread pillows. Egyptian cotton covers. Heavy brocade drapes. Antiques. Persian carpets. Original Majolica lamps. Cobalt decorations drawn out in silver ornaments. A window overlooking the skyline of Los Angeles from The Hills for your abode - all of it at the palm of your hand. He's done so well. For you. Terry could and would do even better, if you only let him. There's a pool on the ground-floor. An army of staff, waiting to serve you. A wardrobe he's compiled for you that you haven't even had a chance to check. Twenty eight cars in just one the garages alone. Artwork and jewelry. A private plane, willing to take you anywhere. And him, just a corridor away from your room. What kind of idiot says no to heaven? One in need of being taught a lesson, clearly. And since you were Terry Silver's idiot, the task and the right was his and his alone.

-"Sooner or later, you'll understand. I had to do this. This is for your own good, okay? Let me take care of you."-

He reasons with you, from the other side of the locked door, caressing its edges, like a lover does. Not because he's afraid of you or your tiny, downright amusing fists banging on the hard, massive wooden surface --- far from it --- it entertained him almost, and aggrieved him just as much; this lack of appreciation on your part; Terry could easily subdue you in one swift move and avoiding physical confrontation was not why this door was placed between you and him --- but because you did't deserve to see him. You've been ungrateful. You've lacked discipline. You weren't ready to receive. And he'd teach you to how to receive, in due time. Taught you would be. If you simply smashed up the whole chamber you were kept in and all the beautiful things in it, you'd sleep in a messy, sad wreckage, and that would serve no one but your own discomfort. If you rejected all the fine food you were brought, you'd merely go hungry and torment yourself. If you spat at him he'd wipe it off with his finger placed into his mouth and smile at you, tasting it. But, you wouldn't leave. You wouldn't. Because if an animal could be made to understand --- if an animal that bites could be tamed, have its claws cut, if it could be trained, collared, taught to sit, stand to attention, to expect its bowl when fed, to accept pets, to allow itself be bathed and taught tricks, why should people be any different? Thing is, they weren't. An owner didn't hate their pet when they'd come to the decision to give their animal a time-out by ushering them into their fenced off pen.

It was discipline, and discipline was love. It could be, yes.

Because it taught a higher, more polished form of self.

Got rid of all the weakness, limitations, grime and unnecessary chaos --- all doubt --- took a loved form of rough, rugged clay and made it greater than it ever thought it could become, leaving the doors open for growth and opportunity, and once you were ready to receive, your doors, both figurative and literal, would open too --- and Terry would be patient and wait on the other side, because Terry was good. He could be so good if you only let him.

[fangirlwriting-stories]

They Say You Can't Fight Fate (I Say Fucking Watch Me)

Chapter One

Author's Note: And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading this one, it was a tad spontaneous, but I really loved writing it, and I'm glad it got an ending when I wasn't quite sure when I posted it. I hope you enjoyed!

Chapter Eight:

Remus was almost scared to admit it sometimes, but things were good.  He’d never expected to have the freedom to work with people he loved, doing something he at least didn’t hate, and not have to worry about stupid soulmates or stupid orderlies or stupid people never believing him.

Roman seemed to be doing much better with the therapist, though Remus was loath to admit it.  But he was happy, and that made Remus happy too.  Logan was still amazing fun to hang out with, and Remus was definitely not imagining the blushes that were starting to be sent his way.  He was going to have to bring them up sooner rather than later.  Especially considering Virgil finally got his head out of his ass, realized how stupid waiting for your soulmate was, and decided to kiss Janus about it.  The two of them weren’t any less argumentative, but now quite a few of those arguments ended with the break room being mysteriously locked.  It annoyed Roman to death, but Remus thought it was hilarious.

Overall, though, life was starting to look up in a very real way, and even if there were still problems, Remus was starting to feel like it was something he might be able to handle.

He should have known it wouldn’t last.

It was a quiet Saturday, which was unusual, but it being unusual meant all four of them were scheduled to work, so they were lazing around at the front desk and tossing life stories and quips back and forth (well, with most of the stories coming from people other than Remus).

Remus was sitting on the desk and leaning back on his hands, listening to the others, smiling as he watched them.  Roman was arguing with Virgil about what movies to watch when they had a Disney marathon, and Janus was only cutting in to feed the flames of their argument.  Remus, on the other hand, was allowing himself a moment to be a sap and think about how much he loved the three of them, and how much he’d appreciated everything they’d done for him.

And then the bell jingled, and a horribly familiar voice yelled “REMUS!”

Remus went stiff immediately, and Roman whirled around from where he was arguing with Virgil and jumped forward in the same motion, surprising everyone except for Remus with how quickly he moved forward and shoved himself in front of him.

“Hey, woah,” Virgil said, moving forward at the same time Janus turned around.  “What’s going on?”

Their Mom and Dad both stepped forward, and Remus could see Roman shaking as badly as he was, but he didn’t move from his spot in front of him.

“What on earth are you two doing here?” their dad said, looking back and forth between them both.

“Uh, sorry,” Virgil said, and to Remus’ surprise, he stepped forward and pushed both Roman and Remus further behind him.  “But we have a strict policy against serving people who give our employees visible fear responses.”

“Step aside, young man,” their father said, crossing his arms.  “We’re here to speak with our sons.”

Virgil exchanged a look with Janus, and Remus could see the exact moment that something processed for the two of them.  He felt a little sick, but instead he just grabbed Roman’s arm and squeezed it, and Roman linked their hands and squeezed back.

“Get off of the premises right now,” Janus said lowly, pointing a finger out the door.  “Or I am calling the police.”

“No!” Remus screamed, and Janus turned in surprise to him.

Police would be on their parents side as soon as they even started to explain the situation.  They’d send Remus back, and who knows what they’d do with Roman, and Remus would never see him or Janus or Virgil ever again.

“Remus,” their mother said, stepping forward and holding her hands out.  “We just want to help you—”

“No, get away from me, stay away!” Remus screamed, backing up and pulling Roman with him.

“Fine,” Virgil said, shifting and putting himself firmly in front of Roman and Remus.  “Get off the premises right now or I will run into the other room and grab one of our fucking bats.  And rest assured I am not afraid to use it.”

“Don’t involve yourself in situations you couldn’t have the slightest hope of understanding,” their father said, crossing his arms and glaring at Virgil.

“I understand enough,” Virgil growled.  “I understand you’re scaring the hell out of two of the bravest people I know.”

“You listen here—”

Remus turned, grabbed Roman’s arm, and ran them both into the other room, because Virgil had a good idea there and he was going to take advantage of it.  Roman seemed to pick up on his plan after a second and thankfully grabbed a bat too.  Before they headed back out, he grabbed Remus’ arm.  “How far are you planning on going?” he asked quietly.

“I have no fucking clue,” Remus said, and banged the door open, startling everyone on the other side of it.

“Get out of here,” Remus said, hoisting up the bat behind his head.  “Or I am going to fucking kill you.”

Both of his parents stared at him for a minute, and then his father sighed and put his hands on his hips, looking exasperated.

“Remus, don’t be ridiculous,” he started.

Remus screamed and slammed the bat into the wall, putting a hole right through it.  “LISTEN TO ME!” he screamed.

Well, now at least his father looked a little frightened.

“Remus,” his mother said, her voice shaking.  “Stop it, you’re causing a scene.”

“Good!  I want to!  Get the fuck out of here or I am going to slam this bat into the space between your eyes, if that is what it takes to get you the fuck out of my life!  I am happy here!  I have Roman and I have friends and I have someone I might want to actually date sometime, and I am not going to let you fuck it up again!”

“You shouldn’t be dating anyone, they’re not your soulmate—” Remus’ father started.

“No, Roman is my soulmate,” Remus said, taking a couple steps forward until, to his vicious delight, his parents took a couple steps back.  “Because I fucking say so!  That is my choice, you don’t get a say in it!  You don’t get any say in my life anymore, because every time you have one, you fuck it up!  You fucked me up and you fucked Roman up too, and I am not going to let you stay here and fuck anyone or anything else up!  So I suggest you turn around and run home with your tails between your legs.  Because I don’t want to die, but you know something?  I’m starting to think I wouldn’t mind so much if you did.”

Neither of his parents said anything, just gaped at him in shock and a still-not-appropriate-enough amount of fear.

Janus and Virgil were both staring at him too, but Remus was trying very hard not to look at them right now.  That became a little more difficult however, when after a second Janus shook himself and turned around, glaring at Remus’ parents.

“Bye,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Both of Remus’ parents looked at him again.  Remus smacked his bat against his hand.  They turned and fled.

As soon as they were out of sight, everything rushed out of Remus at once, and he dropped to his knees and sobbed, the bat clattering to his feet beside him.

A moment later a second bat hit the ground, and Remus felt the familiar arms of his Roman encircling him.

“It’s okay,” Roman whispered.  “It’s okay it’s okay.”

Remus turned and buried his head in his chest, trying and mostly failing to breathe in any capacity.

Then, he saw a different person kneel next to him out of the corner of his eye, and Virgil was suddenly there saying something.

“I’m gonna count to four, okay?  Try and breathe in.”

Remus listened and tried to do what he said, and eventually his breathing got a little stabler, though he was still crying, and he definitely didn’t want to let go of Roman.

“Okay,” came Janus’ voice, and he knelt down on Remus’ other side.  “We’re closed up, no one else is coming in today.”

“‘m sorry,” Remus managed.

“For what?” Virgil said firmly, looking meaningfully at him.

Remus sniffed.  “For damaging the wall,” he said with a weak smile.  “‘m not supposed to do that.”

Virgil burst into laughter, smiling back at Remus and shaking his head.  “I love you, you idiot,” he said.

Remus sniffed again, his smile fading.  “You want an explanation?”

“We don’t need one,” Janus said.

Remus turned to stare at him.  “You’re telling me you aren’t curious?”

“Remus, I have been desperately curious for months now,” Janus said.  “But last time we tried to talk about something before you were ready it went really, really poorly.”

Roman nudged Remus gently from the front, and Remus looked up at him.  “I think it’s time,” he said quietly.

Remus looked at him for a minute, and he nodded.  “‘Kay,” he mumbled.  He blinked a couple times, and then grabbed Roman’s still-shaking arms.  “You okay?”

Roman let out a shaky breath and shook his head, some tears slipping past his eyes.

Remus climbed up and wrapped his arms tightly around Roman, and Roman took his turn to cry into Remus’ shoulder.

When they both felt a little more stable, Remus turned to look at Janus, then Virgil, trying to think of how to start.  Finally, he sighed.

“Here,” he said, pulling his sleeve up and showing them both his soulmark.  Janus raised an eyebrow, and Virgil just looked at it, his face not revealing anything.

“Mom and Dad wouldn’t ever listen when I told them I was okay,” Remus said quietly, pulling his sleeve back down.  “And eventually they tossed me into a mental hospital, looking for something to justify their stupid beliefs and insane paranoia.”

“I kinda got the opposite treatment,” Roman said, pulling up his own sleeve and laying it out in front of them, but just leaving it there instead of pulling it back down.  “I told them I wasn’t okay, over and over, but they never let me not be.”

“So we ran,” Remus said.  “Decided we were soulmates, said each other’s soulmarks, and just ran away.”

Virgil whistled, leaning back on his hands.  “Well, shit.”

“I’m so sorry,” Janus said quietly.

Remus let out a shaky breath.  “Yeah,” he said, “me too.”

“We kind of lied about being eighteen for the first couple months we were here,” Roman said.

Janus snorted.  “Oh, we knew.”

Remus laughed a little, giving him a tired smile.

“I vote we all head back to Janus’ and I’s place,” Virgil said.  “We’re taking tomorrow off to watch movies and stuff our faces with junk food.”

“I’m so down with that plan,” Remus said.

“Eventually we’re going to need to figure out a plan to keep you both safe long term,” Janus said.  “But I think Remus bought us all some time there.  It will also help now that you’re both actually eighteen.”

“I like that plan,” Roman said, giving an exhausted nod.

“For now let’s go home though,” Virgil said, standing.  “I’m gonna go pull the car around.  Just meet me out front whenever you can manage.”

“Hey,” Remus said, looking between Virgil and Janus.  “Thank you.  Both of you.  So much.”

Janus reached over and gave Remus a squeeze, and then Virgil leaned down and did the same.

“Of course,” Virgil said.  “We look out for each other when we work shitty service jobs together.”

Remus laughed and smiled up at him, and Virgil gave him a smirk as he headed out to the car.

Janus helped him and Roman both stand up a second later, and they all headed for the exit at a leisurely pace.

And as they stepped out front to head towards movies and junk foods, and Remus climbed into the car with his brother and two closest friends, he realized maybe the good part of life would last after all.