#i did this on the fly this is not quality work yall | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

littlemisslipbalm · 4 years

Text

I live in the neighbourhood

When Y/N moved to Hampstead she was unaware of the implications the decision would have on the course of the rest of her life.

Harry is Y/N’s eccentric neighbour who sweeps her up in the whirlwind that is his life

this gif bc its maybe my favorite clip of him EVER holy fuck - this is the harry of my dreams this is the harry of i live in the neighbourhood

HEY YALL it’s been a minute and I missed yall so much and I’m just about to be on break so maybe i’ll be back to posting writing regularly but with school its so hard and I think I’ve been working on this for months so yeah <3 lol PLS PLS PLS leave me feedback and reblogs and that stuff bc otherwise my writing just feels...empty and you have no idea the smile i get when even just the tags say like “god this was everything” it can be anything honestly but it keeps my passion up. Thank you again and hope you enjoy.

Word Count: ~10k | Warnings: swearing probably? no smut (yet), rich and famous harry - mentions of Taylor Swif

She considered herself an average young woman in her mid twenties. She liked screaming Taylor Swift and Megan Thee Stallion songs alone in her car and thrifting on weekends. She hated cable because of commercials and when doordash didn’t deliver all of her order. She had asthma when she worked out or the air quality was bad. She had dumb celebrity crushes that her friends and her still laughed over with every new instagram post. She had hopes and dreams she had yet to achieve and she had past trauma that many would never know about, especially at first glance.

Sure, she was successful. She would admit that. How else would she be able to afford even the modest little house she had found in Hampstead? She had studied international business in college and hopped on a plane to London the first chance she got. After a few years of a more than decent paycheck and an advantageous stimulus check from her kind parents, she was able to move out of her starter flat into the suburbs. The definitive push for the move was two-fold. Her parents wanted her to take her dog and her apartment complex was strict on no pets. Then her promotion at work - which included a pay raise - made it hard to wave off taking full ownership of her childhood ten-pound best friend.

So with life happening as it usually does, Y/N first found herself scouring Zillow, then touring homes in the area, and finally standing outside a three bedroom, two bath, two-story cream house in Hampstead. Her house.

The little moving truck she had rented sat beside her as she stared at her future. The realtor had told her they would be there in ten minutes. For the next ten minutes all Y/N had to do was keep herself from combusting, or worse, sobbing.

She felt overwhelmed already. Renting a flat in London was one way to describe herself as independent. Owning a home in Hampstead seemed like a whole new level of adulthood she wasn’t sure if she was prepared for.

After taking a few deep breaths to ground herself, Y/N walked up to the gate that kept her front yard narrowly separated from the sidewalk. She lifted one hand from beneath the box she clutched tightly to her chest to push past the iron-rod gateway. The garden was cute, a little bland, and she thought to herself that maybe she’d develop some gardening skills now that she had her own front yard. The thought made her smile a little, refraining from laughing aloud while on her lonesome, since she had never taken interest in gardening before. But this house. This house. It was a new beginning. It was a fucking unwritten journal. Blank film. Unknown territory. She could be anyone in this house.

She gently placed the cardboard box on the first step up to the front door. There was no porch, but she couldn’t complain. It was gorgeous and she was lucky to get it at the price she did. The house was cream with dark blue accents and a grey shingled roof. Lots of windows. It was classic and it was hers.

After the realtor came with her keys and made sure everything seemed alright, Y/N’s couple of friends, Amélie and Daniel, arrived with their cars filled with items she had needed picking up from various stores. They helped her move her stuff into the house. Thankfully it was already half furnished, meaning she didn’t have to go out and buy beds or couches or any of those big items that are both expensive and a hassle to deal with.

By the time the evening had rolled around, everything was in the house and it actually seemed semi put together. Y/N looked around, sweat apparent on her face and hands on her hips, proud of what she had accomplished. The nerves from earlier had been drowned by pride.

The next day, she woke up from her first night in the house. It felt like a dream even though she was sure she was awake.

She had to navigate her way to the airport today to pick up her dog from his long flight and then mainly settle into the house. Her house sat on Sherwood Avenue, one of the many streets in Hampstead. It’s neighboring houses were much larger. The ones directly next to and across from her weren’t drastically bigger but what she had yet to learn was that next to the house across from her there were two houses that had been joined together by their slightly eccentric owner. A man who would be the match that ignited the flame that was the rest of her life.

This unknown fact quickly became known after Y/N’s first few weeks in her new neighbourhood. The eccentric - more so absurdly rich - neighbor who conjoined the houses was Harry Styles.

The first time they crossed paths she wasn’t even aware of it. It was the day she moved in. He had been out for his usual morning run and was rounding the corner when she had pulled up in her moving van. Once inside his home, he snoopily watched on as his neighbour began to move in. He hadn’t taken note of much about her, just that she was new and that she had a nice pair of jeans on that day.

The second time, Y/N was convinced she needed to get her eyes checked because there was no way that she had just seen Harry Styles key himself into the house across the way from her. There was no way that she had moved into the same area as him, let alone the same street. It seemed far more plausible that she needed a psych evaluation or a strong glasses prescription.

But the third instance of them crossing paths, she was proven wrong. She was on her way back from the neighbourhood park when she saw a guy jogging towards her. With a yellow beanie and a black Columbia sweatshirt paired with running shorts and shoes, he was hard to ignore running straight towards her. The iconic curls, strong jawline, and soft green eyes were dead giveaways this time. After making brief eye contact as their paths literally crossed, she felt herself make a little face of odd interest. Her head quirked and her eyes narrowed, lips pursed with slight confusion. That was definitely him.

After that, she found herself seeing Harry around the neighbourhood a relatively good amount. She’d see him at the park, at the coffee shop, on their street, and more. They didn’t speak. She really didn’t think he would want to be bothered by his neighbours and she certainly wasn’t willing to test the theory. They sometimes gave a small smile of acknowledgement but nothing really friendly. Just ‘you exist and I know that’.

Fridays are Y/N’s favorite day. It’s the beginning of the weekend, she never has to go into work and it’s simply a nice day. People are happier, they smile brighter and it just seems like the world is a little better than usual.

Friday was especially amazing today because her childhood best friend, Cate, was arriving at London Heathrow in the evening. Y/N had begged Cate to fly out to see the new house in person and Cate had finally found the time to run away to England for a week.

She shut her front door carefully behind her and placed her headphones in her ears. Rori, that little terrier, who had made a similar flight to see Y/N’s place not too long ago, scampered out the door with her and jumped happily at her legs as she fiddled with her phone. Her coat ruffles around her disturbed from the morning air. It’s blanket-like fabric that consisted of a deep blue backdrop with felt giraffes sewn on it, kept her warm while she walked. With her mind racing with weekend plans and ideas for her and Cate to do both in Hampstead and the city, she crossed the street like usual and began to walk with her dog to the coffee shop for her morning tea.

Unlike usual, she fumbled just as she was putting her phone in her pocket and bumped into something large and definitely not sedentary.

“I’m so sorry!” She blushed and moved backwards from the man who had just been shutting his own front gate to head somewhere.

“S’alright. No harm, no foul.” He looks down at her and her dog. Rori seems excited by the stranger and sniffs him eagerly. A single paw prodding at the man’s long leg.

She grimaces, hearing the voice and stepping back allows her to fully recognize who she had just bumped into. Her neighbour. The runner. Harry Styles.

“Sorry.” She mutters again as Rori continues to prod at Harry’s leg.

She tries to coax Rori away, but Harry simply smiles and leans down to the small dog.

“Hi there buddy,” he coos and rubs the top of the fluffy dogs head, in between his pointy ears, “What’s your name?”

“Rori.” She states easily, Harry’s eyes flickering to her smoothly. Rori makes a smile babbling noise that sounds a bit like a tiny roar - hence the name - and Harry chuckles to himself.

“He’s really adorable,” he finally says and straightens up from his admiring of the dog.

The grimace becomes more of a smile on her face and she mumbles a “Thank You”.

As her neighbour - who hasn’t introduced himself (which wasn’t necessary, but still) or bothered to ask for her introduction - seems to be about to say something new when his phone begins to vibrate obnoxiously. He twitches, his large hands immediately going to his pockets for the important device. He checks the message and looks back at her face.

“Sorry, I have to run...um,” he’s not sure what to say. He really does have to go, but he doesn’t even know his neighbour’s name. He’ll have to make sure to get it at some point in the near future. Especially now that he’s acquainted with her dog.

“No worries,” she smiles completely this time, relieved for the whole interaction to be over. She felt like she was going to explode with each passing moment. In the presence of a legendary musician, c’mon, who wouldn’t be freaking out. All she could think about was how Harry Styles now knew her dog’s name. What the fuck!

Upon arriving at the airport, she waited patiently for Cate to walk out of the customs area.

When she did, the two young women began jumping up and down excitedly, Y/N squealing only slightly. They hugged and began chattering intensely, catching up on lost time that generally occurs when you live an ocean apart.

Finally, one comment rings through the constant back and forth and Cate stops.

“Wait, what did you just say,” she questions as they begin walking to catch an uber back to Hampstead.

“I think my house might be haunted?” Y/N’s voice raising because she’s unsure if that’s what Cate was talking about.

“No, no, the thing after that. I think I must’ve misheard you.”

“Harry Styles is my neighbour?” Y/N’s brows raise as she looks over at her best friend, curious to know what she will say.

“Yes! Explain. Now!”

“It’s not really a big deal. It’s a nice neighbourhood, it makes sense that celebrities of his caliber want to live there.”

“That is not explaining. You have to introduce us!”

As they climb into their uber and settle in for the short ride back to Hampstead, Y/N sighs and tells Cate everything she knows.

“We’ve only just spoken today and I’ve been here for a couple weeks. He lives across the street and down one, I guess. I just see him around, it’s not like he knows who I am. He didn’t even get my name today, just Rori’s.” She laughs lightly, still finding it funny that Harry knows her dog’s name.

Cate nods, leaning in slightly to her best friend, hardly able to contain her awestruckness from the story and baffledness at Y/N’s calmness. “So, like, when do I get to meet him?”

“Girl, I don’t fucking know. Never, if you’re going to act wild. I don’t want the neighbourhood to think I’m not chill.”

“Sometimes…” Cate starts and leans away from Y/N jokingly, “I hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

They both smile, bumping elbows silently. The song on the radio fading in louder as their words die out.

The next day, Y/N took Cate to the local park. It was expansive and connected to the football fields that local teams would play at. The park section was a luscious green that was maintained with copious amounts of watering by the township.

She and Cate settled on a patch of grass near a slender tree that would offer some shade if the sun’s rays became too harsh. The quilt they sat on was something her grandmother had made her when she was maybe 8 years old, meaning it was torn in places and completely worn in a different shade of pink than it had been initially.

They set up their picnic and played music, enjoying the sunny day. Something rare and fleeting as the fall began to creep up on Hampstead.

They eat and catch up on life for about an hour. Basking in the sunlight, Y/N had laid on her back and was staring up at the clouds passing along the sky. Cate was carefully watching their surroundings, simply taking in her friend’s new home, but possibly for another reason too.

“Hey, isn’t that…” Cate trails off, trying to subtly nod in the direction of an approaching figure.

Y/N sits up, her hands holding her up from behind her. Her hair fails in front of her shoulders slightly and it’s a little disheveled from being mused in the grass. She looks discreetly in the direction of Cate’s nodding and then looks at her friend and rolls her eyes.

“Yes, but don’t say anything, he might not even notice me and I’m certainly not calling out to him.”

‘Illicit Affairs’ by Taylor Swift is playing off her speaker and as she’s about to change it, Cate turns it up slightly. They share a glare with one another before trying to act casual again, even though both of their eyes kept flickering to the man who seemed to be continuing closer and closer to their set up.

It became clear that Harry was approaching them after all and Y/N tried to carry on an unbothered conversation with Cate, which was hard with the constant nudging of Cate’s foot on her shin.

He stops a mere foot away from their blanket, beaming at the two young women lounging on the ground. He makes an attempt at a casual wave, his large hand splaying his fingers quickly, before opening his mouth to speak.

Cate beats him to the punch. “Hello there!”

“Erm, hi!” He says nicely to her and then looks at Y/N.

“No Rori today?” He inquires.

“No,” she smiles, slightly blushing at the fact that he remembered her and her dog. “He’s napping.”

“Ah, I see,” He pauses, “I feel like I need to apologize.” He continues.

“For what?” She questions and Cate watches on anxiously, mesmerized by Harry and dying to see what happens next.

“I ran off before I could even ask for your name or introduce myself. It was terribly rude.”

“Oh,” she can’t stop smiling, “It’s nothing to apologize for, I’m sure you’re busy. Besides I had to get my day started, otherwise I would’ve been late picking her up.” She points to Cate who smiles sheepishly, still internally screaming over the fact that her friend is able to talk so easily to a celebrity.

Harry nods and looks at Cate again, “Just visiting I take it then?”

She nods quickly, words escaping her. Y/N chuckles under her breath and swoops in to save her friend any embarrassment. “Cate’s my best friend and she’s been kind enough to take time out of her extremely busy life to come look at my new house.”

He hums, still standing a respectful distance from their set-up. “Nice to meet you, Cate,” he says very kindly. Then he laughs, but in a way that is like he’s beside himself. The two women both quirk their heads at him. Y/N squints her eyes slightly, trying to understand the guy she is talking to and connecting him with the man that is all over the news all of the time for his musical genius.

“Now I know your dog and best friend’s names but still not yours. At this point, I’m begging you to tell me.”

They all laugh and Y/N feels nervous for the first time since Harry had walked up.

“You first,” she smiles slyly.

His eyes widen slightly in surprise, but then go back to normal. Harry was very smart, she likely knew his name, but one, she was trying to be funny and two, she was also trying to be courteous. He preferred to introduce himself rather than just be told who he is, even if people already knew. It allowed him to maintain some normalcy.

“‘M Harry,” He says with a smile.

“Alright.” She says and then remains quiet.

Harry’s lips quirk up in a faint smile, amused at her expression.

“I thought it was a ‘show me yours and I’ll show you mine’ type of situation or was I mistaken?” He finally asks when she remains silent still.

The two young women laugh and Y/N bites the inside of her cheek, both feeling flustered and completely in control at the same time.

“You weren’t mistaken, I was just thinking.” Then she pauses again and Cate thinks Harry is about to combust and Harry thinks he’s going to as well with all the anticipation that has been built up over his neighbor’s name, even though he was pretty sure he’d heard it in passing at one point or another but had forgotten quickly afterwards.

“It’s Y/N.”

Harry releases a facetious sigh of relief, “Oh thank god! Finally!” His words quickly turn into an infectious laugh that is paired with a shining smile and she feels like she’s swooning right then and there. The control has gone out the window and she’s taken with her neighbor. He’s wonderful in that moment and she forgets about Cate or the park or anything. It’s just Harry and how it seems like he’s smiling just for her.

“Now that I’ve gotten your name,” he smiles pointedly at her after his laughter has faded away. The smile doesn’t leave his face though, his eyes still crinkled, his dimples still showing.

She nods, encouraging him to continue. Cate feels like she’s watching a movie unfold in front of her and she wishes she could record the entire interaction.

“I can finally ask you, Y/N, where did you get that fabulous coat I saw you wearing yesterday?”

She twitches further upright, eyes bringing themselves directly inline with Harry’s gaze. “Oh,” she inhales, “The giraffe one, yeah?”

He nods.

“I got it from a Goodwill years ago. It’s some vintage company that used to only make sleepwear. I looked up the tag one time and it doesn’t exist anymore. Super cool, though. Wish I could buy more.”

“Yeah,” Harry says eagerly, even taking a step towards the women, “It was so intriguing. Maybe, if you didn’t mind of course -” he falters, losing his courage for a moment, “you could bring it over and my stylist could check it out. I would love something similar and I’m sure he could figure it out.”

She shrugs. It wasn’t crazy, especially not for Harry - she assumed. She was certain he often found things he liked but there was only one of them so he would just order his own. She couldn’t help the pride that was swelling inside her though it that moment. Harry Styles liking her jacket so much he asked where it was from and then wanting his stylist to look at it. She’d jump for joy when she was in the safety of her private home later tonight with Cate.

“One condition,” she says and Harry’s brows quirk amusedly at her.

“You are a very tit for tat person,” he muses.

“Fair’s fair,” she shrugs again and then looks around her quickly, “It’s simple so don’t get too worked up over it, buddy.”

He laughs slightly again and tries to figure out what she’s looking for. When she extends a scratched up, sticker-covered point and shoot film camera he smiles.

“Can you take a picture of Cate and I? It’s always just the two of us so we never have anyone to take pictures of us together.”

Harry grins at this and her sincere face. Cate is a little taken aback, because while it’s technically true, it’s not entirely factual. They have plenty of film pictures of them - maybe not recently though. And she wasn’t going to question Y/N right now. It seemed like she knew what she was doing.

Harry takes the camera and begins to look through the viewfinder. The women scoot closer together and Cate wraps her arm around Y/N’s shoulder. She leans in to press her cheek against her best friend. They smile up at the camera and Harry crouches slightly to get a better angle.

“Alright,” he mumbles, “Ready?...Cheese!”

Their smiles stay hung on their face as they listen for the click and when the faint sound befalls their ears, Cate laughs and Y/N pulls away. She reaches forward for the camera, her hand easily brushing Harry’s large one.

Their smiles meet each other and Cate can’t help but notice how they grow as the two of them look at one another.

“Thank you,” Y/N says sweetly and pulls back to retake her seat on the blanket.

Harry straightens up, his grin falling back into that signature smirk. “No problem.”

“So-” He begins but she cuts him off.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll see you around, yeah?”

He clears his throat, feeling thrown off. “Yeah, sure. I guess next time I see you we can talk about when a good time would be for your jacket to come over?”

His voice raises at the end of his question a little more than usual, he’s trying to get her to bite, but she doesn’t seem like someone who is easily thrown off. He is trying to read her and she’s been completely cool the entire time. It’s intriguing. Even more so than the jacket, even though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it, it wasn’t really his focus when he walked across the park to her and Cate.

“Yep! It was nice finally meeting you Harry.”

He feels the cue to walk off and says his farewells. As he walks off, back on course to his intended destination, his head is filled with questions. Most important of them being when he would see her again.

Cate and Y/N watch him walk towards the football fields. They see him meet with a group of men and it seems like they’re there to practice or play a game. Y/N couldn’t be sure.

“He likes you!” Cate finally bursts out.

Y/N rolls her eyes, “Stop trying to make me take the piss. That’s a fucking lie and you know it.”

“It’s not! He likes you and you obviously like him, I mean, but we been knew.”

“Having a crush on the famous Harry Styles when you’re 17 is different than me liking my neighbour Harry.”

“But you like him don’t you? He’s even better than he was when he was 19. Now he’s all grown up and established and more your style anyway.”

“Shut up! He could hear you.”

“He really couldn't, he's yards away, you’re just paranoid.” Cate continues to tease and ridicule her best friend over Harry and Y/N is just about ready to up and leave, but she also can’t help but laugh it off.

“I’m literally gonna kick you out if you keep talking,” Y/N says between laughs and the women feel like they’re back in high school losing their minds over the stupidest joke ever.

“Okay, fine. But all I have to say is I will hold this over you when you end up together.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure, whatever. Just be prepared to wait forever because I can promise you Harry Styles and I are never ending up together.”

Two Weeks Later

Y/N walked to her door after hearing the doorbell ring and opened it to find her neighbour standing with his arm raised ready to knock.

“Hey, Harry,” She greeted easily, but not entirely sure why he was here.

They hadn’t really seen each other since their official meeting in the park. It hadn’t bothered her and it hadn’t really bothered Harry either. It seemed like they both had extremely busy lives that they didn’t plan on throwing out the window because they had said they would meet up at some point. She liked that.

Harry had come over because he finally had a break in his schedule and was hoping to talk about the jacket and anything else really. He was interested in getting to know her and he didn’t care to hide it.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go get a coffee or something?” He asked, leaning himself against her door frame now.

Her eyebrows raise and her eyes widen a little bit, not completely sure she heard him correctly.

“Right now?!” She asked incredulously.

She was wearing an oversized grey sweatshirt and black bike shorts that peaked out from underneath the sweatshirt hem. One of her socks was shoved around her ankle while the other was pulled up flat to touch the base of her calf. She didn’t think she was looking the most presentable at the moment. She had been basking in her day off by simply laying on the couch watching hours of Netflix.

He nods, his smile growing on his face. Her flustered expression only made him happier. She was always so nonchalant with him, he wanted to see her a little more antsy.

“Unless you’re busy,” he adds seriously, not wanting to bother her, just wanting to spend time with her.

“No, no. I’m not...I’m not busy. I just wasn’t expecting any plans where I would be required to go out in public. Let me just...um, come inside and then give me five minutes.”

“Sure,” Harry smiles again as he steps into her home.

Her smile is sheepish and much less genuine then the one Harry holds on his face as he takes in her abode. She tells him to make himself comfortable and then runs to her room to try and possibly fix her state in under five minutes.

She tears around her room, heaving off the frumpy sweatshirt and grabbing a long sleeve striped v-neck top she had hanging out half out of her hamper, a sign known to her that while it was clean enough to wear, if she happened to do laundry she should wash it. Slipping it over her head, she walks to her dresser and leans over to open the bottom drawer and unfolds a pair of dark wash oversized jeans. There’s no holes in them and she throws them on the bed so that she can slip out of her current pants. Next, onto the socks, she swaps out the current ones for a fresh black pair and finds her tortoise print boots to flick on. As she just about runs into her en suite bathroom, she zips the two boots up between steps. A quick comb through her hair, deodorant, two spritz of perfume, her eyelash curler and mascara and she’s running back to where Harry is waiting in her living room.

He blinks surprisedly at her promptness, usually giving people more time then what they say they need. She had indeed gotten ready in five minutes. He thought she looked breathtaking. And she felt like she was at a lack for breath in any case.

“It’s a bit cold out,” he glances to the window.

“Isn’t it always?” She smiles, finally catching her breath.

He chuckles and then nods, a smile appearing on his face as he feels a warmth in his chest at her wit.

“Ready?” He checks in.

She nods, grabbing a coat she kept hung by the door.

“Just the coffee shop down the way?” She inquires as they exit the house and she locks the door behind her.

Harry hums, waiting down a step for her to turn around and walk beside him. It was so strange to her, this felt all too normal with him. Like he was just a friend who had come to pick her up for coffee, her neighbor, nothing more.

“Did you hear the new season of the Crown is coming out soon?” Harry asks as they walk shoulder to shoulder (technically since her shoulder wasn’t in line with his).

“Really?” She looks at him, “I love that show!”

“Me too,” He looks at her and smiles happily.

“That’s amazing,” she breathes mostly to herself, half about the show and half about how Harry watches television and that he watches one of her favorite shows.

There’s silence. The brisk air pricking their cheeks as they walk down their street. Their puffs of breath create a slight mist of white ahead of them and then quickly dissipates.

Her eyes flit up to Harry’s chiseled jaw and face and she watches him as his eyes carefully and meaningfully take in his surroundings. Was it her turn to take a stab at conversation? It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence but she just wasn’t sure what was going on.

“You play football right?” She says finally as they turn onto the next street that would bring them closer to the café they both frequented.

She remembered seeing him there on several occasions. The tips he left were always overly generous, which she assumed you could do when you were exorbitantly rich. He always smiled when he ordered and knew the baristas by name. His order rarely differed and she hated to admit but she knew his two regulars. His actual “regular” was a 12 ounce black coffee, dark roast, no cream and no sugar. The other, his “I’ll actually have”, was a 16 ounce iced green tea, no cream and no sugar.

She couldn’t help that she was observant and that when ‘H’ was called at the bar she looked at what was pushed out, patiently waiting for him to come snatch it up with a smile and nod to the workers before he left. Sometimes he’d even smile at her over the lid of his drink as he exited the establishment. It was warm and inviting and she felt good about the twinkle in his eye that never seemed to waver no matter the day.

Now they were going there together and she’d have to pretend like she’d never noticed what he got as a drink.

He responds to her question with another glance at her and a simple “yes”. His hands shove into his pockets and one side of his pink lips quirk up. He continues, “I’m on a local team with some mates. We’re in a little competition with our league. The final match is coming up this Sunday actually...You should come.”

He says it so casually it almost doesn’t catch her off guard. Harry inviting her to his football game, maybe this was going to be her life now. Going to her neighbours football match. Going to Harry Styles’ football match.

“Sunday…” She sounds out, choosing to look out into the distance instead of at him. “What time?”

“Eight.”

“P.M. right?” She responds quickly, worried since she never wakes up that early and rarely before 10 a.m. on the weekends for that matter.

“Of course,” he chuckles.

They’ve come upon the café and he’s quick to grab the handle to open the door and let her go before him. She can’t stop the blush and smile that spread on her face as she ducks her head into the warm and cozy shop. Men had opened doors for her before and she really thought of herself as a strong woman who didn’t need a man for anything, but something about Harry’s action felt especially, and specifically, chivalrous. Why, she had no idea.

Neither of them stop to look at the menu. They were regulars and they both knew that about each other as well. He gestures for her to go first and she mutters her thanks before turning to the patiently waiting barista. She orders and is about to hand over her card when Harry suavely steps in and says, “Don’t worry about it. I invited you with me, I’ll pay.”

It was both completely unexpected and expected at the same time. Knowing she’d never win this fight, she thanked him again, glanced at the man taking her order and then stepped aside. Harry orders his own drink and then pays for both. Today he leaves double the amount he usually leaves for tip, she assumes since it’s two drinks he was paying for.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know?” She says quietly to him once they’re in a corner of the café waiting for their drinks.

He stands slightly slumped against the wall, closer to her height right now. He only shrugs, his good natured smile not once leaving his face since he entered this place.

“I wanted to,” he said simply right as the drinks were ready since it wasn’t particularly busy on this random Friday afternoon.

They glance outside and see that it’s begun to drizzle while they’ve been inside. She sighs, having hoped to walk around a little after being inside all day.

Instead, they sit at the corner table in the café, across from each other. She moves on from the paying thing, knowing it was simply how this guy probably operated most of his life.

He got a black coffee today, the cold and rain likely contributing to that choice.

As one pop song fades out, slightly under the sound of the coffee machines, she’s about to tell Harry she’s pretty sure she can make his final football match when ‘Cardigan’ fades in. It’s the second time a Taylor Swift song has been playing while she’s been in the presence of Harry and they were conversing. She tries to ignore one of her favorite songs at the moment. Harry doesn’t seem to pay much mind to it. His foot is tapping against his other, but it’s been tapping like that since they sat down.

“I think I could probably make it to your game,” she says finally after a pause and a sip of her own drink.

Harry grins at the response and launches into how great it will be if they win and how happy everyone will be. She smiles along and doesn’t notice the slight head swaying to the song that she’s begun.

“Fan of Taylor?” Harry inquires and Y/N’s face drops, eyes widening cartoonishly.

She stutters, a nervous laugh leaving her mouth before she can actually say something. How does she respond about liking Taylor Swift to a man who counts her as an ex. She’s at a loss.

“Yeah, uh,” she finally starts.

Harry watches her curiously, obviously noticing her discomfort as his question.

“I used to not really consider myself a fan. I don’t really follow her just because I don’t really follow...um...musicians,” she chokes out the last word realizing Harry fits that category. “But, after folklore, I don’t know, this album really spoke to me. I also really like Lover and...uh” she pauses again, sticking on 1989, an album she has argued with her friends about how it’s basically a tell all of the man before her and Taylor’s relationship.

He nods, hoping she’ll continue. He wanted to get to know her and he kind of liked seeing her squirm. “1989?” He finally supplies.

Her blush isn’t able to be covered this time. If her hair didn’t fall in front of her ears she was sure they’d be flushed with blood.

Then she draws out of her own self stress and looks at the smooth man before her and grows calm. He was amazing at winding her up and she didn’t want to seem like some young, impressionable fangirl to him. So, she squared her shoulders and straightened up in her chair.

“Yes, it was pop perfection as one of my college friends liked to say. I’d always listen to it at the gym.” Then she pauses, taking a measured breath, gaining her confidence back. Her eyes meet his, “Is there any songs off it that you particularly enjoy, Mr. Styles.”

He chuckles, mostly because of her emphasis on ‘Style’.

“Shake it off?” He asks.

“Oh fuck off!” She laughs and he joins in with her.

When they catch their breaths from laughing, they simultaneously take sips of their drinks and settle their eyes back on one another. Exes and songs written about oneself weren’t exactly the topics Harry had in mind for the coffee outing he had asked Y/N out on, but talks of exes had never been this funny with anyone else. He was grateful for her playfulness, her demeanor.

“Can I ask you something personal?” She asks quietly and seriously.

“I think we’re past that question, love,” he responds.

“Yeah, I guess,” she pauses and just about whispers, “Pretty much all of them are about you right?”

He shrugs again, his felt coat rustling around his seat. “We never really talked about every single song.”

She leans forward at the ‘we’ Harry is using about himself and Taylor Swift.

“But when I listen to the songs, I hear us in just about every one but a few.”

“Wow,” she breathes and sips her drink. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lived through something that intense and then someone commemorated in a masterpiece.”

“Do you have a favorite on that album?” He asks, moving on from her revelation.

“I love ‘I know places’, it has a cool sound. But I also really love ‘Wonderland’. They both have kind of dark sounds, yet it still is like what you have is so special that the bad bits are worth it. I don’t know, it just seems like a tv show. I don’t think my life could ever be that crazy or dramatic.” She doesn’t notice her use of ‘you’ because she had meant it as a form of analyzing the song theoretically as she had done hundreds of times with her friends, but this time the ‘you’ is literally the ‘you’ the song is talking about.

“Love can turn anyone’s life chaotic.” Harry muses.

The green eye’s that flashed at Taylor throughout that album look at Y/N from across the table and she feels a flip in her stomach at his tone.

Maybe he notices her mild discomfort, maybe that’s just who he is. But after a beat, Harry’s onto the next topic on his mind. He launches into how he’s just returned from Scotland for a shoot for something so undercover he can’t even divulge to her, much to his dismay. She’s taken aback since she didn’t consider her someone Harry would divulge any of his private matters to, but it seemed like he already considered her a confidant. Just not for that. He wants it to be a surprise.

She smiles and listens attentively. She wonders as he goes on about his interesting yet absurdly lavish life whether he even knows what regular life is like anymore. Or if he’d even enjoy it if he experienced it.

Sure, coffee and football were plenty part of regular life . But the football league was something novel to Harry. He had just gotten to do it and he was thrilled by its normalcy.

She regarded him carefully, unsure what the next step was in this budding friendship. Was it dangerous to get involved with someone’s life which seemed to be filled with whirlwind rigor and constant change.

She liked her chaos, don’t get her wrong. She felt like she often was the odd one out in life. Always thinking differently than the ones around her. She often was the one to suggest spontaneous late night trips around town or exploration of an abandoned building known for spooky stories. She liked inviting friends over for themed parties for no specific occasions and she liked taking film pictures of friends like they were models even though it was only for her and her memories. She thought of herself as silly and fun, but what Harry described as his chaotic fun actually was regimented tight schedules of constant travel and work. Interesting experiences came out of that constant travel and work, but didn’t seem like something she necessarily wanted to get herself wrapped up in.

After coffee, they leave the café and it’s pouring now. Instead of going home, Harry insists on walking her to her place. She relents, realizing, once again, that Harry wasn’t someone who took ‘no’ for an answer. She then invites him in because it’s the polite thing to do. And Harry being Harry accepts.

“Want a dry sweatshirt while you wait?” She asks as she slips off her wet shoes and jacket in the entryway. Harry follows suit, his knit sweater being pelted with rain for the last eight minutes left him feeling cold and shivery.

He nods as he toes off his shoes and ventures back to the living room she had him wait in a few hours ago.

“Here,” She says as she tosses a grey sweatshirt in his direction. She believes it's her one from earlier, an innocuous pullover with ‘London’ in collegiate lettering on the front. He catches it as she rounds the corner to turn up the heater.

Her mistake was being so careless to not look at the sweatshirt before handing it over to her neighbor. Anyone else, maybe they wouldn’t have questioned it. But Harry, how could he not.

“What’s this?”

“A sweatshirt,” she doesn’t spare him a glance on the coach as she fiddles with the thermostat.

“It’s one of my sweatshirts,” Harry says and she can hear the smile on his face.

“That’s impossible, I’ve never borrowed-” Her brows had raised at what he said but now her words fall short.

He didn’t mean one of his personal sweatshirts that she possibly borrowed if they were better friends. No. He meant his merchandise.

“It was a gift,” she sighs as she turns to face him. He’s now wearing the sweatshirt proudly and grinning up at her smugly.

She rolls her eyes when he gives her a knowing smile.

“I didn’t know that it was the one I was handing you. Honest!”

“I thought you didn’t “keep up” with musicians,” Harry says playfully, his fingers making quotes appropriately.

“I don’t.” Her tone is serious as she plops on the couch beside Harry.

“I enjoy your music from time to time. Is that a crime?!” She finally exclaims when she can’t handle Harry’s knowing smirk.

“No it’s not, you could have just told me you were a fan!” She tries to stop him and protest that she wouldn’t consider herself a fan, but he continues, “I still would have wanted to have been friends.You’re one of the liveliest neighbors I’ve got. Everyone else on the street is rather dull.”

She chuckles, remembering finding out quickly that the street wasn’t a lively bunch.

“I just wouldn’t say I’m a fan,” she presses and sits across from him.

He continues smiling like he knows the truth.

“I don’t think you’ve met an average person in awhile, Harry.” She finally says after they sat in silence for a few minutes because they were both too stubborn to be the first to talk.

“I would hardly call you average if that’s what you’re implying, Y/N.” He nods her way and he shifts on her plush couch, his legs adjusting themselves on their own accord. “And I know plenty of average people,” he adds huffily.

“I normally wouldn’t either, but compared to who you seem to surround yourself, I very much am. And that’s not meant to be a jab at anyone involved.”

His right hand sneaks up to his head to scratch at the base of a particularly perfect curl. His eyes squint a bit as his mind processes her claim.

“What are you trying to say exactly?”

“I’m just curious to see if you’d actually like me in your life. It seems like you want to be friends with me and that’s great, but realistically I don’t know how much I would fit into it.”

Harry scoffs, “That’s literally bullshit, just relax. I’m so chill you won’t even know what to do with me.”

Now it’s her turn to scoff. “Chill?!” She asks incredulously. Harry nods with a seriousness she hadn’t seen before.

“When’s the next time you’re flying off to another country for work?”

Harry pauses, “Um...the day after the final match. I’m beginning to film a movie, so I’ll be there for a month.”

“Busy bee,” she muses and they both chuckle.

There’s something about the somber look Harry is giving her. His eyes twinkled in the coffee shop and with playful winks she was excited to be in his presence. But after she mentions when his next trip is, he seems saddened. There’s skepticism behind his eyes and maybe he doesn’t like being challenged about who he is from other people, especially those who are new in his life.

But that’s who Y/N is, she’s straightforward and doesn’t lie to someone. If Harry was now her friend, she was going to tell it like it is to him. That personality trait she worried wouldn’t make her long for his world.

“So the cardigan? Do you have it here?” Harry changes the subject, clearly not wanting to actually consider a realistic friendship together instead just charging ahead with no hesitation. Whatever happened they would deal with it as it came. Maybe she should just go with the flow, let herself be swept up into his madness. Maybe it would be easier than fighting it.

“No.”

“Oh?”

“I do, I was joking. Where else would it be?” Her tone is light, trying to get back the shine she had seen Harry exhibit before it had vanished.

Maybe that was Harry’s effect on people. He was vibrant and like an Elton John song. You never wanted that shine to go away, never wanted the song to end. Never wanted him to stop shining his light on you. She felt this happening in just a few hours with him. When he was happy so was she and when he wasn’t entirely shining she wanted to do whatever she could to get it back.

A smile curls on his face and his green eyes narrow slightly. He’s trying to figure her out, know what she’s all about.

“Do you want to go and grab it?” His voice sweetening, almost like a tease. Maybe he means to bite his lip, maybe he doesn’t, but the effect on her is nonetheless earthshaking.

She pops up and smiles back, happy to have made him happy. As she walks out of the room to go get the cardigan that had started this all, her head tilts and she furrows her brow wondering why she felt such a sense of pride just for making him happy.

Would this man cause her to finally put someone else’s wishes ahead of hers?

“Are you on your way?”

She listens to Harry’s slightly worried voice crackle over the speaker of her phone as she shuts her door with the hand not holding her phone to her ear. His voice is raspy and muffled. She assumes it’s from the cold air of London at night and the scarf he is likely got wrapped around his neck.

“Yes! Jeez, I’m on my way. Walking over right now.”

It’s the final match for Harry’s football team and if they win the game then they get a trophy and it’s all Harry has been talking about since they got coffee and she handed over her cardigan.

Harry huffed an “alright” on the other side of the line and she called a “see you soon” before hanging up.

He was both eager for Y/N to come and possibly meet some of his teammates and a few of his close friends who he had invited and for her to arrive so that she wasn’t walking out late at night alone. He hadn’t known her for long, but he felt a certain protectiveness over her. She was relatively alone here, only two friends at work that she had mentioned and everyone else lived far away. She said she didn’t mind it, but Harry had a hard time understanding it since he surrounded himself with his friends as much as he could and was constantly either traveling or having them travel to see him.

He had even contemplated inviting her to come to Los Angeles with him for a month, but knew she would remind him of her ever important job that she couldn’t just randomly take a month off.

He’d have to ask her what exactly she did because every time he tried to remember, it always slipped his mind.

When her figure came into sight below the fluorescent lights, he breathed a sigh of relief. A grin spread on his face as she beamed at him and waved a bit. He didn’t understand how she couldn’t see how special she was. Every time he saw her he felt himself straighten up and feel a bubbling in his chest. Her smile was infectious and the way her eyes glittered when she looked away quickly and then returned eye contact made him want to stay in her presence forever.

“You made it!” Harry said and scooped her up in his arms, not realizing just how happy he was to see her, swinging her around in a half circle.

She laughs in surprise, but appreciates the warmth Harry’s hug offers her. She’s not quite sure they had ever touched each other before this moment beside shoulder brushes and hand touches. Nothing so...purposeful.

“I made it,” she confirms and pats him on his broad shoulders.

Questions in her mind raced as she questioned whether it was normal for friendships to happen like this. She knew in college friendships could happen this quickly. And that’s when it dawned on her, she really hadn’t made a new friend since college and that was why everything with Harry was so odd to her. She had forgotten what new friendship was. She needed to stop questioning everything and just live in the moment with a person she really liked being with.

Harry’s hands move from her waist and one stays to lead her forward so he can introduce her to some of his mates, as he had promised.

She felt at home in that moment. His hand on the small of her back, his heat radiating off of him and her hair swept behind her ears and her cheek pressed to his shoulder staring up at him sweetly.

She meets Charlotte, a member of Harry’s band who lives in London, her boyfriend, Mitch (who had just happened to find himself in Hampstead this weekend), Ben, and a few more people she couldn’t remember all the names of.

Harry’s team wins the game and Y/N’s not sure if she’s ever seen someone so happy to win an adult league football match. There wasn’t any official trophy except the one Harry had made himself and said he would even give to the other team if they won. It was engraved with the words “The World’s Greatest Football Team of Stars Ever. October 22, 2020”. It doesn’t even make sense but she’d been holding it for the entire night as he played.

He goes down the line of his friends who have been watching and gives them all jubilant kisses on the lips. When he reaches Y/N she holds out the trophy and he grins and gives her a kiss on the cheek. His lips are surprisingly soft and his scratchy stubble tickles her and she swiftly pulls back, a smile on her face and blush on her cheeks nonetheless.

Charlotte and Mitch share a look between the two of them and Ben’s eyes narrow slightly at the interaction. His eyes narrow just as they had when Harry had strutted over to the group with Y/N before the game. He had happily named everyone and she had shaken all of their hands with a warm smile on her lips. Ben had regarded her warily and she had shaken it off as the chill of the night air. But there it was again, not quite trusting of the neighbour girl Harry had just randomly befriended a few days ago.

The team and the friends of the team decide they deserve to celebrate this win, mostly at the request of Harry.

Y/N tries to find a time to leave, to return to her place so she can prepare for her day at work tomorrow. But no excuses will be heard from Harry and she has a hard time saying no to his sparkling eyes and gorgeous grin that she’s growing far too accustomed to.

She’s ushered down to the closest pub with the rest of them and finds herself chatting with Charlotte’s boyfriend. He’s the most...normal. She’s not sure how to explain it, but he doesn’t seem to be regarding her as different, unlike every other one of Harry’s friends. They were all perfectly nice and cordial with her, but she just felt like she wasn’t a part of their group, their world and she didn’t know how to explain it.

Charlotte and Mitch are rather nice too, but they’re more reserved with her. They’re musicians, like Harry, and they somewhat have that air of awareness around them that Harry sometimes gets. She thinks it’s from the fame, having to constantly be wary of who is around you, what everyone is doing, what is happening next. She doesn’t mind it, it’s just not something she’s used to.

She wishes she could just throw back some drinks and she could allow herself to be more...well just be more. More of a presence, more of herself, but she has a job she has to get to bright and early. Tomorrow was Monday and for her that meant work. So she sips a beer that Harry insisted be on his tab and she makes small talk with Charlotte’s boyfriend about how he’s been helping her produce her first EP. Charlotte occasionally pops in when she hears her name, but mostly is conversing with Mitch over something silly. Y/N knows because they keep laughing.

Harry is going around to just about everyone in the party and she watches as he happily talks with every one of his friends. He’s ecstatic and she wonders if she’s ever experienced happiness like he has.

At midnight she attempts to make a French exit, as her mother always called it, and slip away with little to no farewells, but Harry spots her before she can.

“You’re leaving already?” Harry asks loudly, the euphoria of winning his silly little game and drinking a fair amount of pints has him at his peak boisterity.

“I have work tomorrow,” she says warily, slumping slightly from the weight of Harry’s arm slinging around her shoulder.

He turns serious and straightens up slightly, his green eyes looking especially dark in the pubs dim lighting as they look her dead in the eye. “Let me walk you home.”

“I can get home by myself,” she laughs, shrugging off his hold. “Plus, the host can’t leave his own celebration.” She gestures to everyone else happily celebrating on a Sunday, somehow not bothered by the beginning of the average week.

He steps closer, his brow furrowing for the first time that night. One of his large hands raises to his tousled hair and he runs it through the tresses. He even nibbles at his lower lip as he contemplates his decision. Then quickly and suddenly, he makes up his mind,

“No, I’ll escort you. Can’t have my neighbour walk home this late alone. I’ll just leave my card with Mitch. He’ll settle up the tab.” He smiles at his perfect plan and she grimaces feeling slightly embarrassed that he would leave his friends to walk her home. “Won’t you Mitch?” Harry calls as he grabs his coat from the wall next to the door. Mitch simply nods and Harry yells his farewells, Y/N waves meekly.

“That was...interesting,” she mulls over her words as they walk through the cold night air outside of the pub.

“Amazing, right?” Harry speaks over her less enthusiastic voice.

“You have a lot of friends,” she mused, trying to sound less disheartened than she had in her last statement.

Harry only hums and shivers slightly from the cold. His breath comes clearly out in puffs in the cold night air. Y/N’s is muffled by her scarf wrapped tightly up to her chin. She’s tucked his face as far into it as possible but her nose won’t stop from freezing as they walk.

Her hand goes up to it and she rests her palm to the tip of it. The motion grabs Harry’s attention and he looks directly at her curiously.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m freezing,” she muffles out, “This helps my cold nose not be so..cold.”

He chuckles and wraps his arm around her shoulder and she easily folds into him, welcoming any warmth right now.

After another moment of silence and them enjoying each other’s warmth and slight smell of whatever perfumes they had chosen earlier that night as well as beer and wood of the pub, Harry nuzzles his head above hers and then asks her something.

“Was that overwhelming for you?”

She’s quiet, thankful his eyes can’t reach hers right now. He was too powerful with those things.

“I, um, a little. I just...I just realized today that I haven’t made a new friend since college outside of work and it was overwhelming just hanging out with you. So all of your friends as well, yeah, it was a bit much for me.”

Harry looks out at the empty street ahead of them and sighs in realization. In his excitement, he hadn’t accounted how she might have felt tonight until just now. He wanted to kick himself for not thinking of her feelings, but other’s feelings slipped his mind so easily sometimes.

They round their street corner and she nuzzles back into his side.

“I’m sorry, love.” He rubs at her outer arm, “I didn’t think about it like that. I was just so excited for my plan to come together. Maybe next time, it’ll just be a couple of them rather than so many?”

“Sure,” she says quickly, wanting to make him happy, knowing how much he cared about his friends. “I feel like we need to hang out more with just you before I osmos into your friend group though if I’m being honest.”

“Well that can definitely be arranged,” he says and reluctantly lets go of her body. They’ve arrived at her door.

“I also want to see the inside of your house at some point.” She tugs at one of his hands before it can disappear into his warm coat pocket. “Houses,” she corrects.

“That can also be arranged,” Harry smiles with his lips closed. Pink lips and rosy cheeks extra bright from the cold. He plays with her fingers as the two stand close to one another, happy for the alone time and chalking the proximity up to heat sharing.

“You leave tomorrow right?” She finally asks.

His head falls and he sighs.

“Yeah…”

“It’s just a month,” she smiles, trying to stop Harry from being so dramatic. Especially when there was no logical reason for him to be so upset over not seeing his neighbour - she keeps telling herself.

“Are you sure you can’t quit your job and just fly out with me?” He pleads.

She throws her head back in laughter and shifts closer to him, her front porch light illuminating and shadowing every perfect place on Harry’s gorgeous face.

“Not even a chance.”

“That is a shame,” he takes an experimental step closer and she feels his breath fan across her cheeks at his last word.

She wrinkles his nose at the smell of his last beer, even though coming from him it was endearing.

Just as she feels him being to shift his head closer, she steps forward and gives him a tight hug.

“Goodnight Harry,” she whispers into his ear, “Safe travels.”

Then she’s stepping back and swiftly unlocking her door. She moves it slowly so as to not wake Rori and then Harry’s left alone and dumbfounded on her doorstep.

He definitely preferred being with her alone, but now he didn’t even have that chance until next month. And nonetheless she had just sidestepped his kiss with such ease he’s not even sure if he meant to kiss her. It had felt right, but why? Because it was cold and picture perfect? Or because he was enchanted by her and liked her as more than a new friend?

She slumps in her kitchen and fixes an Emergen-C to stave off the chill of the night and any germs that might have been lurking around the pub. She hopes when she walks to her bedroom she can check the front porch and see that Harry has gone home because she would hate to turn the light off on him.

How could he have expected her to kiss him just then? They’ve only just met each other a few weeks ago? And he’s Harry Styles and she just lives in the neighbourhood. What the actual fuck had happened to her life?

2K notes · View notes

ramp-it-up · 3 years

Text

FS 14:Time to Play

Day 25 of #RampItUp1Kinktober

ITS MY ANNIVERSARY YALL! ONE YEAR AGO TODAY I PUBLISHED MY FIRST FIC ON THIS BLOG, THE FRESH SQUEEZE TEASER THAT FEATURED DIGGS AND LINDY.

I’m so amazed at how far this has gone and I’m grateful to all the og Bay Boys stans who welcomed me and gave love and support and those Marvel writers who inspired me to branch out. You know who you are. I loveeeee you! 💕

Pairing: Daveed Diggs x OFC Linden Marshall (you)

Summary: You decide to spark it up and play with your man.

1Kinktober Kink: Toys

Word Count 2.4K

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. RPF. SMUT! Read at your own risk, bdsm, nipple clamps, but plug, rising crop, oral (m receiving). squirting, anal, Sir kink. Not Beta’d. All errors my own. Dividers by @firefly-graphics

A/N: This is for the 25th DAY of #rampitup1Kinktober! TYSM for following me! 🧡

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

The newness had worn off like everyone said it would.

Daveed had shows every night and twice on the weekends. When he was off, you were in class, third year law.

No one said it would be easy, but damn, this was hard.

You stayed with Craig, and it was great for your cousin, because you paid his rent and were hardly ever there, sleeping over at Daveed’s just to spend time. And that’s all you did mostly, sleep. Sure, you got each other off, but it was quick and functional.

One thing you were sure of, was that you loved each other. You just had to get the spark back.

Daveed was taking a week off so that he could fly to LA to tie up some business. The closing was in a couple of days. You two made a date to spend quality time together before he left. Fancy restaurant, nice clothes, the works. D was excited. You were too.

Daveed picked you up from your place, and he looked good, dressy casual in a sweatshirt, jeans, and Jordans. It was chilly out so you had a wrap on, but D told you you looked great and pecked you on the cheek. He looked a little stressed.

“You good?”

Daveed looked at you in the elevator down. He pulled you into his arms.

“M sorry, Lindy. I’m in my head, just thinking of all the things I need to do.”

“Daveed. We can stay in tonight, or better yet, I’ll just let you go get ready.”

Daveed turned you around so that you were facing him. You looked up into his pretty browns.

“You are a priority Lindy. I want to spend thanksgiving me with you. I feel like I’ve been dropping the ball as a new boyfriend. You’re at the top of the list of things I have to do.” He chuckled.

You raised your eyebrow at him and gave him a peck.

“Good, because I’ve got some plans for you.”

“Oh really?”

“Umhmmmm.” The elevator doors opened and you led him out into the lobby to the waiting car.

You were seated at dinner. Daveed ordered drinks as you took off your wrap. He glanced at you and did a double take.

When the server left, Daveed asked you, “What are you wearing?”

“Oh, this top that I found when I went to Barney’s.”

“No, the… jewelery…”

Daveed was indicating the chain which came together with a “D” clasp, part of the nipple clamps that he’d given you a few weeks earlier. The D was all that was visible, and it looked like a regular necklace. No one could tell that it was connected to nipple clamps that were squeezing your nipples and causing a sweet ache in your cunt.

Daveed knew now, and he licked his lips at the memory at the last time you used some. These were an unused gift until now. He wished his eyes were lasers as he searched for the imprint of your nipples against the soft fabric of your top. He reached for his water.

“I’m glad that you are wearing that baby. How do they feel.”

“My pussy is throbbing, and ready to be filled. I want you to rub my tits with those lips, and use your saliva to give me some relief, but, I’m also hungry. So let’s eat.”

Daveed stared like he didn’t understand. He wanted to sit and talk about your nipples all night. So, he took a sip of wine and leaned back in his chair, subtly spreading his napkin on his lap and rubbing his woodie.

“Damn girl. You’re trying to get me bothered. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this meal.”

You looked around and leaned forward. “D, if I was trying to get you bothered, I would have told you that I’m also wearing the butt plug.” Daveed almost choked on his wine.

“You okay?” You were smiling devilishly at him.

“Yeah. No.” Fuck the front. Daved was ready to bend you over the table.

You wiggled in your seat, the delicious fullness of the plug making making you have to catch your breath.

“Me too. The fullness of the plug and the aching of my nipples is making me so wet, Daveed. I’m gonna be soaked by the time we finish dinner.” You closed your eyes and licked your lips. Daveed was kicking himself for not agreeing to stay in. He had to open his own mouth to breathe.

“Fuck, Lindy.” He looked around and leaned forward over the table.

“I’m hard as rock right now.”

You grinned at him and he was about to suggest going to the restroom.

“Did you send me a picture? Like last time?” He was hoping against hope.

You lowered your eyes and then batted your lashes at him.

“No, Sir. I thought we’d enjoy our night. Take our time.”

“So that’s what’s up?” Daveed sat back. “You’re right.” His mind was spinning.

“Yes, Sir.”

You were riling him up, and you calling him Sir let him know what kind of mood you were in.

You reached for your wine.

“Do you still have the riding crop at your place?”

Daveed’s eyes went wide as the server came back by.

“Are you ready to order?”

You smiled and looked at Daveed as you said, “I need some meat.”

You two enjoyed a leisurely dinner, talking and laughing about everything else except what you two were really thinking about.

When you got up to leave, Daveed put his hand on the small of your back, long fingers extending down your bottom, the middle one in the cleave of your ass. He subtly grabbed it and you felt the pressure of the plug. You moaned a little.

Daveed was shifting from side to side, waiting for the car. He got in be back with you, closed the door, and then immediately pulled you onto his lap.

Your driver was used to you two by now, so he rolled up the partition. Daveed already had your top pulled up, not waiting until you got to his place to see you.

When he saw how the clamps looked, gripping your engorged nipples, he started drooling, and then grabbed you by the ass to pull you closer.

His warm breath on them made you hotter and you squirmed in his lap.

“So fucking gorgeous.”

Daveed found the plug through your pants, and pressed it, causing you to arch your back and shove your tits in his face.

“Oh my god Daveed. I need….”

Daveed was staring and licking his lips, but he wasn’t using them how you thought he should be.

“Tell me… what do you need.” His voice was at bass now, rumbling through you straight to your clit.

“I need you….”

Daveed pressed the butt plug intermittently, pushing it in and out incrementally and causing your pussy to clench around nothing.

“You need me where?”

He looked up in your eyes.

“I need you everywhere.” And then you started grinding on his rock hard dick on the backseat.

“Want me to suck you off, Sir? I will swallow it all like a good girl. I’ll let you fuck my throat, my tits, my cunt, my ass. It’s all for you…”

Daveed was panting at your words and leaned his forehead against yours as you moved on his lap. He didn’t want to start anything in this car because he felt like putting you under the ground.

He cheered when the car stopped in front of his building. He grinned.

“Come on.” He pulled your top down and practically carried you out of the car. The man actually threw you over his shoulder and sprinted with you through the lobby to the elevator.

When you got in and the doors closed, he still had you over his shoulder. You were lightheaded enough, but this was over the top.

“You can put me down now.”

Daveed swatted you on the ass, grinning when you moaned at the sensation with the butt plug.

“What was that?”

“I don’t even fucking know…” You moaned as he gave you a few more swats.

Theelevator opened on his floor and he was at his door opening it in no time, striding through the apartment and throwing you on the bed.

“Take off your clothes and assume the positon.” You stood up and disrobed, going and sitting on your knees beside the bed. You felt the deep pile of the rug you picked out for these occasions and you could feel any uncertainty fade away.

You could hear and not see Daveed undress, because your eyes were cast down.

He asked and you answered with your safe words.

“Is it true that you’re dripping for me?”

“Yes, Sir.”

It was true. Your thighs were soaked with your slick. The hands that you’d placed on your thighs were itching to touch yourself for some relief, but you didn’t dare. You heard a drawer open and you smiled.

Daveed flicked the crop under your chin and lifted it.

“What are you smiling for? Do you think I’m gonna let you cum?” Your smile dropped.

“You tried to top me tonight, trying to get me off guard in the restaurant with your little stunt. I think you need to be punished for that.”

Daveed could tell from your expression that you liked that idea very much, but he didn’t say anything. His dick was bobbing and leaking and aching for your holes. And he needed to feel you cum around him. But you didn’t have to know that right now.

He trailed the braided leather crop down your neck to your sternum, and around both breasts. He softly moved them against your nipples and you moaned.

“Do they hurt?”

“A little, yes, Sir.”

“Oh, well we need to fix that.” Then he swatted both nipples and you keened, the pain/pleasure making your clit hard and vibrate.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Good Girl.”

Daveed admired your face, which was a mixture of agony and ecstasy. “Stand up. Here, let me help you.” He grabbed the chain and you scrambled to your feet as he literally pulled you by your nipples to stand up. You couldn’t breathe.

Daveed grabbed you by your neck and admired you some more, then started trailing soft kissed from your mouth, down your neck to your nipples, finally laving them with his saliva and easing the pounding just a little.

He moved the crop down your belly to your pussy, then rubbed it bodly against your clit. You wantonly rubbed against it, relieved and desparate for the sensation. He took it out and waved it in your face.

“Look at that.” You focused on the crop and it was soaked. “Naughty girl.”

Daveed moved the crop and spanked your clit a few times, and when you started thanking him, pushed it into your pussy, pushing it as far as it would go inside you.

“You like that, hunh?”

“N-not as much as your dick, Sir.”

Daveed smiled. “Good girl. You always know what to say.” He withdrew the crop and brought it to your mouth. “Suck.”

You opened your mouth and sucked, making eye contact with him. You sucking off the riding crop didn’t last long before he pulled it out of you and pushed you down on your knees.

“My turn.” He pushed his long dick into your lips and you opened wide to accept him.

“Remember what you said in the car.” You nodded and said, “Yes, Sir, around his dick, which caused him to push deep into your throat.”

You sucked and gagged and drooled all over his dick until your jaw was sore, but it was worth it to see Daveed’s reactions. You tasted a little cum down his throat before he pulled out, dragged you up and threw you over the bed, face first.

Daveed grabbed the connected nipple clamps from the back as he entered your soaked, aching pussy from behind. You buried your face in the mattress and screamed as he stretched you out, the sensation never getting old. Daveed pulled the chain connected to your throbbing nipples with one hand and pushed the plug in and out of your ass with the other.

The feeling of both inside you was sending you hurtling through space to your orgasm and you crashed, squirting all over Daveed as he pulled the nipple clamps off with one tug.

“Fuck, shit, that pussy feels so gotdamn good.”

Daveed pumped you through the waves of pleasure coursing through you.

He looked down and pulled the butt plug out, which tipped off an aftershock orgasm while you lay gasping on the bed. He watched your tighter hole, stretched out and winking at him and pulled out of your pussy while he reached in the bedside table for the lube.

He squirted the cold liquid which was strangely soothing after the plug and then you felt his dick slide into that hole.

“Oh Fuccckkkkkkkk!”

Daveed exclaimed as your eyes rolled back in your head from pleasure.

It felt good after hours of preparation, and you were relaxed and needy for it. Daveed used you for his pleasure which became yours.

‘Holy Shit, Daveed! Feels...so...good!” Your voice was unrecognizable from screaming.

“Fuck!” shouted Daveed.

You both came at the same time, wringing the most intense orgasm from your tired body.

You must have fallen asleep standing and slumped over on the bed, because the next thing you knew, Daveed was carrying you into the bathroom and making you go.

Then, he helped you into the tub and climbing in behind you.

“Damn. That was the shit, girl. I love you.” He kissed your temple. “Are you okay?”

Daveed was afraid of how intense he could get physically.

“I’m more than okay. I’m great. That was indeed the shit. I love you.”

You turned around and kissed him, which turned into making out, which turned to slow sensual love making in the tub.

IYKYK!!!!! Thank you for this journey. Love you! 😘

@einfachniemand @sillyteecup @theselilwonders @theatrenerd86 @imatyoursurrvicesurr @riiyy @lonelydance @biafbunny @summerofsnowflakes @honeysucklechocolatedrippin @wreakhavoconmacroissantdiggs @elocinnicole @nikole-witha-k @braidedchallah @sebastianabucknettastan @jbrizzywrites @mysearchforgratification @chattykathysquietsister @nissameta1782 @betterkeepmewetterthanabayou @curlyhairclub @na-nou83 @subwaysurf45 @batboysdoll @harrysthiccthighss @simpinforu @maroonsunrise83

#rampitup1kinktober #Daveed Diggs #ask dj #daveed diggs x oc #daveed diggs x black reader #daveed diggs fluff #daveed diggs smut #daveed diggs imagine #daveed diggs rpf #daveed diggs fanfiction #daveed diggs x linden marshall #daveed x lindy

110 notes · View notes

amindofstone · 3 years

Text

It´s the way....

a/n: Hello there. Guess what! Your author is actually alive!! Well somehow alive…. Right now with a huge uncomfortable feeling growing inside of her because she has acrophobia and will be flying on a vacation with her family right at the time of her exams. YEAHIIIII. And yes, while others will simply walk around with a cute tiny handbag or nothing beside their phones and passport, I will be walking around with a huge back because of my laptop and iPad on the airport. NICE!!! While everyone else will be enjoying the holyday I will be in the hotel crying because of exams. I love my life. But other than that I am doing good. I will be watching AOT on the plane after I managed to forget that there won´t be stable ground below my feet. But honestly I can´t wait to spend some good quality time with my family even if it´s not that long.

Anyways as a littly apology for not working on my list of imagines and match ups I made this little thing. I hope yall will like it. Happy reading my dear readers! <3

Genre: anime imagine?/scenario?/headcanon?

Characters: Shanks, Ace, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Luffy, Nami, Kid, Law, Robin, Sabo

Words: 769

Info: I apologize for grammar or spelling mistakes since English is my third language and I am still trying to improve in every aspect. Please have mercy on that. Thank you.

!!! Please do not steal my idea or work. Ask me if this is shared or published in any other way or platform. Please respect me and my work. Translating my work is not allowed. Please respect my decision as the author. Picture is not mine. Credits to the rightful owner. (Please tell me if you know who did it, so I can give full credits.) Thank you. !!!

· It´s the way Shanks knows when you don´t feel right and stands close to you with his arm loosely hanging around your shoulder. It´s the way he takes your hand and intertwines your hands when you dock on an island. It´s the way he always makes sure that you are aware of the fact that you are the only one for him.

· It´s the way Ace knows when to slow down and lay next to you for a deep 2 AM talk. It´s the way he not only treats you like his girlfriend but also his best friend and life companion.

· It´s the way Zoro always watches over you even when everything is perfectly fine. It´s the way he always has an eye on you so he can be there and help you carry the box of supplies the strawhats purchased even tho you are perfectly able to take care of it. It´s the way he treats you like a princess that shall be protected at all cost. It´s the way he always appears out of nowhere and fights your fights for you. And whenever you tell him that you are able to take care of yourself he would always reply with “I know that you can but there is no need for you to fight and get in trouble when you have me.”

· It´s the way Sanji knows what exactly you like to eat and what not. It´s the way he knows what ingredients you like in which dish and where not. He knows what you crave when it´s that time of the month again. It´s the way he taught you self-love and taught you to be brave. It´s the way he does not treat you like a princess but rather like a queen. It´s the way he can read your eyes and look straight into your soul.

· It´s the way Usopp knows how to keep you entertaint even in the most critical situations. Even when you feel absolutely horrible and are about to burst into tears. He knows how to make you feel better. No matter if it´s in a romantic or funny way. He understands your mental state. He understands you and your mind better than you do.

· It´s the way Luffy always looks for you and even screams your name from the top of his lungs out of excitement when they dock on a new island. It´s the way he always asks for your well being no matter what or where they are. It´s the way he always shares his food with you by giving you the first bite of whatever he is eating.

· It´s the way Nami shares childhood memories with you that show how much she appreciates and trusts you. She gives you little details about her hometown that let her eyes shimmer and her face glow with love. It´s the way she listens to you talk about your past without asking any question but rather only giving you the feeling of being heard and respected.

· It´s the way Kid always crafts you metal flowers whenever you two fight and end up not talking to each other for days. It´s the way he enters you cabin without a word or a knock on the door and leaves the metal flower on a table and leaves right after looking at your face for a second.

· It´s the way Law always searches for you whenever stress and exhaustion gets the best of him. It´s the way he enters your cabin and takes a seat at the end of your bed, silently waiting for you to allow him to put his head on your lap. It´s the way he snuggles on your tight and puts your hand on top of his head to show you that he wants you to go through his hair.

· It´s the way Robin always encourages you to talk about one of the last poems you read and analyzed. It´s the way she also reads the novels you read so she can talk with you about it. It´s the way she learns the things you are into so you don´t feel left out and alone.

· It´s the way Sabo always brings you little souvenirs after he finishes his missions and comes back. It´s the way he always makes you sit between his legs whenever you read another novel while he goes through some reports he has to take a look at. It´s the way he always laughs when he catches you being shocked when a character does something surprising or a plot twist occurs. It's the way he takes your hand in his and places a kiss on its back when you get sad over the death of one of your favourite characters.

317 notes · View notes

scp-10000 · 3 years

Text

Convex Headcanons Post

So @redstone-sun said they wanted Vex Cub and Scar headcanons, so I’m gonna throw all of mine at yall.

This might also function as a masterpost of all my vex hcs cause I’m linking examples of times I told others/used them in my own work.

Content warnings for body horror, violence, and cannibalism.

I’m starting off by saying I think they’re fae. If I were to make them a DnD monster, the vex mob and the vex boys would be fae.

Next up is my basically espostion fic that states a vex named Merlin created 100 Convex(new fae in the vex dialect of fae), and two of them lived, had children with humans, and their children had children with humans, so Cub and Scar are the grandchildren of the original Convex. DnD players may note this explanation feels more like a back story for a sorcerer instead of a warlock, which a lot of the head canons I’ve seen for Cub and Scar feel like. The fic also states Cub and Scar were born with very compacted wing nubs, but after they got pulled they could fly and use potent magic.

They can also phase through most matter like a normal vex.

This is a bit more of a vex mob head canon, but the vex are contracted by evokers after they provided them with a charm to negate their iron weakness. In the post linked in the word iron weakness, I did say both vex and evokers were friends, but over time I started to see the charm as something the evokers offered up more so they could sucker the vex into being their servants, but the vex caught on and wormed in clauses that meant they could do the bare minimum and the evokers can’t take back the charm. What makes it weirder is the charm only works for Cub and Scar if they apply it to the iron. It’s not on them, so if they touch uncharmed iron, it will hurt them. They also cant phase through any metal that has any form of iron. If the evokers thought they weren’t getting quality work from vex, watch how much Cub and Scar laugh at them for insisting they have to provide ANY work in exchange for faulty product.

Cub and Scar can also shrink down to the size of a pixie(or a standard 11 inch Barbie Doll for those of you who don’t have a pixie around to help visualize), and considering I tied up one of my Barbie dolls just cause, that might not be the best idea in some company.

This section has body horror and cannibalism, so be warned. About a week after Cub and Scar got their powers, their teeth fell out and were replaced with 32 teeth closer to human baby teeth. They can eat all the sugar they want, but not human flesh like they claimed.

On the plus side, Cub and Scar have wings and can fly without elytra.

This one I got off an old Joe vid, and it comes with a violence warning. Vex wings are dexterous, and the tips on each of them can move independently of the main wing, wiggling and moving like fingers. A lot of spells require the wing tips moving as a somatic gesture. Their wings are also where the body/soul bariar is the weakest. Hit the wings, you’re almost guaranteed to hit the soul. There’s a certain threshold to where you can damage the wings and the vex would die, and it ain’t that high compared to the general human damage threshold. Still a lot of them would rather that then the soul rending pain they’d feel forever if someone just cut off the tips and left them to suffer on the ground left in too much pain to defend themselves. Now, flicks, small pinces, and tiny cuts and pierces hurt, but they at least aren’t a death sentence.

Cub and Scar aren’t physically strong, and since they could just use vex magic to compensate, but don’t just think you can just go attack them. If they need to, they will throw every last bit of vex magic they have in them at you, and you will be under 14 different status effects at once before they just start launching the elemental damage at you. The only beings that are naturally unaffected by vex magic are Hels beings(or just demons in general), eldritch monstrosities, really strong DnD dragons(maybe the ancients, but definitely the new great wyrms from Fizban’s) and liches, and biblically accurate angels, but they don’t often run into these beings, so they’re fine. There’s still the factor that their magic can’t go through iron armor, but if you leave so much as one patch of flesh exposed, they’re aiming for it, and they will hit eventually.

On another body horror note, their bones are more hollow than bird bones just to store more vex magic in them. If one of those bones breaks, the magic will spill out and try to turn into healing spells under their skin, and the area will look blue as hell.

Bringing back the cannibalism warning. Cub and Scar also don’t have Hels counterparts. Instead they have Allay counterparts BadTimesWithScar and CardinalHater531. I also have this headcanon that Allay lived in Hels more as servants and food and were below everyone in that dimension, so Bad and Cardinal would have some stories to tell that would make hardcore angst writers on AO3 recoil.

Another weird one off ability Cub and Scar have is they’re immune to mind control.

One more less angsty one before I go. Cub’s old man skin was him hiding his true form cause he didn’t really trust the others besides Scar(his emotional support extrovert) with knowing what he actually looked like before Season 8. (I also like this post about if Cub had looked young in Season 6).

#hermitcraft #cw cannibalism #cw voilence #cw body horror #cubfan135 #goodtimeswithscar #convex duo

34 notes · View notes

nightswithkookmin · 3 years

Note

Hi Goldy!

Do you know that Jimins part in Butter was cut from the transmission in Golden Disc Awards?

And apparently even footage of him dancing to the break dance was cut.

Here is a comparison:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeoklDJ3bd/?utm_medium=copy_link

The post above is also mentioning that this is not the first time his part gets cut, appart from lights getting cut during his performance and BH editors calling Jimin nicknames given by haters.

Idk if this is true or what are the reasons behind it so I am hoping you can shed some light in it.

I remember Jimin not flying with the other members and having to fly in another class or something going to LA.

But I also remember seeing something in your blog(maybe in the comments) that Jimin might have upset someone "from the high levels".

What do you think about all of this?

See if I go off people will say I'm victimizing him so I won't go off.

With Hybe I know Jimin does have a say in the output and input. We've seen him ask for retakes, examine the monitors and footage till he is satisfied with a take. He has agency and he is not playing a passive role in Hybe.

After all he is Male, rich and privileged. If hybe is not working for him he can always walk out they won't shoot him down.

He has independent counsel, managers and support systems working in his interests to make sure he gets the right exposure and resources needed to nurture and advance his career.

If all these people cannot point out to Hybe that Jimin's lightening is bad and must be improved, or that his wardrobe sucks, or that the direction the company is taking his career is wack then he needs to fire all of them and hire me cos I can definitely do a better job minus the simping and sexual harassment I'd submit him to.

I'm sure he has an exit clause somewhere in his contract for when Hybe fails to uphold their side of the agreement to push him support him and take him to the max.

What I can't take is a third party like Golden disk doing shit like this

Did Hybe not approve of the final footage to be broadcasted or what? And I fail to believe they didn't cross check that footage or perhaps edit it out themselves cos that interviewer from India mentioned how after she and the team had edited the interview they'd sent it to Hybe for approval and hybe asked them to take out certain parts of the interview she thought was harmless.

Hybe will let the gay slide but Good forbid we ask about their breakfast or Jimin's part in butter PTD concert.

What a mess.

Hybe needs to fire someone cos they certainly aren't doing their jobs well. The artists need to cuss them out more and threaten to leave the band and company cos they are not the helpless broke teenagers they were in 2013.

Sis they forgot to tell Jimin his own song was to be used in a Marvel movie. I don't expect much from them.

Won't lie they surely act like they have a problem with him sometimes. But I know Jimin is very nice to everyone. Personally I think that's a character flaw but whatever. I'm sure Jungkook will agree with his mini hearts and compliments to all and sundry- yall did great today, bows and claps and proceeds to hug them😐

I mean with how nice he is to them you'd think they would feel motivated to make sure he comes out pretty every take but no and be included and all. ungrateful brats.

What happened to the whole 'take care of me' schtick? Do they want him to suck their dicks before they do the jobs they are being paid to do? Send flowers to their door steps? Is it latent homophobia?

Lightening sound camera angles, yea sometimes they can be mean and petty and fuck you up if they have a problem with you. Your mic suddenly goes off in the middle of a performance, the lightening makes you look a zombie reject etc. Sometimes it's technical failure or someone being incompetent and lazy on the job.

Either way it's not good. It's not a good look on a company that prides itself on quality super advanced technological innovation. SHAME ON THEM.

I said JM might have upset someone higher up? Was it a Joke? What was the context of that conversation?

Pretty sure it's not the same context cos if someone higher up is pulling these strings whew that's abuse of office and power, a rather toxic work environment and JM needs to get out!

But I'm also not sure it's that deep. People are just being lazy and Golden disk is being an asshole.

GOLDY

41 notes · View notes

uwuwriting · 4 years

Text

Anger issues w/ Dabi, Bakugou and Aizawa

Request: I’m the type of person who doesn’t get angry very easily but when I do I’m really scary and people back off. Can I request Dabi, Bakugou and either Shiggy or Aizawa with a girlfriend who is just like that and the first time they see her angry they are so confused like how did their quiet s/o turn into the devil. Thank you.

Lmao I’m like that as well. Big mood. People underestimate me and think they can walk all over me just because I’m polite. Bitch nah imma stab you in your sleep in 2-3 business days. Love ya.💖💖💖

masterlist

rules

warnings: cursing, some violence, threats *creative ones as well*

Dabi/Touya Todoroki

-Baby was the equivalent of the pikachu meme.

-You were both chillin at his place watching TV.

-Actually he was laying down, head in your lap as he played Among us on his phone while you changed channels in an attempt to find something interesting to watch.

-As you were mindlessly zapping through the channels you stumbled upon an interview with none other than the number 1 hero, Endeavor himself.

-Your finger froze over the channel button as you stared at the hero in front of you.

-You felt Dabi stiffen in your lap, his character staying still on the screen as his father’s voice bounced off the walls of the small apartment.

- “Doll could you change th-”

- “I’m thinking of retiring, yes. My family is my top priority and I would like to spend some quality time with them. Family is very imp-”

- “Shut your clown ass up!”

-The remote went flying barely missing the TV as you launched it at the hero’s face.

- “If I have to hear any more bullshit coming out of your mouth I will march to wherever you are and beat you to a fucking plump got it?”

- “Babe he can’t hear you.”

- “I don’t give a shit! He will hear me when my hands are squeezing his WINDPIPE!”

-And with that you shot up from the couch, sending Dabi rolling to the floor in the process.

-Marching out of the living room, he heard the door slam shut and then a muffled scream before the only sound was the words coming from the TV.

-He had whiplash after that.

-He didn’t know what exactly happened but he was glad in some weird way.

-He knows that you don’t get angry easily, hell he couldn’t get you to snap at him even when he tried his best.

-Sure he irritates you but you have never actually snapped like this before.

-Your calm and collected nature calms him down so seeing you curse and be so violent all of a sudden got him riled up.

-Making his way to your shared room he opened the door finding you curled up on your bed with an angry expression on your face.

-Nose scrunched up, mouth in a scowl and brows furrowed.

-Letting out a small chuckle he took his place behind you bringing his lanky arms around your waist as he turned you around,your nose barely grazing his, eyes burning holes in his chest.

-He brought his forefinger in between your brows and made small circles at the spot, watching as your facial expression relaxed a bit but the scowl was still there.

- “Stop thinking about it you’ll get a headache.”

- “I wanna punch him in the dick.”

- “I wanna do that too but it can wait.”

-Kissing your forehead first he started trailing little pecks all over your face, being satisfied by the small giggles he could get out of you.

-This is why I love you.

Bonus:

- “That was the hottest thing I have seen.”

- “You are getting dommed tonight, lover boy.”

- *flustered burned boy*

Bakugou Katsuki

-He is the one who is angry in your relationship.

-We’ve been new.

-You are his damage control, you can always calm him down and put some sense into him.

-Most of the time he listens to your every word.

-So everyone assumed that since you put up with his shit without batting an eyelash, never showing a sign of anger, you can’t get angry.

-That your anger was that little puff of your cheeks and scrunch of your nose that Bakugou adores.

-No one has ever seen you angry so you don’t blame them.

-But everyone has that one thing that just makes them snap *for me it’s Endeavor*

-You were training with class 1-B when that dickhead Monoma decided to fuck with your boyfriend.

-They were fighting, throwing insults at each other non-stop when Monoma decided to be a dick.

- “Why are you even in this class huh? You would be more useful to the villains. It would be so easy for you too, I bet you don’t need much of a push to join them, don’t you Bakugou.”

-Bakugou may not like talking about it but you know.

-The thoughts that haunt him.

-He was kidnapped and saw his idol be brought down because the League believed that he would make a great entry to their group.

-His own mind works against him sometimes, reminding him of the looks of fear most of the people in his life have when it comes to him.

-He hates it.

-What breaks him even more though is being reminded out loud about those thoughts.

-Having them confirmed by someone else.

-He had stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the other boy in pure horror when he saw a flash of color and Monoma was now laying face down a few feet away.

-You were panting, hands clenched in fists as you stared at the boy in outer disgust, a vein popping on your forehead.

-Bakugou was silent watching your shoulders frantically going up and down, pure rage emanating from your demeanor.

-In the blink of an eye you were on top of Monoma, lifting him off the ground, a snarl escaping your lips.

- “You fucking piece of shit I’ll fucking stab your parents if you say anything like that again!”

-Everyone was shooketh.

-Absolutely terrified but still shooketh.

-Monoma scrambled off the moment you let him go spewing apology after apology.

- “Baby you okay?”

-How the fuck was your voice back to normal? How was it so soft as if nothing happened? As if you didn’t just pin down and threaten someone.

- “Y-Yeah I’m fine.”

-The class was afraid of you for the next four months.

Bonus:

- “Baby, you got so fired up.”

- “No one talks shit about you!”

- “I know but wow that was hot.”

Aizawa Shouta

-Shouta is used to the comments made about him.

-People doubt him as both a hero and a teacher at times and he has learned not to let it get to him.

-He believed that you had closed those comments off as well, you didn’t show any signs of them bothering you at least.

-Sure you might make a small comment whenever you hear something but you never snapped at someone.

-He knew that you prefered tranquility, it was his calm nature that attracted you in the first place *and the fact that he was smoking hot*.

-So when you actually snapped at someone he was taken aback and super turned on.

-Like wow that woman right there giving someone a heart attack is his wife?

-Wow.

-You were both at a hero conference, meeting up with some of your old colleagues to catch up and to get some insight in the hero industry.

-Yall wanted the tea.

-You two were attached to the hip, never leaving each other's side as you enjoyed yourselves.

-You were chatting with a retired heroine who had helped you in the past when you heard murmuring coming from behind you.

- “I heard that one of his students got kidnapped during the summer.”

- “Of course he would let that happen, what could he possibly be a reliable individual? He was a delinquent and a vigilante, irresponsibility is in his blood.”

-Shouta felt you stiffen as your gaze shadowed over.

- “Kit- um Y/N?”

-The two continued dissing your husband and you tried to calm yourself down, you really did.

-But they made it really really hard.

- “He went on live television and gave excuses for that whole ordeal.”

- “You think he was trying to pass the blame?”

- “Of course he was! He has no sense of dignity, leaving his students to fight while he slept and then letting one of them be kidnapped like that.”

-Now he started getting scared because your grip on his arm had tightened and you wouldn’t look at him.

-He thought that you were having a panic attack and it's OUR panic attack so the convention would have to deal with two UA teachers breaking down.

-But then you let go and a sweet smile appeared on your face as you made your way to the duo.

- “It comes from the bottom of my heart when I say that I need you to sit you maniac ass down and be quiet for the rest of the fucking night because don’t think I would hesitate to beat your punkass in front of all those people. If I hear Shouta’s name come out of your lips again I will personally make sure that you won’t be able to formulate words for the next five fucking months.”

-Not even a peep came out of those two for the rest of the evening, their eyes always darting between you and your husband, cold sweat running down their spines every time one of you made eye contact with them.

- “Y/N, kitty, that wasn’t necessary.”

- “You talk shit you get wrecked, period.”

Bonus:

- “Come on Shouta we’re going home.”

- “We’ve only been here for an hour, kit-”

- “You are either blowing my back out or staying here, choose.”

- “Home it is.”

TAG TEAM AY:

@the-arcana-fan-fic @angelwritings @axerrri @reinyrei @dnarez @bemorefiction @threeamwriting @dark-thoughts-and-red-roses @ezoyscorner @letscheereachotheron

825 notes · View notes

sleepynegress · 3 years

Text

On Sam Wilson...

Since someone just requested more meta on the characters... I’ve decided to contrbute a bit. Starting w/ who I see getting fundamentally misunderstood as a hero *a. lot.* There is a great monologue in Kill Bill 2 about the nature of Superman here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_cEoK1mXms

The very accurate summation of the character is that while so many heroes in comics are regular guys playing hero.... Superman is a hero disguised as a regular guy. SAM ...Takes the opposite of this to the EXTREME. Sam truly is just a good man. And I don’t mean that in a demeaning way. I mean in order to understand Sam you have to understand that he is a regular decent black family man from the Bayou. From his qt taunts upon meeting Steve Rogers (’don’t say it!’ ‘take another lap... did you just do it?’) to his geniune empathy with the common vets’ experience of needing to sleep on hard floors...

Sam’s AMAZING qualities come from him being a regular round the way black guy. And that is both revolutionary and subversive af.

I don’t think the mostly white fandom understand just how regular Sam is in his genuine empathy, love for his sister, teasing people he cares for w/ love, even the swag and I GOT THIS, implied in his work ethic and style when winged up as Falcon.

Because white people don’t get that the fact that these are regular normal elements in blackness and THAT is what makes him perfect for Cap is a HUGE statement and love letter to black culture.

Black people are like this on normal setting!!! Okay?

Like Sam isn’t even special. Most of us have black uncles, fathers, cousins, best friends who are black men that will cheer us, cook us some good bbq while bragging about how good it is... Dance silly, talk shit about us in a loving way, just be a good human and ARE THESE THINGS while being profiled on the regular and understanding how little this country sees black men as basic good human beings. See: Trayvon, Ahmaud, Freddie.... That is the point that keeps flying over fandom’s heads and why yall keep missing the forest for the trees. Sam seems to not be outright monloguing about his pain 24-7, but just being a regular good person??? Well, yeah.

BECAUSE THAT’S THE POINT. Sam is super because HE ISN’T. He’s a decent man who is good and loving, regular round-the-way, a calm and calculating leader, while not taking himself or anyone else too seriously. And the fact that this “regular round the way”, familiar black male archeotype (because YES he could be many of our bffs, fathers, cousisn, uncles etc.) and HE is the most suited for the shield becaue his regular is better than John’s exceptional on paper... - Making a normal decent black man the best one to be Cap is honestly one of the most revolutionary fucking choices the MCU has made. It’s a tribute to all the regular decent good black men that society has underserved, exploited, and outright murdered. Because history has typically overpraised and rewarded the most mediocre among white men. It’s TIME a regular black man (who, let’s not get it twisted is 38273681768768468 times better than ANY white man’s mediocre and regular because of staying regular and decent even w/ the burden)...

*DOESN’T* have to earn what is gifted to mediocre white men on the regular.

#meta #falcon #sam wilson #mcu #tfatws #the falcon and the winter soldier

193 notes · View notes

ozzy-bozzy · 4 years

Note

OOOOO ok so i had this idea that the reader is rekis s/o and also a skater and they go up against adam and they get like badly hurt during the match and adam does that like 'board collide' thing he did with langa and then ✨reki comfort✨ you don't need to do this i just thought it was a cool idea

I had to catch up a bit on Sk8 for this ask and lemme tell u you reignited my love for Langa because of it so thank u

also its almost 5 am if this is a little corny or low quality thats why lol

also also i did a lil drabble thing instead of headcanons bc i didnt think headcanons would work very well so

requets r open yall pls i love writing for you guys so r e q u e s t p l e a s e

On one of the rare times Adam had shown up to S, he started badmouthing skaters, and in particular, Reki. Reki had just finished up his latest beef and didn’t quite win. And Adam decided he needed to make an appearance just to ridicule your boyfriend. So, being the supportive partner you are, you jumped in immediately to defend Reki’s honor. This ended with you challenging Adam, and that’s what led you to now, looking out the car window at the skaters arriving for the race.

Reki was completely against the entire thing, but when he saw you seriously practicing and you had pulled Reki aside and told him you wanted to do this, you didn’t feel forced, and you definitely wanted to make Reki proud and show him how you had grown as a skater. He had let off a little bit, but he never stopped voicing his worry for you and never stopped asking you to call the beef off.

Standing with Reki and the others, you waited for Adam to arrive. It wasn’t hard to tell when he did, because all previous conversations seemed to hush, replaced with whispers of his name. He rolled up next to you, eyeing you up and down before laughing, spouting some bullshit, and lining up at the starting line. You huffed at him, completely done with his dramatic ass, and went to line up next to him before you were stopped by Reki’s hand on your shoulder. You turned to face him and you could see how much he was struggling. The worry was basically pouring off him in waves. He opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off with a quick kiss, pat his cheek, and went off to start the race. Thank god for Langa too, because he placed his hand on Reki’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

The race went as expected, which basically means you got your ass handed to you and you were hardly halfway down the track. Adam had pulled some of his signature moves, locking your boards together, and it ended with you going flying into some rocks bordering the track and your board almost snapping in two. You could hear the distant cheers for Adam as he continued on, the voices being drowned out by the loud motor of the motorcycle pulling up next to you. At this point, your vision and hearing started to grow fuzzy and indistinguishable, your vision becoming blurry as your head throbbed. Reki ran up to you and pulled you up into his lap as you started to fade from consciousness. Langa did his best to comfort his best friend, but he couldn’t do much as Reki watched you pass out in his arms, hot tears falling on your cheeks as he held you tighter.

You hear the rhythmic beeping before you had opened your eyes or processed what it even was. Squinting lightly in the bright hospital lights, you could see the mass of rusty red hair next to your arm. You lifted your hand and ran your fingers through his locks, immediately startling him awake and you could see the slight redness of Reki’s eyes. He had been crying while you were sleeping. Cupping his cheek, he stood and engulfed you in a hug,

“I’m so glad you’re okay…” You could feel him physically relax, making you smile into his shoulder.

You both parted, Reki letting out a breathy chuckle before pressing a sweet, relieved kiss to your lips. Needless to say, you and Reki both would be working on perfecting your skating skills and looking out for one another better from now on.

#sk8 the infinity #reki kyan #langa hasegawa #sk8 reki #sk8 langa #sk8 reki x reader #reki #langa #sk8 langa x reader #sk8 adam #ainosuke shindo #sk8 ainosuke shindo

87 notes · View notes

gloryofluv · 3 years

Text

Order Up! Chapter 17

I know yall are like wtf??? This is a coffee shop au. Still plenty of coffee shop to be had, I promise. Just now she's not a barista. There's going to be plenty of fun ahead!

This is kinda a nod to the swift change of going to the Devildom. instead, well, she's going to be assisting the branding for Daddy Dia. I hope yall are enjoying it!

Previous Chapter

Alex, Barbatos, and Diavolo were traveling together. Barbatos was driving, and Diavolo sat with Alex in the back. He had her put on the sleek black blazer before setting down some paperwork.

“So, here’s what I want to do,” Diavolo declared and tapped the pages. “My entire workup of the cafes, the bistros, and products. Everything. What I want is for you to replicate everything you do with all our policies. I want my customer and people relations to improve. Once we have set guidelines and you have a game plan, we’ll move on to corporate-wide effects. Barbatos and I will be working with you on how to translate all of it,” he explained.

Alex skimmed it and breathed. Wow, he was serious. He wants to apply whatever spark he thinks she has to everything. “Why?” she scowled at him.

“Because there’s something you do that no one seems to capture. I want to bottle and sell it with my entire corporation. That means with our charity work as well. That’s why you’re coming this weekend. I will always be the face, but I want you to be the stamp of approval. The devil is always in the details,” Diavolo expressed and relaxed in his seat.

She crossed her legs and read through it. “This is a five-year plan,” she noted.

“Yes, and I have a ten-year plan if you become a staple as I believe you will,” Diavolo nodded.

“So firstly, you want me to build a regional guideline. Apply and repeat. Store visitations and policy notation changes?”

Diavolo smirked and pulled out his vape. “Yes, Alex. Lucifer, Barbatos, and I will be quite thrilled to assist where you need as well. Lucifer has always been a stickler for quality, and for him to bring me your resume and ask me to strongly investigate this, he knew you were capable long before you did," he finished and rolled down his window to blew vapor outside.

Stunning. All the questions about her degree. Of course. Wow, she was quite dim not to put two and two together. She would be a part of his work life; of course, he wanted her to be safe and not have some strangers poking around her new career. Especially working for one of the most powerful men in the world.

Diavolo reached over and pulled out pages from a folder. “This is the contract. It’s not as verbose and handsome as someone not in a trial position, but we’ll have a more foundational one drawn in ninety days.”

She took it from him and could choke on her spit. “Diavolo, this is far more than what someone receives in a junior position.”

“It’s alright. You’re going to be doing plenty of work for me, Alex. Notice, it’s a year contract? After ninety days, your salary will go from preliminary to this.”

“I don’t see anything on here about office space,” she noted.

Diavolo shook his head. “We leave that prattle for the ancient board from hell,” he teased with a smile. “You’ll meet them eventually. Honestly, we’ve always done work out of my estate. You will have a bit more freedom, however. Come to the different cafes locally. Sit down, work, and observe. I often go to the other ones to see what’s missing. It’s always been you.”

“Sir, the laptop will be ready after one,” Barbatos announced.

Diavolo waved his hand. “Perfect,” he rocked his head and set his ankle on his knee. “Your laptop and the new phone will be picked up today. We’ll transfer over your number, so it doesn’t cause an issue. I also don’t expect you to take this running, Alex. That’s why we have an application for both us and Lucifer to keep in touch on a secure line. Consider these next three months a coaching session before we let you fly.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Diavolo, you are the most eccentric, intelligent, and innovative man I know.”

Diavolo beamed as his cheeks tinted slightly. “Coming from you, that means the world. I suddenly really want that coffee and banana nut bread. Barbatos, can we do that for a tasting at Mephistopheles’ cafe?”

Barbatos chuckled and nodded. “Certainly, young master. I’m positive Lucifer will be thrilled to do the tasting with us.”

Alex smirked. “I told you, a craving.”

Diavolo laughed and nodded. “It definitely became one. Alex, I want you to realize something. My father told me this before he passed. ‘Never accept the words of a man for true success. Look to his actions for resolve.’ Your actions have always spoken to a higher need for change. I want to manifest it in my company.”

“Honestly, Diavolo, I was trying to figure out why you became interested in a simple barista.”

“Interested?” he tilted his head as his cheeks flushed. “I, well, Alex.”

“She meant in general, sir,” Barbatos specified.

Alex’s eyebrows raised. That was quite different from the usual demeanor he carried. He actually stammered? It was actually sincere and quite cute.

“Oh, yes, the position,” Diavolo stopped and, if possible, became even more shocked. “I meant professionally.”

She beamed and patted his hand as Barbatos pulled them into a parking space. “I’m extremely appreciative of the opportunity.”

Diavolo cleared his throat and nodded. “Would you like to have dinner with all of us tomorrow? I would like to establish a nice rapport with you.”

Alex suddenly felt very close to this massive man in the car. Like it had shrunk in size and pushed them together. She hadn’t moved and definitely shouldn’t be feeling any sort of way but grateful right now, girl. This is your boss. She beamed and rocked her head.

“Yes, that sounds great,” she agreed.

“Perfect, I also have a few notes we can communicate with on your laptop later this week about the party. Notables that I want you to meet. I need to start introducing you to them, and the party is the perfect place,” Diavolo explained.

“I’m at your service,” she smiled.

He glanced out the window away from her. “Excellent," he paused.

There was a bit of silence, and Alex looked over the pages. However, she did catch the look of amusement in the mirror on Barbatos’s face. His eyes were directed at Diavolo.

"Lucifer is here," Diavolo sighed.

Alex gazed over to see Lucifer standing by his car, but his expression was tight. Odd. Even his posture seemed challenged as he shifted into motion with Diavolo's hand gesture. He walked over and behind the car before reaching her side. She beamed and waved before rolling down the window.

“Hello, Lucifer. Fancy seeing you,” she laughed.

“Hello, junior CRO,” he chuckled.

She groaned and waved a finger at him. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because this was far more entertaining,” he smirked.

Diavolo cleared his throat. “Was that situation handled?”

Lucifer narrowed his gaze and nodded. “He will not be hired by any of our affiliates,” he paused and ducked into the window glaring at Alex. “The next time someone makes unwanted advances on you or touches you. You call me immediately. Luckily Diavolo was there. I mean it. You’re not allowed to be sexually harassed in any manner ever again. Do you understand me?”

Woah. Um, hello Lucifer Morningstar. Her breath hitched in her chest as she rocked her head with wide eyes. Her face was red beyond reason. “Yes, of course, Lucifer,” she murmured. Why did this man make her feel so… what? What was that?

He exhaled and touched her shoulder. “I’m not upset with you, Alex. I just want you to be safe.”

“Lucifer,” Barbatos cleared his throat.

He pulled from the window and straightened his clothing. “Let’s do a meet and greet?”

Diavolo patted Alex’s shoulder and nodded. “Let’s do so.”

Her door opened, and he offered her his hand. When she took it, he held it tight. Not in a break your fingers way. This was different. He was still upset. Lucifer was this upset over someone sexually harassing her? Boy, Jordan was right. She was pretty clueless.

What did it mean, though? Was it attraction? I mean, he was jealous about Simeon, right? Or was this something else? Lucifer was hard to get a read on. His mask was different than hers.

Alex looked up at him, and he breathed and smiled before releasing her hand. “You’ll enjoy this. I promise,” he nodded.

She straightened her jacket and rolled her neck. It was time to shelf all the personal shit that was just racking up in heaps. She had a job to do. Lucifer followed her up to the sidewalk, and Diavolo met her from the other side. He was grinning and offered her his hand.

“Shake my hand like you want me to fall in love with you,” he said.

She smirked and gripped his hand firmly, shaking it slowly. “That’s how you handshake,” she smirked.

He laughed and nodded. “You’ll do just fine. Oh, how do you make seven even?”

She tilted her head. “I don’t know. How?”

“You take away the s,” he chuckled.

Alex laughed and shook her head. “Okay, that was horrible.”

“I know, but now, you’re ready,” Diavolo nodded.

Had he been telling her dad jokes this long because they help loosen the ruffles? Well, no one said he wasn’t smart. She held her chin higher and rocked it. “Let’s go, fellas.”

Barbatos smiled and nodded before walking to the door. “After you, Alex.”

She led them into the cafe and felt like this was something she could do, especially with the fantastic three behind her. Fantastic they certainly were.

How do you describe these meet and greets? She walks in with them, the manager is already ready to go, and her hand is shaken for an increasingly long time. Compliments and then they describe what is unique about their cafe. At first, Alex wasn’t positive what the purpose was until she paced through the lobby.

“You don’t have a unique edition cup set?” Alex asked with a scowl at the basic mugs and traveling items sitting on the shelves.

This little manager, Rusalka, had pep, but she was super into the art and warmth of the atmosphere. “No, I didn’t see a point,” she said while adjusting her hat.

Alex hummed and just moved on, which caused Rusalka to step next to her. “Should I be worried about not spending the extra on them?”

Oh, she really wanted her approval. The professional head pat and direction. Now she got it. “I think with how unique and beautiful your store is, it would be a misfire not to treat your merchandise as something you can add flair with. Wouldn’t it be spectacular if someone walked out with a cup, hand-picked by their favorite barista, and every time they looked at that cup sitting on their table or filled with coffee at home… they thought of how special your store was?”

Rusalka bounced her head in sheer glee. “You’re so right! I could set up a monthly celebration of my baristas. Have them pick and choose what we should have out and make sure it’s tagged with their recommendation. It could be like Coffeegram,” she laughed.

“I would love to see this,” Alex nodded. “I also want to see them be less robotic across the counter. Your atmosphere is about warmth. People should come here for the service, not just the coffee.”

Rusalka pulled out her notepad and scribbled fast. “I’ll do some coaching this week. Maybe I’ll see what everyone wants for a pin and buy some. I heard your pins were little stories.”

Heard. She had a big reputation? There she was, living in her small bubble, and she never knew she was a celebrity in the cafes? “Also, the little ties that can be pinned on the apron. They have a website for customizing them. You could grant them for hitting a monthly high on sales. The amount of customization of the uniform might seem to limit, but trust me, with personality, it isn’t.”

Rusalka nodded as she wrote. “When we have our sit down next week, I will show you my three-month plan.”

Alex smiled and gestured to her. “You are unique. I’ve seen your Instagram and latte art. You should bring that out in every one of your baristas. Something that makes our customers come back and smile to see their favorite, you know? That’s how this becomes more than a cafe, but a haven.”

“I have so many questions, but I’ll save them. I know your time is stretched today. Thank you so much for your recommendations,” Rusalka beamed and pressed the notepad to her chest.

Alex waved her hand at the cafe’s atmosphere. “You have the bones for something extraordinary. Now, add some heart, and this will give Jordan a run for his money,” she laughed.

Rusalka gushed, and her cheeks darkened. “Oh, thank you, Alex. I’m really excited to work with you.”

Diavolo touched Alex’s shoulder. “We’ll get you her card and information so you can plug her into your reviews and weekly ratings, Rusalka,” Diavolo declared.

“Of course, Diavolo,” she beamed and bowed her head.

“We shall be off and absolve you of your requirement away from your duties,” Barbatos nodded.

“I have sent you an email of all the detailing that we will go over next week,” Lucifer added.

Rusalka rocked her head and swallowed when she glanced at Lucifer. “Of course, Lucifer. I’m thrilled all of you took the time to come in today,” her cheeks darkened as she examined the man.

Alex was not a jealous girl. She had never been a jealous girl and certainly wasn’t now. However, the way Rusalka looked at Lucifer rubbed her the wrong way. Personal is not business, baby. She rolled her shoulders and smiled.

“Oh, and remember, coffee is an art,” Alex winked.

Rusalka broke her vision of Lucifer and grinned at Alex. “And art is an expression. Thank you, Alex.”

Barbatos nodded and walked toward the cafe entrance. Diavolo waved to Rusalka and patted Alex’s shoulder before heading in that direction. Alex was about to turn when she saw the woman lean closer to Lucifer. “Are you planning on coming for your black coffee this week?” she smiled.

“I might,” Lucifer said.

Rusalka giggled and tilted her head. “I’ll have your favorite put on circulation then. I do enjoy it when you grace us with your presence.”

Alex pivoted and walked toward the door. She was not going to subject herself to watching this vibrant woman flirt with him. Artistic, extroverted, sexy… yeah, okay, this is work, but she needed to get off this train right now. Her cheeks were rosy, and Diavolo was outside toward a grassy area sneaking in a puff or two with a discreet posture.

The woman nearly stomped over and breathed with a tried smile. “I think that went well.”

He grinned and nodded. “Oh, yes, I think so. You’re a natural leader, Alex. Professionally you know what needs to be done and run with it. I’m truly looking forward to fluffing that part of your personality.”

Alex let go of tension and rolled her neck. “Well, you’re the boss,” she teased.

Diavolo stared at her with a mischievous smile. “You know, I truly don’t believe you when you say it like that.”

She giggled and shook her head. “Your name is on my paycheck, so I’m pretty sure it checks out, Diavolo.”

Diavolo tilted his head, and his easy smile faded as he examined her. “Alex, do you,” he paused when Lucifer approached.

“Are we ready for the next cafe?” Lucifer declared as he straightened his shirt.

“Yes,” Diavolo nodded and pocketed his device. “Then we’ll sit down, have lunch and pick up everything.”

“Excellent,” Lucifer agreed.

Diavolo gestured to Lucifer. “We’ll meet you there?”

He rocked his head.

Alex refused to look at him. Was she being petty? No, this was so that she could keep her work mask on. It actually hurt that he went and had coffee at other cafes. I mean, it likely was his job for quality control, but she just didn’t think he would have the same experience with someone else. Fuck it. She had work to do. She had to be a boss bitch, right? That’s what Asmo would call her!

Diavolo escorted her to his car, and they left. The day was just seeming to start, but Alex was exhausted and excited all at the same time. This was going to be a new experience all the way around.

@rsmrymnt-tea @otome-scribbles

13 notes · View notes

cornappreciation · 3 years

Text

It's been a while. Episode 40 discussion post below! Spoilers, obviously.

hi! wow! its been a while! sorry about that, brainrot said i have to think about nothing but warrior cats for like six months straight so ive been busy with that. but im back, hopefully? not sure if anyone really recognizes my specifically (or if they ever did), but anyways. since i didnt make an analysis post for the past,,, two (?) episodes, some of my cited evidence will just be "trust me bro" as i dont have notes to look back on, only my own memory. now! episode 40!

this episode was very corn-heavy, so that's gonna be the focal point of this post. ok, time for a quick recap. ive already established in my previous episode analysis / theory posts that corn is almost definitely been *replaced* by xolotl, not possessed or altered. its also likely the beast in the cave near metztli is quetzalcoatl (though this could be a manifestation of xolotl as well), and xolotl is trying to rid of him (this is why im working on the assumption is it quetzalcoatl and not xolotl in the reflections, however this could be some amalgamate of the two "getting rid" of xolotl….. who knows!). im going against my previous theories here! i said in a previous post the shadowy figures were likely xolotl, but im leaning towards corn here in the replacement theory, ill detail why later in this post. he also said at some point in episode 40 that he "got rid of his negative traits" (paraphrasing) which could be a reference ot getting rid of his twin. As for the evidence for replacing rather than possession: mind the difference in hairstyle in his human form, difference in facial markings, and his lack of transformation back into nagual form (likely because it would be markedly different. it could be that xolotls nagual form is reminiscent on corn's dream self with the face covered in hands? yall know what im talking about, ill cite the episode later. but this is unrelated).

All of this happened directly after he failed to shoot the mercy bow. Not sure if the mercy bow or the town is relevant here, but i figured its worth bringing up. This scene in episode 35 is the last we see of regular corn. He has been in human form since this point. He seemed to panic while holding the bow, which could be a mark of his personality in general, *or* something to do with being in metztli, bringing us back to the monster in the cave the citizens of metztli keep at bay with blood. This beast is likely xolotl (although as ive outlined above this could be an incorrect assessment) when the gang first enters the town, and has perhaps "switched places" with corn, leaving quetzalcoatl trapped in xolotl's reflection. This ties back to episode 40 itself, with xolotl (im going to be referring to the impostor as xolotl from now on, its easier for me) requesting that the nurses remove the mirror from his room and give him a wooden spoon rather than a metal one (that could give off his reflection). I'm not sure what this means for corn himself, perhaps xolotl just doesn't want to look at and be reminded of him, or this could be a strategy for getting rid of him? if anyone has any ideas feel free to tell me lol. Not super clear here. Maybe it can be explained by the mythos?

back! to! the! mercy! bow! which isnt really relevant to episode 40. most of this post isnt relevant to episode 40! because i think this episode mostly served to build tension and let us get to know xolotl a little better. but why not give myself a refresher and go back into some of my old stuff? just to get the ball rolling again. ive said in previous posts that i thought the reason the quetzalcoatl and xolotl,,, "thing" happened was because of the mercy bow presumably being destroyed or lost during the eruption of the red tezcatlipoca, since it isnt seen on screen after this happens. im going to tentatively retract this! i dont think its right (though it IS still a possibility….. maybe xolotl was able to take over bc corn disappeared WITH the bow??? but im not sure if the fact he was never able to use the bow disproves this……. hm.) we know *corn* is the proper wielder of it, yes, but i honestly think its more to do with the spooky cave than the bow (something i overlooked previously). its possible the bow being destroyed allowed xolotl to take over? honestly kind of stumped on xolotls method here. its also possible that my replacement theory is totally off mark and theres something im missing!

heres a timeline rq, starting with the gang entering metztli. corn and others enter metztli. they make their way to the temple with the mercy bow. corn attempted to use it, but is scared off by something or otherwise flys away for an unknown reason. this is the last we see on him. he appears only in human form from here on, with his altered facial markings and hairstyle a mark of him being changed. my theory explains this as xolotl pretending to be quetzalcoatl, from some point after corn left the temple and the red eruption. xolotl is likely the creature in the spooky cave the citizens of metztli keep at bay with blood. somehow, xolotl trapped corn in his place (his reflection), while he roams free, pretending to be corn. he avoids reflections of himself (as a shadowy figure is seen on them. This figure is likely corn. Others can see this reflection, as we see a guy at Blackwell drop his spoon after noticing it), and is "maliciously compliant" (uncooperative) with authority. It's likely he purposefully "got rid" of corn, as he says in episode 40 that he got rid of his "negative qualities". spooky! but this episode did not bring a lot of answers. great way to build up tension though! loved the constantly clock ticking as a buildup. cant wait for the next ep :)

apologies if anything ive stated has already been speculated on or confirmed otherwise ! like i said, i havent been active in a while (i even stopped using my main blog, so i dont use tumblr too often), so for all i know i could be the only person left in the no evil fandom on tumblr. feel free to add onto this or correct me or anything ive gotten wrong! ive missed interacting with yall on these theory posts :) might add on more later if i have any revelations.

#No evil #No evil Betsy Lee #Betsy Lee no evil #Corn no evil #Quetzalcoatl no evil #No evil corn #I forgot what tags I used to use AAA #Xolotl no evil #No evil quetzalcoatl

24 notes · View notes

nem0-kn0ws-n0t · 3 years

Text

Hello! Just a little fic i wrote for an April Fools event a while back! HCBBS and Cleo themed <3 Also on ao3 if yall prefer that way! I'd love to hear y'alls opinions!~

“ZombieCleo~.”

Dark eyes looked up from her small notebook of ideas as the figure landed next to her. She quirked an eyebrow, a small smile teasingly on her lips.

“Keralis~” She shot back with the same tone, standing up from her hooded bench to stand next to the wide-eyed brunet. They held each other’s stare for a bit, expressions frozen in a silent eye contest. Of course, it ended when a gust of wind ruffled the palm tree above their head, letting a single leaf float down and land on Keralis’s nose. His eyes widened even bigger (somehow) before he let out a powerful sneeze, sending the leaf flying into the air and the two of them into a fit of giggles.

Soon enough, Keralis is pulling her around his-her base. Her's now; she reminded him, they swapped them. Keralis pretended to sob at the comments, only pulling out more cackles from her.

Yes, she muses while watching her friend sulk in her new diamond office; this will be great.

The transition was delicate, all things considered. Cleo loved her new base, from the skyscrapers that disappeared in the clouds to the bank tellers to the palm trees. The city was a magnificent piece of modern architecture, and Keralis had done a fantastic job building it from scratch.

It was, however, empty.

Not a single soul in the streets, milling around. No children on the benches or clerks in the stores or anything, really. But that’s alright. Bringing life to a place is Cleo’s bread and butter, after all. A simple spin of parts and spells read off a book, and suddenly life-like beings were created.

It made the otherwise deserted place feel more lively, more homely even. And so she threw herself into her work, creating human-like mirages in every spot she could. It worked, to a degree. The city was much more lively than before, the sound of humanity milling around comforting.

(She does wonder, sometimes, while laying in bed at night, unable to sleep, why it didn’t feel quite at home. Staring at the cyberpunk lights flicker in batches of three, she wonders why, exactly, the uncomfortable feeling she got when she first arrived is still there.

As sleep washes over her finally, she wonders mildly why all the lights in this place flash at the same time, in the same continuous pattern.)

She got her answer eventually.

Many things were off-putting, to say the least, and so for a while before. If she’s honest with herself, she might have dismissed too many hints. But now, there’s no way to deny it.

Strange things were happening in Keralis’s City.

Every light in the city pulsing in beats of three were off-putting, to say the least, but Cleo squared her back and ignored them, dismissing it as lousy Redstone work.

The noise from her office ceiling that she could never quite identify or fix? She was just tired from planning out statues all day.

The constant feeling of eyes on her back was simply her imagination, just nerves to being in such a prominent unfamiliar place.

This, however? No dismissing it.

Cleo took great care in making realistic statues. She spent hours, sometimes days, making perfectly realistic mirages. She programmed every part of them to be fluid and human-like, scripting hand-picked lines and emotions. Her work was high quality because she poured a bit of what’s left of her heart into every scene.

This was not how she left them last time.

The mirage in front of her, a small lost child, was not confused nor scared nor any of the emotions Cleo had programmed into his behaviour. No, the child was staring at her with beady eyes, the brightest grin on his lips.

There was something off-putting in the smile, almost like his teeth weren’t supposed to be there. Too long for a child this age, too sharp, too white. The eyes were following her as she moved around, boring into her skull.

It would have been one thing if only one of the mirages was like this, maybe a prank or something.

No, every single statue had the same blank look on its face. From the bus drivers to the people loitering in the streets, they all had the same empty smile and teary eyes, following her as she walked down the streets. Well, more like ran, like a bat out of hell, trying to forget the stares on her back.

She finally took refuge in the Four Seasons Total Landscaping Hotel, ducking into a random floor, slumping against the walls.

What was that? What was that?

Reprogramming all those statues would have taken so long; she can’t fathom a single hermit having done that overnight.

Her breathing is hard, and she’s almost worried her lungs will detach themselves again, and so she shoves her head between her knees and starts counting slowly.

One, two, three, breath in, breath out.

It’s fine, it’s alright, it’s a nasty prank, that’s all.

Three, two, one, breath in, Breath out.

She can fix it; she’ll spend the next day reprogramming the mirages; it’s alright, she’ll find who did this, and she’ll give them the fear of a lifetime. It’s going to be okay.

With that final thought, she shakily got up, pulling her legs under her and using the wall as support.

She can fix this; she doesn’t have to deal with those expressions anymore. It’ll be fine.

When she finally manages to convince herself to go back outside into the populated streets, she almost falls over again.

The mirages were back to normal. The small child that started this whole mess was back to crying in a corner. The pedestrians were amicably chatting as they walked down the road. Even the store clerks were back to haggling with the shoppers.

Everything was exactly how it was before, no traces of soulless eyes and too sharp smiles.

But Cleo knows she saw them. She did not make that up; the foreboding sense of dread creeping up her spine reassured her of that. She stands, taken aback at the scene she made.

What’s going on?

(She thinks distinctively, maybe she doesn’t want to know, really.)

It all snowballed from there.

Almost as if encouraged by her reaction, the changes were more significant and more daring.

She woke up one morning from a restless sleep to the sight of her home flipped around. It took her a while to realize, smacking into doors that weren’t usually there. Everything was exactly how it was, from the paintings to the flower pots, but simply mirrored on its axis. She could barely believe it, making a note to sleep somewhere else from now.

Another time, she was peacefully strolling around the city, planning out where to add more mirages to make her new home even more to her image, only to be stopped dead in her tracks by a pungent smell. A smell she knows intimately, and it didn’t take long for her to identify where the rot came from.

The bright wheat fields which Keralis had spent hours tediously working on and growing, was nothing but rotten stems left. Not a single trace of life left on those lands, not in the plants, nor the weeds, nor in the rats Cleo knows like to nibble on stalks. Faced with such destruction, she did the only thing she knew how to do and started plucking out the plants.

Cleo’s not one to scare easily, no. She simply rolls up her sleeves and fixes every problem she faces, from fields to buildings to armour stands.

What else is there to do?

The final straw came faster than she expected. Cleo’s seen many things in her post-life after all, and there’s not much that spooks her anymore.

This, however, this, however, was too much.

She’s working in her office when it starts. There are some masks in front of her, half-formed and half painted. The simple repetitive movement is almost comforting in the face of everything that’s going on. A meditative moment, if you wish.

At least, it’d be peaceful if not for the shrill sound reaching her ears.

She pauses, paintbrush freezing mid-stroke, focusing on the sound. The silence that follows is palatable, and if she’d had a heart left, it’d be thundering in her ears.

And then it sounds again.

Is, is that a baby screaming?

It’s akin to an animal’s yowling, but the sound bounces of the diamond ceiling in a demonic way. It’s too long to be of an animal with lengthy, and it’s echoing in a way it shouldn’t be able to in the open-plan office, and it’s freaking Cleo out.

She takes a deep breath, slowly resting the paintbrush and the mask on the table before getting out of her chair, breath shallow. Infinitely slowly, she creeps out of the office, turning around to where the little grass roof rests. It sounds like it came from it from there; maybe she could-

It screeched again. This time, not from the bushes, no from her office, where she just was. Actually, it sounds like it came from behind her desktop chair. Where she just was.

Her back hits the white concrete in fear, a single hand clutching where her heart would be in leftover habits from a life gone by.

“It’s nothing; it’s your imagination,” she mutters to herself, too scared to try and pretend she doesn’t talk to herself. “It’s impossible, whatever it is, it can’t move that fa-”

It screeches again. This time, from right behind her, right on the other side of the wall, and right there and then, Cleo decides enough is enough.

Fear fuels her movement as she slips her elytra over her shoulders, grabs some rockets and flies away from this hellish city. Base Exchange be damned, she’s done with this place, and she wants to go home.

(And as she flies away, she overlooks the shadowy forms flickering in the skyline.

And as the zombie leaves, the city falls back into quiet, save for the light cackling of its true owners.

And as the cat leaves with her tail between her legs, the mice come back out to play.)

#hermicraft #zombie cleo #hermitcraft cleo #Keralis #hermitcraft keralis #sewer cats #hermitblr #fanfictions #not quite horror #but definetly creepy #or at least i tired

15 notes · View notes

wolfcha1k · 4 years

Text

Flood and Flame /// Guy x Eep Fanfic

"You're the fire and the flood

And I'll always feel you in my blood

Everything is fine

When your hand is resting next to mine

Next to mine

You're the fire and the flood"

"Something wrong?" Guy inquired.

She shook her head before resting it on his shoulder, getting comfortable. "No, not really," Eep told him, seeing he didn't look convinced despite all she could really see was the curve of his jawline. "What about you? I have a feeling that it's not just itchy feet bothering you tonight."

Guy and Eep take some time to sort out their feelings, surviving The End of the World itself can take its toll. There's also matters of the heart... /// Guy x Eep /// Post!Croods but before A New Age ///

You can also read it on Ao3 or FF.net here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29494047

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13821005/1/Flood-and-Flame

- <3 -

Author's Note: I'm always fascinated by the development of Guy and Eep's relationship that we don't see leading into "A New Age", since they start off rather new to each other. I also like to explore just how the family processed surviving The End since I'd imagine that was a very traumatizing experience. Especially for Eep who had nearly lost both her father and Guy during all that, two people she cares deeply for. So this is a little "what if" into that scenario.

This is also just a little distraction from "A Tomorrow of Our Own" as I sort through my writer's block. I had wanted to post this before Valentine's Day hit but what can you do, can't rush quality. The picture here was drawn by me and I hope you like the story and artwork. Some warning, kinda steamyish near the end, skip right to it or over it, your choice. If it makes anyone feel anything, then I did my job despite my virgin awkward boyfriendless ass feeling differently, haha. Ngl, took me several days just to write the kiss because I got so much second hand embarrassment yall gotta read that.

Eep couldn't sleep but then again, how could you catch a wink after surviving The End of the World itself? Her blood was still pounding in between her ears and it thrummed through her veins. The energy hummed under her skin, desperate to burst alongside the burning that sent her nerves ablaze. It was barely a few short hours ago they'd outlasted certain death. For those short moments, all had seemed lost.

In-between the restless twisting and turning amongst the sleep pile, Eep gave up trying to sleep. The dark around her didn't help matters much, even if Eep prided herself in her courage. She hunted for light all her life, eyes drifting towards the remains of the embers that still glowed upon the ground. It gave little comfort.

Her father's words echoed in her memory, the whole ordeal still fresh as a wound. Never be afraid.

Perhaps it was easier said than done, green gaze finding the hulking mass of fur and muscle that was Grug. She almost lost her father without never telling him she loved him. It haunted her when she waited on the other side of that chasm, bordering The End and waiting for a response she knew was never coming. The anxiety came like an unwelcome stranger, knocking persistently at her skull. Giving a soft frustrated groan, she sat up and crossed her arms.

She looked up at the moon and the night sky that held all the Tomorrows, the sleeping suns shining like beacons of hope. Eep tried laying down again, cuddling close to a nearby snoring mass she assumed was her little brother Thunk. There was Chunky's loud rumbling purr, Gran's thunderous snoring and Ugga's gentle murmuring to seek comfort from. She counted each breath, in and out and shut her eyes… How did the tiger fly? Her voice echoed, reminding her of caves and the canyon that once defined her existence.

And then he stumbled into her life, well, more like she pushed her way into his with persistence rivaling the most stubborn of beasts. He held the sun in his hands and showed her there was more than darkness. She jumped on the sun and rode it to Tomorrow.

Her nerves, taut as a bowstring, nagged for release. Like the tiger in Guy's tale, she was ready to fly.

I gotta move around, she thought. Eep gave one last look at her slumbering family silhouetted in the darkness. Instinct was something she knew innately, it kept her alive.

She wiggled free of the tangled bodies around her, rolling onto her hands and knees. Eep quickly felt the crisp night time chill turn her skin to goose flesh. She shivered, partially regretting the choice to leave the warm safety of the family sleep pile. Her body was too tense for sleep though, reminding Eep of the static feeling the air got before lightning struck.

She shrugged the feeling off and like a cat on the prowl began to creep away from the slumbering clan. Eep made distance and in-between trotting along her knuckles, she sprang up onto the balls of her feet gracefully. Muscles rippling under her tanned skin, she just let loose. The lush green jungle and its many colorful flowers rushed past her in a blur of color. Breaking into a run once Eep knew she was far enough away not to make noise, she relished in the freedom the night brought her. Eep breathed in the air deeply, feeling it expand her lungs and suddenly the cold of it felt good in comparison.

Her feet carried her towards the edge of the jungle, white sand expanding far as the eye could see. The ocean was shining bright, so blue she wondered if it was even real. The moonlight reflecting on the ocean called to her in a whisper yet was loud enough to deafen her ears. Eep wondered perhaps if she dipped her hands into the water she would scoop up a shard of the moon. Eep paused at the edge of the treeline. A familiar scent blew in on the breeze upwind, Eep flaring her nostrils.

Guy, she would recognize his scent anywhere. He smelled of wind and freedom, like innovation and firewood. He was also tinged in ash from The End and the burning scent of the tar he'd been stuck in with her father. It was thick and pungent, making her tense. Again it reminded her how close she had nearly lost everything. Eep without another thought was quick to seek him out, a part of her worried about him being alone out here.

It was silly to worry, there was no danger here now. Besides, Guy had survived alone long before he ever met her and her family. However she couldn't shake it, especially when today she saw him lose hope in that moment. Guy was a dreamer and always knew how to escape the worst of dire situations. Full of ideas that seemed endless, he'd had no solution to when the earth broke into pieces around them. It had broken her heart seeing him like that, all her faith was on him and she'd never thought he could lose that spark.

It didn't make her regret the journey though, she would have always followed him to The Ends of the earth. Despite how short she'd known him, it felt like forever somehow. Were soulmates real? She hoped so.

Come with me.

She found him quickly thanks to her keen sense of smell. Seated on a tall rock on the shore, his back was to her. His knees were curled up to his chest, long arms wrapped around him. Eep crept towards him and he perked at the sound. He turned his head, squinting to see passed the dark. He relaxed when he realized it was not danger, a sigh rattling his thin, lanky frame. His smile could radiate light as he gave her one. It made her insides melt.

"Hey," he greeted, already scooting over to give her a spot on his lonely little ledge.

She didn't hesitate to plop herself next to him, quickly cozying herself into his side. "Hey you," she chirped back.

Guy didn't seem to mind the affection, if anything he was just as eager to meet her half way. He leaned his head comfortably against her temple, breathing in her scent.

"What are you doing up?" Eep asked him after several moments, needing the time to enjoy having him to herself for once. It was one of the first real time being alone together since getting stuck in the canyon.

"Just wanted to explore a bit, I couldn't sleep," he told her, turning his face to nuzzle her cheek. If Eep were a cat, she would have purred at the affection. "What about you?"

"I'm too wound up I think," she said. "I can't sit still for long anyway."

He chuckled fondly, pulling away to look at her. Eep practically whined at the loss of contact, looking into his eyes. "You do have a severe case of wanderlust, I must be contagious."

"Hey, so long as it's not the common cold I'm good."

"I'd never want to make you sick," Guy promised her. "I'm healthy as a horse fly, I swear."

Lovesick seemed to be a fitting description though, Eep batting her eyelashes as she swooned at his affection. He grinned at her.

"How did you find me?" He asked her suddenly, returning to nuzzle the soft skin of her cheek and jaw.

"I sniffed you out," she exclaimed, sounding proud of herself.

"Do I really smell that weird to you?" Guy teased her, gently lifting a finger to boop her on the nose. She went cross eyed, amused.

"A bit, I've gotten used to it though," she teased right back.

He gave her a lopsided boyish smile at that, chuckling low in his throat. Guy made himself more comfortable on his perch on the ledging. Eep watched Guy turn away from her to look towards the sky, his brows furrowed. Something seemed to be on his mind, Eep's curiosity pricked under her skin and she shuffled her weight. Feeling her shift, Guy turned back to her, questioning.

"Something wrong?" Guy inquired.

He sighed, merely cuddling her warm body as he put an arm behind her back. "Bad dream," he confessed at last, looking up at the slumbering suns above them again. Guy's face was solemnly drawn, forlorn as seemed to search the heavens for answers. "Today was a lot."

"Yeah," she agreed quietly, mind blanking as she thought back to what had happened just barely a day ago now.

Eep looked at her arm where a fresh wound was, the blood long since dried. She'd gotten it after Grug threw her across the chasm, her bicep had grazed a sharp rock when she landed. Eep had a feeling it would scar, it wasn't like she was scared or ashamed of those though.

This one though felt different, sure, she had survived but it'd been a horrifying day. It was something that would take time to forget and feel pride in.

Guy followed her eyes and gently nudged her, drawing her from her thoughts. "What about you?" He echoed the question. "I know it's not only me who's reflecting."

"What is there really to say?" She shut her eyes, returning to the darkness that had suffocated them in dirt and ash. "I nearly lost my dad." We all almost died.

They fell into a tense silence as both Eep and Guy continued to digest all that they'd experienced today. Guy idly peeled at a piece of dried tar he couldn't wash off successfully with his finger nail. She lifted her head a little and Eep watched him, green eyes flickering between his face and the splotch of black tar.

"I know the feeling," he murmured at last and he hesitated a long moment, steeling himself as he lowered his head. "I… um… I lost my parents when I was a little boy."

Eep drew away to properly look at his face, seeing the old hurt there. He wouldn't look at her, trapped somewhere in his mind she was unable to follow. She reached out to cup his cheek to turn his head towards her, rubbing her thumb tenderly against his face.

He leaned into her touch, lifting his hand to cover hers. He pulled it away slightly in order to press his nose into her calloused palm, a gesture of deep fondness amongst cave people. Did he know that? Eep wondered. It made her ears burn despite the weight of what they were talking about.

"Guy… I'm sorry," she said finally, it was the only thing she could really say. It had been an obvious conclusion for why he was alone, so young yet wise beyond his years. His experience spoke volumes of the world he had to face.

She once couldn't imagine living without her father, no matter how much Grug frustrated and smothered her. After today she knew though at last and it was the worst feeling in the entire universe, no kind of wound she'd ever gotten could come close to comparing to it.

"The tar pit with your dad really picked at an old wound for me," he went on, voice beginning to warble a little. "They had drowned in that stuff. I guess… I guess I wasn't as over it as I thought I was. I can't forget that awful smell, it suffocates you."

Eep didn't think it was a thing you could get over, part of her didn't want to meet the person who had forgotten it that easily. She wasn't sure what to say so instead she wrapped an arm around his waist, hoping her presence would be enough comfort.

"I'm not alone anymore though," Guy continued despite how sad his voice sounded. "I got you and your family now."

"And Belt," she added helpfully and it made him smile a little bit as waned as it was.

"And Belt," he agreed. "I think my family would have wanted me to go on this crazy road trip with you."

"Log ride and all?"

"Maybe sans the log ride," Guy admitted, twisting his face up in a pout. Eep pulled him closer so she could hug him better.

They fell into a companionable silence for a time, listening to the wind as it blew over the beach. Her thoughts wandered again to places she didn't want it to go, that buzzing unused energy beneath her skin returning with a vengeance.

Eep knew thinking about things wasn't going to be helpful for either of them, her gaze jumping between Guy and the ocean. The tide rumbled softly as it eased in and out along the coastline. She tugged on his elbow, gesturing with her head in the direction of the ocean.

"Wanna go for a swim?" Eep asked, knowing the shift in topic would be welcome. They would drown their fears in the water. She idly flexed her muscles in preparation of the activity to come.

His expression lightened despite his eyes still looking sad. It was progress at least. "Yeah, sure," he relented with a small smile.

Eep beamed at him in girlish glee, separating herself from his side to spring to her feet. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" She shot off, leaping off the ledge onto the sand gracefully.

Guy scrambled to rush after her and nearly fell face first off the rock, calling out accusingly, "Hey! That's cheating, Eep!"

"No, you're just a sore loser!" She called back, turning around as she ran backwards a moment. She saw him running as fast as he could, long legs extending forward and back. Eep made it to the shore line and leaped into it in a cannonball, climbing a nearby series of rocks as a kind of diving board.

There was a dark shape distorted on the surface of the water before suddenly it crashed down after her. Eep moved to avoid being crushed and saw it was Guy. He grinned at her, paddling about skillfully. Eep was still learning this whole swimming thing, he was like a swan to water compared to her. They were deep enough that they could see the bottom yet not far enough for it to be a problem returning back above the sea. She swam after him when he went further down, showing her some coral and undersea plants that were eye candy. Some fish swam passed them, their scales rainbowy and glistening in the lowlight.

Her lungs began to burn for air and she could see Guy was beginning to feel the effects too, for he started upwards with a strike of his feet to the sea floor. Eep could see the mottled light shining above her on the water, casting the belly of the sea in an ethereal sort of glow. She kicked her feet down, paddling her way up to the surface with a gasp. She moved a clump of wet hair out of her eyes, grinning when she saw Guy resurfacing next.

She splashed him merrily, Guy lifting his arms in a feeble attempt to protect himself. He swatted water back at her afterwards childishly, Eep giggling as she began to crocopup paddle away from him. Guy followed her, easily cutting her off to dunk her when he grabbed her around the shoulders. Eep sputtered as she resurfaced, seeing the wide mischievous grin on his face.

"Two can play at that game!" Eep declared, sucking in a breath dramatically before diving back down.

She could see Guy's body twist and turn as he attempted to peer down to see what she was doing. Eep swam under him and hefted him onto her shoulders, she heard his surprised gasp as he clutched around her neck for support. She promptly tossed him head over feet before scrambling to the nearby rocks again before he could get her back.

His head popped up above the sealine, Guy wiping his face away the water and spitting salt from his mouth. He looked around for her before his dark eyes found her standing proudly on the rocks.

"What are you doing now?" Guy asked her, swimming near her suspiciously.

"I'm the queen of the rocks!" Eep called out, puffing her chest out. "And you're the dirty dung beetle," she added, her teeth shining from her wide playful smile.

"I'll show you who's the dirty dung beetle," he said, beginning to climb the rocks after her.

Eep pounced to a higher one as he got closer, her balance better than his as she lowered onto all fours. "You gotta try harder than that to dethrone me, Guy."

Guy scrambled on the wet slippery stones but found his balance before he could plummet back into the ocean. He got to her perch and the two of them began to wrestle for the spot, Eep getting him into a headlock as his arms went around her torso.

He attempted to shove her with all his might, looking rather pathetic as he went red in the face from exertion. "You're like a rock!"

"Complimenting me won't get you anywhere!" She shifted her weight, ready to throw him.

He saw an opening and Guy swept his leg against hers, forcing her to stumble as her foot slid from underneath her. Suddenly, Eep lost her footing and yelping out loud began to fall. She didn't release him, if she was going down he was going down with her. Guy gave a similar shout and the two crashed in a heap into the water.

He let go of her and Eep loosened her grip from around his neck as the two swam back to the surface, gasping for air. Eep pulled him up with her, arms loosely draped on his shoulders and back. Guy had a sopping mop of hair drooping over his forehead and eyes, his smile wide. "I win."

"That was hardly a fair victory," Eep accused him without any real bite, lightly kicking his leg. "You fought dirty!"

"You're just a sore loser," he teased her, echoing what she'd called him earlier.

She just huffed, floating there with him. She looked at his face, amused. He looked so funny with his hair covering most of his face, it reminded her of the shaggy mop sabrebunnies had. She was suddenly hyper aware of how close together they were, his face nearly touching hers as his breath came out huffing. She could feel it fan her lips and a chill that wasn't just the cold this time made her shiver. His torso pressed against hers, their knees touching and chests close together.

It reminded her of when they'd set the trap together back in the tundra with the weird rocks. They had gotten tangled together like this before, faces touching and limbs ensnared tightly. This time there was no turkeyfish or Grug to break the tension.

She swallowed, her throat felt tight. Guy brushed aside the hair from his eyes, his laughter stilled and the smile on his face fell away slowly. His eyes fell to her lips for a moment. He suddenly realized their position but he made no move to pull away.

"Eep?"

She felt like she had butterflies inside her stomach yet somehow it didn't seem to matter at all right now. Eep only wanted to hear him say her name again like that, softly and wrapped with warmth. Only he could make her name sound like one of the most beautiful things in the world.

"Yeah, Guy?" It took her a moment for her brain to catch up to reply, she wondered if she sounded as breathless as she felt.

He was quiet, a seriousness she wasn't quite used to seeing when she thought of Guy. He was usually so goofy and strange, in a good way, of course. It was easier on her nerves though when he was stammering and a little nervous of her. Now she was the one feeling a little frightened but she also couldn't care less about that right now. It was a fear that reminded her of when she tried something new, nervous energy that fell away into satisfaction when it proved her fears wrong.

"I think I love you," he confessed after hesitating, needing to collect his thoughts. His words were soft and gentle, the fondness there even without him directly telling her. They came out of nowhere practically, yet it just felt right. Guy gauged her expression which must have been surprised because he reached for her hand as it trembled. "Are you okay?"

"It's just the cold," she mumbled with a sheepish look, attempting to ignore the gooseflesh erupting across her skin. Eep smiled.

He seemed as nervous as she was, resting her palm on his chest and covering her hand entirely. His heart was thundering under her fingers and he shivered. She felt it through her hand and arm, Eep blinked at him with concern. "Just the cold," Guy murmured back with a small grin.

"My heart feels like that too," she chuckled, shutting her eyes tight as she sucked in a deep breath. "Is that normal?"

"Yeah, it is," Guy assured her, squeezing her hand with a gentleness she wasn't accustomed to. Used to rough handling, it was something she was still adjusting to. "Least I think so. I've never… felt like this before."

"Okay," Eep murmured. "Hey, um, can I…?"

"Can you…?" He encouraged her softly.

She decided it was easier to just do it than elaborate what she wanted because something about it felt too intense to put into her voice. She forgot what words were but that was okay, they seemed unneeded. Not thinking was becoming easier, Eep closed the distance between them, not that there was much left to begin with anyway. She pressed her forehead against his, holding her breath as she waited for his reaction. He was so warm, his breath stuttering against her lips at the contact.

He was tense under her touch for a moment before relaxing, brushing his nose against hers as he tilted his head at a more comfortable angle. His touch thrilled her, a feeling she'd never experienced before until meeting him. Nobody had ever touched her like this, vulnerable and intimate. It was a long drawn out moment, Eep hearing the soft exhale of his breath.

"You need to breathe, Eep," Guy reminded her in a low voice.

"Oh," she managed to say, sounding rather pathetic as she let it out.

Guy nuzzled his nose against hers, brow against brow. "I like this."

Eep found what she wanted to say again, pressing her palm against his heart. His fingers tightened around hers. His pulse raced under her, pounding like thunder in a storm. It fueled her resolve and gave her relief that her feelings weren't something fleeting. It wasn't just because Guy was new that he fascinated her endlessly, her feelings ran deeper than that. "I... I think I love you too, Guy."

There was a hitch in his voice. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They breathed together for what felt like forever, his breath fanning her face. Guy moved, she felt it in the water around them. Eyes still closed, they widened when she felt the gentle press of something against her lips. His fingers brushed along her jawline tenderly, tilting her head further. A rush of heat made her skin feel more alive than it ever had before, touched by sunlight and fire all at once. It burned her blood and pounded in between her ears. His mouth moved against hers, each movement making her heart skip a beat. He pulled the slightest bit away, lips hovering above hers. His chest heaved a bit as he caught his second wind, Eep realized she was just as bad. It felt like the rush she got from hunting or when he taught her something new, invigorating and alive. Guy seemed to be waiting for something, what that something was, Eep wasn't sure.

A shiver ran down her spine despite how warm her entire body felt, Eep gathered her resolve. She leaned back towards him, hesitating for a heartbeat before tentatively closing the distance between them. He pulled her closer, which was somewhat difficult due to being in the water. He let go of her hand to tangle his fingers in her hair, Eep stroking the indentation between his pectorals. He trembled like a leaf under her touch as it roved over his skin, her hands moving from his chest to his shoulders, kneading the sinewy muscle there. His hand gently stroked the slope of her neck and down her muscular back, tracing scars in a awed sort of way, like she was precious.

She felt the soft flicker of his tongue against her lower lip and she couldn't help but startle, pulling back the slightest breath away. He didn't chase after her lips, just shut his eyes and breathed out a long, drown out exhale like he was pained. Her face leaned closer to his again and shyly she copied him, gliding her tongue along his lip to show her what he wanted.

And show her he did, tentative and gentle as always when he sensed her hesitation. He would never push her, though once Eep found her courage, she turned the tides on him with her typical ferocity. Guy gave a sound that was nearly a growl, thrilling her. She'd never been wanted before, her palm cradling his cheek. Her other arm went to wrap around his neck as his hand fell to squeeze her waist. He gripped the furs at her hips, pulling her closer yet still feeling too far away. She wanted him closer, like prey being hunted she felt cornered but it was exciting. Emotions she never knew before raged within her, Eep couldn't help but whimper against his lips as they spiraled down.

He paused, pulling away at the sound to take in her flushed face. His chest heaved, Eep feeling it more so than hearing it now. "Are you okay? I'm um… sorry." Guy was suddenly sheepish.

"I think I forgot how to breathe," she said between breaths, exhilarated.

He swallowed thickly, gathering his wits as he gently pushed her away. "Me too." The words seemed to remind him what was at stake here, that there was more than the burning in their blood.

The distance helped her heart time to finally stop its frantic beating. It found itself a much more manageable rhythm, one that thankfully didn't make her feel like she was dying. She caught her breath, lifting her hand out of the water to see it was pruned. "Wow," she mumbled, surprised.

"We've been in the water too long," he said, looking at his own fingers. "I think I'm actually cold now." Guy shivered, teeth chattering for a second.

Eep giggled with a sheepish grin. "Me too."

Guy began making his way towards the shoreline, padding through the water. Eep followed him as she crocopup paddled. Once they reached the soft white sand, the couple flopped together on their backs. Eep wiggled into his side, curling up into a ball. With the warmth of the sun gone, there wasn't much of a way to chase off the chill.

He wrapped an arm around her, rolling onto his side to get closer. "We can't stay here, you know," he mumbled into her hairline.

"Too cold, don't care," she rebutted. "Make me warm."

Guy chuckled, pulling his hands away despite her whining protest. He blew hot air into his palms and rubbed her chilled skin vigorously. They stayed like that for a moment, trading body heat until the cool night air on their skin felt tolerable. Eep pushed herself to her elbows after pulling away, gazing at the sky. Guy followed her eyes towards the sleeping suns.

"I'll never get tired of seeing this," Eep said aloud, turning to face Guy. He finally sat up, draping his arms over his knees as he crossed his legs.

"Me either," he said, relishing the beautiful sight. "I've followed each sun for so long," Guy continued, closing his eyes with a peaceful look on his face. He turned to face her, a smile quirking the corner of his mouth. The fondness in his dark eyes made her feel shy, something she hadn't known she could be. "They lead me to you."

"I should thank them," Eep decided, getting to her feet. She stretched her arms above her head, hands attempting to reach for the moonlight. "Thank you, Tomorrow!" She called out, smirking at Guy who laughed.

He found his legs, standing up next to her. "Yeah!" He shouted, cupping his hands to his mouth so the sound carried. "Thank you!"

She giggled, giddy as she pressed into his side. He rested his head against hers, grabbing her hand to affectionately smooth his thumb over her knuckles. Guy raised her hand to his lips after, placing a featherlight kiss on each finger. "Your dad would so kill me right now," he mumbled against her skin.

"I won't let him," she quipped, practically glowing in her warmth. "Though, he might hunt you down if we don't go back to bed."

"Yeah," he sighed, sounding reluctant as he let her hand go. Eep instantly missed the warm of his calloused palm and fingers around it. "We probably should."

"We can still take advantage of the sleep pile though," she said with a slow grin, hands behind her back coyly.

He copied her expression, keen on the sneaky plan. "Not like Grug can really lecture us, everyone moves like an earthquake in there."

She toed the ground, shaking her head with a snort. "Yeah." Eep nudged his shoulder and looped her arm through his. "C'mon, it's late and I think I'm worn out enough to sleep now."

Guy nodded his agreement, seeming to suppress a yawn suddenly as he muffled his mouth. "Yeah, I'm all adventured out." He gave her a sly little look, Eep innocently blinking up at him as if not knowing what he was insinuating. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"Anytime," she quipped.

They began to make their way away from the beach and into the jungle, hearing the snores of the slumbering family through the thick foliage. Eep tugged Guy down besides her to practically curl around him. Guy wrapped an arm around her waist, shimmying into a more comfortable position before sighing. Eep closed her eyes with a low hum, listening to the soft beating of Guy's heart.

She felt something soft press against her forehead, a kiss, she realized. She idly kissed the spot where his heart was in response, lovingly without a word but he knew its meaning. His breath hitched a little and he tugged her closer.

She was asleep faster than she thought possible, content and cozy…

Of course the awakening was less so when morning came, a disgruntled and shrill sound reached her ears. Yup, everything seemed back to normal, its natural balance. Guy could do nothing more besides retreat away as the familiar broad form of Grug seemed ready to skewer him with a nearby branch he grabbed. Of course he had assumed the worst, having awoken to see Guy's body draped over Eep's, pinning her beneath his weight

"Belt!" Guy shouted as he pelted off into the forest, ducking and weaving.

But the sloth only raised his long arms in a sweeping dramatic gesture. "Dun, dun, dun!"

"Ah, young love," Gran crooned, resting her fist on her chin as Eep got up to go save her boyhog. "I doubt he will kill him, we still need his fire."

Fire indeed, Eep thought with a burning blush.

19 notes · View notes