#i hated it so bad i wanted to chew my own arm off everyday i felt like that greek mythology guy rolling the big rock i understood him

[wanghedi]

Have an interview this Thursday.

[superhero--imagines]

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 Here! / Part 4 Here! / Part 5 Here! / Part 6 Here! / Part 7 Here! / Part 8 Here! / Part 9 Here! / Part 10 Here! / Part 11 Here! / Part 12 Here!

A/N: Shout out to @ideas-for-you-to-adopt​ for inspiring/writing a lot of the headcanons used for the “Bella Suspicion” part of this chapter!

I’m posting this a day early, because, well I’m flakey like that

* You spear another piece of pineapple, your teeth grinding together

* “I think that sounds perfect!” Lauren squeals lightly grasping Bella’s shoulder, Bella gives a small smile in return.

* You know what isn’t perfect?

* The fact that nothing is going according to plan.

* It’s already a month in and NOTHING has happened. You stab another piece of pineapple, sticking it into your mouth

* You’ve hung back in the school parking lot everyday for a MONTH, you were even late to cheer practice once, just to see if the “Tyler Van Accident”  happened.

* Only it never did, and you didn’t know why until Lauren confided that she and Tyler had been hooking up lately.

* As in hooking up at her house after school before her parents came home.

* Of course it’s not going to happen when Tyler’s ditching his last period to drive to her house

* What a mess

* You chew the pineapple carefully, just like a human would. Because even though Bella knows LITERALLY NOTHING. She somehow suspects everything.

* You watch her from the corner of your eye, making polite conversation with Angela about biology next period.

* The amount of questions she has about you is ridiculous

* How did you meet Edward? How does your family know the Cullen’s? Where are you adoptive parents now? If they’re back in the states why haven’t you gone to live with them?

* It’s literally never ending. And that’s just her trying to poke holes in your story.

* You’re not even going to start with all the stuff she’s commented on your physical appearance

* “Hey don’t you think it’s weird they all have gold eyes?” You had heard Bella quietly ask Jessica when she thought you couldn’t hear

* “Not really, they’ve got like six kids, so when one kid needs something more of them do too. (Y/N) told me Alice wanted color contacts so Dr. Cullen just bought some for all of them.”

* And then the week before that, while you were doing a stunt at a basketball game Bella said:

* “Aren’t they like, too strong?” You were lifting up a girl all on your own.

* “Oh yeah- I guess you never saw the video, apparently they’re jacked.” Conner says, with a shrug.

* “Yeah they heard working out helps with stress when they were like 12 and just never stopped.” Mike adds absentmindedly

* And if that wasn’t enough she’s even said this a few weeks before that:

* “Don’t you think it’s weird how beautiful they all are?” Lauren wrinkles her nose, at the time she had gotten used to Bella but she still doesn’t seem to like her very much

* “Not really, I remember (Y/N) wasn’t all that pretty freshman year, they used to wear these really dorky glasses.”

* You had almost started to forget how good you had it, after you did all the leg work in the last two years to establish that you were normal -just kinda quirky- you had just started to enjoy the pay off. A little more lax with your appearance, wearing clothes you liked, doing more solo routines in cheer.

* Only for little Miss.Curious to show up

* Now you have to try extra hard to look human again. And not just you, the entire coven does, because when one of you falls under suspicion you all do.

* Rosalie’s been making her hair look messy every so often to give the illusion that she’s having a bad hair day, Alice wears a retainer every so often, even Emmett pretends to need the bathroom more than he usually does.

* This morning you even had Rosalie do a fake pimple on your jaw.

* If Bella wasn’t going to be your best friends’ future wife, you think you might just hate her.

* You kind of sympathize with Rosalie in the book now.

* “Hey (Y/N) are you in?” Conner asks nudging his elbow against yours.

* “In for what?” You mumble, spearing another piece of pineapple. Another downside is now you have to eat at lunch. Otherwise Bella starts asking why you never eat and everyone gets really concerned and starts force feeding you

* God, all those years of establish you have low blood sugar and acid reflux induced nausea for nothing

* “La Push beach, we’re all going this weekend.” You perk up at the mention

* Finally, something’s getting back on track

* “Can’t, cheer stuff.” You mumble, shoving your food around your plate with your fork.

* You don’t miss Bella’s meaningful glance on your mostly full plate.

* Oh great, you can practically see the question “don’t you think it’s weird how they never eat anything?” Forming in the inner corners of her mind

* “What about you Edward?” Lauren flutters her eyelashes and you have to stop yourself from rolling your eyes.

* Lauren’s still annoyed that even though they’re hooking up, Tyler hasn’t made anything official yet

* Alice told her flirting with another guy might help.

* “He’s not going either.” You say before Edward can even open his mouth. He doesn’t say anything just gives you a questioning look and a smile.

* Looks like he’s finding everyone else’s thoughts more interesting

* “Are you guys going on a date?” Jessica waggles her eyebrows and on the other side of the table Bella sputters.

* You roll your eyes

* “No Jessica, but if I can’t go have fun neither can he.” Technically you both are forbidden to go on tribal land but whatever. “Best friend code.”

* Also you’re pretty sure Edward and Emmett are going to Yellowstone to eat bears or something, like a couple of heathens

* The thought of eating straight out of bear, no idea what they’ve eaten or where they’ve been doing their business, makes you shudder. 

* You did mention to them both that if they happen to find an orphaned bear cub somewhere to bring it back. You’ve been wanting to experiment with bear blood. 

* “Best friend code.” Edward repeats slowly, and the look he gives you makes your stomach flutter. And it’s not because you just ate half a salad.

* You’re knocked out of the look when Conner bumps his knee against yours

* “Well that’s a shame, I was looking forward to seeing you in a swimsuit.”

* So Conner’s been flirting a lot with you lately. Kind of weird, your best guess is that he was hoping to date Lauren, but now that she’s kinda seeing Tyler, you’re starting to look good.

* “Maybe you should have a pool party at that fancy house of yours then.” The group laughs but Conner just smirks

* “Whatever you want babe but-“ the bell cuts him off and you give him a consolatory pat on the arm.

* You move to throw away the leftover food on your plate, walking with Edward

* “We’re ditching right?” You ask him as you toss the plate into the trash.

* “Yeah Mr. Barnes is doing his blood type experiment today.” Like he even needs an excuse to skip school. “Do you want to go to the bookstore or something?”

* You shake your head, that won’t do, when Bella faints Edward needs to be there so they can fall in love

* “Wanna just hang out in my car? We can listen to that new Debussy CD I got.”

* Edward gives you a small smile, like he’s not really happy

* “Whatever you want.”

* Wait what’s up with that.

* “Hey, (Y/N)!” Bella calls out for you and Edward grimaces.

* “I’ll meet you at your car” wait he’s not going to stay here? If this was a dating video game he’d be the kind of player that wasted all the capture flags and then complains when they end up all alone.

* He leaves just as Bella gets to you. She spares a fleeting glance in Edward’s direction, almost looking sad as she watches him walk away before she looks to you

* “Are you heading over to biology?” She really is cute, like a puppy. She must have been hoping to get a little closer to Edward. 

* You almost feel bad for not warning her what with her issues on blood.

* “Nah I’ve got to finish my trig homework so I’m going to skip.” You fake a yawn.

* Oh, before you forget

* “I actually got you something.”

* You hand her a carefully wrapped gift bag, compliments of Rosalie of course

* “Vitamins?” Bella asks, her eyebrows threading together

* “Yeah, it’s like a vitamin powder, you just add it to water. We bought a big family pack so I thought I would share some with you.”

* Also because you’re 100% sure she’s anemic.

* Part of the reason you like the way she smells so much is because of her anemia, if it’s just the peach scent you can probably contain yourself. 

* You wave goodbye and Bella looks down at the package in her hands with a goofy expression. She hugs it to her chest before her expression pinches.

* “I should have offered to let them copy my notes” Bella murmurs to herself. Smacking her forehead and walking to biology.

* When you manage to sneak out to the parking lot through the gym doors, you see Edward leaning against your car, looking bored as he looks to the tree line

* “Why didn’t you sit inside? You look like a douchebag.”

* “I would have if someone had given me the keys”

* Like that’s stopped him before

* You unlock the car, letting it start with a hum before you pull out your trig homework

* You weren’t entirely lying to Bella, you really hadn’t finished you homework

* Edward pulls out a book from his bag, you’re not ashamed to say you’ve gotten him super into “The City of Ember” series

* “Hey why did you walk away when Bella came over?” you’re only half curious, mostly just trying to make conversation. “You don’t hate her do you?” You add with a laugh.

* The mere thought of Edward Cullen hating Bella Swan is laughable.

* “Yeah I do.” 

* You find yourself coughing from the sheer shock. 

* “You mean she frustrates you because you can’t read her mind.” Edward has spared you a concerned glance when you started coughing, but has turned his attention back to his book

*” No I mean I don’t like her, and I don’t like being around her.” He doesn’t look up from his book as he says it. 

* “But why?” Yeah she’s a little plain, and she’s still pretty shy even though you’ve been hanging out for a month and all those damn questions

* But she’s got good taste in books, and she’s pretty straightforward.

* She’s not the type of person to go behind your back, if you did something to upset her she’ll tell you straight to your face.

* Honestly she’s a lot like Angela, minus the hidden cunning nature.

* Edward eyes narrow and a heavy sigh escapes him. His head tilts back to rest against the passenger seat headrest.

* His neck is so long and white. The color of freshly fallen snow. You can’t help but think of how pretty it would look covered in hickeys.

* Like poppy’s blossoming in the snow. 

* Can vampires get hickeys? Would it just be like black instead of red since none of you really have blood anymore. 

* “I just don’t like-” He cuts himself off when his eyes meet yours, they seem to shine brighter for a moment, and you tilt your head. This feels like a meaningful look. 

* Edward sighs and looks away.

* “I just don’t like her vibe.” 

*”Vibe? Are you an Edward shaped imposter?” you see him mouth ‘Edward Shaped Imposter’ as you both laugh. 

* “Where did you learn to say these things?” He asks between laughs. You mock gasp.

* “The real Edward would never ask me that because he’s too afraid to know! Who are you really? What planet are you from?” Your hands move to his face, his face is as smooth as marble, lingering warmth. You leaned in without thinking about it, only a few inches away from him. 

* You’re so close you can smell him. He always smells good, like something ancient and profound. Rosemary and argon oil. 

* Your hands are still on his face and he’s grinning. 

* You gulp

* You’re trying to think of another ridiculous imposter joke you can make wen you catch a familiar head of blond hair through the window.

* “Is that Mike and ... Bella?”  

* This is a lot sooner than you thought, it hasn’t even been ten minutes yet.

* Edward looks almost bored as he follows your gaze. 

* “Yeah, looks like she made herself sick, she’s - what’s that word for when people are afraid of blood?” 

* “Hemophobia?”

* “Yeah, that’s what she has.”

* You wait for a second, releasing his face from your hands, but instead of moving to open the door he slumps back into his seat, eyes focused on his book. 

* “Don’t you think we should go help them?” He shrugs. 

* The f*cking criminal just shrugs. 

* WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON?!?!

* Human or not, there’s no world Edward wouldn’t at least think about helping someone who’s in trouble. 

* You’re starting to think this really is an Edward imposter. 

* You watch Bella lean on Mike, stumbling down the crosswalk to the nurse’s office in the next building. 

* You can’t watch anymore 

* ‘You know you-” You words finally get Edward’s attention as he looks up from his book. “You are wasting all the capture flags!” You shout before sliding out of your car and jogging over to Mike and Bella

* “Mike! What happened?” He’s so surprised to see you his grip on Bella goes slack and she falls out of his side hold.

* “Oh crap!” 

* You rush to catch her, swinging her into a princess hold.

* What was Mike struggling with so much? She’s not very hea - oh right you’re a vampire.

* “Are you alright, I know she’s kinda heavy.” Well that’s not very nice to say about a girl, besides she’s pretty skinny. Can’t be more than 120 pounds. 

* “It’s no problem, I do it for cheer are all the time.” You do a fake grunt as you pretend to get a better hold on her. 

* The movement jostle her awake, her eyes fluttering open. She’s still in a dreamy state, her eyes are unfocused. 

* “(Y/N)?” 

* “Hey buddy, looks like ya fainted, squeamish around blood huh?”

* “How do you know we were doing the blood type experiment?” Mike asks.

* Oh crap. You were skipping, you weren’t supposed to know that. Even worse you brain can’t seem to come up with a valid excuse.

* “Alice told us about it, (Y/N) used to be squeamish around blood when we were kids, didn’t want to take any chances” You let out a sigh of relief when you see Edward walking towards you. At least he’s not completely heartless. 

*”Then why were you skipping?” Mike asks scratching his head. Edward shrugs

* “They can’t go to class, then I won’t go either.” And then the criminal looks you straight in the eye and says with the cheekiest smile imaginable:

*“It’s the best friend code”

* Oh f*ck off Edward. 

* You almost want to scoff when he takes Bella from your arms and into his.

* SO now he wants to care about the capture flag. 

* You let him take her though, You swear you see her stiffen and frown when he holds her.

* That can’t be right, she seemed super relaxed when you were carrying her.

* “I-I’m fine I can walk.”

* “No you can’t.” Edward bluntly says.

* Even when he gets to capture event, he says all the wrong things. You sigh as you walk behind him. Only to notice another set of footsteps by you. 

* “You can go back if you want Mike, Edward won’t kidnap her or anything.” He might throw her into the lake though.

* Mike shakes his head. “No it just seems wrong to not make sure she at least gets to the nurses office.” 

*You smile, he really is a kind boy. 

* “Also I’ll be damned if Bella gives Edward all the credit.” Well mostly kind.

* You get to the nurses office, who seems incredibly flustered with both you and Edward in such a small space.

* She seems so preoccupied keeping her wits about her as she checks out Bella and deals with your presence that she never asks why three people had to escort one person to the nurses office.

* “Well your blood pressure is a little low, since you fainted I would suggest you go home. If you want you can take a nap in here until school’s out.” Wow, where was a nurse this generous when you were in school.

* Bella, the beautiful moron, shakes her head.

* “No it’s okay I’ll go back to class, I don’t want to take a zero for the assignment” Well that’s noble and responsible and all. But what does she think is going to happen when she goes back to class?

* She’s going to see some blood again and faint. Not that you can be mad, you would probably have to go the the nurse too if Bella ever managed to prick her own finger

* “Bella you really shouldn’t,” You settle your hand on her shoulder pushing her back onto the chair. “You just fainted you should lie down, or go home or something.”

* Her eyebrows thread together, mouth pulled in protest. 

* “I don’t want to impose on any-”

* “It’s not an imposition, I want to!” Her mouth parts, then closes, stretching into a fine line. You look to Edward who’s avoiding your gaze and seems very irritated.

* Enemies to lovers trope it is.(Though you’re not sure if this counts as enemies if only one person dislikes the other)

* “I’m going to drop you off home, come on.” You pull Bella up by her hand, leading her to the parking lot. 

* “Wait what about my car?” 

* Oh you hadn’t thought about that. 

*Hmmm in the original book Alice drove her home. But Alice doesn’t really do anything unless there’s something in it for her, or if she wants to.

* Also you’re pretty sure when she ditched today when she found out that people were pricking there finger on campus. She claimed it was for Jasper, but you’re pretty sure there’s a sale in the Nordstrom in Seattle.

* Edward would rather get the flu than drive Bella’s ancient truck.

* Which leaves only one option.

* You toss your keys to Edward who catches them with one hand.

* “Edward will drive you home in my car, and I’ll drive your car behind him.” 

* “What about Rosalie?” He grumbles.

*“What about Rosalie?” Why is he being so difficult right now? Doesn’t he realize you’re doing this all for him!

* “You’re driving her home since Emmett and I are leaving for Yellow Stone as soon as school lets out.” Oh right the bears. Cr*p.

* “It’s not a big deal, I’ll drive back to school after we’re done and you can go your way and I’ll go mine.”

* You can tell Edward doesn’t like it, but he just sigh’s climbing into your car and then promptly getting out of the passenger side and sitting in the driver’s side.

* The dork forgot he had to drive the car.

* You’re dying laughing as Bella leads you to her car.

* “It’s the blue one.”

* Her truck isn’t all that bad. It’s old, but in a kind of retro way. It’s powder blue, with only two doors and no backseat. 

* You climb in, turning the engine and hearing it purr. Well it’s more of a roar, but it’s not terrible.

* You’re surprised when Bella climbs through the passenger side door. 

* “Um, you’re not going to drive with Edward?” She looks at you like you just asked her to recite the Fibonacci sequence. 

* “Why would I go with him when you’re the one driving my car?” Okay, that’s fair.

* You sigh, why does nothing ever go according to plan.

* Maybe it’s for the best, Edward doesn’t seem to be in the best mood. Not that this is good either, she’s sitting so close to you, her peachy scent fills the small space of the truck and you feel lightheaded.

* It’s less than a ten minute trip, no need to get dramatic. You’re pretty sure you won’t kill her just because she smells nice.

* “Soooooo... what do you want to talk about?” You ask as you turn out of the school, this car is super slow compared to yours, you’re pretty sure it won’t go over 50 mph.

* Bella fidgets beside you, playing with the ends of her hair. 

* “So are you and Edward...dating?”

* You laugh so loud you actually start coughing. And then you laugh again. 

* “No-pfff- no We’re uh- we’re not dating.” You finally manage. 

* “Why is that so funny to you?” She asks, genuinely confused.

* “Well it’s just outrageous you know?” How would that even work? You can’t even picture it. Edward getting all hot and bothered because you’re wearing an oversized sweater and glasses. You flirting with him all over the house in front of Carlisle and Esme. Edward signing up for a sport just so he can see you in his letterman.

* It’s all...impossible.

* And yet, there is one thing you can picture. 

* Edward by your side, he’s almost golden brown, his eyes bright green. He points to the living room, and in there are Alec and Jane, both of their eyes blue as they argue over who’s turn it is to watch TV. 

* Maybe if you were human, if you had met in a different world or a different time, that would be something you could have. 

* But it is what it is

* “Edward and I have been friends for a really long time, we’ve just seen too much of each other to find each other attractive like that.” 

* Bella looks like she doesn’t believe you but she doesn’t say anything.

* Wait what are you doing? This is the perfect chance to talk Edward up!

* “But you know Edward is a real stand up guy!” It leaves a little too forcefully, a little inauthentic.

* “Oh is he?” She doesn’t sound too excited to be talking about this.

* “I know he’s got one of those face-”

* “Obnoxiously handsome?” She spats 

* “Like he thinks existence is a curse, and the world is evil and everything is terrible -” Wait you’re getting off track. “B-but he really is a good guy!”

* You bite your lip, as Bella tells you to turn into a subdivision. 

* “You know after- after I was adopted,” After your parents died. “I was really lonely, I had a family that loved me and anything I asked for but I didn’t really have anyone to talk to” Oh god, why did you choose this story to pick? “Edward was probably the only friend my age I had for years.”

* She straightens up a little bit, a curious glint in her eyes.

* “Really?” You nod.

* “Yeah he would come by every Monday and Wednesday,” You still remember the crunch of the snow under your feet as you both walked to the barn. He always asked why you didn’t just run, and you always told him because you liked the way you could see your breath hang in the air,

* “He could have been out that time, hanging out with other people,” More well adjusted vampires, who hunted instead of harvesting small amounts from animals they raised. “or chasing girls and playing sports, but he stayed with me.”

* “He always made me feel safe, and I’m sure whoever is lucky enough to end up with him will feel that way too.” 

* “I think you’re giving him too much credit” Bella finally says, you smile at her

* “what do you mean?” 

* “Well, who wouldn’t drop everything to hang out with you?” You can’t tell if she’s being genuine or if she’s bitter. Your eyes meet hers and there’s a twinkle in them. ”My house is the one on the left, the one with the magnolia tree.”

* You come to a stop in front of the house she mentioned, shifting it into park, and handing her the keys. 

* You don’t say anything as you climb out of her car. You see Edward stopped a few dozen feet behind her truck, your jeep still on. 

* “Thanks for driving me home” She smiles at you, a real smile that reaches her eyes. It’s nice.

* “No problem, it gave me an excuse to ditch school too haha.” You both stand in awkward silence. Neither of you moving. 

* Well damn what are you supposed to do now?

* “Oh, hey do you want me to bring you your homework or anything?” 

* She perks up at that, reaching into her pocket

*  “If you don’t mind, could you text me what page he homework is on for trig today?” 

* “ Oh for sure! No problem at all” You take her cell phone in your hand. It’s a white sidekick, with a picture of a cactus on the back. She must have gotten it when she moved.

* You can’t help but wonder if she has any friends she misses. She spent her entire life in one community, sure Phoenix is a pretty big place, but she must have had friends, people she sat with at lunch everyday, girls she had known since childhood, sleepovers where they whispered about boys they had crushes on.

* As you hand her phone back, your contact information saved in it, you can’t help but wonder who this person in front of you is. You know her, but at the same time, you know absolutely nothing about her. 

* “See you Monday!” You wave goodbye as you get into the passenger side of your car, and Bella waits on the porch until you and Edward leave.

* Edward’s got that look on his face.

* “Edward why are you mad?” 

* “I’m not mad.” He grumbles and you raise an eyebrow. He sighs.

* “You’re going out of your way an awful lot for that human.” He says as he turns back onto the highway.

* “It’s just the right thing to do Eddie.” 

* He shakes his head, his mouth pinched into a frown

* “Just be careful, I don’t know what that one’s thinking, she could be planning to burn our entire coven for all I know.”

* You roll your eyes, yeah you bet Bella who weights exactly 115 pounds, and has anemia is single handedly planning to bring down the entire vampire race. 

* “How about we make a deal, I’ll promise not to rock the boat while you and Emmett are gone-”

* “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret not covering my ears?”

*” If you promise to bring me back a bear cub - an orphaned one.” He gives you a look you don’t quite care for.

* “You want me to kill a mother bear so you can have a bear cub?” 

* “No of course not! I’m just saying- Emmett doesn’t really look before he kills  so if he kills a mother bear, just make sure you bring me the cubs.” 

* “Why do you even want a bear? How are you planning to take care of it with all those deer around, they need a lot-”

* “Yes Dad I know it’s a big responsibility, don’t worry I won’t make you take it on walks or anything.” 

* Edward gulps hard, one hand detaching from the steering wheel to cover his mouth. 

* Wouldn’t it be positively sinful for you to be underneath him, whining ‘daddy, please’ in that breathy voice of yours and-

* Edward.exe is broken. 

* “Dude you really need to get your shit together before you go on your trip, we’ve been parked for fifteen minutes and your foot is still on the brake.” You say as you get out of the car

* He hits his head against the steering wheel.

* “Yeah, I really do need to get my shit together.” 

Tags:  @moonlights27 @thebluetint @the100thtwilight @awesomebooklover17 @oneofthepotterheads @smileygirl08 @imdoingathingmom @iconicgguk @yrawn @alyciaswhore @little-horror-show @wicked-watering-can @lazydreamers @ xxxmuxxx  @ideas-for-you-to-adopt​​ @poisoinedhope @maryleigh8796​ @moose-squirrel-asstiel​ @hotmessgoodness​

[ladyladybuggg]

vax’ildan vessar x oc #1 - kiss my boo boos

The most recent battle was... tough to say the least. Grog had decided to go on a rage and fight the cyclops head on. He bit off a bit more than he could chew, which left Pike, Keyleth, and even Scanlan trying to heal him.

The giant needed a miracle, a gift from the Gods, something Nina couldn’t provide. As well trained as she was, she can’t reassemble a shattered humerus while trying to stitch together the carotid artery.

Nina, the daughter of Dr. Wenmas Hunkruek and Dr. Milly Hunkruek, grew up in Emon. The two were some of the most decorated and respected healers in Tal’Dorei, and they expected their daughter to study to be the same.

So she did.

After finishing primary and secondary school, she applied and was accepted into Emon’s top ranked college for healers, where both her father and mother studied.

Everyday she made the trip Southeast from the Cloudtop District where her and her family lived, to the Erudite Quarter where she studied.

After many years of studying and attending hours of classes, Nina finally graduated, and at the top of her class, by a long shot.

She got the opportunity to work alongside her mother and father at Tal’Dorei’s biggest infirmary, seeing dozens of patients every day, saving lifes, and. restoring families.

Nina was well respected in Emon, anybody who was anybody in the healing world knew her family.

So how she ended up patching up a half-elf rogue after battling a cyclops to the death with 6 other mercenaries? Your guess is as good as mine.

Helping Vex was easy, one bandage and a kiss on her boo boo was enough to do the job. But Vax?

It was nothing she couldn’t fix of course, I mean she saved a man's life after he was stampeded by his own horses for the Gods’ sake, but that doesn’t make it any easier on her own heart.

She hated hearing Vax hiss as she cleaned his wound, pushing away his torn, blood soaked tunic.

“Would you stop wiggling?! The more you wiggle the more it’s going to hurt.” she chastised Vax, who had a sheepish smile on his face.

“My apologies Dr. Hunkruek, how ever could I forgive you?” Vax teased.

This mutual teasing had been going on for far too long. Months and months of the two flirting back and forth, being way too touchy for just being friends, and almost kissing each other after playing drinking games with Grog, only to be interrupted by Keyleth vomiting. 

Oh and then there was the nicknames. Sweets, peach, dear, sweetheart, darling, the list goes on. Every damn time he called her them, her heart skipped a beat. 

“Well you can stopping wiggling and take your shirt off.” she instructed, pointing at his torso as she went to get a clean cloth.

“If you wanted to see me naked you could have just asked, but usually I would take somebody to dinner first.” said Vax, the smirk evident in his voice.

“Oh shut up you,” Nina said, trying to hide her blush, “I just need to stitch up the two split lacerations on you sternocostal head and then address the puncture wound by your infraspinatus.” Vax began to lift his shirt and it took every ounce of Nina’s concentration to not stare.

HIs chest was strong and littered with scars, yet somehow smooth and sculpted. Fuck being a half-elf, this man was a God. Nina imagined herself leaning back on it with his arms wrapped around her. She was snapped out of her selfish daydream by Vax’s voice.

“What?” he says, confused, “Are you speaking Zemnian? Sylvan? We’ve been through this before sweets, just because I’m a half-elf, that doesn’t mean I speak Sylvan. Sure it’s similar to Elvish bu—”

“I’m not speaking another language!” she interrupts, “I know you’re a half-elf and that Sylvan is not the same as Elvish. Plus Zemnian is an ancient language, and I’ve never even been to the Zemni Fields!” she sighs, “Just let me do my shit.”

Vax begrudgingly complied, laying down on the cot. Nina took out the sutures and began to sew the wounds shut, focusing so as to not do a poor job and leave bad scarring.

“You know you’re so pretty while you patch me up.” Vax confessed as Nina blushed.

“Are you sure that’s not the blood loss talking?” teased Nina, searching her mind for why he would say that.

“No it’s not peach, you look beautiful while you patch other people up too...” he stated, before mumbling something she couldn’t hear.

“What was that?” she asked, focused on tying the last knot of the second wounds sutures, “Now lay on your stomach.” she ordered, before Vax even had a chance to respond.

Vax turned unto his front, hissing from the pain in his shoulder, but Nina wasn’t really paying attention to that. She was looking at his seemingly rippling shoulder muscles, imagining jumping into his arm after a tough battle and hugging him like he was a life line.

The wound on Vax’s back was a puncture wound and it wouldn’t need any stitches considering it didn’t damage any ligaments or tendons. Wounds like this could be stitches for cosmetic purposes, but Nina didn’t wanna waste suture thread and she knew Vax didn’t give a damn.

“So what was that thing you said?” she asked as she cleaned the wound and prepared bandages. Vax hesitated.

“I said you look beautiful all the time.” he whispered, his voice muffled by the cot.

“I would say the same, but you keep getting yourself all cut up when we have a job, making me fix you up. A real good use of my education.” she grumbles. 

Nina patted his shoulder to show she was all done. Vax flipped back over and leaned back in the cot, now facing Nina.

“I’ll throw myself in that fucking pit of acid under Whitestone’s Castle if it means I get to be close to you,” he confesses, “If it means you get to take care of me I’d do it in a heartbeat.” Nina blushed fiercely, her dreams coming true in front of her. 

“I don’t think Vex would be very happy with you if you did that.” she said, standing to put away her medical supplies. 

“Fuck Vex,” he said simply, standing from his cot, “I would be happy, so fuck her.”

“Keyleth was right,” Nina teased, walking back towards him, “You only care about yourself.”

“Ah ah ah,” he sings, placing his hands at Nina’s waist, “that’s where she’s wrong darling. I don’t only care about myself, I care about you too. I literally just said I would throw myself into a pit of acid for you, is that not enough?” Vax teased. 

“I hate when you get hurt,” Nina admitted, “I love doing what I do but I fucking hate when it’s you. Seeing you hurt hurts me. I can’t lose you.” 

“Well that just means you’ll have to kiss my boo boos,” Vax teases with a smile on his face, “In fact... my lip did get a bit cut in the fight so it looks li—”

Before he could even finish the sentence Nina threw herself at him, kissing him like her life depended on it, like he was a life elixir. Vax pulled her closer to him as she ran her hands through his jet black hair, softly massaging his scalp. 

Vax felt that electricity flow through him once again as their lips connected. Her lips were soft with the taste of herbal balm whilst his had remaining blood. His right hand rose to her cheek as the other wrapped are her waste, pulling her to his bare chest. 

His thumb ran across her skin and he nearly gasped. Her skin was so soft, like the finest furs in all of Tal’Dorei. 

Nina slightly parted her lips and Vax took this as an invitation to sloowly slip his tongue in her mouth. This lit a fire in the two of them. Nina began to trail her hands down his bare chest, grateful she made him take off his tunic. 

Vax was about to lift her up in his arms before a crash separated the two. 

“Scanlan you dumb fuck how did you knock over that vase?!” whispered Vex, obviously trying to spy on the two. 

“Vex! We talked about this!” said Vax, referencing a conversation that was obviously had a numerous amount of times. 

“Sorry! We had to see who won the bet.” Vex stated simply. 

“Speaking of which...” said Pike, “Pay up bitches!”

“You had a bet going on?!” yelled Nina, hiding her face in Vax’s chest. 

“Of course!” yelled Keyleth, “I’ve been shipping you two since that one time I threw up on Nina’s shoes at that tavern in Kymal.”

“Oh god please don’t mention Kymal.” begged Percy, rubbing his forehead. 

“Oh that was fun!” yelled Grog. 

“Grog you literally were charged with public indecency and we had to pool our money bail you out.” scolded Nina. 

“I don’t remember that?”

“That’s because you were piss drunk.” said Percy. 

“Exactly! It was fun!” exclaimed Grog. 

“Can you all fuck off?!” yelled Vax.

“Alight, alright, we’re going!” Scanlan said, raising his hand. 

Nina leaned her forehead against Vax’s chest, sighing.

“Aeorian.” she said.

“What?”

“Some of the words I was saying were Aeorian.”

Vax used his pointer finger and thumb to lift up her chin. 

“I don’t care what language you are speaking,” he whispers, “As long as I am with you and you can kiss my boo boos.” 

“So you’re saying you want to do this again?” she asks hopefully. 

Vax cupped both of her cheeks with his rough hands, smiling down at her. 

“Every bloody day.”

[rpmemes-galore]

a few people wanted to know the story, so enjoy.  fair warning, its a long, rough read, with a buncha triggers possible throughout.   but hey, hey, enjoy, i guess?  will probs end up deleting this later today and gonna work on memes.  hope y’all are doing okay, take care. 

My relationship with my older brother has always been really... rocky. Without going into too much potentially triggering detail, he hurt me a lot when I was younger, so there's a lot of fear surrounding him. Saying that now as the reason for why I could never stand up to him for this.

A few years ago, my family decided that someone should move into our late grandparents home to look after the place, and I immediately volunteered. I loved that home, that farm. There were a ton of good memories there, and I was so excited when my family agreed. But, then my health took a downward turn and it was decided I couldn't live alone due to safety reasons. Enter, my older brother. He was in his late twenties at the time, and parents wanted him to finally move out, so they said he was going to come live with me there to keep an eye on me in case something happened. I wasn't happy about it, but he was the only one who could, and the only way I'd get to live at my late grandparent's place, so I agreed to it.

Right from the start, things were not great. He didn't help unbox anything except for his own belongings... No kitchen stuff, no bathroom stuff, just his clothes and computer. As it was just me doing it, and with my fragile health at the time, it was taking me a long while to get it all done. And that's when my aunt thought it was a great idea to start doing weekly visits, i.e. inspections of the place. She got pissed when she saw things still boxed up after a week of being there, but told me she was willing to look past it if it got put away soon.

I busted my butt getting everything put away, then. But I was contending with other issues at that point. He'd started messing up the house. I would wake up to find garbage and crumbs across the kitchen counters and table, dirty dishes dropped wherever he was closest to, and his dirty laundry dropped on the living room floor. His room started getting bad, as well. From about a month of being there, it started to stink. I went in a few times and there would be dishes with rotting food on his dresser. The floor was covered in a layer of food wrappers and other garbage. Dirty laundry was thrown everywhere. His game discs, which we'll come back to later, would be laying unprotected on the floor.

It just got worse from there. At the start, he'd tidy up a little bit after himself. If I asked politely enough, he'd throw garbage away or bring his dishes out of the room... only if I asked him. Three months in. That changed. He started getting snippy at me, slamming and locking his door if I asked him to do anything around the house. His messes were getting worse, and it was just me trying to play catch-up everyday. It got to the point my morning routine was wake up, head out to the kitchen while picking up any dirty laundry / garbage on the way, gather up dirty dishes from around the room and put them on the counter to wash, wash a few of them just to get a headstart, wipe crumbs off all counters and table, wash the rest of the dishes (I still don't understand how he could use so many in a single night), sweep floors if the crumb situation was bad enough. All this before I'd allow myself to have anything to eat or drink, due to sheer panic of my aunt stopping by unannounced again and seeing the place in this state.

My brother was working a very part time job at the time and, as soon as he left for his shift, I would pounce on his room. I'd haul out armfuls (plural) of dirty dishes which I'd then hurry to wash, I'd carry out at least one full, heavy duty garbage bag of trash. I would try to make his bed after brushing off the crumbs. All this in the few hours I had before he'd get back home. And he would always get incredibly pissed at me for it, which I understand. I know it was an invasion of privacy and, if not for the aunt, I wouldn't have done it... But the state of his room was going to get us both evicted, so I felt justified doing it.

It went on this way for a year and half. During that time, he made me bring his game discs in to get them fixed, had me pay for them, and never paid me back. I wound up in the emergency room on three separate occasions, all due to working myself to the point of over-exhaustion and aggravating already pre-existing health problems. Once, when I was away for a few days, he'd turned my room into a storage room. Ie, he threw all his laundry and belongings on my bedroom floor because he didn't want to deal with them. I wound up having to sort through it and pick it all up. He moved the landline phone into his room, essentially cutting off my contact to the outside world behind a locked door as my cellphone barely had any service there. He took food money from me, against my will, to buy his own... Would eat part of it and let the rest rot in the fridge until I cleaned it out. (important note, I have a lot of dietary restrictions. So it's not like I could just snack on it or share it with him. I just had to deal with him basically stealing my food money, then wasting it on food I couldn't even eat.) He would lock himself in his room anytime the aunt came by, making me have to face her wrath on my own, because I had no lock on my door, and I wasn't allowed to put one on. He would barge into my room uninvited, but get pissed if I went into his. He would expect me to play video games with him and throw a fit if I said no, even after I explained that I had too much cleaning to do and, if he really wanted me to play with him, he would have to lend a hand so it would be done quicker and I might have energy to play. He never did. He wouldn't empty out our cat's wet food and would just let it go moldy if I wasn't there for a few days... and would 'forget' to refill her water.

The only jobs he was expected to do around the house were emptying the cat litter for our one cat and vacuuming, both things I physically couldn't do because of severe asthma. And once a week, he was supposed to bring laundry over to our parents place to wash, as we didn't have a washer or dryer. I remember him vacuuming once the whole time we were there. He rarely emptied the cat litter, which meant I would wind up having to do it once in a while and just suffer through a serious asthma attack afterwards. He also rarely brought the laundry over. I wasn't able to drive, so I would wind up having to ask my mom to bring it over with her when she visited. Three jobs. He hardly ever did any of them, but still expected the house to be clean when our aunt stopped by and would be upset if it wasn't. He just didn't want to have a hand in getting it that way.

On the subject of other family, I tried reaching out. My parents would visit on occasion. They both knew how bad it got, they'd seen it at the worst. I'd even called my mom in a full crying panic more than once, when the aunt called in the morning to say she she'd be there in an hour... And the house wasn't clean. Mom had to come over and help me speed clean it, with me working through a full-blown panic attack, scared I wouldn't have it "clean enough" by the time the aunt got there. Mom is also the one who drove me into the ER. She knew how bad it was, but he was her golden child. The "can do no wrong" child, and I was always the problem. She would tell me I was making it out worse than it was, that it wasn't that bad, that it wasn't his fault he was messy, that I should just deal with it and clean up after him. Dad would at least seem sorry for me. He'd tell me he wished my brother would clean up after himself, but that there was nothing he could do. Aunt just didn't want to hear my excuses. She would yell at me for the state of the place, after I'd worked myself half to death cleaning already. She blamed me for it, threatened to kick us out over every tiny thing wrong. Made passive aggressive comments. Took pictures and said she would show them to the rest of our relatives so they'd know how we were destroying the house, ect.

A year and a half of this. I lost a dangerous amount of weight. I hardly slept, hardly ate, anxiety spiked so badly I was having panic attacks at least once a week, especially toward the weekend when I knew the aunt was coming. All of my days were devoted to cleaning up after him. I dropped hobbies just to wash dishes or pick up his garbage. I even pulled an all-nighter just trying to make the house look presentable... After I'd been in the hospital and spent a few days at my parents place recuperating, so you can imagine the state of the house.

Toward the year and a half mark, I met my now husband. When we decided he should come spend the weekend, I was both happy and terrified. I worked myself to the point of passing out to make the place look decent. I asked my brother to help, told him we would be having company, and was met with a slamming door in my face while he went back to his video games. Now husband came up, we had a great time and chose to make it a weekly thing.

It was about a month into that when I went away for the weekend with my then bf. At this point, he kind of knew how bad it could get and just wanted to get me out of there for a few days. He'd even given my brother a piece of his mind for not emptying the cat litter and making me do it, because of my asthma. So brother hated him. Told me to break up with bf for being "rude" to him. Even called my mom to complain about it and it I got chewed out by my mom for "letting" my bf at the time talk to my brother that way. I was beyond sick of brothers bullcrap. I was exhausted. Had been in the ER just recently because of him, again, and needed to get away. Bf took me up to a cabin and we spent the weekend there, had an amazing time. And brought me home. From the second I stepped back into the farmhouse, I wanted to cry. It was an absolute disaster, like the brother had gone out of his way to destroy the place. So much garbage, laundry, dishes, ect. I said goodbye to the bf, who was horrified and reluctant to leave... And I started trying to make a dent in the horror show that was the house. It didn't take long for me to breakdown. When I called the bf that night to make sure he'd gotten home safe, I told him how bad it was. And he invited me to move in with him. I jumped at that chance for more reasons than one.

Brother took immediate issue with this. He threw a fit when I told him. Straight up told me I was being selfish, that I didn't appreciate all he did for me, that how dare I leave, how could I DARE to move in with someone who talked to him that way!! I just packed up a few of my things and went with the bf. Just like that. I was out.

It was three months before I went back to grab a few more of my things. In that time, brother had gotten an eviction notice from our aunt and was having to move back in with the parents. And I don't blame her one bit. Let me paint a picture for you of what I saw when I walked in the house: he'd run out of room for garbage on the counter and table, it was stacked too high, so.. he'd opened the oven, pulled the racks out and was piling garbage up on them, instead. Guess what the only place that didn't have garbage was... The pristine garbage can. The living room floor was covered in his dirty laundry. He had run out of clean dishes and resorted to using Tupperware lids as plates, with the dirty dishes covering the entire counter by the sink or stacked in his room. Speaking of, I caught a glance inside his room. The smell was worst in there. I could tell there was food in there from the time I left... Didn't try to take a step inside, obviously, not that there was a place to step. Keep in mind, this is AFTER the aunt had visited and demanded he cleaned up. She'd seen it this way, blew her top, and he still didn't give a crap. I, on the other hand, panicked. Call it ingrained at this point, but I started frantically cleaning. It was only my bf who stopped me. Had to actually grab my hands and hug me to get me to stop, with me hyperventilating and close to a panic attack. We got my things and got the hell out of there. But not before I noticed my brother seemed upset that I hadn't cleaned up while I was there.

Brother's living back with our parents and has trashed his room there. He's still pissy at me for calling him out on the way he treated me, and thinks I'm still required to be nice to him because mom says I should... and that he did absolutely nothing wrong with the way he behaved. He's also still holding a grudge against my hubby for him having the utter gall to tell him to be an adult and clean up after himself. Mom still denies it was bad (even though she's dealing with it now) or that I have anything residual from that time, despite the fact I told her that I get panicky and shaky when the place I'm living, now, gets even slightly untidy.

For me, I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm essentially no contact with my brother and limited contact with my mom. Just got married. Living with someone who loves me and actually helps with housework, even without being asked! Still dealing with the trauma of living in a place that felt THAT stressful and unsafe, but working on it. Not holding out much hope of brother realizing how entitled he was / is, but eh. He's not worth the time thinking about him.

[oldmanatom]

A Locked Tomb Fanmix But It’s All Classic Country

this exists entirely because one night the thought “but what if i made a Locked Tomb fanmix with only classic country songs” popped into my head, unprompted, and i thought it was too hilarious to not do.

the art on the cover is done by @starfleetofficial​​, who this mix is also dedicated to. thank you for recommending me these books, continuously “yes, and”ing my semi-coherent TLT messages sent at 5 in the morning, and being so supportive about this idea. (also check out her version, A HtN fanmix but it’s all Fiona Apple!) the cover design is referencing the famous Marty Robbins album, Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs.

my one listening note: this will probably be more enjoyable if it’s approached with an open mind and an expectation that it’s taking itself about as seriously as the official fanmixes do.

see below the cut for a song list and some lyric excerpts.

this mix has implicit spoilers for both Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth.

Gideon the Ninth mix: youtube / spotify / full res cover Harrow the Ninth mix: youtube / spotify / full res cover full mix: youtube / spotify / full res cover

Gideon the Ninth:

1. Johnny Paycheck, “Take This Job And Shove It”

You better not try to stand in my way 'Cause I'm walkin' out the door Take this job and shove it I ain't working here no more

2. Dolly Parton, “When Someone Wants To Leave”

It's a sad situation I must say When someone wants to leave as bad as you want them to stay

3. Loretta Lynn, “I’m A Gettin’ Ready To Go”

I'm gonna praise my savior's name everyday that I'm livin' Glory hallelujah I'm not ashamed to let my salvation show This old world's just my dressin' room and I'm a gettin' ready to go

4. Waylon Jennings, “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”

I tried to run but I don't think I can You make one move and you're a dead man friend Ain't living long like this Can't live at all like this, can I baby?

5. Loretta Lynn, “This Haunted House”

This haunted house I'm livin' in is killing me And the ghost of your love won't set me free Each morning finds me crying and alone In this haunted house we used to call our home

6. Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, “After The Fire Is Gone”

We know it's wrong for us to meet But the fire's gone out at home And there's nothin' cold as ashes After the fire is gone

7. Loretta Lynn, “How Long Will It Take”

(How long will it take?) How long will it take to make you want me How much longer has this old heart gotta break (How long will it take?) How long will it take to make you need me I keep a waitin' and a wonderin' how long will it take

8. Stonewall Jackson, “Don’t Be Angry”

Maybe someday you're gonna hurt me I've been hurt in love before Only God can know And time alone will tell

9. Dick Curless, “A Tombstone Every Mile”

It's a stretch of road up north in Maine That's never ever ever seen a smile If they'd buried all them truckers lost in them woods There'd be a tombstone every mile

10. Johnny Paycheck, “(It Won’t Be Long) And I’ll Be Hating You”

Lately life with you has been unbearable All my faith in you has gone and I know it won't return I did everything to make you happy I could do Now you've gotten me hatin' things I used to love to do And it won't be long and I'll be hatin' you

11. Norma Jean, “Let’s Go All The Way”

All the way means happiness living side by side Halfway means a heartbreak if one of us should lie Just give me a clue that you love me too Hold me in your arms and say “Oh, let’s go all the way”

12. Loretta Lynn, “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven”

Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die Lord, I wanna go to heaven but I don't wanna die Though I long for the day when I'll have new birth Still I love the livin' here on earth Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die

13. Homer & Jethro, “She Made Toothpicks Of The Timber Of My Heart”

She was seasoned, I was green Yes my darling lumber queen Wound me ‘round her finger like a clinging vine

14. Patsy Cline, “The Heart You Break May Be Your Own”

You'll look around and when you've found That you are all alone Then you'll get wise and realize The heart you break may be your own

15. Buck Owens, “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail”

Well every night you drag me where the bright lights are found There ain't no way to slow you down I’m as 'bout as helpless as a leaf in a gale And it looks like I've got a tiger by the tail

16. Charley Pride, “All I Have To Offer You (Is Me)”

Before you take another step, there's something you should know About the years ahead and how they'll be You'll be living in a world where roses hardly ever grow 'Cause all I have to offer you is me

17. Faron Young, “Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young”

I wanna leave a lot of happy women A-thinkin’ pretty thoughts of me I wanna live fast, love hard, die young And leave a beautiful memory

18. Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, “The Last Thing On My Mind”

I've got reason a plenty for goin'      This I know, this I know The weeds have been steadily growin'      Please don't go, please don't go

Are you going away with no word of farewell Will there be not a trace left behind I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind You know that was the last thing on my mind

19. Marty Robbins, “The Master’s Call”

I felt the end was near, that death would be the price When a mighty bolt of lightning showed the face of Jesus Christ And I cried “oh Lord forgive me, don't let it happen now I want to live for you alone, oh God these words I vow”

Bridge: Lefty Frizzell, “Long Black Veil”

She walks these hills in a long black veil She visits my grave when the night winds wail Nobody knows, nobody sees Nobody knows but me

Harrow the Ninth:

1. Hank Williams, “I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive”

Every thing's against me and it's got me down If I jumped in the river I would probably drown No matter how I struggle and strive I'll never get out of this world alive

2. Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, “Those Memories Of You”

In dreams of you, my body trembles I wake up and call your name But you're not there, and I'm so lonesome Without your love, I'd go insane

3. Hank Snow, “I Don’t Hurt Anymore”

I don't hurt anymore, all my teardrops are dried No more walking the floor with that burning inside Just to think it could be time has opened the door And at last I am free I don't hurt anymore

4. Patsy Cline, “Stop The World And Let Me Off”

Oh, stop the world and let me off I'm tired of goin' round ‘n' round I played the game of love and lost So stop the world and let me off

5. Charley Pride, “Lie To Me”

Oh, lie to me, say you love me Tell me I mean the world to you It would mean so much, I'd be so happy And it's the least you can do

6. Hank Snow, “Ninety Miles An Hour (Down A Dead End Street)”

Warnin' signs are flashin' by us but we pay no heed Instead of slowin' down the pace we keep picking up the speed Disaster's gettin' closer every time we meet Doin' ninety miles an hour down a dead end street

7. Patsy Cline and the Anita Kerr Singers, “I Can’t Forget”

Where are you, darlin'? Are you with someone new I can't forget you I'll always be loving you

8. Lynn Anderson, “If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)”

You're so much hurt I wish you wouldn't stay If I kiss you will you go away?

9. Connie Smith, “Once A Day”

Once a day all day long And once a night from dusk till dawn The only time I wish you weren't gone Is once a day, every day, all day long

10. Charley Pride, “Just Between You And Me”

But just between you and me I've got my doubts about it 'Cause just between you and me You're too much to forget

11. Buck Owens, “Hello Trouble”

A comin' up my sidewalk Just as plain as day A well a here come trouble that I never thought I'd see When you went away

12. Loretta Lynn, “Fist City”

You'll bite off more than you can chew If you get too cute or witty You better move your feet if you don't wanna eat A meal that's called Fist City

13. The Davis Sisters, “I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know”

You think you know the smile on his lips The thrill at the touch of his fingertips But I've forgotten more Than you'll ever know about him

14. Kitty Wells, “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down” (Charlie Walker’s version is on the Spotify playlist)

When you learn these things are true I'll be waiting here for you As you tumble to the ground Pick me up on your way down

15. Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, “You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly”

And that's the reason that my good looks and my figure is gone      And that's the reason I ain't got no hair to comb And you're the reason our kids are ugly, little darling

16. Loretta Lynn, “Who Says God Is Dead”

If I were you I'd kneel and pray 'Cause we're not promised one more day Remember blood was shed Who says God is dead?

17. Patsy Cline and The Jordanaires, “Imagine That”

Can you believe I'd swallow my pride (Well yes, yes, I guess you can) 'Cause you know you've always had my foolish heart Right in the palm of your hand, oh

18. Jody Miller and Johnny Paycheck, “Let’s All Go Down To The River”

Jesus is the man at the river And he's washing people's sins away He can save your soul if you give him control Oh be ready for that judgement day

19. Bobby Bare, “Dropkick Me, Jesus”

Make me, oh, make me, Lord, more than I am Make me a piece in Your master game plan Free from the earthly temptation below I've got the will, Lord, if You got the toe

20. Lynn Anderson, “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away”

Devil's got me now Oh, gone and got me now I can't fight him anyhow I think he's gonna win

Heaven’s just a sin away Oh, just a sin away Heaven help me when I say I think I’m givin’ in

21. Loretta Lynn, “Out Of My Head And Back In My Bed”

I'm gonna search everywhere that you might be When I find you I'm a bringin’ you home with me I want you out of my head And back in my bed Before the morning comes

22. Johnny Cash, “Big River”

Now, won't you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans Go on, I've had enough, dump my blues down in the gulf She loves you, Big River, more than me

Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you, Big River And I'm gonna sit right here until I die

[lotusss-flowerbomb]

Liberator

Bucky x reader

Warnings: Smut, cream pie eating, cum swapping

A/N: My sis @bluestarego​ randomly came up with an idea for this chaise and her ideas are literally the bomb, so of course I had to write it. There is unprotected sex in this story. Remember, this is fiction, so in real life package the meat before a beat. Hope y’all enjoy!

Word Count: 4.7k [My baaaddd]

********

"Ayo, tin man, where you going?" Sam asked Bucky when he saw him grabbing his jacket.

"To the bookstore. I'm tired of sitting here." He hurried to the door.

"Hold on, I'll tag along this time. Maybe we can finally look at some furniture for this place. We'll be here for at least another four months." Sam laced his shoes and followed him out.

Bucky and Sam had been undercover on this mission 3 months and counting. Nobody seemed to notice them in the small southern town. Either that or no one really cared.

Sam had been going on and on about getting furniture for the house to be more comfortable, but Bucky knew he was full of shit. Tony had given them a bunch of cash and he just wanted to shop.

"You know, you've been down to this bookstore everyday this week... What's her name?" He inquired.

"What?" Bucky tried to keep from smiling, but it was almost impossible whenever he thought about you.

"Yeah okay, you can pretend if you want. She'd better be cute or I'm gonna clown you. Does she know you're half robot?"

"Sam..."

"Relax, I'm kidding," he laughed.

When they pulled into the lot, the men jumped out, but before Sam could open the door Bucky stopped him. 

"Please do not embarrass me." He said seriously. 

"Man, move, you do enough of that on your own," Sam brushed past him. 

"Welcome! I'll be up shortly," you yelled from the back. 

You put away the stack of papers that you were going through and exited the small office. 

"Hi, how may I — oh, Mr. Stan, how are you today?" You smiled. 

"Please, call me Sebastian," he smiled. "I'm good, how are you?" 

You heard some books hit the floor. When you both looked over there, Sam was clutching a rack trying to keep it from falling completely over. 

"Guess I should go help with that. Be right back," you walked off. 

Bucky rolled his eyes. He made busy pretending to look for a new book, but he was having a hard time ignoring your laughing at all of Sam's lame jokes. He finally walked over. 

"Are you done tearing up the store?" He asked. 

"I've already apologized to the lady, Mr. Stan," he teased. 

"Do you have any new recommendations for me today?" Bucky asked, completely ignoring Sam. 

"Oh, yeah, I was telling Anthony about this new thriller we got in today. The author is pretty new to the scene, but this will definitely put her on the map. I had a chance to read it before the book was officially released." You handed him one of the books from the rack. 

"But this is new, so I can't rent it." 

"I won't tell if you won't," you winked and walked away. 

"Are you gonna ask her out?" Sam asked. 

"Are you insane?" He rolled his eyes and followed behind you. 

He handed you the book to check out. He liked your store, because it was a little different from any bookstore he was used to. You sold books, but you also rented the older ones. New books couldn't be rented for six months, but you were always willing to do buybacks for the ones in good condition. 

"Oh, I remember you telling me that you were looking for new recipes. I thought you might like this," you grabbed a cookbook, scanned it and then handed it to him. 

"That's nice, maybe he could whip something up for you," Sam patted his shoulder. 

Bucky gave him another murder glare. 

You laughed at his expression. 

"Don't worry, Mr. Stan, it's fine if you don't want to." 

"No, it's not that I don't want to —" 

"So you do?" You cut him off. 

"I uhh…" he ran his fingers through his hair. "Give me two days to find something that I think you'll like." 

"Your phone?" You held out your hand. 

He handed it to you and you put your number in and gave it back to him. 

"So I'll see you Saturday?" You gave him his bag. 

"Yeah, I'll see you Saturday," he confirmed. "But only if you promise to call me Sebastian." 

"Promise," you chuckled. 

You waved goodbye to the two men and watched them leave. You waited until they were in the car and pulling out of the lot before you picked up your phone and called your best friend. 

"You'll never guess who I have a date with this Saturdayyyy," you sang. 

"Is that weird guy who wears a leather jacket and gloves even though it's hot outside?" She said sarcastically. 

"Yes!" You replied giddy and undeterred by her sarcasm. "You have to help me find something to wear. I also need you to do my nails please?" 

She was quiet for a moment and then she bit out, "Fine, but I think he's weird and if he tries anything you'd better not hesitate to pepper spray him." 

"He's not weird. He's just different and I'm ready to find out what it is." 

Sam and Bucky walked through the furniture store. Bucky didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he knew he wanted it to be nice for when you came over. 

He felt like every piece he liked looked really old. He may have been 100 years old, but he didn't have to let you know that.

His eyes were suddenly drawn to this odd looking chair. It was red leather with a high sloped back, a deep arc in the middle and the bottom was low with a slope. He read the tag; Liberator: $400, but who cares? Tony could afford it. 

"You thinking about getting this?" Sam asked, seemingly coming out of nowhere. 

"What do you think? You think this is something she'd like? Should we get a few of them for the front room?" 

"Nah, this should go in your room. I think she'll like it. She's young and this is a very modern piece of furniture." He advised. 

Bucky decided to trust Sam for once. He told the salesperson that he wanted that chaise. The poor girl's face turned a bright red and she was unable to look at him. He didn't pay too much attention to it, he was used to people shying away from his presence. 

The guys picked out the rest of the furniture and headed home. Bucky noticed that Sam was giggly. More so than normal. 

"What are you so happy about?" He asked. 

"Nothing man, a guy can't just feel joy? It's a good day, Buck, we finally got some furniture. You got a really nice chair. I'm happy." He tapped on the dashboard. 

"Why'd you bring up the chair?" Bucky squinted at him. 

"Because it's a nice chair. I like the chair. You know I'm all about relaxation." 

Bucky let it go. If he hated the chair once it was delivered, he'd simply return it. No big deal. 

Bucky put the final touches on the meal he'd chosen to prepare for you. He garnished the plates, set them on the table and wiped his hands on the apron he was wearing. 

The doorbell rang. You were right on time. He gave the table a once over before coming to the door. 

"Hi," he greeted. 

"Hello there," you said. 

He just stood there and looked at you from head to toe. The white lace dress you wore hugged you perfectly at the top and flared at the waist. 

"Can I come in?" You asked, tearing him away from his thoughts. 

"Oh, yes, sorry. You look beautiful," he said as he walked you to the dining area. 

"So do you. I think the apron is my favorite part," you teased. 

He looked down and quickly removed the apron from around his waist. He blushed a little. You smiled at how cute he was. 

He pulled your chair out and pushed it in once you sat down and then took his seat. 

" It smells wonderful."

"Thank you, I tried something new tonight." 

Truthfully, everything was new for him. Bucky never did any of the cooking. That was usually Sam's thing. He only got the cookbooks to suggest things, but tonight he gave it try for you. 

You took a bite and tried to keep from gagging. You saw Bucky take a bite and immediately swallow. He didn't bother chewing it anymore. 

You took a sip of wine after you were finally able to swallow. 

"It's terrible," he said. 

"No, it's not bad at all," you absolutely lied. 

"I'll order us a pizza," he said and took your plate away. 

You just smiled at him. You didn't have the heart to tell him the food was gross, because he tried and that's what counts. 

You moved to the living room and he turned on the TV while you waited for the pizza. You noticed that he still wore a glove on his left hand and was sure to keep it away from you. You figured he was just a little shy about having a prosthetic arm. 

Once the pizza arrived, you put on some quirky movie and ate your dinner. 

"I'm sorry about this. I should've practiced the recipe a little more." 

"What? This is perfect," you told him. 

You talked with him a little. He told you that he grew up in Brooklyn. How he and Sam were college roommates and started a contracting business together.

You clung to his every word and listened without interrupting. 

"So, are you gonna give me a tour of the house?" You ask. 

"Oh, sure," he says. He slips your shoes off of your feet before walking with you hand in hand to the stairs. 

"It's not much, but this is our office space, that's Sam's room, bathroom and this is my room." He pointed. 

You flipped the switch on in the room. You were shocked and quickly walked over to the red leather chaise.

"You don't strike me as the type to have one of these," you ran your fingers over the cool leather. 

"Oh, yeah, I thought it was a very nice modern piece of furniture to have. Um, Sam actually talked me into it." 

"Did he now?" You smirked. 

"If you hate it, I can move it out of here. I won't force you to look at it," he rubbed his neck. 

"Come here," you reached out for him. 

He gave you his hand and you told him to sit down on the chair. You straddled his lap and moved your hips in a circular motion until you felt him getting hard. He rested his right hand on top of your ass and laid his head back. 

He had been so focused on his work that he'd forgotten how much he missed the feel of a woman. You leaned in close and put your lips to his ear. 

"Undo my dress," you whispered. 

He reached up and pulled the string of the bow ties on your shoulder. The thin material fell down and exposed your breasts. Your nipples immediately pebbled from the cool air. 

You scooted back a little and pulled at his shirt. 

" No," he grabbed your hands, "I um, maybe we shouldn't." 

"What's wrong?" You quiz. 

"Nothing, it's just that I…" He was lost for words. He didn't know how he would explain his arm without you freaking out. 

"Sebastian, I don't care that you have a prosthetic arm or hand. Whichever you hide under these long sleeved shirts and gloves." 

He inhaled and pressed his forehead to your chest. He was nervous. Now he remembered why it had been so long since he'd had a relationship or sex. 

"Hey," you lifted his head, "it's okay, we don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable." You kissed his lips. 

You felt his body relax as he exhaled slowly. First, he took off his glove. You ran your fingers over the shiny black metal. You then lifted the shirt a little, this time he didn't stop you. You pulled it over his head and tossed it aside. 

You lightly dragged your fingers down his neck until you reached where the metal connected to his shoulder. You traced your fingers over the lines of gold, before moving back to his scar. 

"It's connected to you, so is it fully functional?" You were curious. 

"It is," he replied. 

"That's pretty cool. The doctors must've put a lot of work and thought into this." 

"Yeah, much better than the first one I had after the war," he blurted. 

"Oh, you're a vet?" 

"Uh, yeah," he said after realizing his mistake. 

"What was your rank?" 

"Sergeant…" 

"Well, thank you for your service and sacrifice, Sergeant." You pressed your lips to his. 

He slipped his hands underneath your dress and squeezed your ass. The cool metal of his hand made your pussy clench. 

He slid a finger down your ass until he reached your folds. He rubbed your clit in a circular motion over the fabric of your thong. He moaned into your mouth when he pulled it aside and felt how wet you were getting. 

You broke the kiss, stood, unzipped his pants and pulled them down. His hard dick popped up and was at full attention. 

"Sss, ooh," you hissed as you wrapped your hand around him. 

Bucky laid back and closed his eyes. Your hands felt so good on him. You spit on his dick and rubbed it all around making sure it was coated. 

You lined him up with your opening before slowly sinking down on him. 

"Shit!" He had to brace himself and fight a mental battle, so that he wouldn't cum at this very moment. 

You were trying your best to take all of him, but he was stretching you wide and the pain was almost too much. 

Once he was able to get himself together he grabbed your hips and thrust into you. He pulled your dress over your head, so it wouldn't be in the way. 

You rolled your hips slowly and sped up as the pain turned into pleasure. You braced yourself on the balls of your feet and held to the head of the chair as best you could. 

"Bounce on this dick," he smacked your ass. 

You bounced up and down while he sucked a nipple into his mouth. He used his right hand to rub your clit. 

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum," you warned him. 

"Don't." He said and continued to rub. 

"Sebastian, I —" 

He grabbed you by the throat, "I said, no," he stuck his tongue in your mouth and continued to drive his hips upwards. 

He waited until you were right on the edge of your climax and then lifted you up. Your first instinct was to rub yourself to completion, but he stopped you. 

"I'm the only one who touches you from now on. Understand?" 

You nodded, but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to hear you say it. 

"Yes, I understand," you said as you moved back, so he could stand. 

"Good, girl," he pulled you close to him and kissed you. 

He sat you down at the foot of the chair and dropped to his knees. You spread your legs wide and watched while he admired your pussy. Running his fingers up and down your slit. 

"Can I taste you?" 

"Yes," you moaned and laid back. 

Bucky sucked your clit into his mouth and licked you in circles. He was using his tongue to apply just the right amount of pressure to your clit. 

"You taste so good," he said. He spit on your pussy and rubbed it before sticking two fingers inside of you. 

He sucked your clit into his mouth and curled his fingers a little. 

"Ah! Fuck!" You screamed as you felt an orgasm building. 

He could feel you contracting around his fingers. Once again he kept going until you were almost there, then he pulled his fingers out and stopped sucking. 

"Why? Please!" You begged. 

"Ooh, that was only the second one and you're already begging? It's gonna be a long night, baby girl." He teased. 

He pulled you to the edge a little more, rubbed the head of his dick up and down your slit and then slid inside of you. 

You rolled your nipples in between your fingers while he fucked you. He couldn't take his eyes off of you. He'd wanted to feel you for so long. Ever since the day he wandered into your store and laid eyes on you. 

He pulled out of you and turned you on your stomach. This time switching his pace. He spread your ass cheeks apart and rolled his hips slowly as he watched his dick disappear inside of you. 

"Fuck!" He moaned as he felt himself losing control once again. 

He watched as you clawed at the chair. He could feel your pussy getting tighter and tighter. 

"Can I cum? Can I —" you were cut off by your own moans. Your body didn't wait for permission. 

He felt it. Your pussy gripped him tight and he exploded inside of you. His hips jerked as he gave you every last drop. 

He pulled out and dropped to his knees behind you. 

He smacked your ass, "Give it to me, push it out," he demanded. 

You pushed the cum mixture from your pussy and was shocked when you felt his mouth on you sucking it out. No man you'd ever been with had been so bold or comfortable. 

Once he was satisfied, he stood and turned you around to face him. He squeezed your cheeks together, so you'd open your mouth. You stuck your tongue out ready for what he was about to give. 

You were so fucking turned on, you grabbed his hand and slipped his fingers back into your pussy. 

He spit the cum into your mouth and then kissed you. Swirling his tongue around yours as he fingered you to another quick orgasm. 

He looked at his cum coated fingers and then licked them clean. You couldn't resist kissing him again and tasting yourself on his tongue. 

Bucky picked you up and carried you over to the bed. You didn't want to let him go, but you finally gave in. He walked to the bathroom and came back to clean you up and then himself. 

He got in bed with you and laid his head on your chest. You ran your fingers through his hair. So many nights he'd thought about this moment. So many nights he'd thought about just being closer to you. He wished he could stay with you forever. 

He sighed. 

"What's wrong?" You asked him. 

He sat up and looked at you, he wanted to tell you the truth, but he knew that he couldn't. It would put you in danger and he couldn't risk it. 

"Nothing, everything is perfect," he smiled. 

"You have beautiful eyes, they remind me of someone, but I have never been able to quite put my finger on it."

"Thank you," he kissed you again and turned away. 

You played with his hair until he fell asleep and then you slipped out quietly. 

You were opening boxes and getting ready to stock a rack of magazines. You'd been doing well with keeping them out of the store, but a few of the teenagers kept asking and you finally caved. You let them know that you drew the line at tablets and that they were absolutely out of the question. 

You flipped through one of the fashion magazines and came across an article about Earth's mightiest heroes. You were skimming the article when you heard a knock at the door. You looked up to see Bucky waving at you. He was holding a cup holder with two coffees and a bag of donuts. 

"Hey," you greeted him. 

He returned your greeting with a soft kiss. You didn't think you could ever get tired of those kisses. 

"Doing some stocking?" 

"Yeah, I was taking a break and reading this article. I finally ordered some magazines for the kids," you picked it up and thumbed through the pages. 

Then he caught your eyes. There he was stretched across the page. The photo had a blue and purple tint to it and his hair was long, but it was most definitely him.

"You're Bucky Barnes," you said in disbelief. 

"What?" He seemed startled by your words. 

"This is you!" You shoved the magazine in his face. "I knew that you looked familiar. A freaking superhero?! You lied to me, Sebastian — Bucky, whatever your name is!" 

"No, it's not like that, I couldn't tell you." He tried to explain. "I'm on a mission. Sam and I, we're undercover." 

"Oh, you're on a mission, so get with a local to blend in a little better? Ugh! I knew you were too good to be true." You paced back and forth. 

"No, that's not true," he grabbed you, "my feelings for you are completely real."

You squinted at him, "Get off of me and get out, because you'd still be lying to me if you'd never gotten caught." You pushed him away and walked into your office slamming the door behind you. 

Bucky picked up the box of magazines and took them. If you recognized him someone else would too. He couldn't take that chance. 

He knew doing that stupid photo shoot would backfire. He didn't want to do it, but Steve and Sam talked him into it, because it was for a good cause. He knew they'd have to speed up their plans. 

He called Sam as he headed back to the house and let him know that they had to move in on the targets sooner rather than later. 

You came out of your office once you were sure Bucky was gone. You looked around to see that he had taken the boxes. 

"Great now he's a liar and a klepto," you rolled your eyes. 

You heard the bell on the door and turned around thinking it was Bucky again, but it was just one of the people who ran the laundromat a few doors down. 

"Oh, hey, Austin," you looked at your watch, "is something wrong? You know I'm not open yet." 

He didn't say anything. He just kept stalking towards you. Your fight or flight kicked into gear and you made a dash for the door. He reached out and grabbed you, but you kneed him in the balls to escape. 

You didn't get very far before you were grabbed from behind. They put a bag over your head and threw you into the back of a car where they zip tied your hands in front of you. 

"Let me go! What do you want?!" You kicked and screamed. 

"Keep it up and I'll gag you… Maybe even with my cock," you heard one of them chuckle. 

You immediately calmed down. Last thing you wanted was that. 

"Please, if you want money you'll have to take me back to the store. I keep it in the safe." 

"Shut up, we won't tell you again." Austin said. 

"Austin, please tell me why you're doing this?" 

"Because your little boyfriend needs to be taught a lesson. Him and his friend have been causing trouble and it's bad for business. Unfortunately, sweetheart, you're collateral damage." 

They drove you for almost 20 minutes before they dragged you from the car and into a building. They took you inside, sat you down and bound you to a chair. 

"Call your boyfriend," one of his henchmen ordered. 

"How exactly am I supposed to do that with my hands tied, genius?" You sassed. 

He reached into your pocket and pulled up his name. You could hear the line ringing. 

"Can you at least take the bag off of my head?" You requested. 

Bucky was fuming. He and Sam had followed the rest of Austin's gang to this warehouse. But when Austin himself pulled in, he had you. 

He thought it was odd that they were all coming out here, but now he sees that this is a set up. His phone was vibrating in his pocket. It was a call from you. 

He accepted the call and sat his phone down to look through his scope. 

"You can either let her go right now or I will kill every single one of you." He said calmly. 

"Sebastian," you cried. 

"It's okay, baby girl, I got you," he hung up. 

He let off two shots taking out the men who stood guard at the door. He took down the others as they came running from the building. 

"I'm in position," Sam said into his comms. 

Bucky jumped down from the tree he was in and moved in. He hoped you were safe. He never meant for this to happen to you. 

You heard the shots. They were so loud and it seemed like all hell broke loose after. The men around you started shouting and then you heard the door slam. 

You rocked from side to side in the chair until it tipped over. You tried your best to get loose, but nothing was helping. You started to panic as the gunshots were getting closer. 

Fear and adrenaline took over and your ears began to ring. It seemed like the bag was keeping you from breathing as you started to hyperventilate. 

You started screaming when you heard the door get kicked open. You could feel the person cutting the tape away. You were gonna fight this time. They wouldn't get the opportunity to take you somewhere else. They'll kill you for sure. 

Once your hands were free you started swinging. 

"Stop!" Bucky yelled. "It's me—" 

You punched him in the eye. He could barely get a grip on you, but when he finally did, he snatched the bag off. 

"Y/N! It's me, calm down." He hugged you. 

You relaxed into his hold and sobbed into his neck. 

"They were gon-gonna kill m-me," you stuttered. 

"I never gave them the chance. You're safe now." 

Weeks had gone by and nobody spoke a word about Austin or his mysterious disappearance. In fact, people seemed to celebrate the fact that he was gone. 

He'd been running a drug operation through the town and using his business as a front. Apparently, he had ties to Hydra, which is why Sam and Bucky were brought in to shut him down. 

You were back at your store and business resumed as normal. Bucky had left the same night of the incident. He didn't even say goodbye. He was too ashamed to face you. 

You heard the bell above the door and looked up from your phone. Your heart skipped a beat when those blue eyes stared back at you. 

"Hey," he waved. 

"I'm busy," you said and tried to walk away.

"Wait, please," he grabbed your arm, "please?" He asked a little softer. 

"I'm mad at you, you didn't even say goodbye!" 

"I know and I should have, but I was a punk and I want to make it right." He pleaded. 

"You have two minutes," you crossed your arms. 

He lifted you up on the counter and stood in front of you. It was very dramatic. 

"I'm James, but my friends call me Bucky. I'm 103 years old, but I spent most of those years frozen and brainwashed. I really did lose my arm in the war, but it was world war 2. I'm from Brooklyn and my favorite food is pizza." He said. "Oh and I fought in two alien wars, although it felt like only one, because I died in the first one and when I woke up 5 years had passed." 

"Hi, Bucky, nice to meet you." 

You pulled him in for a passionate kiss. He pulled away and pressed your forehead to his. 

"I'm sorry," he said. 

He helped you down and watched you lock the front door and switch your sign to closed. 

"If you're really sorry, you'll make it up to me," you grabbed his hand. 

He scooped you up and carried you to your office. He'd absolutely make it up to you with no problem. 

@titty-teetee​

@bluestarego​

@literaturefeen​

@fandomfavesss​

@angrythingstarlight​

[tenderlyrenjun]

[4:05 P.M.]

“Na Jaemin!” you exclaim, running into your friend’s arms. 

Renjun follows slowly, walking behind you like an escort, even though he made sure to hire a few. They all assume positions around the estate - your guest bedroom, the kitchens, a few entrances, the gardens. ‘A few’ to him includes an elite, small group of trained warriors whose sense of duty got enhanced after bitten; to you, ‘a few’ should have meant taking Mark and his trusted favorites, but Renjun convinced you to let them safe guard your own manor.

You hug Jaemin over his shoulder, letting him melt into your neck. His guards take microscopic steps that your ears became accustomed to before they were even born. “Tell your newborns to back off,” you hiss in his ear, “or I’ll do it myself.” You pull away, smiling sweetly.” And you know I don’t play nicely.”

Jaemin rolls his eyes. “They’re all at least 200 years old.”

You give him a serious look, red flashing across your irises. “Still.” You do not ... react very favorably with guards standing at attention so closely to your every move, especially with Renjun in the room. “I’ve had whiskey older than them.”

Jaemin rolls his eyes again, a pacifist’s smile on his face, but complies with your request nonetheless - probably something to do with Renjun’s presence. He silently brushes his nose, telling the guards to stand down. Jaemin embraces Renjun in the same manner, hugging him tightly. “Tell your mate to quit threatening my guards every time you two stay here.”

“Can’t,” Renjun mutters in his ear. They pull away then grasp each other’s forearms, sharing a look: can’t, or won’t? Renjun breaks the silent conversation first, shaking Jaemin to break the spell. “Separate minds and all.”

“Yet in all 700 years I’ve known you two, never have I seen you separated.”

You slide into Renjun’s side, kissing his cheek as an annoying public display of affection that does not bother Jaemin in the way it would your partner had his mate been present. Even so, Renjun accepts you, draping his arm possessively over your shoulders. “And we have no intention, moving forward.”

“The infamous ‘we’ couple of the Huang Coven,” Jeno announces loudly, bouncing down the stairs, into the throne hall, dramatically. Renjun rolls his eyes; he hates that moniker. Maybe while the two of you visit the Na, he can convince Jaemin to change the title. Jeno, his antithesis, oppositely more traditional, tightens the watch under his suit. And you just know Renjun wants to poke fun at you. Wearing business casual, over streetwear, was a smart choice. Although, Jaemin’s guards wear sunglasses and leather jackets, indoors.

You speed over to Jeno faster than the others, embracing him in the same fashion as you did Jaemin. And he accepts it, all his friend congregating closely by the exit. “It’s been too long, old friend.”

“What are you doing here?” Renjun asks half-jokingly. “Doyoung actually let you outside?” The Kim Family patriarch is rather ,, protective of his members, and has been for the last millennia, even more so actually since officially turning Jeno sometime during the Second Dark Age.

Jeno hugs you in return, his friendship grip crossing diagonally over your back, unlike Jaemin’s around the neck position or Renjun’s more romantic hold. He pulls away seconds after to extend handshakes with the other two. “Doyoung is actually more relaxed than you think,” he admits, hoping that enemy ears are far (one cannot be too careful, especially as other covens accumulate members, like grains of rice - for power, he assumes). “And you would know that,” Jeno redirects to Renjun, “if you got to know him.”

“Hmm,” Renjun hums, not really considering it. You return into his arms, hugging his waist like a newlywed incapable of separating. “The air between us is always so ... tense.”

“Awkward,” you correct. Renjun glances down at you, pinching your side as you continue, “He means awkward. Speaking of -” You smack Renjun’s hand away and spin to Jaemin. “- how is Jaehyun? Ever since breaking off his -” Renjun clears his throat, asking you not to say the word coven, and you nod your head, easily persuaded. “- family, things have been tense between you two, no?”

“No,” Jaemin denies. He refuses to admit that he is awkward with anyone, although his introvert tendencies appear when in large groups, especially if he does not see those people daily. “Jaehyun just added two new members - Jungwoo and Sungchan.”

“Oh, cool,” Jeno interrupts. “That’s why I’m here too.” He passes off a calligraphed note to Jaemin, whose shoulder you nosily look over until Renjun tugs your back into his chest. “His name is Donghyuck, or Haechan when uses his special ability - luring blood with his voice.”

“He and Renjun should get along well,” you comment. “Their powers are compatible.”

“Not as much as yours and mine, love.” Renjun kisses the crown of your head, hanging his arms around your shoulders, to which Jaemin rolls his eyes. You are starting to think Renjun is just making Jaemin jealous, on purpose. Psychologists say that people start complaining about being single while near couples, and since Renjun hates all the formal meetings, getting Jaemin a long-term mate might back him off.

“You don’t have a special ability though,” Jeno points out.

“No,” Renjun disagrees, shaking his head. “Beauty.” You take your turn, for the Huang Clan, to roll your eyes. He always says that your natural looks became enhanced after you turned (however, he usually keeps the flirting private), and although you disagree, you cannot stop him from saying so. His own natural ability becomes stronger when he is happy, which is anytime around you.

As the sun settles into the sky’s middle, everyone sits around a short, long table. Renjun assumes the head across Jaemin, you at his right hand and Jeno at Jaemin’s. Your mate was granted hosting duties, despite being a nomad to this estate. Probably because he is the best at straining tea. And to begin the ceremony, he asks the first question:

“So, Jaemin, how is Jisung fairing? Adjusted to vampire yet?”

“No,” Jaemin shakes his head. He accepts a glazed cup though, with both hands, from Renjun, who hands out empty earthenware as a way to keep track of who is drinking. Jaemin has an extra servant at beck and call in case anyone wants something more or he wants coffee. This set is meant to remain empty until he starts pouring the first round (into new glasses). “I think he’ll get over it once we turn him in a few years.”

“Aish,” Jeno mutters, waving his hand across the table. “Recruitment is starting younger and younger these days.”

“Yet none of us look a day over 23,” Renjun comments. He starts a fire under the second teapot, an empty one that he will fill with blood in a few minutes. “Did you get water from the spring outside, or did you have a servant retrieve a bottle from Nunobiki again?”

“The latter,” Jaemin nods, popping a white sugar cube in his mouth. He relaxes more on the pillow cushion, stretching a legs underneath the table. “It is a special occasion after all. I haven’t seen you three in the same room in what? 80 years?”

You push his shoulder, throwing him off balance. “We’re not divorced. You can visit us any time.”

“I haven’t left the compound in -” Jaemin looks at his watch. “- God, ninety years.”

“All the more reason to. Plus you’ll never guess what Renjun got us into!”

Speaking of the devil, Renjun clears his throat, asking for attention as he places a strainer over a teapot, pouring cold blood into the wide opening. He takes the now hot water and drizzles it in as well while the conversation comes to a stop, the ceremony’s second phase. Everyone watches closely, your eyes more permanently sparkling red, almost like having being starved for weeks. Renjun pours the now warm mixture on some leaves, then removes it just as quickly, repeating the process twice more, to fully rinse the leaves. When he takes the pot of boiled blood, spilling into the decanting bowl, you hear a guzheng in the steam, transporting you to the park in 1500 where Renjun would escort you to feed the ducks. No wonder Jaemin relinquishes hosting duties to Renjun; he always emits a beautiful memory. Renjun starts an hour glass, timing five minutes for the water to cool while everyone resumes conversation.

Jeno bites into an hojicha brownie, chewing the hazelnuts extra thoroughly (it takes like bits of flesh, which make it all the more delicious. “You were saying? What did Renjun rope you into this time?”

Renjun rolls his eyes, already groaning, and you smirk, knowing that your friends will take your side.

“College,” you seethe.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds!” 

“It is,” you point at Renjun, though he knows you are at least half-joking. You look at Jaemin, who sports an amused look; he, nor Jeno, has never seriously entertained college, preferring their current roles. “We’re registered for a full year of classes. I want to come visit three weeks ago, but midterms and projects take up extra hours of our time.”

“We don’t sleep though,” Jeno points out, siding with Renjun. “It can’t be as hard as it is for mortals who need 8 hours a night.” He taps Renjun’s shoulder. “Ha, remember being 20?”

“Heavens,” Renjun sighs nostalgically, reclining on his pillows in thought, staring at the ceiling like it can show a movie of his first lifetime. “Learning how to write from pictures? Carving lines into bronze with literal ancient tools? Computers are so much better.” He gently kicks your foot. “It’s why I signed you up for that Microsoft class.”

“Microsoft?” Jaemin scoffs. “Does your school not provide Apple courses?”

“No.” You roll your eyes. “Not that it matters anyways. I have to perform calculus by hand. I didn’t even do that during the Han dynasty! I still have the original suanpan in my study.”

“Yes, but,” Renjun drawls, “you have to admit how much easier it is to type integrals into that new graphing calculator I bought you.”

You turn to Jeno, deadpanned. “Everyday, I have to do homework, but yeah, no, you two should totally try it.”

The last grain of coarse sand falling onto the pile echoes loudly for your vampiric ears, so all of you stare at it, suddenly dehydrated again. And ever so slowly, almost theatrically (ever the moongwa), Renjun takes the original pot, adding some extra warm water until the blood’s color becomes translucent enough to see the pretty leaves. He pours everything into the decanting bowl, disrupting the ration between blood and water. The ceremony’s final phase comes to an end as he serves the drinks, handing one to Jaemin first as a sign of respect. You are next, his co-leader, then Jeno, the only member without a title (ironic, considering that he was a prince in his first lifetime, higher than any of you), and himself in closing. Everyone waits for Jaemin to take the first sip, ignoring the fact that Renjun assumed a host’s role. When his reaction is satisfactory, you take the second sip. It is very sweet, the floral aroma lingering the longer you keep the small cup near your nose. Renjun’s stoic demeanor does not give away anything you recognize, possibly because he is too humble or because he additionally drinks in all the praise. When Jeno takes the last first sip, reciprocating the tastefulness, you all resume conversation and the ceremony, more laxed.

Jaemin gestures for a guard to let one of the servants enter and asks for an iced americano, ending his tea drinking.

Renjun waits for you to also ask for coffee before also ordering it, and Jeno follows suit when the last pot empties.

“It is our cycle to sleep,” Renjun announces, cleaning his hands with a wet wipe. A servant comes in to clear the table, and all of you wait for the table to be emptied before retiring to your individual rooms.

Renjun starts tossing the extraneous throw pillows on the bed foot bench, already dressed in a comfortable matching pyjama set while you still have yet to change. He runs around the bed, after he finishes preparing it, nestling his chin into the crook of your neck.

“Come to bed.”

You hear him whine, interlocking his fingers above your liver, one of his most favorite places to drink your blood, once he punctures the right spot. His fangs start growing, gently knocking your skin for an invitation. You give it to him freely, extending your head left - better access, wordlessly.

“These meetings are infinitely more tolerable with you here,” he whispers, already reliving the ambrosial tea that seems to just be steaming through your tiny pores. He takes one lick, preparing you for the deep puncture. “You should come to them more often.”

You anticipate his bite but he only nibbles your jugular, grazing his teeth ever so lightly when his lips part too wide. “If I went with you, then I wouldn’t miss you.” You spin around, still enveloped by his arms. Renjun pushes you into the wardrobe, and your hands brace his shoulders, like a prey trying to escape, except your fingers dig into his shirt, attempting to pull him impossibly close. “We wouldn’t have these moments if I always went with you.”

“But we’re having this moment now, while you’re with me.”

“You’re so clingy,” you whisper as he tugs your hair by the base of your scalp. You sigh, knees faltering. 

Renjun places a singular kiss on your neck, displaying immense restraint against drinking you dry. You feel his fangs reach maximum length despite not sinking into your skin yet, so you draw him in by his throat. And he smirks. “Who’s the clingy one now?”

“Bite me.”

“Well, if you insist.”

[sophiamcdougall]

EXPLAINING SANREMO

(PART 1) Last week I was swept away, helpless, by the avalanche that is the Sanremo Song Festival and I am still recovering. For your safety, I’ve tried to keep the insanity contained on my Italian side blog. But I want to try to offer you a rough summary of what I’ve learned. Sanremo inspired the Eurovision Song Contest. Over five nights, 24 acts, each with a brand new song, compete at the Ariston theatre in Sanremo for a tacky little golden lion, and the glory of being the year’s Song for Italy. 2020 marked the 70th Sanremo, so depending on who you ask, it’s a venerable national treasure or it’s stale and embarrassing (Many Italians are sick of it. Or say they are, but see below.) It is also an EPIC STRUGGLE between THE FORCES OF GOOD AND EVIL FOR THE SOUL OF HUMANITY Let’s meet some of the protagonists: 

AKA: host Amadeus, entertainer and comedian Rosario Fiorello, il Bel Paese, and competitor Achille Lauro.

Amadeus got things off to a bad start before the show even began by praising his various female co-hosts - all seasoned TV professionals - for their beauty and their ability to stay “a step behind a man.” Outrage ensues, Amadeus claims he did not mean it like that, but keep this in mind for later. Also competing are Morgan (below, left) and Bugo (below, right.), who are performing a duet.

Going in, the one thing I know about Morgan is that on more than one occasion, he trashtalked my beloved and blameless Fabrizio Moro. So I hate him and want him to suffer. And apparently he has quite the reputation for throwing tantrums, picking on fellow-artists and sabotaging events he’s part of. But hey. He’s supposedly talented and Bugo clearly thinks he deserves another chance.  And we’re off!

Irene Grandi kicks things off with  “Finalmente Io” (“Finally Me”). But I’m starting with her not so much because she’s the first to sing as because I don’t think the song’s  got enough attention -- either for the fact that it bangs or for what it represents in the drama that’s about to unfold.

Finalmente Io is what, in the business, we call foreshadowing.

There’s a magical thing that happens to women with when they turn 40. The  develop Not-Giving-A-Fuck superpowers. The song is basically about that. It’s about freedom, and self-acceptance, and being 100% done with male bullshit. (It's also a bit of an ADHD anthem but let’s leave that aside for now.)  “I’ve lost all my patience, and all my fragility,” she sings. 

And, “If you want sex, let’s do it now. Heeeeeeere.”

Irene is the portent everyone misses, a harbinger of what is to come. 

Think of her as John the Baptist.  Onwards. So the first thing one discovers about the Sanremo Festival is that just because we have to get through 24 “big” acts AND 6 (?) new/junior artists, and they all have to perform multiple times, that doesn’t mean there’s any RUSH. Guest singers wander on and perform a song or ten. There’s comedy. We can stop everything to talk about football.  A lady comes on and talks for a million years about how her granny taught her that True Beauty is Found Within. There are also speeches about important subjects like violence against women. In fact, we are going to talk about that a lot, but also a bunch of competent and experienced female TV personalities are stuck taking turns at playing Amadeus’s Glamorous Assistant of the evening and he can’t shut up about how beautiful they all are while they cringe and lean subtly away from him. So it’s ... slow, and awkward, but within its own cheesy terms, things are normal. Too normal. Enter Achille Lauro. 

Softly, almost whispering, he begins to sing a song called  “Me ne frego”  (”I don’t care” - but with an edge of “fuck you”). This is both an everyday Italian expression and a fascist motto. Well, it was till now. 

A nation is convulsed. Right-wing Italian boomers are screaming because YOU! CAN’T! DO! THAT! AT! SANREMO! THERE! ARE! CHILDREN! WATCHING! Italian Tumblr, which like the rest of Tumblr is feral, thirsty and gay, is screaming for different reasons entirely. 

Achille, you scandalous creature, what have you done? What have you got to say for yourself?

Something strange and magical  has released and it cannot be contained. On with the songs. Good songs, bad songs, blah songs. I like “Tikibombom” by Levante - a love letter to weirdos and rebels, “Rosso di Rabbia” (Rage Red) by Anastasio about being, well, angry but scared you can’t do anything useful with it, and “Eden” by  Rancore, about... the nature of sin?? touching on everything from September 11 to the mafia to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.   However, this contest is being judged (mostly - it’s complicated) by an industry jury of FOOLS, COWARDS, and TRAITORS who KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO, so virtually all of the above artists are so far languishing towards the bottom of the provisional rankings. Achille ends up in 17th place and  Rancore at 22.

Truly, the light hath shone in the darkness and the darkness knoweth it not.

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO RANCORE. 

Rapper down, repeat RAPPER DOWN. SEND HELP.

However, for people who went in implacably biased against Morgan, it’s not all bad news. "Sincero” (Sincere) by Morgan and Bugo is in last place. Whether this is anything to do with the song or because Morgan is a nightmare of a person who has systematically alienated everyone in the Italian music industry except the trusting Bugo ... we can but ponder.  Sanremo grinds on. Days blur into each other and I’m not even going to try to cover events in exact order. Sanremo knows no order. Sanremo is like the universe, linear time is a construct that doesn’t really exist, and chaos happens very, very slowly.  But meanwhile, somewhere on the astral plane:

At least that is what I deduce must have happened.

The competitors and guests look deep within themselves. Do they have what it takes? Are they ready to answer the call? 

Let’s see! It’s Covers Night! Which is also Duets Night!

That’s Elettra Lamborghini (yes, that Lamborghini) and Myss Keta.

 Are they in tune? No. Does it matter? ALSO NO.

Meanwhile ... something strange is brewing between Amadeus and Fiorello...

 But wait, PLOT TWIST.

Enter Roberto Benigni.

The beloved actor and director is the latest avatar of the Dionysian frenzy that has chosen Sanremo 2020 for the place of its birth. He is the One who will unite the electric queer mayhem and the impossible grinding tedium  of Sanremo. In him, the two strains will fuse and become unstoppable. He is going to talk about sex for twenty-six minutes

He reads from the Song of Songs, which ... I knew it was sexy, and all, but is it really like that? Do you ever think about NAKED BODIES? Roberto does. Do you believe in PHYSICAL LOVE? Roberto wishes you would. Anyway, just think of all the sex we could all be having, literally right now, right heeeeere, whether we are  “a woman, and her man. Or a man and his man. Or a woman, and her woman!” He is awful. He is magnificent. He is excruciating. He is spellbinding. We are hanging on his every word and we are considering chewing our own arms off to escape. He proposes an orgy in the orchestra pit. 

Hand on heart, all of that happened. Italian Tumblr, bear witness.

And what of Achille Lauro? He unleashed this madness upon us all,  is he just going to sit back and let everyone else do all the work? Of course not. Achille Lauro came to bring not peace, but a sword, to the world of toxic masculinity and gender in general and his work is not yet done.

”I too was once a little girl,” Achille sings.

Dressed as Bowie-as-Ziggy, Achille duets with Annalisa on “Gli Uomini Non Cambiano” - “Men Don’t Change”. It’s a heartbreaking song by Mia Martini from 1992 about male abuse of women, and not a single word, or a single pronoun has been changed.

However, although he’s the one in the competition, and the one dressed to dazzle, he leaves Annalisa the spotlight. It’s like she’s the tortured protagonist of the song and he’s a voice in her head, a sympathetic spirit who can’t swoop in to rescue her but can quietly affirm that she deserves better than the the hellish treatment she’s singing about. in fact, he pointedly stays a step behind her at all times. And she’s majestic. 

Of course, he’s not fucking DONE

He’s still got to sing “Me Ne Frego” again. Can he top the cape-drop? You be the judge.

So Italian Tumblr,  is now writhing on the carpet,  making a sound only bats can hear, and shitposting itself into delirium, but has it all been ENOUGH?

NO.

Poor Rancore has died again. Toxic masculinity still exists. Amadeus is still pretty gross. Everyone is going to have to GAY HARDER. CAN THEY DO IT? This post is, like Sanremo itself, getting insanely long, so ... STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO, in which Fiorello’s true nature as a chaos being is revealed, Amadeus faces his Calvary, and the gun on the stage goes off.  ----- UPDATE: Part 2 is here

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Seymour Krelborn

(Not my gif) (Requested by anonymous)

(Audrey 2 is sort of mellowed out in this and is still called Audrey even though I’m sort of omitting Audrey 1 from this)

- Skid Row is arguably one of the worst places you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of living in. You absolutely hated it and yet, even Skid Row had a little bit of a silver lining; Mushnik’s Flower Shop. 

- Every week, you’d stop by the shop and have a look around, scrounging up enough money here and there to buy a little bouquet to brighten up your dreadful looking apartment. And, as of lately, to see the adorably nerdy florist. 

- You first met Seymour a few months after you moved to Skid row. You’d been cautiously wandering around the city, trying to find some interesting place that you’d actually like to visit. That was when you finally came across Mushnik’s shop. 

- It was everything that you were looking for, cozy, comforting, ...not dangerous. It soon became routine for you to visit, especially after a rough day. 

- You had the pleasure of meeting Seymour a week or so after you first found the place. You’d just been looking around when he cautiously approached and asked if he could help you with anything. The two of you had a short, pleasant yet awkward conversation and you left. 

- Things went on like this for a while, you’d visit, make some small talk with the man and then you’d leave. You’d never really had any serious or in depth conversations with the bespectacled man but you didn’t mind, it was nice just speaking with someone who didn’t ogle or creep you out. 

- It took him quite a while to ask you out; just cut him some slack, he almost didn’t do it at all. 

- You’d been looking at Audrey 2 for a while when you heard someone beginning to approach, prompting you to turn around. That was when you tripped “over your own feet” and fell... right up against Seymour. 

- Believe me, you have no reason to be embarrassed, he knows exactly whose fault it is and it isn’t yours; if you catch my drift. Audrey 2 had to hear Seymour gush about you for weeks and lets just say the mean green mother had had enough. 

- Poor Seymour could hardly even manage to say a single word to you, too shocked to form coherent sentences as he straightened both himself and you out. 

- You apologized, embarrassed and contemplating never returning, before you quickly made your way out of the store; though not before taking one last look at the big odd plant. 

- Seymour had a feeling that it would be a while before he saw you again and decided that he would finally just try his luck. He followed after you, calling your name and all but running to catch up. After a moment of panting, he nervously stuttered out an offer for him to take you out to lunch the next day. Obviously, you agreed.

- As promised, he showed up at your door the next day with an odd yet pretty, exotic potted plant and took you to a nice restaurant nearby. 

- I don’t think it’s possible for someone not to fall in love with Seymour so; of course, you were happy to see him again. In fact, you were more than happy to never stop seeing him again. 

- The two of you had your first kiss after he got chewed out by Mr. Mushnik for dropping a bunch of flower pots. You went after him, trying your best to comfort him before you told him that you loved him. His eyes snapped wide open and it took all of three seconds for him to smash his lips to yours. 

-  You have a bit of an odd relationship. One day you’re at a cafe making goo goo eyes at each other and the next you’re scrubbing blood off of a giant plants pot.

- He loves pda. The fact that you actually want to be seen with him blows his mind so being able show people that you’re a couple and express his love for you out in the open is wonderful to him. 

- Holding one of his arms whenever you walk together, usually with his coat draped over your shoulders. 

- This mans lips are ... so soft?? Yet his kisses are so strong. They’re perfect, you can’t get enough of them.

- You get your very own unique nickname once you start dating. It’s something special about you or something you experienced together and it makes you smile every time he calls you it. 

- He nerds out whenever you go to flower shops/anywhere with odd plants. He pulls you along, telling you all about each and everyone of them while muttering quiet ‘wows’ to himself. It’s adorable.

- He most likely got you a job at the shop so that the two of you could spend more time together. Plus, he didn’t want you getting swindled by a less reputable business. 

- You’ve definitely caught him singing about you when he doesn’t think you’re around. 

- He always gets embarrassed when you ask him to sing for you but he secretly enjoys the fact that you think he’s a good singer and want to hear him. 

- Stealing his baseball caps. 

- Straightening out his glasses and ties for him.

- Wearing his button ups when he stays the night. You would do it when you stay the night at his place but he lives at the shop and you’d rather not be interrupted by Mr. Mushnik. 

- He never watches you change, it doesn’t matter how long you’re dating. He won’t do it unless the two of you are married, he just feels like it’s disrespectful. 

- You’ll most likely be the one to initiate a lot of things: cuddling, kissing, hugging, ...sex. 

- He doesn't really have a favorite way to cuddle, he’s happy as long as he’s holding you. 

- He’s incredibly easy to fluster. Believe me, even if you think you’re bad at flirting with or seducing people, you’ll manage to find success with him. 

- He sort of just lets you do whatever you want to him. Poke his cheeks, play with his hands, mess with his hair, etc. It confuses him but he allows it. 

- Getting tugged into kisses by your waist. He’s probably dipped you into a kiss before and it was more wonderful than you ever could have imagined. 

- He compliments you every day. Even before the two of you started dating, he would try to compliment you or say something sweet every time he saw you. He makes you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world and to him you are. 

- He would 100% bridal carry you if your heels were hurting you or if you for some reason couldn’t walk properly yourself (like if you were drunk or hurt). 

- Any nickname or pet name you give him makes him melt. 

- He prefers quiet nights in with you over any other kind of date; there isn’t much to do in Skid Row anyways.

- Talking about your dreams and aspirations with each other. The two of you are constantly promising each other that you’ll one day leave the city together and never look back. 

- He would genuinely do anything for you. If you ever needed anything, anything at all, he’d be there for you. 

- He’s the most loyal guy you’ll ever meet. There’s only one girl out there for him and that’s you. In fact, you’re really the only girl he’s ever loved and he’s certainly not ashamed to admit it. 

- You’re probably taller than him, especially if you wear heels, so he’ll occasionally ask you to grab things off of the top shelf for him.

- He stands behind your chair whenever you’re sitting, holding and rubbing your shoulders while he talks with someone or watches what you’re doing.

- Picking up different gardening books from the library for him.

- Letting him show and gush to you about his new plants. You’re often asked to help take care of them, especially if you like gardening. 

- He always gets this big smile on his face whenever he sees that you’ve kept the flowers he’s left on your doorstep/given to you. 

- Helping him whenever he clumsily breaks something or hurts himself. He’s torn between staying quiet and cherishing the moment or trying to make jokes in an attempt to make himself seem “less pathetic”. 

- Going with and supporting him when he goes to speak with news/radio stations. 

- Twoey has definitely touched your ass before. Seymour has had several stern talking to’s with him.

- Trying to persuade him to put an end to the Audrey 2 fiasco before it’s too late. 

- You help ease his guilty conscience. If he was truly a bad person, why would he have a girl like you by his his side? 

- Warm and comforting hugs. 

-  Walking home with him everyday. Skid row is a dangerous place and he wants to make sure that you’re alright.

-  If anyone hurts or insults you, they mysteriously disappear very soon after. He never directly tells you that he had something to do with it but you can guess what happened. Plus, Twoey has proudly told you exactly what happened on more than one occasion.

- Even though he loves you dearly, he feels like you deserve better. He thinks you deserve the world, not some loser like him.

- He’s definitely an insecure person and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. He overthinks everything and is constantly apologizing, no matter how many times you tell him he doesn’t have to apologize. It’s just the way he is. 

- A part of him feels as though it isn’t his place to get jealous, that he should be lucky you’re even with him, so he tries his best to keep it to himself even if he gets jealous. 

- The two of you don’t fight, you just don’t. He doesn’t have it in him to get angry at you or bring himself to start a fight and the two of you rarely have anything to fight about. 

- Shy and nervous “I love you’s”. 

- Oh to live in a world of green with you. What better life could he live?

[petersasteria]

Sperm Donor - BFF!CEO!Tom Holland

Pairing: BFF!Tom x Reader (platonic), Pre-School Teacher!Haz x Reader

Requested? Nah.

This is inspired by a movie that I watched a month or so ago x

They're older in this one lmao

* * * *

Life is weird. It starts slow during your childhood and when you turn twenty, you get old really fast. Panic sets in and we all suddenly become aware that we haven't done anything significant or life-changing. That's the reason why people make weird and quick decisions like: dyeing their hair a crazy color or finally quitting the job they had since they were younger. Tom wasn't panicking, though. He felt like he's done everything and he's just relaxing while managing a company he inherited. You, on the other hand, were panicking. You're already twenty-seven and you haven't done the most basic shit in life.

You already traveled around, partied, made out with strangers, having one night stands and never seeing them again, dyed your hair, etc. But after your check up from the doctor, you realized that it was time for the next step; the more serious and mature part of life. Your best friend, Tom, was still stuck in the immature part of life and you didn't want that.

Both of you were really different. At this day and age, he still wanted to do all the things both of you did when you were eighteen. Meanwhile, you've been thinking about settling down. The only problem was, you weren't dating anyone. It was totally your choice to be single, but now you wanted that to change.

You invited Tom for lunch after your check up and he happily agreed. He hasn't seen you for a long time due to him being busy. He really missed you. You went straight to yours and Tom's favorite restaurant after the check up and ordered for the both of you while waiting for him. He was a little late, because he arrived when the food arrived.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, love." He leaned in a pressed a light kiss on your cheek before sitting across from you. He loosened his tie and smiled when he saw his favorite food. He glanced at you, "Thanks for ordering."

"No problem, Tom." You playfully rolled your eyes. You took a bite of your food and cleared your throat, "So, how've you been?"

Tom looked at you as he chewed his food and shrugged, "Busy as always, but I'll always make time for you, darling."

"What are your plans?" You asked.

"Plans? For what?" Tom furrowed his eyebrows. You took a sip of your drink and said, "You know, life plans. Are you planning on settling down soon or something? Are you going on dates?"

Tom scrunched his face and quickly shook his head, "Darling, you of all people should know that I don't go on dates. I prefer sleeping around with no strings attached."

"But surely you'd want to settle down, right? Like, get married and have kids?" You trailed off. Tom just looked at you and put down his utensils, "Alright, what's going on? What's with the questions?"

You pursed your lips and stayed quiet.

"Oh, you won't say anything? Then I won't stop staring at you." Tom challenged and Tom doesn't back down at any challenge. You just shrugged and ate your food. Tom gave you a sly smile and continued to eat his food too, his gaze not leaving you.

After a few minutes, you felt creeped out and groaned, "Fine! You win!"

Tom grinned in victory, "So tell me what's wrong."

"I want to settle down." You said sternly as you looked at Tom with a serious look on your face. Tom's jaw dropped in shock.

"Are you serious??" Tom asked.

You nodded.

He chuckled, "Y/N, darling, you're a teacher for kids and it surprisingly pays well, but aren't you sick of seeing kids everyday? Besides, if you settle down, I have no one to go to parties with!"

"But we're getting old, Tom!" You whined. "And kids are actually cute!"

"You despised kids when we were twenty." Tom pointed at you.

"That was seven years ago! People change, Tom." You sighed. "Why are you so against it, anyway?"

"Because you're my ride or die! You're basically my soulmate at this point." Tom said and you nodded.

"I don't see why that has to change."

"It will change, because you won't have time for me. Then when we finally hang out, you'll talk about your baby and shit." Tom frowned. "How can we attend that party in Prague next week, if you're settling down?"

"I mean, w-we can still go." You told him.

"How will you even settle down?? You're not dating anyone." Tom challenged again.

"Sperm donor." You told him boldly and he gasped. He was surprised, because he didn't exactly imagine you having babies that way. Heck, he didn't even imagine you having babies at all. He still thought that both of you wouldn't be settling down.

"Are you for real?" Tom whispered after a moment of silence.

"Yup." You breathed.

"Oh dear god, Y/N." Tom rubbed his face. "Are you out of your mind? Just get a boyfriend."

"No fucking way. I want kids now."

"Do you even have anyone in mind??"

"I originally thought it to be you-"

"No way! I hate kids." Tom glared.

"I know, that's why I changed my mind. I've decided that my sperm donor would be Harrison." You proudly claimed with a smile. Tom stared at you and laughed, "As in your colleague? Isn't that against rules or something?"

"There are no rules, Thomas." You rolled your eyes. "I'm doing this whether you like it or not."

Tom put his hands up in surrender, "I won't stop you. It's your body; your incredibly hot body. Are you sure you want to ruin that by having kids?"

"Tom." You glared.

"Alright, I'll stop. 'M sorry, darling." Tom snickered and continued to eat his food.

-

"Can you believe that she actually wants kids? It's so weird, Sam! You should've seen her." Tom said as he took a sip of his beer.

He was visiting Sam to confide in, because Sam was the first one to have a child. Sam looked at him and chuckled, "Kids aren't that bad."

"They're whiny and needy." Tom pouted.

"And so were you when you were a baby. All babies are like that." Sam said as he looked at his one year old son who was playing with building blocks on the living room floor.

"I don't like them. That's final." Tom huffed.

Sam raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you saying you don't like your nephew?"

"Okay, he's different. He's family and-"

"Yeah and your future kids will be family too!" Sam laughed.

"I just don't want kids, okay?! Why does everyone pressure someone to have kids anyway? I'll just be your son's undeniably rich and handsome uncle who's super cool and spoils him." Tom said.

Sam laughed so hard at his claim. Tom frowned as he looked at Sam. He meant every word he said. Sam wiped away the tears in his eyes and calmed down, "I laughed, because you thought you were handsome. Everyone knows I'm arguably the best looking Holland."

Tom snickered, "Calm down, Sammy boy. You're not mum."

"Touche."

-

"Tom! I'm so glad you could make it!" You smiled when you saw him through the crowd. Tom smiled and kissed your cheek, "You know for someone who's trying to get pregnant, you're not boring at all."

You playfully slapped his arm and pointed at the paper bag he was holding, "What's that?"

"A gift for you." Tom handed it to you. "It's weird how you're having a pregnancy party thing when you're not pregnant; not yet, at least."

You took the paper bag and put it on the gift table, "Well, it's not wrong to celebrate."

"That's true and we both no I love alcohol." Tom smiled and grabbed a bottle of beer.

"I'm surprised you're not an alcoholic."

"Same here, darling."

A few moments later, Tom was already drunk and he saw Harrison. He decided it would be best to formally meet the father of your soon to be child.

"Hey mate." Tom greeted with a big grin. Harrison looked at him and nodded.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Tom asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harrison chuckled, "I do. It's just that I can't believe this is happening."

"How'd she get you to do it?" Tom asked. "I'm curious, because if I'm being honest with you, even if she flashes her boobs at me, I'd still say no."

"Well, she and I really like kids. Then she brought up the idea and I thought it was cool. She then asked me if I wanted to do it. In my head, I said no, but the more I thought about it, the more I started to agree."

"And you agreed? Just like that?" Tom asked in surprise.

Harrison nodded, "Yeah. We even talked about the visitation arrangement and stuff and that she'd live with me when she's on maternity leave so I could help her around and stuff."

"Holy shit. You guys are prepared." Tom chuckled. "I'm actually impressed. Why don't you start dating and be an official family?" Tom joked.

"I would be lying if I told you that I haven't thought about it before." Harrison confessed. "But I thought she was dating you and I backed off for a while until I dated someone."

"Dated? As in like you're not with this person anymore?" Tom asked. Harrison just nodded. "Then you're more than welcome to date, Y/N! As her bestest friend in the whole wide world, you have my permission." Tom slurred.

"My ex and I kinda just broke up a week ago and it's still fresh and I don't want Y/N to think that she'd be a rebound." Harrison looked down.

"Oh." Tom said. "Well, thanks for not dating her, I guess. At least she wouldn't feel that she was a rebound.

"Yeah." Harrison smiled a small smile.

"Well, I'll go to the restroom, yeah? I'll talk to you later. As her best friend, I feel like I should get to know you more." Tom hiccuped as he stumbled away to go to the restroom in your apartment.

Tom finally made it to the bathroom and did his business. He flushed the toilet and washed his hands with soap and water thrice. No one knew why, but he's been doing that ever since he was old enough to go to the bathroom on his own. It kind of annoyed you, because whenever he was at your place, the hand soap you just bought is already half empty (or half full, depending on how you look at it). You had to get him his own hand soap whenever he was in your place. You even put a label on it.

After he was done washing his hands thrice with soap and water, he saw a little container with Harrison's name on it. He chuckled when he realized it was Harrison's... you know.

"So, these are his best swimmers." Tom drunkenly chuckled to himself. He clumsily took the container and opened it. "Did he fill it up or something?" Tom curiously asked as he took a peek. Due to being really drunk, he was unable to stand still and because of that, the container fell in the sink and Harrison's 'best swimmers' went down the drain.

Tom's eyes widened in horror and he panicked, "Holy shit! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Oh my fucking god! Y/N's going to fucking kill me."

He paced back and forth in the bathroom until he came up with a plan. A stupid plan at that. He could've made up some shitty excuse that the container fell on its own, but he didn't. Instead, he cleaned the container and sighed to himself. He sat on the toilet and took out his phone to look at something to jerk off to. When he found something, he did his business.

-

Once Tom was done with everything (including his thing of washing his hands thrice), he finally exited the bathroom.

"Tom, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" You smiled at him and dragged him to the living room. Everyone was gathered around and Tom started to feel like he was in a cult and you were the leader.

"Okay so, I'd like to say a few words." You started. "Thank you all so much for coming to this party! I appreciate all the gifts already. It's like a baby shower, but at the same time it isn't, y'know?"

Everyone chuckled except Tom. He was already kind of sober and he couldn't comprehend what just happened in the bathroom. You were saying something, but he couldn't understand it, because he wasn't focused. He finally snapped out of it when he heard Harrison's name.

"Thank you so much, Harrison. If it weren't for you, my dream wouldn't come true." You smiled as Harrison chuckled.

'Oh god. I'm so sorry, Harrison.' Tom thought.

"Lastly, I'd like to thank Tom." You looked at him with a bright smile. He couldn't help but return it. "Thank you for being supportive about this. You're the best. I love you." You added.

Tom chuckled nervously, "I love you too, darling. I want you to be happy and if having a baby makes you happy, then who am I to go against it?"

You grinned and pulled him in for a hug. Everyone around you clapped. Tom hugged back, but his thoughts were running wild.

'Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Y/N. I ruined it.' Tom thought.

The next day, he didn't go to work. He went back to Sam's place which was weird, because it was early in the morning. Sam was awake anyway, because he was cooking breakfast for his fiance and son.

As soon as Sam opened the door, Tom went straight in. "Um, sure. Come in and make yourself at home." Sam said sarcastically as he closed the door. He followed Tom to the kitchen and asked why he was there,

"I fucked up." Tom said.

"You always do, but what did you fuck up this time?" Sam asked as he fried the bacon.

"Y/N's pregnancy." Tom bit his lip.

"What do you mean by that?" Sam questioned as he glanced at his older brother for a second before turning back to the bacon.

"I, uh, fuck. Um, I don't know how to say it."

"Just spit it out, man!"

"I'm going to be the father of her baby." Tom spat.

Sam quickly turned off the stove and fully gave his attention to Tom, "What? How? Why? I thought that guy Harvey-"

"Harrison." Tom corrected.

"I thought that guy, Harrison, was the dad?" Sam asked in confusion and slight panic.

Tom groaned and rubbed his face and crossed his arms, "I may or may not have accidentally opened it and it fell in the sink and his sperm is most likely swimming through the pipes as we speak."

Sam's jaw dropped, "Holy fucking shit. Did you tell her?"

"Um, no? Was I supposed to?"

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT. Of fucking course you were supposed to tell her!" Sam gasped. "Sometimes I even wonder why you got the company."

Tom glared at him and Sam shrugged, "You need to tell Y/N or she'll murder you."

"She'll get mad." Tom whined.

"She'll get even more mad if she finds out after the baby comes out and it looks like you!!" Sam pointed out. "Harrison's fucking blonde, mate."

"How'd you know?" Tom asked.

"Y/N showed me his picture after you told me she was getting a sperm donor." Sam explained but shook his head. "Wait, we're getting off-track. She'll be fucking shocked and confused if the baby won't look like Harrison."

"Oh my god. I never thought of that!" Tom bit his nails in panic.

"You idiot!" Sam shrieked. He still couldn't believe it. The two brothers stood there in silence until Sam decided to break it.

"So, um, welcome to fatherhood?" Sam said but it ended up like a question. "You know, what if it doesn't work the first try?"

"That could happen?" Tom asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Sam nodded, "Yeah. It's normal. She could ask Harrison again if it doesn't work and then you're back to your bachelor life! For now, it's time for the waiting game."

"Alright. Let the waiting game begin." Tom sighed. It was selfish of him, but he really hoped it wouldn't work.

-

"Tom!" You smiled through the phone.

"What? I'm kinda busy at the moment." Tom said as he typed away on his laptop and put you on speaker. "You're on speaker. Just tell me the thing you have to tell me."

"I'm pregnant!" You squealed.

"Oh shit!" Tom said loudly and put his head in his hands. His life was officially over.

"Tom?" You said. Tom's eyes widened in realization that he said it out loud, "I meant- oh shit! It actually worked the first time! That's- that's cool! Because you know, sometimes it doesn't work... the first time."

He quickly put you off speaker and pressed the phone to his ear. "So, what's your next move?"

"I'm telling the dad, of course! He'd be so thrilled!" You swooned.

"Y-Yeah! T-That's... yeah, you go do that. I'm really happy for you! It's all working out." Tom said, hoping that he masked his nervousness well. Thankfully, you were too happy to notice and he was glad.

"How-How will you tell him?" Tom asked.

"I'll buy him a mug that says 'best dad in the world!' or something." You giggled. "Both of us have been wanting this."

"Well, why aren't you dating?" Tom questioned. "I mean, he seems like a great guy. I approve of him. He's better than all of your exes."

Tom really meant that. He liked Harrison for you. He thought that both of you would be a great pair. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have romantic feelings for you before, but he realized that it was just strong infatuation. Nothing else. What both of you have was simply platonic.

"He's not ready to date." You explained. "But that's okay, because I'll be having his gorgeous baby! AAAAHHHHH I'M PREGNANT!!!!" You excitedly screamed.

Tom had to put his phone away from his ear so that you wouldn't break his eardrums. He was really happy that you were happy, but he couldn't help but feel scared when you find out that the baby was his.

He put the phone to his ear and said, "Well, good luck on telling him." He smiled, because you finally got what you wanted.

"Thanks, Tommy. Love you!"

"Love you too!" He hung up and quickly texted Sam about the news. Sam replied and texted: "Oh shit lmao good luck, daddy-o!"

Tom sighed deeply at his brother's response before drowning himself in work.

-

The whole time during your pregnancy, Tom found himself constantly checking on you. Despite the fact that you're carrying his baby, he still didn't like the idea of kids. It was a personal reason and he didn't know why. He was confused.

He remembered the phone call he got from you when you found out the gender of the baby. You were so happy and every time he thought about it, he smiled.

"I'm having a boy." You said happily.

Tom looked at you in shock for a few seconds until his face broke into a smile, "That's great! Wow. A boy."

A son. You're carrying his son and he doesn't know how to feel about it. As your best friend, you kept sending him pictures of the ultrasounds and you told him everything you were feeling during the pregnancy.

Tom did everything to support you, but in a subtle way, of course. You still thought that Harrison was the father of your baby and Tom didn't want to outshine that. He knew that Harrison would be a better father than him, but Tom wanted to be a father to his son too. It was then that he realized he wasn't opposed to the idea of having babies. He was just scared of having them and not being a good father.

But now, he has a son on the way and his son was in his best friend's womb. The person he loved and cared about was carrying his son. He thought it was amazing and for once in his life, he was genuinely happy and excited.

As much as Tom wanted to stay in London and check up on you and the baby, he had to go to New York for business. He doesn't know how long he'll be gone, but he knew it'd be awhile. When he gets back, his son would probably be walking already.

You, Tom and Harrison were at the airport and you were bidding him goodbye. Tom hugged you tight, but not too much, because he didn't want to hurt you.

"I'll miss you!" You cried.

"I'll miss you too! In fact, I already miss you." Tom said, chuckling. He pulled away and wiped your tears away. "Don't cry or the baby will look ugly."

"That's not a thing. You're just saying that." You lightly chuckled.

"Yeah so that you wouldn't cry and it worked." Tom smiled. He turned to Harrison and pulled him in for a hug as well, "Take care of my best friend, yeah?"

Tom was kind of scared to leave you, but he trusted Harrison.

Harrison surprisingly hugged back and said, "I will. You can trust me, mate. I'll call you when I don't know what to do."

Tom chuckled and pulled away, "Feel free to call anytime, then."

Tom didn't have time to say anything else, because his flight was being called. You frowned and said goodbye to him one last time. He waved at both of you and left.

𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑...

It's been five years since Tom left and you haven't seen him since. During those five years, you managed to do a lot of things. You gave birth, you started officially dating Harrison, you moved in with him, nailing motherhood, talking to Tom from time to time, etc.

Tom was doing well. He was really happy with all the photos you sent him. He would smile at the photos, but the fact that he was the father of your son was still at the back of his mind. It's been five years and he still hasn't told you. He didn't know what to do, so he called Sam. Only Sam knew his secret, anyway.

"Hey Sam!" Tom greeted with a smile through the screen. Sam smiled at him and waved back. Tom squinted and asked, "Is that Harry?"

"Yeah! Harry's back!" Sam grinned.

"Hey Tom! I missed you!" Harry shouted in glee. Harry has been traveling the world for photography and he decided it was time to go back and slow down, because he was already twenty-nine years old.

"I missed you too, man!" Tom grinned.

"So, Tom... why'd you call?" Sam asked as he fixed his hair and moved a bit so Harry could fit in the frame.

"First of all, I'm coming back home tomorrow." Tom said.

"That's great!"

"We could finally hang out again!"

"Yeah and that's not all." Tom gulped.

"What's up?" Sam asked.

"Um, I still haven't told Y/N." Tom bit his lip.

Sam's eyes widened, already knowing what he was talking about, "WHAT?? IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS, THOMAS."

"Tell Y/N what? What'd I miss?" Harry asked in confusion.

Sam sighed, "Tom's the father of Y/N's baby and Y/N doesn't know that because she knows that the father this whole time was Harrison. I'm sure she's confused after the baby came out, because guess what, Harry!"

"What?"

"Harrison's fucking blonde! And I've seen her son... he fucking looks like you, Tom." Sam said and Tom winced because it was true. He saw the pictures after all.

"Oh my fucking god, Tom. Tell her." Harry said in shock. "If I were Y/N, I'd be pissed you didn't tell me before."

"Yeah, that's what I said five years ago." Sam rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, will you? I'll tell her when I get back. I'll tell both of them." Tom said, mentally preparing himself and his speech.

-

You and Harrison invited Tom for dinner when he got back and Tom was nervous. He hasn't seen both of year for five years and he just randomly tells you that you and him have a child together.

You opened the door and squealed when you saw him. You hugged him and let him in yours and Harrison lovely home. It was just right for raising a family and Tom mentally cringed when he remembered his speech that he prepared.

"I missed you, Tom!"

"I missed you too, darling." Tom smiled softly as he took a good look at you. "Oh my god. Please don't murder me, but are you pregnant, by any chance? You're glowing."

You giggled and nodded, "Surprise! I'm two months pregnant now and I'm engaged too. Harrison and I decided we wanted the little guy to have a sibling."

Tom nodded, "That's great!"

"Thank you!" You grinned as you led him to the dining area.

All three of you sat on the dining table and all three of you were happily eating. Or maybe just you and Harrison. Tom was just poking his food around.

"I have something to say." Tom finally said.

"Oh, okay." Harrison said.

"What's up?" You asked. "You look like you have a major problem."

"It's about your son." Tom said.

"Caiden? What about Caiden?" Harrison asked.

Tom took a deep breath and took a sip of water before clearing his throat. He looked at both of you, "Please don't be mad, but I've been keeping a secret from you for years now."

"What?" You were confused. Harrison was confused too.

"I'm Caiden's father." Tom said.

"What?" Harrison asked as he looked at you. You looked at Harrison and shrugged, "Thomas, what are you talking about?"

"That night. Your pregnancy shit party. My drunk self did something stupid and-"

"What did you do?" You asked. Tom couldn't read the look on your face.

"I took the container where Harrison's sperm was and I took a peek, because I was- I was curious if he filled the whole container up and-"

"Dude, that's fucking sick." Harrison looked at him in horror.

"I know, I know and I'm sorry!" Tom panicked. "And then I guess I couldn't stand straight because the container fell in the sink and Harrison's thing fell in the drain."

Harrison's jaw dropped and so did yours. Tom bit his lip and sighed before continuing, "And so I cleaned the container and- and I replaced his sperm with mine, thinking it would help."

All three of you sat in silence after that. It was some news. It wasn't good news and it wasn't bad news. It was just... news.

Harrison cleared his throat and said, "I thought Caiden didn't look like me, because of weird genetics or something science related. Because it happens, you know? I heard that there's a really really small percentage that a baby would look different from its parents. Like, being ginger or something like that. So I thought it was that, but now that you said it, it makes sense."

You didn't say anything, because it was hard to process and it was hard to think that he probably kept it for so long.

"Caiden even got your hand washing trait. He has his own hand soap in the bathroom too." Harrison added and pursed his lips.

"Wait. Really?" Tom asked.

Harrison nodded. He looked tensed and you didn't blame him. Harrison wiped his mouth with the table napkin and gave you both a tight-lipped smile, "I'll just, uh, I need- I need some air."

You nodded and Tom closed his eyes and let his head hang low. Harrison stood up from his seat and quickly left to go to the backyard. You looked at Tom and frowned, "I wish you could've told me that same night, y'know? Before I did anything."

"I know and I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry." Tom opened his eyes and looked at you. "You were just so happy and then you had that speech and- I didn't want to ruin that."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Tom said sadly.

"You know, Harrison was upset because Caiden didn't have ANYTHING that resembled him. But he convinced himself that it was okay and it was this science shit that he mentioned. He probably feels like shit right now and I'll just clear my head, okay? I'll talk to you; we'll talk to you." You sighed as you stood up. Tom did the same. He didn't feel welcome. If he were being honest, it didn't feel right for him to sit there after he told you both.

"Thank you for telling us, Thomas. If you'll excuse me, my fiance needs me." You said softly and gave him a small smile before going to the backyard.

Tom looked down and escorted himself out of your house.

-

Harrison was obviously upset. The son he thought was his turned out to be someone else's. He felt really dumb, but he realized that Caiden didn't have to be related to him by blood for him to treat Caiden like his own son. He didn't see why that had to change. He loved Caiden with all his heart from the second he found out you were pregnant until now. Caiden was still the same Caiden he knew and loved. The only difference was, he wasn't the biological father after all. It was Tom.

Harrison knew you were kind of upset that Tom told you years later, but Harrison knew you didn't regret anything. Harrison didn't regret anything either. He loved taking care of you especially now that you're carrying HIS child this time. Both of you were very sure of that, because you two actually did it.

You still haven't spoken to Tom and Harrison kind of figured out that both of you were stubborn. So, he took it upon himself to reach out to Tom. He asked for Tom to meet up with him and Tom agreed. What Tom didn't know was that Harrison was bringing Caiden with him.

Harrison asked Tom to meet up with him at the park. He asked Tom if they could go for a morning run and Tom said yes. On the other hand, he told you that he was taking Caiden to the park for him to play with other kids. Of course, you agreed.

Tom wasn't there yet when Harrison arrived and he let Caiden join the other kids at the playground. Three minutes later, Tom arrived and asked, "Are we here so that you could punch me in the face or something? Because I think I deserve that."

Harrison smiled and shook his head, "No. My love for Caiden will never change whether I'm his biological father or not. And even if the world turns upside down, Caiden will still know me as his father."

Tom nodded, "I understand and I'm not trying to take him away from you if that's what you're thinking."

"That's good to know, because I don't know what I'd do without him." Harrison smiled and offered Tom to sit next to him. Tom sat down and waited for Harrison's next words.

"I just want to know what your plans are, because he's yours." Harrison said.

Tom shook his head, "Caiden's yours more than he's mine. I'm just a sperm donor if you think about it. But I do want to be part of his life. Maybe when he grows up, he'll understand. I want to help both of you in raising him and I want to thank you both for raising him well. He wouldn't be who he is without both of you and I appreciate that."

"I guess I just want him to acknowledge me as his dad too? Is that wrong? Because I can back off right now and pretend we didn't have this conversation." Tom added.

"No, it's not wrong. You have every right to say that, because you're his real dad." Harrison assured.

"But I can't take care of kids. Heck, I can't even take care of my own nephew before. I've always been the bachelor or the playboy or whatever everyone calls me and I've grown to like it? Like, I genuinely love it and wouldn't change anything else in the world. Caiden's just the cherry on top of it. I hope you don't mind, but uh, since he's kind of my son too..." Tom trailed off and Harrison nodded for him to continue.

"I fixed some papers and signed them. All I need are yours and Y/N's signatures... I want Caiden to inherit my company." Tom said. "No one else will have that but him and I'll teach him the ropes when he's of age and- it would be really nice to have an heir and Caiden's my only heir. I hope you understand."

"I do." Harrison said. "As much as I want Caiden to acknowledge you as his dad, I don't want him to forget about me and to start comparing." He chuckled.

"I won't do that to you or Y/N. I'll follow anything you guys say. So how will-"

"Daddy! Daddy! I found a snail near the slide!" a tiny voice called. Harrison glanced at Tom and grinned before looking at the child. Tom looked at where Harrison was looking at and his jaw dropped. Caiden was a spitting image of him and it warmed his heart.

"Caiden, buddy, I want you to meet uncle Tom." Harrison pulled the four year old to sit on his lap and ran his fingers through the child's hair.

Tom looked at him and smiled and he teared up a bit, "Hey buddy."

"Hi! I like your shirt." Caiden gave him a toothy grin. Tom looked down at his shirt before looking at Caiden, "You can have it when you're older."

Caiden's eyes widened and looked at Harrison who chuckled, "What'll you say, Caiden?"

"Thank you!" Caiden giggled. "I'll play again. Bye!" With that, Caiden got off from Harrison's lap and went back to play with his new friends.

Tom couldn't believe what just happened. Harrison said, "He knows we don't look alike, by the way. He doesn't seem to mind, though. But I know we should tell him as early as now that you're his real dad."

"I'm not opposed with that idea." Tom admitted. The two of them watched Caiden as they changed the topic and talked about life.

𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐖 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑...

You and Harrison finally told Caiden the truth. Tom was present, of course. He wanted to see how Caiden will react. Caiden didn't see anything bad about it, though. He loved it even more.

"So, uncle Tom is my real daddy?" Caiden asked one more time and all three of you nodded. Caiden grinned and said, "I have two daddies?"

"Well... yeah." You said with a shrug.

"That's cool!" Caiden giggled. He looked at Tom and pointed at Harrison as he did so, "I call my daddy already. What will I call you?"

"Anything you want." Tom said, not really bothered if he still calls him 'uncle Tom' or not.

"I'll call you papa." Caiden smiled and hugged him. Tom looked at you and Harrison in surprise and both of you just urged him to return the gesture because he wasn't sure.

Tom hugged back and it felt nice. He felt great. He then made a mental note to himself to hug his nieces and nephews.

From then on, all three of you agreed that Tom would have Caiden during Friday until Sunday and on some occasions when you and Harrison were busy. All three of you also agreed that there would be days when all four of you would go out to really bond.

You didn't really wish to have a family like this, but you did and if you were being honest, you wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

* * * *

this is the longest fic I've written here so far omg but i hope y'all liked it

𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @abrielleholland​​​​ @poguesholland​​​ @superheroesaremytea​​  @marshxx​ @ella-whyte

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @marvelousell​​​ @justasmisunderstoodasloki​ @rubberducky-jrr​ @petersholland​ @osterfieldnholland​ @miraclesoflove

[fallingappleshurt]

Secrets to Save You

It took me forever but I did it!!

“Tommy is worried about his brother and decides to try and find out what is bothering him but he might’ve bit off more then he can chew.”

(Also little side note, the duels don’t take place in the woods) I spent very little time rereading this so I’m gonna hate it but I have had this idea, THIS CHAPTER, rolling around in my brain since early July.

And I finally get to use it! Anyways hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4. Falling Towards Fire

Tommy didn’t know a lot about Techno but he did know something was wrong.

His whole demeanor seemed nervous, restless, almost skittish, and Techno was not skittish. He was jumpy and tense, randomly whipping around as if he was afraid of someone following them. Wilbur had accidentally bumped into him and Techno almost jumped out of his skin.

Something was bothering him to say the least and Tommy decided he was going to figure it out, no matter what, which was definitely easier said than done.

Tommy had been trying so hard to formulate a plan that he started to school only to remember half way there that he forgot his homework. Turning on his heels he ran back to the apartment, backpack bouncing against his back as his feet pounded against the cracking pavement.

He came close to the apartment building, his chest ached as he sucked down air, iron coating his tongue, when he heard the familiar creak of their rusty staircase. He stepped back, pressing himself against the wall and watched as Techno tread down the stairs, sword at his side.

Tommy bit the inside of his cheek, Techno didn’t normally go out to duels during the day but he had heard Wilbur bitch about it so he must be headed there. This was perfect.

He could kill two birds with one stone, find out where Techno was going for the duels then if he knew where they were then he could go to them too and start helping out the family!

In the back of his mind he knew he should grab his homework and run back to school, he could make it before the bell, and be a good kid but the overwhelming curiosity and the familiar tendrils of guilt was too much.

He slowly slid off his backpack, watching Techno’s every move as he started down the street. He shoved his bag under a dumpster and hoped it wouldn’t be stolen then started to creep after his brother.

Tommy thought he didn’t know a lot about Techno but he did, he had picked up on some of his subtle mannerisms, how he would take different paths everyday to make it harder to follow him, how he watched his shadow and listened for other footsteps. He subconsciously was learning how to follow it.

He would creep behind by a few yards, always making sure he had something to duck behind in case Techno whipped around in a panic. Tommy knew that Techno was off his game, there were multiple times Techno shoved absolutely heard Tommy trip over his own feet but it was like he was preoccupied.

Tommy followed him through the third and fourth rings, trying to avoid the random dogs scuraging around in allies and rubble scattered across the ground.

He bit his tongue to stop himself from yelling ‘Hypocrite!’ as Techno climbed through a gap in the fence and started off into the forest, the vines around the fence swooshing in his absence.

Tommy’s hand clenched into fists, he had been told since he was little that leaving through the fence was a horrible thing done by horrible people without any regard for the safety their town tried so hard to provide. But Wilbur had claimed to do it before and now Techno had and they weren’t bad people, if he went through would he be a bad person?

Techno had said that the duels were illegal but were they out in the forest? Were multiple people breaking the law?

His nails hurt his palm as he tried to decide on what to do, Techno was getting farther by the minute but if he wasn’t able to catch up with him then he would be lost with the monsters.

He shoved his fear back in the box in the corner of his mind and raced through the gap and vines and into the unknown.

He had to know, if Techno wasn’t going to the duels then where was he going?

He spotted Techno’s threadbare white shirt through the dark foliage and rushed towards it only to find quietly navigating a forest was much harder than the familiar city streets.

Leaves and twigs crunched under toe, one rustling bush sent shockwaves throughout the whole forest, there wasn’t the familiar bustle of the town to help drown out any accidental loud noises. Randomly, Techno took a sharp turn and started towards the mountains. Stepping over roots and pushing away vines, Tommy followed. This was becoming much more than he thought it would.

Techno stopped close to the base of the mountain, looking around once more before jumping into a small cavern Tommy didn’t even notice was there. He inched closer, trying to peer in only to see Techno disappear through an inky purple veil.

In a panic he jumped into the hole and into the ink after his brother only to find himself in a world of heat.

He stumbled away from the veil, half falling, his knees and palms scraped against hot, sharp, scarlet terrain. Tommy jumped up, trying to orient himself, the whole world was warm, the sky was a dark foggy red with bright bubbling lava sploshing at the edge of a pool. The distance screams and grunts of monsters filled his ears.

He blinked against the dust, eyes watering and chest burning, as he desperately scanned the wasteland for his brother.

Tommy was barely able to spot him against the unrelenting red but once he did he raced towards him, wanting to feel comfort of being with him, he knew Techno would protect him. He didn’t know what was outside the passage or in here but Techno was here so he’d be safe with him.

Tommy couldn’t seem to catch up with him though, between dodging away from monsters and making sure he didn’t fall into lava holes he was pretty distracted.

Then he saw a massive dark structure over a lake of lava, balls of fire dancing across the sky, monsters walking along the paths, and Techno was heading right towards it.

He was half tempted to call it quits and just say Techno had absolutely lost it but they were already here so he followed anyway as they shuffled along a sharp edge before jumping onto the dark bricked structure and climbing down a staircase.

Techno continued until he was out in the open, closer to the balls of fire, he pulled out his sword and slashed at one. Tommy watched in awe, stayed back in the hallway, he had never seen Techno fight before. The teen twisted and turned, slashed and blocked, like it was an art.

His movements were calculated and strong, he managed to grab the drops of whatever he was fighting and still keep the other monsters at bay.

Tommy was so caught up in watching him he almost didn’t hear a familiar crackle of bones behind him.

Suddenly he launched himself sideways, narrowly missing the sword of a wither skeleton shambling up behind him. Tommy screamed, rushing out into the open, away from the hallway, towards Techno.

“Techno!”

Techno whipped around, face dropping when he saw Tommy.

“Tommy- what-what the hell are you doing- how are you- why are you-”

Tommy grabbed onto his sleeve, cutting him off, “Techno there is a wither skeleton!”

His eyes narrowed, pushing Tommy behind him, Techno ran towards the monster, their swords clashing, he disarmed it, sword clattering against the brick. Then sent a hard kick to it’s chest and knocked it over the edge.

Tommy relaxed only for Techno to throw his sword right past his head. He shrieked again as Techno ran in front of him, yanking his sword from the body of one of the fire monsters to ward off the others.

“We need to get out of here. Right now.” Techno said sharply. “This is no place for a child!”

“Oh shut up! You’re just a teenager-”

“Tommy!”

“Right! Right!”

Tommy nodded, ducking behind Techno as he stabbed another monster then grabbed Tommy’s wrist, dragging him back towards the stairs.

They rushed up, taking two steps at a time, Tommy trying to stay close when they reached the top Techno swore loudly. There were three more wither skeletons blocking their path.

Tommy felt like his heart was going to pound out of his throat.

“Stand back Tommy, it’ll be alright.” Techno put a hand on his chest. Tommy swallowed nervously.

“How? There are three fucks right there!”

Techno licked his lips, looking back at him with barely concealed fear. “Cause I neva die.”

And despite the situation Tommy found himself smiling.

It didn’t last as Techno stepped forwards, taking two of the mobs at once. Tommy stood there frozen, trying to figure a way to help when one started for him, he tried to back away when a fireball shot past his head.

He yelped, trying to dodge away from the fire and the withers prying claws. He heard Techno yell his name but everything was starting to blur together in a red hazy mess.

He lashed out, knocking the monster across the face, he cheered, ignoring the pain in his knuckles. The monster sloppily lunged at him again.

Tommy jumped back only for his foot to slip as he realized he was at the edge of the structure. He grabbed at the skeleton in a blind panic, desperate for anything to grab onto.

The skeleton was pushed away as Techno shoved it hard, shooting forwards he yanked Tommy against his chest.

Tommy felt an arm wrapping around his ribs, holding him tightly against his brother's chest as the ground slipped beneath their feet and they plummeted towards the lava.

[batarella]

The Commander - Part 6 (Arkham Knight x Reader)

Let me know what you guys think! Still love you all for the response. 

WORDS: 2137 WARNINGS: FLUFFY STUFFY FLUFF

Masterlist

THE COMMANDER - MASTERLIST

-----

He knew it was late when he awoke. He never felt so well-rested in years. The Knight peered his eyes open. The second thing that greeted him was the smell of greasy burgers being unwrapped from thin plastic.

“Mornin’,” Commander Y/N said. She took out a burger from a paper bag and set it on the table. “I got us burgers.”

“Mmm.” The Knight closed his eyes again. “What time is it?”

“Two in the afternoon. I woke up an hour ago.” The Commander sat on the desk and took a bite. “Didn’t you go out again last night?”

The Knight groaned into his pillow and propped himself up, leaning against the bed. “Hand me one.”

The Commander grabbed a burger and threw it at Jason. He caught it, then took a large bite out from the bun. He was starving. “Looks like you needed the rest more than I did,” the Commander said. “You snore like a pig.”

The Knight glared at her.

Y/N grabbed another burger. “I don’t think I’ll ever sleep like that in my life.”

“Tell me about it,” the Knight finished his burger, extending his arm for another one. “But we leave for the cave tonight, then take the jet back to Venezuela.”

“Fries?”

“Sure.” The Commander handed him the box. He slurped his fingers. “Did you hear anything from Slade?”

“Nope. Nothing from Crane either.”

His voice was still groggy and tired. He sounded like sex. “What do we do until then?” The Commander asked.

“We stay here. Or you can go out if you like.”

“Are you going out?”

“No.” The Knight laid on elbow above his propped-up knee. He looked up at her. His hair was an absolute mess. “I can't believe you abandoned this place for so long. Where’d you go?”

The Knight finished his second burger, then dug into the fries. “I’m not telling you anything about me.”

“I’ve seen you naked.”

He stopped chewing, slowly turning his head to her.

But then the Knight stared at his fries, looking like he was thinking of something to say. He scooched over to the right and placed his hand on the floor beside him.

“Sit here. That desk is as old as I am. It’ll break under your weight.”

The Commander jumped off the desk, then nonchalantly sat right at his side. She ate her burger silently.

He looked normal. He didn’t look like some maniacal supervillain. Like any young boy she’d meet if she were normal as well. And his hair, he still hadn’t bothered to fix. She just wanted to run her fingers down them like she used to.

He took a bite. “So you’ve slept with me the most, huh?”

“Fuck you.”

The Knight smirked. That was such a first. It was like Gotham brought out the humanity in this guy.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile before.”

He looked at her. And he wasn’t frowning. There was still a slight curve in his lip as he looked at her up and down. “Likewise, kid.”

Y/N returned his expression, then looked down. “Thank you for the day off.”

The Knight didn’t say anything back. He’d finished his fries, then he set the box down on the space between them. He propped both his elbows up his knees and laid his head against the side of the bed.

“I lied to you.”

She threw the plastic from her finished burger. “Hm?”

“I don’t regret what we did.” His voice was that same low he’d speak in when he was hesitating to speak. Y/N didn’t know what to tell him. She looked in front of her, biting her lips. The air seemed colder all of a sudden.

Could she lean in? Kiss him? Do it just one more time? Will that make the time between now and a few days?

It won't. This side of him was different, something she wanted to just look at and last. It didn’t have to be something so sexual for her to air out her stresses. Sitting on the floor, eating fries and greasy burgers with him. It was enough.

“Me neither.”

Xxxxxxxxx

She ended up going with him to get smoothies.

They didn’t bother with the bikes. They just walked. And the Knight didn’t bother with his armor under his clothes either. He paid for the drinks and walked slowly back to the apartment.

“This is positively horrible.”

“The good ones are a drive away. I never said my neighborhood was any good.”

“I should have known,” she looked at the green slime in her cup. “You got it from a man that used a cardboard box to store his ice.”

“And I stole from him everyday as a kid.”

There. Finally. Another from his past. She had to bite her lip not to make it so obvious.

The Knight still kept his cap and hoodie on. He was so afraid anyone would see the mark on his face. Frankly, Y/N never gave it a second look. She looked away from him before he’d notice.

“How much time do we still have?”

“It’s almost four.”

She continued sipping into her cup, trying not to gag. “It’s refreshing not having five hundred men to worry about for a day.”

“Slade’s hired new recruits. More experienced. Said they didn’t need much training to begin with.”

“Can we talk about something else other than the militia?”

The Knight frowned. “We’re not here on vacation.”

“I’ve grown used to this,” she finished the drink until a large block of ice half the cup’s size was left. She threw it out. “I don’t think I’ve ever taken a brake.”

He looked at her, then threw out his own drink. “Commander.”

He stopped walking and looked up at her standing on the curb, and him right at the edge of the road. Y/N craned her head down, taking a step forward.

“How much money did I promise you?”

She shrugged. “Ten thousand.”

The Knight took another step. “No one will survive in Gotham after this. Not after what Crane has planned.”

Y/N nodded. “I understand.”

“A number of my men will be captured and interrogated. The Militia Commander will be the first one to take down on their list. I’ll give you fifteen when we get back. And when all this is done, you go to Bludhaven. Take your uncle with you if you have to and change your name. Promise me you won't look back.”

There were car sirens from afar. But all she could stare at was his face.

“I will,” she said. “I promise.”

Xxxxxxxxx

They were going to the Batcave.

It was dark, though the streets were far from empty. They sped off into the outer city, crossing the bridge into the suburbs. They’d reached miles of empty land. Hillsides and forests. The Commander just trailed behind him.

They drove up a hill, the road empty and silent, until they stopped where there stood a cave, dark and barren on the inside.

“Come,” he grappled to the bushes at the side of the cave’s opening. “We have to wait ‘till he comes out.”

There were no stars, just as Y/N remembered her home city would be. She thought of how she felt the first time she saw a field of stars above her in Venezuela, how she spent an entire night just staring at them.

But what she hasn’t seen was the view.

“It’s breathtaking, though,” she said. “The city you hate so much.”

“I don’t hate Gotham as it is,” his robotic voice echoed into the silent field, “I hate how it’s fallen submissive under him.”

“He’s never killed, hasn’t he? That’s why he’s a hero.”

“He’s delusional,” he said, “He should be out by now.“

Then there it was. The Batmobile. Almost exploding out of the cave’s opening, tires screeching as it landed on the concrete road and sped off. They waited until it was out of their line of sight, then they grappled out of the bushes at the higher grounds to land right into the cave’s entrance.

It didn’t shock her how much it was actually loaded with security.

“Don’t worry. Its security systems have only been upgraded twice since I’ve last been here.” He pulled out his hacking device, “Shouldn’t take me more than ten seconds.”

She stared in awe, both at the Knight and the cave, before the sensors suddenly disengaged.

“Eleven seconds. Not bad,” she said.

They walked in, “We only have a few minutes.”

Then there it fucking was. The Batcave. She knew it was something, but she had no idea what to expect. The Batwing was there. She had seen it fly over her house once or twice. There was another Batmobile parked beside it, looking like a few marks down from his current car. It was larger than two stories, and it looked absolutely magnificent.

Batman’s computer was at arm’s reach.

They dropped down onto the floor, making it more and more unrealistic the more she stepped further inside. The man had more suits than he’s ever even worn.  The Knight, however, didn’t waste time admiring the Batcave. He walked straight to the computers.

Until something caught his eye.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he murmured under his breath.

Y/N turned to see what he meant, but it turns out he was only staring at a displayed suit inside a glass case. “I think that used to be his sidekick’s. Robin.”

He didn’t answer, and instead continued to look at it. He didn’t move, or even take a second to look away the moment it caught his attention.

He pressed the button to raise his visor. He still didn’t say anything. His eyes were dark and hooded, and he took a step closer to the glass case.

She could feel something was off. Something she didn’t think to look for. Whenever the Knight grew angry, she never actually got to see his face. He had his visor for that. And now, he was there, looking at the suit like it struck something within him. The Commander looked down at his feet. Standing against the glass was a picture of Batman and Robin, smiling. The Knight was looking at the picture as well.

The Commander walked closer to him, standing behind his back. The Knight didn’t seem to notice her. She wanted a closer look at the picture.

And when she did, she regretted it.

Fuck.

No.

No. no. no. no.

Commander Y/N stepped back, and just as the Knight pulled his arm way back.

“Don’t!”

He stopped. The glass would’ve broken, and it would’ve triggered something in the cave. Fuck.

She had no idea what to tell him. Commander Y/N looked just as distraught, though hers was in fear and he was in his lowest, depressive state. She stepped back.

“I-“

“Wait outside.”

“But-“

“Commander.” The slight crack in his voice pushed her another step back. He didn’t scream. But she obviously didn’t want him to. “Wait outside.”

He’ll be fine. He has to be. But Crane was right. There was something that triggered him in the cave.

The Commander grappled up where they came in, not even turning back. Then it dawned to her.

Fuck. Fucking hell. That was him. In the picture.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

And she knew it. She just knew it. Then suddenly she felt horrible, somehow because she knew because she found out, not because he was ready to tell her. The Knight never would’ve told her. Never to the Militia.

And he knew. Just from the look of her face when she’d realized it. He’d probably kill her. Or leave her in Gotham. She knew too much. Fuck. This was the end of her.

The Commander leaned against her bike. How was she going to face him now?

Should she fess up? Tell him exactly how much she knew?

No. That’s how he’ll decide to kill her. The Knight was a ruthless, cruel man. She’d somehow forgotten that overtime. This was the man who assembled an army, dragged out anyone in his way, killed like no one could see him, and was planning to take control of an entire city. Whoever the man she thought he was until this point on, he didn’t exist.

The Knight walked so quietly out of the cave,

She kept her silence. Speaking would only do her so good. Commander Y/N kept her head down and picked up her helmet. She couldn’t even look at him.

The Knight kept his visor off. His face hadn’t changed. “It’s done.”

Y/N knew he was mad, but he was trying to hide it.

Say something.

“I’ll let Deathstroke know.”

And at the sound of her voice, so carefully picked out. He almost flinched. The Knight exhaled, smoke coming out of his mouth. His movements were so slow she could count the seconds. Then his head turned to her.

Her helmet dropped to the floor when he grabbed her face and kissed her.

-----

THE COMMANDER - MASTERLIST

-----

 Taglist: @sarcasmismyfirstlove @damned-queen-of-gotham @idkmanicantenglish @wunderstell @birdy-bat-riya @get-loki @everyday-imfangirling @comic-nerd-dc @multifandoms916 @icequeen208 @offendedfishnoises @egdolan @xemiefx @arkhamtoddler @elsenthal @mythicbitchx @supremehaunter @ burning-alive

[binniedeactivated]

saint. || soobin🌪(3)

🖤┊𝔰𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔱 . ೄྀ࿐ 𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: 𝖘𝖔𝖔𝖇𝖎𝖓 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: 𝖘𝖒𝖚𝖙/𝖆𝖚  𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙; 1893.

the both of you halt and open your eyes swiftly. Soobin’s eyes widen at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He lifts you off of him and carries you to his closet, telling you to shh before locking you in there. As soon as the closet door shuts his room door opens, and it happened to be his mother. she looks around his room for any proof that he was studying. 

“soobin-ah did you hear me? What have you studied?”. 

soobin awkwardly clutches the handle of the closet door trying to stand as normal as possible. 

“well hello to you too mom. yes I had a good day today. yes i ate today”. 

she narrows her eyes at him. 

“don’t disrespect me choi soobin”. 

“I’m not. But you haven’t asked me those things for as long as I can remember. What does it matter if I studied? Don’t you care if I’m okay?”.

“You know I care about you soobin I’m your mother after all”. 

“so why do you treat me like i’m one of your church goers?”. 

“soobin ah! You will not talk to your mother like that do you understand me?”. 

His father’s booming voice was overly audible down the hall. you bit your lips nervously trying to keep still before you knocked anything over. 

“We’re not doing this again soobin. We had this talk already. you need to be prepared for the sin outside of this house and since I’m your mother I’m going to make sure you’re well armored”.

soobin scoffs rolling his eyes. 

“All you care about is sin”. he mumbles not expecting his mother to hear it but she did, and she heard it clearly. 

“Excuse me what was that?”. 

“Mom when’s the last time you actually really checked on me instead of checking on this biblical catholic shit?”. 

she gasped. and so did you, quietly of course. there he was. that was the Choi soobin you knew. 

“This is my house soobin do you hear me?! mine! and as long as you’re living under this roof you will not use any type of profanity are you hearing me clear?”.

“maybe I wouldn’t have to use profanity if you would treat me like your fucking child for once! For once!”.  he repeats becoming angry. 

“soobin get in here right now”. your father called overhearing the both of them. He brushes past his mother down the hall to his parents bedroom. His father was currently undressing, taking his suit jacket off and hanging it up in his closet. He keeps a stern look on his face. It was cold. harsh. mean. And that’s how it stayed for as long as soobin could remember. It was the look he always gave him when he misbehaved in school or failed tests. 

“you know what I’m about to say to you soobin”. his father addresses. Soobin raises his eyebrows in distress. “But dad! It’s true and you know it”. his father glares at him. “Why are you still going and why are you raising your voice and cursing at any adult in this house? That’s 20 licks”. 

“dad!”. 

“25 shall we raise it any higher?”. 

soobin sighs in defeat. he hated this. He removes his shirt tossing it on a chair next to his father’s bed. He gave his father a deathly glare before he places his two hands on the bed. His father reaches in his drawer and grabs the flogger. He looked at soobin’s bare back one more time before slamming the flogger down on it, to which soobin winces at how hard he did so. “Count!”. he demanded before taking the flogger and whipping it across soobin’s back again, watching his skin welt red. 

“2″. soobin says breathlessly, trying to keep himself together so he could withstand the pain. He should’ve been used to it by now but he wasn’t. It had the same burning and stinging sensation it did every single time. Merciless, his father whips him again and again while his mother watches from the doorway. Soobin could feel his arms shaking as he struggled to hold himself up. He felt the skin on his back grow redder and redder with each hit, and whenever his father whipped the same place (which he often did) it left aching bruises for weeks. 

“15″. soobin uttered feeling his eyes well with tears. You overhear everything, you didn’t know when would be the proper time for you to go or how. You knew his mother had left the room though, and this was the chance to make your grand escape. You open the closet door slowly and shut it softly enough for no one to hear. Not that they’d be able to hear anyways over the sound of soobin’s cries. 

soobin’s cries. you would love to say the jackass deserved it. that you hope he felt every lick with deep pain and sorrow. but you wouldn’t wish abuse on your worst enemy. Not even Choi soobin. It broke your heart the way he was crying, his dark voice getting choked up as he counted. you eye the rest of your surroundings making sure the coast was clear before you stroll down the stairs and exit out the front door as silent as you possibly could. 

“now that this is out of the way, i want you to apologize to your mother and I don’t want to see you come out that room until you’ve finished studying. Do you hear me?”. 

with his face red from his crying soobin nods, painfully trying to stretch his arms to put his shirt back on. He grimaces at the feeling of the wool touching his wounds. 

“i’m sorry”. soobin stated while looking in her eyes with the sincerest look he could give. She nods her head and accepts it, dismissing him. He goes to his room and shut his door. He forgot you were in the closet and dashed to open the door. Only you were gone. He was relieved that you got out on your own. He also couldn’t help but to wonder what you heard. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

It was a rainy day at the Academy of St. Joseph and the fourth years had mass in the morning. The bell on top of the temple rung obnoxiously. You had been in your biology class finishing up work. you hurried to scrawl your name across the top of the page before pushing it into the completed work bin. All of your classmates gathered at the door while sister Agatha stands in front of them all urging them to be quiet. As if they’d listen. These children barely prayed when they’re told and you expect them to be quiet? You collect your books and swing your bag over your shoulder. 

“I have a date with Choi soobin friday night”. you overhear your classmate Mia say. She was chewing her gum way too wildly and curling her blonde dead ends with her finer. Mia was pretty. She had these big glassy blue eyes and long eyelashes that were to die for. She was also considerably well dressed, making her a target of many guys. You didn’t hate her. She was just one of those arrogant girls that you paid no mind to. Her friends scoff in complete disbelief.

“No you do not!”. they laugh. “I do! he’s going to take me to a fancy restaurant in his metallic mercedes benz. We’re going to look like barbie and ken in human form i can’t wait I’ll take pictures to show you guys”. you had to admit even if she was lying she was selling it pretty well. But you had this small conflicted feeling each time she said it and you didn’t know why. 

you enter the church and sister agatha is guiding your class to fill up the pews. you would be the less fortunate one to not be able to sit with your class but to have to squeeze into a pew with a different one. You hated that. At least you could tolerate your biology class. You didn’t want to have to tolerate some other. She directs you to a different pew. You weren’t surprised at all that you were seated next to soobin. you knew you’d run into him sooner or later. you were all directed to pray. everyone slides off their seats and gets on their knees, pushing their hands together to really sell the idea. you know most would be secretly sleep anyway.

you push your hands together. you always prayed for real even when no one else did. Soobin prepares to pray too. Only he spent most of his time watching you pray rather than doing any praying himself. Feeling his eyes burning holes through your face you flutter them open to meet his gaze. His face was closer to yours than you thought.

“can you stop staring at me like a weirdo?”. you whisper, looking around making sure none of the sisters heard. he swiftly looks at your lips and then fixes his eyes on you again. 

“did you hear anything yesterday?”. he whispers back. 

you swallow, giving him a sorrowful look. 

“Is your back okay?”. 

“yes jesus healed me overnight”.

“I’m sorry soobin”. you whisper. you really were sorry though. 

“Don’t be. My parents are assholes”. 

“makes sense”. you nod, trying to make it look like you were praying at least before you got in trouble. 

“do you want to come over again? my parents are going to be gone for a conference until the end of the weekend”. 

“are they ever home soobin?”. you ask curiously. he shakes his head. 

“no they aren’t”. you felt sorry for him. honestly you did. i mean, your parents weren’t the best people either but at they least stayed around.

“I guess. What time?”. 

“we can go after school”. 

“alright. I’ll tell my mom I’m going to study group again”. soobin chuckles silently. It was refreshing to see a smile on his face after what he endured. 

“what’s so funny?”. 

“you’re cute. telling your mommy where you’re going”. 

“is that bad?”. you asked curiously. He shook his head and just smiles, laying his head back onto his folded hands. 

Before you went over soobin’s house it was normal to see his mischief in your everyday life. but while you went from classroom to classroom it was weird seeing him with his friends skipping class or teasing some kid. It was hard to believe this was the same soobin that asked you if you were hungry and was willing to feed you if you were. He’d just got finished putting laxatives in the coffee grounds in the teacher’s lounge before he approached you. You were taking your books out of your locker. 

“are you ready?”. he questions holding his backpack strap. you jump, startled at his voice and he laughs. “Do you ever announce yourself?”.

“hey soobin!”. mia calls from across the hallway. he turns around waiting for her to say something. 

“what? are you going to continue talking to some unknown weirdo or are you going to hug me goodbye?”. she says loud enough for everyone to hear. Loud enough for everyone to laugh. 

“seriously soobin who is that and where did you find her?”. His friend Jacob called out joining in the party. His group of friends laughed from across the hall. soobin glances down at you. you were embarassed to say the least. All eyes were on you now. And couldn’t help but to think about how stupid you looked next to him. seriously who did you think you were? 

you’d never fit in with Choi soobin. 

“I--”. 

“just go soobin”. you wave him off. 

“what?”.

“hello! are you going to keep me waiting? I’m pretty sure church girl has nothing relevant to say”. Mia calls again. 

“just go to her. I’ll be fine”. you mumbled shoving your books in your bag. Soobin sighs, he jogs his way over to Mia. You glare at them both. Maybe they were Barbie and Ken together. maybe you actually did look like a fool next to him. 

you swing your bag over your shoulder and started your walk home. 

“I’ll see you this weekend”. Mia flirts, kissing him on his cheek. It was an unexpected kiss that made soobin uncomfortable. It made her friends squeal though. He gives her a head nod and rolls his eyes once he turns around. he looked across the hall to see you gone. 

you were halfway down the hill once you saw a car driving slowly beside you. At first you thought it was a predator until the driver’s window rolled down and you saw soobin’s face. you should’ve known that it was soobin driving such an expensive car. 

“what are you doing?”. he yells so you could hear him. “I’m walking home. What does it look like?”. you retort. 

“I thought you were going to come to my house? I was going to drive the both of us”.

“no i’ll just go home soobin. besides, mia is probably tracking your every move as we speak”. 

“so?”. 

“so I’d rather not get humiliated by the whole school because of some guy that I kissed”.

soobin smiles as your cuteness. he knew it was a serious moment but he couldn’t help it. 

“we did more than kiss”. 

“shut up soobin”. 

“come on why are you being such a downer now?”. 

“why do you care now?”. 

soobin shakes his head smiling, muttering a ‘pfft’. 

“can you just get in the car? i’ll drive you home”.

“no thank you. I’ll walk. my house is only around the corner. I need the exercise anyway”.

“Walking around the corner isn’t much exercise. No serious calories are being burned”. 

“oh yeah? since when did you get so smart?”. 

soobin drives his car in the middle of the sidewalk right in front of you to stop you from walking the rest of the way. He gets out of the front seat and approaches you. you didn’t want to hear anything he had say, if we’re being honest. 

“listen i’m sorry about mia today. she’s a real bitch and that’s pretty much the type of girls I attract I can’t help it. she shouldn’t have said that stuff to you. it isn’t true anyways”.

you fold your arms. Choi soobin? apologizing to anyone? Was the world ending?

“oh yeah? and what about your friends?”.

“they’re all jackasses and you know that. Why do you care about what they say anyways and why are you mad at me for it? it isn’t like I said it”. 

“whatever soobin”.

“so? are you going to get in the car now? because I’m hungry and I want Mcdonalds”. he pouts. you wrinkle your nose to keep from laughing. he was a big baby. 

“fine”. you agree, walking to the other side of the car. He slides in the driver’s seat as do you in the passenger’s, and the both of you buckle up. The inside of his car was very well kept and expensive looking of course. His parents probably hire people to clean his car for him. 

lucky jerk. 

“what’s a millionaire like you doing eating Mcdonalds anyway?”. 

“I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich yesterday. Mcdonalds is like a five star meal compared to that”. you laugh. 

“what? you think I just sit around eating filet mignon?”. he questions again eyeing you before looking back at the road. 

“yes pretty much”. 

“no. I’d rather waste my money on food I enjoy. Rich people food is gross and it comes in small portions”.

“at least you’ve had that experience”.

“do you want to experience it?”. 

“what?”. 

“I can buy you some if you want to dip your feet into that lifestyle. negative 1/5 would not recommend though”. 

“you don’t have to do that soobin”.

“you sure?”.

“yes i’m sure”.

“I’m glad. you wouldn’t want that food anyways”. soobin expresses before he pulls into the mcdonalds drive thru and practically orders the whole menu. To your surprise the workers knew him very well and brought his food out quickly. He parked his car in a random parking spot. 

“wait you’re going to EAT in here?”. you ask looking around at the clean interior. Soobin pulls the lever to his seat to recline it a bit. he had no space with all those bags in his hand. 

“yeah why not?”. 

“you’re not worried about getting it dirty?”.

“no because I don’t clean it myself”. 

you knew it.

he digs into the bag and hands you a huge wrapped burger and fries. He lifted the tray beneath him and puts a milkshake inside of your cup holder. 

“soobin seriously i’m not hungry”. he looked at you while chewing on a fry. 

“just try it. it’s good i promise. I think that’s a peanut butter banana smoothie you have”. 

“wait really?”. you mumble picking it up. you sip it. it was sweet yet delicious. the flavors were blended so perfectly together, you haven’t tasted anything like it. You never had time to go out to eat often.

“Is it good? I’m getting jealous”. soobin chuckles before biting into his burger and making the biggest mess ever. 

“it’s amazing”. 

“really? let me try it”. soobin opens his mouth waiting for you to put the straw to his lips. you turned it away from him. 

“don’t you have another straw? I don’t know where your lips been”. 

“on you”. he mumbles before biting into his burger again. you smack his chest and he laughs. 

“what! it’s true”. 

“whatever soobin. you’re making a mess again”.  you fish through the bags to find some napkins. You swipe his lips and pick the contents off his shirt. it didn’t make sense how messy he was. he practically had pickles and onions all over his lap.  you used another napkin to pick them up, trying to make sure he was as clean as possible. 

He watches you while he chews, waiting for your eyes to meet his. and to your dismay they did. And there was that stare again. It was even more awkward this time around for you at least, considering the fact that you were bent over in his lap. Soobin never thought it was awkward though. He admired you. 

“You know, I’d kiss you if I didn’t have an onion slice halfway down my throat”.

you reach up and pluck his nose. 

“you’re a dork, soobin”. he scrunches his nose and smiles like the baby he was.

[r6sblitz]

Happy Valentines day! I don’t have an AO3 but I am debating on making one. Nevertheless, I haven’t written anything fictional since middle school so if it’s bad...at least I have an excuse.

It’s Valentines week, and Montagne needs a date to get entry to the fabled Valentines party. I wonder who it’ll be? (This fic is mild, just some kissing, a little less than 5k words, Montagne/Blitz)

Montagne turned the paper over, inspecting both sides. Valentines was coming up once again, and as per tradition Rainbow threw a huge Valentine's party at whatever hotel ballroom would let them. He's heard the stories of past years--like the one year someone made a "punch" that was nothing more than a concoction of pepto bismol and fruit punch. Or how every year would end in someone finding a couple making out in numerous secluded areas. The Frenchman himself had never been to any of the outings, as the big bold print at the end of the rose colored flier always barred his entrance.

    ‘Must have a date!’ it read in it's silky letters, mocking him. 

It was no secret Gilles loved a good party, especially one where he could engage with his fellow peers. Sadly though, he's yet to find a date. He's thought about just taking a friend and lying, but his poor communication skills also factor into his inability to lie.

    With a sigh, he places the flier next to his plate, eating his lunch in peace. That was, until two familiar faces joined him at the table.

    "Hey Gilles!" Emmanuelle's warm voice brought a smile to his face as he watched her and Rook sit across from him.

    The two very much reminded him of his siblings when they were younger--bright and protective, but they could be mischievous at times. Montagne hasn't even had a chance to greet her back before the flier is snatched from across the table by Julien.

    "Planning on attending this year?" he asks with a smirk. Emmanuelle's smile brightens, "Oh it's so much fun Gilles! Please tell me your coming."

    Gilles gives a waning smile, "I haven't got a date."

    Julien let out an amused huff, "As if that's ever stopped Bandit from sneaking in and stealing the snacks."

    Twitch gives him a fake slap to the shoulder, "Don't be mean!" she turns to Monty, "What he means to say is don't feel bad for not having a 'date'," she says with air quotes, "you could just bring a friend. I'm sure everyone would be happy to see you there."

    Montagne rubs the back of his neck, "I'm not so sure. I feel it is...out of the spirit?" The two across the table share a confused look unbeknownst to Monty, Julien simply shrugging his shoulders in response. A few moments of silent eating pass before Julien speaks up.

    "Well...is there anyone you're close to? Maybe you could use this chance to get to know them a little bit better?" he asks before sticking another forkful of food into his mouth and winking.

    Montagne chews the inside of his cheek a moment, cogs in his head turning. He honestly hadn't had a romantic relationship in decades, deeming his job too important to have something take more of his focus away. But if it was a fellow operator...No. That was equally as bad. Job relationships were known to crash and burn when they went south, and with this job they needed exactly the opposite of that. However his mind wanders to the relationships of Rainbow--how despite so many disliking and downright hating each other, it hasn't caused catastrophic issues.

    "I think you might have broken him." he faintly hears Emmanuelle giggle, causing him to snap out of his thoughts.

    "Well, Valentine's isn't for another week, so there's plenty of time to think it over." Julien says, standing with his empty plate and bidding farewell.

    Emmanuelle searches her empty plate a moment, trying to find the right words for the older man. 

Eventually, she picks up her plate, "Try not to think too hard, I say just go with a friend. Who knows what might happen!" and with that he is left alone once again. He peers down at the pink flier and it's swirling text, pocketing it as he too exits from the cafeteria.

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

The note has burned a hole into both his pocket and his mind. Every time he casually puts his hands in his pockets, or reaches for his wallet or phone, he is reminded of it and it's connotations. The past few days he's been taking Julien's advice, thinking about who he would want to bring given the chance.

    When he's practicing his shooting, he thinks of Thatcher, has to admit the elder man is rather handsome. Though he highly doubts he's gay or bi or whatever sort of things people call themselves these days.

    A technology session with Dokkaebi has him wondering about her, but quickly stuffs the idea--she's much too young, he'd feel like a creep asking her.

    After training, a few cuts bring him to Gustave. He too admires him, both for his looks and for his dedication. The two made small talk as Doc inspected the cuts, seeing if they needed stitches or if a heart covered bandaid would do. Montagne laughs at the bandages, oddly cute for a man like him to have, to which Doc sighs and explains someone must have replaced the regular ones with these--the name of the culprit not explicitly said but known anyways.

    "Are you attending the Valentines party?" Montagne asks as he pulls the sleeves of his coat back over his now Valentine themed arms.

    "I do actually," Doc replies offhandedly, busily putting away the peroxide and bandages, "do you?"

    Montagne shakes his head, pushing himself off the gurney.

    Doc hums in response, “Well if you can’t find one, don’t feel bad for bringing someone more platonic.”

“Emmanuelle told you didn’t she” Montagne sighs, rubbing his face. The younger GIGN members had good intentions but, sometimes they were a bit too much for the old man. 

Doc chuckles, “My lips are sealed. Take it easy friend.”

Montagne leaves, spending the rest of his free time pondering a potential partner and wondering who the hell Doc is bringing as a date. His pacing has led him to the upper floor balconies of the base, one of the many enhancements from their old station at Hereford. He sits on a relatively new cushioned bench, watching wistfully as the setting sun stains the sky a deep orange and the clouds purple. It seems he is destined to not have any time to himself as the glass door facing out onto the balcony opens with a quiet squeak. A familiar figure in a puffy white jacket steps out.

        Blitz.

    The younger man strides toward him, "Hey, mind some company?" he asks.

        Montagne shuffles a bit, making room for the german to sit down. He does, with a long winded sigh.

    "Hope I'm not interrupting anything." he chuckles. Montagne smiles back at him and shakes his head. The two enjoy the sunset in peace, though Montagne's mind is elsewhere once again.

    Why hadn't he thought of Elias earlier? The german was one of the first people he ever met when Rainbow was conceived. He remembered back to when he was first working with everyone, how he enjoyed Blitz but first thought him naive, or a thrill seeker like Smoke. However as time went on, he found it was the total opposite. Occasionally the german would regale an enthralled younger operator about his time in Kosovo, or in India, or wherever he was stationed in between. Oftentimes the story would horrify them, sometimes along with any older ops within earshot, but he'd lighten the mood by bringing in a happy ending, or following it up with a lighter story. The two also shared morals--the need to protect and make sure everyone was safe regardless of their own situation.

    The more Gilles looked at Blitz, the more he began to see. He was kind and pleasant to be around, and had even been helping Montagne improve his english skills. And yet it seemed he was spending less and less time with the german, whether due to more responsibilities or more operators to deal with or a combination of the two. The fact really saddened him, just as they were becoming good friends, they were beginning to drift away.  

    With his mind lost, he failed to notice Blitz had turned and was now staring at him.

    "Er...is there something on my face? Please don't tell me it's marker again, it took me weeks to get that doodle of my neck." he groans, beginning to pull out his phone to check. Montagne shakes himself of his thoughts.

    "Ah no, I was just wondering-are you attending the party this weekend?" he asks, unusually nervous.

        Blitz tilted his head, "No I'm not, though I have been curious as to how Dominic manages to sneak in every year." he says, putting his chin on his fist in thought.

Before Montagne could reply, the man interjects, "I have an idea, do you have a date?"

Montagne nods his head no.

    "Great! We could go together!" he says as if it's just a casual everyday line. Montagne gawks at him, unable to process what's happening until Elias explains further.

    "I've always wanted to know how Dom gets in, and I assume you want to go cause well," he vaguely gestures at the frenchman, "it's your type of thing. It's a win win! Unless, you didn't want to go?"

    Montagne blinks, waving his hands in front of him, "Oh yes, yes I do." He says, and is surprised he sounds slightly disappointed.

    Blitz hops up from his seat, "Great, this will work out perfectly. See you on Saturday?"

    "8:30 sharp" Gilles hears himself mumble with a smile. With a lazy salute, the younger man leaves Montagne alone with the rising moon and an odd feeling in his stomach.

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

 It had been a long time since Gilles had gone shopping for clothes. Typically he’d wear whatever was supplied, and rarely dress up in an old tuxedo that forever sat in his closet. But with a little egging from a certain two GIGN members, they convinced him to go out and buy some nice clothes for once. So now Gilles was inspecting a large map of the mall along with Julien and Oliver, the latter coming along in place of Twitch who claimed she wanted the three of them to have some “guy time”. After a few moments of inspection, Oliver points to the shop.

    “Looks like it’s downstairs, toward the east entrance.”

    Julien groans, “Should’ve parked at the other lot.”

    The three set out, passing by various clothing boutiques, kiosks of toys and gadgets, and sickly sweet dessert stands. Their leisurely walk leads them to a large outlet at the other end of the mall. As soon as they enter, they’re immediately bombarded by the staff, who manage to wring out of them that Montagne was buying an outfit for his “date”. He’s corralled into a changing room and given several different dress shirts, jackets, and chinos before Julien and Olivier manage to drive them off. 

    He takes his time, putting on the matching sets before coming out and asking the two’s opinions. Gilles almost instantly regrets bringing the two along--both of them manage to find something or other to downvote an outfit. His latest attempt is simple, a peach colored dress shirt with tan brown dress pants. His hands are folded on his chest, exhaustedly listening to his two countrymen.

    “Hmm I don’t know Gilles, I think the shirt is too close to your skin tone.” Julien tuts.

        “Why did they think that was a good color to make pants out of, it looks like they're made of—” Gilles stomps back into the dressing room before he can hear the rest of Olivier’s sentence.

 It wasn’t an easy feat to make Montagne frustrated, but after nearly an hour, he found himself at the end of his rope. The hangers clatter as he inspects what he’s worn and what’s been tossed to the wayside. A pair of black pants and black shirt are the last two items.

 He disrobes before shouldering the shirt on, mumbling to himself that if they didn’t like this one, he was just going to wear his old tuxedo. After putting on the outfit, he takes a moment to inspect it in the thin mirror at the back of the changing room. At first he thought the shirt was just a plain black, however the sleeves bare an intricate lacework of swirling gold vines and roses. The pants have a similar, smaller pattern along the seams going down the outside of the legs. 

It’s probably one of the more risque things he’s worn, though nothing will top his April fools butterfly armor, but he takes a deep breath and walks out. To his surprise, the two of them are stunned into silence.

“That looks...amazing!” Julien beams. Olivier nods his head in approval. A nearby store attendant comes by and gushes about the outfit, doing their best to flatter Gilles who takes the compliments with a fake smile.

Montagne lets out a relieved sigh, quickly zipping into the changing room and paying for the clothes before he’s hounded anymore. The three of them merrily made their way back to the other side of the mall, finally getting to the car and heading back to base.

—————————————————————————————

The day of Valentines was like any other day. Training, training, and more training. Though the regiments didn’t seem as intense, the day ending earlier than usual and Montagne found his muscles weren’t as sore as they normally would be. He showers at his dorm, taking his time. Personal bathrooms were among many of the luxuries afforded to them at his base, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t appreciate some privacy every once in a while. After he’s done, he dresses in his new attire, and stands in the mirror. He fiddles with his shirt collar, adjusting it this way and that. He’s oddly anxious, a feeling that’s rare for the older man. He couldn’t help but chuckle at himself, years of firefights and hostage situations and he’s scared over a date. Not even--it’s just a friendly outing to get in. Despite his initial excitement for the party, it’s turned into mild disappointment. With a deep sigh, he hopes to at least spend a little time with the german.

Gilles stuffs his wallet and phone into his pocket, and opens the door, and heads toward the parking lot.

    Upon arrival at the hotel, he’s surprised to see just how many operators were milling outside the ballroom, waiting to get in. He’s toward the back of the line and is still nearly half an hour early, but he isn’t alone for long. 

    “You’re early! And it looks like everyone else is to.” Elias says as he makes his way next to him in line, “You look amazing by the way!” he beams. Despite the low light Gilles swears the younger man is blushing.

    “Thank you. You look nice as well.” he says, scanning his partner’s outfit. He’s cleaned up nicely, though his hair is a bit tousled, likely the work of Lera. His skin tone contrasts perfectly with his wine red dress shirt and black pants. The two wait in line patiently, which can’t be said for some of the others. A tug at Montagne’s sleeve gets his attention. He looks down to see Blitz discreetly pointing at someone further up the line, follows his direction and spots the person in question.

    “Dominic?” Montagne whispers.

    “He’s alone, you think Ash is going to let him in?”

    Montagne shrugs, “We’ll have to wait and see.”

The booming voice of Clash from the front silenced all the chatter. She announces the beginning of festivities and the door opens, allowing the guests to file in one couple at a time. Slowly but surely the two make their way to the front, watching in awe as Ash and Clash let Dominic go in sans date. 

    They were about to enter the crowded ballroom when Blitz stopped him.

    “I have to ask,” he says, addressing Morowa, “why’d you let Dom in?”

    Clash snorts, “About time someone asked me about that. I owed him a huge favor--he fixed my shield during a firefight and probably saved my life. When I asked him what I could do to return the favor, he said he just wanted to get in here every year.”

    Elias quirks an eyebrow, “Seriously?”

    “Seriously, now off you go, have some fun.” she ushers the two in, who slow down to take in the sights and sounds. Outside of rumors, Montagne didn’t actually know what the Valentine’s party actually looked like. The ballroom was extremely long, ending with an empty stage except for a small table and something under a cloth. Scattered around the room were large round tables fit with white lace table skirts. The dim lights, in addition with the added pink and red lights casting small bubbles of light, shower everything in a soft glow. To the left of the entrance, a row of long tables, nearly stretching to the end of the ballroom, house seemingly every dessert and cocktail in existence. Montagne is sure if he ate one of everything from there, he wouldn’t survive the night.

    His hand is still in Elias’s as the younger man guides him away from the entrance toward the center of the room. Montagne takes a moment to appreciate just how warm he is, his hand heating Gilles’s forever cold ones. Through the sea of people he manages to spot Emmanuelle and Gustave. He must have slowed down a bit to see them clearly, as Elias turns around, before he too manages to spot the pair.

    “Why don’t you go over and chat, want anything to drink?” he asks.

    “Just a bit of champagne, thank you.”

    “You got it.” Elias replies, and soon he is lost amidst the waves of couples. The mountain of a man manages to squeeze his way over to Emmanuelle, who’s arm in arm with Caveira, chatting with Gustave. The two women are in wildly different dresses--Emmanuelle in a short strapless navy blue dress that fringes as it goes down, while Taina confidently sports a bit longer obsidian color dress, the long sleeves and low cut accentuating her long jet black hair. Twitch perks up upon seeing Gilles, waving him over.

    “You made it! I knew you’d find someone.” she says with a grin, which soon turns devious, “so, who’s your date?”

    Montagne scans the room, pointing out Elias at the opposite end holding two drinks and engaging in small chatter with Dominic, the other german’s hands holding as many desserts as humanly possible. It takes a few attempts for Emma to see, until Taina helps guide her vision.

    “Oh, Elias! Good choice.” she says playfully. Both her and Taina giggle, striding off to mingle elsewhere. 

    “I’m glad you could make it Gilles.” Doc says, looking comfortable in a barely blue dress shirt, hands stuffed in the pockets of his dark grey slacks.

    “Glad to be here, though I do have to ask-”

    Doc tilts his head.

    “-who in the world did you bring as a date? I never found out.”

    The medic barks with laughter, shaking his head, “You were really concerned about that? I brought Mister Baker,” he points to a gaggle of men nearby consisting of mostly SAS with the exception of Adriano and Aria. Lo and behold Thatcher was among them, waving his hand at a comment Seamus made. 

    “Ah. I didn’t realize you two were together.” he states bluntly.

    “It’s only been a few months, we wanted to keep it relatively low.” he states, “So, how long have you been with Elias?”

Montagne rubs the back of his neck, “In all honesty, he just wanted to see how Dominic got in.”

    Doc hums in acknowledgement, “I see. Well, you two enjoy the party, try not to drink too much.” he says, splitting off to join his partner. Thatcher takes to him casually, looping an arm around his back and resting his hand on the doctor’s hip. The little gaggle are surprised at first, that is until Smoke undoubtedly says something raunchy, which earns him the stink eye of both men. Montagne can’t help but chuckle at the site of it all.

    “Gustave and Mike huh, can’t say I saw that one coming,” Elias says. Montagne turns to find he’s returned, drinks masterfully held in one arm while the other teeters two plates of dessert foods. Gilles quickly grabs his drink and food, relieving the other man of his juggling duties, which he thanks him for. 

    “You could have asked for help.” Montagne jokes, taking a sip of the sparkling champagne. It’s a lot sweeter than normal, but he has no doubt everything at that table is more sugary than it should be. 

    “It’s ok, didn’t want to interrupt your conversation.” he replies softly. There’s an unplaceable look in his eyes as he stares at the liquid in his glass, before taking a chug. Montagne still swears there’s a blush to his cheeks, but the lighting still obscures the colors of his face.

    The two chat, occasionally accompanied by another couple, but mostly they talk amongst themselves. Montagne learns a lot in their chatter--like how Elias is pretty good at a lot of sports, but can’t shoot a hoop to save his life. Or that he was in a choir when he was younger, but never pursued music because he’d choke up on stage, though he can’t help but sing while doing the dishes. In turn, Gilles tells him tidbits about himself. Tells him his love of old country guitars, tells him he hates the winter because he gets so cold, tells him he of the times he and his brothers would sneak into their sisters’ room and hide their dolls in odd places around the house. The last one getting a good laugh out of the younger man.

    After what seemed like hours of talking, Ash walked up on stage and addressed them all.

    “I hope everyone’s been having fun! Now it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for!” she announces, lifting the cloth off both the table and large obelisk on stage. They reveal a turntable and huge speaker accordingly. The lights somehow dim even further, leaving most of the ballroom in shadow. A large portion of the dance hall lights up under a disco ball, its tiny mirrors casting orbs of light that twirl on the floor. Anyone who was sitting down immediately jumps to their feet, grabbing their partners and guiding, or in some cases dragging, them to the dance floor.

    Montagne watches wistfully as the operators sway slowly with the beat of the music. Castle picked a good song, an old one he recognizes from the many times it’s played while someone’s cooking or cleaning on base. There’s a pressure on his shoulder. When he looks it turns out to be Elias’s hand.

    “Do you...want to dance?” he asks, and this time Montagne is certain the man’s face has gone red. He smiles, takes his hand and the two of them go to the outskirts of the dance area. 

    “Sorry if I step on your shoes, I have two left feet.” the german chuckles. 

        They waltz and step to the music, making small movements so as to not step on each other, but soon they get into a rhythm. Elias has rested his head on Gilles’s shoulder, while the older man feels like he’s having a revelation. Everything felt just so right. Like god has molded Elias to fit perfectly in his arms, and that Gilles was sculpted to perfectly hold Elias. It felt so good, Montagne never wanted to let go.

    They danced. And danced and danced, until the music stopped. Gilles wasn’t even aware that most of the operators left, save for a few stragglers trying to get their drunk dates to a hotel room for some sleep and water. Elias still had his head buried in the space between Gilles’s neck and shoulder.

    “What time is it?” he heard him mumble.

    Montagne reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

    “It’s almost one in the morning.” he said as Elias pulled away. The older man felt himself missing the contact, the cool air of the ballroom almost immediately replacing the younger man’s warmth. 

    “Can’t believe you made me dance past midnight.” he joked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with a forefinger and thumb. 

    “Someone mentioned free hotel rooms…” Gilles murmured.

    “At this point, I don’t mind paying. I don’t want to drive home.” Elias yawned.

——————————————————————-

Everyone he had talked to about the party seemingly forgot to leave out that the hotel booked one room per two guests. One room with one bed. How cliche. But at this point Montagne didn’t really care, snagging to key from the receptionist. He met up with Elias, who was sitting on a chair nearby, looking ready to pass out.

“We get a room?”

“Yes, I hope you don’t mind sharing the bed.” Gilles replied. 

Elias just shook his head, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. The two made their way out of the brightly lit lobby to a nearby hallway. Thankfully they didn’t need to go far--their room was on the first floor. 

“Oh hey,” Elias perked up, stopping Gilles, “do you mind if I get a water real fast?” the younger man pointed to a closed door, the sign tacked on it read ‘Ice and Vending Machines’. Gilles let him go, waiting only a few seconds before Elias popped back out, face a lot redder than before.

    “Is everything...alright?” Gilles asked, eyebrows furrowed.

    Elias cleared his throat, “Ah yep! Just uh, well. Now I know just how intimate Taina and Emma are.” he stuttered.

Montagne couldn’t help but chuckle. 

The room appeared before them after a minute of walking. Gilles swiped the card, clicking open the door and flicking on the nearest light. The room itself was cozy, the walls a warm tan color against a navy blue carpet. Though small, it still had a countertop with a coffee machine and mini fridge stuffed underneath. Popping it open, Gilles took out two water bottles, handing one to Elias. With a small thanks the younger man chugged it down, sighing when finished. 

The two stood in the room. The tension in the air was tangible, like a static buildup. But Montagne let the feeling pass over him, and didn't want to impose on the younger man. Elias took a step forward.

“I, uh, had a really fun time tonight.” finally meeting Gilles’s eyes. 

“I’m glad.” he hummed back. Elias took another step forward.

“If you wanted to do this next year, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” he said gently, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. They were close now, barely inches away. Gilles leaned down a bit, taking in everything he could. From the wrinkles shirt, to his reddening ears and messy hair.

“And I…” he begins, but cuts himself off. Their faces are inches away, perfect for kissing.

And so they do.

It’s a step beyond incredible. Montagne hasn’t felt this elated in years. Elias’s lips are surprisingly soft and as warm as the rest of him. He tastes like champagne and chocolate, fitting for someone as sweet as him. They stay there a moment, simply enjoying the touch as they continue to kiss, Montagne winding his arms around him. After what seems like hours, they eventually part, breaths still close enough to intermingle.

Elias laughs, embracing Gilles back, “So now that we got that out of the way, can we sleep now?” he jokes tiredly.

Montagne pecks the top of his head, “Of course mon amour.”

It takes an enormous amount of effort to get to bed, neither of them wanting to move, to let go. Gilles makes the first move, taking a hand and guiding Blitz to the bed. They kick off their shoes and climb into the bed, which was thankfully big enough for the two of them. Not like it mattered--as soon as both were in bed they huddled close, Montagne wrapping an arm around Blitz’s waist, and Blitz slipping his feet between Montagne calves. They sit in silence for a moment. Gilles can feel the younger man sigh against his neck as he rubs circles in his shoulders.

“Goodnight Elias, I love you.” Montagne hums. He’s not sure if Elias hears him at first, the shorter man’s head is stuffed under his chin, until he hears him squeak a reply.

“I love you too.” 

Montagne grins, letting the warmth of the other man overtake him, helping him drift to sleep. 

[dudeandduchess]

Hi, I hope you’re having a good day 🥺🥺 can I request prompt 3 for the soulmate AU with sanemi

Oooh, hey, bby! Hope you like it. Also, apologies if it took this long to write this down. Lmao. 😂

***

Sanemi x F!Reader: You crave whatever your soulmate is eating (Slight NSFW Scenario):

Warnings: Mild Sexual Situations, Making Out, Kabedon

Never in (Y/n)’s life had she liked the taste of Ohagi, which was why she was always in a sour mood when her body’s cravings for it hit her like a tidal wave almost everyday.

If she were to ever meet her soulmate, she would immediately deck him in the face for eating so much ohagi— at exactly two in the afternoon. On the dot. Always.

Except for those rare few days when she was provided the brief reprieve of not wanting to eat something she didn’t like. However, she had to admit that those days made her worry— because it meant that something had come up for her soulmate; big enough to keep them from eating their tea-time ohagi.

Just like how it was making her worry at that point— because it was nearing three in the afternoon, and she still hadn’t been hit with her usual cravings for the sweet treat.

It was for the better though, because she didn’t think she could maintain her politeness during the entirety of her first Hashira meeting— if she were craving for something she disliked.

She knew that she had to put on a good front for a good first impression on all the other Hashira, so she’d even out on her best haori for the occasion. And it had paid off well, since she had been invited to have tea with all of them after the meeting.

So, while everyone was sitting down at the low table, they all made idle chatter. Namely, they asked (Y/n) where she was from, and how she’d gotten into the Demon Slayer business.

But, during the entire time, her eyes always seemed to gravitate towards the Wind Hashira— whom sat at the farthest end of the table from her.

“Oh, our tea’s here,” Kanroji piped up excitedly from beside her, before thanking the kakushi who had set the tea pots and tea cups down on the table. The Love Hashira then set out to pour their half of the table some of the jasmine tea from the pot— making the flowery smell of it waft around them and ensnare all of their senses.

“Oh, that smells so good, Kanroji!” Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, exclaimed happily— right before he got his cup and took a sip of the tea.

(Y/n), in turn, got her own recently-filled cup and drank the smallest amount to whet her palate.

And instantly, she felt a pair of intense, pale purple eyes zero in on her the moment the tea hit her tongue. She made a point to ignore it though because, if she were to be honest, Shinazugawa unnerved her.

He wasn’t scary to her— that wasn’t the case at all. But there was just something about him that made her heart race so hard in her chest, especially when she caught him looking at her; and that had happened a good number of times during their meeting earlier.

She would always look up and glance at him from the corner of her eyes, only to see him turn his gaze away from her. It had made her blush so hard— and it still did.

As evidenced by the way Kanroji said, “Oh, your cheeks are so red, (L/n). Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine, Kanroji,” She answered with a small grin, hoping to convince the other woman that there was nothing to be worried about; and that she wasn’t blushing because of the intense stare that Shinazugawa was pinning her under.

It was as if he was going to eat her alive. And she wanted it... to be eaten by him, that was. Eaten out, to be specific.

The thought of her laying spread out before him, waiting for him to do to her what he would, had her ducking her head in sheer embarrassment. Because that wasn’t what a decent woman should have been thinking at a time like that.

She then took another sip of her tea, before reaching out to get one of the senbei laid out on one of the plates before her. All the while, she still felt Shinazugawa’s eyes steadily trained on her— which confused the hell out of her, because everyone seemed to be too absorbed in their own conversations to notice their awkward exchange.

Slowly, she took a bite out of the rice cracker and chewed, letting the salty and sweet taste of the treat coat her palate.

Meanwhile, it took almost everything in Sanemi not to flip the table over so he could grab (Y/n) by the collar of her uniform and... what exactly came after that, he wasn’t sure of.

He was torn between wanting to kiss her so thoroughly that her knees give way, and asking her where she’d been hiding all this time— because he absolutely hated the mizu-yokan that she almost always ate.

There was never a week when she didn’t eat the dastardly snack, and it had been getting on his last nerve.

To test his theory out, however, he took one of the manju that Uzui had asked for, and popped it into his mouth.

(Y/n) instantly froze up, then cast a frantic glance right at him. If he wasn’t sure before, then he was sure then... she really was his soulmate.

And just as Sanemi had been about to call her name, she promptly excused herself from the group and hightailed it out to the hallway. He didn’t waste time, however; his legs instantly scrambled up to follow her— without even giving anyone at the table an explanation as to why he was leaving as well.

She’d even left her half-eaten senbei, as well as her nearly-full cup of tea behind; which made all of the remaining Hashira inside the tea room exchange knowing looks.

“Oi! You, (L/n),” Sanemi called to the young woman who was standing out in the middle of the hallway. She involuntarily jumped at his voice, and was about to walk off when he grabbed her arm and pressed her up against the wall to their left.

(Y/n)’s eyes were wide with surprise, as her breath hitched in her throat with how close the other Hashira was to her. Hell, their chests were practically pressed up together. And she also knew that if she tilted her head slightly to the right, she would be touching the arm that propped him up against the wall.

“So, it’s you, huh?”

(Y/n)’s heart began to beat even harder than before; to the point where she felt her pulse pounding in her ears. Her body felt so hot and needy at his voice, but she tamped down her lust in favor of answering him. “I’m what?”

“Don’t play dumb. We both know that you know it as well,” The young man teased in a gruff tone, before gripping her jaw with his free hand. He then turned her face towards his, as she kept trying to look away from him, and smirked. “I’m not going to hurt you, kitten. Far from it, really.”

And with that, Sanemi crashed his lips against (Y/n)’s; tilting his head to the side to deepen their kiss, and coaxing her to open her mouth for him. She was resistant at first, until he trailed his left hand down to her chest and squeezed her left breast.

A gasp instantly rewarded him at that action, which he took advantage of by slipping his tongue inside her mouth.

It wasn’t like him to be so forward with a woman, but she brought out something within him that was predatory; extremely needy, even. He wanted her, and he wanted her bad— preferably in his bed.

Or anywhere that he could have his fill of her, really. After all, they had a lot of lost time to make up for; what with them being soulmates and all.

[lupinsx]

Surprise Me

masterlist

Request: could i request a fred x slytherin!reader where they have been friends since first year and in sixth year fred finally gathers up the courage to confess to her? lot‘s of fluff please🥺 loved your other fred story!! can‘t wait to read more of your stories

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Slytherin!Reader

Summary: After years of Fred crushing on Y/N, he finally builds the courage to ask her to the Yule Ball (with the help of peer pressure).

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Brief usage of swear words (just the word sh*t twice) and a kissing scene.

a/n — Thanks for reading my other stories! I hope I did justice to this request, it's really cute.

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"3, 2, 1, showtime."

It was at that moment when a loud noise came booming from the Gryffindor table. Fred Weasley shot up rapidly from his seat and began coughing out what looked like green smoke. The surrounding students scrunched up their noses in disgust at the smell of the gas, while his face turned red at the fit.

You had just managed to pull off your first prank at Hogwarts. It has been a week since the Sorting Hat placed you in Slytherin, and since then, you had noticed a pair of mischievous Gryffindors in your year targeting your housemates in their pranks. You figured it was time to give them a slight taste of their own medicine.

While Fred coughed up the last bit of the smelly gas, his twin stood next to him in support, his eyes scanning the Great Hall for any signs of suspicion. You didn't bother hiding your amusement. With a roaring laugh, you stood up from your seat and strode towards the twins.

"I think you overdid the blush today. Wanna borrow my brush?" you teased with a mocking chuckle. Fred stood in front of you with an unreadable expression.

"You did this?" George asked incredulously. You simply shrugged in response, a playful grin spreading across your face. You didn't want to start a feud or create bad blood — especially with notorious pranksters. Although you didn't show it, you dreaded their possible retaliation.

While Fred's face slowly came back to its original colour, he remained still, scanning your features with an empty look. Then, a smile broke his expression.

"That was impressive. How did you do it?"

For a moment, you were shocked. You didn't expect a positive response from him. With a slight smile to match, you beamed, "Stink pellets inside the roll. Had to wake up early to put it in."

"Wicked," Fred breathed out. You held a proud smile at his reaction.

"I'm Y/N L/N. Nice to meet you," you said, sticking your arm out to shake his hand. However, the gesture wasn't necessary, as it was quickly disregarded.

Fred slung his arm around your neck, pulling you to his side. Despite his short height as an eleven year old, you still only reached his chin. Gazing afar, he spoke dramatically.

"I'm Fred Weasley. Join us, and we can do great things together."

All you could do is nod in response with an idiotic grin plastered on your face.

"But I thought you hated Slytherins?" you asked tentatively. It seemed as if he and his brother pranked them the most, so you were slightly hesitant about his offer despite initially accepting. What if this was part of his retaliation?

"We don't hate anybody," George piped up, earning a nod of agreement from Fred. "We just like annoying them."

"Well then..." you trailed off, a side grin forming on your mouth. You laid your hand on Fred's shoulder, arm overlapping his around your neck.

"You can count me in."

~~~

Five years later, you and Fred were practically inseparable. You frequently hung out with him and George despite being in Slytherin, and you made sure to deal with the people who gave you guys shit for it accordingly.

It was a normal breakfast in the Great Hall. You sat in the Slytherin table, unable to fraternize with the other houses. Meanwhile at the Gryffindor table, Fred was arguably more upset than you were at that.

"Merlin, Fred, you've got to stop staring at Y/N,"

Ron sat in front of the lovesick boy, mouth filled with scrambled eggs as he held an expression of disgust. Fred snapped his head towards him, a blush appearing on his cheek.

"I'm not staring at her. Just looking outside. Beautiful day today, don't you think?" Fred mumbled under his breath, eyes scanning everywhere but Ron's face. George smirked at the sight, patting his shoulder roughly.

"Fred, it's raining," George deadpanned. An embarrassed look covered Fred's face as he scoffed down his porridge without looking back up at the amused boys. They just loved teasing him over breakfast.

"Honestly Fred, just ask her out to the Yule Ball. It's in three weeks and I doubt anybody else had the balls to ask her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fred narrowed his eyes at Harry's statement. He raised his arms in a playful surrender.

"I just mean that she might look intimidating to others, that's all," Harry explained defensively, followed by a light chuckle at Fred's protective behaviour. Just as you wouldn't let anybody give Fred shit, he was the same with you.

Taking another glance at you, Fred replied with an almost dreamy tone, "I know. That's what I love about her."

"Eww." A chorus of disgusted groans were heard around Fred after his cheesy comment. He was never aloof when it came to how he felt about you. It seemed out of character for him to be this utterly whipped for a girl, but you somehow managed to deeply entrance him.

Fred rolled his eyes at their immaturity while he stirred the porridge in his bowl. He genuinely considered what Harry suggested, but he didn't know how he would approach the topic with you. He felt silly for even imagining asking you to the Yule Ball.

"Hypothetically speaking, of course," Fred started tentatively, observing their reactions, "how might one ask someone to the ball? With a grand gesture or subtle confession?"

The boys stared at him for a moment with wide eyes, earning a confused glance from Fred. Then, they gave him a cheeky grin.

"Any way you'd like, Fred," George replied, lightly nudging his shoulder with his own. Fred became flustered at his word, quickly waving his hand to shut down their assumptions.

"No no, it's not for me. It's for a friend!" he rushed to defend himself.

"Don't you mean to a friend?"

"Ron!"

"What? He didn't lie," Harry added, shrugging innocently while he chewed on his bacon. Fred glared at him before returning back to his breakfast.

For a moment, the area went quiet. Fred failed to notice the amused glances Harry and Ron shot to each other, as well as the snickering done under their breath. When he finally glanced up and noticed the two boys biting back a chuckle, it was too late for him to question why.

"Missed me?"

A voice right next to his ear grabbed Fred's attention. He quickly whipped his head back, only to be met with your playful eyes staring back at him.

"Hey Freddie," you said with a light smile before turning to ruffle George's hair. "Hey George."

George sent you a wave back, moving him and his bag apart from Fred so you can sit in between. He left you enough space to fit, but nothing more, leaving your legs pressed against Fred's thigh and George's bag.

"Hey Y/N," Fred replied, fighting back a stutter threatening to show. His mind became hyperaware of how your leg felt against his, making his face slightly red.

"God, it is so boring there. I wish I was able to eat here," you said with a small chuckle. Fred nodded in agreement. You were glad that most of your classes were with each other, but mealtimes were too lengthy for you to enjoy on your own.

"Miss L/N!" Professor McGonagall shouted from her position. You already knew what she was going to say — something along the lines of having to stay at your own table during breakfast. It was a daily occurrence at this point, but she wasn't any more lenient.

"Yeah yeah, I'll go back!"

You looked towards Fred after your response, shooting him an apologetic smile. "She just won't let me breathe."

Fred chuckled at your nonchalance, how you were so used to McGonagall's constant admonishments. As you stood up from your spot, you grabbed Fred's pumpkin juice, taking a sizeable gulp from the cup before heading out of the Great Hall.

"I'll wait for you outside!"

Upon your departure, a chorus of ooooh's escaped the boys' lips. Fred sat still, staring at the spot on his cup where you drank with wide eyes and a flushed face.

"Would that be considered an indirect kiss?" Ron said, pointing to the glass with a juvenile grin. Fred smacked his hand away and diverted his gaze from the teasing males.

"No, that's childish," Fred replied, attempting to cover the fact that his mind was screaming the same thing. "I'm done eating. George?"

"I'm just gonna finish up. You go ahead, catch up with your girl."

"S-she's not my girl," Fred stammered, rising to his feet and grabbing his bag. He then left the Great Hall, ignoring the loud Not yet! coming from his twin.

Once he exited the hall, he noticed your figure standing by the staircase, playing with your fingers mindlessly. You then looked up at him, a small smile spreading across your face. The same smile he wishes to see everyday of his life.

"You ready?" you asked, skipping over to him. Fred gave you a slight nod, and you grabbed his hand before heading down the corridor. It became hard for him to fight the cherry colour from taking over his face after that.

Oh, how entirely whipped he is for you.

~~~

It was later that evening, and you, Fred, and George currently resided in library. You three have been studying for over an hour, but Fred didn't mind being here. After all, it was the only way he could stay with you this late.

The silence was broken when George let out a large yawn. An obnoxiously loud one. Fred's eyes narrowed at his sudden sleepy figure with curiosity.

"I think it's time for me to go to bed," George mumbled while rubbing his eyes. "I've studied enough today. You guys continue without me."

Fred kept his suspicion of him while you assumed the best. You gave him a small smile and a wave. "Sleep well."

"I will. Don't have too much fun," George replied, shooting a sly wink towards Fred before resuming his sleepy figure act.

That sneaky little git, Fred muttered under his breath. He knew George was trying to get them alone together. Unfortunately, Fred failed to plan what he was going to say to you when given the opportunity.

Thankfully, no planning was necessary. When faced with adversity, Fred's mind goes on autopilot and acts on pure instinct. Lucky for him, his instincts are quite Gryffindor in nature.

Without a second thought, Fred blurted out the three words he's been dreading to say.

"I like you."

And then, there was silence.

You paused your writing, dropping your quill onto your parchment with shock laced through your features. It took a moment for you to register his words before you looked up with a playful grin.

"I know."

Fred's eyes became widened, lips parted, and cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He began stammering as his nerves took over his consciousness.

"W-what? I thought I did a fine job hiding it. Was I that obvious?" Fred asked with a nervous chuckle. You reached across the table to lay your hand on his enclosed fist sitting next to his parchment.

"You weren't obvious. I'm just perceptive," you giggled as Fred slumped lower against his seat.

"Well now the confession is ruined!"

"I mean, you still caught me off guard for doing it today."

"Not good enough," Fred pouted, only slightly upset that he lacked the surprise factor.

"Don't worry. Next time you can surprise me," you said with an amused smirk, gently squeezing his fist. Fred only narrowed his eyes at you in response, sitting up properly on his chair.

Fred was unsure whether he should ask you to the Yule Ball. On one hand, the confession wasn't a total failure and you hadn't stormed off disgusted with him yet. But the lack of a clear response filled him with anxiety, wondering whether you really do feel the same.

Amidst the chaos of his rational mind, he acted on the very impulse that delivered his confession in the first place.

"Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Your cheeks took on a cherry glow upon hearing his request. Although you didn't admit it, he was the reason you kept rejecting the other students who asked. You were hoping he would soon gather the courage, and so, you felt delighted at the outcome.

With a beaming smile, you nodded your head. "Of course, Freddie."

As if he wasn't expecting your response, his face fell into slight shock, mouth widening at the corners. If it wasn't for the table keeping you two apart, he would have been squeezing you tightly right now. Instead, he settled with releasing his fist and turning his palm over to hold the hand on his.

Looking down at the table, he remembered the dreaded purpose of you two being here. Homework. The thought almost slipped his mind, but the parchment in front of him placed him back in reality.

Noticing his attention diverted to his work, you released his hand to begin packing up your own. You gave him a mischievous grin as he stared at you in confusion. "How about we ditch the library and go to Gryffindor common room?"

With a smile to match, he put away his quill. "You get me, Y/N."

"I always have."

"And I love that about you."

Fighting back the blush rising to your cheek, you finished packing up and stood up from your spot. Fred got up after you, going over to your side and offering his hand. Just as you grabbed it, he suddenly placed his lips on your own.

Your eyes widened at the contact. You didn't expect the kiss, and neither did he. But you quickly melted into it, placing your free hand on his shoulder while his wrapped around your waist.

It was short and sweet. Filled with the innocence and depth of the feelings you two possess, and the intrinsic romantic quality of it being your firsts. It was everything and more of how you both imagined a first kiss would be. You loved this feeling.

Once you gradually pulled away, you both laughed. Hearty chortles escaped your throats in a beautiful interwoven melody. Fred leaned his forehead on yours and gazed into your eyes.

"Did that surprise you?"

With an endearing smile inspiring one on Fred's face, you affirmed, "Yes, it did."

Like your lips moments ago, you both spent the rest of the evening with your bodies gently intertwined, cuddling in front of the fireplace with tender hearts and contented smiles.

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a/n — I hope you all enjoyed reading! Like, comment, and reblog to let me know what you think! Feel free to send requests or just give feedback in my inbox. Have a wonderful day/night 💞