#i have a bad feeling about the next match so i giffed this earlier encounter in case theres nothing later sjhkjff

[ugartecoco]

onana requiring assistance to remove his jacket and not getting it mun vs cph 24.10.23

[babyboibucky]

The Match - Part 18

Pairing: CEO!Bucky x Fem!Reader

Summary: The day of the event is finally here.

Word Count: 6.5k LMFAO STRAP THE FUCK IN BESTIES

Warnings: Uhhhhhhhhhhh hmmm idk stress? Minor panic attack? The answers to majority of y’alls questions?

A/N: Thank @lokithealligator for threatening forcing me to post this earlier LMFAO It’s finally time for the event, y’all!!! The only reason why this part is so fucking long is because I didn’t want to split it into two parts and leave y’alls asses hanging from another cliffhanger (also I be inserting gifs/photos for references and MAKE SURE TO LISTEN TO THE SONG THAT I WILL BE LINKING IN A CERTAIN PART I BEG YOU) Anyway, I hope everyone will enjoy the event!!!

The Match Masterlist || MAIN MASTERLIST

Time check: 9:29am

Sanity check: About to lose it

The entire process of planning out the event went really smooth despite a few delays here and there. You didn’t encounter some major problems either so you were confident that the day itself would be just as smooth-sailing.

Much to your dismay, everything went wrong as soon as the day began.

You woke up feeling giddy and then the event stylist called and said that she had issues with her manpower. Not all of her people were free to bring in some of the fixtures needed for the venue so there was going to be a lot of going back and forth in delivering the items.

That wasn’t all too bad, the event doesn’t start until seven in the evening so you had plenty of time to figure shit out. But then the warehouse called and informed you that the latest car model— the very sole reason for this event— was damaged when it was being loaded into the truck and needed to be repaired.

You’ve been at the venue since eight in the morning, running errands and checking everything to ensure that the event was going to be a success. If more problems continue to pop out in the next few hours, you are going to be attending the event bald from how many times you were about to rip your hair out.

You were going through your event list when Martha approached you with an apologetic expression on her face, “Please tell me that nothing else went wrong.” you quickly told her.

She made a face, “The caterer called and said that they were encountering some issues in their kitchen.”

You were about to curse out loud when Martha was quick to calm you down, “But they’re figuring things out and they promised that the food will be here right in time for the event.”

You deadpanned, “If our guests starve tonight, I’m going to kill myself. Tell them that.” you said before quickly approaching the event stylist who was trying to get your attention.

“What do you got for me?” you asked.

“The signages are here…” she trailed.

You nodded, “And…?”

“The problem is that my men had to leave to get the other fixtures and we have no one to put them up.” she awkwardly grinned.

You closed your eyes and took in a sharp inhale, “I don’t understand how that’s my problem because as far as I can remember, you promised that everything will go perfectly well for today. Don’t you have other people you can ask to come over and help?” you asked, annoyed.

“I’m sorry, I’m really trying.” She apologized.

“Well, try harder because I’m about to go insane.” you snapped and walked away from her, needing a breather from everything that was going down.

You headed to the restroom and paced back and forth, balling your hands into fists as you tried to fight the panic attack that was threatening to hit you. Taking in a deep breath, you tried to hold it in before exhaling through your mouth. Your entire body was tense and you were finding it hard to breathe.

“Goddammit.” you huffed out, fanning yourself before washing your face with water.

Everything seemed to be so fucked up and it was messing with your mind. This event is a game-changer, both for you and the company. For Bucky, this was something personal given that his dad has been doubting him about his decision to let you lead the project. At some point, this was pretty personal for you too.

What if the event failed? The press was going to be there and it would bring so much embarrassment for Bucky. It’d embarrass you too, of course. The failure of the event could add fuel to the fire, especially with the issue surrounding Stark Enterprises being cut off as a major shareholder.

If the event failed, you’d end up disappointing Bucky, his dad, the entire team, Sam and most of all, yourself. All this hardwork but for what?

“Snap out of it, bitch what the fuck?” you whispered to yourself, knowing that you were already spiraling.

A series of knocks interrupted you, thankfully because you could feel the waterworks coming, “It’s open.” you called out as you straightened up yourself.

Much to your surprise, it was Bucky who was knocking. He was dressed casually, leather jacket on top of a black shirt and some black pants. If you weren’t so anxious right now, you would have realized that this was the first time you saw him in such an outfit and that he looked damn good in it.

“You’re not supposed to be here until the event.” you said.

He shrugged, “Thought I’d drop by and check on you.”

“Check on me or the event?” you asked back.

Bucky sighed, his expression remained blank. You weren’t sure whether he was mad or plain regretful that he let you spearhead the event.

“You. Needed to make sure you were fine. But as soon as I arrived, the event stylist immediately apologized and from there I kinda figured out what was going on.”

You opened your mouth to say something but quickly stopped when your chest tightened. There were a mixture of emotions swirling through you at that moment. Shame? Disappointment? You also felt apologetic because you’ve been so confident about leading this project but now here you were, halfway through a breakdown.

Was this your karma for fucking your boss?

“Hey, everything’s going to be fine.” Bucky said in a gentle voice upon seeing the look on your face.

He could still read through you obviously, he instantly knew what was going on inside your head just by seeing how stiff your body was. Perhaps if this happened long ago, you would have shut him down and walked out. But right now, when everything seemed to be in a complete mess, all you needed was a little bit of comfort.

Especially from Bucky.

“I just don’t want your dad to think that you made a mistake of trusting me with such a huge project.” you said, swallowing hard.

You hated how your voice wavered, how vulnerable you felt but also comforted that Bucky came by to check in on you.

Because you were truly losing it and no one was there to help you with it.

Bucky was careful to approach you, as if he didn’t want to break some boundaries. However, when you remained still, he took it as a sign and held your shoulders as he tried to catch your gaze.

“It’s not a mistake. We’ll figure things out, okay?” he reassured, rubbing your shoulders up and down to soothe you.

“But there are literally too many problems and we’ve only got like seven or eight hours left to fix them!” you panicked.

Bucky chuckled, cupping your cheek with his hand, “Listen to yourself, we’ve got eight hours left. I’m no genius in math but that sounds like a lot of hours.” he joked, making you laugh lightly.

“Look, whatever the outcome of this event is, I’d be happy about it. I’d still be proud of you and I would never regret entrusting this project to you.” he said, looking deeply into your eyes.

Your breath hitched in your throat but you tried to play it cool and nodded. The anxiety was still there but not as strong as it used to be. You could tell that you were slowly regaining control of yourself. You nodded in response and offered a small smile.

“Thanks, Bucky.”

Bucky smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, “So, how can I help?”

-

Moments ago, you were close to losing your marbles from all the things that were going wrong. You were still close to losing it now, but only because of Bucky and the way he actually dropped everything to help put up the signages on the stage.

As soon as the both of you went back into the main hall, you told him about the situation with the displays and as if he wasn’t the CEO, he merely shrugged off his leather jacket and did most of the lifting. His tight black shirt did nothing to help because it only enhanced his build. You could feel your mouth dry up at the sight of his biceps expanding every time he carried something heavy, exposing the veins running down his forearm.

“Oh my god…” you heard the event stylist mumble to herself as she, too, gawked at Bucky.

Unable to help yourself, you cleared your throat and lifted a brow at her. “You do know that’s our CEO, right? Doing all the grunt work because you failed to properly coordinate with your team?” you threatened.

She was quick to close her mouth, mumbling yet another apology before walking away to fulfill her other tasks.

Bucky grunted as he lifted the signage higher, securing it properly before dusting off his hands as he approached you.

“That look okay?” he asked, looking up at the signages— the logos of his and Sam’s companies.

Your eyes were still trained on his arm, still swollen from the amount of lifting he had been doing. Thankfully, you snapped yourself out of your unexpected thirst before he could even notice. You cleared your throat and nodded, “Yeah, it looks good.” you commented, side-eyeing his bicep.

“You didn’t have to do that though. Kind of feels weird to have my boss help out with the event preparations.” you admitted with a chuckle.

Bucky shrugged, “I’ve always been hands on when it comes to running the company, you know that.” he said.

“Do you want to grab lunch? You need a break too.” he asked, checking his watch for the time.

You made a face, “I would love to but I still have to check on a lot of things.”

Bucky nodded, “Okay, just make sure to eat.” he reminded you before taking his jacket from one of the tables, putting it back on.

“I have to go but uhhh, I guess I’ll see you tonight.” he said as he pursed his lips together.

You nodded again, “I’ll talk to you tonight.”

-

“Hello...hi...good evening...welcome...to...ugh...it’s nice to meet you…” you groaned in front of the mirror as you nervously practiced your greetings for the event.

This was going to be the biggest event you’d ever organized and there were plenty of big names in the guest list. If it would truly end up as a disaster, you were going to set yourself on fire right then and there.

You fixed your hair in the mirror and checked your make-up, you looked decent. Not like the bags beneath your eyes were still visible despite the amount of concealer you packed onto your skin. This event was stressing the hell out of you for so many reasons and although you wanted to get it over with, part of you didn’t want the night to end just yet.

The end of the event only meant the beginning of some other things you needed to deal with.

Time check: 5:32pm

It was time to head to the venue and face what the future has in store for you. Taking one last look at yourself in the mirror, you took a deep breath in and headed out.

-

“What do you mean there’s no dessert?!” you practically screamed into your phone as your car screeched to a stop at the red light.

When you left the venue earlier that day, everything fell into place. Finally. After all the delays and shortcomings on the end of some suppliers, things worked out. But now, listening to Martha update you that the caterer’s oven broke down in the middle of baking, you were convinced that this was definitely your karma for fucking your boss.

“Martha, our guests will start arriving at seven! Did the caterer suggest something else?” you asked, your grip on your steering wheel tightening.

When Martha said that there was nothing else the caterer could do, you groaned out loud and thanked her for the update, saying that you’ll figure things out.

You started hitting your forehead on your steering wheel, cursing and thinking at the same time. Just when you thought that everything was finally coming together perfectly, shit like this had to happen.

And then you remembered something, or someone, rather.

Lifting your head up, you quickly searched for a name in your contacts and pressed call.

“Steve, I need your help.”

-

You reached the small bakery at around 6pm, which meant you had less than an hour left to head back to the venue. You needed to be there before the guests started arriving, or at least, before George Barnes arrived or else you and Bucky wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Hopping out of your car in full glam, you ignored the curious looks of the people when you ran inside the bakery, immediately spotting Steve by the counter, stacking boxes and boxes of pastries on top of each other.

“Oh thank god, Steve!” you panted, not noticing how Steve’s jaw dropped to the ground seeing you all dressed like that.

He blinked as he eyed you from head to toe, shaking his head in amusement and awe, “You look amazing.”

You chuckled, “Thank you but I gotta rush to the venue. How much is everything?” you asked.

Steve waved a hand, “I already paid for them.”

Your eyes almost popped out of their sockets, knowing that you practically wiped the bakery clean of their entire pastry stock and for Steve to be able to pay for them just like that? “I’ll pay you back, I just need to have our accounting department process it.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know you’re in a hurry, so let me help you load these up in your car so you can get going.” Steve said and began to bring the boxes to your car.

“Thank you so much!” you told him before turning to the owner of the shop, “And ma’am, thank you!” you told her.

She smiled kindly at you, “Sweetie, thank you for wiping our inventory clean.”

It didn’t take long for all the boxes to fill up both your backseat and trunk. You quickly slipped inside your car and brought the window down to thank Steve for the last minute favor. You knew that he was close with the owner of the bakery, so you thought that maybe he can help you with your dessert problem.

“I owe you, Steve. I’ll make it up to you.” you said and started the car, only for it to make a whirring sound before staying still.

Can this day get any worse?!

You tried to start the engine again but the same thing happened. Bowing your head, you gathered all your courage before looking up at Steve who was already staring at you expectantly.

“I think I’m gonna need to ask you another favor.”

-

“Calm down, you’re making me nervous with how restless you are. And I don’t even know what the hell is going on.” Steve said, sparing you a glance as he drove.

You sighed, “Sorry, it’s just that this event is a really big deal for me.” you said.

Steve laughed, “I can see that.” he said.

“I already asked you two favors, I might as well go for a third one. Can you go any faster?” you asked apologetically, seeing that you only had around thirty minutes left.

Steve gave you a confident smirk, “You asked for it.” he said before revving up the engine of his car and then stepping on the gas.

You’ve been in and out of calls during the entire ride, ensuring that everything was going smoothly and without any more problems. You called Mark and told him that you were nearby and needed help bringing in the pastry boxes.

As soon as you could see the venue coming into your view, you quickly fixed your hair and reapplied your lipstick.

“I swear to god if George is already there…” you murmured to yourself.

Steve snickered, “And who is this George you’re whispering about? Your asshole boss?” he asked.

You rolled your eyes, “Well, he used to own the company but now his son is the CEO.” you responded with nonchalance.

Steve frowned a bit, “George...you said you work in the automotive industry, right?” he asked.

You merely hummed in response, your attention focused on your phone as you messaged everyone on your team and informed them that you were nearby.

“Are you talking about George Barnes? Do you work for Barnes Group of Companies?” Steve asked again.

You nodded, still inattentive, “Yeah, it’s a long story why I need to be there before George arrives.”

“Your boss is James Barnes? Bucky Barnes?” Steve asked again, slowing down the car by the entrance of the venue.

“You know him?” you asked Steve with a confused look on your face, until you came to a realization at the same time he was about to answer your question.

“Bucky is—”

“Well, who doesn’t know him and his family? Why am I even surprised you know him.” you said with a chuckle, rushing to open the door when the car halted at the venue.

“Thank you so much, Steve! I swear, I’ll make it up to you. And please, don’t bother helping out with the boxes. We’ll do it from here, I don’t want to bother you any longer.” you said and stepped out, waving over at Mark and the catering staff to get the pastries.

“I see you found yourself a new man.” Mark teased as the both of you headed inside the venue. “And you look great, by the way. Good luck to Bucky in keeping his hands off of you.” he said.

You glared at him playfully, shaking your head. “He’s just a friend who happened to save the day.” you explained, “And you don’t look so bad yourself too.” you complimented, dusting off his suit before smirking, “Good luck to Janet in keeping his hands off of you.” you returned his joke before excusing yourself to check on how things are going.

-

Doing one last round of checking gave you somewhat the relief you have been wanting to experience since the day began. Finally, everything seemed to be perfect— the desserts were already laid out on the buffet table, the lights and sound system were working, tables were properly set— thank fuck for that.

Everyone from the company started arriving first and it was almost at exactly seven when you saw Bucky arrive, clad in a blue suit and black dress shirt inside. He had forgone the tie this time, leaving the top two buttons of his shirt open.

His eyes immediately met yours as soon as he entered the venue and the way he took in your appearance made you squeeze your thighs together. His blue eyes darkened at the sight of you wearing the dress he had given and you almost felt like you were standing there naked.

You sort of figured out why he probably went with this dress. It wasn’t that revealing but it showed the right amount of skin that could make one’s imagination go wild, at least his own imagination.

You pretended to be busy, chatting up the staff of the venue and giving them reminders how to treat the guests, but not without stealing quick glances at Bucky. He was surveying the surroundings carefully as he approached you, as if not wanting to be obvious that he wanted to talk to you as soon as he got there.

“Hi.” he greeted shyly.

You smiled at him, “Hi.”

“You look beautiful.” Bucky complimented, looking at you from head to toe.

The way his eyes scanned your exposed leg (thanks to the thigh-high slit that your dress had) made your throat dry and when he looked at you like that? You would’ve clutched your pearls if you wore one.

Any woman would swoon when gazed at like that.

“It’s the dress you bought.” you said, dodging the compliment. “You look handsome, Mister Barnes.” you teased, trying to ease the atmosphere.

Your smile faltered as soon as your line of sight went past Bucky towards his father who had just arrived. Bucky noticed the change in your demeanor and turned around, his shoulders dropping when his father approached him.

“Thought you wouldn’t show up.” Bucky said, placing his hands inside the pockets of his pants.

George snickered, “And miss this event for the world? I don’t think so.” he said before turning to you, “Besides, I’m intrigued how this night would turn out. Someone did promise a successful event.” he said, keeping his eyes on you.

You fought the urge to roll your eyes at the audacity of this man. Well, you were still nervous but of course, you weren’t going to show that. You lifted your chin up and put on the best smile you could, “I’m glad you were able to make it, should I usher you to your table?” you asked.

George shook his head, frowning at your confidence yet again. “I can manage, thank you.” he said before turning to Bucky.

“We’re not done talking about Stark yet.” he said in a warning tone.

Bucky snickered, “We are done talking about that. Make sure you stay until the end of the program, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” he said, using his father’s words meaningfully.

George gave you one last look before leaving. The guests began to slowly arrive and of course, Bucky needed to be the one to welcome and entertain them.

He turned to you with a hopeful smile, “Talk to you later?” he asked.

You nodded, “Talk to you later.”

-

The event seemed to be a success, with all the guests praising the set-up and the food. You had been going around and greeting everyone, ushering them to their seats and informing them of the program.

Bucky and Sam were both busy mingling with a lot of other well, rich people— from fellow CEOs to politicians and maybe even potential shareholders.

Your chest swelled with pride seeing this project come to life despite all the stress you encountered throughout the day. As you were conversing with one of the press, your eyes caught Bucky’s while he, too, was in the middle of a conversation. He threw a flirty smile your way before he gave you that look, yet again.

The proud look, one where he’d tilt his head while lifting an eyebrow at you and of course, the classic smirk that always made you clench your thighs together.

Man, and it’s only eight in the evening.

When everyone was almost done with dinner, the program finally began with the host welcoming everyone to the event. She talked a bit about both Bucky and Sam’s companies and why the partnership was one for the books.

A video introducing the latest model was played and as soon as it was over, the host called Bucky up on stage to officially launch the product.

In the years you have worked in his company, you had never witnessed him in such a situation. Prior to matching with him on Tinder, you’d only seen him in meetings and small launches. Nothing to this scale but now, watching Bucky talk so eloquently and confidently about the new product, you’d realized how different he was when in his element.

This was James Barnes, the CEO of Barnes Group of Companies.

How he was able to command the entire room to pay their full attention to him as he talked about the new technologies and the partnership with Wilson Enterprises, you couldn’t believe that this was the same immature man you had been dealing with.

You almost felt intimidated by him as he talked on stage.

You snapped out of your thoughts when the entire venue burst in a round of applause, with some of them even standing from their seats. You’d seen how George looked both impressed and embarrassed, probably by how he doubted his very own son.

Bucky looked proud as he waited for the applause to die down and when the room was quiet again, he took it as a chance to conclude his speech.

“Before anything else, I would like to thank everyone for coming here today. To my team who worked tirelessly to make this new product possible, to all our shareholders for sticking to our side, I am very grateful. I am most especially grateful to the person who is responsible for making this event possible.” He said, his eyes quickly finding you in the sea of people.

Your heartbeat accelerated when he acknowledged you publicly, your hand automatically went up to your chest to rub at it, trying to calm down your racing heart.

You thought it would end there, but then Bucky mentioned your name and motioned towards you. In an instant, all eyes were on you.

“She’s the one behind all this and without her, there wouldn’t even be an event right now. So, if anyone planned on congratulating me for the success of this launch, congratulate her instead.” He said.

You awkwardly looked around and returned the smiles that everyone gave you.

“Congratulations, honey.” A familiar voice called out.

A delicate hand wrapped around your arm and upon turning to your side, you saw that it was Mackenzie. She looked stunning as always, dressed in a long sleeved white, body-fitting dress with a plunging neckline.

“I’m so happy you came, Kenzie!” You greeted, giving her a hug.

“Of course, we’ve got history.” She teased before looking around, “And this is amazing. I knew you could pull this off better than I ever could.” She praised with an impressed look.

“Thank you.” you laughed, “How have you been?” You asked.

“Oh you know, same old same old. And you? How are you and Bucky? Seems like things are better now than when I left.” She said, voice insinuating at something.

You chuckled, “Better, I would say. But we’ve got a lot to talk about still.” You admitted.

“Well, I hope everything goes well. And if you need anything, and I mean anything, you have my number.” She said, taking your hand. “I’m gonna go grab myself some more of those Strawberry Tarts, they’re really good.”

You laughed and bid goodbye before focusing back on Bucky who seemed to be about to wrap up on his speech.

“And since everyone is already here, I would like to announce that Wilson Enterprises is now our largest shareholder. Please welcome my partner and good friend, Sam Wilson.”

There was a collective gasp followed by applause when Bucky made the announcement. Even you couldn’t hold back on the surprised expression.

Seemed like the night was going to be full of surprises.

-

The program has ended and everyone was left to mingle. The press immediately jumped at the opportunity to interview both Bucky and Sam as soon as they got offstage.

“Congratulations on the event, you did a great job.” Someone you recognized as a chief editor for a magazine told you as you walked around the venue.

You received a couple more acknowledgements, even from politicians and needless to say, you were proud of yourself for being able to pull this off.

“So, I guess you need to treat Bev and I to lunch.” Mark said as he and Beverly approached you.

“Bestie, congrats! This event is amazing! And the aesthetic? Ugh, I’ve already taken so many photos all over the place!” She squealed with delight.

Mark groaned, “Yeah, well you could at least credit me when you upload those photos.” He complained.

“We’ll definitely go out for dinner and drinks. It’s on me.” You said with a smile.

Beverly’s grin faltered when she remembered your resignation but you made sure to shut it down as soon as you noticed her look.

“Let’s just have fun tonight, okay?” You reminded her.

“Excuse me, may I steal the star of the night for a while?”

You looked back and saw that it was Sam. He looked really dashing in his three-piece black suit paired with that billion-watt smile of his.

Mark and Bev excused themselves and left you with Sam, “Dibs on your first dance for tonight?” He asked, offering his arm.

You heartily laughed and hooked your arm in his, following him out into the dancefloor where majority of the guests were already swaying to the music.

“Mister Shareholder, huh?” You asked. “Since when?”

“It’s been on my mind for quite a while now, and then Bucky told me about the situation with Stark Enterprises. I figured it was a sign for me to push through with this decision.” He explained as the both of you started to slow dance.

“Have you decided on my offer?” Sam was quick to jump right into it.

You hummed, “I thought about it really hard. It’s the biggest offer I’d ever received, in my entire life.” You admitted.

When you read the agreement that Sam gave you that one night, you were so tempted to take the offer. It was for a Chief Operating Officer role anyway. COO. The second in the chain of command of a company. It was like ten steps ahead of your current position.

Who would turn that down?

“And I can’t accept it, Sam. I’m sorry.” You apologized, shaking your head.

“I don’t think I’m ready for that responsibility and as much as I am flattered that you even considered me for that position, I have a lot more things I need to learn.” You explained.

Sam smiled, “I figured you would turn it down.” He said, much to your surprise. “I was hoping you wouldn’t because I see potential in you. You can take on that role, but I also respect your decision. But I want you to know that you are capable of it. Never doubt your skills. I’ve seen it first hand.” He said.

You tightened your grip on Sam’s shoulder as you danced, giving him a big smile before leaning in for a friendly hug.

“Thank you, Sam. This means the world to me.” You said and pulled back.

Sam sighed, “I am kinda bummed out, but I understand. If you ever changed your mind, let me know.” He said.

“You’d be the first to know, trust me.” You laughed.

“Mind if I cut in?”

You turned at the sound of Bucky’s voice. As if on cue, the music changed into a slower, more sensual one and the lights dimmed into a warm, orange glow. The people on the dance floor slowly began to disperse, leaving some couples to sway to the romantic music.

Sam turned to you and winked before patting Bucky’s arm, “She’s all yours, Barnes.” He said before leaving you with Bucky.

Bucky seemed to hesitate to place his hands on your waist so you made the first move and rested your hands on his shoulders. There was enough distance between both your bodies and yet this was the closest you've been with him after quite a while. You evened out your breathing when you felt Bucky's hands finally land on your waist, his fingers oh so slightly pressing down against the fabric of your dress.

“I told you this will be a success. Congratulations.” he said.

You shook your head, “Everyone helped out; congratulations to us. And to the new shareholder. Is that why you asked your father to stay until the end of the program? What did he say?” you curiously asked.

“He left after the announcement. He’s never been too keen on Wilson Enterprises.” Bucky chuckled, licking his lips.

You nodded in understanding, clearing your throat as the both of you slowly danced to the music. There was an awkward pause for a brief moment, as if neither wasn’t sure whether now was the time for the talk.

“I’m surprised you skipped on the tie tonight.” you commented, knowing that Bucky always wore one during big events.

Bucky smiled, removing one hand from your waist as he reached for something in his back pocket. He dangled a bowtie right in front of your face as he laughed, “I forgot to put it on. I was running late.”

You threw your head back as you chuckled, taking the bowtie before squinting at Bucky, “And why were you running late Mister CEO?” you asked.

“I was nervous.” Bucky admitted.

“Nervous, huh? Were you second-guessing the success of this event?” you raised an eyebrow at him.

Bucky merely forced out a chuckle before shaking his head, “I was nervous about talking to you.” he said, catching your gaze.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, in the sense that there were things left unsaid. There was a little bit of tension but it was balanced out by the yearning that the both of you felt in that moment.

“The floor is all yours.” you said and as if it was second nature, you started buttoning up Bucky’s dress shirt before wrapping his bowtie around his neck, tying it and adjusting it.

Bucky audibly breathed out at your action, his shoulders tensing up a bit until you soothed them down with your hands. He kept on licking his lips as he tried to find his words and this time, you allowed him to take his time without any interruptions.

“I’m sorry.” he started, “I’ll never stop apologizing for what I did to you because you didn’t deserve that. I was selfish, I didn’t know how to deal with being said no to. I...I grew up not knowing my place in the lives of the people I considered special. My mom left to be with another man because my dad is shitty. My existence wasn’t enough to stop her from leaving and my dad kept on blaming me, saying that maybe I was too much to handle. I was a spoiled kid and I grew up, still spoiled.” Bucky explained.

Your heart ached for Bucky upon hearing his childhood, not that it was a valid excuse for his behavior, but it was somehow enlightening.

“My mom’s new husband has a son too, around my age. He’s way better than I am, at least that’s what I felt growing up being compared to him most of the time. Even my dad thinks he’s better than I am.” Bucky scoffed.

“The first girl I loved also left, she said that I wasn’t doing enough to make her stay. I wanted her to stay, but I was afraid if I showed her how much I loved her, she’d think I’m too much and leave. She still left anyway.” he breathed out and you could feel his grip tighten around your waist.

“My point is...when I care about someone, I don’t know how to show it. I’m going to be honest, when you rejected me, the way I reacted was because of my ego. But the more you started to distance yourself, the more afraid I got because I didn’t want to lose you. And my ego was replaced by fear and I didn’t want to lose you the same way I lost my mom, my first love...I fought for you but all in the wrong ways.” he said.

“I didn’t want you to think that letting you go was that easy for me. And then Sam appreciated you, treated you the way I should have and my insecurities got the best of me. Being compared to someone better than me messed me up and seeing you with Sam...it just...it struck a nerve and I lost control and said things I shouldn’t have. You didn’t deserve that and I am truly sorry for hurting you.” Bucky’s voice was strained, as if he was giving it his all not to break.

And for the first time since the entire ordeal happened, you finally understood him. You didn’t regret your outburst, Bucky needed that wake up call to fix his attitude. But now, you were slowly figuring him out.

He wasn’t perfect but he was trying. You could see that now.

“I’m so sorry about your past.” you mumbled, bowing down.

Bucky called out your name gently, “You shouldn’t be. This was all me and thanks to you, I realized how much of an ass I was.” he laughed.

“I’m not going to force you to forgive me...I just wanted you to know that you’re so much more than what you think. And you deserve so much better than me or this company. You’re in good hands with Sam.” Bucky sadly said, avoiding your eyes as he looked around his surroundings.

“I turned down his offer.” you said.

Bucky’s head snapped back at you, eyes wide and somewhat hopeful. Before he could even assume, you quickly clarified things.

“But I’m not staying either.” you said. “I think it’s also time for me to try out other things, you know?”

Bucky nodded, his eyes sad. However, he managed to give you a genuine smile. “I understand.”

“Thanks, Bucky.” you said. “Thank you for trusting me and for respecting my decision.”

Thinking that everything was finally addressed, you sort of got disappointed that Bucky didn’t say anything else. Not that you were expecting him to say something. Definitely not expecting.

You stopped swaying to the music and tried to step back but then Bucky didn’t let you go. His hands stayed on your waist and his eyes on yours. His mouth was open agape, as if he wanted to say something but just couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“You okay?” you worriedly asked.

Bucky nodded, “I just…”

“You just…what?” you urged.

“I wanted you to know that…” Bucky trailed, his eyes dilating as he gazed at you with an expression you couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“When I said that I didn’t know how to show it when I cared about someone,” Bucky started and for some reason, your heart began to pound heavily against your ribcage.

You didn’t know why your palms started to sweat and why you felt restless all of a sudden as you waited for Bucky to speak up. He too seemed to be going through the same thing because you could feel his fingers dig into the fabric of your dress the same way your hands were tightening their grip on his shoulders.

“Bucky, what are you trying to say?” you insisted.

Bucky looked up at you, his eyes scanning your features from your nose down to your lips before going back to your eyes. And in that moment, you already knew what he was going to say before he even said it out loud.

“I’m in love with you and it drives me crazy.”

[riddlessbasilisk]

Hi I’m a fellow tom simp 🥺 I really love a mean Tom but a nice one gets me in the feels when he starts realising he cares and gets that guilty feeling. Do you every see your self writing a Tom x innocent reader who he accidentally hurts and then feels guilty for but doesn’t want to admit it but for some reason her cuteness rules over him😭😭💖 I’m tryna turn his lil agressive ass soft but I wanna see how you could make that work 🙏🏽🥺

Hey 👀 Yeah, I've got you. Gotta love a bit of conflicted Tom, Man is a trainwreck when he has f e e l i n g s

Why is this gif of Tom so- 10/10 *chefs kiss*

Y/H - Your house

×××××

On your first day at Hogwarts, you were considered average, a halfblood with no real reputation on either side of the family. You had a few friends, sure, and you did eventually get sorted into Y/H, which helped people believe more in your kind-hearted nature. But you were still just that, average, plain, unrecognizable in a crowd.

By your Second Year at Hogwarts, you had established some sort of name for yourself. Not all good of course, more than one of the Slytherins had called you too 'soft', but it wasn't enough to overlap what everyone else seemed to think of you. That you were a good person to go to for help, that you were a good person to rely on, that you were a good person.

By your Third Year at Hogwarts, you had been noticed by a certain Riddle, Tom Marvolo Riddle, to be exact. You had heard the rumours about him, girls swooned, guys wanted to be him, and a few, a small few, absolutely detested him - and neither you nor any one else knew why.

By your Fourth Year at Hogwarts, you had been often seen around the said Riddle from before, despite whoever protested to it. Though the name Riddle fitted Tom far too well, and perhaps you should've realised that some Riddles can't be fully solved until the last minute, and sometimes the answer isn't as nice as you'd been made to believe, and sometimes it's so much better than you ever imagined.

---

Your fingers felt frosted as you sat on your cloak against the crisp grass of Autumn, the courtyard was barely visible other than the lanterns splaying the walls. The sun went down at 5 usually now, and as much as you loved the stars sparkling up in the sky, the chill was much too noticeable - but it hardly compared to the chill that had turned into a layer of ice around your heart, and maybe that's why you continued to sit there and let the wind take over your body and the moon take over your mind

You didn't know why Tom had did it really, you didn't have the answer to why you had seen him flirting with a Pureblood Witch from your Astronomy class, but you had an idea, and it was that she was in higher classes than you, just like Tom was, and that's probably where they met, and that's probably where he had realised that she's better than you academically, and much more regal and proper.

And as much as you wished he had turned around and apologised when you caught him, he didn't, you swore he had glared actually. But you didn't mind, it's not like either of you had ever declared any sort of relationship, or said you had loved eachother - but it still hurt, really bad, and as much as you wanted to believe that those days at hogsmede, or honeydukes, or when he would let you, and only you, sit with him in the library while he read, meant something, that seemed unrealistic.

Because you had swore that you had seen him take her into the library with him earlier.

Looking up at the stars felt bitter, because they were like him, twinkling, brilliant, and yet incased in darkness only brightened by the moon, and while you wanted to believe you were his moon, it was far too obvious that you were only a shooting star who went as quick as they came.

But the ice around your heart was thawed only by the woes that Tom had told you so many times before, about how he didn't understand himself as much as he wished he did, about how Abraxas and Avery were annoyances more than they were conveniences. Things he had never told anyone else, things you doubted he would even tell her.

And the ice frosted over again when you remembered the time you saw him pin a third year muggleborn against the wall for something so minimal, or when you saw Avery come out of the Slytherin common room one day with bruises along his arms that you were sure weren't there the day before.

Tom Riddle was a bad person

And you were a good person

People had said it before, so why did it hurt you to realise,

And why did you still want him so so badly.

It was because you wanted to be the moon in his darkness, you wanted him to be next to you with frosted fingers imagining you in the stars, you believed you could be the moon to his darkness.

Which is why you were going to the library, because you knew he would be there, and you knew he was a good person, and you knew that Sienna Bowcan only wanted him for his looks.

Pushing open the library door, your confidence slipped away, there he was, there they both were. Tears pushed up against your vision but you blinked them away, taking comfort in the smell of old books that invaded the space around you.

Pushing yourself forward reluctantly, you stopped in front of them, Tom didn't even glance at you, Sienna seemed to be seething.

"What do you want, L/N?", The pureblood spoke through her teeth, an amount of jealousy seeping through, and you noticed Tom stiffen at that, which thawed your heart again, even though you weren't entirely sure it was her that stiffened him.

"Can I speak to you, Tom?" You spoke quietly, trying not to let your nerves show through, because you didn't know if rejection would hurt more or not, "Alone?", you glanced at her again, and the hate surrounding her made you shiver.

The man himself closed over the book he had been reading, a potions textbook, which seemed a little off for him, considering he was perfect at potions, but you didnt comment. His brown eyes looked up at you with a cold glare, which made you almost sure of rejection,

Until he didn't, standing up,

"Where to, L/N"

But perhaps being referred to like that by him of all people hurt like it was rejection, and suddenly you wanted to cry again, "The astronomy tower?", your voice was meek, and it felt humiliating.

The first half of the walk up there was uneventful, but you could feel him looking at you, analysing you as if you were that potions textbook from the library, "Why do you look sad?", His voice was neutral, but Tom Marvolo Riddle didn't ask questions without reason. That in itself made you think that maybe it wasn't all just a facade.

Forcing yourself to look at him, you couldn't help but smile, that face, that face of his right now, the one that was somewhere between frustration and confusion. He had made it before when he was ranting about his feelings to you, "I'm hurt", you admitted.

Suddenly, halfway up the tower, he stopped, prompting you to stop with him,

"Why are you hurt? Who hurt you, I can talk to them, if you'd like", you felt stunned for a second, confused, talk to them? He would do that for you? Of course, unless he planned on talking to himself, that probably wouldn't work today, "You hurt me, Tom" you looked down, not wanting to look at him, but you could only imagine the whirlwind happening in those eyes of his.

You felt your chin being grabbed softly and pushed up, but you didn't register it until you saw him again. Annoyance swirled in his eyes, prettier than any stars that could be born, and yet his annoyance hardly seemed directed at you, "How...did I hurt you?", All of the confidence that was Tom Marvolo Riddle was still there, but he seemed confused, vulnerable almost. Your smile weakened a little, "I just, thought there was...something between us, but then you started..pursuing Bowcan", You shifted away from him a little, prepared to run so be it he laughed, or mocked you.

You hoped he wouldn't, because you didn't believe he was as bad as people made him out to be.

Yet, he just seemed confused when you looked into his eyes again, "I do like you." He stated in an almost factual tone, as if it were the most clear thing in the world.

"But Bowc-", Tom cut you off quickly, not just with the look he gave you but with the pull he had gave your arm before he interlooped it with his own and led you up the stairs and into the astronomy tower, guiding you towards the edge of the rail and looking up at the stars, "Bowcan means nothing", his voice interlapped with the wind.

"Does that mean we...do have something?", as much as you wanted to say, 'are you mine?', or, 'are we together then?', you knew that that was far too blunt for him.

For Tom, however, he looked up at the stars to avoid your gaze, because he didn't know what he was doing. He had you beside him, he had you, he always had, considering anyone else who got near you romantically ended up with some sort of visit off of him (indirectly or not). Yet he had hurt you, and that hurt him, and nothing was allowed to hurt him, or make him weak, and if you were anyone else he was sure he would've threw you over the railing, or atleast debated it.

But if him being with Bowcan hurt you, despite her being little more than a pawn in the game he played, then he would stop. And even though this encounter had absolutely ruined his match, he hardly cared, because it was you

He didn't hesitate to squeeze your arm, "Yes, apparently so", and as much as he wanted to say so much more, he couldn't, because you didn't know half of the things he did, and he didn't want to ruin that innocence - and feeling you press yourself closer to him in some form of content filled him with emotions he hardly understood.

Maybe the stars told him all he had to know. He was the darkness and you were the light within, both the stars and the moon - because the light in his heart, small as it may be, was reserved for you, and you had all the light in the world to offer to everyone else.

[marvelslut16]

Prank gone wrong

Prompt number: 19 “I can’t do this anymore”

Fandom: It

Paring: Richie Tozier x reader (aged up to 17 or 18)

Rating: T

Word count: 2.6k (this was supposed to be short!)

Warnings: Swearing. Bullying. Mentions of domestic abuse/domestic violence- nothing graphic. asshole Richie. Angst but ends fluffy

A/N: Oof I’ve been gone for ages, I’m sorry guys. But here’s day one of fictober, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep up and this will motivate me to write regularly again. I’m not sure if I love this one or not. I liked the idea when I started and then it took some turns and this is what I ended up with while writing between zoom classes, so sorry if it sucks. I added the second gif cause it’s closer to the age in the story. 

It all started as a stupid prank, a way to get back at Greta for years and years of torture, you never thought it would end in you losing a friend. Just over three months ago Richie agreed to Bev’s plan, take Greta out on a few dates and then publicly humiliate her- give her a taste of her own medicine. But to everyone's surprise, it lasted way longer than a few dates and there was no end in sight. Worst of all it seemed that Richie was actually falling for her- he would defend her any chance he got and even started ditching the losers to spend time with her and her friends. 

It was no surprise to you that Greta fell for Richie, he’s funny, sweet, and he’s aged well. His head has grown into his coke bottle glasses, he still wears hawian shirts but now he has a leather jacket over them constantly- a leather jacket that the two of you picked out together. There is no better than one Richie Tozier, and your feelings are getting harder and harder to deny. Your crush on the trashmouth developed back in middle school- the summer Pennywise reigned terror, but through the years your crush turned into something stronger- by senior year you knew you loved him. Halfway into said school year every loser, besides Richie of course, knew of your feelings for him. The pitied glances they would send your way were almost suffocating. 

Richie is late to lunch yet again, probably making out with Greta in the hallway, so each of you are using this time to talk about the personal hell her and her friends have created for each of you today. You go last, quickly giving them a rundown of your encounter with her in the bathroom, where she threatened you to stay away from ‘her Richie’ and that you would live to regret it if you didn’t. She even ripped one of your textbooks out of your hands, dropping it into the disgusting toilet water- calling you a worthless slut on her way out. 

“Greta is such a bitch!” you complain to your friends, mindlessly pushing around the mush they call lunch at Derry high with the cheap plastic spork they provide. 

“I’d prefer if you didn’t talk about my girlfriend that way,” Richie’s voice is calm and even- lacking the normal excitement and joking lilt to it. Your eyes widen in horror at him having heard you, then they narrow at how genuine his defense of her is. 

“Richie, c’mon, let it go,” Eddie pleads, glancing between your shocked and hurt face and Richie’s angry one. 

“No Eddie, I’m so sick of (Y/N) talking shit about my girlfriend!” you whip around in your seat and look at him in shock. 

“Richie what the hell?” you rise out of your seat so he won’t look down on you literally and figuratively anymore. He cocks his eyebrow, head dropping to the side as he crosses his arms and lets out a huff of annoyance. “Ya know what? I can’t do this anymore!”

“Do what anymore?” Richie doesn’t drop the cocky attitude, making the next words out of your mouth slightly less painful. 

“Be your friend,” there’s a collective gasp from your friends. Richie’s face morphs into shock and sadness for a split second before hardening and sending you another glare. “Not when you’re dating her. She’s changing you Richie!” 

“Greta was right about you, you are a bitch,” your breath catches in your throat and you fight the tears that well up in your eyes. Richie’s glare is unflinching as you stare him in the eye, a tell-tale sign that he doesn’t regret a single word that he said. The murmuring from the table behind you stops the moment the words leave his mouth, they all stare at their friend in shock. 

“Fine, then you’ll never have to deal with this bitch again,” you spin around and grab your backpack and lunch tray. “Fuck you Richard Tozier!” you dump your tray of mush into the trach on your way out of the cafeteria nad away from that stupid boy you somehow fell for. 

“What did you just do?” Stan is the first one to regain the use of his voice, he’s glaring at Richie as the boy takes your recently vacated seat. 

“I’m sick of her attitude towards Greta,” he tries to defend, shocked when all of his friends level him with matching glares. 

“W-wh-what h-ha-ha-happen-ned to th-he pr-pr-prank-k?” Bill’s recently improved stuttering growing worse as he grows anxious at the turn of events between his friends. 

“Greta isn’t the bad one here, we’ve been rude to her all of these years!” Richie once again tries to effectively defend his girlfriend.

“She wrote loser on my cast!” Eddie practically screeches before he goes into an anxiety attack, beleving it’s an asthma attack he takes two puffs from his inhaler.

“Her and her friends dumped wet garbage on me,” Bev adds, quieter than Eddie. 

“That was in middle school,” Richie rolls his eyes, leaning back in his seat. 

“I thought you were in love with (Y/N) before the whole prank, that you did it to get over her,” Eddie says slowly this time, having calmed down from moments prior. 

“Greta helped me realize I never loved (Y/N), I was doing what was expected after years of friendship,” the losers stare at him- open mouthed and gaping at Richie’s stupidity. 

“She attacked (Y/N) in the bathroom this morning,” Mike tries to reason with his brainwashed friend. 

“No, (Y/N) was lying to you guys. She attacked Greta earlier, not the other way around. She screamed at Greta to break up with me or she’d regret it, and then dumped her books in the toilet and called her slut.”

“Greta did that to (Y/N), you dumbass!” Bev grows increasingly angry, at Richie and herself for coming up with the stupid prank. “I was in there with her, Greta’s convinced (Y/N)’s in love with you so she wants to rip you apart. Do you honestly believe (Y/N) would do something like that?”

“Shit!” Richie slams his fists on the table, causing most of the cafeteria to turn and looking at him briefly before going back to their individual tasks. Everything Greta had blamed on you in the past three months comes rushing back and he realizes that they’re all out of character but in character for Greta. Somewhere along the way he convinced himself that Greta was telling the truth so he had a reason to stop being in love with his best friend- he was too scared to tell you because you’re the only person that could actually hurt him. 

“(Y/N) (L/N) to the principal's office immediately,” the voiceover the intercom cracks showing the age of the ancient system. 

“Richie?” Stan isn’t sure he wants to know the truth as he asks the question. 

“I told Greta to tell the principal,” his voice is oddly quiet and broken, definitely out of character for the jokester trashmouth. 

“You fucking idiot!” Bev seethes, staring Richie down. They’re the only two that know the truth about your father. 

--

You quickly get up from your place in the library and walk down the empty halls to get to the principal's office. Once you arrive the secretary gives you a dirty look, causing you to sink back and the pit of anxiety in your gut to grow. Greta sends you a triumphant smirk before going back to fake sobbing as she walks out of the principal's office and past you. 

You feel like you're going to vomit as you walk into the principal's office behind him, the look on his face says you’ll get after school detention for at least a week! Whatever lies Greta told about you are clearly being believed by him and the secretary. 

“You’re a good student Miss. (L/N), so why have you been harassing Miss. Keene?” he crosses his arms over his chest, they rest lightly on top of his bulging gut. 

“I haven’t-” you try to defend, but he puts up a hand to stop you. 

“She alleges it’s because you have feelings for her boyfriend Mr. Tozier and you’re upset that she chose her over you.”

“That’s not true-” his glare cuts you off this time. 

“Today alone you threw her books in the toilet, threatened her for being with Richie, and called her a slut,” the words today alone stand out to you, how many lies did she tell? 

“She did that to me! Not the other way around!” you try desperately for him to believe you. 

“Then why didn’t you come to me?” he raises a brow much like Richie did in the  cafeteria, Greta has both of them wrapped around her finger and against you. 

“Because no ones ever done anything! She’s been torturing me since we were in grade school and she’s never got in trouble! A freshman came to you last week saying Greta was bullying her and you didn’t do anything!”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to suspend you for the rest of the week.” he says firmly, no room for negotiation or pleading. 

“That’s four days!” you cry out incredulously.

“Do you want to make it longer?” when you don’t respond he continues talking. “Your father is on his way, go get your books from your locker and leave school property.” 

You hear someone call your name from down the hall as you grab all of your textbooks from your locker, trying to shove all five thick books into your bag. You ignore the voice up until it’s right next to you and you realize it’s Richie trying to plead for forgiveness. 

“Lose my number, and while you’re at it forget my name. Stay the fuck away from me Tozier!” Your outburst grabs the attention of the other students walking to their next class, everyone shocked by the inseparable duo of Tozier and (L/N) fighting. You slam your locker shut with a loud bang, heading for the door and away from him calling your name.

--

Monday comes agonizingly slowly, but when it does you're sitting with Bev in the bathroom during third period, both of you telling your teachers you don’t feel good. 

“How bad was it?” she flicks her lighter and lights her cigarette, standing next to the window so she can blow the smoke outside. 

“Worse than it's ever been,” you feel ghost pains on your back from where your dad's leather belt met your flesh for the past six days. “Since Richie didn’t sneak in to help clean them this time I think I may have an infection.”

“He broke up with Greta,” Bev changes the subject, she knows you only trust Richie enough to see the damage your father inflicts, so she doesn’t bother to ask to check on it.” 

“Good for him,” you stare down at the gross linoleum tile under your beat up Chuck Taylor’s. Richie had promised to take you away from your father the moment you two graduated, he’d been promising it for years, even while he was with Greta, but now you aren’t holding out hope for the promise. 

“He’s been miserable without you,” the bell signaling the end of the period saves you from formulating an answer. Bev quickly flushes her cigarette butt and the two of you head to the cafeteria, you’re a little worried about sitting with the losers after your fight with Richie. Bev grabs your hand and gently pulls you to the table when she notices your hesitance. You catch up with the rest of the losers, minus Richie who isn’t in the lunchroom which you’re oddly sad about, finding out about tests and break ups you missed while you were suspended. The loud ear splitting sound of feedback causes the entire cafeteria to cover their ears and look to the microphone stand in the front of the room. Richie is standing in the front holding the microphone, cringing slightly at the loud sound. No lunch ladies run to grab the microphone from him, meaning he got permission to do whatever it is he’s about to do. His wild curls bounce as he nervously shifts from foot to foot as he looks around the cafeteria until he locks eyes with you. You can’t look away from him so you miss the smiles the losers give each other and the high five Bev and Ben share. 

“(Y/N) I don’t know what I could ever say to you to get you to forgive me, I can never forgive myself for hurting you,” he talks into the microphone, everyone looking between the two of you, but neither of you seem to notice anyone but each other. “I know I embarrassed you, so maybe if I embarrass myself in front of everyone you’ll forgive me a little bit. (Y/N), I never meant to hurt you, I only agreed to the prank because I wanted to forget you. No- fuck that doesn’t sound right.

“I’ve been in love with you since middle school and I knew you could never love me too, even when Ed’s told me you did I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to forget my feelings for you because I never wanted to hurt you, so I agreed to the prank. But I hurt you anyway because I let Greta get in my head, so I even failed the damn prank. But I love you so fucking much (Y/N) and I’m sick of running from these damn feelings. All I want to do is take you away from this hellhole after we graduate, and go to NYU together like we’ve planned since Freshman year. I love you (Y/N) (L/N), and I’ll spend the rest of my life apologizing to you about how shitty I was if you give me a second chance.” 

Your body stands up on autopilot, and you don’t realize you’re walking towards him until your face to face. Lifting your hand you gently push a curl that fell in front of his eye away and tuck it behind his ear, he leans his head into your hand as a lunch lady comes and takes the microphone out his hand grinning largely at teen love. You struggle to find words, so you wrap both your hands around the lapels of his leather jacket and pull him into a kiss. It isn’t your first kiss, Bill had dared you two to kiss sophomore year in a game of truth or dare in the barrens, but this kiss is different. These aren't two kids afraid of the adult feelings that were overcoming them, these are two almost adults finally giving into the most powerful and amazing feeling in existence. Richie makes sure to keep his hands away from your back, he’ll clean out your cuts later, instead he tangles his fingers into your hair pulling you in deeper. Before the kiss can go too far you pull back giggling as Richie follows your face trying to kiss you again. 

“I love you too,” you rest your forehead on his, turning your giggling face into a mock serious one. “But you’re on thin ice mister.” 

“I love you more,” he caresses your cheek and you grin happily, laughing at his antics when he starts speaking again. “Than I love Eddie’s mom.” the entire cafeteria is whooping and hollering at your kiss, but non louder than your losers. Well, everyone except Greta, who lets out a high pitched huff and storms out of the cafeteria. 

“I think the prank ended up working out,” you giggle, lightly nipping at Richie’s thumb as it grazes over your lower lip.

Permanent tags: @crimson-knuckled-queen​ @rexorangecouny​

[early2000smovieimagines]

Meeting and Dating Cady Heron

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- You obviously met Cady when she moved to town and started going to your school. You weren’t in any of her classes so you didn’t know about her until lunch time came around and a new red head bobbed it’s way through the crowd.

- You watched with pity as she searched the intimidating landscape before your eyes locked. Ever the empath, you kept her gaze and gave a small smile as she somewhat timidly approached. And thus, you became Cadys first American friend.

-While it may not be the greatest thing to go through, at the end of the day I think the whole plastic situation has to happen to Cady, except this time, what's really spurring her on is the fact that Regina George bullied you. 

- Truth be told, it all started out as good fun between Cady, Janis, Damien, and subsequently you; but then Cady saw how Regina treated you and it became personal.

- Cady was starting to realize she had a serious thing for you; something she never expected since she hadn’t ever thought of herself as dating a girl, so seeing you getting insulted and pushed around made her really commit to her plan. She was going to destroy Regina and the rest of the plastics, and she was gonna do it for you. 

- Except, things don’t always go as planned, do they? No, Cady got carried away, and in her efforts to help and avenge you, she only hurt you in the process. 

- Somewhere in the middle of her plans, she’d nervously word vomited and told you about her feelings and to her surprise you’d accepted them happily. The two of you became a secret item and that only made her feel the need to work even harder at her revenge plot. 

- Well, you know how the rest of the story goes, she starts blowing you off constantly, “has to” talk bad about you to the other plastics, and gets completely lost in her efforts. 

- See, she’d ignore you all day and then she’d show up late at your house acting like a, well, …a plastic. It was one of those nights when your relationship took a turn for the worse.

- She’d told you earlier that day that she couldn’t hang out with you, but then she’d arrived at your house at eleven o’clock when your parents were out on a date, prancing around in her tight dress and pretending like everything was completely normal. 

- You’d went to your room and she’d immediately started to blatantly come onto you. You, still a little upset at her recent behavior, gently pushed her from you and asked what had gotten into her. 

- Under other circumstances, you probably wouldn’t have minded the visit or the propositioning. You probably could have even forgotten about your bruised feelings as well, but then she’d asked “what was wrong with you”, tried to kiss you again, and things escalated from there. 

- Insults were thrown, accusations were made, and you threw her out of your house before collapsing against your front door in a fit of hot angry tears. It wasn’t long before your new friends; Janis and Damien, could also join your anti Cady Heron club.

- Though you knew you still loved her, you couldn’t deny that she hurt you, and if that person you’d encountered was “the new Cady”, you didn’t want anything to do with her. 

- When the burn book surfaces, you aren’t surprised to see a page dedicated to you though the insults are everything you’d already heard so it didn’t exactly hurt your feelings. What did surprise you was that Cady took the fall for it. 

- You knew it wasn’t true; at least not fully, but who were you to say anything. Your …girlfriend(?) had dug herself a grave that only she could climb her way out of. 

- Alas, you weren’t as heartless as you wished you could be and against your will and better judgement, you found yourself driving to her house after your bullying assembly and asking her if you could talk. 

- The two of you spent the next hour talking things out and eventually making up, with her apologizing profusely the entire time. It was easy to se that she felt horrible which made forgiving her just as easy.

- And so, the two of you are back together again and this time it’s for the better in a much nicer high school environment. 

- You have a lot of pda in your relationship but it’s rarely things that can be interpreted as being too romantic considering it’s the early 2000s and we know that at that high school, being gay wasn’t good.

- Handholding. 

- Long hugs. 

- Slow, soft kisses. 

- Cheek kisses. 

- She loves cuddling. She likes hugging you while resting her head on your chest. 

- Inside jokes. 

- Teasing each other. 

- You know those scenes in movies where couples are play fighting, like slapping each others hands after one steals a fry then proceeding to laugh with each other before kissing? That’s the two of you constantly. 

- Wearing her Mathletes jacket.

- Going to all her tournaments.

- She’s got a good memory when it comes to you, she’ll never forget your birthday, anniversary, or any other important things to you. 

- Gifts, except this time they aren’t to sabotage your life. 

- Teaching her about pop culture and high school life.

- Seeing her adorable excited reactions to recognizing American things: songs, references, etc.

- Getting to hear her stories about living in Africa. 

- African terms of endearment. Bokkie, choty goty, poepolletjie, poplap, etc.

- Letting her rant to you. She just can’t shut up when she’s angry.

- She overthinks things when she’s nervous so you try your best to calm her down. She does the same for you whenever you get overwhelmed and worked up. 

- She’s really good at comforting you and does so the minute she thinks you look sad or she can tell that somethings hurt you. 

- The girlfriend that pulls your skirt/shirt down or brushes your hair back for you when you don’t notice you’re about to be exposed or dip it in something.

- She still has Plastic tendencies so occasionally you’ll catch her saying “love ya” and blowing kisses.

- Going to the mall. You’ll usually drop in and say hi to Janis and Damien.

- Being Damien's wing women and eventually going on double dates with him. 

- Study dates. 

- Going to the movies together. 

- Bowling and roller skating dates. 

- Zoo dates. 

- Using that walker brothers pancake house gift certificate. 

- She isn’t really afraid of potentially making a fool of herself so she’s game to do all the things society deems as “lame” with you. 

- Family dinners at her house. 

- Her parents are supportive so you’re guaranteed at least one pair of adults who are happy to see you two together. 

- Her mother makes the two of you matching bracelets. 

- She’s a very jealous girl. Cady hasn’t ever really liked anyone before, she’s also never had a partner before, so seeing you with other boys or girls makes her feel this red hot sort of prickling anger. She plays it cool; knowing she can’t just attack them, but when you’re back at her side, she tries to keep your attention focused solely on her.

- Cady isn’t offensively protective, rather than go after the other person, she hangs back and makes sure you’re okay. She’ll always be at your side, comforting you, shielding you from view and glaring at whoever hurt you. With that being said, she might occasionally have to handle things as though she were in the animal kingdom.

- Making sure people don’t take advantage of her naivety towards American life. 

- She word vomits when she's angry so while you don’t fight very often, when you do, she may accidentally say something she doesn’t mean or just let out a mouthful of a rant. One of you will either apologize right then and there or you’ll give each other the silent treatment.

- She’s usually the first one to crack after you’ve had a fight, she just can’t stand you being upset with her. She always gives a genuine apology and asks if things are alright between the two of you; smiling and giving you a hug when you tell her that they are.

- She’s not afraid to tell you she loves you, in fact, she loves saying it. She says it just about every time you say goodbye, and when she’s really happy, and when she just feels the need to.

- In the animal kingdom, few animals mate for life. She hopes that the two of you are among those few.

[criminalminds4days]

Family Matters | Chapter 8: First Time

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 2.8k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog​

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(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 8: First Time

It is time to reveal the first meeting between the shy doctor and his new, very clumsy girlfriend.

Why is this the time, you may ask?

Well, because,  what better way to intrigue the reader than by leaving the couple in newfound happiness without delivering the details of the said night. As well as provide a title that could reference the event and/or have it mean something completely different.

Not to worry, the awaited next morning shall be given in the next chapter.

Without any more delay, please enjoy the individual perspective of the first time they saw each other.

She took a deep breath as the elevator doors opened for the first time, leading her to what was bound to be her new workplace. She smiled politely at all the people she encountered in her short walk and as soon as she reached the glass doors she froze.

How had she made it this far? What if she wasn't good enough? What if the whole room hated her and she was just a horrible profiler and got fired on day two?

No, she was good enough otherwise she wouldn't be here. That was easier said than believed. She gathered the courage she needed and pushed the door, only to be greeted with it being stuck. She continued putting force, hoping it would decide to open before someone noticed her struggling, but it was too late for that.

"It's a pull, not a push." A deep voice said, behind her. She turned to see a dark-skinned tall man with no hair and very full eyebrows. He was wearing a black T-shirt that made his obvious muscles stand out. He wore black pants and dress shoes and a gun was holstered to his side. He was cute! Not that she had the time for dating, she didn't want a repeat of last year.

Instead of commenting on his appearance or flirting, she decided to pull the door, and would you know? It was suddenly unstuck. "I knew it wasn't stuck, I was just making sure it was strong enough."

The man chuckled, followed by a "sure," that wasn't even trying to sound convincing.

She made her way inside the bullpen, looking for her new boss, Aaron Hotchner's office. As she approached said room, a group of desks with only one person sitting caught her eye. She debated whether to approach but she could feel the man from earlier staring at her and decided not to. As soon as she met with agent Hotch, as he asked her to refer to him as, they were called for a case and she was in the meeting room for the first time, sitting as far away from everyone as possible.

"Everyone, before we start I want to introduce you to our new Agent," Hotch said, as he referred to the woman. She stood and waved. "This is our team, Derek Morgan," he said pointing at the man from earlier, he winked at her knowingly and she simply smiled, already wishing to leave. "This is Jennifer Jareau, Emily Prentiss, David Rossi-"

"DAVID ROSSI?!" Her voice echoed through the room and she instantly felt embarrassment settle in. "I am so sorry, I'm such a fan. You must get that a lot, sorry."

She looked at the members she had been introduced to, Jennifer Jareau was wearing a striped dress shirt and dress pants, her blonde hair was left down and her blue eyes looked amused. Emily Prentiss wore her black hair in a low ponytail, a pink shirt, and black pants, she also seemed to be having a good time at her expense.

The man whose books she had in paperback, hardcover and audible, simply chuckled as if his only feeling was amusement. His hair was short and he had a lock beard look going on, a black suit with a matching red tie a clearly expensive watch on his wrist, he basically smelled like money.

"As I was saying," continued Hotch, adjusting the blue tie of his seemingly very expensive suit, a white dress shirt underneath. "This is Penelope Garcia, our Tech analyst, and Dr. Spencer Reid." She looked at the last two members and for the first time, she saw people like her. Although all the members introduced prior seemed like good people, they also seemed so professional, like they knew what they were doing and when to get their hands dirty. The remaining two, seemed younger, like how they presented themselves to the world was the same whether they were on the job as it was in their spare time.

Penelope had a beautiful rainbow dress, her blonde hair with a lot of volume and pins stuck all over, although she didn't like cats, she adored the woman's cat-themed glasses, and deep down she was a sucker for glitter. Spencer, the other doctor in the room, was wearing a white shirt underneath the comfiest looking red sweater she had ever seen. It was weird seeing someone wearing a sweater in the middle of the summer, but hey, who was she to judge? His hair was lazily pushed back and his curls were so pretty! How do you get curls that pretty?! Not to mention he was good looking, a defined jawline, and those brown eyes could melt her any time he wanted.

There she was, thinking things she shouldn't of yet another coworker. "It is a pleasure to meet you all." She took her seat again and Penelope began presenting the case.

As they were brainstorming, she had finally felt confident enough to suggest something, only to find herself interrupted by Spencer Reid. "Nu-uh bruh, I know you didn't just interrupt me mid-sentence." She spoke, clearly not having it. "I did not work my butt off to make it to the FBI just so that a man who wears sweaters in the middle of July cuts me off on my first day!" All eyes turned to her, perplexed. "I don't know how they do it here in the East Coast but back in the west we let a person finish their sentence." Laughs emerged in the room, and Spencer's eyebrows furrowed, slightly annoyed and very confused.

"I beg your pardon?" The man questioned.

"As you should. My pardon is granted." She turned back and finished her thoughts.

At that moment, unknowingly, she had just put into motion the seed for what would become her and Spencer Reid's relationship. And all the events that followed, her almost-death at the hands of a cult leader, her cool head when proving Morgan's innocence, and the countless times she made sure every single member of her team remained safe while providing them with immense ammunition to laugh when feeling down left an impression. Neither knew it but they were on each other's mind more than they realized. But that's not what you want to hear right now, is it?

After getting on the jet, the seat next to who she believed to be Emily Prentiss was the only one available. She took the seat and the woman gave her a kind smile.

"It wasn't that bad." She assured her.

"I may have just made a really bad first impression."

"You didn't, if anything we like you more than before." She followed this by a wink as the team reviewed the case and they took off.

"So, detective Owen is leading this investigation, you guys remember him, correct?" JJ spoke first.

"From the stalker case," Hotch noted.

"Yes." The blonde agreed, "Spence, you remember that case, right?"

"Yes Jennifer, I do." She took a chance by glancing up to find him very flustered at the mention.

"Do you ever talk to, what's her name again... Lila, right? Do you keep in contact with her?" She questioned, an amused smile forming on her face.

"I honestly think we should focus on this particular case." He answered, avoiding the question.

She turned to Emily who shrugged, just as confused as she was. Rossi seemed as lost as the two women, but Morgan and JJ seemed to be having a good time.

After landing and meeting with the local PD, they had begun their investigation, trying to understand this unsub. It had been about twenty-four hours since she had food and her growling stomach wasn't helping anyone.

"How about we go to get some food newbie?" Emily suggested, "I could use some right now."

"Sure."

As they made their way to the first food cart they saw, Emily cursed under her breath. "Fuck, I forgot my purse."

"It's okay, my treat. After all, thanks to you I'm getting food."

"I will pay you back."

"No need." With this said, the two ordered a hot dog and a soda. She should have known better than to do so, as soon after her first bite, the meal decided to find a second home in her shirt. "Oh, come on!"

"That's not good." Emily agreed, "let me run to the hotel, it's two blocks from here, and I'll get you a new shirt."

"You don't need to do that."

"I will be fast, don't worry."

Too late she realized that Emily's purse, which she assumed had her hotel key, was in the office. Nonetheless, the woman returned with a sweater to help her cover the stain. The irony wasn't lost on her, she judged Spencer's sweater-wearing and now she had to do the same.

This was definitely going to be a great day.

*************************************************

Spencer Reid was never one to be noisy, nor the first one to notice people. This often came out as rude and most people believed he thought he was better than them, which was not the case. The truth is that overcoming his addiction had left him drained, the parting of Elle Greenaway, the only woman he could safely admit he loved, and the departure of yet another father figure, Jason Gideon, had made him developed a closed-off personality that prevented him from ever creating attachments to new individuals. Emily Prentiss and David Rossi being the only exceptions.

This is important to know because as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen walked into the bullpen, he tried his hardest to avoid looking up. Granted, it was more for appearance sake than anything, because there was no way he hadn't noticed her. How could he not? She wore a white shirt that was loose enough to give her a sense of floating through the room. He had seen her struggle to open the door, and the interaction she had with Derek Morgan and knew if he made a move the Doctor would have no chance. Not that he wanted one, he didn't even know her name.

He saw her walk towards Aaron Hotchner's office and any possibility that might have crossed his mind had been completely shattered. She would be his teammate, and fraternization was not allowed within the same unit. Again, that was just stating the facts, because he wouldn't even consider entering a romantic relationship. It was true that he had kissed more girls in the last two years than he had done in the last twenty-six years of his life, but that didn't mean he was a player, or that he would try to get in the new agents' pants.

After discussing these same things with himself he was called into the bullpen and knew they would be introduced to the new girl. He fixed his sweater and rubbed his hands clearing the sweat that had accumulated.

"You okay, Spence?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem a little nervous."

"I haven't had enough coffee, is all."

"Well, how could you? Your drinks are basically liquid sugar."

"It's not that bad JJ." They both reached the room in which they held their round table and sat next to each other.

Slowly, the room filled with the rest of the team and lastly by their Unit Chief and the new member. She was introduced to all of them and he couldn't help but notice how her hands seemed so shaky and her cheeks were flushed. He took his view from her and attempted to concentrate on the case. When he finally found himself in the zone was when his biggest mistake occurred.

"If you look at the scar marks though it seems-" Before he could continue, the girl he had just interrupted had cut him off.

She made sure to set him straight and he looked up just in time to hear her mention his summer-sweater wearing and feel completely embarrassed.

"I beg your pardon?" He said a little annoyed. Sure, it wasn't correct to interrupt her, but bringing his sweater tendencies was not polite. She took his words as an actual apology whether he intended it that way or not (which he didn't) and continued.

The memory would forever be engraved in his brain, he knew that were the little things that made having an eidetic memory, not such a great perk. So, as they sat in the jet he avoided all eye contact.

How could never look her in the eye without remembering their first real interaction, and he was sure she would not want to actually have a conversation with a guy that had come off as dismissive on her first day.

He would have overthought the whole situation if it hadn't been for JJ reminding him of his first 'fling' as the team often referred to it. Lila had been an actress they had protected from a stalker, and Reid couldn't help but fall for her charms. They hadn't talked in a while, mostly because he knew dating someone you barely knew was hard enough, but doing it when the two of you lived on the other side of the country was even worse.

He made sure to try and forget the mentioned girl and the incident with the new agent as he fixed his bed space. Sleeping in hotel rooms made him very uncomfortable, knowing all the germs that could possibly inhabit every single inch, but he loved his job, so with a few accommodations, he got through it.

"More sweaters pretty boy?" Morgan said, taking one out of his go-bag. "How did it go, ah yes: I did not work my butt off to make it to the FBI just so that a man who wears sweaters in the middle of July cuts me off on my first day!"

"Please stop, it's bad enough I will forever have that memory seared in my brain. She probably thinks I'm a douchebag."

"She probably does." His roommate teased. "But don't worry, she'll come around, now, let's go. We have work to do."

Morgan threw the sweater onto his bed and the two made their way to the local police station. They spent about five hours trying to come up with a preliminary profile, hoping this would give them the insight they needed to determine the importance of victimology, and possible help with a geographical profile by letting them know if there had been missing person's reports or bodies of people that fit that general victimology. After that time Emily and the new girl decided to go get food. He was hungry too but decided against going with them because he didn't think he would be well received.

After about half an hour, the pair returned and the girl was wearing a sweater that very clearly resembled the one Morgan had left on his bed earlier that day. He didn't think much of it until they returned to their hotel room and said clothing item was nowhere to be found.

"How on earth does a sweater just disappear? We had a do not disturb sign up, there is no way housekeeping would come in." Morgan said as they both looked for it.

At this point, Spencer knew why he wouldn't find his sweater, but decided to remain silent. How could he ask her politely to return it? And more importantly, why was she wearing it? How did she get a hold of it?

He never really got an answer to these questions, as they were not really friends, and he didn't feel comfortable asking about it. She had worn it a couple of times, including during their kidnapping, it seemed rather odd to bring it up then. "Hey, I know we might die, but I just have to know: How did you get my sweater?" was probably not going to cut it. So he let her keep it, and eventually, while the memory was still engraved in his brain, it became less relevant. That was, until the next morning of their shared night, when he saw said sweater very visibly hanging on her closet door and decided to try it on and see if it still fit.

[witchyspell]

Fear of Losing You

pairing: Jimmy Darling x gender neutral!reader

summary/request: Jimmy darling x male reader: dandy and reader both meet at a show and hit it off...spending more time with dandy ment less with jimmy...jimmy being jealous decides to get your attention 💖 requested by @kingreidx

word count: 2.5k+

warnings: swearing, alcohol abuse (very drunk jimmy), angst and fluff ofc, dandy’s god complex

A/N: i’m sorry this took so long! i’ve just been overwhelmed lately and suffering from, you guessed it, writer’s block. this made me want to watch freak show for the third time, i love that season so much...anyway, i hope you enjoy! :)

IMPORTANT NOTE: this request originally asked for a male!reader’s perspective. however, more than half way through, i realized i hadn’t mentioned any specific pronouns to designate the reader and that there were no details that implied their gender. i decided to change it to a gender neutral perspective so anyone (including a male reader) could read it. i hope you understand!

[full credit to the owner of this gif!]

Eight months ago, you met the most caring and thoughtful person, Jimmy Darling. Never in your entire life had you ever encountered such a selfless and considerate soul. His laughter was unbelievably contagious and his charm so strong. His sole presence lit up any room instantly.

You first saw him when you attended Fräulein Elsa’s Cabinet of Curiosities or in other words, the town’s freak show. The idea of spending actual money to watch people perform and be treated like circus animals made you sick. They were still human no matter how they looked or what deformities they possessed, but your parents thought otherwise. They insisted it would be amusing and a ‘nice outing’.

You went anyway, the idea of defying your parents way too risky. Little did you know, that that evening, you’d meet the person who would soon become the light of your life.

From the moment he stepped on stage, you were immediately captivated. His chestnut curls drooped down over his forehead. And his eyes, despite being dark, shone under the stage lights. You didn’t notice anything unusual about him until he removed his hands from behind his back.

“These pinchers dont hold me back,” he exclaimed cheerfully. “Watch me juggle!”

The ‘pinchers’ in question resembled exactly that. They were quite large and his index and middle finger fused together as well as his ring and little finger.

The crowd oohed and aahed but you remained mostly unfazed. You studied his face a little longer, sensing something was off. Behind that joyful, cheery facade he looked unhappy, almost embarrassed.

His gaze caught yours as he wrapped up his performance, offering a smile to the audience (which you now knew wasn’t genuine) and showing off his abnormal hands one last time. Later that night, you introduced yourself to Jimmy Darling and entered his atypical, curious world.

✾ ✾ ✾

Sitting on one of the squeaky wooden chairs, you watched and absentmindedly listened as Bette and Dot practiced their singing for the upcoming show. Rehearsals had eventually become tedious and repetitive, since you never participated in the performances.

Your job was to sell tickets, and sell tickets you did. You also welcomed the spectators as they entered the show’s grounds, plastering on the biggest grin you could possibly muster.

You loved spending time and bonding with everyone but it was getting old. So old, you’d sometimes miss the show and wait in the makeup tent until you had to escort the audience out.

A quick peck to your cheek pulled you out of your thoughts and you blinked, your eyes readjusting to the intense show lights. You looked up and saw Jimmy watching you intently, waiting for you to react to his presence. He looked concerned when you didn’t respond and sat down next to you, wrapping his arms around your frame.

“Everythin’ alright, sweetheart?” Jimmy asked, cocking his head to the side.

You didn’t want to worry him so you simply nodded. What would you even tell him? That you were unhappy? That was false. You just craved something exciting...new.

“I’m fine, Jimmy. Really, I was just lost in thought that’s all,” you reassured him.

“Will you come to the show tonight, then?” Jimmy asked, pouting at you. He knew you couldn’t possibly refuse him, especially when he made that adorable face. You paused, feigning considering his offer before assuring him you were only teasing. “If you insist.”

He opened his mouth, most likely to make a witty comment, but you shut him up. You brushed your thumb over his cheek and leaned in, ever so softly kissing his pouty lips. He pulled you in even closer and you rested your head on his shoulder, watching the lights flicker as Dot’s voice echoed through the tent’s walls.

✾ ✾ ✾

Great amounts of people were rapidly flooding in, creating a large crowd. By the looks of it, tonight was going to be very busy and you were certainly not complaining. Lots of people meant lots of tips, which meant lots of publicity and propaganda for the show.

After gathering everyone and selling an impressive amount of tickets, it was nearly show time. You rushed to the makeup tent and made sure everyone was ready to perform, the perfectionist side of you definitely spilling out a little.

Elsa was the opening act, her voice never ceasing to amaze you. As you entered the tent, you spotted Jimmy pacing back in forth, seemingly nervous.

You walked over to him. “Jimmy, love...Is everything okay?” Concern laced your voice and you furrowed your eyebrows. He wasn’t a stranger to stage fright, on the contrary, it was a regular occurrence for him but it was rarely that bad.

“There’s- God, there’s so many people out there, Y/N! I don’t know if I can do it,” he shakily spoke, looking pale as a ghost.

“You’ve done this countless times, Jimmy! It’s just a few more people than usual, you can do it,” you soothed, your words only mildly reassuring him.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, the anxiety becoming overbearing. “No, it’s not the same-“

“I know it isn’t but there is absolutely nothing to worry about, okay? You always do great, tonight won’t be any different,” you engulfed him in a tight embrace and spoke in his ear. “Now, go show ‘em what you got.”

He smiled at you, whispered a quick ‘I love you’ and darted out of the tent. You followed him, confirmed every single performer was all set to go and sat in the audience. The lights dimmed, plunging the room in complete darkness and the curtains were drawn to reveal Elsa in beautiful makeup and a just as beautiful dress. Her graceful voice deeply moved you, feeling almost transported by it.

You subtly glanced around towards the end of her performance, trying to discern the look on people’s faces. Most of them looked disappointed, but you weren’t surprised. They were here for the ‘freaks’, not the real talent after all.

As your eyes scanned the crowd, a particular someone caught your eye.

He appeared to be in his mid twenties and was the textbook definition of ‘tall, dark and handsome’. He had slicked back seemingly black hair, perfectly parted down the middle. His baby blue irises, although adverted towards the stage, were still visible and bright. He wore an elegant, unique striped suit that probably cost ten times more than the most expensive item you owned.

Next to him sat an older, strawberry blonde woman who you assumed was his mother. It was clear they were significantly wealthy from their luxurious clothing.

Your attention was still fixated on the young man. Something about him was intriguing, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. Elsa had long left the stage by now and it was time for the others to shine. He looked mesmerized by everyone on stage. The fascination in his eyes was blatantly obvious, like a child in a candy shop.

He must have felt someone staring because his gaze met yours rather abruptly. You quickly spun your head back around, caught off guard. Slightly embarrassed, you shyly peered at him from the corner of your eye to make sure he was no longer paying attention to you.

Much to your surprise, he was now staring at you, an unreadable expression plastered on his face. He didn’t smile or nod, just stared. Jimmy appeared on stage just as you were beginning to get slightly anxious. You beamed at him, mouthing a silent ‘you got this’ and he flashed you his signature alluring grin in return.

The stranger still rumbled through your mind as you watched your boyfriend juggle four, five...six bowling pins. As soon as the show ended, you were about to make your way backstage to congratulate Jimmy, when a foreign male voice stopped you in your tracks.

“Excuse me?”

You hesitantly turned around and found yourself face to face with no other than the dapper young man. “Yes?” you answered skeptically.

“I noticed you speaking with one of the freaks earlier. Do you, perhaps, happen to work here?” he asked. You cringed at his choice of words but knowing correcting him wouldn’t get you anywhere, you ignored it.

“Uh, yes I do.” The awkward tension in the air was undeniably present and you slightly stuttered.

“Fascinating! You aren’t one of them I presume. You seem perfectly attractive...” he started. “Tell me, how is it living with freaks?” Your face, once again, twisted in disgust at his poor wording but you stayed calm. Jimmy on the other hand would have been fuming. The man before you had a posh way of speaking, his voice matching his wealth. It was drastically different from what you heard on a day to day basis.

“I didn’t even introduce myself! How foolish of me! Forgive me, my name is Dandy Mott,” he exclaimed, disregarding his previous question and holding his hand out.

You hesitantly took it. “Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N.” Dandy’s grip was strong as you shook his hand. He gave you a heartfelt, closed mouthed smile and bid you goodbye.

“I’ll certainly be looking forward to seeing you again, Y/N.”

✾ ✾ ✾

Ever since your first encounter with Dandy, he attended every single show with no exception. You had grown to enjoy his company even though he was strange at times. Both of you would often go on picnics and walks through town. You, of course, made sure he understood it was purely platonic. You might have been spending less time with Jimmy, but you still remained faithful. He respected your boundaries and didn’t make any advances.

Dandy was different and you liked that about him. You needed something different. Before him, every day felt the exact same and it was painfully exhausting.

Everything was going smoothly until one night, Dandy shared his beliefs about him being ‘a supreme being’. He had hinted at it before, but you brushed it off, thinking it was nothing more than an eccentric pleasantry. You were both standing in front of the freak show’s gates and its frightening entrance when he unveiled that side of himself.

“I am a god!” he had cried out. You were at a loss for words, not believing he truly felt that way at first.

“Is this some kind of joke?” you asked.

“No, this isn’t a joke! This is what I was destined to be. Don’t you get it?” Dandy was becoming more and more agitated by the second, stepping dangerously closer to you. “I would have preferred to tell you this somewhere more...formal. But here we are.”

“Dandy-”

“I thought you of all people would understand, Y/N. Why do you always have to make things so painfully complicated?” he sighed, sounding exasperated.

“Please Dandy...” Your voice trembled. “Leave, I just n-need you to leave.”

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically once again. “You really are insufferable, aren’t you?” Right as he was reaching for you arm, Eve appeared.

“Y/N, there you are! There’s- uh, you see Jimmy-“ she fumbled over her words and you took it as an opportunity to flee the scene. You trusted Eve would take care of Dandy and send him home.

You entered the show’s campus and were immediately stunned by what you saw. A small, familiar crowd of people gathered around Jimmy as he flailed his arms around, nearly dropping and smashing the whiskey bottle in his right hand. His shirt was stained with what appeared to be sweat and vomit, from drinking all night. You immediately rushed over to him.

“Oh, look who finally showed up! Have fun with that prick? You manage to remove that stick up his ass yet?” he slurred, sarcastically tipping his hat at you.

“Are you insane? What the fuck are you doing?” You whisper-yelled, grabbing his arm and dragging him over to his caravan.

“Come on, Y/N! You’re no fun! I was just explaining to them how you ditched me for some rich jerk,” Jimmy blabbered on, nearly tripping over himself.

He dragged his feet in the dirt, ruining his already worn out shoes and dropped the bottle to the ground, completely shattering it. He muttered a simple ‘oops’, chuckling to himself. You practically shoved him inside the caravan and he stumbled onto the bed.

“Get up, you’re filthy,” you demanded, the stench of his clothes unbearable.

“So, this is what I have to do for you to notice me? Get shit-faced?” He sat up, a now hurt expression on his face.

“You know that’s not true,” you settled beside him and he raised his arms, a whiff of sweat hitting your nose instantly. You peeled off the dirty garment from his skin and threw it on the floor, at the foot of the bed. You gently tilted his chin up, forcing him to look at you. His breath reeked of booze but you ignored it.

“I thought I lost you,” Jimmy whispered, tears pricked at his eyes and threatened to fall down.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to distance myself from you, I just-“ you paused, contemplating your words. “I can’t live like this anymore, Jimmy. Not here. And I know it sounds selfish because it hasn’t even been a year, but it’s the truth. I just can’t.” Your voice cracked as a tight knot formed in your throat, and you desperately searched Jimmy’s face for anything that could indicate how he was feeling.

“Come here.”

You leaped into his arms as your tears wet his bare chest. Sobs racked your body as you finally let go of everything you kept bottled in and hidden deep within yourself. Jimmy’s calloused fingers soothingly rubbed circles on the exposed skin of your back while you cried, before slowly pulling away. You peered up at him with glassy eyes, your lower lip trembling.

“I’m so sorry for everything, Jimmy. Dandy he-“ you shakily started but Jimmy was quick to shush you.

“Shh...it’s okay, baby. I forgive you,” he warmly smiled. His eyes suddenly lit up, an imaginary lightbulb shining over his head. “Now, what do you say we run away together?”

Your eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at his outrageous proposition. So many questions ran through your mind but you chose the obvious one.

“Are you serious?” you asked, utterly baffled. Jimmy burst in a fit of laughter, his adoration for you clearer than ever.

“Of course I am! All I want is a shot at a normal life...with you.” He grinned from ear to ear, his beautiful face radiating with joy causing your heart to flutter.

“Then yes, without a doubt,” you said, tearing up once more. “I love you. ”

“And I love you,” Jimmy murmured, softly pressing his lips to the top of your head and laying down, lulling you both to sleep.

[thirsty-x1]

Five Is Better Than None | Hyung Line

Request(s):

I don't know if this is too much or over the edge or something, but I have been having this is in mind for a while and I would love if someone actually wrote it 😳 So I was wondering, if I could request a smut with all from the hyung line? Where they invited Y/N aka their best friend over for a little chill hang out at one of their places and they play truth or dare where it gets a heated and yeah ... they fuck. That's it THAT'S IT, im sorry if it's a little too much! Thanks in advance tho! 💕 

Can you write something about being gangbanged by X1’s hyungline?

I am a-ok with multiple members! Worry not! I’ve been meaning to write about all of them together because, I mean, please yes

↬ Pairing: hyung line x fem!reader

↬ Genre: Smut

↬ Warnings: explicit language, mention of alcohol, multiple members, masturbation, oral sex, orgasm denial, overstimulation, double penetration, unprotected sex.

↬ Word Count: 2.1k

↬ Author’s Note: The gif doesn’t suit at all but it was the only with all of Hyung Line in it lmao.

You were walking around, lost in your own thoughts when someone called you. Turning around to try and find the voice, you encounter with a smiley Seungyoun running towards you. He gave you a short hug before talking to you again.

“Long time no see!” As he greeted you, Wooseok and Seungwoo came into sight.

“Yeah, it has been a few weeks. Where were you going?” Seeing the three of them hanging out, maybe there was some kind of big event.

“Oh, we were just going to have a meet up with Yohan and Hangyul.” Wooseok signaled the bag he was holding, the alcohol bottles in it clinking.

“Do you want to come with us?” Seungwoo’s voice was soft and gentle as he invited you.

“Oh no, it’s something between you–”

Before you could even finish, Seungyoun was already putting his arm around your shoulders and making you walk their way. It’s not like there was anything more important you had to do... Well, there was nothing to do, really, so maybe spending time with them wasn’t a bad idea. You had met Yohan and Hangyul first and then slowly ended up becoming friends with the rest of the group, your relationship with them being close since they all were quite extroverted and open when it came to meeting new people.

As you got in and left your bag on one of the chairs, Hangyul and Yohan popped up to say hi. It wasn’t long until all of you were sitting in the floor, it being more comfortable when there was too many people, drinking and eating what the guys had bought earlier. Seungyoun suggested playing truth or dare, everyone choosing dare most of the times, them being usual stuff like doing the dishes, cleaning the apartment, paying for food or drinks, asking for pizza, all quite regular stuff.

“Truth or dare?” Yohan asked, the bottle deciding it was your turn.

“Truth.”

“Would you kiss any of us right now?” Hangyul’s question took you by surprise.

“Yes.” It seems that your quick response caused the same effect on them.

“Wait, really? Who?” Seungwoo looked curious all of a sudden, and you shook your head laughing.

“Just one question per turn! You cheaters~” They all sighed but continued the game.

“Fine, fine, Wooseok, truth or dare?”

“Dare, obviously.”

“Kiss the prettiest girl in the room in the lips, and notice I said girl and not person because lets face it, I would smoke all of you.” Seungyoun tried to lighten up the atmosphere with some bad acting, but you still tensed up and Wooseok too, but just for a second.

He got closer to you, silently asking for permission which you granted before softly pressing his lips on yours. It was just a dare anyway and it was the usual thing to happen, so there was nothing else to it, besides you were all friends so it was fine, right? However, the ephemeral contact made your heart flutter and you didn’t get to enjoy it, everything finishing way too fast. The bottle spun again and landed on Yohan.

“I choose truth.”

“Have you ever fantasized with any of us?” Hangyul was having fun making all the awkward questions, it even seemed as if there was an implicit pact between him and Seungyoun to do so. Yohan looked at you for a few seconds before a blush spread on his cheeks.

“W-Well... Yes?” You laughed at his shyness before getting attacked by the same question again. Since truth had turn out to be slightly strange...

“Guess I’ll have to go with dare.”

“Make out with one of us, it’s up to you who you want it to be.” This time Seungyoun spoke and it was your turn to blush. “We are all fine with it, so, go ahead.”

Even if it was a game, you felt nervous. Who would be the best choice? What if any of them felt hurt? It probably wasn’t that deep, but still. All of them were staring at you, waiting for your decision, all of them except Seungwoo. Right, he was the best choice: he was the oldest, mature enough to not take it seriously... You crawled until being right in front of him, his eyes suddenly looking up, giving you a soft smile before letting you sit on his lap, wasting no time. You thought the kiss was going to be sweet and slow, just like the side he always showed you, but instead it turned out to be greedy and passionate, the temperature raising between you two before he pressed you down on him, his hard on making you let out a sigh.

You felt someone sneaking behind you, whispering in your ear the question again, your focus wavering at the feeling of another pair of hands on your waist, muttering a slight ‘truth’.

“Would you let all of us fuck you?” A whimper escaped your lips, not even trying to concentrate on who asked before you nodded, not finding a good reason to lie since the thought had crossed your mind more than once.

That was all they needed. Seungyoun lifted you up and turned you around, your back now being against Seungwoo’s chest and your lips being attacked by Hangyul whilst Yohan roamed your body with his hands. You could feel long fingers rub your core over your clothes, the touch making you jolt before realizing that it belonged to Seungwoo.

“You seem to be quite greedy for this.” You turned your head towards the voice, finding Wooseok palming himself over his pants as he looked down on you. As you were about to answer, the fingers between your legs slipped under your clothes, causing you to throw your head back.

“She is getting wet already...” The boy behind you attached his lips to your neck as he started fingering you slowly.

Yohan gave a slight tug to the bottom of your shirt before pulling it up and off, doing the same with your bra, the five of them letting out heavy grunts at the sight of your breasts. Two mouths started licking, sucking and biting them softly, Seungwoo’s fingers being too distracting for you to be able to focus on anything else. You felt a strong grip in your hair, opening your eyes to meet with Hangyul’s cock, his order being clear enough. You sucked on his tip, hearing a hiss that encouraged you to engulf his whole length, Wooseok hand coming to the back of your head to push you further down until you gagged, the younger bucking his hips instinctively before pulling out, just like the fingers that were inside you.

Seungyoun came closer, sucking on the juices you had left on Seungwoo’s hand, the view making you whine before he took off your bottoms, leaving you completely naked to all of their hungry eyes. He laid you down on the floor, your back arching at both the cold surface and at him going down on you, not even asking before licking a stripe up your folds, humming at your taste. Your moans filled the room along with the noise of them stroking their cocks, your hands flying to Seungyoun’s hair as he sucked on your clit, your orgasm approaching and dissolving as he detached his mouth from you. There was no time for complaining as he gently pulled you up and made you straddle Yohan’s face who was laying in the floor next to you, his tongue wasting no time in tasting you as Seungwoo took place in your mouth, the precum spreading on your taste buds. Seungyoun and Wooseok grabbed your hands, making you stroke their hard members, your hands gripping them tightly whenever Seungwoo touched the back of your throat, Yohan slipped his tongue inside of you or Hangyul pinched your nipples.

Again, your orgasm was near and all the contact faded away immediately before the eldest picked you up as if you weighed nothing at took you to the room, placing your body on the bed, your cries making him smirk. Soon they were all surrounding you but without touching you.

“Who do you want to take first, baby?” Hangyul was the first to talk. You couldn’t care less, you just wanted any of them to fill you up once and for all.

“Wooseok.” He would let you cum, you were almost sure of it, even if it was just to brag about it to the rest.

As he placed behind you, indicating you to put in all fours, Seungyoun brought Yohan right in front of you, his red face matching his red tip.

“Yohanie has confessed that he always fantasized about you sucking him off, will you make it come true?” The tone he was using was soft yet demanding at the same time, a proud smile on his face as you nodded.

You slid your tongue on the underside of his shaft, Yohan trembling at the feeling, your lips closing around his head before bobbing your head up and down, hollowing your cheeks. The rest were watching you intently, making you feel even more aroused, Wooseok rubbing his cock on your slit before entering you roughly, causing you to choke around Yohan. His thrusts were short and quick, your orgasm building up in seconds, and just how you had predicted, he let you cum, his hand stimulating your clit fast. Yohan fucked your mouth before letting out a small whimper, pulling out and cumming on your face and chest, his eyes opening wide as he tried to apologize. Your scream cut him off as Wooseok buried deep within you, painting your walls and unleashing your high. As he got out of you, his semen dripped down your legs, the sight being enough for Seungwoo to come up, lay down and grabbing your hips, impaling you with his cock all of a sudden, the overstimulation making you cry.

“Can you take me in this pretty hole, slut?” Hangyul picked up some of Wooseok’s cum and spread it on your asshole before slipping a finger inside, a hard spank falling on your ass cheek. “Answer me.”

“Y-Yes, yes, please.” He seemed pleased with your reply, sliding another finger inside you and stretching you out as Seungwoo lazily bucked into you.

After a few minutes, you felt his tip pressing against your unoccupied hole, the stretch burning slightly, Seungwoo caressing your back as if to encourage you, until both were deep inside of you. Hangyul waited a bit for you to get used to it, drawing small circles on your back before you nodded and he moved along with the older, the sensation making you feel as if you were about to break.

“So fucking tight... How long have you been dreaming of this, huh?” It surprised you that Seungwoo was the one talking, his voice low. “You love to have all of us just for you.”

“Fuck, she just clenched so much.” Hangyul gripped your hair and yanked it, pressing your back against his chest, giving Seungwoo the best eye candy ever: your neck and chest filled with hickeys, Yohan’s cum dripping down your breasts and stomach, his cock coming in and out as you moved your hips to fuck yourself. “Such a needy whore...” 

With a grunt, he came, staying still for a second before pulling out, spreading your cheeks open to see his cum dripping into Seungwoo’s cock. It wasn’t long until there was a new weight on the bed, soft arms holding you tightly, the scent being easily recognizable.

“I want to fuck your cunt sweetheart, will you let me and Seungwoo both ruin you?” Seungyoun’s words made it impossible for you to resist, plus your second orgasm was close enough to drive you crazy. As you nodded, he kissed your shoulder, his length joining Seungwoo’s. “Such a good girl for me, taking two cocks in this pussy so well...”

The praising mixed with the dirty words had you melting, both fucking you quickly, stretching you to no avail, Seungwoo being the first to cum with a choked out moan, getting overstimulated by you tightening on him and Seungyoun thrusting against him, his hand coming to rub your clit, both cumming at the same time.

You hadn’t noticed that the rest of the boys had already dressed themselves up again and they were all prepared to take care of you, towels in hand to clean you and a new set of clothes, the contrast between their actions before and now making you laugh. A few minutes later, you were all in the living room again, watching a movie as if nothing had happened. Wooseok accompanied you to the door as you were about to go.

“We should meet up more often, there are more things we can try.” The suggestive promise in his words was subtle enough for you to take it any way you wanted.

“I might take you up on that... Five is better than none.”

THIS IS SUCH A MESS but a hot one at least. Finished abruptly because I didn’t want it to be too unrealistic??? Might edit it in the future tho. Also did y’all notice I always end up the shots with the title sjsjsj sO oRiGiNaL

~Nani

unedited

[marksleepy]

wish upon a scintilla of hope

word count: 4849 worth of fluff and idk like 5% of chensung because they’re such cute best friends a/n: i spent so long on this only @simplyaroha knows. jael i’m so sorry for keeping you waiting LOL. and i want to gift @chenleplanet with this because ryne your love for chenle is unreal and ily <3 i also want to gift @jenoist with this as vivi you’re the nicest and you make me cry jscudnvifjsdb ily2. lastly, gifting you, a reader, with this because i’m thankful that you’re reading this (or going to?). if this is my first fic you’re reading then hello i hope you stay and read my future tales ahaha. if this isn’t the first then hey!! thanks so much for staying. i really appreciate it! merry early christmas everybody. p.s. italicised words are for dream talks and texts in case you get confused

chenle clapping cuz i finally finished this thousand weeks long thing. gif belongs to @nakamotens :) there’s already a watermark on the gif but i’m just doing what’s right

The 11th night of each month—the only night when you don’t dream. Tons of people labour under the misapprehension that they don’t dream every night, but that’s simply because they don’t remember what they were dreaming of.

Tonight, an endless tenebrosity stretches before you.

You think of ‘Hey’, and immediately the word appears in the darkness, faint and in the colour of snow.

There’s no reply. Which sucks as this means you’ll have to spend the next seven hours or so in total nothingness, unless the person at the other end of the country (or world, you don’t know for sure) answers you. It should’ve been somewhere near an hour when a foggy yet enthusiastic ‘Hi!’ comes into view.

Sorry, I was catching up on some homework, it continues.

What time is it? you think instantly.

My phone tells me it was 1:04 am the last time I saw it.

You should start going to bed earlier, loser, you respond.

Communicating with soulmates would’ve been a lot easier if names aren’t eschewed. You’ve tried thinking about the most uncommon names, but they refuse to come to light. This explains why you and your soulmate decided to call each other ‘loser’ on the fourth encounter a few months ago. It’s not the cutest, but it’ll have to do.

Don’t tell me what to do, loser.

Fine. What do YOU want to do?

I don’t know.

You sigh, if that’s even possible at this moment. Do people sigh while dreaming? You assume they do. Tell me more about yourself then. The only thing I know about you is that you’re an annoying boy.

His reply comes a little late. You got the gender right but the adjective wrong. Now let me go to sleep.

You’re already sleeping, dork.

You can almost hear him chuckle. You feel a wistful longing for his voice.

I’m just kidding. What do you want to know about me? His words emerge, a colon and right bracket following close. They join the string of words disappearing above.

The hall is snug after walking in the icy wind outside. The assembly that all students attend religiously will begin in a few minutes. Your eyes dart from one student to another, in search of a boy with lilac hair. But he finds you first.

“I’m right here, Y/N!” Chenle yells, clamping his hands on your shoulders with the largest grin on his face.

“I wasn’t looking for you,” you say, turning around to face him.

His smile seems to get wider if that’s feasible. “Yeah, I believe you.”

You know you’ve lost when a smile threatens to surface.

Every school year starts off with students sitting according to their classes. However, by mid-February (sometimes earlier), the rule is long broken with students scattered everywhere in the hall with their companions from other classes or grades. One clear example is a senior hanging out with a junior, and in this case, Mark and Donghyuck, who are laughing over the funniest joke they’ve ever heard.

“Let’s go look for Jisung,” Chenle says. He clasps your wrist and pushes through the crowd. You feel a strong beat of your heart, something you experience whenever he does that. His touch feels like wearing gloves on a snowy winter day, tucking yourself under a blanket on a cold winter night. You shake your head. You shouldn’t be feeling like this. You can’t be feeling like this. Chenle isn’t your soulmate.

But… It’s okay to prefer someone to your soulmate, right?

You decide that it’s wrong as soon as the question slips. This feeling for Chenle, you convince yourself, is patently temporary. Besides, Chenle doesn’t like you in that way. It’s indubitable.

It also feels extremely strange to enjoy being around someone so much, especially if that someone isn’t who you talk to every 11th night of the month.

Maybe you don’t even like Chenle. So what if you feel accomplished when he laughs heartily at your jokes? So what if your eyes light up every time you see someone with lilac hair on the street (not very often), only to be disappointed when said person wasn’t who you thought it was? So what if you associate love songs with him? So what if your stomach flutters whenever he grabs your hand? So what—

“Y/N? Y/N!” Chenle waves his hand before your face. You blink at him.

“You okay? You seem to be deep in thought,” he continues. He has no idea.

He waves to Jisung. The latter has two empty seats beside him, and he beckons both of you over.

The hall is calmer than before, with most already seated down. Chenle sits between you and Jisung. They start talking about everything imaginable, frequently laughing mid-sentence. Your heart melts at this exuberant duo, and you often catch yourself staring at the older of the pair.

Someone catches you doing so too.

“Somebody’s real busy.”

You snap out of your reverie to see Jisung looking at you knowingly.

Chenle has a look of confusion and embarrassment on his face. “Are we boring you?”

You shake your head just as the principal taps on the microphone twice.

“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t really your thing,” Chenle resumes. At this point, you don’t even know what he’s talking about in the first place.

“It’s okay, Chenle,” you reassure him. “You— Both of you never bore me.”

You spend the next hour listening to the principal drone on about God knows what and stealing glances at a boy with lilac hair and inappropriate laughter.

“What’s your soulmate like?” Chenle asks you from his desk. His highlighter is poised over a page of his science textbook as he waits for a reply.

You look up from your calculus worksheet and eye him sceptically from where you’re sitting on the wooden floor of his bedroom. “That’s new.”

“I’m just curious.”

You turn your attention back to the paper resting on your lap as his question replays in your head. You’re at his house studying for a test, mainly to seek for warmth. It isn’t snowing, but it’s freezing. You’d left your house keys on your desk and aren’t keen to be outdoors making beats with your teeth. Also, no one will be home until dusk.

“He’s nice,” you murmur. “Funny.”

Chenle goes back to highlighting some texts, occasionally writing on Post-it notes. “Do you, uh, like him?”

If you were brave, you would say, “No. I like you.”

But you aren’t, so you say, “I guess.”

Chenle’s tense shoulders sag. He leans his back on the chair, tapping his pen on the edge of his desk.

“What about you? Do you like your soulmate?” you question. You look at the naked trees outside with gnawing uneasiness in your stomach.

“Yeah"—his cheeks redden slightly—"but I…

“Nothing. We’re supposed to be studying.” He pulls his chair closer to the desk and uncaps another highlighter. You want to argue that he’d started talking first but decided against it.

The next time he talks to you is to ask you what you want to have for dinner.

You spend your days taking tests, hanging out with friends, and being muddled by Chenle’s behaviour.

“Did I say something wrong?” You and Jisung are standing outside the soccer field, the question accompanied by your foggy breath tumbling out your mouth before you can stop it. Jisung stops observing the senior practising his kicks and turns his head to look at you.

“What?”

“It’s nothing. Chenle’s just being strange.”

Jisung clears his throat. “He is?”

You spot Chenle running wildly on the field, engaged in a friendly match with some sophomores.

“Not now. But when we’re alone he becomes awkward.”

“Maybe he, I don’t know, likes you?” Jisung pushes his bangs out of his face. “How’s alone time with him?”

You look down at the ground, fingers gripping the fence, face pink from the cold and something else. “Don’t phrase it that way.”

“Here comes lover boy.”

You grimace at his words. Chenle skips towards you and Jisung, his hair sticking to his forehead and shirt soaked in sweat despite the numbing temperature. Jisung wraps a towel around the older and helps him put on his coat. “That was fun. Thanks for waiting for me.”

Chenle reaches for your hand and freezes at once.

Jisung doesn’t seem to notice anything. He takes off first, shoving his hands in his winter coat. “Remind me to hit you when I can feel my hands again.”

Chenle chuckles, and you can’t say you relate to Jisung. It feels like you’re touching hot coal.

Chenle once told you receiving coals for Christmas wasn’t bad at all. “Just burn them and roast marshmallows.”

You had watched the fire flicker through his eyes.

Chenle’s hair is dyed a hazelnut brown colour when you see him in school. It’s as if your lungs are caught in a mesh and entangled. The air feels thick and suffocating.

“What do you think?” is the first thing he says when your eyes meet.

You force yourself to breathe. “What happened to lilac hair? That was such a look, man.”

“I got tired of people giving me weird looks.”

And why would people do that? You can’t understand why a change of his hair colour has this big of an effect on you.

You shrug, trying to look nonchalant. “It looks good on you.”

You nearly miss the way his face reddens as he looks down at his dirty Converse.

“Y/N…

Y/N.

Y/N!”

“What do you want, Chenle?”

“Look at me.”

He raises his right hand up to your left cheek and draws comforting, tingly circles with his thumb. Then he’s leaning in, closer. He looks at you through half-closed lids before coming closer. Closer.

“Y/N. I…”

You feel your heart throbbing loudly in your ears, like drums beating on the street during festivals.

You don’t feel anything on your lips. But your eyes stay closed.

“Y/N.”

You love hearing your name roll so effortlessly off his tongue. You love it. You love him.

“Y/N. I—”

“You what?”

“I swear if you don’t get up right now I’ll really kill you!”

You shoot up from your laying position, your hair a mess and your eyes swollen with sleep. Jisung stands at the foot of your bed, his hands on his hips as he lours at you.

“What are you doing in my room?” you ask, groggy.

“Are you serious?”

You free your legs from your woollen blanket and shudder when your feet touch the gelid floor.

“We were supposed to study at Chenle’s, remember?” Jisung sighs. “Clearly not.”

You give him a bashful smile, eyeing the bedroom doorway.

Jisung taps his foot impatiently. “He isn’t here. He’s helping his mum with groceries.”

“I wasn't—”

“Just get ready and meet us at his place, Y/N.” He gives you one last look before disappearing down the hallway. “Your face is red. Do you want me to open the windows?”

“I thought you were joking!” You uncap the half-filled bottle then cap it after a second. “Who associates Jisung with textbooks and homework?”

Jisung throws a tiny ball of paper at you. “Judgemental. I do study.”

“Stop it, you two,” Chenle chuckles. “Let’s actually get stuff done. We can also ask Y/N since she’s the smartest one here.”

“She is?” Jisung snorts. He earns a punch on the arm from you while your face glows with embarrassment.

So the three of you study. Chenle and Jisung have tests on different subjects this week but you don’t. You work on your assignment, which is a research on a historical building. Apart from occasional questions from the duo, the room is otherwise quiet. It’s slowly getting dark, the sun dipping below the horizon.

You look at Chenle discreetly. His eyelids are pink from him rubbing them. He looks cute when he’s serious and focused. There’s a knock on the door before Chenle’s mum pops her head into the room and smiles. “Dinner’s ready if any of you are hungry. Don’t overwork yourselves, alright?”

There are hums and nods, then the room is quiet again. It can’t have been more than five minutes when Jisung says, “Guys! It’s snowing!”

Turns out there are only little specks of snow, much to everyone’s (Jisung’s) disappointment. With the assignment and scrawled notes forgotten in Chenle’s bedroom, you and the pair stand outside just in case white flakes fall again, wriggling about to stay warm.

“This is annoying,” Jisung groans.

Chenle nudges him playfully. “There are a lot more days to come, Jisung.”

Jisung merely shrugs and says he’s hungry. Everyone trudges back into the house, relieved to soak in its warmth.

It’s late when Jisung leaves Chenle’s house, which is starting to slowly lose its heat. The sky is an inky black but there are no visible stars due to the light-polluted city that Chenle lives in. You sit on his cabin bed, head tilted towards the night sky, watching a scintilla in the midst of the darkness.

Your eyes drift to Chenle. He yawns and rubs his eyes for the nth time.

“Hey,” you say softly. “Take a break.”

He stifles another yawn, pushes his arms in the air and stretches. “My mum will murder me if I fail this class again.”

“She did tell us not to overwork ourselves.”

His smile appears. He pushes his chair back and ambles towards the bed to sit beside you. “What are you doing?” He bumps his shoulder against yours.

You point to the tiny spark in the sky.

“Ooh,” he gushes. “Let’s make a wish.”

“That’s not a shooting star, Chenle.”

“That’s fine. I made a wish at camp last year when I thought I saw one. Until I realised it was Renjun throwing a piece of trash across the campsite.”

One end of Chenle’s lips is lifted, and soon both of you are collapsing into gales of laughter.

“What did you wish for?” Chenle asks.

You shake your head, grinning. “Secret.”

It’s the 11th night of the month again. You go to bed quite early, feeling completely knackered from interminable assignments. You wait and wait, looking at lyrics of your favourite song arise as you think of it.

This soulmate of yours sure sleeps late.

All of a sudden, a Hey pops up.

Hi, you reply in your head.

Sorry, I forgot that it’s the 11th.

I have a question.

What is it?

You pause, letting the words disappear as they go higher. You think of your question. Do you like anybody?

Yeah.

He awaits what you have for him next.

Then, have you confessed to that person?

No. I’m too scared to do that.

How do you cope?

Uh, I have a blog where I write what I want to say to her. Yeah, it’s cheesy so go ahead and laugh at me.

You feel yourself smiling. No it’s not. It’s cute.

I can show you it if you want. No one knows about it except for my best friend, only because I foolishly left the page open while I went to the bathroom. That’s how embarrassed I feel about it. But now you know.

I’m honoured.

The website and username he uses show up in a minute. You know the website well, however, he has an odd username—practically like everyone on this planet. It reminds you of Chenle with his strange usernames for all eight of his accounts.

“Why 'dirtykitchenfloor’?” you had choked out. “'terrifyingpickle’. I’m leaving.”

Chenle had grabbed your hand, all but laughing. “Don’t. I have six more.”

You there? These two words knock you back to the blackness.

Yeah. I was thinking about some stuff.

Like the person you like?

What? No. Thanks for reminding me though, I’ll go think about him now.

HAHAHA—pause—well have fun. I’ll be here, roaming.

You imagine the lilac-now-hazelnut hair boy standing beside you outside in the snowy city. The street lamp winks as snow starts to pile up atop and around it. His hair is sprinkled with stardust and snowflakes. His eyes twinkle and his hand feels like a cup of hot chocolate. The fallen snow feels soft beneath your shoes.

Everything feels right.

“I think I’m in love,” Jisung says dreamily.

It’s a frosty afternoon, and you find yourself again with Jisung and Chenle, everyone either sprawled on Jisung’s bed or floor. Drinks and bags of snacks litter the ground. No one pays attention to them.

A weird noise escapes Chenle’s mouth. “With who?”

“My soulmate.”

You snigger and say, “They’re called soulmates for a reason.” You then remember that Chenle isn’t yours. You also don’t know if it’s bad that your soulmate likes someone else. You figure it isn’t, knowing you’re not breaking any hearts around here and you like someone else too.

Jisung prattles on about his soulmate. You nod blankly, and catch Chenle gazing at you. He points to Jisung covertly before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. There’s a beam on your face.

“You aren’t even listening to me,” Jisung groans. “Stop flirting with each other.”

“At least I have someone to flirt with,” Chenle sneers.

A thick shade of red mantles your cheeks. “S-stop talking nonsense.”

Chenle looks at you the way a child would look when he’s caught going through presents on the night before Christmas. A reddish hue branches out across his fair complexion.

Jisung’s frown steadily turns into a soft knowing smile. “Since I’m done talking about my amazing love life, it’s your turn. The smarter person starts first.”

The branch tapping on the windows is the only thing disturbing Jisung’s hushed bedroom. You wonder why he hasn’t gotten rid of it. You’d find it difficult to fall asleep on a blustery night.

“So none of you are smart? Not a surprise to me, I guess,” Jisung teases.

“My soulmate has a blog where he writes what he wants to say to the person he likes down,” you begin, ignoring Jisung’s raillery.

Jisung lets out an impressed-sounding “huh” the same time Chenle says, “That’s stupid.”

A grim line forms on your mouth as you stare at him. “I don’t think it is.”

"Really?” Chenle coughs deliberately. “That seems so cowardly.” Jisung cocks his head a little to the right twice out of habit, a small smile playing on his lips as he watches the exchange between you and Chenle. “I think it’s stupid too,” the younger of the pair blurts out.

Chenle glares at Jisung. “No, it’s not.”

“You said it was! I’m just agreeing with you.”

“I’m just… just agreeing with Y/N.”

You snicker as they start to banter. They stop and stare at you, and soon the room is filled with three friends who are attacked by uncontrollable laughter.

Jisung wipes at his eyes and after he’s calmed down, he says, “I wanna love like Y/N’s soulmate.”

“Me too,” Chenle says, albeit having a faraway look in his eyes.

“Don’t you already?”

“Sh-shut up!”

“Sh-shut up!” Jisung mimics. Chenle simply gets up and flicks Jisung’s forehead. He whines in pain and flicks the former back. You sit up on the spot on Jisung’s bed and smile.

Happy. Happy is what you feel.

You don’t know how you or Chenle do it, but it’s three in the morning when you finally shut your laptop and let out a wavering cry. “I’m done. Spent.”

“Let’s get some sleep.” Chenle yawns, lumbering to his bed and pulling the sheets over his entire body.

“Throw me a pillow and blanket.”

“What?” Chenle peers at you. “You’re not sleeping on the floor. It’s not carpeted and it’s freezing.”

“I’ll be fine, worrywart.”

“Who even says that?” He gives you a blue pillow dotted with white clouds and a soft blanket. “You wanna swap spots instead?”

“Go to sleep, Chenle.” You tuck yourself under the blanket, which comes with his scent and a hint of flowery laundry detergent. With heavy and teary eyes from yawning too much, you lie facing the ceiling, the floor a tad cold for comfort. Your mind threatens to drag you to sleep, until a weak voice breaks the silence of the night.

“Are you asleep?”

“Yes,” you mumble, your eyes shut, hardly able to contemplate what you’re saying.

He laughs lightly. “I can’t sleep. Talk to me.”

“Nice.”

“Y/N.”

“Chenle,” you mutter, pulling the blanket up till it covers your chin.

“Cat.”

“Dolphin.”

Right now you’re starting to wake up. You lie on your side and prop the side of your head in your palm, facing him. He mirrors your position.

“I actually hate you,” you quip.

“No you don’t.”

“Right for once.”

He closes his eyes, his head drooping. You study his soft features, feeling your eyes beginning to close again. Your head hits the pillow and you pull the blanket over your shoulder. Your teeth chatter slightly, but that’s okay—you’re too tired to care anyway.

You wake up when the sky is still black and starless. Chenle’s scent seems to have gotten stronger. You sit up, using your elbows as support, only to see the bed empty and rumpled. Something breathes against your arm, and you almost smack yourself from pulling back too fast.

There you see Chenle curled up beside you on the ground like a foetus. His blanket is thrown over you, but it’s riding off his body, his tummy exposed to the cold. You remove his blanket from yourself and cover him up to the neck. He stirs but stays asleep, sighing with satisfaction.

“You’re an odd one,” you whisper in the unlit room. “I don’t mind it one bit.”

You mirror his position this time, dreams taking you on different adventures—all of them with this boy who makes you feel warmer this winter.

“You chose to sleep on the floor when you have a bed,” you say between munches of your cereal the next morning.

“I didn’t choose.” Chenle dips his bread in your bowl of milk. “I fell off the bed.”

“Ha ha. Remind me to laugh again later.”

Tap tap.

Jisung stands at the door. Chenle opens it to reveal him clad in a sweater, coat and fuzzy pants with matching shoes.

“Pfft, what are you wearing?” you joke. You spoon some cereal into your mouth.

“Yes good morning and thanks for inviting me to the sleepover,” Jisung says, throwing his bag on the floor and plopping himself down on the high stool opposite you.

Chenle returns to the stool to your left. He pulls his bread apart and waves a piece at Jisung. “You turned us down!”

“Oh right. Because you two are boring.”

“And somehow you like hanging out with us?” you say with amusement.

“Whatever,” Jisung says. “So… are the two of you a thing now?”

Chenle splutters on his juice, orange liquid flying out his mouth. You feel the heat on your face even though the cold air that followed Jisung in is still lingering in the kitchen.

“Are you okay?” Jisung laughs, slapping him on the back.

You rub your temples. “It’s too early for this.”

“I thought you talked things through last night.”

“Just shut up, Jisung. Eat your cereal,” Chenle rebukes. He hops off the stool to go wash his mouth at the sink. Jisung shakes his head in disappointment.

can you come out now? reads Chenle’s text at 12 in the morning.

You compose a new message. I don’t plan on getting murdered by either one of my parents tonight

please

omg fine. why are you here so late

i just wanted to see you

Your heart leaps in your chest. ok chenle.

You drape your woollen blanket around you and lift your window up, feeling like those furtive teenagers in movies. An icy gust of wind slaps your cheeks, but the coldness dissipates when you see Chenle stomping on the crunchy ice on the gravel path outside, his hands shoved deep into his coat pocket.

“You okay?” you say after jumping from your window sill (cautiously).

“Can I ask you a question?” he says with foggy breath.

“Yeah. I mean we’re already here.”

He closes his eyes and gulps. “Can I kiss you?”

“Chenle…”

He blocks your view by putting his hand before your eyes. “Don’t look at me. I’m embarrassed.”

You grab his arm with your shaky one and pull him towards you. He’s so close your cloudy breaths mingle. It’s a test to see who makes the first move.

He does.

And your lips feel like it’s on fire.

He really is an odd one, but you don’t mind it one bit.

You fall asleep with pink cheeks that night and the feeling of Chenle’s hand at the back of your neck, spreading warmth throughout your body.

Hey loser. I kissed him. You’re starting off bold tonight. You couldn’t care less.

In a split second, your reply comes. Really?

Yes, really.

How was it?

It was… I don’t know.

Like you were going to melt? Like you were floating with the clouds?

Yes. Very much.

I felt like that too.

You think of the winter spice jelly sitting in the fridge, knowing completely how it feels. Because you’re just as stiff as it is.

You refuse to analyse the words. Ohh, you kissed her too?

I did. I went to her house 30 minutes before it turned 12. Stood outside considering if I should just go home and keep my feelings bottled up forever, or put our friendship at risk by doing it.

You feel like tearing up. I think you did the right thing.

Me too.

You search for the hazelnut hair boy in the crowded hall. It’s been tougher as almost everyone has that same hair colour. Mark and Donghyuck are chaffing each other; a group of juniors—Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin—enters the hall, chatting incessantly. Pretty much a common sight to see.

A hand rests on your shoulder from behind.

“I know I know,” Chenle grins. “You weren’t looking for me.”

“You knew?” you ask. Both of you move to a less packed area.

He nods. “But it was after I told you about the blog.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I thought you were smart enough to figure it out.”

You scoff, but a smile forces its way onto your face.

“I guess I’m smarter than you in some way,” he adds, punching you lightly on the biceps.

“Guys!” Jisung bounces towards you and Chenle. He eyes you suspiciously, before moving his attention to Chenle. “So… Are you two a thing now?”

You exchange glances with Chenle.

“Shut up, Jisung.”

Jisung doesn’t get an actual answer, but you’re sure he knows when he laughs with you and Chenle.

“I can’t believe you have a blog filled with your feelings about me,” you tease. “How cheesy.”

“Can we not talk about that now?” Chenle groans, covering his face with his hands. “You said it was cute.”

“It is.”

“I’ll just delete it later and stop liking you.”

You reach for his hands, fisting and trapping them in your palms. “No. I need to read it when you start losing feelings for me.”

“Then I guess you won’t be reading it at all.”

You and Chenle walk under the jet black sky side by side, enjoying the wind’s whispers. His tickles your palm with his pinky and says, “I have more stuff I want to say to you.”

“Go ahead.”

“You’ll have to wait for the 11th.”

You realise your wish came true even before you made it.

a/n: hey!! you made it to the end! for this i want to say thank you once again and i hope you enjoyed this. low-key found the part where renjun threw trash across the campsite funny LOL