#i have done that ten times over you're a little late. i'll take that though gimme them teef

[keeps-ache]

teeth achieved. [goes to sleep]

[yoongiseesawmp3]

anything but - jeonghan

summary: roommate!jeonghan. you thought living with your best friend, jeonghan, would be easy. fun. like a sleepover every night. but as he watches you struggle week in and week out with crushes that don't like you back or dates that never seem to go well, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

word count: 8.2k

warnings: none rly, afab reader, unedited, sry

masterlist

jeonghan is ready to go to sleep. he had a long day, followed by a good, but tiring, night with friends, and he's been thinking about his soft sheets for the past two hours now. he's also been thinking about you, thinking about how happy he gets seeing your face light up when he walks through the door, but he knows he won't see that tonight. you're going on a date, dinner with some loser who's not him. he knows he could treat you so much better, but he can't just say that. things would get weird, and jeonghan can't afford the rent on his own. so selfishly, he keeps you and his feelings at arm's length. he's still thinking about you as he puts his key in the lock, wondering if he can stay up late enough to make sure you get home safe. when he opens the door, he changes his mind.

"what are you doing here?" jeonghan asks with a bit of anger in his voice, finding you laid out on the couch scrolling through your phone. "you told me you were going on a date tonight. did you cancel on him?"

"nope," you reply, popping the p as you sit up to stare at your roommate. "he cancelled on me. ten minutes before he was supposed to pick me up, actually, so i got ready for nothing."

that's when jeonghan notices the nice clothes you have on, your hair done up but mussed now that you've been laying on it. and, with a pang in his chest, he notices your makeup that looks smudged with tears. he knows you've been having dating trouble lately, and it's definitely been getting to you. but it makes his heart ache to think that you've been home all night crying over some loser who couldn't even bother to take you out.

"why didn't you call me?" he asks softly, joining you on the couch as he lifts your legs to lay them over his lap. he keeps a comforting hand on your calf as you explain, a slight tremor in your bottom lip as you say, "i didn't want to interrupt boy's night."

"baby, come on," he sighs. "you should have told me. you could've come to boy's night!"

"right," you scoff, rolling your eyes. "and hear all of them talk about their beautiful girlfriends and being so happy in a relationship? i'd rather eat drywall."

"we talk about other stuff," jeonghan laughs. "i told them about you getting us tickets to that soccer game and now i think they like you better than me. mingyu might be calling to see if he can take my ticket."

"never," you smile at him, sitting up and swinging your legs from his lap. "well, it's late. you're probably tired."

"eh," jeonghan shrugs, looking over you carefully to gauge if you're upset. "i could stay up a little longer, if you wanted to watch something."

"we're caught up on all our shows though," you pout. jeonghan sees an idea cross your face, so he asks, "what are you thinking?"

"nothing," you shake your head. "i remembered i didn't watch project runway last week, but you don't like that show-"

"put it on," he nods to the tv, looking over you one more time and noticing your clothes must not be that comfortable. "or you go change, i'll set it up."

"you don't know what episode i'm on though," you squint at him, and he shakes his head.

"nope, you're two weeks behind," he says. "i remember, because we went out the week before and you were ticked off that you were missing it."

"you pay too much attention to me," you mumble as you finally get up from the couch, jeonghan barely hearing you as he checks you out from behind. you're right, he does. too bad you haven't realized why.

when you come back from your room, you're wearing a hoodie that's seen better days and shorts that aren't quite doing their job. jeonghan clears his throat, trying not to stare, but when you sit down and put your legs back over his lap he can't help but skirt his hand over your skin, getting too close to your thigh without realizing.

"that tickles," you giggle, pushing his hand away. "you're annoying."

"ha, sorry," he laughs nervously, not sure what to do with his hands now so he reaches for the remote to press play. not far into the episode you curl up on your side of the couch, your knees tucked up beneath you as you lay down. jeonghan keeps an eye on you the whole time, attune to all your reactions and movements. he notices when you shiver, up in an instant to get a blanket.

"where are you going?" you call out, and he comes back wordlessly with the comforter from his room. he wraps it over you, using the rest of it to cover himself as he gets comfortable again. you find yourself dozing off, waking up every few minutes to see the progress on your favorite designers. you sleep through a whole section of the show, whining that you need to rewind, but jeonghan quietly explains what's happened and you're satisfied enough.

"do you want me to turn this off?" jeonghan asks after he sees your eyes closed again after you just complained about missing part of the show. you shake your head, not much of it visible outside of his blanket. you're noticing how nice his blanket smells, recognizing it as the same fresh scent that follows jeonghan around. it makes you feel at home, and that's part of what's making you so sleepy.

"i don't wanna go to my room," you admit shyly, feeling the tears from earlier just a moment or two away. "i'll stay awake, promise."

"do you want to sleep out here?" jeonghan asks, and you think about it for a moment. it wouldn't be the first time you had a little sleepover of sorts, both of you squished awkwardly on the couch or sleeping far apart from each other on someone's mattress that's been dragged out from one of your rooms. your silence decides it for jeonghan, and he says, "i'll go change, and then we can go to sleep." all you do is nod, getting comfortable beneath his comforter again as jeonghan slinks back to his bedroom to get ready for bed.

he comes back out and laughs to himself, your messy hair and scrunched sleepy face pulling at his heart. he knows someday he should tell you how he feels. he knows what you're looking for, and he knows he's perfect for you. it's just a matter of time before you figure that out, too.

-

a few days later, jeonghan was in the middle of a nap when he heard mumbling in the hallway and the sound of someone slamming doors. he was worried for only a few minutes, thinking it could possibly be an intruder, but as the mumbling gets closer to his door he knows there's a very frustrated y/n on the other side. he groans as he hoists himself up, shuffling to the door so he can peek out at you putting laundry away in the most irritated way possible. it's like you're trying to punish the towels for existing, and jeonghan can't help but laugh at the annoyed look on your face. it's cute, he finds himself thinking, but his chuckle pulls you from your dark thoughts and brings your anger to a new victim.

"what."

"nothing," jeonghan says defensively. "i thought someone was breaking in, you know, with all the banging around."

"shut up," you mumble, shoving the washcloths into the hall closet before slamming the door. you turn to your best friend and roommate, finger pointed accusingly, "i'm in a bad mood so don't piss me off."

"that explains the stress cleaning," he notes, and you ignore him.

"i'm going downstairs to put the dishes away," you grumble as you pass by him to get to the stairs, and he puts a timid hand on your shoulder.

"maybe do something that involves less breakables," he says coolly. "go punch a pillow or something."

"that's a good idea," you say, face lighting up slightly, and he laughs nervously as he finally asks what's wrong. "you remember that bitch of a dude who i was talking to a couple weeks ago?"

"gar bear?" jeonghan asks, and you roll your eyes.

"gary, yeah."

"what about him?" he asks, watching you unlock your phone and scroll to find something. you shove it into his hands, open to a very disturbing picture of a very ugly dick. "no."

"yeah. at three pm on a fucking thursday."

"stop making me look at it," he whines, pushing your phone back to you. "that's what made you mad?"

"yes!" you shout. "how did that thought process work? oh, this girl who i led on and then gaslit and then weirded out, she really needs to see my dick right now. it's the middle of the day! get a job! contribute to society!!!"

"why's he posing like that?" jeonghan asks, noticing more about the photo since you haven't locked your phone yet. "he looks so stiff."

"please stop," you say, but jeonghan sees a smile pulling at your lips.

"so what did you do?"

"i said 'what is your problem' and then i blocked him," you shrug, and he laughs.

"remind me to never piss you off," he says as he wraps an arm around you. "i'm sorry guys are assholes."

"i think i'm gonna become a nun," you mumble into his shoulder, staying in his hold maybe a minute too long. he presses a quick kiss to the crown of your head before letting you go, a blush on your cheeks that he takes pride in.

"you'd suck at being a nun, you're not nice enough," he jokes, and the way you glare at him makes him smile. "plus you fuck too much, aren't they supposed to be celibate?"

"forget punching pillows, i'm gonna punch you."

"sure baby," he chuckles, looking back at you as he walks downstairs. "you want food or something? i'll do the dishes. you just focus on not burning down the patriarchy."

"no promises," you mumble as you follow behind him. "but yeah, i wanna try this recipe i found the other day..."

it's over dinner that night that you realize how perfect jeonghan is. if only you could find a guy just like your best friend. someone who supports you, makes you smile, know how to get your heart to skip a beat. take, for example, his compliments. you like to joke to jeonghan that you need validation on your cooking, like tinkerbell, so whenever you cook for him the praises are nonstop. he's nothing if not supportive, so he tries to find things to comment on that he knows will make you blush. it works, and you do your best to tell him to stop without making it obvious that your heart is doing somersaults at his words.

this is what you want from a relationship, you find yourself thinking. you want to be comfortable with them, feel supported, all the things that jeonghan gives you. that night, you scroll through your dating apps, looking for a guy you think could meet those standards. in reality, you spend the whole night comparing the men on your screen to your roommate, subconsciously thinking of all the things you like most about jeonghan that these losers don't possess. you fall asleep like that, phone open to an empty chat, with jeonghan still on your mind.

-

so, a downside to living with jeonghan is you get the brunt end of all his weird energy. sometimes it's fun, and manifests itself in silly ways. like when you go thrifting, he takes it upon himself to find the weirdest thing in the store and insists on bringing it home. it means your apartment is decorated uniquely, but some of the stranger things you make him keep in his room. you haven't figured out yet that he only does this to make you laugh, loving how you smile sweetly at all the funny trinkets littered around your house. anything that goes into his room is eventually donated back to goodwill, its purpose served, doomed to delight another unassuming shopper some day.

other times, his weird energy comes out in worse ways. like today, he's not home, but you can feel that something's wrong. you know jeonghan is helping his friends with some video shoot, and he won't be home until much later. but there's a vibe in your apartment when you walk in. something is off, and it doesn't take you long to realize it. jeonghan has moved everything around, the couch where your kitchen table should be, the chairs from the table lined up in place of your couch. he's a strange one, your best friend, but it makes you laugh nonetheless, sending him a picture of the chairs and asking, "how am i supposed to fall asleep watching tv on this?!"

jeonghan smiles when he gets your text, shooting back, "watch tv in your room if you know you're just gonna fall asleep!"

really, he did the switcharoo for you to let your guard down. yes, moving furniture around is something silly that he would do, but he hid something further in the house that he wants you to find. he's hoping he'll be home when you do, but just the mere thought of your reaction has him chuckling. he goes back to whatever vernon wanted him to do, curious at each buzz from his phone, wondering if it's you.

jeonghan got the best of you, like usual. you did just go to your room, putting on one of your comfort shows so you could relax after a boring shift at work. you only get up to make a quick meal, dozing off again with the empty plate beside you. when the tv wakes you up you figure it's just time for you to go to bed, so you shuffle to the kitchen and notice a light coming from under jeonghan's door. he must have come home while you were napping, but it's late, so you go about your business. you drop your things off in the kitchen, returning upstairs to grab a washcloth and towel from the closet before you lock yourself in the bathroom. jeonghan is listening intently as you move around, waiting for the sound of the shower curtain pulling back and-

"JEONGHAN?!"

with sock clad feet that send him crashing through the now open bathroom door, he greets you with a shit eating grin. "you rang?"

"what the FUCK is that doing in here," you bellow, pointing at the plastic skeleton jeonghan found at the party store earlier that day. he thought it would be funny to hide in the apartment, at first just thinking about propping it up in the kitchen like the dead guy was making a meal, but the idea of scaring you a little was too good for him to pass up.

"man, when was the last time you cleaned your bathroom?" jeonghan jokes, "he must've been in here a while."

"fuck you," you spit, heart still racing from the surprise. that's when jeonghan notices something: you're naked. well, not entirely. like, you definitely don't have clothes on, his eyes flicking down to see your discarded panties and sleep shirt on the floor. he can't see the goods though because you're dangerously holding a towel over your body, one edge of it slipping as you reach out to try and punch jeonghan.

"what, you don't like him?" jeonghan pouts, stepping out of the bathroom to protect himself. "i thought you said you wanted to start decorating for halloween."

"this is not what i meant and you know it, you jackass," you try to say meanly, but jeonghan finds it cute. "it scared the shit out of me."

"i'm sorry," he says finally, hands twitching to reach out and grab you by the waist so he can rub comforting circles on your skin. but he can't. he physically shakes his hands out, a thing he does often enough to reset his mind that you look at him quizzically.

"why'd you do that?" you ask, and he clasps his hands behind his back defensively.

"felt like it," he shrugs. you roll your eyes and reach for the door, grumbling more expletives at him as you try to shut it in his face. "um, y/n?"

"what."

"you gonna shower with him?" jeonghan asks, pointing to your new friend. "i gotta admit, i'm a little jealous-"

"oh my god," you groan, grabbing the skeleton and throwing it at jeonghan with a comical clangor of plastic bones. "i hate you."

"love you too baby," jeonghan laughs as he closes the door for you, hefting the skeleton over his shoulder to go hide him in another corner of the house.

-

a few days later (jeonghan has hid the skeleton twice now), you come home from a date, dopey smile still on your face. you gasp when you see a body on the couch, thinking it's that stupid skeleton again. you breathe a sigh of relief when you realize it's a snoozing jeonghan instead. he looks angelic, his soft features shining brightly even in the dark room, illuminated by the tv. you don't realize that you're staring, nor do you realize jeonghan is peeking at you, the sound of the door waking him up.

"hey," he calls quietly, startling you. "sorry. i can go back to sleep and you can keep staring."

"i wasn't staring," you say defensively.

"sure," jeonghan nods, checking you out. "you look nice."

"who's staring now?" you ask as you cross to the kitchen. "i went out to dinner, but the portions were too small. do you want something to eat?"

"no, i'm good!" jeonghan calls. "was it a fancy place?"

"what?" you ask, coming back into the living room with a bag of chips. "i couldn't hear you."

"where you ate," he clarifies. "you dressed up, the servings were small, must have been a fancy place this guy took you to."

"how'd you know i was on a date?" you pout.

"y/n, i know you better than anyone else," jeonghan chuckles. "it was obvious. how'd it go?"

"good," you nod, ears burning under jeonghan's close attention. "don't wanna jinx it though."

"ok," jeonghan nods. "well i'm glad it was a good date. you deserve one of those."

"how was your night?" you ask. jeonghan shifts on the couch so there's room for you to sit and join him. once you're settled he explains how his friend seungcheol had come over for drinks, but he left a little while ago.

"i think he's got a girlfriend and doesn't want to tell me," jeonghan says, "because he feels bad that i'm not seeing anybody."

"you want me to find you a lady?" you tease. "you know my friends love you, i'm sure it'd be easy.''

"no," he shakes his head so some of his hair falls in his eyes. it makes it easier for him to stare at you without you noticing. "i'm good."

"well, it's a standing offer," you say as you get up to return the chips to the pantry. when you walk back through the living room, you ask, "where's jack tonight? i'm about to shower, i don't want another heart attack."

"i put the skeleton in your bed," jeonghan smiles with an impish glint in his eyes. "i figured it would be a nice surprise for the poor sap you might have brought home."

"you're annoying."

"thanks!" jeonghan chirps, and you laugh before telling him goodnight. he watches you go, smiling at something on your phone. jeonghan feels a pang in his chest ever so slightly, but he shakes it off, turning the tv off before he goes back to sleep trying not to think about you.

-

the following week, you're acting off. jeonghan notices immediately, but he doesn't bring it up to you at first. he's not sure if maybe work is stressing you, or maybe you've got family stuff going on...whatever it is, he'll give it a day or two before he checks on you, knowing how you like having time to yourself before someone swoops in to help.

the reality is, you really like this guy you've been talking to. that first date was amazing, and you wanted to go out with him again as soon as possible. you talk all the time, always ducking into your room when he calls while you're around jeonghan. you're actually ignoring jeonghan a lot, which you feel bad about, but you just can't get enough of this new guy. even though you're talking a lot, it's hard to set up another date with him because you're both busy with work. you've got plans to hang out on sunday, and for the first time in a long time, you're excited for a date. not nervous, not dreading it, just pure schoolgirl crush excitement.

that's why it's so crushing when, a few hours before, the guy texts you and cancels. you play it off at first, asking when he's free to reschedule, but his response is basically telling you to get lost. it hurts your feelings more than it should, because he is just some loser dude, but you also didn't know him that long. you have no reason to be so devastated over this, but you are.

jeonghan knew about your second date with this guy, so he made plans to be out of the house for as long as possible on sunday. as selfish as it was, he didn't want to be there for the giddy getting ready (you always ask him for outfit advice and he always tells you that you look great) or for the nervous pacing while you waited for the guy to pick you up (jeonghan always distracts you with jokes to calm your nerves). he also didn't want to be there after the date, if you happened to bring the lucky guy home. so he's out running errands, bothering his friends, and killing time until he's sure he won't walk in on anything he doesn't want to see.

when jeonghan gets home, it's late. after his day of farting around he went to his friend wonwoo's apartment for a while to heckle him while he played video games, and wonwoo finally kicked him out.

"don't you need to go home to your girlfriend?" wonwoo had teased, and jeonghan kicked him from his spot on the couch.

"y/n's my best friend and my roommate."

"so basically your girlfriend," wonwoo smiles that little smile of his, and it annoys jeonghan.

"she doesn't think of it like that," jeonghan mumbles, looking for his phone so he can head home anyway.

"because you're being too subtle."

"i'm not trying to be anything!" jeonghan says defensively. "i don't want her to know."

"why not?" wonwoo asks, finally turning to look at his friend. "you afraid she'll say no? because we all think-"

"i'll see you later, ok?" jeonghan says quickly, his shoes barely on as he tries to unlock the door. "hope cheol doesn't kill you again."

"in his dreams," wonwoo mumbles, his attention effectively back on the game and off of jeonghan.

jeonghan comes home to a mostly dark apartment, the stove light in the kitchen the only indication that you got home before him. he stops at the door to make sure there's no...unpleasant sounds coming from elsewhere, and when he's met with silence he kicks his shoes off carefully before heading to his room. he's exhausted, hiding from you all day being a good way to wear a person out. when he passes by your room something catches his ear, and his heart stops. were you moaning?

jeonghan knows he shouldn't, but he presses his ear against your door, telling himself he's only doing this so he can decide if he needs to stay somewhere else tonight. he's waiting to hear another voice, a man's voice, but he's met with a quiet whimper, followed by some sniffles. his heart roars back to life hearing that, almost breaking to pieces when he realizes you're not moaning, you're in your room crying. he's opening the door before he knows what he's doing, and you jump out of your skin at the unwelcome intrusion.

"go away," you whisper. jeonghan ignores you, coming to your bedside and looking down at you with concern in his eyes. "jeonghan, please. go away-"

"why are you crying?" he asks, and you don't say anything. "what did that asshole do?"

"nothing," you sniff again, willing your tears to stay back as you try to appease your roommate long enough for him to decide you're fine and leave you alone. "h-he was bu-busy and had to cancel-"

"fuck him."

"yeah, whatever," you say shakily. "it doesn't matter. i'm fine. now leave. please." your eyes are closed, trying to hide the tears that are welling up, and jeonghan is so quiet you assume he left, but he's trying not to let his own emotions show as he calls your name.

"y/n," jeonghan whispers, and when you look up at him you can't help it. you start crying again seeing him so upset over you being so upset, and before long you're back to bawling your eyes out. you barely register jeonghan cooing softly at you, climbing into bed and scooping you up into his arms. his lips are pressing soft kisses up and down your hairline, and it makes you cry even more. this is what you want, you think. this is what you need, what you've been missing. you want a boyfriend that will care for you like jeonghan does, that will be there for you like jeonghan is. it physically hurts you to think that you may never have that, that there's a possibility you'll never feel that kind of romantic love from someone. and you want to say that, you want to tell jeonghan why he came home to you pathetically crying so much, but he doesn't care. he just wants you to stop, so he'll hold you in his arms whispering sweet jokes to you until there's no more tears. he gets the slightest smile out of you right before you doze off, hands bunched into his shirt holding on for dear life. jeonghan holds you tighter, pressing one last kiss to the tip of your snotty nose before he drifts off to sleep with you.

-

you wake up later, not quite in the morning, but a few hours have passed. you're not used to sharing a bed with someone, especially when that person has such a vice grip on you as jeonghan does. once your mind has registered that you're awake, you also feel the burn of someone's eyes on you. sure enough, when you peek into the darkness of your room you see jeonghan staring back, eyebrows creased and teeth nibbling his bottom lip.

"stop chewing your lip," you tell him, reaching out to tug it from between his teeth. "i'm fine. you don't need to worry about me."

"wrong," he replies, watching you intensely as he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear. the quiet that follows has your face heating up, and the heat spreads through the rest of your body. it feels like every point where jeonghan's body is pressed against yours is on fire, and you want to pull away. but you don't.

"why aren't you in your room."

"because i wanted to sleep here," he replies. "i hope that's ok."

"it's not-"

"bummer," jeonghan cuts you off. "i'm not leaving."

"i'm not crying anymore though," you point out. "so. i'm fine."

"nope," he shakes his head. his bangs fall back into his eyes, and you think briefly he must need a haircut, but you hope he doesn't get one. the long hair suits him, even if it keeps him from seeing sometimes. you don't think about it, your hand unclenching his shirt and instead reaching up to brush his hair out of his face. jeonghan watches you carefully, and your breath gets caught in your throat when you look back down to his eyes. he's staring at you so intensely you can feel it in your chest, and that's when it hits you: jeonghan. you want a boyfriend like jeonghan. well! jeonghan's right here! what are you gonna do about it?

"jeonghan, i..." you trail off, staring at him like you're seeing him in a new light. he waits patiently for you to go on, thinking you might explain the situation a little more, but you don't know what to say. you just get hit with the intense need to bury your face in his chest, breathing in his scent and listening to his heartbeat as you fall back asleep.

"what?" he asks, trying to encourage you to keep speaking.

"um, can i just-" you try, but instead of speaking you just nuzzle into his chest, nose at the base of his neck tickling his skin. "i want to go back to sleep."

"then sleep baby," he whispers as he squeezes you tighter, afraid to let go. as you fall asleep, you let your hands relax against his chest, one of them laid right over his racing heart.

-

the next morning, you wake up to an empty bed and almost convince yourself you dreamed up jeonghan last night. like an oasis in the desert, he came to you when you needed him most. a little part of you wishes it wasn't real so you could go back to a time where you didn't know your true feelings for jeonghan, but your mussed sheets proves it wasn't a dream. jeonghan's scent is still lingering on your extra pillow, and you take a deep breath and remember how it felt to be wrapped up in your best friend.

jeonghan comes back into your room with two coffees in hand and he sees you nuzzling your face into the spot where his head laid just minutes ago. he lets you wallow for a moment before he calls your name softly. you jump up, cheeks warming as you look at jeonghan in your doorway.

"morning," he smiles. he hands you your coffee, your cold hands brushing his and sparking warmth across his skin. he stops himself from leaning down to kiss your forehead, knowing that whatever intimacy you shared last night is probably left in the past. you were sad, and jeonghan was there to comfort you. he'd happily do that a million times over, but he doesn't think you feel the same way he does.

"jeonghan, i'm sorry about last night," you try to apologize, but he shakes his head.

"don't," he stops you. "i would do it again if you needed it."

"well if you find me crying over some loser again tonight you have full permission to slap me," you tell him. "one night was enough."

"noted," he laughs, awkwardly standing in your room, unsure if he can get back into bed with you. you pick up on the way his eyes keep flitting from you to his spot, and you pat the empty space so he'll sit down.

"stop being weird," you say, bumping shoulders with him once he's comfortably next to you again. "so how'd you sleep?"

"pretty good," he starts out, "but there was this really annyoing sound coming from your side of the bed?"

"oh you mean me crying?"

"no, like this really loud, obnoxious snoring, kinda like-" jeonghan starts demonstrating, sending you into a fit of giggles and a pushing match to get him to stop.

"i think that was you!" you shriek, carefully trying not to spill your coffee. "don't spill that in my bed, i'll kill you."

"and then who are you gonna cuddle at night?" jeonghan asks, regretting it when he feels the tension between you both.

"i could always cuddle with jack," you joke to break the awkwardness, and jeonghan rolls his eyes.

"i hate that you named the skeleton."

"the skeleton is a guest in our home," you tease him. "show him some respect."

"whatever, freak," he says before downing the rest of his coffee. he gets an idea then, turning to you to ask, "what are you doing today?"

"um, nothing except work," you reply. "but you know my job is barely real so i'm basically doing nothing."

"let's go get coffee," jeonghan says, a playful look in his eyes.

"we just had coffee," you point out.

"no, no, we'll get good coffee, you can do some work, i'll watch you do some work, it'll be great," he insists, getting up and pulling you out of bed with him.

"if you're still trying to cheer me up i swear i'm fine," you say through your laughter, pressing back against jeonghan trying to push you toward your closet. "you don't need to take me for coffee or do anything else to make me feel better. i'm fine now."

"glad to hear it," he smiles softly, squeezing your hand that's clasped firmly in his. "but i still want to get coffee, so get dressed or everyone at the cafe will see you in that god forsaken t shirt."

the t shirt in question is one that jeonghan found for you during one of your goodwill visits. for whatever reason, it says 'i shaved my balls for this' and it got the biggest laugh from you all night, so jeonghan had to bring it home. despite being awful colors (light blue paired with neon yellow) it's actually quite comfortable, and you love the way it makes jeonghan laugh every time you wear it. it's unironically become your favorite sleep shirt, but you are mortified at the thought of anyone aside from your best friend seeing you in it. you quickly change, grabbing your work laptop from your desk before you head into the living room to find jeonghan waiting for you.

it's not unusual for him to take you out on random adventures, but this one feels different. he stays closer to you than normal, insists on buying your drink, and you catch him actually watching you work.

"get a hobby," you mumble, looking down at your laptop so he hopefully won't see your blushing cheeks.

"this is my hobby," he says. "i'm hanging out with my favorite person."

"seungcheol's going to be very sad to hear he's been demoted," you tease.

"he knows where he stands," jeonghan says, still watching you intently. you can't take it anymore, staring back at him.

"seriously, pretend to read or something! you're distracting me."

"i'm distracting you?" he smiles. "why? i'm not doing anything."

"i'm sending this email and then we're leaving," you say, and he shrugs.

"if you want, baby."

baby. it hits you harder this time, jeonghan's silly little nickname for you. you thought it started off as a sarcastic thing, but recently you feel like it sounds sweeter and sweeter coming from his lips. after last night, it makes your heart skip a beat, and that's when it hits you: are you on a date with jeonghan right now?!

"wait. waitwaitwait. hold on," you say, pointing at jeonghan and then yourself. "is this a date? are we on a date?"

"what? no baby," he shakes his head, and now you're confused. "no, if we were on a date you'd know."

"what's that supposed to mean?" you squeak out.

"do you want us to be on a date right now?" jeonghan counters, and you know your blushing cheeks have you in trouble. "you do?"

"i-i don't know-"

"hm, you wanna go on a date with me," jeonghan says matter of factly. "well, that's good to know."

"what are you doing?" you ask as he starts cleaning up his space.

"oh i need to go back to the apartment," he says. "gotta get my laptop so i can start planning a date that's worthy of you. i'll see you at home?"

"jeonghan, what?" you're left sputtering as he heads to the door, not looking back even though he knows your staring. he's afraid you'll see the excited/nervous shake in his hands, so he needs to go cool off. well, that and plan the best date of your entire life. he's got a lot of ground to cover. thankfully, the idiots you usually grace your time with have set the bar pretty low. jeonghan is determined to bring it higher, so high in fact that you won't be able to go on another first date without comparing it to his. if things go right though, maybe you won't have to go on a first date ever again.

-

jeonghan left the coffeeshop before you, so it would make sense if he was at the apartment when you got back, right? wrong. you come home about an hour later to an empty home, no sign of jeonghan. you think that's fine, it gives you a chance to actually get some work done. but jeonghan being mia has you a little nervous. what's he doing? he said he was going to plan a date. for you. and him. you and jeonghan...on a date? that's crazy.

you've done a good job ignoring that whole concept, trying to get ahead on a project you need to present later this week. you're so hyperfocused that the whole day goes by before you realize it, and when you finally emerge from your room you really expect to find jeonghan in the living room. he's still gone, so you decide to text him, asking casually if he would be home for dinner. the domesticity isn't lost on you, and it makes jeonghan smile when he gets it. he decides to call instead of texting back, balancing his phone against his shoulder and his cheek once you pick up.

"you miss me or something?" he asks, and you can hear the smile in his voice.

"i was just curious," you reply nonchalantly. "you've been missing all day."

"i've been busy."

"oh ok."

"i'll be home soon though," he tells you. "don't make dinner, just make sure you're dressed in an hour."

"for what?"

"a surprise."

"i need more information and you know that," you scoff, and you hear jeonghan chuckle.

"dress nice, but not fancy. and wear something blue so we'll match," he explains, and you feel your cheeks warm. "i gotta go, but i'll see you soon, baby."

hearing that coming from jeonghan now makes your heart skip a beat, and it makes you wonder if you've always felt like this and you just didn't notice. you keep thinking about him as you get ready, steaming out a dress you were planning to wear on a date that didn't happen. it's a soft blue with long sleeves and a low tie in the front. you worry for a moment that it might be too revealing, but checking the time rushes you into action. you're almost ready when there's a knock at the front door, which you ignore. there's another knock, this time louder, so you grumble your way to the living room to peek through the peephole. you gasp when you see what's on the other side.

you throw the door open, revealing a visibly nervous jeonghan with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. he's wearing a blue shirt, almost the exact shade of your dress, and he openly stares at you with a happy smile and a look in his eyes that you've never seen before.

"jeonghan?" you ask, pulling him from his intense focus on your chest.

"y/n," he smiles, eyes flicking up to yours. "you look stunning."

"i'm not ready yet," you pout slightly, checking the time on your phone. "you weren't very specific about when you were coming home."

"you look perfect," he says, checking you out again. "what else could you need to do?"

"wouldn't you like to know?" you tease, and he rolls his eyes.

"i can give you ten minutes, but any longer than that and we'll be late."

"late for what?" you ask as he passes you the flowers. "these are beautiful by the way, carnations are-"

"your favorite, i know," he smiles softly. "you buy yourself a bunch almost every time you're at the grocery store."

"i can't remember the last time someone bought me flowers either," you mumble, opening the door enough for jeonghan to come inside. "what are you still doing out there? it's your house, come in."

"finish getting ready," he laughs at you, reaching for the flowers again. "i'm putting them in a vase, weirdo. you'll get them back when you're done getting pretty."

"i'll be back," you whisper, running off before he can see how nervous you just got. you try to calm your nerves as you finish your touch ups, panicking last minute over which shoes and purse go with your outfit.

jeonghan is sitting on the couch, your flowers in your favorite vase on the coffeetable. he perks up at the sound of you shuffling down the hallway, but he pouts when he sees you holding up all your shoes.

"y/n, we're gonna be late."

"i don't know which ones to wear," you say simply, and he smiles as he comes up to you, analyzing the choices. he picks the white shoes and the white purse.

"glad we're still keeping this tradition alive even though i'm the one taking you out this time," he says proudly, watching you get situated. you stand back up, mussing your hair one last time before he asks, "ready to go, beautiful?"

"i don't know why i'm so nervous," you tell him, taking his arm as you leave the apartment. "we hang out all the time."

"yeah, but this isn't us hanging out," jeonghan says as you wait for the elevator. "i'm taking you on the best date of your life. nerves are completely valid."

"are you nervous?" you whisper, leaning in so jeonghan gets a good whiff of your perfume that he loves finding traces of all through his life. he holds your gaze, eyes flicking down momentarily before he shakes his head.

"no, i thought i would be, but i'm not," he replies simply as you get on the elevator.

"ok good, so i'll just freak out for the both of us then."

"would you? that takes a lot of pressure off of me," jeonghan jokes, and you pinch his arm. "ouch! so mean to me when i've made the perfect night for you."

"and what does this perfect night entail?" you ask. jeonghan just shakes his head, leading you out into the lobby of the building. he takes you a different way, not walking to the parking garage but instead to the main entrance of your building. "jeonghan, are we walking there? i don't think i can make it in these shoes-"

you stop mid-sentence, spotting the shiny baby blue mustang convertible parked outside. you look at jeonghan, mouth open in surprise. he has to tug you down the hallway and out into the cool night air, helping you into the passenger seat with ease. you watch on in shock as he gets into the driver's side, finally cutting through the fog in your mind to ask, "do you even know how to drive this?"

"yeah," jeonghan says coolly, opening the glovebox to hand you a scrunchie of yours that he stole. "here, you might wanna put your hair up."

"you're insane," you tell him, playing with the scrunchie in your lap as he starts the car. you can't believe this so far, and the date's barely begun. what other surprises could he possibly have in store for you?

-

after a quick ride out of the city, you find yourself at a retro drive in that's completely empty. you have a sneaking suspicion jeonghan rented it just for the two of you tonight, but you don't have a chance to ask. once he parks, he's asking you to open the glovebox and you smile when you see the stack of movie theatre candy boxes he's stashed away. you take them out, turning back to jeonghan to see he's produced a tub of popcorn from somewhere and a couple of your favorite sodas. you stare at him with your mouth opening and closing like a fish and he just smiles proudly in return.

"jeonghan, what did you do?" you finally ask, and he laughs.

"do you like it?"

"what are we doing here?"

"watching a movie," he says obviously. he shifts the snacks, the drinks going into the holders by the radio and the popcorn and candy going on the dashboard. "come closer," he mumbles, tugging your arm. the smooth vinyl of the seats sending you flying into jeonghan's side, and you giggle nervously as you adjust your dress. jeonghan lays the snacks out over your laps and drapes his arm across your shoulders for good measure. he looks at you to gauge whether you're settled or not, and when he decides you're ready he presses on the horn once. the screen in front of you lights up, and you gasp as you see the opening credits for your favorite movie flashing before you.

"where did you get the idea to do this?" you ask him with a smile, taking a few pieces of popcorn to give you something to do with your hands.

"just thought it would be something different," he shrugs, and you leave it at that. you can barely focus on the movie, hyperaware of how warm jeonghan is next to you and how every glance he casts your way sends your heart racing faster and faster. a few minutes into it, you remember your hair is still tied up from the ride, so you shuffle out of jeonghan's grasp to pull the scrunchie down and reset yourself. you know jeonghan is watching, so you mumble, "watch the movie, weirdo."

"i've seen it before," he whispers back, eyes still heavy on you. "i'm not missing anything."

"you've seen me before too," you point out, leaning back into his side once you're done moving around. "quite a lot, actually."

"yeah, but i've never seen you on a date before," he says. "and on a date with me? whoa. i gotta soak it all in."

you turn to look at him then, admiring the way his hair falls so slightly into his eyes, the way his lips stretch over his shy smile, how his eyes glisten when they meet yours. you could kick yourself for not noticing any of this sooner. who knew you had exactly what you were looking for right here?

"jeonghan, i-" you start, but realize you don't have the words to tell him what you want to say. you stop, staring at him with your brows furrowed cutely.

"what, baby?" he laughs, his thumb coming up to trace the creases in your forehead. "you're gonna give yourself premature wrinkles like this."

"why are you doing this?" you ask quietly. "why are you so...wonderful? all the time?"

"because," he shrugs, his hand falling from your forehead to rest just below your chin. "i've been trying to show you what it would be like. took you long enough to come around."

"show me what?" you ask confused.

"what it's like being loved by me," he smiles back. you feel your breath catch in your throat, and you want to say something. you want to tell him how you feel, how you're sorry it took you so long, how you love every moment you spend with jeonghan by your side. instead you just lean forward, lips brushing over his. you bring your hands up to his neck, wrapping them in the soft hair at the back of his head as you scoot impossibly closer and try to press all your love into this one kiss. jeonghan keeps his hold on your chin, thumb stroking softly at your cheek. he's the first one to pull back, laughing when you try to bring his lips back to yours so quickly. he leans his forehead against yours, soft hair tickling your skin as he asks, "so you get it now?"

"yeah," you nod, knocking your heads together and sending you both into a fit of giggles. jeonghan steals a few more kisses, and when you finally calm down he pulls you back into his side, squeezing you as close to him as possible. you lay your head down on his shoulder, pressing your lips into the closest part of him you can reach. "thank you, jeonghan. my jeonghan."

"my y/n," he sighs, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "my beautiful, kind, funny girl."

"stop staring," you whisper bashfully. "you're missing the movie."

"i'm not missing anything," he repeats, but he takes one last look at you before he kisses the top of your head and finally turns back to the screen. this might be your first date with jeonghan, but it certainly won't be your last.

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

Chibs with a reader around the same age as Juice and they do it on Chibs’s bike at the club house thinking nobody is there but they get caught by a few of the members

Teach Me How to Ride.

Synopsis - Chibs is teaching you how to ride (in more ways than one).

Pairing - Filip 'Chibs' Telford x Female Reader

Warnings - smut. cursing. age gap.

Age Rating - 18+

Word Count - 1k

Author's Note - thank you SO much for this request, anon. it made me feral. that old man owns me and i'm not sorry about it. always open to SOA and chibs requests. <3

Masterlist. Inbox.

"Any weekend plans, darlin'?"

You smile at the blonde man sat on the other side of the bar you're wiping down.

"Nothing too exciting. I think I'm gonna try and get out on my bike."

His brows raise in curiosity.

"You have a bike now?"

"Yeah. Chibs is teaching me how to ride."

"I bet he is."

You roll your eyes at the snickers that come from the other guys who are dotted around the room.

"Real mature, Jax."

"Is he charging you for these lessons, or are you paying him in other ways?"

You put down your cloth and look up.

"I'll jump over this bar and beat your ass right now, Tig. Don't think I won't."

They all laugh, and you can't help but chuckle along with them. You know they mean well. They'd do anything for you, in a heartbeat.

Eventually, the sun sets, and all of the guys make their way home. You've been restocking the bar, not minding staying a little later if it means you get the job done.

You're crouched down filling the fridge when you hear a familiar Scottish accent echo though the clubhouse.

"You still here, sweetheart?"

You stand up and smile at him, grinning wider when he reciprocates.

"Still here. Trying to get my shit done."

"That's my girl. Always working ten times harder than the rest of us."

You laugh, throwing him a beer.

"You're here late. How did the run go?"

"All good, nothing to worry about," he winks.

You think back to Jax's comment earlier, and decide you've had enough of avoiding the truth. You want answers. You also just kind of want to know what he'll say.

"Why does everyone think we're fucking?"

Chibs practically chokes on his drink, taken aback by your sudden brashness.

"What?"

"You heard me."

He takes a moment to process, before a slow smile etches itself onto his face.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Just something Jax said earlier."

"Ignore that bastard. He doesn't think before he speaks."

You chuckle in agreement, finishing up your jobs for the day.

"You wan' a ride home?"

You nod gratefully, making sure to lock up before walking over to where Chibs is leaning against his bike. He's parked by the door, under the shelter, obscured from the yard. He slips a helmet onto your head, before standing in front of you to do up the buckle. His rough fingertips slide under your chin, clasping the straps in place. He swipes a thumb over your bottom lip gently, eyes never leaving your face.

"You're too good for me," he murmurs. "Pretty young thing like you."

"Everyone already thinks we're fucking anyway," you whisper, smirk on your face.

He chuckles lowly, before leaning in to capture your lips with his. He kisses you with need, unbuckling the helmet he just put on you and dropping it to the ground. He's grabbing at you - your hips, your ass, anywhere he can find. You've got your hands tangled in his hair, yanking roughly when he bites your lip.

The two of you waste no time. Chibs is shrugging his jacket off while unbuttoning your pants, pulling them down. You're fumbling with his belt, undoing his jeans with shaky hands. You're both high on adrenaline, desperate to feel the other person. He smashes his lips back to yours and you groan, reveling in the way he tastes like smoke and peppermint.

Chibs grabs your hips and walks you backwards, twirling you around so you're bent over his bike. You can't help but laugh, remembering what Jax had said.

"What?" he chuckles into your ear, hot and heavy against your back.

"Nothing," you giggle. "I'll tell you later. You gonna fuck me, old man, or just stand there?"

He growls under his breath and smacks your ass as punishment, smirking when you whine.

"You gonna ask me nicely, sweetheart?"

At this point, you're not above begging. Besides, you know it'll do wonders for his ego, and you don't entirely mind that.

"Please, Chibs," you whinge. "Waited so long for this."

"Oh, ya have?" he coos. "Better not keep you waitin' then."

In one smooth thrust he slides home, both of you groaning in unison. He plants a hand on the back of your neck, the other with a firm grip on your hip, providing him with leverage. He sets a steady, even pace, careful not to knock the bike over.

He tilts his hips upwards a little and you keen, seeing stars.

"Right there? Yeah? That's it, isn't it?"

You only nod in response, holding onto the motorcycle for dear life. You trust him, though. You know he won't let you fall.

"Fuck, darlin'. You feel so good."

"So close," you choke out.

"I know, I know. Can feel you squeezin' me. Come on, that's it. Good girl."

The lilt of his accent combined with the glide of his hips is lethal, sending you over the edge in no time. You see stars, heart racing and mind blank.

Your undoing is also Chibs'. He groans as he finds his release, leaning over to rest his head between your shoulders. You're both panting, chests heaving as you recover.

After a moment, the bike groans, and you both jump up, laughing as you do it. You're redressing, Chibs stealing kisses from you, when you hear a voice cut through the darkness.

"Well, shit. I was only kidding earlier."

You can hear Jax's teasing drawl before he comes into view, cocky smirk drawn across his face.

You groan as Chibs rolls his eyes and throws his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into him. Both of you know you're not going to hear the end of this for a long time.

[pendarling]

Bracelet Exchanges

"What's this supposed to mean?" Hero raised the bracelet to eye level and took in the smooth braided leather attached to a small bell.

Sidekick smiled sweetly, "Aww, who gave it to you?~" Their thumb ran along it. "It's a tradition during the festival that when someone likes you they'll give you a bracelet." They played with the bell. "And listen to that sound!"

They didn't get it, probably because this was Hero's first time attending the festival. They've never heard of a tradition like this, but whatever Sidekick said was likely true. In that case, Hero felt flattered to have been approached by a stranger and given the beautifully decorated piece.

The duo walked around for some time until Sidekick paused in their step. "Augh… maybe I shouldn't have drank so much at the cafe…"

Hero looked around and spotted a bathroom, "I'll wait for you out here. Why don't you use the restroom?"

"Ugh… my bladder is about to burst. Make sure not to get lost without me." They called back as they walked toward the door of the small building.

Hero watched them as they left, their eyes concentrating on the door until they could see Sidekick again. Hopefully, they didn't take too long. Sidekick had a habit of staring into the mirror for longer than needed.

A heavy weight landed on Hero's shoulder, and they snapped out of their thoughts, "You look lost." A familiar smile appeared, and Hero took a step back.

"Villain?"

"The one and only." They pointed at themselves confidently.

"Wh-what're you doing here?"

As if offended, Villain scoffed at them and dismissed their question, that cunning smile making its reappearance again, "Y'know, I had a feeling you'd be here, some stupid arrangement like this could easily lure the good little citizen in you right out."

Hero frowned at their comment; they made it seem like they were a lot more susceptible than expected. "I'm not easy to lure…" They grumbled, annoyed.

Villain aimlessly let their eyes explore their surroundings. "Really? Because right now there's hardly anyone around to notice you're dissaaperance."

Hero clicked their tongue, "This place is full of people."

"It's a lot more psychological, Hero. I'm more likely to get away with a crime solely based on the assumption that no one will step in to help you."

Hero looked at them, puzzled.

"The bystander effect. Search it up."

Their adversary had a bizarre way of making jokes; they sarcastically laughed and turned away. Just how long was Sidekick going to fix their hair? The door poured out dozens of other guests; children buzzed around with balloons and colourful hula hoops too big for most of them to utilize.

It was a summer afternoon and, by the looks of it, midday. Hero wiped the sweat from their forehead. They couldn't blame Sidekick for taking that many drinks, they supposed; it was sweltering out here.

The bracelet on their wrist chimed at the motions of their hand. Villain, who had been quietly observing them, took note of the small leather band. Their hand instinctively grabbed Hero's arm. "And what do we have here?" Hero turned their attention back at Villain. Their interest was piqued all over again, "Looks like our hero has an admirer now, hm?" They sneered.

Even though Villain's remarks were usually playful, this moment felt a bit… guarded. Hero was slightly put off before recovering their voice, "What? It's just a dumb thing." They pulled their hand away.

It didn't look like Villain took too kindly to being disregarded; their demeanour changed, and they crossed their arms. "Fine. Keep that shitty toy if it makes you happy."

Hero only shrugged but didn't notice Villain had already walked away until it was too late.

Sidekick had returned by then and looked the same as when they left. For whatever reason, keeping Sidekick busy for ten minutes had done Hero a favour.

"You're back."

Sidekick seemed much refreshed as they adjusted their clothes, "Yeah, there was a lineup in there. I'm just lucky there was still toilet paper."

The sun still beat down on them; Hero squinted in the distance, partially looking for shade and partly searching for Villain. They didn't like their abrupt departure; it wasn't like their usual self to leave without saying goodbye.

"Wanna get lunch?" Hero began walking toward the scent of food.

"Yesss, please." Sidekick patted their stomach, "I'm starving." They came up along the fence of the festival, a row of food stalls of all kinds stretched down the walkway.

The formation that they were sorted into allowed guests to be served from both sides of each food stall. Luckily, the city thought ahead and duplicated certain popular foods like the deep-fried corndogs, fries, and ice cream stalls several times around the area.

"Oooh… I'm thinking pizza." Sidekick said they waited for Hero's response.

The pizzas sold here were always larger than average, and Hero didn't have as big of an appetite as Sidekick. They glanced around for a second option. "I think I'll just get a poutine."

Sidekick pulled out their wallet and gave them ten. "They sell the good orange juice there, Hero pleeease get me one." They pushed the cash into their hand. "Keep the change."

"Ah, no, I'm not taking your money." They handed it back to them.

Sidekick shoved it in their direction again, "Just take it, just take it."

"No, I can't-- I can pay for your drink."

"I don't need it, it's extra change; pocket money."

Hero shook their head rapidly, but Sidekick eventually won and spun on their heel into the crowd as soon as they ensured Hero's grip on the note was firm.

"Sidekick!" their voice was chased away by the noise of the crowd. They might as well go along with what they were asked.

When Hero eventually made it to the stall, they spotted Villain again, as if they were in no way a threat to the other citizens. Their eyes met, and Hero had discreetly pushed their bracelet up their arm and out of view.

Villain beckoned them over. They were unsure if they should bravely face them, but now that Villain knew for sure Hero had seen them, it wasn't like they could leave.

"Waiting to eat too?"

"Just felt a little hungry." Hero mumbled.

They chuckled, "We have the same eating schedule, huh?" They grabbed their arm and pulled Hero into line with them.

"Villain, I can't step in front of other people." They hesitantly tried leaving, but Villain kept them close.

"Don't worry about it, these people will get their turn eventually. What's a few extra minutes gonna do?"

They didn't want to say they were surprised at all when Villain paid for their lunch and even for Sidekick's drink, but they were undoubtedly flattered to have it happen. They set it down on a nearby table and packed in the bottled orange juice and bill into their bag.

Hero shyly thanked them, although they knew Villain's eyes still stared harshly at the little leather bracelet. They honestly had forgotten about its significance, but Villain had made their point pretty clear earlier, so it should've been a sign.

"No need to thank me, consider it a gift." They reached out, and Hero flinched, "I'm not going to kill you, Hero." They laughed and took their other hand, slipping on a small chain bracelet.

They stood awkwardly, too intimidated to leave but unwilling to stay. "What's this?"

"You don't know anything about this tradition?" Villain grinned widely; a sort of satisfied realization must've hit them. They weren't sure what the deal was with every other person expecting Hero to know so much from what little information they'd been given.

"Why are you asking me like I'm supposed to be taking an exam afterwards?" They closed their bag and swung it back over their shoulders. Villain couldn't believe it. Hero wasn't even aware of the implications behind the bracelet. They didn't mind a little obliviousness from their rival as long it kept them entertained.

They licked their lips excitedly, "Enjoy your lunch, and don't take that off until the end of the day." Hero curiously stared at them for further insight, but Villain had only left them to their own devices as they made their way out of view.

As Hero returned to the pizza parlour, they found Sidekick sitting at a table under the shade of a tree. "Oh, thank God," Sidekick took the bottle from them and immediately rested their cheek against the calm exterior. "You're my saving grace, Hero." They reached an arm out to them, "I wanna tell you a secret." They leaned in as Hero pulled out their poutine and a wooden fork. "I honestly only came to this festival for the food and drinks."

Hero laughed, "You're so predictable." They took a bite and recalled the cash still in their bag, "Sidekick," They pulled it out and handed it to them.

"What? You're paying me back?'

They shook their head and swallowed whatever was left, "No, I--" they stopped themselves, "uh-- a kind stranger, paid for our stuff." If Sidekick knew they ran into Villain, they would worry. They couldn't have that while they were enjoying time together; it would ruin their day. Besides, Hero was always away at work; they might as well not make their break day about it.

Sidekick didn't mind much attention to what they said aside from slowly nodding as they drank from the bottle. They set it down and watched Hero for a few extra seconds, "You got a new bracelet."

They pointed at their wrist. Hero redirected their eyes to the silver chain. "Oh, yeah."

"Wow~ even as a citizen you're still popular with the public."

Hero smiled softly; if, in this scenario, Villain had counted as a regular person, then it would be true. "I wonder why it's different though." They played with it.

Sidekick pulled out their phone, "Give me a second. I wanna know too."

"Not even the all-knowing Sidekick has an answer?" Hero nudged them slightly with their foot, and Sidekick pushed them back in response.

"Shut up. I know that the leather one means they like you. Or loyalty, or something."

Sidekick looked up from the screen. "Okay sooo…" They scrolled, "There's a wooden bracelet that means desire to marry, a black one with a red stone is lust."

Hero scooted closer to Sidekick and tried to decipher what they could from the screen. "Where's the chain?"

Sidekick sat up, "Hold on. I can't see with your hair in the way." They watched Sidekick's eyes dart left and right as they read the page, "Okay, so the chain one basically means all three."

"All three?"

"Who the hell gave you that?" They took Hero's wrist, disbelief written on their face as they studied it. "Geez, they must have it bad for you. There's only like a hundred of these in the city."

Their eyes widened. "They aren't sold?"

Sidekick shook their head, "Tradition says you gotta give it away to another person. When you do find someone you like you gotta hand it to somebody new so they can give it to their love interest next, never sell."

Hero blushed deeply. They didn't consider that Villain might've liked them like that. Maybe they were naturally born stupid at blatant advances. "Oh…" they played with their hair, their other hand working at the fries around the gravy, too swept up in their thoughts to properly eat. Maybe they'd see Villain again, and next year, they'd give them a chain bracelet, too. It was only fair that they expressed their gratitude in some form.

~~~ MASTERLIST

[willowrites]

some fluff where austin and reader work a lot and spend little time together, but enjoy all the time they have with each other, like reader sitting between his legs typing something on her notebook while he plays with her hair and memorize his lines, and it ends up with them falling sleep with all their work strewn across the bed?

summary: you and austin had a busy day and continue to have work but he makes time in his day to spend it with his favorite person in the world…you.

warnings:

pairings: austin x reader

authors note: thank you for those who are supporting! 💗 requests are open!

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

You just got home from work and the only thing keeping you sane right now was seeing Austin.

You had been running around all day trying to get things done you were exhausted. Your feet were hurting and you just wanted to lay down in bed cuddling Austin while watching whatever movie he put on.

But you couldn’t. You still had work to do.

You walked through the door of the home you and Austin have made your own together. You instantly kicked off your heels and slipped on your slippers.

You walked a while towards your kitchen setting down your lunch pale. You opened the fridge to grab a small snack. Usually, you got home after Austin so he was probably upstairs already doing some more work as usual.

You brought your snack of choice up the stairs and into your bedroom looking around to find no Austin.

Where could he be? You thought.

Maybe he's working late? He would've texted you though. But just maybe he got caught up and is super busy.

You tried not to worry and gave it a few minutes. In the meantime, you grabbed your laptop and opened it up to finish some work you didn't get to at your office.

You're glad you didn't panic because ten minutes later you heard the front door of your cozy home open and then shut.

You were excited to see his beautiful face.

You continued doing what you were doing and heard his steps coming up the stairs.

You jumped up and off the bed ready to jump in his arms but saw that his arms were a bit occupied.

"You got me flowers?!" You asked in adoration and surprise. He is so dreamy. You thought. Cliche but true.

"Of course. Anything and everything for my girl." He said walking towards you.

Your hands hesitantly reach out to take hold of the bouquet containing your favorite flowers. "I love them. Thank you, baby." You blush. You lean your head towards him for a kiss.

He meets you halfway getting rid of the space between you two. "I love you."

"I love you." You said back.

"Let me get in my pj's and let's cuddle." He starts taking off his jacket.

You sigh before heading downstairs. "I still have work to do, unfortunately."

"No worries. I'll practice my lines while you work." Austin follows behind you and hangs his jacket on the coat rack. "Been needing to rehearse because we continue filming soon."

You nod putting your flowers inside a vase full of water. You clean up the stems that were cut off and grab Austin's hand. You flick off the light and lead him upstairs.

You grab your laptop as he digs for his script and you both climb onto the bed. He goes more closer to the center and pats the spot in the middle.

You smile and crawl and sit in between his legs. You finally get settled and he whispers his lines.

You type away and feel his fingers playing with your hair.

You love this. You wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

You feel Austin settle further practically laying down.

You felt exhaustion take over you. Your eyes start to droop until you finally feel yourself falling asleep.

The last thing you hear is Austin's light snores coming from his mouth.

You subconsciously cuddle up to him as his arm wraps around you.

Yup. You wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

authors note: thank you for the requests! sorry if it's small but i hope this blurb fulfilled your imagination!

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

dudee you write for Hide from TG 👀👀 can we get a fluff/angst for when he has to go to the raid ty 🙏🙏

Sorrows and Kisses {Hide}

A/n: I haven't read the Tokyo Ghoul manga in like ages so if this took long know that I was just refreshing my memory 😅 anyways Hide deserves the world and also more people need to write about him (myself included) so if you have any requests, send them. Hope you like it 😘 also I made some changes here and there but it's okay because I can't fuck it up more than the anime did. Hopefully you wanted the Raid of Kanou's Lab and not the Third Cochlea Raid but if you didn't, I can gladly make it a two parter.

Pairing: Hideyoshi Nagachika x reader

Summary: Hide has been hiding things from you and when he actually comes to reveal them, you're not sure you can let him go

Trigger warnings: mentions of death

Something was wrong with Hide. It wasn't obvious but you knew him well and you were pretty sure that he knew that too. He had gotten a new job at the CCG as a part-time staff assistant. What that meant you didn't know but all of a sudden the dates between the two of you were not as frequent, no more sleep overs and most definitely no hanging out at his place.

If you didn't know Hide, you would have thought he was cheating on you but there was simply no way this ball of sunshine would ever do something like that. So you did nothing other than making sure that he was eating and sleeping properly. Not spending time with him made you feel bad for sure but you assumed he was getting accustomed to this new life without Kaneki so you just wanted to give him time and space, confident that he would confide in you if he wasn't doing well.

With you being a history major and him studying Foreign Languaged Studies there had often been times when he would help you with a few classes here and there, mostly when it came to translation of a few passages. And tonight had been no different. You had asked him a week prior to arrange this small study date just to be sure that it would not overlap with his part-time job.

But here you were, watching the news, books scattered all over the place and Hide was still not there. Two hours. He was supposed to be there two hours ago. You had called him almost ten times and sent countless of texts yet he hadn't answered to any of them even though you could see he was active.

And then there was a knock on your door. Lowering the volume of the television, you stood up before heading to open. Hide pulled you in a tight hug before you could even say anything.

"Sorry I'm late." He walked inside with his usual smile even though this time you could see it was somewhat forced.

"What is this bag for?" You pointed at the black backpack he set on the floor before removing his shoes.

His first instinct was to raise his hand to his chin and that was when he gave himself away. You saw him looking behind your shoulder, at the television. "Ah it's all over the news..." He mumbled and took your hand.

It didn't take you long enough to understand what he meant, where he was going or what he had come to your place for. It took you mere seconds.

"No..." You stared at him, eyes starting to water. "Don't do this to me."

"Shhh..." He hugged you again, his left hand rubbing circles on your back as his right one held your head in place against his chest. "Nothing will happen. Marude told me that people in the position I will be in rarely die." He laughed. "And you know me... nothing bad is going to happen."

"You don't know that." By that time you were full on crying and Hide was trying his best to calm you down by placing soft kisses on the top of your head.

"But I do." He chuckled. He was glad that your face was buried in his chest and you couldn't see the tears rolling down on his cheeks. "I might be a little late but I'll come here after the whole thing is done. We haven't slept together in a long time."

"Promise?"

"Do I even need to say it? Of course I promise. I will come back here and we'll spend the entire night together, or day it depends on when I will return." He giggled.

Hide returned two years later.

[poledancingdinos]

You've Got Me Hooked - Epilogue

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Riley McKenzie)

Word count: 4K

Warnings: Sex work, Stripper, OnlyFans, Smut, Breeding kink, Hospital, Childbirth

Catch up: Series Masterlist

Taglist: @amberangel112 @utterlyhopeful-fics @marantha @kebabgirl67 @littleone65 @omgkatinka  @luclittlepond  @marytudorbrandon  @enchantedbytomandhenry  @narnianaos  @foxyjwls007  @peaches1958 @identity2212  @summersong69  @liecastillo @islacharlotte @evansabove1981  @eskiix @lilacwineandthesinkingsunmain @tryingtoliveonmywishes @geralts-yenn

A/N: OMG THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE CONCLUSION TO THEIR LITTLE STORY 😭 I'm really emotional and grateful to all you guys for following this journey with me. Expect a cheeky little bonus scene in the next week.

I don't think I'll ever be completely over these two. I'd love to hear what you guys think happens along the way in this universe. Who knows, I might even write a few more bonus scenes 🥰

If you want to be added or removed from my taglist, let me know! If your name is crossed out, I can’t tag you for some reason.

Masterlist

6 months later

Sy

"You're up early."

Riley lifts her head from whatever she’s preparing and greets me with a smile.

"Actually I'm up late. I just got back."

I let out a low whistle, settling on the stool across the island from Riley. "Damn, that's a long day. Didn't you leave the apartment mid-afternoon yesterday?"

I’m sure she texted me around two to let me know she was leaving. When our work schedules conflict too much we still just sleep in our own rooms to avoid waking each other up. I didn’t expect her by my side but I also didn’t expect her to still be awake at this hour.

"It was a long day but I had a bunch of things that needed to get done before I went to the club. Then there was this celebration thing for one of the girls who’s leaving and, of course, there was no food, just booze. I'm starving."

She moves to the pantry and pulls out a loaf of bread then rifles through the spices above the stove. The big hoodie she’s wearing — my hoodie — rides up, exposing the tiny flannel shorts she’s wearing underneath. I should probably help her reach what she needs but that thought comes second to admiring the view. She looks adorable. I can’t help but think back to how she was when I first moved in. How she used to hide but was still always unashamedly herself.

"I was just making French toast if you want any," she offers, setting the ingredients down on the counter. 

I’ve never been much of a cook beyond my regular bacon and eggs or most combinations of meat and potatoes. I normally take care of myself in the mornings though if she cooks before going to bed she always leaves me some. French toast sounds way better than whatever I can manage.

"I'd fucking love some. Ya need any help?"

"Nope, it's all good. You have time to shower while I finish this up."

"Yes, ma'am." I give her a mock salute that makes her giggle and head off to the hall bathroom. 

When I get back to the kitchen I have a pair of coveralls on over some loose shorts. It’s hot as hell right now in the workshop so I try to keep the clothes to a minimum. I have coveralls zipped only halfway with the sleeves tied around my waist to keep from stepping on them.

Riley turns her head as she hears me approach, her eyes lingering on my bare chest. I have a black tank top hanging out of my back pocket for later but I figured I’d let her look her fill first. 

She seems to remind herself that she still has a hot cast-iron in her hand and shakes her head in order to return her focus to preparing our two plates. She slides them into place on the island then goes back for our coffee, pouring two large mugs. Riley has this superpower where she can down about a gallon of coffee and still be dead to the world in bed ten minutes later.

We eat in comfortable silence with me occasionally sneaking a treat or two down to Aika. Unfortunately she chews so loudly that there is no way Riley doesn’t notice it even if she’s practically falling asleep with her head in her plate.

I take our dishes to the sink and start to fill it with hot water but Riley comes up behind me,  wrapping her arms around my waist and placing a kiss between my shoulder blades.

"Hey, don't bother yourself with those, I'll get them in a few hours when I get up for the day."

I turn in her hold and she sets her chin on my chest to look up at me.

"I can't do that, my Mama raised me better than to leave a lady with the dishes after she cooks me a meal." I lean down, stealing a slow kiss. Well, I guess it’s not really stealing if she’s happy to oblige. “Go get some sleep, darlin’.”

She nuzzles her head into my chest and squeezes me even tighter. “In a minute. I’m not done hugging you yet.”

“I love you,” I say as I place a kiss to the top of her head.”

“Love you too,” she mumbles back.

12 months later

Riley

I keep staring at my computer, expecting the numbers to somehow change or for some pop up to open and plaster the word “PSYCH” on the screen but the display doesn’t change. I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, only moving to slide my fingers over the trackpad when the screen goes dark.

Balance remaining to be paid: $0.00.

I can’t believe it. I’m finally, finally free. A while back I paid off the last of my credit card debt and today, I made the last payment on my student debt. It’s finally over. My days of working three jobs and losing over half my wages to loan payments are over.

I should be happy but somehow I’m mostly terrified because now… Now I actually have to choose. Before, stripping and running my OnlyFans seemed like my only options. No one was hiring and I had no way of proving my worth to a potential employer anyway.

Now I have the chance to give up one of the three jobs. I guess it would have to be the diner since that’s the one that pays the least and since the club and the OnlyFans sort of feed into one another.

Or I could keep doing what I’m doing now. I’ll be able to start living a more normal, less restrictive life or maybe I’ll start putting whatever I used to reserve for loan payments into some savings. That seems like a smart thing to do.

Then why does it feel like both of those options make me a coward?

“Your thoughts are really loud.” I look up to find Sy settling in the chair beside me at the table. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you think I could keep doing what I’m doing? Running my OnlyFans and working in clubs, I mean.”

“What, like, as your career?” I nod. “Yeah, I guess for a while. Don’t know much ‘bout it but it seems to me like something people only do for five, maybe ten years at most.”

That’s true. The oldest stripper at the club is maybe in her early forties but she spends a lot of money on trying to look younger. The men who come to us tend to get bored when there isn’t a fresh batch of newly legal dancers every now and then. I’ve changed clubs a lot in the last year to keep the money from drying up.

“What’s really botherin’ ya, sweetheart?”

“I never thought about… after. Like, I knew eventually I wouldn’t have to dance but I didn’t… I didn’t really let myself believe I would make it out. And now that I can…”

“You’re scared,” he finishes for me.

“Yeah,” I whisper.

Sy pushes his chair back enough to pull me to sit sideways on his lap. I love it when he does this — when he just holds me to let me know I’m not alone.

“When I got discharged… I felt lost. I’d given 17 years to the army where every decision was made for me. Sure as a Captain I told people what to do but most of the time I was just passin’ on whatever orders the higher ups had given me.”

It’s weird to think that a man like Sy felt lost. Or scared. It feels like I’m the one having constant meltdowns and he’s holding me steady through the storm.

“If ya keep dancin’ that’s your decision. But I don’t want ya to keep doin’ it because it’s familiar. You should do it because that’s what ya want deep down. I know you must be terrified of fuckin’ everything up because that’s exactly how I felt when I came home. You’re worried that you’ll make the wrong choice so you’re tryin’ to avoid choosin’ at all but I see that sparkle in your eye every time Don calls ya up for help. Don’t pass that up.”

I pull my socked feet up, curling myself into a little ball on Sy’s lap. He happily shifts his hold to hug me closer as I press my face into the crook of his neck. I do love working with Don. And I think I might actually be good at it too. Sy’s right. It’s time.

“I might need you to make that speech again in a few weeks.”

“I’ll tell ya again and again until it sticks. You’re amazin’, Ri. You can do this.”

I can do this.

“Okay. I’ll shut everything down tonight.”

21 months later

Sy

“The purchase orders for the parts are in this file. You’ll want to double check the invoices from Collins, the new girl they hired is still getting used to their computer system and sometimes bills the same part twice. I had Sy change the code for the safe to your birthday and the bills for tomorrow’s pick-ups are all filled out and ready to print unless there are last minute changes.”

Riley is talking about a million miles a minute. Since she took over managing RD’s she’s been practically impossible to pull away from that desk. Convincing her to go up to a cabin with me for a week was no easy feat.

“Miss McKenzie, I ran this place for damn near 40 years, I think I can manage one week without your assistance. Now get, you and Sy both deserve the time off.”

Riley looks around, seemingly trying to decide if she’s forgotten to mention anything important. She eventually nods and throws her duffle bag over her shoulder. It’s packed to the brim with everything she needs for the next week but if I have my way, she won’t be wearing any of her clothing. Well, maybe that new order of lingerie she doesn’t know I know about could be the exception.

I hold out the keys to the truck, not moving from where I’m leaning against the doorframe.

“Go get settled, I’ll be out in a minute.”

She gives Don a kiss on the cheek and hugs him goodbye before taking the keys and heading out of the office.

I make sure the shop's front door is closed before pushing off the frame and walking over to Don’s — well, Riley’s — desk.

“Did ya get it?”

“Boy, when have ya ever known me not to follow through on my word?” He reaches inside his coat pocket, peaking towards the door to make sure it’s still just the two of us. When he’s sure the coast is clear, he produces a small black velvet box.

“Guess I won’t be callin’ her Miss McKenzie for much longer.” 

“Not if things go my way.”

He hands me the box and I open it to take one more look at the ring. It was my mama’s. I dropped it off at a jeweler to be resized and I asked Don to pick it up for me so Riley wouldn’t accidentally find it. My parents were dirt fucking poor when they got married and my mama insisted that one simple wedding band was enough. My dad always regretted not being able to get her a flashy engagement ring so he gave her one when they renewed their vows on their thirtieth anniversary. She told me once that when the right woman came, she wanted me to have it. Said a ring like that deserved to witness a love story from the beginning.

“You don’t need any sorta luck, Sy. That woman is head over heels in love with you.”

I snap the box shut and shove it in the side pocket of my shorts. My hands are fucking sweating just thinking about dinner tomorrow night. It’s our two year anniversary tomorrow which is how I convinced Riley to go to the cabin with me. She’s cooking up something fancy although I don’t know what since she wanted it to be a surprise. Little does she know, I’ve got a life-changing surprise of my own.

“Were ya nervous when ya proposed to Charlotte?”

“Every man gets nervous, Son. But you wouldn’t be askin’ if ya actually thought she’d say no. When it’s right, it’s right.”

It’s definitely right, so fucking right. Riley is the best thing that ever happened to me and I don’t ever want to be without her. I know she feels it too.

So much has happened since I first met her. So much has changed. Riley took over managing this place for Don while also doing some freelance consultant work. She’s not that reserved, timid girl I met that first day. She’s still herself, just a more self-assured and confident version of herself.

“I should go. If I stay much longer, Riley will start wonderin’ what we’re talkin’ about.”

Don drops into the office chair, running his hands over the leather of the arms rests like he’s getting reacquainted with the feeling.

“Make sure you get a picture for Charlotte. She’ll have your hide if ya don’t.”

That makes me laugh because I know it’s a hundred percent true. She takes her responsibilities as godmother very seriously and she is absolutely in love with Riley. She loves to tell Riley all the town gossip when we go over there for Sunday dinner.

“I’ll be sure to do that.” I readjust my cap on my head as I head for the door. “Call if ya need anything.”

“Ya don’t mean that,” Don scoffs.

“Damn right I don’t,” I call over my shoulder with a smirk.

“Drive safe, Son.”

36 months later

Riley

I’m almost done packing up the last of my newspaper wrapped mugs into a box for the move next week. It’s so strange to see the apartment so empty, even if that means it’s currently filled with boxes instead.

“Hey, Ri?” Sy calls out from the bedroom.

“In the kitchen!”

Sy walks into view with a familiar blue gift-wrapped box in his hands.

“Oh… That was supposed to be for your birthday in May,” I explain quickly. I thought I’d have a few more weeks to figure out how I was going to bring this up. If my words failed then he was supposed to just open the gift and know what I had to say.

“Well, I haven’t opened it yet.” He extends the box for me to take back.

This is my out. I could take back the gift, shove it in one of the boxes and forget about it again until I gather the courage to do this all over again or I could just let this happen.

“You know what, it’s fine.” I place the box of mugs on the ground by the door and turn my full attention to Sy. “Open it now.” 

Sy frowns at me, tipping his head to the side. “You don’t look sure.”

“No,” I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly, “go ahead.”

Sy knows something is up, looking between me and the small box in his hands. He turns it over, looking at it from all sides.

I can imagine what’s going on in his head. How he’s probably analyzing the way the contents rattle as he drops onto the couch. How the box feels really light compared to what you would expect for the size.

I’m a lot more nervous than I thought I would be. That’s part of the reason I was waiting until his birthday to bring this up. I figured the added pressure of it being his birthday would be the final push I needed to broach the subject.

I sit on the coffee table across from Sy, rubbing my hands over my thighs. Am I sweating? Is it hot in here?

Sy picks up on my nerves — obviously — and he takes my hand in his. I look down at where his thumb rubs over the back of my fingers, lightly brushing my wedding ring.

“Ri, what’s going on? You’re worrying me, here.”

I can’t help but feel so incredibly fond of him right now. This. This right here is why I married him. Just like that, my worries are abated.

“Just,” I sigh, smiling, “open it.”

I watch as Sy peels back the tape torturously slowly and lifts one side of the paper. As I expected, Sy doesn’t immediately recognize the box. He frowns as he reads the packaging but then his mouth drops open when he finally understands his gift. Or rather, when he finally understands the meaning behind his gift.

“Are ya serious about this?” He holds up the box of ovulation test strips, trying to mask the hopeful expression on his face. We’ve talked about this, of course. It’s typically good practice to make sure you and your partner agree on whether or not to have children before you marry them but we’d always just talked about doing so at some point in the future.

I knew this was something Sy really wanted but as with everything else, he’s just patiently waited for me to be ready too. The house we just bought has plenty of room to accommodate a growing family. And the new puppy Sy promised we could get soon.

I bite my lip but it doesn’t help contain my smile. “I’ve already checked with my doctor. I can go off my pill whenever we want to start trying.”

Sy looks back down at the box on his lap and is unnervingly quiet for a moment before he throws it to the other side of the couch and pulls me to straddle his lap.

“Sy!” I squeal, taken by surprise. I don’t have time to process what just happened before my shirt is ripped over my head and Sy attaches his lips to my neck.

“You haven’t started the new pack after the sugar pills right?” His hand dips under the band of my leggings and his fingers dig into the flesh of my ass. “You were supposed to start it tomorrow?”

My eyes fall closed and I bare my neck to give him better access. “How do you…”

“I take notice to my wife’s health, sue me.”

My bra comes off next and then I’m lifted into the air.

“You gonna fuck me, Captain? You gonna knock me up?”

All I get is a growl in response and he sits me on the edge of the dining room table. I lean back on my forearms and lift my hips to allow my pants to come off and Sy pushes his jeans down just enough to free his already impossibly hard erection.

“Fuck yeah, I’m gonna fill ya up and keep ya filled ‘til you’re good and pregnant.”

“Do your worst, Cap,” I taunt as he pushes in, spearing me with his dick.

I guess I had no reason to be nervous after all.

47 months later

Sy

“You’re doin’ so good, sweetheart, you gotta keep goin’.”

Riley looks absolutely exhausted. She has deep circles under her eyes since she hasn’t slept in almost 36 hours and she’s panting like she just ran a marathon. The last hour has indeed been a grueling test of her strength but she’s so so close. On top of all that, if the way she’s crushing my hand is any indication, she is in excruciating pain.

“I can’t, Sy. I’m sorry, I can’t do it, I can’t...” She collapses back on the bed. The hand that was clasping the side rail covers her mouth as she sobs and I wish so badly that I could fix this for her but, unfortunately, that’s not possible.

I look towards the doctor at the foot of the bed and hold up one finger as a silent request to let me try something before she intervenes. We’ve talked about the possibility of a C-section and I don’t want that for Riley if we can avoid it. Recovering from surgery is difficult enough without being almost a thousand miles away from home. There’s no way Riley would handle the ride home just a few days post op. We already have to make the drive with a newborn in the backseat of the truck. At least I had the sense to put the baby seat in to be ready for when Riley made it to her due date.

“Darlin’, look at me.”

Riley’s eyes are shut tightly as she shakes her head. Fat tears fall down her cheek and I wipe them away with my thumb.

“Ri, sweetheart, look at me.”

She sniffs as she opens her bloodshot eyes, her chin quivering as she tries to regain her composure. 

“Just you and me.” That’s not quite true, there’s the doctor and a handful of nurses in here with us but she understands what I mean all the same.

She releases a shaky breath. “I’m really glad it’s you, Sy,” she answers, leaning into my touch. I press a kiss to her forehead, smoothing away a few strands of sweat soaked hair before helping Riley as she pushes herself back into a seated position. Well, as seated as she can manage with her legs spread wide and her remarkably large stomach.

When it’s time to push again, Riley follows the doc’s gentle encouragement and she bares down, managing to get through the next fifty seconds like a pro. I wish I could say it only takes a few more contractions to get the job done but it’s another half hour before a sharp wail fills the little room.

Riley falls back onto the bed, rapidly heaving air into her lungs as she attempts to catch her breath. I’m vaguely aware of the medical staff speaking to us but I can’t hear them over the pounding in my ears. I’m transfixed as the tiny human is gently deposited on the towel over Riley’s stomach.

My amazing wife reaches down to trail a finger over our baby’s forehead, barely daring to touch at first before cradling them against her. We’re both quiet as we admire our child, only looking away when I’m handed a pair of scissors and told where to cut. 

It’s a lot harder than I would have imagined it would be, taking me two or three snips to fully get through the thick cord. As soon as I’m done, I go back to the head of the bed and all but collapse over Riley’s chest. She presses her face into my neck and her arms wrap weakly around me.

“You did it, Ri. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

“Okay, Dad, are you ready to hold your baby boy?”

I turn to see one of the nurses holding my son who they’ve cleaned off and wrapped up in a bundle of blankets. I’m aware that he’s not actually that small for a newborn but he looks so fucking breakable.

I hold my arms out and the nurse places him against my chest, making sure I’ve got a good hold on him before stepping back and giveng me a Riley a bit of privacy.

“Hey, bud. Let’s say hi to your Mama.”

Riley’s crying again but I know that they are happy tears. “Hi baby,” she coos, using all her remaining strength to lean forward and kiss his forehead. “I want you to know you have the best Daddy in the world.”

“Na,” I argue, “your Mama is the best. She made sure you were nice and warm and safe before you came out to meet us.”

We could argue back and forth like this all day, both of us pressed close together with our son between us. I count my blessings because I am one lucky son of a gun to have the most breathtakingly beautiful and phenomenal woman to share this moment — and my life — with.

It’s fitting, really. From the moment I met her, something about Riley had me hooked. And now with our son? Well, I can’t tear my eyes away so what does that tell you?

Bonus Scene

[currentlyfckingurmom]

Her Song part 26

"I didn't know she could speak French," Florence whispers. It's late night by now, and everyone else is asleep. Visiting hours are technically over, but Scarlett and Lizzie basically refused to leave, and then requested a better room. So now we're in one of the biggest rooms on the peds floor.

"Yeah, I started teaching her as soon as she got a handle on English. It's better to learn young. I didn't realize she could speak it that well, though."

"She has a good teacher," Flo smiles. "You should probably get some sleep, Y/N. It's been a long day."

"I know. It's just," I breathe, "I hate that this isn't over, you know? She still has to undergo chemo. And I don't know if I can handle her being that sick."

"I know, darling. Come here." She grabs my hand and pulls me toward her, so I'm practically laying on top of her on the small couch. I curl into her side and breathe in her perfume. It relaxes me and my muscles finally loosen as everything fades to black.

TWO WEEKS LATER

"They're gonna do what?" Syd asks wide-eyed.

"They're just gonna put a tiny tube in your arm so you can get the medicine you need," I explain calmly. "I'll be there the whole time and you can squeeze my hand as tight as you want, okay?"

Once it's time for the chemo to be administered, she states at me with wide eyes full of fear, determined to not look at the small tube in her arm. We sit there together and I reassure her that everything is okay.

She's stronger than I ever imagined and she gets through the first treatment with a brave face. For the first time, I feel like we just might beat this.

THREE WEEKS LATER

When Florence returns to the hospital after her meeting, she's met with a sobbing child.

"Syd, baby, I promise it will grow back," I try to calm her down.

"No! I'll be bald and ugly! You can't take my hair, I won't let you!"

"Syd...we don't have a choice, honey. The medicine is  making your hair fall out and it's only gonna get worse."

"Sydney," Florence says, coming to stand behind her in the bathroom, "I promise you won't be ugly. You are beautiful. And your mom is right; hair grows back. After everything you've faced, this is nothing. So let's face it together, yeah?"

She grabs the scissors off the sink and I expect her to cut Syd's hair but to my surprise, she reaches up and begins to cut her own hair. My jaw drops as I watch long strips of blonde hair fall to the ground. Syd watches in fascination and her tears slowly dry. After a few minutes, Flo is left with a messy haircut that will definitely need some touching up.

"What do you think?" she asks Syd with a smirk, discreetly winking at me.

"You don't know how to cut hair, do you?" Syd asks, shaking her head and grimacing.

Flo scoffs in fake offense. "I'll have you know, I cut my brother's hair...once." Sydney laughs. "Okay, whatever. Maybe if I'm nice, your mom will help me fix it later. So, are you ready for your turn?"

Syd only hesitates for a second before nodding. Flo hands me the scissors and I slowly cut the sickly thin hair shorter. Once it's short enough, I shave the rest. After I'm done, I crouch down and spin Syd to face me, smiling softly.

"You look beautiful, Sydney."

She looks to Florence for approval, who smiles and says, "utterly dashing."

"I'm sleepy," Sydney mumbles. "I'm going to take a nap." I press a kiss to her head and she goes to lay down.

"You didn't have to do that, Flo."

"I know," she shrugs. "But it helped, didn't it? It made her feel better. Besides, I've been wanting to cut my hair. Everyone needs a little change once in a while."

"You're a dork," I laugh. "Come here."

She steps closer, resting her hands on my hips and I run my hands through her messy short hair. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to fix this," I giggle.

I grab the scissors and spend the next ten minutes fixing her hair until it looks perfectly messy. After I set the scissors back down on the counter, she wiggles her eyebrows, asking "how do I look?"

I pull her closer with one hand and run my other hand through her hair, before suddenly grabbing it and pulling her head back. "Well, it's still long enough to pull," I whisper in her ear, biting lightly before pushing her away and reveling in the fiery blush that lights up her face.

...

"It's amazing what you've done with such a modest budget. I like that boulder. That is a NICE boulder."

Shrek. Again. I can't tell you how many times I've watched Shrek in the last month.

Syd is sitting in her bed, watching happily. I'm sitting in Florence's lap with my feet kicked up on the bed, leaning back against her front and texting David and Ash to make sure the shop is still running smoothly. Florence has her arm wrapped protectively around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder as she watches Shrek.

Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Robbins walk in the room with smiles on their faces. Arizona smiles politely at Florence and I. Since that night when Flo got obviously jealous, she hasn't been anything other than professional.

"We have some news for you guys," Dr. Shepherd starts. She gestures for me to follow them into the hall, so I stand up. When I realize Florence isn't following, I stop and wave her out with me. I think she's afraid of overstepping, but I couldn't do this without her.

"Based on the blood tests and scans, the cancer isn't gone," Dr. Robbins starts.

"However," Dr. Shepherd says, "it is shrinking. We got a good majority of the tumor with surgery, but the remaining cancerous cells have decreased significantly since then."

"Does this mean..." I ask, scared to get my hopes up.

"I can't guarantee anything, but there's a good chance she's going to make it out of this. But you have to remember that those chances can decrease over the years."

"I know. I've done my research." I let out a watery laugh. "But at least there's hope, right?"

"There's hope," Dr. Robbins says. They leave and I turn to Florence with a stupid smile on my face.

There are tears falling freely down both of our faces. I wrap my arms around her neck in a tight hug and bury my face in her shoulder. I'm not sure if I'm laughing or crying, but I don't really care.

[melanieph321]

Facundo Pellistri - Strike Again Chapter 2

Enjoy!

Pellistri attended one party that summer, however it did not go as planned.

During the days he spent long hours in the sun, mowing people's lawns. The idea was to make some extra money and perhaps get out of the house more. 

"It runs like a Ferrari dad, just like you said she would."  

Wherever he may be, Pellistri hoped that his dad listened when he spoke to him.

"But she needs the oil tanked changed, just like I said."

 They had spent the previous winter renovating their old lawn mower, but with his father's absence it had just been gathering dust in the garage.

"How much do I owe you dear?"

"Just ten pounds Mrs Willster."

"Only ten quid?"

"Well, I only did half the lawn." It was too hot to stay outside all day.

"At least let me bring you a bottle of water dear." 

"Thank you Mrs Willster."

She was an old lady who walked slowly because of her bad hip. One of his best customers. Pellistri usually ranked them by how hot their daughter's were. However, Mrs Willster's daughters were as old as his mother. She did have a granddaughter though, Lisa Willster.

"Hey, Pellistri!" 

It was she who brought him his water, not her grandmother. 

"Where have you been hiding? I haven't seen you all summer?" 

Lisa was fairly tall for a girl. She had a slim waist and not so much of a figure, but her face was the face of a model. He believed she had done that before, some modeling jobs for a few known brands, like H&M and Hollister.

"I've been around." He jumped off the lawn mower and leant his body against it. He hadn't been working out as much as he would've at football camp, but his lean body was still visible through his sweaty t-shirt.

"I'm sorry about your dad." She said, handing over his bottle of water.

"Thanks." He stepped away from the lawn mower. There was no point in trying to be cool when your dad was dead. What's so cool about that?

"How is your mother holding up?"

"You know," He shrugged, taking a sip of his water. "She cries a lot." 

"And how are you holding up?"

Pellistri flinched when Lisa's hand went to caress his arm, her touch generating goosebumps on his skin.

"You know how it is." 

Mrs Willster lost her husband last year, Lisa's grandfather. He thought she could relate to how he was feeling at least a little bit.

"Yes, but my grandad was old. He was bound to die sooner than later."

Pellistri held the aching laughter bubbling up in his stomach. He liked that she didn't seem to take the subject of death too seriously. During his time of mourning he had run into people afraid to look him in the eye or even address the fact that his father was crushed by a 600 kilo fridge. 

"It's still sad." He said.

Lisa popped the gum that she was chewing. "I guess. Are you coming to my party tonight?"

Lisa's parents were on holiday in Egypt. That's why she and her younger sister were staying with their grandmother. They took the opportunity of abandonment to throw parties at their parents house, all summer long.

"Maybe I'll stop by."

"Cool."

He got home, took a quick shower and threw on the only clean shirt he could find in the ocean of clothes that lay scattered on his bedroom floor. Usually he was good at keeping things tidy, but lately, since his mother didn't bother to clean up, why should he?

"Where are you going?"

Pellsitri came down the stairs smelling like three kinds of body spray.

"I'm just going to a friend's house."

"Which friend?" She questioned, leaning her body against the frame of the kitchen door. The bags underneath her eyes looked worse than before. She looked like a nurse coming off a night shift at the hospital.

"Lisa Willster."

"You're going back to the Willster's? Did you forget something?"

"No, Mama. I'm going to Lisa Willsters' house, not her grandmother's."

"Lisa Willster's house. Why? Is she your girlfriend?" Her arms folded.

Pellisitri sighed. "No, Mama. She's just a friend. I'm going to her house to hang out with my friends. Am I not allowed to do that?"

Her face softened. "No. Of course you are cariño. I just don't want you home so late."

"I won't be, I promise." He kissed her cheek on his way out.

He sometimes worried about his mother. Her work had given her a month off to mourn the loss of his father. It's been a month and a half. 

Arriving at Lisa Wilster's, Pellistri decided to let go of his worries for the night. It was summer after all, a teenager's dream.

"Pellistri you came!"

He was surprised to be greeted in the door with a kiss. Lisa's soft lips tasted of something sweet yet sour, perhaps a fruity cocktail.

"Come inside, there's a lot to drink."

Like Lisa he got drunk pretty fast. He didn't know many of her friends at the party so he clinged onto her side for the majority of the night. Although she threw up in the sink after giving him a sloppy blowjob in the upstairs bathroom. 

Pellistri decided to make his way home after that, taking a detour around her block. 

Lisa lived on Church Road so the cemetery wasn't too far from her house. The gates to cross through it were closed. He still made it over the fences somehow. It was too dark and his mind too cloudy to read the names on the hundred tombstones, but he did remember which aisle his father was buried in, the same aisle in which his local grocery store stacks his favorite  cornflakes, aisle number six.

"I know I shouldn't have lied about the bike when I was ten. Or the goldfish, which I flushed down the toilet by the way." He sat slumped down in front of his father's grave, warm tears running down his cheeks. "And I lied to you and Mama about wanting to move back to Uruguay once I've finished school. I want to stay here in Manchester and play football in the highest league someday."

One thing his father hated was being lied to. Although they weren't many, Pellistri had told a few lies in his life.

 "She's doing terrible by the way. I've never seen her cry this much. Even some neighbors complained. Oh Papa, please forgive me." Pellisrti cried like the lost child he was. The worst lie he has ever told his father was just days before he got crushed by the fridge. "I was just angry." He sniffed. "Your english is…or was fine. What I said, about you learning better English so that you could get a job that pays more, I shouldn't have said that. I was just angry that you and Mama wouldn't be able to buy me new cleats ahead of the summer. Please forgive me." 

"Who's there!"

A light flashed over his head. 

Pellistri shot up to his feet.

"You, stop there!" 

He picked up the pace and started running, stumbling over several flower arrangements.

"I said stop!" 

His legs felt like jelly beneath him, the alcohol in his blood was slowing him down. He plowed through the cemetery like a criminal on the run. He was unsure if he still had someone at his heels once he got back to the gates. He leaped over the fence but crashed down hard. A loud groan left his mouth as his feet hit the ground, but the painful sensation quickly left him because of the adrenaline rush that he was on. He hurried back to Church Road and Lisa Willster's house. But had no interest in joining the party again. He walked past the house until he got to the end of the road. His heart was in his throat, beating loudly from the little sprint he had just underwent. He sat down on the sidewalk inspecting the continuous throbbing in his left leg.

"Shit." He said, confirming that he had indeed sprained his ankle. There was also a sensation of nausea. Leaning  forward, vomit spilled out of his mouth, creating a stream that ran down the lit up street.

"Facundo?"

Someone called his name. A girl. His eyelids folded, struggling to stay open. He felt a set warm hand caress his cheeks and then it all went dark.

[bunny-priiince]

Hi, bunny, it's been a while! Been thinking about you a lot lately, about tying you up and serving you up on a platter to all your other anons hungry to play with their favorite little rapeslut. Y'know, after carving the best bits for myself, of course.

Of course that's what the knife is for, bunny. It's for your fun too, though, just like the ropes keeping you helpless for me, face down, ass up, with no way to stop me from doing whatever the fuck I want to your pretty little boycunt. Because that's how you like it best, isn't it baby? That's how you need it. You need it to hurt, you need me to make you forget your own name because you're too busy screaming mine. Or screaming for mercy. Or just screaming in general.

Got that big, thick, knotted strap you liked so much last time I visited, too. I think this time I'll use it to plug up that perfect ass of yours, honey, really take my time stretching you out on it while you struggle because oh it's too much, it hurts so bad, it won't fit, and all those other pretty excuses you'll make; lying to me while trying to fuck yourself on it even faster like the lovely little whore you are.

Of course, I do tend to get bored while taking my time with things, even with all those gorgeous, desperate sounds you're making. Might see how you freeze when I start tracing the knife over your skin. Might dig it in just a little to see how you struggle to get away from it and see how pretty you whimper when it slips and cuts you.

You're fucking irresistible when you make that sound, you know that bun? I just can't help myself, I have to keep marking you. Maybe I'll take that first little nick, drag it out into a longer line. And then add another. And another. Shallow enough it won't scar, but god it's gonna sting like a bitch when we get you sweating. You'll feel it for the rest of the night where I've carved 'faggot' onto your perfect, soft skin.

Maybe I'll keep carving all the things I want you to remember, some on your back, some over your hips so you can feel it burn with every thrust when your next plaything or ten comes to use you, some on your legs so you can see just how much we love you, baby, how much we need you. Marked all over your body with sweet things like whore, angel, rapeslut, sweet prince, fucktoy, pretty boy. Draw an arrow down the small of your back and the words rape me just so everyone knows what you're best for.

Fuck, I'm so close looking at how pretty you bleed for me, listening to how sweetly you beg, how you cry for it to stop, for me to let you finish. Scream for me, baby. I wanna hear how much you love it, how much you hate me for it, how much you need it. Gonna take the handle of this knife and fuck you with it while I slam that knot into your ass and you're gonna take it like the perfect, depraved little faggot you are.

And when we're done coming down, I'm leaving my toys in you for everyone to see just how desperate you are to be filled. So everyone knows what you need right now. And when the next takers come by and keep filling you up, you'll get to keep screaming with your face buried in my cunt.

I promise I'll clean you up later, bundle you up tight and cozy after bandaging up my handiwork. But after you put that tongue to work because right now, I think we all need this.

-💙🌘

😳😳😳 o h my god hi holy fuck me I'm so sorrh if my response is nonsense you just absolutely destroyed me fuck me this is the hottest fucjing thing

Please god I'll scream and cry and beg sll you want I'll be so good for you I need this so bad it's like you completely read my mind ohh my god

I'll make sure evem while I'm completely out of mh mind I do my best and make you feel as good as you do for me I promise ill be so good!!

[crmsnmth]

September Sky Chapter One, Part 10

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," she said, finishing off her beer. I pointed at it, asking a question with no words. She nodded and I got the attention of the bartender. I held up two fingers and he nodded at me. "So you're into writing?" "I guess you could say that. I write a lot. Like, all the time."

"What sort of things do you write?" She asked. The bartender set our next drinks in front of us, taking the empties, and the ten I had on the bar. I'd be sure to leave a tip with whatever changes I've got, as long as it hits 12%. I worked this industry and knew just how important tips really are.

"A little bit of everything. Stories, poems, lyrics. I journal everyday. So yeah, a lot." I took a drink of the cold amber liquid. I didn't even realize but half the bottle was gone off my one 'sip.'

"That's kind of cool. Have you written anything lately?" She was actually interested. Or she was absolutely amazing at acting like she was.

"Not really. The last thing I wrote is sitting on my ex English professor's aides desk. That is a lot of fucking 'S' sounds, god damn. I do have a title for a story right now though."

"A title?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, like what it'll be called," I replied.

"I thought that was usually the very last thing to happen."

"Title's change throughout the time. But sometimes you come up with the title and build the story around that."

She took a drink from her beer. Her lips glistened in the hazy bar light. Somehow the light caught her just right that I could see the small droplets of moisture twinkly along her lips. "So what is it? The title I mean."

"September Sky."

"I actually kind of like that. But you have no actual story idea for it?

"Not yet, no. It'll come to me. Something will inspire me to write it out."

"Very true. So what do you do for work? I mean, you wouldn't drop out if you didn't already have an ok job." The couple in the back were now playing pool against each other on the crappy felt of a pool table. I used to play a lot of pool growing up. We had a full size slate table in the shed growing up. It's one of the very few things my dad and I bonded over.

"I actually work as the kitchen manager and lead line over at Red Arm. What about you? Are you a sleepless student with two jobs to make ends meet?" Addison laughed. I wish I could explain what it felt like to know you were the reason she laughed. It was an unreal and surreal feeling. But in a really great way.

"I work as a nurse's aid at Columbia St. Mary's. And I'm about to start up a paid internship at Krause Funeral home. I'll put my two weeks in when I start."

"So your going to actually be working in a funeral home? That is so fucking rad."

"I start in less than a week."

"I'll have a thousand questions for you in about a week then. I may get annoying."

Addison laughed, "Well, at least I found someone I can talk shop with then, I guess."

I finished my second bottle right as Addison finished her second can. She motioned she was done, which disappointed me. My time was almost at it's end with her. I mean, this time. Hopefully, there will be another time.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of sunlight through a dusty window, and was as if someone was shining a bright light onto diamonds. We hopped off our stools, and I threw a couple singles on top of the change. I didn't even count, but I know a five was already a pretty good tip on what we had.

I lit a cigarette as soon as we hit the fresh air. I didn't really want one at the moment, but it had become such a habit to light up as soon as I hit open air. I was at war with non toxic fresh air. Slowly destroying the Earth, one cigarette at a time.

"You do know those things are going to kill you," she said, looking up at me.

[soot-and-salt]

2,13,21,24,37

Oh wow, someone actually asked me things, okay this is EXCITING!

2. What's your shortest fic? What's your longest?

I tend to write about 1,500 to 3,000 words per fic, which isn't a bad spot for a one shot. I'd love to write longer things but my attention wavers. I usually will write everything in one sitting, usually in about two to three hours, and then post it. Sometimes I put down ideas or lines and dialogue into a Google doc or my notes app but I'm mostly, uh, doing it live, as it were. And usually right into the AO3 text box, much to the chagrin of my friends who think that is INSANE. And I can't say I blame them. I never said I was good at this, okay.

Anyway, shorter fics work better for stuff like comedy. My shortest fic is just under 1,000 words and was written as kind of a joke, based on someone's tweet. I love doing stuff like that, writing based off of weird prompts, in jokes, or artwork. My brain is a magpie and when it sees something shiny, about 2,000 words (give or take) falls out.

13. How many works have you published?

So I'm on my fourth or fifth AO3 user name by now. I usually get a new one when I write for a new fandom, my soot_and_salt name is the first time I've made a multi-fandom one. I simply couldn't wait the few days to get a new name email from AO3 to post a Hazbin fic, which truly is the entire vibe of my admittedly frenzied writing there. Over all my usernames, though, it's somewhere in the realm of 50-ish works.

21. What year did you join your chosen fanfic posting platform?

My first AO3 name was made back in 2018, which feels a little late, honestly. It's been my only place to post fic since then (unless private discord servers count too). Before that, I didn't write fic for a solid, god, ten years or so? I was big into fandom spaces when I was in school, mostly over on Livejournal. That is, regrettably, how old I am.

24. What are some of your favorite tropes?

Holy shit do I love a good, well done AU. I love examining characters through the lens of an entirely new experience for them. Like, yes I know you're USUALLY a war criminal drow wizard but what if, for about, oh, 30,000 words, you were now a violinist? Or a figure skater? Bookstore clerk? It's a fascinating way to really dig into a character. I also go nuts for a good evil turn for someone, just some nice indulgence in their worst habits. That can be a very good, usually bloody and violent, good time. Speaking of, enemies to lovers is also delicious when they're the right characters (cough-AlastorandVox-cough). One bed, getting together, and fake dating are all fun too, if done right. Oh, and I go nuts for vampires.

I'll usually read almost anything, honestly, as long as it sounds interesting. I have like nearly 100 AO3 tabs in like four fandoms open right now, it's a problem.

37. Do you have any older fics you would consider rewriting?

There are fics with really solid bones I wish I'd written when I was better at writing but I don't think I'd rewrite them. They exist as they are, a testament to where I was at the time, and there's something good and important in that too. So I take what I think worked or what idea I had and save them for another day or another fandom, but the fic itself remains.

I usually post a fic, re-read and edit it obsessively for a day or two, and then move on. Sometimes I'll spot a typo or a missing word weeks or months later and fix them up, but usually after a few days that fic is set in stone.

Okay this was really fun, send me more! :D

[ampedupkaon]

World of Our Own Chapter 4

Title: Disaster's in the air

AN: Do not be alarmed by the title. No death and nastiness in this one. This chapter isn't from Annie's point of view like the rest of it. It's from Derieri's. You'll see why when you read it.

Derieri was comfortable. It was a lazy morning. There had been lots of those lately, lazy mornings where she'd done little but lie in bed. And there was no need to get up and do anything. It was... maddening at times. And sometimes, like when she had a lovely warm companion cuddled up to her... it was nice. Sadly, her lovely warm companion wasn't lying with her at the moment. They'd both gotten dressed, expecting Annie, the girl who'd befriended them, to visit.

“It's warmer over here.” She teased, considering her lovely warm companion was currently sitting by the fire.

“Probably, but looking into the flames helps me think.” Monspeet told her, glancing at her over his shoulder.

“You've been thinking a lot lately.” She answered him.

“Lots of time to think about things.” His gaze once more returned to the fire and Derieri let her eyes fall shut.

“Attention, all members of the Ten Commandments! Your first priority, above any other you might imagine you have is to regroup at Camelot!” Derieri jumped a little hearing Zeldris' command in her head.

“You heard that too, right?” Monspeet answered her with a nod.

“Are we going?” She asked. She had no desire to move right now; she was comfortable.

“No. I'm not telling him that though. Lord knows what he would do to us.” She had a vague idea, and it would be very painful.

“Then, what are we going to do?” She asked.

“I... I would like to meet with him to discuss something.” Derieri made an inquisitive noise, but Monspeet didn't elaborate further.

“I'll come with. Where?”

“Not Camelot. How about... the mountains near the village with the windmills?” She nodded in answer.

“Monspeet... Derieri. Answer me!!” Zeldris sounded annoyed and slightly panicked. He was... was he concerned for them? Surely not.

“Yes Zeldris?” She answered.

“You are alive. Why did you ignore my summons?” His anger had dissipated slightly, but was still there, simmering just under the surface.

“Monspeet and I have something to discuss with you.” She told him.

“Discussions can happen at Camelot.” Zeldris' tone brokered no argument.

“Fine. We'll be there later today.” Derieri then heard knocking on the door and Monspeet telling the source of the knocking to come in. Annie pushed the door open, her cheeks a little pink.

“A girl shouldn't go lounging around dressed like that!” Derieri shrugged, not sure what the problem was. She had darkness covering her sex; what was the problem? She glanced over at Annie, seeing a basket in her hands. Baskets meant food and Derieri was hungry.

“I brought you some food and wine.” So, that's what she meant by treats. Derieri thought, making her way over to investigate the basket.

“Thanks for always doing that.”

“It's no problem. You two don't exactly have any money... and I'm not sure they'd let you buy food even if you did.” Annie whispered the second sentence, but Derieri heard her because she was standing close. Ooh! There's some of that bread with herbs in that I like! Derieri fished the bread out and started munching on it.

“Both of us have to head out soon. We'll get the rest if we come back.” She wasn't sure she liked the 'if' in Monspeet's words.

“What do you mean 'if'? You're not leaving are you?” Annie looked concerned and upset.

“We've got to go to Camelot.” Derieri told her.

“You'll be back though, right?”

“Hopefully by this evening. It's not far when you're flying.” If we don't get killed during this discussion with Zeldris... Derieri thought, not daring to voice her fears in case they came true.

“If we aren't back in a couple of days... you can take the things back.” She knew why Monspeet said that. He had the same fears she did; that the discussions might kill them.

“If you can you are coming back though, right? You're my friends and... I'd miss you; even if no one else in the village would.”

“In case we can't come back... thanks for everything.” Derieri felt slightly upset.

“Yes, thank you for looking after us, Annie.”

“I'd like to think that anyone would have done what I did... but I know that isn't true.” Derieri knew she was right. The rest of villagers didn't trust them.

“Safe travels, both of you.” They both said thank you and Annie headed off back home. Monspeet gave Derieri a look.

“We'd best leave everything here, hadn't we?” She nodded, before scrambling to remove the clothes. She would have sworn his cheeks flushed before he turned around. She left the clothes on the bed, darkness covering her form. When she turned around his form was covered only by darkness as well. Her brain reminded her that meant he was naked... and she'd saw what that darkness hid. She'd... she'd liked it; she'd admit that to herself if not out loud.

“Shall we be off?” He asked, holding out a hand for her. She took hold of it, heading outside. She felt a small pang of sadness but pushed it away. She would be coming back. Her wings sprouted almost immediately after his, both of them flying south towards Camelot. She would have sworn she saw Annie waving, but didn't dare wave just in case she was mistaken. She heard shouts from the villagers, calling them monsters and freaks; just like they normally did.

“Ignore them. They are only frightened because they don't understand.”

“They don't want to understand either.” He nodded in agreement with her. They didn't say much on the way to Camelot, because there wasn't much which needed to be said. They knew Zeldris wished to speak to them and they wished they knew what for.

“That's impressive.” Derieri remarked upon seeing Camelot castle. It appeared to be the only thing still standing; everything else rubble.

“Zeldris will be in the castle, claiming this city was important, after all.” She knew that; it had been why Zeldris had been the one to go that way once they'd 'killed' Meliodas. They had heard about the fall of Camelot... but they hadn't expected it to be so... ruined by the battle. They reached the main castle building, heading inside. They could sense one powerful dormant energy, along with three powerful active ones. The three active ones were all close together, so they headed that way. It surprised Derieri not at all to find Zeldris in the throne room, perched on the throne. What did surprise her was the two other powerful beings.

“Bow before Lord Zeldris!” She did so, Monspeet quickly copying her. You didn't disobey an order from the teachers of the princes. She'd heard tell they originally held all ten commandments between the two of them; so had to be incredibly strong.

“I believe you had something you wished to discuss with me.” Zeldris remarked, fidgeting a little. This went unnoticed by the pair of them; as they were still kneeling down. Monspeet shuddered a little, so she could tell he was nervous about saying whatever it was. Derieri wasn't scared, though.

“I wish to return my commandment to you.” Monspeet gave her an incredulous look, but she wasn't sure why.

“What? You wish to give up the fight when victory is so close?” That was Chandler, who looked a little despondent when Derieri glanced up. Then again, he was Meliodas' teacher and Meliodas had betrayed them all.

“It's already won, isn't it?” She pointed out, now lifting her head. Monspeet did the same, still seeming shocked.

“No. But you are fortunate. I had intended for you to return so I could claim your commandments anyway. That you've both made the journey saves me the job of tracking you down.”

“B-but Lord Zeldris... surely they must continue to fight along side you?”

“Are you doubting your battle prowess Cusack?” Derieri resisted the urge to smirk at how quickly the pink haired man changed his tune.

“Of course not! I just believe that having two more powerful fighters at your side would surely be of benefit to you.” Derieri noticed that Monspeet wasn't saying anything and that was slightly worrying.

“Is that what you wished to discuss with me as well, Monspeet?” Zeldris completely ignored Cusack, much to Derieri's amusement.

“It was.” Was his answer.

“So... you've both lost the will to fight.”

“I have no reason to. Everything I could be fighting for is already with me.” Monspeet's words made Derieri's heart start beating a funny rhythm. What could he mean by that? Surely he didn't mean her, did he? She only got him into scrapes and trouble... Zeldris' eyes widened slightly at his words.

“Outside, both of you. I need those commandments of yours. I don't need two demons who no longer wish to fight.” Derieri and Monspeet stood up, before following Zeldris outside. Both Cusack and Chandler followed them quite quickly.

“Yours are not the first commandments returned to me today.”

“If I get my hands on that giant and fairy...” Cusack grumbled. Drole and Gloxinia turned traitor then. Derieri thought.

“You wish to give me your commandments, do you not?” Both of them nodded.

“We shall see.” Zeldris' hands raised, starting to do some movements in time with his words.

“Wozen meihen ka ishuma no jimeu!” Derieri felt a strange nausea go through her, like she wanted to get something out of her... but nothing came up. She realised she'd closed her eyes then.

“So, you both did want to give them up.” She opened her eyes, seeing two purple floating orbs in front of her. The first had a symbol on it which she only ever saw on her cheek when she looked at her reflection... so had to be Purity. The second... she'd only ever saw that symbol on Monspeet's cheek. Reticence.

“And now I have these, I see no reason for the two of you to linger here. Go back to wherever it was you were. I hope our paths do not cross again... because I cannot guarantee your safety if they do.” Zeldris turned and headed inside the castle.

“We're... we're free?” She asked.

“Let me look at you, that will answer the question.” His voice sounded excited; something she wasn't sure she'd heard before. She turned to look at him and... her heart did something funny. His eyes were the colour of flickering flames and...

“Beautiful...” Her cheeks flushed, sure he hadn't meant her to hear that. She... she vaguely recalled her eyes were violet beneath the darkness normally covering them.

“Come on! We need to get out of here!” She lightly punched his arm. He winced, though she knew she hadn't hit him that hard. He reached out his arm towards her, offering her his hand to hold. She took hold without hesitation. She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat when their fingers touched; which was weird. She'd held his hand before, not that long ago even. Why would her heart start turning flips at... oh. Oh. She didn't have her commandment any more. Her heart had grown accustomed to ignoring the fluttering feelings of... of... whatever, she didn't know.

“Deri... you alright?” He asked.

“Yeah. Come on, let's go.” She sprouted her wings and took off. He quickly copied, else be carried along as dead weight. She was strong enough to lift him after all. Bet you wouldn't mind him in your arms right now. Especially since you know he's naked under that darkness. Her head prompted, 3000 years of repressed lust apparently making itself known. Yeah, Monspeet was a guy. Yeah, he was hot... but he wasn't interested in her that way, was he? No. She was his friend, someone for him to look after. Not a potential bed mate. You do share a bed with him though... She shook herself, focusing on the feeling of flying and what she could see below her.

“You know... we might get back in time to watch the sun set.” They had done that before, watched the sun dip below the horizon. It had felt nice cuddling up to him, watching the sun go down.

“I'd like that.” He grinned softly and... Derieri wasn't sure she'd ever saw him do that. Sure enough, the sun was low in the sky when the village was in sight. Thankfully, no one was around to watch them land. It might have been... a little awkward. Neither of them were wearing clothes after all.

AN: Deri's just starting to realise she's got a handsome man with her... and he appears to like her... Annie's going to have fun with that! Title of this chapter is from 'Can you feel the love tonight?' again (I said it wouldn't be the only chapter title from that song!)

[thepokyone]

Content

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader (ft. Sam)

Warnings: Fluff

Words: 1.5k

A/N: Hey friends! I am back with another anon request and the last of requests from the tropes prompt list I put out a while ago. This is a combo of fake dating & first kiss so I hope you all enjoy it!

"I hate going undercover," Sam grumbled, tugging at the collar of his tuxedo.

"Hey, at least this time you don't have to dress like the Smiling Tiger," Bucky said, grinning at the memory.

Sam scowled at him. "I hate that you don't look nearly as uncomfortable. I feel like I can't move."

"This isn't too off the mark from what we would wear in the forties," Bucky said, fixing his tie in the mirror. "Still a little fancier than what I was used to, though."

"Almost reminds me of a Stark party. Always had to wear ridiculous get-ups to those things," Sam said thoughtfully. "I don't miss those, I'll be honest."

"I was never invited. Not sure why," Bucky drawled. "Where's the lady of the hour? We're supposed to leave in less than ten minutes."

"Please, you know women always take forever getting ready for these things. Practically a rite of passage. You know my prom date made us an hour late?" Sam asked.

"Fortunately for all parties, I am not your prom date," you said, walking into the room. "You boys clean up nice."

"Damn, Y/N, so do you," Sam said approvingly. You were wearing a stunning, floor-length dress that seemed to catch the light and draw every eye to your form.

You smiled at him. "Thanks, Sam. And you thought I'd make you late."

"I stand corrected," he said. Bucky was still staring at you, having not yet said anything at all, and you could feel the heat rising to your cheeks.

"Let's go over the plan once more before we leave," you said, desperate to break the awkward silence that had settled over the three of you.

Sam, wearing a knowing smirk, obliged. "We'll be arriving at the gala together. Bucky will be walking in first. You and I will be following, posing as a lovestruck couple."

"Y/N is way out of your league," Bucky said, rolling his eyes. "Who's going to believe you can pull her?"

Sam made an offended noise. "What, like you could? Bucky, the only thing you can pull is a door labeled push."

"You two are ridiculous," you said. "How about I go in alone and you two go as a couple, if you're going to bicker about it."

"No way in hell," Sam said.

"I'd rather die," Bucky said. "Obviously, Y/N should be pretending to date me instead. I mean, of the two of us, I am less likely to be recognized. She'll be safer with me."

"Fine, fine. You might have a point, but there was no need to be so rude about it," Sam said, raising his hands in surrender.

"Okay, so I'm going with Bucky," you said, a statement that made your heart flip in his chest. How were you supposed to hide your feelings when you had to pretend to date him all night? It would have been far easier to pretend to be with Sam; you didn't have feelings for him.

"Right, so once we are all inside, you and Bucky will serve as the distraction so that I can slip into the office and get the documents we need. You'll need to keep the way clear until I'm done, and once I've rejoined the crowd we'll be staying for another hour before making our exit so we don't arouse suspicion," Sam said. "Should be pretty cut and dry."

"Unless everything goes horribly wrong, but we're all optimists here," Bucky quipped.

"That's right, a positive outlook. Let's get this over with," Sam said, tugging at his tie and walking out.

"After you," Bucky said, holding the door for you. He sat beside you in the car, his warmth bleeding into you, and in all truth you were glad that he would be by your side tonight, even though if it was just to show you everything you couldn't have. His presence was a comforting one.

When the car stopped, Bucky opened the door and offered a hand to help you out. "Shall we, doll?" he asked, offering his arm as a valet pulled the car away and Sam disappeared inside.

You smiled at him. "We shall."

"Names, please," requested the doorman, glancing at the both of you with bored disinterest.

"Matthew O'Bryan and Nancy Turner," Bucky said smoothly.

"Enjoy the party, remember the first drinks are free," he said, waving you inside.

"Can you believe people live like this?" Bucky murmured in your ear as the two of you stepped inside. It was a large, open ballroom with a large chandelier that winked gold as it swayed. The decorations looked as if they cost more than your monthly rent.

"Too fancy for me," you said, allowing him to steer you around the room, dodging the larger groups of people.

"Me too," he agreed. "There's Sam."

Sam had already gotten himself a drink in the short time he had been inside. "And I suggest you do the same. Drinks will help you blend in. Then go mingle, but be around to clear in ten minutes."

He slipped off into the crowd again, smiling and chatting with any and all around him. You and Bucky made your way towards the bar. "Don't understand how he does it," Bucky said with a shake of his head.

"Natural charisma," you said, ordering yourself a mixed drink. Bucky ordered a beer, and the two of you toured among the crowd as you nursed your drinks.

"Let's dance after Sam is done," Bucky said. "You look too pretty not to be out on the dance floor."

Your cheeks burned and you glanced away, biting back a smile. "If all goes well."

"Good," Bucky said, bobbing his head in an awkward nod.

Sam's voice crackled over your earpieces. "Hey lovebirds, it's about time."

"On our way," Bucky said, touching his ear discreetly in order to be heard. "Don't move in until you see us."

The first part of the plan went off without a hitch. You "accidentally" dropped your drink, sending people scattering away, and nobody was looking when Sam disappeared down the hall.

"Heading back," Sam's voice filtered over your earpieces, and his statement presented a problem, as the party's host was standing exactly where Sam was supposed to emerge any moment.

"Follow my lead," you told Bucky, leaving his side and moving quickly to the party's host, a high-ranking Russian dignitary. You made a move as if to pass, bumping your shoulder with his. "Oh, I am so sorry! I'm such a klutz, not looking where I was going; the room is such a beautiful place to take in."

He smiled, pleased at the flattery, and gently grasped your elbow to keep you from flitting away. The man he was talking to looked briefly annoyed until Bucky stole his attention, the two wandering back towards the rest of the crowd. "No apologies needed, when a woman as beautiful as yourself is making them."

You giggled, placing a hand on his arm. "Allow me to at least make it up to you."

"How about a dance," he suggested as the music changed. "I do love this song and it would be made better with you as a partner."

"Sounds wonderful," you said, allowing him to lead you on to the dance floor. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Sam slip back into the party and breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The Russian held you a little too close, so you had no choice but to rest your head on his chest if you wanted to uphold your cover, but was otherwise respectful.

"May I cut in?" Bucky asked once the music changed again, voice cool.

"Certainly," The Russian said, placing a kiss to your knuckles. "Thank you for a lovely dance."

"No, thank you," you said, giving him a charming smile and taking Bucky's hand.

Bucky immediately drew you to him, arm wrapping around your waist. "Little warning would have been nice, you know. I wanted to rip his hands off."

"All part of the cover, Buck." Your voice was warm and you squeezed his hand. "Keep talking like that and I might think you were jealous."

"And what if I was?" He asked quietly, only just louder than the music. The two of you seemed trapped within your own private bubble, as if the rest of the world had melted away.

"You were jealous?" You asked.

He pressed his forehead to yours, noses brushing. "Of course I was. Why do you think I fought so hard to be your date tonight instead of Sam?"

"You said why."

"No, I didn't," Bucky said. "I wanted to take you because I couldn't bear to see you pretending to be in love with another man. At least this way I would get to know what it's like, if only for a night."

"And if I wasn't pretending?" You asked, hyperaware of how close your lips were, how his thumb was rubbing rhythmic circles on your hip, how you could feel the coolness of metal through the gloved hand whose fingers were twined with yours.

His lips brushed against yours, gentle and warm, over almost as soon as it had begun. "I would do that."

"I wasn't pretending," you whispered and his lips met yours again, mouths fitting together perfectly as your hand ran up his arm to the back of his neck.

He let out a sigh against your lips, perfectly content, the two of you still swaying to the music. "Neither was I."

[yeraskier]

aight it's real late and i need to be asleep but also had to do my skin/self care routine and this reminded me of Jaskier, who would be like me and not ever skip on skin care&

"All I need is water& maybe it's maybelline magic" Yennefer&

And sleep deprived Geralt.

please, if you can, make this into a little one shot. i love your work and how you manage to convey their dynamics♡

hope you have a great day♡

~A

oh wow first off Thank you so much you are very very sweet. and thank you for the lovely idea, here you go <3

—

"Really, Jaskier?"

The hand that’s dabbing serum beneath his eye freezes as he catches Yennefer's unimpressed gaze in the mirror.

"Yes, dear?"

"You came up here thirty minutes ago and you're still not done?"

“I’ll have you know Geralt distracted me for the first ten minutes.” She doesn’t seem to believe that one bit. "And skin like this doesn't just happen, okay?"

Yennefer shrugs, "it does for me."

"Well not all of us have magic on our side."

“The fact that you think I need magic to look like this,” she begins, waving both hands up and down the length of her body, “is not only false, but also incredibly offensive. Take it back.”

“No.” And okay, perhaps he shouldn’t be challenging an incredibly powerful mage three times his age, but Yennefer loves him too much to cause any real damage. Maybe...

“Take it back, Jaskier,” she hisses, “unless you want to wake up tomorrow looking like a toad.” Then, she offers him a slow once over, “well, more-so than usual, of course.”

Jaskier gasps, almost dropping his the vial in the process. “Oh you heinous witch, you—”

A groan comes from lump beneath the covers on the mattress, and then, "if you two don't shut up, I will come over there and make you shut up."

Yennefer cackles. "Right, I'd love to see you try, witcher."

Geralt's head pokes out from under the blankets and furs. He’s glaring at them, but his hair is a mess and it looks adorable. Jaskier giggles.

"Jaskier,” Geralt says slowly, “let Yennefer win the argument or I will toss all of your skincare products out while you sleep, and you know I'll do it."

Jaskier clutches the small bottle to his chest, because he does know. The bard looks down at the product, his favorite of the eight he has-- to lose this would be like losing a child.

"Fine," he sighs defeatedly. The sorceress' grin takes up her whole face and Geralt releases a hm (the of course I got my way version).

The witcher lifts the covers, an invitation that Jaskier takes as he snuggles in against Geralt's chest.

"There, there, little bird,” the older man croons, “you'll have plenty of time to complete your routine in the morning, after we've all rested."

"I doubt I'll rest all that well after an incomplete nighttime routine," he grumbles.

The bed dips behind Jaskier and arms snake around his body seconds later.

Yennefer's breath tickles the side of his neck when she says, "you don't need a routine, bard. I think you'll look just as beautiful without it."

Geralt releases another hm (the I agree with that statement version).

Jaskier refuses to let either of them see him blush after his defeat but he does relax into her hold.

Maybe Yennefer’s right, maybe he doesn't need the routine. He’ll still do it, though.

There’s nothing wrong with liking to pamper yourself, after all.