#i know i did better studies but if i keep this in the drafts for longer ill never post it

[caemidraws]

Wheel of Fortune

[sterredem]

She’s real!?

Charles Leclerc x reader

Face claim:

Summary: Charles has said he has a girlfriend for a few years now. But the longer people hasn’t seen her the more they think they he made her up. Until they are proven wrong

Word count: -

Warning: fluff, rushed, maybe some spelling mistakes.

A/N: the ending was ruched cause I am working on something bigger. But This has been in my draft for weeks so I wanted to put it out before the big thing.

Please interact or give feedback🫶🫶 it helps a lot

Charles knew that he was lucky. He had an amazing girlfriend, his dream job, great friends, enough money so that he could last a lifetime, fans that supported him and a family that loved him.

But not everyone believed that he had all that. It may sound a bit weird because they where all facts. …right?

Well not every on of them. The first one the girlfriend one. That one wasn’t. He claimed he has one. And he always brings her up, for 3 years now. And you may think ‘well why don’t people believe him then?’ Well that can be answered quite easily.

No one has seen her yet. Well not no one because his family and his closes friends have. But they have never been seen public, and if they did see her they didn’t know it because they don’t know who she is and how she looks. They know there is someone, just not how she looks, what she does or what her name is.

And that is why people don’t believe him. Even some of his close friends and colleagues don’t. His team doesn’t even believe him.

And that’s all because they wanted to wait with going public. They wanted to wait because Y/n was really busy with her school work and Charles was travelling the world for formula 1. They did live together in his house in Monaco. But they didn’t see each other that often. But they still managed to keep it private.

And they do want to make it public. But in the first year that they where together they decided to keep it quiet, and when they where in their second year, she was really busy with school and being in her year before her exams she needed to study a lot. And then with him travelling the world and having a lot of trouble with Ferrari they still didn’t have the time. And now in their third year together, she was in her last year of school and studying a lot and him starting the season again. They still didnt find the time to go public.

And when they did find the time they where together and enjoying the privacy they had. So they decided to not hard launch yet and just torture the fans and public with corny soft launches.

And while they enjoyed the privacy they had. Charles did find it annoying that his friends and fans didn’t believe him. And he tried everything, but he will prove that she is real. Even if it will cost their privacy.

When Charles walken in the paddock alone… again, people stared looking and asking questions. A bit teasing of course.

And when it was media day there were a few questions about his ‘girlfriend’ but he successfully dodged them all. Not that he didn’t want to talk about her. But his media team said that it was better to not answer them, and he talked to Y/n about it and she said that it if came up he could talk about her. But just not randomly saying stuff.

So as promised he kept quite about their relationship. And when Fp1 and 2 rolled around it was still going great.

Well besides the teasing comments from his colleagues and even his team.

And when qualifying came around it was going really great. He started on 5th place, with was not the best but still good.

But then Race day came and he was as pretty excited. He started on a good place and Carlos was back again.

He ignored it for now and talked with his engineer for the last time before the race.

Before he got in his car he checked his phone one last time to see y/n has wished his good luck, he smiled a bit at that. But when he looked up again he saw that Carlos shot him a knowing look.

|———————————<3—————————————|

|———————————<3—————————————|

|———————————<3—————————————|

After Charles was done at Australia he got on a plane. When he was in the airport he saw his girlfriend. He ran up to her and hugged her. After not seeing her for a few days he had missed her.

“Hey amour, I missed you” he said in her hair while hugging her.

“Hey love, I missed you too. So much” she said looking up at him smiling. What they didn’t notice is Joris taking pictures (not that they would mind).

“Would you want to go home or walk around a bit?” She asked with a slight smile while looking in his eyes.

“I think it would be fun to walk around wouldn’t it?” He asked while putting a bit of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah it would. Come on we should get to the car.” She said while grabbing his hand. “Hey guys good too see you.” She said addressing the other people that where with her boyfriend (and a few of the little people that knew about them and believed it).

“Yeah yeah. Good too see you too y/n/n. Could you just keep the PDA down or something?” Joris said reading a bit.

“Oh sure, I will just keep down being with my boyfriend after no one believes we are together and not seeing each other for a few days. You know you are lucky, you get to be with his all the time.” She said jokingly.

“Yeah yeah whatever.” Joris said while smiling at the couple. They really where something.

“Where do you guys want to go?” She asked looking at Charles again.

“We could just walk around the city and maybe catch the sunset, no?” Charles said while they all walked to the car.

“Yeah that would be fun.” She said opening the back door. “Who wants to drive!” She asked specifically to the other two boys not wanting Charles to drive with his parking skills.

“I could drive, Andrea so you want to go home? I can drop you off and give the lovebirds some time to catch up. ” Joris said.

“Oui, s'il vous plaît.” Andrea said while getting in the passenger seat. (Yes please.)

After dropping Andrea off at his home and walking around the city for a few hours they decided to go to a field to watch the sunset.

“It is so pretty.” Y/n said while looking at the sunset.

“Yeah it is.” He said looking at her. Admiring her.

A few hours later they decided to go hand and hang out there. Joris was with them for a bit longer after deciding to go home too.

Once it was just them they cuddled un in bed and talked for a bit longer.

“Hey Charlie I have a question.” Y/n said once the conversation dialed down a bit.

“What is that Belle?” He said looking- no more admiring her.

“Would you want to go public? And if when?” She asked playing with his hair.

“Of course I would want to go public. And whenever we are ready.” He said kissing his head.

“What if I just come to the paddock and surprise everyone. And we just randomly hard launch?” She asked looking at him.

Charles looked at her thing about it. “It would be fun wouldn’t it?” He asked smiling at her with a little smirk.

“Should we?” She asked him.

“We cou wait a few races, maybe chose a good one. We could stir up some thing. Maybe soft launch some?” He asked her now being a lot more serious then before when they just joked around and talked a bit.

“That would be fun.”

|———————————<3—————————————|

|———————————<3—————————————|

After Y/n postet that on her story a lot of people begin to notice. Especially because Joris was posted. So when people begin to put everything together they where shocked.

So with now people beleving Charles Y/n could finally be at an race. And that happened. And people loved it.

The drivers where shocked that she was real, so where the fans and the people that worked their.

But they where all happy for them

|———————————<3—————————————|

[itoshiexx]

can i dance with your s/o?

how the blue lock boys react when someone asks to dance with you.

pairings: itoshi rin, itoshi sae, reo mikage x fem!reader (separate) | warnings: jealousy, slight possessiveness, overall fluff, teeny bit suggestive on sae's

notes: hi guys! i wasn't planing on posting anything since i haven't been able to write (studying for the bar and all), but since i reached 300 followers, i thought maybe i could post this lil thing that was in my drafts for a long time lol it's quite different from what i usually do but i hope y'all like it! and tysm for 300!! <3

Itoshi Rin

the lights of the room flickered around the sparkles in your long dress and practically made you glow. the piece of clothing was beautiful — an italian design rin bought for you specially for that night, where you would accompany him to a charity event. there were hundreds of football players like him in the venue, but rin’s sight could only focus on you. 

a song was playing softly in the background, and he admired you from afar, sitting in the bar along with some of his teammates while you chatted with their girlfriends, who became your friends pretty quickly. that was just how you were, always easy going and approachable, very unlike him. it was easy to be drawn to you like you were the sun, and rin was more than happy to be in your orbit.

then, the song changed to a slow paced tune, and he saw your beautiful eyes turn to him and sparkle just as much as your dress — if not more. the girls you were chatting with came towards their respective boyfriends, but you remained there, just staring, as if knowing it was a lost cause. 

itoshi rin didn’t like to dance. 

and while he was distracted by your orbs, someone decided to talk.

“can i dance with your girlfriend?”

the voice sent chills down his spine, and rin turned to the owner with a harsh glare, scrutinizing the image of none other than itoshi sae. they still had a pretty fucked up relationship, even after rin went pro, and he was not happy to hear what he just heard.

“what the fuck did you say?” his tone came out slowly, a veiled threat.

sae didn’t even blink. “i asked to dance with your girlfriend. you are certainly not doing it, and since i didn’t come with anyone, it would be rude to leave her there. haven’t you learned shit, rin?”

a vein nearly popped in his forehead. it was already bad enough to hear the condescending tone in sae’s voice, but implying he could take better care of you than him? no, that wouldn’t do.

“fuck off, you shitty brother. don’t come near her.”

he stormed off to the dance floor, leaving his shitty brother and his knowing smirk behind, immediately going to your figure. he could tell you were confused, but gave you no time to ask, taking your soft hand in his and dragging you to where the other couples were dancing.

both of his hands found home in your waist, just like he always found home in you. your arms laced his neck by pure reflex, considering you were still very much confused with your boyfriend’s attitude. 

“what happened?”

rin played dumb. “hm? what do you mean? i’m just dancing with my girlfriend.” he shrugged like it was no big deal. 

it really wasn’t. not when you smiled at him like that.

sure, itoshi rin didn’t like to dance. but he loved you, and if dancing would make you happy and keep you away from his shitty brother, he would do it in a heartbeat.

Itoshi Sae

parties were not really sae’s thing. he wasn’t one to socialize with his teammates, and he didn’t feel the need to talk to sponsors or to the media, considering he had a manager to do that. so how he got caught up in one was a true mystery. 

sure, playing for the U-20 national team could be a big deal for a lot of people, but not for sae. he hated japan and all its weak players, and the only reason he agreed to play in the first place was to see project Blue Lock firsthand. he definitely did not sign for a party.

though he supposed he could endure it if you were there. 

the dance floor was crowded, and a pop hit was blasting through the speakers. you were with sae on the bar just a minute ago, but your already tipsy self exclaimed to love this song and the need to dance it, so that’s what you were doing. and fuck, what a sight you were. 

your skimpy dress hugged your body in all the right places, marking the curve of your ass. every time you moved in sync with the beat, swaying your hips, he could feel his breath hitch in his throat, always eager for what was under the fabric. you were breathtaking, and his. 

“hey, genius boy!”

sae grunted when his eyes were forced to leave your frame, and he was not pleased to find oliver aiku by his side, portraying his signature toothy grin. his only acknowledgement was a hum, hoping oliver would take a hint and leave him the fuck alone. 

“nice night, huh?”

sae sighed. apparently, he can’t take a hint.

“sure,” was all he said, turning his eyes back to you. you were still having fun by dancing like there was no tomorrow, and for a moment, sae wanted to smile from the way you were so carefree. he didn’t, though. but maybe something in his stoic demeanor cracked by looking at you, because the guy next to him spoke up.

“whatcha looking at?” oliver followed his sight before sae could fool him, and he felt anger rising when spotting a glimpse of desire in the heterochromatic eyes of his teammate. “oh, wow. what a babe.”

sae narrowed his eyes with an impossibly harsh glare that could make anyone cower. oliver didn’t. “she’s my girlfriend, so back the fuck off.”

“oh! can i dance with your girlfriend? she seems lonely.” the player smirked, seemingly enjoying to tease sae.

“look,” the older itoshi started, unamused. “you should probably know by now that i don’t tolerate bullshit. especially when it comes to her.”

oliver cocked his brow. sae continued, “so if you wanna have a slight chance to win against Blue Lock and not lose your shitty spot in the U-20 team, don’t fucking test me.”

finally, the player raised his hands in surrender, leaving without saying another word. chugging down the rest of his drink, sae made his way towards you, gluing his body behind yours and securing you close with a hand on your waist.

“hey, baby,” he mumbled in your ear. “wanna get out of here?”

Mikage Reo

being the heir of a billionaire corporation was no easy task. although there were some good parts in it, such as the money to do whatever one pleased, reo mostly dreaded everything related to his position. of course, this included the galas thrown by his family. 

these galas were always full of snobby CEO’s and their heirs, trying to secure their spot in the light by arranging a marriage with the Mikage’s son. this part, at least, was solved when reo finally got married to you, and of course enduring hours of these boring parties became a hundred times better with you by his side. 

however, he couldn’t say he was exactly pleased with the way all eyes were on you every time you put on some high couture outfit. you were stunning — reo knew that much, and he always boasted to anyone who could hear about it —, but he couldn’t help the spark of possessiveness that always ignited inside his chest whenever someone else stated this fact. 

such as the old man talking to him. 

“your wife is truly beautiful, mikage. a hidden gem.”

reo could feel his anger rising, jealousy and overprotectiveness becoming one. but he remained calm on the outside, a smiley façade that could effortlessly fool those around him. he couldn’t be rude, considering this geezer was one of the main investors of the mikage corporation. 

“indeed, she is,” he answered through his teeth. the man didn’t seem to notice his gleaming eyes that could very much be homicidal. 

“how long have you been married again?”

“two years.” he took a sip of the champagne glass in his hands. the liquid went down his throat with a burning sensation that made him momentarily forget about the searing rage in the pit of his stomach. 

“oh, to be young again. i wish i could go back and enjoy my youth a little more,” the investor laughed, and reo had to force himself to do the same. his eyes, however, didn’t leave your frame. 

you were graciously talking with three women of high society, distributing kind smiles as if they weren’t as precious as the diamonds in your neck, if not more. reo was well aware that none of the people on that gala deserved the goodness of your heart, but you couldn’t help but be sympathetic towards everyone. maybe that was why you were so adored. he knew for certain it was one of the reasons he loved you so much. 

“do you mind if i dance one song with her?”

fuck. that man was still there. 

“sure,” albeit hesitantly, reo agreed with a forced smile, watching as the investor walked up to you and bowed to ask for a dance. with your usual gentleness, you agreed, taking his hand and going to the middle of the ballroom for a waltz. the mikage could only watch your ethereal form glowing under the candelabrum, eyes softening with the way you were so carefree.

he was glad to have your purity in such a corrupted world.

when the song ended, reo wasted no time in coming to you and taking your hand from the man with a gentlemanly gesture that made you smile. you bid farewell to the investor with a small courtesy, your hand finding your husband’s easily. 

“hey, beautiful.”

“hey, handsome,” you whispered, eyes sparkling. “you were totally holding yourself back, weren’t you?”

you both laughed at the way you could read him so easily. though reo didn’t mind.

“hell, yes. i was dying to drag you back to my arms.”

it was where you belonged, anyway.

© 2023 itoshiexx. do not plagarise, translate, or repost any of my work on here or other sites.

[loguetowns]

the one that (almost) got away

roronoa zoro x fem!reader

it takes him 12 hours to realize

3.6k words

a/n: ok listen, i think i started writing this like 6+ months ago and it’s just been sitting in my drafts bc idk how to commit to endings so y’all are gonna have to take this as it is. also i have no concept of how sailing works or how long it takes oops

9:00 pm

“y'know, there's really no point to a farewell party if the one leaving isn't there.”

you look up from your spot on the library floor. your eyes land on the green-haired swordsman leaning against the doorframe and you smile.

“i’ll be there in a second. i just have some more stuff to go through.”

zoro eyes the mess of books surrounding you, recognizing a few of nami’s atlases and robin’s textbooks. “you haven’t finished packing yet?”

“i’m mostly done. i’m just trying to decide which books i want to keep.” catching his eye, you joke, “why? you want me gone that bad?”

crossing the room, a scoff leaves his lips. nothing could be further from the truth.

“you got me. i am so sick of you,” he says with a grin. “can’t wait to get rid of the annoying librarian invading my napping spot.”

zoro plops down on the bench behind you, catching a whiff of your shampoo as he lies down. you sit with your back to him, sorting through your piles, but zoro can hear the smile in your voice when you speak.

“you’re such a pretender, eh?”

zoro puts on a look of overdramatic offense, a hand on his chest. “me? you’re talking about me?”

at his poor acting, you turn around. you rest your chin on the bench, your face so close to zoro’s that one could only describe it as a kissable distance.

“you act like i'm all in your space, but nami told me that you never used to spend any time in here at all!”

“pfft, why would you ever trust what that con artist has to say?” zoro pokes your forehead. “you see it with your own eyes. am i or am i not here every day?”

you purse your lips as you think back to the last few months; he’s right.

you’ve spent most of your days in the ship’s library, and zoro has almost always stopped by. in the beginning, it would be for a few minutes, but over the last little while, he’d be in here as long as you were.

zoro smiles as he watches you think, eyebrows furrowed as you replay the last few months in your head. little do you know that this is exactly why the library is his new hideout. watching your pretty little mind work — doing what you love, thinking and studying and reading — is a far better use of his spare time than anything else he could be doing.

“anyway,” he says. “i guess your silly star stories have been a good trade-off.”

now it’s your turn to be mock-offended.

“silly star stories? you’re the one who asked about the constellations in the first place!”

“only because you kept talking about these fictional gods like they actually did something important.”

“says the guy who's completely enthralled by hades,” you roll your eyes.

“king of hell, god of the underworld,” he grins. “that’s my kinda guy.”

zoro laughs when you shake your head at him. he’ll never tire of teasing you; you are far too adorable with your little sigh and a ghost of a smile on your lips.

“did you know,” he says with a playful look. “that you still owe me about ten more constellation stories? d’you think you could squeeze in one more before we head up?”

zoro smiles at you, and you can't help but smile back. 

you have so many treasured memories with zoro in this library; ones of just the two of you (him napping while you studied), ones with nami and robin (and sanji until nami kicked the boys out for their incessant bickering), and ones where the night listens in as you recite the history of the stars.

whether you were telling the story of another righteous deity enacting justice, or the tale of mere mortals who insulted the gods, zoro would listen with his eyes closed, lying across the bench as he is now, and you’d sit in front of him as you are now.

everyone’s waiting for you upstairs and you hate to disappoint, but some things are more important — like telling a silly star story to a silly swordsman.

“of course i can.”

12:00 am

raucous laughter and cheering that’s loud enough to deafen anybody; empty plates, once piled high with food, now scattered around the room; bottles on bottles of sake and rum and whiskey and every liqueur that one would hope to find on a pirate ship.

these are zoro’s requirements for a good time, and suffice to say that your farewell party has them all in spades.

zoro watches his friends’ tomfoolery from his spot at the table (currently, luffy’s trying to get franky to see how far he can slingshot him) when you plop yourself into the seat beside him.

“this,” you say as your arm knocks against his, “is the best party i’ve ever been to.”

zoro takes a swig from his glass, “you haven’t partied until you’ve partied with pirates.”

“seriously! you guys are insane!”

as if to prove your point, franky chooses that exact moment to show off a juggling sequence involving a barrel of whiskey, a giant potted plant, and a squealing chopper.

you gasp at the spectacle but quickly dissolve into laughter when nami saves chopper, and it’s with both awe and pure excitement that you turn to zoro. laughter is etched into your lips, your cheeks are flushed, and zoro can’t help but marvel at how you’re even cuter when you’re having fun.

“what, you’ve never seen a cyborg man toss a speaking reindeer in the air before?”

you nudge him with your elbow, “well, excuse me for leading such a mundane life where animals don’t speak and men don’t tinker with their bodies.”

“ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.”

you look at zoro quizically.

he takes a sip of his beer, “most men do tinker with their bodies.”

it takes you a moment to catch his innuendo and zoro roars with laughter when the realization hits you. embarrassment tinges your pretty face and you shove him with a loud “ew, zoro!” but he can’t stop cackling.

“you’re disgusting!”

you make to swat zoro across the chest but he quickly catches your hand. he leans in to waggle his eyebrows at you, “but i’m not wrong, am i?”

you groan loudly, which only makes him laugh again.

perhaps it’s the alcohol that let his inhibitions go, or maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t have much longer with you, but when you hastily change the subject and there’s no longer a reason for him to still be holding your hand, he doesn’t let go.

when nami joins you two, his fingers slips between yours and to his surprise, yours do the same. sanji joins your threesome, then franky and robin, and in no time at all, it’s no longer just the two of you at the table.

but zoro doesn’t care.

drunk, carefree, and more content than he’s ever been, zoro closes his eyes and smiles. he lives in the moment, and in this moment, he’s happy — happy with a full stomach and a full glass, happy to be surrounded by his favourite people, and happy that, under the table, you’re still holding his hand.

3:00 am

“and what’s that one?”

hands swinging between you, you and zoro dodge the tide as you roam further and further from the thousand sunny. the sand is cool under your feet and the tide kisses your toes with each step. your other arm is stretched above you, pointing at a constellation in the distance.

“what is this - a pop quiz?”

you smile, “i want to make sure you don’t forget about my ‘silly star stories.’”

zoro groans, “has anyone told you that holding grudges isn’t healthy? keeping going and you’ll turn into a bitter old thing some day.”

you stick out your tongue, “you’re just afraid you’ll get it wrong.”

“wrong?” zoro scoffs. “i’ve gotten the past six right.”

walking along the beach, you and zoro fall in step with each other and your footsteps match the ebbing waves in perfect rhythm. you smile in his direction and his chest is flooded with a warmth that has nothing to do with the copious amounts of alcohol he’s consumed.

“alright, let’s see what we got here.”

zoro follows your gaze at the cluster of stars you’ve chosen, and he grins when he sees the constellation. “really? at least try to make this hard for me, please.”

his cocky attitude leaves you speechless, making zoro laugh. 

“you’re so annoying!” you shove him with your free hand and the force of his stumble pulls you along, and you shriek as he drags you into the ocean with him. he doesn’t let go of you, not even for a second — not when water splashes your legs, not when zoro’s pants get soaked as he spins you around. 

your laughter is warmth in its purest form, the kind that you can feel all the way down to your cold toes. when he sets you back down, you give his hand a little squeeze, to which zoro answers back with a tender smile.

now with wet feet and a distance between you that’s even smaller than it already was, zoro continues to walk alongside you.

“moving on from your pathetic distraction attempt,” — you let out a dramatic gasp — “i’ll tell you exactly who we were looking at.”

pointing at the starry zodiac sign, zoro speaks with complete confidence.

“virgo the maiden, otherwise known as persephone, wife and muse of the best god of them all, hades—”

“fanboy much?” you tease but zoro pretends not to hear you (the little tug of his lips tells you that he does).

“—who snuck her a pomegranate seed because he couldn’t bear for her to leave him.”

zoro puffs his chest with pride, relishing in this one niche study of which he is now an expert. it’s incredibly endearing how pleased he is with his answer and you almost feel bad for correcting him.

almost.

“good answer,” you grin. “but you left out the little detail about how she was kept in hell against her will.”

zoro gasps, “are you accusing my idol of being a kidnapper?”

“your idol!” your cheeks already hurt so much from smiling but another giggle slips out. “first of all, these aren’t my accusations. historians have told their love story this way for years—”

“slander is what this is.”

“—and secondly, why would you want to look up to hades? he’s literally the antagonist in every story.”

“he’s the king of hell! that’s so bad ass.” zoro winks at you, “don’t be surprised if you hear them calling me ‘zoro, king of hell’ some day.”

“what’s wrong, demon of east blue doesn’t go hard enough for you?”

embarrassment rushes to zoro’s face and he’s never been more grateful for the night. “who told you that? was it usopp or nami? i bet it was nami.”

“i might hold a grudge but i don’t snitch,” you flash a mischievous smile. “anyway, let’s get back to how you want to be just like devil who tricked a poor girl in returning to the underworld.”

“come on, can you blame a man for doing whatever it takes to stop his beloved from leaving him?”

it sounds like an innocent question — harmless banter, really — but something in the way he says it makes you stop dead in your tracks. a silence falls and in its wake, all you can do is stare at the man you’ve spent the last several months with, the same man that you have to say goodbye to tomorrow.

moonlight falls unto the both of you and bathes zoro in soft light. it illuminates his eyes and when you meet his gaze, you see a sense of longing there that you feel in your chest. a longing for what, you don’t know — or rather, you don’t want to know.

at least, not yet.

so you hold his hand a little tighter, and underneath the watchful eye of the gods and constellations, muster a smile,

“i guess not.”

6:00 am

if this was any other morning, zoro would be awake and working out already. he'd be done his fourth set of bicep curls or, at the very least, working on his form. he could even be in the middle of deadlifts (because he knows not to skip leg day), but he definitely wouldn't still be in bed the way that he is right now.

the thing is though, if this was any other morning, he wouldn't have you sleeping next to him, curled into him like you were made to be a perfect fit.

he's never been more glad to still be in bed.

your breath matches the rise and fall of zoro's chest, perfectly in rhythm with the waves outside his window and the beat of his heart, like the universe meant for all these things to be in harmony at this one singular moment in time.

your lashes flutter in response when he shifts his weight.

he takes a peek at you, “psst, are you awake?”

eyes still closed, you manage a noncommittal grunt but your body says otherwise.

zoro can’t help but smile as he watches you start to wake up. your toes wiggle beneath the covers and you rub your eyes before looking up at him with an adorably sleepy look that he would love to wake up to every day. 

if only he could.

you focus your gaze on zoro like he’s an anchor in a sea of slumber. the way that you look at him, as if he’s the only thing that you see, fills his chest with a golden warmth akin to the breaking dawn.

you offer him a soft smile, and zoro wonders if the sun knows that you glow brighter than it ever could.

“why are you up at this ungodly hour?”

he chuckles, low and tender, “’m used to it. i’m usually up by now.”

“freak,” you mutter. zoro laughs, and you can’t think of anything else that sounds more beautiful at six in the morning.

you’re not usually up this early but what you notice is that, at dawn, time has a habit of moving slowly. it’s as if the morning casts magic upon those who rise with the daylight — and you’re so thankful for that.

because if time moved any faster than this, you’d have to say goodbye that much sooner.

“are you going to miss us?” zoro puts his arms around you.

you murmur into his chest, “of course, i will.”

“who do you think you’ll miss the most?” 

you give pause and zoro’s almost certain you can hear his heart beating a little louder — he can definitely hear it. he doesn’t typically get nervous like this but, then again, nothing about the way you make him feel is typical.

you seem to have come to a conclusion because you look up at zoro and he holds his breath. 

“sanji.”

he blinks.

“wait, are you serious?”

you’ve never seen zoro looks so wonderfully scandalized before, and you burst into a fit of giggles. as soon as you start, he knows he’s been had. he scowls but only for a moment; for who could be upset in the presence of such twinkling laughter?

 “silly man,” you snuggle closer, "of course i’m not serious.”

“okay, good.” you can hear the smile in his voice. “i don’t know if my ego could handle losing to him.”

zoro holds you close, his thumb tracing circles on your skin. his movements are slow, steady, comforting — ‘round and ‘round, in the same spot, like he’s drawing an invisible mark that is only known to the two of you.

"but, you know,” you hum, careful not to disrupt the peace. “you wouldn’t.”

“wouldn’t what?”

“lose.” and after a beat, you quietly add, “you wouldn’t lose to anyone.”

and just like that, zoro’s on cloud nine, airborne and weightless. he’s always known that he has a place in your heart, but this is the first time that you’ve ever hinted about where that place may be. if he allowed himself to be hopeful, it almost sounds like a confession. 

but almost isn’t good enough for him. zoro wants more — wants to find out exactly where he belongs in your life, wants to know if he can make himself at home there. 

it’s a shame that he’s out of time.

you interrupt his thoughts with a whisper, barely audible above the sound of the ocean and his aching heart,

“will you miss me?” 

more than anything.

9:00 am

surely, zoro’s dream to be hades has been granted. otherwise, why would it feel like he’s in hell, standing on the deck, all alone and watching your dinghy sail away from the thousand sunny?

zoro’s had his fair shares of farewells while aboard the ship, and to be honest, yours wasn’t any more emotional than anyone else’s. you left with a smile as beautiful as the morning sun and with far less tears than he expected (which he’s thankful for because he would hate to see you cry). as far as bittersweet goodbyes go, yours was definitely more sweet than bitter.

and yet, here zoro stands, with a bad taste in his mouth that he can’t explain. he can still see you from where he stands, and watching your little boat in the distance is the only thing that seems to settle his uneasy heart. 

should he have bid adieu privately? maybe he should’ve left you with a memento of some kind? should he have done more than offer you a quick hug? was it his imagination, or did you hold onto him just a beat longer than you needed to?

zoro’s so occupied by these messy thoughts that he doesn’t even hear sanji approach him.

“well?”

startled, zoro can only stare at the blond cook. ignoring the dumb look on his face, sanji continues.

“what’d she say when you told her?” sanji nods in the direction of your boat.

“told her what?”

“that you love her,” sanji takes a drag of his cigarette, looking at zoro directly now.

he speaks so frankly, so matter-of-fact and candidly, that it takes zoro a second to really register what it is that he’s saying. 

he loves you.

and as soon as he thinks it, the truth comes barreling through all the doubts clouding his head. clarity floods his chest as he comes face-to-face with what his yearning, pining heart has been trying to tell him this whole time.

he loves you. he loves you. he loves you. he loves you. he loves you-

fuck.

he loves you.

and he never told you.

epilogue — 9:30 am

sails closed, your boat floats with the current and the salty breeze reminds you that your adventure with the strawhats has come to a close. compared to the never-ending bustle of the crew, it’s almost too quiet being at sea alone. the silence lends itself to your overactive mind, working full time to unravel the tightness you feel in your chest.

you’re lost in thoughts of what could’ve, should’ve, and would’ve been — so much so that you don’t even hear the commotion behind you. it’s not until you hear zoro call your name that you hear the frantic swimming and you whirl around.

“zoro! what-”

“can you help me first?” he splutters.

you pull yourself together long enough to run to the side of your dinghy, pulling a sopping wet pirate on board. zoro leans back, trying to catch his breath as you rummage through your things.

“are you crazy? do you know how far we are from the sunny?” you throw a towel over him before reaching for another. you start drying off his hair, frantically fussing over him.

“you think that just because chopper gives you the clearance that you can push yourself over the limit-”

“y/n.”

“this is why you’re always on house arrest! you’re actually insane, you know that?”

“y/n.”

“i know you work out, but for goodness’ sake, zoro, you’re only human-”

“y/n.” zoro holds your wrists, forcing you to stop with a start.

in all your worrying, you didn’t realize that you’d been gravitating closer to zoro until you’re staring into his dark, obsidian eyes. there’s clarity in the way that he looks at you. his eyes are shining with a fierceness that you’ve only seen in his worst fights, and you brace yourself for whatever comes next.

because you know that this will change everything.

“hades and persephone.”

“huh?“ you blink at him. “did you hit your head-”

“ask me if i think hades loved persephone.”

you stare into zoro’s eyes, desperation reflecting back at you. there’s a hidden question there and you understand immediately.

quietly, you ask, "do you think hades loved persephone?”

“i do,” he whispers. “i think he loved her and he would've been stupid to let her go.”

your breath catches. zoro places a hand over yours, surprisingly warm as his fingers find their home between your own.

the heavens watch on as the two of you finally open your hearts and give way to the stuff that myths and legends yearn for — a connection that can only be described as fated, destined, purely and resplendently magical.

the gods smile at the two lovers who find themselves falling into each other, laughing as you confess, over and over again,

i love you.

[baldursgat3]

so like a week ago I saw a post I can't find again about the idea of like an elf Tav who had grown up with Astarion before Cazador

so here's 4.5k words of that

lightly nsfw but the pants stay on (except in my half finished drafts that I gave up on)

A hog ran out of the bushes and you felt a blade against your neck as the man bodied you to the ground. He hovered over you, dagger pressed to your throat as he leaned in close with a soft smile. "Not another sound. Not if you want to keep that darling neck of yours." This was the first time you really managed to get a good look at him. Still, it took you a moment to recognize him. He looked so much older than you remembered and his eyes were blood red. "Astarion?" He was clearly not expecting that. His eyes widened in confusion and panic before he pressed the dagger firmer against your neck, the tip drawing a prick of blood. "How in the hells do you know that?" He hissed. "Who are you?

You stumbled along the beach away from the illithid ship. Your head was pounding and you just wanted to lay down but this was not nearly the time or place. You had to get away from the crash site and, preferably, find a few other survivors to watch your back. The cleric you picked up was fine and all, but you didn't entirely trust her. You were certain you'd need more help than that anyway.

Corpses littered the surrounding area, of humans and mind flayers alike. Not much survived the falling, flaming debris. It wasn't hard to make out a voice over the crackling fires.

You jogged towards the voice, quickly spotting it's owner. A slender elf with white curls that were surprisingly neat for surviving the nautiloid wreck. "Quick! I've got one of those brain things cornered."

That voice was… familiar? Still, you couldn't quite place it and it didn't really matter. If you helped him kill the thing, perhaps you could convince him to join you.

You followed where he was pointing, sword in hand. Really, you should've known better. Or perhaps Shadowheart could've been quicker to alert you?

A hog ran out of the bushes and you felt a blade against your neck as the man bodied you to the ground. He hovered over you, dagger pressed to your throat as he leaned in close with a soft smile. "Not another sound. Not if you want to keep that darling neck of yours."

This was the first time you really managed to get a good look at him. Still, it took you a moment to recognize him. He looked so much older than you remembered and his eyes were blood red. "Astarion?"

He was clearly not expecting that. His eyes widened in confusion and panic before he pressed the dagger firmer against your neck, the tip drawing a prick of blood. "How in the hells do you know that?" He hissed. "Who are you?

"You- you died…?" It didn't make sense. You saw them bury his body and everything.

His eyes flicked back and forth, studying your face. You wouldn't be upset if he didn't recognize you, but you weren't exactly sure how you would talk your way out of this in that case.

Fortunately, you wouldn't have to find out. You saw the moment it hit him as he jerked his dagger away from your neck, scrambling to get off of you. "It… can't be. Of all the people… you." He laughed bitterly, stowing the dagger.

Honestly, you weren't exactly sure how to respond to this situation. You couldn't even tell if he was happy to see you or not. So you decided to press on the most concerning issue still. "You died. I went to your funeral, Astarion. What… happened to you?"

You were nearly the same age, you'd grown up together in his family's estate. Your parents were hired hands and you served as a live-in friend for their reclusive son. He was only a few months older than you, so why did he look so much older? So much paler, more exhausted than someone your age ought to be.

On top of it he still looked fucking fantastic. Gods you hated how effortlessly beautiful he was.

His gaze darted between you and Shadowheart, anxiously weighing his options. "Ah, yes, well. You know how it goes, surrounded by adoration and opulence. It all gets to be too much, you fake your death, you flee the country. Standard business really."

That definitely wasn't the truth but clearly he wasn't about to share it in front of Shadowheart. It hurt, finding him like this, though. You were so close as children. It had gotten a little harder as you grew up but you always kept in contact. But he let you think he was dead for 200 years anyway? "Right. Of course. Well. Care to join us?"

~*~*~

It's not like you were still in mourning or anything. He had been a good friend for so long, at times even your best friend, but two hundred years was enough time for you to move on.

You had thought about him from time to time. Fondly remembering stories from your past that would turn into a quiet sadness for the life that was taken from him.

They never had an answer for what had happened to him. He had been murdered, you knew that much. No one ever said how or why, though. Magistrate's weren't exactly beloved and his family held a high enough title there was always the vague threat of assassinations but Astarion seemed like such a strange target.

It was compounded by the fact that nothing ever came of it. No one was ever caught, no political move was made on his grieving family. You would think maybe he'd been jumped, but nothing had been taken from him. Honestly, you never expected to get an answer. Certainly not from the dead man himself.

The two of you were sat in his tent, it had been a few days but what a wild few days they were. Tomorrow you would set out to level the goblin camp but tonight you were going to talk.

"I'm sorry." He started. It kind of surprised you, really. You had been learning over the past few days that the man you had once known was all but gone. The Astarion in front of you now was always bitter and irritated with half the things you did.

"Astarion I swear to Kelemvor, it is not naïve to rescue a twelve year old from a crazy lady with a snake for 'no reason.' The reason is rescuing the twelve year old from a snake."

"Where did you go? What happened to you?" The apology was nice but really, you just wanted answers. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. His eyes were fixed on the ground between the two of you and he looked so… sad. "I thought about it, about finding you. At first and, only for a moment."

Well that didn't really clear anything up, all right. You kept quiet though, you were smart enough to know when not to push.

"You want the truth? I was captured. Kidnapped by an evil man who turned me into a monster and forced me to do his bidding. I couldn't have told you. I- I didn't want to get anywhere near you. Not like this." 

A picture was beginning to come into focus. Honestly, there had been enough pieces that you had already begun to wonder. "You're a vampire."

"A spawn, yes." He practically spat the word out, scowling at the ground. "He turned me into his little pet. I was to go out and catch him the most beautiful souls I could find for him to feast on. All the while I was starved and tortured just for his amusement."

"Astarion…"

"I don't want your pity. I mean - I do, sort of but- ugh…" He rolled his eyes, leaning back. "You've made this all extremely complicated."

"Why didn't you ever try to find me? I would've helped, I could've tried to get you out of there."

"I… well I couldn't." He glanced up at you, a sad smile crossing his lips. "You would've tried, certainly. And I would've watched him kill you as punishment I'm sure. No, it's quite all right." He waved a hand dismissively, as a perfect, easy grin spread across his face.

You couldn't exactly argue. It's not like you had any idea what you would've been up against. Still, your blood boiled at the very idea of what he must've gone through in your centuries apart. "Well, you're safe right now, anyway."

His face softened at your words, seeming to relax into the very idea of your protection. "I am, aren't I? How strange." His head cocked to the side, an almost calculating look crossing his face. "Would you… care to stay the night?"

~*~*~

You had always had a sort of off and on crush on Astarion, growing up. When you were very small he had told your parents that the two of you were already married, obviously.

As you got older, you had been sidelined pretty hard as the best friend and you took it with grace. You had plenty of other people who caught your eye and it was nice to always have someone you trusted to be there.

There was that one time that he had drunkenly wept into your arms about being the only person he would ever truly love. It would've meant more had he not just gotten his heart broken hours prior, but it did rekindle an old spark in your heart for a solid year.

The two of you had drifted apart as your social circles moved in opposite directions. You never connected with the upper class, he wouldn't be seen with the rabble. You always kept in touch but, by the time he was murdered captured, you were struggling to keep up with your monthly nights out at the Elfsong.

Right now, though, in this moment? You felt as though you couldn't possibly be closer to another person if you'd wished for it.

Astarion had practically crawled on top of you in his effort to kiss you. One of his hands was tangled in your hair while the other rested firmly against the small of your back. He was colder than you were used to but that wasn't unwelcome. Instead it just sent shivers through your entire body with every touch.

You slowly lowered yourself down to your elbows as he leaned further into you, chasing this kiss like he needed it to survive. The hand in your hair held you firmly against him, not that you had any intention of going anywhere.

His tongue slipped into your mouth, pulling a pitiful little noise out of your throat. He let out a small breath of a laugh as his fingers began to slowly tug your shirt out of your pants. Every move was so delicate and effortless on his part. Gods he was flawless.

He freed your shirt from the prison that was your waistband, pulling back just far enough to whisper a soft "May I?" against your lips.

You couldn't help the grin that spread across your face as you blinked up at him. "Only if you return the favor."

"Gladly." A devilish smile crossed his lips as he pulled back, taking your top with him. A moment later, he had his own pulled over his head and both were recklessly discarded.

One of his hands found it's way to your back again. You couldn't help the way you jumped as his icy fingers made contact with your bare skin. His other hand came up to cup your jaw, ever so gently applying just a bit of pressure. Just enough to encourage you to lay back underneath him as he pressed your lips together again.

You went so easily, he was so gentle and sweet and he tasted like vanilla and ever so slightly like copper. He was intoxicating.

Once he had you on your back, his hands began to wander. They trailed ever so delicately over your chest, lighting a fire inside of you as they went. Your own hands were so much more inexperienced. One helplessly pressed flat against his back, the other unwilling to pull away from his curls for even a moment.

He didn't seem to be bothered by how little you were really helping. His hands continued tenderly mapping your body as his kisses began to trail away from your mouth, along your jawline.

You let out a small gasp as his kiss trailed down to your neck and you felt him pull back, just a bit, just enough to look at you. "Now… it is just a thought… it's just that, well, some people are into biting."

"Are you asking if you can drink my blood?"

"Well, only if the answer is yes."

You gently brushed your hand through his mess of curls as you pondered this. "What would it… do?"

"To you? Not much. A bit of dizziness perhaps, nothing out of the ordinary for some good old fashioned blood loss. But for me? I've been living off rats and wild boar for decades. Just a sip from someone as decadent as yourself could probably give me the power of the sun."

You couldn't help but laugh at the blatant flirting, but damn if it wasn't working. "Maybe a bit exaggerated," he continued "But it would make me feel stronger. I could fight better, think clearer. You don't have to-"

"Go for it."

"Oh. Shit really? I still had a whole monologue about not feeling pressured."

"Getting less sexy by the second, Ancunín."

"Gods, shut up." He rolled his eyes, pressing his lips back to yours as you giggled.

You could feel his anticipation now, though. He kissed you just long enough to push you back into the right headspace before his attention turned back to your neck.

He lingered there longer than you expected, tenderly covering you with his kisses. Then, without warning, he pulled back and his gentle lips were replaced by an acute sting as his fangs sunk into one of your veins.

It was a unique feeling, you could say that. You'd been stabbed before but this was different. It was cold. Like the first snow of winter, dark and freezing but glittering like crystals in the moonlight. You heard yourself gasp and felt your body arch up into him as your head tipped back for him.

You could've easily lost yourself in the feeling, just basking in this closeness you had with someone who was so dear to you. You had just enough awareness to feel the dizzy, light headed bliss start to tip towards darkness.

Your grip on his hair tightened, gently trying to tug him back before he got carried away. "Astarion…"

He only let out a gentle moan before seeming to catch himself, quickly pulling away with a small gasp. "Gods…" he wiped away the small trickle of your blood that had escaped his lips, licking it from his fingers as you stared up at him, slack jawed.

"I couldn't have wished for a finer vintage." He crooned as he ducked his head back down to clean the blood from your neck.

Gods, he had your heart about bursting out of your chest. His hands started to wander again as his mouth continued it's assault on your neck. Every touch was so careful and perfect, each one sending sparks flying through you.

He cupped one hand around your neck, gently applying a bit of pressure to stop the bleeding as his mouth moved back to yours. "You're gorgeous, you know? I've always thought so."

You were obsessed already. He was intoxicating, the way his touch felt against your skin, the way his honey sweet words pierced your heart. There was an old version of you that had dreamed of just having him like this.

Here you were, pampered and loved by a man you had adored for so long. Gods, you really never thought you would ever see him again, let alone have his hand down your pants like this. In this moment, the world was nearly perfect. The only thing that mattered to you now was making this boy yours.

~*~*~

You woke up in the morning, a bit sore, a bit disoriented, and very alone. It took a moment to remember why you were in a strange tent. Another moment for you to realize Astarion was gone. You couldn't help the disappointment that bloomed in your chest at that thought. You couldn't blame him, exactly. It's not like the two of you were a thing. Still, it would've been nice to wake up beside him.

You sighed softly, quietly getting dressed in the still morning chill. It felt like early morning, the golden light filtering into the tent and lack of noise from your companions clued you in. Maybe Astarion had run off to feed before the rest of the camp woke up. Maybe he'd hoped to be back before you had gotten up?

No such luck. You pushed open the tent flap to find your vampire quietly staring at the dim embers of your campfire. You had to bite back another sigh as you stepped forward, apparently making enough noise to draw his attention.

His neck whipped around, though he relaxed instantly once he located the source of the sound he'd heard. "You're up early." He said, quietly, turning back to the fire.

"I could say the same."

"I'm always the first one awake." You could hear the eye roll in his voice.

You stepped forward, moving to sit beside him with a small, awkward smile. "And you just had to get away from me?" Don't freak him out, play it cool. You weren't disappointed at all.

He didn't seem to find it funny, though. He just drew his knees up closer to his chest. "I told you. You made things… complicated."

That was weird. Honestly, you had no idea what he meant. "I'm sorry?"

"Not your fault." His voice was flat and unreadable. He'd really changed so much since you last saw him. It made sense but that didn't stop it from hurting.

You missed the man you used to know. Snarky and a bit full of himself. But also shy and awkward and comforting. You recognized many of his old mannerisms but they'd changed. He was bitter, focused on how to protect himself above all else. It made him violent and trigger happy in a way you weren't used to. Quite frankly, it was a little scary sometimes, the amount of joy he took in violence.

"Can I help?" It was all you had really. You couldn't change what had happened to him. All you could do now was try to help.

"Can you help? Sure. If you could just… go back in time, stop yourself from finding me after the nautiloid and let me carry on my merry way, presumably to be murdered by the first person I annoy too much."

"Okay, well, I'm not sure I can do that." You couldn't read him, no matter how hard you tried. "Did I… do something wrong?"

"No, gods, no." He curled up tighter. He looked so… vulnerable. He never did vulnerable. Especially not now. "You're perfect. That's the problem. You made it complicated."

"Astarion, I don't understand."

He sighed, finally turning his head to throw you a small, tired look. "I know. Hells…" You could see the confliction writing itself across his face. "I want to tell you something but you have to swear that you won't hate me for it, I mean it. It's not good, but you cannot hate me."

"I've never hated you, Star." Maybe the nickname was a bad idea. You practically saw it stab him directly through the chest, forcing him to turn away for a moment to collect himself.

He couldn't look you in the eye again, he just stared off to the distance in any other direction. "I know. I mean it though, promise me, please."

"All right." What could he possibly tell you that was worse than 'I spent two hundred years forced to kidnap people to be killed by my master.' "I promise. I won't hate you, no matter what."

You saw him relax a bit, his shoulders loosening. He turned back, just enough to glance at you out of the corner of his eye. "I… Last night, that- it…" It was so rare that he struggled to find his words.

He took another breath, trying to collect himself before turning back to the fire. "I was just… using you. I wish I could say I didn't mean to but- gods, I did. I pushed it that way on purpose. Its all… part of the plan, you know? Seduce you, sleep with you, secure my safety and position in the group with you. It was… easy."

Oh. Well that wasn't exactly great to hear. He was still trying to collect himself, find the right words. You didn't want to interrupt and, honestly, you didn't really know what to say.

"I didn't think about it, I just… did it. Like I had to. I needed to. And by the time my head caught up it was too late. You were already into it, I couldn't just stop."

"What?"

"I mean," He continued quickly, seemingly trying to get ahead of your presumed anger. "It's not like it wasn't good, it's not like I don't… care about you. It's just, it was an instinct. I think."

"Astarion-"

"Please, you have to understand-"

"No, no, stop. Hold on." You saw the panic in his eyes as you interrupted. "Astarion did you not… want to do that?"

The look he gave you was, honestly, almost a little pitiful. "Like I said, you've made this complicated. I don't know. I don't know what I want."

You turned your attention away from him, towards the dying fire in front of you, pausing for a moment to collect your thoughts. "I wish you hadn't done that to yourself." He was right. This was complicated.

He wasn't the same person you had grown up with. Whatever had been done to him had clearly changed him fundamentally as a person.

But, still, you couldn't look at him without seeing your old friend. It was still the same laugh you had known. Still the same smile. You saw it, when you agreed to help the tieflings, the way he cocked his hip out and rolled his eyes. His little mannerisms that still lingered after all this time. He might not be the same man you had known, but you loved him anyway.

"I don't know what happened to you," you continued before he could get defensive. "I don't know what made you feel like you had to go to such extremes just to win affections you've had since we were children."

You saw some kind of spark in his eyes. It was so difficult to read him now, you wanted to get better at that. "I'm… sorry." He sounded so unsure. Honestly, you didn't care for it, he was always so confident. Now, though, he just looked… sad, maybe?

"You don't have to apologize. Astarion," You carefully reached a hand out to cover one of his. "The first thing you did when you saw me was put a dagger to my throat, and I still would've tossed Shadowheart into the ocean if you'd asked me to."

That pulled a startled laugh out of him that you briefly worried might've woken up your companions. Gods you really would do just about anything to see him smile. "You would not have. You're too much of a goody two shoes."

"Maybe." You grinned, giving his hand the smallest squeeze. "Still. I'm just sorry you felt like you had to go that far for my affection."

"I'm not the man you used to know, I'm not blind. I don't know who he was anymore. Up till now, I think I'd forgotten my own parents' faces. But you look at me like you expect me to be him and I don't know how. I can't be what you expect, at least if I could keep your bed warm you'd have reason to keep me around."

"Astarion…" Your hand tightened around his as you scooted just a bit closer. "I was sitting in the Elfsong, a long time ago. At 'our' table, you know? I was waiting for you to meet me and I grabbed a day old copy of the Gazette to read while I waited.

"I didn't even notice at first. There was a headline for one of the articles, 'Magistrate Murdered', but I didn't notice until I got closer to it. I saw your name and it was like the roof caved in over me. I was sitting there, waiting for you to show up, and a shitty, ale stained piece of parchment told me you never would."

You looked up at him with a sad smile before continuing quickly, trying to stay ahead of the guilt you were sure was creeping up in him. "I cried for months over you. And for years after when something reminded me too much of you. Star, neither of us are the same person we left behind, it's been two hundred years. I've been through plenty, and you've been through hell. That's not what matters though."

He looked so small right now. He was nervous and upset and vulnerable. You hated it, you didn't want him to be so anxious with you, gods you wanted him to trust you. "What matters is right now. We're here together. That's so much more than I ever could've dreamed just a month ago. You don't have to earn my trust and love again. And you certain don't have to force yourself to have sex with me to do it. I never stopped loving you, Astarion."

He was still for a moment, his eyes flicking over your face, scanning you for ill intent. You watched him cycle through a dozen emotions as he processed what you were saying. Then, almost like a switch flipped, he just melted.

With a choked out sob, he collapsed into you. You wrapped your arms around him as he curled into a ball, practically in your lap. His whole body shook as he quietly cried into your chest. You really did hate seeing him cry but you could feel the tension lifting from his shoulders as you held him tight.

You let a silent prayer fly to whichever god was keeping your friends asleep through this, asking them to keep up the good work. The last thing he needed right now was everyone else seeing him like this, you knew how much he wanted to keep up appearances.

Ever so gently, you lifted a hand to card your fingers through his curls. He curled up just a bit tighter, leaned into you just a bit more. It had been so, so long since the two of you had been this close. You really, truly never wanted it to end.

Eventually, though, he pulled back with an awkward laugh and a hasty scrub of his face. He didn't go far, just enough to sit back and look at you. "Gods… well. That was sexy."

You rolled your eyes, throwing him a soft grin. "You're ridiculous, Star. Come on, everyone'll be up soon. Big day, you know? Let's go kill some fucking goblins."

[twisted-lover-boys]

if you can, can you do a m!mc who flirts a lot with the house-wardens? he has nothing better to do so he just ends up flirting with them 24/7

Mc uncontrollably flirts with the housewardens

{not proof-read}

We need more flirty mc’s on goooooooooood

Also I made it a drabble. Hope you find mind!

==================================

🌹🦁🐙🦂👑💀🐲🌹🦁🐙🦂👑💀🐲🌹🦁🐙🦂👑💀🐲

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“(MC), please. We have to get back to work.”

Riddle and you were having your weekly study sessions so that he could help you in subjects that you were lacking in. What he didn’t expect was for you to start flirting him him out of the blue.

“Oh lighten up, little rose. We can take a break together, y’know?”

Of course, Riddle couldn’t deny his ever-growing crush on you. He’d never tell you that your constant flirting attempts were actually working but his red face always betrayed him.

“P-please stop. One more problem and then we can break, alright?”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“C’mon lil’ herbivore, we’re wasting daylight.”

Leona had invited you over to his dorm for a Magift match. It was a common sight to see you there at Savanaclaw’s practices but as the housewarden was taking you to the field, your flirting had become more adventurous today.

“Aww, but can’t we just slow down a bit? I’m sure they’d be fine without us, little lion.”

Leona was thankful you couldn’t see his face, otherwise you’d see the dark blush forming on his face. How in the world did he end up having a crush on such a a flirtatious man?

“Shut up. Let’s just keep going.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“You know you don’t have to stay here with me, (MC).”

Azul was just filling out a few contracts he had drafted for a few more “targets” he met a while ago. Of course, he was happy with your company, but he wouldn’t want to force you to stay.

“Nonsense! I like being with you ‘Zul. Besides, you look cute when you concentrate.”

Azul’s face exploded in red. The nickname plus the flirtatious comment from you is what did him in. The crush for you he had hidden deep within his heart always surfaced when you flirted with him like that.

“A-Ah…alright. W-Well, you may stay if you’d like.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“We should hold a party then!”

You had recently helped Kalim with a subject he struggled in and came back with positive test scores. Obviously, you congratulated him but he wanted it to be a celebration.

“Well, I’d like it if it was just us that celebrated together, little bird.”

Kalim’s face flushed. He knew he had a crush on you and you saying that while flirting with him only made it worse. Well, he wouldn’t mind keeping this little achievement of his between you two.

“Sure! But at least let me tell Jamil, please?”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Keep still, sweet potato. I don’t want to ruin your face.”

Vil had offered to do your skin care routine he made for you a while back, seeing that you had been slacking a bit. Of course, he didn’t hold it against you.

“Oh come on, V! I just wanna see your pretty face!”

Oh dear seven, he knew you were such a flirt with him but he couldn’t help it that his heart beat madly for you. How he ended up falling for such a man like yourself, he’ll never know. But that isn’t to say he doesn’t mind playing your little games.

“The more you stay still, the more you’ll be able to look, sweet potato.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“H-Hey, (MC)-shi, y-you can let go, y’know?”

You and Idia were on a bingeing adventure together, watching various anime shows he’s wanted to start but he didn’t want to do them alone, hence your presence. At the moment, you were leaned against the flame haired dorm leader.

“It’s fine, Idy. Besides, I like being close to you.”

Idia’s hair flared up in a bright pink. He knew he had a crush on you and it was such a taboo situation for him. He can’t deny his feelings for you but he also couldn’t deny his love for your flirtatious attitude

“O-Oh…O-Okay.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Thank you for accompanying me, child of man.”

Malleus had asked you if you wanted to go on a late night walk and look at the gargoyles around campus and was happy that you said yes. What he didn’t account for was your flirting attempts.

“‘Course, Mal Mal! Besides, you’ve always look super cute when you talk about gargoyles.”

The fae honestly loved your flirtatious “courting” attempts. Malleus honestly wouldn’t have guessed he’d ever gain a crush on such a cute man like yourself, but he certainly loves the aspect of being with you very much.

“Oh, the things you say are quite cute yourself, child of man.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[the-travelling-witch]

𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄

summary: after a quick stop by mostro lounge, you decide you can't leave octavinelle's students to their dreadful costume fate

pairing: jade leech x fashion savvy! reader

warnings: fluff/crack, a little suggestive at the end; just a small drabble to celebrate me getting jade's halloween ssr that appeared in my drafts before i knew what's going on

twisted wonderland masterlist

“And now, pray tell, what is this supposed to be?”

“We’re mummies,” Floyd eagerly grinned back at you when you entered Mostro Lounge. “Pretty neat, ain’t it, shrimpy?”

“I guessed as much from the form you submitted to the Halloween management committee.” You surveyed the warzone of torn white fabric the lounge had become and then zeroed in on the octotrio’s ‘costumes’, wondering in which world a mummy looked like a plucked chicken. “My actual question was, why do you look like toddlers who rolled around in a bunch of toilet paper?”

“Come again?” Azul tried to hide his shocked expression behind his hand as he adjusted his wired glasses.

“You’re well aware that mummies have a body shape too, right?” Walking up to Jade, you started inspecting the damage and what part of this fiasco was still savable, bunching fabric between your fingers and pulling at white clothing shreds. “Under different circumstances I’d be rather impressed that you managed to erase someone’s figure altogether but, with the festival in mind, I can’t let this pass. I can’t believe you put my boyfriend in this, Azul.”

“It’s truly tragic, pearl, isn’t it?” Jade played along, sighing tiredly as he raised one hand to cup your cheek. When your face was pressed into his chest, his palm cradling the back of your head, he threw a wicked grin Azul’s way. “To think that after all these years of knowing and supporting each other, you’d make us wear this when we’re expecting visitors from far and wide… I don’t want to linger on the thought.”

“Oh please, would you both quit being so dramatic?” Octavinelle’s housewarden rolled his eyes and massaged his temple before his shoulders sacked. “Alright fine, maybe the costumes weren’t our best work yet. Let’s hear your proposal then, Prefect.”

You hummed in contemplation as you studied the outfits again. “We can keep the striped shirts and the pants but we need decidedly more belts, a whole lot of them. And, if you know what’s good for you, then you'd better have untangled yourselves from the toilet paper looking crap by the time I’m back.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Azul asked as you were already halfway out of the dorm.

“I’m going to save Mostro Lounge!”

Upon your return, you were delighted to see the guys had followed your advice/ command and were waiting for you in only the long shirts and black trousers. When Jade saw you coming in, carrying a bunch of boxes filled with clothes and accessories, he quickly took them from you and set them down on the table next to them. 

“Thank you,” you smiled up at him, to which your boyfriend pressed a quick kiss to your temple. His brother did not hide the gagging noise he made. “Okay, let’s get to work. Halloween’s already drawing close and we’ll still have to make adjustments to the costumes for sure. 

“Here,” you said, digging through the cardboard boxes until you found the black shirts you’d been searching for. “Put these on. They should be roughly the right size.”

Turning around to let them change, you searched for the accessories you’d deemed the show-stealers. Brushing over leather, you hooked your fingers into the metal ring of a harness to hold it up. You really owed Pomefiore for this one.

“Oya, shrimpy, watcha have there?” Floyd’s amused lilt told you that he was pretty aware of what exactly it was. “You wanna catch yourself a fish? Or an eel, hmm?”

“I have to say, it is a pretty daring approach to a Halloween school costume,” Jade chimed in, one hand resting on his chin in contemplation but nonetheless smiling. “Not that I am opposed to it, of course.”

“Prefect, is this really necessary?” Azul shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking at you but not quite into your eyes. “I mean I understand refining our apparel but this…”

“Azul, I’m making you marketable right now,” you said earnestly and with that, his azure eyes finally snapped to you. “Do you know how much potential profit is tied to this one little accessory? C’mon, try it on. You can still decide not to wear it afterwards. For now, just go with the flow.”

One by one, you helped them secure the straps around their torso, having Jade hold Floyd still enough to get it on him. You could see Azul fidgeting from the corner of your eye as you put the finishing touches on Jade’s harness, slipping two fingers underneath the straps to make sure it wasn’t too tight.

“Okay, let’s get the shirts back on, add some more belts, cut up the fabric and get this show on the road. I can basically see people banging down your doors already. I hope you can seat that many guests.” The last sentences were more so directed at Azul, in an effort for him to just let you do your thing. “I don’t have any sort of hat prepared because I frankly didn’t expect to save a dorm’s costume today but I’ll see what I can do.”

“My my, that does pose the question of where we’d be without you,” Jade chuckled affectionately. 

“Out of business on Halloween, apparently,” you sighed theatrically. “Well then, chop chop guys, I want to see the entire thing.”

After they all pulled their striped shirts back on, you added more belts around their hips and waist to give the outfit more shape but didn’t tug the shirts in to mimic a mummy’s peeled off bandages. All in all, it wasn’t the most elaborate costume but it did the trick and if you could put some finishing touches on it throughout the week, you were confident the lounge would attract a fair share of customers. 

“Alright, that’s it. You can go around and do some work or whatever just to get a feel for the clothes. Remember, you’ll have to wear them for the entirety of the festival, so I want to remove anything that might be uncomfortable beforehand. And Floyd, don’t drag those white sleeves through the dirt, got it? They should stay the colour they are now.” You sent the eel a warning glare and he held his hand up in defence, although the grin he didn’t bother to hide before he vanished to the Seven know where wasn’t reassuring. 

Azul had apparently already slinked back into his office, leaving you standing alone in the lounge with your boyfriend, giving you ample time to admire your work again. Seeing Jade in something like this was certainly something you’d been very curious about, with good right as you learnt now; the black shirt highlighting his muscle and the leather holding your attention were leading your thoughts down a very different direction. Something he must have caught on to somehow.

“Do you like what you see, pearl?” He teased, his grin showing off his sharp teeth as he studied you with mischievous interest. Maybe it was your imagination but in the dimly lit lounge, his left eye seemed to glow. “I cannot help but wonder why you’d extend your gracious assistance to us without wanting anything in return, not that I am not grateful of course. 

“Perhaps you merely wanted to seize your chance to put me into something like this?” He gestured towards the harness secured around his chest, his attentive gaze not flitting from your face for even a second. “You know you need only ask if you have any more… fantasies of this nature.”

“I— It’s nothing like that! You make me sound like some pervert,” you protested, although, to your embarrassment, he wasn’t completely wrong. But, seriously, who would pass up a situation like this? “Anyway, don’t you have anything to do? You’re usually busy around the clock.”

“Oh, I have something very important to do,” he grinned down at you, taking a step closer to you, to the point you had to take one back, until he could crowd you against the bar. Now that he had you right where he wanted you, his hands smoothed down the sides of your body until he could place his hands on the back of your thighs to effortlessly lift you onto the counter. It happened so fast, you let out a surprised yelp and braced yourself against his chest, to which he merely chuckled. 

“And what would that work entail?” You questioned as you ran your fingers along the straps of the harness spanning his broad chest. Looking up you saw his attention already on you.

“Under normal circumstances it would require me to get out of these clothes. But, per your request, that is currently not possible.” Leaning into your personal space, his lips brushed over the delicate skin of your pulse point, his breath fanning over the base of your neck as he lowered his voice to a whispered husk. “I am fairly certain though, the same restrictions do not apply for your clothes, my precious pearl. I can definitely work with that.”

© the-travelling-witch 2023 - do not repost, translate, copy or edit

if you like my content, reblogs, comments and asks are always much appreciated ♡

➺ send in an ask to be added to or removed from my tag list

[seventeenpins]

give 'em a show

pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader

word count: 1.5k

summary: Joel watches you as you dance with a stranger in the bar. It goes a little too far, and Joel makes sure everyone knows exactly who you belong to. (Literally just smut.)

warnings: established monogamous-ish relationship, exhibitionism/public sex, jealousy, somewhat insecure joel, both asshole!joel and soft!joel, joel miller is an ass man, no implied age gap, smidge of ass play, possessive behavior, choking, derogatory language, didn't mean to make it sweet but it kinda ended up that way WHOOPS

a/n: first, not to self promote too much but pls check out this Joel/nb!oc series i've just started set in an 1870s outbreak au, i'm really excited about where it's gonna go!!! last night i drank a bottle of wine, woke up this morning and found this in my drafts. needed a bit of editing, but here u go~ this fic is dedicated to the incredible couple I saw about five years ago, both wearing cowboy hats whilst fucking, bent over their pickup truck, just outside of a cowboy bar. and I'm not saying Joel's wearing a cowboy hat, but I'm not saying he's not.

The room was vibrating, the bass of the music buzzing up your legs. It was dark and the flashing lights were near-blinding, but despite the hindrance, you could feel Joel's eyes on you all night. He watched, unmoving, never missing a single beat.

But when you felt the stranger's hard cock against your ass as you ground against him, you knew you'd crossed a line.

Only a moment and barely a blink later, you could hear his low warning, "You wanna keep your hands? Better keep them off my woman," and the man you'd been dancing with slunk away barely a moment later.

"You think you're cute?" he asked, tone dangerous, whispered in your ear.

"No, Joel, I-"

"You think this is a fuckin' game?"

It was a game, but this was part of the rules.

Mostly.

The shake of his voice betrayed his thinly-veiled intensity.

You did let that guy rub up on you, and you'd never let it get that far before.

Fuck.

"You really think I'm gonna watch you let some asshole put his hands all over you?" he asked. You hadn't anticipated this level of reaction, and you could feel yourself getting wet.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"I'm the only one who gets to fuckin' touch you, baby,"

"Yes, Joel, you-"

"You wanna let me make you feel good," he said, and then glared over towards the man you were dancing with, "Or do you wanna go home with that guy?"

"Always with you, Joel, only want you."

"Fuckin' right," he growled, and then pulled you in by the waist. Let his hands wander, grazing across the swell of your breast, the small of your waist and then grabbing your ass, staking his claim. "We're getting out of here."

You could barely keep your hands off one another as you stumbled over to Joel's pickup, and when you got there, Joel began pressing incongruously gentle kisses on you. From that sweet spot just behind your ear, down your throat and then your collarbone, he sent you spiralling into soft, hazy dizziness.

Then, cruelly, he pulled away and started fumbling with his keys, searching out the right one to unlock his truck.

"No!," you shouted, and you both nearly jumped, startled at the unexpected urgency of your voice.

"No," you said again, quieter. He dropped his hands and looked at you a moment before you continued. "No, don't wanna wait that long. Don't care if we get out of here. Need you to fuck me. In the truck, on the truck, I don't fucking care. Just need you, Joel."

He stared at you, barely blinking, studying your face. You were lost in his eyes, pupils blown wide but catching the moonlight perfectly.

"Dirty girl," he breathed, "I got you," and then he was pressing you forward to lean against the truck. You let out a moan when he folded you over, and whimpered when he pulled up your skirt.

He can't stop touching you, like his hands are being compelled to run all along your body as if by magnetic pull. His touch is constantly changing, one moment it's feather-light, the next moment he's grabbing and scratching at your flesh, and it all feels exquisite.

You're overwhelmed by sensation, lost in the way Joel works his hands over you. Grabbing at your flesh, dragging his nails along your sides, calloused fingertips catching against the smooth skin of your ass as he rubs circles against your skin.

Then, he's stroking your jaw, prying open your lips, pressing his thumb into your mouth.

"Get it nice and wet, baby," he soothed, and then, "Christ," he groaned as you laved your tongue around the digit, collecting your spit, a string of saliva hanging between your lips and his thumb as he pulled his thumb out.

"Gonna fuck you good, baby, show everyone here who you belong to. That's what you want, huh?"

You whimpered in response, which earned you a smack to the ass. "Words, honey," he hissed, and you nodded.

"Yes, baby, that's what I want."

"Damn right."

He pulls your panties down, leaving your ass completely bare in the midnight air.

Then he's spreading your ass cheeks apart and stroking his glistening thumb between your folds. The added slick mixed with your arousal makes for the most delicious glide as he presses his thumb inside you and then withdraws it, replacing it with two fingers.

It's rough, verging on brutal, but any pain is overwhelmed by pleasure and within moments you're already a shaking mess.

"We're gonna let everyone here see just how well you take this cock, ain't we?"

You love when he talks to you like this, uses you like this. You whine an affirmation and you can feel his hard cock, his need, pressed up against you through his jeans, and he doesn't seem too worried about words anymore.

"You want me to fill you up good, huh? Fuckin' slut you are." He gripped your hips, guiding your bare ass to rub against his bulge. Then, he released you and you could hear the unbuckling of his belt, the pull of his zipper.

He pressed the head of his cock up against your drooling pussy, notching the head between your folds.

"Put on a show for me, baby," he growled, and slid into you in one slow thrust.

Your tits were pressed up against the pickup's hood, cold even through your top, and Joel's hands were like a fire on your body, hot and wonderful, freely wandering across your goose-bumped flesh.

As he starts to speed up and fuck you in earnest, his thumb glides down the cleft of your ass and starts to press against your tight muscle.

You hiss out a "yes", a stilted affirmation, and he pulls away the thumb for just a moment, popping it in his mouth, getting it wet again, and then pressing it into you.

You rut up against the intrusion, feeling him push further into your ass, his thrusts growing faster and harder. He doesn't fuck you with his digit, just lets it sit there, pressing into you. You know that if there wasn't the possibility of an audience, he'd probably be eating out your ass right now.

That's a step too far, something he reserves for him and only for him. Loves the way he can make you come just from fucking your ass.

He fucks you rough and steady, balls slapping against your clit with each thrust. Your legs start to buckle, sensation of being so completely filled starting to tip you over the edge.

You think you hear a wolf whistle from the distance.

"Attagirl," Joel praises, "Puttin' on a real nice show, huh? Takin' this cock so good. Sounds like we've got company, baby. Doin' such a good job."

"I love it-" you breathe, "They know I'm yours. All yours, every bit of me-"

"Damn right," he growls, "Fillin' you up real full."

"Joel," you sob, "I'm gonna come, gonna come on your cock, please, please, can I?"

His wandering hand leaves your breast tragically untouched, but wraps around your throat, giving you one more perfect, dizzying piece of sensation.

"Come on this dick, baby," he urges, "Come on, come for me," and every bit of you that was holding out comes undone.

Your body convulses, pussy creaming around his thick cock, aftershocks of your orgasm pulsing and drawing out a low, deep groan from Joel as he holds you steady and works you through it.

Then he pulls out of you abruptly, the sudden emptiness shocking, until you can feel him pumping himself a couple of times before releasing his spend all over your ass.

The next few moments are a blur. He wipes up his cum with your panties and pockets them, then pulls your skirt back up. Zips up his jeans. Straightens your top. Unlocks the truck and helps you in.

Before you know it, you're buckled and he's leaning towards you, brushing a strand of hair back behind your ear.

He kisses you, soft and deep, his tongue gentle as it runs over your bottom lip, gently biting and nipping at you.

"Baby," he says, and you're thrown by the strain in his voice, "You know, if you ever-"

You frown as he struggles to find his words.

"If I'm ever- not enough. Not enough for you," he swallows, "I just-"

"No, Joel," you shake your head, "Not at all."

"I'm just sayin'. If I'm ever not enough for you, I don't want you to feel-" he shook his head, "Tethered to me."

"Never," you smile, and the way his face lights up just a little is enough to make you melt. "I'm glad to be yours. I want to be yours. Only yours."

You kiss him again, feeling him yield, surrender into your embrace.

"You're it for me, baby," you tell him, and it's true.

You see him smile, resting back into a semblance of comfort, of confidence.

As he drives you both home, you relax into the familiar rhythm of it.

You can still feel the stickiness of his cum on your skin and cherished it, a not-so-secret offering between the two of you. He's yours and you're his.

And you'll show him. Every day.

[fragileruns]

fake dating with james? major angst end with fluff?

okay, to be completely candid with you guys, this is my first time writing like this. i’ve never really done fics or even small drabbles before, so i deeply apologize if this is the worst thing you’ve ever read. i promise i’m trying to get better. this has also been sitting in my drafts for so long, since i couldn’t decide how to end it.

summary: you fell in love with your fake boyfriend. he fell in love with you, too.

warning: not as much angst, sorry </3. fluff, horrible writing, a lot of rushing. james rants ab his love for you

Dating James was like a dream, truly. Even though it was fake, meant to just be a ruse to make Lily jealous, he made it seem like it was perfectly real. He walked you to every class, offered you his jumper the moment you shook in the slightest, gave you his breakfast if you were still hungry. He even made sure to throw in a grand gesture every once in a while — a large bouquet of flowers, buying you a nice outfit or that expensive perfume you wanted but couldn’t afford. Anything he could do.

The only problem was how much you liked dating him. It was hard to remind yourself that it was all fake — that it was all happening just to make another girl jealous, because that’s who he was in love with. Lily. Not you. And it broke your heart every time you were reminded of that. Every time he’d kiss your cheek and murmur something about Lily watching, whenever he’d come to you with so much excitement over the plan working, whenever he’d immediately pull away as soon as you two were alone. It all hurt.

And that was why you had to end it. Today, before you could chicken out and let yourself get lost in something that’s not real.

“James? Can we talk?” You questioned softly once you found him in his dorm room, Remus and Sirius studying something on one of the beds, and Peter trying to make light conversation. “Um — somewhere private.”

“Yeah, of course.” The bespectacled boy gave you a grin, quickly slapping Sirius lightly on top of the head to signal for him and Remus to leave, before nodding his head for Peter to do the same. After a few grumbles, the three eventually left the room, leaving both you and James alone. “Hey, did you see Lily at breakfast today? Marls said she was ‘bout ready to stab someone, must mean the plan’s working.”

“Right, yeah, that’s great, James.” You murmured distantly, almost as if you weren’t really listening, which was what caught James attention. A frown came over his face and he took a step closer to you, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

“Is something wrong? What did you want to talk about?”

“Us. I mean — this whole dating thing. Fake dating thing.” You clarified, mentally sighing at how nervous you already were. It was already proving to be more difficult than you could handle.

“I think we should end this.”

“This? The plan? No. Why would we do that?” James questioned frantically, his frown only growing. Truly, he didn’t know if he was upset because he didn’t want to backtrack with Lily, or if it was because he didn’t want to stop being with you.

“Because, it ran it’s course. It worked, it did what it was supposed to do. I think going on any longer would just be beating a dead horse, y’know? And you can’t exactly get with Lily if you have a girlfriend, even if it’s fake.”

“No — No, we have to keep going. We’re not done yet,” James was trying to come up with a reason. He didn’t know why, you did have a point. But the idea of ending things caused a feeling in his gut, and he didn’t like it. “There — there’s the Yule Ball. We can’t break up before the Yule Ball.”

“Ask Lily. I overheard her talking with Marlene and Mary about how she wished she could go with you.”

“Then I’d just seem like an asshole who left his girlfriend for another girl.”

“James,” you sighed. He was making it more difficult than you thought he would. You almost thought he’d be happy, that it had worked well enough he could be with Lily now. “It won’t seem that way. Ask Lily to the Yule Ball. This has to be over, okay? I just — it has to be, I’m sorry.”

You left before he could come up with another reply, leaving both yourself and James completely devastated and wishing for something that never really existed.

Two weeks and some moping later, it was finally time for the Yule Ball. Something that you should be excited for — all of your friends were.

But, it was hard to be excited when you knew the person you were in love with would be going with another girl. Sirius had offered to go with you, as friends, of course. You had updated him on why you ended things with James and you figured he wanted to distract you from it all. However, you declined — you knew he wanted to go with Remus and you didn’t want to stand in the way of their night.

Amos Diggory had asked you as well — you thought about saying yes at first, not wanting to be the only person without a date, but it would be cruel to lead him on, so you simply said you wanted to go alone.

It hurt, hearing Lily gush over James as she got ready. You were so used to hearing her complain about his antics and gestures, and now she was swooning and you didn’t think you could bear it. Mary kept sending you sympathetic glances — clearly your moping hadn’t been as subtle as you thought.

It even hurt when you were there, surrounded by friends. James avoided eye contact, always either making an excuse of getting drinks for him and Lily or simply staying silent — something very rare for him.

A slow song eventually came on, all of your friends rushing off with their dates to get the first dance of the night, all of them blushing and giggling. And you were happy for them, you were. You just wished you could join in the feeling, rather than sitting alone to the sidelines.

The even was going by dreadfully slow, and you were beginning to contemplate just leaving early — making an excuse that your head hurt, or you were sick — whenever Amos came up to you.

“Hey — I know you didn’t want to come with anyone. Or with me, at least. But you seem lonely,” he started, before plopping down on the seat next to you. “Do you want to dance? No strings attached.”

“I — that would be lovely, actually.”

He grabbed your hand, pulling you up and over to the “dance floor,” which was really just the middle of the Great Hall. You immediately felt less awkward than you had before — even if it wasn’t James, at least you weren’t sitting by yourself.

“Did you say no to me because of James?”

“What?”

“Did you not want to come with me because you’re still hung up on James? You two seemed really… happy, together. I guess I should’ve figured you weren’t over him.”

“Oh, we were never actually —” You were cut off, both yours and Amos’ heads looking up to the figure who interrupted you. James.

“Sorry, mate, do you mind if I steal her for a moment? Thanks.” James didn’t wait for either of you to respond, instead pulling you to the complete opposite side of the room.

He avoided making eye contact with you, leaving you more confused than you were two seconds ago. What was the point of pulling you over here if he didn’t have anything to say?

“It looked like you and Lily were having fun,” you decided to speak, hoping to ease whatever tension was building between the two of you.

“What? Oh yeah, sure. I guess,” he said, practically waving you off. It was as if he wasn’t even listening, his mind in a totally different world. “I need to say something. And I need you to not interrupt me. Okay?”

You nodded, part of you terrified for what was about to come. You couldn’t think of anything you had done to him recently. You hadn’t even spoken to him, how could you have possibly upset him? What could he possibly need to talk about?

“I’ve always been in love with Lily. Since as long as I can remember, it’s been her. I didn’t even give anyone else a chance, because she had to be the one.”

“Gee. Thanks for the reminder, James.”

“Wait. I’m not done. I never gave anyone a chance. Not a serious one, at least. And — and then you showed up. And I know it was supposed to be fake, and it was supposed to just make Lily jealous. But, somewhere I think… I think I realized that maybe she’s not the one. Because whenever you ended things, it felt like — I don’t know, it sort of felt like my heart was missing.”

He kept rambling, and you opened your mouth to interrupt. To ask if he was saying what you thought he was. But, he quickly shushed you, holding a finger up to signal he was still talking.

“And, I thought maybe I just liked the attention. Liked being in a relationship. But, I’m here with Lily and it’s not the same. It doesn’t feel the same. I don’t feel the same. I just, I guess what I’m trying to say is, you’re the only person who made me feel so seen, so… so me. Does that make sense? I just, I think I might be in love with you.” He finally finished up, letting his eyes fall to your face, his eyes wide as if he had just confessed to murder.

You could tell he was nervous, but you stayed silent, blinking slowly as you processed his words. “You can — you can say something now. Please say something.”

“I think I may be in love with you, too, Potter.” You finally spoke, watching the grin that slowly took over his face once he realized what you said.

“Really?” He tried not to show how giddy he was, tried not to seem too much like a child who was just told they could get ice cream. But how was he supposed to contain himself when you just told him you loved him, too? How was he supposed to pretend like he wasn’t on cloud fucking nine?

“Yes. Now, are you gonna kiss me, or do I have to do it myself?”

[the1975attheirverybest]

Pegging

A/N: been keeping this one in the drafts long enough.

Warnings: like the title says (smut)

——

“You’re sure you wanna keep going?” She spoken softly as she sat by his limp body, sweaty, exhausted, his eyes dazed.

Matty nodded, still struggling to catch his breath after his last orgasm. “We…agreed.”

“I know, baby. I’m just saying. We can change our mind, if you like.”

He shook his head, his sweat-drenched curls springing around his eyes. “I’m alright.”

“Okay, then.” She gave his cheek a quick kiss before scrambling to get off the bed and dip into their drawer of fun toys.

Matty’s eyes followed her hands as she set the bottle of lube and strap-on down on the bed. He wondered if he’d still be this relaxed without his head full of dopamine and oxytocin.

She studied his face carefully, bitting on her lower lip. He still looked halfway gone, so she needed to make sure he still had the presence of mind to know what was happening to his body.

When their eyes met, Matty saw the unsure look in her eyes.

“I’m alright.” He repeated. “Promise.”

She smiled, “even your eyebrows are sweating.” Her hand reached over and wiped at the bridge of his brow. “I was rough on you just then wasn’t I?” She watched him blush and look away. “You took it all so well, too.”

She sat back on the bed, inching towards him, taking his face, gently, into her hands and leaning in to kiss him. The kiss helped to reassure her that all was well. And she felt that it helped ground him, too.

“Okay, honey.” She whispered, pulling away slowly. “You know your safe words?”

“Mhm.”

“Matty, I’d feel a lot better if I could hear you say them.”

Not that she doubted his honestly, but checking his response time and his memory would help to make sure that he was alert enough.

“Red for stop. Yellow for slow down. Green for keep going.”

“Good.” He saw in the smile that almost lit up his face that, for a brief second, he’d thought she was about to praise him. Pay him a compliment. It melted her heart. She couldn’t deny him anything. “Good boy.”

Matty’s heart rushed, feeling the turn on in his whole body. He swore she might just be capable of making him cum with only her words.

“On your hands and knees, Matty, c’mon.”

She did not need to tell him twice. He scrambled to get into position as she shuffled behind him, putting the strap around her waist. He realized that his arms and legs still felt weak. At this rate, it wasn’t going to take much effort to send him over the edge.

Her gentle touch stroked his back lovingly as she spoke to him. “If you need me to slow down, you let me know.” He heard the click and squirt of the lube bottle behind him. “If you need to take a break, before we continue, you let me know….so you hear me?”

Matty nodded. “We’ve done this before, you know.”

“Not with a strap-on we haven’t. This is gonna be a lot more intense, you get that, right?”

“Yes, I do. And I want it. It’s okay. I’ll let you know if - like if it turns out that I can’t take it.” She couldn’t see his face, but she knew that he was giving her his small, shy smile. “I feel safe. We’re okay.” He assured her.

Her response was to lean forward and kiss his back, causing goosebumps to rise over his skin.

She always loved the faint moans that left his lips whenever her fingers delicately lubed up his puckered hole. Something about the slight hint of pressure, his anticipation of more to come, his mind and body, deciding, in that moment, to be malleable to her whims and demands. Everything about it was irresistible.

Matty’s eyes fluttered shut at the wet sounds of her hand stroking the fake cock to make sure it was adequately coated, the sounds surprisingly similar to those that his own body made whenever she rewarded him with a handjob. He felt the excitement rush through him at the memory.

She grabbed his hips firmly to hold him in place, her nails digging into his skin. The small pinch, followed by the pressure on his asshole as she began to push into him made his stiff cock twitch.

“Don’t move!” The edge in her voice, coupled with the rough squeeze of his hips instantly made him feel guilty.

“S-sorry. I’m sorry- ah- fuck!” His apology cut short by the feeling of the tip of the dildo making its way inside him.

Must stay still for her, must stay still for her, must stay still for her…Matty repeated in his head as a knot began to form in his stomach, his muscular arms shaking pathetically.

She felt his spin curl ever so slightly the more that she pushed in, though he hadn’t yet said anything, she knew his body well enough to know that it was tense. She needed to slow down a bit.

“How’s that feel, sweetheart?”

“Goo- good. Fuck- full.” Matty’s hands clutching the duvet underneath him.

“Just a bit more left. Can you take it? All the way?”

He took a deep breath. “Mhm, yeah- ahh- can take more..ohhh yeah.” His eyes shot wide open as he felt he rest of the toy push in.

“We’re in no rush, Matty, take a moment to breathe, okay?” She almost asked him to give her the okay when he was ready for her to begin to move, but knowing how eager Matty gets as a submissive, he’d probably tell her to do whatever she wanted, just to please her. This was new territory for both of them. She needed to be vigilant and self-controlled. And to shower him with praise.

“You’re doing so good, Matty.” She peppered his back with kisses. “Just breathe, my love.”

He moaned in reply.

“Okay, ready for me to move?”

“yeah. Yeah. God. Please…please move.”

Matty felt a blank darkness cover his brain, succumbing to the primal pleasure, nothing but a string of moans and whimpers came out of him. Soon, he was no longer aware of anything but the sensation in his body. He couldn’t feel the fabric of the bedding against his skin, not the ticking of the clock on the wall behind them, not the fainting humming of the cars outside in the streets…not even the soreness in his muscles as he struggled to hold position while she built up to a steady, relentless rythym.

“Feeling good, Matty? You like it?” She spoke over his consistent moaning and crying, but the sounds of his pleasure gave no pause or indication that he was aware of her checking in with him. So she squeezed his hips harshly, jolting him out of his trance.

“Ohhhhh- goddd- wha- what?”

She smiled, relieved. “Said ‘are you feeling good?’”

“Sooo gooddd” he whimpered as she thrusted particularly harshly into him.

The next thing he knew, Matty felt a burning in his head as her fingers mercilessly pulled his head back by the roots of his hair. “Why should I do all the work, hmm? Go on, baby boy. Fuck yourself on this dick. Show me how much you like it.”

Matty panicked. He wanted so much to be good for her. To show her how excited he is, but he wasn’t sure that he has enough energy in his body to do this. If he were calm enough, he’d probably be able to tell that she was simply giving him something to focus on to keep him from slipping into a subspace haze, but in his desperation to please her, he sped up, impaling himself on the toy, his moaning turned to screams. Beads of sweat trickled down his body, precum dripping from his cock.

It wasn’t long before his hips began to sway, disoriented from exhaustion, his arms finally giving out, he fell face first into the mattress his cries and apologies muffled by the duvet.

“You lazy little slut,” his ass stung as she reigned slaps down on it. “The minute that I ask you to put some effort in. Earn that orgasm a bit, you fall flat on your face??” She spanked both ass cheeks at once. “Just wanna lay there and feel good. Slip into la la land, hmm?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so— ahhhh- im sorry…” his face and the bed felt wet. He wasn’t sure if it was his tears or his sweat.

“Hold on. I wanna try something.” Gently and with her eyes vigilantly watching his body, she pulled out, pulling his legs down to flatten him, completely, onto his stomach. Laying down behind him, on her side, she grabbed his hips, pulling him back on the dildo and reveling in his screams.

“Ohhh my goodddd- I - fuckkk.”

His reaction told her that she’d hit the perfect spot at the perfect angle- just like she’d intended. Egged on by the filthy sounds that he was making, she pounded into him mercilessly, waiting for him to lose his voice by the time that she was done with his ass.

“Oh shit, oh shit, ohhhh shit! I- feels- sooo deep.”

Matty’s hand moved to reach for his own dick, but he was shocked to feel her slap his face making him whimper. “Who gave you permission to touch? Hmm? Did I say you could touch yourself?”

“What?!! I- I need to cum. I’m so- so- ready.”

She laughed condescendingly. “I don’t care what you ‘need.’ You’re gonna cum when I tell you to.”

“Mhm. So- rry-yyyy.”

“And you’re gonna do it hands-free.”

Matty’s whole body stiffened in shock. His eyes widened. “What?!! But- how? Ive never- we’ve- we’ve never- ahh”

“I guess there’s a first time for everything, right?” She whispered in his ear, her voice making his cock drip.

A wet, self-pitying cry ripped from the back of his throat.

She bit at his earlobe, the hand that had slapped his cheek now wrapping around his neck. He felt her pull out almost to the tip then thrust back into his ass. Once. Twice. Three time. “Cum, Matty. Let go.”

Strangled cried died in his throat as her hand choked him. His body writhing and trembling violently against hers. Despite his entirely submissive state of mind, he was twice her size, with strong arms and heavy legs, so she had to press harder to keep him firmly in place as his toes curled, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, ropes of cum spurting onto his stomach and the bedding around him.

Matty’s head was dizzy. His vision spotty, his ears ringing. He couldn’t feel much around him, but he was aware of his chest rapidly rising and falling as he struggled to breathe.

He remained quietly in that position for what may have been a long time, or it could’ve been a few seconds. He had no earthly idea.

The first thing that brought his awareness back to his body was the distant feeling of her lips kissing his shoulders. The surprisingly soft gesture, after what she’d put his body through tonight, caught him off guard. Bringing tears to his eyes.

Behind him, she wasn’t able to see his face, whispering into his ear, “my love? ready for me to pull out or do you need a minute?”

His brain went blank when he tried to find words. He was panicking internally. Why couldn’t he speak? He knows what he wants to say, but- he can’t remember how.

“Matty, baby, can you hear me?”

He nodded.

“Good. Okay, good. Want me to pull out? Squeeze my hand once for yes. twice for no.”

Suddenly, he felt her fingers find his, intertwining them together. His lower lip wobbling as she held his hand and waited for his response. He squeeze once for ‘yes.’

“Alright, then. Thank you.” She slowly pulled away separating her hips from his ass, slowly and cautiously pulling the toy out of him a little bit at a time.

He whined weakly when she got it all the way out. “I know, honey. I’m sorry.”

Matty felt the blood rush back through his body as he finally relaxed from head to toe. He was peripherally aware of her moving around, somewhere near him, probably getting clean up and clearing the bed from toys and random items, then his tearful eyes saw her face, blurry, hovering over his.

“Hi, love of my life. Oh- god. Matty? Are you- babe, are you crying?”

Matty smiled, tears streaming down his face. He nodded.

“Oh my god, what’s wrong??”

“N-nothing.” He giggled, slightly embarrassed. “It’s- good. Good crying.”

“Oh. Oh?”

His shaky hand wiped at his eyes. “Yes. I’m crying cuz I love you. You make me feel- and I love that we can do this shit together.”

“Oh, babe.” She felt like her heart could burst with love. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

“Darling; erm- I’m covered in my own cum.”

He laughed, a little too much, into her chest.

“I don’t care. I love your cum. I love you.”

Matty’s laughing fit grew bigger, a few stray tears still rolling down his face. “I love you.” He repeated. “I love your cum, too.”

[perfectsunlight]

𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞

𝗮𝗵𝗻 𝘆𝘂𝗷𝗶𝗻 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝘂! 𝘆/𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗳...

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 𝟯,𝟯𝟲𝟬

ahn yujin was out of your league in every way, shape, and form. you were the most quiet and antisocial person in the entire school, and if it wasn’t for the fact that you were partners for a paper, you wouldn’t have even met her. yujin was talented and gorgeous, a deadly combination that left others pining after her for god knows how long. unfortunately, you were one of those people. you knew better than to fall for the girl who was good at everything. 

from her vocal skills to her dancing, she was the epitome of what everyone wanted to be. usually her locker was surrounded with confession notes and the occasional flowers, and truth be told those flowers made you sneeze whenever you walked past them, so you couldn’t imagine how annoying it must be for her. the girl who was good at all things could not avoid the mob of people that followed her everywhere.

however, there was also one other thing ahn yujin was not good at: english papers.

Its the reason why you and yujin got paired up in the first place. yujin’s grades were anything but stellar, and yours were practically perfect. your teacher had asked you to help yujin and not just do the entire paper yourself, which made you internally groan because that had been your plan all along. unfortunately, that landed you into your present predicament with the brunette in front of you. 

“yujin, that’s not how you spell it.” you timidly pointed out on the google doc in front of her. you two were currently writing a paper on the impacts of shakespearean literature, but unfortunately ahn yujin kept misspelling the word “shakespeare.”

yujin’s brows furrowed, her eyes glancing over the sentences she wrote, scanning to look for her alleged mistake. “oh, sorry.” she apologized before hitting the backspace to fix her misspelling.

to say the past hour had been awkward would be an understatement. since the final draft of the paper was due in a week, you both agreed to start on it as soon as possible since your schedules may clash. 

little did yujin know that your schedule was entirely empty, and only consisted of studying and watching the newest netflix series available. you would never tell her that, though. 

your fingers twitched as you stared at the screen in front of you. the two of you had divided the work up by sections, you each taking a pretty even split. you were a good writer, and you knew that, but with the prettiest girl in the school sitting in front of you, it truly was difficult to focus.

ahn yujin was gorgeous, but seeing her this close only made you realize that there was not a word in the history of languages that could describe her. she was beautiful, and you had to keep sneaking small glances at her in case you stared for too long and she would notice. it was going to be very hard to finish this paper, especially when she just looked so cute when she was focused. 

her eyebrows twitched every few beats, and her lower lip was tucked in between her teeth out of nervous habit. sometimes she would even mumble to herself, and it took everything in you to not blush at the sight.

truth be told, you had known yujin since elementary school. you two were not friends or even close to it, but you saw her on the playground with her friends all the time. in all honesty, you could probably count on one hand how many times you two had ever even spoken to each other directly. you were always there, just in the shadows observing the girl you had had a crush on since the 2nd grade.

“hi.” 

you looked down from the swing to see yujin standing to the side of the swingset. “hi yujin.”

the girl in the ponytail pointed at the jacket that was tied to the other leg of the swing. “i need that,” she said as she shifted her weight in the grass. “but you’re swinging, and i don’t want to get hit by you.”

“oh,” your attention was drawn to the object of inquiry as you tried to slow down your swinging to hopefully hop off and grab it for her. except before your feet could hit the ground, yujin s voice stopped you.

“no, keep swinging. Its okay.”

your head tilted to the side as you looked at her, still swaying forwards and backwards. you were confused. she wanted her jacket back, so you should stop and get it like she wanted. why would she ask you to stop?

“but what about your jacket?” you asked sincerely, trying your best to not stop swinging like she asked. the other girl smiled brightly at you, not breaking eye contact as you swung back and forth in front of her. 

“it’s okay, i can wait for you.”

you were brought out of your thoughts as yujin shut her laptop and began packing her things. “thank you for your help today.” she said with a small smile, slipping her laptop into her backpack before swinging it over her shoulder. you sent a nod in her direction, mirroring a small smile in return. 

“no problem.” 

“i’ll call you friday, okay?” the brunette pushed her chair in as she stood, waving a goodbye as she walked out of the library. you rubbed your temples and laid your head on the table, doing your best to not shout in frustration.

the paper was already stressful, but you seemed to underestimate the impact of your crush on the girl who was out of your league. 

a few days passed, each consisting of the same school day routine that included your wandering gazes to the girl who sat in the front of the classroom in every subject you two shared. 

you were usually good at focusing, but ever since you two got paired together for your project, it ended up putting yujin in the forefront of your mind far more often than you were used to. you weren’t complaining, of course. 

yujin was pretty to look at, but she danced in your mind for hours on end. the mental picture was almost as good as the reality. it was just a happy crush, truthfully. the two of you never even had a conversation more than 2 minutes long before now. you didn’t understand why you still liked her.

especially since she was definitely out of your league, and there was no way she even knew more than your name. did she even know your full name? she should, considering how long you were in classes together for, but did she care to remember such a minute detail? 

you made your way through the hallway, following the familiar path to your locker. once you turned the corner, you saw your crush standing in front of your locker. confusion laced your features as you slowly approached her.

“yujin? what are you doing in front of my locker?”

the taller girl turned around at the sound of her name, her entire face lighting up at the sight of you. “hi y/n, i brought you cookies. consider it a ‘thank you’ for being the best partner.” she shoved a box of homemade cookies into your hands, the soft smile never leaving her face as she stood before you.

you looked between the cookies and then her a few times, mentally processing what was happening. “oh, you didn’t have to, really. thank you, though.” you mustered up a small half smile.

as you turned to open your locker, you noticed that yujin wasn’t turning to leave. you grabbed the binder you needed before turning your attention to the taller girl once more. “did you need something else?” you asked gently, not really knowing what to say.

yujin’s smile faltered a little, her gaze looking from you to your locker until finally landing back on you. “are you free tonight?” she asked.

you shook your head a little too fast, feeling slightly embarrassed of yourself. “i can’t work on the paper tonight, i need to study for the biology exam. sorry yujin.” you smiled softly. 

yujin’s shoulders sagged a little, but she quickly straightened her posture. “no worries. i’ll just see what i can do on my own then.” she shot you one last smile before she turned to leave. 

you shut your locker before shouting back one last comment at her. “don’t forget to spell shakespeare correctly.”

the taller girl turned around at the sound of your voice, a genuine smile gracing her features as she heard your comment. 

“it would be easier if you were there to remind me.”

as she disappeared into the sea of people, you couldn't help but shake your head at your heart racing in your chest. “she’s just being nice,” you muttered to yourself before turning on your heel and walking the opposite direction to your class.

the next day arrived, thursday, and you couldn’t help but feel as if someone’s eyes were on you the whole morning. you shifted in your seat, trying to focus on your notes and the teacher writing on the board. however, once you turned to glance at the glock, your eyes met yujin’s. 

wait, yujin? your brows furrowed automatically, earning a timid smile from the brunette across the room as she practically shrunk in her seat. she gave you a small wave before turning and facing the front of the room.

your heart fluttered in your chest for a moment, but it was short lived as you cursed yourself mentally. yujin was your project partner, nothing more. you two hadn’t even scratched the surface of “friends” in your book yet. 

shortly after, the bell rang, signifying the end of the class period. you got up to collect your things, but the moment you did, you saw yujin moving towards your desk from the corner of your eye. except, when she was a row of desks away from you, you saw her stop in front of the desk of someone else.

your eyes glanced over to the direction of the girl, trying your best to not feel your heart squeezing in your chest. 

yujin was talking to someone else, one of the other popular girls in her clique. you reprimanded yourself for even thinking she would possibly talk to you outside of your assignment. 

you spent the rest of the day avoiding her, but you could only do so much since tomorrow you two were supposed to facetime and finish another part of the paper. if only you could have been more talkative in elementary school and could have made more of an effort to be social. maybe you and yujin would be more than just english partners. 

it was all just wishful thinking, but even so, it was hard to not blame yourself for not making more of an effort to be more social.

once you got home, you spent the rest of the evening writing more of the paper. you knew you didn’t need to since yujin was doing her best to pull her load, but you still felt the need to do more just in case she wasn’t able to finish anything last minute.

your head hurt from staring at the screen for so long, but eventually you managed to finish another three paragraphs to the body of the paper. it was due tomorrow, after all. a hand ran through your hair before you checked your phone.

right as you were about to turn your attention back to the daunting assignment in front of you, a notification popped up at the top of your screen.

from: yujin :3

hey r u up??

sent: 11:01 pm

confused as to why yujin was even awake at this hour if she wasn’t working on the assignment, you shot a response back.

to: yujin :3

yeah?

sent: 11:01 pm

from: yujin :3

so about tomorrow

sent: 11:02 pm

you watched the small dots dance as she typed as a twinge of anxiety rose in you. she was going to cancel your last work session together since the assignment would be over tomorrow evening, wasn’t she?

deciding you didn’t want to make her feel bad about ditching, you hurriedly typed a reply before she could finish writing out hers.

to: yujin :3

hey dont even worry about it. i can cover what u don’t finish tonight or tomorrow afternoon. u don’t have to worry abt showing up tmr, its all good

sent: 11:02 pm

the tiny three dots disappeared after your message had been sent, and you breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that you had successfully lightened the load on the girl. taking yujin’s lack of a response as a good sign, you decided to work on the paper for another 30 minutes before calling it a night.

once your head hit the pillow eventually, you were able to rest well knowing that ahn yujin didn’t have to worry about misspelling “shakespeare” after tomorrow. 

since school got out early on friday, you were looking forward to being able to spend the rest of your afternoon alone at the library in peace and quiet. it meant you could easily finish the paper before sunset. except, once you turned the corner around one of the shelves, you did a double take.

yujin was sitting at your usual spot, a fresh bouquet of flowers sitting atop the table on her side. you assumed easily it was given to her by one of her many not so secret admirers. slowly, you made your way to the desk table and put your belongings down.

the taller girl immediately straightened up and smiled at your arrival, but her gaze faltered a bit once yours was one of just genuine confusion. “what are you doing here??” you asked genuinely as you took your seat across from her.

you didn’t see the expression on her face since you turned to pull your laptop out from your bag. however, the look on her face consisted of furrowed brows and a pout on her lips. it was quickly wiped off once you turned to face her fully.

“well, i came here to see you.”

your hands didn’t falter in your movements as you began typing away once again, “but i told you it was okay. i’m almost done with it anyway, you didn’t need to.”

yujin’s hands suddenly reached across the table and pushed the screen of your laptop forward gently, not shutting it completely on your hands. “i came here to see you, y/n.”

you tilted your head to the side, still not fully processing what was going on here. yujin came here to see you? for what?

“for what?” she mimicked, and it was only then that you realized you must have accidentally said the last part out loud. she only shook her head and grabbed the flowers next to her before extending them to you. 

“they’re pretty right? do you like them?” she asked. you only nodded and admired the bouquet of tiny daises and a few sunflowers. “i think they’re pretty, yes. whoever got you them has very good taste.”

yujin let out a chuckle before sending a witty reply. “i know, i bought them.”

“oh,” your heart squeezed in your chest. she bought flowers for someone? the brunette across the table took note of your visible confusion before finally doing something about it.

“i got the flowers for you, y/n.”

she placed them in your hands for you to take, a proud smile beaming on her face as she did so. “oh, you didn’t have to get me anything yujin. it was just a paper, really.”

the school’s most popular student cursed slightly under her breath before she stood up and leaned over you. even with you sitting, her height managed to make you tower slightly over you. 

“consider them an invitation, then.” she whispered, making intense eye contact with you. “go out on a date with me, y/n.” 

your jaw dropped instantly, and you almost looked around the library quickly to see if there were any hidden cameras or people recording secretly. was this some kind of joke?

“a joke?” yujin did her best to not look hurt, so she laughed it off. “why would you think this is a joke?”

you realized you accidentally thought out loud for the second time, mentally cursing yourself a thousand times as yujin’s head tilted to the side while she waited for your response. 

“you’re really asking me that?” you asked as she nodded in response. you sighed and broke your gaze away to stare at a particularly interesting spot on the wooden table.

“honestly, i have had a crush on you for a while, but you’re just,” you bit your lip trying to gather your thoughts. “as cheesy as it sounds, you’re just out of my league, yujin.” 

yujin’s jaw dropped this time, staring at you in disbelief even though you couldn’t see her face. “y/n,” she snickered as she used her hand to gently move your chin up to face her. “i felt the same way about you.”

“me?” you gawked at her in disbelief, truly not believing the words coming out of the other girl’s mouth. “yujin, you’re literally everyone’s dream girl. anyone would be lucky to even have a chance with you. ” 

yujin rolled her eyes playfully, “then i guess you will be the luckiest girl in the world, huh?” she smiled softly. “i’ve had a crush on you since i frist met you on the swingset in second grade. i still liked you during your middle school pokemon phase, and i still liked you when you became the smartest person in our grade.”

she grabbed your shoulders and shook you gently. “i’ve never accepted anyone else’s date invitations or dance invitations because i was waiting for you to make a move. but i knew you would never notice me, especially since we didn’t talk much.”

she continued speaking as she sat on the edge of the table behind her. “it was me who actually asked to get teamed up with you. once we got paired up, i knew i had to take a chance, but you just kept dodging me every time i tried to make a move. i brought you cookies, i tried to ask you out twice, including yesterday night, but you just didn’t seem interested.”

yujin paused before she cupped your face and committed your features to her own memory, burning into her mind every detail there was. you were too lost in your own thoughts, realizing that the girl who was out of your league for years was finally confessing to you. it didn’t feel real, and if anything you were waiting to pinch yourself to see if you were dreaming. maybe she wasn’t so out of your league after all?

finally, you responded to her confessions. “i feet the same way about you, yujin.”

she couldn’t fight the grin that formed on her lips, and the sight of her smile this close made your face heat up slightly. she took notice and placed a small kiss on your forehead. once she pulled away, the two of you stayed like that for a little while. just leaning into each other’s touches and admiring each other’s features.

“yujin,” you moved her slightly to re-open the google doc with the english paper in it. “we have to finish this.” the brunette rolled her eyes and shut your laptop. you shot her a knowing look, “i promise we can go out and do whatever you want after we turn this in.”

she reluctantly agreed, opting to pull out her own laptop to help finish things up as well. “if we both work on it, we can finish faster.” she reasoned with a smile. you couldn’t help but laugh at the other girl, and shook your head lightly.

“only if you spell shakespeare correctly.”  

“don’t make me leave you alone in this library.”

a/n: i wrote this for silan and kept it hostage from her so MWAH

[agirlwithglam]

Hi!! I hope I'm not disturbing you but I wanted to ask how do I work hard. Because when I was younger I got really good marks without trying and now the subjects are hard and social media is distracting but I can't seem to delete it. This is also why my grades are even low then before and I'm really afraid to disappoint my parents (being the eldest daughter doesn't help). So can you please just give me some pointers on how can I actually study and not just cry because I don't know how to. Have a great day!! <3

literally omg. is this past me asking me a question?? like actually u have no idea how much i relate and understand this. the "gifted child" who always got good grades without needing to study now finds things more difficult. i know many people have said this, but i actually have been through this not too long ago. i hope these tips help <3

how to work hard + actually study (realistic)

forget hard work. at least do the work! (its so funny because i literally had a post about this all ready in my drafts about to get posted, so i'll keep this short and link the post.) stop focussing on doing hard work like studying 24/7. just put in the basic necessities you need to get a better grade. hard work post link

use the disappointment and embarrassment as fuel. (basically find a very strong why) (mini story-ish thing coming up, skip to the blue text for the actual advice) i still remember the day i got such a bad score on my math and science test, i was FURIOUS at myself and i cried about it! telling it to my parents was one of the hardest things i had to do and feeling their disappointment was even worse. but that became my turning point. i was so ashamed of myself and i resented me so much that i basically just told myself "i dont freaking care what you feel *with distaste*. you brought this on yourself you failure" (a bit very harsh, yes i know) but the way i studied that week- i studied more than i every had before! also doing this doesnt really lower my self esteem a whole lot, but if it does with you, please be gentle with yourself. : so what i'm trying to say it; use that feeling of shame and disapointment as a fuel, a motivation. The big “why”.

ALTER EGOOOSSSS. this helps SOOOO MUCH its so underrated. embody the energy of your fav people who are the academic inspiration you wanna be! example: rory gilmore, paris geller, elle woods, blair waldorf, etc etc! not only is this so helpful but it also makes it so much more fun and easier!!

parent yourself. i used to tell myself to do stuff like "go study now!" or "get up lazy-butt" but in my mind. but what if you tried to say those stuff out loud to yourself? it just creates a whole new level of real. So start telling yourself to do stuff out loud.

honestly just start. stop letting yourself think about how "uncomfortable" and how "annoying" it will be. All you need to know is that you need to get it done. Right? Ok. So now what’s the next smallest step you can take to getting to do the unwanted task? It may be taking out your material, opening your book, etc.

( !! tough love, but very important rant coming up)

You privileged brat. Your parents gave up EVERYTHING so you could have the education that you are having. They worked so so hard for YOU. So YOU can have the life you want. And all for what? Just for you to throw it all away and say “oh im lazy”. HELL NAH.

And also, do you realise how fortunate you are to be even living in such a time/ era where you have access to basically EVERYTHING? You’re stuck on something? You could easily search it up!! And whats more is that you can further learn. You can search up and find out more about the thing that you’re studying, become the smartest person in your class, get so ahead in life. I hope you realise that if you do use all the resources and materials and help that’s been given to you, just imagine how far you could go! Further than Albert Einstine, Elon Musk, etc. you may be like “what! No that’s gonna be too hard!” But did they have the tools that you have right at your hand? No! They made it all the way with just simple stuff and having to work super hard. But you live in a time where you can do TWICE as much without working as hard!!

And one more thing, QUIT WHINING. “Oh school is so hard!” “Oh school is so boring!” Like whattt???? You are so FORTUNATE and LUCKY to be even getting access to such education! MILLIONS of kids out there would kill to be able to learn what you are so easily dismissing right now. So TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE. Put your ALL, your very BEST into studying and getting good grades because THAT is whats gonna take you so SO far in life.

Thank you very much, *mic drop*. (i still ly pookie)

dealing with social media:

put the screen time widget on your phone home screen. i did this, and i became so embarrassed by the amount of screen time i had in one day (*cough* 12 hours *cough*) that i made certain to stop using it as much.

screen time limits. this may or may not help you, bc i know that when i knew the screen time password, it didn't do a lot of help but when someone else did (like parents or someone you trust), then it definitely worked. this is probably only best if you're a child around under 14 ish bc thats around the age when most parents put screen time limits + after that age you're gonna be a lot more independent.

more *extremely* helpful resourses:

tips to decrease your phone screen time by @imbusystudying

how to reduce your screen time in the digital age? (an article)

studying tips from a straight-A student by @universalitgirlsblog2

how to study like paris geller by @4theitgirls

more blogs i recomend:

@elonomhblog @mindfulstudyquest @study-diaries @thatbitchery

xoxo, vanilla

[spotsandsocks]

In my defence I was left unsupervised M 1.3k

Buck gets bored and decides on a new look, he may have doubts about the end result but Eddie’s having thoughts, interesting thoughts.

Eddie Diaz might be many things but a convincing liar is apparently not one of them if Buck’s expression is anything to go by. Regardless of the doubt plastered all over his friend’s face Eddie tries again to make Buck feel better.

“It’s… not … that bad?”

“Not that bad?”

Technically they’re the same three words but the tone and therefore the meaning couldn’t be more different. Buck’s incredulous, his face conveys the message Eddie must be dumb or blind or possibly both.

“Not that bad?!”

Buck repeats himself and turns back to stare into the mirror on Eddie’s wall sighing heavily.

“What the fuck was I thinking?”

Buck runs a hand over his head then closes his eyes in distress.

It’s actually quite a sensible question so Eddie repeats it.

“What were you thinking?

That’s fair question right? Eddie decides it has to be because it’s only natural to query the dubious decision making skills of one Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley at the best of times and especially when he seems so distressed by the results of his life choices.

Eddie studies Buck, who’s studying his own reflection with a frown. It certainly is a change. Eddie had definitely been a little taken aback when Buck had walked in 5 minutes ago but now the shock is wearing off there is actually something quite… he redirects his thoughts quickly.

Buck still hasn’t given his reasons for the alterations to his appearance so Eddie rephrases the question.

“I mean… why… ??” his words trail off and he just points with a finger at the relevant area of Buck.

The answer manages to be both ridiculous and entirely plausible. If you know Buck, which he does.

“Because I was bored.”

The noise he makes is entirely involuntary. Honestly, Eddie can’t be judged for the amused and exasperated sound that escapes. Buck does these things to himself. Still staring at his own reflection the man in question adds,

“You know, in retrospect I don’t think bored people should be left unsupervised with scissors.”

The grim declaration is so ridiculous Eddie has to swallow down the urge to laugh because really only Buck would cut all his hair off on a whim.

“It’s so short.” Buck’s voice is a plaintive whine and his blue eyes crinkle in distress.

He’s right obviously, it is extremely short; not quite an army level buzz cut but not too far off. Eddie will miss the curls but on the other hand the longer he looks the more he’s having thoughts and from his point of view it really isn’t “that bad”. Quite the opposite. Sometimes you have to face facts; Buck’s just too damn attractive for any haircut to be truly bad.

In fact the more he studies Buck’s image in the mirror the more he likes it.

The severity of the style adds something to his features. The angles on his face have become sharper which in turn make his lips seem fuller. He’s more….Eddie considers his options and settles on rugged, as the right word, with sexy coming in in second place. Also for some reason Buck’s eyes look bluer and have become far more piercing.

There must be a draft somewhere because a slight shiver runs down his spine as he keeps staring at Buck staring at himself.

It would probably feel good too, under his fingertips. Soft and kinda fuzzy. He can just imagine Buck closing his eyes and sighing in pleasure if he did reach out and scratch through the soft strands of hair.

Continue on ao3

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Vesuvia Weekly: The Marketplace Incident

~ my little written sketch for @vesuviaweekly's prompt "How Things Went Wrong (feat the Arcana familiars)". Enjoy an afternoon from the perspective of my fandom self-insert :3 ~

Word count: 1.5k

The marketplace really is the best spot to write in. The bustle of afternoon shoppers in the sunny square is a soothing view from my shaded nook, tucked between Selasi's booth and an alleyway of stairs. The steady sea breeze makes the parchment in front of me flutter, carrying the smell of spiced bread as it tousles my hair from my forehead.

"Need a refill?" The baker leans on the stone wall above the low table I'm pretending to draft my next story on. "Maybe it will help the ink flow better."

"Thanks, Selasi, but I'm afraid I've barely had a sip." I gesture to my mostly-full clay cup. "It's a good blend, though - what did you use for it this time?"

"A craftsman never shares his secrets." He hunches closer, not-so-subtly trying to sneak a peek at my handwriting. "What is today's writing about? More of our six friends' adventures, by a friendly young man whose signature is a rotting brain?"

I roll my eyes at his teasing smile. "Okay, using the moniker 'brainrot' doesn't automatically mean gruesome physical decay -"

We both jump at the sudden cat's yowl from the direction of the baker's counter. A fuzzy orange blur streaks to my corner, tiny claws digging into my shirt as it uses me as a ladder to get to Selasi's shoulder.

"Pounce? What is it, little one?"

"Bad dogs!" Faust's face pops into view, her body slowly unwinding from the cloth umbrella over me.

I barely have time to stabilize her plop onto my arm before I catch sight of two more barking fuzzy blurs tearing around the corner, a screeching raven flapping frantically after them. All three start heading in my direction as soon as they see me stand up to intervene. "Mercedes, Melchior! Come here!"

As ill-trained as I know Lucio's dogs are, the half-finished roll I hold out in their direction is more than enough to convince them. They slide to a halt in front of me, paws and tail still skittering from side to side, eyes trained on the treat. The flustered raven descends on my shoulder and Faust scoots onto Selasi's arm to give him more space.

"It's rare to see these fellows here without their owners ..." The baker runs his hand over Pounce's bushed-out tail in a soothing arc. "Did something happen?"

"What didn't happen?" I mumble in response. I don't think I recognize the strange goop Faust has left on my shirt, or the hooped earring in Malak's beak, or the concerningly pleasant smell wafting off of the dog's silky coats. I hold out my palm in front of the bird on my shoulder. "Give me the shiny, please. Which friend did you take this from?"

"Took it when I squeezed!"

"Who did you squeeze, Faust? Was it Julian?"

"Stinky count. Stole my fishies!"

The hissed voice clearly belongs to a cat, but it's not coming from the trembling ginger tabby in Selasi's arms. Pepi lopes into view on the wall above me with a smug look on her little face. Oh, right. I keep forgetting that she learned how to talk ...

"Lucio ... stole your fish?"

"Pepi earned the fishies - Pepi was a good cat and caught all the rats! Went to the docks to get the fishies, but he took them first!"

I try to piece the narrative together, noticing what looks like a pearly white owl listening in from the roof of the booth. "So ... Portia went to buy Pepi some fish, but Lucio bought them first? Where did the earring come from?"

"Master tried to help!"

"Oh, did Asra try to trade their earring for the fish? I thought his piercings closed up years ago."

Malak caws loudly in protest. Faust wiggles and bobs from her perch on Selasi's shoulder as the distant owl takes off for a different corner of the marketplace.

"Not Master's earring."

I study the golden hoop, finally catching the protective gleam in Malak's eye. "Ohh, this is Julian's, isn't it? Okay, from the top." I watch five pairs of animal eyes point back in my direction. "Portia went to get fish for Pepi, but Lucio bought them first. Asra tried to intervene, and then Julian offered an earring that he apparently owns to bargain for the fish with. Is that right?"

I almost miss the variety of nods when a thick coat of fur unexpectedly brushes across the backs of my knees. When I look down, it's right into Inanna's bright green eyes - and the torn bag of rice in her mouth. She drops it at my feet, spilling the grains across the ground and sending Malak into a flurry of indignant squawks. The wolf curls up for a nap at my heels, completely unfazed. Selasi gently sets Faust on my abandoned parchment and returns to his oven with an amused "good luck!"

"O-Okay." I drag my hand down my face and do my best to analyze the mess. "So why do the dogs smell nice, why is Faust slimy enough to smudge my ink, and why am I the one currently holding Julian's mystery hoop?"

"Squeeze the thief! Rescue the shiny! Run away fast!"

Faust bleps her tongue proudly, while Pepi takes a smug seat on the stones and the dogs begin to growl. One warning huff from the large wolf pretending to sleep behind me quietens the impending ruckus.

"And ... do I want to know about the slime and the fruity smells?"

Pepi yawns above me, slowly succumbing to the sun-warmed wall. "Beauty stall."

Faust curls herself elegantly over my story draft in an attempt to flaunt her shiny scales. "Moisturize."

"You're practically glowing, Faust. Such a beautiful girl!" Asra's trotting in my direction, a very sweaty pair of Devorak siblings close behind and a red-faced ex-count bringing up the rear. The magician scoops her up off of the table, my freshly hydrated parchment going with it, as Pepi uses the top of my head as a springboard into Portia's arms. Julian gives his judgemental raven a sheepish look before brightening at the earring in my palm.

"Did you leave us the rice trail, Faust?" Asra scritches the serpent's chin.

"Wait - rice trail? What rice trail? Is that how you knew where you were going? Where did they get - my rice!"

Inanna gives the shocked doctor a guiltily amused look, nudging the torn bag with her nose and watching the last of the grains spill onto my feet. Lucio straightens from where's been fussing over his perfumed dogs, finally catching his breath.

"Hah! Serves you right for trying to take my fish!"

Portia bristles and turns on him as Inanna slinks off to the large figure skulking in the shadows several booths away. "Your fish? That vendor and I have been friends for three years, you heard him say that I'd get first pick!"

I can't tell if Lucio is grinning or gritting his teeth. "Does it matter? I already paid for those things, they were the least smelly ones!"

"Enough!" The Countess's firm voice rings across the corner of the square, effectively halting the brewing squabble that's hijacking my writing corner. Chandra reassumes her perch on the baker's booth roof as Nadia rubs her temples in resigned frustration. "I have already paid for a year's worth of cosmetics. I have no interest in paying for your argument with a headache as well."

She heaves a tired sigh as the familiars settle in with their owners, sparing me a comforting glace. "Considering the paperless state of your table, I trust there were no writing casualties involved?"

Portia scurries over with a worried look. "Oh, I'm so glad you hadn't started yet!"

"Well ..."

"I think we did interrupt him, unfortunately." Asra's already taking a seat at my table, holding a fresh bowl of rolls in one hand and my smudged paper in the other while Faust hides guiltily in their shirt. "What's a 'ringtone'?"

Julian helps himself to the paper. "Allow me - perhaps I can shed some light on - ah!"

I've already given up hope on restoring my draft, so I don't wince nearly as badly as my friends do as a sharp, golden hand snatches my handwriting and rips it in the process. Lucio's pout deepens the further he reads. "I'm not in this."

"He's probably not finished it." Nadia holds her hand out, impervious to Lucio's begrudging surrender, and carefully offers the paper back to me. "We should leave you in peace, or you'll never meet your deadline."

Portia takes the cue and begins herding Lucio back to the docks for a fresh round of fish. Nadia gives Asra a pointed look, resulting in them stuffing the last of their roll into their mouth and rising from the cushions. They leave the last two pieces of bread for me.

"Julian," I call as he turns away, "one more question."

"Ah - yes?"

"What's the story with the earring?"

"Oh!" He flushes unexpectedly, fumbling the hoop away into his pocket. "... it, ah, it doesn't go in my ear. Adieu!"

[mangoharvest]

Which yandere twst boys do you think would be (or pretend to be) understanding of their darling not wanting a romantic relationship?

  GUH so I actually submitted an answer for this, but my silly computer did an update and lost a bunch of draft data (Sorry Jade...)

Sorry for the wait, hopefully these are okayyyy! They are on the drabble side since platonic darling is still new ish to me (I really love it though!! And hope I can write more!)

twst boys with a platonic darling!

  * Ace Trappola

He’s such a kid when it comes to these things. He confessed his love with so much enthusiasm and confidence! Only to be rejected. He could at least breathe easy knowing no one else had a chance to steal your heart. Still, he couldn’t help but want you all to himself. He’s not smart enough to play mind games (sorry), but he is practical. 

You were amazed at how quickly he went back to his usual self, laughing with and teasing you into oblivion. However, this was nothing but a farce. He begins extending the time you two hang out. No big deal, he’s fun to be with. The clock in his room breaks, and for some reason the alarm on your phone never goes off when you're with him. 

After a while, it’s not enough. He asks you to help him study, as if that’s going to actually happen. You always end up chastising him, doing work for maybe an hour, then falling asleep while watching whatever movies you find that catch your eye. He makes a space for you to stay over, practically kidnaps you for any class you don’t share, and is somehow always right around the corner. Thanks Cater, for that wonderful tracking app!

    * Trey Clover

Unlike his underclassman, Trey doesn’t get to confess before being rejected (albeit, unintentionally). He had been studying in the library with you and Riddle when the topic of attraction came up in relation to a potions assignment. After a bit of teasing towards your favorite red ant, you confessed a lack of interest in pursuing a romantic relationship. It wasn’t that you were opposed per se, but you definitely were not looking for at least the next few years. 

In the moment, Trey nodded along and gave an understanding smile. Internally, he wanted to toss himself off a cliff. It wasn’t as if he felt a need to rush into a relationship himself, but he knew it had to be with you. 

Taking your wishes into account, Trey changed how he treated you ever-so-slightly. His touches lingered a little more, and he somehow always had a new cake or cookie he wanted you to try. He wouldn’t stalk you, but he would create opportunities to be of service to you. Falling behind in class? He’s got your study guide. ‘Forgetting’ your lunch (that you swore you put in your bag) is not a problem, since he always has an extra for his study buddy. The attention and care he gives you rivals that of Riddle, not that you could complain. After a while, you would find yourself dependent on Trey, and seek him out when you needed anything. Your clothes are missing, you keep unintentionally breaking rules, and you somehow failed a test in your strongest subject. You couldn’t help but lean on him for support. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

    * Ruggie Bucchi

Similar to Trey, Ruggie has a very service-centric way of expressing his affection. He’ll offer you some of his treats and plunders stolen from Leona. He’ll always ask to pair up with you for assignments(which you enjoy, since he actually does his work!), and he gives you Azul-level study guides for upcoming quizzes and tests. He’s the secret weapon you never knew you needed!

He never neglects to tell you about how lucky you are, and that he wouldn’t work so hard for anyone else in the world. You always roll your eyes in mock annoyance before thanking him with a bright smile. He loves seeing you happy, and you love seeing his face turn cherry red. On days where his stress gets the better of him, petting his ears and offering to buy him breakfast always calms him right down. After a while, he’ll straighten up with a grin,  promising that he’ll never forget your ‘service’ and that he will pay you back.

For him, attraction comes out of friendship. You two had a natural chemistry, so when you were together it felt like home. The reason he wanted so badly to submit to you, to shower you with gifts and to be at your beck and call; he loved you. When he realizes the reason you get such special treatment, he really only amps up the generosity. He wants to show you how reliable and useful he is. He’s not terribly possessive(liar), at least not nearly as much as some of the others. Still, he wants to be the only one whose ears you rub before a nap, and the only one you come to when you need help. That’s not so selfish, is it?

You know he has feelings for you, and he knows you aren’t seeking something romantic. You two dance on the line between platonic and something more, but why change what works?

[bellebridgerton]

His Diamond: Chapter 1 (Anthony Bridgerton x plus size!fem!reader)

✨Masterlist✨

The sunlight seeped through the perfectly white, sheer curtains. Y/n groaned and rolled over in the bed in one of the many guest rooms of the Bridgerton estate. She spent the night after a long, exciting and gorgeous ball that the Bridgerton's hosted. They had the pleasure of hosting the opening ball of the courting season of 1814.

The night before, Y/n had the coveted pleasure of being named the Diamond of the season. Eloise had quickly teased her, Y/n wasn't surprised at all, and Penelope had a look on her face that told Y/n that she'd be reading about it in the morning.

Y/n knew about Penelope being Lady Whistledown, and she felt privileged that Penelope trusted her to keep the secret.

She had stumbled across drafts while in Penelope's bedroom. They had a long talk about it, Penelope warned Y/n that she couldn't give Y/n special treatment, as to avoid being found out. Y/n understood, Whistledown must remain impartial.

Reluctantly, Y/n rose from the bed, she changed back into the gown she arrived in the night before. She decided to leave her hair down, she knew she couldn't recreate the hairstyle by herself.

The home was quiet, Y/n assumed she must be the first one awake. She quite enjoyed moments like this, where it felt as though she could be the only person in the world, there was a certain peace to it.

Y/n thought she might leave a note for Violet and slip out quietly, she didn't want to impose any longer for the time being. She collided with Hyacinth. "Oh, good morning, Y/n!," Hyacinth chirped.

Y/n smiled softly, "Good morning, Hyacinth. You're up early."

Hyacinth grinned, she gently grabbed Y/n's hand, "Are you staying for breakfast?"

With a loving squeeze of the little girl's hand, Y/n knew she couldn't say no to Hyacinth, "Of course, I'll stay."

Hyacinth grinned and placed a kiss on Y/n's cheek, before skipping off.

Y/n strolled down the hallway and descended the main staircase, finding herself in front of Anthony's study. The door was slightly ajar, prompting Y/n to knock on the door of Anthony's study, She heard shifting and a soft groan, Anthony spoke, "Come in."

Y/n entered the study to the sight of Anthony waking up, doing her best to stifle a giggle in her throat. He heard her giggle despite her attempt to hide it, "Good morning, Y/n. What's so amusing?"

Moving around the desk, Y/n approached Anthony and lightly wiped some smudged ink from Anthony's cheekbone and nose with her handkerchief, "You fell asleep while working again, didn't you?"

Anthony avoided meeting Y/n's gaze, embarrassed with the state of his appearance. He grumbled, "Yes, after the ball I had some work to attend to. I trust you slept well."

Y/n nodded, continuing her gentle ministrations on his face, " I did, thank you. As your friend, I must say I'm surprised you're finally serious about finding your viscountess."

He carefully encompassed her hand with his, halting her care of his ink stained skin. Anthony gently took the handkerchief from her, attempting to clean his face on his own, "It is my duty, Y/n. My duty to my family comes before all else, and that means I must find a wife. A woman with a pleasing face, an acceptable wit, and genteel manner. She need not win my heart, that is not what this family needs." He stood up and straightened out his clothes, "Congratulations by the way, on being named the Diamond of the season. You do make a lovely diamond."

If Y/n didn't know any better, she would have thought Anthony was flirting. Blushing, she smiled, "Thank you, it is an honor, especially since it's my first season." Y/n looked up at Anthony, "We should go to the dining room, Hyacinth said she wants me to stay for breakfast, if that's alright with you."

Anthony nodded and gave her a sincere smile, "You know you're always welcome here, bunny." He used a nickname he and his siblings had given her when they were all children. Y/n had caught a bunny in the backyard of Aubrey Hall, and she was heartbroken when it hopped away a few hours later.

Pressing a soft kiss to Anthony's cheek, Y/n left the study for the dining room.

As Anthony watched her gliding form disappear down the hallway, he decided then and there, he would have his diamond.

✨Next Chapter✨