#i say this a lot but i am awed by how well he has developed an art of paying attention. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

corroded-hellfire · 1 year

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Pretty Girl - Eddie Munson x Reader

Note: This is for my darling @munson-blurbs 💚 I told her that if she finished the big project she was working on in time, I would write her anything she wanted. Not only did she finish on time, but she did it damn near perfectly. I am so unbelievably proud of you, Bug. I’m always in awe of your intelligence and work ethic. I hope I did justice to what you wanted, and I hope you all enjoy it as well! Also, I hope that I used the academic terms I included correctly, but if I didn’t, we’re just going to ignore that lol

Request/Summary: Eddie × Bookworm!Reader where Reader is stressed because of a massive project she has to do. And she keeps talking about all of this academic stuff that makes Eddie's head spin. So he does what he does best: fucks his smart girl until she's dumb

Warnings: smut, p in v, unprotected (wrap it up), oral f!receiving, slight daddy kink

Words: 2.4k

Eddie’s just hanging up the phone as you step into your shared apartment after a long day on campus. Letting out a huff, you drop your backpack down on the kitchen table, and books and papers come spilling out.

“Ugh,” you groan, running your hands down your face. Eddie frowns and walks over to the table as you slump down into a chair.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asks as he takes the seat across from you.

With a sigh, you shake your head. “S’nothing.” Eddie raises an eyebrow and tilts his head. You can practically hear him asking if you really expect him to believe that. “Just school bullshit. You’d think people studying for their doctorate would be a little more serious than some people in my class. But you don’t want to hear me ramble on.”

“Uh, yes, I do,” Eddie says, leaning forward on the table. “You know I think it’s sexy when you talk all academic. My girl’s gonna have her PhD.”

The salacious wiggling of his eyebrows has you cracking a smile. Relenting, you sit up in your seat and begin to tell Eddie about the irritants you’ve been dealing with.

“So, we have to utilize these things called literacy based behavior interventions…”

Eddie rests his chin on his fist as he listens to you. He’s picked up a lot over the years and is able to identify so many more words that you say than he used to. Sometimes though, he still gets a little confused.

“Well, then that brought us to the Social Identity Development Theory…”

Nodding, Eddie is almost positive he knows what that is, but he doesn’t want to interrupt you to double check.

“But after all this, he admits he doesn’t really understand qualitative vs. quantitative methodology! I have absolutely no idea how this man even became a BCABA.”

I know this one, Eddie thinks to himself. Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.

“Then he kept saying ‘phenomenology’ instead of ‘pedagogy.’”

Now those, Eddie did not know. He can see you getting more riled up though, so he knows it’s time to intervene.

“Baby, baby, hey.” He reaches over and tugs on your hand, nodding for you to come over and sit in his lap. “It’s okay, you just need to relax.”

Reluctantly, you push yourself out of your chair and let Eddie pull you on top of him. The way he smirks up at you lets you know he’s about to get frisky even before his large hands slide up your thighs. Rough, calloused fingers dig into the plush of your denim covered legs.

“I think my smart girl needs me to take care of her, doesn’t she?” Eddie pouts up at you. When you nod in return, your boyfriend removes one hand from you and brings it back down to deliver a harsh smack to your ass. “Use your words, baby.”

A whimper escapes your throat as you tighten your legs around his hips. “Yes, Eddie. Need you. Make me feel better.”

Tightening his grip on you, Eddie stands up from the chair. A squeal escapes you as you tightly wrap your arms around his neck. A smirk of satisfaction on his lips, he carries you into your shared bedroom. Gently, he lays you down and lets you get comfortable before he’s crawling on top of you. Eddie tugs on the hem of your shirt, and you sit up enough for him to slide it off of you. Then he works down your body, taking off every piece of clothing in his path. Moving back up your body, he goes to press kisses against your neck, but you stop him with a yank on his own shirt.

“Me too?” he asks with a chuckle.

“Yes.” The adorable pout in your voice has Eddie acquiescing, stripping down so he’s just as naked as you are.

“May I continue?” After letting your eyes slowly roam up and down his bare body, you give him a nod of approval.

“You may.”

He chuckles and leans in and presses his lips against the juncture where your neck and shoulder meet. The kisses start off soft and sweet but turn wetter and needier as he moves down to your collar bones. Moving further down your body, he attaches his lips to the underside of your breast. It’s his favorite place to leave hickies on you and from the way his mouth is moving against the sensitive skin, you’re sure that’s what he’s doing now.

As the first moans tumble out of your mouth, Eddie switches breasts to give the other one the same attention. Your hands tangle in the curls that are splayed out over your naked chest, your fingers coming up to scratch at Eddie’s scalp as he continues his journey down your body. His kisses trail down your stomach, to your belly button, then further and further down until he stops just shy of where you most want his mouth.

“So needy,” Eddie says with a chuckle as your hips begin to move, looking for some sort of friction. You let out a whine and give a tug to Eddie’s hair. A guttural groan sounds deep in his throat. “Playing dirty, huh?”

“Need you so bad, Eddie,” you say through a whimper. The way you look down at him with wide, imploring eyes has his cock twitching between his body and the mattress.

“Relax, my beautiful little genius. I’m gonna help you feel better.”

You’re not given a chance to respond as Eddie moves down and wraps his lips around your clit. One of your hands comes out of Eddie’s hair to grip the sheet you’re lying on.

“Fuck,” you moan.

Eddie’s tongue expertly works over your clit, moving at the speed and pressure that he knows drives you wild. Using his hands to spread your legs even wider for him, he nudges his nose against your sensitive nub as he licks at your entrance.

“Jesus, baby, I’ll never get used to how fucking good you taste.” It’s not unusual for Eddie to take his time when he’s going down on you. He likes to ravish you, gathering every last drop from you that he can. The only reason he pulls away from your sopping pussy is to praise you on how sweet you taste or how wet you are for him.

Now, Eddie’s taking even more care than normal to make sure you’re feeling good. Lazy strokes of his tongue over your clit pairs with him slipping two fingers into you. The moment he curves them up inside of you, he’s hitting that delicious spot that has you seeing stars. There are few things Eddie knows better than your body—it’s the only thing he’s ever actually enjoyed studying. He knows it as well as he knows his own body and is able to bring you to the brink on his terms and in his time.

“M’close, Eddie.”

He knows without you telling him, though. You both know that. The way your walls clamp down around his fingers, the way your breaths hitch as you lose yourself in the feeling. With one last rub of his fingers against your inner wall, the wave of pleasure crashes over you and has you whining out your boyfriend’s name over and over again.

“That’s a good girl,” Eddie coos as he works you through your bliss. As your moans subside, he slips his fingers out of your pussy and pops them into his mouth. “Mm, fuck, baby.”

“Eddie,” you whine, trying to catch your breath.

“What, my princess?” He crawls up your body and presses gentle, barely-there kisses along the column of your throat. “You already cock drunk? I haven’t even been inside you yet, sweetheart.”

“Y’make me feel so good.” Your hands reach up, grabbing at any expanse of Eddie’s pale skin that you can.

“I’m here, baby,” he assures you, bringing a hand up to cup your cheek.

“Wanna feel you.”

“Aw, does my pretty girl want my PhD?” Eddie teases with a smirk. “My pretty huge dick?” Before you have time to respond, he leans down and slots his mouth over yours, immediately licking into your mouth. Using his other hand, Eddie lines himself up with your entrance and slowly pushes inside.

Eddie’s mouth swallows your moans as you feel him stretch you out deliciously. Above you, your boyfriend meets your sounds of pleasure with his own at the feeling of sliding into the wet warmth of your pussy.

“Shit,” Eddie mumbles against your mouth. “So fucking tight. This is all you needed, right baby? Just needed your daddy taking care of you.”

Words seem too hard as Eddie pulls his hips back before thrusting back into you again and again. You’re dissolved to whining and whimpering in response to his question, which has him smirking down at you.

“Mm, look at that,” Eddie muses as he grips your hip. “I may not be a genius like you, baby, but this I’m pretty good at. Fuck my smart girl ‘til she’s dumb.” Not only does Eddie know what to do to your body, but he knows just the words to say to get you hurtling towards another orgasm.

Every generous inch of Eddie moves inside of you, the ridge between the head and shaft dragging against all the spots that have you arching your back. A strong hand slides up from your hip, making sure to caress every inch of skin it comes across as it makes its way up to your mouth.

“Open up.”

Immediately, you do as you’re told, and Eddie slips two fingers into your mouth. Not needing to be told what to do with them, you begin to run your tongue around his fingers, swirling it around the tip as you soak the digits.

“God damn it,” Eddie says with a huff of laughter. “You’re gonna make me cum before I want to. Gotta get my girl off again, first.”

A small smirk on your face, you release his fingers with a pop. He reaches down and rubs his fingers over your clit, eliciting a breathy moan from your lips.

“That feel good, baby?” Eddie goads.

“Y-Yes,” you stutter, your eyes closing in ecstasy.

“Want you to cum for me again, my good girl. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah,” you breathe out. “So close.”

“Cum on my cock, baby. Want you to make such a mess of me. Cream my cock.”

“Fuck,” you groan, fingers digging into Eddie’s back as his thrusts become sloppier, a tell-tale sign he’s close as well. “Want you to cum too, Eddie.”

“Oh, don’t worry, princess,” he says with a laugh. “‘Bout to cum so hard in your pretty little pussy. Gonna fill you up so, so good. You’ll feel me dripping out of you for days.”

“Shit,” you hiss, and Eddie picks up the pace on your clit. “Fuck—E-Eddie, I’m gonna cum. Fuck, I’m coming.”

The clenching of your walls around his cock has Eddie losing his composure, groans and mutterings of your name falling from his tongue.

“Shit, baby—m-me too.”

Your bodies move together as the two of you ride out your highs with each other. Eddie’s head drops down and buries into your neck as his body stills on top of yours. Reluctant to pull out of you, Eddie busies himself by pressing sweet kisses against your skin.

“How was that, my love?” Eddie whispers against your ear.

“Was perfect,” you tell him, a lazy smile on your face. “Don’t want you to move.”

Eddie chuckles. “Me neither. But I was thinking we could get all comfy and I’ll hold you as close as you want me to.”

“Can’t get much closer than we are now,” you point out, making Eddie laugh again.

“Good point. I’m gonna get us cleaned up though, okay?”

Eddie forces himself to get out of the bed and brings back a warm washcloth. Gently, Eddie cleans you up before working on himself. He leaves the room to throw the washcloth in the hamper, but you figure he gets sidetracked because he takes longer than expected. When you see him balancing a bowl of popcorn and two bottles of water as he walks back into the room, you see why. He sets the snack down on the bed and rolls one of the water bottles your way.

“I was thinking,” he says, turning his back to you and walking over to the television resting on your dresser. “We should watch a movie.” It seems like he already had one in mind as he plucks one from your small pile of VHS tapes. Eddie pops the tape into the VCR and strolls back over to the bed. He holds the popcorn bowl so he doesn’t knock it over while he gets situated. As soon as he lifts his arm, you’re cuddling up into his side. Sweat sticks to both of you even after you’ve cleaned up, but you tuck yourself into Eddie’s side regardless. He places the bowl of popcorn on his thigh closest to you as you rest your head on his shoulder. The familiar sweet scent of your strawberry shampoo brings a smile to his face and a feeling of warmth and comfort settles over him.

“Oh, you put Tommy Boy on!” Your face lights up in glee as you point to the television, as if he didn’t know that you were referring to the movie on the screen.

“I know how much you love it,” he says, a smile on his face at how happy it made you.

Cuddling up to his side, Eddie grabs a few pieces of popcorn and holds them up to your mouth. Giggling, you eat them out of his hand like a horse being fed hay. The two of you lazily feed pieces to one another as you watch the movie. When the bowl is empty, you nuzzle your face into Eddie’s neck. The smell of sweat, weed, and his minty shampoo floods your senses and has you more relaxed than you’ve felt in days. Only a few minutes later, Eddie can feel your breath against his neck as it comes out in long puffs. A smile grows on his face at the realization that you’ve fallen asleep.

Carefully, Eddie moves the empty bowl of popcorn to the bedside table and slowly maneuvers himself so he's laying down, keeping you held in his arms. He pulls your body as close as he can, keeping his promise of holding you as closely as you’d like.

“Goodnight, pretty girl. I love you.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fan fiction #Eddie Munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #request

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junosmindpalace · 5 months

Note

Hello! I absolutely love all your Dr Stone works!! Especially about Senku, so now I want to make a request. Can you do Senku fluff alphabet? Senku and reader are in relationship. I am not fluent in English, I hope you understood everything, thank you!!

hi there! thank you for your request! i’ve never done a fluff alphabet omg this was so fun. these are pretty much the same everywhere i looked but i specifically took questions from @ arlertdarling !

synopsis: your relationship with senku from a-z.

( A ) AFFECTION — how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?

senku’s biggest and most prominent love language is very obviously acts of service, and even then they can be seemingly indirect or misleading. he typically frames the things he does as doing them for his own benefit, but they obviously benefit you as well. he’s a little more open with doing you favors or kind acts for no particular reason other than to help you or make you smile just because you two are so close and know each other so well.

perhaps if you’ve been together for a while, he’ll allow some physical affection from you, but typically never initiates it himself outside of gently tugging your hand to lead you somewhere or grabbing your shoulder(s), placing a hand on your lower back or what not to guide you elsewhere. he also tends to get more physical if you are/were in danger for obvious reasons. it's more so reassurance for him that you’re alright and being right there to help immediately in case something is wrong.

words of affirmation is a close second in terms of love languages. he can be really encouraging with his words when you need a pick me up, and really moving when you just need some reassurance when things feel too hectic.

( B ) BEST FRIEND — what would they be like as a best friend? how would the friendship start?

your friendship developed from your occasional bump ins when he’d be in the middle of an experiment. you’d always look on at him in awe, and eventually invited yourself to sit and watch and ask him questions, which he had no qualms at all with answering. from there you would watch and help out with his experiments more regularly.

he’s not a friend that's too high maintenance. whether you come to visit him in the science club room every day or once every couple of weeks, senku doesn’t treat you any less like a friend, or at the very least a well acquainted schoolmate. he’s fun to be around, however. someone you can go to if you’re bored and will always encourage you in your own hobbies. it’s your mutual dedication and passion for the things you love that make you two so close.

( C ) CUDDLES — do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?

not a big cuddler, but he can get a little clingy when he’s sleeping. he tends to curl in on himself, but if you happen to be in the vicinity, he might subconsciously reach for you. at best, he feels comfortable enough to lay his head on your thighs or stomach with an arm wrapped loosely around your waist or on top of your stomach. you make sure to avert any sort of conversation related to this when he wakes up, subtly maneuvering him off your lap as he sits up with a drowsy look on his face as to avoid embarrassing him or making him uncomfortable. you can tell he sometimes realizes what happened, but never outwardly says so--and never tells you to push him away, either.

( D ) DOMESTIC — do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?

not an incredibly prevalent thought. at best its fleeting if hes thinking about it at all. he’s probably very indifferent to the idea of marriage and having children, and even simply living a simple existence just isn’t his style.

in terms of chores, he probably does them fairly well, except it would probably take him a couple of reminders and has a bad habit of leaving messes from all the time he spent alone preoccupied with his experiments. however the fact that he managed his home by himself a lot probably means he’s good at doing them, but like any person, it’s probably a pain for him.

( E ) ENDING — if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?

probably finds a suitable time to talk to you somewhere private and flat out tells you he wants to end things. it seems harsh, but there’s no reason to beat around the bush. his tone of voice and expression are far from emotionless, however. he keeps himself composed and steady for the most part, but you can see that it also pains him from the slight waver and strain in his voice, and from the creases in between his brows and lines on his forehead. he makes sure to do his best to let you down as gently as he thinks he can and doesn’t judge you for any sort of emotions you feel or express toward him.

( F ) FIANCÉ — how do they feel about commitment? how quick would they want to get married?

again, marriage is probably a very fleeting thought for senku and something he’s for the most part indifferent toward. he doesn’t feel commitment needs to be cemented through a ceremony or new marriages titles or a piece of paper; he cares about you and loves you, and doesn’t need a ring on his finger to remind him to be unwaveringly loyal. maybe would make fun of some wedding and marriage traditions, but even though he himself would probably never suggest marriage, if it means something to you, he doesn’t see the big deal in going through with it--though he probably wouldn’t be all for a ceremony or anything too grand.

( G ) GENTLE — how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?

it really depends on the circumstances. sometimes senku can come off somewhat harsh to a person who isn’t all that familiar with him, but it typically isnt his intention, especially not with you. for the most part your relationship is mostly comprised of teasing and playful banter, but when you tend to get more personal and sensitive, the gruffness in his voice quiets down and becomes a lot gentler.

this also goes with physical touch. he sometimes tends to just randomly pull at you to follow him certain places, and of course if you’re in any potential danger, but his touch can also be super soft and reassuring, typically when you’re expressing insecurity or hard feelings of some kind.

( H ) HUGS — do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are their hugs like?

like said with cuddling, not a big hugger. grand pda is just not his thing, but he won’t always refuse it. if its you, he’s probably a little more willing to be touchy, but it doesn’t happen all too often. most of the time its you initiating the hug, whether its draping over him mid experiment or hugging him from behind as he takes note of something, and usually he doesnt comment on it or move away, simply letting himself exist in your arms as he does whatever he’s doing and continuing your conversation normally. he might sometimes rub his hand over yours or place his arm under your elbow when he turns around to face you with a fond gaze even despite his smirk and teasing tone.

( I ) I LOVE YOU — how fast do they say the L-word?

he has yet to say it outright as a single phrase, but its obvious that he says it in more indirect ways. in the kind things he does for you, in the concern he expresses when you feel low about something or might be in danger, in the ways he motivates you when you feel hopeless and insecure. and when you teasingly call him out for all of these kind things, he scoffs and rolls his eyes and will occasionally say things along the lines of “i love when you ____”. still, it’s rare even if he says this, and he’s usually very nonchalant when he does, but you can take notice of the slight shyness in his voice from the way it quiets just a slight bit and his eyes hold a softer expression.

still, it takes him a bit to get to this point. a lot of familiarizing yourselves with one another, getting more personal and proving yourself over and over as someone reliable and admirable makes it easier and easier for senku to express these feelings for you. and though he doesn’t say the L word out loud, he definitely thinks it with every impressive feat you manage to accomplish or witty remark you make that only solidify his reasoning as to why he’s with you in the first place.

( J ) JEALOUSY — how jealous do they get? what do they do when they’re jealous?

not incredibly often, but it’s not unheard of. it’s mostly when hes already overwhelmed with a lot on his plate, and seeing someone chatting you up, even if there wasn’t any flirty intention behind their words or actions, just irritates senku, and he’ll usually break it up by yelling at them to focus up on their work or guiding you away to help him with something else, calling over his shoulder “shouldn’t you be doing ____? how about getting on that instead of distracting our crew?”

it can be subtle, but it can also be very obvious, which leads to people making some teasing remarks toward him for it, but he mostly ignores them. same with classmates, he’ll just redirect their attentions away from you and swoop in to show you something of his own.

( K ) KISSES — what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?

like hugs, he’s not the biggest kisser, and he’s not the one initiating them. he’s sort of (very) awkward when it comes to kissing in the early stages of your relationship, and it takes a good amount of time before he eventually stops stiffening as much over a kiss on the cheek.

of course you don’t force him into anything he’s uncomfortable with, and have no problem not kissing him, but you can tell from the way he’s more relaxed when you lean over to give him a quick peck when he has a smirk or a pout on the lips that he’s grown to like them just a slight bit on occasion.

if he had to decide on a favorite spot to receive kisses, he’d maybe say his temple. if he were to ever initiate a kiss for you, it would be somewhere less noticeable and in private, such as on your inner wrist or knuckles.

( L ) LITTLE ONES — how are they around children?

so good. he’s stupidly good with them. he doesn’t even do anything consciously to try to appeal to them for the most part; they’re just drawn to his experiments and funny words, and of course senku for the most part indulges them, so he becomes popular pretty quickly.

it’s incredibly endearing to see him interact and form a relationship with the children of ishigami village, watching their curious heads peek from behind his shoulder or back at his experiments and petting their hair when they crowd around him, eagerly asking to play or show them more cool modern inventions.

sometimes he might whisper in their ears to go over to you to watch you do whatever it is you’re most skilled at, and you know immediately whose responsible for the sudden eager crowd of little people around you when your gaze meets senku’s and he shoots you a smirk, with you rolling your eyes in retaliation.

( M ) MORNING — how are mornings spent with them?

maaaaybe slightly controversial take but i think it takes him a bit to properly wake himself up. he’s pretty groggy in the mornings and isn’t fully ready to start the day until an hour or two after he wakes up. however, i can see the sleepiness fading from his system a lot quicker than it does for most people, so if you were to see him at school in the mornings or in a classroom, he’s annoyedly outgoing and cheerful for your taste. still, if you were to spend your mornings together even before all that, you’re usually spending them in silence or having quiet and short conversation.

( N ) NIGHT — how are nights spent with them?

arguably worse than mornings, but this time he’s keeping you awake. he doesn’t go to bed till probably around midnight, and most of his studying time is probably spent in the evenings. if either of you are sleeping over, usually senku has his nose in a book till his eyes get too heavy and he puts it down to rest. he either joins you already curled into bed passed out, or you sit beside him doing whatever you do in the evenings as he sleeps. nights are not all that eventful for you personally, it’s mostly just being in each others’ presence while doing your own things, with occasional conversation here and there.

( O ) OPEN — when would they start revealing things about themselves? do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly.

the more personal details about himself probably come later. definitely not an all at once person, and most of the time you just have to let him come to revealing stuff on his own terms. when he does, it’s during a time you’re being very sensitive and personal with each other, and it sort of slips out. either then or at another random time where he reveals something new about himself or his background very nonchalantly. you don’t usually call it out, but you’ll try to ask some questions to get him to expand and tuck the knowledge away.

again, he’s not the emotional type, so when it comes to himself and his more personal aspects, it can take a little longer to get information out of him compared to other stuff, such as his passion for and knowledge of science.

( P ) PATIENCE — how easily angered are they?

senku himself has said (if i remember correctly), that he gets irritated and is just good at disguising it. for him to be genuinely angry, however, i think would take quite a bit. he can be over the top in how he reacts when he’s annoyed, but it doesn’t come from a place of genuine rage.

i think in order to anger him, you’d have to insult something he deeply cares about repeatedly, or threaten it. and even then he’s usually good at not letting himself go crazy over it.

he’s rarely ever angry with you, if not at all. you’re both familiar with your banter and teasing, and you know what lines not to cross or not to take certain comments too personally.

( Q ) QUIZZES — how much would they remember about you? do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?

generally very good at remembering things about you. you don’t expect him to remember every slight off hand comment you make, but he often manages to surprise you when he brings up details that even you forgot you ever shared with him.

he cares about you a lot, and though he’s already pretty attentive, it only enhances when it comes to you discussing aspects about yourself. he’s interested in learning about you, from your hobbies to your fondest memory. whatever it may be, he usually is able to recall it.

( R ) REMEMBER — what is their favourite moment in your relationship?

he likes any sort of moment where he’s spending time with you working on an experiment or discussing something science related. working on the thing he’s most passionate about with the person he loves and cares for the most? those are his favorite times, especially since you’re always so enthusiastic about them, asking him question after question and helping him complete the experiment.

he also likes being able to indulge, and you encouraging him and taking an interest yourself is something he really appreciates. he also thinks it’s incredibly endearing to see you so passionate and curious, and very attractive when you explain your own research and demonstrate your own knowledge and skill. he never forgets how much you contribute to his own growth because of this.

( S ) SECURITY — how protective are they? how would they protect you? how would they like to be protected?

not overly protective unless you were in some sort of danger. even if there was potential for you to get hurt, he still isn’t the most overbearing in his concern. of course, he still likes to do whatever he can to prevent any danger (though he knows you’re capable of handling yourself, it’s more so for his own peace of mind and he just can’t admit to it), and so he does insist you wear protective gear and gives you tools to help you do your job more efficiently in the stone world.

he wouldn’t want you to step in and prevent him from doing anything, but the best way you could protect him is in the same way he protects you—by having his back. being there to provide him with the resources and support he needs in any given situation, especially dangerous ones or endeavors he very passionate about.

( T ) TRY — how much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?

unless you’re a person who doesn’t really like to celebrate relationship milestone or events, senku will make at least some sort of effort to commemorate the moments somehow. again, it’s through more subtle and indirect means, but eventually you’re able to piece together why he seems to be a little nicer and more sentimental on those kinds of days.

gifts are also not always the most straightforward and are usually practical and science related, hand crafted by senku himself, which makes you appreciate them all the more. sometimes they can be too straightforward and basic, however. but if he knows there’s something specific you’ve been indecisive about getting, or a certain place you’ve been meaning to visit, he might surprise you with a trip or take that push to make that purchase for you.

he goes about his everyday tasks outside of science like any other person—or any other teen. he does well in school and helps out around the household with chores.

( U ) UGLY — what would be some bad habits of theirs?

can maybe get a little too distanced from his emotions. he has a bad habit of breaking intimate moments in favour of teasing, but it mostly stems from his own discomfort toward that sort of stuff. he gets better at handling it further into your relationship, but it’s a habit he still has trouble completely breaking down.

he also has a habit of getting too caught up in his experiments. there are certain days where all he wants to do is work, and sometimes that means making the people around him join in and help him. once he’s got his mind on something he’s determined to see it through, and this typically happened often where he wouldn’t pull away from the experiment or project until he gave himself a designated break or was forced to stop due to external factors.

( V ) VANITY — how concerned are they with their looks?

next to not at all. senku can understand wanting to look presentable, but the last thing on his mind is whether or not he should cut his hair a certain way or wear his shirt in a certain style (he’s never expressed a problem with his cowlicks).

he’s probably never stressed out that much about the way he’s perceived in terms of personality either. perhaps only when it came to testing his physical limits or dressing up in clothes that aren’t his own personal style (as seen in the wardrobe montage). but overall he’s not hyperfiaxfing on it, not even to try to impress you (he naturally cleans up well).

his close friends might tell you that he tends to subconsciously adjust his clothes or straighten his back when you walk into a room, however.

( W ) WHOLE — would they feel incomplete without you?

i don’t think so. senku has his own passions and goals and many other people who share them and that he’s close with. he definitely doesn’t need one specific person to make him feel like himself, and that’s one thing you greatly admired about him.

still, just because he thinks he can get by without you doesn’t mean he wants to. he’s always trying to include you in aspects of his life, and you’ve become such a big part of it that it would take him a long time to actually heal from not having you around.

he can’t deny that though it doesn’t feel soul crushing to be apart from you for so long, he can feel a more comfortable and reassuring feeling when he’s by your side.

( X ) XTRA — a random headcanon for them!

he’s really good at impressions thanks to his dad. it’s one of those habits that he really didn’t like but ended up rubbing off on him from how often byakuya did them, and every time he catches himself doing an impression or talking to himself in another voice, he physically stops whatever he’s doing and groans about how he “sounds just like my old man” or “is turning into my old man”.

it makes you laugh though, so he doesn’t feel as embarrassed doing them when he’s voicing a hypothetical situation of some sorts when he’s explaining something to do. if anything, your laughter only encourages him.

( Y ) YUCK — what are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?

a person who lacks ambition and curiosity. he doesn’t get how he could relate to a person like that at all, let alone spend the rest of his life with them. his partner doesn’t need to be as fiercely passionate about science as he is, but he wouldn’t want a partner that has absolutely no big interests hobbies or skills. those kinds of people seem like the ones he’d be least compatible with.

( Z ) ZZZ — what are their sleep habits?

most of the time tries to get at least 8 hours of sleep, but sometimes tends to get a little less. it’s important for him to have a healthy sleeping cycle/schedule so his brain and body can work to their full capacity. he can still function without a lot of it, but it’s harder on his mental and physical strength, so it’s even more important that he gets enough to keep him going throughout the day.

very rarely pulls an all nighter. has definitely pulled a couple, but it’s not often enough to have his body adjust to simply two hours of sleep without any side effects.

like i said before, he tends to cuddle in on himself, wrapping the blanket over his shoulders so he’s completely covered. cannot sleep well in the heat, so he’d rather be freezing at night. adjusts himself maybe a couple of times throughout the night, from curling against your leg to turning his back toward you.

#wrote something to make up for all the writing i HAVENT been doing #as always life has been busy.#bjt i miss m’y boy #dr stone x reader #dr stone oneshot #dr stone fluff #drst x reader #drst oneshot #drst fluff #senku ishigami x reader #senku ishigami fluff #senku ishigami oneshot

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toomuchracket · 8 months

Text

stress relief (sweetheart!george x reader fluff)

first george fic, who cheered?! day 8 of promptober. a weird little (well, long) fluffy end of high school moment about exam stress, and hitting things and smoking weed and kissing your new boyfriend to make you feel better. i've absolutely not a clue what came over me while i wrote this. but i think it's fun. and i hope you lot do too! <3

you're stomping down the street towards your house when your phone rings. digging it out of your bag, your grumpiness ebbs slightly when you see it's george on the other end of the line. "hiya."

"hi, baby," comes the gravelly reply. george's voice is enough to send you into a fit of enamoured giggles anyway, but hearing him address you with the pet name - a recent development, a free add-on that came with the "girlfriend" title during the summer - has you practically skipping down the street. "how'd it go?"

the reminder of the horrible mock exam almost threatens to block out the enjoyment of talking to george, a black cloud over the sun. "fucking awful."

"doubt that," george replies. there's a shuffling sound in the background on his end; you know, even without seeing him, that he's moved to lean his elbow on something so he can adjust the phone and listen to you better. "but tell me all about it."

"it was just… bad. the questions were all worded so weirdly. felt so fucking thick trying to read them, g," you sigh, kicking at a stone on the pavement. "so obviously i've no idea if i answered anything correctly, because i couldn't fucking understand what they were actually asking, and if i don't pass this then i don't get to sit the actual exam, and then i've got no bloody chance of getting into uni."

your voice breaks on the final word, and so does the invisible dam keeping your tears in. despite doing your best to keep any sobs at bay, george immediately clocks that you're crying and goes into reassurance mode. "baby…"

"it's fine, i'm fine," you sniffle. "sorry, i know i'm being silly. how are you?"

"worried about you, angel. i don't like how stressed out this exam's made you feel, recently," george admits. "and i'm not letting you dwell on it from this point on, alright?"

"babe…"

"you answered every question, i take it?"

you frown. "i mean, yeah, but-"

"no buts, baby," george's voice is firm; it does something weird to your brain. that's new. "you answered every question in the paper to the best of your ability. don't try and argue with me on that one, angel. i know you did, because you never half-arse anything, and it's one of the things i lo-like most about you. and there's nothing more you can do about the exam, so there's no point dwelling on it, even if it was as shit as you say. yeah?"

you sigh. "yeah. you're right."

"i know i am," george's voice is smug, but it softens as he continues. "wish i was there to give you a hug right now, though, make you feel better."

"me too," you say wistfully, unlocking your front door and shrugging off your jacket before heading upstairs. "but i'll get one off you at the party tonight. or several. actually, i might not even let go of you the whole time."

you flop onto your bed, rolling onto your stomach and kicking your legs in the air as george laughs and says "i'm not gonna complain about that, babe. speaking of the party, what d'you want? matty's picking up in a bit."

"are you smoking?"

"was gonna, yeah. want some?"

"please."

"sweet. he says he's already got wine if you want it, too, but he'll get you vodka if you'd rather have that."

"no, wine's good," you say. "thank him for me, please, and tell him i'll pay him back later."

george laughs. "i've got you covered, babe."

you facepalm. "george."

"what? you've had a hard day. let me treat you."

there’s silence for a brief moment, as you ponder and then decide against debating with your boyfriend (even thinking about calling george that makes you smile); as stubborn as you are, george is ten times worse. if this was an in-person debate, a strategically-timed pout would give you the upper hand, but you'll never wear him down via phone.

"fine," you sigh dramatically. "thank you, babe. but you have to accept petrol money from me tonight."

"not a fucking chance. i have to drive past your house to get to matty's, anyway. he should be the one paying me."

you laugh. "if you're sure, babe. i'll get you back sometime, though."

"actually, there is something you could do for me tonight, if you wouldn't mind," george says slowly, voice deepening even more than usual. it sends goosebumps down your arms, and any and all sanity out of your head. "you could wear that top you bought at the weekend."

"the black one?"

"yeah," george's voice changes again; you can hear him blushing. "you looked really beautiful in it."

(his reaction when you'd opened the fitting room door last week had made you aware of that thought of his, but it's far nicer hearing him say it.)

"consider it done," you smile. "what time should i be ready for?"

"six? then we have time to get a maccies on the way."

"you do know the way to a girl's heart, george daniel."

george laughs. your heart flutters. "alright, baby. i'll see you in a couple of hours."

"looking forward to it," you smile, clicking your phone off. the goodbye feels unfinished, you think; the three other words you're too nervous to say to george seem to linger expectantly in your throat every time you talk to him, just waiting to be released from your lips to his ears. it's only been three months since you started labelling the relationship, but there were three of "dating" beforehand (following a two-sided drunken confession at matty's eighteenth), and another eight of crushing and pining preceding that - you know exactly how you feel about him. you just don't know when to tell him.

you nearly do, though, when he picks you up for the party later that night. after chucking your overnight bag in the backseat, you climb into the passenger seat and are immediately pulled into an absolute head-melter of a kiss.

george smiles as he pulls back from you. "hi, baby. you wore the top, i see."

"course i did," you grin in response. "have to keep up with you, don't i, gorgeous?"

"oh, shush," george shakes his head, cheeks pink. "right, let's get you some nuggets."

you clap, and your boyfriend laughs, a sound that continues from both of you as you make your way through the drive-thru and then to matty's. in between giggles and singalongs to the blink-182 album in the cd player, you feed george chips and chicken nuggets, the friday evening traffic stopping the two of you from being able to park and eat your dinner and still make it to the party on time. the vibe is in total contrast to your frustrated tears from earlier; now, doing shitty tom delonge impressions with your favourite boy in the world, you're ridiculously happy.

after parking outside matty's house, george turns to you before either of you can get out of the car. "listen, baby," he says softly, bringing a hand up to stroke your hair. "i know it's been a bit of a day for you, and i just want you to be alright - if you wanna go home at any point, tell me, yeah?"

your heart swells a little at his tenderness. you nod, pouting your lips slightly. "kiss?"

"gladly," george grins, lips on yours within seconds. like earlier, this kiss makes your head spin.

unlike earlier, however, it isn't ended by either you or george pulling away; the two of you are so distracted by each other that you don't hear adam walking across the gravel towards the car. it isn't until he opens the passenger door that you pull away from george in fright, and then he speaks. "matty says no snogging in the driveway."

"tell him i'll do it in his fucking bedroom and see what he says then," george snaps. he kisses your hand. "sorry, baby."

"s'fine. hi, adam," you say, turning to your friend. "how are you?"

"betrayed, actually - you got a maccies and didn't ask if i wanted anything?"

"leave her alone, hann," george says, walking round to grab your bag and usher you out of the car. "she's had a stressful day."

"well, you're in luck, mate - oh, cheers," adam pulls you into a half hug as you pass him your final chicken nugget, and the boys lead you into the house. "matty found an unused piñata in the garage, so you can beat the shit out of that if it'll make you feel better."

"he just… found a piñata? just happened across it?" you ask, mildly bewildered (it's matty, after all), at the exact same time george ponders "what's he put in it?"

"he just found it, yeah. i don't know either," adam shrugs. "and he's literally put joints in it. no sweets. just weed."

interesting.

george nearly pisses himself laughing, while you, as is your wont, ask a sensible question. "won't the force of the hits knock the joints apart, though? like, genius idea to put them there in theory, but will it work?"

"only one way to find out, i s'pose, baby" george says. "here, let me put your bag upstairs. i'll meet you in the garden in a minute, yeah?"

your boyfriend kisses you quickly and hurries upstairs, while you follow adam out to the garden, stopping briefly to hug some of your friends hello. only ross and matty are outside, the former reaching up to attach a unicorn piñata to a tree branch while the latter shouts orders at him. "fucksake, ross, that's far too high!"

"he's right, unfortunately, ross," you chip in, wandering over towards them and slinging an arm round matty's shoulders. "do you really want either of us jumping with a potential weapon in our hands?"

"he already is a potential weapon," comes the grumbling from under the branch.

"taking that as a compliment, actually," matty shouts, steering you away from the tree and hugging you. "hi, darling. where's g?"

"stashing my handbag for me."

"ok, good, because i have news and you're the only person i can tell," matty spins to face you, inhaling deeply and clasping his hands together. "i think i'm in love."

"ok?" you put your hands on your hips, underwhelmed. "you've already told me this, remember? last month?"

"different person. that wasn't real, this is."

"right. and you're only telling me because…?"

"well, it's someone like you i think i'm in love with."

"a girl?" you smirk. "i guessed as much, mate."

"smartarse," matty huffs. "no. i mean, like, she's proper smart. and serious about it. she wants to study law at uni. i'm totally intimidated by her, but i fancy her so much."

he stares at you expectantly. you stare just as blankly back. "and?"

"and i need your help," matty all but wails. "how do i make her like me?"

bless him. you smile. "well, you're in a band. that helps."

"really? even for pulling geniuses like you and her?"

"not to be dramatic, but that day i walked into the music room to tell you lot to shut up and saw george drumming to brianstorm? life-changing," you blush. matty smiles, genuinely. "but also, just don't be a gobshite, yeah? you actually being quite sensitive is unexpected, and it's nice. really."

"ok. thanks, mate," matty pulls you into a quick hug. "i wish she was coming tonight. be a lot more fun."

"we literally have a weed-filled piñata. we're peaking with fun."

he laughs. "true. and i did only meet her today."

you raise your eyebrows. "wait - on the set of your mum's show? have you told denise?"

"do i look like an idiot? actually," matty shakes his head. "don't answer that. no need to tell me."

"tell you what?" george wanders over to the pair of you, hugging matty and pecking you on the lips. "what are you two gossiping about?"

"what we're buying you for christmas," you say smoothly. "and how amazing a gift i'm now obligated to get you, because you won't let me pay for my own bloody weed."

the boys laugh, and george kisses you on the head. "speaking of, ross thinks he's perfected the piñata height. fancy a bit of stress relief?"

"ew, george, not in my house," matty faux-retches, then grins. "kidding. come on, lovebirds, let's beat the shit out of a unicorn and get stoned."

"and other normal sentences he's said today," george murmurs in your ear, making you giggle as you follow your friend towards the tree.

as you near it, ross holds a cricket bat out to you. "heard you were feeling stressed. have at it, mate."

"thanks, ross," you take the wooden stick, turning it over in your hands before turning to look at the host incredulously. "who the fuck in your family plays cricket?"

"how should i know?" comes matty’s equally-incredulous reply. "just hit the horse, please, i need a fucking zoot."

"fine. here goes," you say. "actually, shouldn't we put something on the ground to catch the joints?"

"good point. here," george pulls off his hoodie and throws it on the grass; you're momentarily distracted by his biceps through his long-sleeved t-shirt. "give it hell, baby."

you smirk, closing your eyes and thinking of the awful exam paper from earlier. all the frustration and stress hits your nervous system like a tidal wave; practically vibrating with rage, you swing the bat and hit the papier-mache before you with a satisfying thwack, denting it. the boys cheer, and it spurs you on even more - within minutes, you've beaten the unicorn to a pulp, its contraband insides (mostly) intact on your boyfriend's hoodie, and your insides the most stress-free they've been in a long time.

breathless, you hand the bat back to a wide-eyed ross, who claps you on the back. "impressive, actually."

"thank you," you bow, the boys laughing as they scramble to pick up the joints. george grabs two for each of you and your hand simultaneously, leading you towards the cushioned loungers near the kitchen window.

he sits first, settling you gently on his lap before pulling a lighter from his pocket. you're suddenly extremely aware of the chilly october evening air, and shuffle around so you can half-lean against george's hard chest; you gaze up at him, all sharp jaw and heavy eyes with the joint between his lips. "is this ok?"

"s'perfect, baby," george smiles, hand tracing patterns against the outside of your thigh. he lifts it, though, to take the joint out of his mouth. "you wanna go first?"

you shake your head. george smoking is an incredibly sexy sight; you want a clear head the first time you see it tonight. the flickering flame sharpens his cheekbones in the most beautiful way as he lights the joint, and the way he draws them in as he inhales it is nothing short of stunning. but nothing compares to the way he exhales the smoke, head thrown back in pleasure and faint moans escaping his lips - your thighs clench ever so slightly as he does, which isn't helped by the way he looks at you as he passes you the weed.

he doesn't seem to fare any better while you smoke, though; your eyes close in contentment when the inhale hits your airways (and a little groan of satisfaction involuntarily leaves you), but you open them to find george biting his lip while he watches yours.

it gives you an idea. passing the joint back, you ask a favour of your boyfriend. "will you shotgun me, please?"

george hums happily. "absolutely, baby."

you shuffle so you're sitting directly on his lap, facing him. whether it's the crispness of the night or the weed or just george himself, you don't know, but you're more aware of this particular bodily position than ever before. there's an energy you can't quite describe crackling in the night air - anticipation, maybe.

whatever it is, you like it.

"ready?" george asks, joint halfway to his lips. you nod, loosely clasping your hands at the nape of his neck and leaning forward. he inhales, your mouth opens, he exhales, and you do your best to take in as much of the smoke as you can.

even though you've been smoking properly for a little while now, the best highs are always the ones you share with george; he seems to intoxicate you more than the drug does. given how much longer he's been smoking, you'd be forgiven for thinking that he doesn't feel the same way, but the speed with which he quickly lays the joint in a nearby ashtray (thank fuck the healys are a family of smokers, by the way) and crashes his lips to yours suggests otherwise. the crackling in the air ceases, but seems to find a new home in your body; sparks seem to fly from your lips to your brain, overloading the organ until all you can think is george, george, george.

yeah, you love him all right.

#mads muses #mads does writing #george daniel fic #george daniel fanfiction #sweetheart!george #george daniel fanfic #george daniel fluff #george daniel x reader #george x reader #promptober75

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whywoulditho · 3 months

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"the fandom ruined mha" is one of those vastly popular opinions that i've never quite understood. because they honestly...weren't as bad as people made it seem??? i swear people with zero fandom experience will see a thirteen year old in cheap cosplay having fun and say shit like "ew i hate this fandom you're ruining it" like maybe leave the goddamn kid alone??

mha has a very large fan community, and what makes it a little different than most other anime fandoms is that mha was specifically targeted for a global audience. they did their best to avoid any quirks and cliche tropes of anime that would go over non-japanese' heads. the art style is pretty cartoonish and it's got lots of references to western comics. there's a whole ass movie set in the US. what i'm trying to say is that a large, international fandom was always what they were going for, and it was well received. it was one of those shows that you'd kind of had to watch if you wanted to be in anime spaces back in like 2016-2018. mind you this is when even aot wasn't that popular. and when something is so popular, there's gonna be lot of weird people in the fandom. BECAUSE most of them will be people who have never been in fandom spaces before. the "cringy mha fans" that were the butt of every joke in anime discord were more of than not minors having just been introduced to anime or fandom culture as a whole. there were lots of weird stuff, i admit. but was it ever really that serious? like why couldn't yall just leave those people alone??

another thing people just couldn't stop talking about was how there were way too many ships in the fandom but 1) why is that a bad thing? and 2) of course there were gonna be a lot of ships in a show that introduced TWO WHOLE CLASSROOMS OF TEENAGERS AS THE MAIN CAST who interacted all the time. not to mention all the students from other hero schools, upperclassmen, pro heroes & teachers. there are like a million characters in this show and the more characters the more potential ships -it's fucking common sense. i think what really happened there was that people outside of the fandom looked at the fanmade content and thought the fandom must have been obsessed with ships. when in reality i think the fans were really chill about it. most of them were multishippers, they didn’t mind the other pairings. i understand that for an outsider's eye all the ships and disclose must've looked chaotic but in fandom spaces people know how to filter the content they engage with so there really arent any serious "ship wars" going on anywhere except for maybe instagram comments.

i am not saying all the ships were unproblematic, there were some pretty weird ships going on too, but honestly i thought half of them were jokes? or at least crackships? and if you compared the number of fics those kind of pairings have on ao3 to the more family friendly ones you'd see that there really weren't an actual fanbase for any of those weird ass pairings.

i think the core of mha fandom has never been as chaotic as others thought it was. mha fans were interested in the story, the fights & the character development while casually enjoying ships as well. it wasn't that serious until yall started bullying a bunch of kids online. with the rise of tiktok and the boredom the pandemic caused there were a huge amount of amateur content. i'm not saying i've never seen a mha fan being genuinely cringe. i just think the mature response to those posts would have been leaving the poor kids alone.

yesterday i've seen a youtube video about how awful mha fans are and this guy just showed a clip of a bunch of cosplayers outside of what was probably an anime convention dancing to gangnam style and he was going on and on about how annoying they are. and it made me so angry because where the fuck did these anime fan bourgeoisie snobs come from telling people they can't have fun at FUCKING ANIME CONVENTIONS??? i dont know if you've ever been to one but an anime con is basically the only place that's supposed to be safe to do cringe shit like that. everyone goes to those things in cosplay, some better than others. but last i checked everyone was pretty nice to each other, complimenting each other's costumes, asking to take photos. the cosplays don't have to be good, they don't even have to be complete. a convention is the one place you can show up in a wig you bought off ebay and a costume you finished making the night before. i dont know what yall are on but people go to those events to have fun. not to be filmed and made fun of. and from my personal experience having been in fandom spaces since middle school, someone who dances to gangnam style in a cheap todoroki cosplay is an infinitely nicer person than the stuck-up loser who makes a video complaining about it

#long post #fandom #mha #bnha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #ships #cosplay #i talk

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 6 months

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WIBTA if I talked about my friend behind his back. A few months ago, a friend and I (both in our early 20s) got into an argument, and I haven't really been talking to him since. Well, it wasn't really an argument, but here's the context: We were trying to find a date to watch a movie together, and we somehow started to talk about my weekend plans, and he asked why I didn't. I was booked that day, so I told him about my rather kinky plans. I didn't go into details, just told him that It would probably take all day.

I've always been rather open with my friends when it comes to the things I enjoy, so this should not have been anything new to him, but he went into a full-on rant about how Kink is a morall failling, and it's only for degenerates. Awful stuff, really, but the worst part for me was that he basically tried to police me and forbid me from doing anything kink-related (obviously not even going to consider that).

Now, I knew he was fairly immature when it came to certain things, but this was new. After this showing of his true colors, I kind of just went no contact with him. I didn't develop a deep hatred for him or something, I just don't really have anything to say to him after knowing how he views Kink and, by extension, me.

Before this happened, I was over at his house a lot (he lives with his family) a lot, and I'm very good friends with his Mother. We spent a lot of time together because it's quite the drive, so I stayed over a lot, and he left for work or school in the morning while she stayed home.

Now, his Mom has been texting me a lot lately and asking why I haven't visited in a while (she asked her son too, but I don't think he even knows what he did wrong). Now, he's an adult, and so am I. I don't feel like it's her responsibility. He's over 20, but I will have to eventually resolve this if I want to stay in touch with her. So, would I be an asshole if I told my friend's mom what he said to me?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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epiphyllous · 2 years

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gift of immortality (Malleus x Reader)

The potion of immortality has been made and Diasomnia rejoices over its discovery. No one is happier than Malleus, who upon the knowledge of the potion existing, presents it to you immediately. The last thing Malleus expects you to do is gently close his hand around the vial of immortality and shake your head. word count: ~2.4k notes: malleus x reader, gender neutral reader “you,” established relationship, angst to fluff; hurt/comfort (it works out in the end), diasomnia dorm

For a fae, Malleus is much too aware of his lack of mortality. For as powerful as he may be, he will always be beat when it comes to facing the march of time. He is not affected by it-- not directly, anyways, but recently Malleus finds that he wishes that it did touch him the same way it does others, like it does you.

If it did, perhaps his fear of being left behind would not have such a hold on him when he thinks of you growing old.

He tries not to think upon it too much. He already has so little time with you to lose any of it to the fear of something that is only inevitable. You have told him this very notion several times as gently as you could, so perhaps his fear is not so easily masked (perhaps just to you). And he is fine with it; accepts that things will be as they are, and that his life must be lived to the fullest with you here with him.

This goes well for him until the time you get sick. And the fear comes back tenfold.

(Malleus isn't sure what he would have done if he had lost you then, futilely holding onto your clammy hand as your breaths come out unevenly and labored. He isn't ready to lose you. Not then, not now, and now he isn't sure if he ever will be.)

Which is why when a potion of immortality is given to him on a silver platter, Malleus does not hesitate. With Sebek and Silver trailing after him, their congratulations interrupted by his abrupt exit, Malleus goes to find you sitting in the Diasomnia lounge with Lilia and announces the solution to all his problems.

"This is quite the miracle," Lilia says, blinking, "if it is what we believe. When did you request such a potion to be made, Malleus?"

Malleus avoids your searching look as he answers, "A few months, though I am also surprised by how quickly they have developed it, even with my help."

At this, Lilia perks up. "Well, if it truly is a potion of immortality, that is quite the discovery!" Malleus sees the fae gaze at the vial with a hint of longing, and Malleus hopes that his friend will forgive him for not giving him the first batch of the vial for what he assumes would be for his son. Yes, that would be quite the sight-- Silver, Sebek, and Lilia by his side as he rules over Briar Valley for eons on end like his grandmother.

He looks to Sebek who is switching his attention between looking up at him and the vial in awe. And certainly, Sebek would be wanting the vial for his father as well, as much as he grouses about having a mortal father-- and if not for himself, then for his beloved mother or his siblings to have a father who will live with them throughout their lives. "This is a fantastic endeavor that you have set out to do, young master!" Sebek exclaims, "To possess the power to grant immortality-"

"Shh, now, now, Sebek," Lilia drawls with an indulgent smile. "Not too loud now, lest unsavory company hears of such a thing."

"A-Ah, yes, of course. My apologies..."

To the side, Silver looks on quietly, though even his gaze follows the vial in Malleus' hand as though entranced.

Finally, he hears your voice then, but it is to teasingly berate Sebek for his loud voice than to comment on the potion that has captivated everyone else's attention.

Malleus calls out to you, and he likes the way you turn to him immediately, laughter still in your eyes as you look at him. "What do you think of this?"

“About the potion?" You say, "I think it's nice. For those who want a longer life... I would say it's great. You can help a lot of people with it... or get paid a lot of money."

"Perhaps you belong in Octavinelle," Sebek mutters immediately, avoiding the swat you gave him for his comment.

"It is what it is," you tell him, as you have told Malleus and others countless times before. "Immortality would definitely sell. It's dangerous, even. So I hope we're careful about who we give this to, if anyone."

"Yes, Malleus, that would be correct." Lilia says, looking at him carefully. "What did you intend to do with the first vial?"

The vial itself is not very large, as large as his pinky with a liquid that is deeply magenta. Malleus has yet to open it, but he wonders if you will be able to smell it and tell him what scent it holds. He walks to you and holds the vial out to you. "I want you to take it," he says, watching as your eyes widen.

Malleus thinks of a life long-lived with you by his side. You who temper his anger and guide him to wisdom, you who know him better than he knows himself, you who he has told of all his hopes, dreams, and fears, you who he knows he wants to spend an eternity with (the road to realizing and accepting this was a long one, but he is here now)-- he gives you this vial of immortality.

The last thing he expects is for you to gently close his hand around the vial and shake your head.

"Please don't look at me like that," you say to him after looking away, and Malleus wonders what he must look like for you to tell him that. He thinks that it is a shame that the worst of his emotions are clear on his face at the worst of times. But he cannot quash the feeling of betrayal that comes up at your refusal.

Perhaps it was foolish of him, but it did not once occur to him that you would ever deny the offer of immortality when others covet it so. When the sense of betrayal fades, it bleeds into disappointment and even the feeling of hurt, tinged with an indignant anger that consumes him like wildfire.

Don't you want to live a life with him? Hasn't he told you about the loneliness of it all? Do you not understand the pain of being left behind, or do you simply not care?

You suddenly look up at him and snap with a voice just as brittle as he feels, and he realizes he must have spoken aloud. "Don't you dare say I don't care," you say. "How could you even say that?"

"Then take the potion," he says, and his voice is low when he sees you take a step back as though the vial were poison.

"This is a huge decision, Malleus," you say instead. "This isn't something a person does on a whim."

"Then you will think upon it and take the potion then?" Malleus presses, and when he sees the hesitation on your face, he knows you are only trying to placate him. "You will refuse me again when I offer even then, won't you?"

You stand before him with an unwavering resolve that he has always loved about you-- that he wants nothing more than to crush if it would make you see his way. "I'm not going to drink it, Malleus," you say warningly.

Malleus snaps, taking a step forward. "Then shall I make you drink this then, if you will not take it willingly?"

"You wouldn't," you say, your voice trembling at the strength it takes to speak. "You wouldn't dare, and you know it."

He wouldn't. He respects you too much to force something upon you, and it is a weakness he didn't expect to have until this moment. (You would never say it is a weakness, though.) Still, Malleus growls, eyes narrowing.

"If you make me drink it," you say resolutely, "then you will lose me."

"And if I do not," Malleus says, a fluttering sense of panic in his heart that he cannot control, "I will lose you anyway! Please.” You look up at him in surprise as he pleads, "Understand where I am coming from. What I am asking of you."

"This is not something that I can do for you," you tell him, your voice breaking at the end. "No matter how much I love you."

Malleus swallows, hands gripped at his side, as he struggles to speak without his emotions holding him captive. He knows with certainty he has never experienced this predicament before, but loving you has shown him that his emotions can run deep and loyal. "You have never been afraid of me," he says, closing his eyes. "But I've found myself increasingly more afraid of losing you."

"Malleus-"

He says your name and you snap your mouth shut. Malleus thinks he would beg on his knees if you would like him to. Cut his hair, break his horns, leave him bare-- if only you would tell him 'yes.' A future in which you are not in it is beyond what he can imagine. Though there was once a time he was frightened by the love he felt for you, he can no longer remember how he has been able to live a life without it. Without you. "Please.”

He watches you as you step closer to him and take the vial in his hand. Instead of opening it, as you seem to want to lay eyes on it as little as possible, you hide it away in your other hand as you grasp his hand with yours.

There is a silence, and Malleus watches as you shift where you stand, and it is only then that he vaguely remembers that they are not alone in the room. (Not that it matters to him-- not when he has always considered the three in the room akin to family.)

"Can I talk to Malleus alone for a bit?" You ask them, your eyes never leaving him for a moment.

It is telling in his kingsmen's trust of you that they do not question your request, Lilia quickly ushering the two out with a knowing look at you, and Sebek and Silver filing out with little complaint. (Sebek does mutter a little to himself though, but for him, that means a lot.)

You take his hand and lead him to the couch, and he follows without a word, quieted by the emotional outburst that has left him wrung out.

"Malleus," you begin to say, rubbing his hand with your thumb comfortingly, "how do you feel about the time you've spent with me so far?"

"I enjoyed it," he says immediately. "Very much so. Though we have not known each other for very long (in my eyes), it feels as though I have known you forever." Malleus takes your hand in his and squeezes it, liking the way you squeeze it back almost automatically. "My time with you has been worth living through," he says, and you smile; he feels himself lighten with just the sight of it.

"I think," you say, "that I have been very lucky to meet you where we are. At this time, at this age." You look at the wall of the dorm, lost in thought. "We could have not met at all." Malleus flinches at the thought of it. "Isn't that funny?"

"I would not go so far as to call it 'funny,'" Malleus mutters, and you laugh, quick as you are to find amusement in his fits of petulance.

"Well, what I'm trying to say is getting to know each other is a miracle on its own." You tell him, your eyes meeting his, "You are my chance encounter, Malleus. I feel very lucky to have met you in this lifetime.”

"We could have more than a lifetime together," Malleus says. He eyes the vial in your other hand, and when you see his line of sight, you bring it to him, palm up. When he does not take it, you place it in the space between the two of you where it stays.

"I do not want immortality." You raise your free hands to cup his face, thumb brushing against his cheek tenderly, and he feels like falling apart. "I want to make this life of mine count. I know you don't understand that right now but..." You reach up to press a kiss to his forehead. "Maybe you will someday. But regardless, this is my choice, Malleus."

Malleus closes his eyes when he feels you press your lips onto his skin, your hands holding him as though he were a fragile gemstone. He reaches up to hold onto your wrist, your pulse a comforting beat against his fingers, and he thinks that love is oh-so-loathsome at the same time it is wonderous. To have known your love and touch but to also covet it and know what it would feel without it-- it is overwhelming.

"I hate the knowledge," he says finally, "that you will one day go to a place where I cannot follow."

At this, he feels your hands curl into his face, and before he knows it, your lips are on his, pressing kisses into them as though it were your last chance. Malleus wastes no time in hesitating, returning your affection with as much fervor as you-- tilting his head and pressing forward until you are as close as can be, his hands grasping at your sides.

"...Is this really okay?" You ask, your voice wavering with the presence of tears, more unsure that you've been in the past hour. You press your forehead to his, squeezing your eyes shut from the world. "If everything works out with us, beyond NRC, beyond... everything else with your royal status, my education... is it really okay that I stay with you?”

Malleus breathes out your name, feeling you shudder. He grasps onto your face gently and whispers to you, "A day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, a lifetime-- even if I cannot spend my entire life with you, I am yours for as long as you will have me."

"Till death do us part," he hears you say wetly, and he brushes a stray tear away from your cheek.

"'Till death do us part,'" he says back to you, like a promise, and the two of you hold each other as though protecting the other from the world.

The vial of immortality lay temporarily forgotten in the divot of the couch.

taglist: @malleusmybelovedd @supernatural9000

#malleus x reader #malleus draconia x reader #twst x reader #malleus draconia #i love the immortality vs mortality theme :) its just so sad #sorry to readers who would throw the immortality potion back like its a shot #edit: if u saw a name by accident no u didnt

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edwad · 2 months

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it’s not that you think marx should be read primarily as an economist. it’s that your project of contextualizing marx in terms of the economic thought that both predates and follows him is valuable, but it runs up against hard limits in terms of both explanatory power and ability to generate practice that you can only solve by situating marx in the context of the actual political movements that both produced and drew from him and the concrete actions that resulted (cont.)

you wont find the key to a systemic analysis of capitalism purely in the realm of ideas, whether they be economic, philosophical, or political, you need to connect your analysis to some sort of concrete political reality for it to have any teeth. sure, no movement has succeeded at ‘achieving communism’ but they have made undeniable gains in the anti-colonial struggle and general social welfare (cont.) the latter thing, despite what you say frustratingly often, is not simply reducible to social democracy, and it shows how little understanding you have of the actual material history (as opposed to ideological), that you think western social democracy is comparable to the social welfare achievements of socialist countries, and that’s without even taking to account that the former is directly predicated on imperialism and neo-colonial exploitation of the global south

im finally getting around to this 3-message wall of text which i should realistically ignore because its not really productive and its clear by the end that youre just typing your frustrations at me, but it gives me a chance to say a bit more about a particular angle of what im doing with marx.

you say:

"your project of contextualizing marx in terms of the economic thought that both predates and follows him [...] runs up against hard limits in terms of both explanatory power and ability to generate practice that you can only solve by situating marx in the context of the actual political movements that both produced and drew from him and the concrete actions that resulted"

what limits? and what explanatory power is lost here? you dont say, although your immediate pivot toward the need to "generate practice" implies that youre suggesting some sort of practice-oriented information. frankly, i dont really understand why this enters here. if marx is totally wrong (which is further than i would go!) and nothing can be salvaged from him whatsoever, you would be upset because this critique of him wouldnt generate immediate practice? on what grounds could that desire for practice even be justified? marxist ones? some new, un-marxist one which can only come out of this (assumed to be, for sake of argument) successful critique of marx which still, for some reason, is immediately interested in the development of practice (sounding an awful lot like marxism btw)? or is your problem simply that it fails to account for actual marxisms after marx? if its the last option, then thats a non-criticism if part of my point is that i am trying to say something new about marx. the fact that he might've been received otherwise would only work as a refutation of my criticism if it weren't a necessary part of the criticism itself (ie, id be wrong for agreeing with myself).

whichever one of these it is, it misses the point. however it works as a segue to what i imagine you really want to talk about, which is concrete struggles. your initial way of getting there is to try and make me reckon with a proper contextualization of marx in his political environment as well as those he influenced. the latter, as ive just said, isn't necessarily damning (because it is part of my point), but the former is definitely worth lingering on.

so you say in your second message

"you wont find the key to a systemic analysis of capitalism purely in the realm of ideas, whether they be economic, philosophical, or political, you need to connect your analysis to some sort of concrete political reality for it to have any teeth"

you seem to think i fail to do this. ironically, i see my chief criticism of marx to be that *he* fails to do this. he tries to identify the development of political economy out of patterns of class struggle, but he constantly gets the facts wrong on both counts. yet even if we could take him at his word and assume he got all of these things right (which is definitely necessary for coming to terms with the nature of marx's project as he saw it), then i would argue that he actually saw his political environment as being shaped, in large part, by the reception of political economy in the workers' movement. this is already clear from the radical/popular economic literature which, in his eyes, arose and declined alongside (and, to some extent, within) the ricardian school, which is why he deals with it at length in theories of surplus value (in a deliberately historical mode, for the record). the socialist appropriation of economic categories to explain the ills of capitalism is something which animates much of his work beginning in the 40s. for example, in the poverty of philosophy, he announces at the outset that he aims to "protest" the "double error" of seeing proudhon as a "good German philosopher" or "one of the ablest French economists" on the basis of marx's being both german and an economist. this goes to show the economic terrain of marx's approach to his socialist rivals and how significant the economic angle was to him and to the movement around him more broadly. the critique of his rivals (especially proudhon) as economic thinkers appears again in capital, as william clare roberts has demonstrated in his work.

but also, at a different level, he very deliberately intervenes in engels' anti-dühring by contributing a single chapter which is *specifically* designed to take dühring to task for his critical history of political economy, in large part (as reading the text makes obvious) because marx alleges that dühring gets the history wrong. this was because, among other things, dühring's work was having a large influence on the german socialist movement and several of marx and engels' peers. this wasn't some apolitical intervention, it had meaningful stakes for marx's practical work. clearly, the critique of political economy and the ability to properly account for the history of economic thought was politically significant for both marx and the socialist movement around him. if i am being accused of over-estimating this angle, then that would only serve as another criticism of marx himself.

however, you continue (or, really, you pivot entirely, but you continue talking)

"sure, no movement has succeeded at ‘achieving communism’ but they have made undeniable gains in the anti-colonial struggle and general social welfare[.] the latter thing, despite what you say frustratingly often, is not simply reducible to social democracy, and it shows how little understanding you have of the actual material history (as opposed to ideological), that you think western social democracy is comparable to the social welfare achievements of socialist countries, and that’s without even taking to account that the former is directly predicated on imperialism and neo-colonial exploitation of the global south

this has absolutely nothing to do with what im dealing with here, and its bizarre of you to include it in the first place, not least because you seem to think that by me criticizing communists around me for not having a political horizon capable of overcoming social democracy, that i am overly critical of socialist experiments in the 20th century for feeding themselves. if anything, i think the point of political theory should be to achieve the greatest possible "good" (whatever that might be taken to mean) for the greatest majority of people. despite their obvious flaws, i count the 20th century socialist experiments as among the greatest examples of social organization ever achieved and if communism were proven to be impossible tomorrow, i would be a dogmatic social democrat (ive actually said this for years).

im not the cartoonish ultra leftist that some of you think i am, as if i care more about establishing some magical bar for communism than i do about the people who are supposed to reach it and live in it. i dont say any of those things "frustratingly often", and youre unable to correctly attribute my own views to me, which i think is pretty telling. if anything, the things i try to talk about here dont stem from an allergy to anything less than whatever perfect ideal i might hold in my head, its out of a frustration with communists who dont even recognize that they might as well be social democrats. thats not necessarily an insult (ive worked with a lot of good social democrats in my life and will continue to do it as long as it produces worthwhile results), its just supposed to clarify the stakes and what i see as the limits to their analysis of the system (which ought to matter to them, even if i dont get much out of it!).

my focus on the history of economic thought as it relates to marx's critique of political economy, is admittedly pretty far removed from some of this stuff, but i dont take that distance between the two as a problem of my ability to reckon with the global south or the success-rate of communist movements around the world, i take it as an issue which only results from the overexertion of your stretched criticism to try and get me to talk about something else. next time you want my opinion on something other than what im posting about, you can just ask!

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laukisimp · 2 years

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Purple Hyacinth analysis: the contrast between episodes 43 and 142

I made a thread on twitter to show how episode 142 was an obvious callback to episode 43 so i decided to post it here as well. Warning: the panels from 43 might be triggering.

First of all we notice Kieran lying a lot in episode 142. The man didn't have a plan at all coming in there and he makes no effort to go around her ability either. It's clear deep down he didn't want to end their partnership, he knows they make a great team but he's doing everything to put distance between them for her sake only. He cares about her so much (read: he's in love with her) and wants to keep her safe.

This is already a huge difference compared to episode 43. Kieran got his walls up so high when Lauren came to the cave. He is acting cold with a disdainful and arrogant attitude, and uses rhetorical questions to avoid lying to her. There's not a single lie from Kieran in episode 43 except for the one where he slips up when he tells Lauren he has always been a monster.

Kieran's "i am merely stating facts" from 142 is obviously a lie while in episode 43 he is actually stating facts: he talks about the atrocities he committed as the Purple Hyacinth. He is proving Lauren right: he is a monster.

Kieran physically hurts Lauren in 43 and it's not a lie when he tells her he wouldn't cry. He is cold and brutal. In episode 142 he could have said something more hurtful in trying to push her away but he can't. He cares about her too much now and would never hurt her again. "I'm not indifferent to what happens to you" = how to tell someone you care about them without actually saying it. Kieran please.

Another obvious callback to episode 43 is that Lauren now admits she was fully aware of the risks from the beginning.

They've come such a long way since then. From Lauren calling him a monster in 43 to her reassuring Kieran in ep 142 about who he is as as a person and that she isn't afraid of him while she takes off his "mask" (the glasses)... i'm not okay.

Lauki's dynamic is so well written and i'm still in awe of how Eph and Soph handled the development of their relationship after what happened in 43. Lauren telling Kieran she trusts him and won't back down is so important and yet another milestone in their relationship.

To end this post i want to point out the differences in atmosphere and lighting as well. Episode 43 is cold and dark, and episode 142 has a very warm atmosphere.

bonus:

Conclusion: Lauki's development is wonderfully written. I dare say it's legit one of the best dynamics i've ever come across in a piece of fiction.

Thank you for reading!

#lauki #lauren sinclair #kieran white #purple hyacinth #purple hyacinth webtoon #webtoon #ph posts

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averseunhinged · 5 months

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what are your top ten favorite klaroline fics?

hello, friend! so glad you asked. this is more than ten, and i have more in my bookmarks, plus there's stuff on ffn, but this has been 90m of my life, because i am incapable of brevity or culling. i'll probs do a part two? maybe? idk. i'll try.

fine china and dull silver by@yespumpkindoodlesthings

wrote a review here!

where it begins: by endoftheline7

i've been trying to write a review of this for fic rec friday for a month, but i just have so many incoherent screamy thoughts about it. it's one of my favorite reads on both klaus and caroline and plays with the idea that vampires are always a little bit the age they were when they died, no matter how old they get, and spins it into a sort of teen summer romance. klaus is mostly awkwardly thrilled to hang out with caroline, but still has a moment of oh, right. he's batshit and full of murder. caroline's less perfect qualities aren't glossed over. they're fully confronted and caroline doesn't just accept those things. she begins to learn how to turn them into strengths. also, i think about that conversation between rebekah and caroline at the beginning a lot. the whole thing about it not being their responsibility to correct the behavior of the awful men in their lives, but the alternative is to let those men burn themselves out, and that option sucks, too. very hmmmm. so much thoughts.

a statement for the masses (series, but it's one longer fic plus a short one shot) by but_seriously

i don't usually like human au in this fandom, because i think it's hard to make klaus human and in character without him being more awful than i can stand. like he ports pretty well to a shitty billionaire, but ew. corpo romance. not for me. rock stars, however? perfect. i love the rivalry. i love the family drama. i love the complicated relationship between rebekah and caroline.

leave the dust behind by whirly

tons to say about this, but it's mostly all about the ending for me. it's open, so if you like a strict hea resolution, it's probably not going to be a satisfying read for you. but i love this sort of slow ticking over of caroline's thought progression while she figures out what her relationship with klaus could or should be. there's a sort of balance between her own developing moral code and klaus's atrocities that needs to be struck. most of all, i love klaus's faith in her and his belief that they'll figure it out eventually.

someone that'll look like you by @cupcakemolotov

i probably don't need to talk this one up, but whatever. it's super popular for valid reasons. it has a number of my favorite things. amnesia! a more interesting augustine society! enzo! caroline being a stone cold badass! the dichotomy of klaus being both ancient and immovable and willing to bend for what caroline needs! all delicious things.

there's a devil on my shoulder where the angels used to be (and he's calling me the queen) by meet_the_girl_who_can

my favorite no humanity caroline fic. i have such a love/hate relationship with the humanity switch. it could have been so interesting, but tvdu mostly made it silly and samey and boring. this is more in line with what i can see caroline getting up to with her humanity off. like why would she just hang around mystic falls? other than the shitty budget of this shitty show, i can't think of a reason why she would. and i really enjoy how smart klaus knows he has to be with her. she's still caroline, but she can't be careful with him with her humanity off, and that has to be a scary prospect, because she was capable of hurting him badly when she did reluctantly care about him.

the fate makes for a lousy poet (longer fic plus a short one shot companion) by @stars-and-darkness

so. like so many of us, i love soulmates au, and this is probably my favorite in this fandom. but the part i go back to the most is the second fic. i love elena so much, because of that dichotomy of compassion paired with a near total inability to relate her own feelings and needs to those of other people, not in spite of it. she's a really interesting character and ella's treatment of that is so deft. elena absolutely cannot equate her own situation with caroline's, despite it being so obvious from the outside, because she's so mired in her own suffering and the indulgence of almost everyone she's ever known. she's simultaneously cruelly selfish and extraordinarily selfless and it's a wonderful read, as is the first caroline + mikaelsons fic. ella always writes concepts and does character work in a way that makes me go YES THAT EXACTLY THAT.

like the sun shines by @lalainajanes

this is like my #1 wish it wasn't unfinished fic, but i also absolutely do not care that it isn't finished, because it's just so much fun. canon barely goes here, which is so very favorite. i love a mostly everyone lives (contemptuously with each other) au. and i love caroline traveling the world. and i love caroline and bonnie in new orleans with secret, (probs) very important business. and i love a klaus who is still kind of the worst.

lost in the right direction (again, a series) by @kirythestitchwitch

there is nothing i love more than klaus and caroline traveling the world together and just doing stuff. all vibes, minimal plot. this series is A+++ murderfluff and it's enormously engaging, watching them figure out themselves and each other and whatever they have the potential to be together. totally one of my comfort reads

feel the madness closing in by yokan/@galvanizedfriend

this one is ugly and sad and awful and such a realistic take on caroline in new orleans during the events of the originals. i love so many things about it, but caroline's thoughts about whether he's been cursed or gone mad or if it was simply that klaus wasn't capable of loving someone without treating them like a possession are on point.

leave my rage to the sea and sun by sophisticatedfangirling

another ugly one. as much as i love that klaus never compels caroline, i can't help but think if he fucked up badly enough and felt like he'd lost everything else, too, he'd probably do it. this is so sad and slides pretty seamlessly into canon.

bride by brombones

this is one of those surprisingly layered, literary flavored fics. i'm planning on writing a dedicated review at some point (lololololol), but the very basic gist is caroline runs an experiment with klaus's blood and manages to completely fuck up her life to the point where she'll never be able to escape him, even if he never finds out the results. it is WILD with a fantastic use of silas that makes me want to shriek incoherently.

#i tried to find tumblrs #sorry if i missed anyone who exists #klaroline fic rec friday #except it's not friday #fic recs #klaroline fic recs #ugh tagging #i drank 3/4 of a cherry coke zero while writing this #which is little bit like infusing my delicate system with meth #hopefully it all makes sense #and isn't just KEY SMASH I LOVE YOU KEY SMASH

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not-a-space-alien · 2 months

Text

K&J x MMSS 4: Valen & Jim Part 11

Part eleven of the fourth crossover with @whumpsday!

Bam!!! Back to back!! Once again again an XL chapter because I couldn't find a good place for a chapter break. lol... You can clearly tell these were written as RPs 😅 Hope you enjoy!

K&J masterlist

MMSS masterlist

K&J x MMSS crossover masterlist

To be added to the taglist, contact @whumpsday

Warnings: Aftermath of torture

In this chapter:

youtube

***

The next day, Jim comes down when Liz is set to arrive soon. He feels a lot safer in the daytime, making breakfast for himself. Valen follows behind.

The bookshelf is undisturbed. Jim says, "Liz is gonna be working on the basement, installing silver stuff on the door. Kane can come up here? I can't move that bookshelf."

"Sure, that sounds fine. Just so you know, I had Kane demonstrate yesterday how strong he is as of now, and he could barely lift twenty pounds. The bookshelf was far in excess. Maybe that will put you at ease. I'll probably have to go to vampire territory tonight to pick up more blood, but I won't leave until Liz has made things secure so that you feel safe with me out of the house."

He walks over to the bookshelf and lifts it bodily, books and all, effortlessly and sets it where it belongs. He unlocks the door and cracks it open. "Kane, are you awake?"

Kane pokes his head out from the blanket cocoon he's encased himself in. "Yes, sir. I mean- yes." It's the best night of sleep he's had in a very long time. Already, he looks a lot better, the burns on his face having healed significantly. "Am I... needed?" They said they wouldn't hurt him, he tries to remind himself, but it's hard to internalize.

"Jim wants you to come upstairs. His sister is coming over today and will need to be in the basement. Shall I help you come up?"

His sister must be Liz. The hunter. Great, just great. There's no way he's going to escape that encounter unscathed. At least he has blood now, so he'll heal fast, but he's still dreading it.

"I, I can handle it." Kane wraps one of the blankets around himself, shuffling up the stairs to meet Valen. "Is it okay if I take it with me?"

"Of course." Valen watches Kane come upstairs, then has him sit down on the couch, then pokes his head into the kitchen. "Jim, dear, Kane is in the living room. Come out when you're ready. What would you like us to do until Liz gets here?"

Jim comes out with a plate of peanut butter banana toast. "Uh, I dunno. She shouldn't be long. Hey, K-Kane." Jim isn't supposed to use his name. He's supposed to use Master. He hates that his voice wavers. "How'd you sleep."

Kane eyes him fearfully. "Very well. Thank you." Kane is trying to be as polite as possible, extremely tense. "And yourself?"

"Good. Hey, relax. Still not gonna hurtcha." Jim reminds him.

"Yes. Thank you." Kane barely calms. The hunter is almost here.

"I figure I'll go out and buy some stuff for him at some point today, before you go for blood. Clothes and stuff." Jim tells Valen. "That okay?"

"Sure, that's a lovely idea. And while you're out of the house, maybe Kane can help me with my research project, since we're out of real blood. I finally have a second test subject." He winks at Kane.

Kane's face falls even deeper into fear. "What?" he squeaks, clutching the blanket tighter around himself. "What- research project?"

"Oh dear," Valen says with a laugh. "I just realized how that might have sounded if you don't know anything about it. I'm working on trying to develop artificial blood. So far I've been the only one around to drink it. You can help me taste test it. You needn't worry; the worst that will happen is we sit around drinking shots, and one of them happens to taste bad. Obviously you don't have to if it makes you nervous."

Kane relaxes. That's the worst that can happen, and the best that can happen is he gets more blood. "Yes, I would love to. That sounds, that sounds wonderful. Thank you for including me."

"Aw, I wanna do fake blood shots." Jim whines. "Stupid toxic mushrooms."

There's a knock at the door, and Kane jolts like it's a gunshot, whimpering.

"She's not gonna hurt you." Jim assures him. "Liz's just gonna make the basement secure and get you some restraints that don't hurt. That's all."

Restraints that don't hurt sound good. Kane nods, sinking further into the couch as Jim answers the door.

Liz is wearing her hunting gear and a stormy expression, carrying a bag of vampire restraints in one hand and a bunch of silver under the other. She glares at Kane with burning hatred.

Kane shoots Valen a desperate, pleading look.

Valen comes over and stands next to Kane, reaching down and putting a comforting hand on his back. "Liz, it's so good to see you. Kane, this is Liz, Jim's sister. She and I have been good friends for years. Liz, there's something Kane would like to say to you." Valen leans down and whispers very, very quietly into Kane's ear, such that only vampire hearing would let him hear, no eavesdropping. "Apologize to her, and try to make it sound like you're not doing it just because you're afraid of her." There's no way it's going to mollify even a fraction of Liz's anger at Kane, but Valen thinks that addressing the elephant in the room up-front might ease some of the tension that he's sure is going to happen. And maybe, just maybe, if Kane is polite and deferential and sincere right off the bat, it will help Liz see that he's different.

Kane focuses on the grounding hand on his back. Valen has been safe, so far, and unbelievably kind. At the very least, he's a vampire too, and the least threatening of his new wardens. He hesitates a moment before timidly speaking up. "I'm s-sorry, ma'am. What I did to Jim was- was cruel, and I'm glad he's safe now."

Jim's eyebrows raise at the apology. Kane's said I'm sorry many times already, but this feels different somehow. It feels weird.

"I know that it was cruel." Liz snaps. Kane cringes back, expecting a blow that doesn't come.

"Liz, he's already really scared." Jim says. "Please?"

She sighs, putting the silver down and approaching with the bag. "Arms out."

Kane extends his shaking arms. Liz fastens padded cuffs onto his wrists, and similar with his ankles. "Don't touch the keys, they're silver." she tells Valen, her tone much softer with him.

She tosses the bag to Jim, containing the keys to the cuffs and one other mysterious item. Jim peers inside, then closes the bag again with a frown.

"Thank you, Liz," Valen says. "I know you have every right to be upset with Kane, he's just simply trying to demonstrate he knows what he did was wrong and behaves differently now. He has been a perfect gentleman so far, nothing like how he used to be. It's very kind of you to come over to help Jim and not hurt Kane." It's a thank you, but also a warning to back off, a reminder of how they'd said it would go. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help with the basement."

"I get it, okay? That is what I came over to do." Liz rubs her temples. She gives Jim a quick hug before grabbing the silver. "Thanks, Valen. For everything. But... I think you're the last person who could help with this." She does offer him a lukewarm smile before going to work on the door.

Valen wilts as soon as Liz turns her back, desperately hoping he hadn't made a huge mistake and made things worse. "Of course," he says vaguely.

Kane relaxes a little once she's out of eyeshot. "Thank you." he murmurs.

Jim fishes the keys out of the bag, stuffs them in his pocket, and throws the bag and its remaining contents in the trash.

Valen comes over and gingerly picks it from the trash. "Hold on, Jim, dear, it sounds like there's still something in there."

"It's trash." Jim insists, taking it out of Valen's hands and putting it back in the garbage. "I'm gonna put the keys upstairs and head out to shop while you and Kane do shots or whatever. Unless you want me to stick around?"

Valen stares at Jim, then averts his eyes. "I thought it might be good for you to stay here while Liz is here also, but I think I can handle it if you'd rather not be here."

"Yeah, you're right, it can wait. 'S why I asked." Jim takes Valen's hand, threading his fingers through Valen's. "And seriously, just forget about the bag. It's nothing we'd ever use."

"Jim..." Valen says. Surely Jim must know that Valen is going to open the bag to see what it is as soon as he gets an opportunity when Jim isn't around?

"It's a muzzle." Jim mumbles. "Like I said. Trash. Prolly just came with the cuffs from whoever Liz got them from, which was why she didn't try to put it on. I'm not putting that shit on him." As afraid as he is of Kane's bite, the memory of Valen in a muzzle still haunts him.

"I don't mind wearing a muzzle if, if it doesn't hurt." Kane says. "I'll be good. Won't resist."

But Valen's skin crawls at the thought of a muzzle. He understands Jim's instinctual reaction to it. He tries to hide the look on his face. Objectively, a muzzle is not such a bad thing, if it won't hurt. He nods, trying not to look shaken. "All right. If you don't think you'll need it, we can get rid of it. Kane says he wouldn't even mind, I assume it's padded. I don't think Kane will try to bite you anyway. I just want you to feel safe."

"I don't want it in our house." Jim cups Valen's face, running his thumb over Valen’s cheek. Soft skin that was locked behind a muzzle for three days during horrible trauma. "I'd feel safer with it gone."

Kane modestly averts his eyes.

Valen nods. "I-I would also feel safer with it gone. Thank you."

Valen takes Jim's hand and goes over to Liz, examining what she's doing curiously. "So, Liz, what all are you planning to do while you're here?"

Liz has already replaced the door's hinges with silver, and is now installing a flat silver grating over it. "Just silverin' up this door. Obviously don't touch any of this, or wear gloves if you gotta. Assume that touching any metal within a foot of the door isn't fun. Gonna put a deadbolt on the outside next. All that should definitely be able to hold him. But both of you keep in mind it'll also hold anyone, human or vampire, so don't get stuck down there."

"Good to know." Jim says quietly. The idea of a prison inside his home makes him feel hollow. It reminds him uncomfortably of the human quarters back at Kane's.

Valen, by contrast, seems fine with this. "Thank you, Liz." He walks over and sits on the couch next to Kane. "How are you doing?" he says quietly.

Jim talks with Liz for a bit, their conversation consisting of Jim chewing her out a bit for bringing a muzzle, Liz confirming what Jim thought about it just coming with the set, Jim asking where she got those anyway, and Liz saying she knows a hunter who did a hostage exchange once.

"I'm okay. Good." Kane confirms. "The cuffs don't hurt. I'm fed. I'm healing. You p-protected me from the hunter. Thank you. I'm... I'm actually okay." He's still scared, his fate uncertain, but he knows his life has at least had a major step up.

"Good," Valen says, patting his knee.

"Um, can I ask... what did people say about me? After I was assumed dead, as I'm sure I was?"

"Um, unfortunately I don't really know. I pretty much isolated myself from any other vampires a long time ago. I moved out here to be with Jim not long after the last time we saw each other, and I don't keep in touch with my family."

"Oh. I see." That would have been years before Kane was captured, then. He hadn't even heard about Valen running off to human territory. It's scary how someone could just...disappear, and no one cares. He wonders if anyone cared when he did.

Suddenly, he smiles wryly. "He was still in your apartment, wasn't he. When I came by. I'm just realizing that."

Valen smiles, half-embarrassed, half amused. "Yes, he was cowering at the bottom of my bedroom closet. I've never been a good liar, so I was terrified you'd see through it. At the time I was nervous I wouldn't be able to fight you off if you didn't believe me and decided to shove your way in and look around."

The implications aren't lost on Kane. If Valen hadn't done what he did, Kane never would have gone through this horrible mess. But it's an incidental consequence, not a purposeful one. He didn't even get captured until five years later.

And he really did plan on crushing Jim's ankles if he found him. And Jim doesn't deserve that.

"I'm glad you got him out. Thank you." Kane says.

"The poor thing was on the brink of death out in the wild," Valen says sadly. "I couldn't just leave him there." He wrings his hands. "I'm glad you think this way, now, I was afraid when we came to get you that you'd--you'd be even angrier, and more violent."

Kane imagines, for a moment, a world in which he'd found Jim's corpse out there in the woods. He'd still have gone for a second human, probably in the same timeframe, and still been captured by the hunters. Except this time, there would be no Jim to save him and take him away. It would be forever. Neither one of them would have a happy ending. He's more thankful than ever for Valen.

"I've been subject to the other side. I couldn't possibly go on with my stupid fucking- s-sorry. I don't mean to be impolite." he says nervously, hoping that doesn't count. Just be polite, and you'll be fine. "With my views."

Valen smiles and pats his hand. "You're all right. Still, I'm very glad, it's making this all a lot easier. I think in the long run this might be better for Jim's healing, too. To stop thinking of you as some bogeyman that could swoop in to take him at any time."

Jim comes on over, only catching the last bit. "Yeah, not so much of a bogeyman now. So, shots? I can grab some cranberry juice and play along."

Kane perks up. He's going to get more blood, even if it's 'artificial'. He's never heard of anything like it, but he very much likes blood.

"Jim, dear, are you sure you don't want to wait until Liz leaves?" He hesitates, then more quietly: "And are you sure you want to see Kane feeding?"

"It's not like- it's just the mushroom stuff, out of a cup, right? No, like, biting anything?" Jim clarifies. "If I chicken out, I'll just slink off. We can wait if you wanna, though, and you can do it while I'm out. Doesn't matter."

"Yes. Okay, that sounds good. I do think we should wait until Liz is gone, though." No sense doing anything risky if they didn't need to, and having Kane do anything other than the absolute bare minimum to get through interacting with Liz is definitely risky

Kane is glad for the stalling. Drinking blood is bad behavior, and he doesn't want to do it in front of the huntress, even if it's not real blood and he has permission.

Jim puts the TV on for a bit. It's about 40 minutes until Liz is done. "Alright, that should do it." she announces. "If we really wanna test it, Valen can put some gloves on and give it a good knocking, but I get that might be uncomfortable and I'm confident it'll hold."

"I'm certainly willing to do that, but I'm confident in your work, Liz. Jim, up to you."

"If... you're really sure it's okay, could we maybe test it?" Jim asks sheepishly, embarrassed of his fear. "Just to make sure."

Kane wants to insist that he won't try to escape, but that could be taken as him wanting to leave the basement less-secured, and he doesn't want to imply anything like that, especially in front of the hunter.

"Of course! It'll be a fun activity."

Valen dons his protective gear, the things he uses to go out during the day, to be absolutely certain he won't touch any of the silver. He then has them lock him in the basement and bodily slams the door multiple times, demonstrating that even a full frontal assault with a running start from a healthy vampire is not enough to break it down.

Kane watches with wide eyes, listening to the pap-pap-pap-BOOM of Valen running into the door. He wasn't planning to escape anyway, he's behaving, and it's been good here so far, but the demonstration of just how trapped and helpless he is makes him feel small. He looks down at his feet, trembling a bit.

Jim unlocks the door. "Thanks, Vale. Think that about covers it."

Valen had, truthfully, enjoyed the activity just as he'd said. It'd been ages since he'd had any reason to unleash his full strength. He is panting a little when he comes out. "You're quite welcome." He catches sight of Kane. "I'm sure this is far in excess of what's actually necessary, considering Kane isn't going to try anything like what I just did, but I'm happy it will make you feel more secure."

Valen looks so hot, panting when he takes his mask off. Jim would eagerly comment on it if the other company in the room weren't his sister and Kane. "Yeah. Super secure."

"I'll leave you guys to it, then. You know I'm always a phone call away." Liz gives Jim a hug, and Valen a hug, and goes to leave. Before she does, she hesitates at the door before stomping over to Kane.

"Hurt my brother ever again and you are done." she snarls. "Are we understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kane says, cowering away from her.

"Thank you, Liz," Valen says dryly. "Drive safely." Jim is similarly displeased with Liz's choice, even if he's glad for the protectiveness.

Valen watches Liz depart, and then turns to Kane. "You did very well, thank you for staying calm."

"C-calm." Kane agrees shakily. He's relieved he's done well, at least.

Valen grins at Jim. "Drinks now, then?"

"Hell yes. I'm getting my c-berry." Jim heads into the kitchen.

"One moment, Jim, I have a great idea that will make this fun for you as well!"

Valen runs into the kitchen and mixes some shots of various kinds of alcohol, with red food dye, in with Jim's cranberry juice shots. He also makes Jim look away to keep it secret and adds a few prank shots, like straight pickle juice, vinegar, dredges of food leftovers that he's seen the human dump down the drain to discard, anything that's safe to ingest but strong in taste and can be passably disguised as cranberry juice. He also adds one shot that's the formula for artificial blood without the parts that would hurt Jim--he imagines it will just taste really salty, but he knows Jim will be delighted to taste a safe version of it.

He then pours little sample cups of his various concoctions, paired so that he and Kane will always be drinking the same one. He's had years to work on it at this point, and while it's certainly not real blood, not even as good as the imported stuff, it's much more tolerable than it had been in the early stages. He's currently working on trying to replicate the specific tastes of various blood types. He is getting closer to being ready to do something with it, although he's still not quite sure what his plan of attack for actually launching it will be, now that he's burned his bridges with the country's biggest distributor of blood.

Valen comes out with the shots, all labeled with some scribbles only decipherable to himself. "Okay, Kane, we're testing which of these taste best, which of them are stinkers, and as a bonus let's label each as to what blood type they taste most like."

"Haha, oh man. This is great." Jim laughs. "This is so cute. I'm so freakin' excited."

Kane eyes the not-blood curiously. It doesn't smell like blood, but it looks like blood. He hopes it sits in his stomach and sates hunger like blood. "Okay! This is... I've never seen anything like this."

Jim grabs the human-safe artificial blood first, the only one visually distinguishable from his cranberry shots. Kane grabs the shot opposite the one Valen grabs.

"Cheers!" Jim exclaims.

Valen clinks his glass against Jim's, then Kane's, then tosses the shot back.

All three of them make faces like they'd just tasted something bad. The first cup of artificial blood was definitely a bad one.

"Um," Valen says, smacking his lips. "Hm, I'm marking this one down as a no.”

It definitely tastes bad, but it really is blood, almost. Kane licks the remnants from the inside of the shot. "It's okay. I don't hate it." he decides. How could he hate something that would sate hunger? Just yesterday, he would have licked this off the floor and been grateful.

"I'll write it down that a starving man finds it tolerable."

"Ugh." is Jim's only comment on his own drink.

Valen grabs the next shot glass and downs it. He licks his lips. "Mmm. Oh, this one is pretty good. I'd say it's AB positive.”

Kane agrees. "AB positive, yes. This is good." But maybe his standards are low, like Valen said.

Jim gets pickle juice, his face scrunching up again. "Pickle."

The next one, Jim gets a nice cranberry vodka shot. "Now this is a shot. Finally." he says with a smile.

"B negative. Really good." Kane says immediately after drinking his.

The smile drops off Jim's face and he looks away. After seeing Jim's reaction, Kane's mood similarly seems to drop as he shrinks back.

"Ah," Valen says. B negative is, in fact, Jim's blood type. He discreetly makes a few notes in the ensuing awkward silence. "Shall we take a break, then?"

"S-sorry." Kane says quietly.

"Nah, s'all good. You were doing exactly what Valen asked you to do." Jim takes another shot. "Bleh. Pickles." He motions for Valen and Kane to continue.

Valen wordlessly slides his notebook and pencil over to Kane, so he can directly write down what blood type he thinks they are, so as to avoid a repeat of what just happened.

The next blood shot is a whole lot of nothing. It doesn't taste bad, but it doesn't taste good either

They go through all of them like this. Jim is pretty giggly by the end, the B negative shot forgotten. Kane looks at him strangely.

"He never let me driiink." Jim complains to Valen. "Said it'd taste bad, in my blood. Boo. No fun."

Kane's experiences with humans and alcohol have been very different up until now, due to selection bias: the only hunters who would bother visiting him drunk were the ones who wanted something to hurt. He's never seen a reaction like this before.

"Oh, Jim," Valen says, giggling and giving him a smooch. "You're so cute when you're drunk. You can have all the fun you want now. Oh!" Valen goes red. "I-I forgot that you were supposed to drive to the store after this!”

"Well that's not happening. Don't wanna go to the stupid store anyway. Wanna stay here with you." Jim nuzzles into Valen's shoulder. "We got clothes here. It can wait a day. C'you wait a day, Kane?"

"Yes. I, I can wait. Thank you for going at all." Kane agrees.

"See? All fine." Jim says happily.

Valen decides to also put off leaving the house to go get blood until Jim is sober, imagining it wouldn't go well for Jim to be drunk alone with Kane, or to wake up alone with Kane in the house. They have the artificial stuff to tide them over, which is in fact the whole point of making it.

After they're done drinking, Valen insists that Jim "makes" Kane watch Jim's favorite movie. After it seems like Jim's had enough of being conscious on this mortal coil, Valen takes him upstairs and puts him to bed, then comes down to put Kane in the basement.

He apologetically asks him to go downstairs, and asks if he'd like anything to keep himself entertained.

"...Music?" Kane asks. "If, if it's convenient. I don't need anything. Thank you for the blood."

"Of course!"

Valen comes down with a radio, as well as some notebooks and pencils, which Kane didn't ask for, but Valen suggests to him to keep a journal, as Valen has found it good for his mental health. He also brings down books and extra pillows and blankets, adding them to the outrageously large pile of blankets already on Kane's bed, because he thinks it's just so dreadfully cold down here.

"I'll see about getting us some real blood soon," Valen says on his way up the stairs. "Sleep well."

"Thank you. So much, for everything. You too." Kane says with a small smile. For the first time in a very long time, he's actually hopeful about the future.

Valen locks the door, then goes upstairs to the very drunk and sleepy Jim, barricading the bedroom door once again and crawling up beside Jim. "How are you, my dear Jim?"

"Good. Sleepy. M'not even scared." Jim proclaims proudly. "Valen. Guess what. I love you sooooo much."

Valen's face splits in a smile so big it hurts his face. "Awww. Well guess what. I love you more!"

Jim breaks into a gigantic smile. "Yaaaaaay." He buries his face in Valen.

Valen strokes the nape of Jim's neck as they both fall asleep.

***

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#whump #K+J #angst #whumpblr #hurt/comfort #Youtube

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arabellamonkey · 1 year

Text

tony's stickers of love

stevetony I when Tony prints a couple of "Tony Stark Approved" stickers as a joke, the last thing he expects is to end up covering Steve's heart with them ; written for the lovely cassie <3

also on ao3

It began as a joke.

He just wanted to have a bit of fun with Peter, who’s been bringing him most of his recent chemistry project every other afternoon, asking question after question about how to improve them. At first, Tony just helped him, spending the afternoons working with him on them, and that was the end of it.

But at some point, the idea of creating the stickers appeared in his mind.

It probably happened one of those nights he pulled an all-nighter only fueled by caffeine and a tight deadline; he’s had lots of pretty good ideas in those situations.

So he just did it, as he does with every single idea he has.

And yeah, the first “Tony Stark Approved” sticker went to one of Peter’s chemistry projects, which made the kid ridiculously proud and Tony ridiculously amused.

So of course he kept printing them.

As a matter of fact, he got used to having a couple of stickers always on hand whenever he was out. He didn’t know what he’d end up using them for, but it seemed like a good inside joke with himself.

That’s how, barely a week later, he gets to grant his next sticker.

They’re in the meeting room in the Avengers Tower, and in the middle of a briefing on a new mission Fury wants to send them on, Steve says something along the lines of, “and what if we try to surprise them using Tony’s last tech? You know, the chameleon skin he’s just developed.”

And aw, shucks , for Cap to suggest using Tony’s tech on a mission is always the highlight of his day, so of course Tony takes advantage of the fact that Steve is sitting right next to him —his body slightly turned towards him, as it always seems to be— and stamps one of his stickers in his forehead as he says, “such a good idea, Cap.”

And well, if the way he frowns in confusion is just way too adorable for Tony to cope with, that’s totally on him.

“What…?” Steve starts to ask, reaching with his hand to touch the sticker. He doesn’t try to pull it off, though.

“Tony Stark Approved,” Clint reads the sticker, and proceeds to cackle so hard he ends up having to hold his tummy. Nat and Thor smile beside him, going as far trying to disguise their own laughs as coughs. “Brilliant!”

“Always am,” Tony smiles widely, enjoying the way Steve’s flushing.

The fact that Steve doesn’t take it off for a while isn’t lost on any of them.

It doesn’t take Tony more than a week to find another excuse to use his stickers. And if this time the winner also happens to be Steve, well, that’s just a coincidence.

They’re lounging on the common room when Steve enters the room wearing a rather tight shirt. Or, more accurately, a shirt that’s sticking to his wet body. He seems to have just taken a shower, and Tony seems to be the only one aware of the fact that Steve’s nipples are clearly visible through the shirt.

So of course he has to take another sticker out and put it over one of them —to protect Steve’s honor, of course. What other reason could there be behind it?

None. None at all.

“What’s this one for?” Steve asks him, touching the sticker with curiosity. He seems to be admiring it, as if he finds being awarded one of those some kind of honor. Tony has to look away when he sees Steve’s expression soften into an amused smile, totally unbothered by Tony’s anctics. Something short circuits in Tony’s mind at the sight.

“Had one to spare,” he mumbles, running to the other side of the couch to cuddle at Bruce’s side.

And if Steve and Tony spend the rest of the movie night exchanging looks when they think the other one isn’t looking? Well, that’s just another one of the many benefits of his stickers, Tony thinks.

He’s known for only having brilliant ideas, after all.

As time goes by, Tony realizes they’ve fallen into a routine without really meaning to. For one, he’s gotten used to always having a handful of stickers close; just like Steve’s grown used to giving Tony these looks from time to time, as if trying to guess when will be the next time he earns one of them. It almost reminds Tony of a puppy looking for a treat, a comparison he never says out loud.

There’s the time they’re on an incognito mission and Tony’s cover is blown up. In the end, Steve is the one that gets both of them out of there as soon as possible. So of course he gets a sticker in his arms —the same ones he used to carry Tony to safety— for that.

Then there’s the day Steve tried out his new suit, and Tony couldn’t help putting a sticker on his butt. He’ll never forget the way Steve stuttered a question and proceeded to be rendered speechless when Tony smiled at him and answered sweetly, “don’t you agree such an artwork deserves a prize?”

Or the day Steve said something so funny Tony couldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes, which earned him a sticker on his cheek.

The fact that Steve never complains about them, and never takes them off in front of Tony, only fuels this slowly growing tradition even more. Tony’s mind is really simple: as long as he keeps getting positive feedback, he’ll keep printing the stickers.

Curiously, it also ends up being the perfect excuse to spend more time together. Tony’s not sure if Steve realizes how they’ve slowly grown used to spending more and more time together; be it in the gym, where they get used to spar —and where Steve gets a new sticker every time he lets Tony win—, or in the kitchen during the nights where both of them gravitate towards the fridge looking for some remedy to their insomnia.

Of course, Tony gives Steve a sticker every time he makes him some warm milk without Tony needing to actually ask for it. Then they sit shoulder by shoulder in the kitchen aisle, New York’s skyline reflecting in Steve’s eyes as Tony tries very hard to avoid being caught staring.

He’s staring. Every single time.

Time goes by, and by the time Tony suspects this might become another thing he just does out of habit, never to change, Steve decides to prove him wrong.

“Hm, would you stay for a moment?” Steve asks him one morning, after they’ve just finished sparring with the team. All the Avengers have already abandoned the gym, and Tony was about to do so too, until Steve’s voice —full of doubt and hope and everything in between— stops him where he stands.

Tony turns around, and sees Steve standing in the center of the ring. His shoulders are thrown forward, as if he’s trying to make himself look small, and there’s a small smile on his lips.

But what attracts Tony’s attention is the way he keeps reaching for the sticker he’s just stamped on his left arm with his right hand, as if it’s some kind of talisman.

“Sure,” Tony simply answers as he approaches him, hands buried in his pockets. “What’s up?”

“Um, I was wondering…” Steve bites his lips, playing with it as if doing so is going to make the words magically show up. “Would you like to go out sometime?”

Tony blinks, caught off guard.

“As in, just the two of us?” Tony asks, just to make sure he’s hearing right. Are you asking me on a date?

“Yeah,” Steve answers. And, well, there’s no other way to describe the way he says it. It sounds as if Steve is eager to go out with him, which feels wild to Tony. It takes him a couple of seconds to find his own words.

“Okay,” he finally answers, nodding to himself. “Yeah, sure.”

And the way Steve’s whole face illuminates at that answer? Well, if that manages to make Tony’s heart skip a couple of heartbeats, he can only hope he’s the only one to notice.

***

They go out.

First, it’s the movies. Then, dinner in a normal place. Then, dinner in a fancy one.

Then… Well, if it weren’t for the fact that Tony’s a certified genius, he could say he almost loses count of how many dates they go on (no, he doesn’t: he’s perfectly aware they’ve been on nineteen dates so far).

And then… Well, Tony doesn’t expect what comes next.

They’re visiting a gallery Pepper has been pestering Tony about —a gallery Tony is going to exit being the owner of yet two more paintings; the fact that both attracted Steve’s attention first being purely a coincidence, of course—, and they’ve received their fair share of looks.

Or, more specifically, their joined hands have received their fair share of looks.

Now they’re both tucked away in the shadows, next to the catering tables. Tony might be a bit tipsy, the world pleasantly blurry around its edges as he rests his hip on the table behind him.

So, of course, when Steve leans forward to clean a breadcrumb from Tony’s lips, Tony can’t help stealing a brief kiss from him. It’s a small, innocent thing. Something that has probably gone unnoticed to everyone there.

And yet, Tony realizes it’s not nothing the moment he takes in Steve’s expression. The way his lips are slightly open as his eyes blink once, twice, even three times, as if expecting the image before him to change.

Or maybe to make sure he’s not dreaming?

Tony giggles at the thought, taking a sip from his champagne.

“Sorry, Cap, I—” Steve’s lips drown his words the moment his lips collide with his again, robbing him of his breath in a swift move. When Steve separates enough for their lips to stop touching but not enough for Tony to stop feeling Steve’s breath merging with his, Tony sighs, “Oh.”

“Don’t apologize,” Steve says, his voice rough with emotion. “Not if you meant it.”

“I—”

“Did you?” Steve asks.

How can one not mean a kiss? Tony wants to ask. But even he knows that would be a stupid question to ask, and a cruel one at that.

Because that’s the moment he realizes, as he looks at Steve trying to desperately find an answer to his question in his eyes, that he might have been underestimating this thing that’s been growing between them, between sticker and sticker.

“Because I do,” Steve ends up saying before Tony can find his own words. He speaks earnestly, with the kind of passion Tony’s only seen him show in battle. “I think I love you, Tony. I– I think I’ve loved you even before I realized I did.”

Tony gulps, looking up at Steve as if he’s seeing him for the first time. He suspected he wasn’t the one that was starting to have feelings, but he hadn’t allowed himself to build castles in the clouds, not so soon, at least.

But now he can’t just keep doing that, can he? No, of course he can’t, not when Steve is putting his heart in a tray, wrapped up in all these unguarded emotions, all for him to see.

That wouldn’t be fair, of course it wouldn’t. But then again, Steve’s just managed to do what few others could in the past.

He’s left Tony Stark speechless.

Can anyone blame him for taking a sticker out, sticking it over Steve’s heart and leaning forward to kiss him yet again?

It takes him a few seconds before thoughts finally rearrange themselves in his mind; by then, he’s already lost himself in Steve’s arms, unable to pinpoint where his body ends and Steve’s starts.

“I do,” Tony finally whispers, breathless, the confession rolling off his tongue in a relieved sigh. “Of course I do.”

And damn him if Steve’s laugh doesn’t taste like the most intoxicating thing in this world.

#stevetony #stony #stevetony fic #stony fic #my fic #my writing

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bg-brainrot · 2 months

Note

what are your thoughts on Larian walking away from BG3/BG4/DLCs?

What a great question!!

So, first to acknowledge my own feelings as a gamer, as a fan of BG3, of the franchise, and, of course, of Astarion : I'm naturally a bit bummed. I would love to play more, read more, watch something, anything really.

Added to that, I also don't trust an outside team to come in to pick up the vision of the original team. I've seen it happen with other games, where the base game was one studio and the DLC was outsourced or they onboarded a new studio to take on it on as the main development team moved on to the next big project. It rarely, if ever, has worked out well.

My hope on the Hasbro/WotC side is that they leave BG3 alone to live on as a behemoth in the history of gaming... however, knowing how game publishers are, how much money BG3 made, the player interest in more content, etc -- there is no way that Hasbro is leaving money like that to the wayside.

Best case scenario I see on this side: they make auxiliary content, like books, toys, comics.

Worst case scenario: they outsource a new game team for DLC.

As for BG4, I honestly didn't expect that to be Larian's next project anyway (I was expecting Divinity 3, so feeling a different disappointment there haha). That being said, I don't think WotC or Hasbro know (and I mean this at the executive level of course) why BG3 did well. There are honestly a ton of factors on why BG3 did well, but that's for another post lol, but I don't think they could replicate that for BG4 with another studio. Doesn't mean I don't think it will be good-- it might be! It will just be very different.

Best case scenario here: they have a good studio make BG4 and it's still good, but it's different.

Worse case scenario here: they try to have a studio replicate what Larian did instead of tapping into their talents, and end up with a buggy, unfun mess. Also they bring back characters just to try to get people to buy it. 🥲

Now, as a game dev, what do I think of Larian's choice in all of this?

I LOVE IT. Wow, Swen Vincke is doing what every single developer wishes they could do if they actually had the power, money, and the influence to do it.

I have wished in the past for my studios to abandon projects, but sometimes it really was necessary to try to keep the studio afloat. As much as you want to work on a passion project, very rarely is it actually something that will keep the lights on. Oftentimes you will have to make that deal with Hasbro for a license or that deal with Epic for exclusivity just to recoup costs. Making games is expensive and, if you want to make anything at the scale that BG3 is, you usually need a lot of partnerships (a lot of their GDC talks were part of partnerships, like Dolby, Amazon, Adobe).

So the fact that they had such a success with BG3 to actually, comfortably follow their creative passions? Wow, wow, wow-- I am rooting for them so hard. I want them to make exactly the game they want and take all the time they need to do it.

Now, even knowing that Hasbro had something to do with this, was what he said about the developers not feeling passionate about the DLC true? Yeah, probably.

I've never seen something kill creative passion more (even if it's for a franchise you like or a game you've loved working on) than a directive from the top for something that's clearly just meant to make people above you more money. And with each partnership comes approvals, comes red tape, comes stakeholders that want to dictate what's in the game (oftentimes to the detriment of the game)-- and the game team can't even object because it's not their license or their brand.

The fact that Larian can say, 'screw that, I don't need more money from you' is truly such an anomaly in gaming. I am so very in awe of them as a developer-- it feels like someone breaking free of the system and paving the way forward for the rest of us. So whatever they do next, I will be there to support them.

BG3 is their most successful game so far, and I'm hopeful they will continue to push those boundaries. They've proven with each release that the core of their studio remains the same: immersive/massive RPG experiences, community-feedback focused improvements, and a well-balanced studio.

The tldr for all of this: I've loved Larian's choices so far and, while I'm bummed as a player, as a game dev I can't wait to see where this one takes them!

#cosmicchocomuffin #ask #bg3 #larian #ty again for such a good question!!!#i love larian and their choices as a studio #i know people can and should be critical of some things they do #but i cannot stress enough how phenomenal it is to see a studio like them succeed

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neonlights92 · 1 year

Text

Flip & Reverse It (II)

Your relationship with resident fuckboy Jung Hoseok is anything but simple. Sitting somewhere between hate and genuine friendship is the fact that you’ve always secretly, sort of wanted him.

And then one day you wake up and you’re in Hoseok’s body. And he’s in yours. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

Genre: rom-com, body swap, (sort of) enemies to lovers

Word count: 10k

Warnings: language and future smut

A/N: I'm baaaaaaack from the dead. Originally, I was going to make this two parts but this story has a mind of it's own. I think part 3 will be the final part. But please enjoooooy <;3

The library, thank God, is almost empty.

Of course it is, Hoseok tells you when you point this out, it’s a fucking Sunday.

Still you’re happy for the peace and quiet when the two of you tuck yourselves into a quiet corner and start scouring books for any kind of answer to your current….predicament.

“There’s nothing here.” Hoseok, at this point, is desperate. And so are you.

He slams the book he was reading down and turns to you sharply.

“It’s all about how to perform the swapping ritual… But not how to get things back.”

You hate to agree with him, but the truth is he’s right. You can’t find anything on reversing things, and the later it gets the more hope you lose.

“Maybe we need to read between the lines,” You suggest, “There’s got to be something here…” Hoseok rolls his eyes. He scoffs.

“There’s nothing. Some evil fucking force hates me and that’s why I’m here.” You feel a sting in your chest. Okay, so the situation isn’t ideal, but why is he acting like there’s absolutely nothing worse that could happen to him?

“At least you didn’t swap bodies with a homeless man,” You try to joke but Hoseok is having absolutely none of it.

He pulls a face.

“At least a homeless man doesn’t have a fucking vagina. What am I supposed to do with that?”

You flush brightly. Oh my god you hadn’t even thought of that.

Hoseok is most definitely going to have to see you naked. He’s going to have to touch your naked body - and quite possibly groom it.

“Oh fuck.” You grunt.

Hoseok has the decency to look a little apologetic for his tone. He winces.

“I’m sorry.” He mutters, frowning, “I know this is shit for you too.”

You try not to take it personally. He’s right, after all.

In the long list of awful things to happen to a person this has to be close to the top. You groan and tug a hand through your hair.

“All I can think is that we have to figure out why this happened.” You purse your lips, “Like why would the ritual actually work?”

Hoseok looks exactly how you feel: absolutely clueless. He clicks his tongue and shrugs.

“I don’t know. In that Freaky Friday film the mum and daughter had to learn to accept each other.”

You bite back a laugh. Hoseok has watched Freaky Friday?

“Right….”

“I’m just saying.” He rolls his eyes, “if we’re trying to read between the lines then maybe it has something to do with understanding each other.”

“You mean like we need to learn from one another?”

It’s a surprisingly good guess. Why else would the swap have worked, if not at least to teach you both a lesson?

You had nothing material to gain from this body swap - and neither did Hoseok. In fact, if anything it made your lives a thousand times more difficult.

It had to be something intangible. Something like internal growth.

Character development.

“I mean I don’t know what we’d ever learn from each other,” He shrugs, “But it’s worth a shot.”

You bite back the snarky reply that sits on the tip of your tongue. - that you’re not sure you could ever learn anything from him but that he could sure learn a lot from you - and sigh heavily.

“It’s our only lead at the moment. We may as well see if it works.” You watch as Hoseok pulls your face into a scowl.

“This fucking sucks.”

Just as you open your mouth to say something - probably agree with him - a female voice from somewhere to your left calls out Hoseok’s name.

You watch in horror as Hoseok’s eyes widen, and you feel your heart skip a beat. He mouths one word ‘Jisoo’, and you nod sharply, turning to face the beautiful tall woman that’s made her way towards the two of you.

You clear your throat and try to relax, “Hey… Jisoo.” You hope that you read Hoseok’s lips right, and when the woman’s smile widens you relax a little.

“How have you been?” Her eyes flick towards Hoseok - who is of course sat in your body - and when she turns back to you she has a perfectly plucked brow raised, “Why are you in the library on a Sunday?”

You feel your chest tighten again. The project.

“Uh me and Y/N are working on a project together,” You try to smile but you feel queasy, “Ain’t no rest for the wicked, they say.” You can feel Hoseok’s cringe from across the table but you try to ignore how stupid you’ve just made him seem.

“Oh.” Her eyes brighten a little, and you suddenly realize what’s going on.

She thought you and Hoseok were here together… Out of your own free will.

Like a study date.

She’s jealous. Your heart pinches.

“I thought you’d text me after last time,” She pouts in a way that is entirely too sexy for her own good, “But you never did. I miss you.”

You notice the way her gaze darkens, and you imagine that this is what seduction looks like. Not that you’ve ever tried to seduce anyone before.

Clearly.

“Oh well…” You scratch the back of your head in that way that is universal boy code for awkward and cough, “I’ve been busy. With uh… School.” “And this project,” Hoseok interrupts, smiling anxiously, “We’ve just had next to no time to ourselves. Isn’t that right, Hoseok?”

You nod sharply, “Yeah. Yep of course. No time.”

Jisoo deflates slightly and something clicks.

She’s being ghosted.

“Oh right. Well…” She smiles wryly, “I’ll let you get back to it, then. Bye Hoseok.”

She turns to Hoseok and gives a little wave, “Bye Y/N.” And your heart breaks for her. She’s not even mean.

When she saunters off into the abyss of the library you turn to Hoseok and raise an angry brow.

“That was not nice.” He pulls a face, “It was necessary. She was sniffing around where she shouldn’t have been.” “You ghosted her.” Hoseok groans.

“So what? Jisoo’s like, the hottest girl on campus. She’ll get over it.”

You feel something like anger rise to the surface but you bite it back.

“It’s cruel,” You tell him honestly, “You shouldn’t lead girls on like that.” “Woah. I do not lead girls on,” He rolls his eyes and leans back into his chair, “I know you think I’m a heartless asshole but I don’t do that. Girls know what to expect when they sleep with me. I am a man of zero commitment and I tell them that but they think they can change me. It’s not my fault they’re wrong.”

“So you told Jisoo?” He frowns, “Told her what?”

“That you’re a man of zero commitment.” He nods decisively, “Of course I did. A whore I may be, but an asshole I am not. Every girl I sleep with knows exactly what to expect from me. Girls like Jisoo think they’re somehow special - that I’ll change my mind and date them. But that’s just not me. It sucks that she’s hurt - but she’s only done that to herself.”

You hate to admit it… But he’s kind of right.

Casual sex is just that. Casual.

Hoseok is well within his right to sleep with whoever he wants - no strings attached - especially if he’s made it explicitly clear things won’t go anywhere.

You feel bad suddenly, for what you said to him the other day - about him being a slut and heartless - but you try and push the guilt to the side. It’s not your fault he’d never explained things to you before.

“Maybe that’s what I could teach you.” Hoseok cocks his head, “What?”

You sigh.

“Commitment.” When he snorts out a laugh you hate how much the sound warms your heart.

“I doubt that.” He tells you, shrugging, “I don’t need commitment and frankly… I don’t want it either.”

“Ah. I see.”

He raises a brow, “What do you see? “

You shrug.

“You’ve got commitment issues.”

For a moment it seems like he might be angry at you. His eyes darken and his brow furrows. Then he relaxes and blows out a raspberry.

“Yeah. Maybe I do. But don’t most people our age have commitment issues?”

“Most guys,” You correct, “Yeah. I guess so.”

You can’t help that your stomach drops at the realization. Even though you’ll never admit it to anyone… You always sort of hoped Hoseok wasn’t actually emotionally stunted. That he had the capacity to grow and change. To love someone.

(To love you.)

But now you see that’s probably not the case.

He’s emotionally unavailable. And he seems to like it that way.

At some point Hoseok turns back to the pile of books sitting between the two of you, and you try to ignore the way your heart just keeps sinking and sinking.

“This is hopeless.” He groans, flicking a hand through his hair.

You look up, chest tight.

“Yeah. It is.”

But you have a feeling you’re not talking about the same thing anymore.

It’s four hours later that the both of you give up.

“So now what?” You’re currently sitting opposite each other at a twenty-four hour coffee shop when Hoseok asks you the question. He’s ordered an Americano (at eight o’clock at night what a psycho) and you’re sipping on mint tea.

“I don’t know.” The tears climb up your throat but you push them down, “I really don’t. This is so fucked up.”

“Tell me about it.”

He seems on the verge of tears too, and you try your best to keep it together.

When you woke up in Hoseok’s body this morning the first thing that registered was shock. Then you moved on to denial.

Now you’re just frustrated. Is this going to be the rest of your life? Will you never be yourself again?

You can barely understand the position you’ve found yourself in, but for some absurd reason it’s real and you hate whatever magic, or being or otherworldly powers put you here.

“I guess we have to try the Freaky Friday thing.” Hoseok announces, desperate, “We have to try and learn something from each other.”

“And how, pray tell, are we going to do that?”

Hoseok narrows his eyes, “Can you just - can you just stop being so patronizing for like five seconds? We’re in the same fucking boat here. We have nothing else to go on. I’m trying to help.”

You feel like a fucking bitch.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, that ugly spider of guilt crawls up your tummy into your throat.

You don’t know what it is about Hoseok that makes you act this way - so angry and judgemental - but in the back of your mind you worry that it’s your complicated feelings for him.

You hate how he makes you feel. You hate that you’ve always sort of wanted him and he doesn’t want you back.

But you hate even more that you’re being so unfair.

“You’re right.” You nod, “You’re right. I’m being a bitch. I’m sorry Hoseok.”

The words seem to take him aback. He stares at you for a moment, and then releases a long breath.

“Good. Fine. Great. Let’s - I don’t know. Let’s brainstorm?”

You open your mouth to ask just exactly what he wants to brainstorm, when your cell phone starts ringing. It’s jammed into the pocket of Hoseok’s shorts (the ones you’re currently wearing of course) and you bring it out quickly, passing it to Hoseok himself.

“You need to pick it up.” You tell him.

He groans, “What?” “It’s Sana. She’s probably calling to ask about game night.”

“Oh shit. God forbid you miss game night.” “Hoseok…”

He rolls his eyes and sighs heavily, “Fine. Okay. But I’m putting it on speaker.”

He accepts the call quickly, and after a moment of shuffling around, Sana’s voice bleeds through.

“Hello? Y/N?” “Hi. Yeah. Hi Sana,” Hoseok tries to sound bright and cheerful - not at all like someone who’s just swapped bodies with their sort-of enemy.

“Where are you? The boys have just arrived. We’re meant to start at eight.”

“The boys?” The question slips out of Hoseok unbidden. He raises a brow.

“Yeah. Joon, Jimin and Jungkook…” The last name is said with a hint of teasing, “Y’know Jungkook’s been asking about you for the last twenty minutes. He said he can’t wait to play a game of monopoly with you.”

Your heart constricts. Fucking Sana and her incessant matchmaking.

You’ve told her a thousand times that even though he’s nice and handsome, you don’t want to get with Jungkook, but she seems hellbent on setting you up with someone.

God forbid you’re still single at twenty-one. In Sana’s eyes, you’re practically a spinster.

“Oh.” Hoseok’s eyes meet yours and he smirks teasingly, “Well… I wouldn’t want to keep Jungkook waiting.”

No. No, no, no, nooooo.

“No you wouldn’t!” You can hear the smirk in Sana’s voice too, “So get your ass over here.” You know exactly what Hoseok trying to do. You can see it all playing back, in the corner of his annoyingly devious mind.

“I’m coming too!” The words blurt out of you before you can even stop them, “Hi Sana. It’s Hoseok. I’m uh - Y/N invited me to game night before. So I’m going to come too. Y’know. I love monopoly.” There is a beat of thick silence. You cringe, and watch Hoseok’s eyes widen.

Then Sana clears her throat.

“Oh Hobi… Yeah, yeah of course. Feel free. You guys have spent all day on that project right?”

“We have,” You reply, “And I uh - I need to relax. So… Monopoly sounds great.” And then to make it a little bit more believable you add, “Joon and Jimin are there too, right?” “Yeah. We’re just ordering pizza. You guys okay with margarita?” “Sounds great. We’ll uh - we’ll be there soon.”

You grab the phone from Hoseok quickly and hang up before Sana can even reply. Hoseok leans back in his chair, staring at you.

“What are you doing?” He asks, crossing his arms.

“What are you doing?” You squeal, “Are you trying to fuck me over?”

“Excuse me?” “I saw right through that.” You claim, scrambling to your feet, “I don’t have a crush on Jungkook.” He holds both hands up, coming to stand too, “I never said you did.”

“So why were you - why were you smiling like that?” “Like what?” “Like you - like you…” You feel your cheeks redden and you wonder for a moment if you’re overreacting, “Like you were going to flirt with him.” There is a moment of almost unbearable silence.

Hoseok’s expression morphs from surprise… Into teasing. There it is again. That fucking smirk.

Even when it’s on your face, you know exactly what he means by it. And you hate that.

“Oh heavens no.” He barks out a laugh, “God forbid I flirt with him.”

You blush even hotter then, realizing how positively juvenile you sound and despising yourself for it. You try to string together a sentence, but you just can’t, so you do the next best thing and walk out of the coffee shop.

Hoseok follows you of course, but at least the crisp evening air cuts through the heat of your embarrassment.

“I didn’t realize you had a friend, Y/N.” Hoseok continues to tease as you make your way towards his car.

“I don’t.” You tell him decidedly.

“So then why does Sana think you do?” “Because she’s an idiot.”

“Is she?” “Yes!” You cry, exasperated, “She tries to set me up with everything that has a heartbeat because she seems to think the only way I can love myself is through male validation. But I’m perfectly happy on my own. Maybe you don’t believe that, and I don’t care if you do but it’s true. I don’t like Jungkook.”

The rant has come out in almost one breath, and you feel lightheaded by the end of it.

You’re not sure why you’re so adamant on proving to Hoseok that you don’t have feelings for Jungkook, but you figure it has to do with your tiny, little crush on the man currently inhabiting your body.

You hate yourself for it but the candle you held for Jung Hoseok never really snuffed out did it?

“Hey.” He lowers his voice and you pause, turning to face him. His expression is soft now.

“I didn’t - I was just teasing.” He tells you sincerely, “I wasn’t going to flirt with Jungkook, I swear. I won’t flirt with him.” You nod once. Sharply.

“Okay.” “And you’re right,” He sighs, “You don’t need any man to make you happy, Y/N.”

“I know.” He nods too.

“Good.”

A beat of silence softens the atmosphere. Then Hoseok gestures towards his car.

“C’mon. Let’s go. We’ll take my car.”

You regret mentioning the fact that his car is now your car technically, and instead follow him that way.

This is going to be a long night.

You’re right.

It is a long night.

Jungkook, of course, spends all night flirting with you. Well, he spends all night flirting with Hoseok but he thinks it's you and who can blame him, really? You feel yourself on edge the whole time, eyes flitting between the two of them the entire night. Hoseok, in his defense, doesn’t really flirt back. He smiles and laughs, and a couple of times he pats Jungkook’s knee, but for the most part it’s all been entirely platonic.

At some point you decide enough is enough, you need a break, so you stand up and announce you’re going to grab another beer.

“The kitchen’s right through there,” Sana tells you, because of course she thinks this is like your second time in your own house. Because you’re Hoseok aren’t you? Except your brain is still yours and you feel like you might very well just implode on the spot.

Fuck. That migraine is coming back.

Hoseok meets your eyes as you stand and you flick your gaze away. Stop looking at him, you tell yourself sternly.

Namjoon decides to accompany you that way, and you try to encourage yourself. You are Jung Hoseok. You are a casanova. You are a Beta Theta Sigma member. You are hot and you are a man.

“What was that back there?” Namjoon asks the moment the two of you step into the kitchen.

“Excuse me?” “That,” He opens the fridge and grabs a couple of bottles, “If you stared any harder, Y/N would have burst into flames..”

“Oh.”

“Are you… Jealous?” Namjoon sounds unsure, even as he suggests it.

“Jealous?” “Of Jungkook and Y/N.” He clarifies, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “I mean…I thought you didn’t even like her.”

“I do.” You shake your head, “No wait. No I don’t.” “You don’t?” “It’s uh… It’s complicated.”

Namjoon furrows his brow. He licks his bottom lip slowly and takes a swig of his beer.

“I can tell Jungkook to back off.”

“No! Don’t do that,” You cross your arms, “Y/N isnt… She isn’t property. She can - she can flirt with whoever she wants.”

Namjoon scowls. He seems incredibly confused and you don’t blame him.

“What?” “I just mean…” You blow out a long breath, “I’m not jealous Joon. Really. I just - I’m keeping an eye on her. For the project.” “Right.” Namjoon lifts a dubious brow, “For the project.” You’re aware of how utterly ridiculous this sounds. But you can’t have anyone thinking Hoseok has feelings for you. No matter how much a part of you wishes he might, that would only complicate things further when the two of you eventually do switch back.

“Jungkook’s nice though. Can’t believe this is my first time meeting him.”

You’d asked Hoseok earlier if he’d ever met Namjoon’s little brother, and were surprised when he told you he hadn’t. With the amount of times Jungkook visited, you assumed their paths would have crossed.

“Well he’s not really into frats,” Namjoon replies honestly, “Plus he only ever really comes around to hang out with Y/N. He’s pretty into her.” “Yeah. I can tell.” The words sound jealous again, and you wish you could take them back. Namjoon doesn’t say anything though, and then Hoseok appears in the kitchen door frame, halting all Jungkook related conversation.

“Hi.” He smiles at Namjoon and then his eyes fall on you, “Hey.” “Hey.” You greet back, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“Can I get one of those?” He asks, and you grab him a beer.

“So…” Namjoon grins, “Jungkook?” You wait with baited breath. Hoseok promised he wouldn’t flirt - but you’re not sure how capable he is of keeping that promise. Is he going to fuck you over? Make it seem like you’re into Jungkook so that if (and when) the swap happens you’ll have an awkward encounter to clean up after?

“What?” Hoseok shrugs, nonchalantly.

“Are you into him?”

You bite your bottom lip and Hoseok's eyes flick towards yours.

The atmosphere thickens.

“No,” You let out a huge sigh of relief at Hoseok’s answer, and Namjoon turns to you again.

Damn. That just made it seem a whole lot like you were jealous.

“We should - we should get back to the game.” You interrupt quickly, not really in the mood for any more of Namjoon’s needling, “I don’t trust Sana on her own in there.”

Namjoon turns to you, expression unreadable and shrugs.

“Yeah. Let’s uh - let’s go.”

He leads the way and you trail after, hanging back slightly to turn to Hoseok and whisper a rushed thank you. His eyes meet yours and he smiles.

“Yeah. Don’t mention it.”

When the two of you join the others in the living room again, Namjoon is still sending you confused looks, but you ignore it, taking your seat beside Jimin and trying to relax the best you can.

“You’re losing, just so you know.” Jimin informs you, delighted.

You laugh at that, shaking your head. You’re not sure how good or not Hoseok usually is at monopoly, but tonight he’s losing because quite frankly you suck at it.

“I know.” “This is a first I think,” He narrows his eyes, “You’re usually more of a sore loser.” You shrug, and try to grin, “I’m trying to be gracious.” “Mmmm.” He still seems dubious, “If you say so.”

You open your mouth to retort with something - you’re not sure what - when the sound of someone sitting beside you stops you short. You turn, watching as Hoseok settles into the seat to your left.

“Oh.” Hoseok smiles, “Hi.” “You were sat beside Jungkook before, Y/N,” Sana tells Hoseok, eyes teasing as she flicks her gaze towards Namjoon’s brother.

Jungkook, in his defense, doesn’t seem offended.

“Yeah well now I’m sat beside Hoseok,” He says easily, “That’s okay, isn’t it?”

There is another awkward beat of silence because what the fuck, but when you meet Hoseok’s gaze you know he’s only trying to help. If he sits beside you, then Jungkook will likely leave him alone for the rest of night, and nobody will make assumptions about the nature of your relationship with Namjoon’s little brother.

Crisis averted. Right?

Nobody says anything for a moment or two, before Jimin clears his throat.

“Ah no. No I guess not. We’ll just shuffle the board around.”

You nod, but you’re not really concentrating on anything else that’s going on.

Because once again, Jung Hoseok has left you absolutely speechless.

The next morning, you wake up bright and early. In Hoseok’s bed.

For a moment, you forget that you’re currently inhabiting somebody else's body. But when your eyes blink the sleep away, you remember and you want to cry all over again.

You spent all night replaying Hoseok’s act of kindness - the way he swapped seats without worrying about what the rest of your friends would think - and your heart speeds up.

No, no, no. This is not good for you.

You’ve been down this rabbit hole before, and it only brought you heartache.

You try and focus on something else - like all the fucking classes you’re going to have to take for Hoseok - and you pick up his phone, unlocking it and opening up the timetable he sent you last night.

He’s in the majority of your classes, which you guess is a good thing, as the two of you can try and stick together as much as possible until you figure this whole thing out…. But there are still some you’re going to have to take alone.

Fuck. This.

A knock at the door brings you out of your slightly depressive episode.

“Hoseok!” It sounds like Taehyung, “Hey. Hoseok. Can I come in?”

You groan, wanting nothing more than to burrow into the sheets of Hoseok’s bed and spend the rest of the week there, but you know that isn’t an option. You sigh heavily.

“Yeah, yeah. Come in”.

The door swings open and Taehyung stands right in the middle of the frame, wearing a pair of low slung basketball shorts and nothing else. You note - not for the first time - how annoyingly attractive he is.

“You have a visitor.” Today he nurses a cup of coffee.

The smell makes it's way to your nose and you groan. Damn you could really use some caffeine right now.

“Wait what? A visitor?”

“Yeah.” Taehyung’s eyes narrow, “It’s that Y/N chick.”

“Oh.”

You pick up Hoseok’s phone and check the time - eight fifteen - before turning back to Taehyung. He is giving you the snarkiest look of all time and you scoff.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?” He steps into Hoseok’s room further and leans against the wall, “Are you fucking her?”

You sit up quickly, gasping.

“What? No?”

Taehyung narrows his eyes, “Then what the fuck is she doing here at eight o’clock on a Monday morning?”

“The… Uh… The project.”

You scramble up, thankful that you stumbled into a full set of pajamas last night before bed. You’ve somehow managed to avoid seeing Hoseok naked as of yet but you know it’s only a matter of time.

You hate to think of what Hoseok will think when he sees you naked. Maybe he already has.

You push that thought away.

“The project?” Taehyung snorts, “Do you think I was born yesterday?” “What?”

“Hoseok, when have you ever cared this much about any project before? You’re fucking her.” His eyes widen, “Oh my god. You’re revenge fucking her.” Your cheeks heat up, “No I am not. I told you, Taehyung. It’s the project.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“Right… The project.”

You decide there’s no point in arguing with him. He’s made up his mind -clearly- and you don’t want to think how many times Hoseok has been in this position before for Taehyung to so easily come to that conclusion.

“Where is she?”

He smirks, “Kitchen.”

You stalk of out Hoseok’s bedroom without another word, making your way towards the kitchen and stopping at the sight of your form sitting at the counter.

Hoseok hasn’t quite mastered the art of sitting like a girl yet, but you don’t blame him. Your legs are pulled slightly apart, and your torso hangs forward, like a football coach deciding his team's next move.

Hoseok scrolls through your cell phone and you wonder for a moment, if this is what you look like to everyone else. The posture of course is all off… But the rest of it. The rest of it is you, isn’t it?

“Morning!” You chirp happily, “Buddy!”

Immediately, you regret that choice of word. Buddy. You were going for platonic, but you landed on weird.

Hoseok turns to you and smiles, albeit a little stiffly, “Hi… Friend.” You know he’s teasing you back, but you decide to ignore it.

“What are you doing here so bright and early?”

For the first time since you saw him, you take note of what Hoseok has decided to dress your body in.

A pair of high waisted jeans, a crop top that you think you wore once when you were like eighteen, and platform sandals you bought for a halloween costume.

Great. Fantastic.

Splendid.

“I thought we could walk to campus together and discuss…” Hoseok’s eyes flick towards Taehyung who is (not so discreetly) eavesdropping on your conversation, “The project.” “Ah yes. The project.”

Taehyung scoffs and you turn sharply to send him a raised brow of indignance. He is being impossible. He shrugs and turns away, making his way back down the hallway and towards his room.

When you’re sure you and Hoseok are alone you let out a deep, calming breath.

“He thinks we’re fucking.” You tell him bluntly.

Hoseok snorts, “What?” “Taehyung thinks we’re fucking. And I’m pretty sure Namjoon and Jimin think it too.”

“Add Sana onto that list,” He pouts, “She interrogated me over our relationship for almost two hours last night, after the rest of you left. My God.”

You shiver to think what Sana may have said to Hoseok last night - how she may have inadvertently embarrassed you.

It’s not her fault of course, but considering how convinced she’s always been of your romantic feelings for Hoseok, you don’t doubt she spent the entire evening teasing him for it.

Fuuuuuck.

“I’m sorry.” You say, because you’re not sure what else may suffice.

Hoseok shakes his head, “Don’t apologise. It isn’t your fault.”

“Right.”

“Maybe we should… I don’t know,” His cheeks heat slightly, and his eyes flicker momentarily towards yours. Then he takes a deep breath, “Maybe we should roll with it.”

“What?” “The whole… Us dating thing. Just for now, till we figure this whole thing out. It would make it easier to explain why we are spending so much time together.”

You feel like the entire world has just turned upside down. Your heart is in your throat, beating so loudly it’s the only thing you can hear, and suddenly everything seems like it’s moving in slow motion.

You squeeze your eyes shut a second and shake your head. When you open your lids, Hoseok is staring at you expectantly.

“You want to… You want to pretend we’re together?”

“Well yeah,” He shrugs, “It’s like I say - then people won’t be so freaked out about the amount of time we spend with one another.” “But what about the party… All your friends saw us fight… And I was a bitch to you-”

“We’ll say you apologised. We talked about it and realized we were into one another. Stranger things have happened, right?”

He seems so nonchalant about it. And where you’re freaking the fuck out, he’s shrugging his shoulders as though it’s no big deal.

“But you - you don’t want a relationship. You said you’re a man of zero commitment…”

“Well this isn’t real is it?” He sighs heavily, “Besides, it’s just until we’ve figured out how to put everything back to normal.”

You might throw up.

“I - I mean…” “Plus it’s not like I’m going to be getting any action whilst I’m in your body, right? Win win.” He smiles warmly, and for a moment you’re completely taken aback.

What the fuck are you meant to say?

“I guess. I mean… Okay.” You lick your bottom lip and tug a hand through your hair, pulling at the ends of Hoseok’s short strands, “Yes. Okay fine. It’s a good idea.”

“Great.”

You blink. Once, twice, three times.

The atmosphere shifts.

“Is that… Is that all you came round for?”

“I thought we could walk to class this morning. Really cement our whole new couple thing. We’ve got first period together, right?”

Your mouth is so dry, it might as well be a desert, but you force yourself to nod.

When the fuck did this become the timeline you are living in?

“Cool. So… I guess… Get ready? I’ll wait here. I’m still trying to figure these shoes out without breaking my neck. Your neck,” He wrinkles his nose, “Our neck.”

You snort a laugh at that, “Okay. Cool. Yeah… I’ll uh - I’ll see you now.” It’s only later, when you force yourself to a take a shower (despite having to face Hoseok’s naked body and trying your utmost to respect his privacy and not check out his bits) that the reality of what has happened to you in the last twenty-four hours truly hits you.

Not only are you currently inhabiting Hoseok’s body.

But you’re his girlfriend too now. (Fake girlfriend, technically speaking but… That’s semantics.)

Shit.

Your first day at college as Jung Hoseok goes awfully.

Of course it does. What else were you expecting?

It’s hard enough trying to keep up with all his classes and friend’s names and his fucking schedule. But the worst part of everything - the part you can’t stand - is the questions.

“Are you really dating that Y/N chick?”

“I thought the two of you hated each other.”“Never would’ve pegged you for a nerd guy.”

You hate it all - the assumption that you and Hoseok don’t make sense as a couple - but what else can you do but grin and bear it?

They’re kind of right, too really. You and Hoseok don’t really make sense.

You try to tell him this yourself, when you walk him home after the last of your classes, but he’s having none of it.

“Will you quit it?” He tells you seriously, eyes narrowing at the insecurity written all over your face, “Who gives a fuck what any of them think, anyway?”

“I do. Clearly.” You grumble feeling dumb for having even brought it up in the first place.

Hoseok rolls his eyes.

“Yeah and why’s that?”

“Because I’m dumb and insecure?” You shrug helplessly, “I don’t know Hoseok. People are probably already talking so much shit about me.”

“This isn’t high school.”

“So? People are still mean.” You sigh heavily, “You don’t get it Hoseok. I’m not cool. I’ve never been cool. Everyone is going to wonder why the fuck you decided to settle down with me of all people.”

Hoseok pauses, and turns to look at you. The fact he’s dressed you in platforms means the height difference between the two of you isn’t as large as it normally is, but he still needs to tilt his head up slightly to make eye contact.

“And if they ask you’ll tell them I chose you because you’re smart and capable and pretty.” His eyes are serious, “And I like you. You make me laugh and you don’t take my shit. Plus you’re the only person I know who actually gives a fuck about getting their degree. It’s admirable.” The words almost cause a heart attack. It’s a punch to the gut - does he really think those things about you? - and for a moment you don’t know what to say.

“Oh… Uh…”

“And when they ask me why you chose to date me… I’ll say because Jung Hoseok is a sex god and a filthy, dirty fuck.” He smiles widely, “Gotta retain at least a little bit of my reputation, right?”

You burst out laughing at that, unable to control yourself. Hoseok laughs too, and for a moment it feels like the two of you might be caught under something.

The way he’s looking at you - soft and warm, like he’s happy to be there - makes your heart clench and you remind yourself once again that he isn’t yours. He isn’t yours and he’s only here because he’s in your fucking body.

“Alright. I’ll let you have that at least,” You mumble back, as the two of you stop outside of your apartment block.

“Well,” He throws you an easy smile, “This is my stop.”

You click your tongue, “Yep.”

“I’ll see you tonight, right?”

When you draw a blank look Hoseok groans.

“The party, remember?”

You feel something flicker in your stomach. The stupid fucking party at the EXO frat, you’d agreed to go to.

“Do we have to...?”

“If we don’t, it will be harder to go to the next social gathering I'm invited to. We have to keep up appearances.” He seems sympathetic as he says it and you know he has a point.

The quicker you bite the bullet, the easier it will be to fool everyone else that you’re actually into each other.

But that doesn’t mean you like the idea.

“Can’t I just say I’m sick?”

Hoseok clicks his tongue, “Look, it's a great excuse for us to show we’re a solid couple, right?”

You stop yourself from actually sticking your tongue out at him and instead settle on a playful glare.

“Fine. But I’m not going to enjoy myself.”

“Duly noted,” Hoseok replies drily, “I’ll ask Sana. She’s probably already going with Joon.”

You hum some kind of half hearted agreement.

“It's going to be fine, Y/N trust me.”

You feel exhausted all of a sudden. Is this going to be the rest of your life? Figuring out ways to hoodwink your friends and family into believing something that isn’t true? Pretending to be somebody else? Having to live a life that isn’t yours?

“Are we ever going to be able to swap back?” The question is small, and you feel so dumb asking it because how can Hoseok give you an answer?

Hoseok gives you a small, comforting smile. He touches your shoulder gently and nods.

“We’ll figure it out. We’re not going to stay like this forever.”

You want to believe him. With everything inside of you, you want to believe that you can both fix this.

But you’re not sure of anything anymore, least of all if you’ll ever live in your own skin again.

“Just… don’t give up, okay?” He’s looking at you so earnestly your heart almost breaks. You nod, silently, biting back the tears.

“I won’t.” And without even thinking about it, you bend down and press a soft kiss against Hoseok’s forehead. Well… it’s your forehead really, but at this point the semantics don’t matter.

Hoseok freezes, but you don’t miss the way he leans ever so gently into the touch. You try to tell yourself you were just imagining things but part of you can’t really deny it.

When you pull away, he’s watching you with careful eyes.

“I’ll see you tonight,” You tell him, straightening out almost stiffly, “At the party.”

Hoseok smiles and nods.

“Yeah. See you later.”

You think that perhaps, today hasn’t actually been that awful. That maybe, maybe by the end of all this you and Hoseok might actually be friends. The thought warms your heart.

Friends with Hoseok. You know secretly you want more, but there’s no denying the impossibility of that ever happening.

So you resign yourself to hope for friendship. And something soft blooms in your chest.

It isn’t until you get back to Hoseok’s home that you are spun quite immediately back into reality. The look on Kim Taehyung’s face when you pass through the front door is enough to make you want to curl up in a hole and die.

“I fucking knew it. You’re banging her!”

Jin stands to Taehyung’s left, a dark brow raised. His arms are crossed and he watches you curiously.

“I’m not banging her…” You grumble, “She’s my girlfriend.” “Same difference.” Taehyung is grinning like the cat who got the fucking cream, “I knew there was something else going on.”

“I thought relationships weren’t your thing,” This comes from Jin, who’s still giving you that weird look.

You shrug, “Well it’s different. With Y/N.” “It is?” “Yeah. She’s different.” You almost cringe at your own words - but there’s nothing you can do it about it. God knows Jung Hoseok has definitely established his position as resident fuckboy pretty firmly by now - but things change, right?

“Don’t tell me you guys are like seriously exclusive?” Taehyung looks like he might pass out.

“Uh… Yeah. Exclusive.” “Fuck.” He scoffs out a laugh that is sharp as knives, “Shit. You’re really into her.” Another nod. Taehyung turns to Jin and shrugs.

“Twenty bucks then, right?”

Jin’s lips lift into a smirk. You frown.

“What?” “Me and Jin had a bet after that night,” Taehyung says this so easily as though it isn’t a big deal. But it is, you think, “The party where the two of you fought. You were so clearly into her. I thought you’d fuck her. Jin thought you’d make her your girlfriend. He won.”

You are floored. Hoseok’s friends think he’s into you? Like for real?

You don’t know what to say.

“What are you talking about?” “Well for one she’s the only girl on this entire campus you haven’t tried to fuck,” Taehyung points out almost studiously, “And whenever you do talk to her, you get all weird. Like you’re trying to impress her.”

You feel yourself flush because what the fuck?

“You’re - I… What?”

“C’mon don’t play dumb.” Taehyung fishes into his back pocket for his wallet, “After that night at the party you were so pissed. That’s only because you liked her enough to actually care what she thinks about you.”

Jin accepts the twenty dollar bill Taehyung passes him, “And we were right, obviously. Because she’s your girlfriend now.”

The tightness in your chest expands.

“Uh… I mean yeah. I guess.”

“She’s coming to the party tonight, right?” Jin’s question surprises you.

You nod and Taehyung grunts.

“Good. She can try and change my mind about her then.”

You resist the urge to tell him to fuck off. After all, the last time Taehyung had seen you around his best friend you hadn’t exactly behaved spotlessly, had you?

“I’m sure she will.” You mutter to yourself more than anything, “I am sure she’ll change your mind.”

The party is throbbing by the time you and Hoseok arrive. He’s stuffed you into one of Sana’s ridiculous minidresses and when you ask where on Earth he thought he was going he just shrugged and told you to chill out.

“I hate this already,” You mutter, feeling incredibly out of place.

“Well Jung Hoseok is usually the life and soul of any party so start un-hating it.”

You roll your eyes at his comment and let Hoseok slip his hand into yours. It feels weird, holding your own hand like this, but you can’t contain the butterflies swarming around your stomach either.

Even if you can’t fully enjoy it - Hoseok is currently holding your hand - and you can admit to yourself that you’d always wanted that.

Always wanted him.

God you’re a chump.

“Y/N!” Sana’s voice pierces through the crowd and you look up, trying to act nonchalant as she cuts her way through the mob of drunk college students.

“Hi Hoseok!”

You nod when she smiles up at you.

“You want to come join us? We’re playing ring of fire.”

You know what you want to say. You want to say fuck no. You can’t think of anything worse to play five minutes after arriving at a party, than ring of fire.

But you force a lazy smile onto your face and shrug, turning to Hoseok and raising a brow.

“Wanna play… babe?” The pet name comes out a little stilted, but it seems to do the job because Sana stifles a giggle.

Hoseok narrows your eyes a little, but he smiles just the same, turning on the charm.

“Anything you want… cupcake.”

You gag in your mouth because what the fuck? Cupcake? You would never reduce yourself to calling somebody something that gross but you force yourself to laugh.

“Okay then. Let’s play.”

Sana laughs too, and if she senses the weird energy between the two of you, she doesn’t comment on it. Instead she moves you both across the room into a smaller space - a room that could be considered a dining area if it wasn’t in a frat house.

“You know I’ve been getting questions about the two of you all night,” She throws over her shoulder as she leads the way, “All anybody seems to care about is the hottest couple on campus.”

Her tone is teasing, and you’d heard from Hoseok that Sana had been ruthless when he’d told her that the two of you were a couple.

You didn’t want to think about how she might have potentially embarrassed you.

“We are not the hottest couple on campus,” The words blurt out of you almost automatically and Sana snorts.

“According to most people I’ve spoken to at this party you are.” She shakes her head, “People can’t seem to wrap their puny little minds around it.”

“That’s because they’ve never been around the two of us when we’re together,” Hoseok pipes up, surprising you, “We’re perfect for each other.”

Your chest tightens again and you wonder if you might very well hyperventilate. Is he trying to kill you?

“That’s what I told them! You balance each other well, I think,” Sana sits at a huge round table and you take a seat to the left of her, “I always knew you had the hots for each other.”

Your eyes flicker to Hoseok as he sits to the left of you, and he holds your gaze steady. Breathe, he mouths.

Something about his presence calms you, despite how erratic you might feel inside, and you let yourself sink into the cushion of the chair you’re sat on.

“Well look who it is! The looooooovebirds!” Your eyes flick up to meet with a tall, slim man with charcoal gray hair. A memory flickers in your mind; he’s a member of EXO right? Cha-Cha… Cha-something.

“Shut up Chanyeol,” This comes from Namjoon (ah Chanyeol that was it), “Shit. I forget how obnoxious he gets at these….”

“Obnoxious my ass,” Chanyeol smiles good-naturedly, “I never thought I’d see the day that Jung Hoseok would be tamed! And by a woman, no less.”

You try to roll your eyes in a way you reckon might be reminiscent of Hoseok, and shrug.

“Not all of us can live in perpetual fuckboy territory, Chanyeol. I’ll leave the sleeping around to you, now.”

You pray to the Gods above that Chanyeol doesn’t have a girlfriend and that your joke will land - and sling an easy arm over Hoseok’s shoulder, pulling him closer towards you.

You press a kiss to the side of his head, and drop your mouth to his ear.

“He’s single, right?” You whisper.

Hoseok nods, once, and you relax. Thank God.

“Ooooo. Shots fired. Didn’t mean to offend you, Hobi.” But Chanyeol is still smiling as he says it, and you send him a smile right back.

“Not offended,” You shrug, “Just… Stating the truth.”

There seems to be a weird tension between the two of you, all of a sudden, and you wonder if maybe Hoseok and Chanyeol are not as buddy buddy as you might have thought. You feel Hoseok shift beside you.

“Okay, okay. Enough with the male testosterone,” Sana whines, “Are we going to play, or are we going to play?”

Your eyes flick quickly across the table - taking in the others at attendance. You don’t recognise anybody else apart from one girl who used to live in the same dorms as you freshman year. Momo, you think her name is.

“The floor’s all yours, darling.” Chanyeol smiles wolfishly, and something about that look on his face kind of creeps you out.

Sana starts rattling on about the rules of the game and you find your attention wavering, before Hoseok brings it to hyper focus by pinching the top of your thigh. You look down at him. He’s got a tight smile on his face.

“Avoid him.”

You raise a brow, “What?”

“Chanyeol.” He pushes closer towards you, “Try not to let him get you alone. Alright?”

Your brow creases, “Why?”

“Will you just…” He blows out a raspberry, “Can you just trust me on this?” A moment passes between the two of you. You watch as Hoseok blinks - once, twice, three times. Then you nod.

“Yeah. Fine. I’ll - I’ll avoid him.”

“Everybody understands the rules then, right?” Sana’s voice cuts through your conversation, and the two of you refocus your attention. You feel yourself nodding.

“Perfect. Then let’s begin!”

The game starts, and everything goes absolutely downhill from then on. You try to warn Hoseok several times that you can’t handle alcohol very well - you barely drink it and when you do, you don’t tend to drink the harder stuff. But Hoseok brushes you off.

It’s my brain in here, he tells you, I can handle it.

But he can’t of course. Because his brain or not, it’s a simple case of body chemistry and even though he really tries to keep up with everybody else in the game he just can’t. At one point, Hoseok flips over the glass of the girl to his left, and tries to apologize before flipping over your drink and causing an even bigger mess.

“Sweetie,” You grit your teeth together, “I think you’ve had enough.”

Hoseok turns to you, eyes wide and glassy. It’s weird to see yourself like this. Even though it’s not you - not technically - it’s your eyes and your mouth and your bright red cheeks.

Huh. So this is what you look like drunk.

“Uhhhh….” Hoseok hiccups, “I have?”

You feel something like fondness bubble in your chest.

“Yeah. Shall we step out of the game?”

Momo - that girl who lived in your dorms freshman year - sighs softly, “Shit. Look at him taking care of her like that. That’s so romantic.”

Sana giggles and tries to help Hoseok sit up a little straighter, “It is romantic.” Her eyes flick to yours, “Maybe you should get her some water?”

“Yeah.” You stand, grabbing Hoseok’s hand and pulling him up with you, steadying him when he inevitably stumbles into you, “C’mon baby. Let’s get you some water.”

Hoseok nods placidly, following you as you tug him towards the kitchen. There isn’t anybody else in there and you thank god because Hoseok really is a mess right now, and you can’t really focus on anything else but trying to sober him up.

“Come here.” You lead him to a bar stool and sit him down, pressing his back against the surface of the kitchen counter, to stop him from toppling over.

Hoseok’s eyes trace your face carefully. He bites his lip and smiles.

“Hi.”

You smile back, “Hi.”

“I’m kind of drunk, right?”

You nod, “Kinda.”

“Guess you were right.” He teeters slightly to the left, and you brace him carefully by the shoulders, “Are you mad?”

The question takes you by surprise.

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because you said I wouldn’t be able to drink so much and I didn’t listen to you.” He gives you a look that sits somewhere between guilty and cute, and if he wasn’t so drunk you might think he’s trying to flirt with you.

“You never listen to me,” You remind him studiously, grabbing a bottle of water and handing it to him, “Here. Drink up.”

He takes the bottle and brings it up to his mouth, taking a long gulp and pulling away with a dramatic swipe of his mouth when he’s done. He raises a brow.

“I do listen to you.” He whines, “What about the project? I agreed to do what you wanted to do.”

You purse your lips, “That’s one time.”

“And Jungkook.” He squints an eye, “I didn’t flirt with him.”

“Twice, then.”

“I’m sure there’s others,” He says confidently, “I just need to remember them.”

You laugh when he tries to tap his finger against his temple but fails miserably, using the hand holding the open bottle and spilling water down the front of Sana’s dress, instead.

“Look what you’ve done now,” You chide, shaking your head fondly.

“Woops?”

“Woops indeed,” You grab some paper towels and dab at the front of the dress, trying to take away as much moisture as possible.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Hoseok pushes you away gently, “Are you trying to get into my pants, mister? I’m not that easy y’know! I’m a lady.”

He’s smiling now, his eyes a little less glassy, and his face a little less flushed.

“A lady huh?”

Hoseok tilts his head to the side, studying you carefully - as though he’s seeing you for the very first time, almost.

“Yeah.” He licks his bottom lip once, “A sexy lady.”

You burst out laughing at that, and Hoseok laughs too, before a throat clears itself loudly to your left. Your head snaps round and you find Taehyung hovering in the doorway.

“I heard about your girl.”

“I am not his girl,” Hoseok snips, sounding a little too close to home for your liking, “My name is Y/N.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes, “Hi Y/N.”

Hoseok lifts an enthusiastic hand and waves.

“Hi Taehyung.”

He trails over towards the both of you and crosses his arms, raising a thick brow, “How are you feeling?”

“A little dizzy.” Hoseok hiccups again, “Who knew alcohol could make the room spin that fast?”

Taehyung swallows down a smile and turns to you.

“Maybe you should take her home…”

“But I don’t want to ruin your night,” Hoseok pouts like a baby and you think that might be the very first time your face has ever pulled that expression, “You were having fun, right?”

You shrug.

“It’s alright. There’ll be other parties.”

“That’s right there will be,” Hoseok stands, a little wobbly but on two feet at least, “And I’ll be at all of them too right? Because I’m your girlfrieeeeeend.”

He sings the last syllable of girlfriend - like he’s actually happy about the whole thing. You try not to think back on what Taehyung and Jin said to you before, about Hoseok always having had a thing for you and snort out a laugh.

“Yeah. You’ll be at every single one.”

He smiles, self-satisfied, “Good.”

“There’s no one home,” Taehyung whispers to you, laying on the innuendo thick, “Feel free to make as much noise as you’d like….”

You hate the way your cheeks pink at his suggestion and even Hoseok looks a little shy.

“Taehyung!” Hoseok shoves his friend’s shoulder playfully, “Are you encouraging fornication? You know we’re not married right?”

Taehyung barks out a laugh at that, unbidden. He looks sort of annoyed with himself for it.

“I’m just saying,” He says, “The night is young. Enjoy it.”

You slip your hand into Hoseok’s and tug him towards the front door, “We will. See you later, Tae.”

“It was nice meeting you again Tae-Tae,” Hoseok christens his friend with a brand new nickname, “I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the days to come!”

Taehyung does smile at Hoseok then, despite himself, and your heart warms at the fact that he seems to be warming up to you. And okay, right now it’s not actually you, but he’ll never know that. And maybe when things go back to normal, and you’re in your own body again, Taehyung will still like you.

(You try not to think too hard on why you want Hoseok’s best friend’s validation that much.)

“See you guys!”

God. This night is really turning into something else.

“I can sleep on the couch.”

Hoseok looks like he might throw up. You’d decided to bring him back to his own home. It didn’t make sense not to take Taehyung up on his suggestion that you take advantage of the empty BTS frat home.

The two of you are meant to be dating, after all, and if you ended up staying in separate rooms for the night it just wouldn’t really make sense. Not with how drunk Hoseok had gotten at the EXO party, anyway.

Of course, you aren’t exactly following through on Taehyung’s insinuation to make things… sexual. But he doesn’t have to know that.

“You’re not going to sleep on the couch in your own home.” You tell him sternly, “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Hoseok shakes his head sharply. He groans.

“That’s going to look weird when the boys get back. They’ll wonder why we didn’t just sleep together.”

Hoseok’s bed isn’t tiny, but it’s not huge either. There’s room for the two of you, you suppose, but you can’t imagine it’ll be the most spacious of sleeping conditions.

“Fine,” You set your jaw despite the way your heart trips in your chest at what you’re about to suggest, “We’ll just share.”

Hoseok turns to you, eyes wide. He seems to contemplate that for a moment, before shrugging.

“Sure. Let’s share.”

There’s a moment of almost awkward silence, where the two of you just stare at each other.

“We should… Get comfortable?” You smile weakly and Hoseok pulls a face.

“This is fucking weird isn’t it?”

You snort violently, “So so weird.”

His eyes zip over to the closet and you lick your bottom lip, nodding. Are you going to change in front of each other?

Not that seeing your own naked body would freak you out, but you’ve attempted to avoid making eye contact with Hoseok’s bits as best you can the last couple of days. It seems redundant, almost, to ask each other for privacy.

“I’ll go first.” Hoseok announces, zipping over to the closet and wordlessly pulling out an old AC/DC t-shirt.

“Are you going to just…. Do it here?”

Your question comes out as an insecure squeak. He turns to you and sighs heavily.

“I mean, if I go to the bathroom what difference does it make? It’s your body, anyway.”

You nod, speechless. He’s right but the whole thing just feels weird.

Something in the atmosphere shifts, as Hoseok pulls himself out of Sana’s skintight dress. He struggles with the zipper and you bite back a chuckle, moving towards him and stilling his hands.

“Here.” You whisper, “Let me.”

Hoseok meets your eyes as you pull the zip down, slowly exposing the expanse of skin that is your back. He freezes for a moment, eye contact held for what feels like eternity.

And then, he steps out of the dress.

Hoseok opted not to wear a bra. Of course he did. Sana would have told him off for even attempting it.

“You uh….” He’s still staring at you, “You can pull this over my head.” He holds the t-shirt out, “I won’t look.”

The sentiment pulls at your heart.

“Okay,” You breathe, taking the t-shirt and folding it over his head. Hoseok pops his arms out through the holes, and when his head breaks through too, he smiles at you.

Softly. Gently. Warmly.

“There.” He whispers.

Your noses are a hair’s breadth away from one another.

You clear your throat, “There.”

Theres a moment held between the two of you. Like a spell you’ve been caught under. Even though you’re looking into your own face, you can see Hoseok shining through your eyes.

He’s there. He’s there and he’s looking at you and your skin prickles at the way he’s looking at you.

Then, he coughs gently.

The spell is broken and you step back.

“You should change too.” He tells you, hand scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

You nod and pull your own t-shirt off, pushing down the jeans you opted to wear and leaving Hoseok in a pair of briefs. He smirks.

“You just gonna sleep in my underwear?”

There’s something burning behind his words. You bite your lip.

“No. I’ll put some pants on.”

Hoseok laughs almost throatily as you do so, pulling out the first pajama pants you find. They’re Christmas themed.

“Those are my favorites,” He tells you as you slip into them, and you scoff playfully.

“Of course they are.”

There is another moment of silence as the two of you contemplate Hoseok’s bed. You know what comes next. Your heart feels like it’s beating out of your rib cage when you gesture towards the sheets.

“Should we….?”

“Yeah.” Hoseok smiles softly, “We should.”

The two of you climb in. It’s a little awkward at first, a mess of limbs and hair. You can’t imagine Hoseok is used to having to share his bed with someone else, much less with himself.

The thought almost makes you laugh.

But finally, you settle down. You roll over and click the bedside lamp off. You’re both swathed in darkness and you stare up at the black ceiling, feeling ache usted all of a sudden.

“Y/N.” Hoseok whispers from beside you.

You roll over carefully, and suddenly your noses are touching. Hoseok doesn’t move away.

“Thanks.” He breathes gently, “For coming to the party. And for not getting mad when I got too drunk.”

You feel yourself smile in the dark.

“That’s okay.”

“You’re…” He takes a moment, seemingly searching for the words, “Just. That’s it, I guess. Thank you.”

“Don’t sweat it,” You answer softly, feeling like you’re still trapped under that spell, from before. “G’night Hoseok.”

He breathes out softly, and the air hits your cheeks.

“Goodnight.”

And when you fall asleep that night, your dreams are suspiciously void of anything but romance. You’re falling in love, obviously, and you seem incapable of stopping yourself.

The first thing you notice when you wake up the next morning is that there are a pair of soft arms wrapped tightly around your waist. You look down, across the expanse of Hoseok’s sturdy chest, all the way to the two little hands clasped together in front of you.

The memories of last night come rushing back to you and you smile to yourself, almost embarrassed at the softness the two of you displayed.

You try not to think about Jin and Taehyung’s words. About how Hoseok has always been into you, and instead focus on the matter at hand.

Because of course Hoseok’s body has reacted quite prominently to the soft female body cuddled up next to him. You’ve got a boner.

Well Hoseok has a boner. For you.

It hurts a little if you think about it too much, but there is undeniable hardness settled between your legs.

“Fuuuuuuck.” You groan, trying to maneuver yourself out of Hoseok’s grasp, and only causing him to further tighten his hold.

“Hoseok,” You try instead, shaking your body a little more violently, “Hoseok…..”

This time you pinch his forearm - a little forcefully but what else are you meant to do?

And that seems to do the trick, as his eyes shoot open and his arms fall away from your waist. He jumps up, almost scared, and you laugh at the look on his face.

“Shit.” He moans, holding a hand to his forehead, “Do you always get hangovers this bad?”

You nod, once, and he grumbles pitifully.

You notice that the shirt that Hoseok was wearing last night has coincidentally ridden up your thigh, exposing the flesh even further, and without warning Hoseok’s body reacts pretty positively to that.

Which is to say his dick gets harder.

You try not to think about the fact that technically you’re turning yourself on, when Hoseok’s eyes graze the problem you’re having downstairs. He gasps.

“Shit.” He looks up at you, “Fuck.”

Your cheeks pink and so do his, and the air is suddenly filled with embarrassment. He tries to apologize.

“Oh fuck I’m so sorry Y/N.” He scoffs, “Little fucker can’t take one day off.”

You laugh at the look on his face, despite yourself, and shrug, “I mean I guess I’m flattered. At least your dick finds me hot.”

The words fly out of your mouth without warning. Hoseok’s eyes darken just a little.

“What?”

“I just mean….” You try again, “It’s a compliment really, right?”

He licks his bottom lip, “Yeah.”

His gaze is heated when it meets yours and something in your stomach drops. Hoseok’s dick hardens even further (if that’s humanly possible) and before you do something crazy - like have sex with yourself - you jump out of bed.

“So I should go and uh… Sort it out. Will a cold shower help?”

Hoseok crinkles his nose, “Amongst other things….”

You cannot possibly take anymore of his teasing, so you hurry yourself off to the bathroom, intending to stand under a shower of cold water until this boner disappears. But, of course, God has other plans.

Because just as you slip out of Hoseok’s bedroom, you find Kim Taehyung standing just outside your door, with an older, distinguished looking man.

Taehyung throws you what looks like an apologetic look over the man’s shoulder, as the mystery man in question turns around slowly. When his eyes meet yours the resemblance is uncanny.

This is Hoseok’s father.

“Hoseok.” His voice is low and gravelly, almost stern, “Good morning.”

Your spine straightens like a rod. Your throat dries up impossibly quickly.

“Uh…. Hi.”

“Taehyung tells me you have company this morning.” His eyes flick down from the top of your head, to the bottom of your feet, “You should invite your girlfriend to have breakfast with us. We have much to discuss.”

The bedroom door swings open again, and your chest tightens when you feel Hoseok freeze beside you.

Hoseok’s father smiles, shark-like, “Ah. You must be the elusive Y/N.”

You feel Hoseok swallow, his whole body rigid and stiff. He tries to smile.

“Uh yeah…. That’s me.”

“I am Hoseok’s father.” His eyes judge every inch of your body, “But you can call me… Dad.”

The words sound anything but friendly.

Oh fuck.

#hoseok x reader #romance #college #enemies to lovers #fanfiction #hoseok fanfiction #fanfic #hobi #bts #imagine

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