Tumgik
#i still haven't found the essay
phenakistoskope · 1 year
Text
No politics remains innocent of that which it contests
- Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, in "The Personal Is Not Political Enough", Marxist Perspectives 2 (Summer 1979).
1 note · View note
yeonban · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
Send me ✔ and I’ll bold what my muse would do with/for yours.
@effigist asked: ✔ ash for tobias 💪
Tumblr media
Acquaintance:
hold the door for them | help them carry something | let them borrow something | let them use their (primary) phone (that has all of Tobias' important contacts in it) | smile at them when passing in the streets | shake hands with them | flirt with them in a bar | share a taxi with them | give them a ride home | lend them money | sit next to them on public transportation | offer them some food | help them find something they lost
Friendship:
let them stay the night | listen to them complain at 4 am | help them get over a break up | go out shopping with them | pet sit for them (or alternatively, babysit Ash's gang/allies) | help them move houses | help them find a lost pet | go on vacation with them | stay up all night with them | help them hide a dead body | provide an alibi for them | take their side in a break up | talk about their future plans | be maid of honour/best man/etc. at their wedding (Tobias just laughed at this one I'm sorryadhyuasgdsahd) | share food with them
Lover/Fling:
let them stay after sex | gentle sex | rough sex | experiment | handcuffs | bdsm | whips | orgasm denial | aftercare | cuddles after sex | tea/coffee/etc. after sex | gentle kisses | rough kisses | passionate kisses | sloppy kisses | lazy kisses | hang out without sex | hide their relationship | cheat on them | cheat on someone else with them | dirty talk | loving talk | gentle touches | rough touches | nervous/shy touches | say “I love you”
Married/Dating:
take them on expensive dates | pay for dates | make them pay for dates | go to the movies | put out on the first date | get an arranged marriage | stay at home most nights | cuddle in front of the tv | propose first | drop hints until they propose | give a big/expensive/elaborate proposal | have a quiet proposal | say yes to a proposal from them | have a big wedding | have a small wedding | elope | get married in Vegas | go on an expensive honeymoon | go on a cheap honeymoon | have kids | get a pet | move in together (Tobias with his dozen houses: :) ADHASDHSAJD 😭) | laugh during kisses | laugh during sex | tickle fights | fight over who’s cuter | make them sleep on the couch after fights | make up sex | angry sex | no sex | let their parents/siblings stay over | let their family visit often | tell them “I love you” every day
Sibling/Platonic:
fight (SPAR! SPAR! SPAR!) | hug (Tobias isn't against properly hugging him but boy does he think it'd be so awkward the first few times he'd do it. so typically Ash would instead get those half-hugs/half-lounging on the other's shoulder kind of embraces that men always love to give each other) | laugh at them when they get hurt (for the minor/stupid injuries) | help them hide a dead body | provide an alibi for them | tell them they’re annoying at least once a day | share food with them | help them move houses | walk them down the isle | try to sell them online | set up an online dating account for them | set them up on blind dates | try to set them up with your friends | listen to their problems | help them cook | cook them food | make them watch shows they don’t like with them | tell them they’re an idiot/loser/dork/nerd affectionately
Enemy:
fight them | take petty revenge | kill them (thank GOD Ash isn't the type to betray him for no reason so this will never come to pass 🙏) | try to smother them in their sleep | hire an assassin | work harder to beat them at something | follow their social media just to get mad about it | make passive aggressive remarks towards them | spread rumours about them | laugh at them when they get hurt | take pleasure from them being upset | ruin their life
Tumblr media
#◜✧ . ❪ muse. tobias. ❫#◜✧ . ❪ tobias ; musings. ❫#effigist#They have such a fun dynamic to me like What is ever going on here. ADJIASDHASUIDHSADJSADSHDSAKD#That Awkwarddd (!) moment when you and your homie are 2 teenage guys with understandable trust issues which always make you#question the homie's real intentions only for you to slowly become proper friends but still find it hard to believe him 🙄🙄🙄#even WORSE that due to your age and past experiences you cannot for the love of god be open and vulnerable on main w him or you'll Die#I have to say tho it's fascinating to watch Tobias give Ash so much (from money to help to his phone bc he'd rather khs than offer his#primary phone to sb he doesn't trust considering he has stuff like Wammy's network & the Presidents' phone numbers in there)#and then ask for nothing bc Ash is simply THAT amusing to him! Ash earned all this by breathing and being himself I can't even ADAHSAJSAHDK#I guess it does help that Ash reminds Tobias of himself just a little 🤏 bit bc of the similar situations they've found themselves in#(both forced by circumstances into a life of crime; both groomed by adults looking to use them if for different purposes; both Hating that)#except Tobias has at least landed himself in Wammy's House & has the means to stand up for himself AND others nowadays#whereas Ash's life is... many a struggle since he refuses to use Dino's assets to get back at him (which is what Tobias' doing to Watari)#Tobias might not be a nice guy but he Does want to get Ash out of the hellhole he's fallen into even if it's risky & has no visible upside#but it'd be WAY too much of a shame to let Ash die. much less to some random old man's obsessive whims 🙄#Saying this made me remember the 'I'll get you out of there' cat meme and now I can't stop laughing HELP ADJIASHDISADSADJSADSHAD#But yk thinking about it more deeply I realized Ash might be the first friend Tobias' ever made outside of Wammy's (besides fake friends)#It's hard times out here in the friendship economy when you never step out of the GODDAMN underground where all the backstabbers are at!#Frankly I could probably write an essay about their dynamic and they haven't even DONE much together yet. So what if I jumped instead /j
3 notes · View notes
Text
Any of you ever have those moments of "Damn, that would've been a great sentence if my fan fic hadn't been dead for, hmmm, ten years."
6 notes · View notes
Text
Dr's be like " GooD News! We can't find anything wrong with you! So keep an eye on your symptoms and come back if anything changes! :D"
.... i guess i'll just keep collapsing/nearly passing out whilst feeling exhausted all the time and being unable to string more than three thoughts together with muscles that ache from sitting and being unable to walk more than 10 mins without getting out of breath then .... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
4 notes · View notes
maganne-studies · 4 months
Text
"My father said it looked very sad: a stairway in a field of ruin, going up to nowhere."
- The Woman Who Had Two Navels by NIck Joaquin
0 notes
theaceace · 9 months
Text
An old concept that I'm still feral over, but a Dreamling fic in which the dreamling relationship is chronicled entirely by Yelp reviews of the New Inn.
Reviews are either 5* or 1* with surprisingly little in between, and the business owner replies are always a riot. They start off fairly normal, talking about the food and drink, the couple of guest rooms upstairs, the location and prices etc, but then they start to get weird.
Constantine leaves 3*, beer is shit whiskey is ok not haunted which is more than I can say for most london pubs and the response is Thanks Jo, but you're still banned
4* this place is run by my history professor and it's amazing but he asked me about my overdue essay three times so I can't give it 5* and Hob, who has had multiple students visit the pub for the sole purpose of doing this, is just like you still haven't submitted that, get off yelp and start citing your sources
There are multiple 5* reviews like would give 10* if i could, the owner chased off a neo nazi with a literal sword he pulled out from behind the bar
5* should probably give it less because a couple of times the answers to the history round on the monthly quiz night have been wrong, but otherwise it's a solid little place for a reasonably priced pint and a nice afternoon and Hob's response is just those answers were right
And then Dream comes back and the reviews start... Changing, a bit
One of the 1* reviews is just complaining about the fact that there was a bird at the bar and no one got rid of it and the reply from Hob is that's Matthew, he has a tab. Several of the 5* reviews are also about the fact that sometimes there's a bird in the bar
One of the 5* reviews is saw the most beautiful goth twink in the world, will definitely be going back and Hob nearly deletes that one. The reply instead is that's my boyfriend, unlike Matthew he never pays his tab
5* i have no idea how i got there or found the place because i swaer i was halfway across london from where google maps says it is but anyway the bartender was really great and understandig when I started crying on him, will defiantely go back if reality ever warps like that again. Response from owner: yeah sorry about the reality warping, we don't get it either
1* I only wish I could have given this establishment a glowing review – fabulous service, lovely food and a sumptuous wine I hadn't expected, but unfortunately I had to see my brother's face. Response from owner: Desire get off the internet, it doesn’t need your help
2K notes · View notes
shima-draws · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
I've been teasing her for months!! But at long last her ref is complete 🌷
I actually DON'T have a 5 page essay on her backstory this time (like I did for Ilari LMAO) but I do have some info about her if anybody is curious!
Name: Ione
Age: 25
Hair color: Silver
Eye color: Orangish-yellow
Element: Light
Grabbing info from the few posts I've talked about her already, Ione was originally a very famous singer, pretty much an idol within the world of ATS. She'd hold huge concerts that were always sold out and people from around the world would flock to see her perform. Eventually tho all of the attention started to attract the wrong kinds of people, and sooner or later Ione was "scouted" by a very rich man who wanted her all to himself. She was manipulated and blackmailed into signing a contract with him that would essentially end her touring and make it so that she would become a private singer for him. He basically chained her with this contract and so she disappeared from the public eye.
Ione soon discovered that other people with similar talents had also been gathered and trapped by this man's contracts. Among them was a prodigy violin player who she grew very close with. The two of them struggled under the demands of this man, and eventually violin boy started to get physically abused by him 😭 Things escalated to the point where Ione decided she wanted OUT and was determined to do anything to escape. This led to a very...traumatic event that caused her to go mute by choice.
When Ione finally makes her escape, thankfully she's changed so much that people don't recognize her in public (mostly her hair! It used to be short and didn't cover one of her eyes before). Shortly after she runs into Nahu and his group, and is unceremoniously recruited to join them lol (Nahu can be VERY persuasive). Ione communicates with them through sign language, which luckily a couple of them are fluent in--Ezio and Sage to be specific. They then teach the others in the group sign language too. It takes Nahu a bit to get the hang of it bc he has like, no attention span whatsoever, but being a dragon elemental helps since his senses are super attuned all the time, so he can generally tell what Ione is feeling and what she's trying to convey when she talks to him :")
Over time Ione grows closer with them, and like everybody else is hit with the Found Family, and realizes that yeah. She'd do absolutely ANYTHING for this group of crazy weirdos. She starts to fall in love with Nahu (bc who WOULDN'T), and slowly gains the courage to use her voice again. This leads to secret meetings with Sage, who helps her relearn how to use her vocal cords.
Eventually her past catches up with her, of course, but the group all bands together to set her free from it. She has to face off against violin boy, who thought she'd abandoned him and got Messed Up Mentally as a result, so THAT'S a thing she's gotta deal with. But she's able to reach him by singing for the first time in over five years, and everyone absolutely loses their shit at how beautiful her voice is and they all cry and it’s very emotional!!
Even after regaining her voice she still prefers to stay quiet most of the time, as that is what she's comfortable with, but she's totally okay with speaking when she needs to. Also I need to mention this but bc she used to be like. An idol. Obviously her routines consisted of both song and dance so she's a pretty good dancer. Out of everyone in the group, Ione is the ONLY person Ezio will dance with (and he is a very VERY good dancer himself, but will only dance with someone who can keep up with him, which Ione can). Everyone is very jealous of this, ESPECIALLY Nahu lol bc he wants to dance with Ezio too 😂
Ione's a light elemental! I haven't given a LOT of thought into her powers yet but I do know that her singing makes her stronger and also gives her powers a boost, which in turn helps the rest of the group. She also can ride on these light waves--I will have to draw them sometime bc I can't really explain them in words, it'd be better to show them visually lol
And that's her!! My flower light mute girl <33333
354 notes · View notes
peanutant · 1 month
Text
play fighting
logan howlett x f!reader
Tumblr media
you're working late at night grading essays in the living room of X's mansion. Logan wants to help wake you by "testing" your combat abilities. wc: 1.6k warning: slightly nsfw fluff
Ororo has already warned you to stop drinking coffee at such a late time, but these essays cannot grade themselves. It's not ideal to always have your heart racing from the caffeine mixed with lewd thoughts about Logan.
The busy schedule you had only let you exchange shy smiles with Logan in the hallways. When you try to speak with him, a student suddenly needs help understanding a book.
You don't get to watch TV in the living room while grading papers often; it's always the last to leave in the professor's space. Fortunately, your students enjoy your class; most get As. Yawning, you stretch your arms and throw your head back. Your head rests on the couch. You try to fight off closing your eyelids completely. You know you'll be knocked out when you close your eyelids.
"You're working too hard." a familiar voice emerges from behind. You can tell Logan was adjusting his volume to a level that wasn't enough to disturb the sleeping students but sufficient for you to hear. You tilt your head to the side, unable to move your body. Logan's face is what you need to see to keep going.
"Can't sleep?" you ask. He slowly walks towards you with a beer in hand. Considering Xavier doesn't allow alcohol in this school, Logan keeps surprising you. He replies with a hum as a way of saying "yes."
He sits dangerously close next to you. Your thighs are touching each other, and no one's mentioning it. You could tell you both didn't want to, as you didn't want this moment to end. It's been too long since you've last felt Logan's warmth. No one would mention the tension, but everyone can feel it.
You lay your head on his shoulders, warming up to the crook of his neck. He adjusts to be closer to you and takes a sip from his bottle to ease the pressure.
"Maybe you oughta rest," he whispers to your ear, taking this as an opportunity to sniff your cherry-scented shampoo. "I need all these papers graded by today to introduce a new topic tomorrow."
A brief moment of silence follows between you two, continuing to watch the TV. It was not awkward; it was gratifying. You could feel your energy come back just from Logan's touch.
"Do you wanna…" his voice trails off, making you spring slightly from your seat as you turn your head to face him and stare.
"Logan," you call out his name, shaking your head slowly. "What? No, no. Whatever you got on your mind right now, that's not what I'm tryna…" he sighs and averts his gaze for a moment as if he's trying to come up with something to say to rid of the awkwardness.
"How's your combat? Can you still throw a punch?" he questions, knowing you haven't been in actual battle for a while. You've been more focused on caring for the kids while the whole team is off caring for mutants who haven't yet found care. 
"No way. I'm not fighting you. Especially not here," you reply. You'd love to appear serious right now, but the grin expanding on Logan's face removes all the power you have to fight off your smile muscles. He chuckled, sat his beer on the wooden table, and stood up.
"Come on. It won't be a real fight. This'll just help wake you up." he reaches a hand out to you. That smirk on his face mocks you because you know you'll always say yes to it. Hesitating to give your hand, he pumps his eyebrow twice. He knows you want it.
And so you do. He pulls you up gently, supporting you back on your feet. "Now, throw some at me. Show me how you do it," he positions himself to defend the rest of his body, arms up, feet apart, and ready to catch you.
"I'm not going to actually punch you, Logan." you reiterate, placing your hands on your hips. "I know. Just practice with me, will ya?"
You feel the smile on your face grow more prominent as you position yourself to throw punches. Even if you were to throw actual punches, it'd be nothing to Logan. But for the sake of intense sexual tension, you're willing to play this game.
You stare at each other with eyes that say, "I want to have sex with you right here and now, but we can't because we might wake everyone sleeping."
You throw a pretend punch aimed at his stomach, and he shields it perfectly with his arm. "Let's go, princess," he says sing-songy.
You throw another soft punch aimed at his shoulder. Once again, he caught it in time with his hand. It wasn't intentional for you to actually hit him, but it felt like you punched stone playfully.
"You scared?" he pokes your stomach hastily. Your reaction time wasn't good enough to defend that silly attack. Still, all you could react with was giggles you attempted to keep in to not awaken anyone. It proves to be challenging when you are predicting you'll lose.
"No." you attempt to sound out in between your laughs. You couldn't throw any more pretend punches. It's like your own stomach is fighting you.
"No?" he tilts his head, flashing a smug smile at you. 
The laughter was too much to handle, and you had to bring your arms down to stop yourself from laughing. Your hand grabs onto your stomach, and the other covers your mouth, making yourself completely open to his attacks. One thing leads to another, and there's a 100% chance he'll attack you with something worse.
He lunges at you quickly, your whole body up against his. It felt like hugging a big bear. His chest was rigid, but his warmth made up for it. His hands would constantly switch spots on your torso to tickle you. 
"Logan, I swear–" you pleaded, but you couldn't tell him to stop. A million butterflies swirling up in your stomach combined with his embrace could almost kill you. You wouldn't be surprised if some student were to get up and see what was happening in the living room. You raise your hands to push yourself away from him, but he pulls you closer and turns you around.
"Surely, that's not the best you can do. You should really come and train with me," he mumbles in your ear, tickling you even more. You feel his breath against the back of your neck. What's more interesting is that you feel something poking you from behind.
Your body's strength slowly starts to fade away; it tells you you should completely submit yourself to Logan. You fall back down on the couch, protecting your body with your hands, but he can still reach every spot you cover and don't cover. "Okay, okay, that's enough. We might wake someone up," you warn him as he looks down at you.
He slowly reaches down until your body is between his arms, and his body is between your legs. Though this isn't the first time being this physically close to Logan, having him between your legs is a new sensation.
"You're the one making noise over here. I just wanted to help wake you up, and this is how you repay me," he remarks, his face only a few inches from yours.
You hoped nobody would catch the both of you in this position. At the same time, you did want to get caught. Maybe then, people would say you both only belong to each other. That's what you want. 
He presses his lips against yours. You could tell that's what he wants as well. You can taste the beer in his mouth as if he intentionally left it there for you to experience. He held you in his arms. It was his way of telling you he didn't want to stop, even if you'd both eventually get caught. You respond by wrapping your arms around his neck. After months of fighting off the urge to jump at him and grab onto his hair while he pleasures you, your kisses grow more starved and aggressive. He does the same, holding onto your thigh and pushing you gently until your back is lying on the couch and his entire body is towering above yours. 
You cupped his face, signaling you wanted to breathe, even if you didn't want the kiss to end. His eyes stare at your right and left, leaving him impatient. 
You slowly collide your lips against his again. He squeezes your thigh, forcing you to gasp. He grabs the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth, softening with yours. The heat between your legs increases; you are waiting for him to taste every part of your body.
His lips trail down from the corner of your jaw to your neck to your collarbones, leaving purple marks all over. He impatiently unbuttons your blouse, revealing a dark blue lacy bra with a ribbon in the middle.
"This color looks good on you." "I wore it just for you, Logan."
As he plants kisses between your tits, you can feel him smile. His hands suddenly grope your boobs, causing you to involuntarily pull the spikes on his hair, and biting your lip to resist moaning.
You could easily tell he was still sexually frustrated, even in the position you both were in. It should have been satisfying enough, but he didn't want to push you. Logan isn't naturally gentle, but the fact that he still tries to makes you fall in love with him even more. A laugh you weren't expecting comes out of your mouth.
"What's wrong? Am I doing it wrong?" he slightly panics. You shook your head no and combed his fluffy hair with your fingers. "You're good at this." you compliment, leaving him speechless momentarily. He releases a sigh of relief and shows you an introverted smile.
"Looks like we tied."
You both quickly turn your head to where you hear someone clear their throat.
"Hey, Scott. You… can't sleep too?" Logan asks with a smile.
139 notes · View notes
ineffable-suffering · 11 months
Text
The Jane Austen Ball and why it was never about Nina and Maggie
Otherwise known as (*takes a deep breath*): A completely inflated close-up look at various dialogues and events of Season 2 that prove that the Whickber Street Traders and Shopkeeper's Association Meeting Cotillion Ball was supposed to be Aziraphale's confession to Crowley
Look, the point's been made before but that's never kept me from making it myself again, still. In fact, even I made it before, at the end of one of my other metas. But I feel like it's absolutely worthy enough to get its own soppy, way-too-long post. And I do love it so very much to write ridiculously long essays on something that could easily be condensed into a short paragraph.
So, here we go! Snuggle up, get cozy, settle in and, most importantly:
Tumblr media
(Word count: 3.177 | Reading time: ~13 minutes)
As I already said above, I laid out a similar case in my meta about why Aziraphale is somewhat of an unreliable narrator. I'll try and recycle it here briefly, so I can further make my point.
When Aziraphale arrives back in London from his Edinburgh journey, he seems oddly happy and giddy for the fact that he just had a rather odd and threatening encounter with Shax. I explain in my other meta that this is because he just spent the last hours of his drive reminiscing on the thrilling and romantic magic show adventure of 1941 and also the fact that he just found out that Crowley has been replaced by Shax and no longer works for Hell.
Ergo: We have a hopelessly lovesick Principality at our hands, who's practically swooning over his serpent who saved him, his books and his magic show all those years ago.
Ergo:
Tumblr media
✨This✨
Realistically, Aziraphale should probably be a tad worried about the eery encounter with Shax, in which she definitely had the upper hand on him. But well, if you spend many-a hours driving across the serene countryside (Edinburgh is about an 8-hour drive from London), pondering on one of the craziest, sticky-sweet romantic adventures of your not-life life, well ... things tend to turn a little rosy around the edges. Head in the clouds and all that. Light shades of grey!
Alright, onwards: Once the angel, filled to the very brim with fond memories and butterflies, gets out of the Bentley, he's kindly met with a face full of verdant plants and a very in-character-grumpy Crowley.
Tumblr media
Fhwack! Way to burst the rosy bubble.
Seriously, the absolute lightning speed with which Crowley storms out to vacate the bookshop the very second Aziraphale arrives makes me giggle every time.
Let's make a first small (who am I kidding) diversion into analysing the following conversation in unnecessary detail ...
... simply because I enjoy quoting dialogue as an accurate reference in my metas. I'll also highlight certain passages I want to comment on in individual colours so I can back up my thoughts with them below. Alright, their little chinwag goes as follows:
Crowley: "They you are! I was worried something might have happened to you." Aziraphale: "No, nothing happened to me. Very uneventful journey indeed. No strange things at all." Crowley: "Good. That's what we wanna hear." Aziraphale: "Um .. everything okay with- ah.." *nods to the bookshop* Crowley: "Oh, yeah, fine. He's singing to himself. I think he must have been asleep. I heard snoring coming from his bedroom–" Crowley, to the Bentley: "Did you miss me? I bet you did." Aziraphale: "... I'm sure it did." Crowley: "So, any more clues from the mystery of the missing archangel?" Aziraphale: "Not exactly. Or, if there are, I haven't yet cracked the case. But I'm certainly hot on the trail of something." Crowley: "I'm sure you are. Oh, by the way, the whole sudden rain and awning thing was a complete washout." Aziraphale: "Sorry?" Crowley: "You know, project making Nina fall in love with Maggie. I failed, it's your go." Aziraphale: "I see. Well then, Whickber Street Traders and Shopkeeper's Association Monthly Meeting, here we come!" Crowley: "You're really hosting the meeting?" Aziraphale: "Absolutely! And I can guarantee you, it will be a night to remember."
At first glance, this has little to do with the plot of this meta but actually, it folds into my point very nicely! However, it's not time for that yet, so we'll just state the facts as they are for now and then bring them back 'round later when we need them. That being said: For the love of Someone, will these two ever manage to simply tell each other the truth of what happened instead of thinking they can protect each other by lying about it all the time? Hrmpf. As a big fan of open communication myself, I'm close to developing a stomach ulcer with the amount of false truths being spewed here. (Then again – and yes, that is another, way larger meta I'm currently cooking up – it plays so very perfectly into the whole Jane-Austen-Pride-and-Prejudice tragic miscommunication theme that this entire Season has, so I understand the point of it.)
Very uneventful journey indeed, Aziraphale, except for the fact that you were ambushed by a demon who told you she was Crowley's successor, knows about the rumors of the two of you being an item as well as what went down in 1941 (that almost had both of you exposed) and also seems to have figured out where you and your demon boyfriend are hiding Gabriel, all in the span of about a minute. No strange things at all, nooo!
And Crowley's "Oh yeah, fine" is a total lie too. Again, we see him make an absolute run for it before Aziraphale can even enter the bookshop. After all, he just once again witnessed Jim have a Gabriel-flashback, speaking of the Second Coming, while Crowley was alone with him. As fumingly angry he is with the amnesiac archangel – he's also absolutely terrified of what might happen (to him and Aziraphale) should Jim regain his memories. So, no wonder he's quick to vacate the premises after witnessing Jim's rather eery memory flashback (and was, just like Aziraphale, threatened by Shax mere moments later, lol).
But no, nothing out of the ordinary happened to either of them. Tip-top. Absolutely tickety-fucking-boo.
Alright, let's get back on track with the actual topic of this meta. Certainly hot on the trail of something, hm? At first glance, it might seem like Aziraphale is talking about the fact that Gabriel was in company of someone whenever he went to the Resurrectionist Pub. (The clue!) However, I don't actually think he is talking about that. Why? Because, and this slipped my mind too at first, he never actually follows any of this information up, does he? Yes, sure, he went to Edinburgh, found the capital-c Clue and then returned to London. But what does he do with it? Nothing. He doesn't keep investigating this hot trail because that's not the important thing he realized during his journey. No, the more important clue Aziraphale found during his trip, is that Crowley no longer works for Hell and that he is also very much irrevocably in love with him and must confess this at the earliest given chance. (The latter part isn't necessarily a new discovery for Aziraphale, but it surely is fuelled by the fact that he just realized Crowley's out of a Hellish job and simply hasn't told him yet.)
This exchange just the perfect indicator for the fact that Aziraphale, at no point during his drive back, was thinking about the Maggie and Nina mission. He has no idea what Crowley is talking about once he mentions it and seems surprised, even, that he would. Even though they just talked about it on the phone when Aziraphale was still at the graveyard. Which is another important piece of evidence because it means that the last status update Aziraphale got of Mission Lovebirds, was that Crowley had sensed an opportunity to make them fall in love – and had then hung up on him. Why is this important? Because it means that until that very point of their conversation, Aziraphale did not know that Crowley's attempt had failed! There would have been just as much of a chance of Crowley's weather miracle actually working out and Maggie and Nina already having skipped into the sunset happily ever after.
So, riddle me this:
Why would Aziraphale spend the entire ride back from Edinburgh plotting "a night to remember" (because clearly, he already had the entire Ball planned out down to a T in his head since he goes into action right away after arriving) if he didn't even know yet that Crowley's attempt had failed?
To be very clear here: We're not talking about Aziraphale driving on the M1 to London, having a silly little idea for putting on some good music, miracle-ing Nina and Maggie to dance to it and watch them confess their love–
No.
He planned an entire actual Cotillion Ball with very particular location design that involves re-arranging the entire bookshop, specifically designed individual outfits for (almost) every single attendee, topped off with a live band, hors-d'œuvre, drinks and an actual choreographed group dance.
During one car ride.
Tumblr media
Where's the party planner Aziraphale AU? I'm waiting!
Now, sure, we know that it's still quite important for Aziraphale to convince Heaven of the faux-reason they gave for their accidental ✨25-Lazarii miracle✨. But if we're all honest, this all seems to be a tad much just to make two random humans fall in love, even for that.
Glittery ball gowns and suits? Red and gold wall curtains? A modified language filter? Bloody vol-au-vents?
Tumblr media
Talk about over the top ...
Once we start S2E5, Crowley is still surprised at the mere fact that Aziraphale is actually planning to organize the Monthly Meeting – and he doesn't even know yet that it's gonna be the most extravagant ball-boogaloo that the Whickber Street Community has ever seen! Aziraphale wanting to organize the meeting alone, is enough to render Crowley incredulous, because Aziraphale never mingles with the other shopkeepers. He usually actively avoids them and any sort of social encounters as much as he can because he doesn't care about the bloody Christmas lights, alright?
These things seem mundane and uninteresting to him, obviously, since all he really cares about is hoarding his book collection in peace like the little hedonist he is and drawing as little attention as possible to his none-business business.
Oh, right, speaking of books:
Let's take another unnecessarily detailed look at the whole Whickber Street invitation scene:
Aziraphale realizes very quickly that he's not the only one who's quite unenthusiastic about the blessed Chritsmas lights. And despite his very persuasive methods of temptation ...
Tumblr media
... he has to take some more drastic measurements. And those are?
That's right: Giving away his books.
I'll repeat it again, slowly: Aziraphale is willingly (!) giving away or lending his books to pretty much complete strangers to, allegedly, make two other humans strangers fall in love.
Seriously, who is that angel and what has he done with our prim, fussy, hedonistic Aziraphale that protects his books with the vice grip of an eagle carrying his precious prey?
Believe in the importance of Mission Lovebirds as much as you will, but we're talking about Mr. A.Z. Fell here who, over the past millennia, has pretty much spent every day actively working out methods to stop people from purchasing as much as a single paperback from his holy shelves.
And yet: the 1965 September Dr. Who Annual? Given away. The first edition of Expert at the Card Table that was S. W. Erdnase's personal copy? Lent away to grubby human hands to fondle around with.
Let's do another coloured dialogue diversion (don't worry, it's not as extensive as the last one):
Crowley: "You just did what I think you did?" Aziraphale: "I'm not prepared to talk about it." Crowley: "You gave away a book." Aziraphale: "I had to! Maggie and Nina are depending on me. They just don't know it yet."
Crowley backs up my point: This is a huge deal. Aziraphale does not sell his books – let alone give them away for free. We're all shocked! Flabbergasted!
And the explanation Crowley and us get just ... doesn't satisfy. Something and someone sure is depending on this Ball and doesn't know it yet. But it's most definitely not Maggie and Nina, folks.
You know for whom Aziraphale would give away his books in the blink of an eye, though?
Mhm, that's right.
Tumblr media
This pretty old serpent.
I want to take a minute to show you the reaction again that Aziraphale has upon entering the very same magic shop him and Crowley went to in 1941 to acquire the Bullet Catch:
Tumblr media
You ... you need a minute there, angel? You're sure looking a little ... affected.
And I mean, well, no wonder. He reminisced about that very memory four hours last night. To him, this shop is where the most turbulent, ecstatic, adrenaline-fuelled and romantic night of his life began. And it shows.
I've made my point in my other meta series about how Aziraphale is an incredibly nostalgic character. He romanticizes so many things in his memories – especially the parts that feature Crowley. So, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that he's once again willing to loosen the tight grip he has on his book collection to get the successor of Will Goldstone's Magic Shop, the shop that started it all for him, to come to his fancy Ball.
As we watch Aziraphale and his little lap dog demon pat around Soho, I'd like to take another second to point out that he goes to seven or more establishments before he even invites Nina.
Tumblr media
... and he only does so because she starts talking to them on the street. Almost like he'd forgotten about it. Why not ask her at the very beginning? To establish whether or not he'd have to book-blackmail her too?
"Perfectly ordinary invitation with no hidden agenda of any kind", except that he's using you and Maggie as a pretence to resolve his own clusterfuck of a relationship-miscommunication Jane-Austen-style so that he can then hopefully confess his undying love to his demon not-boyfriend boyfriend.
Marvellous!
You'll forgive me another short diversion but my God, the whole exchange at the Marguerite's restaurant with Crowley literally cat-call-whistling Aziraphale over to him (and Aziraphale checking if he meant someone else first, I–)? I am weak. So, so weak and
Tumblr media
However, this is also when we get a snippet of Crowley finally revealing the truth in place of his "Oh, he's fine"-lie earlier and telling Aziraphale that he's actually pretty scared Jim might turn back into Gabriel and smite him altogether. And Aziraphale's response is, in a cosmic sense, (remember the pink paragraph now) so hilarious:
"Have you thought of just talking to him?"
Yeah, have you? Have any of the two of you? Just thought about talking? To each other? About anything?
'pparently not. But hey, it's all good because remember what the ultimate remedy for star-crossed lovers simply misunderstanding each other is?
Tumblr media
Bish, bash, bosh, problem solved!
Back at the ballroom bookshop, Aziraphale sends Crowley to invite Maggie in order to, in my opinion, not spoil the Ball-y surprise for him. (Inviting Maggie only now?! Wouldn't she be one of the only two guests who really should attend? Why the short notice? If she's really that important for the Ball you're planning, hm?)
On top of this, we see Nina almost not attending the Ball meeting after her partner broke up with her and Crowley being the one who coincidentally runs into her and ushers her into the bookshop before Shax and her "legion" of demons start creeping up on them. Again, if this hadn't happened by pure coincidence, Nina would have left to go home and this whole Ball would have taken place without her, rendering the apparent sole purpose of making her fall in love with Maggie useless.
Why doesn't Aziraphale care more for both of them to attend and be there? Why is he instead busy fussing over everything looking perfect and wonderful and doesn't even seem to notice that both Nina and Maggie are really late to the meeting?
Well. Well.
The answer's in the title, babes.
Alas, Crowley safely gets Maggie and Nina to join them, Mr. Brown is the only one who doesn't get a miracled outfit (fussy, petty angel, you just don't like him, do you?), Jimbriel stuns with glamour and flirt (and whatever sexually suggestive thing he does with his cheeks) and the Whickber Street Ball is a-go!
Tumblr media
Sorry, I just had to chuck this in again because Crowley's face here absolutely kills me every time. He looks so confused, I am hollering.
And the heart eyes Aziraphale is making at Nina and Maggie now that they're actually here?
Tumblr media
Oh, bless it, angel.
He's all like "Oh look, it's working! Jane was right! It's all going to be resolved, all the misunderstanding and quarrels! Crowley, where's Crowley–"
Tumblr media
Ah yes, there he is.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is an angel who is not listening to a single word being said right now. No, in his head, Aziraphale is already down on one knee, pouring his heart out to Crowley after they just danced the night away.
Oh, yes, right. The dancing.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Parallel much?
But well, as marvellous and beautifully romantic as her stories tend to be, it turns out that Jane Austen isn't always right after all. Because before we know it, the perfect night shatters into many-a tiny pieces (literally).
Tumblr media
And once again, fhwack:
Tumblr media
... the rosy bubble bursts.
Let's take one more deep breath so I can make my final point:
In S2E2, Aziraphale explains to us very exactly what Jane's Balls (hrhr) used to be about: Solving miscommunication and confessing love to one another.
During his car journey back from Edinburgh, Aziraphale:
doesn't know Crowley's Mission Lovebirds had failed
remembers 1941 and just how badly he's in love with Crowley
and also realizes that they seem to have been wildly miscommunicating for quite some time now. (Crowley didn't even tell him he basically got let go!)
So, what does maddeningly strong love plus a want to resolve all the miscommunication equal? That's right: A night to remember! A Ball to change it all! A dance, a vol-au-vent, a confession. And, ideally, a happy ever after. Because:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man angel in possession of a good fortune Jane Austen collection, must be in want of a wife demon husband.”
The Ball was never for Nina and Maggie. As a byproduct, maybe, yes. But the whole rest of the glimmer and glamour, the careful, romantic planning and set up of it all, the book-bating the other shopkeepers– that was for Crowley and Crowley only.
And oh, if only it were as easy as in the books.
Tumblr media
*whispers* I'm sorry, I had to.
***
Your honour, the tinfoil-hat crackpot defence rests. Feel free to share thoughts (and prayers) if you want to!
Au revoir! 💗
573 notes · View notes
waldau · 9 months
Text
wanna be yours — chwe hansol | 2,208 words | fluff
i'm asexual as fuck (the irony) but friends with benefits to lovers is a delicious trope i would love to see more of. title from i wanna be yours by arctic monkeys.
gender neutral reader. college!au. warnings: mentions of sex but no actual descriptions of anything. also reader is mentioned not to like coffee, because i dislike coffee. soz <3
Tumblr media
the last person you expected to see tonight was chwe vernon, dressed in his usual bomber jacket and slacks. yet here he is, crashing into the empty place on the sofa next to you. he doesn't say a word, simply squeezes his eyes shut and throws a hand over his eyes. dino keeps talking like there's been no interruption, but you're hyperaware of the way your legs are almost touching.
you and vernon didn't really run in the same circles before you got together, so it is odd to see him here amidst all of your friends.
"hey," you say, ducking down so you don't disturb the others.
"hurts," he says back, pressing his face into your shoulder. you look around, but no one really seems to be paying attention to you, some of them engrossed in beer pong and the others making idle conversation.
"what does?"
"my...head."
you wince in sympathy. "drank a lot?"
he shakes his head. "not that much. but i can't find seungkwan, and he has the keys to our dorm."
"so you decided to find...me?"
"better you than anyone else."
you don't respond to that, and you can tell by the way his head grows heavier on your shoulder within the next few minutes means he's asleep.
the first few months of your relationship with vernon were based solely on sex. it's the usual story — you met at another of minghao's parties (really, a catalyst for trouble), and hit it off surprisingly well with vernon. there was something you saw between you both and following it ended up with you in his bedroom.
when it was time for you to leave, it somehow didn't feel awkward. so you decided to test the arrangement another time. and another. and it's led you to whatever you have now, which is arguably more complicated than a normal relationship.
for starters, the past few weeks vernon's been visiting your dorm haven't been about sex. no, you've had actual arguments about which lord of the rings movie is the best and why shrek deserves yet another sequel. you've even baked with him, for heaven's sake (which ended not so well).
it's been less about sex and more about you fighting the urge to cuddle vernon when he throws an arm over your shoulder, or when he shares his blanket with you when you're feeling cold (which happens to be your blanket in the first place).
long story short, you like him, and he makes you feel some type of way you can't possibly let him know.
vernon twitches a bit when you pick up your cup from the table, toying with it but not actually drinking from it. you rest your hand on his thigh, hoping he doesn't wake up, while you contribute to the conversation every now and then. you pointedly ignore the looks dino's giving you.
this means nothing. vernon only found you because he knows you the most out of everyone here. he'd be in his own place by now if he'd found seungkwan.
still, there's something about the fact that he trusts you enough to fall asleep on you in front of people he's not entirely familiar with. that has to count for something, right?
people keep entering and leaving the room as the party goes on into the night. when the person next to you gets up to leave, you shift a bit down the sofa and pull vernon's head into your lap so his neck doesn't hurt when he wakes up. dino asks if he should wait for you before he leaves, but you make him go. it's not often you get to be like this with vernon, and you'd much rather he got back in one piece.
it's only when your back twinges and the music begins dying down and you remember you have an essay due next week you haven't begun working on that you decide to wake him up. you look down at the boy in your lap. he looks so much at ease, face devoid of the frown he sports every now and then. you feel almost guilty waking him up.
"vernon," you say, pushing his shoulder. "get up, both of us need to sleep."
vernon blinks his eyes open slowly. "wha'?"
"you. me. sleep. now."
"you want to sleep together? now?"
you trip on your words. "that's not what— i just need my sleep, sol." you bite your tongue at the name that slips out of your mouth. he doesn't mind his close friends calling him that, but you don't think you're there. or you'll ever get there.
"oh," he says, pushing himself up to sit.
"feeling better?"
"much," he says, running a hand through his hair. "but i had to tell you something, actually." he looks shifty. that gets your attention — vernon is many things, but he's never hesitant.
"i, um. i think we should stop seeing each other."
that shocks you the way falling into an icy cold pool would, the water taking no time to permeate your clothes and sting your skin with the cold and rendering you somewhat unable to breathe when it finally hits. "i'm sorry?"
"i said, i think we should stop seeing each other. not that the sex was bad," he says hastily, and you wince. that's a weird thing to say. "no, really. it's been great. it's just...i like someone, like, actually like them, and i feel being in this relationship would be weird."
you can't resist. "do i know them?"
vernon meets your eyes briefly before they dart away to the blank television screen in front of you. "i guess you could say that."
you rack your brains for who it could be. some names pop up in your mind: a girl from his friend group you've spoken to a few times, another from the library, the guy in english lit — but none of them shine as the number one contender for his affections.
you're one of the few close friends vernon has, but it doesn't matter. of course he wouldn't like you like that.
"fine," you say, feeling anything but. "okay."
vernon's looking at you like you're an injured puppy.
"i hope you get with whoever it is," you say, aware you sound a bit snappish, but you don't care. it's not your fault for liking someone as brilliant as vernon, only to be reminded that he doesn't really like you back. you're certain he likes your body more than he likes you, anyway.
"that's it?"
"what?"
"you're fine with it? just like that?"
you frown. "i'm not going to stop you if you want to go. we're not together. you should be with someone you really like."
"sweetheart..."
you shudder at the nickname that falls from his lips. you always like hearing it, more so the fact that vernon says it unconsciously. but now it sounds like a nail scraping against a chalkboard. you're not the sweetheart he wants. "i have a couple of classes in the morning."
"wait. it's a saturday."
"so?"
"we don't have classes on saturdays."
"yeah, well, that's you," you say, pulling out your phone to check the time. it's much later than you expected it to be. "dino's in the lab on weekends and i promised to help him out this time."
"listen—"
"i'll be glad if you let me go, vernon. i shouldn't have stayed this late in the first place."
"why are you acting so weirdly?"
you look up to see him frowning at you. why are you acting so weird, huh?
"i'm not. i just— i don't have to justify anything to you." you know you're being ruder than the situation calls for, but vernon is one of a kind. he'd taken to you despite the fact that you weren't one of the "popular" ones when you started out, and you'd managed to find a lot of common ground with him.
but the fact that you thought he'd like you back was stupidity on your part. you curse dino for hinting vernon might like you back.
"i'm sorry," you say, resting a hand on vernon's arm for a moment. he moves back at the touch and your stomach sinks even further. "i'm sorry this didn't work out. i hope you get with whoever you like. i'm just...tired. a bit. i hope this doesn't mean we'll...stop being friends?" it's a stupid thing to ask, but it's your last resort.
"i would," vernon says, crossing his arms, "if they weren't so dense."
"what?"
"i'd love to get with them if they realized i don't call anyone else sweetheart."
you freeze. you become aware of the people still present in the room, someone laughing, bottles clinking, bass still thumping, but— sweetheart?
"what are you trying to say, vernon?" you ask, making your voice as steady as possible.
"i'm trying to say that the person i want to get with doesn't really understand what flirting is."
you almost drop your phone. "no. vernon, you're not doing this. you don't mean it."
"i do."
"vern—"
"i'm not drunk anymore, see? and i do mean it. i don't just want us to be friends with benefits. i want us to be more. i want to take you out to dinner and stay up hearing you talk about why freud is the worst person you've ever had to read about. i want to watch whatever the heck it is you like. i want to date you. if you want me to, that is."
you're more surprised at how lucidly he's speaking, without a pause, more than what he's saying. but the meaning of his words slams into you like a tidal wave hardly a minute later. "if i want to, he says," you laugh helplessly.
vernon raises a perfect eyebrow. "well?"
you sigh and fiddle with your phone cover. "i don't— i've never been in a real relationship. not a long term one."
vernon moves closer to you, your knees now pressed against each other despite the fact that there's no one else on the sofa you're sharing. you can't even bring yourself to care about all the other people in the room. "really?"
you nod, feeling a strange sense of embarrassment creep up your neck. vernon simply lays a hand on your thigh. "hey. you know that's not a bad thing, right?"
you shrug.
"it's not," he repeats, rubbing his thumb across your knee. "and it doesn't bother me. is that what's troubling you?"
you shake your head. "you're just...the first person to want to be with me, even if it's just for sex."
"hey, it hasn't been all for sex. what about all those movie marathons we had? and that one time i helped you bake a cake for jun?"
"you mean you tried?"
vernon flicks your forehead, but moves in immediately to kiss it. the slight touch has you burning up, and you pray he doesn't feel it. "yeah. tried. but that's the thing, isn't it? it wasn't always about the sex for me. was it...the same for you?"
you can't get yourself to lie now. "it was," you say, putting your phone down and taking his free hand, fiddling with his fingers. "it is. i didn't mean to clam up like that. it's just...i want this with you, too, vernon. i've spent so long thinking about it. i'm sorry."
vernon sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "don't apologize, sweetheart. and it's a relief. i've never felt this way with anyone before. also, i've only had a couple of flings before you, but i really want this to go somewhere. and i want to try it with you."
you try to speak, but nothing comes out. you bury your face in your hands. "aren't you supposed to be drunk?" you ask.
"you always sober me up, sweetheart."
you shake your head and let it fall against the back of the sofa, vernon's hand cushioning the fall. there's silence for a while before he speaks.
"you know, no one's like that."
"like what?" you ask, slightly affronted. "is that supposed to be an insult or a pick-up line?"
vernon laughs a breathy laugh. "no friend with benefits offers to look after their partner when they're bored or drunk or whatever. and they certainly don't show up to basement music shows. you're...really the only person who gets me, you know? but now that i know you, like, really like me..."
"like you back."
you love his grin. "can i take you out on a date?"
"i...don't drink coffee," you say breathlessly.
vernon raises an eyebrow.
"milkshakes. or i could drink coffee, maybe. you like it, so i can try."
"there. again. you're too nice for your own good."
"it's just...me. i can't help— mmph," you get cut off when vernon leans down and presses a kiss to your lips. and another. you push him away before someone notices and teases you.
"i'm going to get some sleep, and we'll meet tomorrow. at a good place. not in my bed."
"you mean today."
"do you want me to cancel on you?"
"no," vernon laughs against your hair. "tomorrow. anything you want."
371 notes · View notes
ahsokaismyqueen · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media
Reunions and Future Plans Pairing - Steve Harrington x HendersonSister!Reader Summary - For the first time in a long time, you and Steve haven't seen each other in three weeks since you started college. So he decides to surprise you. Word Count - 2.2k Warnings - Just some slightly smutty situations! Steve Harrington x HendersonSister!Reader Masterlist
You stumbled into your dorm room and landed face down on your bed. It had been possibly the longest week of your life. You’d been going to classes for three weeks now, and the material was starting to get more difficult. You’d spent ages in the library, but had finished your first essay. Now you were looking forward to laying down with your book until it was time for your nightly call with Steve. 
Which is why you almost didn’t get up when someone knocked on your door, but when they knocked again a couple of seconds later, you let out a groan, knowing that they weren’t going to go away. “Please tell me you didn’t forget-” but when you opened your door, your eyes widened in disbelief and a smile formed on your face. “Steve?” 
There he stood, a bundle of flowers in his hand and a grin on his face. “Miss me?” 
You threw your arms around his neck, tugging him inside. “Of course, you dummy!” Missing him didn’t even begin to cover it. You talked to each other, either with cerebro or the phone, and you weren’t far away enough that you couldn’t drive to see him whenever you wanted, but you hadn’t gotten to see him since you started classes. It was a big adjustment going from seeing him almost every day to not at all, and you were kinda hating it. 
Steve dropped the flowers on your table before he reached under your thighs to lift you into the air. “Calling me a dummy doesn’t make me think you missed me that much.” He said, but the tone in his voice told you he was teasing. 
“You know I use it as a term of endearment.” You said, nuzzling your nose against his. A giggle left your lips as he started carrying you back towards your bed. 
He placed you down like you were made of glass, wasting no time as he settled between your thighs. “You could try being nicer though. Like, ‘oh Steve, I’ve thought about you everyday, and I can’t stand it when we’re apart.’” 
You tangled your fingers in his hair as he hovered over you. “What about if I wrote Mrs. Steve Harrington in my notebook like fifty times? Does that count?” 
Your words took him aback, and you had to fight back a laugh at the expression on his face. “Did you actually do that? Because if so, I want to see.” 
“Mhmm, I guess you’ll never know.” You teased, pushing some of his hair back from his face. You still couldn’t quite believe he was here, looking down at you like you were a river he’d found during a drought. You were sure your expression was similar. “But, if I was trying to be nice, I’d tell you this is the happiest I’ve been in three weeks, and I’ve missed you so much I thought I might be going crazy. Because there’s no logical reason I should be missing you like this when you’re only a phone call or half an hour away.” You wrapped your legs around his hips, tugging him closer. “But I have.” 
Steve’s smile was radiant. “Damn, I was going to say Robin and your brother are driving me crazy without you.” 
“Jerk!” You fake glared at him, shoving him off of you. Of course it was a tiny bed, and there was nowhere for him to go other than against the wall, so he ended up pulling you with him onto your sides. 
“A jerk who loves you.” He said, and you couldn’t help but smile as he nuzzled into your neck and pressed kisses against your skin. “A jerk who was so depressing that Robin couldn’t stand the sight of it any longer and gave him the rest of the day off as long as he promised to come see you.” 
“Robin gave up a Friday night for you?” Robin had very few Friday nights off because of band, and the fact that she gave one up for Steve was a big deal. You definitely owed her the next time you saw her. 
He nodded, pulling back enough to look at your face and tuck some hair behind your ear. “Everything’s harder when you’re not around. I can’t concentrate at work, my brain feels like mush, I think Keith almost fired me the other day when I almost let an old lady rent Friday the13th instead of 16 Candles-”
You gasped, slapping your hand over your mouth to hide your grin. “You didn’t.” 
“I knew the movie had numbers in it! I just . . . couldn’t remember how many.” Steve replied, groaning. 
Unable to hold it in anymore, you let out a giggle. 
“It wasn’t funny!” But you could tell by Steve’s voice he was about to laugh as well. 
“You almost traumatized an old lady, Harrington. It's a little funny.” You said, not trying to hide your smile anymore. 
“It wasn’t on purpose!” Steve wrapped his arms around you and rolled you onto your back once more, resting his head on your chest with another groan. 
Reaching up, you ran your fingers through his hair with a soft smile. God you loved him. Ten minutes ago you’d been so exhausted you didn’t think there was a thought left in your head, but one hug from Steve Harrington and all of the stress seemed to melt from your body. “I’m really glad you’re here. Have I said that yet?” 
“Mhmm, I’m glad I’m here too.” He said, and butterflies started flying around your stomach as he leaned over to nuzzle his nose against your breast. 
Three weeks without having sex with Steve had been absolute torture, and your body lit up almost at once with his touch, but your gaze was drawn back to the door. Letting out a sigh, you stopped him. “Steve, as much as I wish we could do that right now, I have no idea when my roommate is coming back, and I don’t know her well enough yet to let her see your ass.” You joked after Steve’s hand slipped under your shirt. 
His hand moved back to a more respectful place on your hip. He pressed one more kiss to your breast that had you desperately wishing you had a single apartment, then placed his chin on your stomach, looking up at you. “Okay. What were you planning on doing tonight?” 
You shrugged, and your fingers began to massage his scalp. “Nothing really. I finished my essay so I was just planning on reading my book the rest of the night.” 
Steve’s eyes had closed as you touched him, and at your words, he turned his head so he could rest his cheek against your stomach. “Sounds good. You do that, and I’ll stay right here.” 
Raising your eyebrows at him, you couldn’t help but grin. “Are you going to fall asleep on me, Harrington?” 
“Maybe,” he tightened his arms around you, burrowing into your stomach like a pillow. “Sleep better when I’m with you.” 
“I’m not sure if I should be offended by that or not.” You weren’t. Not at all, because you knew that you slept better with him too. It was why you slept in one of his shirts every night. He didn’t know that though. 
Steve grumbled something that you couldn’t understand, but didn’t open his eyes, so you reached over and grabbed your book. 
You had no idea how long the two of you laid there. You weren’t even sure if he was asleep or not. He didn’t move much, and you were wrapped up in your latest fantasy novel. It was only when you reached the description of a boy with dark curly hair whose main language seemed to be sarcasm did you lose focus. “Hey, Steve?” You said quietly in case he was asleep. 
“Mhmm?” He said. 
“Have you seen the kids any? Max, Lucas, Mike, Dustin? It feels weird not looking after them, and Dustin . . . hasn’t talked to me much. Mom says he’s out every time I call.” 
Steve sat up a little then so he could look at you. “I think he’s joined some club at school. He hasn’t talked to me about it much, but it’s him, Lucas and Mike. Haven’t seen much of Max.” His hand brushed up and down your outer thigh in a comforting motion. “You don’t have to worry about them, you know?” 
“Easier said than done.” You said, letting out a sigh. “I feel like I’ve been helping take care of those kids my whole life, and with the way the last couple of years have gone . . .” You shook your head before looking back at him. “I keep waiting for something to happen.” 
He pressed a soft kiss to your stomach, “if it does, we’ll deal with it then.” 
You smiled at him, and started to get back to your book when Steve spoke again. 
“Can I ask you something sorta off topic, but also not really?” 
“Of course.” 
He hesitated and that made you curious. Steve didn’t often hold back on saying anything, and the fact that he was now piqued your interest. “Do you want your own kids? Not right now.” He quickly added, “I mean . . In the future.” 
This time you were the one who hesitated. You had thought about it of course, how could you not? You’d spent so much of your life looking after kids, you couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have some of your own. Then Steve came into the picture and suddenly the kids you were picturing had features, some of yours and some of his in a perfect mix. You couldn’t help but wonder if he pictured the same. “Yeah. Definitely.” You admitted. “What about you?” You asked even though you already knew the answer. 
He grinned, and his eyes took on a far away look, like he was picturing the future. “I always dreamed about having a big family. Kinda hate being an only child and seeing how close you and Dustin are . . . I want all my kids to have that.” 
You’d never really thought about the fact that Steve was an only child, and what your relationship with Dustin must look like to him. To know that he loved it so much it was what he wanted for his own kids made you smile. “All your kids, huh? That implies more than one.” 
“Yeah,” he said, still lost in his daydream. “I always pictured like five or six.” 
Your eyes widened in disbelief, and your fingers stopped moving in his hair. “I’m sorry, did you say five or six?” 
Your words seemed to snap him back to the present, and he grinned sheepishly at you. “I probably shouldn’t have said that part should I?” 
“No! I mean -” You didn’t ever want Steve to feel bad for telling you something. “It’s just . . . That’s a lot. I guess I never thought about the number I wanted.” And if someone had asked you outright, five or six wouldn’t have been the number that came out of your mouth. “Why five or six anyway?” 
His face flushed, and he gave you a look like you should already know the answer to that. 
Dustin, Max, Lucas, Eleven, Will, Mike . . . Hell, if you counted Erica that was even seven. Suddenly, thinking about all the kids Steve wanted didn’t seem like such a big number. “You know, for someone who claims to hate being the babysitter all the time, you sure do seem to love it a lot.” 
Steve’s body relaxed once again, and he pressed a tender kiss to your stomach. “I think it has a lot to do with my co-babysitter.” 
“Well your ‘co-babysitter’ would like to see how she feels after one.” You told him, shaking your head. 
A grin started to form on Steve’s face. He crawled up your body, leaving little kisses in his wake until he was hovering over you, his hands on either side of your head holding his weight. “Henderson . . . Are you implying that you want to have kids with me?” 
Your eyes widened as your earlier words caught up with you. You hadn’t meant to imply that, but you had. This time a flush was on your cheek. “I - um . . .” You tried to think of what to say, but the only thing you could think of was, “shouldn’t you be freaking out right now?” 
His smile grew as he leaned closer. “Why would I be freaking out? You’d be the best mom ever.” 
Your heart rate must have spiked at least 120 at that. You grabbed a hold of his hair, tugging him down to meet your lips in a passion filled kiss that left you both breathless and desperate for more. When you rolled your hips against him, Steve groaned, pulling away abruptly. 
“Come back to Hawkins with me for the weekend.” He pleaded. 
You let out a little laugh. “Steve . . .” 
“I’ll drive you down, and drive you back up Sunday. My parents are at a conference, and if I have to go back to that house by myself I might actually lose my mind.” He said, leaning down to press his lips against that spot on your neck that drove you crazy. 
“You’re so needy, Harrington.” You teased, “it’s a good thing I love you so much.” 
Steve pulled away from your neck and nuzzled his nose against yours. “You just admitted you’d consider having kids with me. I need to be inside of you as soon as possible.” 
Needless to say, you both were in Hawkins in less than an hour.
96 notes · View notes
mystcldydrms · 1 year
Text
LIBRARY ADORATION - FRED WEASLEY
Tumblr media
summary: a book isn't the only thing fred weasley wants you to have
pairing: fred weasley x fem!reader
word count: 1.5k
warnings: fluff
notes: you know how much I love books and libraries. I just had to write this one. also please be aware that I haven't written anything for probably 6 months. I'm slowly getting back into it.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
You stood in front of one of the many bookshelves of the Hogwarts library, your eyes scanning the spines of the books. The words already started to blur; however, you shook your head lightly, focusing on the titles as best as possible.
You had abandoned your essay, which was due in two days, on a table, alongside two books that had helped you tremendously while writing it, however, you still needed one more that could help you while writing your essay.
For a few more minutes, you kept looking everywhere. You knew exactly which book you needed. One of your fellow students had told you about it. Unfortunately for you, she had forgotten in which section she had found it, hence, here you were, looking at every shelf that was dedicated to the history of magic.
“Where are you?” you whispered to yourself, rounding yet another corner to go and look at yet another shelf. This time, you weren’t alone.
In the corner sat Fred and George Weasley with their friend Lee Jordan. They had noticed your presence right away. You saw them quickly shielding their notes from you. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes slightly. You didn’t feel the need to know what they were whispering about. You didn’t care about their schemes or plans. Well, you did, but not at that moment. You just wanted to grab your book and finish your essay.
Your eyes looked at yet another couple of books until they finally landed on the one you needed the most. You took one more step towards the shelf and tried to grab the book, which, unfortunately, was almost at the top. You let out an almost inaudible sigh. Although you tried to stand on your tiptoes, you couldn’t reach the book with your hand.
You weren’t small. You had an average height for a girl your age. But why couldn’t you reach the book? Of course, you could use your wand and get it, however, your wand was in the pocket of your robe. And that robe was almost all the way across the library.
“Do you need a hand?”
You jumped lightly, and although that voice had talked to you in a whisper, you were surprised to hear it. You turned your head to the right and noticed Fred Weasley standing right next to you, a teasing smile on his lips.
The three Gryffindors must have watched you while you struggled to grab the book. You immediately felt the embarrassment and the heat that was starting to make its way up to your face, turning your cheeks a light shade of red. Another sigh escaped your lips as you nodded your head.
“Which one is it?”
“The one with the brown spine. Magic Mysteries.”
Fred nodded his head before he easily extended his arm and grabbed the book you needed. A proud smile graced his lips as he handed it to you, your fingertips lightly brushing his.
“Thank you.”, you whispered as you pressed the book against your chest, looking up into his eyes.
“No problem. Why did you need this one?”
You caught a glimpse of Lee and George, who slightly snickered behind Fred until they noticed you looking at them. They quickly looked at their notes again, pretending to write something down. You giggled lightly, shaking your head before you looked into Fred’s eyes again, a smile already on his lips. Did it even leave? You didn’t know, but you liked it that way.
“I have an essay due in two days. I’m almost done, but I still need a few more details. What about you? What are you doing?” you asked curiously.
Yes, you didn’t really care about it when you first saw them scheming something in their little corner, but you didn’t want your conversation with Fred to end so soon. You liked talking to him, always have. It was easy. You couldn’t call yourself friends, however, you were in the same house, and you greeted each other whenever you saw one another in the castle. And sometimes, you even had a conversation.
Did you have a crush on the ginger-haired boy? Yes. But who wouldn’t? Every girl in their right mind could see that the twins were two good-looking boys.
“Oh, nothing important. Just a few notes for a future project.”, Fred explained, snapping you out of your little daydream about him.
“Sounds fun?” you said, grinning up at him.
“Well, I better get back and finish my essay. Have fun. I’ll see you around.”
Before you rounded the corner, you stole one last glance at Fred, who hadn’t turned around yet, but rather stayed where he was, locking eyes with you. You could swear you saw a shimmer of red on his cheeks, however, after looking at books for such a long time, you weren’t so sure of your focus anymore.
After another hour of reading and writing, you had finally finished your essay, but before you could get up and pack everything away, you noticed someone sitting down next to you.
“Fancy seeing you here.”, you heard a male voice say.
A bright smile immediately graced your lips as you turned your head and, once again, looked into the eyes of Fred Weasley.
“I know. I swear I saw you an hour ago just behind that bookshelf over there.”, you said, both of you laughing lightly.
“Have you finished your essay yet?”
“Yes, finally. I can’t write another one for at least a week now. I can’t even focus on words anymore.”
Fred couldn’t help but laugh again. You had that effect on him. You were funny, you knew how to hold a conversation, and you laughed about all his jokes, which was one of the reasons he had started to fall for you. Of course, you were also a beautiful girl.
You saw one another in the castle every day and talked every other day, but for him, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. He needed to talk to you every day, laugh with you, hold you … and finally find out how your lips felt on his.
“Can I ask you something?” Fred blurted out, a bit louder than intended. Madame Pince was instantly by your side, staring angrily down at the ginger-haired boy who only shrugged and mumbled ‘sorry’.
You giggled quietly, watching how Madame Pince walked away before your eyes landed on Fred again, who was already watching you, a dreamy smile gracing his lips.
“Go ahead. What do you want to ask me?”
To say that you were curious was an understatement. You were nervous. What could Fred Weasley ask you? Did he need help with an essay? Did he need help with his future project?
“Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this Saturday? Just the two of us, I mean.”
Your eyes widened; your mouth lightly opened as you tried to process his words. Fred just asked you out on a date. And he wanted it to happen this Saturday.
‘Wow’, you thought to yourself, as you nervously started to play with your fingers.
You had no idea how long you were quiet, but you could see the way Fred started to fidget. He kept staring at you, waiting for an answer.
“Yes.”, you whispered. “Yes, of course. I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you.”
The young man that sat next to you couldn’t help but clap his hands together before he stood up and triumphantly put his hands in the air.
“Fred. Stop.”, you said, giggling, taking his robe in your hands, trying to pull him down onto his chair again, but he didn’t bother. He just stood there and looked at you with the brightest smile you had ever seen on his face.
“You just made my day so much better.”, he confessed, leaning down until he was face to face with you, your eyes on one level.
You studied his face, first his eyes, then his lips, the freckles on his cheeks, until your eyes landed on his again. You knew that you were blushing again, but you didn’t care. You were beyond happy.
“I have to get going now. George and Lee are probably already wondering where I am, but I will see you later in the common room. We could discuss our date.”
The only thing you could do was nod your head while Fred sent you a small wink before he turned around and made his way out of the library.
Your heart was pounding like crazy in your chest. You felt the butterflies flying around in your stomach. You and Fred. You and Fred on a date.
Too stunned to do anything else, you just sat in the library for a few more minutes until you regained your strength and started packing up your things, already looking forward to seeing Fred in the common room.
1K notes · View notes
asuyaka · 2 months
Text
My Husband !
★ - hi... (´・ω・`) erm, I know 've been gone for a while (a very long while) but m'back and addin' two new fandoms t'my masterlist !! (Haikyuu & JJBA pt.1 - pt.6!!) - do be warned 've not finished part six yet (m'on chap 114!) so I can't write for every character!
☆ -Narciso Anasui x Male reader!
♡ - he's close enough, welcome back Diavolo !! o((>ω< ))o — forgive me if he's a bit OOC, 've yet to watch video essays on their characterization >﹏<
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Being Anasui's boyfriend wasn't the toughest thing on earth. Nearly dying after meeting Pucci for the first time was tough, having to escape a fucking fairytale stand was tough, but dating Anasui was like brushing your teeth with your finger.
Annoying, yes, but it got the job done.
"Love..." Narciso whined from behind you, pushing his head into the crook of your neck. The two of you were situated under the shade of an oak tree, Weather Report and Emporio ate on the opposite side of the tree.
"Yes, Narciso?" You chuckled, patting the top of his hair affectionately.
The other wrapped his hands around your waist and sighed. "Nothing just wanted to say hi," he kisses your neck with a content sigh, sitting down against the trunk and placing you in his lap.
You roll your eyes but decide to humor him, lightly trailing your finger against his forearm. "Hello to you too, Narciso."
Anasui placed your hand on his palm, looking at your matching nails with fondness in his eyes. "So small... perfect for a ring." He mutters as he stares at your (annoyingly) bare ring finger.
Narciso and marriage are like two peas in a pod. When you two first met due to association with Jolyne, his first words weren't 'hi', 'hello', or 'watch out there's a Stand behind you', it was "Please marry me".
So yes, even after the unethical first meeting and the disastrous first date, he's been deadset on becoming your husband no matter what.
That was fine; you didn't hate nor love the idea, but none mattered to Anasui. Once his mind was set on something you couldn't take his mind off it.
"Sucks you haven't found one yet." You squeeze his hand, laughing at his expression.
He turns you over so you're facing each other, your legs wrapped around his torso. "You mean it? You'll marry me?"
"You don't seem to have the whole proposal thing figured out, do you, Narciso?" You ask playfully, watching a flush grow on his cheeks. "I do! This isn't the actual proposal, I'm just...scoping the area!"
"...scoping the area," You repeat slowly. "We've been dating for a while, what 'area' are you scoping?"
Narciso groans, resting his head on your chest. "You know what I meant!"
You chuckle, rubbing his head softly. "You'll know if I'll marry you when you propose."
Your boyfriend looks at you with wide eyes. "Really?"
You smile, pressing a kiss on his forehead. "Really."
"This was supposed to be a picnic." Weather says, looking at you two with a deadpanned expression. Emporio tried to pull him away to no avail.
"Fuck off, Weather." Narciso glared at him, the affection in his tone disappearing.
You sighed—he was the definition of 'I hate everyone but you'. Even with his interesting quirks, he was still your boyfriend; and eventually, your fiancé.
94 notes · View notes
devine-fem · 4 months
Note
Hi! I saw that a little bit ago you said you might write an essay on jondami and if that's something you're still interested in doing I'd love to see your thoughts compiled in that way. No pressure though, I know it's a lot of work!
Okay, took me a bit but here it is: the long awaited essay on Damijon, get a snack and something nice to drink because this is going to be unapologetically long.
Misconceptions. Firstly, I don't know how else to explain that I personally don't exactly see Damian and Jon as children. I mean that they are older to me, and I feel this because with comic books when a character is a child that is their time for development and growing. With Robins they always have this inability to be allowed to grow up due to DC personally wanting Batman to always have a Robin in his arsenal. The thing with Damian and Jon is that they are made to reach a finish line. That finish line being Superman and Batman, which they cannot be before developing and growing into those mantles (if the writer is good and has common sense of course) first. We see that in DCeased, WW23 and other Damian books in the past that becoming Batman and Superman is an important topic for these characters, they have a long way to go. Admittedly, I do enjoy content as to where they are younger because that is where their dynamic peaked to me, I also think it's a very simple serotonin boost and if it's innocent then I really have no issue with indulging. But to me... that's not Damijon. Damijon is about friendship, Damijon is about always being able to seek and find in a certain person and I don't particularly care if this is platonic or romantic. It's important to remember that in canon, they are nothing but friends and I enjoy that all the same, but I also find it interesting to explore their dynamic if it was in a romantic context and that is what Damijon is all about to me. It's just "what would these two characters would do if they developed a different kind of affection towards the other." In my head, with as Damian is now, I doubt he'd be able to hold an intimate relationship without training wheels first and a very understanding partner. He's emotionally distant and he has this great fear of being abandoned which I think would suffocate the relationship. Children are confused and lost people who haven't found themselves yet and while Damian and Jon are both children... I don't exactly think there will be enough room for Jon's problems and Damian's problems as well. I also kind of struggle with wanted to rid them of their age gap, their age gap is just big enough to make it as if Damian has some authority over Jon. It makes it so eventually as Damian and Jon grew that Damian would be somewhat out of reach for Jon and perhaps, he could feel like he'd have to chase after Damian a bit when it comes to milestones and development. It makes them just a little bit more interesting and as I said, I don't exactly want to erase that.
A lot of people bring up the topic of maturity between these two but that would mean that Damian is more mature than Jon and you would know that this is not the case in the comics. The person who slings around insults is Damian, the person who acts brashly is Damian, the person or initiates fights is Damian. The immature one is Damian, he may act like he knows everything but he is a child, he’s incredibly immature and we should remember that.
Damian. It's particularly hard to describe both Jon and Damian separately for me at this point. To me they are something that should had never been separated. Something that comes as a set. Like one of them is missing the other when alone. The thing about Damian Wayne is that he spent his childhood years training to be a natural born winner. He never had a moment in Robin or Damian Al Ghul that let his life be truly his own. The thing about his relationship with both Talia and Bruce is that he feels as though he needs to earn affection and love, similar to how some children may feel this too after going through psychological abuse and neglect - this coming from both Bruce and Talia at times.
Tumblr media
It should be noted that the comic that contains this panel is not a good representation of Talia and Damian's relationship but overall, this line is somewhat accurate and holds weight to their dynamic. Damian is someone who feels the need to earn his keep, it's instilled in his brain that basic things that others may get will not be given to him without him having to earn it first. Damian feels like he doesn't belong, like he's stuck between two worlds. He's burdened by constantly having a destiny, a path already carved into the ground for him. Jon. Jon is quite simple. His whole narrative revolves around similar themes as Damian to where Jon feels like he's not truly like his father but also not entirely like his mother. He wants to live up to being like his dad, but a lot of his own individualism gets lost in the process. He has this need to prove himself and make others proud. His upbring was simple and homey. Lois Lane and Clark thought that it'd be best to hide the fact that Clark is Superman and Jon is half kryptonian in order to provide him a mundane foundation as a person. There's not much to say about Jon alone because unfortunately his characterization was cut quite short. Let me talk about the age-up situation. Some people don't understand why this is such a bad thing for Jon's character, but I strongly believe that people of this opinion simply do not care about the character since this is character assassination in the most basic form. Jon's childhood was a very important part of his character as it is for literally all characters. That's where all his personality quirks and traits come in, that's where he can resonate with the audience the most, that's where his bonds with other characters are established. As Jon is now, he's being thrown into the finish line with no prior characterization. Jon's personality is going to be lost when writers pick him up, at times he even seems emotionless and purposeless. He is entirely unrecognizable to me. The only thing that has been established for him is his sexuality and his boyfriend and his solo revolved entirely around said boyfriend. The least they could do is make them good representation, but they aren't even that, sorry, it's jarringly obvious. And it's not just that its "getting in the way of my ship" because I don't want Jon and Damian to be canon, not really, not when this is how they treat a canonically queer character... look at what happened to Jon. I imagine that if they were to be canon then I'd find myself complaining about how DC can't do Jon and Damian's dynamic properly constantly. I don't have that much faith in them. It's disheartening that as a fan of him that I don't have as many good things of him that I do bad. The ship also suffers from this because it's literally about growing up beside someone and that childhood friends to lovers appeal.
Damian & Jon. A lot of time in Damian's stories because of his abrasiveness and offputting/distant personality, he finds it hard to make friends and sometimes it's not entirely the other person's fault. The thing about when he met Jon is that became a past time for him, he was someone who just wanted to be around - who actually went out of his way to be around him as well as they have a wholesome foundation for a friendship. Jon feels deeply for Damian as Damian feels deeply for him. Over and over again, Jon's life is threatened in some way which forces Damian to pull down his emotional walls and show that he does care for Jon.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
It's established repeatably that Damian cares a lot for Jon because when he's in danger, he visually starts to panic. Even going as far as calling Jon by his first name which is rare for him because Damian calls everyone by their last name because he speaks very formally but when Jon gets hurt, Damian slips up to suddenly call him by his first name.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Damian was so shaken up that he accidentally calls Jon his friend afterwards, which is important to note because he has always refused to acknowledge their friendship for stubborn reasons. Also to note Damian's stubbornness I'd also like to mention the time where Damian refused to acknowledge Jon could join the teen titans, every time Jon proposed the idea, Damian shut him down till it came the time to vote on whether or not Jon does join the titans and Damian was literally the only person who raised his hand.
Tumblr media
This was one of the moments I was most frustrated with Damian because all that arguing with Jon was truly just to annoy him and nothing more, he secretly believed Jon could join the titans the entire time but when it came down to it-
Tumblr media
He only made himself and Jon look stupid and proceeds to brush off their friendship once again. I have to admit it is slightly interesting even when frustrating. As for Jon, yes, they bumped heads at first and Jon found himself getting extremely frustrated with Damian's attitude, but it was mostly because Damian is someone, he knows he's going to have to spend a lot of time working besides and he only wanted to be his friend while Damian seemed uninterested.
Tumblr media
The thing about these two is that whether they like it or not, they will have to spend their entire lives beside each other. This is something no other dynamic in DC can really replicate. We know Jon feels deeply for Damian, it wasn't able to be verbalized often unfortunately but he has mentioned how highly he thinks of Damian, calling him "the strongest person I know" - stronger than him by far. He's one of the few characters that want to see Damian as he is and doesn't want anything from him, he just likes being around Damian.
Tumblr media
And for Damian one of the few ways he knows to provide to Jon is taking him away and going on missions with him, it's kind of sad to think about how this is one of the few ways he knows how to express that he wants to be around Jon. He's gotten up in the middle of the night, went across the city and met up with Jon to hang out with him.
Tumblr media
It's sad, yes, but also really sweet. A lot of characters assume the worst for Damian and think that he's bound to end up being the worst version of himself or think he's like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment.
Tumblr media
But instead, Jon refuses to acknowledge that Damian can be evil at all, denying entire alternate realities where Damian is slowly becoming the worst version of himself because he deeply believes that in Damian's heart, he could never be anything less than great. Their mantles. Not to talk about DCeased but yes, I will be talking about DCeased because that is the perfect example of how these characters function to me.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
This comic showed his the long, excruciating, and lonely years these two would have to face in disaster. The trauma of losing everything, your family and your world and moving mantles to stop it but it being something they had to do together. Like a grave already buried in the ground for them but they laid in it together as kids and adults. If you truly want to understand this ship I deeply think you should turn on your brain and read DCeased.
How they contrast. Jon and Damian's are distinctly different, their personalities are different, their upbringing is different, and what they deeply identify with is different. This is why at times they may argue but at the end of the day, they have to share their life with the other.
How they compare.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
At times where they may think they are alone or have no one to talk to then they will always have each other, they're supposed to, that's what their relationship is built on. Understand that in the most basic sense that these two are platonic soulmates. They will be there for each other at the beginning.
Tumblr media
And at the end.
Tumblr media
They share this great burden together, they share similar paths, fears, worries and goals. They will always be together even when one of them might not want to be because the worst thing you can be when all of these things are happening to you; is alone. Their lives tell the same story just in different places and perspectives, sometimes their most defining moments directly mirror each other.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
They both feel like they don’t belong and like they’re stuck between two worlds as well. For Jon, it’s Krypton and Earth, for Damian, its Batman and Al Ghul.
Their mantles supply this destiny they share. It’s what will bring them together and pull them apart.
I feel the need to mention that Jon is one of two characters that sees Damian beyond the son of batman, Damian has said “Well, If I am almost Batman.” and Jon said “You’re so much more than that.”
Damian said “Do you have a better offer?” and Jon said “Well, I have you.”
… I have to love them.
Their relationship with one another platonically. They have the friendship to end all friendships. It quite literally transcends space and time. Regardless of if you like Jon and Damian being friends in the first place or not, you cannot deny that what Jon has done for Damian is not important.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Like I said with Damian, he feels as though the love that he receives has to be earned but when he met Jon, he was introduced to the idea that someone wanted to simply be around him, that someone wanted to be his friend and love him unconditionally. You cannot deny that this friendship helped develop these two in very good directions, not only are these two entertaining but they help each other progress by simply being around the other.
Tumblr media
They give to each other what other people can’t. Dick Grayson even admits that Jon sees something in Damian that other people like to ignore. This is very important. Now Jon’s relationship to Damian could help him as well, knowing Damian could grant him an extra layer of empathy and understanding, it already does and he can use what he’s learned from Damian in the future.
Tumblr media
Damian teaches Jon what it means to be a hero, Jon teaches Damian what it means to be a kid. Damian shows Jon what love has been and Jon shows Damian what love can be. It’s very compelling. These are two lost people who make each other feel accepted and normal.
The potential of their relationship romantically.
Imagining what it would be like if DC was capable of allowing these two to engage in a romantic relationship with the other is compelling. Firstly, I highly doubt that DC will ever properly portray these two’s relationship with the other if they did pull the trigger.
But in the fantasy world where everything is perfect, I think it’d be nice for these characters to have a relationship free of their narratives. To be allowed to be confused about their feelings and even reject them; to have us as an audience be able to watch these two slowly navigate it over time and especially with them both being same sex, I feel like DC just showing that they’re not afraid to portray that type of relationship between character directly under one of their biggest names is certainly heartwarming.
Jon coming to terms with liking boys and having a crush on someone the same gender as him while also struggling to have that perfect american life that his father’s narrative values so much and that confusing him.
Damian struggling with his feelings and allowing himself to not feel like he’s doing something wrong by falling in love with another person.
And perhaps this love being catalyst for them to want to grow up to be distinctly different from their fathers, to carve a path for themselves because they realize that they are their own person and can’t be entirely perfect for everyone else but just perfect enough for each other.
The wasted potential of the characters overall. Super Sons was a very important comic book, it supplied things for Damian fans that was starved of us. If you look at the internet before Super Sons you will see people complaining about how Damian's stories do not contain a certain element to it which was entirely fixed by Super Sons being created, Super Sons left much to be desired. I still think that series was meant to go on for way longer than it did and contain a lot of meaningful stories for the both of them so it's a real shame that it was cut short.
Unfortunately, even though some writers want to separate Jon and Damian, they’ll never fully be able to because of how engraved Damian is into Jon’s character. Damian is one of Jon’s core personality traits because overall, he is greatly lacking so they’ll never be able to be truly separated. It’s safe to say that his character is ruined and the only way for you to like it is to have bad taste in media.
Why I personally think it’s so good. All of these things I mentioned are not really given to you with other ships like Timkon, Superbat, etc. Nothing speaks to me like this and if you really understood it then you'd know that all of these things are entirely different. Damijon in canon is literally what people think Superbat is, the way that people want Clark to provide release and catharsis to Bruce is literally done for Damijon in canon. Between Superbat, Timkon and Damijon, Damijon evidently has the strongest bond/is allowed to have the strongest bond, these characters distinctly have an effect on the other that cannot be replicated with the others. Not to put these two ships down but it's evident, I've always been against the idea that Timkon and Superbat are similar to Damijon because they just aren't literally at all.
I truly believe that if Jon and Damian weren’t Superman and Batman’s sons then I’d still ship them anyway, I also think with unfortunately the way that DC is dealing with Jon’s character that if Damian was allowed to have a relationship akin to his with Jon’s something almost exactly mirroring Jon and Damian then I’d drop Damijon instantly… but… till that day.
Damian and Jon make each other happy in the purest way possible and till that stops I think I’m shipping that.
What to check out if you’re interested in it. I made a reading list for these two a while back.
95 notes · View notes
I wrote this about a year or two ago and just realized I never posted it here.
Major spoilers if you haven't read the ORV webnovel obviously.
This took me 2 whole months of nonstop work to finish and is my pride and joy. It's not exactly fanart or fanfiction but I still believe it will be an enjoyable read for anyone who's read the novel.
Here's a small spoiler free expert:
In its entirety ORV is a story about sacrifice, found family, and well, stories. Every major character in ORV, even the ones that weren't touched much on in this essay like Lee Gilyoung or Shin Yoosung, sacrifice something, or many things, for either the sake of the world or just their family. Many times the people around Kim Dokja will attempt to sacrifice themselves before he has a chance, because the scenarios almost always require a sacrifice to defeat them. Kim Dokja knew this and decided to make sure he was the sacrifice every time, and it's only once Kim Dokja is gone that the other characters start to make the big sacrifices themselves. While sacrifice is one of the main themes, the moral is not ‘sacrifices are necessary for a happy life/world.’ It’s actually the opposite: ‘the sacrifice of something loved can never bring the happiness of the people it was sacrificed for.’ Kim Dokja’s family is never happy to be alive, or happy they completed the scenario, after Kim Dokja sacrifices himself for them, the only emotions they feel after are always negative. When sacrifices are made it may seem selfless or necessary to others, but it is always a truly selfish act in the end.
152 notes · View notes
weirdkpopgirl · 10 months
Text
Friends Who Kiss | Chenle Fic #1
Tumblr media
Title: Friends Who Kiss
Genre: Best friends to lovers, high school/college au
Warnings: mentions of the reader being insecure and having a mental breakdown at some point. a little suggestive, but not really
Word Count: ~ 5.6k
Author's Note: Okay to be very honest, I think that this story is kinda stupid and cliché. But it was an idea that I still wanted to try writing. And this is my first full-length fic for Chenle too, so I'm happy to post something for him. So to those who like cheesy romance stories, I hope you enjoy this. Thank you for reading ^ ^
➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶
Since the start of high school, Zhong Chenle has been a consistent part of your life. He arrived as a transfer student from Shanghai, while you were the reserved kid who often used studying as an excuse to avoid social interaction. So rather than you reaching out to him first, it was he who practically claimed you as his best friend. Your personalities were a striking contrast, but it proved to be the perfect balance. It didn't take long for the two of you to become inseparable.
However, your friendship took a turn in eleventh grade. You guys had gone to your house after school to do homework. Except it was mostly you working on assignments, while Chenle was animatedly ranting about some mobile game Jisung was terrible at playing.
“It’s unbelievable! Every time I check his character gets killed,” Chenle laughed, and you responded with a soft hum of acknowledgment.
The boy glanced up from his phone to find you engrossed in your textbooks. While your attention was focused on writing an essay, you were also trying to keep your mind from drifting to the unsettling conversation you had during lunch that day. Typically, you and Chenle sat together with his friends. But Jisung needed the boy’s help stalking his crush, so you found yourself sitting with some of the girls in your class. 
Sensing the inner conflict brewing in your mind, Chenle rose from the bed and leaned over your shoulder. 
“You've been at this since we got here. How is your brain not fried?” he asked, blunt as usual.
You shot the boy with an unappreciative glare. “It is fried. But our essay is due on Monday, and I still have to help you with yours.”
Chenle sighed, well aware of your enduring determination. Ever since he met you, he couldn’t understand why you stressed so much over assignments, especially when you always completed them before the due date. Then you somehow managed to go out of your way to ensure he was doing the same.
“You’re more than halfway finished, and I’ll get to mine on my own time,” He reassured, “Why don’t you take a break for now?”
Before you could protest, Chenle swiftly pulled you out of your chair and guided you to sit on the bed with him. Worry clouded his gaze. “Something’s troubling you, isn’t it?”
Your teeth sank into your lower lip, hating how Chenle knew you so well. He didn’t have a problem sharing what was on his mind, while you were the exact opposite. Yet, even a single look at you was enough for him to detect something was off.
“The girls at lunch were going on about their dating experiences and stuff,” you began to explain, your tone tinged with irritation at the memory. “They were all so surprised when I said I haven’t had my first kiss yet.”
You pushed yourself to meet Chenle's gaze, half dreading that he might burst into laughter. Instead, his expression held a hint of amusement, and that alone made you regret bringing up the topic.
Before he could respond, you hurriedly attempted to backtrack on your words. “It's stupid, I know—”
“It’s not stupid if it’s making you upset,” Chenle said firmly.
Leaning back in your seat, you let out an exasperated sigh. “I just can’t get their judgmental looks out of my head. All because I don’t have much experience with dating?”
Chenle's expression softened as he confessed, "There's nothing wrong with that, and there’s a lot of people like you. I haven't had my first kiss either."
“Really?!” You stared at him in disbelief. “Didn't you date Ko Mi-so though?”
Chenle scoffed, appearing slightly offended. “Okay, that happened such a long time ago. And we didn't even last a month, so we never kissed.”
Now that you thought about it, he was right about their relationship ending almost as quickly as it began. You recalled the time back in tenth grade when Chenle was quite smug about dating Mi-so, who happened to be the prettiest girl in class. Frankly, you were somewhat relieved when they broke up, given that she didn't particularly like you. Chenle hasn’t dated anyone since.
“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” your voice trailed off. 
The boy stayed silent for a moment before an idea dawned on him. “You know what? Why don’t we have our first kiss now?”
Your cheeks felt like they were competing for a world record in how quickly they heated up at Chenle's proposal. He couldn't possibly be serious.
“Did I hear you right?” you stammered, thoroughly taken aback by the suggestion.
Chenle nodded confidently, “I mean, we're best friends, so it's not that weird. And it's better than kissing someone we don't know as well or not have a connection with.”
You could kind of see his point. Having Chenle as your first kiss did seem much safer than kissing some random guy. Besides, it wasn’t like either of you had any underlying feelings for each other. This would solely be for practice.
“Alright,” you reluctantly agreed, “But you have to promise not to make fun of me if I turn out to be a bad kisser."
Chenle chuckled and nodded. He inched closer to you on the bed, leaving little space between the two of you. Although he saw you every day, having your face this near made a faint blush tinge his cheeks.
He started to lean in more before pausing. "Um, maybe you should close your eyes."
"Oh—right," you mumbled awkwardly, then took a deep breath before allowing your eyelids to shut.
He had to suppress a chuckle, finding you kinda cute in that moment. Before you had a chance to second-guess yourself, Chenle pressed his lips against yours in a tender kiss. Shortly after, he drew back, searching for your reaction.
“So, how was that?” He asked, voice laced with teasing.
You stared at him incredulously for a moment before realizing he was waiting for you to answer. “I suppose it was okay,” you mumbled.
Chenle tilted his head with an amused grin. “Just okay?”
“Yeah, I guess I didn't feel much because we're not really into each other like that,” you admitted with a nonchalant shrug.
Okay, you might have partially lied about not feeling much during the kiss. Truth be told, there was this strange, fluttery sensation in your chest when your best friend's lips grazed yours. But perhaps all first kisses were like that, and you were simply overthinking it.
The boy beside you let out a hearty laugh. “Well at least we got that over with.”
You had to muster all your self-control not to blush when he followed up with, “And you're not a bad kisser, by the way.”
Believing that the experiment was over, the two of you returned to your previous tasks. Nothing changed much after that day in your bedroom, as you and Chenle remained best friends. But little did you realize that this wouldn't be the last kiss you'd be sharing with him. 
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Despite your previous attempts to justify it, the second kiss you shared with Chenle happened partially because of you. As your senior year of high school unfolded, Chenle prepared for his performance at the spring festival. It was you who initially urged him to participate in the talent show. The countless times you had witnessed his piano playing and singing during your private moments together convinced you that he should share his talents with the world. Your compliments not only fueled Chenle’s ego but also prompted him to eagerly jot his name down on the sign-up sheet.
However, what you didn’t expect was to find him backstage, looking as pale as a ghost. He was supposed to go after a group of girls who were dancing to Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor.” With the intention of cheering him on in person, you spotted the dark-haired boy sitting on a chair, anxiously bouncing his legs.
“Last-minute jitters?" you asked softly.
Chenle glanced up at you and crossed his arms in a nonchalant manner. “What, me? I'm fine,” he replied, though his tone lacked conviction.
Just as Chenle knew you like the back of his hand, you were among the few who could read him. While he was partially correct about never being nervous, it didn't take an idiot to perceive that he was in that moment. It was evident he was trying to play it off to uphold his confident image. 
One aspect that troubled you about Chenle was his constant facade of cheerfulness and carefree demeanor. No one could genuinely be happy all the time, and he was the kind of person who concealed his negative feelings when around others.
After deliberating on how to address the situation, you gently rested your hand on his shoulder, bringing yourself to eye level with him.
“Hey, you’re going to be amazing out there,” you reassured him. “I’ve seen how many hours you put into practicing that song. You have nothing to worry about.”
Chenle let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, you're right.”
The smile he bestowed upon you didn't quite convince you. Biting your lip in hesitation, you glanced around to ensure no one else was nearby. Once you were sure that you were alone, you leaned down and gently planted a kiss on the boy’s forehead. Chenle’s eyes widened in surprise at your actions.
“What was that for?”
Blushing, you took a step back and stammered, “Just for good luck, you know. I—I’ll be right there in the crowd, watching you. So if you feel nervous on stage, just look at me.”
A more reassured smile spread across Chenle’s lips and before he stood up to swiftly peck you on the lips, leaving you more stunned than he was a few seconds ago.
“There, I definitely feel more ready now,” he declared with a teasing glint. And the smug Chenle you were familiar with had returned.
As Chenle’s playfulness lingered in the air, the sound of the audience clapping erupted for the girls, putting an end to your “moment.” With a knowing look, you both parted ways, allowing Chenle to step into the spotlight for his performance.
As he took the stage, you found a spot in the crowd, eyes fixed on him with awe. The rhythm of the applause filled the air, drowning out any lingering thoughts. In that moment, the stage became his world, and you couldn't help but be swept away by the magic of his talent. The earlier exchange faded into the background as you watched Chenle shine, each note and melody weaving a captivating spell that left you in admiration.
Neither of you mentioned the kiss after that day. The interaction remained more platonic than anything, a gesture that was only meant to show your support for him. But Chenle still liked to think he killed the stage because of it.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Chenle was undeniably responsible for the next time the two of you kissed. However, this particular incident didn't unfold until the first semester of your freshman year in college. The joy of discovering you both had been accepted into the same university was palpable, though Chenle appeared to be more exuberant about the news. In contrast, you felt a sense of relief, grateful that you wouldn't be venturing into the world of college alone.
In one of your classes, a sunbae began to show interest in you. Despite your attempts to politely reject him, it became apparent that he wasn't willing to accept no for an answer. 
One day after class, he cornered you in the hallway, insisting that you go out with him. As you tried to maintain your composure, he grabbed you by the wrist when you tried to walk away. The harsh move triggered internal panic within you.
You could sense the danger in his tone as his head tilted cockily. “Come on, (Y/n), don’t be so difficult. I know you’re just playing hard to get.”
“I—I’m sorry but I just don’t feel the same as you, Sunbae,” you stuttered, trying to be assertive. “Please let go.”
Refusing to relent, the sunbae was on the verge of pulling you in closer when another hand intervened, forcefully ripping you out of his grasp. Your head turned in astonishment to see Chenle casting a disgusted look at the guy in front of you. The flames in Chenle’s eyes made you realize that you had never seen him so livid before.
“She said to let go of her. What part of that do you not understand?” Chenle’s voice cut through the tension.
The sunbae scoffed and crossed his arms in defense, “Yah, who are you to involve yourself in someone else’s matters? Are you her boyfriend or something?”
You watched as the corner of Chenle’s lips turned into a smirk as he snaked an arm around your waist in a protective gesture. 
“That’s right. So who are you to go after another man’s girlfriend?” he retorted confidently. Your eyes widened, almost surprised as the jerk in front of you.
Shaking his head in a mix of disbelief and embarrassment, the sunbae pointed a finger at you. “This is a joke, right? You just asked him to pretend to be your boyfriend to mess with me!”
Before you could respond, Chenle took matters into his own hands. His free hand briskly moved to the back of your neck, drawing you in for a passionate kiss. In a typical situation, your best friend's impulsive actions might have freaked you out immediately. However, the way his fingers delicately pressed against your back reassured you that he was doing this for your sake, Closing your eyes, you kissed back and tried to reciprocate with the same passion Chenle was pouring.
Moments later, Chenle pulled away and turned to the sunbae, wearing a satisfied grin on his face. “Do you believe her now? Not that she has to prove anything to you.”
The older male muttered begrudgingly under his breath, “Whatever, not worth my time.”
With a scowl, he stormed off, leaving behind a palpable sense of relief in the wake of his departure. Once he was gone, you removed yourself from Chenle's hold and shot him a look of confusion.
“You know you didn’t have to do that right?” 
Chenle chuckled, “Well, someone had to put an end to his nonsense. Besides, I've always wanted to play the protective boyfriend card.”
“Protective boyfriend? You almost gave me a heart attack!” You smacked him on the shoulder.
Chenle’s smirk remained, but he adopted a more concerned tone. “But seriously, (Y/n), why didn’t you tell me he was bothering you earlier?”
“I thought I could handle things on my own.” You shrugged weakly, lowering your head in guilt.
Chenle sighed, recognizing your aversion to depending on others for your problems. Throughout the time he’d known you, he'd witnessed your willingness to go to great lengths to help those you cared about. However, when it came to your own struggles, you seemed to prefer suffering in silence.
“We’re best friends for a reason,” he reminded you, “Looking after each other is 50/50, you know?”
You offered him a small smile, “I guess you’re right. Thanks for saving me today.”
“Well, you can thank me by buying food tonight,” Chenle said, the playful glint returning to his eyes. “It’s your turn anyway.”
Rolling your eyes, you let him lead you out of the building. But Chenle’s words from earlier lingered in the back of your mind. “We’re best friends for a reason.” 
The two of you were the epitome of what best friends were. And that was all the two of you would ever be, right?
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
At this point, you were beginning to lose count of the number of times you’ve kissed your best friend. Despite this, your friendship maintained its familiar rhythm throughout the university. But after that hallway encounter, the awkwardness that came with kissing your best friend faded. Although it was more of Chenle seeming unfazed, and you becoming less surprised each time it happened. And indeed, there were a few more instances that caused your lips to meet.
Like the time Chenle excitedly dragged you to his dorm to watch a Golden State Warriors game, and, in the heat of the moment, he gave you a quick kiss before cheering some more. Then there was the other time when you both went out for drinks with friends, a few drunken kisses were shared.
There weren't any real feelings attached to the kisses you and Chenle shared. At least, that was what you repeatedly told yourself. However, as you were halfway through your first year of university, you finally started to question the true nature of your friendship with Zhong Chenle.
Those thoughts began to sink in just before your first finals in college. Isolated in your dorm room, you immersed yourself in studying for a math exam scheduled in three days. Calls and texts from friends went largely ignored as you turned off your phone in an attempt to focus. However, Chenle wasn't about to let that slide. 
One night, he let himself into your dorm, carrying a bag of your favorite takeout—knowing well that you tended to skip meals when stressed. You could see the determination in his face, ready to scold you. But the expression quickly transitioned to one of concern when he caught you on the verge of a breakdown. 
You sat at your desk surrounded by textbooks and notebooks filled with scribbled equations. The sight of your trembling body and slightly tousled hair, a result of pulling on it too hard, tugged at Chenle’s heart. He was well aware of how your anxiety affected you at times. But he had never witnessed it manifest quite like this.
Instantly, the bag was placed on the floor, and he was at your side. “(Y/n), what's wrong?" 
“I—I'm going to fail my calc final,” you swallowed, your fingers curling into fists. Your shoulders slumped, and the weight of despair was evident in the way you hunched over the desk.
He placed a hand on your shoulder, attempting to calm you down. “You still have a few weeks before finals, (Y/n). And you’re not going to fail.”
“Yes, I am!” you cut him off, your voice strained. Tears welled up in your eyes, and your hands clenched even tighter. “I’ve been studying for days, and my dumb brain still doesn't understand anything. Do you know how stupid I feel?”
“Being bad at math doesn’t make you stupid, (Y/n),” Chenle said, trying to inject a bit of lightheartedness into the situation. However, his comment didn’t seem to offer you any comfort.
You shook your head miserably in response. “Stop trying to be nice. I'm going to fail, and then I’ll end up letting down my parents and everyone else.”
Chenle’s heart ached at the defeat in your voice. Setting his jokes aside, he recognized that words weren’t what you needed at the moment. Instead, he enveloped you in a warm embrace. You hesitated only briefly before surrendering to his comforting hold, attempting to fight back tears.
“Just let it out,” he whispered.
Those simple words acted as an emotional release trigger, and Chenle found himself gently rubbing your back as you quietly cried into his shoulder. A sense of mixed emotions flooded him as he held you in that moment. A part of him felt a twinge of relief, grateful that you let him be there for you. You often kept your emotions bottled up, making it a challenge for him to discern how you truly felt at times. 
However, there was a pang of sadness accompanying that satisfaction. He knew you didn't just cry in front of anyone, and realizing that you had reached this breaking point signaled the depth of your struggle.
After a while, Chenle gently pulled back, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “You need a break, (Y/n). Let’s step away from the desk for a bit.”
"No, I really should—" you began to protest, but Chenle cut you off.
"You really should eat the food I brought you before it gets cold," he insisted, picking up the bag again.
He led you to sit on the carpet of your cramped dorm room, creating a makeshift dining space for the two of you. As you both shared a meal, Chenle continued to provide a comforting presence, occasionally cracking a joke to lighten the atmosphere.
As the night wore on, the exhaustion in your eyes became more prominent. Even so, you knew you should go back to studying. But Chenle seemed to disagree.
“Maybe you should just rest for the night. I promise to help you with math in the morning,” he suggested. However, upon seeing the unconvinced look you gave him, he backtracked on his words. “Okay, I'll have Renjun help you.”
Too tired to argue, you gave in, and that's how you found yourself lying in bed with your best friend. Back in high school, you used to have sleepovers at his house on the weekends. At night, the two of you would be lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and talking about anything. However, having him beside you at that moment felt strange. 
You saw a sincere tenderness reflected in those large eyes of his. A part of you wondered if Chenle often gazed at you with such fondness and you simply hadn’t noticed before. Either way, the way he was looking at you made you feel even stranger. And the short silence that had settled between the two of you wasn’t helping.
Uncertain of how much longer you could endure the intensity, you broke eye contact with him and murmured, “Thank you for always being there for me, even when I try to push you away”
Chenle chuckled, adjusting his position to prop himself up on his elbow. “Well, of course, because how could you live without me?”
His ability to joke at a time like this struck you as unfathomable. Instead of the usual eye roll or pushing off the bed, a serious expression remained etched on your face. 
“You're right, I don't think I can live without you,” you said, your voice laced with drowsiness. “Because you’re one of the few people who truly care about me.”
The amusement in his eyes danced away, as he felt the gravity of your words. Something about seeing this vulnerable side of you was so beautiful in his eyes. Before he could fully process his own thoughts, Chenle found himself leaning in to close the space between you with his lips meeting your own.
Uncertain whether it was the leftover stress from your meltdown or the sleep deprivation that prompted you to kiss back without much thought. You could recall all the times you’ve kissed Chenle throughout the years. But this one would always stand out to you.
This kiss lasted a lot longer than your previous ones. But it wasn’t just the way he tilted your chin upward for a better angle, or the feeling of his dark locks of hair slipping between your fingers. Nor was it the soft pressure of his lips moving in sync with yours. It was the indescribable emotions that made time seem to stand still, weaving an unspoken connection that surpassed words and left you yearning for more.
Aside from pulling away, both of you gasping for breath, and noticing how Chenle's lips were redder than you had ever seen them, you vaguely recalled what happened after the kiss. When you woke up the next morning, Chenle was already gone. However, he had left you a text message, mentioning that he went to check if Renjun could help tutor you in math.
But math was no longer the sole stressor in your mind. Your best friend had kissed you last night, and unlike all the other times, this one left you feeling more confused than ever. 
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
True to his word, Renjun offered to meet up with you that Sunday afternoon at the campus library. Within an hour of sitting down to unravel the calculus concept that eluded you, Renjun finally helped you grasp the material. Although the looming fear of failing finals had diminished, you still felt a weight on your shoulders.
“You don’t seem as relieved as I thought you’d be,” Renjun remarked lightheartedly. Even he could tell your mind was preoccupied with something else.
You smiled sheepishly, “No, I am! I seriously owe you for helping me out. I just…”
“Is it something to do with Chenle?” he asked, almost like he was a mind reader.
His unexpected question caught you off guard. “How did you know?” you stammered, feeling the heat quickly rise to your cheeks.
A knowing smile played on the boy’s lips as he leaned back in his seat. “Oh come on, (Y/n). You have that look on your face that something happened between the two of you.”
Sometimes you seriously wished Renjun wasn’t so good at reading people. Even though you weren’t as close to him as Chenle was, he’s known you long enough to notice things that others wouldn’t. For instance, when something was troubling you.
Biting your lip, you debated whether to be truthful with Renjun. Although you didn't typically share your problems with others, you recognized that confiding in someone at a time like this was necessary to maintain your sanity.
“Chenle kissed me last night,” you tossed the statement out in the air, hoping you wouldn’t regret it.
Renjun’s eyes widened at this revelation, “He did?!”
“Well you see, we’ve kissed before. But this time it felt different,” you clarified, baffling the boy across from you even more. Internally cringing, you were acutely aware of how bad this sounded.
Before he could question, you continued to elaborate. “Look, it's not as complicated as it sounds. It’s just ever since we agreed to be each other’s first kiss, Chenle and I just keep having these…accidental kisses. Whether it’s out of excitement or to get guys hitting on me to go away.”
Renjun listened quietly as you recounted all the other times you’ve kissed Chenle. When you circled back to the previous night, you felt more conflicted than ever.
“But the kiss last night left me feeling so confused,” you confessed, running a hand through your hair. “Initially, I thought he was just doing it out of comfort, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Well, have you considered the possibility that he has feelings for you?” Renjun inquired, crossing his arms. His suggestion sounded so simple, yet it felt like navigating uncharted territory in your mind.
You shook your head in denial. “N—No, I mean we’ve been best friends for five years. He can’t possibly see me that way.”
“Like that’s ever stopped friends from falling for each other,” Renjun cocked his head. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that he likes you, (Y/n).”
His point made you mentally curse. If you looked at your history with Chenle from an objective point of view, the two of you certainly didn’t act like normal best friends.
“And, it’s pretty obvious that you like him too,” Renjun added, twirling the pencil between his fingers.
His statement left you feeling exposed, as if you had been caught red-handed committing a crime. Laughing nervously, you shook your head, “Renjun, we’re just friends. I…I don’t see him that way.”
Renjun raised an eyebrow, “Friends who kiss? Did you really not feel anything in those moments?”
Your teeth sank further into your lower lip as Renjun’s question hit you. The reality of your feelings for Chenle lingered in the air, challenging the facade you had built to convince yourself otherwise. It was like trying to hold sand in your fists, slipping away no matter how tightly you clenched. The truth, however inconvenient, seemed to be unraveling before you.
“I…I did feel something,” you slowly admitted, “But I never said anything because I didn’t want our friendship to change. It just seemed easier to pretend those moments were nothing more than accidents.”
Renjun’s eyes softened with understanding. “Well maybe a little change is what you need in your friendship.”
Maybe Renjun was onto something, perhaps change was necessary. In the past, you had always held out on dating, using the excuse that you were waiting for the right person. Despite the fear of potential rejection, what if Chenle was the person you had been waiting for all along?
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Chenle’s living room bathed in the gentle glow of the TV screen, a familiar sight during your Friday movie nights since college began. It was supposed to be a time to unwind, to escape the pressures of school for a little while. However, instead of the usual peaceful and easygoing atmosphere, an unspoken tension hung in the air tonight. Beyond picking a movie and deciding who made the popcorn, you and Chenle barely talked. The weight of the unspoken words made the space feel suffocating, and you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in your chest.
Unable to endure the weighty silence any longer, you turned your head to make a lame comment about the movie. However, before you could speak, Chenle beat you to it.
“Can we talk?” His voice carried a hint of restlessness, an unusual departure from his usual tone.
Trying to maintain a casual demeanor, you lightly nodded. With your acknowledgment, Chenle exhaled deeply and sat up straighter to face you properly.
“I know how crazy this might sound,” he started, running a hand through his hair. “But I’ve been thinking, and I don’t think we can stay friends.”
His words felt like a gun being pointed at your chest, panic surged within you as you tried to process the boy’s words. Of all the ways you predicted this conversation could go, this was not one of them.
“What do you mean?” you asked, your voice even smaller than his.
Noticing the perplexity in your eyes, Chenle continued. “You see, I've been in love with you for—I don’t know how long. But I spent all these years burying my feelings like a fool, because I never thought you’d see me that way. Yet, every time we kiss, it becomes harder for me to ignore my feelings for you.”
Chenle glanced down at his folded hands, vulnerability seeping into those brown orbs of his. “The other night made me realize that I don’t want to just be friends who kiss anymore. I want to be something more to you.”
His words lingered in the air now that they were out in the open. Your heart raced faster than it ever has before, as your cheeks flushed with heat. Chenle’s eyes bore into yours, his expression nervous yet hopeful. 
For a moment, you were left speechless. But you still had the sense to hit him on the shoulder, scolding, “Oh my gosh, you can’t start a conversation like that, Chenle. You scared me!”
The boy chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. But seriously, (Y/n), I meant what I said.”
A mix of emotions played on your face before you quietly admitted, “Honestly, I’ve wanted to be something more to you since that day we kissed in my bedroom.”
You noticed a smile of relief beginning to form on his lips, but you held up a finger before he could say anything. Now that he had taken the first step, you decided it was time for you to do the same.
“But I kept trying to convince myself that all the times we kissed were accidental or just for comfort,” you confessed, looking directly into his eyes. “And the reason I’ve been pushing away my feelings for you was because I was afraid of losing a friend who means the world to me.”
His hand rested on top of yours, the light touch sending a shiver down your spine. “You don’t have to be afraid because you’ll never lose me, (Y/n).”
The softness and sincerity in his eyes made you want to cry for some inexplicable reason. You once believed that confessing your feelings for Chenle would only lead to frustration and heartbreak. However, as you sat here with him, holding his hand, those worries seemed to vanish.
“So…what do we do now?” you asked, unsure of what was supposed to come next in these situations.
A mischievous glint danced in his eyes as he grinned. “I think this is the part where we kiss. But you know, as boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Just as you were processing his words, he moved closer, his breath warm against your skin, making your heart flutter. His eyes searched yours for permission. 
“Well, what are you waiting for then?” you whispered.
With that, the distance between you closed, and your lips met in a tender kiss. It was a sweet surrender, a culmination of years of friendship and suppressed feelings. Although this wasn’t your first kiss with Chenle, it felt that way in a sense. For you could finally savor the tender feeling of his lips without questioning the intention behind it.
In that moment, all you focused on was the way Chenle had his hand on the small of your back, guiding you closer as he deepened the kiss. Your fingers found their way to rest on the nape of his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin. 
Although the change in this dynamic had just begun, this newfound connection promised countless moments of shared laughter, whispered confessions, and the sweet warmth of shared kisses. You had a feeling that you could easily get used to this beautiful new normal. By the way Chenle smiled during the kiss, you could tell he felt the same way.
➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶
219 notes · View notes