#i was telling my friend today how i wanna collect playing cards so bad...

[surrender-souls]

every time i go into any normal drugstore with my mom i gotta pull myself away from the little rack of playing cards. i yearn for pretty collectables

[pumpkin-stars]

Forbearance

William Tell/AFAB!Reader. Smut. no pronouns, no y/n.

He plays poker with a skill you’ve never seen before, patient and careful and calculating. He plays your body the same, and teases you to distraction - like how a bad hand can be a bluff, or a tapping finger can be a tell. He’s an ass, but he’s yours. AKA he fucks you to celebrate a win, but is a dick about it (affectionately).

Warnings/Content: unprotected sex, established relationship, the author knows nothing about poker, teasing, fingering, cockwarming, a hint of choking, lots of kissing and smirking, p-in-v sex, comparing the reader to a hand of cards but sexily, use of dialogue from the trailer, slight hint of sugar daddy vibes if you wanna read it that way.

Word Count: 2.8k (after a three minute trailer? don’t ask me how)

💕 thanks @fisforfulcrum and @the-little-ewok for helping me come up with a title /💕/ i’ve tagged people who expressed interest as well as those on my taglist - hope you don’t mind 💕

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The room is dark and quiet - shuffling cards, clearing throats, ice clinking against glasses. The low yellow lighting illuminates the smooth green surface of the table and shines on the features of the game’s participants.

It almost makes you wish you were here with someone else. The older man across the table, perhaps. Not because he’s doing particularly well, far from it in fact, but because standing over there would gift you the perfect view of your actual companion.

The way the light hits other’s faces tells you that it surely accentuates his features… The curve of his shaven jaw, the prominent nose and oh-so-kissable lips. The way shadows form around his dark eyes from the sharp lines of his brow, making their ever-present twinkle shine all the brighter.

What you can see is how the light bounces off his Rolex as his fingers dance over the large collection of chips stacked in front of him, debating his next move as he keeps his cards hidden from everyone - including you. His eyes dart around the room, always. Always counting, observing, never guessing or taking chances, every sequence and possibility carefully calculated like a giant computer lives in his brain, his features carefully schooled, giving nothing away.

“All in.” He decides once it’s his turn, pushing the chips forward before he leans back in his chair, tilting his head back to rest against your torso. His eyes stay on the table, but he allows himself a little smile as your hand rests on his shoulder. You wait eagerly, for that moment of victory, staring at the soft curls that litter his scalp, streaks of grey outnumbering the black now, but no less alluring than he’s ever been. Your hand strokes over his jacket, fingers trailing over his shirt collar, running over the skin of his neck, catching the thin chain he always wears for a moment before you let it go, and return to his shoulder.

His smile widens as the cards are turned, each exactly where he had anticipated, until it’s his turn to reveal his hand. Judging by the groans the other men make, you’re pretty sure you’ve won - not that there’s any real doubt in your mind when William sits at the table.

“Thank you, Gentlemen,” He nods to them, “I’m afraid my friend and I need to be up early, so, if you’ll excuse us.”

“You cleaned me out!” One protests.

“Not my problem.”

“At least let me try to win it back-?”

“You’ve been trying to hold onto what you have for the last four rounds,” he winces, “Today’s not your day.”

William sweeps his chips into the bag waiting by his feet, then offers you his arm to escort you out, the two of you ignoring any further protests.

-/-/-

He drives you to his place, a hand squeezing your thigh the whole ride. It’s a modest apartment, considering his line of “work”, and he holds the door for you, ever the gentleman. The bag of chips rattles as he sets it on the hall table then stalks over to you, tongue peeking out to wet his lips on his way.

“You get a little restless at the end, sweetheart?” He smirks. “Bored of me winning you enough money to buy you all the beautiful things you want?”

“No Billy,” you smile, “But watching you win every time gets a little… predictable.”

“Well, that’s how things are on the table, aren’t they?” he crowds you, grabbing you by the hips and leading you until your back hits the wall, “I like things predictable. Poker is all about waiting, sweetheart, it’s not my fault you can’t be patient ‘til I’m done.”

“It’s knowing you’re almost done that makes me restless,” you smile, “I have patience, up until the last minutes.”

“Oh I know, sweetheart,” he grins, “you’ve proved it time and again.”

He leans in, nudging your nose with his own as his mouth hovers above yours, content to wait. You’re loathe to prove him right, but having him this close is too much to resist, and you tilt your head to kiss him.

He gives in to you, letting his tongue slip into your mouth as his head tilts to the right, a relaxed movement that keeps you exactly where he wants you. It’s always overwhelming, being kissed by William Tell. He’s able to move you, control every aspect of the kiss with ease, and you’re always aware that he’s watching and observing you despite his eyes being closed. Ten years in prison will do that to a person - make them aware of all things at all times - though your Billy applies it differently in situations like this.

He crowds you, hands skimming up your sides as he kisses with more force, leaving you no choice but to hang onto him, to give into him as he plays you as well as he plays his cards. It’s forceful, but it’s slow. He’s in no rush to move from this position, patient enough to kiss you like this for hours, licking into your mouth with the same easy motions as he throws chips into the pot.

But it’s not enough for you, not after watching him all night, after waiting all night. As soon as your hands move into his hair he pulls back.

“Billy-“

“Patience,” he smirks, “You gotta wait for me, sweetheart.”

You pout, and he pecks your lips - just a quick one that makes you smile.

“Congratulations on another victory, William.” You whisper.

“It’s all about the wait,” he shrugs, “The anticipation. The right moment.”

“I know.” You nod, and he squeezes you gently.

“Go wait for me on the bed, huh? I gotta stow the chips.”

“Okay,” you smile, kissing his cheek as you move around him, “Don’t be too long, you know I can’t wait.”

“Not even for my cock?” He raises a solitary brow.

You grin, “I could make an exception.”

-/-/-

He leaves you waiting a while. You should’ve known he would, even if he wasn’t meticulous about stacking his chips, the teasing has made it clear that he’s in the mood to push your buttons.

You lie on the bed, naked save for a simple chain necklace he’d gifted you some months ago, reclining by the pillows, and you’re only seconds away from giving in and touching yourself when he appears in the doorway.

“Fucking beautiful, sweetheart.” He mumbles.

He’s not a soft man, not a nice man, nor a good man. But with you, he can let his guard down a little, be truly genuine in his compliments and tender in his touches. You’re not sure what you did to make him feel he can relax, but you know it took a while - a lot of waiting - for him to be like this. He doesn’t treat you like any other cunt out there.

His jacket slips from his shoulders, and, as you watch, he hangs it in the wardrobe, taking his time to strip down. His tie follows, hung over the neck of the hanger, then his shirt. A smirk grows on his face with every undone button, every inch of skin revealed to you as you watch and wait.

Shoes came off in the hall, but he bends to remove his socks, pants clinging to the curve of his ass so tightly you’d fear they might rip if you weren’t assured of the quality. He straightens, throws his socks and shirt into the laundry hamper, then crosses the room, stopping at the foot of the bed to smile down at you.

“Gimme a hand?”

You smile back, crawling over the mattress to kneel in front of him, looking up at his dark eyes. His hair isn’t perfectly styled anymore, some of the curls slipping sideways. You reach for them, tucking them behind his ear as best you can, then kiss him, taking the opportunity to tug his bottom lip with your teeth as you fumble with his belt.

He groans, lithe fingers pushing yours away, as he undoes his fly, letting the pants fall down his legs with only gravity to assist as his hands move up to cup your cheeks, pulling you close.

“Billy-” you whisper against his lips, “Need you to fuck me, Billy.”

“I know, sweetheart,” He grins, “Just wait a little longer.”

You groan, “I’ve been fucking waiting.”

“And you’ll get a fucking reward.” He grabs your ass, squeezing hard and pulling you flush against him, grinding his cock into your stomach. “You want my cock?” He tilts his head, mouthing at your neck, one hand moving up to rest over the chain that adorns it, his thumb stroking the hollow of your throat as he sucks your pulse point.

“You know I do.” You gasp, slipping your hand into his underwear, “You want to give it to me, don’t you?”

“You know I do.” he confirms, twitching in your hand, thick length leaking already.

“Then what-” you stroke him- “are you waiting for?”

He pushes you backwards, stepping away for a second to push his underwear down, flinging it and his pants across the room with his foot. “I’m waiting for you to beg, sweetheart.”

You watch him, wide eyed, as he strokes himself, salivating at the sight of him. The tattoos that tell his past and mark his flushed skin… The chain that rests perfectly on his chest, little charm dangling between his pectorals… His thick thighs that you know for sure make a fantastic seat… The muscles of his arms, shifting with every stroke, veins visible right up his forearms and over his biceps as he flexes. And the cock in his hand… you’d never thought of them as beautiful until you saw William’s.

Your hand sneaks between your thighs, and his free hand darts forward, snatching it away, gripping your wrist tight. “Don’t.”

“Billy-”

“You don’t get anything until you beg for it, sweetheart. I can wait.”

Asshole. Beautiful insufferable perfect asshole.

“Please, Billy, I’ve been on edge all evening, been waiting to do this since before we fucking left.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, William.” You whine, “Please fuck me. I want to feel you inside me, wanna bounce on your perfect fucking cock until I forget my own name.”

He grins, “Well, when you put it like that.”

In the blink of an eye, he joins you on the bed, sitting beside you and pulling your mouth to his again.

“You ready for it, sweetheart? Or do I need to open you up?”

You grab his hand, letting his fingers dance over your soaked folds. “What do you think?”

He groans, sinking two fingers in with ease, pumping them in and out for a moment, coating them with your slick before stroking his cock, spreading your essence over him before he even gets close to pushing inside.

“Get in my fucking lap,” he orders, staying upright as you throw a leg over him, straddling his thighs, trapping his cock between your stomachs. “Fucking beautiful.”

He smiles at you, soft and genuine, those dark eyes darker still with pupils the size of poker chips. His hands move over your body, the two fingers coated with you pushing their way into your mouth as his free hand tugs at your nipples. You groan around his fingers, sucking them clean, tongue teasing at them before you let them go.

“Want it?” William smiles, moving his hands to your hips as you reach down to stroke him, thumbing over the head as he weeps for you.

You nod, moving to hover over him, letting his head bump against your clit briefly before you notch him at your entrance. “Billy-”

He hums, making that noise that’s halfway between intrigue and amusement, glancing between your face and where your cunt swallows him down. He grins as you sink onto him, grip tightening to keep you still once he’s all the way inside, making you wait all over again as his tongue probes into your mouth moments before his lips actually meet yours.

It’s distracting, and he knows it, the way he licks into your mouth and controls every aspect of the kiss even when he lets you have the upper hand. The press of his nose against your cheek, and the slight scratch of stubble despite having shaved that morning, the furrow of his brow as he concentrates that you can’t see but can feel, the soft strands of his hair that you simply have to touch.

You’re full, but he keeps you still, makes you hold him inside like you’re just an extension of himself, or a convenient wet heat that he can use however and whenever he likes. You’re warming him from the groin up as he lights a match in your mind that burns down your body and ignites in your cunt. It’s arousal tinged with frustration. You want to move, want to ride him properly - hold him to the promise he made before you left of a celebratory fuck, not this waiting and wanting game.

Is it possible to know when someone reaches the limit?

Your hands move down to his shoulders, trailing over his arms, then you grab his wrists in an effort to move his hands.

He breaks the kiss. “Wait, sweetheart.”

“This isn’t a fucking poker game.” You grunt, moving faster than he can blink, pushing him onto his back, a hand on his throat. “I’m fucking impatient, Billy. You know that.”

He stares, jaw dropped, chest heaving as you squeeze his neck a little, bracing your weight on the hand by his head as you start to rock your hips onto him.

Those long eyelashes fan over his cheeks as he pushes his neck up into your grip, Adam’s apple bobbing under your palm, his chest heaving in tandem with yours as your rhythm picks up.

He hears your breath hitch as he brushes against that spot inside you and he shifts, pressing his feet to the mattress and bucking up, meeting you thrust for thrust. Your hold on his neck falls away as you lean over him, tables turned once again as he grins, a breathy laugh becoming a moan as you clench around him.

“Fucking perfect,” he pulls you down into another kiss, then keeps your forehead against his, a hand on the back of your head, “What are you?”

“Fucking perfect, Billy.”

He grins, “What am I?”

“Ahh- an asshole-!” You gasp, his thumb sneaking between your bodies to rub circles over your clit.

“Yeah?” He sinks his teeth into your bottom lip, releasing just short of drawing blood, “Thought you’d be nicer to me while I fuck you like this.”

“You know me better than that.”

And he does. In the bedroom, where he knows how to press every button, and outside of it, while standoffish at times, he can tell exactly how you feel in any given moment. It’s about your tells, the slightest upturn of your lip or furrow of brow or twitch of fingers. Maybe, even without cards, this is a poker game… where he’s your partner and your opponent, knowing exactly how you play the game, your strengths and weaknesses… He certainly knows how to bring you to the edge quickly.

“You close, sweetheart?” He grins, “You gonna cum on my cock?”

“Billy-“ you whisper, “so good, Billy.”

“I know,” he smirks now, cocky and sure of himself.

This is how it starts, just a fleeting thought, then it builds… that first sensation of being on the edge, that knowledge that it’s coming - and soon - the steady build of pleasure that only he can give you…

“I’m close sweetheart,” he tells you, “You gotta- fuck- cum before I do, or not at all.”

“Fucker,” you grit your teeth, tugging his hand from your clit to replace it with your own, not giving him the chance to steal this orgasm from you.

It builds and builds, a pressure in your cunt and in your chest, it’s coming, it’s coming - you’re cumming, spasming around him with a rasping cry of his name as wave after wave hits you, until you land on his chest, trying desperately to catch your breath as his thrusts continue to knock them out of you, every exhale accompanied by a jolt to your spot as he works you through it and then focuses on himself…

“Ahh!” He moans, and with one last thrust he lets go, cum spurting inside you and coating your insides with him like a primal declaration of ownership.

You lay together, still connected, and get your breath back, then you roll off him, both on your backs.

He turns his head, grins, “thank you sweetheart, that was…”

“Yeah.” You breathe, “it was.”

~~~

Taglist: @astroboots @darlingdin​ @dilfoscarisaac​ @fisforfulcrum​ @foxilayde​ @huxdameron​ @idreamofboobear​ @irrelevantbutembarrassing​ @joanofarkansass​ @just-here-for-the-moment​ @mypedrom​ @salome-c​ @the-little-ewok​ @thedukeleto​ @uncle-kenobi​ @yours-truly-r​ @zoriis​  

[sunkissedpages]

instead of you [part sixteen]

pairing: [best friend’s brother] tom holland x college!reader

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either.

warnings: swearing, mentions of alcohol, smut (18+) additional warnings under the cut

word count: 3.1k

series masterlist

smut warnings: female masturbation, porn, mentions of choking

“‘We’? Like, you and me?” you clarified, hoping you had misunderstood.

“Yeah, it’ll only take a second,” Tom assured you.

You looked to Sam for help, but he looked just as lost as you were. “I’ll go try and find a microwave to heat up your leftovers,” he offered and took the container back from you. “I’ll be right back, babe.”

“Okay...”

You watched him shrug past both you and Tom and then disappear into the hallway with a sinking feeling in your chest, knowing he trusted you completely. He had no reason not to, and that’s what consumed you. 

“What do you want?” you muttered, reluctantly stepping to the side to let Tom in. 

He didn’t answer right away, giving you a moment to collect yourself. His eyes followed you around the room as you found your pants and tugged them on. He averted his gaze when he realized you were getting dressed mumbling a “sorry” as he trained his eyes on the carpet. 

You sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to explain why he was there. 

“You weren’t there today,” was all he said. 

You blinked. “Yeah?”

“Was it because of me?”

“I wasn’t feeling well.”

Tom’s tongue poked at the inside of his cheek. “Is that all?”

“I had a lot to drink last night,” you reminded him. 

“So you don’t remember anything?”

“I never said that.”

“So it was because of me?”

“I never said that either.” You sighed. “If you’re here to ask me if I told him you kissed me, I didn’t. And you could’ve just texted me to ask.”

“No that’s not why- I don’t have your number anyway.”

“I’m in the trip group chat with your family.”

“Oh, right. I’ll save it to my contacts.”

The tension in the room was palpable. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out and replaced with thick, suffocating silence. Arbitrarily, you wondered who the most famous person in his phone was. He was a Marvel actor, he probably had Simu Liu’s number, right? Who would your contact information be sitting in between? Maybe if you ever forgave him for what he did you could ask him. 

“Is something funny?” The firmness of Tom’s voice cut through your train of thought and brought you back to the present. “Why are you smiling?”

“It doesn’t matter,” you said despondently. “Sam’s gonna be back soon. What did you want?”

“I just wanted to check up on you. Sam said you were sick.”

“Oh, so you wanted to see if I was lying?”

“No! God, why is it so hard to believe that I’m genuinely concerned about you?”

“Because last night you only seemed concerned about yourself.”

Tom pursed his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets, expelling a breath harshly. “Okay, I deserved that.”

You hummed in agreement, and let your eyes trail down the veins of his arms to where they disappeared into his pockets. It looked like he was fiddling with a coin or something small, but you couldn’t tell. 

“Are you feeling better?” he said the last part through gritted teeth.

“Yes, thank you. This chat has helped considerably.”

Tom rolled his eyes. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Well, lucky for you I’m not your problem to deal with. I'm Sam’s.”

He flexed his hand in his pocket and sighed. “Okay, well, I also wanted to apologize again for...” the word kiss seemed to die on his lips, poetic irony at its finest. “Being a dick.” Less poetic. 

He finally fished his hand out of his pocket, holding a delicate piece of paper between his pointer and index fingers. He shifted uncomfortably where he was leaning against the dresser. “We went to the Academic Gallery today. I saw this in the gift shop and thought of you.” He presented you with what turned out to be a postcard, creased down the middle unevenly and smudged with pen ink.

You turned it over to look at the front first, admiring the artwork printed on it. It was a picture of Michelangelo’s David drawn in swoopy black lines and filled in with watercolor paint. Instead of a museum, the statue was in the middle of a garden, the centerpiece among dozens upon dozens of flowers. 

 “Sorry it’s folded,” he mumbled. “It wouldn’t fit in my pocket.”

You flipped it over to read the back only to see iou scribbled in his handwriting and nothing else. You turned it over again to see if you had missed something on the front, but there was nothing.

You looked up at him in confusion. “Iou?” 

“Yeah, you know... I feel really bad about last night, and I don’t really know how to make it up to you so I’m letting you decide.”

“That’s not really how it works.”

“I think that this counts as an exception, since we’re kind of in uncharted territory.”

“Maybe for you. My boyfriend’s brothers make out with me all the time.”

“Fuck you, I didn’t make out with you- it was barely a peck.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “It was more than a peck.”

His cheeks were beginning to grow pink with what you couldn’t tell was either embarrassment or frustration. He cleared his throat awkwardly and changed the subject. “Anyway, if you ever need a favor or anything, just let me know. Think of it as me owing you one.”

“And do I have to give back the postcard when I cash in this ‘favor’?” you asked.

“No, you can keep it.”

“Good, because I was going to keep it anyway.”

He chuckled in spite of himself and shook his head. “Knew you’d like it.”

You flattened the card on your lap, smiling as you tried to iron out the little crease with your fingers. 

“It’s pretty, thank you.”

Tom nodded in acknowledgement and straightened his posture. “I should get going. I just wanted to give you that, and see how you were doing since tomorrow’s a travel day and I know you get a little motion sick sometimes. I didn’t want... whatever you’d come down with to make it worse.”

How did he know that? Had Sam told him? You didn’t have time to ask because he was already walking towards the door. He paused when he reached it and turned his head towards you, hand already on the knob. 

“Good night, y/n.”

“Good night, Tom.”

  He opened the door and let himself out into the hallway, catching it suddenly on his foot as he saw Sam coming off the elevator. Tom held the door for Sam, since his hands were full, and then said goodnight to his brother as he finally left.

“Sorry, I couldn’t find the microwave,” he explained. “I had to ask the night manager and they heated it up in the break room for me.”

“Oh, Sam, you didn’t have to do that! I would’ve eaten it cold.”

“I know you would have, and that’s why I’m not letting you.” You gave him a look, which he ignored and handed you the container of food. “It’s carbonara, it’s one of the things Rome is known for. I couldn’t have you eating it lukewarm.” 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He ran a hand through his hair and took a seat next to you on the edge of the bed, pulling the ottoman closer to use it as a makeshift table. He watched as you tried the first bite, gauging your reaction. It was something he did whenever he cooked for you, especially if he was trying out a new recipe. He always needed your approval, and valued it above anybody else’s. But he hadn’t even made this, and as his eyes searched your face you found yourself wondering if they were looking for something else. 

“Do you like it?” 

You breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Your paranoia was starting to get the better of you. “It’s delicious,” you assured him. “I’m sad I missed dinner.”

“I’m sad you missed the whole day. Spending time with my family without you was hell.”

“Oh come on, it’s probably good that you got some real family time.”

“It’s real family time when you’re there. It felt like something was missing.” 

You let a small smile slip past your lips despite the guilt that bubbled under the surface. You pushed it down and took another bite of the carbonara. 

“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you? It can’t have all been bad. Tell me about the good stuff. I wanna hear that.”

Sam nodded and pushed his curls back again, grinning like he’d been caught. “Fine, maybe there were some okay moments.”

“And what were they?”

“We went to the Accademia Gallery today. I think you would have really liked it. They had a whole wing of instruments from some of the most famous inventors and musicians from history. They even had pianos from Bartolomeo Cristorfori, the inventor of the piano.”

“Wow,” you said, impressed. “I bet it was beautiful.”

“Of course if it was played, it wouldn’t sound anything like the piano we’re used to hearing today, but I’m sure it would still sound incredible.”

“Even if it hasn’t been tuned in a few hundred years?”

It was his turn to give you a look. “Yes, of course.”

“Sorry.”

“And they had a Strativerius, I don’t even want to know how valuable that thing is. It must cost millions. I took some pictures for you, but I know they won’t compare to the real thing. The lighting in museums never does the art justice.”

He handed his phone to you to scroll through. You swiped the photos, smiling whenever you came across a selfie he’d taken with a statue or painting. You reached the pictures of David and couldn’t help but zoom in on-

“Hey!” Sam yelped and grabbed his phone back from your hands.

“What!”

“Michelangelo would be so ashamed of you! I bet he’s rolling in his grave right now.”

“No way! If anyone appreciated good dick, it was Michelangelo.” 

“Unbelievable.” 

“If you don’t want me to judge these statue’s penises, don’t take pictures of them.”

“I didn’t take pictures of their penises! I took pictures of the whole statue- you’re zooming in on- you know what, nevermind. Arguing with you about this is pointless.”

“Smart boy.”

Sam rolled his eyes at you and put his phone in his back pocket. “Oh yeah, did Tom give you that postcard?”

“He told you about that?” you asked, suddenly panicking. Sam hadn’t said anything about last night so far, but maybe Tom had-

“Yeah, said he wanted to give you an iou for the limoncello last night.”

“What?”

“He said you paid the tab for it since he left his wallet in the room and that he wanted to pay you back for it.”

“Oh. Right.”

Another lie. You had very much not paid for the drinks last night. Tom had. And you knew he had to make an excuse for why he was buying his brother’s girlfriend something from the gift shop, but to add another lie to the ever-growing list made your throat burn with regret. You wouldn’t be able to keep the secret forever, and it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down around you. 

-

In the morning you took the train from Rome to Naples, and then took a taxi to Sorrento to spend the last bit of your week in Italy by the sea. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than it had been in the busy cities of Rome and Florence. Even though there were still hordes of tourists, they were far more dispersed and less overbearing than you expected. The whole town seemed slowed down, like it had escaped the chokehold of time. 

Sam’s parents took everyone out to lunch by the water and went over the schedule for the next day and a half. 

“So, you’re on your own after dinner tonight, and then tomorrow morning we’re going to take the ferry to Capri for the day before our flight that night,” Nikki explained as she read through the spreadsheet on her phone. 

“There’s an Irish pub down the street from our hotel,” Harry said. “Do you guys want to go after we eat tonight?”

“I’m down,” Sam agreed. 

“Sounds good,” Tom chimed in.

The boys all looked at you for your answer, but you hesitated. Thinking about what happened the last time you drank didn’t make you eager to do it again, and you were already exhausted from travelling.

“I’ll pass.”

“What? Why?” Sam asked, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.

You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder with a sigh. “I’m tired, and I’d rather go somewhere Italian... since we’re in Italy.”

Harry shrugged. “Your loss.”

“We’ll have a shot in your honor, babe,” Sam said and pressed a kiss to your temple. 

“Please don’t. Something tells me you’ll have plenty to drink without an extra shot for me.”

“You know us so well.”

After dinner, you walked back to the hotel with the Hollands and said good night to Sam’s parents before parting ways to your separate rooms. Sam went with you to change into clothes for going out while you changed into pajamas. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

You nodded from where you were on the bed and yawned. Sam didn’t push any further, instead resolving to finish getting ready in silence. He paired his black jeans with a pair of converse and a dark green button up over a black t-shirt. 

He turned to you for approval.

“Fake girlfriend approved?”

“Fake girlfriend approved,” you repeated and gave him a thumbs up. 

“Okay, well I’m headed out,” he announced. 

“Have fun! Don’t kiss any cute girls without me!” 

It was something you always said to each other, but it sounded strange since it was supposed to be coming from his girlfriend. Sam just chuckled and blew you a kiss as he let himself out. 

You heard him greet his brothers outside and then listened to their footsteps fade into the distance before pulling up an incognito window on your phone. It had been weeks since you’d been able to get off and it was killing you. The amount of stress this trip had given you only made it worse. You were wound so tight that you were sure you’d snap soon if you didn’t get some relief. 

And you thought that maybe if you rubbed one out it might help you forget about... the confusing feelings you had for your best friend’s brother. 

Seeing as you had the night to yourself, you figured you might as well take advantage of it. You copied a link from your notes app and pasted the url into the address bar. You didn’t feel like digging through your luggage to find your earbuds so you set the volume low enough for only you to hear. 

The video started playing and you let your hand wander from your side up to your neck, brushing your hand lightly across your collarbone. You traced the curve of your breasts with a finger before squeezing one of them gently, feeling your nipple harden under your palm. You only had one hand to use since the other was holding your phone, but you made do. 

The video was one of your favorites, one you found yourself watching at least once a week. It was one of the few videos of hetero couples you had favorited, and it started with the guy going down on the girl before fucking her...

You admired the muscles on the man’s back, watching intently as they flexed whenever he moved his head. The woman moaned, struggling to keep her legs open while he brought her closer and closer to orgasm. 

You let your hand travel down further until it was sitting at the waistband of your pajama shorts. You knew you had a while before Sam would be back, but you were too impatient to wait. You propped your phone up on a pillow next to you to free your other hand as you started to play with your clit. 

You pictured someone’s head in between your thighs, imagining them moaning against your pussy as they tasted you for the first time. 

The man was taking his pants off now and lining himself up with his partner’s pussy. You tried to follow along, putting yourself in the moment with the couple. You gathered your own wetness on two of your fingers to lubricate them and slid them inside yourself, sighing in relief. Your entire body tensed as it accommodated to the stretch and you gave yourself a few beats before moving your fingers. 

When you finally did, you felt yourself relax and sped up your pace so that it matched the actors on screen.

The angle the video was shot at hid the man’s face and you found yourself wondering what he looked like. If you squinted you could almost picture Tom- no. You tried to shake the thought from your mind, but it was already there. 

Closing your eyes didn’t help either. You just imagined Tom’s fingers sliding in and out of you instead of your own, imagined the veins on his arms becoming more pronounced as he tightened his grip on your thigh. 

“Fuck,” you cursed, knowing you should stop. 

You were too close to stop now, and the pleasure was clouding your judgement. Suddenly the man brought his hand up to the girl’s throat and began to choke her, sending her hurtling into her own orgasm. You moaned accidentally, thinking about Tom’s hand around your throat. You curled your fingers up so that you were hitting your g-spot and whimpered pathetically.

This was wrong. This was bad. Not only were you fantasizing about your best friend’s brother, but you were confusing yourself even further. 

You tried to fight it, at least that’s what you told yourself, but all you could hear were Tom’s moans echoing through the speaker. You pictured the way he’d look on top of you. His eyes would be so dark and he’d be smirking like the cocky asshole he was, chain hanging down in your face- just inviting you to take it into your mouth. It didn’t take long before you felt your orgasm begin to build. The video was still playing in the background, the man still chasing his own high and bringing his partner to her second orgasm, but you’d tuned it out by now. You came around your fingers thinking about Tom’s hips snapping into yours. 

You were fucked.

lmk what you think!! i always appreciate feedback

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[thotsome]

Tell Them

Harry Potter x Fem!Reader

Summary: When Harry sees you getting a little too comfortable with his friends, he realises he doesn't want to keep you a secret anymore.

Warnings: Dom!Harry, Sub!Reader, nsfw, smut, penetrative sex, oral sex- female receiving, master kink, choking and size kink if you squint, angst start and fluff ending because :)

Word count: 1.4k

~♡︎~

As you sat on Seamus' lap and laughed at his stupid, sexist jokes, you spotted Harry Potter fuming about 15 feet away. You smiled.

Tonight was going to be fun.

"You're so funny, Seam" you said as you ran your hand up his arm. Seamus looked delighted

Harry looked furious.

His bad, you thought. If he doesn't want to tell people we're dating I'm going to act like we aren't.

Him and his stupid hero complex. He insisted that being the chosen one's girlfriend was going to make you a target. What he didn't take into account was that you could look after yourself just fine. You were a Gryffindor through and through.

And today you were wearing a Gryffindor red dress. It was working.

Poor Harry.

"Hey, um, you wanna come to my dorm to see my...uh... chocolate frog cards?" stammered Seamus.

Oops. You hadn't foreseen this. He obviously wanted to show you more than his cards.

But it would make Harry jealous. And if Seamus tried anything you'd just shoot him down.

"Sure", you said, getting off his lap and taking his hand, but not before you saw Harry glaring at you two.

As you reached the boys' dorm and sat on Seamus' bed, he began frantically hunting for his "prized collection". He was such a liar. You almost didn't feel bad for leading him on.

"I'm sure they were here, Weasley must've nicked 'em-" he said

You gave him a reassuring smile that said take all the time you need.

He sighed and went back to "searching".

Just as you were starting to regret coming upstairs, the door was flung open.

And there stood Harry.

"Get out", he said to Seamus, in a dangerously low voice. Seamus looked over his shoulder at you and left the room.

"Well?" You asked.

"I've changed my mind" and then he stode over the room and his mouth was on yours.

He tasted like butterbeer and wind. Like Harry.

You could never get enough of him.

His hands roamed all over your dress. You wanted them below the annoying material. But you couldn't let Harry get away with this so quickly. You pulled away.

"Changed your mind about what?" You asked.

"About telling everyone"

"Why?"

"Y/n" he breathed. His hands pressed your waist gently.

"Tell me, Harry."

He didn't answer. Instead he kissed your neck and snaked his way behind you. You couldn't bring yourself to think rationally when he was nibbling at your soft spot like this. Before you could turn around he picked you up from the back and set you on the bed on your knees while he positioned himself right behind you.

You could feel his hard on pressing against your ass. You moaned. Harry took that as an invitation and unzipped your ridiculously tiny dress and threw it aside.

He raised his eyebrows once he saw what you were wearing underneath it. See-through red panties and a push up bra.

As he ran his fingers lightly over your body, you shivered.

"You little slut," Harry said "Who's your master?" You didn't reply. You couldn't let Harry get the better of you. You pursed your lips.

"Is this how it's gonna be?" Harry asked "Y/n? You're not going to tell me who your master is?"

You shook your head. Not today.

Harry tutted and chuckled. You were such a Gryffindor. He bit your shoulder lightly as he unhooked your bra. You could feel his hunger even from behind you. He took your breasts in his hand and squeezed them.

You swallowed, trying not to moan.

Harry cupped your breasts and played with them, making them bounce and pinching your nipples lightly. You couldn't help it. You whimpered. You wanted him inside you so badly you could feel your walls clenching.

Harry growled at hearing the sound and ripped your panties off you. He wrapped his fingers around your neck lightly and pushed you face- first onto the bed, your ass in the air, your back arched, as he stood at the edge of it.

"Mm, so wet already" Harry said "you're such a good whore, y/n, tell me who your master is and I'll give you what you want."

And you did want. You wanted it so bad.

But all this was to teach him a lesson. You held your ground.

"All right then, if this is how you want to act"

Harry split your thighs with his hands and touched his lips to your now slick opening and you moaned. Very loud. It was so damn good. You pushed your ass onto Harry's face to create the friction you so desperately needed. Harry complied, tracing circles around your clit with his tongue and eating you out. You couldn't stand it. You gripped the sheets with your fingers tightly enough to tear them.

As Harry's tongue slipped inside you, an almost primitive sound left your mouth. . You could feel the knot in your stomach tightening, so close to your release. You were going to cum.

Before that could happen, Harry removed his mouth. You let out a frustrated whimper. Damn this. You were going to get what you wanted.

"Harry," you said in an innocent tone, your voice muffled by the sheets, "you're my master" You prayed to Merlin it would work.

And it did. Harry groaned at hearing those words finally come out of your mouth. He flipped you over and pinned your wrists to the bed as you opened your legs wide for him, your feet on the ledge and your knees in the air.

He removed his pants and underwear with his free hand and allowed you to admire him freely. He was really so gorgeous. You inhaled when his member sprang up, now free. He was huge. You'd done this with him before, but you always wondered how you could fit all that inside you. You weren't complaining though.

Harry smiled at you before lining himself up at your entrance. That smile still made your stomach flip.

As he penetrated you, you screamed and arched your back. It was so amazing every. single. time.

Harry went slow first, attempting not to hurt you. But you needed him to go faster and deeper. "Harder, master" you managed to speak between moans and gasps.

Harry released your wrists and hooked his thumb into your mouth. You sucked at it greatfully. He used his other hand to knead your breasts and you couldn't have been more euphoric.

But then Harry hit your g-spot, causing your eyes to roll to the back of your head. As he continued pounding you into the bed, you moaned and panted and gasped. This man owned you. You'd let him do anything to you. He took his now wet thumb out of your mouth and stimulated your clit. You closed your eyes. You could pass out of the pleasure.

"Open your eyes y/n", Harry said, "I want to watch you fall apart"

Your eyes fluttered open and you looked into his

Harry gave a particularly deep thrust and you could see stars as you moaned his name. After a few more of the same, your walls squeezed Harry's cock as you came over it.

"Oh fuck, y/n you're so beautiful" Harry continued thrusting into you and you felt his member expand. He fucked you through your aftershocks and made your orgasm last longer.

A few moments later you could feel his hot cum fill you up.

Heaven.

As you both lay panting on the bed, Harry turned your face upto his and said "You know why I changed my mind y/n?" You looked at him expectantly as he stroked your hair.

"Because I can't let anyone else do that to you. I love you, y/n."

"I love you too, Harry."

"Reckon everyone already knows that by the way you were screaming my name. I didn't use any silencing charms, you know."

As you mock punched him, you knew that it didn't matter if everyone heard you. You were together, and from how much you loved each other, you would be for a while.

[bakujho]

A rant about some shady eels...

Let’s talk about Floyd and Jade… like really talk about them. I see a lot of things that paint them in a very different light than they’re presented in canon and I’m not sure if their character is just being missed all together, or it’s been collectively decided by the fandom that they’re too shady so lets all pretend they’re cute, kind, and cuddly… or something. 

Cause reading and rereading the cards really drives home the disconnect between the majority of fandom eels vs canon eels and it drives me fucking nuts. So where do I start with this? I guess we can start at the ‘please actually read the stories that have the eels in them’. Pretty low bar, but here we are. Read the main story. Then the event stories. Then every card story they’re present in. Twstarchives has a list of who appears in what story and that makes it REAL easy. If y’all have read the stories and still wanna disagree with what I’ve got to say, I’m happy to discuss. Also, If you’re cool with OOC eels, feel free to continue on and enjoy the content how you will.

I think imma have to start with Jade cause I see SO much of him being the perfect butler and gentleman, which of course he is, but it’s always missing the underlying cunning. Jade isn’t a docile little slave following orders because he enjoys it. He likes people watching, and doesn’t like when people pay attention to him. How better to go about unnoticed than to stand beside someone like Floyd or Azul who draw attention to themselves simply by existing? He’s almost always planning *something* it’s just not always clear what, and has made it clear that people are easier to manipulate if they trust you.

Jade likes chaos just as much as Floyd does, he’s just better at maintaining his composure about it, which makes him a better architect for it. The poise and grace is an act in order to completely charm and manipulate. That’s why him and Floyd are a team, they’re like the good cop bad cop, both out to get you, but have very different parts to play. His voice lines make it really obvious that he’s got a running interest in causing problems too, “...I would never say that. Yes, ‘I’ wouldn’t”, “Whenever I see someone heavily concentrating on something, I get the urge to start talking to them...”, “...I simply enjoy anything that entertains me” etc etc Him and Floyd both enjoy playing with people, and watching them struggle. 

Let’s talk some Jade facts:

Observant as fuck

Manages to pull one over on Vil, who KNOWS Jade is up to something, but still isn’t able to figure out what.

Tells off Floyd for threatening the students too early...and reminds him that they’re much easier to manipulate if they trust you first. 

Has dirt on LITERALLY every student in the school

Has ZERO problems exploiting Floyd for Azul to fulfil his contract (contrary to the ‘they are inseparable and never fight’ line of thought)

Blackmail is an eels best friend. 

Happily dishes out backhanded compliments

Utterly willing (and probably very ready) to completely destroy someone if he felt the need to.

Now, Floyd is a bit harder to get a read on because his moods flip so easily, but I always feel like he’s portrayed as too childish, too stupid, and too passive. One of our first introductions to Floyd in his SSR is him telling Jade threatening people with words takes too long and it’s SO MUCH EASIER TO JUST BREAK THEIR BONES. Gentle reminder, that literally every single instance Floyd has said he’s going to squeeze someone it has been a THREAT. It’s been shown MULTIPLE times that the other students are terrified of getting on his bad side, he picks fights with people constantly, and he literally harasses people for fun . Floyd is “the muscle” of Octavinelle, and doesn’t bother with all the planning and scheming like Jade, he’s much quicker to violence and clearly loves the thrill of the chase. He’s going to have fun, and it’s very likely at your expense. 

Floyd says on multiple occasions that he does whatever he thinks is fun, and no one can control his moods. Azul and Jade both get annoyed when he starts being a brat, but still can’t control him to do anything that he doesn’t want to do when he’s in said mood. He’s shown multiple times to simply do what he thinks is fun, fuck everyone else and what they’re trying to do. Who cares if basketball club doesn’t mean dodgeball club, he wants to play dodgeball, so get out of the way or you’re getting hit with a ball. The end. There’s no controlling what he does, and he’s not likely to sit and play nice with anyone for hours on end because that’s BORING. All he does he does because it’s fun, and the second he gets bored of something he’s off to do the next thing. He doesn’t like following orders and has been shown getting hostile after being told what to do by “humans”, and doesn’t even follow directions in classes because it’s boring. I can literally not stress enough that Floyd does what Floyd wants, fuck everyone else. 

So here’s some quick floyd facts:

will do what he wants, every single time.If it’s boring, he’s done with it.

is brilliant… if he feels like putting in the work

can be kind...if he’s in the right mood

enjoys playing with people and watching them struggle

doles out threats like they’re candy

has said Azul looks delicious in Octopus form twice (reminder both him and Jades favourite food is octopus)

Okay, so we’ve determined that both the twins like to play with people in their own ways, but what about their relationship with each other and Azul? They’re obviously very close, but not without issues. Floyds mood swings still frustrate Jade and Jade’s compliments often come off as antagonistic to Floyd to the point he picks fights with him. It says that they chose to live together, and are both glad of it cause they each keep things interesting...Which is where their relationship with Azul comes in. They say they knew OF him as children, but didn’t really take an interest in him until middle school and decided to stick with him because he was interesting. Floyd says a  lot of things to do with the Coral Sea is boring, so I suspect an ambitious octopus was intriguing enough for the both of them to force their friendship on him.

...That being said, Jade doesn’t 100% trust Azul. He says he’d never be willing to give him his unique magic for any reason, cause Azul could make up any excuse to get his hands on it (Floyd of course, is much more casual with his magic and has said he could live without it so doesn’t care as much). The twins mention that they continue to stick around with him because he’s entertaining, and the second he’s no longer interesting they’ll challenge him/drop him, whichever is more beneficial to them at the time. So while the three of them seem inseparable, it really is the duo+Azul on the side, and while I personally can’t see them dropping him anytime soon, the threat is still there. (Of course, all of this could be taken as jest as well, so this is just my interpretation here) 

To tie it up, I’ll leave you with the voice lines from their duo magic, in case you still thought they weren’t shady murder eels.

Floyd: “Ahahaha! We’re gonna do ‘em in, Jade~!”

Jade: “As long as you’re having fun, Floyd.”

And

Jade: May I ask that you entrust me with this today, Floyd?

Floyd: ‘Kay~ Jade. What’re you going to do~?

[xxcyj]

Comfort 2.0

Comfort pt 2 is finally here! I hope you guys like it. Honestly this was kinda hard for me to write lol Anyway requests are open so feel free to request anything~ Masterlist << right here 

Part 1

Genre: Fluff Word count: 2.7k Summary: Confession time 

The sun rise was truly beautiful, you wondered why you never watched it before. You made a mental note to watch it another time. Maybe after a full night’s rest? This was your first time watching the sun rise and it was all Choi Yeonjun’s fault. You were tossing and turning the entire night and barely slept a wink of sleep; finally giving up at 5 am and just sitting at your desk and busied yourself by browsing the net. 

It had been like this recently as Yeonjun seemed to occupy your mind. Absolutely making it hard for you to concentrate during your classes and assessments. You were praying to any gods out there that this torture would end before your exams started. Studying was already difficult as it was.

Your thoughts were interrupted with a good morning text from yours truly, Yeonjun. In the past, you never really thought much of it. Yeonjun and you would just text each other good morning to annoy each other to see who was awake first or to remind the other person that it was the morning if they had been pulling an all nighter.

Good morning munchkin~

Normally, you didn’t pay mind to whatever cute and cheesy nickname Yeonjun had thought of that morning as he only used them because he was a major flirt. However, this morning, you found your heart skip a beat and flutter. You tried your best to shrug it off and rolled your eyes while writing your reply.

‘Morning junnie 

You set your phone down only to hear a familiar ping go off as you were about to roll back into bed.

We’re gonna be in the recording studio today~ wanna come?

A blush spread onto your cheeks as you read the invitation. It really wasn’t a big deal, Yeonjun often invited you to their recording sessions as you found the whole process fascinating. So why were you blushing a like a fool as you stared at the message on the screen. You found that your thumbs hovered over the keyboard as you hesitated answering the question. 

Yeah sure, when?

Good enough. Yup.

12! We can hang out before my session  [ attached selfie ] See you there munchkin!!

Dammit. He just had to add that selfie. It was a little obvious he had just woken up as his face was still swollen and his hair was a mess, poking out in multiple directions. However, you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking how incredibly handsome he looked. There goes your heart again, skipping another beat like it’s playing jump rope or something. Placing your phone on your desk, you walked over to your bed before burying your face into your pillow. 

“Why did my feelings decide it was a good idea to catch feelings for my best friend” You muttered into the pillow as you let out a frustrated scream before turning around to look at your phone that rested on your desk.

It had been about two weeks since that walk to the bus stop. And you had been acting like a fool in those two weeks, getting flustered easily while trying your best to seem like everything was normal. You had talked to some of your friends about it and they all suggested to confess along with saying that it was time you finally realised you had feelings for him. 

The thought of confessing did occur to your but you backed out and just planned on letting the crush fade. You didn’t want to ruin your friendship with Yeonjun, the thought of everything going down the drain because of a simple confession made your insides churn. Not that Yeonjun would be a jerk about it but you knew it would probably make everything awkward. You knew Yeonjun and knew that he would try his best to let you down easy and pretend nothing happened but that would just make everything worse. 

Your thoughts swirled into a mush as your eyes finally felt droopy as you were thankful for finally being able to sleep.

You opened your eyes to the sound of your ringtone. What? Still a little froggy, you walk over to your phone and answer without looking at the caller ID.

“Y/N? Are you still coming?” Yeonjun’s voice startled you as you take the phone from your ear and check the time. 12:25. 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I fell asleep.” You reply back put your phone on speaker and start scurrying off to the bathroom to get ready.

“It’s alright. Taehyun’s in the recording booth first so I’ve got sometime to kill. Wanna get some food?” You tried your best to listen to him but the running water drowned out most of what he was saying. 

“Ummm yea sounds good! Text me the details.” You call out as you finish washing your face and start brushing your teeth. Hurriedly, you finished brushing your teeth and wiped your face with the towel from the rack. “I haven’t had breakfast.”

“Perfect! Ok, I’ll text you the address of the cafe. How long do you think you’ll be?” He asked, you stood there not having single idea. Usually in situations like this you would just throw on a pair of leggings and a hoodie with a bare face before calling it a day and leaving. 

But here you stood in front of the mirror suddenly feeling a little self conscious.

“Y/N?”

“Oh, give me twenty minutes! I’m so sorry!” You profusely apologised as he just chuckled and assured you it was fine. 

“Alright see you soon Y/N” Yeonjun said before ending the call. You quickly rushed over to your closet and examined it before nodding to a skirt and a long sleeve shirt. As for makeup, you didn’t have much time so you only put on bb cream, eye shadow, lip stick and brows. Looking at yourself one last time in the mirror, you decided to just leave your hair down before calling for a taxi.

Yeonjun sat at the corner of the cafe dressed in a grey shirt with a green flannel and a pair of black jeans. Although he was wearing a mask, you could tell it was him by the hat you had bought him a few months back. Subconsciously, you fixed your hair before walking up to the table where he sat. 

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late. I’ll buy your drink to make it up to you.” You said, catching his attention. He looked up at you, even with his mask you could tell he was smiling by his eyes. 

“It’s alright but we should get the drinks to go and just have them at the studio.” Yeonjun said as you both walked to the counter.

“I’ll have a caramel macchiato and a salmon beagle please.” You spoke to the cashier before asking Yeonjun what he wanted.

���I’ll just have an iced americano please” Yeonjun answered before taking out his card to hand to the cashier.  

“Wait no, sorry I’ll be paying.” You interrupted and pulled out your card. However, Yeonjun just shook his head and pushed your hand out of the way before giving his card to the cashier and typing his pin on the machine. 

As you both walked off to the side to wait, you stared at him until he finally looked at you.

“What?” He said leaning in and lightly tapping your forehead. “You didn’t think I was gonna make you pay did you?” 

“Yeonjun, I said I was gonna pay for you to make up for me being late.” You pouted and put your hands on your hips. Instead of intimidating him, this only made him chuckle and ruffle your hair, making your heart beat faster. Please don’t be blushing, you chanted in your head. 

“It’s ok, you can make it up by buying dinner tonight.” Yeonjun cheerfully said. 

“Actually, I can’t have dinner with you tonight. I have plans.” You reply as you thought about school. You had a group project due at midnight and still had a little bit to do until you were finished. Yeah, you had to admit you were a little slack on this group project and honestly you didn’t have a good enough excuse. It’s ok though, you were all getting graded individually so your group mates’ marks won’t suffer due to your poor time management. “But next time for sure.”

He gave you a strange look and just as Yeonjun was about to speak, your orders were called up. You both collected your items and started to head towards the Big Hit building. The two of you walked in silence as you munched on your beagle. You stole glances here and there at the man walking beside you.

“What is it?” Yeonjun finally asked as you reached the building and made your way up to the studio. He finally took his mask off and sighed before putting the mask into his bag. A little flustered by his question and not wanting to say it was because he looked handsome even with a mask on, you thought for a second before giving him an uneasy smile. 

“Just feel bad about being late and having you pay for my things you know.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He replies back with a smile before leading the way into the studio. You politely said hello to the producers and sound engineers before sitting on the couch. Taehyun was just wrapping up for today’s recording as you gave him a little wave.

“What are you doing tonight anyway?” Yeonjun asked as he skimmed past his lines. Not wanting him to scold you for your academic habits, you avoided his eyes as you answered. “Oh, just you know, meeting up with a friend.”

Yeonjun looked at you and seemed to be biting back a reply as he left to go into the recording booth. Taehyun said a polite hello and goodbye as he left to go off to the practice room. You sat on the couch sipping on your drink as you watched Yeonjun do some sound checks.

You couldn’t help but admire how passionate he looked when he was recording. The way he would carefully listen to the producers feedback and write little notes on his lyric sheet. The way he would smile and cheer a little when he got something right. Everything about him looked so admirable, making you realise you how much you respected him and his dedication to his dream. 

Your phone vibrated on the table and you were quick to check it as to not disturb anything. The caller ID read your groupmate’s name making you let out a silent curse before excusing yourself from the room.

“Hey what’s up?” You tried your best to answer.

“Y/N are you finished?” She sounded a little impatient through the phone, making you feel even more guilty.

“Almost. Just the final finishing touches. I’ll have to done by tonight, don’t worry.” You tried to reassure her.

“Ok, but I need it by 9 so I can check it before I send the manuscript for the presentation to the professor.”

“Yup. You bet, it’ll be sent by 9.” You replied back before you heard her sigh and hang up. You let out a sigh of relief before entering the room again. Your eyes met Yeonjun’s as he raised a brow at you as if to ask what you were up to. You gestured to you phone and just gave him a thumbs up with a smile before continuing to listen to him record again.

“Who were you on the phone with?” Yeonjun asked as he exited the recording booth. Not wanting him to find out it was your group mate as he would surely ask what it was about, you just replied with “Oh, just my friend.”

The two of you were walking along the hallway when you took a peak at the clock, reading 3:45. Shoot. You really didn’t have time to hang out with Yeonjun any longer, your presentation was begging you to finish it.

“The same friend you’re having dinner with tonight?” You stared at him as his voice sounded with something that you couldn’t pin point. He stared back at you as well as he leaned against the wall. 

“Uh, yes. Actually I have to go right now, I promised them I’d get there around 5.” You gave him a sheepish smile and was about to press the button for the elevator and wave goodbye when he spoke up.

“Are you going on a date?” The question flustered you. 

“What? What makes you say that?” You asked as you stood there trying to read his face. 

“Well, you’re all dressed up with makeup and everything. And you’re leaving so early.” He walked closer to you and suddenly you were very aware of how small you were compared to him. 

“Am I not allowed to dress nicely? I just wanted to look good today.” You simply stated feeling your heart pounding in your chest as you crossed your arms across your chest. 

“Sure sounds like you’re trying to impress someone, that could only indicate a date. You never dress this nicely just to meet up with a ‘friend’” A rush of confidence hit you as he spoke. Something about him staring at you with heat woke something in you.

“So what if I was going on a date? Anyway, look it’s not a date ok?” You challenged as you carefully watched his expression. You waited for an answer but nothing came, it was as if he was trying to find a response. “Yeonjun, I really need to go.”

“Then why is your outfit so cute and your makeup so good? You never try to dress up when you’re with me.” He finally replied, sounding a little...disappointed? His lips were slightly pouted and you didn’t know if you were seeing things but was that wistfulness in his eyes?

You looked down and played with the hem of your skirt before meeting his eyes once again. Seeing him like this made your heart ache slightly. Letting out a sigh, you mentally shook yourself. I can’t take it anymore. I can’t just let this crush fade. 

“Yeonjun, the only reason I dressed up today was because I was coming to see you. I’m not meeting up with a friend at all, I’m leaving early to finish up some school work.” He looked a little surprise by your answer. 

“Dressed up for me? But why?” You found it adorable watching him look like the confused pikachu meme. 

“Yes you. I-” Here it goes. Now or never. “I like you.” You turn around and quickly hit the elevator button, thanking the gods out there when it opened. “I need to go.” And with that you hopped in the elevator button, regretting setting in rather quickly. 

You had ruined it. You just ruined your friendship with him. Great. Wonderful. You were too deep in thought that you realised that the elevator hadn’t moved. Dammit you forgot to press the button for Ground floor. Looking up, you noticed Yeonjun’s body at the door frame of the elevator thus preventing the doors to close.

As you were about to ask him what the hell he was doing, he stepped forward to cup your face and let his lips meet yours as your eyes widen in shock before closing as you melted into the kiss. The kiss was the type to make your knees feel like jelly as it was deep and almost hungry. Just as you thought he was about to pull away, he held you closer as he slightly bit onto your bottom lip before sucking on it. Your mouth opens a little to gasp as his tongue made its way into your mouth making you stumble back a little. Your hand held onto his shoulders in order to stand up as you felt your legs wobbly a little. His kisses began to trail on your neck before they made their way to your ear. He nibbled on them a little before he stopped, his ragged breath sending shivers through out your body. 

“Good, because I like you as well.” He whispered into you ear before pulling away. Your eyes met you and you watched him smile as he kissed your lips once again, this time it felt soft and innocent. As he pulled away, a shy smile graced your face as he stared at you with such adoration. 

“You’re so cute.”

[twstarchives]

Cater Diamond・Voice Lines

Additional Voice Lines: Beans Camo Event Card

School Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Wanna know some tips for having a fun life at school? I got you covered!”

Groovy “You gotta be full of energy when you’re with everyone ♪”

Home Setting “I kinda like the standard outfit.”

Home Transitions “Mm! The first-years’ uniforms always look so shiny and new.”

“Riddle’s calling for me. Wanna come with me?”

“Wait, are you free? Same here! So, anyway~ Do you have any Magicammable news to spill?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Were you sad that you weren’t able to see Cay? ...Ahaha! I knew it. You’re so honest, Prefect~”

Home Taps “Our schools uniforms have a nice balance to them~ They’re not extra like our dorm uniforms, but they’re not too casual either.”

“Okay, pose! ...Aw, man! It came out blurry. Can I take one more? I want to post it on Magicam.”

“Huh? You think I look cool in my uniform? Ehh~! Where’s this coming from? You’re making me smile ♪”

“Sometimes it’s hard to tell what you’re thinking all the time, Prefect. ...Me? Aren’t I super easy to read~?”

“Hey, you know... you didn’t forget that I’m your senior, did you? JK! ♪ I probably shouldn’t ever do that to Riddle.”

PE Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Glistening sweat! Surging with youth! ...I’m kinda meh about these kinds of things.”

Groovy “I’m always down for an aesthetic-looking sport! ♪ Play with me, Prefect!”

Home Setting “Alright, our PE uniform!”

Home Transitions “I’ve got things to do too, you know! Huh? ‘Like what?’ Like... looking for stuff to post on Magicam!”

“Prefect, your collar, your collar! I saw Riddle nearby, so maybe you should hurry up and fix that.”

“Coach Vargas’s classes are so exhausting, aren’t they? I get it; I felt that way when I was a first-year too.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “You can find a lot of different ways to wear our PE uniforms. Hmm~ The way you wear yours is nice!”

Home Taps “You don’t need to force yourself to use honorifics with me. I don’t really mind things like that. Plus it’s easier that way, right?”

“What is it? What is it? You’re worried about something? I could never turn my back on my cute little junior if they’re in need~”

“Have you gotten used to life at this school yet? It’s really interesting with all the weird people here. Kinda feels like a gold mine of things to use for Magicam ♪”

“Athletics...? I’m not bad at them, but I don’t know how anyone could get so pumped up about them.”

“Wait, is this a popular game right now? Don’t tell me I’m late on the bandwagon!?”

Lab Coat - SR

Unlock Card “Even studying can be a blast when it looks fun and photogenic!”

Groovy “Let’s take things nice and slow! You’ll burn yourself out if you’re only ever working too hard.”

Home Setting “Alright, let’s get to work!”

Home Transitions “Hehe, do you need your senior’s advice on something? Okay, okay, relax and talk it out with me ♪”

“‘What am I usually doing?’ Mm, that’s a secret. No, I’m not free all the time! Cay is very, very busy!”

“What’re you doing today? If you’re free, then let me invite you on Cay’s Tour for Collecting Stuff for Magicam ♪”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “There’s someone better suited to help you with your work if that’s what you need. How about you go see Trey?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “So? I look a lot more serious than usual, don’t I? Ehh~! What’s with that reaction!? I’ll have to show you my actual serious side sometime.”

Home Taps “You seem to have a lot of time on your hands, Prefect. Are you all ready for class?”

“Looking aesthetic for Magicam is important. They say that having things you’re mindful of makes your everyday life a lot fuller!”

“Dedication is not a bad thing, but you need to give yourself a break sometimes too. See? Look how relaxed Grim is...”

“Prefect, you should focus only on the important things for your future~ Just like I do ♪”

“What? What? Are you homesick? I don’t think I can really relate to that~...”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Everyday has been so exciting ever since you came here. It never gets boring.”

Ceremony Robes - SR

Unlock Card “I like to try looking sharp every once in a while ♪ What do you think? Personally, I think it fits!”

Groovy “Our special ceremony robes! Let’s take a pic together to commemorate ♪”

Home Setting “How do I look? Handsome?”

Home Transitions “Are you interested in my robes? Wanna take a pic?”

“Does this look good on me? Sometimes looking formal like this is nice, don’t you think?”

“Hey, nice work today ♪ You can chill out for a little bit now~ I’m taking some downtime myself.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “What? Something happened again? Things are always so busy around you, Prefect~”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Your belt’s a little out of place. Alright, there you go. These are our special ceremony robes, so make sure you keep them looking picture-perfect, ‘kay?”

Home Taps “Man, our ceremony robes seriously are so cool~ When the whole school is lined up wearing them, it feels super powerful!”

“Our robes look the best at nighttime, but trying to get the right lighting when I’m taking pictures of them is seriously the worst...”

“What? What? You wanna know more about me? Mm, what should I say~?”

“Let’s talk about all kinds of things! You look like you’re full of interesting things I could post about.”

“I know. I know you want so desperately for Cay to fawn over you. But could you calm down just a little?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Alright, you’ve got some new problem to solve, right? Well, even if you don’t, I’ll come with you anyway. ‘Cause it sounds like fun ♪”

Dorm Uniform - SSR

Unlock Card “You have to have fun with croquet and Unbirthday parties ♪”

“Everything’s alright now, ‘cause I’m here! Just kidding ♪”

Groovy “Do you want to see Cay’s serious side? Okay, if you insist!”

Home Setting “Our dorm uniforms really do fit the best.”

Home Transitions “Don’t get me involved in any trouble... Well, there’s not really any point in me saying that. You’re so hopeless, Prefect~”

“You called for me again? Hehe, I bet you often get comments about how curious you are~”

“Trey’s desserts are so Magicammable~ And they’re super delicious! Wanna come with me to go eat some, Prefect?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Let’s make a memory of today—do a peace sign! ☆ Hehe, that was a nice shot! Okay, what tags should I use?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Do you wanna secretly try on our dorm uniforms sometime? They might actually look good on you~”

Home Taps “Have you seen Heartslabyul’s lounge yet? You really can’t find decorations with an aesthetic like that anywhere else.”

“If you want to look fire in our dorm uniforms, you gotta know the latest trends! Maybe come shopping with me next time?”

“Have you ever noticed that the playing card pins on the left sides of our chests have a different design for each person? Tiny details like that are so cool ♪”

“Aren’t you homesick or anything? Hm? Me? I’m... not. I’ve got some unreasonable older sisters...”

“It’s nice you feel so comfortable around me... but don’t tell me you’re trying to bring down Cay’s dignity?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “It would’ve been so much fun if you were in Heartslabyul with us, Prefect. Well, there’s no point in talking about things that’ll never happen ♪”

Duo Magic Cater: “Trey, you ready~?” Trey: “Got it, Cater! Count on me to back you up!”

Birthday Celebration Outfit - SSR

This card was only obtainable during Cater’s birthday event (Feb 3 - Feb 9, 2021).

Login on Birthday “You remembered my birthday? Thanks! You’re so nice for coming to celebrate. I’m super happy, so let’s post on Magicam ♪ Okay, look this way~!”

Unlock Card “Wow! This is getting a super ton of views on Magicam! ☆ Birthday parties rake in so much attention!”

“‘Happy birthday’ is such a nice phrase~ It feels like the ones celebrating and the one being celebrated can both be happy, doesn’t it?”

Groovy “Okay, grab your glasses... Cheers~! Thanks for making my birthday so much fun ♪”

Home Setting “Wearing this outfit makes it really feel like it’s someone’s birthday~”

Home Transitions “Astrology’s my best subject! But I won’t do my own birthday fortune reading... ‘Cause it’s so much more exciting not knowing your future! ♪”

“Is the toothbrush Trey gave me his way of saying to take care of my fang tooth? Well, it is one of my charm points! ☆”

“We have lots of rules in our dorm, but it’s my birthday, so it’s okay if I break some! ...Probably not... Yeah... Boohoo.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “It feels so exciting with everyone celebrating! I think I’ll use my Unique Magic and make some clones to show off around the school.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Just between you and me, keeping up a smile for the entirety of the party gets kind of tiring... Just kidding!”

Home Taps “Idia gave me Magicam stickers as a present! I don’t know what anime they’re from, but I’m happy! ♪”

“Maybe Vil would follow my Magicam if I asked for that instead of a birthday present~”

“I got a skateboard from Kalim. ☆ He said he’s pretty good at skateboarding too, so next time we’ll go do it together!”

“My dorm made me a bright red, diamond-shaped quiche! It was filled with habaneros. I love super spicy foods so it was perfect ♪”

“My rosette was crooked? Thanks for fixing it~!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I kinda wanna make some noise! How about you, Prefect? Wanna sing together? Or we could dance?”

Duo Magic Cater: “Lilia-kins, let’s take a pic for the birthday memories!” Lilia: “Cater, a happy birthday to you!”

Tutorial “Let’s have fun together, ‘kay?”

Lv Up “Yay~ I’m getting stronger!”

“‘#BetterThanEverCay’ kind of energy!”

“Let’s keep doing our best from now on!”

Max Lv Up “I always thought anything goes as long as I’m having some kind of fun, but I actually like getting serious every once in a while. Plus I want to look cool when I’m posting on Magicam.”

Episode Lv Up “You think we’re really close friends? Ehh~ You’re so funny~! Hahaha, I wasn’t saying I hate the idea; why are you making that face? It’s just, you said it so seriously—I guess I don’t know how to react.”

Magic Lv Up “Hmm, so you’re the type who would do things like this for me. Thanks!”

Limit Break “Don’t you think I’ve got wayyy too much potential? Hahaha! Well, thanks for all your help!”

Groovy “Man, aren’t I super cool now? It’s getting me all excited!”

Lesson Select “Let’s do our work together! I’m still your senior, so I should try to impress you ♪”

“You really are super dedicated to things... Do you get that a lot? ...Yup, I thought so!”

“C’mon, give yourself a break. It’s not worth putting so much effort just into your classes.”

Lesson Start “Alright, let’s get things done!”

Lesson End “It’s finally over! Time for my after-class Magicam check!”

Battle Start “Make sure to repost and share all my impressive moves!”

Battle Win “That should be enough. Bye-bye!”

Other

Profile Quote “Welcome to Heartslabyul, the dorm run by the strict ‘Queen’ ♪”

January 2020 Trailer “We’re waiting for our dutiful little freshman!”

Countdown Poster “You have to have fun with croquet and Unbirthday parties ♪”

Login Bonus “Oh, you look like you’re doing well again today~! We should get going soon. But before that, wanna grab some tea so I can get a few shots for Magicam?”

Player Birthday Wish “Happy birthday! You can’t believe I remembered...? As if I’d ever forget this special day! I got a present ready that I think will make you really happy. And there’s no doubt about that, since Cay picked it out! ♪”

Valentine’s Gift Letter (2021)

These letters were originally in English. I didn’t translate or edit them in any way. They came with official merch from Aniplex, and are not present in-game.

Helloooooo, Thanks for the present! It was totally awesome! I didn’t know you were an expert at choosing thoughtful gifts ♪ I already took a picture and put it up on Magicam, so go and give it a Like! ;)

[reogou]

peonies | bokuto.k

pairing: bokuto kotaro x gn!reader

genre: fluff

warning/s: 2-3 swearing (?)

au: florist!au, implied soulmate!au

word count: 2.5k

a/n: this was supposed to be a drabble about a bokuaka fanart i saw but then i don't freaking know why this became a 2.5k fic... a big thanks to @kuraomi for helping me edit this! also, i can't put a read more on mobile so im very sorry-

The sweet fragrance of the flowers greeted Bokuto as he stepped inside the flower shop, the door closing behind him. The small bell above chimes, making the dark-haired boy from the counter turn around to see Bokuto standing in front of the door, looking so devastated. His brows were burrowing, a pout evident on his plump lips while his eyes look so so sad. The two sighed in exasperation, but with different reasons. Akaashi already knows what's coming to him.

"AKAASHI!" And there it was, Bokuto's loud whining, looking like he's about to cry. The back door opens abruptly, Konoha's head popping out of the door, a scowl forming on his face.

"What the hell? Stop yelling Bokuto! You're disturbing the other people!" He hissed, glaring at the owl head before closing the door, resuming to his previous work. Akaashi could only groan in silence when Bokuto came running towards him, already tearing up.

"Akaashi! She broke up with me!" And he wailed. "She said I was too childish and too weird for her liking! That she couldn't handle me anymore!" 

As much as Akaashi dislikes Bokuto being too loud, he just let him be. After all, he knows the pain he is going through right now. The feeling of being rejected is just too painful, especially for Bokuto since he knows that he is sometimes too much to handle, and he won't even deny it. 

"How can she say that to me, Akaashi?! I t-thought we were gonna be together forever, and that we'll have a grand wedding. We even planned out how many children we want! We even agreed on six children!" 

"There's no such thing as forever, Bokuto-kun." Konoha spoke from behind them, who just got out from the back door while carrying a bucket of freshly cut Lilies. He placed the bucket down together with the other flowers in the shop and looked at Bokuto, hands on his hips. "I told you two weeks ago that she isn't the one for you. She's been cheating behind your back and stealing money from you. What do you expect?" 

Bokuto even cried more when he remembered how he found out that his ex is a gold digger, stealing money from him by using his card that he gave her just to deposit it and buy things for her boyfriend. She even stole his favourite collections of golden pins that he collected for 10 years now. 

"My precious collections!" Bokuto shouted before crying even more on Akaashi's shoulders. Akaashi could only pat his senior's back comfortingly and looking at Konoha, who only sighed and nodded his head.

"Fine, fine. I'll take care of the counter." Even though Akaashi could hear the distaste from Konoha's tone, he knows that he also wants to make Bokuto feel better. Smiling at his co-worker, Akaashi pulled Bokuto away from him.

"Bokuto-san, let's go to the back door first, okay? You should drink water to keep you hydrated or else you'll pass out." Bokuto could only nod his head and let Akaashi guide him towards the back door, leaving Konoha alone in the counter. 

Man, what a pain. He should've dumped her the first time he caught her stealing. His heart is too soft, that's why he's always targeted by people who have ill intentions, Konoha thought, ruffling his hair and letting out another sigh. When the bell chimes, alerting that someone came in, Konoha put on a professional face and greeted the new costumer warmly.

"Good day, welcome to Fukurodani Flower Shop! How may I help you?"

You looked at the man in front of you, a small smile appearing on his face. Although the smile was obviously a fake one, you let it slide since maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe he encountered an annoying costumer?, you thought. Nevertheless, you still repaid his warm greeting with a smile, bowing your head a little as a sign of respect. 

"Hello." You greeted back courtly, letting your eyes roam at the interior of the flower shop. The atmosphere feels like home, even though it was just your first time visiting this place. After all, you just moved with your family 3 days ago. But even so, you can't help but feel welcomed here. There's just something about this shop that made your heart skip a bit. Is it weird that you felt like there was a link being tugged inside you? 

"Is there anything you need help with?" The guy at the counter spoke, his hands drumming on the marbled counter. He ran his slim fingers through his dirty-blonde hair, the same color as his eyes. He has a average build. You can tell that he is the type of guy who often goes to the gym to maintain his built. 

"Ah, would you mind if I look around first? Is it okay?" You asked. 

"Sure. You're free to take a look around the shop. Just call me if you need anything or if you already decided on what to buy." 

With that, you roamed around the shop at your heart's content, trying to find the right flower for yourself. 

Now you know why Fukurodani Flower Shop is so popular in your area. They deserve it. Just by looking at the freshly cut flowers and plants around you is enough evidence to prove their popularity not only around you area but also all over your city. 

A glass door caught your eye, the beautiful colors of red, yellow, green and many more shining brightly under the sunlight of what seems to be a greenhouse. Without taking your eyes off of the beautiful scenery in front of you, you called the guy at the counter, asking for permission.

"Hey." You spoke. Konoha lift his head up from trimming the flowers for a bouquet and looked at you, eyes glued to the glass door in front of you. He chuckled. He already knew what you want. After all, people always asked if they could go inside the green house just to see the magnificent view of the beautiful colors of the flowers and plants. They never really allowed anyone in, in fear of ruining the budding flowers inside. But it looks like he's making an exemption today.

"You wanna look inside?" His voice was filled with amusement, attention now solely focused on your face as you gaze inside the green house. When you heard his words, your head turned around to look at him, almost immediately.

"Yes." You answered, voice firm. Konoha only chuckled and shake his head a little before nodding at you.

"Ok. You can come in," He said. ",but don't ruin anything, alright? You'll have to pay if you do." 

"Of course."

And with that, you let yourself in inside the green house.

-

Meanwhile, at the back door, Akaashi managed to somehow calm Bokuto down. The dual-color-haired guy is now sitting on the chair in front of him while his other co-workers are doing their own thing at the other side of the wide room. Komi walked towards them, while Washio was just sitting at the table across them, cutting the wrappers that would be used for the bouquets. 

"What is it this time, Bokuto-kun?" Komi looked at Bokuto, who was still sulking in front of them. He looked at Akaashi instead, waiting for an answer from the black-haired junior. "What happened to him, Akaashi?"

Akaashi looked at Bokuto for a second and then gazed back at Komi. "Bokuto was dumped by his girlfriend." 

Bokuto expects Komi to laugh at him but to his surprise, the brown-haired guy only shrugged his shoulders off, not really bothered by it. 

"What?" He asked, noticing the way Bokuto was eyeing him. "You expect me to cry with you too?" Bokuto shook his head, not taking his eyes off of his friend and co-worker. 

"No… i thought you'd laugh at me or something…" He whispered, but it didn't go unnoticed by Komi. 

"What? Why would I laugh? Am i a jerk to you?" Komi asked in disbelief, clearly shocked at the owl head's accusation of him. 

"Well, you do laugh at him whenever his partners break up with him. So I can't blame Bokuto for assuming that about you." Washio interjected, although his eyes never left the wrapper that he's currently cutting. 

"I-," Komi was about to defend himself, that he's not that kind of guy. But then he realized that what Washio said was true. There's no point in defending it. " Well, I suppose I do." Komi laughed, his right hand rubbing the back of his head while the other was placed on his hip.

"But this time is different. That girl was the worst out of the worst of your exes. I can't even understand why you fell for her. That girl stinks of trouble." Komi said.

"I guess you're true." Washio agreed.

"The problem with you Bokuto-san is that you fall too easily." Akaashi said, eyes now on Bokuto's sulking figure. "And because of that, people take advantage of you. You have a soft heart. Too soft." He added, emphasizing the last words.

As Akaashi scolded him, Bokuto only looked down at his hands and played with it, not saying a single word. 

It is true. He was fooled easily. Too easy that even he himself is scared of it. Just a slight show of sweetness and care towards him is already enough to make him fall for someone. He knows that. He knows. But he isn't that dumb or stupid. He knows when and who are just faking their love or care for him. It's just that… he loved them. What could he do? He just wanna love.

But they betrayed him.

But even if some people betrayed him and made him a fool, that doesn't stop him from loving and searching for the right one. After all, try and try until you succeed, right?

"You know what, I think it's best if you clear your mind for a bit and cool off, Bokuto-san. Forget about what happened this morning." Akaashi said, placing his left hand on Bokuto's shoulder. He then grab a wrapper from Washio's stack and handed it to Bokuto, a small smile adorning his face. "How about you pick up flowers from the greenhouse make a bouquet for yourself, Bokuto-san?"

Bokuto could only nod, taking the wrapper in his hands and standing up, grabbing his apron and putting it on before opening the door that's connected to the greenhouse. As he reach for the knob and turn it around, the fresh smell of flowers and plants greeted him, calming his mind somehow. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea at all. 

Bokuto started picking up fresh flowers from the aisles of peonies, although he doesn't know why. His arms moves on it's own, plucking stems from stems and arranging it. Peonies have so many meaning, from romance to good fortune, and happy marriage. But sometimes, peonies can also mean bashfulness. 

Speaking of romance, Bokuto remembers how his mother always tells him that there's someone out there who's always waiting for him and is destined to be with him forever. She said that when he finally meets that someone, a strong force will push him towards that person. Like a rope tugged inside his heart. She also said that the feeling would overwhelm him, that it's too intense to the point that he doesn't know what to do. Up until now, he doesn't really know what she meant. 

So he keeps on searching, and searching. But he always ends up being the betrayed. 

Holding the bouquet of peonies in his hands, Bokuto walked towards the big table in the middle of the green house, the wrapper that was given by Akaashi placed in his other hand. When he reached the wooden table, he started working and arranging the flowers before wrapping it with the wrapper. As he was about to finish his masterpiece, he froze on his spot and realized something.

He forgot about the ribbon.

"Argh!" Bokuto groaned, his lips turning into a pout as he frowns at his own stupidity. 

But was it his fault though? Technically, Akaashi was the one who handed him the wrapper without the ribbon. So it was Akaashi's fault… but that doesn't sound right. Because he was the one who forgot to ask Akaashi about the ribbon. But isn't it Akaashi's role to give him the ribbon? Since he was the one gave him the wrapper? But then he was the one who's gonna use it? Shouldn't it be his responsibility?

Still stuck with his own thoughts, Bokuto picks up the loose bouquet on the table and started walking towards the exit. He was too deep in thought that he didn't see the brick lying on the ground, making him almost trip. Luckily, no damages were done. He was able to balance himself and catch the bouquet before it fell on the ground. 

Although he didn't expect the scenery he'll see in front of him.

There you are, squatting in front of the pile of peonies, inhaling the scent that the flowers gives off. Bokuto doesn't know, but he suddenly felt like he was out of breath. It felt like something was restraining him from taking oxygen inside his lungs, his head fogging for no reason. 

He feels like… he was drowning. 

The feeling is too intense, too strong for his own liking. 

God, what is happening to me?

A sudden tug at his heart made him jolt, sudden realization downing on him.

Is this… it? Has he already found the 'someone' his mom always talked about? Heat rose on his cheeks and neck, making his face red to the point where the redness reached his ears. All of a sudden, he felt shy.

Has he always been like this? Too scared to even say a word to someone he just met? Someone as beautiful and majestic as you? 

As if feeling his gaze boring inside your soul, you lift up your head, eyes meeting his golden ones. It was as if his feelings and emotions were passed unto you, because you suddenly jolted, standing up as your face slowly started heating up, making you flustered.

As if on instinct, Bokuto handed the bouquet of loose peonies to you out of surpise. He even bowed down, his face so flushed you could almost see steams coming out of his ears. 

"C-congratulations! You're our 54th costumer today! Please accept this flowers as a prize!" He blurted out suddenly. Too sudden that you were taken aback at his actions, making you step backward. 

"I- uhm… I- wha-" Your words came out as gibberish. You can't even understand what you're trying to say, for you were too shocked and surprised at what's happening.

Wait, what the fuck is really happening?

You have no absolute clue about what was happening. All you know was that your heart is beating to damn fast that you couldn't almost breath properly, the tug on your heart as you look at the man in front of you, and of course.

The smell of peonies in your hands. 

[deanandthephantoms]

Perfect Harmony pt.2 - Reader x Charlie

Trouble in paradise?

This is chapter 2 of my first attempt at writing a story. Read chapter 1 here. if you haven’t already :) The story of You getting to know Charlie continues in this chapter.. it may not all be as smooth sailing as you had hoped though..  Enjoy!  chapter 3 is out now you can read it here :)

The next morning we we’re woken up by camp staff who came running through the halls banging pans and pots together. Checking the time I saw it was only 5.30 in the morning.. “Jeeez.. What’s going on?” I asked still half asleep. “Not sure..” I heard one of the girls reply. Not long after Rose came into our room “Time to wake up ladiess! We’ve got a long day ahead of cycling and playing games!” a collective ”UUUHG” went through the room. Rose couldn’t help but laugh at us, “ it will be fun! Now go get ready for breakfast.” We all decided to slip into something comfortable and not bother too much with looking our best. When me and the girls left the room we were greeted by a hyper Charlie, a grumpy Owen and a half asleep Jeremy. We all went to breakfast and shared a table I sat down opposite of Charlie and with the biggest smile he just said ‘wow Y/N, you’re not really alive yet are you?’ while putting eggs and peanut butter on the same piece of bread.. “Wow thanks ch..”” I cut myself off “What are you doing?!” I blurted out. The disgusted look on my face made him laugh. “Chill Y/N, I’m just making myself a sandwich.” Charlie took a bite and with a content look on his face asked me: “It’s honestly not that bad! Want a bite?” The thought alone made me feel sick.. “No thanks Charlie.. I’m good.” He shrugged and replied “Alright then.. You’re missing out Y/N! you should really try it sometime!” After breakfast the day got explained to us, It was our job to solve a crime, through playing and winning games we could earn some hints and tips to solve the crime at the end of the day. And with that the game had started. Needless to say our group was still the worst, we got lost multiple times and we lost almost every game so when it came to solving the crime we , in pure chaos, just made up a random story about how Sav distracted the victim while Charlie and Owen came up from behind, grabbed the victim, put a blindfold on him/her and kidnapped the victim.. We gave the camp staff a good laugh but we were nowhere near the actual right answer it’s not like we cared about that though we were definitely not in it to win it.

Once we got back to the camp it was time for a campfire. I sat down near the fire and found myself just staring at it, getting lost in my own thoughts. It was, once again, Charlie who ripped me away from my own thoughts. “Hey you.” He said. “Mind if I join you?” he gestured to the empty spot next to me and before actually giving me a chance to reply he sat down. “I guess I don’t mind” I laughed. “ I was just a bit lost in my own thoughts. I was so scared to come here you know. I’m not kidding you when I tell you I was in full panic mode for at least a week. the second I got onto that bus I wanted to jump off and never even come here.. and now I’m just wondering why I was so scared. Everyone is so nice..” Charlie was silent for a second before simply saying “ As everyone should be. You deserve to be treated nicely you know..” We were silent for another second and then fell into a deep conversation about my life and the things I had gone through. Before I knew it an hour of just talking to Charlie had passed and it was that moment Emma joined us. “Hey baby” she said to Charlie before she gave him a kiss. She snuggled herself onto his lap and into his arms before she even seemed to acknowledge my existence. “oh Hi Y/N! Are you enjoying Camp so far?’ she asked while literally clinging onto Charlie like a monkey and focusing all her attention on him. I couldn’t help but feel like this girl didn’t really like me and was trying to make it very clear to me that Charlie was taken. I wasn’t gonna let her know that so I smiled at her and replied “Hi Emma! I sure have been enjoying camp, everyone has been so nice to me and I really have to compliment you and all the other staff. The games and activities so far have been really well organized and fun. What’s it like to be a staff member?” “Ah lovely to hear! Life as a staff member is pretty cool as well.” She sounded overly nice but maybe I was just reading too much into it all.. I wanted to ask her more about the staff member life but when I looked in her direction I saw Emma full on trying to make out with Charlie. As if she knew I was looking her way she pulled away and asked Charlie ‘Babe, will you walk me to my bedroom?’ Charlie smiled at her sweetly and said “of course I will Ems. I will be right back okay Y/N?” “Actually, Charlie I think I’m gonna head to bed as well I’m pretty tired from today. Goodnight!” Charlie let go of Emma’s hand for a second and pulled me in for a quick hug “Alright, Goodnight Y/N.” When I got to my room I noticed Madi, Jadah and Sav were already asleep. As silently as I could I got myself ready for bed and fell asleep not long after.

Wednesday had arrived and this was supposed to be a chill day, a bit of sleeping in and swimming was the plan. Though I was very insecure about my own body in a bathing suit I was actually excited to just chill with my new friends and have fun at the pool. I was the first one to be awake but soon after Madi woke up. “Morning Y/N” she said softly “So you decided to come to bed after all.” she teased. “Morning mads” I replied, “Yeah sorry, I got caught up in a conversation with Charlie..” “Yeah I know, Emma didn’t seem to like it too much” Madison replied. “Huh? What do you mean mads?” “Well.. when you and Charlie were talking, Emma found me while I was on my way to bed. She asked me if I knew where Charlie was.. when I told her he was talking to you she seemed to get all annoyed.” “But why?” I asked “I’m only getting to know Charlie, it’s not like I’m gonna steal him away from her or something.. I would never do such a thing.. ” “I don’t know Y/N.. I really have no clue, I don’t really know Emma that well either. Charlie met her about a year ago in his hometown, he had told us about her but we have only met her once during a camp reunion.. Anyway, shall we wake the others up and get ready for the day?” I agreed and that’s exactly what we did.

Later that day we were in the pool I had played a little card game on the side of the pool with all of the girls before deciding I wanted to go take a swim. “Anyone else wanna go take a little swim?” The Girls were not feeling it so I decided to go on my own. Trying to ignore how insecure and uncomfortable I was feeling in my bathing suit I walked around the pool trying to find the guys. Suddenly I heard a voice call out “Y/N!” it was Owen. I carefully got into the water, taking the smallest steps giving myself some time to get used to the cold water I made my way over to the boys who were in the deeper end of the pool. Owen apparently noticed this whole procedure and started splashing water on me. “OWEEEEN!” I just screamed at him in annoyance when the cold water hit me in the face and out of pure instinct I splashed water right back at him. A splash fight with Owen, Jeremy and Taylor is what followed next. After a few minutes Jeremy asked us if we wanted to go off the slides, Owen and Taylor happily took that offer while I declined.

I had noticed Charlie was just floating around on a floaty in the pool not saying or doing much. I swam up to him and leaned on the floaty. “Hey, are you okay?” I asked. A silent treatment is what followed next. “ Charlie, I know something is up.. I may not have known you for a long time but you being this silent doesn’t seem like you.” Another silence.. we just floated through the pool in silence for a while. Then Charlie spoke up. “Fine. You’re right. I got into a fight with Emma last night. I basically told her I should be able to talk to whoever I want without her interrupting like that. Don’t get me wrong, I love her and she could have joined our conversation without any problem. But the way she did that.. I didn’t like it.. She’s insecure and tends to get jealous when I meet new people. And really I get that, but when I told her she should join our group instead of going as a staff member, so she could make some new friends as well she didn’t want that. So she is kind of doing this to herself. Every time I invite her to do something with my friends she declines.. she didn’t even want to come to the pool today. We’re good now but I’m just annoyed at the entire situation..” Now it was my turn to be silent for a while not sure what to say I just replied “I’m so sorry Charlie..”

An idea popped in my head leaving a suspicious smile on my face “What is it Y/N?” Charlie asked. Without saying anything I let go of the floaty Charlie was chilling on, I took a deep breath, went underwater and lifted the side of the floaty up causing Charlie to fall into the water. “Hey what did you do that for?!” He asked when coming up from under the water. I just laughed at him. “Sorry dude. I had to get you out of your head.” “I’m gonna make you pay, Y/L/N!” “Try me, Gillespie!” And that’s how another splash war started. That’s when my girls jumped into the pool to back me up in this war. “This isn’t fair!” He yelled at us while splashing for his life. That’s when Owen, Jeremy and Taylor returned to the pool. “Our friend seems to need a little help.” Jeremy said with a smirk on his face. “ Well then you go first.” Taylor said pushing Jeremy into the pool. It only took Owen a second to do the same to Taylor who was laughing at Jeremy. Laughing at the entire scene Owen joined us in the pool and started splashing us girls as well. There were not winners or losers in this war, we ended up agreeing that it was a tie for now.

Once it had gotten later in the evening  Sav, Owen, Jer and Charlie we’re chilling under a tree in the grass. When Sav saw me walking by she waved at me and motioned for me to come over and join them. Charlie was strumming away on his guitar in silence while I got to know the others better. I learned Sav wanted to work with kids she wanted to become a teacher or maybe open her own dance school, Owen wanted to be, a “drumming nurse” I just hoped that didn’t mean using his patients as a drumkit.. with this kid you honestly never really knew.. and Jer wanted to get into stage management and maybe even get up on that stage himself someday. At 1am Sav, Owen and Jer decided it was time for bed. After hugging them and wishing them a goodnight it was just me and Charlie.

“So.. you’ve been awfully quiet..” I said when sitting down next to him. “Yeah.. I kind of get lost in my own world when playing music. Sorry.” “Hey no need to apologize, that actually sounds nice.. so you’re okay?” “Yeah I am, don’t worry about me Y/N. Hey,” he says quickly changing the subject. “What’s your favorite song?” “ehh.. I’m not sure?” I was not gonna sit here and tell him it was story of my life by one direction. This guy would totally judge me for liking them. “Oh come on Y/N. everyone has a favorite song!” “okay fine. But you can’t judge me okay?” “Why would I judge you? Is your favorite song head shoulders knees and toes or something?” I can’t help but laugh at that. “Yeah it really gets me every single time.” I respond while wiping away a fake tear. “Ha-ha, very funny. Seriously though what is your favorite song?” “Okay fine, right now I really like story of my life by One Direction..” “One direction? Really? From linkin park to one direction.. oof, You were not kidding when you told me your music taste is all over the place.” I was gonna say something about how he promised not to judge me but before I could speak Charlie began to play my favorite song only to stop a few seconds later. “So you DO know that song as well” I teased. “Why did you stop though?” “ Becaaausse Y/N, You were not singing.” “oh no I don’t..” I began but Charlie interrupted me. “Come on. Sing. I’ll sing with you I promise.” And he kept that promise. We sang. A LOT and I loved it. Just sitting here singing with this guy made me feel so free. It’s something I had not felt in a very long time.. and something i was gonna miss when i was back home. When it was 2.30 am one of the camp counselors came up to us and told us it was time for bed. So Charlie and I walked back to our rooms together. When we got to my room Charlie pulled me in for a tight hug. “Goodnight Y/N, Thanks for today. I'll see you tomorrow.” “Sweet dreams Charlie.” I pulled away from the hug and smiled at him before silently walking into my bedroom.

The next two days were filled with more games and more chilling with our group. I really enjoyed spending time with Mads, Sav and Jadah and I had gotten to know Owen and Jer quite well too. Tori and Taylor were spending a lot of their time together. Apparently they’re not really a couple but our entire group, rightfully, seemed to think otherwise.. And then there was Charlie.. You have to believe me when I say I was not trying to spend every minute of the day with Charlie. I really wasn’t! It just kind of happened? We were able to talk about anything , joke around and every single night we got together to just chill and sing. It was nice. Really nice. I however couldn’t help but notice I hadn’t really seen Emma ever since they got into a fight.. I was not gonna bring her up though. Charlie told me they were fine and I believed him. He seemed to be back to the person I had gotten to know in the first days so who was I to doubt him?

Sadly the very last night of camp came sooner than i wanted and as we speak I’m in the middle of my last “Family group” moment. Ray and Rose had already gone over everything we had talked about over the week and now, Rose was once again reading us her poem about how loved we are as a reminder to take home with us. While I was listening to Rose, Charlie’s eyes found mine. It was almost as if he was checking if I was okay. I gave him a smile to reassure him. Not gonna lie tough the poem still hit me. I still didn’t really believe that I was loved or good enough or anything. As if Madi knew what I was thinking she put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me a bit closer to her. When Rose was done reading her poem, Ray took over “So, that is our job done. Before we let you guys go though we wanted to give you a small gift. Something to remind this group by and a little personal note for each and every one of you. We really hope to see you all again next year it was so much fun being your leaders, thank you all.” Ray and Rose had gotten each of us a keychain with a group photo with as promised a small personal note. Mine said: “Dear Y/N, It was so nice getting to know you. We loved seeing you open up through the week, we love how nice, empathetic and supportive you are to the people around you. Always remember how loved and worthy you are! We hope to see you again next year. Love, Ray and Rose” Reading something so positive about myself almost made my heart burst out of my chest. Would I ever get used to this? Would I ever really believe this? Only time will tell I guess..

Later that night it was brought to my attention it was a bit of a tradition to pull an all-nighter on the last night. So here we were at 3am about to play 30 seconds. That’s when Emma came walking in. I hadn’t seen her since the night at the campfire and since Charlie and i had been spending a lot of time together after that night, i knew for a fact he had not seen her much either.. I held my breath in anticipation of what was about to happen next. Emma greeted us sounding very cheerful “Hey everyone!” She popped herself down on Charlies lap and kissed him “Hey Babe.” she said to him before turning her attention back to the group “What are we playing?” I couldn’t quite believe Emma was acting like nothing had happened but decided not to think anything of it. And instead answered her question. “We’re about to play 30 seconds. Do you want to play as well?” “Yeah! I want to be on your team though y/n!” “ehh oh alright! Should we maybe play Girls vs. boys?” I replied. Wondering why Emma wanted to be on my team so badly. A collided ‘Yes!” from both teams decided it was indeed gonna be a game of boys vs girls and booooy were we competitive. Okay.. 2 of us were really competitive.. It were mainly Sav and Owen who we’re screaming at each other about every little thing but that honestly made the whole game only more fun. No matter how hard the boys tried though, there was too much chaos within their own team to beat us girls. So after 2 rounds of losing they gave up and by that time it was 4.30am.

“Alright everyone this was fun but I’m gonna get myself 2 hours of sleep” Emma said while getting up. “Oh come on, stay up with us baby” Charlie said while grabbing Emma’s hand to try and stop her from going to bed. Emma harshly pulled her hand away from him “Charles.. I’m really tired. I need my sleep.” She gave him a quick light kiss on the cheek “good rest of the night y’all” And of to bed she went. We all fell silent for a second there suddenly was this weird almost tense vibe in the air. Was I not the only one who thought this all was a bit strange? Or was I making things up? I looked at Charlie for some form of information but he was just staring at his own feet not giving anything away.

It was Jer who broke the silence “Hey, do you guys wanna go watch the sunrise? I know the perfect spot for it.” We all agreed and before we knew it we were silently sneaking through the dark to Jeremy’s perfect spot. Jer led us through some bushes and a tiny forest to a lake. Even in the moonlight it looked stunning and so peaceful. We found a place to sit down and that’s when the waiting for the sunrise began. We were all cuddled up under the two blankets me and Madi had brought and we actually got into some deep conversations about how we were honestly feeling and things we sometimes struggle with. I actually really bonded with Owen over anxiety, it’s something I always struggled with but only now started to understand. Talking about it with Owen really helped me put some pieces together in my own life. Charlie was very silent trough it all apart for the occasional random “Mhm” you wouldn’t even know he was there. I was sat next to him and while talking to the others felt the urge to pull Charlie into a hug, I normally wouldn’t really listen to that urge, not wanting to cross anyone’s boundaries but in this case something took over me and without overthinking it I pulled him into a hug. He didn’t say anything but I could feel how tense he was, I noticed him taking a lot of deep breaths and automatically hugged him just a tiny bit tighter. He leaned into me and after a while I felt him starting to relax and loosen up. When the sun began to rise we all just sat there in silence, in awe of how beautiful it was Jeremy was not lying when he said this was the perfect spot. Savannah thought this was the perfect moment to take some pictures with the entire group – pictures we would later laugh at cause we all looked like super exhausted ghosts-

Then the morning came and it was time to pack our bags.. “I’m really gonna miss you guys.” I said to the girls in my rooms. Jadah laughed “See? Camp isn’t so bad as you thought it would be!” I smiled at her ”No, you were right. I had the best time.” Sooo you will be joining us again next year then?” Madi asked me with a hopeful tone in her voice. “Should i?” I asked. A collective excited “YES!” from the other girls actually made me blush. “Well, I guess that means I’ll be back.” A group hug with the girls is what happened next. Sav promised me she would add me to the girls groupchat so we could stay in contact over the year.

When we were done with packing our bags it was time to say goodbye to the boys. I promised Owen and Jer we would meet again next year and gave them a hug before letting them go. Then I went over to Charlie and Emma. “So.. it’s my time to go now I hope I’ll see you again next year?” I said to the both of them. “Oh for sure! Already looking forward to it!” Charlie replied with a bright smile. Then out of nowhere Emma pulled me into a hug “It was so nice getting to know you Y/N! I wish we could have spent some more time together. Can’t wait for next year!” Though it all felt a bit fake to me I replied to her with ‘It was lovely getting to know you too! Maybe next year we’ll get to spend some more time together?” Emma let go of me and then Charlie pulled me into the biggest tightest hug and quietly spoke into my ear “Thanks for everything Y/N, you really made this camp a lot better for me..” And switching back to his normal voice “I’ll text you okay?”. I sure was gonna miss him. Actually I missed him the second we broke away from our last hug.. Giving them one last final wave i got into the bus that would take me home after this amazing week..

[summonerscenarios]

this isn't at all relevant to sin so feel free to postpone this but in your opinion. out of the summorners who would be the most to least helpful if mc starts crying? I can literally already see toji standing there like :[

ASDFGHJKL OKAY SO THE SECOND I IMAGINED TOJI IN THIS SCENARIO I JUST IMAGINED HIM IN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM COMFORTING MC LIKE THIS

Buuuuuut in all seriousness here’s my personal opinions of worst to best (though the middle is a mixed mess lmao)

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Toji

Toji’s arguably the most awkward out of all of the Summoners and handles it the least well when he sees you crying. He isn’t sure what the best way to comfort you is - with words or with actions Toji’s expertise really doesn’t lie in either of them. He’s kept to himself for a long time and as a result handling others emotions and figuring out what people want to hear when they’re vulnerable isn’t something that he’s used to. Toji keeps his distance unless you explicitly state that you want him to come closer, though he does try his best to comfort you with his words. He’s aware that he’s not the best to handle these sorts of things - he’s confident that Ryota or Hanuman would be better suited to cheer you up, but if he’s the only one there he isn’t just going to walk out and let you cry unless you tell him to get out - even he knows that sometimes you don’t want to be alone when you feel like the world is on your shoulders. 

Gullinbursti

Listen I would put Gullinbursti higher on this list if it wasn’t for one major factor. He means well in thought, but the execution can go very, very wrong depending on what’s got you upset. Of course, seeing his master upset, let alone reduced to tears is a sight that physically pains him, and he’s desperate to fix anything that has caused you such distress no matter the lengths it may take to do so. All you have to do is to say the word on what he can do to aid you and he is ON IT. You might want to be careful how you word it however, as we know Gull tends to take things literally, and at the insinuation that someone is responsible for your state he will charge headfirst to confront them before you even have the chance to - if you don’t want that confrontation you’re going to have to practically drag him back and explain that - no, you just wanna leave it. He may be insistent, but he values your word above all else, so if you don’t want to pursue it that’s that.

Kengo

Kengo walks in on your crying and the first words he blurts out is an awkward “Oh...you okay?” which if you weren’t openly sobbing you would’ve laughed at. Once he realizes that you’re seriously upset though he gets serious. His first thought is that someone’s responsible for upsetting you and he’s immediately on the defensive, demanding to know who made you cry and to just point him in their direction so he can kick their ass. Of course if it is someone responsible for making you cry it’s up to you if you want to give him names, just be sure before you do because he will 100% throw down with them with zero hesitation even if it gets him in trouble. If it’s something else though he’s a lot less sure on how to handle it, but seeing you upset of course he’s going to still wanna do something about it! The first thing he’s gonna do is get you to sit down, asking you what you want to do about whatever’s making you upset - talking things out isn’t always his style but hearing what you want to happen directly from you is the best way for him to understand how to help you. You wanna go out there and tackle it directly? He’ll be right behind you. Wanna just forget about it? Sure thing! The two of you can just talk about something else till you’re ready to move on. Wanna just get out of there? Kengo’s going to get you out of there asap and find somewhere you wanna go - whether that’s a bustling shopping district or somewhere quiet for some peace. You’re his partner and he’s got your back, regardless of how good he is at the whole comforting thing.

Agyo

Agyo of course freaks out seeing you start to cry - he’s not prepared to handle this and you can practically see him frantically trying to go through all of the ways to cheer someone up in his head as quickly as possible from across the room. For what it’s worth though he doesn’t just wait for you to cry it out like Toji probably would, and instead approaches you. The type to rub your back and pat your head while you get whatever crying to need to get off of your chest, telling you to just let it out and that you’ll feel better. With the way he tries to comfort you, you wouldn’t be surprised if he’s picked this up from someone else (most likely from Ungyo when Agyo was upset.) but it’s more comforting than you’d think to just have those lil head pats. Admittedly if you’re the hugging type of comforter he’ll whine a bit when you pull him in for a hug, holding off on scolding you about using him like a teddy bear since you’re upset and all, but for what it’s worth he’s super fluffy and squishy so he’s peak cuddling material. Just be sure to give him plenty of head rubs and he’ll relent on the fuss until you’re feeling better.

Moritaka

When Moritaka catches sight of the tears welling up in your eyes his first thought is to take your cheeks in his hands and wipe away those tears as they fall. If you make a noise of discomfort then he’ll quickly back off with an apology for acting before asking, however he can’t ignore that you’re upset and implores you to tell him what has caused you to cry. Mori’s an excellent listener, always willing an ear to your troubles and he takes it very seriously, even if you try to downplay it he insists that if it’s upsetting you it’s important. If you’re okay with physical contact you can be sure that you’ll be getting a comfort hug from him too, just holding you while you cry it out and bury your face into his fur as you let out all of your emotions. Letting your feelings get pent up is an easy way to get overwhelmed and he knows that lesson well, so he encourages you to get whatever you need to off of your shoulders and that you don’t need to carry these burdens alone.

Hanuman

Hanuman’s the master of cheering up through distractions. He sees you starting to cry and he’s immediately at your side asking if you wanna see something cool, catching you off guard as he tugs you over to whatever he thinks will help you forget alllll about what made you upset. There’s plenty of games that you guys can play together - he recommends multiplayer since he’s got some awesome fighting games the two of you can compete with! Or ones where you guys can work together! Or there’s single player options if you prefer - he’ll make it a game night and invite Tsath, Ryota and friends over if you want to be surrounded by people who care about you. And if you wanna see some of his ninja tricks he loves showing them off! Anything that is able to make you smile instead of cry he wants to do! To Hanuman so long as he can at least get a laugh out of someone when they’re upset it means he’s doing a good job of cheering you up; so of course he’s going to want to make you smile and laugh as much as he can until you’re crying from joy rather than sorrow.  When it comes to actually confronting your problems however Hanuman’s inexperienced; comforting sure, but unless it’s an issue that can be sorted out with some mischief or swiping something up from right under someone’s nose he’s stumped on how to help. Aside from that though if you’re just looking to get your mind off of what’s made you upset, if only for today Hanuman’s the boy for the job.

Shiro

When the tears start to fall Shiro takes the initiative, getting you into a position of comfort or safety while you cry, be it leading you to take a seat or getting you something to drink once the tears run dry (gotta keep hydrated after a cry if you wanna avoid the headache after folks). And of course if you need something to cuddle there’s already three lil D-evils on hand, swarming around you with concerned screeches upon noticing their Summoner’s fretting over you. Just seeing them worrying about you and clambering to wipe the tears off of your cheeks with chubby little fingers is enough to make you cry all over again at how much they care (which just makes everyone panic all over again thinking they’ve done something wrong until Shiro swoops back in to calm everyone down). Unlike most of the other Summoners, once you’ve calmed down he’d like to sit down with you and talk through the options that you have available to get through what upset you. If it’s a particular event he’d like you to walk him through it if you’re comfortable with it, and throughout he’ll ask you where you would like to go from here; and, if it’s a person who’s responsible, how you would like to confront them to deal with it. If you’d rather just forget about what happened altogether Shiro’s supportive but also thinks you should reconsider - if this situation was bad enough to reduce you to tears he just doesn’t feel right about it going unresolved, if you push though he will relent, afterall the choice is up to you in the end. 

Ryota

Ryota’s arguably the best in regards to comfort. He’s an empathetic soul at heart and seeing anyone in pain makes him want to do everything that he can just to see them smile again. And this is especially true when it comes to you - you’re one of his closest friends and at the first sign of tears in your eyes his heart breaks at the sight and almost immediately he’s closing the distance to hug you. Ryota focuses on cheering you up above all else - anything he can do to make you forget all about what’s upset you if only for a little while he’ll do it in a heartbeat. It’s up to you whether you want to talk about what happened or not but making sure that you feel better is Ryota’s main focus. All kinds of snacks, a good movie collection and a whoooole lot of blankets is in the cards for cheering up any of his friends! If you’re not comfortable with hugs that’s totally fine! But if you are, you can bet that Ryota’s going to cuddle right up next to you, his hugs proving to be super comforting when it comes to making people feel better. The whole time he’ll be comforting you with his words too - telling you that it’s gonna be okay and that whatever’s upset you will be sorted out and that you won’t go through it alone! You’ve got so many friends who want to be there for you, and he’s sure to tell you that he’s going to be right there with you the whole time, wiping the tears from your eyes until they stop.

[velvetthunder1999]

All the time on Earth

Part 4 - Butterbeer Moments

Summary: You start to spend more and more time with George, and the two of you slowly start to getting to know each other

Warnings: None

Word count: 2.4K

George Weasley x Reader

Masterlist

- Edited for grammar -

The three of you were sitting in the common room, leaning over the same piece of parchment on the table. Fred was doodling the last line of numbers on the bottom, while you and George were watching him with great anticipation.

“Finished!” Fred dropped the quill and tossed the parchment towards you “What do you think? Brilliant, if you ask me.”

You took the paper and looked over the numbers. You bit your lip, frowning.

“Oi, she doesn’t like it!” exclaimed Fred.

“Or she just cannot read your rubbish handwriting,” answered George to his brother, not taking his eyes off you. “Y/N? How is it?”

“It’s — not bad.”

“Not bad?” Fred was over the top acting offended. “This is the best price-product ratio there is!”

“Well, not exactly,” you said, pointing at the paper. “Look, here. You are offering one piece of Ton-Tongue Toffee for a galleon and a fake wand for three. But the Toffees take much more effort and money to manufacture than the wand.”

“So what are you saying?” asked George. “We can’t raise the price. Otherwise they won’t sell.”

“I’m saying if you wanna keep the price, try combine the two. Have you thought about releasing a booklet? People collect... let’s say ten signitures from you, one after every puchase and they’d get 10% off the next thing they buy. Sell the booklets individually for two galleons but put them in the box with the Toffees and the wand for free. Sell the boxes for five. Then people would buy it more and you get more money for some extra paper. You’ll make profit.”

The twins were staring at you, unusually quiet. You were quite satisfied with yourself. You were only thinking in the way you usually do when running your own business. It worked out for you, three years of success and counting. You didn’t mind helping out Fred and George, since they didn’t sell anything similar to the stuff you were selling.

“Well?” you asked impatiently. “What do you think?”

“You make it so complicated yet so easy” said Fred.

“George?”

“I like it. We can make more money but still not cheating our customers. It’s clean.”

“Yeah, all right,” Fred took the quill again and started writing. “Five galleons you say? Good. I’m showing it to Lee, ask what he’s thinking.”

He snitched the parchment and walked over to the window where Lee and Angelina were talking. You smiled at George and gathered your stuff.

“Well, I have to go to the library. Need to write my Charms essay.”

“To the library?” asked George, distraught. “It’s the middle of the winter break!”

“Well, some of us have to study for the exams, you know.”

“But you’re coming to the New Year’s Eve party tomorrow, right?”

“Of course I’m coming,” you said, putting your bag on your shoulders. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” —— You were playing Exploding Snap with Ginny by the window when you heard a loud cheer from the middle of the common room. It didn’t take you by surprise to see Fred standing on the table, juggling empty butterbeer bottles while George was standing by, raising his wand, navigating more and more glasses into his brother’s hand.

“It’s almost midnight,” Ginny said. “You want a drink?”

“Sure.”

She put down her cards and went to grab two glasses, but her seat didn’t stay empty for long. George left Lee the responsibility to throw the glasses at Fred, and sat down next to you instead.

“I couldn’t help but notice you sitting here alone,” he grinned. “But it’s all right now, I’m here to save you.”

“Yes, thank you for saving me from thirty seconds of loneliness,” you laughed, but let out a soft shriek when all the cards exploded on the table.

George picked them up and organized them into one pack. “Actually, I came here to ask you if you wanted to place a bet. The next task is almost here, you know.”

“Yesterday you scolded me for studying during the winter break but now you wanna talk about business?” you teased him. He seemed to like it when you did that.

“C’mon Y/N, business is different than some essay.”

“Wait, so asking for my money is always appropriate?” you pushed his shoulder playfully.

“All right, what about leaving the money out of it? Place your bet, and if you win I buy you a butterbeer at Hogsmeade after the task.”

“Please don’t let him make you gambling, Y/N,” said Ginny, returning with the drinks. She shot a suspicious look at her brother. “You’re not asking her to place bets, are you?

“It’s all right Ginny, George wouldn’t win a sickle from me if I didn’t let him,” you smiled at the boy, who was now leaning closer.

“But the Hogsmeade bet is on?”

“Yeah, sure. One butterbeer on Harry finishing first. Deal?” you offered your hand but when he shook it you felt your stomach jump.

“Deal. Grab your glasses ladies, it’s almost a brand new year!”

George had a really fun night after that, but sometimes he’d catch himself staring at you. He wasn’t sure what it was yet. You two had only been talking for a week and a half after all. Although, he enjoyed talking to you. You always seemed to match his cheerful tone, and you didn’t mind when he was joking around.

He shouted happy new years to you one more time when you decided to go to sleep. You waved him goodbye and he felt that nice warm feeling in his chest again. Was it so wrong, making new friends? He didn’t think so.

——

The next morning everyone woke up a bit late, and the majority of the students decided to hit the library, using the last day of the winter break to prepare for the next week’s classes. George however, had a different idea.

“Please Y/N,” begged the boy. “You already did all your homework. We should just go down to Hogsmeade, really.”

“I don’t know George, I’m really tired,” you said, massaging your temple. You didn’t get much sleep last night. “What about next weekend?”

“We should really do it this weekend,” said Fred, butting in. “We need to ask at Zonko’s if they’d sell our products. And at Honeydukes, too.”

“And why do you need me for that?”

“Well, you and the less handsome twin could talk to one place, me and Lee to the other. Meet up at the Three Broomsticks?”

George threw a pillow at Fred, but agreed to the idea. You also said yes, knowing that you’d just lie on the couch all day anyway.

The four of you headed down to the village, Fred and George walking up front while you were talking with Lee behind them. Then when the first houses started to show, you went separate ways.

“I shouldn’t have dressed this warm” you said, getting rid of your scarf. “It’s really hot today.”

“Yeah, I know” answered George, pointing at the ground. “Snow’s melting already.”

“Good. I don’t like snow.”

He stopped in his tracks, staring at you like he had just seen a ghost.

“What did you say?”

“What? I don’t like it.” you said. “It just makes walking so much harder.”

“All right now, stop,” he said, shaking his head while started walking again. “There’s nothing better than a good ol’ snowfight!”

“Yeah? So winter’s your favorite, then?”

“Yeah — No,” he shrugged, smile on his face. “I like every season for something else. You? I’m guessing winter’s a taboo.”

“I like winter — from the indoors,” you tried to save yourself. “Watching the snow from someplace where it can’t touch you. But I like autumn. It means school is starting again.”

“Well, that was an incredibly horrible thing to say.”

“What? Why?”

He started mocking you playfully.

“School is starting again!”

You pretended to be offended, then continued in a genuine tone.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like being here.”

“No, I like being here.”

“Then what?”

He hesitated.

“Well, mum, you know.”

“No, I don’t know. Tell me.”

He glanced at you. You didn’t want to push him, though.

“Or don’t. If you don’t want to.”

“It’s all right. It’s just that — that mum really tries to push us. She wants us to study hard, work in the Ministry like Percy. But it’s not for us. Not for me and Fred, anyway.”

“So what do you wanna do?”

You still had two years left of Hogwarts, but you knew how hard it was to decide what you wanted to do later.

“Well — er — ” it was the first time you saw a shy smile on George’s face. “We want to open a joke shop.”

“Like Zonko’s?”

“Almost. Only bigger and better than that. With more pizzazz.”

“Yeah, I can see you doing that. I mean, if you keep making those Nosebleed things — and they actually work...” you gave him a snarky look and he laughed “...then why not do it? You’re not gonna be able to work for the Ministry if you just hate every minute of it.”

“Exactly.”

He nodded ceremoniously before opening the door to Honeydukes. He let you go in first, then you two headed straight to the cash register. While George was haggling, you were staring out the window, watching the street behind the shop. Just as you were turning away, you saw a huge black dog crossing the sidewalk. You were quite fond of dogs, so you followed it with your eyes until it disappeared behind a dumpster.

“All right, we’re ready,” said George, claiming your attention for himself again. “Three Broomsticks?”

“Let’s go,” you agreed, walking out the shop. “So, what did she say?”

“She said she’d talk to his husband, but she seemed to be interested. We should come back next week, though.”

“That’s a good start.”

Fred and Lee were not around yet so you sat down to one of the tables in the corner. You ordered two butterbeers and you finally got rid of your warm coat, after it turned out to be such an unnecessary item on this bright day.

“So what about the rest of your family?” you asked. “You said Percy is working at the Ministry.”

“Yeah, my dad also. He collects muggle items, too.”

“Really?”

“Well, more like garbage, actually,” he laughed. “Dad loves muggles. Finds them interesting. Mum thinks he’s mad, but — ” he shrugged “— it’s a hobby, you know.”

“And what about your other siblings? Charlie was just finishing in the year I was sorted.”

“Yeah, he works in Romania now. Studies dragons there. He brought the ones for the first task, too.”

“What, really?” your jaw dropped, then you took a sip. “Well, he clearly deserves all the money he’s earning cause that seems to be the most dangerous job I’ve ever heard of.”

George laughed then he drank, too.

“Yeah, and my other brother works in Egypt. Have you been?”

“Not really.”

“We visited him a year ago, it was amazing. Dad won a prize at the Ministry so we had the mon — er — we had the time to visit everything. Fred and I tried to lock Percy in a pyramid but mum didn’t let us.”

“I wonder why,” you giggled at the sight of his reminiscing face. “So what else did you do there — other than torturing your brother, of course?”

He told you everything about ‘one of his best summers’ as he called it, and you didn’t mind just listening, watching him talk. If two weeks ago someone had said to you that you’re gonna be here sitting with George Weasley, you wouldn’t see the point in that at all. But in this moment it felt like one of the most natural things you could do.

“Do you need another one?” George asked you as your drinks slowly started to run out. You hesitated, glanced at Madam Rosmerta, then turned back to George.

“If I do something will you tell on me?”

“What?” George asked, curious.

You checked the bar again, then took out your wand and held it under the table. You pointed at the glasses, said the refilling charm non-verbally, then watched how the glasses were full of butterbeer again a second later.

You looked at George, a shy expression on your face. You didn’t know what he was gonna say.

“I don’t always do this,” you started. “And I always pay for the first one. But sometimes money just runs short and I can’t always do something about it.”

You casted your eyes down. Suddenly you weren’t sure sharing your secret was a good idea. But George understood.

“No, I get it. I don’t always have much money either. I know it’s — mum and dad do the best they can but, you know — there’s a lot of us” he nodded.

“That’s why you’re trying to sell your fake wands?”

“Mm. Any way is a good way if it makes money. How did you do it, though?”

“Did what?”

“The spell. To refill the beer. You don’t learn non-verbal magic in your year. We only just started doing that.”

“Oh. Well, I learned it by myself. I had to, if I wanted to do stuff like this, you know.”

“But it’s still advanced level of magic.”

“Well, everything’s achievable with enough practice.”

“Blimey,” he said, quite amused. “You really are something.”

You felt the warmth in your chest again. You shot a grateful smile towards the boy sitting next to you.

“Thanks.”

“Isn’t it exhausting? Always studying, I mean.”

“I study while I’m home in the summer.”

“You study in your summer break? That’s outrageous!”

“Don’t really have anything else to do anyway.”

“Well, we can figure out something, go somewhere this summer. I mean, if it’s alright with your parents as well.”

“I don’t think they’d really mind. They’d be delighted, me leaving again.”

“Are they really that bad?” he asked, sadness in his eyes.

“Yeah,” you said in a low voice, then spoke in apathy. “It’s okay, though. I got quite used to it by now.”

George opened his mouth to answer but two extra glasses appeared on the table and chairs creaked on the floor next to you.

“You two were really fast!” Fred exclaimed while he and Lee took a seat. “You even had time to start drinking without us. How was Honeydukes, Georgie? What did they say?”

George needed a second to understand what the bloody hell Fred was talking about. He looked at you, confused, then to Lee, then tried to come up with some useful information. But his mind was elsewhere. From the corner of his eye he was watching you. And for the first time in his life he wished if only his brother had arrived a few minutes later.

[buckysrighthanddoll]

Gluttony

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader (college AU)

Warnings: drinking, fluff, a teensy bit of angst (y’all know it’s me lol), swearing

A.N.: This is part two of my Seven Deadly Sins series!!! Read part one here called “Envy” with Bucky Barnes :)

You were never the drinking type. Throughout high school, you maybe had three drinks. It wasn’t that you were consumed with your bookwork or couldn’t sneak out to parties. You had plenty of opportunities.

It was now the third year of college. You were well on your way to your degree, you had an established friend group, and you had a decent enough social life. But when MJ invited you to a party this Friday, you found yourself feeling nervous.

There were a few parties in college that you attended. Every time you got uncomfortable and left early. Every time you stood in the corner with one or two of your friends from class. Every time you were home by midnight.

This time was different.

“MJ, you know--”

“That you’re a lame-ass who won’t hang out with some friends?” MJ interjected. “Come on, (Y/N), it’s just us. Even Ned is gonna be there.” Before you could even respond, she spoke again. “Peter said he’d be there.”

That caught your attention. You contemplated the decision in your head--the party was this Friday, which gave you today to prepare; however, you had a test at 10:00 am on Saturday.

“Fine. You said it was at your apartment, right?”

“Yes. Be there at 10 to help me set up,” MJ smiled, pivoting on her feet and heading to her next class. You sighed and gave a half-smile at her.

MJ knew damn well that you had a thing for Peter. And, beyond that, she insisted that he liked you, too. It was a load of bullshit, but she wouldn’t change her mind.

Finishing your classes for the day was easy. Today was Thursday, which meant you had Art appreciation, Spanish 312, and organic chemistry. That night, you set up your studying supplies and got to work.

Within an hour, you lost focus. You kept worrying about that damn party, but you logically knew that you didn’t need to. It was a few friends. Peter, Ned, MJ, and her boyfriend Mark were the only people that were supposed to be there. They were all people that you knew and trusted. As long as you didn’t drink, you’d be fine.

“Hey (Y/N/N),” Peter said, making you jump. He laughs, which immediately eases your anxieties. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I left my door unlocked again, didn’t I?” You asked, standing from your desk. He nods his head and sits on the chair by the kitchen counter. “You want something to drink?”

“Water, please,” He responds. He was always so polite, even though you’d known him since sophomore year of high school. The two of you knew everything about each other. He knew about your past traumas and experiences; you knew that he was Spider-Man.

Ya know, the usual.

You got the glass of water and threw a couple of personal pan pizzas in the oven. “I thought you were gonna study for the test on Saturday.”

“I got bored,” Peter shrugs. You sit next to him and rest your arm on the counter. “Figured I’d come to see my favorite girl,” He smiles. He gives one of those small smirks that he (recently) found to drive girls mad, but you simply raise your eyebrow.

“She’s probably in my room.”

At the perfect moment, a fuzzy black cat prances into the kitchen. Her name was Razzle, Razz for short, and she was the cutest damn cat to grace your existence. Peter adored her. There were times when you’d come home from class and see him playing with her on the floor. There were times when Peter would stay the night, and you’d wake up to see a fuzzy black ball on his chest. The scene was so cute that you took a picture (which may or may not be your lock screen, shh).

Razz jumps into Peter’s lap and immediately starts purring. His smile gets even bigger, and he scratches under the cat’s chin (the sight alone makes your heart soar).

“You wanna watch a movie?” Peter asks.

The oven dings, making you stand up to get the pizza. “As long as we can go over the vocab for the test afterward.” Peter groans, but you know that it’s sarcastic. “Deal.”

Peter goes to the living room area and turns on a random movie. You place the pizzas on paper plates and carry them out to where he’s sitting on the couch, his feet propped up onto the table. At least he had his socks on.

Thirty minutes into the movie, you weren’t paying attention anymore. All you could focus on was the way the screen lit Peter’s face; the way his eyes followed every action; the way his body jerked during a fight scene; the way his lips looked so soft and kissable and--

“Is there something on my face?” Peter asked. You snapped your gaze to the empty plate ahead of you. That’s one thing that you loved about Peter--besides his improved spidey-senses, he (sort of) grew out of his awkwardness.

“No, uh, I got lost in thought,” You lied. You grabbed his empty plate and took it to the kitchen to throw in the garbage. Taking a second to collect yourself, you went back to the couch. You scoffed at Peter, who was under a blanket and taking all three spots. “You’re such a dipshit.”

“But I’m your dipshit,” Peter retorted. You rolled your eyes as he sat up, allowing you to sit where his head just was. You plopped yourself down, and Peter rested his head on your lap, lying on his side to still face the TV.

Peter fell asleep twenty minutes later. Your hand was in his hair, softly playing with his curls, and soon enough, the soft snores ensued.

You stayed there for several moments after the movie ended. It was easy to bypass the credits rolling on the screen, especially when Peter was right there. Head in your lap. An arm draped across your thighs. You could see yourself doing this every weekend with him--waking him up, getting to the bedroom, holding each other until the early morning.

It was stupid how much you loved him. He was your best friend throughout high school and college. He was with you through every smile and tear. It was just impossible for you not to harbor anything more than a friendship.

Once the title screen popped back on, you shook Peter awake. He hums groggily and opens his eyes. As he realizes that he fell asleep on your lap, he goes red in the face and sits up.

“I didn’t realize I was even tired,” He says, letting out a breathy laugh. “I’m sorry. I, uh, I gotta get home, though. We have an 8 am tomorrow.” Peter gets up from the couch and makes his way toward the door.

“Yeah, yeah,” You said, standing up and following him. “Goodnight. Be safe, love you,” You added, hugging him.

“‘Night (Y/N/N), love you, too,” Peter responded. He left, and you took that as your cue to get to sleep.

Your classes breezed by the next day. You and Peter’s 8 am class was spent reviewing material for tomorrow’s test, and your ten am consisted of you being a TA for your Spanish professor. She just had you look through papers while she taught about the subjunctive tense.

At your apartment, you texted MJ to ask what you should wear. She arrived twenty minutes later and immediately began searching through your closet. She explained that it was still casual since it was just a few friends, but your usual plain t-shirts and jeans weren’t going to cut it.

MJ picked a tight-fitting shirt with a v-neck. She said that it made you look insanely attractive, especially when paired with the (extremely short) denim shorts that you hardly ever wore.

You decided just to straighten your hair and do basic makeup. It consisted of only eyebrows, eyeliner, and mascara; it was a bit more than your daily makeup, but if you were going to a party, you didn’t want to mess it up.

After getting dinner, you and MJ went to her apartment and began setting up. There was a beer pong table, food set out on another table, and all of the alcohol she could afford on a third table. You put a playlist on her TV screen and then put the remote behind it. It was all said and done within an hour.

You turned on the strip lights right as Mark got there. He greeted his girlfriend with a short kiss, and then he came and hugged you. Mark was a sweet guy; he treated MJ right, and he was great at communication, plus he made an effort to be friends with her friends.

Ned showed up half an hour later, and Peter was right behind him. You already had three shots, but they hadn’t kicked in yet; it was probably for the best because all you could think when you saw him was damn.

He wore a dark grey v-neck shirt and dark denim jeans. He looked like he had just gotten out of the shower shortly before leaving, as his hair was still slightly damp. MJ had to hip check you to pull your attention back to the conversation.

“You need to tell him eventually,” She starts. “I mean, he totally has it bad for you, too.”

“Bullshit,” You sang. “He’s my best friend, besides you. That’s it.” You looked at the table and picked up the peppermint schnapps. “Another shot?”

“Using liquor as a negative coping mechanism. Same,” MJ nodded, smiling as she grabbed the shot glasses. “Competitive?”

“Bet,” You answered, pulling out a five from your pocket. She threw down an additional five and called Mark over to call it so that it wasn’t biased.

You both set the shot glasses on the counter and got ready. Mark slapped the table, and you and MJ threw the glasses back and slammed them back down. You won by a fraction of a second, making you throw your arms up.

“Didn’t think you were a drinker, (Y/L/N),” MJ laughed.

“I’m not,” You smirked. You grabbed the money and put it in your pocket, lining up another shot and downing that one too. “But distractions are distractions.”

“You really need a therapist,” Ned laughed.

Within an hour, you were blasted. Although you’d been slightly tipsy before, you’d never been full-on drunk before. MJ was right there with you, Mark was somewhat behind, and Ned was tipsy. Peter, who had slowly been sipping on his drink, was hardly beyond sober.

The five of you were playing Cards Against Humanity in the living room. MJ had the lead, but that didn’t shock anybody; she was declared the friend group’s funniest. You were near behind, though, which was shocking only because you’d thought Ned should be in your position.

It wasn’t like it mattered to you. All that mattered was that you and Peter sat next to each other, thighs pressed to one another, and his arm was resting on the couch cushions behind your head. If you thought that dealing with your emotions was hard when you were sober, then you were in a world of trouble when it came to you being drunk (and him being this close).

Gluttony was not your usual sin. Indulging in vices like drinking wasn’t typical of you. On any other day, you’d throw yourself into your studies, or maybe you’d be planning your study abroad that was coming up. But drinking? That was out of the ordinary.

Tonight was different. You wanted to let loose--to forget about your emotions. But that wasn’t happening, now was it?

After your game was up, you partied some more. You expected to forget about your emotions; instead, you found yourself forgetting how to care about preserving them. A few shots here, some dancing there, and you were more carefree than you had been in years.

Around three in the morning, you were tired. More than that, you had to be up at eight to get ready for your test at ten. You found yourself stumbling to get your things together so you could walk home, but Mark was trying to stop you.

“(Y/N), it’s past midnight in a college city, and you’re as drunk as a skunk. Just stay here,” Mark tried. MJ was right behind him and insisting that you at least call a taxi or an Uber.

“I’ll be fine,” You assured, nearly falling over as you slipped your shoes on. Peter, thankfully, catches and steadies you. He keeps an arm around your waist, which makes your already reddened face burn even hotter.

“I’ll take her home. I’m sober,” Peter says, looking at MJ. “Besides, we both have a test in seven hours--I need the sleep.”

“Drive safe, man,” Mark says, pulling Peter in for a hug. Peter gives MJ and Ned a hug, and then he’s by your side, leading you to his car.

It was a short and silent drive. Thank gods. You weren’t in any state to be talking to someone who you’ve harbored romantic feelings for.

Peter took you inside your apartment. The moment the door shut behind him, he locked it and got to your bedroom. He picked out some sleep shorts and an old shirt for you to sleep in, and he left you to change while he grabbed some water for you.

You sat in bed as he walked back into the room, setting the glass on your nightstand.

“You’re too nice,” You whined. “Aren’t guys supposed to be assholes or something?”

“I’m the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man--I’m not quite like most guys.” Peter smiles and lifts the covers, letting you get under them. Once you’re laid back, you take a sip of your water, and he closes the windows and curtains. He comes back to pull the blankets over your chest. Then, he starts to leave.

“Peter, can you stay the night here?” You asked. He turns to you and gives one of the softest smiles you’d ever seen (maybe it was just the rose-tinted glasses, or perhaps it was the staggering amount of alcohol in your blood). Nodding his head, he gets in on the other side of the bed.

Peter had stayed the night here plenty of times, but he always slept on the pull-out couch in the living room. He never once stayed in your bed with you also in it. You figured it was either out of concern for boundaries or respect.

The truth was, Peter was also head-over-heels for you. He’d told MJ, not that he needed to--MJ was good at reading people, and he certainly wasn’t subtle about his attraction for you.

You were the first person he came to when he became Spider-Man. You were his reason to fight after he got dusted (along with you). You were his favorite person to see after a mission--you’d been at the tower anytime Tony Stark told you that Peter was coming home. You were always there for him. You were it. You were the one that Peter wanted to be with, even if it didn’t work out in the long run.

Once Peter settled into the sheets, you rolled over and cuddled into him. Your head rested on his chest, an arm around his torso, and a leg tangled with his own. Both of you heaved a sigh of relief; this felt good. This felt right.

“Peter?” You asked.

“Yeah?” He responded.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“No, like, I love you,” You confessed, looking up at him through heavy eyelids. “Like, I wanna kiss you and cuddle you like this and hold your hand. I wanna tell people that I’m your girlfriend, and you’re my boyfriend.”

“Baby, you’re drunk.”

“I’ve been hiding this for years, Peter,” You insisted. “It isn’t because I’m drunk. The only thing this liquor is doing is helping me say what I want to say without worrying.”

“If I’m honest, (Y/N), I love you, too. In that same way. But you’re not even going to remember this in the morning.”

“Will you remind me?”

“Yes.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Not when you’re drunk.”

“Damn,” You sighed. “Did you set an alarm for the morning?”

“I already have one set,” Peter assured you. “Let’s get to sleep.”

“And Peter?” You called. “Thank you for taking care of me.” He hummed in response.

The next morning, you were shocked that you only had a small headache. You were even more surprised that you woke up next to Peter.

Last night was fuzzy for you. Bits and pieces were clear as day, like winning thirty bucks from MJ. But what happened? Was Peter as drunk as you were? Did you say something stupid? Why was he in your bed right now?

No matter the reason, you found yourself not wanting to leave this spot. You were the closest you’d been to Peter.

The alarm on Peter’s phone rang, making you jump. Then, you grabbed your aching head. Peter awoke with a start before looking down at you. He shut the ringtone off, and then he wrapped his arms tighter around you. His hand ran up and down your arm, which made you feel happy and warm, but why the hell was he holding you like this?

“Good morning,” Peter said groggily. His morning voice was hands-down, the most beautiful thing ever.

“‘Morning,” You responded.

“Want me to put some coffee on for that hangover?” He asked.

“I’m not that hungover, actually,” You answered. “I can go make some.”

Peter nodded his head, so you got up. Three scoops into the filter, some hot water, and a few minutes later, you both had cups of bitter coffee to wake you up. You both started to get ready for the day by brushing your teeth and putting on some new clothes (Peter had to find some clothes that he’d left here last month).

It was going to be a casual and laid-back day; that much was certain. Your body was aching, and your head only started to worsen even after taking some ibuprofen. There were still thirty minutes before you needed to leave for the campus, so you and Peter sat on the couch.

“Did I say anything stupid last night?” You asked, holding onto your mug.

“Only that you loved me and wanted to kiss me,” He smirked.

You groaned and threw your head back. “I’m sorry,” You started, looking him in the eye. “I shouldn’t have said that while I was drunk.”

“Did you not mean it?”

“Of course I meant it,” You said, laughing drily. “Peter, in the seven years we’ve known each other, I’ve felt like this for six of them. I just shouldn’t have told you while I was drunk.”

“Last night, I said that I loved you, too,” Peter said. “And then you asked if you could kiss me, but I wasn’t going to let you do anything in that state.”

“Oh,” You muttered, looking down in embarrassment and setting down your coffee. Peter’s lifted your chin and then cupped your face before leaning in and kissing you. The initial shock wore off quickly, and then you were kissing him back. It was soft and sweet--precisely what you’d have expected your first kiss with him to be like.

When Peter pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours. “You wanted me to remind you when you were sober. Was that okay?”

“More than,” You smiled. You closed the distance again, tangling your hands in his hair. Peter smiles against you.

After the test, Peter took you on your first official date as a couple. He held your hand and bought you a coffee, and you carried a conversation like everything was natural. Like everything was right.

(And, for the record, you passed that exam despite the light hangover).

[juliettecxi]

Rating : G

Word count : 1.9K

Warnings : None

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Clary was late. Sure, she was never punctual, she was always a few minutes tardy here and there, but today she was late. So late, she walked into her lecture half an hour after it started.

 She snuck in while her professor's back was turned and raced past the rows and sat next to her raven haired friend.

 As Clary collected herself, She felt Izzy’s burning gaze on her profile. Clary turned around and looked at her friend and shot her a sheepish smile. “Good morning!” she said, and Isabelle frowned in response. Clary could feel a lecture coming. “Clary,” Izzy started, “You’re a lot of things, you have many flaws, and I love you regardless,” she smiled. “But if you don’t buy a damn alarm clock and wake up on time I will not cover for you ever again!” she hissed. Clary sighed, “ It’s not my fault alarm clocks have snooze buttons, or off buttons for that matter. But I wasn’t totally late only because of my lack of alarm clocks…” she trailed off. Izzy looked at her. “Then why were you late?” she questioned with a smirk. Clary knew all too well where her adventurous friend's brain was going. “Isabelle. No. It’s just. See, ugh  now I don’t wanna tell you!” Clary whined. “Come on! Please!”  Izzy said with a laugh, making puppy eyes at Clary. She opened her mouth to say more but was interrupted by a booming voice from the front of the lecture hall. “Is there something you two would like to share with the class?” asked their professor, his voice laced with irritation. Clary and Isabelle quickly parted and pretended to take notes. Izzy gave Clary a look that said “Later” but Clary simply smirked. She’d have to catch her first.

Isabelle knew Clary like the back of her hand, and if one thing was clear, Clary was obviously hiding something. She knew it had nothing to do with a late night hook-up, Clary wasn’t like that, but she wildly suspected it had something to do with the opposite sex, and if the scent of coffee and donuts that lingered on Clary was anything to go by, that certain someone was probably from the coffee shop she recently started frequenting.

As it turned out, Clary’s late arrival did not go unnoticed by her professor, “He’s an art professor Clary, he literally lives for detail.” was what her roommate and best friend Simon had told her when Clary entered their apartment in a foul mood after getting a 15 minute lecture from her professor about punctuality. “Hey, you left here on time didn’t you? Why were you late?” he asked, suddenly curious. “Well, ummm I missed the bus?” Clary said, trying to come up with a good enough excuse to cover up for the real  reason she was late, but she obviously failed miserably, for the look on Simon’s face was anything but belief. “Clary…” he said, and gave her a look. “Wow!” Clary suddenly exclaimed.” Would you look at the time! Gotta run! Catch ya later Simon!” she said, grabbed  her jacket and ran for the door.”

“Clary! Get back here!” Simon called after her, but it was too late, for the tiny redhead had already disappeared out of sight

Clary ran down the apartment stairs and onto the street. She would have to answer a lot of questions later on, but she needed to get to the coffee shop, partially for coffee, but mostly to see a certain blond hottie who was the reason she was late today.

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Jace always wondered how he ended up working at the coffee shop. He was a broke college student, but there were so many jobs out there, why a coffee shop of all places? If he didn’t need the money, he would’ve quit a long time ago.The snobby customers and his co-worker Magnus’s Taylor Swift playlist that played on loop was enough to make him consider ending it all. Not to get him wrong, he loved Taylor, but hearing ‘Style’ about ten times everyday was just too much for Jace.

As he was pouring a customer a cup of coffee, another coworker and his best friend Alec came over to him. “Hey bestie!” Jace said, raising his voice a few pitches higher. Alec gave him a disgusted look and said “Your redhead sweetheart is here.” At this Jace’s mood brightened, she’d been coming to the coffee shop for a few days now, and seemed to be a college student, just like him. “You know maybe you should talk to her, she seems kinda into you.” said Alec and gave Jace a suggestive smirk. He frowned. “I would, but I honestly doubt she’s into me, maybe she has a thing for Magnus?” “Magnus!” Alec said,almost choking on his own spit. “You summoned me!’ said a voice from behind them. Alec gave Magnus a loving look and looped his arms around his waist. Jace cringed a little internally. “Couples…” he thought. “Jace-yy..” Magnus drawled, “Your crush is here to see you.” “Can you believe Jace thinks she’s here for you?” Alec said with a laugh and Magnus started laughing with him. This was too much domestic-ness for Jace to handle, so he decided to go see his crush.

According to the badge on his t-shirt, the hottie’s name was Jace. Clary liked that name. It was simple, yet unique, and maybe their ship name could be Clace. It had become a part of the morning routine to go to the coffee shop, order a cup of coffee and a donut, and stare at Jace for 15 minutes. Today she may have gotten a little lost into the staring (which was totally not creepy) and missed her bus.

Oh well, at least it wasn’t a waste of time.

As she was entering the coffee shop after running away from Simon, Clary decided that she was going to talk to Jace. The coffee shop was always a very calming place, and whoever handled the music had excellent taste. Clary made her way to the counter, the cashier was always a black haired boy who scared her a little, but she would always see Jace behind him, like a star working away on making coffee and satisfying customers. As she looked up from the menu card she expected to meet a pair of blue eyes, only to be met with a pair of tawny ones. Jace. Sirens started going off in Clary’s brain. Should she run? Should she pretend to be mute? Should she just risk it all and talk to him? Clary decided to go with option four, which was to stare blankly at Jace and grin. “Um, hi? Can I get you something?” without thinking Clary replied, “Yeah my usual please.”, left the cash on the counter, ran to her seat, put her head on her table and mentally screamed. He probably thought she was an idiot now.

 A few minutes later Jace brought her order to her table, gave her a smile and left. Why was he so perfect? As Clary was adding sugar to her coffee she realized something, how did he know her order?

After the first interaction Jace had with the red head, he was elated, but also kind of bummed because he didn’t catch her name. He smiled to himself remembering  their conversation, when he saw her stalking up to him. Jace smiled. “Do you need any-” he began to ask, only to be cut off when she said “Are you stalking me?” Jace was stunned. “What?!” he asked, unable to believe his own ears. “I said, are you stalking me? You know, I expected more from you blondie. I thought you were an honourable man who respected women and wasn’t a creep.” The lady kept going on and on and all Jace could do was stare open mouthed at her. How could he have been so stupid, he’d memorized her order and he’d never taken it before, naturally, she was bound to think he was a creep. All he could was put his head down in shame. 

Alec heard the commotion, so he came over to see what was going on, only to be met with the sight of his best friend getting yelled at by his crush. “What’s going on here?” he interjected. The red head looked at him with fire in her eyes. “This man,” she said “Has been stalking me! He’s memorized my coffee order. He’s never served me before and when I asked for my usual, he brought me my usual!’ Alec realized what was going on. “He’s not stalking you shorty,” he said tiredly. “This moron has a crush on you!” he said with an exasperated sigh. At this the red head flushed, mumbled a sorry and ran out of the store. Jace glared at Alec. “it had to be done man..” he said, and walked away, while Jace ran after the girl.

“Stupid. stupid . stupid!” Clary thought to herself as she ran out of the shop. How could she just assume like that! Also crush? No way, and definitely not anymore. Her mind was reeling. She could hear the other boy’s voice; “This moron has a crush on you; a crush; on you.” Was it possible to feel so happy you wanted to fly, but also feel like you wanted to bury yourself alive at the same time? Because that was exactly how Clary felt.

She had run quite a distance when she heard a familiar baritone voice call after her. “Clary! Please wait up, I just want to talk!” She stopped in her tracks. As Jace ran up to her started talking. “Look, I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have made such an assumption, I’ll never set foot into the coffee shop again. Once again- Jace put a finger on her lips. “Shoosh…” he said, “I’m the one who should apologize. What I did was kind of creepy and I can understand where you were coming from. Also, ignore what my friend said back there. Clary couldn’t believe it. He had no reason to apologize, yet he came running after her to do just that. Why was he so sweet? Mustering all her boldness, “But I don’t want to ignore it.” she said, a little bashfully. “Huh? what do you mean?” Jace said, but she could see a small smirk on his face. Clary let out a big sigh. “I’ve had a crush on you ever since I walked into that coffee shop.” she said. Jace’s eyes widened “Really? Wow! Same! But in all honesty I didn’t think you liked me like that. I mean a girl like you couldn’t have possibly been single?” Clary looked at him and giggled. “Oh you have no idea. Also, I feel really bad about what I did back there? Is there any way I can make it up to you?” she asked, feeling guilty. Jace looked thoughtful. “Hmm.. How about a cup of coffee, and maybe your number?” he said, with a twinkle in his eyes. “Most certainly blondie! It’s the least I could do after everything!” she said.

“Hey I never learned your name.” Jace said, “Clary.” she replied. “Beautiful.” he said, and they both walked back to the coffee shop arm in arm while giggling as they recounted the events of that day.

“I’m telling you Simon, she’s met someone here!” Izzy said, as she and Simon entered the coffee shop, only to see Clary engaged in a vivacious conversation with an extremely good looking boy with blond hair. Simon was taken back, he definitely did not think something like this would happen. “Well,” Izzy said, with a smirk on her face, “Looks like you owe me a doughnut!” “It looks like I do..” Simoon said, with a resigned sigh and rolled his eyes as he went after Isabelle, who’d already headed off to Clary and the blonde’s table.

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A/N: Hello! Thank you for reading! Feel free to hit me up with feedback!

[calumrose]

Trigger [Police/Gang!AU] Chapter 1 || C.H

A//N: I’m in two minds about holding back posting parts because I’m actually in the middle of working on chapter 9 currently, so I’m debating on waiting until I maybe get feedback to see if this is going anywhere, but at the same time I want to get it out as soon as I can so I can be satisfied that I’ve published a whole piece of work by me. 

Chapters are going to get a little bit chunky so I hope that’s okay, I got carried away at certain points as you’ll find out as time goes on. 

Hope you guys enjoy this even just a little bit.

Love you all!

btw: we meet Calum in this part so... we getting somewhere now.

Word Count: 8.1k

Summary: Eloise Gray and Calum Hood, not two people you would ever think to put together. What started as a ploy for power turned into a romance, resulting in the realisation that loving your enemy may not be such a bad thing after all.

Previous Chapters: Prologue

The loud screech of a horn invaded Eloise’s apartment, the barbaric noise ripping her from her peaceful slumber. It was her own fault for sleeping with the window open, every noise travelling into her bedroom from the streets. Her hand reached for her duvet, groaning softly as she hauled it up towards her head, wrapping herself in its warmth as she hid herself from the empty apartment that she called home.

Today of all days she had prayed for a lie in, for those few extra hours of bliss before she would have to get up and face the world. She didn’t sleep for long anyway but even just an hour or two extra would have been a treat for her, especially today. It would have been the best birthday gift anyone could have given her.

She released a single arm from the warmth of her duvet, grasping her mobile phone from her bedside table, removing the charging cable before tossing it to the floor and turning over so she faced the door of her bedroom. She unlocked her phone, being greeted with a few notifications from varied apps and a few text messages. Eloise couldn’t help but smile fondly at the happy birthday text from Scott, noting that it had been sent just moments after midnight. Obviously, he had to be the first one. She responded a quick ‘thank you’ text before opening her varied social media accounts, scrolling through the fake ‘happy birthday’ posts from people she no longer spoke to. She had contemplated deleting some of these apps but argued against it, guiltily enjoying watching drama unfold online in the comfort of her own home.

The sound of the phone ringing was too loud for Eloise first thing in the morning, sighing as she witnessed the name flash across the screen as his picture lit up with his big cheesy smile she hated to admit made her have one of the same emotion.

“What do you wan- “

“Happy birthday to my best friend! Oh, happy birthday to the one and only, Eloise Gray!” A loud voice sang through the phone, “Oh, she is twenty-one years old and is no longer underage today!”

“Are you done?” She laughed through the line.

“Not quite,” He clarified, clearing his throat before continuing with his made-up birthday song, “Miss Eloise Gray is an adult, she is legal! She can become black out with the best of them! She doesn’t need a fake ID anymore! She is fully legal to party!”

He dragged out that final note, his voice fading out to the sound of a scratched record, erupting a laugh from Eloise. He was always so over the top when it came to her birthday. No one could blame him. He always wanted to make it a day for her to cherish, a day full of fun memories that she could recall and laugh at. He put everything into making sure she had a fun birthday, throwing her a party every year with their friends, strictly confining the invitation list to those outside of the gang to allow Eloise to have a night off, a night where it was just her, Scott, and a bunch of their normal friends.

“Now I’m done,” He cleared his throat with a cough, the sound of his boots beneath him signalling that he was walking somewhere.

“Thank you,” She smiled helplessly, unable to get rid of the appreciative tone in her voice, “It’s a new one to add to the collection of birthday songs.”

“The best yet.”

“That’s debatable, Scott.”

She giggled at his fake offended gasp, smiling as she sat up in her bed, her back against the headboard as she listened into the background of his call. “Where are you? It sounds busy.” She stuck her leg out of the confinements of her duvet, feeling the cold fresh New York air constrict around her warm skin.

“On my way to get you,” He replied casually, “It’s your birthday, El, we have to celebrate like never before. And by that, I mean we need to go all out and have a full-blown party,”

“Isn’t that what we do every year?” She countered.

“Well, yes, but this time it’s going to be even better, you wanna know why?” He teased.

“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway,” She smirked, hearing his frustrated groan through the line before hearing a creak of a door that echoed on the other end the phone.

“Can’t you just play along for once in your miserable life?” He sighed loudly, the sound of his feet being heard through the line getting louder, it sounded like he was walking up some stairs, the footsteps echoing as if he was in a stairwell.

“No because that’s no fun for me,” She laughed lightly, “But anyway, enlighten me on how this year is gonna be better?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re twenty-one, we can go out into bars and clubs now without having to worry if you’re gonna get caught out with a fake ID,” He spoke with an obvious tone, speaking to Eloise as if she was stupid, “Which means we need to go out tonight and make sure that we remember absolutely nothing by tomorrow morning, so all that we can remember is what we can piece together by the numerous photographs and embarrassing videos that we will use to torment each other for the foreseeable future.”

“Are you still mad about that video of you dancing to Beyoncé that went slightly viral?” Eloise queried with a knowing tone, unable to stop the smirk spreading across her face at the memory of her birthday two years ago.

They had thrown a house party for her birthday, their friends all piling into her apartment as they spent hours together drinking, singing karaoke, and playing a hopeless amount of drunk board and card games. It was definitely a highlight of her birthday, one that she didn’t ever forget; mainly resulting in many embarrassing videos that never failed to make them smile over the years.

“Only slightly,” He said, a door slamming behind his words as he continued to move.

“You really need to get over that, it was two years ago, and it was funny,” Eloise couldn’t hold back her laugh, “You should lighten up, Scott.”

“And you should get dressed.”

Eloise looked up at the sudden voice that spoke both through her phone but also from the body that stood in her bedroom. She hadn’t even heard her door open and close when Scott entered, finding him stood in front of her as he held the phone by his ear still. Eloise lowered the phone, hanging up the call as she kept her eyes focused on the blonde boy who stood present, “What on earth are you doing here? What happened to ringing a doorbell or even better: telling me that you’re outside?”

“Eh that’s no fun,” He shrugged, smirking as he wandered over to Eloise’s wardrobe before opening it and searching through her clothes, “Also, a quick heads up that you need to look good tonight. By ‘good’ I mean the kind where even I would look at you and go ‘holy shit I want to take her home with me’.”

“You mean you don’t think that anyway?” She teased, winking at his tall stature as he glanced over his shoulder to where she sat on her bed.

“Dear god no,” He scrunched up his face, “I can’t think of anything worse; it would be like having sex with my sister.”

Eloise couldn’t hold back the snort that left her at his remark. He wasn’t wrong. The relationship the two of them shared was very much one of a brother/sister rather than friends. They hid nothing from one another and loved each other as if they really were siblings. He was the big brother that Eloise never had.

“What would you class as ‘good’ then?” She asked, rolling her eyes as she lifted herself out of her bed, moving across the room so she was stood behind him as he searched her wardrobe.

“Wasn’t my explanation before a perfect representation of what it means?” He asked, his eyes focusing on hauling different fabrics out of the cupboard.

“Not really.” She said straight, hearing him let out a short sigh as he continued his search. “Are you seriously going through my clothes right now to pick out an outfit for me?” She rolled her eyes as she witnessed the expression on his face, the corners of her lips turned up ever so slightly at the determination in his eyes.

He didn’t say anything else in the moment as he removed a number of tops from her wardrobe and placed them down on her bed. He returned to the wardrobe to do the same with bottoms and shoes. He would have chosen her underwear as well, but he assumed that was probably going too far.

Eloise confirmed, that was definitely going too far.

“These are your options,” He said, pointing at the variety of clothes spread against her bed, “I’ve expertly sifted through your clothes and pulled out these items that will work with each other regardless of your combination which will make you look gorgeous tonight,” He smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her into a side hug, “Like I said, tonight we are going all out and you are going to have the time of your life, even if it kills me. You are going to look stunning when you walk into the bar and you will have every single man in said bar desperate to dance with you, I promise.”

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or concerned at the amount of effort that you’re putting into this.” She spoke wearily.

“Can you just shut up and appreciate that I’m trying to do something nice for you?” He exaggerated his sigh and glared down at her, his arm lightly squeezing her as he pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head, “You deserve it for once, El, to just enjoy your night as you and not have to worry about anything else.”

“Is it hurting you to be this nice to me?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Very.” He nodded, trying to hold a serious expression.

Eloise couldn’t hold back her laugh as she turned to fully envelope Scott in a hug, wrapping her arms around him as she smiled. As much as he joked with her about how it killed him to be nice to her, she knew that it was all he ever was towards her. He was the best.

“Now can you hurry up and pick an outfit, I’m hungry,” He grumbled, releasing her, and gently pushing her towards her bed so she could piece together an outfit for her to wear tonight.

She stopped in her tracks halfway between Scott and her bed, turning in place to face him yet again, “Wait, why am I picking so early anyway?” She turned back to him, “If we’re going out tonight, I shouldn’t need to worry about what I’m wearing until later. Also, Scott, it’s not even 10am, why are we planning this now? Why not this afternoon?”

“Because you and I both have a free day, so I’m taking advantage,” He sighed as if it was obvious, “If we do this now, then we’ve got more time for our annual birthday breakfast as well as a few extra surprises I have in store for you.” He noted the small smile that spread along Eloise’s face, unable to hold back his own at the knowledge that it was genuine.

He lived for seeing his best friend smile, knowing she never had much to smile about. It warmed him to know he could do this for her on her birthday of all days.

*****

Eloise’s head slammed against the table in embarrassment as numerous employees of the café walked out from the staff door at the far side of the pastel coloured dining room, an eruption of voices singing happy birthday as they carried over a stack on pancakes to her table and set them down in front of her. Her eyes glared at Scott as he laughed, joining in with the song as he watched Eloise’s cheeks light up a bright shade of pink.

“I am going to kill you.” She grumbled over the voices that sang to her, her eyes unable to find a focal point as she felt the stares and smiles of strangers on her back who watched as the festivity continued around her.

After what felt like forever, the elderly employee wished Eloise happy birthday with a genuine smile spread across her face as she and the other employees disbursed and went back to work. The strangers around them also went back to their own food, socialising with those who sat opposite them in their booths. Eloise could slowly feel the eyes that were previously on her begin to dissipate, the burning sensation that rose on the back of her neck simmering down gently.

“You are so lucky that I have pancakes in front of me,” She warned, “If it were anything else, I swear I would throw it across the table at you.”

“’Thank you, Scott, that was so lovely and thoughtful of you’,” He mimicked her in a high pitched voice, “Oh no worries, El, just trying to do my part to make sure your birthday is a memorable one.”

She couldn’t help the goofy smile that graced her face as she looked at him. He was really trying to make this a day to remember. She appreciated the thought - although not the embarrassment - but the kindness behind the gesture that took place was one that made her smile with genuine thanks.

“You’re such an idiot,” She laughed as she cut into her food, shaking her head, “You would kill me if I did this for your birthday.”

“Exactly, which is why I can do it for you,” He shrugged, “But also the fact that I like my birthday is the reason why I would kill you for pulling a stunt like this, you on the other hand, despise the day so I pull out as many stops as I like to make it a day you can enjoy. And it looks like I am succeeding yet again for another year.”

It was sickening how lovely and thoughtful Scott could be when he tried. It was a polar opposite side to him compared to when he was tied up in the gang. The same could be said for Eloise, both of them acting almost completely different when in that situation.

The mood of breakfast subtly shifted while they ate; the change being noticed by Scott rather quickly as he watched while Eloise picked at her food. “What’s on your mind?” He asked, lifting a piece of toast to his mouth as he took a bite.

“It’s nothing,” She shook her head, smiling up at him, “Just thinking about how I’m going to finish these pancakes.”

“And what else?” He raised an eyebrow, watching as her breath hitched in her throat ever so slightly.

Usually when something bugged her and she brushed him off, he let it slide. He wouldn’t pester her, knowing that if it got bad then she would usually talk to him. But he knew she was vulnerable especially right now, her birthdays typically rolling with the same routine where she had a low moment or two before they were replaced with fun and adrenaline later on in the night.

“Honestly, it’s nothing.”

“El, please- “

“I said it was nothing so drop it!” She warned, glaring at him from across the table. She sighed deeply as she dropped her fork and placed her head in her hands, knowing she was just letting things get on top of her as she usually did on this day each year. She knew she would move past it and be fine in a few hours, but she couldn’t help but dwell on the maybes that circled her mind.

“You know you can always vis- “

“I’m not doing that,” She shook her head, not even looking at Scott as she cut him off, “There’s no way in hell I’m going there, especially today.”

“As much as it hurts, you’re going to have to do it one day,” Scott sighed as he leaned back in his chair, “Whether you want to or not, El, because you need to.”

“Go to hell.” She muttered, pushing her plate away from her, her stomach suddenly becoming sick at the thought of the pancakes that sat in front of her.

“Unfortunately for you I don’t think they’re quite ready for me yet,” Scott joked, “Maybe tomorrow if you’re lucky.”

He could sense the roll of her eyes from beneath her hands, a soft sigh building in his chest as he watched his best friend dwell on the memories that followed her with every step that she took in life. He did ask himself if one day she would get the closure she didn’t know she needed, if one day she would find the happiness she craved; not the happiness that she felt when she was having a good time with friends but instead a happiness where she could wake up in the morning and look at her life and love every moment she breathed. He wanted that for her more than most.

*****

She couldn’t stop staring at the clothes that were laid out for her on the bed, her eyes scanning over the different materials as she pieced them together in her mind. Was she crazy for being so bold? Well, most people wouldn’t call her outfit of choice for the nigh bold but for Eloise, this was definitely a step out of her comfort zone.

“You better be getting ready!” A voice called through the closed door of her room.

“Yeah.” She responded, fake conviction in her tone as she kept her eyes plastered on the mesh long-sleeved top that was staring back at her, as if playing an intimidation game.

Maybe she would feel better if she just got dressed, yeah maybe that would fix her nerves. Nerves? Is that what they were? She never feared a night out before so why was tonight any different?

Her fingers trailed over the blue denim skirt on her bed, sighing as she remembered the day that she had bought it. Well, the day it had been bought for her. She couldn’t fight the underlying twitch in her heart as she remembered the woman who bought her this skirt, remembering her almost as well as her own mother. Scott’s parents always looked out for her, and always bought her nice things for her birthday every year when she stayed with them, celebrating the day with great joy and treasuring the sentimental value that they carried with all celebrations. The denim skirt was the last thing Scott’s mother had bought for her before she left, it being found in a thrift store on one of her monthly escapades, seeing it and instantly thinking of Eloise. It was simple yet intricate, much the opposite of the girl who wore it.

Eloise, get over yourself and just get dressed for crying out loud! She scolded herself as she sighed, rubbing her face with her hands before she began to get dressed, silently trying to convince herself that she would feel better in a few hours.

Scott had pieced together their entire night, the birthday celebrations estimating to last until the early hours of the next morning as per usual on their nights out. Eloise couldn’t deny she was just a little bit excited about tonight, the buzz gently floating around in her stomach at the thought of spending time with her friends, allowing herself to feel like a normal girl living in the Big Apple.

She couldn’t stop her eyes from drifting to herself in the mirror as she stood in her bedroom, the minimal décor suddenly making her feel as if she was out of place, as if to feel unwelcome as the colours of her outfit contrasted against the neutral theme of her room. Her eyes followed the outline of her outfit, biting the inside of her cheek as she looked at where the skirt ended midthigh, the waistline of the denim material blending into the black mesh top she wore where her offending dark green lace bralette could be seen through the thin material.

Her choice of outfit was bold tonight when it came to her usual taste in clothes. She knew teasing comments would be made tonight by her friends, awaiting the joking remarks they would make in response to her somewhat bold choices. She would blame Scott for the decision, like she always did.

The sound of her bedroom door opening tore her eyes from the mirror, meeting her tall friend as he stood in the doorway and watched as the dark-haired beauty in front of him nit-picked at herself.

“Not too shabby,” He smirked, admiring his best friend as she stood in front of him, “Is that some colour I see?”

“Shut up,” She rolled her eyes, moving to walk past him and nudging past his shoulder as she walked out into her hallway, making her way into the kitchen to pour herself a drink. He always made her feel good, made her feel confident, and she appreciated it when she didn’t have the energy to do it herself. She didn’t usually doubt how she looked, it typically being one of the last things on her mind as she travelled around in her staple black jeans, white t-shirt, and rugged leather jacket with her classic combat boots. “Drink?” She called out to Scott.

She reached onto the kitchen island, grasping hold of the first bottle neck that caught her attention, her eyes scanned the label. Yeah, that would do. She poured some of the copper liquid into one of the plastic cups she kept stored for nights like these, reaching over and grabbing the nearest soda she could find, pouring it into the cup, and creating the alcoholic concoction that she prayed would give her the buzz she so desperately desired. She then followed the same recipe for the mixture as she poured it into another cup and handed it to Scott, placing it in his hands before knocking her cup against his in a ‘cheers’ notion, lifting the cup to her lips as she took a large gulp of the bitter drink.

She scrunched her face up at the sharp taste, shaking her head once as if to adjust to the aftershock and slight burn that settled in the back of her throat.

“Are you not going to let me do a birthday toast to kick your birthday off in style?” Scott asked, his eyes furrowed slightly as he watched Eloise take another drink.

“Considering how bad your rendition of happy birthday was this morning,” She smirked, “I think I’ll pass. I would prefer if we focused on getting as tipsy as possible before the others arrive so we can head out and paint the town.”

“For once in your life, you’ve actually had a good idea.”

“Dickhead.” She mumbled under her breath, clinking her plastic cup with Scott’s as they continued to drink, preparing for the night ahead.

*****

Her body vibrated with the beat of the music as it erupted throughout Moxi’s. She could barely hear herself think as she moved to the music with her friends, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face, her cheeks aching pleasantly at the people around her.

Unable to fight the buzz that took over her mind and body as she moved around the floor, grasping the hand of her friend, Paige, as she helplessly – and terribly – danced around the glowing floor. Eloise had lost count of how long she had been dancing more, never mind how long she had been at the club for. She witnessed the bodies around her, depicting each one as her friends as they surrounded her, each one in their own world as they danced around, smiles across their faces while they lived in the moment.

It was times like this she lived for, the moments where she was surrounded by the people who she loved more than life itself.

“Have you noticed that guy at the bar?” The voice she deciphered belonging to her friend, Mia, spoke loudly to her. Eloise’s eyes drifted over to the bar to her right, the neon lights along the top of the bar and scattered along the back wall in different phrases and patterns catching her attention initially before she admired the crowd that spread along that side of the club. Her eyes searched as people were dispersed along the bar, many of them shouting out with a glimmer of hope to catch the attention of one of the few bar staff that were littered along the bar before they stopped on him. Eloise let her eyes settle on him for a moment, feeling Mia’s body stood beside her but the heat that radiated from the excited brunette beside her was the last thing on her mind. “He’s been watching you since you got up to dance.”

“Has he?” Eloise felt her lips turn up at the thought of being watched by an attractive stranger, “What if he was just- “

“El, he was staring at you. By staring, I mean the ‘I want to take her home and fuck her senseless’ kind of stare,” She blurted, “In the least creepy way possible if you can even do that.”

Eloise just let a simple hum slip pass her lips as her eyes met the stranger’s, unable to decipher much about him due to the distance between them, but the one thing she could work out was that he was hot.

The heat of a hand on her wrist tore her eyes from the stranger at the bar, the brown of her irises turning around to be met with the olive green ones of Roman, another one of her friends who had come out to celebrate her birthday. She couldn’t help the smile that stayed on her face as he dragged her further into the dance floor, bodies surrounding them as they danced. Although her smile never faltered, Eloise couldn’t help but feel the small seed of disappointment that settled in her stomach due to her short lived, silent interaction with the handsome stranger.

“Where’s Scott?” She leaned into Roman’s ear to talk, realising that she hadn’t seen the blond for a while, the music around them seeming to increase in volume the further into the dance floor they travelled.

“Last I saw him, he was kissing some girl outside the bathroom,” He responded loudly as he held one of Eloise’s hands, spinning her in place.

“That’s my Scotty!” She erupted into laughter, clapping her hands briefly together before they were grabbed again by the summer-eyed boy in front of her as the dance moves got more exaggerated and more chaotic.

Eloise knew she was going to be in pain by the morning, her feet already slightly burning at the heels she had been forced to wear out tonight by Paige but especially because the movements her body was eliciting were not ones her body was made for. God, she was going to regret this, but in the best way possible.

The night continued on as the music did, shifting from numerous electronica tracks to the few well-known classics that caused the club to erupt into cheers as people sang along drunkenly to the words that they swore they knew. Eloise couldn’t deny that her mind wandered on more than one occasion throughout the night, the handsome stranger filling her drunk brain as she sat at a table with her group of friends.

The smile on her face was a drunk one, but one of fun. She was having a blast, something that she always knew she had when the celebrations got truly under way every year. Scott had outdone himself yet again in making this a birthday she enjoyed. Her mind was distracted from the puzzles and memories that usually haunted her, instead filling it with a fairy-like haze as the alcohol settled in her system, her body radiating a gentle heat as she sat surrounded by the people who mattered. Even if one of them was an estranged young lady with bleached red hair.

“So, Scotty, who’s your friend?” Jackson smirked, head nodding towards the red head who made herself present on their friend’s lap. It couldn’t be faulted that she was pretty but definitely too drunk to know who’s lap she was perched on.

“This is Lydia,” Scott spoke, his voice deep as his eyes scanned down her body before slowly meeting her eyes once again, a filthy smirk creasing his lips as his eyes practically undressed her in the public building.

“Pig.” Eloise coughed, keeping her voice quiet as she teasingly smirked at her friend across the table.

What happened to tonight being the night where Eloise would find someone to take home? But as per usual, Scott beat her to it.

Or did he?

“Move.” She muttered suddenly, her knee nudging Jackson’s jean covered leg as she tried to make her way out of the booth, her hand shoving his shoulder to hurry him along.

“How charming,” He rolled his eyes, “What happened to saying please?”

“Just move. I gotta pee.” She groaned, shoving him a bit harder this time.

Small outbursts of chuckles and smiles were exchanged around the table as Eloise made her way out of the booth, gathering her balance as she walked through the club, her eyes finding the toilet door just to the right at the far side of the bar. Her heeled feet carried her steadily through the crowds, walking along the makeshift path made by the gap between the people stood along the bar and those on the higher tables above the dance floor.

Eloise couldn’t stop herself as she allowed her eyes to travel subtly along the bar, keeping an eye out for a certain individual, wondering if he was still around for her to catch a knowing glance. Realisation struck her as she reached the bathroom door, her mind stopping the disappointment in its tracks before it had the chance to settle. She didn’t need to feel that right now. So what? A handsome stranger caught her attention then vanished? It wouldn’t be the first time.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror when she exited the stall, noting the way her hair fell down her shoulders, the way her pupils were enlarged slightly due to the buzz of the alcohol she had consumed throughout the night, the way her makeup was slightly smudged due to the sweaty atmosphere of the bar. She didn’t care enough to fix it, in a way admiring how it still looked presentable. Although she wasn’t sure if that was genuine or if her vision was just playing tricks on her.

Eloise couldn’t help but smile as the thin arms of Paige appeared around her torso as she was squeezed into an awkward hug from behind. “How’re you doing?” Paige smiled, her bleached blonde hair curling perfectly around her thin face.

“Why does everyone ask me that?” Eloise sighed, the smile disappearing as she looked at the reflections of the mirror. Paige noted the way Eloise’s body tensed, her shoulders squaring and her breath catching as she met her chocolate eyes in the mirror, her arms remaining comfortably around her friend as she rested her cheek against Eloise’s back.

“Because we know that you’re hiding something,” She spoke quietly, “El, we know things are bad, but you’ve got us, you need to talk to us about stuff.”

“I’d prefer not to,” She spat, “No offence but you guys don’t know anything so stop pestering and just let me enjoy my night.”

“And how do you expect to do that when you can’t get out of your own head?”

“You’ll see.” She told her, standing up straight before looking towards the door of the bathroom.

She was going to find that stranger and show her friends exactly how she wasn’t in her own head. She was going to make tonight her night.

Paige slowly released Eloise from her grip, turning the girl in her arms and looking into her oak-coloured eyes, smiling sweetly at her before she nodded towards the door, “Let’s make this a night to remember then,” She cared for Eloise as much as they all did, she saw her as a little sister like they all did; each of them feeling this urge to protect her and look out for her even though they knew she was more than capable of doing it on her own. They just couldn’t fight their primal urges.

Eloise’s feet could barely keep up as Paige dragged her back out into the loud atmosphere, the lights flashing around her as she led her back out onto the dance floor, her hands linking with the blonde’s as they began to dance; hips swinging and heels clicking as they moved to the beat of the music. The upbeat thumping of the current electronic track began to fade out, the smooth scratch of a familiar track beginning to take its place as it blasted throughout the club speakers. Laughter was held back by Eloise at her friend’s ecstatic expression, eyes the size of her head, her hands gripping those of the tall brunette as she pulled her further into the middle of the dance floor, her hips turning sultrier by the second as her movements slowed down to match the beat of the music.

To hell with it, Eloise thought. She grinned widely as she joined in, her hips matching Paige’s rhythm as she stood opposite her, both of them fully losing themselves in the song that surrounded them, their eyes focused on each other when they weren’t closed as they embraced the alcoholic buzz. She couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the feeling of multiple pairs of eyes on her. She could feel them burning through the fabric of her thin top as well as her skirt as the fabric rode up ever so slightly on her thighs.

Her lips parted slightly as she softly sang the words along with the music, swaying her hips to the rhythm. They were soon joined by Roman who found them on the dance floor, his hands finding Paige’s waist as he swayed with her from behind.

Eloise couldn’t deny the subtle feeling of dread when Roman showed up, enjoying it before when it was just her and Paige dancing. When he came into the picture, it just felt as if she was a third wheel to their relationship, a spare part in the project. She didn’t want to feel as though she was perceived as selfish for feeling that way, but she couldn’t help it.

“I’m gonna go and get another drink,” She called to Paige, brushing her hand with her own before slipping away from the crowd and heading over to the bar. Her aching feet carried her through the club, each heavy bassline of the song playing rattled through the place which Eloise felt with every step she took. Maybe another drink would help, she thought.

She found a perfectly timed space at the bar, slotting herself between the underage drinker to her left and the toy-boy to her right as she leaned against the bar, looking out to see where the nearest member of staff was stood along the bar. Her blunt nails tapped rapidly against the skin of her cheek while her head in her hand, her eyes absently reading the neon signs that were scattered around as she waited to give her request. This was the one downside about separating from your group on a night out; having to actually go and wait at the bar to order your own drink. Typically, their group would order in bulks so one person would buy for everyone to save multiple trips every time that someone wanted a drink.

Before she knew it, a bright yet tired smile greeted her from behind the bar, a young man with shaggy auburn hair stood at the till and asked her for her order. It took a moment to register that it was her chance, her throat catching for a second before clearing and allowing her to speak.

“Just a vodka and lemonade please.” She smiled sweetly, trying to somehow ease the tension in her ankles from her heels and she shifted her weight between both feet.

“Single or double?” He asked, pressing a couple of buttons on the black machine before his eyes met her own once again, “Or is that a stupid question?”

“Surprise me.” She winked, letting out a small laugh as she reached into her bag and pulled out her card.

Thankfully, the barman didn’t long to make her concoction, allowing her to get back to her friends as soon as possible, being reunited with the familiar faces she was spending the night with. She made her back to the booth where her friends sat, perching herself on the edge of one of the seats as she sipped her sweet drink. She caught the end of a conversation – more like an argument – between Jackson and Mia, the situation seeming to be get heated between them as Mia looked to be close to tears.

“What the fuck is going here?” Eloise cried out, spotting her friend with glassy eyes leaning forward as she pointed an accusing finger towards the broad man sat on the opposite side of the booth. Her eyes shot between the two young adults, confusion clouding her brain as she tried to figure out what happened, the drunk state she was currently in not helping the situation much.

She made a silent note of Scott’s absence, already knowing that Paige and Roman were dancing, her eyes glancing around for the blond friend who she knew would be with the red head she met previously. No sign of them… Great.

She tried to concentrate as her two friends continued to argue over the table of the booth, hopeless slurs being thrown at each other as they yelled. Eloise really didn’t understand what was going on, nor did she care in all honesty, but she still had to be the good friend who would break up the argument and restore peace to the friendship. She really didn’t want to have to share a taxi back with them if they were still arguing.

“How did this even start?” She groaned, throwing her head back dramatically as she rolled her eyes, looking back up at her friends before she waited for the rushed explanations to begin. As much as she loved Mia dearly, she knew she was one for starting arguments when she drunk, it was what she was known for. There wasn’t a night that involved alcohol where there wasn’t a fight that had to be defused due to her.

Long story short, Jackson made a comment about a girl’s dress and Mia took it upon herself to assume he was being rude, and accusing said girl of having ill intentions of her night out. Which, of course, is ridiculous and Mia would have known had she not been numerous double mixers into her night.

Eloise couldn’t hold back her frustrated sigh as she glared at Mia who could barely sit up right in the booth. She needed to be taken home. For a gang banger who put up with a more brutal situations in her daily life, it was a drunken friend that drove her to her limit. “Take her home, Jack,” She sighed, keeping her eyes firmly planted on the brunette who swayed in place, “She’s had too much to drink and the last thing we need is her being kicked out of here alone.”

Eloise assisted her friends in her own drunken state, the alcohol leaving her with a gentle buzz as she sipped her drinks throughout the night, lifting Mia up from her seat and helping her walk towards the door of the club, patting Jackson’s shoulder as he led their friend outside and into a taxi.

Two down, three to go…

She took a deep breath as she made her way back over to her table, silently begging that nobody had claimed it as their own while she walked her friends out, hoping that even in a drunk state, people would see jackets and bags and realise that people were sitting there. Who was she kidding, that never happened. Which is why she wasn’t surprised when she found someone sitting at her table when she returned, her heels clicking against the floor as she made her way over, ready to make the intruder aware that the table was already taken.

Well, she was about to until he looked up, his face causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She felt her mouth suddenly dry up as her eyes froze on his calm expression as he looked at up her, sensing her presence without her speaking a word. She couldn’t ignore the beauty that his face held, the tanned skin that she could make out beneath the flashing lights of the club, the deep dark eyes that met her own as they stayed in silence.

It was him. The handsome stranger.

“You’ve got some moves by the way,” His voice spoke out, his eyes remaining connected with hers, his tongue running along the inside of his bottom lip. He noted her shallow breath that she attempted to take without being noticed, unable to hide the shaking in her throat as she exhaled. “Something that I’m sure gets a lot of attention.”

“Your point is?” She spoke up, her voice surprisingly strong although her breathing was not.

She couldn’t help the lump that formed in her throat when she saw his smile, a teasing strip show was less erotic than that goddamn smile. She felt the effects of that charming smile knock her for six.

“Just saying there must a lucky guy who gets to see that later in all its glory,” He smirked, his posture straightening as he reached for her glass of vodka lemonade, lifting it to his lips and taking a small sip.

Eloise could only dream of being that glass in that moment. What was happening to her? What happened to the tough exterior she usually put on; the one that typically made boys fall at her knees? This time she was the one who was crumbling at the feet of a man she didn’t even know.

“And what if there isn’t?” She straightened her back, attempting to regain her confidence, erasing the previous rush of butterflies as she resumed back to her placid stance, allowing for her feet to carry her the rest of the way to the table, comfortably leaning against the edge as she stood just metres away from the man who easily claimed her attention. Who would have thought a stranger would have so much control in such little time?

Eloise was sure it happened all of the time, unable to deny how handsome he was, how pretty he was. He must have had numerous women falling at his feet for a chance with him, and Eloise was no different than the rest of them. But she didn’t want him to know that.

“Then that would be shame,” He teased, moving along the booth so he sat right at the edge, his eyes never breaking contact with hers, “A true utter shame.”

She noted how his voice slowed down, his annunciation of each word made clear through his mixed accent. It sounded American but there was a twang in there, she couldn’t pinpoint from where exactly. “And why is it such a shame? It’s not as if it affects you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, doll,” He stood to his feet, the muscles beneath his leather jacket bulging as he leaned an arm against the table and turned to face her, “It wouldn’t be very gentlemen like of me to allow a young lady like yourself to travel home alone in your state.”

She couldn’t help the smirk itching her face, rethinking the amount of drinks she had consumed over the course of the night, the buzz still filling her with a warmth as her brain gently felt like a slow-motion volleyball being tossed back and forth inside her head. She had to admit to herself that for such a gorgeous man he had poor game. Although she couldn’t deny the nickname elicited an excitement inside her she didn’t know existed, causing something inside of her desperate to hear it once more. With the distance between them closed further, she noticed his beauty only grew as did his height. He was more beautiful than she already thought, or maybe it was just the alcohol taking over again. She noticed how plump and soft his lips looked, how his cheeks were full and supple, while his eyes were dark like hers but seemed to hold a vortex beneath them; a vortex which she wanted to explore.

“I think I’ll manage just fine on my own,” She leaned against the table, her hand resting on her hip as she admired his sculpted face.

“Doll,” He spoke, his voice merely above a whisper yet she could hear it perfectly clear, “Why can’t you just take a hint that I’m interested? And I can tell that you are too.”

“I think you’re overestimating your game,” She teased, although the effect the name had on her wasn’t hidden, “You’re pretty but your game is shit.”

“Oh, but I can assure you, my mouth can do more than just talk a shit game,” He licked the corner of his bottom lip, the edge of his tongue poking out as he watched her eyes flicker.

She hated that she was so turned on by the sound of that. Eloise could always fake emotions pretty well but in this situation, the attempt at hiding how she felt was futile. God, what was she doing? Was she actually considering disappearing with this man and getting up to goodness knows what? Yes, she was.

Before Eloise could begin to comprehend what was happening, she was in the back of a cab, her lips attached to his as his large hands roamed along her thighs, hips, and torso as she straddled him. The apology for the taxi driver being the last thing on her mind, her subconscious aware that they were probably used to these sights in the unsociable hours after a Saturday night.

She couldn’t help but make a mental note of how soft his lips were against her own, how large his hands were as they slid down her body and cupped her behind, the grip against her skin through her denim skirt sent heat to multiple areas of her body, his touch erupting a fire within her.

She panted for breath as he detached his lips from hers, his plump ones creating a path as they trailed along her jaw and down her neck, his teeth coming into the mix as he gently nipped at her soft skin, working his way to leave a mark; a brand that marked her as his for the short amount of time that they would spend together.

“I didn’t…” She panted; her voice weak as her eyes closed at the sensation his mouth evoked within her. She tilted her head to the right, allowing him greater access to paint her skin with various shades of blue and purple as her hands found his hair, “I didn’t even catch your name.”

She felt the vibration of his hum travel through her, the noise was deep yet symphonic much like the tone of his voice as he spoke, “The name’s Calum, sweetheart, but you can call me whatever you want.”

His voice sounded exasperated, as if it was lost and he was searching for the air to breath, his lips reattaching to her neck as they travelled back up her body, reattaching with her own pink ones as he placed a long, sucking kiss to them that he never wanted to end. “And what should I call you?”

“Eloise,” She whispered, her lips lightly brushing his as she spoke, her voice so quiet it could barely be heard, “But you can call me El.”

And by god he did. Repeatedly.

---

Tag List: @steviemae​

[theys-a-joke]

A Weight Shared is a Weight Halved

Summary: “That was lie.” Davey spat out after they had left, making Jack frown.

“Hey,” Jack said, his tone authoritative, “we all gotta lie sometimes to save our own asses.”

Request: Yes, by my brother

Content Warning: N/A

Relationship: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly

AO3 Link: right here my guy

There were several reasons that Jack liked about being the unofficial leader of the newsies of Manhattan. The first, was that it gave him a lot of respect, which he had fought tooth and nail for and gripped tight every day. The second, was that he was given the “penthouse” of the lodging house, which gave him time to be alone when he needed it. The third, was that he was loved, and that was what he cherished the most. 

They all worked in tandem though, to make Jack’s life easier. Up on the rooftops, no one could see him, and down below, amongst the newsies, no one would tell. But to be fair, he had only told a few people. He was surprised at how long Race was able to keep his mouth shut about this though. He deserved more credit. And Crutchie, well Crutchie was Jack’s best friend, and in the same way Jack would never let anything happen to Crutchie, Crutchie made sure nothing bad would ever happen to Jack. 

That was, until there were some new faces among the crowd. Two boys, one older and one significantly younger. Jack was making his way to introduce himself, but Crutchie had gotten to them first. He managed to hear the tail end of their conversation. 

“...wese a pretty tight knit group here, we’ll watch out for you, ‘s long as you watch out for us.” 

“We’ll see about that.” The older boy said, clearly one to keep to himself. Boy was he going to have a hard time here. 

“Hey Jack!” Crutchie greeted him once he finally made his way over. “This is David and Les.” 

“Pleasure to meetcha Davey.” Jack said, sticking his hand out. He knew David’s type, all work and no play. Jack could work with that. 

“It’s Dav-.” He started, before finally looking at Jack. He all but froze when he looked at him. Their eyes met for a moment, and Jack saw three things, one, some sort of recognition, cogs moving into the place, and for a moment Jack was afraid that he knew. And if David knew, then things could turn disastrous. But he also saw something else. Not only was there recognition, but there was this fear of his own, a fear of himself. But behind all that, he saw curiosity, hope maybe. Yeah, he definitely could work with that. 

Their moment didn’t last though, interrupted by Les. 

“Crutchie was telling us that you’re the best at selling! Do you think you could help us out? Since it’s our first day and all.” 

This kid knew how to play people like a fiddle, and while Jack was typically not one to be played, this was certainly an exception. 

“Sure thing, kid.” Jack smiled, before tapping his hat down in front of his eyes. “Let’s getcha some papes and I’ll show youse the ropes.”

They were walking to Jack’s selling spot, right on the corner of a bakery. He knew the baker and was always able to get the week old bread and bring it back to the newsies. That gave him an idea for later. 

“Alright, so here’s how you start. You take your pape,” he says, taking a paper out of his bag, putting it in Davey’s hand, “an’ you hold it up, like so.” He raises Davey’s hand, waving it around a bit, encouraging him to do so. 

He saw the way Davey’s eyebrows raised at the blatant touching of hands, and the way his face had started to flush. Quickly, Davey pulled his hand out of Jack’s and took a step back. While Jack was admittedly joking, he still felt hurt at his reaction, but he knew how to hide it. 

He did the same with Les, who looked up at his brother with knowing eyes, and whether or not it was accidental, hit his brother in the face with his paper, shouting, “Paper! Morning’s paper! Get it right here!” 

“Well I’ll be, kid’s already got it.” Jack said, grinning. 

“Mornin’ paper! Ships sinking in the middle of the Atlantic!” He yelled. Soon enough, someone had come to buy his paper and Les’.

“Thank you young man.” It was just a passing comment, but it was enough to make Jack’s day. 

“That was lie.” Davey spat out after they had left, making Jack frown. 

“Hey,” Jack said, his tone authoritative, “we all gotta lie sometimes to save our own asses.” His statement was just so that it set the mood for the rest of the day. They sold in silence, except for the shouting of headlines. While they didn’t make eye contact, there seemed to be some unspoken sympathy and respect that Davey now had for Jack. And to make matters worse, after Jack had finished selling his own papers, he took some of Davey’s to sell, putting the money right into his hand. Jack was making it very hard for Davey not to like him. 

With their papers sold, Davey bid Jack a goodnight, intending to get away from him as soon as possible, before Jack called out after him. 

“Hey Davey! Uh, if youse ever, if youse and Les ever wanna, uh, come back to the lodging house and hang out with me and that gang, you’re welcome to it.” He said, sheepishly. 

Davey looks up at him and Jack smiles, he can see that he’s genuinely considering it, but he shakes his head. “Another time.” He says, before turning away. 

Another time. Jack was going to make sure there was in fact another time. 

They continued on like that for a week. They would meet up in the morning, buy their papers, go sell them on the corner of the bakery, and then Jack would invite them back to the lodging house and Davey would decline, despite his brother’s pleading. 

Jack continued finding ways to fluster Davey, whether it be brushing shoulders with him on benches, slapping his thigh to get him up, and touching his face when he made a joke. He managed to get Davey to smile a lot more that week, and really, that was enough for Jack. Just seeing the guy come out of his shell and get more comfortable around him. 

It was a day, just like any other Jack and Davey and Les had spent together selling, but it was also the day that Jack picked up the bread and pastries and such. 

“Alright fellas, I’m gonna have to say goodnight early today. It’s been a pleasure.” He said, tipping his hat before going around to the back of the bakery. When he came back though, Davey and Les were still there.

“Don’t you guys gotta get home?” He asked. 

“Actually, um…” Davey started, face and neck flushing. 

“We were hoping to come back with you to the lodging house!” Les finished for him. Jack smiled, oh how quickly tides could turn. 

“Yeah, for sure.” He says, nodding his head for them to follow him. “You guys chose a good night to come over, we’ve got some treats.” He said, holding up the bag. 

They make their way back to the lodging house, Les filling in the silence that fell between Davey and Jack. They walked next to each other, and Jack couldn’t help the smile that graced his face as their hands brushed occasionally. Every once in a while when that happened, he would glance over at Davey. He wasn't as shaken up about it as he had the past week, and if Jack looked hard enough, he would see just the quirk of a smile on the corners on his lips. 

When they reached the lodging house, a cheer went up as they saw Jack with his bag of treats. They all came rushing forward, asking about what he brought, before they looked over to Davey and Les, and cheered again. Davey saw some exchanges of money in hands, as if they had bet on him. It was interesting to see so many people interested in him. 

As soon as the door to the lodging house closed, with all the newsies inside, Davey both saw and felt a shift in mood. It was like a weight was lifted off of all their shoulders now that they didn’t have to face the prying eyes of New York City. As the energy changed, he saw newsies sitting together, playing cards and eating pastries, sharing jokes and pillows and blankets, it was something that he had never seen before up close, and he felt a weight begin to lift off his own shoulders. He saw Les make his way over to a group of younger kids playing jacks, and they welcomed him with open arms. Something Davey had never experienced. 

Lost in his thoughts, Jack manages to bring Davey back to the present by tapping on his shoulder. His hand slides down his arm, lingering on his hand, pulling it gently as he stepped back, silently asking him to follow. 

Davey did, and was soon led up to the top of the lodging house. He could see the stars up here, and feel the wind. He could practically see all of Manhattan, and it felt wonderful. 

“What is this?” Davey asked, quietly. 

“This is my penthouse.” Jack said, taking a seat. He took a piece of bread out of his bag and ripped it in two. He handed a piece to Davey before speaking again. 

“Do you ever feel like, there’s a part of you youse gotta hide in order for the world to see you as you want them to see you?” 

Davey is speechless for a moment, the question surprising him. He responds instantly though once he processed it. “Yes. All the time.” 

“And ya think that if you put in all this effort, all this work, to look normal, and some people still don’t see it?”

“Of course.” He says, moving towards Jack.

“You try so hard sometimes and it just isn’t enough. And it hurts, real bad, and you think, what’s the point?” 

Davey is silent again, as he sits next to Jack, collecting his thoughts. 

“Them.” He says, simply.

“What?”

“Them, the other newsies. You try for them, to make their world a better place.” 

“Yeah, but I’ve got no idea if it’s workin’.” Jack admits. 

“It is. I assure you.” Davey says, taking the bread out of Jack’s hand and setting it aside. 

“Not so sure I can take your word for it.” Jack says, smiling at Davey, his face coming closer. 

Davey hesitates for a moment, before finally meeting him the rest of the way. Their lips collide and Jack’s hand immediately comes up to cup Davey’s face, it feels like it belongs there. Davey can feel his mouth part slightly, and his teeth hitting Jack’s. He’s never kissed anyone, certainly not another boy, but Jack didn’t pull away. He just smiled into the kiss and helped correct it. Davey felt his head get turned slightly, and it made kissing Jack all the easier. He wanted more so desperately, his hands had turned into fists, balled with Jack’s shirt, pulling him closer. His hands catch on something underneath and Jack pulls away. In a retelling of this event, Davey would leave out the part where his mouth followed Jack’s to the point of him falling into the other boy, as well as the fear on Jack’s face. 

“Jack… are you okay?” Davey asks, eyes scanning Jack’s face.

“Yeah. I’m alright.” He says, turning away from him. In doing so, he doesn’t see the pain that paints Davey’s face. 

When Jack turns back, part of his shirt is undone, and Davey can see the binding on his chest. 

“Guess we’ve both got our secrets, huh?” Jack says, sheepishly, trying his best to make himself smaller. 

“We do.” Davey says, pulling Jack closer again. He pulls him into his arms and holds him for a moment, before Jack pulls away yet again. 

“You’re not upset?” He asks, voice small. 

“I have no reason to be. I want you to know Jack, this doesn’t change the way I feel about you.” He says, taking Jack’s hand in his. Jack leans forward and kisses him again, gently. It’s a thank you, a promise, and everything else Jack can’t say right now, but plans on saying in the future.  

[writethehousedown]

In My Head, We Belong (Gigi/Crystal) Chapter One - Zyan

Summary: Gigi tries to keep her feelings for Crystal as a secret, while juggling orders, her side job as a seamstress, helping her very clueless friend Jan ask an equally clueless Jaida out on a proper date and begging Silky, Heidi and Dusty to please stop their Who Can Cook Faster competition.

a/n: new fic who dis. I’m back back back again! The new season really has sparked my creative juices :) This began as a small request I did on my blog and it turned out into a very fluffy universe. I hope you like it! Much like Genie AU, I’m having a lot of fun writing this. 💖 Frey is the bestest beta, and y'all can find me over at @chachkisalpaca. The title comes from the Doja Cat’s song “Streets.”

Widow’s restaurant might not be a five star one - or four even - but she keeps it neat and clean, the walls get painted whenever Widow spots the tiniest of cracks in the paint, and she’s got a handful of regular patrons. She’s also the best boss Gigi has ever had.

She makes sure they all eat a good meal before beginning with their shifts, pays them a little extra the nights they’re full and still manage to serve all customers as good as they can, understands when they can’t come to work for whatever the reason might be, and doesn’t need much explanations when they request a night off, because she trusts her girls. As far as the staff is aware, Widow is an angel disguised as a human.

They’re usually full on Saturdays, the kitchen turning into a war zone as Dusty, Heidi, and Silky try to get the waitresses orders ready, sometimes competing between each other who’ll gets their order ready the fastest. For a moment it’s amusing to the waitresses, until they get carried away and have to be reminded that it’s not time for their foolishness, it’s time for dinner.

This Saturday though, it’s almost empty - a couple with their kids being the only clients they’ve gotten so far, since a storm broke loose.

“Well, the weather man did say we’re gonna have a few days with rain,” Jan comments, standing in the tip of her toes to watch the rain from the window of the back door.

“Yeah, but this is not Singing in The Rain type of rain, this is like, I dunno, Sharknado kinda weather,” Crystal replies, throwing a green nine to the table. Jaida huffs and reaches for a card in the pile before passing.

“Have you ever seen Sharknado?” Heidi asks; her brows are knitted in a confused frown as she throws a green +2. Silky bangs her fist on the table, proceeding to frantically search for a card to kill off Heidi’s.

“… No,” Crystal admits at the same time Silky slams a +4. “Fuck! I hate y’all,” she groans as she draws six cards from the pile. Heidi and Silky high five with smug smiles and giggle.

Gigi watches them, completely amused, leaning against the door frame. She’s not sure if they should be playing Uno during work hours, despite not being a single soul around, but Widow gives them more liberties than a boss normally does. Hell, sometimes she’s the one to come into the kitchen with a Uno deck, asking if anyone wanna play.

“I’d join, but I feel like Heidi and Silky have some sort of trickery going on,” Brianna says, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, glancing up at them from time to time.

Gigi looks at the pair, noticing the looks they share from time to time and cocks a brow. She’s not even surprised; Heidi and Silky are a competitive duo, though Heidi shows it a lot less.

“Do you think one of them is sitting on a bunch of +2 cards?” Gigi asks, stifling a giggle. Brianna snorts, locking her phone.

“Most likely, it’s like the fourth time they made Crystal pick up since they started playing. Notice how suspicious it is that she hasn’t picked any +2 or +4 yet?” She comments just as Jaida slams a card on the table, yelling ‘Uno’.

Gigi snickers; though she prefers full nights because it’s a good moment for tips, she doesn’t mind when once in a while it’s completely deserted and they get to relax and have fun together.

Though that fun results in Crystal throwing her cards to the ground after a collective work between Jaida, Heidi, and Silky in which each of them throws a +4; she abandons the game saying she’ll never play again with them. She goes over to Brianna and Gigi with her arms folded and a childish pout.

“Please, tell me I’m not the only one that believes they’re cheating,” she says as she looks back at Silky and Heidi. They’re now battling against each other to see who the final loser is, and it’s honestly hilarious.

“I wouldn’t be surprised; I’m used to them cheating whenever we play anything. They’re competitive bitches,” Gigi replies, Crystal laughs softly and Gigi smiles to herself.

Sometimes the fact that she’s still there after two years surprises her; she’d never thought she’d actually like this job and her co-workers, considering them her second family.

She also has feelings for one of the members of said family, but she’ll never say that out loud.

Gigi’s so distracted by her thoughts, she doesn’t hear Jackie behind the door, almost falling on her back if it wasn’t for her.

“Wow! You okay, G?” She asks with a concerned voice. Gigi nods, and Jackie helps her stabilize herself. “Girls, please clean this up, believe it or not we’ve got clients. Silk, they ordered two menus of the day; can you take care of it?”

Silky stares at Jackie for solid five seconds before slowly starting to get up and all of a sudden there are several Uno cards spilled all across the floor. Well, guess Brianna was right.

“You cheating bitch! I knew you had something up in your sleeve,” Crystal exclaims, completely offended.

“Or your ass,” Jaida points out with a laugh, kneeling to pick up the cards. “You are one shady bitch, someone remind me to tell Widow to ban you from the Uno games.”

“Ban who from Uno?” Widow asks as she enters the kitchen. Jaida points at Silky, telling her about the cheating. Widow clicks her tongue. “Silky, I’ve told you already; if you’re gonna cheat, put those cards in your thighs, not ass!” Widow scolds, but soon she’s loudly laughing along with Silky.

Jackie pinches the bridge of her nose, counts until ten, and claps her hands, hurrying Silky to get her orders ready. Then, Widow remembers why she stepped into the kitchen in the first place.

“The storm is getting really bad; does everyone have a way to get home safely? I wouldn’t mind going out of my way to drop some of y’all off,” she offers, speaking loud enough so everyone in the kitchen can hear her.

“My grandpa lent me his car because he heard it’d rain today. I could also drop some of y’all home,” Dusty pipes up from the other side of the room.

“I came here with Jesus and an umbrella, so I’ll take any of you two on that,” Heidi says, looking back and forth between Dusty and Widow.

“Well, John is picking me up today, so I guess I’ll pass.” Crystal shrugs, and Gigi knits her brows in a frown.

“Who’s John?” Gigi asks before she can stop herself. Crystal looks at her with a toothy smile that may or may not make her heart sting a little.

“Oh, he’s a guy I met at a friend’s birthday party. We’ve been going out for like, two weeks or so. I thought everyone knew, I’ve pretty much annoyed everyone during Friday’s lunch shift talking about him,” she explains excitedly, and Gigi has to restrain herself from letting her devastation show on her face.

“I’m not on the lunch shifts, just the night ones,” she simply says, and the topic soon goes back to the previous one, Gigi remaining silent for most of the conversation, except to say she’d appreciate a ride home.

The rest of the night remains uneventful, since they’ve got no other clients. They close early, and they only leave when Crystal’s guy arrives, the redhead quickly says goodbye to all of them as she climbs inside his car with a big smile.

As she stares out the window, watching how the streets empty more and more, Gigi thinks she couldn’t be upset with Crystal for going out with people, since she isn’t planning on confessing her feelings to her.

It doesn’t mean it hurt any less, though.