#i'm realising warm tones are just not for me anymore. never again will i go the red route

[swordsofsaturn]

kind of sick of life just being one long identity crisis

[runninriot]

Love Is A Polaroid Steddie ficlet | ~2k | cw: implied/referenced self-destructive behaviour, drinking, a little heartbreak before it gets better | happy sappy steddie & platonic stobin

inspired by the insanely talented @inklessletter 's #polaroid series (go check out their art right now!!!)

   "Steeeve, please!" Robin begs. Literally begs.

Like, hands folded together as if in prayer, a pleading look in her eyes, expression as if she's in pain.

   "Robs, no! I don't- that's stupid. I don't feel comfortable with you following us around to take pictures for your- whatever it is." He waves a hand at her dismissively.

   "It's a project, Steve. For my Photography Studies course."

He should know, she already explained that. Told him something about visualizing love in its purest form. Told him she wants to take polaroid pictures of him and Eddie. No posing, just random shots whenever she feels like it. Pictures in black and white - something about using dark tones and deep contrasts to enhance the beauty of simple moments in their day to day life.

   "Whatever. I still don't get why it has to be us?"

Steve is a little frustrated. She's been going on about her wonderful idea for a good few minutes now, not willing to drop the subject no matter how adamantly Steve declines. She knows how shy he gets when he knows someone is taking a picture of him. He hates how he always looks a little off, has never felt very photogenic. So, the mere thought of Robin capturing him in possibly awkward situations with his boyfriend makes his skin crawl.

   "Well, first of all, you are my best friends, so it would mean a lot to have you be part of it. Plus, we live together so I wouldn’t be around you any more than I already am. You wouldn’t even notice. And you two are the perfect motive because-“ Robin’s eyes flicker down to her own feet, unable to hold his gaze.

Her face is suddenly painted with a faint crimson blush. Steve's furrowed brows smooth out and his expressions go soft again when he looks at his best friend's bashful little smile as she looks sheepishly back up at him.

   "You are the perfect motive because I've never seen two people being so in love with each other. Makes me sick how soft and cute you two are, if I'm honest."

Robin chuckles and Steve snorts loudly, both rolling their eyes at the same time because God, when did Robin become such a sap?

   "What you and Eddie have is love in its purest form. It’s unapologetic, honest, and real. It's all I ever want to find for myself. I'm fucking jealous of you, Steve!"

They laugh and Steve ignores the violent tug in his heart caused by her words.

What him and Eddie have really is special. He knows it's some kind of miracle that they've ended up where they are now. It wasn't always that easy. There were times when Steve wanted to just give up. When the world tumbled down and buried him under its weight. When he thought he could never have Eddie like that, wanted to rather die than live life without him.

When Steve realised he had fallen in love with his best friend, his best male friend, he panicked. Finding out he likes boys like he likes girls wasn't even the scariest part. What really took him out was the fear of losing Eddie if he ever told him the truth. For weeks he tried to push his feelings down, tried to cage them behind his ribs but all it did was make him suffer even more. Every time Eddie looked at him, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. Every time Eddie touched him, it left a searing sensation on his skin. Every time they were alone, Steve felt like he was losing his mind, desperately trying to fight the urge to kiss the boy so blissfully unaware of the heartache he caused him. He fought and suffered in silence until he couldn’t take it anymore and succumbed to the tormenting ache in his chest. Until he fell into a dark hole.

Steve drifted apart, dulling his feelings with unhealthy amounts of booze. Hunting for warm, willing bodies to sink into. Starving for touch and affection just to feel anything other than the grief-stricken pain of losing the lover he never even had to begin with.

Of course, his self-destructive behaviour hadn’t gone unnoticed by his friends. Robin tried everything in her power to get through to him. Offered advice and help for all the wrong problems because she couldn’t have known that the real issue was his own fucking mind and his inability to talk about what kept him up at night. What made him so angry and distant and numb.

And then there was Eddie. Sweet, kind, and caring Eddie who couldn’t keep watching his friend ruin his own life anymore. Who gave him an ultimatum – stop hurting yourself or I’ll leave.

Eddie’s words felt like a pistol held to his head, the determination in his teary eyes like a finger ready to pull the trigger. Steve knew he meant it, knew this was his last chance. He would lose the one person that meant everything to him.

   “I can’t lose you, Eddie.”

   “Then let me love you instead.”

He said the words like it was easy. Like it hadn’t nearly cost Steve his sanity to even think them.

Love.

Love you.

   “I love you!”

Steve felt like he was startling awake from a nightmare. One of those where, once you’ve opened your eyes, you instantly forget its horrors. That’s what it felt like when his confession found its way out of his mouth, making the pain of the past months disperse into nothingness.

Eddie had been right there all this time.

Eddie, with tears running down his beautiful face, smiling lovingly at Steve. Eddie, who brought his hands up to each side of Steve’s face before he leaned down and sealed his lips with a bruising kiss. Despair and pain spilling from his mouth as he licked his way inside, forcefully pushing something else in their place. Filling Steve’s insides with warmth and light and happiness. Passion running through his veins, pumping love into his heart, restarting the rotten organ to pick up its once steady beat. Its rhythm hard and fast, growing in size so big Steve felt like it would burst right through his chest.

I. Love. You.

Three simple words were all it took.

All the pain, the suffering, the loveless nights, and dreadful days – they all vanished in the seconds it took to say them out loud.

Three simple words, that seemed so frightening in his mind, so loaded with too much meaning and not enough weight to truly express what he felt.

What he still feels.

Loving Eddie and be loved by him in return is so easy. It’s easy because it just comes naturally. It’s what makes their love so pure, so honest, and true. They have one heart beating in two separate bodies. They are a two-piece puzzle, their curves and edges shaped to fit. A perfect match.

Steve holds out his hands, waits for Robin to take them in hers, and pulls her into a hug.

   “Eddie already said yes, hasn’t he?” Steve says through a defeated smile.

   “Well, his exact words were ‘You’re gonna regret it, Bucks.’ And then he said something about being extra nasty and insufferable just to wind me up. But yeah, he’s on board.” Robin huffs out a laugh.

Steve pulls her tighter, laughs when he practically hears Eddie’s voice in his head, sees his mischievous grin before his inner eye.

Eddie loves to be the centre of attention. Loves to be in the spotlight. Of course, he would be happy to provide himself as vessel for Robin’s artistic outlet.

    The things you do for love, Steve sighs before he agrees.

 

Polaroid #1

Movie night. The three friends are watching some old, trashy horror movie. Steve had a very stressful day at work, can barely keep his eyes open when they’re not even 15 minutes into the movie. He falls asleep on the couch, unbothered by Robin and Eddie’s bickering and laughing. When the movie comes to an end, Eddie leans down to Steve’s resting body, foreheads touching as he takes a moment to just listen to the other man’s calm breathing. ‘Hey baby,’ Eddie whispers softly, ‘time to get up.’ He kisses the tip of Steve’s nose, waits for him to slowly drift out of his deep slumber.

Steve smiles sleepily when he opens his eyes and sees Eddie’s face hovering over him, accepts the gentle press of Eddie’s lips against his own.

   ‘C’mon, darling. Let’s get you to bed.’

   ‘I’m not even tired anymore,’ Steve says, his face scrunched up when he yawns loudly.

   ‘Hmm, I know a way to tire you out, baby. Don’t worry,’ Eddie answers smugly, brushing their noses together before he kisses him again.

Robin makes a gagging sound, but smiles as she takes a picture to capture this soft little moment.

Polaroid #2

Sunday morning. They are all a little groggy from Robin’s early birthday celebrations last night. They’ve been out dancing, downing shot after shot, having an awesome time. Now, the buzz from the night before is gone and makes way for headaches and hangover munchies. Steve promised Robin pancakes in the morning and she’s desperate for him to finally get up and make them. She knocks on their bedroom door and steps in without waiting for an answer. The boys are still in bed. Eddie looks like he just woke up with his frazzled hair hanging into his face, lying half on top of Steve, rubbing his eyes. ‘Just five more minutes’, Steve grumbles, refuses to turn and get up.

It’s her Birthday, sure, and he promised her food she absolutely, definitely needs to soak up the remaining alcohol in her system – but she can give him another five minutes.

When she returns (exactly five minutes later), she captures Eddie and Steve still in bed. Eddie’s lips grazing the skin on his mole-speckled back with a dreamy look in his eyes, while Steve sighs in defeat ‘Alright, Robs. You win.’

The shutter clicks just before he turns around to throw a pillow at her head, causing Eddie to tumble to the side and nearly topple off the bed.

Polaroid #3

Robin sorts through the pile of polaroid pictures she’s taken over the last two weeks:

Steve and Eddie dancing in the kitchen to some dorky love song.

Steve resting between Eddie’s thighs where they lie cuddled up on the sofa, Eddie reading his favourite book to Steve.

Eddie trying and failing to make a handstand, Steve beside him, holding his belly from laughing so hard.

A picture of all three of them on Robin’s birthday, faces covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup after devouring their pancakes like starving animals.

Eddie with his guitar in his lap, Steve sitting on the floor across from him. They share a loving look, eyes full of desire and devotion.

And then- Robin startles in shock. How did that get in here?

She knows she didn’t take that picture. She couldn’t have. Not with the way she already feels the deep blush creeping up her face because- Jesus! That’s entirely too personal. She feels like she’s invading their privacy just by looking at that. This surely isn’t meant for anyone’s eyes but theirs.

It’s not like they’re visibly naked but the position of their bodies leaves literally no room for speculations. One of Eddie’s hands wrapped around Steve’s throat  and Steve looks like- well, he looks absolutely fucking blissful. Robin can practically hear the soft moans escaping his parted lips (How she knows what he sounds like, you ask? They swore to never ever talk about that incident ever again).

It looks like Eddie is kissing him. Or maybe he licks his skin. Maybe he whispers some dirty words into his ear, tells him how he’s going to wreck him – who knows? The point is, Robin doesn’t want to know because as much as she adores them, as much as she’s been prying on their sweet moments over the past weeks, there are things that should be kept between them.

She’s going to frame it and surprise them with it. (What she doesn’t know, is that Eddie sneaked that picture into her folder just to tease her. What she also doesn’t know is that there’s a whole collection of more of these kind of pictures hidden in a shoebox under their bed.)

[viennacherries]

First of all I love your work!! I keep rereading kiss the cook. I have a request God! Gale/Tav. A spicy fic about Tav and God Gale’s first time since he’s turned into a god.

anon. anon im so sorry. this turned into angst. please forgive me <3

NSFW

read it on ao3

~~~

Tav hasn't seen Gale since he left in search of the crown, promising to find her and bring her with him to Elysium. She'd believed him, but she thought he'd have come to her by now.

It's been 6 months. She's starting to lose faith.

She isn't completely convinced that he's going to come to the party. Withers insists he sent Gale an invite, but she's trying not to hold her breath. 'Trying' being the key-word here.

The truth is, she's desperate to see him again. She aches for him. He completes a part of her that she didn't even know was missing. He's soft and gentle with her in a way no one ever has been before, he's all light touches and tender caresses. He smells like old books and cinnamon, and he brings her more comfort than anything else could. She'll do anything for him. She just wants him back.

Withers is encouraging everyone to raise their glasses, finishing his toast, and her heart sinks at the realisation that Gale won't be turning up.

She wishes he would turn up.

Shadowheart is midway through saying something to her, clearly trying to take her mind off of him despite it being a fruitless cause, when a blinding beam of light flashes down from the sky.

It's like a bolt of lighting, the speed at which it descends, and there's a long pause where the light persists as if frozen in time, before it slowly fades away. Gale stands in its place and she runs to him, ecstatic, before her footfalls slow as she takes him in.

He did it. He found the crown. He became a God.

He looks so different. His whole body shimmers chrome, catching the light like an errant jewel in a necklace. His hair, once soft and flowing, seems sculpted to his head and body like a statue, every hint of his natural colour replaced with the same otherworldly silver as the rest of him. His eyes are glowing pits, no longer the soft warm brown she so loved looking into. They seem to create their own light, which wisps and curls around his eyebrows like ink through water. He looks glorious.

He looks new.

He spots her, smiles, and crosses the remaining distance. He stops a foot away.

"I had hoped I'd see you here." He says, and his voice. It's so different now. It echoes and reverberates as though he's stood in a vast cave, it screams of power and strength. It's his voice, still, but it doesn't sound like him anymore. There's something missing from behind his words that makes them feel slightly empty.

"I..." She feels shellshocked, "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."

"Forget you? Never." His words make her heart sing, but his tone is all wrong. She knows he means it, but it just sounds so... lifeless.

He keeps talking, "I'm afraid time works quite differently in Elysium. I didn't realise how long I'd been gone, until I received Withers' summon."

All the time she spent, the months dragging on, missing and longing for him, had felt like mere moments to him. It makes her feel a little bitter, but she pushes the feeling down.

He's still talking. Something about 'the finer points of divine ascension' and how 'mortal comprehension' isn't enough to fully understand. He found the crown, he reforged it, he took control of it. The Karsite Weave has become the Galarian Weave. He commands it.

Tav swallows around the lump in her throat, "well, I'm ready to come with you."

His face twists into some sort of amusement, as if he finds her eagerness endearing. When he speaks, his tone is that of a teasing reprimand. "I see you won't be claiming the dominion of 'patience' in the heavens. All in good time, my love. For now, mortality has one more night of enjoyment in store..."

He takes her hand in his, and her skin tingles where they make contact, as though molten electricity courses through his veins. He leads her away from the party, and she hears the woops and catcalls of the rest of her friends as they fade away from view.

When he presses his lips to hers, it feels like static shock. When he runs his hands down her arms, it feels like the air right before lighting strikes. When he slowly undresses her, ready to worship her body as if she's the immortal being, not him, her skull tingles and her eyes water. It's so intense. He's barely even touched her and it's so, so intense.

He strips her slowly. Reverently. He has nothing but time. He has no need to rush, no need to worry. Everything is so different now. There's no hiding in tents trying to be private, there's no sneaking off in the night and tucking themselves back into their clothes before they get caught, there's no stolen kisses when everyone's looking away. He has eternity. They have eternity.

When she's laid on the ground, stripped bare for him, he lifts her legs over his shoulders and descends on her core with his mouth. He moves his lips like he's sending a prayer through her body, like she's the conduit to his devotion. His tongue ghosts over her nerves and she feels like a lighting rod the way his energy travels through her, as though seeking to ground itself through her fingertips as she digs them into the dirt.

And when he lays his body across hers, enters her with one smooth thrust, it's blinding pleasure. Every stroke he takes has lights blinking behind her eyes, every thrust like a jolt of power travelling up to her throat. When she finds her release it crackles through her like an exposed wire touching water, and when his follows shortly after her vision goes white with ecstasy at the feeling, as though his very essence is spreading through her marrow.

They lay together for a while, staring at the stars. He tells her of Elysium, of the endless ocean of constellations and the rivers of pure light. He speaks about his domain, how the Crown of Karus is kept safe at the centre of it, how he protects it with his immense newfound power. He waxes poetic about the shrines that have already been erected in his honour; several in Thay, and a grand temple under construction in Amn.

It dawns on her, all at once, that he hasn't asked how she's been.

She feels a pit open up in her stomach.

He tells her about the fathomless power at his disposal. He tells her about dragging the crown from the Chinonthar. He tells her about his disagreement with Mystra, when she learnt of his ascension, and his plans to challenge her further in time.

He doesn't ask about his mother. He doesn't ask about Tara. He doesn't ask about her.

It feels like she's ripping in half.

All too soon they're standing at the edge of the river.

"So, it's time for me to return to the heavens. The question is - do you wish to join me? To become a God at my side?"

Her stomach lurches.

She wants to. She wants to remain at his side, for all of eternity. She wants to go with him and build a home with him in the sky, a domain of magic of their own creation.

But she also wanted to create a home with him in Waterdeep. She wanted nights together curled up next to the fireplace, while he played piano with his magic and read arcane books to her. She wanted to sit on his balcony with him, watching the water, holding his hand in the evening breeze. She wanted the date night he promised, with his homemade hundur sauce. She wanted to meet his mother, have tea with her, call her 'mother-in-law'. She wanted to marry him.

And as she stands with him, as he is now, she takes him in. His eyes are luminous trenches, no longer a warm chocolate brown. His skin, once tanned and soft, is cold and silver. He doesn't smell of old books, or cinnamon; he smells like petrichor - like earth soaked in thunder and rain.

She stands with him, hand in hand. But he doesn't feel like home anymore. It feels like he's a million miles away. Like he's already gone back to the heavens.

"I can't"

When he leaves, she wishes she went with him. Then she wishes he'd stayed. Then she wishes he'd never found the crown.

She wishes he'd chosen her.

She sits, knees clutched to her chest, and she sobs.

A small ball of fur and feathers curls into her side. A tressym.

They mourn together.

[starlvenus]

ZOMBIE!?!!?!!!1!!

warnings! small description of rotting flesh, not super detailed, reader climbing out of grave sam winchester x fem!reader

i lowkey forgot about tumblr bcs of school </3 !! but i swear I'm trying to write more... ALSO!!! TYSM FOR ALL THE LIKES ON MY LASt POST!!! :D PLEASEEEEE feel free to request anything!! theres a chance ill write it :3 !! (fyi, not a full on fledged out fic :( just a little ramble thing until i couldnt/didnt wanna write anymore)

summary sams dead girlfriend comes back from the dead D: !! -- Your eyes widen, a gasp escaping your hoarse throat. A high pitched hum fills your ears almost instantly. Your eyes dart around seeing nothing. You  turn around trying to just shuffle to the left, almost instantly you realise there is little to none room. Instantly the panic settles in, your chest rising up and down rapidly. You move your hands to feel around you, you could hear your hand hitting something but you couldn't feel it. Despite how scared you were, you tried touching your face. Instead of warm flesh touching your own the abrupt feeling of brittleness makes a scream ripple out of your throat. With what little sense you have left, you try to claw away at the edges. Slowly but surely the casket slightly opens, dirt trailing in through the cracks. After you get the casket open, dirt instantly falls on top of you, the pressure of the dirt halting your shallow breaths. Desperately you try clawing your way through the dirt breathing in some as you climb your way out. After digging, and digging, the harsh glare of sunlight pierces through, burning your eyes forcing them to shut rapidly. Your eyes blink trying to get used to the jarring light. Your eyes slowly adjust. The moment they do, they dart around taking everything around them in. 

Despite guessing you were in a casket seeing the graves all around you freaked you out. Your eyes trail around the area, slowly landing on your hands. The flesh on your finger tips is stripped, and rotting away, leaving dark and dry patches. Your skin is deprived of its liveliness. The sight sends waves of nausea, your tummy lurches. Tears gaze over your eyes, you use all the strength you have to pull yourself out. The ringing in your ear quiets down. Your body shakes as you stand up.. Not knowing where you are going you start walking. Hoping to find something. You make your way on a backroad, the cicadas buzz in your ear. Sometimes cars will pass you, they do look at you as they drive past, none of them daring to stop. After what felt like hours, you find a small phone booth. You think about how lucky you were.. You almost automatically press in the 10 digits.

The phone dials, and dials.. Until his voice rings through the shitty phone. “Hello? Who is this?” “Sam? It's me.” Sam sits paralysed. The once comforting voice leaves him with a shiver running down his spine. He struggles to even believe that he was able to hear her voice again. Just as quick as he thought he had her back, other thoughts raced in with the many possibilities, shape-shifters, crocottas, and more. Never considering the fact that it could be her. Despite his doubt he can't bring himself to hang up. It's been too long since he heard her. It lacks her past awkwardness, replaced with a lifeless tone, but it's undeniably hers. The slightest chance that it could even be her keeps him on the other line. Not willing to miss the chance. Ignoring his doubts, he hesitantly speaks up. “Is.. is it really you?”

[ominous-auburn-orbs]

What if Caine gives Kinger a really cool bug and then Kinger gives him a little kiss

Of course! Tis a classic scenario with this ship.

Caine was listening to Kinger ramble about insects again. He was always amazed by the other's extensive and impressive knowledge. Although, he always felt a pang of sympathy every time he remembered that there were no insects in the circus. Nothing in the code detailed any creatures at all, save for NPCs and the players.

"-and that's how they all evolved to look like their environment!" Caine was drawn back into the conversation- mostly one-way, but he didn't mind- by Kinger finishing his infodump. He felt a bit guilty about losing focus, despite how much he loved the sound of Kinger's voice, especially when he was this happy.

"That's incredibly fascinating, Kinger! I'm impressed with how you're able to retain so much information about these insect collections." Of course, retaining and retelling information was the easiest thing for an AI like Caine. Everything was in his memory and remained there, never changing. Yet he knew how difficult it was for humans to do the same.

"Why, thank you, Caine. I don't remember a lot about anything anymore, to be honest. It would probably be a bit easier to get my details in order if there were any actual insect collections here, heh." Kinger tried to keep the disappointed tone out of his voice. He didn't want to make Caine feel guilty about it or anything, it's not like it was his fault. The circus just didn't have any use for insects. So there were none.

The ringmaster didn't want Kinger to be left wanting. He had to do something about it. The chess piece almost never outwardly complained about anything, which was a large contrast from the rest of the troop, but Caine knew he was unsatisfied. He might not be able to give him, or anyone for that matter, the one thing they truly wanted, but he could always try the next best thing.

"Wait here for a moment, my dear! I believe I can procure something that'll fix all of your worries." Caine clicked his fingers and teleported away to a vast area that stored the game's code. It was akin to the void, save he actually knew what was here. As he started looking for the right strings of binary and words, it hit him that his task may take a bit longer than anticipated.

He clicked his fingers again and appeared in front of Kinger once more. "Perhaps you should just go about your day instead, my dear. I'll fetch you when I'm done."

Kinger was rather confused about what Caine was talking about, but his warm smile assured him that it was nothing bad. "Alright, Caine. I'll just be in my room, if you want to get me." He affectionately petted the ringmaster's head before leaving. It left a pleasantly warm feeling in Caine's chest, serving as a reminder as to why he would go through this struggle for him. It's not like he wouldn't do something like this for any of his performers, but Kinger was always a special case.

Going back to the coding room, Caine set to work. He went primarily off of what Kinger had told him, although he did have to do some research for the finer details. Once he had finished the model, he began to code its mannerisms. He was rather thankful that he had realised earlier on how long it would take. Kinger probably would've stayed standing there for hours on end. The thought did bring a smile to his face, since he would definitely do the same.

Finally, the bug was finished. It was a brightly coloured caterpillar and was wrapped around Caine's hand. Its smiling face and clown-like shoes were probably inaccurate to what Kinger was used to, but it did fit the circus' environment better. He had even made a small enclosure for the bug, with everything it would need to survive and thrive. The hardest part was definitely giving it the correct life cycle. It would never die, obviously, but it would one day have to become a butterfly. Caine could already picture Kinger's excitement when it would emerge from its chrysalis. But he was getting far too ahead of himself. The first step was to deliver it.

Gently lowering the caterpillar into its enclosure, he tucked it under his arm and clicked his fingers, going back to the circus tent. He shifted the enclosure to be held behind his back and floated down the nearby corridor to Kinger's room.

When he reached the chess piece's door, Caine knocked a rhythmic tempo before returning his hand to its spot behind him. After about a minute of waiting, the door opened a crack. A large blue eye stared out at him. Caine was mesmorised by it for a moment before remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

"Kinger, my dear, I've brought you something! May I come in?" The door opened fully and Kinger gestured for him to enter.

"Oh, you really didn't have to. You know I don't need anything from you, except you yourself." His eyes did their best to show his loving smile, which Caine returned.

"But I wanted to make this for you." Holding the enclosure out in front of him, Caine heard Kinger let out a quiet gasp. "I know how much you love your insects, so I thought I'd make one for you. It's admittedly not a collection, but it can become one! If you want it to, that is."

Kinger crouched down to be eye level with the rectangular box. The colourful caterpillar crawled out from a pile of twigs and leaves, smiling at him. "Oh my God... thank you, Caine. It- it's beautiful."

The chess piece wiped at his eyes to remove the brewing tears. Caine had coded in an entire insect, which the circus wasn't even meant to have in the first place. No wonder he had been gone so long. Kinger was amazed at how much effort the ringmaster would put in just to make him happy.

"You're more than welcome, my love. It was my pleasure." He handed the enclosure to Kinger, who took it inside his fortress and sat it down on a table within, before re-emerging back in front of Caine.

Caine floated up to Kinger's level. The chess piece cupped Caine's face with his hand, staring into his eyes, unsure of how to word how grateful he was. Instead, he chose to pull the ringmaster closer, pressing their faces together for a short while before pulling away. He could hear prolonged glitching noises omitting from Caine while his face overheated, making him giggle.

"Come on, let's see what the caterpillar's doing." Caine let out a noise of agreement that was somewhere between a laugh and a panting exhale. The two went inside the fortress and sat on the floor in front of the table that held up the enclosure, watching the caterpillar wander its surroundings. Who knows how long they sat there, but neither cared. They were happy in each other's presence, and that was all they needed.

"So, do you want to name it something?" Caine's question surprised Kinger, making him yelp. Regaining his composure, the chess piece hummed in thought, inspecting the bug before him.

"Hmm... Jerome." He nodded after he said it, confirming that it sounded right to him.

"Jerome?" A hint of laughter found its way into Caine's voice. That hadn't been quite what he was expecting.

"What? Is it not a good name?"

"Oh no, it's a lovely name!" The ringmaster rested his head on Kinger's shoulder. "Its name shall be Jerome."

Kinger put his hand on Caine's shoulder and rubbed gently. Despite his lack of a mouth, his cheeks still felt phantom pain from his smiling.

[pacifymebby]

t r o u b l e/ chapter twenty six

Sonya

"She made a me a flask?" I smirked through my surprise, wondering if perhaps she was trying harder than I'd expected to bring us back into the fold. To mother us again.

I took the little flask from him and unscrewed the lid. When I held it up to my lips I felt the steam warm my nose, a soft gingery sweetness gracing my senses.

"Aye," he said, "told me to make sure ye drink up... It's ginger or somethin, good for..."

"My health, I know," I said with a small smirk, an eye roll that didn't stop me raising the flask to my lips and taking a sip. Didn't stop me smiling softly when I breathed in the sweet honey scent on the steam, when I swallowed and felt it warm me through. Soften me up.

"See," he said then, a cheekier smile when he spoke and caught my arm with his, "you're not so different from us after all..."

"Because I'm drinking milk?" I screwed my face up, my nose wrinkling, brow knitting when I asked him cynically, not really expecting the answer he gave me.

"Still trust your aunt Pol..."

"Well it's not like I can trust the rest of them is it?" I shrugged taking another sip of my drink. Trying not to let my mind circle around the point he'd just made. That I trusted Polly. That I didn't trust the rest of them. That I didn't want to trust Polly. That if I did then I had to believe what she'd told me that morning, that I'd have to believe in those cards which had frightened me since I was only a little girl.

"You don't trust your sister?"

"She doesn't trust me..." I bit my lip, looked down into the dark flask at the milk and the steam, watched it slosh around when I shook the flask in a small circle to stir it up a little.

"You think?"

"She didn't tell me where she was going."

I sat up a little stiffer then, watching the lake, starring out at the still water determined not to let Bonnie read the uncertainty in my eyes. His knack for reading people hadn't passed me by and I wasn't the kind of girl who was used to, nor wanted to be understood as carefully as he threatened to try and know me. So I didn't want to tell him anymore than he already knew. I just didn't realise that in saying what I had I'd already told him so much more about myself than I realised.

"Don't you have to train?" I asked after swallowing another sip of milk, changing the subject with a brighter tone, "for your fight?"

"Nahh..." He leant back in the grass, hands behind his head, eyes closed, a smirk tugging on his lips, "could go into that ring with a broken arm and still knock the sorry bastard out in the first round..."

I bit back a laugh at that, enjoying the bright mischievous light dancing in his eyes when he opened them and shot me a wink.

"You've got a lot of confidence..." I smirked, glancing back at him over my shoulder, watching him as he lay still and calm, like there wasn't a worry in the world that could get him down. It couldn't have been true, there must have been doubts in his mind somewhere but he played it off so well. Like he was the most carefree lad in the world.

"Never lost a fight I didn't mean to," he shrugged, "as long as I weigh in just under the limit I'll be sound... Maybe if you've got doubts Miss Gray, you should come cheer me on eh?" He asked with a cheeky smile.

"Don't sound like you need much cheerin on peaky boy..." I bit back my smile, trying to ignore the strange shy feeling he'd sparked in me. "Unless your fights happening in my living room though I doubt my brother will let me..."

"Sure he will," he shrugged, "not like your bodyguard won't be there is it?"

"I guess," I smiled wanting to laugh at him and his relentless optimism, he had an answer for everything and though usually it was infuriating that morning it was good to be met with so many positive contradictions. Good to have someone shoot down every one of my doubts.

"Y'know lass," he said then, pushing himself up, "you could come and train with me if you like..."

"Why?" I frowned, "don't think I'm heavyweight champion material somehow Mr Gold..." I said, watching as his face lit up with a laugh, his curls falling a little messy across his forehead when he shook off his amusement.

"I meant for your dancin little miss raincloud," he grinned, "your brother's gym is class an you know he says he built it for his fighters but we all know he really built it for you an Sylvia..."

I really screwed my face up when he said that, looked at him all cynical and disbelieving. My frown and the words which followed leaving his smirk to linger, like he understood something I didn't.

"Why would Tommy build a gym for us when were never home..." I said blankly. Perhaps a little part of me hoped I already knew the answer but I wasn't going to let myself believe it, even when Bonnie shrugged his shoulders and all but confirmed something Id always secretly hoped.

"Maybe he was hoping you'd come visit..."

"Never invited us..."

"Don't need an invitation to come home love..." He matched my sullen shrug with a soft smile, those eyes that told me to warm up to him just a little more.

I chewed my cheek, sucked in on it and shook my head.

"Doesn't feel like home," I said quietly, thinking back to the place that was home. The long ornate hallways of my school, the hidden rooms backstage at the opera house, the flat I'd shared with Sylvie, the bed I'd shared with Freddie in his apartment in Little Italy. Where I'd felt at home for a brief moment before he'd turned the TV on and I'd seen the news.

"Give it time," he said quietly, his fingers startling mine when they skimmed over them in the grass, "you've been away so long, perhaps you've just forgotten what it feels like..."

I bit my bottom lip, ran my tongue along the ridges of my dry skin. Saw another flickering image of Freddie lying on his back in his bed, the sheets a mess and barely covering him, the little black heart tattooed over his, the wink he'd shot me as he lay there letting his finger trace an S on the spot.

And as I thought about him my hand wandered to my belly and lingered there. There was a lump in my throat and it was hard to swallow. There was a low lying panic struggling inside me and I couldn't think for all the fuzz it left in my head.

"Who knows," I shrugged hugging my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them glumly.

I heard Bonnie move beside me, heard him push himself up and shuffle closer.

Felt his hand on my back rub slowly up and down.

"You're dead tense you," he said letting his fingertips trace over the knots in my muscles, "you always like this?" He asked shuffling back to sit behind me, his hands running smoothly up my back, resting on my shoulders. I couldn't see the frown knitting his brows together. I could however feel the warm chill which his actions had sent radiating through me. The blush he was leaving on my cheeks as I stared stubbornly out at the lake. I couldn't turn to look at him now, I felt too shy, too self conscious.

And then his hand pressed down on a bruise which has been troubling me all week. Another from a tumble I'd taken during class.

I tried to swallow and breath through the sudden flash of pain, the heat building around the ache, but I couldn't hide my flinch. Not when his hands were on me to feel my every intake of breath.

"Shit sorry lass," he said his hands falling away from me.

"S'okay Bonnie it's nothing." I said quickly hoping he'd drop it, quietly hoping he'd put his hands back where they had been because the gentle pressure he'd been applying as he felt for knots had been more soothing than I'd expected.

"Nah I hurt you Sonya," he said, the look of concern in his eyes only darkening when I shook my head again.

"Honest Bonnie it's just a bruise... Someone uh..."

"Someone hurt you?" He asked, his voice quiet but quick and teetering on angry until I cut him off. Until my hand reached for his, my fingers skimming over his in the grass until I realised what I'd done, grew shy and drew them away. Back to my side.

"Not on purpose stupid," I smirked forcing myself to smile through the embarrassing memory. It had been humiliating in class but somehow it was more humiliating to admit it not. "My partner dropped me in class... We were leading on some steps and he uh, yeah... Dropped me..."

"Fuck," he smirked, "an I thought my job was dangerous..." I wondered which he was referring to then, being a fighter or being a blinder. "Here ain't they sposed to be talented at your school? What's he goin droppin you for?" His smile was cheeky, like he was trying to do just as I was and laugh it off but I knew what he must really have been thinking, the same as my partner had when they'd dropped me, the same as everyone in the class who had seen it. The same as I'd thought when I'd hit the floor with a thud and felt it echo through my bones, my muscles cramping with the shock as I lay there trying to breath through the pain so that I could get up and start the routine again.

"Reckoned its cause I'm too heavy..." I shrugged trying to pretend that it didn't bother me.

"Kind of excuse is that?" Sniggered Bonnie. It didn't escape my notice the way his eyes kept flickering back to my lower back where his hands had pressed a little too hard. "Sounds to me like someones been skippin arm day." He said with a small smile. "Can I see the bruise lass? Don't reckon it should be hurtin that much after a week like, even my worst never hurt that much for that long..."

"Maybe I'm more of a baby than you..." I tried to deter him, smirking, trying not to pout or show him how nervous it made me to let someone assess the damage.

At school you learnt to swallow down the pain, keep the injuries to a minimum and secret when you did wind up sore. Injuries meant falling behind and falling behind wasn't something girls like me could afford.

"I doubt that somehow sweetheart," said Bonnie, his voice quieter then, murmured as he pushed the back of my brothers pyjama top up and concentrated on the spread of ugly purple turning green at the base of my spine. I heard him breath out a hushed "shit," as his fingers grazed ever so lightly over it. Felt the burn of his eyes on my skin.

I tried to focus on my breathing, tried to concentrate on breathing slow and steady, concentrate on not shaking or shivering or letting the goosebumps show on my arms when he touched me. That was more difficult than I'd expected it to be.

"You didn't believe him did you lass?" He asked then pressing the back of his hand to the bruise, the cool of his touch soothing the ache a little.

"I don't know... He doesn't usually drop me... We've done those steps hundreds of times together so it's not like he didn't know the routine... Cas is the best dancer in our school, he's a really talented athlete..."

"Second to you of course," smirked Bonnie, his smirk only faltering when I didn't return it, "you don't believe me eh lass?" He asked pulling my top back down, rubbing a gentle circle over my back, "how many lassies have you dropped eh? Trust me love, the lad fucked up and blamed you cause he was embarrassed about it, pretty low if you ask me sweetpea..."

"You seem to know him pretty well considering you've never met him..."

"Don't need to lass," he said pushing himself up off the ground, offering his hand to me, "sounds like I've met ten of him in the ring before," he said tugging me closer into his side as we began walking back to the house, "an between me an you I'd gladly make sure he never made the mistake of droppin you again eh?" He said with a cheeky smile, a wink which warmed my cheeks and left me speechless. A small smile tugging at my lips. "I'd mind that bruise though sweetpea, no trainin for you this afternoon eh you need to rest that..."

"I've been resting for days now... I don't know if you've noticed but..."

"None of what you've done these last few days counts as rest Sonya," he said stopping just in front of me, holding my hand down by our hips, looking at me more seriously than I'd thought he was capable of, "What you need is good, proper rest... No staying up scared in a panic room or sobbin your wee heart out and shoutin at your brother yeah, proper rest... You need to relax lass... Hot bath, use that spa your Aunt Pol's always in an out of... Proper rest or it won't get better... Trust me sweetheart I've tried to train through less and it never works..."

"Boxings clearly a more forgiving profession," I mumbled not expecting him to catch my words, not expecting him to smile and shrug me off when I did.

"Probably..."

🌸🦢🌸

"Well," murmured Bonnie as we returned to the house, entering through the kitchen door to the smell of ginger and cinnamon, Ada and Esme with their hands burried in a bowl of flour sugar and butter. "I would invite you to watch me batter your big brother but..." Said bonnie nodding to Kitty who was hovering impatiently on the kitchen table, dressed like a prima ballerina, "I think someones been missin you."

That's how he had left me several hours ago, teasing Kitty on his way out, telling her she looked stunning in her little pink tutu. Told her she looked just as pretty as her aunty. Then he'd shot me another of those stupid winks from across the kitchen and left me at the hands of the little girl who'd been hopping from one foot to the other hardly able to contain her excitement.

She'd grabbed my hands and practically dragged me through to the sun room where I saw the focus of her delight. Four little rabbits idling on the carpet, one hopping slowly about sniffing at the pieces of carrot which had been dropped for them.

"Remember what I told you princess," yawned John from where he lay reclined on his back on the sofa basking in the sunlight which shone through the roof.

There was a door open and a big window letting in the cool from outside and with the television showing the moomins on for the youngens the room had a lazy, dreamy kind of atmosphere.

"Be gentle... Smaller than me..." Grinned Kitty, her fingers locking and unlocking, this mischievous little grin on her lips as she skipped to follow the most sprightly of the bunnies around the room.

"This one's named Buttons," she said picking him up as gently as she could, presenting him to me a little over zealously so that I had no choice but to rescue the little fluffball from her grasp.

"Careful sweetheart," I smiled cradling the little bunny in my hands, "you should listen to daddy Kitty, Buttons is shy see, look at him he's all shakey... You have to be super careful with him..." I said sitting down on the floor leaning against the sofa and holding him to my chest carefully, "here we are see, c'mere KitKat," I said whispering, taking her hand and placing it on the little rabbits soft fur.

She snuggled in close to me and rested her cheek against my arm so that she was nose to nose with Buttons. Her little smile still so mischievous I couldn't help but mirror it.

"See," I breathed looking down at the angelic little creature with tenderness, stroking between his ears and smiling at the way his nose twitched.

"What're the others called Kitty?"

"Yeah go on princess tell aunty fen what you named em..." Chuckled John his lazy smile contagious. He was half asleep, one hand reaching down to ruffle Katie's hair. It was the most peaceful I'd seen anyone all week and I was beginning to wonder how they did it.

Bonnie and John alike. Lying back with their eyes closed, lazy smiles, letting peace wash over them even in the midst of tension and chaos. I couldn't help but envy them for that ability. Couldn't help but think it must be nice to quiet the mind and all its anxieties even if only for a minute or two.

"What did you name the other two Kitty?" I smirked curious now because John was still chuckling to himself behind me.

"This one's Sylvie!" She grinned pointing to a brown, lop-eared bunny stretched out and dozing in the sun. My eyes going wide as I struggled to hold back a giggle, knowing what was coming next, not exactly horrified but also not impressed.

"Oh no," I giggled, "what's this one called Kitty?" I asked a giggle escaping both of us when she crawled to pick the black and white one up and set it down in her lap. It immediately nuzzled into her and began trying to climb up onto her shoulder, eyes set on the sofa and John's head.

"S... Sunny! Like Sonya!" She grinned looking ever so proud of herself, her grin dissolving into laughter when John laughed chuckling away to himself half asleep.

"Atta girl," he grinned sleepily,his hand ruffling her hair once more, "howd ya like that Fen, she looks just like you don't she?"

"Was this your idea? Some twisted way of laughin at us whilst we were away..."

"Who me?" He laughed feigning innocence all hand on heart and false offence, "nah lass, just missed you that much..."

"No no no it's cause they're pretty n you're pretty too!" Cried Katie suddenly animated again, stretching up to her our attention, bouncing up and down where she sat, wriggling and repeating herself until she was greeted with John pushing himself up and scooping her up into his lap.

"Right y'little terror," he grinned threatening her with a tickling hand, wriggling his fingers over her tummy so that she squealed.

"No daddy won't!" She cried defiantly.

"Oh won't he?" He chuckled hanging her upsidedown over his knees so that her hair fell down and brushed the carpet. "What makes you think that eh miss?" He grinned unable to hold in his sniggering as he threatened her with the same game he used to play with me and Sylvie. I gasped jumping to the little girls defense when he threatened her with tickles again.

"John no!" I cried, "you wouldn't!"

"Daddy won't!" Giggled Katie trying to wriggle and squirm her way free but she wasn't going to escape unless John let her and right now his eyes were lit up with mischief and I knew he wouldn't back down.

"Why not Kitty Kat?" He grinned tickling her belly so that she couldn't speak for giggling too much. "Fishes in the water fishes in the sea..." He started teasing her...

"Daddy love me most!" She giggled still wriggling, her laughter so contagious it was impossible not to laugh along as I promised I'd get her free.

"That wasn't the question princess... Sorry!" Laughed John tormenting the poor girl with an onslaught of tickles.

In the end however it was her brother Liam who came to her rescue, clambering on his dads shoulders from round the back of the sofa, hitting him with a light saber until he promised to free his hostage. Kitty scrambling to safety in the arm chair, breathless and rosy cheeked from all her laughter.

"What the bloody 'ells goin on ere eh?" Smiled Ada, her eyes lit up when they rested on John who was still being tormented by Liam and his other eldest boy. "My god John I never thought I'd see the day karma came back to bite you..."

"Yeah..yeah Ada ain't like you didn't put up a fair fight is it!" He managed to spit out between laughs and wheezes of breath doing his best to fend of the two little boys.

But in the Shelby house no amount of peace can be allowed to last for long and when Arthur and Bonnie appeared in the doorway a few hours later the laughter stopped and a shadow crossed over the eyes of my brothers. They shared a silent conversation, eyes dark with understanding and I shivered noticing how in the hours we'd spent lying on the carpet playing with the littlens, the weather had changed and the day had darkened.

Outside the mist had crept in and surrounded the house, the sky was grey and threatening rain. Something heavy and looming hung over us all and I felt a fearful twist in my gut.

When I looked up at Arthur however it was Bonnie who caught my attention, the wink he shot me, the small smile. As if he could tell how my worries had all returned in that moment. As if it were me he wanted to settle and reassure.

"Right," coughed Arthur, "I'll be off then aye..."

"Where's uncle Arthur goin?" Asked Liam, his brother chipping in too.

"Can I come?"

"Nah lad," said Arthur shaking his head, his voice low and gravelly, a little doomed sounding, "not this time eh mate, maybe next time..."

"Aye mate maybe next time yeah, come on I'll teach you how to use that weapon proper eh?" Asked John picking the abandoned lightsaber back up leading them both away to play somewhere else.

I watched Arthur turn away too, watched Ada jump up to stop him, to ask him what was going on.

I saw the look in his eyes which told Ada to back down. Saw the look in hers when she forced a smile and came to sit on the floor with Katie, when she picked up bunny Sylvie and placed her in Katie's lap.

I watched Arthur murmur to Bonnie quietly before he left and when Bonnie turned back to us he had that knit of concentration on his brow tugging a small frown into the center of his expression. It didn't last however because the second he felt my gaze on him he broke into a grin and threw himself down beside me on the settee, his arm stretched out across the back so that I was conscious of the weight of it behind me. So that I felt a tinge of guilt when I found myself wondering what it would feel like to have his arm around me properly. To feel his fingers curling my hair around them subtly.

I tried to ignore the thought but the longer he remained still beside me watching the room with those quiet eyes the worse the feeling got. The desire to let myself sink further back into the cushions, into his side. To find myself tucked under his arm.

I told myself it was because I was missing Freddie, because my head was all cottony and full of anxiety. Because I'd been so scared all week, so upset... And because Bonnie had been there with me throughout it all, always offering me a kind smile. Always listening and nodding along in that calm thoughtful way. The way he just took everything in, the way he almost always seemed to say the right thing...

"So you've met your double I see?" He said leaning in to talk to me, "cute ain't she..."

"Yeah," I smirked, blushing at the fact that everyone seemed to be in on this joke except me.

"Reckon she does a mean pirouette too," he chuckled, "how's the restin going?" He asked his eyes flickering over my body, lingering on my lower back as if he thought looking hard enough would allow him to see through the t-shirt I was wearing to examine the damage.

"I feel like I'm wasting time..." I said chewing my cheek, smiling when he shrugged his shoulders.

"Lookin after yourself ain't wasting time lass," he said his hand skimming over my shoulder, unnoticed by the rest of the family though the sensation it left tingling on my skin and up my neck was impossible to ignore. "Anyway," he said, "you're like me... You don't need anymore practice eh, I reckon you're already perfect..." He said with a cheeky wink, not deterred when I giggled and tried to deny the fact.

"You've never seen me dance!"

"Seen you on YouTube," he smirked, "your brother showed me earlier... After I'd won our fight eh..."

"You didn't beat Arthur," I shook my head with a smile, "no way," I giggled laughing harder when he shook his head.

"Nah lass," he grinned, his cheeks flushed a sweet shade of scarlet, "but a lad can dream..."

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[imaginatorofthings]

ima you actually get the whole writing thingy i wrote 👹👹 cackles

Molly blew air onto her freezing hands. She was just really cold right there. All she wanted was a hug. From anyone. Gosh, she was really cold.

Then, she stiffened slightly as she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist. She felt a soft hum from this person as they leaned their face into her neck.

“Hey angel. What’s got you shivering that isn’t me?”

Molly relaxed and sighed fondly as she realised who it was. Just Danny. That’s good. She couldn’t hold back a soft squeal as Danny nuzzled his face into her neck, planting gentle little kisses all over it. He pulled her closer against him, rubbing her sides a bit. She felt his warm, steady breathing against her skin, and his wings wrapped around her. He always claimed they were ‘small,’ but he always enveloped her completely with them. Though to be fair, she was quite tiny. Molly quite loved the height difference, though. She knew Danny did, too. 

“Oh, nothing. Just the cold. Aren’t you cold at all?”

”Nope, I’m too hot for that.”

She giggled at that, and turned her head to face him. She looked right into his dark eyes, full of such affection. Her own widened as he quickly leaned in to kiss her. 

Oh, Danny made her want to just melt. 

Molly felt herself getting a bit shy again. She remembered how he used to be so awkward. No, Danny didn’t have any problem flirting, but actual affection always got to him. Now he’s just doing it, no problem! How was this any fair for her? She tried to push him away playfully, pulling away from the kiss. But of course, Danny couldn’t let that slide. He spun her around so she faced him directly, and picked her up. Molly let out a soft gasp, now this was definitely unfair! 

She would have thought he was going to attack her on the lips again. But no. He took her hand surprisingly gently, giving her knuckles a soft kiss. Then on the back of her hand, to her wrist, going up her forearm, then her shoulder, and her neck. He made a little stop there, just kissing it all over in a way that made her face get all warm. Well, warmer. Finally, he made his way up to her lips, kissing them tenderly. No, she was melting now. That was the only way she could describe how she was feeling. Danny pulled away with a little smirk and cupped her face in his hands. In a low tone, he spoke to her.

”You still cold, love? Or do I need to—“

”No! ..N-no, I’m not cold anymore, th-thanks.”

He leaned in again but stopped just before her lips. In the same low tone, he said, “I don’t know love, you still seem a bit cold.” In a flick, his wings were wrapped around her. I always forget how beautiful they are. And soft. Molly sighed fondly again, smiling as she just lay in his arms. She let her hands reach up to his wings, feeling their fluffiness. Danny felt his heart jump a bit at the touch. He wasn’t used to them being touched at all, much less by someone he held so dearly to his heart. Never mind that, though. It was rather late. His wings were so soft and warm. She felt her eyelids drooping, though they were wide open momentarily as he pulled her into an embrace. He rested his chin on the top of her head as it was comfortably tucked into his neck. Warm. Nice and warm. That was all she needed. Molly was all he needed. Danny heard her senseless, sweet little mumbles as she leaned into him. Completely incoherent to him, but adorable regardless. 

“Okay, sleepy, we’re going home. And you are going to go to bed.”

”Mhm…”

Oh, she was too cute. He started on his place, he didn’t mind carrying her.

anyways have a nice timezone

I get not one, but two stories that contain kisses in them

Aaaa that's perfect for my own inability to write kisses for now (life, oh life!)

THE KISS TRAIL THE KISS TRAIL FROM THE HANDS UP THE ARMS TO THE NECK AND THE LIPS MY DAYDREAMS (did you read my mind) /lh

WING. HUG. YES WING HUGS ARE EVERYTHING TO ME.

Aren’t you cold at all? Nope, I'm too hot for that.

THE SWAGGER can I have that swagger, I'm stealing that /lh

The baseball was a jumpscare, why /lhj (Not really a jumpscare, hahah)

[somedaytakethetime]

And continuing where I left off from this will be part two of the thingie. I just didn't want to keep writing on that part, I can't explain why. My brain doesn't make sense to me either, so... all I know is that there was a clear line that I needed to divide between parts and thus I'm doing it.

Notes: This part will be more.. rated. Granted, nothing too graphic because this is still mostly about feelings and human, emotional connections. But still, this part gets more heated and mature than the previous one. So.. the youthlings probably shouldn't read it, but I don't know the etiquette on that one..

Word count: 3 098 words

She feels good. Soft, and warm and pliable. Her skin is like silk under his hands. Her hair tickles his face as she melts forward. Her nails are digging into his chest as she moves above him. He digs his own fingers into the flesh of her hipbones, she's feels so good. Smells sweet, sounds sweet too. Little broken, whined mewls coming from her. He laughs, soft and desperate, nearly a mad laugh. He's losing his mind, he figures, but how can he not? This is the nicest feeling he's had in decades, possibly in his whole life. She whispers his name, in a whiny tone, right there in his ear. He clings to her, pulls her down deeper, reaches one hand up to brush her hair away. Her eyes are glazed with pleasure, her cheeks flushed a deep pink, her lips are just as pink. He wants to bite her, to write his name all over her, to steal her away and never let anyone set eyes on her again. She's his, and he doesn't like sharing. She's whining softly, higher and higher, desperate to reach that bliss he wants just as badly. "Fucking hell, I've been dreaming about this for so long now.." his voice sounds rough to his own ears, he sounds a little drunk he thinks. He feels drunk too. There's a haziness to everything, the bright golden light from the sun setting is blinding, it floods the room and makes his eyes almost squint to look at her. She says something he doesn't understand, he struggles to hear her but she starts to sound quieter and quieter, her hips slip from his hands, he tries to grasp for her, to hold her, but he feels like he can't touch her anymore. He's desperately trying to cling to her body, to pull her closer, but it all just fades away before he can fall into the bliss he was so desperate for. His eyes open, '06:30' flashes on the bedside clock in the dark room. There's an ache in his groin, he's hard and it's painful. He sighs, rolls on his back and stares up at the ceiling. 'Different night, same shit as usual' he's angry and frustrated, throws the covers back and gets up, walks into the bathroom, turns on the shower and gets in. Freezing water this early is terrible for the bones, but amazing for the muscles. It's especially good at shocking his system off of wanting things it cannot have.

He's come to realise that he wants her. Craves her attention, her approval, everything. She refuses to get near him, builds a closer bond with his best friends, and he's deeply jealous of that. Because none of them can have her, nor do they even care to at all, and yet he can but she refuses to give him the time of her day. And he hates being ignored and overlooked. It's petty, he's well aware, but he's petty. If she's going to shower other men in attention, then it's only fair she showers him in attention too. He nearly pouts and stomps his foot, he's so aggravated about the whole situation that he kicks the ball far harder than he ought to have. His mate falls to the ground, clutching his family jewels, "Jesus.. fuck-.. CHRIST!" he's startled, he didn't mean to do that, "Fucking hell, mate, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" he rushes to help him up, gets the strongest glare he's ever gotten and his friend says through gritted teeth, "You're lucky I've had all the kids I wanted to because otherwise..." he leaves the threat hanging in the air, curses and grunts again, takes deep breaths as he tries not to cry. He's well aware how much a ball to the.. well.. to the balls.. hurts. Especially with how forcefully he kicked.. he didn't mean to hurt anyone, he wasn't even paying attention. His anger and frustration got the best of him and he's embarrassed about it. He looks apologetic as his friend finally straightens up, "You owe me big time for that shit.", he lifts his hands "Mate, anything you ask. Consider it done." he watches his friend limp off as he gathers his gear, he's surveying the surroundings to see if anyone saw that happening. His eyes then land of her. The reason why he just nearly killed a man on an open field. She was watching them. Her hand is covering her face. He realises, with giddiness, that she's trying not to laugh. 'Oh.. so you thought that was funny, hm? Well...' he smirks at her and she doesn't look away, her face turns pinker and pinker the harder she tries not to laugh. His eyes don't leave her face, he keeps smirking pleased with himself that he managed to amuse her. Follows everyone else as they walk out and before he disappears inside he turns back to look at her, she's openly laughing now that everyone is gone, and he can't help himself "Not very polite of you to laugh at someone else's misfortune, is it? That hurts, you know?" and she nods at him, quieting her laugh, "I'm sure it does but.. his face was too funny, I'm sorry." he feels his chest growing even bigger, stands up to full height as she gets closer, "Well.. I'm glad I could amuse you, even if at the cost of someone's jewels.." and he dares to wink at her, watches her face turn pink and she laughs again, walks inside feeling like he owns the world in that moment.

She's so warm. And slick. And it feels so good. She's melting all over the mattress, twisting the sheets in her hands, moaning and whining softly. Her hips feel so solid, so pliable, under his hands. He's the only reason why they're still standing up, her whole body is limp now. He feels her thighs shaking from time to time against his own, feels her trembling as he slows down, down, down. Drags in and out of her, making her whine louder, shiver and shake. They're both covered in a layer of sweat, there's slickness down her thighs and he sees the glinting when he looks down between them. He smirks and leans forward, starts kissing a path up her back, all the way to her shoulder. Digs his teeth into the soft flesh and laughs a teasing, soft laugh when she whines and says his name. "What is it, baby? What's wrong?" he asks, full of playfulness, he knows exactly what's wrong but he wants to hear her say it, wants her to beg for it, wants her to get desperate and whiny like she was before. Wants to drive her crazy, as crazy as she drives him, wants her at the brink of madness and need for him. Because he's at the brink for her. Wants to bite her and spell out his name against her skin, wants to tattoo it on her back even, just so he can see his name on her. He thinks their names would look amazing paired together. Her odd words break the spell, he shakes his head, "Excuse me?" and hears it, not in her voice now, but in a man's voice, "Are you listening to me?? What the fuck are you grinning about?? You think that was funny??" his friend's face is suddenly across from him again, he's no longer in that bedroom having the most bliss he can, "I-.." "You're not even listening to what I'm saying! What are you thinking about, mate?! You're constantly lost lately, the fuck is up with you?? I swear, this is getting out of hand.." he gets hit with a grape from an annoyed friend, the boys start talking amongst themselves again and he feels deeply embarrassed. He's a little hard, he was having a sex fantasy in the middle of lunch, surrounded by people and to his biggest shame.. he realises that she's been watching him the whole time.

He can't sleep. He just can't do it. Every time he closes his eyes, she's there. Moaning, whining, mewling, clawing at his skin, saying his name, clenching around him, driving him further and further insane. He just can't take it anymore. He huffs angrily, '02:03' is flashing on the clock and he doesn't care. He gets up, pulls on his joggers and a tshirt and just walks out. It's too cold to go outside like this but where he's going he doesn't need to be warm. He walks outside, the deepest, darkest sky greeting him. The wind is freezing and it wraps him in it's cold embrace immediately. His skin pebbles and he shivers, he let's his whole body sink in to the feeling of being cold as he walks down the steps slowly. Watches the stars glittering off against the deep ocean, hears the waves and feels finally at peace. He walks to that old familiar door, unlocks it and gets inside. It's warmer in here. It's meant to be warm in here, even without the steam turned on. He takes a seat at the furthest corner, where he normally sits when he's here to actually use the place, and allows his body to relax and slide down on the hard wood bench. He gets as comfortable as he possibly can against the wood, his legs curl in on their own, and he fixates on the ocean. The waves rolling slowly in and out, the wind whistling softly, the few stars in the sky looking like diamonds. He doesn't know what to do. He's plagued by visions of her. In all sorts of compromising positions. With him. His frustration, along with his desire, have grown heavier and heavier inside him. He refuses to break. He won't allow himself to do. That's probably why he's been getting increasingly more restless. It's a natural thing to do, something that he does quite a lot actually. But now? He finds that he can't. He doesn't want to disrespect her image. She hasn't consented to being used as fuel for his depraved fantasies while he strokes himself for relief and he's always been highly moralistic. He can't use her image in that way, no matter how badly he wants to. And it wouldn't feel the same. He knows what his hands feel like, it's not the feeling he's been chasing in his dreams, asleep and awake, every day now. He finds that the thoughts consume him the most when he's around her. He can smell her perfume even when she's a good distance from him, as if his own body has narrowed in on her and now won't let her go. She's growing more and more comfortable with him too. She still doesn't talk much, but she's getting closer and closer, stands and sits beside him now at times. Watches him intensely, as if she's trying to gauge what level of threat he might pose to her. Like an hesitant rabbit wondering if she should trust the hound. He wants to reassure her, to tell her she can trust the hound, but.. as his need and fantasies grow heavier, more depraved, more frequent.. he's not sure he can lie to her so blatantly.

He wakes up with a sore back. His left arm is asleep and his ankle is hurting so badly from being wedged against the hard wood that it makes him curse. He gets up, and winces. It must be incredibly early, there isn't a star in the sky and it's as dark as ever. He gets his phone out '04:55' it shows. He barely slept. But it was blissfully dreamless. Exactly what he needed. Maybe he should start sleeping on the floor, the pain might help him with the dreams. He limps a little as he walks away and back up the stairs, his body takes it's time to adjust and endure all the pain and tiredness 'You're not as young as you used to be, mate.. that was a bad idea..' he'll be painful and sore all day, and he'll have to pretend he's not. Which makes it worse. He's tired of pretending. He's been dealing with so much pain lately. Internal and external. It's getting unbearable to pretend he's okay and he's not human, it's all getting heavy again. He needs some relief but he doesn't know how to get it, so, he does the best he can to help himself. Takes a warm shower once he's back in his room, allows the water to run down his achy body, sits down and just let's the deep bone tired feeling he has sink in. The water soothes him and lulls him again, he's drowsy when he walks out and barely managed to towel off before he gives up and crawls back into bed, falling into a deep sleep. A black abyss. It's better than all the depravity he's been living with. But it's lonely. Painfully cold and uncomfortable. He's all alone. In an endless black room, the void engulfing everything. There's echoes all around him. Self doubt, insecurity, criticism. Insults and cruel words that have been directed at him all his life. Comparisons and impossible to meet standards. Loss, sorrow, pain. A devastating sadness consumes him, he's inside his body yet somehow watching himself crumble too. Trauma he's experienced, the loss of dearly loved ones, broken friendships and betrayals, broken toxic relationships.. he both feels himself break down and watches himself break down. Heavy, painful sobs erupting from his body. He shakes and feels years of hurt flow out of him after so many decades of burying them further and further down. He wakes up in a cold sweat, frantic, face wet with tears. The clock says '06:49' and he wants to keep crying. He doesn't know how he's going to face the day.

By shutting down as he always does. Except this time it doesn't work. Because, luck of all lucks, he's ill. A burning fever that makes him dizzy, he can't see straight, the coaches force him to go back and rest for the day even as he fights them and tells them he's fine, "You cannot, and you will not, 'deal with it'. Don't be ridiculous. Your body needs rest and it'll get it." he keeps arguing with them, he's here to do a job and he will, but he's too poorly, and for the first time someone else out-stubborns him. "You're being ridiculous! You can't be serious if you think you can work like this. Be quiet, I'm taking you back. End of conversation." she takes hold of his arm and drags him back out the doors. Like an angel sent to save him from himself. She scoffs and huffs, calls him foolish, as she leads him back to his room. Refuses to let him win as he tries to argue he'll be fine on his own once she delivers him, wants to help him into bed instead and he, almost embarrassed, tells her he can't handle laying in bed clothed. "So? Take it off then, I don't care. Just lay down." she turns her back and waits for him to drop his clothes and get in bed, he feels shy taking his clothes off with her in the room.. which is ridiculous after all the dreams he's had about her... but he can't help it. Feels vulnerable and weak, he's in pain and dizzy, the fever is burning him alive and it's hard to breath. He curls in on his side, wants to call his mother, for a moment feels like a little boy needing comfort. She sits down on his bed and brushes his hair back, smiles softly down at him, "I'll go get some painkillers and some medication. Don't move." and he nods slowly, feels his eyes watering as he watches her leave. 'I don't want to be alone.', keeps watching the clock, counting the seconds and minutes it takes her to come back, nearly cries when she opens the door again. "Here, I've got you something that will help." she gives them the meds, helps him drink the water, brushes his hair in such a tender way that he gets teary. "I have snacks too, you'll have to eat eventually." he just nods and looks at her with adoration, 'I love you' his illness-addled brain thinks in a mopey, mushy voice. He asks, like a scared boy, "Are you going to leave now?" and feels relief sink deep into his bones when she shakes her head, "No, I don't think you're in condition to be alone right now. I'll stay until you feel better. Or until you want me to leave." he nods and keeps looking at her. If he wasn't so affected by the fever, the nightmares still haunting him, he wouldn't have said it but he needs comfort. 'I don't want to be alone.', "Can you lay down?" and she's so sweet, an angel, smiles softly and lays down next to him. Holds his hands, caresses them, looks the most comfortable with him, so much more than with anyone else. "I won't leave you, you know? You can sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up." for the first time in many years he breaks down. Hides his face and cries, she doesn't judge nor look weirded out, just holds him, pets his hair and says softly "You're okay, I won't leave. I'm right here, you know? You don't have to be alone." and his voice says, soft and small like a child's, "I don't want to be alone. I'm so lonely, I'm so tired of everything." he sees it in her eyes. She understands. Deeply. There's pain in her eyes, she's suffered too he realises. He wishes he knew how and why. He desperately wants to get to know her. To know her dreams, her hopes, her sorrow and her pain. Wants her to open up to him as achingly badly as he wants to open up to her. He knows that they'll understand each other, they just need to be given the chance. He recognises the same steel in her that he has in himself. A beautiful creature, hardened by sorrow and a troubled life. She sees him in that moment, unlike anyone has ever seen him, and just smiles. Her hand cups his face so tenderly that tears overflow from his eyes, he's never been touched so gently. "I'm here now, you don't ever have to be alone."

[bunnyyu]

Man, I know I did something wrong. Maybe I said something I shouldn't have said to you. Used a tone that I shouldn't have used. And now I know that I can't take it back. I've lost you now. And I understand that you don't need me anymore. Thanks for teaching me to be more patient. Thanks for making me realise how important the people in my life are. And thanks for everything you gave me. You showed me nothing but love. I'm sorry my patience got the best of me. And I wish you well.

Knowing I will never get to say any of this to you, I am writing a letter out into the void. Because I need to get it out. All these words that have never been said, all the silence being overtaken by your absence. Its all so quiet. I guess I'm not quite sure what to say. Despite the fact that I..still have a lot to say ? I'm not sure. But I'm going to say what I have to say whether it makes sense or not.

This relationship was a weird one. We were sort of on and off. We met and we instantly hit it off, but...then we cut contact for a few months. Im not really sure I remember why. Maybe you were busy ? You must have been. Well, I took it as an " I don't want to talk to you anymore " kinda thing, and I guess that's when I forgot about you for a while.

One time I remembered you. I was like " huh. Remember them ? " And I realised that I could simply add you back and start conversation again. I considered it, then refrained and considered again. And I said fuck it, what's the worse that will happen ? You might just block me and I'll move on with my day. So I added you. Can't remember what I said, I think I said hi ? Maybe I asked you how you were. To my surprise, you responded to me. I think you said you had been busy lately and you had a lot going on. Seemed like you, you were always pretty busy. I felt bad for being clingy I suppose, because I knew you were busy and had shit to do. It was hard for me to be seperated from you. But I dealt with it. Mostly.

So we eventually started dating and it was like, aw hell yeah. I really like this person. And you liked me too. It was fucking cool. You were cute. You were funny too. Your hair was fluffy. Kinda like the soft part of bread ?

You made me feel kinda warm inside. It was like when you eat a bowl of soup. The soup kinda stays in your stomach after you eat it. Its like a hot water bottle but you digested it and it's still hot when it's in your stomach. Yknow ? I know. I think.

Anyway, you were captivating.

Kinda sad I never got a shirt from you. We talked about that once, right ? I always wondered how you smell.

I liked your voice. It kinda felt familiar. It gave me a sense of comfort. Your audios made me feel a certain way.

I miss your warmth. Yknow ? You are such a warm human. I'm sorry I fucked up so bad. You weren't deserving of the upset I caused you.

I'll never forget how much I loved you.

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖

Chapter 43b - She will never let go when she has you.

Episode 2.

The living room fell quiet for a moment, while everyone tried to process and figure what to do next

James: I'll go have a chat with him he spoke in a warm uplifting tone, as he finally broke the silence

Malou: It's quite slippery outside

Raven: I'll go with him just in case he smiled softly at her

James: Nonsense! I think it's best I talk with him alone, that would leave you standing alone in the snow for God knows how long. You'd be freezing blue in no time.

Raven: He shook his head lightly and walked to the door I rarely ever freeze he winked at Malou and Adrian beside, I'm not going to change my mind, so I'll follow whether you like it or not.

James: He chuckled amused Alright alright, best get it overwhith then, shall we?

As the others left, Una was quick to get the last two back to the couch with her

Malou: Does anyone want a beer or some wine?

Una: She nodded confirming I think we could all 3 need a beer!

Dalton: He sighed heavy as he sat down on his white couch in his studio, elbows planted solid on his thighs, head burried in his hands

James: Son he sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders Why don't you tell me what's going on?

Dalton: She called again. She wants me back.

James: Well… you've already been down that road… too many times, if you ask me. I doubt this time the outcome will be any different.

Dalton: I know, dad.

James: I know you love her, but

Dalton: A soft grunt escaped him …. I'm not so sure anymore.

James: …. do YOU want her back?

Dalton: He sighed heavily I used to think I wanted…. but now I realise it's love and closeness I need…. and she can't give me that… at least not the way I need it…. that kind of love isn't found between her and I. I wonder if it ever was?

James: Years ago, when you started dating, I'm sure it was… but it's been clear that it hasn't been there for a long time.

Dalton: Clear to anyone but me…

James: Dalton he sighed soft I think it has been plenty clear to you, you just haven't wanted to admit it to yourself. Your heart hasn't wanted to let go. But I think you have to. Now more than ever. There's love all around you, waiting to be let in. He nodded at the ceiling I know she…. they…. might seem far away right now, but they aren't. All you have to do is open your heart, and allow them in… fully.

Dalton: I'm scared, dad… He sighed soft and lifted his head, looking up at his father I'm terrified of letting someone new in.

James: I know. But you have to. In order to heal. To move on. To get the love you deserve.

Dalton: He sighed deep and heavy No one should have to take me on, dad… it's a lot. All the work, I'm never home. I don't clean up after myself, I'm not the most romantic person, I'm quite frankly a slob, I sometimes don't shower for days, I barely bother to fix my hair, I forget things because I'm always distracted or I'm getting old

Raven: He snorted lightly from the chair he had taken seat on few meters away

Dalton: He looked at Raven with a soft frown What?

Raven: You're certainly not getting old, and even if you were, it doesn't have to be a negative thing. Many people like "old people". And I'm fairly sure Malou or anyone else for that matter doesn't find you old.

James: Is it the age gab you have a problem with? he looked at his son questioning

Dalton: No…. yes… I don't know?… No I don't… at all… but he sighed softly, his eyebrows lifing into a worried wrinkle I guess I'm worried she would have a problem with it… if not now, then down the line…

James: She seems like a wonderful girl, Dalton… and intelligent…. I'm sure she has already made more than plenty thoughts into the matter, and if she had an issue, I don't think she would be trying to reach out to you the way she does.

Dalton: He sighed softly

James: Could it be that you are simply grasping at straws, trying to come up with excuses not to start something new?

Dalton: ….. He sighed again

James: … you know I'm right, son. She's smart, beautiful, she seems to have a good sense of humor, you two actually seem a lot alike, she's quite obviously into you, though she seems to be scared too, at least she tries to be open about it, without forcing it onto you, letting it be up to you, she seems to get you, she seems willing to compromise, and shows interest in your wellbeing… she seems kind, considerate and creative… and willing to give up a lot for you… what more do you want?

Dalton: He weighed his dads words carefully, knowing he was all too right. She was "perfect"… which probably scared him even more What if she turns me down… or give up on me over time… I'm a lot of work… maintenance.

James: Not to the right person. And I think she very well could be. So what does stuff like age or brushed hair really matter?

Dalton: It matters to many people, dad.

James: …. perhaps… but to the right person YOU matter, the rest is secondary. And Malou seems to me, like a person who can handle unbrushed hair and what ever trail of mess you create.

Dalton: He sighed again but what if she can't… what if she leave as well?

James: Then you'll turn it into beautiful songs he smiled encouraging and padded his sons back but I have a very strong feeling she would never. I think this girl knows your soul, Dalton, and she knows very well your worth. If you place gold in her palms she would never let go… she will never let go when she has you. He paused a moment You have been starved for love for so long, Dalton, it's time to let someone new in, someone more like you. Someone with a similar energy…. vibe…. magic. And as far as I can read, from the very little access I have to her, she seems to be exactly that. He paused again, choosing his words carefully …. And to my understanding, she needs love as much as you do. I think you would compliment each other beautifully. You just gotta let the fear out, and let her in.

Una: She smiled a bit hesitating, yet warm He will be alright… he just needs a bit of time. I know he's not always the easiest, and he can be a bit thick-headed, but he's she sighed soft, her eyes sparkling lightly he's

Malou: Magical

Una: Her smile grew wider and proud as she nodded agreeing

It was a couple minutes later when Raven and James joined the others in the living room

Una: She looked hopeful at her husband How is he?

James: He forced a soft smile He just needs a bit of time alone. He has a lot of thinking to do. He smiled somewhat apologizing at everyone I think it's time for us to head home Una

Malou: Nonsense she stood up fast Let me help you to Dalton's room, there's a comfortable bed waiting for you guys, there's absolutely no reason for the two of you to head back into the cold. She quickly guided James towards the second floor staircase, nodding encouraging at Una Please, it's Christmas, and there's more than plenty room.

Raven: I think I will be heading home as well he smiled a bit out of place, and looked somewhat questioning at Adrian

Adrian: He frowned soft, understanding the hint, but also wanting to be there for Dalton in case

Raven: He waited a couple of seconds, then turned to face Malou and Dalton's parents, nodding politely It was nice to meet the two of you, I see where Dalton gets his charm from. He nodded once again Good night then he quickly headed to the front door, and out into the cold night

Adrian: He frowned deeper, hesitating a bit, then quickly stood up Malou… uh… a word please?

Malou: She nodded quick Go on she spoke soft to Dalton's parents I'll be with you in a couple minutes to help you get some towels and such. She turned to Adrian as the parents headed upstairs and looked at him with a soft frown What was that about?

Adrian: I don't know? he frowned softly and I can't decide if I should stay here for Dalton, or follow…

Malou: … well… James said he wants to be alone. I mean I will definitely check on him at some point, simply cause I worry… but… if both of us check on him, it might be a bit of a mouthful, if he doesn't really want company to begin with? She sighed softly I hate to push you aside Adrian cause I think you have just as much right to be there for him as I have, but right now I really need to-

Adrian: It's fine. I mean it he forced a soft smile right now I feel like I really have to go after Raven, so you simply made it less difficult to do so. Thank you. He looked at the stairs a bit contemplating, then back at her And you'll be okay here with he pointed upstairs

Malou: …. awkward, but okay, yes she snorted it's fine, don't worry about me, I'll be alright… get out of here!

Adrian: He nodded thankfully and quickly grabbed his jacket and got his boots on, quickly heading out the front door. He took a last peek at the studio door, before he ran out the gate. He looked down the street, empty. He looked in the other direction, instantly spotting Raven turning around a corner. He took a deep breath and quickly ran in the direction, catching up with Raven before he turned down another street Hey! He stopped next to the dark haired one, breathing a bit heavy in the cold air Why did you leave like that?

Raven: Like what? he stuck his hands in his pocket, looking at Adrian with a soft frown I said good night…. I said I was going home… what strikes you as odd about that exit?

Adrian: … your behavior right now strikes me as odd.

Raven: He sighed deep

Adrian: Tell me… please.

Raven: It's nothing… just silly thoughts. I thought it was best going home, rather than dwelling on it.

Adrian: He stepped a bit closer, slow and gentle grabbing onto Raven's wrists, lifting his hands out of his pockets, slipping his fingers between Raven's Well.. I'm here now… he smiled lightly IF you wanna talk about it, I will listen… and if not, that's fine too… but may I go home with you?

Raven: You don't want to stay with Dalton instead?

Adrian: No he shook his head light and short no… I think I'm needed here more at the moment.

Raven: And how about what YOU need?

Adrian: He contemplated a short moment, then answered in a lowered voice I need the people I love to be alright. Dalton will have Malou to take care of him… that doesn't mean I am only here because of

Raven: I know he nodded lightly, and gently dragged Adrian down the street Let's go home.

[teabutmakeitazure]

Twisted but Tender - 7: Warmth with Hesitance

>Yan! Childe x Fem! Reader

a/n: the open side of his shirt/jacket looks tempting. Light-hearted banter in this one

Chapter summary: Childe wears a different uniform for a change and you take the bait.

Warning(?): touching someone (in a non-sexual way) and having no control over it

Word count: almost 0.9k

Series Masterlist

------

"Your stomach is showing."

"Aw, are you jealous someone else is going to see me this way~"

"Ajax, button up."

"No."

"Button. Up."

"I. Will. Not."

You take a step closer and his smile widens, bastard.

"Ajax."

"Sweetheart."

"Button up your shirt and jacket."

"Nope."

With a deep, annoyed breath, you raise your hands to button up his open side yourself but he catches your hand short of the action. The bastard brings it to place your palm flat on his bare skin. On his bare stomach and on his lower abs.

He starts maneuvering your hand upwards, making you caress his torso while you stand completely frozen and mouth open.

The soft, warm feeling of skin on skin is nice but this is just inappropriate. You try your best to pull your hand away but his grip doesn't budge. Finally, he brings your hand up to where the end of his ribcage would be and tilts it so that it sits horizontally, fingers in between the depressions of his toned body.

His other hand sneaks around your torso and rests between your shoulder blades. You don't think your face has ever been this hot. Seeing your clearly flustered state, he chuckles.

The bastard finds it amusing.

He kisses the crown of your head. "Hm, what were you saying again?"

You sigh, defeated, and try to pull your hand away but he doesn't let it go. It's halfway under his shirt and it's… weird. Touching someone like this is just plain weird.

"Let my hand go," you look up at him through your lashes, "please?"

"As adorable as you are, I'm afraid not. There's no harm in this."

You're now realising that his face is a cute shade of pink.

"Ajax, this is getting uncomfortable. Please-"

"Come on, there's no need to be shy. It's just me."

Of course it's just you. There's no one else physically in my life anymore.

"That's not… what I'm saying."

"Then?"

What really is it?

"It's… uncomfortable."

"Really? I'm very comfortable right now."

"It is for me."

"Well," he starts moving your hand again, lower but taking his sweet time. "I guess your point is understandable but not convincing enough."

Seriously?

"Did I upset you?"

His eyes widen, like he's taken aback by the question. However, he quickly recovers and smiles, shaking his head.

"Then?"

"What makes you think you upset me?"

"You're acting different."

"Am I?"

He moves your hand to rest on his hip, right above his belt.

"Are you touch starved?"

He wastes no time in saying yes. "You never initiate anything darling. I'm running out of patience with each minute that passes when I'm with you." A sigh, "You're so stubborn at times that if it wasn't for your pretty face I'ld think I was talking to a wall."

Well, he could've at least tried talking to you first. Isn't that what a relationship is built on? Trust and communication? Still, you're one to talk about communication.

"Nothing to say now?"

You purse your lips at his comment. He's right, in a sense. You haven't even been near him lately. His eyes have been like a predator's. They've been so watchful and observant that when he came home yesterday, you had literally shuddered under his gaze. He laughed at that of course.

The guy knows his skills as a harbinger and uses them on you with zero remorse.

With your muscles less stiff and more relaxed now, he lets go of his hand, leaving yours to rest on his hip. His skin is soft, you note.

Beautiful, that's what he is.

His now free hand comes to wrap around the curve of your hip, running the palm up and down your side. He's getting an idea of how curvy your body is through your clothes but you don't complain.

It's nice actually. The feeling of a hand on your body placed with utmost care and adoration. It feels nice. You fight the urge to ask for more because you're certain he'ld make fun of you.

When was the last time you saw someone else? The maids don't talk to you much, actually only Abby does. The guards, well you only see them when you go to the backyard. Then again, Ajax always dismisses them immediately because he's there. The only person you've interacted properly with for months is him. Him him him.

You were right at the start. He'ld insert himself into your life as a parasite if you don't willingly accept him. Look where it's got you now. If your past self saw you like this, you'ld get hit on the head for being so stupid and weak.

But this… it feels so nice. The embrace he has you in now, it's warm. He's warm. And the way his lips are resting on the crown of your head, you want to melt into a puddle. It's a shame he has to leave for work.

"I'll be back a little late tonight." His words send vibrations through your skull. "Probably by sundown. There are some things that need to be cleaned up, documents and all."

All you let out was a weak hum with your face buried in his chest.

"I'll miss you."

You couldn't resist, "I'll miss you too."

[dontsh0vethesun]

put my name at the top of your list - N.R.

masterlists

(Part of my Red (Taylor's Version) fics)

Song - The Last Time

Pairing - Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Summary - You and Natasha have been in a secret relationship and though you're exclusive to one another, you've not made it official. You can't help but think maybe her feelings don't mirror yours or she's ashamed of you, this is the last time you're giving her the choice to pick you.

Warnings - Relationship angst and the mildest smut BUT there is a happy ending dw

Word Count - 2575

A/N - i really like this one so i hope you enjoy!! also i am reposting this as last time it got stuck on 12 notes due to a glitch but tumblr have sorted it out :)

Natasha's arms around you felt right, the way she held you flush against her body with her fingers stroking through your hair and the gentle beating of her heart beneath where you lay your head.

Yet, the comfort and security you felt from her physically could not be replicated emotionally; the sex and the sneaking around was great but not being sure of where you stood with her was eating away at you. For you it was easy to fall in love with her, it happened some months ago and you let the warm feeling take over but you kept it hidden for fear of scaring her away - you'd rather have her like this than not at all... right?

So as you lay in her bed, like you have done most nights for the past six months, her arms hugging you close almost felt suffocating as your thoughts ran rampant. Thoughts of you and her, the idea that these secretive trysts may be all you'll ever have. The way your love for her is beginning to feel like poison, acidic in your throat as you choke it down. The thought was nauseating, ice cold in your veins when you realised this is it, you can't suffer this way anymore - she either loves you now or she never will.

"What's going on in here?" She spoke, voice only a little more than a whisper as her finger tapped the side of your head. Of course she could tell you were only present in body, your mind somewhere else entirely.

You sat up with a sigh, the air in her bedroom shifting as she sensed your seriousness, turning to her with your legs crossed beneath you. Her eyes trailed over your face just as you've grown used to, analysing, theorising just what you were going to say before the words were uttered.

"Detka, what's wrong?" Her hand touched your knee and you couldn't help but mentally scold yourself at the feeling it ignited, warm feelings trying to drag themselves through the cracks in your tension, it wasn't the time to let your adoration take control.

"I'm not sure I can do this anymore, Natasha." You muttered, neutrality in your tone, determined to not let your emotions take over. You could see her sharp inhale of breath in the way the muscles in her neck twitched. And suddenly your mouth felt dry, unbearable.

"Why? What do you mean?" She returned, tone as neutral as yours per her training.

"I just - I don't want to be your secret anymore. I can't take it. And I understand you have your reservations, I get it but please don't keep me waiting for something that'll never happen." You choked out, throat constricting with the tears that wanted to be set free, standing from her bed and finding it harder to hold them back when she didn't even try and get you to stay.

Her lips parted with unspoken words, clamping shut again. You could see the frustration in her features. The salty tears began to fall at the deafening silence, the silence that never broke even when you walked to her door.

No words were spoken when you opened it to leave and maybe you were stupid for expecting her to call down the hallway to you as you wandered to your own room. You were stupid, foolish that you could ever even think she could love you.

The next day wasn't a busy one, your body felt heavy when you woke, consumed by the words you longed to hear. You felt numb to the world, wrapped up in your duvet dreading getting up. So you put it off for a while longer, only getting dressed and trudging out when the need for some coffee and lunch became too great.

It wasn't surprising to find everyone else milling around the kitchen area doing the same thing, chattering filling the room. The absence of a certain redhead wasn't surprising either. "Afternoon." Wanda smiled teasingly as you headed straight to the coffee pot.

"Hey Wands."

"Everything okay?" She questioned and you could feel the gaze of the others falling upon you, concerned at your uncharacteristic late arrival. You responded with a nod and a smile as convincing as you could muster. "I'm cooking lunch for us all - should be done soon." She smiled and you knew she didn't believe you but she could pry later.

You mulled over your thoughts, cradling the mug of lukewarm coffee, swallowing bitter mouthfuls on autopilot as your mind wandered. The chatter bouncing around the room serving merely as background noise to the chaos racking your skull, notions of love and heartbreak, of inadequacy and shame.

The goings on continued around you until the lone seat you occupied at the end of the table was accompanied with the bodies of everyone else, plates being passed around and food scooped onto plates. And you felt stupid to be sulking as smiles and lively chatter adorned the lips of your teammates, your friends. Though you allowed yourself to wallow when the pang in your chest was physically painful at the sight of her, hair slightly damp from a shower and you could almost smell her shampoo the way the scent was ingrained into your mind.

It was hard not to notice the subtle glances shared between the others as she sat on the opposite end of the table to you, your forced lack of eye contact surely swayed her decision. It was usually the two of you lost in your own world, laughing together - the hostility was nauseating.

You were both quiet, the others speaking around you, they tried to include you both in the conversations with brief answers and forced smiles and laughs in response. You could barely lift your head, feigning interest in the slice of tomato on your plate, pushing around the seeds and the juicy centre with your fork, scared of what you'd find if you looked up and whether you'd be able to survive without crying - that would be embarrassing surely.

But she was like the sun in more ways than one, an eclipse. And you knew you should keep your gaze elsewhere but you couldn't help but take a peek. Those mossy eyes were already looking your way, pleading you to just please pay her any speck of attention but you flitted your sight to a blank space on the wall behind Sam who sat opposite telling a humour filled story.

You couldn't look at her, you just couldn't. Not with the way just one glance made your heart pound, throat close and eyes well with acrid tears.

But of course, as a creature with little self control, your sights kept flicking over to her; just because she makes your heart hurt it doesn't mean she isn't beautiful. You'd once told her she was 'pulchritudinous' earning that raspy laugh to bless your ears and of course what she'd said was right: the word had come up on your 'Word of the Day' app but she appreciated the sentiment either way.

She was often looking straight back at you and you could see the uncertainty in her eyes, that or you were uncertain of what her expression was. It didn't look to be one you'd come across before, almost desperate. Time went on with plates being emptied and each minute that passed seemed to deepen the etching of frustration in the furrow of her brows - why wouldn't you just look at her?

And the conversation being passed around was halted into silence at the angry clattering of metal against ceramic, her cutlery haphazardly dashed onto her plate, hands clenched into fists against the table.

"Can you please just fucking look at me?" She huffed, eyes piercing into the side of your face, meeting with yours as you reluctantly looked to her. The faces of everyone else were muddles of confusion and shock at the sudden interruption and the now tense almost hostile air.

You said nothing, what could you say? The air feeling heavy and difficult to drag into your lungs, sour and thick. And for moments nothing was said at all, the two of you just staring across the table, an audience of bated breath.

"What's happening here?" Tony voiced, pointing between the pair of you. You thought it must be a wild thing to see, 'best friends' staring one another down, both with extensive combat skills and at least one weapon on your persons - perhaps they were slightly nervous and it was almost funny to you that they could be...almost.

"Nothing." You uttered, surprising yourself when you could actually speak and lifting from your seat gathering as many plates as you could to walk over to the kitchen. The stunned and tense silence only letting the clattering sounds of the stacking plates echo throughout the space, awkward almost wasn't enough to describe the quiet.

Aggravation flitted over her features, audible sigh at the back of her throat. She followed you of course and you have never wished the table wasn't mere feet away from the kitchen as much as you did right then, you could hear few hushed words at the table - their eavesdropping could not be any less subtle.

"Please can you talk to me?"

Everybody, including you, winced at the jarring crash of the crockery against the counter - you didn't expect your annoyance to make itself so forthright. "I spoke last night, your silence was enough." The grip on the kitchen counter was the only thing keeping your emotions in check, you'd let yourself cry about this when you're alone in your room.

"I didn't know what to say."

"Exactly." You spoke through gritted teeth, hoping to be quiet enough to keep the conversation private. And when she fell silent again, chewing her inner cheek you'd had enough, trying to step past her. Efforts fell fruitless when her hand gripped onto your arm keeping you still.

"You know that you're the only one." She uttered and yet those words weren't enough, not what you needed to hear.

"I cannot be your secret anymore Natasha." Your voices were hushed though grimaces contorted everyone's faces as they caught the use of her full name. "This is the last time that I am asking you to just put my name at the top of your list, hold me above everything else, please." You practically begged.

"I do. You know I do." She responded.

"Then stop acting like you're so ashamed." Your voice this time was loud enough for all to hear, you took a shaky inhale before talking again, volume lowered once more. "My heart is fucking aching. When you don't feel the same way I do. I'm just a quick, secret, fuck right?" You tugged your arm free, tears spilling over now.

"That's not true." She spoke quietly as your feet carried you past the group, heads turned to Natasha in shock after a glimpse of your tear covered face. They watched as you retreated down the hallway to the elevator, your body clearly shaking with broken sobs.

And still, nobody spoke, just perplexed at the scene unfolding. Popcorn was the only thing missing as eyes tracked Natasha's actions as you left; a frustrated sigh and rub of her forehead, cogs clearly turning in her head before a moment of clarity. A novel sight of nervousness on her face as she spun on her heels, taking up almost a jog through the room to chase after you, hurried steps down the hallway.

"I am not ashamed of you."

You looked up from the ground and the sight caused a drowning wave of guilt to wash over her, wet cheeks and the whites of your eyes hued red from the tears.

"Please believe me. I was scared, to let you in completely, I felt safer with it being secret but I could never be ashamed." She neared you, hand holding onto yours, it felt warm against your skin, palm pressed against palm.

"I can't hear this if you don't want what I want, if you don't feel what I feel. I can't handle it." Your voice strained, her free hand came up to cup your cheek, thumb swiping at the tears on your skin. A soft smile graced her lips.

"I love you. I am so deeply in love with you." The words were uttered like honey, food of the gods, and fuck did it taste good. To say the group of nosey Avengers at the table was shocked would be an understatement.

"You do? You're sure?"

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life." She laughed and you couldn't help but laugh too, relieved. "I should have told you sooner but I was scared and it seems so stupid now th-" She rambled, you found it endearing but you'd heard enough, seen enough sincerity in her irises.

Your lips pushed against hers cutting her words short, she froze for a second before smiling into the kiss, moving her lips with yours as you'd grown used to. And though you'd shared kisses a multitude of times this one was different, you could both feel it, translating into love. A kiss that meant 'I love you', one that knew it was the first of an infinite amount, no end in sight, no deadline until you had to sneak away. Just now, and then forever.

"I love you too." You breathed against her, you never thought her smile could get any brighter but somehow in that moment it did. She couldn't help but yank you into a tight hug, squeezing you so tightly in her embrace. Being that close to losing you, she had to hold you close.

The pair of you didn't even spare a glance to your audience, stepping into the elevator to her room. Her lips were on yours before the doors had even slid closed, hand resting on the back of your head to keep you close.

Fumbling footsteps in your desperate pace to get to her room, falling through the door with childish giggles, refusing to fully part from one another's lips. How could you when the taste was this sweet?

The most perfect haze as clothes were stripped, smiles permanent knowing you wouldn't have to hold back the love held, wouldn't have to sneak out once the hallway was checked to be clear.

Natasha's arms around you felt right again, just how it had begun. A warm hold, hands soft against you, home. A new kind of electricity danced over your skin at the brush of her fingers against you, caressing you with such passion.

The way in which your bodies worked together was nothing short of sublime, this wan't news to you but this time was different. Every touch, every kiss, each push of a finger and lick of a tongue was laced with love. Her body straddled yours, fingers slowly pumping into you and the smile was still present on her lips, the love was clear in her eyes.

She presented her love in a chalice and you gulped it down, savouring every last drop.

And when her heavy breaths filled the room, groans bouncing off the four walls, she muttered an I love you; your heart could have burst at the sound, music to your ears as cliché as it sounds.

But she loved you and you loved her. Just now, and then forever.

[emotionally-damaged-carrot]

Marc Spector/Steven Grant x Male Reader

Imperfections can become perfections

Warning: suggestive, depressing, sad

Idk how to put that into a cis!male reader. So I will just make this depressing but with a good(?) Ending. I really just don't know what to do with this request, but here you go. If you want a better one just send me an ask.

(I don't think I proofread this. Might have to look for some nice grammar mistake. If you wanna read this.)

I don't think I'm back yet. I just forced this one out.

I hope you lot understand this, cause I no fucking clue anymore.

Before dating Steven, before meeting Marc. I was as single as fuck, and my family hated my guts, wishing I was never born. Wishing I was aborted. Wishing I was dead. All because I came out to them as gay when I was 16. Which in turn made them resent me. They would refuse to touch me, to hold me, to comfort me. All in fear that, I would "infect them with my gayness".

Feeling numb, feeling nothing, feeling cold. My mind began to wonder.

Will I ever feel again?

Will I feel emotions again?

Sitting in the bathroom floor, crying. I remembered the razors in the cabinet. Desperate. I opened the cabinet grabbing one, I looked at it with bored soul less eyes. Slowly pressing it to my wrist. Seeing the scarlet liquid run down, and feeling that pain. It grounded me. After savouring the feeling, I realised.

I NEEDED MORE.

I needed to feel that again, slowly, I began to cut my wrist again, feeling the pain and watching the same scarlet liquid drip down to the bathroom floor. It was like ecstacy.

Soon I felt like an artist, drawing on a canvas. After sometimes, I began to see just how much I was bleeding, just how much blood I am losing.

——————

Thinking back to those days, even though years have passed. I still cringe. Knowing what I did was wrong and that it left permanent marks on my wrist, a reminder of what I had done to myself.

Walking back with Steven to his apartment that I moved in to not too long ago. I hug his arm, fearing that he might leave me.

"Love?"

"Y-yes?"

"Can you not hold onto my arm too tight? It feels like you're gonna break my bones."

He says with a bright playful smile on his face, looking at me with those soft brown eyes that look similar to the color of coffee making me feel warm on the inside.

I try not to hold onto his arm too tight after he asked me to. Leaning my head on his bicep with my eyes closed. I did not realize we were about to cross a road. Making me walk onto the road, but luckily Steven pulled me back by the sleeve of the oversized sweater I was wearing. As he pulled me back, the sweater rolled back a bit revealing the scars I had.

"N-no, you didn't."

Not knowing what he was talking about, I look at him, seeing him looking at my exposed wrist. Making me panic and pull back my arm and sliding my hands past the band of the sweater giving me sweater paws.

"Darling, why?"

He asked concern heavy in his voice.

"I-i-it's nothing, let's just get back home."

I stated, crossing the road now that it was safe to cross.

——————

Arriving back at the apartment, I immediately ran to the bathroom with who I thought was Steven trailing behind me. Trying to catch me before I locked the door. Unfortunately for me, it was Marc and not Steven, hence why he was able to grab me from behind before I even got close to the bathroom. Hugging me close, he began to make his way to the bed we shared.

"You wanna talk about it?"

He asked, with a serious tone.

"N-n-no, yes, no y-yes."

I stutter out now tears sliding down my cheeks.

"It's okay sweetheart, take your time. I'm not pressuring you, but just know. I am always here for you, I will never leave you."

He says pulling me down on the bed with him. His back flat on the bed, head resting on a pillow and my back resting flat on his chest. He starts humming a relaxing tune that he knows I like. Making me feel sleepy, I began to stir, making it so we were chest to chest, my hand on the side of his body. His one hand gently running up and down my back, while the other is behind his head. Now feeling comfortable, I began to doze off.

"Sleep well, prince. I will be here when you wake up."

I caught his words only seconds before I ventured to the land of dreams.

——————

Waking up from the comfortable sleep. I felt a warm body below me and a hand on my back running up and down, and that same relaxing tune from last night.

Opening my eyes and looking up, I see Marc looking down at me, with soft eyes.

"Morning, cutie."

He says in his morning voice that never fails to make me blush. Burying my face into his chest, I feel the contours of his body. Clearly a well built body, considering how tight the shirt is on his body. As I test my cheek on his left pec and moving off of him and beside him hugging him, my left hand drawing senseless shapes and lines on his body, just loving the feeling of his muscular body on my fingers.

"Don't do that again, baby. No matter what anyone says, you are you, and you are perfect that way. You are not a snowflake. There are many others like you, but you are unique. One of a kind."

He says looking down at me with a soft warm voice, that is very uncharacteristic of him.

"Y-yes."

It was the only word I can say, my face blushing hard and heart pounding fast.

"I trust you, but I will do an inspection every now and then. Just to make sure."

He says staring into my eyes with warmth and adoration. Like he's trying to grab a hold of my soul to give it a warm hug. To bring out a better side of it.

"You know, you're the one who helped me stop."

I mumble into his body. With him now looking at the ceiling with a smirk.

"Really? How?"

"Well, it was more like Steven."

His smirk fell and got replaced with a bitter look.

"Of course."

"Are you jealous?"

"Just on with your story."

He says his left hand now gently running through my hair.

"It was bright outside when we met looked like the perfect day. Nice sun light, not too hot that you have to wear sleeveless but not too cold to the point you have to wear a sweater. I was j-just sitting in a café, sipping on the coffee I ordered, until I heard the softest voice I could ever imagine, cursing. I chuckled to myself, looking for the person who owned the voice. See-"

"And you saw Steven?"

"No, I saw a flying kangaroo."

"You're such a sarcastic ass."

"But you lo-"

I almost said 'love'.

"Go on, love. Don't be shy."

He says looking back down at me, his eyes radiating warmth. Hearing the accent change, I knew that it was now Steven.

"H-hello Ste-v-ven."

I try to say, burying my face deeper into his body.

"It's okay love, you can say it. I mean you're not wrong, I do love y-you. A l-lot more than you might think, darling."

After he say those words. I knew that, he was the one. He was the one who can mend me. He was the one who can pick me up when I am full of cracks, on the verge of breaking into pieces and still find beauty in me.

"I-I love you t-too."

I say, now blushing hard. His hand still running through my hair but this time with little tugs.

"Want me to show you how much I love you?"

I now hear Marc say pulling my head back exposing my neck, making me gulp hard.

"Just say the word, and I will show you?"

He says, with a smirk, eyeing my adam's apple, like it's a food just waiting to be bitten into and.

"Y-yes."

I say sheepishly, trying not to sound so nervous.

"That's my boy."

Idk what this is anymore. I can prolly change this, this was just rushed cause I feel like I need to post a story. I make a new one if anyone wants to read good version.

[papipopsicle]

AFTERTASTE PART SEVEN

Pairing: Archie Andrews X Reader

Summary: In which two best friends since childhood test whether sex and friendship can co-exist without causing conflict. Including OC's Flick and Cherry, a bisexual and lesbian in a sapphic relationship who are best friends of Y/N.

Song: Dream Boy by Waterparks

Warnings: swearing

Words: 2.1K

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

Y/F and Y/M Robins were far from perfect parents. Y/F had the mental age of a toddler at times, and being an estate agent who always has to go the extra mile- he often wasn't home when his wife needed him the most. Y/M, on the other end of things, had been a stay at home mum until Y/N turned 16 last summer, and now she helped with all the administrative work for Mayor McCoy. She was a maternal creature which, coupled with her brilliant sarcasm, made for some explosive conversations. The two met on the first day of university and got married a week after the last.

When Y/M first found out she was pregnant with little Y/S Robins, the two realised they wanted a quiet bubble of a town to raise their children and grow up with them. But it wasn't until their second daughter was about to turn seven until they found their forever home in the quaint town of Riverdale. Ten years passing before their eyes, and the picturesque place didn't seen all that anymore.

Jason Blossom's death had nothing to do with the short gunshot sounding over the waves of Sweetwater River, the noise which woke Y/N from her sweet unmemorable dreams every few nights. The summer days rolled into early August without anyone caring, Y/N spending most of them at Cheryl's side listening intently to her past adventures with her brother. Betty threw herself into an internship at a publication house; Flick and Cherry had volunteered at a summer camp, and Archie was helping his dad out more and more with constructions job.

Although it hadn't been the start to the relationship Y/N had hoped for- the nervous giggles and hand holding, short and sweet kisses on late night walks followed by poetry worthy cuddling. There was a magnificent silver lining as Archie's muscles gained definition, and he suited the sweaty builder look far too well.

[INSTAGRAM]

♡ 602 likes

y/n Humph!

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Cheryl busy being my own icon

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"Earth to my gorgeous queen? Y/N/N?" Cheryl quizzed her friend, who currently resided at the poolside of Thornehill Manor. Her mind was off on a glorious tangent about her rendezvous in the kitchen at two in the morning. Fixing herself a glass of water, when Archie slips his hand into her pyjama shorts, his other around her mouth muffling her needy moans.

The red headed beauty shoved her y/h/c friend playfully, warm skin sweaty under her pale touch. Y/N blinked innocently and sent her an apologetic smile, "What?"

"I asked if you've thought about dating anyone else since Clayton?" The fiery ginger girl enquired with her usual upbeat tone.

Cheryl knew she had a unique quality about her which made it almost impossible for Y/N to lie to her face. The y/h/c girl scrunched up her nose, hiding the smile the idea of Archie Andrews brought to her face. 'Yes. We started off as fuck buddies but never actually fucked. Then I drunkenly asked him to be my boyfriend, now a month later I think we may genuinely work out.'

"Maybe." Y/N bit her bottom lip, listening to her friend's squeal as she squeezed her sun tanned arm.

"I knew it! You have this euphoric glow you only get when someone else makes you climax." The redhead affirmed confidently, watching the Robins girl's eyes bug out before hitting her arm, "Y/N/N, you know your secret's safe with me."

"Fine." She sighed and took a sip of her fruity cocktail, "It started off as just fooling around, honestly I just needed to let off some steam after everything. I knew he was into the kinds of things I was, I mean he used to tease me about it non stop. And it was good, so good I stopped being a pussy and asked him to be my boyfriend."

"Holy freaking hell!" The Blossom girl grinned with excitement, "Dare I ask, who is it?"

Y/N deadpanned at her friend, "Guess."

"Please don't tell me it's that muscular oaf Reggie, he's pretty but there's not exactly much going on upstairs." Cheryl tapped her temples and rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Nope."

The ginger thought for a moment, consulting her liquid courage and splashing her feet around the waters edge, "It's Archie."

All it took was a side-eyed glance at the y/h/c girl's blooming rosy cheeks to know she definitely wasn't wrong. Y/N severely lacked the ability to lie, even if her tone held conviction, her features were far too expressive and told the truth all on their own. It's not like they were hiding it from anyone, but the past four weeks had gone far too quickly without any moments to spare for the world around them. They slept together each night, the majority of that time not actually spent sleeping, but they hadn't been given the chance yet to explore more romantic avenues.

"It's fucking Archie Andrews- you're fucking Archie Andrews and don't you dare deny it." Cheryl gawked in her gorgeous white and nude bikini, watching as her friend lay back against the hot marble slabs which encased the large pool with the largest grin adorning her plump lips.

"We haven't had sex yet, so technically you aren't completely correct." Y/N winked but carried on before the girl exploded with a hundred questions and could never be turned off, "Trust me, I want to, and I'm sure he does too. But you know, it's his first time, I want it to be perfect for him."

"Y/N/N, you really love him, don't you?" Cheryl gagged to begin with, but she found it sweet in truth. She wanted someone to hold, who would hold her right back just as tight for no other reason than needing to.

Y/N sat back up and paddled her feet, "You have no idea, Cher."

Arch 🧡

That new post should be illegal

Tiger 💛

Ooo

I like this reaction

Maybe I should post more

Like this one

Cheryl pushed me in the pool

And I may have had a drink

Or three

Arch 🧡

Well that's sexy

I swear nobody looks good like that how on earth

You're a goddess

But also

How's she holding up?

Tiger 💛

🥺😇

Broken

But she's strong yk

You coming over for dinner?

Arch 🧡

Yeah Y/D invited my dad too

Need me to pick you up from Cheryl's?

Tiger 💛

Awe cute we love a bromance, and it's all good my mommas coming now anyways :))

Hours had elapsed far too fast and soon the summer heat simmered into cool waves of wind brushing over sun kissed skin. Cheryl's arms were clasped around the blonde's shoulders in a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much, Y/N/N, I don't know what I'd do without you!" The Blossom girl professed with sparkling eyes and a brilliant smile.

Y/N beamed up at her, fingers carding through her damp y/h/c hair as she looked over her shoulder to see her mum pulling into the driveway, "You don't need to thank me, Cher, friends look after each other. Message me if you need me, okay?"

Cheryl promised she would and the two teen girls hugged goodbye, with Y/N soon heading home- listening to her mother gossip about Hal and Alice's screaming match last night, Y/N loved her inability to keep her mouth shut sometimes.

"Mom," The y/h/c stopped her mid sentence and received a side eyed glance in response, "I need to tell you something and you're totally not allowed to freak out while you're driving."

Y/M's eyes widened and her grip tightened around the steering wheel, her daughters very rarely confided in her. While she knew her youngest was safe in her promiscuity, neither of Y/M Robins' girls ever shared their secrets so for the most part she took finding out into her own hands.

"Honey," The forty four year old's calm tone was hardly comforting to the teenager, "if this is about you and Archie fooling around, your father and I figured that out a long time ago, like so long ago. Who do you think does your laundry? When your underwear starting looking like dental floss, we caught on pretty quickly."

Y/N felt like a deer in headlights, "Mum, what the hell?" Her cheeks heated to an inhuman temperature.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, as long as you're being safe and he's-"

"For the second time today, and I can't believe I'm saying this to you, but I am not having sex with Archie Andrews!" Y/N's high pitched voice sounded through the car. It truly was a blessing and a curse to have such open minded parents in situations like this. She thought about telling her mother the truth, but Y/M was a blabber mouth as well as a gossip, so Y/N chose to withhold certain pieces of information.

The Robins matriarch dropped the subject but didn't forget about her daughter's tone, and continued to ramble on about how odd she found Penelope Blossom and the whole Blossom family in general. "Like why on Earth is Rose in a wooden wheelchair? They know it's the twenty first century, right?"

As expected, the Robins household was once again filled with warm laughter and copious amounts of food. The topic of Jason was skimmed over, and Y/S found herself away from the dinner table. The eldest Robins sibling was currently pleading with Alice as she began shoving all of Polly's belongings in the boot of Hal's car. She couldn't comprehend life without her best friend, not after losing Jason. They were meant to be going travelling together for a year- working the worst jobs and staying up all night to watch the sun rise in different countries. But instead, Y/S's eyes were blinded by tears as she screamed down the street at the speeding car, with Polly Cooper taken out of her life indefinitely.

Y/N was oblivious to the dark inner workings of the Cooper clan, Betty's knowledge about her and Archie unbeknownst to the loved up teens. She'd spent every second not occupied by her internship trying to justify the romantic act as a fleeting moment of loneliness fuelled by alcohol. She wrote in her diary ideas on how she could win Archie back over, not knowing it was in fact, too late. Betty found herself hopelessly in love with the boy next door, unfortunately for her, the girl across the road was the only one his mind found.

Archie and Y/N washed up while their parents resided to the living room with three glasses and a bottle of white wine. The short girl turned the tap off after placing the last utensil on the draining board, flicking her sudsy hands at the boy's face. "What the-"

She didn't give him a chance to finish that thought, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his torso- planting a kiss onto his lips, then cheeks, then forehead. The two fell entranced by each other, planting pecks across nape of her neck and top of his head.

"Son," Fred's voice called out from the next room and the two immediately pulled apart, hearts beating in their ears, "we're going in a minute."

"Alright." He replied, placing his girlfriend on the floor once more.

"I wish you'd stay." Y/N pouted childishly, she meant the words entirely but hated feeling overbearing. Her life had been turned upside down this summer, it started off with her unable to fall asleep with another person next to her- now Archie's chest was her most comfortable pillow and is arms were the warmest blanket.

"Tomorrow night instead, Princess? I promised my dad I'd spend more time with him before senior year." The boy reasoned, holding her close and unknowingly feeling the exact same way, he adored holding her by her waist and pulling her close under the duvet.

"Monopoly night at yours?" She grinned and he nodded back in reply, the two sharing a final kiss in the kitchen before walking into the hallway.

Y/N felt at ease as she wished the two a goodnight and headed up to bed. She took off her tea dress and replaced it with Archie's bulldog t-shirt, managing to reach the same length on her thighs as her dress did.

Arch 🧡

I can still smell your perfume on my sheets

Tiger 💛

Marking my territory obviously x

Arch 🧡

I love it

Hope you sleep well baby x

Tiger 💛

Call me that tomorrow and we won't be sleeping so you better rest up tonight x

Arch 🧡

Whatever you say, baby x

Tiger 💛

Goodnight x

Arch 🧡

Night princess x

part eight?

wanna be tagged? just send in an ask x

[yunkiwii]

—i miss you even when you're here—

pairing: bf!seungmin x fem!reader

genre: angst, fluff, established relationship

wc: ~2.7k

warnings: feeling of abandonment, loneliness, stress, insecurities

⇢ requested by @leihey ♡ i hope this lives up to your expectations!

summary: for seven days y/n has been feeling lonely as her boyfriend spends all his time either at work or thinking about work.

You turn your alarm off without even looking at it, huffing before reaching your arm to the left side of the bed, and the way it lands straight out into the wrinkled sheets with a muffled sound confirms what you expected but still hoped wouldn't happen today - waking up alone.

For the past week Seungmin would get home late to a long asleep girlfriend at their shared bed, and a plate of cold food on the kitchen table. On the other hand, you would wake to an already empty bed and a faint memory of a forehead kiss, one you wondered if it were real or just a lucid dream.

For seven days you have spent your time either at work or alone at home, carefully thinking what meal would cheer up your boyfriend the most after a long stressful day at JYPE, missing the way he would always cut the onions because he knew you were more sensitive than him to the burning feeling in your eyes and would cry easily, missing how the kitchen always felt so small for the two of you to cook together, his hands constantly on your waist as a way to tell you to "scootch over", not wanting to interrupt his singing to tell you verbally.

For seven days you have been cooking alone, cooking for someone you didn't know would show up in time or not. And whenever he did - he didn't - being his presence merely physical, greeting kisses placed on your cheeks, lips and forehead in a mechanical way, a force of habit. For seven days your kitchen felt too big, too quiet and the onions made you cry more than usual.

At the eighth day you couldn't take it anymore, and when you heard the doorknob of your front door creaking, just as you were setting the table - for two -, you had to take three deep breaths, the words you had organized and planned out started to get mixed up in your brain, creating a mess you couldn't control anymore and so, as soon as you see Seungmin entering the kitchen you can only say three words, "I love you."

"I love you too, silly." he chuckles as his lips peck yours quickly, "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about so desperatly?", he waves his phone, referring to the text you sent him earlier. He didn't look annoyed at you for making him come home earlier than it was usual lately, but he still seemed off, and the bags under his eyes screamed "exhaustion" the same way the marks your tears left on your cheeks did too.

You watch him as he eats, unable to do so too yourself, the lump in your throat growing as you hear Seungmin's muffled voice thanking you for the meal with his mouth full and a light squeeze on your thigh. And you wondered if you were being unfair, if you were being selfish, because he was allowed to be stressed about his work, he was allowed to not be at his best all the time, and it wasn't his fault he had to stay until late at night at work. But it was his fault that he couldn't leave work when he got home, that he couldn't put his phone down and ask how your day was, to just take ten minutes of his day to just be with you, and you only. And you were allowed to miss him, miss his touch, miss the way he held you tightly at the end of the day while you watched the most random tv show together, because it wasn't the show that matter but each other's company.

And, without realizing it, you had already spilled all of this to him before the kitchen dropped dead silent again, and everything went blurry. You couldn't even see his face, not until his hands cupped your cheeks and his thumbs cleaned your tears as you mumbled quietly, "I'm sorry, I- I just miss you."

"But I'm right here (y/n)...", he pulls your chair closer until your knees touch, taking your hand in his while the other lifts your chin so your eyes meet, "Let's go on a date tomorrow, yeah? I'll get off earlier and pick you up. You'll wear that fancy outfit you've had in your wardrobe for ages, and I'll put on a nice suit and tie. What do you say?"

And in the eighth night you went to bed feeling a little warmer inside, his back turned to you didn't hurt as much now that your hand rested on his side and his shirt was worn by you. Knowing - hoping - that tomorrow will be better, you fall deep into dreamland as soon as you shut your eyes.

However, you couldn't help but to feel abandoned again when, hours later, a cold breeze hits your stomach and arms, making you mumble something in your sleep as you try to recover whatever was blocking that breeze before. One of your hands gets a grip of a soft fabric that seems too heavy to pull back down next to you, leaving your sleepy self whining for the owner of said fabric not to leave again.

"I will be back later, don't forget I'll pick you up for dinner. Go back to sleep now, (y/n)."

But how could you forget about dinner with him when, for the last eight days it was all you were longing for, and for the nineth day it was all you could think about?

Said day passed by slower than ever, an illusion caused by the clear anticipation you felt about the upcoming night. Anticipation addressed by your colleagues at work, who wondered what has sent your head into cloud 9 and your right leg into a fidgeting state, unable to stay still.

These same nervous actions continued at home, the funny feeling in your stomach resembling the very first date you had with Seungmin a few years ago, back when you were still a college student and he wasn't as busy as now. The same thoughts you had that day invading your restless mind again, "What if he doesn't like me (anymore)?", "What if he thinks I am (got) boring?", "What if my outfit doesn't fit?".

With that last thought you rush to your bedroom - but not without tripping on the first step of the staircase - to, in desperate clumsy movements, try out the said outfit you've been wanting to wear for so long, the one Seungmin got you for a "special date" months ago, one that never happened. But it did fit, it fitted better than ever and when you saw your reflection in the mirror even you fell in love with the person in front of you, the one doing little swirls with a stupid smile on her face, the person you doubted to be yourself. And, suddenly, you felt like everything would be alright, everything would go back to normal, maybe things would get even better than before, "there is no way he'll fall out of love for me when I look like this" was your first thought.

But he didn't even seem to notice your appearance, he didn't seem to notice you at all, he simply picked you up at the agreed time with a peck on your lips and one single rose in hand. All he did was drive you - in silence - to the fanciest restaurant in town, leave you alone at the table about three times to pick up the phone - "it's from work, I'm sorry" -, pay for both your meals and drive you back home.

And it took him to hear the quiet sobs you so hardly tried to keep in, while laying as far away as possible from him that you had to secure yourself from falling over the edge, to realize what he had been doing to you, to finally figure out how much he has been hurting you. And in that moment his sobs could be heard too. The realisation and guilt hit Seungmin like a truck and he couldn't move. He couldn't believe how he had let his stress and excessive work load affect you too. He couldn't believe he had reached a point to where he brought work home, one thing he had promised you he would never do. And his chest tights up a bit more when he realises you never got mad at him for breaking his promise, and breathing gets difficult when he faces you - your back.

"(Y/N)...", and your stomach drops five feet down at his cracked, low tone, and "I'm so sorry..." was all he could say before bursting into silent tears once more.

However, you were too hurt to face him, and the burn in your eyes increases when you feel the mattress sink behind you before a warm hand rests on your waist, but you don't push him away.

The nineth night was his the turning point, and Seungmin swore to your asleep self - and to himself - that the next morning would mark a new beginning.

And in the first morning you pretended to be asleep when his hand took a few strands of hair off your face, his lips barely touched your skin and his voice broke your heart, "see you later". And you held your breath until the bedroom door closed and stood still until the front door locked. But it took longer today, and in between these two moments you heard noise in the kitchen, and within a few minutes a nice smell made its way into your hiding place, as if it was trying to lure you to give in and face your boyfriend. But not even your grunting stomach stopped you from waiting to hear his car drive off to get up. And when you did, the curiosity took over you. He never cooks in the morning, and he never leaves this late. Something was changing after all.

Hence, in the first night, you shifted your body to face him when he quietly climbed in bed next to you, your left cheek pressed against your hands as a weak smile greeted the tired boy, "I appreciated the breakfast." Nevertheless, you didn't reach out to pinch his cheek the way you used to, though you had the urge to do so when his own lips drew a smile and his eyes got lost in his cheeks.

In the second morning you didn't pretend to be asleep and you didn't wait for the car to leave. In the second morning you sat at the kitchen table with Seungmin and, because he knew it would take you time to go back to him, he didn't force a conversation, he didn't force skinship, he merely held your hand and squeezed it lightly. And you knew he was trying, you knew he would try and wait until you were ready to trust him again, to give him your heart again.

Day by day you would slowly give him little pieces of you, by sharing the most small and insignificant stories of your day, by letting him hold your hand at night, by sharing earpods with him on the couch when you couldn't fall asleep, by letting him try and do all the things he shouldn't have stopped doing in the first place.

But it took you seven days and seven pieces to trust him with your heart again. Therefore, on the seventh day, as the the sunbeams peaked through the poorly closed shutters and reflected on Seungmin's bare shoulders, you couldn't help yourself from admiring him and, for the first time in seven days, you felt warm inside. The butterflies you used to feel the first times you woke up next to him were back, and were more annoying than ever.

You let yourself study all his features attentively, scanning all his perfect imperfections, letting yourself fall for him all over again - not that you think you ever fell out of love, but rather disconnected from it, and him.

He flinched and mumbled confused words, and you couldn't help but to smile and giggle softly at how silly your sleepy, drooling nonense-speaking boyfriend looked. This time, you gave in to the urge of pinching his cheek tenderly as to not wake him up, and you left your hand resting there as your thumb rubbed his soft skin.

As you were feeling your eyes becoming heavy again, your thumb stopped the movement and your hand slid down a bit. Your body relaxing more and more, until a ticklish feeling pulled you back to the "here and now", just to find Seungmin kissing the palm of your hand with his eyes still closed before pulling you closer to him, making you wince and giggle when his warm breath hit your ear and his raspy voice gave you his "good morning's".

He moved his body sloppily, hitting you with his elbow before comfortably positioning half of his body on top of yours, resting his head on the crook of your neck as he held you tightly by your waist, as if he were afraid you would run away.

"I missed you Seungmin, I missed you even when you were here." Your fingers got lost in his messy hair as you spoke, his grip on you grew tighter and you felt the tears peaking in the corner of your eyes. "You hurt me... and I thought about leaving you before you left me first."

For the first time you were letting him know how you truly felt, for the first time you were opening yourself up to him without any ounce of shame or fear. And this was your turning point. This was the moment you both knew you were back, ready to mend all the wrongs and the scattered pieces of your hearts that were left all around the house. "But everyone makes mistakes. And I know you have been trying, and-", Seungmin shifts his body once more, supporting himself with his hands as he is now hovering over you with his eyes locked in yours, a restless look in his face worried about what you would say next, and suddenly you feel shy, "What I mean to say is, I forgive you. I choose to stay and love you even if my mind won't let me believe that you love me back, I will trust you and your actions. So please don't let my mind trick me again, don't give it reasons to doubt your love for me unless you don't feel it anymore."

You pull his hair back waiting for a reaction, leaving your hand to rest behind his neck ready to pull him in for a kiss, the first real kiss in sixteen days. But you wait for what it feels to be an eternity, until he breaks the silence and mends the last piece of your heart when he reassures his love for you and vows to reassure you every single day until the rest of your lives.

And when you finally pull him in he loses balance and falls on top of you, his forehead hits your nose and just like that the house is filled up with laughter again, the onions don't make you cry anymore, the kitchen shrank and the fancy dates became late night movie marathons with you snuggled on Seungmin, or Seungmin snuggled on you, until you were far too tired to walk upstairs, leading to countless nights spent on the tiny couch and countless mornings with complaints about aching bodies but happy souls.

nets: @k-library @ficscafe @k-dinernet @districtninewriters

taglist: @dreamwrld @su-lix @bobateastay @leihey @serialee @hyunsluvv

⇢ let me know if you want to be added to the taglist ♡

[kaito-is-baby]

Flirty

Shoto Todoroki x Reader

Plot: Todoroki gets jealous when he sees you flirting with Kirishima and you take advantage of it to finally confess your feelings (fluff, a lot of fluff) (gn!reader)

Hiii~ this is heavily inspired by this @pillow4iida 's post, please go check it, their writting is amazing and I love them. The point is as I was reading it I thought about a very similar scenario but where Todoroki is not so... experienced and confident, I usually think about him as an awkward boy when it comes to socialize so it must be even worst when flirting, the point is, he is very cute and this post is very fluffy to me, Shoto is a cutie

"Kiri just give it back!" you said between soft laughs

You were on your toes, clinging onto Kirishima's arm trying to grab your pencilcase from his hand, your pitchy voice echoed through the walls of your class

He giggled knowing you couldn't reach it, you were too small to do so and he always teased you about your low height

"Come on, y/n, you can't grab it?" He teased you with a fake pout on his face "I can give it back if you let me write whatever I want on your face" that fake pout easily turned into a devilish smirk

But it soon disappeared when a taller hand grabbed it from behind him

"This is theirs, isn't it?" He sounded particularly annoyed by Kirishima's existence right now

You smiled widely seeing the boy behind your red head friend, It was Shoto, one of your closest friends on the UA and the only boy who made your stomach ache like this just by looking at you

You had try to flirt with him many times, you even went to some dates together but he never seemed to catch on it, or maybe he just did not like you back

"Y/N?" His voice woke you up from your own thoughts and once you came back to reality you found his heterochromatic eyes looking directly at yours while he held your case in his arm, pointing at you, waiting for you to grab it

"Oh, yes..." you nervously laughed grabbing it back "thanks Sho"

It had already been months since he told you to call him by his first name and as you two grew closer you found yourself calling him Sho more than you believed correct but... it was a nickname only you called him, it made you feel so special to him that you couldn't stop using it

Maybe you could have thought why did he let you use that nickname on the first place, you oblivious mess

"You're welcome, I don't like him messing with you" again he sounded uncommonly annoyed

Well, he wasn't really messing with you, you two were jocking and flirting around... just what 16 year olds teens usually do between classes but you were not going to reject a protective and helping Shoto, you always enjoyed those little details he had for you even when they weren't really necessary

But then it hitted you, you were flirting with Kirishima, not that you liked him, you just had an impresive flirting nature, but Shoto looked so annoyed, so... jealous?

A smirk came to your lips as you found the perfect moment to try and discover if your feelings were at all corresponded

"Sho, can we talk for a moment?"

"Uh... sure, yeah" Usually you would've said whatever came to your mind and start a conversation with him instead of asking him for a moment. It made him kind of nervious

You finally reached the emergency stairs, they were lonely and quiet, and you two could sit one in front of each other comfortably

So you chose it as your new personal couch

Once you had him right in front of you you decided to shoot your shot

You took his hands on yours before asking

"Do you ever... just... want to bond a little with us? Live some good experiences?"

"I don't quite understand you" He admitted, with his eyes on both your hands, swinging them back and forth and rubbing yours with his thumbs

"Sho, back there with Kirishima" you started, gripping at his hands with more strength so he could slightly relax

"Yeah"

"That was flirting"

"Oh, I'm sorry for interrumping" he apologized with his usual monotone voice tone empty of any feelings

Except this time he wasn't sorry at all and neither were his feelings untouched, he was extremely jealous and glad he had interrupted you before it became something worse

“No, that’s not the point. What I mean is... we all kind of flirt around and talk to each other all the time, I mean, that's what people our age does. But you don't seem to do that with any of us, why?” You asked. Still holding and swinging his hands you felt how the slight relax that you had managed to get him disappeared as they tensed

After some seconds, his hands relaxed again and he came back to rubbing yours with his thumbs

“Well I guess I’ve never been in that kind of situation” he confessed smiling while looking down.

He had been in situations like that, you had flirted with him countless times, you had asked him out, you two even went to see a movie together last week, how was that not clear enough to see it as a date?

Inside your head your heartbeats sounded worryingly fast, the fear of being rejected suddenly disappeared thinking that maybe he was just too oblivious to flirt like any other boy your age

You were still holding his hands, now locking your fingers with his, gathering the courage you needed to finally ask him about his feelings

"But... have you never been in that situation because you have never liked anyone that way or...?"

"I don't really know, how it is to like someone to want to flirt with them?" No sign of embarrassment or nervousness on his face, he was inexpressive as always even asking something like that

As impossible as it seemed his small knowledge about feelings, reactions and human relationships always got to impress you and even more when he did not seem to realise that his question was quite rare

"Well, to flirt there isn't much really, it's just having some chemistry? Like... you find them attractive and want to have a good time with them so you flirt, it's not something so special really"

"Hmm" He shook his head and you felt like you were losing him "then I'm not going to flirt with anyone, I don't really like that, isn't it kinda like... jocking?"

"Yes! Yes it really is! Is just that the person you are jocking with... well you would like them to be so near you, to touch you... to feel their breath on you and taste their lips, you know what I mean? " you felt your cheeks heat up the moment you realized you two were still holding hands while explaining this to him, but you stood there anyways, holding onto him

He looked at you, staring directly at your eyes, confused, not relating really to that feeling

"I'm not good with jokes, I don't think I will be good with that either"

His eyes placed onto yours made your brain malfunction and just... start talking about your own feelings

"Sometimes it may be even better... you are craving to see them or to be with them because you want to be by their side, listen to their voice... it makes you quite happy just to hear it. And... and whenever you see them all you want to do is kiss them, everywhere, everytime" now you had went over the top explaining how you yourself felt about him and everything you heard in your head was 'please, cut me off please, don't listen to me, forget about this' but his answer did surprise you

"Hmm I think I get it, yeah... I may have felt that, yes"

"Yes?" Your eyes opened in disbelief

"Yeah, I think I do" Still, his usual monotone tone, as if he weren't admitting to have some strong feelings towards someone

Being honest a little piece of your heart broke at that moment, was he really feeling that way for someone? Then no flirting or teasing would make you look any interesting to him

"What should I do in that case then?"

"You... you should tell them about how you feel, you are smart, and the strongest on our class and... you're handsome and polite and so sweet truly..." you stopped yourself before you regretted saying anything else "I'm sure they will return your feelings" you managed to get out a smile to calm the boy, yet your heart ached incredibly

"Okay, so... tell them straight out?" You nodded, incapable of talking anymore

"Y/N" you looked at him again "I do feel that way about you, is that okay?"

Is that okay? Was he asking if that was okay? You couldn't help but to laugh

To laugh the sadness and tension this whole situation had brought to you

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked, truly concerned

"Nothing, you've never said anything wrong" you said approaching your face to his, placing your hands on his cheeks and reaching to his lips, planting a very sweet and innocent kiss on them, a fast one, just to reassure him that you felt the same way "after all, I feel the same way"

"Oh. Then... what do we do now?" Oh God, this was going to be a difficult relationship

"What do you think goes now dummy?" You said teasingly, with your hand still resting on his left cheek

"Uhm..."

"Kiss me back, you idiot" you chuckled and his lips found yours this time

You melted in a sweet kiss with a taste of mint, warm and sadly, soba

"What do you think if we go on like... our 5th date today?"

"5th?"

"I... have asked you out so many times... I always took it as dates but you never seemed to realize or... wanted to make any move so I thought you just did not like me"

"I'm stupid" Shoto hid his face on his hands but his expression remained the same, as always inexpressive

"What?" You laughed

"I am not good at this things, I can't catch signals or... when you were flirting, I was the one to think you did not like me and that's why I never made a move, I'm sorry"

"Well, I should have been the one to make a move first and I was too scared to because... I actually really liked you so... it's a tie! We both are stupid" You laughed and with your sweet laugh his face brightened and the softest smile grew on his face

"Let's have our first date as a couple, shall we?"

He nodded kinda awkwardly, he is not the best at those things so don't expect many shows of affections from him and even less on public, you will have to be the one to hold his hand or kiss his cheek, at least at the beginning, he is new to this but he loves you more than he thought he would ever love someone

Later on that date you asked him, laughing and teasing him, holding on his arm

"Was that you first kiss, Sho?"

"Uhm... well, yes" his cheeks grew slightly red and his eyes kept looking at his feets, usually he was incredibly confident so seeing him like this catched you off guard

"Well, don't worry, it will be the first of many more I plan on giving you" you said, placing your hand softly on his cheek to turn around his face, now facing yours, you got on your toes and kissed him for the third time today, making those words true, you will make sure you give him many many kisses and cuddles from now on