#ic explanations are sometimes awkward

[magics-neptunes-things]

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Hi guys!

This new chapter is a little bit more angsty but also very sweet 😇

Please enjoy!

TW : Injury, nightmares, mention of bad past, angst.

PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 | PART 7

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You didn’t give Alessia all the reasons for your nightmares, not because you don’t trust her, but because you don’t want to put her in front of the darkness of some people. When you see her the next morning for breakfast, Leah singing in the shower, it was without daring to look at her that you spoke.

"Less?"

"Mhm?"

Lost in her thoughts until now, the blonde looked up at you. You are leaning against the island of your kitchen while Alessia is seated at the table. You are never very in talking much in the morning, both needing time to wake up.

"You know, for last night…"

"You don’t have to explain anything to me" Alessia kindly assured you with a smile. "It’s okay"

"I know" you answered with a slight smile back. "It’s just that sometimes my dreams are a little too realistic. Things have happened in my past, but… well, you know."

It’s a very awkward explanation, but the blonde didn’t seem to want to hold it against you.

"And thank you, for staying and being there for me" you mutter shyly.

"You would have done the same for me"

The calm, safe tone that Alessia used made you look up at her. She’s not wrong, obviously.

"Yeah. I know you already have your share of best friends, but I’m happy with the place you’re taking in my life. You’re more like a sister to me than a simple friend"

Alessia’s chair rattles on the floor when she gets up, something that would have made you moan in everyday life. But since it’s to offer you one of her biggest teddy bear hugs, you don’t take the time to scold her, choosing to hug her back.

"I love you too" she whispers affectionately, rubbing your back.

Even if it’s not exactly what you told her, you understand the message and you hug her back even harder. That’s when Leah showed up in the kitchen, ready for today’s game.

"Molesting my girlfriend again, Russo?"

********

You and Leah are in the restaurant face to face when you talk about the subject that has been bothering you for a few days. It’s not a huge stress, but you’re wondering how to approach it, fearing a negative response from Leah.

The evening is going well, you have already come twice to this restaurant and each time you liked it very much. The choices are not multiple, but there is enough to satisfy your cravings for culinary discoveries and the list of foods rather restraint tolerated by Leah. The blonde is breathtaking in her outfit, once again, and you are happy to see that she made this clothing effort just for you.

It’s at dessert that you finally broach the subject, swinging nervously on your chair.

"Besides, I was wondering… do you have any plans while I’m away?"

You are called to training camps for the national team, Norway having to pass the play-offs to qualify for the next competition. With England already being on, Leah is kind of on vacation next week.

"No, not really. Probably spending time with my family, seeing Alex… that kind of things. Why?"

Leah looks at you curiously over her ice cream and you play mechanically with your spoon and a piece of cake.

"Would you like to come with me?"

"In Norway?"

You nod at her, without daring to look at her. The only time you offered it to Alina, she laughed and asked what the hell she would do there. You may not have chosen the best time since it was in summer and most people prefer to fly somewhere warm, but still.

"I thought I could show you some places I like and grew up in. And my parents have really wanted to meet you, since I’ve been talking to them about you. You can say no, if you don’t want to. There is no pressure and I will understand."

Leah’s hand gently settles on yours, making you look up at it immediately and stop your rambling.

"I'll come with pleasure Honey."

The simple answer makes you feel so relieved that you feel like your anxiety is deflating like a balloon.

"Yeah?"

"Of course"

"Awesome"

You can’t mask your smile, which makes Leah laugh softly. Her hand gets loose from yours when she starts eating her ice cream again, but you don’t take it personally. You have neither confirmed nor denied the rumors of relationship between you, preferring to live your story day by day. Plus, who are you against a mint chocolate chips ice cream?

Leah asks you what kind of clothes she needs to take and you laugh when she pouts when she learns the temperature differences between London, Oslo and your hometown. You have already spoken to her several times about your parents and she doesn’t seem otherwise stressed at the idea of meeting them. She’s right, you know your parents are going to love her very much. You’ve been working on it for a long time now anyway.

"Oh and there will surely be Mapi with Ingrid too" you inform Leah with a little amused smile.

"Excuse me?"

********

A few days later, you are on the plane to Norway, with some of your compatriots but especially Leah. You have another flight of a few hours to reach Tromsø, where you lived and grew up until you were stupid enough to want to run away with your first girlfriend to a bigger city. Having met her on the Internet, you have no memories with her in this city, which pleased Leah rather well. It’s not exactly the same for Oslo, but we’ll talk about it later.

Your parents, delighted to have their only child for a few days, have both picked you up at the airport. If Leah hasn’t been stressed in the last few days, she seems to have skyrocketed in the last half hour and the blonde didn’t stop talking for a single second. It made you laugh, but remembering how stressed you were when you officially met Leah’s relatives, you patiently answered each of her questions.

"It’s going to be ok Babe" you smile when you see her playing nervously with the tag of her suitcase while waiting to pass the security.

Since you are behind her, you step forward to put a kiss just behind her ear and you smile as you feel her letting her go against you. In recent days, it was rather her role to reassure you, the blonde fearing that your nightmares came back constantly. That hasn’t been the case, but Leah’s increased attention to you hasn’t been unpleasant. Especially because it means you get even more hugs and kisses than usual.

You have one of the biggest hug from both of your parents at the same time, before detaching from them to turn to Leah and make the introductions. As you might have guessed, the first contact is more than successful. Your parents speak English very well, which is lucky. Leah speaks a few words of Norwegian that you taught her, but she might not be able to have an ongoing conversation in that language.

On the way home, your parents ask you about the trip and your level of fatigue. If you slept during the first flight, the second not. They also inquire about what you are planning to show Leah over the next few days, also informing you that they are planning a dinner with some of your family members. Your cousin will come to see you play in Oslo too, this will allow Leah to meet her before finding herself with her in the stands of the football stadium. Your parents will be there too.

Dinner goes well (you made sure to give your mother the list of things Leah eats) and the kindness of your parents seem to help Leah relax quickly. You show her the house of your childhood, finding your bedroom that you had at the time.

It's a fairly simple room whose only large window overlooks your garden. Your double bed is glued against the back wall in the middle of the wall with your collection of stuffed animals. Your black carpet on which you have spilled paint hundreds of times above is at the feet of it, giving in your opinion an artistic touch to the latter. There are old trophies you won with your football teams on a shelf, a desk full of memories and useless things in its drawers and dozens of photos hanging on the wall.

"Is that you?" laughs Leah as she approaches the photos on one of your bedroom walls, picturing you behind your first birthday cake.

"No, that's the neighbor" you answer with a grin.

Leah laughs again and you let her discover your room quietly, taking the opportunity to join the bathroom adjoining your room to change and refresh a little. You see Leah entering the bathroom too from the mirror, which allows you not to jump when she sticks to you to put kisses on your cheek.

"How are you feeling?" you ask the pretty blonde.

"Good. Your parents are adorable, but it’s not surprising when you see their daughter" Leah says maliciously.

You roll your eyes and close the water tape, then turn in her arms to put your arms around her neck. That’s all Leah needed to put her head on your neck and put some kisses in it.

"What about you?" she asks between two of her kisses.

"I’m glad you’re here" you smile.

********

The next two days were spent in Leah discovering your hometown, your favorite places and different members of your family. As you would expect, Leah are doing perfectly well in the setting, getting along wonderfully with everyone. Despite the difficulty of the language sometimes, but you gladly play the interpreters between the two different worlds. Only the cold seems to be a bit of a problem for Leah, but you are in the very north of Norway, even further north than if you were in Iceland.

One day before the day set by the Norwegian federation, you fly back to Oslo. You managed to get a room for Leah in the same hotel where your team is staying and you’re counting on your family to keep Leah busy during practice. You don’t know yet whether you’ll be able to slip into her room at night, but you’ll see. For the moment you share the hotel room with Leah and it suits you very well like that.

While waiting for the gathering, you show Oslo to Leah and you have an appointment for lunch with Ingrid and Mapi. The idea that the two blondes meet makes you laugh a lot and you know that it’s the same thing for Ingrid.

"Does she speak English?" asks Leah as you join the restaurant where you are supposed to meet.

"She understands it very well but answers Ingrid in Spanish. But I'm talking English with her, even if she speaks great Norwegian. Anyway, I never had any problems communicating with her."

Leah drops a little grunt as a simple answer and you roll your eyes. You managed to get from Leah that this tension would have been born since the elimination of Spain during the Euro, which is in your opinion a little futile.

"You’d better pass over. Ona and Lucy don’t seem to have this problem" you noted with amusement.

"Don’t count on me to coo with Maria Leon" grumbled at Leah.

"I don’t ask that much" you laughed before changing the subject.

You are the first arrivals and you inform Ingrid of your presence once seated at the table. Leah asks you some more questions about the city, which you answer with pleasure, happy to see your girlfriend take so much interest in your native country.

A few minutes later Ingrid and Mapi arrive, and you get up to greet them, imitated by Leah.

(The words in italics are in Norwegian but for the good of all I have not translated them)

"It’s good to see you" Ingrid smiles, hugging you before looking at you. "You look good."

"It’s fresh Norwegian air" you joke, before resuming in English. "Ingrid, this is Leah. Leah, this is Ingrid."

You let your best friend greet Leah, knowing your girlfriend is in good hands when you hear Ingrid greet Leah in a joyful tone. You turn towards Mapi, to whom you also give a hug. You then turn to Leah to redo the presentations, between Mapi and her this time. The exchange is a little more tense than with Ingrid and you roll your eyes when you see them shaking hands, but it’s already that.

The conversations finally go very well, even if Ingrid and you are very often the ones who link things. Leah’s hand settled right at the beginning of the meal naturally on your knee and you didn’t hesitate to interlace your fingers.

After the meal, you decide to take advantage of the mild weather (the term makes Mapi snorts) to go for a walk a little more. You know you’ll see Ingrid again in the next few days, but if your respective girlfriends can get along well and discover commonalities, why not.

"Hot chocolate?" offers Ingrid when you walk past a hot drink stand to take away.

"I’m coming to help you" you tell Ingrid, dropping Leah’s hand to follow her to the booth.

"I like her" immediately announces Ingrid in line to get your drinks. "You did well about listen to yourself"

You smile softly, your chaotic beginnings being far behind you now. Well, only a few months but a lot has already happened between you and you feel so good with the blonde that you have the impression that all this is far behind you.

"She’s great, really" you answer always smiling.

"And you look so happy" Ingrid adds without leaving your face with her eyes.

"I am" you confirm sincerely.

You have no trouble supporting Ingrid’s inquisitive gaze, which nods with her smile. You don’t have to add anything to convince her, but she will tell you a little later that she already was just by hearing you on the phone.

"Look at them" you laugh softly pointing at your two blondes.

Ingrid follows your gaze on Leah and Mapi, both talking from the tip of their lips at eachother as if they were afraid of being seen by someone. The scene seems to amuse Ingrid as much as you since she also laughs before it’s your turn to order.

Your return is greeted with a big smile on both sides and if Leah isn't begged to recover her hot chocoalt, she also doesn’t hesitate to put her arm around your waist. There are fewer people on the streets of Oslo than in London, but if Leah is spotted in the stands of your next match, people will probably quickly draw the right conclusions.

It’s finally in the late afternoon that you say goodbye to the couple who must join Ingrid’s family for dinner. You propose to Leah to show her the citadel, the nightfall offering you magnificent colors. Leah graciously accepts when you ask her to take pictures together before you return to the hotel.

It’s on the way back that your eyes are hung by a shop front that you know rather well. Your glance is noticed very quickly by Leah, who slows down a little. She understands very quickly.

"Do you mind if we say hello?" you ask Leah.

She seems to hesitate a little and you gently tighten her fingers in yours, trying to make her understand that you will respect her answer regardless of her nature.

"I guess" she finally answers, shrugging her shoulders.

You drag her to the tattoo shop, the doorbell ringing when you open it. It hasn’t changed much since the last time you came, except that other drawings were added to the wall. Leah quickly spots your signed football shirt on the wall.

"Y/N"

Leah’s eyes follow the sound of the voice to fall on a young woman of your age, whom she hadn’t seen. The girl gets up from the desk behind which she was half hiding, resting the pencil she had in her hand to come to you. Well, right up to you because she’s hugging you for a warm embrace. What annoys Leah a little, she was often talked about Spanish and their tactile side but she was never warned that in Norway we also went without stopping touching her girlfriend.

"I didn’t expect to see you! How are you?"

"I’m fine" you answer with a smile, casually getting out of her arms to introduce Leah.

You slide an arm in the hollow of her back to advance her to your height, resuming in English.

"Nora, this is Leah. My girlfriend."

If the blonde couldn’t help but feel a touch of jealousy, she can only smile when seeing the smile and the pride with which you designate her. Finally the ball is put back in the center quickly, she thinks, before extending her hand to the tattooist to greet her.

"I don’t speak good English" Nora apologizes to Leah.

After your blonde assured her that it was fine like this, Nora’s attention turns to you and you exchange your latest news. You didn’t lie to Leah, you didn’t have any recent contacts, the jersey she hung on her living room wall was from the last international game you played before moving to Manchester. Leah quickly notices this by paying more attention to the frame. She also realizes that a photo of you and your tattoo are displayed just below, under your jersey.

What she doesn’t appreciate is the affectionate tone with which Nora seems to talk to you. Leah therefore takes care not to let go of your hand for a single second during your exchange.

"Does she know about us?" asks curiously Nora after a few minutes.

As if she had understood that you were talking about her, Leah looks away from the photos of tattoos displayed on the wall to report her attention on you two. You smile at her before you answer Nora.

"Yes. I don’t think there’s much she doesn’t know about me" you answer honestly and shrug your shoulders.

You are interrupted by another couple of clients entering the establishment and Nora apologizes for taking care of them, letting you drag Leah a little back from the entrance.

"If you tell me that it’s on her tattoo table that you did your disgusting business, I’ll burn the store" whispers Leah from the corner of her lips.

You laugh softly as you hear her, glancing at her in astonishment. You did notice Leah’s touch of jealousy at first, but there was nothing special about the rest of your conversation.

"This isn't where we did our disgusting business, likeyou say" you smile and roll your eyes. "You can calm your inflammatory tendencies. Plus, I have done way more disgusting things with you, Williamson."

"Not if she keeps looking at you like she does" the blonde grumbled, ignoring the second part of your sentence.

"Don’t be jealous" you say while tiptoeing to put a kiss on her cheek.

"You slept with her"

"It was a long time ago. I find the best one since"

"Hm."

You roll your eyes one more time and you cross her eyes without letting go of your smile. Leah ends up not being able to hold her smile and you deposit a new kiss, on the corner of her lips this time.

********

A few hours later, in your hotel room, you find yourself awake very early in the morning. Which is surprising since usually Leah almost have to push you out of bed. When you look at the time on your phone, you realize it’s barely 5:00 in the morning. And no matter how hard you try to go back to sleep, you can’t. Your mind flies over the different places in Oslo that you visited with Leah.

And the part that you’ve carefully avoided, afraid of running into Helena. You don’t know if she still lives here, you don’t know what happened to her either. But you could still find the house in which she lives (lived?) very easily. Without giving yourself too much time to think, you end up getting out of bed by taking all the precautions to not wake Leah. You dress quickly and before looking for what drives you to do this, you find yourself in the streets of Oslo in the direction of Helena’s house.

As you expected, you quickly find the way to this place that you hate more than anything. The lights are on upstairs and you take care not to being visible from where you are. With the day beginning to rise, you can observe the garden and see that it is still poorly maintained. The walls are even more decrepit than before and when a silhouette passes in front of the window without curtains you suddenly freeze.

It’s her.

But, unlike the last times you saw her, you didn’t feel the terror that inhabited you in her presence. Which is intriguing and difficult for you to understand. Then, finally, you realize that you don’t care. You can’t say that you don’t feel any negative emotions when you think about her, but you don’t care what she’s become.

On the other hand, thinking about the panic that Leah could feel if she wakes up without seeing you by her side makes you retrace your steps.

Leah is still asleep when you find your hotel room, but she quickly starts moving as soon as you get rid of your shoes and coat. You get back on the bed and put a hand in her hair, only now realizing your body temperature difference.

"Your hands are freezing" Leah complains, shivering, trying to stick against you probably to regain a little warmth.

"I'm sorry" you mumble while laying a kiss on the top of her head.

It only takes a few seconds for Leah to realize that you are no longer wearing your pajamas, stepping back to better observe you. Her eyebrows are frowned when she looks at your clothes and her eyes are uncertain when she rises on yours.

"Where did you go?"

"I went to Helena’s"

You didn’t hesitate a second to tell her the truth, but you flinch when you see Leah's face drops.

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. It’s okay Babe"

But Leah doesn’t seem convinced and even seems to have trouble understanding what pushed you to go there. And honestly, you wouldn’t be able to explain why either. Actually, you recognize a little of panic in her eyes and in her voice when she talks again.

"Did you talk to her?"

"No" you answer by shaking your head, taking her hand in yours to play with her fingers. "I didn’t see her either, just out the window. Nothing changed there, it’s still creepy and poorly maintained."

"Why didn’t you ask me to come with you? If something had happened to you, I wouldn’t have even known where to get you Y/N, you’re completely unconscious"

"Leah stop, I’m fine"

Leah looks at you with a skeptical air before suddenly drawing you against her by mumbling things far too quickly and too low for you to understand something. But you let her do it, pressing your face on her chest and letting your hands slide on her arms.

"Never do that again. Never leave without telling me where you're going."

"Promise" you sigh softly, lulled by the beating of her heart and her arms around you.

"No sleeping now" Leah grumble while tickling your ribs.

"Leah" you moan, wriggling on her to avoid her fingers.

"I’m serious Y/N. If anything happened to you…"

You quickly understand that under her grumpy air, there is also a great deal of concern. So you hurry up to look at her. It will be necessary to quickly clarify your ideas to try to make her understand what you have done.

"Nothing will happen to me, Babe. I think I just needed to see this place again to realize where I am now. To realize how far I’ve come since. And to realize how lucky I am, too."

"It has nothing to do with luck. You’ve worked a lot to get where you are" Leah says, finally relaxing a bit.

"I wasn’t just talking about football" you point out with a smirk. "But the beautiful blonde in my bed, too."

Leah laughs while hearing you and you take advantage of her change of mood to deposit several kisses on her face, in the hollow of her neck and about every square centimeter of her skin that you can reach.

********

The match being important, the training camps were rather harsh and severe. You get up early in the morning to have breakfast with the team before going to train until lunch. A short walk through Oslo follows to relax before resuming training for the afternoon. In the late afternoon you have either physical strengthening or other activities such as swimming pool or other things that are supposed to increase your chances of winning.

Needless to say, when you return to your room at night, you are exhausted. Luckily Leah continues to discover Norway with your parents or cousin, or all three, which doesn’t make you feel too guilty for bringing her here without being able to take full care of her. The team is staying in the same hotel, three floors below Leah’s room. You managed to sneak into Leah’s room several times during the stay, regaining the comfort and benefits of her arms.

The massages and baths she offers you are much more pleasant than the care provided by the team caregivers, we will not lie.

The day of the game comes quickly and you learn that you will be part of the eleven players of the beginning of the game. You play against Italy, a team that you don’t know too well but that has shown its qualities many times. You are not extremely confident, but as you have nothing to lose it’s with some form of conviction that you join the field.

The stadium is pretty full and when you listen to the Italian national anthem, you look for Leah in the family area. You can’t help but smile when you see her, even if you quickly realize that she put on a Norway team jersey over her jacket. When she realizes that you are looking at her, she turns around before pointing to the back of the jersey. If you can’t read the name from where you are, you have no problem recognizing the number. And it’s yours.

"If that’s not dedication" mumbles Guro next to you with an amused smile.

You give her a quick look in turn, before greeting the Italian players who parade in front of you. You spotted Mapi a few rows above Leah and your family in the bleachers, all also dressed in a Norwegian jersey.

As you might have guessed, the game is physical and tactfully hard. Italy play in a rather rough way, each time flirting with the limit of the yellow card. So you find yourself quite often on the ground and it starts hitting on your nerves from the middle of the first half. You swear in Norwegian when the referee whistles after another tackle against you, accepting Ingrid’s hand to help you get up.

"Don’t let them get in your head, that’s exactly what they want. Stay focus." Ingrid tells you before joining the players standing close to the goal to try and get the free kick to the bottom of the net.

In Arsenal, it’s Katie who shoots the free kicks, but in the Norway team, it’s you who does it. You have been watching her a lot over the last few months, her kick and the precision she shows have always given you a lot of admiration. Even when you played her in Manchester City. Trying to remember the advices she gave you over time, you exhale before you step out of the ball to hit it.

You have the impression that it flies in slow motion, before finding the head of Vilde Bøe Risa and finishing at the bottom of the nets. The shouts of the crowd suddenly resound and you quickly join the rest of your teammates to celebrate the goal. You smile when you feel a few of them tapping on the head to congratulate yourself, returning to your place to allow the match to resume. When you look towards Leah, you can only smile when she raises her thumb in your direction.

It’s only with a small advantage on the counter that you find the changing rooms, but as your coach says, it’s better than nothing. You take advantage of the warmth of the changing rooms to warm up a little, accompanied by a hot tea. When you find the ground fifteen minutes later, the cold is still present but it seems to you less unpleasant.

Italy manages to equalize at the sixtieth minute, but thanks to a good pass from Ingrid you manage to allow Norway to regain the advantage about ten minutes later. The tension is palpable as the minutes pass the contacts become even more brutal than before.

And what was to happen happened.

It’s in the eighty-eighth minutes that you are again launched towards the goal.

You know that if you manage to score, it will definitely qualify your team. So you try to ignore your painful muscles and the different bruises that will definitely mark your body in a few hours to move away at full speed towards the opposing goalkeeper.

You only have one opponent to eliminate to get there, but she seems determined not to let you pass. The tackle you undergo is far from clean, your leg gripped in pincers between her two, emiting a sinister crack when you fall back on the ground.

The pain is immediate and so intense that you cannot hold back a real cry of pain. With your face leaning against the grass, you try to grab your leg to try to reduce the pain but you release it quickly when you understand your mistake. You’re in such pain that you can’t figure out exactly where you’re hurt.

Above you, an argument quickly broke out between several of your teammates and the player responsible for the tackle. The medical team is quickly at your side and you can’t help but push their hands when they start examining your leg.

"Don’t touch me" you beg by turning on your back.

Mixed up in the argument, Ingrid ends up shifting her attention to you by hearing the talking you have with the doctors. When she kneels beside you, one of the doctors quickly asks her to hold your hands to let them work. Ingrid obeys, letting you grab her hands as hard as you can.

Your best friend looks up at the family stands in front of you. She can therefore see that Leah has left her seat and moved as close to the field as possible, seeking to see as best as possible what is happening. Her face is twisted by worry, but what surprises Ingrid above all is to see that Mapi joined her and put a hand probably supposed to be comforting on Leah’s shoulder.

At their side, your parents and your cousin don’t seem to be particularly comfortable either.

Her eyes then rest on you when you are given morphine, before transferring to a stretcher. You leave the field under applause, but the pain and fear of the reality of your injury don’t allow you to appreciate them. Stretcher movements give you intense pain and you have to bite your hands so you don’t scream again. It’s a real relief when morphine finally takes effect some minutes after.

On the field, the end of the game is quickly whistled after the incident. When Ingrid joins her family and yours, she hugs Mapi while being having to answer hundred questions from your parents.

"Is it her ACL?" is the only question Leah asks.

"I don’t know" sighs Ingrid shaking her head, always in Mapi's arms. "She was... She wasn't able to say where exactly her pain was. I can try to get you into the locker room and infirmary if she hasn’t already left for the hospital. But maybe not everyone."

"Go ahead, Leah" your mother replies almost immediately, tapping on the blonde’s shoulder.

Leah hesitates for a split second, not wanting to interfere with the needs and desires of her in-laws. But one look at your father is enough to convince her and she skillfully jumps over the fence.

Ingrid trains her more or less discreetly towards the tunnel to reach the inside of the stadium, exchanging only a few words with your national coach in Norwegian. Obviously Leah doesn't understand a word of it, she only has in mind to be able to find you and know what you have.

Only a few dozen minutes have passed since the shock and your injury, but it seems to you that it's rather long hours. Despite the morphine, you continue to feel spikes of pain. You have never felt such intense pain and you find yourself having to focus on the painting of the ceiling to not lose consciousness.

After three knocks against the door, it opens slowly, letting your best friend and girlfriend pass.

"Leah" you manage to croak and she rushes towards you.

One of her hand squeezes your hand and the other gently caresses your hair while her eyes search for yours.

"What did they say?" Leah asks

"Nothing" you admit pitifully "They were waiting for morphine to take effect, it was hurting to much until now"

Speaking of which, you see two doctors come back inside the room and Ingrid slips away without having laid a kiss on your forehead. And after getting Leah’s promise to keep her informed.

Some new swearing in Norwegian escapes from your lips when they start auscultating you, Leah mentally promises herself to ask you about it in a few days. But right now she’s too busy sympathizing with your pain and looking for a way to turn you away from what’s happening.

"Did we win at least?"

"Yeah. 2-1. You were amazing by the way, we’re gonna have to fight to keep you at Arsenal if you keep playing that well."

You roll your eyes but you are quickly brought to the heart of the matter by the main doctor. He speaks Norwegian, so you have to translate it to Leah.

"What did he say?"

"He thinks it’s a fracture. They’ll transfer me to the hospital."

"At least it’s not your ACL" Leah sighs of relief.

You grimace before addressing the doctor again, asking if it's possible that someone could bring the things you left in the locker room.

Ingrid brings them to you, already changed and showered when she appears. Your parents, your cousin and Mapi follow her. All these people are not allowed to follow you to the hospital, but you reassure them as much as possible. You promise once again to keep them informed and you kiss them before going to the ambulance. Quickly realizing that it's impossible to put your foot on the ground or even hop while holding on to Leah, you are pushed on a bed to the vehicle.

Arriving at the hospital, you enjoy being able to wash yourself, with the precious help of Leah. You sigh with despair when you have to put on one of these hospital gowns, but this gives you the right to have access to a room and it's always more pleasant than the ambient noise of the reception of the emergency.

You leave Leah for a few moments to go for the scanner and she's eating the vanilla pudding of your meal tray when you come back.

"You hate vanilla" she exclaims for an excuse with an innocent face when you look at her with an half amused-half severe smile.

It also turns out that this is the only food that the blonde likes on what is offered on this set. You eat without much conviction under the insistence of Leah, the blonde certifying that she promised your mother to take care of you and that it begins by ensuring that you eat properly.

You both doze off when the doctors come back with your test results, you on your bed and Leah in a chair next to you. The blonde stubbornly refused to lie next to you despite your insistence, being too afraid to hurt you.

Leah’s frustration is at its height when you are given information in your native language, not understanding any of the words spoken. There is no similarity between these two languages and she wonders how you learned to speak English so well under these conditions.

"So?" she asks barely a second after the doctor has finished talking.

"Tibial tray fracture" you mumble

"Do you need surgery?"

You shake your head negatively, a little stunned by all this. You are interrupted by the doctor who tells you a few more words before leaving the room, shaking your hand then Leah's.

********

The night at the hospital was complicated for you, apart from the pain that kept you awake for many hours, you had to be taken away so that they put a cast that you will have to keep for a few weeks, before changing it for a splint. The only time you got your smile back was when you could choose the color of your blast.

"Red" you answered without hesitation.

"Red?" Leah asked when she saw the nurses preparing the mixture.

"If I have to stay stuck in the bleachers for a few weeks, I might as well match the colors of Arsenal"

You shrugged, trying to hide your sadness from this idea. Leah went through a lot more difficult than that and you don’t want to impose your moods on her. But she seems to have perfected her ability to read your thoughts since she immediately raised your face gently for you to look at her.

"Oh no, not that. You have the right to be sad, you have the right to be angry and you have the right to blame the whole world. But you don’t have the right to shut yourself up and not talk about how you feel. You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather confide to Less or someone else, but don’t shut yourself. Please."

Throat knotted, you couldn’t say anything, so you just nodded. That was enough for Leah who laid a tender kiss on your cheek.

"And you can count on me to be there every step of the way"

"I know" you smiled softly

With you and Leah not leaving until two days later, you mostly stayed in your hotel room after leaving the hospital. You have been busy for a long time with the various calls and messages you have received from many of your relatives. Instead of calling you once a week, your mother called you every day. And of course you got calls from Ingrid, Leila, Laia, Alessia (who in the meantime changed her name in your phone by Sis ✨), Katie and finally almost all of Arsenal.

"Nice free kick" told you Katie when she called you via FaceTime "I will have competition to take it at Arsenal, it’s good."

When you flew back to London and you’ve never been happier living in an elevator building. All that remains is to hope that it doesn’t break down for the next six weeks, when you can apparently start walking again without having the leg immobilized.

Leah will keep her promise to not to leave you alone for the slightest minute as she will establish a whole program with the club’s doctors so that your rehabilitation and the strengthening exercises you have to do will be planned at exactly the same times as the workouts of the others. When you’re not at Arsenal facilities, you are at home with her.

And on game days, you watch them play. The next match is against Aston Villa and you regret a little not participating in the game alongside Leah. Being able to beat the team in which your two exes evolve is a little too interesting idea for you, but it will wait next time. Meanwhile, you just follow Leah with your eyes, carefully studying Jordan’s behavior towards her.

Arsenal wins hands down and even if you are disappointed not to play with your team, you are very proud of your teammates. At the end of the match, you follow Lia who was replaced towards the end of the match on the field with your crutches, struggling a little because of the slippery ground. But you quickly reach the height of Alessia that you take in your arms to congratulate her on the goal she scored.

You’re having a hard time finding Leah in the crowd of players and you can’t help but get a little nervous about Jordan getting her before you. It’s however Katie who turns you away from this idea when she suddenly arrives behind you to lift you and begin to carry you like a bride.

"Let go of me, you maniac" you laugh when you see her starting a lap without letting you go.

"Why? Show everyone your cast!"

During one of the lunch breaks, her and Leah worked hard to reproduce the Arsenal logo on your cast and they are both very proud of their work. Your cast also has the names of all your teammates, a cat drawning made by Viv supposed to represent Raven, flowers made by Alessia and an Australian flag made by Kyra.

You roll your eyes, your arms around Katie's neck to stabilize you.

"Uh, the other way please" you mumble realizing that Lia is now exchanging a few words with Alina, right in the direction that Katie is going.

"Oops."

The Irish changes direction, only so that you find yourself facing Leah who looks at you both with fun.

"Can you give me back my girlfriend now please?"

"Dunno. I like her" Katie tease Leah as she tighten you up against her.

"I’m here too, by the way"

You see Caitlin waving her arm with a big smile a few meters from you, making the three of you laugh. When Katie finally puts you down, Leah beckons you to climb on her back, making you frown.

"People are gonna think this is weird, no?"

"Leah was in the stands of your last game with a jersey named after you. What would be weird is that they haven’t figured it out yet" Manu, who joined you, says.

"She’s right" Leah shrugged. "And at worst, we don’t care?"

Since the blonde doesn’t seem to see the slightest inconvenience, you don’t make yourself pray any longer. Leaning on her shoulders, you jump on her back, Leah passing her arms under your thighs so she can carry you properly. You greet the crowd from time to time when you hear your name, talking about everything and nothing with Leah and your teammates.

"So, we don't care right?" You ask Leah after a few minutes.

"Yes, why?"

You’re not answering her question. Instead, you lean over her and kiss her cheek, then the corner of her lips when she turns her head towards you. She grins and you grin back at her.

"Hard launch" Caitlin sings, her arm around Katie's waist.

"Yeah, you're the one to talk" Leah laughs while looking at them.

You didn’t see Jordan after the game and when you ask Alessia a little after, she will tell you that she actually went back to the locker room almost right after the whistle. It probably means to you that seeing you with Leah is difficult for her, probably confirming your theory. But the photos you see on social media a little later, while you are peacefully lying in Leah’s arms in your bed, could alone confirm that the blonde has indeed moved on.

The way she looks at you on those pictures gives you butterflies in your stomach and a wave of affection for her. Leah will only have two seconds to understand what happens to her when you drop your phone on the mattress to go up for her lips and kiss her passionately. She’s yours.

[hoejosatoru]

Got Game? Haikyu edition !

Ranking Hiakyu characters on how good they are at hitting on people. Basically does your fave has rizz or nah? 

A/n: there are sooo many haikyu characters so if I forgot your fave I'm sorry feel free to add them in wherever you want & if you disagree be nice about it or I'll bite you this took a long time there’s SO MANY OF THEM

33. Mad Dog

He’s scaring hoes. No explanation needed.

32. Aone

He was dead last until I remembered mad dog existed. He is scaring hoes as well. But like if someone could give him a chance I think he does have a good heart. He really needs to be introduced to someone or something, bc cold walking up to someone is never going to work for him I fear.

31. Ushijima 

More intimidating that scary, but still makes people nervous. He’s just like super dry and has bad social skills. Does not know how to be flirty at all. He’s cute so I think on occasion there’s girls that want him enough to look past all that but honestly he will almost always strike out unless he has a wingman (Tendo) to help balance him out.

30. Sakusa 

Bro is mean and grumpy. I also feel like he doesn’t really care for random hook ups anyway so he is not trying to pick up people a lot. On the occasion he does see someone he wants to approach, I just struggle to see him being flirty. Like you almost get the sense he is judging you when he’s talking to you. Which, to be fair, he probably is. He is another person who would benefit from having a wingman, though he won’t admit it. He’s getting past Ushijima by the skin of his teeth just because he isn’t as imposing.

29. Kita

Another one who I don’t see trying to approach too many people. I think he would come off as disinterested even if he did find you cute. Would probably try to flirt by asking weird philosophical questions. Does better than Sakusa bc his energy is slightly less intense. 

28. Yamaguchi

He’s just too awkward. He gets super shy and flustered around anyone he thinks is cute. Sometimes gets lucky when he goes for someone who finds his shyness cute, but often is shit outta luck.

27. Tsukishima

Of course Tsukki and Yams are next to each other. Tsukki is another grumpy one, but not as intense as Sakusa. He too doesn’t approach too many people, but more than Kita or Sakusa would. I could totally see him being one of those dudes that relies on being tall for getting girls. Like he thinks he doesn’t have to try that hard since he is over 6 foot💀 I think he flirts by being mean but it comes off too mean or condescending at times. Definitely tries to be more selective with who he approaches though, won’t approach anyone he doesn’t think he has a good chance with.

26. Goshiki

Talks a big game in front of his friends, but gets really nervous in front of the person. Blushes like crazy and trips over his words. Can get past that at times, but flirting definitely doesn’t come as naturally to him. 

25. Tendo

Tendo is fearless, which does help his success rate because he just will walk up to anyone he thinks is hot. Doesn't really get nervous at all. However, he is a little weird (I say that affectionately) so he's definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. Strikes out a decent amount bc of that, but honestly it doesn't really bother him at all. Will just move on to next one. He’s really just there for a good time.

24. Yamamoto

Gets very nervous around girls he thinks are hot. He gets loud when he is nervous which can freak people out. Tries his best, but either comes on really strong or really stiff. Sometimes can get past that if gets hyped up by his friends beforehand.

23. Kunimi

He’s okay at it. He’s quiet and a little snarky, which doesn’t alway connect well. I think if he is able to break the ice and get a conversation going, he has a good success rate. But if he isn’t able to get the person hooked into the conversation quickly, he fizzles out.

22. Asahi

He is like 50/50. He’s the guy who comes up to you and you get super excited because he’s cute, but he can fumble it. If he is in a nervous mood, it is really hard for him to get a convo going and be natural. Those days he is striking out more. If he is feeling confident that day, he has a really good success rate. Again, 50/50.

21. Oikawa

I know this is low but hear me out. Because girls were crazy over him in high school he really never had to try to get someone to like him. Therefore he really doesn’t have good skills in that area, especially when just approaching someone random. I think he would learn fairly quickly, but it would be a tough start.

20. Kenma

He’s kinda shy and doesn’t like approaching people bc he’s a lil lazy( but mostly nervous). However, he’s super smart and if he can figure out a way to get you to approach him, he’ll definitely do that. Can have trouble standing out to people since he is on the quieter side. But circling back to the smart thing, I think he is good at zeroing in on his type & what will get that person hooked on him. Definitely spends some time observing you before he makes a move. His success rate does go up a lot if he has a wingman, but he doesn’t NEED one like some people on this list.

 19. Tanaka

He’s very similar to Yamamoto, but I think he is just a bit better at staying calm. Just a bit. Definitely is nervous to start& can come off a little strong at first, but if you give him a chance he’s able to show he’s a good, genuine guy. Also feel like if he is with a friend his success rate goes up like crazy. Like he doesn't need the wing man to intervene for him, it’s more like having his friend there makes him feel confident and takes away his nerves. This is why he is always begging Nishinoya to come out with him.

18. Matsukawa

Middle of the road guy. I feel like he is bad at opening conversation, which hurts him. However, if someone gives him a chance for a longer conversation he does a lot better. 

17. Daichi

He’s not bad, but he’s also not amazing? Like I don’t really see him as someone who gets very nervous around people he finds cute. However, he’s not super flirty and can struggle to hold people’s interest if that makes sense? Just kinda mid tbh.

16. Koganegawa

He has like puppy dog vibes. He has a lot of fun flirting. I feel like he is a lil bit of an air head, so he doesn’t even realize he should be nervous. But since he has such positive, easy going vibes it’s super easy to talk to him. His down fall is that he can be a little too spacey and forget to follow through, ex forgets to ask for your number or tell you he thinks you’re cute.

15. Kageyama

He’s not super flirty either. But I feel like as he gets older he grows in confidence and gets better at approaching people. Let’s be honest them beautiful fucking blue eyes has him picking up most people he wants. His weakness is sometimes he’s too reserved and the other person thinks he’s not interested. Either than that a pretty solid success rate

14. Akaashi

Honestly bro is so fine he really doesn’t have to try that hard. Similar to kageyama in that he can struggle with coming off too aloof. Still, I think he’s super polite and engaging which makes him charming without even really trying

13. Lev

He also has some puppy dog vibes but I think he is more in control of it. Especially as he gets older he mellows out more. Being a professional model gave him a lot of confidence, but he still is a lil goofy on the inside, so it never comes off as cocky or anything. I could see him trying a little too hard to be suave at times that it works against him. Like it comes off a little disingenuous. But he’s a 6′4 model, he’s not struggling THAT hard to get numbers lets be real.

12. Nishinoya

He’s higher than Tanaka bc I think he comes off slightly less strong. Maybe it’s just because he’s small 💀. But he doesn’t feel intimidating even though he does come on strong. He’s able to do it in a way that’s very endearing. Also once he gets talking he’s able to reel himself in more. He’s also super funny which helps his success rate a TON.

11. Kuroo

Idk why but I can see him wanting to use like pick up lines 💀 like he thinks he’s being smoother than he really is. Kenma tells him he’s being a dork(which he is). He’s hot enough that most people will give him a chance, though. Once he gets past that he genuinely charming and doesn’t struggle to get someone’s number

10. Bokuto

Another one that can come on strong but in a way that works for him. I can deadass see him just walking up to someone and flat out telling them they’re gorgeous. And it feels so genuine(bc it is genuine) and not just like someone trying to get in your pants (even if he is trying to get in your pants). If he strikes out tho it totally kills his mood and it’s hard for him to recover.

9. Atsumu

He’s the opposite of bokuto where him calling you gorgeous sounds like he’s just trying to get in your pants 💀 but he is SUCH flirt oml. I think that can hurt him at times bc he’s laying it on a little too thick. But usually finds a good balance. Can charm the pants off most people if you give him enough time.

8. Aran

Solid flirter. Confident enough to approach you and make conversation without being overbearing. Chill and easy to talk to. Even if you don’t end up going out with him after, you still enjoy the talk you had. Also doesn’t make it weird if you decline him.

7. Sugawara

Suga is so good at getting your guard down. He’s just sweet and genuine you feel at ease with him (it’s those big brown cow eyes). So easy to talk to and is surprisingly funny. Plus when he tells you he works with kids it makes him seem even sweeter.

6. Terushima

And then we have to total opposite. Honestly he should be lower. He comes off strong to the point of being cocky but somehow makes it work. Let’s be honest it’s the tongue ring(he definitely makes suggestive jokes about it). I also hc that he’s super tatted as an adult. I think he does well because he’s superrrrr good at picking out the girls who would be into his vibe. Also like who doesn’t wanna hook up with a bad boy every now and then?

5. Hinata

Listen. This may be high but I truly believe Hinata has good game. So good that at times he doesn’t even realize the effect he is having. I think his favorite way to flirt is getting you to do something competitive with him. Has no issue walking up to you at the beach to ask if you wanna play volleyball with him or even just asking to play beer pong at a party. He doesn’t even really have to try once you agree because he is super good at everything he does (which is a turn on) and you have a lot of fun. Great at asking you on a date without even realizing you’re being asked. Like he’ll say you should go get something to eat after playing together and you immediately agree. Then you’re like wait a second... this is totally date. And you’re very happy about it.

4. Semi

I feel like we don’t know that much about his cannon personality, but he has such a cool vibe. Liken effortlessly cool so you’re naturally drawn to him. Plus he’s super good looking like come on. Really just knows how to curate his look. He’s someone expect to be a little mean but he’s actually a sweetheart. Has you head over heels in no time.

3. Osamu

Atsumu is punching the air rn. He’s got Atsumu’s confidence but is able to keep from being too much. Subtle flirt, but super good at it nonetheless. Loves flirting with costumers who come to his shop because it gets him extra tips but also you keep coming back to order shit just so you can talk to him more. He knows he’s got you right where he wants you. He gets soooo many numbers left on receipts and absolutely will call them if he liked you.

2. Suna

God. This man. He was born to flirt look at him!! He’s so fucking smooth. He’s sorta aloof but he is really able to work that to his favor. Definitely confident enough to just walk up to you and start a convo. He is a good talker but he almost doesn't need words??? Like he can just look at you a certain way and god you’re sweating (in the best way). Easily gets anyone he sets his sights on.

1. Iwaizumi

Iwaizumi has the best game idc. He’s equally hot and approachable. Has plenty of confidence but is never cocky. Truly has a kind, warm aura that makes you feel so comfy talking to him. He’s super smart and funny. Like you just feel like you’re having a conversation you don’t even realize he’s flirting with you but you’re absolutely developing a huge crush on him. The type you talk to and immediately feel like you’ve known him forever. He truly never strikes out. It’s a gift. 

Bonus: Coach Ukai

It didn’t feel fair to compare Ukai to everyone bc he is a few years older and definitely more experienced but I couldn't leave him out. He has INSANE game. Like just look at him. He’s fine, a lil bit of a bad boy vibe, has a heart of gold (LOVES dropping in that he is a volunteer coach with kids). I think he would be sexy n fun flirt like it’s just too easy for him.

[synthetickitsune]

That anon that commented about you writing Soohyuk as a jealous bf being cute + you saying you need to write more cute stuff SO I raise you: Soohyuk bring properly jealous? By properly I mean a drabble just on this rather than it being a subplot :) But no pressure, I completely understand writers blocks and I hope you get to work through whatever it is you were aiming for from your WIP!!

...I just realized that I really haven't yet written anything about jealous Soohyuk?? Good for me to fix that finally~ Thank you for requesting this ♡

Lee Soohyuk | Jealousy fluff | 0.9k | gn!reader

Going through memories of everything that’s happened during the evening, you look at him from the corner of your eye. There’s nothing that you’d say was over the line, anything that you’d consider inappropriate. You were both very well aware of each other’s boundaries, and therefore careful not to cross them. So you really have no idea why Soohyuk’s acting like he is. The way home was already awkward enough, but it’s even worse now that the silence spreads inside your home.

“Did something happen?” you speak up, trying to break the ice as Soohyuk moves around the kitchen. He turns to you for a second with a small smile. He looks tired, and you really hope that’s all there is to it.

“I don’t think so,” he sighs, but you know him well enough to note the hint of frustration in the sound. You watch him take two steaming cups and bring them to the living room and prepare the coasters so he can set the cups down. He thanks you quietly and you relax a little when he sits down next to you, close enough for your thighs to touch. 

You don’t rush him, knowing that if he’s already quiet, demanding explanation would do nothing to help the situation. So you watch the steam swirl in the air, only sometimes stealing a glance in his direction. He’s still in his suit, just as you are still in the clothes you’ve picked for the event. Somehow it makes the whole thing seem even more eerie. Like something out of a movie when things are about to get real bad. 

Suddenly you feel his hand tentatively placed on your leg. You turn towards him and try not to feel too anxious at the guarded look on his face. He licks his lips while avoiding your eyes, and it dawns on you that maybe he’s just as nervous as you are - which you don’t think is a good sign.

“You did nothing wrong,” is the first thing he says and his lips turn up a little. His hand squeezes your thigh. “You were just gone for too long, I guess.”

His voice gets quieter with each word until it sounds like he’s just muttering something to himself. You frown and it makes him immediately turn to you, concern written all over his face.

“What do you mean?” you ask, placing your hand over his on your leg. He sighs, but this time it sounds strained. 

“I got jealous,” he says, and you’d think he cursed at you or something the way he looks at you, “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?” you chuckle, “You scared me, couldn’t you just say so?”

“It’s embarrassing,” he whispers, a tiny pout to his lips, “I just missed you and we were hanging out with other people.”

“That’s all?” you smile at him, “I haven’t done anything to make you feel this way?”

He shakes his head, taking his hand off your leg to wrap it around your waist and pull you closer. He kisses the top of your head, inhaling deeply to reassure himself that you’re here, home, with him. 

“You really could’ve just said so,” you repeat, “I wouldn’t get mad.”

“I know, but it’s childish,” the pout has returned to his voice. You shake your head, adjusting your position to throw your legs over his lap. He secures them there with his free arm immediately. “You know I don’t get like that. It’s just worse because we haven’t seen each other much lately.”

“You should’ve told me earlier,” this time it’s your turn to sigh, “I got really worried I made you upset somehow.”

“I couldn’t,” he laughs, hiding his face into your hair even though you can’t see him anyway, “I felt like I’d cause a scene or look like a clingy boyfriend. If I told you, everyone would notice we’re always together and you know how gossip is.”

“I’d love to see you make a scene,” you smirk, but make up for the teasing immediately by snuggling closer to him. He kisses the side of your head before finally looking at you again. There’s a hint of pink to his ears. 

“You’d like that?” he asks. It’s cute how he tries to tease you with blush creeping up his neck.

“Maybe,” you lean your head back on his shoulder, “It’d be hot if you just came over and showed everyone I’m yours. I know we can’t do that, but it’d be nice. Better than worrying I did something wrong.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry,” he apologizes, “I just didn’t want to admit I'm jealous either.”

You nod, pulling him closer to kiss him properly, and you feel the tension slowly melt out of his body the longer you kiss him. 

“Well, it was you who took me home at the end of the night and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” you peck his lips one more time. He leans his forehead against yours, stealing another kiss himself.

“I’m glad we’re home,” he agrees. You let the time pass, perfectly content in his embrace. After all, you missed him too, and as nice as it was to see him in his suit, socializing and working at the event, it was much better to have him this close, in the privacy of your apartment. Somewhere you could pull each other in for a kiss whenever you wanted without prying eyes.

[ballad-of-birdy-lamb]

Hi, I really love your writing! I wanted to ask if you could do a romantic head canons for Tanner and Treech because I really love those characters and the reader can be fem or gender neutral. Enjoy the rest of your day!

How pretty it is, I think I'm in love.

Treech/Tanner x Gender neutral reader (separate romantic headcanons) Summary: Romantic headcanons about Treech and Tanner and how they fell in love with gender neutral! Reader Warning: mention of animal death (Tanner's part), blood, before and after the Hunger Games Word count: 1.4k ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

Treech:

It had been a warm October in District Seven, oddly enough since the weather was usually cold during this time. Treech kept his hands together as he swung down on the wood block in front of him. He glanced around, looking at the greenery around him, his eyes unconsciously going to you. He stared at you as you brought your ax down onto the block of wood.

He would never admit how he’d admire you from afar, how his face would grow warm when he saw you take on the harder work, or how you looked while you brought your ax down to continue your work. Treech didn’t fully understand his love for you but he would be yours if you asked him… you wouldn’t have to always ask.

The first couple times you both converse were very awkward. Treech would try making you laugh, but because of how nervous he would be, it would come off as really odd. It makes things a bit more difficult, especially breaking the ice, but it was slightly charming since he tried with his jokes (sometimes).

You would hang out with his friends and yours, having connections with each other, which makes

Just a couple hours before the reaping, Treech walked around the town, hoping to get even a sight of you.

When his name is called in the reaping, he doesn’t try finding you. He already accepted his end once he got to the stage in front of the kids of Seven. Treech’s eyes would find you in the crowd, the beauty of your soft eyes made him want to weep and ask you for a kiss before his inevitable death. But he bit his tongue and kept quiet.

The time spent waiting for the train with Lamina was mostly just sitting in silence, her occasional sob breaking the quiet. Treech could only sit with his thoughts, wondering what could have come if he actually ran to you. Perhaps you would have taken him into your arms. Or not. He didn’t want that answer for so long.

The isolation that followed while waiting for the train made everything worse, the knowledge that you could have gone home, without a thought for him or terrified about what could ensue in the arena made him worried.

After his victory in the arena, he’d finally come home to District Seven. But unlike Tanner, he wouldn’t seek you out after caring for himself for a bit. He wouldn’t show for a long while. It would mostly be because Treech couldn’t bring himself to go back to you without worrying you could have possibly seen his actions on the TV’s in the town electronics shop.

Three months, three long months was how long Treech spent trying to take care of himself after all that had happened in the arena. But he got the confidence to go out to see others, others that wouldn’t kill him, and he went to your home.

Treech spent the entire time explaining what had happened while he was in his house and how he held up in the arena, the arena explanation was the shortest since his mind hadn’t even fully recovered.

It was almost a natural instinct to confess how he had fallen in love with you, the softness of you as a whole and how you were kind. You were so special to him since you were willing to listen to him, and didn’t constantly view his victory as a real victory, just as he did. Treech couldn’t help blushing so brightly, his entire face was basically red.

“You’d like a kiss?” You asked with a breathful laugh. As much as it embarrassed, Treech couldn’t help accepting the offer, which you gave to him quickly.

Your hands held his vibrant red cheeks, brushing your thumb against his cheekbone as you pressed his lips to yours delicately. It wasn’t as amazing as Treech had imagined, far more incredible than he could have ever thought. It’s like he was getting a kiss from the heavens itself. His desperation for your lips caused him to pull you close, just close enough to put his hands on your back.

You didn’t pull away for a long while, several minutes even. Truthfully, who would want to leave Heaven?

Tanner:

Oh, how badly the pain in his stomach grew as he stared at you, the blood covering your fingers drew blood to his cheeks. You set the butcher's knife down before turning to leaving to the dressing rooms. Tanner swallowed thickly and wiped his face with his hands, hoping his face wasn't too red to the extent others would know.

It was so odd, how lovely you looked in a place filled with only death. He’d never understand that feeling he got when he’d see you, but Tanner couldn’t deny that he didn’t want it gone.

Tanner had met you in English class, maybe not have met you but he knew you existed, and you were lovely. You were so kind and hot and shit. What couldn't he like about you? And you worked in the same factory! So, he could see you outside school!

You were the most “magnificent piece of work” … as he would say, with the voice of a songbird that would keep him in place out of instinct.

Tanner would take any opportunity to talk to you and he wouldn’t try making it obvious that he liked when you were paired up together in class when your friends were gone. Maybe it was obvious to all, but he thought he was smooth enough (he wasn’t).

Reaping day was notorious throughout the district, all of Panem really. Tanner had spent his day with his friends or near the town square, hoping to find you around and possibly talk to you.

Nearly the entire conversation is trying to work you up enough to get a kiss, trying to butter you up before the reaping. Of course, Tanner would compliment you and your outfit and how nice you looked, jokingly saying you were trying to find him too.

You would spend parts of your time in the town square, walking with him and your friends. Your friends mainly talked about other things besides how Tanner was trying to flirt with you. He claimed they were being sad and stuff, but they were reacting like any other possible tribute, wishing their families would be fine without them. The same could be said for him too, but he hoped you would be fine without him.

When he was called for the reaping, obviously he was sad. Who wouldn't be in this situation? Maybe a murderer but that doesn't matter now. Tanner was going to walk to his death.

At the realization that he probably wouldn’t come home, he’d try finding his way to you. There wasn’t a distinct time when the new tributes could speak to their family before they left but he needed a little time to speak to you, admit he had felt a special fondness for you.

The entire time he was on the train was hoping you’d at least think of him while he was gone, hopefully positive thoughts.

But Tanner never got that, and he couldn’t get what could have come from it out of his mind. It was a partial comfort on the train ride to the Capital.

After the Hunger Games, he had gone home and slept, though his mind went to finding you. It was either your warm presence or the haunting nightmares that would seep back into his mind when he couldn’t think of anything new.

Tanner would find you again and finally give you that kiss that was meant long before the reaping. He wouldn’t try being nice about it, his feelings were intense, and that kiss will be too. He wouldn’t try pulling away for a long while, keeping you close and in his arms, where he wished you would stay forever.

Oddly enough, Tanner would confess his feelings to you after the kiss. He’d go on about how he couldn’t keep his eyes off you and later his lips.

At some point, he’d be asked about his time in the arena. Though Tanner had endless nightmares about the things he saw, the blood and the snakes, he would be boastful. He would claim he was never scared and try seeming stronger than he already was.

As time went on, you’d more likely see him stiffen and get scared at the sight or the smell of anything that reminded him of the arena. Tanner would never claim himself a victor, but he’d say he would.

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

So sorry I haven't updated in a long while. Lowkey OOC but thank you for reading, nonetheless.

my tbosas masterlist

[orange-orchard-system]

Uh, hi. Really odd timing but I'm a different anon to the last one lol

I was wondering how you guys discovered you were plural? Referring to myself with us/we pronouns and just as plural happens subconsciously often and I sometimes find myself as different "personas" with different preferences, names, and slight memory weirdness. But I can't tell if that's plurality or something else going on. Or maybe I've just completely placebo effected myself. Cause the personas feel like different people but also me and I've never been able to like, talk to them.

Idk, been trying to figure it out recently and you told the previous anon that they might benefit from seeing if they're already plural so I was wondering. How do you actually do that?

That's a great question! It wasn't one single moment for us, but rather a series of discoveries spread out across our system, so the answer of "how did [we] discover [we're] plural" is actually a number of different things. That said, the story we usually tell – since it's what led to us being semi-openly plural – involves the Gift Basket, one of our sidesystems. To make a long story short, one of our headmates discovered that there was something odd about the way "he" acted sometimes, like someone else was just pretending to be him, and he suspected he might be part of a system. He began to reach out to this possible other headmate by flinging thoughts out into the void of our brain with the intention of talking to whoever was there, because it was the best idea he had on how to establish internal communication. Thankfully, the other headmate in question received the thought-speak, and the two began to talk. Over time, they connected with other headmates, too, and established a small internal network before talking with other systems and exploring online plural spaces, learning more ways to communicate and finding motivation to keep practicing. Those efforts allowed us to grow into the system we are today.

What you describe does sound a lot like plurality. I listed a few suggestions for figuring out if you're plural in my previous ask post, so I'm going to explain them in more detail.

See how calling yourself plural feels. Does it feel right? Would it explain things that other words don't? If you described yourself with other explanations or terms, would it feel like you're missing something? Try calling yourself plural for a few days and seeing how you feel. You don't have to do anything special, just go about your days under the suspicion that you're plural and see if anything changes or stands out to you. Does anything you previously brushed off now make (more) sense if you explain it as a plural thing?

Keep track of shifts in your identity and preferences. Essentially, a basic form of switch tracking. Every so often, ask yourself a short list of questions about who you are and what you like. What are your pronouns? What's your favorite food? What's your favorite color? What do you think of X? Etcetera, etcetera. If patterns emerge, such as always thinking ice cream is the best food ever while using she/her pronouns and your favorite color is yellow, it's likely that these are headmates and not just personas.

Practice talking to any headmates you might have. If you feel like anyone might be there, try flinging thoughts out at them! Or try assigning each persona a symbol or something and try holding conversations in a notebook you have. If it feels awkward, that's okay – it often feels strange to reach out to others in your head for the first few times. Since you seem to be having some trouble with internal communication, maybe try out external communication for now, like journaling or recording videos where you talk to any possible headmates you have. And remember, it's not necessary to be able to hear your headmates or speak with them internally to be a system.

Again, what you describe sounds a lot like plurality. But I'm not going to say anything for certain, since I think that's something you have to decide – or find out – for yourself. I hope this provided a good starting point for that. If you have the time, I'd also recommend going through the masterpost I mentioned in my last answer post; while aimed mainly at tulpamancers, some of the resources in there may help you, too.

[beezonia]

Tecna thoughts

Full names is Tecna Codeeris

One of the more closed off members of the winx, she keeps to herself

She can hack systems, also knows how to code

Was actually going to go to college in Zenith but unlocked her fairy magic and decided to push herself out of her comfort zone

Is quite blunt when she wants to be, same with her explanations

Tecna says things in a very blunt and deadpan way, that’s how Zeinthian’s speak so she’s picked that up from her parents (specifically her father)

Likes to play platform games like Crash Bandicoot, or she plays games like Tetris and jenga

She’s more logical then most, struggles to emote

Only child but longs for another sibling, she wants to have that type of bond with someone (cough ends up getting it in riven cough)

Her magic is a mix of offence and defence with shields and shoot like attacks

She’s shy, awkward sometimes in social situations because of her anxiety of people hating her for the way she speaks

But Musa is one of the people she bonds with due to their opposing personalities and being roommates

Tecna confides in her quite often (especially with advice when she and Timmy start to date)

She’s the ice to literally everyone else in the winx’s fire, calm and poised most of the time

Loves going on walks with Flora in the mornings

Stella helps her with expressing herself more, since Zenith has very one colour one style type fashion

She does digital art sometimes whilst bloom does traditional

Helps Musa with the more tecnopop style of music

Tecna helps Aisha with training, especially when it’s in the stimulation sort of phase, Tecna knows how the fairy likes to push herself and does exactly that for her!

Yeah that’s Tecna! If you saw this before, no you didn’t

[alganenif]

Painting: Pedro e Inês (Late Century XIX), by Ernesto Condeixa.

Romanceable Characters

(Artbreeder)

There are 3 categories of romanceable characters, and each category has a special game mechanic.

THE FIRST LOVE INTEREST - YOUR LOYAL PARTNER IN CRIME

Nesteri - The Childhood Friend (M/F/NB)

Nesteri has been in your life since you were rescued by your guardians. Regardless of how you feel, they will always have a crush on you at the beginning of the game, but it is your choice whether you will allow their affections to develop further or not. Sometimes they might act too nosy or dumb to your taste, but they always mean well.

Description: Supposedly has red hair, hazel eyes and freckles. Their skin also has a beautiful tan tonality but you don’t really have any way to know when it comes to them. The only thing in their appearance you can be 99,9% sure is real is their height, since they always have a comical comment about the height difference between the two of you.

Special mechanic: Being the only mage RO, their role is to help you throughout your journey. Even if you fail at finding out any secrets on your own, Nesteri will be there to ensure you know at least the bare minimum to reach the end game. Just be careful not to neglect or betray them. They may not feel too inclined to tell you the latest gossip they've heard if you are hurting their feelings. 

Remember: an alliance has to go both ways.

MAIN ROs - THE CROWN HEIRS

Rosalia - The Ice Princess (F)

Princess Rosalia (or Rosa, as you hear her family calling her) is a mystery in many ways. In general, she only speaks when directly addressed, and even then leaves most of her line of thought to the imagination. During the day, you might find her hiding in the most awkward places, with the most elusive explanations on the tip of her tongue. Is it possible to break her barriers and unlock her soft side, if she even has one?

Description: Her olive skin is a perfect mix of her parents’ skin tones. Long ebony waves are neatly kept together in braids that go until her shoulder blades. She's a very tall, slim woman, which might have contributed to her fame as someone who keeps her distance and slips away whenever possible. Also dresses with as little regality as a public figure such as the crown Princess can afford, so that she can blend in better with the background. Dark brown eyes complete the character.

Jasper - The Prince Charming (M)

The younger twin by a few seconds, Prince Jasper manages to simultaneously be the perfect gentleman and an unforgiving airhead. Don't take it too personally if he dismisses your advances (especially if you're romancing him as a nobleman) or makes one or two slightly off comments. He's just that oblivious. Since his youth, he's been cultivating the image of the knight in shining armor, dreaming of living a romance with his one true love just like the heroes in the novels. Now, that's quite a high standard to live up to, isn't it?

Description: The spitting image of his father (except for his eyes, which are light blue, like his mother's). Even his hairstyle reflects the late king's: straight brown hair side-parted at the widow's peak, in a brunette wave. Because of his fair skin, dirt and stubble get very visible, thus why he shaves and bathes too often. Despite his workout routine, he's not overly strong or tall. 

Special mechanic: The kingdom's succession hasn't been decided. During your stay at the palace, you can influence the court's opinion on who should be the next monarch. If suddenly the tables have turned in favor of the twin you are getting more familiar with… well, that's just a happy coincidence, right? 

Of course, that'd only work if the court had a positive view on you in the first place.

SECONDARY ROs - THE SIDE COMPANIONS

Johanne - The Carefree Spare (F)

Princess Johanne (or Hanne, as she asks to be called) is the late king's third child, which puts her just outside the succession debates. While the throne being inherited by a younger sibling is not unheard of, she has no interest in the position and doesn't bother to hide it. Actually, she doesn't seem to bother hiding anything, making her a possible easy source of secret information. However, Hanne doesn't have the greatest of attention spans, always jumping from one passing passion to another, as often as she changes clothes. Once you catch her interest, will you be able to hold it? Even more, what if you start to like her eyes on you, for real?

Description: Is very aware of her short stature and tries to make herself larger than life to make up for it, with ostentatious dresses, jewelry, and a flamboyant personality. She's got full curly dark hair that reaches her waist when wet, and dark brown skin. Her brown eyes are the color of coffee, but when she finds something she really likes, they almost look like golden honey.

Bernart - The Guard Captain (M)

Captain Bernart (you have heard the royals calling him Bernie, but if his hard stare is anything to go by, you have the feeling you shouldn't try your luck) is captain of the royal guard and the only son of Alganen's main general. Aside from being expected to inherit his father's position, his job seems to consist in watching the heirs' backs like a hunting hound. Whether you call it nepotism, bodyguarding or babysitting, he's very competent in what he does — so much he's starting to become a surprise nuisance in your plans. Will you be able to get his blessing in your seducing scheme, or will you accidentally find yourself being seduced instead?

Description: He has a strong constitution, with well-defined muscles, despite his height being only average at most. Very loose, black curls adorn his head, while his lower face is taken by a beard, whose state of neatness is an easy tell of how overworked he is, if you haven't noticed the dark circles under his brown eyes, contrasting with his beige skin tone. 

Special mechanic: Even if everything goes according to plan and you don't develop any feelings for your target's side companions, they can still find romance with someone else. That might not be your magic specialty, but Cupid's arrow is at your disposal, and if you get the right couples together, you could gain some unexpected allies — or produce some nice blackmail material.

If you can't find a secret on your own, just fabricate one.

Poly / Secret routes are being considered 

[gaydraisaitl]

A Reunion, a Beginning, and the Thief of Awkward Silences.

Pairing: Mattdrai

3.3k words

Rated E for some sexual content.

AO3 link

–

The air in Sunrise is thick with humidity. It sticks to Leon’s skin and he nearly feels like he’s drowning in it. He’s outside the hotel, wandering the sidewalk, alone in all the ways that matter. Palm trees rise up next to him and he looks up to watch them sway gently with the breeze. It’s late, too late to be awake the night before an afternoon game. It doesn’t matter, he can’t bring himself to sleep anyways. 

There’s something there, deep in the pit of his stomach that’s threatening to bloom. He can’t pinpoint it, except that it started gnawing at him sometime back in July. It’s built steadily since then, leaving him uneasy with no real explaination. 

He stares ahead at the pavement in front of him, lets the sound of the cars wooshing by act as white noise. He closes his eyes, breathes in the air, lets it drown him. 

–

The boys head to the rink early the next day for morning skate. Leon has his hands curled around his coffee, he hasn’t found the energy in himself to speak yet. Connor is side-eyeing him and Leon is pointedly ignoring the looks. He knows he’s grumpy, he didn’t sleep much after he went inside last night, but he must look grumpier than usual because Connor is gentle with him, doesn’t press him for any explanation, just pats his shoulder as he walks by and heads into the locker room. 

The ice in Sunrise, Florida is fine. Leon thinks his skate blades dig into it a bit deeper, but it’s not too hot of a day, and it’s meant to rain later, so he can’t blame the weather. He doesn’t put too much thought into it after his first few laps, just settles into it and muses that the softness is nice, like the ice will forgive him. 

–

It’s in the hall outside of the locker room that Leon sees him. The Rat. For a moment, all his thoughts quiet. Tkachuk has his headphones in and he’s looking down at his phone, that fucking smirk sitting on his face like it’s a permanent fixture. If it were anyone else, he’d say Florida looks good on him. But this is Tkachuk, and Leon doesn’t think those things about him. Never has. 

And the thing is, Leon’s never really allowed himself to. Hasn’t ever really looked at him either. Saw him, sure, but never looked. But Leon is looking now, and that thing that’s meant to be locked in the pit of his stomach is bobbing gently on the surface. 

Tkachuk looks up, he’s right by where Leon is standing in the hall, where he’s meant to be starting his warmup. Leon is not stretching. He is leaning against a wall and looking at Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk is looking at him and smiling, and he’s slowing to a stop and Leon’s heart is racing. He’s got nothing to say. 

“Draisaitl.” He quirks an eyebrow as he waits for a response. 

What a bitch. “Tkachuk.” Leon lowers his eyes in some form of intimidation. It doesn’t work out, makes him look more like a wet kitten than anything else. 

Then, from Tkachuk, “Miss me?” He’s wearing that tongue-biting grin like he thinks he’s the funniest guy on earth. 

But Leon can’t be annoyed, can’t be because he’s too busy being consumed by horror. Because the question is meant to be a chirp, meant to be this sarcastic thing that Leon grumbles about and gets under his skin until he can get it out on the ice, but it doesn’t hit like one. It hits Leon in about a million ways besides the one he expected. It hits him in the gut, punches that pit the rest of the way out, flourishes in his mouth like a flower, blooming, reaching its arms wide and open for the taking. He nearly chokes with the thought. 

In non-poetic terms, it hits like a ton of bricks. Because Leon does miss him. And it scares him. More than it should, probably. 

He doesn’t answer. Probably looks like an idiot standing there with his mouth slightly open, in silent ‘oh-moment’ awe. Tkachuk backs off, lets his grin fade to something more cautious. And he says something akin to “See you out there, man.” as he fades out of Leon’s focus. 

Someone else is speaking to him, but Leon feels like he’s underwater, like he’s taken in a lungful of sticky, Sunrise air. It’s nothing, not a thing. It’s not like he loves the guy, he just missed him. Misses him.  

In a small way, it is a relief. A relief to put a name to the something unfurling within him. And in another, larger way, it annoys the hell out of him. He’s annoyed that, somewhere along the line, he’d managed to put some sort of meaning into their on-ice rivalry. And it’s like, a superhero can’t be a hero if there’s no one to fight. In their tension lies something like a bond.

He closes his eyes, clenches his left fist, then his right, breathes out slow. 

He warms up. 

–

The game is intense, the Oilers coming off a loss and hungry for a win. The Panthers know this and they fight just as hard, using the energy of the crowd and the momentum of a 2 game win streak to power them. Leon’s skating is as sharp as it can be but he sprays more snow than usual when he stops hard on the soft ice. 

He tries to drown out the events of the day and just focus on the next play, the next pass, the next line-change, but then he’s on the outskirts of a faceoff and feels someone close. He turns his head and nearly loses his breath. Tkachuk is hovering nearby, chewing his mouthguard, staring straight ahead at the pending faceoff. Leon pulls his own mouthguard back over his teeth, he can’t have Matthew thinking his own habit is some sort of tribute to him. Matthew's eyes flick to him and back away, but it’s enough to knock the sense back into Leon. 

Just in time as he fields a pass from Connor and slaps it straight on net. It’s a close one, resulting in a rebound and a scramble in front of the net, but it doesn’t go in. 

It’s 2-2 nearing the end of the second and Leon has that itch under his skin, the one that Tkachuk was always able to make flare up. So he’s near Tkachuk and he says low, “For the record, I didn’t miss you.” 

Tkachuk barely reacts, just pushes his mouthguard to the side of his mouth and says, “Yeah bud, I figured.” 

And it’s so nonchalant, like there’s nothing that could get under his skin, that Leon’s annoyance boils over into anger. He taps his stick against Tkachuk’s shins, just enough to make him notice. Tkachuk looks back at him, like he’s confused. He tries to get back into the game, but Leon pesters him again, and then suddenly his gloves are off and Leon’s are too and they are going at it. Matthew’s skin feels so good against his knuckles. Like this is something he’s been deprived of for years. It’s almost like he’s been homesick and he’s finally home. 

It’s a bit macabre, to think of the fight as comforting, but in some way it is. His cheek aches from where Matthew’s fist connected with it, and he smiles to himself. He lets himself get skated off to the box, Matthew alongside him, and he glances through the glass. Matthew’s running a hand back through his short curls like he’s frustrated. 

Leon misses his curls. 

Matthew looks over and their eyes lock. 

“What’s the fucking deal, man?” 

Leon shrugs, he’s not going to give him the satisfaction. 

“Oh, shit, you do miss me.” 

He must look like a deer in the headlights for a minute, but he doesn’t respond. 

The sound of a goal horn forces him out of his thoughts and just like that, Florida’s up one as the second period closes out. 

–

The game ends with that same intensity, but despite Leon tying it up in the third, like some poetic justice, Tkachuk gets the game-winner and sends the Oilers back home with another loss. 

Leon gets undressed quickly, ready to hit the showers after post-game media. The questions the media ask are the same as usual, and his answers are the same as usual. “I’m tired of losing momentum,” “we need to do better,” “it’s getting old having to fight our way back.”

The shower is enough to cool him down from where his anger is simmering. He’s feeling a bit better by the time he’s in his suit and heading out of the dressing room. He’s walking solo, not bothering to wait for anyone else, when he sees Tkachuk leaning on the wall outside their locker room, right where Leon had been earlier in the day. 

Leon ducks his head, trying to sneak past, but right when he thinks he’s succeeded, Matthew calls out after him. 

“Hey, Draisaitl!” 

He turns, crosses his arms. 

“Good fight out there, couple of nice hits.” He’s smirking again. 

Leon nods. An affirmation. He waits a moment to see if Tkachuk will speak again, but he’s just standing, staring calmly at Leon as if he knows him. 

Leon shifts on his feet. “So…”

And Tkachuk says “Are y’all staying the night?” 

Leon doesn’t know where this conversation is headed. 

“Yeah. Think they’re gonna let us have ‘beach day’ tomorrow.” Leon lets himself smile a little. 

Matthew pushes off the wall then, walks into Draisaitl’s space, and says, “You got anywhere to be tonight?” 

Leon’s breath hitches, he’s got no clue where the fuck this is coming from, but he feels himself saying “No.” 

“Good.” 

“Yeah?” 

And then Matthew puts his hands in his pockets and starts walking down the hallway. Leon’s left standing in place, not sure what’s expected of him. Was that an invitation? Was it another way for Tkachuk to make fun of him for having no plans on a Saturday night in Florida? Was it some sort of chirp that flew way over his head? 

All those questions snap away when Matthew calls over his shoulder, “Are you coming?” 

Leon scrambles to follow. 

–

Leon doesn’t ask questions when he’s sitting quietly in the passenger seat of Matthew’s car. 

He looks out at the blur of green that zips past the window. 

There’s some sort of twangy country song playing low on the radio, crackling ever so often like the radio isn’t really tuned to the right station. 

Matthew’s tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to the tune. 

Leon doesn’t know when he gave his brain permission to think of him as Matthew, not Tkachuk. 

Nothing makes sense right now, so he decides to ignore the thought. 

They pull up into a concrete driveway to a big house. It’s nice, Florida nice, and white with pillars framing the front porch. There’s green grass all around the front yard, interspersed with some palms. 

Matthew gets out of the car and Leon supposes that this is his cue to follow. 

He feels like he’s stuck in a haze, unsure about everything. 

He follows Tkachuk in through the front door, toes off his shoes, appreciates the air conditioning as a nice contrast to the wet, muggy air outside. 

Tkachuk hasn’t said anything so Leon braves it and gives in, “What am I doing here, Tkachuk?” 

He sees his fist curl as he sets his car keys on the table near the front entrance. He feels further away now than he’s been all day.  

He doesn’t face Leon when he says, “You missed me.” 

And it’s not a question, but a statement that needs reinforcement. Leon decides if he should do so. It would probably be easier to say he hasn’t missed him, easier to ask if he’s here to fight, but he can’t bring himself to do either. 

Instead, against all his better judgements he says, “Yeah.” 

Matthew’s head hangs. Leon can see his mood in the tense hold of his shoulders. 

He takes a few steps closer. 

“I have. Missed you, I mean. I…I didn’t realize-”

He pauses when he hears Matthew’s sharp inhale. 

He reaches out a hand, he feels possessed when it lands gently on Matthew’s shoulder. “Are you-”

He doesn’t finish his sentence because Matthew is turning around and framing Leon’s face with his hands and pulling him into a kiss. Matthew’s thumb is pressing into the bruise forming there from the punch earlier. His lips are soft and welcoming, and Leon can’t help but melt into them. It’s horrible, it’s wonderful, it’s– oh god. 

Leon pulls back abruptly. Fuck. Fuck. What the fuck. 

He’s breathing hard, staring down Tkachuk, who’s doing the same to him. He’s not backing down so Leon won’t either. If this is another challenge that Leon has to face, then so be it. 

A pause. 

Then Leon’s pressing Matthew back into the entry table behind him and Matthew groans into his mouth, some mixture of pain and pleasure from being pushed into an uncomfortable position. He goes easy, pliant, and Leon lets his hands slide gently to his hips. 

His hands untuck his dress shirt and find their way to his waist. Matthew is lean, and his skin is warm, like he’s captured the Florida sun underneath it. Leon keeps kissing, feels the scrape of Matthew's stubble against his chin, and sighs at the feeling. 

And then Matthew is pushing him away and unbuttoning his shirt. He walks away, and Leon follows like a lost puppy. He loses his jacket somewhere along the way, and then Matthew is pressing him against the beige wall of his room. He kisses along Leon’s jaw, nips lightly at his earlobe, and then moves down to his neck. 

Leon is just barely able to get out a plea for no visible marks before Matthew drops to his knees like this is something he’s been wanting for years. 

What a sight. Matthew Tkachuk on his knees in front of him. Eager, quiet, ready. Leon wishes he still had his curls. He says as much out loud. 

“Didn’t know you paid that much attention to my hair.” 

Leon lets out a breath, “Only wish I could pull it.” 

That shuts Matthew up and Leon watches as his skin flushes pink all the way down to his chest. My god, he looks pretty in pink. 

And then, showing no mercy, He unzips Leon’s slacks, and unbuttons them at the top. He pushes them down, and the air conditioning is cold on his exposed thighs. It’s a relief Leon hadn't been expecting. He’s not sure he even knew he was hard, but the cool air helps to relieve a bit of the pressure. 

And then it’s back as Matthew mouths at Leon’s cock through the fabric of his briefs. Leon curses into the back of his hand. He doesn’t want to give Matthew the satisfaction that he’s won this round. Leon’s still not even sure what game they’re playing. 

As Matthew continues to tease him, Leon thinks back to all the times they’ve met before. Could he have had this then? Was this an option? Has it always been there? 

He doesn’t have time to answer his own questions because suddenly, his cock is surrounded by the warm wetness of Matthew’s mouth. He looks down, and has to look away when he takes in the sight. Fuck. He looks so good with a cock in his mouth. Like all the times he was chewing on his mouthguard he was just trying to get Leon to look at his lips and fantasize this. And Leon hadn’t or hadn’t consciously, but now, oh my god, he’ll never be able to get the image out of his head. 

Matthew’s tongue is working overtime, like this is a play he’s mapped out specifically to break Leon down. Like he somehow knows the exact sensitive spots on Leon’s body, like he’s been practicing for him. 

As if in denial, Leon finally brings his hands down to Matthew’s hair, brushes his fingers through it like the curls are still long and asking to be pulled. 

He feels the vibrations of Matthew’s moan on the tip of his dick. 

And then, like Matthew is something precious, he’s pushing his hair back and just…looking. Matthew is blinking up at him, doe-eyed, wet lashes blinking wide. His mouth is working slowly along Leon’s length and Leon feels it through to his toes. He’s not supposed to be feeling this. Now with him. 

And perhaps it is the build-up to this all, the rivalry, the fights, the smiles after a goal at the All-Star game, or perhaps it is the hand that comes up to press on his tummy, but Leon is coming without any warning, staring into Matthew’s eyes, desperate. 

Matthew is good and swallows his come. Leon lets go of his head and lets his eyes drift up to the ceiling. He’s panting from the intensity. 

“Warn a guy next time.” 

“You liked it.” Leon scoffs. 

He brings himself to look down again, in time to see Matthew looking bashfully to his own lap, speaking a soft “Yeah.” 

Leon lets his hand wander to Matthew's chin to draw his face upwards.

“You were so good.” He sees the shiver that runs its way through Matthew’s body, “Let me return the favor.” Matthew averts his eyes at this, and that’s when Leon notices the dark spot at the front of his slacks. 

“Did you…” 

“Yes.” He sounds ashamed. 

“Oh my god, Matthew, that’s so fucking hot.” He pulls Matthew up to him and kisses him, a fire burns between them. 

It’s quiet when they pull back, sometime later. Leon’s lips are swollen. He runs his thumb along Matthew’s, who nips the tip playfully. 

“I should go.” 

Matthew nods in agreement. Leon needs to get back to the team, they have a dinner planned in about an hour that he needs to get ready for. Leon cleans himself up in Matthew’s bathroom, lets cold water flush over his face until he looks somewhat normal. He brings Matthew a warm washcloth. He doesn’t know if he uses it. 

He takes his time heading to the door, picking up the jacket he dropped enroute to the bedroom. He hears Matthew’s feet patter behind him. 

When Leon reaches the door and slips on his shoes, he finally lets himself look back. 

Matthew is leaning one shoulder against the wall of the entry, arms crossed. He looks loose and content. There’s something deeper in his eyes that Leon ignores. 

“Can I…uh…get a ride?” 

Matthew’s eyes flicker to the door and back to Leon. 

He shrugs and slips on some flip-flops. 

The ride back to the hotel is quiet. They aren’t good at small talk, apparently. Leon can’t stop playing the situation over in his head. He looks over to Matthew, and rolls his eyes internally. He’s in his red Panther’s shirt, the one with the crude neck cut out of it. It annoys Leon. Mainly because the edge of his collarbone is exposed and Leon thinks about how pretty a hickey would look there. 

He lets himself think about it. 

Then, “We’re here.” 

Leon looks through the windshield and sees the hotel rise ahead of them. 

“Thank you. For the ride.” 

Matthew quirks a smile. 

“You gonna miss me?” 

Leon doesn’t want to nod, but his body betrays him and gives a single, stilted one. 

Matthew breathes slow, “Yeah. Me too.” 

Matthew looks vulnerable like this, soft and rumpled and wrecked. Leon ignores it. 

He nods again and climbs out of the car. He doesn’t look back until Matthew is too far away to notice. 

[corner-stories]

on edge

Armin Arlert. Annie Leonhardt. Collisions. Skating. Awkward Conversations. Figure Skating AU. 2235 words. (ao3.)

Annie Leonhardt’s coach reminds her that ice time is precious and too valuable to be wasted. So when she arrives at the rink in the early hours of the morning, her mind is focused on only one thing and one thing only. 

Other dedicated skaters in her age group filter into the rink as she does, most accompanied by parents who look just as groggy as their children at this time of day. 

Annie keeps her headphones on as she stretches and practices a few off-ice jumps. The zamboni is smoothing out the ice as she works. Sometimes she’ll look away from her meticulous routine and glance up to see the driver. She’s gotten quite used to seeing her father on the vehicle — he’ll even wave to her on occasion with the same glum expression on his face. Even this early, his resting bitch face remains the same. 

But Annie’s used to seeing the grumpy old man performing such an integral task. Ultimately, he does what he does to support her career — driving the zamboni every morning in exchange for coaching discounts has been the edge she’s always appreciated. 

Once Annie laces up her skates and gets onto her ice, she can feel her worries becoming moot. A part of her — one plagued by stress, loneliness, and doubts — fades away as she glides. She’s never been able to explain it, but it’s helped her through every lutz and every loop, every sit-spin and every euler, every waltz jump and every flip. 

Annie’s rinkmates file onto the ice with her. The dancers and pairs skaters are moving hand-in-hand, while the other singles get lost in their own world as they warm up. 

As Annie keeps her distance, she only glances up briefly to get a look at everyone else. 

Pieck Finger seems to have the energy to chat her partner’s ear off as they get into the zone, but Porco Galliard doesn’t seem to mind. Historia Reiss is standing near the boards as she chats with her coach, who is already awake and ready to give notes on her triple salchow. Mikasa Ackerman has a focused look on her face as she skates next to her partner, and in contrast Jean Kirschtein still looks uneasy as he keeps up with her. Annie doesn’t know the whole story, but perhaps the excitement and newness of a partner switch had yet to fade off for him, despite having skated with Mikasa for the last two months. 

Then he comes to the ice. 

Annie glances up to see a familiar head of blond hair stepping onto the rink. Armin Arlert says a thank you to his grandfather at the boards before he glides towards the center of the area. 

And just like that, Annie feels a knot forming in her stomach. 

Unlike the stoic determination of Ackerman or the perky energy of Finger, Armin is somewhere in the middle as he eases onto the ice. He is neither chipper without reason or so focused that all joy saps from his face. Instead, Armin looks free. 

Annie tries to avoid his gaze whenever she passes him by, instead looking towards the bleachers, where her father sits next to Grampa Arlert. 

She tries to distract herself by recalling her choreography. Her coach had finally let her do a program to her favorite Tchaikovsky Waltz, but only if she worked on her musicality and facial expressions. Instead of arguing on whether the judges would deduct points for her lack of smile as she skated, Annie took Coach Zeke on the deal and promised to follow through. 

She only has a few minutes to practice her triple-triple combination until Zeke arrives at the rink. After landing her flip and just barely needing to touch the ice to steady her landing, she glides backwards on one skate as her body stabilizes herself. 

In her mind, she goes over absolutely everything that went wrong, from the way she didn’t hold her arms inwards enough during the spin or popped her lutz on the first attempt. She tries not to think about how her father is no doubt watching from the bleachers, or how Historia must be getting an explanation as to how Annie ranked half a point under her at last year's nationals. 

Suddenly, Annie hears a voice behind her. 

“Whoa, whoa!” 

Turning around, Annie is brought to the face of Armin Arlert. This time, the knot in her stomach tightens for completely different reasons.

The two manage to come to a halt, the blades of their skates turning the ice below into snow. Armin has to put his hands up to fully stop, his hands touching Annie’s shoulders to prevent them from colliding. 

“Sorry about that, Annie, I wasn’t looking!” Armin says, his tone sounding unendingly apologetic. 

The stoic face that Annie usually holds during morning practice falters, but only slightly. Her gaze goes soft as she looks towards Armin. 

“It’s okay,” she replies in a voice that is quiet and gravelly. 

When she glances around the rink, Annie can see the other skaters paying attention to them. Mikasa comes down from a curve lift in Jean’s arms, then looks over to the duo of blondes with genuine concern. Even Historia stares at the pair in the aftermath of her double axel-triple lutz combo, the puzzled look on her face saying it all. 

When Annie looks at Armin again, she sees his cheeks turning red. He takes his hands off her shoulders and stumbles back slightly. 

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh… hope I didn’t hurt you…”

Before Annie can say anything, she sees Coach Zeke entering the rink in the corner of her eye. He doesn’t look particularly enthused this morning, as he practically drags his feet across the floor and holds a coffee cup like it’s his lifeforce. 

It gives Annie extra incentive to not waste time, so when her gaze meets Armin’s again she says the first thing that comes to mind. 

“...I have to go.” 

And with that said, Annie turns around and skates off. At least her blush on her face fades away by the time she meets Zeke at the boards.

…

…

…

An hour of harness work to perfect her triple toe loop-triple salchow goes by with ease. Zeke is extra pushy today, meticulously pointing out the flaws in her footwork between elements. The half point that lost her gold at last year’s nationals seems to be nagging at his brain harder than hers, something that makes him even more stern as he watches her skate. 

But Annie’s good at taking it, even when she falls more than she would like. 

At least when practice is over, she finds herself actually looking forward to spending the rest of the day at school. 

Annie steps off the ice and finds a bench to sit on. As she unlaces her skates, she can see her other rinkmates either cooling down after a session or practicing their elements off-ice. Seeing Porco lifting Pieck in the air with a single arm is just one of the things that Annie has gotten used to over the years. Pieck even smirks and waves down to Annie like it’s the most normal thing in the world. 

As Pieck jokingly sings about how she’s had the time of her life, Annie leaves the rink and heads for the locker room to retrieve her things. 

With her gym bag slung around her torso, she nibbles on a protein cookie as she enters the building’s concourse. A text from her fathers tells her that he’s getting the car, as he had parked far away due to not finding a space in the actual lot. 

If there were three certainties in life, then it would be death, taxes, and Albert Leonhardt complaining about parking. 

Annie exits the rink and waits by the doors. Moments pass as she finishes her post-training snack. Her body is aching and it makes her dread the conditioning session that awaits her tomorrow. She’s not sure what will hurt more, her core or her hip flexors. 

As she waits, she looks up to the sky and sees the sun just barely rising in the cloudy horizon. Michigan at this time of year is slowly transitioning from winter to spring, but the chill still permeates the air and makes Annie blow on her fingers to keep herself warm. 

Before she can put on her headphones and block out the world, she feels someone tapping her shoulder. 

Annie turns around fast and Armin puts his hands up in surprise. 

“Whoa! Uh, hi…” he stammers out. “Uh… just wanted to check in and see if you were alright… again.” 

There is a beat as Annie recollects herself. She tries to pinpoint why she’s so on edge this morning, but for the life of her she can’t. 

On the ice, Armin Arlert is the embodiment of grace and balance. His slender frame glides across the surface with ease, effortlessly leaping and transitioning into spins, which are undoubtedly his speciality. 

But off the ice, Armin is nothing more than a skinny high schooler in a parka that’s a size too big. His blond locks are mussed and his disposition is nervous, a far cry from the usual composure he shows in his craft. 

“I’m fine,” Annie manages to say. “Thanks for asking, Armin.” 

“Good to know,” he replies, nodding along. “Nice sal, by the way.”

Annie avoids his gaze. “I’m still popping it.” She prays to god that he didn’t catch her eating shit on the ice during her harness work.  

“You’re on the way though, especially after the triple toe,” Armin assures. His voice is lighthearted as he speaks. “I’d give some pointers, but Zeke seems to know what he’s doing.” 

“That’s one way to put it,” Annie says dryly. Awkwardly, she looks down and keeps avoiding his eyes. “I never see you at school.”

“I’m homeschooled, actually,” Armin explains. He puts his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Gives me more time at the rink.” 

Annie lets out a hum. “Not a bad idea.” 

Truth be told, it would be nice having an excuse to only ever commute between her house and the rink. 

When Annie looks up again, Armin’s eyes are a shimmering blue. She’s never noticed them before — then again, she’s never been this close to him before. 

Despite their years training at the same rink, Annie realizes now that this may be the first conversation she’s ever had with the guy, aside from passing comments on one another’s jumps. She’s only ever watched him from afar, admiring his camel spins and ability to truly embody the music of his program. 

With the way Armin is looking at her now, Annie wonders if he’s ever done the same. 

Soon she asks, “Why are you talking to me?”

The question is very direct, but Armin is nonplussed as he smiles boyishly. 

“Because I thought it’s the least I could do after almost knocking you off your feet.”

And to think, all these competitions and training sessions they spent in proximity to each other and it took a near-collision for them to finally talk. 

Once more, Annie can feel heat rushing to her cheeks. She steadies her breathing, the atmosphere is cold enough to turn the air from her lungs into small puffs of smoke. Nervously, she rubs her ungloved hands together again to warm her fingers. 

Watching her closely, Armin scratches his nape again before asking — “Hey, would you ever want to-”

He is cut off by the sound of a car horn. Both blondes turn their heads to the parking lot to see Annie’s father pulling up in his car. His face is stern as he waves to his daughter from the driver’s seat. 

Annie faces Armin again, but glances down just enough to not look him in the eye. “...I have to go.” 

With that said, she dashes away from the curb and towards her father’s car. When she opens the door and plops her ass in the passenger’s seat, Annie only looks back for a second to see Armin’s wistful stare and his gentle, stilted wave goodbye. 

Beside her, Albert Leonhardt has an eyebrow raised at both his daughter and the young boy standing outside. 

“What did he want?” asks the older man as he shifts the car into gear.

“Nothing,” Annie lies through her teeth. Sucking in a breath, she tugs her hoodie over her head and pulls the strings tight to truly block out the world. 

…

…

…

Historia Reiss exits the rink like she usually does — bored, tired, and checking Instagram. At least she follows Coach Nanaba’s “no phones at practice” rule to a tee. 

Just as she shares a story about her early morning training session, she nearly bumps into someone standing on the curb outside the building. Looking away from her screen, Historia is greeted to the sight of Armin Arlert wistfully waving to a car pulling out of the parking lot. 

Historia is confused and glances towards the vehicle to see what on earth is going on. 

In the moving car, Historia spots Annie Leonhardt pulling her hoodie over her head and curling into herself like a human armadillo. 

Combined with the longing look in Armin’s eyes, Historia’s first reaction is to let out a chuckle. With her elbow, she nudges her rinkmate and says —

“Blondes, amiright?” 

[kaythegayest]

SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK

that sleep deprived hyperness is kicking in so I better write fast before I implode

(Hero/vigelante/ villain au)

Mipha

Has healing powers, BUT doing so slaps her energy, sometimes to the point where she just ragdolls. Sugar always seems to help her recover her stamina.

Roommate's with both Revali and Wild

She works at a small bakery called "the bread bazaar" her manager is Urbosa

Daruk is their landlord, very nice guy. Sometimes forgets about rent. Checks in on them sometimes and one time brought the three of them a entire tub of ice cream. For no specific reason.

Wild is her childhood best friend

Miphas father always expected too much out of her. She knew he meant the best, but safe to say, the day she turned 18 she left the house (with wild)

Now into the interesting part, Wild is a vigelante. She discovered this when he walked in the door one day, stumbled a little, and promptly passed tf out. (That was a fun conversation when he woke up)

She has a hair pin that she wears at all times. Her father gave it to her with only the explanation that 'it was a family heirloom from your mother's side' he refuses to give her more information. So she takes matters into her own hands and decided she was going to find out what it means. So whenever she has some spare time she does research on it.

Elephants are her favorite animal their just so cute with their little trunks and their big ears!

Urbosa comes over to the apartment to hang out with her favorite (and only) employee (I wasn't kidding when i said it was a small business)

Sidon will come to visit everyone in the apartment sometimes. Somehow these visits distract Wild and Revali enough to stop their constant fighting

Speaking of constant fighting, Mipha has learned the uncanny ability to tune out anything. Specifically from those two.

Twilight has showed up at the apartment to get Wild one time. Wild wasn't there. It was a little awkward, since there's this man she's never met sitting in her living room but the two absolutely hit it off after the conversation of Urbosas Bakery came up. Apparently he used to be a regular but has been to busy to stop by recently. Huh. Who knew?

[confessionsofa-roleplayer]

A long time best friend and ship partner of mine cut me off out of the blue. No explanation, no nothing. And I’m taking it as a sign to not engage or refollow and that they are not looking to be friends anymore. I’m taking it badly and with confusion, as anyone would, but I also have to learn that even after years of ic and ooc time and many moments that are memories I will never forget, that things come to an end.

It hurts so much to see them on the dash, already moved on to other people, removing me and my posts, and making awkwardness between friends we had that were mutuals still. But sometimes you have to just remember to keep looking forward. If they come back, fine. If they don’t, it is what it is. Life is full of change, both good and bad.

Remember that things can change very quickly and things you thought would last forever may not. But there will always be another day and others you shouldn’t take for granted.

[oh-nxts-and-bxlts]

👫

Send a 👫 and I’ll write four headcanons I have about our muse’s relationship

Much as Thresher needs to be on somewhat active lifeguard duty with Diggy around, what with her tendancy to attract disaster despite her best efforts, he's one of the few people she won't actively complain at in case he does get her out of the water. The perks of having a gentle demeanor that tends to not let people think you're immediately up for making fun of them.

Diggy's not much of a seashell fan, preferring shiny rocks to the often too-delicate bits of calcium carbonate. But for some reason, she tends to find them a lot more interesting if they come with a little explanation from Thresher on what they came from. Even very common shells can be made suddenly much more interesting to the little robot with some effort.

Diggy makes fish, especially shark, puns at Thresher. Not at his expense, but she will cram as many puns in one sentence as she can, just to see his smile grow nervous. She loves bugging him very much.

The sisters will sometimes pull Thresher away from his work to get him to hang out in town, even for mundane things like ice cream or movies. They both tend to agree he's often in need of calm off days, as stress seems to come to him quite easily. Often in the shape of other people. That said, if he prefers to be left alone, they happily respect his wishes.

Celerity has to admit, Thresher is quite the fun little fellow to tease and playfully flirt with, but there were at least a few awkward conversations that involved Celerity slowing down from her usual banter to ask him if he really was okay with her teasing. And, if there were things he'd rather she tone down. Because let's be frank, as much as she loves her teasing, she appreciates Thresher's presence more.

Should Celerity survive long enough to see Thresher's older years and his aptitude to date really pretty ladies, she would laugh, congratulate him, and laugh again. Happy for this goofy, shy shark that keeps getting kneecapped by life, she is.

Celerity once tried to run over water, with Thresher as a reluctantly recruited lifeguard. It involved a lot of accidentally getting flung through a wave and skipping across the water like a rock. Thresher was not amused, but Celerity had a lot of fun.

[musewritingsforyou]

A Nervous Tic kind of Day

a/n: Hey everyone!!! thanks for all the love on my first post and welcome to an official posting streak. This one is close to my heart and a little more recent than the last one, I hope you enjoy it!

still with Medic!y/n

2.4k fluff, comfort, angst

tw: anxiety, ADHD, medication, crying, one swear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes you just get nervous. That’s part of having anxiety. Sometimes no matter what’s happening or how happy you are or what’s going right in your life, you just have days where you’re nervous. It sucks, but eventually, you get used to it. You get used to the awkward conversations and the explanations over why you can’t go out today or why your knee is making the table shake. You try to ignore the people that are staring at you in line, reminding yourself that they don’t even know you, even though your brain will tell you that they do. The only thing that makes these days a little easier is when you have someone to go through them with.

One of the first things that made me realize Harry was going to be different from the other men I had dated was the fact that I was so comfortable with him physically so soon in our relationship. For a lot of people, it can take months if not years for me to even be able to give them a short hug without feeling all uncomfortable afterward. But with Harry that was never an issue, it was barely something that crossed my mind when it came to spending time with him. This is also something that made it so much easier for him to be able to comfort me later on in our relationship. Instead of comforting me by words (or attempting to anyway), he is one of the only people in my life that could see my knee bouncing, and stop it simply by placing his hand on my leg.

When I woke up this morning and immediately opened my eyes to a blaring alarm I knew I was in for a long day. By the time I was dressed and downstairs Harry had probably been up for hours, letting me sleep in as long as possible before we had to go to meetings all day. Meeting days have always sucked to be a part of. Not because they are too boring (though they can be very slow) or because I don’t like the people there, but just being in a setting like that with the people that sign my paychecks and allow me to do everything that I do with my best friends in the world, is just a setup for anxiety.

“love you want coffee or no?” Harry asked as soon as he saw me bouncing down the stairs to put my shoes on quickly. I hesitated for a moment, knowing that I really shouldn’t, but the exhaustion deep in my bones was saying otherwise.

“yeah love I would, just some ice and-“

“Ice, almond milk, and a bit of maple syrup, I know love.” He smiled at me while I was throwing on my shoes. I was dressed decently enough that it was perfect for meetings with supervisors and tour managers and all that, but still comfortable enough that sitting in this outfit all day wouldn’t bother me one bit. Harry of course was wearing skinny jeans and a white t-shirt with his vans because he is technically in charge of everything else going on so he doesn’t need to think about whether he is being formal enough. Finally, with shoes on, bags, and coffees in hand, Harry and I left the house in the SUV and headed into London for our first meeting. One good thing about being with someone at the level of fame that Harry has is that usually when we both have to go to meetings and such, not only are they all going to be in the same building for security reasons, but he also usually gets to sit right beside me if he likes, there is no separating us for the meeting on different sides of the table or any shit like that. Every time someone from management has tried to tell him to sit with the boys, or next to a sponsor or something like that he always refuses, “s’not school anymore, no assigned seating far as I can tell” and then sits beside me.

Today we might not even have to move rooms for the different meetings which would be nice I suppose, though sometimes at least a change of scenery can help with my running brain and fidgety limbs. Before I had enough caffeine in my system to be awake, I found myself sitting at the far end of a large mahogany table, spinning black office chairs all around it with only a few empty. Harry was sat on my left, to my right was the very edge of the table and then the head where no one ever seemed to sit. At least that could help with the nervousness a little bit, the only person to sit beside and have to think about would be Harry, I tried to keep that in mind. Harry first, everyone else comes later.

As the chairs started to fill in and my brain fog finally lifted I could start to become conscious enough to know that both of my legs were bouncing under the table and my hands were sitting on my thighs, the skin on the edge of my fingers raw from being picked at. I put my hands on top of the table when I noticed, at least making it more visible for me and others so that I won’t keep doing it. Or at least, that’s the hope. It seemed there was nothing to do about my tapping legs or my racing mind however because the second the meeting had begun every single thought in my brain seemed to speed up and come to the front so all of the sudden I was left staring into space trying to sort them all out.

“and I think that actually, it might be nice to hire another-“ Harry placed his hand on my leg while a woman from across the table spoke. He leaned over into my ear

“s’all right love, we’ll have a break in a minute, yeah?” I nodded meekly but didn’t want to speak aloud in case someone heard. He kept his hand on my leg to relax it and moved the other up to take one of my hands from the table and place it over his thigh, keeping them there together so that my movement was restricted. If anyone else had tried this I would have either gone straight into a panic attack or would have more likely screamed at them for being an imbecile. But not Harry. For some reason, he can do barely anything but place a large tattooed hand on me and that’s all it takes for me to be cured. He’s my miracle worker.

“Alright, we’ll break for some lunch and all meet back here around 1:30, sound good?” There was a mumbling agreement and all but two of the black office chairs spun around as people got up and left to go get lunch or use the bathroom in the short little break they had given us from their incessant talking.

“What's going on, love? Ye’ tappin’ so fast you’d be fit for a marathon.” He laughed a little making his tone more lighthearted but I could still see the concern in his eyes.

“I don't know, just having one of those days.” We spun our chairs a little away from the table once everyone else had left the room, both of his hands were on my legs and he was letting mine fidget with the rings on his tanned hands while we spoke.

“something upset ya?” I kept my vision on his little cross.

“no, I just feel so fidgety today, like I can’t stop moving or something. I’m not even that nervous, I’m just frustrated.” He took one hand away from my leg to place it on my chin and lift my head so that I was forced to look at him.

“but you promise you’d tell me if something was wrong, yeah?” I nodded as best as I could with his hand still holding my head. He saw it but still held there for a moment before moving the hand from my chin to cupping my cheek, stroking the skin there with the pad of his thumb before pulling my chair in with one leg and kissing the top of my head.

“Well, let's go get some food in you, and besides, poor Niall looked like he was fidgeting bad too, guess these meeting days are hard for some.” After we managed to thread our way around the halls to a vending machine and a few people standing around it we ran into Niall waiting there for a cup of coffee from the machine. I looked at him and then at the machine back and forth a few times.

“do you honestly think that’s the best idea?” He glanced back at me and nodded.

“Forgot to bring my meds to London.”

“I have some.”

“you have my meds? Why do you have my meds?” I laughed and Harry looked down at me while we were still standing with his arm around my back, side to side.

“Do you forget what my job is?” He grabbed the now full cup of coffee and held it in his hand for a moment, losing at it longingly before handing it to Harry.

“guess you're right, besides if I’m going to have to sit still for another four hours to talk about what color we want as the trim for the next stage I’m going to need some drugs.” Even though we were able to walk around the building it still felt a little like we were caged animals trying to escape every time we left the board room. There were only a few floors in the building that had anything on them but more boardrooms and offices, and we didn’t think leaving would be a good idea if we wanted to keep our heads.

Eventually, we found some snacks and ate them in an empty room together before heading back to the big mahogany table where dreams go to die. This time when we sat back down Harry didn’t even have a moment's pause before hooking my leg with his ankle to pull my chair closer and taking my hands in his on his lap. I looked up at him with a little smile, thankful for all he was doing to help me today.

“Thank you.” I whispered to him as people started to file back into the room to continue our meeting. He looked down and stared at my eyes for a minute before kissing me on the forehead.

“you can thank me after we get to leave this bloody meeting”

-----

Contrary to all of our beliefs there was in fact five more hours of meeting, not three, and I had to give Niall more meds twice just to be able to control the shaking of the table from the two of us bouncing our knees so badly. But eventually, after the sun had set and what was a beautiful day was gone and done with, we all filed into the elevator with Paul and then into our cars and headed home. By the time we had gotten home and eaten some real food, it was already nearing eleven. Haz and I headed up to our bed and did our usual reading for a while before he abruptly grabbed my bookmark and placed it in my book after putting his own down on his bedside table.

“yes?” I asked him as he was staring at me while laying on his side.

“ You need help relaxing.” I raised my eyebrows at him and gestured to the book.

“thanks Bub, but I think the book was helping so-“ as I reached back for the book he shook his head at me and pulled my hand away.

“baby, you were picking at your fingers that entire time.”

“oh”

I sat there for a minute in silence, not quite sure what the next step was going to be. It wasn’t like this would be the first time Harry would be helping me to relax before bed or anything like that, but it never gets easier for me to ask someone for help. Especially not with something that I felt so ashamed of. He took a hand and placed it under my chin before moving my head up slightly to look at him.

“you know that it's okay to ask for my help yeah? That’s what this is, right poppet? You help me when I get scared before stage or when I’m sick. So let me help you with this okay?” While he said it I was looking into his eyes. Even though most of my brain is telling me what he said isn't true, I know that I need to start believing it. So even as a single tear slips out of my eyes I nod anyway and turn over to place my head on his chest. He turned off the lights and shuffled around so that my whole body was encapsulated in his grasp. He started to move one hand in my hair, running it through over and over while the other one did calculated circles on my back. After a few minutes of doing that in silence, he could feel my body start to tense up as I got fidgety from the lack of movement.

“shhh, don’t pay attention to it, okay? Just pay attention to me.” The hand on my back went to doing larger and slower circles with a little more pressure, every single touch taking a second of my attention away from the itching feeling I had to move.

“It'll pass baby, just give it a second.” He spoke softly and almost directly in my ear. Eventually, whether from his iron grip on my body, forcing me to stay still, or the sound of his familiar voice, my eyes started to flutter close.

“Let it happen, love, I’m right here, nothings going to go wrong” he kept speaking and rubbing my back while my eyes closed, the dark only getting marginally more so from my head being pressed into his chest. I know he kept speaking after I closed my eyes but I only heard a few words here and there.

“Sleep, I’m not going anywhere, you’ll be just fine.”

[officialkris]

RP + Ask Rules

This is my main blog, meaning any general inquires and question regarding my ask and rp status should be directed to this blog, through either asks or, preferably, dms.

General RP rules apply. So no godmodding/powerplaying, being an asshole ooc, etc.

This blog is multiverse friendly, and not time-locked. I am willing to rp pre, mid and post game, and in dark world and light world settings. I probably won't do crossover worlds, and I will be very selective of undertale settings as I haven't played the game yet. I will consider rp in au settings, but only with a good, informative explanation of the au. Asks are set to pre game as a default, if you would like any other time setting please specify at the start or end of the ask.

I am not mutual-exclusive. Please feel free to ask to rp with me, even if I'm not following you/your not following me!! I may put people I've roleplayed with before strangers though, just for comfort reasons.

I am duplicate friendly. This means, for example, if you have a noelle rp blog, and you see I was/am in a thread with another noelle rp blog, don't be afraid or discouraged to start a thread with me!! I will never have one specific person I rp with for any character. As for other kris blogs I adore interacting with other people who rp as kris, and love seeing their interpretations of them!! I just won't rp with someone who wishes to rp as kris as well (only due to the fact its confusing and weird for me to rp as kris with someone who is also roleplaying as kris), but don't be afraid to interact with me!!

I don't mind adjusting/adding/removing small headcannons to fit with an rp. However, don't expect me to act out-of-character just to fit your ideal rp. If you don't like that, don't rp with me/lh.

I will not use tonetags in rp unless asked to. If asked, I can either straight up use tonetags, or describe the tone of my sentences in detail at a point in each of my sections in the thread, based on your preferences. I will never refuse to use tonetags if asked. I have trouble perceiving tone most of the time myself, so if I am particularly run down I may ask you if you can use tonetags yourself. I probably won't refuse to rp with you if you say no though.

Please give a proper description of the setting when starting a rp. Absolutely no one-liners at the start, unless its a joke rp. This only applies to rp, you can send in half of a word for an ask go crazy.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SUGGESTIVE OR NSFW IN RPS/ASKS. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. THE MUSE IS A MINOR. Due to this, I will not partake in any rp where Kris is over the age of 17.

I will, for the most part, turn down ship rps, as I am not completely comfortable with them, and tend to be very awkward. I mostly headcannon Kris as aroace. The only character I would consider shipping Kris with is Berdly, and I will be extremely selective and will most likely refuse.

Don't drag me into any OOC drama. I'll probably cry. I don't have much else to say about that just keep any drama in the rp.

If you refer to Kris as anything but they/them pronouns (unless you headcannon them with some cool gender-neutral neopronouns like moss/mosses,m but I would still prefer you used they/them as well on them) I'm straight up not roleplaying with you. I don't care what gender you headcannon them as as long as it's under the nb umbrella, so things like agender are a-ok.

I will check your tumblr before accepting your rp request. This includes your description and recent posts I will check recent posts from people I've roleplayed with before, as well as checking if you've updated your desc.

My grammar and spelling is very poor sorry bout that. Sometimes I do it on purpose though when ic because I think kris would type like that

I can be slow at times due to multiple reasons, but I'll try to be as fast as I can. Please bare with me.

I have the right to turn down plot ideas, drop threads and not answer certain asks. Generally it won't be personal, generally due to it not fitting my writing style/I can't think of a fitting art idea, or it didn't spark enough muse for me. You can always try again though! Don't take it personally. Generally I will inform you if I'm dropping a thread.

Please leave a like if you read the rules!!

[fastlanehqs]

WELCOME TO MIDWAY, DUDE. Take a look our checklist for a few little deets before we get started.

OOC INFO

Alias: nikki!

Age: 27

Pronouns: she/her

Timezone: central babyyy

Triggers: [REDACTED]

What made you want to join fastlanehq? girl i invested on the ground floor. I’M A STAKEHOLDER!

If you aren’t chosen for your first skeleton choice, what are your second and third choices? [REDACTED]

Are you applying for a wanted connection? If so, which one? wanting to connect w ur mom

Anything else? ‘oh! you pretty things’ by bowie is SOOOO kasumi coded

IC BLURB

[SERENA MOTOLA, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER] Well, well, well, [KASUMI NISHIMURA], after that stunt you and your friends pulled, half of town didn’t think you’d make it to graduation! Let alone turning [19]. You’re getting a reputation as [THE FEZ] you know, it’s all the talk around [THE SPIN]! Nevertheless, Principal Grauss announced your postgrad plans to [MOVE TO L.A. AND BECOME A DJ] when you walked across that stage and got that diploma. Folks around Midway will always remember you as [EASYGOING, CHARMING] and [IDEALISTIC, SHORT-SIGHTED].

WRITING SAMPLE

Please choose at least one of the three prompts to respond to in character. There is no word minimum or maximum! 

Nostalgia’s a drug, and sometimes your character catches themselves thinking about the good old days. Describe the last school dance they attended– the good, the bad, and the poofy.

The dress was so totally not Kasumi’s idea. She didn’t have a clue what taffeta was or why it was apparently so desirable, and she had to wonder if the dressmaker was high off of mushrooms to drape the thick blue fabric in another layer of lace, and Mrs. [LAST NAME]’s hot rollers were making Kasumi’s neck hot and itchy. But Kasumi was a good sport, even posing for two whole pictures before Gwen showed up to save her. While [NAME] and Gwen smiled for what felt like the hundredth photo-op, Kasumi tucked her borrowed kitten heels underneath the couch and laced up her Chucks. 

What they don’t tell you is that high school prom is actually pretty awkward. Kasumi was expecting it to be like all the movies– this big, writhing mass of teenagers in the middle of the dance floor. But instead, it was the same still-smelly gymnasium, watery punch, and a hundred awkward teenagers hugging the edges of the room.

[THE NONCONFORMIST] pretty much ditched Kasumi right away, which she’d expected– hell, she was shocked they even showed up for pictures after things fizzled between them. But this was… sad. Standing here, toeing the glossy wood floor and taking tiny sips of her punch, pretending she wasn’t hoving near Gwen and [THE BOY NEXT DOOR] because she rode with them.

But if she could only find… Ah-ha! Kasumi slammed her punch down onto the table they’d claimed, stammered out a half-witted explanation to her rideshares, and weaved her way across the gym. Her good fortune was only solidified when she spotted the glint of metal slipping into [THE PATRIOT]’s jacket pocket. “Hey, what’s that?” she asked, grinning and rocking forward on her heels. 

When he hesitated, she doubled down, “C’mon, it’s my first American prom. Probably my last!” 

It didn’t matter that the music was totally wrong for line dancing– Kasumi didn’t know either way, but she could tell that the do-si-do didn’t exactly mesh with “Time of the Season”– but it was funny to see how focused [THE PATRIOT] was on their steps.

She didn’t even notice when the dancefloor filled out with other brave dancers, not until she’d lifted her dress off the floor to grapevine and totally hip-checked [MISS AMERICA] on accident. “Oh shit, sorry!” Kasumi devolved into laughter at how un-coordinated she was in comparison to the pageant queen’s naturally graceful swaying.

“Oh my God, I almost laid out the prom queen!” she whispered to [THE PATRIOT] behind her hand. “Is it just me, or am I super good at this?” Kasumi laughed, doing a clunky scoot-scoot-kick maneuver.

By the time the dancefloor cleared again, Kasumi’s once-perfectly-curled hair stuck to her forehead and neck, and her dress boasted black scuff marks on its trim– but she could move freely again, and isn’t that what prom is all about?

“If you think about it, it’s kind of xenophobic to not give it to me when I literally saw you and [THE TERRY BRADSHAW] passing it back and forth.”

Finally! Life on Mars. 

Kasumi ducked behind [THE PATRIOT] to take a gulp of the bitter liquid, and disguised her cough behind a hand. She was really only used to beer, and that most definitely was not the watery wheat flavor she’d come to tolerate. That tasted like… shoe polish.

“That’s so bad,” she laughed, tucking the flask back into her friend’s pocket. “Thank you.” She took a beat to recover, swiping at the droplets on her lips and surveying her peers. “This is like… kind of sad,” she hummed, to no one in particular. Now that her head was swimming a little bit, the way her dress swished against her legs actually felt kind of nice. 

“You dance, right? Like line dancing?” Kasumi asked, looking up at [THE PATRIOT] expectantly. “You’re gonna teach me,” she decided, taking his hand and tugging him towards the middle of the room.

[burning-bubble-tea]

People who flirt the line between being racist/bigoted and being the bare minimum are interesting. Like I think I’m just happy you understand that it’s hard to be marginalized but you don’t have to say it’s hard being a straight white male. Like it’s a little bit of a whistle blow. But also it’s not so bad, I’d rather not scream at a person who says that because there are some jokes that just go over their heads and they don’t realize. It’s okay to be sensitive but the fact of the matter, it’s awkward sure, but hard? Difficult? I dunno, maybe it’s just hard being alive in general and trying to navigate a world with oppression. But it’s not hard specifically because you are straight and white. It’s just awkward you have to stumble through life and try and be a good ally.

So love to the boys who are sensitive and don’t realize that it’s not about them. I hope I don’t push you towards a more hateful path, I hope I can have the compassion necessary to occasionally swallow my cynical words and instead lead with understanding and explanations. Occasionally. I dunno comedians making borderline bigoted jokes and saying it’s comedy so it’s critiquing you’re on thin ice. Cause sometimes the joke just isn’t funny.