#if someone said ‘thank you dear’ to me over the phone id be fucking making fun of them to my coworkers. dont you have a wife to call ‘dear’

[the-meme-monarch]

fathers of the world. you have got to stop calling women service workers over the phone ‘dear’

‼️TERFS STEP AWAY FROM THIS POST YOU WILL BE OBLITERATED ON SIGHT

[astoldbyaja]

Balance - AU JJK - side plot # 9 - Rampage

Bee is injured during a robbery so in Toji's mind everyone has to die.

“Did I do something to you!”

“I mean beside marry your mistress a month after I buried my mom, no.”

“….Okay aside from that then, you’re dating a man and you don’t even think to tell your dear old dad?”

“Oh come on Dad, I would have told you eventually.”

“Yeah when you were either pushing a baby out of you or when news got out that you got married and I had to find out through media coverage.”

“How did you find out anyways?”

“I have my sources! So who is he, and what businesses does he own? How many properties does he own and what’s his net worth? Are you going to sign a prenup…”

I remember my dad’s voice as I was waiting for ATM to give me my cash and then a loud bang and fire erupted in my side.

My head was pounding as my eyes opened slowly. I could see a blurry form and I gently peaked over to see…

“Shiu?”

The man’s body loomed over mine.

“Fuck you’re awake.”

I groaned softly.

“What happened? Where am I?” I asked and he winced.

“You’re in the hospital. You were… robbed and shot. The bullet went clean threw and the doctors say you’ll actually make a clean recovery. They’ve never seen something to cut and dry before.”

I blinked at his words slowly looking around at the heart monitor and the white room around me. It was so nice in here. But now Shiu’s words settled in my mind as I realized what he was saying.

“Wait… I was shot- robbed.” I said and Shiu nodded.

“Yeah, don’t worry the staff recognized you and got you the most luxurious of rooms and have been watching your care 24/7. No one wants publicity that an American heiress was shot.” he explained. I winced not caring about any of that.

 “Fuck does Toji know?” I asked. I didn’t feel any pain except in my head and a light pounding in my side. Shiu nodded slowly.

“Oh yeah he knows” he said. I noticed the look of seriousness on his face.

“I-is he here?” I asked. Shiu shook his head.

“…When the camera of the ATM picked up what happened it alerted police. Long story short I found out, used my resources to get a facial ID on the mugger and… gave the information to Toji.” I used the remote control at my bed to gently sit me up.

“And why did you do that?” I asked. Shiu rubbed the back of his neck and kicked at the ground like a bashful child.

“He told me to…” he said.

“And what is he going to do with said information?” I asked.

“Well, I’ll tell you what he’s not going to do with it, he’s not going to take it to the police.” he said. I blinked a bit.

“Mh hm… and who was the robber?” I asked.

“A gang member… belonging to a very dangerous gang.” he muttered. I nodded slowly.

“And what was Toji’s mental state when you gave him this information?” I asked.

“To be fair… I don’t think he had a mental state.” he said honestly. I nodded slowly.

“And where is Toji right now?” I asked. Shiu cleared his throat and loosened his tie.

“I’ll tell you where he’s not…” he trailed off. I knew exactly what he meant and I sighed.

“Shiu would you be a dear and find me my cell phone please?” I asked warmly. His hand already dug into his pocket.

“Right here!” he said and gave it to me. I gave a tired smile.

“Thank you.” I gently took it my arms feeling week. Even moving my fingers tired me. Shiu was kind enough to call Toji and raise the phone to my ear. “Thank you.”

The first ring didn’t even make it fully through until someone answered.

“Beatrice! Oh I’m so glad you’re awake and okay! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there when you woke up.” Toji stated. POP. POP. POP.

 I sighed with relief realizing I could hear gunshots on the other end.

“Toji where are you?” I asked.

POP. POP. POP. POP. POP.

“I am out here burning the world down for you.” he said in a causal tone.

“Toji… I know you’re upset-”

“I’m not upset Bee, I’m fucking outraged.”  Yet his voice sounded a lot calmer.

No no wait- please I can pay you- POP.

“You sons of bitches hurt my woman and now I have to take all your lives. No amount of money on god’s green earth can pay for that transgression and for that I WANT MY FUCKING POUND OF FLESH!”

POP POP POP POP POP POP.

“Jesus Toji how many bullets do you have?” I asked

“I brought so many fucking guns!” he yells. I could hear so much carnage and yelling and gunshots. I looked at Shiu who just nodded casually as if that was completely normal for him. He spoke again and his voice was calm and sweet.

“You just rest up my love. I haven’t told the kids because I didn’t want to worry them. I’ll come visit you when I’m done. Love you.”

“I- love you.” I said.

I heard more gun shots and Shiu removed the phone and gently hung up the phone. Now there was an awkward silence in the room and Shiu cleared his throat.

“I’m going to go pick up the kids from school and baby sit until Toji brings you home.” he said. I only nodded and just laid back in my bed.

The doctors came and we spoke a bit. I told them to bring me a hospital bill so I could pay that and not have to worry and. Since I would make a full recovery, I just lied back and thought of what happened. I’m talking to my father and then a force hits my body so hard that I hit the ATM and fall to the ground. And now I wake up here. I imagine Toji wherever he’s at he’s probably covered in blood taking lives left and right. Man. Woman. It doesn’t matter. He’s unhinged that much I got from the phone call.

Gentle tears fall down my face as I just close my eyes and let sleep take me.

I don’t know how long I was asleep, but I feel a heavy weight at my side, and I feel an arm gently wrap around my chest. I opened my eyes softly and I look up to see the familiar black shirt and now the face of Toji. Tears were streaming down his face, and he holds me close, yet gently as well, his face pressing into the side of my head.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.” he said. His voice was weak- broken. I leaned into his hold just happy he was here.

“I’m just glad you’re here and you’re safe.” I replied weakly and he nodded.

“I’ll never leave your side again. I won’t let anything happen to you. Ever.” he said. I raised my right arm up and gently held on to his arm as we laid together in the bed.

“Did you get all of them?” I asked softly. I feel his muscles only tighten for a split second before relaxing.

“Oh I got all of them from the new members all the way to the heads. I didn’t just cut off the cobra’s head… I decimated its entire body.” he said, and I feel his lips press into the side of my head. I just nodded with a sigh. “Hey Bee…”

I looked up at him gently.

“Hm?” I asked. His gaze was deep and loving.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

----------

Author's Notes

Sideplot #10- I do

Taglist

nousija

[leossmoonn]

Dear Y/n

masterlist

pairing - carl gallagher x fem!reader

type - fluff

note  / request - “OMFG FINALLY SOMEONE WRITES FOR RECENT CARL GALLAGHER. Can we get one where the reader is Kev and V’s daughter so they grew up together. And maybe Carl is her secret admirer” so i made debbie and you seniors and carl a junior since he is technically a year younger than debbie. so let’s pretend that debbie stayed in school and carl never went to military school lol, just for the sake of this imagine. enjoy!

summary - you find a note in your locker from a secret admirer and try to figure it out who is your secret admirer

warnings - language

————

*gif isn't mine*

“Hey, girl!” Debbie exclaimed. You looked up from your phone, smiling as you spotted your friend. 

“Hey,” you smiled while walking up to her. Your attention when to Franny, who was sitting in her stroller. You crouched down and smiled at the baby. 

“Hi, baby. How are you? Do you like going to school with Mommy? You know, some day you’ll be going to school. I’ll be an adult and with kids, too!” You babbled to the baby. Franny squealed and held her hands up to you. You giggled, bopping her nose before going up back to talk to Debbie. 

“You’re really good with her,” Debbie complimented.  

“Thanks, kids kinda like me,” you giggled. 

Debbie rolled her eyes, “Yeah, we know. Anyways, can we hang at your house?” 

You two started walking to your guys’s lockers. “Sure. I have to babysit Jems and Ames, though. Mom and Dad don’t get off work until like, midnight.”

Debbie nodded. “Franny can play with them.”

“Sounds good,” you nodded. You unlocked your locker, a piece of paper falling out. 

“What’s that?” Debbie asked.

“I don't know,” you muttered, furrowing your brows. You picked up the paper, unfolding it. Your eyes widened as you saw its contents. It read:

Dear Y/n,

I thought your outfit looked really good. Not that your outfits don’t always look good, but today’s my favorite. I really like your jeans and your red shirt. Red really looks good with your eyes. 

From,

Secret Admirer

Debbie read the note with you, laughing as she got to the end. “You have a secret admirer!”

You smiled, “Yeah. This is cute. I wonder who it’s from.”

“Maybe it’s from Dean Kepner,” Debbie said, nudging your shoulder teasingly. 

You rolled your eyes, “That is the funniest shit I have ever heard.”

“Well, what if it is! I noticed him staring at your shirt today,” Debbie said.

You scoffed, “Yeah, more like staring at my tits. This note said nothing about my  tits. It’s probably not him. Plus, I’m pretty sure Dean can’t make compound sentences. He’s worse at speaking than Ames and Jems, and they’re 3 years old.

Debbie chuckled, “True. Well, we should try to figure it out.”

“Eh. It's probably some jackass who wants to get in my head, and then embarrass me because I thought someone liked me,” you said. 

“Be more optimistic!” Debbie exclaimed. 

“Hm, I will if I get a second note. Let’s go, Jems and Ames are expecting me to pick them up from daycare,” you said. You grabbed a few textbooks and shut your locker. “Is Carl coming home with us?” You asked. 

“I think so,” Debbie said. “Alright. Where is he?” You asked. 

“Probably making out with some slut in the bathrooms,” Debbie said.

“Probably,” you snorted.

You and Debbie walked to the nearest bathroom, peeking behind the corner to see if you could hear any noise. Surprisingly, it was quiet. 

“What are you guys doing?” 

You both jumped, turning around and seeing a confused Carl behind you. 

Carl was Debbie’s little brother. They were both Gallagher’s. They were children of the alcoholic and drug addict Frank and Monica. They lived on the South Side of Chicago, which was where you also lived. 

You were Y/n Ball. Daughter of Veronica Fisher and Kevin Ball. You had lived next to the Gallagher’s all your life. You were their best friend. Well, their only best friend, really. Your mom and their older sister, Fiona, had been friends since forever. You had been born around the same time as Debbie, who was the third oldest out of the 6 Gallagher children, so you two have been basically best friends since birth. Carl was also one of the Gallagher kids you were also the close with, too, him being just a year younger than you. You three had basically grown up together, so being best friends was pretty natural. 

“We were seeing if you were fucking anyone,” Debbie answered. 

Carl scrunched his face up in disgust. “I don’t do that.”

You laughed, “Sure you don’t. C’mon, C-Dog, I gotta pick up the little missies.”

“Alright, Y/n/n,” Carl smiled at the nickname you had given him ever since you two had gotten closer. 

You two hadn’t always been close before. Debbie and you were by far the closest, with being in the same grade and all. You and Carl hung out a lot, but it wasn’t really until he started high school when you two actually hung out one-on-one. He had come to you for relationship advice when he was dating this one girl, Dominique, who turned out to be a horrible person. You two have since bonded about your past, failed relationships, and how shitty life is. 

Since getting closer with him, you had kind of developed a little crush on him. He had always been cute, but when puberty hit him, he became really hot, really quick. You never showed any other feelings for him than platonic, though. You didn’t want to deal with all the drama that it would bring between you and your families. 

“Stop eye-fucking each other, please,” Debbie groaned, walking away from you two.

You rolled your eyes, “Like you should talk. Every guy you meet you imagine sleeping with them.”

“Not true!” Debbie defended herself. 

“Yeah, right. That’s why you have a baby,” Carl joked. 

“You guys are so mean,” Debbie muttered. 

“That one was pretty mean, but at least it didn’t come from me,” you smiled. 

“Yeah, it came from the asshole who got circumcised for a girl,” Debbie laughed. 

You laughed with her, Carl rolling his eyes and blushing. He looked to you and noticed a piece of paper peeking out from your jeans. 

“What's that?” He asked and pointed.

“Oh, it’s a note that someone gave me,” you said. You took it out and gave it to Carl. He opened it and read it. 

“This is nice,” he said. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty cute,” you agreed. He handed you the note back. “Who do you think it is?”

“I don’t know, honestly. I’m kind of thinking it’s a joke, so I wanna wait till I get another one,” you said, folding it back into your pocket. 

“I think it’s Dean Kepner,” Debbie stated.  You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, you're the only one.”

“Is that the popular football guy? In your grade?” Carl asked. 

“Yep. He’s so hot,” Debbie sighed dreamily. 

“I don’t think so,” you stated.

Carl looked at you and nodded. “Yeah, I heard he does hard drugs.”

“Yeah, another reason why I don’t fuck with him. I mean, I have a beer every other night, but never am I gonna do drugs. That shit messes you up,” you sighed. 

“Yeah, we know. We had Monica as our mother,” Debbie said. 

You chuckled, walking over to your car. You got in the driver seat, Carl sitting in the passengers. Debbie usually sat there, but since she has a baby, you told her it wasn’t safe to put Franny in the passenger seat, especially since if the even of an accident, the airbag goes off and hurts Franny. 

You drove to daycare, humming songs from the radio while doing so. While you were driving, Carl couldn’t help but stare between your face and the note in your pocket. You didn’t know, but the person who wrote you the note was him. 

Carl was usually pretty confident and outgoing. All of his family like that. You had to do that to survive the South Side. But when it came to you, he was like jello. He didn’t know how to act, speak, whether he could look at you two seconds longer than normal. You never noticed his behaviour change, though. To you, he was always quiet and low-key. He was thankful that he never questioned why he was so quiet around you, especially since he was a loud, annoying kid when he was younger. 

With these notes, he would be able to say what he was afraid to say to your face. He didn’t want to face rejection, especially by the pretty senior girl that had lived next to him since the day he was born. It would be awkward if you did reject him, so he just kept quiet until maybe he worked up the courage to ask you out depending on wether you liked the notes or not. 

You parked in a handicap parking spot. “Alright, one of you wanna go and help me get Ames and Jems?” You asked. 

“Carl, can you do it, I wanna stay with Franny,” Debbie said.

“Yeah, sure,” Carl nodded. He got out of the car with you, walking into the daycare. 

You walked up to front desk. “Hi, I’m here for Amy and Jemma Ball. I'm their older sister, Y/n,” you said.

“Alright, can I see ID?” The woman asked. 

You nodded and got your wallet out of your back pocket. You handed her your ID. She handed it back to you. 

“Alright, go ahead and head in,” she said.

“Thank you,” you smiled. 

She hummed a ‘you’re welcome’ as you and Carl went into the play room. 

“Why do you have to give her your ID?” Carl asked. 

“I think it’s because she’s new, and also I didn’t drop them off this morning. They wanna make sure no one kidnaps children,” you explained. 

Carl nodded. “Ah, makes sense.”

“Yeah, the usual woman here, Julie, moved to Florida. She always gave me and the girls a mint when we left, and never asked for my ID,” you said.

“Wow, she sounds cool,” Carl said. 

“Yep, she was,” you smiled. 

You walked into the room, spotting Jemma and Amy immediately. They spotted you two, smiling and running up to you. 

“Hi, babes!” You exclaimed, crouching down and catching them in your arms. 

“Hi, Y/n!” They both squealed. 

“Ready to go home?” You asked. 

They both nodded. 

“Alright. Let me go get your stuff, hang out with Uncle Carl for a few minutes, okay?” You said. 

“Okay,” Jemma said.

You walked over to their cubby, grabbing their baby bags. You went back over to Carl, taking a hold of both of the girls’s hands. 

“Let’s go, babes,” you said. 

“I’m hungry!” Amy exclaimed. 

“I’ll get you a snack when we get home, alright?” You asked. 

Amy nodded, smiling excitedly. You smiled at her, looking up to see Carl opening the door for you. 

“Thanks,” you smiled at him. 

“No problem,” he nodded and followed behind you. You put the girls in the backseat with Debbie, unloading their bags in the trunk. You got in the front seat, starting the car. 

“Do you want to be dropped off at your house or stay with us at my place?” You asked Carl. 

“I'll hang with you guys,” Carl said. 

You nodded, “Sounds good.”

You drove back home, parking the car on the side. You unlocked the front door, immediately dropping all the bags you had. You slumped on the couch, taking a breather. 

“Can we have a snack?” Jemma asked. 

“Oh, yeah, right,” you said, getting up. “You guys want some fruit snacks?” “Yeah!” Amy exclaimed. 

You nodded, going to the pantry and getting two packs of fruit snacks for each of them. You led them back to the couch, turning on the tv. 

“Watch TV with Franny, okay? Sissy has to do homework,” you said. 

The twins nodded, looking at Paw Patrol, which was what was playing. You went to the kitchen table, unloading your backpack. 

“You’re really good at taking care of them,” Carl said, sitting next to you. 

You smiled, “Thanks. Mom and Dad do a lot, but since they are a little older and so am I, they let me have more responsibility. They have to work and stuff to make sure we can afford everything. I’d like to say I’m an expert at taking care of Amy and Jemma.”

Carl chuckled, “Yeah, I couldn’t imagine taking care of a kid.”

“Well, you have been taking care of Liam since he was born, right?” You asked. 

Carl shrugged, “I guess.”

“Taking care of kids is easy if you like them,” you shrugged. 

“Makes sense,” he said.

You hummed. 

“So, are you waiting for another note?” Carl asked. 

“Hm, kind of, yeah. I would be lying if I didn’t say I hoped this will turn into some cute, romantic love story with someone,” you chuckled. 

Carl blushed a little, focusing on his own homework. “Yeah, that’d be nice. 

————

“Yeah, Mom, I got it. No problem, see you later,” you said, hanging up the call. You sighed, walking slowly to your locker. 

Your mom had just called you to come to the Alibi to help out since business was buzzing. Word was, Frank was up to one of his schemes again and got the Alibi full and drunk. You couldn’t wait to deal with perky, 50 year-old men catcalling you. You were wearing a sweatshirt, too, which you knew would make it worse since the men always would try to have you take it off, and never stopped pushing. Luckily, you had pepper spray with you at all times so if someone ever got too much, you wouldn’t hesitate to spray them. 

You opened your locker, putting away a few binders when you noticed another note. You grabbed it, unfolding it with a hint of excitement. You would be lying if you said you hadn't been looking forward to this all day. 

You opened the note, smiling widely as its contents. 

Dear Y/n,

Your makeup looks amazing today. You’re really talented with the eyeliner and stuff. Oh, and your lipstick matches really well with your outfit, too.

From,  Secret Admirer

“Another note, huh?” Debbie said, approaching you. 

You smiled and nodded. “Yep.”

“What's that?” Carl asked. 

“Another note from Y/n’s admirer,” Debbie smiled. 

Carl flushed a little. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” you smiled. “I hope this is for real. I want to meet this person.”

“Maybe you will,” Carl said. You looked to him, a worried expression settling on your face. 

“You okay, C-Dog?” You asked. 

“Yeah. I’m gonna catch the bus. See you guys later,” he said, walking off quickly. 

You furrowed your brows. “What's got his dick in a twist?”

“I have no idea. Maybe he likes you,” Debbie smirked. 

Your heart fluttered a little at the thought of him liking you. Debbie knew you liked Carl, so maybe she was fucking with you, but you had to ask to be sure. 

“Does he?” 

“I think,” Debbie said. 

“Oh,” you muttered. “Cool,” you smiled. 

You weren’t going to confront him just yet, but you prayed to God your secret admirer was Carl. 

————

“Hey, there’s something for you in the mail,” Veronica said. 

You furrowed your brows. “Who’s it from?”

“It doesn’t have a name,” Veronica said, hanging you an envelope. “It just has your name on it.”

“Huh,” you said, taking the envelope. You tore it open, your eyes widening as you saw another note it in. 

“What is it?” Kevin asked. 

“A note,” you said. “From my secret admirer.”

“You have a secret admirer! Wow,” Kevin said. 

“Yeah,” you chuckled. You sat on the couch, opening the note. 

Dear Y/n,

I thought you looked really pretty today. I hope you don’t find it weird I mailed this to your house, I actually live close to you, so I saw you crossing the street today. Anyways, I just thought I would let you know you look pretty. 

From, 

Secret Admirer

You found yourself giggling, setting the note down. Even though you were flattered, you found it a little weird this person knew where you lived, even if they supposedly lived near. You didn’t know why they couldn’t just tell you all these things in person. 

“What does it say?” Veronica asked.

“The note calls me pretty,” you said, putting it back in its envelope. 

“Hm, well, whoever this is isn’t wrong,” Veronica grinned. “Do you have any idea who it is?”

You sighed, “Nope. It says they live close to me, though.”

“Maybe it’s one of the Gallagher’s,” Kevin suggested. 

Your eyes went wide, remembering what Debbie had said to a few days ago when you got the second note. You shook your head, though. Carl was out with his friends right now, you had just left his house, too, and there was no sign of him. 

“Nah, no offence to them, none of them are this romantic or anything. Well, except Ian, but he’s gay,” you said. 

“Maybe ask about it, though? All of our other neighbours are old men, and that does not look like old man handwriting,” Veronica said. 

“Maybe I will. I mean, Debbie said Carl liked me, and when I got the second note, Carl was acting all weird and shit,” you said.

Veronica eyes widened. “Carl?”

“Yeah,” you said. “I don’t care if it's him, though, it'd be kind of weird.”

Veronica sat down on the couch next to you. “You like him, don’t you?”

“Kind of,” you said sheepishly. 

“Well, I think you should ask him about it. If he says no, then don’t mention your feelings for him. If he says yes the notes are from him, then confess,” Veronica said.

“Should I do that?” You asked. 

“I think so, baby. Carl’s a good kid, especially with you around. I wouldn’t have a problem with you two dating.”

You smiled, “Thanks, Mom. I’ll go to his place tomorrow.”

“My baby is about to get a boyfriend!” Kevin whooped. “If he hurts you, I will kill him.”

You chuckled, “Thanks, Dad.”

————

You walked into the Gallagher’s house, spotting Fiona in the kitchen.

“Hey, Fi,” you smiled. 

“Hey, Y/n! Are you here fo Debbie? She went out,” Fiona said.

“No, actually. I’m here for Carl,” you said.

“Oh, okay. Well, he’s upstairs,” Fiona said.

“Thanks, Fi,” you smiled and made your way up to Carl’s room. You saw that the door was wide open.

You went in, not seeing Carl anywhere.

Where is he? You thought.

You went around his room, walking around the room. His room was ridiculously messy. Clothes everywhere, food and plates all over the dresser, weird liquid on the floor. You chuckled to yourself as you had to step over the puddle. 

“Boys are horrific,” you muttered to yourself. 

You went to the desk, sitting down in the desk chair. You looked around on the desk, seeing court date papers, old homework, and cigarette boxes. As you looked more to your right, something had caught your eye. There was a paper with your name on it on the back. 

You picked it up hesitantly, slowly unfolding it. Your eyes widened as you saw the words “Dear Y/n”. You knew you shouldn't, but you went ahead and read it anyways. You just wanted to make sure you were correct of your suspicions. 

Dear Y/n,

After these few weeks, I have decided to try and be brave and go up to ask you out. I think you’re really pretty and you’re so funny and nice. I’ve liked you since I started high school, and even if I get rejected, I know I would regret not trying to ask you out. So, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date?

From, 

Secret Admirer, aka Carl (Gallagher)

“Y/n?” You snapped your head back, seeing Carl in a towel. Your eyes quickly ran past his chest, seeing the toned muscles in his arms and stomach. You eyes went up to his face, lingering on his lips. You then went up to his eyes, seeing them wide and filled with wonder. 

“Sorry, I’ll, uh, go,” you muttered and stood up, leaving the note on the desk. 

“What?” Carl asked. He was beyond confused, but when he saw you and the note, he put the pieces together. As you went to walk out of his room, he grabbed your arm, pulling you back gently so you two were face-to-face.  

“Did read the note?” He asked.

You looked up at him sheepishly, “Yeah, I’m sorry for invading your privacy.”

Carl sighed, “It’s alright. I’m, uh, sorry if I wasn't who you were expecting or anything. I know I’m probably not the person you like or anything, but I just wanted to try and see if you liked me. Ian and Lip said that was a cute idea, the notes.”

Your eyes lit up with he voiced his concerns. Your lips upturned into a smile, your eyes staring into his. 

“Carl, I like you, too,” you said. 

Carl’s eyes widened. “Wha-what?”

You took his hands in yours. “It was a cute idea. And I’ve liked you for the last 3 years, too. I was hoping it was you, actually.”

Carl blushed, a big smile appearing on his face. “Really?” “Yep,” you nodded. 

“Awesome!” Carl chuckled. “So, do you want to go on a date with me?”

“Yeah, I’d love to,” you smiled. 

“Cool,” he smiled. “Well, I need to get dressed. You can stay and watch if you want,” he smirked. 

You giggled at his words. “Don’t mind if I do.”

————

this was trash i am sorry

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@kaitieskidmore1​

[personasintro]

before you go | myg drabble

𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀; taking a step forward, you decide it's time to act after realization that you're worth much more than your boyfriend thinks, and you deserve even more

𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: angst

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: cheating au, mentions of sex, strong language, yoongi cries 

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 2k

a/n: commissioned by the lovely @minyoongail​, who's been extremely patient with me! thank you again and I hope you enjoy this drabble!

𝗺.𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 | ☕️

It happened gradually, smoothly even.

Although, you’re not sure if the word ‘smooth’ is the right one to describe it. It happened slowly and gradually, that you barely noticed it but now that you look at all the clues and details, it makes a perfect sense and you come to think; how stupid were you? You should’ve seen it sooner. You should’ve focus on those details more. And most importantly, you should’ve never trust him the way you did.

Cheating is unforgivable and unforgettable. But there was still a time when you ignored it, purposely tried to be blind about it and pretended that it never happened. But it broke you even more. How can it not?

It started with the lack of his presence. The usual excuse; the work got busy and they needed me. Funny how the word ‘they’ should’ve been in a singular form rather than plural. And at first, you believed that. Why couldn’t he be busy? Being an idol practically screams busy and unavailable but even then, you as a couple managed to get through that. You respected his profession just like he did yours, there was no reason to compare your two different professions. You were proud of him, fuck, you still are. Despite of what happened, you’re still proud of him for working so hard to the point the whole word knows who he is and they praise him for his incredible ability to comfort people with his music and lyrics.

It didn’t come weird to you when he started to stay nights somewhere else, rather than by your side and in his luxurious apartment placed in one of the newest buildings in Seoul, with a perfect view of Han River and center of Seoul. When he asked you to move in, you knew there’d be times when he would be just too busy but you also knew, it’d be a great opportunity to be closer to him. And a next step in your two year relationship. So naturally, you thought he’s just spending the nights in his studio and in the company. Oh, how wrong you were.

Then secret calls and messages happened.

Yoongi has always been a quiet man who liked his privacy, but not to the extent of changing his password and holding his phone for a dear life. It’s not like you went and snooped around in his phone, trying to find something suspicious or something like that. It happened randomly when you saw him unlocking it with a different password, when he laid on the sofa next to you. His Touch ID was broken and it was dark for his Face ID to work. If those two things didn’t happen, you’d never know or maybe you’d find out eventually. Regardless of that, maybe it was the universe giving you a first sign.

Yoongi always used to go to another room whenever someone called him, it was just his pet peeve. He wanted to go somewhere quiet where he could discuss an important business. But after he started to close a door and you couldn’t hear his muffled voice, so all you heard was a complete silence or whispered words, it started to become weird.

Third thing that caught your attention was the lack of intimacy in your relationship. Sure, Yoongi’s a busy man with a hectic schedule and life, but he used to find the time to appreciate you in more ways than possible. Even if it was just a quick sex to get a relief, and he drifted to sleep right away, he still whispered soft I love you’s into your ear. When days became weeks and weeks became months without him even touching you, you knew something’s wrong. He can be busy, but he’s still a man with needs like you’re woman with the same ones. You don’t have to mention dates, because those didn’t happen as well. And when Yoongi came home with a weird purplish mark on his chest, which you randomly saw because he started to shower alone and wouldn’t ask you to join him like he used to, you knew he’s getting his relief somewhere else.

It hurt. Maybe you have it all wrong, maybe it’s not how it seems. You desperately tried to persuade yourself, but things never got better and they just got even worse. So, you buried yourself into the work and distanced yourself just like he did but still, none of you voiced out the problem even though you both knew something’s wrong. Your relationship stopped having a future. But why can’t he just end it?

Why does he keep sneaking behind your back? He even started to be lazy with precautions, and left his phone on his nightstand one evening.

‘see you tomorrow, can’t wait x’, said the text.

The woman’s name almost burned your eyes but no, it was your tears that did.

And that’s how you’ve spent your nights, crying into your pillow and the person who was behind your crying was nowhere to be seen, and all you’ve had left was his empty side of bed. Where there were no tears left to cry, anger replaced the sadness and hurt. You were angry, but still holding yourself in your boyfriend’s presence. It wasn’t hard, he was barely present in your own presence. He made it easy.

But even anger didn’t last that long and you slowly became numb. Numb to the pain, to the anger and any other emotion. That’s what he’s done to you and he should’ve seen it coming.

Just like when he opens the front door, completely tired and worn out, met with the sight of two big suitcases. He knows they belong to you, his own are plain black but that’s not why he recognizes it at first. It’s because those are the same ones he helped you with when you moved in. Dropping his keys onto the small cupboard, he walks deeper into the huge apartment to find it just in the exact state. However, what’s different is you walking out of the bedroom with a bag in your arms, along with your phone. You don’t notice him, you’re too busy trying to check if you’ve packed everything and there’s nothing left of you. You don’t plan on coming back and if there’s something you accidentally forgot, you don’t want it. You’d rather lose that thing than to come here again and be reminded of the biggest heartbreak you’ve ever experienced.

“What are you doing?”

You almost jump at the deep and velvety voice, eyes widened at the sight of what used to be your boyfriend in front of you. He eyes your bag, a silent question decorating his features.

“Leaving,” you answer nonchalantly, almost scoffing at him. How the fuck does it look like? You surely aren’t going on a holiday.

“Why?” he asks, his voice suddenly getting more cautious and louder when he sees your distance, especially when you walk past him.

His footsteps are heard behind you, and you wish he’d just ignore you like he’s been doing for the past couple of months.

“We both know why,” you mutter, rolling your eyes before you stop at the picture frame that’s sitting on the dresser. It’s the picture of you and him, taken sometime when you started dating. It’s your picture and you’re the one who brought it when you moved in, it’s been decorating Yoongi’s apartment ever since.

That’s the one thing you’re willing to purposely leave behind, you don’t want that.

Feeling his eyes burning at the side of your face, he’s got the perfect view of it being expressionless before you walk past the picture like it means nothing. Because it does. It used to be one of the most precious things you've ever owned. It was decorating your home, a sweet reminder of your boyfriend whom you loved very much at that time. You missed him every minute but whenever you looked at that picture, it brought a warm feeling to your heart. It made all those moments when you finally were by his side, able to kiss him, even more precious. Now, that picture brings nothing but emptiness and irritant feeling instead. And it's only one person's fault and that person is standing just a few meters away from you with the most heartbreaking eyes. As if you're the one who broke him first.

“Come on, we can talk about this. Please, just let’s sit down and talk about this.”

The desperation that raises up in his tone is quite surprising to you, but you don’t react. Just when you’re standing in front of your suitcases, you glance at him. He stares at you with a hopeful gaze, but you just shake your head.

“What’s there to talk about?” you ask him.

It’s that unbothered tone and expression that makes him panic. Why are you so calm? He knew this day will come, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

“We both know this is not working out.” you tell him calmly.

“Baby,” he tries, causing the corner of your mouth to quirk up but it’s only for a second. It’s sarcastic that he remembered to call you that just now, when he barely called you anything in months. “Please.”

“Why don’t you go back to whoever you’ve been fucking behind my back?” you ask him, raising a brow at him.

He opens his mouth, a horrific expression decorating his pale face acting like it’s not obvious. At first it wasn’t, you were too blind at the beginning and then too stubborn to admit something your mind was telling you.

“Let me—“

“What? Explain? No, thanks. I’m done, Yoongi.” you tell him, turning around to grab your suitcases and just go.

When his hand grasps your wrist to keep you in place, your eyes snap to him ready to cuss him out but you’re speechless when you see the tears forming in his eyes.

“Please,” he begs, tears streaming down his cheeks. There were times when you’d cry at the sight, doing your best to comfort him but not now. Those times are gone.

Slowly, you pull your hand from his grip, ignoring his hurt face and how it scrunches both in pain and desperation.

Why is he suddenly acting so hurt over you leaving? 

“You should’ve seen it coming,” you tell him coldly, “Fucking someone behind my back— it was just a matter of time before I’d found out and I did. Long time ago but I’m done.”

Turning around, you take your suitcases and reach towards the knob to finally escape the suffocating air thanks to Yoongi. You don’t cry, you can’t and you don’t want you. You’ve already cried enough because of this man that proved to be someone that never deserved your tears. You’re numb to this.

“Before you go,” he speaks up, voice raising in panic when you’re about to open the door. “Is there something I can do to make this better?”

The regret in his voice is audible, but you don’t react to it at all. You see it written all over his face, he realized what he’s done and now that he sees you leaving from his apartment and life, there’s nothing but sorrow and pain screaming from him.

“Before I go?” you chuckle bitterly, “You went first, you went away first as soon as you decided to have sex with someone else.”

And that’s the final straw, he doesn’t deserve a second of your time and an ounce of your attention. Ending it with that, not answering him purposely because there’s nothing that could make this situation better, you take all of your stuff and leave out of his luxurious apartment. Before you fully walk away from him, you grab your keys — the ones he gave you before you even moved in — and you toss it on the floor. It lands right in front of his feet, tears streaming down his face as he looks at the keys. It still has the keychain he gave you.

The last thing he hears is the gentle thud of you closing the door, but to his ears it's the loudest sound he has heard. Along with his cracking heart but it just proves to be even louder.

[moonflower-31]

I Won't Forget You - Spencer Reid x Reader

(This is gonna be a series, so keep an eye out for this one if you like it.)

Summary: So imagine you're in the CM universe if you will. And you're just graduating from the academy. You're looking to join the BAU. You have hyperthymesia, the ability to never forget anything. Except for rare occasions. After the final exam, you run into one Dr. Spencer Reid. Eventually, you get accepted to shadow the BAU on a trial run as an agent. But you have a past that may endanger those you work with. Also, you love Spencer. Cause who doesn't?

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female Reader (this makes sense only for storyline, sorry 😞)

Masterlist

Please leave comments! I love reading them ❤ 💕

~~~~~~~~

Nervous. So dreadfully nervous you were and am. But here we are. No turning back now. 

"Hello, cadets. And welcome to your final exam for your graduation. We hope all of you do well. The FBI, as you know, has many branches. 56, to be exact. We hope that for those of you who pass, that you'll find your calling in one of our offices. For those of you who don't, don't fret. We always allow you to retake the last semester and the exams. The FBI is in desperate need of new agents." The speaker in front of me is seriously loud. Though you don't dare speak up about it. 

Associate Deputy Director Gail Franklin spoke with such elegance. She obviously has had practice, you think to yourself as you watch the grey-haired woman speak atop the raised portion of the testing room. You couldn't count how many people even if you tried. And you don't forget anything. 

"Psst!" 

You groan quietly and try to ignore your idiot but golden-hearted friend who couldn't sit still. 

"Psst! (Y/N)!"  

You ignore him again, focusing on Franklin's closing commentary.  

"I wish you all good luck. Please refrain from beginning your exam until all test-takers have received their tests. Thank you." She then proceeded to turn and begin her trek out of the room, the click of her heels being the only reminder she was even here. 

"Psst-! Come on, (Y/N/N)!" 

You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. Finally, you turn your head and give your dear friend a very annoyed look. "What is it, Gabe? Like seriously, you couldn't sit still through one teansy tiny lecture? From the ADD herself?" You tease, pulling out a #2 pencil from your bag. Sure, most everyone will be using pens, but you remembered that the test scanners prefered graphite.

Gabriel whined teasingly at your jap. "No fair, (Y/N/N)! I just wanted to talk to one of my best friends. That too much to ask?" He sassily remarks, flipping his floppy golden-brown hair. 

You rolled your eyes and couldn't help but feel a smile form on your face. You loved him like a brother. But that also meant he annoyed you like one too. 

"You couldn't have waited till she was done?" You couldn't help but question him further. It was one of his weaker points. Under pressure, he tended to get uncomfortable. 

"Nope." Popping the 'p' he blew a kiss at you. "Anyway, how prepared do you think you are for this test? I almost made it an all-nighter trying to cram everything in again. Fuck me and my terrible memory." You grinned and giggled under your hand. 

"Gabriel, I told you, if you ever needed help studying I would be there. You're gonna do fine." 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You didn't even have to study with that god-given gift of a memory you got." 

You bite the inside of your cheek, faking a slight chuckle. Everyone thought remembering everything was a superpower. Sure, if you call superpowered headaches and occasional dizzy spells a super-side-effect. 

So, yes, you had the 'gift' of having hyperthymesia. The disorder where you never forgot anything. Of course, there were a few rare occasions, like you could only remember a handful of memories from before you were four. But other than that, you had nothing from your earliest childhood. It made you feel semi-normal. 

"It isn't a gift, Gabe. It's only a gift in the academic field. And I'm lucky to have a 'genius' IQ." You huffed in response to Gabriel's little comment. 

"Yeah yeah, but you have a filing cabinet for a memory. So why study? You have it all up there." He asks, taking the test packet from the assistant that had finally made it to him. 

"Studying, as a science, is a great way to improve your memory, quicken your speed of processing data and important information, and you stretch your mind's capacity for learning. Also it helps me understand a topic better. Just like anyone else." 

You take the packet from the assistant and widen your eyes slightly at the size. It was massive. At least the size of your tiniest textbook. You could almost hear Gabriel whimper next to you as he saw how big the packet was. At least you all had three and a half hours. And it wasn't required to get through all of them. Just try to do your best on the written response ones.

You turn to Gabriel and hold out your fist. "Good luck." 

Gabriel sighed and gave you a smile before pumping his fist gently against yours. Soon after he made a dramatic explosion noise that only you could hear. You roll your eyes and shake your head again, turning your full attention finally to the large test in front of you. 

Here goes nothing, you tell yourself. 

○●♡●○  

Remarkably, you think you did okay. Of course, you finished the test in the first hour and a half, but who's counting? Certainly not you. 

You rub your aching wrists from so much essay work as you exit the testing room. Even with an unbeatable memory like yours, your hands were still human. So they hurt like a bitch. 

You sigh and take a quick seat on the bench outside the room, probably sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd of other cadets who weren't in your graduating class. But you tried not to pay it any mind. You were used to being the 'odd man out'. 

You check your phone and smile down at the message your other friend, Iris, had sent you. She wasn't testing for the FBI like you and Gabe. No she was a barista with some mean skills at mixing new drinks. She wanted to open her own cafe and Gabriel and you wanted to support her. She'd been there for you every second of the last five years. You owed her at least a little thanks. 

When you look up, you couldn't help but notice a tall, lanky looking man with long, curly hair walking towards you as he looked for…something. You couldn't tell. Probably a map. He had a gun holstered on the side of his belt along with a blurry ID you couldn't read from so far away. But it looked like it said FBI. 

You stifled a soft snicker. This guy could say he was a teacher's assistant and if he didn't have the gun on him, you would've believed him. 

And that's when you caught his eye and instantly you recognized who this lost puppy was. More specifically, who he belonged to. 

"Hi, uh I'm Dr. Spe-" he began, looking a bit nervous as he began to introduce himself. 

"Dr. Spencer Reid. From the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I've heard of you." You accidentally interrupt. "Sorry. I don't forget names easily. I don't forget them ever, really." 

Nervously, you rub your hand on your neck, waiting for his response. And surprisingly, it wasn't one you expected. 

Spencer widened his eyes a bit in wonder that someone knew of him that he hadn't met before on a case. And she knew which branch he worked in. He blushed a bit, growing a tad tongue tied. 

"S-sorry, I'm Cadet (L/N)." 

Spencer raised an eyebrow. He wondered why you didn't give him your first name. But he didn't pry. It was your personal business. And besides, it wasn't like he needed to know your first name. 

"U-uh yeah, actually. I-I wanted to ask you if you knew where I could get a glimpse of a map. Just so I can find my way around. I'm here for a 'lecture' that I'm helping give the graduating class of FBI agents." He couldn't help but brag a tiny bit. "It doesn't start for another 3 hours, but I like to be prepared." 

You smiled up at this tall nerd. And an incredibly cute one at that. He was so out of place you sympathized with him. He was basically you. In like, every academic scene you've ever been in. 

"Understandable. I'll be seeing you there hopefully. I'm a part of that class." You grinned. "But yeah, here's the map," you say, pulling up a digital map on your phone. Spencer leaned over your shoulder and looked it over. You couldn't help but shiver slightly at the sound of his breathing so close to your ear. It felt eerily calming. 

"Really?" He asked after he pulled away from your shoulder. "T-thank you for the map, by the way." He adds last-minute. You giggle gently and nod. 

"Yep. The test only started an hour and about 45 minutes ago, so I gotta wait a little while." Groaning playfully you shrug at him, crossing your arms to get more comfortable. You wouldn't lie, he was seriously cute. Of course, you'd seen him before on your secret internet dives. But in-person was so much better than sitting behind a screen gawking over a photo. An ID photo no less. 

"You already finished?" 

There it was. The immediate doubt of your intelligence everyone had when you accidentally showed your smarts. You sighed. "Yeah. Kinda hard not to with an IQ of 167 and a memory that pretty much never fails." You shrugged nervously, looking away as you braced yourself for his incoming doubt. 

"Oh. Hyperthymesia, right?" He inquires. You blink a few times and look at him like he just said something so foreign you didn't know how to respond. 

"U-uh...y-yeah. It's rare, but I got it. How'd you know?" 

"It was more of an educated guess. See, you bite the inside of your cheek when you're nervous," he points out. You in fact, were biting your cheek as he spoke. "And you seem unintimidated by me despite knowing of my position. You only grew nervous when I mentioned anything academic. Which proves to me you're used to being the smartest kid in the room. And having to explain why every time." He finishes, leaving you a gigantic puddle of impressed and embarrassed that he had profiled all of that from only a few minutes from conversation. 

"Geez, didn't expect to get profiled today. You're really good at it, you know. Well, I mean you would be. 'Cause you w-work for the BAU." You begin to ramble, groaning internally for suddenly turning into an awkward blob in front of this professional. 

Spencer smiled a bit wider and let out a soft laugh. "So, y-you want to work for the BAU?" 

You look at him puzzled for a moment before you remember that he'd been profiling you for the past five or so minutes. "Right, profiler…" you mutter. "Y-yeah. It's kinda been a dream of mine for years. Police officer never really appealed to me. I wanted to get into the real deal. Catch the hard criminals. Give myself a challenge, you know?" You rattle off, realizing just how comfortable you'd grown to Spencer in the short conversation you've had. 

Spencer nodded. "It was always a dream of mine as well. I was kinda groomed for it." He admitted. "S-so… any jitters at all? Did you know that t-the common feeling of nervousness or 'butterflies' is actually caused by the reduced blood flow to the abdomen. Your stomach's sensory nerves sense the lack of oxygen and blood and it produces the fluttery feeling you get before a test or before a big performance." 

You smile brighter. "Really? I never thought of that. I always just thought it was a signal your brain sent or something. That's interesting. I'm kinda glad I won't forget that." 

Spencer felt his surprise increase again. You hadn't cut him off. There was no 'Sorry I asked' or awkward asking if he always did this. You actually listened. And you wanted to hear more! He didn't think he'd ever find someone willing to listen. 

"H-heh…" Spencer chuckled. "W-well did you know that most people will forget 50 percent of the information you've been taught in one hour will be forgotten? A-and in 24 hours more than 75% of the information is gone. That's why studying is so important. It helps retain that information so it doesn't 'slip' as easily." He begins to rattle off again, quite glad he found someone who actually wanted to hear his statistics. It was a good cover for his nervousness about talking to this incredibly gorgeous woman. 

You tilt your head in interest, laughing gently. "That's what I keep saying! Yet everyone always asks 'Why study if you remember everything?'" You exclaim, making a whiny voice expression for the impression of absolutely every bully you'd had ever. 

A darker skinned man, who was much more gifted physically walked over as you and Spencer continued your conversation. He wrapped an arm around Spencer teasingly and nodded to you. 

"Hope this pretty boy ain't bothering you baby girl." He greets. "He's great once you get to know him." 

Spencer just looks annoyed at this man's sudden presence. "Seriously, Morgan? We were actually having a conversation before you butted in." He grumbled annoyedly. Then you remember the face. This was SSA Derek Morgan. You'd seen him in some pictures with Spencer. He wasn't too bad looking. In fact, you knew Iris would climb him faster than a squirrel did a tree. But Spencer was a bit more your type. 

Morgan raised an eyebrow and smirked at you. "Oh really? So now pretty boy's talking to girls?" He teases, letting Spencer free from his suffocating hold. He then extends a hand out to me. "Derek-" he started. 

"Derek Morgan. SSA from the BAU. Yeah, I know about you." You grinned. He looked you up and down a bit in the same interest that Spencer had. That soon was replaced by a confident smile. 

"So you know of me." He said in a clearly flirtatious tone. "Don't tell me you've been searching up my pictures in your freetime, babygirl." He flirts. 

You roll your eyes and take his hand, shaking it firmly. "No, I haven't. Though I have heard of you from my classes. But if I'm honest?" You begin. "I'm really wishing I could forget that comment." You sassily respond. He laughed. 

"No one ever forgets, Babygirl." He grinned. 

Spencer sighed and turned to Morgan in annoyance. "Morgan." He deadpanned. You looked towards him and giggled a little. It was clear Spencer had wanted to talk to only you. Maybe it was something to do with the statistics. You had a feeling that he felt he was finally being listened to. 

"What? I'm just introducing myself to one of the new cadets." He insists, raising two hands up in defeat. 

"Did you just profile me without my permission?" You ask him with fake offense. He laughed. 

"Did I need to ask, sweetheart?" He asks. You chuckle. 

"Guess not." You shrug. 

"What's your name, beautiful? A pretty face has got to have a pretty name." He flirted. 

"I'm Cadet (L/N)."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, fully ready to ask why the hold-up on your first name when Spencer thankfully saved you an explanation. 

"She didn't share it with me either. Probably a mode of trust." He explains. Morgan shrugged. 

"I'll find out eventually. You'll give it away." He insists. 

"Uh huh, sure I will." You tease. 

"Reid, Morgan, we need to prepare." You hear a third voice call the two men away from you. You stand a bit on your tiptoes to get a good look at who it was that was speaking. 

Aaron Hotchner walked towards the three of you almost with a purpose. So much confidence in one man. 

"Who is this?" He asked. 

"I'm Cadet (L/N), Agent Hotchner. It's a pleasure to meet you." You greet, holding out a hand to him. Hotch raised an eyebrow at you in interest before shaking your hand in earnest. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard of your excellent grades and work in your studies. I hope to see you among the enlistees requesting the BAU." He greets, letting his hand fall back to his side. 

"That's the plan, Agent Hotchner." You chip pleasantly. Morgan seems genuinely surprised.  

"Wait, you're interested in the BAU? Profile me." He insisted. You blush from the sudden spotlight. 

"W-what?" You ask. 

"Morgan, that's enough." Hotch warns. 

"Leave her alone, Morgan." Spencer expressed. 

"No, it's fine." You assure. "Well, from the looks of your attire compared to your colleagues, I'd say you hate wearing formal clothing. Prefer to be comfortable. Your consistent flirty personality is mostly a show, as you wouldn't really flirt with someone you just met the way you flirted with me. So you either have someone in mind, or have a partner at home. And besides that, the way you greeted Dr. Reid proves you think of him as a younger brother, and you treat him like the brother you never had." You finished, a pleading voice in the back of your head screaming at you in hopes that you hadn't gone too far. 

Instead of being offended, Morgan began to smile and grinned, clearly impressed. "She's actually pretty good." He comments to Hotch, glancing to Spencer and then back to you. "You'd make a good profiler." He compliments. You smile happily and full of relief at him. 

"I sure hope so. Anyway, you should probably get going to the auditorium. The mics are a pain to tune and figure out, so I'd get it done now." You giggle slightly. 

Spencer nodded and smiled at you. "T-thank you, again. Cadet (L/N)." 

You couldn't help but blush a tad as he said your title. "Of course, Dr. Reid. Anytime you need directions." You tease. 

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "What about me?" He teased back. You mock think about it for a moment before you reply. 

"Sorry, I think you can figure it out, pretty boy." You joke, winking at him. He smiled brightly at your sass, chuckling a bit. 

Hotch then got your attention very easily. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, (L/N)." 

"You too. Good luck on the lecture." You bid them all fair well and turn around to take your seat again. 

"Ooh, somebody's in looove~!" You hear Gabriel sing in a sing-song voice. You chuckle and shake your head. 

"I am not in love, Gabriel. You just started eying the pretty boy I was talking to. You know, handsome black guy?" You tease. 

"Hmm, yeah, probably. But seriously. I saw you looking at that other kid, the professor's-aide-looking guy, like he was a mountain of sugar. And I know sugar." He teased, sipping a coke he had obviously bought after the test. 

"Oh shut up. Have you heard from Iris yet?" You ask. 

"Nope. She's probably busy over at The Bean. We should go visit. Tell her about your rendezvous with Mr. Teacher's aid." Gabriel snickered. 

"No, we are not telling Iris anything. You know how she gets. She gets all protective, and then nobody wants to go out with me cause they're all scared of her." You groan, stealing his coke for a moment. 

Gabriel smirks at you. "So you admit that you like him?" He teases. You immediately realize your mistake and groan, covering your reddening face. 

Gabriel chuckled and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "Come on, sugar-tits. Let's get out of here for a lil' bit. Come back for that 'lecture' in like an hour." He teased. You bring your hands away from your face and sigh. 

Did you really like him? Maybe. It was probably just an internet crush. Nothing more. It wasn't like it could get worse. 

[deniigi]

bro, work made me depressed that I literally left my seat to regain any resemblance of joy or something equivalent before breaking down again. Do you think you can provide a ficlet I involving Peter and Sam to cheer me up?

FUCK CAPITALISM

TAKE THIS

Title: Calibrating

Summary: Sam and Peter talk themselves towards a meaningful discussion.

---------

Peter did this thing—this infuriating thing where he texted shit like ‘come over’ and then Sam had to bend over backwards to be flirty and coy.

It was imperative that he came across as flirty and coy.

Im-fucking-perative, regardless of what Leilani said or Matt’s annoyance at what he called the ‘jungle of depravity’ that overtook the group chat pretty much daily.

Sam didn’t care.

If Peter texted the group or sent any message that might be construed upside-down as something romantic or sexual, Sam not only had to catch it, but he had to volley it back.

This, he told Leilani, sealed their No-Homo contract.

She stared at him.

He decided to demonstrate.

“See, here, look, I’ll show you,” he said, dragging out his phone. “Exhibit A. There he is, see? Asking about the strength of PVC pipe in pounds per meter like a fuckin’ tease. Now I can’t just let him think that I saw that and didn’t think of it as a metaphor, alright? So I say—”

“Sam, why does he need to know the strength of PVC pipe?” Leilani interrupted.

It didn’t matter. That wasn’t the point of this discussion.

“I’m sending a winky-face,” Sam informed her as he did that very thing.

Leilani stared harder than before.

But look, skepticism was unrewarded. Peter texted a kiss right back and said ‘oh boo, you always know just want to say.’

How could she not see the No-Homo? Sam could do this all day. He could and there would be absolutely no problems and he wouldn’t want to suffocate himself in his pillow at the end of it all.

It was fine.

“Samuel,” Leilani said, “I’m going to tell you something and I want you to hear it with an open heart. Will you open your heart for me?”

Sam spun around in his chair and arranged his arms and legs so that they were as open as they could feasibly be without being obscene.

“I am more open than a boiled clam,” he informed her.

Leilani blinked slowly, then shook her head and checked over her shoulders. She waved him in closer. Then closer. And then close enough that he could smell her perfume on her neck.

“You’re the tease,” she said.

Then she left the backroom. And Sam could only stare after her, frozen in horror as his wide-open heart wrinkled in on itself, picking up mass and gravity until it was naught but a black hole.

“I’m the tease?” he whispered to himself in shock.

Oh no.

OH NO.

 --

  “SENSEI.”

Matt dropped his collection of folders and swore, clutching at his chest.

“We have discussed volume, Sam,” he said, bending down to collect his paper children.

Sam took the opportunity to throw both arms around his neck from behind as a threat.

“Don’t lie,” he warned. “Swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, amen.”

Matt stood up and Sam felt his toes leave the floor. He hadn’t planned this far ahead.

“Or what?” Matt asked, 110% unfazed.

Sam wished that his feet weren’t kicking around in air here. It really put a dent in his intimidation factor.

“Am I a tease?” he asked.

Matt faced front with heavy eyebrows. Sam couldn’t see his face from this angle, but he knew that aura of irritation.

“If you have to ask the question, then you already know the answer,” Matt said. “Does that help?”

“No, I hate you now, actually,” Sam told him.

Matt dropped him right on his ass.

 --

 There had to be a way to attain proof. To determine once and for all that it was Sam who was in the wrong here, misinterpreting things like the genius that he was.

Thankfully, Sam’s experience of growing up as a non-only child for the last two decades had prepared him exactly for this type of conversation.

 SC: HANNAH AM I A TEASE???

HC: yes

HC: next question

SC: FUCK.

SC: WHAT IF ITS NOT NO-HOMO?

HC: my dear brother, the only options if something is not no-homo is for it to be no-no or homo-homo.

SC: Murder me

HC: gladly

SC: I’m in possible homo-homo with spiderman

HC: are you sure it’s not no-no?

SC: MURDER ME

HC: okay but like if it’s no-no then this is not a problem, right?

SC: If it’s no-no then I’ve read every sign wrong and I deserve to become a partially eaten tadpole awash in an indifferent boiling sea

HC: okay so we’re leaning INTO the drama today I gotcha. Alright but like, just for the sake of arguing, what if it was homo-homo?

SC: then I need you to bury my body somewhere no one will ever find it because my heart can’t stand requited love you know this about me.

HC: give me your login

SC: thank you I love you you’re the only person who matters

 --

 BT: Spiderman.

SM: Blindspot. DMing? You okay?

BT: this is Hannah.

SM: OH

SM: hi Hannah are you okay? Did you need something?

BT: My brother never got tested for reading comprehension but would have failed anyways. Can you arbitrate an arbitrary argument for us?

SM: I’m positive that there is a link between those two ideas that I am missing, but sure?

BT: okay are you ready?

SM: my loins have been girded.

BT: gross. you two are made for each other. Okay: what are your opinions on 24yo Chinese dudes with bad vision who are 5’7” tall, with terrible hair and brains as big and gaseous as Jupiter?

SM: positive

BT: you’re so romantic spidey.

SM: I know

BT: I’m going to tell him now

SM: WAIT DON’T TELL HIM

BT: byeeeeeee

 --

 Sam was going to have a heart attack. He couldn’t look at his phone. He was just going to lay here until he wasted away into a fossil.

Mm, yes, what a wonderful way to escape any and all feelings. That was—

His phone chirped and he nearly fell out of his chair in a hurry to answer it.

 HC: [image] [image]

HC: you owe me your bones

SC: AFASDFADFAS:FJaf’asdfjahsdlfihasdl’fas

SC: TAKE THEM

HC: if you fuck spiderman you have to get pregnant and demand alimony for your beautiful mixed babies Samuel

SC: Darling sister, we’ve talked about this. it isn’t going to happen I still have yet to steal a womb

HC: try harder

HC: ttyl

--

 Okay, this was fine.

Everything was fine.

Spidey liked Sam back, it was no big deal. Spidey liked everyone back. Even the teases.

Even.

The.

Teases.

Fuck, Sam had to move.

 --

 Foggy caught him biting his nails to pieces over the copy machine and asked him if he was okay. He was not. Foggy could read this off him. He didn’t ask again, but he did say that if Sam was feeling particularly anxious about something he was welcome to go have his breakdown upstairs in Kirsten’s kitchen instead of downstairs among the files.

Sam appreciated his offer. He hiked up the stairs, and halfway up, his phone chirped.

His heart stopped.

It chirped again, and then again. By the time he got to the top of the stairs, it was chirping every couple of seconds with messages being typed and sent at mach speed.

He kicked off his shoes and went to go stand over Kirsten’s sink to open the first one.

  PP: Sam it’s peter hey listen your sister messaged me

PP: and was asking some pretty invasive questions and I replied to her. I don’t know if you saw them but I just wanted to say that if that makes you uncomfortable in any way know that I absolutely don’t mind and I’ll stop

PP: you can tell me to fuck off if that crossed your boundaries. I shouldn’t have even messaged her back without asking you

PP: and obviously in future I won’t talk to her until I’ve cleared it with you I just wasn’t thinking I’m never thinking it’s a little hard to think sometimes

PP: especially when you message me back and I get caught up in the games and the emojis and stuff and like I’m sure that sometimes I overstep but I don’t mean to and you can tell me at any point if you want me to stop

PP: I guess I just really like to talk to you sometimes and it’s fun to have someone to banter with who actually banters back like not in a mean way but in a really nice and funny way. you’re an easy guy to talk to is what I’m saying

PP: which I’m sure you get a lot. I don’t mean that I want to like tell you all my problems I swear it’s not that it’s just more of a AHHHHH I don’t even know what I’m saying I think it’s sorry???

PP: I’m sorry??? I don’t mean to imply anything that isn’t there and I don’t want to make you feel like you have to either. Ar e you mad? Please don’t be mad okay wait no I’ve sent like seven fucking messages I’m being a creep oh my god IM SORRY ILL SHUT UP NOW OKAY SORRY BYE

  Oh nooooo.

The panic-induced infodump was not only familiar but horrendously endearing.

Sam had to explode now.

Man. Bummer.

  SC: it’s okay Peter

PP: OH THANK GOD

PP: is it tho??? Are you sure?

SC: I have positive feelings towards people like you too

  Sam’s heart pounded. He almost locked his phone and threw it in the sink, but another text came in just as that thought finished crossing his mind.

  PP: you do?

SC: yes of course I do

PP: oh nice

SC: yeah

  Annnnnnnd cue mutual nerd awkwardness. Great. Well done, Sam, you’ve done it again.

He sighed and turned away from the sink and sunk down onto the floor with his back against it.

Such a loser, Chung. So painfully awkward. Would it kill you to, just for once, slow down and chill for a minute?

God.

  PP: hey sam?

  No, Sam just wanted to sit on this floor and wallow.

  PP: hello? Are you still there?

 --

Sam let his head fall back against the sink. He closed his eyes.

His phone rang in his hand and he nearly had a heart attack. His fingers scrabbled over its face and the caller ID read ‘Peter Parker.’

Oh god.

Oh no.

Be cool. Be cool. Be cool.

“Hello?” he answered to the scratchy phone silence on the other side of the line.

He frowned.

“Hello?” he tried again, a smidge less desperate.

“Hi.”

There he was.

“Hey,” Sam said. “Sorry, just got awkward.”

Peter laughed through the line.

“Me too,” he said. “That was awkward.”

Yeah.

“Yeah.”

A long pause.

“I’m doing it again,” Sam moaned into his hand.

“No, no. Hey, you’re good,” Peter said. “I was just uh. Calling because.” He trailed off.

Sam waited.

“Sam? You still there?”

He startled and cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I’m here,” he said. “Sorry, zoning out a little bit. You know, busy day.”

“Yeah,” Peter said.  “Yeah, I know.”

Sam breathed as quietly as he could. He could almost hear Peter doing the same on his end.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta g—” Sam started.

“Hey, do you like me?”

HNG.

“No?” Sam answered and then punched himself in the leg. “Sorry. Uh. I didn’t—I mean, uh. Yes. Of course I like you. You’re a really good person. I admire you a lot.”

Hannah, oh Hannah, where is thine shovel? Sam needed it to dig this grave deeper, please.

“Oh. Okay, I just—I guess I uh, have a hard time reading the tone of your texts sometimes,” Peter said.

“It’s okay, I get that a lot,” Sam said. “I’ll try harder to be more direct.”

“No,” Peter said. “No, no, you don’t have to change anything.”

“Oh? Okay, well. Maybe I still will, though,” Sam said.

If Peter wouldn’t have heard him, he would have started to try to fit his whole fist in his mouth.

Five minutes of conversation and they were still saying nothing.

“Sam?”

He swallowed.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Next time you’re in the city, would you, uh, maybe want to go out somewhere? With me?”

Out? What like, to a movie or something?

“Yeah, just like that,” Peter said. “’Cause I uh. Would like to. Do that, I mean. With you.”

“With me?” Sam asked. “Oh right, and your other friends, uh, names—sorry, I’m bad with names. N-ned?”

“No,” Peter said oddly abruptly. “Well, I mean—I don’t mean it like that. I just—just with you. For now. That’s what I mean.”

“Oh. Uh. Kinda like a date?” Sam asked through the forcefield of self-hatred that felt like it spanned the entire continental US.

There was a pause. Sam held his breath.

“Yeah,” Peter said. “Exactly like a date. If you don’t mind—you know, doing that with me.”

AHAHAHAHAHAHA.

“Are you trying to lure me to a secondary location, Mr. Parker?” Sam asked seriously.

The laugh that met him made all the muscles in his shoulders relax.

“Maybe if the bit at the first location goes well,” Peter said. Then added hurriedly, “If you’re down for that.”

Sam was down for it right now.

Actually, maybe not in Kirsten’s kitchen. But like, right now in a different location.

“If it’s a movie date, we can do it through Netflix Party,” he pointed out faux-lightly. “It wouldn’t be the same, but we could do it this weekend, even. Saturday—I’m off Saturday.”

Peter said nothing for a long time.

“Okay. Saturday,” he finally agreed, “I can do Saturday. Kinda hard to hold your hand through a screen, but I can give it my best shot?”

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffff.

“Oh, I bet you will,” Sam nearly choked.

“You’re really cute, Sam.”

NO. SHUT UP. YOU ARE.

“Thanks.”

“I wanted to kiss you last time you were here, but I was too, uh. Shy. Embarrassed. One of them.”

Sam was going to puke, but in like, the happiest kind of way.

“I like you a lot too, Peter,” he whispered.

“Are you crying?”

“What? No.”

“Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

“Shut up, I’m not. I—the old man’s downstairs, his ears aren’t as good through ceilings, but I just want to make sure—”

“Uh-huh,” Peter said. “I’m sure that’s what it is. So I’ll see you Saturday? Maybe Facetime or something?”

“Yeah, Saturday,” Sam said. “I’ll send you a time when I know. I’ve gotta go. Meltdown-alloted-breaktime is over.”

Peter laughed.

“Alright, man, I’ll talk to you later. Bye now.”

“Bye,” Sam said lamely.

He hung up the phone. He did not scream. But he did fist pump and then fall onto his side.

 ---------

Here’s to hoping things get easier for you anon!!

[passable-talent]

Hi yes so I just finished the anakin punk au and it was uh perfect? And you should 100% please write more in that au it doesn’t even have to be in some coherent storyline, just more punk anakin please I am hooked

say no more my dear

I write this. and I think to myself “punks. they like weed. they drink. I should talk about that.”

and then I don’t. because I have a,,, responsibility to promote good health I guess?

don’t do drugs kids. most of them arent worth it i promise

and yes just like i mentioned wattpad in the last one tumblr is coming up on this one we’re breaking the FUCKING fourth wall

part one here

You passed out on his shoulder, exactly as he predicted, at about 2:00 AM.

He didn’t notice for a few minutes, and once he had, he had to make a very hard decision. 

He knew you were leaving in the morning, you had other places to be. And he had to get home, Cliegg was going to be pissed he’d been out this late as it was. But- just like you, he never wanted the night to end.

At 2:15, he shimmied out from under you, finding your room key quickly. Once he’d slipped it into his pocket, he picked you up, carrying you all the way back to your room. The door seemed to scream as it opened, but none of the girls were awake. He laid you onto the only empty bed, leaving your room key on the dresser, and kneeled at your beside, for just a moment. 

A night he wasn’t going to forget. One he wasn’t willing to leave behind. 

He found the notepad left by the hotel for guests and its nearby pen, scribbling his phone number onto it before smacking it onto your room key so that he knew you’d see it. 

He wasn’t taking any chances. He did everything he could to make sure that you were safe, that you’d sleep soundly, that he’d see you again. It was a bit of a walk back to where he’d left his car, at the venue, but it was worth it- he shrugged his jacket up around his neck against the cold and kept going, remembering how it’d felt to hold you. 

But, in all of his kindness, he had made one mistake. You didn’t get to say goodbye. 

You woke up in the hotel room the next morning, for a moment thinking that maybe you’d dreamed the whole thing. But then you realized you still had your shoes on, and you were laying on top of the sheets, why the hell would I do that, and you phone hadn’t been plugged in, and- 

And there was a phone number on the dresser. 

You weren’t really ‘dating’- you shouldn’t call it that. If you were going to call it that, then there would inevitably be a post on someone’s tumblr that you had a boyfriend, and who was he, where was he from, yada yada... that damn website already had half the internet convinced you were dating Padme, you didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire. 

So no, you weren’t dating. But you were texting every day. You learned so much about him, about how he was raised by his mom and worked at her friend Watto’s auto shop, about his step-brother and future step-sister-in-law, how his mom died when he was nineteen, about how he’d tried to move to California with his friend Obi-Wan a few years ago, but it fell through. In return, you told him about your life- living in the outskirts of San Francisco, being pushed into ballet lessons as a kid (as he said- ‘that’s why you look weightless on stage!’), being cut out from your family for quitting college to pursue music. 

You texted every day and every night, sent him videos from gigs, and he sent dumb little snapchats from underneath whatever car he was working on. You expected that to be it, probably for a long time- neither of you had the money nor the time to see each other more often. So you held onto the connection you had, the night you’d spent together. 

And you thought that’d be it. But- the universe has a funny way of surprising you. 

Your record label was based in LA, so you lived in Salta Ana, about thirty miles away, where the real estate was way cheaper. The band lived together, close as four friends could be, so they knew all about how you’d fallen for Anakin. Ahsoka would notice you glued to your phone, and ask snarkily “texting skyguy?” to which you always scolded her that his name was Skywalker. 

Living so close to LA made it easy to do gigs at any venue that would take you- bars, clubs, a particularly anarchist biker hall. A bar- such was the case for tonight. 

Like usual with a gig like this, Aayla had taken to instagram and called any fan in the area, so the bar was mostly filled with people who knew the music, but there were regulars, too. People who couldn’t be damned to listen to the lyrics, and just let the atmosphere move them. 

The setlist changed, when you were at a place like this. You didn’t necessarily rely on the hundred voice chorus that you loved so much, and so couldn’t include some of those songs. Your music strayed a little more to the rock end of the spectrum, when you played in places like this. With that high energy came faster music, more running around the stage, more movement, but you weren’t tired, when the set ended at 11:25. You were more energized than usual, in fact.

“Pads, I’ve never heard you solo like that!” You said, a bright smile on your face as you pushed out of the employee entrance of the bar. She gave you thanks, but not a moment later stopped dead, not saying a word, staring at you. You paused, looking at her, then Ahsoka and Aayla, who’d both stopped, too. 

“What?” Ahsoka and Aayla, though, were looking at something past you, which made you realize that Padme was, too. You turned, and leaning against the wall was- was Anakin. 

“Oh my god,” you said under your breath, dropping into a run toward him immediately. “Anakin!” He shoved himself off of the wall, letting you run into his arms, and just held you. You pulled away to look at him, amazed that after months, here he was, right in front of you, real. 

“What are you doing here?” you asked, bewildered, surprised, ecstatic. 

“Visiting Obi-Wan,” he said, and he lifted his hand to your face, giving you a good look at that tattoo you hadn’t quite forgotten, dark lines reaching from his elbow to his palm. 

“And you,” he added. You couldn’t help it- you hadn’t seen him in so long, you couldn’t help the way you leaned into it when he pulled you into a kiss, and this time you weren’t exhausted, and you could let yourself feel it, you could pay attention to his chapped lips and the way he slid them over yours, still soft, even after waiting in the cold. You never wanted to leave this moment, like so many of the others that you spent with him, his hands on your face keeping away the January air. 

“Yeah, I’m heading home,” Ahsoka said, making you break the kiss. “Coming, or not?” You looked back at her with a bit of a glare, letting Anakin’s hands fall to your neck. 

“You guys go ahead,” you said, checking your jacket pocket for the essentials- wallet, phone, house keys. “I think I have a tradition to uphold.” 

The bar you’d played at tonight was a bit far away from the place you wanted to take Anakin, but you didn’t mind the walk, since it was with him. You’d been texting every day, and yet it felt different, there was so much more to talk about now. 

Apparently, Anakin hadn’t seen Obi-Wan since he’d left to move to LA, so it was a visit to an old friend as much as it was an excuse to see you again. 

“So you’re staying with him?” You asked, leading him by the arm down the street. 

“Yeah,” he said, hooking his elbow into yours, which let him keep his hands in his pockets. “He’s got an apartment in east LA, it’s got a nice couch.”

“East LA, not bad. What’s he do?” 

“He’s a talent manager, actually. Went to business school and everything.” Anakin paused, suppressing a chuckle. “He told me that he’d love to represent you, if you didn’t already have someone.” 

“Sadly, we do,” you said, playful, “but I’ll keep him in mind.” 

You’d pretend it was the winter chill that brought the flush to your cheeks- he’d told his friend about you. That had to mean you were important to him, right?

“Where are we heading, anyway?” He asked, and you, luckily, could channel your inner dramatic and turn toward the doorway you’d been heading toward all along. 

“Right here,” you said, and you took him inside. 

This was your recording studio- it was always open, so that any artist could stop in and get out whatever creativity they had. You showed your ID card to the lobby clerk, who approved it and called the elevator. Anakin followed your lead until the door closed, and just like you had on the night you met him, you pressed the button for the highest floor. 

“This is one of the buildings for our record company,” you said, the elevator so familiar. 

“Which would explain why he let you in,” Anakin said, a slight teasing tone to his voice. All you could do was chuckle, waiting for the elevator to reach the top floor.

From there, you lead him to a glass door, and swiped your ID card through a reader near its frame so you could step outside. 

“This is the rooftop set,” you said, gesturing to the wide space, “It’s where we film a lot of music videos.” This close to the door, it was hard to see over the side of the building, and so you took Anakin’s hand.

“The city lights keep us from stargazing,” you said with a smile, and brought him to the guardrail at the edge of the roof. “So I thought I’d show you the city’s version of the night sky.” Looking out across the city, there were a thousand orange sparkles, windows illuminated in buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. Criss-crossed between them were lines of red and white, LA traffic clogging the city streets even so late at night. 

No matter how many times you came up here, you’d never get tired of the view. Fifty-five stories up, there were other buildings that dwarfed this tower, but the west was free of them, so your view to the horizon was clear, even in the LA overcast. 

“Wow,” he said, looking out over it all beside you. “I’ve never- I don’t think I’ve ever been up this high.” You fixed him with a surprised expression, leaning your elbows down onto the banister. 

“No? Really?”

“I didn’t grow up in a city, like you,” he said, settling in beside you, his arm pressed to yours. You let your head rest onto his shoulder, remembering the night you met. 

“I’m glad you came out to LA,” you said, “though I’m hoping you’ll stay a while. I  want to go on an actual date with you.” You heard him exhale.

“You don’t call this a date?” he asked, and you lifted your head, looking at him, the lights of the city giving his face the slightest, golden glow. 

“Well, I mean-” If this was a date, then so had been the one after the show, back in October. Which meant this was your second date, and you’d technically been ‘dating’ this whole time, which kinda made him your- boyfriend? 

“Is it?” Anakin slipped his hand into yours, lacing your fingers together.

“This is better than any dinner and movie we could’ve gone to, I think.” He turned over your hand, tracing his first finger over the skyline tattoo that bisected your forearm. “Especially since it seems like this means a lot to you.” You couldn’t believe he’d noticed that tattoo- it meant he really was paying attention to you. 

“Yeah,” you said with a smile, lifting your arm up, his hand still held in yours, aligning the tattoo with the skyline you were looking at. “I got this done after we did our first video.” Silently, he examined the ink and compared it to the sky, seeing what you meant. 

“That’s really cool,” he said, bringing your hand back down, since his fingers were getting cold in the wind, and he had to assume yours were too. 

“How long are you going to be in town?” You asked, resting your temple down onto his shoulder again. 

“A week, or so. Watto says he needs me to work on a mustang that we’re getting- I think Cliegg told him to say that since he doesn’t want me in the city.” 

“Well, I don’t want to undermine your dad,” you said, “But I wouldn’t complain if you stayed here a lot longer than that.” You ran your thumb over the back of his hand. “It’s really nice to actually have you with me, and not over the phone.” Anakin turned to kiss the top of your head.

“Tell me about it. It’s worse for me, I promise- I listen to your music all the time, and it just makes me want to see you.” 

“Sometimes I forget that you were once just a fan,” you said with a laugh, “listening to our music.” 

“The luckiest one in the world,” Anakin added, and you almost wondered how you’d ever lived without him. 

You let a moment pass, in silence. 

“I’m twenty five,” you started, wondering if you had the courage to finish, “do you think I’m too young to be in love?” Anakin didn’t respond, at first. He turned to you, lifting his furthest hand to your face, making you look up at him. You could never get over those blue eyes- you’d forgotten how intense they were. 

“I guess it depends on the guy,” Anakin said, his teeth quickly catching his lower lip. “Do you think you are?” You reached up past his arm to his face, your first finger tracing his eyebrow before your palm came to rest on the ridge of his cheekbone.

“No,” you said, and you rushed forward to meet his lips. 

-🦌 Roe

[honey-honey-honey-lit-the-fire]

I.O.U

*Disclaimer: pardon my english, and hmm yeah this whole wtf writing :). There's part 2*

24th December.

We agreed to meet at his dorm. This was my first time coming to his place and of course i was very nervous. I knew i had to be careful since there were a lot of his fans and reporters wandering around his dorm. So, i dressed myself as a staff. I have met his manager and thankfully he liked me and agreed for us to spend time at his dorm. He gave me his other id card so i can enter the building. I rang the bell and immediately welcomed by Kun. "Uhm, hello.." , i awkwardly greeted since we had never spoken before. "HEY YANGYANG! Your guest is here. And by the way nice to meet you, he has told me bout you. Please come in, y/n!", Kun said while opening the door widely. I thanked him and entered the living room which connected to the kitchen. Kun went to the kitchen to prepare me a drink and while he was doing that we got to know about each other a little bit more. He was speaking korean since i said i didn't understand chinese. "Don't get me wrong, but you look very young.., what line are you, " he asked. "Uhm.. 03 line.., and thank you for the tea," i blushed and drank the tea he gave me. At this moment, i started to search where Yangyang was. I wanted to asked Kun but it would just make me look impatient. "Hii!! Y/N!!!!" Yangyang startled me with a back hug. I spilled the hot tea i was drinking to my hand. "Ouch! I'm sorry.. let me clean this up," i said. I got up immediately cause i wanted to stop Kun who looked kinda panic in front of me. "Aye! Let me take care of her, she's MY guest," Yangyang said while snitching a paper towel from Kun's hand. "Baby.. you okay? Why did you say sorry? I'M sorry..," Yangyang held my hand and cleaned the table. The tea wasn't that hot so i was obviously fine, just a bit embarrassed. Kun was smiling across the counter seeing Yangyang. He would never thought his baby called a girl "baby" and even more surprised to see him cleaning up a mess. Kun left us and went to his room. "You really are a surprise, aren't you," i said smilingly to Yangyang. He smiled back and laughed. We walked to the sofa. "So.. wanna watch? You pick," he said. And so since it was Christmas eve, i picked a romance Christmas movie. He wasn't a particular fan of romance movies like me so he was kinda bored. Yangyang suddenly stood up and went somewhere. It made me question myself "is the movie really that boring?". My heart sank a little bit. Then he came from his room, with a blanket and snacks. Wayv dorms was always known to never run out of snacks. He put the snacks on the table and sat right beside me again. "Sorry for leaving you, it's just you look like you're cold," he said softly. I was. Or maybe it was just the awkward situation. He pat his lap telling me to rest my head on his. His legs was very bony so i laughed quietly. "What are you laughing about," he asked smiling and fixing his gaze on me who was resting in his lap. "Nothing, i'm just really happy right now. You. You are all that i need. We don't have to continue the movie you know," i said. "Thank god. I thought we stuck in this awkwardness forever, " he answered. He kissed my forehead and played with my hair. I sat up since his hand was around my waist giving me sign to sit up. He guided me to sit on his lap. He kissed me on the lips while caressing my back. After a while of making out, i pulled back. It was around midnight then. I searched his present in my bag. I bought him a bracelet the day before. It was expensive and i had to save my money for a month to buy that. "I don't know if you'll like it, but please take my Christmas present for you, " i said quietly and handing over the gift box to his hand. "Baby.. thank you, " he opened the box and put his iconic wide smile. "I know you don't celebrate Christmas, but still, Merry Christmas my dear. You made this Christmas eve the most beautiful night of my life. I owe you a Christmas present. Today i'll make it up to you. Be ready for my plans baby," Yangyang whispered those to my ears. I kissed him as a response and slowly drifting away of tiredness. The next morning, it was Christmas. I woke up.

In the couch. In his dorm. "Fuck! Why did i fall asleep here," spontaneously cursing myself in my head. I looked around and realized i was left alone. "You up? Good morning!" Yangyang brightly jumped out of nowhere. "Gosh.. you know i shouldn't have stayed here. You should have waken me up, " i said. "Well I'm sorry grumpy baby.. and btw it was safer for you to sleep here. Seeing you out from the building around midnight would be kinda suspicious you know," he said teasingly. He had some points. "Are the others okay with me staying over like this, i feel really bad right now..," i was suddenly full of guilt. "Hey it's just us and Kun and he said it was okay," he reassured me. He explained that the others went home for the holidays. He lightly fixed my hair and kissed me to wake me up fully. He put his arm around my shoulder. "So about the plans today.. oh, before that, we go to your apartment first to take a shower and dress up, and then breakfast baby," he laughed. He drove me to my apartment. He made himself at home while i took a shower and got ready. "Okay?" i asked while showing my white dress that i purposely bought for today. "You look very pretty, baby. You look pretty with or without that dress, like later tonight, " Yangyang teased. "What?" i blushed. I took my coat and went out. We went out to get brunch next. We went to a German restaurant that he liked. "So about that plans you talked about last night? Can you tell me about it, " i asked teasingly. "No, all secret baby. Just wait and see..," he answered. We arrived at the restaurant and immediately found a seat. I ordered a german pancake and he ordered a brunch package. We ate and talked lightly. "Actually.. you kinda scared me last night" he said. " You suddenly collapsed and i thought you passed out, " he laughed. "Really? Gosh.. i think i was really tired this past few days," i said. "I know baby, i glad this day finally come and you can ease yourself with me." Yangyang said it sweetly while looking into my eyes. He paid and we went out to the car. "Hehe.. you're coming shopping with me finally," he childlishly smiled. "Oh? Okay then. I wanna see how much you really spend on your fashion, " i laughed. At this moment my heart was just racing. I was happy but at the same moment i was scared also. This. This date. This whole relationship. It was all on the line for this day. We arrived at Galleria. We walked separately since it was kinda risky. No, really risky. He looked around and bought some stuff for himself. And suddenly, i saw a camera shooting towards him. I knew i had to go further from him. I texted him the situation and that i waited for him in a cafe. I knew Yangyang never checked his phones in public so yeah i just hoped he realized me missing. I spent my time calming myself and practiced looking normal despite feeling anxious. Around half an hour passed he texted me and said he would be over in a minute. He knew that this would happened so he took it normally. He went to the cafe and we walked to the car. We lost the cameras in the crowd and arrived at the basement safely together. I was sorry but i couldn't say a word at that time. "Hey hey, what's wrong," he said worrily. "I'm sorry for leaving you i just.." my words were cut by his kiss. "No, i know you do that for us, not just for you, but to protect me also. Thank you baby," he said sweetly. My worries immediately went away hearing his words. I smiled at him to make him know that he made me feel fine that time. He gave me some jokes. Well I laughed at the littlest things so he was happy hearing me laugh at every of his jokes. "Where are we going?" i asked. "Patient, baby. This one is a surprise for you," he said. We arrived at an art gallery. "Huh?" I questioned. "Christmas is all about home right? We went to a german restaurant so now we're going to your home, " he explained. I rarely shared my childhood stories with him but i remembered one time when we talked about Ten's art, i told him that my parents used to have an art gallery back home. It had been 5 years since i moved

to Korea and my parents sold our house and the gallery. This place made me miss my old home really bad. My eyes were teary without me realizing. "Oh, i would never expected this from you. Thank you," i smiled to him. We walked inside and went around. The whole time i was really emotional and distracted. We went out and went in to gallery's cafe. I sat while he ordered us drinks. "The life i had was something.. special. There are not many children who has lived in an "artfull" life. Me and my sister had to attend so many parties back then. The real life of art galleries starts when exhibitions come up. The live, the art, the people.. it was so overwhelming for two girls who knew nothing. People always know that art galleries are quiet and boring. I guess i'm just grateful that i got to see the other side of it. And i would really like to show it to you," i said. He listened to me whole-heartedly and said, "I would love that. I would love to meet your parents too!" he teased. I playfully pouted at him. He always knew how to brighten up the mood. We then walked around for food. We decided to come in a warm soup restaurant. Eating korean food already tasted like a home food for me right now. It was around 7 pm. We walked around a river next to the gallery. There was no one in sight so i was really comfortable at that time. I linked my arms around his. We walked without saying anything. The silence wasn't awkward yet it was truly comforting. All i felt was his warmth and company, to know that there was someone i loved and loved me back walking right next to me, was more than enough. We stop to take a sit when suddenly snow fell. "Wah, the first snow fell on the perfect time, " he turned to me. "It's really beautiful, every first snow feels like the first time for me seeing snow, " i said while touching a snow that dropped in front of me. "It looks just like in romance movies," i laughed teasing him. He turned away his head jokingly. Suddenly he turned back his head and kissed me unaware. I snuggled to his lean body and warmed myself in his arms. I wished this moment could last forever. We continued our walk in the snow and back to our car. He warmed the car since it was getting really colder. "We still have one more on the list, you still up?" he asked, concerning if i was tired. "Let's go! Wherever it is., " i said brightly. He drove again to some place. We got to a night theme park. We were a little bit hungry so we went to get fish shaped bread first. "This is perfect for the weather," i said. "I know right," he playfully said and round his arms around my shoulder. He took me to an ice rink there. Neither of us could skate well so we were stumbling against each other. I took this quiet funny. We didn't skate long because of the cold so we went to a ferris wheel. I didn't tell him that i was scared of height. He was known to be a fearless boy so i just wanted to keep up with him. I expected this to be so romantic and i was very excited. We went into a booth and sat across each other. We had a small talk about the plans we did that day until our booth was almost at the top. I started getting very scared and held the chair tightly. He noticed that and moved right next beside me. He took me in his arms and i sank my face in his chest. The floor booth was from glass and my legs were getting really shaky. He held me tight as i was something breakable and whispered, "Are you okay now?" I lifted my head to see his face and nod with a smile. "I didn't want to tell you cause uhm, i want to spend every minutes of this day with you, like this..," i said to him. "I know baby, i know," he teased while fixing my beanie. The booth reached the top and he sat me up to kiss me. "Today was all perfect. Thank you baby. But today isn't over yet, " he smirked to tease me. The booth finally went back to the ground and we got off. It was 10 pm right then and we drove back to my apartment. I knew he was gonna stay over but i told him to anyways just to make him sure i was alright with it. I turned on my heater and prepared him a hot cocoa

while he looked around seeing my plushies. "A lamb huh?" he holds a lamb plushie that i had since i was a baby. "Yeah. It is the first toy i have. He's my first "yang", jealous?" I teased him. "Well I'm here now, so you just gotta back off okay," he said it to the toy jokingly. I laughed and handed him a cup of hot cocoa. I left him to take a shower and changed into my pajama. After i finished, he also took a shower and put on clean clothes he always had in his car. We got into my bed. We cuddled immediately since the sheet were pretty cold. "I love you," he whispered. "24 hours isn't enough for all the plans i have in my head for you." "Then, how about tomorrow and the rest of the holiday? It feels like Christmas every time I'm with you.." i said reassuring him. -SMUT- I kissed him this time and his eyes brightened up immediately. He sat up and leaned on the headboard. I sat around his legs. He hold my waist while i kissed him slowly, yet burning him. He pulled his hands off my waist and started unbuttoning my pajamas. I stopped and kinda took a few seconds to fully aware the situation we were getting to. I nodded at him before he fully unbuttoned my shirt. He took his time feeling every button and it made me really impatient. I tug his short and he gave me this question full look, "Aye baby, all good things come to those who wait." He kissed my neck while unclasping my bra and pulling down my pants. He covered me with a blanket so i didn't get cold. I pulled up his shirt and sank to his chest, feeling his warmth. He turned me around so i was laying on the bed right now with him hovering me. He playfully played with the seams of panty and occasionally rub my sensitive spot. I squinted my eyes in pleasure and anticipation. "Don't close your eyes, i want to see all of you," he teased. I hit his arms lightly and pouted. He tried to pull of my panty but i stopped it with crossing my legs. He showed a confused look, a bit of scared look in his eyes. I was embarrassed to say this but i said it anyway, "It's my first, i have never gone this far with a boy before..," hiding my face with a pillow. "Oh? Do you want to continue? Cause we can stop if you feel uncomfortable and i'm truly okay with, no lie," he said. I wanted this and there would be no other perfect day to do this. He smiled and whispered me that he would be very gentle and careful not to hurt me. He took off my the last piece of clothing i had and took a few second of himself. My cheek felt like it was burning and even in this weather i didn't feel cold at all. He caressed my thighs while kissing parts of my body from the top. He put his finger in front of my mouth telling me to wet it. I sucked on his finger and he had that smug look on his face. He put one finger on the opening, "Relax baby, it will hurt if you don't relax. " I was nervous but he stroked my hairs gently, kissed my forehead, and made all my fears go away. He finally put one finger inside. I moaned in pain and the new kind of pleasure i was feeling. He checked if i was okay before moving the finger gently. His thumb was circling around my bud while his other hand held my nape. Not long i started feeling the pleasure highly building and i knew about this feeling. "Yangyang... Please.. uh..i think I'm about to come," i said heavily, murmuring under my breath. "Come for me baby..," he said. He hit a triggering spot inside me and speeded up his pace. And that was it, i came for the first time. "We haven't even started baby.. " he teased with a smug look on his face. I came down from my high and slowed my breath. He positioned himself down so his head was between my legs now. He spread my knees wide enough that i scrunched his shoulder. "Hold it for me, " he said before he licked my slit and entered his tounge inside me until i started building up pleasure again. "Ahh.. stop.. oh Yangyang.. it's.. so.. good..," i said. The pleasure reached the top again and it was more overwhelming than the one before. I screamed out his name, "I'm gonna cum... please," while distorting my facial expression. He

circled my clit with his thumb and i came for the second time. My legs felt like jelly and i barely had enough energy to open my eyes. He removed his clothes, all of them and quickly grabbed protection from his wallet. He put on the condom on his shaft that was already tensioned. He once again relaxed me down, knowing i was nervous without telling it to him. He positioned his shaft right on my entering. He stroked my hair and kissed me. "Tell me if it's too much, okay?" he whispered. I closed my eyes and grabbed the sheet while he pushed in slowly into me. He checked me first before pushing it deeper inside. He always brushed my head every time i let out a voice of pain. He was very caring and careful as if i was made of porcelain. "You did good baby.. Tell me if you're ready," he said. He kept his inside for awhile while i was adjusting the unfamiliar feeling. I nodded as a approval and he moved it slowly. The little pain that i was feeling turned into pleasure. He builded up his speed and i was losing my mind once again. "I can't.. please.. oh Yangyang, " i moaned his name again and again shamelessly. "Together baby, " he said. His breath was out of control and my name slipped between his groan. We came. I felt like all of my inner energy bursted out. He removed himself from me and cleaned up. He then searched for a clean towel. "Baby let me clean you up quick then you can sleep, " he said. After that he put me my pajamas back and tug me to bed. I was too tired that i didn't remember what he did after that since i passed out.

[lovelyirony]

made up fic title: i didn't know i was lonely (til i saw your face)

i wanna get better 

Howard Stark is the world’s smartest man. Tony knows this, has read it in so many newspaper articles and interviews and magazines that he could probably cut out every single time a journalist writes it and make a new fucking wallpaper out of it. 

It’s permeated every single aspect of Tony’s life. The problem is that Tony looks exactly like his father did. Everyone compares everything. How quickly he builds a weapon, how fast it can take for him to churn out an idea. 

His humor is the same, way of dressing is the same, and he should be the same. The world needs another Howard Stark for the next lifetime. They don’t need a Tony Stark. 

(And maybe...maybe Tony doesn’t mind that. It’s so much easier, to pretend to be somebody else and have them look at that.) 

Tony doesn’t make friends. Ever. Friends are not beneficial, and it’s not like they could hang out anyways. Tony reads in books about friends who go to diners together and attend movies and skateboard, but really? He doesn’t have time for that. He has to build things and study business, and get his life all sorted out. 

He is sixteen when he goes to college. He feels far too young, and the kind, warm hand of Jarvis’ smoothing out his hair makes the feeling worse. 

“You will be fine, Anthony. Study hard, and who knows how quickly you’ll graduate.” 

“Of course,” Tony says stiffly. 

“Have fun, Tony,” Ana says, grinning. “College can be a fun time.” 

It’s not supposed to be fun for him. Howard told him to focus on his studies only. His whole life would be the engineering and business buildings, and maybe he would sometimes get takeout. Maybe he wouldn’t. 

Point is, this is just like everything else in his life: the goal was to be exactly like Howard. Graduate top of his class, blow the world away, and have a glass of scotch after a job well done. (Or gin, or whiskey, or hell...all three.) 

- 

Rhodey was not a factor. At all. 

Tony had thought that his mother had paid extra to make sure her son had a room all to himself. Not out of a desire, no: out of necessity. Can’t have daddy’s little prodigy revealing anything. 

And maybe she meant to, but he’s not going to question it. Not when he’s just been staring. 

“Hey man,” the guy in the room says. The name-tag on the door says “Jim.” 

“Hey,” Tony says. “Good to...sorry. I just...I wasn’t expecting anyone here.” 

“Last minute decision. My room decided to burst a pipe. Technical difficulties. They say they’re gonna get it fixed as soon as possible. That a problem for you?” 

There’s more to the eyebrow raise, more to the tone. Jim isn’t going to take shit, and he knows who Tony is. He saw it in how his eyes widened for a moment. 

Tony likes him. He doesn’t know how it’s going to go later, but for now: Jim is a likable guy. 

“Not at all.” 

- 

To get used to sharing is definitely interesting. Tony has to get used to a lot, which isn’t a bad thing, but he wasn’t expecting to have to tiptoe at three a.m. while making ramen because Rhodey has something called a “sleep schedule to maintain.” 

Tony doesn’t know what the hell that is, but he doesn’t like it. 

Jim plays a lot of records, which is...odd. Tony’s never really been one for records, mainly because he’s future-thinking. But the way that Jim smiles when he hears a song and tells Tony a little anecdote about his father’s dancing in the kitchen? That’s good. 

So Tony buys some records, and falls in love with one band in particular: AC/DC. He can’t get enough of it. 

Jim, apparently, can. 

“Oh my god,” he groans, entering their dorm room. “Are you still playing that band?” 

“They’re amazing, Jim-Jam,” Tony says, turning it down a bit. “Besides, I thought your bio lab lasted for another hour.” 

“It was supposed to, but one of the sorority girls got too flustered with a fraternity guy and then things caught fire.” 

“Boo,” Tony says, frowning. “It’s the worst when a lab catches on fire.” 

- 

Tony is not expecting Jim to invite him anywhere, take him anywhere. After all, that’s not what school is for, and Tony’s not exactly the world’s best roommate. Besides, their RA said that they didn’t have to be friends, they just had to be good roommates. 

(Tony remembers this whenever he forgets to put away his ramen bowl.) 

But Jim invites him to a restaurant with a couple of his buddies from ROTC. 

“It’ll be fun,” he says, smiling. “Besides, you never go out.” 

There’s a reason for that, although people here aren’t really “fanatical” about Tony, thank god. 

- 

The dinner turns out to be terrible, because all of the guys just want to talk about Tony’s dad. 

“How did he end up getting the better reaction timing on the new pistol, the Stark 77?” A guy named Terry asks. 

And Tony freezes. 

That wasn’t Howard’s. That was his. 

Jim must’ve seen something on his face. 

“I, uh, I guess it must’ve just been something with the screw-in method during assembly,” Tony says weakly. “If you’ll excuse me, I just realized I have something to do at home.” 

- 

Howard’s been using his designs. No credit. 

He spends about ten minutes on the phone. It amounts to this sentence: 

“Without me, boy, you’d be nothing. Who do you think paid for school? Private tutors? Advanced textbooks? Who, yourself? Don’t be ridiculous.” 

Tony’s red-faced, and the phone gets hung up, and he stares out at the sky for maybe way too long. He forgot his ID to swipe back in, and has to launch little bits of rock at what he thinks is his and Jim’s window. 

Jim brings him up and sits with him on a bed. 

“I’m fine, honestly.” 

“No, you’re really not. Tony, you’re a terrible liar.” 

And he is, really. He can lie about so many things, but family and his state of mind are a bit harder nowadays. 

He gets hugged. 

That’s...holy shit, that’s new. He’s not sure the last time he got hugged by someone he liked. Jarvis tended to like the shoulder-pat, and Ana...well, she loved to hug him, but it had been a while. (Maria and Howard, he was quite sure, had skipped the ‘human emotional intimacy’ section of life.) 

“Your dad sucks,” Jim mutters. “Just so you know.” 

“I know. I know.” 

From then, they become friends. Tony is wondering if its pity. He asks Jim as such. He snorts. 

“Tony, I don’t make friends out of pity. I’m not that kind of guy. If we were friends out of pity, I’d be moving out next semester.” 

Tony smiles. 

-

He learns how to do friend things. They have a sleepover complete with the greasiest pizza possible, video games, and at least one debate over Star Wars. 

(It’s about whether or not the skeletal structure of Jabba the Hut holds up in truth, and how density of space affects him on different planets.) 

Tony, somehow, starts calling him Rhodey. It sticks, and Jim doesn’t complain. 

Rhodey’s sweaters slowly become Tony’s, and Rhodey teaches Tony all about casual affection. 

Hugs before class, kisses on the forehead, and more than enough teasing to last three lifetimes or more. 

- 

Come May, everyone’s abuzz with summer plans. Tony, however, is dreading it. Rhodey lives in Virginia, and Tony lives in New York. His mother wants him to live in their summer home in California. 

“Oh come on, I know that you’ll have to visit me,” Rhodey says, grinning. “Tell your mom it’s a business trip or something.” 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were corrupting me,” Tony says haughtily. Half his wardrobe is packed up, and he’s just waiting on Jarvis with the car. 

“Of course I am, gotta train you for when you liaison with the government for army contracts.” 

Tony laughs loudly. 

“Ah, so true. I’ll mark it down as heir-apparent training with my dear, drastically old father.” 

Rhodey nods, grinning. 

Tony’s leaving a day earlier than Rhodey is. 

He hopes he comes back a day earlier. 

After all, you can’t wait until you see your friend again. 

[memoriashell]

first impressions ( are they pointless if fate has already decided? )

Characters /  Pairing: Fukawa Touko/Naegi Komaru, ( implied ) Syo / Komaru

crossposted on ao3

Notes: day 7 of @tokomaruweek​!! soulmate prompt.

sorry if i manage to absolutely fuck up posting this one i'm half awake rn.

i appreciate how unrealistic and improbably soulmate aus are. anyways i knew i wanted to play with this idea as soon as i saw the prompt. i think that bodyswap au has interesting potential. the bodyswap soulmate au in the specific sense that you’d theoretically get to see the kind of hardships your fated might be going through but that’s not really the angle i took on it here but i mean do any of us want komaru to face abuse and bullying? no. i cannot comit to that. someone else can do that i am going to live here angst free anyways in case it isn't obvious the basis premises around this is that once you come of age, you swap bodies with your soulmate. HONESTLY not sure how a body swap au would work w/ a did person but considering that every alter / identity is considered their own person, i figured that it would simply just swap w/ the host, meaning any alters would be left behind. i do think it'd be an interesting concept to play with, maybe?

tw for trauma / abuse ( /ive parents )

Summary:  most circumstances to figure out the identity of your soulmate are pretty unfortunate, but she thinks this one might take the proverbial cake in some regard.

For most people, this would be the kind of momentous occasion that people would count down to. For Touko, it catches her completely off guard because she hardly registers the fact that her birthday is coming up until the day it happens.

‘It’ being the day she comes of age and is supposed to find out who her soulmate is.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t think about this kind of stuff on occasion. It was kind of a given, with her entire shtick of being a romance author. But quite frankly, she tries to forget it, because really? Soulmates? For someone like her? Not likely.

Who would want to be stuck with someone like her? Best not to get her hopes up too much, and stick to unrequited crushes on people she knows she’s probably not destined for.

The sound of an unfamiliar alarm is what wakes her up— Touko doesn’t really process anything more than trying to turn it off and laying down for a few minutes. And then realizes her body doesn’t quite feel right. Empty. Something’s missing and it’s too quiet and it all feels horribly wrong. And then opening her eyes and realizing she can see perfectly fine without her glasses.

Oh. Oh no. No no no no no.

She hops out of bed and spots a phone ( thank christ ) and confirms her fears. Right. It’s her birthday. Thank god she doesn’t need to know a passcode to figure out that information. Well, nothing she can do about that. Time to sleep off today, so she can go back to living her life normally, soulmate-free.

Or well, that is what she plans to do, until a picture frame catches her attention from the corner of her eye, and— oh. Oh no? Oh no. She absolutely recognizes one of the two people in the picture. She presumes the girl is the one whose body she’s currently inhabits ( nothing particularly special to note there, plain as plain can be ). The boy— she loathes that nonchalant, easygoing expression— the boy she recognizes as her classmate. One Makoto Naegi.

God, it’d be just her luck, huh. Speaking of which—

“Komaru!” Ah, so that’s her name. She hears a shout from downstairs, followed by footsteps. “You’re going to be late!”

Shit. Shit shit shit shit.

In a panic, she sprints to dive back under the covers and pretends to be asleep still. Maybe she’ll get off without much of a punishment that way? Definitely less than the realization that she’d been awake and not getting ready for...school, presumably. She has no clue what this girl is usually like, but hopes that it isn’t painfully obvious what is going on here.

“Komaru?” The voice is closer this time, the sound of the door opening follows close behind. While she panics over the thought of what to do asides from pretending like she’s asleep, Touko misses the sound of footsteps approaching and flinches when the covers are tugged away from her head. She doesn’t mean to let out a whimper of fear when a hand comes down on her forehead, teeth clenched, not that the sound is interpreted as fear. “Are you feeling all right, dear? You’re not feverish, but you are a little sweaty...”

It takes her a moment to recognize the tone of this woman’s voice is one of concern, an incredibly foreign concept for her to expect from any parent ( she’s presuming this is the mother ). It certainly was never one she’d expected to hear from her own mothers, squeezing her eyes shut as if to ignore the truth. “N-No...” It’s not a lie, at least— all of this makes her feel sick to her stomach.

( It leaves an awful taste in her mouth, knowing the love that she is being shown here is just an illusion; not meant for her at all. And yet Touko wants something that she has never had. What an awful child she is )

“Why don’t you take it easy for today, then? If you feel no better later, you can start taking medicine.” She manages to utter a thank you, whatever will get her with no repercussions and left alone again, and there is a hand gently stroking back her hair before she is alone again.

Once ‘her’ mother leaves, she locks the door and buries herself under the blankets, so she can sleep and forget about today ever happening.

In comparison, Komaru Naegi finds herself having a much less than pleasant awakening. In that she doesn’t know what wakes her up, just that she is suddenly, forcibly awakened and in a room she doesn’t recognize.

Weird. Is she dreaming? It kind of feels that way, because she has no control over the body she currently resides in, marching over to the desk and reaches into the draw for...a pair of scissors? Really, really sharp scissors, but a pair of scissors nonetheless.

It’s not a dream. Get out. They hiss at her, scissors pointed at her— themselves? Oh boy. Uh.

“I don’t think I can do that.” She says aloud; wincing. “I don’t— I don’t know what’s going on...?”

Ugh. You think I know any better? ( Yes! Yes she does!! ) It’s totally bullshit that this is my wake-up call after ages, and she’s not even awake and instead I’m stuck with you? Ah. Shit, hold on a second how long has it been. They reach for the calendar, and she feels her face frown. Aw, it hasn’t been that long? She really forgot her own birthday coming up? Some heads up would’ve been nice instead of just waking up to this fucking mess. The voice continues to complain.

“Um...” She hates to interrupt, but she’s still pretty confused. “What do you mean? Who are you?”

You’re expecting me to just give that up without knowing your own name? Or do you not care?

“Sorry!” And she is, given that she’d kind of gotten ahead of herself. “Komaru. Komaru Naegi. But just Komaru is fine!”

Ah— Naegi? What are the odds— Dekomaru it is!

“What? That’s not my name at all!” Komaru completely manages to miss the faint recognition, huffing a pout. “And I told you, so answer my questions!”

Syo. And what I mean is that now I’m stuck explaining this shit— did you seriously not pay attention to any of that or are you that dumb? Geeze, listen to me this time. Okay, so we can have a lesson on proper terms and all that shit another time, long and short of it is that we share this body— miss gloomy and I. It’s technically her coming of age birthday today, which is why you’re here instead of her.

“Oh, okay.” Komaru nods along in agreeably, before her mind catches up and process the implications of what she’s been told. “Wait, you mean I— she— this is my soulmate?!” Her voice cracks as it pitches, hands quick to clasp out of her mouth, a little worriedly.

Yeah, obviously. And don’t worry, the rooms are soundproof. Otherwise, I would’ve already told you to stop replying out loud. People would think that’s weird. They sound amused, reaching back towards the table and fumbles around for a moment before raising something up into the field of their view.

This is a student ID card, which provides her with several helpful bits of information— none of which Komaru chooses to fixate on. “...Hope’s Peak?” What were the chances of that?

Focus, idiot. Do you have any idea of what this means?

Komaru beams, an expression that might have been frightening for anyone else to see on this face. “It means I can be a Hope’s Peak student for today!”

No. Ouch, that’s probably the most cold they’ve sounded so far. Which is saying a lot, considering how they’d greeted her. Well, maybe. I know she really wouldn’t like it if you went around in our body. She doesn’t like it when I force control over our body either, but if it’s you then she probably won’t care. Personally, I don’t give two fucks— I can give you tips on acting more like her if you want.

Komaru makes a face. “I’m bad at acting. Am I really that different?”

Given that you don’t shut up, yes. That’s not a bad thing. They add on when they seem to sense the indignation rising in her. You really want to go around like normal today?

“Please?” She begs in what is sure to not be the last time that Syo enables her in doing something she probably shouldn’t do.

Okay! You’re more fun to have to share with than madam morose. This is way more chaotic. If things go wrong, I’ll help you cover up.

Komaru thinks that’s supposed to be a compliment. Or flattery? Either way, she enthusiastically takes to observing her appearance in the mirror for a good several minutes— more than several, but who’s keeping track? Syo. Syo is— before they point out they’ll be late for class and still haven’t had breakfast. But Komaru really only registers late and class and grabs her bag and rushes out into the hall, only to realize she didn’t really know where she was supposed to be going.

Syo sighs at her and directs her in the right direction of their locker and then their class while Komaru considers what’s the best way to seem cool if she can’t technically be herself. And also try not to nervously overthink things. That is also a thing she tries to avoid.

You know it’s weird that we’re going to class early, right?

“It’s fine...!” She grumbles. I can’t help but be excited, okay? It’s not everyday I get to pretend to be attended one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

Uh huh. Okay. I don’t think it’s really ‘cool’ to be this early to class, but.. Syo snickers at her, and she pouts before opting to ignore them, gathering her nerves before ( with more confidence than the actual Touko Fukawa would ever muster ) pushing the door open and stepping inside the classroom.

And then the whole act cool plan falls apart because while Komaru had registered the, we’re at Hope’s Peak Academy, she had failed to consider the whole, this is the school my brother goes to, I might run into my brother dilemma that she is immediately forced to acknowledge in a very graceful manner.

( And by gracefully she means she very embarrassingly screams at Makoto and Syo cackles at her, and she learns a very important lesson on why she should not trust Syo so easily )

Unfortunately for Touko, her body refuses to sleep much, which means she is wide awake when someone tries to come into the room just after four. Clearly not giving up, a knock soon follows, and, “Fukawa-san? Can you let us in?”

And then the sound of her own voice, way too cheery for her own liking. “No one else is home right now, so you don’t need to worry about it. Please? I really want to meet you! Uhm, properly.” Silence follows, since Touko makes no attempt to acknowledge that- if she pretends to sleep, then they’ve got to give up eventually. Even if she can only run away for so long, given that Makoto will probably just confront her tomorrow if she doesn’t. “Uh, Syo-san says they’ll take matters into their own hands if you don’t...? I’m not really sure what that means, but...” Makoto makes a panicked noise and god damn it Syo. She hadn’t counted on Syo working against her as well. Should she have expected that from them? Eh.

( It might speak more about the other girl, if she’d managed to get something like Syo’s...approval? That doesn’t seem quite right, and feels weird to think about either way )

“Give me a moment.” She calls, just to make sure Syo doesn’t go ahead and try and start picking the lock or break a window or something else that’s drastic and unnecessary. Takes a deep breath as she pulls herself out of bed, doesn’t bother double-checking if she seems too presentable and trudges over to unlock the door.

No sooner than she does so, the door swings open cautiously— Touko manages to sidestep out of the way before she needs to worry about being hit by it. She can feel the other’s gaze focus in on her almost immediately, but she very pointedly decides to not meet her gaze, mostly because it feels weird to be looking at herself, and looks at the same bookcase she has been staring at for the past four hours straight.

( Manga. She hates it. Of course, she would be stuck with someone that loves something that she practically loathes. She also hates the fact that she’d also been so bored that she’d almost considered reading it )

The only thing she chooses to acknowledge is the fact that her hair is down and not braided, really could she not have put forth even that much effort— and that while having her in front of her now is much different from what she might have thought it to be, she really has no idea of what to think of her.

And then the other seems to decide that enough is enough and holds her hands in hers very excitedly. She can only guess what Syo makes of all this. Schadenfreude, probably. She doesn’t actually say anything to her, just giggles to herself ( she’s not sure if she’s trying to be creepy, or if that laughter is directed at something Syo is saying ).

“Stop that...It’s w-w-weird to see my face doing that.” She gnaws on her lip— is this what everyone else saw all day? That’s awful.

As if reading her mind ( and certainly not the atmosphere of room ), Makoto helpfully chimes in, “Give her a break, she’s done a pretty good job trying to not attract any unwanted attention.”

“They made me skip class.” She pouts, crossing her arms. “Syo even said that they’d take the blame for it, but no, I had to skip out.”

“You screamed at me and scared Fujisaki-san? I was more relieved that Ishimaru-kun was willing to get you excused for the day.” Oh good, at least she can count on having reliable notes and not misplaced homework like with some people ( Syo ).

“It wasn’t that bad, Makoto, you’re making it seem worse than it was—”

“Because screaming like that could come off as good somehow?” He butts in.

“— and what’s done is done, so with that said, let’s eat!” She raises a bag that she’d failed t notice earlier. “I know it’s a little weird, but it’s still your birthday, so we can at least celebrate, right? I even asked Syo what you’d prefer the most while we were at the bakery.” That kind of disgustingly desperate face is all too fitting and completely foreign on her face, and Touko scowls at her.

It’s also a very foreign thought to actually be celebrating her birthday for once, and with a practical stranger nonetheless.

“Actually, I have a call I’m supposed to make. So I’ll be waiting downstairs, Komaru— we do have to get back at a reasonable time, so I’ll come back up if you’re staying too long, okay?” Makoto flees in the most inelegant way possible, fittingly.

Traitor, she wants to yell at him. She’s not quite being left alone here, because Syo is clearly present, but it’s not the same. She still feels a sense of betrayal here on all sides nonetheless.

“Touko-chan! Come sit with me!” Not that she gets any say in this, dragged along by her hand into following. She considers telling her off because when did she say that she was allowed to call her that? But bites her tongue for the moment because she’s still a little startled about the ease at which she has accepted all of...this, given the fact that she’s currently got Syo co-fronting. She suspects that they have arbitrarily elected to not acknowledge the elephant in the room which is very annoying to her, but she’s not really given a chance to acknowledge that either since a plate is shoved into her hands.

Fruit tart. So she’s not lying about the fact that Syo has taken a liking to her, apparently.

( No she’s not jealous over her own apparent soulmate. Why on earth would she envy that? )

“Fukawa-san?” Pale lavender eyes peer up at her, lips pursed in a small pout. “I know this isn’t the most ideal situation, and..I don’t expect you to warm up to me right away. But I’d like it if we could meet again sometime, as ourselves.”

Touko gives her a long look, scrutinizing, and then looks away. “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay!” She’s quick to agree like she’d said yes; humming happily with a fork in her mouth ( which would be cuter if she didn't have to look at her own ugly face ).

[giowritess]

straight to my head [henry cavill]

masterlist

Pairing: Henry Cavill x bestfriend!female!reader

Request:  “Hi! May you please write a Henry Cavill one where you’re hanging out with him and you have feelings for him but haven’t had the guts to tell him but that day your sister called you and you started speaking in Spanish to her about Henry but little did you know that he actually knew Spanish and he teased you about it. Happy ending please, thank you!”

Warnings: cursing, some angst, fluff

Word-count: 2,697

Author’s note: HEY GUYS! I can’t believe I’m finally posting my first writing piece here on Tumblr! It’s my first attempt at writing this kind of fanfiction (well, the second, actually), and I truly hope you like it, especially you, dear anon, who requested this. I did some changes, hope you don’t mind. This one was based on the song Straight to My Head, by You Me At Six, and I’d really like if you listened to it. A big thank you to my best friend, @naturiz​ for the Spanish part, and a big shoutout to my amazing beta/daughter/friend/love of my life @amirahiddleston​ <3333 I’d be lost without you!

gif credit goes to @b-n-a-o​

Straight to My Head

  You had never been the kind of person to enjoy dancing. 

   Yet, here you were, jumping, moving and swaying your hips to the beat of your favorite song in the middle of an empty dance floor. A little tequila-and-other-alcoholic-beverages-induced, yes — but you were happy, not even minding the glances you were getting. All the stress that had built up in the past few weeks had finally left your body, and you had your friends to thank for that. They were the ones who’d dragged you down here, to a cosy small pub. It had been way too long since the last time all of you had spent time together, and everyone seemed to benefit from a bit of fun and forgetting the real world. 

   Exactly as you were doing right now, completely oblivious to everything and everyone else. How good it felt to be trapped in your bubble, with nothing but your fuzzy mind and your favourite song.

   “Didn’t know you could dance, y/n,” Henry teased, not far from you. You could even hear the smirk in his deep voice.

   “Shut up, idiot,” you replied, snapping out of your bubble and walking closer to your friends.

   “Seriously, though,” he insisted, grinning like a kid, “those were amazing dance moves. You should teach me.”

   You just rolled your eyes, making him laugh, and tried to hide your smile. Your relationship with Henry had always been playful like this, ever since you met a couple of years ago. You two had been through a lot together — it was quite a fun and exciting journey to follow his success as an amazing actor that close, which meant celebrations, parties, even a few premieres.

   As the boys got ready to play some pool, you stood in the back with a beer in hand, watching him — always him and no one else. You sighed as you watched him move with the ease and gracefulness of a cat. A big, fluffy cat who seemed to be serious and almost dangerous on the outside, but was nothing more than a playful little kitten on the inside.

   The dim lighting in that corner of the room sent shadows over his godly features, the sight sending warmth up your core. He was always the most handsome man in the room. And in your head.

   That was where he was. He’d taken over your thoughts ever since you met, and there was nothing you could do to take him out; he was already at home and wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. You tried as hard as you could, even dated other people, but it was pointless. You still fell hard for him anyway.

  But Henry was your best friend, and you were his. You talked about everything, helped each other with everything — even his own love life. It hurt you. Like hell, but there was nothing you could do about it but listen and be there for him when he needed, just like he did for you. His friendship is one of the most precious things on Earth to you, but that is all you were meant to be. He was yours, but not in the way you truly wanted.

   Which was why sometimes it got too hard for you. Sometimes you had to step back and pull yourself together when it was too much for your heart. Seeing him with other women, especially when you knew he was happy, was far more than you could take, a pain you couldn’t avoid. 

   You straightened yourself up and dropped the bottle on the table. You needed to sober up. Being drunk around Henry was always a dangerous idea — you were a complete mess. Crazy, unpredictable and suddenly brave. The possibility that you’d end up saying or making anything that could lead to regrets and ruining your friendship was a giant risk — one you couldn’t take. So, you always tried your best to be as sober as possible, but tonight you desperately needed the freedom and release that only alcohol could give you. And he happened to be around.

   “Be right back,” you muttered to no one in particular, making your way towards the ladies room. They were too entertained in their game to miss you, anyway. 

   Thankfully, the bathroom wasn’t crowded, just a few girls who seemed half your age, many who had probably got in with a fake ID. You went straight to the sink and splattered the cold water in your face one, two, three times. But it was the girls’ conversation that caught your attention.

   “Did you see Henry Cavill playing pool by the back? Jesus fucking Christ, that’s Heaven made of flesh,” one of them said. 

   “Can you believe our luck? Gotta be fate,” the one applying mascara in front of the mirror replied.

   They laughed together and started to make their way outside.

   “I think I’m gonna try my luck, who knows,” you heard one of them say as they left the bathroom, and you gripped the sink with both hands, taking a deep breath. 

   You had no right to be angry with their words. In fact, you understood a-hundred-per cent how they felt — you felt that way almost all the time, too. But fuck. There was no way in controlling the anger that was taking over you, as well as the few lonely tears that escaped the corner of your eyes. There was nothing you could do about it but simply accept it. That was your job as his best friend.

   After a few deep breaths, you pulled yourself together, and finally mustered the courage to leave the bathroom. Your anger alone, still tingling through your face, your arms, your fingers, had sobered you up some seventy-per cent by now. You stopped by the bar to buy some chocolate and was met with one of your friends.

   “Hey y/n, wanna play some pool? We need someone,” he asked.

   “Yeah, sure,” you replied, eating the chocolate before you walked back to the pool table.

   You grunted at the scene in front of you. The girls from the bathroom, one sitting in the back with her arms wrapped around one of your friends and the other one — the prettiest one, with long, dark hair and a beautiful black dress that hugged her body in the best way — tangled up with Henry, laughing and touching him whenever (and wherever) she could. Which meant all the time (and everywhere). 

   It wasn’t that this kind of thing didn’t happen often — it did, in fact; of course it would, when your group of friends had you as the only woman. And you didn’t care for your other friends, they could do whatever they wanted if it’d bring them a bit of happiness, even if momentary. But Henry was… Henry. He would never be like everyone else, and you couldn’t fool yourself or your heart to believe that.

   “Girls, this is y/n,” your friend said, and the girls smiled at you.

  You tried your best to look sympathetic.

   “Hey, I’m Devon,” the one in the back waved at you.

   “And this is Julia,” Henry told you and motioned at the girl beside him.

   With another deep breath, you smiled and hoped it looked real enough.

   You didn’t know what happened to you. You’d never been this jealous, you’d always been able to control your emotions and prevent them from rising to surface. But that night felt completely different. Probably because of all the alcohol, but there was no way you’d be able to look unaffected. 

   “Ready to kick some asses?” your pair asked, handing you the stick. 

   “Born ready, baby,” you replied, applying chalk to the end of the poolstick.

Julia was Henry’s partner, of course. He had to show her how to properly hold the stick and how to play, but you had your doubts if she truly didn’t know or was just pretending. Well, you’d pretend if you were in her shoes. 

   It was no surprise when you made the first ball — you had a natural talent for the pool. Especially when drunk. And angry.

   The chocolate in your mouth felt bitter because you kept hearing Julia’s giggles and saw the way Henry touched her. Every fucking time she was going to play, he had to be glued to her back, lingering touches on her hand, her arms. It began to piss you off way more than you imagined.

   You made a ball. And another, and another, and another. Four in a row, leaving only two of your balls on the table. 

   “Fuck, y/n,” your partner said, and laughed, clearly a bit shocked. “Where did that come from?”

   “What can I say,” you replied, “the effects of anger.” 

   The game soon came to an end, you made the victory hit. You started another, trying your best to focus on the game and nothing else. But it was hard. It was so fucking hard when Julia and Henry didn’t even pretend to play properly, due to their drunken stupor and lust for one another. When his lips went closer to her ear, you finally snapped. There was no way in fucking hell you were going to endure that. No. Enough.

   “I’m through,” you stated before dropping the stick on the table.

   You didn’t care about the stupid game. All you wanted was to leave the pub, to get away, and cry and scream and fill up your sister’s inbox with countless messages rambling about it. 

   That was exactly what you did the instant you crossed the door, drinking in the cold night air and fishing for your phone. After finding her contact, your fingers started to fly across the keyboard, but you realized that wasn’t enough for how angry you were.

   “No puedo creer lo enojada que estoy por eso [I can’t believe how mad I am],” you started. Of course, it’d be in Spanish, your mother tongue: it was the only way you truly could express your anger. 

   You weren’t even sure what you wanted to say, but you had to say something, to get it out. There was a pressure in your chest that’d only be alleviated after you opened your heart to someone, obviously your sister. 

   “Tú no creerías lo tan enojada que estoy. ¡Pero ugh! ¡Simplemente no puedo controlarlo y no mames eso me deja demasiada enojada! [You wouldn’t believe how mad I am. But ugh! I just can’t control it and that makes me so fucking angry!]”

   You sent that first audio message to her. You didn’t even have an internet connection, so she’d only receive it after you connected to wifi or something, but it didn’t matter. You just had to speak. Get it out of your system.

   “Dios, desearía que pudieras verlo con tus propios ojos todos los toques y coqueteos. Simplemente me mandaron por un tubo y no sé cómo enfrentarlo, sabes? No hay ninguna explicación más allá de la verdad, que él debe haber entendido, de todos modos. O no, apuesto que Julia lo mantiene demasiado ocupado para que yo ocupe su mente [God, I wish you could see for yourself! All those touches and flirting. It just pushed me off the edge and now I don’t even know how to face him, you know? There’s no explanation besides the truth. Which he must have already figured it out, anyway. Or not. I bet Julia is keeping him too busy for me to occupy his mind at all],” you said in a single breath. There. Now you felt as if the weight was off your chest.

   After pressing the “send” button, you took a much needed deep breath. The cold weather had a calm, soothing effect on you as you breathed in the night air; you could feel yourself getting calmer. Still angry, yes, but a bit calmer.

   So trapped in your own space, you almost jumped when you heard his voice.

   “No hay nada que nunca pueda sacarte de mi mente [There’s nothing that can ever keep you off my mind].” 

     Even in a perfect Spanish, his deep British accent was still present.

   Oh, my, god. There he was, behind you, and you wanted to bury yourself six feet under and never, ever come out.

   “Henry!” Your voice was a shriek. “I… I’m… I sh…” you stuttered, not knowing what to say. You could feel your heart pounding violently against your chest.

   What to say, what to do, how to act. You had no idea Henry even spoke Spanish, and you sure as hell hadn’t expected him to follow you outside. Díos mio. Had he heard every single word you just said? You were glad that it was dark, ‘cause your face must’ve definitely been on fire.

   “I’m sorry,” he said, making you look at him with a visible question mark on your face. “For making you feel like that. I did want to affect you, though, and I’m quite glad I did.”

   “What? Henr—”

   “See, y/n,” he interrupted you, “I had a theory, and you just proved it.”

   He came closer, his beautiful face stepping under the thin lightning which made his baby blue eyes to shine. He hovered above you, like a lion over his prey, but you weren’t intimidated at all. Though confused and with your head spinning as fuck.

   “My theory was that you and I feel the same way about each other,” he continued, getting closer and closer at each word that left his lips.

   Díos. Were your dreams coming true? Was this real? Were you dreaming, or even seeing properly? You could hear your speeding heart, and you wondered if he could hear it, too.

   “Henry, I… I’m… I’m lost in translation here,” you replied, your weak voice almost a whisper.

   He had to say it. You needed to hear the words coming out of his very own lips, otherwise, it wouldn’t be real. 

   A low chuckle came from him. He left very little space between your faces when he got even closer and cupped your face with both hands.

   “I’ve been falling in love with you ever since you entered my life, love,” he said. Your knees were weak, and you felt as if you were going to fall dead on the ground. “But you never gave me any signal that you felt the same. Until I started to notice the small details. Your face, your eyes, your hands. Your words, your expressions. The little things gave you away, y/n.”

   The warm touch of his big hands on your face, all the love and tenderness with which he spoke every single word made your heart swell. No one had ever spoken with that much affection towards you, no one had ever held you that gently as he did. Your best friend. Your soulmate. 

   “So? Am I right then? He asked playfully, chuckling because you hadn’t said anything yet.

   You felt as if a lightning bolt had just gone through you, your skin prickling. 

   “Yes!” You instantly said, feeling some tears on your eyes. “Yes, Henry, yes. You are. I don’t even know for how long I’ve loved you. I was… I was scared of ruining our friendship. I’m sorry, if I’d kno—”

   He shushed you with a gentle kiss, timidly placing one of his hands in the back of your neck. You placed your hands on his broad shoulders.

   “No regrets or apologies,” he murmured, touching your forehead with his. “Though I do regret the method I used to prove my point,” he said, chuckling. “I’m sorry. I was getting desperate and running out of options. I just couldn’t bear to spend another entire day being nothing more than friends with you,” he explained, his eyes locked with yours. One of his hands started tracing the line of your bottom lip. “Not being able to touch you, to kiss you… God knows how torture it was to be around you all this time.”

   It was your turn to laugh. He felt exactly like you did, then.

   “Henry?” You whispered. “Come home with me?”

   An affirmation, an invitation, an order? You didn’t know. But all that mattered was his answer.

   “Yes.”

A/N: I hope from the depths of my heart that you enjoyed it! For now I do not have a taglist, but if you’d like to be tagged in my future works, let me know <3 

xoxo, Gio

[oh-theatre]

Livin’ It Up: Chapter 3

Chapter title: Its All Coming Back To Me Now

A/N: New, bad, sorry. Comment? Sorry for short, important.

words: 1340

summary: return 

pairings: Eventual logicality, eventual prinxiety, eventual demus, eventual Moceit (Which then goes back to Logicality and Demus)

warnings: Swearing, alcohol, underage drinking, drinking, parties, kissing, throw up, slight self harm, emotional abuse

Ao3 Link  

“Ugh of course he did” Virgil sighs, throwing his journal across the room. Patton giggles still scribbling away at his homework. Virgil sits up, rubbing the nape of his neck with sympathy in his eyes. “Im sorry Pat, i know you wanted...not that”

“Hey its ok! I gave it a shot, plus the night I had was fun” Patton admits, he shrugs away his thoughts but finds himself doodling in the corner of his calculus work. “This is pointless” He shut his book away, returning it neatly to its spot on his desk. “My brain cant focus” He threw his eraser towards Virgil “Tell me about Roman” He smirks.

“Ok look nothings happened since the party” Virgil tells, and Patton listens, well until Virgil begins to ramble about their theatre project. His mind was in too many places at once, and he loved Virgil but once his gushing ended and his worries set in, Patton couldn't focus. His mind wandered to that fateful night, under the amber lights of a bustling evening.

“But they're so sticky” Logan scrunched his face, watching Patton thank the shop tender for his caramel apple. Patton rolls his eyes with a playful smile.

“Delicious is the word you're looking for” He corrects, Logan still doubtful. “Come on, take a bite” he offers, holding it up. Hesitant at first, Logan eyes it, was he examining the apple? Oh god, the way his glasses sat on his nose practically falling, Patton swears he could hear his heartbeat.

“Alright” He says, he holds his glasses, Patton strengthens his hold as Logan takes a bite out of the delectable treat. Logan's eyes quickly fly open, a surprise as he chews.

“Congrats Moreno! You're one of us common folk now” Patton teases, the wind ruffling both of their hair. Logan nods, taking yet another bite, Patotn didn't mind, he found the small chipmunk like chewing adorable. “Come on Simon, there's more to show you” He jokes, Logan takes his hand allowing the cheerleader to guide him. The apple was gone quickly but neither minded, it made their commute easier.

Patton had to wonder if Logan had ever been outside however, every little new thing sparked him, the bored robotic look in his eyes disappeared with a new flicker of excitement. Patton adored it. He grew fond of how Logan would fiddle with his fingers, it was soft.

“Just ignore them” Logan whispered as the pair walked towards a more quiet spot.

“Hm?” Patton hummed in response, a small skip as the gravel crackled below their feet.

“The girls and guys staring, just ignore them” And Patton had been. It was hard not to notice, each with daggers in their eyes but even if tonight was just a one time thing, or whatnot Patton was here to enjoy himself, enjoy the carnival he had spent weeks preparing and try something new. And it was nice, even if he did notice the winks Logan would throw out, the boredom as Patton chatted with people and the constant phone checking.

Its nice

It was nice

“So now im like i don't know! Should I dye my hair!” Virgil finishes, Patton coughs away his thoughts.

“I might have adhd but you can really go down a rabbit hole” Patton laughs, Virgil chuckles a flash of red on his cheeks. “Not a bad thing, and i think you should dye your hair if you want. No matter what you're gonna look great” Patton compliments. “Crap! We’re gonna be late” He checks his watch, morning homework sessions on monday were a usual. Except when they forget to actually get to school.

“Id say race you there but i dont wanna get there any faster than I have to” Virgil says, and with that they rush out the house.

~~~

“Does he have to looking so fucking cute” Logan spits, Roman stops his words instaly and looks to where an angry Logan glares.

“Uh Im sorry, imma need my friend back” Roman pokes, Logan turns to him, his eyebrows tightened. “Dude, what is going on with you” Roman questions, Logan slams the locker shut trying to distract himself from Patton and Virgil standing just a few steps down the hall at their own lockers. “Just a reminder that you-”

“Roman I am fully aware of what happened, I am also fully aware that the only reason Patton has not spoken to me is my own fault” Logan leans against the locker paralleling Romans pose. “However I am still infuriated that he looks that cute” Logan sighs. He wasn't wrong, even if Roman and Patton had their...issues he still knew his former friend. And Patton had an incredible eye for fashion.

And today was no exception. He wore a dropped shoulder cropped pullover, striped with white, pastel blue and pink, finished with a white collar. His light blue jeans sat comfortably on his legs cuffed at the bottom to show off his white sneakers. His belt was prominent and no mistake and his backpack slung over just one shoulder as he unpacked his belongings into his locker.

Objectively he was cute, but Roman was distracted by Virgil. He stood next to Patton talking away, his outfits always suited him and his defensive look only made Romans face flush more.

“Welp, you win some you lose some” Roman shrugs, patting his friend.

“I so appreciate the sentiment dear friend” Logan's sarcasm was not lost on Roman.

“Come on, you need some sushi in you” Roman takes his friend's shoulders, preparing to guide his friend towards the exit. Each has a free period that bleeds into lunch so why not take advantage?

~~~

“Is it bad that I want to wear Romans varsity jacket?” Virgil whispered as he darted his eyes away from the said jock who only stood a few feet away.

“No, it's adorable” Patton says, he organizes his things in his locker, ignoring as Logan and Roman begin to walk towards them. He knew rationally they were headed towards the exit but the small inkling of fear if they were to come up to him was still present. But quickly his mind was taken elsewhere with an abrupt cheer.

“One! Two! Three!” He hears, why was that voice so familiar? “Who missed me!”

“Janus!” Patton recognizes, he spins with unfiltered excitement rushing through the hall. Janus laughs as he sees his friend racing towards him wasting no time to wrap him in his arms and spin him quickly. Their embrace was pure elation, Virgil caught up to the pair with his own grin. They finally parted ignoring the crowd around them, specifically two boys who had decided sushi could wait.

“Buttercup!” He grins, Patton giggles delighted. He had missed Janus so much, and the sweet way the nickname fell only increased the buzz in his heart.

Someone else in the hall was not feeling the ecstatic energy. Logan glared his shoulders tightening under Romans hold. What was this envious sweat dripping from him as he watched Janus snake a respectful arm around Patton's waist, cupped to keep his gentlemans distance.

But Logan wasn't allowed to be mad

He saw Carly down the hall, she winked at him receiving a disgruntled scowl in return. He watched Brittany and Martin walk by him, each a flustered look.

And why should he care, he had the whole school, why did he need-

His thoughts were interrupted by the most intoxicating, sweetest sound to ever bless his ears. Pattons little giggle as he clutched to Janus for stability. He may have been seventeen but he towered over the boys, including Logan. Virgil seemed happy enough but Logan couldn't get over Patton. Patton stood blushing, his hand never left Janus’s side and he was...flashing the brightest smile.

Why did Logan want to be the one to cause that reaction

“Oh shut up moreno” He whispers to himself, swiping away from Romans grasps he shoots Martin a wink before making his way to lunch, a hesitant Roman followed.

[multiplefandomfics]

Change for the better

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC!Amelia

Warnings: cheating, angst, smut, swearing, sub/dom undertones, sir kink, size kink, unprotected sex

Words: 2169

Moving to London hadn’t been easy. Leaving friends, family and everything that had been familiar behind to start fresh. But it had been necessary. 

Let’s start a few weeks earlier, shall we?

“Darling? I’m home. I made it earlier than I thought. The surgery fell flat. Patient died before I could cut him open. Such a shame. Would have been a really cool surgery.” Amelia called through the two story townhouse. 

“Jake? Where are you?” she followed the music to the bedroom door and pushed it open. She stepped inside and heard giggling and laughter from the en suite bathroom. In that moment she knew exactly what was going on. Still she wanted to confirm it so she opened the halfway open bathroom door fully and there they were. Her fiance Jake and Amelia’s favorite scrub nurse Olive in the bathtub together. 

“Are you fucking serious? I work 15 hours everyday to finance your lazy ass and that’s how you thank me? Screwing my OR nurse? You are unbelievable, asshole!! I’m done with this- with us! I’m leaving.” she yelled furiously. She grabbed most of her clothes and other things, threw them in suitcases and duffel bags and crammed them into her car. 

“Baby wait!” Jake had stumbled out of the house behind her. “I’m sorry this was a one time thing. I love you. We are getting married in 6 weeks. Surly you don’t want to blow that off.” he tried to convince her.

“You think I still want to marry you after you fucked that little whore in my house? And that’s what it is by the way. MY house. I want you out by the end of the week you can leave the keys on the kitchen table. I never want to see you again. Goodbye Jake.” and with those words she had gotten into her car and left him standing there in his bathrobe.

She was seeing red and did not have a goal to reach. She did not want to see her parents because her mother was an arrogant bitch who only thought about what the neighbors would think about her breaking off the engagement. Her mother would probably make her marry the cheating bastard anyways. 

So she kept on driving. 16 hours and a ferry boat ride later and she arrived totally exhausted in London. She always wanted to see the town again and now was the time. 

She had found a hotel where she could park her car in a garage and went to check in. 

“Good morning. I’d like to check in please.” Amelia asked, friendly.

“Good morning. Of course. Do you have a reservation?” the desk clerk smiled broadly.

“No, unfortunately not. I came here spontaneously. Is that a problem?” 

“Not at all Miss. I just need your ID or Passport and Credit Card to check you in.” she kept on smiling so sickly sweet.

“Alright, sure. Here you go.” she handed her cards over. 

20 minutes later she had her car parked inside the garage, her stuff in her room and was face planting the bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.

When she woke up the sun was almost setting but she felt rested and decided to find a bar or pub to drink and maybe get laid.

She took a shower did her hair and make up and put on the hottest dress she could find before asking the desk clerk in the lobby for the closest and coolest bar around. 

Turned out that that pub was exactly 200 metres away from the hotel and was already relatively crowded at 9pm. 

Amelia found a stool at the bar top and got the attention of the bartender. 

“Hi what can I get you?” she asked.

“What can you recommend for a woman who has been cheated on by her fiance in her own house with her favorite co worker?” she sighed.

“Wow that sounds like a story I’d like to hear completely. You know what? I’m gonna mix you something and you spill your guts. You will feel much better afterwards, I promise you.” she had already grabbed a tall glass and was pouring various kinds of alcohol inside. 

The night progressed like that. Melissa, that was the bartender's name, handed her drink after drink but slipped a few shots of water in between once in a while. Which Amelia was too drunk to notice. They talked for hours. 

At around midnight someone sat down next to Amelia and ordered whiskey. Amelia had already sobered up a little and recognized the voice instantly. 

Her head snapped to the left and indeed there he sat- Superman- The Witcher himself: Henry Cavill.

“Holy crap, you’re Henry Cavill!” she exclaimed breathlessly.

“Yes I am. Nice to meet you.” he smiled warmly. “Can I buy you a drink?”

“I am Amelia and yes you can.” she turned her body now fully toward him. 

“You seem upset. Care to tell me?” he suddenly asked after chugging his drink.

“I have told this story already today. Melissa would you be so kind as to tell Mr. Cavill my shitty last 24 hours?” she almost begged the bartender.

“Of course my dear.” Melissa winked. 

“Well, long story short:her  fiance was an ass and cheated on her with a coworker in her own house. She left instantly and drove 16 hours straight through and came to London.” Then she walked over to another customer on the other side of the bar.

“Wow, I’m sorry to hear that. It’s a riddle to me how someone can cheat on a woman as beautiful and obviously intelligent as you. Such a shame. But maybe luck for me?” he winked and seemed very sure of himself. 

“I didn’t pick you out to be such a flirt. But I like it.” Amelia had nothing to lose. For the first time in ages she felt free and if that ended in her getting to sleep with the really hot actor which is Henry Cavill she would definitely go for it. 

They talked about this and that and by the time last call came around she knew so much more about Henry than magazines and the internet could have ever told her. 

“I’m sorry to break this up guys but you will have to leave now. It’s 6am and we are about to close.” Melissa came around the bar.

“Alright Mel, see you tomorrow maybe.” Henry said and tipped her generously.

Henry and Amelia walked through the streets. “You want some coffee? Sober up a bit more? Keep talking? I really enjoy talking with you.” he finished.

“Yes sure. You know a place not too far which is open?” Amelia smiled at him.

“Of course. It is 6am in London. I know the perfect Deli for breakfast and coffee. Let’s go.” he grabbed her hand and pulled her over the street and towards a brightly lit Deli. 

They both got inside, ordered coffee and sandwiches and sat down in the almost completely empty Diner. 

“These are really good.” Amelia pointed to her sub.

“I know, that’s why I like coming here after a night out.” he agreed.

Then Amelia’s phone rang. She took it out of her jacket pocket and groaned. 

“It’s him isn’t it?” he asked and she nodded annoyed. “Here, give me that phone. I’ll talk to him. He will leave you alone after this.” he smiled and she again had nothing to lose. 

“Hello. Amelia’s phone. She cannot come to the phone right now. She is very busy right now. Who I am. That is none of your business anymore. As far as I know, you cheated on her and she left you. So now she is free and can do whatever with whoever she wants. Goodbye douchebag and never call this number again. Oh yes, I am supposed to remind you that you have a week to move out.” with that he hung up and Amelia couldn’t stop herself from laughing so loudly other customers were starting to look.

“Thank you Henry. That was epic. But I think I’m still going to block him on all channels so he keeps away from me. And I wanted to marry that son of a bitch. How unbelievably stupid of me.” she buried her head in her hands. Suddenly her mood had changed dramatically.

“Hey.” he laid his hand on her cheek and forced her to look at him.

“Hey.” he repeated himself. “It is not your fault that he is a cheating bastard. You were working hard to support his ass and he did not appreciate that.”

“But maybe I should have taken more time with him. Maybe then he would not have cheated…” 

“Stop it! It is not your fault. It is exclusively his. Stop thinking about it. You dodged a bullet, beautiful.” 

“You are right. I should be grateful that he is gone.” she looked into his beautiful eyes and kissed him. She just jumped into cold water. 

“My hotel isn’t far. Wanna go?” she whispered against his lips. He nodded energetically. 

The walk there was quick. Only a few 100 metres stumbling, kissing over the sidewalk. 

“Which floor?” out of breath after the elevator doors had closed. 

“8th.”she mumbled. 

He grabbed the key card out of her hand and unlocked the door. 

She stumbled inside before him and he caught her before she could fall, carrying her to the bed. 

“Strip for me darling.” he demanded.

“Yes, sir!” she saluted at him 

“I like the sound of that.” he smirked naughtily.

She stripped obediently and waited for him to remove his clothes as well. But he didn’t budge. 

“Get on your knees!” he commanded. There was a quiet understanding between them. The question whether she was okay with this or not was only asked by his eyes and she obediently dropped to her knees. So he continued with opening his pants and pulling out his dick. “Now open up sweetheart and don’t you dare touch yourself.” his voice was stern but he had a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Amelia opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue. He grabbed her hair into a ponytail and slowly pushed his length into her mouth and down her throat. She had to work hard to suppress her gag reflex. “Shit, babe. Fuck you’re a natural.” he groaned. It was music to her ears. She took him deep and stroked what couldn’t fit in her mouth with her hands. Bobbing her head up and down. Sometimes her throat constricted around his girth when she had to swallow which made him let out the most amazing noises.

Suddenly he pulled her off of her. “Stop! I don’t want it to end too soon.”

He pulled her up and kissed her deeply. “You are amazing. Now on the bed with you. On your back. Legs spread wide. I need some space.” he winked and again she obeyed.

She was so excited. Her juices were flowing freely down her thighs and ass cheeks. 

He kneeled between her legs and swiped his dick head through her folds. Catching on her clit ever so often. “Oh shit Henry. Please don’t tease me.” he smirked. “Beg for it then. Tell me what you want.” 

“Please, sir I need you so bad. I’m so wet for you, only for you. I need to feel you.” Before she could say anymore he lost his last bit of composure and pushed inside her.

“Damn! Holy- Fuck. So deep.” she moaned. His thrusts were hard and slow giving her the right amount of pain and pleasure. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head when she neared her end. She clawed her nails into his shoulders and was only able to moan a mixture of his name and curses. “Cum for me darling!” he whispered into her ear kissing down her neck and that was all it took for her to let go. Then he lost it too. 

When he had caught his breath he rolled off of her. “That was great!” she panted. 

“Yes, it was. We definitely need to do this again. Did I hurt you?” he suddenly asked concerned.

“Only in the best way possible. That was really hot.” 

That is essentially the story of how Amelia moved to London. She wanted to be close to her new future. She never heard from Jake again and after Henry had talked to him on the phone he had moved out really quickly. So Amelia could sell her house and get a position at a hospital in Britain's capital city. Even her mother shut up about the broken up engagement after Amelia had told her who her new boyfriend was. 

In the end, Amelia finding out about her stupid idiot of an ex-fiance cheating on her, was the best thing that could have happened to her. 

[pixieposts]

Febuwhump Day 14

AO3

Today's prompt was technically “I didn’t mean it” but I didn’t have any solid ideas for it, so instead I went with Alt 9: Gunpoint.  I know this is after the gunshot part, but I had an idea, and I ran with it😅.  This also takes place inside a Modern!AU that I haven’t posted yet... Soooooo if you read it again act surprised I guess? 😂😂

TW’s:

Major Character Injury

Warning: Trent Ikithon  

Brief Description of Injury

Fjord looked up in surprise at the quiet knocking, almost uncertain if he had imagined it.  Most of his friends didn’t bother to knock... the only one he could think of was Caleb (despite having a key), but he had only left about an hour ago.  He stood as the knocking sounded again, setting down his tea and making his way to the door.  He smiled when he opened it and saw the familiar ginger man standing on the stoop.  

“Hey there Cay, I didn’t expect you back till morning, miss me that much?”  

He felt the teasing grin drop off his face when he realized just how pale Caleb looked... taking in his expression Fjord reached out to pull him inside.  Caleb winced, but followed him, leaning back against the door when it closed behind him.  Fjord felt the panic rising in his chest as he got a good look at Caleb in the light.  His breathing was rapid and shallow, his face sickly pale and pained.  He was clutching his hip under his coat and let out a gasp when Fjord jostled the fabric.  The scent of blood overwhelmed him for a moment, and he thought he might be sick.  

“Caleb what- what the fuck?”

“Trent, or one of his guys” Caleb forced another deep breath “shot-shot me, I would have gone home but-” He stopped, panting slightly as he held up his blood coated hand “I- I didn’t know what else to do”

“Fuck, no it’s- You need and ambulance Cay”

Fjord led him to the kitchen, trying to support as much of his weight as possible.  The moment Caleb was seated in the large kitchen chair Fjord whipped out his phone and dialed the emergency number.  

“What is your emergency?”

“Ambulance, we need an ambulance, my friend he- we need help, he's been shot and we need help”

Fjord could hear the panic in his voice now as Calebs eyelids drooped, the hand on his hip was going lax where it needed to be maintaining pressure.

“Address?”  

“Cay you need- yes sorry it’s 23 Spire Square- put pressure darlin’ please”  

The woman was talking again, but he barely registered it as he moved to grab a clean kitchen towel and pressed it up against the bullet wound.  Caleb’s eyes were completely closed now, and Fjord wasn’t sure if he was awake or had actually passed out.  

“Sir?  Sir I understand this is difficult, the ambulance is almost there, and I need you to unlock the door”  

“It’s unlocked, I never- I didn’t get around to re-locking it”  

The paramedics arrived and lifted Caleb from the chair onto a stretcher.  Fjord felt the bile rise in his stomach at the way Caleb’s head lolled, he was sweating, he was so pale.  The ambulance ride was a blur of tearing clothing and beeping machines.  One of the paramedics tried to ask him what had happened, but he had nothing to give them other than Trent’s name.  The wound was horrible, once the medics had it cleaned off Fjord could see that there was more than one awful hole in Caleb’s skin.  

He had to look away.  

He watched Caleb’s face instead, watching the way it twitched, taking some small comfort in the fact that it hadn’t stopped.  The fact that he was breathing.  

When they arrived at the hospital there was a team waiting, they took Caleb and one woman stopped him at a pair of swinging doors

“You can’t come past here dear, you need to wait in the waiting room”

“Please, please I have to- he needs me, I need to be with him”  

He knew he should be embarrassed by the way he pleaded, but at this point he couldn’t make himself care.  He needed to be with Caleb, he needed to make sure he was okay.  

“I’m sorry, really, but he’s in good hands with the doctors okay?  The best thing you can do for him now is wait here.  What’s your name honey, is there someone you can call?”  

Can I help? Is there someone I can call?  

His own voice rang through his head, all those months ago.  He nodded at the nurse, still staring over her shoulder as if he could see through the doors through sheer force of will.  

“I’m Fjord”

“What’s his name dear, he didn’t have ID”  

“Caleb, his names Caleb”  

“Okay” she led him to a hard plastic chair from which he could still see the doors “call someone, we’ll take care of him and send someone for you when he’s out of the surgery okay?”

He nodded and watched her walk quickly through the swinging doors, the panic had faded into an uncomfortable numbness.  Caleb was back there, he was back there with lead in his body, in pain, and Fjord couldn’t help.  

Finally, after what could have been a few minutes, or an hour, he picked up his phone and dialed.

“Fjord?  If this is you calling to say Caleb is sleeping over again-”

“Veth”

Something in his tone stopped her immediately, a worried hum was the only response.

“Caleb’s- Caleb was shot”

“He was what?  Where are you?  Is he okay?”  

Veth’s panic broke through the fog in his mind, and he shook his head before remembering that she couldn’t see him.

“He- well he was breathing when I-” he forced himself to take a breath “hospital, we’re at the hospital, the doctors took him, they wouldn’t... I couldn’t go in with him”  

“I’m on the way”  

The click of her hanging up the phone was too loud, but he nodded and slipped his own phone back into his pocket.  All he could do now was wait.  

Veth arrived quickly, so quickly that Fjord would realize later that she must have driven like a mad woman, but in the moment, he was just relieved to have someone else there.  They didn’t speak, she just sat next to him and joined him in staring at the doors.  At some point her small hand landed on his, and he was thankful for the contact, though he didn’t have the words to say it.  

Finally, what Fjord would later be told was about two hours after they had arrived, an elvish man in scrubs walked out the doors.  He paused for a moment before he found Fjord and Veth and walked over.  Fjord's heart was pounding again as he tried to read the mans expression, looking for something to indicate that all was well or... or not.  

“Fjord?”  

He stood, and the doctor held out his hand.  Fjord took it briefly as he nodded, Veth standing and introducing herself as well.  

“I’ll start by saying that Caleb is in recovery”  

Fjord felt the air go out of his lungs all at once as he dropped back into the seat, relief washing through him.  The doctor gave him a moment before continuing.

“The bullet entered his right hip and lodged in his left thigh; he was incredibly lucky that it missed both femoral arteries.  It was a narrow miss in the left leg... but a miss still.  We managed to get the bullet out, along with some bone shards from where it nicked his hip-bone.”  

Fjord nodded along, trying to get his breathing under control again.

“You can come back and see him, but he’s under some fairly heavy anesthetic so he’ll be out for a while”

Fjord stood immediately and squeezed when he felt Veth take his hand.  The doctor led them down a series of halls into a much quieter ward of the hospital.  It occurred to Fjord as they passed a darkened window just how late it was.  He needed to call Caduceus, there was no chance he would make his shift.  The doctor opened a door into what would only be considered a typical hospital room.  The lights had been lowered to a soft glow, and the blinds on the windows were drawn.  The nurse from earlier was blocking Fjords view of the bed as she fiddled with one of the machines before nodding to herself and turning around.  She offered him a soft smile, but the best he could manage in response was a grimace.  

“The chairs pull out, they’re not the most comfortable but it’s better than sleeping sitting up” she said softly, patting his arm as she left.  

“If you have any questions, myself or another doctor will be in to check on him in a few hours.  If he wakes before that the blue button behind the bed will call the nurse's station”

“Thank you, doctor,” Veth’s voice was gentle, and a little scratchy.  

“Get some rest”  

As if.  

Fjord pulled the chairs up to the side of the bed, feeling his chest ache at the sight that greeted him.  Caleb was sleeping, long lashes fanned across familiar freckled cheekbones.  He was still pale, but the sickly sheen was gone, and if Fjord hadn’t known any better, he would have thought nothing was wrong.  Someone had changed him into a hospital gown, and a voice in the back of Fjord’s head noted that they would need something to take him home in.  The blanket bulged slightly where Fjord assumed the gauze pad sat on his hip, and the bandaging was wrapped around his thigh.

It was a near miss

Gods.  If the bullet had hit his artery... Fjord shivered and sat down, sliding his hand under Caleb’s on the sheets to avoid messing with the IV sticking out of the top.  His poor hands, both attached to the clear medical tubes leading to the odd bags of... whatever they were.  Anti-biotics maybe?  Pain medication certainly.  He was never letting Caleb out of his sight again.  

No, that was crazy.  

But... if he had driven him home, if he had insisted on it instead of giving in to Calebs claim that it wasn’t worth wasting gas...  

At the very least, he wouldn’t be walking home for a while.  

Veth took his free hand, her eyes locked on Caleb’s face, and together they waited.  

[orangecrane]

Could I request 57 & 28 from the fluff-hurt/comfort list with some platonic Ralbert perhaps?

i see stars (and i think of you)

Albert's not having a great time. But one late night phone call to arguably (definitely) the best friend ever might make it better, even if said friend insists on driving over in the middle of the night. Racetrack just hopes that Albert knows that he wouldn't do this for anyone else. 

A/n: Thanks for the prompt and sorry it took a bit to get around to, I hope you enjoy it! As always this is cross-posted on ao3

CW: Some swearing

Race’s phone is ringing. It’s one in the morning and he’s almost asleep when it goes off. He’s tempted to decline the call and block whoever dared to call him, he’s also tempted to throw his phone across the room. He does neither of these things. Instead he half-assedly reaches for his glasses and practically jams them onto his face, and finally checks the caller ID. Oh, it’s Albert. What the fuck does he want now?

It’s only by virtue of about a decade of friendship that Race picks up. “Albert I swear to all that is holy if you’re calling me to talk about some fuckin’ alien conspiracy theories I am hanging up and ending our friendship immediately,” Race says, not even giving Albert a chance to speak.

“Race you can’t seriously tell me you don’t believe in aliens, can you? They’re out there!” Albert replies indignantly. Race is all of two seconds away from hanging up when Albert continues, “No, but seriously Racer, I- I really need someone to talk to right now.”

“Oh shit Albo, what’s up?”

“I’ve just been having a bad day. Well, week,” Albert takes a shuddering breath.

And Race is suddenly more awake. He knows that Al wouldn’t have called him this late for something like this if it wasn’t serious. “Talk to me, Al,” Race says softly.

“I just… why are you my friend? Why are any of you guys my friends?”

“What?”

“You heard me Race, I- I’m not especially skilled or smart,” Albert’s voice breaks and he starts talking faster, “an-and I just need to know why you like me.” Race’s heart breaks, pain radiates from his chest and he feels sick to his stomach. His friend sounds like he’s about to cry. Albert almost never cries.

“Oh Albert… you’re my best friend in the world,” Race breathes out, “you may not be the most booksmart but that doesn’t mean you aren’t smart, you’re fantastic at skateboarding and researching things and taking care of your plants and you always find the best rocks and you’re the only one who can match me when we talk about astronomy. Those are all skills aren’t they? You’re also funny and you put up with so much of my shit, you’re like, the most loyal person I know and you’re always there for your friends when we need you. What’s there not to like?”

“... A lot,” Albert mumbles.

Race is insistent, “Well I can’t think of a single thing, besides, you know me too well to think that I’d lie to you about something like this. You know what? I’m coming over. I’ll see you in like twenty minutes Albie.”

“Wait, Race, you don’t need to-” Race hangs up. Too bad for Al, Race has already made up his mind. It’ll be easier to talk to him in person and maybe he’ll be able to slap some sense into Albert if he continues to think poorly about himself. No one is allowed to talk down to Race’s best friend besides Race himself, not even said best friend.

He drags himself out of bed and briefly considers just driving to Al’s as is, but quickly reasons that if he wants to stop by a store on the way over he’d need to put on pants. He fumbles around for a pair of sweatpants using his phone as a light. Finds a pair that doesn’t seem too dirty and throws them on, then makes his way downstairs quietly, grabbing his keys and wallet on the way out the door.

He’s about three steps outside when he shivers in the cold air, maybe not grabbing a jacket as well was a bad idea. Welp, too late for that. Grumbles to himself about how cold it is and how late it is on his way to the car and nearly all the way to the nearest twenty-four hour convenience store. Albert is so lucky he’s Race's best friend, he wouldn’t do this for anyone else. Like, seriously, he’s out here in a stupid store at stupid o’clock getting weird looks from the cashier while he looks for some stupid star stickers (they’re not stupid but Race is tired and grumpy and cold and he wants to complain) for his stupid friend (also not stupid: see earlier note). Not only that but Race is spending his hard earned money on these little glow in the dark star stickers just to make him feel better, well Albert better appreciate all that Race does for him.

He moves through the checkout station as quickly and with as little speaking as possible. He knows that glow stars are a bit of a weird thing to be buying at this hour, but he’s got a plan and they are a vital piece. Race takes his receipt and the stars and throws them in the passenger seat of his car and continues his drive to Albert’s house.

When Race arrives he grabs the stickers and hops the fence to walk down the side of Albert’s house. He walks down the narrow alleyway and crouches down about three-quarters to the end, slides through the open window in Albert’s room in the basement. Smiles to himself, he always enjoyed entering his house this way, there’s just a certain thrill that makes him feel like he’s in a heist or something. Though the way the window sill scrapes at his back is certainly less fun.

“You didn’t have to come over, Racer,” Albert says the moment Racetrack’s feet hit the floor.

“Yeah well I did, and I come bearing gifts,” Race proclaims. He quickly surveys the room, the only light on is the lamp on the bedside table and Albert is sitting on his bed, phone in hand and looking the slightest bit like he was trying to hide the fact that he’d been crying. That was mildly concerning, Race was glad Albert had called him.

“What?”

“Well since it seems you have little object permanence-”

“-What’s that supposed to mean!” Okay maybe Race shouldn't be teasing him right now, but maybe it'd be even weirder not to.

Race shakes the packet of stickers at Albert. “I have acquired some objects to be here permanently when I am not so you cannot possibly forget that I am the best friend ever.”

“Are those glow in the dark stars? Like for a ceiling?” Albert looks more confused than anything. That is… disappointing but expected.

“Yes, my dear friend, they are,” Race says with all the drama one would expect of the one and only Racetrack Higgins.

“Okay, but why?” Race falters. He’s not exactly prone to thinking things through but he was certain this made sense. However, Albert still doesn’t seem to get it.

“Well…” Race continues much quieter and considerably more nervous, maybe this is a stupid idea, “we always talk about the stars ‘n stuff and whenever I look at them now I think of you.”

Fuck, that was sappy, and not exactly to the point but important nonetheless. And Albert still looks like he doesn’t get what he's trying to say. So Race continues, now almost rambling, “And I kinda thought that maybe you did the same thing so if we put these on your ceiling then whenever you feel down on yourself or like I don't like you for some reason you’d see the stars and think of me and know that I’ll always be here for you, ya know? Best friends for life ‘n all that. Do you really think I would have done this for someone I didn't like or who wasn't a good friend?”

There's a moment where neither of them speak before Race starts cracking his knuckles nervously. “It kinda sounds stupid now that I say it out loud.”

“No,” Albert chokes out, and Race swears he looks like he’s about to cry, though maybe that was just from before Race and he hadn’t been paying enough attention, “it’s not stupid.”

Race shoots him a look that screams ‘Are you kidding me?’, now that he’d said it out loud he was almost certain it was a stupid idea. Seriously, who gets a call from their friend who is clearly having kind of a hard time and then proceeds to hang up on them, buy some cheap little decorations, and show up at their house like that would fix anything? God, what was Race thinking? “Okay, it’s a little ridiculous,” Albert amends, “but that is such a Racetrack plan I shouldn’t have expected anything else.”

“I… don't know what you mean by that Albie…”

“It means I like it and think it's a good idea,” and Albert gives him this grin, like he’s something precious, and it makes Race feel all warm inside. He loves being able to make the red-head smile like that. “In fact, we’re putting these up right now.”

“Oh, so now you’re making me do work? After I came all this way? You’re lucky you’re my best friend Dasilva,” Race teases, but he’s already opening the package to get going. He won’t admit it but he thinks that them putting up the stars together makes it a little more special. Reinforces the idea that they’re a physical reminder of Race and that he loves Albert enough to go through all this trouble for him.

Both boys get to work quickly, dragging furniture around to stand on and filling Albert’s ceiling. They laugh and joke as they work, occasionally trying to create actual constellations only to have the other mess it up. Race is almost successful at creating a dick out of stars before Albert notices and derails his art piece, leaving Race pouting and Albert caught between laughing and telling him off. By the time they finish they are both in considerably better moods and utterly exhausted.

“You gonna sleep here, Racer?” Albert questions, already half-asleep. Race takes off his glasses and sets them on Albert’s nightstand.

“If you think you can get away with waking me up in the middle of the night, making me drive all the way over here, forcing me to work for you, and then not giving me any cuddles in return then you have got another thing coming mister. Now scoot over bitch,” Race demands, not waiting for Albert to move before flopping down onto the bed half-way on top of the other boy.

“Stupider isn’t a word,” Albert says. He adjusts himself anyways, moving over to give Race some more room. Once they are both situated Albert wraps his arm around Race, allowing him to curl into his side. Albert sighs contentedly, holding his friend close and looking at his new ceiling decorations. There really was no way he’d ever be able to look at them and not think of the boy next to him and how much he cares for him. “Hey Racer,” Albert hesitates, “thanks for… everything.”

“‘S no problem Albie,” Race burrows his head into the crook of Albert’s neck and mumbles, “I’d do just about anything for you.”

[javier-djarin]

Feels Like Yesterday: Chapter 1

Ship: Frankie Morales x Elena Bohannon (OC)

Rating: M

Word Count:  5,035 Words

Warnings: Language

Masterlist

Summary: It’s been 10 years since Frankie and Elena have seen each other. But everyone is coming into town for Elena’s brother’s wedding, and Santiago has a few plans up his sleeve.

A/N: The moon and sun story that I used can be found here. I’ve really enjoyed writing this fic so far, so I hope you like this part! As always, translations for any Spanish phrases will be at the bottom. Please let me know what you think and if you want to be in my tag list!!

“There once was a moon, as beautiful as can be, only the stars could fathom, but the sun could not see.”

10 years later

The sun shone through the curtains in her apartment, beams dancing across her face and kissing her awake. She could almost feel the warmth of the early August morning. Her eyes fluttered open and she rolled over to look away from the sun as she stretched across her bed. It was empty. Lazily, she reached out farther across her expensive Egyptian Cotton sheets looking for him, but he'd obviously left. Elena sat up and stretched, running her hand through her messy locks and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She grabbed her glasses off the nightstand before slipping out of bed. Her master bedroom was a disaster from the night before. Clothes thrown everywhere, blankets on the floor. She smiled at the memory; no wonder she was still so tired.

Wrapped in her robe, she walked on to her balcony that was littered with box gardens and plant pots, the flowery aroma overpowering the smell of the city below. After years of hard work, she finally was able to afford the apartment that overlooked Central Park. Well, it also helped that her boyfriend had such a stable and high paying job as an executive for HarperCollins. But she was able to afford this apartment before they moved in together. She did it all on her own. “You’d be proud of me, Papa,” she said looking up at the sky, pretending he was looking down at her, smiling. 

She felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around her, pulling her close against his body as he peppered her with kisses on the back of her neck. “I love waking up to this,” he said.

Elena turned around in his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. His dark hair was still unruly from the night before. She looked into his green eyes and kissed him lightly. “Good morning to you too,” she said, “I thought you already left for work to finish some expense reports.”

He shook his head. “I decided not to go in today. I can work from here. But,” he smiled, “I did make us breakfast.”

She groaned. “How did I get so lucky?”

He kissed her. “I think I should be asking that.” He kissed her again, burying his face into her neck. “Breakfast is ready, but I think I would much rather try that thing we did last night again.”

Elena chuckled. “Can I get some food in my system first, before we satisfy your appetite, Liam?”

He growled. “As always, you win.” He led her back into the apartment to the small breakfast he’d made. He handed her a plate. “Your mother called this morning. She wanted to know what time our flight landed tomorrow.”

Elena sighed. “I sent her our inventory.”

Liam laughed. “I think she just misses us and was looking for an excuse to call. Now that your brother is getting married, I think she’s getting empty nest syndrome.”

She agreed. After her father died, her mother devoted her entire time to her kids. It wasn’t until after she graduated college did her mother finally remarry, Mr. Garcia at that. At the wedding, she and Santi joked about how they always felt like siblings anyway, so why not make it official. There was one person she’d hoped to see there, but he never showed. Apparently, he was off on assignment, whatever that meant. Since then, she, Santiago, and her two siblings, David and María, had moved on with their lives. Her childhood house was completely empty except for her mother and stepfather.

Elena took a bite. “I’ll call her when I get home tonight,” she said. Liam looked at her confused. “It is Sunday, dear,” she added, “Cal and I go shopping and get lunch every Sunday.”

He nodded. “I completely forgot.”

There was a knock at the door. “That’ll be him,” she said. She took another bite before getting up. She opened the door. “You’re early,” she said, hugging him.

“No, you slept in.” He looked at her and then to Liam with a raised eyebrow. “Late night?”

She slapped his shoulder. “I’ll go get ready. Can you two behave while I’m gone?”

Liam turned in his chair to watch her run down the hallway. “Only if he plays nice.”

She scoffed and ran off to get dressed.

***

Santiago drove to the airport, waiting for his brothers to get off the plane. He could hear them before he could see them. “Oh, fuck you, Benny,” he heard Ironhead say. Benny ran ahead of them away from his brother laughing. Redfly was right behind them shaking his head. Santiago was looking past them for Cat, but he was clearly taking his time. He hadn’t been back to San Antonio for close to a decade, and he knew Frankie was feeling every emotion he left behind all at once. 

“Pope!” Benny exclaimed as he ran to him. “We didn’t think you’d make it. Figured you were still down in South America hooking up with hot ‘informants’.”

He laughed. “Fuck you, Benny.” 

Benny held his hands up in surrender. “Man, what have I done to get such love from my brothers.” 

They each took their turns giving Santi a brotherly hug before heading to baggage claim. He grabbed Will by the arm to stop him. “Where is he?”

Will looked back the direction they came. “He’s in the bathroom. He has been a wreck the entire trip home.”

“I expected half as much,” Santi added.

“What happened here?”

He sighed and saw Frankie coming, still wearing that baseball cap she gave him years ago. “He fucked everything up, and he’s about to face it all this week.”

“He was talking in his sleep on the plane,” Will said, “he kept talking to someone named Luna.”

Santiago let out a soft laugh. “Those fuckin’ nicknames.” He looked up at Ironhead, who was confused. “Don’t tell him he did that.”

“You got it, man.” He slapped him on the shoulder and walked off.

Frankie slowly walked over to Santi and gave him a long brotherly hug. “It’s about time I get you back here,” he laughed. 

“I shouldn’t be here,” he said, “and I sure as hell shouldn’t be going to David’s wedding.” He looked like he was about to lose his lunch.

Santiago sighed. “She’s moved on,” he said, “I told you that. She’s happy in Manhattan with her boyfriend. Honestly, they’re probably going to get married before too long. She’s done hating you...probably.” He knew deep down that she was going to be pissed off that Frankie was back, but he was tired of seeing both of them hurting. Every time she came home, she’d walk around her mother’s house and turn down photos of her and Frankie. She hardly ever addressed him by name. Even after all these years, no matter how much she would deny it, Santiago knew she was still in love with Frankie, as he was with her.

Frankie nodded, wanting to believe him. But he knew better. The minute they would see each other, she would come over to him and give him a piece of her mind. “Even if you told me in a letter, I would be pissed, but at least I knew. Besides, I’d see you again, because you’re not just going to abandon me.” That’s what she had said, not knowing the truth. And he did exactly that. He left and once he heard she was dating some guy from her college, and it had gotten pretty serious, he never came back. He couldn’t handle the thought of losing her. Now, he was going to have to face it, because the whole gang was back together and going to her brother’s wedding. “When was the last time you saw her?” He asked, his voice cracking.

“I came home for Dad’s 60th last fall, and she was down here for the whole week.”

“How - how was she?”

Santi looked at him, and slung his arm around his shoulder. “She’s good. Really good. And she’s happier than I’d seen her in years. For a while, I thought you’d broken her for good. But…” he caught himself, not wanting to bring up Liam just yet. “You’ll see on Saturday.”

Frankie shook his head. “I don’t know if I’m going to go. I don’t think seeing her for the first time in a decade at her brother’s wedding is a good idea.”

“Then, I’ll set up something at the house. A bonfire or something, like old times.”

He shook his head again. Frankie looked over to Benny, Will, and Tom. “Maybe just sticking with them for the week will help.”

Santiago shook his head. “You can’t avoid her forever.”

“No, but I can try.”

***

Elena was sitting with Cal at a little cafe, looking through her bags. “Thanks for helping me find a dress for the rehearsal dinner,” she said, “I was about to just show up in my slip.”

He smiled at her and laughed. “Oh, of course. So, now that David is getting married, I guess that leaves you,” he smiled.

She blushed. “You would think, but he hasn’t even acted like he has plans.”

He sipped on his glass of Merlot. “Girl, if the two of you have known each other for as long as you say, I’m sure he’s just trying to find the right moment to propose. Maybe he will take you to an old childhood spot when you’re home and pop the question.” 

Cal was suddenly lost in his fantasy, planning out her life, when her phone rang. They both looked at the caller ID photo and saw Santiago’s face. Cal swooned. He’d had the biggest crush on him when he went home with her as her date to her mother’s wedding. The same weekend Elena and Liam reconnected. “Please answer so I can hear his voice.”

She laughed and answered the phone. “Hey, Santi, ¿qué pasa?”

“Hola, ‘lena. Mama says you’re coming in tomorrow?”

“Sí. Liam and I are taking a morning flight.” She could hear his breathing start to pick up. “Santi, ¿qué pasa con usted?”

“I think it’s better if you hear from me.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I don’t have much time, because they’ll start to wonder where I am.”

“Hey, Pope! Hurry up. Cat is taking us fishing and we are waiting on you,” She heard a family voice of one of his army buddies exclaim in the background. Cat-Catfish. Frankie was home.

Elena froze and looked through Cal with tears in her eyes. She could see Frankie sitting across from her in that diner telling her how he felt without ever actually saying anything, and then suddenly her heart broke again. She gasped. “Santi…”

“It’s my fault,” he said, “I told him to come. It’ll be good for both of you.”

“You know I never want to see him again, and so you told him to come to David’s wedding?”

Santiago sighed. “That’s why I called. To warn you. Look, he’s just as terrified as you are.”

“I’m not terrified. I’m pissed. What kind of nerve does he have thinking he could come to my brother’s wedding?”

“Elena, I love you. You’re my sister in every sense of the word. This was bound to happen eventually. Besides, David invited him.”

She refused to respond to him.

“Look, my old Squad is here. David invited them all too, since he got to know them over the years. They’ll help me keep Frankie preoccupied, if you really don’t want to see him.”

She could feel herself about to lose control. All she could muster was, “I’ll see you at the rehearsal, Santi. Love you.”

Elena slammed the phone down and buried her face in her hands. Cal sat in silence, waiting for her to say something. Instead, she grabbed her phone and dialed Rae. “Hello!” Her voice sang over the phone.

“Did you know?” She asked dryly.

“Well, hello to you too, Sunshine.”

“Rae. Did you know Santi told Frankie to come to David’s wedding?”

She gasped and didn’t speak for a minute. “He did what? I swear I didn’t know, and we had lunch the other day! Why the fuck would he do that?”

Elena let out a few tears. “Why the fuck is he home? Ten years. I have gone ten fucking years without having to deal with him, and so he chooses now to come back?”

Rae waited for her to calm down. “Does he know about you and Liam?”

She let out an exasperated sigh. He was the last person she wanted to see. “We land tomorrow afternoon. As soon as we drop our stuff off, meet me at the usual.”

“Do you want me to kick Santiago’s ass for being a moron?”

Elena stifled a laugh. “No,” she said, “I want that privilege.”

***

Rae looked at her phone, contemplating on calling Santiago and bitching him out. But she knew he was smart. He did this for a reason. She opened her contacts and clicked on his icon. It rang several times before going to voicemail. “Santi, fucking answer your phone. You’ll never guess who just called me,” she said.

He felt the phone vibrate in his pocket as he looked over to Frankie and Benny in the boat. Will and Tom were sitting up front cracking open beers while the other two prepared the bait. With Santi at the helm, and everyone distracted, he could easily answer the phone. He slid it out of his pocket and saw five missed calls from Rae. “Shit,” he whispered. He looked back at the guys again to make sure they were all preoccupied as he called her back. 

“It’s about fucking time you call me,” she said.

He instantly hit the volume on his phone to turn down the sound. “Not so loud,” he whispered.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Santi? This week?”

“Rae, I need to call you back. How about I stop by tonight and explain everything?” he quickly whispered over her yelling.

“Who are you whispering to over there, Pope?” Benny yelled, drawing attention to him.

“Rae, I gotta go.”

“Don’t you dare hang up on me, Garcia!”

He ended the call and turned to Benny and grinned. “That piece of Colombian tail I was chasing before I came home.”

Benny whooped and high fived Santi before sitting back down next to Frankie. “I knew it.”

Pope smiled and turned his attention back to his phone. He quickly sent Rae a text: 

I promise we will talk when I get back. The guys wanted to go fishing. I can’t talk with them right next to me.

She instantly replied: 

You better have a good reason why you brought him here.

***

Cal looked at Elena as she tried to catch her breath. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. He reached across the table and grabbed her hands. “Do you want to tell me what all that was about?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not really. It’s something from my past I wish would stay buried.”

Cal inhaled and leaned back in his chair. “Obviously it’s not. Whoever this Frankie guy is…” he paused and watched her demeanor instantly change at the mention of his name. “He has you in all sorts of knots.”

A few tears slid down her cheek before she looked up at Cal. “I want to stay mad at him,” she said, “but I know the moment I see him, everything will be forgiven.” She cried into her hands. “I was finally able to move on. I am finally happy with my life. Why does he have to come home and fuck everything up?”

“Who is he?” He motioned for the waitress to bring another bottle.

“Fransisco Morales.” She breathed his name. It had been years since she talked about him to anyone, and saying his name like that made her heart skip several beats. “He was my best friend. He, Liam, and I all grew up together. We were thick as thieves; practically lived with us through middle and high school. We went everywhere and did everything together. Honestly, there was...no is no one that knows me better than Frankie.”

“Not even Liam?” He asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at her.

She let several more tears slide down her cheek as she drank from her wine glass. “It’s complicated.”

“No, it’s really not.”

Elena took in several deep breaths. “I love Liam. I have my whole life. He’s a good man that I know will never do anything to hurt me. He’s been there for me when others abandoned me.”

“Others meaning this Frankie guy.” Cal crossed his arms and looked at her.

“Frankie,” she took in another deep breath, trying to calm herself, “he hurt me. Bad. Like, cut me deep to the bone, and it took me forever to heal from it.” She grabbed her wallet out of her purse and pulled out a wrinkled, aged envelope that had been folded in half and shoved into the cash section. “The last night I saw him, we had this serious talk about long distance relationships. The entire time, I thought he was talking about someone else, but when I got this in the mail the following week, I realized how dumb I really was.”

Elena handed Cal the letter to read. “And you carry it with you?”

“It’s stupid, I know,” she said, wiping her eyes with her napkin, “but Frankie was the most important person in my life for thirteen years. When my dad died, he was the only one who could keep me together; keep me going. This letter told me everything I ever wanted to know, and it destroyed me. So I carry it around as a reminder of my lowest point. A reminder to never let myself be this weak again.”

Cal read through the letter and gazed back up at her. “Oh, sweetie,” he said, gently folding it back into the envelope. “Do Liam know any of this?”

She shook her head. “He knows that Frankie hurt me, but that’s it. He has no idea about the letter, his feelings for me, or anything.”

He sighed. “Elena,” he began, “you clearly have some unresolved feelings for him as well.”

She vehemently shook her head. “If anything, it’s the hurt and anger I harbored over the better part of a decade.”

“Are you going to tell Liam?” he asked.

“He’s going to see him anyway,” she said, sipping her wine, “but the last time we talked about Frankie…” she trailed off and tried to forget the biggest fight she and Liam ever had. She was sure they would have ended right then and there if it hadn’t been for Rae calling in the middle of it. After that, they never finished that discussion. Never revisited that topic. Frankie was a forbidden name in their house. “Well, we don’t talk about Frankie.”

“I thought the three of you grew up ‘thick as thieves’,” Cal added.

Elena nodded. “That was until about high school. Then everything became a competition. They would only hang out together in our group. Never just the three of us or just the two of them. I knew what was happening, but I never knew how to put a stop to it. I couldn’t choose sides, because they both meant so much to me. That was, until one day when Liam and I had plans. Frankie’s truck stalled in the middle of an intersection, and he was rushed to the hospital after a car struck him. He called me and told me he was fine. Just a broken arm, but I left Liam without a second thought. I burned him, bad. Ever since then, whenever we bring up Frankie, it turns into a huge fight.”

Cal sighed. “Look, if you and Liam really love each other, Frankie won’t come between you at all.”

She started to space out, dissociating from the conversation. She knew what Cal didn’t. Liam was jealous of Frankie. He always was, and he knew that Elena and Frankie had a deep, unspoken bond that couldn’t simply be swept under the rug after ten years.

***

The sun was starting to set, creating beautiful purple and orange clouds across the sky. She stood just outside her apartment complex and looked up with a large smile on her face. “Have you heard the story about the moon and the sun?” she asked Cal, who was starting to wave for a cab.

“What?”

“The sun loved the moon so much that he died every night to let her breathe,” she recited. 

Cal looked at her look at the sky while she continued her story: 

“During the time when Earth was simple, the Sun shone brighter than anything in the sky. He brought everything joy and warmth, but he was lonely in the sky. Then there was the Moon. When the sun would grow tired, she would rise into the sky with her beautiful stars, but her beauty went unnoticed by everything on the earth. As she only shined while they slept. The Stars hoped that one day they could get closer to her so she wouldn’t feel so empty, but they could not. She was untouchable, surrounding herself with a blanket of darkness through the cold nights. One day, the Sun was sliding out of the heavens, and he caught a glimpse of her. She was peeking up, a rare side of her being exposed to the light. So, just as the Stars were wandering into the night, the Sun fell in love like a snowball hurtling down a mountain. How he wished to see her more than the fleeting moments he shared with her at both dawn and dusk. ‘Go,’ she whispered to him one of these nights, her voice as sweet and sorrowful as the last light of morning, ‘Go and let me breathe, for you and I have decided fates. You illuminate the day, and I cast a glow on the night. We will never be. Our connection would go against what all people believe, all they know.’ During the summer he would stay a little longer, just in case she would change her mind. But she would say ‘Don’t you dare abandon your blessing of light for my darkness.’ Those were the last words the Moon was strong enough to speak to the Sun.”

They both stood in silence while she smiled up at the sky, seeing the Moon making her appearance early, and the sun staying just a little longer so he could see her one last time before he disappeared. Cal broke the silence by clearing his throat. “Is that you and Frankie?” he asked.

She blinked her eyes and glanced over to him. “It was our favorite myth my mother used to tell us when we were kids. We joked that he was the Sun and I was the Moon, because he would do everything to make sure I wasn’t alone in my darkness, and I would always try to lift him up so the world never missed out on all the light he could give.”

Cal placed his hand over his heart. “You’re killing me with this,” he said, “be careful this week at home. Call me if you need anything.”

She hugged him. “I will. Love you, dear.”

“Love you, kid.”

She made her way back up to her apartment, where she found Liam sitting in the office working on his expense reports. Elena leaned against the doorframe watching him. She smiled at the sight. His left eye would squint a little every time he’d get frustrated with his work, and she thought it was the most adorable thing she’d ever seen. Her heart soared as she looked at him. Elena wasn’t lying to Cal when she told him how happy Liam made her. After all, they’d been friends their entire lives, and he had been there for her when she needed him most. But, then her mind drifted to Frankie. She’d been in love with Frankie for as long as she could remember. He was her Sol. But the Sun and Moon are not destined to be together. I have to let him go, for good. She thought to herself. 

Cal looked over and saw her standing there. “You’re back early,” he smiled, reaching for her to join him.

She dropped the bags by the door and slid onto his lap, kissing him passionately. He smiled against her lips and returned the favor. “Miss me that much?” he said.

Elena pulled away and looked down at him, with sadness in her eyes. “We need to talk about this week.”

He tensed up. “What’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath. “Santiago called me today,” she began, “and he wanted to warn me that Frankie was going to be there.”

She felt Liam go rigid. He sat there for several seconds, looking past her, with anger in his eyes. When she’d picked Frankie over Liam that fateful day, he’d never forgiven Frankie. Their friendship had ended right then and there. Ever since then, his hatred for Frankie grew, especially when he crushed Elena the way he did. “How do you feel?”

Elena ran her hands down Liam’s chest. “Hurt. Angry. The same emotions I’ve had for the last ten years.”

“I thought you’d moved past this,” Liam said.

“I have, Liam,” she retorted, standing up, “but I never got closure. I deserve that. I have questions that deserve to be answered.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering. “Why does that matter if you’ve moved on?”

She felt her hands start to shake. “Because, he was such an important part of my life for so long, and losing him the way I did hurt. I want to know why, and if we can still be friends after all this time.”

Liam shook his head and laughed. “It’s never been about ‘being friends,’ Elena. Look, I don’t know what happened between the two of you before he left for bootcamp, because for some reason you won’t tell me, and I have respected that. But we both know that Frankie has been in love with you since the first day you met, and sometimes I think that you loved him too.”

“Liam, whether or not I had feelings for him back then doesn’t matter. Why? Because I love you. I am here now, telling you that he’s back home. I could have hid this from you, but instead I decided to tell you so we could talk about him like reasonable adults.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I know that you hate Frankie, for reasons I can’t understand. But, please, for me just set that aside. I’m not going anywhere. Put faith in me. Just because Frankie is home doesn’t mean anything.”

He reached out for her hands and held them. He rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles and sighed. “I have faith in you, always,” he said, “but not when Frankie is involved. It’s like you forget everything that doesn’t concern him. He has some sort of hold over you, and you’ll drop everything for him the minute he needs you.”

She didn’t try to argue that, because she knew that Liam was right. It pained her to see Liam suffering the way he was. He was actually afraid that this week, he would lose her. He loved her more than anything, and he knew that with Frankie back in their lives, he would lose the one person he held dear.

***

Rae rolled over and looked at the clock on her night stand. 1:00 AM. The doorbell was constantly being rung at random intervals, and it was driving her nuts. She grabbed an old army hoodie that Santiago let her have when he returned from bootcamp and marched down the stairs. Yanking open the door, she saw Santi standing there with a grin on his face. “You look good in that hoodie,” he chided.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” she asked, obviously annoyed. He let himself into her house and made his way to the kitchen. “Please, come in. Have a drink.”

Santi laughed and made himself a quick drink. “First off, I’m sorry I hung up like I did,” he said, “but Benny was getting suspicious.”

She leaned against the door jam and rolled her eyes. “Why the fuck is Frankie here?”

He took a sip of his whisky and sighed. “You know why,” he added, “Liam isn’t going to make her happy. Frankie is a miserable fuck. They belong together.”

Rae grabbed his drink and took a sip. “She won’t ever trust him again,” she said.

He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer and set the glass on the counter. “You and I both know she will hate herself if she stays with Liam. He’s a good man, but she’s not in love with him.”

“You seriously invited Frankie home to break up Elena and Liam?” Rae laughed and wrapped her arms around Santi’s neck. 

He shrugged and smiled at her. “We both wanted to see this for years. Why are you fighting it now?”

“Because,” she said, “Elena is my best friend, and if she says he’s happy, then I refuse to ruin that.”

Santi kissed her deeply. “What can I do to convince you otherwise?” He grinned and kissed her jaw. “Because she’ll be happier in the long run.”

Rae stopped him, forcing him to look at her. “You’ve done enough,” she said, “we just need to let them settle this on their own, mi amor.”

He laughed at her. “Fine. Whatever you say.” 

She shook her head and turned to walk away, but he stopped her. “¿Puedo pasar la noche?” He asked.

“Si esto termina bien, puedes quedarte a pasar la noche. Hasta entonces, buenas noches, Santiago,” she smiled at him as she left him in the kitchen. “Lock the door on your way out.”

Translations

¿Qué pasa (con usted)? - What’s up (with you)?

¿Puedo pasar la noche? - Can I stay the night?

Si esto termina bien, puedes quedarte a pasar la noche. Hasta entonces, buenas noches, Santiago. - If this ends well, you can stay the night. Until then, good night, Santiago.

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