#if you’ve sent an ask about the actors and I haven’t responded this might be why!

[yeetlegay]

Hii. I just want to ask you a question as I like your answers and a welcome blog. How do you keep the differentiation between loving Kinn Porsche on screen and not going there hoping they're together in real life as their chemistry is amazing? I think we'd be too lucky if they were together in real life unfortunately :/

Glad to have you!

As to your question, to put it bluntly anon, I mind my business lol. Actors are professionals and deserve to be treated as such. I love that Mile and Apo seem to be close and enjoy each other’s company, but I don’t follow their personal lives at all beyond the occasional funny anecdotes I see, like how loaded Mile is lol.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to do that at all. I guess having spent a fair chunk of my undergrad years studying parasocial relationships and the commodification of celebrity bodies, I have a healthy fear of engaging in actors outside of their work. I don’t even follow them on social media for the most part, and I’ve only sat down and properly watched maybe two interviews in full with the Kinnporsche cast. Mostly I just see little clips here and there, and sometimes I get asks or DMs about specific interviews or behind the scenes and I’ll go check them out.

So for me it’s pretty easy to just, like, not step into that shippy territory. Again, I’m not saying it’s an inherently bad thing to do. Having written a fair amount about this in an academic setting (although it’s been years now lol), I know how nuanced this is and why people do get invested in celebrity relationships, especially when they’re “queer” (as in shipping two men, two women, etc). To an extent, it’s a natural response to very intentional marketing strategies and the inherent ways in which capitalism makes products of public figures. There’s no way, in almost any present-day society, to make art without being seen as part of it, an extension of it.

Would it be super cool to find out two actors from a show/movie you loved were dating? I mean, yeah! I think the sheer volume of fanfic with this trope speaks for itself lol. And it’s not like it doesn’t happen. Tons of celebrity couples started off as co-stars and fell in love on set. It makes for a good story.

That said, there’s boundaries here, and it’s always a good and healthy thing to analyze how you engage with celebrities and fandom to make sure you’re not contributing to harmful fan behavior or making the actors/singers/whoever uncomfortable. They’re people before they’re anything else, and they deserve respect and privacy just like anyone else does. 💖

[writingfromkitchenator]

Sirius ~ Ask Me

1,300 Followers Challenge!

Round 2

Masterlist

Requested by Anon

Words: 1,931

Warnings: Neutral Reader, neutral arsehole OC, fake dating, fluff, supportive Sirius, supportive friends, brief magic fight

“Sirius, can I talk to you for a second?”

Sirius, James, Remus and Peter looked up from dining table, finding you standing there, looking just a touch nervous.  If it had been anyone else, one of them would've made some sort of comment, but this demeanour was so unlike you, they all knew better.

“Yeah, sure.” Sirius said, standing and grabbing a slice of toast.

A look of relief crossed your expression before you lead the way out.  Behind you, James nudged Sirius, with a wink, and Sirius rolled his eyes at him, quickly following.

You led him away from the Great Hall and into the nearest classroom, quickly checking to make sure no one was around.

Inside, your anxious only seemed to increase.

Sirius threw what was left of his toast into the bin.  “Are you alright Y/N?  What's going on?”

You let out a shaky breath before meeting his gaze.  “I just want to start this by saying, I'll completely understand if you say no.”

He blinks, pink tinging his cheeks a little, but he nods.  “Okay...”

“I...” You sighed and wrapped your arms around yourself.  “Look, you've probably heard that Robin has been asking me out for a while now?”

It was no secret.  “A few times if I've heard correctly.”

You nod and start to pace the room.  “I keep saying no, I'm not interested, but for whatever reason they have it in their head that that means they can keep on trying.  It's getting to the point that I'm extremely uncomfortable and I don't know what else to do about this.”

“A good hex would sort them out.” Sirius said flatly.

“Yeah, and get me into trouble at the same time,” You frowned.  “Do you know how much shit my parents would get at work if I did that? They work together, and they aren't easy to get along with at the best of times.”

Sirius frowns.  “Okay, so what do you need me to do?”

Your hesitation was clear, and your hands wrung together a little.  “As I said, you can say no, but it seems the only to get Robin to stop to show I'm already with someone else.”

He stares at you, trying to keep his expression blank.  “You want to date me?”

“Unofficially,” You said quickly.  “We just...pretend that we're dating.  Just till Robin backs off.”

“Huh,” He said thoughtfully, still keeping his expression blank.  “And why would you ask me this?”

“Because James is already dating Lily, and Peter and Remus can't act for shit.” You said.  “You're the only one I trust with this Sirius.”

Sirius wasn't a fan of this, he knew it was probably a bad idea, but there was something about you saying you trusted him that made him chase all those other thoughts away. “Okay, I'll do it.”

Your eyebrows shot up. “Just like that?”

He smiled.  “Just like that.  Although, do me a favour?”

You nod, still stunned.

“Don't tell Remus he can't act.  He'll get most upset.”

The laughter felt good, and you shook your head, smiling.  “Not a word.”

News went around the school like wild fire that you and Sirius were dating.  Sirius Black, the local flirt, had finally settled in with someone.  The two of you played along with it, but both of you were aware that there was a furious glare often sent your way.

After a particularly bad Potions lesson, Sirius caught up to you and wrapped a friendly arm around your shoulders.  “You okay?”

“I'd be better if Robin hadn't been glaring daggers into my back all lesson.” You grumbled.  “I have no idea how I got through that lesson.”

Sirius hums thoughtfully. “Well, how about we head to Hogsmead this weekend?  Just the two of us.” He added quickly at your nervous look, knowing that you wanted to keep this as quiet as possible, it less likely to blow up in your faces then.

You sighed.  “I don't know Sirius...it could bring more trouble.”

He gives your shoulders a squeeze.  “That's what I'm here for.  Everyone knows trouble is my middle name by now.”

It took a little bit more convincing, but after Transfiguration was no better, you agreed, just wanting to away from him.

The Three Broomsticks was relatively quiet considering how many students were out and about, but you certainly weren't complaining, relaxing as you sat in the chair next to Sirius. You couldn't even begin to put into words what this was all doing to you, but you more than grateful for Sirius' support.

“Thanks Sirius,” You said quietly, earning a surprised look from him.  “I really did need this.”

He smiled.  “No need to thank me Y/N.  If that clod can't accept this, then there is something wrong.”

You sighed, leaning on yours hands.  “I do wonder if Robin knows.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow. “How? I certainly haven't said anything, and I really doubt you have.  We're the only two that know.”

“I don't know, it's just something about...”  You trailed off and shook your head.  “You're right.  It's not possible.”

Sirius does a look around the pub and sees more than a few students that spoke a lot to Robin, a cheeky grin coming to him.

He nudges you gently. “You know, there is something we could do that would get tongues wagging.”

You looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius’ grin widens, and he sends you a wink.  “We could make out.”

There was an awkward pause before you laughed, looking away shyly.  “No, I don't want a kiss.”

Sirius chuckled.  “You never know, you might like it.”

“While I'm sure your kissing is more than remarkable,” You said, purposefully looking at your drink. “It's not currently the most important thing on my mind.”

You felt him shift closer, his arm snaking around the back of your chair, his voice low.  “Something else then?”

Laughing, you glance at him, finding him grinning.  “You are terrible.”

Sirius shrugs, his smile not dropping as he moves comfortably back into his own.  “I must have something going for me, or you wouldn't have asked otherwise.”

You smile at him, feeling genuinely happy, more than you had in a while.  Then your smile dropped and Sirius quickly followed your gaze to the door.

Robin stepped inside.

“Oh, you've got to be kidding me.”

Robin strides over, looking smug.  “So, this is the happy couple is it?”

“Why can't you just leave me alone?” You asked, annoyed.  “I'm sure you have better things to do than plague my every step.”

“Oh, I do have better things to do,” Robin said, eyes on Sirius.  “Including putting this bastard back in his place.”

“I'd like to see you try,” Sirius said lightly.  “You aren't the only one with friends.”

Robin sneers.  “Oh, you look all alone here, little Black, and if this is the only one to win Y/N over, then so be it.”

“No one is winning anyone over,” You said coldly.  “Because I remain uninterested, no matter what you keep telling yourself.”

But Robin smirks. “Oh?  You haven't heard?  Little Black has been trying to earn your attentions here for a while.  It may seem like his crush has worked, at least a little, but I wonder just how much dark magic was involved in it.”

“None.” You and Sirius both said, Sirius' face going a little pale.

“I'm here of my own volition,” You said.  “And you better learn to respect that.”

Robin scoffed.  “Like you would know anything about dark magic. We all know that you ride the coattails of everyone else in class.”

Heat flared in your cheeks, but you didn’t get a chance to respond as Sirius stands, his hands shaking.

“Says the one who’s only in some classes because Mummy and Daddy paid the school.”

Robin’s face went incredibly pale, very aware that several people were now looking over.  “Like you would know anything about it.  Why don’t you stick to your waste of space of a family in practising dark magic?”

Sirius reached for his wand, but he didn’t have to say anything, four spells hitting Robin at once, knocking them almost immediately out cold, several screams from other students sounding.

“I suggest the rest of you stay out of this,” James said, wand twirling in his fingers.  “This prat had this coming.  When someone says no, they mean it.”

Sirius stared at him, Remus and Peter next to him, slipping their own wands away.  “What are you guys doing here?”

James grins and shrugs. “Seems like you needs a hand.”  He nods at you.  “Y/N too.”

Sirius frowns and looks at you, your wand still raised, breathing hard.  He smiles and gently takes your hand, pushing your hand down. “I think you can put that down now. Pretty sure Robin won’t be getting up for a while.”

You swallowed and slowly slipped your wand away.  “O-okay.”

“Hey,” Sirius brought your gaze to his.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.  That arsehole deserved it.”

“Damn right they did,” James was crouching next to Robin now, poking them with his wand.  “We’ll get them out of sight for you, and don’t worry, we’ll take the fall from the teachers.”

Remus snorts, helping James pick up Robin as Peter moves and opens the door.  “You mean I will offer an explanation that the teachers will mostly believe, but we’ll still all get detention.  Again.”

James chuckles.  “Come on Remus, you haven’t had a dull moment with us yet.”

You and Sirius watched them leave, Sirius letting out a low chuckle, shaking his head.  “They are terrible.  Can’t keep to themselves at all.”

“Does Remus really lie to the teachers that much?”  You asked, watching as the rest of the students started going back to their drinks, as if not much had happened at all.

Sirius grins.  “He is a much better actor than you give him credit for.”

You look at him, wanting to laugh, but still feeling in shock over it all, and not entirely sure what to process first.  “So…you’ve liked me for a while huh?”

His grin falters and he rubs the back of his neck, pink flushing his cheeks.  “I…well…maybe?”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”  You frowned at him.  “Why did you agree to help me?”

Sirius shrugs.  “I never thought you’d ever like me back, and I agreed because you’re still my friend.  My feelings aside, I didn’t like seeing you so uncomfortable and in trouble, and the fact that you trusted me enough to ask me…”

You stared at him for a long moment, Sirius carefully avoiding your gaze.  Slowly, you rested your hand on his.  “Ask me.”

He looked at you, frowning slightly.  “What?”

“Ask me.”  You gave a small smile.  “Properly.  Without the expectation of covering my arse from a douchebag.”

Sirius opened his mouth a few times, before his frown deepened.  “Technically you asked me that.”

You giggled.  “Well, now I’m giving you a chance.”

Slowly, his frown eased and he smiled, moving a little closer.  “Y/N…would you like to go out with me?  For real this time.”

Smiling shyly, you nod. “Yeah, yeah I would.  I’m sorry I put you through this.”

Sirius chuckled, his arm wrapping around your shoulders.  “Don’t be, I did agree, and if anything, we both learnt we can already play the couple really well.”

Giggling, you felt yourself relax into him, and while you were still worried about what the consequences of hexing Robin would be, with Sirius here, it all just felt a little bit better.

[honeypirate]

Lunch Date

Julius Novachrono x Reader ActorAU

Warning: Black Clover (major) spoiler!!! So like don’t read if you haven’t watched/read it bc it 🤯 to me. It’s decently sweet. Like semi a friends to lovers bit and I’m thinking of a sequel already.

Summary: spending your lunch breaks with Julius!

Notes: Okay so didn’t do much actor research for this so it might be semi mediocre but I love Julius too much to not write more for him.

Tags: @simpingforthisonedeer ♥️

Being part of the backstage crew for a popular television show was hectic and chaotic. From fixing props to sewing Secre into her gown when it malfunctions, you’ve done it all.

Even checking ‘fall for a major actor’ off the list.

You were standing behind the scenes, making sure everyone was in their places as the director calls action, making sure people were on their marks so that the crew could work their magic properly.

You weren’t listening to the acting or the words, just making sure things went off without a hitch. “Okay” you said into your headset “Julius stands then the wall explodes with Jack and Yami sparring”

Julius goes to stand but his robes were caught on the chair, making him trip. Which wasn’t very funny but Yami has been on a giggle kick all day so when his laughter cuts through the scene it wasn’t surprising.

“Cut! Everyone take lunch. Be back in an hour we’ll pick right up here again” the director said as he pinches the bridge of his nose, needing a break from Yami no doubt.

You make eye contact with Julius and smirk as you giggle under your breath. He just rolls his eyes with a little smile before he heads to his dressing room.

One of the interns signs for Julius’ lunch he had ordered and you take it from them, sending them off to make sure Noelle got her updated script as your heart races at this opportunity.

“Delivery” you say with a smile as you knock on the edge of his doorway

“Y/n! Thank you! I didn’t expect an angel to bring my lunch to me” he says with a smile and you laugh a little in shock, cheeks heating and heart fluttering, trying to pretend like you weren’t about to have a heart attack, you shrug “i was in the right place at the right time”

“I’m glad you’re here actually” he says as he takes the bag “i didn’t see you with your usual lunch box this morning so I got you your favorite” he says and hands you a box, semi blushing cheeks “would you like to eat with me?”

You look at the box in his outstretched hand, you didn’t even know he knew your favorite order. You return his smile and take the box “only if you let me bring you lunch tomorrow to make up for it” he laughs “it’s a deal”

For the next two and a half months of filming you alternated lunches, either buying for each other or bringing in homemade. You eat and chat and steadily fall more for the goofy blonde.

“This is my last day of filming” he said and you nodded as you chewed, the sinking brick in your stomach all day had kept that fact fresh in your mind. You know you’ll still keep in contact but you’ve really enjoyed his company during lunch.

“Except for a few flashbacks im needed for, but that’s what happens when your character turns into a 13 yr old” he finishes with a sigh and takes another bite of his lunch.

You chuckle “yeah when I read that part of the script it completely threw me through a loop. My favorite character actually didn’t die and he’s now a kid!” You do the motion for mind blown and he laughs, wiping his lips on a napkin as he finishes his lunch.

“I’m your favorite character huh?” He says with a smirk and you roll your eyes like your cheeks weren’t hotter than ever

“But am I right in saying you like the actor more than the character?” He asks, elbow on the table and chin in his hand as you take a sip of your water thinking about how to respond.

Your hands were sweaty and you felt flustered with his blunt question. You took a breath and sent him a flirty smile

“I do like reality better than television, if I’m being honest” you say with a flirty smile and he chuckles

“Then you wouldn’t mind if I kept coming to see you for our lunches?” He asks “That’s one of the things I’ll miss the most, Our lunch dates”

you feel your heart flutter as you look into his hopeful eyes

“These.. uh.. these have been dates?” You asks shyly and he laughs, leaning back and scratching the nape of his neck

“Well I mean we never specified that they were, I just liked to think of them that way. But I mean if you don’t want to think of them like then that’s fine!” His voice was higher than usual and his cheeks flushed. He was messing with his hands, you noticed he only did that when he was nervous or when Yami would tease him and get him flustered.

You laugh and grab his hands gently “Julius I’d love if you kept coming to have lunch dates with me. And now that I know they’re dates we can step it up and maybe go out for lunch maybe. Like a real date”

He sighs with relief and chuckles “if we want a real date maybe you’d let me take you to dinner tonight?” He asks, excitement glittering in his eyes and you laugh with a nod “yes I’d love that too”

“Julius is needed in makeup” goes through the speakers and he laughs, kissing the hand that was in his before he stands “time for this wizard king to die” he says and you laugh and roll your eyes “but after that he gets a hot date so I guess it all works out for him” he sends a wink your way before he heads off to get ready for filming.

Thanks for reading! if you liked it pls rb ♥️

[notveryglittery]

absolutely smitten

summary: sometimes your coworkers are ridiculously in love but too dumb to make a move so obviously you've got to give them a push in the right direction. wc: 4,700 / ship: roman/patton (royality) content: human au, actor au. patton-centric. some crying, some kissing. mutual, oblivious pining. confessions of ~love~! background talyn, joan, remy, and thomas.  background brotherly moxiety, romantic analogical, and frenemies(?) moceit. janus is kind of an asshole (but that’s patton’s opinion dot vine).  author’s note: so, sometime in october 2019, i saw this post by @sirasanders  for the first time ever which was, frankly, a Crime. because it had been posted in february 2019 and the fact that i had gone that long without seeing/being tagged in a royality post? Illegal. anyway, i was struck with inspiration and began writing and sure it might have taken nine months but... here it is! i'm really proud of it! i hope you enjoy! 

many thanks to @rosesisupposes​ for beta reading!! <3 read on ao3!

— — —

Patton was not a morning person. Sure, he liked the idea of sunrises and consistent schedules and having time to make himself a big breakfast. All of that, however, required waking up. So to put it more accurately, Patton was not a waking up person.

Usually, all it took was a cup of coffee.

Thankfully, that part was never something Patton really had to worry about. The sweet, sweet bean elixir was delivered to him personally each morning sometime after arriving on set. Something he did worry about, though? Constantly? Nearly every hour of every day? Just what exactly he and the bringer-of-drinks were.

Like… yeah! He and Roman were… friends? They were coworkers for sure, without a doubt, and Patton liked that a lot! Working with Roman never failed to brighten even his darkest days. Patton could arrive on set in the lowest of moods and sometimes all it took was one warm smile from Roman to melt the icy feeling in his veins. Sometimes, it was the way Roman would slide up next to him at the catering table, moaning about how hungry he was, asking for Patton’s opinion on what he should treat himself to. Sometimes, Roman would take Patton’s hand and lead him to The Sanders Couch and Roman would sit and then he’d pull Patton down onto his lap and they’d just stay there for a bit, Roman combing his hand through Patton’s hair and singing quietly… If Patton was being honest, that was the easiest and quickest way Roman helped him to feel better.

Just friends, though! Right?

Roman remembering Patton’s usual go-to orders from Starbucks didn’t mean anything. He was just being courteous. Maybe it wasn’t even that; maybe it was just Roman wanting to make sure Patton would be at his peak during their scenes. Actors had such bad reputations after all and the last thing Patton wanted was to be a nightmare to deal with on set. He was grateful, really, of all Roman did to help him!

He just wished he wasn’t so confused.

“Patton! Good morning!”

Okay, time to put all those confusing feelings away.

Talyn’s bright grin and brighter hair never failed to impress Patton. Maybe one day he’d learn their secret to feeling this energetic so early in the morning but until then, he’d just have to keep wishing for the day coffee chains lowered their prices.

“Morning, Tal,” Patton responded, unable to help himself as he reached out and ruffled Talyn’s colorful locks.

They grumbled and swatted his hand away. “I’d be offended that you don’t seem to realize how much time this takes but I don’t think you even know what a hairbrush is.”

Patton pouted and reached up to tug on one of his curls. “I’m hurt.”

Talyn huffed, a sort-of laugh that reminded him of Virgil, and rolled their eyes. “I’ll be extra gentle with your makeup to make up for it, then.”

Before Patton could express appreciation for the play on words, Talyn was swept up and away in a blur of blue plaid and orange. He was pretty sure it’d been Joan, given how they were scarcely seen without their tell-tale flashy beanie.

While interacting with Talyn had helped Patton wake up a little bit, he was already feeling the heaviness of being up early weighing him down again. The reminder of the scene they were supposed to be filming today probably wasn’t doing him any good, either. Not only was it going to be a lot of crying, which was already exhausting on its own, he and Roman were supposed to kiss. Patton was supposed to kiss the possibly-maybe-wouldn’t-it-be-nice love of his life.

His cheeks went hot at the very idea and Patton all but slammed his face into his hands and screamed into his palms.

“Easy, buttercup, wouldn’t want you bruising, hm?”

Patton lowered his hands and glared at Janus over his fingertips.

“Oops,” Janus smirked and stepped back. “Didn’t realize you haven’t had your coffee yet.”

Patton frowned and folded his arms over his chest. “Is it that obvious?”

Somehow, in the time it took him to blink, Janus had moved, loping around Patton with a contemplative hum. One of these days, he’d learn how Janus managed to get around so fast.

“Look,” he said, draping an arm over Patton’s shoulders and pointing, “right there.”

One of these days, Patton would stop falling for Janus’s pranks.

Today was not that day and so when Patton directed his gaze towards where Janus was gesturing, he was provided the very startling sight of Roman coming in from outside. He was practically glowing in the sunlight, his hair was tousled from the wind as if he’d rolled out of bed but left it intentionally disheveled, and they’d just made eye contact and so Patton saw clear as crystal the way Roman’s smile curled up so easily and prettily.

Oh no, he was so pretty.

Patton ducked out of Janus’s hold and bolted away, towards his dressing room.

That… could have gone worse? Yeah, he could’ve tripped while running away and face planted and made work super difficult for Talyn and ruined the whole shoot today and everyone would be mad at him for wasting their time—

“Patton?”

By absolute sheer willpower, Patton didn’t scream.

“I’ve got your caramel macchiato.”

Patton was going to melt.

“Extra extra espresso.”

Scratch that, Patton was already melting.

“Thomas said it looked like you’d need it.”

Wait, what?

Patton opened the door to handsome Roman, considerate Roman, lovely Roman, and spoke before his brain could get any more mushy at the sight of handsome considerate lovely Roman. “Thomas hasn’t even seen me today?”

Roman held the reusable tumbler out for Patton to take. “Extra caramel, too.”

Patton took the offered drink and if it weren’t for the fact that this happened nearly every morning, he’d surely have dropped it the moment his and Roman’s fingertips brushed. Thankfully, he’d gotten used to it by now. Mostly, his heart reminded him when butterflies took flight in his stomach. Right, yeah, mostly. Anyway.

“I’ll see you in a bit, then,” Roman said and Patton was probably imagining the soft earnesty in his tone. He tried to dial down his high hopes.

“In a bit, then…” Patton managed, smiling sweetly, before stepping back and closing the door.

By some miracle, he didn’t sink immediately to the ground despite definitely feeling like a melted marshmallow. Instead, he drained half of his drink and then finally let himself scream.

In a bit turned out to be a couple of hours. It wasn’t anything Patton wasn’t familiar with but that didn’t make it any less agonizing. An indie film meant a smaller crew which meant Talyn could do the makeup on only one actor at a time. Fortunately, the scenes today weren’t very extensive which meant less folks to work on. Unfortunately, the scenes weren’t extensive because they were all plenty aware of how emotionally draining they’d be and had essentially planned for it. Crying came pretty easily to Patton so he wasn’t worried about that part. It was the after: the headache, the puffy red skin, the sore throat.

Talyn muttered as they worked, wondering why they were even bothering with makeup when it was all going to be ruined by the end of filming, anyway. In the reflection of the mirror Patton was sitting in front of, he could just barely see Roman getting his hair fixed. He was gesturing, no doubt telling a story of some sort; Remy had to keep pushing his hands back down anytime they got in the way. Patton was sure the hairdresser was scowling as he worked. If anyone was less a morning person than Patton, it was Remy.

“I love that smile as much as the next, Pat,” Talyn said, sighing, “but I don’t need it just yet. I can’t work when your eyes are all cute and crinkly.”

He murmured a quick apology and schooled his expression into one carefully blank. Talyn got back to applying his eye makeup. It didn’t take much longer before they were finished and Patton was sent on his way to get his hair done next. He and Roman passed by each other and Patton did his best to not swoon quite so obviously when Roman grinned at him. This part went by considerably quicker given that Patton could no longer see Roman in any reflections and that Remy had no patience for anything taking longer than absolutely necessary. He was finished before Talyn was with Roman which meant Patton could head off to see their director for any final adjustments or tips.

Thomas looked like he’d been through the wringer and the day had barely begun. Patton was frowning as he approached, wondering if anyone had told Thomas that his shirt was inside out.

“Morning, kiddo,” Patton greeted, coming to a stop beside him.

Thomas startled, nearly dropping the script he was holding. “Patton!”

“Oops,” Patton said sheepishly, “didn’t mean to spook you.”

Thomas waved the papers dismissively. “Nah, I oughta be better aware of my surroundings. Especially with someone like Janus around.”

Patton scowled. “Yeah, he got me this morning.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Thomas responded and Patton did not like how cheeky he looked all of a sudden. “That one seemed more like a treat than it did a trick.”

Patton really wished he didn’t blush so easily! He couldn’t even try and cover his face because then he’d risk messing up Talyn’s hard work. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh.”

“Anyway,” Patton interrupted loudly before Thomas could keep teasing him. “Has anything changed with filming today that I should worry about?”

Thomas shook his head. “Nah, we’re still all on the same page.” He hesitated. “Sorry that today’s gonna be so taxing on you guys.”

“I’m just hoping we can get it done in one take.”

“If you don’t, Talyn will have to fix you up again,” a new voice said, effortlessly joining their discussion.

“Speak of the Devil,” Thomas muttered.

“And he shall appear!” Patton finished for him before turning to Janus with a glare. “You know it’s rude to eavesdrop?”

Janus shrugged carelessly. “Joan’s looking for you,” he told Thomas, as if backstage and onstage weren’t small enough for Joan to find Thomas relatively easy on their own.

Still, Thomas shot Patton an apologetic look and went off to find his best friend.

In a near perfect match of their earlier interaction, Patton faced Janus with crossed arms and a frown. “Could you stop messing with me? I really don’t need it on top of everything else going on today.”

“I haven’t a clue what you’re referring to, dear Patton,” Janus said sweetly, all faux innocence.

Patton tried to not let it get to him. The two rarely got along, even on their good days, and Janus knew this, which meant he especially delighted in bothering Patton on his bad days. There really wasn’t any reason for them to be like this except that Janus had been why Patton nearly missed his audition for this film and he’d never apologized and Patton was still holding a grudge.

“Darling, is he bothering you?”

Before Patton could react to the question, an arm slid around his shoulders. The body he was pulled against was warm and firm and smelled of cinnamon and oh no.

Janus was smirking wickedly.

“Roman,” he all but purred. “I would never bother the object of your affections. I wouldn’t even dream of it.”

Patton.exe has stopped functioning.

The conversation continued, if Janus’s moving lips were anything to go by, but none of it processed for Patton. Roman’s what? Surely they weren’t talking about him? No, it was just Janus playing another one of his mean pranks. It had to be! Roman couldn’t like Patton back because if he did… well, if he did, that meant the kiss they were supposed to share on screen today wouldn’t be quite so one-sided and… and that would mean Patton’s feelings weren’t entirely unfounded… Roman did always bring him coffee. He was there for Patton’s low moods. His smile was sometimes so sincere and soft that Patton thought he might melt anytime he was on the receiving end of it.

Patton blinked and tilted his head up just a bit so he could get a better look at his knight in shining armor. Thinking back on it, Roman was often there to help save Patton from Janus’s crueler comments or jokes. He encouraged Patton through each scene, eyes bright and eager when the camera wasn’t pointed at him. He looked a little tense and Patton wondered if he was angry with what Janus had implied or… or if he was embarrassed to be called out on his feelings.

His gaze returned to Janus and he blinked again. Sound started to filter back in. Janus sneered at him.

“Back with us, then?”

“Alright, folks!” Thomas' voice rang out then, commanding attention. “Let’s get started! If we finish early today, I’m treating y’all to ice cream!”

A chorus of cheers followed as everyone moved to get where they needed to be.

Patton slipped out from Roman’s grasp and gave him a grin that he hoped wasn’t as shaky as it felt. In theory, Roman liking him back should have been a good thing. So why was Patton feeling so icky all of a sudden? Was it because, if it were true, Roman hadn’t been the one to confess? It was hardly fair of Janus to go around sharing other people’s secrets.

“Places!”

Patton snapped out of his daze to find Roman standing in front of him. He looked concerned.

“Hey, deep breaths, okay?” He took an exaggerated one to make a point and Patton found himself mirroring it. The slow exhale lightened the weight on his shoulders.

Patton nodded and Roman smiled at him. It was that sincere, soft smile that made Patton melt and, gosh darn it, hadn’t he already done enough of that this morning?

They hurried to their spots. The script was playing through Patton’s head, his lines and then Roman’s following lines, and Patton’s reactions to each line. He focused on the scene and the reason his character was upset and how it’d feel if he were experiencing it personally. One take. They’d get this finished in one take and then Patton could have ice cream and go back to his hotel room and take a nice long nap.

It was easy to forget everything that had happened earlier once he was onstage. Patton had no trouble getting into his roles most of the time; it certainly helped having someone like Roman opposite him. Roman was the best actor he’d ever had the pleasure of working with: self-assured and reliable and knowledgeable. The confidence he exuded was often contagious. The lights came on and out of the corner of his eye, Patton saw the red light flashing on the cameras. Roman winked at him and Patton only resisted giggling like a lovestruck teenager because Thomas had just called “action!”

It went as effortlessly as it usually did. Roman recited his lines with nary a mistake. Patton worked off of him easily, responses slipping from his tongue before the worries or fears of messing up could even try to take hold. The cast and the set around them faded away until it was just Patton and Roman - Patton’s character and Roman’s character - and this moment and this scene and these feelings. He could feel the tears spilling over, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed in his chest, his throat closing up with choked back sobs. Roman’s expression only aided in Patton’s despair; he never wanted to see Roman this miserable ever again.

It felt like a dream, the way Roman’s hand came up and cradled his cheek so gently and carefully. He wiped away a few of Patton’s tears with his thumb. He wasn’t sure which of them leaned in first, just that his eyes slid closed before Roman’s lips met his. Strangely, Patton’s first thought wasn’t incoherent screaming. It was that Roman tasted of peppermint. Then it was who knew kissing distracted so well from crying? Finally, eventually, it was incoherent screaming.

“And cut!”

They didn’t leap away from each other as if electrocuted, though Patton’s surprise at the reminder that they weren’t alone did shock him. Instead, they separated slowly, Roman’s hand drifting from Patton’s face to his shoulder.

“You’re… you’re a really good kisser, Roman.”

It wasn’t until Roman’s face went bright, bright red that Patton realized what he’d said.

“That was great, guys!” Thomas exclaimed, slinging his arms around them both and shattering the fragile space between them. “We’ll look over it real quick for any glaring mistakes but I think it went perfectly! We can fix the little things in post. I think you both deserve a break.”

“Thanks,” Patton squeaked, shooting up from where he sat. “Bye!”

For the second time that day, Patton bolted away and to his dressing room.

The door had barely slammed shut behind him before Patton was diving for the countertop he’d left his phone on. He was calling his second emergency contact and throwing himself into the pile of beanbags, cushions, and pillows in one corner of the room, all in one breath.

“Hey, Pat,” answered the low, rumbling voice of his brother.

Even if Patton had wanted to coherently explain what was going on, he couldn’t have. The words came tumbling out of his mouth without any sense and he kept cycling back to “kiss” and “Roman.” It didn’t help that he was half-sobbing, half-laughing, and all-panicking. At some point, he thought Virgil might have covered up his end of the receiver and spoke to someone else, but Patton was too flustered to be sure.

“Okay, bud, let’s take a minute to breathe.”

And so Virgil counted his younger sibling through several deep breaths, inhaling four and holding four and exhaling four. Once Patton had calmed down, Virgil asked him to repeat what he’d tried to say earlier.

“Oh. Ohh, right, that scene was today.”

“Virgil,” Patton said very seriously, pacing the room back and forth. “I… I think he likes me back.”

“Nooo,” Virgil responded and Patton frowned at his tone. “Really?”

“Why’d you say it like that!”

“Dude… Roman’s crush on you is as obvious as your crush on him.”

“His what?!”

“I’m sorry to say that you got all the gay disaster genes.”

“Tell that to your unsigned Valentine’s Day confession card to Logan.”

“Hey! We agreed to never mention that again!”

There was muffled speaking on Virgil’s end of the call and Virgil snorted. “Oh, that’ll be fun,” Patton heard him say in response. Before he could ask what would be fun, there was a knock at his door.

“Patton?”

By absolute sheer willpower, Patton didn’t scream.

“Answer it before I die of tension,” Virgil deadpanned.

Would it really be so bad if he did? After everything that had happened today, it really did seem like Roman might truly like him back… Sure, Patton wanted to bury himself into a hole and never leave out of embarrassment because of what he’d said after the kiss, but… It wasn’t like they were finished filming. Patton was going to see Roman again, whether he liked it or not.

“I’m hanging up now, okay?”

“Okay,” Patton whimpered. He was frozen a few moments longer, the phone still pressed to his ear.

“I can come back later,” Roman said, voice muffled. “Or not at all, if you’d prefer that. I don’t want to make you uncomf—”

Moving faster than he thought he was physically capable, Patton dropped his cell, and lurched across the room. He yanked the door open to handsome Roman, nervous Roman, sheepish Roman, and acted before his brain could get any more conflicted at the sight of handsome nervous sheepish Roman. “Please don’t leave.”

Roman went from worrying nervously at his lower lip to a small hopeful smile. He looked… strangely vulnerable. Patton wanted to protect him from everything bad, just as Roman had supported and kept him safe in the past.

“Hi.”

“Uhm… hi,” Patton replied. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped back and gestured for Roman to enter.

For the time they’d been working together, neither had been inside the other’s dressing room. Actually, Patton hadn’t gone by Roman’s at all; maybe his was the one with the star-sticker-decorated door. Roman caught sight of Patton’s Comfort Corner and sent him a curious glance.

“It’s better than a chair?” Patton answered with a half-shrug.

“It’s like The Sanders Couch,” Roman said agreeably.

“Did Thomas ever tell you the story behind it?”

“Which one?” Roman asked, laughing. “There’s so many. He has it sent with him to every filming location, you know. Apparently, it’s magic.”

Patton’s apprehension was falling away slowly but surely and he thought it amazing how even being near Roman had that effect on him.

“May I?”

Patton blinked, confused. Roman gestured to the corner.

“Oh! Yeah! Yes, of course.” Patton hurriedly responded, stumbling a little over his words.

“May…” Roman rubbed the back of his neck and Patton didn’t understand what he could possibly have to be bashful about before remembering oh, right, he likes me back. “May we?”

It felt like Patton’s whole body was submerged in scalding hot water. “O— okay,” he squeaked. Before he could melt on the spot like his jelly-wobbly legs wanted him to, Patton joined Roman in settling cozily amongst the beanbags, cushions, and pillows.

It was like second nature to them. Without even meaning to, Patton gravitated towards Roman, curling against his side as if it was right where he belonged. Roman’s hand was carding through Patton’s hair before they’d even fully got their legs positioned just right. In the time that Patton had made this dressing room his own, he’d added frequently to this pile, and he knew for a fact that there was room enough for two people to lounge on it without having to sit too close. As if he weren’t already in a tizzy, realizing how easy it was for him and Roman to be like this… Well, it was a miracle he hadn’t fainted already.

“So…” Roman began at the same moment Patton exclaimed, “I’m sorry!”

Naturally, Roman looked bewildered.

“I should have told you sooner,” Patton barreled on. He pointedly avoided looking up, instead keeping his gaze trained on his hands folded in his lap. “I was just… scared, I guess? Mostly of rejection… uhm, duh… But also of ruining this movie for you? I didn’t want to make filming difficult for… well, for anyone! And I didn’t want to risk doing that just because of my silly feelings.”

“Silly?” Roman echoed.

“And I know it’s not something I need to apologize for,” Patton continued in a rush, “but I’m still so sorry that Janus said what he said. A… about me being the, uh… your… Well, you know. He didn’t have any right doing that.”

Roman laughed, sounding a little incredulous. Patton wasn’t sure what part Roman had trouble believing. It was true, after all! The very idea of someone spilling Patton’s crush without his say-so was absolutely horrifying.

“If I’m being completely honest?” Roman began, shifting just enough that he could cradle Patton’s cheek in his hand and tilt his face up. “I don’t think I’d have had the courage to do it myself, anyway.”

He… He was being genuine, Patton realized with a start.

“You’re the most courageous person I know!” Patton argued.

“I am also terrified of rejection,” Roman amended.

“Now hold on, if I’m scared of rejection and you’re scared of rejection, then who’s flying the plane?”

Roman laughed so hard, Patton was jostled by it in his embrace. It was a sensation he wouldn’t mind getting used to.

“Regrettably, I think that Janus is our pilot.”

Patton pouted. “Don’t like that.”

“We might owe him a thank you.”

“Don’t like that!” Patton repeated.

“Well, how about something that you do like?” Roman suggested, still holding him so carefully, still looking at him with such a sincere and soft smile. Still, there was just a hint of trepidation in his tone, the tiniest bit of unease in his eyes.

Patton realized awfully late that neither of them had actually, completely declared their feelings yet. He sat up in a hurry, placing a hand on Roman’s chest, and taking a deep breath. He thought it might give him at least a moment to sort his thoughts so that he could give Roman the confession he deserved. He thought wrong.

“You!” he practically shouted. “I like you! So much! It’s ridiculous! It’s exhilarating and scary and wonderful and well, I mean—” He stuttered to a halt, dissolving momentarily into breathless giggles. “You’re so considerate, do you know that? You care so much and you have so many little ways of showing it! And oh my god, you’re the best coworker I’ve ever had. You’re so full of passion and dedication, it’s an absolute joy to act alongside you and, and—” Again, Patton paused, but this time it was thanks to Roman’s slack-jawed awe. Raising both arms, Patton took Roman’s face in his hands and squished his cheeks a little. “And don’t even get me started on how handsome you are.”

In the time he’d known Roman, Patton had never seen him speechless. Patton was worried that he’d broken him. The seconds ticked by until, eventually, Roman made a sound akin to a tea kettle whistling. He slowly leaned in and down until Patton had to let go, instead opting to wrap his arms around Roman’s neck. With his face hidden now in Patton’s shoulder, it became clear how hard Roman was shaking.

“Was that too much?” Patton asked quietly.

Roman mumbled something but Patton couldn’t have understood it if he tried. Maybe he just needed a few minutes to collect himself. After some time, Roman did emerge, looking a bit more calm. Patton hardly had time to worry what this meant for him before Roman pulled Patton’s hands loose from where they’d been curled in the hair at the nape of his neck and held them gently in his own.

“I like you,” he started, oh-so-seriously. “I think I like you more than I like theatre?”

Patton gasped.

“Hush,” Roman teased, stifling a laugh. “I wake up some mornings and make it out of bed just because I know I’ll see you. It’s so easy to exist around you. I’ve never felt judged or hurt by you; you’re exceedingly kind and thoughtful. I cherish all of our moments, whether candid or staged. You’ve brought stability to my life in a way I never expected and I can’t tell you how important that is to me. Your grumpy pre-caffeine face cheers me up more than the sun in the sky does!”

“You hush,” Patton muttered, only able to fake offense for a few seconds.

“When Thomas takes us all out for ice cream, could we share a sundae?” Roman requested and he almost sounded shy about it. It made Patton’s heart flutter.

“There’s no one else I would want to banana split with,” Patton quipped.

Roman dropped Patton’s hands and groaned, planting his face into his palms. The last of the tension in the air vanished and Patton finally felt like he could breathe a little easier. He leaned back a little, trying to keep it together.

“Aw, come on, that was really just the cherry on top!”

Roman’s response might have been muffled but that didn’t hide the sound of his grin.

Patton shimmied and wiggled his way out of the Comfort Corner until he was back on his feet. “I hope you aren’t considering Taking Back Sun-dae,” Patton said, putting on his best pout.

“Oh my god,” Roman managed before he broke and fell into a fit of laughter.

Patton gave in too, though he was slightly distracted by the sight of Roman so carefree and happy. That was another thing he’d have to get used to, he supposed… Not that he minded. In fact, Patton decided as Roman eventually got up and pulled him into a tight, warm hug, he was really looking forward to it.

[tchallasbabymama]

M’Baku’s Love- Chapter 3

Let me know if you want to be tagged, and make sure you check out my masterlist HERE for chapters 1& 2 and my other stories. 

Also, just so y’all know, the last scene has paraphrased lines from the movie (which you should definitely go watch if you haven’t yet.)

Enjoy!

Word count: 2392

___________________________________________________

The day of the open house was upon them and M’Baku was more than excited to get to work with Monae some more. The workday crept by and as soon as the clock struck 5 he hurried out of his office and down the two flights of stairs to the arts wing. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was going, but he followed the sound of drums coming from one of the rooms. He walked up to the door and peeked in, seeing Monae teaching a class full of children West African dance. He leaned up against the doorframe and took in her graceful form and mesmerizing hips. He could have stood there and watched her move forever until one of the kids turned and saw him off to the side.

“Hi Mr. M’Baku!”

Monae and the kids turned towards him and greeted him. Monae’s smile was the brightest in the room.

“Hello children, Miss Monae.”

She sent him a small wave as the children surrounded him, all talking at once and all wanting to show him their moves.

“Alright, kiddos, lets all show M’Baku what you’ve been working on before you get out of here, Ok?”

“Ok!” 

The drummers started back up and the kids started to dance, the looks on their little brown faces making Monae smile at their joy. She watched her students with pride as they finished the number and took their bows. She and M’Baku both erupted in applause.

“Very good, class! Ok y’all can go on home now. If you come to the open house make sure you stop by and say hi, Mr. M’Baku here is going to be my assistant for the evening.”

The kids grabbed their bags to head home, some of them stopping to hug Monae and M’Baku on the way out to their guardians. M’Baku was taken aback since he had not had enough experience around young children to know they have no concept of personal space. Monae laughed at the confused look on his face, a near permanent fixture he was becoming used to by being in this new land. He was just happy he could make her smile. 

After the last child ran out, almost tripping over her shoelaces, Monae introduced M’Baku to her drummers Kehinde and Rodney. They bonded for a bit before Rodney slid out of the way to let M’Baku play his drum.

Monae couldn’t help but move with the way he struck the beautifully made instrument.. Her feet and hips took on a life of their own and she let the beat carry her however it saw fit. M’Baku already thought her choreographed dances were beautiful, but this? Her natural movement called to him as he moved her body with each stroke of his hands. Neither one of them were sure how long they were going for, but Rodney had to clear his throat to break the trance.

“Hey so I uh, I gotta head out. Sorry to interrupt whatever that was.” He pointed between the two, obviously picking up on the chemistry.

“Yeah, no, y’all get outta here. It’s late anyway. See you tomorrow?” 

“Of course.”

“See ya Monae, byyyeeee M’Baku.” Rodney and Kehinde snickered as they left the room.

“So, what first?” M’Baku asked, still coming down from the high he just experienced with her.

“Woo, sorry, let me uh catch my breath real quick...you’re good.” She gestured towards the drum.

“So are you,” he gestured towards her body and she cracked a smile.

“I’m aware.” She walked around him to the other side of the room to start straightening up the space. He joined in and the room was spotless in minutes.

“So,” she clapped. “I figured since the kids love you so much you’d be great at keeping them busy while the adults talk to me. Nakia brought us a bunch of Wakandan children’s books, so how about you read to the kids? You have to do voices though, if you don’t do voices I’m putting you somewhere else.” She was dead serious.

“What kind of monster does not change their voice to read to children?” M’Baku asked incredulously.

Monae’s mind flashed to two years ago when she asked Derrick to do something similar at the after school program where she volunteered. He just read it straight like it was a speech, and the kids were restless. It was a nightmare.

“You would be surprised. Ok so take a look through these and see if any jump out at you,” she handed him the crate full of books and he thumbed through them.

“I do not see any Jabari books,” he pulled out a small notepad and began scribbling his thoughts down.

“You don’t use the beads like the others?” 

“I could, but it is unnecessary technology for the most part.”

Monae nodded, remembering that the Jabari preferred to live analog. 

“Let me run this by you real quick, and you tell me what you think,” Monae started as he turned to give her his full attention. “I have sooooo many Wakandan beads I need to get rid of, so how about I set up a jewelry station across the hall? Just some beads and string, nothing too fancy. Then over in the paint lab I was thinking of using these extra textile scraps and old magazines to make mixed media collages. For the last station I have like a million gourds for the kids to paint, and I figured they could do that next door. I have three volunteers set up at each station, so don’t worry, you’ll have help with the kids. I wouldn’t just throw you to the wolves like that.” She winked at him as M’Baku nodded along, processing everything she said.

“This is not my specialty, but that sounds like a good plan to me.”

“What is your specialty?”

“I am a man of many talents, as you can see, but I am a warrior above all else.”

Her cheeks felt hot as she tried to quiet the damsel in distress inside her brain. She cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“You mentioned that there aren’t any Jabari stories in here. You don’t have to use the books if you’d rather go off the cuff with it.”

M’Baku’s gap toothed smile shone through as his theatrical side woke up from its slumber. 

“You might regret that later.” 

______

The children loved M’Baku so much they barely touched the crafts Monae had set up for them. He regaled the kids, and the adults, with Jabari folktales about snowmen and giant gorillas and how the Jabari came to be.

“And then the Jabari left for the mountains. For centuries, the Jabari and the rest of Wakanda were angry at each other until-“

“Why?” interrupted a kid with his front two teeth missing.

“Well because the Jabari cared more for tradition and old ways, but the Wakandans wanted everything shiny and new. They argued so much they had to move away to keep the peace, and that is when Hanuman guided the Jabari to the mountains.”

“Who’s Hanuman?” asked a little girl with beaded cornrows.

“The god who guides and protects us.”

“My mama says theres only one god and his name ain’t Hanuman,” she responded with an attitude. Some of the parents and kids nodded along in agreement. 

“Well, you see, your mother is simply wrong-”

“Ok, that's enough for now. Let's give Mr. M’Baku a round of applause for storytime, huh?” Monae interrupted before things got too heated, and the crowd clapped for their griot. 

People wandered in and out of the room for the next couple hours, enjoying the crafts and M’Baku’s storytime. Monae kept everything running smoothly, including refilling M’Baku’s water bottle multiple times to keep his voice strong.  Shortly before closing time T’Challa wandered into the room and sat with the children listening to the same stories M’Baku had told so many times that night Monae could recite them herself. When it was over and the last guest had left the center all the staff and volunteers breathed a sigh of relief. 

“I think that went well!” M’Baku said, his voice hitching from overuse.

“Drink some more. Oh yeah, they absolutely loved you. You know T’Challa recorded your dramatics while he was here? You could win a Tony with that performance.” Monae gushed, proud of her, uh, friend. 

“Who?”

“It's an award for stage actors. I’ll make you a list like the one Captain America had.”

“What sort of list?”

“Of pop culture and historical things you should know. He spoke about it in an interview a few years ago and I thought ‘that’s brilliant, I’d do that too’ but I never had the chance...until now.”, her excitement was palpable. 

“That is a good idea, I will have to commend him on that the next time I see him.”

Monae froze.

“I’m sorry, you know Captain America?”

“Well yes, he and some other Avengers have been to Wakanda a couple times.”

Monae was speechless. She’d had a huge crush on Steve Rogers ever since he defrosted.

“I- what’s he like?” she asked, barely forming words.

M’Baku found her obvious fawning amusing and wondered if this is how she would look if she spoke about him to others. 

“He is nice,” M’Baku said before leaning in a little closer. “Especially for a colonizer.”

Monae cackled and they continued to straighten up the room. Once the area was sufficiently cleaned for the night, the two headed out to their cars. Monae yawned as they packed her little electric car full of art supplies.

“It seems it is past your bedti-” he was cut off by the sound of his stomach trying to climb out his body. “Well, then.”

They broke out into laughter, only subsiding when her stomach answered the mating call.

“Would you like to accompany me to dinner? It will be my treat. I was planning on going to The V Spot for some more jackfruit tacos.”

“Mmm, they have these vegan nachos that I would sell my arm for, but I’m so tired I’ll probably fall asleep on you. Next time?” she sent him an apologetic grin. 

“Next time it is, then.”

Monae turned to get into her car before stopping and turning back around to face him.

“You know what? I think I have one good hour left in me. Let’s meet there.”

_____

Both of them were too tired to speak, especially since M’Baku had done enough talking that night to warrant a week of silence. M’Baku paid for their food and they left, still in comfortable silence until reaching the sidewalk.

“Let me walk you home, you should not be out here by yourself.”

“M’Baku I can literally see my building from here.”

“And? Anything could happen between here and there. I would never forgive myself!”

The butterflies in her stomach were in full flight mode, and her face grew hot. She playfully rolled her eyes at him and turned away to mask her blushing face.

“Ok fine.” She said with faux reluctance. She wanted nothing more than to spend every moment she could with this man, but the ring weighing down her finger made it challenging. She knew she shouldn’t feel this way, but Derrick is always out of town on business and she can feel the relationship slipping away. Even before M’Baku swooped in, her feelings for her fiance had started to dwindle. However, she did enjoy spending time with M’Baku and she figured there’d be no harm in taking the short stroll between The V Spot and her place.

“So, which direction?” M’Baku asked and Monae pointed to the right before they slowly took off down the street, arm in arm, in silence once again before Monae spoke up two minutes later.

“Well, this is me.” 

They both just stood there, not knowing how to end the night.

“I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow?”

“Of course...I will say though, where I am from when you walk someone home from a date there is usually a goodnight kiss involved.”

She was stunned at his forwardness, and she could feel her pulse all over her body.

“But I guess this was not really a date, huh?”

“Um, n-no. M’Baku you know I’m engaged.” She said, looking down.

“Yes, but do you?” his eyes narrowed and he tilted his head as stepped closer to her. She didn’t move away, so he took another step forward so that their bodies were almost pressed together. 

“It was date-like.” she conceded.

He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in tight, closing the tiny gap of space left between the two of them. Her hands found their way to his chest and his other hand came up to tilt her chin upwards before he placed a light kiss on her lips and let her go. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked over his face. She took in his prominent brow and his strong jaw, his pillowy lips and his soft eyes. He was a giant wall of a man and she couldn’t get enough of how he felt up against her, 

“That’s it?” she teased before pulling him back and making him lean down into a deeper kiss. His hands rested respectfully at the small of her back despite his desire to explore her body more, and hers rested around his neck for the same reason. They broke away quickly when the door of the apartment building opened and an older man walked out with his dog, undoubtedly to go on a nighttime walk around the neighborhood before retiring for the night. He looked at them and shook his head before mumbling something under his breath about heathens. 

They looked back at each other and broke out laughing. 

“You should go,” Monae said softly while fiddling with his collar.

“I do not want to,” he whispered.

“I know, but-”

“You are engaged. I know,” he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Goodnight Monae.”

“Goodnight M’Baku, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He waited for her to get inside before turning around and heading back the way they came to make the short journey to his temporary home. The entire walk back, he hummed along to an unwritten love song in his head with a goofy smile on his face. He could still taste her and, by Hanuman, he wanted more.

Next Chapter

[jeonsjiddies]

how not to | kth

Summary- Taehyung takes Tannie to the vet and develops a crush on the vet, and proceeds to tell a few white lies to see her again word count- 1.6k pairing- taehyung x reader genre- fluff Warnings- none? a/n: loosely based on How Not To by Dan + Shay, for my beautiful @sugarly-laysa​  ; another one in third person, idk lol

The first time Taehyung saw her, he almost dropped Yeontan, who was the whole reason he’d walked into the vet in the first place. Yeontan had been lying around Taehyung’s apartment, just whining pathetically and refusing to eat or drink. Taehyung had panicked and scooped the small dog into his arms, dashing towards the closest vet. He threw the doors open and anxiously talked to the receptionist, while gingerly stroking Yeontan’s fur to soothe his beloved dog-son.

“Don’t worry Mr. Kim, the doctor will be right out.” the woman smiled reassuringly but Taehyung couldn’t stop pacing around the small lobby.

Then, she walked out of the swinging doors and time stopped. Taehyung swore that the colors around the room dulled in comparison to the way she shined. Light seemed to follow her, like she was an angel and the air around her was her halo. Yeontan wiggled in Taehyung’s loose grip, snapping him back to reality. He tightened his arms around the pup and walked up to the doctor.

“Hello, Mr. Kim! My name is Y/N. Please follow me and I’ll take a look at Yeontan here.” she flashed him the most enchanting smile he’d ever seen.

Momentarily speechless, Taehyung just nodded and quietly followed the unfairly gorgeous veterinarian to an examination room and placed Yeontan on the table, stroking his fur to relax him.

“So, Mr. Kim, what seems to be the problem?” Y/N asked, putting gloves on and gently patting Yeontan’s head.

“He won’t eat or drink and he’s acting very lethargic.” Taehyung explained, “I’m very worried. Tannie’s usually full of energy and always ready for a snack.”

She nodded, furrowing her eyebrows together and gently pushed on Yeontan’s stomach, feeling around for abnormalities. Yeontan let out small whimpers, but didn’t yelp or snip at her. He was the perfect gentleman and Taehyung was a little proud of that. Y/N looked over Yeontan for a bit, doing a few tests and looking in his mouth, checking his temperature, making sure she didn’t miss anything that could be troubling the poor little guy.

“I’d say he ate something he shouldn’t have. I’ll prescribe him some mild pain relief and you can just keep a good eye on him, and come back if anything gets worse, okay?” Y/N instructed him, and Taehyung nodded obediently, his eyes glued to her every movement.

He just couldn’t find it in himself to look away. She handed him the script and pet Yeontan one more time, leaning down to speak to him specifically.

“I hope you feel better, buddy.” she cooed sympathetically.

Yeontan, though he still looked rough, gave her a couple of kisses and leaned into her touch, which she smiled at before scratching behind his ears then standing up.

“Thank you so much, Y/N . Really.” Taehyung bowed a bit, looking up at her and when her eyes met his, he felt shivers run up his spine, which only intensified when she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Kim.” she smiled.

“Taehyung. Or Tae. Please.” he returned her smile.

“Tae.” she corrected, his name rolling off her lips like dripping honey.

Instead of responding, Tae sent her another smile before exiting. His heart was thrumming in his chest as he carried Yeontan back to his car, immediately going to fill the prescription for him to clear up his tummy issues as soon as possible.

A week and a half later, Yeontan was back to normal, but Taehyung was not. He could not get Y/N out of his head, every time he closed his eyes he could see the way her eyes sparkled, the way her lips curled up in that sweet smile… he didn’t know how not to think about her. He needed to see her again.

Biting his lip, he glanced at Yeontan and debated his plan. It wasn’t exactly ethical to lie and say that something was wrong with Yeontan when he was fine, but he had no other method of seeing Y/N, seeing as how his social media stalking had come up empty handed. Taehyung scooped Yeontan up in his arms and brought him up to his face.

“Listen buddy. I know you’ve faked sick before so I would stay home… think you can do it again so we can visit that pretty doctor?” Taehyung grinned, “I’ll give you a treat!”

Yeontan wagged his tail and barked excitedly upon hearing one of his favorite words, and Taehyung took that as an agreement and set off for the vet. Entering the building, he felt nervous. He hoped she wouldn’t notice his true intentions for coming in and embarrass him.

“Hello, Mr. Kim.” the receptionist greeted, “Back again?”

“Yes, Tannie seems to not be feeling well again…” he trailed off, avoiding eye contact.

Yeontan, on queue, let out a pitiful whimper.

“I’ve got you checked in, Y/N will be right out to get you.” the receptionist smiled sympathetically.

Taehyung stroked Tannie’s fur in a silent thank you as he waited for the beautiful doctor, and when she finally stepped out, Taehyung felt the air leave his lungs. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Maybe more.

“Hello Tae, Tannie. Come on back.” she smiled.

Taehyung followed her and set Yeontan on the exam table, shooting the Pomeranian a look, and mouthing “treat” which caused Yeontan to let out another pathetic whimper. Y/N’s gaze snapped to the small dog and she cooed softly in sympathy, doing another checkup. Several minutes went by and Taehyung was getting more nervous, pulling on the collar of his shirt and working up a light sweat.

“I can’t see anything wrong with him… when did this start?” Y/N asked.

“Last night.” Taehyung lied.

“Hm… let me do a few more tests but I think he might just have another tummy ache. He should be fine.” Y/N smiled encouragingly.

Taehyung nodded, watching as she worked on Yeontan, who was an amazingly good sport. He was getting so many treats. Soon, they were on their way, bidding the doctor a goodbye and going home, where Taehyung rewarded Yeontan with treats and bites from his own dinner.

Two months later, Taehyung was embarrassed to admit he still brought Yeontan in under false pretenses sometimes. He didn’t do it often, less than a handful of times really, but he still felt awful that he couldn’t just gain the courage to ask Y/N  out. She was just so beautiful he couldn’t find it in himself to put himself out there.

He walked into the vet's office, and the receptionist wasn’t stationed at her desk. Taehyung frowned in confusion, looking around. He waited a few minutes then decided to go searching for someone. He quietly turned the corner to the examination room, and heard voices coming from it. He peered in without being seen, and he saw Y/N facing someone with a light blush gracing her cheeks.

“I wonder if he’ll show up this week…” Y/N giggled.

“Who?” he heard the voice of the receptionist ask.

“The hot guy with the Pomeranian who comes in like every other week, Taehyung. I haven’t seen him in a few days and I think I’m going through withdrawals.” Y/N joked, placing her arm across her forehead dramatically.

“Oh right!” the receptionist laughed.

“The things I would do to that man…” Y/N  trailed off with a smirk.

The receptionist seemed to choke on something while she laughed and Taehyung felt his chest swell up with pride. She liked him. She liked him! He tried to sneak away unheard but Yeontan decided it was the perfect opportunity to start disobeying his dad, and he let out an excited bark and jumped from Taehyung’s arms, running up to Y/N and wagging his tail, jumping up on her legs to beg for pets.

Y/N’s eyes grew wide as she stared at Taehyung, who stood sheepishly in the doorway after being caught eavesdropping. Both their faces were bright red with embarrassment and the receptionist took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed, while Y/N picked Tannie up and began stroking his fur, avoiding eye contact with Taehyung.

“I, uh… am sorry if you heard anything um… unprofessional…” she coughed.

“Sorry I kind of creeped on your conversation. I waited in the lobby but when no one came I got concerned.” Taehyung explained, then his demeanor changed, taking on a playful one as a smirk graced his lips. “Hot guy with the Pomeranian, huh?”

“Oh god you heard that.” she whined, using her free hand to cover her face.

Taehyung let out a chuckle, stepping closer to her. Her eyes shot up to meet his, and he smiled, biting his lower lip in nervousness.

“I’ll take it as a compliment… if you agree to have dinner with me tonight. Say 6? After you close.” he spoke, his voice coming out more even and sure than he thought it would.

“I’d like that.” she smiled up at him, “But does that mean you’re going to stop pretending Yeontan is sick?”

“You knew?!” Taehyung gasped.

“Tae… Tannie is a great actor, but you’re a terrible liar.” she giggled.

Taehyung hid his face in his hands and laughed, the tips of his ears turning pink.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked.

“I didn’t want you to stop coming.” she shrugged.

Taehyung smiled at that, and the doorbell chimed, signaling a new customer, so Taehyung decided it was time for him to leave. He took Yeontan from her arms and placed a chaste kiss to her cheek. Her eyes widened but she smiled at him.

“See you tonight?” she asked.

“See you tonight. Maybe we can talk about all those things you’d do to me…” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, a playful smirk on his lips.

“Oh god. Get out.” Y/N laughed, shoving his back to propel him forward.

Taehyung laughed, letting her push him out into the lobby, and spent the remainder of the day thinking about all the possibilities that awaited the two of them. As usual, he couldn’t stop thinking about the beautiful doctor with the heart of gold, he just didn’t know how not to.

[t-lostinworlds]

Extra (Tom Holland)

A/N: What is this? I have finished something? Me?? posting?? A FIC? WHAT? Is the world actually ending!?!? I think I’m funny but I’m not, clearly. Glad to be out of my writing rot tho aha. Hope you guys like this one!

Pairing: Tom Holland x Singer!Reader

Summary: You get a sweet but very extra surprise on your birthday nearing the end of your show.

Warnings: Fluff and my usual typos

Word Count: 5.5k+

Masterlist in Bio

-:-:-:-:-

The sound of your phone just going off uncontrollably was what woke you up, and you were completely sure that it wasn't your alarm.

You squint your eyes at the bright glare of the screen, a huge contrast to your still dim hotel room. You literally had just woken up hence why the curtains aren't open yet, it's still a bit too early after all.

Flicking the ringer on silent, birthday greetings and messages from friends and families were still flooding through, your phone now vibrating instead of your loud ringtone, giving your ears a break.

As you read through and responded to all of them, you couldn't help but feel a little down after you realized you haven't seen his name yet.

Of course you feel grateful for all the sweet messages everyone has sent you, your heart is melting from all the love. But there's that slight disheartened feeling that you can't seem to shake, slight worry that your boyfriend might have forgotten about your birthday.

You haven't heard from Tom since yesterday morning, which now makes it almost a full day. After he texted you that he was going to be doing a lot of stunts and is probably going to be super busy, he then just disappeared, not even slipping in a text good night. You did let it pass though, because he might have been quite knackered after the shoot.

Message to Tom: Good morning bub <3 Just checking up on you since you haven't read or replied to any of my messages at all. Hope you're okay and haven't injured yourself Thomas. I really miss you a lot and I love you loads x

Your frown could only deepen as you hit send, still no response nor any sign that he's got your messages whatsoever.

Normally, it wouldn't really be a big deal but the last you've seen him in person was three months ago. He was busy shooting the third installment of Spider-Man all while doing a few projects on the side. And you, well, you're touring around the world.

You could be patient and blame it on the time difference why he hasn't greeted yet, but he's just behind a couple hours. Tom has made it a habit of always greeting you at midnight no matter what and where, he's just cliché like that, and it was definitely passed midnight in New York.

God, you sound so much like a whiny and ungrateful brat, but you can't help it, you just miss him so much.

Maybe you've gotten so used to always spending your birthdays with him so the first time that you're celebrating it from different parts of the globe, it does makes you sad.

You did try to make ends meet, but a week before today, he's brought you the news that he can't fly out due to conflicting schedules with some of the actors he's working with, and that it's critical that he's there on the day. To be the leading role of a gigantic movie, asking a few days off is never that simple.

On the other hand, you have a show today and tomorrow, so flying to him isn't exactly ideal either. You understand of course, you are sort of in the same line of work, but still, it doesn't make you feel any less gloomy.

With one big stretch, you placed your phone back on your side table as you slowly got out of bed, opting to go and take a shower to then head down and meet the crew for breakfast.

Maybe you'll hear from him later in the day.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and still not a single word from Tom.

You were growing worried because it was so unlike him to be very cut off and silent.

Did he lose his phone?

You tried to contact Harry—who's with Tom currently—but he too wasn't responding. Everything was just off and odd altogether, the tiny pit in your stomach only growing bigger the more you worry and think about where your man is.

"Have you heard from Tom?" You asked with furrowed brows the moment Molly, your manager approached you on stage. Your hand found its way to fish your phone out of your pocket to check it for the umpteenth time, but still, no sign of him.

You were finishing up your final soundcheck before you were off to a mini get-together—snacks and drinks included—with some of your fans. It was your alternative to a meet and greet because you'd rather hang out and have real conversations with them than the whole quick snap and go.

She shook her head at you all confused, a slight glimmer in her eyes that you didn't quite catch. "Uh no, why?"

You sighed. Tom doesn't really contact your manager unless its important matters, so you don't even know why you're asking, maybe you've just grown desperate to hear even the smallest thing from him, just anything. "Never mind. Is it time?"

"Yeah, they're all waiting for you."

You simply nodded as you followed her off stage, handing the guitar over to your guy on the way.

Walking through the hallway, you kept your head down, eyes glued to your phone as you respond to more messages from people, but also checking if Tom has come back from ghost town.

You were aimlessly following Molly to wherever room or space they set up the get-together in, just watching her shoes and never looking up from your device. That, until you heard a few shuffling of rushed feet and a door being slammed shut.

"What was that? And what's in here?" You asked, eyes now trained on a door of what looks like another dressing room. Molly continued walking, so you kept following but with your gaze still glued to the door, curios as to what's going on inside because you definitely can hear a bit of ruckus.

"Oh just the staff, that's one of their rooms." She answered casually, not even bothering to give you or the room a glance.

"Is it weird if I just go inside and say thank you? Would that be too... intrusive?" You pondered, halting in your tracks as you contemplated on knocking. You just wanted to extend your gratitude for all their hard work, but you aren't sure if they were comfortable with you suddenly just strolling in.

"It's not weird at all hun, but you've got a schedule." She smiled at you sweetly, nodding her head towards the direction of the get-together.

"Oh right, yeah, let's go."

You gave the door one last look before turning on your heel to follow Molly once again, up until you reached another space covered in curtains. And the moment your bodyguard pulled it open, wide smiles on faces greeted you as they all sang in tune.

"Happy birthday to you!"

You laughed as you shyly shook your head at them. Warmth coated your whole body in an instant as love and pure adoration radiated off of the space, off of your fans.

You did as much as wave your fingers in the air as they sang, serving as a conductor because for the number of years you've been on this earth, you still have no idea what to do when people sing the birthday song to you.

* * *

"I can't thank you guys enough for being here with me tonight. You guys have been so incredible, you always are." You breathed out as your voice echoed throughout the whole arena. You looked at the thousands of people who came tonight to see you perform with a proud grin, their energy never wavering as they sing your songs back to you from each melody to lyric.

Adrenaline was pumping through your veins as you tried to catch your breath, taking the water bottle off of the floor and lifting it up to your lips to have a quick drink.

"Now, give me everything you've got for this last song alright?" You spoke into the mic once you've rehydrated.

"Wait, wait. Don't you guys agree that Y/N is killing it tonight?" Your pianist, Sara, interrupts, the crowd cheering in agreement at her input. "And judging by today's occasion, I think we all owe her a little song." She added, earning a hearty laugh from you as you brought the mic back to your lips.

"You guys don't have to—"

"Happy birthday to you!"

The song was played no matter your protest, Sara leading the crowd as she plays the tune on her keys, the rest of the band following suit.

Your laugh bounced off the walls as you stood there in complete awe. It was a beautiful sight to see, the crowd all singing in unison, lights up in the air as they pour all their heart to the simple yet special song. The song still filling you up with joy and warmth despite having heard it countless of times for the whole day, and the fact that all these people were there for you? It was definitely the icing on the cake.

"Thank you so much you lovely people, y'all are making me emotional. And they say the best way to spend your birthdays is with the people you love and the ones who love you, and they were absolutely right. I'm so blessed to have you guys tonight, because I do love you all very much." You stated fondly the moment they finished with a loud cheer, a hand placed right atop your heart as you feel it grow ten times its size.

"Y/N, we've got another something for you." Sara spoke before you could even get another word out, hand gesturing towards the large screen right behind you.

"Oh god, is this mission make Y/N ugly cry today?" You laughed, turning around just in time too see the tour artwork turning pitch black to then be replaced by a huge countdown.

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

The crowd roared in delight as Mr. Niall Horan joined with Lewis Capaldi appeared on screen, large pints of Guinness on hand with their arms around each other as they give you their birthday greeting.

"Happy birthday Y/N! But since we're halfway across the world, we'll be there with you in spirit. Also, Lewis and I decided to celebrate anyway so cheers to you and have an amazing day." Niall chuckled as he lifted his beer up. "I'll make sure to have a good drink for you Y/N! We miss ya and we love ya!" Lewis added with a cheeky grin, and you couldn't help but shake your head at the two with a big smile of your own.

You've worked with them both on a few songs, and both were the funniest yet sweetest gentlemen you've met in the industry, especially when you put the two together.

Both of them emptied their glasses as they bid their goodbyes, Niall's loud laugh echoing throughout the arena when Lewis spilled before they disappeared on screen.

The crowd went even louder once Shawn Mendes' pretty face appeared on it next, sporting his usual bright smile as he gave you his short but sweet greeting. "Happy birthday Y/N! Wishing you all the best in life since you deserve all of it! Can't wait to work with you again soon! Have fun on your birthday honey!"

You shook your head in disbelief. An amused smile was plastered on your face, still unable to fathom that a few years ago you were a huge fan of him. And now you can say you've worked with him, even call him a friend. Funny, how the universe works.

Alessia Cara came up next with a smile, wide and bright, you're heart melting to see one of your greatest and closest friends. She's just a pure and kindhearted soul, a rare beauty. "Hey there you lovely and amazing woman! Happy birthday! I miss hanging out with you a lot but I shall see you soon! Keep conquering the world Y/N! I am so proud of how far you've come and you deserve every bit of success that comes your way. Again happy birthday! Have an amazing one and I love you!" She blew you a sweet kiss and waved you goodbye, tears already brimming in your eyes at all the love and appreciation thrown your way.

Next were Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, who you've grown close with through no other person than Tom. Both were clearly on set sitting on directors' chair in their characters' outfits. Both looked a little tired but they still greeted you with wide smiles nonetheless.

"Happy birthday Y/N!" They screamed in unison. "We wished we could be there with you to celebrate your birthday but you already know how these things go." Z pouted, Jacob copying her as well and you couldn't help but giggle. "But soon when we get a break we will catch up and celebrate your birthday." Jacob added with a knowing grin. "Anyway! Duty calls so enjoy your birthday and have great one! We love you!"

Then friends and family came up on screen, ones who you've missed most having been away from them for so long and that's when you felt your heart ache a little. Happy tears were brimming in your eyes as each of them shared their lovely messages, saying how proud they are for how far you've come. And when those words come from the people who you truly care about, it means the absolute world.

The next person to share their video message didn't help with the tears either, a hushed sob escaping your lips the moment you saw his familiar face.

The crowd behind you screamed at the top of their lungs the moment Thomas Stanley Holland appeared on screen, handsome face sporting that sweet and charming smile as he sat in his trailer wearing his Spider-Man suit.

"Hello darling. My love, I'm so gutted that I'm not there so celebrate your birthday with you. If I could teleport myself by your side right now, I would in a heartbeat, but anyway, happy birthday sweetheart!" Tom exclaimed joyfully, grin all beaming and you couldn't help but miss him even more.

"Oh, where do I start? Well, I can start by saying how proud I am of you, so so proud of the gorgeous, powerful, strong and successful woman that you've grown to become. You've worked so hard to get where you are today and it fills me with so much happiness knowing that you're out there traveling the world and doing what you love the most." The crowd cooed at Tom's sweet words, your heart was already melting at the seams as more tears threaten to spill, and he wasn't even done yet.

"You deserve the whole world if not more with how kindhearted and compassionate you are. And gosh you make me feel so happy and loved. I feel so lucky to have someone like you in my life, I can't even begin to describe to you exactly how much, and if I tried? Then we'd be here for hours on end. And lastly—because I'm being called to set right now, if I wasn't I'd be talking about how amazing you are some more—I am truly, madly and deeply in love with you Y/N. You are my world and I hope I make you feel loved every single day, because you truly deserved to be."

"Tom they're waiting for you."

"Yeah, just one more minute." Tom calls out to someone off shot before his eyes landed back on the camera, staring straight at you through the screen with a guilty smile. Guilty because it pains him that he's not there with you. "I love you dearly, and I miss you so much. I'll make it up to you I promise. Once again, happy birthday to my beautiful girl and I shall see you soo—"

All of a sudden the screen went static, Tom's words being cut off as you heard nothing but white noise. Then everything just went black, the whole arena dark as the night as gasps of surprise and screams of panic echoed throughout its walls.

Tell everyone to stay calm Y/N, we're fixing things up.

Your sound guy spoke in your in-ear. You nodded despite the fact that they probably can't see you due to the darkness. Turning back around to the audience, you spoke into the mic. "I'm sorry guys, just technical difficulties. Just stay in your seats in be calm, the lights should be back on in a minute."

And as if on cue, the crowd screamed as the power turned back on. However, after a few seconds, they turned unusually rowdy, too rowdy for it to be only that reason. Slowly you got the feeling it wasn't only because of that, judging by the volume and power of their cheer, and by a few fans pointing at the stage as if they're seeing something you aren't.

For a split second, you met eyes with Molly who was right by the side of the stage. She had that all-knowing grin on her face as she pointed towards something behind you.

Confused, you turned around, jumping in sheer shock when you were met by a hanging, upside-down person dressed in a red and black Lycra suit, face all covered with a mask making the identity of the person pretty much unknown.

Your heart beat quickened as you stumbled back on your feet at the sight of the person, your brain registering it back to a specific boy—one who you saw on screen minutes ago wearing the exact same outfit—even if there was no confirmation as their face wasn't even shown. Your whole body was trembling from surprise, excitement but also worry that it might not be who you think it is under that mask.

Emotions were all over the place as you stared right at upside-down, masked-face of Spider-Man who held a birthday cupcake in hand.

"No, no, stop, please, is this a prank?" You croaked out, shaking your head as tears started to escape your eyes, question a must because you're having a really hard time believing what you're seeing.

It's been a long day, you just really wanted to make sure that what's happening is real and not just a figment of your imagination. You had to make sure that it wasn't the desperation of you missing your boyfriend painting pictures in your head. Not only that, but to really be sure that it's actually him under that mask.

"Guys! Don't even play! Please don't get my hopes up. That's a stunt double right?" You asked into the mic as you looked at your band and the rest of the crew for answers, who gave you nothing but wide smiles. You just feel like it would be too good to be true, and you really don't want to face disappointment if it wasn't him.

On the other hand, out of all the things they could have done to prank you, why would they choose this? It's a bit cruel to prank someone on their birthday now doesn't it? Especially when it involves playing with their emotions?

Unless, it's not a prank at all and you're getting way too ahead of yourself.

Mr. Spider-Man beckons you over, finger pointing at your hand to which you held the mic. With tears already clouding your vision, you moved closer slowly.

Reaching a close enough proximity, you had one hand over your mouth to silence your whimpers as the other lifted the microphone up to where Spider-Man's mouth is supposed to be. And the moment he spoke, you've lost any sense of control over your emotions or your sanity, his voice just too familiar for it to be someone else's.

"Why don't you take off the mask and find out yourself darling?"

You shook your head at the upside down boy as joyful tears streamed down your face, shaking hands lifting up to hook your fingers on the edge of the mask, pulling it down and removing it fully to reveal the face of the man you love.

"You sneaky bastard." You laughed tearfully, Tom only grinning at you all proud, his face now turning redder as the seconds pass by, being upside-down and all.

"Happy birthday sweetheart." He chuckled, offering you the cupcake, which you took gladly, balancing it with the mic on your hand. You were unable to form any more words as you stared at Tom, still unable to believe that it's actually him, and that he's here, in the flesh.

The crowd started to chant the word "kiss" over and over, making you throw your head back in pure laughter.

"We should do the kiss." Tom wriggled his eyes brows at you, mischievous smirk in play and you couldn't stop your eyes from rolling at your boy. But still, you gave in anyway as you cupped his face softly, your heart skipping a beat at the feeling of his warm skin against your palm.

You brushed the tip of your nose with his with a hum, moving closer until there was no space between you two as you captured his lips in yours, all while trying to manage the whole upside-down situation.

Tom sighed in pure satisfaction to finally feel your lips on his after months of being deprived from it, your touch making him feel like he's floating, which says a lot given the fact that he was already hanging mid-air all while being upside-down.

The kiss didn't last long though, too many prying for you two to cherish the moment. The crowd, on the other hand, cheered in amusement at the extremely cliché but sweet gesture, you and Tom giggling between the kiss at the loud support.

"Okay, I'm actually getting dizzy now." Tom laughed once you pulled away, hand gesturing for you to move just a little bit farther, and when you did, he flipped himself right-side-up with ease. A few guys then rushed on stage to help him with the wires, and once they were off, Tom turned to you with a sweet smile, face coated with wholesome contentment to finally see you in person again.

"You're actually here." You whimpered, fresh tears wetting your cheeks some more once he stood right in front of you.

"Aww darling, come here." Tom cooed with a soft chuckle, arms wrapping around your frame as he held you close to his chest, pressing a sweet kiss on top of your head. You couldn't contain your sobs as you buried your face on the crook of his neck, the smell of his perfume filling you up quickly and it only made your grip around him tighten.

You just miss him so damn much, and to actually have him here on your birthday, to be holding him so close after months, it was making every fiber of your being emotional.

"I haven't missed your birthday, not a single one, ever. Why would I start now?" He whispered against your hair, swaying you from side to side in a comforting manner, a soft sigh coming out of you as you felt your heart grow with even more love for this man.

"I still haven't decided if I hate you or love you for doing this." You giggled with tiny sniffles, pulling away to get a proper look at his handsome face, the face that you'll always be glad to see. Hate because he almost gave you a heart attack and for making you worry about him for being gone for a day, and love because, well, he's here now isn't he?

Tom only shot you a wink. "I'll tell you all about it later." He says, hand reaching down to take the microphone from you.

"Hey everyone, I'm Spider-Man." The crowd roared at that, Tom laughing in pure glee, all proud of his choice of words as he slings his arm over your shoulder and pulled you to his side. "I just want to thank you guys for supporting this amazing woman right here. I've been watching the show from the very start and you guys have been incredible."

Tom turned to look at you lovingly, smile coated with delight and adoration, voice layered with nothing but certainty. "I love this woman a lot, so thank you for making her dreams come true and for making her happy."

With just that, you were able to conjure even more tears as you looked at Tom all adoringly with a small pout. The boy stared at you with just as much love, cooing at your reaction as he gave you a soft kiss on the forehead.

How have you managed to get so lucky?

"Right, I'm done crashing your show so take it away my love." Tom finished as he handed the microphone back to you. Giving you one last warm squeeze and a peck on the lips to match, Tom was then waving goodbye to the audience and disappearing side-stage to watch the rest of the show.

Taking in deep long breaths, you turned to the audience with a laugh. "Okay, wow. Mission Ugly Cry is a success then. I haven't see him in months okay I couldn't help the tears."

"I wasn't expecting that at all as you can probably tell by my reaction. How am I supposed to top that now?" You rubbed your temple in feign worry, the audience cheering you in mere support.

You were still sniffling from all the crying along with your throat being little dry. And you were thankful for waterproof mascara otherwise you would've looked even more horrifying.

"God I'm such a mess, can I have some tissues please?" You asked, looking around the crew for help as you attempted to wipe off the tears with your fingers.

Instead of the staff, Tom ran back out with a box of tissues and a bottle of water in hand, making you shake your head in utter hilarity at how corny he is. You couldn't hold back your laughter when he handed you the box of tissues, pulled a couple pieces and held his fingers under your chin as he wiped your tears for you, all gingerly as if he was retouching your make up. After that, he opened up the water bottle to help you drink, then fixed your hair up jokingly and squeezed your nose playfully right after.

Once he was done with, he gave you a chaste kiss on the cheek, waving one last time at the crowd before returning back to side-stage.

"My new assistant everyone." You joked, keeping your eyes on your boyfriend with a grin you can't seem to wipe off. Tom mirrored your expression as he gave you two thumbs up in support for the last song, and with that you turned back to the crowd with a deep, satisfied sigh.

"Right, let's go out on a high note."

* * *

"Absolutely killed it." Tom praised, engulfing you in a warm embrace the moment you got off stage, a soft thank you coming out of you as you squeezed him back.

On your way back to your dressing room, You kept each other close, his arm slung over your shoulder with yours around his waist as you walked through the hallway.

"I'm not leaving your side by the way. I missed you too damn much and I'm not going to waste any second by being a little far from you." Tom shot you his best puppy dog eyes combined with a cute pout, a sweet giggle escaping your lips that made Tom's heart melt ten times over. "Well, I'm not complaining."

It wasn't that long of a walk from the stage to your dressing room but you had time to kill, so you turned to look at your man with a curios glint in your eyes.

"Tell me how you've managed to pull off this extremely over-the-top surprise? I mean, you could've just showed up in my dressing room and I would've cried just as much." You pointed out. Not that you didn't like what he did, you loved what just happened, every second of it, but you cannot deny that what he did was as extra and cliché as one can be.

Tom shrugged with a chuckle, "I know. But I wanted it to be special, you deserve nothing but. And you've got to admit, dangling upside-down in the middle of the stage during your show, all while dressed as Spider-Man is pretty impressive. Plus, we did the kiss. I'd say it's an amazing birthday surprise."

"It is amazing. I just happen to forget how extra you are sometimes." You teased. "I am, but you love me for it." Tom retorted back with a smirk, causing you to roll your eyes with soft laugh.

"Yeah, I do. Thank you so much bub, you always make my birthdays memorable." You sighed, wrapping both your arms around him with a smile full of gratitude. Tom planted another kiss on your forehead, a bright smile on his lips to match yours as he hummed. "Anything for my angel."

"Now, details Holland."

"Right, managed to pull some strings a a week ago and was able to ask few days off, so the whole conflicting schedule wasn't entirely a lie but it wasn't as serious as I made it out to be. Flew out last night right after the shoot. I couldn't handle just lying to you which is why I didn't respond to any of your messages in case I slip up. I'm sorry about that love."

"And then out of nowhere I thought how awesome it would be to pop up as Spider-Man in the middle of your show and do the famous kiss, so I asked Marvel a favor and thank goodness they let me borrow the suit. Called Molly to tell her about my plan, she helped quite a lot. Arrived here earlier this morning, did a test run with the wires and all that while you were still back at the hotel. Changed into the suit to then wait for the time. Oh! And if you actually looked up from your phone earlier down the hall on your way to your get-together, the whole surprise would've been ruined."

You gasped as you smacked his chest lightly. "That was you! I knew something was up." You felt really played, knowing you could've seen him if you did as much as peek up from your phone. But then again, it would've ruined the whole thing, and you really don't want to change anything that has happened today, so you're glad you didn't.

Tom could only laugh at your reaction, giving your pout a sweet peck before continuing. "The video messages were planned a long, long time ago but we made a few edits at the end of my bit to make it dramatic and here we are now."

And just as he said those last words, both of you now stood in front of the door of your dressing room. If there's one thing you always tend to be surprised about Tom, it's his impeccable timing.

"You are something else Thomas." You gushed, referring to today's escapade and just in general. You really are so lucky to have someone like him in your life, so thoughtful, caring, kind and just all around amazing.

You don't really know what came over you but the moment he opened the door to your dressing room and are your way inside, just knowing that you two were finally alone, you grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him down, crashing your lips on his as you pushed him back against the door, closing it shut in the process.

Tom chuckled lowly at the sudden change in mood, hands taking home on your waist as he relished the taste of your lips, one he's missed so bad.

The thick fabric of his suit was starting to irritate him for he just wants to feel your skin on his fingertips, especially after so long of not having to touch you. It got on Tom's nerves even more when he felt it grow even tighter than it already is.

And when you started to nibble on his bottom lip as your hands inched down his body slowly, Tom groaned, pushing you away gently, just for a little room to breathe. "Darling, it's very uncomfortable, borderline painful when I get hard in this suit, you know that." He grumbled, brown eyes a shade darker as his grip on your waist tightened.

You giggled, recalling all the times you've teased him whenever you came to visit him on set. "Hmm, let's get you out of it and go back to the hotel then."

Tom's bottom lip got caught between his teeth at your suggestion, your insides churning as he looked at you lustfully, a deep rumble erupting from his chest when he said,

"We definitely should. After all, this isn't the only surprise I have in store for you sweetheart."

-:-:-:-:-

Like & Reblog if you enjoyed and let me know what you think! <3

[writtenjewels]

Blush

The thing about being in a pub was that even though he was technically alone, Jacob had plenty of company. And he was hoping to get more soon. He had sent Maxwell Roth a note that he knew the older man wouldn't be able to resist and was now waiting for the gang leader to show up. Would he be the sort of person to arrive early, to be on time, or to be “fashionably” late? Jacob was betting on the last of these three but Roth surprised him by showing up earlier than the time Jacob gave him. Roth paused for a moment to scan the room before making his way over to Jacob's table.

“Hello, my dear.” Roth took a seat across from him. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I didn't think you would need a reason,” Jacob replied. “ 'Why not', right?”

“Touché, my dear. I'm delighted you're starting to embrace that philosophy.” Jacob took a drink in lieu of responding. The whole reason he asked Roth here was so they could talk to each other without the Blighters around. He would have invited Roth to the hideout, but didn't feel like explaining the man's presence to Agnes or Bob. This pub was perfectly neutral territory.

“I can't imagine the music here is up to Alhambra standards,” Jacob mentioned after a moment.

“More's the pity. There's an intimacy in pubs that is difficult to replicate. See how comfortable they are with participating?” Roth gestured to two patrons, who were drunkenly singing along to the piano player's tune. “That's something I think should be encouraged at the Alhambra. Perhaps I can incorporate it into my next performance.”

Jacob couldn't help smiling; Roth's passion was one of his favorite qualities in the man. “I'm glad I could inspire you.” Roth turned his gaze on Jacob. The look was familiar and it gave Jacob the same sensation of nerves and excitement.

“Oh, Jacob, I thought you understood: you've inspired me from the moment you stepped foot into this city.” Jacob instinctively ducked his head to hide his blush. Thank god the lighting was dim, so it was even easier to mask his reaction. He liked when Roth said things like that but he wished he could get the older man flustered, too.

Jacob lifted his gaze once he was sure the blush was faded. “You're dressed a bit too fancy to be in a pub,” he observed. “You don't have to try impressing me with nice clothes.”

“I didn't imagine you would be impressed by such things anyway,” Roth answered.

“No. Get me a good weapon or win a few rounds at the fight clubs. Then I'll be impressed.”

“I shall keep that in mind,” Roth assured him. Jacob wondered if it was the man's training as an actor that helped him react so calmly to obvious flirting. It wasn't from a lack of interest, as Roth's own flirting was pretty damn obvious, too. So what could Jacob say or do that would make Roth blush? Was it even possible?

“I wasn't expecting you for another ten minutes or so,” Jacob noted.

“Your message was so intriguing I had to come.” Roth smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I might have been overly eager.”

“What part intrigued you the most?” Jacob was going for a different tactic now. He inched his foot forward until he found Roth's leg and slowly grazed it with the toe of his boot. The man's eyebrows twitched up, his eyes widening a bit. Not a blush but at least it was something.

“How much did you have to drink before I arrived, darling?”

Jacob frowned at the question. Was Roth trying to distract him? “Only the one pint. You haven't answered my question.” He ran his toe up Roth's leg again, this time trying to get up to the older man's knee. This time Roth sat up a bit straighter in his chair and his nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath through his nose.

“Jacob, what are you doing?”

“Trying to have a bloody conversation with you. Are you really trying to avoid telling me why you were so eager to come see me after reading my note?” He had his foot right there so he could have kicked Roth, but instead Jacob rubbed his toe up and down the length of the man's calf.

“I... find it interesting you consider a crowded pub as us being 'alone',” Roth said at last.

“There aren't any Rooks or Blighters about,” Jacob pointed out. “And I promised you entertainment.” He nodded meaningfully to the amateur pianist and the drunk singers. He knew the promise of entertainment would entice Roth, but surely-- Jacob had to take a moment to realize it was the alone part of his note Roth focused on.

I'd like to have a drink with you alone. I promise you'll get some entertainment out of it. That was what Jacob wrote. He swallowed and withdrew his foot away from Roth.

“When you read that I wanted a drink with you alone, you thought--”

“I thought we would be alone,” Roth acknowledged. There at last was some color on his pale cheeks, but he didn't try to hide it. A few awkward seconds stretched between them as Jacob fought for something to say.

“Well, I... could find somewhere, I suppose, where we could drink alone.”

“I would like that,” Roth responded, gently nudging Jacob's leg with his foot.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 12: Closure

(from the My Girl Trilogy: Stay Mine)

…in which they’re the most happy they’ve ever been.

Warning: smut

Word count: 5.1k

AU: actor!Harry, older!Harry, younger!Y/N, (4-year age gap).

Wattpad link (Thea as Y/N)

There are three chapters left :)

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This felt like a dream. He’d awoken beside her so many times before but it wasn’t until this morning that it felt official. He lay on his side with an arm folded under his head, taking in her sleeping face. She looked so beautiful and serene, just staring at her alone gave him butterflies in his stomach. He thought he was too old to feel this way; butterflies sounded so juvenile, but he was way past feeling embarrassed about it.

As if she could read his mind, her mouth gave a subtle twitch, and he could tell she was awake.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Her eyelids fluttered as she blinked lazily at him. “I love it when you pull an Edward Cullen.”

Her voice was hoarse from last night, the memories of which made his hard cock jerk slightly. He stroked her naked side and dragged her closer. She nuzzled his neck as he kissed her forehead.

“You’re so warm,” she said. “And hard.”

He let out a small gasp as her cold fingers closed around his cock. All it took was her touch and Harry was a goner. Sex had been added to their morning routine a long time ago, but the idea of them getting to do this more often now that she lived here made it all more exciting.

They made love, and she’d come twice before he carried her to the shower so she could wash up and wouldn’t be late for work.

“There’s no need to rush,” she reassured him while he was washing her hair. “I’m buying us some more time together. I’m sure Eddie doesn’t miss me, but I’ll surely miss you.”

The beam on her face made his heart leap. He grinned, massaging her scalp while holding her gaze. “Look at you. We’ve only lived together for one day and you’ve already become clingy.”

She nodded and spread the soap across his chest. “By next week, I’ll be crying and hugging your legs when you leave for work. Don’t say I haven’t warned ya.”

He laughed and playfully bumped his forehead against hers. “Come on, Princess. Let’s get you cleaned and I’ll drive you to work.”

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Eddie was over the moon to see Harry again. He literally pushed right past Y/N before she could say hello and tugged Harry into a hug. Harry hesitantly patted Eddie on the back, eyeing Y/N questioningly. She could only answer with a shrug while trying not to laugh at Eddie’s fangirling moment.

“Congratulations on your Oscar nomination!” Eddie pulled back, gripping Harry’s arms and grinning from ear to ear. “It’s just two weeks away! Are you excited? What are you gonna wear? Oooh, how are you gonna style your hair?”

“Jesus, let the man breathe, Ed.” Alice emerged from behind one of the shelves and ambled toward them, her burgundy lips arched at Harry. “I’m so sure you’re gonna win. You’re the best actor of our generation.”

“You’ve never watched any movie the other actors were in.” Eddie’s remark earned him a warning glare from Alice.

Harry laughed and waved her compliment away. “Don’t hype me up. It’ll just make me cry harder when I lose.”

“Don’t say that!” cried Alice.

Eddie turned to Y/N, his eyes gleaming. “Are you gonna attend the Oscars?”

“Of course!” She tousled Harry’s hair and smiled widely. “I cannot miss a chance to see Harry cry in public.”

“Jesus, be optimistic, you two!” Alice yelled, and Y/N responded with a shrug, pursing her lips.

“Lose or win, I’ll cry anyway,” Harry interjected.

“See?” Y/N pinched his chin and tiptoed to kiss his temple. “Only I get him the most.”

“Disgusting,” Alice jokingly coughed as she rolled her eyes and told them she’d have to finish sorting the new arrivals. Eddie seemed relieved that Alice was gone; he was desperate to have Harry’s attention again.

“So.” A smile crept up to his face. “Have you written your acceptance speech yet? Or do you have someone write it for you?”

Y/N snapped her head up to look at Harry with her eyes wide. “I haven’t heard you mentioned your speech.”

“Don’t need one.” He shrugged and draped an arm around her neck. “It’s not like I’m gonna win.”

“Are you joking?!”

“Y/N’s right!” Eddie looked overly distressed. “You can’t possibly think you’re not gonna win.”

Harry pursed his lips and let out a sigh. “This is my first nomination ever. And have you seen the people I’m up against? I’m just happy I got nominated, really.”

“Baby.”

“Yes, baby?”

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows as she crossed her arms. “No, I’m calling you a baby. I’m insulting you.” The way she scrunched up her face cracked him right up. “I’m not joking! You have to take this seriously. What does Jeff have to say about this?”

“Up to you.”

“What?”

“He said, ‘Up to you.’” Harry chuckled. “So I guess it’s up to me.”

She scowled at him. “We’re so having this conversation tonight.”

“Uh-oh, is this where I regret asking you to move in with me?”

“You two are living together?” Eddie brightened, but then Y/N pressed her whole palm to his face and gently pushed him aside. If Harry didn’t know them, he might think she was the owner of this shop and Eddie was working for her.

“Have a good day, Eddie,” Harry told the lad and pressed a kiss to Y/N’s pouty lips. “I’ll pick you up tonight?”

Her expression softened with a beam. “I’ll stop by my place to collect some stuff. Once I’m done, I’ll call you.”

“All right.”

“Harry?” He turned, both eyebrows raised as she walked up to him and grabbed his face with both hands. He bit his lips to stifle a laugh since she looked so ridiculously serious. “Write that goddamn speech.”

“I’ll think about it,” he gleefully told her and ruffled her hair before heading out.

As soon as he got back to his car, his phone buzzed aggressively inside his pocket and he didn’t even have to check to know who was calling.

Gemma.

He considered her name for a long moment until he felt someone watching and spotted a random girl standing across the street, pointing her phone at him. This was why he hated showing his face in public. He waved politely at her and watched her squeal and run back to her group of friends. Hurriedly, he got into his car and drove off, crossing another crossroads before pulling over to answer his phone.

Gemma seemed determined to talk to him. He heaved a sigh as his thumb lingered above the screen, his eyes rolled skyward. Last night, he’d promised Y/N that he would give Gemma and Isaac a chance to properly apologize and explain themselves; he couldn’t back away now.

He slid his thumb across the screen and answered. “Hello?”

“Can we talk, please?” Gemma asked, sounding nervous and uncertain. “All three of us. You, me, and Isaac.”

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Okay. Where do we meet?”

“The coffee shop by your house?”

“All right. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Thank you.”

Harry only hummed as he didn’t know how to respond to that. He hoped he could manage to keep his composure when he saw the two of them together.

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.

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Gemma couldn’t recall the days when her family, all four of them, were happy together. She couldn’t recall how her parents had grown to hate each other. She didn’t even know what had been their first serious fight from which everything had fallen to pieces. When she’d been a little girl, her parents would always send her to her room before they’d started a fight. She’d thought they hadn’t wanted her to be scared. Now that she was older, she knew they had sent her to her room so she wouldn’t overhear something that would ruin her childhood. Somehow she was thankful for that.

However, one night, she had sat in the shadow of the stairwell, peering through the bannisters and eavesdropping them arguing in the kitchen. She’d heard something about a woman named Aleigh, or Alex, or Ally, and had assumed it’d been someone her parents had known from work. That woman turned out to be Emilia’s mother. Even back then, when Gemma hadn’t known who that woman was, she could already tell that that woman had been the reason for her parents’ endless fights, and she had resented the woman she’d never met before. She guessed she’d been right after all. Twenty years had gone by and that woman was still the reason for Gemma’s and Harry’s misery.

When Gemma had told Harry that Emilia’s mother was still alive and Emilia and Winton had been using him all this time, he’d been so calm it’d frightened Gemma. After much thinking, it’d occurred to her that maybe he’d known all along, not really known, but he’d felt something wrong and decided to overlook it all so he could live in the fantasy where Winton was good and misunderstood.

“I’m going to see him.”

“What?” Harry almost spilt the drink in his hand as he flinched. “Why? Gemma, this is—”

“I’m just gonna say a few words and then leave.”

Harry’s gaze jumped to Isaac. “Did you know about this?”

“Yes,” Isaac said.

“And you also agree she should go see the man who’s fucked us both over.” It wasn’t a question and Harry sounded genuinely pissed as he ruffled his hair and exhaled sharply. “Look, you don’t have to do this for me, Gem,” he told her. “The things I gave them, just...let’s just think of those things as an act of kindness. Just cut them out of our lives and get on with it. They don’t deserve that much of our headspace—”

“I want closure, Harry,” she blurted. “It’s easy to just cut people off but they’ll never really leave you alone until you have the final words.”

“You already wrote him a letter.”

“How do I know he’s read it? Besides, that was before I knew about the shady things he did with his new daughter.” She tried not to sound bitter, but from the look Isaac and Harry were giving her, she guessed it hadn’t worked.

“Okay, then I’d go with you,” Harry said.

“No way,” she scoffed.

Beside her, Isaac straightened. “Harry’s got a point. I can’t let you go alone.”

She whipped her head to him. “Winton’s not gonna hit me.”

All three of them froze. Harry mirrored her reaction with his eyes bugging out and his mouth hanging open. She couldn’t believe she’d said that.

“Gem,” Harry ventured, and her heart was thumping so loud it almost drowned out all the other noises. “You weren’t in a car accident the other night, were you?” She didn’t answer, but her unconsciously touching the bandage on her forehead had confirmed his guess. “That son of a bitch!” he half-shouted, receiving questioning stares from a few people around them.

“Winton didn’t—”

“Asher did that to you,” Harry asserted and then grabbed his phone. “I’ll call my lawyer right now.”

Gemma hadn’t got a chance to stop him when Isaac interjected, “Or we can just go to his house and beat the shit out of him.”

Harry slammed his phone down. “Great idea.”

“Stop! Both of you!” Gemma cried out and flung an apologetic glance at the couple sitting across the aisle, who were just trying to enjoy their breakfast in peace. She then turned back to Harry and Isaac, her arms folded, her fists clenched. “Just...let me handle this. I’m gonna handle this myself. I know you care about me but I’m not afraid of Asher. I mean, I was...but not anymore.” She shook her head to make the memories of that night vanish. “He’s gonna pay for what he did, but I’m here to talk about Winton and you’re not going with me, Harry. I want to speak to him alone.”

Harry was quiet for a moment, but he didn’t seem too opposed to the idea anymore. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked at last, his forehead creased. “About Asher and about...you two.”

“It’s...it’s me.” Isaac cleared his throat, giving Gemma a sideways glance. “I didn’t want to let you know—”

She held up a hand to stop him. “Isaac, don’t. You don’t have to take the blame. It was me,” she told Harry. “I was too afraid that you’d judge me and–and you’d get mad at both of us.”

“I would’ve got mad anyway,” he breathed. “But I’m not gonna abandon you or think any worse of you. You’re my sister and I love you, Gem.”

“I cheated on my boyfriend—”

“Who abused you.”

It hurt to hear her brother say the word. If no one had addressed it, she could have just pretended it’d never happened. But it had. Her ex-boyfriend had abused her, and it was just another ugly reality she had to face.

“Still, I could’ve left,” she whispered, eyes on her half-empty cup of coffee.

Harry reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Gem, he wasn’t allowed to lay a finger on you no matter what you did.” She looked up and met his soft look. “I promise I won’t interfere,” he went on, “but can you promise me you will fuck up his life?”

She exhaled a laugh and nodded. “Promise.”

Harry leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms and considered Isaac. “What are your intentions with my sister?”

Gemma face-palmed herself as she felt Isaac squirm in his seat, apparently unsure if Harry was being serious or simply joking.

“I just want to make her happy, H,” he said. “If you don’t trust me, you can ask Y/N—”

“Just as I was about to forgive you!” Harry gasped dramatically, and Isaac let out a laugh. He exchanged looks with Gemma. Both were relieved to know that Harry wasn’t against them. “I’m glad that you two are happy,” Harry continued. “This is a bit weird but...I’ll get used to it.” Then he pinned Isaac with his glare. “If you break her heart, I will kick your ass.” To Gemma, he said, “And if you break his heart, I will tell mum.”

“Classic.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “By the way, congratulations. Heard you moved in with Y/N.”

Harry’s eyes went round. “Who told you?”

“Y/N told Alice who told Niall who told me,” Isaac said.

Gemma folded her arms on the table, leaning forward. “Alice and Niall, huh?”

Harry waved off her speculations. “Niall would’ve told us.” Then he jolted with a start. “Well shit, maybe he wouldn’t.”

“The next time I see him, I’ll make him talk,” Isaac asserted. He and Harry fist-bumped, and Gemma couldn’t stop the smile on her face.

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Y/N knew she’d run into him. He always got home early on Monday night, and still, she’d hoped she wouldn’t get unlucky. When had luck ever been in her favour twice a day?

She was locking the door with one arm carrying a box full of books when a voice came up from behind, “Do you need a hand?” And she felt her stomach clench and sweat trickle down her temple.

She looked over her shoulder, forcing a smile. “It’s fine, I got it. Thank you.”

Blake stood there with his laptop bag slung over his shoulder, waiting for her to finish, waiting for the conversation she’d been running from. Last night, she’d told Harry to talk to Gemma and Isaac and get his thoughts across, so she couldn’t possibly go against her own advice and avoid Blake until he moved back to the States. She might never see him again once he’d left, but she would never stop pondering over the things she could have said but didn’t.

She squeezed her eyes shut and slowly turned, curses springing up in her head. She hoped he couldn’t see past her tight smile, and if he did, it didn’t show.

Blake’s gaze fell to the box she was holding as he raised an eyebrow. “So you’re finally moving in with Harry.”

“Yes,” she answered then quickly added, “It has nothing to do with–”

“Me.”

Her mouth clamped shut.

She’d known this encounter would be awkward, just not this awkward. Her first instinct was to look around frantically as if seeking a place to run and hide. Blake seemed to notice her weird behaviours. He shifted from one foot to the other, staring at them like he normally would every time he got nervous. Whenever she saw him do something like this, she would see the sixteen-year-old boy she’d fallen in love with, then she would remember what he’d done to Laura, to her, and the picture of that sixteen-year-old boy would fade to black.

She heaved a sigh, held his gaze and nodded her head at the stairs going up to the next floor. He automatically followed. He put down his laptop bag beside his leg, and she hugged the box to her chest awkwardly. They sat on the bottom stair side by side. Something about the mood reminded her of their last afternoon together in Holmes Chapel. Their first goodbye. For all she knew, this could be their last.

“How did you meet Laura?” she broke the silence and watched Blake fidget uneasily. It was comforting to know that they felt the same about this situation.

“Her ex-husband was my professor,” he confessed.

“Well, shit.”

Her mindless response made him chuckle. “Yeah...Shit.”

“Were you in love?” This time, he cast her a questioning glance. “With Laura?” she ventured.

“No, I don’t think so,” he admitted. “I was really attracted to her. I’ve got a thing for smart and powerful women.”

She pursed her lips and released a long breath. “I mean, if I went to Yale, I would probably have a thing for smart and powerful women, too.”

He chuckled and waved off her comment. “Nah, it’s not Yale. I just always have.”

She blinked at him. When he caught her stare, she averted her eyes and tucked a strand behind her ear. He didn’t need to explain himself. She knew he’d meant her – she’d been the first ‘smart and powerful’ woman he’d fallen for, which should have made her feel flattered, but all she felt was sadness for Laura. Y/N knew what it was like to be wholeheartedly in love with someone who only loved one small part of you.

“Your book is still getting published, right?” Blake changed the subject, or maybe he really cared. Either way, she was relieved.

“Yes. Maybe I’ll send you a copy when it comes out?”

A hopeful grin lit up his face. “That’d be so cool. Can you sign it first?”

“Sure.”

Silence ensued.

“I’m not sure if you know this,” Blake trailed off. “But you smile the brightest when you talk about books...and him.”

Y/N was taken aback. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Blake smiled as if to tell her he wasn’t expecting a response, and it wasn’t until then that she noticed he also smiled the brightest when he was with her, even if they were talking about another man, the one she loved.

“I’m sorry for everything,” he spoke when she didn’t. “I was so selfish. I said I was doing it for you, but I guess I was doing it for me, too. I thought it could help me get you back, but it was never up to me to decide.”

“Thank you,” she mumbled. That sounded so out of place, but she didn’t know what else to say to him.

“Can we still talk sometimes?” he asked and bumped his shoulder against hers. “When I’m over you, of course.”

She was so relieved to hear his playful tone again. “And when will that be?”

He pursed his lips, his dark brows furrowed. “Let’s hope it won’t be too long.”

She said nothing, but she also wished that for him, and for them.

.

.

.

Gemma’s hands were shaking as she held the shoebox to her chest and knocked on the door. A voice from inside the flat told her to wait just a moment. She shivered as it was the first time in twenty years or so that she’d heard that voice again.

The door was unlocked, and she was standing in front of the man whose face had become a blur in her memories. He was much older now, still, something about him made her feel like time had never passed, and it’d been yesterday when she’d chased after his car, crying and begging him not to leave her behind. The only difference was, he was in a wheelchair now, and she no longer wanted him back.

“Can I come in?” she asked in a neutral tone despite the emotions in his eyes. She knew it wasn’t because he was happy to see her again after that many years. Winton was just shocked and scared to see her after what he and Emilia had done.

He had no choice but to invite her in. She took a seat on the couch in front of him, the shoebox on her lap. The first thing she set eyes on was the massive picture of him, Emilia and her mother. Gemma’s heart sank as she bit her lip and looked away immediately.

Winton asked her if she’d like some tea, and she refused. “I suppose your daughter has told you everything.”

He seemed startled by how straightforward she was. What did he expect, though? ‘Hello, how are you, Dad’? Never in a million years.

“I-I feel awful–” he started, but she wasn’t interested in hearing the rest.

“Save it,” she cut him off. “I have questions and I demand answers.”

“Yes, yes...of...of course,” he stammered, unable to look her in the eyes. “You deserve that.”

She almost said he was in no position to tell her what she deserved, but then she contained her anger and went straight to the point. “Were you cheating on Mum?”

His eyes grew big. When he received a stern look from her, he lowered his head and whispered, “Yes.”

She calmly nodded. “Did you leave us because that woman was pregnant with Emilia?”

“Yes.”

“Was there anything real about the stories you told Harry?” she went on, fisting the hem of her dress. “The trainers. The day of his football match.”

“I was at the game,” Winton blurted, still not looking at her. “B-Because your mother asked me to come. But I could only watch you from afar. I was too afraid that you wouldn’t want to meet me.”

Coward.

She sat up straighter. “And the shoes?”

This time, he took more than a second to answer. “They were Emilia’s.”

Arsehole.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I swear I’m a better father now. Just ask Emilia–”

“You’re an arsehole,” she raised her voice, causing him to jump in shock. “I don’t care how well you treat your new family, but you don’t make people and abandon them. Harry was only five years old when you left us. I fucking chased after your goddamn car and you didn’t even stop to tell me why you had to leave. You’re...you’re a fucking coward!” She schooled her face, trying her best to keep her voice clear and calm. “You’re a shitty person and you don’t deserve our forgiveness. I’m just here to see for myself how pathetic you’ve become. And do you know what the worst thing is?” Tears stung her eyes as her voice dropped, “I cannot feel the slightest amount of joy to see you like this.”

He stared at her with a pained look on his face. She fought back her tears and slammed the shoebox on the coffee table. “Here are your daughter’s shoes.” And took out some bills from her purse, put it on top of the box. “Hospital bills,” she said before he could ask. “Harry told me to tell you you don’t have to pay him back. Not every act of kindness requires something in return. It was what Mum has taught us.”

“Gemma–”

She stood up quickly and straightened her dress. “If you or your daughter ever bother us again, our lawyers will contact you. Good luck, Winton. You’re gonna need it.”

The front door swung open, and Emilia froze when she saw Gemma. Gemma didn’t pay her a second glance as she made her way to the front door as brushed past Emilia into the hallway. She didn’t look back. It felt like a ton of rocks had been lifted from her chest.

Now she could finally breathe, and move on.

.

.

.

“What are those?”

Y/N descended the steps of the building and shoved the box into Harry’s arms, grinning. “Books. This is just a corner of my bookshelf, by the way.”

He laughed and put it into the car before turning back to wrap his arms around her. She buried her face into his chest as he kissed the top of her head. It felt nice to just be able to hold her like this after a long tiring day. He could do this on repeat for the rest of his life.

“Maybe I’ll build you your own library in my house,” he said as she pulled back. “Like in Beauty and the Beast.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “I never knew a Disney reference could turn me on so much.”

“It’s me actually. I turn you on.” He pinched her chin and pecked her on the lips. “By the way, I talked to Gemma and Isaac today.”

“I talked to Blake,” she said nonchalantly. “How did it go?”

“Good,” he said, brushing her hair out of her face as a wind blew right through them. She pressed her body against his own and he wrapped her in his coat, leaving only her head exposed. “Is it just me or is it really weird to see them together?”

“It’s not just you,” she giggled, arms tightened around his waist. “But Isaac’s a really great boyfriend so don’t you worry.”

“Shut up! I don’t need that reminder from you of all people.”

His reaction got her laughing. “I’m yours. I always have been.”

He already knew that, but hearing it from her made his heart flutter every time. “And I’m yours.” He kissed her nose. “I hope you told Blake that when you talked to him earlier.”

Her cheekbones lifted as the corners of her eyes crinkled. “Blake told me I only smiled the brightest when I talked about books and you. So I think he knows.”

“Good.” Harry shrugged. “Maybe he does deserve redemption.”

.

.

.

When they got home, she told him to take a shower first as she had some work she had to finish. He assumed it was just her Uni assignments so he didn’t ask.

As soon as he stepped out of the shower, he screamed and almost tripped when he saw her standing right in the bathroom, holding some papers. She looked extremely serious even though he was naked and dripping in front of her.

“Okay, I have a few options for you,” she said, handing him the pages with her scribbles all over them.

He wiped his hands with one of the towels on the rack and took the papers from her. “What are these?”

“Your potential acceptance speeches.” She clasped her hands behind her back, grinning from ear to ear. “I wrote them at work and polished them up while you were in the shower. I don’t know what mood you’d like to go for so…” She peered over his hands and pointed a finger to each page. “This one is ‘Men also cry’. This one...is ‘I’m better than all of you bitches.’ This one, my favourite, ‘I don’t deserve this but maybe I do but I don’t wanna sound like a conceited asshole’. And here–”

He didn’t let her finish and crashed his mouth against hers. Startled, she pushed him away with a hand on his chest. Her cheeks were flushed, and it wasn’t from the steam. “What did I say about kissing me while I’m talking?”

He shrugged, grabbed her by the hips and her first instinct was to wrap her legs around his waist as he pushed her against the tiled wall. She was kissing him back when she saw the speeches she’d written scattered on the wet floor, and she let out a gasp so loud and patted him frantically on the chest. “Wait, you haven’t read them!”

He refused to put her down, his kisses trailing along her throat. “I’m not gonna use them.”

“Why not?” She pouted but didn’t protest when he unbuttoned her dress and let it fall to his feet. She wasn’t wearing underwear underneath, and he wasted no time to suck a nipple into his mouth. She moaned softly, fingers dug into his shoulders.

“Because I’m gonna write my own speech,” he said into her neck, smirking when she grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged his head back so he’d look at her.

“Really?”

He nodded and pressed a chaste kiss to her cupid bow. “It’ll be for the best if I write it on my own.”

Her expression softened at once. “I trust you,” she said, brushing her thumb across his cheek. “When will I get to read it?”

“At the Oscars if we’re lucky.” He nudged her head back with his nose at her jaw and left open-mouthed kisses down her throat. She’d slid her hand between them, stroking his cock before guiding it to her entrance. She was so hot and wet and ready for him. His eyes squeezed shut as he laughed lowly into her skin. “Maybe I’d take you on the stage with me...and propose to you in front of the whole world.”

She gasped and eased down on his cock with a hand on his shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered and her voice was strained as she joked, “Don’t make me break up with you on live television, baby.”

He kissed her mouth again and thrust all the way in, making her drop her head back against the wall, panting heavily. “What a little brat,” he said through gritted teeth. “Normal people would find it romantic.”

“Have we ever been a normal couple?” she asked and bit his lip. “Now stop talking and fuck me.”

[osakaso5]

Minami Natsume Twelve Hits! Rabbit TV Part 1: Twelve Hits!

Part 2 | Part 3

Haruka Isumi: "RADIO STATION Twelve Hits"?

Torao Mido: Ah... Isn't that the radio show IDOLiSH7 was on last year?

Minami Natsume: TRIGGER and Re:vale also participated in it.

Toma Inumaru: That's right! And we're gonna be on Twelve Hits! this year!

Torao Mido: Hmm.

Toma Inumaru: Why dont you look more interested!?

Torao Mido: It's not like we haven't done a bunch of radio shows before, right? If anything, you're a little too excited.

Toma Inumaru: Hold on... This is Twelve Hits! we're talking about! The famous radio show practically everyone in Japan’s heard of!

Toma Inumaru: It's been on air ever since we were kids, so you've got to have listened to it at least once, right?

Haruka Isumi: Nope. I like RabbiTube better, anyway.

Torao Mido: Haha, you're such a modern kid. Not that I've listened to it, either.

Toma Inumaru: You've gotta be kidding me!

Minami Natsume: I've listened to it. It's a monthly broadcast that has a new host each time.

Minami Natsume: I even appeared in it once when I was still a child actor.

Toma Inumaru: Seriously, Mina..!? That's awesome..!

Toma Inumaru: I've sent a couple messages to it, but they never got read on air. ...So you've already been on it, huh..!

Minami Natsume: Oh dear. If you open your eyes so wide, they'll fall out.

Minami Natsume: Though I must say, I like being gazed at so intensely that it might result in your loss of sight.

Haruka Isumi: Eek... Don't say scary stuff like that..!

Torao Mido: I see. In other words, this radio show is amazing enough that some people would even sacrifice their precious eyes for it.

Toma Inumaru: ...Ahem. In any case, we've got a really cool job ahead of us!

Toma Inumaru: The shows from last year were a lot of fun, too!

Torao Mido: You listened to them?

Minami Natsume: So, you listened to them.

Haruka Isumi: You did?

Toma Inumaru: S-should I not have..? Why are you all looking at me like that!?

Torao Mido: No reason.

Haruka Isumi: No reason?

Minami Natsume: No reason in particular.

Toma Inumaru: You three always work together perfectly at times like these...

Minami Natsume: I was simply commending you for having a genuine interest in even the hosts   who weren't your friend, Nanase-san, without so much as gathering intel on them.

Torao Mido: Hmph. Nothing we could've done about that. Toma wants to be friends with those guys. Probably because he's not satisfied with us.

Haruka Isumi: Torao, stop sulking like a little kid. He's not gonna understand that you want him to pay more attention to you unless you tell him.

Torao Mido: I'm not sulking. I was just pointing out that he goes on and on about people other than us.

Toma Inumaru: ...I just thought it looked fun, the way they were giving each other requests for the show... I kinda wanted to try it, too...

Toma Inumaru: Listening to them made me think about how fun it'd be to do that with you guys!

Torao Mido: Oh..?

Haruka Isumi: Hmm..?

Minami Natsume: So, you want us to complete requests for you.

Toma Inumaru: That's right! Some of them could get pretty crazy and extreme, but it just seemed like something members of the same group do together!

Haruka Isumi: Yeah... I guess Tenn Kujo seemed pretty happy when he got a request from his little brother.

Toma Inumaru: Yep. So you did listen to it, after all!

Haruka Isumi: Huh? Ah..!

Haruka Isumi: N-no I didn't! I just happened to hear it from a car radio on my way somehwere.

Toma Inumaru: If you already know what the show's like, then that makes things easier! Apparently we'll also get requests from the listeners.

Toma Inumaru: Make sure to come up with good ones!

Minami Natsume: Very well. You'll answer anything, won't you?

Torao Mido: Feels nice to be on the asking end of a relationship for once.

Haruka Isumi: Let's rebel like we always do, even on radio! 

- - - -

Toma Inumaru: Is everybody here? Our next radio host's Mina. Let's get working on those requests!

Minami Natsume: Thank you. I'm hoping none of your requests will bore me to death.

Toma Inumaru: Hey, quit putting so much pressure on us.

Torao Mido: What, are you that insecure about your request, Toma?

Toma Inumaru: Nah, I just get nervous when Mina's expectations are high...

Haruka Isumi: You're so lame, Toma. Can I go first, then?

Torao Mido: Haha. Our youngest is taking the lead again. Sure, go ahead.

Haruka Isumi: Hmph. It's your fault for being slow.

Haruka Isumi: ...Minami, reply to my RabbitChat message immediately.

Minami, Toma, & Torao: Message..?

Minami Natsume: Er... You haven't sent me any new messages...

Haruka Isumi: I don't mean right now, I mean during the show! That's my request!

Minami Natsume: Why during the show?

Haruka Isumi: You're too slow to reply! And sometimes you straight up leave me on read.

Haruka Isumi: I figured you'd care more if I ordered you to reply on live radio!

Minami Natsume: Oh dear. You could've just asked, you know.

Torao Mido: Don't you wanna take this chance to ask for something more special?

Haruka Isumi: I-I'm fine with this! My turn's over!

Toma Inumaru: Huh, you guys must message a lot. What do you usually talk about?

Minami Natsume: We do. He tells me about fun things that happened to him at school.

Minami Natsume: The other day, he sent me pictures of an adorable snake plushie. Apparently he, Izumi-san, and Yotsuba-san had stopped by an arcade after school...

Toma Inumaru: Oh, so they were playing the claw games. That sounds fun, Haru..!

Torao Mido: Hey, Haruka. How come you didn't send me anything?

Toma Inumaru: Are you seriously gonna get hung up on that..?

Haruka Isumi: I just thought it looked kinda like Minami... That's it!

Minami Natsume: Hee hee, thank you. I'm glad you're having fun with your friends.

Haruka Isumi: T-they're not my friends!

Haruka Isumi: Anyway, you need to start messaging me more!

Minami Natsume: Oh my. I appreciate your passion.

Haruka Isumi: ...Hmph.

Toma Inumaru: Okay! I'm next!

Toma Inumaru: Can you binge a bunch of food?

Minami Natsume: ...Binge?

Toma Inumaru: You emptied all those   bowls when we had that shoot at the ramen  place, remember? I wanna know how much  food a skinny guy like you can eat!

Minami Natsume: I'll eat when I need to, but I'm not sure if  I want to test my limits...

Haruka Isumi: ...Would it even be any fun to listen to him eat?

Toma Inumaru: ...Ah.

Torao Mido: Haha, he's got a point. You need to remember that this project's audio only.

Toma Inumaru: Well... You could still do a food report! You can describe a food just fine, can't you?

Minami Natsume: Sigh... Not another food-related project.  

Toma Inumaru: Huh!?

Minami Natsume: You must be very fixated on food for some reason.

Toma Inumaru: N-no, I'm not! I just thought it might be nice..! And there's no guarantee that you'll end up with my request, anyway!

Minami Natsume: Hmm...

Toma Inumaru: D-don't gimme that look... H-hey, Tora!

Torao Mido: ...I'm not gonna help you out of this mess.

Haruka Isumi: Loser...

Minami Natsume: ...Hee hee. You're clearly plotting something. Now I'm curious to see what your request will be like.

Toma Inumaru: L-let's move on! Go ahead, Tora!

Torao Mido: Sure. I'll wrap this up nicely.

Torao Mido: As for my request... You're gonna have to wait until the broadcast to hear it.

Minami, Haruka, & Toma: ...What?

Haruka Isumi: What's that supposed to mean?

Torao Mido: It means my request will be a secret unless he ends up getting it.

Torao Mido: We don't have any reason to care about predetermined outcomes.

Torao Mido: What you get and how you respond is all up to you, Minami.

Minami Natsume: ...Haha. That's so typical of you... Or all of us, rather.

Torao Mido: Isn't it exciting?

Minami Natsume: Yes, very.

Toma Inumaru: I hadn't thought of that. Just remember that you gotta have a request ready by the broadcast, okay Tora?

Torao Mido: Yeah, I'm just getting started. 

Haruka Isumi: Getting started with what? Is it really that complicated?

Torao Mido: Wait and see.

Minami Natsume: Each of your requests were so unique that I doubt I'll have any leeway to be bored.

Toma Inumaru: Well, duh! This is our radio show.

Torao Mido: I hope we won't have to be bored listening to you, either.

Haruka Isumi: Go wild.

Minami Natsume: Just who do you think I am, exactly?

Minami Natsume: My performance will be top-notch, as always. 

End of Part 1.

[marjansmarwani]

put some time aside

Characters: TK Strand, Carlos Reyes, Paul Strickland

Word Count: 2014

Prompt: “apparently everyone has a bet going that we get together.”

[Read on ao3]

Summary: TK learns that the 126 has a bet going on when he and Carlos are going to get together. Which is cool and all, but there is one problem: he and Carlos are already together. They’ve already been dating for two months. Apparently, his team missed that memo. Instead of just telling them though, he and Carlos decide to have a little fun with them first. But to pull it off they’re going to need an Inside Man.

Still in the process of moving and it sucks a lot right now so I took a break to write this fluffy thing. It made me feel better so I hope you all enjoy it too. I am pretty sure this was requested by an anon but I can’t find the ask so I am assuming tumblr ate it (rip). If it was yours I’m sorry and let me know and I’ll update the post.

Reminder that if you want a prompt of your own my updated list is here

------ put some time aside

“Carlos?” TK called as he let himself into the other man’s house. 

“Kitchen!” came Carlos’s response and TK followed his voice, smiling when he turned the corner and saw his boyfriend in full culinary mode. Hands down, one of his favorite things. He set his keys on the counter and came up behind Carlos, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder so he could look over. The smell of bacon and garlic filled the air and he inhaled deeply. 

“Smells amazing, what are you making?” 

Carlos turned his head to give TK a quick kiss before answering, “Carbonara, with homemade pasta.”

“You’re too good to be true, Carlos Reyes.” 

“Remember that when you’re doing the dishes,” Carlos replied lightly. TK chuckled and stepped away, crossing to the other side of the counter so that he was facing Carlos. He reached into the bowl of peas on the counter and tossed a few into his mouth. Carlos swatted at his hand but TK only responded with a cheeky grin, causing Carlos to shake his head exasperatedly. 

“Want to hear something funny?” TK asked once he had finished his peas. Carlos quirked an eyebrow and gestured with his wooden spoon to go on. 

“Apparently everyone has a bet going that we get together.”

Carlos paused in his stirring. He looked up at TK, expression furrowed. “Do they not know?” he asked, his tone somewhere between confusion and concern.

TK nodded, “That’s what I said at first but think about it - did we actually tell anyone?”

Carlos considered for a few moments. “Huh,” was all he said. TK nodded again. 

“Exactly. So the good news is that all our friends think we should be together.” 

“The bad news is that we never told them we were,” Carlos concluded with a sigh. “How did we not tell them? It’s been two months.” 

“To be fair, we were a bit busy in those first few weeks. You know, in the bedroom.” 

“Yes TK, I knew what you meant.” 

“Just wanted to be clear,” TK said coyly, causing Carlos to roll his eyes, even if he was biting back a smile. “The real question is, how haven’t they figured it out? We’re not exactly subtle.” 

Carlos shrugged, “They all have their own lives, I’m sure they're too busy to obsess over our love life.” 

“Carlos, they’re making bets on when we’re going to get together,” TK reminded him dryly. “That ship has sailed.”

Carlos had to concede that point. “So what do we do about it?” he asked instead. “We should tell them, right?” 

“Should we though?” 

“TK, we are not going to lie--” 

“I’m not talking about lying!” TK cut in hastily, “We wouldn’t say we weren’t together, but I don’t see why we need to tell everyone right away. I mean, we’ve waited this long apparently, why not wait a little longer and have some fun with it?” 

Carlos stopped stirring and looked up at TK, eyebrow raised, “Do I want to know what you mean by that?” 

“They’re betting on our love lives, Carlos. I think we deserve to play with them, just a little bit.” 

Carlos considered, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “I think I have an idea,” he said, “but we’re going to need an inside man.” 

TK raised an eyebrow but picked up his phone without question. “I have no idea where this is going but I think I have the perfect guy for the job,” he said as he sent off a text. “Also, scheming is a good look on you, by the way. I think I like mischievous Carlos.” 

“And here I was thinking you liked all of my sides.” 

“Oh I do,” TK assured him, “but this one is particularly sexy, in my opinion.” As if to prove it he leaned across the counter to give Carlos a deep, lingering kiss. They were interrupted by the sound of TK’s phone dancing across the counter between them as it vibrated with an incoming text. Carlos let out a sound of dismay when TK pulled away, causing TK to give him a smug grin before looking down at his phone. 

“I hope you made extra, because it looks like it’ll be three for dinner tonight -- our inside man is on his way.” 

---------------

“Let me make sure I’ve got this right,” Paul said as they chatted over empty plates. “You’ve been together for over two months now and the rest of the crew has no idea?” 

When TK and Carlos both nodded he shook his head in bewilderment, “How?” he asked. 

TK shrugged, “I guess not everyone is as shrewdly observant as you, Paul.” 

Paul scoffed, “Please, like you two were subtle. You can hardly keep your hands off of each other. Also, did everyone else just miss that whole Carlos crying by your bedside when you were shot? Do they have eyes?” 

It was Carlos’s turn to shrug, “Maybe they just don’t want to make assumptions and are waiting for us to tell them,” he suggested, “it’s not their fault we forgot, apparently.” 

TK gave him an incredulous look, “They’re taking bets on when we are going to get together Carlos,” he reminded him, “I think they forfeit the right to sympathy for this particular topic.” 

Paul spoke again as Carlos nodded in acquiescence, “Which brings us to the reason I’m here - what do you want to do about it? You’ve clearly decided just telling them is not an option, or I wouldn’t be here.” 

“It just seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up.” 

“So you want to mess with them?” 

“Just a little bit,” TK said with a shrug. “Nothing malicious, but enough that they might think twice about betting on anyone else’s love life.” 

Paul considered. “Well,” he began, “we could go the route of you two pretending to suddenly hate each other, but I have zero confidence in your ability to pull that off.” 

TK made an offended noise, causing Carlos to give him a skeptical look, “are you saying that you think you could pretend to hate me?” 

“I mean...I’m not a bad actor,” TK finished lamely. Carlos shook his head fondly and Paul rolled his eyes. “This is what I mean, one look from the other and it would all be over. Pretending that you’re not inevitably going to be together won’t work. Any other ideas?” 

“What would you say to rigging the bet?” Carlos asked. 

Paul tilted his head as he considered, “I’m listening.” 

“What if you - as out inside man - got a look at the pool to see when everyone had picked. Then we just make sure everyone finds out on a day that is not picked. That way, no one wins.”

TK grinned at him, “I like the way you think.” 

“And here I thought you just liked me for my good looks,” Carlos quipped. 

“Oh, I like those too.” 

“So if we can keep that to a minimum until whatever that decided day, is this should work,” Paul announced with an exasperated shake of his head. “I truly have no idea how the others have not figured this out yet.”  

Both TK and Carlos shrugged and Paul sighed and stood up front the table. “I should get going before you to really hit the point of not being able to keep your hands off each other because I could live without seeing that. I’ll see if I can get a look at the pool tomorrow - I’ll text you both with a date as soon as I can. Thanks for dinner,” he added to Carlos, who nodded.

“Thanks for your help,” he replied with a grin. 

“Who knows,” Paul wondered as he gathered up his jacket and keys, “it could be fun.”

“That’s the spirit,” TK said dryly. Paul ignored him and with one last wave, he was gone. 

“What do you say,” TK asked Carlos as he turned to face him with a suggestive expression, “are you ready for a life of intrigue?” 

Carlos, who had been stacking the plates up paused in the act to wrap his arms around TK. “Absolutely,” he murmured into his neck, “as soon as you get these dishes done.” 

“Buzzkill.” 

------------

The next day both TK and Carlos received identical texts from Paul. They simply read: Thursday. 

The next few days passed before they knew it and suddenly, it was Thursday. TK, Carlos, and Paul were all climbing out of Carlos’s car at the Honky Tonk bar. They paused at the doorway. The rest of the crew was inside, and Carlos looked at TK and Paul expectantly before they entered. “So,” he began, “how do we do this?” 

TK shrugged, “I don’t know. Do we say something? Just walk in and start making out?” 

Paul rolled his eyes, “Why don’t you start with something a little more subtle, like holding hands. Maybe put your arms around each other - you know; couple stuff.” 

Carlos raised an eyebrow, “We haven’t exactly been subtle before now, what makes you think they’re going to notice now?”

“Because I am going to draw attention to it.”

Carlos nodded, “Fair enough.” 

Paul glanced at the door. “I’ll go in first - you guys ready?” 

TK grabbed Carlos’s hand in his and grinned at Paul, “Absolutely.” 

Paul nodded, and stepped inside. TK looked up at Carlos, who was frowning. TK furrowed his brow, “What’s wrong Carlos?”

Carlos shook his head, “Nothing,” he said, “it’s just, I don’t want to keep this from our friends, but this time where they didn’t know; where it was just us, it was nice, wasn’t it?” 

TK smiled at him and squeezed the hand he was grasping, “It was. Are you saying you don’t want to do this? Because we can leave - I’m sure Paul would understand.” 

“No,” Carlos replied quickly, “we should tell them. They deserve to know. I was just thinking about that time - it was a nice way to start.”

“I don’t know, I think any way to start with you would be a good way, Carlos Reyes.” 

Carlos let out a loud, barking laugh. “And you call me a sap,” he teased, planting a kiss on TK’s head. TK grinned up at him. “It’s probably about time for our grand entrance - you ready?” 

Carlos lifted their linked hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss on TK’s knuckles, “I’m always ready to do anything with you.” 

With another fond smile, TK pushed open the door and they entered the bar, hand in hand. 

They joined the crew, greeting everyone, falling into the conversation. They kept their hands linked the entire time. 

As the night went on they made sure to keep touching each other - a hand on the shoulder, an arm around the waist. At one point TK even placed a light kiss on Carlos’s cheek as thanks when he brought him a mineral water. All the while TK could see Paul nudging the others, drawing subtle attention to their closeness. It was Mateo who finally said it aloud: “Are you two dating?” he asked them curiously. When they nodded he rolled his eyes, “finally.” 

“Alright!” Judd called over the excited murmurs and confused conversation that followed the announcement, “Did anyone have today on the pool? Marwani?” 

Marjan pulled out her phone and opened up a file. She scanned it for a moment while TK and Carlos exchanged a smile, awaiting the announcement and the outrage that would follow. 

“It looks like Paul did,” Marjan announced and all eyes turned to Paul. Carlos gave him a pointed look while TK’s expression was one of outright betrayal. 

Paul saw them looking and shrugged, “What?” he asked, “I don’t work for free.” 

TK began to splutter indignantly but Carlos laughed and turned him around so he was facing him before pulling him into a deep kiss. There were cheers and wolf whistles from the rest of the team and rolled eyes from Paul, but neither of them could be bothered by it. 

They had each other, and that was all they needed. 

[Read on ao3]

[a-milky-strawberry]

Chanyeol x Reader - Happy Virus (Angst/Fluff)

You didn’t have the… most amazing childhood. Your childhood wasn’t terrible, at least for the most part. The first ten years of your life were amazing. You had a loving mother, a caring father, two wonderful brothers, and an overwhelmingly big family. You came from a close-knit family. There were no secrets, no rumors. Everyone knew everything about family and our friends. However, there are reasons for why you used the term “had” when it came to telling anyone regarding your family. That includes your ‘Happy Virus’ boyfriend, Park Chan Yeol.

When you first met Chanyeol you fell head first in love. No, seriously, as he was walking by you got so distracted by his handsome face that you fell head first into a pond. Chanyeol was nice enough to give you his jacket for warmth while you dried your clothes. After that encounter, you two just seemed to have a lot in common and he still tells that story to anyone within earshot. You two shared everything together.

Well, not everything.

Chanyeol knew a lot about you. He knew your favorite color, ice cream flavors, types of music. He knew all your friends and even your favorite animals (spoiler alert: it’s all of them), tv shows, favorite serial killers, etc. He knew everything. At least he thought he did. Chanyeol didn’t know a single thing about your family. When he thought about it he never met you mom or your dad or even a single cousin. At first, he didn’t think much about it. He was an idol after all. You were probably protecting him from loose lip family members, he thought. But, that never stopped him from being suspicious about your behavior when he brought it.

He would always talk about his family. He’d go on and on about stories from his childhood, stories about his mother, and funny anecdotes about his father. You never got tired of hearing his stories. A bright smile would be plastered on your face the whole time. However, whenever your family was brought up your face would change. It seemed almost stoic with a mix of sadness and anger. Your body language would be closed off and you talked as if you were a bad actor regurgitating a line.

“My childhood was good. Mom, dad, two brothers, y’know. Kind of a big family, I guess. They live far away so I haven’t seen them much since moving here. Do you want to make out?”

That was just one of the many ways you’d get him to lose interest in the topic: food, making out, night markets, arcades, and so on. It worked, but the thought never left his mind.

---------

Chanyeol was exhausted. These seemed to be one of those days where schedules seemed to happen back to back to back. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle you and order takeout. After his final schedule, he hurried straight over to your apartment. He sent you texts stating that he was coming over and you couldn’t be happier. You two couldn’t help it. The both of you were just that cheesy. Not seeing each other for a few hours turns into some type of Rose and Jack scene.

As Chanyeol walked up to your apartment building entrance, he noticed a middle-aged woman looking more than a little lost. She had a small piece of paper in her left hand and a bag in her right. She looked sweaty and exhausted and her shoes looked run down. It was as if she had been walking all day.

“Um… is this it? Oh… why did my phone have to die? I have no idea where I am…”

The woman kept looking at a small piece of paper and your apartment building. Was she looking for someone?

“Um… excuse me ma’am? Are you lost?”

The woman looked up at Chanyeol startled but soon was relieved as she took a big sigh.

“Yes! I’ve been looking around all day for this apartment and I don’t remember the apartment I’m supposed to go to. It’s on my phone but my battery died 2 hours ago! Can you please help me?!” the woman pleaded. She looked pretty desperate and the last thing Chanyeol wanted to do was leave a woman outside this late at night without any forms of communication.

“Sure!” Chanyeol smiled. “I’d be happy to help.”

The woman returned the smile. “Thank you! So much! Such a nice, handsome man.”

Chanyeol let out a chuckle. He was always a hit with older women and grandmothers. You’d often tease him saying that he should be a sugar baby to a grandmother if he didn’t want to be an idol anymore.

Chanyeol took the woman’s piece of paper and quirked his eyebrow. ‘No wonder she couldn’t find this place! This address is smudged and you can barely see the apartment number.’ He looked back up at the woman. “Um… Is there anyone in particular you’re visiting? My girlfriend lives here so they might be looking for the person.” Chanyeol asked already to pull out his phone to text you.

The woman nodded. “Of course. I’m looking for a (Y/N) (L/N). Do you happen to know them?”

Chanyeol almost dropped his phone. Why… would this woman be looking for you? Is she a relative? A friend?

“Uh… yeah, I do. Are you a family friend or something?”

The woman chuckled, but her eyes seemed to dart away at the question. “I’m her aunt.”

As much as Chanyeol didn’t want to seem shocked he couldn’t help but choke on his own spit. Here was your blood relative standing right in front of him. His eyes widened. Didn’t you say that your family lived really, really far away? Well, that would explain how she got lost and the smudged address. But, why didn’t you tell him your aunt was visiting? Better yet, why hadn’t you told him sooner.

“Umm… are you alright?”

The woman brought Chanyeol out of his thoughts and he realized he had been staring.

“Oh, yeah! Ahem! I’m fine! I know them. I can take you right now.”

The woman beamed with happiness. “Oh! Thank you so much!”

Chanyeol led the woman inside the building. They got in the elevator and he pressed your floor number. As the elevator shook with movement, Chanyeol took peaks at your aunt. She looked fairly young but had lines on her face to give out her age. She seemed nervous and fidgeting. Was this woman really your aunt?

“So, uh, are you from out of town? Because of the address and directions?”

Your “aunt” nodded. “Yes. We haven’t seen much of each other since they moved away. In all honesty, I haven’t seen them in decades.”

Chanyeol nodded. That seemed to line up. You had told him that it had been years since you’ve seen anyone from your family that wasn’t your two brothers.

“I bet they’ll be happy to see you. But, why didn’t you ask them to pick you up or give you directions?”

“Oh, um… I wanted it to be a surprise.” she said curtly. Chanyeol nodded and left the conversation alone, getting the feeling that she didn’t want to talk anymore. However, it did explain why you didn’t tell him they were coming. Once the elevator reached your floor, the doors opened and Chanyeol led the “aunt” down a long hallway. Once they reached the door, your “aunt” seemed visibly nervous now.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Your “aunt” swallowed harshly. “I-I’m just a little jittery… I wonder how they’re going to react…”

Chanyeol put on a brave face. “Well, no time like the present!” He knocked on your door with a familiar rhythm.

“Come in!” he heard you yell.

Chanyeol opened the door and the smell of Chinese takeout made him drool. He always looked forward to the scary movie nights and takeout. Apparently, you were in the mood for Chinese as he saw piles of it on your coffee table as he guided the woman into the living room. You were on your knees, digging your big box of movies searching for something to watch. You were one of the only people he knew who still had a DVD player.

“Great timing! I was having a hard time choosing between Us and Ma-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” You let out a gut-wrenching scream as you laid eyes on your boyfriend… standing right next to your aunt. The air immediately turned tense and cold and Chanyeol could feel a chill rip through his spine. He has never ever heard you scream like that. In all of the scary movie nights and spiders and roaches, that scream you let out gave him goosebumps. As your aunt took a step forward, you fell on your butt trying to scramble away from her. The fear in your eyes was uncanny.

“H-Hi (Y/N)... Look, I don’t want to make trouble but I came here be-” Your aunt was cut short as a vase whipped centimeters away from her head. The ceramic shattered everywhere and Chanyeol didn’t have time to respond as a clay dish also whipped towards you aunt just barely missing her face.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” you screamed, already arming yourself with another vase and clay dish.

“Please sweetheart! Just listen-!”

Another vase whipped at her.

“DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME ‘SWEETHEART’ AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO MY FAMILY!!”

‘What you did to my family!!’ What did your aunt do?! There was no time for questions as an ashtray you used to hold your jewelry broke on your aunt’s face. Your aunt dropped to the floor as she cradled her face and yelped in pain. The sounds of your panting were the only thing filling the silence in your apartment. Chanyeol just looked on in horror. He didn’t know what to do. Did he check to see if your aunt was okay or did he go and comfort you? His hands were shaking and he could barely breathe. Just what the hell was going on here?!

“I… I deserved that…” your aunt whispered as she wobbled trying to get on her feet.

“You deserved to have your skin peeled off with a rusty, ancient potato peeler and have all of your orifices sewn with piano wire while a mix of salt and lime juice embalms your entire body.” you snarled. Another chill rips through Chanyeol’s spine. Your voice laced with pure hatred and he has never seen you this angry. It was like you were a whole different person.

“Please… 귀여운… please just listen… I didn’t come here to fight you. I came here… to ask for your forgiveness…”

You scoffed. “Forgiveness? Forgiveness?! After everything you’ve done?! And you dragged my boyfriend in the middle of all of this!!” you pointed at Chanyeol who stood like a statue.

“I didn’t mean to! He said he knew you… and I came all this way… just to find you…”

“Well, you wasted your time! Because I don’t want to see you! Not only did you ruin my life, you ruined everyone’s life! The family, the relationship between me and my dad, and your own sister!! My mother!! She-!” Your words caught in your throat as tears streamed down your face. “I’m not discussing this in front of Chanyeol… Go home (Y/A/N)...”

“Please 귀여운!! I came all this way! I looked for you all day! I came here to give you news about your dad! And I really wanted to see you…”

You stood quiet as she went on. “No one has seen you in years… You’re the only one who doesn’t keep in contact with the family. Your brothers still keep in touch-”

“That was their choice. The moment I left was when I decided I had no family.”

“(Y/N) please…”

“You and that bastard are nothing to me. That whole family is nothing to me! That whole family knew what was going on but were too fucking cowards to have the decency to tell my mother what was going on!!”

“(Y/N)... there’s still so much that you don’t know… If you had stayed and hadn’t pushed us away you would know the full story.”

“LISTEN TO WHAT?! The excuses?! The tears?! The cries?! What “story” is there to tell?! The story about how you're selfish?! And spoiled?! And how you couldn’t just let my mother be happy even if you weren’t?! So you played with my father the same way a child plays with their other siblings' toys when that sibling gets news ones?!”

Your aunt turned silent as she looked down at the ground. Tears were flowing through her eyes too.

“Or are you going to tell him how you two were so in love that you couldn’t recognize what was wrong? Forgiveness is the last thing I want from you. I don’t want your forgiveness. I don’t want your hugs, no sweethearts, not even a damn handshake from you. Because of you… my mother is dead.”

The air dropped 20 degrees lower and Chanyeol could hear you choking back painful sobs.

“Killed by your selfishness… Can your forgiveness bring my mother back? Can your forgiveness bring back all the heartache and crying and trauma that I had to go through finding her body that morning? Can your forgiveness bring back all the years I slept on the streets, begging and crying in the alley alone, when I ran away from home because you and that bastard immediately put me and my brothers in boarding schools after my mother’s funeral?”

Your aunt said nothing more. You blinked the tears out of your eyes and turned around. “I would like for you to leave my house.”

“(Y/N)-”

“I’m afraid I don’t know you ma’am. Please leave my home before my boyfriend calls the police.”

You aunt looked over Chanyeol as they made eye contact. Her eyes were red and her face wet with tears. She gave him a sorrowful look as if to say she was sorry for having to witness this distratious reunion. She slowly picked herself up and placed her bag on the coffee table. She looked at Chanyeol once more and then the bag. Her eyes told him that whatever was in that bag was why she made the journey all the way here and was leaving with a gash in her cheek. As your aunt made her way to the door, you spoke up again.

“(Y/A/N)?”

She turned her head and looked at the corridor that led to your living room. You were standing between that entrance with a cold, tearful look.

“I don’t know how you got here. I’m 10000000% certain that it was none of my brothers, but I will tell you this. If you tell that bastard where I live or anyone else for that matter or get anyone else to come here, I’ll call my brothers and tell them what happened. They’ll cut you off with no hesitation… and then, you’ll be left with no one.”

A painful sob left your aunt’s throat as she nodded and scrambled to get the door open.

“귀여운… my sweetheart… I am so so sorry…”

The door softly shut and you aunt was gone. You slowly walked towards the door, locked it and pressed your forehead on the cold door.

Chanyeol had finally gotten up and was staring at your back, a few tears in his eye as well. He approached you slowly as not to stress you out.

“(Y/N)...?” he whispered. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” you stated curtly. Oh, but you were far from okay. As much as you were angry and upset, you were more so embarrassed that this happened in front of Chanyeol, the love of your life. You wanted to have a relationship with this man. He was one of the few that you actually trusted, just not to the degree. You always knew you’d have to tell him one way or another. Just not like this… How were you going to be normal knowing that Chanyeol knows everything. He’s not an idiot. All the clues were there and based on your reaction he knew this was serious shit he just witnessed.

“I’m sorry-”

“Can I give you a hug?” he asked gently. You turned around and were faced with your gentle faced boyfriend with his arms out already out. You looked in his eyes. They were shiny from tears and you knew rejecting his hug would only make him feel worse. You didn’t give an answer as you willfully ran into his arms and sobbed into his chest. Chanyeol patted your back and smooth your hair, shushing you and whispering gentle words like: “You’re okay. Everything’s okay.” “You’re safe now.” “Whenever you’re ready.” After a while your sobs turned into small sniffles.

“I-I’m so s-sorry you had to see that… I w-w-was gonna tell you s-s-s-soon b-b-b-but…” you stuttered trying to get your words in order.

“Shh… it’s okay… Take a deep breath…”

“I-I was so s-scared that you would leave me!!!”

Chanyeol felt his stomach drop. He would never leave you. Especially since he’s gotten a snippet of what you’ve got through.

“I would never leave you Jagiya…” he assured, giving you a tight squeeze. “We’re in this together now, araso? Your worries are now my worries. When you want to talk about it and explain your story I will always be here to lend you my Yoda ears.”

You let out a soft giggle.

“My ears can pick up anything. I can even hear your thoughts! You’re thinking: ‘How did I get so lucky with such a handsome, generous, man with a ten-pack and great hair.’

You laughed as you pulled away and looked into his eyes. “Close. More along the lines of ‘dorky’ and ‘nine-pack’.”

Chanyeol let out a dramatic gasp and threw his head back. “Are you saying my abs are uneven?! I’ll have you know I count my abs everyday in the shower, just like I count my bread!”

“Pfft-! You count your bread?! Who the hell does that?!”

“Um! Every good-looking rapper with a ten-pack, great hair, handsome face, and who’s Jagiya keeps making peanut butter jelly and honey sandwiches at 3 a.m.”

“Oh my gosh! You’re such a weirdo!” you laughed, holding your stomach with now a new set of tears running down your face. A happy set of tears. As your laughter died down you took Chanyeol’s hand and gave him a gentle almost pleading look.

“Promise you’ll wait?” you asked.

He smiled gently and stroked your cheek. “I’ll wait forever if that means I get to see you smiling everyday.”

You leaned into his cheek and smiled. “Thank you.” You gave his palm a kiss and led him into the living room. You noticed the bag on the coffee table. “What’s this?”

“I don’t know. Your aunt had it with her. It seemed like she wanted you to open it.”

You stared at the bag not knowing what to do. A million thoughts rushed through your mind before Chanyeol’s voice snapped you out of thought.

“Do you want to throw it away?” he asked gently. “Her being here made you really upset and I wouldn’t want you to open the bag if you don’t want to.”

You thought for a while before sighing. “Can you… put it in my closet? I’ll open it someday. Just not to today.”

Chanyeol gave a quick ‘of course’ before giving you a peck on the head and putting the bag in your closet. You’d definitely want to be in the right mindset before seeing what was in that bag. Chanyeol came back and saw you looking at the piles of Chinese food and giving a big sigh. “Well, this food is definitely cold now. Plus, there's glass everywhere…” you grumbled looking at the shattered pieces of once was a vase, two clay dishes, and an ashtray.

“Let’s heat these up and clean up this mess. Then we can start our scary movie night. I still need you to help me pick between Us and Ma.”

“Of course Yeobo! But first, you need to work on your target practice because you missed.”

You tilted your head in confusion. “Missed what?”

Chanyeol pointed to his lips with an adorable pout. “My lips aren’t on my palm~! You really need to work on your aim.”

You giggled as you stood on your tip toes and gave him a quick kiss.

“And just a few more.” he said before smothering your entire face in kisses. Your laughter filled the apartment once again as you both fell on the couch in a kissing frenzy.

“W-Wait! Chanyeol!”

“Not so fast! You need to pay your fees!”

“What fees?”

“What if I get glass in my foot? And what if I bite into a cold noodle because of the microwave? You need to pay for all precautions!”

“Chanyeol!!”

This was why you love this man. He could turn your pain and sobs into laughter. He could make a bad day seem like nothing more than a grain of sand in the ocean. He always made you feel loved and happy. I guess that’s why he isn’t nicknamed the ‘Happy Virus’ for nothing.

hey guys. sorry i haven’t been active recently. college has been kicking my ass even though WE HAVE REMOTE CLASSES >:( anyway. i’ll try to update as much as i can and for those wondering if i’m going to be continuing the suga x reader - cold series, i am! also, look out for some reactions coming soon! later!

[imanativeofswlondondahling]

Hidden in Plain Sight (3)- Tom Holland X Reader

A/N: This story is fun to write, but school is taking over little by little so sorry if this gets delayed more than I mean for it to be! Enjoy Chapter Three!

Word Count: 2165

Warnings: Swearing? Maybe? To be honest I can’t remember if I swore or not but knowing me I probably did. But there is mention of a killer moth so if that’s as trigger as it was when it was flying around my room then I’ll mention it here.

You had the absolute worst day. You were hoping it was going to be a good day since you had put on one of your favorite outfits to wear to work. But as soon as you got to work, everything turned into a shit show. A project you thought was finished didn’t save the last days edits, your boss got on you for something that was your coworker’s responsibility, and someone ate your lunch, which you’re not entirely sure how that happened, but it did. Add to it you have the start of what you think is a migraine, the last thing you want to do is anything work related, but because you’re behind on the project that is due tomorrow, you’ll probably be up all night working on it before going in tomorrow to continue working on it at the office. So heating up some soup to eat while you work, you decide to scroll through Tumblr while you wait for it to heat up. 

The news of Spider-Man, and therefore Tom Holland, staying in the MCU still hasn’t died down, which let’s be honest why should it? It’s fantastic news. Out of all the Spider-Mans, Tom’s portrayal of it is your favorite and you would be so sad to see him taken from Marvel just because Sony, Marvel and Disney couldn’t come to an agreement on things. It’s only been a couple days since it was announced, but you wouldn’t be surprised if this was talked about for weeks at least. You reblog a couple of photos, adding some of your usual hashtags. Honestly, you want to be distracted by asks, but you know that the likelihood that people will respond is low, plus you shouldn’t let yourself be distracted by Tumblr when you have the project due tomorrow. 

Hating seeing notifications, you click on the second icon from the right on the bottom of your screen. You clear off the notifications from reblogs and likes but notices your app is still showing a notification, on the messages side. It’s probably just from one of your friends. You flip over to the other screen and see a message from none other than Tomholland2013, who you’ve been messaging on and off over the past couple of days, ever since you sent him that edit.

You haven’t been super active on tumblr lately. Everything ok?x

Been super busy at work lol. Big deadlines coming up.

You don’t expect to get a message back since you figured from your messages where he mentioned he was in the early hours of the day while you were only in the late afternoon, that he was probably asleep since you got home later from work than you had planned. So you set your phone aside as you pull the broccoli cheddar soup from the microwave. However, you’re pleasantly surprised to see a message waiting for you when you pick your phone back up to head back to your computer to keep working.

Ah, big deadlines. What kind of work do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?x

Hm, this new tumblr friend of yours is awake even though it’s probably the middle of the night for him?

I don’t mind. I work in graphic design. Isn’t it the middle of the night for you? 

It would be if I was at home. I travel a lot for work. I’m currently in New York, so it’s only 9pm.x

But it definitely feels like I should be asleep. I’ve only been in New York for a few days and my mind is still on London time.x

What kind of work do you do? 

You set your phone down and boot your computer back up. You know you have shadows to deal with and layers to add back before even getting to the stuff you were meaning to get on today. This project was going to be the death of you. 

Tom stares at the message. How does he respond to that? He can’t very well tell you he’s an actor. That blows all of this. He likes being able to be open with you and the moment that it comes out that he is actually Tom Holland, well you might not be open with him. Could he tell you he works in the movie field without having to admit who he is? Could he play it off that he’s still a fanboy, because he will be a marvel fanboy until the day he dies, without blowing this whole thing up? There’s just something about you and being able to connect with someone who has no idea who he is that is different. 

Even on your blog today, you shared things from months ago and still reacted like it was your first time seeing them. Your whole blog just radiated positivity, even though your messages sounded like you had a lot on your plate outside of the internet world. He wants to be able to know you without the pressure of having to be, well, him. But you’re not asking him to spill everything about who he is. Just a snip-it. 

Film production. Getting ready to head off to a new project actually.x

Must be fun to travel for it. Anywhere fun?

Cleveland actually. Haven’t been there before, so maybe I’ll find something fun to do outside of the project while I’m there.x

Maybe you’ll run into Tom. He’s supposed to be there shooting a project I think. Especially if you’re also in the film industry, you’d already have more of a way into things than say I would lol 

I don’t know if I’ll have that much time off to look for him.x

Well if you happen to run into him in said little time off, tell him there’s probably half a million if not more tumblr users willing to marry him, should he be in need of a wife, husband, or nonbianary pal.

Would you happen to be one of those said half a million?x

He shouldn’t have sent it. You have been pretty good about responding, but after sending that message, he hasn’t heard from you in over twenty-four hours and he’s beside himself. You also haven’t posted on your blog. Which makes him think you’re avoiding him on the site all together, which is even worse. The flight to Cleveland, wouldn’t have been half bad if he wasn’t worried the whole time about what you might have been sending while his phone was on airplane mode. And of course the one time he would have paid any amount for on flight wi-fi, it was down and no one could use it.

As soon as the plane lands, he’s flipping the switch to connect his phone again. He needs to see if you’ve messaged back. He’s ignoring all the other notifications that pop up, looking for only on apps notifications. And while you haven’t posted again, you have messaged back. Which makes him suddenly feel like he can breathe again. 

I’m not the one who took Tom’s name on here. I feel like you might propose to Tom before I even have a chance to meet him IRL.

I don’t think I’m Tom’s type.X

And what do you think Tom’s type is? 

And it takes everything to not just describe you. It wouldn’t be hard. He had spent a lot of time deep diving through your blog. He had looked through your #me tab on your blog. It was filled with everything from selfies to posts about things you had done. And you were the kind of person that he was into. It wasn’t an only physical attraction thing. It was the things that you found important enough to post about. The little things about your day that you shared about. But instead of typing back you, Tom decides to type something different.

I think he would be into someone down to earth. Someone who is into sharing time with friends and family equally and someone who has a great sense of humor. Oh and they would HAVE to love Tessa. That would be a must.x

Wow you’ve thought a lot about this.

Do you disagree?x

Surprisingly no. But I thought you’d say something more… I don’t know physical I guess.

Why’s that?x

I don’t know. I just did.

What do you think he’d be into?x

He can’t help but ask. He wants to know what you think he’s like. There’s enough speculation out there about what he’s like, but for some reason, knowing what you think about him, it means something to him.

I would say, similar to you- family, friends and Tessa would definitely be at the top. Sense of humor would be important. I also feel like with there being so much he can’t talk about to the public, having someone he can trust with stuff would be important. I also think trust would be important so that he has a space he can just be himself too. 🤷‍♀️

Pretty spot on. All of those are important to him. He wants to ask if those things are all important to you, but asking that would come off weird, so he takes a different approach.

Honestly if I wasn’t such a div when I was making accounts I would have just made a Tessa fan blog. I’m a bigger fan of her than of Tom. x

SO TRUE. How can you not be?! She’s the purest thing in this world (sorry to Tom) and every time he shares more of her with us I melt a little.

Paddy had sent him that picture of Tessa this morning, maybe sharing it would brighten everyone’s days. Especially knowing that you were such a fan of her too. Adding the picture to his Instagram story, with a quick caption of missing this sweet girl, he quickly uploads it.

APPARENTLY TOM CAN READ OUR THOUGHTS?!

What do you mean?x

Cute Tessa content just uploaded to his Insta story. Apparently he’s away from her and missing her 😭

She’s just too pure for this world x

I needed that right now.

Something wrong?x

Work project might kill me. 

It’s due by the end of the day, but photoshop keeps crashing and I might scream. 

I’m sorry love x

I’m restarting my computer for the third time today and it’s not even noon yet. 

You know he’s English so the love thing shouldn’t throw you. Plus he’s a boy on the internet. But for some reason, it feels like something more. So instead of saying anything about it, you just keep messaging like nothing happened. A small part of you is hoping that by not mentioning it though, it might happen again.

Tom spends the rest of the day messaging you when he can. He knows you’re working on a project that has a deadline, so he doesn’t expect you to be at his beck and call. But when he gets a notification at almost eleven o’clock at night his time from your blog, he hopes it’s one of your personal posts to make him laugh. He isn’t let down.

THERE WAS A MOTH FLYING AROUND MY ROOM AND NOW I CAN’T FIND IT IM GOING TO DIE. IF IT EATS ME YOU ALL KNOW WHO THE MURDER IS

#me #killer moth #save me #if i die i leave everything to tom

He can’t help but send you an ask about it.

Tomholland2013 asked: You know moths don’t eat people right?x

Y/T/B: You didn’t see how big this one was. This one was definitely of the people eating variety with how big it was. And now it’s hiding in my room waiting for me to close my eyes and then it will sneak up on me, kill me, and devour me whole. 🖕

Tom laughs at your reply before sending another ask. Sure he could do this in your message thread, but he’s betting the asks are helping distract you from the moth.

Tomholland2013 asked: That’s a quiet defensive response from someone who is going to be eaten. If you want me to come save you from a killer moth, maybe be a bit nicer.x

Y/T/B: If you will race over here, find this moth, and release it into the wild so that it can’t kill me in my sleep I will make you as many Tom edits as it takes in gratitude. 👏😘Just come save me please. I swear I can hear him laughing in the distance. 

Tomholland2013 asked: If he’s laughing in the distance, I’ll be over to take care of him. No one gets to disrespect my favorite blog and get away with it.x

Y/T/B: Thanks darling. I really, really appreciate it. Now I must be off to hunt this moth, before he hunts me.

Tags: @serendipitous-amor​ @im-still-tryin-to-find-it​ @tomfiction4​ @im-deeply-shallow

[alloftheimagines]

billy hargrove | heaven-sent | part ten

masterlist | series | part nine

words: 1.3k

warnings: cursing, domestic abuse

scene taken and adapted from st2 when billy picks up max from the arcade. i’m still trying to keep this as close to the show’s events as possible and follow the chronology, though this might not always be the case.

summary:  she’s an angel. he may as well be the devil. one would not exist without the other. 

Billy is breathless by the time he reaches his car, glad to find that it is still where he left it abandoned on the side of the road after being pulled over by Powell. He slides in, slamming the door with enough force that he's surprised the window doesn't shatter. He still has anger to burn off, and he hits the steering wheel with his palms until his skin stings.

All of this for Frances fucking Hopper, he thinks to himself with contempt as he puts a  tape in the record player and turns the volume all the way up. He realises soon after that the music is a mistake; his head is throbbing from a night spent drinking, which he still hasn't slept off. Pressing his forehead against the steering wheel, he shouts a series of curse words, thinking again of what he has seen, haunted by golden eyes and pale skin.

For whatever reason, he can't get her out of his head, couldn't even before he saw her eyes change colour. For nights on end he's been trying not to think of her, always failing. He doesn't know what it is, if it's the way her curly bangs fall into her eyes or the way she cradles her camera like it's her child—he has never loved anyone or anything as much as she loves that fucking camera—or the way she says his name as though he's a real person, with real value; a person who's more than just the new keg king or a dick of a step-brother or a fuck up of a son. Billy. He's Billy, or Hargrove if she's teasing, and when his name falls out of those soft, pink lips, eyes burning into him, it's like for once he has been seen, heard; like he has never been real, existed, until now.

And yet she takes it all back in an instant when she makes assumptions. Each time he feels as though she sees something good in him, each time he  reaches out, she kicks him back down again, throwing at him all of the things he really is. And it's not her he's mad at: he's given her no reason to trust him. Better for both of them if he never fucking does. He knows who he is, knows how he must seem to her as he walks the halls with his chest puffed out like a peacock. He can't blame her for pushing him away.

He inhales, starting the engine and driving home. He doesn't rush, instead trying to drag it out as much as possible. He is still confused and angry, his head still swimming in whiskey and images he doesn't understand, and there is nothing good waiting for him at home. He finds that out almost as soon as he walks through the door.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Neil is on him before Billy reaches the fourth step up to his room, his hands on his hips and his forehead lined with rage.

"I stayed at a friends. I thought I'd told you yesterday I wasn't gonna be home."

"Bullshit," he replies, causing Billy's grip on the banister to tighten. "You stink. You've been drinking again."

"I haven't."

"Excuse me?" Neil tilts his head, eyes dark.

"I haven't been drinking, sir," Billy replies, as composed as he can be, though he knows what's coming.

He points a finger at his shoes as though Billy is a dog who won't obey his master's owners. "Come down here."

Billy does, stepping down until he's level with his father. The stairs creak under his heavy boots.

"Where have you been?"

"At a friends, like I said."

In an instant, he's pinned against the wall, his spine colliding painfully with the plaster. Neil raises his fist, his expression falling a moment later when he sees Billy's bruise from the previous day. If he hits him again now, people will get suspicious. He lowers it, though his forearm stays locked painfully against Billy's neck.

"We don't lie in this house," he spits, his face so close to Billy's that his hot breath hits his face. "You better stop lying to me, son. Do you hear me?"

"Yes," Billy answers, his breathing laboured and his voice strained. "Yes, sir."

Neil's grip releases, and Billy coughs, rubbing his neck and avoiding eye contact.

"I want you to go and pick up your sister. She went to the arcade earlier today and she's expecting you. You'll come straight home afterwards."

Billy wants to roll his eyes, but he doesn't dare: not this time. He nods, mumbling his acquiescence, and heads back out of the door before his father can touch him again.

* * *

Billy rests his arm out of the window as he parks outside the arcade, sunglasses covering his tired eyes. He sighs when he sees Maxine on her way to him, Lucas Sinclair watching her from the door. She's gripping her skateboard, her freckled face to the floor.

She gets in without a word. He doesn't look at her: if he does, he's not sure what he will do.

"What the hell I tell you?" he asks quietly, the threat clear in his voice.

"I'm not late," Max replies, red hair falling over her face like a veil of protection.

"You know what I'm talking about."

She stutters, nervous—as she should be. "It's a small town, okay? We weren't hanging out."

"Well, you know what happens when you lie." There is no longer any emotion in his voice, exhaustion stealing any anger he might have had otherwise. It's as though he is watching himself from outside of the car, an actor reading the lines from a script: lines written by his father, no doubt. Sometimes he sounds so much like him that he understands why he is the way he is, can feel the bubbling anger that needs to be released at the expense of the people around him: both of them built like grenades, always at risk of exploding and tearing apart anything that dares to fall into their path.

"I'm not lying," she insists.

Billy finally turns his attention to her, the sister he never asked for, never wanted. "You're a little shit, Maxine."

"And you're a monster," she mumbles under her breath, just loud enough that Billy hears. The word causes him to freeze, and he's glad he's wearing his sunglasses, glad she can't see his eyes.

"What'd you say to me?"

"You're a monster," she repeats, louder, her gaze falling back to the arcade as though she's debating running back into it.

He can't respond, doesn't know how. I've seen monsters, Fran. Hell, I even live with one. Frances had been afraid that she was a monster. It hadn't occurred to Billy until now that he already was one, that he didn't just share a house with one, but a body, too.

"Screw you," he retorts as his hand finds the gear stick, but the insult is weak and he knows it.

His gaze falls in front of him as he turns the keys, and he falters. Frances is running across the street, heading into the arcade, probably still looking for her father. His eyes follow her, and he pushes his sunglasses onto his head to get a better look.

Her face is blotchy and pink, her hair a tangled mess that ruffles in the wind. She's buried in a thick scarf and fleece jacket, face half-hidden, though he can see even from here the redness in her puffy eyes. She hasn't noticed him or his car, and he's glad.

"Isn't that Frances Hopper?" Maxine asks, following Billy's gaze.

"Yeah."

"Are you two dating or something?"

He shakes his head, freeing himself from her as he puts the car in gear and presses his foot on the pedal. "No," he says, watching her figure retreat into the arcade as they begin to drive. "Never gonna happen."

"Why not?" Maxine presses, frowning.

Billy sighs as they round the corner. "She's not my type, alright?"

"Yeah, right," she mutters.

He's glad when she doesn't pry, and even gladder that she doesn't see through his lie.

part eleven

[qveensbury]

return to sender; ch. 3

Zuko said he was going to be late to school today, so Katara got a ride from her dad.

They always rode to school together. 

Frowning, Katara started to chew her bottom lip. He barely said anything to her after Haru’s party. She twirled the end of her ponytail as she reviewed everything that happened in the past week.

I’ll ask him if everything’s ok.

Once she got to school, Katara headed for Zuko’s locker. She saw Jet leaning against the wall and Zuko slamming his locker shut.

The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Jet. She needed to clear the air in her pretend relationship before she dealt with that walking headache.

She sent Zuko a text: <hey, everything ok?>

Waiting for a respond, Katara went through the motions, paying attention in class but only barely. Their schedules barely overlapped so Katara kept her eyes peeled for Zuko at lunch.

If he was running late this morning, he’s definitely buying lunch.

She looked up from her phone in time to see him.

“Zuko!” She waved, putting her phone down on the table.

“Hey,” he stood beside her usual table, nodding to acknowledge her friends.

“I saved a seat for you.”

“A-actually, I’m gonna go eat lunch somewhere quiet.”

“Oh.” Katara blinked. Standing, she fiddled with her hair. “You probably want to be alone, right?” She whispered.

Zuko nodded, looking at his tray.

A nod preceded her reluctant smile. “Enjoy your lunch. See you later.”

“Later.”

Something’s definitely wrong. Katara crossed her arms. Do I give him space or do I press him about it?

She opted to give him some space.

<my dad will pick me up today. but, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!>

Which was true. Katara missed seeing Zuko.

<thanks. See you tomorrow.>

<❤️>

 +

The next day looked better.

Zuko gave her a ride to school, walked her to her locker, and sat with her at lunch.

But Katara wouldn’t let the actor set the stage.

“Hey Zuko, is everything ok?”

“Why do you ask?“

“You’ve been distant the past few days.” Katara held her forearms behind her back. “Has Jet s—“

“It’s nothing.”

So, he did say something to you. “If he did—”

“I know to trust my eyes over Jet.”

She took a second to find his tell. “Okay. You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”

“Yea.”

He lied.

“Ok.”

 +

A girl, Katara knew from somewhere, stood in front of her locker. She looked up from her phone. “Katara?”

“Yes?”

“I’m Azula, Zuko’s sister.”

“You sent the letters.”

“I did,” she flipped her hair. “I’m here checking up on my brother’s girlfriend.”

“Nice to meet you.” Katara popped a hand on her hip. She’d heard about Azula from Zuko.

“No need to get comfortable. We’re gonna grab dinner, my treat.”

Blinking, Katara relaxed. “Dinner?”

“Yea, a quick girl’s night. Just you and me.”

Zuko was acting strange, but they still had to hold up appearances. And it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about Zuko.

“Where did you have in mind?”

“Hmm, I was thinking pan-Asian fusion.”

“Okay.”

“Great. Let’s head out.”

“I thought you were doing an exchange program?”

“It ended. So, now I’m home.”

Katara wasn’t sure what she’d talk about with Azula. What if Zuko told Azula something and she didn’t say something she was supposed to? She could try to steer the conversation or keep her answers close to the chest.

Then, she saw Azula’s Kyoshi phone case.

“Do you like Avatar Kyoshi, too? That’s my favorite show!”

Azula looked up from her phone. “Really? I didn’t think anyone our age would be interested. It’s such an old show.”

“A tall, all-powerful woman putting men in their place? Sign me up.”

Smiling, Azula said, “When I heard you were dating my brother, I was a little concerned. But I’m glad to hear you have some taste.”

 They talked about Avatar Kyoshi for ninety-minutes over dinner. Katara walked with Azula to the Jasmine Dragon before she planned to head home. 

“I don’t doubt she was lesbian-coded but would you really trust those writers with that material.”

Azula scoffed. “I wouldn’t trust those two idiots to boil some water.”

“Maybe some things are better left for fans to develop.”

 “Some fans.”

“True.”

A chime jingled as they walked inside.

“Zuzu, I like this one,” Azula said.

“Katara?”

Her heartbeat started to race when she saw Zuko. 

Katara watched confusion and hurt cross his face.

“Shouldn’t you be a little more excited to see your girlfriend?”

“Hey Zuko,” Katara said, searching for some cue.

“Katara, can we talk?”

“Sure.” Katara could feel Azula staring at her as she walked outside other front of the Jasmine Dragon. If Zuko wouldn’t show any hints neither would she. Katara squared her jaw and put her phone in her bag.

“Aren’t you cold?” Katara asked as she watched Zuko pace.

“I’m fine. What were you doing with my sister?” 

“Grabbing dinner. She showed up at my locker and took me. I didn’t know if you’d said something to her since we haven’t really been talking.” She crossed her arms. 

“What did you talk about?”

“Avatar Kyoshi.”

Scoffing, he shook his head. “Of course.” He stopped. “So what do I tell her when we break up?”

Katara recoiled. “What—I—What do you mean?”

“My family’s not like yours, Katara. When people leave our family, they leave holes. Mai and Azula fought and it turned our family upside down. She was inconsolable until they made up. You weren’t supposed to get this deep. I can’t let this lie upset our balance. My family is all I have. We—When you go, I’m going to have to pick up the pieces. I have to protect my family.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Right,” he scoffed, crossing his arms. “Because Jet will be okay with you coming to dinner with my family.”

“Screw Jet.”

“But you’re trying to get back with him,” Zuko hissed.

“No, I—“ The confession died in her throat. She couldn’t admit to him how she felt. Not when he wouldn’t look at her. “Zuko. Zuko, look at me.”

He refused. “I think…we should take a break to clear our heads.  Maybe we should revisit all of this in a week.”

A hollow feeling spread in Katara’s chest. “If that’s what you want.” Not waiting for a response, she dropped her arms. “Good night, Zuko.”

 +

To say Katara was used to being disrespected by men was an understatement. 

But Zuko didn’t disappoint her.

She wasn’t sure what she felt.

She knew Jet had something to do with what was happening. Although to be fair, of course Jet had something to do with it. This whole charade was about Jet.

When, Katara thought, I should have been paying attention to Zuko.

It should have always been about Zuko.

Well, that wasn’t true. It did become about Zuko.

Her cellphone photo album was full of secret, candid photos of Zuko .

But what use was that if she didn’t actually tell him.

As the mastermind, she’d have to take responsibility for the miscommunication. If this was Sokka, she’d say he didn’t coach his team well. 

But this wasn’t just a plan that fell through. She liked Zuko. She wanted legitimately to be with him.

Now, she had to figure out how to let him know. 

 +

It seemed fair to give Zuko some space.

But while fate (via Azula) brought them together, she wouldn’t be so laid-back.

This was a plan to win.

It had almost been a week and Katara would corner Zuko after school if she had to.

“Hey, Katara.”

Katara slammed her locker close. “Get lost.”

“C’mon, you could be a little nicer to me,” Jet smiled.

“Not interested.”

“I heard you and Ryuku aren’t joined at the hip anymore.”

Walking away, Katara didn’t respond.

“Katara, admit it: you did this all to get my attention. Well, now you have it.” Jet blocked her path and opened his arms.

“Please, get out of my way.”

“Or what?”

“Do you think I can’t move you out of my way? Did you already forget I do judo on the weekends? It’d be fun to embarrass you. But I’ll say again: get out of my way, Jet.”

“Fine, princess, have it your way.” Jet stepped aside. “I know things are icy between you and Zuko. You can stop pretending you don’t want me back.”

Whipping her head to face him, Katara glared at him. “To think I actually thought you might apologize for being a jerk.” She scoffed, “I’ve turned lead to gold before but you might be the actual limit to my kindness.”

I should have flipped him over my shoulder and out of my way.

That anger sat with Katara for most of the morning. She yanked doors open and found herself clenching her jaw more than once.

Her scowl lifted when Iri ran up to her.

“Katara, Jet and Zuko are fighting.” They grabbed her arm.

“Like fist fighting?” She ran behind them.

“Not when I left.”

Knowing the two of them, they could be by now.

The two of them shoved through the dispersing crowd to reach them. Jet and Zuko had stopped. Haru had his arm around Zuko’s shoulder, telling him something that wasn’t calming him down.

Jet scoffed, saying something Katara couldn’t hear.

Zuko could.

And before Katara could blink, Zuko flew across the width of the hallways to shove Jet against the wall.

“Zuko! No!” Katara pushed another student out of the way. Please don’t do anything stupid because of Jet.

Zuko looked at Katara and let Jet go. Longshot grabbed Jet’s collar before he could retaliate and Smellerbee close behind began berating him.

Stepping back, Zuko turned to walk away.

“Zuko, wait!” Katara followed. 

“Katara,” Jet said, straining against Longshot’s arm.

Is he running? Katara started to run after Zuko.

The door to the football field slammed shut and Katara continued to track him to the bleachers.

“Are you always this hard to track down?“

Zuko didn’t look up at her.

“Zuko?”

“Are you here to tell me the plan worked?”

“The plan?” Katara started to climb the bleachers.

“Remember: make Jet jealous and then get back with him.”

“Oh.” Katara didn’t say anything until she got a row away from him. “I don’t think I ever planned on getting back with Jet. Well, I mean not after this break-up.” Sitting, she said, “I just wanted him to apologize. But I’m never gonna get that.” Katara leaned forward to try and catch Zuko’s eye. “Are you finally gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

“So you’re gonna get back with him without an apology?”

“I’m not getting back with Jet.”

This made Zuko look up.

“I don’t want to be with Jet,” she repeated.

He frowned. “But Jet said…Y’know what, that’s what I get for believing Jet.”

“What did he say?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Ok.”

“I was upset…because I kept thinking about being dumped for Jet and how much that would suck. I’ve never seen you as happy with Jet as you were in our fake relationship.”

Sitting up, Katara’s heart rate picked up.

“Part of it was selfish, too,” he continued. “My uncle and sister love you. And my mom’s still bugging me about bringing you over for dinner. I don't want my family to miss you...and I don’t want to say goodbye either.”

“I never said I still want to ‘break up’.” It was Katara’s turn to look away from Zuko. “I,” she took a deep breath, “I don’t want to break up if that’s okay with you. I am happier with you,” with this she meet his stare. “When I read your letter, I was surprised. And just now you did it again. Somehow you just pinpoint something true about me. You see me. All I’ve ever wanted was to be seen. Not to belong to someone or be put on a pedestal. Just affirmation that what I’m feeling and how I’m living is,” she shrugged, “worthing noticing on their own.

“If you want to keep taking a break, I’ll understand. But I hope we can work something real out, soon.”

“How about today after school?”

“Really?”

“Y-yea.”

Katara smiled. “I’d love that.” She shot to her feet. “We need to eat lunch! C'mon.” Holding out her hand, she waited for him to take it.

Zuko squeezed her hand.

“You are so handsome when you stop pouting,” she cooed at him. “No,” she laughed, “don’t pout in response!”

“Since you’re already in the mood to embarrass me, did you know you were my first kiss?”

Katara’s eyes grew. “You were my first kiss, too.” Taking his hand with her other hand, she said, “I’m still glad you were my first kiss.”

With a hum, Zuko agreed, his body relaxing.

For a moment, Katara didn’t move looking up at him. “Did you honestly think I was gonna let you go that easy, Zuko? I told you: you’re a catch. And I’m not letting go.”

[lovinmcu]

New life in Cali, ch. 8

Chapter 8

Pairings; Chris Evans x reader, Sebastian Stan x reader

Warnings; overthinking

A/N; I’m breaking this up as best i can. 

Monday’s day at work is moving by so slowly. You are busy finishing up details on Frozen 2. Details are time-consuming, and all over encompassing. By the time you look up from your computer your phone is lite up with texts and missed calls. It was only 12, you could have sworn you missed lunch you’d been so busy.

Chris 8:40 am “Hey, headed out of town today. Can you help Seb with Dodger?”

9:00 am “If it not, no biggy. I hope you had fun at the party. Sorry, we haven’t talked.”

9:10 am “Hope you aren’t ignoring me, let me know.”

Chris missed call, 9:50 am

Seb 10:00 am “Chris said you hadn’t been answering, everything ok?”

10:15 am “Y/N?!?”

11:00 am “Lunch?!?! 12:30 is when we’ll break.”

They were obviously worried about you. You smile at the thought of having someone care about you this much in Cali, unlock your phone and call Seb. No answer. You sign, turn your phone off silent and turn back to answer some emails that were sent while you engrossed in your work. Five minutes later Sebastian calls you back.

“Hey, everything ok?” Seb says as soon as you answer.

“Yeah, just busy meeting these deadlines. Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you and Chris.”

“It’s ok, it’s just not like you, but we understand deadlines more than most. So, lunch?”

“OH, yes please, I’m starving!” You look down at your half-eaten breakfast, and cold coffee, and think “wow, I HAVE been in the zone”

“I’ll head that way now, see you soon,” you say before hanging up, you hit save, and head out the door. You need to come back to reality, your brain is in a fog from concentrating for so long. As you pass your coworker in the hall, they also notice your zombie-like state and tell you to get some air. That was a good idea, so you walk to the studio. On your walk, you make a conscious effort to not think about work. Then you panicked, you’re first date with Sebastian is tonight! What are you going to wear? Where is he taking you?

You grab your phone and send a quick text to Brittney on your way. “Hey girl, you had a crazy weekend, huh?” “Date with Seb tonight, what should I wear?” You arrive at the gate to show your id, as soon as you speak to the guard none other than Sebastian Stan himself pulls up in a golf cart to drive you over to lunch.

“Hey Doll!” Sebastian greets you with a hug.

“Hey,” you hug him back as the butterflies start to flutter. You think, Chris might be cute, and a lot of fun, but he never makes you have these butterflies. You smile at Seb and grab his hand he has obviously placed in between us not trying to make a move. He smiles back at you as you both arrive at the circle of trailers you recognize. Chris and Dodger run up to greet you, you accept all the kisses from Dodger and hug and peck on the cheek from Chris.

“He gets more action than both of us!” Sebastian smirks.

“Only because she hasn’t had some Mackie lovin’,” Anthony comments as he puts his arm around you, attempting to be cute. You draw him into a hug.

“Hey, Anthony.” You say.

“His NAME is Mackie,” Robert Downing Jr. says walking up to you all. You try to remain calm but it’s freaking RDJ! Maybe not on your celebrity crush list but absolutely one of your favorite actors. “This must be y/n, that I’ve heard you all talking about.” He shakes your hand and draws you in for a hug. You do everything to play it cool, but your 100% sure you came out looking like a giant geek. “They’ve been going on and on about this pool party I missed and I also overheard someone’s taking you out on a date tonight.” You instantly go red, even your ears burn. RDJ smirks, realizing how much he’s embarrassed you and hides you with another hug. “Sorry” he whispers.

“It’s ok!” You smile back at him.

“Well, let’s eat!” RDJ announces as he so nicely changes the subjects and takes you to the head of the food line.

You grab food and take a seat. Chris directs you where to sit and takes the seat next to you. You wonder to yourself where Sebastian is, but Chris answers as if you asked it out loud. “He’s gone to change.” “So, he asked if I was fine if he took you out tonight.” You could hear the disappointment in his voice.

“Yeah, not sure what he has planned. But I should probably ask what to wear.” You reply. “So, you and Brittney were having a lot of fun Saturday.”

“Oh, yeah it was a lot of fun, ya know, till she got sick.” He chuckles and continues to eat.

“Was she feeling ok when she left?”

“Yeah, a lot better. She left not long after you did. Nothing happened.” You were curious as to why he felt the need to add that last part. About then Sebastian sat on your other side. Plate full of food. “Worked hard this morning I see!” You comment about the amount of food in front of him.

“He didn’t do anything but make snarky comments all morning, not even sure how he calls this a job,” Mackie said while taking the place across from all of you.

“I hate you,” Sebastian says with an evil grin on his face, with all of us knowing he’s taking a line from Bucky. He quietly says, “Maybe it's nervous eating,” as he winks.

Lunch went on with a lot of stories and attempting to do their own stunts, and stupid inside jokes they all had and tried to explain to you. As lunch was wrapping up Sebastian was called away to get ready for his next scene and to get back into his prosthetic.

You and Chris go back to his trailer and talk about the trip he’s leaving for tonight, a comic con in Chicago. He asked you to make sure Dodger gets enough love because in his words “he likes you more than me anyway.”

“Jealous much?”

“About what?” Chris replies.

“About Dodger liking me more!” You give him a big smile as Dodger jumps into your lap. Proving your point.

“Just a little.”

You sense something more in his answers, “Are you ok with Sebastian and I going out?”

“Not sure, hate that I missed my chance with you.” He replies shyly while lowering his gaze.

“Chris? I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say, I had no clue you felt that way.” You pause.

“Yes, you’re on my celebrity crush list, well, look at you, of course, you are. And for a moment I thought there might be something, but there are far too many things we disagree on. Can you tell me that wouldn’t be a problem?” You say what’s on your heart, but your heart is breaking thinking of how much Chris is hurt. You move over toward him and pulling him into a hug, he tries to resist but you win. The two of you stand there hugging, for what seemed like forever and he strokes your hair. “I’m sorry,” you whisper, “Please don’t hate me, I need you.”

You two finally part ways and look into one another eyes. “Really?” He responds.

“Yes, you’re making California start to fill like home.” You stand up on your toes to kiss him on the cheek. You pull back and look up at him again. And at that moment he leans down and crashes his lips into yours, taking the air out of your lungs. You instinctually pull back, praying no one was about to walk in unannounced. “CHRIS!” To escape, you rush to the bedroom with tears streaming down your face.

You sit on the end of the bed, trying hard to grasp what just happened. More tears flow. How can things be this complicated 10 days after meeting someone? Having Chris in your life made you happier than you’ve been in a long time, you weren’t lying when you told him, he made California feel more like home.

You send a quick text to the secretary at work, you were already late getting back, “going to need some personal time this afternoon. No worries I’m way ahead of schedule.” Chris knocks on the door and peeks in. “I have to go back. Take all the time you need. Text me when you’re ready.” He shuts the door and then you hear the door to his trailer shut and lock.

You collapse onto the bed, trying to figure any other this out. Why did things have to get so complicated? Sure, Chris is fucking sexy but so is Sebastian. Both have eyes you could stare at forever. But, Chris takes things a little too seriously, delete the twitter rants already. Seb was much more chill, but now, all of this drama. You weren’t even sure if you could go out tonight with Sebastian. You didn’t want to compromise their relationship or the relationships you had with them.

A headache is starting from all the stress and crying, you close your eyes to make it go away. And you drift off to sleep.

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