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ryutaria · 10 months

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When it Rains...

Synopsis: There was scarcely anything that scared Al Haitham... and losing (Y/N) might be one of them...

Word Count: 3.5k+

Tags: alhaitham x f! reader, angst, hurt/comfort, mutual pining, Student Al Haitham! x Student Raeder, sfw, burn out, verbal bullying, false accusations, stressful academic life, Akademiya setting,

A/N: This is my first post so please don't go hard on me..

The warm rays of the setting sun were splayed across the evening sky, casting an ethereal glow over the surroundings, a soft fading luminance evident in the environment. The winds remained soft as they passed through the Avidya forest and encircling the once still Divine Tree, tickling through their leaves in the process as they made their way through the open windows of the Akademiya. A certain calmness prevalent in the environment ... but not resonating with the state her mind chose to remain in...

Her footsteps echoed through the halls of the Akademiya, rushing past the cluster of few students who chose to remain late as she made her way to the House of Daena, struggling as she stumbled with the number of scrolls, files and a couple of hardbound books clutched against her chest, cradling in her fragile arms. Her eyes could see Iris in conversation with her sister and the moment she chose to pass by them - "Y/N!".... People didn't like to leave her alone, do they...

"What do you need Iris?" Her voice snapped: on the verge of breakdown as she struggled to remain civil for she didn't want to project her anger onto someone who wasn't even responsible for it. "Oh... It seems you're busy..."- disappointment laced her tone- "But it's alright! We can always talk tomorrow right" and there was her kind smile. And for the first time in her life (Y/N) felt grateful to all the Archons that she had befriended Iris. Her lips tried to imitate hers as she returned the expression albeit forcibly before scurrying past her. Tomorrow... As if she would even be able to see tomorrow...

(E/C) eyes watered a little as the doors of the greatest library in all of Teyvat came into her view, her breathing turning heavy - rushed even - as her steps picked up their pace. She slowly entered through the giant wooden doors, the quietness in the library which once seemed inviting now sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes scanned through the aisles before landing on her Professor, seated in one of the reserved tables for the teachers and other professionals. She sighed as she readjusted her books only for them to go tumbling down her arms as they broke the silence with a loud thud, attracting the attention of all the patrons inside and a few sneers and cold looks. Quickly squatting down, (Y/N) hurriedly picked her academic materials up, her files crumpling a little in the process - her completed assignments over which she had lost three days' worth of sleep. A stray tear droplet managed to fall upon the floor but she held her ground lest the dam of her bottled up tears broke through her tough façade.

The frustration was evident in her grip as she brushed off her robes before walking towards the Professor.

"Good evening Sir" she greeted politely standing at a respectable distance from him. He chose to ignore her presence at first, his attention remaining on the scroll he held in his hand while slowly sipping his tea. "Sir..." and his head turned to meet her eyes and a smile laced his features and she could tell it was all a pretense just like the other lecturers and higher ups. "I'm here to submit my thesis." and her file replaced the scroll in his hand.

His eyes scanned through her papers with the same scrutinizing gaze, eyebrows raising every few moments indicating he had found an error amongst her work. And then after with a deceitful smile he placed down the file on the table.

"Tsk tsk... Miss (L/N)" the Professor spoke, his torso twisting a little in his chair as he craned his neck to look at her directly in the eyes. "The ruins of Devantaka have already been studied thoroughly by the scholars here." and he dropped her carefully arranged papers to the floor, "And to think that Ley Lines hold a connection to the ruins.... that seems far-fetched."

"But Sir! The energy binding the ruins-"

"Enough of your hazy thoughts (L/N). I've more pressing matters to deal with~" and he got up from his chair with the forgotten scroll in his hands. "Get the thesis rewritten in a week." - the words she had been hearing for over a month. "And I don't want any blasphemous theories again or I might have to fail you... or might as well kick you out of my lecture" And his footsteps faded as he walked away.

(Y/N) could hear the snickers and sneers coming from the surrounding students who happened to be the audience of the interaction. Tears began to well up in her eyes as a lump formed in her throat. With shivering hands, she picked up her papers, her vision becoming blurry as she got to her feet. Yet she held her calm then, walking out of the library before anyone could spot her wiping her eyes on her sleeves. And yet a certain someone in a secluded corner of the library did notice the turmoil she had carefully concealed behind those (E/C) eyes.

Her thoughts were scattered all over the place, depressing thoughts and turmoiled emotions causing a havoc in her mind as she walked out of the Akademiya and onto the city streets.

The night felt inky and cold, dark clouds overcast over the skies and soon thick droplets of water descended from the skies. The residents hurried past her as they avoided the showers of rain but she welcomed them with teary eyes... for she needed something to drown her sorrows in. (Y/N) smiled at her own misery, even the Archons pitied her today. The weight of the world too heavy upon her shoulders as she inhaled sharply.

"Her thesis got rejected for the sixth time, did you know?"

"And to think that Iris told us she was the brightest in Vahumana. Ha! Now her true colors are showing!"

"I bet she'll be expelled this time for sure."

And (Y/N) quickly wiped her tears as she rushed through the rainy streets - her attempts to shield her files and books failing as she found a secluded corner in the streets, an overhanging tree giving her a little shade as she slowly sank down on her knees. She really deserved it all, didn't she? The warnings of her mother must be true...

"Why the Akademiya? You can simply help out your brother with business." And she had held her head high when she said she thrived off knowledge and wished to cultivate more of it. Her father had been her only support but when he too passed away due to Eleazor, the ridicules of her mother and brother became overbearing. In a haste to prove herself she had left home to rent a small apartment close by to the Akademiya. The loneliness was overbearing but she held on, hoping the future would be bright and yet here she was... Her dreams getting crushed under the heavy expectations and ridicules of the world around her and she wondered how long it would be this way...

His breathing became ragged as he rushed out of the Akademiya, his usual calm demeanor fading the moment he saw her leave the House of Daena. "Al Haitham!" and those words fell on deaf ears as Kaveh stared questioningly at him hurrying past the hallways. 'Strange' thought the blonde for he had never seen Al Haitham in such a rush. "It's her isn't it?" Tighnari added as Cyno hummed in approval - the trio staring at the ash-haired male fade away from their vision.

"I'm so annoyed you know. Why can't he just tell her?!" Kaveh said out loud, eyes narrowing as his fingers intertwined behind his head as he walked, Cyno and Tighnari following his pace. "It won't be Al Haitham if he just told her"And they couldn't agree more with Cyno.

And then after what felt like hours of searching - rain be damned - he found her huddled in a corner of the deserted street. He could see the way her eyes seemed lifeless. Her back resting against the overhanging tree's trunk as the books held loosely in her hands got drenched in the rain. (H/C) tresses stuck to her back as she stared lifelessly at the skies. His heart crumpled at the sight of her looking so... broken and empty...

Cautiously Al Haitham approached her, his steps resonating with those of a cat as he stood in front of her and yet she seemed so devoid of emotions, not even flinching as her eyes locked onto his. "Here to mock me again?" and his confidence faded as he kneeled to her level, "Archons no!" He tsked before carefully taking her hands in his larger ones. warmth spreading through her nimble fingers albeit the rain never stopped.

Al Haitham was a prodigy, hailed by the lectures and students alike, the 'Gem of Haravatat'. (Y/N) had first stumbled upon him at the library, turquoise eyes reading through the pages as he sat unbothered at a secluded table in the corner. "D'you mind if I join?" she had asked him and he had grunted in response without even sparing a glance at whoever had interrupted his peaceful afternoon. After an hour and a half when the intruder still remained seated, his patience started running thin. The ruffling of sheets and the scribbles of her quill becoming somewhat hard to ignore as his eyes finally lifted to take in her appearance and Archons, mesmerizing was an understatement.

There wasn't something necessarily captivating about her appearance but he felt drawn to her. A moth to a flame but only this moth... refused to be cauterized. He started noticing her everywhere... The Puspa Cafe where she regularly indulged in Padisarah pudding as she laughed with Iris and her younger sister, the secluded corridors of the Akademiya where she sneaked to sleep whenever she could find time. And he also knew for a fact that she didn't drink for she despised the smell of liquor.

"I can't Iris..." (Y/N) pleaded with her friend Iris at the tavern. "But it'll be so much fun!" added Janaki, another one of her classmates "And besides, Kunikuzushi is here too... I heard he's quite interested in you" and Al Haitham didn't know why his blood boiled at the mention of another man's name. "But you know I hate the smell of alcohol! Its... nauseating, please!"

"Leave her alone would you?" his voice had boomed startling his group of friends which included Kaveh, Tighnari and Cyno. And with a thankful look she had scurried away and out of the tavern, Al Haitham following after her. And that was when he had really talked with (Y/N).

Their meetings weren't necessarily frequent - the Akademiya kept them busy but subtle glances cast each other's way and knowing looks in the House of Daena were enough for the two. An year passed and they became close friends before everything fell apart.

"Did you hear? (Y/N) was suspended for plagiarism." And Al Haitham's ears perked up at the mention of her name.

"Really?"

"Yes! And to think that she would do that to Farahnaz! How evil! " And those words were the last he heard before he walked out of the library to confront (Y/N) only to find her in conversation with the sage of Vahumana himself. Tears pricked at her eyes as she pleaded with him to hear her cause before she was taken away by one of the matras as her screams echoed off the walls. He heard the Sage in conversation with the Mahamatra and his ears couldn't beleive what they heard. Farahnaz had carefully translated the ruin engravings and their energy sources found in the Devantaka. She had trusted (Y/N) to keep her findings safe for she had been suddenly taken ill only to find out that (Y/N) had tried to publish her work under her own name.

He felt betrayed and... yet he couldn't bring himself to walk away and followed after her only to find her sobbing profusely in an empty classroom.

"(Y/N)?" he had questioned cautiously, "You okay?" and she didn't reply. Therefore, he decided to enter inside only to meet a hysterically crying (Y/N) burying her face in his chest. He stayed unmoved, not being able to hold her in his arms as his voice echoed -

"Why did you do that?" the words had slipped out on their own as he met her wide-eyed teary gaze as she slowly lifted her head up to meet his eyes.

"A-Al Haitham, N-No... I...you didn't-" and that was all he ever heard before she pushed him away, backing away from him and out of his reach as she mouthed the last words she ever spoke to him then after as she left him alone in the empty classroom...

"You're all the same..."

Weeks later after fighting through it all on her own, it was discovered that (Y/N) was not the one at fault. Farahnaz had faked her illness before she had bribed a matra to publish those findings under (Y/N)'s name. And turns out that her findings weren't really authentic for after further investigation it was discovered that Farahnaz had indeed carried out Mosaic plagiarism of (Y/N)'s source materials and the scrolls she had kept under investigation. Her last words before expulsion being how she had really hated (Y/N) for outsmarting her and wished to any Archon who would hear her to bestow all the hardships in her life.

"I hope you rot" Farahnaz had spat as she was dragged away on the orders of the General Mahamatra along with the matra who had helped her out.

"I knew she was innocent" Cyno had reminded him yet again that day and he couldn't help but feel regret. How could he not for he had always valued logic and rationality above it all and yet he was... blindsided by mere rumors without diving in deep to uncover the truth. Even the minds of wisest men can get plagued by false rumors at times. After all no one can truly escape the frivolous human nature. Kaveh had cast him a disgusted look, still did as he asked him if he would ever apologize.

Now Al Haitham had tried to make amends with you, a failed attempt to mend the broken thread of friendship he had once held so close to his heart.

"Don't bother 'Haitham... I can't trust you yet again..." and there was no spite in your words, just emptiness and sorrow lacing them and it shattered his peace of mind to see you like this. "I can't face you anymore... not when you're the person I trusted the most..." and she had turned her back to him before mouthing ever so softly "Not when you're the person I loved the most..." and she walked away and out of the House of Daena... not sparing him the look over her shoulders she always did, the last of her words whispered for only his ears to hear "Not when... you're the person who hurt me the most" and his eyes widened with his bleeding heart. She walked out of his sight, disappearing in the crowd of knowledge that was the Akademiya... and he felt (Y/N) might just have crushed him under those delicate steps.

Rationality and logic had provided him the answers to all the questions all this while... And yet his mind refused to accept the fact that he had been the one who had blinded by mere talks of the streets. But then again, the most rational of men at times have been a prey to humane frivolity and reckless thoughts.

And from then onwards Al Haitham swore to protect (Y/N) from all the evils of the world... even if it meant he had to work in the shadows... even when it meant staying away from her for he didn't want to break her heart anymore. However, seeing her in this frenzied state of weighing depression and anxiety broke his heart as if … he had failed to protect her from the demons yet again...

After the upliftment of (Y/N)'s suspension and the restoration of her title as an honorary student of the Akademiya, the rumors had still refused to subside. For three long months are enough for the development and brewing of all sorts of research and modifications to the original case.

"Look it's (Y/N). She does look smug for someone who was in suspension" a random Kshahrewar junior sneered as his peers laughed along with him.

Her footsteps increased their pace as she clutched her books further to her chest, walking to her morning class in a frenzied state. Little did she know, she would be greeted by her peers much harshly.

"Oh look who it is! (Y/N)(L/N)! Here to steal someone else's report?" Nima taunted, another friend of Farahnaz who refused to believe she was innocent.

"Oh please Nima, will you shut up?" said Iris as she glared at the brunette with a malicious look in her eyes. But the girl didn't seem to listen."Get lost before I cut off that tongue. That'll shut you up, yeah?" and the class felt silent when Kunikuzushi spoke up, his voice sending chills down Nima's spine, albeit the whispering never stopped.

"Be careful Kuni. You might be her next victim!"

"You sick little-" but (Y/N) was quick to grab Iris's arm before the venom spewed out. 'It's not worth it' she had said as she guided them to an empty table.

(Y/N) and Iris sat side by side awaiting their professor and she found solace in her only friend. Iris had helped her out with most of the reports and case studies in order to gather evidences against Farahnaz and she had been surprised when Kuni had volunteered to do so too. She was grateful to both of them in so many ways but the weight of the world around her seemed too heavy and Al Haitham seemed too far away... having had left a scar on her chest where her heart belonged, broken yet beating...

She would often sneak glances of him in the House of Daena or in the streets of Sumeru, quick to look away before his turquoise could meet her (E/C). Too broken to reach out... too hurt to let go... But the little things she missed out were filled in by his presence. He still wondered how she failed to notice that he was always around her... looking out for her but never directly and he wondered if she chose to ignore her presence. Nonetheless he was thankful for she would have been more hurt if he still reached out... or so was what the ever rational Al Haitham thought.

He had been observing her conversations with the Professor for a fair few days now. How he had always disregarded her opinions made his blood boil yet he was helpless right then for he couldn't really directly step in when the higher officials and scholars were involved.

"It all seems very vague you know... Not even close to the point" he had laughed as he thrusted the folder in her arms.

"But Sir, here me out! The recent develop-"

"Redone and submitted on my desk. Coming Monday" and again she was left frustrated and with tears.

She longed for someone to help her out and her heart would always call out for a certain ashen-haired male yet her mind would remind her how effortlessly he had broken her. She couldn't ask Iris for she was too busy with her own thesis and Kuni had gone to explore the Avidya Forests for a few days. She felt alone and lifeless and all she wanted was to break down until she heard someone say -

"It'll be okay (Y/N)..." his voice barely above a whisper as he pulled her close to him. And she wailed in his arms, too weak and hurt to push him away as she gave into the instincts of her heart.

"I'll make it all better, I promise" he kept whispered soothing words in her ears as his arms wrapped around hers as if attempting to shield her from all the pain, worries, turmoil and miseries the world had been putting her through. And he regretted that he had been the one who had added to them the most.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered when he felt her breathing calming down, the shiver in her shoulders slowing as she attempted to speak...

"D-Don't leave m-me...p-please" choked words whispered through trembling lips and he embraced her even tighter. Whispers of 'I'm sorry' and 'Never leave you again' echoing in the showers of droplets as they remained in each other's embrace for quite a while...

"Let's get you home (Y/N)" he said but his words fell upon deaf ears. On further coaxing he realized that she had fallen asleep in his embrace, unbothered by the rain as exhaustion took over her body. His heart hurt as he noticed the dark circles and chapped lips. Therefore, he took it upon himself to keep her safe and comforted.

His warm coat was shed off his shoulder, coming around her small frame to wrap her up in his warmth. "Hai...tham... don't go" she whispered in her sleep and his heart skipped a beat yet again.

"Never again (Y/N)" he promised, an oath he was committed to never break until his last breath and he slowly placed a fleeting kiss upon her forehead.

Lifting her up in his arms he made his way to his own home, his coat having had been wrapped around her sleeping form in an attempt to provide warmth as he walked down the city streets, ignoring the whispers when he neared his home for Al Haitham despised idle chatters with a sheer passion after a certain incident almost wrecked his once peaceful world.

However, with (Y/N) in his arms and his embrace he felt he could be at peace again.

Taglist: @teapartyspilled

#alhaitham x reader #alhaitham x you #alhaitham fanfic #alhaitham fluff #alhaitham angst #genshin angst #genshin x reader #genshin x you #alhaitham x yn #alhaitham comfort #genshin scenarios #genshin imagines #al haitham #yae publishing house #ryutarites

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harrysonlylover · 1 year

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Pride & Prejudice or (Mechanic Harry Part 4)

Summary: Your relationship with the Mechanic in town seems to flourish as you spend more time working for him. Except that you both begin to cross friendship lines whether intentional or not.

WC: 10.4k

A/n: So sorry that part 4 took this long, i hope that didn’t discourage you from reading :( enjoy lovies🫶🏻

Mechanic H Series

Today is a good day.

The sun is golden, the trees in the field are dancing and bunny is hopping around the strawberries Harry planted. Some bluebirds flew around the house and landed on the kitchen window, aiding the tune being played on the yellow scratchy vinyl.

Rays of sunshine snuck in and painted the house with a warm ambiance that Harry could never give up, even Snowy expressed his love by sleeping under the sun.

Unfortunately Harry was unable to ignore the real sun that was missing, he felt his stomach drop when he realized that you already left. He cursed his drowsy state, knowing that he never sleeps in this late. If only he woke up half an hour earlier…

His pondering last night concerning what to cook you for breakfast is now long gone, but as far as he remembers he had decided on strawberry pancakes.

‘Sparks’ by Coldplay was his to-go song in the mornings, he needed something calm to soothe him after a full night’s sleep. But now the lyric ‘Did I drive you away’ is not something he wishes to hear, so he turns it off as the two bluebirds take over the singing.

Instead he plays ‘Je te laisserai des mots’ , it is more suitable for his window friends anyways.

He made himself a quick breakfast filled with protein ( which is sacred to him so he can have energy all day). Snow Bun had some rabbit food, with a chopped strawberry that he devoured first, he needs fuel to play all day too.

Harry trained Snowy when he was a baby , it was harder than dealing with a cat or dog even, yet not impossible. As far as he knows there isn’t much danger in the wide field but he installed a wooden barrier so Bun doesn’t go far away or loses his way.

He also makes sure to inspect the field during his morning run for anything that could be hazardous to the little bun, if he doesn’t have time then he’ll set him up a play area in the house.

Today was perfect for a morning run, so he enjoyed one, breathing in the pure air with his headphones in. The clock was nearing eight in the morning so he dressed up in his denim Levi’s , a custom Gucci shirt with a grumpy bear on it gifted to him by his childhood friend (apparently, he thinks that the bear is an imitation of Harry).

He was almost done with Meena yesterday before what went down between the two of you , he decided to leave it for later during the day, he has a good number of Jeeps to fix.

11 AM.

11:30 AM.

12:00 PM.

Harry kept checking the clock anxiously, perhaps it’s broken and he forgot to fix it? Old clocks need delicate care and recently he’s had his head in the gutter. His phone’s clock confirmed that it is indeed 12 PM, and you are still nowhere to be seen.

You took good care of the garage, helped him quite well and took appointments, yet Harry had a thing for being organized, and you didn’t…

It’s not like you turned the place upside down, but you liked having things close around you instead of organizing them, so his lost crawler (that he later found near broken scooters after he texted you) was stressing him out, and it reminded him of your presence , how you put the item somewhere else even after he tells you where to exactly put it.

His top-secret oil (a mix of oil his chemist friend made and some imported oil from the Middle East) getting lost was his last strike, even though it was your mess that got him startled and disturbed but he does not know yet that he unconsciously cares more about your presence than the items.

He cannot understand for the life of him why you thought you were fired, he never even implied it. What did your anxious little brain tell you?

He knows how anxiety can be, he’s not immune to it, but he can’t help his attitude , it’s how he acts around everyone. Harry was checking the coolant of a Range Rover when he heard the wheels of your bike; he abruptly straightened his posture , watching you attentively as you parked in front of his shop.

Your eyes were fixed on ‘Pride & Prejudice’ as you sat in your regular chair, it’s been like this for fifteen minutes. Uncle George interrupted before you could say hello to Harry. He was a nice old man and you could see how much he means to Harry.

He came for the clock necklace and patted Harry’s back, you can’t exactly point out their conversation but it is quite evident how grateful he is for Harry’s help.

You dug your eyes back into the book, allowing yourself to get lost in Jane Austen’s world. Harry’s presence was smooth, almost unnoticeable but never invisible.

“So what’s that book you’re reading?” He muttered suddenly catching you off guard. You’re not sure how much time has passed since George left. Getting distracted in books is easy.

“Pride And Prejudice”.

“Isn’t it about that guy that hates her but later becomes whipped?”

You let out a loud laugh at his own idea of the book, it was somewhat true. It’s just weird to hear him say it.

“Yes Mr.Darcy, it’s a bit complicated I believe that he might have liked her from the beginning, but was afraid of something, I’m not sure but men hide behind their emotions.” You were fiddling with the cover of the book not even aware that both of you are no longer speaking about the book.

“It’s just my opinion but guys always take longer to figure out things, because he really had no reason to be grumpy and mean.” You were speaking rapidly and curiously, as if you were alone in a room, nonchalantly criticizing one of the best classics.

Harry was a bit too silent, his legs spread as he sat in a car, checking its speedometer while he listened to you. A while ago you might have cared about him being calm and unresponsive but now the words rush out from your mouth without even thinking , you’re not sure what shifted but it’s nice, really nice.

You reached the part where Jane got sick and Elizabeth went after her, it was one of your favorite scenes but your reading got interrupted with a shadow blocking the light in front of you.

“Has anyone ever told you that your communication is pretty shit for a social worker?” Harry’s body towered over your resting figure, a thin layer of sweat adorning his face.

“I— what?”

“You didn’t talk about yesterday, nor why you skipped work today. You just immediately sat down with your bloody book” He wasn’t shouting loudly but his tone changed, and he was visibly upset.

“Please don’t shout.” You replied in a calmer voice and placed your book inside your bag.

“I didn’t mean it.” He scoffed and took a few steps back with his gaze fixed on your now disturbed expression.

“Why’d you leave in the morning.” He leaned against the car and spoke in a manner so calm that you barely even heard him.

“I just didn’t want to bother you.” Again you noticed that he doesn’t have music on.

“I don’t understand.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes before swiping his hand through his hair.

“Well my presence at the race was rude and then you welcomed me into your home, I felt like I was intruding and being a burden.” You managed to speak as you fiddled with your bracelet.

You didn’t want to confess anything to him or anyone for that matter but especially him. Maybe he’ll think you’re an idiot who overthinks every word spoken or why the wind blew in that direction so instead of bothering anyone, deducing outcomes was easier.

“It’s fine, we’re good. We were both in the wrong and don’t worry about it anymore. My home is not the white house, you can come anytime…” His soft face stared back at you as he hesitated his choice of words.

“…. For Snow Bun of course.” He cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched his head.

“Yes, he is very adorable.”

Even after being vulnerable and speaking out, the atmosphere was still nice perhaps even better. You were not one to communicate and Harry was an argumentative person, an outsider would gape their mouth at your attitude but for now Harry moved around the garage and played David Bowie, and you silently hummed as you arranged the appointments. He managed to sneak the fallen pots inside before you arrived, but it was of no use, you already saw them. And so it goes whatever he hides, you will see.

“Heyy I found my top secret oil!” Harry screamed from inside over the sound of music. He popped his head out a few moments later showing you the oil bottle.

“Did you put it in the refrigerator?” He furrowed his eyebrows inspecting the bottle from all sides while realization struck you as your face turned tomato red.

“I’m sorry! I thought it was Pomegranate molasses.” You cupped your hand over your mouth feeling your heart beat rapidly.

You expected a scolding, perhaps forcing you to pay for it or just grumpy Harry attitude but instead you were met with a toothy grin as his head fell backward before he placed his palm over his eyes and let out the most beautiful laugh you have ever heard.

Harry held back his laughter for the rest of the day and gave in every time he looked at your pout. In your defense, you really thought it was molasses, you apologized repeatedly but he wasn’t really listening, stuck in a laughter daze.

When a customer came to pick up his car and inquired if Harry changed the oil, he looked at you and laughed as you organized his tools, but the customer got rude and Harry didn’t take it well.

”Are you laughing at me?” He tried to appear intimidating but failed to do so as Harry straightened his posture, and crossed his arms against his chest, allowing his biceps to flex almost immediately.

“The fuck is your issue dick? Do you see me laughing for you? Piss off from here.” He sneered at him before throwing the car keys at him.

The man grumbled something under his breath, and picked up his keys off the ground as he continuously cursed Harry who was changing the song choice to 1975 and couldn’t care less.

“What was the man shouting for? Did I mess up his appointment?” You asked him timidly after hearing the man shout loudly.

Harry gazed at you with a troubled look, wincing slightly as he noticed your eager expression, were you waiting for him to shout at you? He regrets not beating up the guy.

“Just men being men don’t worry yeah?”. You nodded at his words and took your usual seat watching him continue to work as you unwrapped your turkey sandwich.

He bopped his head to the ‘The Adults Are Talking’ by ‘The Strokes’ as he took off his rings and placed the leather gloves on his soft hands, they were pretty clean and delicate for a mechanic. This time he allowed his curls to shade his face, not paying attention to his hair clip. Due to the scorching heat, he took off his shirt (which you really liked) and placed it neatly aside where it wouldn’t stain.

The sight of his muscles was something you could never get over; he had phenomenal beauty and you read about Greek gods before but you’re not sure they can compare. Soft waist, artistic tattoos, delicate hip bone, dainty pearl necklace, prominent veins.

His anatomy was graceful like a fallen angel.

You had forgotten to eat breakfast this morning, and when Harry texted you asking to come, you freaked out and packed your sandwich instead of having it. It was your special recipe and the to go lunch sandwich, you were ready to devour it when you glanced at Harry and saw him gazing with a frown on his face making you feel like the worst person on the whole planet.

In a matter of seconds you had the sandwich split into two, leaving a half on the table in front of you and approached Harry who now was even more grumpy, as you stretched your hand to offer him the bigger half.

“Sorry for my bad manners, I should’ve asked, would you like to eat some of my Turkey sandwich?” His face softened a bit at your expression but switched back to his usual tense demeanor quickly.

“Thank you no, I was actually wondering about something else.” The toothpick in his mouth did not stop him from speaking, as he leaned his back against the car, planting his foot firmly against the gravel. His position made his midsection stretch and bend and his V line was getting recognition, you hoped he linked your drool to the sandwich.

“Which is? Do I have something to do before eating? Did you stop lunch breaks?”

Every time you spoke, a little feeling inside Harry sparked, this tiny feeling confirmed his thoughts time and time again. He has to shake himself whether mentally or physically and shut down his urges which most of the time include opening his notebook.

“I guess why you’re eating a sandwich. Does it fulfill you?”

The thing about Harry is that it’s very hard to read him sometimes, is it confusion or curiosity, fondness or kindness. Right now it was a mixture of both wonder and something that you can’t quite catch yet.

“I mean I think so. You don’t want to try it?” Your pout told him all he needed to know, if he didn’t take the sandwich from you, you’d probably think about it for days but right now Harry had something else on his mind.

“Can you stay here for a bit? Don’t go after me and don’t eat the sandwich” He ordered with a stern look before throwing his tooth pick in the garbage , closing the hood of the car and going inside the store.

You were not exactly sure how to feel, you don’t even know what he went to do, maybe he felt guilty or shy from your food offer. Either way you are really hungry and you wouldn’t mind sharing food with him so where did he disappear?

Harry has never cooked for someone else in his life until you.

He can’t really recall what led him here, or why he’s cooking meat right now and boiling pasta. His chef techniques were meant to be reserved only for him and Snow . His legs did lead him here and his hands keep chopping the vegetables without a direct order. Lately his nervous system seemed to be betraying him, acting upon some certain actions that make him beyond confused.

Maybe if he had an explanation after it was done, it would’ve put him at ease, except that he doesn’t. He likes to be direct and see immediately through people, and that was the problem with you, he was seeing too much.

Why did it matter if the pasta’s boiling was medium or fully cooked or if the change in spices was necessary? He could not for the life of him understand many things.

Maybe Snow Bun can help.

Harry has been inside his garage for the past 35 minutes, at first you were worried and he had asked of you to not follow him, so you respected his boundaries.

Your worry slowly fled away when you smelled it, the scent of tomato sauce and the unmistakable scent of meat, you assumed that your mind was playing tricks on you and it was your hunger that made you imagine things.

But as more time passed you knew that you were not a lunatic and that Harry really is cooking. So you were right then, maybe he was making food because he got hungry and refused to take your food. In moments like these you could see that Harry is just a tender boy at heart, in your opinion everyone is.

We get mistreated a lot that we lose sense of who we are, but the real and soft version of us, the one touched by angels and untouched by demons remains hidden and comes out discreetly but in the most beautiful ways one could imagine. It was kind of your favorite hobby, to see when it shows up , but to get to observe it, you have to know one’s weakness at first then watch them do the exact opposite.

With Harry it’s taking you more time to observe, tender things need more patience.

You got excited at the idea of Harry eating with you, you were used to eating alone, as the only person close to a friend you had was Kitty and maybe Harry but you don’t want to put your hopes up.

You were wrapping up the sandwich again so that it stays edible, before Harry walked out with two plates in his hand, he was still shirtless and the heat from the oven reflected on his sweaty body, he had a chef’s bonnet to avoid getting his hair in the food and the sight of him strolling lazily with his jeans low on his waist and holding food that he made was a sight that will be engraved in your mind for a long time.

He balanced the two plates in one hand effortlessly, and grabbed a chair nearby fixing it next to yours as he set the food in front of you which you figured out is a Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.

“Fancy some pasta?”

Lunch with Harry was nice. He seemed flustered and you’re not sure why, so to save him the embarrassment you opened up a chat about Snow Bun who is probably trying to pluck the strawberries from the garden as you spoke.

You insisted that Harry tastes your sandwich and despite his chef like standards he approved of your recipe but continued to flaunt that his culinary abilities are better.

“My sandwich deserves a Michelin!”

“Excuse you? People would die to have my pasta woman!” He scoffed and chewed with his Bunny teeth that he probably stole from Snow.

He took the plates inside and fumbled around for a certain product then remembered immediately that he ran out of it. You went on a quick walk and bought some of the missing essentials for the shop, and you bumped into Uncle George , who you approached to greet.

“Hello Uncle George, How are you? Can I help with anything?” You offered a sweet smile in case he needed it today.

“Oh bless you child I am well, thank you I’m only grabbing a bouquet of flowers.”

“Ohhh, is it for your wife?” You blushed at the thought of your future partner buying you flowers at an old age. Uncle George is a very sweet man, no wonder Harry is close with him.

“Yes darling it is, she loves yellow tulips.” He pointed at the bouquet he’s holding with an enthusiastic smile.

“Oh that’s so nice I hope she likes them. Have a nice day.”

“Same for you kid, same for you.” You bid him goodbye with another smile and walked away before hearing him again.

“I can see his through his eyes now.”

You turned around to see that he did not repeat his words and apparently not address you even, when he looked back he waved again at you and you returned it with a confused look.

Upon your return, Harry was cursing under his breath in a grumpy state, the music was low and he was standing over an open hood with his fingers examining his puckered lips. He asked for the bottle of brake fluid as you organized the other things you bought in their designated places.

“Can you come over here” He asked a few minutes later.

You found him holding up the hood of the car with his two hands and you can see how his biceps are clenching as his hand fought against the weight of the hood despite holding it like it weighs nothing.

“The hood is broken and I need to fix something else, It won’t balance on the stick, can you please hold it while I check something?” You nodded and took over the hood part , and quickly felt its weight. Damn him and his muscles.

He easily managed to pull heavy parts and put them back, he was really good at his job and no one could deny it. You helped him and handed him over some of his kit as he worked out the trouble.

“The coolant is supposed to have a sweet smell, yet it smells weird and there are no signs of any leak. Flashlight please?” He asked without turning to you but when you didn’t respond for a good while he angled his head towards you.

Your hair was long and straightened and it was getting in the way of your vision since you were bent down, you did not want to tell Harry, afraid that it would seem unprofessional of you.

You were struggling to hold the hood, and the flashlight was farther than all the other tools, when you tried to reach it your back cramped from the weight of the hood and your hair completely clouded your vision.

“What are you doing?”

“Sorry it’s my hair. I can’t see.” You winced as you felt useless despite it being the first time he actually asked of you to help yet you were not able to provide it.

“It’s okay you can sit down I’ll handle it.” He replied without glancing at you.

“But I can help—“

“Just sit there, it’s fine.” You nodded and felt the sadness creep into you despite him not being mean, but you really wanted to help.

He’s already paying you way too much to just take appointments and buy new oil. Your body slumped against the barstool and your lips formed a pout as you glanced at the now neglected car, you were making a great team.

“M’gonna need you to stay still for a while.” He came behind you abruptly and swiped his hand through your hair.

His hands were soft even though he spent all day ruining his skin layer with work, you can feel the lotion he just used at the back of your neck. His rings sent a shiver up your spine, as his hand discovered your skin, it was silly to feel that way, so giddy for his touch but you couldn’t really help it.

You’re very shy by nature, and in situations like this you pry from ruining the mood and asking what the other person is planning to do. Even Harry seemed to take a long time to make his next move, his hands kept swiping through your hair tenderly, as his fingers went in and out from your hair strands.

He divided your hair into three divisions, and gently began bringing them together, the first with the second, then with the third and so on. Your heart was drumming against your ribcage, even more so when you realized that Harry was braiding your hair.

You soaked the moment in as much as you could, his knuckles were grazing your back and his touch made you want to crawl in his lap and hug him. Perhaps you were touch deprived or he was just very huggable. Not to mention that you love physical touch, so his hand at your skin caressing sensitive spots along with the soft breeze that’s helping Harry, made you want to giggle and squirm beneath him.

“No one has ever braided my hair.” You blurted out quickly before biting at your inner cheeks. Whenever someone was nice to you, you’d unconsciously share personal things, but again not only is Harry physically near you, but he seemed like the type of person you can feel comfortable around. Not because he wouldn’t object or make snarky comments like other men. Harry was just not judgmental.

Despite all his grumpiness, occasionally rude attitude and short temper, Harry was so soft deep down. You’ve barely known him for two weeks yet but your experience as a social worker aided you in identifying people and uncovering their mask. After all, Harry was a safe bubble, along with Snow Bun, his hydrangeas and yellow house. It is nothing but a courageous attempt at protecting his peace.

“Why? You have nice hair.” He mumbled the last sentence rather faster and quieter as if he didn’t want you to hear it. He even let out a huff as if he couldn’t believe you.

“The girls used to say that my hair is ugly and weird, and that I don’t look like Princesses.” You felt your cheeks burn at the memory, your childhood wasn’t the best, especially when you had to grow up with these said girls.

Harry glanced down at your locks between his hands, they were so pretty that he had to restrain himself from playing with them all day , they smell like strawberries too and he could swear you look like Rapunzel under the sun. Why were people mean?

“I don’t know, sounds like bullshit to me.” He shrugged his shoulders and cleared his throat as an attempt to keep his rough demeanor on.

You didn’t wish to recall these days so you focused on the feeling of his hands again, the wind around you and how the soft tug at your strands was almost like a scratch and made you feel sleepy but safe.

His fingers parted your hair but only for a few seconds, before he added the final touches, and secured the end of the braid with a hair tie. He continued to place inside it something that made your eyebrows furrow, you couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, but you had a feeling it looked nice.

“Okay, now you can help me. The car is waiting.” He strolled to the car without any other words and pretended to continue his work, but not forgetting to give a side glance and watch you look at the mirror and at the blue hydrangea petals he placed in between your hair .

Ever since you arrived at this town, you experienced some harsh incidents that can be considered as ‘bad luck’. First, the landlord wanted to charge you double that of other apartments, until he changed his mind and lowered the price thankfully. Then the town was caught in a huge storm, making all shops close down so you couldn’t visit the grocery store and spent two days eating ramen.

Your job is a whole other story, quitting it allowed you to see things from a clearer point of view and learn from your mistakes. Harry’s advice served you good since if not for him you would be deep down a hole of troubles.

Losing your car was the most damaging, it was the only piece you had from your grandfather, also your first car and held many memories over the years. To see it every day in Harry’s garage made your heart clutch, but you know that you would never give up on it, you just need to save a little money.

All these incidents remind you how you will always be alright in the end. It’s been over a month since the race, and as each day passed you and Harry got closer. Breaking down his wall was not easy; you didn’t even fully reach there yet but there is a progress.

You learned that he has a sister in the UK, he loves engineering but wanted to study Music, he didn’t adopt Bun nor had an intention of keeping him. He found him covered in dirt behind the garage so he took him in until he was healthy enough to give him to someone worthy, yet even then Snowy refused to part from Harry and you have an inkling that it was the opposite.

Harry is a big tea drinker; he has packets that he keeps in both his garage and house. He really loves the honey and cinnamon tea, and drinks two cups a day. However he seems to dislike alcohol a lot and described it as ‘piss’.

Niall is his only trusted companion, they bonded over their origin and even though Niall tends to be playful and exactly what Harry hates in people sometimes, but you don’t recall a day where they didn’t speak to each other.

As you concluded from the beginning, he adores music and is a proud Vinyl collector. He once spent 600$ just to get his hands on a special edition of Elton John’s Breaking Hearts. Every other week, he visits a market nearby where he goes on a hunt for new interesting Vinyls.

Your days with him consisted of laughter, he had a way to make you smile even when it wasn’t his intention. He can still get grumpy sometimes, but he was never mean to you, whenever he got mad, he’d lock himself inside the store and get out after 15 minutes only to continue conversing normally.

He braids your hair from time to time, although you never really told him about the other mean things you’ve been told. You knew his preferences enough to get him lunch or a snack, perhaps a gift even, yet you felt like there was more to know but you had patience and in return you must also give him parts of yourself.

You’re not sure how you managed to be around him this long, he was unnaturally gorgeous, you would stare in awe at whatever he does, you never imagined a person to be this beautiful. You could swear his irises change shades every now and then, that his lips stole the color from cherries, and his body an incarnation of a female and male Greek gods.

Being around him made you flustered but not in a bad way, it was a good feeling that reminded you how you’ll be seeing him every morning, how the blood pumps faster to your heart when he’s near you, when your cheeks burn as he cooks for you or delivers a ‘hello’ message from Snowy with a strawberry filled basket.

He was somewhat your only friend and that was an achievement. Making friends is a nightmare for you, you’re not the best at it nor had good experiences in the past years. You’re not sure if you got better at it or if Harry is easy to be around, perhaps he is ,but that would also mean that there is nothing wrong with you.

Kitty was able to note the change in your attitude, how happier you became, but she refrained from saying anything because she already knows the cause behind all this giddiness and why Harry checked out Pride & Prejudice right after you returned it.

“I don’t mean to intrude my boy, but I never saw you as a classics guy.” Kitty spoke as she registered the book under his name.

“Umm, just wanna see what the fuss is about I guess, no other reason.” He tried to hide the blush in his cheeks by awkwardly scratching his neck and fleeing away after grabbing the book.

Kitty was no fool of course, she was just waiting, after all some clocks need delicate care and attention.

The news of quitting your job earned a broad smile from Harry, he looked even happier than you and kept assuring that you took the right decision. It didn’t take you long to find a job offer, the only issue is that it’s out of town but Harry insisted that you apply to see how it would go.

You watched him hop off his bike and remove the Gucci sunnies, before placing his motorcycle inside and taking off his leather jacket, he glanced at you and was about to speak but furrowed his eyebrows instead at your face expression.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“Okay please don’t get mad, but I just remembered that my job interview is tomorrow and I know that this is last minute but I really need to take tomorrow off, I can start working on appointments from now an—“ Your anxious rambling made Harry even more confused that he had to cut you off.

“We all forget strawberry shortcake, what time is the interview?” He replied nonchalantly as he took off his shirt. You couldn’t help but blush at the nickname he’s given you for smelling like strawberries.

“Around one in the afternoon, but I have to get up early because I do not know the town and have to find a bus so th—“

“I’m driving you.” He picked up his crawler and walked to a car he was fixing since morning.

“No you don’t have to, I can—“

“It’s not negotiable, I’ll pick you up at 10.” You mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ as he continued to do his work.

Niall popped in around noon and began rambling about his work, what he ate and what he’s been up to as Harry only nodded and kept his focus on the car.

You liked his presence, he was a nice guy and anyone who Harry likes must be a big deal since it doesn’t happen that often, but it’s safe to say that Bun is fond of biting Niall in his leg , recently he’s been avoiding Harry’s House because of ‘the deadly beast’.

Niall swore that Snowy only seems to like you and Harry, even though he is harmless but he just never clicked with the little bun. You thought that it is such an ironic situation since Niall is the one who gets for Harry, Snowy’s food and essentials from his aunts’ store. Maybe he liked the Bun deep down.

When he figured that Harry is busy and will not give him his attention, he turned to you and struck up a conversation, he was very chatty and you found it hard to keep up with him.

“I had a chicken sandwich and I kept thinking about the ones that Harry make, they’re delicious really.” His Irish accent made you giggle.

“There’s leftover Pizza if you want, I can heat it up?” You asked him in case he was hungry.

“Thank you I should really get back but I’m also bored and I had to pass by to make sure Harry didn’t make you run away yet.” He let out a loud laughter and imitated Harry’s grumpy face making you laugh even harder.

The giggles did not go unnoticed by Harry, he could recognize your voice and laughter anywhere but it was infuriating when it wasn’t about something he said.

He decided to let it go as Niall is a funny guy and can make anyone laugh, that is until he heard Niall asking you a question that made him see red.

“Do you want to go out maybe? I know a nice place..” The rest of Niall’s question was inaudible as Harry’s jaw twitched and tightened.

He strolled over quickly to where you were standing with an oil bottle in his hand and spilled it over Niall’s shirt, it wasn’t a secret that Harry is visibly angry, but while Niall was oblivious you immediately caught up.

“Mate the fuck? If you’re mad unleash your anger somewhere else, I’m still in working hours.” He mumbled angrily as he walked over to his car, taking off his shirt and driving away.

You were shocked at Harry’s behavior; you looked back at him and he had anger radiating off his body. He didn’t even look you in the eye. Your arms were crossed in disappointment, perhaps with a hint of confusion and irritation. He knew it too but acted as innocent as a sly cat. He will not get away with it, you thought.

“Your child like antics seem to get only worse. That wasn’t an accidental spill, you were being rude.” You sneered feeling hot fume leave your body as a reaction to Harry’s act.

He dropped the wrench with a thud and strolled toward you with a scowl on his face that did not appear until you opened your mouth.

He trapped you in the corner making you lightly stumble and lay your weight against the bar stool you usually sit in. His face was inches apart from yours and all the blood in your body was pumping fast.

“Do you see how close I am to you? He must’ve been wishing to get to do that, and that’s my problem. You see I could’ve done worse, I was being nice Shortcake , m’kay?”. His piercing gaze softened after he finished talking and he tilted his head to the side smiling lightly, before backing away and lighting a cigarette.

Harry’s fingers kept tapping against the steering wheel as he awaited outside your apartment building, he showed up 10 minutes after you sent him the address as if he’s a standby chauffeur.

He pinched his puckered lips, glancing every now and then at his painted nails then back to the building gate. It’s not even a date or so but his whole body wants to shiver yet Harry mastered the art of controlling his reflexes.

What he did yesterday was unexpected, he took it too far and was really a child. What’s worse is that he didn’t seem to mind it until he got back home and replayed the scene in his mind. He threw oil on Niall just because he asked you out?

Recently Harry has been acting in ways he does not approve of which is quite silly as he controls his own actions yet sometimes, he feels helpless. He tried to ignore it at first, but that only seemed to make it worse.

Getting mad at the thought of someone dating you can only mean one thing and he refuses to accept it. It’s true that the past month was a change from the boredom he encounters at work every day, but it also allowed you to creep inside of him and lay there, Harry’s afraid you’re already welcome.

Thankfully Niall didn’t catch on, but only because this isn’t the first time Harry has been a jerk, but it also happens to be kind of their own thing, to prank each other. He ponders if he should apologize later on to Niall or just let it be, however If he does then it might reveal the fact that it wasn’t a joke.

Harry would consider himself to have fallen down the rabbit hole.

You and your silly books, adorable soft hair that always reminds him of his strawberry garden, weird colorful clothes that would send a fashion designer into a coma, sweet rambles about everything and your claims on being the best Turkey Sandwich maker. He could go on and on and tell every single bit about you, but he can’t and shouldn’t. He knows better than to allow his desires to take over the wheel, which is why he must find a way to climb back out of the rabbit hole.

He got pulled out of his trance by the sound of the door opening then slamming shut, your sudden entrance along with the wind going in your direction allowed Harry to catch a strong whiff of your strawberry scent making him clutch the steering wheel roughly.

“Am I late? So sorry I didn’t know what to wear and what book to grab for the road.” You apologized as you threw your bag in his backseat, trying not to focus on how he’s eyeing your figure without a single word.

After all, it’s a job interview and being elegant was a must. You spent the entire morning going through your closet and trying on every piece you have, to be a bit fair most of them were decent and suitable for an interview yet it was not your potential new boss that you wanted to impress.

The huffs and puffs paid off as you picked a matching plaid blazer and skirt, you faintly remember the last time you wore this set two years ago which is why it wasn’t a surprise when the skirt turned out to be a bit shorter than expected, it was still decent for the interview but also hugged your body perfectly.

Harry’s eyes nearly bulged out when he saw your skirt, you didn’t even bother to wear tights beneath it and your bare legs were a sight. He still didn’t utter anything and it was making you more anxious.

“Soo how long will the trip take?” You asked with your gaze set down on your feet, avoiding him as much as possible knowing that you’ll blush if you just glance.

“Approximately an hour and a half.” He cleared his throat and fixed his Gucci sunnies as he continued to chew his gum.

You brought three different books with you in case you wanted to pass time, but you hoped that you didn’t have to touch them and converse with Harry instead.

You didn’t realize that it would be much awkward when you are outside of work, initiating a conversation is harder let alone maintaining it. What’s making it worse is Harry’s attitude yesterday and what he said to you.

“I could’ve done worse shortcake.”

That exact sentence kept bothering you the whole night as you tossed and turned. Does he like you or is he just a protective friend?

It would be an exaggeration to assume he has a crush on you yet his actions placed you in a tough position. Would it be unwise to open up the subject? Will you even get the answer you’re wishing for?

All you know is that you’re about to spend half a day with him on the road without work distractions, and god knows what will happen but again the chances are below zero.

“Grab the 2nd CD here will ya?” Harry turned on the engine and began rotating the steering wheel with his palm as he stretched his arm behind your head and looked backwards. The sight of him driving like that made you squirm in your seat. You pretended to be fumbling with the CDs but instead you couldn’t possibly miss the sight of his biceps practically bulging through his leather jacket.

He had light stubble as he hasn’t been shaving for a while and despite having sunglasses on, you could see how focused he is, with a gentle furrow of his eyebrows. His hand on the wheel had protruding veins and you smiled at the new turquoise nail polish.

“The CD has a nice mix especially for road trips, let’s get going shortcake.”

The mixtape Harry picked had one of the best songs you’ve ever heard. He has a talent for picking the right tune in any situation. Knowing him, he probably would’ve bought his Vinyl player with him if not for road bumps.

Emerald star by Lord Huron was playing and Harry raised the volume. For the first time since you left town you dared to look at him.

His side profile was majestic, you can’t see his eyes but you assumed they’re in their usual state, unreadable and unbelievably gorgeous. Some freckles lay against the tip of his nose, the weather has been getting warmer and the more freckles appear on his face the more enamored you become.

His jaw flexes as he chews his cherry gum, and if he likes the song he’d tap with his index finger repeatedly, perhaps bite at the skin of his rosy lips. You can tell that he wants to sing along but you don’t want to push him out of his comfort zone.

“Oh what a jewel are you, and oh what a fool am I

For squandering my love on an emerald in the sky”

The song touched your heart as you listened to pure poetry with a melody, it was something else. Even Harry allowed his dimples to show when he first heard the intro of the song.

“I loved it so much, can we repeat it?” You asked as he immediately turned to you with a grin.

“Haven’t spoken a single word since we set off , and you only talk to me because you liked the song? I thought the cat got your tongue.” He placed his sunglasses above his soft curls and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, leaving the steering wheel without control as he cupped his hands around his mouth to light the cigarette.

“Can you not do that again?” His recklessness was a reminder for you to put on your seatbelt and you did so quickly.

“Do what?” He turned to you with parted lips and you could not tell if he’s acting innocent or is actually clueless.

“This.. thing with leaving the steering wheel and looking at me. You’ll get the car crashed.” Your voice showed how timid you are, but it was only fair when he was being so careless.

He let out a deep chuckle, with the cigarette perched between his lips. “I know what i’m doing shortcake, i’ve been driving cars since I was 14. If I want to get us crashed , I would’ve done that in the race.” He took another puff from the cigarette and let it out through the window.

The reminder of the race made you feel uneasy, not only was it terrifying and life threatening but now that you know Harry more, you unconsciously care for him which explains the pit that formed in your stomach at the mention of the race.

“Besides I can look at you whenever I want” He muttered under his breath and you decided to not answer back at any of these remarks.

“If the garage is getting you good money, why do you race Harry? You could get yourself killed.” Your curiosity took control as you found yourself speaking without thinking first.

It was as if he didn’t hear you or chose not to. The silence was loud except for AngelEyes by ABBA blasting on the radio, you slowly diverted your body towards the door and looked out the window, trying not to feel hurt with his attitude.

“I like the adrenaline it gives me.” He suddenly spoke making you turn back to him.

“It has a certain type of rush that I’m addicted to, you could say I’m an adrenaline junkie. I also love how everyone tries to beat me, but they will never be able to do that shortcake.” He elaborated nonchalantly as if he was speaking about an arcade game not a dangerous street race.

You could not possibly lie and say that you didn’t like it, at some point you discarded the fear and experienced some of the adrenaline he spoke of, but you couldn’t also deny how dangerous it was.

He had you in his lap, with one hand secured around your waist yet still managed to drive with risky turns and the other driver’s attempt at getting him to crash. It looked like any daily routine for him.

“Perhaps you can find a healthy addiction?” You didn’t wish to interfere in his life, but being you, helping others to overcome unhealthy habits is a must.

“Hmm, maybe.” He gave you a toothy grin as if he got an idea right there and then but didn’t want to share.

The road ahead of you was slightly familiar, a few cars were driving along but surprisingly not a lot. As soon as Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High by Arctic Monkeys started playing, you rolled down the car window, and let out your upper body as the soft breeze caressed you and allowed your hair to float.

Harry was shocked at your sudden act, he no longer cared if the road was empty or swarmed with cars. Your back was turned to him and your skirt was riding up on the back of your thighs, you had already kicked off your heels when you got in. The door was locked and you still had your seatbelt on, hence why he didn’t freak out, however he had his arm stretched near your waist just in case.

If an officer passed by on his motorcycle, he’d take away Harry’s license. His eyes forgot that the road exists, or that he’s driving, all he could see was you. Your floating hair, spreading the strawberry scent everywhere, the giddy smile on your face like a child experiencing the high of a rollercoaster for the first time or the way you ignored him and pretended that it’s your own world with the song blasting.

You looked like an addiction he could get used to.

‘ You said you gotta be up in the morning

Gonna have an early night

And you’re starting to bore me, baby

Why’d you only call me when you’re high?’

As the song came to an end, Harry’s apprehension took the spotlight as he pulled you in with one swift motion. He can race with many cars cornering him but you push your body outside of the window and the alarms in his brain go red.

You squealed when he pulled you in, as he cut off your little moment with the wind. His questioning expression made you self-aware of what you did making roses slowly creep up your cheeks as you covered your face quickly with your hands.

“Oh c’mon shortcake, that was nice. Did you get your own adrenaline hmm?” He reached his hand and removed yours off your face.

“I just felt like doing it.” You shrugged your shoulders and smiled shyly at Harry.

“Do whatever you want shortcake.”

Time passed easily with Harry. It was definitely not your expectation but you didn’t mind it too. You’ve been on the road for half an hour now, and you had a fight about ice-cream flavors. You’ve been slowly trying to break down his ice wall and now that you’ve laughed together, you thought about taking the conversation further.

“Can I ask you something?” You asked with curiosity reeking from your voice.

“No I will not try your disgusting bubblegum ice-cream.” He grumbled like a child as if you asked him to eat trash.

“No but one day I will make you eat that.” He rolled his eyes at you making you let out a laugh at the thought of him trying on bubblegum ice-cream.

“ So.. is it okay if you tell me how you knew that my ex boss was scamming me?” You swallowed down your throat after asking, as you reopened the subject that made you both fight in the first place.

You can see how his jaw twitched upon the mention of your ex boss, he certainly was not pleased with the topic and testing the waters now seems like a bad idea.

“Sorry you don’t have to—“

“He scammed my sister before you.” He looked at you with a hint of pain in his face.

“We both came here young and had dreams, I was slowly building myself and she thought that volunteer work was a good step. He kept promising her with a job, made her donate even, only to tell her that there is no place for her when the contract was over.” He was trying to hide his anger but to no avail. His nostrils were flaring and he could rip off the leather of the wheel from how tight his grip was.

“She was ambitious just like you, and what he did left her hopeless. Eventually, she didn’t find a job and went back to the UK.” Your heart clutched at the thought of Harry’s sister going through the same thing but with no one to warn her.

“I’m so sorry, I hope she’s doing better now back home.”

“She is, he just didn’t have the right to do so. That fucker… I wish I complied to my urges and left him a bloody mess but back then we didn’t have money for lawsuits.” He let out a big sigh and you felt like an idiot for discussing it with him.

“ Your sister sounds lovely, I’m sorry that happened to her.” You answered softly not knowing what to exactly say.

“Enough of that now shortcake, talk about something else.” It was obvious that he desperately needed a distraction and you felt inclined to provide it.

“We can play Truth or Truth since we can’t do dare in the car.”

“That sounds like a made up game but okay.” You rummaged your head for nice questions that do not cross his boundaries.

“How many tattoos do you have?” He pretended to count them making you roll eyes at him.

“I dunno shortcake, I lost count at 20.” You don’t have any tattoos but you wondered how the hell he was able to handle all this pain.

“My turn, what’s your favorite book ever?” He skipped the song that was playing until he decided on ‘Sesame Syrup’ by Cigarettes After Sex.

“Absolutely not, I’m not answering that.” You shook your head aggressively in disapproval feeling cornered with the question.

“I’m not letting that slide easily but your turn.” He took off his leather jacket, leaving him in a plain white shirt as you glared at him for leaving the steering wheel again.

“How many partners did you have?” Your felt quite bold but regretted it immediately after you saw his smirk.

“Hmm I’d say one for the serious relationship.” He was cheeky with his answer as if you fed his ego by asking. You’re not even sure why you did so, perhaps your curiosity got the best of you.

“My turn. What’s the best place you’ve had sex in?” Your cheeks turned crimson red at his question, as you began picking at your nails. He looked back at you when you took too long to answer and saw how flustered you were.

“Shit did I make you uncomfortable? “ He cursed under his breath as he stared at your flushed face.

“No it’s okay.. I just.. umm “ You swallowed down your throat, and turned away from him as the game was no longer in your favor.

“What is it?” He was confused as to why you suddenly become more flustered than you usually are. You were biting your bottom lip and playing with the hem of your skirt until he finally understood what’s up.

“Are you a virgin shortcake?” His rather correct guess made your face heat up embarrassingly as you allowed your hair to fall and cover your face from him.

“Hey, don’t do that. S’fine you can say whatever you want.” Harry found it cute that you were so red in the face over his question. He couldn’t believe it.

His shortcake was a virgin.

He tried to refrain himself from thinking about unholy things but god he couldn’t. How can he continue to live every day and be around you now that he knows you haven’t been touched.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’m just embarrassed.” You spoke in a low voice with your gaze set at your feet.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just a stupid social standard, you can wait for as long as you want shortcake.” He tried to comfort you, as he realized how upset you might be feeling.

“It’s not really about waiting; it’s about finding someone. Boys didn’t date me, they went for the popular prettier girls.” Harry almost hit the brake pedal in the middle of the road at your words. The fact that you thought so lowly of yourself because of stupid premature boys made him see red.

“The fuck do you mean by that? Just because some boys are pricks doesn’t mean you’re not worth dating. Fucks sake where’d you get those thoughts from?” He was visibly angry as you held back tears at both your confession and his sweetness.

“I’m not sure..” You couldn’t provide him with an answer when you didn’t even know what was going on in your own love life.

He suddenly turned off the music and reached his hand to caress your burning cheek. “ Hey, look at me.” He ordered softly as he turned your face to him.

“It’s not nice to think like that. Anyone would be lucky to have you. You’re worth more than sex and there are many people out there who would kill to have you. It was my fault for bringing it up.” His sweet words added to your pent-up frustration as you held back hot tears.

“It’s okay, can we close the subject now?” You’re not sure you can handle any further comforting from him. You feel embarrassed enough as it is for confessing such things.

“Yes of course but remember my words.” He leaned back in his seat and actually set his eyes on the road.

He didn’t know what to feel. The way you underestimate yourself infuriated him, it proves to him yet again that you’re too pure for this world. Never was he so angry just because someone else was not treated properly.

He didn’t want to think whether it’s right or not to feel that way, all he knows is that he’s mad. If only he could talk a little more… but he respects your boundaries and decided to turn on the music again in hopes of cheering you up.

You arrived at the designated building in no time, and you felt a lot better after Harry stopped by an ice cream shop and bought you four scoops of bubblegum ice cream with marshmallow topping. You admired his gesture and you could tell he was trying to make up in his own way.

Even though you were ready mentally and parked right outside of the building, you felt like cooling off a bit and taking a stroll on the sidewalk.

Harry walked out from the car like a movie star with his beloved leather jacket hanging off his shoulder, you fixed your attire and secured your handbag before beginning to walk with Harry by your side.

The building was tall with tainted windows that you could not see through, you can hear Harry lighting up a cigarette behind you to destress as if he’s the one with the interview.

“Harry, I think I’ll just go in. If I wait any longer, I’ll get stressed.” You fixed your hair and stared back at Harry who was leaning against the car.

“Whatever suits you, I’ll wait here.” You gave him a gentle smile and walked away towards the building before you heard him calling your name.

“Yes?” You turned around to face him.

“Read the contract well shortcake.”

Harry has been waiting outside the building for almost an hour now, he thought about going in to check up on you but he didn’t want to embarrass you, for all he knows you could be waiting or doing the interview as he walks in.

He’s had five cigarettes and walked back and forth three times; it could be a sign of anxiety but for fucking what? It’s you who’s doing the interview and worrying about you should be the last thing he’s supposed to do.

In the past month he allowed you to get closer to him, something he despises. But now that he thinks about it, he never remembers being aware of it. He always has his guard on, and the way he let it down naturally scares him.

He’s gotten used to your turkey sandwiches, books around the garage, random hair clips that he finds everywhere, the fallen hydrangea petals from your hair after he braids it, some doodles and heart shaped drawings in his appointment book, and the curious inquiries when he’s fixing cars.

‘ So if you replace this piece with a new one, does it become like those cars in movies.’

’ Can you place a machine inside the car that gives you bubblegum when you press the button’

‘ What happens if you actually replace the oil with pomegranate molasses’

As a mechanic, hearing these questions sent him into a laughter fit, you were something else that he can’t pinpoint, perhaps otherworldly but what he knows is that you are not the type he ever saw himself meeting. He couldn’t possibly believe that someone like you exists.

Maybe he’ll wake up at any second and find himself back home, and that it was all just a fever dream, even his garage, degree and Snow Bun. Instead he hears the sweet voice that he got so accustomed to hearing every morning.

“Harry! I got the job” You walked excitedly to him while being careful to not trip over.

Deep down Harry knew that they would take you, it wasn’t a surprise that you’re talented, not to mention a very fast learner. But to see you so happy with the broadest smile was the real fever dream. He didn’t prepare himself for encountering such a sight nor could he survive it.

“They said that there’s no need to wait a few days, they hired me on spot and you wo—“ You stood in front of him rambling excitedly before he cut you off by pressing his lips against yours and cupping your face with both of his hands.

You melted in the kiss as his soft lips nibbled on yours, your heart was drumming against your chest and it all felt too surreal. You can taste the mix of cherry and cigarettes on his tongue as his mouth lapped at yours and devoured you whole.

Neither of you seemed to want to let go, especially Harry who held on to your waist as he deepened the kiss further making you lean backwards against his arm. Your tongues clashed together and you could feel him smiling.

Harry is not sure he can climb out of the rabbit hole.

A/n: hope you had fun reading!! Please make sure to leave feedback, i’d appreciate it a lot <3

Taglist: @matildasatellite @xxrosebunny @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @novasblogofstuff @gem1712 @miasdelicatepov @jessitpwk @tiaamberxx @peacheskiwi @tenaciousperfectionunknown @tbsloneely @namelesssav @20031990s @prettythingsworld @st-ev-ie @slut4marvelmenn @swiftmendeshoran @missmielyhoran @a-strange-familiar @wandas-lawyer @fullofstyles @cherrycokeslay @blepskies @that-daydream-look @hslt-2809 @ivegotparticulartaste @itslottiehere @harryssideboob @malwtilda @harrysficreblog @hsonlyangelxo @adachhi @tpwkkkkk @kiwilikesmeow @sagggy @epidxte @indierockgirrl @annesauriol @leenameh @scottisantman @grapejuicebluesrry @summertime-pills @lhhrryismyhome @marzhshaim @harrystylessslut @nysworld @keepdrivingkisses @rideeonstyles @rueluvsharry @lomlhstyles @novalunosising

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clangenrising · 5 days

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Month 15 - Newleaf

Battle With Razor Pt 6

When Goldenstar opened her eyes, she was standing alone in the forest. Her mind felt foggy, like she’d been woken up from the deep of sleep. She glanced around, unsure where she was or why she was there, and her eyes caught on something sitting beside her among the roots and leaves.

She flinched at the sight of it. It was a ghost of a cat, not a bold and lively spirit like the cats of StarClan but a barely visible outline of a tortoiseshell made from gossamer thin rays of starlight. Most disturbingly, it was weeping silently. Starry tears pooled along the bridge of its nose and it regarded her with a forlorn, defeated expression. She realized with a start that it was her.

“Goldenstar,” said a gentle voice. She turned to see a different, starry tortoiseshell sitting patiently in front of her. She recognized Emberbloom immediately.

“Mom.” She melted in relief and threw herself into the cat’s embrace.

“It’s alright,” whispered her mother, rubbing her cold, starry cheeks over Goldenstar’s head. “It’s gonna be alright.”

“What happened?” asked Goldenstar, peeling herself reluctantly away. More StarClan cats had started to appear among the trees, all faces she recognized.

“You lost a life,” said Sunstar.

“Oh,” Goldenstar looked over at the crying ghost and understood. The cat’s visage flickered for a moment, briefly marred by an open, bloody throat and a torn belly. Goldenstar swallowed and tore her eyes away, skin crawling uncomfortably.

“Well,” she said, starting to remember what was going on, “send me back then! I have to kill Razor.”

“We would,” said Sunstar, “but there’s an issue. When a leader loses a life, there’s a brief time where their body recovers enough for them to continue on during which StarClan gives them whatever guidance they can. But it seems Razor is making more wounds faster than your body can heal them.”

“What?” Goldenstar stood abruptly. “But I’m dead, why would he do that? It’s not like he knows about my nine lives.”

“We can’t know why,” Sunstar said grimly. “But whatever his reason, until your body can recover, you won’t be able to return to it. It’s possible you might lose all of your lives if it goes on long enough.”

Goldenstar felt like she’d been smacked in the face. “W- But that’s impossible!”

“No, it’s not,” said Clearwater, the old silver queen who had given Goldenstar her eighth life. “Ancient legends tell of a rogue with a soul drenched in blood who took all nine of a leader’s lives with one strike.” Goldenstar looked around the group, searched the faces of the nine StarClan cats for any sign that this was a ridiculous fairy story. Each one sat stoically quiet and somber.

“Oh, Stars,” Goldenstar swallowed, “this is bad.”

“It will be alright,” her mother said again. Her strained smile was not convincing.

“Will it?” Goldenstar asked. “Isn’t there something you all can do? Send a sign, strike him with lightning, something!”

“We’ve already sent a sign,” said Clearwater. “We can only trust that help will arrive in time.”

“That’s it?” Goldenstar felt anger burning in her chest. “I’m just supposed to sit and wait?”

Clearwater shook her head. “The life I gave you was for Faith, Goldenstar. You have to-”

“Faith isn’t enough right now!” Goldenstar shouted. “Enough sitting around, somebody do someth-AH!” Sudden pain lanced through her body, icy cold and tingling. She bent over double, shaking and trembling under the strain as a second ghostly double tore itself from her body to stand before them all, leaving her feeling numb when it was gone. She stared at the spirit in horror, at the dull eyed expression and gaping throat, gore dripping and dangling from the ragged, open wound.

“Do something!” she pleaded, starting to sob.

“I’m so sorry,” Emberbloom wept with her, curling around her and holding her close. Sunstar frowned, looked around the clearing, and then started off into the trees.

“Sunstar!” shouted another cat, a brown tabby named Galebranch who had given Goldenstar her second life. “Where are you going?”

“To do something!” snapped the leader, her ginger tail disappearing into the wood. Goldenstar pressed her face into her mother’s starry fur and cried. Silently, she begged the universe to let Sunstar succeed, for her mentor to save her from her own foolishness.

The cats of StarClan stood by and watched.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #clangenrising #newleaf #Battle With Razor #StarClan #Goldenstar #Emberbloom #Sunstar #Clearwater #TW Graphic Injury

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my-love-is-sunlight · 3 months

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Frozen lake

Sanji x gardener!reader

Warnings: None just fluff y’all already know, fem reader

Word count: 1,398 words

Summary: In which you and Sanji ice skate in a lake. This is from my series of gardener!reader but can be read as a stand alone.

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Truth be told you hated cold weather, I mean naturally since you were a being of bloom, sunlight, warmth and freshness. Cold weather made all the trees shed their leaves and plants lose their color, everything seemed to lose life, and so did you

You stood with a cape over your your sweater, mittens, fluffy boots and earmuffs shaking uncontrollably at the breeze that seemed like it just wanted to make its way trough your garments “Goddammit we really had to stop here?” You cursed at your captain’s wonderful idea to wonder around the snowy island, so you offered to stay and look after the ship to try and ease your cold but it wasn’t working at all. And to make it worse you were all by yourself, how fun.

You had tried everything to stop shivering but nothing seemed to warm you up, so you decided to at least enjoy the snowy view out in the deck. You looked at the nearby lake, frozen completely at winters arrival, glistening in the few rays of sunshine that seemed to sneak trough the cloudy sky. You had never witnessed something like this in your life since your home island was hot almost all time of year, curiosity made its way trough your thoughts, could you we able to ice skate in there?

“MY LOVE!”

At the distance Sanji waved your way, big jacket on with a huge bag pf shopping that hanged from one of his shoulders, nose red from the cold breeze how cute, you thought. What was he doing back so early? You approached the other side of the deck and examined him as he walked to the ship, but he seemed just fine.

Sanji grunted as he let the heavy bag hit the floor “Hello sunlight” he smiled as you approached him “Sanji why are you back so soon?” You asked as you fixed his jacket “Did you forget something?” The cook let out a small giggle “Just wanted to see your pretty face” he said while squishing your cheeks together “Besides, I know how much you hate cold weather so I thought I’d keep you company”

You helped Sanji put the groceries away as he explained what every new seasoning tasted like and what he could prepare with them. You loved listening to him talk about his passion, his eyes would glisten and his heart felt full as you listened attentively, he would explain every detail and answer all your questions, you’d always take note of stuff you could use even though Sanji would never let you move a finger around his kitchen “I’ll prepare you a hot chocolate my love, then I’ll get started with dinner prep” he said before looking for the ingredients.

As much as you loved hot chocolate more than anything in the world, the idea of Sanji working on his free time didn’t thrilled you, you walked closer to him holding his gaze so he would listen “I was thinking of doing something more fun!”

“Are you sure about this, sunlight?” Sanji walked behind you as you struggled your way through the snow “Yea! I’ve never ice skated before but not gonna lie it looks so fun” it was true tho, as out of character for you as it sounded, the thought of slipping through the cold ice under your feet sounded intriguing and like a good time. You were fascinated by the power of winter, how it managed to transform a warm fresh lake into a big ice cube was so mind blowing, with one finger you touched the cold surface making sure it was solid enough to stand on it, a cold shiver overtook your body at the motion “It looks safe but we still have to be careful” Sanji said while holding your hand, scared you may slip and fall on the frozen lake.

Using your powers you were able to mimic the sharp edge of ice skates with strong branches under both of your boots, you made sure it was sharp and strong enough to skate before standing on the lake. As you slipped trough the ice you started to regret your brilliant idea, keeping your balance was harder than you had expected, you held onto Sanjis hands while he stood outside the ice to keep you steady, he found it absolutely endearing how your hands grew vines to keep you secure in him and how you looked like a baby deer learning how to walk “Okay my love you have to let go slowly, I’ll skate beside you to make sure you don’t fall” of course this man was good at skating, had you seen him fight? He wasn’t black leg Sanji for nothing. You took a deep breath and started to let go of the cook, slipping ungracefully through the ice, you felt lighter and like at any false move you’ll fall on your face “There you go! Now do this” Sanji demonstrated how to move so you wouldn’t just go slipping without direction, hesitantly you moved your legs and began to make your way trough, one of your hands still looking for the blonde for support every time you felt like falling.

When you finally got hang of it, Sanji took both your hands and skated in circles around the lake “Wait sweetheart, too fast!” You exclaimed “Don’t worry I won’t let go” he smiled kindly, you knew Sanji would never do something to endanger you but still being in a situation where you didn’t had control over your movements panicked you. After a while you started to have fun, giggling and following Sanji around, you would lose balance every now and then but it suddenly didn’t mattered if you fell over because you were enjoying the moment “I’m a professional now” you joked while catching up to the blonde “Actually I’m really surprised how easily you got the hang of it sunlight” he looked so proud of you, but more importantly he appreciated how you wanted to spend quality time with him doing something you might dislike, it melted his heart “The student betters their master” you said with a grin while you skated faster and left him behind, but it seemed you spoke too soon. You miscalculated a turn and fell on the cold snow out of the ice, Sanji felt his heart fall to his stomach as he rushed your way “Y/N! y/n are you hurt?” But his worry quickly faded when you started to laugh out loud, a genuine infectious laugh “I guess I’m not that good after all” you said between giggles.

The sound of your laugh made the blonde cooks heart swing, he had never met someone with a laugh like yours, hearing it felt like being bathe in sunlight or having a sweet beverage under the clearest skies. He still wondered how someone like you existed, someone that enjoyed life so much and thanked whatever force of the universe had put you in his path “It surprises me how you manage to look stunning even while falling” he smiled while he offered his hand to help you get up, you took it but instead of getting up you pulled him in making the blonde fall on the white snow, making you laugh even harder.

Sanji had never been around someone that treated him like this, with such playfulness and never afraid of what he may say or do “I guess snow isn’t that bad after all” you said before rolling over and positioning yourself on top of Sanjis chest “But I still prefer feeling warm” you got closer to his face and kissed his red cold nose, when you started to back up the cook positioned his hand behind your neck to keep you from doing so “My darling, I could live in the hottest pits of hell or in the coldest place on earth if it meant spending my days by your side” he whispered before collapsing his lips with yours which you happily welcomed.

“ARE YOU GUYS PLAYING IN THE SNOW WITHOUT ME?” Luffy screamed in the distance which made you both flinch “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!” this was the last thing you heard before your captain literally catapulted himself in your direction and crushed both of you while laughing.

Truth be told you hated cold weather, but with Sanji any weather was perfect

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Fun fact I actually am really good at ice skating lol this was sooo fun to write, if you have any specific scenarios form me to write lmk! As always feel free to correct me if I made any mistakes English is not my first language

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iamdefinitelyreal · 2 months

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Song Recommendations

Thought I might share my Aziraphale/Crowley playlists! They're a bit unconventional, but I hope some enjoy!

Aziraphale

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Hozier

Killer Queen by Queen

Chemtrails over the Country Club by Lana Del Ray

Talk by Hozier

Not Strong Enough by boygenius

Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart by Mitski

Which Witch by Florence & The Machine

I Bet On Losing Dogs by Mitski

Back To December by Taylor Swift

Delicate by Taylor Swift

Would That I by Hozier

All Things End by Hozier

Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood

Tis the Damn Season by Taylor Swift

Half The World Away by Aurora

Exist for Love by Aurora

Warrior by Aurora

I miss her and I blame you by MALINDA

First Light by Hozier

Sunlight by Hozier

Hallelujah covered by Rufus Wainwright

Crowley

Hot Gum by Sofia Isella

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen

Starboy by The Weeknd

Art Deco by Lana Del Ray

Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode

Nothing's New by Rio Romeo

Somebody to Love by Queen

You Are In Love by Taylor Swift

Take me to Church by Hozier

From Eden by Hozier

Work Song by Hozier

Shrike by Hozier

False God by Taylor Swift

The Night We Met by Lord Huron

Heathens by Aurora

Apple Tree by Aurora

Like Real People Do by Hozier

No Plan by Hozier

Run by Hozier

#aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens 3 #good-omens #song recs

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lizziespoem · 7 months

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hate me | gojo ͏ ͏⸺ one shot

͏⸺ Colorful glowing leaves from the towering naked trees scattered on the freshly tarred asphalt, the smell of wet dirt numbed the pungent smell of the exhaust fumes of many cars and the rain struck the earth with his bare fists as the colorful leaves glued together, forming a palette of warm colors, stuck to the pitch black sole of the dark shoes, which stomped through every muddy puddle and yet, even if his white socks could already feel the water through the seams, he didn't seem to care at all.

The white haired man didn’t seem to care about the sky not being cheerful blue anymore, about the great dark sun rays trying to fight those dense clouds, about the strong tiny raindrops falling down into his hair, making it stick to his forehead and slowly dripping down on the tip of his pointy nose, and even though he was wearing the black blindfold around his beautiful blue eyes you could tell he was hiding those red irritation eyes, irritated from all the times he rubbed his rough palms against his eyes trying to stop the salty tears from falling. The sweet poison in his veins numbed his boiling blood and maybe he didn’t care about everything around him, because he was desperately trying to keep his insides tied up when he stood in front of your front door and his thoughts tore at him like wild sails, trying to chase him away from you, because he knew it would be the only right thing to do and maybe it was the stinging alcohol, who saved him from the storm, saved him from getting teared apart and saved him from getting carried away by him.

There were so many reasons why he shouldn't knocked on your apartment door, there were so many reasons why he should stay away from you and even more reasons to accept you two were not meant to have a happy ending, but still there he was, in the middle of a storm, standing in front of your apartment door, not daring to step on the foot mat with his soaking wet shoes and yet his slightly white knuckles brushed over the surface of your door.

“Satoru?” ,you almost whispered as you carefully opened the door, studying his appearance, how some of his wet strands of hair fell down into his pale face, how his soaking black clothes sticked to his muscles and must make him freeze, how his signature pleasant scent was covered by the pungent smell of alcohol and how there wasn't a single hint of his normally cockiness, all you could see was Satoru Gojo.

Just by the way you looked at him, the way his name left your mouth, the way your gentle hand clinged around the cold doorknob, he knew, he knew he should have kept his promise and never come close to you ever again, he knew he shouldn't have been this selfish and crawl back to you, he shouldn't have been wanting to fight the universe just to get the happy ending with you he always prayed for. There was this archining pain covered in slight disappointment in your voice, like a disappointing teacher to a naughty child, it wasn't the first time he had seen this look in your eyes and he knew you deserved better, better than the terrible mess he was.

Even though he was the strongest, thought to overcome any pain and save everyone else, all that he was in this moment was someone who wasn't strong enough to save himself from the silent pain, a man who would never read this chapter of his life out loud, who was ashamed that he was always too loud, trying to cover all of his pain with the idiotic jokes and laughs, someone who tried to hide the fact that he was ashamed of himself calling himself the strongest while knowing he was always too late.

A million vibration made his vocal cords tremble, for a moment the angry cry seemed to become hysterical, making his heart clenched even more and no screaming or crying would relieve the pain, the cry became more manic or even panicking till it silenced to an indignant roar, Satoru wanted to burn his own house down, to punish himself for always losing, for being exhausted even though he couldn't save anyone including himself.

“god, I am so sorry y/n” ,he was drunker than you've ever seen him, he could barely stay standing, he was vulnerable and hurt and the easiest way to describe him was to use to word human, he was just a human in this moment, trying to collect himself after he had heard your voice.

His hand were shaking, small wounds on his white knuckles, remaining stains of his own blood on his skin while he rubbed with his thumb and index finger over his nose bridge and as he clenched his eyes shut to stop those terrible headache, caused by all the different thoughts “I tried to fight the temptation to see you.. I promise I did… I just…”

“satoru, please come under the roof” your voice was gentle and comforting, and even though he didn't dared to come any closer, your voice made his feets make a small step closer to you, stepping with his soaking wet shoes onto the small little floor mat, hiding under the protruding roof from the pouring rain and yet his eyes didn't met yours, instead they looked at the fluffy socks around your feets as he whispered “I know it was for the best, bust I couldn't fight it anymore and I needed to see you”

You always hoped the universe was still fighting for you two to be together, you always thought about him even when you didn't tell him and hoped to have one meaningless conversation with him, you hoped for one last moment, the one moment you both deserved.

Gently you let your fingers brush through his wet hair, combing his hair carefully back between your fingers as he suddenly leans a bit down, burying his face in your neck. There was not a single word coming out of your mouth as your warm palm softly rubbed over the back of his neck and you didn't cared about those cold raindrops soaking into you warm pullover as you held him close or how your back slightly hurt when you stretched upwards so that he didn't had to bend to much, letting him feel the comfort in your embrace, even if you knew it would make anything just complicated and when he lifted his head to lean his forehead against yours, his vision still blurred from his headache, but there you were and his heart felt home.

“y/n you need to tell me that you hate me, so that I can let you go” he mumbled as his nose touched yours, as he could feel your fingers play with the knot of his blindfold and like a dancing snowflake, the crumpled black blindfold fell down on the scratchy stubble of the floor mat next to his wet shoes and you didn't lifted your head as you carefully shaked your head “I am afraid, that I could never hate you”

The sensation of your warm gently stroking over his cheek made his knees weaker and made him hold you tighter as one of his hands placed on your cheek, as the other one found their way under your pullover, grasping your back under the shirt, while he deeply inhaled while closing his eyes, smelling your familiar, beautiful lavender perfume, the familiar sweet scent filled his lungs, making his heart leap. You both were soaked and the cold air felt even colder than usual on your wet clothes. The atmosphere felt quiet, yet heavy. Full of emotions.

"Can we pretend to be back together? For tonight? Just this one night",satoru whispered quietly, his lips almost touching your lips, a drunken hoarse from emotions and the pain of being apart for the past four months, this was where he belonged, this was where he wanted to be and there was no need to say anything, his heart was finally home. His thumb gently rubbed over your cheekbone as his warmth breath stroked your soft lips “I really don't want to sleep alone tonight”

Could you say no? Could you say no if your heart desperately needed him? Could you say no if all you wanted was to be loved by him?

“one night” you whispered, as you gently nodded, letting your fingers creasing over his cold cheek down to trace over the edge of his jaw and with that satoru immediately pressed his lips to yours, his lips quickly finds yours in an urgent kiss, he was desperate to taste you. The tip of his tongue pushes into your mouth as he holds you tighter against him, breathing against you as your kiss deepens, the kiss felt more desperate than any passionate as his fingers digging into your waist slightly, as if he was afraid of you leaving once more. His fingers softly stroke your lower back as he lets himself kiss you deeper, as he slowly loses himself in you and as soon as he formed a small gap between your lips his chest rose and fell rapidly with his heavy, panting breaths “I might not leave after this night, so you have to kick me out”

this time satoru gojo wasn’t too late.

notes༯ long time no see, I hope you guys like this one. Also a huge thanks to @ponderingmoonlight who kinda inspired me to come out of my writers block.

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soaringeag1e · 6 months

Text

Escape {70} Final

Detective!Dean x Victim!Reader

Warnings: Language, A Tad Bit of Sadness, Fluff

Words: 2,114

Series Masterlist - Main Masterlist - Patreon

The cold weather wasn’t as extreme as it has been in the past, but today was definitely one of the nicest since the flowers had bloomed and the trees were filling out. A perfect day to have off work, especially with you.

You had wanted to go out and enjoy a nice lunch somewhere, preferably a place with outside seating so the two of you could enjoy the day, and Dean knew exactly where to go. It was a nice little place just up the street from the precinct, the balcony out back was blocked by trees, shielding everyone from the streets and giving a nice intimate setting. Plus, now that everything was filling out and the flowers were splashing the town with color, it was the best place to spend such a beautiful afternoon.

Between everything that has happened in the last year, from almost losing you to practically his own life ending in the hospital and then actually losing his best friend just to turn around and get married and then go back to work after calling it quits for awhile, this felt like the first time in a long time that Dean was able to take a solid breath and not have to rush off and do something else. Plus, looking across the table at you and seeing the way your hair shined under the rays of the sun and the way your eyes seemed so vibrant, he feels like he hasn’t been able to enjoy your beauty for awhile either. Something that tore at his heart a bit.

“You’re so beautiful.” he slips, saying it out loud when all he was doing was thinking it. When your eyes lock with his and your smile shines he has to remind himself to breathe. It’s like having a first date with you all over again, but now you’re his wife. Something he still can’t believe.

Your cheeks darken and your head ducks a bit as you try to hide the blush. You busy yourself with grabbing your napkin from the table and placing it in your lap and it seemed to be just in time too. Just as you did, the waitress came out with your dishes. You had ordered some pasta dish that Dean was now kind of regretting he didn’t get and he had fallen in his usual hole of ordering a juicy burger with extra onions.

“That looks good.” he comments, nodding towards your bowl before snatching a fry from his plate.

“You want to try some?” As you grab your fork and spear a bit of everything, Dean shakes his head, not wanting to steal your food from you. But you’re not taking no for an answer. Cradling your hand under the fork so as to not lose anything, you reach across the table so he can have a bite.

The second it lands on his tongue he’s in love. The flavor is ridiculous and he’s trying so hard to savor the bite. If his burger is half as good as your pasta, then he can’t wait to attack it.

“Good?” All Dean can do is make satisfied groans which of course makes you giggle, getting him to open his eyes again and look at you.

“So good.” he adds when he finally swallows the bite down. He takes another fry from his plate and then he is so ready to grab that burger and sink his teeth into it, but before he can pick it up, he catches another glimpse of you and it has him hold off for another moment. “You okay?”

“Yeah!” you answer with a bit of a startle, but you’re smiling. “Yeah, I’m fine.” A small chuckle comes from you, but Dean picks up the nervousness in it and his concern grows a bit more. “I um…I have something for you.” When you reach for your bag Dean is instantly trying to think of what you could possibly have for him, but the entire thing has caught him off guard. “I was going to wait until after we ate, but…” you pause as you struggle to remove whatever it is from your purse. “I just don’t think I can wait any longer.” you tell him as you hand off a thin square box.

He looks at it briefly before taking it from you, his mind racing on why you got him something. Did some special occasion pass? First date? Some new holiday that he didn’t know about? Was he about to be in the dog house for forgetting something important?

Slowly pulling at the ribbon, the string comes loose and he goes to lift the lid on the box. A card sits on top and it isn’t until he picks it up that he becomes even more confused.

Happy Father’s Day

He has to read over the words again, his heart racing a bit more as his brain begins to figure out why he’s getting this from you. He looks up to question you, but his eyes catch the next thing in the box before he can.

His hand trembles as he sets the card aside and then grabs the soft material. Lifting it, it unfolds and falls open to reveal blue stitches.

My Hero wears a badge

I call him Daddy

The little shirt could seriously be worn on his hand, it was so little. But his heart swelled and without realizing, tears sprung to his eyes.

Again, before he can acknowledge you, he sees another object in the box. A small black and white, grainy picture. No perfect outline of a baby yet, but seeing as you don’t even look pregnant he can only assume you’re not too far along.

“I would’ve told you earlier but I just didn’t know how to. I’m sorry.” you finally speak, making his emotions a little more fierce. He nods lightly, gnawing on his bottom lip as he tries to hold it all in. “That’s why I’ve been so exhausted lately.” you giggle and that’s when Dean gets out of his chair and comes around to you. His hands lightly pull on yours and pull you up from your seat and that’s when he wraps his arms around you. His lips find your cheek and he just holds you for a minute before whispering.

“You don’t have to be sorry.” That’s when he pulls away, his eyes glistening but his smile beaming even brighter. He seems like he wants to say something, but it just doesn’t come out, so he just leans in and kisses you instead.

You’re not sure how long it lasted, but he rested his forehead against yours, telling you how happy he was and how much he loved you before his phone went off. He wanted to ignore it, but you could tell by the regret in his eyes that he just couldn’t.

“Just give me a sec, okay?” You give him a nod of understanding, taking your seat again as he steps away and giving himself privacy.

A heavy breath releases from your chest, one of relief since you’ve been holding this in for so long. At least it felt like a long time. You hated keeping it from him, but you just weren’t sure how to tell him and you just couldn’t stop overthinking it.

Watching Dean pace around while talking on the phone, you eventually get your own alert on your phone. You catch a glimpse of the text before it clears from your screen, smiling softly when you see that Sarah was checking in on you. She had been keeping up with you of course, being your confidant with all this and she knew how nervous you were for not only telling Dean but for what the future held for you now that you were pregnant. Being a first time mom and not planning on it, it definitely freaked you out. But she was definitely a great rock for you up to this point.

How’s it goin?

Another breath of relief leaves your body, taking some more stress with it as you text her back.

Wonderful

2 Years Later

The chill in the air was almost comforting so Dean was in no hurry to get back to the car. Looking over the engraved letters and numbers, memories flashed in his brain. Some happy and others not so much. He tried not to think back to the last day Eddie was on this earth, but it was hard not to. Seeing that date, he just remembered looking for you and then knowing that while he was dying on the ground in the barn, Eddie was out in the woods, protecting you.

Little scuffles got him clearing his throat and quickly wiping at his eyes before looking over and smiling at the toddler waddling in his direction. Walking was a skill that was mastered about a year prior, but being so little, walking through thick damp grass was something the little one took a bit slower.

“Hey, buddy.” His little arms reached out for his dad, making all three smiles grow. But the little one only remained in his dads arms briefly before moving over to the stone sticking up from the ground. His little hands grabbed the rocky top and he held on for a minute before he laid his head down on it, almost like he was giving the stone a hug,

Dean's heart exploded with happiness and a small amount of heartbreak. There wasn’t a day that went by that Dean didn’t wish Eddie was there to work alongside him again and then after his son was born, he wished he was there to be another loving uncle in his life. But this was the closest the two would get to each other and that's what hurt him the most.

“Awe. You giving uncle Eddie a hug?” you say with a smile, walking up to the two boys. Dean looks up, his smile growing as he looks you over. Your hand runs over your slightly swollen belly as you grin at your son who is now wrapping his little arms around the top of the stone. “That’s so sweet.” It’s then that the boy pulls away, but only enough to now kiss the rock. It was definitely hard for Dean to hold himself together then, but he did. “Yep. We love you, huh?” When you squat down next to Dean, your son walks up to you, letting you take him in your arms while the three of you visit your fallen friend. A few minutes go by when your hand runs over Dean’s back and you smile at him.

“We’ll wait for you in the car?” Dean slowly nods, smiling at the two of you. “Okay. Come on, sweetie. Let’s give daddy a minute.” As you get to your feet, the boy leans over your shoulder, watching his dad while you both walk away.

“I wish you were here.” Dean finally whispers. His eyes still on you as you buckle your son in his carseat. “It’s weird because he reminds me of you.” he says as he turns back to the stone, a soft chuckle escaping him. “At first I thought it was just because we named him after you, but…that’s not it. Makes me wonder if you’re watching over him more than I think.” he laughs again and then takes a breath. “Well,” he says, wiping the dirt off the base of the stone. “Happy birthday, man.”

Looking over his friends name one more time, Dean gets to his feet, holding onto the stone for balance at first, but for comfort after the fact. His hand pats the rigid rock, taking another moment before walking away and heading for the car.

Dean made it a priority to go and see Eddie’s grave every week. It’s just what he thought his friend deserved, especially after what he had done for you. But if a holiday rolled around, sometimes that one trip would turn to two.

Dean felt like that’s the least he could do. He felt like he owed him his own life because if it wasn’t for him Dean would have lost you and he would have never gotten married, never had his gorgeous son and never would be living the perfect life he was right now. He had everything he ever dreamed of and it was because of Eddie that he had it.

There was no way he could repay Eddie for saving you that terrible night, but he definitely didn’t let a day go by where he didn’t talk to his friend and thank him for what he did and he never would.

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iceman-maverick · 6 months

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is softly trying to wake up your sleepy partner a trope ? idk. anyway “ice, baby, it’s time to wake up.”

“Ice, baby,” Maverick whispers, lightly pushing at his shoulder “it’s time to wake up,”

Several truths reveal themselves to Ice the moment he returns to consciousness:

It is swelteringly hot

The base of his spine hurts like a bitch

He is naked

And, most troubling, he is quite sticky

None of these revelations are particularly encouraging, but his aching back quickly takes priority as Ice comes to and gets his bearings. He stretches his arms, grossly caked in dried over sweat, over his head and then yelps once his index finger collides with the metal coils of the bed frame. He frowns, bringing the wounded digit to his lips.

Maverick is sitting on the edge of the bed - dressed, showered, and shaven with an irritatingly dopey smile. He’s wearing jeans and his leather jacket, which doesn’t make much sense given how fucking hot it is in here.

Ice squints at him accusingly.

“What-” Ice starts, then swallows. His throat is bone-dry, his tongue not much farther off as he sucks on his still throbbing finger. “What time- wait, where are we?”

The curtains of the room are drawn shut tight enough that just the slightest ray of sunlight is able to creep in. There’s no air conditioning, and the bedframe squeaks loudly with even the slightest of movement so Ice figures that wherever they are, it’s old as hell.

“It’s almost three,” Mav tells him. He gestures for Ice to sit up and passes over a glass to Ice’s free hand. Ice frowns as the motion pulls unpleasantly at his back and then promptly gulps down the entire thing. Ice rolls his shoulders and pops his neck. God, he is fucking sore.

“Come on sweetheart,” Mav prompts, “wheels up. Slider’s starting to lose it out there,”

Mav stands and walks over to open the curtain, flooding the room with light. Ice flinches at the brightness, peeling back the thin cover sheet and swinging his legs over so that his feet land on the fuzzy teal carpet. The sheet - adorned with pastel pink flowers and butterflies - sticks to Ice’s leg as he moves. He grimaces as the puzzle pieces begin to fall in place.

“Am I in heat?” He asks, trying not to be overly put out by Maverick’s smug look.

“Nope,” Mav pops the 'p', from where he stands, arms crossed, by the window. “Well, you were. Not anymore though, I saw to that, thank you very much. It came on fast enough that we had to get real creative,"

Ice blinks, his stomach drops. "...Creative?"

"We’re in Nana’s room,”

Oh Christ.

It had been Ice’s idea in the first place to get the band back together so to speak. It had been a few years and between deployments, reassignments, and Hollywood going local, everyone was clamoring for a vacation.

Maverick famously hates anything to do with camping so they compromised, landing on what Slider has taken to calling Boyscouts Lite. Ice found an RV rental and enough tents to reasonably shelter a handful of pilots, three women, an eight year old, and twin baby girls.

A tall order to fill, no doubt, but thankfully Slider's Nana conveniently owns a vast plot of land up in NorCal with river access, enough trees to give Hollywood the creeps and, most importantly, radio signal. Maverick refused to go unless he could be guaranteed his daily dose of Springsteen. Nana was more than happy to act as their crew's headquarters, positively delighted to meet all of Ronald’s little friends.

Ice’s last lucid memory was breaking up an argument between Carol and Wolf. They had been organizing the fishing equipment when suddenly Wolf shrieked a sharp, piercing wail that startled several birds into flight. His finger had been pricked - barely, Carol protested. Accusations began flying and Maverick, naturally, was no help.

Within moments of parking the RV, Mav elected himself as the resident river thermometer, stripping to board shorts, making a real show of it once the chorus of whistles and cheers started up. He plopped himself down - a can of beer in either hand - onto one of Bradley’s tubes (the one with the flamingos, specifically) and cast off into the river. Supervising, he had smirked from his tube, bopping along without a care in the world. Ice supposed he should be grateful that his alpha wasn’t one of those excruciating knotheads that insisted on micromanaging everything, but mostly Ice was just annoyed that he was left alone to wrangle with the tents.

Ice vaguely remembers pushing himself between Carol and Wolf - the distinctly unpleasant scent of agitated betas making his lip curl. He had shoved Wolf back hard and then after that Ice’s memory goes mostly blurry.

Heat tends to do that to a guy.

“Come on,” Maverick startles him back into the present, reaching a hand out to pull Ice to his feet. Ice brings his arms up and around Maverick’s neck, breathing in the reassuring scent of content alpha - his alpha.

“Hi,” Ice smiles into Mav’s neck, swaying forward to let the alpha bear most of his weight. Mav makes a pleased sound and wraps his arms around Ice’s hips, digging his thumbs in to massage at the sore tissue.

The sound Ice lets out in relief is rather unbecoming of a naval officer with his record, but Ice is too blissed out to find it in himself to be embarrassed. Plus, they're alone and it's not ike Maverick is a stranger to the various groans, moans, and whines Ice comes up with. No, Maverick loves when Ice gets vocal, makes it his most sacred duty to get Ice to make as many sounds as possible in bed.

It's a shame he doesn't remember much of the previous night, Ice thinks. If the ache in his back is anything to go by, it must have been a good one.

Ice lifts up his right leg to rest atop Maverick’s hip and swoons as Mav, ever eager to follow Ice’s lead, uses his grip to pull up Ice into his arms. It’s a little ridiculous, what with Ice’s clear size advantage and all. But Maverick is strong, and takes Ice’s weight like it’s nothing. He shuffles his hold so that Ice can squeeze his thighs around Mav’s waist, effectively clinging like a starfish across Maverick’s front.

“Hi,” Mav smiles back once they’re both situated. “Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?”

Ice drops his head to rest snuggly on Mav’s shoulder, and nods. He lets his eyes close as Maverick begins to walk towards what Ice prays to be some form of indoor plumbing.

---

going into heat while being slathered in sunscreen and bugspray must be amongst the top 10 ickiest feelings of all time, ice truly is so brave.

We're playing an IceMav askbox fic game. Send me a trope and a first sentence and I'll write at least one paragraph!

#Nana Kerner nation we ride at dawn #forever pushing the maverick picking ice up agenda #sorry this took so long bingo my beloved #omega ice #omegaverse #top gun #top gun maverick #tgm #tg86 #top gun fanfiction #top gun fanfic #icemav #iceman x maverick #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #ask game #tg fic ask game #my writing

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melodyofhisheart · 9 months

Text

description of my lover | matty healy.

hi !! here's an adorable chapter!! i hope you'll enjoy it as much as i do!! (matty is just a simp is this writing tbh..)

The last rays of the sun slipped through the patterned curtains of the room, creating a golden tapestry that enveloped every corner of the space. Seated cross-legged on the bed, his journal resting on his knees, he let the pen glide across the paper, allowing the words to flow from his heart with an ineffable intensity.

Beside him, she slept peacefully, her soft, steady breath giving rhythm to the air. Her face, bathed in the light of twilight, seemed like a delicate, sacred work of art. His gaze could not turn away from her, absorbing every detail of her being.

Lines took shape under his pen, each one dedicated to her and the way she illuminated his life. Her eyes, two sparkling jewels in a case of tenderness, transported him to a world where only the depth of her gaze and the intensity of their shared emotions existed.

Her slightly half-open eyelids hinted at distant dreams, a part of herself she shared with him alone. Every bat of her eyelashes was a silent promise of trust, an invisible bond that united them beyond words.

The contours of her face, sculpted with divine grace, evoked infinite softness. Every angle, every curve, was an expression of the perfection to which she naturally aspired. He gazed at her, fascinated by the way even the stillness of her sleep seemed to dance with innate elegance.

Her lips, soft and inviting, were the source of so many shared moments. Every smile she gave him was a caress to his soul, every kiss exchanged was a promise of their unconditional love. He wrote the words as if each letter were traced by the memory of her warm breath against his skin.

Her hair was spread out on the pillow, a silken case that framed her face in a way that defied description. His fingers, as he scribbled, wanted to lose themselves in her locks, slipping between them like filaments of nocturnal silk.

The words formed in his mind, each one a musical note to the song of their love. He wrote of how her laughter brightened even the darkest days, how her presence was like a refreshing breeze in a stifling world.

Her hands, placed with natural grace on the sheet, seemed to be an extension of her heart. He explored the story written in her gestures, the silent language of her touch that made him feel at home, even in the midst of a tumultuous world.

Her secret dreams seemed to dance behind her closed eyelids, and he divined them, interweaving them into the words that took shape beneath his pen. He spoke of the hopes she carried, the aspirations that would animate her in the days to come.

The words filled the page, each sentence a declaration of love and a celebration of what they shared. And as the sun continued its slow descent over the horizon, her sleeping face was bathed in a golden, almost unreal glow.

His heart beat with renewed passion, each word a faithful reflection of what he felt. He wrote with increasing intensity, his thoughts spilling onto the paper like an enchanting melody.

Finally, he put down the pen, the open notebook in his lap, the words printed on the pages like an imprint of his love for her. His eyes rested on her face, so close to him, lit by the setting sun.

The silence of the room was filled with the echo of his thoughts and feelings. His heart beat to the rhythm of their connection, each beat a reminder of the intensity of his love.

Her lips occasionally smiled, a softness that spread across her face like moonlight over the ocean. His fingers were tempted to touch them, to caress that soft reflection of her joy. But he refrained, leaving her rest in peace, knowing that it was precious and deserved to be preserved.

The light wind through the window gently lifted a few strands of her hair, bringing them to life like moonbeams filtering through the branches of a tree. Her hair, so soft to the touch, was like an enchanted forest he wanted to explore again and again.

His thoughts drifted to her entire being, wandering into the subtle contours of her silhouette. Every curve, every fold of the sheet that covered her, was an invitation to admire her in all her beauty. She was like a work of art he never tired of contemplating.

He thought back to all the moments they'd shared, every burst of laughter shared, every silence shared, every kiss exchanged, every time he'd made love to her in that bed. His heart palpitated as he thought of how she had managed to capture his mind and soul, to become the star that guided his steps through the night.

The notebook in front of him was his sanctuary, a place where he could express emotions that sometimes seemed indescribable. Every word he put down on paper was an offering, proof of the deep love he felt for her. He knew that his texts were imperfect odes to her greatness, melodies that could never fully capture the magic she embodied.

As the golden glow of the sunset intensified, she seemed to melt into the room, becoming part of the magnificent landscape surrounding her. The warm hues blended with her skin, creating a visual harmony that only accentuated her natural beauty.

He lay gently beside her, their breaths mingling in the darkness. His fingers slipped to link with hers, a silent embrace that conveyed all that words could not express. He could hear her heartbeat, feel her warmth close to him, and he knew that this was where he belonged, beside her, in this moment, in this embrace.

#matty healy x reader #matty healy #matty healy fanfiction #matty healy x you #the 1975 #matty healy x oc #ross macdonald #george daniel #adam hann #at their very best #matthew healy

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janaknandini-singh999 · 3 months

Text

When the non binary planet fell in love with a gender fluid deity <3

part 1 here

part 2

Ila/Sudyumna: she/him

Budh: they/them

source: the Hindu mythology tales according to which Ila gave birth to Chandravanshis (the lunar dynasty) and Budh was the Mercury planet

"Budh!"

Budh shot straight up

Was it a figment of their imagination or-

"BUDH!"

"Prince?"

Sudyumna came into sight, glint in his eyes and tightening his grip on his bow

"Shh" he said and closed behind a tree beside Budh "It's hunting time! Being in the palace alone it does indeed get boring in the kingdom after a while if you aren't the ruler yourself. I thought I'd come here and suddenly remembered you" He winked at Budh whose heart skipped a beat at that

Hold yourself together

Budh shook the thoughts away

"Look!" Sudyumna lowered his voice and crouched

A deer was about to enter the grove, his head turning around scanning for possible danger. When he suspected none, he jumped over the boundary from the path to inside the forest now

Just as Sudyumna was pulling his bowstring backward, keeping his eyes on the deer, his mouth fell upon

A light was surrounding the deer until it wasn't visible and when it dissolved, the deer's antelope had vanished

It had turned into a female!

Sudyumna turned to look at Budh with widened eyes

"Magic of Shravana" they explained "Whichever male creature enters the forest transforms into a male"

Sudyumna couldn't believe their words. He suddenly looked around his own body in frenzy "NO!" He put his hands up against his face and closed his eyes, bracing himself but when he opened them again nothing had changed

"You've already been.." Budh looked away in guilt "One month as your male body and one as female" they blurted "You wouldn't remember the memories of what you spent time in the other gender's body. I saw you for the first time that day and tried to warn you, prince. But you had already entered."

Sudyumna bit his lower lip. He looked at the sky now and closed his eyes, feeling the wind which made his curls fly against his face

He was so beautiful Budh thought. His curls and smile were an unimaginable contrast to Budh's dull life so far, something that had altered their path forever. Sudyumna's golden ray gently radiating upon Budh's heart's foliage, Sudyumna's throne covered in Budh's moss. Sudyumna's moon full of Budh's craters and Sudyumna's purpose filled with Budh's devotion. Destinies intertwined, orbiting each other

"I trust you" he said, finally opening his eyes, his gaze falling upon Budh "As a.. I mean, when I'm a woman you will not leave me, right? You will be there with me, Budh?"

With you? I've always been because of you

"Make me remember us" Ila's voice sweetly kissed Budh's ears

Only if I could

"Of course I will be there with you" they replied

Sudyumna smiled

Months after months this went on. Sudyumna then Ila and Sudyumna and again

Budh was there always, telling Ila stories of what she did as Sudyumna and she'd always be grinning ear to ear, enjoying hearing her life as a charming prince from her lover. But Budh just couldn't do the vice versa. They were so afraid that Sudyumna would feel betrayed if he came to know about it. No, Budh couldn't do that. They'd lose Sudyumna forever

But they were also miserable to hide it all from him

Because after all, it was the same person

It felt like running away from an important side of their lover which they needed to be honest with if they loved truly

"I somehow feel empty, Budh" Ila whispered as she lay on her lover's chest "Not because of you. It's like I'm missing something important. It's- wait" she got up "You haven't confessed to my male version Sudyumna yet? Does he know?"

Budh fell silent

Ila understood what they were going through. She held their face tenderly and said nothing, tears freely flowing down both their cheeks

One day when the soul was in Sudyumna's body, he broke down in Budh's arms

"I don't remember a thing from when I'm a woman! It's.. it's so scary, Budh. And you also evade most of the details when I ask you what I'm like as a woman. Why? I feel emptiness as if I'd never be able to find a crucial part of me."

Budh felt like screaming. They wanted to wail and reveal everything but they already felt like a sinner for keeping it from him for so long

Sudyumna cried and cried

After a few days, he came to Budh again "I know what I have to do" he declared firmly "Shravana is designed by Shiva, isn't it? I will devote the rest of my life to him until he restores my masculine nature back permanently."

Budh stood at their place, frozen

Ila would be gone away forever and with her, the memories of Budh would too

Here and

There

Found and

Lost

They turned their face away, sobbing silently

Budh had kept their lover to themselves for too long

They had to let go now

"I shall pray that you succeed in your endeavour, prince" they whispered, wiping their tears away hurriedly and turning back to face Sudyumna

Sudyumna knelt at Budh's feet and held their hands

"Thank you, Budh. For everything"

Budh smiled

Sudyumna was in the midst of the most intense tapasya of Mahadev. He had gone far away from his kingdom, his privilege, and sat on the rock

Up in Kailasha, Parvati kept a hand on her husband's shoulder and said

"You should go bless him now, swami"

"And take back Shravana's power upon him? But it was your idea, priye"

"And I'm the one requesting you, now. Please go to this boy who has touched my heart with your devotion"

"Open your eyes"

Sudyumna did and bowed to the almighty Mahadev, sighing at finally reaping the fruit of his karma

"I know what you desire, Sudyumna and I shall grant it to you but-"

"But what, Mahadev!?" Sudyumna clenched his chest in worry

"But what about your lover?" Shiva smiled mysteriously

"WHAT?"

But before he could further say anything, Shiva held his palm out to give Sudyumna his boon.

Sudyumna gasped as all his memories as Ila came flooding back to him as well

"BUDH!" he called out desperately, running now "BUDH!"

Budh opened their eyes from slumber. Were they imagining things again? Sudyumna has been haunting them since he left. Just falling asleep had been difficult because when they close their eyes, all they could see was Sudyumna/Ila. But now that they had finally managed to go to sleep, that bittersweet voice had come to haunt them again

"BUUUUDHHH!"

"SUDYUMNA?"

Sudyumna tackled Budh in a fierce hug, making them go toppling down on the grass together

Sudyumna kissed all Budh's face and parted a little to get a clear look of his lover

"I told you to make me remember, you idiot!" he whispered curses and started crying at seeing Budh's eyes softening in the yearning they had been through all this while

"Never do this ever again or I will hunt YOU DOWN" Sudyumna embraced him tightly again "Promise?"

"I do" Budh smiled

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betweenbreaths · 1 year

Text

booze (zoro x reader)

Summary: The winner gets booze — the finest booze of them all.

The rules? The first one to touch the other loses.

Neither you nor Zoro intend to lose.

Rating: Explicit (smut - you have been warned)

A/N: I spent waaaay too long writing this but this was the most fun I had writing something in a while. Hope you enjoy! :)

AO3 link in the replies to this post.

***

It was no secret to anyone on this crew that you and Zoro both loved your booze. At parties, you were the best drinkers, and also the heaviest sleepers after that. On the rare occasion that the Strawhats had time to rest and play around in a town or island, both you and Zoro would be each other’s drinking buddies, no questions needed.

And so, it came as no surprise that the both of you were equally hung up over a particularly expensive bottle of alcohol in a bar where you had both been drinking. There was only one bottle left, so getting one each was out of the question. Sharing the drink was, for some reason, not on the cards either. Probably because you were both extremely drunk — that often brought out the competitive streak in both of you.

Because you couldn’t decide on how to split it, you had agreed on a momentary truce: purchase the bottle, take it back to the ship and hand it over to Sanji who would lock it up safely in the kitchen, get some sleep and then decide what to do with it in the morning.

It was afternoon by the time you both woke up, both hungover and grumpy. The dull headache did not help to ease your foul mood in the least.

“So, what’s the plan?” Zoro asked with a yawn, as you both eyed the precious bottle of alcohol placed atop the kitchen counter. It had cost you a good ten million Berries, and the news of the purchase had Nami smacking both of you on the head at least ten times for “wasting” that much money.

You both knew it wasn’t a waste; this was one of the rarest drinks in all of the land, known as the “Dragon’s Tears”, a drink which was usually served exclusively to the Celestial Dragons. It could only be smuggled out in low quantities, and was sold on the black market for ridiculous prices. The fact that you had gotten it for 10 million Berries was already a huge steal.

“Dunno. Any ideas?”

Sanji, being close enough to overhear, paused from his dishwashing to turn his head your way.

“How about sharing it?”

“No,” you and Zoro had both answered in unison, which had Sanji rolling his eyes.

“Guess we don’t have a choice; we’ll have to settle this through a duel.”

“No way,” you had objected hotly, glaring at Zoro who was now wearing a sly smirk on his face. “We both know you’re stronger at combat.”

“Oh yeah?” he grinned. “If you’re going to admit defeat already I’ll just take the bottle for myself now.”

“Please, if we made this a test of intelligence the bottle would be mine. We need to pick something fair.”

“Did— Did you just call me stupid?”

You ignored him, deep in thought and wondering how you should go about this.

And then it came to you: an idea so brilliant, that a devious, cunning smile was playing on your lips before you realised it.

“What’s with that look on your face?”

You said nothing, already calculating your next move.

Oh, Zoro was most definitely going to lose.

***

It was an especially hot, windless day, and you were on the deck with Chopper, Luffy and Usopp who had their tongues out while sweating profusely. You were all under the same tree, seeking shade from the ruthless rays of the sun.

“Chopper, do you need some ice?” you asked, eyeing the little reindeer who looked like he might pass out at any minute.

“That’s okay… I just… need to lie down for a bit…”

“Maybe I’ll ask Sanji for something to cool us all down.”

Speak of the devil. Sanji burst out the door at that exact moment, calling your name in the usual high-pitched, exaggerated tone that he reserved exclusively for women. He came skipping over to you, holding a tray of popsicles in one hand and extending a light pink one to you.

“For you, my lady.”

You accepted it with an appreciative smile, which had Sanji doing a number of cute, happy twirls for you. The rest were quick to complain and demand for popsicles too, and in response the blond had glared at the lot of them, before hurling the popsicles at their mouths as if they were spears.

Ignoring the sound of choking in the background, you licked at the cool surface of the popsicle, enjoying the taste of sweet strawberries on your tongue. It was a much-needed respite for your parched, dry throat.

From the corner of your eye you noticed Zoro walking over, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he sought the shade under the tree on the opposite end of the deck. He was cool as always, ignoring the racket that was going on next to you other than to shoot an annoyed glance Sanji’s way. He then sat down on the grass, before lying down on his back, his arms crossed behind him as a makeshift pillow.

After a moment he seemed to notice that you were staring, and you met his gaze evenly with a sly smirk.

Keeping your eyes locked on his, you stuck your tongue out, licking the underside of the popsicle, before putting the tip in your mouth.

Even from this distance, you could see his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

It had been two days since the game started. The prize? The finest booze in all the land.

As for the rules? First one to touch the other would be the loser. Relieving yourselves privately or with other people was strictly prohibited too, and you’d have to rely on each other’s word for it.

You knew it was going to be difficult; you and Zoro had been going at it like rabbits almost every day, ever since you both decided to finally act on the mutual physical attraction you had for each other. Everything started when you both got extremely drunk one night in a bar and woke up the next morning to find your naked bodies snug against each other in the crow’s nest. After that, neither of you needed alcohol as a catalyst, and there was no stopping either of you from getting your hands on each other once you were away from the prying eyes of your crew members.

Nothing, until now, that was.

Zoro had been amused when you shared your idea with him, and it had been easy enough to provoke him into it with a simple “I guess you just can’t keep your hands off of me even for a day?”

As expected, the man had snapped and immediately agreed to your terms, seeming confident that it would be an easy win for him.

But the cocky swordsman had another thing coming if he thought you would give him an easy time. After all, you were determined to win; the stakes were high, and more importantly, you were determined not to lose to him.

You got up, dusting the stray blades of grass off your shorts, before heading over to the tree where Zoro was laying under.

He peeked his good eye open, peering at you warily as you approached him, obviously knowing from that smirk of yours that you were up to no good.

You plopped down next to him, taking another lick of your popsicle.

“If you want one, you better get it from Sanji soon, or everything’s gonna melt.”

“No need,” he replied with his usual stoic expression, “It’s not that hot here.”

Oh? Well then, it looked like it would be up to you to raise the temperature for him.

“Is it? I’m melting over here.” Clutching the popsicle between your lips, you made a show of lifting the hem of your crop top, before pulling it over your head and tossing the damp garment at Zoro’s face.

He caught it easily just before it could actually hit him in the face, and you listened to his disapproving grunt, followed by an almost inaudible sharp inhale of air.

You shot a knowing grin at him, which was met with a glower. You had donned a lacy bra on purpose for today, and while you were certainly giving Sanji and the others a good show, you knew this was getting under Zoro’s skin. The light pink material was almost nude under the glare of the hot sun, and you knew how much Zoro loved seeing you in delicate lingerie that was only too easy for him to tear off.

Ignoring the sound of Sanji launching himself into the air with a fountain of blood spurting through his nose and Chopper’s panicked screams behind you, you relished in Zoro’s undivided attention on your exposed skin. You could see in his good eye roaming over your body that his thoughts were trailing into dangerous territory.

Popsicles. It was the oldest trick in the book, but it worked. Every. Single. Time.

With confidence surging through you and your pulse racing from the thrill, you raised the melting popsicle once more, not flinching as a few drops of the melted liquid fell from the other end and landed onto your chest.

Zoro didn’t seem to be breathing as he watched the pink drops of liquid slip down your chest and disappear into the valley of your breasts.

A sucking noise drew his attention back to your face, where you had half of the popsicle in your mouth now, the tip of it poking your hollowed cheek as you sucked. The sweet flavour swirled on your tongue, and you swallowed, before releasing the popsicle from your lips with a light smack and a soft moan.

Through half-lidded eyes, your gaze fell back on the swordsman who still had his good eye trained intently on you. He hadn’t looked away once, never one to back down from a challenge.

“It’s sweet,” you told him with a hum, before offering your half-eaten popsicle to him, allowing the tip to stop just shy of his tightly pursed lips.

“Try it.”

He obliged, much to your surprise, and caught a huge chunk of it between his teeth. The popsicle broke with a light crack, and the chunk that had landed in his mouth was crushed into pieces seconds later.

“It’s not that sweet,” he remarked, his lips turning up in a cocky smirk that mirrored yours.

“I still prefer the taste of you.”

That line went straight to your loins and he knew it. The mental image of his head between your thighs, eating you out like the finest dessert he had ever tasted, filled your mind and you felt your body begin to heat up.

Of course Zoro wasn’t about to let you walk all over him. No, it just wasn’t his style. It was one of the things that drove you crazy about him.

Not ready to back down, you tipped your chin up in defiance and spread your legs just a little, hands trailing up your inner thigh at a deliberately slow pace.

“You’re more than welcome to dig in, you know.” You proceeded to lean in, allowing your lips to hover just above his ear.

“And while you’re at it, you can take a look at what I’m wearing underneath.”

That seemed to really get him. His jaw was clenched, and you could see the fire in his darkened irises as you pulled away with a sweet, innocent smile.

“I will, after I win this thing.”

You laughed then, which only seemed to grate on his nerves.

“Make it quick, then. I’m throwing this set away after tonight.” The sound of grass rustling filled the silence between you as you stood up to leave.

“What? Why?” he asked.

You turned back, shooting him a wicked grin that made him instantly regret opening his big fat mouth.

“Because it’s gotten so… wet.”

You didn’t need to look to know that Zoro was probably cursing in his head right then. While you would have loved to watch him stew, you decided it was best to make your exit after winning this round.

***

Karma hit you like a bitch two days later, when Zoro made it abundantly clear that you had chosen to mess with the wrong guy.

You were doing your training as usual in the crow’s nest, not seeing the need to avoid the place just because of the ongoing bet you had with Zoro. And so you were hardly surprised when he entered halfway through your workout.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. You greeted each other like usual, and he went about his own thing while you did yours.

Except, today Zoro had decided he would do his training topless.

It wasn’t exactly unusual for the man; he often trained without a shirt on to avoid getting it completely soaked with his sweat.

But today, you knew the move was a deliberate one; a clever move in this game of chess. How did you know? Because each time he caught you sneaking a sideways glance at him, he would flash you a brazen smirk that said, “Like what you see?”

You had never been one for being discreet, habitually checking him out whenever you trained together in the crow’s nest. You couldn’t help it; Zoro was ripped in all the right places, the lines and curves of the hard muscle under his tanned skin extremely attractive in your eyes. You would find yourself lost in the way his muscles rippled and clenched as he moved, your mind wandering to all the things he could do to you with that monstrous strength of his. It would be filled with various mental images: his ass clenching while he rammed into you, his arms clenching as he held you tightly in place so he could have his way with you, your fingernail marks dotting the broad expanse of his back…

It was no wonder then, that Zoro training topless usually ended in many, many rounds of mindblowing sex in the crow’s nest. By now, you were sure you two had christened pretty much every corner in this room.

That was probably what he was after when he came up here. He had made it clear that he knew exactly how to push your buttons, as you did his.

With each swing of a weight easily twice his size, he would let out a grunt not dissimilar to the sounds he made while fucking you senseless. It was taking all you could to focus on your training, but even that was challenging when he was right there next to you, literal and metaphorical heat radiating off his body and drawing your attention to him like a moth to a flame.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on your training?” he asked in a mocking tone, breaking your train of thought and sending heat rushing to your cheeks. You dropped your gaze to the weights in your hands, resuming your bicep curls.

“I would if you’d give me a bit more space here. You’re getting too close.” It was a bald-faced lie and didn’t sound convincing even to you. Zoro was always careful and made sure to keep a safe distance from everyone whenever he swung his sword or weights or anything else that could be dangerous.

Nevertheless, Zoro shrugged and took a big step back.

“This good?”

“Yeah.”

You resumed your workout, but your inability to concentrate had you losing count of your reps multiple times. It wasn’t all that surprising; the bet had been going on for a few days now, and you were pent up enough as it was. Maybe it had been a bad idea to come to the crow’s nest after all. You should have known Zoro would pull something like this; there was no way he wouldn’t get back at you after your last attack.

But, you’d be damned if you backed down now or let him know he had the upper hand.

Leaving the room now was out of the question — that was a coward’s move. So you decided to drop the weights in your hand, heading over to the rack to reach for much, much heavier ones that you had yet to try instead. It would be much less easy for your mind to wander if you had to focus everything into trying to lift these instead.

A genius plan, you had thought to yourself, until you tried lifting them off the rack and nearly lost your balance, body lurching forward and being dragged down by the weights that were clearly too much for you.

You had expected to go tumbling into the rack and make a mess of the equipment and of yourself, while Zoro watched with mocking laughter.

But the situation you found yourself in next was far, far worse than that.

What did happen was: you remained standing where you were, the heavy weights in your hands — not because you were magically able to summon the strength to hold them in that split second, but because someone else was now holding it for you.

You felt an imposing presence mere inches behind you, the heat from his body telling you exactly how close your bodies were in that moment. Zoro, however, had been careful enough to make sure he wasn’t touching you, not even his hands that were holding the edges of the weights that were still in your grip.

“Oi.” His gruff voice sounded right above the shell of your ear, his hot breath sending delightful shivers running down your spine. “That could have been dangerous.”

It took a moment for you to come up with a coherent response.

“For you, or for me?” you asked, fighting the urge to lean backwards into his rock solid chest and rub your ass against his crotch—

Yeah, this was definitely dangerous for you.

“You’re asking that when you nearly got a concussion over a bunch of light weights? Or maybe that was a little trap you’d planned too.” His chuckle was low and dangerous, and his next words came out in a deep drawl that tickled your ear and made you go weak at the knees.

“If you wanted me to touch you, all you needed to do was ask.”

It was too much. Zoro was playing all his cards right and pushing all the right buttons. You were barely holding on to the shred of rationality that was left in your head, your lust and urges starting to take control. All you needed to do was turn around, and you’d be kissing the shit out of him, melting against his body and letting go of everything that you had been holding back for what seemed like an eternity now.

It would be too easy to give in.

But, the more sensible, prideful part of you knew better: you couldn’t let him win. Knowing the man, he would never let you live it down, and would taunt you for the rest of your days with this victory. That, and you’d have spent ten million berries for nothing.

“You’ll just have to make me want to ask,” was your retort, filled with all the fake confidence that you could muster.

There was a beat of silence. Then you felt a tug on the weights in your hands. You promptly released them, allowing Zoro to step away and return the weights to where they belonged on the rack.

Your back suddenly felt cold and empty, now that he was gone. Never mind that, you’d better get out of this room before you made any more blunders.

Just before you could leave though, Zoro spoke again.

“You were practically begging through your eyes,” he said, and you could hear that infuriating smirk playing on his lips.

“Next time, you’ll be begging with your mouth.”

That was the moment you knew: winner or not, this was going to end so poorly for you.

***

A week and a half on, you were nearing the end of your rope. Zoro didn’t show any signs that he would be giving up anytime soon, and neither were you. You had expected as much, both being just about as stubborn as the other.

Still, you desperately needed some relief and escape from the filthy thoughts haunting you day and night. Zoro’s taunts were starting to get to you and now you found your mind constantly wandering towards him and to all the things he could do to you, if you’d just give in and give up on this game. If this score wasn’t settled soon, you may well be the one to throw in the towel first, ego be damned. You couldn’t even fall asleep now, your mind too active to allow you to rest.

After hours of tossing and turning in bed, you found yourself having to choose between two options.

The first: sneak into the men’s quarters and get down to business with Zoro.

The second: take a cold shower.

Thankfully, the rational part in you won over and decided on the latter.

But when you arrived at the bath, it looked like someone else had decided on the exact same thing.

You heard footsteps just as you arrived at the door, and spun around only to find yourself standing face to face with the very cause of your insomnia.

Zoro looked just as surprised as you, and the both of you opened your mouths at the same time.

“What are you doing–”

“Why are you awa—”

Your voices cut off, and an awkward silence creeped in as you studied each other, as if scrutinising an opponent in battle.

Well, from the looks of it at least, Zoro didn’t seem like he had planned this. Not to mention, it was 4am in the morning; he was the last person who would hatch some kind of scheme while half-asleep.

“It’s 4am,” you said, breaking the silence. “I thought you were all asleep.”

“I could say the same about you,” he replied evenly, folding his arms across his chest. That big, broad, muscular chest—

“I wanted to relax in the bath. Thought I’d be able to take my time while everyone was asleep.”

He cocked a brow at that, unconvinced. “You do this often?”

“Sometimes,” you lied, before quickly turning the tables on him. “What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Same reason as you.”

“What, you take baths at 4am in the morning?”

“…Sometimes.”

Riiiiiiight. This was going nowhere. It was obvious enough that he was here for probably the same reason as you but you were far too tired to try to pull anything funny; all you wanted was to take a cold shower and try to get some sleep.

“Okay well, I was here first, so you can come back after I’m done.” You opened the door to the bath barely wide enough for you to fit in, and you were about to enter when you felt him sidle up next to you, pushing the door open wider so the both of you could fit through the doorway.

You turned around, about to protest until you saw the cunning smile on his face.

Your heart dropped. No. No no no no. That look could only mean one thing.

“The bath is big enough for the both of us,” he said breezily, before gesturing for you to enter.

“Ladies first.”

Damn his stupid ego and competitiveness. Fine, if he really wanted to play with fire, who were you to deny him?

A few minutes later, you were submerged in a hot bath, instead of the quick cold shower you had come here for. Both of you were seated at opposite ends of the bath, and the steam in the room made it hard to see your naked bodies beneath the surface of the hot bathwater.

How long was he planning to stay here for, anyway? You didn’t really know where you could go from here, seeing as Zoro hadn’t appeared to be affected one bit by your little strip show earlier. He didn’t even bat an eyelid as you deliberately shook your hips while slipping off your panties, or look annoyed like he usually would when you kicked them his way. All he did in response was remove his shorts, giving you a nice view of what you had missed out on for the past week, before heading straight for the bath.

No thanks to that entirely un-sexy show of his, your mind was starting to fog up with various mental images again, and it didn’t help that he was right in front of you, a feast ready for you to dig into.

This man would be the death of you, without a doubt.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked then, jerking you out of your thoughts. It was as if he knew where your head was at just seconds ago.

“How annoying it is that you’re here,” you snapped right back at him. It was true; you had wanted the bath all to yourself and being both pent up and sleepy made for one very grumpy and impatient you. If Zoro’s plan was to get a rise out of you, boy was he going to get one if he intended on egging you on even further.

But, it seemed even Zoro could tell when he should stop. Instead of another teasing, mocking response you’d expected, his question sounded more genuine.

“Why? Because of the bet?”

A pause. You mulled over your response for a second, before letting out a small sigh.

“Yeah,” you admitted reluctantly. “I didn’t think you’d last this long.”

You heard him chuckle, that deep, bass voice echoing gently off the walls. “Hey, this was your idea. Don’t go blaming me now.”

It was a fair point, but you didn’t like being wrong. You ignored that remark, turning away and lowering yourself just enough so your mouth was submerged under the warm water.

You heard the water slosh then, the ripples of water tickling your body. Looking up, you realised Zoro was making his way towards you, and he stopped right in front of you, peering at your face and studying it.

“You’re upset.” It wasn’t a question.

“No, I’m not,” you stubbornly denied. “I’m just grumpy because I’m sleepy.”

“Sure you are.” He was probably thinking about what a brat you were – not that you would deny it.

There was a moment of silence, before he spoke again.

“How about a truce?”

Your eyes darted towards the man, widening in surprise.

“What?”

“The bet’s not worth making you this upset,” he explained. “Let’s call it off and think of another way to decide who gets the booze.”

“In that case, how about you just give me all the booze?”

Zoro’s eye turned hard as he glowered at you in disapproval. You couldn’t suppress the impish grin forming on your lips.

“Nice try, but no,” he replied flatly.

Yeah, you didn’t think it’d be that easy either. It was worth the shot though.

“So, what? We call a truce, and then?”

“Then we think of something else. Weren’t you listening?”

“I was,” you replied, rolling your eyes and focusing on creating tiny ripples in the water with your index finger.

“I was just wondering if this was, maybe, your way of saying that you’re tired of the games and you want to just fuck me now.”

There was a pause, then a gruff, “And if it is?”

Caught off guard by his unexpected honesty, you found your head jerking in the man’s direction where you found him staring at you almost expectantly. One look was all you needed to know that he meant it, that if you agreed to the truce right then and there he would drop everything and take you without a second’s hesitation.

“And what if I say no? If you’re this close to giving up I might as well get the booze while I’m at it.”

“I’m not the one pouting because of this bet,” he responded with an eye roll. “If it comes down to it, I can wait this out better than you can.” There was no trace of a bluff in that voice. Zoro absolutely could, because once he set his mind on something, he would stick to it and no mountain could move him.

You, on the other hand, weren’t nearly as resolved as he was, and he knew that too.

“If we do a truce,” you said, choosing your words very carefully, “what’s the alternative? There’s no way we’re having a duel.”

Zoro pondered over it for a minute or two, before a devilish grin formed on his face — one that made him look like a downright villain.

“How about this? First one to cum loses.”

Your eyes must have lit up then, making no effort to hide the fact that you had finally taken his bait. Still, you pretended to mull over it for a moment, letting him stew as he waited for your answer.

It didn’t take long, as you were unable to resist the urge to look at him, your eyes tracing over the curves of his face, the lines of his hard muscle, and everything else that lay hidden beneath the steamy hot water.

You were grinning before you even realised it, and you tipped your head down in a subtle nod, eyes never leaving his.

“You’re on.”

The sound of water splashing filled your ears, and then you felt arms encircle your waist, lifting you up as if you weighed nothing more than a feather.

Your lips parted in a sharp gasp, and a split second later his lips came crashing down on yours, kissing you fiercely and passionately, just like you had wanted for so long now.

It was like taking a breath of fresh air after being held underwater for an eternity.

Zoro wasted no time, getting straight down to business. Your back was against the wall, the coolness of the surface a drastic change from the steamy water your body had been submerged in only seconds ago. With just one hand holding you up against the wall, his other hand was free to grab your hair and pull your head back in a sharp tug. The soft whimper that escaped you was silenced by his tongue that plunged into your mouth, sliding against yours in a teasing, sensual dance. It was a kiss that made it clear that he was in control, but you weren’t about to back down without a fight. Your fingers were in his wet hair, pulling him closer to you. When he pulled away for want of air, you were quick to catch his bottom lip between your teeth, nipping lightly before sweeping the tip of your tongue against it.

“I missed this,” you murmured between your heavy pants, and he took a moment to rest his forehead against yours, slowing down just for a moment.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, his breaths hot against your cheeks. “Me too.”

“I was starting to think you didn’t want me anymore,” you admitted, wrapping your arms around his neck and resting your cheek against his shoulder. It felt nice even like this, him holding you close in his arms and allowing you to hear his racing heartbeat. Your chest was swelling from the warmth, and it was hard to keep yourself from smiling a silly smile, one that you hid from his sight.

“Why? Because I wasn’t giving in to your little tricks?” You felt his hand squeeze your thigh, while the other went to your hip, his thumb gently tracing circles against your skin.

“Mhmm.”

“I was having a hard time too, you know,” he said, his head moving slightly as he caught the shell of your ear between his teeth. Your body trembled when the tip of his tongue traced the outside of your ear, and he chuckled, pleased with your reaction. “You were driving me nuts.”

“Really?” You perked up, raising your head to look at him. Zoro’s face was red, and had a frown etched into his skin now; it was his way of acting tough whenever you caught him in a vulnerable moment.

“Why do you think I had to come here for a cold shower?” he shot back gruffly, before grinding his hips into you without warning.

Your head fell back as a moan escaped you, the sweet friction between his stiff member and your own throbbing centre making you crave for more. Zoro took the chance to lean into your neck, and you felt his lips on your skin.

You let out a small whimper when he sucked hard, bruising the skin between his tongue and teeth. He was quick to soothe it over with a few tender licks over the sore spot, before nipping and sucking again. Zoro liked to mark you like this, and you had given up on chiding him for giving you these love bites in places where your crewmates could see. He wouldn’t listen, and you suspected he simply enjoyed the thought of people knowing that you were his, and his alone.

By the time he was done, you didn’t need to look to know that the mark was going to be there for days. Not that you really cared at the moment; you had other more pressing things to worry about—namely, his cock pressing up against your ass.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he continued, pressing kisses up the column of your neck and along your jaw. “All I could think about was fucking you and taking you rough, the way you like it.”

You had almost forgotten how good Zoro was at talking dirty, and hearing it now when all you could think of was him pounding into you had you sinking your teeth into your bottom lip. You couldn’t move though, as much as you wanted to grind your hips against his again. The man had you firmly in place against the wall and you were helpless, completely at his mercy.

“What else did you think about?” you found yourself asking, the words leaving you before you registered it.

You heard him chuckle, and then he suddenly lifted you high enough to rest your thighs on his shoulders, his head settling nicely between your legs. You let out a shriek at the sudden movement, but Zoro didn’t let you fall — of course he wouldn’t. He had you securely in his grip, one that you wouldn’t be able to escape from.

With a wicked grin, he met your wide eyes and his mouth drew closer to your wet cunt.

“I imagined getting a taste of you, while you scream my name and beg me to let you cum.”

His answer took your breath away, and you nearly came apart when you felt his hot tongue dip into your slick folds.

“Z-Zoro!”

His name was like a prayer on your lips as you cried out over and over. Zoro was relentless as he lapped at you, tongue sucking and swirling around your sensitive clit. Sparks of electricity were flying on your skin, your mind emptying and leaving nothing but hunger for more of him, for the release that you had been missing for so long. It had your toes curling, legs tensing but Zoro’s arms were stronger, keeping your thighs locked in place and your legs spread wide enough that he had full access to your dripping cunt.

You were close to coming already, him having riled you up and provoked you sufficiently that release was all you could think about. With nothing else to hold on to, your fingers found purchase in his hair and pulled him closer to you, a wordless plea for him to give you more.

Zoro was never one to disappoint. You felt his fingers plunge into you then, and you nearly saw stars behind your eyes as he fucked you with his fingers, the sound of your wet juices echoing off the walls.

“You’re so wet for me,” he remarked, his deep voice vibrating against your swollen clit and making you moan. “Ready to cum yet?”

No… The bet… You had just agreed to it and you were already going to lose in such a one-sided manner.

But you were rapidly slipping away, losing to the building tension in your abdomen and the climax that was waiting for you. You needed it. You needed him desperately, and in that moment, with your mind clouded over with desire, you seriously considered giving up the bet. Was it really worth it, when you had all this?

You didn’t get the chance to decide. Zoro’s tongue and fingers abruptly stopped the magic that they were working on your body, and before you could let out a whine in protest, he was setting you down gentle on the edge of the bath, and spreading your legs again to rest your ankles on his shoulders while he positioned himself between your legs.

He hissed as he slid his throbbing member against your slit, and you couldn’t resist reaching down to touch him. Zoro’s husky groan was music to your ears as your fingers slipped down his slick, wet shaft, the swollen tip of his cock pressing into the centre of your palm. It was impressive how hard he’d become in such a short span of time, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel a surge of pride well up in you, knowing that you had this much of an effect on him.

Your hands began working on him this time, returning the favour, and you studied his expressions avidly, licking your lips at the sight. His abdominal muscles were clenching as you used both hands to wrap around his thick shaft and pump it at a steady pace. Before long his hips were moving as well, following the rhythm of your hands as his heavy breaths grew harsher.

“Fuck,” he cussed, when your grip tightened around him as you began pumping faster. “That’s good.”

“Are you going to cum soon, or do I have to use my mouth? You teased, to which he smirked.

“No need. I can think of somewhere else I’d like to put it in.”

Placing his hand over yours, you released, he grunted as he positioned his tip at your entrance. The seconds stretched into eternity as you held your breath, waiting for him to move.

He didn’t, instead choosing to slide his member at an agonisingly slow pace against your slit. His tip prodded your entrance a few times, only to move away, leaving you wanting and increasingly frustrated.

“Zoro,” you whined, hands gripping his forearms. He was doing this on purpose, that much was obvious when his gaze, hot and heavy, fell on you and the corners of his lips twitched upwards in amusement.

“Is that how you ask someone for a favour?”

Damn it. You knew instantly what he was referring to: the promise he’d made back in the crow’s nest, after your spectacular failure at keeping a cool, composed exterior around the man.

You would be glaring at him if he hadn’t spun you around right then, so his cock was sliding along the crack of your ass while he pressed your palms against the wall.

Your bravado crumbled easily when you felt his chest press into your back, while his hands slipped past your waist to give your breasts a nice, hard squeeze. A roll of your pert nipples between his fingers had you sighing in pleasure, and your hips grinding back against his stiff member. It wasn’t enough to make him move, to get him to enter you. He was waiting for you to say the magic words.

“Zoro, please,” you whined, neck turning back as far as you could to catch a glimpse of his face.

Not good enough. He still didn’t move.

“Come on, I want you to fuck me, please?”

Still not good enough. You cried out when he pinched down hard on your nipples.

“Say it like you mean it,” he murmured in a raspy voice by your ear. “Tell me what you really want.”

He really was the worst.

With flaming cheeks, you ducked your head down and whispered in a voice that was barely audible:

“I want you to make me cum.”

That seemed to do the trick. In the next instant his hands fell to your waist as he entered you, burying himself to the hilt with a single forward thrust of his hips. Your eyes squeezed shut, a scream of his name tearing from your lips while he groaned into your neck.

“Fuck, you feel so good.”

No more words were exchanged then, the bathroom only filled with the sound of your breaths, moans and the sound of sex as he rammed into you again and again. Every time you felt like your knees would give way, Zoro would keep a tight grip on your waist, holding you firmly in position. He was rough, strong, his stamina limitless as he pounded into you at a steady, rapid pace.

You had been with Zoro long enough that you could tell he was getting close to his release. You just needed to hold on for a bit longer, although it was getting increasingly difficult to ignore the buzzing of the orgasm that was just within reach. It didn’t help at all that Zoro was already familiar with your body, knowing exactly how to angle himself and how deep to thrust into you to get you to your climax as quickly as possible.

And when his hand slipped down from your breast to rub at your swollen, sensitive clit, you knew it wouldn’t be long before you came undone.

You began moving your hips too, meeting his thrusts with your own and clenching down on him, which made him choke back a groan, the sound muffled when he sank his teeth into your shoulder.

You weren’t about to make this that easy for him, after all.

“Ready to lose yet?” you asked.

“That should be my line,” he replied with a low chuckle.

His fingers began to pick up the speed, rubbing vigorously at your clit as his thrusts became faster, quicker, more impatient. You tried your best to hold on but you were practically teetering off the edge of a cliff, about to fall off at any moment now.

Somewhere along the way, you stopped fighting it, losing yourself to the pleasure that he was giving you, and before long you felt the familiar sensation of your building orgasm, pooling low in your abdomen, ready to burst.

“Come for me,” were the final words you heard in your ear, before you finally couldn’t hold back any longer. His hips snapped forward with a forceful thrust, filling you deeper than before, and then you lost it. You wailed his name, walls clenching hard around him as your climax hit you hard enough that your vision nearly went white. At almost the same time you felt him still, his warm seed filling you in two long spurts.

Zoro’s thrusts began to slow down but he continued to move, riding out the wave of your combined orgasm and you let him, following his pace and gradually coming down from your high.

Eventually, he stopped, and the moment he loosened his grip on your body, you nearly tumbled forward, legs having lost its strength to hold your weight.

Thankfully he caught you quickly enough to stop your fall, and pulled you back with him into the inviting warmth of the steaming warm water. He was still inside you, seeming content with the position as he kept his arms circled around your waist to keep you in his lap as he sat down, submerging yourselves in the bath.

You leaned back with a satisfied sigh, body limp against his chest as he pressed lazy kisses into the junction where your neck met your shoulders. The exhaustion was finally starting to get to you, your eyelids growing heavy for want of sleep. What time was it, anyway?

But more importantly…

“I think that was a tie,” you concluded, and you felt Zoro’s chest rumble with a laugh.

“Yeah,” he agreed, before thrusting up into you again without warning. Still sensitive from your orgasm just moments ago, you let out a sharp gasp from the overstimulation.

“Hey! What was that for—”

“How about another round to determine the winner?”

“But I’m tired,” you protested, slapping lightly at his forearms that were still wrapped tightly around your torso. “Can’t we do this tomorrow? After we get some sleep?”

“Go ahead and sleep. I’m sure I can still make you cum.”

“Zoro!”

“What?”

Your protests promptly died in your throat when you felt him push deeper into you again, this time spreading your legs apart and running his hands up and down your inner thigh. As much as you hated to admit it, Zoro was getting your engine revved up and ready to go again.

“Come on, just one more round. Or, are you too chicken to keep playing?”

Lies. It was never “just one more round” with him. Knowing him, he didn’t intend on letting you get a wink of sleep at all.

Despite that, Zoro had a way of convincing you to go along with his whims, and you found that you sucked at saying “no” to him.

Turning around just enough that you could see his stupidly smug face, your defiant answer to his challenge was a sweet kiss to his lips, and a run of your tongue against his. He kissed you back, swallowing your soft moans as his hand inched upwards towards your centre once more.

***

When morning came, you found yourself lying on your side, your back snug against Zoro’s chest and his arms wrapped around your waist. You were lying in a makeshift bed in the crow’s nest which basically consisted of a messy pile of his clean clothes.

The previous night’s activities were slowly coming back to you, evident in the ache in your lower half and the love bites all over your chest. No doubt, you’d find many more on your shoulders and neck once you found a mirror; this man tended to go overboard and last night had been pretty extreme.

Zoro must have overexerted himself too, for he was snoring behind you, deep in sleep. You couldn’t help but smile, enjoying this moment of peace and quiet with him; it had been a while since you got to cuddle with him. While Zoro wasn’t exactly averse to the idea, usually it took a lot of convincing for him to agree.

And it usually took just as much convincing — if not more — for him to let you go.

You felt him stir the moment you tried to pry his arms off you, and they promptly tightened at the same time that you felt his lips kiss the spot just underneath your ear.

“Quit moving, I’m trying to sleep here.”

You groaned, but it didn’t sound at all begrudging. How could it? He was so cute when he got like this. Still, you were getting restless in this position and you wanted to stretch after the number he did on you in the bath.

Again, you tried to peel his arms off your waist, but they wouldn’t budge. You knocked your fist lightly against his arm in response.

“Zoro. Zoro. Hey.”

“Go back to sleep,” he mumbled grumpily, pulling you even closer to him and tightening his grip on you.

“I need to stretch, I’m sore everywhere.”

“Do it later.”

“Ugh.” You tried once again, fruitlessly, to loosen his hold on you. There was just no winning with this stubborn man.

Eventually, you gave up with a huff, and settled back into silence when you were reminded of something.

“Right. The bet. Who won?” you asked, tapping on his forearm to get his attention.

“I did,” he replied without any hesitation at all. The jerk.

“I’m serious, who won? I feel like we were tied at every round.”

“Let’s just say I won.”

“Nice try, but no.”

“Whatever. Let’s just split it equally. This bet’s becoming a pain in the ass.”

“It’s a pain in mine, not yours,” you corrected him, and he had the gall to laugh at that.

“So? Split it?”

“Fine,” you agreed. “We’ll split it. Now let go of me; I’m hungry for some breakfast.”

“No.”

He could really be such a brat sometimes. “Zoro…”

Ignoring the undisguised irritation in your tone, he pressed a kiss to the back of your neck, before resting his chin on your shoulder. “Then, how about we make another bet?” he asked, and you shivered at the ticklish sensation of his breath ghosting across your bare skin.

“What bet?”

“First one to leave this bed loses.”

“Oh?” you cocked a brow at the suggestion. “And what’s in it for the winner?”

You felt him smile against your skin, and he pressed a soft kiss into your shoulder before leaning in to whisper something in your ear.

“Booze.”

You couldn’t hold it in, not with this man. You burst into giggles then, rolling to your side to wrap your legs around his waist, your arms around his neck and to pull yourself flush against his hard body.

His challenging gaze was met with a look of defiance of your own, chin tipping up as your lips spread into a smirk that mirrored his.

“Game on.”

#one piece #roronoa zoro #one piece zoro #zoro fanfiction #zoro x reader fanfiction #my writing #i had so much fun writing this #love this man to death!!!

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