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#it was also quite warm for September
goodassmotherliker · 1 year
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Today was a beautiful sunny day in Kyiv. Whenever we went, chestnut seeds kept falling from the trees and lying scattered under our feet. Even when we were drinking beer, watching the panel houses (as well as ugly new houses) light up and the cars clog up in traffic jams on the way out of the Left Bank, we could still hear chestnuts fall. This is everything. This is home.
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sativaonsaturn · 2 months
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how i spot the signs
based on risings and sun
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♈︎ aries:
scars on the face/ head
freckles
very direct way of speaking; yk what they’re saying the first time they say it. don’t usually have to repeat themselves
sometimes redheaded or dyed red
natural leaders, even if they’re not the leader they tend to naturally command respect
also naturally loud speakers; not obnoxious but you can definitely hear them
usually very friendly if not approachable too
♉︎ taurus:
the women are ALWAYS pretty!! very conventionally attractive faces (venus)
what you see is what you get
usually know exactly what hairstyles/ makeup complement them
voices tend to be flat/ monotone
tend to lean towards earth tones and often even have an olive/ green undertone
♊︎ gemini:
very talkative 😭
men tend to be quite lanky but not very tall
love eccentric clothes/ accessories (ex: one earring, rainbow dyed hair, blonde eyebrows)
everyone knows them and they know everyone, tend to be quite approachable
they get bored quite easily. if you’re dating one, (not even considering venus) they’re likely to be really into you initially and seemingly dial it back out of nowhere or ghost completely 😭
♋︎ cancer:
big titties 😭 (esp rising)
tend to have round faces (moon)
tend to be a bit timid in new environments, talkative when they’re comfortable; cautious people
typically very warm people (sometimes literally), gives mom vibes fr
super funny naturally, true comedians even if they’re just saying what’s on their mind
i’ve noticed cancer artists make really raunchy songs (ex: Work It by Missy Elliot, Big Poppa by Biggie, Candy Shop by 50 Cent)
♌︎ leo:
noticeable hair (ex: big hair, long + healthy hair, unique curl pattern)
everyone knows them, may not know everyone
also natural leaders but tend to be a bit friendlier than aries (and typically more concerned w/ who likes them than aries)
love to laugh! always cracking jokes or finding a way to lighten the mood
command attention (good, bad, or both) immediately and w/out trying
♍︎ virgo:
usually look really focused or deep in thought
can also look far away when you first meet them especially if they’re virgo rising
can be quiet when you first meet them too; usually cause they’re reading the room before they speak
almond/ small eyes
usually have to wear glasses/ contacts
tend to wear earth tones
♎︎ libra:
men look like professors or authors, especially the octobers
september libras seem to loveeee pink
usually quite talkative but also typically read the room well, may even mirror it
tactful/ organized people, again especially octobers
typically love pretty, clean cut things. so clothes are ironed, delicate perfume, earrings always in, hair always done.
libra risings always look like libras 😭 very symmetrical faces, just look like they know a lot
♏︎ scorpio:
usually the hardest to guess
often in the know abt everyone w/out even asking
does someone seem like they’re openly themselves, knows everyone, big personality.. but you also get the feeling you don’t know them at all? probably a scorpio
tend to be the life of the party, definitely know how to have a good time
♐︎ sagittarius:
can be tall or short but the men almost always have very athletic builds
they know everyone and everyone knows of them
talking shit 24/7
tend to be confrontational and blunt people - will absolutely tell somebody like it is
likely a lot of rumors about them. like you may hear about them before you even meet them
very pronounced calves and/or hips
very noticeable/ distinct laugh and voice
tend to have big, bright smiles (ex: Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Colman Domingo)
♑︎ capricorn:
very dry humor
always moving, if they’re not moving they mentally occupied
usually you hear they’ve been independent from an early age
adapt very well, can usually be whatever they need to be for the moment
the women are typically striking or have memorable features (ex: Dolly Parton, Zooey Deschanel, Ice Spice)
the men look strong minded and strong willed (ex: Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Zayn Malik)
♒︎ aquarius:
often look very lost or in a daze
jokeskers
tend to say things to get a rise out of people but that’s not to say what they’re saying isn’t true; sometimes it’s the way they say it
can sometimes be the smartest in the room; they notice everything and forget nothing + very quick thinkers
women tend to be thick (ex: Megan Thee Stallion, Kenya Moore, Oprah, Uzo Aduba)
♓︎ pisces:
tend to be quite spiritual/ pious people but if not, equally as passionate abt not believing in like a higher power
women usually look ethereal either in dress or face (ex: Lupita Nyong’o, Rihanna, Dakota Fanning, Drew Barrymore)
can act a bit like God’s gift to the earth, especially the men
tend to be frugal and in turn usually very well off or at least comfortable
sativaonsaturn 🪐🍃
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bwabys-scenarios · 11 months
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Halloween with the Spiders
Phantom Troupe x Fem!Reader
!!REBLOGS APPRECIATED!!
warnings: looots of pussy eating, characters get hard/horny around reader. they eat her pussy after drinking, but they’re only buzzed, not drunk
A/N: I write Chrollo as the shy and awkward guy he actually is so… he’s not super suave in this. Also sorry I wrote out Kortopi, Franklin, and Bonolenov. I’m just not interested in their characters like at all 😭🙏 they’ve got nothing going for them I’m afraid!
taglist: @desiray562 @lovelyxkazuha @ashdownunderscorebeloved
if you would like to be added to the NSFW taglist, comment a ❤️!! make sure you have your AGE in your bio, and that you’re able to be tagged/mentioned!
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It was the end of summer, august slipping into September before you knew it. The weather was still warm enough outside for you to be wearing a tank top and shorts, something the blonde you were currently dealing with appreciated greatly.
“Okay Shal, you should be good to go. You can get a popsicle from the fridge now.”
You were the sweetheart of the Phantom Troupe, a woman Chrollo had recruited to be the troupe medical director after he watched you donate your time and services to meteor city residents.
Right now, you were at one of the various expensive hotels Chrollo rented for you, using your nen to tend to Shalnark’s wounds. “Thanks, (Name)! I really thought I was a goner this time!”
He gives you a sly smile as he laps at the popsicle you give him, causing you to laugh. “Shal, you had a cut on your cheek. I swear, you’re such a baby.”
You didn’t know the real reason he always came with injuries in… strange places. He wanted you to use your nen on him, knowing it worked in an unusual way.
When you wanted to heal someone, you used physical touch, and depending on the severity, it could be a touch of your finger to a kiss from your lips. Today, it was a simple touch.
You glanced at the TV, a Halloween themed add popping up. “Oh wow, they’re showing these real early this year.”
Shalnark looked up, biting down on his popsicle. “Huh, weird.”
He hummed, getting a mischievous look in his eyes. You were a real sweetheart, but also easily manipulated by sob stories. “You know, none of the Phantom Troupe has ever celebrated Halloween.”
This had your full attention immediately. “… what?”
———————
Ever since Shalnark informed you of the troupes lack of Halloween experience, you’ve been meticulously planning a way to celebrate with them.
It wasn’t easy getting them all together unless Chrollo willed it, so you’d have to go to the leader to ask for a favor.
You were one of the only members that knew of his location at all times. In your mind, it was because you had an important role, but in reality it was because Chrollo quite enjoyed your presence.
“Chrollo!”
You sprinted towards the dark haired man, and though calling out his name in public wasn’t exactly the safest thing to do, he didn’t scold you. He instead smiled, opening his arms and allowing you to jump into them. “I’m glad you could find me with ease. Let’s go to a cafe and you can discuss what you wanted to talk about with me.”
Chrollo never let you pay for your own things when he went places with you. He said it was because you did so much good for the Troupe, but that was only a half truth. He enjoyed taking care of you.
“Mmm… oh!”
You placed your pumpkin spice muffin down, and Chrollo couldn’t help but laugh when when you held up a finger as you chewed. “I almost forgot to actually talk about what I came for! Chrollo!”
He lifted a napkin, wiping at your mouth. “Shh, (Name). You shouldn’t speak my name out loud so easily, it’s not exactly a common name.”
You blushed, and he placed the dirty napkin in a nearby trash can. “Oh, sorry…”
He motioned for you to talk, and you cleared your throat. “Anyways, Shalnark told me that none of you have ever celebrated Halloween! Is that true?”
He stared at you for a moment, trying to see why you’re bringing that fact up. “Yes, that’s true, we haven’t c-“
Your tears surprised him, but not enough for him to react. You’re kind of known for being a bleeding heart, so his expression stayed neutral, but he did offer you his handkerchief. “Chrollo, Halloween is so much fun! You get to carve pumpkins, wear costumes, eat lots of treats…”
You paused, reaching out to grab his hand. “So, the reason I asked to see you…”
Chrollo waited for you to continue patiently. He couldn’t help but find your ditzy and forgetful nature endearing, so he smiled.
“I want the troupe to get together on Halloween at my house!”
This actually surprised him. He nearly choked on his strawberry scone, having to pat his chest for a moment. “You… you said the troupe? As in everyone?”
“Mhm!”
He stared at you for a moment to see if you were being serious. You were smiling, looking hopeful and expectant.
‘How… can I put this gently..?’
Chrollo squeezed your hand, causing you to tilt your head. “(Name), my sweet and kind friend, the troupe has only come together once in the past three years, and that was for an important heist. I’m not sure if they’ll want to meet for… a Halloween party.”
You giggled. “Oh, but I’m sure they’ll love it! Besides, if you order it, they’ll come!”
He sighed. You looked way too cute, giggling and smiling as you pulled out a notebook and began showing him the things you already had planned.
Sometimes, when he watched you, all he could see was Sarasa. Your perky personality and compassion for others reminded him of her so much, it was one of the reasons he adored you so.
And one of the reasons he had trouble telling you no.
“Alright, alright. I’ll ask them to come, but it won’t be mandatory.”
You squealed in delight, nearly jumping over the table to give him a hug. “Oh, thank you Chrollo! It’s going to be fun, I promise!”
He sighed, smiling and patting your back. Normally, Chrollo would push any other person away, but he let you get away with a lot. “Okay, (Name).”
———————
It was the day before Halloween, and you were sulking. Already, three of the Troupe members wouldn’t be able to come. Franklin, Kortopi, and Bonolenov each called to say they couldn’t make it.
You’d spent most of the week decorating your house and getting it ready for guests. Feitan, Shalnark, and Shizuku would be staying in your three guest bedrooms while the rest rented hotels.
“(Nameeeee) come open the door!”
You blinked, looking out the window to see Shizuku behind your door. “Oh, Shizuku, you’re early. I thought you’d be here tonight?”
She walked into your home, turning in a circle before tilting her head. “I wanted first pick of the rooms, so I finished up my job quick.”
That was only half true, she wanted more private time with you!
“Oh, that makes sense. You’re just in time then, I finished making all the beds a few minutes ago!”
She nodded and walked upstairs to pick her room. Not even five minutes later, you heard someone knocking at your door.
“Coming!”
You open the door to see Feitan standing behind it, holding…
“Feitan, is that… is that a pumpkin?”
“Halloween, pumpkins are important.”
He handed the pumpkin to you before pushing past you into your house. If you didn’t know any better, you would think he looked almost… proud of his “gift” for you? Feitan watched you carry the pumpkin into your kitchen, where you sat in on the counter.
“Oh wow, it’s huge! What a nice pumpkin!”
He nods, following you. “Stole best one.”
You held back a laugh, knowing he was a bit sensitive when it came to giving gifts and being nice. “Oh, I can tell. Thank you so much Fei!”
Feitan had the habit of following you around like a stray cat when he was around. It was an improvement to your relationship when you first joined the Phantom Troupe as an honorary member. He used to sprint away from you the second you looked at him, and now he followed a few feet behind at all times. Honestly, he was pretty cute. Like a stray cat.
“Hey princess!”
You blinked as your door was torn off its hinges and Uvogin walked in, laughing and stomping into your kitchen before picking you up into a crushing hug.
Feitan stood in the doorway, watching the interaction with narrowed eyes. “Careful, Uvo. She not like us. Fragile.”
uvogin looked down to see Feitan was right. The girl in his eyes was making a pained expression, patting his arm to signal she couldn’t breathe. “Oh, my bad.”
He let her go, keeping her steady as she drew in breath. “Woo… now that is a bear hug that I think an actual bear would give, Jesus Christ…”
You turned back towards the cabinets and began taking out what you would need to get started on baking. “Uvo, could you be a dear and grab my Halloween decorations from the attic? I tried to get them earlier, but they were way too heavy.”
“Of course!”
He walked up the stairs, leaving you to sigh softly. “Okay, let’s see what we can do about that door-“
“It’s aight, (Name). I’ve got it fixed.”
You nearly jump out of your skin when Phinks and Shalnark just appear behind you, and peek over them to see that your door was indeed fixed!
“Oh, thank you guys!” You give them both an affectionate pat to the arm before continuing your baking preparations.
———————
By the time you finish baking, your house is full of Phantom Troupe members. Pakunoda, Nobunaga, and Machi arrived individually within the last few hours. Machi shyly offered to help you bake, watching you from the corner of her eye as you worked. ‘Cute, she’s even wearing an apron…’ Machi thought, her eyes soft as she watched you.
Chrollo was the last to arrive, getting to your house at nearly 8 pm. He opened the door, every member looking up to him when he did. “Hello, everyone. I’m glad to see you could all make it.”
You rushed forward and took his coat, gently scolding him for not wearing a shirt underneath. He laughed, sitting down and smiling at the troupe. Chrollo waited for you to go back to the kitchen before his face returned to its usual serious expression.
“As you can see, (Name) has tried her hardest to make our first Halloween celebration the best it can be. You’ll do as she says, and have fun, though I’m sure none of you wish to upset our special girl.”
They all glanced between each other, nodding slowly. After that, they had a quick meeting to discuss non Halloween matters before (Name) came back into the living room. “Okay, I know I gathered you all here before Halloween, but it’s only to go over my plans and give you all your gifts!”
“Gifts? Aww, you didn’t have to do that for us, sweetheart.” Nobunaga said, smiling.
“But I wanted to! Lemme go grab them!”
You scurried up the stairs, giggling the whole way up. “It seems she’s excited about this.”
You walked down the stairs a few minutes later with a large box in your arms, whining a bit. “Hnn… it’s kind of heavy…”
Several of the boys jumped up to help you, but Feitan got there first. “Give. Too weak.”
You handed the box over, knowing Feitan was doing it to help you. “Thanks, Fei!” You gave him that pretty smile of yours, and the rest of the troupe grumbled lightly.
Feitan sat the box on your coffee table, using his sharp nails to slice open the tape. “…”
Inside were clothes, all the same design. “(Name) what exactly are these… gifts?” Shalnark asked, tilting his head as he pulled a set out.
“Oh, they’re matching pajamas! I was hoping we could all get a picture together!”
You hand out everyone’s clothes, smiling.
“How did you know our sizes?” Pakunoda asked, seeing the set of pajama was her size. You giggle, turning towards her.
“I have my ways~”
Surprisingly, most of them were completely fine dressing in the Halloween themed pajamas for pictures, and the ones that weren’t did it anyways.
Phinks sat on the couch after the pictures, humming. “Huh, these are pretty warm and soft. You mind if I take these with me back to my hotel?”
“I don’t mind at all, they’re yours after all!”
The people that weren’t staying the night filed out soon after, all thanking you, a few giving you hugs and cheeky kisses to her forehead.
“Goodnight, (Name). Sleep well, and thank you for this.”
Chrollo was the last to leave, saying that before cupping your cheek and planting a kiss on your forehead. It left you. A little flustered, but you still waved at them all. “Be safe, and make sure you’re here by 9 am!”
Shalnark, Feitan, and Shizuku stayed behind, the former two eating some leftovers you had in the fridge. “Wow, it’s been nearly a month since I’ve gotten to try your homemade cooking, (Name)! This is amazing!”
You felt your face heat up, giving your friends a sheepish smile. “I’m happy you’re enjoying it.”
Soon, everyone went to bed, and you climbed into your own, excited for the day to come.
You wake up in the middle of the night to the feeling of eyes on you. You’re quick to reach for your light switch, only for your hand to come in contact with someone’s face.
A hand covered your mouth before you could scream, the person shushing you gently. “Don’t worry, it’s just me, (Name).”
Shalnark sat, crouched next to your bed, that boyish smile on his face as he pulled his hand away. “Huh… why are… why are you in my room?”
“Oh, we’re watching you sleep.”
“We’re?”
You blinked, glancing around the room to see Feitan standing in your doorway, leaning against it. “I not watch, making sure he don’t try something.” Feitan corrected, glancing to the blonde.
“Oh, you wound me Fei. I would never hurt (Name)!”
“Not hurt, but might touch while sleeps.”
The blonde blushed, glancing down at you as you gave him a disturbed look. “No, I promise I wouldn’t do that! I just… you look really cute when you sleep!”
“… how many times have you watched me sleep??”
“… almost every time we have a mission together.”
Feitan nodded to confirm this, walking into your room. “He not mean any harm, just worried.”
Shalnark pouted at his friend. “So you were teasing me on purpose earlier?”
The two ignored him. “Worried? What does that mean?”
Feitan sighed, plopping down on your bed. “We… lost people before. Shalnark get anxious, not want you to get hurt. Watches you.”
You soften, gently patting the blondes head. “Aww, Shal, that’s really sweet. I’m okay though, I promise!”
You give them both a smile, tentatively patting Feitan’s arm. He tenses, but doesn’t move. ‘Progress!’
You kind of treat Feitan like a scared stray cat, and it works most of the time. After your gentle pat, he scoots closer ever so slightly. You rub your eyes and yawn. “Well, I’m going back to sleep.”
You turn around and pull the blanket up to your chin, snuggling into your pillow-
“Shizuku!?”
“Hi.”
The dark haired girl was lying next to you, wearing the Halloween pajamas you gave her. “W-when did you get here?”
“I’ve been here the whole time.”
“She has.”
“Longer than Shal.”
You sigh, lying back on your pillow, accepting this. “Okay, as I said, I’m going to sleep. Just… don’t do anything weird and you can all stay.”
Strangely, having the three in your room helped you sleep better. It almost made you feel safe, knowing your friends were watching over you.
——————
The Troupe gathers in your living room at 9 am sharp, some looking tired, others perky. You’re surrounded by your comrades, some(namely Shizuku and Feitan) hovered around you shamelessly as you began to speak.
“Okay, the first thing on our list is pumpkin carving!”
You had Uvogin and Phinks help you carry in the pumpkins as Pakunoda and Machi laid out newspaper to keep your living room clean. “So this isn’t just normal pumpkin carving, it’s a contest! I’ll be the judge, and whoever makes the pumpkin I like the best, wins!”
“What’s prize?” Feitan asked, poking his pumpkin. You blinked at the shorter man.
“Oh… I think I completely forgot about a prize. Any ideas guys?”
You smiled, still in your cute pajamas. Shalnark raised his hand. “Shal?”
“How about a blowj-“
Phinks smacked the blonde over the head before Shalnark is pulled away by a few members and scolded in the corner.
“Hmm? What did he say?” You asked, tilting your head. Chrollo cleared his throat, the man surprisingly flustered easily.
“Nothing. How about… a kiss from you as a prize?”
You hummed softly. “A kiss? That doesn’t seem like a good prize, I don’t think anyone here would want th-“
The entire troupe started to argue with you, and you blush.
“Oh, um… okay. A kiss it is.”
This helped to motivate the group, but before they could start you raised your hand. “Two rules, guys. No nen, and you have to use these pumpkin carving tools.”
Already, Machi and Shalnark were pouting. Feitan took the pumpkin carving kit, raising an eyebrow at you. “… dull blade. Why?”
“Well, it’s supposed to be child safe.”
“(Name), we’re a band of thieves.” Chrollo said, his lips twitching into an amused smile. “We can handle actual knives.”
You whine and hand him his own kit, puffing out your cheeks. “Well too bad, thems the rules!”
You cross your arms and walk into the kitchen.
“Haha, you sure pissed her off, boss! Boss?”
Chrollo sat in the chair with his head in his hands, groaning. “I’m an idiot.”
Uvogin clapped him over the back with his large hand, laughing. “Oh don’t worry boss, you know she can be pouty when it comes to our safety.”
“Boss not wrong though. Kill people, can use knife.” Feitan grumbled, stabbing his pumpkin.
“Fei, I don’t think that’s how you carve a pumpkin.” Phinks said, crouching down.
“Tch, you know better?”
Phinks held up his phone, a tutorial on the screen. Pakunoda, Machi, and Shizuku sat together, ignoring the men as they carved their pumpkins, occasionally dodging flying pumpkin guts.
——————
You walked out of the kitchen 30 minutes later, carrying in some muffins shyly. “Sorry, I was a little rude earlier. I made some- oh, are you all done?”
You ignored the complete mess the troupe had made, happy that you laid out plenty of newspaper. Nobunaga nodded, holding up his pumpkin. For an expert in the sword, it looked… really bad.
“Yep, we just finished up!”
You hummed and looked over each pumpkin. “Oh, Paku, is yours a cat?”
She nodded, trying to keep a neural expression. It was a little cat, and you couldn’t help but coo and take a picture. “Cute!”
It wasn’t amazing, but cute nonetheless. You continued looking, the next one to catch your attention being Shalnark’s. It was an image of some anime character, and despite looking amateur, you could recognize the character. “Oh, is that sailor moon? It’s really good Shal!”
He gave you a proud smile, holding his pumpkin i his lap. The last pumpkin that caught your attention was Feitan’s, which was honestly the best looking one. It was a detailed carving of human heart, and you couldn’t help but be impressed.
“I think we have a winner!”
You pick up Feitan’s pumpkin and hold it up for everyone to see. Despite being upset they didn’t win, everyone also agreed his was the best looking.
You placed the pumpkin on your table before smiling. Under his jacket, Feitan’s cheeks were a soft pink as he stood before you. “Fei, are you ready for your prize?”
He froze, his hands trembling slightly in his pockets. Feitan had always been on the shy side, and when it came to you, his shy nature only intensified. The others could pick this up, especially Phinks and Shalnark. The two were about to speak up, but you talked first.
“Fei, I won’t kiss you if you don’t want it.”
His eyes widen slightly. How should he tell you that it’s not that he doesn’t want to kiss you, it’s the fact that he wasn’t sure how his body would react to such a thing? Shit, it was already hard enough to not pop a boner in your presence, a kiss might kill him!
“Kiss… kiss alright. Can handle it,” he tried to say nonchalantly, but his words came out shaky. You smiled warmly, stepping closer and gently tugging the hood of his coat down.
“Are you ready?”
His heart thumped against his chest rapidly, his eyes half lidded as he stared at your soft lips. “Y-yeah…”
You leaned forward and pressed your lips to his for a moment before pulling away, giggling. “There you go!”
You open your eyes, only to see him tug his hood back into place and speed away from you. Feitan’s face was bright red, and he could feel his pants tighten as he his under hid coat.
“Well,” Chrollo said, getting everyone’s attention. Only few people would be able to read the hint of jealousy in his eye as he spoke. “What’s next, (Name)?”
———————
After a quick lunch, the group gathered at a corn maze. “Okay everyone, we’re going in groups of two, using the buddy system in case we get separated! Stranger danger, ya know?”
Phinks patted your head. “No one else is here, (Name), we’re the only people in line. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble with stranger danger.”
“Besides, we’re all adults and nen users.” Pakunoda said, slightly amused by your concern.
“Hmph! We’re doing the buddy system, there’s scare actors in there. What if one of them can use nen? It’s better to stick to pairs of two!”
Chrollo nodded, paying for everyone to enter. “That’s smart, (Name).”
The pairs were as so: Chrollo and Pakunoda, Phinks and Feitan, Shalnark and Machi, Uvogin and Nobunaga, then Shizuku and you.
Pakunoda glanced at you and Shizuku. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, (Name)? Shizuku can be a bit forgetful, I don’t want you two to get separated. You’re scared easily, aren’t you (Name)?”
Shizuku huffed before pulling you into her chest. “Hey, I’ll keep her safe! I’ll stay focused!”
You blushed a little, your face directly in her breasts. “Mmph!”
She released you, patting your head. “Whoops, you alright?”
You nodded shyly, your face hot.
The group entered the maze, taking different paths. It was large and intricate, more like a labyrinth than a maze. Shizuku kept a hold on your hand, occasionally squeezing it when someone jumped out to scare the two of you.
“Oh. (Name), are you scared?”
You were trembling and holding onto her arm, giving her a slight nod. “A little, y-yeah…”
The two of you continued to walk through the maze, but Shizuku seemed to space out. “Hmm…”
She let go of your hand for just a moment, and when you attempted to grab her hand again, she was already gone. “Shizuku? Shizuku!”
You shook in your little Mary Janes as you tried to find her. Just then a man with a chainsaw begin chasing you, causing you to shriek and sprint in a random direction. “AGH! SHIZUKU! SOMEONE!”
You cried in fear, spotting a familiar figure and nearly sobbing. “Uvo! Nobu!”
They looked up, Uvogin opening his arms to allow you to jump into them. He held you close as you trembled and cried, obviously terrified. Nobunaga gave you a look of concern before glancing up, unsheathing his sword and the man approached.
“Hey, back off. She’s scared.”
The man takes one look at the two menacing figures before turning around and running away. Nobunaga turns back to you, gently running his hand over your hair to smooth it out. “Hey, he’s gone. You’re okay now.”
You sniffle a little, but relax into Uvogin’s arms. “There ya go, princess. Just relax. We’ll find our way out.”
The two spent the rest of the maze in silence. Their intimidating presences alone were enough to keep all the scare actors at bay. By the end of the maze, you had fallen asleep, your arms around Uvogin’s neck.
“Uvo, Nobu? Oh thank god, you found her!”
Shalnark ran towards the three, looking over you with relieved eyes. Nobunaga held a finger up to his lips, the blonde getting quiet. “She’s sleeping, Shal. Did anyone find Shizuku?”
Said girl was being scolded by Feitan close by. She seemed sorry enough, glancing at you with regretful eyes. “I didn’t mean to leave her, I got distracted…”
Chrollo took you from Uvogin’s arms, sighing softly as he tucked your hair behind your ear. “That doesn’t matter, all that matters is she’s safe. Let’s get her home.”
By the time the group got home, it was dark. You awoke when you heard a wet thwack!
“Huh? What was that?”
Chrollo set you down. “I’m not sure, I think it’s coming from around the corner.”
You peeked arousn the corner, your eyes going wide. “The pumpkins! Hey!”
You run forward, the troupe following close behind. A group of drunk men were smashing the pumpkins you all worked hard on. “Hey, you assholes! Get away from-“
You attempted to shop them away, but were pushed to the ground. “Shut up, bitch. Stupid whore thinks she can tell us what to do…”
Thankfully, Phinks caught you before you could hit your head on the concrete, his strong arms lifting up up. “You alright, sunshine?”
You nod, sniffling a little, tears running down your cheeks. “They… they’re smashing our pumpkins…”
He did his best to comfort you as the rest of the Troupe advanced. “Trash, make her cry.” Feitan spits, wielding his umbrella.
“What should we do, boss? Can’t let them hurt our sweethearts feelings, can we?” Pakunoda asked, ruffling your hair as she passed by.
Chrollo hummed. “Take them out, but wait until we get (Name) inside.”
Pakunoda, Feitan, and Shizuku stayed outside while the rest walked in. You heard screaming for a minute, then the sound of Shizuku’s nen activating.
“I’m sorry about the pumpkins, (Name). I know you liked them.” Shalnark said, sitting next to you as you sulked on the couch.
“It’s okay… I got pictures of all of them… at least…”
Shalnark patted your back before opening his phone. “I’ll call in some pizza, okay? Uvogin and Nobunaga brought alcohol, so why don’t we watch some horror movies and chill?”
You nodded, rubbing your teary eyes. “Yeah, that sounds fun…”
——————
It didn’t take long for everyone to get pleasantly buzzed, you included. The troupe gathered around your TV, each taking turns to sit next to you. After all, you always jumped into the lap of whoever sat next to you when you got scared!
You stood up, humming. “Imma grab some treats, made ‘em yesterday.”
Little do you know, Shizuku had an idea. You returned with the tray, placing it on the coffee table and smiling. “Okay, dig in g-“
The dark haired girl snuck up behind you, yanking your skirt down and sitting you on the coffee table. “Let’s play a game, whoever can eat her out and make her cum the fastest, wins.”
You sat there dumbfounded, trying to process the fact that your pussy was on full display for the entire troupe, and they were all blatantly staring. You tried to close your legs, whining, but Shizuku kept them held open. “H-hey!”
You pour at her, but you don’t make any further moves to stop her. You’ve never had someone eat you out before, you hadn’t even had sex, so the thought of all 8 members present taking turns making you cum was making your pussy drool in delight.
It’s not like you haven’t imagined it a few times. Your fellow troupe members were attractive, and although this was a little embarrassing, you were a little excited.
“F-fuck…”
Phinks crouched down in front of you, taking a good whiff. You squeaked, your face hot with embarrassment.
He’s quickly shoved away by Machi, who huffed. “You said you get to go first? We’ll have to draw straws.”
Chrollo cleared his throat, the bulge in his pants more than evident. “That’s a good idea, Machi. Get the straws.”
You were allowed to sit down on the couch, a pillow under your hips to get you comfortable.
The first one up was Feitan. You felt a bit sorry for him, he was obviously inexperienced in such a thing, staring at your pussy with wife eyes, his hands shaking a little when he grabbed you by the hips.
He lowered his head to your pussy, looking up at you with those dark eyes. He took his coat off, now only wearing pants. Even from this angle, you could see the tent in his pants, his cheeks a light shade of pink.
“Come on, Fei. Hurry up!” Phinks yelled, tapping his foot impatiently.
Usually, Feitan could be pretty intimidating to most people, but you knew that he wasn’t actually a bad guy, he was just a bit shy and awkward. You played with his hair, trying to encourage him. “It’s okay, take your time.”
Even as you said this, you lightly bucked your hips trying to reach his face. You couldn’t help it, he was so close to burying his nose in your pussy.
Maybe he just needs a little guidance…
You look at him, grabbing a fist full of his hair and gently guiding him to your cunt. His eyes widened, and when his lips touched your pussy, he moaned into you. Feitan’s tongue darted out of his mouth, testing the waters.
“Mmph…”
He buried his face in your pussy, licking and sucking everywhere. Occasionally he’d touch your clit, but you knew without some more guidance, he wouldn’t be able to make you cum.
Gently, you grabbed his hair again, cooing softly as you guided him towards your clit. “Here, Fei.”
He glanced up at you through his dark eyelashes, immediately latching onto your clit. This had you mewling, your hips bucking into his face.
Feitan was a fast learner, you only had to show him how to please you once and he was on it like a hawk. After a minute, you ended up cumming on his tongue, panting softly.
Phinks clapped Feitan on the back as the dark haired man pulled away. “Hey, it took a bit but you got her there! Nice job, man.”
Feitan looked at you shyly, patting your thigh. “… good girl.”
‘Oh, he’s so cute.’ You thought, wanting to give him a kiss or something for his efforts, but the next person up was already crawling between your legs.
Pakunoda held your thighs apart, her thumb rubbing against your clit. “Is that good, princess?”
You nodded, whining a little. “Mhm… ahh!”
You squeak when she inserts a finger, now sucking on your clit as she adds another finger in. You bucked your hips, but she keeps you still.
You cum pretty quick, the woman smiling up at you as you catch your breath. “Mm, you taste divine, (Name).”
She gave your pussy a kiss before moving away for the next person to come.
Chrollo and Shalnark were similar in the way they ate you out. They liked to make a lot of eye contact, their fingers curling inside you, sometimes chuckling on your clit as they suckled on it.
Phinks and Uvogin were rough, their big tongues filling your pussy up, their fingers stretching you out. They both groaned when your walls clenched around their fingers as you came.
Nobunaga and Shizuku were a little desperate, their tongues lapping at you and fingers thrusting into you at ungodly speeds. Although you came quick, it wasn’t as satisfying when you came the previous times.
Machi was much like Pakunoda, taking her time and making you cum on her tongue easily. She was the only on to grab your breasts, making the others jealous. They hadn’t even though of that!
By the end of the night, you were exhausted!
The pillow underneath you was soaked with your cum, your skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat. “Our sweetheart seems tired.” Phinks teased, crouching down to help you get dressed.
The group decided to sleep in the living room, and you fell asleep being cuddled by the entire troupe.
Was it easy being loved by a band of thieves? No. Was it satisfying?
Oh yes.
“This was the best Halloween ever…” you whispered into Chrollo’s chest. He smiled and kissed the top of you head.
“It really was.”
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smusherina · 6 months
Text
yard work - chapter 2 (regina george x reader)
fandom: Mean Girls (all media)
pairing: Regina George x OFC/Reader
summary: You'd been in the same class as Regina George since kindergarten. You'd lived on the same street even longer. Once upon a time, when life was sandbox disputes and who got the swing first arguments, you'd even been friends. Now, in junior year of high school, you doubted she even remembered you. The same couldn't be said about you. You definitely remembered her.
chapter 1 / chapter 3
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During the school day, she'd ignore you as usual. Wandering the halls of Northshore, you'd catch glimpses of her but no more than that. It actually felt like you were seeing less of her than usual. It was hard to avoid somebody in a school like Northshore, but somehow she managed it. You doubted it had anything to do with you specifically. She'd been acting off since you'd had dinner at the Georges'.
After school, those days you went to Regina's house to do their yard work, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Gretchen and Karen weren't around. Regina had taken her mom's place on the patio and bathed in the sun as you worked.
You hated to say it was distracting. Partly because the whole thing had thrown you off kilter, like why was she doing all this all of a sudden, and also because she was hot. There was no question about it. Regina George was hot.
You desperately tried maintaining focus on the chlorine you were pouring into the pool, pretending you weren't all too aware of Regina lying not too far away from you, in a skimpy hot pink bikini, large sunglasses covering her eyes.
"Regina! Oh, that's such a cute 'suit you got, where'd you get it?" You were distantly aware of Mrs George stepping through the sliding door to the backyard. Regina muttered something in return. You didn't have to look to see Mrs George wilt at her daughter's dismissal.
It pissed you off. Regina didn't have to entertain her mom's every whim, she could be a bit much, even you could admit that, but she didn't have to be so mean.
You walked over to them with the empty chlorine bag in hand. "Hey, Mrs George." You called as you approached. "Margaritas?"
"Hi, sweetie! I brought you two some, gotta stay hydrated in this hot weather. All virgin, of course!" Mrs George winked and offered up the tray she had in her hands. You smiled gratefully and took one of the glasses. You were actually quite thirsty and Regina's mom made the best (alcohol-free) cocktails.
"Thanks," You said before taking a sip. Mm, strawberry and basil. Yummy.
"Just leave it there, mom. She's gotta work and I'm busy." Regina pointed at the little table next to the sunbeds before directing her attention back to, uh, lying in the sun. She sure looked busy.
"Okay, honey." Mrs George smiled, but the chirp in her voice was strained. "You just call and I'll be right here, alright?" She looked from her daughter to you.
"You got it, Mrs George."
Once the older woman had ducked out of the door and closed it behind her, you turned to Regina.
"You don't need to be mean, y'know." You took a sip, watching the pink slush move through the swirly straw.
"Excuse me?" Regina craned her neck in your direction, looking very uncomfortable. You walked around to the sunbed next to hers and sat down facing her.
"She just brought us margaritas." You said, continuing to sip on your drink.
"Uh, yeah, and I'm busy." She huffed before reaching for her own drink. "Why she feels the need to bother me is beyond me."
"She's your mom and wanted to do something nice." You rolled your eyes, already sick of her attitude.
Regina didn't bother responding. You adjusted on the seat so you were sitting on it the right way, legs kicked up and leaned back. You decided to relax for a few minutes. It was still the beginning of the school year, September barely just started, so summer was still lingering warm in the air.
There was a robin's nest in one of the apple trees. Red-chested birds flew around, from their home branch to the bird pool, to somewhere you couldn't see and back. Soon it'd be apple picking season. For the last two years of high school Mrs George had given you maybe more than half the apples since she didn't know what to do with so much. Before that, it used to be you and Regina. Picking apples, sitting on the branches, peeling each and every one and boiling them into jam with obscene amounts of sugar. Looking back, you were pretty sure doing all those things without proper adult supervision was like tempting a tragic accident.
(To be fair, you had fallen out of those apple trees once before. You were maybe twelve and it was the middle of summer. You'd lost your balance and toppled onto your wrist. Regina had nearly fallen herself scrambling down to get you. She'd cried more than you and you were the one with a broken bone. She insisted you pick a pink cast. She was the first to sign it, too.)
Out in the sun, it was much hotter than under the partial shade in the yard. You chugged the rest of your drink before standing back up. You pulled off your shirt as you walked to the patio stairs, leaving on just a sports bra and your shorts.
"Jean shorts are so lame," Regina said behind you. You turned to look at her and found her looking at you from over her sunglasses. Her eyes raked over your body, no doubt judging how much weight you'd gained since she last saw you without clothes.
Fuck. Not like that. That sounded wrong. You had spent a lot of time at her pool, both of you in swimsuits, as kids. A totally normal, non-sexual setting.
You shrugged, pretending her wandering eye did not make you insecure. "I like my jorts."
"Your taste is questionable." Regina scoffed, a little smile playing on her lips. "At best." She added sassily. You had a feeling she was mocking you.
"Thanks!" You struck a little pose, cocking your hip and blowing a kiss her way, responding in an equally snarky manner. You knew you didn't stand up to her fashion standards. Loose jean shorts down to a little above your knees, basic brown slides, and now sans a raggedy, well-loved Queen tee was not exactly high couture.
"You're not cute, jorts." She leaned up on her elbows and pushed the shades up to her hair. "I think I saw this exact outfit on you, like, three years ago." She pretended to think, finger on her chin. "So, when we were thirteen..."
"Yeah, you probably did." You chuckled. "You also called me jorts three years ago. So, clearly, nothing's changed, right?"
You both damn well knew a lot had changed. Still, she entertained you with a seemingly genuine smile. You smiled back before turning away to retrieve some tools from the shed. There was a gap in the fence that needed fixing.
Then, for the following week and then some, as if the past years of her ignoring you hadn't happened at all, she started speaking to you. Not at school, though, never in public. Only Kylie and Mrs George were privy to your rekindled friendship. You weren't sure if you could even call it that. Was it friendship if it was conditional to time and place?
You couldn't find it in yourself to care too much, though. You had your own crowd at school. You had things other than the Georges' yard work to do. Sometimes you went skating with the guys, picked up shifts at the shop, did chores and yard work at home, played video games, and on rare occasions studied. You had a life outside of Regina George.
So what if when you fucked up a trick and looked around all frantic, checking that Regina hadn't suddenly spawned at the skate park and seen your epic fall. So what if you spent your work hours thinking about her, counting down the minutes until you got to clean the Georges' pool again. So fucking what you wanted to beat the shit out of Regina in Mortal Kombat.
Maybe you did care. You wanted to spend more time with her. Was that a crime? If you could talk during the several hours of the day, five days a week, that the two of you went to the same school, then that want would've abated. But you had to wait. Sometimes there were several days in a row that you barely got a glimpse of her.
You sounded pathetic. Gosh. You hadn't realized how much you missed her until you got a taste of what it was like to have her back. You couldn't even remember what had caused her sudden avoidance back then. Something with Janice and a sleepover. The details had gone blurry since then. You hadn't even been at the sleepover, but you'd heard something bad had gone down. Something that caused Janis 'Imi'ike to switch schools for the remainder of middle school.
Sighing, you let your pencil fall from your hand. You fucking hated algebra. Functional math, business math, that you could deal with, but derivatives and parables and all that stuff? No. Just no.
You rolled your chair back from your desk and decided it was high time for some relaxation. You walked across the hallway to the computer room, planning on fucking around on RuneScape.
Before you could get into gaming, though, you checked AIM and noticed you had a message. From Regina. What? You click the chat open and see that it's been sent a pretty long while ago.
> can i come over? daddys home
You stared at the uncharacteristic message. You two never spent time at your house back then. It was always empty and you didn't have the same fun things Regina did. Mrs George had been a significantly better cook, to add. Your toaster oven tater tots and dino nuggies couldn't compare.
But, hey, maybe this was the start of something new.
> sure > when? whenevr is fine w me
That could've all been one message but, well, here you were. You jumped in your seat when she responded almost immediately.
> omw
Shit. You shot up from the desk chair, sending it rolling to the other side of the room. You shut down the behemoth of a machine as fast as you could, which wasn't very fast, and shot down the stairs. The living room was a mess 'cause you'd spent the last few days pigging out in front of the TV, playing videogames and eating exclusively takeout.
You spent some time in the pantry trying to look for a garbage bag, time was running out, before rushing to the crime scene that was the couch. Styrofoam containers, probably some cutlery, empty bags of Cheetos and whatnot, empty cans, all that flew into the bag. You wouldn't have time to vacuum, so you just brushed the crumbs away into the couch cushions or onto the floor.
You were almost done when the doorbell rang. You had collected all the trash, but you still had to put away some of the still good leftovers. Didn't wanna waste those since you could eat it later.
"Hi!" You exclaimed, a little too riled up to seem sensible at the door. "I was just cleaning up."
"I see that." Regina drawled, eyeing the garbage bag as well as you. You'd completely forgotten about how you looked.
"Shit, sorry," You looked down at your body and the unfortunate clothes draped over it. Blue briefs with little Spidermen printed on them and a ratty grey hoodie with a devastating stain right on your chest. Your hair probably looked just as bad. You hadn't been bothered to fix up your bedhead, it was a goddamn Sunday.
"Don't worry about me." Regina, with her hands at her hips, looked at you expectantly. "So..."
"Yeah, uh, just stay here," You turned and put your sandals on. "I'll put this to the trash and, I still gotta put some things away and then you can come inside."
Regina just stared at you. You pursed your lips together and hustled past her, down the porch steps and toward the trash cans. By the time you'd hauled the bag away, you could no longer see Regina on the porch.
"Regina! I said don't go in!" You ran after her.
"Don't be ridiculous, jorts, I'm not afraid of a mess. Gosh." You could hear her from inside, probably taking her shoes off. That'd been a thing at your house always, but you didn't expect her to remember.
"Fucking- fine, okay, just..." You huffed as you spied her saunter into your living room as if she owned the place. She slumped down onto the couch, the very same you'd slept on the previous night.
You collected the food from the coffee table and moved it to the kitchen. You gave tentative sniffs to glean if they'd gone bad already. They'd only been out in the open for like, less than a day. So it was probably fine.
"When'd you order that?" Regina's voice came from behind you unexpectedly. You turned to her, caught with your nose in some noodles.
"Uh, last night..." You wiped at your nose with your sleeve.
She walked up to the container, right up in your space, and also gave it a sniff. Then she shrugged.
"I was thinking the same," You poured the noodles into Tupperware and shoved it into the fridge.
"Why's your fridge so empty? Has your dad gone bankrupt?" Regina stepped in before you could fully close the door.
"No, Reggie, he's fine. I don't have the money to stock up like your mom."
Regina turned to look at you, a displeased pout on her lips. She'd always hated it when you called her that. "I fucking hate that stupid nickname. And what do you mean you don't have the money?"
"I mean I don't have the money?" You paused in pouring beef and broccoli into another container, turning to look at her.
"Doesn't he send you money or make someone do it for you when he's away?"
You smiled a little bitterly. "He hasn't done that since I was, like, twelve." You paused. "Well, he's always sent me money but he used to have my babysitter buy groceries when I was way young."
Regina's lips twisted like she was genuinely thinking. You continued, feeling weird now that such a weirdly vulnerable conversation had been opened: "He sends me an allowance every week for groceries and school lunch, but it's not that much. If I didn't work at yours or at the shop I'd be toast." You grinned as you put on the last lid, moving to put the last two containers into the fridge too.
Regina didn't look all that amused. She was still frowning at your fridge, the rather pathetic state of it. You could admit it was pretty bleak. Two-litre bottles of various sodas, microwave meals, and an astonishing amount of condiments were not a sight that sparked hope.
"That's weird," Regina commented. "It's like you're poor but with a nice house."
"Gee, thanks so much, Reg, that makes me feel so good and seen." You drolled. "Oh, you think I have a nice house? That's nice."
"It's alright, I guess. Mine's better." Back to her usual, unthinking and overall not-that-nice persona. This was familiar territory.
"I would know. I work there." You motioned for her to follow you to the couch. "I'm gonna pick your apples soon."
"Daddy's home now. I don't know if you can." Regina sat with her shins tucked under her, leaning her side against the back of the couch. You sat a comfortable distance away, facing her with your legs crossed.
"What did your dad do again?" You asked, trying to remember.
"I don't fucking know." She gestured with her hand. "Human trafficking?"
"I hear it's a lucrative business." You grinned, enjoying talking like this with your old friend.
"We should start a company. Who'd you think would have a good price at our school?" She looked so excited at the prospect of talking shit about your peers. It was a little adorable, but in the way that a man-eating beast was. Like a devil cougar or something like that.
"I think that's eugenics, Reg." You muttered, jokingly wincing. "That's problematic."
"What, are you gonna sue me?" She leaned forward, inclining her head cheekily. "With what money?"
"With daddy's money, you fuck!" You laughed. "What money are you gonna sue me with? Wait, let me guess, uhh... Daddy's money."
"I'll have you know, it might be mommy's money." She widened her eyes dramatically as she began to tell the story. "I did some snooping around, and it just so happens daddy might not be the breadwinner after all, because-"
As Regina got into telling you about Mrs George's strange investments, which she and Kylie both had been pretty sure were pyramid schemes, you listened keenly and watched as she spun the story. She'd always been a good storyteller, good with performing and making the room pay attention to her. It was a shame she'd started to use her powers for evil.
Sitting here, Regina George on your dirty couch in her designer clothes and all, listening as she told you about the most mundane things in her life, made you feel warm in a way you hadn't in a long time. Loneliness was a quiet thing. It snuck up on you and you hadn't even noticed.
You hoped she wouldn't duck out of your life again.
Notes: Written late at night. My eyes don't work like they used to before. Might've missed some spelling errors or weird grammar. I'll return to it after I've slept. Also, in case you haven't noticed, this is firmly set in 2004. This story takes elements from both films, 2004 and 2024, but time-wise it is 2004. Another thing, I changed up the chapter titles. Originally, the first part was the prologue but then I thought about it and it really isn't like a prologue. So, that was chapter 1 and this is chapter 2. Bye-bye, party people.
Taglist: One person asked for this lmao, but I am but a servant of the people. Comment on this post if you wanna be tagged on the next part when it comes out. Disclaimer! Chapters will not usually come out this fast.
@autorasexy
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trulyhblue · 7 months
Note
please can we get a caitlin foord fic 🙏
Bug and Bingo
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Caitlin Foord x Daughter! Child! Reader, Lauren Hemp x Child! Reader, AWFC + CITY x Child! Reader.
Warnings: pure fluff, coarse language, bit long for what I hoped.
A/N — was feeling cute. So sorry if you don't understand what Bluey is. Also, not really based on the most recent match as there are several changes.
__________________________
You were waiting for your mama to finish the bunny loops on her shoelaces, humming the Bluey theme song with your Bingo toy in one hand and Gunnersauris in the other.
You swung your legs from your mama’s cubby, where your coat was pooled around your waist. Auntie Stephy was talking to Beth, and Auntie Lani wasn't in the Changing Rooms, even though she was here, playing today.
Your mama told you that Auntie Lani was playing for the other team, and it wasn't the same as when you were back with all of your other Aunties. It was the same as when mama versed Macca and Mini, and Sammy — but Sammy was watching Macca and Mini’s game instead of playing, which you aren't quite sure you understand.
Sammy’s wife-but-not-girlfriend — you couldn't remember the name — Kristie also played for West Ham, but she only picks you up when you're running away from Sammy trying to tickle your tummy.
You also remember seeing Harper last week, showing her your Bingo toy, and playing hot potato with her in the stands. You love Harper, she is your only friend who knows about Bluey, and she's Australian like you. In Kindergarten, you and Harper are the only ones who speak the way you do. Your mama always asked you whether your classmates would tease you, but Harper would poke her tongue out at them, and you’d ignore them and play with Harper instead.
Your Gunnersauris was lying next to your coat, and your Bingo toy was snuggled under your arm. You were wearing your mama’s Tillie’s jersey because you liked it more than the one she was wearing now. Your Auntie Ky would call the other jersey the Cotton Candy Jersey, and you liked Cotton Candy, so you wore that Jersey when everyone else was. You liked wearing your mama’s jersey because it had your last name on the back too, and number nine was your favourite number so that made it the best. Mama said you were born on the ninth of September, which is the ninth month, so you are very special.
But the most special thing about today was that you were in charge of the Lolly Jar.
“Mama, when we going?” You asked, patting Bingo’s head, hoping she was comfortable where she was. You were slouching against the wall, watching Mama pull up her socks over her shin pads.
She looked up at you and smiled, using her thumb to graze your cheek. “Few minutes, Bug, you excited?”
You nodded your head. “Wanna see Auntie Lani and Mary. Will they sit with me with the Lolly Jar?”
“No, Bug, they sit with the other City girls.” Mama picked you up, propping you onto her hip, jutting you slightly. “But you're sitting with Stephy for the first half, then Vivid and Laura when Stephy comes on. But if I let you take care of the Lolly Jar, you've got to share, okay?”
You weren't too keen on sharing your lollies, especially your strawberry and cream ones, but Laura liked the Sour candy that was too hard for your teeth, and Vivi said that she thinks Snoep is bad for your teeth, so you think you’ll survive.
“Mama want a Lolly?” You asked, motioning towards the jar filled with lollies of all sorts.
“No, thank you, Bub.” Mama laughs, kissing your cheeks and tucking away your fly-away hairs.
“Can I have a lolly, Bug?” Your little body turned to face the voice.
Ky Ky was walking towards you with a warm grin, her hand coming up to fiddle with your collar. You giggled when her finger came in contact with your neck, sending giggles to echo through the room.
“Ky ky no manners.” You spoke, nuzzling your head further into Mama’s neck. Your mama laughed at Kyra’s dejected countenance.
“Yes, you're right,” The younger Aussie player admitted, shaking her head and pretending to act frustrated at herself for forgetting such a thing.
You, however, didn't catch onto her sarcasm, feeling a wave of empathy surging over you. You pulled your arms away from Mama, reaching out and whining for Ky Ky to hold you instead. Your mama handled her over, and you gripped the back of Kyra’s shirt as she danced with you in her arms.
“Ky Ky ‘gonna score today?” You asked, feeling the nip of the cool air shiver down your spine as the girls started exiting into the tunnel.
“I’ll try my best for you, Bub. You've just got to cheer extra loud for me, deal?” Ky held you impossibly close to her chest, her arm protecting you from feeling flimsy, and her body cradling the front half of your body from the cold.
“Will give you extra lollies and cuddles if you do.” You could see Leah at the front of the line with her big red ribbon around her arm, though Mama had told you it was an armband. You told your mama that they should do ribbons instead, hoping she could change it soon because ribbons were very pretty.
You had two yellow ribbons in each of your pigtails, which Lessi had done for you on the bus ride. Lessi was the best cuddle buddy, after Mama and Ky. She would rub and scratch your back with her nails gently, and let you trace her tattoos on her hands. Lessi was your favourite cuddle buddy, even if she wasn't the best. She was always the one you fell asleep on, and she’d always share her blanket with you when you sat next to her on the bench.
“If you don't score, I’ll just give you cuddles.” You muttered, readjusting your position in Kyra’s arms. She helped you by lifting you just above her hip, your legs locked around her waist. “Cuddles are never not allowed.”
“That's very sweet, Bub, thank you.”
“That's okay. Love you, Ky Ky.” You added, not noticing your Mama coming up behind you.
“Hey, Bub, time to put on your coat.” She said, slowly threading your small arms through the holes of the thick fabric. While your body moved without fuss, you made sure to whine a little loudly and huff to show how much you didn't like wearing your coat.
The people who loved your mama — not as much as you — and watched her play with her teammates weren't always allowed to see you. The people in the stands would inevitably catch sight of your chubby cheeks and small figure huddled in a mound of warm clothes and cuddles, whether that be during the lineup or when you were sitting on the bench.
Mama didn't like people seeing your face on their phones. She told you that cameras could cause you to feel big girl emotions, and while you were a big girl, Mama always tried her best to keep you discreet.
You didn't care all that much. Lessi would let you take funny videos with filters on your face when you talk with her on long bus rides. Stephy and Bethy would do dancing videos with you, which you love. So overall, you weren't too concerned with missing out on all that much.
But sometimes you felt like you wanted to be normal. You were cold, obviously, and the coat would warm you up, but you knew your mama wanted you to put it on for a different reason.
“Wanna stay with Ky for standing, Mama. Don't want the coat.”
Kyra acted like she had zoned out of the conversation, not sure how to manage a discussion that sounded so innocent, but had a deeper meaning behind it.
“As long as Kyra’s okay with it then you can.” Caitlin took your hand, squeezing it and zipping up your coat. “But you need to keep this on or else you’ll get a stuffy nose and a sore throat.”
“Still want my Lolly Jar.” You mumbled, not entirely content with the defeat in your situation.
Your Mama nodded, swiping your cheek. “Auntie Steph has got it in her lap for when you sit with her, alright?”
While you weren't awfully content with her decision, you sulked as you let the sleeves cover your body, hearing the zip dousing your body in a new-found warmth. You would never admit that the sensation was relieving, but you chose to snuggle back into Kyra’s chest when both teams started walking out into the crisp air.
There were a few smiles exchanged between the teams, but you understood that they both wanted to win and have the ball more than the other. Your yellow jersey stuck out under your coat, your pigtails and their bright yellow ribbons drawing more attention to yourself as usual. Your face was clasped into Ky’s neck, her body bobbing you up and down in swift motions. The crowd was beaming in excitement as everyone shook hands. You were too busy playing with the hem of Kyra’s jersey to notice the people rubbing your back and smiling.
“Cuddles now?” You asked your Ky Ky, prodding to the comfy chairs where Steph, and Kim were chatting in hushed whispers. Wally and Cloé were laughing with Stina and Laia, but you couldn't find your Auntie Vivi anywhere.
“I'm playing with your mama, Bug,” Ky spoke, rubbing your back as the two of you trudged over to the bench. “You're gonna show everyone your Lollies, aren't you? Mama said Stephy has the jar.”
You knew that Mama only gave you your lolly jar when you were feeling restless before a game. Sometimes, you just want to be attached to someone, whether that be Mama, Ky, or especially Vivi. You weren't used to not having your Auntie by your side during matches. When your Aunties had sore knees, you would sit with them in the crowd, showing them Bingo and bouncing ecstatically in your seat when they’d play games with you.
Bethy always let you swing your legs, and Lau would squish your cheeks and play Bingo games with you. Lau would make you giggle when Lee was talking about the game, and you’d clamour into the blonde’s lap and babble on about how she was a nervous Nelly, cause that's what your Mama calls you when you go to school sometimes.
Bethy wouldn't always let you have your Lolly jar, even though your Mama gave it to you. She said that it made you wiggle more and wiggles were hard to get rid of. But Vivi would always slip you some strawberry and cream lollies when Bethy wasn't looking. She’d make sure you always had a handful of your favourites when Beth was Roo immersed in the game.
You loved your Vivi.
It wasn't too bad when Bethy left, because you still had Vivi, Lee, and Lau, but then Vivi left, and now Lee, and so Lau sits in the stands with other people, and Mama doesn't want to leave Laura to take of you by herself, especially when her knee was only just mending fully.
But Vivi must've hurt her knee again because you saw her and Lau sitting in the stands without you.
It made you even more restless knowing that neither Ky nor Viv was there to play with you. You loved all of your Aunties, but some of them didn't have cuddles like Ky.
“Hello, Bug!” You heard your Auntie Stephy say. Kyra was careful in sparing the last of your affection, kneeling in front of Steph and peeling you off her slowly.
You didn't answer your Aunt, feeling what your mama called big girl feelings when Kyra kissed your forehead and ran towards the team. You latched onto Steph, who was going to put you down beside her before you curled into her lap. She wrapped her arms over your small body, pulling her blanket over the top of both of you so that you were in a cocoon of warmth.
You grabbed Steph’s pointer finger and squeezed. Bingo was facing the grassy field while you had your head towards Lia.
“Are you playing with Mama today?” You asked, settling one of your arms over Lia’s lap.
Lia and your Mama were in love like Vivi and Beth, but Mama says that their friends now. You don't remember a lot without Wally living with you, but Wally wasn't your Mama like Mama was your Mama. You were Mama’s more than anyone else. Auntie Lani always called you Cait, and Auntie Macca would say that you were your Mama’s twin.
Lia was a very nice cuddle buddy. She read bedtime stories to you and let you sleep in her and Mama’s bed if Mama was already asleep.
But now Wally didn't live with you anymore, and the bed was a lot bigger without two cuddle buddies.
“I might be after the second half, but right now I'm here with you,” Lia answered, squeezing your flushed cheeks before drawing patterns on your hand.
You looked up at Steph, reaching for her face, and settling your hand on her cheek. “Where’s Lani and Flower?”
Wally and Kim laughed from either side of you. Mary’s real name wasn't Flower, but she was pretty like a flower, and you thought that Mary smelt like a flower too, so that's what stuck. You made the mistake of looking at your Mama’s team, unable to spot your Australian friends amidst the team.
“They're both on the bench, Bug.”
You peered across the seats around you, only finding Arsenal girls.
“Not this bench, darling.” Stephy shook her head. “Different one.”
“Why not all together?” You asked, folding your arms across your chest. The ball went out of play, and you forgot your question when you saw Mama retrieving the ball.
You squealed when your Mama waved, putting your hands in your mouth and blushing when one of the Lani-Flower teammates gushed at you in adoration.
The Lani-Flower teammate was blonde, and wore a ponytail very high on her head. While she wasn't someone you were particularly familiar with, you made the effort to wave meekly at her, feeling a blush film across your face when the woman waved back.
“Classic Hempo.” You heard someone say, and you wondered whether Hempo was your friend or not. She wasn't an Australian like you, because you had never seen her back home. Maybe she was one of Bethy’s friends, because when she yelled, she sounded a lot like her friends.
“Wanna give her one of my Lollies.” You announced, looking down at the jar that Steph had put on the floor, reaching down and using all of your strength to get it on your lap.
“Maybe after the game, Bug,” Steph spoke, opening the jar, and letting you pop one of the sweets into your mouth. “Lauren is playing at the moment. If you want, you can give her one at the very end, okay?”
Your eyebrows furrowed. “Who’s Lauren?”
Steph sighed, shaking her head with a soft smile. “The girl that just waved at you.”
“Hempo?”
“Yes, darling, Hempo.”
The game continued on for what felt like forever. No one was scoring goals, not even your Mama. Most of the girls on the bench had grown anxious leading into halftime, and now it was Steph who was playing with your hands as you watched both teams tread towards the Changing Rooms.
Kim was very scary at times, even when her scariness was directed at you. She was very, very stern, and sometimes you had to cover Bingo’s ears because what she was saying was not always appropriate for younger ears.
Lee was also letting out her frustration. Leah was definitely opposed to the lack of goals since she was encouraging all of the girls to get back out there and try harder. You wondered why the Lani-Flower Team was so hard to beat when Mary and Lani weren't even playing. You’d understand if they were on the field, but they must've had superpowers that made the team really good because they were on the bench that you couldn't see.
Leah had the big band around her arm — the one you thought should be a ribbon but wasn't. You wore your ribbons all the time, at home, school, games, everywhere. Mama would send photos to your Auntie Hayley all the time, showing how her legacy was proven charismatic on her daughter.
Hayley was someone you missed a lot, especially when she and Mama never versed each other. When you were in Australia, Hayley would do your hair, and she’d use her own special ribbons. She would spend a lot of time with you. She and Ellie Belly would go out with you on what they called ‘Big Girl Days’, where you’d play at the park, get ice cream, and go to the movies, all in one day. You loved Ellie Belly, she was as silly as you. She loved blowing raspberries on your tummy. She was always throwing you up in the air, giving your Mama a surprised face.
You wanted a Big Girl Day now, you thought to yourself. The weather in London wasn't nice. You liked swimming with Harper and Harley. You liked spending time with your Australian Aunties in the sun.
You were sitting in Lessi’s lap, keeping yourself still as she redid her hair. Your coat was left on your seat on the bench, but the Changing Rooms were nice and cosy so no one paid much attention. Your Mama was fixing her hair as well, something everyone seemed to do, so you paddled over to her and tugged on her shorts.
“Hold on a second, Bug,” Mama spoke, smiling down at you, patting the wispy bits of your hair behind your ears.
You didn't want to wait, so you sighed and waddled to the next available person.
You tugged on Katie’s shorts, latching onto her leg and beaming at the woman’s immediate reaction.
“Well, hello, Miss Yellow!” She uttered, jostling your bright-coloured jersey and fixing your ribbons.
“I'm not Miss Yellow!” You laughed loudly, swatting away her hand. “I'm Bug!”
“You're a bug and yellow?!” Katie’s eyebrows raised as she pretended to be shocked. Everyone looked on in adoration, but to you her shock was real. Your laughter emulsified. “That means you're a Bee!”
“No, I'm not a BumbleBee!” You grinned, clasping your arms around her neck, soaking in the way she held you close. “I'm just Bug!”
“Oh, you're bug!” Katie huffed, shaking her head and sighing. “You scared me, Bug. I thought you were a Bee.”
“A Bumblebee, Katie.”
“That's right, a Bumblebee.”
You huffed, deciding that you were just smarter. “You're so silly, Katie.”
Katie let you run over to Mama, who swung you playfully all the way to the bench again.
Everyone was coming back onto the pitch, and the refs blew their loud whistles so that they could start kicking the ball. Both teams were a little bit more aggressive in everything they did. Katie was pushing and getting shoved, and Hempo was doing the same. Another blonde Lani-Flower girl was getting angry at Katie, but the Refs didn't put up their naughty cards so the game went on.
It had been a little while since you were sitting alone on the bench with just Bingo and your Lolly Jar. You scanned the pitch again, wondering whether Hempo was, but couldn't find her. Everyone was warming up on the sidelines. Steph had told you to count how many lollies you could eat so that you were left with something to do.
But you were growing very bored when no goals were happening, and no one to talk to.
So, as your Mama always said, do what makes you happy.
So you did.
You clambered out of your seat, using your big muscles to lug the Lolly Jar with you. Everyone was still playing around you, but you knew that Lani and Mary were here somewhere.
Without thinking, you forget your coat in your chair.
You were careful with every step you took, making sure you were holding the Jar tight. You stopped and waited for people to pass by so you weren't in the way, and it didn't take long for Red Jerseys to turn into Blue ones.
You felt a little out of place with your bright yellow jersey, you thought that no one else knew what you were wearing. After a little while longer of trampling down the sideline, you found a similar bench to the Arsenal one, except there was not a blotch of red in sight.
It took you a few more steps until you shivered at the coolness. You felt silly for not remembering your coat like Mama told you, but you didn't want to leave your Lollies instead. Mama told you to always share your Lollies, so you were doing what she told you to do, just not everything.
You found a coat similar to yours alone on one of the seats. It looked very warm, and you wanted to be warm, so you put the jar down with caution and grabbed the jacket with ease, slipping it on like Mama had taught you.
It wasn't until you saw Mary being subbed on and a cautious hand grabbing your shoulder that you realised that you had one of your ribbons falling from your hair.
“Um, excuse me.” You heard a woman say, making your little head reel up. “I think you're wearing my jacket.”
The sight of Hempo — or Lauren, as Stephy said — sent you into shyness. Mama said you weren't allowed to talk to strangers, even if they seemed friendly and smiled. You didn't necessarily think of Hempo as a stranger, since Mama talked to her and Stephy knew her name, but you only knew her from today, so an introduction was needed in order for you to feel even remotely safe.
“Was cold.” You muttered, holding your Lolly Jar as tight as you could, making you realise that you had not only left your coat on the Arsenal Bench, but Bingo, too. “Sorry.”
This sent your big girl feelings over the edge. The combined factors of strangers, the loud noises of the crowd, your coldness, and no Bingo made your lips quiver and your eyes rimmed with tears. You struggled to put the Lolly jar down but did so in a hurry, avoiding Hempo’s eyes as you tried to shake off her jacket.
The blonde woman stood above you in shock, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her when tears flooded your cheeks. She hadn't meant to make you cry. She was just confused about why you were there, and not with Arsenal, and why you were wearing her coat instead of your own.
“Oh, no, I'm so sorry.” She spoke, shaking her head as she knelt on the floor, making sure you were okay with her being at your level. “You can keep my jacket, I swear. You're smart for staying warm—”
“—Mama says swearing is bad.” You retorted, tears drying the minute the blonde spoke. Sniffles fell from your nose. “Are you on the Lani-Flower’s team?”
Lauren looked at you incredulously. “The what?”
“My Auntie Lani and Flow— Fowler, is on that team,” You pointed onto the pitch, specifically Mary, who was carrying the ball down the wing. Lauren glanced across the field, noticing Mary had no clue about what was going on. She looked back at you and smiled meekly.
“Is your Mum or Dad in the crowd somewhere? I could always help you find them.”
The mention of a father made your eyebrows furrow. You had thought that Hempo had known your Mama, but apparently not.
“You were talking to my Mama just then!” You sighed, picking up your Jar and peeling off the lid. “I was sitting on Stephy’s lap when you waved at me.”
“What?” It took a beat for Hempo’s face to change, a flow of realisation painting her features. You popped a treat into your mouth. “Oh! You're Foord’s daughter! Sorry, wait-”
You watched as the woman kneeled down again, carefully using her hands to open the split of her jacket that covered your jersey. It revealed the bold Australian colours and emblem. You pivoted so that your shoulders showed off your last name.
“Want a Lolly?” You asked, holding out the heavy container.
“Sure… I guess.” Lauren hesitated but nodded after soaking in your adamant state. “I'm sorry for asking but… why are you over here?”
“I'm looking for Auntie Lani.” You stated, not bothering to ask the woman before making your way over to a spare seat. “Mama told me that I should share my Lollies, but my Auntie Stephy was warming up, and Kim is a little scary sometimes, and Wally was stretching, and Ky Ky was playing, so Flower and Lani were left.”
Lauren managed to understand your whines to help you up onto the chair, joining next to you. “Did Caitlin say you could come over here.”
“Um,” You pondered, slightly sheepish. “She didn't say no.”
“Oh,” Lauren replied, unable to conform to a solid response. “Um, do you want me to get Alanna for you, then?”
You thought to yourself for a moment, thinking about whether Hempo was nice enough to stay with you until you felt like moving again. You settled on a yes.
“No that's okay.” You spoke, leaving the Lolly Jar on your chair and moving into Lauren’s lap. “You can have more Lollies. Mama said I should share.”
Without thinking, Lauren shoved her hand down the jar, grabbed a handful of lollies and slowly popped them into her mouth one by one. She didn't know if keeping you with her was a good idea, especially after Laia shot a brilliant goal, sending City into the lead. Alanna was warming up, getting ready to go on, so no Australians could help her out.
You weren't affected by the score, too busy babbling on about how much you wanted some sort of Bingo that Lauren had no idea about. You were content on the woman’s knee, happy in the way she bobbed up and down rhythmically, similar to how Ellie Belly would when your Mama was in interviews.
You both fell into comfortable conversation, leading each other into new topics as the game went on. Lauren let you play with her hands, and you didn't mind how many strawberries and creams she was taking from your jar. No one from either team had noticed the two of you in your own little bubble.
Everyone except a man with a big camera and a microphone.
The English woman didn't know you well. She knew that Caitlin kept you away from the media and that you were a very private part of her life that she kept at bay. You were a bubbly child with a bright personality, she thought, but she also wondered whether you got yourself into trouble as often as it seemed.
Lauren knew the man from City’s media team. He was friendly, and nice to talk to, but she had never had the experience of a toddler in her arms to handle this kind of attention.
“Who might this be?” He spoke, holding the camera up to the both of you.
Before Lauren could answer, you swerved your front to face her chest, potent in the way you shoved your body away from the camera. Your Mama had taught you to do this from a very young age, and now it felt like second nature.
Lauren caught onto your worry almost instantly, shaking her head towards the kind man, waving his endeavours off.
The man must've caught on quickly, as the camera dropped as fast as it arrived. You kept your head buried into Hempo’s neck, curling your legs around her waist, thankful for the way she pulled your hood up.
“Don't worry, I don't like cameras all that much, either.” She cooed, rubbing your back in comforting circles, relieved at your tense figure softening as she did so. “Sometimes it's just good to talk without them, eh?”
“Yeah,” You muttered in agreement, pulling your head away slowly, taking your time to turn back around.
The game was coming to an end, heading into extra time, and you were feeling the effects of your long adventure hurling over your little body.
Arsenal were not playing to their strengths, and the frustration of their gameplay radiated in beams to everyone who watched.
You had just caught sight of Auntie Lani being subbed on before your eyes had drifted close and your breathing had evened. Lauren only noticed your deep slumber when the full-time whistle blew, and you made no more advancements towards your Lolly Jar.
Hempo tried extra hard to keep you sound as she curled her arms around you, lifting you into a cuddle, and walked towards her celebrating teammates and defeated rivals silently. With your hood still up and the blonde rubbing small patterns on your back, you held onto the woman peacefully, relishing the fatigue that had caught up to you.
Hempo had separated from her confused teammates — who were all questioning when Lauren ever had any affiliation with a child — and strolled over to the Arsenal bench, where a flurry of anxiety hit her straight.
Kyra was indefinitely pale. Wally and Leah were searching the parameters of the field. Katie was ridiculing fans, and Caitlin was an absolute wreck.
Beth was beside herself, Viv by her side, comforting her spouse with a strained expression herself.
A flooding red flushed Lauren’s face, the reality of the stress the girls in front of her were under hitting her like a truck. She was conflicted in keeping you sleeping and running over to announce that you were okay. She resulted in jogging cautiously, nearly dropping the Lolly Jar on the way.
Leah was the first to notice the young Lioness. “Lauren, what are you—”
The Arsenal Captain nearly collapsed at the sight of your tiny figure curled up in her arms, meeting the woman in the middle and calling out to the rest of the girls.
“Oh my fucking God, where was she?” Caitlin sighed, immediately taking you from Lauren’s chest and hugging the breath from your lungs.
You stirred out of your daze, surprised by the sound of your Mama’s voice and not Lauren’s.
“Mama swear.” You whispered, not comprehending the gravity of the situation as you found a new comfortable position in your Mama’s arms.
“She was just wandering around with her Lolly Jar, looking for Alanna and Mary,” Lauren spoke, her voice cracking at the amount of eyes on her. “I was with her the whole time. She just wanted to share her Lollies, and erm— she forgot her coat so— yeah… oh and something about Bingo—”
“Thank you so much,” Caitlin said, looking down at you and hugging you closer. “How long did you think she was by herself?”
“Oh, not long.” Lauren started. “I found her with my coat on, so she knew what to do with herself. But I made sure no one recorded her. I'm not sure about when she was alone though, sorry.”
“Don't be.” Caitlin sighed. “I'm just glad she was with someone.”
“Shared my Lollies, Mama.” You whispered out from her neck. “But I think we need more Strawberries and Cream.”
Katie came up behind you and Mama with your toy Bingo in her hands. She took off your hood and poked your cheeks. “I think that's enough lollies for you, Bumblebee.”
You took Bingo and hugged her, smiling like not a minute in the world had passed, content with the new friend you had made and the lollies you had eaten.
You hoped every match was like this.
________________________
594 notes · View notes
ludicdoll · 5 months
Text
𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄
farleigh start ☆
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pairing: farleigh start x fem!reader
contents: american reader, smoking, soft farleigh, very slight angst, fluff
synopsis: you and farleigh smoke under the sunset, reminiscing on your exciting summer.
a/n: go listen to weak for your love by thee sacred souls nowww
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you sigh against the warm breeze, staring up into the golden sky. your summer was coming to an end, which means you would have to leave saltburn, which means you would have to go back home to america. you thought you wouldn’t care when summer ended, in fact you were excited to go back home—but now everything’s changed. your summer started out with felix inviting you after the graduation party. he said “everyone will miss you if you leave so early.” he was definitely just trying to make you feel better, but you caved in on his offer anyway. on the first day you arrived at the estate, elspeth almost immediately claimed you as one of her own children.
she was a very sincere woman, her blonde hair was always pinned up to frame her classic face, and her clothes always reflected her wealth. you were so intimidated by the catton’s at first, but as you got to know them better, you realized they’re quite normal. sure—the family heirloom art pieces on the walls and their 200 acres of land weren’t normal, but on the surface of their personalities, they were just average people who happened to be blessed with money. during your stay at the mansion, you found yourself talking to farleigh more often. at oxford you and farleigh never talked much, only sharing occasional glances from across lecture halls. you shared the same friend group with him due to felix and got along surprisingly well.
you both had witty personalities, a stubborn flare, and incredible fashion tastes. you recall your first real conversation with farleigh. it was on your first night at saltburn during dinner. you were seated next to him and gossiped the whole time about annabel and felix’s situationship. you laughed and smiled at his words and he seemed to be feeling just as amused as you were. now and then you would have your petty, harmless arguments, but nothing too extreme. in the midst of all of the catton’s chaos, you and farleigh found peace in each other. slowly, he even opened up a little to you. he talked about his mom, claiming that he was scared that if he left england, he would never get an ounce of money again. you pitied him truthfully. however, he was also incredibly smart, he just never bothered to show it.
farleigh also loved literature, he would roll his eyes at you whenever you’d call him a nerd but he enjoyed classics, drama, mysteries, romance, almost everything and anything. you would think that him living a chaotic, party filled lifestyle meant that he never had any time to pick up on any other hobbies or interests, but he did. he learned french and was surprisingly good at it, he didn’t speak it fluently—but he knew enough to hold up a conversation with someone random.
you sit in your window nook, closing your book and placing down on the cushion, staring out of the cracked window as you ash your cigarette out of the open panes. it’s mid september, the weather was slightly cool, but the humidity from the light rain earlier had made it slightly warmer. you raise your fingers to you mouth, dragging out the smoke from your cigarette. you lean your head back against the wall, closing your eyes as you breathe in the air around you. suddenly, you’re awoken by a knock on your door. “come in!” you call out as a head of curls poke through the door. farleigh smiles before closing the door behind him and walking over to you. he’s wearing a dark navy ralph lauren cable knit sweater (very fitting for him) and black trousers. he looked like he just got back home from something. “having your main character moment, i see?” he teases as he sits down across from you in the nook. you roll your eyes, softly shaking your head with a laugh. he grins, looking down at the book in your lap.
farleigh reaches over, grabbing it before reading the title outloud. “one hundred years of solitude,” he repeats. “how are you just now reading this?” you snatch the book out of his hand before placing it back down next to you. “oh, i’m sorry i’m not a nerd like you.” you reply mockingly. farleigh gives you a deadpan expression before cocking his head to the side, staring at you with low eyes. he readjusts himself in the cushion, scooting closer to the where his legs were touching yours. “venetia won’t be able to shut up when you leave.” he mutters. you turn, smiling weakly. you’ll miss her too, you’ll miss everyone when you’re gone. the two of you sit in silence for a minute, soaking in the beautiful shift in colors within the sky. you pull a cigarette out of its box next to you, offering it to him. he stares at you, almost like he was hesitating to take it or not. of course, he couldn’t decline so he swiftly took it out of your fingers.
you grab your lighter and ignite the flame by his lips. he immediately groans quietly, a wave of relief glowing across his face. “where were you all day?” you ask. “you just disappeared during brunch.” farleigh blows a thin line of smoke out of his mouth, shrugging. “the pub.” he looks over your empty room, biting down on his bottom lip. you used to have so many posters and polaroids littered across your walls, but you had already packed all of your stuff—leaving the room blank. “god, it’s so boring in here now.” he says. his breath suddenly hitches when he sees your suitcase in the corner of the room, packed and ready for your leave. you notice this and reach over to touch his shoulder.
in an attempt to lighten the mood, you rub at his arm. “aw, you gonna miss me, far?” you ask with an exaggerated sad face. farleigh scoffs, chuckling softly at your expression. “mmm, don’t get ahead of yourself.” you giggle, turning your head to look at the sky above you. you had made so many memories here, so many friends you wouldn’t be able to replace back in the states. a part of you wished you could stay in england, but another part of you missed your home. “do you remember the first time we met?” farleigh breaks the silence suddenly. you glance over at him, raising a brow. “it was at felix’s acceptance party. you showed up wearing a bold silver sequin skirt, very bold.” you cringe as you recall your odd fashion choices in your first year at oxford.
“oh god, don’t remind me.” you cry out as you pinch your nose bridge with a defeated sigh. farleigh laughs, exhaling the smoke out of the window. “truly … it was definitely the talk of the night.” he adds on to make you wince further. you raise a hand, waving it in front of him, hoping he’d stop talking. “but—i liked your outfit that night. i thought that you had to be interesting if you were wearing that.”
“really?” you ask. he nods, a smirk dancing on his lips. you sit up, leaning closer to him. you stare up at farleigh through your lashes, cocking your head to the side. “and was i interesting?”
farleigh seems to get a rise out of this sudden confidence from you. he leans down closer as well, just inches away from your face. “mhm,” he hums as he raises his cigarette back up to his mouth. you can’t help but stare at his pink lips as he takes a long drag. the two of you exchange quiet glances, a thick tension rising in the air. “whatever shall i do without you?” he teases as he leans back on his palm. “well, i’m not leaving until tomorrow morning.” you glance over at the grand clock in the corner of the room before turning back to meet farleigh’s gaze. “—we still have a couple more hours together.”
“yea? it’s not enough.” he muttered the last part quietly, but loud enough for you to dicipher. farleigh looked so soft under the sunset, the rays of pink light illuminating his face perfectly. your stomach suddenly flips, a wave of heat spreading to your face. he looked almost angelic in a way. you never thought about your right dynamic with farleigh. others around you would often say you and farleigh were close, maybe a little too close. you liked sitting in his lap and he liked holding you, not like it was im a sexual manner, you just genuinely enjoyed his touch. it was purely platonic to you from the start. but as you spent more time with him, you realized his demeanor would get you a nervous mess at times.
you thought you didn’t like farleigh, but the fuzzy feeling that would overtake you would make you squirm under his stare. it made you feel like you were twelve again with your first crush. “maybe we could just spend the next few hours talking.” farleigh says. you blink, examining in his soft features. the longer you stared, the more you’d notice certain aspects of him face you never acknowledged before—like how he had very faint fading freckles in the summer, or that one curl that would fall on his forehead perfectly. you nod in response to his suggestion before leaning back to your original position. for the next two hours, you and farleigh just sit there, rambling on about everything you could think of. your conversation ranged from shit talking to philosophy, then to the planets orbiting around us. you talked so long to the point where the sun started to set, slowly dipping below the horizon with a burst of pinks and oranges. you grab at his arm, gasping quietly as you gaze up at the sky. “look!” you point out. he raises a brow, glancing back and forth between you and the sunset. “what?”
“the sky!” you say in an obvious tone. “happens everyday, nothing new.” he says nonchalantly as he releases himself from your grip, resting his head against the window. you groan, smacking his arm with the back of your hand. “okay, well it’s my last sunset in england.” you turn your body fully so it’s facing the window, legs crossed underneath you as you put out your cigarette. you feel the cushions slowly sink when farleigh scoots closer. he places his head on your shoulder, sighing quietly. “m’gonna miss you.” his voice is low, rough but smooth at the same time. you tilt your head to look at him, giggling at his sudden honesty. “i’m serious,” farleigh picks his head back up from your shoulder, tracing his thumb along your jaw.
his eyes flicker back and forth from your eyes to your lips, his face show a look of contemplation. for a moment, you wish he would come back to america with you. the thought of him living with you didn’t bother you. in fact, it sounded perfect. he was a genuine person—and yes, he was a bitch but he was truthful and sweet when he wanted to be. “i wish i could stay longer.” you whisper. farleigh trails his thumb up to your bottom lip, tilting closer to you. “you could,” he says. you laugh awkwardly, “i’m sure the catton’s are sick of me though.”
“i’m not.”
you stare up at him, his dark eyes boring into yours. he looks so vulnerable right now, so calm and content. it was a rare occurrence if you saw farleigh not gushing out insults left and right. his voice made you shiver, goosebumps lining your skin with each syllable that left his pretty mouth. “i—i don’t want you to go.” farleigh stutters out with a soft sigh in a way that sounded like it was ashamed of admitting it. before you could respond, his lips crash onto yours. his pace is frantic at first then it softens, kisses delicate and slow. farleigh’s hand on your jaw trails around to the back of your head to deepen the kiss. you wrap your arms around his neck instinctively, pulling him close to your body. you could feel his warmth radiating off of yours, it was so sudden. you never expected to be making out with the farleigh start. there’s so many things running through your mind, but they all vanish into clouds as you melt against his soft lips. your stomach flutters rapidly, a slight buzz rising to your head. he grins into the kiss, a shitfaced grin at that. farleigh slips his tongue in your mouth, the subtle taste of liquor on him.
“far—” you whimper through labored breathing. he slows, pulling away from the kiss as he rests his forehead against yours. his hand falters from the back of your head to your neck. “fuck, you don’t understand what you do to me.” you crane up, looking at him with doe eyes. “please stay. just for a little while.” he begs, brows furrowed with worry as he laces his fingers into yours. you swallow, glancing over at the packed suitcase on the floor. you peer back up at farleigh, a small smile tugging on your lips. “please.” he repeats.
“okay,” you breathe out, “i’ll stay for a little longer.”
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obsessedfics · 10 months
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Soft Rain: Gojo Satoru x Reader (SMUT! Mature/Explicit) Part 1
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I want to first say I usually try to find a photo that fits the aesthetic of the story but this one was way too good to walk away from. Everyone enjoys this gem <3. Also, this fic because it's too damn long is split up into two parts. Part 2 is already up and will be linked at the bottom of this page.
✧・゚: *✧・゚:*Rating: Mature/Explicit (Sexual scenes)
✧・゚: *✧・゚:*Summary: You are in a coffee shop one rainy day when a sad beautiful stranger enters. Slowly, you open up to each other in the warm confinement of the cafe. Little did you know that you would fall in love with this man, and he with you.
I wrote this from the perspective of seeing Satoru with his barriers down. No masks, no facades, just him when he's alone with his haunting thoughts. I wanted to give him a more human perspective and touch on some of the things that plague his mind. I know I have been MIA for quite some time, if you were someone who was waiting for this I am sorry! Life has been a rollercoaster recently but I am finally back to being in a place of stability. This is certainly a longer fic, so I hope you all enjoy it. As always feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
✧・゚: *✧・゚:*Word Count: 25k+
September: When I met you
“Your coffee, miss.” 
“Oh, thank you,”  
Finally, you tore your eyes away from your book to smile at the girl handing you your drink. 
You gratefully accepted the liquid, hands wrapping around the warm ceramic mug as you inhaled deeply. The bitter scent of coffee with a hint of vanilla kissed your senses, causing you to smile. 
Taking a sip, your eyes wander to the large window as the warmth travels down your throat. 
Soft rain fell from endless gray. 
It had been raining for hours now, which drove you into the small cafe. You were pleased when you entered the space. A warm cozy atmosphere fragranced with coffee and paired with the sound of rain. 
What more could you want for a reading environment? 
You let yourself settle further into the oversized couch, watching placidly as drops of rain slowly travel down the planes of the window. 
Such a perfect day. 
Peering down at your watch, you sigh. It was nearly 5 pm. Idly, you run your fingers along the soft threads of the couch, drifting further into your own thoughts. You knew you had to leave sometime soon, but willingly tearing yourself away from this serenity seemed like a crime.
“Is this seat taken?” 
Huh? 
You pull your eyes away from the window to find a man standing before you, soaked to the bone in rainwater. 
Soft white hair stuck to his porcelain skin. It drew your attention, eyes unable to look away. However, when your eyes met his, your breath caught. They stole your attention; piercing blue that seemed to know everything . 
“No, go ahead. Do you need a towel?”
You realized you were staring all while feeling slightly awkward. There were many other open seats, why did he need to choose the one that was adjacent to you? 
“Do you have one?” he asked with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. 
Giving him a curt nod, you began digging in your purse until you found your folded hand towel. Silently, you handed it to him and he accepted it, sitting down with a huff, roughly drying his hair. 
Beginning to feel uncomfortable, you set down your coffee and resumed reading your book. Your fingers lightly played with the cover – feeling the embossed words, you traced the shapes, mind unable to focus. 
Who is this guy? 
You peered at him over the cover. 
He had unzipped his black athletic jacket and draped it over a chair. He now wore a simple white button-down shirt and it clung to his muscular body. The color of his skin bleeds its way into the white, stealing your attention. With eyes discreetly tracing the planes of his body, you noted the pale blue veins that delicately decorated his hands. 
You blushed, feeling as if you saw something you shouldn’t, so you quickly turned your eyes to the book – pretending to read.
Is he some kind of gym rat? Why is he so fit? He looked like a noodle a second ago… 
“Miss?” his low voice calls, breaking your thoughts.
You meet his eyes over the pages.  His hair, now more dry than wet, began sticking up in multiple different directions. The male is holding your towel out to you with a sad smile on his lips. 
Deciding reading is futile, you close your novel, placing it to the right as you shake your head. 
“Keep it,” 
You don’t want a wet towel in your purse and it seems he doesn’t have an umbrella. It’s not much, but you hope it’ll give his spikey head a little coverage. 
“You sure?” he asks, already leaning back to find comfort in his seat. You control the urge to stare at his body. So you grab your coffee, forcing your eyes to look at the deformed latte art. 
“I’m sure. It seems it’ll get more use with you. Why were you outside in this weather anyway?” 
It had been raining for hours, most people would be in their homes by now. 
He eyed you for a moment, white eyelashes downcast, almost like he was recalling a painful memory. 
“I wanted to be alone, my thoughts were loud, so the rain helped block them out. What about you?” 
How can you say something like that so casually? 
“Honestly, I was on my way home. But it had started raining and it led me here. Pulled out my book, and yeah…” 
You shrugged your shoulders. 
If you were being sincere, it was a needed escape. The walls of your home felt too suffocating, you looked for any excuse to not return. 
“What’s your name?” 
You now fully looked at his face. 
He is handsome, with a sharp jawline and regal features. Nothing about him was mundane, it seemed as if he was a sculpture; something perfect and unattainable. 
“Y/n, you?” 
“Satoru. What do you do for a living?” 
With eyebrows knitting together, you eyed the man.
What is this, a surprise interview?  
“I am an author and I do some remote networking for a hospital. What about yourself?” 
His eyebrows rose at your response and you couldn’t tell why. It’s not like your profession was anything to be shocked about. 
Taking a sip of coffee, you sigh. The warmth slides down your throat as the delicate taste coats your tongue. Silently, you savor the feeling – the easy calm that washes over you.
“I am a sorcerer,” 
The cup nearly dropped out of your hands.
Well, shit.  
It’s not that you didn’t know they existed, it’s that you did your best to distinctly distance yourself from that world. 
That explains the physique at least.  
“I am sorry, then.”
You watch as his eyes turn sorrowful, then he faces the window, cheek in his palm. 
“I don’t see any cursed energy coming from you, how do you know about us?”
 It’s a simple question, but in truth, it was perhaps the heaviest one to ask you. 
“A close friend. They went missing about 6 years ago. Police never got a trail, so I dug and I stumbled upon a lot of information I shouldn’t have. Been doing my best to ignore it since.” 
You weren’t sure why you were talking to this random stranger. Maybe it was something in his expression, with the way his eyes longingly looked out the window – as if he too missed someone close to him. 
Satoru hummed as he tapped a finger against his thigh, perfectly in tune with the soft rain. 
“I lost someone too,” 
The man spoke so softly you hardly picked up on his words. If you hadn't been paying attention to him, you may not have caught it. 
“A lover?” 
Judging by his expression, you guessed it had to be someone he loved. But, to your surprise, he let out a humorless laugh. 
“No, but you could see it that way. He… Was like the other half of me. Someone I could trust. I knew with him, I could let go and be myself. I could breathe. Because he was the only person who saw me .” 
Endless blue plagued with deep sadness gazed towards you, knocking the air out of your lungs. 
“When it rains, it reminds me of him.” 
Your heart dropped.
“Where is he now?” 
Becoming fully invested in the man in front of you, you cross your legs, leaning your body forward. 
“I… He’s dead. It’s been a year,” 
Satoru’s eyes turned down again. 
Unable to stop yourself, you reached out, gently taking his hand, rubbing the cold, soft skin of his knuckles. Your touch shocked him for a moment, but he slowly relaxed into it, large palm melting in your delicate fingers. 
The contact made your body shiver.
When was the last time I touched someone?
“Do you want anything?” 
You didn’t want to offer him fake pleasantries, for you thought he wouldn’t appreciate it. However, you also didn’t know what to say. Nothing comforted you when your friend died, and you were positive it was the same for him.
“No, I am good. Thanks though.” 
Nodding softly at his words, you reluctantly remove your hand to find your drink. Again, you welcomed the warmth of the liquid, relishing in its taste. 
“Do you plan to leave soon?” the question left your lips in a whisper. 
“Yeah, but if I am being honest, I don’t want to go back. I kind of just want to forget, y’know?” 
At his honest words, you sighed, taking another long sip of your coffee. 
“Unfortunately,” 
He laughs at your answer. The pure sound makes you smile into your cup, shaking your head to try not to join him. 
Maybe some company wouldn’t hurt.
With eyes falling to your coffee, you let your laugh die in your throat. It had been so long since you willing had a conversation with someone. Now you felt stiff and awkward. 
“I-If you want, my home isn’t too far from here. You can wait out the rain there. I have some extra clothes that might fit you, that way we can wash your current ones.”
Finding a little bit of confidence you offered the man a small smile, to which he returned with his own. 
If you were being honest, it seemed like he needed someone. 
And maybe you did, too… 
“Inviting a stranger over to your home? That’s awfully brave.” Satoru said with some found bravado, which only made you chuckle. 
“Well yes, you are a stranger. But you also look like a wet, sad cat. It would break my heart to leave you stranded.” you tease back, earning yourself a smile from the male which made you bite the flesh of your inner cheek. 
He really is beautiful, it's kind of unfair.  
To hide your blush, you stuff your face into your mug, gulping down the remnants of your coffee. 
“Alright, as long as I don’t end up in a crop top and short shorts.” 
It was your turn to laugh. You couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of your throat, just imagining him in such an outfit was ridiculous – all long limbs in hot pink and denim. 
Somehow, you think he would pull it off if he tried. 
“Oh I don’t know, now you’re giving me ideas~” you coo playfully, wiggling your fingers in his smiling face. He feigned being offended, crossing his arms over his chest, and looking the other way – which only caused you to laugh harder and him to join you. 
The two of you giggled uncontrollably a bit, hands lacing over your stomachs. It was the only sound that could be heard other than the soft pitter-patter of rain. 
Deciding you had overstayed your welcome, you began collecting your items. In a pair, you exited the building. Your bodies huddle together under the umbrella that Satoru held. The male looked down at you with a wicked smile, then jumped in a puddle, effectively splashing the both of you with cold rain. You laughed and pretended to be annoyed, joining in his childish behavior. 
At some point, you began chasing each other in the rain, umbrella forgotten. You laughed like children till you reached your home, the two of you completely soaked. 
Still giggling, you unlocked the door, wiping your hair out of your face. 
“Wait here, I’ll get you a towel.” 
Knocking off your shoes, you padded over to your hallway closet, grabbing two towels. You were already running yours through the length of your hair when you returned to the male. He gratefully accepted the fabric, using it immediately against his unruly hair. 
It was then that you noticed his height and stature. His body is elegant and lithe, whereas he is tall, easily towering over your frame. 
This somehow annoyed you. 
Why do all the good genes go to one person?
“You’re staring,” he commented and you shrugged. 
“Just thinking you’re unfairly blessed,” 
A long sigh escaped your lips as you dropped your towel to the floor, hoping to clean some of the water off the polished wooden planks. 
“You wouldn’t be the first – Is that a cat?” 
Catching the excitement in his voice, you smile. 
“Yes, that’s Noir. Before you say it, I know she’s white. I just like the novelty of the name.”
Slightly shaking your hair, you hang up your jacket, watching Satoru stare at your cat out of the corner of your eye. 
“Will she attack me?” he asks and you hear an audible gulp . 
Satoru places his towel on the floor, cleaning up his own puddle of water with his foot to hide his embarrassment. 
Who knew such a big man would be so cautious of a little feline? 
“Here,” 
Holding your hand out to the male, you lightly cock your head to the side, wet hair tickling the nape of your neck. He places his large hand in your small one and you lead him to Noir, who is currently perched on your gray couch, cleaning herself. 
Gently, you guide his hand to your cat, allowing her to give him a sniff. Then, she affectionately nuzzles her head into his palm, purring when he scratches under her chin. You watch as he smiles like a big idiot, squatting down so he’s at eye level with your pet. 
“I think she likes me,” he whispers to you happily, and you roll your eyes playfully. 
“She likes everyone . That girl is also a glutton, the T-R-E-A-T-S are on top of the fridge. I am going to take a shower, keep my precious furbaby company will ya?” 
You couldn’t help the tight squeeze of your heart at the sight. In a way, they kind of resemble each other. Right down to the unruly fur and knowing blue eyes. 
“I wouldn’t let anyone harm her for the world,” he promises, and you chuckle. 
“Good,” 
Feeling some life return to him, Satoru pads over to the kitchen, securing the treasure; treats for Noir. 
“Here girl,” 
He makes kissing noises and the soft feline comes running over. She has a fluffy white coat, and if she had been asleep on the couch he may have mistaken her for a throw pillow. 
The cat ‘meowed’ at the sight of the bag, spinning in a circle then sat down, staying perfectly still. 
Oh, did your mommy teach you tricks?  
“Oh, good girl, Noir!” 
He excitedly plucked out a treat, placed it in his palm, and then brought it down so she could lick it off his skin. The scratchy feeling of her tongue tickled his hand until the snack was gone. Then she was sitting again, big blue eyes begging him for more. 
“Let’s see,” Satoru hummed happily, grabbing another treat from the bag, holding it a little higher than the cat. 
“Jump!” 
Noir did as commanded, gracefully jumping, catching the treat in her mouth, and snacking while walking in a triumphant circle.
“Ohhh~ You’re such a smart girl!” the cat rubbed his leg, purring affectionately into him. He knew that she was buttering him up, but he didn’t care. 
Over and over, he played with Noir. Giving her treats with each performed trick, petting her lovingly after every graceful action. Eventually, he sat down, ignoring the bite of the cool kitchen tile, letting the cat lay on his chest. 
He closed his eyes, enjoying Noir’s warmth and soft fur against his skin. Her soft purs tickled the pads of his fingers, making him smile to himself.  The feeling ebbed some of the ice out of his chest, blocking out the whispers of loneliness.
“I see my little lady has captured your heart,” 
He cracked open one eye. 
Y/n was smiling down at them, wet hair surrounding her soft features. She dressed simply in a white t-shirt and sweatpants, but she still looked beautiful. 
He sighed, kissing Noir’s soft little head, then stood. Y/n’s eyes followed his movement, every bit of curiosity easily readable on her face. He couldn’t remember the last time he was around a non-sorcerer. However, her presence was calming, and he was willingly letting himself drown in her serenity. 
“The bathroom is down the hall on the left. I put the spare clothes on the counter along with a fresh towel,” her eyes raked his frame. She then clicked her tongue with a disapproving look on her face. 
“Put those ruined clothes in the hamper and place them in the hall. I’ll wash them.”
Oh, she’s just not happy about my clothes. It wasn’t toward me. 
“You got it, boss,” 
Satoru smiled playfully, finding his familiar mask. He heeded her words and headed down the hall. Once in the bathroom, he shut the door and got to work. 
Quickly, he peeled himself out of his now-damp clothes and placed them in the empty clothing hamper. 
She’s kind.
Hiding behind the door, he slid the hamper into the hallway. 
“Clothes are out!” 
It was a bit odd, calling to her as he hid his naked body. It made him feel slightly embarrassed somehow. 
“Alright!” 
At her response, he closed the door. 
He felt a blush creep up his cheeks as he turned on the shower, stepping into the comforting heat. It warmed his rain-chilled flesh, blotting out some of the emptiness inside him.
Why do I feel so nervous?
While raking his hands through his hair, he let his day settle over him. 
In truth, he never meant to enter that cafe. He simply meant to walk around aimlessly, letting the rain soak him to his bones. Thoughts of Suguru always plagued him on days like this, and with the anniversary of the day he left passing, it was worse. 
He couldn’t let his students see him like this, so he sought to punish himself. Walking in the rain for hours, dropping all barriers, letting his body turn frigid. 
Then he saw her . 
He watched as she had to tear herself away from her book, brightly smiling at the barista handing her the coffee. She settled into the couch, drinking her drink while looking out toward the rain with such serenity he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. It was as if she was tranquility itself, surrounded by the warm glow of the industrial lights, dressed elegantly in soft white and pink. 
At that moment, she pulled him away from his haunting thoughts.
Feeling the unwavering need to be closer to her, he stepped into the shop. He didn’t know what he needed, but he found himself relaxing little by little under her whimsical gaze. The woman didn’t probe him or shy away. Instead, she offered her silent kindness and pleasant smile. He then found himself opening up to her, saying things that he hadn’t said to anyone in years .
She surprised him, when she softly grabbed his hand, asking if he wanted anything rather than giving her sympathy. He allowed himself to get lost in the kindness of her eyes. He let her touch him, having to hide the shiver that ran down his body from her warmth. 
Then, they were laughing. 
Before he knew it, they were chasing each other in the rain like children. Even though she was soaked down to her socks, she was spinning and laughing, hair sticking to her skin as she happily jumped into cold puddles to splash him. It was as if they had no care in the world. 
Not once did thoughts of Suguru attack him, even with the feeling of rain tracing his skin. 
A light smile tugged on his lips. 
Who knew I just needed to feel normal? 
You were setting out the items to make dinner when Satoru entered the kitchen. When you turned around, you had to stifle your laughter. 
The sweatpants, though several sizes too big for you, came to about mid-calf length on him. It also didn’t help that he was wearing a baby pink t-shirt and a pair of fuzzy house slippers to match. 
“You look dashing,” 
Placing a hand on your hip, you motion for him to twirl with your other, earning yourself a bemused glare from the male. 
“I look like a twink,” he huffs, a blush lightly kissing his pale cheeks, making you giggle.
“Can you cook?” you ask, completely avoiding responding to his statement. His eyebrows knitted, taking in the ingredients on the counter. 
“If you instruct me,” the words leave his lips slowly, still trying to piece together the dish you’re making. You laugh, walking up to him and placing a reassuring hand on his broad shoulder. 
“Don’t worry too much. It’s pasta, if you mess up just add more cheese.” 
Letting your eyes meet his, you hold your breath. 
They were softly looking down at you, corners folding kindly as if he was looking at something precious. The difference was so stark from the emptiness you saw earlier – it made your heart melt. 
“I’ll blame you if it goes wrong,” Satoru winked down at you, hand coming up to your hair, ruffling it lightly. 
“H-Hey!” you retort, and he laughs, easily avoiding your swipe at him. 
“What’s first?” he asks innocently and you huff while rolling your eyes, unable to hide your smile. 
“Let’s hope you don’t burn down my kitchen.” 
Turning on some music, you and Satoru worked together to make dinner. 
Laughter sounded throughout your home as you instructed the male. You watched as he fumbled with different utensils, unsure of what to do with each item. He would turn red, blaming you for not instructing him properly when you would tease him – which only resulted in you both laughing under your breath. 
Noir had joined the party, nimbly weaving between your two bodies, brushing up against your legs as you cooked. Once you were waiting for the pasta to finish cooking, you were humming and swaying your hips to the music. Satoru noticed and took your hands, joyfully dancing with you. 
You both danced around your kitchen, laughing infectiously. At some point, he picked up Noir, snuggling her close to his chest with one arm as his other spun you. 
The silliness continued through the night as you turned on a rom-com movie and halfway through Satoru was tearing up, asking you why he would leave the girl. You were too choked up yourself, shaking your head and cursing at the male lead, holding Noir close for emotional support. With both of you fed up, you decided there was no way you were ending on a sad note, so you turned on a children's movie to feel better. 
Which, somehow, made both of you more emotional. 
Once the movie was over, you washed the dishes together. It was only then you saw the time. 
“Oh my god!” you cried, almost dropping the freshly dried plate. 
“What?” Satoru asked, much calmer than you. 
“It’s midnight! Do you live close by? I’ll pay for your taxi back. I am so sorry, I lost track of time.” 
The male only laughed, making you pout. 
Why is he laughing?  
“No, I don’t live near here. The taxi would be expensive. I’ll find a hotel, don’t worry about it.” he smiled softly, eyes crinkling at the corners. 
You shook your head aggressively. 
“I can’t make you pay for a hotel! After all, I invited you over, so I should take responsibility.”
“I, um…” running a hand through your hair you sigh. There’s really only one option but that seems a bit much. 
“You can stay the night, the couch is moveable so I’ll just make it into a bed for you.” heat rushed to your cheeks. You were so embarrassed. 
I got lost in the moment . 
“Are you sure? I don’t want to invade your space.”  he took the plate from your hand and put it away. 
“I’m sure. I spend most of my time alone, anyway. Your company isn’t entirely unwelcome.” you could only hope you sounded natural. Internally your brain was screaming at you.  
Satoru rolled his eyes, making you chuckle. 
“Oh, wow, thanks. Makes me feel so wanted.” 
“I am glad you feel that way!” you chirp, playfully elbowing his side as you finish putting away the last dish. 
Satoru picks up Noir, nuzzling his nose against her pink one as he starts bad-mouthing you. 
“Your mommy is very mean. You should come live with me, I’ll give you lots of treats~” 
Rolling your eyes at the sight, you make your way to the hallway closet to pull out an extra blanket and pillow. 
Tossing the items on the couch, you cross your arms over your chest. Satoru was possessively holding Noir close to him, eyeing you suspiciously. 
“She sleeps with me,” the man-child announces, and you roll your eyes. 
“If you truly feel the need to claim her for the evening, then fine. Just don’t be surprised when she’s on your head in the morning.” 
Still eyeing you, he slowly places Noir down. The furball comes running up to you, rubbing her head lovingly against your leg. 
“Traitor! I just gave you so many kisses.” 
Laughing, you motion for him to help you move the couch. He obliges and you work together to shape it to a somewhat bed that will work with the length of his body. 
“You should learn spooky magic that makes you shrink.” you huff, eyeing his long frame. 
Again, he was back to looking like a noodle. But you knew that he packed muscle under the semi-baggy clothes. 
“It’s called jujutsu and I don’t think that exists. Also, you’re staring again,” he notes and you sigh, waving a dismissive hand. 
“I am going to bed, if you need anything just knock on the door.” 
You turn and you hear him chuckle. 
“Avoiding me?” 
Looking at him over your shoulder, you run your eyes over the length of his body, this time letting him watch your features. 
“You’re beautiful and strong. However, you’re also hurt and trying to piece yourself back together…” 
Pausing, you consider your words.
A fallen angel. Made of pure moonlight and stars. But shattered like the image seen through a kaleidoscope. 
“I hope you heal your heart, Satoru.” 
Without waiting for his response, you closed your door, locking it behind you. 
Your worlds are completely different, and you couldn’t even begin to imagine what he had been through. Nor were you going to pretend to know. 
But if there’s one thing you could relate to, it’s trauma. 
Satoru spent the entire night tossing and turning. Noir was resting above his head, purring softly against him. With each passing hour, his throat became drier and drier, until eventually, he was coughing. 
My head hurts and my throat feels like sandpaper.  
Once the first rays of morning sunlight trickled through the window, Satoru was coughing aggressively while his body felt extremely hot. 
Am I sick? There’s no way. 
Y/n came out of her room with her hair a mess and her pajamas wrinkled. The second she heard his cough she was rushing over. 
“How are you feeling?” she asks, voice soft and somewhat gravelly. 
She was rubbing the sleep out of her hazy eyes, already moving to press the back of her hand to his head. 
“No, I am fine–” he coughed and she flicked his forehead. 
“You're burning up. Most likely a cold from the rain. I’ll go get you some medicine, just rest.” 
Sighing, she ran a hand through her tangled hair. 
“Really, I’ll be okay. I’m–” Satoru couldn’t even finish his sentence. He started coughing aggressively, each retch of breath making him feel like he was eating sand. 
“Right, and I can fly. Don’t be stubborn.” 
Rolling her eyes, the woman padded over to the kitchen. 
“I can fly!” he shouted hoarsely like a petulant child, plopping back against the cushions, and reaching up to grab Noir. The second his fingers wrapped around her soft warmth, he brought her to his chest, rubbing his nose into her fur. 
“Good for you!” 
This is humiliating . 
After a few minutes, she returned with a mug in her hand. 
Slowly, he sat up. His chest felt like it was caving in and he felt incredibly lightheaded. Satoru eyed the mug and then gingerly took it from her small hands.
“What is it?” 
He sniffed and she raised her brow. 
“It’s ginger tea with honey and lemon. It’s hot. The honey and temperature, once it cools a little , will help soothe your throat.” 
Why does it sound like she’s talking to a kid?
Giving Noir a loving pet to the head, she crouched down so she was at eye level with the feline. 
“As for you, my sweet girl, your food is in the kitchen. Watch over this big child for me.” the cat seemed to understand its master because she ‘meowed’ in response. 
“I’m not a child,” Satoru said begrudgingly. Y/n only stood with a bemused expression. 
“Right.” she eyed him up and down once, then walked away. 
Satoru felt his face become hot, and it wasn’t from the steam kissing his cheeks. 
Usually, women threw themselves at him. It had happened so many times now with both men and women that he assumed he was everyone's type. But it seems Y/n couldn’t care less about his looks. 
For whatever reason, that bothered him. 
How can she call me beautiful but be so cold toward me?  
Without thinking, he gulped his tea, only to quickly pull away due to the heat burning his tongue. 
Cursing softly, he set the mug down on the coffee table, pinching his burnt tongue between his thumb and forefinger. He tried to reach for Noir for comfort, but she had long abandoned him for her breakfast. 
Y/n exited her room, hair pulled into a loose bun as she wore a baggy white t-shirt and black cargo pants. He couldn’t help but think she looked cute in her streetwear. 
Once her eyes saw him, she sighed, a soft smile on her lips. 
“You know, I did mention wait to drink your tea till it had cooled. I thought you were a good listener. But it appears I misjudged you.” 
With an elegant wave of her hand, she bid him farewell. He watched as she slid on an army green windbreaker and black Dr.Martens. Then she grabbed her purse and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 
Knitting his eyebrows together, he turned his head toward Noir. She was eating her special food neatly, back to him as she softly purred. 
“Is your mommy always so mean?” 
Walking down the street you couldn’t help but look at the puddles decorating the ground. Yesterday was the first time you laughed and had fun in years. 
When you and your best friend moved to Japan it was scary. You were a foreigner and you didn’t know anyone. So naturally, when she passed, you became more isolated. You tried going outside to meet people, but sometimes it felt like too much. People were more interested in the fact that you’re from the States, they were never really interested in you . 
To add, you work remotely from home, so opportunities are truly limited. 
“Eh, adulting is hard~” you whispered to yourself as you entered a local convenience store. 
The clerk at the desk welcomed you in and you gave them a slight bow in response. 
Immediately you B-lined for the medicine, grabbing the items you needed. Then, because you were already here, you began searching the aisles for snacks. 
I was expecting him to be gone this morning. Even if he’s sick, I can’t say I am not happy for the company. 
After checking out you started to head home, thinking about all the trivial things you needed to get done today. You had deadlines to meet for your book and you had to look through the servers to make sure there were no network issues. 
Grabbing a coffee from a small shop that you frequent, you began frowning, feeling the lines form on your forehead as your daily list seemed to keep stacking higher. 
You were sipping on the last remnants of your iced latte when you opened the door to your home, finding Satoru fast asleep. 
Softly closing the door, you shimmied out of your jacket, hanging it on the wooden coat rack. Noir padded over to you, the sound of her little paws tapping on the floor sounded through the space. Smiling sweetly, you pat your cat on her soft head as you take your boots off. 
Making your way to where Satoru was on the couch, you note he seemed to look worse. His cheeks are flushed and his skin is pale. You make press your hand to his forehead, but you feel like you're touching a wall. 
What?
Your fingers were splayed flat against an invisible barrier, hovering right over Satoru’s body. 
“Strange,” you murmur in wonder, trailing your finger over the length of the wall. It stretched all around his body, protecting him in a bubble. 
Satoru opened his eyes, softly blinking as he adjusted to his environment, taking in your features.
Suddenly, that wall is gone, and your hand falls limply to your side. 
“It’s called Infinity,” he rasps, light cough already pressing out of his throat. 
You hold up your hand to silence him, quickly grabbing the medicine you purchased earlier.
“Don’t worry about explaining anything. Just drink this. There’s a sleeping agent in it, so expect to feel drowsy.” he opened his mouth to protest, but you shot him a pointed look, effectively silencing him. 
The male sat up, accepting your carefully measured medicine. He drank it, making a face as it went down his throat. 
“It tastes like shit,” he coughed and you rolled your eyes. 
“You know what that tastes like?” 
Leaving the medicine on the coffee table, you make your way to the kitchen. 
“You’d be surprised.” he shoots back, voice already sounding better. 
“Oh, I am sure~” you make your voice annoyingly sweet as you prepare a bottle of water for him. Once you made your way back to the couch you saw his features flatten, not taking your teasing kindly. 
“I have seen things that would probably make you piss your pants and cry.” 
He catches the bottle you toss him and you shrug your shoulders. 
“Maybe, maybe not. I may not be as soft as you think I am.” Satoru’s eyes widen in surprise and you turn away.
Plopping down on the overstuffed chair adjacent to him, you pull out your laptop from the convenient cushion/storage. Once you obtain your computer and headphones, you place your feet comfortably on the cushion, letting your back sink into the softness of the chair. 
“You’re a non-sorcerer, what have you seen that’s on the same level as curses?” his voice calls, no prejudice in his words, just general curiosity. 
You roll your shoulders. Suddenly, they felt heavy. Every time you thought about your past this happened. Your shoulders would ache as cold sweat licked your spine. 
Opening your computer, you sigh, remoting into the network server you manage. 
Maybe if I talk about it while working it’s not so bad . 
“Curses are born from human's negative emotions, right?” you start slowly, not wanting to look at him. 
“Right,” Satoru confirms, confusion in his tone. 
“You see, some people act on those emotions. Anger, fear, sadness, resentment…” Swallowing thickly, you continue.  
“I think you’ll find that some of those people are much more ugly than curses. Curses don’t wear masks, they are just as they are. People, however…” you cracked your neck, diligently typing in commands into your computer, eyes scanning your screen. 
I am not my past. It does not define me.  
You repeat this mantra to yourself, steadying your nervous heart.
“Have you experienced it? The ugliness of humanity?” you could hear the caution in his words, almost as if he was scared to say the wrong thing to you. 
Your hands had stopped typing entirely.
You opened your mouth to answer but felt the words die in your throat. You could hear your heartbeat in your ears as your eyes shook. It was like two hands were wrapped around your neck, thumbs pressing into your windpipe, choking you.
Taking a deep breath, you steady your heart. 
I am not my past. It does not define me. 
“Y/n–”
“You should sleep, I’ll be in my office. It’s at the far end of the hallway. If you need anything just ask.” 
Closing your laptop, you place your headphones in your ears. You see Satoru say something, but you pretend not to notice, watching as his features twist with confusion and self-doubt. 
You walk away, playing music in your ears but you hear nothing. Everything is silent. 
Sorry, it’s not your fault . 
Once behind the door to your office, you let out a shuddering breath. 
Why did I pay for therapy if I can’t even talk about it? 
You spent years trying to feel normal, and for the most part, your brain let you forget. You could be fine for months, but then you get thrown into a space that’s a little too crowded and suddenly you can’t breathe. Someone touches your shoulder and you feel like a thousand spiders are crawling all over you. If you were in a space where there were too many noises, your brain would turn everything into white noise, leaving only the sound of your erratic heartbeat in your ears. 
It was the reason why you were single. The last relationship you were in ended with him telling you that you were too complicated . Your love language is physical touch, but sometimes that touch was too much, too overstimulating, or triggering. You enjoy being outside, but can’t be in crowded spaces without being plagued by anxiety, and living in Japan, well, it’s always crowded. 
Maybe I am just better off alone.
Satoru awoke to the sound of Y/n humming softly. 
Cracking open his eyes, he peered over the edge of the couch. It seemed she was making something, but her headphones were in and she was swaying lightly. 
He recalled the way she looked just hours prior; shoulders caved in, sweat running down her face, eyes distant. She looked like she would run away any second. So many questions circled in his mind, but more than anything he wanted to hug her. He had seen that look too many times.
Turning his eyes away from the female, he checked his phone. 
Shit, they’ve been calling me. 
Yaga had called him 6 times whereas Megumi texted him. 
“Where are you?” 
“I won’t be back for a little bit. Hold down the fort, kay’?”
Megumi immediately responded. 
“What are you talking about? Are you on a mission?” 
“Don’t worry~” 
“Stop being weird.” 
“If anyone asks, I am handling a personal matter.” 
“Whatever.” 
Satoru had a sneaking suspicion that if he admitted he is sick, he would never live it down. 
“You awake?” 
Y/n’s head was now peering over him, the ends of her hair tickling his face. He searched her features, but none of her earlier fear remained. She looked calm, but now he couldn’t help but wonder what lies beneath the surface of that practiced tranquility. 
“You’re staring,” her soft voice teases, making him chuckle. 
He moves to sit up and she removes her face from his view, stepping around the couch to hand him a bowl. He takes the dish from her hands to find a broth-based soup with meat, noodles, and vegetables.
“Did you make this?” he asks as she takes up a seat beside him, blowing on a spoonful of golden liquid. 
“Mhm. You’re probably not very hungry, but try to eat a little bit.” she hums as she takes a bite of her food, bringing one leg under her other, comfortably settling into the couch. 
Satoru follows her lead, blowing on his soup, and then taking a bite. The warm liquid soothed his throat as the broth coated his tongue. It was light but enjoyable.
“Do you cook often?” he asks, turning to face her and she does the same. 
Watching as she shrugged her shoulders, he bit back a smile. Her hair was a little messier and her cheeks were lightly flushed from the steam of the soup. 
“If I can, I avoid going out too much. I’m a homebody.”
He nodded his head at her words, understanding what she meant. He was the same way, but also different. Being out on a mission or being at Jujutsu High made it difficult for him to eat homemade meals like this. More often than not he would eat out. If he had a choice though, he would rather relax like this. 
“Do you not like people?” he ensured his voice was neutral, not wanting her to feel cornered or pressured. 
Meeting her eyes, he watched her swallow thickly, considering his words. 
“It’s not that. I just don’t do well in crowded, loud spaces. Were you able to sleep?” she changed the subject so naturally he barely caught it. Somehow, he found himself frowning, feeling as if he’d been robbed of an opportunity. 
“Somewhat. You said you’re an author right? How’s writing going?” 
He watched as she scrunched up her face, shaking her head. 
“Annoying. I keep rewriting this scene, but I can’t seem to get the atmosphere right.” 
Taking an aggressive bite of her soup, she set the bowl down, leaning her head back against the couch. 
Even when she pouts she’s cute. 
“What’s it about? Maybe I can help.” 
He wasn’t much of a writer, but he was also curious about what her story was about. 
Her face suddenly became red, so much so to the point that she turned her gaze away from him. 
“I-It’s not important. You said you slept somewhat well, right? Is anything uncomfortable?” she asked without looking at him. 
Smiling, he set his bowl down and poked her red cheek. 
“Eh? Why don’t you answer my question first~” she swatted his hand away but he kept pressing, now lightly pinching her cheeks. 
Y/n faced him, eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head, taking his hands with her. 
“No way! I will not divulge secrets of my unpublished novel to you.” 
Her small hands wrapped around his wrists to pry his hands away, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he moved his hands to her sides, tickling her waist. 
“Hey! Ah, what’re you doing–” 
Laughter filled his ears, and it was like sweet music. He laughed with her, now moving her body to fully face him. She kicked her legs furiously, not caring that she was kicking his thighs at all. 
“Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!” 
Her hands were frantically grasping at him. She was grabbing his arms, chest, and neck, pulling him closer to her squirming body as she was shouting while laughing. 
“No, ah, please stop!” She cried helplessly, hands fisting the shirt that rested on his body, and grabbing it so harshly it pulled his body forward, making him catch himself on his hands to not crash into her.
His eyes widened. 
Her face was inches from his own as her hot, heavy breaths tickled his skin. Shocked eyes stared into him and he took in her features. Long dark eyelashes fluttered against her flushed cheeks as her lips, full and parted, began distracting him. Her dizzying scent filled his nose– soft rose with a hint of sandalwood. He could feel the ghost of the rise and fall of her chest as her hands, still fisted in the fabric of the loaned shirt, trembled. 
Beautiful.  
Hesitantly, he reached up and traced the curve of her cheek. She closed her eyes, body shuddering as she leaned into his touch. Her skin was soft beneath his fingertips, and he let himself enjoy the feeling of her warmth seeping into his pores. 
“Y–”
Noir jumped between the spaces of their bodies and planted herself right on Y/n’s face. Satoru reluctantly removed himself from the scene, allowing Y/n to pluck Noir off of her. 
“I– what has gotten into you Noir?” 
The woman held the fluff ball right above her head. The feline flattened her ears while she swayed her tail back and forth. 
“I think she doesn’t like sharing her mom,” he suggested and she lifted a brow. 
“Or maybe, my precious girl was saving me from my assailant.” She spoke in a baby voice, gently shaking Noir.
“Don’t say it like that! It makes me sound like a creep.” 
She sat up, pulling Noir close to her chest as she placed a kiss on her head. 
“You attacked me, as far as I see it, I am speaking the truth.” 
Turning her head in pure defiance, the woman set down her cat as she stood, taking their finished bowls of soup with her. 
“If you just told me I wouldn’t have attacked you!” 
“You admit to your crime, then?”
“I plead the 5th.” 
What was that just now?
Satoru placed his hand on his chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart. His cheeks felt hot, and he wasn’t sure if it was from his sickness or the lingering scent of her perfume. 
She scoffed and he heard the sound of water running. The only noise that filled the space was the sound of dishes being washed, and her making something. Once the woman returned, she was holding out a mug toward him while holding one of her own. He took the liquid from her hand, and she rejoined him on the couch. 
Eyeing the cup, he noticed it was the same tea from earlier, but much less hot. Y/n fidgeted with the string of her tea, he watched as she brought her knees up to her chest, eyeing him sidelong. 
“About earlier, I am sorry.” 
She lowered her dark eyelashes, eyes refusing to meet him as she took a sip of her tea. 
“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have asked you something personal.” 
His response seemed to surprise her. She faltered for a moment, then set down her mug, slightly facing him. Satoru took a drink of his tea, the temperature pleasantly warm, easing his sore throat. 
“It’s not that. It’s just hard to talk about, my mind will suddenly go blank and I can’t think.” 
She wrapped her hands around her knees, resting her cheek on them as she let her eyes meet his. Solitary sadness peered at him, whispering of isolation and numbed scars – a look he knew all too well. 
“It doesn’t hurt me anymore, but forcing myself to relive memories is harder than coping with them. People always say talking about it makes it easier to deal with, but I think that’s bullshit.” 
He laughed lightly at her words, making the corners of her mouth lift softly. 
“I haven’t talked to anyone about Suguru since it happened. I don’t think they would understand me if I said what I was really thinking.” 
His finger traced the rim of the ceramic mug, memories of his youth playing in his mind. 
“Whatever you feel, it’s valid. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong.” 
His chest suddenly felt tight. Her words eased some of the tension out of his shoulders, making him avoid her gaze. 
“Can I ask you something?” 
She hummed in response and he swallowed his saliva. He needed to be careful, for he tended to be too insensitive at times. 
“You seem so at peace, but earlier, you looked…” 
He couldn’t find the right word. 
Distraught, lost, fearful, horrified, panicked?  None of the words seemed to fit.
Y/n laughed, shaking her head, and letting it rest between her legs. 
“Years of practice. It’s a mask of sorts. I let myself forget most days, and it’s easier when I fall into a routine. But sometimes, something will trigger me, and I kind of just… Shut down? I don’t know how to describe it, but I become numb to everything for a while.” 
Her words struck him. He placed his mug down and leaned forward, forearms on his thighs as he resonated with her. 
“How much do you know about the Jujutsu world?” 
Maybe we can relate to each other. 
“The basics. A lot of the times the Gojo family and the Six-Eyes came up in my research, but honestly, I skimmed through those bits, understanding almost nothing about it. Why do you ask?” 
She eyed him, and he inhaled deeply. Her stare was piercing; like she was dissecting him. 
“I am the strongest sorcerer of this generation. I am also a teacher to the new generation. I’ll save you from the specifics, but my role is incredibly isolating. Naturally, I can’t ever fail. There was a time when I thought I would be able to share this burden of power, but my dreams were crushed by the reality of my strength.” 
Satoru opened and closed his hands, familiar frustration rising in his chest. 
He looked at her and that frustration vanished. She gazed at him with open sincerity. Kindness traced her features, listening to every word he said earnestly. No sign of awe or admiration, just pure intent on understanding him. 
He cleared his throat.
“You see, despite the blessings I have been given, not once has this power made a difference. When it mattered the most, I was unable to save those who I deeply cared for. So I smile, laugh, and pretend I am okay. But in truth, I want to destroy the system and people that have stolen the youth of so many, consequences be damned.” 
The truth of his words lingered in the air. The only way he could cope after Suguru was by dedicating himself to a new goal, something substantial that would transcend through generations. 
“I can’t claim to understand the isolation of power, I am just an average person. But, I do understand the loneliness and yearning for someone to understand you…” 
Finding her tea, she paused, took a deep breath, and then continued. 
“I never knew my parents, I was an orphan. Whether they died or gave me up, I don’t know. But I bounced around from one temporary home to another. Most weren’t great. Some kept locks on the pantry and fridge so I couldn’t eat. One would lock me in a small closet as a form of punishment, that is if they were too tired to hit me. Either way, there’s not a lot of people who relate to that. So it’s isolating.”
Y/n softly smiled at him. No tears filled her eyes, despite the heavy words that left her lips. She just smiled sadly, eyelashes softly kissing her cheeks; it felt as if she was peering into his soul. 
He didn’t know what to say, so he took her hand in his, wrapping his fingers around hers, softly stroking her knuckles. She squeezed, soft skin hugging his own. He could feel the slightly rough texture of her fingertips as her warmth seeped into him, calling to his nerves.  
She laughed lightly, shaking her head, setting some of her hair free of its confinement to frame her face. Again, he was struck by her alluring beauty. 
“What?” the question left his lips in a breathless murmur. 
“Usually, I can’t talk about that without my heart beating out of my chest.” 
Without another word, she gently guided his palm to her chest, right above her heart. Subconsciously he held his breath as he felt the steady thrum of her heart. It softly beat against her chest, and he could feel it through the fabric of her shirt. Her lovely warmth kissed his skin, and he couldn’t tear himself away. 
She smiled. 
“No anxiety,” whispering in astonishment, her eyes searched his in wonder. 
He was locked in her innocent gaze – eyes swirling with perplexed emotions. 
Satoru smiled down at her, allowing her fingers to intertwine with his. 
If only for now, let me be human.
“Tell me more.” 
You spent the rest of your day exchanging stories of your youth with Satoru. Sometimes you laughed, and other times you teared up, but either way, you both listened to each other earnestly. 
It was different somehow. 
There was an ease to the flow of the conversation, and it washed away any lingering fear in your heart. It was like you could breathe for the first time – you could be you, and you didn’t shy away from it.
“How are you feeling?”
Having finished your 5th cup of tea, you were starting to get a little stir-crazy. Satoru seemed to be in higher spirits as his fever died down. From the looks of it, the medicine and his stupidly good genes fought off the germs quickly. 
“Better,” 
He sighed, stretching out his long limbs. 
You pulled your eyes away from the sight, trying not to look at where the shirt had risen over his stomach. 
“Well, would you like to join me for a walk?” 
It’s a small offer, though asking still made you feel self-conscious. Your fingers fumbled with the damp tea-string idly, a welcomed distraction from the growing heat on your cheeks. 
It’s not like I am asking him on a date, so why am I getting so embarrassed?  
Satoru gave you a knowing smile but then gestured to his clothes. 
“Just like this? Fuzzy pink house slippers and all?” 
Rolling your eyes at his tease, you motion toward the bathroom. 
“Your clothes and a toothbrush have been laid out since this morning. The outfit choice is yours to make. Brushing your teeth, however, is non-negotiable.” 
“Oh, planning on stealing a kiss?” 
The male stands, and you now have to crane your neck to meet his gaze. 
A smirk tugs at his lips, and it makes your mouth go dry. Despite the playfulness of his demeanor, there is something predatory in his eyes. He takes another step forward, invading your space. Not close enough to feel his breath on your skin, but it was the distance that lovers stood from each other. 
Finding some bravado, you speak. 
“Fantasizing about me already?” 
You feign confidence by placing a hand on your hip while puffing out your bottom lip. 
To say that you’re not attracted to this man would be an outright lie. Also, to say that you only have platonic feelings for him would be another lie. But you weren’t going to let him know that, nor were you going to let him toy with your feelings. 
Satoru's smirk doesn’t falter, instead, he lowers his eyelashes elegantly, looking at you in the way men look at women they’re enamored with. 
“You want to make those fantasies a reality?” his low, breathy voice caught you so off guard to the point your eyes widened and your cheeks became heated. 
“I– wha?” incoherent words fumbled out of your mouth. 
Then Satoru laughed. 
“You should see your face!” he said between breaths, making you only blush harder. 
Embarrassment rising in your chest, you kick his shin, grateful his magical protection bubble wasn’t up. 
“Ow!“ 
“Don’t pretend to be hurt! Go change you bastard!” 
Cold night air nipped at the skin of your cheeks as you and Satoru walked silently side by side. The quiet was welcomed as you relished in the calm of the night. The warm glow of the street lights complimented the cool evening sky. Though only being just past 9, the streets were empty, which you appreciated. 
Peeking at Satoru out of the corner of your eye, you smiled. 
His eyes, beautiful and alluring in the night air, took in his surroundings. They seemed to be swallowing every detail, brain dissecting and memorizing the scene in front of him: Stone tiled streets lined with a mix of old and modern homes. 
It made you wonder if he ever had moments of quiet like this. Because right now, he looked like a child who had never been outside a day in his life. 
“Do you not go on walks often?” you ask, breaking him out of his reverie. 
The male, with hair that of moonlight and eyelashes of silver, blinked – your words registering in his mind. 
“It’s not that. Usually, I am on a mission. It’s not often that the world is this slow .” 
Clasping your hands behind your back, you consider his words, trying to piece together an understanding. 
“Care to elaborate with the class?” 
The need to understand was greater than your pride. Even if you were to come up with a plausible answer, your guess would be further from his truth – and every part of you screamed to know that truth. 
You hear him chuckle under his breath, then he turns his eyes to the stars. 
“My eyes are special. To put it simply, they allow me to process everything around me at a much faster rate than the average person. So, usually, when I am out I am surveying my surroundings so much to the point where the simplicity of life is lost. Beautiful architecture no longer captures my eye, rather its existence becomes how I can use its shape to my advantage in a fight…” 
His eyes found yours as he held your curious stare side-long. 
“But right now, my mind is quiet. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this. With you, everything seems to slow down. Almost to the point that I feel normal.” 
The sound of your skipped heartbeat filled your ears. 
Unable to hold his burning gaze, you turned your eyes to the starry night sky. 
The stars, bright and alive against midnight blue are surrounded by the white glow of the moon. They captured your attention – reminding you of the male at your side. 
“I don’t think I could ever see you as normal if I am being honest.” the words left your lips in a whisper. 
“Why’s that?” 
His voice was filled with innocent wonder, so you answered. 
“Everything about you is unnaturally beautiful. Not a single feature that decorates your skin is flawed. It’s like someone painted you into existence.” 
Perfect and unattainable. Something to be admired, but never to be kept. 
Curiosity getting the better of you, you allowed your eyes to peer over at the tall male. He was smiling softly, eyes staring up at the night sky, the stars that rested there reflected in his irises. 
It was like he was talking to the stars, and they glittered brilliantly in response. 
“You see me so poetically,” Satoru murmured, mostly to himself. 
“How do you see yourself, then?” 
The question left your lips before you could consider its weight. You watch as he takes a deep breath in, whether it is to calm himself or to simply enjoy the atmosphere, you can’t tell. 
“Honestly? Objectively, I know who I am and the weight of my power, it’s not fueled by ego or feigned confidence, it’s just a fact. But when I look at my reflection, it’s blurry. I can’t see anything, because I resent myself. If I had just tried a little harder, been less selfish, and paid more attention, maybe things would have been different.” 
His honest words cracked your heart. 
You silently grabbed his hand, intertwining your fingers. He leaned into your touch, molding his hand to yours, thumb idly sweeping over the flesh. Unable to resist the smile that tugged at your lips, you let his warmth seep into your skin. Your hands swayed lightly, and to anyone else, you would’ve looked like a couple.
If only for a short time, I will open my heart to you.
“You know, someone once told me that you can choose to live in your past, to let it define you and your life. Or, you can learn from it and grow into the person you’re supposed to be, carrying the memories of those most precious with you. So, when I feel lost in the murky darkness of my thoughts I tell myself: I am not my past, it does not define me.” 
You’ve never been this raw with anyone. Part of you was fearful he’d laugh in your face, but the other part of you whispered for you to let go. To continue baring your soul, because with him, he made you feel seen . 
Satoru tugged your hand, halting your movement, stopping both of you in place. You met his eyes, a sheepish smile on your lips as you tried to hide your embarrassment. 
“You are… A surprise.” 
There is a hint of shyness in his voice, which in turn made yours rise. The tips of your ears felt hot, but you couldn’t pull away from his stare. You allowed yourself to be swallowed up in the moment, surrendering yourself to him under the gaze of the stars. 
“Meeting your expectations?” 
You bite the flesh of your inner cheek, feeling naked under his knowing blue eyes. 
“Exceeding them and more,” 
His eyes folded kindly, white eyelashes kissing his cheeks as soft moonlight illuminated him in an otherworldly glow. You couldn’t help but be swept away by his beauty – as if he was pure moonlight itself with dazzling stars for eyes.  
For the second time this evening, your heart skipped a beat. 
If you keep looking at me like that, I am going to fall for you, you idiot. 
“Let’s go back, yeah?” 
With forced enthusiasm, you turn around to head back the way you came. A light laugh escaped his lips as he allowed you to pull his body, which you were grateful for. 
What he didn’t know was the act was to hide your deepening blush. 
“Yeah,” 
The evening ended and you went to bed feeling lighter than you had in years. 
But in the morning, it vanished. 
“Good morning,” you greeted him, having just finished freshening up for the day.
Satoru was dressed in the clothes you met him in, with the addition of a black blindfold covering his eyes. You saw that your couch was arranged the way it was previously, and Noir was eating her breakfast. 
He cleaned and fed my cat.  
“Morning,” his voice was somewhat distant, so you stood in front of him, placing your hands on your hips. 
“You leaving?” 
The fabric of his mask rises. Taking it as you surprised him, you rolled your eyes. 
“I have to go back,” Satoru answered and you nod your head, taking a deep breath. 
It’s not like you didn’t expect this. However, after yesterday, you knew you were going to miss him. 
“I see. Thank you for cleaning up and feeding Noir.” You say pleasantly, trying to make your voice bright. There was no way you were going to let your feelings show. It isn’t fair to him. 
Satoru took off his blindfold and stood, taking your face in his hands.
The sudden contact surprised you, but you didn’t pull away. Instead, you steeled yourself, forcing your eyes to meet his. 
“You don’t have to put on an act, Y/n.” his thumbs rubbed the soft skin of your cheeks as his eyes, endless sparkling blue, stared into you. 
You let out a small laugh, allowing yourself to lean into his touch. Closing your eyes, you begin committing him to memory – The callouses that peppered his hands, the warmth of his skin, the faint scent of fresh summer rain. 
“You don’t have to make it harder, you know.” 
Your words left your lips in a whisper, barely audible to yourself. But he heard it, tilting your head up, forcing you to meet his eyes. 
“Is it so hard to let me know that you’ll miss me?” 
His thumb traced your lower lip, and you shivered, tucking away that memory, too. 
“Yes, because then I’ll be admitting something to myself I am not ready to face.” 
With eyes stinging, you smiled sadly, drinking in his features for the last time. Soft and elegant with eyes that looked at you as if you were the only thing in the world that mattered. 
Let him go.
Lightly wrapping your hands around his wrists, you pull his hands away from your face, separating your bodies. 
“Please, go, and be safe.” Satoru nods. 
Don’t leave.  
“Goodbye, Y/n.”
I know I don’t belong in your world.
“Goodbye, Satoru.”
Will you miss me?
Leaning down, Satoru pressed his lips to your head. The soft, warm pressure made your skin tingle as his scent invaded your senses, giving you a false sense of safety. He lingered for a moment, hand brushing down your arm, making you bite your lip to hide your helpless whimper.
You closed your eyes and felt his warmth disappear. Only when you heard the ‘ click ’ of the door did you allow your tears to fall. 
Curling up into a ball on the couch, you hugged your knees, crying into your skin. Your heart felt like it was breaking into two. 
He was never mine, to begin with, so why did I get so attached?  
His scent lingered on the couch and you clung to it like a child, desperate and hopeless. You couldn’t breathe, and you were sure you were shouting. Noir came to comfort you, soft body brushing up against yours as you cried violently. 
That’s the first time he said my name… 
Satoru had to force himself to walk away. Her cries reached him through the door, and it took everything in him not to turn around. 
When she told him to leave, her eyes begged him to stay. When he kissed her forehead, drinking in her scent for the last time, he felt her small body tremble. While he walked away, his heart screamed at him to turn around, to pull her into his arms and soothe her pain. 
But that would only make it worse. 
Because their reality is that she is just a normal girl, and he is the strongest sorcerer of his time. Their worlds are completely different, and she would be in danger if he allowed her to be close to his heart. 
And he wasn’t about to allow himself to lose another person to his strength. 
Fall in love with someone else and be happy, Y/n.
“Why do we keep stopping in cafes, you don’t even drink coffee,” Megumi asks begrudgingly, but Satoru simply waves a nonchalant hand. 
I thought I saw her… 
“I just can’t help but chase the sweet smell of mochi!” 
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Satoru continues his leisure walk with his student. He hears Megumi let out a deep sigh – clearly getting more fed up with him. 
“Where are we going anyway? You’ve been shut in your office ever since you came back from your ‘personal matter’. Why drag me outside with you all of a sudden?” another long sigh accompanied by an eye roll. 
“I needed some fresh air and wanted company.” 
It was half of the truth, but he was leading them to a training ground so they could have a private conversation. Too many untrustworthy ears at Jujutsu High. 
“You really need friends your age. Or get a girlfriend, you’re getting old. At this point, you’re going to die alone.” 
Before he could get offended, a woman in an army green bomber jacket and a book in her hand walks right by him. 
Without thinking Satoru turns around and grabs the woman’s wrist. Her frightened eyes peer up at him and his heart sinks for the 10th time today. 
“U-Um, excuse me, do I know you?” 
Not Y/n. 
Megumi yanks him by his collar. Satoru let him, of course, but nonetheless, he yanked hard .
“Sorry ma’am, he confused you for someone else, forgive him.” 
The boy didn’t even wait for the woman’s response, he walked, dragging Satoru with him. 
“What the hell is wrong with you today?” Megumi whisper-yelled, spitting venom in his direction. 
Satoru sighed, letting his brief defeat wash over him as he righted himself. He put infinity back up, moving his student’s hand away from his frame, no longer wanting to feel the touch of another person. 
“I rather die alone.” 
That was all he said for the rest of their walk, pointedly ignoring every cafe they walked by. 
Part 2
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flowercrowngods · 1 year
Text
felt like letting mike and steve work through some shit again
cw: descriptions and imagery of them being lost and self-sacrificing, left alone with trauma they have no means to work through, could read as suicidal tendencies or intrusive thoughts
🤍 also on ao3
“What do you want?” Mike asks when Steve sits down beside him, gravel crunching, their feet dangling over the dark and endless abyss that is the quarry at night.
Steve doesn’t answer right away, doesn’t really know what to say now that he’s here, now that he found him. He looks so small, now more than ever, and it reminds Steve so painfully that he’s still just a child. He was always just a child, and children shouldn’t—
It feels like they got their rights at a childhood revoked years ago, and then they were just… supposed to be okay with it. It was expected, it was implied when nobody came to talk to them after.
When all they got was one NDA after another. When none of the professionally trained adults took one look at the children that they were, and asked, Are you okay? What do you need to be okay? I will talk to you once a week and make sure you learn how to be okay again.
Steve feels like a big brother to most of the kids now, sure, but he’s not their shrink, and he sucks when it comes to actually talking about shit. He can be there to drive them anywhere, can provide an evening of distractions and as much of a sanctuary as a house as haunted as his can be.
With everything else, though, he’s helplessly lost. So he says nothing, weighs his words to make sure they come out right — especially for Mike, who’s always just waiting for him to say something wrong and throw it back in his face with the sunny disposition of a feral, rabid cat.
“Hey,” Mike says then, irritated again; but his voice is hoarse, too. Tired. No heat behind it after that stupid fight with Dustin and Lucas earlier tonight that made him snap and leave Steve’s house in a frenzy. “I said, What do you want?”
Steve shrugs, looking ahead into the darkness that feels endless and alluring and deeply terrifying.
I miss my friend! My best friend, Mike!
“Making sure you’re okay.”
You’ve changed, you know that? You’re not the guy who would jump off a cliff for me anymore, I don’t think I even know you anymore!
Dustin’s voice echoes in Steve’s mind as it undoubtedly does in Mike’s, too, and he can only imagine how much that hurts, especially if he’s shivering like that even though the night is warm for early September.
“I’m okay,” Mike says, sounding endlessly annoyed about the fact. Steve almost huffs out a humourless laugh. Yeah, right.
“Sure you are,” Steve says, keeping his tone carefully neutral.
He shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over Mike’s shoulders without a comment, half-expecting him to just throw it into the darkness below. But Mike doesn’t move, is eerily still beside him, pretending not to notice that Steve’s watching him.
“But you know it’s, like,” he starts again and trails off, looking for the right words because this is unfamiliar terrain and the ground beneath his feet is quite literally nonexistent. “It’s fine if you’re not, right? It’s actually really fucking normal to be more than a little fucked up after everything, all that crazy shit. Or just… in general.”
You were twelve, he wants to say. You were twelve and you jumped off from here. You were twelve and you were going to die. And not because of those monsters, not yet. Just because… you were twelve.
Mike doesn’t say anything, but the gravel crunches once more as he reaches for a handful of stones to throw them into the darkness one by one, the void beneath them so enormous that they don’t even hear the noise of impact.
You jumped.
The longer Mike remains silent, the more Steve wants to scream, wants to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, wants to make him see and understand that Steve knows about the scars a decision like that leaves, especially when you live to deal with the consequences.
He gets seizures to deal with the consequences. His ear is fucky, his eye is twitchy, his head is aching constantly, he gets migraines that knock him out for a day or two, all because he wanted to protect his friends. All because he did protect his friends. It worked. They’re safe.
But they’re also unaware of… of everything. Of the horrible stillness as clarity dawns and all signs point to the one way that always seems to work. The one easy way out, and still the hardest of them all when the plan goes wrong and he makes it out alive. When It’s gotta be me is the only thing to say, but later turns into an angry It never should have been me because the world looks different when it’s smeared with your blood.
And it’s always the lost boys who make decisions like that. Steve wonders, some nights in cold sweat, what happens if he makes these decisions without immediate danger. What happens if he just… decides to jump. Decides to run. To give the world more of his blood. Without saving anyone.
It’s not like he wants to — but he’s terrified that it’s just who he is. Who he’s turned into, terrified that his friends will forever expect him to.
And he’s even more terrified knowing that Mike jumped before he learned about monsters. Before he learned about fighting and surviving.
You were a kid, he wants to say again, but his throat is closing up on him.
“I don’t think that’s okay actually,” Mike says after a while, tearing Steve away from his fears. They’re still both looking ahead rather than at each other, but it’s fine. They’re still here. “Like, people say it is, but it feels so empty when they do, you know? Like, sure, yeah, I’m not fucking okay, but what the hell do we do about that now? Oh, right, I know! Let’s throw it in my face that I’m not good enough for you anymore now that there’s no monsters to kill anymore. Now that I’m just Mike, who’s not even enough to be that anymore, sure. Right. Yeah. Let’s pretend it’s all fine, Steve, let’s pretend it’s okay to hurt all the fucking time!”
Mike is shaking now, violent tremors running through his body, and Steve’s first instinct is to reach out and pull him close, to keep him from that edge and take him to his car; turn on the heating and talk there. But Mike seems to need the darkness, seems to need to be faced with endless depth to give voice to his thoughts.
“What Dustin said was messed up. He shouldn’t have said that.”
Mike shrugs, throwing more pebbles into the darkness, though his motions have lost their vigour. “He’s right, though.”
Steve sighs, though not unkindly. “No, he’s not. Hey, listen to me.” He waits until Mike turns to meet his eyes, and he leans forward. “It’s not okay. It’s not right what he said. You don’t deserve to have that shit thrown in your face just because Dustin is a tactless little douche bag.”
Taking a bullet for someone is not the baseline for friendship, he wants to say, and it occurs to him once again how fucked up their perception and idea of friendship must be, now that they’ve all bonded over the most horrific shit and actual grief they never learned how to work through.
It’s not even Dustin’s fault, not really. They’re all just collateral damage to something Bigger, and all they have is each other, leaving them in a vicious cycle that is so, so fucked up.
“Why’d you jump?” he asks eventually, quiet in case the darkness tries to listen in. “Back then, why did you jump?” And do you wish El had let you? Do you sometimes wish that? When your room is quiet and it’s only you living with all those silent, terrible decisions?
Mike shrugs again, but there’s not much fight left in him, Steve can see that, can feel it in the air between them.
“Will was gone,” he says like it explains everything— and it sort of does. Steve has seen the way these boys look at each other when the other’s not looking, he has seen the hurt and the anger and the gentleness stored there, the words unspoken and the fear that, despite interdimensional monsters, kinda goes unmatched.
Because they have each other. They only have each other. And if someone’s suddenly different than what they thought they knew, if someone’s suddenly different, then… Everything might just fall apart.
And Steve wants to grab him again; wants to pull him close and say, I’m the same. We have the same scars. We have the same!
Slowly, carefully, he does lean over now, weaving an arm around Mike’s shoulders and pulling him into his side.
“I get that.”
Mike swallows heavily and exhales shakily. “I don’t think you do.”
“No. I think I really, really do. But it’s okay, Mike. You won’t be alone with this, okay. I’m on your side, you little shit.”
A pause, a beat, a moment’s respite. Then, “Why?”
“Because,” his heart is racing, his mouth trembling around forming the words for the first time, but he knows it’s the right thing to do. Knows it’s important.
Knows it might just save a life.
“Because I fell harder for Eddie Munson than I ever thought possible, and once i found out what was happening, I kind of wanted to jump off a cliff, too. But I didn’t, because I had someone with the same fears as me, and instead of stupid shit we just… Cried together sometimes. Screamed into our pillows. Laughed with and at each other, calling ourselves hopeless, and— I don’t know. It’s really fucking scary, and that doesn’t go away just because you have someone to talk to. But it‘s… better. It’s so much better.”
He huffs, swallowing around the lump in his throat, smiling into the darkness.
“So I’ve got you, okay? Whatever it is, whatever makes you feel like it’s not fucking okay, I’ve got you. You come to me, yeah? Lucas does, Dustin does, even Max does. This is your official, standing invitation and whatever, okay, dickhead?”
Mike shoves at him lightly, still not parting from the rather awkward side-hug they’ve got going on, and Steve is glad for it.
“Okay, okay, geez,” the little shithead says, rolling his eyes which Steve can see even in the dark, and it feels like the edge has moved away from them, like they have solid ground beneath their feet again.
Steve doesn’t say anything more after that, just waiting for Mike to stir to lead him back to the car, load in his bike and take him wherever he feels like spending the night.
But Mike doesn’t move for another long while, and it makes Steve feel like something big has just happened between them. Like they finally have found the common ground that Steve’s been suspecting they had for months now, even years.
Eventually, as they make their way to the car and Mike goes to grab his bike, he speaks up again, but more subdued now.
“Hey, Steve?”
“Hmm?”
“Does… Does Eddie know?”
“About what?” My tendencies to take a leap off the edge?
“You. Being…”
“Oh!” A smile as he unlocks his car and opens the back door to squeeze Mike’s old bike in there with minimal smears of dirt. “I’d hope so, we’ve been dating for months.”
“You’re dating?! You? Eddie’s dating you?”
“Yeah, listen, do you want me to just leave you here or would you rather be thrown out in the middle of nowhere?”
Mike grumbles something unintelligible as he climbs into the front seat, waiting for Steve to start the engine before he speaks up again.
“It’s just, you’re so… How did you even do that?”
Steve laughs at that, disbelieving and all, because, “Trust me, I have no idea. Must have been the ol’ Harrington charm and all that.”
Mike rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest, sinking lower in the seats to pout. “You’re so lame.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over how much I have a boyfriend and you don’t.”
If his heart skips a beat because it still feels like a forbidden truth saying the word out loud despite the playful banter, then he’s ignoring that in favour of revving the engine.
“Asshole.”
“Dickhead.”
“Grow up,” Mike says, but Steve can see the smile he’s not even trying to hide, and he mirrors it with his own as he turns on the radio catching the final tunes of Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark.
They’re not okay, none of them. But the car is warm, the cliff’s edge is behind them, and they’re not listening to the same ten songs anymore.
They’re getting better, step by tiny step.
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sweetiecutie · 2 years
Text
Pairing: husband! Tom Riddle x fem! wife! Reader
Warnings: NSFW, kinda public sex but there’s no one around, fluff!!, kinda domestic and soft, inaccurate bc there’s no way sexy two pieces existed back in the 1950’s💀, once again my horrible knowledge of basic grammar
A/n: really felt like writing lil something for hubby Tom🥰 Sorry for disappearing for such a long period, I have lots of cool ideas and drafts but my adhd never allows me to finish any on them;( Anyways, wish you a very pleasant reading and hope you enjoy💖
It was a sultry sunny day, the kind you experience in the middle of September, when calendar summer is already gone but the sun still gladdened people with last warm days.
It took you only a few days of bothering and fake accusation of not loving you to convince your husband Tom to finally take a day off from his job at ‘Borgin and Burkes’ and go have some fun together on a beach. He was grumpy and pouty for the first half an hour, but then seemed to accept his fate, indulging your little whims and wishes.
You didn’t manage to talk him into taking a swim together, no matter how hard you tried, but Tom did, eventually, took his shoes off and rolled up the cuffs of his trousers, standing ankles-deep into warm sea water, watching you dive and dork around in salty waves.
You were currently laying on your side on a soft picknick blanket facing Tom, left arm bent in elbow, head propped up on your hand, your eyes lazily wandering all over your husband’s side profile. He was laying on his back right next to you, arms thrown behind his head, nape resting on his palms.
Tom had changed. The juvenile plushness was long gone from his cheeks, instead leaving place for his sharp jawline and protuberant cheekbones. His hair was a slightest bit longer than it used to be during your school years, framing his pale face in dark silky waves. You noticed how he was nibbling on the inside of his bottom lip ever so slightly - a telltale sign that Tom was thinking intensely about something faraway. You fought the urge to trace the outline of his nose with gentle fingertips, knowing perfectly well how grouchy and whiny he’ll get at this action.
Your eyes wandered lower, taking in his outfit - even despite the scorching sun and high air temperature Tom refused to ditch his usual suit trousers and, this time, baby-blue shirt - instead opting to undo quite a few buttons, allowing a generous view on his pale chest.
A sudden idea visited your mind so you sat up from your semi-lying position, throwing one leg over Tom’s hips, settling yourself atop his pelvis comfortably. Your nimble fingers ran up his chest, caressing exposed areas of his skin with tender touches, all the way to his face, cradling it softly in your hands; you leaned down to scatter small kisses all over his cheeks, nose and lips.
- Y/n, what are you doing? - Tom chided you softly, the corners of his lips tugging up in slightest of smiles, even though it was pretty obvious that he was unpleased with you interrupting his thoughts.
- Trying to seduce you, - you replied stoically, not a hint of embarrassment nor unease could be heard in your purring voice.
- Right here? - Tom asked, you could hear his voice rising just a slightest bit, giving out his astonishment.
- Yeah, why not? - you said offhandedly, your lips stretching in a cheeky smile, gazing down at your husband mischievously.
- What if someone sees us? - Tom rose yet another question, cocking one of his perfect eyebrows at you.
You made a show of looking around the deserted beach, not spotting a single soul being around; not only this place was secluded by dangerously high cliffs, making it extremely hard for reaching, but also the fact that it was Wednesday - a middle of a working week - reduced chances of anyone being around to zero.
You brought your sight back to Tom, shrugging your shoulders theatrically:
- I can’t see nor hear anyone, Tommy. - one of your hands reached behind your back, gripping on the straps of your two-piece swimming suit, tugging on it slowly, un-doing the tight knot. You didn’t bother to untie the second knot on your neck, instead deciding to pull the bra off over your head, throwing it teasingly on top of your husband’s chest. - I think you’re just being a buzzkill that you are, Riddle.
You made an accent on the last word, watching Tom’s eyes wander to your now exposed tits, noticing your hardened from still unpleasantly damp fabric of your bra nipples. You cupped your breasts, pinching your nubs with thumbs and index fingers, all while slightly rocking your hips against Tom’s clothed groin, sighing erotically at the slight friction it created against your clit.
You repeated your movements a few more times, circling and swaying your hips so sensually, putting more pressure into your thrusts, increasing a pleasant feeling against both your sexes. You peeked down at Tom through your eyelashes, noting the way his chiseled jaw clenched, his dark eyes never leaving your perfect body.
You smiled widely at his hungry stare, leaning down to place a soft kiss on his chopped from salty sea wind lips - he kissed you back almost immediately. Tom’s hands came from under his nape, picking your bra from his chest and tossing it aside before coming to rest on your waist, thumbs pressing gentle circles into your heated skin.
His slim fingers wandered all over your body, eventually reaching your plushy thighs - rough fingertips glided up and down your skin, rising herds of goosebumps in their wake, stopping on your ass, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
You could feel Tom’s dick hardening at your simple manipulations, his bulge growing noticeably bigger in his pants, rubbing against your soft ass with every smallest move you made. You didn’t bother taking Tom’s trousers off, just undoing his zipper and pulling his semi-hard dick out of his underwear. You wrapped your fingers around his shaft, pumping it slowly a few times, your eyes never breaking an eye contact.
You straightened up, standing on your knees; you struggled quite a bit while taking off your bottoms, since this position wasn’t the most comfortable. You heard Tom muttering quiet ‘oh god’ under his breath in feigned annoyance, obviously teasing you, for which you lightly smacked him on the chest.
Once done and completely naked you slightly scooted forward so that your awaiting pussy was hovering right above Tom’s heavy cock. You gave him a few more jerks before leading it to your slicked folds, sliding them along his throbbing shaft, properly slicking him up with your juices. After a few more moments you aligned his swollen tip with your pulsing entrance, lowering your hips slowly, gently sinking onto his length. A satisfied sigh left both of you once Tom was fully buried inside of your quivering warmth, your ass pressed tightly against his thighs.
His broad hands came to rest on the swell of your hips, molding and playing with soft flesh in between his long fingers. You let out a small whimper as you could feel Tom’s cock stuffing you full, his tip was pressed against your cervix so deliciously, all along with a pleasant stretch on your plushy walls.
You rose your hips carefully, still adjusting to your current position, sliding off half of his length, and sank back down onto his cock, providing such desired friction. You watched his adam’s apple bob as Tom swallowed heavily, and you repeated your actions a few more times, until you found a comfortable rhythm, impaling yourself over and over again on his steady cock.
Your hands came to rest on Tom’s chest, supporting yourself against his body, back arching at the pleasant feeling of his dick grazing all the right spots inside of your throbbing pussy. Soft moans spilled out of your lips as one of Tom’s hands went down to play with your clit, skillfully circling and massaging swollen nub with the tips of his fingers. Your head lolled back, a loud cry of your husband’s name rolled off your tongue as you quickened the pace of your thrusts, rocking against him so passionately.
Tom rested one hand on your nape, putting a bit of pressure into his touch, indicating for you to lean down. You did so, lowering your torso until your chest was pressed flush against his; your lips found his in a matter of moments, connecting in a fervid kiss, his tongue slithering into your mouth, making you gasp in surprise.
Your loud moan was swallowed by Tom’s greedy mouth as he unexpectedly thrusted his hips up into your perfect squelching pussy from underneath; his free hand was gripping onto your waist tightly, fixating you into this position. You broke your kiss, burying your flushed face into the crook of his neck as his hips picked up a quick pace, fucking your pussy raw with his throbbing cock.
- Yeah? You like that, you little minx? - Tom rasped into your ear, his lips brushed against your ear shell, making you tremble slightly. You nodded your head ‘yes’ fervently, leaving open-mouthed kisses all over the side of his neck.
- I love it so much, Tommy. Please, don’t stop, please, please, - you babbled out incoherently, your mind hazed and barely working from intense pleasure rolling through your body in waves.
Tom slid his hand from your nape and along your spine, all the way down to your jiggly ass, especially relishing to grab and mold your pliable flesh with his fingers. The hard, smooth strokes of his cock inside your slicked pussy caused ecstasy to well up inside you, your body prickling, almost painfully, in foretaste of a nearing orgasm.
Your hands grabbed on Tom’s biceps, you could feel his muscles flexing underneath your touch. You bit down onto his shoulder, eliciting a quiet hiss from the man underneath you, knowing how much he disliked when you left hickeys in such obvious places. His hand left your waist to slide in between your pressed bodies, fingers finding your clit, rubbing tight circles onto it, bringing you closer and closer to your orgasm.
- Tom, ‘m gonna cum, ‘m gonna cum, please don’t stop, - you mumbled into his skin, hot and bothered, and you felt him nod at your words, his hips picking up faster pace, snapping loudly against your pliant body.
White stars hit your vision, as you felt your orgasm rippling through your trembling form, setting every nerve in your body on fire in intense pleasure. You didn’t register all the moans and pleadings slipping past your lips as you babbled in your euphoria, your quivering pussy along with dirty words only brought Tom closer to his own release.
Tom followed you soon enough, cumming with a groan and a low moan of your name, dumping his thick load deep inside of you. You laid rigid atop him, both of you trying to catch your breaths, listening to the soft whisper of wind and sea. Surprisingly, Tom was the one who broke the comfortable silence:
- A few more moments and I’d go deaf on one ear, - Tom commented and you didn’t understand what he was talking about. It took you a few moments to realize that all this time you were moaning and screaming uncontrollably mere centimeters away from his ear, surely causing a lot of discomfort, especially knowing how sensitive man was to any sort of noises.
You chuckle airily, muttering quiet ‘sorry, darling’ under your breath, your hand going up to comb your fingers through his silky, now knotted, hair, massaging his scalp lovingly.
Dragging Tom all the way here was definitely a good decision.
Likes, reblogs and comments are highly appreciated! Feedback is basically the only thing that keeps writers creating new content
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nolita-fairytale · 1 year
Text
don’t want to walk alone | carmen ‘carmy' berzatto | chapter three: september
summary: the moment we've all be waiting for: you and carmy get married.
warnings: swearing, eventual smut, lots of tooth rotting fluff, marriage, no use of y/n, second person pov, she/her pronouns
wc: 7.1k
listen to: the official don't want to walk alone playlist. there is SO much music in this chapter, so per the playlist, it starts with 'it takes two' and ends with 'love story.'
a/n: ok so this chapter was a behemoth to write and i am in fact in love with it. it's taken me days, really weeks, to get what i wanted out of it and i still feel like i could've gone deeper. however, i'm also kind of just happy to have this out in the world and give these two the wedding they wanted me to give them. each moment was curated and thought out, down to the music selection so this chapter is really just a product of me stewing on this idea for quite a bit of time. this is a part of my make my heart surrender universe so check out the masterlist if you haven't read the series! next up? their long weekend at the langham where we really get carmy x reader and moments for just them. please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the taglist.
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part two | masterlist | part four
“It takes two to make a thing go riiiiight.”
You never pictured the night before your wedding like this, you think to yourself, as you listen to Fak sing, to the best of his ability in a somewhat-decent falsetto, along to the 90s hip hop classic. 
Hell, you’re not sure you really ever pictured your wedding, but as you sit, surrounded by the people you love, you can’t see it going any other way than this. You watch as Richie rallies up as many people as he can for shots of Mallort, recounting that infamous morning at Ceres – a story he’s told over and over again, yet still manages to tell as animated and boisterously as the first time you heard it. 
You groan as you watch Richie successfully convince Gary to take a shot with him, Gary’s face twisting into a look of disgust in response to the foul taste of the Chicago liquor, as Sugar reminds him that he should know better by now. 
Carmy gives your knee a squeeze while simultaneously brushing off Richie’s attempt at shoving a shot in his direction. You laugh, a warm feeling filling you to the brim (could be the beer, could be being surrounded by your people), while Sydney jumps right into her best Rob Base impression. 
It just so happens that your continuously put-off ‘let’s shoot for next month’ karaoke plans with a few staff members from The Bear coincided with plans to go out with friends before the wedding, which is how you’ve found yourself here. 
After a lovely dinner at The Bear, your parents went back to the hotel for the night, insisting that you two go and have your fun. And as much as you would’ve loved to have brought your mother-who-has-a-doctorate-in-music-theory to karaoke night, she much preferred a good night’s sleep. 
The crowded bar claps enthusiastically as Fak and Sydney wrap up their song, finishing their truly-made-up-only-for-comedy dance moves. You giggle, exchanging another glance with Carmy, as your friends take their bows, before shuffling off of the stage. 
You hear the loud boom of the emcee’s voice through the microphone as he says:
“And up next we got… Tina!”
“Let’s go, T!” you shout through hands crowded around your mouth, in an effort to increase your volume of sound. 
Carmy cheers, clapping his hands together as Richie enthusiastically chants Tina’s name while Tina makes her way to the stage. 
“This is gonna be good,” Sugar nudges you, from where you are, seated in between the Berzatto siblings. 
You nod your head in agreement before settling in a little closer to Carmy. 
“The queen, herself,” Sydney remarks, gesturing towards the stage as she and Fak both return to your table. Sydney pulls up a chair next to where you and Carmy sit while Fak joins Richie on the other side of it. “And the ONLY act that could follow our exceptional performance.” 
“Well, exactly,” you agree, playfully. 
You exchange a laugh with Syd, while Carmy playfully rolls his eyes at the two of you. 
The crowded bar room goes quiet as soon as Tina reaches the stage, smiling nervously as she grabs the mic. 
“This one goes out to our favorite Jeffrey. And his lady Jeff,” she begins, earning a round of cheers and hollers from the group you’re with. Tina blows a kiss you and Carmy’s way, before nodding at the emcee to begin. 
“I love you guys.”
You hear the beginning notes of the iconic Etta James tune, gasping in anticipation of her song:
“at last my love has come along my lonely days are over and life is like a song.”
You sigh in admiration, a hand over your heart as Tina continues to sing. Her voice is powerful, soulful – perfect for the song, really – as she continues into the second verse. 
“at last the skies above are blue my heart was wrapped up in clover the night I looked at you.”
This time, it’s Carmy who steals a glance your way, his mind taken back to that fateful night at a bar in Hell’s Kitchen, when he spilled his drink on you so many years ago. You’re entranced, enchanted, with Tina’s performance, and he thinks to himself, that maybe this is the best it’s ever going to get: being here with you, getting to love you, on the cusp of promising you ‘forever’ tomorrow. 
Never had he expected that you’d make it this far. You’d always been so much cooler than him – well-liked, talented, funny – in and out of the kitchen, that he had no idea how the hell he was supposed to talk to you without vomiting all over your shoes out of nerves. 
He can remember that night so vividly: standing there in the restroom of the bar he can barely remember the name of, while you stood across from him with the kind of glare on your face he swore could kill him. But you didn’t, and after many attempts to push you away, you asked him to be your friend, deeming it the day that started it all – a friendship that would teeter the line of friendship and something more, one that would bloom into the greatest love he’s ever known. As much as he hates to give Nate fucking Walker any kind of credit, he’ll the be first in line to say he’s glad the jagoff pushed him into you, setting it all in motion. 
You can see that Carmy’s become distracted, lost in thought as the song finishes, something behind your favorite pair of blue eyes as the entire bar ignites into a huge round of celebratory claps for Tina’s performance. 
You look up over at him, setting your beer bottle down on the table before leaning over to whisper in his ear.
“I can hear you thinkin’ over there, Berzatto,” you tease him quietly, pulling him from his trip down memory lane. “It’s only the night before the biggest day of your life. Relax.”
Carmy rolls his eyes playfully in response, but before he can properly respond to your jab, the emcee has begun introducing the next karaoke singers to the stage. 
“Alright. Looks like I’ve got uh… three singers here this time,” the emcee says, his voice cutting sharply through the crowd of remaining cheers. “Let’s welcome Sydney back to the stage with… Sugar and… the bride to be!” 
“What!?” you exclaim, your eyes wide with surprise as Sydney jumps to her feet.  
“But I didn’t-,” you begin to protest, as Sugar pulls you to your feet, tugging on your arm. 
“Oh there’s no way in hell we’re letting you sit this one out,” Sugar orders you, as Sydney rushes to your side, ushering you towards the stage. 
“Yeah this was your idea!” Sydney simultaneously reminds you. 
“Babe! Help!” you call out to Carmy, only to be met with a shrug and a look that says ‘don’t think I could if I tried.’ 
“Oh, he’s in on this,” Sydney adds, which does explain why he didn’t even attempt to help you when your friends began dragging you out of your chair. “So don’t even think about asking him for help.”
“Wh-? But I don’t even know what we’re singing!” you continue to protest, looking from Sugar to Sydney as they push you onto the stage with them. 
“Trust,” Sydney reassures you, her face serious, while Nat slides a sash over you (one you’ve refused to wear all night) that has the word, ‘BRIDE’ printed over it in huge gold lettering. You groan, sending a glare in Nat’s direction, even though you know it’s all in good fun. 
You hear Richie shout, while Fak and Marcus clap loudly, and Carmy laughs, shouting words of encouragement your way. 
You know there’s no use in putting up a fight, especially since this was your idea anyways, as you begrudgingly take one of the three wireless mics. Before you can ask once more, what the hell Syd and Nat signed the three of you up to sing, a distinct slide of piano keys comes in, lighting up the karaoke screen in front of you. 
You grin immediately, in recognition, and to your two best friend’s delight, as they smile too, raising the mics to your lips to sing:
“friday night and the lights are low looking out for a place to go where they play the right music getting in the swing you come to look for a king.”
You laugh as your friends point towards Carmy on the last line. The three of you continue to sing the next part with reckless abandon, and all is forgiven. 
You could care less about how the three of them conspired against you to get you up here. All that matters now is that you’re here, singing one of your favorite songs with your best friends, grooving and dancing to the ABBA classic, as you prepare to marry your best friend. 
“you can dance you can jive having the time of your life ooh, see that girl watch that scene digging the dancing queen.”
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"what good is love without any strings?" dayglow, 'close to me'
“Baby.”
Carmy groans in response, as soon as he hears the low hum of your voice. 
“Good morning,” you say, a soft smile on your face as you watch him begin to blink his eyes open. 
Carmy turns his head towards you, and he can’t believe he gets to wake up to this – to you – every single day. 
“Hey,” he says back, a soft smile spreading across his lips. “Good Morning, sweetheart.” 
“Guess what?” you ask him with the kind of glee and anticipation as a kid on Christmas morning. 
“Hmm?” he hums, as you smooth a hand over his chest, your body pressed against his side as you look at your soon-to-be husband. 
“We’re getting married today,” you grin, a giddiness that bubbles inside of you. 
“‘S that so?” he mumbles, playfully. 
“Uh huh,” you nod with a chuckle, this time playing along. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”
Instead of replying with words, Carmy swiftly wraps an arm around you, before flipping you so that you’re the one on your back this time. You let out of a shriek and a laugh as he leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips before adding:
“How could I ever?”
You shrug casually, “Weeeelll…. you just have so much going on up there.” You reach up to where Carmy hovers above you, brushing a golden curl out of his eyes as you continue your little dance. 
“You know, between the restaurant and all that time spent being a genius,” you joke, bantering with Carmy. “Don’t know how you have the time to remember silly little things like wedding dates and what not.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Carmy laughs, shaking his head incredulously, before pressing another kiss, this one much deeper to your lips again. 
And this time, as he pulls away, he gives you one of those languid looks that pierces right through your soul replying much more seriously this time with:
“I could never forget you.”
The way he says it with such conviction takes your breath away, and you know that Carmy means it. The double meaning isn’t lost on him either. 
It’s one of the reasons he called you all those years ago to come teach Marcus; it’s why you ended up in Chicago:
Because as much as he tried, as damn good at compartmentalizing as he’d always been, he really could never forget you. Carmy shakes his head once more, a playful smile on his face as he leans down to kiss you again, wondering when the hell he got this fuckin’ sentimental. As he places his mouth over yours, you’re more than happy to switch gears into doing this dance for a little longer. 
 Carmy traces light shapes against your skin, his mouth pouring love into yours with every kiss, with every drag of his tongue. You gasp as he grinds his hips into yours, making it clear where he’d like this all to go. You pull away, only for a moment, giggling cheekily. 
“Babe, I-,” you begin to protest, as Carmy chuckles, continuing to kiss you with zero intention of stopping “We… we’re going to be late.” This time, you feel his hands snake underneath the t-shirt you’ve been sleeping in, sending chills down your spine. 
“And-, Carm-, I-, I have to do my hair for-, … and what about-, my parents, they’ll-,” you stammer through, your thoughts becoming all kinds of disorganized with the way Carmy’s lips move against your neck this time. 
“I’ll be quick,” he answers with an aplomb you didn’t know he had in him. 
“I don’t know if that’s the flex you think it is,” you tease him as his hands begin to cup your breasts, your body responding with an involuntary arch of your back. 
“How fast I can make you come? I think it might be?” he murmurs against your lips, cockily.  
“Carmy,” you moan, as he begins to pull your t-shirt up higher, making it incredibly difficult to think of your to-do list for much longer. 
“Oh fuck it,” you sigh, deciding that, perhaps there’s no harm in getting the honeymoon started a little early anyways. 
“That’s my girl,” Carmy whispers against you, grinning like a Cheshire cat as you surrender to him. 
And he’s right about this too. 
How fast he can make you cum deserves all kinds of bragging rights, awards – a Nobel Peace prize, even – and you’re not sure why you thought getting a head start on doing your hair would’ve been the better idea in the first place. You spend the morning in the arms of the man you plan to spend forever with as he writes love letters, promises to give you the world, declarations of adoration with the pleasure he brings you. And besides, you’re not running all that behind on time anyways – something you realize, as the two of you get out of the shower (a round two, really). 
It takes a little longer than expected – mostly due to the fact that you and Carmy can’t seem to keep your hands off of each other – but against all odds, the two of you pull up to the courthouse right on time. 
It’s a sight for sore eyes: you, running hand in hand with your husband-to-be in a white, halter-cut wedding dress while Carmy follows along, in a classic black suit – no tie around the neck – as the two of you hurry into the courthouse. 
Sure, you could’ve tried to get here early – saved a little time and stress – but where’s the fun in that?
The two of you approach your families, hand in hand, to the sounds of your heels clicking against the marble floors of City Hall. The actual ceremony at City Hall, you’d both decided, would be family only. 
Since you weren’t making a huge deal of it, you viewed this part as necessary paperwork, while the party itself could function as the ceremony and reception. But as soon as you see the look on your parents’ faces, you know this is more than just a few signed papers. You watch as their faces change, from impatient, waiting, eager, to in awe and emotional as you walk towards them. 
You hear Ava shout your name, immediately dropping her dad’s hand as she runs towards you. 
“Ava!!” you exclaim, bending down in your heels and white dress to scoop her up into a hug. You spin her around, just for a moment, before setting her back down on the floor. 
“You look like a princess,” she says, completely in awe, her eyes wide as she looks up at you. 
“You look like a princess, sweetie,” you reply, before giving her another hug. “And you know I can’t wait to hear your song, right?” 
“I picked the best one,” she grins, proudly. 
“I’m sure you did,” you reply confidently, with a playful wink. 
“Oh-ho! Pay up, Rick,” Sugar mutters smugly, to Richie, as Carmy busies himself with greeting both of your parents.
Richie groans, muttering something profane as he not-so-discreetly hands Nat a $20 bill, earning a quizzical look from both of your parents that travels from Carmy and then to you. 
“Sorry,” Richie apologizes, this time directing this one towards your parents as he holds up both hands, respectfully bowing his head. 
You send a playful glare Richie’s way, earning a sardonic laugh from Natalie, as you push right past him and over to your parents. 
“Oh sweetie,” your mom gasps, pulling you in for a tight squeeze. 
“Hi, Mom,” you grin, as you hug her. “Dad!”
“My God, honey, you look beautiful,” your dad says, as it’s his turn next. You hug your dad, exchanging a few words about the morning, asking how they slept, how the hotel is, as your mom and Carmy hug it out. 
This time, he turns his attention towards Carmy, so you release him, letting the two of them have their moment. 
Taking your chance, while your parents are otherwise distracted, you make your way over to where Sugar and Richie stand. 
“What? You guys were betting on whether or not we’d be late?” you ask Sugar, an eyebrow quirked in Richie’s direction. 
“Listen,” Sugar sighs, cupping your face in her hands, endearingly. “You and Carm are nothing if not consistent.” You exchange a laugh with your almost-sister-in-law because you know she’s right. “And for the record, I bet that you’d be-.”
“Just in time!” the judge says, as he approaches the six of you, slipping his judge robe over his shoulders, black leather fold pressed against his chest. “You guys ready to get started?”
Carmy looks over at you, as if he’s waiting for you to take the lead here, and you nod, before the both of you turn back to the judge. 
“Yes.” 
“Great,” he smiles, clapping his hands together once. “Then let’s get you two married!”
"sooner or later, you'll find yourself right where you were, on the corner went looking for her, she had somethin' to tell you, she can't quite remember, but wait for a second, it always comes back to her, you always come back to her." -- the japanese house, 'morning pages'
And after dotting all appropriate i’s and crossing all necessary t’s, with one signed marriage license later, you, Carmy, your parents, Richie and Ava, Sugar, and Judge Thompson find yourself on the green roof of City Hall. 
Carmy stands across you, his hands in yours, offering you a lifetime with one look from the most expressive blue orbs you’ve ever found yourself in. 
“If you’d like to say something, if you prepared any vows… now would be the time,” Judge Thompson says, offering you and Carmy both the space to do so. 
“Oh I think we-,” you begin, ready to decline the opportunity since you figured you’d save it for the reception. 
“Actually uh, yeah. Can we?” Carmen interjects, sending you a look of reassurance. 
“Of course,” Judge Thompson nods, giving you and Carmy the floor. 
“Carm, I didn’t prepare anything for-,” you begin, but he’s quick to put your mind and heart at ease and he interjects with:
“It’s okay. I did.”
“Oh.”
You hadn’t expected this, since you both agreed you’d save any kind of speeches that may or may not happen today during the reception. But as Carmy’s palms grow clammier, a nervous look in his eyes as he searches for the words he’s practiced over the last few days, it becomes clear that he’s been planning this. 
“As you know… I’m not always great with words,” he begins, almost apologetically, letting out a small laugh as he looks to Richie for reassurance. In turn, Richie gives Carmy a sympathetic nod, and you’re practically melting over the fact that he probably asked Richie for help with this. 
Let it rip.
 “I just uh-,” Carmy stammers, because he really, really wants to get this right. “Well, I’ll keep it brief.” He takes a breath, letting all of his nerves out on the exhale before beginning again. 
Let it rip, buddy.
“I have loved you for so long – I think maybe since the day you brought me soup after I uh… you know, spilled my drink on you,” he states, earning the sweetest laugh from you, your friends, and family that came to witness. 
“-- so I promise to love you for even longer, for forever. You changed my life.”
You exhale, trying your best not to cry right here and now, thankful for the mysterious powers of waterproof mascara. 
“Jeez, no pressure,” you joke, dryly, before taking another breath, this time approaching your words with much more seriousness.
“Carmen. I’m so happy… that I changed your life,” you begin, cheekily, earning a laugh from your witnesses once more. “Because you changed mine. And I promise to love you forever.” 
‘I love you,’ Carmy mouths to you, before nodding towards the judge to signal that you’re both done with your vows. 
“Alright then,” Judge Thompson smiles, looking from you and then to Carmen, before uttering the question that will change the course of your life forever. 
“I do,” Carmy replies, his voice even, sure, ready. 
Natalie steps up this time, handing Carmy your ring, and you watch, teary eyed and full hearted as he slides it onto your left ring finger. 
“And do you take Carmen Anthony Berzatto to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Judge Thompson repeats the question, this time for you to answer. 
“Yeah, why the hell not?” you reply, earning a groan from your mother and a playful chuckle from your father. 
“Yes. I do.” 
At Richie’s encouragement, it’s Ava this time who steps up, handing you Carmy’s ring, with the sweetest most excited smile on her face as she looks from you to Carmy. You thank her, before returning your attention to Carmy once more. His eyes search your face, and there’s something so soft, so genuine in them that you think you’re going to cry as you help him put on his new piece of jewelry as well. 
“Then by the power vested in me by the State of Illinois, I now pronounce you, husband and wife,” Judge Thompson concludes, contently.
“Should we-, do we kiss?” Carmy asks, looking from you to Judge Thompson. 
“I’m just a civil servant but you may, yes,” he answers lightheartedly. 
“Let’s go for it,” you shrug, taking a step towards Carmy. 
Instead of answering, he smiles, stepping towards you before planting one on you in front of your friends and family that were invited to this brief ceremony. 
While Sugar claps gleefully, Richie claps along muttering a ‘get a room,’ while you remind Carmy to keep it PG enough for your parents. You giggle, slowly pulling away from the kiss that begins the rest of your life with the man that you love. 
“We did it, baby. We’re married,” you chuckle, in disbelief. 
“Finally,” Carmy sighs, and you can see his smile from his lips to the crinkles in the corners of his eyes. 
It doesn’t take long for your mom to usher both you and Carmy over to a spot in the garden she thinks will be best for pictures, just as the photographer arrives. She wasn’t wrong when she insisted you hire one, that you’d want to remember this day for the rest of your life. The photographer, who is incredibly talented, gets the shots needed up here in the garden, then downstairs, and outside, before you’re all off to Sugar’s place for the reception. 
As you and Carmy sit in the car, having taken a separate one than your parents, you’re giddy with anticipation. 
It’s all so surreal. 
Never in his life did Carmy picture it ever getting this good, but as he looks over at you, your head resting on his shoulder, he presses a kiss to the top of your head, smiling to himself. 
“We did it, sweet girl. We’re married,” he says, repeating your words from earlier. 
“Yeah,” you grin, lifting your head off of his shoulder. 
“We are, Bear.”
"give your heart and soul to me, and life will always be la vie en rose."
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“No, Sugar! That’s not supposed to go out yet. Everything’s goin’ out family style. Let’s just take out the apps for-,” Carmy exclaims, stressed over the execution of your wedding reception-slash-brunch, because he just can’t help himself. 
“Fuckin’ Christ, Bear!” she snaps at her brother. “Will you calm down and let us handle this?” 
“I just want everything to-,” Carmy begins, his face blushing a shade darker. 
“To go right. We know. And we know we’re just taking out apps, alright? Everyone else is outside, and everyone’s having a good time so just… relax,” she suggests, her tone serious because she’s just about to kick Carmy out of the kitchen. 
Carmy shifts nervously, hyper-fixating on the happenings of the kitchen, his eyes tracking the movements of one of his caterer, Derek’s, sous chefs. It’s almost as if he needs to give himself a distraction as he asks, blankly:
“Do you uh… you think Mom is actually gonna show?”
Sugar pauses, the question throwing her. 
“I… I don’t know. I called her yesterday. She never picked up. What do you think?” she replies, her voice quiet. 
With your encouragement, you and Carmy had sent his mother an invitation to the brunch, only it’s been Sugar who’s followed up with her. 
“We did what we needed to and if she doesn’t come, then she doesn’t come. I’m not pushin’ it,” Carmy had explained, justifying his actions, or rather, lack there of, to you. 
She’s doubtful, but Nat can’t help the tiny glimmer of hope she has in her heart that Donna might show, even if she knows it’s unrealistic. In fact, her mom had barely been interested in stopping by as of late, ever since she’d told the Berzatto matriarch that she was pregnant. She keeps telling herself that it doesn’t matter – that it’s probably better if Donna doesn’t show – but it doesn’t help ease the disappointment she feels about the situation as a whole. 
“Doubt it, honestly. Never even got an RSVP so,” Carmy shrugs, his eyes following one of the caterers as the woman plates a few Hors d'oeuvres on a large serving platter. 
Before Sugar can say anything else about their mom, Carmy’s impulse takes over as he opens his mouth to give feedback to one of Derek’s assistants. 
“Carmy!” she snaps, blocking his pathway with her body, before repeating one more time:
“Let. Us. Handle this.”
“I mean, are any of us actually surprised, Nat?” Sydney adds, as soon as she enters the kitchen from where she’s been outside in the backyard, in search of another plate to bring out. “He’s a control freak! We know this!”
“I-,” Carmy starts, knowing it’s no use protesting, as both Sugar and Syd begin guiding him out of the kitchen and into the living room. 
“C’mon, Carm. Why don’t you go see what your wife is up to?” Sydney suggests, emphasizing your new title, earning a snicker from Natalie. 
“Who’s wife? This wife?” you ask, as soon as your feet hit the bottom of the staircase. 
“Woah,” is all Carmy says. He can’t help but stare, gawking at you in your new dress. 
You’ve changed out of your near-floor length wedding dress into a sleeveless white blazer dress that’s much more friendly to hanging out with your friends and family outside, kept your hair the same, and put on one of those super stay red lipsticks that you’re eager to put through its paces. 
It’s as if time stops when he sees you, and Sugar and Syd both notice, using this time to retreat back to their duties. The only thing that can break his focus right now is the way that you let a carefree laugh fly from your lips, as soon as you see that Natalie’s using the future baby’s baby gate that Nat must’ve purchased early, to officially block Carmy from coming back to the kitchen. 
“What?” Carmy asks, only to be met with a gesture towards what Natalie is doing. 
He frowns, immediately seeing the baby gate his sister has put up. 
“You know, I’m not a baby,” he pouts at his sister. 
“Then stop acting like one!” she parries right back, before disappearing into the kitchen to help out your caterer. 
Quick to console your husband, you wrap your arms around your neck, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. 
“They’re only trying to make sure we have a good time, Bear,” you offer, sympathetically, only to be met with a heavy sigh because you know it feels near-impossible for him not to be in the kitchen. 
“You trust Derek right?” you ask this time, referring to the caterer that Carmy hand-picked for your wedding. 
“Yeah,” he nods. 
“Okay. Then let’s go out there. Make our grand entrance,” you suggest, a playful smile on your lips. 
“Yeah,” Carmy nods again, this time a little more sure about taking a step away from what’s happening inside the kitchen. You take his hand, leading him towards the back door that opens up to the backyard. 
You’re truly amazed at what everyone involved has been able to do this morning, while you and Carmy were off at the courthouse getting married. Long tables pushed together and covered with tablecloths function as the main attraction of the you-and-Carmy-wedding-reception-brunch, filled with ceramic plates, printed menus, apps on serving platters, taper candles and flowers in all kinds of little to big vases. 
The minute the two of you enter the backyard area that’s been transformed into a wedding venue, you’re met with cheers, ooo’s and aaaaah’s, claps, and congratulations by your friends and family. 
“Sugar really knocked this out of the park,” Carmy says, in awe as he takes in the scene. “Okay, fine. I’ll just have to trust, I guess.”
You nod, happy to hear the confidence in his voice as you agree, “That’s my guy!”
There’s a banner that hangs across a much smaller table, the one that holds the stunning wedding cake Marcus has made for you that reads, Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Berzatto.
“See? I told you I couldn’t wait to be Mrs. Berzatto,” you joke with Carmy, as the two of you walk hand in hand towards the table. 
“I think I like the sound of that more than I should,” Carmy smirks, a glimmer in his eyes that says ‘I can’t wait to get you alone.’
“Can’t wait for you to show me later,” you wink, referring to the long weekend you plan on spending with Carmy as a pre-honeymoon. “C’mon. We should probably go say hello.” 
“So… you two married now or what?” Marcus asks, as soon as the two of you approach the table. 
You hold up your left hand, showing off your new ring, earning grins and more cheers from your friends and family. 
“That’s what I’m talking about!” he celebrates, while Tina simultaneously and enthusiastically cries out: “Congratulations, babies!”
The plan is to divine and conquer. While you chat with Gary, Carmy lets himself become enveloped in Tina’s arms and praise, as the two of you make your way down the table saying hello to your guests: your parents, Marcus, Tina, Ebra, Fak, Gary, a few others from the restaurant, while. 
Carmy’s glad you decided to keep this wedding small: close friends and family only, because he’s not sure he could’ve done any more of this. It’s just close friends from the restaurant and your parents. You’d even decided earlier that this weekend would be chill enough that you’d celebrate with Maya and Liz a few months later when you and Carmy stop in New York before the official honeymoon, planning another celebration with your New York people for later. 
Besides, you don’t mind celebrating you and Carmy a few more times, after all. 
Finally, you’re both able to settle into the empty chairs seated right next to your parents in the middle of the table labeled ‘bride’ and ‘groom.’ It’s a Saturday well spent, being celebrated by some of your favorite people in the world on a day you made a promise to your favorite person in the world. It doesn’t take long for everyone in the kitchen to join you at the table: Sugar, Richie, Sydney, and Pete, and once the meal is served, family style, you’re pulling up chairs and insisting that Derek and his team join you as well. 
The menu is perfect, and you can see why Carmy’s been trying to get this guy to come work for him for so long. Next to Carmy’s, this carbonara might be your second favorite carbonara on the planet. After all the eating, drinking, and merry-making, it’s Richie who steps up to start the speeches, gently tapping a butter knife against a champagne glass as he stands at the table. 
“Can I get everyone’s attention?” he asks, his voice loud. Richie raises his champagne glass as he begins his speech with:
“Now as the best man and this Bobby Flay-motherfucker's cousin, I think I earn the right to kick this thing off, eh?” earning a laugh from everyone around the table. 
“To Carmy and his much, much better half,” he continues, earning a laugh from everyone around the table. Your mom squeezes your hand under the table, and out of the corner of your eye you can see Sydney nudging Carmy softly as Richie addresses you. 
“You once made me $150 richer.” You laugh, exchanging a look with your now-husband, as you fondly remember the day you returned to Chicago, only to learn that the entire restaurant staff of The Bear had been betting, not on if, but on when you’d return.
“You see, we all took bets – all of us – that you were comin’ back after that first week you spent here in Chicago, and you know why? I think it was obvious to any jagoff with a pair of eyes that what you and Cousin had was something special – something not to be missed, or overlooked, or skipped over. And thank God you two idiots woke up and figured it out yourselves. You did good, cousin. And I know your brother would’ve wanted to be here for this. I love you, man. I love you both.”
“To this very special day, and to the rest of your lives. Cheers.”
“Cheers!” everyone repeats, raising their glasses, clinking in celebration. 
The upside to having a small wedding party is having a small wedding party, and the downside is that everyone who feels the need to get in a word does so. While Ebraheim waxes on about love as a metaphor, Marcus keeps his toast short, leading to the cutting of your wedding cake:
Vanilla bean cake, with a clementine curd, a swiss meringue buttercream, decorated with delicate flowers, citrus, and dollops of curd to finish. 
Richie slips out with Pete momentarily, earning a few quizzical looks from both Carmy and Nat as she gets up from the table to make sure they’re not trading punches in the driveway. It’s not till Richie returns with Pete, carrying a rented little karaoke machine for Ava. Hand in hand, you watch as Natalie guides Ava up and out of her chair, and over to the head of the table, handing her the microphone. 
“You ready, sweetheart?” she asks, earning a confident nod from Ava. 
The beginning of the famous Taylor Swift begins to play, and you and Carmy exchange a knowing look as she begins to sing along. 
“we were both young when i first saw you i close my eyes and the flashback starts i'm standin' there on a balcony in summer air.”
As Natalie and Pete watch on, Pete hugs his wife close to her, tears in his eyes as he whispers: 
“This is going to be us very, very soon.” 
“Yeah,” Nat nods, holding back her own tears as she notices how proud Richie looks, and how happy Ava seems to be. 
It’s not that she wants Donna here. Realistically, she knows that it would be a nightmare, most likely descending into drama and chaos from the minute she walked in, but she can’t believe that her own mother didn’t come to her son’s wedding. She shouldn’t be surprised, but it hurts more than she imagined, doing this, watching Carmy get married, having this baby with Pete, all without her. 
Ava finishes her Taylor Swing song to a resounding and enthusiastic round of applause. Marcus cheers her on while you and Carmy share a soft, chaste kiss, welcoming Ava with open arms as she runs towards you. 
“That was so good, baby,” Richie exclaims, when it’s his turn to scoop Ava up into his arms as you get out of your seat. Allowing Richie to sit next to Carmy while the two gush over her performance, you get up, eager to help put the karaoke machine away. 
As she watches, Nat reminds herself that this is what family looks like – this is the family she wants for her baby – even if it means something, someones, are missing.
And it’s as if she can’t hold back her tears anymore, excusing herself as she jerks her body away from Pete’s grasp, hurrying back inside so as not to cause a scene. 
“What just-?” Pete begins. 
“I’ll go,” you assure him, having witnessed the whole interaction. “I-, it’s not you, Pete. I’ll go.”
It doesn’t take you long to find Nat, though she’s not where you expected her to be, having run all the way upstairs when you find her sitting on the floor of the baby’s nursery – one you helped paint and get ready over a month ago. 
“Hey, everything alright?” you ask, as you gently push the door open. 
“Yeah, no, I’m fine,” she sniffles, wiping tears out of her eyes as she realizes she’s no longer alone. 
“Nat, what… what’s going on?” you ask her, joining her on the floor. 
But it seems as if your question only makes it worse as her face crumbles once more, beginning to cry. 
“Oh no! I-, Nat, sweetie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it even worse.”
“No, no, you didn’t. It’s just these… stupid pregnancy hormones!” she exclaims, frustratedly, earning a small laugh from the both of you. 
She takes a beat, and then a breath, and then finally, she feels ready to tell you. 
“It’s Mom,” she admits, even though she really doesn’t want it to be. “I just can’t believe she didn’t show. It’s stupid, I know.” 
You nod in understanding, before scooting a little closer to her, “It’s not stupid! And I’m sorry. For the both of you, really. Carmy doesn’t want to talk about it but, I know he’s some combination of relieved and disappointed too.” 
Sugar sighs, “Yeah that uh, that sums it up pretty well. About anything involving Mom these days.” 
Nat takes another breath, and another beat, because she knows she’s safe to share this with you. 
“I just… I’ve just been thinking a lot… with the baby and everything. About family. About motherhood. I mean, your parents are so great and I-. I’m just sad for us, you know?”
“I’m sad for you too,” you empathize, rubbing soothing circles on her back, before leaning back on both of your hands instead. 
“God, I’m so sorry. It’s your wedding day and I’m causing all the drama,” Nat begins to apologize. 
“Oh, you have nothing to be sorry for!” you interrupt her, quick to dismiss any notion of that. “You lent us your house and put together all of this in your backyard on top of accompanying us to the courthouse! You have nothing to apologize for.”
Sugar nods slowly, processing what you’ve just said, realizing that you and Pete have been such big role models of unconditional love for her. 
“Wanna know what I think?” you ask, your voice a little more optimistic this time. 
“What’s up?” she asks back, stealing a glance your way. 
“I think… that now that I’m a Berzatto… and with your little Bear on the way,” you begin, painting her the picture. “We’ve got a whole new chance to write a new chapter for the Berzattos.” 
She looks your way once more, because these are the words she didn’t know she needed to hear. 
“And with that… we can make this… make our families anything we want them to be filled with love, and joy, and-, well, only a little drama because you know, you guys are… you. But… Sug. This can all start with us, you know?”
“You really think so?” she asks you, a hopeful look in her eyes. 
“Yeah,” you answer, confidently. 
She nods slowly once more, almost as if she’s letting herself believe them. 
“Thank you. For checking in on me. For… this,” she says softly, sniffling again. 
“That’s what sisters are for,” you repeat her words back to her, one’s that she’s said to you time and time again. 
“We should probably get back out there,” Sugar suggests, sitting up a little taller this time. 
“Yeeeaaaaahhhhh,” you sigh, disappointedly, this time making a joke as you continue with: “We don’t want to start any rumors about us running away together. 
Nat snorts with laughter, thanking you for always making her laugh, as you stand up, making your way to your feet. You hold out your hands, helping Nat up to hers this time, before the two of you head back downstairs. 
“Hey,” Carmy says, as soon as he sees the two of you. “Pete said you disappeared.”
“We were just talking about some stuff,” you reply, sharing a look with Sugar before releasing her hand. 
“I’ll leave the two of you to it,” she says, before slipping out through the back door. 
“Everything okay?” Carmy asks, his brow knitted together in concern. 
You nod, “Yeah, she’s alright. How’re you doing?”
“Today? I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he replies, a smile on his lips that makes you melt. 
“Damn right you are,” you reply, pressing your lips against his. 
It’s a private moment for just you two, where you can kiss him like you want to, and you have to admit that the lipstick holds up. Wrapping your arms around his neck as his hands go to your waist, you propose a grand idea to your husband:
“Now that cake has been cut… what do you say… we spend a little more time with our guests, say our goodbyes… then we get our honeymoon started early? Think uh… our room at the Langham should be ready by now.”
“Thought we already did that this morning,” Carmy smirks, kissing you again. 
You giggle, leaning your forehead against his, “You know what I mean, jerk.” 
Carmy scoffs, shaking his head incredulously as he feigns hurt, “Married for a few hours and you’re already insulting me.” Instead of adding anything else, he simply pulls you in closer by your hips murmuring against your lips:
“Alright then, Mrs. Berzatto. Then let’s go say goodbye to our guests.”
“it's a love story, baby, just say, "yes" – taylor swift, ‘love story’
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sebscore · 1 year
Text
LUCK OF A CHAMPION | SEBASTIAN V.
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pairing: sebastian vettel x fem!reader 
warnings: swearing. 
time - place stamp: september 14, 2008 - Monza, Italy 
author's note: AAH !! already on the second chapter!! the first time seb and reader meet at the italian grand prix!! the dialogue in bold is german and the dialogue in cursive is french!
masterlist 
• • • • • • •
''Miss Y/L! We are so happy to have you here,'' an older man approached in front of the Toro Rosso garage, ''It's really nice to meet you, I'm Franz Tost- the team principal of Toro Rosso.'' He introduced himself, sticking out his hand. 
A warm smile appeared on the young woman's face, she confidently shook his head. ''It's very nice to see you, Franz. Thank you so much for having me.'' 
''It's our pleasure! We're very big fans and the team is very excited to meet you.'' The French athlete had her doubts about the F1 team being ''big fans'', but Franz's words came across as genuine. 
She nodded her head, the PR-friendly smile still glued on her face. ''Well, that's very kind.'' 
''I was informed this is your first time at a Grand Prix?'' He asked, slowly guiding her into the garage. ''Yes, it's my first time attending a race.'' She confirmed with a small nod.
''Fantastic!'' An Austrian accent slightly coming out. ''We're very honoured you chose to be with us today, Miss Y/L.'' 
''You can call me Y/N, Franz. I'm not an old lady or anything, you can relax.'' The tennis star assured him, not a big fan of the formalities the older man was using. 
Franz chuckled at her words, a bit embarrassed. ''My apologies! We don't often receive young women into our garage so it's a habit.'' He clarified. 
''It's okay, I understand.'' Y/N brushed it off. 
''Anyway- I'll explain some things. So, here,'' he pointed towards a few men who were seemingly doing some work on one of the cars, ''we have the mechanics, they're currently working on Sebastian's car.'' 
She politely nodded along, paying attention to his words. 
''There you have the engineers, they talk to the drivers while they're racing and keep them informed about a variety of things.'' Franz further explained, pointing to some guys that were observing the computer screens. 
Y/N glanced around the quite busy garage, spotting a familiar face. ''There's Sébastien!'' She signalled to the older Frenchman to approach them. 
The pair had met on numerous occasions, both being French athletes. She had been the one to reach out to him regarding her attendance, hoping he'd be able to get her a ticket to one of his races. Sébastien happily agreed to fix her a special pass, delighted to invite her to the Italian Grand Prix. 
''Y/N, how are you? Happy to see you here.'' The driver greeted her in French, a kiss on both of her cheeks. ''I don't have much time, but they told me you arrived so I wanted to quickly pop in and say hi.'' 
''I'm good, thank you for asking and also thank you for getting me here,'' she grinned, making the Frenchman laugh, ''good luck with your race, I'll be rooting for you.'' 
''Merci.'' He thanked her, nodding his head to Franz who seemed quite clueless about their conversation- his understanding of the French language not being advanced enough yet. 
The team principal awkwardly scratched his voice as Sébastian left them alone to prepare for his race. ''You would like a closer look to the car?'' He asked her, pointing at the machinery with the number five on it. 
''Yes, please.'' At her confirmation, he led her to the car. ''This is the cockpit,'' Franz motioned his hands over the area, ''and as you can see, the drivers are basically laying in there.'' He simplified. 
''Is it comfortable?'' She asked the team principal, genuine curiosity audible. 
Franz excitedly nodded his head. ''Yes, very very comfortable! The seats are custom made for every driver on the grid so they fit perfectly.'' 
''Do they ever fall asleep?'' Y/N chuckled, a joking tone to her question. 
The man laughed at the inquiry, surprised by the woman's sense of humour and unfeigned interest in the sport. ''With our two drivers it hasn't happened, but with others it has definitely happened before.'' Franz answered. 
''But not during a race!'' He quickly added, not wanting her to think that drivers have fallen asleep while driving the fast cars. 
''I hope not, that would be tragic.'' Y/N commented, a laugh attached to her words. 
Franz snickered along with her. ''It would be indeed. The mechanics wouldn't be too happy with that either so we're happy it hasn't happened yet.'' 
''But to continue- this is the steering wheel and as you can see, it's quite complica-'' 
''Hey Franz, are you rea- oh…'' 
A curly-haired young man appeared next to the team principal, taking the young woman by surprise. The unknown man's eyes widened as he stared at her, the tennis star becoming slightly uncomfortable by the guy's gawking.  
The older man in-between them seemed to grasp her uneasiness. ''Oh. This is one of our drivers, Sebastian Vettel. He scored our first pole position yesterday and hopefully, our first win today.'' Franz introduced him. 
Y/N stuck out her hand, intended for him to shake it. ''It's nice to meet you, Sebastian.'' He instead grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. ''It's very nice to meet you too, Miss Y/N Y/L.'' 
The woman was impressed by the greeting, raising an eyebrow at the gentleman in front of her. ''You know me. Are you a fan of tennis?'' There was a surprising tone to her voice, his boss hadn't introduced her by name. 
Sebastian shook his head, dropping her hand. ''No, I'm just a fan of you.'' He proudly grinned, crossing his arms. 
''Well, thank you very much. I'm flattered.'' The athlete would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by the man's confidence, her interest in getting to know who this Sebastian Vettel was growing by each passing second. 
The German driver unsubtly looked her up and down. ''As far as I know, this is a Formula 1 event, right? You're not gonna find any courts around here.'' He joked, glancing around the garage and pretending to look for a tennis court. 
Y/N laughed at his antics. ''I must have gotten the wrong memo, I was promised a rematch with Venus,'' she feigned annoyance, placing her hands on her hips, ''but, uh, your teammate actually invited me.'' 
''Sébastien?'' He frowned. ''I wasn't aware he knew you. He's been hiding you from me, I can't believe it.'' It was Sebastian's turn to pretend to be agitated, although there might be a truth to his annoyance. 
Sebastian wouldn't describe himself as a tennis fanatic, but whenever the French prodigy in front of him would play, he would find himself clinged to the television. Was it her genuine skills as an athlete or the fact that he fancied her in a short skirt? Who would know. 
''We've met on a couple of occasions.'' Y/N explained her history with his Toro Rosso teammate. Sébastien and herself were French athletes so they have had a few run-ins with each other at dull award shows. 
''I see,'' Sebastian nodded, ''he just didn't want to share you with me.'' 
His flirtatious remarks not only surprised Franz and Y/N, but himself as well. The 21 year-old had always seen himself as quite a flirty pal, but he had never gone to this level with someone he had just met. It didn't help much that the woman standing opposite him was seemingly enjoying every word he said. 
''I guess that's the case,'' she matched the light smirk on his face, ''but I'm very happy he didn't, cause otherwise I wouldn't be here.'' 
''I'll make sure to thank him after the race.'' Sebastian chuckled, shyly breaking the eye-contact they had been holding for what seemed like forever. ''But, uhm, you're still in recovery? From Roland Garros?'' He asked, dropping the grin as he asked about her injury. 
''Yes, I had a surgery in June.'' She confirmed. 
The tennis star sustained a back injury at the French Open of that same year. It happened quite early in the tournament, but she continued playing instead of retiring from the competition. It was the first time in 3 years that she managed to make the final at Roland Garros, she couldn't win last time and wasn't going to let that opportunity slip again- even if it cost her the rest of her season. 
She did manage to win the final, winning her first French Open title of her career. However, there wasn't much of a celebration as she collapsed after taking the championship point, the pain in her back too much to bear. She was brought to the hospital and was informed she would need to receive surgery and a long recovery process. 
''Have you been training again, or how is it going?'' Sebastian continued, interested in her physical state and when he would be able to see her play again. 
Y/N unsurely shook her head. ''Uh, I've had some training sessions with my coach, but nothing too serious.'' She answered, an unconscious pout present on her face. 
''That's a good start,'' Sebastian encouragingly smiled, noticing the slight decline in courage, ''too bad I won't see you compete soon, though.'' He frowned, genuinely downhearted by her recovery break. 
''You'll have to wait until January.'' 
That's when the first tournament of the new WTA season took place in Australia, something she had been working towards for the past 2 months. Y/N had always been a self-assured person- some of her competitors might say ''arrogant'', but she knew her worth. Still, 2 months of not picking up a racquet had seriously messed with her mentality and doubts had formed in her mind about her future performances as a professional athlete. 
Those doubts were visible to Sebastian even if she didn't vocalise them. ''I know you'll make a great comeback, tennis isn't the same without you.'' 
''My lovely colleagues would happily disagree with you.'' The sarcastic comment made him laugh, taken aback by her sense of humour. 
He shook his head. ''They're just jealous! They actually have a chance now that you're not playing.'' 
''That's very sweet of you, thanks.'' Y/N brushed it off, the amount of praise he was giving her making her a bit shy.
''You know what? I think having a champion here will actually give me some luck for the race, don't you think?'' He told her, her presence giving him all the energy he needed before the Grand Prix. 
Y/N snickered at him. ''You got pole position yesterday! I think you're doing fine on your own.'' 
''No, seriously! You being here will definitely have an influence- I can't embarrass myself in front of a Grand Slam champion, right?'' Sebastian's words lifted her spirits, not used to athletes of other sports speaking and thinking so highly of her. 
''You're flattering me, Sebastian.'' Y/N moved a few strands of hair out of her face. 
''Seb.''
''Pardonne?''
''Call me Seb, Y/N.'' 
A tingly feeling settled in her stomach as he asked her to call him by his nickname, meanwhile the way he said her name send goosebumps down her neck. 
She timidly nodded her head. ''Alright… Seb.'' Y/N couldn't help but match the smirk on his face, taking way too much joy out of this interaction. 
''Uh,'' Sebastian looked next to him where Franz previously stood, but now nowhere to be found, ''oh, he's gone.'' He chuckled, feeling slightly guilty for leaving his boss in the dark. ''I have to go, though, but I'll see you after the race?'' He looked at her with a hopeful glance, not wanting this moment to be the last time he saw her. 
A smile slowly formed on her face, his attempt at nonchalance malfunctioning. ''I'll find you on the podium.'' Y/N winked. 
Sebastian's cheeks heated up at her response, her confidence that he would finish in the top three flustering the Toro Rosso driver. ''Yeah, yeah- I'll see you there.'' With a final long glance, he made his way over to his engineer. 
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The Toro Rosso garage erupted into chaos once the German took the chequered flag, their and his first F1 win in the pocket. Y/N observed the mechanics falling into each other's arms and yielding their fists into the air, meanwhile the pit wall yanked their headphones off and jumped up from their chairs in overjoy. 
As a fellow athlete, she understood the excitement that came from winning your first big achievement like winning a Grand Prix. You work almost your entire life for just an ounce of success and when it finally pays off? It's a feeling you can't describe. 
Y/N was guided to the podium ceremony by a staff member, standing behind the team as Sebastian appeared from the inside of the building and strided to the top step while the team and crowd cheered him on. 
The tennis star chuckled at the driver holding up his index finger, a symbolised No. 1, and the way he seemed to be poking it in everyone's faces. 
Despite standing at the very back and doing her best efforts to let the Toro Rosso crew have their moment, Sebastian found her in the mass- pointing said finger at her and threw her a smug look as if to say ''I told you you would bring me luck''. 
The woman nodded at him, raising her arms above her head and applauding him. 
Y/N flinched when the German national anthem ended, and the drivers started spraying each other with their champagne bottles. She turned to the staff member next to her. ''Do they always do this?'' She asked. 
The staff nodded, amused by the athlete's shock. ''Yes, every race!'' 
''Wow… a nice combination with the sweat.'' Y/N was quite disgusted by the stank that would come off from the drivers- champagne and sweat not being a satisfying mix. 
After the ceremony was done, she was brought to the Toro Rosso hospitality. Many of the mechanics, engineers and others were, contrary to what she first believed, actual fans of the young athlete and wanted the chance to grab a picture with her. 
Y/N didn't mind sticking around a little longer than what was planned. She appreciated the support she was given, especially now that she's injured and might have already passed her prime. Besides, the Toro Rosso team had been extremely kind to her the entire day and it was only right of her to reciprocate the kindness. 
A tap on her shoulder made her turn around right as she handed one of the strategists their napkin back that she had autographed. 
She was met with a smirking Sebastian, holding a small camera. ''Can I get a picture as well?''
The 21 year-old woman lightly pushed his arm with her hand, laughing at the question. ''Hey, congratulations, Mr. First Race Win.'' Y/N bowed her head. 
''Thank you, thank you, but what about my picture?'' He brushed her congratulations to the side.
The athlete jokingly scoffed. ''They already took one of us in the garage, you've had your chance, Vettel.'' She figured he was taking the piss out of her and all the people that wanted a photo with the tennis star. 
''But that's for the publicity, this is just for me.'' He contended. 
There was a certain tone to his voice, one that explained to her that he might actually wanted a photo with her- and not to just be funny and tease her. 
Y/N sighed, but agreed. ''Alright then. If it's just for you.'' 
Sebastian held up his fist, the same way she did after winning a point in a tournament. ''Yes,'' he glanced around, his eyes falling upon a man sitting at one of the tables, ''Riccardo!'' He called him over. 
Riccardo was surprised by the sudden call of his name, but stood up anyway once he noticed Sebastian waving at him. 
''He's my engineer.'' He quickly told Y/N, seeing her confused expression. ''Hey, can you take a picture for me? Of us?'' The German asked his engineer, who nodded at the request. 
Sebastian handed him the camera and stood next to the tennis player. He rested his hand on her back, but swiftly retreated it. ''Is that okay?'' 
Y/N moved her head towards him, surprised by his concern over touching her. ''It's okay, don't worry.'' She consented, putting her own hand on his back. 
''1, 2, 3. Cheese!'' Riccardo counted down and snapped a few pictures, knowing Sebastian would appreciate a couple of candids. ''Can I get a picture as well?'' The engineer asked, smiling when he saw Y/N nod. 
''Here, Seb.'' Riccardo gave him the device back and the two men switched roles. 
Sebastian had an indifferent expression on his face as he took the pictures of them, a vast difference from just a few seconds before when he was grinning from ear-to-ear. ''Okay, I got it. Don't want my card to be full.'' The driver put the camera down and back into his bag. 
''Thanks, mate,'' Riccardo warily glanced at Sebastian, ''it was very nice to meet you. You should invite the entire team to a match next year.'' The older man joked (but not entirely), looking at Y/N. 
''Thank you all for having me, I had a really nice time,'' she thanked them, ''and about that- I'll see what I can do.'' The Frenchwoman chuckled. She was fond of everyone, but fitting an entire Formula 1 team on the courtside? That would be a guaranteed challenge. 
''Hopefully see you soon, then. Seb, see you tonight.'' Riccardo bid them goodbye, walking towards where the other pit wall crew members were seated. 
At his engineer's ''tonight'' a ring went off in Sebastian's head. ''Oh, uh, we're celebrating tonight with everyone- would you, uh, like to come as well? It would be really cool if you were there.'' He uncharacteristically stumbled over his words a bit, barely managing to get the question out. 
''I don't know,'' she hesitated accepting the invitation, ''I have quite an early flight tomorrow and I really can't miss it.'' 
There were more reasons behind her uncertainty than a simple worry over missing her flight to Paris the next day. She liked socialising, but she had only met everyone for the first time today and most of them were panicking about being in her presence. 
The doubt in her mind was clear to him. ''You don't have to, but the option is there. How about you give me your number and I'll send you the address and hour- you can decide for yourself if you want to go.'' 
His suggestion was reasonable, she figured. That way she also had the young man's phone number, something she wouldn't hesitate taking. ''Okay.'' 
Sebastian quickly reached for his phone in the back of his jeans at her agreement, unlocking it and opening his contacts app, and handing the device over to her. 
''There… you… go.'' She bit on her lip as she concentrated on typing her number in, unaware of Sebastian's unsubtle fascination with her action. Y/N gave the phone back once she was done. ''I already send a message to myself so I'm sure it's your number.'' 
''Great! So I'll maybe see you later.'' The young man didn't want to say goodbye to her, but he still had things to discuss with the team and not even a Grand Slam champion could make him escape out of his responsibilities. 
Y/N nodded at him, an enchanting smile hanging on her face. ''Maybe, yeah,'' she smirked, ''again, congrats on your first win. I'm sure many will follow soon.'' 
''Let's hope there will be more,'' Sebastian had gotten the taste of success now and he wanted more, way more, ''but, uh, in case I don't see you again- it was very nice to meet you, Miss Y/N Y/L.'' 
''It was nice to meet you as well. You have my number so if you miss me too much you can just give me a call.'' She grinned, throwing out the flirty remark. 
The German licked his lip, taking a few moments to compose himself. ''I'll definitely keep that in mind.'' He smiled to himself. 
Y/N chuckled at his shy state. ''Bye, Sebastian.'' At the mention of his full name, he was about to correct her to use the shortened version, but she beat him to it. ''Sorry- Seb.'' 
''Goodbye.'' He bid her farewell. 
Sebastian watched her leave, his eyes following the woman like a puppy when their owner leaves for the day. As soon as she was out of his sight, he pulled his phone from his pocket again and opened his messages. He knew he should have waited a little longer before sending her the address and hour of the meet-up, but he couldn't help himself. Perhaps the young man didn't want her to forget him, he wanted her attention. 
While in the debrief with his team, he kept taking glances at his phone- something unusual for him to do, especially during discussions about the race that had taken place. 
Her response came in the middle of Franz's opinion on the tyre management, causing Sebastian to make a surprise jolt in his chair, receiving a few side-eyes from the others. ''Sorry… a cramp.'' He apologised, making up an excuse. 
| Y/N Y/L: I'll stop by :) I can't stay for too long, but I won't say no to a good celebration! 
| Seb Vettel (the flirty f1 guy): Nice! I will see you there then :) 
| Y/N Y/L: is there a dress code? 
Sebastian loudly chuckled at her question, making him apologise again for interrupting the team boss. ''Sorry, sorry!'' He put his phone away for a minute before sneakily grabbing it again to answer her. 
| Seb Vettel (the flirty f1 guy): I don't know
| Seb Vettel (the flirty f1 guy): casual, I guess. 
| Y/N Y/L: boring, but alright :) 
''No dress code?'' Y/N mumbled to herself, frowning. ''Pinnacle of motorsport my ass.'' The young woman had eventually agreed to go, planning to stay for about an hour or two. She wasn't going to drink any alcohol, because she had a practice the next day and a potential hangover isn't something she needed. 
She considered it a night-out so usually she would go for something more elegant, but since Sebastian told her it was casual, she went for a simple pair of jeans and a blouse. 
The young athlete couldn't get the German gentleman out of her head in the hours leading up to the celebration of his first win. Some time had passed since she last felt intrigued by someone on this level and that had been her former boyfriend. 
There was something about Sebastian. 
Was it the way he treated her like she was the queen of the universe or the way the man couldn't take his eyes off of her? Either way, she liked it. 
Y/N walked into the Italian establishment with excitement, curious to see what a night with a Formula One team looked like. The space was mostly filled by the Toro Rosso Team, most of them already having had some drinks. She could see some of the mechanics dancing and other crew members cheering them on. 
Unsurprisingly, Sebastian was the first person to notice her arrival. He immediately stood up from his chair, making the people around him flinch due to the suddenness of it. He didn't hesitate in walking over to her, grabbing her attention by waving and a call of her name. 
He greeted her with a hug. ''Hey, you actually came!'' Y/N was taken by surprise, not expecting him to embrace her. 
''Of course, wouldn't want to miss it.'' She smiled. 
''Can I get you something to drink? They have a bunch of good stuff here.'' Sebastian politely offered, pointing at the bar. 
Y/N glanced to where he signalled. ''Uh, do they have non-alcoholic drinks?'' She hesitated. Sometimes people can act judgemental when someone doesn't want to drink alcohol, especially at parties. 
''Sure, I think they have mocktails actually.'' He answered, not making a big deal out of her not wanting to have any strong drinks. 
She nodded, appreciating his nonchalance. ''Great, I'll have one of those then.'' 
Sebastian guided her to the counter, his hand on her lower back. Y/N kept a strong hold on her bag with her two hands, trying not to start acting giddy at the physical contact. 
''The menu is on the wall,'' he signalled to the board in front of them with all of their drinks and prices written in chalk, ''let me know when you've chosen something, I'll pay for it.'' The German concluded. 
''You're paying? Shouldn't it be the other way?'' Y/N chuckled, wanting to buy him a drink since he was the one who invited her- out of politeness. 
Sebastian brushed it off with a wave of his hand. ''No, I'm feeling generous tonight.'' He said, a wink following his words. 
She raised her eyebrow at that, sensing an innuendo behind the sentence. ''Well- I'll just have a mojito mocktail, can't go wrong with that.'' She chose her drink, looking from the menu back to Sebastian. 
He nodded at her choice, and waved the bartender over. ''A mojito mocktail and a beer, please.'' The older woman behind the bar praised their options and got to work on their drinks. The pair sat down on the stools at the counter as they waited on her. 
''So how does it feel to be a Grand Prix winner now?'' Y/N turned to him. 
Sebastian laughed at the question. ''I feel really great. If someone had told me going into this week that I would cross the line first, I wouldn't have believed them.'' He answered, still in a state of shock about his performance today. 
''I know I haven't been watching the sport for that long, but you did really great today.'' The tennis player complimented him, sincerity flowing from her lips. 
''Thank you,'' the German smiled in appreciation, ''how long have you been into the sport?'' 
''After I was done with my surgery, I had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks and my doctor was actually a huge F1 fan,'' she explained, ''and I was really bored, cause I laid in my hospital bed all day and couldn't do anything, and he came into my room and I told him how bored I was, and he told me the qualifying of the Canadian Grand Prix was on tv. I didn't have much better things to do so I put it on and I liked it. I watched the race the next day and have been following the season since then.'' She recapped how her interest in F1 came to be. 
''I think your doctor just wanted to use your tv to watch the race.'' Sebastian laughed, finding humour in the origin of her curiosity in the sport. 
Y/N laughed along, admiring the way his eyes smiled. ''Yeah, maybe- oh, thank you'' the bartender set their drinks down in front of them, giving them a polite grin, ''uh, yeah, he suddenly did a few more check-up visits than were necessary.'' She chuckled, finishing her sentence. 
''I think Robert won that race…'' Sebastian thought out loud, trying to recall the results of the Grand Prix in Montréal. 
''Uh… Kubica, yes- I'm still trying to learn the names.'' Y/N said, feeling slight embarrassment of not being able to recognise Robert's right away. 
The German gave her a comforting smile. ''That's okay, there are 20 of us, it's hard.'' He assured her. 
Y/N thanked him and took a sip of her drink, needing some refreshment. 
''You already know my name and that's the most important one, if you ask me.'' Sebastian added, the smirk making a re-appearance. 
''Sure,'' she responded with a small laugh, ''but, uh, is this your first season in F1?'' 
Sebastian hesitantly answered. ''Uhm, it's my first full season in F1. Last year, I was a reserve driver first, but then I replaced someone else mid-season.'' He explained to her. 
''Oh, okay cool. How long have you been racing?'' She continued, curious about his history with the sport. 
''I started karting when I was 3 year-old.'' 
''Wow, that's young,'' her eyes widened at his answer, ''how did you get into it? You have a family that races?'' 
''I think it was my dad- I'm not too sure, I just loved it. At first, I wanted to be a singer like Michael Jackson, but I quickly found out I didn't have the voice for it.'' He took a big gulp from his beer, the coldness visibly relaxing him. 
Y/N chuckled, not expecting Sebastian to have wanted a singing career. ''That's surprising, wouldn't have gathered you for a singer.'' 
''Wait until you hear me in karaoke, you'll change your mind,'' he grinned, ''but, what about you? How long have you been playing tennis?'' He turned the curious interrogation on her. 
''Since I was 4,'' her response was equally surprising to him as well, ''my dad was a big tennis fan and we would watch matches together on the tv. I would like- copy the way the women were playing and would pretend the remote was my racquet.'' She tittered, the image of her younger self appearing in her mind. 
''That's cute,'' Sebastian felt honoured to get such a personal answer from her, the female athlete often coming across as closed-off, ''so your dad got you into it?'' 
''Yeah, and not too far from where we lived was a tennis club so he signed me up for lessons.'' She replied. 
''And the rest was history, as they say.'' He smirked, making a weird gesture with his hands. 
''Yes,'' she beamed, a certain pride filling her as the talked about her career, ''but it's a little complicated now.'' An injury in your back is a huge setback for an athlete, especially a tennis player. 
''I'm confident you will recover- everyone sees how much you love the sport and how much the sport loves you back.'' 
Sebastian's words meant more to her than she could express in that moment so she hoped the appreciative look on her face told him enough. 
Luckily for her, he did understand. The comfortable silence that followed was one of two people connecting in a room full of people, but their eyes and minds were only on each other. It was something new for both of them; it was intriguing. 
''Your partner must be proud of you, you've achieved so much already.'' Sebastian did a horrible attempt at trying to find out if the woman in front of him was in a relationship or not. 
Y/N snickered at his words, immediately figuring out what he's trying to do. ''I don't have a boyfriend, actually- I don't know where you got that from.'' She teasingly smirked, his red ears and cheeks working wonders on her confidence. 
''I think I read something about, a Spanish footballer or something.'' It had been a rumour a few months ago, splashed on the cover of a gossip magazine he had passed in the supermarket. 
''Oh, that,'' it hadn't been the first time she was linked to an athlete she had coincidentally been in the same room with, ''no, that's not happening.'' 
''Good.'' A flash of relief went through his body as she denied the relationship, a deep breath leaving his body. 
His physical response didn't go unnoticed and a coy smile played on her lips. ''What about you?'' 
Sebastian should have seen the question coming, yet he was surprised as she asked him about his love life. ''Oh, uh, actually-'' 
''Excuse me… are you Y/N Y/L?'' One of the waitresses interrupted Sebastian, glancing at the young woman with nervous eyes. 
Y/N's gaze went from the driver to the, what she presumed, 18 year-old girl who held a notepad and pen in her hands. ''Yes, that's me.'' She confirmed her identity with a polite smile. 
''I'm sorry to bother you, but could I get an autograph? I also play tennis and you're one of my favourite players.'' She asked in a very small voice, scared the athlete would reject her. 
''Of course, what's your name?'' Y/N took the notepad and pen from the waitress' hands. 
''Chiara.'' 
''To Chiara, thank you for the support! Keep playing!'' She wrote in small letters on the piece of paper, adding her signature at the bottom. She gave it back to Chiara who was grinning from ear to ear as she read over what she wrote to her. 
The waitress let out a squeal, surprising both Y/N and Sebastian. ''Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I hope to see you next year when you're playing in Rome!'' 
''I hope to see you too! Have a nice night, sweetie.'' She bid the fan goodbye, a bright smile on her face. 
''You too, thank you again.'' Chiara quickly turned around, running over to one of her co-workers and showing the autograph off. 
Y/N moved her focus back to Sebastian, who waited patiently for her attention. ''Sorry, what were we talking about again?'' She couldn't remember what they were discussing before they got interrupted. 
Sebastian knew he should have spoken the truth and answered her question on if he was taken or not. He knew that. ''We were talking about your recovery.'' 
Yet, he didn't. 
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taglist :: @dannyramirezwife @luligirl_ @mistrose23 @azxulaa @develised @princesselle2111 @topguncultleader @poppyalice2001 @komorebi21 @Livster @spanishgp @red5seb @lilsiz @gagaga167 @perihelionova @callsignscully @nyenye
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Chapter 1
(Eddie Munson x PlusSize!Fem!Reader)
Follow my new blog for future chapters & fics @eddiexmunsonlover
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WC: 2.8k Warnings: MDNI. Explicit language used. Parental alcohol abuse, toxic family relationships, and bullying mentioned. Author's Note: This first chapter is on the shorter side as it is mainly set-up, and provides a lot of information on Reader's background and friendships with other main characters.
Sunday, September 15th, 1985
The warm September air engulfs your face, blowing through your hair as the familiar streets of Hawkins pass by. Sitting in the passenger seat, head leaning against the door frame, and Led Zeppelin playing on a cassette tape as your mom drives the route home. Your new, and old home. It still didn’t feel quite real that you were back here, not so soon, and not to stay. Though you weren’t born there, Hawkins has always been the place you think of when you hear ‘home’. It wasn’t just the town or the trailer you’d lived in, but the people here that you held the fondest memories of in your heart and formed the deepest bonds you’ve ever had with anyone.
You were born in Virginia, and lived there until you were 8 years old. Until Dad’s drinking led him to lose yet another job, leaving your mother at a loss for what to do. She was smart and skilled, but didn’t make nearly enough money to support the family at the time. Her sister, Aunt Patty, encouraged your family to move out to where she lived in Hawkins, Indiana. Maybe a big move and change of pace was just what your family needed, she suggested. So, the summer before the start of 4th grade in 1976, your family made the move to the Forest Hills Trailer Park in Hawkins, Indiana. Your uncle helped your dad get a job with him doing construction, while your mother managed to find a decent paying receptionist job. 
Your home life wasn’t great. Your parent’s relationship was tumultuous at best, largely due to your father’s drinking problems. You and your mother at times were the best of friends, other times she made you feel like you were never good enough to meet her standards, whether it was with your weight, your grades, or how you dressed. Your school life had never been great either, and that didn’t change in Hawkins. You occasionally dealt with bullies that liked to make fat jokes, but it wasn’t all bad, you also formed some good, solid friendships too. 
Meanwhile, the issues at home and with your parents’ marriage only intensified after the move. After 6 years in Hawkins, your mom had finally had enough of your dad’s bullshit, kicking him out and planning to divorce him. A couple days later, he landed in Jail for a DUI, his 3rd one to be specific. A week after that, 3 months into your 10th grade year in late 1982, a UHAUL was packed up with all your belongings, moving your mom and you back to Virginia to stay with family. 
While the events of your home and school life were sometimes painful, you were grateful that they led you to seek out music for comfort and coping. Music is the love of your life, and what you always turn to when life and your thoughts feel like it’s just too much to bear. It started with the classics that your family raised you on, from Patsy Cline to Jimi Hendrix to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Johnny Cash. You loved all kinds of music, expanding your taste and catalog to a huge variety throughout the years, even beginning to work odd jobs in your early teens to fund your musical exploration. Music wasn’t just a way for you to escape, but became a way to express yourself as well. You learned how to play guitar and bass, and began songwriting as well as a means of emotional release and self-expression. It was the only thing that kept you sane through your life transitions, especially during the years living in Hawkins when problems at home intensified. Music, and him… Eddie Munson.
*Oh, all of my love, all of my love
Oh, all of my love to you…*
Your chest tightened as your thoughts inevitably went to him, how could they not? You tried your best to steer your mind away from him during the move back to Hawkins, but it was pointless. Eddie had been your best friend all those years you lived here, some of the hardest years of your life. Honestly, he was the best friend you’ve ever had. You liked to think you were the same for him, at least then. Your trailer was right across the street from Eddie’s Uncle Wayne’s trailer, Eddie oftentimes staying with Wayne for weeks or months at a time whenever Al Munson disappeared on a bender, some crime scheme, or his stints in jail. Though, you didn’t end up meeting Eddie until a few months after you moved and started 4th grade at Hawkins Elementary. 
A soft smile creeps across your face as you remember 5th grade Eddie, coming to your rescue when you tripped in the hallway at school, other students standing around and laughing at you. Your 9 year old self was mortified, so embarrassed, until Eddie appeared and told them all where they could shove it, effectively clearing the halls of students and helping you up. From then on, anytime he was at Wayne’s you two would hang out; playing make believe in the woods next to the trailer park, Eddie teaching you how to play DnD, sharing books, music, and watching scary movies. You two bonded over your pain caused by your family and Hawkins’ residents who’d branded you as outcasts. You both harbored a lot of pain and anger, sharing a love for metal music as the perfect cathartic release for those emotions. You’d become so close over the years. You often missed him during the times you didn’t get to see him as much, like whenever his Dad returned home and he wasn’t at Wayne’s as much, or when he moved on to middle and high school, being a grade ahead of you. Your friendship remained strong during those times regardless. 
But all of that is in the past. He was your best friend… though in your heart he still is, and always will be.
*I get a little bit lonely, just a little, just a little
Just a little bit lonely, just a little bit lonely*
You sigh as the song comes to an end and the sign for Forest Hills Trailer Park came into view. You hold your breath as your mother turns onto your road, Uncle Wayne’s trailer and yours coming into view. You don’t know why you feel anxious, Eddie would have graduated in ‘84, and likely gotten the hell out of Hawkins as soon as he could. Probably out in LA trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. You shook the thoughts from your head, noting the unfamiliar van in Wayne’s driveway as your mother pulled into your own across the street.
She sighs as she puts the car into park next to yours, a black ‘81 Chevy C10 truck that your father so generously gifted you upon hearing of your return to Hawkins. It’s the LEAST he could do. Your mother looked at you with a small smile, “Home sweet home”. You return her smile before both exiting her station wagon and begin unloading the last of your belongings. Your mom and you had already been back in Hawkins for a few days, staying with your Aunt Patty while coming to the trailer everyday to deep clean before moving back in. You could only assume your Dad had hit a rough patch when you heard he was being evicted from the trailer, missing a few rent payments. Around the same time back in Virginia as you were starting your senior year, your mom got laid off from her job. An old coworker from Hawkins then just so happened to tell her about an open position at her new job in Indianapolis, one that paid more than either of your Mom’s old jobs in Hawkins or Virginia. When she heard about your dad, it was decided, circumstances aligning perfectly. Upend your life and move back to Hawkins, again. You can’t say you were really upset about it, Hawkins has been home for you since that fateful day in 4th grade.
~
Eddie groaned in frustration. Searching his vest pockets, under his blanket, on any flat surface in his room for his goddamn cigarettes, patience quickly wearing thin. He huffed, looking along the floor of his room, around dirty and clean clothes thrown about until he saw the familiar package peeking out from under his bed. “There you areeee” a cheeky smile adorning his face as he grabbed it from the floor, swiftly removing a cigarette and putting it between his lips. He sat down on a chair he had propped next to the open window in his room as he lit the cigarette, taking a puff before looking out his window. Eyes landing on what appeared to be new neighbors moving into the trailer across the street. Your trailer. Wayne had told him about your dad, a small voice of hope in the back of his head wondered if you’d come back. A voice he’d quickly squashed. It’s been nearly 3 years since you’d left, and though he knew better than to think the thoughts of you would ever stop popping into his head, that certainly didn’t stop him from trying to keep them at bay.
Taking another puff from his cigarette, his attention was captured by the girl he saw across the street. Her back to him as she looks into the trunk of the station wagon in the driveway. He unashamedly lets his eyes take her in. Short, thick, curvy. Black shorts, cropped tank top, hair up in a messy bun. She didn’t look like most of the girls in Hawkins or in the magazines… and he liked, no, loved that. He couldn’t help but notice how much her body resembled yours, or atleast how he’d imagined it’d look now after the few years. He watched as she started to squat to lift a tv console out of the trunk. Being the gentleman his Uncle Wayne raised him to be, he was about to sprint over; introduce himself and help her, knowing how damn heavy those fuckers could be. Just as the thought passed his mind, she lifts it almost effortlessly, his eyes practically bulging from his head. He wasn’t expecting that to turn him on so much, but goddamn. He admires the thick arms and legs exerting that strength, unable to not notice the pronounced curve of her ass as she climbed the steps into the trailer. 
Before he could pop a semi, a burning sensation on his thigh grabs his attention. The cherry from his cigarette falling into his lap as he drooled over his new neighbor like a virgin.
“Shit, Jesus H. Christ!” he grimaces, stomping out the cherry just as the telephone begins to ring. Groaning, he rose to his feet, nearly tripping over the clothes on his floor as he stomps down the hall. 
“Yeah, what?” he answered unceremoniously, greeted by Jeff’s voice reminding Eddie to pick him up on his way to band practice at Gareth’s. 
“Yeah yeah, I’m on my way” Eddie hung up the phone, dramatically exhaling as he turned back to his room to grab his sweetheart, and his van keys off the counter before leaving the trailer. He glanced across the street as he descended the porch steps, hoping to catch another glimpse of the new neighbor only to be disappointed as the trailer door was closed, with no one outside. 
~
You sigh, dropping the last box of your belongings on your stripped bed, glancing around at your bare bedroom, deciding on where to start. You rummage through one of your boxes, finding your radio and setting it on your dresser. You press play on the cassette you’d titled Chill Mix #3, smiling as All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix began playing. You decide to start on the biggest feat, unpacking and putting away all your clothes. You let your mind focus on your task and the sound of the music as you move, singing along to each passing song. It was only a matter of time before thoughts and images of him slipped through the barrier, being back in the exact place that held so many memories of him and your friendship. It made your stomach turn and a lump form in your throat. You attempt to cough it away, forcing yourself to think of your other friends here in Hawkins you were excited to see again. The toothy, goofy smile of one of your youngster friends, Dustin Henderson popped into your head, effectively putting a smile on your face.
You’d known Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will for a couple years now. First meeting Will through his mother Joyce, who was good friends with your mom. It’d started sometime when you were in middle school, going over to Joyce’s to hang out with Jonathan and Will while your moms’ went out to shop and vent about their relationship issues. The other boys showing up a handful of those times turned into Dustin’s mom and Lucas’s parents asking you to babysit in the summer months, which often turned into babysitting all the boys at the same time.
The boys and Erica came to view you as an older sister figure, and them, your sometimes annoying but loveable younger siblings. The same quickly became true for the newer member of the party Max, over your visit to Hawkins this summer. Taking a liking to you as the ‘cool’ older girl the boys often spoke of and hung out with. Though you were flattered but dismissive of the ‘cool’ label, you learned quickly that like you, Max didn’t give a damn about societal ideals of ‘cool’ and what or who a young woman should be. They were freshman this year at Hawkins High, one of the few positives you looked forward to starting your senior year here.
As you move on to hanging up your posters and decorations, you think about your other, newer friends, Steve and Robin. To be fair, Robin wasn’t exactly a new friend, you’d met her in school when previously living in Hawkins, but were never more than casual, friendly acquaintances. Steve, on the other hand, you never expected to become friends with before this past summer. You’d visited Hawkins every summer since you’d moved back to Virginia; staying with your Aunt Patty, babysitting, spending time with the kids, your cousins and your Dad.
When you came to visit this summer in May, you’d picked up a job working at Scoops Ahoy with Robin and Steve. Your once casual friendship with Robin blossomed into a close one, both taking pleasure in teasing Steve day after day, watching him fail in his attempts to pick up girls after his break-up with Nancy and declining position in the social hierarchy of Hawkins. You were surprised to witness the change in Steve’s character from the Steve you knew of through middle and early high school, into someone actually likable. When Robin confessed her sexual identity to you two, it marked a milestone in you three’s friendship, along with the events of the mall fire that happened soon after. You three were nearly inseparable for the remainder of the summer after, until August rolled around and it was time for you to go back to Virginia. Robin was the first friend you called when you learned about your return back to Hawkins. Thrilled to go through her Senior year with you, considering Steve graduated this past May.
A few hours after you’d started and the sky now dark outside, you sigh loudly laying back on your bed as you finally finished putting away and organizing all your belongings. Looking around your room, you feel a wave of comfort hit you. Your room has always been your safe space, and it just feels… looks so right here in this room, compared to your room of the past 3 years in Virginia. Even with all the new decorations and posters you’d acquired since you last lived in this room years ago. You feel a sense of hope overtake your thoughts. Maybe this year things will finally work out and go right for you, feel right for you, for the first time in years. You let those thoughts linger as you walk out into the kitchen, deciding to make a sandwich for dinner. Feeling the exhaustion from the last week of moving weigh on your body, you kiss your mother goodnight, and take a relaxing shower before crawling into bed. You let the songs playing on the local ‘soft rock’ radio station lull you as exhaustion overtakes you. As you fall asleep, you cling onto that hopeful, comforting feeling before your first day back at Hawkins High tomorrow.
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aangelinakii · 9 days
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NATURALLY.
— at times like this, it comes so naturally.
summary : jason's love language is words of affirmation, which you struggle with, so it means a whole lot more when you use them.
note : this was also requested a while ago, the original request is in a screenshot right at the bottom of the post :) thank you for requesting and sorry it took so long to complete !!
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it was okay that jason struggled with physical affection, and it was okay that you struggled with words of affirmation.
sure, on paper it may not be exactly comptable, but you made it work. you liked each other, so you made that extra effort. and you worked well together, no matter the missed hugs or unspoken words.
the sun was out, shining down on gotham despite being halfway into september (a travesty!) but jason had gone out of his way to pick you up and take you out.
he'd recently cleaned the inside of his car, the scent of his amber cologne lingering on the seats, despite the outside still a little shabby. for the son of a billionaire, he sure lived up to his roots.
during summer months, you enjoyed sharing an ice cream in the park, or at a parlour, trying all the flavours and deciding which were best or worst. today, jason pulled up outside the ice cream shop you'd both deemed the best.
your boyfriend must have been feeling generous today, for he paid for a triple-scoop, all for yourself, and settled with a single tub of cookies and cream. pinky linked with yours, he held the door open as you led, and followed as your feet passed his parked car.
"thank you, hun," you hummed mid-lick, and jason pressed a kiss to the side of your head. a touch of affirmation, a dash of physical affection. see? you two work quite well, despite your differences.
cheeks warm but stomach cold, jason had opted for offering his bicep to you, so he could manoeuvre his tiny plastic spoon and delicious cookies and cream.
"so, how's your day been?" he asked after a few moments of comfortable silence, glancing over at you as he dipped the spoon beyond his lips.
swallowing down the top flavour on your cone, you gave a nod, lips curling into a smile. "yeah, i got a day off, so i've been relaxing. doing nothing, really, until you called."
his pale eyes met yours, cookies and cream dotted along the corner of his mouth as it mimicked your own movements.
"which i'm glad you did, by the way," you added, redirecting your path briefly to nudge into him slightly. "it's such a beautiful day, i'm glad you managed to get me out."
trying to keep the bashful blush from his cheeks (which he'd blame on sunburn somehow, if you asked), the soft hum of a laugh came from his throat. "that's my job." and he flexed the muscle in his arm slightly in an effort to squeeze against your hand lovingly.
smiling under the sun, you turned back to the path ahead, concrete warm, leaves on trees lush.
"you know how much i appreciate you, right?" you piped up, glancing back over at the man beside you, tongue flicking out from behind your lips to lick away some stray ice cream.
at first, jason couldn't respond, the ice cream in his belly melting in an oozing pool of adoration and happiness; the heat of the sun had nothing on him. his eyes stayed on the concrete below his feet, staring at the imperfect cracks along the sidewalk; broken, yet holding together, still.
much like the bones in his body, the bruises against his skin, healing after spending a night round yours, or after cooking you a warm dinner — or after walking beneath the sun, with an ice cream each, basking in the heat and presence of one another.
"i love you."
the words came from his lips in a chuckle, from behind lips tugged up to reveal teeth. despite the pot of half-eaten ice cream in his hand, it quickly became ignored, as the arm he had offered to you moved to wrap around your shoulders, pulling you closer into his side.
it was okay that jason struggled with physical affection, and it was okay that you struggled with words of affirmation.
but, at times like this, it came so naturally.
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heirloomgem · 5 days
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No one else But you {Nanami Kento x Reader September One-Shot}
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Summary: You have always loved Nanami since childhood however you learned that he has someone he loves. Would you confess or not?
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except for my characters and plot.
Warning/Genre: OOC, Romance, Fluff, Angst, Comedy, Depression AU (Sorry for the miss grammar)
Sorry for the long wait! HERE IT IS! I hope you enjoyed it!
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CEO Nanami Kento x Reader (slight mention of Geto x Gojo)
You have experienced unrequited crushes since you were a teenager; however, a painful unrequited love is a first for you.
Back when you were in high school, you had a crush on your senior, Gojo Satoru.
You had long forgotten what made you fall for such an idiotic man.
It might have been his charisma, his handsome face, his beautiful eyes, or his skills in being good at anything he took interest in.
However, that only lasted in your second year of high school. Satoru, on the other hand, was in his last year, preparing for graduation and entering college life.
You didn’t know how your group had formed with the famous 3rd-year trio.
But Kento and Yu have been your childhood friends since your family moved into their neighbourhood. So being admitted into the same school was no surprise.
Yet at some point in time, your group somehow merged with the 3rd year trio who were popular in their year.
One is Gojo Satoru for his loud and charismatic personality combined with his handsome face, eccentric hair and blue eyes.
Second is Geto Suguru for his mysterious and calm persona. He's also handsome with his long black hair, which seems to tantalize girls and adds to his charm.
And lastly, one of the school beauties is Ieri Shoko, a brown-haired beauty. She was one of the top students in your school, admitted to a prestigious medical university.
Of course, the two were the same, they were guaranteed a spot in the top college of their own choice.
It was quite comical really. A group of juniors being grouped together with some 3rd years.
Even up to this day, it astonished you how your group had formed, but you could still recall it. It was because of your crush on Gojo that these unlikely people had met and formed.
As the years passed, the two completely different groups of friends remained in touch and grew even closer, especially as you all entered college and made new friends. Your group seems to grow bigger.
In one of your favourite restaurant bars, some of your friends were already there and had started drinking by the time you arrived.
Gojo seems to have taken on the role of a host as Geto and some of your friends have yet to come.
The same could be said about your two childhood friends.
Yu was on his way to pick up his girlfriend from work. They would arrive together later, while Kento was still busy at work with Geto, working on a collaboration project.
Both of them had become the CEO of their own company. Each works really hard to create their own.
You couldn't be more proud of Kento for achieving his dream.
Sitting down in one of the booths, you ordered a drink. Watching as your white-haired friend drank and tried to liven up the party. At the same time, teasing and making fun of your friends and catching up.
You couldn’t help the smile on your lips.
Even though you were in a bar, it was a quiet one. One where you could have a drink and relax with soft music playing in the background.
The bar is illuminated with a cozy ambient from the lights. It was one of your favourites because of the atmosphere and the delicious cocktails and foods they make.
The bartender owner greeted you with a smile and served your drink. Taking a sip, you savour the sweet flavour and alcohol on your tongue, feeling the fatigue slowly ease from your body.
Your shoulders, tense from all the work, relaxed unknowingly.
Turning around, you started chatting with your friends, laughing and catching up, and ordering foods to fill your stomach.
As the alcohol flowed and the atmosphere warmed up, some people's tongues loosened and gossip started flowing.
Flicking the ash from her cigarette, Shoko asked, "So, how's it going with Nanami? I've noticed something more between the two of you lately."
You looked up at your friend, your eyebrow furrowing in confusion.
"What do you mean?" You asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Your friend rolled her eyes, her voice lazy as she teased you.
"You and Nanami. What? Don't tell me you haven't confessed even though he has already returned from abroad. You should take the chance. Don't wait for him to confess first, or you might miss your chance."
Hearing this, you panicked and tried to cover her mouth. However, it was in vain as your other friends turned their heads in your direction, curiosity in their eyes, ready to hear more about this juicy gossip.
Shoko just laughed and gave you a smirk.
"It's not like others don't know… more like they already know your painstaking love for your childhood friend for a long time"
She exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and watched it drift lazily into the air.
"My dear, you wear your heart on your sleeve too easily. The only one who doesn't know is your beloved Nanami."
“Shoko, please! Will you be quiet!” You pleaded as you leaned over and tapped her on the arm, feeling your face flush.
Groaning, you buried your face in your hand.
"Hmm? What's this? I heard something about Y/n and Nanami. Is there something going on?" Gojo asked in a sing-along tone as he came over.
It seems the commotion between you and Shoko caught his attention and now he's ready to milk you dry for gossip, even though you have none.
“Nothing is going on,” You stated as you gave Gojo a slight glare, warning him to drop the topic. But the man seemed to not get the hint or if he did, he ignored it, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, come on now. Don't be stingy."
You groaned again as you shook your head, feeling an incoming headache already.
Taking a sip of your new cocktail, you tried to ignore the man and hoped he would drop the topic. However, Shoko and Gojo didn't seem keen on stopping as they continued to tease you.
“I was just asking about her and Nanami,” Shoko said as she gave a knowing look at Gojo.
Gojo smirked as he glanced at you, taking the hint. A mischievous glint in his eyes.
“And here I thought you were still crushing on me. How could you cheat on me, Y/n?” He pouted, his smooth lips jutting out and the corners of his eyes pointing down as he looked aggrieved at you.
“I didn’t know that you and Nanami were in that kind of relationship.”
“We’re not.” You snapped, starting to get annoyed at the man-child in front of you.
Both of your friends gave you a look, not believing you in the slightest.
"Just admit it, Y/n. We've seen how sad you were when Nanami went abroad to study. You were so wrecked that you lost so much weight and almost failed your first year of University. You were so miserable without him."
Shoko raised a brow at you as if proving a point, continuing.
"We've also known that you have always loved Nanami all this time, even though you had a little bit of 'scandal' with this idiot here."
She pointed at Gojo, who placed a hand over his heart and appeared offended.
"What scandal? Miss, for your information, I have always been a clean man." He stated, his chin pointing up, being dramatic.
You rolled your eyes at him for his exaggeration and turned your head to avoid your friends' inquisitive looks.
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You admit that you had a crush on Gojo when you were in high school. You were attracted to his confident personality and handsome face, but that only lasted until graduation.
However, when Kento went abroad to further his education, that's when you realized that your feelings for him were more than just being a childhood friend.
You were in love with him.
You just never realized it. Since growing up, you have been so used to having him by your side that you have unconsciously taken his presence for granted
But when he left, you felt a massive hole open in your heart. An empty feeling inside you as if another part of you has gone missing.
Because of it, you slowly spiralled down from the sudden realization, leaving you a mess.
You have been in contact with Kento through text, but as time passed, it became harder to maintain. With the time difference between where Kento is and how busy you have been with your University life, your contacts slowly dwindled.
And now it has been almost a year before he contacted you again.
Picking up your phone without checking the caller ID, your eyes instantly reddened when you heard his voice, calm and composed as ever.
"How have you been, Y/n?"
It was Kento.
You choked back a sob as tears slowly gathered in your eyes. A deep ache echoed inside you. How much you have missed his voice.
Taking a deep breath, you tried to steady your voice, not wanting to give anything away, as you know that even a little he would be able to pick up on it.
"I'm doing well. Just busy with school. I didn't anticipate our professor assigning such a huge project right at the start and it seems to keep piling up no matter what."
You scold yourself. Of all the things you have to say, you just have to complain to him even though he finally contacted you after such a long time.
"How have you been, Kento? I hope you're doing well. I've heard that winter there was harsher than here," You awkwardly chuckled, trying to play it off.
"It's not too bad, but I do miss the weather there." Kento's short answer tugged at your heartstrings. Slowly, a tear escaped and rolled down your cheek. You blinked hard, trying to stop the others from falling.
There was a moment of silence between the two of you before Kento spoke again.
"....I heard from Yu. It seems you haven't been doing well."
You froze.
You didn't expect Yu to tell Kento about your condition, though with the anxious looks he's been giving you lately, you guess it was a given.
Looking at yourself in the window, your reflection stared back at you. You noticed the dark, hollowed cheeks, dark circles under your eyes, and dry lips.
Your body had obviously lost so much weight that you could feel your bones protruding. Your arms and legs were nothing but nearly skin and bones. Your face is gaunt and haggard.
It appears that no matter how much you hide your circumstances from your friends, it was pointless, especially from Yu.
You realize what a mess you really were in. How much of an asshole you have been for making your friends worry to the point that they have to contact Kento about you.
You gave a strained laugh, "They're worrying too much. It's just...university has been a little tough. I'm still in my first year so it's a given-"
"Don't lie, Y/n." Kento interrupted, his stern voice making it impossible for you to utter another lie.
He's always been like this. He always knew when you were lying.
The tears you had been holding back came crashing down, and all the pent-up emotions you had been suppressing came pouring out like a tidal wave. You couldn't stop the tears from flowing, and your shoulders shook with sobs.
You pulled the phone away from your ear, trying to muffle your sobs and you couldn't help but whisper, "...I miss you so much, Kento."
And just like that, with a few words, Kento was able to break the dam in your heart.
Your cries came out softly, but you were sure Kento heard you. He didn't end the call, but stayed silent, giving you a moment to let it all out and calm down.
Even though Kento was thousands of miles away, you felt his presence beside you, listening and never leaving you. You knew that he would always be there for you, no matter what.
After a few minutes had passed, you wiped your tears and tried to compose yourself but the soft hiccups still escaped your mouth.
"Y/n" Kento whispered, his voice incredibly soft and tender, soothing your turbulent heart.
"...hmm"
"I'll come back. Wait for me, okay?"
The tears, you thought you had finally stopped from earlier, flowed down your face again.
You swear Kento has a knack for making you cry so easily lately you couldn't help but ponder just where he learned such a thing.
Sniffling, you nodded however you remembered that he couldn't see you.
"Mmm..." You gave a soft reply as you sobbed and cried again.
What he said wasn't a promise but a statement.
You know that Kento doesn't make promises because he finds them nonsense and fragile. But you also know that he is a man of his word, and when he says something, he means it.
So when he says he'll come back, you know he will.
It was one of the reasons why you have loved this man.
You made a resolve to start getting back on your feet and working towards a goal.
You were determined to face Kento when he returned with the best version of yourself. Not wanting to show such a miserable wreck that you once were.
If he ever rejects you, at least you can say that you did everything you could and gave it your best. That way, you won't have any regrets.
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"Ah~ but I've heard that Nanami has someone he has been in love though."
Gojo's voice snapped you out of your reverie, and a pang of realization washed over you.
It made you remember why you had been so distant from Kento lately.
When Kento finally returned from his studies abroad, you were the first one to greet him at the airport.
You were shocked by how much he had changed. The boy you knew from years ago was now a man.
Mature and calm. Taller with broad shoulders and a lean waist, handsome with a slender brow and sharp eyes, the naivete that was once there is gone.
Instead of a high school uniform, Kento now wears a suit, and his hair is slicked back with an undercut.
No more of the side bangs that you once always played with.
He was so different yet still the same.
He still has that same stern and reserved personality but cares for those close to him, especially to you.
Once you two reunited, you were so happy. You made sure to always try to meet him despite your busy schedule, trying to make up for all those years that you were apart.
At the same time, you also wanted to show your interest but you also know to show some restraint. You didn't want to scare him.
For now, you were content that he was back.
However, one afternoon, just as you were about to meet with Kento to ask him out to dinner, you overheard a conversation between Geto and Gojo.
The conversation was about Kento, and you couldn't help but eavesdrop.
Geto and Kento had recently started a joint project for their two companies.
So it was no coincidence that you found him in Kento's company's rest areas while Gojo was one of the biggest shareholders in Geto's company. It was a given he was also a part of the project.
You took a step back so as not to be spotted and heard your white-haired friend ask if Kento had a girlfriend as one of his female coworkers seems to be interested in your childhood friend.
Hearing this you couldn't help but frown, your hand clenching and a sour feeling rose in your chest.
Geto chuckled and shook his head.
"Really?" Gojo asked in surprise.
"I thought for sure he had a girlfriend since he seems to be the type to settle down first. Or maybe even a fiance."
"No, he doesn't have one but he does have a girl he really loves," Geto said as he exhaled a puff of smoke, tapping his cigarette.
"He was planning to ask her to be his girlfriend, but something happened and it didn't work out. However, I heard from him that he's planning to ask her again."
Gojo perked up.
"Really! Who is it? Who is Nanami in love with? Do I know her?" He asked excitedly, leaning forward as curiosity got the better of him.
Geto only chuckled at the man's antics before patting him on the head, telling him it wasn't appropriate to tell too much as it was not his place to share such a secret.
Gojo could only whine at his friend and dropped the subject, understanding that no matter how much he pestered Geto, his friend would not budge and reveal the identity of the woman Nanami was in love with.
He instead brought up a new topic to discuss, leaving you wondering who was the girl Kento was in love with.
You were stunned. A myriad of emotions surged through your mind in an instant but eventually, they all melted into a strong feeling of bitterness.
No wonder Kento never had a girlfriend for so many years. It turned out he had someone in his heart all along and now he seems intent on getting back with that girl.
You couldn't help but wonder.
What kind of girl does he like? What does the girl Kento love, look like? If that girl came back to him, would he surrender immediately and reconcile with her?
You even absurdly imagine them together.
Feeling a sob escape your mouth, you hurriedly went home that day, cancelling on Kento through a short message. You didn't call him as you didn't trust your voice not to tremble once you heard his voice.
That day, you drank until you couldn't stand.
You were glad you were home and never went out, otherwise you would have called Kento and made a mess of things, which you would have regretted later.
However, ever since then, you have distanced yourself from him.
Avoiding every gathering with your friends to try to minimize the chances of running into him.
You respect Kento too much to burden him with your feelings and ruin everything. You might resent the fact that the girl he loves might not be you but you still wanted to be friends with him no matter what.
Besides, you also have your own principles that you abide by, not wanting to put yourself in a complicated situation if the girl returns.
But by avoiding him so suddenly, he quickly noticed.
He tried to call you, wanting to confront you about such a sudden change.
You could only make an excuse that you were busy with work, but he knew that wasn't the whole truth.
And since knowing Kento for so long, you already know he wasn't the type to let this matter pester for so long and would eventually resort to seeing you in person.
However, you didn't want to see him, not until you could sort out your feelings for him or else you risk breaking down in front of him.
Without any other choice, you quickly set up to go on a business trip.
Successfully stopping him from seeing you as he wouldn't be able to chase after you because his company was in a crucial situation with the current project he was working on.
Thanks to it, you have been able to avoid him completely however, this time you couldn't turn down the invitation as one of your friends is getting engaged.
You knew you couldn't hide forever, and you didn't want to miss your friend's special day so, in the end, you concede.
Meeting him became inevitable.
Anxious and nervous, you have been drinking a lot since the moment you sat down, trying to calm your nerves and distract yourself.
But once they started talking about Kento and you, the bitter feelings you had been able to push back slowly rose in your chest and your mood turned sour.
You unconsciously started drinking heavily and because of it, your temper became fickle.
Eyeing the man in front of you, childishly making fun of your previous crush on him and on Kento, you couldn't help but realize that the man-child in front of you was the reason why this all started.
Suddenly, the urge to wipe that grin off his face with a slap was so dangerously tempting that your hand twitched.
However, you have been a person to never resort to such action and unnecessary violence. So you tried to think of something, attempting to divert your attention or else you might just do it.
You sigh to calm down but a dark expression still shows on your face.
Seeing this, Gojo eye's gleam with mischievous, unaware that he had stepped a foot on his grave, pushing you over the edge.
"What? Someone's jealous? Maybe I should try being your cupid and set you up with Nanami? Hmm? Maybe by then, I could give your pretty little ass a boost and not be a coward anymore."
Your lip twitched.
Maybe wiping that smug look on his face isn't so bad after all, you thought.
Lifting a hand and caressing his cheeks, you caught him off guard.
You gave a dark smile and a shiver involuntary went down his spine, his back sweating bullets.
SMACK!
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Walking out of their own car and heading to the restaurant bar, Nanami and Geto let out a sigh of relief, taking off their jacket and loosened their tie.
They have just finished a meeting that has gone on for hours than necessary.
And now having finally finished, all they wanted was to drink, eat and relax throughout the night before being plunged to work the next day.
However, when they entered the bar, what awaited them was not what they had expected as they witnessed you and Gojo in the middle of the bar, engaged in a brawl.
Clearly, both of you were drunk as your faces were red not only from anger but from the alcohol as well. Your words slurring as the two of you yelled at each other.
What started as a harmless teasing quickly escalated into a messy, comedic fight for your friends to witness.
Holding onto Gojo's shirt and the other on his hair, the tall man has no other choice but to bend down as he did the same to you.
Some scratches and light bruises scattered throughout your body and face. Your clothes and hair a mess.
Gojo shouted, "I'm a liar?! What I said is the truth! You're a goddamn coward!"
"You say I'm a coward, what makes you then?!" You shouted as well, breathing heavily and glared at him.
You tug at his hair earning a yelp.
"Don't think I'm clueless you goddamn man-child. I saw it when you two graduated and Geto-senpai confessed! All these years and your relationship hasn't progressed at all! You two have been together and never left each other side and yet you haven't admitted that you love him. You've done nothing but play him all along."
A vein bulged at his forehead, irritated, Gojo pulled at your hair making you groan.
"Shut up you goddamn woman!"
"Fuck you! You white hair old bastard! Just fucking go and splayed your goddamn legs in front of Geto-senpai and finally get laid! You horny bastard!"
You yelled while your friends who have been calmly watching the whole time, even the owner, laughed at your nonsense screaming match.
That right.
When you secretly witness Geto's confession to Gojo on their graduation day that's when you realize.
Your crush for Gojo was nothing more than an admiration because of his confidence. Confidence in being himself while he unknowingly becomes a love-struck fool for Geto.
You envy and wanted that.
You wanted to be a love-struck fool for Kento but your insecurity and low self-esteem prevented you from confessing your love for the handsome man.
However, seeing that this goddamn idiot had done nothing when he had all the chance in the world while you, on the other hand, were a mess, missing Kento, who was abroad and had no face to confess since the memories of you crushing on such an idiotic guy were still fresh in everyone's mind, made you angry to no end.
You slump as your knees got weak not just from the alcohol but from all the feelings you have been holding back, your previous energy leaving you as the bitter feelings spread inside you.
Tears started flowing and falling on your cheeks without your permission. Seeing this Gojo froze, his grip loosening and the once lively bar slowly quieted as you softly cried.
"No...I'm the goddamn idiot here... I've also had the chance... the chance to confess and love Kento but because I'm a coward I didn't take it..."
You admitted.
That's right. You were angry not only because of this bastard but mostly at yourself for being the biggest idiot ever.
And now, learning that Kento has someone he loves and is thinking of being engaged with her.
Regret filled you to the point of suffocation.
"I only had myself to blame..."
You whimper, now completely drunk as you lose coherence and kneel on the floor.
You felt as though everything was crumbling. Slowly losing your mind as you sink further in your sorrow.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed your waist, lifting you from the floor and pulling you away from Gojo's grasp.
You were brought into a warm embrace, your head resting on a broad chest.
It was then that you heard Kento's voice.
Deep, calm and mature, a voice that always makes your heart flutter and the voice that you have come to love.
"I'll be taking her home as she's too drunk," Kento said, carrying you in his arms as he talked to your friends while Geto dealt with Gojo.
You couldn't help but nuzzle further in his arms, burying your head in his neck and hugging him tightly. Unknowingly, Kento's breath hitched and his heart quivered from your actions.
Geto nodded, saying he'd be taking Gojo as well who was completely drunk, his head was swaying from all directions. His legs no longer had any strength to hold him, already unconscious.
Adjusting you in his arms, Nanami looked at you and found that you were completely unconscious.
He sighs but an undeniable faint blush on the corner of his cheeks and ears can be seen if you look closely.
Ieri who had been enjoying the show and her drinks, saw it and she smiled knowingly as she watched Nanami take your things.
"Nanami" Ierie called and Nanami looked at her.
"Be nice to her, okay?"
Nanami's expression didn't change, but he replied softly, "I will."
Nodding at your friends and the bar owner, Nanami carried you out and into his car that was parked outside.
He opened the car door and put you down, taking a moment to look at you and saw your tear-streaked face.
When he reached out to wipe away your tears, your lashes brushed against his fingers. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm down then got into the driver's seat, intent to take you home.
This time, he was determined to talk to you, even if you didn't want to. He wasn't going to let you go anytime soon.
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Waking up, you groggily sat up as you looked around.
Clearly, it wasn't your room as the bedsheets were different. They were grey coloured and quite soft made of a different material from the ones you use.
The pieces of furniture were simple but obviously high-end and looked strangely familiar.
You didn't know how you got here nor did you remember what happened after you slapped Gojo but the feeling of being carried lingered in the back of your mind.
"Your awake." A deep husky voice said as the door opened.
It was Kento, holding a glass of water.
It finally dawned on you that you were in his place. You have been into his apartment a few times in the past however this was your first time staying over.
A nervous feeling settled in your stomach and felt your cheeks flushing. Whether from the lingering alcohol on your body or because of your feelings and the situation you are in, you don't know.
Still drunk and dazed, you obediently accepted the glass of water and took a few sips before setting it down on the nightstand.
An awkward silence envelops the two of you as Kento sat at the edge of the bed. His arms rested on his thigh and looking at you from the corner of his eyes, deep in thought.
You fidgeted. Your head lowered as you played with the bedsheet in your hand, feeling the soft fabric. You didn't know whether you should talk or not.
From the corner of your eyes, you stare at the man that you have been avoiding these past couple of weeks.
Two of his dress shirt buttons were undone, revealing his slender neck and chest, showing a hint of his muscular physique.
His sleeves were rolled up and you couldn't help but gaze at his forearms. The veins stood out along his arms, and his hands were large with defined knuckles and slender fingers.
His hair was slick back however few strands were sticking out, clearly messed up after a long day.
You might have been drunk nevertheless you still remember bit and pieces how he has carefully brought you from his car to his room.
Gently carrying you, laying you down and assisting you change from your work clothes to one of his.
Helplessly you thought, how could a man be so handsome and so caring at the same time.
Your eyes reddened.
The sour feeling from before sprang up again and tears gathered in your eyes.
Lifting a trembling hand, you covered your mouth as a sob escaped, trying to hide it, not wanting to make the situation worse.
You felt the bed shift then two rough and large hands cup your cheeks, raising your face.
Completely opposite from his usual reserve and stern expression, Kento looks at you with concern in his eyes.
"What's wrong, Y/n?" He asked, voice gentle and soft trying to calm you however hearing such tenderness, your cries seemed to grow even louder.
You stayed quiet. Pondering whether to confess everything or not, however, your heart got the best of you and you blurted.
"I love you. I love you, Kento. I have been ever since. I have always loved you... Please don't leave me." You cried as you confessed, your words became disjointed and frantic as you went on.
You didn't know what was Kento's reaction as large tears rolled down from your eyes, obscuring your vision.
You were sure you looked pathetic at that moment as you cried but that didn't matter anymore as you let it all out.
Long years of repressed emotions have completely overwhelmed you.
Your regret when Kento left, your joy when the two of you reunited. The searing pain of learning the truth that Kento has someone in his heart.
The jealousy and sorrow you drowned in as you distance yourself and finally the overwhelming love you hold for the man in front of you.
As you continued crying and repeating your confession like a broken record, warm lips suddenly sealed your lips, stopping your words.
Kento kissed you.
A strong, fierce and almost devouring one with a mix of revenge, and seeking reparation.
It only seemed to deepen as you felt his hand grab the back of your neck while the other drew you closer and tightened his embrace, as if afraid you would disappear.
You couldn't resist and kiss him back with just as much passion as you could.
Lifting your arms, you hugged his neck and pulled him closer while Kento lifted you in his lap, straddling him.
You kissed as if the both of you couldn't bear to separate. Your tongues danced and lips melted with each other.
You couldn't help but let out a moan, calling his name in desperation. A sweet tingling sensation runs through your body, making your toes curl.
It wasn't until the need to breathe that you pulled back.
Resting your forehead against his, you closed your eyes and felt your breaths intertwining.
Kento cups your face, caressing it and look into your eyes as you open them.
Longing, tenderness and adoration.
Emotions you never saw before now lingered in his eyes
"I love you too, Y/n." He said, his voice so tender and full of affection, it left you breathless.
"But what about the girl you like?"
Kento frowns, confusion in his eyes.
"I heard from Geto that you have someone you have loved for a long time." You quietly said.
Your voice trembling, just asking that question tormented you like no other but you had to.
You have to know who it is even if you are afraid of what Kento's answer might be.
Thinking this, your tears seemed like they would never dry as droplets fell on your cheeks.
Finally understanding what you mean and where you're coming from, Kento chuckled, wiping your cheeks and kissing you on the lips again before moving on to your neck where he felt your pulse.
"The person I love is you. I have loved you ever since and have always been. No one else but you."
You sat stunned for a moment as his confession slowly sank.
You sniffled and a fresh wave of tears fell however compared from before it was out of happiness.
Pulling Kento, you hugged him and fell onto the bed and this time, without reserve, you kissed him first.
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Extra:
As morning came and illuminated the room in a soft light, Geto was just finishing his talk with Nanami on the phone when he heard the white-haired man in his bed groan in pain, holding his head.
Putting his phone away, Geto went to the kitchen to boil some water.
A few minutes later, he came back with a cup of honey lemon tea, handing it to Gojo.
Gojo who was in pain from a massive hang-over, didn't notice his friend staring at him in silence and quietly sip the hot tea.
"...So, is it true that you love me too?"
"PSHHH!"
Gojo spat out the tea, blushing, "..."
Let's just say another engagement party was arranged later on.
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A/n: I had a hard time finishing writing this one shot.
It became longer and longer as I wrote when I was only planning to make a shorter one but then the plot just kept coming up and didn't know how to finish it. In the end, I had to torture myself to stick with it and finish it after more than 3 weeks of non-stop writing.
God, I'm such a masochist.😭
However, as I was writing the confession part, I couldn't help but start crying and I had to stop midway laughing at myself like a maniac. Oh my god.😭
I swear I won't be doing another long one-shot anytime soon. My brain was mush after this.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this fic! Please leave a comment on what you think!🥹
{All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author}
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adventuresofalgy · 18 days
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The warm September air was full of tantalising aromas, which combined to create an intoxicating perfume that nothing bottled by a human could ever hope to reproduce.
Algy flew over to a small rock where some late heather was still blooming, and took a big, deep breath. He could smell the heather, and the bog myrtle too, but strongest of all in the autumn sunshine was the fragrance of the wild thyme.
Algy just couldn't help himself. He opened his beak as wide as he could and started to sing one of the most famous and popular of the Scottish/Irish folk songs, which is so well known that at any concert in the Celtic countries where it is performed, the entire audience invariably join in. All together now…
Will ye go lassie, go? And we'll all go together To pluck wild mountain thyme All around the blooming heather Will ye go lassie, go?
[This is the chorus of the traditional Scottish and Irish folk song known as Wild mountain thyme or Will ye go, lassie, go? which was made famous world wide by recordings from the mid 20th century onward, but whose origins go back in both Scotland and Ireland to previous centuries.]
There are many recorded versions of this song by people both famous and unknown, but Algy hopes you will enjoy this one, which builds up to quite a climax from a quiet opening. This is an Irish version, but the singing, the instruments, and the scenery in the video would not be very much different here in Scotland:
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Footnote for those interested, from Wikipedia:
"Wild Mountain Thyme" (also known as "Purple Heather" and "Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?") is a Scottish/Irish folk song. The lyrics and melody are a variant of the song "The Braes of Balquhither" by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774–1810) and Scottish composer Robert Archibald Smith (1780–1829), but were adapted by Belfast musician Francis McPeake (1885–1971) into "Wild Mountain Thyme" and first recorded by his family in the 1950s. While Francis McPeake holds the copyright to the song, it is generally believed that rather than writing the song, he arranged an existing travelling folk version and popularised the song as his father's. Tannahill's original song, first published in Robert Archibald Smith's Scottish Minstrel (1821–24), is about the hills (braes) around Balquhidder near Lochearnhead. Tannahill collected and adapted traditional songs, and "The Braes of Balquhither" may have been based on the traditional song "The Braes o' Bowhether".
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petitemistletoe · 1 year
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Presents of Mind
Pairing: James Potter x Reader
Warnings: smut, angst
Word Count: 5.2K+
A/N: Do wizards have grad school? What comes after Hogwarts? Also idk why but its canon to me that Sirius walks around naked
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“Why are you moping?” Harry asked you, poking your arm lightly as he sat down on the couch next to you. 
“I’m not moping.” You sighed and set your book down. 
“You are. You’ve been moping since you got that letter last night.” 
“That was my mom,” you sighed again, turning your body fully so you were facing Harry, “she’s going to the United States for Christmas to visit my brother and his wife and their new baby. It’s just going to be too crazy with the newborn so she wants me to stay with my weird Uncle Radolophus for the holidays. I told her I’d be fine here since I have about a mountain of work to finish for my advisor but she doesn’t want me to be alone.”
“Why don’t you stay with me for Christmas? This will be the first Christmas with my dad since my mom started dating Snape.” Harry had a disgusted look on his face. In Harry’s final year at Hogwarts, his parents announced they were getting divorced and his mother moved out of his house a few months later. Professor Snape had become even more insufferable as he tried to win Lily’s affection and luckily for everyone, Lily had waited until after Harry had been settled at university for his first year of a graduate program to start dating Snape. Harry had practically lost his mind and spent several weeks holed up in your shared apartment and you had to draw him out with chocolate frogs and butterbeer. 
“Are you sure? Your dad won’t mind?” 
“Nah, he’s nesting big time. He’s cooking a whole giant dinner and it’s going to be just me, Sirius, and Remus.” Harry shrugged.
“It won’t be weird? Me staying in your childhood home?” You asked, thinking about seeing Harry’s childhood bedroom. 
“No, no, my dad rented a house in Cornwall. It’s a little tradition that him and his friends have. Come on! It’ll be fun. Cornwall at Christmas with my best friend. Snow on the beach!”
“Alright. I’ll come.” You nodded.  
You and Harry had been friends since first year but you had strangely never met and had barely even seen Harry’s father. Harry’s mother had been more involved in all the school things and you supposed that’s why Lily and Severus had grown close again. It wasn’t that James was absent, quite the opposite, he was almost always at Quidditch tournaments and of course took Harry to and from Kings Cross every September but you just never seemed to catch him for more than a few moments since first year. You had heard from Hermione and Ginny, however, that apparently the man was supposed to be drop dead gorgeous. 
“I’m leaving after my exam tonight. Meet you back here at seven?” Harry asked, getting up and stuffing his textbook into his bag. As Harry got ready to leave you heard a knock at your door. You got up off the couch to answer it and let Hermione and Ron in.  They were bickering, as they usually were, and settled down in yours and Harry’s apartment like it was their own. 
“Ron thinks that a vacuum cleaner is an appropriate Christmas gift for his parents.” Hermione sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee while Ron flopped down on the couch next to you.
“It is! Mum loves to clean and dad’ll love that its a muggle invention.” Ron said, grabbing a throw pillow of the couch and burying his face in it. 
“Your mother is a person beyond the face that she’s your mother. Why don’t you think of a gift that fits one of her interests?”
“She hasn’t got any interests!” Ron groaned and removed the pillow slightly to check his watch, “Harry let’s go! We got to be at the lecture hall in twenty minutes!” 
“I’m coming! God, you two are so lucky you’re done with exams.” Harry said, shaking his head at you and Hermione. 
“Oh Harry! Molly wanted me to ask if you’re coming to spend Christmas with the Weasleys?” Hermione said, finally taking her place next to you on the couch with her warm cup of coffee. 
“No. I’m spending it with Dad this year. Plus, Ginny isn’t even going to be there, she’ll still be touring with the Cannons.”
“You don’t want to come to your best friend’s Christmas because your girlfriend won’t be there? We were friends before you even noticed Ginny!” Ron said, mouth open in shock. 
“Ron, I’m spending Christmas with my father. You can bear Christmas with your own girlfriend and family.” 
“Ugh, my family,” Ron sighed, “do you want to come?” He asked you. 
“Spending it with Harry.” You shrugged. Harry rolled his eyes then looked at you on the couch. “We’re heading out! See you when we get back.”
You waved and then turned back to Hermione after you heard the door shut. 
“So I’m spending Christmas with Harry.” You said. 
“Oh my God. Have you seen Harry’s dad?” She asked excitedly. 
“You know I haven’t! When was the last time you saw him?” 
“I got tea with Professor Lupin a few weeks ago and Harry’s dad stopped by his flat to drop off his broom. The divorce is serving him well, let me tell you. He looks fantastic.” Hermione grinned. 
“I don’t remember the last time I saw you this excited about Ron,” you joked gently. 
“Ron and I have been together for almost five years now,” Hermione said with a bored shrug, “He gets to ogle Fleur and I get to ogle Harry’s dad. As long as we come back to each other there’s no problem.”
“Okay,” you laughed, “I get it. But isn’t this a little weird? That’s Harry’s dad. He’s our best friend.” 
“Talk to me after you see him.” 
You thought about Hermione’s words long after she left your apartment. You had a small bag packed and you were fiddling around waiting for Harry to come back. You practiced transfiguring different objects in your apartment into different animals. You figured you had to stop, however, when you transfigured your fireplace into a dragon and it took a few more seconds than you thought it would to transfigure it back. Your walls were a little soot covered but you were up on a chair trying to get the soot off the ceiling when Harry got back. 
“What are you doing?” He asked with a surprised chuckle. 
“Uh, had a little scuffle with a dragon.” You said sheepishly. 
“Transfiguring the fireplace again?” He gave you a knowing look. 
“How was your exam?” You asked, getting off the chair and pushing it back towards the kitchen table. 
“It was alright. I’m ready to have a drink and not think about school for the next few weeks.” Harry said, setting his book bag down and grabbing his traveling bag. 
“Yeah, real smart of us to go from Hogwarts to uni to grad school without taking a breath.” You rolled your eyes and grabbed your own bag, threading your free hand into Harry’s and waiting for him to apparate.
You stumbled onto a stretch of beach with a large manor that overlooked the water. 
“So this is where we’re spending Christmas? I knew you came from money but I had no idea you were this well off. Sure you’re happy with Ginny?” You said, grabbing Harry’s cheek teasingly. 
“Shove off,” Harry rolled his eyes and led you to the front door. The manor was cute, comfy, and warm. It was more chic than the Weasley home, with newer furniture and more modern decor, but it was still homey. It smelled like warm butterbeer and cinnamon and you could hear casual conversation in the sitting room. Harry walked into the sitting room and you took in the two men who were sitting in there. One of the men was familiar to you, your old defense against the dark arts professor Remus Lupin and the other man was around the same age, with longer dark hair, a chiseled jawline and cheekbones, and a smattering of tattoos that were visible on his chest through his thin shirt. That couldn’t have been Harry’s father…could it? He was beautiful. But he didn’t really look like Harry and everyone was always telling Harry that he was the spitting image of his father.
“Hello,” you said, greeting the two men.
“Ah! There’s my favorite student.” Remus said, standing up and giving you a quick, respectful hug. 
“This is my godfather, Sirius Black.” Harry introduced you to the attractive man, Sirius, who stretched out his hand to you after giving Harry a tight hug. 
“Pleasure to meet you.” He winked at you and you fought down a blush. 
“So where’s my dad at?” Harry asked, flinging himself down on the couch and holding his arm out so you could sit down next to him. You obliged, snuggling up against Harry’s warm body and looking at the two men on the opposite couch. 
“He ran out to buy a few things you for you and your friend. He wanted to make the place feel as inviting as possible and make biscuits for the both of you.” Sirius said with an eyeroll. 
“How’s he been. You know, since it all with Mum and Snape?” Harry asked. Sirius and Remus exchanged a look before Remus shrugged his shoulders and exhaled deeply, his fingers rubbing his temples,
“It’s been hard. Have you talked to your mum recently?”
“No. Not really. She knows how I feel about her and Snape. We’ve gotten tea a few times since but she knows that I wanted to spend Christmas with Dad.” Harry said with a head shake. You felt a little awkward, like you were intruding on a private moment between Harry and his uncles, but you didn’t say anything, just stared at your hands. 
“I have no idea what she sees in old Snivellus.” Sirius rolled his eyes and earned a slap on the chest from Remus.
“Sirius!”
“Come on, you think so too,” Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus, “You hated him just as much when you were teaching as we did when we were at school.”
“Even so-” Remus started to rebut but you heard the sound of the front door shut and you were sure that James was finally home. He entered the sitting room and you had to remind yourself to breathe. He was just as gorgeous as Hermione and Ginny had described. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes and those glasses. He had an easy smile and was muscular the way that Quidditch players were but he also had a distinguished dusting of silver in his dark hair. He immediately bound to Harry and hugged him tightly, his bicep pressing up against your own on the couch. He then pulled away from Harry and focused his attention on you. 
“I’m sorry. Strangely, in the entire time you’ve been close friends with Harry we haven’t really made each other’s acquaintance. I’m James.” James wrapped you in a close hug. 
“Hi! It’s great to meet you,” you nodded, not exactly hating the feeling of his body on yours. 
“So, I thought we would have a little Shepard’s pie if that’s all right with you, love?” James asked Harry. It was clear that he doted on Harry and you thought it was very precious. You had seen the way that Lily had doted on Harry and while that was all well and good it was different from the way that James was doting and it was refreshing and beautiful. You smiled at the duo as you watched them. 
“Yeah, Dad, sounds great.” Harry grinned up at his father. James touched Harry’s cheek affectionately and got up to head back into the kitchen. Remus and Harry got up to help James and you were going to get up too but Sirius sat down on the couch next to you and grinned at you with that crocodile grin he was so good at. 
“So, darling, do you have any connection to the honorable House of Black?” Sirius asked you, his fingers tracing a shape on your arm. 
“No. I don’t believe I do.” You responded. Sirius grinned even wider.
“Perfect.” He said, showing off his white teeth. 
“Get off her, Padfoot!” James called from the kitchen. Sirius waved at James’ general direction and stretched his arms over your shoulders. 
“You wouldn’t happen to have daddy issues, do you?”
“Are you asking me that because you want to know if I’m into older men?”
“So are you?” Sirius leaned in closer to you so your nose was brushing against his. 
“I had a great relationship with my Dad. Right up until he died.”
“Oh,” Sirius’ smile dropped, “I’m sorry.”
“That’s alright,” you said, waving him off, “That’s all to say that I definitely have some daddy issues.” 
“Silver lining, then.” Sirius said, smiling. You wouldn’t have been surprised if in the following moments, Sirius was going to close the distance between you both and kiss you on the Potter’s couch but Remus walked in and threw an oven mitt at Sirius. 
“Sirius! You whore!” Remus said, feigning anger and walking over to punch Sirius in the shoulder. 
“Ow! Get off me, you’re cramping my style.” Sirius glared at Remus.
“You know what else should cramp your style? The fact that you’ve been dating me since sixth year.” Remus rolled his eyes. 
“So I’m not allowed to live?” Sirius shot back. You were laughing as you watched the match unfold and it looked like Remus was gearing up to shoot another smart remark back but Harry walked back in and said, 
“Dad says dinner is ready and for you two to kiss and make up.” Harry stretched his hand out to help you off the couch. You all took seats at the table. 
“If you wanted to watch us make out, Prongs, you should’ve just said so.” Sirius teased. James stuck his tongue out in return. You took a moment to imagine what it would be like to have that tongue all over your body. You promptly shook your head to rid yourself of the thought. 
“So darling,” James turned to look at you and fought the urge to blush, “Harry told me your last name is Siphera. Any relation to Jack Siphera?”
“Uh yes,” you nodded, pushing around a pea on your plate, “he was my father.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. He was an excellent dueler. A strong member of the Order, you remember him don’t you?” James asked Remus and Sirius. 
“Jack was a very kind man,” Remus smiled.
“Siphera…I didn’t know that he had passed. How did he die, if you don’t mind my asking.” Sirius asked. Remus was shaking his head but Sirius didn’t seem to notice. 
“He was murdered by Bellatrix when she tried to escape Azkaban.” You responded. 
“Bellatrix? My cousin Bellatrix? Bellatrix Lestrange?” Sirius asked, dropping his fork with a clatter.
“Do you know very many other Bellatrixes?” Harry asked. You started laughing and so did Harry until the two of you were both doubled over and gasping for breath.
“Alright,” James said, looking at you two warily, “I bought a bottle of firewhisky for us all, raise your glasses.” James poured everyone a generous helping of firewhisky and then raised another bottle of dark liquor for shots. 
“To many holidays together.” Sirius grinned at you as you clinked glasses. You tipped your head back and took the drink, swallowing against the harsh burn in your throat. A small droplet escaped past the side of your glass and made its way down your chin and dropped between your breasts. You became acutely aware of the eyes that were on you. You rubbed your mouth harshly and took a large sip of firewhisky, averting your eyes to look at Harry. His cheeks were a bit pink from the shot and he shot you a large, easy smile. 
The drinking continued and the evening ended with you and Harry stumbling into a free bedroom and falling asleep. You and Harry had often slept in the same bed, it started when you were in second year and you had both stayed up late revising for potions. 
When you rose the next morning, your mouth was painfully dry and your head was pounding. You nudged Harry lightly and he groaned in response. 
“What?”
“I need water.” You croaked. 
“So get water.” Harry moaned, putting his head into the pillow and trying to wrap the edges of the pillow around his ears. 
“I’m too hungover,” you shook your head. 
“Fine, open your mouth I’ll use the aguamenti spell.” Harry shoved himself up on his forearms and grabbed his wand. You opened your mouth and Harry cast the spell. Unfortunately for you both, it was with much more intensity than Harry had intended and you choked on the intense stream of water that had assaulted your throat. You and Harry began to laugh as you were both drenched in water.
“I’ll go down and make some tea,” Harry said, changing his shirt. 
“I’ll meet you down there, I’m just going to take a quick shower.” You stripped and wrapped a towel around you as you made your way to the bathroom. You let your body relax under the warm water and you thought about how Hermione and Ginny had been exactly right when it came to James. He was unbelievably gorgeous and you couldn’t stop thinking about when he hugged you, when his fingers bumped against yours as he was pouring drinks, as he brushed against you as he served dinner. It was intoxicating. There was also a detachable shower head that you grabbed and adjusted the water pressure. Once it got to a setting that was to your liking, you angled it so it was spraying a steady stream against your clit. You gasped softly at the pressure and let your head rest against the wall of the shower. You tried to imagine the old things that would get you going: the ripped quidditch players, the rugged wizards from romance novels, the occasional rockstar, but then James crossed your mind. The feeling of body against yours, how you imagined his lips felt against your neck. You imagined his cock entering you, the feeling of your body pressed against the shower wall as he pounded you from behind, his large hands on your waist, his breath hot against your neck. You came harder that you anticipated and you muffled your moans in the crook of your arm. You finished showering and changed into a fresh pair of clothes before descending the stairs. You felt your stomach churn in an unpleasant way when you smelled cooking from the kitchen. 
“Good morning,” you said, sitting down at the kitchen table and accepting a cup of tea from Harry who looked just as queasy as you felt. James looked like he had fully rested after a long night of sleep. All around him potatoes were being mashed, green beans were being washed, and a turkey was being stuffed. James himself was charming a rolling pin to roll out dough for scones. 
“Good morning! How did you sleep?” James beamed at you. 
“How is it that even now in our old age, you still have never been hungover?” Sirius groaned, walking into the kitchen completely stark naked and pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“Sirius! Cover up. There’s a lady in the house.” James rolled his eyes. 
“What you haven’t seen this before?” Sirius thrust his hips forward a little and pointed at his dick. You laughed and shook your head. 
“Can’t say it’s my first time. Though it is my first time seeing a hickey there.” You and Harry both tilted your heads to get a better view of the large purplish bruise on the side of Sirius’ cock. 
“Moony gets teethy.” Sirius shrugged, leaning against the counter and taking a long sip of his coffee. Remus walked in a few moments later and rolled his eyes at Sirius, throwing a pair of boxers at Sirius’ chest. 
“Animals, the lot of you.” James shook his head. 
“Dad, did you want to go for a round on the pitch?” Harry asked, accio-ing his broom into his left hand. 
“Ah, I wish but I have to finish cooking.” James gestured to all the food around him. 
“I can cook! Go, it’s alright.” You smiled. James gave you a grateful smile and nodded,
“I’ll only be a few minutes.” 
“Take your time,” Remus waved him off, “I’ll stay and help too.”
“Cheers Moony!” James grinned, “Pads you coming?”
“Try and stop me.” Sirius laughed. The three boys scrambled outside and you could hear the chatter between them. You laughed to yourself and began to tend to the turkey. 
“It’s sweet isn’t it,” Remus said to you, “the bond between James and his son.”
“It reminds me of me and my father. I never realized how close Harry and his dad are. I always saw his mother at school functions.” You said. 
“Lily is an amazing mother, despite some of her most questionable actions as of late.” Remus sighed, “I do hope that her and James reconcile.”
“Oh,” you felt your heart do a flip-flop, “you think they might get back together then?”
“I certainly hope so.” Remus said with a sad smile. 
“I don’t.” A new voice said. It was James. He was sweaty and panting as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. 
“You don’t? Not even a little bit?” Remus quirked an eyebrow.
“No,” James shrugged, “I think Lily is an amazing person but after so many years together I think we both realized that we can be better friends apart. There’s no harm in that.”
“I suppose only you and her would know.” Remus had a pensive expression on his face but he didn’t say anything further on the subject. 
The rest of the day passed rather quickly, as you helped James prepare for the Christmas Eve dinner while Remus, Sirius, and Harry decorated the tree. After dinner you drank eggnog by the fire and listened to James tell stories about Harry when he was young and all the Marauders’ adventures. Sirius and Remus stumbled off to bed, thoroughly drunk with Sirius attempting to suck a dark hickey onto Remus’ neck.
“Silencing spell Pads!” James called. 
“Cheers!” Sirius called back, the door slamming shut and the unnatural silence of the spell taking hold. 
“It’s a little tradition in our household to open one gift on Christmas Eve.” James said with a smile. He handed a small wrapped gift to you and Harry. 
“Oh, James, you didn’t have to get me anything. The invitation was enough!” You felt your face burn but you weren’t sure if it was from the egg nog or the gift. 
Harry opened his gift first. It was a necklace with a silvery sword pendant.
“It’s beautiful.” Harry said, watching the way the pendant gleamed under the light of the fire. 
“It’s functional as well.” James stood up and extended a hand to Harry as well. “Hold the necklace by the pendant and flick your wrist.” 
Harry followed his father’s instructions and after the flick of his wrist the pendant expanded to a full sized sword. 
“Whoa! Is that the sword of Gryffindor?” You asked, scrambling up and examining the sword up close.
“Yes it is. It’s been in the Potter family for generations. Flick your wrist again.” James instructed. Harry did so and the sword returned back to it’s pendant size. Harry put the sword around his neck and gave his father a tight hug.
“Open mine!” You urged Harry, handing Harry your gift as well. Harry opened it and laughed. 
“Oh my God! This is great!” Harry grinned, pulling out a jumper that Mrs. Weasley had helped you knit. It was a dark red with a little design of a figure that looked like Harry whizzing by on his broom after a golden snitch. 
“Thanks! It took a lot of yelling from Mrs. Weasley and some tears but it’s done!” You beamed. 
“This is truly amazing. You’re very talented.” James was studying the jumper in adoration. 
“I’m so glad you think so because after I did it once I was able to replicate it and make some tweaks so happy Christmas James!” You handed James an identically wrapped package. Inside was a jumper but the design was a man who looked like James that disappeared and a stag stood in his place. You had remembered the stories Harry had told you of his father’s animagi status and thought it would be sweet. James wrapped you in a tight hug and grinned at you, 
“Thank you so so much.”
Harry gave James his gift and then handed you his gift to you. It was a gorgeous porcelain tea set that was enchanted so the bottom of each tea cup had a grim at the bottom, a silly callback to yours and Harry’s shared time in Divination. James had run out for a moment and then returned with a small box for you. It was a beautiful, dainty bracelet. James helped you put it on. You were absolutely speechless. 
“Thank you so much, James. It’s absolutely lovely.” You excused yourself to the bathroom where you investigated it more. It looked like real gold. Why would James give you such an expensive and intimate gift. You saw there was a little slip of paper underneath the bracelet. You pulled it out and read:
To my one true love, my Lily
That made more sense. James had given you a gift that he had intended initially for Lily. You would give it back to him after Harry went to bed. You were about to round the corner to reenter the main room when you overheard a conversation between Harry and James. 
“-Siphera is a lovely girl. Are you and her…together?” James asked. 
“No, no,” Harry responded, “She’s my best friend in the entire world. I’m glad you got to meet her.”
“I am too.”
You took that as your cue to re-enter the room and you nestled back into your spot and wrapped your hands around your cup of eggnog. 
“Alright, I’m going to ring Ginny before bed. G’night.” Harry gave you another hug before going to bed. 
“So James, while I really appreciate the bracelet I don’t think I can keep it.” You said, handing James to bracelet back. 
“Oh, you don’t like it?” James gave you a look of alarm. 
“No, it’s not that. I just saw this note and…” You handed James the note. 
“I, um, I am so sorry. I had gotten you a box of chocolates for Christmas but then I saw your gift and I panicked. I had bought that bracelet for Lily months and months ago and I needed to give you something better. You’ve been such a light in Harry’s life and honestly in these few short days I’ve loved having you here. I want you to keep the bracelet.” James looked at you with large imploring eyes and extended the bracelet back to you. 
“Oh, thank you so much. You have to know that Harry is my best friend and he’s been amazing. Especially after everything with my father. And I can see where he gets his giving spirit. Thank you again for having me for Christmas this year.” You became aware of how close you and James were on the couch. His hand was on your knee and his breath was warm against your face. He leaned in and kissed you, his hand on the back of your neck. His lips were soft and he was gentle, warm. You pulled away and looked down at the ground. 
“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I’ve just…been lonely. But that isn’t an excuse.” James shook his head. 
“I think I’m going to go to bed. Good night.” You scrambled from the room. You reentered your room and tried to think about what had just happened. And then you thought fuck it, you deserved a little guilty pleasure now and again. And before you knew it you were knocking on James’ door, emboldened by the eggnog. 
“I’m glad you’re here. I’m so so sorry-” James started but you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him hard. He pulled you into the room and shut the door, pushing you up against the door and pulling your jumper over your head. He thread a hand in your hair and tilted your face up a little as he angled his tongue. His hand went down to the waistband of your jeans and fiddled with the button for a moment before sliding his hand down into your panties. 
“So wet for me,” he whispered into your mouth. You were going to give back a smart remark but James pushed two of his nimble fingers into your pussy. You gasped and gripped James shoulder harshly. His thumb found its way to your clit and he started on circular motions as he pumped his fingers in and out of you. His lips made their way to your neck and he was sucking hickeys on your neck that you would curse in the morning but right now all you cared about was James keeping his pace as you approached your orgasm. It hit you like a tidal wave and you were moaning into James’ mouth and begging him for something you weren’t totally sure of. 
He moved you to the large wicker bed that sat in the center of the room. You helped him out of his shirt and unbuckled his pants. You kissed down his chest, along his happy trail, and down to his cock. You took him in your mouth and he moaned lowly, 
“Oh fuck.” He moaned, holding your hair back as you tried to take him as deep as possible. You grabbed his balls lightly and released a strangled, 
“Okay! Okay, I don’t want to cum just yet.” He pulled you off of him and flipped you over so you were beneath him. He pushed himself inside you and you both moaned. 
“You’re so big,” you moaned. 
“You’re so tight,” he moaned back. He was fucking you at a relentless, unforgiving pace. One of his hands was gripping the headboard tightly and the other was alternating between your nipple and your clit. You were approaching your second orgasm of the night and with the way it was building you knew it was going to hit you even harder than the first one. James pulled out completely and slammed back into you and that was it. You orgasm hit you hard and your orgasm triggered James’. He came inside you, babbling thank yous and oh my gods. He pulled out of you and you both laid side by side, breathing heavily and fanning yourselves. 
“We can’t ever tell Harry.” You said, the icy shock of sobriety making you realize the gravity of what you had done. You had slept with your best friend’s dad. That would kill him. James was going to respond when an owl started pecking at the window. James opened the window and untied the piece of parchment wrapped around the owl’s foot. You were able to read it over your shoulder.
James, 
I made a huge mistake. Ring me in the morning?
Happy Christmas
Lily
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