#it's taking a lot of energy not to throw myself in front of a train

[augustghosts]

Wasting Water

Tangerine x fem!reader

So uhh… I'm back! But, with something (someone) new! I watched Bullet Train recently and I just couldn’t help myself. I’m so obsessed with this man 🍊 also i’m a sucker for patching each other up after a mission trope so um, I hope someone enjoys this! lmao. I haven’t written in a few months and I'm a lil rusty so if this sucks… don’t even worry about it… also i didn’t proofread this so if you spot any mistakes, spelling or otherwise, let me know!!

Word Count: 2.4K

Warnings: Fem reader. Shower sex. Unprotected sex. Fingering, oral (f receiving), Slight choking but not really, PinV etc etc etc (so minors turn around and leave pls) Established relationship. Lots of pet names. Naughty language, obviously. Mentions of blood and fighting and that. Tangerine being soft with the reader (warning in and of itself.)

“Fuck me,” Tangerine’s deep voice practically bounces off the walls, way too loud for the early hours of the morning. Way too loud for the way her head is pounding right now. He doesn’t see her wince, he’s too busy messing with the cuffs of his shirt. She watches as he unbuttons the white sleeves and rolls the fabric up to his elbows. “That was a fuckin’ disaster.” He finishes,

He finally looks up at her, standing in front of the mirror scrubbing at her hands. The water swirling down the drain turns bright red as it descends. She looks just as disheveled as he does. Dried blood, both their own and otherwise, splashed on their skin and clothes. He feels a pang of guilt as he watches her, he knows she’s upset. The job going so wrong being partially his fault, the argument that ensued on the way back being about him not taking responsibility.

The hotel room is small - the only one left. He’s standing in the doorway of the bathroom, practically right behind her. She looks up at him and his heart twists inside his chest - she looks tired, and sad. He hates it. He opens his mouth to speak but she beats him to it.

“Can you get out?” She asks, turning to him. “I’m gonna get in the shower.”

That squeezing his chest hits him again, he tries to ignore it. He nods and sighs, turning to leave. As he does, the large slash on her cheek catches his eye. He stops in his tracks and turns his body fully towards her.

“When did you get that?” He asks, his hand comes up to cup her face. How did he not notice?

“It’s fine. It’s only small.” She sighs, she doesn’t have the energy to push him away.

“It’s fuckin’ not.” He says sternly. His opposite hand came up to her other cheek. Holding her head still so he can inspect her face. The cut looks deep, a bruise already forming around it. She watches him, his eyes soften as they dart across her face.

“You gotta clean that.” He says, turning to dig through her makeup bag which sat beside the sink. He pulls out a washcloth and starts to run it under the sink.

“I was gonna do it in the shower.” She mumbles. “But you won’t leave.”

He sighs again, a habit of his she’s always hated. He turns with the cloth and she steps back.

“Just get out so I can wash up.” She mumbles and tries to snatch the flannel from him. His free hand grasps her wrist, softly - but firmly enough to keep her still.

“Oi,” He holds the cloth out of her reach. “Let me help.”

It’s her turn to feel guilty this time. The pleading look in his eyes made her feel defeated.

“Up.” He points to the counter. She obeys and jumps up to sit on the cold marble. Allowing him to stand between her knees. He’s as gentle as ever, as he always is with her, as he dabs at the wound on her face. She studies him too. His messy curls and furrowed brow. The bags under his eyes. This job literally couldn’t have gone any worse, but at least they were both safe. Something she liked to tell herself when stuff like this happened. At least he was here, alive and breathing. His face inches from hers, his warm hands cradling her jaw. God, he looked good.

When he places the rag down in the sink, she doesn’t hesitate to throw her arms around his neck. He jolts, surprised for a few seconds - his hands squeeze her thighs as he tries to manoeuvre himself to reciprocate the hug, but she’s holding him too tightly. He chuckles, his chin resting on her shoulder as she cradles his head. They both know what this means- I’m sorry and I love you. They had never been the best at communicating with words, unless they were fighting that is. But moments like this they both understand.

“C’mon,” He mumbles into her neck. Placing a kiss there for good measure. “Let’s get in.”

He gestures to the shower. She sniffles into his shoulder and he pats her thighs before pulling away. He messes with the shower, swearing to himself as he tries to figure it out. She undresses behind him and slides past him into the cubicle when he finally gets the water flowing.

“I wanted to do that.” He jokes after he gets his own clothes off, stepping in beside her. “I love undressing you.” He whispers as he watches her. The hot water drips down her face from her hair, cascading down her body. He reaches

for her hips and pulls her in for a kiss. The first kiss in hours, but honestly, it feels like days. Her hands explored his broad chest and shoulders as they melted into each other. The steam that was filling the bathroom helped to cloud their minds, helping to push out the awful memories from the job.

“So gorgeous, darlin’.” He murmurs against her cheek, pressing kisses. His hands travel to her ass, a firm squeeze forcing a moan of his name from her lips. Her back is pressed up against the cold tile. It’s his turn to step under the hot water but he doesn’t really take it in, he’s too busy tickling the skin of her neck with his moustache. His lips travel south as his hands rise up to cup her chest. Another firm squeeze has her laughing breathlessly against his mouth. He kisses her one more time, slowly and deeply. His tongue brushes hers and his teeth latch onto her bottom lip, a small playful tug.

Within seconds he’s on his knees. Her strong, beautiful man is exactly where she wants him, on his knees in front of her. His lips swollen, cheeks flushed, his gorgeous curls soaking wet and sticking to his skin. His big blue eyes watch her as she pushes her fingers through them, pushing them out of his face. His hands knead her hips as he takes in the view in front of him. One hand curls around her knee, encouraging her to lift it and place it over his shoulder.

“Shit, baby.” He practically groans as her pussy is opened up for him. “I can never get enough of you.”

“It’s all yours.” She whispers above him, the shower almost drowning her out. “Please, Tan."

“God, Sweetheart. as much as I love hearing you beg for me. It’s not needed tonight.” He’s as desperate for her as she is for him. When is he not desperate for her? He couldn’t tell you. He groans into her heat as he has his first taste of the night. He uses his thumbs to open her up for him and dips his tongue in teasingly. The warm tip slowly circling her clit, softly applying the amount of pressure he knows she likes. Her knees almost buckle and a breathless moan of relief hits his ears. Fuck, he loves the sounds she makes. And he intends to drag them out of her all damn night. His tongue stays where it is, working her skilfully towards the edge whilst one of his fingers starts to circle her entrance. It pushes slowly inside and he smirks when he feels her clench around his single finger.

“More.” Her fingers pull at his hair as she whimpers. “Please.”

He obviously obliges, after the hard day they’ve had he isn’t in the mood to tease. His cock is rock hard already and the sensation of her warm, wet cunt squeezing the life out of his fingers has him moaning around her clit.

“Like that. Fuck, just like that.” She encourages him as he begins to work her with his fingers. He glances up at her, her head tilted back, her mouth open as she whispers to him. Ap fucking beautiful. “I’m close. Shit, that feels so good baby. Oh my god.”

It doesn’t take long for the world to crash down around her, his name becoming the only word she can remember. The feeling of his mouth and his fingers and his curls in her hands, quickly becoming overwhelming. He chuckles when she pushes at his head.

“Shit, baby.” She’s panting, the steam from the still running shower not helping. She pulls him in to kiss him messily. Her whole body is sensitive and on fire. Her hand wraps around his cock, he tenses and clenches his jaw and she can’t help but press her mouth to the sharp edge.

“You look so fuckin’ gorgeous when you come for me like that.” He says, his voice gravelly. He’s impatient as fuck, her soft hand twisting around his shaft is driving him nuts.

“We’re wasting so much water.” She giggles against his skin.

“Best get out then.” He says, reaching behind her to turn off the water. She opens her mouth to protest but he covers it with his hand before whispering: “I wanted to bend you over the sink anyway.”

She grins behind his hand, he mirrors it when he removes his palm and guides her out of the cubicle. Her still wet hands slide on the marble counter as she grips it. Tangerine stands behind her with a firm grip on her hip, his other hand holding his heavy cock. Positioning himself at her entrance.

“You ready for me, Sweetheart?” He groans as he rubs his head through her folds. She’s nodding desperately when he finally manages to take his eyes off her pussy and look up at her in the mirror.

“Please,” She knows exactly what he wants to hear. “Please fuck me. I need you.”

He smiles, almost wickedly, at how fucked out she already looked. He hadn’t even started yet. They both moan breathlessly as he pushes inside of her as slowly as he can muster. Holding back just so he can see that pleading look in her eye as she makes eye contact with him in the mirror, a whine leaving her lips.

“I know, baby.” He growls as he begins to thrust slowly. “Fuck you feel so good. So tight and so fucking wet for me.”

She loves when he’s talkative like this. He’s still gripping her hip, definitely enough to leave a bruise. A hand snakes around her body to grip one of her tits, he moans behind her as he squeezes her nipple between his fingers. She stretches her hand out behind her to reach for him and he knows exactly what she wants. After the day they had, she just wants to be close to him. He obliges and pulls her to his chest, both of his strong arms wrapping around her.

“You love it like this don’t you?” He asks, his lip’s right beside her ear as he watches her in the mirror. Her hands are gripping his firm forearms as he thrusts into her like it's the last time. Tangerine was nothing if not passionate, especially when they were alone. One of his hands rises to gently wrap around her throat, tilting her head up so he can sloppily kiss her. All tongue and moaning into each other's mouths - it’s glorious. The feeling of his hand squeezing her neck and the sensation of his moustache on her upper lip prompts that fire to begin to smolder in her belly.

“I’m close, Tan.” She whimpers. His grip impossibly tightens on her and he bites into her shoulder.

“Me too, darlin’.” He says against her skin. “Cum for me, gorgeous. I’ll right fucking behind you.”

One of her own hands travels downwards to her clit, Tangerine's eyes widen as he watches her touch herself in the mirror.

“Fuck that’s it. I love watching you like this.” He tilts her head up towards him again, his hand still cradling her jaw. “Cum for me, baby. I wanna see it.”

His words almost act like permission, her body reacting to him instantly. As usual. Her knees going weak and her grip on his arms tightening as she cums on his cock. Her pussy squeezing the life out of him and the feeling of her nails digging into his muscles sends him off as well. His teeth dig into her neck hard enough to definitely leave a mark as he spills inside of her. The sensation of him filling her up making her squeeze around him again. A breathless moan of his name as they both relax. His arms falling to the counter in front of her, his warm body pressed against her back - caging her in. His lips kissing her jaw and cheek, mumbled praises and affirmations. For the first time that day, she finally felt okay.

She almost ruins the moment for herself, thinking about how they will have to get up and do it all again tomorrow. But the sound of her lover's voice asking her what she wanted for dinner snapped her out of it.

“I’m so fuckin’ hungry.” He complained. Standing up straight and running a hand through his hair. Tomorrow didn’t matter, not when she had the most beautiful man in the world standing right here in front of her. She laughs at him and he laughs back, a rare sight reserved solely for her and a few others.

“I gotta take another shower after that.” She says.

Tangerine earns a smack to his chest when he asks: “Round two?”

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

Hello

I want to see cowboy reader get captured and hurt by unsub and JJ worried because those two seem to have chemistry

Description: Cowboy reader's father visits, things don't go too well...

Warnings: abuse, abusive parents, abduction, claustrophobia, judgy nurse, hospital visits, child abuse mentions

A/N: I'm panicking that this feels rushed but equally, I started writing this on the 15th of May so it can't be that rushed can it? Lmao (Also I'm so sorry it's taken this long). Posting this before I can doubt myself some more :))

Taglist: @xweirdo101x @xdark-acadamiax @ara-a-bird @heidss @chubbyboyinflannel @pendragon-writes @migwayne @bigolgay @technikerin23 @supercriminalbean @honestlycasualarcade @caffeine-mess @1s3v3n1 @oddmiles @kevyeen @stealing-kneecaps @criminalskies @woodandwaxwings @wizardmon3 @aphroditeslovr @ducks118 @azeal-peal @13thdoctor-run @introvertpan84 @goth-boi-atlas @iliketozoneout

You and Spencer stood in front of the geographical profile, to be honest, Spencer was doing most of the work, you were watching the wheels in his brain tick. Since meeting the young doctor, you had almost been in awe of his intelligence and the way his brain worked (and you couldn’t help but want to protect him from the world). 

This precinct was set out slightly different to the others you had been to, this station’s conference room had no windows, purely lit by shitty lights that were screwed into the ceiling. The only way you were able to read in this room was if you also switched on a bright light that was a lot less warm-toned to actually see. 

"(Y/N)?" You snapped out of your train of thought, turning to the voice, it feeling vaguely familiar. 

"Yes?" When you turn to him, you instantly know who it is but you force your face to stay neutral.

"You don't remember me." He manages to look somewhat defeated, you'll give him that. 

"No, I remember you." You said, folding your arms, "You just don't mean anything to me." 

"And why’s that?" 

"You're not worth my energy." 

He places a hand on his heart, "You wound me, son." 

"Shame." You answer, you turn to Spencer, "Can you go get Hotch?" 

Spencer looks at the scene hesitantly, not wanting to leave you alone with the man. Especially if he is your father. "It's okay, Spence." You reassured with a tight smile. 

"Yeah, it's alright, Spence." Your father says as he takes a step towards Spencer. 

When your father takes a step closer to Spencer, before you know it, you have him pinned against the wall. "Don't you even fuckin' dare stand near him." You growl, "I don't care how much you think you've changed, come near him, I'll break you." 

Chuckling, despite his head pressed against the wall, your father turns his head to look at Spencer. "I have changed." 

"Bull. Shit." You force the words out of your mouth, anger flowing through your blood. "Spencer, go get Hotch." You wanted Hotch here for a multitude of reasons. The main three being:

Make sure you don't nearly kill him

Make sure he doesn't nearly kill you

Make sure Spencer is safe 

As soon as he's gone, your father's demeanour shifts and he smirks, "I thought we'd never be alone,"

And with that, he manoeuvers himself and slams your head into the wall, knocking you unconscious. 

When Hotch and Spencer ran back into the room, three minutes later, you were nowhere to be seen. 

You didn't know how long it had been, just that it must have been ages - at least four days. You had been there for ages, in the dark, a closet to be specific. And everywhere hurt - so, so much. Your father had been in multiple times and it was like you were twelve years old again, stuck at home with a monster with no one to save you. Except you knew that you had people in the outside world that actually cared about you (your team).

Each time your father visited you, dragging you out of the closet and throwing you to the floor, he inflicted a different pain that reminded you of your childhood while he hurled insults in your direction. It had been a while since his last visit - a few hours, perhaps - and, to your dismay, you were beginning to worry whether he would come back.

"This ain't creepy at all," You muttered to yourself, perhaps if you closed your eyes and simply pretended you were at home that would help.

You leant against the back of the closet, trying your best to get comfortable. You closed your eyes, picturing your bed at your Mama's house. Everything was okay. "You- You're fine," You mumbled to yourself, clutching your arm tight to your chest, trying to stabilise your shoulder. It had been dislocated on your first day here (wherever here was).

Everything ached heavily, throbbing in beat with your heart. Between the cuts, scratches, and burns, you felt like you couldn't take a full breath. It was dark and you couldn't see. You didn't know who was there, if anyone was really there. God you hated the dark. And it was cold, so very, very cold, you knew there was no way that you had lost enough blood to make it so. You knew that the only way in which it was so cold was that bastard had made sure there was no way heat could get into the room (assuming there wasn't a thermostat).

The beat of your heart filled your ears, mixed with the roaring that was occupying your ear drums. All with such force and such volume that you don't hear the gunshot in the background.

"Everythin's fine, you're gonna get out of this. Team'll find you. It's fine. It's fine-" Your feeble attempt at self-reassurance died in the back of your throat when you heard the familiar unlocking of the closet doors. You curled into yourself further, not looking up when the doors creaked open.

"(Y/N)?" JJ approaches you slowly, and you stare at her, trying to figure out if you've finally gone crazy or if she's really here. God, you hoped it was the latter. You couldn’t help but notice that the air around her seemed slightly brighter.

"JJ?" You wince, not only from the pain it caused in your throat and chest to speak, but by how utterly defeated you sounded.

"I'm here," She answers, "We're all here." With that, there was a small click and light flooded into your room. You winced, quickly ducking your head down and squeezing your eyes shut. When your eyes had adjusted, you opened them, forcing yourself to stand. 

The team's eyes widened at the sight of you, covered in blood and dirt, stripped of your shirt and socks. When you finally looked up, you curled into yourself slightly, trying to ignore the damage. 

You took a breath, "What about-?"

"He's dead." She answers and your shoulders deflate. They did come for you. He was wrong. Of course they would come for you.

"Who- Who shot him?" You asked hesitantly.

"I did," Morgan replied, frowning slightly. No matter what the man had done, he was still technically your biological father. You stumbled over to him, wincing and limping as you did so.

"Thank you," You mumbled, collapsing into a hug when you finally reached him. 

”How about we get you sit down?” Morgan asks gently as Prentiss places a seat next to you. Despite you protesting that you were fine, Morgan helps ease you into the chair while Hotch calls the paramedics to check how far out they were. 

When the paramedics arrived, they were quick to transfer you onto a gurney and then into the ambulance - the team keeping close. 

“Do you want us to call your emergency contact?” The paramedic asked and you shook your head.

“No, no thank you,” You mumbled, giving her a small smile. 

“Are you sure-?”

You nodded, “She, er, she’s already here,” You don’t notice Morgan shoot JJ a knowing smile - who responds with an eye roll and shaking her head.

“Okay, just so we know, who is it?”

“Oh, er, JJ,” You said, nodding to her, “The blonde haired lady,”

The paramedic takes a note of this, jotting it down on your form. “Thank you,”  

When you get to the hospital, you’re settled into a rather uncomfortable hospital bed (but you know better than to complain). They start by giving you pain killers and treating your major wounds - the burns along your side and chest, a variety of deepish cuts along your arms and torso, and finally checking your ribs and collarbone for fractures. You had tried telling them you were fine, but they weren’t having it - especially when they poked it and you cried out in pain.

"We need to take you upstairs," The nurse said, "We need to do an x-ray."

"Upstairs?"

"Yes, the x-ray department is on the fourth floor," The nurse said and you drew in a deep breath. "We need to transfer you into a wheelchair."

Eventually, you were out of your room, trying desperately not to think about the elevator. Being trapped in a small metal box.

"No, I- I'll take the stairs." You mumble, shaking your head as you approach the lift. Not now. You can do this right now. You begin to stand when a hand is placed on your shoulder, instantly making you feel relaxed. You know its her without even having to look.

"You know you can't take the stairs right now," She responds quietly.

"JJ, I'm fine." You answer, grinding your jaw. You did not want to go in that lift under any circumstances.

"It's the only way to get there."

"Then I won't go,"

"You need to get an x-ray,"

"Don't need to."

"What would help you feel safer?" Her voice is soft, calming.

"You." Your answer is instant, that's not the embarrassing part though. The embarrassing part would be asking to hold her hand. The embarrassing part would be asking if Hotch or Morgan could also come with. You knew that they wouldn't let anything happen to either you or JJ - and they were physically healthy and therefore actually able to protect both you and her (normally you wouldn't have a problem with protecting the pair of you if needed, but you were currently slightly incapacitated).

"What's the other thing?" Damn, she can read you like a book.

You swallow, frowning slightly as you flush red and look down at your hands, watching them tremble for a moment, "H-Hotch or Morgan?"

JJ nods in understanding, gently rubbing her hand along your arm. "Does it matter which one?" When you shake your head, she turns to the nurse, "Can you get Agent Hotchner or Agent Morgan please?"

"For an elevator?" You frown, staring at your hands more intently as your face grows hot, watching as they continue to shake from adrenaline at the idea of being in a lift right now.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying, he's a grown man, he can ride an elevator-"

You can sense the anger radiating off the blonde so you shake your head, "JJ it's fine..." You mumbled, "Let's just go n get it over with."

"No. You'd feel more comfortable with Hotch or Morgan here, so we're going to make sure that one of them are here." She says strongly, not breaking eye contact with the nurse. "So, can you get Agent Hotchner or Agent Morgan. And another nurse."

The nurse stares blankly at her for a moment before nodding and walking off. "Are you alright?" JJ asks softly and you give a small nod, hands continuing to shake. Seeing this she slowly reached down, lightly taking your left hand in her right.

"I-I'm sorry," You mutter before your tone turns bitter. "I shouldn't be feelin' like this. It's just an elevator."

"(Y/N)," You look up at her, "You've been through something most people can't even imagine. You're okay to feel shaken by that."

"M an adult." You said, trying to ignore your eyes began to feel the familiar sting of tears. "I shouldn't be-"

"I'm scared of dogs." JJ said. "I- Spencer was taken by an unsub years ago and his dogs attacked me and now, I'm afraid of dogs. Is that unreasonable? I'm an adult."

"That's different."

"Why? Because I'm a woman?"

"Wha-? No. Because you went through a traumatic experience."

"And this wasn't traumatic?"

"No! This was my childhood! I got over it! I should be fine with this! I shouldn't be here shakin' like a leaf over somethin' I must have gone through a hundred times!" You exclaim, "I should be able to get in an elevator without vibratin' so hard I’m creatin' my very own massage chair!"

"You're allowed to feel this way," JJ says gently as she crouches in front of you. "It's okay to acknowledge things that scare you. And doing this? Getting in an elevator shows how strong you are. Even if it's with two friends."

"Is everything okay?" JJ looks up at Hotch, who let's his gaze settle on your form - he can't see much, but he watches as you lift a trembling hand to your face, presumably to massage your temples. JJ says nothing, unsure of how much you want her to say, so you take the lead.

"I don't wanna go in." You mutter. "I wanna take the stairs."

Hotch had never heard you sound so small. "I get that," Ensuring that his voice is calming, he continues, "But we both know you can't make it up all those stairs right now."

"Its- I feel like 'm trapped and 'm not even inside yet."

"We'll be here the whole time," Hotch adds and you nod.

"Is the other nurse here?"

"Yep," Another voice chimes, "I'm Nurse Maddison."

"Hi," You whisper. "I-I'm not normally like this," You mumble, this was slightly mortifying to say the least.

"That's alright," She replies, "We've all got our fears. I find it difficult to go on public transport - I'm scared of a lack of control."

"I-I'm scared if I get in the lift, I won't be able to get out." You admit. "I'm scared the lights will flicker, n I'll wake up, n I'll still be there. Or worse, the lights will go out n he'll be here."

"Who?" Nurse Maddeline furrows her eyebrows when you don't answer.

"I just really don't want this to be a dream," You whisper.

JJ squeezes your hand lightly, "I promise you, this is real."

"We're here, (Y/N). You're safe. You're with us."

You sat, taking deep breaths outside the elevator for a minute or so. Just catching your breath.

"Are you ready to get in?" She asks. Despite the question, her voice is full of understanding. "We don't have to push any buttons yet, and I can stand in the way of the doors until you're ready."

"Can- Can we do that one? With you in the doors?"

"Of course!" Nurse Maddison gives a small smile before pressing the call button for the elevator.

When she wheels you into the elevator, you forget how to breathe. Shaking your head quickly, you find Hotch and JJ (which is easy as Nurse Maddison placed the wheelchair so that you could see both of your colleagues), "I was wrong, I can't do this-"

"(Y/N), look at me," JJ speaks this time, "You're okay, it's okay."

You shake your head, "No, no, I can't-"

"I need you to calm down for me, okay?" Nurse Maddison says.

"No! No, I can't- I can't do this!" You bow your head, rubbing your eyes with the palms of your hands.

"(Y/N)." Hotch's voice is stern and makes you look up, "You can do this. I know you think you can't, but you can."

"Do you trust us?" JJ asks and you nod. Because you do. You trust the pair of them with your life. "Then close your eyes." You look at her for a moment before doing as she says, letting your eyes flutter shut. There's a warmth that floods through your body as she takes your hand again and you grip it lightly.

When the doors close, your grip on JJ's hand tightens and your eyes shoot open. "It's alright," Hotch is quick to reassure as JJ rubs soothing circles on your hand. "It won't be long before we reach the floor we need."

"No, no, Hotch, I need out-" You shake your head, desperately trying to get your breathing under control. "Hotch I need out, I can't breathe-"

"(Y/N), look at me." JJ's voice drew your eyes away from Hotch. "You're okay."

"No-"

"Yes you are, you're okay." She says softly, gently squeezing your hand in hers, "We're nearly there."

You pushed the palm of your hand into your eye, trying to force the tears back. "Not a coward." You muttered bitterly to yourself, not caring if the others could hear. You needed to get yourself through this ride without having a panic attack (and it was close). "Not a coward. Not a coward." You mumble the phrase, over and over. Intent on repeating it until you believe it. Of course, before that could happen, there was the familiar ping of an elevator door and your head shot up as they opened.

"Can we get out now?" You asked, looking up, "Please?"

Both Hotch and JJ give you a reassuring smile as Nurse Madeline gently pushes the wheelchair out of the elevator. 

JJ leans forward, so only you can hear her as she whispers, “See, I told you you could do it,” 

The x-ray went relatively smoothly, except for finding out you had three broken ribs and had broken your clavicle. You were also a lot calmer on the way down (still with both Hotch and JJ), feeling relatively calm (in comparison) when they wheeled you back into your room. 

The team immediately greeted you with smiles as you entered your room, Garcia standing up from your bed (where she may or may not have laid down on it).

“So, what’s the verdict, cowboy?” Morgan asked. 

“Um, three broken ribs and clavicle.”

“Clavicle?” Garcia asked.

“Collarbone,” Spencer added. 

“Does that mean no baking for a little while?” Both you and Garcia asked, turning to Hotch (who had to fight off a smile).

“Probably.”

[svltzmans]

jealousy, jealousy - h.m.

a/n: this was a request but i switched it up a little to be even more gay i hope anon doesn't mind 😙 enjoy pals

warnings: smut (18+), possessive language, dominant! hope, dirty talk (this is kinda short but so filthy i apologize), hope and reader aren't in an established relationship (but they are in a casual one ofc)

y/n throws a punch, focusing on the bag in front of her being held by none other than penelope park.

"c'mon, y/n, harder," penelope chants, smirking at the implications of those words.

y/n and penelope had been friendly for some time, even though it had always been clear penelope had more explicit intentions.

it wasn't until the two had started boxing together that their interactions started getting a lot more intimate. penelope's "encouragement" was only a small part of it.

y/n would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the attention. penelope was hot, and she was single. it worked for her.

when her and penelope switch so the dark haired girl can take a few swings, she notices someone standing in the doorway out of the corner of her eye.

it's hope mikaelson, and she looks almost irate.

pausing her workout, penelope returns the energy hope radiates.

"what, you need the bag, mikaelson?" she sneers, continuing to jab with her gloved hands.

"don't need the bag when you're standing right there."

"wow, i'm wounded. what did i ever do to you?" penelope's sarcasm gets under hope's skin, as much as she tries to ignore it.

y/n just watches as the two witches argue, debating whether to intervene or not.

penelope had somehow found out that hope and y/n had been hooking up, and ever since she had been making it her mission to make hope seethe with jealousy.

it seemed that she had accomplished her mission, walking out of the room seemingly unbothered, leaving hope angrily standing in the middle of the gym.

"what was that all about?" y/n tries to break the ice, dissolving the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

"sometimes i feel like she's trying to piss me off."

"why's that?"

"because she doesn't like that you're mine, y/n."

"hope, i can train with whoever i wan-"

hope interrupts y/n's sentence by pushing her against the wall of the gym, kissing her roughly and grabbing any part of y/n she can reach.

when hope pulls away, she's already lifted y/n off her feet and started carrying her in the direction of her room.

"lay down, y/n," hope commands, and y/n is quick to oblige. despite the unofficial status of her and hope's relationship, she likes the feeling of belonging to someone. especially when that someone is as intoxicating as hope mikaelson.

hope practically rips y/n's training shorts off, leaving her in her boxers and sports bra.

"such a beautiful girl. and all mine, yeah?" hope teases, running a finger down y/n's bare stomach.

"you'll have to prove that last part," she responds, wanting to push hope to her limit.

"you're just asking for it now," hope whispers, moving her finger from y/n's stomach to the hem of her boxers.

hope is quick to dip her hand underneath, ever so lightly touching y/n.

"more," y/n manages to mewl, pushing her hips upwards in hopes of more contact.

hope withdraws her hand completely.

"if you want me to fuck you, you have to listen. by the time i'm done with you you'll know exactly who you belong to, and it's sure as hell not penelope park. do i make myself clear?" hope snaps, practically growling as she speaks.

y/n simply nods, preparing herself for the desperation she's about to feel.

"good," hope simply replies before continuing, gradually picking up speed and adding pressure.

y/n's a mess, grabbing hold of the sheets and trying to keep herself quiet.

it's then that hope plunges her ring and middle finger into y/n, and all hopes of quiet are quickly abandoned.

"god, fuck," is all she can manage, hope rapidly bringing her to the brink of orgasm.

"h-hope, gonna cum," y/n manages, losing her breath as she speaks.

hope slows down, making eye contact with the writhing girl below her.

"who do you belong to, y/n?"

"what?"

"you heard me. who do you belong to?"

"i-"

"who gets to touch you like this? make you feel good like this?"

"you, hope. always you. please just-"

hope picks up the pace again, and it's not long before y/n falls over the edge, holding back a scream.

coming down from her high, she looks at hope with lovestruck eyes.

"am i really yours? like, your girlfriend?"

hope laughs, running her fingers through y/n's hair.

"i thought i would have to yell at you for you to pick up on how much i like you."

"just wait until penelope hears about this," y/n giggles, earning an affectionate push on the arm from her newly official girlfriend.

[morfineee]

Baro Shoei x fem! reader

Fluff

Word count ≈2100

I was laying on my bed, holding a pillow at my chest. I wasn't feeling anything but sadness and anger. I haven't left my bedroom in a week already, besides going to the bathroom and pick up my food delivery. My roommate, Baro, is an athlete, so he is not at home during the day, I didn't have to deal with him at night either, so it's safe to say that I've been all by myself lately.

I looked around my room, without moving an inch. Paper bags and energy drink cans all around the room, clothes thrown on my chair and floor, some even on my bed. I didn't have energy to clean after me, I didn't have energy to cook healthy food, and I didn't have energy to take care of myself and my mental health. I was in the worst state of mind.

I heard the entrance door opening and closing, sign that Baro was back home, earlier than usually. He was a busy schedule, with a lot of practice and training, gym and also classes...classes that I also had, yet didn't attend in the past week. I just sighed and picked up my phone, scrolling mindlessly through my apps, ignoring the noise Baro was making outside, on the hallway and kitchen.

I don't think ten minutes have passed since he came home and I heard a knock, before the door opened widely, making me close my eyes and press my lips. It was that one period of the month. If women have their period cycle...Baro had his monthly clean inspection.

"Y/N." I heard his stern and strong voice call out my name, and I could feel my blood run cold and my heart pound hardly against my chest. "What's with all this mess?"

I took in a deep breath, preparing myself mentally to respond, but all I could do was mumble something he couldn't understand. He just walked around my room, starting to pick up trash, throwing them in a bigger paper bag that layed around.

"My lord Y/N! You even left your leftovers in!" He said, raising his voice.

I could see the veins on his neck getting more visible as he spoke. He was annoyed at me, and I probably would have been too, but I know what I've been going through. But he doesn't. I didn't talk to him about this, and I had multiple reasons for. I didn't want to bother anyone with my problems, especially a persoan with so many things in their head, I was afraid of being judged and Baro seems like the kind of person that hates anyone that is weak, and right then, I was the weakest.

But I had no way to hide this anymore.

"I'm sorry, I didn't have energy to clean after me lately." I responded, holding that pillow tighter than before, like it was going to protect me in case he was going to get angry at me.

"The fuck that's supposed to mean?! You don't need energy to throw away the bag with your leftovers, nor for throwing some clothes in the washing machine!"

I sighed. I didn't want to argue with him. Baro was a massive man, tall and muscular, and as much as he never acted violent around me, I've seen him playing, I knew he was a whole demon on the field, so what was stopping him from being one right now?

He must have noticed the saddness in my eyes, as he just let the paper bag on my desk then walked up to my bed, kneeling next to me, letting his elbows rest on the edge of my bed.

"What's wrong Y/N? You're not feeling alright are you?" He asked, as his voice became softer, yet his red eyes pierced my soul, trying to read through me.

I couldn't stand the stare he gave me, it made me feel weak and helpless in front of him, it made me get emotional, and I didn't want that to happen. I closed my eyes, holding the pillow tighter, but it was too late. I let myself overwhelmed by my emotions, by my sadness, so a tear ran down my cheek, that I quickly wiped away.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me Baro. I promise I'll clean my room tomorrow."

"Oh drop the bullshit." He said, his voice venomous and rough, poking my forehead with his finger. "Tell me what's wrong, we live under the same roof, I don't want your shitty mood affect mine too."

I could tell he was at least a little bit worried, he was a tough man, he was a beast on the soccer field, but he was a caring person. He tried to play it cool, he never liked to show any kind of compassion and sympathy, which I don't understand, but my best guess was that had to do something with his king title.

"Alright..." I sighed. "I've just feeling down lately...My antidepressants are not doing their job anymore and I have no energy to do anything anymore." I spoke on a low voice.

I felt ashamed to talk about it, I felt like a filthy piece of shit, like a bug waiting to get crushed under his feet.

But Baro just sighed as he stood up slowly. I looked up at the tall man as he just came to sit on the edge of the bed, looking down at me.

"Struggling with quite something I see. Not like I care or anything, but you can tell me when shit is rough, it's better than letting it all build up and kill you from the inside." He spoke, rubbing the back of his neck, looking away from me. "What about we find something to cheer you up?"

I opened my eyes to look at him. I couldn't hide my surprise, as my wide eyes stared into his.

"You're... serious?"

"Yeah, don't want my roomie to be like a dead walker around the house. So? What would make you feel a bit better?"

"Uh...what about ordering some chicken nuggets and watch a movie? I think that would be pretty nice."

Baro nodded, as he stood up from my bed, reaching a hand out to me. I looked up at him confused, but i grabbed it gently, only for him to pull me up the bed.

"We're going to my room, I can't stand staying in such a messy place."

I couldn't help but smile lightly at his words. I found it funny how he was being nice, yet did his best to act like he didn't give a damn. I just nodded and followed him to his bedroom. It was the smallest in the apartment, as he said he didn't need much, but lord it was organized. He had a small bed, a closet and a desk, that was all he needed from what he was saying, and after I learned his schedule I believed him.

He layed on the bed, on the edge as he struggled making me some space. As much as he wanted to stay on the edge, he was a large guy and inevitably covered more than half of it. But it was alright, I fit there anyway.

I sat on my edge, holding my knees at my chest as I looked down at Baro, who was already scrolling through the ordering app.

"Nine nuggets with large fries, sweet and sour and mayonnaise, a large coke and a chocolate and caramel mcfurry." He spoke while adding them in the cart. "Is that right?"

"Yeah...how did you know?"

"You order the same thing every time you get Mc. I memorized it."

"Huh? You paid attention to that?"

"I pay attention to more than you think. And I have a great memory."

I couldn't help myself but smile at his words. I knew he was attrntive and he paid attention to me, but I loved how he tried to make it seem like its nothing. It meant a lot to me.

I watched over his shoulder as he ordered the food, before he leaned for his laptop, putting it on his knees. I sat closely as I watched him curiously, only to find him searching up my favorite movie. Oh I would never get bored of it...

"How did you...?"

"You play it every time you're sad, your volume is so loud I hear it through the wall."

I sighed lightly as I let my head rest on his shoulder, watching the screen with a light smile on my face. I couldn't help it. Baro was a great roommate, and I am going to be jealous on his future girlfriend.

I felt his hand wrapping around my waist, holding it sternly. He looked forward, his uninterested expression making him seem cold and mean...until he spoke.

"I'm not the most touchy person but it makes you feel better we can cuddle too."

My eyes widened as I looked up at him. This was so new to me. This was something Shoei Baro would never do, not even held at gun point. And yet there we were. I would lie if I said I didn't want it to happen. I always wondered what kind of hugs Baro would give.

So I just nodded, laying on my back as I got closer to him, letting a hand on his chest, my head resting on his shoulder, while his arm slipped underneath me, holding my waist. He pulled me closer to him, his big, strong hand holding my waist entirely. He gave me a light squeeze, pushing me to hold him properly.

"Come on, thats not how cuddles work Y/N, I'm expecting more from you." He said. His voice was serious as usually, and yet a tint of playfulness echoed, playfulness that made me smile.

Was it all so easy from the beginning? Was this all I really needed?

I wrapped my arms around him, letting my leg on top of his lower body as I finally cuddled him "properly". I inhaled his minty scent mixed with a chocolate kick, letting it intoxicate me. The warmth of his body was giving me a comfortable feeling, like I was safe and at ease.

"That's more like it." He said as he played the movie, holding me tightly at his chest.

His warmth, scent... everything was so comforting, everything was so addictive... But I couldn't tell him such thing, he's just being nice, nothing else.

Hours have passed, we ate the food he ordered, we watched three movies with no break whatsoever, which confuded me, Baro was a very active man, and laying down that way for such a long period of time was not something he would usually do. But certainly...he never let go of me. He cuddled me like there was no tomorrow, he played with my fingers between his fingers, caressed my back.

"How are you feeling?" I heard Baro's voice, softer than before, making me look up to him.

"I...feel way better than I did in the morning."

"As expected, I'm the best cuddler."

"Wouldn't expect a menace that refers to himself as 'the king' to just say that."

"Now you're being unnecessary mean."

I looked up to him, my eyes locked on his. Something in his glare was something...I could feel, and see, such a warming emotion coming from him, and it was making my heart beat faster.

He just sighed lightly, letting his hand rest on my cheek.

"Y/N, you mean a lot to me, 'lright?" He started, his voice even softer, like a whisper. "And I might not he the most romantic guy, or a boyfriend material in general...but I promise I can treat you right...I can treat you like a queen."

His words caught me off guard, as that was the last thing I would expect Baro to say. But I smiled, a genuine smile.

"I wouldn't expect the king himself to treat a woman anything less."

His lips curled into a light grin before just leaning closer, pressing his lips against mine. Theu were so soft and sweet...yet so rough and unsure. But something was certainly...his kiss was giving me butterflies...and were leaving me want more...

[double-detonation]

Double Detonation Chapter 3

Having graduated from preschool several years ago, Katsuki and I are now fourteen. Our relationship has grown far beyond what I thought possible. Even though he can be an asshole sometimes, I love him more than anything. I had tried my hardest for him and Midoriya to get along but he still hates his guts. I could never understand why, but I won’t force them to be friends if it just doesn’t work. However, he doesn't even think about fighting Izuku in front of me. In junior high, we didn't get put in the same classroom since we are twins. Which doesn't really make sense because we are not identical twins. That didn't stop me from kicking the door down if I heard he was causing trouble. I think I almost broke his jaw once when I found out that he burned Midoriya badly enough that it left him with a first-degree burn. I wouldn't have even known if Izuku didn't come and tell me. To think that Katsuki is the older twin and he acts like an immature child half of the time. 

When my brother brought up the topic of attending UA, he asked if I would be joining him. I had to do some serious thinking after that. I wasn't sure if I truly wanted to aim to be a hero. I know that is the whole point of the Anime but the idea of fighting for my life and others was kind of terrifying. However, Katsuki wouldn't take no for an answer. He said I had great potential and shouldn't waste it on being uncertain. “You always stick up for that worthless Deku, you'd be fine.” Yeah- standing up against a bully is EXTREMELY different than fighting a full-on fucking villain.

Right now we are in our backyard throwing punches at each other. Mom and Dad are currently out on a date so we thought we would do some practice while they’re gone. Ever since my brother announced he wanted to be a hero, I was dragged by him to help him train our quirks. I didn’t really want to at the start but Katsuki said that if anyone was going to train with him, it might as well be me since I’m the only person he can stand being with for hours on end. I grunted as I backed away a couple of feet from him as he shot a large explosion my way. Since we have similar quirks, we have been trying to bounce ideas off of each other when it comes to ways of using them. The main difference between us is that I can use my quirk in my hands and feet, while he can only use his hands. In a burst of energy at the bottom of my feet, I launch myself over Katsuki, holding a hand out, aiming another blast at him. He saw it coming and twisted himself to face me, blocking my hit with his own, bouncing me backward onto my ass.

“You really need to work on using your feet more,” Katsuki said as he offered his hand to me. I gratefully took it and he helped me up. “I know you can move faster than that if you just tried harder.”

I groaned loudly. “Yeah, but it's not exactly easy. You're more gifted at your quirk than I am.”

“That's some bullshit. It's just because I practice a lot more than you do.” He said as he concentrated a small blast in his right palm. “If I'm going to be the number one hero, I need to train like one.” 

“Yeah yeah, I know,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes at him. I clench my fists to the side. I have never been as good as my brother when it came to power. He got his quirk earlier than I did and is fully focused on his goals. I could never get my head around how quirks work. Half the time I used mine, my limbs would ache like they wanted to fall off. I don’t know if that is normal since I’m using explosions or if it’s just one of the drawbacks of my quirk. He didn’t seem to have the same issue, or if he does, he doesn’t show it.

Katsuki looks over and gives me a small smile. “Besides, if you want to be by my side in the hero course of UA, you will need to learn how to use your quirk to the fullest. Even if you don't like the idea of that, I know you can do it.”

I stare up at him with wet eyes. Katsuki isn't always like this but when he does, it always seems to catch me off guard. Fuck, I love him sometimes. I rushed forward and embraced him in a tight hug.

“Oi, get the hell off me!” He shouts, pushing me off of him. “You fucking stink!” I gasped, pulling away from him, and giving him a smack across his shoulder.

“Hey! It's not like you smell like a bed of roses either ‘Suki!”

“Whatever.” He grumbles, stuffing his hands in his pocket before making his way inside. I shake my head and follow him. 

“I'm gonna take a shower bro, call me if you need anything,” I said, passing him to go to the bathroom. As I pass I see his devilish smirk. “What…?” I looked at him confused. He then takes off in a sprint leaving me stunned. I realized where he was going and screeched. I ran after him but he made it to the bathroom first, slamming and locking the door behind him.

“KATSUKI BAKUGOU!” I shouted, pulling roughly on the door knob.

“What old hag?!” He shouted back through the door. “I got here first, you are going to have to wait!”

The front door of the house opened with Mom and Dad walking in with small smiles but stopped at the door when they heard their daughter cussing, and hitting a door.

“YOU LITTLE SHIT, ONCE YOU GET OUT HERE YOU'RE DEAD!”

The parents looked at each other, sweat dripping at the scene. Masaru looks at his wife. “Should we just…walk out and pretend we aren't home yet.” He suggests. Mitsuki deadpans and walks back outside without a word. “I'll take that as a yes.” He chuckles and walks out, closing the door behind him.

Hearing the bell ring, signaling that school is over for today. I get up from my seat, swinging my backpack over my shoulders, and start walking out. Thank fucking god, any longer and I think I would have gone crazy. I sighed as I walked down the hall towards my brother's classroom. I usually try to meet up with him there so we can walk home together, but this time, I think I’ve heard something I probably wasn’t meant to. “You know, if you wanted to be a hero that badly. There actually might be another way. Just pray that you’ll be born with a quirk in the next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of the building.“ I heard my brother’s condescending voice through the door laughing mockingly. I swear I think I saw fucking red. The eyebrows on my forehead furrowed downward as I stood at the entrance of the door with a large scowl. Seeing the door open I made a low growling sound. Katsuki proceeded to bump into me as he tried walking out.

“Who the fuck!” My brother said, rubbing his face. His friend’s eyes widen at the sight of me. “Oh shit!” The gray-haired one whisper-shouted and they both darted down the hallway together. He looked up, confused as to why his friends ran out, seemingly with fear in one of their voices. His face pales, as he starts to realize that he just fucked up.

I look past him to spot a shaking Midoriya with tears in his eyes. The smile on my face was fakely sweet as I called out to him. “Oh, hello Izuku. That's okay, you can leave first!” I said as I grabbed Katsuki by the collar of his shirt, pulling him back inside the classroom, and giving him enough space between us and the door. Midoriya looks between us with a worried gaze. He grabbed his bag before slowly walking out, not before glancing back at me before fully leaving. I stood there for a few more moments, making sure he was gone before glaring at my brother.

“What the FUCK do you think you're doing, saying shit like that!” I screamed, smacking him roughly across the head.

Katsuki hissed, reaching to rub the spot with one of his hands. “What are you talking about, I said nothing.”

I smacked him again. “Don’t try to gaslight me! What gives you the right to say that to Izuku, let alone anyone? I know you don’t like Midoriya, but you can’t just tell someone to go off themselves!”

“You wouldn’t fucking understand,” Katsuki grumbles, stuffing his hands inside his pockets, and starts to walk into the hallway. “Then make me understand!” I shouted back. Katsuki paused and then turned to face me with a hard glare. “He needs to understand he can not become a fucking hero, that’s why I’m doing it.”

“That’s not a reason for abusing him like how you have been Katsuki! Besides, Izuku can become a hero if he tries hard enough, isn’t that what you always tell me!”

“THATS THE REASON WHY I DO IT!” He shouts, putting his hands in his hair, and pulling on it slightly. “Because I know he could make it as a hero if he tried hard enough, but I’m trying to fucking scare him out of it! I know you wouldn’t get it because you fucking baby the bastard every time!”

I paused, looking conflicted. He believes Midoriya can become a hero? Then why even do this? “I don’t understand…If you think that way, then why try to stop him from accomplishing his dreams?” I asked.

Katsuki sighed. “Because, if he somehow becomes a hero, with him being quirkless, it’s only a matter of time before he nerd gets himself killed.” He says as he starts walking, and I follow him closely beside him. “It’s unfair, but it’s true…and I don’t want that to happen.” He finishes as we continue to walk in silence.

Katsuki and I are walking through an alleyway, a shortcut that we usually take. It’s faster than following the streets, plus it’s less crowded. We haven’t spoken since we left the classroom. I sighed as I kicked a plastic bottle with my quirk, causing some green gunk inside of it. Gross I think I burnt whatever was inside. “You don’t hate me, right?” Katsuki asks quietly. I looked at him surprised. “No, you make me angry sometimes, but I could never hate you. Why would you think I’d hate you?” I asked. He shrugs his shoulders at me. “Just making sure…” I shake my head before freezing in place. A large glob-shaped shadow appears over us, making us look at who is making it. Our eyes widened in fear at the sight.

“Perfect! I love a meat sack with some fire! The creature said before rushing forward to me. Katsuki screams my name, pushing me roughly out of the way, getting caught in the sludge instead. “KATSUKI!” I screamed as the villain left with my brother. I followed them closely with my quirk as the villain left a path of destruction. I leap forward, ready to let out a blast before I get tugged back by a thick branch.

“NO!” I shouted, smacking at whatever grabbed me. “Let go of me you bastard!” The hero, Kamui Woods kept me in place. “Don't even think about it kid, let the pros handle this!” He shouted as a larger hero with white arms rushed in and smashed the slime with zero effect. “W-what is this stuff! I can't grab a hold of it!” He said before a sludge arm came out and slapped him away.

I struggle in Kamui's hold. “Let me go! Please! He has my fucking brother!” I shouted, making a small explosion trying to knock him away from me. He looked shocked and turned to the other heroes. “That thing has a kid hostage!”

The heroes looked around. “Shit! None of us have the right quirk for this! The kid is going to have to wait until someone with the right quirk comes along!”

The pain of watching my brother struggling in the hands of a villain is something I forgot that could happen. Fuck this is all my fault, I forgot that sludge fucker existed!’ I cried to myself. A green blob passed me, making me lift up my head. Midoriya!

Midoriya throws his yellow backpack at the monster, hitting him in the eye, making him loosen his hold slightly on my brother. My eyes widen as he gasps for air. “That's fucking it, let go of me you fucking twig!” I shouted, blasting a large explosion at him, making him release me. I was about to charge in myself before someone shouted, “DETROIT SMASH!” Blasting the villain away. I ran into the scene to catch my brother.

“KATSUKI!” I cried out.

[macaroni-rascal]

Montreal Worlds Day 1!

What a lovely day, it was so exciting, I kept turning to my friend who's here with me (shoutout Jillian I adore you) and going: "Holy shit! We are actually here!" I just kept having realizations over and over that a dream I'd had for a while has come true. So damn wonderful!

Some highlights and general thoughts:

Pairs is so much more exciting in person than on TV, and it's already incredibly exciting on TV. We were seated in a place where several teams did their sbs jumps and a good amount of their throws, and it was just fucking exhilarating.

Some teams who I never found that interesting on TV/streams were so fun to watch in person, which I wasn't expecting.

The difference in speed between teams is so hilariously glaring when you're in person, one team looks like a high speed train, the next is skating through molasses.

DEANNA DEANNA DEANNA DEANNA DEANNA.

ALSO DEANNA.

AND DEANNA.

THEN ALSO DEANNA.

That entire moment of Deanna and Max, from the moment they were announced to the about 45 minutes after they got their scores, I was on such a high. The energy in the building was just unbelievable. I'll never forget that. Sending them all the love for the free today!

(Break for a nice lunch, had fish sandwich and fries, and it hit the fucking spot.)

The women were a similar but also different story, some skaters I thought I liked a lot were a little less exciting in person, while other skaters who I'd not been that into captivated me completely, Young You was one such skater. I always thought she was pretty solid, but she's got an energy in person that had me transfixed. I loved her program.

Loena turned the fucking party, what a moment that was.

Isabeau is worse in person, jesus christ those jumps are heinous.

Unsurprisingly, Kaori's speed and ease across the ice was completely unmatched, it's a shame her was a little messy in the SP, glad she's still in it though, she can get it back in the free.

Amber's fall on her loop made me deflate like a sad balloon, it was right in front of me and I nearly cried.

Josefin Taljegard I adore you so much, such a cool skater to watch, her step sequence was so amazing.

Gubanova just not having a combo made people around me making the funniest sounds, and I had to laugh quietly to myself cause it was very comical.

So much fun!

Some general happening and thoughts on the venue:

Had to get my tickets printed and picked up when I thought they were on my phone, didn't bring a photo ID with me, nearly cried thinking I'd have to back to my airb&b and then all the way back to the venue, but alas, two pieces of government ID did the trick, and all was well. We laughed so hard about it later, but what a wild start to the whole event.

FUCK THE TINY ASS SEATS IN THE VENUE. Fuck them so hard, so uncomfortable, so awful, thank god I'm on the end of a row or I would have died, maybe?! Had trouble getting to sleep last night cause my right hip and back hurt so much from those seats. They were not created for 70% of the population who are not stick thin and/or children. That's my one gripe, and that's my rant.

Why must they take the caps off the bottles of all drinks people purchase? What is that? What is the point of that? My friend brought me a water, I didn't realize it had no cap, nearly poured water all over the people in front of me. Just so confusing to me. I'm sure there's a good(ish) reason, but wowza not my favourite. (Okay, that's my second small gripe, but it's more a confusion than an annoyance.)

My friend and I came back from lunch, and people were just full sitting in our seats with a big sign for a skater?????? We asked them to move, and an old lady in the row behind us got angry at us cause it was in the middle of a skater's program and she felt we should have waited to have the people move, which seemed wild to me. I could never be that person, you have a seat, go sit in that seat????????? The audacity????

GET TO THE BATHROOM EARLY! DON'T WAIT FOR THE LAST SKATER'S SCORE BEFORE THE ICE FLOOD, YOU WILL BE WAITING 8 YEARS TO PEE. We got there early every time, and when we left the bathroom, the line was maybe 100 people long.

God, one more thing about the seats, they truly made us both (me and my friend) so unhappy and uncomfy, we are full missing the first three groups of men today because it is not worth being in pain for those early groups. Four groups is our cut off for how long we can be in the venue without a significant break. Amen.

HAVING TO MUCH FUN, DREAM COME TRUE, DEANNA WORLD CHAMPION TONIGHT THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

[sunskate]

this was good- the tent story is at 33:20 the campground they chose was 50 km west of the rink and traffic could be brutal. a budget decision for July and September. they like camping. 3 weeks was a bit long. camped in Lake Placid the week after the summer competition, hiked - they're outdoorsy. it wasn't a curveball for them. a good area to save a bit of money for when they need it the most. she feels more refreshed sleeping on a harder surface, he didn't have any problems

in New York, they train alone, no other teams around, so going to Montreal, with 20 other teams is a good balance - they learn a lot from watching the other teams, and it lights a fire to be around them, to have other teams watching them

at Junior Worlds, Oona got food poisoning. he heard her throwing up at 1 am but didn't know how bad it was until they went to the rink, and he said let's jog like they usually do, and she said ...i can't...😥and curled into a ball. she pushed through, had no energy to be nervous, and they won

for the OnIcePerspectives video of their Metallica program that went viral during the lockdown - they trained for that the same way they'd train for a competition

their RD: Oona listened to a lot, they had I'm Still Standing as a top choice, so they decided to do all Elton - a coincidence that it comes from an album called Ice on Fire. they took it to Montreal, Romain would suggest let's put this here, let's put this there, and Gage would cut the music every day. their other coaches had input about other songs, they have a group text with the IAM coaches and went back and forth to shape the program

FD: wanted to skate to All by Myself for a long time, especially Oona, but felt like they weren't ready for it last season. threw a lot of pieces as suggestions to IAM, and this was the one they also responded most strongly to. the first month working on that program, he would stay up really late cutting the music as they shaped it. Hugo Chouinard helped for the final product. they started the process of looking for program music 2 weeks after Nationals, were making the programs by March

costumes: reused previous costumes for the RD because the new ones weren't ready- they needed to be altered, and they didn't have time before Finlandia, then they went almost straight into their GPs. she says they're getting sick of these, they'll have the new ones for Nationals

training for back to back GPs after Finlandia: started off lighter in between, had faith in their endurance and training. didn't go down in intensity between the GPs. was worried about how at competitions you skate much less, and how that would affect their fatigue levels

next up is Nationals. goals- more focused on total scores and points. may shift to thinking more about placement. want top 5-6 at Nationals. there are so many - 4-5 teams- right there with them. anybody's game. a goal to show up and have solid skates and see what happens. details, more speed, more flow - going to Montreal after Thanksgiving for 3 weeks. a bunch of Xmas shows in the city that help performing in front of an audience

what sets them apart from everyone else- Oona: we're small 😂 Gage- have gotten the compliment before that they're fiery. sometimes it's not a compliment, like they're always go go go go, too much, need to take a deep breath. so, having the fire but also want to show they can take a deep breath too. but other teams are good at that as well. this season can be a time to set ourselves apart and find out what does

another skater's style they take inspiration from? not really - not trying to be like them. be unique, be themselves. take inspiration from Tessa and Scott, but our skating styles aren't similar. a lot of skaters at Monreal that we'll watch. not modeling our skating but our mentality. they motivate you in a way because they're there and skating so well, it makes you push harder

styles they like to skate: tango. he prefers that to Latin because they can look stern and look at each other stern😅 they like doing hip hop and blues and 80s. they like older music, 70s 80s.

how are they similar or different from each other-- he's more outspoken and social. their humor is similar at times (she says not all the time) their dedication and passion towards what they're doing are similar. both musical - they play in a bagpipe band. are doing the interview from South Carolina at a bagpipe competition. their older brother is a drummer in an Irish marching band. Gage wanted to play a loud instrument. found a competitive Irish pipe and drum band

like being busy- they sightsee at competitions, get requests to bring back magnets, shirts, mugs for their 5 siblings and parents

favorite program of the past 4 seasons from any discipline: VM Moulin Rouge. Gage: it made me feel some kind of way. Nathan's Nemesis. HD's last free dance. Kaitlin and Jean-Luc's programs. their last year's made him teary eyed- they move me. i want our programs to be that way- make tears happen. but Moulin Rouge is #1

[dira333]

Act my Age - part 9

Scotty x reader - other parts

“Lieutenant Y/N?”

You look up from the List on your PADD displaying all the things you still have to check before the mission can start.

Gold tunic, bright blue eyes…

“Captain Kirk, how can I help you?”

He smiles at your eagerness, but his steady gaze never leaves you and his eyes are bright enough to shed a light on even the secrets hidden deep inside your words.

“You don’t have to be nervous.”

“I’m not,” you disagree, but still unable to lie, “The correct term would be anxious.”

His smile grows. “And why would you be anxious? This isn’t your first away mission.”

“But the first one where I have to babysit the Chief of Engineering.”

You cringe at your choice of words, but it’s too late to take them back.

He chuckles, but there’s no sign of amusement in his eyes.

“Do me the favor of explaining that term to me.”

“Babysitting?” You lick your lips when he nods. There’s no easy way out of this now, it seems, so you might as well go with the truth.

“Commander Spock gave me the authority to lead the mission, telling me to strengthen my trust in myself. Somehow I must have given Mr. Scott the impression of someone who knows nothing and needs to be protected when I’m not and I don’t know how I can uphold this impression while trying to lead the team.”

The Captain’s gaze softens.

“Why would you even try to uphold the impression of something you’re not?”

A soft sigh escapes you and you bite your lip, searching for words that will tell him enough without telling him everything.

“Maybe I fear what he will think of me when I correct his impressions.”

“What would be scarier? Him liking you more or less than he does now?”

You want to say yes, but you’re not ready to admit that Mr. Scott liking you is the prospect of your worries. Definitely not in front of the Captain and even less in front of James T. Kirk, who is a good friend of Mr. Scott.

“You don’t have to say anything, I can read it in your eyes.” The Captain smiles at you and you remember that there is a reason he holds this position.

“And I don’t think he could like you less,” he said and you open your mouth to ask why, to ask for more words, more explanations, when the man in question steps out of the door.

“Y/N,” he greets, “Captain, good to see you, I wanted to ask something about the mission. Are we going to take Shuttle Y5N?”

“Well, are you?” The Captain turns to you and you stutter nervously, trying to get the knot out of your tongue.

“Y-Yes.”

You can feel their eyes on you and you offer more information.

“Lieutenant Pimentel will fly.”

“Lieutenant Pimentel?” Mr. Scott looks from you to the Captain, “Didn’t she just crash a shuttle on Delta V two months ago?”

“It was a controlled crash due to unforeseen weather changes,” you argue, unable to help yourself. Maybe being nervous was better than being annoyed��

Both guys throw you a look and you wave your PADD around in a vague gesture.

“Whatever, I’m going to go check off the rest of my list. Permission to leave, Captain?”

“Permission granted. Go eat some chocolate. That’s good for the nerves.”

“Will do, Captain,” you nod into his direction and that of Mr. Scott, leaving as quickly as you can without making it look like you’re running.

How will you ever be able to survive that mission with him on board?

-

“How was the chocolate?” Mr. Scott greets you when he steps onto the shuttle and takes a seat.

You shrug, unable to hide the embarrassment from your features and check the little box beneath his name on your PADD.

“That bad?”

“I tried to make roasted almonds but they turned into coal instead,” you offer and look away from his laughter to the twins coming up towards the shuttle.

Talking to him has become easier throughout the month of training, but it hasn’t taken a lot of the nervous energy his presence causes in you.

“Tayla,” you nod to her in greeting and she grins at you.

“Wrong, it’s Haylee,” she claps your shoulder and points towards her sister, “That’s Tayla. You can tell one from the other pretty easily, all you need to know is that we look completely alike.”

“But don’t worry about it,” Tayla cuts in, “Just call us Tay and Hay if you need to get through to us faster.”

“Thank you for the offer, I will still try and get it right the next time. Names are important.”

“They are,” Haylee agrees, “But if you excuse me, I have to greet something more important: The shuttle cockpit.”

“Permission granted,” you tell her and she leaves with quick steps.

Barely ten minutes later you’re ready to leave.

You take the only seat left, careful not to bump into Mr. Scott next to you when you put on the safety belt - or at least not more often than absolutely necessary - before you grab your PADD and look down at it.

“Ready for take-off, Haylee?”

“Aye. Ready when you are,” she turns her head to the side to give you a smile.

“Let’s go then.”

And the shuttle takes off, out of the hangar of the Enterprise and down towards the gray stone hull of Sinar.

“Nervous?” Mr. Scott asks next to you and you are well aware of how much space there really is inside a shuttle, the people around you, listening in on you even if they don’t really want to.

“Not really, no,” you lie and clutch your PADD a bit tighter, “But I… well, I just want to say sorry again, that I had to cancel yesterdays lesson, you know, it’s just…”

“Your brother is a force of nature, I know. He came by today, mentioning you had a lot of fun.”

“Well, yeah, we had.” You bit your lip out of habit and register his eyes flicking down to your mouth for a second. You’re almost hopeful for a second until you realize you’ve forgotten to put on lipstick. He must have noticed the change in color.

“And if you want to, we can catch up on that lesson when we’re back from the mission.”

You can imagine what your brother would want you to answer, but he’s not here and you do want to spend the time with him.

“I’d love to,” you answer and watch his face light up with a smile.

“We’re entering the atmosphere,” Haylee announces, “Get ready for the possibility of some turbulence, guys.”

You look around at the team you’ve put together.

Mr. Scott for Engineering, Tayla and you for Science, T’Leel as your medical officer, Haylee as the Pilot and Lieutenant Parks who’s there for security and communications.

It’s a small team, focusing mainly on the science aspect of the mission, and all you want is to get down there, get the job done and get everyone back to the ship in one piece, including the shuttle.

You’re confident about your abilities, about the abilities of every team member and about your calculations, but confidence can turn you blind to warning signs.

“Relax,” Mr. Scott whispers next to you and he puts his hand on your knee for exactly one and a half second. You forget how to breathe while he touches you, hyper-aware of the rawness of his skin through the thin fabric.

Damn him and what he does to you.

“Everything will turn out fine,” he assures you and pulls back his hand.

You take a deep breath and force yourself to smile and nod at him.

And then the turbulence starts.

It takes the shuttle about fifteen minutes to get to one of the holes in the hull, but by the time you reach it, everyone’s looking as tense as you feel, clutching the seats beneath you for stabilization in the shaking shuttle.

“Alright gals and pals,” Haylee’s voice sounds as cheerful as ever, comforting you and everyone else, “We’re entering the hull. Turbulence should be over now. Tay, dear, would you be so kind and play the tour guide?”

“Permission to explain the Bioluminescent Life Forms,” Tayla looks at you, eagerness evident in her eyes and voice.

“Permission granted,” your voice sounds raw and you feel the same, your heart still beating hard against your ribcage as if you’re just waiting for something to happen.

Don’t worry that much, you tell yourself, think logically. If something happens… If something happens… It could be like those movies Mom used to watch. Girl gets into danger, boy rescues her and realizes he loves her.

“No, that’s not logical,” you mumble to yourself before you can hold the words back.

“Huh?” Mr. Scott turns to you, but everyone else is still listening to Tayla’s explanations of the glowing plants outside the shuttle, covering the inside of the stone hull.

“Nothing important,” you tell him with another forced smile, trying to focus onto Tayla instead.

She takes a break to breathe, smiling in anticipation and that’s when you notice T’Leer’s blank stare.

It could be easily misconceived as him being bored by Tayla’s speech, but you’ve spent to much time with Vulcans to be fooled by something like that. He’s caught onto something entirely else and you close your eyes to hear what he hears.

When you open them again, T’Leer looks right back at you and you nod. He doesn’t have the background to know what’s moving around the shuttle, but you do. There are three types of animals that fit this noise, behavior, and environment and you don’t want to deal with any of them.

“Tayla,” you address her as calmly as you can, “Could you please sit down and put your safety belt back on.”

“Of course,” she follows your orders while finishing her speech and you open your own belt, slipping out of your seat and towards Haylee.

Someone catches your wrist and pulls you back slightly, just enough for you to turn around to look.

“What’s going on?” There is concern written all over Mr. Scott’s face, in bold letters too.

You force the third smile in a short time and lie again. “Nothing. I just have to ask something concerning the landing, that’s all.”

“That’s a lie.”

You lean forward until your nose is almost touching his and the only thing keeping you calm is the thought of what might be outside.

“I need everyone to stay calm,” you tell him softly, your voice emotionless, “I’ll tell you everything later, but could you tell them a story in the meantime.”

“Sure, Lass,” he lets go of you and you slip into the tight space next to Haylee’s seat, careful to keep your voice low.

“Haylee, I need you to flash all of the shuttle’s lights right now. I want us to shine as bright as a star to everyone out there.”

She throws you a look and you don’t even try to fake a smile for her.

“What’s going on?” She asks while so follows your orders and you look outside, catching movement in the shadows.

“Before I tell you that I need to know if you can pull off that controlled crash you did on Delta Vega again, here, on the planet’s surface.”

Her eyebrows rise up enough to remind you of your superior officer.

“Shouldn’t we better get the Enterprise to beam us back up instead?”

“The stones around us are covered in Pyrocystis fusiformis, those glowing plants. They’re interfering the signals. They don’t grow near water, so if we can get down to the surface our chances rise by 74,5 percent.”

“74,5 percent?” Haylee asks and looks down towards the planet’s surface before she sighs.

“It’s going to be hell, but I can pull it off.”

You look at her and she sighs again. “I can pull it off to about 70 or 80 percent.”

“Make it a ninety,” you tell her and clap her shoulder just like she did with you earlier before you turn to get back to the others.

You’ve just taken two steps when something hits the shuttle, hard. You stumble forward and to the floor, your left knee hitting the floor hard, your head landing in someone’s lap, warm arms around you, holding you as the lights flicker and turn off.

“What was that?” Lieutenant Parker asks, her voice high with panic.

“Inhabitants don’t seem to be happy to have us,” you groan and pull yourself up.

“Careful,” Mr. Scott’s voice is too close for this to be Tayla, as you had initially thought. You must have landed in his lap of all people.

“I’m alright,” you tell him, but let him help you into your seat, putting the safety belt on yourself, “Everyone stay calm! Now that it has attacked us despite the lights, I’m 95,3 percent sure it’s a Chiroptera Chordata. As soon as we get to the surface she will lose interest in us.”

“She?” Mr. Scott asks.

“Only the female Chiroptera Chordata fight and attack. The males stay behind and look after the children,” you tell him, but his answer gets lost in Haylee’s next announcement.

“Everyone, grab your neighbor, seat or will to live because it’s going to get bumpy. We’re landing and it’s not going to be a nice one.”

Warm fingers wrap around your hand. The inside of the shuttle is still dark, but Tayla and the others are on the other side of the shuttle. Mr. Scott pulls your hand towards him and rests it on his left leg.

It’s probably meant to be comforting, but all you can think of is the fact that he’s holding your hand.

There’s the noise of Haylee’s seat sliding out of its anchoring and sliding back into the main body of the shuttle, her voice counting down the seconds and the deafening sound of the steel nose of the shuttle hitting the surface, before it crashes down on the floor as well, the force shooting through your back and up into your head, leaving your ears ringing.

You force open your mouth through the pain and the disorientation, asking the most important question.

“Is everyone okay?!”

And there’s only deafening silence and the ringing in your ears as your answer.

[dizzyaddy]

drowning - naruto x oc pt. 1

(i do not own any naruto characters, only the original character)

life was a blur before i met him.

the rising sun adorning the pastel sky greeted me with a new day. i exhaled a shaky breath as i treaded down the dirt path, the morning dew still evident on the nearby patches of grass. i had been up all night training and it was only now taking a toll on me. my eyelids felt heavy as did my feet below me, which were slowly but surely starting to drag behind me.

as much as i loved konohagakure, sometimes it simply feels suffocating. the infamous nine tails attack had devastated the village, leaving many people with little to no family. thanks to my older sister, we both somehow managed to survive. that being said, the rest of our clan along with our parents had perished along with half of the village.

i was simply too young to remember such an event, though to this day it still took a toll on my elder sister. she was once a proud shinobi, willing to put her life on the line for anybody and everybody. sometimes she will tell me old stories of her battles and how strong she used to be. nowadays, she can’t do much physically but still tries her best to keep the lighthearted spirit hanging in the air.

it makes me feel guilty, really, for being so able bodied and still feeling so useless. even in her state, she managed to raise me and continuously care and watch over me. her strength truly is something i admire most about her, her unwillingness to give up in defeat. now every time i feel like throwing in the towel, i’m reminded of all that she was and all that she continues to be.

hence, why i’m walking through the village at dawn to locate her pain medicine. my muscles trembled and ached, the exhaustion finally weaving its way through my body as i continued to push myself through the square. i had been back from my B ranked mission for a few days, and i was instructed to take this time to recuperate and replenish myself. as much as i would like to listen, my stubbornness deemed it impossible as i found any opportunity to make myself stronger.

coming up on the shop, i exhaled a breath of relief as i saw they had just opened. my rhythmic steps had picked up their pace as i was overcome with joy that i would be able to do something for my sister. my hand was about to touch the door handle before-

“hey!” a perky voice greeted me, taking my attention away from the door to this mysterious person. my eyes locked with his sky blue eyes as i felt myself stop breathing. i had lived in kohonagakure all my life, but never have i ever seen eyes that bright. eyes that held so much emotion, so much passion, so much optimism.

“sorry, can i help you?” i asked, trying to find the courage in my words. it wasn’t often that i spoke to people other than my sister. even if i did, it was always me doing someone a favor or-

“yeah about that, i noticed you were about to walk in here. you see, i just got back from training with my sensei for an overly long amount of time and i was instructed to pick up some medicine for him. you see, i kinda really hurt him awhile back and now he-“ he rambled as he sheepishly pushed through the words, his arm retracted behind his head as he rubbed it awkwardly.

“you need to go in front of me? i won’t mind,” i cut him off, his ramblings instantly quieting as he nodded eagerly. my, how can someone have this much energy in the morning?

“yes actually that would help out a lot, im sorry i know we both have places to be but-“ he started again before i politely held my hand in front of me and shook my head, signaling that it truly was okay.

“no no, it’s okay. i hope you find what you’re looking for,” i meekly said, my hand finally wrapping around the handle and opening it for him to walk through. he continued to stand there, dumbfounded at my actions while he stared at me with curiosity. i could feel my knees buckle with anxiety, hoping he would walk through quickly so i can get home.

“geez, you’re really nice you know that?” he said with a smile before walking through the open door. i felt a small smile creep up on my face before i followed him into the shop. he waltzed toward the counter as i kept my distance behind him, not wanting to impose on his privacy. the man working the counter quickly took his order before returning to the back to rummage for whatever it is he needed.

“so what’re you doing here this early?” he asked, catching me off guard. my eyes left my feet and collided with his, which were once again already looking at me. and i going to feel this winded every time?

“i just got finished training, i have to pick up some medicine for my sister,” i sheepishly said, my fingers intertwining with another as i stood there under his gaze. he was tall and built, his shaggy blonde hair firmly sweeping over his headband in all the right ways. his bright blue eyes still holding as much warmth as they did before as i noticed he had cat like whiskers on both sides of his cheeks. before he could add on to my statement, i asked,” what about you? as you said, it is quite early.”

he looked at me for another moment before a grin swept across his features, momentarily entrancing me.

“i just got back from training with my sensei, i’ve been gone for three whole years and now i’m finally back home!” he brought his fist up and pumped it in the air as he spoke. his enthusiasm brought a smile to my face as i stood there listening to his every word.

“i’m sorry, i forgot you already said that,” i spoke with a slight chuckle. “three years of training? geez, i’m sincerely happy you’re back home. i hope you can make the most of it,” i said with a smile, his confidence keenly rubbing off on me.

“order up!” the man behind the counter announced as he set the bag of medicine on the counter. the boy in front of me quickly turned around and exchanged some coins for the bag before he picked it up and turned around to face me.

“gee, thanks! i’ve really gotta get going or else i’m gonna be in trouble, but thanks for talking to me!” he waved a grandiose goodbye before rushing out of the store, quickly leaving me behind. moments after her left, my heart was still racing as i was left there staring after him. i probably would have stood there longer if it weren’t for the polite man behind the counter looking at me expectantly.

“the usual?” he asked before i nodded, not wanting to keep my sister waiting any longer. he nodded in acknowledgment before he swiftly reached down and pulled out the bag of medicine i’ve become too keen on seeing.

“you know, you’ve been coming in here more often lately. i could always up the dosage so she doesn’t go through so much,” he offered. i dug out the coins in my pouch before softly putting them in his rough hand.

“thank you for the offer, i would have to talk to her first but i will definitely keep that in mind. thank you, again, i hope you have a great day!” i said before making my way toward the exit. he looked at me with pity before putting on a smile and waving me off.

my smile immediately dropped when i exited the shop. i knew what he was saying was true, but it doesn’t mean i have to heed it in this moment. the birds vibrant songs had become more prominent than when i had entered the store. the sky’s candy colors faded into a mesmerizing blue as i stared up at it for a few moments before counting my journey home.

[tetsunabouquet]

I don't know what to do. One of my cats, Poosie wants to go outside, she really has that urge and a leash isn't enough to satisfy her. She wants more. Because she needs more, I allowed her to go outside in the mornings recently. She escaped once over a year ago at night, and came back with a horrible injury left by another cat. I read on several cat blogs that this was the danger of letting your cat out at night: there are more cats active at night which especially rings true for my neigborhood as a lot of us have pets. So on that advice I've been allowing her to go outside during the day, which was supposed to be safer. Key word, is supposed. I mentioned on my blog before, I'm living in a school-area. There are several nearby, but there's one school in particular who causes BIG PROBLEM N.1: It's a secondary school. On paper, they are a very polite and responsible school who makes sure to keep the neighborhood clean, etc. A lie believed by various parents, including one of my mom's coworkers. In reality, it's the worst school I've ever came across. Instead of hanging out on the school grounds during breaks, they hang out in front of our homes so the school doesn't notices them smoking- wether it's e-cigarettes or actual drugs. It's not unheard of to find them hanging on their bikes, blocking our front doors neither is it unusual to find something like a can of energy drink they didn't bothered to clean up in front of our home. Fuck, some even have this disgusting little hobby of vandalizing the side walks in front of our homes to the point where the bricks needed to be replaced like last week. There always seems to be at least 1 kid who isn't attending classes and hanging around on neighborhood property, and the older students always stick around after school's over to hang out some more. They'll do stuff like the boys with mopeds trying to show off, you know, that sort of stuff. They scare Poosie. This school won't change. No matter how many times we complain about the students owning illegal firework during winter season -its only allowed in my country on the night of New Years, but often these students already start doing things like throwing fireworks from their bikes at late October/early November. The pandemic? Our properties were swarmed with school kids dodging the pandemic rules. We made pictures of it several times and had it sent to the freaking town's council. Who cares about that kid who already has his own car parking in our parking slots every day? Who cares about the filth they always leave behind- as living nearby grocery stores means almost everybody buys whatever they want instead of bringing lunch. And the bags, cans, etc? They always leave that at the playground next to their school and our properties. Last month, I cleant the playground on my own accord as I noticed how big of a waste there was scattered around. After like a week, it had returned to the dumpy state I found the playground in. Which created BIG PROBLEM N.2 The seagulls. With so much food waste laying around, the area has a decent population of crows and ravens, but seagulls take the cake. When training my cats on a leash when they were kittens, I already had a seagull trying to attack. Yesterday, when taking Poosie outside around dinner time when most of the students had disappeared and wanting to drop her off at her favorite spot- a seagull once again tried to attack her. And this time she was without a leash. A horrible chase scene, of the seagull continously going after her, trying to grab her with Poosie rolling away on the sidewalks ensued. I intervened and was almost attacked myself fot stepping in between the bird and it's target of prey- my Poosie. Luckily enough I am the type to have my keychain attached to a keycord, so I used it as a slinging weapon to scare the bird off long enough to save Poosie. The bird left us alone the moment she was in my arms. Poosie has stunted growth due to being spayed at a young age, and has a similar risks of these attacks as kittens do. What do I do?

[sassenashsworld]

Do you want to be my Valentine?

[Doesn’t really include in the series The Path of the Private, but a Valentine’s Day special for my favorite detective. I had thought of a one-shot completely off-series, but I think it would be interesting to see Silver’s reaction to a prospect for Nick Valentine (just so little). It’s not only she who can torture other muahahaha]

We returned to Diamond City on our way to the castle. Nora has to check the training of the new recruits under Ronnie’s command, but she wanted to rest a bit at the Home Plate before returning on the road. For my part, I take benefit of our time in town to update myself with the agency, but Ellie has no new files for me. I entrust her with my share of capsules won with Nora and she puts the purse in her drawer.

“Piper comes pick me in less than fifteen minutes to spend the evening at the Dougout. Travis and Vadim want to plan Valentine’s Day for the city’s singles and I’m on the committee.”

“As a single person or all that time spent with our friends paid off somewhere?”

Ellie just let out a little giggle, but I decide it’s better to respect her privacy. The day she wants to talk to me about it, she will. Her one and only relationship on this date having ended in a catastrophic way (I had to put the young man behind bars), she is very cautious before moving forward. I trust her with that.

Piper ends up landing as usual as a tornado in my office, greets me with enthusiasm and leaves arm-in-arm with my secretary.

As soon as they close the door, the peace of mind falls back on me. I light a cigarette sitting at my desk, closing my eyes for a moment to enjoy the silence.

It’s certain my partner is silent more often than in turn, but it’s not necessarily calm and tranquility at every step, on the opposite. Our adventures are often dangerous, otherwise we find ourselves in the middle of dozens of people, at best to direct them or for them to consult us, at worst completely excited fauna like at the Sanctuary bar.

Silence and calm are not really part of my life anymore and I savor this moment as fully as the cigarette I’m quietly burning.

Speaking of grilling, it smells like toast in the air and it’s not from my bad habit. In the total silence of the agency, I hear as much as I feel the sizzle of energy accumulating around me and I suddenly open my eyes. What happen…

I don’t have time to question myself when I see a first arc of electricity splitting the air less than a meter away from me. I get up in a hurry and go down the hallway to my room while a real electric storm throws arcs all around a man-height central point, sending files and incidentally everything that was on our two desks, to Ellie and me.

By the time the strange phenomenon develops, it already disappears, and the silence comes back, as deadly.

Then I hear a sigh. A woman’s sigh.

Curious, I proceed cautiously in my office to see the lamentable state in which the room finds itself. All the files that were not in a filing cabinet are now spread out on the four corners of the floor, office fans also on the ground, there is even a pencil stuck in the wall and my ashtray left a nice trail of dust behind it.

But what catches my attention the most is what stands at the exact spot where the phenomenon appeared; a woman turns her back on me. I suspect it’s a woman seeing the cascade of golden hair falling under her shoulders and the unique shape of her legs revealing themselves under a short skirt. High heels encourage her calves to keep an impeccable shape. When she turns in my direction, my heart stops.

“Jenny?”

“Sorry?”

“Jenny, is that you?”

“My designation is X3-42, commonly called Aiden by my creator.”

I take better glance at the girl. No, my memory of Jenny confirms my mistake. Her eyes were darker blue, the blond of her hair paler. Her nose was also curlier and her cheekbones rounder. The woman standing in front of me seems more delicate, a frame that looks a lot like Nora’s with chiseled features, the eyes lighter, but the hair more gold burned. Her eyebrows are almost as pale as her hair are delicate like those of Nora, rising with surprise by realizing who she is talking to.

“You … you’re one of those second-generation prototype synthetics, right? Who have a personality matrix allowing free will and the development of own thought?”

“One of those? I am the only one who travels this land, for all I know. I have never met another.”

“I don’t have enough information on that to confirm or deny whether there would be more.”

Her voice has something very refreshing, very gently. I thought Irma had a caressing tone, though a deep voice. This Aiden has a very caressing voice but higher perched. If she didn’t have such a soft accent, it might remind me of Nora’s voice. But Nora’s tone is more bluntly and more often sarcastic (ironic at best).

The woman brushes her impeccable suit that stands out especially in the running days. She then hands me a delicate perfectly manicured one. I extend mine with a little uncertainty.

“Valentine, Nick Valentine. Private detective.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Valentine. It looks like I’m in the perfect place for once.”

I finally remember my manners. I pull Ellie’s chair to make her sit in it. I have yet to digest all the information about her shattering arrival and her… designation, but one thing is certain, she’s a lady, and she’s entitled considerations.

“Are you… from the Institute?”

“A Courser, yes. Well, I was. Thank you.”

She takes her place gracefully placing her hands on her lap in an impeccable gesture. A real lady. I let myself fall back into my chair, feeling infinitely clumsy around her. However, I never really had this particularity despite the weight of my structure.

“A former Courser? Is that possible?”

“Only with great luck. I managed to jam my signal and the Institute is now blind to me.”

“Why did you do this?”

She sighed as a bird sighed, the same sigh of relief I had heard immediately after her arrival.

“I was designed to be charming and friendly towards subjects who, reassured by my unmenacing manners, are more easily caught. But compassion being part of my programming, I could not tolerate participating in the atrocities that were required of me.”

“A rare miscalculation by our boogeyman friends.”

“Far from being their first. They are humans. Humans make mistakes. If they were fully effective, we wouldn’t have this discussion.”

I reserve my judgment. Because she raised it so well, she was designed to build confidence, and I would be a fool to fall for that. But why would she brag about it? What does she gain by lifting me directly she is the Enemy with a great E? Until I find out, I prefer to remain neutral. Otherwise, I offer the lady a cigarette, which she politely declines.

“I don’t smoke, Mr. Valentine. But it’s very generous of you.”

“Do you mind if I smoke one?”

“Not at all. I sneak into your house unannounced, the least you can do is make yourself comfortable.”

Charming, yes. But I know another very charming one. As charming as a snake. Instead, she taught me to be wary of young ladies who show up unexpectedly in my life. Especially if it’s unexpectedly. I’m about to continue my interrogation very gently when the door opens on my other sparrow. She always seems casted by a simple thought.

So, she opens the door wide, her head bent as if she were caught in her thoughts.

“Nick, I was thinking about this and…

Her gaze has just landed on my improvised guest, and she has literally frozen on the spot, her lips slightly ajar by her last syllable. To have them both now in the visual, there is no longer any comparison possible. Yes, they both have tall cheekbones, intelligent eyes, and still quite long and pale hair, but the similarities end there.

Aiden reminds us of a graceful teacher, Nora did not steal her title of General. Precisely, her gaze becomes hard as steel crossing that soft as a new sheep.

“I disturb you…”

“Actually, maybe you can help me. Nora, this is Aiden. Aiden, this is my partner, Nora.”

“Lovely to meet you.”

The synth rises and holds out an aerial hand to my friend who grabs it with an obvious grimace of disdain. I think the woman doesn’t appreciate bumping into a lady who’s obviously too late coming into my home. In fact, I don’t think so, I’m sure. The handshake lasts just long enough to say so and Nora retracts hers as if she had just burned herself. The other one rubs her fingertips like she just touched something dirty, and I don’t think that’s helping her at all.

“Aiden here seems to have come to me for a problem, but she hasn’t had time to address it yet.”

I invite the two girls to take a seat each. I am amazed they have the same way of sitting. Different or similar? Was Nora like Aiden in her old life? Gently and gracefully? I shake my head smiling for myself. No, I don’t think Nora has ever been gentle, even if her grace is unmistakable. Something a little crude but haughty, while Aiden seems refined to excess. But I still feel they are made of the same basic material.

Or maybe I’m comparing them because this type of woman doesn’t exist anymore. They seem to resemble each other simply because they do not resemble anything that has been vomited up by the desolate lands in the last two hundred years. Surely.

Once the two women are settled, I finally light my cigarette.

“Let’s start by the beginning. Why did you come to me?”

“Because I must trace an organization which can help me make a new life. I thought the most famous detective in the Commonwealth would be the best person to assist me.”

“The only one” Nora says in a cough.

I give her a corner glance and then smile at my guest after spitting out my smoke to the side so as not to send it in her direction.

“What kind of organization?”

“They call themselves the RailRoad.”

And no need to be a detective to understand the tension that immediately grips Nora. Besides, the newcomer seems to perceive it too.

“It’s a fortunate coincidence that Whisper herself appears at the time I request assistance.”

When we talk about a bad tactic. In any case, in terms of dropping the masks, this woman is a real pro. Like the trigger girl who immediately pulls Deliverer and points him in the direction of Aiden, jumping on her feet.

“Nick! She’s from the Institute!”

“A Courser. I know. She told me. Put your weapon back on the scabbard.”

Nora stares at me, seemingly thinking I’ve completely lost my mind. Instead of obeying me, she walks in my direction in a protective gesture without letting go of her target. It would be almost touching.

“Silver, lie down!”

She grumbles, but she’s finally obedient. Rather than return to her seat, however, she sits on the corner of my desk with her eyes firmly fixed on the other woman.

“I know in the standard procedure, a caretaker could have helped me, but I admit my situation is a little different from one of an ordinary synthetics. Trying to test the ground would make me see and know and would certainly attract on some potential allies the wrath of the Institute.”

«She whistles well, the nightingale» grunts Nora.

“Indeed, but the birds of the Commonwealth sky serve as a drawing of where I could be, if I dare to show myself.”

“That’s why I kill them on sight” continues my friend.

“Then, what do you want from me?” I asked.

She leans in my direction, and I can see her dress has a very deep neckline in this position. I force myself to keep my eyes firmly in hers.

“I knew your best friend was an important member of the RailRoad organization. I was hoping you could help me acquire their good graces. I don’t know if I can really be saved, but who wouldn’t try to have a better life?”

Nora sneers while crossing her arms, visibly irritated.

“You know a lot of things.”

“Since you eliminated Z2-47, your actions have been observed by the Institute. It was not lost on them you were in contact with synthetic dissidents despite your precautions. I saw an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?”

“An opportunity to exchange in very intelligence. I warn you; you help me escape.”

Nora puts her hand on my shoulder, and I feel the truth in this gesture. She is afraid. The only time she seeks contact with me is to reassure me or to reassure herself. If she as well ostentatiously puts her hand on my shoulder in front of someone else, it’s because she feels really bad right now. Her fingers sinking into the fold of my coat is a question.

“What do you think?”

I lean down to find my ashtray and turn to crush my cigarette, a gesture to exchange a look with my friend. I make a slight motion of the chin.

“You don’t seem to feel it.”

She give me a slight grin. I turn my attention to the Courser.

“You tell us the Institute has been keeping an eye on Nora since she shot a Courser and in exchange, you want us to reveal information about an ultra-secret organization. I don’t think the scales are up to snuff on this one. It’s obvious the Institute must have an eye on Nora since she shot a Courser!”

The young woman in front of me nods with understanding.

“I have a list of synthetic infiltrators. For every step you take me to my freedom, I will reveal a name.”

Nora cough in disbelieve.

“Sorry. I don’t think that’s helpful.”

“It is not useful to know which of your settlers sells you as soon as he sees Deacon at Sanctuary? No need to prevent cluster attacks against your settlements every time you try to approach the Institute?”

“Now I think we have a currency” I raise.

And my Silver grinding her teeth. She gets up and heads for the door.

“I will contact the RailRoad. We will discuss your case and what we can do for you. Prepare your list and it’s better to be proven.”

“Don’t doubt my goodwill.”

Nora turns to her one last time, hand on the handle.

“I don’t need to doubt or believe. If you dare do anything that would compromise the safety of someone I care about, I will hunt you down, I will find you, and I will have you beg death to come and take you.”

She comes out on this last note oh how joyful. She has character, the beauty. I smile when the door closes, then I turn to the other lady.

“In the meantime, you pointed out walking in the open air would not do you much good. I imagine your little magic trick to appear where you want is rather limited, otherwise you would have appeared directly in the organization, right?”

“Indeed. I could only teleport from the Institute to a registered destination. Don’t worry, I’ve deleted my coordinates, and no one can know I’m here.”

“My agency is registered?”

“You are a well-known synthetic, even if I didn’t know what kind.”

I scowl, rubbing my chin while thinking.

“I’m not sure that’s good news. But in the meantime, I get to know Gen IIIs are rather similar to humans in need. Are you hungry?”

The lady stretches a little, hiding a yawn behind her delicate fingers.

“I’ll admit I’ve just spent the last few days planning my escape without really sleeping. I’d be pretty tired.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure Nora would agree to put you up at the Home Plate, she doesn’t seem to trust you.”

I stand up and hold out my hand, inviting her to follow me. Instead, she keeps her hand in mine and keeps me from walking away, looking me in the eye.

“I admit I understand her.”

I look down on her hand as she steps towards me, smiling slightly.

“Hm. I don’t know if the Dougout is a great place to hide” I’m trying to think about.

“The streets of Diamond City are under the control of a double agent of the Institute.”

“Then, there’s no way to evacuate you to Goodneighbor either. There’s only one possibility.”

Once again, I look up to meet her sky colors eyes very closely. We could fly in them.

“Even if I see you coming, I certainly wouldn’t want to put that burden on you.”

“Yet you asked.”

Her other hand lands on my shoulder, and she move one step closer. I now feel her breath on my face as she lifts hers, being of a rather modest size next to mine.

“Do I have to?”

“I would never force you to do anything, it would be an unworthy way to treat a lady like you.”

She crosses her fingers with mine, bringing her hand slightly closer to my neck. Even if I love flirting for the game, I find this one looks a bit too dangerous.

“How do you treat ladies like me?” she whispers in my ear as she rises on the tip of her feet.

With my metal hand, I grabbed her chin to bring her back in front of me.

“Miss, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I think you’re wasting your time. This old synth is not a wood that can be ignited.”

“Did your friend convince you?”

“Rather my experience.”

“What a shame you were led to believe such a lie.”

This time, I can feel her body brushing my coat as she gets closer to what one could say no more distance at all, her voice remaining a breath of tenderness that could almost make me believe it.

“I told you; life taught me that. It’s not a lie.”

“Let me prove you the opposite.”

She closes her eyes by closing the space that separated her lips from mine, but I confess I’m a little too seized to answer immediately. When her fingers on my shoulder flies to rest like a veil on my neck, I can no longer resist and taste this fruit I have forbidden myself for so long. The fruit is eaten with delight and immediately becomes a madness of the senses, its sugar flowing on my lips and its heat pouring into my body as if it were still flesh and blood. My metal hand immediately grabs the small of her back and I fill the little space that could still exist by attracting her to me, completely submerged.

“Damn…”

I think it’s my last words that evening. Indeed, I was able to lay the beauty in my bed, but I confess she slept very little there. Rather, the Institute’s professional taught me everything she knew about how I was conceived, and we created what I would call the triumph of my conception. It would be without saying for the space of a single night, I felt more alive than in all the decades since I have travelled the desolate lands.

Finally, to answer Hancock’s question, definitely, I have a lot of erogenous zones. To answer Nora’s question, I know how to use my mouth for something other than spite her. To answer my existential question, I now possess entirely something that belongs to me, and to me alone.

[throwing-roses-into-the-abyss]

Fic wrap-up

It’s been a shitty year for everyone, myself included. 2020′s really done a number on me, and my mental health is currently at the lowest it’s been in years. BUT I’m working on it, and I figure part of that is being proud of what I did do, the things I did make, despite it all. 

So this year, I somehow wrote (and posted) 10 fics, with a total of 21,507 words. The longest fic I wrote was 6K, the shortest just 827 words. I know in the grand scheme of things that isn’t much, but considering, you know, everything, I’m still happy with that. 

And I think y’all were happy with it too. Several of these fics got 1000+ hits! Considering for me usually anything over 200 hits is a success, that’s amazing.

I did learn this year that I am terrible at tagging, and at knowing what my stories are actually about. I think I probably write more hurt/comfort and found family trope than I realize. Also the usual domestic suspects like cooking/eating and sleeping together, I write those way more than I realize. If someone sees other recurring themes in these, let me know? I’d be really curious to hear what other people think these stories are really about.  

Thank you all so much for reading, and leaving kudos and comments! I still get an email almost every single day that someone left kudos, and it makes me a little bit happier every day. 

So just to share them once more, here they all are, sorted by fandom: 

Dan & Phil: 

mating calls  5 times Dan loved Phil’s subtle attempts at flirting through animal facts, and one time he didn’t. 1354 words, teen and up audiences  Tags: 5+1 fic, getting together, 2009 fic, fluff, mentions of family members, animal facts, gay animals, bad flirting through animal facts, making animal sounds, gratuitous abuse of artistic freedom when it comes to available technology, by which I mean I have no idea when phones got email just bear with me okay

House Hunters   Kath and Nigel go down to London to help Phil and Dan find a house to buy 827 words,  gen Tags: moving, POV Outsider, headaches & migraines, bugs & insects Just You, And Him  You first realize your feelings may have changed when you look at him pouring coffee, eyes bleary and curly hair flopping around chaotically as if he’s had a restless night again. Or, the one in which there is a lot of pining. 921 words, gen  Tags: POV Second Person, pining, yearning, food, getting together, oh my god they were roommates

and they were roombas  Dan knows that, as a manmade inanimate object, he should not be capable of talking or of feeling anything, let alone love. Not that it matters, because there’s no way Phil feels the same about him anyway. Dan is content to live his life cleaning floors and occasionally bumping into Phil, without ever doing anything about his feelings. That is, until one fateful day they get stuck under a table together…It’s a race for survival and love as time starts running out. Will they live happily ever after or will their love fade as quickly as their batteries? 2027 words, gen  Tags: crack, roombas, swearing, there’s a cat, I don’t....I don’t know what else to put here, the word war chat made me do it, I don’t know what this is either

Star Trek: Picard:

on this fresh morning in the broken world  Guinan has heard a lot of rumours about Picard’s latest adventures and the crew of La Sirena. She never quite believed them, knowing fully well how rumours tend to be exaggerated. Then Picard shows up to ask her to join the ship for a while, and Guinan realizes she’s never done learning after all. 3033 words, gen  Tags: guinan meets the sirena crew, canon divergent, holosquad, introspective, trauma, spoilers for picard, no I mean it there are spoilers here, do NOT read if you’re not up to speed on picard

HIStory 3: Trapped: 

Jack Tries To Become A Normal Member Of Society  After everything’s settled down and Jack has taken his time to relax and enjoy this newfound life with Zhao Zi, he decides it’s time to find a normal job. After all these years as a mercenary and working with the mafia and Interpol, how hard can it be, right? 3271 words, gen  Tags: shenanigans, comedy, some (threats of) violence, sex mentions, swearing, blood, menial labour, annoying customers, unrealistic scenarios, found family trope, quite possibly the single most self indulgent fic I’ve ever written

how two hands touch  Okay, maybe Tang Yi does sleep better when Shaofei is there. He’ll never actually admit that though.(a 5+1 fic) 2414 words, teen and up audiences  Tags: fluff, domestic fluff, food, banter about food, cooking, some angst and sadness but I promise everything will be ok, shaofei does go into the hospital again sorry about that, I figured he’s used to it, set from mid-canon to post-canon, not beta read My Engineer: 

Duen Holmes and the Case of the Missing Cupcake  While at the volunteer camp, Cupcake goes missing. Duen decides this is the perfect opportunity to try out some sleuthing.Or, the one in which Duen plays Sherlock Holmes, and finds out some very interesting things indeed. 6495 words, teen and up audiences  Tags: cupcake the lizard, camp trip, fluff, crack, so just like a regular episode really, canon compliant up to episode 12, spoilers up to episode 12

Unrooted  King has some thoughts on Ram's tattoos. 988 words, gen Tags: tattoos, introspective Unspoken  Ram has some thoughts on King and his plants. 1531 words, gen  Tags: introspection, plants

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

The Key to Your Heart (Part 07 of 18)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader | The Winter Soldier X Reader

Word count: 2.6 K

<- Previous part (06)

Next part -> (08)

{Marvel Masterlist}

Summary: Joining the Avengers wasn't on your plans. Not until Steve asked you to help his best friend. Bucky was Bucky, but the Winter Soldier still came from time ti time, bringing with him chaos and destruction. And you was supposed to keep that side of him away... But what happens when both Bucky and the Winter Soldier start to enjoy your company more than anyone else? Should you turn your back on the Soldier, ignore his own fears and traumas? That's exactly what everyone wants. But you were never known for following orders...

A/N: Special thanks to my wonderful friend @multific for all her help through this story. I love you, girl!!

×

More Than Words

It's around 2 am when you follow Bucky, walking fast and trying not to make too much noise. With these many people around, it's not that rare to stumble on someone awake even at this time. But when you reach the gym, you're relieved that you were not forced to come up with some excuse.

“Day five of training,” Bucky says, pushing the door open for you to get inside. “I have something new for today.”

“What is it?” As Wanda keeps working only with that cube, making you lift it and then putting so much weight on it that you just can't move it anymore, Bucky has been helping you explore it more. You were scared at first, you still are, but he makes you comfortable, and the way he trusts you, makes you trust yourself as well.

“I've been thinking and I believe you can do it.” You both move to your usual place in the middle of the gym, away from the equipment. “Today, I want you to create a shield.”

“A shield?” You ask, taking your jacket off and throwing it away. “Like Steve's?”

“Yeah.” He nods, tilting his head to the now-fixed glass wall. “If you can shoot it, you can mold it as a protection.”

“What if I can't?”

“We'll find out today.”

You're not sure what for, but you just smile. You've been spending a lot of time with Bucky and the way he's helping you, losing sleep, being so unbelievably patient... It's just getting to you. “Alright.” Nodding you step closer. “How do we do it?”

“Close your eyes and imagine you're holding Steve's shield.” You immediately do as he says, your left arm half bent in front of your body. “Now visualize it. I know you stole it a couple of times so that won't be hard.”

“You know me so well.” You giggle, but then you focus. You know what to do next, so you move your right hand slightly, guiding your power to where you need it.

“Hey,” Bucky mutters, and you feel him touching your hand and pushing it down. “Remember what I said.”

“It doesn't come from my hands, it comes from me.” Reciting his words, you take a deep breath, molding the erupting energy to the shape you want. Suddenly you feel pressure on it, furrowing your eyebrows, you release more power, and then, you feel a tap.

“It's almost solid.” He speaks and you open your eyes, seeing the messy, flowy pinkish energy on your arm, just like Steve's shield would.

“My God.” You exclaim, a bright smile on your lips. “C'mon, give it a punch.”

“Slow down, I don't wanna hurt you.”

“You won't.” With a quick move of your hand, you make the round form float, making it stand on midair, some feet away from you. “Punch it. Let's see how much power I need to keep myself from getting punched by a supersoldier.”

“Good.” He says, smiling as well. “You can protect yourself and others. That's amazing.” He's barely done speaking when he throws a punch, and it offers little resistance, disappearing suddenly as you get startled. “Steve's shield is made of vibranium, not plastic.”

“Ouch.” You exclaim, putting up the shield again. “That was very mean of you.”

“I'm a mean teacher sometimes.” He snaps back, throwing another punch, weaker this time. The energy moves but resists.

“I'll keep punching it, each one will be harder than the last. So keep in mind you'll need to make it stronger every time, alright?” Silently, you eagerly nod. “Ok, let's start.”

And it goes on for quite a while. You do have to stop a few times in the beginning when the shield doesn't resist, but with time, you get the hang of it. And Bucky is merciless. He avoids using the metal arm, and you're thankful for that because his flesh arm can make a hell of destruction already. A couple of hours after, you're panting, exhausted despite not engaging in physical training this time.

So at some point, you just lie down on the floor, eyes on the ceiling as you catch your breath. “Done for today?”

“You wanna keep going?” You ask, lifting your head to look at him, coming from the fridge with a water bottle for himself and another onde that he gives you before sitting down. “I'm worn out.”

“Your powers make you as weak as you'd be in hand-to-hand combat. It may not look like it, but you're tiring your body just as much.” He takes a few sips from his bottle before lying down next to you. “But you did well. You'll be a good Avenger.”

“When do you think I'll go to missions?”

“I'm not sure, that's with Fury and Tony. But it'll probably be something easy at first. And Steve will go with you, that's obvious.”

“And you?” Turning your head to the side, you find his blue eyes already set on you. “I'll need you there too.”

“Of course, doll. Just... It's most likely for the Winter Soldier to come after a mission. It happens almost every time, so that's why I'm only assigned when I'm necessary.” There's sadness in his eyes, and he looks away, at the ceiling.

“Well, you'd be necessary to me.” You say in a low voice, moving to lay on your side, holding your head up with your hand. “And I'm fine with the Soldier. When he comes, I'll be here waiting for him.”

“(Y/N)...”

“Bucky...” You mimic his tone, rolling your eyes. “The Soldier is away because he's at peace... I think. But when and if he comes out again, I'll be right here to keep helping him as I've been helping you.”

“You still need to be careful, (Y/N). If I ever hurt you, I-”

“Don't think about that.” Sitting up, you grab his arm, shaking it slightly. “You're trusting me not to knock you out with my powers, trust me in this too.”

“Are you sure you and Steve aren't related? Because he was stupidly brave, just like you.” He giggles, sitting up as well. “Back in the day.”

“Skinny Steve was a badass.”

“Oh, he was.” Bucky giggles, bending a leg and resting an arm on his knee. “Getting beat up in alleys, lying over and over again on his army enlistments at the risk of getting arrested.”

That makes you laugh, running a hand through your hair and letting it down from the ponytail. “He told me how he jumped on a grenade, so his body would take some of the hit and give the others a better chance. That... That amazes me. He was brave and noble even before the serum. And that's what makes him a hero. What makes us heroes.” You gesture at you and Bucky, moving closer to him. “Doing the possible and impossible to make what's right, to safe people, protect them.”

“You're in the right place, doll.” He says, a beautiful smile on his face. “You and Steve have a lot in common. I don't get why you and he never tried to get together.”

“Told you, Steve is like a brother to me.” You don't get why he mentions it all of a sudden, looking a little... Sad? “...And he's not even my type.”

“And what's your type?”

Blushing, you look down, biting your lip. You didn't know you have a type, but when you think about the perfect man... Bucky is the one who comes up. “Mmm...” Shaking your head slightly, you clear your throat. “I like dark hair. Beard.”

“Really?”

“Really.” You nod, blushing more at his smile. Did he get it...? “He's... Buffy and I like that but I just can't look at him romantically. I just see the older brother I never asked for.” Rolling your eyes, you both giggle.

“So I'm guessing Thor isn't your type either?”

Again, you shake your head no. “Being honest now, from all the Avengers, you're the only one who's my type. I-I mean...” You look away, standing up. “Mmm, who gets closest to my type, that's what I meant.”

“Oh, I see.” He chuckles, getting up as well. “Well, you're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen.”

The compliment makes you step back, not only your cheeks but your whole body burns. It tingles. And all that talking about butterflies in the stomach? Completely true. Their little wings are making you feel like you're just about to burst into flames. And you try to tell yourself those are only words... But why does it feel like they're so much more? “Well, thanks...” You mutter, glancing at him. “You're very kind.”

“I'm not trying to be kind, I'm being honest.” He smiles, looking at the window. “We did it again, by the way.”

“What?” Following his gaze, you see that the sky is just starting to light up. “Oh, God.”

“Let's get some sleep then.” As usual, you take his arm, the flesh one.

“Can I ask something, by the way?” You only continue when he nods. “Were you happy back then? I mean, a lot happened after Hydra took you so everything is complicated now... But back then, were you happy?”

You both stop on the stairs, and you look at him. Bucky looks down for a while, the low lights giving you a hard time reading his features. “Yes, I was. And I miss it sometimes. The 21st century has a lot of useful, good things but... I'm still having a hard time adapting, just don't tell anyone.”

“I won't.” You assure him, and an idea comes to your head. There's a restaurant downtown that makes special Saturday nights, with a themed dinner show. And maybe you could make something special for Bucky. “Do you have anything planned for this weekend?” You ask, starting to move again.

“No. Why?”

“I'm going to take you somewhere special.”

“See? Call me old-school, but I'm not used to girls inviting the guys out.”

“Who said I'm asking you out?” Giggling, you turn at him, walking backward. “We'll just hang out, no big deal.” Winking at him, you give a little wave before walking the rest of the way alone to your room.

•••

The next morning, you wake up with Nat knocking on your door, telling you it's almost noon. You dress up and leave, straight to have lunch instead of breakfast.

You get in touch with the restaurant while you eat, but they say Saturday night was already set. And if you want a specific theme, you'd have to get in a huge line. But you have the ultimate card to play, so after you're done, you excuse yourself to Tony's lab, on the other side of the compound. When you get there, he's seated before a 3D armor model, floating above the table, right before his eyes.

“Hey, metalhead.” You call, pushing the glass door open after touching the screen, letting it read your fingerprints. “You busy?”

“I always am.” He answers, tapping the armor and making it spin around. “But how can I help, baby Avenger?”

“Don't call me that.”

“You're youngest Avenger. Makes sense.”

“What about Peter?” You ask, waking over and standing across from him, watching as he adds and removes stuff from the armor.

“He's younger but he's been with us longer.” He taps somewhere and the armor moves aside, so he can look at you. “What do you need?”

“There's a fancy restaurant that makes special nights, and I got in touch with them with a request but they have a huge waiting list.” Drumming your fingers on the screen, you look down at it, pretending you understand what's showing, and trying not to look so... Nervous? “But then I thought: If I get Tony Stark to call them and make the request himself, I bet they wouldn't deny him.”

“So you're using me?” He asks, crossing his arms. “Not very nice of you.”

“Yeah, I'm using my billionaire, super influence, super friend.” Bending over the screens, you push his arm. “C'mon. I wanna do something nice.”

“And what exactly do you want me to request?”

“40's dinner night.”

“Oh.” He raises both hands and stands up with a smile. “Thor was right then.”

“Thor is never right.” You giggle, rolling your eyes.

“Let's see then. Who's this surprise for?” He moves through the lab, and you follow him. Tony stops by a table, with a metal leg on it and a lot of stuff you don't even know what they're supposed to do. He gestures at the empty chair and you sit down. “Captain?”

“No, I–”

“Are you into the Manchurian Candidate?”

“No–. What?” Furrowing your eyebrows, you take a metal square painted red, just to have something to play with. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Richard Condon's 1959?” He asks, and you shake your head no. “It's about the government brainwashing people to become assassins.”

“Tony...” You raise your voice, eyes wide. “Don't you ever call him that again!”

“Oh, you're defending him now.”

“Yes, I'm defending him.” Rolling your eyes, you stand up. “Just call the restaurant, please. I want to make something nice for him.” Taking the phone off your pocket, you pass it to Tony.

He gives you an overdramatic eyeroll before taking the phone from your hand.

And your billionaire friend sets everything up. So, on the next Saturday, the night had only fallen and you're getting ready. You ask both Nat and Wanda to help you buying the dress, and now getting your hair and make-up done, all in the 40 styles.

Your long hair is done in waves, flowing down your shoulders, and the makeup is simple. The dress is perfect. Red in color, matching your lipstick and emphasizing your skin tone. The mid-length touches your knees as it flows around your legs. It's a simple dress at first glance, but with the girl's help, you made everything look perfect.

And you feel beautiful. Who knew a simple red dress would make you feel this way?

When it's time to go, you put the high heels on and leave the room. Bucky is waiting by the small lounge, and when you see him, you can't help but lose your breath. He has his hair slid back and the military uniform on. You did tell him to dress up 40s style, just didn't tell him why. But God... You weren't expecting that.

“Oh my gosh...” You mutter, smiling, and look him up and down. “You look–”

“Nothing compared to you.” He cuts you off, walking over you and reaching out his hand, which you take. He then spins you around, and you're probably red as a tomato when you're facing him again. “You're stunning. Absolutely gorgeous.”

“Thank you.” You whisper, taking a deep breath. “But let's go now. The night has only just started.”

@hi-im-fan-trash @takeabreathdeath @pre-google @thespeeder @heavenly1927 @marvel-fanfic-writer-8675 @insidxangel @winters1917 @plethoravellichor @meggiesposts @hollie911 @saranghaey @lexi-anastasia @lechaircharles @mememe7147

[sammygvfslut]

i like you a latte | s. kiszka

Summary: Words cannot espresso how much you mean to Sammy Kiszka.

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: Hey besties!!! this is my first ever sam fic, and i really hope you guys enjoy it! it’s super cheesy so beware of some tooth-rotting fluff ahead. any and all feedback is appreciated <3

Loud chattering and the sounds of espresso machines hissing and whistling filled the cafe. Every few seconds or so when a new customer walked in, a soft ringing above the door rang. Glancing at the clock, you sighed as it read 7am. Way too early for your liking. You wished to be back in bed under the covers with your cat Joey snuggling. Plus, the cold weather made it even harder for you to get out of bed every morning. Damn you, winter.

“Good morning.” A voice said suddenly, startling you as you slightly jumped. “Whoops, didn’t mean to scare you there for a sec.”

Turning around at the voice, your heart fluttered and a smile pulled at the corners of your lips. “G-Good morning, Sam! Nope, didn’t scare me at all. I was just uh...focusing very hard and you caught me off guard.”

A chuckle rumbled from his chest, his own lips curving and flashing that beautiful grin. God, he made you melt. You took a quick chance to admire his appearance for the day, luscious brown locks pulled back into a low bun with a few stray pieces framing his face, and he wore a slightly oversized brown grandpa looking sweater. He exuded true fall energy today and all you wanted to do was snuggle with him watching a movie while sipping on hot chocolate. “Right. Focusing on what exactly? Staring at the register?”  

“S-Sure. Yes, the register.” Totally not him instead. “Um, I realized it turned off right now and my mind blanked to turn it back on.”

Sam placed a hand on your shoulder as he laughed, his touch leaving a wave of goosebumps to rise out of your skin. “You’re so cute. I’ll leave you to that then, but if you need help trying to get the register to turn back on again, let me know.” And with that, he sent you a wink and turned on his heel away to start on the customers orders.

Alright, alright. So maybe early shifts weren’t as bad as you thought thanks to your insanely charming co-worker. Sam and you had been working together for the past year, and almost instantly you started falling for him. He welcomed you with open arms and he was a great help when it came to your training. Your co-workers were nice too, but Sam took that extra step in making sure you were comfortable with what you were doing. If you made a mistake and were freaking out about it, he somehow knew the way to calm you down. He was too precious and good for this cruel world. And most of all, out of your league too.

With his dashing looks and amazing personality, you just knew there was no way he’d ever feel the same about you. Except, any time you’d voice that thought to any of your friends at work, they’d tell you you’re crazy and that he likes you too. Apparently they caught on to the signs more than you did, which wasn’t a shocker considering that you’d have no clue if a guy was interested in you unless he blatantly confessed. So, trying to figure out hints was completely pointless for you.

“Uh oh, she’s deep in thought,” one of your friends/co-workers, Danny, teased. He also happened to be Sam’s best friend, and current band mate since the pair are in a band with Sam’s older twin brothers. “I bet I can guess what, or who you were thinking about.”

“Don’t even say it,” you warned with a finger, “He’s literally four feet away from us—”

“So?” Danny rolled her eyes with his arms folded. “Why don’t you just tell him how you feel? Come on, it’s been almost a year now. What’s the worst that can happen if you confess?”

“He can hear me.” You stared blankly at him, shaking your head. “Absolutely not though, Danny. I will not embarrass myself from the humiliation I’d have to face from his rejection.”

Danny groaned frustratedly, placing his hands on both your shoulders and shaking them. “You’re so hopeless! Y/N, how many times do the guys and I have to tell you he likes you too!” He raised his voice a little louder than necessary which accidentally caught the attention of almost everyone in the cafe. Sam included unfortunately. Danny’s eyes widened, silently cursing under his breath. “Carry on, everyone.”

As much as you hated to admit it, Danny wasn’t lying when he mentioned about the guys agreeing that Sam likes you too. Every time you came over Josh’s apartment and Sam was there he’d find any little excuse to have his arm around you or teasing you constantly. You’d shake it off that he was just treating you like a friend would, but of course the guys would disagree with you.

“We’ll finish this conversation later,” Danny told you sternly, “But for now, and don’t make it obvious, but Sam’s looking at you.” A mischievous grin spread across his face as he winked and stepped to the next register before greeting a new customer and taking their order.

Heart pounding out of your chest, you slowly looked over your shoulder in Sam’s direction. You saw his head quickly turn and finish off the drink in front of him. Your cheeks burned at this and tried taking deep, slow breaths to calm yourself down. Didn’t work much, but as a new customer waved and told you their order, your breathing turned back to normal.

On the other end of the counter, Sam was currently freaking the hell out from what he heard a few minutes ago between you and Danny. He didn’t mean to, but he also wasn’t that far from either of you. Plus, Danny wasn’t the best at keeping his voice low. He had a strong feeling he knew you were talking about him, and for that reason alone he overflowed the cup he was pouring into and made a mess. He cursed under his breath and wiped his hands on his apron, shaking his head.

You caught sight of this and rushed to his side, grabbing a cloth from under the sink and started wiping the sticky counter. Sam was certain his cheeks were tomato red from his embarrassment, making a complete fool of himself for not paying attention to what he was doing. More so focusing on your conversation and your damn smile from earlier. You weren’t the only one here with a crush.

“T-Thanks, Y/N.” Sam chuckled nervously, throwing the cup in the trash and tossing the drink pitcher he held in the sink. “I’m normally not this much of a dumbass.”

“I’m not too sure about that one, Kiszka.” You teased lightly with a grin. “It happens, don’t worry,” you assured. “I’m just glad it was cold tea you spilled and not steaming coffee. I’d hate for you to get a third degree burn. That happened to me once, don’t recommend it.”

“Didn’t I drive you to the hospital for that?” he asked. “I think that might’ve happened a few months ago.”

Your eyes widened at the memory. “Oh shit, you’re right. God, I’m still so sorry I had to drag you into that.”

Sam shook his head, lips curving and cheeks no longer flushed. “For the hundredth time, stop apologizing about that, Y/N. You know you can count on me for anything, so of course I didn’t mind driving you to the hospital. I remember even blasting some ABBA on the way over there so you’d have something else to focus on instead of the pain you endured.”

You smiled at the memory. “Didn’t we also go out for ice cream afterwards?”

He nodded, lightly rubbing his arm. “Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I mean, I always have fun when I’m with you.”

Your breath caught in your throat at his last few words, blinking slowly. “O-Oh.”

Oh? That’s all you have to say? Nice one, Y/N.

Sam’s heart dropped. Fuck. Maybe you weren’t talking about him after all. Maybe it was Danny or one of his brothers that you had a crush on and he was mistaken about it. He wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him whole right about now. Being anywhere but here sounded splendid to him.

“Y-Y/N, I—“

“Ihavefunwhenimwithyoutoo,” you muttered all too quickly, and poor Sam barely even understood what you said. He didn’t have the chance to ask you to repeat yourself because you quickly walked away to the back and he was left with a tug at his chest, frowning.

Within the next few days after Sam’s tea spill, literally, things between you and him became...awkward. Something went off in him to become even more clumsy than normal and forget everything he’s ever known when you’re near him. He’d get flustered, stuttering a lot, messing up orders, dropping dishes, and nearly tripping all the time. He hated it so much and wished he could just muster up the courage and apologize for being such an idiot and confess his feelings to you. Even during your hangouts with the guys, Sam and you wouldn’t interact as much and honestly you were well aware you were being super childish and immature about the situation. Sam did too, and he needed to snap the fuck out of it.

The next few days at work Sam would ignore Danny’s little side comments about his immaturity and continued working in silence. For the rest of his shift he didn’t talk much to anyone other than the customers. He wanted to talk to you when he had the chance, but then he’d quickly back out and walk the opposite direction.

He couldn’t figure out why it was so futile for him to just grow a sack and tell you he likes you. He’d never gone through this struggle before. Then again, as cheesy as it sounded, the other girls he’d asked out in the past couldn’t compare to you. Never in a million years, and maybe he was too afraid that he didn’t deserve someone as amazing as you.

Nearing closing that same day, it was only you, Sam, and Danny. The flow of customers died down and not many people came in towards the end of the night which you were grateful for. It finally gave you the chance to relax a bit and start cleaning things up ahead of time so you wouldn’t have to stay after. Joey and a nice warm bath were waiting for you at home.

While Sam decided on working the register and you and Danny would clean, he grabbed your arm and led you into the back.

“What are you two still doing not dating each other or talking?! It’s been way too long now, Y/N. And since it’s only us three tonight, you have no other choice. Come on, I know you can’t take this any longer, and he can’t either. I can take over the register for a bit while you and him talk.”

You chewed on your bottom lip, contemplating his offering. As incredibly thankful as you were for his help, you were also scared shitless of the possible outcome. Perhaps it was finally time though that you say fuck it and say what you needed to. You couldn’t go on for any longer to keep your feelings bottled up inside. Maybe, just maybe he might feel the same way, and by God you hoped that would be the case.

Inhaling, you nodded slowly and made your way back to where you were. Your eyes searched for Sam and saw he was busy making a drink, except there was no one else here besides you, him and Danny. It could’ve been a drink for him, so you shrugged this off and went towards the sink to start washing the dishes.

A few moments later, Sam cleared his throat from behind you. “H-Hey Y/N, so um, I know the créme brûlée latte is your favorite, and I thought I’d make you one. You seemed really stressed and busy today and I wanted to try to cheer you up. I hope that’s okay.”

Your heart swelled at his generosity and your cheeks burned as you felt his gaze burning into you, his palms soaking from nervousness. “Sam, you didn’t have to do that for me.”

He shrugged casually, a small smile on his lips and his cheeks tinted a light pink. “It’s okay, I wanted to. And I uh, tried my best on the art. Hope you like it.”

Raising a brow, your gaze dropped on your cup and your eyes widened as you saw what he was referring to. A small coffee cup with the words I like you a latte around it.

“It’s true,” Sam chewed on his bottom lip while running his fingers through his hair. “I really like you Y/N, and I’m so sorry for acting like such an idiot these last few days around you. I don’t know what came over me, and I’m sorry that I didn’t talk to you much either.”

Setting your cup on the counter, you took a step closer to him and cupped his cheek, rubbing your thumb softly against his soft skin. “You don’t have to apologize for anything, Sam. I’m sorry for not talking to you too, as well as for making a fool of myself. I tend to do that around someone I like.”

Finally, the realization dawned on Sam as a wide grin pulled at his lips. “Glad we’re on the same boat.”

“I-Is it alright if I kiss you?” he asked shyly, his eyes sparkling as he looked at you.

You giggled. “You don’t even have to ask, loverboy.” You playfully rolled your eyes and cupped his other cheek before connecting his lips with yours.

A smirk pulled at Danny’s lips as he glanced at the two of you, shaking his head. Josh and Jake owed him $20 now. 

It was about damn time that Sam and you finally espresso’d your love for each other. 

tagging these lovely folks bc they helped inspired me and their work is amazing <3 @godlygreta​ / @flowervanfleet​ / @dharma-divine​

[hailene]

𝒢oldₗₕₛ |𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝙸|

[𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.]

masterlist | wc: 3.3K

❏

"You did it wrong," you hear the boy saying for what felt like the hundredth time in the past twenty minutes.

You let out a frustrated sigh, closing your eyes in order to gather the strength to stay calm and not to lose your composure.

"I did it exactly the way you showed me," you say, almost hissing every word.

He clicks his tongue and comes a few steps closer to you, staring at the reflection of the two of you in the mirror.

"No, you didn't," he says simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

You wanted to punch him, you wanted to punch him so bad.

"Okay," you breathe. "I'll go over it by myself later, let's–"

"Later when?" Heeseung interrupts you. "We're supposed to be done with it in a few days and we're not even close to the final."

Unfortunately.

You let out a deep sigh and rub a hand over my face.

"How am I supposed to get it right when you're sitting over there criticizing every single breath I take?" You whine and he rolls his eyes.

"Do it again," he ignores you. "From the top."

You let out an exhausted groan, giving up. You were too tired to keep fighting with him. It took way too much energy.

He plays the music for you and you do your part, trying your best to get every single move right– or at least the way he showed them to you. It was past midnight and you were getting dizzier and dizzier with every single step, but you couldn't let that be seen– you knew Heeseung was going to say that you were weak and unprofessional.

"Again," you hear him saying from behind you after you finish your part.

"For fuck's sake," you scream, turning around.

Enough is enough.

He was looking at you with a clear lack of mercy in his eyes, but after all those years of training, a disappointed look– especially coming from a mere other trainee– meant nothing to you.

"Do it with me, at least," you speak. "It's a duet, we still need to be in sync and you can't just keep watching me from behind until you decide I don't suck."

He looks at you for a few minutes without saying anything, your chest heaving up and down due to the exhaustion and the screams that had just left your throat.

"Okay," is all that he says, before playing the music and getting into his position.

It takes you a second to process the fact that he didn't fight back this time. But you manage to get in your position in time. As you watch the two of you in the mirror, you realize that objectively speaking, with a little bit more practice, your stage can truly be legendary. You and Heeseung were the best dancers in your company and a lot of people were saying that you two could become the best in the industry after you'd debut.

"I have vocal training in the morning," he speaks, trying to catch his breath after you finish the routine "so I'm going back to the dorm now... you can keep practicing."

You almost laugh in his face. He had vocal training in the morning, while you had group dance practice in less than two hours.

"Okay," is all you manage to say as you watch him hopping his bag on his shoulder and preparing to leave.

"We have to finish this tonight, so you should work hard on this part," he adds before leaving.

You stare at the door for a few moments, trying to comprehend just how arrogant he could be. Then, your legs give out due to the amount of exhaustion and you feel yourself falling on the floor.

*

"Are you getting on well with the ace?" Sunghoon asks and you glare at him. "Okay, I guess not."

You let your head fall in your hands and let out a long sigh. Even though you could eat your full meal today, you genuinely couldn't bring yourself to. You could feel your stomach churning in pain but you felt like you would throw up if you swallowed any food.

"The choreography is not bad," you sigh. "The communication part, on the other hand..."

You shake your head.

"You're both awesome," you hear your friend speaking in front of you. "You'll do this stage together and get this over with, it's gonna be fine."

It's been a few days ever since Heeseung and you started working on the routine for that so called "legendary" stage and you were already beyond tired of the boy. The girls at the dorm were envious of you and that was even more frustrating. He's an asshole, you wanted to scream in their faces, but you'd probably only end up beaten up in a bathroom if you did that.

"Hey, by the way," Sunghoon starts speaking again. "Do you have ten minutes later? I wanna show you what I prepared for the project stage."

You raise your head to look at him, suddenly remembering the project stage. Sunghoon, like a lot of other male trainees here, were monthly preparing project stages, since the company wanted to debut seven of them in a boy group. You were sure your friend was going to make it in the final line-up because he was a hard-worker and he had a unique type of charisma that you had never quite seen before. Everybody in the company was sure that Heeseung was going to be part of the line-up. To be honest, you pretty much thought so, too.

You had to practice with Heeseung later, but you could definitely watch Sunghoon for a bit before that.

"Sure," you say and your friend smiles.

*

"Hoon, it's awesome!" You beam as you stare at your best-friend in awe. "Did you choreograph it by yourself?"

Sunghoon slides down against the wall and you throw his water bottle at him, which he opens and chucks down in a matter of seconds. His hair was damp, stuck to his temples and the nape of his neck. He had been practicing this for a long time, you could tell. It was no surprise, that was typical of Sunghoon.

"No, Jay helped," he breathes and you nod, since you already knew Jay was a mastermind of routines of this kind. "You know... it would be fair of you to show me your piece too, now."

You shrug, having expected this already. Fair enough, you think to yourself as you stand up. You play the song you were practicing on with Heeseung and get in your position. You had practiced it countless times, partly because you were a perfectionist, but also because Heeseung's nagging was absolutely horrible and you hated it and him with your whole might. At this point, your body was moving as if it had a mind of its own, flowing graciously and emphasizing the moves on the beats.

When the song finishes, you stare at your reflection in the mirror, pretty much pleased with the outcome. Your chest was heaving up and down, but there was a wicked grin on your face that you didn't quite know where it came from either.

"Holy shit," you hear your friend behind you, reminding you that you weren't alone in the practice room. "Yun, that's... that's... wow."

You can't help but smile, brushing the hair out of your face. Sunghoon's genuine praises were pretty rare, that's why they fed your ego really well.

"Good," you breathe, sliding down on the wall next to him, after taking your water bottle.

You feel your friend's gaze on you as you gulp down your water.

"It would've been so cool if we could have done it together," you sigh, closing the lid of your bottle. "We have been practicing together ever since..."

"The beginning," Sunghoon finishes for you and you nod. "It's alright, Yunie, they wouldn't be able to handle us anyway."

You feel a hot shiver crossing your body at the sound of the nickname Sunghoon used to call you when you had just met. You let yourself slide further, placing your head on your friend's shoulder. For a few moments, your soft breaths were everything that could be heard in the room. You felt a familiar type of dizziness choking you. It was never easy, but excellence came with sacrifices. All the time.

"God, how I wish it was you," you sigh with your eyes closed.

You feel his arm shifting and you lift your head the slightest bit, just enough for him to wrap his arm around your back and pull you to his chest. Even though he was sweaty, his minty scent was still tingling your nostrils familiarly. You snuggled up closer to him, trying to make yourself comfortable. You used to do it all the time in your first year— mere kids trying to find a sense of home in something, but ended up finding it in somebody. Just for a few minutes, you could go back to that feeling, even though you weren't kids anymore. But just for a few minutes, you could forget tha—

"Had a blank space on your list of conquests, Park?"

You sigh deeply before opening your eyes and heaving yourself up in order to face your beloved partner. You stand up, untying your hair in order to put it in a tighter pony tail.

"That's why we can't have pretty things," you mutter as Heeseung throws his bag on the sofa across the dance room.

You throw an apologetic look towards Sunghoon, who only gives you a smile, signaling that such words can't get to him.

"Or have you not been touched for too long, Yunie?" Heeseung continues and your head snaps towards him at the same time as Sunghoon stands up with his fists clenched.

"Ah, loverboy is mad now," Heeseung chuckles to himself and you feel rage rising in you.

"You talk too much crap, Heeseung," Sunghoon says, trying his best to maintain his calm.

"At least I'm not desperate," the boy shrugs nonchalantly.

You dart towards Sunghoon before he can throw himself at Heeseung, wrapping your arms around his body. The rules of the company were strict when it came to violence between trainees and one wrong step could make everything your friend had worked for so hard all these years go to waste. You couldn't let that happen.

You bury your face in his chest, clinging to the fabric of his T-shirt in hopes that he would let it go as he lets it go when it's only about him.

"It's not worth it," you whisper. "He's not worth it."

You let him go as you feel his muscles relaxing. You look at him, the softer light on his face taking you aback. You turn your head to look at Heeseung, who had a staring contest with your friend.

"Go," you say to Sunghoon, hoping to get rid of the tension in the room. "I'll catch up with you later."

Sunghoon looks at you as if asking you if you were truly going to be alright with a jerk like Lee Heeseung. You nodded the slightest bit, making the boy let out a deep sigh. He takes his bag and throws Heeseung another glare before leaving the room. You exhale deeply, turning towards your partner with your arms crossed over your chest.

"What?" He asks, expressionless.

You could almost feel tears of frustration gathering up in your eyes. He is going to debut and he's going to have so many fans, so many poor souls will be tricked to fall in love with him because they won't have the chance to know how big of a jerk Lee Heeseung is behind the cameras.

"Nothing," is all you say before brushing past him in order to get in your position. "Let's practice."

Rehearsal went smoother than usual and you liked to believe it was because Heeseung sensed your rage and he was afraid that you might burst. But deep down, you knew it wasn't that.

He was never scared of anything.

The more you went through the final details of the performance and through the choreography itself with full-energy, the closer you felt to collapsing. You couldn't dare to even think about asking Heeseung to stop, you just didn't want to deal with whatever complaints he might have for that. Trainees feel sick pretty often, that's no reason for them to stop.

"I thought we were practicing a full-energy version," you hear the boy muttering at some point. "You dance like you're fucking dead."

You let out a deep sigh, letting yourself fall on your knees after you grab your water bottle. You take a few sips of liquid from it, hoping it would make up for the lack of food from your stomach.

"Okay," you exhale with your eyes closed, before forcing yourself to stand up again. "Let's do it again."

"No, wait," Heeseung says and you turn towards him confused. "Are you gonna dance for real this time or am I wasting my energy again?"

You roll your eyes.

"I'll do my best," you say.

"Yeah? Well that's what you have been saying for the past two hours as well," he says on an annoyed tone and you clench your fists.

Not now.

"Let's just do it," you sigh. "Please."

"No, I don't want to," Heeseung says. "You're wasting my time."

You look at him, waiting for whatever his next lines might be. Because you felt like they might be final.

"I can't believe I was paired up with you, you're literally—"

That was the last thing you heard before you blacked out.

*

The first thing you notice when you open your eyes again is the familiar bottom of the bunk bed on top of yours. You were in your dorm, but you had no idea how you got here in the first place. Or what day it was, as a matter of fact.

You turn your head to the side, only to be met with Heeseung's sleepy figure dozed off on a chair next to your bed. The faint natural light was making his traits discernible, not that you wouldn't have known them well enough. Nobody else seemed to be in the dorm, though. Was it morning?

You heave yourself up, feeling your head throbbing. You hiss as you feel your whole body hurting, making it almost impossible for you to move.

"Are you fucking stupid?"

You turn your head towards Heeseung, who was looking at you with a light frown on his face. His voice was still raspy due to his sleepy state. It was weird to see the ace Lee Heeseung in such a disheleved state. But it was also interesting. It made him look more... human.

"Don't get up, I'll bring you some medicine," he sighs, standing up and heading towards the desk near the windows.

You let yourself fall against the mattress, closing your eyes. It happened. The thing you hoped would never happen happened. You fainted while there was someone else there with you.

The boy brings you a warm drink that you were already accustomed to, since you were always drinking that when you felt sick. Heeseung watches you as you gulp it down slowly, but you were too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to care.

"How many times?" You hear him asking and you turn towards him confused. "How many times has this happened before?"

You avert your gaze because you were genuinely embarrassed of the truth.

Heeseung sighs.

"How did you know?" You ask and he scoffs.

"How did I know?" He says, his tone slightly threatening. "Do you know how I knew? You fainted in the practice room while I was talking to you so I carried you to the nurse's office, who told me you were highly underfed and that she had no idea how you managed to practice all day yesterday."

You look at him in disbelief as he breathes heavily after his enraged speech.

"I knew you were stupid, but I didn't know you could go this far," he continues, in a lower tone. "Why didn't you tell me?"

It's your turn to scoff.

"Why didn't I tell you?" You almost laugh. "I gave my fucking heart for this little performance of yours and you had something to comment on every single fucking time, Heeseung. Not even once have you told me that it's okay, you kept saying that I needed to practice more. What did you want me to tell you? Hey by the way, I skipped my full meal day because I was tired as fuck because I practiced your stupid choreography by myself the whole night and couldn't bring myself to eat proper food so I will probably faint real soon? Is that what you wanted me to tell you?"

Your body was aching and your head was throbbing but the rage was too intense to care about any of those. Heeseung was staring at you, slightly taken aback. The surprise in his eyes, however, doesn't last for too long. He averts his gaze and presses his lips in a tight line.

"You should get some more sleep," he says slowly. "I'll be here with food when you wake up."

You couldn't bring yourself to fight back to that. You simply turned around in your bed and as soon as you heard the door of your room closing, you let the tears spill.

*

You had two more days until the stage performance. It was already speculated on SNS and a lot of people were excited to see two top trainees in a stage as a duo at the music show. You and Heeseung have been neutral with each other ever since you fainted during practice, but he did make sure you had a proper meal daily. You haven't told him yet, but deep down, you were thankful.

Today, professor Kim was supervising you two in order to give you the final tips and feedback for the official performance. Now, the two of you were looking expectantly at the woman between you and the mirror, who had her eyes narrowed at you.

"I am surprised," she says with a small smile on her lips.

Both Heeseung and you look at her confused, wondering if it was a good or a bad thing.

"As expected, the routine is flawless, your bodies move beautifully to the rhythm," she points out and you both nod your heads in a humble gratitude. "However."

Your eyebrows arch in surprise, wondering what she might have to add. The two of you were still panting, your breaths still shallow after demonstrating the choreography.

"Your performance is lacking chemistry," she says, her smile widening. "Your performance is lacking that special type of passion."

You blink a few times, not able to fully process what she was talking about.

"I know you have that in you, both of you," professor Kim speaks. "You just need to unleash that, your performance desperately needs it."

Then, she steps closer to you, looking from Heeseung to you with a suggestive glint in her eyes. Deep down, you were somehow expecting the performance to lack something. You didn't feel like it was perfect and you could tell neither did Heeseung. But you hadn't been able to pinpoint what that could have been. You knew now. But somehow, you didn't really want to know anymore.

"You're not kids anymore," she says softly. "Do whatever it takes to discover your chemistry, for the sake of your performance."

You almost step back, genuinely anxious about her suggestions. She was right. But completing this task felt impossible.

She grins sweetly.

"Break the rules, it doesn't matter," she adds. "Just look in love."

[mischiefmanaged71]

Bad Romance - Joaquin Torres X Reader

Song: Bad Romance - (961) lady gaga - bad romance ( s l o w e d ) - YouTube

Summary: The reader is an enhanced individual with the ability to replicate other people’s abilities. A member of the Avengers, she has been working alongside Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to investigate the Flag Smashers but the man calling himself the next Captain America poses an obstacle when he takes interest in her abilities. 

Author’s Note: Hello! So this is my first time posting a fic I've written. I’ve been writing since 2018 but never had the courage to post anything so I hope you all enjoy my story. Torres has only been in ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ for like five minutes but I’m in love with him. There obviously isn’t enough fiction out there about him so I took it upon myself to write one. This is an idea I came up with in my head, aside from the plot of the show. Listen to the song for added effect. I’ve inserted timings as well :)

Pairing: Joaquin Torres X Fem!Reader

Warnings: TFATWS SPOILERS, Canon-level Violence, blood, romance

Word count: 2.5K

Darkness is all you’ve known these past hours.

It’s been almost twenty-four hours since you’ve last had contact with anyone. Sam would usually check in with you about now, but that didn’t seem a likely possibility. 

Your right eye is almost swollen shut and you’re pretty confident that you have a few broken ribs from how difficult breathing is. The sound of metal creaking echoes in the empty room as you rattle your restraints. 

You’ve been quite literally chained to the wall. 

They weren’t taking any precautions.

Especially after witnessing the dozen agents you could take down all by yourself. 

Leaning against the wall, you try to reach some semblance of comfort, laying some of your weight against the hard-rock. Your neck burns from the collar they attached when you caught you off-guard. 

It was during a recon mission, you were chasing a lead about the Flag Smashers’ next meet up when they showed. Half a dozen armed men in tactical gear. 

They snagged a collar on you, disabling your powers.

You didn’t anticipate this.

All you heard was a piercing noise and then you blacked out.

You couldn’t access your powers as soon as that light buzzed. Trying to summon fire warranted a little electric shock to your system. Little, meaning severe enough to take down an elephant. 

Yeah, so getting out of here would be tricky.

Isn’t it always?

Five guards have remained in the room for the past two days, monitoring, watching. 

For what? 

You have only the slightest idea why.

The double doors which have remained close for the past two days creak open. The blue uniform is familiar to you but the face donning the outfit is not. He’s an imposter wearing a costume, a mock of the real thing. John Walker, along with his so-called ‘American squadron’, had grabbed you as a statement. Sam and Bucky certainly weren’t going to stay out of it because someone told them to. You all followed a code, to protect those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

“Hello, Y/N, it's been a while since we met last...I’m sorry for the way you were handled on the way here but it was the only way I could get to talk to you.”, he said, looking at the bruises beginning to form.

He talked nonchalantly as if this were a normal conversation. Your wrists were raw from pulling away from the cuffs, clothes covered in dirt and dried blood. He strode up to you, pulling his helmet off and placing it carefully on a metal crate.

“Now, I know Bucky and Sam had a lot to say about me, but you, you were always silent. I thought we had an understanding.”

‘An understanding?’

You refuse to look at him.

“You talk big words for someone who couldn’t begin to understand the legacy of that uniform.”

“I earned this! I put in the work. All they want is someone to look up to. To show them that justice still exists.”, he paces in front of you.

“Justice. Is it?”, your eyes narrow.

He pauses in thought, seething with internalised spite. Pacing the floor, he turns his back to you.

“Have you had time to think about my question?”

You remain silent, glaring at his mockery of Steve’s uniform.

“No? Okay. That’s fine,”, he whispered.

Walker signalled for a guard to open the doors once more and two more men entered, dragging someone along. You squint your eyes to identify the person as they dump them in front of you. 

“No”, you whispered desperately, your breath caught in your throat.

You spot Joaquin’s dark hair and tan complexion, more so, the blood staining his clothes. The men dragged Joaquin next to Walker, letting him slump to the floor. From what you could see, he had been beaten pretty badly, the bruises already beginning to form on his face. His hands are cuffed behind him and he’s unable to hold his own weight. 

Panic fills Torres as he notices the chains securing you to the wall. The last he heard over the coms was a struggle. He and Sam had been surveilling to get anything they could on your kidnappers.

You could only hear the rapid beating of your heart in your throat as blood rushed to your face. Your breathing quickens as you don’t quite know what will happen next. 

John broke the silence,

“I’m going to ask you again.”

“Then, I'm going to count from three.”, he said, pulling a silencer out from his waistband and cocking it at Joaquin who rested on his knees.

“What are you?”

You stare at him incredulously, unresponsive. 

You look down at Joaquin as he gazes up at you, helpless to move with guns trained on you. He’s telling you to stop, to lie, to do anything but give yourself up.

“What answer do you want?”, you asked, using all your strength to lift your head up.

“You want me to say I’m a freak? A mutant? An experiment? What good does that do you? Everyone knows it.”, you huff, sharpening your glare.

He stares down at Joaquin and kicks his foot out against the ground, clicking his tongue. Walker threw his foot into Joaquin’s back, pushing him into the floor.

“Not that.”

You watch as he points the gun harder.

“Tell me. What. You. Are.”, he grits out.

You clench your jaw hard, shutting your eyes tightly. A burning sensation fights in your chest, spreading to your arms. You suck in a breath desperately, a whimper tearing from your throat as your head drops.

The click of the safety echoes loudly.

(1:26s of the song)

Your eyes shoot open, blazing red and as the chains snap free from the wall. The metal clangs loudly against the floor, triggering the five weapons now pointed at your chest. A surge of fire ignites as you swipe your leg, knocking the agents back. The two standing closest raise their guns as you tilt your head and launch a blast of fire from your hand. The next agent replaces him, firing his gun consecutively, but you strut towards him, swiping them away with blasts omitting from your hands. You send a roundhouse kick with a wall of fire, propelling him through the exit. The remaining three encircle you with their weapons, clicking the safety off.

Your hands burn, glowing red with the heightening energy,

“Okay, you got me.”

You raise your hands in surrender as one of them steps towards. Faltering a step, you inhale deeply as he grabs your arm. Once he sets a hand on you, you exhale, breathing out a stream of fire. You twirl in a circle, the fire pushing them back and blocking their sight of you as they flinch from the heat. Dropping to the floor, you strike the cement and crack the surface. The building’s structure shakes as a cloud of energy dissipates from the contact, incapacitating the last of the soldiers.

Walker fixes his gun on Joaquin but you focus your glare on him. You wait as he stares at you, knowing he has the advantage.

"I'd stop right now, if I were you."

You silently stare at him with blazing fire burning in your orbs. The clicking of the safety reverberates in your mind as all movement stops. The muzzle of the gun is inches away from Joaquin's head.

“Alright, you’ve had your show now.”

You've got mere seconds to make a decision here.

He remains still, as Joaquin’s eyes meet yours and you nod your head slightly. 

It’ll be okay because you’d never let anything happen to each other.

"Walker, you've made your point. Look, it's me you really want, not Torres.", You snipped, grabbing his attention. 

Joaquin’s heart raced faster, 

What were you doing?

You could see the gears turning in Walker’s head, his eyebrows perk up.

"C'mon, this whole thing was to get to me, right? To weaponize me. It's my power. So take it. Just let him go." 

Walker pauses in thought,

"I don't think I will." 

You knew that'd be his answer but he was too busy looking at you to notice anything else. Joaquin threw his leg out, kicking Walker’s shin to knock him off his centre.

Moving quickly, you roundhouse, knocking the gun from his hand and driving your foot into his knee. He lets out a pained yell, ducking your elbow jab and rolling behind you. You roll forwards, swooping your flames across the floor to knock Walker on his back. He rolls to the side, standing again to flick open a compact switch from his pocket. He struggles for a moment as you strut over, but he presses the button down with conviction. 

You falter in your steps as a loud piercing sound breaches your cranium and hearing. It’s overwhelming, threatening to shatter your skull. A whimper falls from your mouth as both hands grasp your head. You can faintly hear Joaquin yelling your name from behind. The pain is unbearable. Joaquin bangs the cuffs on a metal crate behind him, forcing them to break. 

Your vision blurs as you clumsily move towards Walker. Once you’re close enough to him, you throw an uncoordinated right hook but he catches it and returns with a kick to your chest, knocking you to the floor. The pain continues, eliciting a moan from you as it grows worse with each second. Joaquin watches as you scream in agony, sprinting towards Walker and tackling him to the floor. Walker loses the switch from his hand, punching Joaquin in the jaw to get him off. Joaquin hisses as his head hits the floor, but he’s quickly grappling for the switch before Walker can get his hands on it. Scanning the floor, he sights it inches away from where you’re curled up in a ball. He’s crawling over to make it but a grip on his shoulder halts him, flipping him over and punching him repeatedly. 

Over the intense clanging, you see black dots form in your sight as you want to pass out. You hear grunts nearby and the sound of a fist making contact with skin. You flicker your eyes upward to see Walker’s figure looming over someone. 

‘Joaquin...where’s Joaquin?’

You close your eyes and force yourself up, struggling to gain your bearings. Upon opening your eyes, you notice something within your reach. Crawling forward, your fingers barely touch it. You try again and again before you feel the metal beneath your fingertips. Finally, you have it in your hands and crush it. The metal crunches and the ringing ceases. A sigh of relief leaves your mouth as you push yourself off the floor.

More coherent now, you angrily send a blast of energy to knock Walker off of Joaquin. Scrambling off the floor, he brings his fists in front of him, but you've already there, standing in front of him.

"I’m going to count from three.”, you said.

Striking a wave in his direction, you blast fire into his chest, your eyes imbuing fluttering embers.

‘Three’

You continue your onslaught, attacking him with multiple blows of rage. 

Your figure looms over Walker, blocking Joaquin from his sight.  

‘Two’

Your hands emit a fiery glow as you project flames, igniting a huge blast which sends Walker crashing through the window and down below.

‘One’

Gazing down the terrace, you saw Walker’s unconscious body laying on the crushed roof of a car. The authorities would show up eventually. 

Looking back inside, you finally start to feel the adrenaline rush declining. You move away from the window to find Torres leaning against a crate. Joaquin's face is bruised and cut-up as he holds his side with a grimace. 

"Joaquin, are you okay?!", 

You rush over to hold his other arm, scanning him for serious injuries. 

He stops your moving hands to grip them,

"(Y/N), I'm okay, I'm okay. It's you I'm worried about. You almost died. How did you do that?", Joaquin asked, concern lingering in his eyes at the magnitude of your powers.

"I-I don't know. I guess my powers have always been linked to my emotions and then you were in danger. It was kind of instinctive, you know?"

"I could never let anything happen to you. Never.", She whispered silently, not noticing if he had caught it.

Joaquin moved to grasp her chin in his hand, pulling her head up so he could look into her eyes.

"You saved me."

You glanced over his face and the clear pain he was hiding from his injuries. 

"You have no idea how glad I am that you're okay. I-I was afraid...It shouldn't have been you.", You said to Joaquin, tears glinting in your sight.

"I'm not going anywhere. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.", he said, moving closer as your eyes meet his deep and endearing gaze.

"We should call Sam.", You suggested.

"I'll call him later."

Yours eyes met as he leaned his forehead on yours. You inhaled deeply as he gripped your hands tightly as if you would fall out of his grasp. Joaquin's arms encircle your waist and pull you in his embrace. Your arms rest around his neck, nestling your head against his shoulder.

You hold each other tightly in a moment of calm, seeking comfort from that person. The one person you would always seek out. 

You pull away, but his arms remain around your waist.

"You're so beautiful.", He whispers.

Your breathing shudders for a second before you decide to go for it,

"I-I love you, Joaquin."

You gauge his reaction as his eyes widen slightly. He leans in and guides his lips to yours. He kissed you slowly and passionately, his hands still gripping your waist. You sigh and stand on your tip-toes, tugging the hairs on the back of Joaquin's neck to bring him closer. You both pause, gasping for air for a moment. Kisses linger in between breaths as you both wind down from the intense 24 hours you've had, emotionally and physically.

"For the record, I love you too.", He grins, laughing at your eye roll.

"I didn't quite catch that, why don't you show me again?", You winked, biting your lip as his arms swooped around you again and tugged you closer. 

Barely brushing your lips, he looks between your eyes and then your lips.

"I think we can arrange that."

Your breath catches as your lips brush his. You smiled, closing your eyes, as does Joaquin. You swayed in his arms as his lips encased yours once more. 

Suddenly, red and blue flashing lights breach your vision from below. Sirens surrounded you both. You separated, glancing outside the broken window. 

Police cars surrounded the building. Reinforcements had arrived. His hand still grips yours and you motion to help him take some of his weight, wrapping an arm around his waist. 

"We should get of here.", You pushed open the door to exit down a flight of stairs. 

"Yeah.", Joaquin replied, grinning down at you as you walked out together.

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