#its impossible at their wedding with how many people they have to chat with | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

peakyblindersxx · 3 years

Text

whiskey buisness - john shelby x reader (part 2 of ?)

read part one here!

a/n: hey loves! i'm finishing up school rn, but i had to get this out and i'm about to start working on a tommy request immediately after i upload this. anyways, i'm so excited to post this series, it's incredible and i can't thank my bestie @stxdyblr-2k enough. she is a fucking genius :)

prompt: you can't get john out of your head. lo and behold, here he is.

warnings: fluff, mentions of smut, angsty af, soft john (ugh my heart)

Despite your best efforts, you'd been unable to stop yourself yearning for John Shelby. Your pokey flat now often lay empty; you were far too busy to mope at home due to your career as a personal assistant to a local solicitor who was allied with the Shelby's, attending rallies and lectures with Ada and the drunken nights you'd spend at various mansions, galleries and club openings with the "razor chasers" you'd become friendly with due to their refusal to leave Ada alone. Yet still, in those odd seconds of calm you seized over a cigarette, the first seconds after a bump of Tokyo, when you carefully applied your makeup, styled your hair or bathed, you'd think of him. The way the pads of his fingertips felt on your skin, how he’d muttered in your ear how pretty you looked.

But this was different to when you were dreaming about John at 15; he was no longer the allusive older brother of Ada who had a string of beautiful girls on rotation. He wasn’t a fantasy anymore. He was true flesh and blood, and for a moment he had wanted you.

It would be delicious if the whole situation hadn't left a bitter taste in your mouth. Of course you came back to Brum to only immediately fuck it up. The first night, and already you were so close to ruining everything? Looking back, now that you were so close with Ada once more, now that you knew who John had grown to be, that night was cringe inducing. Luckily, no one had seemed to catch on. Luckily, you thrived in the Small Heath rumour mill once again. All the gossip about you was mainly about your substance use, the lads you were seen curling up with outside nightclubs, your intelligence, your helpful nature, sometimes your questionable politics but that was all. John's was far darker, stories of blood, death and gasoline. Recently, the tales of his conquests had quietened, but only due to the lurid delight taken by the factory workers in talking about the recent blinding of some poor fucker who'd crossed the wrong person. Obviously, a lot of the detail had to be exaggerated for shock value and to boost the Shelby status, solidifying them as notorious throughout Birmingham city and its rural surroundings. There were murmurs everywhere about the violent John Shelby: ruthless, cocky, vengeful. It seemed impossible that the same man who cracked shit jokes just to see you smile, kissed you with so much desperation, and prioritised getting you off first could cause such harm without an ounce of guilt or shame to slow his swagger.

Whispers of war were far more constant, but then again, people would say anything for a reaction. You didn't bring it up with Ada. You refused to (openly) partake in mindless gossip on principle, yet you were hungry for information about him.

***********

You'd long forgotten whose wedding you were at. Some loyal blinder, a close friend of the Shelby's, the occasion calling for a large white marquee to be built onto one of Tommy's gardens, fully staffed with the best chef and service team money could buy (from a London restaurant at short notice; when Finn told you the extortionate figure Tommy had paid, your jaw had dropped). The cake, dress and decorations were stunning; you weren't sure exactly what the groom had done for the Shelby's but you could only assume the worst for what they'd splashed out on him.

However, thinking like that only spoilt your night: you'd realised at your fifth club takeover, now you repeated it like a mantra constantly. You'd quickly learnt every excess the Shelby's granted to those outside their circle were due to some perceived sacrifice for being associated with them. Well, that's what you chose to believe after John had sent a junior blinder to your office with a bouquet, the Monday morning after he turned you down. So, it was best to smile and take the shit, get paid, and get out as soon as possible. You were to keep your head down until then.

Yet, keeping your head down was difficult tonight. Ada had treated you to a shopping trip to London for the occasion this morning, Arthur forcing the junior blinders to tag along next to you on the train and trailing less than two metres behind you for hours. You missed the days when it was just you and Ada. It was far more simple without the stares whenever the two of you stepped out. Ada had gotten used to it, she'd devised her own methods of being completely alone; complex plans involving leaving a window open, knotting sheets into a rope and twisting her ankles. Not that she minded, she reckoned the suffocation of being a Shelby was much worse than a few bruised ankles.

You were wearing a clingy emerald green dress from some fancy French boutique you couldn't even pronounce, the diamond necklace sitting along your collarbone and the jewels dangling through your ears were on loan from Ada. You felt eyes unpicking you the moment you entered the after-party. Your arm was linked through Ada's as per usual, she looked equally stylish in a peacock blue number that set off her eyes, her delicate features perfected with makeup.

You'd quickly found your gaggle and began drinking and dancing the night away. Whispers about snow arose from your table, people disappearing to the toilets to rail a line on the bathroom counter, then to the dance floor or to the lap of the poor fucker who'd hold back their hair while they vomited in just a few hours. At least the Blinders were polite about it. Isaiah would kill them if they weren’t. You'd let your arm be tugged on various bathroom trips, treated among your group like secret missions although you weren't entirely subtle about it.

What you weren't aware of was across the marquee, you were being watched by the three men in your life who you'd never want to see you in this state: the Shelby's.

"Looks like Finn's taken your spot, John." Arthur yelled in John's ear over the loud music, gesturing to the youngest Shelby sat at the table next to you who was staring up at you in complete adoration as you chatted across him to Michael, seemingly arguing with him. By the looks of it, you were winning.

John pulled a face at Arthur. “Fuck off, old man. That'll never happen. Finn’s too young for her." He immediately regretted the words that had fallen out of his mouth, revealing far too much for his comfort.

"It's not impossible."

"He's just not right for her, yeah?"

"And you are?"

John didn't bother to bless him with a verbal response, instead flipping him off and downing the rest of his whiskey. "It's not like that."

"What's it like then? Because from where I'm sitting, it's pretty fucking clear, John." Arthur slurred, glass of whiskey sloshing onto his sleeve.

"You're too gone to even know you're chatting shit." John sneered, standing up, "I'm off for a smoke and some fresh air. Try not to fuck anything in my absence, both of you."

His brothers cursed him out as he left. John took a second to figure out his route, purposefully having to cross your path, gesturing for you to follow him subtly. He was surprised you came trailing after him, telling Michael that you weren’t done yelling at him and you’d be back. When you were both only metres from the marquee, he knew you were fucked. You were instantly bored, begging him for a cigarette, which he lit for you, shaking his head at your state.

"You're a fucking mess, love." He said, mouth sloping attractively to one side.

"Takes one to know one, John-boy. Where are we off to, then?"

"Somewhere fucking quiet, can barely hear myself think. Plus, you need to sober the fuck up, lass." He said, softly, as he walked across the dew soaked grass. You followed, heels in hand, holding your dress up as not to ruin it. He sighed, taking the shoes from your hands and wrapping his blazer around your shoulders, linking your arm through his for stability. He kept the distance respectful, but there wasn’t any denying the thick tension in the summer air between the two of you. Ahead, there was a small stone bench sat at the foot of one of Thomas' manicured gardens, and John offered his hand to help you sit. You made small talk and caught up on each other's lives, and you noted John only seemed to glow when you asked about his kids. He talked at length, the drink seemingly unhinging his jaw. There he was again, the John you knew and had admired for so many years. You could sit here forever, watching his blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight. Yet, it just wasn’t meant to be. You wished you could stop time just for a bit, give you enough moments to memorize the freckles on his skin.

"You know the night I first came home?" The alcohol and snow had loosened your lips. You were teetering on the edge of your boundaries, but you couldn't care enough to hold back.

"The night where absolutely nothing happened?" He joked, raising an eyebrow at you, cautious that you'd randomly brought it up in your state. "Sweetheart, this can wait."

He was warning you. For a second you managed to bite your tongue, but curiosity tipped you over the edge.

"But something nearly happened, right?"

"Y/N. Don't." He warned, his tone icy, suddenly distancing from you, hiding between an emotional boundary which he didn't wish to explore.

"John, it's just us. Can't we even talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about, though. You were off your face then, and now. That's fine. We know where we stand. It can't happen."

"I wanted to. I do want to."

"You don't. Trust me. You need a nice lad who'll marry you and look after you. Just need to keep your nose clean long enough yeah?" He teased, trying to lighten the mood, blue eyes begging you to move on.

Your head turned to face him, your face contorting in a mixture of confusion and irritation. "You don't get to tell me what I want or need. The last thing I want is to marry any lad, nice or not."

"I didn't mean it like that, right? Look, I just meant you deserve better than Shelby scum. You're going places you know? Don't settle for Small Heath." John responded with a pained sigh. He didn’t want to get into it with you; not here, not like this. He'd thought about it, naturally. You were constantly on his mind, yet only problems ever seemed to appear, never solutions. It was best for him to avoid you. Why the fuck did he drag you out here? Horrible idea.

"Your family isn't scum. Where the fuck did you get that from?" Your face was screwed up in genuine rage. "I-"

"Y/N, fuckin’ leave it."

His face had hardened completely now. He'd snapped at you. His voice hadn't raised, it was just the power he spat his order out with. You held up your hands in mock surrender, pointedly taking a cigarette from his front pocket and light it silently, not saying a word.

"Why are you so bothered, anyways?" He asked, breaking the silence like you knew he would. John always had to ask questions.

"Fuck off with that, John. I'm not in the mood."

"What do you mean?" He looked completely lost.

"We nearly had sex. Just sex, nothing else right?"

John remained silent.

"Would it be the worst thing in the world?" You asked, your voice wavering. It was hard enough to get the words out, let alone imagine the response.

"You're far too wasted to chat about this, love."

"John, I’m not-"

"I'm serious. You're fucking mashed like my brothers aren't you? Like all those other fuckers in there." He sounded genuinely angry. In the glow of the sunset he looked so much younger, so hurt and lonely. Why hadn't you noticed before?

He turned to you, eyes widened and shocked at his own outburst. "You're not the only one gone yeah? Ignore me, I'm fucked, sorry."

You reached out your hand and linked your fingers through his in silence, the warm evening wind ruffling your hair and dress, blocked from your skin by John's suit jacket which was wrapped around your shoulders. Not that anyone would notice or care. As long as Ada wasn't with you, you could disappear for hours without any alarm. There you sat in the tranquil last few moments of the day, your hand linked with John's, both beyond tipsy. You weren’t thinking properly but it felt right. You felt safe. You didn't want to have to return to the chaos of the party, to have to catch up on who your friends were currently trying to screw. None of that seemed to matter anymore.

Was it too much to ask for something to be simple? Maybe you didn't have to fuck him. Maybe just these small moments were enough. You laughed at the thought when it crossed your mind; neither you nor John were known for consistency or stability in relationships, you being admittedly rather inexperienced, only having been with a few men, and he had his fair share of escapades. But he was just so different. You wouldn't admit that he'd gotten your attention in any way than purely sexually (which surprised you to admit) and for fun, but you genuinely enjoyed his presence.

He was right though. It wasn't a good idea at all to hook up. There was far too much baggage for both of you to make it worth it.

Just once?

You glanced over at John. He rolled his eyes at you, but the edges of his lips were slightly upturned, his dimples faintly peeking through his defined cheeks.

Just once couldn't hurt.

***

The sky was streaked with shades of gold, amber and blood. John could feel the friction from your knee barely knocking against his, the pressure putting him on edge. In fairness, he had drunk heavily, and that's what happens when you let your guard down around beautiful women. He couldn't believe you had told him you wanted to have sex with him still. He'd chalked the whole situation down to a drunken mistake that would have progressed into a far more significant drunken mistake. Ada would never forgive him if he went for another of her mates. Especially Y/N. No matter if he said that Y/N could be different, that you wasn't just another conquest. But who'd believe him?

Far better to keep his mouth shut.

Far better to play safe.

As you were called back to the party by the gaggle of girls John vaguely recognised from hanging off the arms of other blinders, he realised (despite his state) that you were right. Having sex with you wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. In fact, it might be one of the best.

Just once?

He watched your figure disappear back into the marquee, waiting for you to turn back and look for him. You do. He would have done the same if it was him.

Maybe just once wouldn't hurt.

***

to be continued!

#john shelby fluff #john shelby #john shelby x reader #john shelby imagine #john shelby reader insert #peaky blinders fluff #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders

566 notes · View notes

storytellerofuntoldlegends · 3 years

Text

an icarus and his sun: chapter 5

A/N: it's formal ball time :) where nothing will go wrong :) (also this morning i saw a tweet from scott smajor casually mentioning he looked at the empires smp tag on tumblr AND mentioning something about liking the "art and stories." so i've been dealing with the mortifying possibility of being known all morning, hope y'all are having a good day/night/whenever aksfdgkl)

Warnings: kissing, explosions, betrayal, violence, swordfights, mild disassociation

AO3 Link - Tumblr Masterpost

The night of the House Blossom Ball had arrived. Jimmy had to admit, getting Lizzie’s help with an outfit was a good idea. He wore a black suit with intricate, swirling bronze details that shimmered when the light hit them. He had a dark green bowtie as a nod to his empire, and he had indeed ditched the cod head. Instead, he wore a bronze colored masquerade mask that looked like two cod fish curling around his eyes, their fins spreading out and covering his forehead. It felt weird to have his hair exposed, but Lizzie helped him make sure it was presentable. Speaking of Lizzie, she was wearing a dress with the typical navy blue color of the Ocean Empire, but it had an ombre shift into the magenta of Mezalea at the end of the skirt. Joel wore his typical Mezalean garb, but with a navy blue sash instead of a green one. They walked into the ballroom as quite the dazzling trio- and then Jimmy’s heart just about stopped at the sight of Scott.

He was chatting with Pixl and one of the new rulers, a man with colorful wings like a parrot’s. But Jimmy was too busy staring at Scott to really pay attention to Pix and the other ruler, because Scott was wearing a ballgown. The main body of it was long sleeved and form fitting, made of white lace with shimmers of gold worked in, and was backless to allow room for his wings. Then there was a light blue overskirt to go with it, making the dress look like a full ballgown. Gold jewelry adorned him as well- on his wrists, around his neck, and hanging from his ears.

“Close your mouth, Jimmy,” Joel murmured with a teasing lilt. Jimmy snapped his mouth shut, looking down at the ground and extremely relieved that his masquerade mask covered the blush on his cheeks.

“How about we go and mingle with the other guests, I think Jimmy needs a minute to compose himself,” Lizzie teased. Jimmy nodded, too flustered to even protest. The three of them walked over to Katherine, who was chatting with Gem, Pearl, and a gnome girl in a dress that reminded Jimmy of a mushroom, with its red poofy top and white floor length skirt. The girl jumped a bit at the sight of Jimmy and Lizzie, but quickly composed herself.

“Hello! I am Shrub of the Undergrove. You may call me Shelby if you like though,” she said, seeming a little skittish as she spoke. Lizzie smiled gently, giving a curtsy. Joel and Jimmy quickly followed her lead, bowing at Shelby.

“Ocean’s blessings. I am Queen Lizzie, of the Ocean Empire. This is my husband, King Joel of Mezalea. And this is my dear friend, the Codfather of the Cod Empire,” Lizzie said, gesturing to each of them in turn.

“You can call me Jimmy though, if you want,” he added with a smile. Shelby jumped a bit when he spoke, but nodded and gave a hasty curtsy. Joel looked at her with gentle concern.

“Is everything alright?” he asked. Shelby nodded, a bit too hastily.

“Yes! Just not uh. Not super used to this many people,” she said with a nervous laugh, eyeing Lizzie and Jimmy warily. Joel frowned a bit at the way she was looking at them, but didn’t say anything.

“Jimmy, you aren’t making an enemy of our new friend already, are you?” Fwhip’s voice asked from somewhere behind them. Jimmy whirled around to glare at Fwhip, and of course Sausage was at his side.

“I’m just saying hello, Fwhip. Surely that’s allowed,” Jimmy huffed.

“Sure, that’s how it always starts though- next thing you know he’s stealing your things,” Sausage chimed in. Shelby looked rather alarmed, and Jimmy let out a frustrated sigh.

“For the millionth time, you had said that I could-”

“Oh listen, the music’s starting! Let’s dance!” Katherine interrupted him, and the whole ballroom seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief as people found their dance partners. Jimmy fully intended to step to the side and watch as the others danced, but then he met the mischievous glint in Lizzie’s eyes.

“Joel, is it alright if I go dance with Scott? I simply must compliment his dress,” Lizzie said airily. Joel smiled, just as wickedly as the glint in his wife’s eyes.

“As long as you don’t mind if I dance with the Codfather for a bit,” Joel replied.

“Of course!” Lizzie chirped, before heading off towards Scott. Jimmy squinted at Joel suspiciously as he led him to the dance floor. It wasn’t the first time the two of them had danced together, Joel had insisted that Jimmy practice with him before his wedding day. But it had frankly been a while, and he didn’t like the look he and Lizzie had exchanged before she went to dance with Scott.

“What are you up to?” Jimmy asked as he rested his hand on the small of Joel’s back, and Joel rested his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. Their other hands were clasped together, and the two of them began gently swaying.

“Oh, nothing,” Joel replied, and that was all Jimmy could get out of him as they danced. They slowly made their way across the ballroom floor, and soon they were close to where Lizzie and Scott were dancing. And gosh were they a sight, all swirling skirts and elegance. Jimmy could tell Joel was just as distracted by Lizzie as Jimmy was by Scott. Then Lizzie noticed them staring, and she and Scott twirled closer.

“Jimmy! Let’s trade partners, I’d like to dance with my husband now!” Lizzie chimed, and before Jimmy could process what exactly that meant, he was spun into Scott’s arms. They were almost as close as they had been the day they fought- and there were those butterflies again. He didn’t know what to do with his hands- there was the issue of Scott’s wings and the fact that his dress exposed a lot of the skin on his back. But there wouldn’t be a point to worrying about that, Scott would surely push him away- but then Scott chuckled and took Jimmy’s hands in his, guiding them to where they should be.

“Here,” he said softly, placing one of Jimmy’s hands on his shoulder while his fingers laced with the other, then moved his free hand to rest on Jimmy’s back and pull him impossibly closer. Jimmy swallowed nervously, glancing over at Lizzie and Joel (who nodded encouragingly) before looking back to Scott.

“You look gorgeous,” Jimmy blurted as the two of them began to sway. Jimmy internally cursed himself for saying the first thing that popped into his head- but then Scott’s face flushed and it suddenly all felt worth it.

“Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself,” he teased. Jimmy laughed.

“Lizzie helped,” he admitted. Scott laughed as well, the sound all sunshine and glittering gold.

“Should’ve known,” he replied, seeming distracted for a moment. Jimmy wanted to ask what was wrong, but Scott plastered on a smile and gently spun the two of them. Jimmy couldn’t help but smile along, heart soaring.

They continued dancing until the song ended, and then Scott was just… gone. He had twirled Jimmy and when he had finally managed to stop spinning and catch his balance, laughing and about to make a teasing remark about Scott making him dizzy- he realized he had vanished into the crowd. It felt like Scott had taken a bit of Jimmy’s heart with him. Jimmy looked around for him, and met Katherine’s concerned gaze instead. She gave a comforting smile as she walked over to Jimmy.

“I saw Scott go upstairs, I think he just needed some fresh air after dancing. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind some company,” she said with a wink, nudging Jimmy towards the stairs. He chuckled, thanking Katherine before heading up the stairs. She was right, there was no need to be worried! Jimmy just kinda wished Scott would have said something.

Jimmy’s breath was once again taken away when he saw Scott standing on the balcony. If Jimmy thought he was beautiful in the sunlight, he was even more stunning in the moonlight. The white of his wings practically glowed, and while the gold didn’t shimmer quite as bright as it did in the sun, it still sent Jimmy’s heart fluttering all the same. The only thing that ruined the image was how… distressed Scott looked. His hands were fiddling with the gold bracelets he wore, and his mouth was fixed in a frown. Maybe he needed some space, clearly something about the dance upset him- he probably hadn’t really wanted to dance with Jimmy, and just played along cause everyone was watching. Jimmy should definitely apologize before giving him some space.

“Scott? I promise I’ll leave you alone after this, but I just wanted to apologize,” Jimmy said, trying not to let his heartbreak show. Scott jumped in surprise, turning to look at Jimmy.

“Apologize? For what?” he asked, seeming genuinely confused.

“The dance. Joel and Lizzie schemed against my will, I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” Jimmy explained, guilt welling up in his stomach. To his surprise, Scott gave a soft laugh.

“You don’t need to apologize for that. I… I liked dancing with you,” he confessed. Jimmy’s heart was sent fluttering once more, and he stepped closer to Scott with a grin.

“Oh! Good, I was just worried because you left and you looked upset when I came up here,” Jimmy said, deflating only a little bit when Scott only smiled and nodded in response before gazing out over the lands of the Overgrown. There was awkward silence for a moment or two, until Scott suddenly moved closer to Jimmy, almost as close as they had been when they were dancing. Butterflies sparked in Jimmy’s stomach at the little distance between them.

“I need to tell you something,” Scott blurted. He looked nervous, almost like he had been when Jimmy first had come up to the balcony.

“Of course, what is it?” Jimmy asked soothingly. Scott looked him in the eyes, mouth opening and closing uselessly- until he broke eye contact for a brief moment before locking eyes with him again, something desperate in his gaze. Then suddenly Scott’s hands were gently cradling his face and there were lips on his. Scott’s lips. Scott was kissing him. Jimmy gasped in surprise against his mouth before quickly sinking into the kiss and running his hands through Scott’s stupid perfect hair. Scott’s hands drifted down from his face to his waist, pulling him in closer as his wings wrapped around them both, shielding them from the outside world so it was only Scott and Jimmy. Then Scott tilted his head and the kiss went from pleasantly warm to blazing, sending sparks racing up Jimmy’s spine. It left him dizzyingly breathless, like Scott had spun him a thousand times on the dance floor, and Jimmy never wanted it to end-

And then a thundering BOOM rattled the castle, breaking them apart. Scott clung to Jimmy, arms tightening around his waist as his breath hitched in fear, and Jimmy held him back just as tightly. There was something unreadable in Scott’s expression alongside the fear, but Jimmy didn’t have time to decipher it before another BOOM shook the castle. Jimmy was about to ask what was going on, but the sound of someone landing on the roof behind him and the voice that went with it stopped him cold.

“Well what do we have here?” Fwhip crooned, and Scott practically snarled as he shifted his hold on Jimmy so that one arm was curled protectively around his waist, his wing shielding him as well, as he drew a sword from somewhere within his skirts and pointed it at Fwhip. Dimly, Jimmy remembered that there weren’t supposed to be weapons at the ball, Katherine had made a rule.

“Leave before I make you,” Scott growled, the sound of his voice sending liquid fire through Jimmy’s veins. Fwhip gave an incredulous scoff, shaking his head.

“Playing the part a little too well, are we?” he sneered, and just like that the fire in his veins went cold, and he realized what that strange look on Scott’s face had been before. Guilt. Scott’s grip on him suddenly felt suffocating, more like he was holding Jimmy hostage rather than protecting him.

“Let go of me,” Jimmy demanded, voice hollow. Scott’s grip only tightened on him, and Jimmy’s heart rate spiked in fear.

“Don’t listen to Fwhip, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Scott said shakily. Fwhip let out a cruel laugh.

“Oh come on Scott, you’re the one who helped make this possible,” he jeered, and the castle shook with another explosion. Jimmy’s stomach dropped. Scott was in league with Fwhip. Scott had plotted against him, and lulled Jimmy into a false sense of security with dazzling smiles and soft lips.

“Jimmy-” Scott started, but was cut off by the sound of people bounding up the stairs and shouting. Jimmy’s head whipped over to see Katherine, Lizzie, and Joel coming up to the balcony.

“Fwhip! How could you do this!” Katherine demanded, tears streaming down her face. Fwhip merely laughed.

“I told you the ball would be a blast, Katherine,” he sneered. Anger boiled in Jimmy’s stomach at Fwhip’s tone towards Katherine, and he squirmed against Scott’s hold.

“Jimmy,” Scott warned, voice low. Joel mistook the tone of Scott’s voice, and leveled his sword at him- somehow Jimmy missed that he was holding it, he must have grabbed it from the chests at the front of the castle.

“Release the Codfather. Now. I won’t let you destroy this castle and take an ally hostage,” Joel growled.

“Joel, stay out of this. You don’t understand what’s happening,” Scott said, voice calm and even. Joel let out a harsh laugh, tightening his grip on his sword.

“I understand plenty,” he snarled, leaping at Scott. Scott was forced to toss Jimmy to the side to block the incoming strike, and Jimmy watched them fight with some sort of dazed confusion as he fell to the ground. Everything felt cold and hollow, and Jimmy didn’t really feel connected to his body as Lizzie scrambled to his side, helping him up and murmuring words of comfort.

“C’mon Jimmy, we’ve gotta get out of here,” she said, voice soft but no less urgent as she gently squeezed Jimmy’s hand. He met Scott’s eyes briefly as he was holding off Joel, and that was decision enough for Jimmy. He squeezed Lizzie’s hand back, and ran with her.

Taglists below! Ask to be added/removed!!

MCYT General Fic Taglist: @corazon10000 @damiensaidno @franticfandomfanatic @gattonero17 @hetapeep41 @space-ace123 @vyeoh

AIAHS Taglist: @anty-kreatywna @devilwoodkitty18 @riobug

#empires smp #jimmy solidarity #scott smajor #ldshadowlady #smallishbeans #katherine eilzabeth #fwhip #mythicalsausage #shubble #joey graceffa #pixlriffs #pearlescentmoon #geminitay #flower husbands #seablings #mcyt #aiahs #sage writes

100 notes · View notes

hysterialevi · 3 years

Text

Hjarta | Chapter 10

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Eivor was adopted by Randvi’s family instead, he ends up falling in love with the man his sister has been promised to despite the arranged marriage between their clans.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male Eivor

Author’s note: Sorry about the delay on this one guys! As I said before I wasn’t feeling that great these past few days because of the vaccine, but I’m doing much better now. Thanks for being patient.

This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

A WHILE LATER

THE TEMPLE

This was it. This was finally the day.

After what felt like an eternity of going back and forth with his emotions, Eivor would see Sigurd married to Randvi at last, and the alliance would be set in stone. Their two clans would be joined into one fearsome army, and they would stop Kjotve from ever roaming Norway’s seas again.

It was a wondrous day for everyone in the village, considering the nature of their agenda. Vibrant decorations had been placed on every surface imaginable in Bjornheimr, and lively laughter could be heard ringing throughout the air.

Ribbons and banners hung from the roofs, lanterns dangled from the trees, and all across the ground, Eivor saw nothing but fresh flower petals adorning the paths. Meanwhile, the sounds of drums and lyres harmonized with the whispers of Mother Earth, and not too far away from him, the young man could see people dancing with one another.

It was a sight that normally would’ve inspired happiness in Eivor’s heart, but for today, all he felt was loneliness.

Ever since he woke up, he hadn’t been able to shake off the shadow that loomed over him. The weight of Sigurd’s absence continued to linger on his shoulders, and it hindered his motivation to get involved with the festivities.

At the moment, he was currently sitting on a bench that rested just beside the temple and overlooked the wedding, giving him a clear view of its events. He saw clusters of familiar faces beckoning him to come join them, but no matter what, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. And he knew exactly why.

Underneath the wedding arch, Eivor saw Sigurd and Randvi chatting with a group of people as they shared drinks with one another, getting a head-start to the wedding’s celebrations.

The prince was dressed in an ornate, white tunic paired with a crown of flowers that sat on his head, and his broad physique had been relieved of all the armor that he usually wore. He was smiling and laughing in the presence of the other guests, and on the surface, it looked like he was actually enjoying himself.

But underneath all the pretenses, Eivor could tell that the man was just as conflicted as he was. Every time he got a brief moment to himself, or was spared from the attention of scattered onlookers, his expression would drop, and a look of despondency would darken his eyes.

Sigurd seemed miserable, if Eivor was being honest. It was clear that he wasn’t willing to settle down with this marriage, but knew he had to for the sake of their clans’ safety... and it was ruining him.

Eivor just wished he could summon the courage to speak to him again. There were a thousand different things he wished to say to the man, but he had no idea how to word any of them.

How could he talk to Sigurd while acting as if nothing happened between the two of them? Or that they weren’t both upset about this wedding? How was it possible that they’d be able to keep up that kind of charade?

At this point, Eivor knew better than to believe he’d be able to conceal his true emotions. He had already seen how easy it was for Sigurd to crack open his shell, and he didn’t want to risk losing control of any more of his impulses. Especially not on a day such as this. Ingrida’s warnings had yet to take their leave from the Wolf-Kissed’s list of worries, and the last thing Eivor wanted was to be the reason they came true.

“Everyone!” Arngeir called out, breaking Eivor’s train of thought as the music came to a pause. “Everyone, gather around!”

The jarl was currently standing at the front of the wedding with Styrbjorn at his side, and held a tall tankard of mead in his grasp. He addressed the crowd before them while Sigurd lingered next to the archway, greeting his people with a radiant smile.

“My brothers!” Arngeir said proudly, “my sisters! Today is a day for celebration. The seas of this war have been relentless with chaos, and we have endured a great deal to stand where we are now. I know many of you have sacrificed your heart and soul in the name of survival. You have fought, you have bled, and you have known pain unlike any other. But no more. Today,” he placed a hand on Styrbjorn’s shoulder, “the Bear and Raven clans will become one, and we will finally have what it takes to deliver Kjotve into the jaws of Nidhoggr himself!”

A unanimous cheer erupted from the villagers.

“So, drink!” Arngeir exclaimed over their voices. “Drink and feast to your hearts’ content! Let your spirits sing with joy as we celebrate this marriage, and let the gods hear our thundering war cries when the time for battle comes! May Freya bless this new couple with her loving embrace, and may Tyr guide us into victory. Or to Valhalla.” He raised his tankard in the air. “Skål, my drengir!”

The guests returned the toast. “Skål!”

A series of merry cries rose from the crowd as they happily downed their drinks in unison, eager to get the mead flowing. The music of the festival quickly resumed its lively beat, and chirps of laughter returned to the air.

As for Eivor, the man remained seated by the temple and simply watched the festivities unfold, wishing more than anything that he could talk to Sigurd again. He knew the prince would likely welcome him with open arms despite the tension between them, but even then, there was just something holding him back.

He didn’t have the strength to approach Sigurd now that the man was officially married. Despite all his efforts to ignore it, Eivor did feel a spark of jealousy flickering in his heart whenever he laid eyes on Randvi, and he hated himself for it.

Randvi didn’t deserve any animosity. She was simply doing what she was told, just like Sigurd. Still, part of Eivor secretly wished he could be in her position. He wished he could openly display his affection for the prince, and not constantly feel the need to hide it.

But alas, there was no longer any grey area about the matter. Sigurd and Randvi had officially been bound by this alliance, and Eivor would have to stay away from him, no matter how alluring the thought might’ve been. They wouldn’t be able to repeat what they did last night, and to go against this marriage would’ve been a betrayal.

“Eivor?” A stray voice blurted out, causing the Wolf-Kissed to glance over his shoulder. He hadn’t expected anyone else to be up here, and yet, he found himself gazing back at the one man who could’ve potentially eased his pain.

Ulfar.

“What are you doing here, little cub?” The old raider asked, pushing through the snow. “I assumed you’d be enjoying the festivities by now.”

Eivor turned back around and rested his elbows on his knees, staring blankly at the ground.

“I’m not in the mood.”

Ulfar cocked a brow at the response. “Not in the mood for a drink? That doesn’t sound like you.” A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Must be something bad.”

He took a seat next to Eivor, allowing himself to rest for a moment.

“...Care to share your thoughts?”

The young man paused, throwing Ulfar’s inquisitive nature right back at him. “Before I do -- what are you doing up here? I’m surprised you’re not at my father’s side. He usually keeps you close.”

“Indeed, but today’s not exactly a usual day, is it? Eirik and I are patrolling the village at your father’s behest. He wants us to make sure the people are safe whilst they celebrate the wedding.”

Eivor glanced at the view in front of them. “See anything yet?”

“Nothing urgent so far. Eirik spotted a longship on the horizon earlier, but it’s impossible to see which clan it belongs to from here. He’s keeping an eye on it as we speak.” The warrior tilted his head at the other man. “And what about you? What brings you to the temple on a day like this?”

Eivor hesitated. “I... I don’t know if I should say.”

A tone of genuine concern took hold of Ulfar’s voice. “Is it truly that bad?”

“Yes. I’m afraid so.”

The raider leaned forward in his seat, looking the young man in the eye. “Eivor. Speak plainly to me. What’s going on?”

The Wolf-Kissed turned away from Ulfar, pondering whether or not to tell him. He trusted the man to keep this conversation between them -- he had never known him to be a snitch -- but even then, part of him feared how Ulfar would react.

Eivor was aware of the warrior’s doubts towards Sigurd after all, and the last thing he wanted was to tarnish the prince’s reputation even further. This alliance was as fresh as a newborn babe, and the young man wondered if it would’ve been foolish to expose his secrets so soon.

Still, Eivor knew he couldn’t keep it in for much longer. The stress that came with suppressing his emotions was quickly taking its toll, and he needed to let it out somehow.

“Ulfar...” the young man said, “I’ll tell you what’s going on because I trust you, but this must stay between us. I mean it. No one else can hear about this. Alright?”

The older man’s brow was crinkled with confusion, but he complied nonetheless. “...Alright, Eivor. I understand. Now, what’s the matter?”

Eivor took a deep breath. “...Do you remember the conversation we had at the feast? When the Raven Clan first arrived?”

Ulfar chuckled. “No, not really. I’m an old man now, Eivor. My memory isn’t what it once was.”

Eivor returned the laugh. “You were telling me about Geirmund’s fortress. And how you met Linnea.”

The raider’s expression lit up with remembrance. “...Ah, yes.”

“You also asked me if I had found anyone significant in my life,” he continued. “I told you no.”

“And?”

Eivor knotted his hands together in nervousness. “Well... that’s changed recently.”

“Has it? Then why do you seem so upset? That’s a good thing, Eivor.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew who it was.”

Ulfar shrugged. “Well then, who is it?”

The Wolf-Kissed gazed down at the wedding. “...The man who just got married today.”

The old warrior followed his line of sight, instantly falling into silence once he realized whom Eivor was referring to.

“...You mean Sigurd?” Ulfar clarified, unable to hide the dread that was rising in his chest. “Oh, Eivor...”

“I know.” The younger man said. “I know it’s bad. I’ve told myself I shouldn’t feel this way over and over again, but no matter what I do, these thoughts just won’t go away. Sigurd and I tried to keep things platonic in the beginning, but over time, we just... couldn’t help it anymore.”

Ulfar let out a troubled sigh. “...And what about Randvi? Does she know about this?”

“No, I don’t think so. You’re the only one so far.”

That seemed to bring some relief to the raider. “Good. You’d do best to keep it that way. There’s no telling how others would react, especially the king.”

Eivor pressed a finger on his temple. “What should I do though, Ulfar? Out of honor, I can’t approach Sigurd now that he’s officially been wed. To entice him would be wrong. But I also can’t ignore how I feel.”

Ulfar’s gaze fell to the ground. “...I wish I had an easy answer for you, little cub. But the truth is, nothing about this will be easy. You have a special connection with Sigurd, and it isn’t going to disappear just because of this alliance.”

The young man grew despondent. “I only wish there was some way to forget about all this. Perhaps then, my mind would finally let me rest.”

The warrior shot a glance at his friend. “Eivor, are you listening to me?”

Eivor paused, urging Ulfar to continue his train of thought.

“You can’t make these feelings go away.” He reiterated. “You’re trying to fight a battle that’s already been lost. The best thing you can do right now is talk to Sigurd. Straighten things out with him. Clean up this mess before it becomes worse. It may not bring the outcome you want, but it will bring the closure you need. Trust me.”

Eivor peered in the prince’s direction, reluctant to accept reality. He knew there was truth to Ulfar’s words, but a part of him still wished for another solution. A solution that didn’t involve discarding his relationship with Sigurd.

“...Perhaps you’re right.” He conceded in a downcast manner.

The raider’s voice softened with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Eivor. This must be difficult for you. But it isn’t your fault.”

That piqued Eivor’s curiosity. “You don’t think so?”

“No, of course not. We do not choose who we love. The Nornir determine that for us. Unfortunately though, our plans do not always match what the gods have in mind. I only wish you didn’t have to be the one dealing with this dilemma.”

“...So do I.”

Ulfar switched to a more encouraging tone, hoping to lift the young man’s spirits. “Hey, there’s no need to sulk. Remember what Ingrida always says. Any attempt to deviate from the path will be met with what was destined to be. Your time will come. Just not today.”

Eivor displayed a faint smile in response to his words. “Thank you, Ulfar. I--”

“--Ulfar...!”

Interrupting their conversation, a third voice suddenly jumped into the scene, causing the two men to glance towards the source. The voice was sharpened with a deep rasp that sat on its edge, and it seemed to scrape against the throat of its owner. It didn’t have much force standing behind it, but even then, Eivor could still hear the desperation behind its words.

“Yes?” Ulfar replied at the sound of his name. “What is it--?”

He came to a halt, taking a moment to process the peculiar sight approaching him.

Not too far away from them, Ulfar and Eivor saw Eirik limping towards the temple, practically dragging his feet through the snow. His labored breathing trudged along to the rhythm of his heavy footsteps, and his movements were sluggish with exhaustion. The main detail that caught Ulfar’s attention though, was the fresh trail of blood dotting the ground in his wake.

“Eirik!” The raider exclaimed in alarm, immediately rushing over to him. He supported the man’s weight in his arms, lifting him up as he spoke.

“Hey,” he called out, trying to get his attention. “Hey! Can you hear me? What happened to you?”

Eirik weakly gripped onto one of Ulfar’s arms, staring him in the eye. “...K-Kjotve. He’s... here. You must--” a numbing pain racked his body, coaxing a groan out of him.

“We must what?” Ulfar asked. But Eirik had already moved on.

“...please,” the injured man whispered, “keep my mother safe. Tell her... it isn’t...”

He fell limp in the old warrior’s embrace, passing onto the next realm with his final words trapped in his throat. His body keeled forward as his spirit departed from its shell, and upon greeting death, Eirik tumbled into the snow, revealing a number of arrows protruding from his back.

Before Ulfar had any time to mourn though, the rallying cry of a horn suddenly blared in the distance, calling for Bjornheimr’s warriors as Kjotve’s men emerged from the shadows.

The sounds of battle quickly rose throughout the village, and down at the wedding, Eivor could see Sigurd rushing to defend their people, storming around with a sword in his hand.

“Shit!” Ulfar cursed, rising from the ground. He whipped his axe out of its sheathe and placed a protective hand over Eivor’s chest, urging him to take shelter.

“Eivor, gather any survivors you can find and take them to the longhouse! I’ll join the other warriors and protect the wedding.”

“Wait!” The young man protested, grabbing Ulfar’s wrist just before he could leave.

The raider glared at him with a bewildered look in his eye. “What is it?”

“...Let me defend the wedding. I’ll go in your stead.”

Ulfar clearly wasn’t on board with the idea. “What? This is no time to be arguing! You need to go, Eivor. Now!”

“Please,” he insisted. “I need to make sure Sigurd’s safe. He’s down there with the rest of my family. Let me do it. I’ll do whatever it takes to get them out of there alive. You know I will.”

The older man quickly shifted his mind, not willing to waste another second.

“...Fine,” he said in a hasty tone. “Do what you must, but do it carefully. I don’t want you following Eirik’s footsteps today. And don’t forget about the alliance, Eivor. I know how you feel about Sigurd, but we cannot lose him for the sake of this war either. Do you understand?”

Eivor gave him a firm nod. “I understand.”

“Good. Then may the Defender of Midgard guide our hand today, and may we pummel Kjotve’s skull with an axe at last.”

“Odin watch over you, Ulfar.”

The raider parted ways with the young man. “Odin watch over us all.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW MINUTES LATER

THE WEDDING

Sprinting towards the ruined festival, Eivor fought his way through clumps of Kjotve’s warriors as they stormed the village and set fire to the buildings, staining the sky red with their morbid flames. Vivid sparks could be seen erupting from black pillars of smoke, and in the distance, the young warrior saw nothing but clouds of ash obscuring the path.

It looked like Ragnarök itself had been unleashed on Bjornheimr. Shrieks of panic filled the air like an orchestra gone mad, and just sitting on the horizon, Eivor spotted the striking silhouettes of Kjotve’s ships latching onto their docks.

It was a view the young man had been dreading for the past decade of his life. The memory of his parents’ deaths remained fresh in his head, and terror paralyzed his heart at the idea of losing a loved one again.

...But no. He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t. Ulfar was depending on him to protect everyone at the wedding, and that was exactly what he’d do. Even if it meant sacrificing himself. He wouldn’t simply stand by and watch people die like before. This time, he would defend them.

Heaving his axe with a ferocious amount of effort, Eivor let out a rough shout as he lodged the sturdy blade into the neck of a raider, cutting them down within a heartbeat.

By now, it looked like Kjotve’s men had taken control of the wedding and gathered a handful of captives, lining them up as if they were livestock for sale. They had bound them with numerous bundles of rope and shoved them down to their knees, forcing them to watch their attackers from below.

What concerned Eivor the most though, was that the raiders were no longer alone.

Towering over the rest of the scene like a lion searching for its prey, the Wolf-Kissed spotted the very same man who slew his parents all those winters ago, now staring down at the prince he loved. His face had been folded with wrinkles due to years of waging countless wars, but the rest of his stature remained as intimidating as ever.

Eivor felt like a scared little boy again just by looking at him. Kjotve’s mere presence was more than enough to bring back a flood of unwanted nightmares, and the young man suddenly found himself questioning whether or not he was fit for this task. He still heard his mother’s desperate cries thundering in his head as if she were there, and the haunting view of his father’s lifeless gaze had been branded into the back of his eyelids.

“Do not abandon him or his memory,” Eivor thought to himself, repeating Ulfar’s words from when he was just a boy. “You wish to reclaim the honor your father lost? Then you must fight for it.”

A sprout of fury flared up in his chest at the profound memory, and he shouted across the battlefield at Kjotve himself, speaking with a level of rage he had never experienced before.

“Kjotve!” Eivor roared, leading the man to come to a halt.

The gargantuan raider turned around to see who was calling his name and peered through the smoke, narrowing his eyes as he tried to identify their face.

Emerging from the sea of fire, Kjotve saw nothing but a lone warrior prowling towards him with a strangely familiar axe in his grip, sauntering across the blood-stained dirt. Gusts of wind distorted the ash blanketing the battlefield around him, and behind strands of golden hair, Kjotve spotted a pair of arctic orbs glaring back at him, wide-open with wrath.

Before he could address the warrior though, his son stepped forward first.

“What do you want, bacraut?” Gorm barked, pointing a finger at them. “A blade to the gullet, perhaps?”

Kjotve held out an arm. “Hold, Gorm. Don’t bare your fangs just yet. There’s something... different about this one.”

The man scoffed. “Different? He looks just like every other ‘warrior’ in this village to me. Weak and cowardly.”

“...Perhaps,” Kjotve said, glancing down, “but that axe...” He approached the stranger. “You there! Where did you find that weapon? Who are you?”

The blonde viking stopped in his tracks, keeping his gaze nailed onto the other man as the entire wedding froze to see what was going on.

“My name is Eivor.” He announced, his voice resembling the hiss of a serpent. “...You know me.”

Kjotve grinned immediately upon hearing the name and strolled towards his opponent, meeting him in the middle.

“...Eivor? The son of Varin and Rosta? Heh. My, my. You were just a little boy the last time we met, Wolf-Kissed. I must say, I’m surprised to see you drawing breath even after all these years. You’ve certainly grown a lot since then. But alas... you are still no more than a child chasing after his father’s honor. It seems you’ll never learn.”

Eivor clenched his hand around the grip, doing his best to keep his anger at bay.

“...I have no interest in your taunts, Kjotve. I’ve only come for my family. Let them go.”

The older man laughed and planted his battle axe in the ground, resting an elbow on its hilt. “And tell me, Eivor -- why exactly would I do that?”

The young warrior raised his own weapon, looking at the line of captives sitting behind Kjotve. “I may have been defenseless during our first encounter, but don’t think I’ll cower away from you now. I will take my family back, with or without shedding your blood.”

Sigurd’s head perked up at the response, and he struggled in his restraints. “Eivor...! Don’t!”

Kjotve noticed the prince’s reaction, allowing him to think of a different approach. He doubted there would be much difficulty in slaying the Wolf-Kissed one-on-one, but he wanted to indulge in another method.

“Hmm,” he said in thought, “you wish to rescue these fools from their fate? Perhaps... there is a way we could arrange that.”

Gorm snapped his head in Kjotve’s direction. “Father!”

“Silence, boy.” He commanded. “These are my slaves. Not yours. I will bargain with them as I please.”

Kjotve shifted his focus back to Eivor, presenting his idea. “Listen to me carefully, son of Varin. I am willing to offer your people a way out of this, but only one. It’s your choice whether you take it or leave it.”

Eivor grew impatient. “Just say what you have to say and be done with it.”

The slaver smirked maliciously. “As you wish.”

Kjotve tugged his weapon out of the ground and rested the blade on his shoulder, preparing it for battle. “...Lay down your axe. Surrender yourself to me, and I will let everyone else go, including your beloved prince here.”

Eivor fell silent at the demand and clenched his jaw in spite, almost having to stop himself from laughing at the absurdity of the request.

“You expect me to believe you?” He nearly growled. “After you spewed the same lies to my father, and broke your oath to him? No. I won’t do it.”

Kjotve lifted a brow. “Are you certain, Wolf-Kissed? You could be right, of course... but are you willing to bet your family’s lives on it?”

The young warrior’s expression twisted into a glower. “...You are a rat, Kjotve. A dishonorable wretch that will forever serve as a sheathe to Nidhoggr’s fangs...!”

The raider merely chuckled at the response, undeniably amused by his enemy’s distress.

“Well, if you prefer, I could always erase your doubt and simply kill them all right now.” Kjotve positioned his blade under Sigurd’s chin. “Starting with him.”

Eivor felt the urge to leap forward then and there, but held himself back.

“Don’t... touch him.” He whispered, almost sounding feral. The slaver smiled back at him.

“You know what you have to do to stop me.”

The Wolf-Kissed gritted his teeth in rage and strengthened his hold on the axe, practically crushing it in his grip as his knuckles turned white.

He couldn’t believe it. After thirteen years of planning for revenge and fending off the grief that came with his loss, he was now being forced into the exact same position as his father, and being humiliated like a thrall. Everyone’s lives depended on the sacrifice of his honor, but to comply would’ve meant giving up everything he had fought for.

What would happen to Eivor if he accepted the deal? What would Kjotve do with him? Would he truly keep his word and set the captives free? Or would he simply cut the young warrior’s throat, and demolish the rest of the village once he was dead?

Eivor didn’t know what to do anymore. He couldn’t bear the idea of watching anything happen to Sigurd or his family, but he also despised the thought of failing to avenge his previous one.

Kjotve was the one who took everything from him. He destroyed his home, his childhood, and his life. To spare him now would’ve been an even greater shame than the one his father suffered.

But still... he loved Arngeir. He loved his sisters. And most of all, he was starting to fall in love with Sigurd. He had gotten so used to a world with the prince’s influence, that to see him drop out of it now would’ve devastated him.

He couldn’t allow him to die. He couldn’t disappoint Ulfar, and he couldn’t let the alliance crumble. Sigurd’s life carried far more value than his, and at this point, Eivor was willing to do anything to preserve it.

So, without saying another word, the young man reluctantly bent down towards the ground and gazed at Sigurd with an apologetic look, gently placing the axe right by his feet.

“No!” The prince exclaimed, his eyes widened with panic. “What are you doing? Pick up your axe, Eivor! Remember what this snake did to your father! Don’t let him corner you into his trap--!”

“--Quiet, you!” Gorm commanded, striking Sigurd over the head.

Meanwhile, Kjotve ignored his prisoner’s cries and grinned in satisfaction, focusing entirely on the man in front of him.

“It seems you were correct, Gorm,” he remarked. “He is the same as everyone else. Weak... and cowardly. Just like his father. I should’ve guessed.”

Eivor’s glare only sharpened. “I did what you asked, Kjotve. Now, do your part and set them free!”

Kjotve shook his head in a patronizing manner, laughing shamelessly at the unarmed viking. A sheen of deceit plastered itself onto his barbaric smile, and simply by looking at him, the young man knew he had been fooled.

“Did you really think it’d be any different this time? I almost pity you, Wolf-Kissed. You’re an even bigger fool than Varin was. I suppose you’ll be joining him and your mother in Helheim, then. Send them my regards.” He turned to his son, bellowing a new list of orders at him. “Gorm! Take the strongest ones back to the ship alive. We can make use of them. As for the rest -- kill them all. We’ll leave their corpses for the ravens to feed.”

Gorm began strolling towards the prisoners. “With pleasure.”

“Wait!” Eivor shouted. But it was too late.

Within the blink of an eye, the man had already unsheathed his blade and pulled Randvi’s head back by the hair, preparing to slit her throat. Just before he could carry out Kjotve’s commands though, a lone arrow suddenly bolted through the air and planted itself into his shoulder, sending him reeling to the ground.

He flailed around for a moment and flicked his eyes around in shock, only to see the archer face-to-face once the chaos finally settled.

It was Ulfar.

“Cut them down!” The raider yelled, his voice thundering across the village.

Charging out from the smoke, Eivor saw a small army of men storming the wedding as Kjotve’s people froze in bewilderment, giving their clan the exact opening they needed to shift the balance of this fight.

The warriors immediately seized the battlefield and overwhelmed it like a fire feeding on kindling, driving their weapons through the hearts of their enemies. They hunted them down like animals running through a field, and showered the invading raiders with a hurricane of arrows.

As for Kjotve himself, the man fled to his longship with as many prisoners as possible and nearly dragged Gorm onto the boat, signaling his men to leave Bjornheimr. It was evident to him that he was now on the losing side of this fight, but even then, he still managed to take a group of captives that he was no doubt going to sell -- including Thora.

Ulfar, on the other hand, was busy freeing what prisoners remained. He had already released Randvi from her binds and was now carving his way through Sigurd’s rope, setting the prince free.

“Are you hurt?” The older man asked, helping Sigurd up to his feet.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” He blurted out, eager to contribute to the battle. But Ulfar wasn’t ready to let him go just yet.

“Where’s Eivor?” He questioned. “I was able to see Kjotve and Gorm, but I couldn’t find the boy from where I stood.”

Sigurd gestured in the opposite direction. “He’s over there. He’s--” The man came to an abrupt pause, leading Ulfar to follow his line of sight.

“What is it?” The raider said, but it didn’t take him long to realize.

Kneeling in the dirt, Ulfar found Eivor sitting somberly amongst all the pandemonium, seemingly unfazed by the death and destruction surrounding him. His eyes were locked onto the axe lying beside his legs, and just by observing the boy, the old warrior could tell that he was trapped in another battle of his own.

Eivor just let his parents’ murderer escape for a second time. After thirteen years of waiting for him. He had been tricked by the same deal his father fell prey to, and now, there was nothing but humiliation weighing him down.

He felt like a complete failure. His honor had been stolen from him once again, and now all of Bjornheimr was going to know it. They would see him as a coward for deciding to drop his weapon, and Kjotve’s forces would only grow stronger because of it.

But the part that stood out the most to Ulfar, was the fact that he did it all for Sigurd. Eivor had only known the man for about two weeks, and yet, he was willing to give up Valhalla itself in exchange for his survival. He knew the possibility of Kjotve going back on his word was likely, and even then, he still decided to take the risk.

Just how much did this man mean to him, exactly? Ulfar was aware of Eivor’s feelings for Sigurd, but he never expected the two of them to share such an adamantine bond. He could see now that the young man was truly in love with the prince... and it frightened him to the core.

This would not bode well for the marriage. Eivor could try to conceal his emotions as much as he wanted, but Ulfar already knew it would be for naught. It was impossible to ignore a love as strong as this, and he could only pray that the alliance wouldn’t fall apart so long as Eivor’s affections remained alive.

He supposed the best thing he could do now was guide the young man. Ulfar didn’t plan on telling anyone about his secret, but he also knew it’d be foolish to let his feelings roam free.

Kjotve was still out there. His army was still growing. And now, he had Thora as a slave.

If the people of Bjornheimr wanted to rescue her from his grasp, they would need the help of Styrbjorn’s entire clan to assault the slaver’s fortress. It would require every single warrior they had under their command, and Ulfar didn’t intend on letting Eivor’s hidden relationship put Thora’s safety in jeopardy.

He just hoped he wouldn’t hurt the boy by doing so. It was clear to him how much the Wolf-Kissed cared about Sigurd, so the last thing he wanted was to push the two of them apart.

But Arngeir needed Ulfar to maintain a clear mind. He needed his pragmatism. He needed his rationality. That was the whole reason he had kept Ulfar at his side for almost two decades now.

As much as it pained the old man, he would have to approach this objectively. He would have to keep Eivor away from Sigurd’s company, and ensure that the alliance remained strong.

Otherwise, he had no idea how the future would unfold. If anyone learned about their secret affair, Ulfar assumed that all hell would break loose. The friendship between their clans would instantly shatter, and the fires of a second war would likely ignite.

It was a dilemma that Ulfar wouldn’t wish on anyone in a paternal position, but alas, it was the one the gods had granted him. So, with a quick shift of the mind, the warrior brought his attention back to the battle at hand and left Eivor alone, allowing him to regather his thoughts.

He assumed the boy would be in a state of distress after the day’s events, and he didn’t want to be the reason he finally tipped over the edge.

Ulfar had enough to worry about at the moment, and he imagined it was just the beginning.

#hjarta #assassin's creed valhalla #ac valhalla #sigurd styrbjornson #eivor wolfkissed #eivor wolfsmal #eivor varinsson #male eivor #sigurd x male eivor #ac valhalla fanfic

26 notes · View notes

yaimlight · 3 years

Text

Rating : 18+

Summary : Bakugou, Todoroki and reader have a bit of fun whilst the boys are supposed to be on duty.

Series : Twos Company, Threes a Crowd

Cross post on AO3. Find me under LokiLover89

“Thank you!” The young girl called as she ran away back to her friends, waving enthusiastically as she went. Sighing Shoto offered her a small awkward wave in return, the action causing her group of friends to burst into giggles. “Fucking finally. I thought they would never leave” Katsuki grumbled next him and Shoto had to agree. He knew that a large chunk of hero work was interacting with the public and building their image but he really could do without the seemingly constant stream of people demanding photos and his attention, snapping image after image as if he didn’t have anything better to do with his time.

He and Katsuki had just spent the last twenty minutes with the group of girls that couldn’t be no more than a year or two younger than them, taking photo after photo with them in various poses and positions until they were satisfied. He was surprised Katsuki hadn’t snapped at them, demanding they get lost but after he tanked two points in the last hero ranking Shoto assumed he was probably trying to improve his image somewhat, though he may be regretting that decision now. Shoto had come close a couple of times though, growing impatient and wanting to just get on with his job. Not that there had been much of that to do tonight. All the villains and criminals seemingly deterred by the cold November night and the threat of snow that hung over the city.

Now the group of girls had moved on the street had fallen quite, not many people still out this close to midnight and that was how Shoto liked it. He was always suspicious of people wondering around in the middle of the night, especially now that most places were closing down. “Fuck its cold” Katsuki grumbled.

Shoto turned his head slightly to look at him, raising an eyebrow as the other man rubbed at his arms. He looked good in his winter costume, the fabric pulled tight across him and clinging to all his muscles. He had ditched the normal black and orange tank top in favour of a black long sleeved top. It still had the orange x across the chest but it now had two orange bands wrapped around his biceps that seemed to make the muscles look bigger. His collar was high, the black fabric covering the bottom half of his face so Shoto couldn’t see the permanent scowl of his plush lips.

“What?” Katsuki growled, turning to glare at Shoto. He had be caught starring and if it had been anyone else Shoto would feel embarrassed but this had happened enough times now that neither of them cared much and even if he did deny it Shoto knew Katsuki liked the attention. Shrugging slightly Shoto turned back, looking at the street ahead of them as they continued on their patrol. “I thought your new suit had heaters built in”. He knew it did, Y/N wouldn’t stop gushing about how warm he was and was constantly cuddling up to him. Not that Shoto was jealous or anything.

“Don’t change the fact it’s fucking cold” the blonde grumbled and Shoto’s lips quirked into a soft smile. Shoto didn’t mind the cold, being able to regulate his temperature with the different aspects of his quirk but Katsuki hatted it. He said it interfered with his quirk, the cold making it impossible for him to get the sweat he needed to use it and Shoto knew that much was true but it didn’t hide the fact that he would bury himself under a mounting of blankets at home, his scowling eyes and blonde spike sticking out. It was adorable but Shoto would never say that to the other man, not wanting to end up with an explosive hand in his face.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, both of them watching their surroundings. The streets were mostly empty though and the few people they did see were too preoccupied in their own lives to bother the heroes and that was fine. The rumble of traffic was low and as they turned the corner onto a new street the faint hum of idle chatter died off and they were plunged into almost silence.

Katsuki’s phone chimed loudly for what felt like the hundredth time this evening and Katsuki cursed, yanking the thing from one of his many pockets. He yanked a glove off, hissing as it was exposed to the cold air. Shoto continued on, expecting the other man to follow along behind him like he had done every other time this phone had gone off tonight but when Shoto couldn’t hear his steady footsteps any more he stopped, turning to find the other man a few steps behind. He was stood still, staring down at his phone and Shoto knew he was frowning just from furrow between his brows. “What’s wrong?” He called out, taking a step back towards Katsuki, concerned as to what had him suddenly stopping.

Shoto’s words seemed to jerk him back to reality, Katsuki’s head snapping up to look at him with wide eyes. He looked startled and Shoto could see a light blush just underneath his mask but it was hard to tell if it was from the text or the cold. “It’s nothing” he rushed out quickly. Shoto frowned, tipping his head slightly and his brow drawn down in confusion. It clearly wasn’t nothing if the other man was acting so cagey all of a sudden. Shoto hadn’t said anything every other time Katsuki had revived a message but this one felt different somehow and Shoto wanted to know why.

Katsuki seemed to regain his composure, shrugging his shoulders and turning his attention back to his phone. “Just Kirishima checking to make sure him and the shitty extras are still allowed over Friday” he said offhandedly, sending off a quick text before shoving his phone back into its designated pocket. Shoto highly doubted that was true but Katsuki didn’t have any reason to lie to him, yet it definitely felt like that was what was going on and he didn’t like it. “A little late for him isn’t it?” Shoto said, his tone questioning with a hint of suspicion. He knew for a fact that the redhead was on early shifts this week because he had swapped with Ochaco so she could go wedding dress shopping with Momo.

Katsuki must know he had been caught out in his odd little lie because he wouldn’t meet Shoto’s eyes. Instead he was scowling, eyes darting around his surroundings as if he was looking for something in particular. “Yeah. Look I’m fucking freezing my dick off here. I’m gonna go grab a hot drink from that shitty stand back there. You want anything?” Katsuki said gruffly, finally looking at Shoto with his normal perpetual glare. His red eyes were piercing and Shoto felt pinned beneath them.

Still confused Shoto shook his head, offering the other man a ‘no’ as answer. The blonde grumbled something under his breath but Shoto couldn’t work out what it was apart from the odd curse word. “Stay here” Katsuki yelled at him over his shoulder as he stomped back the way they had come, still grumbling about something under his breath. Shoto watched him go until he disappeared around the corner, leaving him alone on the quite street. Well that had been odd and sudden.

Sighing Shoto rubbed at his eyes. Katsuki had been acting odd all evening, almost texting constantly for the past hour. That in its self was strange, normally he would shut his phone onto silent and ignore it until patrol was over then proceed to bitch and moan about the amount of unanswered messages he had from his friends. There was only one person Shoto could think off who Katsuki would answer straight away but she was supposed to be knee deep in a new project at Takahashi Enterprises with Hatsume and she never normally bothered either of them when they were working anyway. It was the only thing Shoto could think of though and it stung a little that she would be so focused all her attention on Katsuki instead of engaging them both on their shared chat.

A small thud and the sound of glass rattling had Shoto’s head snapping to the side, his eyes narrowing as he looked down the alleyway he had stopped in front of. The street lights only just illuminated the mouth of the alley, maybe a few feet but after that it was just shadows. He waited, staring into the darkness, expecting something to come charging out at him but when nothing did Shoto shrugged, assuming it must have been just a stray cat or something.

Turning back round Shoto huffed, glaring in the direction Katsuki had gone. What was taking him so long? The stand was only about a minute or two back the way they had come and Katsuki should have been back by now, his large hands wrapped around a stupidly oversized cup of coffee and with a content smile of his face. If the coffee was good enough Shoto may even be able to convince Katsuki to share it, the blonde grumbling as he handed it over like he wasn’t smiling behind his collar.

A loud crash had Shoto whipping back round, everything on alert as he stared into the darkened alleyway. That sounded a lot bigger than a cat and Shoto wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t go and investigate. He should probably wait for Katsuki to get back but Shoto was confident enough that he would be able to handle himself for a minute or two. Tentatively he stepped forward, left hand raised and fire dancing to life in his palm. He kept his footsteps light as he slowly ventured further into the darkened alley, his eyes darting around as he looked for any sign of threat.

His fire provided sufficient enough light for him to see but the flickering flames made the shadows seem to almost dance, giving the appearance of someone moving around him. The alley was small, wedged between two tall buildings that seemed to be using it as a dumping ground and Shoto was having to carefully make his way round broken bottles and rubbish bins. There were no windows looking down into the alley, no cameras either that he could see unless they were high up on the walls but even then it was too dark for them to capture anything. It was a good spot for an ambush and he probably shouldn’t have come down here by himself.

He was just about to turn back when movement just on the edge of his ring of light caught his attention. That was defiantly something, a person shaped something. “Who’s there?” Shoto called out into the darkness, stopping where he was to search the shadows for any sign of movement. Silence greeted him, the air around him feeling incredibly still. Shoto’s skin was prickled the distinct feeling of being watched making him uncomfortable. He was far enough away from the main street now that Katsuki would not be able to easily hear him if he called out.

Suddenly a light flickered on toward the end of the alley and Shoto spun to face it, the flame in his hand growing. It looked to be some sort of security light but there was no door or anything that would warrant one being there. The space was empty the person who had set it off seeming to have melted into the shadows. Shoto got the distinct impression he was being toyed with and he didn’t like it. “Show yourself” he called, his voice tinged with anger as he took a few steps forward towards the pool of light.

He toyed with the idea of setting off a large spurt of fire, sending it hurtling into the darkness to flush out whoever was hiding but he couldn’t chance it. He didn’t know what kind of crap had been stored down here and didn’t want to start a building fire, nor did he want to potentially kill whoever was screwing with him. Maim maybe but kill, not so much.

The hairs of the back of his neck stood on end at the sound of gentle laughter behind him and Shot was turning quickly, arm raised and ready to blast someone in the face only to find no one there. His heart was racing, his eyes darting around the shadows that seemed to be getting darker, pushing in on him until everything outside of his ring of fire light was pure darkness. This was bad, very bad. Shouto couldn’t tell what way he had come from, couldn’t even see the night sky above him. He felt trapped, cut off from the possibility of help. All he could do was hope that Katsuki would activate Shoto’s tracker when he wasn’t where he had left him and come to his aid.

The air behind him shifted and Shoto held his breath as a hand curled around his shoulder. In one quick move he turned, knocking the hand away from him and shoving the person back with a shoulder to the chest, the person grunting in pain. He wrapped his ice coved hand around their neck and pushed them back, pinning them against the wall, his left hand level with their face and the ball of fire pulsing in his hand.

“Love it when you throw me around like that, gets me all tingly”. Shoto jerked back at the familiar voice, his grip on his attacker’s neck lessening. Suddenly the world around them shimmered and the shadows vanished, everything else coming back into focus with a jarring burst of colour. Y/N smiled up at him, head tipped to the side slightly and eyes sparkling with mischief. They were stood under the security light, Shoto practically plastered against her as he used his body to keep her pinned against the wall.

He quickly stepped back, flames dying and ice melting as he realised what he was doing. She lifted a delicate hand, rubbing gently at her neck and never taking her eyes off of him. Shoto ran a shaky hand through his hair, his body humming with adrenaline from the fight he had been expecting. It wasn’t the first time he had her pinned against a wall, his quirks bursting to life but that had been during sparring and she had been giving as good as she got not during some weird shadow attack thing.

Frowning Shoto turned his full attention back to the women, narrowing his eyes at her. “Was all that you?” It had too of been, it was the only explanation for it all suddenly stopping when she had made herself known. Her smile widened as she shrugged dismissively. “You looked bored so I thought I would bring you a little excitement. Get your blood pumping”. She dragged her eyes down his body as she spoke, biting down on her lip as he eyes lingered on his crotch.

Frowning Shoto crossed his arms over his chest. She was lucky he hadn’t seriously hurt her and sure he knew that she would heal but that wasn’t the point. He always hatted having to watch her grow he skin back afterwards, it always reminding him of how he had gotten his own scare and he really didn’t want to associate the women he loved with the horror of his childhood.

“I thought you were spending the night at Takahashi’s with Hatsume”. Shoto sounded a little angry as he spoke and he wasn’t sure at who. Angry with Y/N for being so carless with her own safety or at himself for not realising it was here sooner. Either way he was angry and he didn’t appreciate her toying with him like that. Sighing she tipped her head back, her smile shifting into something softer, “She said I was distracting her so she kicked me out for a bit and I haven’t seen you for a few days so I thought I would come say hi”. Her voice was just as soft as her smile and Shoto felt some of his anger fade.

“So hi” she said giving him a little wave and with that sweet little smile still on her bitten red lips. Sighing Shoto unfolded his arms letting them fall to his sides. “Hello” he said in return, his voice low and a little bit stiff but she didn’t seem to care, her smile getting that little bit wider as she let out a little laugh. “Was that all you wanted?” Shoto asked, eyeing her expectantly. As nice as it was to finally see her Shoto wasn’t so stupid to think that was the only reason she had trekked halfway across the city.

She let out a huff of laughter before giving him her best puppy dog eyes, pouting a little to help finish the look off. “Cold. Warm me up?” Shoto raised an eyebrow at her, shaking his head in exasperation. “If you dressed in weather appropriate clothing you wouldn’t get so cold” he reprimanded, his eyes darting over her as he finally took in her outfit.

She was dressed all in black, with a high waisted pleated skirt that came down to just above her knees, Katsuki’s black t-shirt with a skull printed on the front tucked into it and a black pair of sneakers on that came all the way up to her knees and laced up the front with bright white laces. She had a black leather biker jacket on with two pins on one of the lapels. One was of one of Katsuki’s gauntlets, a little explosion coming from it that looked like one of his fins and the other was of a flame and ice twisted together. She looked good, leant across the wall and smiling enticingly at him.

“I could but then I wouldn’t have an excuse to do this” she teased as she leant forward, hooking her thumbs in his belt and tugging him forward until they were pressed against one another again. Shoto went willingly, letting out a huff of laughter. “You need excuses now?” he asked, cupping her cheek with his left hand. Y/N hummed in answer, her eyes slipping closed as she nuzzled against his palm. He could feel her cold skin heat up under his hand as she absorbed his fire quirk, her skin flushing a light red as it spread out through her body.

Shoto placed his other hand against the wall next to her head and leant in slightly, unable to resist now he was so close to her. Her eyes fluttered open as his hand slid back into her hair. As he slowly leant forward Shoto kept his eyes open, watching as hers widened when she realised what he was going to do before they closed again, Y/N tipping her head up towards him.

His dry lips brushed gently across hers, his tongue darting out to tease at the crease of her lips, just pushing inside ever so slightly before he pulled back, smirking at her annoyed whine. He didn’t get far, her hands darting out to grab at the front of his costume and yank him back down to her. He let out a surprised umph as their lips collided, Shoto’s eyes slamming closed as her lips moved demandingly against his.

It got out of hand quickly, the hand that Shoto had been supporting himself against the wall with going down to her leg instead, dragging his hand along the back of her thigh to grip at her knee and hoist her leg up as he pushed tighter against her. Her hands slid up his chest so she could drape her arms over his shoulders, one of her hands sliding into his hair and curling around the back of his skull. The kiss its self was hard and demanding, their tongues battling for dominance as they tried to devour one another. Shoto hadn’t realised how much he wanted this, how much he had missed it until the moment their lips connected. It had been days and he felt like a starving man who had just been given a steak.

She nipped at his lip before soothing it with her tongue and Shoto moaned, grinding his half hard dick against her. They should stop, needed to stop before things went too far and he couldn’t. It was one thing to be caught making out down a dingy back alley but it would be something entirely different if they were caught having sex because that was where Shoto knew this would end if they didn’t stop in the next few seconds.

“What the actual fuck” came an angry call and they both stilled. With a sigh Shoto pulled back, just enough to rest his forehead against Y/Ns and turned to look at the angry blonde who was glaring at them, his collar folded down so you could see all his face. How had neither of them heard him approaching? “Knock it off” Katsuki growled, eyes narrowing and Y/N laughed, shoving at Shoto’s shoulders to get him to move, her out line seeming to shimmer slightly.

Scowling Shoto reluctantly stepped back, letting her leg go as he moved to the side. He slumped against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and defiantly not pouting. Y/N stepped in between them, smiling widely as she spoke. “Shoto was just helping me warm up” she explained and Katsuki grunted. His eyes moved past Y/N and dragged over Shoto’s body, his red eyes narrowing when he saw that bulge in his jumpsuit. Shoto had to fight the shiver that wanted to run down his spine at having the other man’s eyes on him so intently.

“Is that what he was doing?” Shoto turned his head to the side, feeling the slight flush forming on his cheeks. Katsuki was teasing him, Shoto could hear it in his voice but it didn’t change the fact that he still felt like a school kid getting caught behind the bike shed by a teacher. Katsuki didn’t like it when he wasn’t included, Shoto had learnt that the hard way.

Katsuki stepped forward and Shoto’s head snapped back to him, watching as he crowded in close to Y/N a wicked smirk on his lips. “Maybe I should help with that” his voice was full of amusement as he took the final step forward into Y/Ns space. His hands darted out, grabbing at her arm and yanking her forward as he dived for her lips in what looked like a bruising kiss.

She let out a moan, her body arching into the blondes as he wrapped an arm around her waist, the other going to her hair. Shoto could do nothing more than watch as Katsuki dominated the kiss, their lips moving fast and hard against one another’s. He could feel his dick hardening, pressing against his zipper but he couldn’t help it. He had always found the two of them incredibly enticing and loved watching them together, almost as much as he liked Katsuki watching him and Y/N together.

His eyes darted down to Katsuki’s gloved hand as it slowly slid down Y/Ns back, gently brushing over her arse and sliding down her thigh. His fingers played with the edge of her skirt, twisting the fabric between his fingers before he slowly started to slide his hand back up, pushing the fabric up with him. Shoto let out a small moan as he exposed her arse to the cool air, his hand curling around her plump cheek and squeezing. Y/Ns moan had Shoto’s head snapping up, wanting to see the blissed out look that he knew would be on her face but what he found was Katsuki smirking at him, red eyes practically glowing.

“I think someone is feeling a little left out” He mumbled into Y/Ns neck, never taking his eyes off Shoto as placed a kiss under her jaw, nipping gently at it and dragging another small moan from her. Shoto barley had time to react as Katsuki stepped forward, pushing Y/N back until her back was pressed tight against Shoto’s chest. Out of habit Shot’s hands went to her waist, holding her still as her arse pushed against his hard dick. His head tipped forward as he let out a low groan, burying his face in her neck.

He lifted his head as Katsuki pushed forward, sandwiching the smaller women between the two of them, his smirk wide and hungry as he looked down at them. “Wouldn’t want you sulking now, would we?” Shoto scowled at him, wrapping his arms around Y/Ns waist and pulling her tighter against him. He hadn’t been sulking, just feeling a little left out.

Groaning Y/N tipped her head back, resting it on Shoto’s shoulder. ”Less talking more doing. Some of us have a time limit” she demanded, rolling her hips and making both men groan. It was an odd thing to say and Shoto was about to ask what she meant when Katsuki growled, a gloved hand slinging over Shoto’s to grip her hips. “So fucking needy” he growled, rolling his hips and pushing her back against Shoto. He let out a gasp, his grip on her hips tightening and holding her in place as her arse pushed flushed against his dick.

He watched as her lips spread in a smirk, her eyes finding Katsuki’s. She lifted one arm, her fingers slipping in to Shoto’s hair and tugging gently whilst the other curled around his thigh. “So why don’t you hurry up and come satisfy me” she challenged, lifting her head to look at his properly and sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. Katsuki snarled at the challenge, diving forward and kissing her hungrily.

Katsuki’s hands split, one staying on Y/Ns waist whilst the other slid back to curl around Shoto’s hip, gripping it tightly. Shoto gasped at the sudden contact, muffling the sound in her neck as his hips jerking forward to grind his hard dick against Y/Ns arse. She moaned in the kiss, her grip tightening in Shoto’s hair and he groaned loudly, placing hot and cold kisses along her neck and loving all the muffled sounds she was making that Katsuki was swallowing greedily.

This was wrong. They shouldn’t be doing this in such an open place. It didn’t matter that it was the middle of the night, someone could walk past and see them at any minute and they would all be done for because they were stood in the light and there would be no mistaking what pro heroes Ground Zero and IcyHot were doing to Noir. They would be able to see him grinding and groaning against her like a desperate slut and Katsuki dominating the both. The thought shouldn’t send pleasure zinging through his body, shouldn’t get his dick twitching but it did and Shoto found his mind fogging over with lust as he bit down on the sensitive skin behind Y/Ns ear.

She tore her head away from Katsuki, her head falling against Shoto’s shoulder as she gasped, eyes closed and cheeks nicely flushed. Shoto lifted his head just enough to smirk at Katsuki over her shoulder and slowly started to slide his hands up along her stomach, his long fingers tickling at her sides and causing her to squirm between them. He didn’t stop until he cupped his hands over her breasts, squeezing gently. He didn’t take his eyes off Katsuki as he kissed and nipped at her neck, deft fingers pinching at twisting at her hard nipples and causing Y/N to make these sweet little gasps and whimpers that they both loved so much.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him, folding his arms over his chest and Shoto instantly missed the weight of his hand on him, his grip tight and keeping Shoto pinned in place. “So that’s how you wonna playing huh bastard?” Katsuki growled and Shoto felt the shiver of excitement and anticipation that rolled down his back. Smirking he bit down hard causing Y/N to cry out loudly. There was no way people hadn’t heard that, the sound cutting sharply through the quite night air but none of them seemed to care much, Shoto enjoying the annoyed growl that Katsuki made.

“Fine” Katsuki snapped and Shoto only had enough time to lift his head before Katsuki was grabbing Y/Ns hips and spinning her. Shoto let out a hiss of pain as her hand was jerked from his hair and she let out a squeak of protest as she found her chest pressed against Shoto’s. Her hands fumbled, bracing herself against the wall so she didn’t smack her face into Shoto’s, his own going to her waist to help steady her. “What the actual fuck” she hissed, head turned to the side and glaring daggers.

Katsuki snarled, stepping in close and pressing his chest against her back. He leant forward, placing one hand in the wall next to Shoto’s face and gripping her chin with the other, turning her head back towards him just a little bit more. “Blame the half ‘n’ half bastard. He seems to think he has some sort of control over what’s happening here” Katsuki growled before he lent in and sealed his lips over hers in a quick but hard kiss. Y/N smirked turning her head to look at Shoto, her eyes dark and gleaming with lust and amusement. “How unfortunate for him”.

Shoto’s eyes widened, his mouth flapping like a fish as he tried to think of something to say but nothing was coming to mid. They were ganging up on him and Shoto didn’t quite know how to handle that. Y/N pushed her hands against his stomach, her fingers spread wide and dragging across his muscles as she slowly slid her hands up his chest, mimicking his movement from just moments ago.

Katsuki let go of her chin, his hand going back to Shoto’s hip, gripping it hard and keeping him pushed back against the wall. Both of them were smirking as Y/N lent up, her lips going to his neck. Groaning Shoto tipped his head back, giving her more room to run her hot lips across his cool skin. He could feel her smiling against him as she nipped at his throat, her hands squeezing at his pecs.

He was breathing heavily as she pulled back, just enough to get her hands between them and undo the metal clasp that held the two sides of his collar together. She tipped her head back, Katsuki nuzzling against her neck, his red eyes watching Shoto and smirking dangerously. Shoto let out a little whimper, feeling like prey caught in the other man’s gaze, like he was about to be devoured and he would welcome it with open arms and a desperate please tumbling from his lips.

Y/N lent forward her warm lips going to the newly exposed skin, biting and sucking along his collar bone. There would be marks left behind, proof of what they would do to him and Shoto loved it. Loved to see all the dark and angry marks in the mirror when he got dressed. Loved it when people would question what animal he had let maul him when he changed into his hero costume, always refusing to tell them anything but most of all he loved to push his fingers against the tender mark on those lonely night, having nothing but his own hand and half formed fantasy’s mixed with memories to get himself off.

Katsuki’s smirk got wider, his perfect white teeth flashing in the hazy yellow light and Shoto was reminded of a shark about to rip its prey apart. He shivered in anticipation, hips rolling forward as he tried to get some kind of friction on his neglected dick but Katsuki’s tight grip kept him firmly in place. Y/N laughed as he let out a pathetic whine, his hands gripping at her hips as he tried to pull her against him instead. She shifted slightly as she moved forward, sliding her thigh between his legs and ground against him.

Shoto was gone, hips rolling forward as he chased his own pleasure, his hands gripping at Y/Ns waist to keep her against him. He didn’t even feel Katsuki let go of him, not until he felt two gloved fingers gently rubbing at his lips. Shoto’s eyes fluttered open, completely unaware that he had even closed them and looked at the other man with hooded eyes. “Open up” he growled and Shoto obeyed without a second thought. Katsuki slid his fingers in, pushing down on Shoto’s teeth until he bit down on the fabric. He kept his jaw tightly closed, biting down hard on the sweet tasting finger tips as Katsuki pulled his hand back, tugging his hand free of the glove. As soon as he hand was free Y/N reached up, tugging the glove from his mouth.

“Good boy” she murmured, letting the glove fall to the floor and Shoto preened. She lent up, sealing her lips over his in a slow and gentle kiss, a complete contrast to the hard and fast roll of her hips as she worked her thigh against him. Shoto was moaning and gasping into the kiss, his hands sliding round to grab at her arse. The back of his hands dragged against Katsuki’s thighs, his knuckles brushing dangerously close to the other man’s dick and it took all his considerable self-restraint to not cup his hand over him and squeeze the sizeable length. They weren’t there yet and Shoto really didn’t want to ruin what was going on here.

Y/Ns hands were back on his chest, fingers playing with the zipper of his jumpsuit, her delicate fingers teasingly dipping under the fabric to brush against his over sensitive skin. He could feel Katsuki’s hand pushing between the two of them, his knuckles digging into Shoto as he squeezed at her breast and she moaned into his mouth. Shoto took the opportunity, pushing his tongue between her parted lips and rubbing it across hers.

Shoto’s eyes snapped open, jerking back from Y/N with a startled and choked off moan as Katsuki slid his hand down lower, the back of his hand pushing against Shoto’s dick as he worked his hand between them and slid his hands between her legs. She shifted back slightly, her head falling to rest on Shoto’s shoulder and hands gripping at the fabric of his suit. He watched with wide eyes as Katsuki pushed himself tight against her back, trapping Shoto’s hand against her arse with hips, his hard dick pushing against the swell of her arse and the back of Shoto’s fingers.

He could feel the other man’s fingers as they slid under the edge of her skirt, skimming across her thigh. She gasped against Shoto’s neck, her hot breath making his cold sling tingle as Katsuki slipped his fingers under her underwear and along her folds. The way they were with Y/N straddling his leg Shoto could feel every move of the other man’s hand. Could feel him gently dragging his fingers against her, Y/N letting out these sinful little whines against his neck. Shoto felt helpless, gripping tighter at her arse as she rolled her hips forward to get more but Katsuki just moved his fingers away, laughing darkly.

He lent in closer, mouth by her ear and eyes level with Shoto’s. They stared at one another, close enough that if he wanted Shoto could just lean forward and seal their lips together. Katsuki’s eyes flickered down to Shoto’s lips as he licked at his own and Shoto let out his own needy little whine. Smirking Katsuki turned his head, keeping his eyes on Shoto as he nipped at Y/Ns ear. “You know what I want”. His voice was low and rumbling, a teasing edge to it and Shoto could feel him just gently brushing his fingers against her.

Y/N let out a shaky breath and lifted her head. Her face was flushed, her lips bitten red and her eyes blown wide with lust. She looked beautiful and far enough gone that Shoto knew she would probably agree to anything right now to get some sort of relief. She licked at her lips and both men tracked the movement, entranced as a small smile pulled at her kiss swollen lips. “Please” she said, her voice low and breathless and the tension snapped.

Katsuki growled, his lips going to her neck as he pushed his fingers into her. Shoto pushed his lips hard against hers, only just managing to muffle the sound of her cry as Katsuki set as fast a rhythm as he could with Shoto’s leg in his way. She was gasping and moaning into the kiss, her hips rolling forward onto Katsuki’s fingers and pushing her thigh against Shoto’s dick. They both pulled away from his kiss gasping, Y/Ns head tipping back to rest against Katsuki’s shoulder.

Katsuki lifted his head to nuzzle behind Y/Ns ear and Shoto got a look at what the other man had been doing. The bite mark on her neck was large and angry looking, the clear indent of Katsuki’s teeth visible through the red and purple splotch where he had been sucking at it. The mark was low enough that her jacket would hide it and if it was anyone else the mark would be there for days for all to see but this was Y/N and Katsuki would be lucky if it was still there come morning.

“I though half ‘n’ half was supposed to be the perv but look at you, fucking dripping around my fingers” Katsuki growled, pushing his hips forward as she sunk onto his fingers and stopping her from being able to move. Shoto couldn’t feel Katsuki’s fingers moving any more but from the breathless gasp Y/N made Shoto knew he had to rubbing over her clit with his thumb.

“Stop teasing” she whined, turning her head to glare at the blonde as best as she could. Katsuki laughed lowly, his fingers shifting slightly and causing her breath to hitch. “I would but someone isn’t holding up their end of the deal”. Shoto frowned, confused as to what Katsuki was talking about. Oh. This had been planned, the two of them deciding how this was going to go before Shoto had even took his first steps in the alleyway. He didn’t know whether he should be angry or impressed.

Y/N rolled her eyes and pouted, clearly unimpressed she was being denied what she wanted. “Fine” she huffed turning her attention back to Shoto. He sucked in a breath as her hands dragged down his chest, her pout turning into a smirk. She made quick work of his belt, letting it fall to the floor with a thud before going back up for his zipper. As soon as her fingers curled around his zipper Katsuki started to move his fingers again, fucking them into her as fast and hard as he could. “Fuck” she moaned, her head tipping back and her hands stilling. “Not if you don’t get on with it” Katsuki teases, winking at Shoto as he nipped at the bite mark, making her moan once more.

Grumbling she yanked down the zipper of Shoto’s jumpsuit, her hands warm as she slid them under his suit. She pushed the two sides of fabric apart, her nails dragging along his muscles and causing him to hiss at the sudden sting of pain. Everywhere she was touching felt like electricity was dancing over his skin, sending sparks of arousal through him and he wanted more.

Katsuki stepped back slightly, tugging Y/N back with his free hand wrapped around her waist and putting some space between her and Shoto. He wasn’t proud of the noise he made, his hands gripping tight enough at her arse that his nails were digging in as he tried to keep the pressure on his dick. “Don’t worry love, I have something much better for you” she purred, leaning up to place a delicate kiss on his lips. Shoto’s eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her back, losing himself in the gentle movement of her lips and the little moans she was making, so much so that he barely noticed her hands sliding down his abs with intent.

Shoto’s eyes flew open, a loud moan tumbling over his parted lips as she plunged her hand into his underwear, wrapping it around his straining dick and pulling him free of his confines. Slowly she dragged her hand over him, rubbing her thumb over his leaking tip and smearing precum across his red and swollen head.

She was smirking at him, her chest heaving as Katsuki continued to work his fingers in and out of her, digging his knuckles into Shoto’s leg every time her pulled them out. Shoto stared down at her, wishing she was in her own hero uniform so he could actually see the swell of her breasts, watch as they rose and fell with every breath she took. He would be able to duck his head down and get his lips on the soft and unblemished skin, kissing and sucking his way across her chest and adding his own bite marks.

Y/Ns hand tightened around him as she focused her movements on the head, sliding it through her fingers and dragging them down his shaft. His moan was loud Y/Ns own mixing into it. Katsuki hooked his chin over her shoulder, dark eyes watching Shoto as his breathing picked up, mouth hanging open. “If you don’t shut your mouth I’ll take it as an invitation” Katsuki growled, eyes narrowing. Shoto tried, he really did. Licking at his dry lips before biting down on them, muffling his little gasps and moans but Y/N was good at turning him into a pathetic, desperate mess and it wasn’t long before his mouth was falling open again on a gasp as she twisted her hand on the down stroke, dragging her thump along the sensitive vein.

“I think he wants something” Y/N said breathlessly but still managing to sound teasing and Shoto wanted to tell her to shove off but it turned into a groan as she dug the thumb into his leaking slit. “It would be rude to refuse such a blatant invite” Katsuki mumbled, turning to kiss Y/N and all Shoto could do was watch as he pushed his tongue into her mouth, swallowing her moan as he twisted his fingers.

They broke apart, both of them breathing heavily and Y/N nipped hard at his lip. It was the first time since this had started that Shoto saw the other mans controlled exterior crack just a little, his eyes dark and hungry as he growled at her, the sound low and threatening. She whined as he slipped his fingers from her, Katsuki glaring down at her with a satisfied smirk. He lifted his glistening fingers to Shoto’s lips, both of them turning to watch him as he opened his mouth wider.

He eagerly sucked the two fingers into his mouth, moaning as his mouth was flooded with their mixed taste. “So fucking tight” Katsuki growled, spreading his fingers and pushing down on Shoto’s tongue. “Bet you would be a good little cock sucker”. Shoto hummed eagerly, nodding his head as best as he could and curled his tongue around his fingers, sucking hard. He had never sucked dick before, had never wanted to but Shoto knew that should Katsuki ever ask him to he would be on his knees in seconds.

Y/N leant forward, kissing up his neck and jaw, her hand slowing to just a gentle glide across his aching member. She placed a gentle kiss on the corner of Shoto’s stretched lips, her tongue flicking out to lick along where Katsuki’s fingers pressed in. Katsuki chuckled as he slipped his fingers free from Shoto’s lips only to push them into Y/Ns waiting mouth. “Don’t worry kitten, you always suck me best” Katsuki practically purred, red eyes watching intently and licking at his lips.

She locked eyes with Shoto, her lips spreading into a smirk around the other man’s fingers as she started to bob her head. She matched the movements of her hand to what she was doing with her mouth, her thump swiping over the head on every up stroke just like she would do with her tongue if her was buried in the warm, tight heat of her mouth.

Shoto tipped his head back, resting it against the wall as he panted. “Fuck” he hissed, his hips jerking forward into her hold. His hands slid down her arse, pushing up the fabric of her skirt so he could finally get his hands on her bare flesh, his nails digging into her cheeks. She moaned around the fingers, sinking her mouth down as far as it could go. Shoto knew the moment she swallowed, Katsuki hissing a quite ‘shit’ before quickly pulling his fingers free.

She licked at her lips, winking at Shoto as she slowed down her hand again. He groaned, the pressure that had been building slowly easing as her hand loosened and it became just a gently brush of her fingers against his shaft. She pushed up, pressing her chest against his as she slid her other hand into his hair, pushing his head down towards hers. “Can’t have you ruining our fun too soon” she whispered, lips brushing against his as she spoke.

Glaring Shoto thrust his hips forward, trying to get more friction but Y/N tightened her grip in his hair, yanking his head back and exposing his neck to her sharp teeth. She bit down hard, right by his adam’s apple and he cried out, eyes slamming closed. He felt her laugh against the saw spot, her lips brushing against it before she sucked it into her mouth. It was too high up and there would be no way he would be able to hide it when they got back to the office. People were going to know what he had been doing, would probably think Katsuki had put it there and that was one rumour they could do without at the moment.

Y/Ns hand started to move again, still slowly but her grip a little firmer. Shoto kept his eyes closed, losing himself to the feel of her hand working his dick and her warm lips leaving a trail of burning kisses along his cool skin, the grip on his hair keeping his head pulled back. Vaguely Shoto was aware of the sound of a belt being unclipped, a zipper being yanked down and Katsuki letting out a loan groan. There was the rustle of foil followed by a groaned out curse and Y/Ns soft laughter against his neck.

Large hands grabbed his, sliding them round to Y/Ns hips. Shoto opened his eyes, frowning at the other man but Katsuki just winked. “Hold her steady for me” he growled and Shoto swallowed, nodding his head slightly in understanding. Y/N whined against his neck as Katsuki grabbed her hips, pulling her bottom half back a little and kicked at the inside of her legs to get her to spread them a little more. One of Katsuki’s hands disappeared between them whilst he pressed the other one flat against the wall next to Shoto’s head, his muscles flexing as he steadied himself.

Katsuki was too close to Y/N for Shoto to see what he was doing but he knew the minute the other man pushed into her. She tensed against him, her open mouth pressing against his collar bone as she moaned, her hand stilling on his dick. Katsuki groaned as he pushed into her in one quick thrust, his head falling forward to rest against her shoulder. “Always so god damn tight” he groaned, his hand curling around Shoto’s on her hip. They stayed like that for a moment, everyone trying to calm their racing hearts.

Groaning Y/N shifted, her hand slipping from Shoto’s hair to brace herself against the wall. Shoto felt trapped between the two of them, their arms bracketing him and keeping him in place. “Move already” Y/N grumbled, pushing her hips back and causing Katsuki to let out a grunt, lifting his head to look at Shoto. “Hold on” he growled and Shoto tightened his hold on Y/Ns hips.

He watched as Katsuki slowly pulled back, his brows knitted in concentration, looking down to where they were joined and Shoto wished he could really see it to, wished he could watch the other man fuck into her properly. Y/N cried out when Katsuki slammed back in, her hips pushing hard against Shoto’s hands as Katsuki pushed her forward. He set a bruising pace, hips snapping into her hard and face, the two of them moaning. Y/N tightened her grip around Shoto’s dick as she moved her hand over him, her hand stroking down him every time Katsuki fucked into her.

It didn’t take long for Shoto to feel the muscles in his stomach twitching, heat pooling low in his belly as he raced towards his end but Y/N stopped, her hand gripping tight at the base of his dick to stop him from releasing. She did this twice more until Shoto was a pathetic desperate mess, his body vibrating with the need to cum. “Please, I need to cum” he begged Y/N, his voice rough and desperate. Katsuki was the one to answer him though, growling his words through gritted teeth as he continued to fuck into Y/N. “You can cum when she does you little slut”.

Y/N let out a breathless laughter and Shoto whined. He didn’t know if he could take much more of this teasing, being driven to the edge only to be denied relief. His eyes were starting to water and his dick was throbbing with the need to cum and it had been so long since he had felt her hands on him that he was surprised he had made it this far. Soft lips brushed gently across his and Shoto sighed, the tension easing in his shoulder as he kissed her back just as softly. “I need more” she whispered, nipping gently at his bottom lip. “Will you give it to me Sho?”

Groaning he nodded dumbly, staring down at her with longing. “She means use you’re fucking fingers dip shit” Katsuki snapped when Shoto didn’t move, grabbing tightly at his hand and moving it round to press against her pussy. “The quicker we get her to cum the sooner you can” Katsuki said, winking at Shoto before letting go of his hands. He gripped tightly at Y/Ns hair, yanking her head back and she gasped at the sudden action, her hand squeezing tightly at Shoto’s dick as she dragged her hand up.

Katsuki leaned in until his mouth was next to her ear, his hips stilling. “Beg for it” he growled, Y/N whimpering as he gripped her hair tighter. “Please give it to me” she gasped as she tried to roll her hips but they had a tight grip on her and she couldn’t get the movement she wanted. She let out an annoyed groan, her brow creasing as she frowned. “Please. It’s been so long and I want it so badly. Please let me have it, make me cum so hard they hear me screaming your names a block away”. Her voice was desperate as she begged, the sweet words tumbling over her lips and Shoto’s heart stuttered as his dick twitched.

They moved as one, Katsuki growling as he started to snap his hips into her fast and hard. At the same time Shoto ducked forward, sealing his lips over her neck as he slid his fingers down, rubbing hard at her clit. She cried out at their assault, her eyes squeezed shut and nails scratching along the stone. The sound of her cry was ringing in Shoto’s ears but he didn’t care, it was the best sound he had heard for days and he would still be hearing it ringing in his ears come morning. Her hand starting moving over his aching length again, her movements fast and uncoordinated and he moaned, biting down over the mark that Katsuki had already left behind.

He was speeding towards his climax quickly, all of them racing towards the finish but Y/N had to cum first. Shoto wouldn’t put it past Katsuki to punish him somehow if they didn’t get her off first, probably tie him to a chair and make him watch him reduce Y/N to mumbling mess. It wouldn’t be the first time he had done it and it probably wouldn’t be the last, the blonde liking the control it gave him too much. Shoto never complained though.

Taking a deep breath Shoto tried to concentrate, covering his fingers with ice as he pressed down against her sensitive clit. “Shoto!” She called out her rhythm stuttering and Shoto would swear that the alleyway seemed to shimmer for a second, the image destroying before snapping back into place. “Would you fucking focus” Katsuki growled, tugging at Y/Ns hair until she hissed. “I’m trying but it’s hard when you’re....ahhh” Y/Ns irritated words cut off into a cry as Katsuki slammed into her particularly hard, his smirk wide and dangerous.

Confused Shoto leant back against the wall, trying to figure out what they were talking about but all other thoughts left his mind as Y/N sealed her hand around his leaking head and squeezed. He moaned her name as she set up a fast pace, his head squeezing between her fingers only to be sucked back in. “You were saying” Katsuki teased, dragging his nose along her exposed neck before biting down in the same spot again. “Just hurry the fuck up. I can’t keep it up much longer”.

Shoto barley heard the other two bickering, his ears ringing as he tried to keep himself from exploding. Her hand was so warm and tight around him, squeezing and rubbing in all the right places to have his heart slamming against his chest and his body tingling. He could barely stay focused enough to remember to move his fingers, rubbing hard and fast against her. They were all breathing heavily, their moans mixing together. Shoto could feel the heat building, his stomach muscles tightening as he got closer to the edge. He had been on the edge for so long now that if Y/N didn’t stop he wasn’t going to be able to hold it back.

“Scream for use” Katsuki growled, yanking her hips back against him as she thrust forward and sank his teeth into her neck. Y/N didn’t disappoint, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open as she called out Katsuki’s name, her body going taught as she came. She looked beautiful, caught in rapture and it was enough to send Shoto tumbling after her. Shoto arched off the wall, his shoulders digging into the hard stone, moaning loudly and gripping tightly at her hip, his fingers stilling against her. His vision went white, his fingers tingling as release finally found him.

Pulling his hand away from her Shoto curled it around her hip, holding her tightly as Katsuki slammed into her, losing his rhythm as he chased his own release. Y/N moaned, panting as Katsuki thrust a couple more time’s before stilling, groaning loudly as he came. Shoto felt the heat of Katsuki’s palm sparking as well as heard the crackling and pop, the blondes’ fingers curling against the wall.

They stood there for a few moments, leaning against one another and trying to even out their breathing and calm their racing hearts. Katsuki slipped his hand from Y/Ns hair, his fingers gently rubbing at her scalp and she hummed in pleasure. Katsuki was the first to pull away, the muscles in his arm rippling as he pushed himself away from the wall and slipped out of Y/N. As soon as he was far enough back Katsuki yanked the condom off and chucked it away, wasting no time tucking himself back into his pants and righting his uniform.

With a sigh Y/N stepped back, Shoto’s hands slipping off of her as she moved and he instantly missed the closeness. He set to sorting himself out, tucking his now soft dick back into his pants and tugging the zip up. Shoto groaned as Y/N lifted her cum covers hand to her lips, sucking and licking every trace of him off of her, his spent dick giving a valiant twitch at the sight. “You are disgusting” Katsuki growled, watching her with a frown as he zipped his trousers up and fastened his belt. She moaned loud and exaggerated around her fingers and Shoto let out a snort of laughter as he finished doing up his jump suit.

She popped her fingers from her mouth, turning so she could look at Katsuki. “Would you rather I wiped it on your face” she said in all seriousness, smirking widely and raising an eyebrow at him. Trying not to laugh as the blondes eyes widened in surprise for a second before he went back to scowling at the women, Shoto bent down, retrieving his belt and Katsuki’s glove from the floor. “Try it and I will kill you” Katsuki growled, snatching his glove from Shoto’s outstretched hand.

Y/N rolled her eyes as she turned back to Shoto, taking his belt from him and leaning forward to loop it around his waist. “Enjoy yourself?” She asked smugly, looking up at him through her lashes as she clipped the belt in place. “I did, though I get the feeling I was missing something” Shoto looked down at her expectantly, a small smile on his lips. Smirking she stepped back, shrugging her shoulders and waving her hand dismissively. “I had to try out some new quirk related tech and we were horny, didn’t think you would mind coming along for the ride”. As she spoke the dark alleyway around them shimmered and then seemed to snap out of existence.

They were nowhere near as far away from the street as Shoto had believed and the security light they were under wasn’t the only one dotted along the walls. Oh god, they had been so loud, so brazen about what they had been doing and anyone could have heard them, seen them. What if someone had? They were going to be over all the papers and most definitely getting fired for having sex not only in public but on duty.

His panic must have shown on his face because Y/N was speaking again, smiling reassuringly at him. “We’ve been working with the hero Mirage to help keep her allusions up whilst distracted and you two are the best distraction out there to test it with. Don’t worry no one saw or heard anything other than an empty alley and a few stray cats”. Shoto felt the tension ease, relieved that no one had been able to see anything. That did explain some of the things the other two had been saying.

Growling Katsuki wrapped his arms around Y/Ns waist, the women laughing as he lifting her up of the floor. “You’re a pretty good distraction yourself” he growled, placing her back on the floor and pressed a kiss against her cheek. Frowning Shoto crossed his arms. “So you misused someone else’s quirk for your own entertainment” he chided. She was getting paid a lot of money to do this job and these heroes were trusting her to help develop items to further their carrier, not to go around finding all the different ways she can apply their quirks to their sex lives.

Katsuki looked up from where he had been nuzzling at Y/Ns neck, scoffing and rolling his eyes. Y/N raised a delicate eyebrow at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t remember you complaining when I had that vibration quirk for the night”. Katsuki laughed as Shoto felt himself blushing. That had been different. It belonged to a pervert who told her to make use of it and try it whilst having sex because it felt amazing. They had the guy’s permission and he had been right. It had felt really good with her two fingers shoved inside of him as she swallowed him down. He had cum in a matter of minutes and screaming so loud that Katsuki had heard him when he got out of the lift on their floor of the apartment building they lived in.

Knowing she had won the argument Y/N turned in Katsuki’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I better go, let you two hard working heroes get back to work” she said reluctantly, pushing up on her toes to places a quick kiss on Katsuki’s lips. He growled into it, pulling her closer against him and it soon became heated, Katsuki’s mouth hungrily devouring her. When they pulled away Katsuki looked smug, stepping out of her arms and spinning her round to face Shoto.

She licked at her lips, placing her hands on Shoto’s shoulders to steady herself as she pushed up. He met her half way, their kiss soft and gentle as he cupped her cheek. When he pulled away her eyes fluttered open slowly with a gentle sigh and Shoto wanted to spend the rest of the night kissing her, slow and softly, savouring the feel of her lips against his. “Text me when you get in?” she whispered and Shoto nodded not trusting his voice not to break if he opened his mouth.

She stepped back from his hold, trying to put some distance between the three of them. “Right. Okay. See you later” she said quickly turning and running from the alley. As she went her outline shimmered then suddenly they were looking at a smiling Kirishima, waving at them enthusiastically. Katsuki growled, taking a step forward. “I told you to knock that shit off” he yelled angrily after her but Y/N just laughed louder, disappearing around the corner still looking like the redhead.

“Something the matter” Shoto asked casually, eyeing the blonde out the corner of his eyes. Katsuki groaned in annoyance, shoving his gloved hands into his pockets and glaring at the floor as if it had offended him. “It’s what she was fucking doing when I found you” he grumbled as he started to make his way back to the street. Shoto’s eyes widened in shock, mind scrambling as he tried to process what the other man had said and stumbling after him. “She was shitty hair and had you looking like fucking Denki”. Shoto blinked once before he burst into laughter.

Katsuki’s shoulders tensed, his jaw clenching as he ground his teeth together. “It’s not fucking funny asshole” he yelled and Shoto had to bite down on his lip to stifle his laughter. No wonder he had looked so angry when he turned up. “I’m never unseeing that shit” he grumbled, looking down at the floor as they stepped out into the street. They both looked back down the way they had come earlier before turning and heading down the other way, starting their loop to take them back to the agency in silence.

It was a comfortable silence even if Katsuki was still sulking, though Shoto could sympathise. He would probably be acting the same way if he had walked round a corner to find Tenya and Izuku making out. He shivered at just the thought but that didn’t change the fact that Katsuki was seeing his two friends in just a few days and Shoto couldn’t wait to see the horror on Katsuki’s face when they undoubtedly did something to remind him of what he had seen tonight. He would have to make sure to have his phone on hand to capture the moment in glorious high definition.

#bakugou x reader #ao3 fanfic #bakugou x todoroki #bnha fanfiction #mha #my hero academia #todoroki x reader #bakugou x reader x todoroki

71 notes · View notes

sopxhiea · 4 years

Text

Ornery

Alfie Solomons X Best Friend!Reader

| Prompt

“This is fun.” “Seriously, we’re trying to hide a body.”

a/n: yes it’s best friends to lovers plot and yes, there’s more to come.

It’s cold.

The sky isn’t dark like it usually is when you’re out, the birds are chirpy and there’s only a couple people around, all of them you know. You let the wind kiss your face, it gently plays with the hem of your airy dress while you stand on top of the hill. It feels peaceful.

The smell of soil fills your nose and you inhale it furthermore while walking close to the men. You eye Ollie’s jacket, it looks warm but not warm enough for you. He keeps digging into the face of the earth while you watch, your part is yet to come.

You watch his calloused fingers dig into the soil, his rings glisten under the cheerful May weather. You sit down on the soil, it’s out to some damage to your dress but you don’t care, it’s a good day.

He looks at you with a smile you know so well.

You mirror his expression under the sun, the only noise that can be heard is the shovels hitting the soil and the piece of earth being extracted. This was supposed to be done a couple of days back but you didn’t have time, there were people to chase down and deals to sign and Alfie had managed to track you down at last.

You watch his body move, he’s done this way too many times.

You walk towards his figure, he’s much taller than you. You recall the times he wasn’t all so tall, he had sprouted after puberty and the war had done him some good too, even though he’d returned with one too many scars inside his soul.

He is where you seek comfort.

He’s been a friend for many years, the same time around you’d moved from the suburbs. He was only a small kid back then, barely twelve as you’d follow him around. The first three years were not good years for your friendship as he’d dismiss your being and would ignore you as much he could.

But then you’d found the way to his heart.

You’d spent many nights sleeping at his house, sometimes he’d be wiping your tears away and helping you talk things out and other times, it was more about his funny antics you’d listen to until the sun appeared in the horizon again.

You’d spent a summer away when you were fifteen, that had been the summer you both grew up. He’d blossomed into a beautiful boy, young and charming and you’d become a proper lady in the span of a couple months. Touches were awkward then, you would catch him staring and feel tingly when his hand would touch the small of your back until things went back to normal.

Then the war came.

He was wounded soldier, one with many medals but he’d grown tired. You had been the one to console him for two years while he tried to get back on his feet, and he did. He’d grieved over his lost mother and the things he’d seen, he was a changed man but underneath the tough look he now had, he was your Alfie.

“You need help?” you speak, his eyes meet your small form sitting on top of the soil. There was rain around and he knew you didn’t care.

But you look beautiful.

The summer you spent apart had been a good one for him, making him a strong man much to your surprise. You’d returned as a beautiful lady, not the crying little girl he knew anymore. You had grown into a rose, a precious jewel he promised to take care of the minute he saw you.

He chuckles at your words, looking at you in dismay. “Yer dress, pet..” he speaks, you ignore the words.

“So, no?” you ask again, waiting for an adequate answer to your question.

He shakes hit head again while the men move the body inside the hole they dug. You watch, heart a little uneasy even though it isn’t the first time this was happening. You’d watched it many times over the years.

Alfie watches you twitch, shift from where you are sitting as you watch the grey back being thrown into the pit. He knows you’re not afraid of it, it’s just the memories biting back from the times you’d buried all your family members after the war. He knows you dislike all this. He does, too.

He sits next to you on the ground, watching the men bury the boy properly by covering it with soil. He sees the apologetic smile on your face when you turn to him, he smiles back while his hand moves a strand of your hair from your face.

“This is fun.” you speak, watching the men move as your words erupt a chuckle from him and the shake of his head.

“..Love,..” he smiles and you enjoy the occasion. “Seriously, we’re tryin’ to hide a body.”

You nod, a chuckle comes from your lips and he enjoys the melody of your voice.

“You told me to come..” you spoke, a frown appearing on your lips much to his dismay.

He doesn’t like to see you frowning. He’s memorised the lines of your lips, he knows every emotion you can convey with them. He’s often wondered how they would feel against his lips, it had started in his younger years as a man and carried out into his life now. He shakes his head, he’s not supposed to have those thoughts.

Oh, but he does.

He’s imagined what you would look like after a good fuck, your legs sprawled over the bed while your chest would rise up and down with each breath you took. He knows of your flushed cheeks and smeared lipstick from when you make out with someone, he’d seen the image once with one of your past lovers.

He wishes he was one of them.

It was a thin line. He loved you, in all the meanings the word possessed. He didn’t want to lose the friendship you had given him, it had been one of the best things that had happened to him but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting a little more.

There had been times you’d come close. It was a wedding once, him in a tuxedo while you danced the night away and you had almost kissed him. It had been a dinner party once, one you went to with a couple friends and him, you’d scolded him at the back exit of the place and he was too close to pushing you against the wall and kissing you senseless.

“’hat’s because, right, I don’t get to see ye’ anymore.” he speaks, a little hurt as you look at him, dumbfounded.

“You saw me last week when we walked Cyril together.” you speak, not getting where he was coming from.

“Don’t mean like ‘hat, yeah, jus’ mean you’re no’ around as much.” he speaks, making you turn to the men as they finish the job.

Alfie dismisses them with the shake of their head and they move to the carriage, a little far away from where you’re sitting. You don’t say anything while sitting in the green space. It’s almost a forest, just missing a couple trees. You sigh and look at him after the birds stop with their singing. He is impossible.

“So the solution is to bring me to an illegal burying?” you ask, a giggle escapes your lips at the last word and he chuckles at your adorable state.

“hat’s my bad, yeah.”

“You think?”

You stand up, stopping with your teasing while Alfie follows you. You move towards the carriage while he guides you a little better with his hand on the small of your back. You don’t look up at him but walk instead, it’s natural.

On the ride back, you ask about cyril and his business. It’s second nature, the connection between the two of you. He watches you blink, sunlight kissing your cheeks through the open window as you take in the smell of the suburbs.

There are things he wants to say.

He wants to hold you close, not give you the hug you usually give him but be next to you in the morning, hold you like you mean the world to him because you do. He wants to kiss your cheeks, he knows you’ll giggle when he does because you always get ticklish from his kisses. He wants to make sure you’re okay, he knows how sorrowful you feel sometimes and all he wishes to do is to take care of you, be yours.

But he doesn’t say anything, he watches you instead.

He doesn’t know if you want the same things. He sees the glisten in your eyes when you look at him, it’s the very same one he has when the thought of you summons him. You offer him a smile, your lips move as you speak but the words don’t reach his ears, he’s too focused on you.

You chuckle, shaking your head and your hand on his knee pulls him back. He makes a curious noise and you repeat yourself.

“I asked if you wanna come to my place?” you ask, a glint of hope in your eyes and it hurts him, he doesn’t know why you’re hopeful.

He knows he doesn’t deserve you, he’s seen and done entirely too much for him to get such a blessing. He looks out the window for a while, you wait for his answer. You know he likes to take his time with his words.

“For tea?” he asks, he can’t remember why you wanted him to come over.

You nod and shrug, nonchalant about the whole thing while he makes a mental note of telling Ollie to cover the paperwork he was planning on doing.

“Sure..” the words spill out of your mouth, he watches your lips move.

You watch him nod, you remember the nights he came to your apartment, sometimes it was to put his pieces back together and other times, it would be for a chat or just for company.

You knew of the same loneliness he did, you both grew up with each other and no one else and life had done a good deal of keeping you apart for some time. You wanted to redeem the years you’d spent away studying and being a different version of yourself. They were good years but it all made you realise that life isn’t as enjoyable when he’s not around.

You open the door to your apartment, he knows the place like the back of his hand. The small animal you were currently looking after moves in its place, Alfie doesn’t like hedgehogs but he tolerates the thing for you. You take your coat off, dropping the keys on the small table next to the door and he does the same, his motions following your own ones.

You watch him as he enters the kitchen, he’s getting musclier every time you see him and you can’t help but recall the times he was such a small boy. He is a grown man now. He watches you watch him for a while, it’s quiet as the water boils. It’s comfortable, safe almost.

“I hear business is good..” you speak, trying to make conversation, not because the silence is awkward but because you genuinely want to hear him speak.

“Yea’..” he nods, walking towards you and taking the pot from your hands, pouring the water on your glass gently as you watch him. “...seein’ as we jus’ buried an enemy, I’d say ‘t’s pretty fuckin’ good.” he chuckles while speaking, you smile at his chuckle, the melody is a mere blessing to you.

“Sounds lovely..” you speak, sarcasm filling your words while you take the tray from his hands and carry it to the living room.

He touches your arm once you’re seated, your fingers brushing not too long after as you hand him the tea. His skin is tough, ages by the years of hard work and struggle, it contrasts your much softer ones and he smiles at the touch.

You take a small sip from your cup, holding the piece of ceramic by the handle as he watches you. When your eyes meet his, you realise he’s been staring for a minute and some more, you can’t help the light shade of blush spreading to your cheeks before you leave the cup on the table.

"How’s life treatin’ ya?” he asks, hand resting on the side of the big sofa he’s seated on as he watches you lean back on the couch, your head now resting on the pillows.

“Like I ran over its dog..” you speak, he knows your joking but he can’t overlook the distant gaze you’re holding while you stare at the wall.

He knows there’s a more pale side to you, the side that he would hold in his arm as you’d cry into his chest. It’s the side that’s been wounded since the war much like he was, it’s the side that couldn’t endure one loss after the other.

You turn to him, eyes glistening with love this time as you look at the only person who stuck by your side through every stage you went through. He’s precious, you think.

“Need any help, luv?” he speaks, asking the very same question you asked him back at the burying.

You shake your head, putting one of your leg on top of his seated ones. His fingers find your ankle, massaging you slowly as he watches you close your eyes. He can see the tiredness in your eyes, you put it back for him. He appreciates that.

“I will be okay.” you speak, your voice is soft and he knows you’re saying the words out loud just to convince yourself, the words aren’t meant for him but he nods regardless.

“So ye jus’ needed me over for sum’ fucking foot massage, aye?” he asks, you chuckle at his words and nod, eyes lifting up to his.

“Any complaints?” you say, daring almost as you go along with his playful banter, this is the time you look forward to in a day when you get to spend time with him.

“Not if I get to see ya, luv.” he continues with the massage but you quickly stop him by removing your foot from his lap. He’s being too nice but he lets you go.

You scoot closer to his body on the couch and he welcomes it, his arm is thrown over the back part as you snuggle closer to him. There’s warmth in his embrace, a sense of comfort you only feel when he’s around. You welcome his smell, it’s been the same one since he came back from the war but it lacks the innocence he once possessed.

“I hate that you’re busy.” you speak, words muffled while you hide yourself in his chest. He lets you curl on his lap like a small kid, it’s second nature.

“Yer not so accessible either, right.” he says into your hair, you want to pull him closer but it’s impossible, he lets you move as you try to interlock his ribcage with yours, trying to get in even closer to him.

“So it’s my fault, now?” you ask, lifting your head up to meet his eyes. Your fingers caress the sides of his hair, he leans into the touch with a smile on his lips.

“Didn’t say ‘hat.” he speaks, but your eyes are too focused on his lips to comprehend what he’s saying. Your gaze is unmoving, you find it hard to not lean forward and meet his lips at once but you know that’s an action with many possible consequences. You also happen to know that some of those consequences are the worse way to go.

You know that there’s a chance of things getting worse if you take the next step, it’s gambling at this point but you’re too tried. This game of push and pull has been a constant theme in your relationship with the familiar man.

It had been there when he turned into a beautiful boy: it had been small touches and the scared gaze he would hide from you. It had been there after the war: it was his kisses on top of your head to thank you for being there and the pastries he would send over with Ollie.

It was here now, it was his piercing gaze and the caress of his finger on your thigh. You didn’t shy away from his orbs, you had stared at them for your whole life after all.

You speak before registering your words, it’s a bad habit you picked up from being around him too much. You don’t think twice before speaking.

“It’s not like this with other people..” you speak, your breath hits his face, his trimmed beard is long enough to cover the light blush colour that takes up his features.

You’re right. It’s not.

It’s easy with you. He moves easily, he doesn’t shy away from doing certain things. He knows his bluntness is welcomed by him. Your touch feels natural, it’s been there since he was a small boy. He remembers the night he kissed you before he left for war.

He knows you think about it, too. He can see the glint of curiosity swimming in your orbs whenever you can’t take your eyes off his lips. But you don’t speak of it, you reckon he’s already forgotten how your plump lips felt like against his after what he’d been through in the war.

“I like ya’ a lot more than other people..” he speaks, the words hit you like a thunder. It’s expected but surreal regardless.

You chuckle, his breath fanning your face as you stare at him. You’re still seated on his lap, the position is second nature but you become aware of the absurd situation not too long after. It’s awkward for the first time.

But it’s the same kind of awkwardness a first kiss has, it has the same innocence of two lovers seeing each other naked for the first time. The blushing, the reality of it and the gentle touches are all welcomed as you lean forward, it’s go big or go home at this point.

He welcomes your lips against his, they taste just as sweet as they did under that moonlight many years ago. Your hands travel to his neck and hair, caressing the all too familiar areas while his hands travel up your dress, gently touching the soft skin of your thighs while you mewl into his mouth.

He listens to your moans as you release the sounds into his mouth, you straddle him tighter by the passing second as the velvet kiss seems to be only piece of puzzle left in his life. He kisses you like he needs a fresh breath of air.

You break the kiss first, feeling heat take over your body as he rests his forehead against yours. His hands are unmoving while they caress your body, it feels good. You take deep breaths and he watches your chest rise and fall with the heat of the moment, he’s never seen you more beautiful.

“‘hat’s more like it.”

You chuckle as he speaks, hiding your face on the crook of his neck not too long after as his body engulfs yours.

Tagging: @clairecrive @sourirez @parkbearum @yuzuhirado

Let me know if you want to be tagged!!

367 notes · View notes

reighlee-greaves · 4 years

Text

Snapped : Tom Hiddleston x Reader

So this is a collaboration between me and @just-the-hiddles who is responsible for half of the dialogue and the header image. I would like to thank @just-the-hiddles for giving me the idea for this x reader.

-Summary- Tom and the reader get into a heated argument about a photo that the paparazzi snapped of her and her ex Sebastian Stan. To apologise Tom enlists the help of Benedict.

Tag list

@just-the-hiddles

@confetti-its-an-imagine-blog

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Tom hadn't glanced at his phone that morning until well after his run. When he picked it up, he found himself bombarded with voice messages and texts. They all were about one thing. He clicked on one of the links to find a headline from the Daily Mail blaring out him: Hiddles Out, Seb In. Romance Rekindled.

Tom's face paled as he scrolled to find a grainy photo of you looking rather cozy with your ex, Sebastian Stan. Without another thought, Tom grabbed his keys and headed towards your place.

“Tom, what are you doing here our date isn’t until tomorrow?” you asked Tom.

Tom barged through the door, his face red. "Care to explain this?!" he yelled as he shoved his phone in your face.

“Tom I—“ you began only to be cut off by Tom’s frantic pacing.

“—I, I, I," he mocked. "You can't even come up with a plausible lie for why you were photographed with your ex."

“Ok, Tom if you calm down I can explain why I was with Seb in the first place.”

"Calm down!!? I will not fucking calm down! My phone is filled with messages and texts of condolences, of questions. You've humiliated me publicly and you tell me to calm down?!" Tom seethed. His hands flexed at his side, a death grip on his phone.

You took a step back, away from him.

“Tom I didn’t mean to humiliate you. I bumped into Sebastian, and he congratulated me on our relationship. Besides, what about that photo of you and your ex that I got tagged in on Twitter the other week?”

"That's completely different! We dated for six months. And that story was about her new project, not about me having an affair. You and Sebastian were together for three years! Three years! And in case you missed it, I am apparently out and he is in!"

“So you can be friends with your exes but I can’t be friends with mine?” Your voice trembled. You had never seen Tom so mad.

"That's not the point! The point is you didn't see the problem with being photographed with him and how it would affect me. Affects us. And if you don't see the problem with that, I'm not sure this relationship can work." Tom's shoulders slumped.

“I cannot believe that you just said that Thomas Hiddleston!” you yelled in frustration.

"I can't believe you would cheat on me. But here we are. Goodbye." Tom turned and left as quickly as he came.

Once the door slammed behind him, he only then allowed the tears to fall. As he walked down the sidewalk, with shaking hands, he punched in a familiar number.

"Ben? Can I come by? Yeah. It's about that. Thanks."

Ben steepled his fingers in front of his mouth as Tom stood huffing in front of him.

"If you are done with your tantrum, can I say something?"

“What?!” Tom snapped.

Ben leaned back at Tom's tone."Okay, first of all, there is no need to snap my head off. You called me. I am here to help you."

“I’m sorry Ben, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Tom replied before sighing. “I’m just frustrated.”

"In more ways than one, I'm sure." Ben chuckled to himself.

"What I was trying to say before you turned into a small child was... exes are exes for a reason. She is a good person. I am sure there is a innocent explanation."

“Like what Ben, they just happened to bump into each other?” Tom questioned as he slumped further into Ben’s sofa.

"Perhaps. That does happen. You know how you sometimes just bump to your exes." Ben raised a knowing eyebrow. "The point is coincidences happen. And the paparazzi are ruthless. But you can't let them get inside your head."

“But it’s Sebastian Stan we’re talking about!” Tom crowed.“They were together for three years Ben, THREE YEARS! He was her first everything.”

"And you can be her last everything. But not if you don't pull your head out of arse and talk to the poor girl. Honestly, you are about to ruin the best thing in your life over a single photo."

“What do I say to her, Ben, I’ve already lost her.”

Benedict moved to sit next to Tom. He clapped his hand on Tom's knees. “Use all those big words you learned at Cambridge. Tell her you love her. Tell her you were a prized idiot for ever letting her get away. Tell her you will spend the rest of your days proving to her you are worthy of her love. Tell her she is your one.”

Tom sighed as he let Ben’s words sink in. “ Do you think you and Sophie could help me with that?”

Ben smiled. "I believe that can be arranged."

The Next Day

You awoke to a constant pounding against your front door. As you stumbled to the door, bathrobe wrapped around, you opened the door to find Sophie standing there, two coffees in hand.

"Get dressed, we're going shopping."

“Alright, alright, I’m coming hold on.” you groaned as she invited Sophie inside.

Sophie settled herself onto a kitchen chair, and slid one of the coffee cups in your direction. "Here, I got it how you like it."

“Thanks Soph, give me about twenty minutes and I’ll be ready.”

Sophie yelled after as you trot off to get ready. "I'll be waiting with bells on!"

Once you were out of sight, Sophie whipped out her phone and typed a message off to Ben.

Got her to agree to shopping. You should have several hours to get things ready. Don't fuck this up.

After an agonisingly slow twenty minutes you were ready. “Let’s go, Soph.”

"Took you long enough. I was about ready to make myself some lunch."

You shot daggers at Sophie.

"Now..." Sophie linked arms with you as both of you exited the house. "...what's new with you?"

“Oh nothing much, I bumped into Sebastian the other day and the paparazzi caught us. I think Tom’s mad at me even though we weren’t doing anything.” you explained.

"I didn't realize you and Seb were still close. How many years were you together again?" Sophie asked, acting stupid.

“We were together for three years, Soph. We still chat every so often but it means nothing. We’re friends now. But nothing more.” you replied.

Sebastian and you broke because of many things. Partially because of the long distance, and also the fact that you wanted to settle down and have a few children. Sebastian wanted to pursue his acting career longer before settling down with a wife and kids. He still wanted the life of a bachelor.

”Have you told Tom that? Or the reasons you and Sebastian broke up?"

“I tried to Sophie, but he stormed out of my house before I could. He didn’t even say goodbye.” you sighed.

"Try harder. He looks like he is made of marble, but his heart is as fragile as glass. He must care about you to have such a vehement reaction."

“I know, I know, but I have no idea how to tell him. It’s hard for me to express myself, you know?”

“For two such sensitive and dramatic people, the both of you are horrid at saying what you feel." Sophie taunted. "How about calling him up and saying 'I love you' and I want to be with you and only you?"

“That is the sort of thing you say in person.” you responded.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sophie grabbed your arm and pulled you down the street off towards Tom's.

“Ben, has Sophie text you yet to see when she’s bringing you here?” Tom asked as he paced up and down his kitchen.

Benedict fished his phone out of his pocket. As he scrolled through his messages, his eyes widened. "They are on their way over right now."

“Shit!” mumbled a panicked Tom.

“How do I look? Do I look ok? Do I smell?” Tom asked a smirking Benedict.

Benedict picked at Tom's sweater, smoothing it out. "Like sex on a stick, mate." He gave Tom a wink.

“Ok, ok I can do this...” Tom whispered to himself as the doorbell rang. Tom whipped back around to Ben for a moment. "No, I can't! You answer the door." Tom shoved Benedict towards the foyer.

"Are you serious!?" Ben protested. "This is your house and if I answer the door, it will be even more awkward than it already is. So man up and answer the damn door!" Benedict pushed Tom hard causing him to stumble, falling against the front door.

"Is everyone alright in there?" Sophie's voice called out from the other side of the door.

“Just a moment!” Tom yelled back.

“Ok what do I say to her, do I say hi or hello or—“ Tom rambled only to get cut off by Ben.

"I swear to God man, if you don't open that door right now and let my wife and your girlfriend in right this second, I am telling this story at your wedding. Pull yourself together!" Ben hissed before disappearing to the kitchen.

“Ok I got this.” Tom said as he opened the door.

"About bloody time." Benedict muttered just out of sight.

"Tom!" Sophie greeted him with a warm hug. “Guess who I brought with me." She tugged you into view.

“Hello ladies.” Tom greeted the pair with a smile. "Please come on in.”

You shuffled in behind Sophie and gave Tom an awkward smile.

"So... Thomas," Sophie interjected. "Where is my impossible husband?"

“Ah, he’s in the kitchen.”

"Then I shall see myself that way." Sophie exited before giving time for either of you to protest.

“So Tom how are you?” you asked awkwardly as you stepped into the living room.

"I've been better." Tom commented as he followed you into the room. He offered you her favourite spot on the sofa which you took and he sat down in the chair across from her. "And you?"

“I’ve had better days. We need to talk about yesterday.”

"I'm sorry I overreacted.” Tom started in. “It's just that you were dating Sebastian for so long and this relationship is new. I worried about losing you." Tom reached out to grab your hand, giving it a slight squeeze. "And I care about you too much to have that happen."

“No I’m the one who should apologise, I didn’t tell you I bumped into Sebastian before you saw those photos.” You squeezed his hand back before continuing. “I care about you too, and I should have been upfront about everything at the start of our relationship. I guess I was scared of losing you too.”

Tom chuckled. "Sounds like both of us are just a bunch of sorry fools. Forgive me?" He looked at you with hopeful eyes.

“Of course I forgive you, will you forgive me too?”

Tom leaned over, his hand ran along the curve of your cheek. "Always, my love." He pressed his lips against hers for a moment.

Only to be interrupted by cheers from the kitchen.

Tom chuckled. "I believe we have an audience. Come out, you two!" He called out to Ben and Sophie.

“So now that that’s out of the way, what is that delicious smell?” you asked as you sniffed the air.

Benedict poked his head around the corner. "Steak frites. Your favourite."

Sophie snuck around the corner. "Now if you don't mind us, we need to get back to the babysitter. We'll show ourselves out."

Once Sophie and Ben left, you turned to Tom with your arm stretched out. “Come eat with me please?”

"With pleasure."

#tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddelson #tom hiddelston imagine

164 notes · View notes

hogwartsfirebolt · 4 years

Photo

Hi again! This is part two (out of three!) of my 2019 drarry fic recs. In the first part I recommended ten of my absolute favorite stories I read this year, and here I am today with ten more that I also love dearly and hope you’ll enjoy too. The banner art is by one of my FAVORITE ARTISTS, @aceveria-art who was kind enough to let me use their art for this and just LOOK AT THAT STUNNING PIECE (here’s the link for you to reblog if you want cause omg). Now, in no particular order, here’s some of my

FAVORITE FICS I READ IN 2019 PART TWO

1. Of Wands and Trees - Omi_Ohmy - 45k - All Draco wants to do is be a wandmaker, but to do so he needs to understand the soul of trees. Of course, the only man who might be able to help him is the one man who is more of a mystery to him than any tree.

We’re starting out this list with this absolute gemstone of a fic. It’s got everything: adventure, redemption, cabins in the middle of nowhere, a spin on the kind of magic we’re used to in this fandom, ancient trees, passion, wandlore, Draco being forced to work for his own food, Harry bathing naked in streams (my mouth’s watering as we speak), and it’s so, so good, the writing, the characterizations, the setting so vibrant I felt like I was standing right there. Just, a gem all around.

2. Take Into the Air (My Quiet Breath) - guardianmira - 11k - Draco is dying of Hanahaki Disease. Serves him right, Harry thinks.

This fic felt, to me, like something completely different from the eighth year fics I usually read, and, having found it by accident, it absolutely blew my mind! I did not expect to love it as much as I did, and I definitely did not expect to feel it as deeply as I did. Just the right amount of angst to give us that sweet, sweet relief at the end. Very lovely.

3. We have a Problem - @xx-thedarklord-xx - 3k - Weddings tend to have a variety of things happening at one time. With a groom as meticulous as Draco, Ron expected nothing to go wrong. When shenanigans, walkouts, disasters, no-shows, and a lack of food strike, it’s up to Ron to save the day.

SO SWEET. Just so, so freaking sweet and funny and different. Ron’s POV was fresh and lovely and so clever, and the plot is hilarious and engaging. It reads so quickly that you will barely feel time passing, and I am 10000% sure that everyone’s bound to adore this. It’s just one of those fics. I cannot recommend it enough. It will be the absolute best 15-20 minutes of your day.

4. Foreplay - @lqtraintracks - 6k - Getting a raging hard-on on the duelling room floor, pinned under Harry Potter’s sweaty body, is not how Draco saw his day going, but… Well, here he is.

Mmfffff. Can barely think about this without having to fan myself, because it’s probably the hottest fic I read all year. Aurors sparring, a Harry who is unbelievably hot, a Draco who tries but simply can’t resist him, showers, a bit of semi-public sex, and the very literal definition of “not safe for work” can be found in here. Just, goodness, it should’ve taken me half an hour to read it and it took about one because I KEPT STOPPING TO BREATHE. Lqt never fails to deliver powerful, incredibly sexy stories and you should all go see for yourselves what I’m talking about.

5. Safe Words - felix_atticus - 26k - Draco discovers his husband has been keeping a secret from him. At first he’s amused. Then he’s curious. The problem? Harry’s always had a hard time saying no.

Speaking of powerful, this one here stabbed me right in the chest and twisted the knife, but in the absolute best way possible. It’s FANTASTIC. The writing is beautiful, the characterizations astounding, and I felt every single emotion so deep inside me. It paints how difficult it is to navigate trust, how impossible it feels to put our own wants and needs over what’s expected of us, explores consent in so many different aspects of life and just presents a beautiful relationship at its core. It really is gorgeous.

6. Upstaged - @lettersbyelise - 3k - West End actor Drake O'Malley starts receiving fanmail from a (not so mysterious) stranger.

The epistolary format already makes this stand apart from our usual fic, but the plot itself is also something I hadn’t ever read before. It’s written so smoothly that it reads like a dream, and I loved every second of it and how it allowed me to build up an entire picture of what was happening with each letter. I’ve gone back to it two or three times just to experience it all over again, and I always have a great time when I do. This is so lovely, witty and just different.

7. Pure Imagination - @aibidil - 14k - An eighth-year tale of depressed happiness, reluctant imagination, and conflicted hope. And skateboarding.

My god is this fic lovely. I spent about three quarters of it clutching my chest because I loved it so much, I love these kids so much and it hit me right in the feels to see everything they go through after the dust of the war settles and they have to figure out their place in life. This is hope in a jar, it’s that light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel story that becomes a metaphor for life itself. A beautiful, beautiful ride.

8. Poor Unfortunate Souls - @doubleappled - 19k - Draco is a potioneer. Harry is trying to save his sex-challenged marriage. Everything is a mess, but at least there’s an octopus in the lobby.

Chaotic, unique, HOT!!! The whole set up is brilliant, Draco’s work is very interesting, the scenes where we get to see with Harry and Ginny are so incredibly well done that my jaw fell to the floor a little, and what can I even say about the entire buildup we get for Draco and Harry’s relationship, it was MASTERFUL. This fic is absolutely amazing and the ending is so good I can still savor it when I remember it. Go check it out, right now!!!

9. Weather With You - @quicksilvermaid - 29k - Flood. Heatwave. Cyclone. Epic storm ready to rip London apart? Something strange is happening to the weather inside the Ministry of Magic…–Featuring magical creatures, Harry wearing minimal clothes, a snarky snake, and Draco Malfoy who is definitely Up To Something.

This story is such a fun ride that can, at times, be absolutely freaking hilarious (the whole “He Is Up To Something” narrative never fails to crack me up), and at times become sweet and tender. There is nothing more relatable to me than a Draco who wants Harry so much he doesn’t even know what to do with himself, and it was a joy to read him here, and actually, both of their characterizations are so fantastic that they definitely feel like an extension of what we know about them to begin with, and I just had the best of times watching them work their way out of this mess. Sprinkle in a bit of parseltongue, witty snakes and shirtless Harry, and you’ve found yourself the best way to spend the evening.

10. A Sword Laid Aside - @korlaena - 128k - When Draco’s cover is blown during a deep undercover operation and the Ministry is compromised, Ron takes Draco to the only safe place he can think of—Potter. Hiding out with a taciturn Harry Potter, who has been missing from the Wizarding World for almost two decades after a shocking fall from grace, is nothing like Draco thought it would be. Draco has to navigate dealing with this Potter while being hunted by Dark wizards and wanted by extremists in the Ministry. When things take a turn for the worse, Draco has to decide whether he’s going to keep running or find a way to protect the world and the people he cares about most.

There are so many things I want to say about this one, so many little details that drove me wild and I want to mention but I just… I- this story is absolutely MIND BLOWING, it’s deep, it’s amazing and frankly extraordinary and I don’t even know how to tell you how much I adore every single word of it. This must be one of my absolute favorite versions of Harry that I’ve ever read, his immense power, his internal conflict, pain and sheer physicality made me weak in the knees; Draco’s characterization is also so heartbreakingly spot on that I could barely believe what I was reading. This story gripped me, squeezed me, spun me around a little and then put me upright again, and there is honestly nothing like it. I haven’t even told you anything about the plot, which… omg. There are no words to tell you how much you NEED to read this. Just typing this is making me want to embark on this adventure again. — I have no excuse for the amount of Harry thirst to be found on this list, I just- well. I really hope you like these little gems! Hahaha. If you do end up reading any of them and want to chat about them, or have questions about any tags or warnings that might worry you, my DMs are always open!!! Enjoy ❤️

#drarry #drarry fic #drarry fanfic #drarry fic recs #draco malfoy #harry potter #drarry fic rec #drarry rec list #2019rec #ficrec

666 notes · View notes

bonsaiiiiiii · 4 years

Text

100 Weird AU's? Yes.

So, I had these AU prompts on my phone for quite a while, and I was actually thinking about using them. And what better way to do it than using them with the Tracy's?

Reading and reading these prompts again (and under the gentle guidance of @willow-salix ) I thought that these prompts doesn't exactly match the brothers' everyday situation, but what if we push it past its limit? Yes, biting more that you can chew can be a little difficult, but I don't think it will be impossible. And that's where this challenge is born!

Get the Tracy's out of International Rescue's bubble and let them live an everyday situation as normal people! They can also be medieval nobles or even futuristic robots, the choice's up to you! You can choose from soo many things others don't even think about (and not even me, for a while)!

Many thanks to @tag2060 for the cover and @willow-salix for the support (both emotional and 'fic-ical'. I love both of you💚

NOTE: THESE PROMPTS AREN'T ALL MINE. I TOOK THEM FROM A GIRL I'M NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANYMORE, BUT I WAS TOLD I COULD USE THEM. ALL CREDITS FOR THESE AU'S GO TO HER, WHATEVER IS HER NAME (lmao). THE GOLD MARKED ONES (7, 11, 20, 23, 39, 47, 63, 64, 70, 83, 89, 91, 93, 96, 100) ARE ALL MINE, IN SUBSITUTION OF A FEW THAT WERE THERE, SO CREDIT FOR THE GOLDEN MARKED ONES GOES TO ME, BUT NOT EVERY ONE OF THEM.

NOTE²: SOME OF THE PROMPTS CONTAIN STRONG THEMES, LIKE DEPRESSION AND SEXUAL CONTENT. IF YOU'RE SENSIBLE TO THESE THEMES, DON'T DO THEM, NOBODY FORCES YOU IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:･ﾟ✧(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:･ﾟ✧(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

To participate in this challenge, all you have to do is take one of the AU prompts from the list, one or more (or all) Tracy characters, and post your fic (can be a ficlet, or a series) under the tag #100weirdTracys and #100weirdAUs.

If you don't want to participate, please don't harass/bully me. I made this challenge just for fun, and I don't want for it to feel like something bad. In fact, I don't even regret doing this thing, even if it's strange.

Ah, I almost forgot: this challenge will be over in December, so you have 4 months to choose a prompt and make a fic about it. On December I'll review all the fics, but I'll always be reblogging and reading during these 4 months lol.

If you want to tell me something, hit me up on DM's! I hope you have fun with those prompts and those bois!

(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ

TO RESUME:

• Swearing is allowed.

• You can write as many words as you want!

• Oc's and muses can pop in too!

• Make sure to tag your fic(s) under the '#100weirdTracys' and '#100weirdAUs' tags, so that I can find them easily.

• Always tag or contact me if you need help with anything! I'll be more than glad to help you!

• If you decide to do the mature prompts (19, 90, just to state an example) please refrain from using a too mature language and don't go further than making up. I don't like that kind of language, so it would be peachy to just avoid writing so they make wild sex behind a bush. Any kind of very mature fic or language won't be read by me, I'm sorry. You can still use those prompts, but don't work their bed life too much.

• Any dialect or first language apart from english is more than welcome in this yard! I would love even to read snippets of foreign language in fics, as long as there's a translation near it, but you're not forced to write in another language. If you don't feel comfortable doing it just don't do it, even if I'm telling you. (For the record, I love Irish so much I could listen to a person speaking this language for hours and you won't hear me complaining).

• I will accept this challenge in whatever form it takes, be it a fic, a drawing, a song, etc. I’m open to anything and I watch everything that comes before me!

φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)__φ(．．)

That said, you can find the prompts down here:⬇️

#1 I saved you from drowning!AU

#2 I broke into your house at two in the morning because I was drunk and I thought it was my house!AU

#3 I am a door-to-door seller please buy something!AU

#4 I grabbed the wrong luggage at the airport!AU

#5 I know we hate each other, but a wedding would be more convenient for both of us!AU

#6 I accidentally poured you a love potion!AU

#7 I sent you 12 messages but you left me on read!AU

#8 I am your secret admirer and I leave you anonymous cards!AU

#9 Sorry, but I was first in line!AU

#10 We don’t know each other but let's pretend to be together because someone is bothering me!AU

#11 We pack up to do a funny trip but we end up in Bolivia without fuel!AU

#12 Locked in quarantine and we're bored! AU

#13 I do everything to find out the identity of this superhero and you try to mislead me because it’s really you!AU

#14 I got into a taxi just to find out it was already occupied!AU

#15 I called the wrong number!AU

#16 I got into the wrong car OMG I'm ashamed, but while you’re there why don’t you give me a ride!AU

#17 I found a wallet and my business is to find the owner and return it!AU

#18 I am a street artist and you complain that I play in front of your house at night!AU

#19 I caught you watching porn!AU

#20 We're two strangers that start chatting while waiting for the bus!AU

#21 Nosy and sloppy roommates!AU

#22 Old childhood friends who come back after years!AU

#23 I got shot to the arm/leg but you're there to save me and OMG ILY!AU

#24 We’re sitting next to each other on a plane and please don’t throw up on me!AU

#25 We accidentally switched phones!AU

#26 We are both contestants in a reality show and let's pretend to be together because the audience will ship us!AU

#27 I am a wedding planner and my ex’s wedding had to happen to me!AU

#28 I learned sign language to communicate with you!AU

#29 Professional model and novice photographer!AU

#30 Sorry I ran you over!AU

#31 We make out and then I find out that you are my roommate’s boyfriend!AU

#32 I’m quoting aloud the last book of a series and I’m spoiling you!AU

#33 It is a universally acknowledged truth that a bachelor with a large fortune must be looking for a wife!AU

#34 I am a Partisan and you are a fascist!AU(Italy during World War II!AU)

#35 I am the blood of the dragon!AU (Iron Throne!AU)

#36 Your dog is hitting on mine!AU

#37 I’m depressed and I decide to call a hotline!AU

#38 You are my soulmate but I am in love with someone else!AU

#39 Strange encounter at tattoo shop!AU

#40 On my mark, unleash hell!AU(Roman Empire!AU)

#41 I am an Elf, don’t look at me for ears I am ashamed of!AU(The Lord of the Rings!AU)

#42 Maybe my life should be more than just survival!AU(The 100!AU)

#43 I am an activist and I am trying to convert you to the cause!AU

#44 We are occupying the school but you are a spoilsport!AU

#45 All our friends are drunk and we're not!AU

#46 We’ve been together for three months and now you’re telling me you’re a werewolf!AU

#47 X has to go into a rocket to the moon and Y has to train X!

#48 Knight in shining armor and damsel in distress!AU

#49 We reluctantly team up against the zombie apocalypse!AU

#50 I’m a vampire and your smell is driving me nuts!AU(Twilight!AU)

#51 Monsters have attacked the Earth and the only way to save humanity is aboard giant robots piloted by two people who must maintain a mental union!AU(Pacific Rim!AU)

#52 My timer stopped as soon as I saw you!AU(Soulmate!AU)

#53 I need a lawyer and you are the best!AU

#54 I’m a Viking and I plundered your ship!AU

#55 I’m a classic dandy from the Regency Age and you’re just a silly girl from the lower middle class!AU

#56 I’m a policeman and you’re an intrusive journalist and I really shouldn’t give you any information about the new murder!AU

#57 You are a wannabe actress and I am a theatrical director who is losing patience and health!AU

#58 Due to a computer error, X and Y become college roommates!AU

#59 X wants to see the world of Y, how he lives and what he usually does, and ends up spending a night in prison!AU

#60 I attend the yoga course just to watch how flexible the instructor is!AU

#61 I am a bounty hunter and you are my prey!AU

#62 I am a secret spy and pretend to be your friend only to get information about your father!AU

#63 I discuss with you about a thing but you have in mind another!AU

#64 We are forced to be best friends just because our moms were best friends too but you're too bossy for me!AU

#65 We broke up but I never changed emergency contacts and now I’m in the hospital and they called you!AU

#66 I am an angel and you are a demon!AU

#67 I hit you on the balls during a game of paintball and oh my god I am so sorry!AU

#68 We live in a dystopian world where your partner is chosen by society!AU(Matched!AU)

#69 I’m a dragon trainer I’ll prove to you that they are peaceful creatures!AU(Dragon Trainer!AU)

#70 Date at japanese restaurant!AU

#71 You’re a cheerleader and I’m a punk and we live in two different worlds!AU

#72 I was a zombie and I was "re-animated" but you treat me like I’m still a monster!AU(In the Flesh!AU)

#73 I am your son’s teacher and I am calling to talk to you about his conduct, would he also come to dinner with me!AU

#74 I am an Achaean warrior and you Trojan and we are fighting the Trojan War!AU

#75 I met my asshole boss at the bar but I found out he’s pretty cool!AU

#76 It was not my intention to touch your ass, it’s just that the bus is crowded, it’s not my fault ok!AU

#77 I went fishing and accidentally fished a mermaid!AU

#78 I just committed a crime and I need to use you as a hostage!AU

#79 You’re the bastard who always parks in front of my door and in spite I’ll scratch your car!AU

#80 I accidentally went back in time and fell in love with you, too bad you’re a barbarian!AU

#81 I urgently need you to fix my computer but please don’t judge me for my chronology!AU

#82 I work on the cruise ship where you are spending your holidays!AU

#83 I'm out in the rainstorm without an umbrella because the weather forecast was sunny!AU

#84 I hugged the wrong person from behind!AU

#85 Celebrity on the run and ordinary citizen confused!AU

#86 Stuck in a ranch cleaning horse poop but it doesn’t matter because that cowboy is a badass!AU

#87 We got married in Vegas, but we’re total strangers!AU

#88 But, officer, I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I was just smoking a joint, want a hit!AU

#89 X is an astronaut and Y is a weird but funny alien that likes to scream, overreact and laugh!AU

#90 I slept with you for a bet but I loved it and I’d like to keep seeing you!AU

#91 I reveal to some friends that you wear boxers/underwear with green aliens on them but you're behind me and oh gosh total shame!AU

#92 Oops I accidentally entered a busy dressing room!AU

#93 You're a stranger but I keep crossing paths with you and I'm kinda confused right now!AU

#94 X is a medium and Y a ghost!AU

#95 X is a guardian angel and Y wants to die!AU

#96 X accidentally enters in a cat and Y has to rescue it from up a tree!AU

#97 X risks losing the house because Y’s company wants to buy the land!AU

#98 I’m an artist and I need a model do you want to pose for me!AU

#99 I’m not really sick but the new doctor is so beautiful that I found out I have a disease with an unpronounceable name!AU

#100 A strange job application!AU

φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)φ(．．)__φ(．．)

If you find them more practical, I also have some photos down here with all the prompts organized:⬇️

That said, enjoy! Hope it brings you joy and makes you happy while you do it!💙💚🧡💛❤💜💖🖤

#100weirdTracys #100weirdAUs #Thunderbirds are go #ThunderChallenge #Scott Tracy #Virgil Tracy #John Tracy #Gordon Tracy #Alan Tracy #oc's #muses #fic #drawings #first challenge ever!#enjoy!

56 notes · View notes

live-long-and-time-warp · 3 years

Text

It’s hard to leave your toxic friends... but it’s so worth it

I don’t normally do this, but as I sat in a Saturday morning meeting thinking about all of the things I felt this past Friday, I felt compelled to share my story.

A brief background: throughout college and for several years afterward, I considered my tight-knit group of college friends as some of my closest. In addition to my best friend of 20 years, some friends from high school, my work team, and some other dear friends scattered across the globe and throughout the U.S., this group of college friends was who I considered to be my foundation. This group of friends was extremely important to me, but it was not without its bumps in the road.

In my senior year of college, I had a falling out with one of these friends, the ringleader I’ll call her. I say this because she is quite honestly the source of 95% of my problems with this group. She is a master manipulator, and an expert gaslighter. There were a few others that contributed to this too, but she was by far the worst.

I can’t elaborate on every single thing that this person said and did over our 7 year “friendship” but a brief summary would be: asking me point blank if I thought I might be a lesbian after coming out as bi (to this friend group and in her presence, I might add) only several months prior; asking me how much money I spend on books about “Chernobyl” every month with the implication that she’s concerned about my finances; telling me that my resume may not be as impressive as I think it is (I’m the deputy director of a nonprofit with both state-based and national projects and had been for close to a year prior to this conversation); would clean up the crumbs from in front of me while I was still eating and comment on my messiness; told me that one of our mutual friends doesn’t like discussing politics with me because I get too fired up (again, I work for a nonprofit that deals with social justice); telling me that crying while comforting my friend who had just lost a loved one to suicide after they began crying was weird and that I “stole her thunder” (we were slightly drunk, I’m an empath, and she was talking about some deeply personal things that moved me and crying was my natural response... and oddly, she was appreciative of my tears because I was “the only person that actually stayed with her”); and so much more that I know I’m forgetting.

There were many other things more insidious, including gaslighting me about my inclusion in several group activities and why it should have been obvious why one friend disliked me enough to not invite me to her wedding after years of claiming cluelessness.

In our senior year, I left that friend for the first time after she humiliated me at a party by commenting loudly and with condescension on my weight. When I cut ties with her, I felt as if I had just left an abusive relationship, and for a while I didn’t want to seek a friendship with her again.

But the other friends in our group still hung out with both of us, so eventually I allowed myself to be sucked back in.

In the years after we graduated, I thought that this person had actually changed- I worked abroad for a year after college, and after returning I saw a marked difference in her demeanor and how she interacted with us. She seemed more self-aware of how her words and actions adversely affected other people, and I thought that maybe the ugliness of that horrible portion of my senior year was now just a faded scar.

But then things escalated very quickly. Over the course of several weeks at the beginning of this year, I started to feel myself questioning whether I had made the right choice in rejoining the group: I was so sure of how I felt after I left it the first time, I felt so empowered and free. So why did I allow myself to rejoin them? Was it really the right choice?

I got my answer a week after the insurrection at the Capitol. One friend who already had a history of saying hateful things about women (which I tried to put a stop to to no avail) finally went full white supremacist asshole, and instead of joining me in calling his comments unacceptable and defending me as he mansplained my job to me, the ringleader criticized me and told me that “I can work in activism and politics and be wrong”.

That’s the moment I finally woke up.

I left the chat that very moment. Every time they added me back without my consent, I left again.

Every time I got message from the ringleader that was full of gaslighting comments and false apologies, I didn’t say a word. Just deleted the message. Finally, I was able to gather the strength needed to block those toxic friends from all social media and my phone. One of these friends was someone I tried to make like me for years after I was told that she hated me for no reason, by her own admission.

Some may not agree with this approach, but I made the choice to cut contact and go radio silent on my own after consulting my friends, specifically my best friend who had been there for me during the incident my senior year.

As weeks went by, some of the true friends from that group reached out, and then immediately backed off after my polite request for space, indicating that I was welcome back at any time and they were always here for me.

The ringleader chose the opposite approach. She continued to gaslight me, made a group chat with myself, the white supremacist, and herself. She sent me messages from her second account, one that I remembered to unfriend but forgot to block. She told me that if I don’t “course correct” by a certain date she would block me on my account (too late, bro) and that “we wish you all the best”. This implies that it was on behalf of the entire group, something I know three of them would never do. However, at this point, I have had to distance myself from all of those friends so as not to give the ringleader the attention she wants from me.

I lost over half of my closest friends over night. It felt like my skeleton had been torn from my body. I considered giving in several times and reaching out to them. But now, over a month later, I understand how necessary it was to excise what was essentially a malignant tumor. The Chernobyl researcher in me wants to compare it to Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS): an unseen poison that slowly infiltrates every part of your mind and body and rots them from the inside out.

2020 was an extremely hard year for me, as it was for so many. I am so lucky and privileged to have been in the financial situation that I was and had the support of my genuine friends and family.

But it was still the worst year of my life. I have suffered from pretty bad OCD for most of my life, and while I usually keep it under control, last year it became nearly impossible to do so. I also fell very deeply into clinical depression, and worked to the point of burn out and exhaustion. The primary thoughts I had during this depression were:

“Why aren’t you working? You’re lazy.”

“You’re a failure, you’re 26 and haven’t applied to grad school yet.”

“You piece of shit, still living with your parents? What a disappointment.”

“What is wrong with you?”

It was unbearable. I’m honestly not entirely sure how I survived it, but I think a certain 3-year-old goddaughter of mine and a few close, real friends had something to do with it.

I worked very hard with my friends, a therapist, and a psychiatrist to overcome this depression and get my OCD back under control. Now, I feel like such a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I still have depression, and the OCD will always be with me (like a bad habit... literally?); but I am so much more happy with myself and my life, as I should be.

And I am very, very, very well aware that therapy was not the only reason I have recently begun feeling this way. It’s very hard to see that you’re being manipulated while it’s happening. Because of my trusting nature, sometimes manipulative comments would be interpreted as heartfelt guidance.

It wasn’t until I started the journey away from them that I saw just how much this group and their negativity (because even the best of them weren’t always the kindest) impacted my mental health.

The event that made me want to share this story is this: yesterday was a rough work day. As a full-time community organizer, I am pretty much burnt out all of the time. Breaks are taken, but with projects addressing issues from COVID relief to systemic racism and police brutality, it never feels like enough.

I had to officially take a step back as a sole lead on an annual event that I organized for two years, and it was gut-wrenching.

Now, I cry often, but I don’t usually get to have therapeutic cries. You know what I mean? Like, as you cry, all of the tension that built up in your body by negative feelings is finally being released with every breath and sob?

Well, the dam finally broke in a team meeting on Friday. I started sobbing and couldn’t stop. And my colleagues were so, so kind. They let me vent, they let me cry, they would not accept my apologies for crying. They told me that I was strong for setting up boundaries, and that they were here for me.

We spent a lot of time at the end of the meeting each talking about our self-care routines. And as I sit here typing this, I am actively trying not to cry at the purity of their support.

This experience has taught me what real friends are. Real friends do not put limitations on your emotions and fears.

Real friends do not give you deadlines for processing your feelings.

Real friends do not criticize you for things that, while they may not agree with, do not affect anyone’s health or marginalize anyone.

Real friends don’t marginalize vulnerable communities.

Real friends help and support you with constructive criticism (when it’s asked for) and love, not patronization and manipulation.

I thought I knew all of these things before, but I know now that I am still learning... and that that is perfectly okay. I don’t regret most of the times we shared together. I am appreciative of the positive memories that their friendships gave me.

Three of the friends in this group are actually good people, and maybe one day when the dust is settled I’ll reach out to them and establish one-on-one friendships with them (if they want to).

And I have to thank my real friends, including @tryingtobealwaystrying, for all saying the exact same thing: you deserve so much happiness and fuck all of those guys.

So, the point of this post is to tell everyone this: you can leave your toxic friends. It’s incredibly difficult, stressful, and honestly traumatizing. And there’s no shame in needing time or feeling unable to leave those friends now. There’s also no shame in returning to those friends.

But please know, from this nerd to the reader: anyone that makes you feel any less than the beautiful, amazing human being you are and doesn’t want to help you become an even better human on your own terms is not a true friend. They don’t deserve you or the light you can bring into their lives.

And every agonizing step away from those friends is a step closer to a happier, healthier life.

#toxic frienship #mental health #living with ocd #depression #storytime

7 notes · View notes

the-black-fox · 4 years

Text

Alfred´s birthday chapter two:

Marinette slowly woke up with a smile on her beautiful features as she listened to her parents sing to her with a melodious and soft voice "Happy Birthday".

When the song ended and she was completely awake she got out of bed to be received by her parents who gave her a warm embrace and many kisses.

While her mother spoke up-

“Happy birthday my sweet child, your father and I will be downstairs serving the breakfast while you change, so don't take too long to be ready.”

As after soon her parents left, Marinette washed her face, styled her hair and put on a pretty dress as fast as she could and once she was ready she paused for a moment to look at the Kwamis who after all were still sleeping peacefully.

Those little gods who had provided her with so much support and advice when she had become the Guardian of the Miraculous so suddenly and at an age where she still had so many questions and so very few answers. She felt really happy to have meet and come to love them all in her life.

Apparently she had stayed a long time thinking about the Kwamis because her mother was calling her again, she was about to answer “comin mom” but she realized that maybe the noise would wake up the kawamis so she just rushed down the stairs.

When she arrived at the dining room, her parents were waiting for her with gift boxes and an appetizing breakfast, so without delay she sat down and began to eat, leaving the gifts for after the food.

Breakfast was filled with laughter and embarrassing memories from when she was still an infant. And also her gift was an amazing drawing quit.

However, in the end she was surprised that her father had put a cake on the table, because they always cut the cake at night.

Her doubt was quickly resolved when her father said -

“Sweetie, your mom and I were requested to make three wedding cakes so we may not be able to get out of the kitchen for the entire day so we would like to cut the cake now that we can.”

When she saw the fear of disappointing her in her father's eyes and the doubt in his voice, Marinette smiled like an angel and with an understanding voice she said

“Dad, Mom, please don't worry, I have also had commissions {and duties as ladybug } that have made me miss activities with you or my friends, so let's enjoy this little free time that we have together.”

After that, they cut the cake and her parents embraced her and told her that they couldn't ask for a better daughter than her.

When Marinette went up to her room she was wrapped in a hug formed by the little Kwamis that began to sing to different versions of happy birthday in different languages, while other kwamis were bringing her a cake from...wait was that a portal, Oh well, never mind.

After tikki had finished giving her little speech, it was time to eat the cake that the kwamis had baked. Marinette had no worries since she knew that many of them know how to cook and that Tikki knew what she liked, so while the kwamis looked at her with pride, she proceeded to blow the candles and cut a slice of the cake.

To be honest, the cake was gorgeously decorated with small and complex patterns, impossible for a human hand to make but a game for the paws of the kwamis and as for its taste it was something unique and exotic, it had so many combinations of flavors and textures that she would never have imagined possible.

In a few words, the cake was something spectacular.

All the kwamis cheer to the reaction that their cake caused.And without further ado, all of them served themselves a slices of cake, eager to dig in.

The rest of the day marinette received a video call from her Nona, Adrian and several phone calls from her aunt and uncles but none from her friends. However she was not worried at all, because it was a tradition to throw her a surprise party every 2 or 3 years.

Seeing that she had nothing to do, Marinette transformed herself into her alter ego and sit on the roofs of Paris to patiently wait for her friends to call her.

A call that she waited till the sky became completely dark and the clock on her yo-yo struck 10 o'clock.

Only then she understood a heartbreaking truth, that this time her friends had really forgotten about her, not like years ago that they would only pretend to forget her on her birthday to only surprise her.

And slowly but surely she felt fat tears fall from her eyes. She heard footsteps behind her and then felt an embrace from familiar arms.

When she turned slightly around to greet the person that was hugging her,

her eyes met a pair of green, cat-shaped eyes.

“Maribug, what's the problem? Plagg told me this afternoon that you were very happy this morning.”

Upon seeing that Adrian was really worried about her, she began to explain what was making her so sad.-

“My friends forgot me chaton, at the beginning I thought they were throwing me a surprise party but when the clock struck ten and nobody had called me, I understood that they had really forgot me”

“Maribug if there is one lesson that I have learned in all these years it´s that people sometimes forget about other people, things or even themselves, simply because they have too many thoughts or too much work to do.”

“Why are you telling me this chat?.”

“Because this morning I saw Nino while I was doing my photo shoot and he told me that since Paris is free from Hawk Moth, he is now able to make music the way he used to, and even a wave of ideas for new music has come to him after so many years of suppressing most of his emotions. And I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of our friends are doing the same.”

After the conversation chat wished her a happy birthday and a good night.

The whole night Marinette kept thinking about Adrian's words, after all they were true, her friends were resuming activities that they had stopped doing for fear of becoming akumatized and perhaps it was true that in their emotion they had forgotten about the rest of the world.

Maybe she should do the same. Focus on herself and take a little break from everything.

When Marinette saw through her window that it was almost morning and that there was no longer any point in trying to sleep she, went downstairs to have breakfast and take a little walk in the park to stretch her legs.

When she was walking through the park, she decided to sit for a minute to contemplate the beauty of the morning.

Everything was going well, until she saw a person entering the park, and as she turned to have a good look of the man, her eyes were met with a familiar pair of blue eyes.

Thank you very much all of you for your support and positive messages.

If you find any grammar mistakes or anything please comment it and I will change it and remember all the constructive criticism is welcome.

I am going to do a little bonus about this chapter that will be posted throughout the week

tag list open

@mochegato @scorchdragon88 @mystery-5-5 @maribat-is-lifeblood @schrodingers25 @moonlightstar64 @i-will-be-your-ace @fsketchart @damianette-is-life @maribat-central @queen-in-a-flower-crown

#Alfred's birthday #daminette #timinette #jasonette #dickinette #maribat

84 notes · View notes

surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

Text

Survey #328

okay i’m going the fuck to bed now. @_@

Have you ever worn fake eyelashes? No; the only time I ever will will possibly be my wedding, if even then. Could you possibly write a successful novel? I think I'm capable, but I don't believe it will happen. Who’s the last person you video-chatted with? My therapy group via Zoom. Do ski lifts make you nervous or do you like them? Never been in one, but they seem cool. Have you ever had dandruff? I have dandruff AND a dry scalp. Nice combo. Do you think sleeve tattoos look trashy? Please explain to me how ANY tattoo inherently equates to being "trashy." I actually love sleeve tats. Have you ever gone through a phase of crushing on EVERYONE? No. I experienced a few crushes my freshman year of high school, but they weren't just anybody. If you had to get a portrait tattoo, who would it be of? I may or may not get a tattoo of Darkiplier doing his i c o n i c debut smile somewhere, but idk. I already have one tattoo related to Mark and would kill for another with his handwriting, so having three would be a bit... wild, haha. Do you have any stickers on any of your electronic devices? No. Do you like the smell of men’s colognes better than woman’s perfumes? Usually. Can you remember what you last clapped for? Yes; everyone in group clapped for one of the women taking a big step against her agoraphobia. Is your hair damaged? No, it's actually super healthy. Are you in charge of cleaning anything in your household? The litterbox and my room in general. Ever carved/written anything on a park bench? No. Most interesting place you’ve ever visited? Chicago was a big shock to me. I am FAR from used to cities that incredible and stocked. Do you keep your eyebrows more thick or thin? I don't groom them, so they're on the thicker end. Do you always wear a bra? Not at home and if there's no company. Do your shoulder blades protrude? No. Have you ever won on one of those grabber machine things? Yeah, a few times. Are you gonna French kiss your hubby at your wedding? Who says I'm marrying a man? But whatever, no. Keep that behind closed doors. How many bananas have you ever eaten in a row? No more than two. I usually don't even have two. Have you ever had sex outside? No. Have you ever been outside naked? No. Have you ever been in a shrubbery maze? No. You ever like someone who liked you back, but didn’t want a relationship?: That's pretty much where I'm at now. Have you ever fallen for someone who didn’t feel the same? No. Are you financially stable? No. Mom can barely afford rent right now; I had to pay it last month with gifted money. Are you emotionally stable? hunny Do you think kids these days are growing up too quickly? I kinda think so, yeah. It's funny how different kids are now compared to when I was whatever age they are. I try to be open-minded about it, though; times change, and I don't expect my generation to be the only "right" way to have grown up. I just think kids are chasing the power of "maturity" with much more vigor. Are you a rebel? Not really. Do you like when people use proper grammar on the Internet? Yeah. I like conversing with people who type just how they talk, like me. Have you ever driven or been a passenger on a motorcycle? Neither. I don't want to ride one. Do you use standard time, or 24 hour time? Standard time. Do you enjoy NASCAR? "HE'S MAKIN ANOTHER LEFT TURRRRRRN!" Lol no, I really don't. Who is the most fascinating person you’ve met? Probably Sara, honestly. What amazing adventures have you been on? What's this "adventure" you speak of? What would you do if had enough money to not need a job? Lots of traveling with my camera, still selling art anyway. What TV series do you keep coming back to and re-watching? None. What would your perfect vacation look like? Y'know, one of those glass dome ceiling cabin... things in the mountains with Sara would be so, SO cool. So much nature for us to explore. What are some obscure things that you are or were really into? Most of my interests honestly, haha. The strangest is probably "vulture culture," in which the remains (typically the bones) of a naturally deceased wild animal are basically recycled for some sort of artistic purpose. You could consider my roadkill photography an example. What are some things everyone should try at least once? I dunno, man. Depends on what you're into. What would your perfect morning be like? Cuddles with an s/o watching some funny videos or something like that to get in some morning laughter. What are you always game for? Video games, haha. What do you do to unwind? Watch YouTube. What’s your favorite piece of furniture you’ve ever owned? I don't have a fave. What would be the best city to live in? I don't want to live in a city. What would you like to know more about, but haven’t had the time to look into it? Time isn't an issue; I just haven't. There's lots of stuff. I'm a very curious person. How have you changed from when you were in high school? I'm less depressed, but more confused, scared, and much less motivated. Imagine a chicken wandering around with its head chopped off. Where is the most fun place around where you live? Nothing, really... Where would your friends or family be most surprised to find you? Like, a strip club or something. What’s expensive but totally worth it? This depends on what's important to you. For me, a quality DSLR camera. When do you feel most out of place? Whenever I'm some place fancy. What’s the most recent thing you’ve done for the first time? No idea. What small seemingly insignificant decision had a massive impact on your life? Accepting Jason's friend request on Facebook because I thought it was a different Jason I actually knew. What did you do last summer? Nothing, just stayed indoors trying not to melt into a sizzling puddle. What are you most grateful for? My mom. What’s the most essential part of a friendship? Trust, maybe. When was the last time you walked for more than an hour? Many, many years ago when I used to walk outside for hours with my iPod. All modesty aside, what are you better at than 90% of people? It doesn’t have to be useful or serious, it can be something ridiculous. 90% is a lot, man. Maybe bonding with animals? What’s the strangest phone conversation you’ve ever had? I don’t know. What do you like but are kind of embarrassed to admit? If I'm embarrassed by it, I have no interest in sharing it. What skill or ability have you always wanted to learn? Even just a smidge of social skills. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Probably the spicy shrimp fritas at Olive Garden. I adore those sooooooooo so much. Where was your favorite place to go when you were a kid? The zoo. We didn't go often at all, but I would frequently nag Mom about going. What’s something that most people haven’t done, but you have? Fed a freshly severed rat to a vulture. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I wanna go back to that bird rescue... What says the most about a person? How they treat others. What machine or appliance in your house aggravates you the most? The dryer. It can take a few rounds to fully dry something. What places have you visited that exceeded your expectations? Chicago, that I actually remember. Disney World probably did, but I was just a little kid and only have faint memories of the trip. What’s the worst advice someone has given you? I don't know. Besides your home and your work, where do you spend most of your time? People leave their houses? What are your top 3 favorite things to talk about? Mark, meerkats, and video games. When you were a kid, what seemed like the best thing about being a grown up? No one could tell me no for "stupid" reasons. What’s the strangest way you’ve become friends with someone? Strange way? I haven't got a clue. What’s your favorite band NAME (not necessarily your favorite band)? Maybe Cradle of Filth. Badass metal name. There are a lot of good ones, though. What’s your favorite thing to do outdoors? Take pictures of flowers or animals. How often do you dance? Silly/ironic dancing counts. Essentially never. Who besides your parents taught you the most about life? Jason, I guess. What’s been the most significant plot twist in your own life? The breakup that I thought was physically impossible, entirely unfathomable. Where did you take family vacations to when you were younger? We didn't really go on vacations. If you could instantly receive a Ph.D. in any discipline including all the knowledge and experience that goes along with it, what would your Ph.D. be in? Biology. What are the top three social situations you try to avoid most? Anywhere where I have to speak publicly; parties/get-togethers involving people I don't know; anywhere that is extremely crowded. Just social situations in general, really... What friendship you’ve had has impacted you the most? My friendship with Sara. What’s something you’re interested in that most people wouldn’t expect? Uhhh I don't know, really. What’s the hardest you’ve worked for something? My recovery from the breakup. What took you way too long to figure out? The only person who had any right to control my happiness and will to live was myself. What nicknames have you had throughout your life? If you include online ones as well, there's Britt, Britt-Britt, Twinkie, Bee, Flower, Ruby, Mozart2, Ozz(y), Alessa, and uhhh... I wanna say that's it? What do you do differently than most people? I deconstruct my breakfast biscuits to eat one part at a time... haha. Where’s the last place you’d ever go? Prison. What fact floored you when you heard it? That my dad did some hard drugs before us kids were born. I was entirely speechless. Have you ever watched a needle go into your own skin? Yeah, it doesn't bother me. Have you ever spent more than two weeks in a wheelchair? No. Does weed smell good? Or no? Ugh, no. It smells awful. Do you blow dry your hair or do you let it air out? Air dry. Do you catch lizards? No; I don't like the idea of catching wild animals just to pick up and check out. That poor critter is terrified. I'd rather just take pictures of it and let it go about its day. Would you rather get a big tattoo or small tattoo? I want my next tattoo to be a big'n. How many pills do you take every morning? I absolutely do not want to count. A whole lot. What was the last parade you went to? /shrug What theme would you choose for a baby’s nursery? If I was hypothetically having kids, let's see. A son, absolutely dinosaurs. A daughter, maybe meadowy with baby animals. My baby blanket was full of baby animals, so it'd be kinda cute, that connection. What color would you paint a baby girl’s nursery? Not because of gender norms, but by personal choice, pastel pink. Does your first crush know that he/she was your first crush? No. What is the last thing you missed out on that you wanted to go to? Hm. Who do you wish were your best friend? I am perfectly happy with who already is my best friend. Who do you wish you could go on another date with? She knows. Who was the last friend of yours to have a baby, and what’s the baby’s name? I'm not sure, but my high school friend Megan is due to have her daughter Persephone soon! She won the naming game. Like damn, how badass would it feel for your name to be Persephone. Do you have a favorite M&M? Just the classic ones. Is it easy to make you cry? OHHHHH YES IT IS. Have you ever snuck out? Nah. Who was the last person to comment you? On Facebook? My friend Lyndsey commented on a photo I shared. What song reminds you of being in middle school? "All Signs Point to Lauderdale" by A Day To Remember is the anthem for going through puberty in school and trying to figure yourself out. What was the first thing you learned how to cook? Scrambled eggs. What’s something really basic that you’re terrible at? Cooking. Are you pale or tan? I'm very pale. When’s the last time you were kissed? On the lips, like two or so years ago. Do you like the movie Grease? Never seen it, actually. What’s your favorite Jim Carrey movie? The Mask, probably. What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild? I think a fawn. Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what? No. What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe? I meeeaaan... Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? Yes and yes. If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? Well, it's complicated. I don't, but I also want to be a freelance photographer, so I kinda would. I like the idea of having an office in my house purely for productive activities to prevent becoming lazy because I'd be at home. Would you ever be an organ donor? I am one.

#survey #surveys #questions

3 notes · View notes

mackinmacki · 4 years

Text

A Night in Shining Armor (White Rose Week #7)

Fandom: RWBY

Pairing: White Rose

Word Count: 8211

Rating: K+

Synopsis: Ruby, a runner on the track team, has to run in circles to understand why in the world Weiss wants to meet with her.

Prompt: The Princess and Her Knight

Links: No links. I don’t really like this one

—————————————————————————————————

While she was still in middle school, Ruby had expected high school to be a crazy adventure. Hearing about it from her big sister Yang led her to believe that things would be so much different than they were then. There were going to be harder assignments, wilder parties, and students occasionally getting into fights in the hallways. Back then, she wasn't sure if she was more nervous or excited. Once she made it to high school, she realized that choosing between those two emotions was foolhardy. Way too often, she felt both in equal amounts.

However, that would all be in the near future. First she had to get through her freshman year, which was incredibly deceptive, considering what was soon to follow. Sure, the assignments were harder, but not by that much. It was probably because it was only the first year of her high school life, but it was still a noteworthy... note.

Still, her freshman year didn't give her that many problems. She got through her coursework with relative ease, though at least she had Yang to help her when things got too tough. Eventually she found herself drawn to a shop class, having always loved working with her hands. She even tried out for the track team, becoming a rare freshman on the Knights, which was the school's mascot. As it turned out, running away from her middle school bullies gave her a lot of strength in her legs.

So her first year passed without many problems. She even made a couple of friends, which was surprising for someone who had always been incredibly socially awkward. When her big sister was her only friend, it was obvious that there was a problem. The fact that she actually had people to hang out with that weren't just her sister and her dad made her feel super accomplished. Maybe Yang had just been blowing smoke up her butt with the whole craziness aspect of high school. Things were actually going pretty well for her! She hadn't even seen a single hallway fight. Oh, how naive she was...

Pretty much the moment her sophomore year started, all the craziness that Yang had told her to expect seemed to hit her at once. It just so happened that it wasn't anything close to what she had been told. There were no fights, secret drug deals, or impossible essays to tackle. Instead, she had to deal with something she never, never ever never expected: someone hitting on her. Even more shocking was the person who was hitting on her. Was she really supposed to believe that the Weiss Schnee was attracted to her?

How did she know who Weiss Schnee was? Well, who didn't, honestly? Her family only ran the biggest precious gemstone company - the Schnee Diamond Company - in the entire nation. The wedding band her dad wore was from one of their stores. All the big, richy rich people had their diamonds on their fingers, or in the ears, or on a necklace. It was a status symbol to wear something made by the SDC, though she personally had never cared about that. She wasn't much of a jewelry girl. Not that it was a bad thing. She could see the appeal, but it just wasn't for her. It didn't fit her style.

So yeah, she knew who Weiss was. She remembered Yang mentioning her a couple of times at home, though never in a flattering light. Apparently she was a prissy, bitchy princess who flaunted her wealth and looked down on everyone who wasn't as cool and rich as her. Ruby could admit that it colored her opinion on Weiss a bit. She knew it wasn't right to judge someone without getting to know them, but when would they ever talk to one another? They were separated by two grades and a huge amount of social status. How wrong she turned out to be...

It started after a track practice late in the fall. She had recently celebrated her sixteenth birthday and was feeling pretty good about herself. She'd been used to spending her birthdays with just her dad and sister, always slinking off into her room to stare at a picture of her mom and wish she could let her know that she was making her proud. This time, however, she had been too distracted to be contemplative and sad. Her new friends, Jaune and Nora, were a bundle of fun, and she had spent her entire birthday in stitches. She had to say that she had never had a better birthday in all her sixteen years. Not that she'd had a lot of birthdays, but still.

Anyway, she was getting off track. This was about Weiss. Okay, so she had finished up at track practice, and she was preparing to meet Yang in the parking lot to get a ride home. Their family wasn't well off enough to have cars for all three of them. Yang was lucky enough to get one of her own, even if it was old and a bit of a hunk-of-junk kinda deal. Doubly lucky, she often stayed after school for sports, so that allowed Ruby to hitch a ride with her rather than take the bus. As important as public transportation was, she didn't like the thought of being on one with lots of people all around her. Once was enough...

Wait, she was getting off track again. She couldn't help it: her mind was constantly bouncing from tangent to tangent, often growing into something well beyond the starting point. It was one of her weaknesses, admittedly. She had a lot of those, but anyway... So, the big thing was that she had a setting on her phone that let her accept random messages from people whose phone signals were near hers. She liked to let her friends drop funny memes onto her phone, but those were the only things she would ever get. So it came as a shock when she got something from a new sender.

'Meet me behind the willow tree in fifteen minutes.' The words were written very neatly in pen across the arm of a slender girl. After admiring how amazingly that was written on skin, then wondering who the heck had sent her it, she looked up to match eyes with none other than Weiss Schnee. They just stared at each other, confusion rampant all over Ruby's face. Then Weiss lifted up her arm, showing that something was written on it. Though the distance obscured them, Ruby knew exactly what it was. After that, Weiss walked away, ostensibly to head to the willow tree in question.

She watched Weiss walk away, staring after her like a dummy. The rest of the track team left the field, leaving her standing alone as if having been turned into a statue. She looked down at her phone, wondering if she was mistaken. Maybe that hadn't been Weiss, and some random girl had sent her a picture of her arm. Why would anyone send her something like that regardless, though? What did it mean? Well, there was only one way to find out...

First she had to text Yang and let her know that she was going to be staying longer, and that she should head home without her. Waiting for the bus was something she was already dreading, but she wasn't sure she wanted Yang to know what was going on. If she was actually going to meet Weiss, then she knew her sister wouldn't approve. There'd be enough idle chat about what a bitch Weiss was that her saying she was going to talk to her would start blaring the alarm bells.

To be fair, there were alarm bells going off in her head as well. All she knew about Weiss was what had been told to her by the people she was closest with. None of it was any good. That should have had her scampering to the safety of Yang's car, ignoring the strange, sudden advances of a girl she had never spoken to. Not only that, but Weiss was clearly leagues above her in every aspect. What would make her want to strike up a conversation with her? Again, no idea, but still one way to find out.

With everyone having left the premises, Ruby was left alone to head over to the willow tree. It was the only tree of its kind, standing sadly just outside of the track. While she walked towards it, she felt a bout of nerves taking over her body. What was going to happen? Were they actually going to have a conversation, or was she being pranked? What would they talk about anyway? Why couldn't Weiss have just written everything out on her arm?

She stopped right in front of the tree, taking a deep breath. Then she took another, which made her whole body shake. This felt like a bad idea. Maybe she was in a movie where she was walking right into a trap, and she was about to live out her final moments. What a way to go, honestly. She wasn't even wearing anything cool: just her red Knights track shirt and a pair of black shorts. This was the exact reason why the school should allow her to carry her pocket knife on her person.

"You know I can hear you breathing, right?" Ruby jumped, startled by the sound of Weiss talking from behind the tree. "Are you going to come over here or what?" Feeling mighty sheepish, Ruby scurried around the tree to come face to face with Weiss. Throwing everything she had been told about her to the side, she had to admit that Weiss looked very nice. Her stark-white hair was tied up in a ponytail, looking so pure and clean. She must take a lot better care of her hair than Ruby did. Maybe she and Yang would have something to talk about.

"Sorry, uh..." She dug the toe of her boot into the grass, feeling and looking the part of the awkward sophomore she was. Weiss put a hand on her hip, standing there in an outfit as white as her hair. She was wearing a dress that fluffed out just above her ankles, trimmed with a pretty light blue lace around the hem. Though her arms would always be uncovered in that situation, they were currently covered by the jacket that she was wearing. It honestly floored her how stunning Weiss looked. She was absolutely gorgeous: like the prettiest porcelain doll that would break if she touched it too hard. "Hi?"

"Is that all you have to say? 'Hi'?" The lack of a response seemed to annoy Weiss, who put both her hands on her hips and stared Ruby down. It made her feel small, which was funny, considering the two of them were practically the same height despite the heels Weiss had on. "I invited you over here to speak to you, and all you have to say is hi? I expected better from you."

"I, uh, don't know what you expected from me." Ruby laughed awkward, tapping her toes up and down in her boots. She felt like she was being interrogated, and that just made her nerves jump up to eleven. "I'm sorry, though? Uhm..." She bit down on her lip, thinking of what she was supposed to do. Then she stuck out her hand, trying to put on a smile. "Hey there, I'm Ruby Rose. It's nice to actually meet you." Was it, though? She wasn't sure yet, but it seemed like the polite thing to say.

"I know who you are. I've been watching you at practice." A light blush appeared on Weiss's face, which threw Ruby for a loop. Then she was completely composed again, as if she hadn't felt a moment of embarrassment. "I also know that you know who I am. Everyone does." There was another change in her demeanor when she said that. If Ruby didn't know any better, she would have sworn she saw a touch of sadness in Weiss's eyes. Then it was gone, leaving her wondering if she had just imagined it.

"Uh, yeah, that's... that's true." She looked down to see her fingers flexing around, and quickly shoved them in her pockets. This was exactly why it had been so hard for her to make friends for so long. She was awkward as all hell, and the other kids would rather find friends that weren't so weird. "Why did you want to talk to me? I, uh... I didn't know you were watching our practices." She could see the words still written on Weiss's arm.

"I came to watch a friend," Weiss admitted, moving her arms up to cross them beneath her chest. "You run pretty well yourself, though. Some of the others could learn from you." Her eyes widened at the compliment. Was Weiss actually praising her for something? Her voice was so judgmental, yet she could somehow just feel that she was being legitimate. She supposed she ought to thank her for the compliment.

"Thank you, Weiss. I, uh, guess running away from bullies was good for something." As soon as the words left her lips, she knew she had said too much. Actually, she'd figured that while saying it, but it was too late to stop herself from continuing to speak. She immediately shut up, her face lighting up as she wondered how easy time travel would be to accomplish in that situation -- just to go back a few seconds and say something that wasn't that.

"I see." Normally, that sort of dismissive answer would send Ruby's heart right down into her shoes. However, there was something about Weiss's eyes that caught her attention. Not that it was hard for that to happen, since her eyes were so blue and so captivating. Besides that, though, she felt that there was a sort of familiarity there as well. Like Weiss knew exactly what she was talking about. "Well, I'm sorry that happened to you."

"It's okay." The longer their conversation went on, the more awkward she felt. It wasn't that she was hating speaking to Weiss. This wasn't as bad as Yang had made it out to be. However, everything felt so stiff that she could feel the silences drilling into her body. It made her want to keep speaking to break the tension, but continuing to talk just made it worse. She was in a lose-lose situation. "So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I saw you running on the track and I thought you looked cute." Well, out of everything that happened so far, that was the one that came from the furthest section of left field. Ruby sputtered, eyes wide as saucers as she stared at Weiss in shock. Had she really said that?! "Don't like so surprised. I'm sure you've been told that you look cute before." Ruby didn't want to answer that, instead ducking her head and looking very awkward. "Ah, well, then consider me the first to say it."

"Why, though?" She wasn't sure it was right to ask why Weiss was calling her cute, but she couldn't stop herself. It was something she just had to know. "Why are you talking to me? Why are you calling me cute? I mean, you're one of the coolest girls in school, and I'm just..." She shrugged, pointing at herself. "... me, you know?"

"First off, I'm the coolest girl in school." That gave Ruby so much whiplash she almost laughed out loud. Luckily, she held that back. "Secondly, I'm allowed to talk with whoever I want. If I want to speak with you, then I will." She put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. "Hopefully we can have more conversations together. You should be less awkward about them in the future, though."

"I'll try?" Was that supposed to sound as condescending as it did? That was more like the Weiss she had heard about. "Uh, I guess we can." She felt weird being noncommittal towards having conversations with someone. There weren't enough friends in her contacts to be picky, and this was someone who was super cool and super pretty. Who wouldn't want to be her friend? There was just something about the whole scenario that made her feel uneasy. "Hey, uh, I should probably get going. I have to catch the bus."

"There's no need for that. I can drive you home." Weiss waved Ruby off, looking so elegant while doing it. "Besides, public transportation is so dirty. You should just get a car." Ruby wanted to say that she couldn't afford to have a car, and that she also didn't even have a driver's license, but she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut. "Will you take me up on my offer?"

"Uh, well..." She was of two minds there. On one hand, she was feeling a bit odd with how Weiss was speaking to her. It was complimentary, but there were certain things that rubbed her the wrong way. She was also super confused about why this was happening in the first place. It was like a fever dream more than anything. On the other hand, she really didn't want to take the bus, and she also didn't believe that Weiss would do anything to harm her. Plus, she was pretty... "Sure, if... if you don't mind."

"If I minded, I wouldn't have suggested it. Now come on, let's go." Without another word, Weiss left the shelter of the tree and headed for the parking lot. For a moment, Ruby just stood there, watching Weiss and struggling to decide what she should do. This was turning out to be the weirdest afternoon of her life, and she truly wasn't sure how to proceed. Finally, with a shake of her head, she ran after Weiss.

Weiss had a very nice car. Considering how rich she was, it shouldn't have been surprising, but it still made her jaw drop. It was the kind of car she'd expect to see in some movie as a promotional deal, not in the hands of a high schooler. Of course, Weiss wasn't any normal high schooler. It was also spotless, which made her wonder how often Weiss got it cleaned.

"Are you going to stand out there and admire my car all day?" Snapping out of her daze, she found the passenger side window down, with Weiss looking at her with a slightly amused expression. When had she even gotten in the car? Blushing slightly, she hurriedly opened the door and got inside. Once she shut the door and put on her seatbelt, Weiss drove them out of the parking lot.

"So, uh... who's your friend on the track team?" Ruby was terrible at small talk. That was Yang's strong suit. If she wasn't having a conversation where the parties were getting directly to the point, she struggled greatly at coming up with something to say. It had been that way for her entire life. That was probably why she had no friends for so long. Well, that and the fact that she couldn't stay still for more than a few seconds.

"Pyrrha Nikos. I'm sure you're aware of who she is as well." No duh! Pyrrha was only the biggest athlete in the entire school. She had always thought Yang was the best athlete in the world, but then she met Pyrrha and saw what she could do. Every sport she was involved in, she succeeded. Her skills seemed to transcend the realm of even the best athletes, and she would run circles around them in every sense of the phrase. She had made sure to never mention this to Yang, lest her feelings get hurt.

"Of course! She's only the best runner on the team. I hope I can be half as good at her at some point." She was fast, but Pyrrha made her look like a snail. Her legs were so long, and she took the longest, most incredible strides. When it came to short sprints, Pyrrha beat her no matter how fast she went. Longer runs were no contest, as she seemed to have stamina for days. She knew how to pace herself, and those that passed her ended up in the dust every time. No exceptions.

"She's quite the athlete," Weiss agreed, turning the radio on to some classical station. It wasn't Ruby's cup of tea, but she wasn't going to say anything. After all, it wasn't her car, so she didn't get to choose the music unless granted permission. "I've known her for years, and she's always been that athletic. She's already getting scholarship offers from plenty of colleges. I just hope she takes my advice and takes one from the school with the highest education levels. Athletics only last you so long."

"I suppose." She had heard that before, and it was always from non-athletes. Of course, she didn't consider herself an athlete, despite her own talents. She actually didn't know what to call herself. Sometimes it felt like she was a bit of everything, yet not enough of it to truly be anything. Having a moment of self-doubt in Weiss's passenger seat wasn't what she had expected to happen that day. "She's really good, though." That was all she knew to say. She wasn't sure where else to take the conversation, and she just prayed for it to end.

"Mm..." Weiss didn't seem to know where to take the conversation either, which was a relief. She didn't have to feel bad about falling silent, but that didn't stop her from still feeling awkward. It seemed like she should fill in the silence with conversation, but what was she supposed to say? Again, this wasn't her strong suit. Maybe if Weiss wanted to ask her about track, or how to disassemble and reassemble a pistol, she could regale her with those tales. That didn't seem like something a pretty princess like Weiss would be interested in, though.

When they stopped at a stoplight, Ruby noticed Weiss looking at her. It felt like she was sizing her up, her eyes wandering up and down her body. She felt a shudder go through her body, wondering what exactly Weiss was doing. Why was she looking at her like that? It felt predator: lustful, even. No, wait, no, that was weird. There was no way Weiss was looking at her like that! She shouldn't be thinking such things.

It didn't leave her mind, though. Even when they continued to drive, the silence just let her think about how Weiss had looked at her. She didn't have any experience in those kinds of things. Sex ed classes had taught her enough, and whatever romance scenes that showed up in Yang's action movies filled in the blanks. So she was inexperienced, but not oblivious. Still, she wanted to believe that inexperience would make her believe that Weiss wasn't looking at her like a piece of meat. They didn't even know each other!

The rest of the way, she kept glancing at Weiss, trying to see if she was randomly staring at her. Several times, she did catch Weiss staring, and it always caught her off guard. She never saw Weiss act embarrassed about it, though. There was no dusting of pink on her cheeks, or stammered words to try and fill the air with conversation. Maybe she was the only one who was nervous, or maybe she was just making it all up. Weiss might just be looking at her, wondering why she had let such a weirdo into her car, and she was just narcissistic thinking about someone as hot as Weiss looking at her like that.

There were no more words passed between them until they got to Ruby's house. All there was to listen to was the radio and the accented voice of the GPS as it led Weiss in the right direction. Ruby felt a surge of relief when she saw her house coming into view. Maybe if she went to bed early, she would wake up and everything would be back to normal. She would be in her normal life, with her normal social circle, and it would all be okay. Shows what she knew.

Weiss stopped the car in front of Ruby's house, putting it in park. She didn't unlock the doors, though. Ruby could have obviously unlocked them herself, but something about Weiss's lack of effort kept her there. Weiss was looking at her funny again. It was the same look that she'd seen at the light. That look in her eyes... If she had started licking her lips, it would've just been overkill.

Suddenly, Weiss had her seatbelt unbuckled and she was upon her. Her eyes widened as Weiss's lips pressed against hers, her hands going straight for her wrists. She felt frozen in place, unable to move, unable to reciprocate or reject. It was as if she was having an out of body experience, watching her stupid, frozen self get kissed out of nowhere by the prettiest, richest girl in the entire school. This couldn't be her life. It had to be someone else who just so happened to look like her. Maybe it was her secret twin, Sapphire Tulip.

"Are you going to sit there like a dolt or kiss me back?" Weiss moved away from her lips, just enough to admonish her for her inactivity. That didn't give her a lot of time to make a proper decision: none, in fact. So she just nodded, unsure of what to say. There was a slight smile on Weiss's face as she leaned back in to kiss her, and this time Ruby kissed her back.

Weiss's lips tasted minty fresh, like she had just chewed some gum just for that moment. Maybe she had, and Ruby just hadn't noticed. Her lips were cool as well, a nice compliment to any hot day. Of course, that didn't stop her own body from feeling like it was on fire. Her first kiss had her burning up inside, especially because of who it was. Weiss, the Weiss, was kissing her. She had initiated the kiss, and what else was she supposed to do but kiss her back? Life was all flipped, turned upside down, and all she could do was let gravity do its thing.

In the midst of their kissing, Weiss slipped a hand beneath her shirt and started fondling her toned stomach. That immediately freaked Ruby out, enough to where she stopped reciprocating Weiss's kiss. However, Weiss continued to kiss her, pressing their lips together furiously until she was drawn back into the magic of Weiss's minty breath. She couldn't stop herself from letting out a little whimper as Weiss's slender fingers danced up and down her stomach. Was this happening? Were they going to do... you know, it? Right there in the car?!

"You're not a bad kisser. Was that your first time?" Weiss pulled away from Ruby's lips, looking in her eyes with an unwavering stare. Her hand stayed under Ruby's shirt, stroking circles around her stomach. It made Ruby feel uncomfortable, yet gave her a strange thrill that she wasn't sure how to explain. She wanted to tell Weiss that she didn't understand what was happening, but on the inside she wanted Weiss to leave her hand there as long as she wanted. Since she was having trouble speaking, her internal desires won out.

"Mhm," she replied meekly, looking down at the bulge in her shirt. If Weiss's hand went up any higher, then she'd be able to feel her heart pounding in her chest. Of course, she'd be feeling more than that, and Ruby was sure that she couldn't survive that. Weiss removed her hand after that, allowing Ruby to sit there in a daze. She reached down to where the cigarette lighter was in her dad's car, but instead there was a thin tube of lipstick. Flipping down her visor, she looked at her reflection in the mirror and started reapplying her lipstick, which had been slightly smeared during their impromptu makeout session.

"Impressive. Perhaps I underestimated you." Giving her lips a little 'pop', she glanced over at her frozen passenger. "If you want to stay in my car all day, I must warn you that I'll be driving back home. I may not be so kind as to come back here to drop you off." That got Ruby in motion. She fumbled with her seatbelt, struggling to get it off of her. Weiss's dainty laugh only made it harder.

"Uh, I'll uh, I'll see you... later?" All of the saliva in her mouth had made a tactical retreat. Without waiting for a response from Weiss, she grabbed her workout bag and hauled ass out of the car. She slammed the door and ran up the walkway to her house, not looking back once. There hadn't been an exchange of numbers, or a plan made to meet somewhere at a specific time. 'See you later', she had said, as she ran like a frightened deer. It didn't even settle in until she had made it inside, slamming and locking the door behind her.

"Oh no, oh goodness, oh gosh, what was that?! What did I do?!" Now that she was alone, a wave of panic washed over her. She had kissed Weiss! Well, Weiss had kissed her, but she had kissed back eventually. She had given her first kiss away to the most popular girl in school: a girl that she had never spoken a single word to until that evening. They were anything but compatible, if she was being honest, yet that had clearly been Weiss's hand snaking up her shirt twenty minutes after they'd met each other. How was she supposed to explain any of that?

She needed to suss this one out. If she was going to understand anything about what had happened, she needed to talk it out. However, her closest confidant was Yang, and that was a non-starter. As much as she trusted her sister, she knew that Yang didn't have great feelings towards Weiss. She could only imagine the rage that would start brewing if Yang heard that Weiss of all people had been feeling up her little sister. There were only so many times Yang could get away with walloping someone before she got expelled.

Sneaking into her room to avoid drawing Yang's attention, she shut the door and immediately dialed Nora's number. Out of her limited friend circle, Nora seemed the most likely to be able to help her. She was relatively non-judgmental, and she'd basically been in a relationship since before any of them knew what relationships were. If anyone could help her, it was Nora.

"Ruby Ruby, how's them boobies?!" Nora screeched into the speaker, but Ruby already knew her friend well enough to keep her phone at arm's length. She tossed her bag across the room, rolling her eyes at Nora's little greeting before flopping down on her bed.

"Nora, please never say that again." She groaned into her sheets, flopping up until she was face-first on her pillow. Then she rolled over onto her side so she could talk to Nora without being completely muffled. "Hey, I'm dealing with something, and I was hoping you could help me with it."

"Ooh, sounds like some juicy gossip! Give it to me straight, Doc! Or give it to me gay. I know how you are." Sometimes, Ruby liked to count how many times Nora made her roll her eyes. The two times she'd done it so far was on the lighter side. Somehow, this was the girl whom she felt most comfortable speaking to about this kinda stuff. Will wonders never cease?

"Okay, so I was at track practice today, and I got this strange picture dropped onto my scroll, telling me to meet that person behind the big willow tree. It was Weiss Schnee! I saw her at the practice and everything! Apparently she goes there to watch Pyrrha, but she... took an interest in me, I guess?" It felt weird saying that -- almost narcissistic, even though it was true. "I guess she wanted to hang out with me, though she was a bit rude and all. Then she drove me home, but when we got to my house, she put her hand under my shirt and kissed me!"

"WHAAAAAT?!?!?!" This time, Ruby didn't expect the scream, feeling a ringing in her ears as she dropped her phone. "YOU KISSED WEISS SCHNEE?!" Nora was so loud that Ruby was terrified Yang would hear her from behind the door. Hurriedly, she shoved both the phone and her head under her pillow, trying to muffle the sounds.

"Shut up, Nora! Yang's going to hear you!" Maybe this hadn't been a good idea. No, scratch that: it wasn't a good idea. It hadn't been from the start. However, she absolutely had to voice out loud what had happened and what she was feeling, and Nora was the only person close to her that she could do that with. "Look, Weiss kissed me, okay? I just... happened to eventually kissed her back."

"Oh ho ho, well well well, my my my..." Ruby was about to tell her to shut up again before she finally got to the point. "You made out with the richest, most popular - and most hated- girl in the entire school! Way to go, Ruby! When's the wedding?"

"Again, Nora, shut up." Groaning loudly, Ruby pulled the pillow down hard over her head. Why was this happening to her? "What do I do, Nora? She wants to hang out again, but I don't get why. She's super popular and so pretty, and I'm just... me. I'm the weird shop kid who just happens to run pretty fast. We've never even spoken before this. Why would she want to have anything to do with me?"

"I 'unno. You're cute, so maybe she finally recognizes that you deserve to be kissed all over every second of the day." That made Ruby blush, and she was glad no one was there to see. "Look, I know why you called me, but I don't know Weiss. I can give you relationship advice, but I dunno why Weiss came onto you like that. All I can tell you is that if you want to get with her, then get with her. If you don't, then you don't, but you gotta tell her one way or the other."

"Ugh, I know, but... Ughhh!" The last thing she wanted to do was admit how she really felt. That would be awkward. For the first time in her life, she was actually being hit on, and she was acting like a confused teenager with no romantic experience. Just because she was that didn't mean she had to act like one. "She's gonna laugh at me..."

"So what? If she laughs at you for being honest, then she's a jerk for doing that, and a jerk for coming onto you like. If you feel uncomfortable with what she's doing, then tell her. I know how awkward it is for you to say those kinda things, but if you don't, then it's not gonna get better. You'll reach a point where you're trapped in whatever kind of relationship she wants to be in with you, and you'll never be able to get yourself out of it." She was always caught off guard when Nora's talks turned serious. Most things were excitement and jokes with her, but on those rare occasions, she could really lay the truth out there: no bullshit.

"I suppose you're right..." She sighed deeply, wishing she could just curl up under the covers and pretend everything was back to normal. Even if being the weird twitchy kid at school was her normal, it was at least something she was used to. "Thanks, Nora. I'll bring it up next time we hang out. Hell, maybe she won't even want to hang out with me. Maybe she'll realize that I'm a complete weirdo and she's making the biggest mistake of her life."

"That's the spirit. Now, don't think on it too much, alright? Even though I know you will." Nora knew her too well. She could only laugh at that, knowing she would be spending all night thinking about what had happened and worrying about what would happen next time. It was just how predictable she was. "Hey, I'm sorry, but I gotta hang up now. I'm at the store 'cause Ren's too shy to buy you-know-whats." Ruby blushed, knowing exactly what Nora was referring to. "I'll talk to you later, though, alright? Hit me up with what goes on. I gotta get some good romance gossip. There's just nothing happening lately, you know?"

"I'm glad I can help you there, Nora." Rolling her eyes for the third and perhaps final time, Ruby said goodbye and hung up. Then she tried her best to melt into her bed, sighing deeply. While Nora had helped, it only helped so much. She wasn't sure how she truly felt about what had happened. Had it been good? Well, yeah, duh! That was the best first kiss she could have ever asked for. Weiss's lips tasted so deliciously minty, and she seemed to know exactly what she was doing. The cool touch of her hand against her stomach was a nice touch, too. Objectively, she really liked what had happened.

On the other hand, thinking about it made her feel like she was near a panic attack. She had no idea why Weiss decided to talk to her, much less kiss her. It didn't seem like something she'd ever understand unless she went up and asked Weiss. That in itself was terrifying, though. If Weiss never talked to her again, then she could at least avoid that conversation, even if she'd always wonder why. If Weiss did come up to her again, though, then she would have to ask what was going on. She wasn't looking forward to that.

Swallowing her worries, she changed out of her gym clothes and went into the kitchen to see if dinner was getting started. Hopefully her worries wouldn't show on her face. If she wasn't looking forward to having a discussion with Weiss, she definitely wasn't looking forward to having to talk about Weiss with Yang. This was a dangerous game she had accidentally started playing. ------------------------------------------

For the next couple of days, Ruby had no contact with Weiss. She didn't so much as see her in the hallways. At her track practices, she kept looking at the stands to see if Weiss was there, but she never was. She wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. No matter what it was, it was distracting. Her mind struggled to focus on what she was supposed to be doing when all she could think about was if or when Weiss would next speak to her. It was frustrating, and it was honestly her fault.

At her third practice since she'd first spoken to Weiss, she got another photo dropped onto her scroll. It was the exact same picture as last time, and she looked up to again see Weiss standing by the bleachers. After locking eyes for a few seconds, Weiss headed towards the same tree, leaving Ruby to watch her go with intense worry. So, this was happening again, huh? It made her wish Nora was there to guide her, but also that would be a terrible idea. She was gonna have to deal with it alone.

With incredible trepidation, she headed towards the willow tree, repeatedly wiping the sweat off her hands against her shirt. She peered around the tree, seeing Weiss standing there and staring at her with a quirked eyebrow. Smiling sheepishly, she came over to stand in front of Weiss, gulping. "H-Hey Weiss, what's going on?" She wasn't sure what was about to happen this time, and that did nothing to stop her nerves from taking over her body.

"I figured it was time we saw each other again," Weiss replied simply, stepping towards Ruby. Before she knew what was happening, she had been pushed against the tree and Weiss's lips were upon hers. Just like last time, she stood there dumbly without doing anything. However, her stupid body kicked in and she started to kiss back. That went on for a bit, the two of them swapping spit like they'd known each other for years, until finally Ruby shyly spoke up.

"Weiss, wait..." Her words were broken up between kisses, which she struggled to stop. "I don't... understand..." Weiss did stop, though it was only to laugh, which confused Ruby further. Had she said something funny?

"If you don't understand what kissing is, then you're beyond help."

"Wait, no, I know what kissing is!" A blush crossed her face as she huffed, her back pressed flush against the tree. Weiss had a hand on her hip, and the other on her shoulder, keeping her pinned in front of her. It was a compromising position to be sure. "I don't know why you're kissing me, though!" Sighing deeply, she started sinking into herself, losing height to her upperclassman. "I don't understand what's going on..."

"Ah." Suddenly, Weiss let her go, stepping back and giving her some breathing room. She was surprised to see Weiss looking actually concerned, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger as her gaze wouldn't meet hers. Though she kept expecting Weiss to answer her question, she stayed concerningly silent. She kept twirling her hair, furrowing her eyebrows as if trying to come up with a proper answer.

"Uhm, Weiss? Are you okay?" She kept waiting for something to be said, but Weiss continued to be silent. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She placed a hand on Weiss's shoulder, which seemed to snap her out of it. "Sorry, I, uh... You don't have to answer if you don't feel comfortable. I was just curious, is all." Of course, she was more than curious. She might just lose it if she didn't figure out why this was happening, but she suddenly felt like her question had been too much. It didn't seem like much, but in her weird little mind, it was.

"No, it's fine. I should explain, I suppose." With a heavy sigh, she crossed her arms and looked away from Ruby. "As I told you, I came to track practice at the behest of Pyrrha. When I saw you, however, I couldn't take my eyes off of you. Not only were you fast, but you were cute when you finally stopped being such a blur on the track. It was hard to watch Pyrrha when you were running alongside her."

"You thought I was cute?" Ruby blushed, unable to stop herself from fidgeting in place. That was not the answer she had expected, and it made her lose all ability to keep herself in place. She had a lot of issues keeping still, and it took a lot of focus to make sure she didn't do much twitching. Having been caught so off guard, however, she found herself unable to focus, and she was practically vibrating where she stood.

"That's what I said, didn't I?" Weiss's tone was a bit snippy, but she immediately dialed it back. "I mean, yes, I did. I wanted to talk to you after that, but I knew that our different social statuses would make things difficult. So I drew your attention to a place where we would hopefully not be disturbed. That way, we could speak without anybody eavesdropping on us."

"I see..." 'Just talking' was an interesting way of describing the two of them making out in Weiss's car. They had been using their lips for sure, but not in the way Weiss was trying to say. "Okay, then why did you kiss me out of the blue? I didn't even know you had that much feeling towards me?"

"About that..." Weiss actually seemed flustered, again unable to look Ruby in the eyes. "I may have been too eager to start kissing you. Truthfully, I have never been in a relationship myself. I thought that if I kissed you, you would want to be with me more." She didn't seem to be able to stop playing with her hair: a sentiment that Ruby felt just as much. "Of course you would want to be with me, though. Everybody does. I'm kind of a big deal here." There was something about her tone that didn't seem as confident as her words tried to be.

"I've heard that." It occurred to her in that moment that both of them were being very awkward. She was the most obvious, but she could tell that Weiss wasn't exactly comfortable in their current situation. Though she tried to hide it, Weiss's admittance that she'd never been in a relationship shown through. It was enough to make Ruby start to giggle.

"And what exactly is so funny?" Weiss whirled around to face her, placing her hands on her hips and staring Ruby down. It wasn't enough to stop her from giggling, though.

"Nothing, nothing! I just didn't expect us both to be so awkward." Weiss's eyes only narrowed upon hearing Ruby call her awkward. "N-Not that you're awkward! That's not what I meant!" It was what she meant, but she didn't want to make things worse for herself than she already was. "Look, uh, I really like the kissing. It's nice, and your lips taste like mint. It just really surprised me. I hadn't even talked to you before."

"I suppose that would make the kiss fast, then." She seemed to lose herself in thought for a moment, frowning deeply. "Was it too fast?" Ruby could only awkwardly nod, hoping that it wouldn't make Weiss glare at her again. "Well then, I suppose that I... I ought to apologize." She didn't look like she wanted to apologize, so she just left it as she supposed she should, hoping that would make an appropriate substitute. "Didn't it make you want to talk to me, though?"

"Well, it was kinda hard to talk when we were kissing so much." It was suppose to be a joke, but she ended up the only one laughing. If she was any more awkward, she was going to call Nora and ask for a shovel so she could dig her way as far into the earth as she possibly could. "I don't understand, though. Why would you kissing me make me want to talk to you?"

"I mean... It didn't hurt, right?" Weiss sighed deeply, slumping her shoulders. "I thought that if I gave you something that you like, you would feel better about talking to me. Enough people have tried to get me to kiss them that I figured you would want it as well."

"It's not that it's bad. I mean, it was good. Really good!" She sounded like she was trying to convince Weiss that she was a good kisser, but she was sure that Weiss already knew that. It was time to switch it up before she needed to find a way to live in the tree they were hiding behind. "Uh, but I'm sure you already know that. The truth is, if you wanted to talk to me, you could've just told me you wanted to. That would've been less confusing, no offense."

"I might take offense to that," Weiss mused, shrugging her shoulders. "Do you want to talk while I drive you home, then? We don't have to kiss this time." With the bit of awkwardness on Weiss's, it really did seem like she was being legitimate. Ruby didn't have the heart to say no. Not that she exactly would say no, though. Was it really so bad to agree to conversations - and sometimes kissing - with a super popular, super pretty princess?

"Maybe this time we just talk? If it goes well, then we could... well, you know..." She rubbed the back of her neck, laughing awkwardly. "We could kiss again?" She wondered if things were going too fast. Putting the brakes on their train didn't change the fact about what had happened. Was she even prepared for something like this: a potential friendship that already had seeds for something potentially more?

"I'll try to hold back, then." All of those worries felt inconsequential when she saw Weiss smile. It was a warm, genuine smile: one that she had never heard anyone talk about when referring to the school's resident princess. In that moment, she felt completely smitten, and another ride home with Weiss didn't sound so bad. Maybe an actual conversation would show they had more in common than she expected, and then... well, maybe she would feel those sparks that Weiss seemed to be feeling.

So that was the start of how the school's resident princess and the track running Knight truly started their relationship together.

#White Rose Week #RWBY #White Rose #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Nora Valkyrie #my writing

24 notes · View notes

3rdgymbros · 4 years

Text

— pairing; lemiel silvamillion clover x elf! reader

— summary; you fall in love with a human boy, but your story is doomed to end in tragedy

Your favorite dress is bright vermillion, with no sleeves, and very little back. Your people have always favored the loose, simple chiton styles, as opposed to the structured heavy velvets and silks that the humans wear. It makes you look almost like a princess, complete with the fresh flowers woven through your hair, though your mother would pinch at your cheeks and claim otherwise, with the way that your face is currently twisted up into an expression of wide-eyed wonder.

It’s not directed at Licht; rather, it’s directed at the two humans with him. You’re not alone in your reaction; many other elves are watching the humans with wary eyes, giving them a wide berth as they venture through the village.

“They’re humans,” Your elder sister Lenna murmurs, and something dark flickers across her expression as she takes your hands in hers and turns away. You’re forced to turn away with her, and you’re left with an abrupt sense of loss as you’re no longer able to see the boy with the golden crown glittering in his hair. “( Your Name ), let’s go.”

Ironically, it’s a human who ends up saving you.

Your parents, wary of the humans who keep coming back to the village, have forbade you from leaving the house. Restless, looking for diversion, you turn to exploring the gardens of Bougainvillea House. The place is half-wild with papaya trees, mango, wild orchids, spider lilies, and an abundance of bougainvillea after which your house has been named. At the back of the house is a small lake, its grassy banks ending in coarse lallang upon which monitor lizards sometimes sun themselves. You’ve seen minnows, and crabs and crayfish stalking about the weeds.

One second of misplaced footing is all it takes, and you slide right off the banks and into the water with a shriek.

Before you even hit the surface, you feel its chill and see your skin turn an icy blue. As the water erupts around you, it pours into your still shrieking mouth. You cough and splutter, gulping down even more. Your legs flail as you search for the bottom, more resembling an octopus than a human being. Your lungs begin to burn and scream for air, and right as you’re sure that you’re going to die, a gentle grip yanks you out of the water.

Your dazed mind thinks that he’s an angel at first.

“Are you alright?” He speaks slowly, so that your still-reeling mind can have a chance to understand him.

You can’t form words, only cough, but he rubs circles on your back reassuringly, and sheds his damp cloak to drape over your form. Later, you would look back on this gesture and blush; it’s tradition for husbands to drape fabrics over their newly-wed spouses during the wedding ceremony, and you can’t fault him for doing so unknowingly, since he isn’t aware of your customs.

“Do you need anything?”

As the spots clear from your vision and your mind comes back to the earth, you realise that it’s no angel. The man standing in front of you is a human. The male human, hanging around Licht. Up close, he has pale skin and small, delicate features. His eyes are the blue of the warm summer sky, and his thick blond hair is plastered wetly to his face. His strange clothes are soaked through, though it’s nothing compared to how sheer your dress has become, but he still manages to smile brightly at you, asking once again if you’re unhurt.

As you catch your breath, trying to ignore the flush on your cheeks, and the traitorous thumping of your heart, he tells you his name and proclaims that the both of you are friends, as if it’s as simple as that.

Lemiel makes an effort to seek you out when he visits, sometimes accompanied by his smiling sister and Licht, sometimes without. His smiles are freely given, and each time, his presence sweeps through you, filling you with amazement that, although for so many years he had been so near, you’ve had no knowledge of his existence.

You grow daring enough to slip out of the grounds, careful to remain unseen as you hurry to meet him.

You should have known that no secret ever remains a secret in the village, and soon, your parents find out and bar your way one evening, as you prepare to make your escape.

Your mother is incensed in a way that you’ve never seen her before, shaking a finger at you. “He isn’t the same! He isn’t one of us! He could be dangerous!”

“He’s my friend,” You say. In the face of her fury, you falter for the briefest of moments, but then the thought of Lemiel waiting for you overriding every other emotion. One way or another, you’ll see him; you’ll have your way, and you tilt your chin up in determination. “He’s my friend, and I’m going to see him.”

His dream of coexisting seems so far away, you think that night, as you meet him in your secret clearing under the gazebo, but you don’t say anything. You’re unusually quiet, and your famed sharp tongue is weighing heavily inside your mouth. Instead, you lean your head against his shoulder and let his voice wash over you, a cool silk shawl that drapes over you and lulls you into a feeling of peace and serenity.

You’ve been getting used to having two humans in the village, but never before have you spoken to Tetia alone; she and Licht have become close, and they’re often seen wandering about hand-in-hand, wrapped up in their own little world. Tetia takes the teasing that comes her way in stride, with a good-natured smile and retort for everyone who stops to chat.

The smell of roses tickles your nose; blue silk skirts and silver slippers fill your vision as footsteps approach, lighter and slower than you’ve been expecting. You know instinctively that it’s not Lemiel, and even though your heart sinks in disappointment, the expectation is clear in your eyes when you look up from weaving a crown of flowers, placing a spell on them so that they’ll stay fresh for longer.

Tetia’s hair seems lit from within by tawny light and frames a slim face of high cheekbones. Her eyes are hazel and slanted, cat-like against her light olive skin. She appears radiant and impossibly beautiful as she gifts you with a smile, and motions to the empty patch of grass next to you.

“May I sit?” She asks, her voice a musical lilt.

You shrug your shoulders non-committedly, to which Tetia takes as a yes, and it’s without a word that you continue weaving your crown of flowers. You’ve amassed quite a number of them in your wicker basket to hand out to your friends, and, if you’re being honest with yourself, you’re hoping to see Lemiel, to pass the best one to him. He may have a crown of gold, but you think that the softness of the flowers brings out the roses in his cheeks.

“Is –”

A small smile plays at her lips, but this one seems slyer somehow, even as she shakes her head and gazes at you out of the corner of her eye. She hugs her knees to her chest. “He isn’t coming today. Father wished to see him, I’m afraid. He’ll be stuck in meetings all day.”

The realization twists your gut because it’s a reminder of how close the two of you have become in just a short span of time. The blunt reminder of Lemiel being royalty makes you feel as though you’ve been dunked in cold water; again, it’s made apparent that the two of you come from two different worlds. Tetia must see how your eyes widen, how the color drains out of your face under the heat of the blinding sun, and she hurries to apologize, tripping over her words in her haste to make things right.

You sigh. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She nods, but you can tell that she doesn’t believe you. She opens her mouth to say something, but quickly shuts it again.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Licht.” You say instead, your mouth twisting up as you change the subject abruptly.

Tetia counters instantly. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with –”

“He’s nice.” You say, cutting her off before she can apologize again, for bringing up her brother. “I like him.”

“He likes you too,” She replies, and the knowing glint in her eyes only darkens.

Your hours together are filled with a strange expansion you know he also feels, your emotions growing every time you see him.

Sometimes, Lemiel brings an instrument made of wood and strings, a contraption he calls a ‘violin’, and plays for you, plucking hesitantly at the strings, his tongue poking out in concentration. The music, although sometimes broken by a bout of laughter or a squawking trail of notes, curls through you both. If you’re in a particularly good mood, or if Lemiel has his way, you’ll twirl about, barefoot on the grass, your skirts fluttering about your knees. You’re the best dancer in the village, and the music speaks to you, lives in you, and you heed its call with gleeful abandon, losing yourself in it.

He tells you interesting, irrelevant things, about magic, about his latest inventions, the magic tools he’s tinkering with in his room. He always carries a book, is always reading. Sometimes, he’ll read out passages from the dusty tomes as you press your cheek to his neck and look at the faded, yellowing pages. You sit close to him on the bench, your legs touching as you talk.

Sometimes, you’ll take him to the lake at the back of your house. The two of you kick off your shoes and wade into the shallow waters. Tucking your dress into your undergarments, unashamed – though Lemiel averts his eyes, the tips of his ears turning red – you splash water at him, amongst the weeds and slippery lichen. The two of you always take care to keep to that part of the canal that’s tucked away from Bougainvillea House by the overhanging trees.

Only away from him do you realize that this is happiness.

At night, you remember his face, and sleep.

“I saw you at that wedding a few days ago,” Lemiel says, after a long stretch of comfortable silence. You let out a hum of acknowledgement, but focus on planting more flowers in your garden, burying your hands deep into the earth and sprinkling water atop the mound. You could use your magic to command the flowers to grow instantly, as you do with the crops in the village, but you love seeing how the seeds slowly grow into the fragrant blooms. “You were dancing with some other girls.”

The compliment surprises you. You hadn’t thought that he’d been watching, and the knowledge makes your cheeks warm, sends a shiver dancing down your spine and has gooseflesh pimpling your arms. “You should have come over. We could have danced together.”

“I’m not much for dancing, I’m afraid.”

Silence falls again. The soft sounds of people and commerce drift down to you, but the two of you are wrapped safely in the green embrace of the trees above.

“Tetia’s pregnant.”

“I heard,” A smile lights up your face, tinged with secrecy and mischief as you remember the surprise party that everyone’s planning for the newly engaged couple. Everyone’s had to keep Fhana away, knowing that her contagious giggles would give the game away almost instantly. “I’ve been roped into helping to plan the wedding. She wants a spring wedding.”

For some unknown reason, Tetia had wanted you specifically as a bridesmaid, and you’d found yourself unable to turn her down, even if that means having to spend hours upon hours at the dressmaker for your fittings. You bear it good-naturedly, the hours made slightly more bearable with Tetia chattering away by your side.

“What about you?”

You eye him. His smile seems perfectly innocent, but you can’t help but wonder if he’s offering to put a ring on your finger, and his cloak around your shoulders once again. You don’t tell Lemiel that you wouldn’t mind spending the rest of your life with him; you’re far too proud for that, and there’s a small part of you that’s actively conscious of the fragility of what you both have. You don’t want to be the one to break the spell. “I don’t want a spring wedding.”

A smile turns up the edges of his lips, and it’s with his next words that you feel something shift inside of you. “What about an autumn wedding?”

“Are you offering?”

“Do you want me to?”

Yes.

You stare incredulously, but have to try to smother the giddiness his words bring out in you. It’s a heady feeling, like you’ve swallowed down a mouthful of liquid sunshine, and even as you try to hide it, an exquisite smile blooms across your face; Lemiel’s own smile widens in response.

We’re technically already married, you think, but what you say is, “No, of course not. We’re not getting married until you put a ring on my finger and a donkey in my father’s yard.”

The party is in full swing by the time Lemiel arrives.

The village square is lit up in the dark of night with lamps and the fullest moon you’ve ever been under. Everywhere around you people laugh, dance, and play. The musicians strike up a tune that has everyone tapping toes and dancing.

You smile, the joy contagious. “Dance with me.”

You’re dressed in saffron yellow silk today, the fabric draping over both your shoulders in wide swaths and a neckline high enough to cover your clavicles. The bodice is pinned tighter around your torso, so that it highlights the curve of your waist.

You hold out a hand to Lemiel, and he takes it, as easily as breathing, as if he’s done it a thousand times before. He has, but never in public, as openly as he has now, and you don’t miss the way everyone is staring at your intertwined fingers, his calloused palm pressing against your own as you pull him after you, onto the dance floor.

Lemiel’s hands come to rest on your waist; for once, he looks unsure of himself, almost resembling a deer caught by surprise in the light. His steps are clumsy, hesitant, and his foot comes down hard on yours, eliciting a wince from you, followed hard on the heels of a breathy laugh. The warmth of his touch seeps through the silk of your dress; laughing, drunk on the sheer atmosphere and a touch too much wine, you press closer, your cheek against his neck.

Lemiel lets you guide him into something resembling the complex steps of the dance. You almost blend into the twirl of the other dancers around you, but you’re not foolish enough to believe that people aren’t watching you and the human prince. Tetia swirls by, her blonde eyebrows arching so high that they nearly disappear into her hair, but her mouth is smiling as she takes in the two of you, far too close for comfort.

“You can’t dance,” You say lightly, teasingly. Your heart is hammering so loudly it feels like everyone present can hear it, even over the flutes and the drums. “Is there anything else you can’t do?”

“He can’t cook, he forgets to eat half the time, and you have to force him out of his room sometimes,” Tetia chips in on a laugh, right before Rhya cuts in and steals her from Licht.

Roses bloom upon his cheeks. “Tetia!”

“Well,” You say wryly, “It’s a good thing I know how to cook.”

Lemiel stares. His shoulder muscle tightens under your hand and his skin almost feels warmer. “What?”

“I know how to cook,” You repeat, your footsteps slowing to a halt. You have to tilt your head back to stare at him, and his eyes are so blue that you could almost drown in them. “And I know how to bake, too.”

He catches his breath. “You're sure?”

“About my cooking skills? Yes, I'm sure.”

A slow smile blooms across his face, spreading up into his eyes, making them smolder. You feel your pulse quicken and smile back.

Nothing else needs to be said.

Wrapped up in the sky blue silk of his cloak, your nose crinkles on a tired yawn as you lean over and kiss the small patch of exposed skin on his shoulder, just above his shirt collar. “Will you be coming to the wedding tomorrow?”

“I’ll be late,” Lemiel says. His fingers are tangled in your hair, combing through the strands idly. “My father wants to see me.”

“Late to your own sister’s wedding,” You tease, propping yourself up on your arm. “I’m shocked.”

Lemiel laughs and rolls you over so that he’s looming over you, shoulder-length gold hair tickling your cheeks as he presses another lazy, lingering kiss to your mouth. When he pulls back, you follow him a couple of inches before breaking the kiss.

“I’ll be the one in blue,” You’re looking forward to wearing your dress tomorrow, the silk cool against your skin, with aquamarine pieces sewn into the hem and neckline. You’d specifically requested the color, noting how it matches his eyes perfectly. “I’ll even save you a dance. As many dances as you want.”

It hurts so much, you think. Lemiel, Lemiel, everyone’s dead . . . Please, please, Lemiel, please make it stop hurting.

Your whole body feels on fire, your limbs are leaden, and your mouth seems to be clogged with warm mud. Blood runs hot over your fingers, staining the skirts of your gown.

And you think, I wanted Lemiel to see me in blue, I wanted to dance with him forever, for as long as I lived.

Then something sharp pierces through your body, and its bite is cold and red.

#lemiel silvamillion clover #lemiel silvamillion clover x reader #black clover #black clover imagines #black clover x reader #black clover imagine #black clover scenarios #black clover scenario #black clover reader insert #black clover reader inserts #❋ M I N E ❋#ｐａｉｎｔａｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｆｏｒｍｅ | my reader inserts

113 notes · View notes