#like hiiii you are important to me and I am doing things that express this in ways that will hopefully make your life better <3

[vodika-vibes]

hiiii, so i was deep down the rabbit hole a couple days ago and i saw a post of yours talking about which of the clones would mesh well with an ace reader. the two i remember were tup and alpha-17. i was wondering if you could write something where reader is kinda hesitant to tell their new partner because the troopers are kinda intense but they’re super reassuring and it’s very fluffy.

Confession

Summary: You’ve recently started dating Tup, and you know you need to have a conversation with him. You’re just a little anxious about it.

Pairing: Clone Trooper Tup x Reader

Word Count: 1030

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: I wasn't sure if you wanted short little drabbles for both Alpha and Tup, or a longer fic with one or the other, so I decided to go with a longer fic with Tup. I hope you don't mind. Also, I hope this is soft and fluffy like you wanted!

“So this is where you live?” Tup asks as he peers around your apartment, taking in the family photos of you with your parents and siblings, the variety of random paintings that you’ve acquired over the years, and the old and unmatched furniture that gives your home a kind of eclectic vibe.

You like it, though you know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

“Yeah,” You say with a nervous smile, “This is me. I’m the youngest in my family, so when I moved out my siblings and parents and grandparents dumped all of their old furniture on me-”

“I like it. It suits you.” Tup interrupts with a grin.

You narrow your eyes at him, “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“It was meant to be one, don’t worry.” Tup wanders over to the corner, where there’s a basket full of toddler toys, “You babysit a lot?”

“My older brother works a lot, and since his wife walked out on them-” You shrug and stoop to grab a stuffed tooka that didn’t make its way into the toybox after the last time you watched the twins, “I offered to help every so often. Mom had a doctors appointment last week, so I got the twins for a couple of hours.”

“It’s nice that you’re willing to help your family.” Tup replies easily.

You shrug awkwardly, “Well, he’s my brother. And the twins are pretty cool, you know, for toddlers.”

He laughs softly, and favors you with a smile that’s so warm and soft that you feel momentarily guilty for what you’re about to say to him. And then you’re annoyed at yourself for feeling guilty.

“You said that there’s something that you needed to tell me?” Tup prompts as he kneels down to pick up some more toys that had fallen out of the chest. “Do you need to reschedule our date for this weekend to watch the twins?”

“No, no. It’s nothing like that.” You reassure, “I’m looking forward to our date this weekend. But there’s something you need to know about me before we do that. And I probably should have told you before hand but-” You trail off with a shrug, “I was worried that you’d run off.”

Tup stares at you, “Alright,” He says slowly, “You have my attention.”

You press your fingers together, and take a deep breath. “I’m asexual.” You blurt out, rather than spewing into the speech that you prepared and obsessed over for the last several days.

Tup blinks at you.

“Um, so, that means that I don’t really feel-”

“I know what it means, cyare.” Tup interrupts gently, absolutely no heat in his voice, and when you chance a glance at him, he’s still watching you with that soft and sweet expression on his face.

“Oh. Right. Of course.”

Tup stands and walks over to you, “Am I allowed to touch you, cyare?”

“Yeah, of course.”

He smiles and his hand comes up to press against your cheek, his calloused fingers rough against your skin, though there was something almost soothing about it too. “Thank you for telling me.” Tup says quietly.

“Yeah, well...it is an important thing for you to know.” You reply.

“It is.” He agrees, “We’ll have to sit down and talk about what hard limits you have at some point-”

“Wait! You’re not breaking up with me?” You blurt.

“...do you want me to?” Tup asks, bewildered.

“No! Of course not! I just...I...normally people-” You trail off, unable to finish your statement, “It’s either a hard breaking point or they think that I’m broken.” You finish lamely, and more than a little bitterly.

“Right...so. First off, I’m a full grown man and I’m more than capable of taking care of my needs on my own,” Tup says dryly, “Second of all, you’re not broken. That’s a disgusting way for anyone to talk about you. It’s not like you picked your sexuality.”

You laugh softly, “You’d be surprised at how often people think differently.”

“Well, I don’t. I’m not going to break up with you over something so easily navigated.” Tup says, “I’m not going to break up with you unless you want to break up. So, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

“I’m glad for it.” You admit quietly.

Tup lightly tugs you into a hug, his arms tight and comforting around you. “I have an idea.”

“Hm?”

“Since I’m already here, how about we have a date night?”

You shift your head on his shoulder to look at him curiously, “Date night?”

“Mm, we can order in and watch a holo.” Tup offers temptingly.

“That does sound very enjoyable,” You murmur thoughtfully, “There’s a place near here that’s really good.”

“I’m filled with good ideas,” Tup brags with a small grin.

“Hm, is that right? Would your brothers agree if I asked them?” You tease.

“No, but that’s because they have horrible taste.” Tup replies.

“Do they?”

“Yep. Have you seen some of their tattoos?”

“Tup...you have a teardrop tattooed on your face.”

“And I look amazing, yes, I know.”

You press your face against his shoulder and dissolve into giggles, “I’m going to go get my datapad so we can order food, you absolutely ridiculous man.”

He grins at you and presses a light kiss to your forehead, “Feeling better, cyare?”

You grin right back at him, “I do. I don’t know why I was so nervous.”

“Because I’m intimidating.” Tup says solemnly, though there’s laughter written on his face.

“Oh, naturally.” You press a quick kiss to his cheek, “If you’re not careful, I’m going to fall in love with you, Tup.”

“Oh good, my evil plan is working.”

You dissolve into laughter again, “If you keep this up I’m not going to be able to order us dinner.” You warn.

“Well, we can’t have that.” Tup cups your face with both of his hands, “Can I kiss you?”

“I’d like that,”

His leans in and brushes his lips across your lips in a ghost of a kiss, and then he laughs into the kiss as you pull him down into a proper kiss. “Impatient.” He chides.

“Yes, I am.”

[buoyantsaturn]

I am usually so bad at like hiding surprises and keeping secrets (that are about myself / something I'm planning. anybody else's secrets are safe with me it's just my own that aren't) so then when I succeed in surprising someone or a group of people with this thing that I have somehow restrained myself from spilling my guts about I'm always like. insanely proud of myself and will continue to pat myself on the back over it until the end of time

[puppy-pie]

Hello! :3

I'm unsure if I should really even be asking this, but I am personally curious about petplay? I have been leaning towards getting into it, and I feel ashamed of myself about it, and I was looking to see if someone could possibly just give a little intel on it and stumbled across your blog!

-⚰️🪷 anon (if anyone hasn't claimed it already)

Omg hiiii! First of all I just wanna tell you love, you’re my first claimed anon! So congrats!!

Second off, I wanna say that pet play is such a BROAD kink there’s no “correct” way to answer your question! I highly advise you to do more research than what I answer :] if you’d like more specifics just let me know! I’ll post something more in depth!!

So, to break it down more simply, pet play is just another form of dominant/submissive kink (doesn’t always have to be, but commonly is! It’s totally alright to have dom on dom or sub on sub stuff as well!) It’s a type of relationship where one (or more) partners will take on a more animalistic role/trait abt themselves! Most relationships will take on an owner/pet relationship, where the owner has a more dominant role over their submissive pet. Like I said, there are variants of pet play relationships though, so research up!

Pet play comes in varying degrees of…hm I guess intensity? Some people are more strict in their versions, whereas other people prefer a relaxed style. Since pet play is a ROLE there isn’t really a limit to what is and isn’t allowed in it. Popular pet roles include puppies, kittens, bunnies, ponies, and even cows! To some, simplistic dominant/submissive roleplay with pet like terms is good, to others dressing as full leather/latex adorned puppies is their schtick. It’s all up to personal opinion! There’s plenty of costumes, gear, and accessories to help aspiring pet players find what they wish to engage in. Me personally, I consider myself about a mid-level pet player. I like tails and ears, I like leashes and muzzles, and I absolutely adore being called and treated as a puppy. Many pet players will also use real pet items, such as food dishes or crates/kennels, to enhance their experience.

Another thing abt it is that pet play can be paired with other kinks! I myself have quite a few tacked on there, they’re listed in my pinned post if you’d like to see! Behavior and reward/punishment are common in pet play, so is praise, lots of stuff really! Once again it’s just a matter of preference!!

Now, let’s get to what pet play is NOT:

- Pet Play is not beastiality

- Pet Play is not inherently furry centered (though you can be both!!)

- Pet Play is not gross

All scenes and relationships within pet play should be consensual, of age, and made with firm expression of boundaries and limits. Please remember that you have the right to change your mind when experimenting with pet play AT ANY TIME. Your consent is YOURS. It is important. And don’t feel ashamed honey! It’s perfectly natural to explore kink and to explore a more…how you say….carnal side of yourself! The community is wide and accepting, I’m sure you’ll find something to fit you!

Please let me know if you’d like a further in depth explanation from my end on any of the above topics, or if you need any help! Love you hun! Happy exploring 💖

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my mind while watching this episode:

--Ufotable has gotten a feel for this show, and they are leaning into it now with that extensive look at things from the Hand Demon's POV, both in the encounter with Urokodaki and in missing his older brother. It makes the payoff of Tanjiro holding his hand, and the Hand Demon holding Tanjiro's hands, work all the better. Aside from fully developing the bloody carnage the Hand Demon had brought about before Urokodaki trapped him, and they gave us a full fight scene which didn't exist in the manga to show that Hand Demon always had fight in him, and giving us two separate clips of his human self looking for his brother adds to the build-up.

--All the care taken in Tanjiro's expressions... oh my heart. I am falling for this boy and caring about him all over again.

--So that sunrise lighting at the end of the Final Selection? Stunning.

--The lack of Inosuke is so funny to me now. But we all know who really takes the stage in this scene--Genya!! Genya, being a brat! Genya, if Sanemi were ever to find out about how you treated Oyakata-sama's daughter, you're not just losing your eyes.

--Kanata, as we know later, is the most frail of spirit of the Ubuyashiki children, but all of them have wills of steel. Though she didn't show a hint of it, I can only imagine what she was thinking. I also wonder if she was warned, as the Corp does have a lot of rough and unsavory members. That said, the Corp is an organization of demon slayers first and foremost, that is the only goal the need to be united on. We see evidence of moral codes and pride instilled from Cultivators to pupils, but Kagaya himself never sets moralistic standards, and in fact, has probably long instilled in Kanata and the others that they are indebted to the swordsmen who actually kill the demons, while the Ubuyashiki family members themselves are all expendable. It's possible Kanata was warned about the temperament of the people who might gather at the Final Selection.

--And then we've got Kiriya, just like, "if you're done with your drama, can we please move on to more important tasks? Thanks."

--I do wonder what their journey home was like and if they discussed the happenings at all. I hope they shared a giggle about Inosuke.

--Also, CHUNTARO, HIIII

--Tanjiro's reunion with Nezuko & Urokodaki, just as touching as ever. Urokodaki really is so, so proud of Tanjiro, I love how you can feel that in the vocal performance. It is so fun to imagine his smiles behind the mask, and likewise, it is so fun to imagine the excitement in Haganezuka's face as he meets Tanjiro. Oh Haganezuka, I can't wait to see more of you!!

--With Urokodaki's passing comment on how Haganezuka is the same as ever, I must wonder if Urokodaki has known him since he was a child, or perhaps if Haganezuka made Giyuu's sword.

--Also, passing thought while looking at the tamahagane (sword iron) was, "pick whatever you want, Tanjiro, you're just gonna break it anyway."

--Heeey, Satoko, hii--oh, bye

[grahatialiker]

I'm gonna make a rare personal post about my year because idc anymore it's my blog!!! under a cut though in case it gets long and looks uggo mode

if you clicked to read more HIIII I hope your year is ending peacefully. I wanna just put this here where maybe I'll look back and find some strength in knowing I was actually fine after going through the worst time of my life

I said goodbye to some people I loved, some of them I never got the chance to say goodbye to, some of them I don't want to talk to. I don't really have it in me anymore to care whether or not anyone hates me and casts me as a villain in their lives. I'm too old and it doesn't make a difference to me. anyways back to MEEE it wasn't all bad! I met some new friends, reconnected with some I had lost touch with, I tried a lot of new things and had a lot of fun (I went on a bar crawl on Halloween with friends I dressed up as mimikyuu and got compliments I felt so slay), I finally took the step to start printing and selling my art and I'm gonna keep working on doing more. I guess it's pretty common for a lot of people to fall into a kind of slump after they finish college (I never posted about that did I!!? I got my bachelor's last winter, I didn't even stop and think to celebrate that) and I'm still figuring out my career path, whether that means going to grad school or whatever I end up doing.

Even in grief, I learned a lot about myself and what I want and don't want in my life. I disappeared online completely for a month or so, I left spaces that only brought me down and then I built myself back up again with my own two hands. I'm kind of just like recounting my year in a way to contextualize it as not being pointless, because it wasn't! I just have a tendency to feel that way, especially around winter when the Seasonal Affective Disorder hits. I have hope for the future to be better and I'm excited to see it one day

If any of my friends or family read this, I love you and I can't even express how important your love and support are (AND ALSO MUTUALS TOO you are all so real and I appreciate you so much, even if we don't talk I still see you and I am happy)

[transsexualhamlet]

For the multigender ask game 6 30 21

!!!!!! hiiii im so glad someone actually asked something for this one omg. this is. important to meeee

ask game

6- Do you identify with any terms that can encompass being multigender, like trans or nonbinary?

I do definitely identify as trans, of course, both transgender and transsexual (taking the old timey meaning of both), my identity as a man is of course inherently trans, considering that I'm a perisex afab person. But I've had a sort of complicated relationship with the word nonbinary- I relate more closely to "genderqueer" as an umbrella, although in modern times the words are taken to mean the same thing, most people hear "nonbinary" and think "neither a man nor a woman" which I am not- I'm kind of binary, both of them. Genderqueer tends to have a connotation more closely to what I feel. If a survey or something asks for my gender and only offers "man" "woman" or "nonbinary" i waffle really bad and usually end up choosing man or nonbinary depending on the day, but I don't identify very strongly with it.

Most specifically I call myself bigender, because my experience centers around being a masculine woman and feminine man like. the intersection of drag king and david bowie. If I find any more terms that describe what I feel I would scoop them up like some sort of creature

21- What are you favorite things about being multigender?

I really do love the freedom that comes with realizing that I identify with both womanhood and trans manhood and everything in between. I used to be so worried about passing and doing the Right Things to be trans and trying to stifle my feminine interests to be seen as genuinely trans. It's so much easier to realize I can just be both, and allow myself to feel kinship and happiness being seen both ways. It also pisses people off SO bad which I love<3.

While I am not native and am not two-spirit, I also just have so much love and appreciation for all those different people in the past and present (like my boyfriend @kn11ves :])who have always been able to recognize and express identities that are not just one thing, over thousands of different cultures in different ways. It makes me so very happy.

30- What do you wish more people knew about being multigender?

YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT FOREVER AND NO ONE CAN STOP YOU, AMEN.

There is no greater joy than allowing yourself to be literally everything you want. I am so happy to be trans i am so happy to be a man and a woman and a dyke and a faggot. I'm holding hands with everyone and it's amazing.

[thespiritoflife]

Hiiii domii!!! How have you been?? How's life? I really really hope you have been good! And are you taking care of yourself? Stay hydrated honey 🫶🏻

As for me, I have been doing pretty good lately, now since I have very few exams left I am really happy it's gonna be over soon, have been planning on what all to do after exams with my friends and some series and book I need to read and in line, but most of all, I am excited that I will be able to write fics here soon!

And I really really hope you know that I LOVE you soooo much, words can't express how much I love youu, because your beauty, personality, style, words, everything about you is fantastic! 🎀 your mere presence is enough for me to be happy and cheerful!! I really hope you know how much we all love and care about you!

HI NIXIE! I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU, I WANTED TO SEND YOU ASK TOO!! YOU SEE, THAT'S PROOF, WE'RE BESTIES FOREVER🫶🫶❤️❤️

thank you so much for sending me this ask, you made my day <33 how have i been?? i've been quite good, lately, i am happy that's weekend!! life's been neutral and that's good, cause it's much better than doing bad!! what about you, babe?? tell me everything!! i hope you're over your exams, now!!

no worries, i am drinking loads od tea now!! and i hope you're also drinking loads of water and taking care of yourself, my lovely nixie❤️🫶

OO, i am really happy you're doing good, that's important for me, you deserve nothing but only pure happiness!! you have a few exams left?? that's amazing!! yes, i know that feeling when you're over your exams, that's the BEST feeling ever!!

that sounds pretty exciting, these yours plans!! i wish you happy meeting with your friends, happy reading and mostly, HAPPY WRITING! i can't wait to read your fics, you're so damn good writer, nix!! you're so talented omg.

but please, take loads of rest and care, don't be too hard on yourself and just enjoy your time off after exams❤️🫶🪻

STOOP, YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY, MY DEARIE NIXIE!! 😭😭 i am tearing apart!

thank you so much for these compliments, they warmed my heart! but do you know what?? I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH TOO. ugh, argh, it's so sad i can't hug you, so i am sending you ALL my hugs. and all my love. LOVE OF ALL THE WORLD. you're so gorgeous, so friendly, so caring, you have a beautiful heart nixie, i wish there were more people like you <3 you're so smart and so talented. i bet you will do great things in your life. i hope you will be happy❤️🩷

here's something for you what i did cause i wanted to:

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

[literaphobe]

can i just say that im so so happy with the way you wrote the diner date scene in sadf, specifically the questions george has about dream and women.

like i cant describe to you how much that scene almost made me fuckign cry /pos because of how it was written so realistically and handled so well. im bi, and the biphobia surrounding bi people dating literally anyone with things like “oh ur dating someone of this gender so u must Actually be [x sexuality]��� is so real, and how you wrote about the same things but in an actually respectful and genuine way is just so. god. i want to sob.

thank you for having them talk about it and putting us in a good light like that, its so often ignored and i cant say enough how happy and seen it made me feel

HIIII omg this question means so much to me actually . and yes writing that scene was important to me as a bisexual person who’s wondered the same things about their own sexuality!!

so like . just to break down that scene . when sadf!george asked sadf!dream about women that wasn’t actually a direct probe about his sexuality, it wasn’t like . like if u misinterpret that scene (as one weird anon who called me biphobic did) its possible u could’ve assumed sadf!george didn’t want sadf!dream to be attracted to women? and that’s not the case at all. he wasn’t asking ‘are u into women still ewwwww’ he was essentially asking… am i enough . and that was BECAUSE they weren’t in an official relationship yet. and sadf!george wanted to know if sadf!dream was okay with the potential of them being It for each other . u can say its a dumb thing to wonder bc oh sadf!dream has expressed wanting to exclusively sleep w george before, he’s told him he loves him, he’s told him he’s in love with him on multiple occasions, etc etc . but the nature of humans is that we are insecure. and we let potentially reassuring memories slip our minds and things could always Change. there’s always this fear that one day someone who was besotted with you the day before loses all interest the next . it happens!! it’s terrifying!! and that’s why sadf!george freaked out when he thought sadf!dream wanted someone else. call him an idiot all u want but it is what it is !

Anyway . sadf!dream took it as a chance to talk about his sexuality . He doesn’t label it or anything, but throughout this entire duration of like. his journey in sexuality exploration, he hasn’t actually talked about it much. if u remember in ch4 sadf!dream tries to pry stuff about sadf!george’s sexuality because he’s trying to understand his own via george and gauge any genuine interest on george’s part. Which. Well. George never verbally offers this to him. He doesn’t talk about his own sexuality either even when dream talked about his in ch10. this is due in part because sadf!george just doesn’t talk about this stuff much (i thought it would be interesting to make him this way to mirror how cc!george doesn’t talk about his dating history) and also because his journey isn’t so much about sexuality exploration as it is being able to fight/ask for what he wants

sadf!george being the one to quote unquote “officially” ask dream out is essential to his growth as someone who has never been assertive enough and just wants to follow sadf!dream’s lead . in his ideal world, sadf!dream would’ve been the one to make all the promises and the assurances and ask all the important questions. but sadf!dream has fears too, and he’s got his own issues and insecurities and past trauma just like any other person, and he has already laid his cards on the table (confessed to being in love) and so sadf!george had to play the game. although it involved missteps that sped up what he had to do, hints were dropped in the scene that sadf!george asked dream on a date for this specific reason . And im proud of him for that ❤️ as someone who well . Can really lack assertion sometimes .

[deancaskiss]

hi, oliver!! i've been a typical anon lover for a while, ad i'm the one who said you make me feel welcome over on spnblrcrush :) first of all, i love the new name!! its so cute and suits you!!

secondly, i just wanna share that im currently uh. going to get diagnosed/going to see a therapist for the first time. if this is uncomfy in any way feel free to disregard!! but ive been struggling for a while and finally gathered the courage to go. so im really proud of myself and thought maybe it would be nice to share with someone else :)))

- anon lovebug

hiiii anon lovebug!! (cries immediately thinking about lovebug by jonas brothers adfjsjfsaada) actually double cries because you called me oliver and i swear every time yall call me oliver my heart gets all jumpy and skippy and i feel so giddy heheh so thank you thank you thank you!

an anon lover for a while!?! literally i am melting into the floor right now oh god oh GOD! omg omg this is so so sweet! I can’t believe you sent that message to the spnblrcrush heheeh thank you so much, cutie! <3 it means the world to me that i can make you feel welcomed! literally can’t handle this oh gosh i am utterly breaking apart with happiness right now!!!

if your goal was to make me cry buckets, then you’re succeeding! thank you from the bottom of my heart for saying you love the new name!! I cannot even express how much it means to me that you think the name oliver is so cute and that you think it suits me!! I just adjfsafjsahfjas I’m absolutely sobbing!! wrapping you in the warmest hug ever right now!! I’ve honestly been floating on cloud 9 all week with everyone’s support and love over me using the name oliver as well as bex, and i just love you all so much and feel so hahdasjfhalsf HAPPY!!

Oh gosh oh gosh, my love, I’m so so so proud of you for going to see a therapist for the first time this week!! that’s such a huge step and takes a lot of courage and bravery and strength to go to a therapist and to get the help and support you need! thank you for telling me and for feeling comfortable enough to share this with me! you can always message me about things like this. I’m so freaking proud of you for being brave and for reaching out for help. I’m hugging you even more now. I’m sorry you’ve been struggling for a while, but the fact you reached out to a therapist and made the appointment and went to the appointment is so big and important and you’re amazing for doing that! thank you for sharing such wonderful and amazing news with me and for trusting me with something this important! you’re an absolute rockstar! :)))

[futurewriter2000]

Rocks and Dust

A/N: I don't know why Remus gave me such Heath Ledger vibes when I was writing this but he did and I am honestly so fucking proud of it. Now, I really want to make myself some rice and chicken... or just rice. I hope you like it <3

REQUESTED BY @cloudywitchh: Hiiii, Im not sure if your requests are open, but if they are i have one. :)) Before I request, I want you to know that I love your oneshots and series! ive been binge reading. Could you possibly do a Gryffindor reader that has both james and remus that like her. oneshot or series. if you choose to write it, thank you, if not i understand

XX

Souls meet when eyes do and it hasn't been much easy to hold yourself back when such mesmerising hazel eyes had done nothing but watch you seductively.

At first you couldn't feel it but after a while, something in the back of your mind told you to look a certain direction. When you did, your eyes met his and a certain colour started to appear on your cheeks.

You watched him, he watched you. "Yes, Potter?" you asked with a smirk forming on the corner of your lips.

He smiled, tilting his head a bit to the side before speaking. "Had you done something new with your hair?" he asked, glancing up at your hair as you let out a laugh.

"Not really."

"Well, no matter of it." he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "You look absolutely stunning."

You felt your heart flutter in your chest but you were not about to let him know that. "Thank you. When don't I look absolutely stunning." you joked and he rolled his eyes.

"Hey, mate." Remus came into the common room and tapped James' shoulder as he passed him by, sitting next to him.

James smile faded a bit. He was a tad disappointed in his friend's presence. Everything had seemed to go so well between you and him. If the two of you continued to be alone, he would have had more confidence to ask you out on a date. Knowing that Remus took fancy in you too, it was a bit challenging to do so.

"What's up, Moony?" James looked at him, clearly not in a friendliest tone Remus was used to.

Remus' lips twirled upwards and he felt amused by his friends' frustration. He looked at you and smiled wonderfully. "Hi." he said and you smiled cheerfully, oblivious to the competition in front of you.

"Hi, Remus."

You seemed to be a tad disappointed as well. You loved to flirt with James because it seemed so easy and fun to do yet sometimes you couldn't understand whether he truly likes you or if he's doing it just out of fun. But you live by your mother's words; If a man truly likes you, he will do absolutely everything to let you know and pursue you.

That was why you were always so laid back. You didn't overthink anything when it came to boy. They seemed to think more simply than girls and whatever they did, they did because they wanted to, not because there was a whole scheme behind their actions.

You could see a bit discomfort in James. You couldn't really figure out why but he started to pout, which had made you a bit more uncomfortable around both of them.

Remus, however, loved to talk to you. He was open and honest but sometimes you felt as if he held too many secrets inside of him. To you, he was a bit harder to get to know, no matter how much he could tell you.

"You're going to love this, (y/n)!" he started to sound more excited. "I had found the oldest yet most interesting place a few nights ago-" he hear- both of you heard James scoff to that. "And I know your curious spirit cannot wait to explore it."

"Where?!" you threw all your books away and jumped forward. Old ruins and historic backgrounds always made you overly excited. You must have gotten it from your dad's side of the family. Everybody seemed to be more of history freaks and you were no different.

"I can show you. What do you think James?" Remus turned to James, who only laughed.

"No, thank you." he stood up and stretched his arms over his body. "Rocks and dust? Not my cup of tea. If I wanted to take a girl I fancy-" he looked at you with a grin and a soft chuckle. "I'd take her somewhere more romantic." he walked to you and winked. "A lovely restaurant or a walk among the trees under the moonlight." he was leaning down to you, close and observing the flush in your cheeks.

Your eyes were meeting and it lit a fiery spark between the two of you but as you didn't want to give him the pleasure of it, you rolled your eyes and moved away. "That's a bit of a cliche, isn't it, Potter?" you stood up and stretched your back as well. "I don't do romance." you turned from James to Remus and smiled excitedly. "Shall we go and explore!?"

"Yes we shall."

---

Remus hasn't felt you this excited over some 'rocks and dust' in all the years he had known you but he had felt his heart fill with joy and love when he could see how a person can live for the small things in life. You didn't care about wealth or power, neither if a person was physically beautiful and attractive. You neither cared if person had its flaws, you still loved anybody for who they were; good or evil. You always tried to look the best in people and your gift was, that you always seemed to bring out just that out of everybody and especially out of him.

As the two of you had walked, he had realised that he wants to tell you something important to him. It wasn't a secret to his friends and family but it was a shameful secret to him and to everybody else.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked as the two of you were climbing up the hill.

"Yeah." you stopped, gasping for air and putting your hands on your hips. "I think we need to rest too." you smiled and he laughed.

"It's not that far. We're almost close."

"My heart is almost close to stopping too."

He laughed again and sat on the rock, finding the moon shining on him as if it was leaving its fullness from a few days ago. "I just have the need to tell you this... and I'm serious."

You looked up at him and found the moon perfectly cut out the colour of his green eyes. "Your eyes look so pretty in the moonlight." you said without any filter but sat down next to him.

"Thank you."

You smiled and looked up at the moon before taking a look of his worried expression. "What is it?" you shoved him a little as he smiled. "You can tell me your deepest darkest secret." you joked but it was no joke to him.

"Well... I'm... I'm a werewOlf." he stuttered out, trying to sound casually as he said so but unsuccessful.

You only stared in silence, clearly processing the information as he was impatient to wait for your reaction. Your eyes only narrowed at him and you nodded. "I knew it."

"You knew it?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I mean, I didn't know it. I just know there was something to you that I couldn't put my finger on but I kind of knew it. It did cross my mind once but I brushed it off quickly. I didn't believe it but apparently my intuition was on to something." you laughed and stood up, offering him your hand. "Shall we continue?"

"You don't seem a tad phased by it." he took your hand gently and stood up.

"Oh, I am but I really don't mind people being people. You know?" you started to talk fast. "I don't judge people by their flaws, more by their actions and I don't seem why your werewolfness would bother me when there are far worse withces, wizards and Muggles in this world, who are far more worse than any werewolf I had encounter. Which, you're the first but still. You don't seem the one to eat children and howl at the moon."

He let out a loud laugh. "I don't eat children but I do the latter."

---

The two of you walked up the hill hand in hand, him trying to pull you up as his steps were much larger than yours. He was more of muscles than you, faster and careful as for you seemed to trip over a branch or two.

He had opened up as the two of you made your way to the top and started to walk on the flatlands. It stretched far away from the castle but you could see the ruins so clearly from the distance. The light of he moon made the subject far more pleasing to the eye and at that moment when Remus was talking to you and your eyes seemed to wander on the view- everything seemed to be perfect and you imprinted that moment into your memory so that you can look back and re-live it all over again.

As he talked, he seemed more lose and excited. He hadn't held back on anything. He had told you about Animagnus forms of his friends and how he isn't the only one who howls at the moon. Sirius apparently loves to do it just as well in his other form. He had constantly made you laugh by his full moon stories and how he accepted the awful fact of his life-long destiny of sharing his body with a beast.

He was glowing, literally glowing when he was telling you all the things he was hiding from you and for the first time, you were the one to listen and he was the one constantly talking.

"We're here!" he pointed at the ruins of an old castle. It wasn't big or notorious as Camelot or Hogwarts or any other historically known castle. It was small and poor in it's built but it was still a castle, just not the traditional kind.

He let go of your hand and it gave you a sort of an electrical shock as he did. You seemed to be so comfortable and in love of holding hands that you completely forgot what it was like without his fingers intertwined with yours.

It wasn't for long though. He had opened the old wooden door for you and offered you his hand to lead you inside. "After you, m'lady." he bowed as a gentleman should and you hurried up inside, taking him by the hand and leading him behind you.

Your wands needn't to be lit as the moonlight made it's own natural light through the large gaps between the rocks. Nature made it's own charm by growing vines around the walls, flowers and grass among the cracks. It truly did feel more magical than the magic itself.

"Oh, Remus look!" you ran to one of the walls and saw names carved in. "Ibzan." you smiled back at him.

"Old biblical name." Remus followed and saw many other names written around it. "Arthur." he laughed. "Wouldn't be an English castle without an Arthur in it."

"Tatiana." you looked at it. "Like a princess." you looked at him but he seemed to be very close to you, staring forward. His chest was against your back and his head leaning over your shoulder. You didn't have to look back. You could only move your eyes to the side and see him there.

He seemed to be so focused on the rocks in front of you that he hasn't even noticed you marvelling at him. All you could see, for the first time noticing his sharp, nicely structured side profile. His cheek bones were finely defined, his lips sharp and plump and his eyebrows nicely arched.

He truly was a beautiful boy and you hadn't noticed it till now. His palm was placed against the rock as he was supporting himself but when he had noticed you looking at him, he slyly looked back. A corner of his mouth quirked up and he said: "A girl doesn't need to be a princess to have a beautiful name." he spoke low and quietly.

The spark that James lit before was over-flamed by the passion Remus arroused in you. Before you knew it, he was leaning down and kissed you softly. One short kiss and it was enough to tempt you for more. You put your hand around his neck and pulled him down for me, smiling into it as you had felt him smile as well. As heavy as they felt, they seemed light as well because no kisses seemed to be as perfect as his; soft, teasing yet deep and passionate.

When he placed his hand on your cheek you could feel the dust set on your skin. You let out a giggle and he pulled away. "What?" he smiled but then just noticed how dark your cheek was. "Oh, my-" he let out a laugh, then looked back on the wall his palm was pressed on before. "I am terribly sorry."

You laughed as well. "Don't worry." you continued to laugh and wipe it away. "It'll probably wash away."

"Probably." he tilted his head a bit and gave you a peck. "And we should probably head back."

Putting your arms around his neck, you made a big stretch and looked up at the sky. "Ugh..." you looked back into his green eyes, burning your soul into sparks and bitses. "But it's so beautiful here." you let out a small whine and he chuckled.

"Well, (y/n)(y/l/n). I didn't think you did romance." he teased.

"I don't. I let the man do all the romance for me." you stepped on your tiptoes and brushed your nose against his.

"That's a bit unfair."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you, Lupin. I have time to make it fair."

"Glad to hear it."

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Hiiii! i am back, the same anon who asked about Arnav's thoughts towards Khushi in initial episodes and then your non-Arshi fav scenes - thank you for your answer!!! You reminded me of so many of my favorite scenes too and I agree, Payash and Shyam's villain origins had SO MUCH WASTED POTENTIAL! I have decided to dub myself Arnavs-Thoughts-Anon :D LOL because thats what my next question too is about. This time I wanted to ask about that particular scene towards the end of the Farq Padta Hai episodes, where Arnav apologizes to Lavanya (because of Khushi) and then they are hugging/kissing and Khushi looks on all sad and hurt and Arnav's expression is one of confusion like he doesn't comprehend her reaction - its very similar to when he saw Khushi cry after he got back together with Lavanya after the 1st break up. At that time his confusion made sense, as he had no idea of Khushi's feelings and she was acting all contradictory, but now, after the almost kiss, seeing her heartbreak on Diwali and seeing how effective his recent deliberate cruelty has been, he KNOWS she has feelings for him that she refuses to voice so why should it surprise or confuse him if she is uncomfortable to see him physically close to Lavanya? I mean, I would have understood if he was angry because she refuses to admit she cares when she obviously does, or sad because of the mutual angst of the situation they find themselves trapped in. What do you think he's thinking here? And thanks again for answering asks so patiently and so much in-depth. I always always love reading your takes on this show! - Arnavs-Thoughts-Anon

(check this out for an important announcement on asks)

Hello Arnavs-Thoughts-Anon!!!

Thank you so much for liking the response to your previous ask! There's literally a meme post where I wrote 'THE POTENTIAL' to so many things they left unsaid in the story! I am so glad you chose that name :)

Post Diwali both Arnav and Khushi knew they had something for the other but rejection, denial, circumstances and their own commitments dissuaded them from ever reading anything more than into things

He knows she's in an unhappy engagement, he also knows he has given his word to Lavanya for a proper engagement. However, Arnav has only read staunch refusal, denial and hurt in Khushi's eyes.

What shocks him is the naked discomfort and pain of seeing him in Lavanya's arms. For all of Khushi's farak nahi padta and his manipulative ways of getting a farak from her - he gets her farak when he least expects it.

Arnav also never realises that Khushi helps out Lavanya in his and La's relationship because she truly wants Lavanya to be happy. A part of him assumed she's being like him - using Lavanya as a shield to deflect her emotions.

But that day rubbed him raw for multiple reasons. Khushi truly defends Lavanya and wants her to be happy because of her. He heard her cry of her broken dreams - the woman who believed in fairytale romances now lies in a heartless engagement with her heart in someone who won't ever return her affections. At home Khushi argues with him to not unleash his anger on Lavanya - something Arnav never suspected Khushi to say.

So when he apologizes to Lavanya for his behavior on her dress, he apologizes to Khushi as well who's stunned and doesn't know what to do with Arnav blurring lines between his words for Lavanya and feelings for Khushi.

He senses her discomfort as well as the unethical nature of him, Lavanya and Khushi.

Which is why when Lavanya hugs and kisses his cheek, he looks at Khushi - not to get a farak out of her, but that any intimacy with Lavanya feels not right. Especially in her presence.

He is (emotionally) cheating Lavanya right now.

So when Khushi's face scrunches in discomfort and pain, of her being affected so greatly that no denial, no unsung love in her eyes - he's left confused. There's just pain. A pain that speaks of a love greater than what he estimated.

It's one of those scene where no verbal justification fits well. It's poignant, angsty and many things left unsaid.

It's the one time he gets her farak, and the one time he didn't need it. Also I think this scene also shows that what truly affects Khushi isn't Arnav's confusion - it's that Lavanya loves him. And Khushi cannot allow herself to love Arnav when Lavanya does. That's where the struggle and pain comes from.

Also this is the only time when Khushi's emotions are muted. She's drained and exhausted. There's not a single tear or frown. Just empty eyes. It's one of the few times when Arnav sees her face devoid of the expressiveness she usually has.

I don't think I can explain this scene any further - but it plays a key role in Arnav stopping his mind games and choosing to distance himself from Khushi as well. By the time Arnav got his farak out of Khushi - even if it's a silent one - he did not know what to do with it.

Best,

- JWB

[startanewdream]

Omg, thank you for reblogging the kisses prompt list!

I am a sucker for fluffy / angst with happy ending Hinny, so maybe you could do the second one or the seventh one? Even if not, that’s totally fine :) Thank you in advance, love you writing!

Hiiii, Anon!

That list has so many potential moments for Hinny that I was truly happy with your choices. I went with #2, I hope you enjoy this little missing moment between Ginny and Harry! ❤

lover has fallen asleep and the character places a lil cute kiss on their forehead

‘Hermione is glaring at us’, Ginny mumbled. He turned to Hermione; she and Ron were playing chess in one of the tables on the other side of the Common Room, but now and then Hermione would in fact throw a disapproving look to where Harry and Ginny were.

Ginny was right, but Harry didn’t see how she could know; from her position on the floor, she shouldn’t be able to see Hermione.

‘How do you know?’

‘Because you are distracting me’, Ginny replied easily, glancing back at him, a smile on her lips.

‘Am I?’, Harry asked, surprised. He really didn’t mean to.

Ginny had told him she needed to study after dinner, a dismayed expression on her face, and Harry hadn’t complained; he remembered how stressful OWLs were. So while she gathered her books for a study session with her friends, the three girls sitting together in front of the fireplace in the Common Room to share and discuss their notes, Harry had sat closer in one of the couches, doing his own homework.

After a while, Ginny had leaned against his legs and while he was double checking every dot on his essay so Snape wouldn’t complain, he had started letting his fingers comb Ginny’s hair softly, a distracted tender caress he didn’t even think she had noticed.

‘You are making me shiver’, she assured him, tossing her hair around to show him the back of her neck. Sure enough, he could see the goosebumps on her skin.

He felt a sudden delight flooding him for knowing he could make her shudder with something as small as just touching her hair. 

‘Oh, stop it’, she told him, without any real reprehension in her voice. She sounded more amused than anything. ‘Smugness doesn’t suit you, Harry’.

‘I’m not smug’, he said, though he wasn’t sure if it was true. He was feeling rather satisfied with himself. ‘I just like to see the effect I have on you’.

‘You’ve made me shiver before’, she remembered him quietly so others couldn’t hear, winking at him. Harry flushed; in the last weeks together he could pick a lot of memories in which she had shivered, in fact, but it was different.

In those moments he was actually trying to give her back some of the reactions she made him feel, though he couldn’t believe it would ever be enough. The feelings Ginny gave him, both physical and that ethereal happiness that he didn’t believe it was possible before they had kissed for the first time, seemed beyond his powers to return, but no one could accuse Harry of not trying.

And yet at the moment, while they were only sitting close in the Common Room, Harry could swear he was only trying to be nice and not disturb her studies.

‘Sorry’, he said, taking back his hand. Ginny blinked.

‘You weren’t doing anything wrong’, she assured him. ‘It’s my fault for being easily distracted by you’.

‘I don’t see it as a fault’, he assured her. There was a grin on Ginny’s lips that he wished he could kiss until he was grinning too; perhaps his deire became too obvious, because her grin turned into a knowing smirk.

‘Later’, she promised him. ‘How about I finish this chapter and then we can… get a little distraction?’ 

Harry hesitated a little. There had been a lot of distractions lately - his favourite so far had been between his Charms class and her History of Magic class, in that empty room on the second floor -, but he really didn’t want to disarrange her revisions schedule.

Ginny seemed to read his mind, because she shook her head. ‘You are too noble sometimes, did you know that?’, she asked, not seeming to really want an answer. She raised from her spot on the floor to sit next to him. ‘Go on, lay your head on my lap, let’s change positions’.

Harry looked at her, confused.

‘Lay on the couch, Harry’, she asked.

He felt a little self-conscious, but the Common Room was almost empty. Ginny’s friends were still on the floor, but no one batted an eye as he lay on the couch, placing his head over her thigh. 

Ginny picked up her book with her right hand, while her free hand ran through his hair softly.

‘Do you want your book?’, she asked him, distracted. 

‘Yeah, sure’, Harry said, though he didn’t really remember what he had been reading about.

Ginny gave the book Harry had been studying before. He tried to concentrate, but there was something very soothing in the way Ginny’s fingers were combing his hair; it was very different from the way she sometimes grabbed his hair while they were snogging and yet it was good too. He wished she’d never stop doing it. He wished she’d done it sooner.

His eyelids felt so heavy; the Common Room was quiet so late in the night, the crackle of the fire almost in sync with the movement of Ginny’s hand, and Harry closed his eyes almost against his wish.

Just for a few minutes, he told himself without much conviction. Ginny’s hand had paused now over his hair and he thought he heard her opening her backpack. Perhaps he should move, he should stop bothering her - but it was so comforting there, feeling the heat of the fire, leaning against her thigh; her hand restarted that caress and he thought he had never felt so in peace before.

This is how it feels to be normal, a part of him thought dreamily. It’s like someone else’s life…

And then he felt Ginny’s lips touching his forehead, not exactly where his scar - his very uncommon cursed scar - was, a tender brush of her lips before she resumed her position.

Like her soft caress on his hair, this kiss was nothing like the other moments they had shared (lips moving happily and furiously against each other, or those goodnight kisses that left him wanting for more, or that lingering kisses before they departed for different classes in the morning), and yet his heart beat faster and he could feel that thing only Ginny caused him - an everlasting happiness, a chocolate bar after facing a dementor, a brightness stronger than any Patronus he had ever cast.

She cared for him, she liked him, and that was evident on that forehead kiss as much as in any snogging session they had shared so far.

He was falling so deep for her. Perhaps he should say something, though he didn’t know how he could ever start to show her what he felt for her.

It seemed too important. It scared him how much Ginny made him feel because that kind of feeling was for common uncursed boys.

Perhaps I can pretend I’m normal just for a moment, Harry told himself, and he let that thought overcome any other concern for the moment, allowing Ginny’s soft caress on his hair take him to a peaceful sleep.

[lovingjeankirstein]

best friend to crush with jean kirstein scenario/headcanons

i literally didn’t know what to title this LMAO PLS HELP IF IT MAKES NO SENSE 🙏🏼

this one is for my one beloved jean <3

(sorry for saying this aGaiN but might be inaccurate at parts sorry 😣😣)

gn! reader as always. enjoy!

IMPORTANT SPOILERS FROM S1 DON’T READ UNTIL YOU’VE WATCHED THESE SEASONS TO AVOID SPOILERS

warning: language and mention of death

you guys were both in the 104th cadet corps, but he only started talking/interacting with you after marco died.

he wouldn’t show his emotions about marco’s death around the others, but you just found him breaking down in his room, away from the others while going back for something you forgot.

you recognize him as the guy that fought eren every night someone from the 104 cadets, crouch down, and ask him if he’s okay.

he wouldn’t say anything, but he just keeps letting the tears fall while you’re comforting him by rubbing his back and doing the arm around shoulder hug.

he’d look up at you after he’s calmed down and be like

who is this person comforting me rn

he wouldn’t open up right away bc you guys literally interacted for the first time and he doesn’t wanna share personal shit so soon

he’d clear his throat, thank you with a light blush, and offer you help off the ground.

afterwards, you’d follow him and eat dinner together. he’s lowk confused but he doesn’t shove you away.

you make light conversation with him to try and cheer him up even if he responds in short sentences or not at all bc he’s still upset.

before he goes to his room, you tell him you’ll be there if he ever needs someone and if he wants a friend.

ever since that day, you guys have been hanging out and becoming friends. he really appreciated what you did for him despite lowk being known as an ass and barely knowing him.

he’d tell you about why he was crying about 5-7 months into your friendship, but you didn’t mind how long it’d take or if he mentioned it at all. it was personal and you didn’t want him to feel forced to tell you.

he’d train with you, beat his ass sometimes, and he’d say you cheated.

“OY Y/N YOU WON LAST TIME YOU’RE CHEATING”

“HOW AM I CHEATING YOU’RE JUST MAD HOES MAD”

playful banter and teasing between you two is a regular thing.

you’d be his closest friend after marco and basically spend every day together.

you’d always be the one pulling him away to stop picking fights with eren. even hitting him sometimes so he wouldn’t fight him further.

telling each other everything and anything about your days or whats pissing you off. kind of like your shit talking buddy but not towards people. only eren for him.

him telling you jokes he thinks are funny when he comes up/hears a new one even tho they’re so corny.

he’d have competitions with you when you have cleaning duties on who can clean better.

he never wins and levi just looks at him like “you really don’t know atp?” so you help jean clean his part.

waking each other up bc you both tend to sleep in sometimes.

when he beats you at something he defs brags to you how awesome he is and better he is at said topic the rest of the day.

if you’re both really busy on some days, he’d always look forward to seeing you during your everyday dinners.

and then one night

you were eating dinner together like you always did chatting about the same old things like how your days went, how much a certain training exercise is a pain in the ass, ya ya ya.

when jean rants about eren and how much he gets on his nerves, he makes expressive faces, and excessive hand gestures that make you laugh so hard.

and then he realized

how much he loved your laughter

how you always made sure to intently listen to what he wanted to talk about

how bright your smile was compared to the dimly lit room.

how god damn attractive you were with the ceiling lights beaming your face.

and most importantly, how he’s slowly falling for you.

HIIII HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT SORRY IT WAS KINDA VAGUE IM SO TIRED TODAY LOL.

i’ll make a pt. 2 with general crushing hcs so look out for that!

update: it’s out now if you click here.

aot masterlist

[emsylcatac]

What the future holds, we'll never know

Summary

Marinette didn't know what the future was made of—but the glimpse of the one featuring her akumatised partner she had seen taught her one thing: she and Chat Noir should never be together.

Which currently wasn't really a problem considering that she was in love with Adrien, and that they had been getting closer lately.

Read it on AO3

Hiiii @ladynoirist Lisa gemini bro ♥♥♥ I was soooo happy to be your totally secret (yes pretend you never guessed it was me okay I was so subtle) santaaaa for the @mlsecretsanta !!! (also pretend we're totally in December and not in May ho ho ho! Reindeers are still roaming!)

I'm so sorry for how late I am, but I hope you'll enjoy this fic 😄

───※ ·❆· ※───

21st of January, 1h after the reveal

Marinette stood in front of the bistro door, pacing. Pretending to look at the menu, pretending to think of what to choose, pretending that everything was absolutely normal and fine and this was just a perfectly normal day.

It was, however, not normal nor fine inside her head.

She had to push that door. She was already a good half an hour late and it wouldn’t do good to make her friends wait longer—excuses were harder and harder to explain the more she shied away.

Please, don’t be here. She never thought she would hope for that. Please have your bodyguard bring you home. Your father forcing you to go home.

Please, go home by yourself and find some stupid excuse.

She would feel bad for having all these unfair hopes if she hadn't been feeling completely panicked inside.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Gulping, she chanced a glance at it.

Alya girl where are u?? we’re waiting to order!

Well. She couldn’t delay for much longer. Taking a deep breath, Marinette pushed the door open and scanned the room.

Please, please don’t be inside.

She wasn’t being fair, she knew that—it wasn’t his fault if she didn’t feel like facing him.

“Marinette!”

She turned in the direction of her name where Alya was waving at her, hand held up high, while Nino was grinning and—he was there.

Swallowing—though her mouth had been dry for a while now—Marinette headed towards them despite her legs screaming at her to turn around and run as fast as possible away from here.

“H-hey,” she stuttered, “sorry for...for being late.”

She sat next to Adrien (because of course she had to be seated next to him). Their eyes met for a split second and he gave her a timid smile that she couldn’t return.

“It’s fine,” Alya waved off, “the most important thing is that you’re here now! But quick, choose what you want to eat, I’m staaarving!”

She, for one, clearly wasn’t.

Adrien was giving her quick glances and she tried her best to ignore him.

It was him, it was him, it was him.

And it was oh so unfair. She picked up her menu to hide her face as tears threatened to escape  the corners of her eyes.

───※ ·❆· ※───

5th of October, 108 days before the reveal

“Try that.”

Marinette turned around, abandoning the search for her size amongst the many red skirts on the clothes rail.

Adrien was holding a tacky glittery dress, reflecting  the light of a multitude of disharmonious colours, supporting two red fabric-flowers on each shoulder straps. It was positively horrendous, the kind of clothes you wonder who would ever buy when passing in front of it in the store.

She looked up to Adrien’s innocent smile and had to bite down the disgusted expression she suspected she must have shown for a split second. She hoped he hadn’t noticed—the last thing she wanted was to offend him. Growing-up in the fashion industry didn’t make him a good judge in the field, it seemed.

“I… You want me to...to try that on?” she stammered.

He gave her a nod, humming enthusiastically.

Maybe it was the kind of dress Adrien saw on girls at fashion shows, and she just hadn't seen it before. Maybe he liked it on them.

Maybe he would find her pretty in it.

Against her better judgement (because her judgement was always lost when it came to him, wasn’t it?), Marinette stretched a hand towards the piece of clothing, gulping. She raised her eyes to his, offering a tight smile.

Adrien’s mouth twitched, and his eyes held a new mischievous glint that hadn’t been there a few seconds ago.

“You...you’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?” she said, deflating.

He burst out laughing, a genuine, happy laugh that reminded her of a certain day in the rain, and she couldn’t help but smile despite herself.

“You should have seen your face!”

He hadn't made fun of her in a while—in fact, he hadn’t laughed at her since that day, in the rain. The thought of him being comfortable enough with her to allow himself to do it again made her cheeks heat up.

“I could...I could call your bodyguard or...or your dad! Yes! I could call your dad and out you, you know!” she threatened, fighting back the nerves that always messed up her words when she spoke to him.

She wouldn’t mess up today.

It stopped Adrien momentarily and suddenly he was pleading her, begging with joined hands.

“Marinette,” he said, and he did sound serious—she would have been convinced had his eyes not looked a tad too much like a kicked puppy’s, “please, you can’t do that. Please please please please, I’m sorry for ruining your shopping day and running into you and insisting to tag along and—”

Marinette giggled. “I’ll wear it,” she said, snatching the terrible (terrible!!) dress from his hands, careful to not brush his fingers and make it awkward. “Because unlike you who’s trying to hide, I’m no coward.”

Adrien straightened up. “I’m no coward either!”

She could feel her heart beating erratically in her chest. She wasn’t nervous. She wasn’t gonna be nervous when talking to Adrien. Not again. Not this time. She could banter with him—this was known territory. Not with him though, never with him, but…

“Okay,” she crossed her arms. Her eyes scanned  the different clothing items before landing on a pink plastic fur dress on a mannequin. “Prove it.”

He choked on a laugh before grinning at her. “Oh, you’re so on.”

───※ ·❆· ※───

16th of November, 66 days before the reveal

Adrien opened his diary, ready to write down the homework of the day Mrs Bustier was dictating.

The sound of ruffling papers and rummaging in bags filled the classroom, but he tried to focus on one sound in particular, resisting the urge to smile.

Any moment now.

Just a little longer before—

A loud groan resonated from behind him, and this time he let the grin slip onto his face, thankful that she couldn’t see it.

“What’s wrong?” Alya’s whisper made its way to his ears.

“Someone drew me with a towel on the head, swimming glasses and an ugly party dress!”

Adrien couldn’t help the snort that escaped him.

Teasing Marinette, he found, was very entertaining. He didn’t know exactly when he started to feel comfortable enough to do it. Didn’t know what exactly it was that was making it deliciously familiar yet all so new—and above all, warm.

Her reaction had been worth the wait. He  silently delighted in the way she battled between raging against him and finding him hilarious (because with the way she giggled, or stammered, or even bit her lips the few times he had joked with her, before getting ahold of herself and teasing back, she had to find him hilarious, right?).

He guessed he deserved the ruler slap he received on the head.

Yes, Adrien liked her reactions, he thought while rubbing his head. He liked that new, teasing  dynamic he’d been having with her for a couple of weeks now. He liked it.

But above all, he loved—

Adrien let a soft fond smile pull at his lips when he opened his diary that evening, once seated at his desk. A drawing quickly scribbled in the margin lit up by his many computer screens welcomed him of what he assumed was a new Gabriel ad featuring him in an atrocious fur dress coloured in fluro pink highlighter.

Above all, he loved her witty and sneaky comebacks.

───※ ·❆· ※───

8th of December, 44 days before the reveal

“What are you thinking about?”

Ladybug saw a smile stretch across her partner’s lips. He let out a fond chuckle, throwing his head up towards the sky. His eyes were closed, but she could tell that he was seeing more stars that way than if they had been opened looking up at the Parisian sky. She envied him a little.

“I’m thinking,” he simply said.

And didn’t say anything after that.

She waited a little, just in case, but he remained silent. His feet dangled above the edge of the roof and he started gently swinging his legs one after the other. He let out a breathless giggle, as if he couldn’t control it, and hummed a song her ears caught only because of the wind blowing towards her.

Her heart did a somersault in her chest at the sight. She felt a weird mix of emotions, not unpleasant but not entirely enjoyable either, bittersweetness and happiness mingling together.

He did look happy—but tonight it felt like she wasn’t a part of it. That he was in his own bubble of joy, a bubble she once had complete control over but, in that instant, was slipping through her fingers. If she was being honest, it had been slowly and subtly escaping her for a while now.

He was in love, she realised. Her gaze on him softened, before she turned away from him to look towards the sky, too, and exhaled a puff of hot air that dissipated in the cold and continued to grow as she joined him in his humming, closing her eyes.

If she wasn’t the one he was shining for tonight, she would still share that moment of exhilaration with him.

Besides, she had reasons to feel giddy herself too.

───※ ·❆· ※───

29th of December, 23 days before the reveal

“Hey.” Plagg’s voice wasn’t loud enough to pull Adrien out of his reverie completely, but enough to bring the cloud he was on a little bit back down to Earth. “You’ve been staring at the ceiling for the past twenty minutes now. What’s up?”

Adrien let the thread of his lucky charm pass through his fingers, feeling the beads between them rolling from one to another. “I have?”

Plagg stayed silent for a few seconds. “Yes. Are you alright?”

Adrien chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I am.” I have been for a little while now, he didn’t say.

Suddenly, he got up, walked towards his computer, picked up his phone from his desk and opened Instagram. His fingers quickly found Marinette’s name and pressed her icon to see her latest story. He smiled as a selfie of her and Alya appeared, and played it again once it was over.

“Ah. I see.” Adrien hadn’t noticed Plagg flying above his shoulder but he couldn’t care less. “You like her?”

“I love her,” he simply corrected.

“Really?! Planning on asking her out? Sweeping her off her feet?”

Adrien shook his head, chuckling. He put his phone back on his desk and let himself fall further in his seat, pushing his feet against the desk leg to propel himself back.

Marinette, Marinette, Marinette.

“We’ll see,” he stretched his arms above his head. “We’ll see what happens and when I feel that the time is right. I don’t want to mess it up. Not this time.”

Not with her.

───※ ·❆· ※───

11th of January, 10 days before the reveal

When she found Adrien waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs that morning, blushing, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, the other holding a yellow rose with red tips on the petals and stammering a simple yet powerful “I think I love you”, Marinette was glad she had been on time for school for once.

───※ ·❆· ※───

21st of January, 1h before the reveal

“I can’t believe you made me wake up at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning,” Marinette shook her head.

Adrien laughed and held her hand tighter as he pulled her along with him, striding alongside the Seine. “But you have to admit that it was worth it.”

Spending time with you is worth the world, she thought. I could wake up at five if that’s what you wanted. She didn’t say any of that out loud. They had only barely started dating, after all. It could scare him off.

Instead, she let half a smile pull at her lips. “I suppose.”

Adrien stopped in his tracks and turned to her. “It was worth it! It just snowed during the night—for once! It’s so rare, we have to enjoy it! And the sunrise was beautiful!”

She crossed her arms, pretending to think about it and evaluate her morning.

“It was,” Adrien insisted, pleaded for her to agree.

“Fine,” she conceded, giggling. “It was beautiful. I’m glad you forced me out of bed.”

She was rewarded by a brilliant smile, that melted her heart despite the cold January air on her cheeks, and a kiss on her forehead (that melted her whole).

A giddy laugh escaped her and she couldn’t help but kiss his nose, making him giggle, the sound sweeter than the glockenspiel a busker was playing a few meters away.

Adrien’s cheeks were red when she pulled away—from the cold or from her kiss, she didn’t know, but she hoped for the latter. She decided to grab his winter hat, leaving his hair all messy on top and wide eyes of outraged shock on his face. Adrien, she had realised, really liked when she was messing with him and she berated herself for never having dared to do such a thing before.

In retaliation, he grabbed her own hat and put it on his head. “Jokes on you,” he said, “now I have a pink pompom while you have a lame black one!”

She laughed as she put his hat on her own head. He likes me, she chanted in her head. He loves me even. He loves me, he loves me, and I love him.  All was well that day. All was perfect.

“When are we meeting up with Alya and Nino for lunch, again?”

“I think we still have an hour,” Adrien replied.

It felt like nothing could disrupt their date, their day, them, really.

───※ ·❆· ※───

21st of January, the reveal

Accidents were stupid, most of the time. One second of miscalculation, one careless mistake and every neatly protected secret could be disrupted forever.

Detransforming in the same alleway was probably the stupidest, lamest and most careless way to reveal their identities, Marinette and Adrien thought, as they faced each other with wide eyes and heart beating too fast in their rib cages with their kwamis hanging incriminatingly at their side.

Marinette didn’t think. She ran.

───※ ·❆· ※───

21st of January, 1h30 after the reveal

To say the atmosphere was awkward was an understatement. They were barely glancing at each other, passing each other the salt without brushing a finger or looking where they handed it.

Marinette overfilled Adrien’s glass when pouring him some water; Adrien startled when Marinette’s hand accidentally brushed his arm while trying to clean his table up.

They were a mess.

In a way, Marinette was glad that Alya and Nino were here to provide distraction.

She just hoped they wouldn’t notice the tension between her and Adrien.

“So, how have you two lovebirds been doing? Still in the chummy-chummy phase?”

So much for that. There was an awkward silence, none of them knowing what to really say.

“Sure,” she decided to take the plunge and ate a mouthful of fries so she wouldn’t have to explain further.

Alya and Nino said nothing, looking between the two of them.

“We’ve been, uh…we went walking around the Seine this morning,” Adrien mumbled. “To see the snow and, uh…”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Marinette cut. She couldn’t believe she was managing to talk to him. “Y-your...your winter hat.”

She handed it to him and Adrien looked at it for a few seconds before taking it back, his face crumbling and disheartened.

“...Thanks. Um, here is yours, I suppose.”

Marinette closed her eyes tight as she snatched her hat from his hands, feeling nauseous all of a sudden.

Where did they stand, now? They had barely even started dating. Could they brush off the massive new developments that were their identities? Could superheroes even date?

White flashed before her eyes. Her heart did a somersault, and the nausea intensified, making her head spin.

Stupid. Idiot, superheroes couldn’t date, least of all her and Adrien.

It was unfair that she was having these thoughts now, when she still didn’t know what was going on in her head—Adrien, Chat Noir, her partner. The same… so similar yet so different.

He had given her a rose when he had confessed. It was such a Chat Noir thing to do...she should have known.

They were the same person and it was awkward and she needed time she didn’t get the luxury to have. The second she thought she had acknowledged this information, it would all come back the next with the panic accompanying it.

The silence following must have been long and heavy because Alya took in a sharp breath. “Okay. What’s going on between you two? You’ve been acting awkward since we’ve got here.”

───※ ·❆· ※───

23rd of January, 2 days after the reveal

“So, this is it?”

Adrien felt the knot in his throat tighten a little more and more as Marinette kept looking to the side, silent, avoiding his gaze. He didn’t know why he asked; he knew the answer. And he knew that hearing it would cut like a knife, but maybe that’s what he needed instead of foolishly pretending there was hope.

“This...this is it,” she finally said in a breath.

He swallowed. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she repeated.

“I… okay.” Okay. Because what could he say? It wasn’t like he could decide for her.

If it was only on him, of course he wouldn’t want anything to end. Of course he would fight for them, and try and see where they’d go, identities be damned because...well, it was still them, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?

“I’m sorry. I...I really am. It’s just… It’s…” Marinette sighed. “It’s just that it’s a lot to take in, you know?”

She had finally raised her eyes to his, and Adrien had to fight back tears; maybe it would have been better if she had continued to avoid him.

So he was the one to turn his eyes away this time.

“I guess,” he couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice to show through. “I just...I didn’t know it would be so bad.”

“It’s not! It’s not that! It’s just that… we still...we still need to get used to this,” she gestured between them, “and… superheroes ca—”

“—can’t date, I know. I understand. I mean—not completely, but... I get it.”

And he did; really, he did get it.

It was selfish of him, probably, to not want things to stop. He found that it was also maybe a little selfish of her to want them to.

None of them had decided to be heroes—and yet they had to bear the consequences of such a responsibility.

Looking back at her, she had now dropped down her eyes and wasn’t watching him anymore. A strong gust of wind blew on the balcony, making Marinette’s hair wave with it.

“It’s getting late,” Adrien spoke. “And you’re freezing out here. I should get going. We’ll see each other tomorrow at school.”

He extended his baton.

“Adri—Chat Noir! Wait!”

She grabbed his tail, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around. She was fidgeting, and looked tentatively into his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I hope it’s not...I hope it’s not too hard but…”

He sighed. “I’m not gonna lie and pretend it doesn’t hurt. It...it does. A lot. It’s like…” he sighed. “It’s like we had everything, and then…” He paused. “But I guess… none of us can control the way we feel, right?”

She nodded numbly. He attempted to give a smile, but he knew he wasn’t doing a good job at it.

“I just wished I knew what’s wrong with me, “ he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

“I… it’s not… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you,” Marinette tried. He could hear her voice trembling. I don’t think there’s anything right with me either, he didn’t say—and she didn’t say either, he noted with a bitter smile. “We’re just a mess right now.”

She bit her lip and he had to force to keep his eyes on hers. He felt terrible. Worse than all those times she had rejected him, because—well, because now he knew just how much he was losing.

“That we are.”

“We’re still...we’re still friends, right?” she asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“It’s you and me against the world, so… of course.” He shrugged.

And with that, he left, finally letting the tears blur his vision on his way home.

Tonight, their old promise sounded more bitter than comforting. Them against the world, the heroes fighting for the city, forced together by their duty and pulled apart at the same time.

───※ ·❆· ※───

23rd of January, 2 days after the reveal

Marinette rushed back inside her bedroom as soon as Adrien had left and threw her head in her pillow, crying her heart out. Screaming to Tikki how unfair it was to have to be responsible, at Master Fu for choosing this life for her, at herself for following it, at Adrien and Chat Noir for being the same people.

Shouting at Adrien again, at another Adrien she hadn’t even really known that it was all his fault. His fault, his fault, his fault, all his fault. She knew it was unfair of her—but she needed to put the blame on someone, and Chat Blanc, who didn’t exist anymore, seemed like a good candidate, no matter how wrong she knew it was.

───※ ·❆· ※───

24th of January, 3 days after the reveal

“...My father wanted us to break up.”

Marinette shrunk on herself. She wished she had been able to come up with a better excuse on the spot. Anything that would have avoided Adrien’s cold and numb tone when he repeated her flimsily excuse.

But nothing sounded plausible enough; nothing else could explain this sudden change in their dynamic.

“It...it was a surprise, really, we weren’t expecting it,” she tried, hoping he would follow her lead.

Adrien clicked his tongue. “A surprise, indeed.”

“Aaaand you didn’t think of dating in secret becaaause…?” Alya drawled, the cease in her brow increasing the longer she looked between the two of them.

“Because… well… because…” Marinette fumbled, trying to think  of a way out because Alya wasn’t wrong and it was a flaw in her carelessly crafted plan.

“Because Marinette didn’t want to,” Adrien supplied curtly.

Alya and Nino’s heads snapped towards her with incredulous looks in their eyes, making her involuntarily shrink on herself even more.

“She said it wasn’t worth a try,” he shrugged and sat down, his back now to her.

Alya looked between the two with a mix of worry, incomprehension and a hint of pity. Marinette didn’t dare look at Nino to see what emotions would flicker in his eyes.

“That’s not it, it’s…” she struggled, took a deep breath, and tried again. She had to roll with what he came up with. “If he were to find out we...we’d be in trouble. You’d be in trouble… and I don’t want that,” she whispered the last words.

“Like I said,” Adrien said coolly, half turning towards them. “Not even worth a try.”

Her heart crumpled.

───※ ·❆· ※───

26th of january, 5 days after the reveal

“Chat Noir, you’re here!” Marinette exclaimed, relieved.

He twirled his baton, deflecting a spurt of gooey green liquid she could only dread to know the composition of—some akumas truly were more disgusting than others to deal with. “As for every akuma.” He raised a brow. “Don’t act so surprised.”

She startled. In the midst of all the action, in the hope and wait for his arrival—because she always felt bolder and stronger once her partner was by her side—she had forgotten.

This was Adrien, her ex-boyfriend with whom she had broken up and had upsetted. And who still wasn’t talking to her much. Thinking about him as ‘ex’ suddenly hurt as she realised it was the first time she was referring to him as such in her head.

Marinette blinked back remorseful tears and tried ignoring the tightness in her chest to focus on the akuma again. She still needed to find where the akumatised object was, and she couldn’t let her emotions get in the way of her job.

She decided to pretend things were fine. “His name is Snowtty, we don’t know the victim but it’s a kid who was made fun of for having a runny nose after receiving a snowball in his face. Try to avoid his green spurts, they would freeze you on the spot!”

Adrien barely nodded before jumping into action, without so much as a word of acknowledgement like he would usually do. It hurt more than she would care to admit.

She knew they hadn’t talked since that evening on her balcony, but she had hoped he just needed time to process and that it wasn’t deeper than that. He had said they were still friends, hadn’t he?

Trying to ignore the sting in her eyes, she jumped after him into the fight.

“Ladybug! I see your pet has arrived to the scene as well,” Snowtty sneered. “All the better for me, I need both your miraculous after all!”

“I’m my own person, thank you very much,” Chat Noir said, none of his usual teasing in his voice. “And you won’t be getting any miraculous. Why don’t you give us your akuma instead and save everyone’s time? You’re just gonna lose like the others do, anyway.”

The akuma let out a growl of frustration and double-fired in their direction. Marinette ran for cover using her yoyo as a deflecting shield, Adrien using his baton.

He didn’t take cover with her.

She called him and was almost relieved when he picked up.

“Okay, he’s angrier than I thought he was. Any idea where the akuma could be?”

“You’re telling me you don’t?” he raised a brow. “He’s throwing his substance from that bracelet he has on his left wrist, and there aren’t any other objects.”

It seemed obvious now. But she wasn’t at the top of her game and was far too focused on her relationship with her partner than she was on the fight at hand, and she realised how detrimental it could be—not letting her personal life interfere with her duties as Ladybug was one of the rules she had promised herself to never break, yet here she was.

“Right,” she said, voice wavering. “I… Right. You’re right. Good job, Kitty.”

She regretted the nickname as soon as it left her mouth.

“‘tis nothing, Ladybug,” he shrugged. “Guess you cast your lucky charm and I distract him as usual.”

“Not yet, I need to first figure ou—” She let out a sigh as he ended the call, and turned to see him heading back straight for the akuma.

Well. The message was clear.

Throwing her yoyo angrily in the air, she called on her lucky charm. And was rewarded for her effort with an umbrella.

She wanted to scream.

She glanced up and closed her eyes, temporarily blinded by the brightness of the sun. “And it’s not even raining,” she grumbled.

She stomped away from her hiding place, only to be thrown on the ground a second after.

“Wha—”

Adrien was hovering over her and spared a glance behind towards Snowtty before standing and helping her up.

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

But he ran back towards the akuma without so much as a glance in her direction. The momentary relief she felt when he saved her evaporated right away. She ran after him.

She hated how he could be upset with her in the middle of an akuma fight but still be able to focus on the task at hand. Because he was paying great care to the akuma and his surroundings and was trying to actively find a solution to put an end to the fight—something she had a harder time doing when her personal feelings were getting overwhelming. She couldn’t reproach him for that. It was just incredibly infuriating.

“Adri—Chat Noir, will you please talk to me and stop ignoring me?” Marinette exploded, frustrated. “It’s been two days and now is not the time!”

“Bold words from someone who ran away and avoided me for two days after discovering my identity,” Adrien snapped back, avoiding another blast of green.

Her heart stuttered painfully. He was right, but it made it no less hurtful to hear. She and Chat Noir had argued in the past, and while it had never been pleasant, it was something they knew how to navigate through — how to come out stronger from. She and Adrien, however? Never. She hadn’t even fathom the possibility of it ever coming up one day. Any comebacks she could have had died on her tongue, and Ladybug found herself speechless.

They both ran for cover once again behind the safety of a rooftop chimney, leaving Snowtty growling at having lost their track.

She swallowed painfully. “Listen. I know you’re hurt, I understand and you have every right to be. But we need to work together right now.”

He kicked some of the remaining snow from the roof, fidgeting with his hands. “I don’t know. I don’t think my father would approve of that.”

She frowned. “Of what?”

“Us working togeth—” he sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Sorry. Forget I said anything, that was rude. Let’s...let’s just get back to the fight. I’ll behave.”

She grabbed his hand before he could vault away. “Wait.”

“Ladybug, I don’t think we have the time to talk or—”

“And I think it’s important that we talk now,” she said, giving him a pleading look. “Please.”

He kept eye contact with her for a few seconds before glancing hesitantly towards the city, nibbling at his lower lip. “Okay,” he finally murmured.

She involuntarily squeezed his hand in relief. He didn’t squeeze back, but he didn’t take it away either.

She hadn’t taken the time to focus on her feelings for him in the midst of her freakout about his identity; the warmth of his hand and the tips of his claws barely grazing hers and enhancing its delicacy made her realise that if anything, they had only gotten stronger.

It was painfully heartwarming.

“Are you...are you still… upset, about us, um… about me… you know…” she gestured between them.

“Breaking up with me?” He shook his head. “No. I’m hurt, yes. But that’s your right. That’s not what I’m angry about.”

“Then what…” she trailed off.

He sighed. “I thought I had made it clear, but I guess not.” He paused and kicked some more snow. “I didn’t like you telling everyone that my father forced us to break up,” he mumbled, and she had to listen carefully to pick up every word.

She blinked. “That’s… it?” She threw her hands in front of her at the glare he sent her. “I mean, don’t get me wrong… I agree it wasn’t my best excuse, but we had to find one that sounded plausible and…”

“That’s the thing, Marinette,” he said. “You decided to use my father as your excuse without asking me first.” He wrapped his arms around himself and looked to the ground. “I know my father isn’t… isn’t the best and that he can be… a little strict, but… He wouldn’t do that.”

There was a beat of silence.

“He wouldn’t do that,” he repeated more quietly.

She didn’t know if he was trying to convince himself or her; but she didn’t know Gabriel Agreste much and thus couldn’t confirm nor refute his words.

He shook his head. “But the thing is… How would you have felt if I had told everyone that...that your parents had forced us to break up?” He lifted his gaze towards her, green eyes piercing through her.

“Oh,” she said, understanding dawning on her. “Oh. I see.”

“Yeah.”

“I hadn;t...I hadn’t thought about that,” Marinette admitted.

“Well.”He sniffed, angrily wiping at his eyes. “You should have.”

She hadn’t noticed that he was on the verge of crying, but she instantly felt shame coursing through her.

He kicked the snow harder. “And the worst part  is… the worst part is that… it workedI he almost spat. “They...they believed your excuse. They didn’t even doubt it, they just….” He gestured with his hands .“...Bought it as if it was obvious and that...that hurt.”

She stayed quiet for a few seconds, taking it in. She didn’t want to start the conversation now as to why it had been that easy for their friends to believe his father would do such a thing—it was something that they would have to discuss another day. A day on which he’d be more ready.

“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. “I panicked because I...I realised I hadn’t thought of a reason for our breakup. My mind was busy with something else.” She chuckled dryly with a hand gesture in the air. “But you’re right, I crossed a line and that’s not an excuse. I probably would have killed you if you had told them my parents were the reason for our breakup.”

A timid smile appeared on his lips. “Good thing it was just me, then.”

She giggled tearily. “Yeah, good thing. But still. I hope you can forgive me. I promise I’ll be more careful.”

He sighed. “You know I can’t stay mad at you for very long, Marinette. Thank you. And I apologise too. I… I probably overreacted. And I should have known better than to snap during a fight.”

She smiled. “It’s okay. But maybe now, don’t wait until there’s an akuma to talk to me. Now that we know each other’s identities, you don’t need to.”

“I think I needed time to… digest that. But you’re right, will do.”

They looked at each other, smiling shyly as an awkward silence settled between them.

“So, Ladybug,” Adrien spoke with a wobbly smile, glancing towards the lucky charm in her hands, “shall we go back to the fight so you can play Mary Poppins?”

It still wasn’t a ‘my Lady’ or a ‘Buguinette’, and there was no wink to accompany his teasing, but he was back to joking. She would take it.

“Of course.” She smiled. “But let me recharge first.”

───※ ·❆· ※───

15th of February, 25 days after the reveal

“Psssst, come here, kitty kitty! I just want to be your frien—”

Marinette groaned as the ginger cat ran away, joining a tabby cat further up the alleway.

A chuckle from behind her startled her. “Looks like you’re having cat troubles.”

She turned around to meet her partner’s cat-like eyes, and yes, she was having cat troubles, indeed.

“They don’t like me,” she just said.

Adrien seemed to search her eyes for a second or two, his expression unreadable. “You know that’s not true.”

She didn’t know if the conversation was about the cats in the street anymore, and she wasn’t sure whose fault it was. But soon after, Adrien shook his head, blond hair softly sweeping against his cheeks, and let a smile pull at his lips.

He crouched down, grabbed his belt tail and slowly moved it around.

“You need to let them come to you.”

Marinette watched the tail slither, half hypnotised by the movement, until she heard the soft tapping of his claws on the ground. His fingers drummed in a steady rhythm, and she couldn’t help but marvel at how delicate the motion was.

It seemed that some cats around agreed because, soon enough, one advanced towards him, while another had laid down and began wiggling his butt and tail, ready to pounce.

She looked back at Adrien and he was smiling widely at them, anticipating their every move and excited to see their reactions. He looked so happy, so carefree and her heart did a somersault at the sight — she knew that she shouldn’t think like this, but she wished she had been the one he was looking at. She wished she could be one of these kittens, ready to tackle him to the ground, so they could fall in a heap of laughter together. So they could suddenly stop, and gaze into each other’s eyes, getting lost in each other, and maybe, just maybe, lean a little bit closer and ki—

“Wow.” Adrien’s loud laughter shook her out of her reverie. “No need to bite me, little one!”

While a small grey cat had attacked his tail and was nibbling at it, rolling on the floor, another one was more focused on his hand.

The white one with blue eyes.

“Careful,” she told him, “that one’s nasty.”

Adrien continued to play with the cat, moving a finger around and hovering it above his nose that the kitten tried to take a mouthful of.

“What? Why do you say that?”

“Well, he bit you. And earlier, he scratched me. Good thing my suit could protect me or my arms would have been covered in blood,” she informed.

Adrien smiled. “That doesn’t make him nasty.”

She spluttered. “Wha—? How—of course it does! He’s a mean cat, trust me on this! All white cats with blue eyes are!”

He chuckled, giving him a fond look the kitten didn’t deserve. “Good thing I’m a black cat, then.”

She shuddered.

“And he’s not mean,” he went on, “he’s broken.”

Marinette frowned. “What do you mean, ‘broken’?”

Somehow, Adrien had managed to pet the cat on the head, making him let out a contented meow. “Cats who have been abandoned or rejected by their mother too young tend to be more aggressive,” he explained, a pained smile she wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. “They scratch and bite a lot because in a way, they’re kind of lost.”

He took him in his arms and kissed his nose, to which the cat answered with a small ‘meow’. Staying close to his face, he scratched under his chin that the cat was exposing happily to him as a sign of complete trust. Adrien’s smile melted when a purr rumbled out of the kitten, and Marinette hung on it with both fascination and envy.

He let out a breathy chuckle. “See? He just needs someone to show him they care.”

“Show him they care,” she repeated dumbly. She could do that. She coul— “What if...what if it still doesn’t change anything?”

Adrien’s gaze left the kitten to turn to her. “What do you mean?”

“What if...What if even if someone cares about him, and cares about him so much they would sacrifice their own happiness for him if it came to it, and shows him everyday and tells him everyday but he still…” She stopped, fumbling with her words for a second. “...He still keeps biting and scratching and feeling lost and alone a-and no one can save him?” She lifted her eyes to his, only to find her vision blurry.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you talking about?” Adrien breathed.

“M-maybe, this cat is doomed from the start. Maybe he’ll be like that forever, no matter what and maybe they’ll all be like that and—”

“My Lady,” a hand landed on her shoulder, stopping her from spiralling further—and here it was, the ‘my Lady ‘she’d been craving for so much, at the most unexpected time. “That’s stupid. I’m not sure if it’s about cats anymore,” he chuckled, “but I’ll pretend it is.”

She blinked back tears. He kept on, “Yes, some of these hurt cats never change. But not all of them! You can never really know what will happen, how they’ll evolve, because they’re all different, and they’ll all live different lives.”

He smiled at her, his delicate hand never leaving her shoulder, while the other continued petting the purring white kitten. “We can’t guess what will happen to them. All we can do is try, and take the risk. And maybe the owners of this lovely kitty will be lucky and have a loving ball of fur”— he bopped the cat’s nose who in turn let out a small ‘meow’— “or they’ll be less lucky and have a little monster that—ouch,” he said, as the cat chased his bopping finger to bite it, “bite them from time to time but still would be worth caring for.” He sighed a chuckle.

Marinette swallowed, taking it in. “So you mean that… the future of this cat isn’t… set in stone?” she asked carefully.

“Of course not! No one can know what he’ll grow into now, it will depend on a lot of factors.” He took his hand off her shoulder to lift the cat off his lap and nuzzle his nose with his. “Isn’t that right, little one? You’ll be a good kitty, won’t you?”

She let a smile pull at her lips at the sight. Adrien turned to face her with a big goofy grin on his face.

“If our future was written in our DNA, we’d have known all about our futures a long time ago,” he chuckled.

She let his words sink in, closing her eyes. What if...what if.

What if their love wouldn’t destroy the world, this time.

But what if it did again.

...But what if it didn’t?

She heaved a sigh, releasing some of the tension that had been weighing down on her. When she opened her eyes, it was to see that Adrien was back to playing with the kitten.

“And what are we gonna call you, hm? Ooooh, I know! See, I’m Chat Noir, so that would make you Chat Bla—”

“—FLOCON!” Marinette interrupted him.

He blinked at her. “Chat Flocon?”

“No, just...just Flocon. He’s white as snow, and fluffy like a snowflake, so it makes sense. And,” she added after a beat, “it’s cute.”

And it reminded her of that date they shared, just before revealing their identities, strolling through a snowy Paris. It was a memory she cherished, even if it didn’t end quite well.

Adrien grinned. “Okay. Flocon it is.” He scratched the cat’s chin, who purred in turn and tried to bite his finger again. “No,” he told him, “I said no biting, you thickhead.”

She could watch him bicker with a kitten for hours, she thought.

“Hey, Buguinette,” he called out to her, pulling her out of her momentary reverie, “you wanna hold Flocon?”

She blinked. “Errr… I don’t know if that's a good idea or…”

He laughed. “He’s not that aggressive. It’s up to you; but if you want to try befriending him again…” He held a half-wiggling and meowing Flocon in the air towards her.

Marinette bit her lip, and took a deep breath. Maybe it was a bad idea to cave, but... “Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll give him a try.”

───※ ·❆· ※───

26th of April, 95 days after the reveal

“Adrien, aren’t you gonna snap her in half?” Alya asked with incredulous eyes.

It made both him and Marinette giggle. “It’s like she doesn’t know that you’re usually the one snapping me in half between the two of us,” Adrien whispered in her ear, which made her laugh harder. “She said she wanted to!” he told Alya louder.

“Yes, Alya,” Marinette added, “I’m a strong girl and I can carry him! Right, Adrien?”

“Right!” he replied enthusiastically, clinging harder on her back.

He wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but he was too busy feeling lighthearted and free on this spring afternoon. It was the first warm day of the year, with only a slightly chilly breeze coming to ruffle his hair at times that only contributed in increasing his  giddiness. For the fifth time this day, he thanked the star that made his father allow him to go out to the temporary funfair with his friends—though he thought they were studiously working on a school project.

“It’s not because you can carry him that you should,” Nino said, shaking his head fondly.

“You’re just jealous because Alya isn’t carrying you.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Let’s ride to the moon and back!”

“To the moon and back!” Adrien repeated, one hand raised in the air.

Marinette let out a warrior cry before attempting to run, albeit slowly because of his weight, and he could tell they wouldn’t go far as he already felt himself slide down and her grip on his legs slacken.

He should have known they’d fall face first before she got too exhausted. If he had, maybe he’d have had the time to react and avoid it.

As it was, he just found himself on top of Marinette on the ground. He lifted himself up and sat down, Marinette soon doing the same.

Distantly, he heard Alya and Nino running towards them shouting “are you okay”s and “are you hurt”s at profusion, but he didn’t pay them any mind as Marinette looked up at him with eyes glinting with mirth and they both fell in a heap of laughters.

Some passersby looked at them funnily while others whispered some “that must hurt”s or “everything alright?”s to them.

“It’s okay,” Adrien told them. “We’ve had it worse!”

“Yes,” Marinette chimed in. “One time we were thrown by an akuma—”

“—A big tuna," he quickly corrected.

“—a big tuna, he’s right,” she repeated, “and we both fell right into a moving bus, and we survived!”

“And you find that funny,” Nino deadpanned, putting his hands on his hips as Adrien helped Marinette up.

Adrien just grinned at him. “Yup! We’re the survivors.”

“And we’re gonna make it!” Marinette sang.

“You’re insufferable,” Alya chuckled. “The both of you. I don’t know how you two can be more unhinged than me with Marinette, but—”

“—That’s because we’re exes besties,” Adrien chirped. Despite the months that had passed, it always hurt a little to call each other “exes”. But he had long since learned that laughing at his suffering was better than crying over it. He just wondered when and if he’ll ever be over her one day. He probably never really would.

“Hey,” Nino said indignantly. “But you’re my best friend!”

“Maybe, but are you also exes, hm?” Marinette asked him. “Because we are, and it makes us the unstoppable exes besties! And now, our next stop will be…” She jumped on Adrien’s back without warning and he caught her with a ‘oof’. “...to that splashing boat attraction over there!”

“Dudes, you already fell once, what are you doing?”

“We’re getting back up, Nino, and we try again,” she announced proudly, raising her fist up. “Let’s go to the boat, Adrien, and may our ship sail! Go, go, go!”

Adrien faintly heard a ‘they’re beyond help’ from Alya as he ran towards the attraction, both his and Marinette’s laughters echoing in the wind.

───※ ·❆· ※───

28th of May, 127 days after the reveal

Adrien landed with a grunt on the pavement. The suit was a good protector, but it didn’t stop his back from hurting from the impact with the ground. This akuma — Firebender as he called himself — truly was more violent than usual.

“Wow,” he managed to breath between two gasps, “you’re on fire today!”

He tried to push himself up with an arm, and raised his head towards Firebender with a half-closed eye. The fireball he saw coming towards him arrived so fast that he didn’t even have the time to do so much as widening his eyes. An anguish cry was the last thing he heard before it faded and he saw nothing at all.

───※ ·❆· ※───

28th of May, 127 days after the reveal

Marinette realised she was screaming when she felt her lungs were empty.

Usually, when an akuma took lives, the victims just disappeared into thin air, as if they had never been. They weren’t lying there, unmoving on the pavement like Adrien was. Somehow, seeing was worse than not.

She felt dizzy, as if everything around her was moving in slow motion. She staggered, trying to turn her head away from the sight of her unresponsive partner who was becoming blurrier and blurrier the longer she looked at him. She needed to breathe, she needed to—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” she screeched instead, the sound reverberating into the street, bouncing from building to building.

She took a ragged breath, and another, closing her eyes as she took in the dead silence that greeted her scream.

She swallowed her first sob and squeezed her eyes tight shut, taking yet another heavy breath. She turned towards the akuma before opening her eyes, otherwise she knew she wouldn’t be able to tear her gaze away from Adrien’s dead form. She gritted her teeth as soon as the thought of him being gone entered her mind again.

“You’re a monster,” she spat, low and cold, the last word echoing through the silence and carrying her voice to Firebender’s ears — to Hawkmoth’s.

All these days worrying over the possibility of a devastating future she had seen, all this time doing everything she could to avoid it no matter how little she knew of it, and she hadn’t considered the possibilities she hadn’t been a witness of. All these days flirting with the line between caving and resisting only for her regretful indecision to hit her in the most cruel way.

“Give up, Ladybug,” Hawkmoth spoke through Firebender, “you no longer have your pet. All you have to do is surrender your miracu—”

“And what?” she spat. “Let my partner die? Listen to me, Hawkmoth. I have a chance to save him, and for that I need to defeat you. You think I’m stupid? I’m not giving up on Paris. I’m not giving up on him!”

And I’m not giving up on us, she told herself.

“Lucky charm!” she roared, rage and determination coursing through her veins.

She knew nothing about how Chat Blanc had really happened, she realised, catching the spotted chain falling from above. Nothing about her current future, as she scanned her surroundings for a solution. Nothing but the crushing weight of the present and her fear of the unknown, as she opened her yoyo to retrieve the dragon miraculous and put it around her neck.

“Tikki, Longg, unify!”

As she surrounded herself with water and ran towards Firebender with only one goal in mind, she promised herself to never let the gifts the present gives her slide in favour of hypothetical futuristic tragedies. She was finally done running away and sacrificing her life to her fears.

───※ ·❆· ※───

28th of May, 127 days after the reveal

Light suddenly flooded Adrien’s vision as he took a sharp and deep intake of breath. His lungs were burning with the sudden air filling them up, and he squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He groggily lifted himself up on his elbows when—

“Chaton!”

—a red blur threw herself at him. He caught her, her hair in his nose and her warm breath and hot tears in his neck.

He let her sob and squeeze him as understanding washed over him. He gently threaded his clawed fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp, noticing absent-mindedly that she was also wearing the dragon miraculous.

She slowly detangled herself from him but stayed close, looking into his eyes through her wet ones and caressing his cheek with her thumb.

“Kitty,” she whispered, her voice hoarse, “my Kitty.”

He didn’t have the time to react before her lips were on his and she took her time to savour him before ever so slowly pulling away. He let her do.

She didn’t stop there. Gently cradling his face in her trembling hands, she kissed his cheek. And his other cheek. And his forehead. His nose. His jaw. Puncturing each of her kisses with whispers of “mon Chaton”, or “Kitty”, or “my love”, to which his heart made a somersault at, before diving for his neck.

Each time he kept on letting her do, keeping her close to him as she sobbed through her kisses and yet another nickname for him.

He could feel her breathing him in; so, with his nose in her hair, he inhaled her scent too. Her hot breath left his neck once again, and she came back for his lips.

This time, he kissed her back, and as soon as his lips moved against hers, she choked on a sobbed whine and pushed her mouth closer to his, if that was even possible

He hadn’t forgotten the taste of her lips on his, even after all these months; but he also knew their kisses had never burnt so intensely, driven by despair, the need to memorise the present and the aroma of being alive.

───※ ·❆· ※───

1st of June, 131 days after the reveal

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

Marinette smiled sadly. “Oh, I don’t know. Hurting you. Putting us through this mess. Not telling you about Chat Blanc. Take your pick.”

She let her arms rest on the railing of the bridge, looking across the Seine. The clouds were getting darker and darker, though a sunray pierced through one of them, lighting up a few buildings on the shore in a powerful atmosphere. Her eyes followed a barge floating further and further away, waiting for the moment it would cross the ray of light.

“You’ve been hurting too,” Adrien said after a few seconds. “You’ve been shouldering it all on your own. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

His hand slid into hers and she welcomed it, intertwining her fingers timidly with his. She glanced at him with a tentative smile and he smiled back, looking at her with soft eyes. She looked back towards the Seine just in time to see the barge slicing through the sunbeam.

“Still. Maybe, if I had told you… if I hadn’t let my fears get the best of me…” She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

“And maybe,” Adrien spoke when it was clear she wouldn’t add something more, squeezing her hand once, “if you had told me earlier, I would have given up Chat Noir.”

She gasped and turned to him, but he was looking at the Seine with saddened eyes.

“What do you mean?” she breathed.

“I’m not sure I’d have been able to handle hearing that I could destroy the world as an akuma,” he whispered, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb as if to reassure her. “It’s… really hard already, but I feel like it would’ve been worse before.”

He turned his head towards her again and she held his gaze, gripping his hand harder as if to dare him to leave.

“You said it yourself,” he went on, “just like we have no idea about what the future can really hold, we can’t know how things would have played out if we had done things differently. What really matters right now is what you want us to be from now on.”

She searched his expectant eyes for a few seconds before looking back at the Seine. A tourist boat coming towards them had replaced the barge in the sunspot before the window of clouds closed on the light, leaving only a dark atmosphere in its place. The clouds grew darker and a warm gust had picked up, making their hair fly in every direction and their clothes ruffling in a frenzy. Marinette felt her emotions growing with the wind, begging to be said and to explode.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and feeling the wind coursing through her as she gathered her thoughts, and opened them again.

“I love you, Adrien,” she spoke, her declaration followed by a distant rumble in the sky. “I love you so, so much. Discovering that you were Chat Noir, once I took it all in… it was the best thing in the world, but also the worst.”

She faced away from the Seine to face him instead and take both his hands in hers, gripping them as tight as she could to ground herself as she felt a flow of tears coming in.

“It made me fall in love with you so much more it hurt, but I knew I couldn’t be with you or I knew I shouldn’t because…” She paused, taking ragged breaths. “...Because it wouldn’t be responsible. Because we’re superheroes and because I had this warning with Chat Blanc, and as the guardian it’s my role to keep us grounded and to do the right thing.”

A lighting bolt pierced through the sky, accompanied by a loud thunderstrike a few seconds later. Adrien was looking at her with a pain in his eyes that she knew meant he was hurting for her and not him.

“But I don’t want to do the right thing this time,” she murmured, as she felt a first drop of water slide down her cheek. “I’m tired of doing what’s supposedly right. Not when...not when we’re both hurting so much that it feels like it’s more dangerous to stay this way instead of just… giving in.”

At this point, she didn’t know who out of her and Adrien were gripping the other’s hands the tightest. She felt more and more raindrops falling on her face and clothes. She didn’t know if the water in his eyes were because he was tearing up or not.

“So maybe our love destroyed the world, once,” she continued, “but I think there’s enough far more damaging hate in this world; and ever since these akuma attacks started, what saved it is our love — for Paris, for our family and friends… and for each other.”

Adrien’s eyes now held a glint of adoration. His now damped hair was sticking to his face while some strands curled with the water. She supposed hers wasn’t faring much better.

“So to answer your question,” she swallowed a sob, “I want us to be together… if you’ll have me.”

Lightning ripped through the sky accompanied by deafening thunder as Adrien pulled her into a crushing hug. She put her arms around his neck to pull him even closer to her and let the flow of her tears finally mix with the rain on her cheeks.

“Marinette,” he whispered, voice wavering and lips barely touching her ear, “I love you, of course I’ll have you. I’ll always have you.”

The rain fell even harder as they hugged closer and cried, soaking them, yet they couldn’t care less. Their clothes were sticking to their bodies, growing more and more uncomfortable, which was worsened by them being in each other’s arms, but Marinette hadn’t felt so good in a long time.

She suddenly pulled away from the hug and cradled his head between her hands. He took her face in his and they stayed closed, forehead against forehead, breathing each other in. Another rumbled resounded and Marinette’s last resolve snapped with it—she brought her lips to his and kissed him.

He responded in kind, and she drank him in and pressed her mouth closer as she felt him doing the same. She should care about the rain falling and the thunder rumbling, but the battering of the elements were just making her feel freer, finally allowing her to get away from all her self restraints.

She sighed against Adrien’s lips as they kept coming back for more. They kissed their reunion, the relief of finding each other again, at last—unlike when he had come back from the dead earlier, these kisses tasted of the promise of more to come, because they knew they would stay together this time.

───※ ·❆· ※───

21st of January, 1h45 after the reveal

“Okay. What’s going on between you two? You’ve been acting awkward since we’ve got here.”

What was going on. What was going on.

“We’re fine,” the lie rolled out of her tongue easily. “Really.”

Alya raised a brow. “Adrien?”

She saw him smiling from the corner of her eyes. He was a much better actor than her—always had been.

“It’s nothing. It’s… we just… we’re working on it.”

...And much more honest than she was, be it with his feelings or with his heart. Always had been.

“Well,” Nino said, “I hope it’s not too big of a deal and that you’ll get over it soon. You guys are the cutest out there.”

Marinette smiled painfully. She glanced at Adrien who was looking at her with soft eyes that she didn’t deserve considering her reaction, and she felt his warm hand timidly covering hers.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “I have hopes we will. We always do.”

───※ ·❆· ※───

21st of January, one year after the reveal

“You’re heavy,” Adrien gasped.

“That’s a rude thing to say to a lady,” Marinette commented from atop him, head resting on the arms she had folded on his chest. “And even more so to your girlfriend.”

He groaned and attempted to lift himself up. Fail. She was grinning at him and he pouted in fake-annoyance. “Not when said girlfriend is purposefully putting all her weight on you! I can’t breath!”

Marinette giggled and pressed herself further on him to which he let out a choked whimper, before pushing away from him after a few seconds, ending his suffocation.

“I could report you for attempting murder, you know,” he threatened with a finger. “‘Ladybug slips into teenage model Adrien Agreste’s room and proceeds to suffocate him’, now that would make the newspapers talk for months.”

She laughed and came back to hover over him. “‘And Adrien asked her to do it again’,” she smirked, and she bent down to peck his lips.

He couldn’t even argue with that.

He discreetly brought his hand close to where his head was lying to grab a pillow. When she pushed herself up and sat next to him, he quickly hit her head with it.

She gasped, betrayed and that sent him into a fit of laughter. She glared at him playfully, grabbed his other pillow, and swatted him way harder than he had.

“You’re dead, Kitty! You hear me?” she said, trying and failing not to laugh. “You’ve just signed your death contract!”

“No, my Lady, please I’m just a defenseless citizen!”

“I’ll knock you out with my yo-yo!” she threatened.

They fought again for a few minutes before stopping, Adrien breathless but Marinette only slightly out of breath due to being transformed.

“I hope your father won’t come in,” Marinette said.

“Don’t worry, if he or Nathalie come, you’ll just say you’re investigating here because, uh...because you suspect me of being Hawkmoth!”

She laughed. “Kitty, that’s such a stupid idea.”

“Why not?” Adrien wiggled his eyebrows. “After all, I do disappear during every akuma attack.”

Marinette smiled and crawled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as he steadied her with his hands on her hips. They lost themselves into each other’s eyes, faces close but not close enough to exactly touch.

“Then,” she murmured against his lips, and he felt his cheeks heating up. “I’ve come to seduce my enemy. Is it working?”

“I’d rather be your partner if that’s okay,” he whispered.

“Yes, but is it working Adrien?”

He chuckled—she didn’t even need to try, he’d always been too far gone when it came to her. “A bit too much.”

He kissed the proud and satisfied giggle from her lips.

[violetarks]

hiiii, maybe some angst for Sage?? Like he’s feeling rlly down and pushes his s/o away or something like that??

Selfish

Game: Fictif

Character: Sage Lesath

Summary: A recent run in with an old friend turned enemy makes Sage rethink everything about himself. That includes what he has with Y/N.

Sage was never one to let others decide how his life was. He made that choice himself.

So when he began to leave the bedroom earlier than I could wake up, or when he'd sleep in Felix's study more often, I grew suspicious of what had happened.

At times, we would head to bed together and I'd wrap my arms around him, to which he would get out of later. At the start, he was still cheery and flirty, and would hold me from behind as I fell asleep. And disappear in the morning.

This morning, I woke up to have empty arms. No one nuzzling into my chest and holding onto me tight. No warmth invading the covers. No Sage in my bedroom.

I hated this.

A sigh leaves me as I sit up in bed, noticing how Sage's boots and armour and weapon are gone from my room. Like he woke up early just to leave before I could watch. I continue to get ready for the day.

"Good morning." I spoke, walking into the dining room to see Felix, Anisa and Sage at the table.

"Hello, Barista." Felix calls, not looking up from his book as his eyes scan the pages being his glasses. He sips on his coffee.

"Good morning to you too." Anisa chimes, sending me a friendly smile as she gestures to the spot best her, "Here, I'll go and get the breakfast we made for you."

Before I could react, she's moving out of the room and into the kitchen, where I hear still sizzling of a stove. They must've been cooking while I was sleeping. I manoeuvred around the table and passed Sage, seeing his just focusing on his drink. It was weird; usually he'd be biting off Felix or Anisa's head about something, or even just play-flirting with them. But he was silent.

I don't bring up waking without him.

I place my hand on his shoulder and press a kiss to his cheek, knocking him out of his trance. "Morning, Sage." I speak, sitting down beside him after I scratch behind his ears, "Did you have something planned for today?"

This I assumed because it's the fourth day he's woken up and left without me.

"I'm visiting my sister today." He told me, making both Felix and I stare at him.

Felix is the first to speak, placing his coffee down on its little plate. "Is that so? That seems incredibly unusual." He states, brushing hair behind his ear as Sage turns his gaze to him, "Well, I have some business to attend in that section of town, and I will be prepared in only a moment. I shall accompany you."

Sage shakes his head, finishing his drink. "I'm leaving now, so don't bother." He sighs, walking out of the dining room, "Don't wait for me during dinner, I'll be out."

I go to say something when he just... leaves.

A sigh leaves my lips as Anisa comes back with breakfast on a tray. She places it in front of me and I thank her. "Did Sage take his leave already?" She questions, taking her seat again.

I take the spoon and fork and begin to eat as Felix replies, "Supposedly, he's off to visit his dear sister he neglected for so long." I notice the look he sends to me as I sip my drink. "I don't mean to pry too much, but have you noticed anything that might've changed him?"

I can tell they're as confused as I am.

"He was... fine up until he went into town to talk to one of his old friends." I inform them, looking to the chair he was just in, "I asked him about it when he came back, but he told me it was all fine."

Anisa leans her chin in her palm, closing her eyes. "I see, well, Sage's old friends aren't of the honourable bunch." She tells me as she stands up, pressing out the creases of her outfit, "I'll go investigate. I'm sorry, Y/N, we were supposed to go and finish off some chores."

I wave my hand and smile at her. "No, it's okay. This is much more important." I say to her, holding the warm drink in my palms, "I'll find something else to do."

Felix closes his book and pulls off his glasses. "You're welcome to accompany me, if you'd like." He informs me, tilting his head to the side, "I'll be ready in a few minutes. I'll allow you to finish your meal and meet me at the front of the residence."

I nod my head.

Perhaps I'll bump into Sage and say 'hi' to Tulsi.

Later . . .

"Are you alright, Felix?" I chuckle, seeing him breathless by the walking we've been doing.

He's leaning against the wall, hand bracing his chest as his hair is presented all frazzled. "Please... I ask you hold your comments until after, Y/N." He tells me, glaring a little at my unfazed stance. He couldn't make portals in such a crowded area in the town.

I carried two bags of ingredients and materials that Felix needed. While he held up stacks of thick books he bought from a nearby store. I was doing fine, but Felix was about to crumble to the floor.

"I thought you were used to running errands." I say, falling into slow pace with Felix in the town's shopping district.

Felix grumbles back, fixing the stack of books, "I usually have Anisa or even Sage to assist me. And they don't have the need to explore every inch of the city." I smile at his grimace.

We were only out for about two hours, and I've been keeping my eye out for a certain catboy.

We've visited about five shops and we would have three more until we'll be on our way home. Via portal, of course. Felix is about to die.

We turn the corner, Felix putting on his glasses to read the shop signs. He hums, "Uh, well, our next stop will be down the street, by the bundle of drunkens." He walks in front of me as I look away. "Shall we get going?"

But I'm too busy walking towards the pier.

Felix calls my name to halt me, but followers nevertheless. My eyes are focused on his silky white hair.

"Sage!" I call, handing the bags to Felix before jogging towards him. Sage was sitting on the pier, legs swinging beneath him. He stops, ears flapping and tail raising as I get closer. I ruffle his hair and kiss his cheek softly. "Hey, I was hoping we'd bump into you. Felix and I are just grabbing a few things before we head home."

I sit beside him, watching as the waves crash beneath us. He glances at me for a moment before returning his gaze to the sea. I frown at the fact he scoots away from me.

"Where's Tulsi?" I ask, looking around and trying to spot her, "I wanted to say 'hi', it's been a while since I've last seen her."

Sage keeps quiet. Unusual. And I can tell that Felix knows this by the distance he's keeping.

"Is everything alright, Sage?" I ask, facing the palms on my lap. The question makes Sage's ears flatten and his tail drop to the floor. I play with the fabric of my shirt. "It was pretty obvious you didn't come out here to see Tulsi. She told me that she was going out of town for a business request. She said she warned you about it too."

When I look to Sage, he's facing away from me. I can't tell what expression he has on.

"If you knew, why did you let me go?" He questions me.

I respond, "Because I thought if I gave you some more time, you'd open up to me."

He goes quiet again. His tail wags against the wood. The waves are the only sounds filling the air, other than the chatter of the far away crowd.

"Do you want to talk about what happened with your friend the other day?" I inquire.

"No." He says, voice now forced out.

I stare at him for a moment. "Okay. Well then, is there something we can do to cheer you up?" I inquire, doing my best to not feel intimidated by his harsh glare at the water, "We could head home and I'll comb your hair. We can just lie down. Anything will be fine—"

That's when he grumbles out to me, "I need you to stay the Hell away from me."

I widen my eyes, stopping my movements. "What?" I mumble out.

Sage runs fingers up and down his neck, covering his face from my gaze. "I just... I don't think this is right." He speaks out, voice low and gravelly, "I can't have you at my side like this."

My heart drops as I stare at him. Sage is unmoving, making sure not to look at me. "Did I do something wrong?" I ask, turning my head to face the ocean.

"Crap, I don't mean that you're wrong, Y/N." He groans, leaning back against the wood with his hands behind him. He looks up, so I see his side profile. "Don't you think we're...? Y'know?"

I shake my head. "No. I don't." I say confidently.

He finally glances to me, eyes shining the the sunlight. But the smirk he wears isn't playful, more like he was annoyed or couldn't take it anymore. He hums, "I'm sure you do. Y/N, you're smart. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't fly under your radar."

I can't tell whether I should be offended or confused. But I'm both, right now.

"Sage, you haven't talked to me seriously in ages." I remind him, lifting my shoulders to appear intimidating. He faces me with a raised brow. "This is the first time. So stop trying to be so cryptic and tell me what's wrong, straight-forward. We've let this go long enough."

I notice how his ears flattened down even more. He covers his eyes with his hand, but I see the faint smile on his lips. He mumbles out, "I can't just talk to you like that—"

"Why not? What's so bad about that?" I ask.

"Babe, I don't know what to tell you." He grunts, eyes shutting closed with such frustration, "I don't... You can't be dragged into this mess. Why can't you just let this go?"

I furrow my brows and question, "Do you want me to let you go?"

He goes quiet once again.

My hand lands on the one on his lap. I squeeze his palm and lay my head on his shoulder. He tenses before relaxing for a moment.

I give a small grin. "Tell me what you want to do. Tell me why all of this is coming up." I say quietly, making sure only the two of us heard, "I want to be there for you, Sage. I can only do that if you tell me what happened."

"I need to go." He tells me, shuffling to get away.

"Sage, you can't keep running away from me." I said, standing up and looking to him, "This is ridiculous! Are you seriously just going to ignore me again?"

And he stands up and walks away from me.

"Sage!" I shout, stepping towards him and stopping his movements by grabbing his hand. I tug him back into my arms, wrapping them around his torso. "Stop, please... Just tell me what's wrong. I can help you."

His hands land on my arms, pushing them away with such delicate touch. He huffs out, shoulders shaking against me, "Let go of me, Y/N. I can't do this anymore."

I only hold onto him tighter and shout, "What did I do?"

He turns around, now forcefully pushing my arms away from him. I step back, drawing my hands to myself as he glares at me. Tears are prickling his eyes and he stands with a defensive aura. His tail is upright and unmoving. His ears flicker.

"You're not the problem! How could you be so blind?" He yells back at me, fists at his side, "I—I don't know how else to say this! Y/N, the longer you're with me, the worse it's gonna' get!"

I face him fully, gripping at my jacket. "Well then I'll make it better!" I claim, moving towards him, "Just... talk to me, Sage. You don't have to do this."

His expression softens at my voice. I take the chance to rest a hand on his arm. But he moves away from me.

"I don't want to hurt you."

His voice cracks at the end. His gaze hits the floor and his fingers relax.

"You won't."

Sage looks up to me. And shakes his head.

"You don't know that."

I clench my jaw.

"I'll prove it."

He turns around and stuffs his hands into his pockets.

"I don't need you too."

He passes Felix, who furrows his brows and grabs Sage's arm. The taller man rips out of his grasp and glares at Felix. It's enough to make the necromancer back off. Sage disappears into the crowd.

As I walk towards Felix, he asks, "What happened?"

I lift my hands from my own pockets, grabbing the bags from him.

"Let's go home."

Anisa was passed out in her bedroom when we got home. I wanted to ask about her trip to figure out what happened with Sage, but I don't want to wake her up. I'll just wait until tomorrow.

I put away all the ingredients that we bought today, helping Felix put them away. He sat at his desk and studied his new texts. I placed the last bottle on the shelf and sat down, rubbing my temple slowly.

"Sage is affecting you, in the worst way, I'm afraid." Felix speaks, not glancing up from his book, "Would it be beneficial for you to converse about it?"

I smile at how awkward he sounds.

"Do you think Sage and I should really break up?"

Felix chokes on the coffee he's drinking.

He wipes his mouth and looks at me like I was crazy. And then stands up hastily as he sets down his cup, as if to lecture me.

"What in the Heavens are you talking about?" He asks me, furrowing his brows, "Sage, if anything, appreciates and adores you like the moon to the sun. The opposites you two share are... undeniably perfect for each other! You both compliment the other so well, it's intriguing, really."

He looks down at the desk he's sitting at. A sorrowful stare, like he knows deeply what he's talking about.

"I've never witnessed Sage act in such a way as he does when in your presence." He sighs out, clenching his fists on top of the wood, "It would be... truly idiotic of you to believe that Sage wouldn't indulge in this relationship."

A silence wavers over us before he closes his eyes.

"He loves you. I know that piece of your relationship, as a fact." He tells me, "So do not think for a moment that anyone would allow it to slip away so effortlessly. Nobody... shall be as foolish."

I blink at him.

Felix fixes his composure. He closes his eyes and puts his glasses back on properly. He pulls his vest and runs fingers through his loose hair. "Pardon me for the outburst, if you will." He clears his throat, "Do you have anything else you would like to speak about?"

I smile at him, standing up and brushing off my clothes.

"I'm good. I think I heard all I needed to." I speak out loud, looking to the floor with shaded eyes, "You've helped me, Felix. And all I've asked was one question."

He nods at me as I exit the room.

Moments later, I'm standing in front of my bedroom. I'm sure that Sage is in there. I see his shadow walking about in the room. I just don't know if I could be as well.

I end up hanging around the tea room, laying on the couch with the book Anisa gave me.

It wasn't long until I had fallen asleep.

The Next Day . . .

I wake up with a heavy layer over my body.

It was obvious what it was.

I lift Sage's jacket as I sit up, bringing my knees to my chest as I lean against the armrest. It smelt just like him, like fresh booze. Of course. It was heavy leather that sprawled over my whole entire body. My arms wrapped around the material and hugged it to my chest.

I don't know how he's found me here. It's on the one of the most unused floors, as Anisa and Felix use the first, second, third and fourth the most often. This was the seventh floor. He must've been searching for me when I didn't come to bed.

The door swings open and I look over to see Anisa. She looks relieved.

"Ah, there you are, Y/N." She spoke, closing the door behind her and making her way over to me, "I was looking for you all morning. I went to your bedroom, but you weren't there. I was beginning to worry."

She sat herself in front of me, brushing out the creases in her skirt. But her eyes fall onto the 'blanket' over me. She hums, smile on her lips, "I see Sage has already paid a visit. Did you two talk? Felix tells me that there was some tension between the two of you last night."

I blink at her before placing the coat on my lap. "He must've visited sometime at night. I slept in here." I admit to her, to which Anisa raises her brows, "But... yeah, I haven't talked to him since when we met at the pier yesterday."

Anisa frowns at that. She sighs, placing one leg over the other, "I wanted to tell you about the friend of Sage's I visited yesterday." I widen my eyes at her. "It seems that the two left on a rather... not-so-friendly note. They had an argument, as it would, in a bar in his friend's hometown."

I wouldn't be surprised.

I swing my legs over the side of the couch, Sage's overcoat now laying over my thighs. Anisa goes on, "Word about the two of you has spread fast, I'll mention."

"Word about us?" I hum.

Anisa tilts her head at me with a sly smile. "You didn't know? Sage is pretty popular with the townspeople, so when he stopped hitting on everything that could breathe, everyone was suspicious." She giggled out, covering her mouth with her hand, "Let's just say that time you and Sage made out in the alleyway by the bar didn't go unnoticed."

I feel my face burn before Anisa moves on.

"The friend spoke some selfish words to Sage." She informed me, shaking her head, "Saying that Sage was only going to get you hurt, like he had with all his friends. It was a petty argument, but Sage must've taken it to heart. I won't admit all they said, but it wasn't good for Sage, especially considering how much he cares for you."

I run my fingers up my neck. "I get it." I tell her, closing my eyes for a moment, "Sage really doesn't like hurting me. Whether he does it himself or is the reason behind it."

I thank Anisa for her help and she leaves me to get ready on the day. I walk towards the door and step into the corridor. It's absolutely freezing. Shivering, I pull on Sage's jacket and continue my way to my bedroom.

Despite how much I had slept, it was still the morning. If I had to make a guess, at least 10 AM. The halls were quiet, only the faint footsteps of the workers at this palace echoing off the walls. I passed a few and bid them a good morning, getting a quick one in return as they went off.

My bedroom door swings open with nothing but a slight creak. I peak inside and notice the curtains all drawn down, making the room a shade darker. No candles are lit and the sun just barely escapes through the crack of the silky material.

Stepping inside, I see Sage on the bed. His back is facing me and I notice how he's hugging my pillow into his chest tightly. I don't know of he's still asleep, but his shoulders are rising and falling. His boots are by the side of the bed, along with his armour. Usually, he'd be up and out by 8:00 since we trained from 8:30 to 11:00.

Placing his large jacket on the desk chair, I look around to see everything... pretty tidy. The last time I was in here, I had left a couple of books strewn out around the coffee table, since we left in a hurry to the town. And I knocked my heel on the lovechair by the large window and curtains, pushing it back. Sage must've cleaned around and put everything back to its place.

I slip off my shoes and move the sheets, trying not to stir him awake. I've noticed that he's quite the light sleeper.

Making myself comfortable, I sit up in bed and peer over his shoulder. Sage is digging his nose into my pillow, eyes closed shut as he silently snores. The sheets fall just over the part under his hip, meaning he's been tossing and turning in his sleep. I can't stop my hand reaching out and brushing the stray hairs from his face.

Then, I slip in behind Sage, my heart aching as I slip my arms around his waist and nuzzle into his shoulder. He doesn't shift in his slumber, allowing me to leave a litter of kisses along his neck and exposed shoulder. He never did wear anything under his trenchcoat. The scars painting his skin are presented by kisses from my lips.

After a moment, I close my eyes and hold him tighter.

"I'm here for you, Sage." I whisper out to him, breath waving over his neck, "Always and forever. I'll never leave your side."

He starts to shiver.

I pull away slightly upon the sudden movement, leaning up on one elbow to see that Sage is pushing his face into my pillow. His shoulders are shaking and I watch as his hair falls over his cheeks.

"Sage..." I sigh out, sitting up properly and moving the strands of hair from his face. I place a hand over him and press kisses to his forehead. "Hey, it's okay, Sage. It's fine."

I pull him up, the pillow leaving his face so I can see his teary eyes. His cheeks are reddened and he won't look at me. I smile softly, brushing fingers through his hair and bringing him closer. He leans into my touch, nuzzling his face into my neck, arms around my torso. He holds onto me like a lifeline.

I rub his back as he moves closer, resulting in my laying on my back and Sage on top of me. I dig my nose into his hair and hold my breath. I exhale, "I missed you, Sage."

"I'm sorry..." He mumbles onto me.

I weave my fingers through his hair and kiss his forehead again. "It's fine now, Sage."

"I just don't want to hurt you, Y/N, and that... that's probably going to happen anyway." Sage cries into me, tears staining my shirt. I can feel my eyes stinging at the sound of his sobbing. "Everyone I start caring about gets hurt because of me and I can't stop it. I... I don't want to lose you because of my stupid past."

I widen my eyes at his words before sighing out, hugging him closer to my chest. Sage holds on tighter, crying into me. I allow him to do so, whispering words of affection and never letting him slip away from me.

"Nothing will ever take me away from you, Sage. I swear." My voice speaks only a fraction louder than the silence in the room. But Sage nods to me. "No one would ever blame you for this, even I wouldn't. Your past will not be the reason why I will never see a smile on your face."

He gulps, lifting himself up to look at me, "I just want you to be safe."

"We can protect me, even Anisa and Felix." I say, staring up at the man in from of me, "You don't have to worry so hard about it, Sage. Plus, you're teaching me the ways of Astrae so I can understand this place. You're helping me."

He goes quiet and for a moment I believe I've gotten through to him. But then he wipes his eyes and says, "This is selfish. I... I don't deserve to be loved by you and yet I just—just take it all in like it's nothing. I did nothing to get you. You're giving everything to me and I... I—"

"You love me too, don't you?" I ask.

He moves his hand away and stares at me.

"Do you?"

He nods his head, leaning a bit forward as I place my hand on his cheek.

I grin softly, leaning my forehead against his. "Then that's enough for me."

He blushes red, wiping his eyes one last time. He holds onto my palm, pressing a kiss to it.

Sage hums, looking to the sheets around us, "Won't you get mad at me?"

I sit up and wrap my arms around his chest. "I could never be mad at you, Sage." I say, forehead against his, "You're too cute."

He smiles, chuckling back to me, "Don't you mean 'sexy', Babe?"

"No."

"Aw."

"Okay, yes."

We giggle for a while until I lean forward and press my lips against his. Sage takes a moment to relax, soothing out his nerves. He holds my cheek, tilting my lips further into his. It's not the 'make out' kind of kiss he'd give when in bed like this. But a gentle, 'thank you for taking the time' kiss.

We share a few, long and short, until Sage lays down beside me. I feel him nuzzle into my chest, arms pulling me closer to him. I scratch behind his ears and listen to his purr.

"I missed you." I whisper out, feeling him smile against me.

"I missed you too, Babe."

[gagmebucky]

hiiii i wrote this awhile ago but took it down because i was 👉🏼👈🏼 embarrassed about it (because i do not have the skill to pull off peter parker) and sorta still am but everyone’s been so nice to me about it i thought the best way to repay the kindness by posting it for those who did like it 😅 (originally inspired by spider man 2 with andrew garfield but loosely set in the 2018 issue of the amazing spider-man.)

in which the guys are making fun of peter and accidentally see a video of him fucking you. (includes avenger!peter x girlfriend!you, peter’s pov, voyeur!steve and voyeur!bucky, a sex tape featuring d/s dynamics, bondage, praise kink, exhibitionism, unprotected sex.) 

do not repost.

—

Despite being twenty-one years old; a proper adult who lives with his high school sweetheart, a photographer doubling as a seven-year veteran vigilante in the dangers of New York, Peter Parker is still considered as a super-powered amateur to his seasoned peers. 

Nonetheless, given his success in countless battles in the state, country, world and even galaxy-wide, he more than qualifies to hold the title of Avenger; it’s official now. A laid-back induction ceremony and his very own identity card: a sturdy rectangle, shiny with full clearance and all. Yet, as an official member, his teammates still treat him like he’s that same goofy, out-of-his-depths sixteen year old.

To be fair, yes, his style of heroism isn’t the most serious. He favors levity in the face of danger, a cheeky flare with smart quips and an infuriating grin. Even after taking a beating from the worst of foes, his demeanor never wavers because in the end, he wins. The villains are slayed and the people are saved, even comforted by the boyishly confident way he works. 

But beyond that persona, he has grown into a skilled warrior. On that note, he wants to be regarded as such—at least, to a certain extent. The jokes and teasing, poking fun at his age or the shenanigans he gets himself into, don’t bother him. No, his playful wit handles it with relative ease, and he’s a good sport about it. The only thing that he’d want to see change is some recognition that he isn’t a naïve kid anymore and is fully capable of taking charge when needed.

With his recent acceptance into the gifted pantheon, he’s intent on making that known. The jesting can continue but he wants it to be with an understanding of his capabilities. Luckily, a perfect opportunity has presented itself to showcase his abilities: a training session. 

He’s late. And yes, he knows that’s probably not a good impression to make.

In his own defense, it isn’t technically his fault. He forgot that you, his personal alarm clock (amongst other things), left early this morning because you volunteered to help his aunt move. Four years of mornings and nights, he’s gotten used to—and prefers—your languorous wake-up call.

Without your reminder, he regains consciousness fifteen minutes after the scheduled time and ends up scrambling to the compound. In a flurry, he throws on his suit—unknowingly backwards, he realizes later—trips at least three times over his own footing before he finally springs out of the balcony with webbed bursts.

When he reaches his destination, Captain America and the Winter Soldier are unimpressed; mid-simulation, it powers down. Both super-soldiers whirl around to face him, fixing raised eyebrows at his disheveled arrival.

He adjusts his now front-facing suit and shuffles forward into the space with as much confidence as an interrupter can have. “H - hey, guys,” Peter greets sheepishly and manages what he hopes is a charming smile, absentmindedly fidgeting with his phone. “Lookin’ good for a couple of geezers.” 

Unfortunately, Steve Rogers is not charmed or disillusioned from the tardiness. “You’re late, Parker.” His arms fold, and he shakes his head when punctuating his disapproval with an echoing, “Again.” 

Thankfully, to his right, more relaxed and cool, Bucky Barnes steps up. “C’mon, Stevie. Y’can’t be that surprised,” he chimes in matter of factly, contrasting against his friend with amusement sparkling in his blue eyes. “What’d you expect with Parker?” He gestures at the younger superhero. “Kid’s gonna be late to his own wedding.”

(Beside the point, but worth noting, he will not be late to meeting you at the altar. That is, of course, if you accept when he pops the question. Which is going to happen relatively soon, considering he has the ring in his nightstand drawer.)

The consult seems to relax him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right and—Peter, you—seriously, man?!” Steve sputters the last bit when he glanced over to see him blatantly check the notification that’s vibrated in his hand (on the device that is ruled to be stowed away during training). “Now the phone?!” 

Even though he shouldn’t, being on thin ice with Cap and all (pun not intended), Peter’s gaze flickers down to see your contact name appear on the screen, and he can’t resist. While Bucky guffaws a laugh at his audacity, he’s swiping up to pull up your text thread. 

> you 😛❤️🥰, 10:37AM: spider boyyyyy you’ll never guess what i found in a box labeled ‘peter’s junk’ ;;;)

peter, 10:37AM: those magazines are NOT mine and i don’t know how they got there.

> you 😛❤️🥰, 10:38AM: not quite but close, naughty boy

> you 😛❤️🥰, 10:38AM: for a man who depends on keeping secrets and a penchant for home movies, you might ought to keep a lock on your phone unless you want someone to see me like this...

> you 😛❤️🥰, 10:38AM: (video attached)

Immediately, he recognizes the pornographic thumbnail. One glance, and he’s remembering the first couple of times you guys explored the exhibitionism side of things. It was at the end of his freshman year of college and taped on a phone he thought he had lost. But he must've forgotten it at his aunt’s house, and she tossed it in the box until you came along. 

Although there’s been plenty more made, he recalls that one being a shared favorite, his especially. When long-distance duty calls, it was his go-to media. The angles, your face and body beneath the lights, the sounds it caught, you once asked if he considered switching to cinematography instead of photographer

Subconsciously, his teeth run over his bottom lip, feeling that blazing spark of desire igniting in the pit of his gut, partially at the memory and partially at what’ll happen once you guys can re-watch it together; his thumbs start typing away with that message.

“Peter!” Steve’s exasperated voice snaps, but to no avail—the real gall of the youngster, or the effect of you. His weight shifts toward his best friend, and he nudges him with his elbow. “Kids these days!” The hundred-something year old’s gaze cocks a brow back over. “Is that why you were late? Blowing off training to text your girlfriend?”

The text delivers with an audible bloop. Finally, his concentration gives, and he can look up, though his expression is clueless from the last minute. “Huh?” His brain registers what he missed, and he winces. “Sorry, Cap. My bad.”

Bucky chuckles. “Give him a break, Steve,” he faux comes to his defense, a teasing quality underlying his tone. “He’s young and in love. It’s not his fault he’s pussy-whipped.” He cracks him an antagonizing grin as Peter rolls his eyes. “He can’t go an hour without sending those little weird pictures with heart eyes, or she might not know he’s thinking about her.”

“As if you know anything about romance, old man,” he fires back and presses past them with squared shoulders, correcting him quite seriously: “And they’re called emojis, by the way. But that’s not what I was doing, if you want to know so bad.”

The brunette tilts his head thoughtfully, and small hackles arise for reasons he doesn’t understand, or pay attention to. “You know, I do want to know really badly,” Bucky decides and poses a question to his left, “Wouldn’t you, too, Steve? Aren’t you curious what his girlfriend sent that was so much more important than training?”

The blond mimics his actions and clicks his tongue. “Yeah, I am.” 

Peter’s eyebrows pinch while his skin tingles and the hair on the back of his neck stands straight up. “What—” Before his senses process it, one of the super-soldiers plucks his phone out of his hands and darts back beside his best friend. His jaw drops as he tries to follow after him. “Bucky, you asshole—”

“Some spidey senses, huh?” The Winter Soldier lifts it high over his head, utilizing his six-foot stature against his five-ten like elementary school bullies do and older siblings to their juniors. “Haven’t ‘cha heard about sharing with the class?” He laughs and practically stiff-arms him to squint up at the screen. “Aw, he can’t wait to see her. What’s it been, more than two hours since you two saw each other last?” 

Conceding to the height difference, Peter stops his physical efforts and diverts it to someone reasonable. “Cap, you gonna help me out here?” he addresses the entertained onlooker in the most friendly voice he can manage. 

“The kid’s got separate anxiety not just from his girlfriend but phone too, Buck,” Steve drawls with a lopsided curve of his lips. He side-steps Peter to stand next to Bucky, and for a second, he thinks he’s on his side despite the tease, but he simply adds a stern, “So be careful. You don’t want to break it, or Parker will have a fit.”

Peter crosses his arms and scowls. “Ha, ha,” he retorts dryly, only somewhat amused by their banter. He tilts his head up at them, and the duo look thoroughly pleased with themselves. “You know, you guys are kind of dicks.”

“No, we’re your mentors, kid,” Steve corrects with a wink and rests his arm on his friend’s shoulder. “This is a lesson. No phones—” He jabs his thumb back in reference to the device’s unlocked screen: “—when you’re supposed to be training.” 

“Yeah,” Bucky chimes in upon glancing up from his phone. “And a little advice, women don’t like clinginess. Try being a little more stern and see how that works for you. If you’re able to manage that. But I won’t hold it against ya if you can’t.”

“Uh-huh,” Peter patronizes with a bob of his head, biting back a response pointing out the hundred-something year old’s inexperience. Instead, he focuses on the electronic readily loaded up with some private content. With that, he decides to do the rational and mature thing and ask nicely. “Noted. So, uh, can I have my phone back now?” 

To his shock, Bucky merely flashes a smirk and his thumb scrolls half-heartedly over the thread. Thereafter, he leans toward Steve and raises his cell for him to see. “Oh, look, it’s a video,” he teases. “What could Y/N send that would take priority of training?” 

There’s an unspoken let’s see then a metal finger taps the play button. Before Peter can think, much less react, Captain American and the Winter Soldier are watching how he effortlessly renders his pretty little girlfriend into a cute nonsensical yet eager mess— 

In his point-of-view shot, the ratio holds in portrait view in a bid to capture every bit of you. Above you, the camera focuses on you and your beautifully debauched state beneath warm lighting where it’s unalienable that the camera was made for you. 

Your eyes are dilated brightly, desperate with desire as your lashes flutter up at him. A sheen coats your features and glistens like glitter at the highest points of your face while the shape of your face is framed by your stretched arms. 

Your wrists are bound over your head, splotched with expertly sprayed strong, white webs. The mesh sticks them together in a criss-cross, comfortable but nearly impossible to break out of, fixed in place atop his headboard. The tautness tugs a mild strain on your figure so your breasts are jutting out like an offering, and it’s obvious he’s taken advantage of it. Darkened marks adorn your glowing complexion, peppered across your décolletage with imprints of his teeth; including your nipples, sucked swollen and tender. 

The angle trails down until it reveals the sight of him mercilessly pounding inside of you. His better-than-average girth is sliding in and out of your tight channel; slicked in shared translucent essence, creaming around the base, your inner walls visibly clinging to his cock with every backward stroke. His hand splays on your mound, using his thumb to abuse your engorged clit. He easily keeps the sensitive nub pinned under his control despite your wildly twisting hips. 

Like the display, the soundtrack is equally obscene. Loud, your stuffed depths gush and squelch as skin slaps rhythmically. Your breathy, wanton moans overshadow both, drawn out whimpers, almost nonsensical other than the syllable of his name. A melody of neediness, you sound so fucking pretty, (depraved, like a whore, you once told him during your little film marathon with a sly smile), and for him specifically.

The frame pans upward and confirms you look just as good. A perfect mess, unhinged by the skilled ministrations of your boyfriend. Passion beads on your forehead like reflections off of a diamond. Panting, your lips are plumped from kissing parted with mewls of pleasure. 

“P - please—I need to—can I - I please—” You’re begging like the sweet little thing you are, incoherent babbling the result of his excessive edging. Of course, you know better than to give into the sensations ravaging you; instead you ignore your visceral desire and ask him for your release. “Peter, please!” 

A deep chuckle vibrates behind the camera as his big hand slides into view, trailing over your jiggling tits to the slope of your throat. “Maybe,” he says breathily and grasps the line of your jaw between his fingers. “Open your mouth first, babe.” 

No more preamble necessary, you follow his direction, your pink tongue flat over your Cupid’s bow. Immediately, a long string of his saliva drips into view and onto your taste buds; the vulgar act is accepted with a swallow and a quivering moan of, “T - thank you.” 

“Good girl,” he praises huskily, and the voiced approval has you visibly shivering. “Alright, then, pretty girl. Make it good for me, and c’mon—”

Before your otherworldly reckoning washes over you and his teammates can watch your bliss immortalized in film, Peter snatches his property back. 

Not much force is necessary as Bucky’s grip has been stunned loose. A dark expression permeates on young hero’s face but not because of embarrassment; if he was still nineteen or eighteen, he would’ve been mortified that his titular superiors caught a depraved glimpse of his sex life, on both his and your behalf. Rather than, there’s just a flit of annoyance when he folds his arms.

“Shit,” Bucky is the first to speak, exhaling the swear raggedly. His blue pupils have widened in obvious attraction, dilated dark, blinking rapidly as if it’ll help calm him down from the clip of you, his innocent seeming girlfriend, all ruined and begging. “Parker, fuck, I - I didn’t know you got down like that.” 

There’s a swell in his chest, pride beating steadily while he remains reticent-faced. He prefers you keep your bedroom activities secluded there. Yeah, he likes to be in control and you like to be controlled but it’s only in a sexual nature. Yet, their reactions—stunned, embarrassed and viscerally affected—surges smug satisfaction he’s never known before through his veins. 

Even the prestigious Captain America is bothered, though he may try to hide it. He clears his throat, a flustered pink coloring his cheeks. “Peter, uh,” he says, barely maintaining the confidence to look him in the eye after witnessing his girlfriend like that. “We - we shouldn’t have invaded your privacy like that.” 

“Uh-huh,” is Peter’s response, a hint of a smirk curling on one side of his lips. “Why don’t you guys call me after you’re finished with your cold showers, and we can actually train. Until then, I’m gonna go to my girl who’s more than eager to handle mine.” He pauses. “Maybe if you guys ask nice enough, I might let her show you how well I’ve trained her.”