#making her go into a different locker room provides nothing for anyone

[imwritesometimes]

It's becoming just.... blatantly obvious that all this GOP posturing on transgender individuals being about ~protecting women's rights~ is just them trying to save face after they got Roe overturned and that has since backfired massively for them. Like it's so clear they think this is somehow gonna win points with women 'see we really care abt ur rights! We're trying to protect you!' while they still try to pry those rights from our hands not to mention there's no danger cis women face from trans people anyway

[tired-teacher-blog]

hi so I don’t want to like impose or anything but could you do like class 1-a is in class (shinso is in the class and is dating y/n) and they are training outside and stuff then when the girls (including y/n) are going to the locker room she like freezes. And then she faints. So like everyone is worried and stuff. And like she’s super weak afterwords. I deal with really bad fainting issues due to dehydration and I’ve been told some not very nice things about myself because of it.

if you don’t have time or don’t feel like doing this it’s okay - 🕷️

Hello my cute little spider 😍 It's never an imposition baby, I'm always happy to provide something comforting and I really had fun working on your request (though as usual it took me forever, I'm really sorry 🥲) one more thing! Don't listen to anyone who tries to put you down, just take care of yourself sweetheart and ignore everything else. You are capable of great things and I believe in you! I'm also here if you ever feel like talking okay?

Title : Nothing less than perfect

Characters : Shinsou/ Fem reader + Class 1A/ Aizawa/ Vlad King

Genre : A bit of angst but mostly fluff/ drabble

Trigger warning : Dehydration symptoms

Masterlist|Second Masterlist

_ "Come on! Move quicker!" Sekijiro's booming voice sent shivers throughout your body as he stared daggers into your soul.

You deserved it— you weren't about to deny that, but the questioning looks your boyfriend and classmates had sent you were more uncomfortable than your teacher's yelling.

_ "Are you okay?" Hitoshi approached you before lightly bumping your shoulder with his.

_ "Ah! yes I'm fine." you lied through your teeth, offering him a little smile afterwards.

Frankly, you hadn't been feeling well at all since morning, and the splitting headache that left you weak and dizzy was the last thing you needed during training.

_ "Your skin is flushed, and you look like you're about to collapse," he knitted his eyebrows in obvious concern, "should I talk to Mr Aizawa or Mr Sekijiro? you need to take a little break."

_ "What? no I'm totally fine I promise." you wiped the sweat off your forehead and slipped away from him to join the girls.

You tried your hardest to remain calm and confident throughout the remainder of the joint training session your class had with Mr Sekijiro's, and you almost let out a cry of relief when your teachers announced the end of the bout.

You walked on wobbly legs aiming to reach the locker room that seemed a lot further than you remember, all the while ignoring Hitoshi's worried looks.

All you wanted was to lay down a little and give in to the pain.

The girls were energetic, chattering about whatever came to mind and trying to include you in a conversation you had no interest in, so offering them fake smiles was all you were capable of at the moment.

You were almost there, almost inside the changing room where you could finally sit down and rest, however..

Your vision started to blur, and your ears started to buzz. It was as if you were drowning, until all your senses ceased to work and your body just shut down..

_ "Y/n, open your eyes please, can you hear me?"

Whose voice was that? It sounded distant.

_ "Please y/n say something!"

A different voice, but distant still.

You felt yourself floating, as if you were being carried by someone. Many voices, familiar but hard to distinguish apart, and all of them were calling your name and begging you to open your eyes, so maybe you should try.

Your lids were heavy, as if glued together, but with a shaky whimper, you could finally do it.

_ "You're up! Are you okay?!" Mina was all over you, crying and shaking your leg.

_ "Give her space, let her breathe." it was Mr Aizawa, shooing everyone away, but they refused to budge before making sure you were alright.

They were worried sick, and their anxious expressions made you feel guilty.

_ "I'm so sorry guys, I didn't mean to scare you, but I'm really okay now." it was hard to speak, and your voice came out hoarse, but at least you managed to ease their nerves.

_ "We're so happy you're feeling better y/n." Izuku responded with a smile.

_ "Alright, now everyone get the hell out of here and let her rest." Mr Aizawa sounded harsher than before and everyone flinched realizing that he was serious.

_ "We'll see you later y/n." Ochaco and Eijiro waved at you enthusiastically before following everyone outside.

It took you a moment to realize that Hitoshi was still there when Mr Aizawa gave him a knowing nod before following the rest of the class and closing the door behind him.

You took in your surroundings, you were at recovery girl's office, but she wasn't there since Mr Aizawa dragged her out with everyone else.

You were left alone with your boyfriend, who was quiet the whole time as he held your hand in his.

_ "Hitoshi.." you started but he stopped you immediately.

_ "We can talk later, just get some rest first." he gently picked up your hand and planted the softest kiss on your warm skin.

Shame and remorse ate at you, not only did you make your friends and teachers worry, but also the person you love.

_ "I'm really fine now Hitoshi," you weren't really, but you needed to explain, to apologize, "I'm suffering from fainting spells caused by dehydration, I'm mostly fine but sometimes it gets tough and I end up passing out. I'm really sorry for hiding something like this from you, and for not taking your advice earlier when you asked me to get some rest.." you wanted to say more, but you were too weak and knew your sobs would prevent you from carrying on.

_ "Why did you hide this from me?" his voice was soft, but he sounded hurt.

_ "Because I was afraid you would think less of me, or leave me.." you were no longer able to hold your tears back as your voice trailed off.

_ "Are you out of your mind?! how could I ever think of you as anything less than perfect! look at you! you're a straight A student, strong, kind, funny, brave beautiful! and I still cannot believe you settled for me," he scratched the back of his head as he uttered the last part, "our friends, they were worried sick, not because they pitied you, but because they love you," he moved to sit by your side on the bed before wiping your tears away, "never doubt yourself, because no one else does."

_ "I love you so much.. I really do.. I'm sorry for what happened but I promise.. I will never keep anything from you anymore." you pulled him impossibly close to you, hiding your face in his chest and crying to your heart's content.

_ "I love you more y/n, and I've always been proud of you, but if possible I'm even prouder now knowing that you've never allowed your struggles to shackle you, you've taught me so much today."

Your tears suddenly stopped as you allowed your boyfriend's words to sink in. He was proud of you, never doubted or thought of leaving you.

You lifted your head and smiled sweetly, "I'm proud of you too Hitoshi, and I'm happy you picked me out of everyone else."

Hearing his shy chuckles and seeing his pink cheeks brought serenity to your soul, you knew you were alright and will always be.

[cherrycola27]

Nevermore

Paring: Rooster x OC Commader Skylar "Raven" Blackwood

Warnings: Language, drinking, Mentions of violence, Allusions to Smut. Minors DNI 18+

Part 2: Once upon a midnight dreary

A sickly silence fell upon the room after Raven had finished introducing herself. She scanned her eyes across the group and found Rooster's face. His expression was stonewall and stalwart, but she could just catch the glimpse of angst in his eyes. He was hurt, angry, betrayed.

"Well" Maverick cleared his throat breaking the silence. "If there is nothing else to say, you are dismissed. I want everyone on the tarmac ready to go in 30." He stated the 12 aviators quietly gathered their belongings and left their seats to head to the locker rooms. Maverick and Raven stayed behind.

"Well, that could have gone better." Raven finally said. "Rooster definitely hates me now."

"Why is that Commander?" Pete asked her, having no idea of their relationship.

"Bradley and I went to flight school together... and we dated. After graduation orders took us to different parts of the world. Last night I ran into him at the Hard Deck as well as the other members of you squadron, and well, I lied to them about who I was and why I was here." Raven confessed.

"I see." Maverick countered. "Well, if it makes you feel any better Raven, a few months ago he hated me too, but we are better now. If there is one thing I know about Rooster is that no matter how upset he is with anyone, deep down, he wants to forgive them.

"Hopefully you're right Commodore Mitchell." She nodded her head. "Please, call me Maverick, Mav, or even Pete... Commodore is just... to formal." He told her.

"Yes Sir, well, shall go fly?" She asked turning to leave.

Maverick stood there a moment more as he watched her walk away. Raven had the same air about her that Charlie did back when Maverick had first met her. Professional, no nonsense, poised. She was disciplined and unwavering... everything he wasn't.

"Greetings Avaitors, this is your Commader speaking. Commodore Mitchell briefed me about your flying abilities and your dogfighting skills. I have to say I am impressed, but there is still a lot for everyone to learn. This mission requires more active combat and dogfighting than most of you have seen, so, working in teams you are going to try and shoot me down." Raven told everyone through the coms system.

"Commader." Payback spoke up "Yes Payback?" She asked. "Last time we were in this situation we had a little bet with Maverick... first to get shot down does 200 push-ups... care to wager that?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Make it 250 and you're on." Raven replied without missing a beat. "Deal" Fanboy answered for the group while everyone else let out a collective groan.

"Okay then, Finch, Garcia, time to put your money where your mouth is." Raven challenged them before engaging the pair who were flanked by Coyote.

Maverick stayed on the tarmac listening and watching where he came to a harsh realization.

Skylar may have acted like Charlie on the ground, but she flew like him. She was precise, agile, and daring. He watched as one by one she shot down the teams, never wavering. She acted and reacted, not thinking, just doing, she was in total control of herself... almost emotionless.

He listened in as she provided feedback to all of the pilots:

"You're too slow"

"Level out your wings, too loose on the turn"

"Trust your wingman, they are there for a reason"

"Reaction time is everything"

"Listen to your WSO, it's their job to know what's the radar"

"Communicate people or you are dead!"

Soon the last pair was about to go up in the air against her... Rooster and Hangman. Everyone else had been shot down and were sore from push-ups as they waited in the briefing room licking their wounds.

"Alright Rooster, you read to do this?" Hangman asked as they cruised. "Keep your head level don't let your feelings get in the way man." Jake reminded him.

"Yeah Bagman I know, control myself" Rooster huffed out. He couldn't hide the distain in his voice. He was clearly upset with Raven for lying to him. The girl he knew back in flight school never would have, which he never would have thought Skylar, his Skylar would be the pilot she is today.

"Alright Raven where are you?" Rooster called out.

"Right here Roosie? Did you miss me?" She asked dropping down from above them and turning inverted.

"Geez Raven, that's a very Maverick move right there... any relation?" Hangman joked. Maverick winced at the the comment.

"No sir Hangman, but then again I never knew who my father was, maybe we can talk about my daddy issues while you do your push-ups" Raven shot back.

Pete's eyes went wide at her comment. She didn't know her father. Charlie never told her who he was, which meant she didn't know that there was a very his chance that she was Maverick's daughter.

"Did I just strike a never there Rave?" Hangman taunted her.

"No Bagman you didn't, I'm fully aware of my daddy issues thank you very much. Only think I know is my mother told me was that he was a Top Gun pilot... apparently really good but a big ego, I decided to become better than him." Raven seethed back, the first hit of emotion coming through her voice.

"Well let's see how good you are then sweets... Rooster, do some of that pilot shit" Hangman called out as Rooster spun around out from under Raven in an attempt to throw her off and get missle lock.

"Really? Positioning for a cobra maneuver? That's child's play boys." Raven said before taking a deep dive and then immediately pulling up shooting in between them. Hangman and Rooster broke off in opposite direction, exactly what Raven wanted to happen.

She went after Hangman first Rooster used that to his advantage to come after her.

"Come on Rooster drop down off the perch!" Hangman angerly called out as Rooster went back to his old ways of over thinking.

"Yeah Rooster, take the shot" Raven taunted him.

But he was too late, Raven climbed quickly and by the time Rooster dropped down he accidentally locked in on Hangman while Raven spun behind him and took him out.

When all the jets were back on the ground Hangman jumped out of his plane angry. "What the fuck was that man!" He yelled at Rooster slamming his helmet down.

"I don't know I.... I just over thought it! Rooster defended throwing his hands up.

"And that's why you're both dead. You thought. You can't think up there. You have to do. You think up there and are as good as dead." Raven stated to them before walking away.

"Damn she sounds just like Mav. Even walks like him and flys like him too." Hangman stated. "Wouldn't it be something if she was Mitchell's kid" Jake laughed.

"I think Mav would have told me he had a kid." Rooster stated back. "Not if he didn't know. She said she didn't know her dad... what if her mom never told him either. She said her mom used to work for Top Gun, and she was born in '87 what year did Mav and your dad go through... '86?" Jake continued.

"It's not possible... Maverick may have been stupid probably still is, but I don't think he would have been dumb enough to sleep with an instructor." Rooster hesitated.

"He was stupid enough to bang an admiral's daughter... more than once, you really think an instructor was off limits?" Jake's asked before heading in to the locker rooms.

Rooster stood there on the tarmac, gears spinning on his head.

He thought back to flight school. He had met Charlie when she came once for family day. She gushed about his parents and how she couldn't believe little Bradley who sat on piano tops and wore cowboy hats had grown up.

She spoke fondly of his mother when she had come out to visit his father during his time at Top Gun and how much his death had hurt her.

However he didn't notice it then, but now he recalls how she became visibly uncomfortable when he spoke about Maverick, to the point of where she changed the topic completely... almost as if she didn't want Skylar to know about him.

Now he knew why. "Mav, you sly son of a bitch" Rooster muttered before taking off to find his God father.

He saw Maverick walking in the halls towards his office.

"Maverick, Mav....Pete... Commodore Mitchell!" He called out finally getting him to stop.

"Yes Lieutenant Comander Bradshaw, is there something I can do for you?" Maverick asked with an irritated tone.

"I need to speak to you... privately" Rooster whispered. Maverick wordlessly opened the door to his office and the men stepped in.

"Listen Bradley, Commader Blackwood already informed me of your... history... I don't care that you two slept together just as long as you keep it professional here and in the sky. Can't have you two getting killed on my watch." Pete told him.

"You mean keep it professional just like you did with her mother?" Rooster challenged. "Excuse me?" Maverick whipped around from his place at the window.

"You and her mother were a couple back in '86 weren't you?" Rooster asked. "You know I met Charlie back in flight school when she came for family day. She talked about my parents and how she had met me when I was younger. And I wondered how she would have, but then I remembered something mom told me when I was about 15 and wondered why you had never settled down. She said back years ago the only woman she had ever seen you truly love broke your heart when you were in Top Gun. That was Charlotte Blackwood wasn't it?" Rooster continued.

"What are you getting at Rooster? Yes, I made some questionable decisions when I was younger." Maverick sighed.

"I'm not done. Skylar said she didn't know who her father was, only that he was a pilot and was in the Top Gun program. She was born in 1987... you and Dad were in Top Gun in 1986, which was the last class her mother ever worked with." Rooster pointed out.

"So, she took another job and we lost contact. What's your point Bradley?" Maverick asked getting angry.

"So, flying with her today reminded me of someone else.... you! She flies like you, walks like you, talks like you, hell she even has the same eyes as you! She told me 'not to think' when I was flying.... sound familiar?" Rooster pressed.

"Lots of people say that Rooster, not just me." Maverick defended.

"Maybe, but the way she said it, her tone... it's... it's uncanny." Rooster said.

"You're trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill, looking for things that aren't there!" Pete raised his voice. "These are all just coincidences!"

"No they aren't! And you know it. Skylar Blackwood is your daughter isn't she?!" Rooster questioned him pointing his finger at him accusingly.

Maverick took a deep breath and leaned in his desk and lowered his head.

"Yes Rooster, I think she is." Pete finally sighed out.

Just then both men jerked their heads as they head a clipboard clatter to the floor and echo in the room.

Both of there eyes grew wide as a stunned Skylar 'Raven' Blackwood stood in the door of Maverick's office. She was frozen and there was no doubt that she had obviously heard the confession that had just left the senior pilot's mouth.

Tag List: @dreamingathighaltitude @shanimallina87 @luckyladycreator2 @meggiemoomitchell @mak-32 @katieshook02 @samhapner6 @rosiahills22 @thedroneranger @itsdesiree86 @eruannaaa-blog

[ronancexists]

Here's my submission for Day 2 of Ronancetober. Warning, there is the mention of blood and drinking blood and slight mention of men being assholes. If that's triggering, then I suggest you don't read this one. If it's not, I hope you enjoy!

Day 2: Monstrous

Nancy looked around nervously, tightening her grip on her purse so much that her knuckles started turning white. She licked her suddenly dry lips, picking up her pace as she was unable to shake the feeling of unease. She ignored the wolf whistles and catcalls thrown her way, simply wanting this nightmare of a day to be over.

To start the day off, she had forgotten to reset her alarm the night before, meaning she was running thirty minutes behind schedule this morning. She then had the humiliating experience of entering the classroom after the lecture had already begun, earning the disgruntled stares, giggles, and whispers of her fellow peers. Her teacher then decided that she was to present her project first since she had thought she was better than everyone else in the class because she showed up late.

She reluctantly did so, ignoring the patronizing looks shot her way as her teacher observed with no visible signs as to whether or not he was impressed by her project or not. She then had a test in her next class that she had no time to study for. Nancy had tried, but Mike and his rowdy friends had made it nearly impossible to concentrate on her notecards. She complained to her mother and father, but nothing came of it.

Ted didn't do anything about it, simply grunting in agreement that the group in their basement was being loud. Karen had tried to tell them to keep it down, but all that earned her was a shouting match with Mike which ended with both parties mad at the other, causing Karen to give up on scolding her son and Mike to become even louder just to annoy them. And it worked, for Nancy simply scowled at her parents and stormed up the steps, slamming her bedroom door shut and locking it so she wouldn't be disturbed by anyone else.

When it came to lunch, Nancy made a face of disgust when she realized she had forgotten to grab her already packed lunch from the fridge, meaning she would have to eat the rather unpleasant food provided by the high school cafeteria. She normally wasn't all that picky when it came to eating food, but the cafeteria food was on a different level. It looked and smelled like something a prison would serve. She ended up eating a small portion of the salad before ultimately giving up, tossing the entire tray into the garbage and heading to her next class fifteen minutes early.

Her day had only gotten progressively worse. Someone had spilled their water bottle when they were walking past her desk, ruining all the notes she had taken for her History class in the past two days. She had been bumped into in the hallway when she was switching her stuff out in her locker, causing everything to scatter all over the hallway floor. And to top it all off, she had forgotten the homework for her English class on her nightstand in her room, earning her an F on the assignment and bringing her total grade down to a C.

So yeah, Nancy wasn't in the best mood. And she certainly didn't want to deal with all these pigs that called themselves men. All she wanted to do was climb into bed and forget the horrible day she had been having.

Unfortunately, she had promised Jonathan she would come out to this bar that didn't give a shit about the fact that underage teens had fake ID’s and were getting blackout drunk. He had wanted to go to see his boyfriend, Steve, who had picked up a part-time job there over the summer after his parents decided he needed some “working class experience” before they decided to pay for him to go to college.

After being hit on the entire night by drunk, sleazy men, she had told Jonathan she was going to call it a night. He had wanted to give her a ride home to make sure she got home safe, but she insisted she would be fine walking home on her own. She had wished him and Steve a good night and told them she'd see them in school tomorrow before exiting the bar.

Suddenly, she was wishing she had taken Jonathan up on her offer. Not only did she feel uneasy with all the men ogling her and shouting sexual innuendos at her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being stalked. The thing was, she couldn't see anyone following her. She reached into her purse, clutching the pepper spray Steve had given her when she turned eighteen, stating he wanted her to have a way to protect herself, just in case.

She shivered as a breeze washed over her, clutching the pepper spray in her hand tightly as she traveled down a dim-lit alley. She had no other choice but to head this way because they had begun construction on the way she normally walked to get home, meaning the entire street was blocked off. Her eyes bounced back and forth, looking for any signs of anything unnatural.

She gasped when she was suddenly pressed against the brick wall, slender hands pinning her own against the wall, causing her to drop the spray.

“It'll be much less painful if you don't resist,” a husky voice rasped in her ear, causing goosebumps to appear along her entire body.

“Why are you doing this to me?!” Nancy demanded, stifling a groan when kisses were pressed along her jawline and down her throat, hot puffs of breath hitting her neck right at her pulse point.

“Oh Nancy,” the woman purred, nuzzling her face in the crook of Nancy's neck, inhaling deeply as if trying to memorize her scent. “I've been watching you for weeks. Waiting for you to be alone. Waiting so I could have you all to myself."

“What are you—”

Nancy was cut off abruptly as the woman bit down. She gasped at that, euphoria traveling throughout her entire body at the unusual sensation. She whimpered, tilting her head to the side, giving the vampire more room to work.

“That's my girl,” Robin whispered once she had pulled her mouth away, soothing Nancy by licking the open wound until there was nothing left but two little pinpricks.

“God Rob,” Nancy groaned, turning in the taller girl's arms and smashing their lips together.

Robin moaned in delight, eyes fluttering shut as her hands traveled down to Nancy’s waist, pulling the younger woman flush against herself. Tongue and teeth, in Robin's case fangs, crashing against one another in a rather heated exchange.

Nancy was the one to pull away, grinning up at her girlfriend as she reached up with her thumb to wipe away a smatter of blood at the corner of Robin's mouth. “That was quite the experience, love,” she said, tracing her now bloody thumb against Robin's lower lip.

Her eyes darkened in arousal as Robin took her thumb into her mouth, sucking it clean before lightly nipping at the finger in her mouth, showing off her gleaming white, razor sharp fangs.

“I was just doing what you wanted me to do,” Robin replied, grinning widely at Nancy's playful eye roll. She reached down to pick up the pepper spray Nancy had dropped in her surprise, tucking it back into her girlfriend's purse, zipping it shut afterwards.

“Whatever,” Nancy scoffed, squealing when Robin picked her up as if she was as light as a feather. Her legs automatically wound around the older woman’s waist, knowing that Robin would never drop her. As dangerous as the vampire was, she would never do anything to harm Nancy. Unless, of course, the blue-eyed woman asked for it, like she had tonight.

“Hey, I'm not the one who fantasized about being attacked by a monstrous being in the middle of the night in a darkened alley.”

“Maybe not, but you were certainly into it.”

“That's because I’m into you. I’d do anything for you. You’re my person, Nancy Wheeler.”

“I know,” Nancy whispered, playing with the baby hairs at the nape of Robin’s neck as she looked directly into her eyes. “You're my person too, Robin Buckley.”

Robin smiled at her, once again showing off her very pointy fangs. “Would you like me to take you home?”

Nancy smiled, leaning forward to press a long, loving kiss to her girlfriend’s lips. “I would love nothing more.”

“Hang on,” Robin instructed, shifting Nancy so the woman was clinging to her back rather than her front. “Ready?”

“When I'm with you? Always.”

“Then let’s go home.”

With that, Robin took off, nothing but a blur passing through the dark, tree-laden woods. Nancy laughed, loving the feeling rushing through her. She would never tire of this. The wind rushing through her hair, the wooden scent the trees gave off, the electricity sparking through her entire body as she was flush against Robin’s back. Nothing could compare to the feeling of being with her girlfriend. As a matter of fact, she doubted that anything ever would.

[aj-the-cat]

"Whiskey" Business

Masterlist

Undertaker (Big Evil) and F!Reader

Tags: @ava-valerie

(If you'd like to be on my tag list, please let me know!)

Warnings: Slight language and alcohol use

Notes: I'm so sorry for the pun. And if it isnt obvious, I know nothing of poker. So uh, be warned.

Bootsteps floated down the backstage hallway of the arena. It was a good half a day before the show started, leaving talents scrambling off to do something to pass the time.

Some would go over their matches, squabbling in the ring or to themselves somewhere backstage.

Others liked to sleep, or at least get a good nap in before a prankster came around and shaved off one of their eyebrows.

Undertaker? He wouldnt say no to a card game or dominoes and a nice glass of Jack Daniels. He had a deck in his back pocket, itching to find a good spot and relax before the show.

He walked most of the backstage area before settling at what looked like an abandoned APA spot (Arenas would keep the table up for the APA just in case they came back to the same arena again, they liked their company).

Taker pulled out the cards and put them on the table, before settling into one of the provided metal chairs. He stretched his legs out and begin setting up the cards for a solitaire game.

A couple games and some curious people later, an irritated sigh escaped his lips. "If only I had some damn whiskey." He muttered. He had forgotten to ask where the nearest ABC store would be located before driving here from the hotel. Whiskeyless, he continued his fourth game.

At the sixth game, tiny bootsteps fluttered down the hallway where Taker was located. When they grew louder, he looked up from the table and watched a small woman saunter up to his table. He smirked as he recognized her familiar cropped leather jacket and snug ripped jeans.

Her hair was clipped back neatly and her shirt rode up a little, catching part of her low waisted jeans and exposing a little midriff. She stopped at his table and held up two whiskey glasses. "Up for a game of poker, big man?" She teased. Taker's eyes glowed in amusement. He gestured to the open seat across from him. "Be my guest."

She sat down and put the bottles on the table, and took out a box of mini poker chips from her jacket. "Deal me in, hotshot. Loser each game takes a swig." She motioned to the bottles. If she was gonna get hammered tonight, thank god she didnt have to wrestle. Tonight was RAW, she was on Smackdown!.

Taker dealt the cards, took some chips, and they began. They both werent very good at poker, she had a terrible pokerface while Taker misjudged hands. But he could hold his liqueur.

She was a different story.

After a 6 game losing streak, her eyes grew heavy and she swayed a little in her seat. Taker looked up from his cards at her, and decided to make a play.

He set down his cards. "Straight." Her eyes glittered and she set down hers. "Full House." She beamed and Taker took a long swig from the shared bottle. It was almost empty anyways, so he finished it off.

He looked up and she had layed her head on the table, with light snores escaping her lips. Taker smirked and begun clearing up the table, putting the cards back in the deck and fitting the scattered poker chips into the box.

He put the things into his jeans pocket and stood up, stretching his long limbs and hearing satisfied cracks. He walked over to the woman and gently picked her up bridal style, pushing the chair in with the toe of his boot and grabbing the bottles with his knuckles.

He walked towards his locker room, which thankfully was private and two hallways down, and glared at anyone in his way.

When he got there, he got someone to open the door for him, then promptly scared them away as he held the door with a boot.

Carefully, he set you down on the couch and set the empty and full bottles of whiskey on the coffee table. Looking around, he saw his jacket hanging up. He plucked it off its peg and draped it over the woman's sleeping body. She shifted a little, and gripped the jacket in her hand as she slept.

Taker watched her sleeping form, her soft features relaxed and unmoving. He bent down, planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and walked out of the locker room, staying close just in case she wakes up before the show.

When the show started, he taped a note on the door reading,

"If anyone opens this door, your own mama wont recognize you when you go home to her."

Nobody opened the door that night.

[giorno-plays-piano]

The Hollow

Pairing: monster!Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: yandere, horror, stalking, kidnapping, death of minor characters.

Words: 2137.

Summary: You were finally going mad. Apparently, it was something in the air, right? Something the management told nothing about that caused hallucinations and all those scary things. Obviously, all those people who worked in the assembly shop #4 before you left because they knew that. That was the reason behind the stupid legend and all those rumors.

_______

There’s a man inside the wall behind you.

This was what the factory workers told you as soon as the manager left, forcing you to question people’s sanity. At first you thought it was a bad joke or something. A man inside the wall in the assembly shop #4? What the Hell was that?

You thought they wanted to scare you away because they didn’t like you: your colleagues were simple people who lived in this godforsaken place for ages and knew each other as if they all were one big family. You, an outsider from somewhere far away who didn’t even look like them, weren’t the same kind, they probably thought. Of course, they didn’t take a liking to you and tried to make you leave so that you wouldn’t become an eyesore.

However, soon you found out they all were pitying you. You could feel their eyes on you each time you left the shop where you worked alone, and all you saw on their faces was fear and regret. A couple of women tried befriending you, sitting at the same table as you during lunch, and the next day they all told you anyone who had been working in the shop #4 left in less than a month. Naturally, you didn’t believe that crazy talk about the man in the wall - it’s not like the factory was built in those times when people were buried alive inside the walls for good luck. Then the women tried convincing you to work facing the wall - you were now standing behind it because of how the rusted pipeline with a barrel shifter was placed. You almost rolled your eyes in irritation: you wouldn’t risk losing your job because you couldn’t stand where you were told by the manager. You desperately needed money.

The day after you received a letter in your locker: somebody asked you to leave the assembly shop #4 immediately if you valued your life. It was starting getting scary. Were these people schizophrenic's? No, there were far too many of them who believed in this creepy urban legend.

At some point you got so fed up with this stupid talk that you headed right to Andy, your manager, to ask him why on Earth people were bothering you with this. The man spent half an hour talking about employees who had nothing better to do other than slacking off and telling silly stories when they needed to work. Yes, rumors had it that almost a hundred years ago there was a man, an talented engineer, who entered the assembly shop #4 and never came back, but it had nothing to do with this ridiculous legend. The wall behind you was all solid blocks of stone that were never moved since the day this factory was built. Even if the engineer was killed - although Andy believed the story wasn’t even real - how would somebody hide the body of a grown man there without dismantling the wall? 

The story should have put you at ease, you thought, but instead it only made you more concerned: now as you knew about a disappeared engineer, every time you stood with your back facing that cursed wall you felt the shivers running down your spine. What if there were a ghost or something? You didn’t believe in them, of course, but the dim light in the shop #4, its rusted pipeline, dirty floors and dust balls were hardly making you feel any better. And that disgusted lunch bell... it sounded almost like Silent Hill siren.

You worked in the shop for 8 hours every day, having no time to literally visit the bathroom. Assembling metal parts that always looked ugly over and over again could make anyone go nuts. By the end of the day your body ached as if you carried a giant stone on your shoulders, your back hurting, arms heavy as you barely kept standing. You didn’t even have strength to smile at Dean, an elderly night guard, but he just nodded to you with understanding, knowing well what it meant to be a factory worker here. This shitty job could kill anyone if you stayed long enough here.

Was it the reason why everyone kept talking about that man in the wall? This was the only way to liven up things here, you guessed and decided to talk about it more with the women who you befriended.

They were happy you finally started asking questions. They talked about the legend of the engineer vanished into thin air: you had never heard so much nonsense, sitting quietly in the bus and waiting for it to bring you home. Somebody said the engineer made a pact with the devil himself and merged with the wall, becoming immortal within the stone; the others claimed the engineer went mad because of his loneliness and buried himself in the wall; one woman argued that the engineer, on the contrary, was a ladies man and got sealed up there by a relative of his former lover who committed suicide. There were far too many rumors for you to remember, and soon you abandoned the idea to use the-man-in-the-wall topic to "liven things up" in the factory.

The two weeks had passed since the time you first started working here. You hated this rusty place with all your heart, but this job kept you afloat. It was still better than nothing. Biting down on your dry lower lip, you exhaled tiredly and lifted a particularly heavy detail, trying to fit it in the right place.

The next moment it fell down the dirty floor as you heard an awful sound behind your back as if the heavy stones were moving. It was just for a second, a mere second, but it was enough to have you on edge as you stared at the wall with your eyes wide open. It was some kind of an auditory hallucination, right? There was nothing different in the wall behind you. It looked just like it always did, a nasty grey stone with a tint of orange from the rusty hooks. The wall couldn’t open up just like some Narnia’s wardrobe, could it? It was far too old for any sort of mechanisms like that. Besides, it wouldn’t be able to close so fast, leaving no traces. It was some hallucination from your lack of sleep.

Your coworkers didn’t think so when you told them about it. It was the man in the wall, of course. It always started like this - with an awful, frightening sound. Soon you would be hearing things and feeling the stare of that man all the time, they said. The room #4 was a terrible place, and you should leave it immediately, they said. One woman even offered you to stay at her place if you couldn’t provide for yourself until you found a better job. Of course, you declined her kind offer.

But you did start hearing all kinds of things while you were working. Stones moving, metal clinking, some weird rustling out of nowhere - it was all making you insane, especially since every time you turned around only to see nothing but the wall behind your back. Everything was as it should have been, but you felt something was happening when you didn’t look. 

You were finally going mad. Apparently, it was something in the air, right? Something the management told nothing about that caused hallucinations and all those scary things. Obviously, all those people who worked in the assembly shop #4 before you left because they knew that. That was the reason behind the stupid legend and all those rumors. Obviously, you - and all those people who ran away from here - lacked money to do all the necessary medical tests to prove anything.

Shit, you really needed to find a better job if you didn’t want to spend the rest of your days in an asylum. 

Now at night you were sending your CV and cover letters, but you couldn’t stop working, nonetheless, forced to constantly look behind your shoulder or turn around just to make sure you weren’t totally crazy. You tried ignoring the noise once, but when it grew louder instead of disappearing in one second just like before, you realized it was a big mistake. Every day was turning into a nightmare.

Grey stone, rusted hooks, dust bunnies on the floor. The same picture you saw over and over again when you were turning back. It was simply unbearable. At one point you even wished to see something different there, something that would prove you weren't going insane.

You had to be careful with your wishes. When you came to the shop #4 the next time, you saw a face of a man cut in grey stone.

You didn't know what happened after that, coming to your senses in the resting room with your coworkers giving your water and some pills, your body shaking so badly you barely managed to sit. Was that a hallucination? A face of a man in the wall? All people around you kept saying it wasn't, describing this face to you so vividly as if they saw it themselves.

You needed to get out of here. Even if it meant becoming homeless and begging for money on the street, it was still a better option than staying in one room with that thing.

It was the next day you prepared to give Andy your letter of resignation, turning back to face the wall nearly every minute. No, you weren't going to stay here and watch how your life was becoming a living Hell - damn, it already was, wasn't it? You no longer slept peacefully, barely eating, constantly trying to keep a bottle of cheap wine you kept in the kitchen out of your reach. No, no, no, you weren't stupid enough to work for a minimum salary in a place like this, risking your own life.

It happened when the lunch bell rang, making you cringe - the next moment something had exploded with such a defeaning boom you almost fell down to the floor. Shit, you knew this sound - an omen of a great catastrophe that certainly disfigured somebody, if not killed. Something went horribly wrong in the assembly shop #3.

The blood drained from your face. Oh God. Were Shirley, Agatha and Simon alright? No, they weren't. Judging by the horrible screams coming from the metal door, they weren’t.

You moved as if in slow motion, your legs suddenly giving up on you, the siren wailing so loud your head could burst, forcing you to forget all the emergency instructions you were given. You needed to open the door. You needed to get this people out of there, those who were screaming in pain, cursing, and pleading for help.

"You can't go." A soft voice somewhere behind you said, and you froze. "You will die out there."

Someone's hands wrapped around you like a rope, making it harder to breathe, not letting you take one more step to the rusted metal door and dragging somewhere back instead until you felt the cold grey wall with your back. It was him, wasn't it? It was the man who had been watching you for a month from inside the stone, waiting for his chance.

When the realization hit you, the fear became suffocating. You couldn't move, couldn't even speak or cry out something to make others know you're trapped here, with a man in the wall who was taking you with him. But nobody would hear you anyway: the unstopping cries of people from the assemble shop #3 were earsplitting, and the siren didn't get silent either, making your efforts futile.

"Don't be afraid," he murmured so gently as if he was your lover, making you want to puke, "I won't leave you here."

The wall behind your back moved with a sound you knew well. Although you expected to bump into cold stones and rusted hooks that would tear your skin apart, instead, you felt darkness embracing you, wrapping around you like a cocoon. The picture of the assemble shop #4 looked so far now, so little as if you were staring at the tiny photo in an old album. It felt surreal.

You were behind the stone wall - or inside of it, you couldn't tell - looking at the real world through the looking glass. They were right. All those people who were constantly telling you about the man living in the grey stone wall were right.

"I was waiting for you a long, long time," the voice behind you said, and you felt somebody - or something - lowering their monstrous head to your shoulder, making a quiet sigh, "but you finally came to share my solitude... Thank you."

________

Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki   ​@helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @hurricanerin ​@inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @navegandoaciegas @rosalynshields @brattycherub @sllooney @angrythingstarlight @lookiamtrying @buckysbunny @soleil-dor @stargazingfangirl18 @dillybuggg @literate-lamb @cosicas-cuquis @sarge-barnes-sir @buckybarnesplumwhore @jaysayey @megzdoodle @gotnofucks @lux-ravenwolf @ximebebx @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @sourpatchspinster @biiskuitx @stupendouslovegardener @melodie-rin @iheartsebandchris

[wannabe-fic-writer]

Moment In Time

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Summary: Just when you've gotten out, you’re given a reason to come back.

Warnings: Mild Language

Chapter 5

* * * * * * *

“You and Fury seem to forget that I’m retired pretty easily.” You say, eyes focused on your surroundings instead of the man talking to you.

A nice breeze flows past, followed by another crowd of passersby. The street is busy as always at this time of day but you always appreciate the hustle and bustle of the city. Something about it appealed to you. 

New York has always been busy, for as long as you can remember. Admittedly, with the lack of advanced technology in your time, people spent a lot more time talking to each other in passing than they now spend on their phones.

“No one’s forgotten, except maybe you,” Tony says and you turn to refocus your attention on him.“ Or did you forget that it was you who copped a ride with Fury to Sokovia.”

Of course you didn’t forget that. That mission had been more dangerous and life threatening than any one you’d previously been on. 

The man hums and nods, a soft chuckle leaves his lips,“ unless of course you weren’t there for the team.” 

“What?” Your eyebrows pinch together,“ what’re you talking about?” 

“I’m talkin about you and Romanoff.” He leans forward, pushing his coffee cup away a little.“ Clint told me about that little moment you two had before the city fell. What’d you do? Spring to action when you realized Natasha was in danger?”

Your eyes roll but you avoid answering his question. Cause that is actually what you did. On top of being generally concerned with the safety of your friends, your main focus was Natasha. You’d never admit it, out loud, but you know that’s what happened. And you know why you did, even if you won’t admit it at all. 

“Awe, don’t want me exposing your crush on Nat?” He further teases and your nose turns up at him.

“Think I liked you better when you were running around in pjs and building robots and stuff.” He makes an offended face and you smile sarcastically at it.“ If I agree to train the Maximoff kids will you not mention these supposed feelings for Natasha that you assume I have.”

For a moment he looks at you, then nods.“ You’ve got yourself a deal Y/ln. Also,” he pushes his chair back and stands up,“ you’re just training the girl. Rogers apparently has some special plan for Speedy.” Picking up his cup, he claps his hand on your shoulder with extra force, and walks away.

Just as you’re about to slouch into your seat to stay an extra few minutes he calls out for you to come with him and you resist the urge to groan. Sighing softly, you finish your tea and get up. 

As you expected Tony takes you to the tower. His choice of music blasts through the sports car and you can’t help but chuckle. Since he was thirteen he’d been obsessed with classic rock. You have no idea what the first song he heard was but whatever it was it hooked him to the genre.

Through the loud music he explains everything you’ll have to go over with Wanda and mentions that he’s getting a facility together upstate that will become the new Avengers HQ, but that move is going to take some time so the tower is still “home” as of now. You nod along, knowing that if not for your enhanced abilities you wouldn’t be able to hear him correctly.

By the time Tony pulls into the private parking garage, whipping into his spot and turning the car off, you completely understand what role you’re about to play in terms of training Wanda.

“What? Eager to get to work?” He asks after you’ve practically sprinted out of the car. 

“More like eager to get out before my ears start bleeding.” You tell him, glancing over your shoulder at him to stick your tongue out playfully. You don’t have to keep looking at him to know he rolled his eyes. 

The familiarity of the building makes it easy to navigate. Pretty much leaving Tony in the dust, you walk through the lobby to the elevators. Taking them up to the training floor. 

Your plan hadn’t been to see anyone just yet. Mainly coming here to form some sort of plan as far as training the Maximoff girl goes. Only for her to be the person you run into once having stepped into the training room.

She’s across the room, fingers running over the edges of a treadmill as her eyes look through the large floor to ceiling window. You imagine she’s taking in the sight the tower provides of New York. 

“Beautiful isn’t it?” You ask, effectively grabbing the young woman’s attention. She turns her head to face you, eyebrows pinching together as she’s not familiar with you, only having seen you just before you hugged Natasha in Sokovia. 

“It is.” She replies shortly and you chuckle at it, stepping further into the room. 

Giving her a soft smile you introduce yourself,“ I’m Y/n,” you move over to the weight benches,“ Stark asked me to come in and help you adjust.”

Her eyes narrow and that draws your attention to the fact that her eyes are green.“ Are you an Avenger? Because I haven’t seen you around here.”

“I am not. I’m supposed to be retired but no one seems to give a damn so here I am.” Spreading your arms a little to emphasize your current location.

For whatever reason your words make her giggle and you smile at that, happy to have broken the ice at least a little. 

“So how’re you going to help me adjust Y/n?” Her inquisitive gaze follows her moving closer to you.

“Not sure. What do you need help adjusting to?” Your head tilts and your eyebrow quirks.“ The training regiment? Your new chaotic teammates? Living in New York?” 

“Is all of the above an option?” She asks, and although you know she’s serious you still hear the teasing in her tone. 

With a quiet laugh you nod,“ all of the above is an option.” You let her know.“ Um, I’m not sure of all the details with the move upstate but how about I show you around the tower and we can go over the basics of your training and such?” You decide to pose it as a question in case she doesn’t want to.

“That would be nice actually.” She smiles and you notice that it’s truly genuine. So with a smile in return, you motion for her to follow you out of the room. 

With her being on this floor, you assume she’s seen it all. Not that there’s much to see. It’s the training floor so there’s nothing but gyms and a locker room. Getting in the elevator, you press the number for one of the floors dedicated to just hanging out.

Not liking the silence of the elevators, Wanda breaks it with a question.“ So why didn’t you join the Avengers?” 

“Um,” you take a deep breath and release it as a sigh,“ I’d already done the whole superhero thing before. The Avengers came in and I was no longer needed.”

“Oh really?” She asks and her tone of voice makes you chuckle, then nod.“ And what made you want to be a superhero?”

The elevator stops and the doors slide open.“ I saw what they could do. The difference superheroes make in people's lives.”

Picking up on the shift in your energy, Wanda frowns, ignoring the very expensive looking stuff in the room.“ What happened?” She asked carefully, as if she were trying not to trigger something. 

“I-” you sigh softly, contemplating whether to actually tell her or not. Looking into her eyes you see past the general curiosity and what you find pushes you to tell her. 

So you both get comfortable on one of the couches in the room and you open up to her.“ I was taken by HYDRA when I was fairly young. And it’s not like the guards and scientists were interested in anything other than making me the perfect weapon. So when they started to experiment on me I was already in a horrible state physically. My health was on a steady decline and none of their experiments worked, it actually made me fatally ill. And with no further use of me, they’d left me there to die.” 

Wanda listens intently, eyes misting with tears at the information of your mistreatment.“ But you didn’t.”

“No I didn’t,” you both laugh softly at that.“ The, at the time soon to be, founders of SHIELD were working with the US military to shut down HYDRA after World War II and they found the facility I was being held in. While they saved everyone who was being held captive there, I was in the worst shape. Seeing that I was on the verge of death, they made a decision to administer the super soldier serum to me to save my life.”

Wanda’s eyebrows raise and you have to admit that her expression is amusing.“ You’re a super soldier from World War II?” You nod.“ How old would that make you?” 

“I’m 90. And I wasn’t in the war. I was born before the war. When it started I was 16 and already in a HYDRA base.”

She looks down and bites her bottom lip. You know she has another question on the tip of her tongue. And with her background, having volunteered to be experimented on by HYDRA, you know she’ll have a lot more questions after that.

So with a deep breath, you ask what’s on her mind and tuck in for a long conversation.

* * * 

After a long day at SHIELD, going over papers to further induct the twins into the Avengers, Natasha finally gets back to the tower. She ignores all the SHIELD agents rushing in and out of the lobby and goes straight for the elevators. 

Mentally, she admits that after the headache that is going into SHIELD, the sound of your laugh as soon as she gets on the main floor is refreshing. A small smile forms on her face and she makes her way towards the kitchen where she hears your voice.

While she knows you’re friends with the rest of her team, she can’t help but wonder if you came here to see her.

That thought falls short the instant she reaches the kitchen doorway. She quickly finds that the source of your laugh is the same young woman she’d just been recruiting onto her team. 

In fact, laughter comes from you and Wanda as you cook together. The aroma smells incredible but she can’t help but to remember that this is the very same thing the two of you had done on multiple occasions. 

“Nat, hey, when’d you get here?” 

Your voice pulls Natasha from her thoughts and she almost smiles again. Almost. 

“A few minutes ago.” She decides to take a step closer, which puts her right in the doorway.“ What’re you two making?”

“Um,” your eyebrows pinch together and you look at Wanda.

“Paprikash.” She answers with a quiet giggle and a shake of her head. 

You smile at her then look back up at Natasha,“ we’re making Paprikash.”

The redhead hums, debating with herself on whether she should stay or not. An indescribable feeling nagged in the back of her mind, growing more persistent as she looks at you and Wanda happily interacting with one another. It gradually chips away at her excitement to spend time with you and she hates it.

With a huff she says,“ I’ll leave you two to it.”

She turns on her heel and walks away, effectively dodging the blue blur that is Pietro running into the kitchen, heading back to the elevator. With her floor practically empty due to the move, she wasn’t eager to go up but it seemed more relaxing than watching someone else make you laugh and smile how she did. 

Just as the elevator doors have started to close you slip through, narrowly missing getting your arm caught between the doors, and stand directly in front of her. Your eyes scan her form, up to her face and lingering there. She watches as you take her in, your eyes finally meeting. 

In a soft voice, one that practically melts her heart, you ask,“ are you okay?” She can’t say she expected you to ask that, plus the equally as soft look in your eyes, she grasps for an answer. One that isn’t ‘I didn’t like seeing you so happy with someone else’.

“Just tired. It’s been a long day and my floor isn’t exactly relaxation friendly right now.” She excuses. 

Nodding along, you smile a little at her,“ think I could help with that if you’d let me.” And there’s no way she’s saying no.

That’s how, a little over thirty minutes later, she finds herself following you into your apartment building with takeout bags and beer in hand. 

You hadn’t explained the plan until you were picking up the food. Telling her that a change of scenery might be exactly what she needs. Her trying to relax and unwind at the Tower was equivalent to a lawyer trying to relax at their firm.“ You can’t destress from work at work.” You reasoned. 

Unlocking your door, you gently push it open and hold it for Natasha. She wasn’t sure what to expect of your apartment, but what she finds definitely isn’t it.

Walking into your apartment makes her a little confused. It’s like stepping into a time vault that housed a number of different eras all at once. While things like your appliances and a few tables or paintings were modern or at least from the last decade, your couch, chairs, and even your cabinets look dated.

It was as if you furnished your home without a single clue of what you actually knew you wanted to present. But it’s you. Natasha finds that it almost perfectly embodies the person she’s come to know you to be. 

Since the moment she met you it was clear you were equally as present as you were stuck in the past. Your friendships with Tony and Steve showed that in an ironic way. With Tony the majority of your conversations or bonding was over the future, things he was planning, building, or tinkering with that would change the future. While with Steve you focused on the way things used to be in the era you grew up and were raised in.

“Nice place.” She finally says, moving her eyes from the kitchen to you.“ Very, you.”

The look you give her makes a small giggle leave her lips. You seemed so proud of her first comment and then the second one made you frown, as if you couldn’t tell if you should take it as an insult or a compliment. 

“Don’t think too hard Y/ln, your ears are starting to smoke.” She says jokingly, patting your cheek without giving it any thought. Her turning away makes her miss the way you flush at her inconsequential touch. 

At your invitation, she makes herself at home, finding a spot on the couch and starting to unpack the food. You join her shortly after with plates and forks, turning the tv on and going to a channel you both enjoy watching. 

“How you feelin about the move?” You ask, picking up your plate and leaning back against the couch. Even though the tv is on, Natasha can’t help but notice that all your attention seems to be on her. 

While she is definitely used to the attention, men and women alike focusing solely on her because of her looks, your attention is different. She knows it would be unreasonable of her to think you aren’t paying attention to her for her looks because well, when she gives you attention the first thing she looks at is your looks. You’re incredibly attractive, especially to the redhead. But it was more than that. 

On both ends, yourself and Natasha saw the physical beauty, but you looked beyond that. You saw the beauty of each other’s personalities. 

You’re lighthearted, you have an outlook on life that she finds intriguing, and not just because you’re decades older than her, it was how you maintained a fairly optimistic view on things despite the cards you’d been dealt in the past. On top of that you’re honest and caring, especially to the people you consider friends and family.

As far as she goes, you see her in, almost, the same way she sees you. She’s honest. Shows her care in a way that you find adorable, mainly because it’s so nonchalant. Her will to keep going, to endure the many trials she’s been through. Her strength never fails to amaze you. Not to mention the absolute admiration you have for her in regards to her clearing her ledger. Especially since being an Avenger means so much more to her than just that. 

That thought alone sends a rumbling of butterflies in her stomach and she hates how childish it feels but loves it all the same. 

“Um,” she looks down, letting her hair curtain between you two to hide the blush that rises.“ I can’t say I feel any particular way about it.”

When she feels your fingers ghost over her cheek, she has half a mind to grab your hand and break it, but it’s you and she’s been secretly craving your touch. In the softest gesture she’d ever been on the end of, you brush her hair back. Your fingers lightly run over her cheek and temple as you hook her hair behind her ear. 

She looks over to see you drop your head slightly to catch her eye, a little smile on your face.“ It is okay if you aren’t all that happy to be leaving. The tower has been your home for the last few years. An attachment or even familiarity with it is understandable.” 

“I-” she sighs, just barely tilts her head closer to your touch, then lifts her head.“ I’ve never had a home Y/ln.” She knows you can hear the hurt in her words, cause admittedly she didn’t hide it like she usually would. She doesn’t feel the need to with you.

You go quiet for a moment and Natasha wonders if maybe she should’ve kept her somber comment to herself. The instant she considers walling herself off again, you speak.“ Well then maybe,”

She raises an eyebrow at you.“ Maybe what?”

“Maybe this could be your home.” You swallow, nerves manifesting in the way you play with your food.“ I know you’ve only just been here today but, everyone deserves a safe haven. Somewhere they can escape from the rest of the world. Everyone deserves a home.” You finally look back into her eyes,“ especially you Nat.”

You didn’t know but in that moment you got to her in a way no one else ever had. You didn’t tear her walls down. Instead, as if understanding the very reason the walls had been put up in the first place, you built a door to her heart and soul. And only you hold the key to it.

She’s hit with the weight of her feelings for you, feelings she’d never had for anyone before. As terrifying as she finds it, she can’t help but think that if there’s anyone who she could trust to be gentle with these feelings it’s you.

* * * * * * *

Taglist: @owloftheshadows @natasha-danvers @blackxwidowsxwife @yumusak-yastik @b-5by5 @fayhar @lostandsearching @iliketozoneout @thewidowsghost @ecruzsalaz

[annab-nana]

Bookshelf Confessions - Peter Parker

Peter and MJ are caught in the middle between a relationship and a friendship, a situationship if you will. There are definitely some feelings between the both of them, but when she overhears Peter talking to Ned about them in the library, she pulls you in to listen in with her and the conversation takes a turn you both didn’t expect.

A/N: Hi guys! So this was a late night tiktok inspiration. Here is the video I got it from and I changed the words up a bit to better fit how Peter would talk and to better describe MJ as well but anyway, I hope you enjoy! Oh also, if you guys really want it, I could do a part 2 to this but we will see :)

Part 1 of Books Tell Secrets and Lies

Warnings: some curse words

Word Count: 3.2k+

--------------------------------------------------

“Ned, I need to talk to you,” Peter whispered to the boy as he grabbed his arm and pulled him between a couple of bookshelves in the library. School had just ended, and the mop of brown curls dragged his best friend all the way to the room filled with books and resources as soon as class had been dismissed.

Though it was a library and you were supposed to be silent, the way Peter was being exceptionally quiet and almost secretive obviously caught the eye of an observant and nosy Michelle Jones. She was about to join the pair, but upon noticing that her boyfriend—if you could even call him that—seemed to try to be hiding something from her, she stopped. If Peter ever had a problem, he would round all three of you guys up to discuss it, needing all of the brilliant sound minds of his buddies to help him make a decision. So, when he was only talking to Ned without you and her included, she got a weird feeling and hung back behind the shelf next to them to eavesdrop.

You were minding your own business as you searched for a book to write your English report—which you thought was ridiculous that you already had a big assignment to complete when it was only the second week into your senior year but that was a topic for another day—and you were walking past the aisles to find where the fiction books of author’s with the last name starting with Z would be found when a hand reached out to grip your arm and tug you into a nearby aisle. You were about to protest until you saw it was only your harmless yet curious best friend. Before you could open your mouth to ask why the hell she dragged you here, her hand quickly but silently covered your mouth, prohibiting you from speaking at all. Her other hand came up to her own mouth as she placed a finger in front of her lips signaling you to be quiet. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed your phone.

Y/n: ??

She pointed towards the bookshelf and you heard the mumblings of one Peter Parker, the top of his head hard to miss when it was peering above the dusty books that lined the metal shelf.

You, MJ, Ned, and Peter made quite the friend group. Though you all were fairly different, your similarities brought you together and you loved having them by your side. What made it even better is that when MJ and Peter started their “relationship”, it didn’t mess up the dynamic at all. You all still hung out and you and Ned weren’t uncomfortable with their closeness at all, though you both did want to know if they were actually dating or not.

Since the Europe trip, they have been a lot closer. There was no denying that. You and Ned both have seen the stolen glances and holding hands under the lunch table. There was something going on there that they didn’t want to let on or they were just simply happy being together more often.

When you heard about Peter’s plan to woo MJ over the summer, you’d be lying to yourself if you said you were not a little disappointed. You were ecstatic for MJ, but your heart longed to be in her place. He had looked to you for help in making her swoon since you had been her best friend for years and while you would always help Peter no matter what, it hurt to see him in awe of another girl. Once you found out that MJ felt the same towards Peter and you knew his plan would work, you pushed those thoughts and feelings to the back of your mind, far where no one could find them. You had been a tad upset for a moment, but when you saw how happy they were, there was nothing more you could do but support them.

You still were confused as to why you both were hiding from your friends behind a bookshelf before MJ started typing furiously on her phone to text you.

MJ: peter is being hella sus and i wanna get to the bottom of it

Y/n: you little detective

MJ smirked at you as you both leaned in a little closer to hear better.

“I’ve been hanging out with MJ,” Peter started, running a hand through those beautiful chestnut curls and focusing on Ned who was smiling innocently and nodding along to the conversation. “Everybody thinks we’re dating because I spend my weekends hanging at her house and watching movies or whatever.”

“Yeah,” Ned chuckled, clueless to where the conversation was heading as were you. MJ had a deep feeling in her gut that it would lead to him telling Ned he wants to break up with her even though they were not actually together, but she wasn’t quite sure that was all he had to say.

“She’s on the decathlon team, one of the smartest people I know, and she’s could even be prom queen if she wasn’t so against it.” Both the boys lightly laughed at that as you all knew MJ too well. You had to hold back your giggle while you and MJ shared an amused look before continuing to listen in on the conversation.

“While we study chemistry, there’s a little more chemistry between us if you know what I mean,” you watched the bashful boy sputter while pink dusted his cheeks. You looked to MJ who found the floor to be much more interesting than your gaze at the moment.

‘You guys fucked? And you didn’t tell me,’ you mouthed after placing your fingers under her chin to make her look up at you. Her eyes widened and she shook her head profusely before mouthing back, ‘no, just made out a lot.’ That put your heart at ease a bit yet you still weren’t fond of it, but Peter’s next words caught the attention of you both.

“But I have a secret I must confess,” Peter sighed, eyes flitting down almost as if in shame. Your eyebrows furrowed while your puzzled expression met MJ’s worried one. Your hand reached out to grab hers and your thumb rubbed smoothly over her knuckles, a small gesture you knew provided her with much comfort and though she was trying not to show it, you knew she was getting anxious.

“It’s not her laugh or the way she’d dress. She’s not the reason I’ve been thinking about love,” he muttered with his head still down. Ned let out a light gasp at what he was hinting at and your heart broke for MJ. You tugged at her hand and tried to step forward to lead her out of the library, this conversation being one she did not need to hear, but she remained put. She gave you a sad nod as if saying ‘it’s okay y/n’, so you conceded and stayed with her for emotional support. But you knew the second she left, you would rip Peter a new one if she hadn’t done it first.

“Every weekend we hang out, I lose my cool when she’s around over stupid little things that shouldn’t even bother me,” Peter stated with a huff, angry with himself because of how he felt. If he could love MJ and not feel at war with himself and his feelings, then that is what he would do but he was growing tired of the constant battle in his head and in his heart. “And I don’t know if this is just a crush.”

So, he liked someone else for sure because that was the second time he mentioned something like that. You were growing angry with the boy and you knew that even if he possessed superhuman abilities, your rage would overpower him. Your eyes mixed with sadness and anger sought out MJ again to check on her. She was remaining closed off as always, but she had begun to open up a bit more recently and Peter’s actions were putting her back where she was.

“How do I find the words to tell her,” Peter paused, eyes darting around before meeting Ned’s, “that I’m in love with her best friend.”

You and MJ both stiffened and for some reason, you felt uncomfortable holding her hand now. You were doing it to comfort her as you always have, but you were the girl her ‘boyfriend’ was in love with. Your wide eyes remained trained on Peter and Ned as you waited for them to further confirm your suspicions.

“Y/n?” Ned gawked at his best friend. He had zero clue that Peter felt like this, but he did know you had a small crush on Peter when y’all were formulating the plan to get MJ to fall in love with him. Ned had seen the way you looked at Peter and one day, he saw the tears that brimmed your eyes before you excused yourself to the bathroom, Peter too focused on perfecting each step to see that you were distraught. Ned left as well to go ‘get something from his locker’ and he found you fanning your eyes dry and blowing some air out to calm yourself.

“You like him, don’t you?” Ned questioned as you turned around to hide your embarrassment. You were crying over Peter Parker while helping him get with your best friend. It was silly.

“Hey,” he spoke calmly as he placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. “You don’t have to hide from me. I saw the tears before you left but y/n, why are you helping him with this if you know he will end up with someone else? Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Yes, it hurts like hell but what am I supposed to do? Tell him I like him?” you spoke sarcastically but of course, he took it literally.

“Yes! That’s exactly what you should do,” he encouraged while you shook your head.

“I can’t do that to him, Ned. He is head over heels in love with MJ. Anyone with eyes can see that and though she will not let anyone know, I can tell she has a crush on him too so who am I to get in the way of that? They will be happy together and I will get over him. I will be okay, Ned,” you told him as you quickly wiped away your tears.

“Promise you’ll be okay?” Ned inquired, holding out a pinky for you to link yours with his. The childish act made you smile, and you did just that.

“I promise as long as you don’t tell him.” Ned nodded in agreement and you two unlinked pinkies. “Now I am gonna actually go to the bathroom to make sure I look fine, and I’ll be back,” you informed him before heading into the restroom.

“Yeah, Ned. I fucked up. I am going to ruin the whole group and their friendship. MJ will hate me and so will y/n for hurting MJ,” he sighed, leaning against the shelf to his right and keeping his eyes down. He felt so bad for this, but this was how he felt and he could not keep lying to MJ.

“Peter, you’re an idiot if you think they’re gonna let you ruin their friendship. They were best friends before you and they will be best friends after you too. You’re starting to sound like Flash,” Ned giggled while Peter shot him a glare, quietening him for a moment. “Sorry, but you should’ve come to this revelation back in June. Things would’ve been a lot easier.”

You had forgotten that they didn’t know you were there, and MJ was about to hear that you had been in love with her fling for a while and didn’t tell her. Again, you tried to get her to leave to spare her from hearing any more, but her feet remained planted. She was not going anywhere and if she wasn’t, you weren’t either. So, you stayed and listened beside her.

“What do you mean by that?” Peter quizzed and Ned’s eyes widened, realizing that he said too much. He let out a sigh before giving in and telling him.

“Y/n’s... kinda been in love with you since before the summer. I don’t know how much before, but she liked you when we were planning how to get MJ to fall in love with you during the Europe trip. I saw her tear up once and then I found out.”

MJ’s hand dropped from your own, her face reading shock and hurt when you looked at her. You felt like shit and you hadn’t really done anything wrong. Maybe you should have told her that you used to have a crush on Peter, but it seemed irrelevant since they were closer, and you never stood a chance so why add drama when it wasn’t needed? She took a couple of steps back before walking to leave the library, leaving you to follow.

“MJ, wait,” you called after her, but she was long gone. Tears filled your eyes as you watched your best friend storm away through the hall where you stood from the library’s entrance. You could have followed her further, but you knew MJ and you knew she’d rather be alone right now.

“Y/n...” you heard the faint voice of Peter whisper from behind you, a warm hand clasping over your shoulder as you turned to look at his freckled face. Under any other circumstances, you would’ve been thrilled to hear that Peter had liked you back, but your best friend’s heart was broken by him because of you as well and you just wanted it all to be fixed.

“You really had to tell him. I promised you I’d be okay if you didn’t tell him,” you spoke to Ned, choosing to ignore Peter’s presence in front of you for the moment.

“I’m sorry. It slipped and I couldn’t get out of it. I didn’t know you guys were right there.” He was right. It was not completely his fault. You two were invading on their privacy. You can’t help what you hear.

“Y/n,” Peter repeated, and your tear-brimmed eyes snapped to his honey brown ones.

“What?” You did not mean to come off angry, but you were aggravated to say the least.

“Are you okay?” he asked genuinely. The softness of his voice and eyes were pulling you in but you were so irritated with him at the same time.

“No,” you whispered, breaking your promise to Ned as he did to you. Peter stepped forward to hug you but your hand on his chest stopped him. “You can’t comfort me anymore. Do you realize what you have done? You have broken MJ’s heart, a heart I didn’t know was capable of breaking. If she sees us hugging, that will just drive the knife in deeper. You hurt me by dragging me into the middle of all this and because I didn’t tell her that I liked you, she probably hates me too.”

Saying that last little bit broke your heart. Your best friend probably hated you. Your crush liked you back, but you could not be with him which was more infuriating than longing for him from afar. You felt angry, upset, and exposed as your biggest secret was out. All the emotions whirled within you and you did let a few tears fall.

“Y/n, I’m sorry. This was not my intention nor how I wanted this to go at all. I’m so sorry,” he softly spoke before trying to hug you again as he desperately wanted to comfort you. He hated to see you upset. This time, you let him. You let your arms circle his waist and your head cry into his chest. You let him wrap his arms around your neck and press his lips to your head, something he had always done when trying to calm you down. You felt like you would have no friends left if you pushed Peter away so why do it? The reason why you should have spoke up and broke you two apart in an instant.

“Wow,” she muttered, saddened brown eyes dancing between you and Peter. “I came back because I wanted to talk this out before I stayed in my room and was left alone in my head, but you know what? I don’t really feel like talking anymore.”

“No! MJ, wait! Please!” you tried to stop her but her cold eyes and raised hand warned you to give it a rest.

“I’ll let you know when I’m ready to talk but until then leave me the hell alone.” And with that, her head of unruly brown crinkles and curls left the building of Midtown for the weekend.

The interaction made you feel even worse as a sob bubbled up your throat. You had never been like this with MJ, and you were scared you were going to lose her forever. Your hand flew to your mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound of you crying and Peter was quick to wrap his arms around you again, but now, you shoved him away.

“No, Peter! Can’t you see what this has done? We can’t be together. I don’t want to see you until MJ and I are on good terms and maybe not even then. I just...” you backed away towards the door, “I need to be alone. Ned, I’ll text you later.”

Ned nodded at you with a sad smile and held his pinky up toward you, his silent way of asking if you were okay similar to the promise you two had made months ago. While the action caused your lips to turn upwards only slightly, you shook your head to answer the question. He understood and he and Peter both watched you leave as well.

“Well, I guess I was wrong. You can come between their friendship,” Ned spoke up, trying to lighten the mood with a joke that was way too soon for Peter to enjoy if he ever would.

“Ned, not now. I’ve accidentally broken two girls’ hearts and they both happened to be my best friends. I feel like shit,” he groaned, rubbing a frustrated hand down his face. “I’m just gonna go on patrol to distract myself and then swing home.”

“Okay well, I’m gonna bring this to y/n and check on her before going home. I’d check on MJ too, but she scares me so I’ll just text or call her later,” Ned chuckled while holding up a copy of The Book Thief, the exact book you were hunting prior to the whole fiasco. “But you need to figure out what to do. You can’t ruin their friendship. I understand if they don’t want to be friends with us, but you can’t tear them apart.”

“I know, I know. I really fucked up,” Peter huffed while stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do but I’m going to fix this.”

“You better,” Ned stated before he left the school himself. Now all of his friends had left and were angry with him in different ways. He crushed MJ’s heart and then he crushed yours even more by unintentionally making your best friend hate you. Ned was more disappointed than angry, and he felt bad himself for spilling your secret. This whole thing was a huge mess that Peter had to fix to bring his favorite people back together and he was beginning to wish he had just kept his mouth shut in the first place.

Part 2: A Chemical Aquaintance ->

--------------------------------------------------

tag list: @rebelemilu @starrybrock @mxltifandoms06 @mendesblurb @dpaccione @msgorillagripcoochie @vintageobx @ilovejjmaybank @bibliophilewednesday @marjorie189 @sovereignparker @drewstarkeysbitchh

click here to be added to the taglist

[pascalpanic]

Blood, Sweat, and Tears (Javier Peña x f!Reader)- Chapter One

Summary: You live in Bogotá in the ‘90s, and work odd hours. No, you’re not a DEA agent, but a nurse. These odd hours prompt odd habits, like working out at 2:03 A.M. after a shift. Odd hours attract odd people, and you have a chance encounter with one DEA agent by the name of Javier Peña. Warnings: language, blood and violence (both graphic), descriptions of death and gun violence Chapter 1 W/C: 2.3K A/N: you guys! I am so in love with this fic. I already have quite a bit more written and can’t wait for you to read it! I hope you love it as much as I do! Javi deserves some softness... but not too much. this can’t all be fluff when you’re Javier Peña. Okay, this is not super canon-fitting of Narcos, I’m just gonna be honest with y’all. This is between the time of Escobar’s escape from La Catedral and his final capture and death, but also… Connie’s still in Colombia. Additionally, I don’t really have a year in mind, it’s just somewhere in that period. Please note that this is not a very lighthearted story- it begins with a death, though not of a significant character. Javier and reader both have some trauma, so please check the warnings of each chapter before you start reading. If you’re continuing on, I hope you like it! For the most part, if I use italics here when someone is speaking, it’s indicating that it’s in Spanish. I’m okay at the language, but I don’t want to butcher anything, so… just imagine it. Otherwise, it’s just the way anyone would use italics I guess.

next chapter

Chapter One

You watched a woman you didn’t know die in your arms tonight.

 She was beautiful, all dressed up to go out and party, her makeup running down her face with tears. Her lips were the painted the color of the blood that trickled from the side of them, eyes glazing over as she coughed and coughed and ruined the beautiful dress she wore. The nurses had asked what happened, and she had told them, through gurgles of blood: she had slept with one of Escobar’s men. She got too close, learned too much, and they tracked her down. 

She flatlined not long after telling the nurses around you. You had stood in the corner, paralyzed at first. You were an experienced ER nurse, nothing was new. You had seen patients die, but something about her was different. Maybe it was the way she reached out to you right before her body went limp. You didn’t make it to her bedside in time to calm her, the panic holding you down, but you finally took her hand right as she took her last breath. 

After she passed, you threw up in the bathroom, shaking and clutching the toilet. The night air had grown unbearably hot and humid, causing your scrubs to cling to your skin, and the sweat from the heaving of your stomach didn’t make things easier on you. Lorena, a fellow nurse and your best friend at work, had found you and comforted you, rubbing your back and bringing you water. It didn’t matter. It couldn’t reverse what had happened. 

Now, you sit on a bench in the staff’s locker room, redoing the ponytail holding your hair from your damp face. Your shift ended a few minutes ago, but you don’t know what to do now. You don’t feel like drinking; that would only make the visions swimming in your head worse. You know you can’t go home, can’t attempt to find sleep tonight. You look up and spot a bag with tennis shoes and spare clothing and settle your mind on at least one thing: the gym could do you some good. You change into the clothes and put the blood-spattered scrubs in the laundry pile. 

As you leave, you give Lorena a little wave goodbye and exit the building. You’re hyper-aware of your surroundings tonight, and you groan as you look at your watch and notice that it’s precisely 2:09 A.M. here in Bogotá. The walk to your fitness club is short, but your step is slightly extra hurried and your hand is on your pepper spray the entire time, extra vigilant to the fact that a hit went down somewhere around here just a few hours earlier. Surprisingly enough, no one catcalls or bugs you tonight. 

The little gym is run-down and dilapidated, and there’s no working air conditioning, but it’s the only one near you. You paid the small monthly membership fee to gain access, and you were going to use it to get in shape, you’d decided. As you swipe in and enter, the tiny fitness center looks more depressing in the fluorescent lights, no daylight to sugarcoat the atrocities of the center. There are two of every machine, a punching bag and a speed bag, two weightlifting racks, and a couple of benches. 

It’s nice that you get to work out alone tonight, you tell yourself. Even better is the fact that you now get to control the music. Desperate for a taste of home, you flip the large boombox in the corner on and begin scanning the airwaves with the dial. There’s a station in town that plays American music, and you need it more than anything tonight. You listen carefully and nearly start sobbing again as you hear Billy Joel’s voice through the speakers. With a sigh of relief, you lock your bag in the rusty lockers in the corner and head to the treadmill. It’s a beat up old thing, but this is the one you always use. It provides a little bit of comfort tonight, the familiarity of it. You turn it on low and start walking. A few moments later, you up it to a jog, mouthing along to the words of the familiar song. 

As the song ends, you push the buttons enough to enter a running speed. Your feet slam into the treadmill harder than normal tonight, feeling as overwhelmed as when you left the hospital. Your body finally works up a sweat, the physical stress overwhelming the mental stress. 

As the events of tonight replay in your head to some other song from the late 80’s, your eyes start to water. Everything was so overwhelming, and your mind is just starting to process it. You finally allow the tears to fall, mixing with the sweat coating your cheeks. It’s hard to tell which is causing more of the mess, but you let yourself cry it out as you run for the next few minutes. 

The next song that comes on is Venus by Bananarama. You almost chuckle at the fact that it’s a few years old by now, but the song is comforting. It reminds you of home, of a time before you had issues like these. You slow down the treadmill a little, singing to the words aloud once you catch your breath enough. Daring to do a little spin on the rolling surface, you groove along to the music, chuckling a little

After the first chorus, you hear a creaking noise and whip around to find a man standing in the doorway. “Jesus fucking Christ!” You shout before you can stop yourself, hopping off the treadmill and onto the non-moving one before you get flung off. Your heart is pounding from the running, only intensifying the adrenaline rush from the scare. 

The man chuckles a little, but the smile on his face doesn’t reach his eyes. He’s tired- of course he is, it’s now 2:30 in the morning. “Lo siento,” you offer in Spanish, cringing at yourself and your reaction just now. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here this late,” you stutter, still panting from the running. He shakes his head lightly. “You’re American,” he says simply. In English, in a beautifully American accented voice.

Your sweaty brow furrows, a glimmer of hope sparking inside your chest as you notice that he speaks like an American himself. “So are you.”

He nods at that. “That I am,” he says as he puts his things in a locker, snapping it shut behind him. He looks at you for a moment. You’re not working at the Embassy, or he’d know you. It was rare to find an American down here that wasn’t working for the government somehow. He shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair, looking at how tired he appears in the big mirrored wall. He’s curious, but he’s exhausted. 

You look at him for a moment. “You going to explain anything, like, tell me about yourself? Or do I have to go first?” You ask, hands on your waist as you hop back on the slowly moving treadmill, back into moving. He doesn’t respond. “Fine. I know you’re government. I’m not an idiot.”

He chuckles and tugs on his t-shirt, moving to the treadmill next to you and getting on. It’s been ages since you’ve held a conversation in English, and you missed this, missed how easily your first language flows from your mouth. “And you’re not.”

“Correct,” you nod, turning up the speed a little on the machine until you’re at a light jog. “My bigger concern was going to be why you’re here at 2-fucking-30, but I’m guessing I know the answer. You get called in around here for the hit?” He nods, starting the treadmill up and walking on it. 

“You don’t have to be so guarded, Jesus. I fucking hate Escobar, I’m on your side,” you scoff before turning up the machine until you’re running once more.

Javier shrugs. “Makes sense. How did you know-”

“She died,” you say quickly and firmly, keeping your eyes straight ahead and looking at the room around you. “Add that to your file.”

He nods, understanding a little more now. You knew her somehow. He doesn’t say a word either, cranking up the machine and heading into a jog too.

A few more minutes pass of the two of you silently running next to each other, the American music still playing throughout the gym. It’s a comfort to Javier too. Tonight was shit for the DEA- they had known Escobar’s men would be around here. They had the intel, they had everything ready, but the men somehow had escaped and left a victim in their wake. 

The frustration of everything, of the man being something close to home for you yet being a brick wall, threatens your eyes with welling tears again. “I just wanted to talk with an American,” you sigh and cross your arms, moving back into the walking stage of a treadmill. 

The man next to you gives a similar sigh, stopping his treadmill completely and offering you a hand. “Javier Peña.” You take it reluctantly, feeling the sweat of both of your hands mix, and tell him your name before retracting it and stopping the treadmill too. “So, what brings you to the gym at 2:30?” He asks, crossing his arms and leaning against the center part of the treadmill. 

“I’m a nurse. I work the graveyard shift. Bad night, a patient died because she got fucking shot for having a boyfriend and not knowing he was a narco, I need to get something out, I come here,” you shrug, unconsciously mimicking him by folding your arms as well. 

He nods at that. “I’m here for the same. Shitty stakeout, I’m pissed off, I come here.” He leaves out the part about his favorite call girl being taken, and how he needed another way to get the rage inside of him out. He walks off of the treadmill and to the weight rack, pulling a bench beneath the bar.

You turn again and turn the machine back on, slowly jogging. “I see. Odd hours to be here, that’s why I asked,” you say simply. “And to see another American at such a time. I haven’t interacted with one since I came here.”

Javier nods, adjusting the weights on the bar. “Yeah. Weird,” he nods. “And that you’re an American who isn’t working for the government and you’re down here. What, you got a husband who works for us?”

You shake your head, swallowing hard for a moment. “No, don’t have a husband in the first place,” you admit, adjusting the ponytail holding your hair up. “It’s a long story.”

“We got time,” he shrugs as he gets on the bench beneath the rack, looking at you in the mirrored wall. Even with the sweat and the stress of working out, he notices that you’re gorgeous. You have a nice body, and even your face is pretty while you’re working out.

You shake your head. “Fine, if you really want to hear it.”

“Might as well. It’s that or more of this fucking Wham! music, and I’m sick of George Michael.”

“First of all, first person here gets the music, so mind your manners.” This finally earns a chuckle from the man, and you want to smile but it just can’t come. “I came down here with a man. He’s a citizen here. We were going to get married, but he left me. That was a couple of months ago now,” you admit, the tears beading in the corner of your eye again. “My work visa was still valid, and I renewed it so I can keep working at the hospital. I don’t really have anyone down here except the girls I work with, but I like helping out. They need me.” He nods a little as he listens, breaking his focus as he starts his reps with the bar.

“And you’re government, so that explains everything I need to know about you,” you continue to babble. “One of the girls I work with has a husband who’s at the Embassy. Murphy,” you say offhandedly. 

Javier’s attention is caught, and he sets the bar on the rack. “Murphy?” He asks, and you turn your head to look at him and give him a nod. “No shit. That’s my partner.”

You chuckle slightly and look back at him, stopping the treadmill. “So you know Connie?”

Javi nods. “Yeah, great gal. She could do better than Steve,” he says, sitting up.

You laugh softly at that. “From what I’ve heard of him, I agree. She’s a really great girl, you’re right,” you nod in agreement, looking back at him. “She’s never mentioned you. She says her husband’s in janitorial, but we all know that’s not true. What, you guys CIA? DEA?”

Javier nods again. “DEA.”

“I see,” you say, folding your arms and leaning against the machine. “Can’t make you many friends around here. I learned pretty quickly to keep my mouth shut about being a gringa. They can usually tell though.”

“You’re right,” he chuckles and cracks his back.

You bite your lip as you look at him, your voice watery when you can finally speak again, suddenly overwhelmed by emotion again. “It’s nice to talk to someone in English again,” you admit with a forced smile. 

He can read your eyes easily. You’re a nurse, and you told him that the victim died. You saw it. “It is,” he nods, reading your pain and trying to show you he empathizes with it. Your eyes are beautiful, he notices as he looks into them. So much more hope and trust than anyone else he works with, but the pain in them is unbearable. He looks away, leaning back on the bench to lift again.

“So where you from in the States?” You finally ask when the silence is too long. 

“Laredo, Texas,” he chuckles. “Yourself?”

[just-a-quirkless-loser]

Dusting Of The Dust 🧤🧤

Idea came from @moodyvoid

Alpha Shigaraki x F! Omega Reader

Words: 2.1K

Summary: Shigaraki is your alpha-a very protective, possessive alpha

Tenko is something different. He takes being your alpha as his top mission. To be with you and guard you is his life’s reason. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he let anything hurt you. That being said, he can be overbearing.

“Omega, stay still. You know you have to be still for me to do this.”

“I can’t help it,” you give him your puppy eyes. “It tickles.” He just sighs and smiles. He can’t help but love you no matter what.

Shigaraki was helping you pull on your overalls (he has no idea why you’ve fallen in love with the horrid fashion; his words not yours) so he could take you to the mall for a day of pampering.

Lately, he’s been even busier than usual with the league. It’s been months since he has been able to spend some quality time with you so, he wants to make this day as perfect as possible.

“What am I going to do with you?” He looks down at you with his crimson eyes softened.

“Love me and give me cuddles?” You lift your hands to frame your face like an angel.

“Oh I don’t know,” he teases as he picks you up. Your breath hitches when his teeth catch your scent glands, his chapped lips lightly scrapping you. “You’re so quiet. Why?”

“You’d be quiet too if someone was turning you on like this,” he chuckled. Sometimes, you can be so brash.

“Get ready to go,” he lets you down and walks out of your room to wait in your living room. He’s taken an interest in staying in your home since he doesn’t like bringing you to the hideout (despite how much a bond Hans formed among the villains, he can’t bring himself to allow them to see you).

“I’m ready,” you run from your room with sneakers on your feet. You catch a glimpse of Shigaraki petting a picture of you and you blush slightly. Even though he’s a mean bastard to the world, you know you have his heart; that’s all that matters to you. “You’re wearing that?”

“What’s wrong with it?” Tenko looks down at himself anxiously. He supposes he could’ve attempted to dress better but, he was just focused on your comfort that he couldn’t find it in himself to care about his.

“Nothing,” you walk up to him and grab his hand. He’s wearing a black hoodie and jeans (he’s forgone the signature hand that he normally wears to keep from drawing attention) with a glove that only covers one of his fingers. You place a kiss on his palm, making direct eye contact. He’s driven into small insanity, part of him wanting to take you back to your bedroom and show you how much he loves you.

“Why do you always do that?”

“Kiss your hand?” He nods. “Because I love you. I know you’re always afraid you’ll accidentally hurt me but, I know you’ll never do anything that could put me in harm's way.”

He doesn’t say anything for a few moments, just takes you by the hand and leads you out the door and to the nearest massage parlor. He knows he can never tell you how much you’ve made him happy but, he hopes his actions can show you.

“Are you sure you’re okay with sitting here the whole time?” You asked before you had to enter the clothing room to take off your clothes.

“Yes. For the hundredth time, yes. Can you just get undressed?”

“I remember you asking me that question wayyyy nicer yesterday,” you wag your eyebrows causing him to push you into the room to hide his inflamed cheeks.

You giggle as you walk to your designated locker and remove your clothes, wrapping the robe around your body after you take a quick look at your assets. What can you say? You love adoring yourself.

Meanwhile, Shigaraki was waiting in the massage room with the lady that was setting up the oils. He watched her like a hawk, hands scratching at his neck. Shigaraki knows you wouldn’t want him to lose his cool but, he can’t stand the thought of someone else’s hands on you. He’d rather be at your house playing video games with you in his lap yet, he’s here.

“Do you have to...touch her?”

The woman startles and drops a bottle of oil on the floor. She recovers but, she’s shaking as she picks up the bottle. “Well yes, sir that’s my job.”

“But, do you have to do it without gloves?”

“Sir, it’s a massage.”

“Yes, I know what the fuck it is. I’m paying for it,” the scratching gets more brazen.

“Sir, would you like another masseuse?”

“No-yes- fuck just, if you touch my girl anywhere I don’t like, you won’t be touching anything anymore,” he continues to scratch till you walk in. He slumps in his seat to hide his neck because he knows it’d make you upset to see what he’s done to himself.

“You okay, Shiggy?” You notice he’s slouching as you lay down on the massage table, your s/c skin showing to the crack of your ass.

“Yes, baby. Just talking to the lady,” you quirk your brow.

“The lady has a name, Hand Man,” he rolls his eyes. The conversation is dead and the tension falls but, Shigaraki can’t help but tense when the woman’s hands touch your body. He wants to get up and rip her from your body but he knows he cant. He promised you a normal, perfect day and he’s pretty sure disintegrating a person isn’t either of those things.

He wants to yell as you moan underneath the woman’s hands, pick you up and run you away from her and into the comfort of your own world, fuck you until the only thing you can moan is his name.

“Shiggy, are we still going to the mall after this?” He’s broken from his thoughts of his hands wrapped around your delicate throat.

“Why wouldn’t we?”

“Just checking. I know your busy with your job and we’ve already spent a good deal of time here.”

“My job isn’t anywhere near important when it compares to you. I told you I was going to pamper you and that’s exactly what I intend to do,” the lady awws.

“That’s so sweet,” Shigaraki gives her a death glare. “Okay, your time is up. You can always book another appointment at the front desk. Have a great day,” that lady scurried out of that room as quickly as she could.

“Did you say something to her before I came in?” You sit up, breasts showing. Shigaraki.exe has stopped working. “You shouldn’t be mean to people that are doing their job. It’s not polite. Shiggy? HandMan? TENKO. ALPHAAAA PAY ATTENTION AND STOP STARING AT MY TITS.”

“It’s not my fault they’re out. They’re so perfect. Makes me want to,” he’s in front of you as he leans down to swipe his tongue across your left nipple. You whimper as his other hand kneads your other nipple. The leather of his gloves feels wonderful on your smooth skin. “Looks like you want me to do it.”

“Aht aht aht, we still have a full day of shopping till you get to touch me,” you scurry away before he can catch you. Wetness slides down your thigh, making your panties run against your clit with almost every step on the way out. You redressed, knowing your alpha would be able to smell your arousal.

“Aww, someone’s wet.”

“Fuck you, dusty,” it’s silent till you get to the mall. The mall has loud roars every few minutes as the noise is in full swing during the daily rush. Your alpha keeps pulling you even closer to him, lowly growling at anyone who he deems gets too close.

“Alpha, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he’s being curt and you want to pull him away from the mall but, you know that would only bother him further.

You end up in a small boutique in one of the corners of the mall by the name of ‘Kimochi.’ It’s almost as if the entire shop was splattered by a purple bomb with the purple stains floors and lavender painted walls. The racks are silver and there’s white trimming in some areas.

“How’d you know I wanted to come here?” Tenko just smiles as he pushes you further into the shop. You run off to look through the clothes and Shigaraki just stands back to observe you. You look ethereal as you buzz around energetically, your skin looking clear as ever and your eyes lit with a certain happiness that he only sees when the two of you are alone.

He patiently waits to the side of the store as you examine each clothing item, occasionally bringing them up to your body to see if they would fit. You’d given up asking Shigaraki for his approval a long time ago since he always tells you you’d look good in anything (although, there have been a few times that he’d disintegrate whatever he didn’t like).

“Ahhh another Omega. How was your shopping?” A beta attendant was at the counter waiting for you to check out. Your nose shriveled at the mention of your second gender but, you pushed the feeling away and chalked it up to happenstance.

“It was perfect. I love this boutique so much. Here’s my card,” you try to push the card over the counter discretely so Shigaraki wouldn’t see. You’re pretty sure it costs plenty of money to run an entire organization so, this is the least you can do to help your alpha.

“Are you sure? I’m sure your alpha would rather pay for your things,” The attendant looked over at Shigaraki. “On second thought, maybe it’d be best if you paid.”

“What is it you’re trying to insinuate right now? That my alpha can’t provide for me?” You lean over the counter, ready to punch the lady in the face.

“Well, look at his clothes. They’re not the best,” you growl and pounce only to be stopped by your alpha’s arms around your waist. He’s lowly snarling, teeth bared.

“What’s the problem, Omega?” He rubs his hands over your body to ensure you’re fine. “Do I need to handle this?”

“No. This lady was just pushing me a bit too far,” you snatch your stuff off the counter and get ready to walk out with your clothes without paying. Why would you pay after this?

“So, you can’t pay either?” Shigaraki snaps his neck when he turns to face her.

“Omega, what is she referring to?”

“Wellllll,” you blush and look away. You know once he deals with the woman, you’ll be in trouble for trying to pay. “I just wanted to pay for the clothes myself and the woman implied that I was paying because you don’t have the money to do so. Then, I got mad and you came over.”

“Didn’t I tell you I would pay?” He glares down at you. “Why would you try to pay and I told you I would? Are you trying to be disobedient to your alpha? Disobedient to me?”

“I just wanted to help you,” you said in a small voice. “I know the league is expensive.”

“Nothing is too expensive for you. Now, go wait outside while I deal with her,” he pats you on the head, turns you around, and gently pats your butt towards the exit.

Needless to say, while you were outside the store patiently waiting on a chair while swinging your feet beneath you, Tenko was inside gripping the life out of the woman’s face, gloves thrown to the side somewhere in a haphazard attempt to strangle her.

“You should’ve just kept your mouth shut,” Shigaraki grinned as he leaned down to the woman’s ear. “Now, I’ll have to show you what happens when you disrespect my omega.”

“No, no, pleaseeee NO PLEASE. I HAVE KIDS PLEASEEE,” it was too late. The woman’s face was already beginning to decay away, dust coating his hand as he smiled at the woman’s body.

He walked out, the body behind him as he was tugging his gloves on. You noticed a bit of dust on his hoodie so you gently dust him off once he gets close enough for you to touch.

“Did you kill her?”

“Yes. No one. And I mean, NO ONE, disrespects my omega,” you blush. “Now, C’mon, Omega. We’re going home. You still need to be punished,” you gulped and grabbed Tenko’s hand, letting him lead you to your future.

—————————————————————————

TagList💕💕

@sinclairsamess @sakurashortstack

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

SECOND CHANCE

Prompt: Just some good old fluff with Finny boy

Word Count: Long, bitch! So fucking long

Pairings: Finn Bálor x Reader

Warnings: Angst, fluff, smut (implied)

Editor: @thenightmareismyreality

Tag: @theworldofotps , @new-zealand-chic , @sassymox , @waywardwrestlewritingwaif , @yungbludjazz360 , @starwithaheart

Notes: Found this in an old file (wrote this about two years ago, maybe?) But I kinda like this little story ❤️ If you’d like to check out my previous works, you can find them on my Masterlist 😉

A deep sigh of relief left my lips as I brushed my damp hair. I heard a commotion in the living room, and began to dread the potential fight I would have to break up between a four and six year-old over a remote control.

“Mommy, mommy, mommy!” Caleb screamed in excitement, while bursting through my bedroom door like a maniac

“You’ll never believe who’s downstairs with us” He jumped with a cheeky smile

“Cal, who’s downstairs?” I ask worryingly, instinctively reaching for the gun that I kept in my nightstand

Caleb laughed and ran downstairs again.

As a homicide detective, my cop instincts combined with my motherly instincts took over me and I ran to the living room in only a tank top and panties, with my gun already aimed to shoot.

Although, the last person I thought I would see standing there, braiding my daughter Maeve’s hair in a style reminiscent of queen Elsa, and watching Caleb showing off his somersault technique was HIM…

That caught me off guard and he must have sensed it, because the first thing he did was look up.

“Hi” He said shyly

“What are you doing here, Finn?” I asked, putting my gun down on the dinner table

“I swear I didn’t break in” He laughed, attempting a joke

“What do you want?” I decided to ignore the small talk...there was no need for that, not after everything he did

“I have an injury. So I have some time off for a while and I wanted to stop by to see the kids and you” He whispered the last part

“Injury, huh? Is it bad?”

Even after everything he did, I couldn’t help but worry about his well being, you know, for the kids sake!...

Ok fine, I still love him, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“No, nothing serious. But I got two months off and I was excited to see my family” He looked at me when he said that

“Are you going to see your parents?”

“Yeah and I was thinking if it would be ok with you if I take the kids with me?”

“Of course! Why would I mind?”

His family was always very loving and kind to me, and we became very close once the kids were born. Sometimes I would take them to Ireland on my vacation so they could see their grandparents or they would travel to New York so they could see the kids.

“Because of...you know” He trailed off

“Neither your family or the kids have anything to do with that. I’m a grown woman, Finn. I know how to separate the sheep from the goat, ok?!”

I could feel the air becoming thicker with the tension, until Maeve said

“Mommy, why aren’t you wearing any pants? Are you feeling hot? I can get you the Japanese hand fan daddy gave it to me, if you’d like” She smiled

“Thank you buttercup, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll be right back”

......................................................................

Now, properly dressed, I made my way towards the kitchen to get dinner ready.

“Do you need any help?” Finn asked from behind me

“No, thank you. You can go stay with the kids” I didn’t even bother to turn around to face him

“Y/N, can we talk?”

I sighed “There’s nothing worth talking about, Finn”

“Please?”

“What can you possibly say that will change what happened? Nothing! It will be a bunch of empty sorry’s and excuses, so let’s just save it, ok?!”

“It’s not empty, I truly am sorry”

“You should’ve thought that before you believed the bunch of lies she told you”

He opened his mouth to say something but Caleb began calling for him to go watch the cartoons with them.

......................................................................

“Mommy, can daddy have dinner with us?” Maeve asked

“Of course, pumpkin. If he would like to”

“Yay” She screams “Daddy, come!” She beckoned him

The subjects of conversation at dinner were mostly controlled by the kids. They, as per usual, asked me how many bad people I had taken down that day, but also asked Finn about his traveling, which state or city he liked the most, the best foods he’d eaten, which LEGO set was he building, if the hotel beds were soft and ‘what about the blankets?’

“Alright, I know you two are very excited to see daddy, but we need to brush those teeth! So, let’s go kiddos” I got up from my chair

“I’ll do it” He grabbed both kids, resting one on each side of his hip and went up to brush their teeth

When he came back down alone, I give him a questioning look

“They’re asleep” He smiled softly

“Oh, you already put them down for bed?! Thank you” I said, cleaning the kitchen island.

He nodded “I just didn’t bathe them because they said you already did”

“Yeah, that’s the first thing I do when I get home. Or my mom does it for me if I get caught up in a case, but most of the time I do it”

“How’s work?” He asked, sitting down on one of the high benches.

“Good, Richard is my superior again, so he helps me a lot with my shifts, because of the kids” I smiled

“The old man is still working?” He laughed, amused

“Yeah, he already said he will only leave his badge when he’s dead” I cackled “How’s road life? Amazing, I presume”

“Nah, don’t let the bright lights fool ya” He laughed, bitterly “I love wrestling, being in the ring, performing for the audience, but once I pass through the curtains backstage it gets lonely” A little bit of sadness could be heard in his voice “It’s very lonely... it’s different from when I came back home to you and the kids. Now I just get back to an empty apartment, wishing I could get back home” He looks at me

“Finn, please”

“I love you! Why can’t we just try again?”

“Because no!”

“Why?” He pleaded

“Because you don’t know what it was like ok?! You don’t know how much it hurt me, the things you said, the fact that you believed some envious woman’s gossip about me having an affair with Lucas! He’s married for fuck’s sake! To a man!”

“I- I didn’t knew Lucas was gay, Y/N”

“Yeah, you didn’t! And why is that? Oh yeah, because you did not trust your own wife, all you saw was the fact that he is a man and my work partner so you just bought the assumption that woman sold you, choosing to believe her instead of me!”

“It wasn’t like that, ok?” He tried to explain

“It wasn’t like that, you say? When you were the one who came in here filled with accusations! Saying that I had an affair with him, that I cheated on you, that you wished you would’ve slept with half of the women who throw themselves at you everyday, doubting that those kids upstairs are yours, when they’re the fucking spitting image of you! You said all those horrible things, Finn. Not me!”

He stared at his knuckles as I continued, now crying

“How do you think that made me feel? To listen from my own husband how much he wished he had cheated on me. Bragging about all of the hot young women who are waiting to be fucked by a wrestler...You know it was always hard for me to accept that you wanted me and not some hot girl in the locker room, that you had chosen me, that I got lucky enough to not only marry a man who’s physically breathtaking but also such a beautiful person on the inside. And still, it was that same Prince Charming who became the frog! I never thought that” I had to stop myself from saying the next horrible words roaming through my mind

“You never thought that, what, Y/N?”

I shook my head

“Say it”

I shook my head again and he got up from the bench, coming to where I was standing

“Say it, love. I can take it”

“I don’t want to say it” I whispered as more tears rolled down my cheeks

“Shhh, it’s ok, love” Finn pulled my head to his chest “Please don’t cry, I hate when you cry” His arms are tightly locked around me, providing me the sense of comfort that only he could give. And I hated that!

“Let me go” I tried to push him away

“What’s wrong, Y/N?”

“Just don’t touch me” I said, shoving him away

He knew that I was closing him off, I could see it in his eyes

“Say it! You never thought that what?” He insisted, more forcefully this time

“I never thought that someday I would regret meeting you! Marrying you, starting a family with you. If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t!” I spat

“You wouldn’t?” He scooted closer

“No” I answered with venom in my voice, trying to turn my undying love for him into hatred

“But I would!” Finn said firmly

I shook my head in denial, as he cupped my cheeks in his calloused hands, making me look up to meet his blue eyes

“I would do it, all over again. Meeting you, dating you, marrying you, having kids with you, in the future seeing the kids graduate high school, college, be at their wedding, take our future grandkids to the park, and spend the rest of my life with you! I would choose you over and over and over again! I choose you everyday, Y/N”

I squeezed my eyes shut

“You’re lying! Stop lying, Finn” I whispered

“Am I though? Open your eyes and look at me. I was never able to hide ANYTHING from you, I can lie to anyone but you. You can always see through me, so just look at me and tell me if I’m lying. If I am, then I promise you, I’ll leave this house right now and you’ll never have to see me again! Just open your eyes” He kissed each closed eyelid

After a few minutes, I gathered the courage to finally look at him and I could only see love, regret, pain and truth.

“I love you Y/N and always will. Yes, I was dumb to listen to some random gossip and I’m paying the price for it, but the only thing I ask you is: please, don’t give up on us! I’ll give you whatever time you need, just promise me that we’ll fix it. That we’ll be together again...You, Caleb and Maeve are my life! I would die to save you in a blink, love. If I had to choose between your life or mine I would choose yours, becau-“

I placed two fingers on his lips

“Stop talking like that! You know I don’t like it. It attracts those bad vibes, you know?”

Finn lightly chuckled “But I mean it”

“Stop! I don’t like when you talk like that... I hate to think that something bad could ever happen to you. You know, because of the kids” I tried to hide my feelings

“And you wouldn’t miss me, not even a little bit?” He teased

“I miss you everyday” I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth when I realized what I just said

He smiled sweetly, leaning down to place sweet and innocent pecks all over my face.

Finn started on my forehead, then he went to my temples, followed by the cheekbones, apple’s of the cheek, jaw, chin, side of my lips. Finn pulled back to search for any resistance signs and when he found none, he kissed my lips. A lazy kiss, that grew more urgent by the minute.

“Fuck, I missed you so much” He moaned, now kissing my neck

“Finn, wait. Wait a minute” I tried to pull his head back by his hair but that only made him moan.

“Finn!” I said harshly, finally having his attention

“What’s wrong, love? Don’t you want it? I thought that-“

“Have you seen anyone since we broke up?” I asked, not even letting him finish his sentence

“We didn’t break up! You asked me for some time and-“

“Finn, just answer the fucking question please” I pleaded

“No, I haven’t been with anyone in those 8 months. Except for my hand when I look at your pictures” He smirked

“You’re so ridiculous” I whispered in relief as my arms circled his waist

“So...do you still want to make love?” He eagerly asked

“We never made love, Finny. We’ve always fucked senseless” I laughed

“No! We’ve always made love it’s just that we’re more frantic about it” He chuckled

“Ok, we sleep together and then what?” I asked

“Then you stay here and I go back to my apartment” He simply said

My heart sunk in my chest as a faint “Oh, ok” left my lips

“So I can pack my clothes and bring them back home” He said, as a devilish smile grew on his face “That’s of course, if you want me here”

“Asshole” I lightly punched his chest “I thought you just wanted a one night stand and that’s it. You scared me!”

Finn chuckled, beckoning me closer to him

“You could never be just a one night stand, love. You fuck too good to be just a one time thing” He winked

“So you just want me for my bedroom skills, huh?” I teased

“Yes and no” He giggled “Yes, because no other woman fucks like you do” He bit my neck, growling “And no, because there’s so much more about you than the bedroom” He hugged my waist “You’re my best friend, my nurturer, my supporter, the air that keeps me alive, my everything!” He kissed me passionately

“Can we try again? Start over and leave all that shit behind us?” He whispered

“If you promise me that if we get back together, you won’t listen to other people’s gossip and will come to me whenever you hear somethi-“

“Yes!” He pecked my lips excitedly, as a wide smile took over his face “I promise you, love! That’ll never happen again, you have my word!” He gave me a bear hug and spun me around the kitchen

“Finn!” I squealed, when we almost fell to the ground “We’re going to wake up the kids” I giggled

“Oh no, shhhh” He shut me up with a kiss “We can’t let that happen! Because as much as I love our children, I haven’t gotten any in eight months and I can’t wait to change that with you right now” He pushed us towards the couch and laid on top of me

“But I thought you were going to go and get your clothes”

“I don’t need clothes, woman! You know I like to sleep naked” He winked

And roamed his head down to...

Please, if you’re comfortable with it, let me know your thoughts on this? Feedbacks are always appreciated 🥰😘

[dixie12]

secret!sub!jonny, and pat finally finds out!

Jonny is acting weird. Like, really weird. They won the cup less than three weeks ago- Jonny should barely be sober, should be reaping the rewards of captaining the team to a second cup: free drinks, the admiration of the entire city, and the bevy of subs quite literally throwing themselves at his feet whenever he steps out of his front door. And sure, Jonny had seemed to enjoy it all for the first week or so, going out with the guys, letting them douse him in champagne, giving throaty victory speeches at the parade and chugging beers that adoring fans tossed at him. 

But the fun seemed to melt away pretty quickly after that, with Jonny getting tense and twitchy. He’d still go out with the team, probably because he knew Pat would physically drag him out if he tried to bow out this early in the celebrations. But he was distant, constantly checking his phone, eyes taking on a faraway look that was almost familiar to Pat, though he couldn’t figure out why. And despite the gorgeous men and women who approached Jonny every night, Pat didn’t think he’d picked up even once. 

It was one thing to hold off during the playoffs; Jonny was big on focusing and not being distracted, and “not wasting unnecessary energy, Pat.” Sure, planning a scene could take a little work sometimes, which Pat never minded, even during playoffs, but he understood that Jonny had always felt differently about that. But it was the off-season now, and they had weeks until they needed to start thinking about upping their training or even going to the convention. Now was the time to indulge. Pat certainly was; day-drinking, golf and baseball games during the hot summer days, a different sub in his bed most nights. 

Jonny had never really talked about his hook-ups in the locker room, not the way some guys did, visceral play-by-plays of all the paces they put their subs through, but Pat had always assumed he was just a gentleman, didn’t want to kiss and tell. Or, well, spank and tell, or whatever. But he’d never have predicted that Jonny would turn celibate when his popularity in the city had never been higher. Last night, an actual Playboy model, one who Pat recognized immediately, spent close to an hour hitting on Jonny, standing close, looking up at him adoringly through her lashes, stroking his shoulders and snuggling herself under his arm whenever Jonny moved. Instead of taking her up on the incredibly obvious come-on, Jonny looked even more awkward than usual. Pat watched as Jonny shifted himself away from her, putting distance between them, angling his body away from hers, eyes wary and back rigid. The girl gave it her all but finally realized it wasn’t going to happen tonight, walking away from Jonny in her four-inch heels and showing off an ass that nearly made Patrick cry with envy. 

Even from across the bar, Pat could see how tightly Jonny’s jaw was clenched, the tension radiating from his body. Pat watched as Jonny threw back the rest of his drink and turned, walking right past their table and out of the bar. He didn’t even throw a glance in their direction, heading straight into the street. Pat exchanged confused looks with the rest of the guys, but no one seemed to have an answer for Jonny’s behavior. Pat pulled out his phone, looking for a text from Jonny to at least say he was heading out. He had a lot of offers to party, and text threads with most of the team that just amounted to them texting “we won the cup!!!” back and forth every day, but nothing from Jonny. Pat sent him a quick “everything ok, man?” but then let himself be distracted by the boys.

In the morning, well, afternoon, to be honest, when Pat woke up, he still hadn’t heard anything from Jonny, and seriously, that was enough. Whatever was going on with him was getting worse instead of better, and Pat was sick of it. He had nothing on his schedule for the day, and he decided that he was going to drag the truth out of Jonny one way or another. He usually texted Jonny to let him know he was coming over, but at this point, he was worried Jon might actually throw the deadbolt on him. No, the element of surprise was definitely what he needed.

He thought about bringing food as a peace offering, but if Jon was already feeling off for whatever reason, he probably wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. Providing like that was something that doms did for their subs, and while Pat and Jonny didn’t really let that stop them most of the time, Pat didn’t want to start things off on the wrong foot. Better to make sure Jonny felt comfortable in his own space before Pat started digging for answers. 

Pat walked the few blocks to Jonny’s apartment, rolling over possibilities in his mind on the way. Jonny definitely wasn’t seeing anyone, so relationship trouble wasn’t on the list. He’d just seen Jonny’s family when they were in town for the parade, and they were all doing great, his parents enjoying their retirement and David back in school studying sports management. They shared the same agent, and Jonny had been on fire during the playoffs, so their contracts shouldn’t be a concern, either. By the time Pat arrived at Jonny’s apartment, he was no closer to an answer than when he started, but starting to worry even more. If it wasn’t something obvious, but it was still stressing Jonny out this badly, maybe it was serious. Could Jonny be sick? A wave of horror washed over Pat as he remembered a few hard hits Jonny had taken over the six weeks of playoff hockey. Maybe the concussion was back? He hurried in the front door of Jonny’s building, unable to wait any longer. 

Jon’s doorman waved at him, asking if Pat wanted him to call up to Jon, but Pat shook his head, grateful when the doorman just nodded and pointed towards the elevator bank. Pat had to stop himself from pacing back and forth in the small space, focused on taking a few deep breaths, fighting his growing sense of panic.

He barely waited for the doors to open before he was off, half-jogging down the hallway to Jonny’s apartment. He grabbed his keyring, flipped to Jonny’s and unlocked the door, giving a quick knock as he walked in.

Jonny was sitting on his couch, leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees, head hanging between them. He looked… fragile, almost, like he was struggling to hold himself together. Small, in a way that Jonny never was. 

“Hey, man,” Pat started, and Jonny’s head bolted upright, clearly surprised. Jonny’s apparent shock made Pat even more uncomfortable; a dom should never be caught by surprise like that in his own space, should always be acutely aware of his surroundings, ready to defend them at a moment’s notice. Admittedly, Jonny’s high-rise, protected as it was by a 24/7 security desk and locked door, wasn’t exactly vulnerable, but Jon’s inattention still made Pat’s skin crawl with unease.

“Pat,” Jonny said, looking away quickly, and that, too, was unusual, the lack of eye contact a startling departure for Jonny. “I, uh, wasn’t expecting company,” he continued, and his voice was quiet, projected towards the floor rather than Pat.

Pat was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say and unsettled at Jon’s behavior. He waited for Jonny to fill the silence, but Jon didn’t say anything else, didn’t even get up to offer Pat a bro-hug or a drink, just kept hanging his head, fidgeting with his hands so much that Pat longed to go over to him, grasp Jonny’s hands in his own and settle him down. He shook his head once, trying to get a handle on himself. Doms didn’t need “settling down,” not from other doms, at least, and Pat didn’t know where the urge had come from. Jonny just wasn’t acting much like a dom right now, and it was messing with Pat. 

The silence hung in the air for a few more moments, and then Jonny visibly gathered himself, taking a deep breath and looking up at Pat. 

“Sorry, man,” he said, voice flat but sounding a little more like himself. He gestured down at his phone and continued “just got a text from Dan. His grandfather died, and he has to go to France for a few weeks, handle the estate.” His voice trailed off at the end, eyes taking on that same familiar look Pat had been noticing recently. Pat waited for more of an explanation, but none came. He knew that Dan was Jonny’s childhood best friend, that they usually hung out when Jonny went back to the Peg over the summer, but he had no idea why his grandfather’s death was hitting Jonny so hard.

“Sucks, man. You guys were close, then?” Pat guessed, unable to come up with another reason why Jonny seemed so upset.

“No. I’d never actually met him, he moved back to France like thirty years ago.”

Pat was even more confused now, but he kept his mouth shut, waiting for an explanation. Jon’s shoulders hunched down even further, like he didn’t have the strength to hold himself up anymore.

“I just... usually, Dan and I..” Jonny was struggling, words forced out a few at a time, breath coming more quickly, “we.. he.. He helps me out,” Jonny finished, and his voice broke on the last word. He turned to look at Pat, then, and he looked impossibly young, expression crumpled and miserable. His eyes were wide and lost, filling with tears, and Pat saw fear there. Fear that he knew he would never see from a dom, but that his hindbrain recognized right away.

Later, he was so incredibly thankful that he moved on instinct, ignoring six years of etiquette, decorum and careful boundaries. Ignoring all of it in his haste to get his hands on Jonny. At the time, it felt impossible to do anything else. He was at Jonnys’s side in just a few steps, dropping onto the couch next to him, cupping the back of his neck with one hand and pulling Jonny down into his chest. Soothe, his mind insisted. Make it better. Make him safe. And Pat did, holding Jonny close, stroking his hair with one hand while the other rubbed circles on his back.

“It’s ok, baby, I’ve got you,” Pat whispered. He didn’t know what exactly he was expecting, for Jonny to fight him, maybe, jerk away and ask what the fuck Pat thought he was doing. Pat felt the strong muscles of Jonny’s back tense under his hand for just a few seconds before his entire body melted, letting Pat take his weight. 

Pat kept them there, pet names and praise falling easily from his lips, as he felt the world snap into place. It almost made sense, now. Jonny rarely picked up, never talked about his hook-ups. He flushed red in the locker room sometimes, and darted his gaze away when reporters complimented him. He was unusually touchy with his family, letting his mother muss his hair and kiss his forehead, letting David push him around. Taken together like that, and stripping away the underlying assumption that Jonny had to be a dom, it painted a pretty clear picture of what Jonny had desperately been trying to hide all of these years.

Fuck.

A sub. Jonny was a sub. A sub who was desperate for a kind touch and a sweet word right now. Pat remembered that strange phone call from last summer, when Jonny sounded so fucked out, calling him ‘Patrick’ before Dan took the phone away, and the last piece slotted into place. Dan must be Jonny’s dom, or at least a dom that Jonny felt comfortable submitting to, probably the only one. It explained why he always disappeared to Winnipeg right after the season, virtually unreachable for a week. And it explained why Jonny was so upset that Dan would be out of the country. Pat figured Jonny had been getting by on sheer determination, willing himself to just make it back to Winnipeg where he could finally let go, finally be himself, and finding out today that that wouldn’t happen must have broken him.

Shit, judging by how easily Jonny was accepting his touch, he probably hadn’t submitted for close to a year now. Pat couldn’t imagine getting up every day, making it through four brutal rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, playing his heart out and leaving it all on the ice the way that Jonny had done while fighting down the instinct and desire to submit. Never being able to let go the way his body would have been demanding, yearning for. Never being able to let his guard down for an instant, always vigilant against people finding out. Pat was filled with pride at Jonny’s strength, but there was an unfamiliar feeling of shame, as well. Unfamiliar, but not unknown, and Pat recognized it as the feeling he got when he’d let his sub down. When someone had put their complete trust in him and he was found undeserving of it. Jonny wasn’t his sub, but Pat still felt responsible for him now. He knew Jonny better than anyone, and he’d been blind to this secret that seemed so obvious now.

Jonny stirred against his chest, and Pat stroked a hand under his chin, tilted his head up to look at him. Jon’s pupils were blown wide, eyes glassy, cheeks a rosy, delicious pink. Pat had never seen a sub look more beautiful in his submission. 

He wanted Jonny to get whatever he needed out of this, knew it was what was right for Jon’s physical and mental wellbeing to let him stay in subspace, but the couch was getting uncomfortable. He looked around for a kneeler for Jon before realizing that there weren’t any. Weren’t any accessories, actually- no cushions, no cuffs strewn around, no paddles or crops, and his heart broke again at what Jonny was depriving himself of for hockey. For the team. For Pat.

Pat reached behind him, hands grabbing for a pillow from the back of the couch. He found one, dropping it on the floor, and nudged Jonny gently. Jon’s eyes opened slowly, eyelids fluttering like he was dragging them against a heavy weight, and his breathing was slow and deep. His brow creased as he looked up at Pat.

“Patrick?” he asked, and that one word came out in such a honey-sweet reverent tone that Pat knew immediately he never wanted to hear anyone else say it again.

“Yea, baby, I’m right here. Just want you to be comfortable,” Pat answered, gesturing down at the pillow at his feet.

“Is,” Jonny cleared his throat, “is this ok?”

“Sweetheart, it’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

[k7l4d4]

A New Perspective: Owl House AU Story Part 2

Hello all, this is the second part of the collaboration between myself and the talented Flamestar50, give em a hand folks!! To note, I’ve cleaned up and proofread the work they provided, but this is definitely the result of Flame’s hard work and skill. Everybody Clap Your Hands!!!

Eda and Luz stood stunned at the group of people that had managed to crush Lilith.

“Stay back Luz,” Eda warned, but as Luz continued to approach the group, Eda rolled her eyes at the brush-off to her warning.

“Oh god what the hell happened.” One of the people groaned.

“Are you guys okay?” Luz said, leaning closer to the group. As she took in the appearance of them, her eyes widened. “Gus, Willow, Amity? What are you guys doing here? And who are these other people? She asked, gazing at the unfamiliar faces. Suddenly, another face in the pile caught her attention. Wait, that couldn’t be, i-it was-

“IMPOSTOR!!!” Luz yelled, pointing a finger at, well, herself.

“Who are you!?” The impostor Luz yelled back.

“I’m you! Wait, no, I’m me, and you’re PRETENDING to be me. What are you doing, pretending to be me with my friends you, you POSER!” Luz spat.

“I’m not the poser, you are!!” The “impostor” spat back.

“Um, someone better explain what’s going on here, and soon,” Eda asked, completely ignoring Lilith’s muffled protests and complaints over being sat on.

“Alright, there’s only one way to see who the real Luz is!” King announced from the floor. “What is Luz’s favorite... BOOK SERIES!”

“The Good Witch Azura.” Both Luz’s answered confidently, and in perfect sync to boot.

“Okay, this is gonna be tougher than I thought.” King sighed.

“Um, hello.” A soft voice called from the door. All faces turned to it, and saw Amity entering the house, Gus and Willow following closely behind.

“Hi Luz, I came over hear for the study session, and- Oh my Titan...” Amity gasped as she saw a group of familiar and unfamiliar faces sprawled across the floor, and two Luz’s aggressively pointing at one another.

“OH MY GOD THERE’S AN IMPOSTOR AMITY TOO!?” Luz gasped. “How will I know who the real Amity is?”

“What are you doing to my Luz?” Amity glared at her second self.

“I didn’t do anything! It was your Luz who brought us here!” The other Amity shot back.

“*GASP*! Luz! Are you trying to make clones of me!?” Amity whirled towards Luz, a blush blooming across her face.

“What? NO, of course not, at least, I don’t think so... Wait, did I just clone everyone!?” Luz gasped.

“I’M A CLONE!?” “Impostor” Gus shrieked.

“Wait, if you all are clones, than who are you?” Luz asked, pointing to the scary older girl glowering at them beneath her beanie, a metal bat slung over her shoulder.

“What do you mean, that’s my, I mean your, actually our older sister, Victoria.” Alter Luz said, sidling up closer to Luz, a look of slight confusion on her face.

But, I don’t have a sister.” Luz stated.

“Yes you do, you have two.” Alter Luz countered.

“No, I’m an only child.” The two stared in blatant bewilderment at each other, before they started screaming in confusion, provoking a commotion of panicked yelling among the groups.

“Um, shouldn’t you do something?” King asked, looking up towards Eda, who was currently sipping her Apple Blood, snickering at the scene before her.

“Nah, this is kinda entertaining.” She snorted.

“EDALYN!” Lilith managed to shout over the ruckus.

Eda wryly blinked in her sister’s direction. “Oh, I forgot you were there. Alright, calm down kids, could you all get off my sister, you’re currently squishing her to death.” The group awkwardly shuffled away as Eda helped her sister to her feet. Lilith quietly mumbled out a thanks before muttering to herself as she fixed her messed-up hair.

Putting her hands on her chin, with a sly grin, Eda continued. “Okay, let’s start over. What exactly happened here?”

------------------------------------------------

Vela sat hunched on the couch, fidgeting nervously. After this world’s Luz explained about the Potion, and the shard, and her group explained about the portal that appeared and sucked them in, Lilith had retreated, muttering about needing to research, before excusing herself to find some books and do just that. In the mean time, everybody had split up into their individual groups.

Both Luz’s were currently talking to Victoria, who was smugly showing off her glyph inscribed metal bat. Both Willows and Guses were having a pleasant chat, while Sallix, their Willow’s older sister, was... asleep. Yeah, only Sallix Park could be the type of person capable of falling asleep while being sucked into a portal leading to another dimension.

Vela’s little sister, Amity, was having a conversation with her counterpart as well. Vela honestly couldn’t understand her younger sister could stay so calm in a situation like this. Speaking of calm, Amaryllis, Vela’s older sister, was currently chatting pleasantly with the Owl Lady. It was strange to see her smiling, as she usually had this cold demeanor that stopped anyone from approaching her.

But, back in their world, Amaryllis admired the Owl Lady, A LOT. Perhaps it was the same here? Most likely. Other than that, all that was left was Luz’s other older sister, Mari, who was... wait a minute, where was Mari!? Vela began frantically scanning the room in a panic. Mari was nowhere in sight.

“Oh no.” Vela whispered. Mari was a great person at heart, she really was. But, she was also insanely curious, to the point that she would gladly break into people’s lockers and sneak into their houses. Leaving her alone was probably the worst thing you could do. Vela quickly got to her feet, scampering over to Amaryllis, who was standing alone while Eda went to get some more drinks.

“Amaryllis, do you know where Mari is?” Vela whimpered.

“Why do you care?” The older girl responded with an annoyed glance, as though Vela was wasting her time.

“I-I just n-need to find her.” She stuttered. Amaryllis rolled her eyes.

“I think she went upstairs,” She said, jerking a thumb in the direction of the stairs, before turning and walking away. Vela breathed out shakily. She felt kind of dumb being scared of her own sister, but how could she not be? The only reason she asked Amaryllis is because she is ALWAYS watching her surroundings. She knows everything. Vela hurriedly padded up the stairs.

“Mari?” Vela called quietly. There was a slight shuffling coming from one of the rooms. Vela quietly cracked one of the doors open, only to find Mari going through the Owl Lady’s Nest!!

“Mari! What are you Doing!?” Vela exclaimed quietly.

“Huh?” Mari turned, spotting Vela. “Oh, Hi Vela. I’m looking through the Owl Lady’s stuff to see how different she is from the one back home.”

“Mari, we just talked about this last night, you can’t just do stuff like that.” Vela whimpered, grabbing the other girl’s arm and pulling her away.

“But Vela, it’s for the sake of research.” Mari pouted. As Vela and Mari exited the room, a figure before them made them both freeze.

“Hey, what are you guys doing up here?” Luz asked. As she didn’t appear to be mad, it was probably Counter Luz.

“We, um, were looking for the... bathroom.” Vela said quickly.

“Oh, it’s at the end of the hall.” Luz smiled, pointing towards the bathroom.

“Okay, thank you,” Vela said, pulling Mari with her, who was waving goodbye.

“No problem!” Luz said happily. Finally, once the two were inside, Vela locked the door.

“Mari!” Vela said, whirling towards the girl. “Are you crazy?”

“Vela, your overreacting. It was a simple scanning, nothing bad.”

“You broke into the room of a woman from another dimension!”

“Vela, calm down.”

“Calm down!? How can I stay calm at a time like this? We’re in a new world with your sisters, my sisters, Willow and her sister, not to mention Gus, and we don’t know how, or even if we can get back home!! Oh Titan, this is going to be horrible for my studies!” Vela started pacing, her breath growing more frantic. “ I CANNOT get another low grade. If I get just one more, Mom is going to kill me! She’s already so...”

“Vela!” Mari exclaimed, taking the girl’s shaking hand. “I need you to breathe, just breathe. Listen, we’re going to be okay! We have each other, and together, we’ll make it through!” Vela nodded, her breathing having evened out, as Mari placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Hey, I know, let’s go talk to Lilith. I’m sure she’ll have found something in her research that’ll make you feel less worried!” Vela smiled.

“Alright, but you have to promise you won’t go snooping around the house.”

“Fine. I’ll try.” Mari sighed. Vela nodded in content.

“Ready?” Mari asked, taking her hand.

“Ready.” Vela nodded as they stepped out of the bathroom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Victoria lay sprawled on the couch, watching as her youngest sister and her counterpart chatted away about magic, and Azura Book Clubs. It was honestly amazing how those two could fawn over a fictional book series, despite being from different dimensions. Even Amaryllis was making the most of the situation, chatting away with the Owl Lady. God, she is such a fangirl.

Victoria, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get back home. As much fun as this unexpected visit turned out to be, she had her own life to get back to. Suddenly, Lilith, followed by Mari and Vela, walked into the room. At the sight of Lilith’s uncertain expression, all Victoria could think was,

“Oh no, what’s the bad news?”

“Ahem, if I may have everyone’s attention?” The whole room turned to look at Lilith.

“What’s up sis?” Eda asked.

“Well, after carefully studying the potion, along with a bit of research, I believe I have figured out how the portal occurred. You see, Luz’s Potion was designed to generate a portal between two points depending upon where the bottle was thrown. The door used to travel between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm contained a material known as Titan’s Blood, which opens rifts between worlds. The two interacting resulted in the portal opening to alternate worlds manifesting. The problem is, I have no idea what occurred to bring the children’s alternates and their alternate’s siblings here.” Lilith finished, looking slightly concerned.

“And what does that mean for us?” Victoria spoke up.

“Until I figure out exactly what occurred to bring you all here, I’m afraid I cannot guarantee you all a way home.” There it was, the news they had all been dreading. Vela let out a little hiss, while Amity and Willow exchanged concerned glances.

“So, what’s gonna happen now,” Luz asked.

“Well, you kids are gonna need a place to crash,” Eda stated. ”And I think its best if you kids split up.”

“Split up!” Mari exclaimed.

“Look kid, I like all of you, I really do, but there’s no way in hell I’m having everyone plus some total strangers crash at my place, and even if I wanted to, I don’t have enough space for everyone!” She said, throwing up her arms.

“I believe the most logical option is for everyone to take their counterparts and others home with them.” Lilith added.

“But, what about our parents?” Willow asked.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll help talk to them.” Eda assured her. After a bit more arranging, it was time for everyone to leave. Mr. and Mrs. Blight were out of town on business, which came as a relief to everyone. Eda and Lilith went to escort Willow and Gus home, giving them a chance to work things out with their parents.

“Alright Luz, take care of our guests, and don’t break anything while I’m gone. I’m trusting you!” Eda called from the door.

“Don’t worry Eda, you can count on me!” Luz yelled back.

“See ya in a bit kid,” Eda waved, before slamming the door shut, ignoring Hooty’s muffled shout.

“Well, it’s just us now.” Luz said, feeling awkward. She had been left with her counterpart Luz, along with her two sisters, Mari and Victoria. There was an uncomfortable silence between the group.

“Sorry about this whole mess, guys.” She said quietly, kicking her feet.

“Yeah, you should be.” Victoria snapped gruffly.

“Victoria!” Counter Luz scolded.

“What? It’s her fault we’re stuck in this mess. You think I wanted to spend my day like this!?” Victoria spat back. Luz’s expression fell, and Victoria instantly felt guilty.

“I’m gonna go downstairs,” She sighed, excusing herself. Once she was out of sight, Luz let out a small whimper.

“Hey, don’t worry about her. She just gets a bit snappy when she’s stressed.” Mari reassured, gently rubbing Luz’s back.

“I know, I just feel so guilty for dragging you all into this mess!”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Counter Luz chided. “We’re just going to have to make the most of this.”

“Yeah, we can do this, Lilith will find a way back for you guys soon, I’m sure of it!” Luz nodded. Now, if only she could convince herself she was right.

[katsukikitten]

Warnings College AU sexual and adult themes. Yall know the drill okay

Chapter 2

Bugzapper⚡💔: i have a proposition to make. 

Jiro flashes Mina her phone as she sips iced coffee in the blessed air conditioning of the cafe.

"That's never a good sign." She comments, moon bright eyes glued to the phone as she thinks. 

"What's not a good sign?" Uraraka asks from across the table, the two girls fill her in. 

"Oh." She racks her brain on what that could be, "Okay well I'm dying to know, now." 

🎵Music to my soul 🎶 : What do you want airhead? 

Jiro's text sent a surge of excitement through Kaminari. It was exactly what he needed after three hours of begging and bribing Bakugou to allow the sorority in or at least invite them. His fingers fly across the screen setting up a date and time for a "meeting over lunch" to discuss the proposition in further detail.  

Meanwhile across campus, you huff, eyes narrowed as a rare emotion is pulled from your fingertips in the form of deadly ice. Pulling the moisture from the air to freeze it or pulling any water towards you to keep your flank safe as your opponent rushes you at breakneck speeds. 

You hated this fucking guy, cocky, brash, so God damn arrogant in the way he held himself, in the way he spoke. It made you nauseous just thinking of him.Had you known he was the male star of this university you wouldn't have transferred, yet you still needed to transfer didn't you? Anything to get out from under the shadow of a certain Todoroki. 

No one cared to admit or to notice, that your quirk was different from Shoto's. You could manipulate water towards you to freeze, and manipulate whatever was already frozen. Your ice was denser and more durable than his and dare you say it colder than his too. Yet no one gave a shit, his was ice AND fire. You were just a one trick pony and a trick they already saw. Your opponent's taunting doesn't help matters much.

"I've already seen this before Ice Brat. Did ya forget where I fucking went to high school?" His hand heats the ice as he activates his quirk before three deafening blasts ring out. 

As you allow him to break down the ice you act on pure rage, securing some revenge from the first time he signed your hair. Pointed icicles lie in wait and once the wall is fully down you give him a nasty smirk before sending the straight his way. 

You're supposed to melt your weapons before they hit your opponent, neither of you are supposed to go all out per the professor's and college's strict rules in the athletics department but Bakugou always does. Somehow his big stupid mouth spews something that eggs you on. As if someone were shoving bamboo skewers beneath your skin, under your nails, sending you into an unheard of rage. 

Normally you were as your quirk, icy, unbothered by the world but Bakugou, God you could wring his neck. Freeze his hot blood as you watch him turn into slush beneath your feet. 

He expects you to abide by the rules, to splash him with glacier water but he realizes it too late. That you won't he let's off a quick blast, shattering two of the four deadly points. One grazes his cheek as he just barely dodges while the other lodges itself into his arm. 

You have half a mind to twist it. You pull at his blood bringing it into your arsenal. Blood red needles and bullets surround Bakugou. 

"I don't think you've seen this before.." You say darkly ready to release your hold and shred him into, give him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe he would see how bitter and nauseating he was. He smirks, opening his mouth to retort but you send your ice his way aiming for non vital spots although the ice creeps closer to your heart begging it to hit something vital. The inside of your ice palace begins to reek of burning sugar and spice, he plans to let out an explosion to bring this whole place down from the inside out. 

Just as he is about to detonate and just as the blood and ice are about to pierce skin the professor bursts into the gym.  

"I step out for five minutes and this is what happens?!"

The ice and blood return to liquid splashing across Bakugou as his skin pops. The professor takes in the damage from your ice and his explosions, still better controlled than most of his other students quirks. 

"I gotta stop pairing these two together." He murmurs to himself before dismissing class. With a flick of your wrist the ice fortress melts, returning to the reservoir below the gym floor, ignoring the molten glare that is sent your way.

"You're such a bitch." Bakugou growls as you pass, flinging blood from his fingers as he wipes at his face. You offer him a fake pitying smile before heading into the women's locker room. 

"Fucking asshole." You hiss, forcing the sight of his garnet gaze out of your mind. Instead turning your attention to your buzzing phone in your locker. It's a few missed calls and some texts in the girl's group chat. Briefly you wonder if you ever should have joined that stupid sorority, it was small, non toxic, and would look good should you need to transfer again. 

Not only did you somehow get elected the president but you also became friends with the three other ladies despite your best efforts not too. 

Mins: Prez we might have a way to save the sorority...lunch after you're done with training? 

IceQueen ❄: Hope it's good, the Dean already put the house up for sale. Let me get ready and I'll be there shortly. 

Mina presents her phone to the crowd around her, Kirishima, Denki, Sero, Jiro and Uraraka do a small celebration. Denki more so than anyone else, he knows the combined car washes will be more than enough to fix up the house, he also recently learned that you had the power of negotiation on your side. Having just listened to Mina retell the story of how you got free food for a month from a bar for yourself and your friends. And not from some sleaze who wanted to sleep with you either, no it was from the owner himself. 

Denki is hopeful and so are the ladies indicating that this may be his best idea yet. 

You arrive at the small bistro early, spying your party on the front patio. The three men had seen you in person before, they knew you were easy on the eyes but up close you were breathtaking. Manicured nails but nothing gaudy, normally nude or soft shades, light makeup, mascara at most as far as they could tell and your outfit was well put together. You were what the world called plus size but everyone else called thiccc. Your confidence oozing in your light blouse tucked into your black skinny jeans, uncaring that you had a pouch. 

You needed that extra fat to keep from freezing by your own quirk. The only thing you needed society to worry about was your intelligence and your power. 

Both were SSR ranked so what did you fucking care that your body was ranked lower. They were stupid in thinking you'd skimp power in the name of vanity. 

You recognize everyone at the table and internalize the dread you're feeling. Scheming is afoot and you're the last to arrive. You can tell by their half finished drinks and picked over appetizer, still you sit and act unaware. Denki goes to hold out his hand first for a formal introduction causing a sly cat smile to settle over your glossy lips. 

"No need, I'm aware of who the three of you are. Sero we share our lingual class, Denki, our chemistry class, and Kirishima we share two classes, world studies and villain hero theory. Truly a pleasure." You tell then your name before ordering something to drink from the lingering waitress. Sitting stick straight with your shoulders backs has the men mirroring you. 

"Well ladies I take it the plan to save the sorority involves these fine gentlemen." You ask coolly and they nod. After a moment of silence Mina and Denki go to speak. Awkwardly encouraging the other to speak until Minai clears her throat. 

"As you know they are a newly formed frat with Sero as their president. They moved into their house about a month ago and they say it is quite large. So they have invited us to move in." 

"How do you propose we ask the college to have a co-ed house? What does this fraternity home even look like?" They knew you would be quick to ask questions Mina answers the first while Denki provides the answer to the second. 

"Union and Diversity. Forming close relationships now to carry over into our hero careers." 

"The house needs some work but looks a lot better than what it did." Denki shows you before and after pictures as you gesture for his phone. He passes you his electric yellow case with nervous hope tingling beneath his skin. You swipe through the photos. 

"You boys did a great job on the outside. Inside needs a lot of work. Hardwoods will be easy to fix, they are original but don't seen to be damaged, a good scrub will spruce them up. Wait, are those?" You zoom in on the photo of the living room, "Are those foldable camping chairs and a VHS tv?" 

They gulp loudly as they nod, your purse your lips in disapproval. 

"I can fix that." You pass Denki back his phone, assuming that all the roommates will be present, "I see the main focus was the kitchen but some of the appliances seem to be on their last legs. I can fix that as well." 

"Soooo….So it's a yes?" Jiro asks, feeling relief for the first time in months since they received the letter of eviction. 

"Gotta get the college to agree first." You think on it a moment, "But I'm sure we can arrange that. Uraraka can you draft an email to the Dean requesting an official meeting regarding our sorority? Be sure to explain in detail our situation, how we are being forced to disband by their account and the solution we have. Make sure it's an afternoon meeting too. The dean hates to miss golf with our rival university's dean." 

With the plan set in motion all of you return to your evening classes. Jiro nudges Denki in the ribs, listening to his heart race from their closeness. 

"When are we going to tell her about Bakugou?" She throws her almost lover a look that he seems to wither beneath. His jaw tics before he retorts. 

"I think we should wait to see if this even works first." 

After a week the important meeting arrives and as you thought the Dean is already exhibiting signs of impatience. He is more than ready to wrap this up and you already know his answer is going to be no. Already trying to get it out before the four of you can even have a seat. 

Still you weren't the Ice Queen on campus for nothing. You saunter into the room, mineola folder filled with your copies of counterpoints pressed firmly to your chest, you can already see he doesn't have the copies you sent him. You place the folder down and open it, leafing through the pages as you speak. 

"This request is going to be approved and here are the reasons why. An example of sexism could be made that a new fraternity was approved housing, new housing, after a decades old sorority was deemed "too small" both parties are similar in count. Second funding and donations are easily influenced with letters to alumni and especially by attendees to this university. My transfer from YAU has brought in revenue of roughly 2.6 million dollars, increasing your diversity for women when this is normally a male dominated school. I am aware that my transfer had even encouraged other students from YAU to transfer here. Which I'm sure is one of your favorite bragging points to tell Dean Fraunk during your weekly golf trips isn't it? So it would truly be a shame if these points would come to light in the investigation of my return to YUA just months before the university sports festival. I do look amazing in Ice Blue you know. Matches my quirk a lot better than Maroon." You put the ball in his court, he is visibly upset, eyes flying to the facts that you've presented. All important, viable facts. You were right MMU was known to be a male dominated school and the media would have a field day if they uncovered a mistake he happened to look over. Not to mention you were his main bragging point, Dean Yuzi always talked about how he had stolen you, the female star of rising heroes, from YUA.  The silence in the room is amplified by the ticking of the clock, seconds accumulating into minutes as it counts down his T time with his old college buddy and rival. He gulps nervously, knowing what he has to do in order to keep both his bragging rights and a law suit under wraps. He looks up to you as you wear your stone cold face, making him think of a loan shark who hasn't been getting their payments on time. He is fearful for your future boss.  

"I believe I have no choice but to approve." 

"Correct." You respond, "Now we have a bit more to discuss. I noticed that classrooms 456 and 215 are being remodeled. Those gently used flat screens will be given to our house since it is technically college property. Common space 3 and 1 are being renovated in dorms A and B. We will accept the leather arm chairs as they are in good shape but we demand a new couch. I know it is in the budget as I help plan the budget. I also believe it is time for an allowance for our hybrid house." The Dean shrinks away from your tenacity, nodding as that is all he can do.  

"Well this is a generous offer and should cover most of the basic necessities such as a new fridge and mattress. The aesthetic we will be raising funds for. Kindly spread the word, we don't want to take up more of your time and be late with your 'meeting' with Dean Fraunk." You place a flyer on his desk as you turn on your heel. The rest of the sorority, mouth agape following suit. Yuzi looks down at the flyer, head hung in a mixture of disbelief and shame as he reads over the neon paper advertising a co-ed car wash. 

He just hopes you and Bakugou are worth the trouble. 

[bnhabadass]

Valentine’s Day Head Canons for 25 BNHA Valentines

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I wanted to give back to you guys with a few V-day head canons for some of the best BNHA characters. Hope you all enjoy and have a good rest of your day!

Pairings: Various x reader Warnings: A little suggestive towards the end but nothing smutty or anything

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Midoriya

He’s very traditional. He shows up to class with a box of chocolates and a small teddy bear for you.

As for your date, the two of you will make dinner at the dorms later at night and watch a movie in the common room.

Your friends will probably all try to join your movie night, but you get them to leave eventually once you remind them that today is Valentine’s Day and that this is your date.

Bakugo

The two of you don’t do anything big in front of your friends. You talk between classes and eat lunch together (along with the rest of the Bakusquad) as usual, but everyone was a little concerned when no grand gestures were made by either one of you.

But when you got back to the dorms, you both made excuses to get out of whatever activity your friends were doing, and raced upstairs to Bakugo’s room.

The two of you had this planned out for weeks. Act natural during school like it was any other day, and go to Bakugo’s room for a private dinner, cuddling, and massages later in the evening.

Todoroki

He shows up to class with a bouquet of roses and a small card is tucked between two of the flowers.

That night, he takes you out to a very fancy restaurant for dinner. If you don’t have any fancy clothes, Momo will make you some.

At the end of the night you kiss under the digits of Endeavor’s credit card (lol sorry I had to xD)

Iida

Such a gentleman. He doesn’t let you do anything all day.

You wake up to breakfast in bed, cooked by him of course, and he takes you out to dinner after class.

If you try to do anything for him, he pushes your efforts aside and says “no need to do anything for me. This is your day,” as if it’s a day solely dedicated to you. He did accept the chocolates you bought him though.

Kirishima

During class he wishes you a happy Valentine’s Day and kisses you on the forehead, but that’s all during the day.

In the evening he knocks on your door only for you to open in and see that he’s wearing a full blown tuxedo and has flowers for you.

After you change into something nicer than the pajamas you were wearing, he drives you to what you think will be a fancy restaurant, only Kirishima goes to the McDonalds drive through.

You sit in his car and eat burgers and McFlurries in an empty parking lot while wearing fancy attire. Best Valentine's Day in my opinion.

Kaminari

He tries. He tries so hard but everything he does ends up failing. I feel like the world is just against Kaminari.

He bought you chocolate but accidently left them out and Kirishima and Mina ate them. He buys you roses a week in advance just to make sure he is prepared, but they wilt before he can even give them to you.

You end up making him breakfast so he feels better about it. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Sero

If you are someone who smokes the good kush, he waits until after class to give you your present, and I think we all know why.

He takes you upstairs to his dorm after class and he gives you a heart shaped box of chocolates, only half of the chocolates have been eaten and replaced with different strains of weed.

If you don’t smoke, have no fear! He still provides with roses, chocolate and a night full of movies, video games, and lots of cuddles and smooches.

Shinsou

He gives you a valentine card of a cat holding out a heart that says “I love mew.”

He’s super embarrassed as he gives it to you, doing that thing where he scratches the back of his head as a way of reconciling with the situation he has gotten himself into.

The two of you go to a noodle shop after class to celebrate. When Shinsou walks you back home afterwards, he gives you a kiss on the top of your head and calls you his valentine when saying good night.

Mina

She goes all out with the color pink. She has not only made you the biggest bright pink valentine, but she decorated the entire common room in little pink paper hearts.

She gives you your valentine along with a huge stuffed teddy bear that is holding a heart that says “I love you”.

The two of you spend the night eating chocolates wrapped in pink foil while watching cheesy rom coms.

Tsuyu

She gives you a cute little valentine and a chocolate frog

It’s a little awkward because you also bought her a chocolate frog…

The two of you spend the night watching movies and eating your frogs together. It’s wholesome and cutsie.

Uraraka

She’s embarrassed because she can’t afford to get you anything fancy like chocolates or a nice card.

She does make you a card, though, using red, pink, and white construction paper. She looks really embarrassed giving it to you, but homemade gifts are so much better anyways.

You guys eat ramen and watch Netflix together while cuddling. I’d say that’s a pretty good date.

Momo

She spoils you to death with the fanciest gifts, chocolates, and dinner.

She takes you out to a fancy restaurant and if you don’t have anything nice enough to wear she will buy you a properly fitted garment appropriate to the restaurant you will attend.

When you show up to class wearing a diamond encrusted wrist watch and designer clothing, everyone will know that you had a happy Valentines Day.

Jiro

She writes you a love song for Valentines Day.

With encouragement from Momo and Denki, she plays it for you in front of the whole class and accompanies it with your favorite chocolate and candies.

She looks very embarrassed. She’s scared that it isn’t good or that you won’t like it, but she has nothing to be worried about. Her song is beautiful and it’s been your favorite Valentines Day present ever!

Mirio

Mirio loves tacky valentines with horrible puns.

He’ll sneak them to you throughout the day, taping them to your locker or sneaking them inside the vents, passing them to you during or in between classes, taping them to the door to your dorm room. He loves the look on your face reading the stupid puns.

He makes you a nice dinner after class and you spend the night in.

Nejire

Nejire is a fan of all things cute (which is why she’s dating you xP).

You got each other matching teddy bears by accident, but that just shows how cute the two of you are.

You make heart shaped dumplings together and watch romcoms until the wee hours of the morning.

Tamaki

He gives you a card and chocolate during class, and he’s blushing the entire time.

When you give him a kiss on the cheek his face turns beet red and he’s not sure if it will ever turn to the original color again.

After classes, you encourage him to go to a concert with you as a fun way to spend the night out. Tamaki is wary to go, of course, but all in all he’s glad the two of you mixed up your night a little and got some time out of the dorms.

Aizawa

You spend the morning having lazy cuddle time in bed. Lots of lazy kisses, lazy cat naps, and eating breakfast in bed because you are too lazy to get up (breakfast is cereal straight out of the box that you keep by your bedside. Fight me).

During classes when you are supposed to be teaching, you and Aizawa will text each other constantly about how much you miss one another and can’t wait for your plans for that night.

Your plans are a simple dinner date at a restaurant. Aizawa also picks up a bouquet of flowers for you and a bottle of chardonnay for the two of you to enjoy later.

Present Mic

You make heart shaped pancakes with each other in the morning.

Yamada has plans to stay late at the radio station playing love songs, so you’re a little downtrodden when he tells you you can’t have a Valentine’s dinner with one another.

But when you get home at night and turn on the radio, you can’t help but smile, as the song that he plays is your favorite love song. You stay up late and listen to the show. He plays that song for you about ten times. Everyone thinks he just forgets that he’s already played it, but you know that the entire time he was playing it for you.

All Might

Valentines Day with All Might is difficult because the world now knows about his regular form.

You guys keep getting mobbed by his lovesick fans who all want a piece of him.

Toshinori can tell that it’s getting on your nerves and makes you very, very uncomfortable. So he makes it up to you that night with a homemade dinner, glass of wine, and lots of massages and cuddles.

Midnight

The morning starts out with her not wanting to get out of bed, so you tempt her with a homemade breakfast.

You divvy up the day evenly. You make her breakfast in the morning and she cooks dinner.

When the dishes have been taken care of, Nemuri has a very special surprise for you waiting in the bedroom. Have fun you two!

Hawks

As with All Might, Hawks gets bombarded by his fans constantly. He, however, is willing to flirt back with them. He likes seeing you get jealous as he calls his other fans his little birds, because that’s the nickname he calls you.

He makes it up to you by buying you a lot of expensive gifts, flowers, and chocolates.

But gifts don’t always make up for everything. That night, he treats you so well with kisses, massages, and lots of other sexy things.

Shigaraki

He doesn’t really see the point in Valentines Day.

So he was very surprised when you put a bar of chocolate in front of him, wish him a happy V-day, and kiss him on the cheek.

He’s never celebrated Valentine’s Day with anyone before, so don’t be surprised when he reciprocates that same thing you do, but with a half drunk bottle of whiskey. Babe is trying his best.

Dabi

Like the other villains, Dabi can’t take you out or do anything special with you because he has to keep a low profile.

So you spend the night in together. You play poker and drink together like any other night, but there’s something about the aura of the room that makes it feel so special.

The night ends with a drunken hookup, but this time Dabi actually wanted to cuddle after. Looks like the Valentine’s Day spirit is growing on him after all.

Toga

Knife wife doesn’t need a holiday to tell you you’re cute and shower you with love and affection.

Granted, her ways of showing love and affection are a little off, but she gives you a sack of candy she’s robbed from a convenience store.

When you give her a new knife with a sharp blade and her name etched into the side of the wooden handle, she is speechless. She waves it around in everyone’s faces and brags about how she has a better s/o than anyone in the world.

Twice

Twice’s Valentine’s present is making you a clone of yourself to clean your apartment.

He’s a little wary of doing it at first, but your reaction at seeing him make your double and it getting to work doing your dirty dishes was worth it.

While your double is hard at work, the two of you order takeout and watch movies together or the couch.

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday, mellarkablegirl!

Happy Birthday, @mellarkablegirl​! We hope you’ve had a wonderful day so far, and that there is some epic cake forthcoming in your future! To keep your party going, the lovely @endlessnightlock​ has written a story just for you!

I hope you enjoy this best friends to lovers Everlark! Rated M for content of a sexual nature.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I toss another rock into the air, and, just like the first one I threw, it pings off the window of Peeta’s bedroom. I wait anxiously, worried it could be his mom or dad I’m going to wake up, since there’s no sign of movement inside his house at all, and certainly nothing from his room. 

Yes, it’s one a.m., but he ought to know to look for me by now. We wake each other up like this all the time. I know things will be awkward after everything that happened the other night, but still- that doesn’t mean he’s going to ignore me now, does it?

I cross my arms over my chest and huff. What in the heck is Peeta doing up there? 

“Peeta!” I loud-whisper his name harshly, irritated. I should probably just let things go for tonight and let him sleep, but I won’t have any peace until I talk to him- I’ve been going crazy since the other night, and I know we can’t keep ignoring each other, can we?

Besides, he’s used to me waking him up by now anyway. 

We've been best friends and next-door neighbors since we were six- Peeta brought me over a picture and a chocolate cupcake the day my family moved into the house next to his. After that, we played in my back yard for hours, digging up bugs and playing made-up pretend games, laughing together the rest of the afternoon.

Fortunately, I’m not left debating whether or not to go home for long, because his window opens and a head full of tousled blond curls appears. I’d recognize Peeta anywhere with that hair- the color is so light the moon reflects off it. It doesn't matter that I can’t see his face. 

“What are you doing out there?” he says, his voice thick like I woke him out of a dead sleep. 

”I wanted to talk to you, ” I say, shrugging.

“Why didn’t you just send me a text or something?” he clears his throat and leans further out the window. 

I frown up at him- and with the way I'm standing underneath the security light, I know he can see my face. What does Peeta think he’s going to do- have a whispered conversation with me from up there- doesn’t he want to talk to me? It makes me wonder if he’s been avoiding me, too, as I suspected. 

“Can you come down here, please? I wanted to talk to you.”

He glances behind him, hesitating. Anxiety rears its head and starts gnawing away at me. Did I ruin things between us?

“Yeah, just give me a few minutes,” Peeta says, sounding resigned. He quickly disappears inside his room and shuts the window behind him. 

While I wait for him to come downstairs, I climb up his back porch steps and sit on the wooden swing. Leaning back further, I pull my hands inside the sleeves of the sweatshirt I’m wearing to keep them warm- it's one of Peeta’s from freshman wrestling, and I swiped it from his room three years ago. It’s warm and comfortable, and it smelled like him at the time. 

While the scent is gone, his sweatshirt is my go-to comfort item, paired with shorts or sweats. It's not like Peeta would have worn it much longer anyway- he had his big growth spurt that summer, and he got so much taller and broader than me I would drown in his clothes now. 

It was around the time I started feeling differently about him, I realize now. We’d always been close- Peeta’s my best friend, and I love him as much as I do my sister or my mom and dad. But until that year, I’d never fixated on the way he smelled or how his eyelashes would light up in the sun or how his shirt sleeves grew tight around his biceps and forearms. 

I’d certainly never given any thought to the way the edge of his underwear and that strip of skin between the waistline of his pants and the bottom of his shirt would peek out if he lifted his arms above his head. That left me so hot and itchy every time it happened; I couldn’t look him in the face after.

“Hey,” Peeta greets me quietly, stepping out on the porch and closing the door gently behind him. I scoot over on the porch swing to give him room, making sure to provide him with a wide berth. He won't look at me; shame makes my face burn.

I was planning on being the one to bring it up, but suddenly it's as if my mouth is frozen shut. Darn it- there are so many things I need to say. 

I open my mouth, glance over at him staring down at his hands like he doesn’t know what to say either, and rapidly shut it again. 

You're the one who began this, I tell myself, you need to start this conversation.

”Peeta, hmm, listen.” He turns his head to look at me, and I force myself to speak again, staring into those blue eyes I know so well. ”I’m sorry-”

Peeta’s face drops, and he interrupts me. ”Please don’t say you're sorry, I can take anything but that right now, ” he says, “just don’t say that.”

I look down at my hands. ”But I ruined everything.”

He groans, and I peek over at him again. ”What do you think you ruined?” he whispers, a bit frantic-sounding. ”Katniss-”

It was about the same time- late enough so that Mr. and Mrs. Mellark were both in bed. Neither sets of our parents used to let us stay out so late, but since we’ve both turned eighteen and it’s our senior year, I guess they figure we’ll be out from under them soon anyway, so why bother with a curfew. Either we’re going to get into trouble, or we’re not.

We’d been sitting, talking about the dumb shit going on at school, namely some drama involving Josh Marvel and his on again off again girlfriend Clove Adkins. 

Peeta groaned- ”Dude just won’t shut up about her in the locker room. Katniss-” 

We were laughing together, and god, how happy his laughter made me. It warmed my body that night like sunshine on a freakin spring day, and while I know how sappy that sounds, it's the truth. That feeling- it made me feel reckless. 

”He won't stop talking about how she's the hottest girl in our class-”

”You don’t think she’s the hottest?” 

Peeta looked at me like I had lobsters crawling around on top of my head. “Are you kidding me? Hell no. No, not at all. You know I'm not an ogler.”

I laughed. ”Don’t act like you don't.”

He was growing uncomfortable, I could tell, but that didn’t stop me.

“Who do you think is, then?” I prodded him.

Why was I doing this to myself? I knew I wouldn’t like whatever answer he gave me. 

I guess I had a perverse wish for some honesty from him because, at that moment, it seemed better to know what he thought, even if it meant I would be found wanting in comparison to the Cashmeres or the Lavinias of the world. 

”I don’t think I want to answer that,” he said, his voice tight.

“Why?” I asked, turning in my seat. I was going to hate myself for it later, I knew it- but as an idiot in love with her best friend, I wasn’t already pathetic enough. This display tonight would definitely push me over the edge. “It’s not like I’m going to go hunt her down for you or anything.”

He turned away from me then, staring straight ahead. My stomach plummeted the moment I realized I was going to get my answer. 

“What exactly do you mean by the hottest?” He finally asked.

“I think the term hottest is pretty self-explanatory.”

Peeta shifted on the swing. “No, because there are all kinds of attractiveness. I mean, I’m not attracted to guys, but Finnick and Gale are both pretty hot-“

“You’re avoiding the subject,” I said flatly. Bringing up other guys was a rookie move- “come on.”

“Who do you think is the hottest then?” He asked, turning to face me.

You, I wanted to tell him- and you're not just the most attractive, you’re the kindest, and the warmest, and I’d probably give my life for yours. “I’m not the one who’s supposed to answer!” I said, instead.

“It’s only fair,” Peeta said. “You know, you’re so- I wonder if you’ve ever been attracted to anyone, Katniss, even a little bit.” 

I scowled at him, covering the hurt with a frown. Where was he getting at with this, turning the tables on me? And how dare he say that- he had no idea how I felt or how attracted to someone I was. He didn’t get to do that.

“Not that there’s anything wrong if you aren’t,” he continued, the words spoken too easily considering the way he’d broken my heart with his carelessness. “I like you the way you are- you’re just so pure. You don’t even notice what’s right in front of your face half the time.” He looked over at me then, with a weird half-smile. “Come on, Katniss- tell me I’m wrong.” 

I stared at him, hating myself for beginning this conversation almost as much as I hated him for saying those things to me.

Peeta’s eyes held a challenge, sitting on the porch swing in the dark the way we’d sat for years and years leading up to that night . Endless nights during which we’d grown up together. I’d say I fell in love with him here. 

And now, my heart was aching. I bit down on my lip to keep it from trembling.

I can’t say precisely why I did it: maybe it was the way he was looking at me, perhaps it was the frustration I felt with my inability to just say the words to him. 

Whatever caused it, at that moment, I think I lost my mind. 

While Peeta’s gaze remanded steady and unwavering, I moved closer to him. My heart was racing a million miles a minute, but still, I got my knees beneath me on the swing and leaned in, resting my hands on his shoulders for support, balancing in that precarious position. 

And then, before I had time to talk myself out of it, I kissed him. His breath rushed out against my face right as I pressed my lips to his. 

I’d never kissed anyone before. I was terrified, hoping I wouldn’t screw it up. 

But there was also exhilaration and feeling completely overwhelmed by Peeta’s soft, warm lips under my own. 

It was perfect. 

He was perfect. 

The breath caught in my lungs when he stiffened under my hands and mouth, and for half of a second, I panicked. Before I had time to think about it, he relaxed as if he’d only needed a moment to get used to the idea that I was kissing him.

I pulled back a little, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against Peeta’s. His skin was so warm against mine. I wished it wasn’t so dark, and I could see him better, those minute details of his face I’d never been close enough to take in before.

“Did you just…” Peeta began, but his words trailed off. 

Instead of saying anything else, his hands came to my face, framing it for a moment before tilting it and kissing me back; I guess it wasn’t the time for words. I knew he’d kissed a few girls before, so I wasn’t surprised when he took over what we were doing, but not aggressively. He moved his lips against mine, and I responded. It felt like gentle, tingly caresses. 

Peeta’s arm went around my waist, and he pulled me closer. I wasn’t sure where to go, so I just leaned into his body. 

God, it was amazing- all my senses were in overdrive, his body felt so good against mine, and the way he smelled? I just kind of wanted to bury my face in the side of his neck and never leave. 

He shifted a little, and I wobbled, still unbalanced. I was positioned awkwardly next to him, but I wasn’t sure how to rectify it. If I moved, he might stop kissing me, and I never wanted him to stop. It felt like we were in some alternate reality, in a bubble that would burst if one of us had a misstep.

Peeta must have sensed my trepidation; I don’t think he wanted to stop either. “Sit on my lap,” he murmured between kisses, “it’ll be easier that way.”

My pulse was pounding as I swung my leg over his thighs. As I settled on him, I swallowed roughly- I couldn’t believe we were doing this. His body felt so sturdy and warm and hard under me, and I was shocked to realize just how much straddling him affected me. My lips weren’t the only thing tingling- my whole body was a live wire.

“Katniss,” he murmured my name, his voice lower than I ever heard it sound before. His hand went behind my neck again, and he moved into me. This time, his lips parted, and mine opened automatically, my tongue darting out to meet his without a thought. Everything we were doing seemed as natural as breathing, each move requiring no thought. Instinctual.

I moaned into his mouth as his tongue caressed mine. I had no idea this would feel so good, all of this. We were both breathing hard, and I ran my fingers up the sleeves of his t-shirt to touch those strong arms I’d been admiring for years.

He sighed.

Peeta used the arm around my waist to pull me closer to him, and I had no choice but to lay against him, my breasts pressing into his chest as my bottom landed on the hard lump of his erection between my thighs.

Oh my god- it was like all my fantasies were coming true.

And then Peeta said those words that put a screeching halt to everything we were doing. “It’s you,” he pulled away from my lips just long enough to tell me, “only you.”

“Only me what?” I asked, ready to kiss him again. 

My brain must’ve taken leave of my body. I couldn’t remember what we’d talked about while sitting on Peeta like this. The only thing I could think about was how good it felt with him beneath me.

“The hottest- the most beautiful. Whatever you want to call it, it’s you.”

His words froze me in my tracks. 

Why couldn’t he have kept quiet? “You don’t have to say that,” I said, sitting back to look at him. His lips had swollen, and his eyes looked heavy-lidded as he stared up at me.

I didn’t want to talk about this- I didn’t want to consider that my best friend would flatter me that way just because we were fooling around. I mean, he’s a guy. Of course, he was going to enjoy doing this. 

Couldn’t I just have this night? I was under no delusions that things would go further than this. “I’m not-”

“You don’t believe me,” he said incredulously, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. “Why don’t you believe me?” 

I shuttered my eyes, finding it was impossible to look at him. “There’s no way you think that about me. How could you?”

Beneath me, Peeta’s whole body went rigid. He was silent for so long, the air between us grew tense. It was strange having him suddenly so distant while we were in such an intimate position. 

“Are you saying I’m lying?” he finally asked.

I shrugged- yes, I did think that. What was there to say?

I guess my gesture spoke volumes because, just like that, every one of those good feelings between us dissipated. 

Without looking at him, I climbed off of his lap and stood next to the swing. I don’t know exactly how I managed it, but everything seemed screwed up now. “Peeta, I’m-”

He wouldn’t even look at me, staring down at his hands. “I don’t know what you want me to say-” he interrupted.

“I don’t know what you want me to say!” I countered, “I just, I don’t want you to lie to me. Just because we did, just because we did that,” I waved my arm at the swing before quickly tucking it back around myself in a protective move, “doesn’t mean you have to tell me that. God, I just- I expected better from you.”

“Better from me? Katniss-”

I couldn’t do it. I just- “I’m just going to go, okay?” I stopped him. I felt like I was going to be sick. 

Peeta heaved out a loud sigh. “Of course you are,” he sounded tired. 

He stood abruptly, going inside the house with a slam of his door, leaving me second-guessing everything we’d done. 

“Why did you assume I was lying to you that night?” Peeta asks, warily.

“Why did you sat that to me?” I counter.

“Because I meant it, every word of it,” he says, shifting restlessly in the porch swing, his fingers trailing the loops of a chain suspending us from the porch ceiling. “I’m not a liar, Katniss.”  

No, he’s right. I’ve never known Peeta to lie, let alone lie to me. Sometimes he can be brutally honest when he’s frustrated. I think I figured out that he was telling the truth already. I just didn’t know what to do with that information.

He turns to face me again. “Why did you kiss me? You weren’t just trying to prove a point, were you? I don’t want you to kiss me to get me off your back or something.”

I let out a breath. “That wasn’t it. Well, it was a little at first, but you were an ass.” “Katniss, the only reason I want you to kiss me is that you want to kiss me.”

“I did want to kiss you,” I say. “I did,” I add at his look of skepticism. “I liked it,” I admit shyly.

“Why, just to see what it was like- did I seem like someone safe to fool around with?”

I frown at him. He makes me want to smack him- is he that obtuse, or does he think I’m shallow enough to kiss him, my best friend, because I wanted to kiss someone, anyone? 

But the more I study his face, the more I realize he’s anxious, and his anxiety soothes mine. He seems to be hanging on by a thin thread, waiting for my answer. 

Does this mean he wants me too?

And just like that, I know I’m the one holding the cards, as crazy as that seems. 

Lucky for Peeta, he’s the only prize I want to win.

“Because I like you,” I say the words confidently as I sit close to him, hip to hip, laying my head on his shoulder and turning my face into his t-shirt. “I want you to be more than my friend. I have for a while.”

“How long is a while?” Peeta asks, and I can’t help but hear the happiness in his voice as he threads our fingers together and rests them on my leg.

“How long has it been for you?” I ask, instead, feeling shy. He needs to fill in some details- I’m not comfortable being the only one laying my feelings out. 

“Since I met you.”

“That can’t be true,” I say.

“It’s completely true. Ask Dad- that night after you moved in- when we stayed out until the lightning bugs came out? That night I went home and told my dad I was going to marry you.” Peeta lifts my hand to his; he plants a kiss to my knuckles and rests his head against mine.

I stare at our joined hands, my mind racing. 

“So I thought you were just fooling around with me, and you thought I was a liar,” he continues. “And neither one of us was right.”

I think I’m in shock over the way this evening has changed everything between us- it’s like I don’t quite know what to do with myself. “I mean, if you want to say yours was a lie of omission, then that was true. And I liked kissing you,” I admit, teasing Peeta.

“Yeah?” he asks, scooting forward on the seat and turning to face me. He drops my hand to push those loose hairs that escaped from my braid out of the way, tucking them in behind my ear. His fingers linger under my chin, the flat of his thumb caresses my cheek. 

I shiver, my reaction giving me away. 

“Me too,” Peeta says, smiling widely, “does that mean you want to do it again, now?”

And then we’re kissing- and on the Mellark’s porch swing at least, all is right with the world.