#not actually unrequited love

[thejujvtsupost]

Heyo! Got a little sfw/fluff request about Geto and Gojo x reader (no established relationship) and maybe could end with the both of them confessing if it's alright 👉👈

Something in like Satoru and Suguru's school days and Gojo is always the popular one and Geto is kind of overlooked/compared with Gojo's beauty but the thing is Gojo doesn't like that people always shrug off his best friend then one day reader is in class with a few girls chitchatting and the boys pass by the class and overhear the conversation you were having and get curious (cause they know you through Shoko) and the girl group was talking about their favorite things in guys and most of them would say things they like about Gojo and when it was your turn to answer, you just said you really liked Geto's eyes when he smiles and kinda go on a rent about things your really like about Geto (actions, physical, personality, etc) and the rest is up to you :>

Thank you so much!!!

No Time Like the Present

Lmao not me releasing this before I fixed my formatting hahahaha 💀 Jfc. Anyway, sorry for the delay anon!

Notes: F!reader, College setting, reader and characters are 18-19, sort of unintentional confessions, eavesdropping, not unrequited love, reader is shy, Shoko & Gojo making bets, you’re both oblivious disasters.

“C’mon man, she’s been staring at you for weeks. No way she doesn’t like you.” The halls were empty while they roamed and wasted time. This conversation has been coming up more and more frequently. He never believed Gojo.

Geto knew his best friend was highly desired at their college - he didn’t blame anyone. But there were time (just this time, actually) when he wished he wasn’t in Gojo’s shadow.

Gojo didn’t get the vibe that you wanted him. Sure, you were friendly; even on the way to actual friends, but that was a totally different feeling. No, he didn’t need his technique to know your gaze was always on his best friend. Both of you were painfully obvious and absolutely oblivious to each other. As luck would have it though, Gojo knew where your class was and decided he’d create a little mischief - Wouldn’t it be a coincidence if you randomly bumped into each other?

Things were about to change for Geto.

Hearing your voice from your nearby classroom made him shoot Gojo an accusatory glare and felt his heart lurch. Gojo didn’t even bother with the look and dragged him to the wall to eavesdrop wait for you.

“This is weird, we’ll catch up with her later at Shoko’s-” he was cut of by Gojo obnoxiously shushing him.

“Shut up and listen!” He said with a whisper shout, his eyes were wide and he was gaining a bigger self satisfied grin by the second.

Fine. Whatever it’d take to make Gojo leave before you saw them.

You were sitting with two other girls, a blonde and a brunette.

“I think he’s dreamy! Those eyes, I wish he’d take his sunglasses off more often!" The blonde didn’t bother to hide her open admiration. Geto really didn’t want to hear you gushing over his best friend…

The brunette let out a sigh, “yeah he’s dreamy, but have you seen how hot he is? Those abs!”

Then they were looking at you expectantly for your contribution. “I think he’s nice… but I really like his friend more.”

“You mean Suguru Geto? He’s pretty hot too.”

“Yeah.” You felt your face flush. “It’s not that he’s hot, well he is. He’s so strong and tall and his smile is so- ugh that’s not the point!” Your friends started giggling at your expression.

“I think he’s also really kind and considerate… he’s been helping me with my homework, we’ve been studying together lately and he’s so smart! Funny too, the other day he said some lame joke about Gojo and I couldn’t stop laughing, I even snorted. It was so embarrassing! He knew it was lame and kept going though, my sides were hurting.”

That didn’t make sense to Geto, he thought your laugh was cute. “But he’s such a good listener too, he remembers the small stuff that I wouldn’t expect him to know. He knows how I like my coffee and we’ve only studied at a cafe twice.”

“Uh oh, someone’s got a crush!” They were teasing you, Geto couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He wished they hadn’t stopped your rant, though.

Geto had his body smushed as close to the door as possible, your blush was adorable and a huge boost to his confidence. Gojo was snickering and texting Shoko, there was an ongoing bet between them about how long it’d take for you guys to get together.

“It’s not like that! I mean, he wouldn’t go for someone like me anyway. Every time I think about asking him out I remember he’s way out of my league and I’m just me…”

Geto felt his heart squeeze. Just you? He loves likes just you. If anything you’re the one out of his league!

Your class ended not ten seconds later before Geto could formulate a better plan, you smiled brightly when you noticed him next to Gojo. Thirty seconds just wasn’t enough time to prepare everything he wanted to say; all he knew was that if you were feeling shy, he was going to ask you out as soon as he could. Anything to make you happy.

Starting right now, since there was no time like the present…

Thinking about making a request? Check my bio to see if they’re open! <3

[aziraphales-library]

hiya! i love the work you guys do here, so thank you so much for that :) i was just wondering if you had any recommendations for fics that deal heavily with crowley's supposed inability to love as a demon, or just generally fics that deal with crowley coming to grips (in a kind of angsty way) with loving aziraphale? thanks!! <3

Hello! You will find plenty of fics along these lines on our #aziraphale can sense love tag. Here are some more for you...

Love Flashes by azfell (G)

In which Heaven insists demons can't feel love, and Aziraphale doesn't know better and feels his love for Crowley will never be returned.

Demons Can't Love by zerodaryls (T)

Aziraphale is quite convinced that Crowley does not, can not love him back, seeing as he's a demon and all. Crowley is becoming quite convinced he's in love with an idiot.

Crowley, When The Walls Fell by ineffablefool (T)

Aziraphale looked around again, a thoughtful frown pulling at his lips. “I know what human love feels like, and this is… as I said, out of focus. Sideways, somehow. It doesn’t flow the same way.” He tilted his head, almost as if he was listening for a moment, then continued. “And now I think of it, it’s almost familiar somehow, too.” (Crowley keeps working to hide his love from Aziraphale. Aziraphale keeps sensing it anyway. Aziraphale just doesn't know what it is, until...)

That's Not Funny by cyankelpie (G)

Aziraphale has never sensed even a shred of love from Crowley, which is perfectly alright. It isn't Crowley's fault demons can't love. But then Crowley makes what must be a cruel joke at his expense, and Aziraphale can't control his emotions as well while drunk. Luckily, he doesn't remember the confession in the morning. Crowley doesn't see why the angel was so upset over something he probably knew all along, but he'll make sure it stays forgotten.

A Brief History of Angelic Love by triedunture (E)

Unfortunately Aziraphale has fallen in love with a demon, and as we all know, demons can't love. Related: Aziraphale finds that wearing sweet, soft, lacy things can be quite soothing.

Dark Symmetry by destieljunkie (E)

Aziraphale and Crowley have been smitten with each other since they met in the Garden of Eden but both are too scared to make a move in the slowest burn romance in history. After six thousand years in the making Crowley's sexual frustration is at critical. So when an angel and a demon join forces to stay the apocalypse, he decides to go all out to win his angel's heart. Aziraphale has been waiting for that moment for centuries but he thinks demons can't love and comes up with a little scheme of his own. Maybe they're a lot more alike than they thought.

- Mod D

[r4yra]

James's Forbidden Desires (NSFW)

Summary: He didn't know why he did it, maybe it was anger, maybe it was curiosity, but, impulsively, James leaned in closer to Barty’s face, his lips grazing the shell of his ear as he whispered soft, teasing words, all the while keeping eye contact with Remus. Barty's breath hitched at the sudden lick at his ear and groaned at the following rough bite at his earlobe. Without wasting a second, Crouch, still unknowing of Remus’ presence, pushed James into the wall, pulling the boy’s ankles close to his ears and pounded away, directly into James’ sweet spot.

Or

James’ two best friends/crushes (more like the loves of his life, you can only like someone for so many years until you have to admit it’s more than just a crush) were dating each other, leaving him lonely and with way too much free time. He had to find his way of coping, and it just so happened that Crouch was in need of coping too.

Ship: James Potter x Sirius Black x Remus Lupin

Tags: Not Actually Unrequited Love, Unrequited Love, Angst, Established Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Barty Crouch Jr. & James Potter Friendship, Everyone Needs A Hug, James Potter Needs a Hug, Face-Fucking, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Being Walked In On, Friends With Benefits, Jealous Remus Lupin, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders, Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter)

As the soft moonlight filtered through the windows of the astronomy tower, James Potter’s hands wrapped around Barty Crouch Jr. with familiar ease. Barty let out a contented sigh, his head falling back in relaxation.

“Merlin James, you get better at this by the day,” Barty murmured, leaning into the touch.

A smirk made its way to James’ lips. “I have a very thorough instructor.”

At that, Barty let out a breathy chuckle. “That so, huh? I’ll have to send him my thanks… It’s like you have magic in those hands,” Barty murmured, head falling back.

James chuckled softly, a playful glint dancing in his eyes. "Well, I've been known to work wonders."

Barty's smirk grew wider as he moved more into James's touch. "I'm intrigued. Care to show me a few tricks?"

James leaned in closer, the warmth of his breath on him sending a shiver down Barty's spine.

But clearly, Barty was done with the dirty talk, because as soon as James’ mouth was close enough, he thrust into it, his own mouth opening in a silent moan.

The thrusts were rough and strong, no sweet talking or gentle pets of affection, even Crouch’s kisses were rough, the taste of blood still lingered on his lips. The force of his thrusts didn't allow his brain to make any coherent thought besides how good it felt. Just like James wanted, and needed. Anything to get his mind off of the reason why he’s here in the first place.

“We’re together, James… Me and Pads.” No! Merlin no, get those beautiful emerald eyes out of his mind, looking at him with what he could’ve sworn was pity. Remus deserved to be happy. Sirius deserved to be happy. They were perfect together, like the stars and the moon. You can’t think of one without thinking of the other. They made each other happy. Believe him, James knows this.

He’s seen the looks and smiles they share, so much love and so much longing. There was a time when he could make them smile that way too, but lately, it felt so distant. Part of that was his fault, he didn't stick around them long enough to make them smile.

He feels guilty for distancing himself, but he can't bear the pain when he sees them being passionate with each other. The forehead kisses, the hand holding, the hickeys and the scratch marks that he wished littered his body too, he’d show them off to everyone to see. Show everyone he belonged to them . 

It wasn’t jealousy, he wished it was, at least he’d be able to feel angry about it. He felt longing, to be on the receiving end of the love they shared so openly, to fit right in with them. But in between all of that love, there was no space for James, he knew that for a fact.

Late nights unable to sleep, James spends long hours in the Gryffindor common room, burying himself in books or practicing spells to distract himself from the ache in his heart. He was too scared to go up there and see Sirius and Remus cuddled up in the same bed, looking so peaceful.

Flying through the air, James throws himself into Quidditch practice with reckless abandon, pushing his body to the limit to drown out the voice in his head that tells him he's not good enough for Sirius and Remus. He pretends not to notice their concerned glances from the sidelines, afraid to let them see his vulnerability.

Meals in the Great Hall, sitting at the Gryffindor table, James picks at his food, his appetite diminished by the knot of loneliness in his stomach. He joins in the laughter and chatter of his friends, but his mind is elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of Sirius and Remus and the love he can never have.

Walking through the streets of Hogsmeade, James keeps his distance from Sirius and Remus, convinced they're happier without him. He puts on a brave face, but inside, he's crumbling, desperate for a connection that seems just out of reach.

At parties, James dances with Peter, his movements stiff and mechanical as he tries to block out the memory of seeing Sirius and Remus lost in each other's arms. He avoids looking at them, afraid that if he does, they'll see the longing in his eyes.

Writing letters to his parents, James paints a picture of happiness and success, concealing the loneliness and heartache that gnaws at his soul. He avoids mentioning Sirius and Remus, afraid that if he does, the truth will come spilling out.

His friends don't deserve that, but every time he saw the passion and love in their eyes it was just a reminder that he didn't do that, that he wasn't a part of that love, and that it would never be directed at him.

He remembers the night after they told him they were together, how only after having no more tears to cry he went searching for Crouch. Begged him to make him forget them. Wouldn’t be the first time, Crouch and him had hooked up a handful of times before. Sirius would’ve killed him if he found out he was fraternizing with Crouch.

Crouch, by a divine coincidence, was too going through some romantic issues of his own, and fucking the pain away definitely sounded like a plan. Just like right now, James’ brain had been empty, the only thing he could process was the feeling of Crouch’s cock down his throat, and of his own fingers stretching him open, ready to take Crouch.

“Ngh, almost there… off. Off!” Crouch had to pry the brunette off his cock or he would’ve cummed right down his throat. But as good as that sounded, he had other plans for tonight. He pulled James up and switched places with him, slamming him into the wall and attacking his neck with bites. 

Soon enough, James had to hold onto Crouch’s shoulders for dear life, his only support being the arms under his knees. Barty was pounding him like he was being paid to do it. How Crouch looked so skinny but could still bounce James’ body weight like a flesh-light was beyond him.

As the thrusts settled into a rhythm his mind got lost in the pleasure, however, when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, his pleasure-filled expression (he hadn’t even realised he was making) faltered, and he turned to see Remus entering the tower, his expression dark and intense.

 James froze, his hands stilling on Barty's shoulders as he registered the presence of his best friend. His heart raced, and a mixture of guilt and anticipation flooded his senses. He couldn't believe Remus had walked in on this intimate moment between him and Barty.

The taller boy’s expression was a mix of shock and… anger. Remus's eyes flickered between James and Barty, his jaw clenched. Remus's eyes narrowed, something simmering beneath the surface, but he said nothing, his gaze locked on James with such intensity that it sent a jolt of electricity down James's spine. He felt exposed under Remus's piercing gaze, the air thick with unspoken tension. Despite the shock of being caught, a part of James couldn't deny the rush of excitement at Remus's unwavering gaze.

James couldn't tear his gaze away from Remus, his mind racing with a mixture of emotions. There was surprise at being caught like this, guilt for betraying the unspoken trust between them, and an undeniable flicker of something else – a longing that James had buried deep within himself over the past 2 months… Why should James feel guilty? What unspoken trust is he even talking about? Remus has Sirius, and Sirius has Remus. And they had no compromise with James, so what was with this reaction? What in the world made Remus think that he had any right to look at James like he’s just caught someone else playing with something that belongs to him? Why should James feel guilty about fucking someone else?!

He didn't know why he did it, maybe it was anger, maybe it was curiosity, but, impulsively, James leaned in closer to Barty’s face, his lips grazing the shell of his ear as he whispered soft, teasing words, all the while keeping eye contact with Remus. Barty's breath hitched at the sudden lick at his ear and groaned at the following rough bite at his earlobe. Without wasting a second, Crouch, still unknowing of Remus’ presence, pushed James into the wall, pulling the boy’s ankles close to his ears and pounded away, directly into James’ sweet spot. 

James’ voice became a chorus of sweet meowls and “Ah, ah, ah”s but he never once took his gaze off of Remus. Kept glaring at him, over Barty’s shoulder, challenging him, a clear expression of ‘What?!’ 

But Remus did nothing, said nothing. In fact, he turned to leave. But not before he caught James’ lips forming the word:

“Coward.”

He froze for a moment, just like James had when he first walked in. James could see the frustration on the other boy’s face. An internal battle, over what he should do, over how he should respond, but James didn’t want to hear it, see it. He was so done with this, all of it. The emotions were too much, so he sought shelter in Crouch’s shoulder, trying to focus back on the pleasure. And if he flinched at the click of the door closing behind Remus, that was his own business.

If you'd like to read it on AO3:

(Still debating if I should continue or not, either way hope you enjoyed it! ^^)

[puppiesandnightlock]

HELP ME

alright you guys you should know by know im indesicive so its up to YOU THE FANDOM to help me choose a title for the A Robin's Song(the name y'all chose last time) sequel

*also this is not as damian centric as the og so keep in mind a robins flight is like the least likely to work and if it wins i might just choose the 2nd highest one*

for context, this is the sequel summary

Jon and Damian had made peace with the fact that they would never reconnect. Every little part of their childhood history, built up since preschool had come crashing down, both leaving hidden feelings unsaid. But now, five years later, they have the opportunity to fix everything that had gone wrong, and maybe, just maybe, they could make it something more. 

Sometimes, all you need is a second chance. 

p.s. check out the og here!

edit: so i did a mini poll with the top three and this was the winner!

[cupidford]

The Slow Dance and Death of a Carbon Copy by batslikepastel

After Mary's death, John starts spiraling. He starts mistaking Sherlock for Mary, the first sign of delusion, and Sherlock starts pretending to be her.

Johnlock Love Letters #2322

[fromxxthexxashes]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 9-1-1 (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) Characters: Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley, Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Sophia Diaz (9-1-1 TV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Canon Compliant, sorry yes it is both of those things at once, Gay Disaster Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Mutual Pining, morons to lovers, Idiots in Love, cannot emphasize enough they are stupid here but it's how i like them, Not Actually Unrequited Love, First Kiss, Getting Together, Christopher Diaz Has Two Dads, you know all the classics, Making Out Summary:

Romance is a lot easier to write about than it is to put into practice, and Eddie is the world’s most ridiculous living example of that. He can practically hear the kind of jokes that Shannon would make about it, if he ever told her about the books but - he didn’t. And somehow, probably just because he didn’t start writing until after they weren’t living together anymore, she never found out.

  There’s actually only a handful of people in the world who know that Eddie is a writer - and more specifically, that he’s E. Diaz, one of the bestselling romance authors on the market.

or - the one where everything in canon is the same, except eddie diaz is secretly a bestselling romance author, and nobody knows. Yet.

Notes: I love this one so much. It’s one of my favorites. Not enough people depict Eddie as the hopeless romantic that he is. I just love love love it.

[mysticraven20]

Something new coming for @adrinetteapril

Synopsis:

In the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Adrien Agreste, the up and coming movie star, finds himself in a sticky situation after his father’s villainous past is exposed.

Meanwhile, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, his quirky and adorable best friend, is determined to move on from her secret crush on Adrien by diving into the world of online dating.

But their carefully constructed plans unravel when Marinette stumbles upon the shocking truth: Adrien is engaged—to her!

Caught in a whirlwind of emotions, Marinette must come to terms with her unrequited love while navigating the complexities of a newfound relationship with the man of her dreams.

Filled with hilarious misunderstandings and heartfelt moments, they must confront their own feelings and decide if their love story is meant for the silver screen or something even more magical.

Releasing 01/04/24 - posting (hopefully) one chapter per day

Sneak peek 👀

Chapter One - Marinette

Prompt: Dating Sim

In the secret realm of guilty pleasures, where indulgence meets amusement, lies a world where chocolate conspiracies and Netflix binges are celebrated like noble quests. A place where ice cream tubs are thrones, and the remote control wields power unmatched by any swords. The dessert of existence – delightful, often decadent, and occasionally leaving you questioning your life choices. In the grand symphony of life, guilty pleasures are the cheeky notes that play when society’s serious strings take a coffee break.

Or, in Marinette’s case, during your coffee break.

“Oh, Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybug! What are you doing?” Sitting on the bench by the side of the Seine, Marinette moved around a little to try and get herself more comfortable. She continued to angrily tap around on her phone.

She was sure she hadn’t instructed her sim to do this!

Her eyes shifted back down to her phone, the speech bubbles appearing as her character started talking once again to the guy she was trying her hardest to date, it was such a shame that no matter which option she chose, her character still managed to mess it up.

Example A: Ladybug landed on the rooftop in front of a worried Chat Noir, yet with every option she chose he seemed to get angry and vault off into the sunset. She’d reset the level multiple times and was still failing on getting her date.

…Much like real life.

Reset!

[angst-cravings]

let you break my heart again (2)

part 1 | part 1.5

summary: you take the leap.

pairing: matt murdock x reader

words: 2.2k

an: i rewrote this like three times and i’m still not happy with how it turned out, bi foggy, you make the first move, gender neutral reader

cw: mild angst, fluffy, some explicit language

You didn’t know this, but later that night, Karen and Foggy started scheming. Foggy wasn’t dumb, and he’s known how you both have felt for a long while. Maybe they’d try to get you two alone in the office tonight. Or they could stage a dinner where they’d have to cancel. Every plan had a flaw. If you two were alone in the office, you might just end up working alone. Or at the dinner, no one would say anything to each other. Karen decided that it’d be best if she sat down and talked to you seriously. Although you’ve always been good at reading people, Matt was far, far better. You just needed the confidence to confess. Foggy was far less engaged in the conversation that Karen was.

Truth be told, it did kind of hurt. Foggy wasn’t in love with you (he hasn’t been since college), and he always wanted you to be happy, but he always held a tiny bit of resentment towards Matt for being far more successful in relationships than he was. Or maybe he held a tiny bit of resentment because he wasn’t the one in the relationship with him. Either way, the planning to get you two together was bittersweet. He’d be happy for you two if it went well. Or at least he tried to convince himself that was true. 

“There is literally no way he doesn’t like you. He always responds differently from when me or Foggy talk to him.” Karen is perched on the edge of your desk, legs slightly swaying.

“Well he’s clearly not pining over me! And this is how he’s always treated me, it’s probably just because of Foggy. When he gets here he’s probably going to start talking with him about that woman he slept with last night.” 

You glance over your desk, case files strewn about haphazardly. Everything is putting you on edge, including the chaos on your desk that is reflecting your current mental state, “Just like every other night after we go to Josie’s. Half of me wants to stop going just so I don’t have to see it. It hurts, Karen. I just want to get over him.” Your face falls into your cold palms, and you feel like your button-up is suffocating you. 

“Maybe you should say something to him.” You hear her rise and you feel the gentle touch of her hand on your back.

“Maybe… I’m just so scared. I don’t want to fuck anything up.” You admitted, looking up at her kind face.

“I know. But sometimes we have to take risks. That’s why you guys started this firm. That’s why we do so much pro-bono work. And you both are mature enough to not let something like this affect your work.”



And that’s when Foggy enters. Karen stands up a little straighter and removes her hand from your back.

“Morning you two!” He’s cheery, as usual. That was half the reason you appreciate his friendship. It was ironic that his nickname was Foggy, because you always pictured him as the one who could clear the clouds away.

“Good morning Foggy. How was Josie’s last night?” You inquire with a faux nonchalance. You really just want to hear about Matt’s escapades and if he had really gone home with that woman, but you obviously weren’t going to let Foggy know.

“Oh you know, the usual. Karen left not too long after you, but I’m sure she’s told you that. Matt did seem a little off last night though.” He opens the door to his office, puts down his bag, and leans against the doorway of your office. “Oh?” You can’t tell what his comment made you feel. A cauldron of emotions swirl in your stomach. 

“Yeah, after you two left we kind of just sat there as he stared off into space. More so than usual.” Your mouth turned up slightly at his comment. You were a little confused though, there’s no reason that he would feel that way. Maybe something happened that day that you missed. Part of you started to regret going home early.

“So he… never went home with that woman? She was really gorgeous, that’s a shame.” “Yeah, I think he was too out of it to seal the deal. Something’s up with him, and I can’t quite place it. You’d think I knew my best friend a little better.” 

You gasp, faking offense. “I cannot believe you’d call him your best friend when I am right here Foggy.” The grin you were trying to hide to punctuate your teasing creeps up onto your face. Then the door opens. 



“I’m your best friend?” Speak of the devil and he shall arrive. He has on a crisp suit with a burgundy tie. It’s one of your favorite colors on him, it compliments his glasses. He has a large brown paper bag in his hands.

Foggy pauses for the briefest moment. “Yeah, you are. They left us last night at Josie’s all alone, so I think they deserve a demotion of the best friend title.”

“Yeah, well I had a headache, so you’re the bad friend for not being considerate of my feelings.” 

“Speaking of, why didn’t you say something before you left last night? I wanted to say goodnight.” Matt walked over and gently placed his hand on your shoulder. 

You could feel your heart start to pound, and you couldn’t discern whether it was over the touch or anxiety about the question that you didn’t want to admit the answer to. “Uh… well I didn’t really want to bother you. You seemed… preoccupied.” You force a smile.

“Well, you are more important than her. You should say something next time,” Your heart skips a beat, and his hand falls from your shoulder, “I, uh, I brought bagels for everyone.” As Matt shows everyone the bag, you see the logo of the bakery beneath your apartment.

“Thank you so much!” Foggy immediately goes to grab a bagel, and goes to his office, “No rest for the weary! I’m going to work on the Maddison case, you all should get to work soon too.” His office door shuts, and Karen nods.

“I should probably get to work too. I have a lot to do today.” You shoot her a glare, knowing that she’s just trying to get you two alone. She smirks, and you sigh as you watch her escape to her office.



“When did you go to the bakery?” You try to make your question nonchalant, but you can hear your voice betray your interest. “I guess after you left, since you weren’t there when I was there.”

“What, did you want me to be there?” You teased, but you could feel the rush of blood reach your cheeks. You silently prayed thanks that Matt could not see you.

“And what if I did?” Your breath catches in your throat. 

You quickly recompose yourself. “I mean that thought process is valid, I would want to see myself too.” You hope your smirk can cover the way you reacted to his statement.

“That’s where you have it wrong. I wouldn’t see you there,” A smug look forms on his face as you roll your eyes. 

“Whatever Matt.” 

“You love my jokes.”

You grab a bagel and usher him out of your room. “I actually have work to do, so I’ll talk to you later.”



Matt stiffens at the sound of a knock at his office door. He was so absorbed in the case he was reading that he tuned everything else out. He takes a second and recognizes Foggy at the door.

“Come in.” He raises his voice just a little so Foggy can hear him. 

“Hey, uh, Matt, can we talk?” Foggy shuts the door behind him and sits in front of Matt’s desk.

“Of course,” Matt shifts some of his papers, “What’s up?”

Foggy takes a deep sigh, and pauses before he forms his words, “You should tell them.”

Matt freezes. “W-what do you mean, Foggy?” He tries to laugh away the nervousness in his statement, and anyone else probably would have fallen for it.

“I said, you should tell them. It’s really obvious that you like them, and I can’t stand watching you two dance around each other’s feelings even though you share them.” Foggy seems sincere, but there’s some other emotion that leaves a subtle aftertaste in Matt’s mouth. 

“I know, they’re pretty damn good at hiding their emotions,” Foggy shifts in his seat to inch a little closer to Matt, “but I think it’s pretty obvious that they like you. Take it from their best friend.” “Hey, I thought you said that I was your best friend.”

“Well, you both are,” Foggy changes back to his more playful demeanor, “Anyways, here’s the plan. We’re going to order takeout for the office, and then Karen and I get pulled away by a phone call. Then you two will be all alone. You should say something or you’re probably going to regret it.” He stands up, and opens Matt’s door.

Matt can’t get a retort in before his door is open. “Alright, well, thanks for helping me out Foggy.” 



The smell of Chinese takeout hits your nose, and you immediately leave your office. “Thank God, I am so fucking starving.” “Yeah, well, don’t be too excited, because I actually got a call from a friend and they’re in the hospital right now,” Karen says, “So I’m going to go make sure they’re okay.” 

“Oh my God, is everything alright?” Your eyebrows furrow in concern. “Yeah, they said it’s just minor, but I just want to check on them. Here’s the takeout, have a nice dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Karen puts the takeout down onto the counter.

“Yeah, call me if you need anything Karen.” You change your phone from silent to vibrate as Karen scurries out of the office. Foggy and Matt step out of their offices as you start unpacking the food. Everyone has a usual order, and you set them out according to the order.

“Smells delicious. I heard Karen leaving?” Matt walks up, cane in hand, and grabs his order.

“Yeah, one of her friends is in the hospital. I hope they’re okay.” Your face is covered in worry, and you can only pick at your food. You hear the ring of a phone, and watch as Foggy picks it up.

“Hey man, what’s up? Oh fuck, I’m so sorry, I’ll swing over right away. I’m so sorry, I totally forgot. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” He quickly hangs up the phone, “Sorry, I promised Tom I was going to help him move. I’ll see you both tomorrow though!” Foggy grabs his food and rushes out the door.



“And then there were two.” The corner of Matt’s mouth was slightly lifted.

“Yeah…” Your heart starts racing, and you silently are thankful that you get some time alone with him. The air is silent and awkward for a few minutes. You swallow hard, and decide to take a leap. It was now or never.

“Hey, uh, have you ever had this before?” You gesture towards your food, knowing that Matt could probably pick up on the context.

“No, actually. It smells really good though.” He smiles, and takes a bite of his own food.

“Would you like to try?” You start panicking slightly, but you’ve already taken the first step. You won’t back down now.

“Sure.” He grins at you, and your heart leaps. His smile has always been one of your favorite things about him.

You grab a piece of your food with your chopsticks, and walk towards him. 

“Open your mouth.” You lower your voice. 

He looks like he’s about to protest, but opens his mouth, and you place it on his tongue. He closes his mouth around your chopsticks, and you gently draw them out from between his lips. The face he makes is beautiful, and he makes a soft Mmm sound as he savors the food.

“This is really good. I can see why you order it.” “Do you want another taste?” You hold your breath. 

“Sure, you can have-” You cut him off with a kiss. 

You can taste the tang of the sauce on his lips, and you know he can too. The kiss feels like a sigh of relief. You’ve wanted to do this for such a long time, and although your nerves are tainting it, at least you’ll have done it at least once. You were kind of proud of yourself, usually Matt was the one with the smooth pickup lines. Yours wasn’t the best, but it was still pretty cheesy. You hear Matt set down his takeout container to pull you closer to him, deepening the kiss. You gently push away, and you rest your hands on his broad chest.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.” He barely breathes out, his voice so quiet you can barely hear him.

“I could say the same thing to you.” You grin, and his face mirrors yours.

[best-fanfic-trope]

Round 1: Coffee Shop AU vs. (Not actually) unrequited love

Coffee Shop AU

Coffee shop! Maybe they get their name mispelled or get fun coffee orders, idk

(Not actually) unrequited love

You thought the love was unrequited? Think again

[pollyna]

Tom starts learing a language after another mostly to fuck with Slider. He gets to USNA and he already knows how to talk two, almost three, languages but is during their years there that Tom just picks them along the line. The best thing is seeing Ron's face when he asks questions and recive answers in different languages every other week. Ron tries, he really does, to just follow him lesson after lesson but it takes him three weeks to get it's not for him. Still Tom teaches him bits and pieces that could, will be, useful in the air as on the ground. And oh Ron makes good use of them, expecially when he's trying to pick up girls during their few free nights. It's silly and mostly harmless, if not for the time a wrong verb let Slider with a lap full of a stick pink drink and a very displeased girl shouting that he's a pig. To this days Iceman still doesn't know exactly what Ron said.

Learning ASL seems almost a natural step by the time he's fluent in seven spoken languages and he's working around the written ones. He teaches the basics to Slider too because that's American and he talk that so he only needs to apply himself a little, c'mon Ronnie stop playing dumb.

After Goose, the funeral, the guilt and the glory Iceman starts to use some of it with Maverick because there are days he's too tired to talk. He mostly signes I'm going to take you with me wherever I'll be. Or at least is the best way to translate it, as he explains to Slider. Tom isn't stupid and know Mav has a future and he probably won't be around to see it but he will always take Pete, and the feelings related to him, wherever he's going to be.

(It takes Maverick almost thirty years to understand what Iceman is always gesturing to him. He always thought Ice was insulting him or something but this, this, makes almost all his plans slip away. He wants to answer with a I love you too, I always will but he has to wait, just a little longer, because it's going to be worth it.)

The other side of this.

[aziraphales-library]

hi mods, before anything I just wanted to say that this idea is amazing and you are all doing an awesome job!!

I was looking for a fic that I read the summary once and it was Aziraphale trying to sense Crowley's love for him and being like "but this is what youve always felt like" and Crowley just says "Yes! exactly!!". I know it's a little specific, but I just can't find it anywhere, thank you in advance :))

We have an #aziraphale can sense love tag, but this one sounds like...

The Love Around Me by lalaland666 (G)

Aziraphale can feel love– the love for things, for places, for the people around him. He can feel that Crowley loves, too. He loves the Bentley and his plants and the Earth. But never once does Aziraphale feel any love from Crowley for him. Which would be fine, of course, if not for the fact that Aziraphale loves Crowley like it’s the only thing he knows how to do.

- Mod D

[ff7-has-taken-me-over]

I just had a funny thought of Ghost trying to make Johnny jealous so the man would make a move already but Soap, being the oblivious shit he is, mistakes it as Ghost having a partner already and he just hasn’t told anyone. It’s not exactly the most sane thing in existence but it also isn’t the most far fetched either.

So when they get a bit of a break the two are on very different pages. Ghost waits for Soap to maybe show up at his bedroom door, banging against it before just barging in and finally making a move of some sort.

While Soap is off trying to take his mind of his lieutenant and the subsequent crushed feelings he now sports. Which means he’s out getting railed by the nearest guy that’d give it to him.

The next day Ghost is pretty bummed, thinking maybe he needs to try something a little different or just throw caution to the wind and confront the man directly. Cause he knows how Johnny feels, has always known. He just wasn’t ready for anything until recently, after he’d almost lost the man.

When he comes to the mess hall Soap’s not there yet so he sits at their usual table, waiting for the other man while trying to figure out what he’s gonna do about them.

Then Soap walks in, slightest hitch to his step and light red marks sitting just below his ear. Ghost tries to pass it off at first but when Soap sits in front of him and winces just the slightest bit he knows for a fact where the man was last night.

There’s anger and jealousy, sharp and hot in Ghost’s stomach, thoughts spiralling as his eyes stay zoned on the dark purple that peeks out at him from Johnny’s collar. Cause who the fuck thought they could touch his sergeant and get away with it? He was positive that everyone knew Johnny was his so who had the balls to go against that?

[hannibard]

"I'm choking from the taste (but I can't help but swallow)"

Pairings: Geraskier, Radskier

Summary: "There's too much at stake Geralt, it's not worth it. Go back to Kaer Morhen and forget about me."

"You're more than worth it Jaskier and I'll do anything in my power to get you out of this hell. Melitele help anyone who stands in my way."

Jaskier is taken by Radovid in the midst of his travels with Geralt and Milva. The Redanian king, changed from his recent ascent to power, is determined to get everything he wants, with Jaskier having the misfortune of being on top of the list. Jaskier spends time serving Radovid in the Redanian court, drowning in despair and losing parts of himself in the process, his only consolation being the knowledge that his friend was safe from the Redanian army due to his sacrifice.

Sometime after Geralt has united the north under his rule, he decides to pay a visit to Redania in the hope of reuniting with his bard. But Jaskier is not as he remembers, his psyche having been fractured in their time apart. Will the witcher be able to help him escape his tragic fate?

Inspired by the song "Poison" from Hazbin Hotel

Click here to read on Ao3

---

Chapter 1: How it all started

He had been traveling together with Geralt and Milva for a few months when they took him. The three had made good progress on their way to Nilfgaard, occasionally adding other skilled individuals that were willing to aid in their cause to their group, like the high vampire/surgeon Regis, and the possibility of reaching Ciri was becoming more apt with each passing day. Jaskier was, despite the sharp worry in his gut for the girl he had come to consider something akin to a daughter, relatively content.

Things were in no way easy, but at least he was (finally) at Geralt's side again. Plus, this time around he was actually able to pull his weight. Gone were the days of him being barely more than a burden that slowed the witcher down and made his life harder, as his role had been for the majority of their acquaintance.

(If life could give me one blessing-)

He had been by himself in some backwater village, because they needed to make money somehow and Jaskier was, despite all his faults, an excellent bard. His ability to be useful, even amidst such impressive individuals, filled him with pride. The others had made camp a few miles away in order to not draw attention. It was risky enough for Jaskier to make those semi-frequent appearances in the public eye, even with the new moniker he had adopted in his attempt to pass as different person. He had rarely traveled this far south in the past, so he wasn’t too worried about being recognized.

(it goes without saying that he avoided performing any songs from the vast repertoire he had created centered around his greatest muse, the White Wolf.)

His set was coming to an end, and he was looking forward to drinking an ale after gathering his earnings, before starting his long way back to his companions. He was in the middle of just that when he was approached by a hooded figure. They moved gracefully, weaving skillfully through the crowd before sitting down across the bard.

“Beautiful voice you’ve got there.” Their face was hidden in the shadow created by the hood, which was dark and modest, not carrying any identifiable markings.

Jaskier didn’t let his alarm show. “Thank you friend, I’m always one to appreciate compliments.” He took a long sip from his tankard methodically in a show of nonchalance.

The hooded figure cocked their head to the side and reached their hand out. “With talent such as yours, it’s a wonder you’re not more well-known Master…?”

Jaskier gave a bright grin, subtly wiping the sweat making its way down his forehead, and shook the stranger’s hand. Their grip was firm, and its hold lasted a bit longer than was considered socially appropriate. “The name’s Dandelion. And you are…?”

“A beautiful name to match the beautiful voice.” The figure avoided the question and tilted their head back so that their matching grin could be visible to the bard. Jaskier couldn't see their eyes, he had a nagging impression that he was being checked out from top to bottom. “Of course I can't neglect mentioning the beautiful appearance. Though if you don’t mind my humble opinion, I’d say there’s another name that would suit you more fittingly.”

The bard’s grin twitched ever so slightly. “And what would that be my dear fellow? Do say so.”

The stranger leaned forward. “Jaskier.” they said almost conspiratorially.

The bard’s smile fell all together, and he looked around with the corner of his eye. None of the inn’s patrons seemed to have heard, too busy drinking, eating and chatting loudly with each other. The innkeeper himself was curiously missing from the room.

“What do you want?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“If you want to find out then follow me and don’t make a scene. It wouldn’t benefit either of us.”

Jaskier gulped and slowly stood up. He made sure to grab his lute and not to let his nervousness show. “As you wish.”

They made their way outside, and as soon as they were out of people’s sight the stranger grabbed his arm with a strong grip that left no room for resistance, no matter how much Jaskier tried to pull away. They reached a building that stood tall in the periphery of the village, and the hooded figure surveyed their surroundings before opening the front door and pushing Jaskier inside. The force made the bard fall to his knees and he hissed in pain, his lute thankfully tucked safely against his back. He vaguely heard the door close and lock behind him just as he looked up, his mind too busy short-circuiting at the sight he came across.

“Hello darling.” said Radovid as he stood up from a makeshift throne, making his way to the bard and dropping to one knee in front of him. The newly-crowned king took Jaskier’s chin in one hand and gently stoked his cheek with the other, smiling gently. “Oh how I’ve missed you.” He said wistfully and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Jaskier was left speechless, his brows furrowing together in confusion. He hadn’t seen Radovid since that fateful day in Aretuza after the Thanedd ball, in the midst of all the chaos. Their parting had been hopeful but it didn’t take long for Jaskier to hear about Radovid’s sudden enthronement, so he had resolved himself to the reality that their story would remain forever unfinished. His regret lessened more and more with the time he spent at his witcher’s side.

“Radov-, Y-your majesty, to what do I owe the honor of this, ah, sudden summons?” he said when he finally managed to make his mouth move.

Radovid’s eyes hardened almost imperceptibly at the bard’s term of address. He let out a defeated sigh and hung his head low. “I never once stopped thinking about you my dear, every day we spent apart was pure torture, and now that my reign has stabilized I though it was the perfect time to pay you a visit." He looked up and stared unblinkingly into the bards blue eyes. "Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Jaskier swipped his lips with his tongue, a motion that Radovid tracked hungrily. “Oh, I uh, I’m elated to see you, truly, but I’m just a tad confused. You see, your buddy over there that escorted me here, let’s just say they weren’t very gentle in their approach. In few words and with no offense, it left a lot to be desired. I was expecting to encounter some sort of Nilfgaardian general ready to chop my head off and not… you.”

Radovid huffed and offered a hand to Jaskier, helping him up. Now that Jaskier was somewhat over his initial surprise he was able to take in the king’s appearance. There were some subtle changes, like the short beard that had replaced his previously clean-shaven face, his once lean body seemed to have filled with muscle, but the biggest change, the one that made Jaskier’s breath catch in his throat, was in his eyes.

Before, Radovid’s eyes were like a window to his soul that only Jaskier had a key to, full of intelligence and softness, specifically towards his person, but now… Now his gaze was guarded. The only thing Jaskier could detect besides the current show of the king’s emotions, was darkness. It was something he was only able to decipher after his years of experience performing in countless courts and dealing with all sorts of people in his travels. It caused a chill to run down his spine.

“You don’t have to worry about Nilfgaard any more my love, you won’t have to deal with them ever again.” Radovid said as he patted down the outrageously large fur that hung from his shoulders.

Jaskier blinked rapidly a few times and raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that Your Majesty?”

Radovid looked at him as though he’d asked a very stupid question. “Redania’s power has grown vastly in recent months as I’m sure you’ve heard. Nilfgaard wouldn’t dare take a single step towards us. Also please cut all the ‘Your Majesty’s, our relationship has evolved beyond such formalities.”

Jaskier nodded tentatively “I’ve certainly heard about your accomplishments, but I don’t understand what that has to do with me.”

Radovid rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. “You’re coming with us silly.”

Jaskier’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He had been bombarded by shock after shock in such quick succession that he hadn’t been able to calm his racing mind in a minute.

“I appreciate the offer, truly, Your Majes- Radovid.” the bard quickly corrected his words after seeing Radovid’s face twist in displeasure. “But I’m afraid I have to decline. You see, I’m currently in the middle of a very important quest that I must see through to the end.”

The king’s eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his sides. “So you’d choose that witcher over me? Even after everything he’s put you through? I could give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of, comfort and luxury beyond your wildest dreams, but you’d seriously rather continue following that monster like a lost puppy?”

The bard wasn’t happy with the name Radovid used to describe his dearest friend, but he let it go, choosing to focus on the matter at hand. “I’m sorry Radovid. It is what it is.”

A glimpse of hurt flashed in the king’s eyes and his shoulder’s slumped as he turned away from the bard. He took a few deep breaths before he straightened up again. When their eyes met once more, Radovid’s hardened gaze was filled with resolve. Jaskier waited with bated breath for his response.

“If you won’t come with me willingly… I’ll just have to bring you by force.”

Jaskier’s eyes widened and his blood ran cold. Before he was able to do anything, two guards surrounded him and grabbed his shoulders from each side. He thrashed wildly but it was for naught, the bard being much weaker than his captors. “No-, Radovid- please don’t do this, I’m begging you!” He asked desperately.

The king looked down at him with his chin up and an air of confidence surrounding him, for the first time appearing as ruthless and regal as his title implied.

“I’m afraid I can’t listen to you darling. One of the perks of being a king is that I can do and have whatever I wish for, and nobody can stand in my way.” He waved his hand towards the bard nonchalantly as he addressed his followers. “Bring him a pen and paper. Have him write a letter to the witcher and deliver it to the innkeeper. He’ll know what to do.”

The guards dragged Jaskier towards a desk and deposited him in a chair, writing tools bring placed on the surface before him a moment later. His hand was shaking as he picked up the pen. A tear slid down his cheek as he tried one last time to change the king’s mind. “Please Radovid... Let me go.”

The king crossed his arms and his mouth formed a tight line. “That’s ‘Your Majesty’ to you.”

Jaskier let out a sob and stared down at the paper, blinking rapidly in an effort to clear his blurry eyesight. His mind was racing trying to find a way to leave some sort of secret message to alert Geralt of his situation. Radovid seemed to read his thoughts however, because he gripped the bard’s nape tightly and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Don’t even think about pulling any tricks or your dear witcher and the rest of your group will leave their last breaths at the camp they’re currently stationed on. My soldiers have the place surrounded as we speak.”

With those words the bards last hope was extinguished. The last thing he wanted to do was put his friends in danger. Even with their combined extraordinary strength, he didn’t want to chance either of them getting seriously injured. If obedience was the price to pay for their safety, then so be it.

“At least promise me you’ll leave them alone.”

Radovid gave a chaste kiss to the bard’s neck and ran what would be considered under normal circumstances a comforting hand down his back. “You have my word. I didn't care about them in the first place.” He gave the bard one last squeeze and went to sit back in his throne.

Jaskier took a deep breath and started writing. The single tear that hit the paper, while certain to be identifiable with the witcher’s heightened senses, would probably be assumed to have been a product of Jaskier’s typical sentimentality and nothing more.

Dear Geralt,

You’ll find me dearly saddened to inform you that our long-standing companionship must come to an end. You see, I’ve had time to think while staying in this lovely little settlement away from you lot, and I've come to realize what it is I truly want. That of course being king Radovid of Redania. I’ve talked to you about our ill-fated relationship before as you might recall. Somehow, things for us two don’t seem as bleak as they one were. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel and thus I’ve decided to go to Redania and try to build a future with him. Love conquers all and the like.

For the first time in my life, I’m putting myself before you. I’m choosing my own happiness. I hope you’re able to achieve your goals and manage to locate Ciri safe and sound. When you do, which I've no doubt you'll achieve, give her all my love. Please inform the rest of our group about my decision. I’m sorry for doing this so suddenly but you know how matters of the heart can be. They leave no room for patience.

Ever your affectionate friend,

Julian Alfred Pankratz.

[fromxxthexxashes]

while a summer wind blew through the trees (43454 words) by june_nights Chapters: 11/11 Fandom: 9-1-1 (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), minor Eddie Diaz/Shannon Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Minor Evan "Buck" Buckley/Abby Clark - Relationship Characters: Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley, Sophia Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Adriana Diaz, Shannon Diaz, Ramon Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Helena Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Isabel Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Bobby Nash, Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Howie "Chimney" Han, Buck Voice: The Universe!!, Josephina "Pepa" Diaz Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, First Meetings, Internalized Homophobia, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, First Time, First Dates, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Pining, All Roads Lead to Canon, the Buddie Speedrun (TM) Edition, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Breaking Up & Making Up, Found Family, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary:

El Paso, June 2010

Looking at Evan is hard sometimes, the same way looking into the sun without blinking is hard, but looking away is even harder because Evan has a smile that lights up a room and when he laughs, his eyes crinkle at the corners. Eddie has wanted him since the moment they met, and while that was easy to ignore - this is harder. This, that's Evan's humor and the way he cares too much about the people around him and not nearly enough about himself. It's the way he'll memorize random fun facts he's never going to need but still doesn't know the difference between Star Trek and Star Wars, and it's his complete disregard for personal space, highlighted every time his shoulder bumps Eddie's when they're walking next to each other.

 Or:

Eddie and Shannon get married young. What if they broke up instead? Buck leaves home at 20. His adventures take him all the way to Peru and back. What if they took him to El Paso?

Notes: This has such beautiful build and delicious, gorgeous angst and some absolutely lovely and cute moments. I love a good summer fling romance. This one is done particularly well. If you like the angst of the divorce era (and the eventual makeup) in canon you’ll really like this one.

[steddieassheg0es]

Eddie is very used to being someone’s dirty little secret.

People want him in dark alleyways or bathroom stalls, hidden away from prying eyes. Self hating gays and straight boys who insist ‘getting your dick sucked isn’t gay’. Or, on a few memorable occasions, confused boys needing aid in self discovery. Those ones had been sweet, at least.

No one wants to hold his hand. To give him flowers or wake up next to him the morning after.

Which is fine. He likes sex, he enjoys pinning someone to one of those alley walls and having his way with them.

It’s just unfortunate that he’s so damn romantic.

He knows it’s foolish. Boys like him don’t get happily ever after. If they’re lucky they get to live a sad, lonely life. If they’re unlucky they die of disease or being hate crimed.

But the truth about Eddie is he’s…soft. He just wants to have someone to love, to take care of. He longs to plan a future with someone.

He dreams of a future with Steve.

It’s stupid and reckless to indulge in this infatuation but he can’t help it. Steve is just so….good. He’s brave, and caring, and despite what the others seem to think, he’s smart. Maybe not the way the little geniuses are, but hey neither is Eddie.

He’s almost grateful for that now though. If he hadn’t failed senior year twice, he never would have met this amazing group of people he can’t imagine living without now.

He could have done without the whole being blamed for murders committed by an interdimensional psychopath though.

Realistically he’s aware he’d never have known the difference if things hadn’t gone this way. It’s not like he was miserable before, he had great friends and the world's best uncle. But a sappy part of him thinks he’d feel the loss, know his life was missing something.

He really is too damn romantic.

Regardless, things did happen this way. Now he has a group of children he’s practically adopted. He has Robin who can relate to the painful experience of being queer in Indiana. Nancy who helped him finally graduate. Jonathan and Argyle who provide the most zen like company to get high with when he just needs to stop thinking.

He has Steve. The man who carried his broken, bleeding body out of hell even though everyone thought he was a goner. Who sat by his side for weeks at the hospital, helping Wayne feel less guilty about having to leave him to work.  Who held Eddie’s hand when he finally woke up screaming, not realizing time had passed and he was no longer in that awful place being eaten alive.

Steve had left his side once, after much reassurance from Robin and Dustin that they had things covered, to help Wayne move what he could salvage of their belongings into the new government gifted we’re sorry your trailer was destroyed while you save the world house. The additional hush money helped replace what couldn’t be recovered with a hefty chunk left over.

Then Steve was back, sitting diligently in the uncomfortable hospital chair until Eddie was cleared for release. Much to Eddie’s chagrin, cleared to go home did not mean cleared for much else. He’d been confined to his bed, then eventually the couch, for weeks after his discharge date. Steve hung around the entire time, patiently reminding him that the pain and the exhaustion meant he was still alive. That with time he would get better, and wasn’t that a miracle?

So really, it was inevitable that Eddie fell for him ass over elbows.

—

Summer was an exercise in restraint.

The new house wasn’t too fancy, they didn’t need much. Almost anything was an upgrade from a one bedroom trailer. But one of the delightful perks that came with it was a pool.

Wayne had insisted on it because the doctors had mentioned it would be a great tool for his physical therapy.

It wasn’t as big as Steve’s, but it had the benefit of never having someone they knew die in it so Steve and Nancy would actually swim for a little bit.

More often though Steve could be found lounging on one of the poolside chairs, golden in the sun. Eddie wants nothing more than to bask in his glow, kiss his pretty pink lips, dreams of carrying that warmth with him forever.

It also didn't help that Steve’s swim shorts were…short. Nothing scandalous, but certainly enough to draw Eddie’s eye to the perfect curve of his ass. He did his best not to stare.

He was a romantic, but he wasn’t asexual.

Eddie spends so much time watching, it takes him a while to realize he’s being watched in return. His heart drops to his stomach when he looks up to see Robin smirking at him. Her eyes flick back and forth between him and Steve, a knowing glint to them.

Surely she wouldn’t out him, right? To anyone else he’d be sure, but her and Steve are practically telepathic. The Party has basically accepted if you don’t want one to know something, you can’t tell the other.

The downside to hosting is he can’t make an excuse and run. He has to sit there with the worry building in his gut, trying desperately to keep the fear from showing in his face. He must manage, because no one says anything and they all seem in good spirits when they leave.

They already had plans to have a similar afternoon the following day, so there’s no avoiding Steve. But if he knows, he says nothing. Not that day, or the next, or the rest of the week.

Maybe Robin did keep his secret.

—

Eddie’s hackles are finally starting to lower when Steve shows up alone on a day they had no plans. He’s oddly shy when he asks if they can talk.

“I just…fuck I swear I used to be good at this. I'm no good with words though. That’s all you. Eddie, I…”

He sighs, frustration clear on his face and Eddie thinks this is it. Steve’s trying to find a way to gently let him down. He’ll be nice about it, but he won’t be comfortable with Eddie anymore. Slowly he’ll stop coming around, their friendship will quietly die. Eddie will die right along with it.

He’s so busy panicking in his head that it startles him when Steve speaks again.

“Fuck it.”

Suddenly there are lips on his and his mind goes blank. He lets himself get lost in this moment. This glorious, beautiful moment where everything is good.

But as fast as the thoughts left him, they come crashing back just as quick. Steve is kissing him. Steve…wants to hook up with him? But what category does he fall into?

Not the straight boy looking to get his dick sucked. They never kiss. Eddie’s pretty sure Steve isn’t a self hating queer. So he must be looking to test out a new side to himself, see if it fits.

The thought of being an experiment to Steve breaks his heart. But at least it’s the best option available. It would be way worse to be used for a blowjob. And he never wants Steve to feel that kind of self loathing.

Steve pulls away first. “Was that…are you okay?”

“Yeah. Shit, yeah, of course. More than okay.”

The bright smile he gets in return is worth all the pain that will come when it’s all over.

—

Eddie’s a bit confused when they just kind of…hang out like normal after. There’s kissing, which is certainly new, but that’s about it. Steve doesn’t push for more.

He tries to tamp down the happiness that blooms in his chest. So Steve isn’t the one and done kind. In the short term it’s amazing, but he knows the longer this goes on the more it will hurt when it’s inevitably taken away.

The confusion only grows when Steve shows up the next night with flowers and a pretty pink hue to his cheeks.

“Sorry, I just…I wanna do this right, you know? My only experience is with girls, but who doesn’t like flowers? You deserve flowers. Anyway I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie with me? Maybe get something to eat after?”

“Oh, uh…yeah, no, flowers are great. They’re very pretty. No one’s ever…right. I’ll just put these in water. Did you have a movie in mind?”

Steve follows him into his kitchen, watching him search for anything even resembling a vase in the Munson home. Would a beer mug be tacky?

“Um…well Labyrinth looks like something you’d be into. Or I think Ferris Bueller is still playing? Whatever you want, I’m not like a film buff or anything.” Steve reaches around him and selects the pint glass he’d been staring at, filling it from the tap and arranging the flowers inside.

He can’t help but think it looks like a physical representation of them. Beautiful and elegant flowers clashing with the crass and low quality chipped cup. But Steve just hums in apparent satisfaction before turning those pretty hazel eyes on him.

“You’d see Labyrinth? Up my alley it may be, up yours I doubt.”

“Well, I mean…everyone likes Bowie, right? Besides, the movie itself isn’t the point. I just wanna spend time with you.”

His cheeks are once again that delightful shade of pink. Eddie is so fucked. This whole thing is just going to make him fall that much harder, leaving him with his heart that much more shattered.

But when a pretty boy asks you out, you don’t say no.

—

Things continue this way as the summer warmth fades into the chill of autumn.

Steve is charming, and he holds Eddie’s hand even when their friends are around. Everyone but Robin watches in bemusement but no one makes a comment. He “formally introduces himself” to Wayne, but to the older man’s bewilderment. Eddie just shrugs, not really sure what’s happening either.

Behind closed doors, Steve presses in close. He lets his hands wander, but only ever above the waist. Usually they can be found in Eddie’s hair. He lets his tongue slip into Eddie’s mouth, hot but sweet.

But he never pushes for more.

The only reason Eddie can come up with is things he remembers overhearing in locker rooms. Straight boys love to complain about how girls need to be wooed. Need to be romanced before they’re willing to “put out”.

But Eddie doesn’t need that. As nice as it is to delude himself with the things Steve is doing, he knows it can only end badly.

So he takes things into his own hands. So to speak.

They’re in Eddie’s room late one night. Wayne is gone, because house or no house he’s still got to put food on the table and he’s too used to the overnight shift to change it now. Eddie’s got Steve underneath him making such pretty sounds as he leaves a trail of bites down that pretty neck. He rolls his hips, groaning when he feels an answering hardness against his own. Lets his fingers wander lower, plucking at Steve’s belt when hands at his wrist stop him. He’s gently nudged into sitting up.

“Eddie…woah, slow down. Hey. We don’t have to do anything you don’t wanna. There’s no need to rush.”

Mortifyingly, the words make him burst into tears.

“Oh Eddie…baby, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what’s going on anymore. What do you want from me Steve? What are you waiting for?”

“What do you mean waiting for? Hey hey hey, breathe. You’re okay. Just talk to me.” Steve’s thumbs stroke his wrists gently while he pulls himself together.

“Fuck, Steve, I just don’t know what this is. I thought I did but you don’t seem to wanna fuck so I don’t get what you’re looking for.”

“I’m not…oh. Shit. With how well things were going I thought…well, I guess I shouldn’t have assumed. Eddie, I like you, a lot. No that’s not true. Fuck it. All in, right? I’m so fucking in love with you, you have no idea. I want…god, I want so much. I want everything. But I…I get it, if that’s not what you want. We can go back to being friends.”

Eddie’s pretty sure his brain must have some remaining damage from the Upside Down, because there’s no way he heard that correctly.

“You’re…in love with me?”

Steve’s eyes dip down before they meet his again, that shyness from weeks ago making a reappearance. “Yeah. Yes. Embarrassingly so if Robin is to be believed.”

“Robin knew? Wait, no, forget that. Steve…Jesus Christ, this can’t be real. Of course I love you. I love you so much it’s driving me insane.”

A pleased little grin hesitatingly makes its way across Steve’s face.

“Yeah?”

“Yes, fuck.” Eddie leans in, pressing their smiling mouths together. His once aching heart now soars, granted wings by the angel in his arms.

“Eddie…um. Not to ruin the moment, but what you said…it’s not that I don’t wanna have sex. Shit I want you so bad, have you seen you? I just don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for. I can wait. I can wait forever. You loving me back is…more than I ever hoped for. If you just wanna snuggle and occasionally kiss, I’d die a happy man. Anything else is just a bonus.”

“You…you really mean that? If I said no sex, ever,  that wouldn’t bother you?”

Steve shrugs easily. “I’d be a little bummed, sure, but it wouldn’t change anything. I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to leave.” Fingers brushing against his cheek alert him to his fresh tears. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Fuck, you have no idea how amazing that is to hear. I’m used to being good for nothing but sex. Don’t get me wrong. I’m gonna fuck you so good you scream, pretty boy. But knowing that I don’t have to for you to stay? That’s kind of a miracle.”

“You’re kind of a miracle.”

“I love you Stevie.”

“I love you too Eds.”

—

They don’t have sex that night. Eddie’s not sure when they will. He knows for all of Steve’s talk, he’s never been with a man. Eddie’s never been with someone he loves, who loves him in return. They both need time to adjust, and there’s no need to rush. Wait until they’re both ready.

Eddie’s happy to wait. He has all he’s ever wanted. Anything else is just a bonus.

First let me be transparent and say this hasn’t even had a second read through, never mind been beta’s. I just really wanted to post one last thing before the new year here in the east coast and I’m cutting it close. I’ll probably come back and fix it up later.

This isn’t a second part to Depollute Me Gentle Angel so much as the other side of the same coin. When I originally had the vague idea that became the first story, I wasn’t sure which way I’d write it. So I decided both.

Title once again from We’ll Never Have Sex by Leith Ross.

[angst-cravings]

let you break my heart again (1.5)

part 1 | part 2

summary: matt thinks back on every time he's wanted to be more than friends.

pairing: matt murdock x reader

words: 2.5k

an: parallel to part 1 but from matt's pov. this is a lot worse than part 1 lol, and it's more like a 1.5 - part one isn't necessary to read this and this won't be necessary to read before part 2. still gender neutral pronouns for reader and ex. additional info in tags

cw: mild angst, some explicit language, some brief allusions to sex but not really

Some day, one day, I will stop falling in love with you.

Right before Karen left, Matt left the woman he was flirting with to keep Foggy company. 

“Another beautiful woman, huh?” Foggy jokes.

“How would I even know?” The question comes out more like a statement. He knew that it was just Foggy teasing, but Matt felt a little defensive. 

“You’ve just had a lot more women in your bed lately, that’s all.” Matt sighs at Foggy’s words. 

Foggy was right, Matt had been sleeping with more women than he had in the past. But it was just to get you out of his head. Your heartbeat, your scent, your lingering touches, your voice. You. He knew he loved you, and that his feelings hadn’t been returned for as long as he’s known you. He’s spent so much time trying to replace you, but nothing ever felt right. No one was like you. Foggy snapped him back to reality.

“What’s been up with you lately?” Foggy felt better about asking now that the two of them were alone. Matt thinks about what he’s going to say. What could he even say? I’m in love with your childhood best friend? I’m in love with our partner in law? And I’ve loved them every single moment I’ve known them?

He knew he liked you since he first met you at Columbia. After meeting Foggy, you were just the cherry on top. He had heard your heart stutter at the sight of him, but it had quickly evened out. Maybe you were just shocked at his blindness. He was used to the second glances, the tiptoeing, the heartbeats that signaled discomfort at his condition. He didn’t know you well enough to know how your body reacted to certain things yet. 

“Matt Murdock, pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand for you to shake, and you grasped it firmly, introducing yourself in turn.

“They’ve been my best friend since elementary school,” Foggy added to your introduction.

“All the way to law school.” He could hear the smile in your statement. Matt knew all of this already, Foggy had talked his ear off about you. Foggy absolutely adored you, and Matt was frankly a little bit jealous of the relationship between you two. He hoped he’d become as close to you as Foggy is one day.

You didn’t react to him the same way that most people attracted to him did. He figured this was a good thing. Foggy said that you were off-limits. Even though Foggy barely knew him, he had picked up on his player tendencies. If you had been into him, he doesn’t think that he’d be able to keep himself to this promise. It broke his heart.

He knew he still liked you when you spent the night in his dorm for the first time. Foggy had gone home for a family birthday, and he heard a knock at his door. It couldn’t have been later than three in the morning. He opened the door to you, the smell of tears stinging his nose. He immediately swept you up into a hug.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I… I had a really bad nightmare. Can I stay with you? Just for a little bit? Usually, I go to Foggy, but…” He heard the hesitation in your voice, and his heart ached.

“Of course,” You two sat on the bed, and he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, “Do you want to tell me about it?” He felt you shake your head silently against his chest. “That’s okay, we can just sit here.” And you did. He sat there and listened as your heartbeat slowed to a resting rate and your breathing returned to normal. 

You kept opening your mouth to say something, but the words didn’t come out. But he was patient and knew that if you wanted to say it, you would. After a few minutes, you finally murmured, “Do you mind if I spend the night, Matt? I-it’s okay if you don-”

He immediately cut you off. “Of course, you can,” His heart leaped at the idea, but he tried not to outwardly betray his emotions, “Do you… do you want me to sleep on the floor? Or…” He trailed off, hoping you would finish the sentence for him.

“Can you stay with me?” His heart broke at the tone of your voice.

“Of course.” 

You both lay on his bed for the rest of the night. Matt couldn’t sleep, even though you had fallen asleep quicker than he expected. He desperately tried to memorize this moment in case he’d never get it again. He closed his eyes as he processed the way your hair smelled, the way your skin feels, the gentle thump of your heartbeat, and the taste of salt still lingering in the air. Hopefully, he’d get this experience again without the salt. When you woke up, you were still in his arms, and you had turned over to him.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I’m sorry for waking you up so early in the morning. Usually Foggy helps me out, but… obviously, he isn’t here.”

“Did I do as good of a job?”

You paused, only to tease him in response. “Maybe once we do this a few more times you can be on the same level.”

He grinned. He’d love to be the person you leaned on when you needed help, but he couldn’t help but wish that you two could be more. It broke his heart.

He knew he still liked you about a year ago when you gave an opening statement in court. He could hear your heart pounding in your chest, but your voice stayed calm and collected. 

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, today I and my colleagues represent the defendant Mr. Marshall. The defendant stands here today accused of assault, a very serious offense. At the end of this trial, we are going to ask you to render a verdict of not guilty, the only appropriate verdict in this case.” He tried to stay focused as your voice floated around the courtroom. He wanted to focus on the heartbeats of the prosecution, but his mind always drifted back to yours. It had steadied out a little as you got more into the rhythm of the trial, though it stayed elevated. He could hear the satin of your clothing shift against each other as you walked and gestured. His hands twitched at the quiet swish, wanting to put his hands on you and feel the way the cloth draped onto your body. 

He watched as you deftly defended the client, smiling when you hit the key points. You both knew that you were prepared, but with each point, you felt far more confident in the outcome of the trial. It would take another day at least before they would be done with this case though, and he knew that you’d likely not sleep well. You never slept well when stressed. He let out a deep breath, wanting to be the one who would calm you down that night. The ache in his heart grew knowing that you’d be going home to your partner that night instead. 

That night he offered to walk you home. You retold the whole story of the courtroom, even though he had been there. He smiled at the exaggerations you gave, and he let himself melt into the arm that was guiding him. The satin felt so nice against his skin. 

“...and they’re making pizza for me tonight! From scratch!” You gushed over your partner, and his heart fell. For a moment he could pretend that you were his, but the reality of the situation was depressing. He felt as if he had lost you in a way. You pulled back from his and Foggy’s lives when you started dating your partner, and although you two still interacted often at the firm, it wasn’t the same as before. You skipped nights at Josie’s, you would work from home more often instead of late nights at the office, and you would invite him and Foggy to your apartment less and less. It broke his heart.

He knew he still liked you when you had confided in him that you and your partner were having relationship problems. He felt giddy at the thought, not even because he liked you. He missed the way you treated him before you were in a relationship.

“It’s just so fucking frustrating! I feel like they never listen to me! Like, I have an important job, and not that their job isn’t important, but I can’t just live at home from five in the afternoon to nine in the morning like they can! I’ve even cut back on my hours for them and it’s never fucking enough!” Your anger rose above the chatter of Josie’s. “If it was an issue, why didn’t they bring it up sooner? We’ve been dating for so long, why is it suddenly an issue now?”

Even though Matt was hopeful that your relationship will fail, he couldn’t help but sympathize with you. He’d heard the same complaint before, and he knew how much this hurt you. “They just don’t understand the pressures we’re under.”

“I know! It’s so…” You took a sip of your beer. “It’s so annoying! Sorry I care about my fucking career!” He placed a hand on your shoulder.

“You two will be okay. I’m sure they just want to see you more.”

“I know, it’s just-” You hissed through your teeth, “You’re right. Thank you, Matt.” He felt the micro changes in your skin temperature as you started to calm down. 

“Let’s go for a walk. Take your mind off of things.” He stood up and you offered your arm to him as he picked up his cane. He gives you directions to the pier, and you walk along the Hudson. 

“Feels like old times,” You said, and he smiled.

“Yeah. I missed this.” The quiet felt thick in the air. “I missed you.” He mumbled.

“Hmm?” The ambient noise muffled what he said, and you didn’t pick it up.

“I just repeated myself, that’s all” He lied through his teeth, and he couldn’t tell if you could discern it. If you did, you chose not to press the topic.

“Sometimes I wish I could just date you,” His walking stuttered at your statement, and he glued his mouth shut while waiting for you to elaborate, “Like, you’re a lawyer too. You work long hours. You’re smart and handsome and considerate. You have really pretty eyes.” You were definitely drunker than he thought.

He tries to brush you off. “I’d be an awful boyfriend.” 

“Nuh-uh.” You didn’t know about his nightly escapades. You couldn’t know how true the statement was.

“Yes, I would be. You should be grateful you have your current partner, they’re much better than I could ever be.” Bitterness lined his words, something he could tell you didn’t pick up on by your body language.

“Aw, Matty, I’m sure that isn’t true. I guess you’d at least probably be a good fuck, considering the amount of women you bring home.” 

He wanted to say “I only take them home because I can’t have you.” Instead, he bit his tongue and forced a breathy laugh from his lips. 

“Well, I guess do have a lot of practice.” The smile he forced burned his cheeks. It broke his heart.

He knew he still liked you tonight. You all had finished up a very tough case and had won. You four were sitting at a table at the bar nursing your beers and talking about the case, how he had made an excellent defense, how Karen had found the most important fact that won the case, how Foggy had crafted an excellent opening statement, and how you were the perfect liaison between the firm and the client. 

“To us!” Foggy raises his beer as a toast.

“To us!” Everyone echoes, and he could hear the smile in your voice. You two had made small talk while Karen and Foggy had started a debate about something he had no knowledge of.

“Just like old times, huh?” You mused.

“Yeah, well, we’ve had a pretty good streak of losses lately. Feels good to win again.”

“I know. I couldn’t help but blame myself every time we lost. I’m sure you felt the same way. It’s hard to not take it personally.” He was always astonished at how you were always thinking exactly what he was thinking. Your word phrasing even mirrored his occasionally, “I’ll get us another round of drinks, you still want a beer?”

He nodded, and let his ears follow you towards the bar. He overheard someone hitting on you while you were ordering drinks, and he clenched his jaw. He had no right to be jealous, and his anger quickly transitioned to sadness.

“Look, maybe they’ll be able to get us free drinks!” Foggy took notice of the way the person was flirting with you too. He was far more lighthearted about it, and he walked up to the bar to get into earshot of your conversation

“Yeah, well…” He trailed off, not really knowing where he wanted to lead his quip.

“...Are you jealous, Matt?” Karen lowered her voice, and although her voice still had a twinge of playfulness, it was only to soften the seriousness of her question.

“I- I- no, no, you’ve got it wrong. I just- I just-” He chuckled to try to mislead her.

“You fucking like them!” Karen raised her voice a little louder than Matt would have hoped.

“No, no, I just… see, I’ll prove it.” It was supposed to be a night of celebration. But he couldn’t help it, he was desperately seeking an escape from his heart. So he picked a random woman, one whose heartbeat rose when she looked at him and walked over near her to chat her up. He couldn’t tell if your reaction was solely from your alcohol or something else. You were always hard to read when you were drunk, your heart spiked at random things and your body language was much looser than he was used to. 

He immediately knew Karen was scheming, and you and Foggy quickly came back with some beers. Even though he was focusing on the woman in front of him, his hearing kept lingering on your conversation.

“Hey guys, I think I’m going to head out after this one, I’m starting to get a headache.” Lie.

“Aw, are you sure? Maybe a couple more drinks will take it away!” Foggy pushed lightly. Matt knew that Foggy would never push you too much, but he was still slightly annoyed that Foggy said that, even if you were lying.

“Do you want one of us to walk you home?” Karen was so gentle with her question, it made Matt smile ever so slightly.

“No, no, you guys stay out and celebrate! I’ll see you all tomorrow morning.” 

The woman in front of him brought him back.

“Sorry, I couldn’t really hear you over everyone else. What did you say again?” He lied. He heard you leave Josie’s, and he kept you in the back of his head until he could no longer hear your footsteps. His heart broke. 

“What’s been up with you lately?”

“I don’t know Foggy.” A lie. He paused. “Just dealing with some heartbreak recently.”

Until I do, I'll be thinking of you.

Let you break my heart again.

part 2