#patiently waiting for the chance to go back and buy another hoodie

[sadbreadloaf]

december 3rd | park jisung

❆ | pairing : crush!jisung x fem!reader

❆ | genre : fluff, shy jisung trying to give you his sweater

❆ | word count : 1027 (queue sticker by nct 127)

❆ | note : haechan and chenle are mentioned as friends

december was quickly approaching. you and your friends were hanging out at a cafe. the frost was creeping at the edges of the window and you could see soft snowflakes fall from the clouds.

"are you guys excited for december 3rd?" haechan asks, giggling.

"wait whats going on?" jisung asks.

"oh he's talking about that one song... how does it go..." you start but you get interrupted by haechan's singing.

"i still remember the third of december, me in your sweater~"

"okay okay we get it, you know the song" chenle says, rolling his eyes.

you all laugh and continue to talk about something else, but jisung stays a little quieter than usual.

▬▬▬

December 3

December 3 is national give your gf/bf/partner one of your sweaters day :)

▬▬▬

jisung has had a crush on you ever since you met. haechan introduced you guys for the first time and he fell for you so hard. you were friendly and energetic all the time. jisung, on the other hand, was a lot more quiet than you. he had a hard time talking to you. he never thought you had the same feelings for him.

all of his friends could notice his huge crush on you. they always teased him about it when you weren't there. when you two were together, they would always try to push jisung towards you or hint at the idea. you never seemed to catch on.

"our baby jisungie gets so shy~" chenle teases.

"jisung you gotta tell her dude. i can't keep seeing you freeze up and panic every time you talk to her” haechan pleads.

"i can't do it, she’s nothing like me. how am i supposed to confess to her. you said it yourself, i can barely talk to her" jisung explains. he truly thinks he has no chance with you.

"don't say that. i'm sure you'll find the right moment, you just gotta be patient" chenle says.

december 3rd was that moment. he knew it.

that's what i should do, ill give her one of my sweaters, jisung thought. but how is he supposed pull that off. he can barely talk to you without blushing let alone give you his hoodie. he was gonna find a way. he was gonna make you his some way or another.

your friends meet up on the 3rd at a christmas market. you guys planned to walk around a bit and buy some gifts for your families. jisung had plans of his own.

"jisung, why do you have such a big bag, what do you have in there-?" chenle asks.

"o-oh it’s nothing, don't worry about it"

"imagine it's a sweater" haechan teases.

"what? how did you- i mean, i don't know what you're talking about"

haechan and chenle locked eyes. they knew exactly what he was talking about.

"heyyy jisung why don't you go see what y/n is up to" haechan pushes jisung towards you subtly.

"wait what no, what are you guys doing-"

as you were looking at the handmade ornaments, you felt a soft bump on your back. you look back to see panicked jisung and haechan and chenle running away laughing.

"oh hi jisung! there you are, i was just thinking about you."

"oh me...?"

"of course you, here wait, look at this pretty ornament, should i get this for my mom?"

"actually i wanted to talk to you about something, can we walk for a bit?"

"yeah of course!"

you start walking down the park. it’s snowing again. you looks over at jisung, his cheeks were flushed with a light shade of pink and small snowflakes were scattered across his hair. you could see him trembling, but you assumed it was because of the cold.

"so… it’s december 3rd," jisung was so nervous. his hands were trembling and his voice was shakey. i can’t believe i’m doing this.

"yeah it is! christmas is upon us!”

"yup." what kind of response was that?? c’mon park jisung, keep it together.

you could feel the tension in the air. he never comes and talks to you alone. he had something planned, didn't he?

you stop walking and turn towards him. you look up. he was avoiding eye contact. he couldn’t say anything. he could only stand there.

"so, what did you want to tell me"

"oh uh well, y'know how it's december 3rd and uhm, i searched about the date online and saw you had to give your sweater to your partner and well uhm..."

"sungie... are you about to give me a sweater?"

"how could you tell...?" jisung has never felt so warm in the winter air.

"well, you've been a lot more shy around me lately, the avoiding eye contact, your quiet voice, and how could i not notice all the teasing from haechan and chenle" you laugh. jisung tried to cover his face in embarrassment, but you pulled them away. "you're so cute jisung, how could i not like you"

jisung finally made eye contact with you. he couldn't believe what he heard. you loved him too, just like he loved you. he couldn't help but stare and smile.

"sungie, the sweater," you giggle.

"oh right, sorry"

he pulls out a soft black hoodie. you recognized it. it was his favourite sweater.

"it took me so long to pick a sweater for you. i didn't know what you liked"

"if it's from you, then it's perfect."

you take off your jacket and immediately pull the hoodie over your head to put it on. the hoodie dropped down past your waist and the sleeves hung past your hands. it smelled like him, his love.

"you look so pretty..." jisung says without any hesitation.

you laugh, "thank you jisung"

jisung pulls you into a hug, his hands wrapped around your waist. you can feel all his love for you that has been kept inside him drain from his body into yours. he pulls away from you a little and presses his forehead on yours.

"no, thank you."

in the back, you can hear faint cheering from chenle and haechan.

"wah our jisungie is no longer a baby~!"

"oh shut up!"

a/n : first longer fic!! didnt think i would be able to do it but here i am lolz. also, im totally not wishing i get a sweater :D (someone give me one plz).

[soobnny]

the little things they do ♡ ot7

𖧧 pairing enhypen x reader

𖧧 genre established relationship, most can be interpreted as best friends to lovers too, fluff

𖧧 warnings none

NISHIMURA RIKI

— zips your hoodie all the way up whenever you do something cute because he doesn’t want you to see his flustered face

— always gets things you can’t reach for you (your favorite cereal at the grocery store, a book from the library, a specific mug at your cupboard); just make sure you don’t ask him because when he realizes he’s doing these for you out of instinct, he starts teasing you for your height

— sends you tiktoks at 2 in the morning with a message that says “reminded me of you” whether it’s something really cute or teasing

— pulls silly faces at you in the hallway or when you’re in the same room and waits until you notice because he likes the sound of your laugh or the smile on your face when you see the most ridiculous look plastered on his face

YANG JUNGWON

— insists on making you extra notes whenever you’re sick. he goes over your house to do the homework you missed because he doesn’t want you to get left behind in your school work (he knows how easily you get stressed); he stops by your local convenience store to buy some of your favorite snacks on the way

— always give you a copy of his notes that you could use for yourself so you don’t have to exert too much effort while you’re sick and still recovering

— looks you in the eyes when you’re talking to him

— always has you in mind. whenever he’s out to eat something, he thinks, you’d probably like this. he gets a new perfume, he thinks, you’d probably like this scent.

— brings you extra food in his packed lunch for the day especially when he knows it’s something you like.

KIM SUNOO

— loves making pinky promises. whenever you two vow to do something, his pinky is ready and outstretched for you to intertwine with (and he never breaks his promises).

— always saves you a seat in the cafeteria or when there’s a program that the whole school has to attend. he’ll leave his bag on the empty seat and when he sees you, he’s quick to motion you over so you can beside each other.

— passes you sticky notes with little words of encouragement when he notices you’re down (sometimes funny notes that get you in trouble when your teacher catches you laughing)

— shares his things with you whether that’s his extremely expensive art supplies or his jacket when he sees that you’re cold

PARK SUNGHOON

— holds your hand inside the pocket of his hoodie at the slightest hint of your fingers shaking from the cold; he reasons it’s because he wants to keep you warm, but he doesn’t tell you it’s also the perfect excuse to hold your hand.

— introduces you to the things he loves or things he’s interested in so you two can do it together instead of him doing it alone (takes you ice skating whenever he can, and is always so patient at teaching you and helping you back on your feet when you fall)

— walks on the busy side of the road

— walks you home even though his house is in the opposite direction from yours (he prioritizes your safety a lot)

SIM JAKE

— waits for you outside your class so you can have a few minutes to talk to each other while he walks you to your next class; nevermind the fact that he has to sprint towards another building right after he drops you off so he can get to his class in time.

— who has a habit of leaning in to kiss you whenever you’re in the middle of talking about your day because there’s something about the way your lips quirk up that make his mind cloud up and his heart beat faster.

— always thinks of you first whenever he wants to do something or go somewhere; he always invites you to whatever he has planned because he genuinely enjoys spending time with you (you’re always automatically included in all his plans already)

— loves hugging you from behind to surprise you. he does it every chance he gets because he likes the way his chin fits perfectly on your head or on your shoulder

PARK JAY

— always has a hand on your lower back to guide you whenever you’re in a crowded place because he doesn’t want you to get lost. honestly speaking, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. his arm just makes its way to hold you close out of instinct.

— takes your bag or anything that you’re carrying when you two walk together because he knows it’s been an exhausting day at school, and he doesn’t want to tire you out even more.

— willingly sits through hours of movies, shows, traffic, anything especially if it’s something that interests you or makes you happy.

— does the dishes because he knows you aren’t very fond of this chore.

LEE HEESEUNG

— pats your head when the two of you pass by each other in the hallways; sometimes he’ll even stop to give you a quick kiss on the forehead or on top of your head before pushing you and sending you off to your next class

— pauses a game or switches his attention to you when you call out his name while he’s gaming

— when he’s out with friends at a bakery and he finds something you like, he buys it to take home for you without you even having to ask him

— piggy back rides when he notices you’re tired of walking

— doesn’t know when it started but he noticed he calls you more instead of texting you because he likes hearing your voice

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[caroldantops]

Leighton imagine:

You’re not her standard type

You don’t go out much, you’re comfortably introverted, you wear clothing that makes you feel comfortable, not too look hot, your hair is always a little messy, little things excite you, and you play dungeons and dragons and freak out over pokemon plushies.

You’ve met before at some school event or a class, but she doesn’t remember you. That’s okay, you don’t need to be known by everyone.

But when you meet again, at some club fair or something, you’re snort and laughter draws her in. You’re different from anyone she’s been with before. She’s curious about you.

Eventually you get to know eachother, you obviously fall hard but try to pace yourself, because girls like Leighton Murray don’t dwell on people like you. But you get even closer, and before long you can’t suppress how much you like her.

She calls you a dork, and a nerd, and teases you and bounces her eyebrows at you when you talking about your roleplaying (dnd). She buys you all the newest pokemon plushies from online and those nerdy sweaters you love so much (sometimes she steals them to wear them around your dorm, but never outside)

Oooo omg omg okay - hear me out. Meeting her at a club fair completely by chance because Kimberly dragged her over to come check out the D&D club you’re a part of (because duh, she’d love it). Leighton of course is rolling her eyes at the mere idea, but she patiently waits as Kimberly asks questions to one of the members.

And then you come walking in with another one of your friends, laughing at some joke they made and you grin at Leighton and Kimberly and greet them and Leighton’s can’t help herself but say out loud “Wait, it’s not just weird white dudes playing this?”

You laugh, and she resists showing that she really liked that you laughed at what she said.

(Also she can’t help but be a little intrigued when you make a joke about how D&D is just math - but then is immediately cringing again when you explain it’s like LARPing with math)

Kimberly joins the club and you start seeing Leighton around a lot more because you’re always bringing Kimberly new supplies and dice, and Leighton cannot help but listen with fascination when you go on rambles about your latest nerdy hyperfixation.

You and Leighton ending up taking the same class next semester, and to your shock, she comes and sits by you. When she sees the surprised look on your face she’s like, “What?”

And both of you start making up reasons to hang out together, studying and sharing notes for class turns to lunches and coffee dates and Leighton’s Not used to this, but she’s kind of enjoying taking things slower

(then one night while you’re showing her some dorky movie and explaining something about special effects, she cannot help but pull you in for a kiss, and she definitely does not take it slow after that because she didn’t even realize she’d been holding back)

(the girls find out the two of you are together with Leighton comes into the common area one morning wearing a pikachu hoodie because she forgot she fell asleep in it. Kimberly almost passes out)

[justalonelybitch]

hiii can i request a winter oneshot with heavy angst with a fluffy ending? like a break up prank, i don’t really have anything specific in mind. thank you!

I hope you don't mind, I changed the plot a little. You'll have to read to find out... enjoy! Also, I made reader a 5th member.

I Promise

Winter x GN!Reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Warnings: Marking, Implied Cheating, Hitting

Word Count: 1.2k

Buy me a coffee :)

Minjeong waited patiently for you to come home from your schedule, sat atop your bed, playing with the strings of her white hoodie. To say she was anxious about what she was going to do would be an understatement. In retrospect, she knew it was a terrible idea, but her friends had managed to convince her. Unfortunately, it was now too late for her to turn back, as she heard footsteps approaching.

The door opened to reveal your deflated self, Minjeong already knew she'd made a grave mistake. “Baby?” You asked, surprised to see her waiting in your room. The way your eyes sparkled when you looked at her made her heart ache. As soon as you noticed she was doomed, stupidly she hoped you might not even detect anything in your tired state.

You fell into her arms, eyes closing in relief, all the pent up tension leaving your body. A sigh left your lips, Minjeong rubbed your back in comfort. Her body moved automatically, while her thoughts wandered elsewhere. Lifting your head, you pinched your eyebrows together at her guilt stricken face.

When you leaned up to peck her lips, she dodged you, instead letting you kiss her cheek. “Babe?” You asked, uncertainty clear in your voice. Minjeong squeezed her eyes tightly shut, letting her head fall back. She tried desperately to rid herself of the horrid scenarios running through her head, running her hands through her hair in distress.

Feeling your hand come up to caress her neck, she tensed. “Y/n,” she started, opening her eyes, they were now wide in shock. “Don’t,” you silenced her, tears forming in your eyes. “How could you?” Your hands shaky as they hovered over the purple marks on her neck. “I-I didn’t,” she tried to speak once more, but you weren’t having any of it.

“Well I know it wasn’t me. I can’t do that because we’re idols and yet you let someone else,” the pain in your voice was unmistakable. “They’re not real,” she started to panic, not wanting to go through with this any longer. “You know about my past,” you said, voice cracking.

All of her words fell deaf in your ears, pain blocking out things you were sure you wouldn’t want to hear. “I can't,” you whispered, a sob getting trapped in your throat. You refused to break in front of her, she didn’t deserve that satisfaction after what she’d done. Not wasting another second you rushed out your room door, tears instantly flowing from your eyes as soon as you turned away from her. Minjeong was hot on your tail though, “Y/n wait!” She called out desperately.

As you dashed through the living room your members looked at you, concern painting their features. You stumbled past, walking right into Jimin, who steadied you. “What’s wrong Y/n?” She asked, concerned. The only thing that left your lips was a broken sob, you brushed past your leader. Making a bee-line for the bathroom, you slammed the door behind you, locking it quickly.

Minjeong was just short, missing her chance by a mere millisecond. Hearing you attempt to muffle your sobs through the door made her heart ache, pressing her head to the door in regret. She knew she’d messed up badly, that being a kinder way to put it. On the other side of the door, you slid down the wall, tucking your knees into your chest.

Your hand slapped over your mouth, just in time as another sob tried to escape your lips. The members watched helplessly as Minjeong called out to you, begging you to open the door. No one seemed to know what to do, the others were still unsure of what happened.

Jimin had attempted to pull Minjeong from the door, telling her that you would come out in your own time. Your girlfriend shook her head at the leader, staying in her place, refusing to leave until you talked to her. “Y/n please let me in,” she pleaded. Tears fell from her own eyes, which she quickly wiped. ‘I don’t deserve to cry,’ she reprimanded herself in her head.

It was around three in the morning when you finally cracked the door open, peaking into the dorm. The members were splayed out on the couch, they slept peacefully in a tangle of limbs. Meanwhile Minjeong was sitting in front of you, leaning on the wall with her eyes shut, soft snores coming from her.

She looked so beautiful, relaxed compared to how you’d seen her before. Your eyes trailed back down to her neck, remembering the night's previous events. Eyes widening when you notice that they now look smudged, different shapes than before. When you looked closer, you made out the faint purple smudges that were on her neck, matching with the ones that were on her hoodie.

The wheels in your head started to turn, piecing together everything. You chuckled in disbelief, all of this for a prank. Still mad at Minjeong, you considered leaving her to sleep on the floor. Huffing, you walked towards her hunched over figure, leaning down and smacking the back of her head.

Her head jolted forward, eyes snapping open, as she looked around in confusion. When her eyes met yours, a glimmer of hope shone in them. A frown etched its way onto her face when she saw your puffy eyes, she reached out to caress.

Minjeong’s eyes widened comically when she realised that you weren’t pulling away, letting her touch you. “Aren’t you mad at me?” She asked confusedly, biting her lip. “Oh I am definitely still mad at you,” you said seriously. “I figured out it was a prank. Plus I can’t sleep without you,” you said, holding your hand out for her to take.

She hesitated slightly, reaching up to interlace your fingers. It was a feeling she had missed way too much, even though it had only been a few hours. “Should we wake them?” You asked, pointing your free hand towards your members. “I think it will be funny to leave them,” she smiled at you mischievously.

“Haven’t you done enough pranks today?” You asked, watching the way her smile faded. “I’m sorry, I should’ve never let my friends convince me to do that. Especially because of your past,” Minjeong spoke sincerely. “Your forgiven,” you said, wrapping your arms around her neck. “But please, promise me you won’t do that ever again.” You held up your pinky, smiling when she hooked hers around it. “I promise,” she whispered, pressing a sweet kiss to your hand.

“I’m glad to see you guys made up,” Jimin’s voice startled you. “Jesus Christ lady, have you ever heard of knocking?” You asked, leaning into Minjeong’s side. “This is literally the living room,” your leader deadpanned. “Shut up,” you said, tugging your girlfriend away to your room.

Jimin watched the two of you with a fond smile on her lips, glad to know that everything was resolved and things would be going back to normal in the dorms. Hearing a groan from the couch, she whipped her head around. “Right, the other children,” she muttered to herself, moving to wake them before they got seriously hurt.

[kjack89]

For the prompts for 300 fics, some kind of angst and reconciliation fic? I know that’s vague but I’m in the mood for some angst with a happy (or not!) ending, and you’re my go to for that :)

Angst with an optional happy ending? Nonny, you know me too well.

This is part 1 of what will be either multi-chaptered or just longer once I get it on AO3, so at the moment we’re just dealing with some light angst, and who doesn’t love that on a Saturday night. Hopefully the second part will be posted in a few days.

E/R, modern AU. Former relationship.

Enjolras pulled his hood even tighter over his blond curls and glanced over his shoulder before reaching up to feel for the key hidden on top of the door jamb. He was surprised, and more than a little concerned, when his fingers touched nothing but very dusty wood, and he chanced another glance over his shoulder before rapping lightly on the door.

The door opened no more than an inch. “Password,” a gruff voice barked, and Enjolras sighed.

He really should’ve known.

“Grantaire, if you don’t let me in, I will break down the door and use one of the splintered pieces of wood to kill you,” he said, as patiently and politely as he could, just in case someone was listening.

Grantaire opened the door enough to admit him, closing it after him and locking the doorknob lock and deadbolt before sliding the chain into place. “Firstly, I’d like to see you try,” he said with a grin that Enjolras did not return. “Secondly, for future reference, the password we were looking for was ‘my full glass’, with a security question of ‘what do I believe in?’.”

Enjolras tugged off his hoodie and balled it up before tossing it onto the couch, one of the few pieces of furniture in the tiny, cramped apartment. “Would you also have accepted ‘nothing’?” he asked waspishly.

“No, but I would’ve accepted ‘absolutely fucking nothing’,” Grantaire said cheerfully. “Adjectives matter.” His smile faded when he caught sight of the shiner beginning to darken around Enjolras’s left eye. “What happened?”

“Same thing that always happens,” Enjolras said.

Grantaire’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning you have other, less visible injuries that you’re not going to do anything about until it’s too late to keep them from getting worse?” he asked dryly

Enjolras rolled his eyes and dug his phone out of his pocket to send a quick text. “What are you even doing here?” he asked, purposefully ignoring Grantaire’s question.

He didn’t see the look Grantaire gave him, but he could hear it plainly enough in his voice. “It’s a safe house,” he said. “I think that’s somewhat self-explanatory.”

“No, I mean—” Enjolras did glance up then, to examine Grantaire for an impatient second before telling him, “I didn’t even see you at the protest.”

Grantaire shrugged. “I’m pretty sure we can charitably refer to that as a riot,” he said.

Enjolras rolled his eyes and looked back down at his phone, which he powered off before disassembling it to remove the SIM card. “Whatever nomenclature you want to give it aside—”

“Speaking of nomenclatures,” Grantaire interrupted, “can we talk about how we’re referring to this as a safe ‘house’?” He flopped down on the couch. “This is a safe studio apartment. And I’m being generous with the term ‘studio’.”

“It’s illegal,” Enjolras informed him without looking up from his phone.

“Well no shit, this place is just plain criminal.”

Enjolras tucked his SIM card in his wallet before setting his phone down on the coffeetable. “No, I mean it was illegally built. It won’t show up on any building schematics or floorplans.”

Grantaire blinked. “Meaning…?”

“Meaning as long as you and I are in here, we don’t exist.”

Understanding flitted across Grantaire’s face. “I can see how that would have its advantages,” he murmured before glancing up at Enjolras. “Speaking of, how long do you think you and I will be staying in this lovely 250 square foot box?”

Enjolras shrugged, going to pour himself a glass of water from the tap in the corner of the apartment designated as the kitchen. “Hard to say,” he said, carrying the water over to the coffeetable and hesitating for only a moment before dropping his cellphone into it. He looked at Grantaire. “I assume you took care of any of your electronics with a GPS signal?”

“Yeah, but unlike you, seeing as how I don’t have the disposable income to just buy a new iPhone after every riot, I just left mine at home.”

“I don’t buy a new phone after every riot,” Enjolras muttered, feeling his ears burning red, and he sat down on the futon with a huff. “Only ones that ended badly and with potential criminal charges.”

“So...every riot.”

“I certainly hope you find yourself amusing enough to get through the next few days,” Enjolras said sourly. “Because we’re going to be here awhile.”

Grantaire groaned and tipped his head back to rest it against the back of the couch. “What did you do this time?” he asked, sounding resigned. “Molotov cocktail? Improvised incendiary device?” He turned his head to give Enjolras a wink. “Of course, that’s more Courfeyrac’s style than yours…”

“None of the above,” Enjolras told him, suddenly wishing he still had his phone to give him something to do with his hands. “I, uh, may have – shoved a cop.”

Grantaire’s eyes narrowed. “Shoved?” he repeated. “What does shoved mean in this context?” He didn’t wait for Enjolras’s answer. “And keep in mind that I’m not a cop or a prosecutor before you decide to obfuscate or lie.”

Enjolras shrugged again. “Maybe not, but you could also be tried as an accessory if I explain further.”

“As if I wouldn’t immediately execute my fifth amendment right against self-incrimination.”

Enjolras half-smiled. “Cute,” he said. “But you weren’t there.”

Grantaire arched an eyebrow at him. “And it’s on them to prove that,” he said coolly.

“So you’d risk a perjury rap for me?” Enjolras asked skeptically.

Something darkened in Grantaire’s expression. “I’ve risked worse for you,” he muttered, and Enjolras looked away, feeling his face color and hating himself just a little for it.

He bit back his initial response of defensiveness, of turning the tables back on Grantaire and asking him just what, exactly, he had risked over the course of what one could charitably call a relationship and more accurately call a friends with benefits arrangement – but then again, when had they ever been friends? – but something in Grantaire’s expression stopped him.

Or maybe it was just because he was stuck with his ex for the foreseeable future, and even he knew this was a bridge not worth burning right that moment.

“A cop decided to beat up a Black girl,” he said. “She couldn’t have been more than 14, and he didn’t even bother with his baton. She was on the ground and he wouldn’t stop, so I…” He trailed off and shrugged. “I stepped in.”

Grantaire let out a low whistle. “So you’re looking at aggravated battery,” he mused, looking up at the ceiling. “That’s, what, a class X felony? So you’re looking at 6 to 30, unless you can plead it down.”

Enjolras made a face. “Battery’s a stretch,” he said dismissively. “I’ll probably get slapped with aggravated assault.”

“Because the state’s attorney’s office is going to take one look at your record and decide to be generous.”

Enjolras barked a laugh and shook his head. “How do you know all this anyway?”

Grantaire shrugged. “I watch a lot of Law & Order reruns.” He gave Enjolras a critical look. “But potential criminal charges aside, are we just supposed to wait here with no link to the outside world until things blow over or something?”

It was Enjolras’s turn to shrug. “Or something.”

Grantaire sighed. “Great,” he said mournfully. “Well, thankfully, I was planning on quitting my job anyway, or I’d definitely be fired after this next round of no-call, no-shows.” He shoved himself up off the couch and slumped over to the small refrigerator humming ominously in the kitchen, and he opened the tiny freezer portion, pulling out a miniature ice cube tray. “That’s just pathetic,” he said, shaking his head.

Enjolras frowned. “Please don’t tell me you’re already making yourself a drink.”

“Hilarious,” Grantaire said. “But I already checked, and the only booze someone thought to stock this joint with is a couple bottles of bourbon, and I take my bourbon neat.” He cracked the ice cube tray into a ragged dishcloth, which he bundled up before carrying it over to Enjolras, holding it out for him. “This is for you, to try to keep that eye from getting worse,” he said, a little gruffly.

“Thanks,” Enjolras said, hesitating for only a moment before taking the dishcloth-wrapped ice and holding up to his eye, wincing at the cold. 

Grantaire looked at him carefully. “I’m guessing from the way you’re sitting, you’ve also got hit in the ribs – bruised or broken?”

“I’m sure they’re just bruised,” Enjolras assured him, but judging by the look on Grantaire’s face, he didn’t believe him.

Instead, he returned to the kitchen and refilled the ice tray, placing it back in the freezer. “So what are we gonna do now?” he asked off-handedly.

Enjolras shrugged. “Honestly? I have no idea. I’ve never exactly been someone good at relaxing.”

Grantaire snorted. “No shit, Sherlock.”

Enjolras arched an eyebrow, watching with his one good eye as Grantaire flopped down on the couch again. “You know, there was once a time when you would’ve given anything for it to be just you and me, alone, with no outside world for a few days.”

He had intended for it to be a funny, lighthearted memory, but he knew immediately by the way Grantaire sucked in a breath that it had landed as anything but that. They clearly weren’t to the point of joking about what they’d once had yet – if they’d ever get to that point. “Yeah, well,” Grantaire said, carefully avoiding Enjolras’s eyes, “that was a long time ago.”

Enjolras felt himself flush, but before he could offer some kind of apology, or explanation, Grantaire cleared his throat. “I think I’m just going to take a nap,” he said, still avoiding looking at Enjolras. “Riots really take it out of me.”

“Oh, right,” Enjolras said, hurrying to stand. “You can have the futon—”

“Nope, I got dibs on the couch.”

Enjolras frowned. “Take the futon,” he said. “I’m not going to make you sleep on the couch.”

“And I’m not going to make the person with potentially busted ribs sleep on the couch,” Grantaire shot back. “Besides, I checked out the futon before you arrived, and trust me, you’re not doing me any favors by switching.”

He said it with a sort of forced levity that told Enjolras not to push it further, so he didn’t. “If you say so,” he muttered instead, standing up and making his way over to the small pile of books stacked along one wall, hoping he could find something to keep his attention. 

By the time he returned to the futon with a novel that looked like it might do the trick – or at least make him angry enough that he’d have written a very thorough letter to the book’s publisher by the time he got out of there – Grantaire had rolled over onto his side, his back to Enjolras, ostensibly asleep.

But even though it had been a while since they had slept in the same bed, let alone the same room, Enjolras still knew Grantaire well enough to know when he was faking being asleep. And as he cracked open the book he had grabbed, he knew that Grantaire’s too-even breathing definitely indicated that he was not actually sleeping.

Which meant he preferred pretending to sleep to Enjolras’s company.

If that was any indication of how their time stuck together in the safe house was going to go, Enjolras couldn’t help but feel that they would both be very lucky if they made it out of there alive.

>>Read part 2 here>>

[milkybonya]

sticky situation

warnings: food mentions

Pairing: office worker!Doyoung x neighbour/co-worker!(gender neutral)reader

word count: 1-2k ?

Summary: you have a crush on Doyoung, your neighbour who lives three floors above you, but you’re too shy to confront him, so you leave sticky notes on his door. Desperate to find out who’s been leaving notes on his door but not wanting to approach you in case you don’t want him to, Doyoung patiently waits until you step forward first. With the help of Jungwoo, your co-worker and best friend (who sadly has a one-sided crush on you), you’re able to get out of this sticky situation.

what i listened to while writing: We Still (Be With U) - Astro

[a/n]: the synopsis is long and this is a mess and the ending is in need of a part 2 but i had fun writing this so i hope you’ll enjoy -- this is not properly edited because i’m sleepy but wanted to post this asap so pls forgive me ily

When you first saw him at the office, you didn’t think much other than wow, this guy is kind of handsome. After that, you moved on and continued with your day. It was when you saw him moving into your complex when you started to think that maybe this was fate. 

The way he looked so neat at work with his hair parted comma style, his suit well-ironed and his watch glistening under the florescent lights perfectly contrasted with the way he looked when he moved in: hair a fluffy mess, baggy sweater sitting awkwardly on top of his sweatpants, mismatched socks peeking out of his sneakers.

He was so cute. He was so perfect. And you didn’t even know his name... until you read it from his office ID card but still... you had fallen for an almost-stranger and you were feeling helpless..

“You know those messages written in marker on the bathroom stalls? Do you ever just wonder who writes those?” your friend, Jungwoo, asked, bending down to sit in the chair across from you.

“Why?” you asked, sipping your drink through your reusable straw.

“There were just a bunch of those in the bathroom and it made me wonder... who brings a marker to the washroom and who writes those things?”

You felt like a lightbulb went off in your head, and it was probably visible in your expression.

“What’s up?” Jungwoo asked, being the one to take a sip from their drink this time.

“I’ve got an idea...”

Doyoung left the house each morning at 7:45am sharp. You knew this because you happened to be outside of your unit, watering some of your hanging plants in the morning when Doyoung would rush by with a quiet “excuse me”.

He returned home at around 6:30pm each evening. This routine would happen each day except for the weekends. On Saturdays he would go for an early morning run at 7am, and on Sundays, he wouldn’t leave the house until 5pm to go for another run.

You had his timetable memorized, which means you knew when to place the sticky notes on his door while avoiding being caught by him.

Did I mention that your plan was to place sticky notes on his door?

Your friend’s thoughts about bathroom stalls made you think that even if you couldn’t confess your feelings to Doyoung directly or even befriend him in any way because of how shy you were, you could at least leave messages on his door to brighten his day.

When you went home, you went through the stationary you had and picked out your favourite sticky notes and a pen that you would only use for this purpose.

“good evening! enjoy your evening run~” you wrote, since it was 4pm on a Sunday and you knew that he would soon leave for his run.

You quickly got up with the sticky note in your hand and crept up the stairs to the third floor where Doyoung lived. Looking left then right and confirming that no one could see you, you gently pressed the sticky note against his front door, rubbing it with your thumb to make sure it wouldn’t fall off.

Standing back to make sure it would be at his eye level, you then ran downstairs to your floor and peeked up through the space in-between the stairs. A few minutes later, the door to Doyoung’s unit opened and he stepped out, turning to close and lock the door behind him. He paused, though, reading your note on his door.

Looking around, he tried to find who had placed it there, but there was no one on his floor. So he gently removed it, folded it and placed it in his pocket, not wanting to lose it. When he started to jog down the stairs, you quickly opened the door to your own unit and went inside, not wanting to get caught. Through the peephole, you watched Doyoung run past with the trace of a smile on his face, and it made you happy.

You considered going up to place another sticky note on his door for him to see when he got back, but you thought that would be too much, so you decided to just leave it at that for today.

-

The next day, you rolled out of bed at seven and despite not being able to see clearly since your face was puffy, you walked to your desk to pick up your sticky notes and pen.

Thinking of what to write, you decided on a simple "have a nice day and a good start to the week!" except because you were so sleepy, you wrote 'day' as 'daay' and 'week' as 'weak' so the sticky note was a bit messy.

Not wanting Doyoung to think you couldn't spell or were too lazy to try again, you scrapped that note and rewrote it on another sheet.

Pulling on a hoodie, you quickly washed your face before stumbling upstairs to stick it on his door. You then managed to eat breakfast before it was 7:45am and you snuck outside to see Doyoung's reaction to the sticky note this time.

When he walked out, you fell back against the door seeing his neatly styled hair and his freshly ironed suit hanging off his frame. His skin was glowing under the early rays of the sun, and his smile when he looked at your note was enough to make you grasp at your fastly beating heart for dear life.

Again, he folded the note and placed it in his pocket before he rushed downstairs and you had to quickly enter your unit to avoid being caught.

-

At work, your manager asked you to take some documents down to the PR team. When your Jungwoo, who worked at the office with you, overhead this, he texted you.

[y/n]!!! Doyoung works for the PR team! use this chance to do something!

You had told your friend about your crush on Doyoung and boy were you grateful that you did.

Taking the documents from your manager, you walked out into the hallway and stopped there to think.

Did he like coffee? You'd never seen him leave with one in his hand when he left his house.. Maybe he bought one at work? Would it be okay for you to buy one and leave it at his desk?

You decided to text Jungwoo for help.

does Doyoung like coffee?? would it be ok if i got him some?

everyone in this crappy office likes coffee! it's the only way we can survive!

With that, you set off to the company café to buy a drink for Doyoung. Then, in the elevator on the way to his floor, you took out a pack of sticky notes which you had stashed in your pockets and a pen to write a message.

"do you like coffee? i hope you do.. enjoy this and have a good day!" you wrote, sticking it onto the side of the cup.

You stared at it in satisfaction before the silver elevator doors opened and you left to find the PR room. When you found it, you decided you were going to drop off Doyoung's coffee first, but there was just one problem.

You had no clue where his spot was. And Doyoung was nowhere to be seen.

And what would people think when they saw you drop off a coffee for him after asking where he sat? Would they think you're his s/o? Would they ask him about it? Just the thought of Doyoung being bothered by people asking questions because of your mistake made you--your phone vibrated in your pocket. You unlocked it to find an unread message from Jungwoo.

psst. he sits in front of the manager, on the manager's left side. ur welcome.

Thank heavens for sticky notes and best friends.

After finding the manager, which was easy just by the way they sat and the mood that everyone around them showed on their faces, you casually walked towards them while dropping Doyoung's coffee off on his desk and facing the sticky note side towards his computer so no one could see or read it.

Then you gave the manager the documents and got the hell out of there.

On your way out and in your hurry, you brushed shoulders against someone and immediately turned to apologize.

"It's okay," Doyoung said with a smile, continuing to walk off to his spot.

You had just brushed shoulders with Doyoung... Doyoung?!

You ran to the elevators before he would have any chance of discovering that you left the coffee at his desk.

-

Once he was at his desk, Doyoung sat down with a sigh, stretching out his limbs before sitting tall and straight again. His hands moved to his keyboard to begin typing, but froze after seeing a cup of coffee in front of him.

Had he told someone that he had been craving an Americano?

He didn't recall doing this.

Who had placed it there? He looked around but no one made any eye contact.

After asking the person working next to him about it, who said they had no clue, he just decided to drink it.

As he did, his fingers felt a piece of paper on the cup. Turning it around in his hand, he found a sticky note with a cheerful message written on it.

"do you like coffee? i hope you do.. enjoy this and have a good day!"

What was this familiar tone of writing? Could it be..

He pulled out the folded note from his pocket that had been on his front door that morning, unfolded it and held it next to the note on the cup.

The handwriting was a perfect match.

-

6pm, the time read. You moved your fingers faster against your keyboard. You only had half an hour before Doyoung would get home and you were still cooped up in the office. It had been your own fault -- you kept imagining what Doyoung's reaction to the coffee had been. Did he hate it and throw it out? Did it make him feel sick because he has a coffee allergy?

"[y/n]."

You hummed as you looked up from your desk to face Jungwoo.

"Go home. I'll finish up the rest of our task for the both of us," Jungwoo said with a small smile.

"Really?" you asked in disbelief.

"Yeah!"

"I owe you!" you replied, grabbing your coat before leaving the office.

"Big time," Jungwoo said.

-

6:25pm, you made it home. You were wet from the rain and dried off your hands so you could write the next note.

"how was your monday? i hope it was productive and not too tiring. enjoy a good rest!"

As you were about to peel it off, you noticed a bag of candy that you had left on your desk. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to leave one for Doyoung..

In the few minutes that you had left, you taped a candy to the note and left your unit in a rush to tape the note to Doyoung's door. You made it downstairs and into your unit just as Doyoung entered the complex and began to walk upstairs.

When he passed your unit, you quietly stepped out so you could see his reaction. He smiled immediately when he saw the familiar writing on his door, and turned the candy around in his hand before unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth. He closed his eyes and savoured the flavour, and your heart bursted into a million butterflies just watching him smile from above you.

He pocketed the note and looked around then down. He would've seen you if you hadn't been quick-witted and quickly hidden yourself.

"Whoever you are, if you're still nearby, I just wanted to say thank you.." Doyoung said quietly before opening the door to his unit. It beeped as it locked behind him.

-

Since that day, you left a note on Doyoung's door twice a day, even on weekends. Each time, Doyoung would pocket the note with a smile, and you were beginning to wonder what he did with them afterwards.

You started to leave little gifts for him along with the notes by taping flowers or candy to his door. Seeing his reaction made you happy, and the times he'd adorably walk up to the door with his eyes squeezed shut as he wondered if a new note would be awaiting to then open his eyes and grin as he saw it there... it all filled your days with so much happiness.

You were just an office worker before Doyoung, living every day like the rest. Now, you were so happy. Your secret admirer persona made you happy.. until you weren't so secret anymore.

Doyoung was desperate to find out who you were.

He had found himself getting excited from your notes, his heart fluttering as he traced the lettering with his fingers despite not having the slightest clue about who left these notes. He felt like he was pathetic for feeling this way.

Doyoung had figured out your routine and what times you would place the notes on his door, so he decided he would head out to work just a little earlier one morning. As he crept towards the metal railing across from his unit to peek down at the stairs, he saw you leave your unit and walk upstairs.

Did this mean you were the person leaving notes at his door? Or were you just coming upstairs for a different reason?

He purposely stomped around upstairs, making noise to see what your reaction would be. You froze in response, looked up to see the door to Doyoung's unit open, and fled back to your own unit.

Doyoung had a feeling that he had found you.

You waited for exactly ten minutes before deciding that it was safe to leave. Perhaps Doyoung just felt the need to get some air a little earlier this morning.

When you closed your door behind you, your hand brushed against a thing piece of paper that felt to the ground after you touched it. After you picked it up, you notice there was writing on it.

"have i found the source of my daily happiness? thank you for leaving notes for me.."

You were so in awe that you had to read it a few times over to understand that it was real. Your crush. Had called you 'the source of his daily happiness'. You. A source of happiness.

It made you so happy that you jumped up, stomping your feet against the ground. Doyoung, who was quietly watching from upstairs, smiled to himself seeing your reaction.

Don't worry, Doyoung still didn't know what you looked like. All he could see was the top of your head and your back, and he purposely kept it that way because he had a feeling you didn't want him to find out who you were. I mean, the anonymous sticky notes kind of gave that away.

But now he knew where your door was, and nothing could stop him from leaving notes for you, too.

Doyoung would always leave a note on your door before you left one on his. In the mornings, he'd sometimes even leave you sandwiches or snacks, writing that he'd had some extra breakfast foods lying around snd wanted to share some.

He was lying, though.

He'd gone out of his way, googling the most popular breakfast snacks and attempting to make the sandwich three times before he got it to look just right.

At work, the two of you never saw each other, and if you ever saw Doyoung walking towards you, you'd immediately hide out of sight. Doyoung still didn't know you worked in the same place as him. He only knew you as a neighbour, and you preferred it that way.

What if he'd think lowly of you when he discovered that you were still just an intern almost reaching the end of your internship and unsure if you would actually be hired? You couldn't risk it.

This sticky note situation continued on for weeks until your friend, Jungwoo, decided he'd had enough.

"[y/n], this needs to stop."

"What needs to stop?" you asked him, washing the dishes in your kitchen while Jungwoo sat on your couch.

"This secret admirer thing. It's been weeks and he clearly likes you."

"Clearly? Where? How?" you asked, throwing down the dish towel and turning around to face him.

"He's been leaving notes for you, too. He knows all your favourite snacks now and always buys them for you. Would just a friend do any of this?"

"Yeah, you," you said, sticking your tongue out at him.

"I also have a crush on you, you dummy, so I'd know how people with crushes on you act," Jungwoo muttered.

"What?" you asked, walking towards where he was sitting.

"Nothing. I said I've heard the rumours circulating around Doyoung and his coworkers that Doyoung likes someone and I'm pretty sure it's you," Jungwoo said, laying back and placing his hands behind his head.

"How are you so sure it's me?" you asked, sitting next to him.

"Because as I was grabbing coffee from the break room on their floor, I heard it all. One of Doyoung's coworkers was talking about how Doyoung has gone insane and has fallen for someone who sticks hand written notes on his door. He doesn't even know what this person looks like but he talks about them in the office during breaks all the time."

"You heard this? Actually?" you ask. You can feel the blood in your body rushing to your face as your heart pumps quickly. Doyoung... in love.. with you?

"I swear I heard this. I'm your friend, why would I lie?" Jungwoo pointed out, spitting out the word friend as though it was poison.

"So what do I do?"

"Set up a date and meet him!"

"Just...like that?"

"Yes."

"I can't," you sighed, burying your face in your hands.

"I haven't spoken to him. Just imagining it makes me want to hide under my bed... Me... speaking to Doyoung while on a date? Us looking at each other and..."

"[y/n]! Come on! You are going on a date with Doyoung and that's that. And I'll be here to help you."

You smiled at Jungwoo who smiled back, feeling a bittersweet ache in his heart.

-

The next morning, after reading Doyoung’s sticky note on your door which wished you a good day, you walked up to his unit with a special sticky note in your hand. Taking a deep breath, you stuck it to his door and rushed down. This time, you didn’t stand outside and wait to see his reaction. You headed in and pressed your back against the door.

Your heart was racing.

“i hope you also have a wonderful day, Doyoung! this day will come to an end soon, but there is still tomorrow~ would you like to spend your tomorrow with me? you can knock on my door whenever you’re ready. if you don’t knock, i’ll understand that you’re busy or didn’t want to come :)”

This note was scandalous in your mind, but Jungwoo insisted that you write it like that. To you, it sounded like you were cornering Doyoung into spending a day with you, because he’d pretty much be the bad guy if he said no to this.

Your stomach felt like a black hole, and slowly slid down to the floor. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you decided that you would call in sick. You did not want to go to work today.

Okay, let’s use this day to prepare for tomorrow. What are we even going to do? What will I wear?

Like the adorable soul you are, you searched google for the top places to take someone on a date near you. Some cool things showed up like museums, art galleries, but you decided that they wouldn’t be so good. In places like that, your focus would move to the art, and you wouldn’t want Doyoung to feel left out. So instead, you found a cute café.

Though your heart was already racing at the thought of talking to Doyoung face to face, you decided that was what you had to do. You have to get to know him. That’s what Jungwoo told you.

Next, you moved to the closet to pick out some clothes. Nothing too tight that would make you feel more anxious than you already were, but not something too casual. Once you found what you were looking for, you laid it out on your couch.

For the rest of the day, you binged romance dramas and movies in hopes that you would be inspired and learn a thing or too. Whether or not they’d work, you’d find out tomorrow.

Once Doyoung stepped out of his unit and reached for the familiar sticky note left on his door, he was preparing himself for another message of good luck, something short and sweet to give him energy to start his day with.

He was not expecting to be asked out on a date in such a cute way.

Despite the air being slightly frosty, he felt his face getting warm and he crouched down out of excitement. How was he going to work today knowing that he was going to meet you tomorrow? This wouldn’t work. He had to call in sick.

When Jungwoo found out that both you and Doyoung had called in sick that day, he knew that your plan was going to be a success.

-

Somehow, you made it to the next day. You had barely slept, your heart had been racing for the past 24 hours and you were not ready. 

Your phone vibrated.

[y/n], this is a once in a lifetime chance. even if it doesn’t go well, at least u will have gone on a date with Doyoung!!!

Jungwoo’s message was enough to get you out of bed and in the bathroom to wash up. You changed into your outfit for the day, got some breakfast in you and waited.

Waited.

This was the worst part.

Maybe you should have given Doyoung a time, but you didn’t want to bother him in case he was sleeping in on this Saturday morning. Just in case, even though you already knew his daily shedule.

Doyoung had not slept a wink last night either. He got up early and headed for a local flower shop to pick something up for you. He wasn’t even sure you liked flowers, but assumed you did, since you often taped flowers to your sticky notes when you left them on his door.

“May I ask what occasion this is for?” the worker asked Doyoung.

“Ah... a first date?” Doyoung croaked out shyly.

“Do you know this person or is it the first time?”

“I guess you could say... I know them.”

Doyoung laughed nervously.

Once he purchased the flowers, he happily walked to your shared complex and up to his unit where he made sure he looked okay, grabbed everything he needed, and then stepped outside.

This was it. 

He was going to see you for the first time. Finally he would be able to put a face to all of those cute sticky notes.

His legs were shaking as he walked downstairs to your floor and he almost dropped the flowers. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to your door and carefully knocked.

As soon as you heard those knocks, you jumped up and ran to the door. Then you waited a few seconds, not wanting to make it seem as though you were desperately waiting for him (even though you kind of were). 

Clearing your throat and standing up straight, you slowly opened the door.

You were kind of freaking out. Only kind of. Just a little bit.

This man had showed up to your doorstep with flowers in his hands. Your crush. Doyoung. Was at your door. With flowers in his hands.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Doyoung said, holding out the flowers to you.

“Nice... to meet you too. I’m [y/n],” you said, taking the flowers from him.

Doyoung nervously rubbed his palms against his thighs, looking around.

“I always wondered how you knew my name but I didn’t know yours,” he said with a laugh.

“Ah, we work in the same building! I’ve seen you with your ID card around your neck-”

Oh no. Did you just sound like a creep? 

You covered your mouth and quietly apologized, but Doyoung shook his head and grinned.

“Don’t apologize, I’m upset I didn’t notice you sooner! We work in the same company and I didn’t know? How disappointing... I’m glad I know now, though.”

Your heart melted more with each second that he was smiling. At you.

The two of you stood there quietly for a few moments, avoiding eye contact until Doyoung asked you what your plans for the day were.

“Hm? Oh! I’m sorry, I completely forgot. I was thinking we could go to a café, would that be okay?” you asked. Doyoung nodded.

“Let me put these flowers in my house so they won’t get ruined, give me one second,” you told him, quickly rushing inside to place them on your coffee table before rushing back.

“Let’s go!” Doyoung said cheerfully, letting you lead the way.

“It’s only a five-minute walk, so it shouldn’t be too far!” you said, walking down the steps to the main street.

“That sounds good! It’s nice to get some fresh air sinceI’m usually indoors,” Doyoung says.

“Same.”

“Right, since we both work in the office,” Doyoung said with a quiet laugh.

As you approached the café, you started to feel less and less nervous. Doyoung was able to keep the conversation flowing naturally, despite him also being anxious that he might mess things up. You learned that he was actually a person who liked liked to sleep in all the time but after being late to work several times and being scolded for it, he decided to set up a strict schedule for himself.

“Ah, here’s the café!” you said, pointing to the bright yellow and blue building.

“Wow, it’s so colourful,” Doyoung exclaimed, holding the door open for you.

When you stepped inside, the place was buzzing with people. It seemed like you’d found a hot spot.

“So do you always know where the good places are?” Doyoung asked, walking to the bright pink, glittery counter with you.

“No, I just happened to find this place!” you admitted.

Doyoung ordered a caramel coffee, which was apparently his favourite, with a mango dessert. After you also ordered, you found a cozy spot back in the corner of the café which wasn’t as loud.

The two of you talked for two hours there and time flew by. You learned about Doyoung’s love for singing, and as he practically serenaded you in that corner, you melted just like the whipped topping of your drink.

As he walked you home, Doyoung felt himself itching to hold your hand. It had only been the first date, but the two of you had clicked so well. He held himself back though, not wanting to make you uncomfortable. 

Once he had safely dropped you off at your unit, he practically flew up the steps with how giddy he was feeling. He decided that he would walk with you to work from now on, share his lunch breaks with you and get to know you better. Maybe you’d even join him on his weekend runs?

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[trulycevans]

the first date

[gif not mine, credit to original owner]

Warnings: drunken antics, and some swearing

Summary: anon requested

“how about chris x reader where they agree to go on a first date to see a football game and she shows up wearing a jersey of the other team🥺🥺😂😂and chris is shocked, not realizing that she might be a fan of the other team but his shock quickly changes to adoration bc she is cute in her cap and a little too big shirt🥺😂”

Words: 1.7k

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

[A/N i don’t know much about american football as i’m from the uk so i’ve had to use google a lot for this, if anything is factually wrong then pls dont hate me]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

R I N G. Your phone blared in your pocket as you pulled up outside of the busy sports bar. Upon seeing the bustling street filled with drunk fans you silently questioned why you’d offered to pick your cousin and his friends up. You answered the call through your car’s handsfree as you found a parking space. “Heeeey [Y/N],” Your cousins slurred words spoke through the line. 

“Hi bud, I’ve just parked up, are you outside?” You questioned putting your car into park and relaxing slightly. 

“No, we’re just having one more drink, can you come in?” He hiccuped on the other end of the line. “You know I have work tomorrow right?” You questioned him and he giggled. “Yeah, but you’d do anything for me right? I mean we’re practically siblings,” You rolled your eyes as you turned your car off and put the phone to your ear. 

“Fine, I’m coming in. Where are you?” He directed you to a table at the back of the bar, and you shuffled through the crowds of football supporters in vibrantly coloured jerseys and scarves. You finally managed to find your cousin who gave you a large hug on arrival. “There she is!” He grinned, “My big cousin!” He exclaimed, swaying you both from side to side. “Hi bud,” You smiled pulling the blue Indianapolis Colts baseball cap from his head and putting it onto your own head. “Did they win?” You questioned, as you pulled away from his embrace, muttering hellos to his drunk friends as you sat on a bar stool next to them. A chorus of ‘yeah’’s followed your question. 

“I’m gonna go and buy the next round, what do you want?” Your cousin asked, attempting to stand up but stumbling as he did almost knocking into another person at a neighbouring table. You mumbled an apology to the group and helped your cousin to steady himself. “Bud, the likelihood of you getting served anything else is slim to none right now. I’ll go and buy you something. Just sit down.” He placed a sloppy kiss on your cheek, “You’re the best cousin ever you know?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. You owe me, bud” You chuckled before heading over to the bar to order more drinks. You waited patiently to be served feeling sorry for the poor bartenders having to work that shift. 

“You don’t strike me as a Colts fan,” You heard a voice beside you, you turned your head to see one of the men from the neighbouring table leaning against the bar. It was only now when you actually had a chance to look at him that you realised how attractive he was. His brunette hair poking out from underneath a black NASA cap, a trimmed beard framing his face, and sparkling blue eyes dancing over your face as you looked at him. 

“Oh I’m not,” You blushed subconsciously reaching up to touch the hat you’d stolen from your cousin. “I’ve just come to pick up my cousin, he’s the Colts fan” You explained, and he nodded. “Ah so that’s your cousin back there?” He questioned, both of your eyes scanning the table where your cousin was swaying drunkenly in his chair, eyes closed and a cheesy grin plastered on his face. 

“Unfortunately yes,” You laughed, “We’ve always been close, but never agreed on the team we should support, it’s been a consistent argument over our childhoods.” The bartender finally reached you asking you what you wanted, and as you opened your mouth to order the man next to you interrupted. “Let me get this. I insist.” He smiled. 

“The man insisted,” the bartender shrugged at you. “Uh ok... three Budweisers and just a Diet Coke... You sure you wanna pay?” You asked the man as the bartender reached into the fridge behind him for the drinks. “Yeah, just come and sit with us for a little while at least, bring your cousin and his friends too.” You nodded at his words. 

“I’m Chris by the way,” holding out his hand for you to shake. “[Y/N]” You responded by taking his hand into yours.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Sitting with Chris and his friends had caused you to stay at the bar way longer than you had planned, your eyes widened as you peered at your watch some hours later. “Shit, we’ve gotta get going. I've gotta be up for work in five hours.” You downed the last of your drink and tapped your cousin who had dozed off on your shoulder. 

“He’s not waking up any time soon, [Y/N].” One of his friends laughed, “He’s impossible when he’s like this.”

“Need some help getting him to your car?” Chris questioned, a wave of relief passing over you at his offer. “That’d be so amazing, thank you.” The pair of you stood up and a chorus of farewells were exchanged between you and Chris’ friends. You and Chris hauled your cousin up from the chair and carried him out, one of his arms on each of your shoulders. Approaching your car you cursed at the big yellow ticket that was slapped under your windscreen wiper.

“Shit! I forgot this was short stay parking only,” Leaning over to pick up the ticket from your window, struggling however as your cousin's weight crippled you. 

“I feel like this is partially my fault,” Chris stated apologetically as he hauled your cousin into the backseat of your car and stepped to the side so you could manoeuvre the sleeping man into a comfortable position. 

“No, I should have remembered to move my car...” You sighed, “I should have paid more attention to the time. 

“If I hadn't invited you to our table though you’d be home by now. Let me make it up to you?” He kept his gaze on your back as you strapped your cousin into the seatbelt.

“Make it up to me how?” You questioned, standing back to shut the door, glancing at him quickly. 

“Well I have tickets to the Patriots v Eagles game if you wanted to come with me?” He scratched the back of his neck nervously causing you to smile.

“Like a date?” You raised an eyebrow.

“I mean it doesn’t need to be a date, but it can if you want it to be?” His flustered demeanour was extremely endearing and part of you was wondering how he was even single when he looked that good. 

“I’d like to go on a date with you Chris” You ran a hand through your hair, 

“Great, can I get your number then?” He asked and you obliged, passing your phone over to him so he could stamp his digits into it. You heard a groan in the backseat of your car, causing the two of you to laugh. “I’d better get him home before he pukes in the back of my car, it’s just been valeted.” You tiptoed to press a light kiss to the cheek of the taller man, being close enough to smell the mixture of beer and sandalwood that radiated from him. “I’ll text you,” You whispered. 

“You’d better” He grinned cheekily at you. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

chris 🤍: I’m just leaving my house now, see you soon X

You grinned foolishly down at your phone as you read the text message. Peering in the mirror you straightened the Eagles baseball cap on your head and tugged at the slightly oversized jersey. Ever since that evening at the bar you’d been texting Chris non-stop, even FaceTiming a couple of times where you’d met his dog, Dodger, and he’d had the chance to talk to your cousin now that he was sober. 

A knock at the door had you racing through your apartment only to hear your cousin get there first. 

“No. Freaking. Way!” He exclaimed, causing your eyebrows to furrow together, when finally reaching the door your confusion was replaced with dread as you gazed at his blue Patriots hoodie and the NASA hat you recognised from the bar. 

“You’re an Eagles fan?” His eyes almost bulged out of his head as he looked at the turquoise jersey. 

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it” Your cousin winked, patting your shoulder in mock comfort as he passed, “Good luck” He whispered, loudly enough for Chris to hear. 

“I guess I should have checked what side of the stands we were sitting in,” You nervously laughed, folding your arms over your chest. You watched his expression soften and he reached his hand up to move your arms away from your chest, intertwining your fingers with his. 

“Well,” He hesitated. “As disappointed as I am that you’re not a Patriots fan, you do look incredibly cute in that get up.” You flushed a bright shade of red at his words as his eyes scanned your body, “Come on give me a spin” He teased, using your intertwined fingers to spin you around slowly. 

“Chris, don’t be mean!” You pouted as you were facing him, and he laughed, his eyes scrunching closed.

“I’m not being mean... But that jersey is drowning you-” You playfully smacked his chest. “I do have some Patriots clothes in the trunk of my car if you’d prefer to not get heckled in our seats?” 

“That sounds like a good idea,” You sighed, taking the cap off your head and throwing it on the side table by your door. You shouted goodbye to your cousin and walked hand in hand out to Chris’ car wear you exchanged an Eagles jersey for a Patriots one. “You have a personalised jersey?” You giggled, looking at the EVANS emblazoned on the back.

“Don’t tease, football is kinda my life.” He grinned as you pulled on the jersey. You fixed your hair in the reflection of his rear windows, feeling Chris’ eyes studying you carefully.

“I didn’t think you could get any cuter, but you definitely suit blue more than green.” 

“You’re walking a fine line here, Evans. Shut up and get in the car before I change my mind” You playfully rolled your eyes, sauntering over to the passenger side of the car.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

taglist

@onetwo3000​ @tvckerlance​

[127-mile]

Paris by night.

Pairing: Doyoung x reader. (ft.Johnny)

Genre: Love at first sight (not really), inspired by the underground cinema found by the police in the catacombs of Paris in 2004 / fluff, angst if you squint.

Warnings: Non-explicit mention of deaths, mention of bones, one non-explicit mention of animal sacrifices, careless use of a ouija board, haunting, voices.

Plot: Doyoung has two days to spend in Paris before returning to Chicago, and he decides to let a friend drag him to visit the Catacombs. Love, fear and a little bit of chaos ensue.

Word count: +3.5k.

A/N: This is part of my Something in the Shadow halloween special. To my scaredy cats out there, this is not scary.

"Kim Doyoung!" the door to the hotel room swings open, and he knows he should have locked it when he got in earlier, but he was too lazy. He's snuggled up in bed, and he covers his face with a pillow, but that only strengthens Johnny's need. He throws himself on the bed next to him, and he slides closer. "Why aren't you ready?" he asks, and the younger shakes his head. "I'm not going out. You dragged me through Paris all day, I want to sleep. Do you understand that? Sleep!"

"Come on Doie, we might not have the chance to come to Paris for a while, don't you want to take advantage of it?" Johnny asks, and Doyoung shakes his head once more. “You're the idiot who decided to buy cheap plane tickets to make sure we had a stopover in Paris. I didn't ask for anything, so let me sleep!” Johnny really doesn't agree with Doyoung, so he gets out of bed and grabs his wrists to sit him up. "Come with me, please." when Doyoung finally looks at him, he gives him his best puppy eyes, and he pouts. Fucker. "Please Doie, you know how much I love Paris. And how am I supposed to enjoy it without my best friend."

Doyoung whines loudly, and Johnny knows he's won. "Come on, put on something warm." he helps his best friend get back on his feet, and he even opens his suitcase to get out some pants and a hoodie, he's going to need them. "Where are we going?" Doyoung mumbles and Johnny grins. "It's a surprise, but I'm sure you'll love it!"

When Doyoung is dressed, Johnny forces him out of his hotel room before he decides to go back to bed. In the elevator, Johnny can barely contain his excitement, and Doyoung has to put his hand on his arm to stop him from hopping too much. "I don't want to be stuck in the elevator." he says in a low voice, and Johnny nods. "Sorry."

"Wait there." Johnny tells him, and he walks over to the counter where the secretary gives him a nice smile. "Bonsoir! We're going out, and we might come back late, will we still be allowed to enter the hotel?" he tilts his head, and it takes a minute for the woman to understand before nodding. "There is a bell near the door. We will come and open the door for you, at any time. Enjoy Paris."

When the two boys leave the hotel, a car is already waiting for them. Johnny gets on first, and Doyoung follows him, greeting the driver. "1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy please." Johnny says in very rough French and the man behind the wheel nods. The drive takes about ten minutes, and Doyoung is too busy looking at the lights behind the window that he doesn't think of the address Johnny gave. He won't say anything to him anyway, he has to be patient.

When the car stops, Johnny pays the driver, and he thanks him with a big smile. It's not every day that the driver deals with such a nice man, especially in Paris. "Where are we?" Doyoung asks, looking around. Several people are in line, and they all look excited. Before Johnny answers him, he stands behind the last person, and he holds Doyoung's arm. He doesn't want to see him run away when he tells him where they are. "We are going to visit the catacombs of Paris!"

The catacombs, Doyoung thinks. He has already heard of the catacombs of Paris, but he no longer knows why, or where. "Normally visits are prohibited during the night, but today is a special day, so I had to buy tickets!" The only signs that indicate where he is are in French, and he is not good enough to understand all the lines. "Is it a museum?" Doyoung dares to ask, and he turns white when Johnny shakes his head.

"A veritable labyrinth in the heart of underground Paris, a unique site in former quarry galleries. Open to the public in 1809, the largest ossuary in the world houses the remains of several million Parisians as the cemeteries from Paris closed down." Johnny reads from the phone he is holding in his hand, and Doyoung shakes his head. He takes a step back, and is about to come out of the line when Johnny catches up with him. "Don't leave. It'll be funny."

"Funny? Visiting a place full dead, and most likely haunted, do you find that funny?" Doyoung asks, panicked, which is not the case of Johnny who laughs. "Most likely haunted? Doie it's one of the most haunted places in France." It is too much for Doyoung, he cannot stay there. Yes, he likes to watch horror movies from time to time to please Johnny, but this is too much for him.

"Doyoung, listen to me." Johnny puts his hand on his shoulder, and rather than pulling away, he looks up at Johnny who is smiling reassuringly at him. "We will not be alone in the catacombs. We have a guide. Nothing is going to happen to you. You are not going to get lost. Tell yourself that the French are fond of ghost stories, and that the rumors of this place being haunted are certainly wrong. Nothing is going to happen to you. Nothing is going to happen to us. We are going to visit, have a good time, and then we will go and eat somewhere."

Doyoung takes a deep breath, and he nods. He's drawing attention to himself, and he doesn't want that. "Okay, I trust you. But no funny business, okay? You stay next to me, and you don't scare me on purpose!" Johnny raises his right hand, and very solemnly he says, "I swear."

That's when you step out onto the streets, ready to take charge of a new group of tourists ready for an incredible and frightening experience. "Good evening everyone. Can I have your attention, please? Hi, my name is Y/n, and I'll be your guide for the night." Fortunately, all eyes are on you and you smile. It's not every day that this happens, most of the time you have to deal with young idiots who want nothing but to be afraid, and refuse to listen to you.

"Perfect, we'll check your tickets, and we can start the tour." you explain, and you push yourself to let the first tourists in. You observe the tourists one after the other, but your gaze lingers on one of them. He hasn't entered yet and yet his hands are shaking though he tries to control them, and his friend next to him seems to whisper reassuring words, and you can only chuckle softly.

You started working in the catacombs when you were quite young, so you're not afraid anymore, you're immune to anything that might happen to you there. But you're not mocking anyone, you were on the edge the first few visits you had to make without really knowing what to expect, so you understand.

When the boy and his friend stop near you, you turn to them. "Are you okay?" you ask the boy who is slightly startled, and you bite your lower lip so as not to laugh. "Are you sure you want to visit? Because once you get in, you won't be able to get out until the end of the tour." the boy nods, suddenly seized with a dose of confidence, and that's reassuring. "Yes, I can do it!"

"Perfect then." it's their turn to come in, and you wink at him. "Don't worry, I'll take special care of you." you notice that the boy's cheeks blush even in the darkness, and that makes you pretty proud. You always have a tourist whom you pay special attention to, or whom you turn to more than others to talk and relax, and tonight, it will be Doyoung. And he's an extremely handsome boy, so that helps. Johnny nudges Doyoung, and the boy mumbles for him to stop, embarrassed. "See! You've already caught the guide's eye! That's my boy!"

You enter when the last visitors have entered, and they are all waiting. You approach, and you clear your throat to get everyone's attention on you. “Before we go down, we'll discuss the rules. There are 131 steps to go down, and 112 to go back up, so if you want to give up, it's now, you can't turn around on the stairs. No eating or drinking during the visit. You can take pictures, but the flash is forbidden And of course you don't touch the bones, they are human beings down there, respect is in order. If you don't play by the rules, I'll let you get lost."

Legally, you are not allowed to let a tourist get lost in the catacombs, but it is tempting to do so when some are unable to abide by rules as simple as the ones you just gave them. "Can we go?" several heads nod, and you smile. Nobody gave up on the idea of the steps, so it's a small victory for you.

Another guide joins you to close the path on the stairs, and to make sure that no one falls while your back is turned. You laugh when you arrive at the bottom of the last step, and the plowed breaths of the tourists are echoing against the walls of the underground quarries. "Is everyone still alive?" you ask, and several "yes" are heard. "Perfect!"

"And is my favorite visitor still alive?" you ask while turning. You don't see him, but you see the top of his friend's blond head. "Still alive! I think so." Johnny answers, and you smile. “Before we continue to the ossuary, I am going to ask you not to speak too loudly, or to shout, no matter what. If you hear voices, do not be afraid, the walls are just talking, do not take it seriously, and do not let them take you away from the group."

The experiences are different from person to person. Some will say they have heard voices trying to get them lost, and others will say quiet voices that remind them to stay close to the other. Maybe that's what you like best about all of this, hearing the visitors talk about what they experienced down there, what they felt, what they heard.

You start to walk through the ossuary, and you open your mouth. It's good to visit, but it's also good to learn more about this place. “At the end of the 18th century, major health problems linked to the city's cemeteries led to the decision to transfer their contents underground. The Parisian authorities chose an easily accessible site, then located outside the capital: the old quarries de la Tombe-Issoire, under the plain of Montrouge. The first evacuations took place from 1785 to 1787 and affected the most important cemetery in Paris, the Saints-Innocents."

You are always surprised when you hear nothing while explaining the history of the catacombs. When you don't hear visitors talking to each other, and it's always a pride to know that they are listening to you, or that even if they don't care, that they have enough respect not to interrupt. "The bones, previously left loose, are carefully organized in the walls, on the model of quarrymen's hagues. On the front, the rows of shins alternate with those of skulls, while behind the facings pile up the remaining bones, often very fragmented by the consequences of their fall."

"Excuse me?" You turn, and smile when your gaze lands on Doyoung. His hand is raised, and Johnny is hiding behind his hands. Is he embarrassed? Certainly. "Yes, what's up?" you say, and the boy nods. "How many bodies are in the catacombs?" a smart question, you like it.

"There are 6 million skeletons stored in the catacombs ossuary, which is about 3 times more than Parisians!" he opens his eyes wide, genuinely interested in what you have to say. "Oh yeah, that's a lot!" you nod your head. "The Municipal Ossuary of the Catacombs is one of the largest ossuaries in the world" he opens his mouth with a silent "wow" and you roll your eyes.

The visit lasts about an hour, and when you announce a break, the visitors are all more or less relieved. "Normally the tour should be over, but tonight is a special night, so we'll be staying downstairs for a couple more hours." you make your way to Doyoung who is talking to Johnny, a big smile on his face.

"You look more relaxed than earlier." you say, and the boy turns to you. "Yes, it's not scary at all! It was really, really interesting to learn all of this, I'm glad I came." Johnny is proud of him, because he is the reason he didn't run away through the dark streets of Paris. "You didn't find it scary? Glad to hear that, but the rest might be."

Suddenly Doyoung's confidence disappears, and you put your hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll stay with you." once again, your wink makes him blush, and you group the visitors together. "Follow me, but be careful where you step." the place where you direct them is normally closed to visitors. It is dangerous, and the stones are more important and can cause accidents.

"Before I show you what we have prepared for you, I have something to tell you. A man got lost in the catacombs a long time ago, and it took eleven years to find his body. It is said that once a year, on this precise date, at midnight, he tries to be heard." you explain, and visitors are captivated. Some smile, while others seem to be scared. Exactly what you wanted.

"But we're not going to wait for him like that. So .." you lead them a little deeper into the catacombs until you get to an empty gallery. There is no bone, nothing. Just seats on the floor, and blankets that face a screen. It was hard to get the electric company to help you get the cables down here, but you made it happen.

"Get comfortable!" the second guide prepares the film, and you watch him do it, arms crossed against your chest. Without the lights that are constantly on, this part of the catacombs is much cooler, and you wish you had a scarf or another hoodie. "There is no better place than the catacombs to watch As above, so below!"

The film is of course a horror film with the catacombs as a subject, that's why you chose it. It's one of your favorite movies, so that's great. Before the lights go out, you find an empty seat, next to your favorite little visitor. "Do you like horror movies?" you ask him, and he shrugs. "Not really." Johnny laughs softly, he's delighted. "His name is Doyoung by the way." you nod your head, that's a very good information. "So Doyoung, if you're scared, you can take my hand."

The film begins, and silence falls.

The voices echo against the walls, which gives another dimension to the film. You would never have had this idea if you had not heard several of your colleagues talk about this story which happened in 2004. Police officers decided to visit this part of the catacombs which was not open to the public, and they found an underground cinema, and even a restaurant. Of course, the next day it was all gone, but it was that story that brought you to organize this little soirée.

You smile when you hear a visitor jump because of the film, or because of the noises in the catacombs. Doyoung, next to you, tenses from time to time, and he even grabs your thigh without realizing it. You don't say anything, you don't want to embarrass him more. You tease him, yes, but you don't want to be mean, that's not right.

All eyes are on the entrance to the gallery when footsteps are heard. It's starting, you think. Of course, it is only a rumor that on this precise date the butler goes out, and sometimes the imagination of the visitors has a lot to do with it, but you are not going to lie, you have had several strange experiences because of him, or any spirit that haunts the galleries of the catacombs. No wonder, with 6 million bodies.

"What is that?" a little voice asks, and you shrug your shoulders even though they can't see you. "It's definitely the man who wants to see who dares to disturb him on his one night out. Don't worry, even when he catches someone, we always find them before the wee hours of the morning." you explain, and several gasps are heard. The other guide turns to you and raises his thumb up.

"Have you ever had to experience anything by anyone other than this man?" another person asks, and you smile. The film is quickly forgotten, the visitors far too curious, and you don't mind, it's not every day that you have the opportunity to share your experience with people who really want to know. "If the catacombs are considered to be one of the most haunted places in France, it's not just because of the 6 million bodies piling up in the walls, but because strange things have happened."

You stay silent for a moment to weigh your words. Doyoung's hand lands on yours, and you squeeze it gently. "Before visits were allowed, it was easy to sneak into the catacombs through sewers all over Paris. So onlookers would come to have illegal parties, and sometimes even cults would come to sacrifice animals in the name of the devil." you catch your breath, the air is very dry here. "Of course, we also have the young idiots who come down with a ouija board and decide to try and speak to someone or something, and who leave without finishing the session because they get scared."

You sigh softly. “Ouija boards are a lot of fun, but they have to be taken seriously, because they bring in guests that we don't want to deal with. Some guides say they have dealt with visitors who got lost and were never found. We found several cameras in the middle of the galleries with videos showing strange things before the owners disappeared."

You are about to speak when a scream echoes and makes all the visitors jump, you included. You get up to turn on the light, and you barely have time to see a girl leaving the gallery, alone, her hands pressed against her ears. "I'll go get her, bring the others up." the other guide tells you, and you nod your head. Visitors are obviously scared, but you try to make them calm down. "It does happen, don't worry. He's going to bring her back to the surface. It's time for us to go."

You're disappointed that it ended like this, because you liked the mood the discussion had taken, but you know it wouldn't be resonable. "What happened?" Doyoung then asks that you turn off the movie, and you shrug your shoulders. "The walls are talking, I said this earlier, so she must have been overwhelmed."

It doesn't take long for the visitors to walk back up to the stairs you first climb. The door opens, and the director is surprised to see you come back up so quickly, he thought the movie wouldn't be over for a good half hour, but you shrug your shoulders at his silent question. "The walls." you just explain, and he nods.

You go out into the street, and you take a deep breath of fresh air. It feels good. "Despite this somewhat abrupt end, I hope you all enjoyed the visit, and will come back." you say, and several people nod their heads, and they thank you before taking their leave. Johnny and Doyoung are the last ones in the street, and when you turn to them, Doyoung nervously plays with his fingers.

"You didn't want to come, and now you don't want to leave?" you ask, and he chuckles softly. Johnny pulls back to give you some privacy. "Uh, this is going to sound weird to you, but I wanted to know if you wanted to go eat something with us? And maybe have a coffee tomorrow? I'm leaving Paris tomorrow night." it's a shame, you think, you wish you had more time to get to know him, but all good things always come to an end. "I'd love this."

Of course, the other guide found the girl. She was shaken, but fine.

[dehydratedpool]

hello again!! it’s the beginning of a new month, meaning a new fic rec post!! here are some fics that i read this month that are just... exquisite and deserve all the love and attention <3 

there aren’t as many as last time unfortunately, since i was quite busy this past month, but i promise next month won’t fall short! ((fics that i’ve reread this month are indicated with a **))

Foolishly Laying Our Hearts On The Table [11k] by runaway_train @runaway-train-works 

“You think Harry wants that?”

“Dunno. Maybe. Wanna make him happy.” Harry takes advantage of the red light he’s pulled up to turn and look properly at Louis’ face. He’s not even looking in Harry’s direction though, focused instead on something out of his side window, head drooped, mindlessly playing with the string of his hoodie between his fingers, lost in his own world somewhere. For some reason, it makes Harry’s spine straighten.

“Because he’s your best mate?” Harry questions carefully.

“He’s my boyfriend.”

He couldn’t have heard him right. “What?”

Louis releases a deep breath, still not turning around. Harry wonders who he thinks he’s talking to right now. “He’s so pretty. Want to kiss him all day long. And buy him a big house and give him presents and marry him.”

Or; The one where Harry is in love with his best friend Louis but doesn't think he stands a chance until some wisdom teeth and a rather unusual confession might just change his mind.

--> this is a new comfort fic for me tbh. i got rec’d this after louis tweeted about getting his wisdom teeth removed, and i’m so SO glad i decided to give it a read. it’s so precious and lovely and personally, i found it to be a quick read. it’s the kind of fic that makes me both warm and fuzzy inside but also highly upset that i’m single and will surely be alone forever

Just Let Me [14k] by HelloAmHere 

The party was going well. So well, Niall had already sworn undying love to one multi-tiered chocolate cake, two friendly corgi-poodle mixes, Zayn’s hair, and the entire population of Los Angeles. So well, Zayn had only laughed and ruffled Niall’s hair and not even twitched towards a cigarette. So well, nearly everyone had spilled far past the boundaries of the night’s original plans, extracting bottles of vodka from the cabinets and losing a lot of clothes. Harry had proclaimed that he was finally going to throw a small and very grownup dinner party and of course here they were three hours later, fifty people half-naked in the pool. Soon to be full-naked, if Louis had to guess. Everybody in LA loved a heated pool. Everybody loved Harry.

--> ok LISTEN. as some of you know, i just recently got into reading a/b/o fics and this one is definitely at the top of my fave a/b/o fics out there. it’s an interesting take on the trope, almost a bit more realistic in my opinion, and to quote the author’s note, “’what if a/b/o but less biological determinism?’”. i believe i found this one through a masterpost of “touch-deprivation fics”, so if that’s your thing, give this one a chance!

my ugly mouth kept running [4k] by theankletattoo @hadestyles

Another seed, another try except they know what caused the first wilt. They will be careful, they will be kind and together they will nurture it to life.

sometimes second chances are more important than the first.

--> rori, the author, never fails to disappoint when it comes to all of her works. i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again, she’s so incredibly fucking talented it’s unreal. her imagery is so vivid and real it leaves simultaneously everything and nothing to the imagination. as usual, h and l’s dynamic in this is an addicting portion to this fic that has you anticipating how their dynamic will shift and grow up until the end. if you’ve yet to read any of rori’s work, i suggest you add that to your to-do list for the month, and get a head start to her collection with this one!

**As Wicked As Anything Could Be [21k] by whoknows @crazyupsetter

It starts when Louis decides that he wants to lose his cherry and announces that he thinks the best way to do that is by going to a gay club. Naturally, Harry can’t let him go alone, so he tags along and spends the night rating guys with Louis until someone finally catches Louis’s eye.

Harry shoves him out to dance with the guy, and he can already tell that it’s going to be a quick and dirty hook up, so he’s not surprised that Louis and the guy disappear into the bathroom ten minutes later.

It is a surprise when Louis comes out not even two minutes later, pale and clammy, grabs Harry by the hand and drags him right out the door.

Somehow Harry comes to the decision that it would be a good idea for him to be in the room with Louis while Louis gets laid.

It’s a stupid fucking decision.

--> i discovered this fic a while ago on a whim and i have zero regrets. this is absolutely on my top ten fave fics list (that has yet to exist but perhaps i’ll post it one day). whoknows is a well known author within the fandom, so i’m sure i don’t have to say much about their immense talent, but SERIOUSLY, their plot progression, even their use of dialogue is wonderful in every way. as a writer, i envy them lmao. this fic takes me on a rollercoaster every time i read it, it’s yet another comfort fic of mine and never fails to disappoint every time i pick it up again. please, do yourselves a favor this april and read this.

Keeping The Flame Alive [19k] by whoknows @crazyupsetter 

Recording with One Direction never felt like this. There’s a couple reasons for that, Harry thinks. One is that they did most of their recording on the road, rushed and in busses and hotel rooms, never in one place long enough to really get an argument going. The other, larger and more important one, is that back then he had the sweetest, meanest little omega around to distract him from all of that frustration.

The first time around, when he’d been recording his debut solo album, it hit him pretty hard. He likes to think he’s better adjusted to it now, but frustration is warring under his skin nonetheless. He doesn’t want to be told what to do most of the time, and he especially doesn’t want to be told what to do when it comes to his music.

What he does want right now is that sweet, mean little omega right in front of him with his mouth on Harry’s cock. Unfortunately, the best he’s got is his own hand and a shared toilet. So. That’s really not going to work.

--> yes, for the first time in dehydratedpoolfics history of fic recs even tho i’ve only been doing this for a month i am rec’ing the same author twice, but seriously, how could i not??? this fic took me on a literal journey like... wtf. i have no words. seriously, i have none, i’m just that blown away, go read it for yourself .

**a trail of honey through it all [27k] by bruisedhoney @yvesaintlourent 

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

Or, the TPH fic we’ve all been waiting for.

--> okay look. i may or may not have a slight obsession with this fic. i reread it constantly, mostly for the iconic line, “are we fuckin’ or fightin’?”, because how can i not scream over that?? ((also patiently waiting for the sequel)) this is a literary masterpiece, one that defines an entire generation of this fandom i stg. but in all seriousness, hayley, the author, does such a wonderful job of giving the reader a vivid look into “nowhere, georgia”, and as a southern gal myself, i absolutely adore the itty bitty pieces of southern culture embedded into this, the tiny quirks that make this fic authentic. i could probably go on forever on why this fic is so iconic, but perhaps you should read it for yourself instead *wink* *wink*

SO. that’s all for this month!! if you read any of these, first of all, be sure to read the tags and author’s note (if any) before starting, AND please don’t forget to leave a quick kudos or comment, it means more than you may ever know <3

[utapri-hcs]

Ranrei general hcs

So I was gonna do a Heavens valentines post but I kept thinking about how Raging got Nagi while in the crib so that fell through. Instead, have this

-They are extremely domestic

-Cooking dates are very often

-Typically, they take turns cooking though

-Reiji wanting to learn how to play the bass or something since who knows he might need it someday

-Ranmaru willing to teach him as long as he gives it his all

-Reiji really likes stealing Ranmaru’s hoodies

-Ranmaru and Reiji going on a fishing trip just for fun

-Ranmaru purposely watches horror movies with Reiji, just so Reiji will cling to him

-He thinks it’s cute

-Ranmaru can easily pick up Reiji, considering he is shorter and weighs less then Ranmaru

-When they are together with QN and he gets sick of Camus, Ranmaru would just pick up Reiji and take off

-Ranmaru sometimes helps Reiji with his grey contacts (give the boy his nice brown eyes klab) when he is struggling

-Between the two, Ranmaru is the one to get flustered easily since Reiji enjoys seeing his reactions so he teases him

-Getting Reiji flustered is an achievement to Ranmaru

-He thinks it’s cute when Reiji attempts to hide his red face with his hands

-When Reiji clips his fringe away, Ranmaru will kiss his forehead

-They might adopt a dog?

-It would be a very very friendly dog though considering all the stray cats

-I could see them getting a big dog so Ranmaru can just take it out when he goes on his jogs and it won’t get too tired from it

-The dog also would have to be fairly low maintenance due to their jobs

-They are pretty good at hiding their relationship, even when doing things most fans take it as fanservice

-Reiji tries blocking the door to a surprise but Ranmaru came home early from work that day only for Ranmaru to just pick Reiji up with ease

-Reiji will lay his head on Ranmaru’s shoulder as he slowly strums his guitar

-When Reiji is making Karaage chicken, Ranmaru might take the chance and hug him from behind while stealing a piece

-When Ranmaru is exercising, he’ll sometimes have Reiji sit on his back as he does push ups

-When Reiji is buying streetfood with Ranmaru then he’ll always let Ranmaru have a few bites

-Another cute thing is if Reiji and Ranmaru play in each other’s event

-“Mouuu Ranran! Your events are too hard! Have you seen the borders of villain Ranmaru!”

-“Heh, your events aren’t that much easier either you know.”

-Reiji is the perfect height for Ranmaru to kiss the top of his head, it’s so cute

-Reiji complains about how it tickles but Ranmaru still does it anyway

-It’s very common that Reiji will mention Ranmaru and vice versa when they are apart

-Reiji will remark how Ranmaru would like this flavour or Ranmaru will say how Reiji really likes this brand, etc

-Reiji likes sitting on the floor so imagine Reiji sitting on the floor in front of Ranmaru as he runs his fingers through his hair

-Whenever Reiji’s bassist for Dekiai temptation isn’t available, he almost always calls Ranmaru for help

-Reiji really likes holding Ranmaru’s hand and comparing hand sizes

-Another cute thing to think about is Pop animal Reiran like Reiji being a bunny and Ranmaru being a snow leopard

-Ranmaru would nibble on Reiji’s bunny ears just to tease him

-They know eachother pretty well, very often that the two of them know what the other is thinking with either a low hum or eye contact

-When they are apart, they still try to atleast face time each other

-Reiji sometimes tends to sleep to Ranmaru’s voice though

-Almost always Ranmaru shakes his head softly and chuckles, already used to Reiji’s antics

-At the start it would be pretty hard, considering Ranmaru’s barriers and Reiji’s acting

-Ranmaru is straightforward and tells things how they are

-Reiji definitely needs a person who is able to do that

-He tends to sometimes tries to take on too much weight while not asking for help

-He fears that he would be a burden but asks that others should rely on him

-Ranmaru however doesn’t like to rely too much on other people

-He values his independence

-Ranmaru needs a person who is patient with him and is willing for Ranmaru to come to his own terms before seeking someone’s guidance

-All in all, they honestly had an argument before this relationship started, both coming to terms with who they are and their feelings

-During the start of the relationship, Reiji probably tries hiding his feelings again but as Ranmaru learns more about his habits and trait, he starts knowing the tell tales of when Reiji is doing it

-When Reiji is really mad though he’ll call Ranmaru by his full name

-Ranmaru knows he has done something wrong if Reiji is calling him by his full name, it’s even worse if Reiji swore as well

-They are pretty wholesome, but considering Reiji and Ranmaru some things are interesting to say the least

-Their dog is probably named after a flower

-Ranmaru always sighs softly whenever his boyfriend cracks a joke

-“Ne ranran! I guess we really hit ROCK bottom! Get it? Because rock?”

-“Reiji, I’m pretty sure you’ve already told me that one.”

-“Ehhh?! Really! I swear I only told Otoyan that one yet...hmm”

-Like all normal couples they have some disagreements

-The reason most of the fights would happen is because of Reiji holding too much of the burden, it would make Ranmaru feel he isn’t really needed as much

-Reiji would most likely take some time away from Ranmaru, hanging around the beach or general bodies of water

-Ranmaru stays at the apartment, playing the bass.

-He would wait for a few days but if Reiji hasn’t come back yet then he’ll go to him and talk things out

-It would end pretty wholesomely

-Reiji tends to the one that gets sick more often since he doesn’t take care of himself and tends to overwork, so Ranmaru would have to nurse him till he is better

-Both love cuddles

-Typically, Reiji enjoys being little spoon

-Ranmaru likes running his fingers through Reiji’s hair considering how soft it is

-Tickle fights are pretty often but it’s always Reiji initiating them

-Reiji always loses though

-Sometimes Ranmaru does lose the tickle fights but that only causes him to try even harder next time to hear a genuine, pure laugh from Reiji

-It’s like serotonin for him

-Not that he would say it though

-When Reiji ties his hair back, Ranmaru will kiss the back of his neck

-Ranmaru would be chilling on the couch until Reiji decides he wants affection

-Both are pretty private people, plus their jobs means PDA isn’t very often found

-When they’re in their apartment, Reiji loves the physical contact though

-Ranmaru has a fairly warm body constantly so during winter Ranmaru better expect constant cuddles

-Ranmaru isn’t that against, he isn’t that used to it though so it might take him awhile to get used to it

-Once he does though, you will be his napping pillow

-Reiji has a terrible sleeping schedule because he tends to prioritise work over his own needs so sometimes if Ranmaru feels that he isn’t taking enough care of himself then he’ll force him to

-Reiji isn’t sleeping? Ranmaru drags him to their bed and cuddles him until he does

-Reiji isn’t eating? Ranmaru will bring food to him and won’t leave until he eat it

-Reiji is a much lighter sleeper then Ranmaru is

-Ranmaru is pretty cuddly when asleep, almost always latching onto Reiji

-Both wake up pretty early, sometimes Ranmaru will wake up earlier if Reiji was up late reading a script but both generally wake up around the same time

-Depending on who is more awake, they make breakfast and then Ranmaru will go out on his jog

-Reiji’s activities vary in the morning when Ranmaru is on his jog

-If they have work later that day, he’ll make them both lunches along with lunches for the rest of QN

-He would feed the various stray cats and their dog

-He might reread some scripts and what not

-After they had a long day at work all they want to do is just relax in eachother’s arms

-All in all Ranrei is a ship I approve of

[peralta-guaranteed]

Family day playing hooky hc

(this turned into another fic. Apparently I don't make the rules anymore)

Read on AO3

It's the beginning of a long summer. Both kids are home - well, not really, since Amy has signed them up for several activities all around the city. Today is arts & crafts time at the children's library wing, Jake notes as he checks their shared calendar before the morning meeting. But they are home, insofar as Mac's school is closed for the summer holidays, and so's Maya's kindergarten. They drop them off at their daily activity in the morning, and the rest of the time they're at his mom's, who's been happily overfeeding them and entertaining them as the proud grandma she is. Or they drop them off at Gramma Peralta’s first, and she drives them to whatever place they were signed up at. It's a pretty good routine, and he's proud of Amy having found so many things for them to do that seem right up their alley, judging from their excited stories during dinner and the ever growing collection of handmade gifts on their living room shelves.

But they're home for the summer, and Jake and Amy have to sit at the sweltering precinct, slogging through paperwork and a dull week of almost no new cases. It's really not fair, Jake thinks. He remembers his summer days with Gina, when Nana would hand them both a couple of dollars and tell them not to be home until sunset at least. They can’t do that, obviously - Mac and Maya are still too young, and Brooklyn has definitely not gotten any safer since his early teens, when it was already questionably sketchy for him and Gina to stalk around the neighbourhoods and buy cheap ice cream and soda at random bodegas. He also remembers those few rare days when his mom would get a day off that did not need to be spent on catching up on housework, or when his dad would finally show up for more than one day and they could plan a little trip (which would actually take place at least 50% of the time). He remembers the aquarium and the zoo and the natural history museum and Central Park and Coney Island.

And they could absolutely do that, he realises, so the decision is pretty much made before he’s even set his bag down at his desk. But he’s patient enough to wait through the morning meeting - blessedly short, because nothing new has come up anyway, and they’re all told to finish up the paperwork and start on re-organising the evidence room. Jake supposes it’s a generally good thing that crime seems to slow down in the summer heat a little, but that’s not really why he’s so happy right now hearing the captain tell them to ‘find something to do anywhere’. He certainly knows what he wants to do already.

Amy’s morning meeting must’ve been just as short, because she’s already at her desk when he jumps down the last steps of the stairwell to her floor. Her uniformed officers mostly give him a quick nod or smile as he passes - it’s not a rare thing to see Detective Peralta come by to visit his wife outside of break times.

“Good morning, Lieutenant.” He smiles at her, and she rolls her eyes with fondness. The title is still pretty new, and he loves to remind her of it any chance he gets.

“Hey babe. We’re not due for lunch for another 4 hours, you know that, right?”

“Yeah there’s no way I’m waiting that long.” He’s still smiling wide, and when she looks up from whatever paper she’s been filling out, she instantly recognises that mischievous glint in his eye.

“What are you planning?”

“Let’s bail the kids out of the library and go somewhere fun. Coney Island? It’s all open since last saturday I think.”

“We have to work, Jake.” Amy levels him with one of those ‘please be a grown-up’ looks, but she knows they seldom get results.

“Do we, Ames? Do we really? Because Holt has us organising the evidence room. I have literally zero open cases on my desk. And how far ahead are you with all your paperwork and organisation?”

She looks sheepishly at the very small stack of papers on her desk.

“About two weeks, I’d say.”

“And you’re saying we can’t take one day off? Just one day of family time? Getting cotton candy and taking Mac on an actual roller coaster now that he’s tall enough and winning a new teddy for Maya because you’re an ace at the fake shooting range?” He wiggles his eyebrows for emphasis, and Amy stifles a snicker. It’s too bad her husband knows exactly how to win her over for most of his childish endeavours.

“I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to take some personal time right now. We’d still have to convince Holt-”

“On it.” Jake slaps her desk in excitement as he gets up, ready to race upstairs and sweet-talk Holt into giving them the day off (or rather, annoy him into it). Only Amy Santiago would request permission from her boss to play hooky, of course, but there’s no way he’s not going to indulge her.

It’s not even fifteen minutes later that he’s back downstairs, his bag already on his shoulder, almost pulling her out of her chair.

“Got the go-ahead, so let’s go!”

“Give me five minutes at least to brief Gary, and change out of my uniform before I leave.”

He sighs and thrums his fingers across his thigh, but obediently watches her talk to her ‘own Amy’, eagerly taking notes about the few things they actually have to remember to do. He refrains from pushing her forwards by the shoulders as she heads to the locker room, deciding to pack up her purse instead (he knows the layout perfectly by now - the calendar and pen goes next to the baby wipes, and the glasses case has to be by the little box of healthy, kid-friendly snacks). But the moment she returns in one of her signature flowery blouses, he grabs her hand and drags her out of the precinct so fast she can barely protest.

-+-

The drive to the library is equally as quick. Amy only manages to slow him down once they step into the actual building, reminding him of the library rules of being quiet and calm.

“Lieutenant Santiago!” The librarian behind the desk greets her - she’s well-known around these parts, obviously. “Back so early? Isn’t your mother-in-law picking up the kids later?”

He should probably call her to tell her about the change of plans, Jake thinks as Amy explains and asks if it’s possible to get Mac and Maya packed up and ready to leave already.

It’s absolutely possible, of course, and Maya proudly shows them the pipe cleaner and yarn figurine she’d just finished making as the kids librarian leads them out to the main floor. Mac, a few feet behind her, seems wary as he hugs them hello.

“Did something happen?” He asks into the hug, quietly, and Jake remembers with a twinge in his heart that the last time someone picked him up unexpectedly early from football practice, it was aunt Rosa, taking him and Maya to the precinct until Amy brought Jake back from hospital after getting knifed by a perp.

“No, buddy, this is a good surprise.” He hugs him back extra tight, ruffling his hair for good measure, and silently cursing his line of work being so shit sometimes.

Mac smiles back at him, luckily, but there is still a bit of hesitation in his eyes, and Jake’s excitement about his own idea of playing hooky falters for the first time. Maybe they should’ve just let the kids enjoy their crafts and grandma-time, and planned a proper day out for the weekend-

“Grandpa Holt gave us today off.” Amy explains as she steps up to the two of them with Maya by her side, and that title still sounds a little weird even years later. “So we thought we could all go out for a fun day at Coney Island!”

The squeal Maya lets out certainly changes Mac’s smile for the better, even as it is quickly shushed down (they’re still in the library after all!), and they’re soon dragged outside to the car by their kids the same way Jake had dragged Amy out of the precinct.

“C’n we get hotdogs?” Maya asks as she clicks her seatbelt closed and Amy smiles at her through the rearview mirror.

“We sure can!”

“Can we go on all the rides?” Mac joins in, and Jake is glad to see there’s absolutely no hesitation on his face anymore.

“All the ones you’re old enough for, sure.”

The questions and cheers and excited chatter keep up during the whole drive, even as Amy calls Karen and barely gets a word in, between the happy interruptions shouted from the backseat, and it takes a lot more to actually keep them together as they step on the boardwalk, Maya already running left to some game parlour while Mac races on ahead to the first ride he sees.

-+-

The rest of the day does not slow down in their whirlwind. Mac decides after three roller coasters that maybe he’s had enough (and Jake is glad they didn’t go through the food stalls before it), but he spins Maya around in the teacups ride like only an older brother could. The ice cream after is well deserved, seeing how sweaty and exhausted they are already, and gives them more than enough energy to hit literally every game they can see. Jake can watch Amy calculating the vast amount of money they’re spending in tokens, but she’s also the first one in line once they reach the toy-shooting range, winning Maya a unicorn plushie and Mac a knock-off superb-man figurine (his wife is a goddamn sharpshooter and he’d be lying if that wasn’t a turn-on). The third shot earns him a wacky pair of sunglasses that make both Amy and Maya giggle in that way he loves the most, and he refuses to take them off for any of the silly pictures they take in front of cutouts, wall art and weird statues.

He’s pushed them up into his hair by the time they get hotdogs (3 for him, 2 for Mac, one each for Amy and Maya), because the sun is already starting to set and he can barely see. Maya begins to shiver as they stroll down the quieter parts of the boardwalk, so he buys her one of those kitschy animal-hoodies all the stalls are touting (they know their clientele too well), and of course Mac immediately needs one too, so now there’s a tiny tiger and a slightly larger dragon running in front of them with cotton candy sticking all over their hands and faces.

Amy slides her arm around his waist as they slow their steps a little to let the kids go ahead, and he lays his across her shoulder as she leans into him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun playing hooky.” She mumbles, and Jake laughs for a second.

“Amy Santiago, are you telling me you’ve played hooky before? I am shocked. Here I thought I’d married an upstanding girl.”

He gets a soft punch to his side for that before she leans back and whispers.

“Actually, you’ve made me play hooky before, remember? But we didn’t exactly go to an ‘amusement park’…”

“And yet you’re saying this has been more fun. I see where I stand.” He pouts before grinning again, and leans down for a soft kiss. (He definitely remembers the last time they played hooky now.)

“Sorry, babe.” Amy smiles as she looks at Mac and Maya again, currently busy chasing each other and dueling with the sticks left over from their cotton candy. “But this has been such a great day.”

“Yeah, it’s gonna make for one hell of a memory, I hope.” He follows her eyes forward, thinking about that short moment with Mac at the library earlier today. Amy hadn’t heard it, he’s sure, but the look on her face as she pulls him to look at her with a hand on his cheek tells him she knows his thoughts well enough.

“Hey. No sad thinking allowed on such a fun day, okay? We had a great time today and we’re gonna have so many more great days in the future.” She’s still smiling, swiping her thumb across his bottom lip, where he’s sure some cotton candy is still left clinging. “We could take them to the zoo next week.”

“Santiago!” He gasps again. “Are you insinuating-”

“On the weekend.” She leans up to kiss away the last bit of sugar on his mouth. “Like the upstanding girl you married would do, obviously.”

He laughs into the kiss even as he pulls her closer, and it’s only Mac and Maya, running back to them with news of another stand they’ve discovered selling funnel cakes, that makes them break apart again.

-+-

Later, after Jake’s carried a sleepy Maya up to their apartment, and she and Mac have barely had enough energy left in them to brush their teeth and wash their faces free from all the grime and sugar that’s covering it, he falls down on the couch as Amy checks on them one more time to see both fast asleep before the lights are even out.

“Do you feel as tired as the kids?” She says in her deep, sing-song voice that sends goosebumps up his spine, just as much as her hand raking through his hair does as she stands behind the couch.

“Well, it’s been a pretty long day. But I do have more sugar in my system to keep me running, I guess.” He tries to sound nonchalant, but then she leans down to nip on his ear and ‘nonchalance’ is the last thing he’s thinking of.

“Then how about we save time between now and bed by showering together?” She whispers, and he lets his head drop back to actually look at her.

“We have never saved time in the shower together, babe.”

She only smiles at him while humming an M-hm before heading for the bathroom, and he definitely doesn’t waste any time following her.

[chaoticowlpost]

A Strange Addiction

It was a strange addiction, Harry had to admit. But in his defense, it was completely Molly Weasley’s fault.

It all started during their last year of Hogwarts, when Molly had gifted Draco a sweater once she found out that the two of them were dating and, out of politeness- as he claims- he continued to wear the sweater constantly whenever he had the chance.

The thing about it was that, well, it was huge. Molly seemed to have gotten the measurements wrong, so whenever Draco wore it, he would practically be swimming in the soft wool she used to create it. The neck could reach up to his nose while the sleeves were much too long and extended past his hands and the entire thing just poofed up around him, making him look much smaller than he really was.

Needless to say, Harry found him absolutely adorable. 

“Another one? Harry, really?” Hermione asked as Harry made his way back into the 8th Year Common Room holding another bag that contained yet another sweater for Draco to wear. It was, as the rest of the ones he bought were, much too large for Draco’s size.

“Yes,” was Harry’s short reply. He couldn’t even be arsed to hold back his enormous grin as he imagined Draco wearing it.

“At this rate, your pet ferret is gonna have a sweater for each day of the month. Possibly year,” Ron rolled his eyes, silently cursing his mom for having ignited Harry’s addiction to seeing Draco in oversized sweaters. 

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but he suddenly heard a soft voice call his name out.

“Harry,” it came out sounding very gentle, but also like Draco had just woken up. And just as he had predicted, once he turned around he was greeted with the sight of a rumpled, sleepy Draco that was wearing one of the large sweaters Harry bought for him.

“Hello, love,” Harry greeted immediately, getting up to wrap his arms around his sleep-addled boyfriend, who gratefully returned the action by burying his face in the crook of Harry’s neck.

Harry grabbed his hand and pulled him over to where his friends were seated, just as Draco asked, “where were you?”

“Just bought something from Hogsmead,” he replied. The only response he got in return was a drowsy nod, and a yawn that Draco attempted to cover with one of the huge sleeves. 

“It’s another sweater. Surprise surprise,” Pansy said with delight, peeking into the paper bag Harry brought it. Completely unbothered, Harry then proceeded to wrap an arm around Draco and pull him into his chest so he could lean on him.

A house elf appeared in front of Harry, prompting Draco to sit up and lean away from him, much to Harry’s displeasure, before getting something from it and returning to his previous position while cupping a warm mug of...cocoa? And mallows, with both of his hands and taking a long sip.

“Draco, what did we talk about with using the house elves for things we could do ourselves?” Hermione asked, none of the venom she normally spoke with present when it came to house elf rights.

“S’cocoa,” Harry’s boyfriend mumbled into his mug. “Marshmallows. y’want some?” He lifted the mug and offered a sip to Harry, who grinned at Hermione’s exasperated expression while taking a sip of Draco’s drink. 

“Oh c’mon,” Ron groaned as he watched the two of them. “At least Hermoine and I weren’t as bad as you guys when we started dating.”

“Excuse me, Weasley, but you were,” Blaise Zabini’s voice interjected from the other side of the common room. “We all saw it. Even the Hufflepuff’s felt sick.”

“Sod off,” Ron groused, glaring at the carpet before turning his eyes to his girlfriend while pleading, “Hermione!”

“You’ll live, Ron,” she laughed, ruffling his hair. “Anyway, we’re going to head out to the Lake to study. Do you guys want to come?”

Draco, never one to turn down his academics no matter how tired he was, nodded, tickling the side of Harry’s neck with his soft hair. Despite his answer, though, he made no notion to get up.

“C’mon, love,” Harry sighed, not really in the mood to study. But Draco wanted to study, so he supposed it wouldn’t be so bad. He could probably just spend the time trying to distract him from his readings. 

“M’gonna change,” Draco mumbled, downing the rest of his cocoa and licking the excess from his lips before getting up. Or at least, what looked like an attempt to get up.

Really, he just threw himself on his front before groaning and using his hands to push himself up from the ground, practically crawling as he attempted to force himself to stand up.

“Hey, ‘Mione,” Ron said, “Remember that picture you showed me? The one of the monkey getting up slowly and evolving into a human? I think I see it.”

Draco flipped him the bird before finally standing up and making his way to his room to change into a new set of clothes.

“You don’t have to change, you know?” Harry asked, not really wanting Draco to get out of the sweater. Somehow, the idea of seeing Draco struggling to attempt to flip through the pages of his book through his sweater because he couldn’t be bothered to pull the sleeves over his hands appealed to Harry, possibly even make the whole studying thing more bearable.

“S’fine,” the blond mumbled in response, still sounding somewhat sleepy but at least more awake than he did a while ago.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited patiently, talking about school while Harry made his way around the common room, grabbing both his and Draco’s books and school materials and shoved them into their respective bags. 

“Done,” Draco sighed, no longer wearing the sweater Harry bought him. No, instead he was wearing one of Harry’s hoodies, which were already a bit large for Harry. More so on Draco, who was more lithe and lean whereas Harry was a bit bulkier.

The sleeves still went past his hands and the hood was pulled up over his head, leaving some strands of Draco’s soft blond hair sticking out messily.

“I don’t want to fix my hair,” Draco reasoned, sounding a bit sulky as he attempted to flatten his hair with the flat of his palm, which was covered by Harry’s hoodie, making his hair static instead.

Draco pulled his hand away and uselessly glared at it while pouting, finally pulling Harry out of his staring and breaking into a wide grin. He made his way over to Draco before wrapping his arms around him once again and placing a soft kiss onto his nose.

“Let’s go study,” Harry said softly, distracting Draco from his attempts to get his hair to submit and nodding, allowing himself to be pulled out of the dorms.

“Oh no,” Ron groaned from his spot behind them as he and Hermione began trailing after them and making their way to the Great Lake. “Another addiction for Harry.”

Harry didn’t care, though. His sudden resolve to buy Draco a bunch of oversized hoodies remain unwavered as he pulled Draco through the halls, who wrapped Harry’s arm over his shoulder and leaned into his side.

Everyone had their own quirks, after all. His just happened to be a strange addiction.

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

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[endydancer1]

We used to be strangers | Part 6

Pairing: Tom Holland x Y/N Lincoln

Summary: Tom has just finished his latest movie and his heading back home to London. While he is passing the high building, suddenly something happens what changes his life completely. What is the shadow up there?

WARNING: Mentions of injuries, blood, depression, thinking of suicide.

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

"Tom, get the fuck out of the bathroom! You are having a shower for almost an hour! There are 3 other boys living in this house if you haven't noticed yet!" Haz was forcefully knocking on the bathroom door. He had been standing there for good 20 minutes. Tom had went to the shower at 10 am and it was almost 11! Finally the lock clicked and the door opened showing naked Tom  wearing only a towel around his waist.

TOM'S POV:

"Holy Odin, thank you. What did take you so long?! Don't tell me you were actually showering 60 minutes!" Haz looked at me a bit annoyed.

"I was. I am sorry. I needed to shave and clean myself properly." I glanced innocently at him.

"Oh so you had to shave. Why?  Are you going on a date? You normally don't spend that much time in a shower even if you are shaving. So what's up?"

"No, I don't have a date. I just.. Want to look nice, you know? I am coming to hospital to see Y/N."

"Oh, I see now. So you are finally falling for someone new. And while she is in hospital she can't run away from you when you would want to play with her, right?" Haz teased.

I just rolled my eyes and pushed him out of my way.

"Yeah, that's my dark plan. But it's a secret, don't tell anyone or I will be forced to play with you too." I smirked and walked into my room.

"You need someone to play with you already cuz you are unbearable." I heard Haz laughing before I closed the door behind me.

"Well, what should I wear?" I was standing on one place for good 3 minutes directly looking into my closet. - What am I doing? I have never been thinking that much about what should I wear on the regular day. I don't even shower that long. Was it really an hour?- I looked at my phone. - It was! Oh God. I wasn't that nervous and didn't care that much about my look even when I went on a first date with Anna. And another thing is I don't even have a date today! It's just.. Casual visit of someone I saved, right?- I just sighed and took step closer to my closet.

"Hmm, what about this? Jeans with denin jacket. It's a bit casual, but hey, I won't spoil anything with that." I dried my hair, dressed myself and walked out of my room. There was no one except me and Haz in the house.

"Harrison? Are you ready? Can we go?" I shouted waiting in front of his room.

"I am waiting for you in the living room you div!"

"Sorry! I thought you were still in your room!" I came down to living room.

"Well not everyone is as slow as you." He stood up and took his car keys. "Let's go!"

After lunch we went to the shopping centre, because I needed to buy something for Y/N.

"Uhm, Haz? What should I buy for Y/N? I promised her to watch movies with her, but I don't know which she would want to watch."

"Well, you probably should have asked her."

"You are not helping mate!"

"I am sorry, I am sorry, I am just messing with you,haha. Well, from what you have already said about her, she doesn't know you are an actor. So probably you can show her one of your movies."

"I don't think it would be a good idea. I don't want to look like a selfish prick. And.. What if she is that kind of girl who would want me only because of my money and fame?" I glanced at my feets and played with my fingers nervously.

"Tom, I understand, but you said she sent you a heart emoji and it's a good sign!" Haz poked my arm gently and a laugh a bit.

"Yeah, but she probably saw my Instagram profile and she probably knows I am famous by now."

"Well..it's also possible, but maybe she doesn't know yet. You know what then? Take one or two Marvel movies. Iron Man or Thor, or Avengers, to see if she like these kind of movies, take some romantic comedies, you know, because girls like them, right? Take your favourite movie and maybe.. Oh yeah, try any of your movies where you were young. If she notices it, you know? The Impossible or In the heart of the sea? "

" That can actually works. Thank you Haz, what would I do without you." I smiled at him. "And we should borrow it from movie rental, because I doubt they have Netflix in the hospital." I chuckled. We borrowed 5 movies.

"Mate look at this hoodie! I need it! Haz, I need it!"

"Oh God Tom, you have tons of Spiderman hoodies! You really don't need another one..."

"But look at it!"

"It's just saying Mr. Stark I don't feel so good! Tom, this meme is over."

"Well not for me. I am gettin' it and you can't do anything about it!"

"God, fine! Buy it, but hurry up if you want me to take you to hospital." Haz rolled his eyes and waited for me outside the shop.

"I've got it! Yay!" I rushed out of the shop full of joy from my new purchase.

"You are such a kid Tom, you know? How old are? 5?" He laughed at me. "Let's go. You should buy some snacks."

"Why? I am the snack, she can eat me" I joked.

"Or you can eat her, huh?"

"Harrison! But yeah.. Maybe I will!"

"One day.." Haz sticked his tongue out.

We teased each other the whole ride to the hospital. Harrison told me to call him when I wanted him to pick me up. We said our goodbye and I went into the building.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Brown. How are you? I know I am here a bit early, but I here to visit Y/N." I smiled at young lady at the reception. Her face had already dropped while I spoke. Sad smile appeared on her face.

"I am sorry, Mr. Holland. You should go home and rather forget about her."

"W-what? Why? What happened? Is she okay?"

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but she probably won't survive much longer."

"What? You have to be joking? I was talking to her yesterday. She was fine. What happened? If it has something to with that Melendez guy I am sorry. But ple, don't joke about her dying, I.."

"I am not joking, Mr. Holland. I would have never joked about such a thing. She is my best friend. And she is dying. So please,don't make it even harder for me."

"C-can I.. Can I at least see her? One last time?"

"I am sorry, you can't. She is on fluid resuscitation right now."

I could feel my eyes started watering. I felt familiar anxiety and my heart almost stopped working. My palms started sweating, I felt dizzy. I had to sit down for a moment.

"Do you need water, Mr. Holland?"

I wasn't able to speak. My voice was caught deep in my throat. My eyes were blankly staring at the wall in front of me. I didn't even notice when she left to grab me some water.

"Here, drink it." She handed me cup of water and crunched in front of me. "Listen, I know how you feel. Y/N is amazing person, you don't know her for a long time, but I am sure you could see that. She doesn't deserve to die like this and this soon, but it's what it is. We have to deal with it. She wouldn't want you to cry over her death. She would want you to continue your life with joy. Let's honour every moment we could spend with her and if the worst comes, we should let her die in peace. " She gently rubbed the back of my hand. I looked at her with puffy red eyes.

" I don't want her to die. " I said with raspy voice.

" I know. Me neither, but she was diagnosed with severe damages to her body, her condition is really miserable and there is only a small chance of her to survive this even with the best doctors and facilities."

I growled and put my head into my hands. I didn't even try to keep my sobbs quiet. Mrs. Brown hugged me tightly.

" Psst. It will be okay. I feel the same. You are not alone. But you should go home now. Spend some time with your family and friends. It's okay to cry, but don't let it affect you in other ways. Do you have someone to pick you up?"

"What's her diagnose? What happened? Can you at least tell me so I know when she.. When she dies what causes it?"

"She suffers a septic shock. It's severe condition when 50% of patients dies, because of multiple organs failure."

"But.. She was okay yesterday. How could it happened?"

"Septic shock is caused by sepsis which does not respond the treatment.  Your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level after sepsis."

"Oh my God." I gulped and felt dizzy again. My skin was pale.

"Mr. Holland, look at me. Do you have someone to take you home? Can you give me your phone so I can call you someone?"

I can't remember properly how I managed to unlock my phone and handed it to her. Her voice was muffled and my head hurt. I didn't know how much time passed, but suddenly Harrison appeared in front of me.

" Hey, mate. I am here, I am here. Can you stand up? I am taking you home." He helped me to stand up and led me in the car. He managed to sat me on the front seat.

"Wait for me I need to speak to the nurse. Can you do that?"

I nodded absently. He walked back to the nurse I was talking to, Mrs. Brown. She explained what happened and what he should do with me. After a minute or two, Haz took me home. I cant tell you how long the ride was, because only thing I could think about was Y/N. She was dying. Dying and I couldn't help her. I only spoke to her for a few hours, but I had already felt the bond between us. I couldn't lose her. I didn't want to be sad, broken. Not again. Not after Anna. I prayed in my head. I prayed so hard. - Please God, I have already lost the love of my life. Please, I don't want to see another person die. I have just started to have feelings for another woman, after years of being alone and crying over my sweet angel, I found another one, or at least I think I found. And you want to take her from me too? -

"Tom, Tom, please look at me. Don't cry mate, I know it's hard. I am here. Please look at me." Haz was looking at me, obviously worried. Somehow he managed to lay me down on my bed.

"Tom, do you need something? A water or something to eat?" he sat next to me on bed. I stayed quiet, not really listening what he was saying. He just sighed.

"I will give you some space. You should sleep a bit. I will be downstairs if you need something." He stood up and walked to the door.

"Stay.. Please.. I need you."

A/N: Let me know what you think about this story so far. Sorry for my English, it's not my first language and I am new with this. So I would be happy and thankful about the feedback. Have a nice day! 😊

[dear-selena]

Sketchbook (Peter Parker x Stark!Reader): Chapter 5

Peter Parker x Stark!Reader (Female) 

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

Summary: (Y/N) never understood science-based subjects, despite putting all her efforts into studying them. Kids at school bullied her, her father, Tony Stark, was disappointed in her, and the Avengers looked the other way. Peter Parker, her best friend, and secret crush for almost two years was always there supporting her when she needed someone. However, since he became an Avenger and her dad’s ‘favorite kid’, (Y/N) doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be around. 

You find yourself struggling to exist with everything working against you, and instead of asking others for help, you turn to your sketchbook.

Warnings: Suicidal ideations, serious depression, anger

A/N: Hello! Guess who finally has time to write again! I want to thank you all for being patient with me while I was in school. I can assure you that updates will now come more frequently! 

This chapter does mention suicidal ideations, so if this is a trigger to you in any sense, please feel free to skip this chapter! If there is a tag missing that you feel I should add, please let me know! 

Chapter 5: Breaking Point

Words: 2132

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At that moment, you feel the world freeze. 

Your heart continues to beat rapidly, but it was as if all life ceased to move around you, forcing you to grasp what your father just said to you.

“I’m taking you out if Midtown. For good.”

Eventually, you slowly come back to reality, and you feel your palms sweat, your breath quicken, and your mind goes fuzzy and dark. Tears start to prick your eyes, and you blink rapidly to prevent breaking down in front of your father. You must not have heard him right. He did not just say he’s taking you out of Midtown. 

“But dad, you can’t do that. I’m starting to-”

“No buts,” Your father cuts you off, making you swallow your words, your defense, and your pride. “We’ll talk more about this once I come back home from the mission. In the meantime, I expect you to stay out of the gym and this lab. You’ll be expected to collect notes from your classes so that when I decide how to educate you next, you’ll be prepared. I’ve called Happy to come and watch you over the weekend because quite frankly, I don’t trust you to stay out of your restricted areas. Do I make myself clear?” 

Body shaking, and tears threatening to pour out, you struggle to keep yourself together. Your father has always been strict, but never did you think he’d be this harsh. You didn’t realize how much he didn’t trust you, or how lowly he thought of you. 

What was the point anymore? Nothing you did matters, not to the people that matter to you. 

“(Y/N)?” Your father calls out once again. “I said do I make myself clear?” 

With one blink, tears start falling from your eyes. Looking up at your father, you send him an aggressive look, one you’ve never shown in front of him before. “No, no you do not dad.” You spit out. 

Taken aback by your response, your father raises his eyebrow. “Excuse me?” 

“I said no, you can’t do this. It’s not okay. Do you seriously think I’m not trying? That I’m not slaving myself away over studies that don’t make sense to me? I’ve spent hours trying to figure out what the hell science is, but that’s not enough for you. And now I finally figure out what to do with myself and you’re just going to take me out of Midtown? Do you even want to hear what I have to say? Do you even care about why I came to talk to you? Do you even love me?” 

With your voice becoming harsh, practically screaming at your father, he hesitates to answer, bewildered at what you’ve just said to him. However, before he could say anything, you turn on your heels. “Screw you, dad.” 

You run out of the lab. 

Aggressively wiping tears from your eyes, you try to silent your sobs. You walk back into the common area, where the elevators are, and try to pass all the Avengers undetected. This shouldn’t be an issue, you were invisible to them anyways. You were just about to successfully make it to the elevators undetected when-. 

“(Y/N)!” 

Whipping your head around quickly, you see Peter frantically run up to you, fear on his face. “(Y/N), are you okay? What happened?” 

Trying to turn back around and get away from him, you sigh sadly. “It’s nothing Peter.” 

Strong hands land on your shoulders and you suddenly find yourself face to face with Peter, whose concern has morphed into something more serious. “It doesn’t look like nothing. Please, tell me what’s wrong.” 

You try to shake Peter’s arms off you, but his grasp is firm. You don’t understand why though. “Seriously, it’s nothing Peter, dad just scolded me again. It's no big deal.” 

Peter raises his eyebrows, knowing you’re hiding something. “No big deal? (Y/N), you’re crying. That’s not nothing,” he proceeds to cup your cheeks In his hands, sending such unnecessary butterflies through your stomach. “I really want to help you and understand. Please, just tell me what’s wrong and I’ll-.” 

Not being able to take it anymore, you push him off of you, a new set of tears falling. “You don’t have to pretend you love me, Peter. I know you don’t.” 

Eyes widening, Peter’s mouth drops in shock. “Wait, what?” 

You look down, refusing to meet his gaze. “It’s okay Peter, no one loves me. I don't need someone to pretend to.” Taking a deep breath, you finally look into his eyes for one last time, his filled with confusion and what looks like pain. “Like I said, it’s nothing. Thank you for trying with me all this time. It meant the world, but I’ll be going away now. You can have my bedroom, I think you’ll like it.” 

“(Y/N), what are you talking ab-.” 

Before he could finish his sentence, you run, making a beeline for the elevator as it quickly opens and closes for you. Luckily, Peter doesn't stop you. But the fact that he just let you run away from him after you practically confessed how you felt really stung. 

You shouldn’t have had your hopes up. 

Finally reaching the first floor, you run out the automatic doors of the compound. Not caring anymore where you went, you just start running back into the city. After all, no one is looking for you, no one cares to. 

Not even your father or Peter. 

—————

Adding the final touches to your latest drawing, you lean back in your chair and observe your work. 

When you reached the city, you found yourself wandering around, not exactly knowing where you were or what you were doing. In all honesty, you’ve never had the chance to explore the city, being locked in the compound most of the time. You never really had a reason to leave the compound before, as you didn’t have many friends, and the one friend you have (or at this point, had) was always being the Avenger you always wish you were. 

One thing was certain though. You were never coming back. 

Unsure of what you meant by that statement, you stumbled across a local coffee shop and spent the evening there. After buying yourself a drink and something to eat, you sat down at a table in the corner, took your sketchbook out, and started to draw. 

While drawing, you couldn’t help but think of what you meant by “never coming back”. Sure, you’ve thought of ending your life before, but was that something you actually wanted to go through with? From the minimal conversations you’ve had about mental health, you’ve heard that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and that statement kind of psyched you out. You’ve thought about what it would be like to end your life, imagining scenarios of what the aftermath would be. But was it truly something you wanted to do? 

Another thing you’ve thought of was simply just running away. Maybe you could change your identity, get on a plane or a bus, and move away somewhere far and start anew. That way, you’d have a clean slate to do anything you’d like. No Stark, no avengers, and no father to control you. 

Just you and you alone. 

After what felt like forever, you snapped out of your negative thoughts to admire your work, you realize that you’ve drawn a lined sketch of the Avengers posing for battle. In the front, your father and Peter stood proudly, the mentor and the mentee. However, something felt missing from the image. 

In the corner of the page, you started outlining a small figure off in the distance, completely covered in shadow. From the looks of it, the figure had your hairstyle and body type. 

It was meant to be you. 

“Excuse me?” You look up to see the barista with a broom. “We’re closing shop now.” 

Sighing to yourself, you nod in acknowledgment, pack your things, and leave the cafe. Back on the city streets, you notice how dark it got, and how abandoned they feel. After all, it was a little past 10 pm, but you couldn’t help how eerie the environment feels. 

Not knowing where to go, you decide to wander the streets for the night. You don’t really care anymore, you just don’t want to go back home, back to the compound. Maybe you could find an alleyway to duck into and spend the night? Or perhaps you could call someone like MJ or Ned, and explain what’s been going on. Then again, they might tell Peter where you are, and the last thing you wanted was for him to come back from his mission just to look for someone as worthless as yo-. 

“Are you lost, miss?” You hear from behind you, not realizing someone was there. You immediately tense up but continue to walk, fear slowly creeping up your spine. The more you walk, however, the footsteps quicken, and suddenly you could feel the person's presence right on your back, sending shivers down your body. 

“Miss? Are you deaf?” The voice shouts now, obviously not taking a hint. You try to walk faster, and when a firm hand lands on your shoulder, you lose it. 

Shaking the man’s hand off you, you turn on your heels, facing him for the first time. You immediately notice his black hoodie, hands in his pockets, and face covered by his hood. 

“Don’t touch me.” You spit coldly.

“Oh… so she does speak,” The man comments, taking a step closer. A sly smirk appears on his lips, and you have to stop yourself from cringing. “What’s a pretty lady like you doing out here alone?” 

Noticing your heartbeat pick up, and your palms sweat, you look down and try to keep your cool. The man, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy your silence. 

You feel the man’s hand go under your chin. However, before you could register anything that’s happening, you quickly grab his hand and bend his arm back, surprising both him and yourself. “I said don’t touch me.” 

There was a moment of silence between you two, you not realizing what was happening. However, the man was quick as he reaches into his hoodie’s pocket and pulls out a pocket knife, swinging it at you. You barely dodge it, almost caught off guard. Backing away a bit, you proceed to hone in all the training Natasha has given you, despite it being quite a while since you’ve last practiced, and started to attack this predator. You wish you had some sort of rope to act as a whip though, the fight would have been easier for you then. 

But nevertheless, you were giving this man all you got, kicking him around until you knocked the knife out of his hand. Ecstatic that you caught him off guard, you pause for a moment, completely enthralled at yourself. Fighting had never made you feel so alive. 

But that ends quickly when he suddenly punches you in the stomach. 

You immediately fall to the ground with a thud, the air in your lungs completely gone and your back hitting the brick wall behind you. Gasping for air and tears forming in your eyes, you feel a stinging sensation on your stomach. Clutching it, you attempt to get up but stop when a red and blue-suited man jumps down and finishes your job. 

Spider-Man backs the man completely away from you, leaving you to watch the battle from a distance. With the man completely flustered, Spider-Man webs him to the wall, knocking him out in the process. Turning towards you, the hero runs in your direction and kneels in front of you. His iron mask recedes back into his suit, revealing Peter’s distressed face. 

“(Y/N)! Are you okay?” Peter frantically asks, grabbing your shoulders. 

Looking into his eyes feels so heavenly and poisonous at the same time. On one hand, you were so happy to see him, thinking about how he basically saved your life. On the other hand, this was your battle, and Peter wouldn’t even let you have that. It suddenly dawns on you that you were trying to protect your life, and you couldn’t even do that. 

Was there really no purpose for you? 

“(Y/N), please talk to me.” Peter practically begs. Looking into his eyes, you can see he’s about to break down. He must be sick of taking care of you. 

Sighing in defeat, and the stinging sensation in your stomach turning numb, you look away from your crush, ashamed of yourself. “I don’t want to be here anymore.” 

Eyes widening, Peter’s grip on your shoulders loosen. “What?” 

“I don’t want to live anymore.”

-------- 

A strike through your name means I could not tag you. 

-Sketchbook Tag List-

@randomfanders-blog // @freestarlight // @depressing-as-shit // @sweetmilki // @supernerdycookietrashblr // @supermassiveblackhope // @starksthunder // @multi-fandom-headcanons // @adri1ii // @futureauthor03 // @maddie-laufeyson // @thejourneyneverendsx // @noakantor14 // @fangirlbookworm // @awesomedara // @motherhyuckerdude // @itswhiskeybitch​ // @kickstartmyheartmc​ // @deansbbysblog​ // @whatareyouhidingpeter​ // @aquaastrid​ // @mintywater7​ // @bitcheswithbrokenhearts​ // @frog-face-wolfhard​ // @littlemissporter​ // @ppkrtingle​ // @rafaellannery7​ // @choices97​ // @eveningdawn222​ // @babebenhardy​ // @emeraldrhee-grimes​

-Peter Parker Tag List-

@sweetcoffeeblandtea // @house-arya // @jovialpeanut // @bookstoreblossom // @jackiehollanderr

-Marvel Tag List-

@sammghgecko

-Permanent Tag List-  

@mindset-jupiter // @romance-geek // @imcharishope // @fakindob // @cutiekoa // @wowursofunny // @cals-cigarette // @supernerdycookietrashblr // @delicately-important-trash // @unlikelygalaxygiver

[trumantomlinson]

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[curlystom]

flowers — peter parker

{ in which you work at a flower shop and one boy catches your attention }

a/n: another repost! this was one of the fics i was most proudest of, and i still am to this day. enjoy!

word count: 4.1k

warnings: mentions of death, angst, and good ole’ fluff

MASTERLIST

The colorful petals of each flower made the small shop even brighter, inviting new customers in as they walked by. The combination of all the different aromas filled the space, pleasing your senses every time you strolled in for work.

You scrunched up your face as you breathed in the fresh scent the first time you walked in, already feeling a slight headache forming. You were in desperate need of some money, searching job after job all over Queens. All of them rejected you, explaining that they wanted someone with a little more experience. The owner of the flower shop, however, was kind enough to give you a job even though they weren’t hiring.

She saw potential in you.

New customers came in everyday, usually wandering around the store for bit before picking out the flowers of their choice. They kept you busy, handing you their picks for you to assort them into a beautiful bouquet. Seeing their faces as you handed them the finished product was enough for you to work there. Their expressions were nothing but pleased and delighted, something that always made your heart happy.

The soft sound of a bell rang as a customer walked in, the door closing behind him as he hung his head low, heading towards the lilies area. Your eyebrows furrowed at him, surprised that he didn’t even bother to greet the workers behind the counter. You ignored him for now, continuing to tie the small selection of flowers the previous customer had chosen together before the boy dropped a few white lilies on the counter.

He swung his backpack in front of him, reaching for his wallet in the front pocket as you happily handed the finished assortment to the patient customer. You carefully picked up the lilies, fixing them a bit before you grabbed a matching white ribbon to tie them together. The boy rocked back and forth on his heels, noticing the small details in the flowers that surrounded him. You snuck in a few quick glances at him, studying his face as you purposely took your time.

His bright, yet tired brown eyes tried to hide under his floppy, curly hair, and the shadow from his hood wasn’t enough to cover the evident bags underneath his eyes. A frown appeared on your face the longer you examined him, wondering if he was okay or not, but it was none of your business. You gave a sad smile as you tied a nice bow around the stems, ushering him to move towards the cashier so he could pay. 

“How are you today?” You asked, accepting the money he handed you. He nodded his head with his lips in a fine line, not wanting to give a vocal answer. 

You raised your eyebrows when you saw that he had given you the perfect amount of cash, staring back and forth at the boy who couldn’t be bothered to look at you. The question of whether or not he had bought this exact arrangement before ran through your mind as you placed the money in the drawer and gently handed him the flowers. 

He drew his hand from his hoodie pocket to accept them, and you flinched once you felt how freezing cold his fingertips were. Despite how warm the weather was outside, he still remained to be cold as ice. 

He kept a gentle grip around the stems of the lilies, his gaze still anywhere but at you as he quickly thanked you. 

“H-have a good day,” you voice came out shaky, noticing that he was already heading towards the door. He mumbled out a ‘you too’ that you barely heard, his grip on the small bouquet tightening a little. 

It saddened you to see someone so distraught as him, but you knew it wasn’t your place to ask him if he was okay. He was just a customer, someone you’d probably never see again. However, the tiredness in his eyes was still very visible even though he had left already, which made you want to help him even more.

“That was Peter Parker.”

You flipped around to see your boss leaning against the doorframe which led to the backroom and her office. She mirrored your sad smile from earlier as she uncrossed her arms to sort the paperwork that was lying on the counter. 

“You know him?” You asked, twiddling with the edge of your sleeve. 

“The boy comes in every tuesday to buy the same arrangement,” she said as she shrugged. “He never really says anything about it. I always thought it was for a girl though.”

Your brows knitted in a frown. It didn’t make sense to you, why he looked so distraught, why he couldn’t look at you, why his hands were so cold. If he buys them for a girl, then why does it look like he’s distraught about it? 

———

He was on your mind for the rest of the month, briefly showing up every Tuesday with the same heartbroken expression on his face. As much as you would have liked to forget about him like any other customer, his distressed look along with the bags under his eyes never left your mind. 

When the 4th Tuesday came along, you anxiously waited behind the counter for him to walk through the door. You bounced your leg up and down on the stool, swirling in it every now and then as you kept your gaze on the clock. 

Minutes felt like hours as the clock finally read 6:30 pm, 30 minutes before the shop was supposed to close. You frowned at the assumption he probably wasn’t going to show up today before you heard the bell ring. Your head shot up at the sound, immediately recognizing the figure that had been in your head for the last month. 

Peter looked a little better today, at least from what you could see. There wasn’t hoodie to shield his face from everybody, instead he wore a worn down grey sweater with a blue flannel underneath, the collar poking out a bit. His hands were tucked in his jean pockets as he wandered over to the lilies, giving you a small smile on the way.

You were surprised by his difference in mood, eyebrows raising as a smile of your own formed. He still looked just as tired, but the bags under his eyes were less noticeable and his hair was less curly, indicating that he had put in the time to do it this morning. It wasn’t long before he appeared in front of the counter, with the same number of white lilies and money in his hand as usual. He handed you both at the same time, graciously accepting the items with both of your hands so you wouldn’t drop it.

As you grabbed the white ribbon to tie the flowers together, the brown-haired boy took this time to look around the shop. His heightened senses made the floral aroma even more intense, his headache on the brink of surfacing. The different colors that surrounded him brought some sense of comfort that he couldn’t explain, and the fact that you were working today too made it better. 

The weight on his shoulders were gone the moment he set foot in that shop and saw you there the first time. You reminded him so much of her, your personality, your smile. If he was being honest, he thought you were her for a second before realization struck him like a ton of bricks. 

Her screams haunted him every night as he tried to fall asleep. That night was all he could think about, replaying the memory and imagining different scenarios where he was able to save her. He scolded himself every chance he got on the mistakes he made that day, how he had let her walk home by herself, to letting himself get distracted. It was all his fault.

Peter’s phone rang as he was swinging around the city. Her name appeared on his screen which made a soft smile form. He pulled off his mask as he answered the call and brought the phone to his ear, finding the nearest rooftop to rest on.

“Hey baby! Did you make it home safe?”

It was silent for a solid 15 seconds, but he swore it felt like hours. His heart immediately stopped as he sensed that something was wrong.

“What kind of boyfriend are you to let your girlfriend walk by herself, hm?” The man taunted.

His voice was intimidating enough to make even Peter’s skin crawl. He could hear his girlfriend’s pleading cries in the background, making tears swell up in his eyes.

“P-please. Don’t hurt her.” Peter begged, biting the inside of his mouth in fear. 

A devious laugh could be heard from the other side of the line. “You don’t get to be making the calls here, kid.” 

KAREN immediately started tracking her phone for him, to which her location appeared on the screen almost instantly. Peter quickly put his mask back on as he kept the man on the line, keeping it as reassurance that she was still alive. Luckily, he wasn’t too far from them. 

He crawled on top of the glass roof once he was at the destination, keeping an eye on the man and his girl from above. Peter mapped out a plan in his head as he carefully dropped himself onto the ground, not wanting to ruin his entrance. 

However, the man sensed his presence. The sound of a gun cocking sent shivers down Peter’s spine, in which he immediately started shaking his head and running towards him and her. 

“Stop-, stop! Please, I’ll do anything.” Tears fell down onto his cheeks, his breathing hitching at every word he spoke. Her voice cracked as she screamed out for her boyfriend, making Peter’s heart clench in pain. He swore that nothing would happen to her, and she believed him. She thought that he was able to keep her safe, even with all the enemies Peter made daily. He warned her about the life she was getting into, but she didn’t care. She pledged to be with him through anything because of how in love they were. 

Peter thought he had done a good job of protecting her, but he was clearly wrong.

“You’re too late.” The man spat out. The ringing sound of a gun going off wasn’t loud enough to shield the high pitch screams from her, making Peter drop to his knees as screams of his own escaped. His whole world had suddenly turned dark. 

Peter shook his head when he heard someone call his name. His face had paled at the memory as his gaze were set on the lilies in front of him. “W-what?”

Your brows bumped together in a scowl, worried  spelled all over your face. The seemingly okay boy was now full of trauma, eyes wide. The words got caught in your throat, but they were screaming it in your mind. I barely know you but I’m worried about you. Are you okay?

All you could do was hand him the bouquet, your hands shaking out of nervousness. He hesitated before reluctantly receiving them, taking in a few deep breaths in the process. His eyes went back and forth between you and the flowers, trying to come up with a proper excuse for his behavior. 

“I-, uh.. I’m-. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head as he turned around and bolted out the door. You didn’t have enough time to say anything back before he was already gone. You stood there in shock with your hands at your side, contemplating the action you were about to do.

The door was on the verge of fully closing as you slipped through it, turning your head side to side to see where the curly-haired boy went. He was nowhere in sight, almost like he had disappeared. A frustrated sigh left your lips as you went back inside the shop so you could properly clock out. It seemed like you were going to have to see him the next week.

The walk home was something you never really enjoyed. People on the streets usually tried to get your attention, which led you to just walking right past them. The music was playing through your headphones as you past the local cemetery, a place where you usually tried to pass as fast as possible. You would have ignored the place as usual if it wasn’t for the familiar looking silhouette that rushed a few yards in front of you. They were holding nothing but a candle and the same bouquet of lilies that you had made earlier. Peter.

Curiosity ran through your mind as your eyebrows knitted together, slowly following the figure into the cemetery. It wasn’t long before he stopped in front of a tombstone, kneeling down as he placed the flowers beside it and lit the candle.

You hid behind the closest tree, poking your head out as you watched closely as to what he was doing. He already knew you were there the second he entered the cemetery. His movements were slower than usual as he crosses his legs in front of her grave. You slowly walked towards him as he mumbled words to her, not wanting to interrupt him. He bowed his head as he played with the leaves in front of him, talking about how his week was to her.

The sound of a leaf crunching made you retract your foot, your face showcasing a panicked look. Peter didn’t seem phased as he continued to rip the leaf in his hand apart.

“I already know you’re there.”

You let out a big sigh as you ambled towards him, now standing right behind the boy. He ushered for you to sit next to him, still keeping his gaze ahead of him. You hesitated for a bit, but finally obliged as you lowered yourself onto the grass.

You studied the fairly new tombstone in front of you as the words engraved slowly broke your heart the more you read. 

Emily Watson.

August 15, 2001 — November 6, 2018

Beloved daughter and friend.

An awkward silence filled the space between the two of you for a while. The both of you didn’t know what to say, especially since you’ve never had a real conversation before. You bit the inside of your mouth as you exhaled deeply while Peter closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying forming the right words to say to you.

“S-she-, she was murdered.” He mumbled, your eyes widening at the news.

The screams replayed in his head as he took in a deep breath. Your eyes widened at the information, immediately feeling sympathetic for the boy next to you. He sniffed as his hand went to wipe the tears that had escaped away, not wanting to see him any more vulnerable. It was obviously failing.

“A man called me from her phone while I was… working,” he coughed, “I usually walk with her home but I wasn’t able to that day... He-, he took her right in front of her apartment building, and I wasn’t able to protect her.” More tears slipped out, along with a few of your own. 

You didn’t know what to say back at this point, and even if you did, you couldn’t. Something so horrific to this poor boy and he had to go through it alone. 

“It’s ironic. I’m Spider-Man.. I’m supposed to be able to save people. I do save people, everyday, But yet I couldn’t protect the one person that meant the world to me. What kind of superhero does that make me?”

The words slipped right out of Peter’s mouth, and he didn’t even care. Your eyes widened while your jaw dropped a bit, your posture suddenly becoming a lot straighter. It all clicked in your head.

The news of Spider-Man disappearing 6 months ago broke the Internet, rumors spreading around school about what could have happened. You usually paid no attention to it, but the constant conversations you heard in the halls stuck with you.

“Maybe he died..” Someone whispered as you gathered your belongings in your locker.

“No.. I don’t think so. Don’t you think they would have found his body by now?”

“No one can just disappear like that unless they die.”

You tensed at their words, wishing that you weren’t there at the moment.

You always had admired Spider-Man for always putting others first. He was brave, courageous, and you knew it took someone special to put themselves on the line everyday. When news broke out that he went missing, your heart sunk right to the floor, but you always prayed that he was still out there watching us.

And here he was in the flesh, with a broken heart sitting next to you as he stared at her tomb. 

A million thoughts ran through your mind faster than you could even process them. Peter didn’t even bother to try and cover up his mistake, and you knew he wasn’t going to. He was purely in pain, ranting to a seemingly complete stranger that was doing nothing but listening. The emotions he bottled up for months was hitting it’s breaking point. He was hurting, and you wanted to take the pain away from him so bad.

“You can’t save everyone.” You whispered.

His head turned towards you as he let out a dry laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “I could have saved her. I should have saved her.”

You shifted your body towards him, grabbing his hand, making him flinch before easing into your touch. “It’s not your fault,” you sighed, “there was nothing you could do.”

“H-he killed her right in front of me,” he cried, his shoulders slumped, “it’s-, it’s like I was just there to watch.”

His breathing started to become irregular the more he thought of her death. He closed his eyes as sobs slipped through his lips, his body becoming weaker by the second. You held the back of his neck as you brought him in for a hug, trying to comfort him the best you could. 

Peter’s cries shook his entire body, the pain against his chest becoming almost impossible to bear. Tears started to weld up along the rim of your eyes, causing you to blink rapidly so they would go away.

You couldn’t even imagine how broken he must have been inside. The anger, the guilt, the grief. The boy didn’t deserve to feel that kind of pain. Your breathing began to become a little shaky the longer you two stayed in that position, your fingertips playing the little hairs on the nape of his neck. 

“It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault.” You repeated, your voice quiet enough for just Peter to hear. “Emily would want you to know that it’s not your fault.” 

It was enough to calm Peter down as his breathing became regular again. His chin rested on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around you to complete the hug.  No one had been able to calm him down this easily since Emily, which would usually make him more upset. But instead, he felt content for the first time in a while. 

Your touch was different than hers. Your hands weren’t as soft or warm, nor did your hair smell as sweet. Although, your smile was just as comforting as Emily’s, and your voice was so soothing that it could bring Peter into a slumber. It was different, yet the same, and it was enough to relieve the tension off Peter’s shoulders. 

He was the first one to pull away, wiping his tears and nose as he settled into his previous spot. His eyes landed on the white lilies as his face formed a tight-lipped smile, the first genuine one in a long time.

The stems rested between his fingers as he picked it up before rolling it between the tips of his fingers. “She always told me that white represents purity and innocence,” he smiled, “and how she wanted her wedding to be filled with lilies.” 

“Little did I know, they symbolize that the soul received restored innocence after death.” 

Peter placed the lilies back in front of Emily’s tomb as you bit the inside of your mouth, sadness written all over your face. 

It all made sense. Why he strolled into the shop with a look of sadness, why he bought the same amount of lilies, why he came in every week. It was because of her, yet something so beautiful was also something painful.

“I bet she loves them…” you forced a smile, making Peter nod in reply. “Yeah.. I do too.”

There was another silence, but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was filled with a sense of serenity, making you sigh in relief. There was no more weight on Peter’s shoulders. His world was suddenly a lot brighter despite how dark it was outside, and there were no more screams echoing in his head, haunting him every minute of his day. Instead it was filled with your voice, telling him it was going to be okay.

“Tell me more about her.” You hesitated a bit, not wanting to put him on the spot but he smiled. Peter grabbed the hand that was resting on your thigh, like it was waiting for someone to hold it. You looked up at him surprised, almost thinking that it was a mistake. His thumb rubbed the back of your hand as he smiled from ear to ear, beginning to talk about the amazing things Emily and him have done. And although the two of you were currently sitting in front of the girl who made his world dark, talking to you made the pain disappear. You reminded him of what he had felt like before he had met Emily, and whether or not that was a bad thing, he was so thankful for it.

———

Thursday nights were always the least busy for the shop. You sat behind the counter once again, anxiously waiting for your shift to be over before the familiar sound of a bell ringing was heard. Peter stood there as the door closed behind him with a genuine smile on his face, but you were a bit confused as to why he was coming in on a Thursday night.

He walked towards the other half of the shop, an area he had never been in before as he carefully examined the different types of flowers in front of him. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion as you saw that he had picked 5 red roses. It was a first for him. 

Peter gently laid the roses out on the counter with his bottom lip between his teeth to prevent a giddy smile. An eyebrow was raised as you carefully slid them closer to you, reaching for a red ribbon to do your usual task.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” You teased, cocking your head to the side as you tied a bow around the stems, handing it to him as you were done.

His efforts were no use as a big smile was plastered all over his face, accepting the roses as he handed you a 10 dollar bill. You opened the cash register to place the piece of valuable paper in the drawer and gather Peter’s change before you saw the same roses out of the corner of your eye. A soft laugh left your lips, not understanding why is was he was giving them back to you. The building sweat from the palm of your hand was slowly transfering to the coins resting there as you stared back at the cheeky boy.

“You,” Peter smiled, now fully exposing his teeth. 

A smile of your own formed as a breathy laugh escaped, handing Peter his change as he placed the roses in your hands. You shook your head at his attempt of being smooth, muttering out a ‘thank you’ as Peter nodded.

“I read somewhere online that uh-, roses symbolize gratitude.” He admitted, his cheeks turning into a light shade of red. “So I.. wanted to get you some-”

You placed the roses back on the counter as you ran around to give Peter a hug, catching him off guard at first before he wrapped his arms around you once again. The two of you stood in the middle of the shop as time seemed to have stopped. The both of you didn’t want to be the first to let go, scared to let this precious moment end already. Peter nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck, smiling from how safe you felt as he held him tighter. 

Emily was one thing, but you were an entirely different thing and he was so happy about it. He was comfortable in someone’s arms again, and he was internally thanking anyone that was listening for letting it be you.