#resting isn't helping much and walking/standing makes it worse..

[gotyouanyway]

my joint pain has been REALLY bad since thursday night for no reason i can think of and it's freaking me out :(

[optimist-pine]

Bodyguard

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader

Warnings: people are naked, but it's barely even borderline suggestive

Summary: You need a bath, but there's no way you're going alone

Era: Season 1, the Quarry

Your skin practically crawls from the buildup of dirt, sweat, and who knows what else that's managed to accumulate over the past three days. You still haven't quite adjusted to the reality of not having on-demand access to a hot shower and your scalp is all oily, and itchy, and eugh - gross. A little shiver runs down your spine at the thought - well, maybe that's just more sweat...

The bold shades of the sunset are beginning to fade as you make your way to the Dixon brothers' camp. Currently they're the closest thing you have to neighbors, your tent being between theirs and the rest of the group. You're dying for a quick dip and rinse in the pond, but you don't actually want to die for a bath, and you know it's a dumb idea to go alone. Everyone else seems busy though and you've come to the conclusion that Daryl seems to be your only option.

Most of the others actively avoid the brothers, and you can't say you blame them. Merle's constantly stirring up trouble and being a general annoyance, and Daryl's quick to jump to his defense. But, on the rare occasion when Daryl isn't being held under Merle's thumb, you catch glimpses of a very different person than what he usually puts out.

He's sitting in an old lawn chair by the side of a fire when you approach, poking a stick around in the coals. Little sparks shoot off where the fresh evening air hits them, and the smell of woodsmoke fills your lungs.

"Hey." You greet. A spot of doubt begins to arise within you, but you quickly stamp it out. With recent events you were beginning to discover that there wasn't much room left for second guessing or overthinking anymore.

"Need somethin'?" He asks, eyes flicking up to you for a moment before returning to the flames.

You hang your thumbs in your belt loops, fingers tapping against your hips. "If you're not busy, I was hoping maybe you could go down to the water with me? I'd ask someone else but they all seem rather occupied at the moment... and I don't think Shane'd let me go alone." You say.

He looks up, jaw set awfully close to a scowl. "I ain't gonna be yer damn bodyguard." He huffs.

"No- I don't want you to watch me or anything like that- I guess I'm just asking for companionship?" You reply. "You could do whatever you're gonna do here, but just do it down there?" You hike your thumb over your shoulder in the direction of the pond.

He stays silent, but a sudden chorus of laughter flows out from the direction of the rest of the group. You study the way the firelight smooths out his rough edges, and you can't help but wonder if the look in his eyes is just boredom or if it's really loneliness.

"Unless you prefer Merle's company, then by all means I'll leave ya to it." You continue, trying your best to ignore Merle sawing logs in the tent, and erase the image of his hand too close to his crotch from your mind.

He jams the stick into the dirt hard enough that it remains standing when he lets go. "A'ight. Lemme get 'mah stuff."

"Awesome, I'll be over at my tent when you're ready." You smile, pleased and a little surprised that you'd managed to get him to say yes. Admittedly, Merle wasn't so bad when he was passed out, but it was reassuring to know that you were at least preferred company over an unconscious jerk.

---

Dirt and gravel crunch under your boots as the two of you walk, your knapsack bouncing steadily against your back with each step. "Thanks for coming with me. I'm not necessarily afraid of the dark or anything, but there's a lot worse things in the woods now than just coyotes." You explain. "And it's just nice not to be alone."

He simply grunts in response.

Good thing you didn't ask him along for his conversational skills.

When you reach the edge of the water you find a rock close to the shore to set out clean clothes and a towel. You see Daryl settle down, back propped against a boulder as he starts rummaging around in his own bag. "Whatcha gonna work on?" You ask.

He pulls out a whetstone and a couple large hunting knives. "Cleanin' mah tools." He replies.

You begin to undress, but a feeling of uncertainty causes you to pause. "Man, I wish I didn't feel like he's sitting up there right now with those binoculars..."

"Who? Shane?" He asks sounding surprised.

"Yeah." You shudder. "Guy gives me the creeps."

You hear scrape of the knife grinding against the sharpener. "Well, hurry up an'ere won' be anythin' ta see." He says.

"Yeah..." You keep your eye on Daryl while you finish, but he doesn't lift his gaze even once beyond sharpening his knife. "I won't be long." You assure him as the cool water rises around you.

As soon as you're far enough in you dive forward, the rush of water instantly reviving and refreshing your whole body as it flows past. You rise upwards as giddiness fills you and you break the surface with a laugh. "This is heavenly!" You gasp. You continue diving and twirling, every sore muscle and painful bruise easing away.

You pause to catch your breath and a small splash has you immediately alert. You left your knife up on the shore with Daryl, but you hadn't heard any sounds of alarm from him so surely it's not a walker. But when you look to the shore the sight has you almost equally as shocked. Daryl is chest deep in the water - bare chested that is - ripples being sent out across the still expanse as he sinks further in.

"Hey!" You yell. "I asked you out here because I thought you weren't some sorta pervert!" You hope it's dark enough that nothing in the water is visible because he's only getting closer.

The moon is full and bright, and the way it reflects off the water makes him look almost ethereal. "Can't protect ya if I'm up'ere an' yer alla'way out 'ere." He reasons.

"I don't need protecting." You roll your eyes. "And all the weapons are up there, Dixon!" You send a splash of water directly into his face.

He returns the splash. "Looked like I was missin' out on alla fun." He shrugs. "'Sides, ya never know when somethin' might jus'-" he disappears under the surface of the water and barely a second later something wraps around your ankle, tugging you under the surface.

When you're released you bob back up to the top wanting to be stern, but you're too busy giggling and swallowing mouthfuls of water to do so. When he surfaces behind you, you turn and splash him again sputtering, "Daryl you- that's not- I can't-" and end up full on belly laughing while trying to stay afloat.

You think you catch the shadow of a smile on his lips before he turns and floats away, like he's done nothing worthy of retaliation. 'Oho boy is he gonna get it.' As quietly as possible you lower yourself in the water, and using shadows from the moonlight, you swim under his head. Reaching up with both hands you use all your strength to grab his shoulders and pull yourself above the surface while pushing him down as hard as you can. Then you make a break for it.

You hear him gasp for air, coughing and sputtering as you swim as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

"Get back 'ere, woman!" He shouts, his tone highly amused. "Yer gonna hafta pay 'fer that!"

You don't realize how loudly you're laughing until the beam of a flashlight is suddenly shining directly in your face.

"Everything alright here?" Shane questions, standing on the shore not far from your and Daryl's discarded clothes. A few of the others are with him; Dale, Andrea, T-Dog, and Morales.

Even in the chilly water you can feel your skin begin to flush all the way down your neck. "Yes! All good!" You squeak out, squinting in the harsh brightness.

"We heard yelling." Andrea chimes in.

You're confident that in all your life you've never been more embarrassed. "That was laughing, guys. I wanted a bath and I asked Daryl to be my bodyguard. We were just, uh, blowing off some steam and I guess we got a little loud... Sorry if we worried anyone." You glance at Daryl who appears to be doing his best impression of the invisible man.

You can make out Dale's hat exceptionally well even in the darkness. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Their hesitation to leave sparks frustration within you - do they really think so lowly of Daryl? Is that what this is all about? Sure, nobody really knows him all that well, but you're all practically strangers and he's done alright by you. The desire to defend him takes over and you snap at the group, "Ah, what're y'all, the fun police? Go ruin somebody else's night and leave us be."

You don't take a good breath until they're all headed back to camp, and it's once again quiet and dark. You sigh, tilting your head back to watch the stars so high above as you float. "Dead people walking around eatin' living people - ya think they'd have bigger problems to deal with than a couple'a skinny dippers." You remark.

A quick exhale of a laugh, not quite a snort, echoes across the pond. "People're always jealous of'a good time if they ain't havin' one." He says quietly.

You pull your fingers through the water, feeling the tension push against them. "So... are ya feeling jealous, or did ya have a good time?" You ask.

"S'pose it wasn't too bad." He says. "But I ain't yer damn bodyguard."

And you grin.

---

Yeah, maybe it's a little awkward getting dried off, getting dressed, and walking back to camp but you sleep more soundly than you have since you arrived. And maybe you're a little annoyed with the way everyone seems to have nothing better to do than gossip, but that new gleam in Daryl's eye when he looks at you wipes it all from your mind. And maybe a lot of things suck, but at the end of the day there's someone who actually likes you, and maybe that's enough.

[chiliyue-archived]

You talk too much

↬kissing them as a means of shutting them up

Includes; Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Azul Ashengrotto, Floyd Leech, Sebek Zigvolt

Gender Neutral Reader

Tags; a little more on the crack side but i hope you like this nonetheless!

Not requested !

-

Riddle Rosehearts

"... OFF WITH YOUR HEA-"

Y'know the buffering logo for poor internet and such? That's Riddle at this very moment. It takes a solid couple seconds for him to realize what just happened or what he was even talking about for that matter

His face is blazing. The very same shade as his hair and his body is slightly trembling, shocked- no utterly astonished at what you just did.

Buffers out for a couple more seconds before promptly scolding you on how inappropriate your actions were and blah blah blah. Unfortunately, you may get collared... I hope it was worth it and honestly it is since you get to see Riddle's pouty face as he scrambles to recompose himself

But if he's being honest, your lips are really soft and warm on his, and now he can't help but stare at it for a little afterward because damn, he wants another. But he will not ask because that's below him, and you must pay for your actions - he mustn't give in to your kisses 😤

Proceeds to think about it afterward, becoming distracted in his tasks and zoning out because how dare you kiss the queen of hearts and definitely not because your lips are soft

Leona Kingscholar

"Careful Herbivore, you're tempting a lion right now. How shall I punish you for this, hm?"

How dare you cut him off and his words of wisdom 🤧<- said words were probably about sleep or something

However, he acts as though his hand isn't already sneaking its way around your waist, his teeth nibbling on your bottom lip, all for the goal of coaxing a reaction out of you

He composes himself fairly quickly. If anything, it's going to be YOU reaping the consequences of your actions and Leona is smug about it.

Flicks your forehead while his free hand grips your chin with two fingers. He's making eye contact with you simply to see your confident demeanor stutter and waiver before his very eyes.

He's making a toothy cocky grin at you, going off about punishing you and verbally assaulting your ears with his husky voice. And he leans in tierrbly close, his breath tickling your cheek. He's going to make you flustered and kinda terrified to what he may have planned, or are you 👀

If you think you're gonna be able to just walk away, you are horribly mistaken. Hope you have nothing planned for the rest of the day because you're gonna be acting as Leona's pillow.

Azul Ashengrotto

"Angelfish- dear- if you wanted kiss you could have just ask... ah, was it something I said, perhaps?"

Buffer logo number 2. He stands there for a couple of seconds unsure of what to do or what to say

Someone bring over his little pot, he needs to sulk for a little as he comphrends what just happened

His face is flushing pink in embarrassment, even bringing a gloved hand over his face to conceal his not so subtle mental breakdown. Furthermore, it was hard to tell if he was mad or simply flustered(its the latter). He kept diverting his gaze as his fingers twitched slightly.

He refuses to make eye contact with you because doing so just makes the red hue on his cheeks even worse. And suddenly his shoes became the most interesting thing— that or his glasses require cleaning for the nth time, definitely not an excuse or anything

Azul thinks he must have said something wrong, already apologizing over stuttered words, which really come off as babbles because his tongue is working faster than his brain

When he finds out it was just a small little prank - a little jab - he begs that you save his dignity and never do this again because he will turn into a puddle.

Pray this doesn't happen in front of the twins who will tease and berate the poor man with not so harmless humor from the kiss.

Floyd Leech

" Ahhh shrimpyyy did you get tired with my voice, hm~??? Why don't we take this somewhere private hehe~"

A death wish, we salute you

The moment you kiss him, he's already wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer against his figure. And those razor like teeth of his? Those are chomping down on your bottom lip. Your lips are gonna be all swollen and painted magenta by the end of this, but that's what happens when you tempt an eel he claims.

If he's flustered, it's not evident on his face; rather, he seems amused more than anything, a cheeky smile finding its way to his lips as he lets out a giggle that makes goosebumps run down your arms.

He's a horrible tease, one that's gonna use this as an excuse to drag you off and cuddle(and kiss you breathless) for a couple of hours. You can practically see all the ideas that is stirring up in his brain as he processes this

But sometimes it's hard to tell if what he's saying is a genuine or Floyd is simply making light... banter. "You're so silly shrimppy, but don't interrupt me next time, kay?~" He says with a grin that can be classified as either intimidating or teasing. Maybe both.

Tbh, he might take this experience and apply it himself, kissing you for no other reason other than that he was bored and your lips happened to be at the wrong place and time. What you were saying didn't matter much anyway 🤧

Sebek Zigvolt

" Y/N, WHAT WAS THAT?? ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPLY SOMETHING ABOUT WAKA SAMA?"

We applaud you brave solider

Scolds you, no hesitations. He stutters over the first couple of words, struggling to compose himself, but once he does, his mouth is spilling words after words. His face is terribly pink, and he seems both flustered and offended... which he's probably both because he's a drama queen.

If you were trying to shut him up, he's only gonna be talking even louder as he berates you on your behavior and whatnot. RIP ears 🙏

Everyone will learn about it with how loud he is. The scene from an outsiders perspective is quite a silly one; one of Malleus's personal guards rendered speechless for a couple of seconds before screaming his head off.

He vents about it to silver later that night and treats it as though it's the end of the world. He's going off and off about your kiss. Without even realizing it, he started talking about how soft your lips are andddd he's going into great detail-

And he can not sleep, no matter how much he tosses and turns because all he can think of is your lips. If you see the tip of his ears reddening, no you didn't... 🤭

Lilia b e g s you to do this more often because it not only gives his ears a break but a lovely window of opportunity to tease Sebek into oblivion

[supernovafics]

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 2.3k words

summary: in which it’s hard to see eddie with anyone who isn't you

warnings: friends to lovers to friends again (kinda), explicit language, alcohol consumption, very brief mention of weed, pining, angst

author’s note: this is fully inspired by the song "new love" by girl in red. enjoy<333

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

“She’s right over there. Should I do it?”

“Yeah, go for it.”

Eddie nodded at your words and then he was standing up from the long patio chair that you, him, and Robin had been occupying for the past thirty minutes, and heading over to where his newest crush stood with a few of her friends. 

Robin let out a laugh. “I don’t get it.”

You turned your head to look at her. “What?”

“How you guys can still be friends right now. You only broke up like two months ago.” 

Making the promise to stay friends post-breakup was the only thing that made the breakup feel a thousand times less terrible. And it sounded easy enough— you and Eddie were simply just going to go back to how things were before you started dating.

“We’re better off as friends,” He had said to you that random Wednesday night back in January and you nodded understandingly. It was amicable and mutual, and eventually— maybe, hopefully— the barely five-month relationship would be a funny little story to reminisce about with each other years down the line.  

You took a long sip from the red cup in your hand and then shrugged at Robin’s words. “I don’t know. This just works somehow. It’s better.” 

You had been telling yourself that lie a lot lately— maybe almost too much. But, it was easier to pretend that that lie was the truth and that everything was fine, instead of thinking that maybe you made a mistake that night when you found yourself agreeing with Eddie and let things end between the two of you. 

“No offense, but so weird,” Robin said with a shake of her head. “So, who’s this new girl he’s into anyway?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

Eddie had told you a lot about her— how she saw one of his band’s shows recently with a few friends and how she kinda ran in the same-ish circles— but most of what he said about her went in one ear and out the other. Hearing him ramble on and on about a new crush hurt more than you thought it would. Even more than when you two were actually just friends and you were harboring what felt like a hopeless crush on him for years before finally admitting it.

Breaking up was supposed to save you both from more heartbreak in the long run, but most of the time it felt like it was only making things worse. Sometimes you wondered if Eddie felt the same way— if he regretted it as much as you did. 

It was almost too obvious that he didn’t, though, because he didn’t waste a second moving on. 

New girl, new crush, new love. All of which wasn’t you anymore. 

You looked away from where he stood next to the girl— you were only fifty percent sure her name was Ally. She was happily laughing at whatever Eddie had just said to her, and he was smiling widely. 

“I’m gonna go inside and attempt to find the bathroom,” You told Robin before downing the rest of what was in your cup and placing it on the ground, and then standing up.  

She looked up at you. “Want some help?” 

“No, it’s okay,” You shook your head. “I’ll be right back.” 

You kept your eyes down and away from Eddie as you walked into the house, a place that was way too small to have this many people in it. The inside was packed to the brim with a bunch of unfamiliar faces, and that was the main reason why you, Robin, and Eddie immediately retreated to the backyard once the three of you showed up. The only reason you all knew about the party was because of a friend of a friend of someone that Eddie met at The Hideout a few weeks ago.

You maneuvered through the throngs of dancing people and groups of friends talking loudly over the blasting music and headed up the stairs, hoping that it would be a bit more calm. 

The universe must have been somewhat on your side because you found the bathroom on your first try. You didn’t even need to use it, you just wanted a moment of quiet. And even though you could hear the muffled sounds of the song playing downstairs through the shut door, it was still good enough.

You leaned back against the sink and let out a long breath. 

It was hard not to think about Eddie with Ally and how happy they looked, even though it was only one of their first few conversations. All you wanted to do was take her place. All you wanted was for him to want you like that again. 

It wasn’t supposed to be this hard, this complicated. Being just friends again was supposed to be the best thing to do, and you now wanted to bitterly laugh at yourself for stupidly believing that thought two months ago. Most of the time, that night played back on what felt like a continuous loop in your head. You kept wondering if you should’ve done things differently; if you should’ve, maybe, fought harder to keep what you two had. 

“I don’t think we should do this anymore.”

You had immediately laughed at Eddie’s soft-spoken words, thinking that he was joking, but when he didn’t join in, you were furrowing your eyebrows in confusion. “What?”

“This just doesn’t make sense, y’know? We’re graduating soon, and then we’re gonna be going in completely different directions. You’re leaving Hawkins, and I already know that I’m gonna be stuck here.”

You were quiet because you had no idea how to respond to that. Maybe it was only half-right— yes, you were going to be headed to a college that was not in Indiana at the end of the summer, but you truly couldn’t imagine Eddie being “stuck” anywhere.

“We’re better off as friends,” He continued. “Neither of us can get hurt that way.”

It was all so surprising and felt entirely out of nowhere, but you could tell by how he said the words that he had been thinking about this for a while. There was a part of you that could understand what he meant, the sad why behind it all, so you decided to lean into that. Because, in a way, he was kind of right— the deeper you fell for each other, the more painful the heartbreak would be in the end, and the harder it would be to leave in August. 

But, shit, you were already in way too deep. 

You still felt yourself nodding in agreement with him anyway, even though it was the last thing you wanted to do. “Okay.”

“So… just friends again?”

You simply nodded again and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, of course. Just friends.” 

Now you felt so dumb for saying that, for agreeing to the idea. You couldn’t be “just friends” with Eddie Munson anymore. 

There was a loud knock on the door that abruptly pulled you out of your thoughts. 

“Sorry, one sec,” You yelled out to the person on the other side. 

You let out another breath and didn’t bother looking in the mirror to see if the sadness you were feeling was written so clearly across your face. Mainly because you knew that it definitely was and it would be too hard to replace it with a fake smile, anyway. 

A random girl was rushing in before you were even fully out of the door, and you hoped that she was doing better than you were at that moment, but it didn’t entirely seem like it.  

You decided that you wanted to go back outside and settle yourself back in your spot on the patio chair next to Robin, and you also really wanted another drink. The idea of blurring your thoughts for the rest of the night didn’t sound like the worst idea ever.  

You made your way to the stairs and before you even started heading down, you spotted Eddie walking up. He easily noticed you too and he smiled before meeting you at the top of the stairs after a second. He looked at you for a moment and then his eyebrows furrowed in concern. 

“Hey, you okay?” He asked, reaching out to place a hand on your upper arm. It was such a subtle and simple action, but it still made you feel way too many things at once. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, I’m fine,” You answered, giving him a weak smile, and then immediately changed the subject so that he wouldn’t question you further right then. “How’d it go with Ally? That’s her name, right?” 

“Yeah, it is. But, that ask-out completely crashed and failed because she said that she just started dating someone.” 

“Oh, sorry,” You told him, not because you actually felt it, but because it simply felt like the right thing to say at that moment. 

“It’s fine,” Eddie shrugged. “What’s the dumb saying? There’s other fish in the sea or whatever.”

You let out a forced kind of laugh. “Yup, right.” 

“You sure you’re okay?”

For a second, you considered lying again; it would’ve been the best and simplest thing to do. You could’ve said that you weren’t feeling well and you needed to just head back outside and get some air— you should’ve just said that. But then, suddenly, all you could think was fuck it.

“I can’t do this.” 

He looked at you, confused. “Do what?”

“Be friends with you. I can’t go back to how things were with us before we dated. And I know that I have been doing it for the past two months, but I can’t anymore.”

“But, we decided—”

“I know,” You interrupted him. “I know what we decided, but that doesn’t mean that it’s been easy to do this. To just turn off my feelings and pretend that I’m not still in love with you.”

Surprisingly, it actually felt good to finally be honest about everything that you had forced yourself to bury over the past few months. It felt as if a weight was being lifted off of your shoulders. 

“It’s not easy for me either.” 

You couldn’t help but scoff and roll your eyes at Eddie’s words. “Yeah, because talking to Ally out there looked really painful and hard for you.” 

“That doesn’t…” He trailed off as he shook his head. “That doesn’t mean anything. I promise. It doesn’t mean that I don’t miss you, or us.” 

“Then why are we even doing this right now? What’s the point?”

You two had somehow moved away from the stairs and instead were standing further down the hallway, closer to the bathroom that you had left barely two minutes ago. 

“I just,” Eddie began and then sighed. “I know it’s gonna hurt like hell letting you go in a few months, and maybe doing it this way is easier. It’s not at all easy, but maybe it’s better? I don’t know. Most of the time it feels so fucking stupid, and I feel like an idiot for what I did that night… But, maybe it was the right thing to do.”

You considered his words for a moment. Just like that night two months ago, a part of you could recognize that he was at least a little right. But, this time you decided against leaning into the small part of you that wanted to simply agree with him because it made things seem “easy.”

“You know me,” You ultimately said, stepping a little closer and finding his hand. “I overthink everything. I think about every possible outcome for any and every situation. But, this is the one thing that I don’t want to think that far ahead about. And maybe that’s stupid. And maybe we will end up feeling terribly heartbroken at the end of the summer, and we’ll regret not just leaving things like they are right now. But, I’d rather that, than to keep pretending that everything is fine and normal. Somehow that feels so much worse. Why can’t we just enjoy this, us, for what it is before we have to give it up?”

Eddie didn’t say anything at first and that worried you. You braced yourself for the inevitable rejection, and you were already telling yourself that you would be okay with it because at least you tried this time around— you had finally said the words that you wished you’d said that night. 

But then he was kissing you. It was abrupt and sudden and you hadn’t seen it coming, even though it was exactly what you wanted to happen. He was pulling his hand away from yours and immediately reaching up to cup your face in both of his hands. They were cold, but you still felt as if you were on fire. 

It was probably only him that could affect you this much and this easily. You didn’t realize how much you missed the feel of his mouth on yours and how much you missed having him close to you in this way until it was finally, finally happening again. 

Your mind briefly traveled back to the last time this happened. It was the night before the breakup and the two of you were smoking weed in your backyard, sandwiched together in one patio chair instead of sitting in separate ones because it just felt right to do, and the close proximity allowed your lips to easily find his.

“I love you,” Eddie mumbled against your mouth now, which also reminded you of that last time. “I’m sorry I made us lose the past two months.”

Your hands were fisting themselves into his black t-shirt, pulling him impossibly closer to you. “It’s okay. Doesn’t matter.”

And technically, it really didn’t, at least not in your head. You were just glad to be here in this moment with him. It wasn’t too late. You two still had time. 

“It’ll be okay,” You told him in between kisses. Maybe you two should have found a bedroom or simply moved anywhere that was out of the dark hallway and away from potential prying eyes, but that didn’t feel like the most important thing to do right then. “Whatever happens in the end. It’ll be okay.” 

Eddie was nodding as he pressed you back against the wall and his hands dropped to your waist. “Okay.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

let me know ur thoughts<333

[loveydovey-leviathan]

(for your recent post)

hmmm how about mal and reader were having an argument or sumn then he's like " hmph let's not talk to each other for now >:( " so you grant him some space/or silent treatment and mal is like dramatically waiting for u to talk to him for HOURS in his room just brooding there and when he realize you're still ignoring him, he's like a pathetic sad wet cat needy for ur attention now bcs he couldn't stand being apart from u.

im sorry for the basic ass idea lol 😭 im just a sucker for silent treatment scenarios like this

malleus x gn! reader

a/n: written as romantic -> FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, IM A SUCKER FOR THESE TOO 😔😔 hope i did this justice

.

one of the many things malleus adores about you is your stubbornness. the way you don't back down against what you think is wrong is something that will always set him ablaze with admiration for you.

though he doesn't quite like it when that pride is directed at him.

he's realizing this now when scornful words are spat between the two of you in the living room of ramshackle. clouds and lighting are beginning to gather as a response to his irritation and annoyance. he doesn't even know what this silly argument was even about or why it started in the first place, and unfortunately, malleus can be just as stubborn as can be.

"since you insist on being childish, i think it's best for us to not talk for a while," he isn't even looking at you as he says this, so when he disappears into pretty green firelights, he misses the hurt expression on your face as he leaves.

this is stupid, you think, but you bite your lip in worry as you walk upstairs and lay in bed, grim beside you snoring away. you said things you didn't mean so perhaps it's best to give him space, though how long that will go on is unknown to you since your lovely dragon is a fae with a rather skewed perception of time... whatever, he knows where to find you as soon as he decides he's comfortable enough to talk this out.

unbeknownst to you, malleus is now brooding in his room, lying face down on his pillow. the clouds around nrc have gotten worse, static brushing against the air as he waits for a phone call from you. preferably a sincere apology since he obviously deserves it after the things you've said.

...

well, he supposes it wasn't entirely your fault. he uttered words all to anger you as you did him, though none of them were true. you weren't childish, the opposite in fact-- having to take care of that first-year duo and that cat you're always hanging out with, taking precious time away when you could be stroking his hair and kissing his hands and petting his horns. as you do.

that's another thing he likes about you. even if you don't spend as much time together as he'd like, what you do to him is more than enough to compensate. you know he likes being kissed on the neck, you know he loves it when you take of his gloves and hold his hands, you know he loves when you lightly blow on his ear. you always look so happy when you do it too-- like seeing him smile makes you-

wait, isn't he supposed to be angry at you? he humphs and pouts when he realizes you still haven't called. he turns his head, eyebrows crossed and he stares at the phone on his desk. the only reason he learned how to use a phone was so you could contact him and send him texts and "memes" like you do with the rest of your friends.

he considers going to you himself but immediately shoves the idea away. he's still mad at you after all.

...

...

...

...

the clouds start pouring rain.

it isn't even the raging, storming kind-- the ones with howling winds and thunderous claps of lightning that illuminate the very sky. it's sad and cold that heavily drops on your already straining roof. your dampened mood worsens and you decide to get out of bed and make a hot drink to help you sleep.

you briefly glance at the alarm on your bedside table and see that it's 2:31 a.m., way too early to do anything at all.

just as you reach the bottom of the stairs, you hear 3 heavy knocks at the front door. any normal person would panic and call a friend for help, but your friends ace are usually the ones getting kicked out, so you figure something similar happened.

imagine your surprise when you see your boyfriend in all his 202 cm glory. his hair sticks to his face in an unfairly handsome way considering he's absolutely soaked, and somehow the look accentuates the pretty green hue of his eyes that have only ever looked at you like you were everything and more, even when he's angry at you.

...did he walk here?

you continue staring at him for a while and your realize that while your lover is incredibly beautiful- so much so the word beautiful could never begin to describe him- he is also very. pathetic. if only people knew how much of a wet cat he was. he even bumps his nose against yours as an act of affection sometimes.

and that fact is ever prominent right now. his arms are crosses and his lips are jutted in a cute pout, refusing to say a word.

"..."

"..."

"..."

you don't know what to do exactly, considering there isn't a manual for 'what to do when your draconic boyfriend stands outside your front door in the soaking rain while he remains completely silent', so you slowly turn and walk through ramshackle's living room and into your dainty little kitchen.

heavy footsteps follow close behind you, followed by a light thud of a closing door and the muffling of the rain. malleus continues to follow you when you boil enough water for two, when you take out your tea bags (gifted by kalim) and seep it into the water. you take the occasional glance here and there, wondering if you should speak before ultimately deciding against it. maybe he doesn't want to talk right now.

he sits closely next to you- so close your knees touch when you rest yourself on one of the seats against the table. your fingertips briefly touch when you pass him the newly brewed tea and it's almost like he wants to reach out to hold your hand, but he pulls away at the last second.

from there, you sit in silence. the heat of the mug spreads from your cold fingertips and you warm up as you drink your tea. already, your becoming tired. you look at mal once more and he still has that adorable pout on his face, but his eyebrows aren't as furrowed as before. usually, you'd gladly offer a cuddle during a rainy night, but tonight's been strange.

so when you try to leave your seat, a hand suddenly stops you. it's the first time he's looked you in the eyes the entire night and good god it's cute, lame and pitiful all at the same time. truly, a stray kitty in a box out in the rain begging for attention. his eyes look up at you in the saddest way possible and you swear you see a wet sheen-- and that damn pout that's going to be the fucking death of you one day is still there.

"i'm sorry," he mutters, and he shifts from one hand holding yours to two. "i can't stand being apart from you." the apology is blunt, honest and sincere, just like him.

you gently lift the hand he wasn't holding to his cheek and he nuzzles into it, closing his eyes as he enjoys your petting. something deep rumbles in his chest and you realize he's purring again.

"m' sorry too, mal. shouldn't have said what i said."

almost immediately, the heavy rain lessens before quickly coming to a stop. there's a smile on his face and the all-too-familiar, tell-tale blush on his cheeks. you place your finger under his chin and tilt his head before kissing him softly. he's dormant and still, like he's afraid of breaking this moment, but he tightens his grip on your hand like he's afraid you'll leave.

malleus chases your lips in hopes for more when you pull away all too soon. he's staring at you with a look as sweet and delicate as spun sugar.

"let's go to bed, mal."

he chuckles like he always does. "if you insist, my love." like he wasn't waiting, hoping you ask him.

[lcriedlastnight]

Hello Beautiful!! I wanted to make a request for a fluffy lando one-shot with this audio:

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSYHshk8e/

I saw it on TikTok and I just thought like what if the reader nickname/middle name is ‘aurora’ like after the princess and lando likes to call her that and people pick up on it and ask him about it,(I don’t know what I was think about at that moment but I just had to make a request😭)

thank uu

anon love you are the best ever wtf. aurora was my favourite disney princess growing up this is so healing!

tw: fem!reader, swears maybe, me loving this idea but knot know what exactly to write (yes that is a warning)

w/c: 977

the first time lando had met your family he was utterly confused. you were all having a dinner for your family to meet lando and as soon as you walked in with lando, hand in hand, your grandma greeted you with a shout of "oh hello aurora! how are you sweetie?" she is walking over with open arms.

lando stands back to let you greet your grandma, now desperate to ask you about the name. your grandma loved lando just like the rest of your family. it seemed like your entire family called you by the name of the familiar disney princess. once he got over his confusion he did find it cute.

on the drive home lando had waited until you were out of your parents' street before he was asking you about it. his smile wide and eager to know what the backstory was behind the nickname. lando does keep his eyes on the road but he glances in your direction to revel in your flushed cheeks.

"i was completely obsessed with sleeping beauty when i was little. my gran started calling me and it just caught on. it's so embarrassing i actually forgot all about it until she said it, i'm so used to it." you confess, all shy.

lando cannot keep his smile hidden. "awe, baby. that's so fucking cute. can i call you aurora too?" he asks, desperate to be in on this too, especially after finding out how much you loved the character when you were younger. finding things like this out made him fall in love with you more and more every single time.

"lando!" you whine in annoyance think he was just taking the piss and just wanted to tease you about your childhood nickname. you were already so embarrassed and here he was trying to make it ten times worse.

"what? i'm being serious. i know you don't like it when i call you princess so this is kind of like my way around it, isn't it? because we both you know you're my passenger princess!" lando cannot help himself and throws in a little joke.

although it was lighthearted you could tell he was being serious and you thought your heart was going to melt. you agree to his idea because even if you did hate the idea (which you did not, not even for a millisecond) you could literally never say no to your boyfriend. he sure as fuck knew how to work those pretty little puppy dog eyes when he wanted to.

it did take a little of getting used to for lando. he had always been big on pet names and things like that so in that respect it was easy. he just found it difficult to switch from his usuals to 'aurora' but he loved the idea way too much to give up on it. the boy had even changed your contact name on his phone to ‘my aurora' which did make you swoon. you would never tell him that though, the boy's ego way far too big as it was.

eventually the both of you (lando more than you) fell into the swing of things. it had even gotten to the point where lando had started you calling the nickname to others around him, too.

both him and oscar were sat in the middle of an interview and one of the questions had been something along the lines of "top five best date ideas" and lando had immediately thought about where he had taken you and what you had seemed to like the most. he sat hard in thought, really trying hard with his answers. oscar goes first and describes his favourite date ideas to the interviewer.

"lando? what about you?" the man asks lando as he finally zones back in after his name is called out.

"uh i'm just trying to think where aurora likes to go. i like to go where she likes to go on dates." lando explains although it seems to confuse both boys further.

"aurora?" oscar asks. he then asks about you and how he had not informed him that you two had broken up, oscar seemingly forgetting that he was currently getting filmed at that exact moment. lando had not forgotten though. he stutters his way through his answer as oscar looks at him confused and the interviewer even more so.

"no i- we have." he sighs " we're still together. i just call her that. it's an inside thing." he does not feel like telling everyone why he calls you that. he wants to keep some things private if he can help it.

that night as lando recalls the moment to you while he lays with you in the hotel bed. he has you basically sitting on top of him, arms winding around you to keep you pressed against him. his chin rested on your head and you could feel his jaw moving as he spoke, refusing to move it from its resting place. you laugh in his arms at the incident.

"did you mean to?"

"no! i just slipped out. guess i've just got used to calling you that." lando laughs. it lights up your heart in a way you never know to be possible until you had met lando. he had made you feel things you had never felt before. the butterflies were tenfold with him. like when his mouth comes down to press a series of kisses into your hair as you hum.

"i thought i'd hate it but i actually love it." you inform him.

"you always give in to me eventually." lando smirks as he teases you.

you roll your eyes even though he cannot see you because you are hidden in his chest. you press a single kiss against his clothes chest before you mutter a 'goodnight' to your boyfriend.

[steddieas-shegoes]

"Stevie, I am begging you, please don't tell Wayne."

Eddie was bleeding.

He was on the floor and he was bleeding.

Steve was standing in the doorway, shocked into silence, watching Eddie try to put pressure on a wound that should have mostly scarred over by now.

His last checkup had been good, they'd even said the stitches could come out on his next visit, and he could officially start physical therapy.

So why was he fucking bleeding?

"Dammit. Can you grab a wrap from my room?" Eddie asked him, tone entirely too calm.

"Shouldn't I take you to the hospital?" Steve managed to ask.

Eddie's head turned to him, eyes widening as he seemed to realized what was happening.

"No, I- this is kinda normal? It's happened a couple times," he tried to smile, shrug it off.

"A couple of times?! Eds, this isn't normal. They gotta stitch you up better or something, c'mon I can take you," Steve leaned in and tugged on the arm he was using to hold himself up, ready to take his weight and help him out the door.

"No!" Eddie sighed. "We can't."

"I can call Wayne, then, and he can come get you-"

"Stevie, I am begging you, please don't tell Wayne."

Steve froze.

How long had Eddie been hiding how bad this was?

"You haven't even told Wayne? Eds, you should be mostly healed. You were mostly healed at your last visit! What's happening?" Steve was doing his best to stay calm, but calm went out the window when he thought about Eddie being taken from them long after the threat was gone.

"I ripped a stitch a few days ago, so I've just tried to be careful, but sometimes I move wrong. It'll stop bleeding in a minute. It looks worse than it is," his eyes were pleading for Steve to just drop it, let him handle it on his own.

But Steve was not about to let something go wrong, not when it came to Eddie.

"I'm taking you to the hospital. I'm calling Wayne. You can hate me if you want, but I'd rather that than have to tell Dustin that you bled out on your fuckin' bathroom floor." Steve put his hand over Eddie's on his side, applying more pressure. "Can't believe you ripped your stitches and didn't tell anyone."

"I was handling it!"

"Poorly. Handling it poorly."

Eddie huffed, but surprisingly didn't argue further.

He actually stayed quiet for most of the ride to the ER, even kept his gaze lowered when Wayne walked into the room he was being stitched back up in.

He remained silent on the ride home, preferring to ride with Steve while Wayne followed behind in his truck.

He didn't wait for either of them before making his way to his bedroom.

"Thanks for callin'," Wayne said to Steve as he watched Eddie close the front door behind him. "You can head out, I'll stay with him until the kids come by tomorrow."

"If it's alright, I think I'd like to stay," Steve hesitantly replied. "I'll take the couch. Just don't wanna be too far."

Wayne looked him up and down, much like he'd done the first night Steve refused to leave Eddie's side in the hospital.

Whatever he found, he seemed to accept, smiling at Steve.

"Might as well stay in his bed. Gotta keep a close eye on that one," Wayne winked and walked inside without an answer from Steve.

A close eye was really all Steve had intended, but of course, when they woke up tangled together the next morning, his intentions started to shift.

They shifted more when Eddie, half-asleep and on some minor pain meds, pressed a soft kiss to Steve's chest before falling back asleep.

——————————————————————

I could have done anything with this line and I chose dramatics. Happy Tuesday.

ATTENTION: I reached 5! This is 1/5 and the rest will probably be posted throughout today.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Called to Duty 4

Warnings: non/dubcon, pregnancy, abandonment, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Captain Syverson

Summary: You struggle to move on from the biggest mistake of your life but find it hard to forget among the whispers of a small town.

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

The bank is as ever anxiety inducing. On pay day, you go down to cash your check then give most of it right back, parsing it out for your various expenses. At the end of it, you have even less than the month before. You don't get it. Thing's only seem to get worse; not just money, but your body. Every day you wake up, you feel even more crummy than the last. 

Your hopes of a treat at the cafe are dashed. You give a longing look as you walk by and peer through the window. You can smell cinnamon and coffee. You're strict non-caffeinated, doctor's orders, but a decaf would be amazing with one of those cinnamon buns. Ugh, damn, why are you torturing yourself? 

You turn to continue down the street but barely dodge out of the way of another pedestrian. He makes sure you can't pass as he mirrors you, sidestepping to block your way. You sigh as you step back and look Sy in the face. For a big man, he sure can sneak up on you. 

"Hey," he flips up his dark sunglasses, "how're you feeling?" 

You stare up at him defiantly, not quite bold enough to glare. He hasn't done anything wrong, he's just persistent. It isn't his fault he reminds you of that spoiled deadbeat. Or that your emotions are volatile, one moment teary eyed, the next blazing hot with rage. 

"Fine, thanks for asking," you shrug, "Sy, I gotta--" 

"I owe you a cookie," he points to the cafe window at his shoulder. 

You blink. You remember the cracked shortbread. You forgot about that. The mention of the sugary treat makes your stomach growl and your mouth water. 

"No, you don't--" 

"I do," he insists, "I don't like to carry 'round debts. Let me buy you one." 

"I got it free," you say, "it's not a big deal." 

"It is to me," he counters, "I was heading in anyway." 

You stare at him. You really don't get this man. You're no longer so sure that Thor sent him to check up on you, not since your last interaction. In fact, the wingman seemed more spiteful of him than you. You look across the steeet to the pharmacy then back at him. The aromas wafting out with each swing of the door have you ravenous.  

"I can't stay long, I gotta work," you say. 

His cheeks twitch, as if he tamps back a smile before it can bloom, "after you." 

He gesture behind you to the door. You turn and lead the way. He reaches past you to open the door before you can and you enter ahead of him. The din within is lively and the air is warm from the crowd and the employees steaming out orders behind the counter. 

"Wanna find a seat?" He suggests, "you should rest." 

You open your mouth to argue but think better of it. You'd rather not stand in the clustered line. You nod and head off to claim the table by the window. There isn't much left. 

You pull out the chair and brace your back as you sit with a sigh. You glance over and find Sy watching you as he stands in the queue. His gaze makes you want to wilt, instead you turn your attention out the window. 

Not even Thor looked at you like that. Don't be silly. Sy is just being a dutiful guy, helping out the town slut in her time of need. You won't be duped. Not when you can hear your name being twisted on tongues at that very moment. 

You sit and wait, wring the strap of your small purse. You watch the street. If it wasn't for the people, Hammer Ford would be serene. 

A plate clinks in front of you and a porcelain mug as well. It isn't a cookie and you can smell the herbal tea's rosy flavour. You peer up at Sy as he gives an apologetic look. 

"Cookies are still baking so I got you a cinnamon bun," he says. 

"And tea?" You add. 

"Can't have one without the other," he says, "no coffee for you." 

"Yeah, I... I know." 

You could laugh. He suggested before he's been reading things about pregnancy. You just can't picture him with a copy of What To Expect When You're Expecting.  

"Thank you," you smile as best you can. 

"Gotta get mine, be back," he excuses himself and marches back to the counter. 

You look down at the gooey iced draped spiral. You really shouldn't. Not only accept his misspent generosity but indulge in the excess sugar. Yet your hormones won't let you resist. You can at least wait until he's sitting down. 

He returns with a black coffee and a rather colourful donut. They don't match. Bitter and sweet all at once. He sits and takes off his hat and sunglasses. 

You put your purse to the edge of the table and rest your hand on your stomach, doing your best to resist the animalistic need to tear apart the dessert. His eyes follow the movement and you quickly drop your arm. You don't even think when you do it, it's just a habit. 

"You-" he begins. 

"Wh--" you find your voice at the same time. 

You both stop, hesitant. He nods and gestures to you, lifting his cup as he watches you intently. That's new too. Thor never listened much, only talked a lot. Besides, you weren't exactly together for the conversation. 

"Sy," you clear your throat and sit forward as much as you can, "why are you following me around?" 

His brows form a vee, "I'm... it's not... I'm tryna help." 

"Okay, but why?" 

His eyes flick up to the ceiling and his cheek ticks as he gives the question genuine thought. When he looks at you again, his face is set, "because I want to." 

"You want to?" 

"Yes, I'd like to take care of you. And the little one, if you'll let me." 

You can't help your snort, "we hardly know each other." 

"Isn't for lack of trying," he taps his fingers on his mug. "Aren't ya gonna try the bun?" 

"I will," you assure him. He's trying to distract you and it's close to working. The cinnamon is driving you mad. "A baby is a lot of work and... I'm not your responsibility. I know Thor is your friend." 

"Was," he interjects.  

"Sure," you accept his decisive declaration, "but that doesn't mean you have to worry about his mistakes." 

"Mistakes? I don't think so," he says. 

"Well, it's not exactly planned," you scoff, "Sy, really I don't feel right about you doing so much." 

"Wouldn't feel right not doing it," he shrugs his burly shoulders. 

“But why?” You nearly exclaim. You just want to know why he cares so much, about you? 

He leans forward, elbows on the table, “they talk about me too, ya know? Since I got back from... serving. They say I’m f—crazy, or whatever. It wasn’t easy or nothin’ over there but I’m not nuts. Not like they say. Just like you’re not some slut, forgive me for saying it out loud.” 

You look down at the table and exhale. So he hears as much as anyone else about you. At least he’s honest. At least he isn’t joining them. You purse your lips and reach for the cinnamon bun, unable to restrain yourself any longer. 

“For what it’s worth,” you raise your eyes to meet his, “I never thought you were... unwell, or whatever they say.” 

His cheeks pinch, another suppressed smile, and he tilts his head, “I’m only happy to hear you think of me.” 

[khuzena]

Just a coworker

Dr ratio x g/n!reader (i tried)

Part 1, Part 2

cw. angst, super slow burn, they eventually get tgt, hurf/comfort, jealousy brr, reader is unhinged, mentions of drugs, kinda cringe but who cares I've written worse, not proofread, dr ratio is a pussy

a/n: I HATE LIFE SJNAANAN

A week passed and you got the jist of it, you were already done with the basics but everytime that man always found a reason to keep tutoring you.

You were grading some papers until you felt someone looming over you and snooping around your laptop.

“Hey!”

“Do you really need to shout?”

You hid your laptop away from him as he pried for any more info, causing you to kick his leg.

“Who’re you talking to?”

“Why the hell would you care? Plus im grading some papers, you asshole”

You typed away as he didn't leave your side, just watching you input some values— damn one of your students got a 2/100? Might as well make them repeat a grade.

“Which idiot fails literature? More or less just essay writing?”

“Uh…”, you paused, your other hand getting your coffee and sipping on it, “An illiterate person?”

No other words were shared as you two just sat in silence, him staring at the grading sheet and you typing away on your keyboard.

…

It was a quiet day, peaceful even. If it weren't for a fight that broke out at the food court. You should mind your business, but your favourite student had been gravely injured; worry comes easy.

You ran to the student, one hand rested on his leg as it bled, “Hey, stay with me— breathe.”

Your student, Mike, had been buying some coke from some guy in your coworker’s class, turns out Mike got scammed and well, you did not know the full story to take any full action but the blood shed was enough to panic.

“Mike, Mike!”

You held him, you were not an expert at cpr or had any training on how to deal with that much bleeding or anything about dealing with concussions.

Shit, shit.

“We need a doctor!”

Despite your desperate yelling, none were brave to come forth to help, the others just recording or covering their eyes.

What were you supposed to do?

You held onto mike as the others tried to restrain the guy that hurt him, this was bad.

Until you saw Veritas buying some coffee at the new coffee shop from weeks ago.

“Hey you!”

Veritas does not flinch, he does not respond.

“DOCTOR VERITAS RA—”

He groaned, about to run away yet you yelling his full name was enough to make him regret not buying earplugs prior to this incident.

He walked up to you and your student as he kneeled at the both of you’s level.

“What exactly happened?”

No matter how much he hates you and your guts, he still has a duty as a doctor.

“Some asshole beat him up, fuckin’ hell”

He doesn't say anything, before laying Mike down in a more comfortable position and getting a pill from his pocket.

“What's that?”

“Tylenol”

He forced open Mike's mouth and shoving down a pill.

“Isn't that a tad bit aggressive?” Mike was near choking as you patted his back and elevated his seating position.

“So it's better to airplane the pill in his mouth like he's 2 and let him die then?”

“That's not what I meant.” you sneered before some guys from the medical department ran to your side and took care of it.

Now you two were just standing behind the infirmary door and waiting for any update.

“I'm going to miss my class because of you.”

You laughed, the audacity of this man?

“Then go, I didn't ask you to stay.”

It's so hard to read this man when he has his alabaster head on, you can't even tell what he's thinking.

“You talk too much”

“You started it!”

“Just stop talking”

“Whatever.”

You peaked through the window and saw Mike unconscious on his bed, even though it wasn't your fault, it feels like it is…

You sighed as the nurse left the room, standing still before she spoke, “He's fine. It's good that you and Dr. Ratio was there.”

“Uhh yeah…”

You really didn't do much…

Veritas stayed silent as the nurse left, he's not one to like small talk.

“huff… huff… finally.”

You raised an eyebrow, before registering whose voice it was, your eyes lighting up.

“Amir!”

“Whew… I had to end class early, I learned about what happened too late.”

“It's not your fault”

Amir sighed while leaning so ungodly close to you, before Veritas had some audacity left in him to make a comment, “Actually, it is.”, he really has no shame does he?

“I apologise.”

“Now you're just being rude.”

Veritas turned away, can't that man just leave you both alone?

“I don't care. It was both your student's that got into this mess.”

“I have over a hundred students, how could I monitor all of them?”

“Yet you still have to take responsibility for it. I can't believe you let it get to that level.”

“Then leave, if you're just gonna be rude then shut up.”

Amir's jaw hung when he heard you literally tell the Dr. Ratio himself to shut it, not even the people from the IPC would have this level of audacity. It was your last straw, you've already dealt with enough bullshit for the day.

Usually, he would have some snarky reply up in his sleeves but what's crazy is that he just walked away.

“Did you just—”

“I did.”

“Wow.”

—

You were already about to go home as it was getting late, who knew having to shoulder the aftermath of that fight would be that tiring? No shit sherlock.

Peace and quiet, no one to bother you—

“You there.” that familiar voice echoing in the hallways as loud stomps were nearing your direction.

You spoke too soon. Why him of all people?

“You didn't come to today's tutoring session.”

You crossed your arms, looking up at him. Wow. He wasn't wearing his alabaster head? Can't say that it's new but the opportunity to stare at his face was a rare occurrence. But, he infuriates you too much that you'd rather kiss mud than oogle at him.

“And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’? I was waiting for you.”

You eyed him up and down, he did look upset. But did he really think you'd have the energy to confront him, much less see him after what happened today?

“I told you I wouldn't be able to attend tutoring lessons as I have someone to tutor too”

“When did you say that?”

“Two days ago?”

He was baffled, utterly baffled. When did you say that? You must be lying. Despite his stone head obstructing you from any chance to see him right now, by his voice, he was fuming.

He crossed his arms, his right foot tapping aggressively, “I do not recall you saying that.”

“But I did.”, his eyebrows furrowed as you spoke with clear conviction, what do you mean you did?

“You should've told me.”

“I did.”

“Then— why are you being so difficult?”

“It's not me who's being difficult, why are you even mad?”

Like that, the words at the tip of his tongue vanished. Exactly, why was he so worked up?

“You're just using this as an excuse to not deal with the issue.”

You had enough of his bullshit. You started to walk the other way but he just couldn't leave you alone.

“And what if I am? Get lost.”

“We need to talk.”

You turned your heel and faced him, face red and hot then you pointed at him,

“About what? About how sure it's absolutely my fault about what happened today, I'm an idiot, I don't know anything!”

“Now you're just blowing the issue up into something completely different.”

“What else is there to say?”

“You—”

He got silent, biting his lip under that stone head as his temper got the best of him.

“You really are an idiot.”

…

“Just leave me alone.”

There were no other words exchanged as you walked away, your footsteps getting more faint as a second, another one and another pass.

He shook his head at your outburst, you really were an idiot, incompetent and… whatever. At least now that blabbermouth always peering over his shoulder is gone.

…

As you walked home, you couldn't help but cry. There was nothing to cry over but it was too much. The heads berating you for not paying attention to your students, that a scandal like that could ruin the university— to hell with that shit, to hell with that university.

At least you felt safe, at home, with the company of your cats.

“Meow?”

Ah.

You hugged your cat, its fur getting wet as tears dripped, you were starting to taste the saline tears as it creeped into the corners of your lips.

Your phone rang with notifications from the doctor, Wait— how'd he even get your number? shit. But god won't he just leave you alone?

With a click, the notifications died down leaving only your quiet sniffles and your cat’s purr to be heard in the living room.

You didn't have any energy to eat, to hell with your health.

You turned off the lights and plopped into your bed, your cat joining you (yay) as the soft glow of the lamp illuminated the room.

You let out a yawn, turning the lights off but there was a call notification.

‘From Unknown Number’

You felt the urge to swipe and listen to what he had to say, but it's probably bullshit.

You fell asleep.

[From Unknown Number.]

:hey.

:answer me.

:stop being so difficult and just give me 3 minutes.

:Are you there?

:idiot.

:hey.

[99 more unread messages]

…

Time flies, three days flew by already yet it still feels like yesterday. You feel like shit, yeah the issue has been resolved, everything's fine but why did something just feel so wrong?

It was a good rest though, bless that lady who allowed you to have a few days off.

[From Unknown Number]

:I know you're seeing this.

:Stop acting like a child.

:Come on.

:You moron.

[231 more unread messages]

…

Phew, when you entered the faculty room, there was no Veritas in sight. Good, good.

You laid down your satchel on your desk and readied some stuff before heading out, making sure to check all hallways before you make a move; don't want to see the Doctor so early in the morning. (checking every hallway 24/7? What is this? Fnaf?!?)

Things were uncannily peaceful today, did he not come to work today? Or… Maybe you just got really lucky that you both did not cross paths for today.

“And,” you wrote diligently on the whiteboard, “That ends our discussion for today.”

The time ticked to 4:58 pm, you could already see some of your students pack their things.

“Any questions?”

They all shook their heads no as you finally dismissed them, oh how you missed being in your classroom despite being away for merely 3 days.

Today's a lucky day, no issues, no Veritas Ratio in sight.

“Hey __”

You jolted at the sudden call of your name, your head turning from the sound as you see Amir with a worried expression.

“Oh, Amir?”

So suddenly, he pulled you into a hug.

“What're you doin—”

“I was worried.”

“About?”

“You were no contact with everyone for three days, we were all worried.”

You awkwardly laughed, Amir was a fine man, definitely not your type though. You squirmed away from his hold.

“Yeah, just needed a break”

“Oh, I see.”

He paused, “You good now?”, his tone laced with concern.

“Yeah, at least I think so.”

“That's good.”

Your best friend, he was not stupid. He was intuitive too, he eyed you like you were some sort of experiment and like with any experiment, he's made his hypothesis.

“You don't sound ‘good’”

“What do you mean?”

“Is this about Dr. Ratio?”

Bingo, right on the money. There was no use trying to lie to him, especially not after chuckling awkwardly when you got caught.

You nodded, confirming his guess, “Knew it.”

He was in deep thought as he tried to think of any and every possibility why.

“Are you guys dating or something?”

You choked on your own spit— him of all people? Is he out of his mind? At this point, the idea of getting with that socially inept man sounds like an insult.

“Are you trying to piss me off?”

“Calm down sponge bob squarepants, geez”

You groaned as he handed you a juice box. “Thanks,” you quietly muttered out.

…

It was 5 pm, by now, everyone's probably clocked out by now.

It's weird, a 5 pm where you don't get tutor lessons from him.

Whatever, food for thought.

As you left the faculty room, a small part in you wanted to catch a glimpse of him despite you trying to avoid him. Did you miss him? or was just not being alone at these hours too comforting?

He wasn't there. As expected.

…

The next day, you see Veritas, you two walk past each other, he did not spare you a glance.

“Doctor…”

Wind breezes through the both of you but you stood still as he kept walking to his class. How cold.

It was no use trying to confront him, atleast, not here.

For a second, your gaze softened but you quickly got back to your senses. This feeling was strange.

…

The bell rang and, as usual, everyone left. What a fulfilling job.

This week has been really quiet. Peaceful but something was missing. Your life was fun, not this mundane even before Veritas but a part of you looks for him. No no, you were just being insane or something.

The faculty room door slid open, then, just as you wished would never happen (oh really?) Veritas was at you guys’ usual tutoring spot.

You wanted to run but your bag was there. Mustering up the courage, you tiptoed and grabbed your satchel, it felt like playing a horror game with how stealthy you were trying to be.

Shit.

Your pen fell, hopefully it didn't catch his attention.

Just as you were about to go grab it, he took it and handed it to you.

You gulped and took the pen, wanting to run but you froze on the spot.

“You look stupid trying to act stealthy.”

You didn't reply, only gulping nervously as you stayed still.

“What? Say something.”

Truth is, you had nothing to say.

“Sigh, you really like making things so difficult, don't you?”

He doesn't stop you from leaving, but maybe it was you stopping yourself from leaving.

An awkward silence ensued, it was getting annoying, for him, atleast.

“Aren't you going to leave?”

You don't say anything, just standing still, again.

“Answer me.”

Why did you enter the room?

“...” Veritas walked up to you, his codex not in hand as leaned closer.

“Give me 3 minutes.”

He raised your chin with a finger, face unreadable despite his alabaster head gone. It's the third or fourth? You've lost count how many times you saw his real face. Your memory was shit.

“I just want to talk about how…”

He bit his lip, yet his eyes remained fixed on your blank expression.

“That I want to apologise for my behaviour last week.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

That same old silence, he couldn't find the right words, he doesn't know how to say sorry.

“Well…”

“Well?”

Did he stutter? That's odd; very.

“I…” His eyes leave yours, he's practised saying it but it's the hardest thing he'll ever have to do, “I'm…”

Curious eyes gaze into his conflicted ones. Can he even say it?

“So…” sorry.

“I'm sorry.”

You stare at him with shock, did he just apologise?

“Did I hear that right?”

“God damn it.”

He pulled away and walked away to his desk but you followed him, “Hey, did you mean it?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

He knew you'd react like this, he expected you to laugh, mock him or anything but you just look at him with a look of shock—

“I see.”

—And somewhat relieved of what he said.

“I'm sorry too.” He was envious of how easily you spoke those words, you were no genius, yet you were better than him at apologising.

“I shouldn't uh—”

“I just want to say that—”

You cleared your throat, licking your lips in anxiety, “You go first”

“No you—”

“No, you.”

He hung his head low, before looking in your direction.

“It was uncalled for me to treat you and that man that way.”

“I'm listening.”

“I didn't take into account that you both were probably stressed from the situation and…”

He couldn't find the words, nothing was new to him. Complex maths? Easy. Medicine? Easy. Philosophy? Done. History? Is this a joke? He knows everything!

Other than one thing.

“I'm sorry.”

Apologising.

His words brought you immense relief, it was your turn to speak. For the first time, you can read his face. He looked pitiful. Did he not get enough sleep lately?

“I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have lashed out on you.”

How could you just have the knack to be so… Human? That, he couldn't understand. Being genuine, felt new.

“I understand.”

…

“What now?”

He fixed his books on the shelf, the ones he wanted to share with you.

“I dont know.”

“I thought you knew everything?”

He rolled his eyes as you teased him for it, he shouldn't have apologised.

“Stop talking, and also.”

He handed you some wipes, what was it for?

“Your hand,” you looked down at your dominant hand, seeing whiteboard marker creases, “Clean it up.”

“Oh okay.”

You wiped the stains off, but you wondered how perceptive he was. You didn't even notice it yourself.

“How's the tutor lesson with your student?”

Ah, that guy. It's been long since you've finished tutoring him with the basics.

“Went smoothly, he passed his exam”

He hummed, he finished tidying up his desk, good that you listened to his lectures.

“What did you teach him?”

“Until just page 25”

“Huh?”

But you studied the entire book with him, if you just needed help with just page 25, the tutor session would've only taken a week.

“Did you just keep going to the tutor sessions to see me?”

“Maybe, maybe not”

A soft smile creeped up in your face as you saw him short circuit for a bit before regaining his senses.

“You jest”

“I do not.”

…

“So… When's the next session?”

“At my place, tonight. It's getting late.”

Oh? At his place? What a bold offer—

“Just reviewing?”

“Just reviewing.”

You laughed as he rolled his eyes, the two of you leaving the faculty room.

“Under one condition.”

You raised an eyebrow, what was he asking for now?

“A date.”

“Pardon?”

“Do I have to repeat myself?”

You choked on your spit, that's absurd— god.

“No, I heard you. Fine.”

“Agreeing that easily?”

“Do you want me to refuse?” He was starting to get cocky, might as well drag him back down to earth.

“No, you still need to learn more about Quantum Mechanics.”

“Fine.”

…

Veritas pulled you close to him as you both walked the sidewalk, isn't he such a gentleman?

“The tab's on you?” no way were you paying the tab, he better pay it.

He scoffed, he could feel you hold onto his arm as he made sure you were on the right side of the lane to protect you of some sort.

“Whatever, you moron. Hurry up, we still have so much to review.”

A/N: its so bad wtf😭😭😭😢

[homelanderbutbig]

There's Still A Part Of Me Here (G/T Homelander x Reader)

1912 words. Hurt/comfort, and a bit of angst. Homelander is 8 feet tall. Reader is non-descriptive. Established relationship.

Homelander is forced to be alone for one night and it's a struggle. Inspired by this ask.

When Homelander developed feelings for you, he made a promise to himself that he would never be alone again. He would never allow himself to drown in the crushing waves of solitude that plagued him from birth. As long as he had you by his side, you would be his anchor that helped him sail across the stormy oceans of his fractured mind.

That was why he couldn't believe when you informed him you'd be leaving for a family funeral… and he couldn't come too. You insisted that you would keep it as brief as possible, and while you would be gone overnight you'd return first thing in the morning. However, your attempts to quell his unease did nothing but further fuel the fire burning in the pit of his stomach.

He tried his damndest to persuade you to stay, that your family wouldn't miss your presence for a measly day, but he found himself helpless to change your decision. Although you were worried about how he could handle this, he did his best to put on a brave face for you, trying to switch from his fretful disposition just a moment ago to something 'cool and collected'. It wasn't much to fool you as you've gotten to know him well enough to see right through his façade, but he continued to reassure you that he would be fine, practically pushing you out to the elevator. He's gone through his entire life alone, and one night without you wasn't going to kill him.

And now, here he stands alone in his penthouse. It's late at night and he can't sleep, not with the soul crushing silence surrounding him. Something about the atmosphere is different than normal… empty. He finds that this feeling isn't something he can placate by turning on meaningless background noise from the television or radio. Before, he preferred the peace and quiet of his penthouse. It protected him from the irritating chatter from the rest of society and gave him the time to ruminate on his thoughts, for better or worse. But over the last few months he's been with you, he's grown accustomed to the way you've brought light into his life. It's every little thing about you… your scent, your voice, your laugh, your heartbeat. Your humanity.

It's all gone, and Homelander doesn't know how to handle it.

He's in front of the window in his living room, staring blankly into the dark sky. If he could, he'd be launching into the air to fly off and locate you. Instead he's fighting an internal battle in his brain, planted firmly in place and unable to walk over to his balcony. Before you left, the two of you agreed that he was not to come find you while you attended the funeral, lest you both be spotted together and your secret relationship be discovered. He would never risk that, and so he's left alone to dissociate.

Increasingly, the pressure builds in his chest as he is forced to grapple with his unrelenting anxieties. He tends to not experience the sensation of powerlessness, but presently he is lost in what to do. There has always been a hole in his heart, the need for unconditional love that's been purposefully kept from him. You so effortlessly fit that puzzle piece, making him feel… complete. And now that piece of him has been bloodily ripped out of his ribcage. It doesn't even matter you haven't really left him. Right now, all he comprehends is you're not here. His eyes twitch as the ringing in his ears builds in volume, until it feels like he's at the brink.

Until something has to give.

"John," a voice suddenly calls out from his bedroom, breaking him from his detached thoughts. He recognizes that voice in an instant, it's the friend who helped him through his traumas of the lab. The only companion he's ever had. His reflection.

"John, come here," the voice calls again. Like a dog with its tail tucked in between its legs Homelander cannot help but obey, and slowly saunters over to face the mirror at his bedside. He nervously rubs his hands along his wrists, knowing full well his 'friend' is not going to be a source of empathy for him.

"Look at you tiger," his counterpart berates him, shaking his head at the sorry sight. "This worked up over what, a human? This is a pathetic thing to see, pal. I thought you were better than this."

"N-no…" he mumbles faintly, tears beginning to build up in his eyes. He struggles to even look into the mirror, feeling the intense stare his 'friend' is burning straight through him.

"You're weak," his reflection scoffs. "You're a god to these mudpeople, and yet you're letting one control you so easily? Tsk tsk. You need to man up, and remove this sickness already."

"…H-how?" he asks.

"Kill them," his replica states bluntly, showing no emotion. "Fly over to their worthless little funeral, and remove the hold they have over you."

Homelander clenches his hands into fists, apprehension choking him. Hearing those words… kill them. Since you first came into his life, his 'friend' has always hated you. He'd put years of work in dragging this pitiful little boy out of the ashes to mold him into a perfect being. One that could no longer be vulnerable. But you've undone everything, whittling away his armour to break through to that… longing for affection he could never fully destroy. The way you baby him, like you actually care. Humans are incapable of concern for him; all they ever want is to hurt him, always leaving him begging for their approval.

And one way or another, he's going to make sure it's only the two of them left alive.

"This ant isn't eye-level with you, they don't even reach your fucking chest. They are not your equal. No human is," he keeps pushing, the venom saturating each word. "Was I not the one who protected you from the Bad Room? Don't things always work out when you listen to me?" he questions, waiting momentarily for Homelander to give a timid nod in response. "Then do it. Kill them. DO. IT."

His reflection continues aggressively repeating this phrase, his shouting getting louder and louder.

DO IT. DO IT. DO IT.

Shutting his eyes tight, he futilely attempts to block out the outside world. But he's already totally overwhelmed; his breathing is staggered and his face is drenched with his tears. He tries to push his 'friend' out of his mind but he can't do it. All he hears is his own voice demanding your death. Coupled with the returning ringing in his ears, it's getting to be too much for him to handle.

"John," a voice once again calls out to him, cutting through the discordant racket. However, this time it sounds unusual. It's not his voice.

It's yours.

However, he refuses to peek at the mirror, terrified of what he's going to see in front of him. He just knows his brain is playing a trick on him. He has to be, it can't really be you. He-

"It's okay baby boy. You can open your eyes," your voice says, so soothingly.

With a trembling lower lip, Homelander swallows his nerves and obeys your request. To his surprise, his 'friend' is nowhere to be seen in the mirror; your form has taken his counterpart's place, and is gazing directly at him. And not even at your regular vantage point, he doesn't have to bend down to look at you. Instead, you're magically floating up at his eye-level… like you truly are his equal.

He knows he must look absolutely pathetic to you right now, a giant of a man crying to himself in the mirror. But you don't show any contempt for him, you never do. It doesn't take much for you to prove his 'friend' wrong, the way you display nothing but pure compassion to his mental suffering.

"Having a bit of a rough time, huh?" you sympathize.

"I-I need h-help," he sniffles, nodding his head roughly. His weepy eyes are so bloodshot, so desperate for relief from his burdens. "P-please, I can't do this a-alone…"

"You aren't alone sweetie," you remind him, your voice so smooth that every word sounds like music to his ears. "There's still a part of me here. You keep it safe just for times like this. And I think it wants to help."

At first your reply confuses him, but the memories begin flooding back once you point over to the dresser on the other side of his bedroom. On your one-month anniversary, you gifted him the most precious thing he's ever received from anyone, your childhood teddy bear. When Homelander first told you about his past, he was so nervous you would use it against him, like so many have before. But of course you're nothing like those vermin. You kept his secrets close to your heart, and in turn decided to allow him to share your childhood. Something nobody has ever done for him before, just letting him be, well… human.

Rushing over to the dresser, he lifts up the top to reveal the keepsakes he's stashed away from those he's been close to over the years. And smack dab in the middle of his collection, is your brown teddy bear. He rips off his leather gloves and drops them unceremoniously to the floor as he takes the bear out of the dresser. It's so miniscule in his large hands, but his hypersensitive skin makes him feel like the small one engulfed by the plush toy. Amazingly, his stress dissipates the longer his fingers dance along the bear's well-loved fur, completely hushing the city noise around him.

He raises it up to his nose, inhaling the faint scent of you that lingers on its pelt. It's enough to wrap him in the warmth he's been urgently wishing for all night. You might not be currently with him in person, but he feels your aura surrounding him, embracing him. Protecting him.

Finally, Homelander is calm.

Stripping off his suit, he lies down in his bed, keeping the bear held against his chest. It's funny how when all else fails something so childish, a toy, can bring him down to reality so fast. How much it reminds him of you. He moves the bear to his face, resting it on his cheek as he nuzzles deeper into its fuzzy coat. Not to deprive his arms of their own comfort, he reaches for your pillow and hugs it snuggly to his chest, lightly petting it with his thumbs, like he does with your hair when he's hugging you. He lets out a deep sigh and flutters his eyes closed, letting the remaining tension drain from his body. He's lulled into sleep from a combination of his exhaustion and of the solace you've brought to his overworked senses.

By the time the morning comes and you return to the penthouse, he's got you buried in his arms, refusing to let you go for even a second. You laugh to yourself, happy to see he's at least survived the night alone, unaware of the evening's turmoil. Giving Ashley a call, you inform her that you and Homelander will both be unavailable for the rest of the day so you can catch up on some cuddle time. You know he deserves it.

[lillsisamarshmallow]

Trespassing (2)

Chapter Summary: Y/n is confronted by someone who thinks she shouldn't be here, will someone step in and help her? Is her Dog hybrid friend here? What will happen when she finds him and much more in the alleys?

Word count: 3k

Warnings: Violence, Homelessness, Dirty clothes? Slight Interrogation, Passing out, Unconscious Reader, Implied Starving. Let me know if I missed any!

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Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Whipping myself around so I was facing this so-called wall, that had once comforted me in this scary alley, now making my heartbeat spike and the panic come back only this time much worse. A broad chest covered by a ripped and stained top filled my view, I could feel the hard breath and hot air hitting my forehead, slowly I brought myself to cautiously look up.

My eyes immediately meeting those that belonged to the person whose sheer aura was making me cower in fear and make my knees buckle in.

Deep endless brown eyes stared into my own, anger, disgust, annoyance filled his eyes whilst mine held the fear and weakness that I felt. A low growl escaped from his lips, I tried to step back and get away from him, but he grabbed hold of me pulling me closer to him before turning around and shoving me away. Now my back faced the entrance to this place. I screeched at the sudden movement before catching my balance and looking up at the man who just so effortlessly tossed me away.

He had dark hair and a pair a wolf ears adorned his head, glancing down I noticed his large tail swaying back and forth behind his legs rapidly.

He took a step towards me, scared I threw my hand out to keep him away, a smirk appeared on his lips seemingly amused by my attempt. Another growl ripped through the air, I looked over to where it came from to see a man with dark brown hair and soulless eyes emerging from the tilted mattress.

As he stood to his full height he towered over me much like the other man, behind him I saw the same tail from before, thick, black, fluffy tail. He slowly stalked his way over to me, panicked I held up my other hand a futile attempt to stop him from attacking me, if he really wanted to, I would be dead by now.

"I-I... I'm just l-looking for my friend" I stuttered out hoping they'd back down if they knew why I was here. I heard a dark chuckle and looked over to the man near the mattress, but it wasn't him who spoke.

"Your friend is not here. Now leave." The man in front of me stepped forwards towards me, instinctively I backed up.

"P-please, I'm sorry for trespassing b-but his name is Jimin and-" Before I could finish my sentence the man in front of me had lunged forward violently shoving me away.

A screamed ripped through my throat at the sudden action and the pain that came with it, I rolled a few times before coming to a stop hitting the rough ground. Groaning in pain I tried my best to stand up wobbling as I did, I quickly stepped back trying to create distance from the man and get out of his area.

I kept backing up until I was in the middle the crossroad of alleys, the other man had by now made his way to stand with the other man. Now seeing them closer the first man was taller by a bit, but both equally towered over me.

I took note of how neither of them seemed to pass a certain point and figured that past that point, behind them, was their territory.

I put my hands out in front of me knowing it would never work against them. "Look I don't w-want any trouble. I just, I-I-"

What do I even want? Why am I here? Jimin obviously isn't here, and these guys clearly don't want me here either.

"...Never mind" I spoke defeated I turned and started to walk back the way I came, only getting few meters before suddenly my body came crashing to the ground with a thud.

All the exhaustion of running here and then getting pushed down, my body had an adrenaline overload and it needed to rest, but I couldn't stay here. I dragged myself over to one on the walls propping myself against for support, my scrapped knees drawing close to my chest, my body was exhausted and so was my mind. I closed my eyes to focus on my breathing trying to calm myself down.

I just need a quick rest... then I'll leave here.

"Y/n!?"

Looking up at the mention of my name I turned to where the person's voice came from. Through my lidded eyes I spot a frantic figure looking around, spinning in circles searching for something or, someone before his eyes lock on my figure slumped against the ground.

Jimin?

Rushing over, the blond figure dropped to his knees in front of me eyes scanning my figure. His golden ears dipping lying flat on his head as his eyes filled with worry and concern from seeing my state.

"Jimin..."

"Y/N, what are you doing here? Oh god, this wouldn't have happened if-" Jimin couldn't seem to finish his sentence as his hands hovered over me not sure what to do, frozen, wanting to help but unsure of the first step to do so.

"No, this is my fault Jimin. I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll be fine I just need to-" The world had become blurry around me Jimin's face being nothing but a fuzzy spot as if wearing dirty glasses. Soon everything around me turned fuzzy as well before slowly getting darker and being completely consumed by the darkness. I could hear Jimin calling my name but there was nothing I could do, the gravity and comfort of the darkness being too powerful for anything to drag me out.

"Get her out!"

"She can't stay here."

"She's hurt! We can't leave her".

"Yes, we can! She's human, nothing but trouble she is."

"She's, my friend. She needs help."

"Friend? Jimin you can't-"

The voices of the people around me slowly brought me back the reality. Not knowing where I was, I tried not to move too much as to not draw attention to myself. Slowly cracking my eyes open, it wasn't hard to adjust to the lighting as it was dark wherever I was.

Cautiously looking around I saw 6 men all standing around arguing with each other, I wasn't present enough to understand what they were arguing about, so I drowned them out. Glancing over to the left of the group I saw another man, he looked younger than the others, over his head hung long black locks that went almost down to his shoulders at the back, it looked unkempt, like it hadn't been washed or brushed for a few weeks, but someone had attempted to tidy it up at least. Nestled in with his hair were two long fluffy rabbit ears, dark grey on the outsides with a lighter grey littering the insides.

A bunny hybrid.

Studying the man, I couldn't help but notice that he was eating what looks like a cranberry muffin.

Wait...

I made that muffin this morning, I put on the plate for me and Jimin and he didn't eat it, he took it...home...

I didn't even notice I had been staring at the boy until his dark brown orbs locked with mine, both our eyes widening at realization. He opened his mouth to say something to the other men but before he managed, I abruptly sat up straight taking in my surrounding. I was still in the alley way, on the abandon couch covered with clothes from before that had creeped me out, I looked over towards the group of men only to see that they had already spotted me from my previous alarming movements.

Seven pairs of eyes all staring at me, no one saying anything not knowing where to start, as my eyes travel all over them I realized something I hadn't picked up on before.

They're all hybrids.

The two men from before, a wolf and a panther hybrid, my eyes move to the next person, a fox hybrid, traveling to the next, a sugar glider hybrid, a cat hybrid, the bunny hybrid who had now moved over to stand with others, and a dog hybrid.

Jimin.

His eyes stayed lock with mine, concern and uncertainty swirled in them, before I had time to study the other men one of them spoke up.

"What do you want?" he growled, disgust for my mere existence clear in his voice.

I looked over to who had spoken only to see the same man from before who had pushed me to the ground. My eyes widened in fear as I tried to back up on the couch to create as much distance as possible between me and the violent wolf hybrid.

"I-" Before I could stutter out my words someone had cut me off.

"She came looking for me." Jimin defended me moving to stand in front of me. "She didn't mean any harm. I promise."

I nodded my head violently agreeing with Jimin trying to show them that was why I was here. The man scoffed before sending me a death glare. Jimin turn around and moved block my view of the others with his face. He put his hands on my shoulder, I flinched slightly as my left shoulder was bruising from my previous contact with the ground.

"Jimin..."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, it's all my fault and-"

"Jimin no, this is my fault, I came looking for you and was trespassing. I'm just glad that you're okay. I see why you don't eat as much and why you bring the left over back here" I spoke softly with a small smile.

Jimin looked down ashamed, seeming unhappy that I knew about this.

"I'm sorry, I won't bother you-" Cutting Jimin off I wrapped my arms around his neck bringing him closer to me embracing him in a hug. He didn't return the hug at first, his arms hanging by his sides. Seeing as I wasn't letting go Jimin hesitantly moved his arms to wrap them around me. Sighing into the hug I slightly calmed down, my breaths matching Jimin's, before I remembered the six other hybrids around me.

"They won't hurt me, will they?" I fearfully whispered into his ear.

Recalling what I told Seoyeon about seeing Jimin having bruises a few days ago, my mind started racing.

Did they hurt Jimin too? Did they give him those bruises?

"D-did they hurt you too?" I stammered holding Jimin tighter and pulling him closer as to get him away from them.

"What? N-no, no. They would never hurt me" Jimin said shocked by my question.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, and I won't let them hurt you either" Jimin gave me a reassuring squeeze before slowly letting go. Still facing me Jimin looked down at me from his standing position. I leaned to the side to see around him and check on those other hybrids, to no one's surprise they all stared - or more like glared back at me, startled I leaned back to my original position nervous, looking to Jimin for help.

Seeing my struggling self, Jimin took the initiative and turned to face the others and sat down on the couch. Curious eyes found mine trying to avoid eye contact with them my eyes darted around looking at the area around me. Across from me sat an old chair but it didn't match with the couch, left of the chair laid a thin single mattress with some worn down blanket on it. I looked to the other side of the chair to see the mattress from before leaning up against the wall, shielding half of the entrance was a stack a cardboard box making what looked like some sort of wall. As my eyes continued to truly study the area I had been in, cardboard boxes set up as tables, mattresses, all the dirty clothes and ripped blankets splayed on the ground and various objects, I came to the horrid realization.

They all live here...

"Guys, this is Y/N." Jimin’s voice brought me out of my thoughts looking to him as he spoke. "She owns a café a few blocks from here. She's where I've been getting the food.".

"Jimin! Have you been taking her food? I thought I taught you better than that." The sugar glider Hybrid spoke in disbelief has he strode over to Jimin who was right next to me.

"No! He didn't steal anything, I-I've been giving him food." I spoke raising my voice a little. "He's been joining me for lunch." I spoke to the hybrid who was now standing in front of Jimin and I.

He looked at me questioning before looking back at Jimin for reassurance to my accusation. Jimin looked up at him nodding confirming what I had already said.

"Good, I didn't raise no criminals" The man hummed before turning to me. I visibly tensed up before he spoke “Why were you looking for Jimin?”

"Well after he left, I was worried because he wasn't eating much and saving the food for leftovers." I spoke quietly, intimidated by the broad man in front of me. "B-but I see why now."

He stared into my eyes as I spoke and kept staring after I had finished. I could see the kindness in his eyes hidden by his protectiveness. Nervously a small smile tugged at my lips trying to ease the tension between us. It worked as he returned his smile backing away from me.

"You make really nice muffins." A voice broke the silence everyone turning to look at the who had spoken. It was the bunny hybrid, he moved slightly closer the others trying to hide behind them at my gaze.

My smile only grew at his kind words. "Thank you, I'm glad you like them.".

His big grin appeared showing off his bunny teeth and cheeky smile.

Jimin and his friends kept talking as I listened to what they were saying I moved slightly in my spot trying to subtly stretch my arms. My hands landed on the couch something beneath my palm made me grip on to the mysterious object. Looking down I saw it was a piece of clothing, looking closer it had holes and it and was very discoloured by use and dirt. Disgusted from touching the item, not know exactly what it was or where it had been, abruptly drop it back to the couch flicking it away from me grossed out releasing I had been sitting on dirty clothes. I looked up a repulsed expression clear on my face, I locked eyes with the panther hybrid, he looked embarrassed quickly looking away from me averting eye contact.

"How can we trust her?"

I turned to see the cat hybrid staring right at me before his gaze shifted to next person who spoke.

"We can't."

"Namjoon, she is Jimin's-" "I'm sorry." I declared. "I didn't mean to invade your territory or be here uninvited. Genuinely I was just worried about Jimin, and your right." I continued trying to stand up stumbling a bit, Jimin reached out to help me. I took his hand helping me to stand stably. "You can't trust me. You don't know me. Thank you for helping but I should go." I mumbled the last part bowing before shuffling out past the boys before a hand harshly grabbed my wrist.

In my spot I froze not wanting to move from my spot out of fear. Not looking back, I kept my eyes trained on the ground. Before I could react, whoever was holding me had grabbed my waist and spun me around to face them. Surprised at the two people behind me I stared up at the man holding me still, he had deep chocolate eyes and brown hair and two fluffy orange fox ears on his head.

"Thank you" He started. "You have no idea how much that food you've been giving Jimin, has helped us."

A warn thankful smile on his face, at hearing his words my heart flooded with warmth at how my baking was able to help them. I glanced to the bunny boy who stood slightly behind him before looking back at him, by now he had let go of my waist and was holding my hands in his.

"It means a lot really, even though you didn't know you were helping us all as well and thought it was just Jimin, we really needed it." Unshed tears slightly pooled in his eyes before he blinked them away beaming at me.

"Yes, thank you, all the food was so good too." The other guy gushed. "I'm Jungkook and this is Hoseok" The bunny hybrid gestured to the fox hybrid in front of him when naming his friend. "Don't worry about Namjoon, he just wants to protect us, you just have to earn his trust.".

"Yeah, Taehyung and Yoongi are really just little kittens once you get to know them too." Hoseok chuckled.

"Thanks, it's nice to know you guys liked my baking." I blushed from all the praise about my pastries I had made. "And I'm sorry again for just walking in unannounced."

"You were looking out for your friend, our Jiminie, thank you for caring about him it shows more than you could possibly imagine. Most humans want nothing to do with us or will-"

"Thank you" Jungkook cut off Hoseok before they both shared a look. I smiled at them before stepping back ready to take my leave, judging by how the sun was no longer directly above us I figured it had been few hours since I left, and Seoyeon was probably worrying about me.

"I'll see you guys around." I nodded before making my exit down the way I had come hours ago. As I went to turn the corner, I saw them both standing there, I wave them off before I saw Namjoon walk out and usher them back into the side alley before we made eye contact. He shot me a glare and stared me down before turning and walking back himself. I took that as my signing to truly leave as I continued down the alleys on my way back to the shop.

A/n: Ahhh! Next chapter is here! The first few chapters of this series might be a bit shorter, I aim to get each chapter between 2-3k words. Also Thank you all so much on the support on the first part and the teaser, I did not expect that amount of interaction, it makes me so happy knowing people have enjoyed what I’ve been working on, so I hope you all enjoy! Have a nice day & Thankyou all for reading! 💜

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

Clumsy girl.

Request: Fluff, Fluffy Fluff Fluff please. Jack Dawkins and reader, she's a clumsy lady from town who is friends with Hetty. Belle is still in it but they don't have a relationship. Jack secretly likes reader. You can choose the storyline etc.

"Oh y/n what have you done this time?" Hetty asks as you walk up to her.

"What do you mean, I'm perfectly well." You say, words slightly slurred. Hetty reached up to your head, pushing back your hair to look at the wound.

"y/n?" She sighs. You smile at her and shrug, "come on." She takes your shoulder and leads you further into the hospital. Before she could get you to the ward you see Jack jumping down the back staircase, from the doctor's residency rooms.

"Oh good afternoon y/n. Look at your head. Come upstairs." He takes your arm from Hetty, "Thank you nurse." He says to his long time friend.

"umm excuse me you can't just take patients up there." A very posh and very annoyed voice calls over to you both.

"No worries Lady Belle. She is a friend. We shan't be a moment." Jack sarcastically grinned at the blonde woman and continued walking.

"Who is that?" You ask.

"The Governor's daughter, fancies herself a surgeon. Sneed let's her waltz around cause he wants to bed her." He laughed.

"ha, always trying to get one over, isn't he." You say as Jack leads you into his bedroom. You sit down on the end of the bed and Jack darts to his table where he grabs some cloths and bandages. He sits beside you, one leg folded below him.

"What happened this time, y/n?" He asks as he takes a better look at your head wound.

"Oh, you know me, I tripped, the table was I'm sure two feet to the left." You say. Jack looks down at you, concern painted across his eyes.

"y/n, you're not yourself. Lay down." He stands and guides you by the shoulders to the pillow.

"Jack if you wanted me in your bed all you have to do is ask." You say, eyes feeling heavy.

"Alright, you just lay back and rest I'll stitch this up for you okay." His voice is hardly higher than a whisper. The comfort of his feather pillows draws you to sleep.

When at last you stir and open your eyes you see Jack close by sitting in a wooden dining chair, his feet propped up on the end of the bed beside him Hetty stands, a hand on her hip and one fiddling with her apron. You stayed still to listen to them.

"I do worry about her. Could there be something worse happening?" The nurse and your long time friend asked him.

"I don't know, when she's here we never see her fall or stumble." Jack narrowed his lips and clenched his jaw.

"You think, she only has her father at home." Hetty explained. The pair fell silent and Hetty leaves the room.

"I know you're awake, y/n." Jack pulls his legs back and leans forward.

"How?" You ask opening your eyes.

"your breathing changed." He grinned.

"Doctor Dawkins, please don't think bad of my father, I really am clumsy." You say.

"Yes well, unfortunately for.him, I have decided that he can't have you back. I want you to stay here." Jack moved so he was crouching in front of you.

"For how long?" You ask. Jack helps you to sit up in the bed.

"Well actually, indefinitely." He explains. Panic makes your heart beat rapidly inside your chest.

"No, I can't do that. He needs...I couldn't..." you start to push the sheets back to get out of bed but Jack takes your hands.

"y/n, you have...what if I... I'd very much like you to be here." Jack struggles to find the words.

"It's okay, Doctor I really have no skills to help in the hospital so I could never pay for the health care." You protest once again pushing yourself off the bed.

"No, you don't understand." Jack stands, a hand on his hip and the other rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not very good at this at all. I don't want you to stay here as a patient." He tries again.

"Then as what? A servant? I'm a good cook-"

"No!" He cuts you off, "Not as a servant as my...well as my wife." He finally says, dropping his chin to his chest. You stop and stand still looking up to him. You couldn't describe the feeling that shuddered throughout your body.

"Why...but we don't, I mean you have not..." It was your turn to lose the ability to speak. Jack took two large steps toward you and took your hands in his.

"I have liked you since the moment I first saw you, but I never thought you'd feel the same for me. I figured you'd have a long list of suitors but I can't do this anymore, y/n. I can't keep seeing you come in here bruised and battered by some old man who doesn't treat you exactly how you should be."

Unsure how to reply you slip back onto the bed trying to work out what he was saying. Jack crouched in front of you.

"I have no money and nothing to offer you but this room, and a husband who would love you." He says.

"You love me?" You ask with a smile. Jack lets out a single laugh

"I've been trying to find a way of telling you for a long time." He smiles.

"Well, we will need some things in here, a woman's touch and it could look quite lovely." You say looking around yourself.

"Is, is that a yes?" Jack asks.

"Yes Jack, I'll marry you."

[pregobirthlvr]

Push! Push! PUSH! That’s all my body is saying to me. I’ve been in labor for over a day. The baby decided to take its sweet time coming out. And since I demanded an all natural home birth I had no choice but to ride out the hours of painful contractions.

I started in bed, laboring for hours. When that wasn’t working we moved me to walking circles in the backyard. It didn't last long before my screaming was getting too loud and was drawing the attention of neighbors. I waddled inside and into the birth pool set up in the living room. But with how much I was moving around, water ended up splashing everywhere proving this was not the right move. You suggested the bed again. That way I can at least try to get some rest too. I nodded, too out of it from the 16 hours of labor I’ve already gone through.

We don’t even attempt to put clothes back on me before we waddled me back to our bed. I have to stop on the way there to cry through a contraction. You let me lean on you and grip your shoulders as the pain reaches its climax.

Thankfully we made it to the bedroom before the next contraction. The mattress wasn’t as soft as it usually would be. A thick plastic cover was wrapped around it to protect it from any fluids that may come out of me. I lay down on the thin sheet covering the plastic.

You prop me up against the pillows right as the next contraction hits. I grab my belly and moan loudly. I collapse against the pillows as the contraction ends. I whine and pant as the pain subsides to a dull ache.

“No more…” I cry out. When the next contraction starts up.

“It’ll be done soon,” You reassure me.

That turns out to be only slightly untrue. I lay in bed for another 5 hours. I try to sleep between contractions which I learn is easier said than done. Just as I would be about to slip into sleep a sharp pin would jolt me awake. I decided to wake you up too.

“Help me up,” I weakly ask after I accept the fact I wasn’t going to get any sleep like this. “Let’s try walking again to get things moving along.”

You nod still half asleep yourself. You help shimmy my legs to the edge of the bed. You squat in front of me and gesture for me to place both of my hands on your shoulders. Right as my hands find purchase I’m squeezing your shoulders. A harsh contraction ripping through me. You help support me up and let me rest my head on your chest as I breathe through my contraction.

I whimper to you to signal the contraction ended and it was time to move.

“Ready?” You ask.

I nod yes. I start to stand as you help pull me up. You grunt as you lift my heavy frame off of the bed and onto my feet. I use you to balance myself before I’m able to adjust my footing to at least hold up my contracting body.

I could feel the baby’s head was now resting lower thanks to the help of gravity. I groan and start to waddle around the bedroom. The head resting on my cervix made my waddle significantly more exaggerated. I move my hands to one holding up my belly and one supporting my back. You follow me around to make sure I wasn’t going to fall over if a contraction suddenly hit.

I lead us to the living room. We started to do laps around the large birthing pool. Each step made my hips ache more and my legs shake. Suddenly, there was a gush of fluid between my thighs. I look up at you with a mix of relief and fear.

“My water just broke,” I squeak out before an intense contraction rips its way through me.

I lean on you for support as a moan and sway my hips through it. As the contraction fades I try to continue my walking. The weight on my cervix is much worse now that there isn't something to cushion the baby's head.

“Do you want to get in the pool?” You ask. “I can warm it up.”

I shake my head and moan out, “There’s no time.”

You go to ask me what I mean. But you get cut off when I’m crying out again and baring down. The head is moving down fast. I can feel it slip inch by inch into my birth canal. When the contraction finally ends, I fall to my knees. You help guide me so I don’t land very hard and hurt myself. You sneak around behind me to help hold me up and rub my back. I lean on you and try to remind myself to breathe.

After a bit I start to moan and push again. I lean back on my knees and into you. My belly constricts and contorts as I push hard with my contraction. This happens a few more times before I can feel the head start to stretch my opening up.

“It burns!” I cry out as I push again. The head is big. We knew that I would be. I was almost over due and we both came from big families. I cry out again as the head starts to appear. The skin around my opening strained to stretch around the head, forming the famous tear drop shape. The head slipped back in when my contraction ended and I stopped pushing.

“Please. Come out,” I beg between gulps of air.

You try to comfort me but your words fade away when I start to groan once again. I push again hard. The head starts to slowly slide forward. I scream and bare down harder. By the time the contraction ends the head is half way out of me. I pant and squirm through the painful minute between contractions.

Finally, a contraction starts up again. I take a deep breath and push. With a bit of grunting and moaning the head finally pops free. I collapsed back onto you. I take a moment to let the baby’s shoulders twist. Then I find myself pushing once again. With one last push the baby slid out of me. I reach between my legs and pull it up to my chest. I look up at you exhausted but smiling. “It’s finally here.”

[mika-no-sekai-blog]

Game

Part II

Word count: 2500+

Warnings: language, mentions of blood, injuries

Please note that English isn't my first language, so there might be mistakes. I'm very sorry

You returned to Velaris from a dangerous mission. Even though it was success, this wasn't a triumphant return. This time you totally fucked up and what was the worst there was no way to take it back.

You were rushing few steps behind Azriel who was carrying unconscious Cassian in his arms. Blood was dropping on the floor of the House of Wind leaving a trail on the corridor. Cassian's wings were tattered, right one limply hanging in unnatural angle.

What had you done? Tears were stinging your eyes as you hurried after spymaster to healer's room. If Cassian lost his wings, you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself for the rest of your miserable life. This all happened solely because you and Azriel couldn't stand each other, because you couldn't manage to suppress the hatred and cooperate together.

Madja was already waiting for you and as soon as Cassian was laid down on the bed, she threw both of you out from the room. She didn't need drama while trying to save the life. Everybody knew you and Azriel couldn't be in the same room without arguing.

Azriel's eyes were darting between the door and you. He was worried for his brother and at the same time mad at you.

"This," he hissed pointing his finger at the door, "is all because of you! If something happens to him-"

"What?! Will you beat me up? Or worse?" you fired back. "It's also your fault. I won't let you blame me alone for this!"

Blood was dropping from his leathers forming a puddle under his feet. It wasn't just Cassian's blood. He was injured, too. Azriel was pale, barely standing on his feet, but he didn't want to show his vulnerability, not in front of you. Your heart painfully squeezed.

"You know what? Go fuck yourself!" you turned on your heel and marched away to your room. When you turned around the corner, you heard a loud thump. You wanted to return back, to help him, but you couldn't. Clenching fingers into fists and gritting teeth you forced yourself to keep walking. You were worried about Cassian, but standing in front of the door wouldn't help him anyway. You decided to try to visit him later after everyone had left.

Rhysand announced you he should arrive soon, he would take care of both of them. You slammed door of your room closed and started pacing up and down. How could you let things go wrong like this?

When you calmed down a bit you started to put down your leathers, piece after piece. Dried blood made it even harder. On your right side there was a deep cut. If it wasn't for Cassian it could be much worse and you would need Madja to mend you back together. He saved you even though now he might lose his wings because of that. A sob escaped your lips as hot tears rolled down cheeks.

As you peeled off pieces of fabric together with dried blood, the wound started to bleed again. You took a clean gauze from small box with medicines you kept in your room and pressed it to the wound. It should heal soon enough, but no need to make a mess all around.

After a fast shower you lay down on the bed. While waiting for Rhys to let you know about Cassian's condition, tired you fell asleep.

When you woke up it was already evening. You were still exhausted, but worries pulled you out of the bed. You needed to see Cassian, to make sure he's alive and his wings were safe. At first you went to the healer's room, but nobody was there. Room was dark and clean, not a trace of blood. So you decided to try his room.

You were about to knock on the door when you heard deep and raspy voices from inside.

"I'm so sorry, Cass. I behaved like a jerk."

" 's fine.. How.. is.. Y/N?" Cassian spoke with difficulty, his voice weak. He was awake. You breathed out in relieve closing your eyes.

"Dunno," it was Azriel. You bit on your lip. No way you could go in when he was sitting there. You decided to try your luck later. As you were returning to your room, Rhys' claws caressed wall around your mind and you let him in.

"Finally woke up," his voice was gentle, but cold. He was mad, no wonder. "I need to talk with you. Come to my office as soon as you can." He didn't wait for answer and left. You exhaled deeply, mentally preparing for the unpleasant talk. Finding the closest balcony you jumped down and winnowed to the River House.

Azriel was watching peacefully snoring Cassian, shadows swirling around him, whispering to his ear. His brother was out of the worst, Madja even saved his wings. Yet the guilt haunted him. If he just wasn't such idiot, if he wasn't arguing with Y/N, if he wasn't so weak, so scared to talk about his feelings. None of this would happen. Sighing he put head in his scarred hands.

Rhysand's claws impatiently knocked on his adamant walls. It came later than he thought. Steeling his thoughts and feelings, Azriel let him in. "My office. Now," and he was gone. Groaning Azriel stood up, every wound reminding him of his bad choices.

When he arrived to River House, the house was unnaturally quiet, anger seeping from the walls. Shadows informed him that Rhys sent everyone away for the shit show that was about to come. It wasn't particularly good sign.

The door on Rhys' office was ajar and High Lord was seated behind his desk waiting. He seemed to be calm, but Azriel knew better. He stepped in, bracing for whatever was about to happen. Rhysand glared at him. "Sit," he barked.

Azriel did as he was told taking note he is the only one being called in. Partly he was glad for that, but the thorn of malice pricked his heart.

"Explain," Rhysand barked at him, his violet eyes burning holes into shadowsinger.

"Shouldn't we wait?" Azriel asked coldly, knowing nobody else was to come. Rhysand gritted teeth, growling. "I am not the only one to be blamed. You know she drives me crazy always finding some way to complain, to-"

"Stop with this excuses! You are my spymaster, my brother, one of the best in the court, yet you behaved like a total amateur! Do you even understand what could have happened?! You could have him killed just because of your utter arrogance!" Rhysand growled.

Azriel was looking him straight in the eye, refusing to budge. The shadows gathered around him, hissing like snakes ready to strike.

The magic wall in the corner of the room disappeared revealing the person that was held there. Y/N swayed on her legs, but she recovered immediately.

"We all have enough of your fights. This was the last drop," Rhysand said angrily and stood up. "You will solve your problems and you will do so right now and right here." With that he walked out and shut the door closed behind him. "I won't let you out until you find a way to live with each other in peace." He shouted back as his powers locked you in the office and left.

"Rhysand," she tried the handle. "Rhys, let's talk about this. You can't leave me locked with him. Rhysand!" There was no answer. She sighed heavily resting her forehead on solid wood of the door.

"It's useless," Azriel grunted watching her closely. He always watched her when she didn't know about it. His hazel eyes darted to the desk in front of him as she turned around.

"Tell me about that," she murmured rolling her eyes. She walked to the armchair near the fireplace on the other side of the room and sat down.

Silence stretched between them. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Half an hour. That was the longest time shadowsinger spent with Y/N without getting into a fight. Azriel was seated with his back to her, but shadows kept him updated on every little move. She looked sad and just as miserable as he felt. He never wanted their relationship to be like this. He didn't want to growl and shout at her, getting the same treatment from her. It was the easier way he decided for, but it wasn't pain free at all.

For some reason she seemed to be more approachable than ever. Azriel decided to try it. He stood up, moving closer to her. She turned her face to the fire, trying to put herself together.

"If we don't want to stay here for the rest of our lives, we should.. talk.. figure things out as Rhys said," he said softly. Her head snapped up to him, brows furrowed in confusion. He had never used this tone with her before.

Watching him with caution for a while she snorted. "Stop mocking me." Azriel noticed the hurt in her voice. He frowned, sitting down to armchair next to her. Y/N shot up as if somebody pinched her, moving away from him to the window. She pretended to look at the city, but spymaster caught her reflection on the glass. Her eyes were closed.

"That is not my intention. What do you want to do?"

"I'm tired, I want to sleep," she murmured.

"I meant about our situation, but I guess we can postpone it until morning." Azriel groaned. There was only one sofa in Rhys' office, rest were armchairs. If he didn't want to sleep on cold hard floor, there was no other option. He began to make himself comfortable on armchair he was settled in.

Hearing rustle of his wings Y/N turned around. "What are you doing," she raised a brow.

"You said you need rest, so I'm getting ready," Azriel tried to grin, but it turned into a grimace.

She shook head. "Take sofa."

He rubbed back of his neck, blushing slightly. "Uhm.. ladies first," he muttered.

"Don't be a dick. I'm smaller, I can fit the armchair comfortably. You're huge Illirian brute, you need much more space." Maybe it was meant as an insult, but Azriel felt a pinch of care behind her words. It actually made his heart beat faster. Slowly he moved to sofa. He expected her to suddenly change her mind, but she only kicked her shoes off and curled up on armchair, perfectly fitting in to the small space.

"Night-night," Y/N whispered tiredly.

"Good night," he whispered back.

Lights went out. Room darkened, lights of the city behind the windows were the only source of dim light. Soon enough Azriel could hear Y/N's breath deepened and slowed down. If only they could stay like this. Shadowsinger sincerely wished for it. It was first time they actually spent some time together in silence. It was pleasant and Azriel felt so relaxed like never before. He felt so good that he thought he could actually fall asleep. However his hope was short-lived.

The sofa was more uncomfortable than it seemed to be at first glance. He tried to change his position, but as soon as he moved Y/N winced and groaned. She was light sleeper. He had never noticed it. And so he was lying there while watching her sleeping face.

The grandfather clock in the corner struck one. Azriel was fascinated, sleep long forgotten. His eyes were studying Y/N's face. So many glimpses of different emotions he'd never seen on her. Just like right now.

She was smiling. But it wasn't a normal smile she showed to her friends and family. It was so sincere, so sweet, so full of love. He found himself wondering if she had a boyfriend, some lover who she smiled like this at. If yes he would definitely find out soon. He needed to see the lucky bastard who got what Azriel wanted for so long. Jealousy filled his chest leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Love..you.." she muttered, the smile plastered to her face. Azriel's throat tightened. He would give everything he had to be the one receiving those words and smiles.

"Az..riel.." He stiffened. No way. Her eyes were closed, still fast asleep. Was it possible she felt him staring, woke up and decided to make fun of him?

"It isn't funny," he growled lowly. Y/N jerked. Her eyes clouded with sleep darted around, scanning the room for danger. Finding nothing suspicious she again fell asleep.

Azriel let out the breath he was holding, eyes so wide opened that they threatened to roll down to the floor.

No. Way.

It wasn't joke. She dreamed about him. That smile, those words, it all belonged to him alone. Warmth and hope filled his racing heart.

He got an idea.

You woke up to a bright morning light beaming the to Rhysand's office through windows. Stretching arms above the head you sat up. You sighed. So it wasn't just a nightmare. You were still locked in a room together with Shadowsinger.

He stood by the window behind the Rhys' desk, his back facing you. Hearing your ruffling he turned to you.

"Good morning," he smiled widely.

You almost choked on your own saliva. "What the fuck," you coughed.

"I have plan how to get us out of here. Listen closely. We don't have much time. Rhysand will be here soon." He explained you his idea quickly.

"That won't work," you wrinkled your nose.

"Try to believe me."

Before you could answer, steps sounded in the hall behind the door. Wards shattered and door unlocked. Azriel swiftly grabbed you and squeezing you in a tight embrace he kissed you. Your knees buckled, only Azriel's strong arms held you upright. You'd already received many kisses, but this one.. it winded the air out from your lungs, the world turned upside down.

When he finally broke the kiss, both of you were panting. You couldn't take your eyes off of the hazel ones. Morning light accentuated the gold flecks in them making them even more shiny. The smell of cedar filled your lungs, his taste still on your tongue. You swallowed.

"Well well.. I thought I will find at least one death body here. Instead it seems I interrupted sex attempt," Rhysand laughed out, his brows raising in surprise.

Azriel looked at him, saying something. However you didn't hear him. Your thoughts swirled around this male and those perfect lips of his. How? Why? This was supposed to be just a game, show for your friends, but it brought out all the feelings you were trying to suppress for years. How could you play along without destroying yourself in the process?

Before you noticed you were back in your room at House of Wind.

"Rhys believed it. You were great," Azriel praised you.

"Get out," you growled lowly.

"We have to continue this game otherwise somebody could find out," he tried to keep smirking, but you noticed the moment however short it was, when his smile faltered. The hurt. It was better this way. You couldn't keep up with this shit show. Your heart wouldn't survive it.

"I said get out," you growled glaring at him. Azriel raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay, but don't forget. We have to convince them," he said coldly and backed out from your room. You slammed door closed behind him. Bitter tears traced down your face. You curled up on the bed and cried.

[haikyuuhoo]

if you could change anything, please just stay the same (because i love everything about you)

pairing: gojo x reader (but their relationship isn't the focus of this at all, just a very small part of the foundation)

wc: 876

a/n: meant to take place immediately after the end of jjk 0. sorry for the sads, but i thrive in angst. also sorry for the fact that this is very rushed and probably not great lol i just wanted to write something and this is what happened.

listen

The wind whips around you as you step out onto the roof, and you have to fight to keep your balance as you walk toward the figure standing on the ledge.

He’s got his hands in his pockets, facing out over the rest of Jujutsu High’s campus and staring silently at the rubble that the day’s incidents have caused.

“Do you think it could have been different?” Satoru asks when you approach.

You’re surprised he heard your footsteps over the sound of the wind, but then you remember that it’s probably not that, that he probably sensed your presence—or whatever it is those eyes of his allow him to do.

“What do you mean?” You know he’s asking about today, about the fight and the wreckage and the casualties, but you’re not quite sure which part he’s asking about specifically. “I’m sure lots of things could have gone differently, but we didn’t know exactly what they were planning. We prepared well, I think, but—”

“Do you think Geto could have stayed?”

You’re taken aback, not at all expecting that question, and expecting even less that he would be asking about something that happened ten years ago. You stare at him, weighing your response before you finally speak. “You know he couldn’t have. You let him live, but he would have been killed if he stayed here.”

Satoru hesitates, his body unwavering despite the fact that the toes of his shoes are hanging over the ledge and the wind is picking up. Part of you worries he wouldn’t even try to stop himself if he fell.

His voice is incredibly soft when he speaks next, but you still hear it.

“Do you think, if I weren’t me, he would still be here?”

You physically recoil at the question, and you immediately want to say no, to shout it over the wind, but your throat is closing up and you can’t even attempt to speak before he continues.

“We were the strongest. And then I… I pushed him away, didn’t I? I was so focused on perfecting my technique and becoming the best that I didn’t even realize that we turned into me. And I didn’t even notice what was happening to him, how… not okay he was.” He swallows hard, and you imagine he’s squeezing his eyes shut tight behind his bandages in that way he does when he’s frustrated. “I was so selfish.”

Satoru turns to face you, and you nearly reach out to pull him away from the ledge. You know the fall wouldn’t kill him—not even close—but it still makes your stomach lurch with unease. “If I was literally anybody else, he would still be here. He would still be alive. I wouldn’t have had to—” His whole body shakes with the breath he sucks in. “Do you have any idea how often I wish I wasn’t like this?”

This time you can’t help yourself, you reach out and tug him toward you, wrapping your arms tightly around his torso as if he'll fall away if you let him go. And he lets you, drops his infinity so you can touch him—so he can touch you—and Satoru nearly crumples in on himself, clinging to you as he begins to cry. “I’m trying so fucking hard—”

“I know,” you whisper. You’ve never seen him like this. It was bad when Riko died and worse when Geto defected, but Gojo Satoru has never seemed so small before, has never needed someone to hold him together.

Because he’s the strongest, after all.

He doesn’t need anyone.

Right?

“If I could go back, I would change so much. I would change me if I could, I swear. I don’t deserve to be here any more than him just because I was born with these stupid fucking techniques.”

“Don’t say that,” you say quietly, because you know if you speak more than a whisper he’ll hear that you’ve started crying too. “You’re so good, Satoru. You care so much about these kids and you never stopped caring about Geto. If you weren’t you—”

“If I weren’t me, everything would be better.”

You feel your heart shatter in your chest.

Because you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it’s not true.

But you stay quiet, the statement hanging in the air, just letting him hold you because you know that’s what he needs right now.

“If I could change anything—”

“Don’t change a thing,” you say firmly. You feel a sob wrack through him, and you bury your face against his shoulder. “Don’t change. We need you.”

I love you.

You know this will pass. That tomorrow will come and you’ll all rebuild, forever altered, but you’ll slowly get better. That he’ll go back to being Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer of the modern age and the typical annoying goofball that you fell in love with.

But for now, you’re content to let him need you, to let him hold you tightly and be vulnerable in a way he so rarely ever allows himself to be, to help him carry some of the weight of the world that was placed on his shoulders the day he was born.

reblogs & comments always appreciated <3

[marvel-ous-m]

Time Will Tell

WC: 3260 | Rating: Teen and Up | Tags: Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, The Unrelenting Anxiety of Gift-Giving | AO3 Link

Summary: It's Eddie's 21st Birthday, and Steve's not sure what gift he should get him, what would show the man how much he loves him, how glad he is that they've been able to share the last six months together. That indecisiveness is made worse by the fact he's known since he was six: people are never honest about whether or not they actually appreciate the gift they've been given- and Steve can't stand the idea of Eddie not liking the gift but pretending for Steve's sake. Steve ends up choosing a gift that he knows Eddie won't like in an effort to save everyone pain. That decision sparks a much-needed conversation, and helps Steve understand that his parent's relationship really isn't the blueprint.

Fic Below the Cut!

“-An emerald, I mean, really, could that man at least try to act like he knows me?” 

Steve’s eyebrows knit together in confusion at his mother’s exclamation, and he tilted his head. His eyes remained trained on his feet, wrapped in small leather loafers that hung off the side of his parent’s bed. “But Mama, I thought you said you loved it earlier? That it was pretty?” 

His mother gave a great, put-upon sigh and turned to face where Steve was seated on the bed. “You’ll understand when you’re older, baby.” Her arms stretched awkwardly around her neck while she spoke, her hands struggling with the clasp of the necklace Steve’s father had presented to her that morning, a gift for her birthday. 

Steve huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms. “But wanna und’stand now.” 

“You’re a big boy now, Steven. You’re six, enunciate your words, and don’t whine.” Her reprimand came stern, and was juxtaposed by the soft “Aha!” moments later, when the clasp of the necklace finally closed. She turned back towards the vanity and rested her precisely manicured hands over the pendant, a gleaming emerald wrapped in gold, then smiled sadly at herself in the mirror. 

“Gifts are rarely about what you actually want, Steven. More often than not, they’re about the monetary value, or meeting a need, or subtly showing the recipient that you have the upper hand. They’re… strategic. I needed a new piece of jewelry for the party tonight, your father delivered- even though the gem he gave me clashes with my eyes, and my skin tone is more complemented by platinum than gold. He gave me this necklace because it makes him look good. It would’ve been nice if he put thought into it- but, well, it would be rude not to be grateful.”

“But… Mama, couldn’t Daddy do both? Get you something you need, and make it something you like?” 

His mother’s smile wavered and her eyes softened from where they were now gazing at Steve through his reflection in the vanity mirror. “He could, yes, but it’s like you said- I told him I loved it. As far as your father is concerned, he’s done exactly that- gotten me something I like and need. I’m not going to tell him otherwise. Does that make sense?”

No. In Steve’s six-year-old brain, it really, really didn’t. “I guess so.”

His mother nodded at him from the mirror, then began to put on her earrings. “Good. Now, do you remember what to say when one of your father’s coworkers asks you what you want to be when you grow up?” 

This was something that Steve could understand, a response his mother had been teaching him for the last few weeks. Steve beamed. “I want to be an attorney like my Daddy!” 

“Good job, baby. Now, go and brush your teeth- we’ll be leaving in a few minutes. It’s your first time joining us at dinner, I want to make sure you’re absolutely perfect.”

“Okay Mama!” Steve scooted off the edge of the bed and toddled towards his parent’s bedroom door, being careful to walk with flat feet so he wouldn’t crease the leather of his loafers, just how his Mama taught him.

“Oh, and Stevie? Don’t tell your father how I feel about the necklace, okay? That’s a just for us conversation.” 

Steve nodded, familiar with the concept of keeping certain conversations he had with his mother or father a secret from the other. “Alright, Mama.” 

Eddie didn’t like his gift, and Steve knew that. Had prepared for that exact outcome, in fact.

He wasn’t sure what would be good enough to get Eddie for his birthday. They’d been dating for almost six months already, had been flirting around each other for even longer, and Steve was at a loss. 

What do you get for the person who you fought hell with? For the person who beat the odds and lived despite everything, for the person you’ve seen at their lowest- the person who saw you at your lowest? What item could possibly express how much Steve adores Eddie, could say how happy he is that Eddie even made it to his 21st birthday after everything that happened? What could serve as a physical testament to the truth of all of their ‘I love you’s and all of the ‘I’m so glad you’re here’s?  

Steve got Eddie a watch. 

It was the backup gift of the backup gift of the backup gift. A decision made entirely out of cowardice, his mother’s words ringing in his ear. 

He had wanted to get Eddie a new battle vest initially- then decided against it, because he was worried it would serve as too much of a reminder of what had happened last Spring. 

He’d thought about a guitar case next, an idea that sprung up when he was walking by the music shop downtown. He literally face-palmed moments later, gaining a strange look from a passerby, when he realized that Eddie’s guitar had been left in the Upside Down, that he still didn’t have a new electric guitar, and he already had a case for his acoustic. 

Naturally, a new guitar came to mind as a gift idea next, but he nixed that immediately too. The whole reason Eddie hadn’t bought a new guitar yet was because he was very particular about the instrument- and Steve had no idea about all of the different things to consider in guitar buying, so he’d probably just fuck it up. He considered some other stuff, too- new materials to play D&D, concert tickets- but his mind just kept screaming at him, telling him that he didn’t know Eddie well enough to give him any of those gifts.

Really, all he could think about was how badly he would fuck up giving Eddie any meaningful gift- how he’d probably never know if Eddie didn’t like it, because people always pretended that they liked a gift even if they didn’t, so it was basically impossible to tell whether something was actually appreciated. 

At the end of the day, it was just easier to abide by the words his mother told him at six and get something that would look nice. Steve wouldn’t be putting his emotions on the line by getting a risky gift, something that Eddie would either love more than anything or absolutely despise. 

It was a gift that didn’t match Eddie’s personality at all, and Steve knew that. Eddie was always running late to things, but that’s just how he was. It was endearing, a trait that was lovable, not something to be fixed by having a watch on his wrist. 

Steve had, in fact, only realized the negative connotation of the gift after he’d decided to buy it, but it was too late to decide on something else, so he tried to ignore the way his stomach hurt throughout the process of purchasing the thing, and hoped for the best. 

Eddie didn’t care about showings of wealth either, so it was pretty pointless for Steve to get him such a nice watch. It wasn’t, like, a Rolex, but he had to save up a bit to buy it. It was made up of dark gray metal with a black leather band, a decision that was made out of Steve trying his best to at least make the gift something that wouldn’t clash with Eddie’s usual attire. 

He put a bow on the box it came in and added it to the pile of gifts at Eddie’s birthday party. He tried to stop himself from looking at Eddie when he was going through the process of opening presents, ignored the way his hackles rose when Eddie opened up the watch and gave a tight smile, then a forced-out “Thanks” to Steve, and moved on to opening the next gift wordlessly. 

Every other gift elicited a dramatic response from Eddie- a drawing from Will, new dice and minifigures from the kids, a mixtape from Robin, some sci-fi books from Nancy, homemade brownies (yes, *those* brownies) from Jon and Argyle- 

And Steve got Eddie a watch. 

The rest of the guests to Eddie’s birthday party slowly filtered out of the trailer after all the presents were opened, that having been the close of the party’s festivities. Steve stuck around, cleaning up the trash and dirty dishes strewn around the surrounding area. 

Steve and Eddie danced around each other wordlessly- Steve cleaning up while Eddie moved the various gifts from the living room to his bedroom. When all of the leftover paper plates, napkins, and cups were thrown away, and Steve couldn’t find any other dishes to wash in the kitchen, he returned to the living room. 

Eddie was seated on the couch by that point, and the watch- in its box, the lid propped open to display the thing- was resting on the coffee table in front of him. “Are you mad at me, Steve? Because, if you are, we could’ve just- I don’t know, talked, instead of you embarrassing me in front of all of our friends on my birthday.” 

Steve felt the familiar burn of tears and ducked his head so that Eddie wouldn’t see how his words had affected him.

Eddie wasn’t following the script. 

The script which said, no matter what, just pretend to like the present so you don’t appear ungrateful. The script that Steve had been raised on, the script that taught him how to play his part. The script that had motivated him to get the gift in the first place. 

“I didn’t mean to be late to Party movie night last week, or to our date three weeks ago, it’s just hard for me to realize what time it is when I’m stuck in my head about something. I didn’t realize that it was bothering you so much- you could’ve told me, y’know? I just feel like shit now, and I’m not even angry- not at you, I’m mad at myself and I’m upset that you didn’t just tell me, and-” 

“-I’m sorry.” Steve’s apology came whispered, barely audible due to his head still hanging, staring down at his feet. 

His feet, which were wrapped in white, scuffed tennis shoes. 

A far cry from the loafers he’d worn at six. 

Steve wrapped his arms around himself and focused on taking measured breaths. 

He was so clearly detached from the life of his parents, from the unhealthy ideology that stemmed from having too much money and being in a practical relationship rather than one that was built on love. 

His relationship with Eddie couldn’t be more different, yet he’d slipped back into that familiar, thinly-veiled selfishness the second he felt anxiety over getting Eddie the wrong thing. Eddie had always been honest with him, so how could Steve ever think that he’d pull the same passive-aggressive misrepresentation of love that his mother so often portrayed to his father?

“Steve?” 

It seemed Eddie had crossed the room while Steve had been distracted by his own thoughts, seeing as the man was now cupping Steve’s jaw with his hand, a concerned look in his eyes. “Where’d you go, sweetheart?” 

“S-sorry. I’m sorry, I just- I don’t think I’m good at it.” Steve’s words came quicker than his thoughts, and his breath hitched as he spoke due to his steady crying.

“Good at what, Stevie?”

“Gifts.”

Eddie hummed under his breath, his thumb gently swiping against Steve’s cheekbone in an effort to wipe away his tears. “Care to expand on that, baby? Because the Stevie I know just gave Robin a weekend trip to Chicago for her birthday a month ago, and it made her cry so hard she almost threw up.”

“It’s different.”

“What’s different?”

“We-we’re together, and- shit, Eds, I had a ton of ideas of things I thought you’d like, but I just kept thinking I’d get it wrong, but you wouldn’t- look, you love me too, right?” 

Eddie huffed out a soft breath of confusion, and his other hand moved to rest on the small of Steve’s back, pulling him into a hug. “Of course I love you, I tell you everyday”

“Yeah, I know.” Steve’s voice was near pleading, wobbling with renewed emotion while fresh tears slipped down his cheeks. “So even if I got you the wrong thing, I’d never know that, and then I’d just keep fucking up, and next thing you know, we’d resent each other and disguise that hatred in things that are supposed to be displays of love, like gifts, and we’d end up like my parents, and I can’t do that to you, you never deserve to feel that way-” 

“Hold on- sorry to cut you off, sweetheart, but I feel like I got a little lost there. C’mon, let’s sit.” Eddie wrapped his hand around Steve’s and tugged him towards the couch, then gently shoved Steve onto a cushion and curled up next to him, keeping their hands linked. “Okay, I have three questions. One, why do you think you’d get me the ‘wrong thing’; two, why wouldn’t you know if I didn’t like something; and three, if I love you so much- which you know I do, why do you think we’d end up like your parents?” 

Steve sniffed, scrubbing his eyes with the palm of his free hand to try and wipe the tears away. “It’s- okay, so, I wanted to get you a new vest, right? But that would just be a reminder of what happened back in the Upside Down, and then I wanted to get you a guitar case, but that wouldn’t work for obvious reasons- then I thought of a new guitar, but I’d definitely fuck that up because I don’t know the first thing about guitars. I thought about some other stuff, like for D&D or whatever, but I didn’t think that would be enough- and I just kept psyching myself out, right? Because my whole childhood, my dad got my mom these gifts, but they weren’t things she actually wanted, and all I could think about is how I could accidentally do that for you. 

“My mom, she always told him how happy she was, then would turn around and tell me or her friends how much she hated the thing and- I couldn’t stomach the idea of that happening, of not knowing that I upset you, so I just- I defaulted to something that would look nice, right? A strategic gift, rather than something special. I honestly didn’t even think about you being late to things until after I decided to buy it, and then I hated that I’d made that decision, because I don’t think you being late to stuff is something that needs to change, I actually kinda love it about you because it means that you were so wrapped up in something else, something you love. 

“Anyways- I just went through with it, bought the thing because I didn’t know what else to do, because knowing that you wouldn’t like it honestly made it easier than getting my hopes up about you liking something and then always questioning whether you actually liked it because people never really say what they think, but then you just came out and said what you thought about the frankly shit gift I got you, and I can’t believe it took that to make me realize how fuckin’ stupid I was being by just falling back into the toxic shit my parents taught me growing up. I’m so sorry, Eds. You didn’t deserve that. We’re obviously not going to end up like my parents, stuck together and hating each other- but sometimes, when I navigate us, I can’t help but go back to them, because they were my blueprint. Does that make sense?” 

Eddie’s hold on his hand hadn’t waned throughout Steve’s rambling explanation, and only grew tighter, more supportive, at the close of Steve’s question. “Yeah, sweetheart, that makes sense. I hate that you found yourself going down that line of thinking, but I understand that that’s where you’d go if your parents created that atmosphere for you.” 

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Steve’s attention having turned towards the rings on Eddie’s hand that was tangled with his own, while Eddie used his other hand to gently card through Steve’s hair. Steve’s tears had slowed throughout his expounding and had become the occasional sniffle, joined by a shuddering breath. 

Eddie eventually broke their silence, his voice soft and his tone careful. “For what it’s worth, I can tell you put a lot of thought into it. Even if it’s not really something I was hoping for, you chose a gift that would go with my outfits, chose my favorite colors. I can tell how much it mattered to you to get something I’d like, even if you defaulted to making it something that you knew wouldn’t mean, y’know, the world to me.” 

Steve huffed, shifting so that he could burrow his face in the crook of Eddie’s neck. “You don’t have to try and make it not shitty, Eds, I know it sucks. I knew that going in.” 

“I’m being honest, I still appreciate the good intentions behind it.” 

“I’m sorry that it made you feel so shitty- sorry that now you have to deal with all this on top of it, on your fucking birthday-” 

“Stevie, baby, it’s okay. Being with you- that alone means the world to me. You could’ve gotten me nothing and I would’ve been grateful to be with you, because in my opinion, you are the greatest gift I’ve ever received. As for working through childhood shit on my birthday, that’s not, like, a chore for me. I’m happy to be here, to talk about these things with you, because I love you, and that’s part of our love. Okay?”

Eddie pressed a kiss to Steve’s temple, and Steve melted underneath him, letting out a soft sigh. “Yeah, okay.” 

Steve shifted closer and kissed the dip of Eddie’s shoulder, then wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist to pull the man closer. “I still wanna do something to apologize, something to celebrate you rather than make us fight.”

“You didn’t make us fight, baby. I was just confused. We talked, we figured stuff out, we’re holding each other, everything is good. You don’t have to make it up to me, because there’s nothing to make up.” 

Steve hummed against Eddie’s neck, his hand moving up to brush through his curls. “I don’t have to, but I still want to. Maybe not tonight, because I kinda think we should just cuddle and eat leftover cake and watch a movie, but tomorrow I wanna take you out, just drive for a few hours, we can find a place to grab some food together. After that, maybe we can come back here, hold each other a while. We can do that thing you like so much with your belt and my hands…” Steve trailed off, his tone lilting into something flirtatious. 

Eddie gave a giddy chuckle in response, flicking Steve’s bicep playfully. “Yeah, alright loverboy. As long as you’re feeling up for it, and not doing it because you feel like you have to do it- I think that I would love that.” 

“Then consider it done.” Steve sat back slightly to press a kiss to Eddie’s lips, then returned to his spot against Eddie’s shoulder. 

“Sounds like an outstanding gift. I’ll be counting down the seconds ‘til then, sweetheart.”