#she hasn’t done hers yet but expect it soon

[shortcakelils]

he sittin

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Reference used

[madame-fear]

Okay but like am I the only one that thrives on angst?? Because imagine if Jacaerys and his young wife, who he by the way only married for the support of The Arryns, had marriage problems because there’s always been tension between her and Baela (just an idea, I love my Baela bc she’s my girl!!) as Jacaerys was supposed to be married to her instead..and might I mention that reader was shipped off to Dragonstone by herself to give birth to her son and she’s been alone and scared all the time, until she’s brought back to Kingslanding after her mother in-law, Queen Rhaenyra, finally claimed back the throne with a peace treaty between the Hightowers. His wife is so so shy and alone because she’s only used to being with their baby, and Jacaerys is just absolutely worried for her because he hasn’t visited her at all due to his duties as heir and it just so happens that his wife thinks he hates herr 💔💔 (this was a bit long..but idk)

𐙚 𝐐𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍.

ೀ amira speaks.ᐟ : the so awaited Arryn reader fic is here !! Hope it was what you expected, and overall enjoy it! Thought this was longer than 3.6k words! 😭🤲💗 ˗ˏˋ ꒰ summary : ∿ request above! ˗ˏˋ ꒰ word count : 3.6k

˗ˏˋ ꒰ genre : angst to fluff. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ pairing : Jacaerys Velaryon x Arryn!Wife!Reader.

After many years of a long, nearly never ending war, it had finally subsided— bringing peace for once and for all. It had been the same war that provoked the death of innocent people, and the one responsible for your marriage with Prince Jacaerys, as well.

A rather complex marriage, you’d say it was— though, it was an engagement that could only be expected. Betrothals and marriages had never been done for the sake of genuine love, but only for the sake of allies & tying deeper bonds between the Houses; helplessly falling in forced, unhappy marriages.

There had been little to no time for any of you two to establish some sort of proper relationships between each other. It worked as an engagement with the sole purpose of gaining support from House Arryn amidst the war with the Greens. “A betrothal, in exchange for support”, and it served with it’s purpose as it should in a way, you guessed.

Except, for the looming tension that came along your marriage.

Jace’s previous betrothal to Lady Baela, firstborn daughter of the Rogue Prince, wasn’t unbeknownst to you; a betrothal that had to be broken off when you appeared in the picture, as the support from the Arryns would be placed as number one priority— with Jacaerys marrying you as the one and only condition for yet another ally. It was inconvenient, but very much needed.

The growing tension between you and his previous betrothed notoriously loomed in the air as soon as you both met one another— being presented with little to no words from Baela, and most of the time, all the endless attempts you did in order to establish a good relationship with her, were dismissed; thrown into the wind, as you were given a cold stare, with no words said... Being walked right past, left ignored.

Often times, you could feel her contemptuous stare fixed on you, each time you were sat next to Jacaerys.

Solitude had leisurely grown as a frequent monster lurking in your surroundings. “I can’t do anything about it, I can’t act as an intermediary to your relationship.” was the strict response given to you by your future Lord Husband, when speaking your mind regarding how the Lady Baela gave you a cold shoulder, despite the constant friendliness you had to offer.

Jacaerys didn’t seem to care much at all. You swore that the eldest Velaryon prince was as indifferent towards you, as his previous betrothed was— maybe, he even resented you for breaking off his already arranged betrothal. And you couldn’t say you didnt understand the situation, however.

Years of having known, trusted, each other, growing by each other’s side... Having their betrothal arranged for years— you could even silently observe the way in which they gazed at each other, occasionally. All of that had only been for it to turn into ash & dust when the time to seek support from allies had come.

But what other choice did you have, except none at all? Had you any blame, at all? Were you truly the one at fault? The growing solitude and the hefty weight of guilt was nearly asphyxiating. You felt desperately trapped in an escapeless labyrinth, being fully aware of how you had no one at all to release each one of your thoughts to— with your betrothed often giving you a cold shoulder as well, or simply, being far too engaged in his duties. Each private conversation, managed to quickly be dismissed; you had been forced to be kept to yourself, in a way.

All for a war between kin. All for the sake of allies. And you, right in the middle of it all.

Things hadn’t grown to become any better at all by the time you fell pregnant with your first child— with his child. Much less considering it was all still under the looming tension of war felt in the atmosphere.

Dragonstone had become your temporary home; one you had been sent to all by yourself, still being with child. Taking proper care of yourself throughout your pregnancy had been a difficult task, considering how the general situation provoked a constant state of fright and concern to you. Alone, with no one else to rely on; finding mere solace in talking to yourself... Or, rather, talking quietly to your unborn child.

It wasn’t exactly the healthiest thing for the fragile conditions you were mentally experiencing— it simply deepened that inner void, those bitter feelings of loneliness; poisoning you slowly with every quiet tear you dropped late at night in your chambers, after holding on to the knot that formed on your throat during the day.

The rocky castle had been the same place where you had birthed your child— a healthy boy, much to your fortune. Something that the Gods had finally graced you with. And that grace was, providing an heir for your husband... Though, you had given birth to your babe in the mere company of a few maids, and maesters. Your own mother-in-law couldn’t be there by your side, as much as she deeply desired to. Your own husband, with his duties as Rhaenyra’s heir, couldn’t assist, either— and much less, your own blood.

The Gods have a strange way of treating you, you thought. Blessing you with an heir to your husband, and, simultaneously, remaining to provide you with solitude throughout the entire way.

Not long passed after you gave birth, that war had finally subsided, moving from Dragonstone to King’s Landing with a small babe in your arms. Queen Rhaenyra had made peace treaty with the Greens, allowing her to claim her birthright, the Iron Throne, for once and for all— bringing a wave of relief, tossing aside a hefty weight burdening you.

Of course, just one small bit of a burdening weight had been removed from your life, and you dared to say, it was the most important heaviness lingering on the atmosphere— yet, you still had your own issues to solve. Moving all by yourself with a small baby boy towards the Red Keep wasn’t an easy task either, it simply stirred the occasional anxiety you suffered, along with bitter loneliness.

Those series of events happened in, what you considered, to be such a short time lapse— barely allowing you to process your wedding ceremony, the looming tension between you and his previous betrothed, not being able to have properly bonded with your husband as you married for mere alliances, having very little bonding with your mother-in-law, living in a whole different place from one day to another, having a babe, and moving once again this time with your child after the peace treaty...

... And you could keep naming each, and every single one of the little things that provoked an asphyxiating knot on your throat; one you had to bitterly swallow and keep to yourself. How could you not be overwhelmed with the circumstances?

You had grown used to being alone, with only the company of your little boy to keep your sanity hanging from a fragile, fraying thread. You briefly, and very feebly managed to interact with the rest of the members of House Targaryen— but you never throughoutly engaged in a deeper bond with them, or were often seen walking around the large halls, once the war had finished and you moved to the Red Keep.

The war had passed immediatly after the peace treaty with the Hightowers. No usurper on the Throne, no more dead men and innocent people— and all the burden you carried behind of you now, was that of the lurking solitude haunting you. It was just your small, sweet boy and you to spend time together; the one whom you found some warmth, despite still being practically a babe. Though, you couldn’t occasionally help but long for the company of anyone else from your new family.

At the present moment, you spent time on your private chambers. your little boy rested on your lap, as you quietly sat on the ground. On his hand, was a dragon wooden toy which he played with— making some cooing sounds. He had been your only companion for the moment, managing to spare you from any feelings of loneliness from the moment you had learned you were with child, being the one you often spoke to despite not receiving back an answer.

A faint grin graced your lips, with your hand gently caressing the back of his hair. You craned your head gently, releasing a soft chuckle at the sight of your boy engaged into his own world. You both were almost headed to sleep, but you preferred to spend some more time together— enjoying the quietness of the night, and the peace that came along.

The stillness looming in the atmosphere had been interrupted by a soft knock sounding twice against the wooden doors of your chambers. Raising your sight curiously as your boy remained playing in your lap with the wooden dragon toy. Not often having many visitors at the late hours of the night, you softly muttered “Come in.”

The door was gently swayed, revealing to be your Husband the one who knocked, closing the door behind him— which, it wasn’t a common occurence, for him to visit you in your chambers. The constant duties of the eldest Velaryon prince, on his role of being his mother’s heir to the Throne, were more than time-consuming; occupying the entirety of his attention.

But of course, with you being his wife, mother of his son, having shared little to nothing — plus having married only for alliances — and having some previous marriage problems regarding his broken betrothal, could only burden his thoughts. You had done an important effort to be a proper wife to him, one that couldn’t pass unnoticed.

You married to support what his mother fought for, you managed the notorious tension there was between you and his previous betrothed— you had given him a son, birthing all by yourself, and moved to Dragonstone, and then the Red Keep all by yourself, as well; only for him to spend his days focused on what was asked of him, leaving little time to even pay you and your baby son a short visit.

Guilt was overriding him in a constant, haunting manner. It was only natural for Jacaerys to be consumed by his preoccupied feelings towards you. Perhaps, you didn’t often engage or bond together in a convenient way, and you might’ve had troubles before when it came to discussing about your uneasy relationship with Lady Baela— but that didn’t mean he didn’t love you, much less notice your strenght in every sense.

It was only fair to show his appreciation, and his concern for your wellbeing.

“Hope I’m not troubling both of you with my presence?” Jace said in a lighthearted manner, with a faint grin appearing on his rosy lips, tilting his head briefly. His presence had been quite a surprise for you, and that expressed on the looks in your features, along with some tension in the air— not being used to being visited by Rhaenyra’s heir, your husband. Which, if anything, it deepened the looming guilt on him.

You shook your head gently, looking down at your son timidly, using your index finger to delicately caress him on his cheek. “Not at all, we were spending some time before heading to sleep.” you muttered in response. “Is anything the matter? Has something happened?” you inquired with slight concern, furrowing your eyebrows, lifting your gaze once again, staring into his dark coffee eyes. The innocence on your features were most beloved by him, managing to properly appreciate them as, now, it was just the two of you in the room— no duties in between, no one else to bother you.

Jacaerys shook his head. “Nothing’s the matter, fortunately.” he answered, with a tone of relief. His lips frowned for a split second, thoroughly processing his words before continuing. “I... Simply wished to pay you, and our son, a visit— as I haven’t been able to do so lately with my duties as my mother’s heir.” his eyes lingered on the ground shyly, before returning to stare at your own. “I wanted to know if you were doing alright as well, and if you felt comfortable around, of course.”

The expressions on your face softened leisurely. “Oh,” your lips partly opened in surprise, stuttering for a moment, before closing them rather quickly. You had been momentarily taken aback by his unexpected statement, as you had never shared a private moment like this with him before. It had been a situation you would have never guessed you would ever experience, yet, here you were— and it felt as if the world surrounding you stopped for a second.

You swallowed thickly, looking down over your boy, who stared at his father, and then at you. “Keep playing with your toys, my love. I will be right back.” pressing a smooch on your son’s forehead, you carefully moved him so he would sit on the rug decorating the room beneath both of you. A wide, almost toothless smile graced his features, before continuing to play with his own toys as you stood, and approached Jace.

It was almost admirable how much of a dedicated, loving mother you were, Jace thought to himself, staring at the scene— with a grin helplessly increasing on the corner of his lips. Your hands turned into fists, meekly fidgeting with the fabric of your dress. You almost couldn’t stare at him in the eyes, allowing him to notice as well a growing fluster in your cheeks.

“I-I’m... Doing quite alright.” the words came off whispered, and stuttered, from your lips, “We have been managing together all this time, after the war.” you mentioned, staring at your boy — who was absorbed into his own innocent world — before returning to stare at Jacaerys. “Thank you... For asking.” the eldest Velaryon smiled sweetly at you, noticing how you very faintly stared at him in the eyes.

“I’m quite relieved to hear so.” he replied back, in a low, casual tone, continuing to offer a kind grin to you as his eyes guided themselves towards his baby boy playing in the background. Brief moments of awkward silence passed, with a palpable tension in the atmosphere.

You had been given little time — to not say , none at all — to bond with each other, before your wedding ceremony. You knew nothing about one another, and it could only be expected that you would be awkward in each other’s presence. But now that the war had ended, the possibility of engaging in a proper, sweet manner with each other was now given. You could softly hear Jace take a deep breath, before continuing to talk with you.

“I came to visit you to offer my apologies, as well.” furrowing your eyebrows, your stare darted at his own— which lingered on the ground, noticing a rosy taint beginning to cover his cheeks. “What for?” it was a rather innocent ask, or at least, Jace considered it to be that way. With a lingering guilt that weighed constantly on him, offering his apologies felt very little with everything he actually owed you, after all the things you had done for him.

The heir nibbled on his lower lip for a moment, allowing himself to properly process in words each and every single little thing he had to thank you, and apologise for. “For many things, I dare to say.” he scoffed in a teasing way, provoking a frowny grin to grow upon your lips, as you kept delicately fidgeting with the fabric of your dress in a discreet manner. “One of the things I would like to apologise for the most, is for... Not simply not visiting you, and our baby son due to my duties as heir— but for having given you a cold shoulder all this time, in a way.”

Your expressions began softening, not uttering a single word to allow him to continue. The looks on your face were almost puzzling to him, as it contained several emotions— all mostly ranging from surprise, to a... relieved one. But mostly, a shyly relieved look began expressing itself all across your features. “I never expressed to you my admiration for your strength and courage. Much less, I have given you my gratitude for marrying me and giving me an heir, all in order to gain new allies amidst war.”

“You have done everything by yourself. Moved to Dragonstone alone, birthed alone, and moved to the Red Keep after the peace treaty all by yourself, with our boy. I often scorn myself for not having done the slightest effort of accompanying you.” it was true. All this time, you had grown to be used only to the presence of your little child offering you solace, and company.

Hearing his words shed a light of understanding to the implicances of war when it came to the perspective— after all, being heir to the Throne is not easy at all, much less when your birthright is usurped. But for Jace, being an heir occupied with his duties, before and after war, was no excuse to give offer you a piece of his genuine love and admiration. If anything, he resented himself for not having visited you earlier.

“There hasn’t been a single moment where I haven’t thought about you, or haven’t grown any more preoccupied. And I’m sorry for not having shown it earlier, when I should have. Your efforts have never passed unnoticed.”

A gentle sigh spurred from you, nibbling shyly on your lower lip, with your gaze meekly darting towards the ground. Hearing such statement coming from him felt almost surreal, considering each moment you spent alone, wondering to yourself if your husband felt mere disdain towards you after breaking off his previous betrothal to Lady Baela. You had to process the moment for several seconds, leaving a few seconds of silence to hang in the air until you gave your response, but you couldn’t deny that a part of you was satisfied to know his true thoughts about you.

“I would’ve thought you... Resented me for breaking off your betrothal, and occupying the place of Lady Baela.” you muttered timidly, maintaining your eyes gazing at the floor. His eyes widened faintly in surprise. Gods, your words didn’t help with the intensely growing guilt-feelings he suffered, almost as if your statement sharply stabbed him in the heart— how could he ever resent you?

You had nothing to do with anything. You simply did your required duties, what was asked of you.

Jace stood silent for a moment, “How could I ever resent you?” he began, a certain desperation, and disbelief, vibrating on his tone upon hearing your statement. It almost shattered him, knowing you thought that— and all because his mind was consumed in war strategies and responsibilities as heir. The tip of his index finger placed itself on your underchin, delicately — yet firmly — lifting your face so you would stare at each other.

His dark coffee eyes stared profoundly into your own, “I could never resent you for something that was not your choice, much less after all the efforts you did.” you swore you could feel a knot beginning to form on your throat, from both the overwhelming sensation of having thought all this time that Jacaerys disdained you, and from content. “The idea of breaking off my betrothal to Lady Baela and become used to your presence for alliances might have been complicated initially, but I could never resent you for it.”

“Quite the contrary, I have grown to love and silently admire you.” both his hands had gone to cup your cheeks affectionately, taking the moments of quietness to admire every inch of your features. That was, before his arms rapidly embraced themselves around you, tightly wrapping you into a hug. One of his hands went to the back of your head, interwining his fingers in between your hair, as his other hand softly moved up and down, caressing your back; nuzzling the tip of his nose against your hair in a discreet manner— finding comfort in your sweet scent.

For a moment, you stood there, being firmly hugged by Jace, as you leisurely processed the — quite abrupt — situation. Your eyes had widened slightly in surprise, only to feel your body relaxing a few seconds after the eldest Velaryon held you in the warmth of his arms, slowly giving into the embrace. Your arms delicately wrapped themselves around his own body, hiding your face in the crook of his neck. A wide range of emotions came afloat at the moment, but all you could feel, was a gleeful sensation of relief.

What you had so longed for, had been finally given in your life— to seek and find comfort in your husband.

“All I can only do, is constantly cherish the lucky fact of your existence, I have never felt a single ounce of resentment, or hatred.” he muttered, continuing to nuzzle his nose against your hair in a loving manner, before firmly pressing his lips against your temple for several seconds. “I hope you can forgive me, and know that I’ll be visiting and spending time with both of you more often— because I adore you, immensely.”

The ghost of a soft, shy grin began growing on the corner of your lips. You knew everything would be alright, from now on— it would all be less dreadful, and less lonely, knowing that your husband would now be accompanying you in a proper manner.

The Gods did have a strange way of treating you, but all for an ultimate good.

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[hoe4sports]

How this ends p2

|Part one| Part three | Part four

Message from the author: Hi babies, this took longer than expected. Part three coming soon.!Sorry, this is probably shit compared to the first part. Oh well, sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.

Warning: Angst

Summary: Mapi finds Alexia in a horrible state, but there is no comfort from Mapi.

-

Alexia found herself sat in the darkness of your her bedroom. Her physical state was horrible. Her mental state was somehow even worse. She resembled a homeless person more than herself. Her clothes were dirty. All of them actually because she hadn’t washed her own clothes ever, her mami washed them until she moved in with you. It was one of the things you took care of, that she took for granted. Her stomach felt like it was about to hop out of her body to slap her in the face for not eating. She hasn’t done any food shopping because for the last years, you had done all the groceries without her having to even think about it. You would always buy her favourite things, but she hasn’t considered why her credit card dispute was low each month. Yet another thing she took for granted, you paid the groceries. The apartment had a screaming need for a vacuum and some dusting. She hadn’t done chores since moving out. You managed all of those things. Just another thing she had taken for granted. The mail was sitting unready in her overfilled postbox. You had been taking care of the mail. Clean clothes showed up in her wardrobe, food was always available, fruits were always in sight, the apartment was always spotless and the mail were always taken care of. The guilt was eating her alive.

The first week after you left, she shut the feelings out. She focused on herself and her progress. Her captaincy demanded her to set a good example, so she showed up at practice. She did her drills, her conditioning and her strengthening. She pulled herself together and made sure to do her duties.

But she was fuelled by an underlying rage. Cursing herself for making the biggest mistake of her lifetime. The shield she had put up to protect herself from her own feelings had started cracking. Alexia then pushed harder. And harder. And even harder.

Her body pushed as hard as it possibly could until the world came crashing down on her a late Friday. The heartache that she had brought upon herself felt haunting. Like she was watching an avalanche bouldering down the mountain to get her. She couldn’t get away from the avalanche. She couldn’t hide her feelings from herself. The only thing she could do, was to wait for the avalanche to get her. And with that, she was forced to deal with the harsh reality of her actions by staring at the ghost of what once was her first love in the apartment.

Eli got worried when Alexia didn’t show up for the weekly family dinner, then she got even more worried when she showed up at your and Alexia’s apartment without anyone opening the door. Alba tried to comfort her as best as she could saying that Alexia probably was out with the team, feeling slightly guilty for taking her anger out by shaming your name. Alba had tried to reach out to you, without having much success.

Alexia couldnt for the life of her figure how she had managed to get herself into this position. She loved you. She still did. You were her first and only love. She would put you over football any day of the week. Always patient, understanding and loving. You never made a fuss about anything. You never let her down, you never forgot anything and you always prioritised her before you. You never put pressure on her and never had unrealistic expectations. Whenever she forgot important dates, you forgave her. That was just your nature. You were her peace.

-

Two weeks post break up, Alexia had been missing work for a week straight. The coach told the team that she was taking time off for “personal reasons”.

How ironical that what she thought was going to help her career, ended up hurting her even further.

Alexia found herself sitting in the bedroom. Her head couldn’t bear to stay in any room longer than 5 minutes. She didn’t get groceries, and she was living out on whatever you had placed in the freezer earlier. She was sitting in the bed staring at a picture frame. The picture was her favourite picture of you, from Alba’s wedding. Her in her suit and you in a pink bridesmaids dress. She touched your face hoping to feel some familiarity, some sense of comfort but there were none. It was cold. A tear started running down her cheek and she leaned back into the bed as she started into the ceiling feeling emptier than ever. It felt like her world had stopped turning. Her heart hurt so bad that she felt like there was something physically wrong with her. Her head was spinning.

Alexia found herself in a position that she had been in more times that one since you left. Tears were steaming down her face and her sobs were increasing. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping she could stop feeling. It was exhausting to have all of these feelings running around like a pack of wild horses. But then, her cries were soon stopped by knocking on the frontdoor.

“Hola, Alexia!»

«Mierda» Alexia mumbled under her breath. She knew that voice. It was Mapi. And Mapi wasn’t the type of persona to leave. She gave it her best shot as she held her breath.

“Alexia! I know that you are home! So open up before I break in por favor”

Alexia got up from the bed and wrapped herself in your favourite blanket. A pink fuzzy blanket with red hearts. A blanket she praised the gods for that you didn’t take with you. She brushed through her hair with her bare hands hoping to look more presentable, before stomping herself to the front door.

“ALEXIA! Sé que estás en casa!” Mapi yelled again, but this time slightly annoyed.

Alexia swung the door up, and Mapi’s jaw dropped in shock. Alexia looked like a train wreck. Like a ghost of herself.

“Que?” Alexia said with an annoyed look on her face while squinting her eyes.

“Ai, Alexia, what happened to you! You look horrible” Mapi exclaimed, still in shock. We eyes wide. Alexia rolled her eyes to her before grabbing the door to close it.

“Adios, Maria” she mumbled. Her hand grabbed the door handle and pushed it close. But her action was blocked by the length of Mapi’s foot.

“I’m coming in” Mapi said pushing past Alexia moving towards the couch. Alexia sighed before closing the door. All she wanted, was to be left alone to cry. To figure herself out. But, Mapi had other plans.

Mapi sat down in the couch and patted the seat next to her. Alexia slowly crept towards the couch before sitting down a bit further from Mapi, then Mapi had initiated. Alexia could feel the lecture incoming.

“Are you sick?”

“No”

“Are you injured?”

“No”

“Is Y/N sick or injured?”

Alexia’s eyes started tearing up. She couldn’t speak. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have the strength within her to yell. All her emotions were spread out across her body and she couldn’t keep it in even if she had tried.

"Is she sick? did she have a miscarriage?? Why didn’t you tell me!! I would’ve brought over Ing-” Mapi said in shock before being cut off by Alexia. Her and Ingrid, had experienced a miscarriage earlier, and there was nobody that understood you better than Ingrid.

“She isn’t sick, Mapi. I broke up with her…”

Mapi sat completely dumbfounded in the couch unable to process what she just heard. She didn’t want to believe her own ears. Her eyes widened even further and her jaw was practically on the floor.

“You did WHAT now? Come again??”

“I..ugh.. I broke up with her”

Alexia looked to the ground staring at her toes, embarrassed of her own actions.

“Alexia, after 13 years a; it’s not breaking up anymore. It’s practically a divorce.”

The words hurt Alexia more than she could imagine. It felt like someone had pulled all the air out of her lungs depriving her of Oxygen. She hadn’t thought of it like this. She had planned to ask you to marry her, but it ended up being postponed because of the World Cup. Just like everything else; the kids, the house and even the second cat you had begged her for. There was nothing Alexia regretted more than not letting you get a second cat. Hell, she wanted you to have all the cats in the world if that meant that you would come back to her. Alexia nodded while she sniffed. She hadn’t thought of it this way.

“Si, Mapi. I was so dumb, it is the dumbest decision I have ever made. And now, she’s gone for good”

Mapi and Alexia sat in the couch in silence. Mapi’s eyes wandered around the room. She could just now see the state of Alexia’s million dollar apartment. It looked like a garbage truck had exploded in there. The decor, your books, and all of the pictures you had put up if you, Alexia and your family from back home was gone. You had even taken the picture of your cat with you. She looked at Alexia and saw how Alexia’s eyes looked dull. Her face was puffy and her skin was red.

“Can I ask why? Did you fight? Did she..cheat?”

Alexia took a quick breath in. You would never cheat, and Alexia didn’t understand why. You had waited for 13 years for something she promised you years and years ago. Alexia wouldn’t have waited for anyone for that long. Mapi raised her eyebrow at Alexia expecting a damn good explanation.

“I thought that she was using me, distracting me from work, distracting me from getting better. She asked me to stay more at home and spend time with her..”

Mapi’s eyes widened again while lifting her hands up in the air.

“Are you delusional? Ai, she loved you even before you had money and fame! Alexia, she asked for your time? A just good enough woman would demand. She is more than a good woman. She is perfect, Alexia. Anyone would be honoured to have her in their life”

Alexia nodded quietly feeling like she was getting scolded by Mapi. But, inside her Alexia knew that it was well deserved. After what felt like hours of silence, Alexia shrugged her shoulders to Mapi’s dismay.

“Do you love her?”

“Mapi, it’s not that easy”

“Si,Alexia! It is!”

“Maria..”

Mapi raised her eyebrow, she felt like her head was about to explode. The fame really had ended up going straight to Alexia’s head. But, the damage was already done.

“I don’t even recognise you, anymore.”

“Please Mapi, don’t say that”

Mapi shot her a look. They had known each other since they were teenagers.

“But I don’t, Alexia. After the fame? If somebody showed me who you are more now back when we were 15, I would’ve never believed them. You are a shadow of yourself.”

Alexia’s eyes teared up. Mapi’s words were exactly what she needed to hear. But it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. The words felt like gunshots running through her heart.

“How, how do I make this right?”

Alexia furrowed her brows while her tears rolled down her face; Mapi got up from the couch before moving towards the door. She crossed her arms before the corners of her lips curved downwards.

“I’m not sure you can”

[bruisedboys]

Eddie loves his shy girl so much, he’ll always call her “my girl” or “the wife” “the mrs” around others just to watch how red she gets 🥹🥹 but soon he finds that calling her the wife feels natural and right, he realizes she’s the only girl he ever wants

he totally does omg. bro def calls you his wife with absolutely no shame. thank u for the ask angel!!

summary: eddie calls shy!you a lot of names. all of them make you flustered beyond belief

shy!fem!reader 1k words

Steve’s invited you all to drinks to celebrate him and Robin finally copping a job that isn’t slinging ice cream or sitting behind a video store counter all day. Eddie’s helping you pick out an outfit. It’s taking longer than you’d expected. Something about posing for Eddie makes you so nervous you can barely walk.

“Are you done yet?” Eddie’s voice on the other side of the door is far from impatient, even though it should be by now.

You grumble something incoherent instead of answering. Eddie heard you and laughs.

“Y/N,” he says seriously. The effect is ruined because you can hear his smile in the way he says your name. “We’re gonna be late, baby. Come out and show me the dress. I bet this is the one.”

You stare at yourself in the mirror for a few seconds. It is a nice dress. It’s a good length and makes your chest look nice, the colour looks pretty on your skin. Still, you’re embarrassed. You don’t like dressing up. It feels attention-seeking.

You scrub your face with both hands and take a big breath. “Alright, fine.”

You turn away from the mirror before you can stop yourself and yank the bathroom door open. Eddie’s waiting for you on your bed, sitting pretty, if a little slouched. He has bad posture. But his back goes rigid when he sees you — he sits up straight and lets his jaw drop.

“Babe,” he half-whispers, totally in awe, his eyes blown wide. He’s definitely laying it on thick but you can sense the genuineness underneath it all. His eyes traverse a path down your body and back up again, leaving your skin burning. And he hasn’t even touched you yet. “Baby. Honey. Darling. You look amazing.”

You flush all over despite yourself. “Eddie,” you say, chiding.

Eddie pretends to look offended. “What?” He leaps off the bed and gets one hand around your waist, the fabric of your dress shushing under his touch. “I’m serious, Y/N. You’re a real stunner, you know that?”

His other hand finds your elbow and pushes all the way up to your bicep, his fingers pressing into your skin. You burn like a furnace where he touches you. You knew this part was coming.

“Thank you, Eddie,” you say, genuine underneath all the shyness.

Eddie looks like he’s about to say something more but you’re saved from his doting by the phone next to your bed ringing loudly. You make to get it but Eddie beats you to it.

“Hello?” He says into the phone, sounding half-annoyed. “Oh. Hi, Steve. Yeah, no, we’re coming. The Mrs is just getting ready.” A pause in which Eddie meets your eye and winks. You flush even worse than you already were. Eddie goes back to talking to Steve. “Uh-huh. Yeah, we’ll be there in ten. Bye, Harrington.”

Eddie puts the phone back and you try to compose yourself. The Mrs, he’d called you. You feel like you could die.

Meanwhile Eddie’s grabbing his jacket from the bedpost and shrugging it on. “He’s badgering us about being late,” he says, pushing his arms through the sleeves. “We better get going, dove.” He looks up at you, half in his jacket. “Do you need me to carry anything for you?”

My heart? You think. Then maybe your chest wouldn’t hurt so much. You shake your head.

“No, um. That’s okay.” You push your hair behind your ears and try not to show how much he’s undone you with his antics. “I’ll just grab my purse.”

Eddie smiles at you. “Okay. I’ll meet you in the car?”

You nod. “Yeah.”

Ten minutes later you’ve arrived at the bar and Eddie’s leading you inside with a hand at the small of your back. He smells good, like the cologne you’d bought him forever ago that he wears basically every day.

You step inside the semi-crowded bar and Eddie spots your friend group before you do.

“They’re over there, by the window,” he says, pointing. “C’mon.”

He takes your hand and pulls you in the direction of your friends. You let him guide you and he pleases, his hand a warm weight in yours. You stare at the back of his head until you arrive at the table. Steve, Robin, Nancy and Jonathan are all here.

“Munson!” Robin cheers. Your eyes zero in on the drink in her hand and you think she’s maybe already a bit tipsy. Then she spots you and beams. “Y/N!”

You smile back. “Hi, Robs. Hi, everyone, sorry we’re late.” You give a sheepish laugh and glance at Eddie. “My fault.”

“It was worth it though, right?” Eddie says enthusiastically, to the group at whole. He throws an arm around your shoulder and jostles you gently. “Doesn’t my girl look great?”

My girl. Your face burns. There’s a chorus of agreement from around the table — it makes you feel better but not better enough that you’re not still flushing furiously.

“Eddie,” you mumble, avoiding everyone’s eyes and staring at the tabletop instead. You elbow him in the side, too gentle for what you feel he deserves.

Eddie laughs loudly. “What?” He asks, even though he knows exactly what.

You huff and wish the floor would swallow you up. When it doesn’t, you let Eddie pull you into the booth next to Robin. It’s a tight squeeze and Eddie’s thigh presses into yours, his jeans warm and rough on your skin where your dress rides up your thighs.

You think Eddie notices this too because he lets his hand fall to your lap instead of his own, spreading his hand over your thigh, his fingers grazing your bare skin. He squeezes you and you try not to show how much he affects you.

“Drinks?” He asks you, like everything is completely normal and you’re not a nervous, flustered wreck right now.

“Okay,” you say, unable to get more than one word out.

Eddie grins wolfishly. You think he’s probably planning on being like this all night. You don’t mind as much as you should.

-

“Okay,” you say, unable to get more than one word out.

Eddie grins wolfishly. You think he’s probably planning on being like this all night. You don’t mind as much as you should.

-

[whiskeyghoul]

Pt2. || She blinded me with science || [Spencer Reid x Goth!Reader]

Read part 1 here

Read part 3 here

A/N: OMG I can’t believe how much people enjoyed part 1? Seriously, as I am finishing this part up it has reached over 500 notes, I am shocked and so very thankful for the love. I didn’t expect it. A silly little fic not proof read, totally self indulgent, really this is so wonderful and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read it and reblog, like or comment on it. I hope part 2 doesn’t disappoint. Part 3 is going to be here soon too, which will be the unofficial date.

WC: 1,9K ~

Tags: Fluff, just fluff, Spencer is a flustered mess, Alt!Reader, Goth!Reader, 2 idiots flirting, Reader and Penelope are besties, use of Y/N, Penelope has been playing matchmaker, alluding to a date, crushes.

Warnings: None. 

Your pov.

It was a late Sunday afternoon. You were sitting on Penelope Garcia’s couch, cup of hot tea in hand. Legs curled up on the couch with a colorful blanket over your lap. It clashed just ever so slightly with your dark outfit. The two of you are in complete contrast to each other. Penelope was a ball of color in a bright purple dress with a lemon pattern, large yellow earrings and a blue bolero sweater. Compared to your all black ensemble she was a ray of sunshine. An array of snacks spread out over the coffee table. The aforementioned peppy blonde was sitting next to you on the couch. Deeply engrossed with the romance show playing on the TV. You watched it together every Sunday, when a new episode would come out. Today your mind was somewhere else completely.

“He hasn’t called yet.” You spoke up. Penelope eyed you curiously, “Who?” She asked, her focus gone from the show. Her eyes peered at you with interest from behind the cat eye glasses she had picked out that day. “Doctor Reid.” You turned your head back to the TV casually, trying to not seem bothered. You could hear Penelope hold back a small squeal. It sounded more like a gasp that way. “Oh my god! Are you interested in him? What did he do to impress you? I have been trying to set you up for ages! You have shot down any person I have discussed with you. Always something wrong.” She started rambling, hearing the clink of her glass being put on the coffee table. Her hands grabbed yours, making you look back at her and rolling your eyes. “Firstly: I am not ‘interested’ in him. Secondly: I just thought he would have called by now. Or stopped by at least.” You shrugged noncommittally. You were just a little interested. Thinking back to that meeting.

When Spencer had stepped into the lab earlier that week, courtesy of Penelope, you had found his awkward demeanor endearing. He was hot, that was for sure, and tall, you remembered having to look up at him, Those dark brown eyes pinning you in place. Especially when you had stood so close together. You had wanted to tease him after watching him stumble over his sentences. See him even more flustered. It made you somewhat excited. When you had given him your number you could feel his pulse racing under his skin. He had shown many signs of being interested yet he hadn’t even texted you. It made you rethink the interaction. 

“Well, he couldn’t have stopped by. They got called on a case in Utah so he’s not really in the area right now.” Penelope clarified. Those words put your mind at ease more than you expected them to. “Oh, I guess he can’t really get to the lab then.” You shrugged. Just a little disappointed but feeling relieved that apparently he hadn’t meant to not visit you. Or maybe he had done so on purpose if he would be close. Your earlier relief was replaced by a mild panic again. Trying to convince yourself you weren’t interested in Dr. Reid. Although, he could have texted.

You could practically feel Penelope smirk as you turned your attention back on the TV. Unable to focus but pretending to. “Spence is not one for texting. He probably has been getting to the hotel at ungodly hours and hasn’t had time to call.” it was like she could read your mind. “Don’t do that.” You said with a shudder. “Do what?” Penelope questioned innocently. “Read my mind like that. It’s weird.” You answered, making her laugh. “Just goes to show how well I know you.” She answered with a smile. It was true. She knew you too well you would even argue. The fact both of you were women in a male dominated field, both dressed eccentricly, and both with a passion for cheesy movies and tv shows. It was only a matter of time until you were best friends after your first run in.

Your phone, which was placed on the table, lit up at that moment. The ringtone played at a high volume, making the cure blast through the room. Your eyes quickly flickered to the screen. Caller ID unknown. You picked up the phone, hesitant of the unknown caller, deciding to hang up instead. You had been plagued by telemarketers for the past month and really didn’t want to deal with that right now. If it was important they would call again. And they did, you still had your phone in your hands when it went off again. “Just pick it up! I will keep watch over our show, fill you in later.” Penelope said, motioning her hands for you to get up. You got off the couch, soft blanket falling to the ground as you picked up the phone. Softly padding away to the kitchen to be out of earshot of Penelope. “Y/n speaking.” you answered, waiting to hear from the other end of the line.

“Hey… ehm… is this not the right time? Are you busy?” The voice on the other end of the line made you straighten up slightly in surprise. “Doctor Reid.” You breathe out his name quietly, adding a “Now is a perfectly good time.” to your sentence. Wondering how hearing his voice through the slightly tin-like phone speaker made you feel a little flutter in your stomach. “Good… I didn’t want to bother you. You can just call me Spencer by the way. Doctor sounds too formal. I just introduce myself like that. It’s a habit. I don’t call you Doctor L/n either. So call me Spencer.” He started rambling. A smile spread across your lips, this rambly version was different from how speechless he had been in the lab. You held back a giggle. Apparently you had rendered him speechless in the lab. “Alright, Spencer.” You answered, the humor in your voice apparent. His breath hitched a little on the other side of the line. 

“Why did you call?” You asked, trying to continue on without dawdling. “Oh eh, the report, I ehm…” He was quiet for a moment. It crossed your mind that maybe he didn’t need to speak with you, but he wanted to. “Yes?” You urged after a silence had fallen on the other side of the phone line. There was an intake of breath from Spencer, a moment that signaled he might be trying to raise some courage. “I didn’t want to talk about the report.” He finally spoke. It made you smile, your cheeks flushing ever so slightly. “Oh, well then what did you want to talk about?” You added a bit of playfulness in your tone. You pictured him, holding the phone to his ears that were tipped red. His face was probably just as flushed as it had been in the lab. 

“I ehm- I haven’t been able to focus, on the case that is. Because I keep thinking about the lab. How I probably came off as a mess, I just didn’t know what to say because you looked so… Not that you look bad because you don’t, you looked really nice. Emily says my IQ gets slashed down to 68 when I am around pretty girls. I wanted to make a good impression. I couldn’t find the words though. I usually don’t make great first impressions, because I tend to ramble. Just- I really really hope I didn’t make a bad first impression.” His sentences flowed into each other like word vomit. Nervous, quick, and hardly understandable. Luckily, you were trained in the art of understanding nervous rambles when Penelope would spiral into one from time to time. However he had called you pretty. “Spencer.” You said his name almost like a question. There was a beat of silence. “Yes?” He asked softly, he sounded so nervous.

“You didn’t make a bad impression. I gave you my number for a reason.” You told him with a smile, a little giddy as the words ‘he called me pretty’ kept bouncing around your head. “And I am sorry I called without any real reason to… I know it was for talking about the report. Though Morgan tried to convince me it wasn’t.” Spencer answered. You rolled your eyes at that. Ofcourse, this hyper intelligent man would mix up what you were trying to do. “I gave you my number because I wanted you to call me. Not about the report. I just wanted you to call me. About anything.” There was apparently a need to clear up that confusion. It was silent for another moment. “Oh.” It was like realization dawned on him. “So I should have called sooner, right?” His question made you laugh softly, trying not to clue in Penelope on your call.  “Yes, you should have. Or could have at least. I was waiting.” You answered back, smiling at the ground. You fidgeted with one of the large rings on your free hand, twisting the cool metal round with your thumb.

“I’m sorry I didn’t.” You could almost hear the smile in his voice. The slight uptick in his pitch. You imagined he was still fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater, or was perhaps looking at his shoes with a grin. “You can make it up to me by buying me a coffee when you get back.” The suggestion came naturally, you didn’t even have to think about it. The words left your lips before you could, really. “What do you like?” Spencer asked without hesitation. “Cinnamon latte.” You answered it softly, a little surprised he agreed so readily. A giddy feeling in your stomach. “Alright, cinnamon latte, I’ll remember.” Spencer sounded a little breathy, like he too was feeling giddy at the prospects of having coffee together. Like the idea of taking time to get to know each other at work over a warm beverage was the perfect first date. “What do you like?” You asked in turn, wanting to know what he would usually get. Knowing more about him would feel so domestic and sweet. “Black coffee, usually with tons of sugar.” He had a hint of embarrassment in your voice. A little muffled like he had covered his mouth to hold in the confession of drinking it so sweet. You smiled at his answer. Of course he had a sweet tooth. “Tons of sugar, I’ll remember.” You mirrored his words. 

“Oh! My! God!” You heard Penelope gasp from the living room. Knocking you out of your little phone call bubble with Spencer. “I think I have to go. You better call me tomorrow.” You said it lightheartedly. Just wanting to hear from him again soon. “I will. I’ll call you.” Spencer answered. “Bye Spencer.” “Bye Y/n.” You hung up with a smile, already turning and walking back into the living room. Penelope turned around on the couch to look at you, “They shot Richard!” She looked absolutely shocked as she gave you the news of your favorite character being hurt. You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face though. “Spencer called.” You saw her face form from a shocked to surprise expression, “Oh! My! God!” She sounded a lot happier that time, and you knew you wouldn't hear the end of it.

[saphronethaleph]

Subtle as a brick

Rey stepped back a little, reverently, as Jedi Master Luke took the lightsaber.

His lightsaber. It had been his father’s, then his, and now it was his again. And-

-he threw it away.

Rey just sort of stared for a moment.

Master Luke may have said something. He may not. Rey simply didn’t process a thing for at least ten seconds.

“...what was that for?” she demanded.

“Did you think I’d come out here into hiding because I didn’t have a lightsaber?” Luke asked, looking at her like she was a bit odd.

“But – I brought your lightsaber back,” Rey objected, not really sure how to handle this complete inversion of her expectations.

Luke shrugged. “It’s not mine, anyway,” he said. “It’s my father’s. I have a strong attachment to my lightsaber, which I built by myself, while brooding alone on a desert planet.”

“Like Jakku?” Rey asked.

“...I guess, yeah, like Jakku,” Luke allowed. “Weird one to bring up, though. Why Jakku?”

“I grew up there,” Rey explained. “With no idea who my parents were… all I really had were stories and the knowledge that I wanted to leave Jakku as soon as possible.”

Luke didn’t reply, favouring her with a strange look.

“I suppose I did learn some technical skills, at least,” she went on. “Then I had to help a droid get to safety with plans the First Order wanted, plans vital to the survival of the Resistance.”

Luke looked like he was going to say something, but refrained.

“You remember the Millennium Falcon?” Rey asked. “My friend and I had to flee the planet in it, just ahead of First Order fighters and starships… then one thing led to another and I had to help in destroying the most vulnerable point on a First Order superweapon. And I’m trying to deal with my connection to the Force.”

“I know the feeling,” Luke muttered, almost too quiet to hear.

Rey frowned slightly. “And… I don’t know what it is, but I have this weird feeling that I might be related to a really evil Sith somehow-”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Luke shouted.

“...sorry?” Rey apologized, nervously.

“Not you,” Luke assured her. “I was speaking to the Force. I get it, you don’t need to be this blatant.”

He reached out his hand, catching the blue saber as it flew back up the slope, then tossed it underhand through the air to Rey.

She caught it, automatically, and Luke examined her with a critical eye.

“All right,” he said. “So, let’s see… have you got any friends in imminent trouble? Recent escape from a Resistance base?”

“Not yet, when I left, but the evacuation was going to have to be soon,” Rey answered. “I assume they’ve already done it… I hope they’ve got away safely.”

“Yeah, probably hasn’t happened,” Luke said. “They’re in trouble somehow. Could be they escaped to somewhere the First Order is already waiting, could be that they’re being chased directly… could be they’re in trouble to lure you into a trap.”

He shot her a grin, and it transformed his whole face, all his body language.

“The Force is not being subtle,” he said. “So I’m not going to be subtle back. What’s your name, anyway?”

“Rey,” Rey introduced herself.

“Well, Rey,” Luke said, lacing his hands together. “I’m going to make you into a Jedi. And then we are going to redeem the kark out of whoever your Sith ancestor is.”

Three very eventful weeks later, Sheev Palpatine existed in timeless harmony with the Force.

This was an enormous surprise to him.

“How, exactly, did that happen?” he asked the air, or the world, or the Force itself. “How in the kriff did Skywalker convince me to redeem myself by sacrificing myself to stop myself?”

“Not that I’d have an idea,” Anakin Skywalker said, fading into perception behind him. “But I’d guess it’s something he got from Padme’s side.”

“Oh, shut up,” Palpatine muttered.

He couldn’t even be properly angry any more, though it seemed that redemption did not prevent testiness.

Though meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi would probably have made that clear anyway.

[penkura]

Connected to this scenario request, here's a little part two! I might be making this into a small series, idk yet!

Law’s office door is rarely ever wide open. Everyone knows how it works, if the door is cracked just a bit he's welcoming anyone who wants to come in so long as they knock first. If it’s closed completely, you better keep walking, he doesn’t want to see or speak to anyone at that moment thank you very much. It hadn’t changed at all with the two, small additions to the crew in the form of Noa and Luna, though Law is less likely to get onto either of the children if they simply barge right in. They’re just kids, they don’t know all the rules of the ship yet, it’s only been about three weeks at this point since you brought them on accidentally.

It hasn’t been bad at all to have them around, they haven’t interrupted his work so Law is fine with the two kids staying aboard for the foreseeable future. Not like you, Bepo, or Ikkaku are going to let them go any time soon anyway. He has to admit he doesn’t mind how lively it’s become with them around. Despite being your responsibility, everyone has been helpful in getting the five-year-old and nearly two-year-old settled, even helping at night when Luna becomes fussy or Noa has a nightmare.

Law doesn’t realize how much he actually enjoys having them aboard until one day when the Polar Tang makes it’s way into much colder waters, he’s first one up as always and has his coat on quickly, stopping long enough in your shared bedroom to throw an extra blanket over you and the two children asleep in your bed, you’ve got to stay warm too. For once he’s glad this office is so close to his room, less of a walk in the chilly hallway though he stops Clione, who is just coming off night watch, to turn up the heat so no one complains they’re freezing to death. He’s barely done any work when he hears his office door open, expecting a ‘good morning captain’ from whoever it was, but he never hears anything, instead being slightly startled when something grabs onto his leg and starts burying it’s face in his coat.

“…good morning, Luna-ya.”

The toddler looks up at Law, a sleepy grin on her little face which makes him smile softly at her. She’s very good at slipping into his office and nearly giving him a heart attack, since she doesn’t talk yet she’s quiet enough to sneak into various places. Her favorite place to slip into being his office because she just adores Law, he doesn’t get why but won’t argue it.

It really makes him think of Lami when she smiles at him.

“Uh! Uhh!!” Luna lifts her chubby arms up and grabs at Law, making him nod as he sets down the book he was holding. “Uh!!”

“I know, I know. You want up.”

She’s so small and light, Law has zero problems lifting her up, Luna gives a little squeal of delight before she hugs him around the neck. Law has rarely thought about you two having kids, but has constantly pushed it away because he’s just not sure about it. Having Noa and Luna around has been more than enough right now, they’re helping him see if you might be able to handle having kids of your own, but for now, this is fine.

Once Luna catches sight of the book he’s been reading, her eyes light up and she starts to point at the pictures of the next island you’ll be docking at.

“That’s where we’re going next. You think it’s pretty?”

“Ooo…”

Luna’s little ooo’s and aah’s at the pictures makes Law smile while he flips through the book for her. He’s watched you read through picture books with her and Noa, Luna loved to stop you and stare at the pictures, the colors make her happy and she has nearly torn a page out multiple times, but you’ve been able to stop her. Law hasn’t told you about the few times she’s slipped into his office and he’s stopped everything to read her a book she’s brought to him, only because of his original insistence about not having them aboard. He still doesn’t think it’s the safest place for them, but it has to be safer than where they were living at that point.

Luna keeps making little sounds and grabbing at the pages of the book, especially when she sees the flowers, Law tries to explain to her what each one is but she’s not really interested in that. She just likes looking at the pictures and seeing the pretty colors.

“This is a park there, it’s nothing but flowers,” Law points at a picture while Luna ‘aah’s at all the flowers on the page, “We can take you and your brother there. You can see all the flowers in person.”

While she doesn’t respond with a word, Luna nods a little before yawning and rubbing her eyes, laying her head on Law’s chest. It’s way too early for her to be awake, he realizes, as she sticks her thumb in her mouth while he adjusts so her head is against his shoulder. Closing the book, Law is quiet while he takes Luna over to the couch in his office, laying across it and covering her with a small blanket he has.

“You go back to sleep, all right? When [Y/N]-ya gets up, she’ll come get you for breakfast.”

She’s asleep so quickly he doesn’t notice at first, not until she starts drooling on his coat. Ah well, it’ll wash later, for now he’ll let her stay comfortable and safe, even when he dozes off on his own.

You do find them a little while later, Noa by your side and feeling relieved when you find where Luna had snuck off to. You’re glad Law has come to accept having Noa and Luna on board, it’s like you two have your own little family now and all the help in the world with the rest of the crew.

This is more than you could’ve ever asked for.

[bgwlsmahf25]

I Almost Died for You

Pairings: Natasha x reader; Yelena x reader (platonic); Clint x reader (platonic)

Summary: Natasha has been away on a mission for a long time. What happens when you and Yelena go to see if she’s alright?

TW: reader being reckless for love (its natty so its to be expected i guess!); near death; explosive device; dangerous mission; reader almost dying; hint of smut at the end

Word count: 1.2k

a/n: tried writing a bit of hurt/ comfort :) send in any requests! I don’t write smut

You sat at your desk, brow furrowed as you tried to finish your last mission report. Fury had been breathing down your neck about getting them done. Raising your eyes from the report, you stared blankly out the window. Natasha was away on a mission and you missed her terribly. Not that she knew that, of course. You hadn’t admitted your overwhelming crush on the redhead and you weren’t going to. It was something you had to deal with and get over.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” you called, hopes rising. Was it Natasha; was she back yet? The door opened to reveal Yelena. You frowned, noticing she was kitted out for a mission. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Maybe.” She sat down on your bed. “If you don’t tell Fury.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Where are you going?”

“Don’t tell Fury,” she said, pointing a vaguely threatening finger at you. You swatted her arm aside and sat next to her. “Yelena…”

“I’m going to find Natasha, okay? She hasn’t come back and it’s been way longer than she should have been gone for.”

“What?” you said alarmed, fear sweeping through your body. “You think she’s in danger?” You chewed the inside of your cheek anxiously. Thoughts of Natasha lying injured somewhere crept into your mind.

“Y/n, she’s always in danger. She’s the Black Widow.” Yelena looked curiously at you then her face lit up. “You care about her, don’t you?” A sly smile appeared. “You like my sister?”

“What – no, I mean, yes I do, but because I care about her, I care about the team you know…” You were flustered and Yelena saw right through it. “Okay fine,” you relented, “but you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

“You should tell her. Anyway, I’m going to find her. Want to come?” Yelena offered, looking at you hopefully. “I know you like her so you’ll care about her safety.”

You looked over at your desk, at the mission report you were failing to finish. Then you thought of what Natasha might say if you found her and saved her from danger. You grinned at Yelena. “Let’s do it.”

***

You successfully managed to sneak onto a quinjet and were soon flying away from the compound. Once again, you ran over your array of weapons strapped to your body. You were comforted by your super strength; like Steve, you had undergone many long trials and experiments at the hands of HYDRA.

Yelena was muttering to herself in Russian, peering at the landscape below. Finding a clearing in the woods near the town Natasha had gone to, she landed smoothly. Creeping off the jet, you made your way into the town.

It was soon apparent that Natasha had been here. There were bodies lying in the streets and distant gunfire came to your ears. You made your way towards the noise and found a small group of HYDRA soldiers firing at an apparently empty building.

Suddenly an arrow whistled past you and into the midst of the group. It hit the ground and lay there, then blew up, killing all the HYDRA soldiers in one go.

“What are you two doing here?” a voice panted and Clint ran up beside you. “It’s dangerous, you shouldn’t have come.”

“We wanted to help Natasha,” you retorted, pulling a gun from your hip and firing at more soldiers that had appeared. “We didn’t know you’d be here too. Where is she?”

“Look up.” You glanced up to see Natasha drop from a balcony and join you. Her bodysuit was cut in many places and there was blood on her cheek. She narrowed her eyes at you. “You shouldn’t have come,” she said harshly. “We don’t need you here. It’s better that you wait in the quinjet.”

Her cold reply surprised and hurt you and you turned away, firing again at the oncoming soldiers. The four of you made short work of the rest of the town, quickly clearing it of remaining soldiers. Yelena mentioned where she’d hidden the quinjet and you made your way towards it.

You were breathing a sigh of relief, knowing you were almost safe then there was a click beneath your foot. You had trodden on a hidden explosive device. It went off, sending you flying backwards.

“Y/n!” Natasha screamed, worry and fear in her voice. You felt faint and dizzy and when you looked down, your leg was covered in blood. The others ran over to you and Clint began wrapping a tourniquet around your leg. Natasha was gripping your hand so hard her knuckles had turned white.

“We’ve got to get back to the med bay, now!” Clint yelled.

“Natasha,” you whispered. Then your head felt limp and suddenly everything went black.

***

When you next opened your eyes, you recognised the hospital wing of the compound. Natasha was sitting in a chair in the corner, in the same bodysuit and with blood still on her cheek. She seemed to be asleep, her head resting on the back of the chair, her eyes shut.

You watched her for a moment, studying her face. She was so beautiful, you thought. Her chest rose and fell gently as she breathed and you bit your lip watching her look so peaceful. You remembered her cry when the device had gone off, the look on her face made your heart clench in pain. She had looked so frightened and you didn’t want to ever see her face like that again.

Tentatively moving in your bed, you groaned when pain shot through your leg and up the rest of your body. Your leg was covered in bandages and was propped up on a pile of pillows. Natasha’s eyes flew open and she leapt towards your bedside. “Y/n?” You could see fear in her eyes. Her hands were shaking.

“Natty,” you murmured. “Have I still got my leg?”

Her cheeks reddened at the nickname. She sat down on the edge of your bed. “You’ve lost a lot of blood but they were able to save your leg.” Tears formed in her eyes. You slowly reached a hand out, cupping her cheek in your hand. “Hey,” you murmured. “I’m okay, Natty. I’ve still got my leg. Why are you crying?”

“Because you got injured saving us.” You turned your head to see Clint in the doorway. He leant against the doorframe, smirking at Natasha. “She cares about you.”

You swallowed and stared at Natasha, who was now glaring at Clint. He raised his hands, sent you a smile and left. You looked back at Natasha, staring at her until she finally met your gaze. “Natty…?”

“I like you,” she choked out. “And you were there and I – then you got injured and I thought I’d lost you.” She wiped furiously at her tears.

“I’m okay, Nat,” you whispered. “They saved my leg. I’ll be okay.” You smiled softly at her. “So… you like me?” you said nervously.

Natasha bit her lip and nodded. You struggled to sit up on your own; Natasha soon had you sitting up against a bank of pillows. You gently pulled her towards you so that your faces were almost touching. “Can I kiss you?” you whispered, swallowing nervously. She smiled and closed the distance. You melted as your lips met hers and you sighed into the kiss. Her tongue soon found its way into your mouth. Feeling her smile against you, you pulled back, leaning your forehead against hers. “I’m glad I followed you out there,” you whispered, making her blush.

“Don’t ever do that again though. I don’t think I can almost lose you again.” She sounded stern but the tremble in her voice gave away her fear.

“I promise I’ll be safe,” you said.

[bosbas]

Chapter 4: all they keep asking me is if I'm gonna be your bride

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: colin bridgerton x enemy!fem!reader WC: 4.2k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, a small part of the dialogue is in French, Colin in his feels asf

Summary: It took precisely two days in England for you to utterly despise Colin Bridgerton. It took him approximately twelve hours after that to hate you right back. But he doesn't care that you're the only person in the ton who doesn't like him. You're set to marry someone else anyway, right?

A/N: EEEEEP the plot is finally plottingggggggg

May 19, 1816 – By now, it’s fairly obvious that the esteemed Mr. Colin Bridergton and Lady Y/N Montclair have, to put it lightly, an intense dislike for one another. How this contention began, this author does not know. However, Lady Montclair has yet to dance with Mr. Colin Bridgerton at any ball this season, despite dancing with Benedict and even older brother Anthony Bridgerton. This, coupled with the endless glares between the two and Lady Montclair’s perpetual frown around Mr. Bridgerton, indicates a less-than-friendly relationship. 

Luckily, this rivalry is not of any particular consequence to our heroine, since Lord Arthur Barlow seems on the cusp of a proposal. After a month-long courtship, it could be mere days before the Duke asks Lord Philippe Montclair for Lady Montclair’s hand in marriage. Although certainly a controversial choice from her parents to delay Y/N’s season, the wait would certainly pay off if she marries a Duke. This union, with the Duke of Monmouth’s title and the Montclair family’s extensive land ownership, would be one of the most advantageous Mayfair has seen since Charlotte Bexley, who just so happens to be Y/N’s sister, and her union to the Duke of Somerset. Shall we expect a public announcement soon? This author is certain that both families are itching for official confirmation.

Benedict thanked the bartender, sipping his brandy as he looked around at the gentlemen around him. Though Benedict and Colin had come to White’s together, the younger Bridgerton had gotten caught up in conversation with Lord Fife, leaving Benedict alone and slightly bored.

However, Louis Montclair’s appearance quickly piqued Benedict’s interest. It was the first time Benedict had seen Louis at the gentleman’s club, and he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about your unusual relationship with Colin. It was no secret that you and Colin couldn’t stand one another, but Benedict was far too absent at social functions to piece together what had happened by himself, and he thought Louis would be the perfect person to provide some clarity.

“Louis! I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of speaking properly,” Benedict clapped him on the back as he approached him. 

Louis turned around, grinning once he saw the Bridgerton. 

“Ah, Benedict, of course. Every time my mother successfully forces me to attend a ball, you seem to be absent! One would think you’ve been avoiding me,” he said jovially.

Benedict laughed and shook his head. “Since my painting was placed in the national gallery, Mother hasn’t been too insistent on my appearance at social functions,” he explained. Then, with a cheeky smile, he added, “I believe the rivalry between our families starts and ends with Colin and Y/N.”

Louis rolled his eyes, annoyed at the reminder of your hatred toward Colin. “Lord knows what the two have against each other. Even just thinking about having to listen to my sister complain about Colin after tomorrow’s ball is giving me a headache.”

“Then a drink is in order, to be sure!” Benedict called over the bartender and asked for another glass of brandy for your brother. “Though I wouldn’t fret too much about your sister; I’m certain Colin must have done something unforgivable to elicit such a response,” he said, only half joking.

“Well, I’m sure he has. I do not doubt that,” responded Louis, grabbing his drink and thanking the bartender. 

“Oh?” prompted Benedict, surprised by Louis’ affirmative response. He led your brother to a table in the back corner, sitting down across from him. 

Taking a sip, Louis explained, “My sister might be the most irritating person I know, but she rarely holds anyone in her bad graces unless she has a good reason.”

Benedict just stared at your brother, eyebrows raised and waiting for further explanation. Had Colin acted out of line with you? He was supposed to be the sweetheart of London high society, but perhaps his brother had changed during his travels. 

Louis paused, frowned thoughtfully, and continued. “Oddly enough, I haven’t a clue why she dislikes Colin. Usually, one cannot possibly get her to stop talking about why someone vexes her, but she has evaded speaking about the subject directly thus far.” 

Spotting Colin walking toward the pair, Louis quickly stood up to greet the younger Bridgerton.

“Colin! Speak of the devil and he shall appear.”

“The devil? Your sister hasn’t rubbed off on you, I hope,” answered Colin, not entirely amused as he shook your brother’s hand and sat down next to Benedict. 

“Not at all, Bridgerton,” Louis laughed, dissipating the tension easily. “And I hope your hatred toward her is not extended toward me, too.” 

“Is it that obvious?” asked Colin, slightly cringing that his ungentlemanly behavior was public knowledge. 

Benedict snorted. “It is now that Lady Whistledown has reported on it. I don’t know how you could have possibly been so rude as to end up as the subject of the ton’s gossip sheet, but I fear for you once Mother gets her hands on today’s column.”

Colin sank in his seat in shame, embarrassed that his perfect reputation was crumbling because of you, of all people. He was supposed to be charming and easygoing, and he feared what would become of him if people started to dislike his character. 

On the other hand, your little rivalry with him would barely have any effect on you. You were strikingly beautiful and exceptionally smart, not to mention exceedingly worldly. And even if you didn’t have all those things in your favor, your dowry was large enough that any man would be stupid not to at least consider you for marriage. 

“Not to worry,” assured Louis. “I am sure your rivalry will be coming to a close sooner rather than later. It’s only a matter of time before Barlow proposes and she’ll be out of your hair. And mine.” 

Colin tensed. “Pardon?”

“Y/N is about three seconds away from being married off, so she won’t have nearly as much time to dedicate to your rivalry,” explained Louis. 

“Oh,” Colin cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Why do you say that? Has she said anything?”

Benedict set his drink down, shooting Colin a curious look. “She probably hasn’t had to. They’ve been courting for a month. If anything, it would be out of the ordinary if he didn’t propose.”

Louis nodded in agreement, blissfully oblivious to Colin’s mounting panic. 

“Well, I suppose that makes sense,” conceded Colin. “I just thought–”

He paused. After a beat, he shook his head. “But, really? Marriage? It seems so sudden,” Colin said, stumbling over his words, a growing panic in his voice slowly turning to inexplicable anger.

 “I don’t know if I would use the word sudden… Why? Did you want to marry her?” teased Louis, laughing at what seemed to be an outlandish suggestion. Then, spotting his brother-in-law, Edward Bexley, by the door, he downed his drink and stood up. “A pleasure speaking with you gentlemen, but I must greet Bexley.”

The Bridgerton boys said goodbye, but before Colin had the chance to get away, Benedict turned to his brother accusingly.

“I know Louis was joking, but do you actually want to marry her?” he asked, concerned. “You’ve been acting all out of sorts.”

“What? No,” scoffed Colin. “Not in a million years.” Then, realizing he had to explain his outrage at the prospect of you getting married, he added, “I’m just surprised anyone would consider marrying her, is all.”

“Colin,” scolded Benedict. “Have some decorum. Even if that were true, you are still a Bridgerton. Please behave like one.”

Colin’s face turned hot in shame. “You’re right; I apologize. I think I need some air,” he finally strangled out, standing up and practically sprinting toward the courtyard, his practically full drink long forgotten.

Once Colin felt the fresh air on his face, he let out a deep sigh and unclenched his fists. You getting married was supposed to be a good thing. The only person in the ton who didn’t like him would finally be gone and he could return to being the best-liked among his siblings. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t know you would end up marrying someone else. It was basically the only reason you had come to England. Besides, he saw you with Arthur at every event you attended. Why was he so upset now? Why was he surprised at all?

Rubbing his temples, Colin started pacing in the courtyard. It must have been lingering resentment toward you, he reasoned. There was no other explanation. Colin couldn’t shake the way you and the duke so easily fell into flirtatious banter while he received only cold stares and snippy comments. It was infuriating that you took Lord Barlow and his intent to marry you so seriously while you barely spared Colin a second glance when he asked you to dance for the first time.

He still remembered watching you in Hyde Park the first time you spoke with Arthur, all giggly and flirtatious while you promenaded. Exactly the opposite of how you had been with him. What would it have taken for you to look at Colin with even a fraction of the fondness with which you looked at Lord Barlow?

Then, Colin was struck by a sobering thought. Perhaps you knew that, deep down, he lacked any substance. Perhaps you were not fooled by his charismatic front and could see that he could offer you nothing. 

As a third son, Colin could scarcely boast the same riches or claim to land as the duke. But he could have loved you. And he would have taken care of you. If only he had made more of an effort with you, he chastised himself. Then he might find himself in the position of doing something of actual importance for the first time in his life.

But his need for approval had gotten in the way. And what good that had done him. You were about to get everything you wanted and marry a duke, and he was left with nothing but a bruised ego.

---

As soon as Charlotte saw Colin entering the ballroom she sighed and rolled her eyes. Now that she was the oldest Montclair sibling left in England, she was in charge of making sure you and Colin didn’t make a scene at every single event you attended. 

Usually, it was Louis who needed scolding, mischievous as he was. Charlotte had no idea why you decided to be the difficult one this season. All she knew was that Colin had the unique ability to work you up until you were engaged in a yelling match, and it was her job to mitigate this to the best of her abilities. 

Charlotte, already facing you, leaned in close to your ear. “Sois gentille, s’il te plaît. T’es une dame es tu dois te comporter comme telle,” she murmured (Be nice, please. You're a lady, and you should act like one).

Immediately realizing that Colin had arrived, you crossed your arms. “Mais Charlotte, il est trop désagréable. Il me soûle tellement !” you whined softly (But Charlotte, he’s so unpleasant. He gets on my nerves so much!).

Charlotte scoffed in disbelief at your childish demeanor. “Et toi ? Tu penses que t’es plus agréable ? Vraiment ?” (And you? You think you’re more pleasant? Really?)

You knew she had a point, but you couldn’t help the annoyed huff that escaped your lips before you turned around, choosing to face the dance floor instead. 

Violet Bridgerton was hosting a ball tonight, and it seemed like every member of the ton had made an appearance. Your mother had nearly killed you when you told her you had a throbbing headache, not accepting any excuses for missing the most important ball of the season. 

Eventually, you compromised and promised to stay for a dance with Lord Barlow and a quick greeting to the Bridgertons. You were already eyeing the exit longingly, itching to retreat to your blissfully dark and quiet room. Just a quick turn around the ballroom and you would be free, you lamented. 

Your stomach churned with a mixture of anticipation and dread as you thought of seeing Lord Barlow. While the prospect of a proposal from him should have filled you with excitement, a throbbing headache dampened your spirits and left you feeling less than enthusiastic about the impending moment. 

A proposal from a titled gentleman was what you had been working toward your whole life, and you would have liked to feel well for it. Though you liked Arthur, and the two of you got along well, you could only hope that he wasn’t planning on proposing tonight. 

You heard footsteps coming in your direction, and you turned to see Eloise, Benedict, and Colin walking over to you and your sister. 

“Y/N! And Charlotte!” Eloise exclaimed loudly upon seeing you. 

You grimaced; the pain caused by her voice overpowering the joy you felt upon seeing her. 

“Hello Eloise!" your sister greeted warmly. "Y/N has a headache, so she's only staying for a short while," she explained.

“Hello, El,” you grinned, rubbing your temples with one hand and squeezing Eloise’s arm with the other. 

“And Benedict, what a surprise!” you exclaimed, turning to greet the older Bridgerton. 

“Y/N! A good surprise, I hope. It has been quite some time, hasn’t it?” responded Benedict, smiling at you and squeezing your arm.

Your gaze shifted to Colin, who was standing next to his brother, and you tensed, already dreading the argument–or four–you would inevitably have with him tonight. You barely had the energy to stand straight tonight; you couldn’t fathom having to hold your own against Colin Bridgerton.

Eloise, sensing the mounting hostility, sighed deeply. “It’s best to leave them to it for a bit and let them get it out of their system,” she said, guiding Charlotte and Benedict away from you. 

Before Charlotte turned around, she looked back at you suspiciously. She decided you were already suffering enough from your headache and chose to leave you be, but not before raising her eyebrows at you in warning.

Clearing his throat, Colin nodded in your direction, “Lady Montclair.”

“Mr. Bridgerton,” you nodded back, much too tired to throw the first verbal punch of the night.

But as always, Colin seemed to have the unending desire to vex you. Seeing the Duke walking up to you from across the room and feeling the anger rise in his chest, he looked you up and down, searching for anything to lash out about. 

“Lovely necklace you’re wearing. It completely washes out the color of your eyes,” he commented quietly, careful that no one else would hear. 

Colin preferred to keep your quarrels private, especially after he knew Lady Whistledown had taken note of the tension between you. It wasn’t even that he didn’t want the rest of the ton knowing that you didn’t like him – it was too late for that, he reminded himself. These moments between you, although they often resulted in hurled insults and verbal attacks, felt oddly intimate to him. Despite the animosity, they were your private interludes, and he didn’t want to share them with anyone else.

You, oblivious to Lord Barlow, or anyone else for that matter, clutched your necklace, slightly embarrassed that he had noticed. It was true: the jewels did not match your eyes, and the neckpiece was so flashy that you wouldn’t have been surprised if it was making your headache worse. But your mother had insisted you wear it tonight anyway.

“I’m surprised you can look up from my neck long enough to notice the necklace’s effect on my eyes,” you countered.

Colin turned slightly red, clasping his hands in front of him. He was surprised too, to be honest. But you didn’t need to know that.

Before Colin could respond, the Duke walked up to you to greet you by placing a hand on your arm. 

“Good evening, Y/N." 

“Good evening, Arthur,” you smiled at him, headache momentarily forgotten.

Colin balked. You were on a first-name basis with the Duke already? He felt utterly foolish for not realizing that you were, as Lady Whistledown had said, only days away from receiving a proposal.

“I see you’re wearing the necklace I got you,” Lord Barlow commented, pleased. “It does wonders for your complexion.”

“Oh, yes,” you said weakly. “My sincerest gratitude for the gift.” 

You could practically feel Colin smirking next to you, and you bit your lip to keep from snapping at him. You felt an unpleasant mixture of anger at Colin’s triumph and embarrassment that he knew that the unflattering necklace had been a gift from your suitor.

Lord Barlow brushed off your thanks. “A dance, my Lady?” he offered his hand.

“I’d be delighted,” you said gratefully, placing your hand in his. Anything to get away from Colin right now. 

You had danced with Arthur enough times that you were comfortable with him, and you found yourself enjoying moving to the music as Lord Barlow held you close.

As he spun you around, he leaned down close to your ear, causing your skin to erupt in goosebumps.

“You look particularly fetching tonight, Y/N. Perhaps we might retreat to the gardens later tonight to speak some more,” he whispered.

Your eyes widened. Was he asking you to go outside for… unladylike reasons? Or was he implying he was going to propose? Perhaps both? Whatever the reason, tonight was not the night.

“I’m afraid not, Arthur,” you lamented. “I’ve got a splitting headache and will be heading home soon after our dance.” 

 “Very well,” he said with a clipped tone, leading you away from the dance floor now that the music had stopped. “Another time, then.”

“Certainly,” you replied, nervous that you had upset him.

Kissing the back of your hand dutifully, he smiled. “I hope tomorrow you will be in better spirits. I will be at the races, and it would be a shame not to see you there.”

Before you could respond, he had turned around and disappeared into the crowd.  

Exactly twenty minutes later, Colin watched as you said goodbye to his mother, hugging her tightly. He felt his heart clench. You really were the picture of grace when you weren’t around him. But it was far too late to dwell on that. 

He turned around to leave the ballroom in search of a strong drink as soon as he saw you leave through the main entrance. Now that you were gone, he saw no reason to stay. He didn’t particularly enjoy balls, even if this one was being hosted in his home, and he knew he would only grow bored now that you weren’t present to trade insults with.

Ever the dutiful son, Colin walked up to Violet Bridgerton to excuse himself before he left.

“Leaving so soon? I thought you might be more likely to stay now that Y/N is gone,” she teased. 

Colin laughed and shook his head. “I'm afraid not.”

“It’s a shame you don’t care for her,” she tsked. 

Eyes widening, Colin cleared his throat and tried to seem casual. “Why do you say that?” 

Had you said something just now? Were you having second thoughts about the Duke?

“Because I’d love to have the Montclairs as part of the family, of course. Unfortunately, Y/N is as good as married. Perhaps we can try again with Louis,” she mused. “Eloise is bound to come around to marriage at some point.”

Colin laughed weakly, not trusting himself to say anything, and gave his mother one last squeeze as he headed out to the hallway.

Finally out of the ballroom, Colin headed to the Bridgertons’ private courtyard so he could gaze at the stars, a habit he developed during his travels to guide him through rough waters that he couldn’t seem to shake even now that he was home. 

He could have taken a more direct route, but he wanted to avoid any mingling party-goers, already exhausted from the night. Colin was quite enjoying the feeling of navigating through his familiar home, realizing that he hadn't spent more than a few months in England in years.

Finally, after a few minutes of solitude, he reached the door farthest from the ballroom that led to the courtyard,

However, when he was halfway to the exit, he spotted two figures there already, partially obscured by the curtain in front of the door. He could barely make out two voices and a very flirtatious giggle. Rolling his eyes, Colin started backing away, not wanting to interrupt what he assumed to be Benedict and some very unlucky lady having an intimate moment. 

It was certainly a bold choice on Benedict’s part. The courtyard was not so private that it was hidden away from view completely, and anyone in the ballroom could have seen them. But Colin was not in the business of getting involved in his brother’s affairs. 

As he turned away, Colin heard a muffled, “Ah, I see you like to play coy…”

Well, that was certainly not Benedict. In fact, it sounded quite a bit like…Arthur Barlow?

It couldn’t be, Colin shook his head aggressively. It couldn’t.

Colin felt anger rising in his chest, his lips turned down into a deep frown. He started back toward the courtyard.

Arthur was courting you. And he had just seen you go home. He couldn’t possibly be outside with someone else, could he?

Could he?

Upon hearing a squeal, Colin reached out and pulled back the curtains slightly, only to be met with the sight of the duke’s lips on Miss Barrington’s.

Colin dropped his hand in shock, letting the curtain obscure his view once again. He could barely believe what he was seeing. Your suitor was kissing another woman. Her hands were in his hair and he was tugging at the front of her dress, rushing to untie the bows on her gown.

Colin was frozen in shock. Is this something the duke did regularly? Did this mean that you and Lord Barlow kissed? An unpleasant image appeared in Colin’s mind, but he shook it away. He needed to focus on the problem at hand.

He had caught your almost-future-husband with someone else on the balcony, and you most likely had no clue. The duke’s actions had the potential to ruin multiple futures, and Colin felt his breathing quicken as he thought of how this could affect you.

Peeking through the window once more to ensure that he really was seeing the Duke and Miss Barrington, Colin frowned deeply. He shifted his gaze to the window looking into the ballroom across the courtyard, and was satisfied when he didn’t see anyone spying on the couple. At least there was that.

Rushing back through the twisting hallways, Colin ran to speak with his mother before anyone else could catch a glimpse of what was going on outside the Bridgerton home. 

Winded as he reached his mother, Colin grabbed her by the elbow and led her outside into the hallway. 

“Need… to… speak,” he panted out.

“Colin? What on earth–? I thought you had left the ball,” came Violet’s shocked response as she placed a concerned hand on her son’s shoulder. 

Colin nodded aggressively. “Lord Barlow… with Miss Barrington… on the balcony kissing,” he said, still trying to catch his breath.

“Oh!” Violet gasped, horrified. “Are you certain?”

Colin rolled his eyes. “Obviously, Mother. What do I do? Should I go stop them? I thought he was going to propose to Lady Montclair. But Miss Barrington will be ruined if anyone finds out.”

His mother thought for a moment. “Has anyone seen them yet?”

Colin shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”

“That is the best we can hope for in this situation. I will go and stop them at once; hopefully, no one will have noticed their absence,” indicated Violet, annoyed that people felt the need to act like this at her ball in her home.

“And what of Lady Montclair?” pressed Colin. Surely you were the most important person in this situation, no?

"We ought to inform her in private, let her decide her course," she suggested, her voice low with a hint of disdain. 

Colin frowned, frustrated that the duke’s careless actions could result in you losing a suitor. 

Violet continued, "There's no need to create a spectacle, after all. A scandal of a duke’s infidelity won't bode well for anyone involved. With any luck, it went unnoticed, and Y/N can deliberate in peace. I highly doubt Lord Barlow will be forthcoming with the truth." 

Just then, the Bridgertons heard the ballroom door slam open as a chorus of giggles and whispers filled the hallway.

Colin cast a wary glance towards the departing crowd. "I fear discretion is no longer an option."

The whispers seemed to echo, disturbingly audible.

"Lord Barlow? The Duke?"

"I had heard he was set on Lady Montclair..."

"Such a shame. They appeared quite suited. What will become of her now that she's lost a Duke? I couldn't bear the humiliation."

"And Miss Barrington?"

"It seems the Duke's actions have ruined more than one woman this evening…”

—

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[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 31

ao3 link| part 1 . . . part 28, part 29, Part 30

“Where’s Steve,” Dusitn asks Robin immediately after walking through the Family Video doors.

Robin looks up from the customer she’s checking out, already looking a little annoyed. But that could have been from the customer and not him. He hopes it’s not him.

“On his break, why?” She returns her attention to the customer, sliding the tape across the counter with a receipt. Very pointedly saying, “Don’t forget to be kind and rewind.”

The customer walks out of the store, leaving it empty except for the two of them. “I have an idea to help Eddie, but it involves his house.”

“What’s the idea?” Robin pushes herself up on the counter, spinning around so she’s facing him.

Dustin pulls out a notebook, a full pros and cons list already at the ready. With details of why this plan needs to happen, and why it needs to happen soon. Why it is the best plan and a rebuttal to every single argument Steve could have.

“Oh Jesus, what the hell is that?” Robin asks.

“Just the plan.”

Steve comes out of the break room, registering that Dustin is there and that he is holding a notebook.

“What is it this time?” he groans. Walking in front of the counter and leaning back next to Robin. Crossing his arms, ready to veto.

“I need you to loan two of your rooms to Wayne and Eddie.”

“What?” Steve asks surprised. And confused. Robin looks the same.

“Yeah,” Dustin takes a quick glance at his notebook, finding the best place to start. “Wayne was over at my house the other night having dinner and my mom had brought up how nice it would be for Eddie to go home to his own bed. Which is currently split in two in a biohazard area that no one can enter. And Wayne hasn’t found them another place to live yet, and Eddie shouldn’t be discharged to a motel. So,” he pauses. For a mix of dramatic effect and in the hopes that they might fill in his next sentence.

“So, you want Steve to let them stay in his house until Wayne can find a place,” Robin finishes his sentence.

Dustin nods. “Exactly.”

Steve thinks about it, scratching at his jaw. “I mean, I could probably do it. I’m not sure they would accept it though.”

He was honestly not expecting Steve to accept that fast. The notebook almost feels foolish now. “Why would they not? They need a place to stay, you have a big house that no one other than you lives in half the time. It’s a good plan.”

“On paper, but that doesn’t mean they’ll accept it.” Robin looks at Dustin with an empathetic expression.

Steve extends one of his hands toward Robin in agreement. “Eddie says that Wayne can be stubborn when asking for help. Or accepting it. Something big like this might take some convincing.”

Dustin doesn’t remember Eddie saying that during one of their visits.

“When did he tell you that?”

“I don’t just visit him with you, you know,” Steve says like it makes perfect sense.

“Yeah, he spends so much time at the hospital now,” Robin teases. Bumping her shoulder into Steve’s.

Steve shoves her back. “Shut up.”

“Anyway.” Dustin chooses to ignore whatever that was about. “This took a lot less convincing than I thought it would.”

“Yeah, well,” Steve shrugs. “I already let Mrs. Mayfield stay with me when she was looking for a new place to live. And Robin’s parents while their house was being fumigated. Not the first time I offered this.”

Still, these were people he didn’t know as well. Or maybe knew a bit more than Dustin was expecting. He wanted Eddie and Steve to become friends. Was begging for it before spring break. It must have happened sometime along then. Dustin thought that they were just being civil. Against a common goal and then would part their separate ways.

But he was glad that they got past the size of their persona’s and saw the people underneath. They would be really good friends if they would have done that a lot sooner. Now they can be, he guesses.

“And I have the garage set up as a gym, so Eddie can do his physical therapy exercises in there. Plus, my parent’s giant ass tub if he can’t stand long enough for the shower.”

“You could also fill in the pool,” Dustin adds. Making a few notes in his notebook. The title now scribbled out. Replacing, “Ways to Convince Steve,” to “Ways to Convince Wayne.” “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it filled.”

Something about Steve suddenly becomes cagey. Staring off in the distance and his smile wavering. “Yeah, maybe.”

Dustin’s really excited about this now. Realizing that this could be good for all of them. Steve would finally have some people living in his house for more than just a night. Have people looking out for him, Dustin assumes, when things get bad. Instead of Steve just suffering with it alone. And Eddie and Wayne would have some very nice beds to sleep in.

Then there’s the way it would benefit Dustin. Instead of having to drag Steve out of his house to go to the hospital every day, he could just stay there. Watch over both Steve and Eddie, under the same roof. Temporarily. But it might put the constant worry in his mind a rest.

The nightmares haven’t exactly gotten better as Eddie got better. Vines and bat bites morphing into endless wires and ripped open stitches. Fears of bleeding out in a place that no one will find him changes into dying in the place that was meant to save him.

Nothing ever ends, it just changes. From one thing to the next for the rest of his life. Seasons change and time moves on, but part of Dustin stays trapped in that November where it all started. A younger version of himself trapped behind bars and waiting to be saved. Slowly coming to the realization that it never will be.

Dustin is forever changed. So are these people around him. They will never get their lived back on the tracks they were before the upside down caused a permanent derailment.

If parallel dimensions can really exist, then who’s to say whether there is one where none of this happened. Where Dustin grew up with the innocence a twelve-year-old should have. And nothing caused it to break too soon.

But if that was really true, he wouldn’t have the people in his life he did today. Was innocence so worth it to lose this family he had?

He watches as Robin and Steve have to go back to their jobs when a customer walks through the doors. Moving seamlessly around each other to do their job in the most efficient way possible. Having silent conversations with their eyes and micro expressions. Before turning back to Dustin in near unison as soon as the customer leaves.

“So how are we going to convince them?”

tag list (capping at 100, only 1 spots left): @the-they-who-nerded, @insteviewetrust, @croatoan-like-its-hot, @jettestar,

@tinyplanet95, @steddie-as-they-go, @slv-333, @littlecelestialmoth, @thatonebadideapanda,

@fandomsanddeath, @marismorar, @wonderland-girl143-blog, @glass-bottle03, @gutterflower77,

@here4thetrama, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @jaytriesstuff, @cryptid-system, @manda-panda-monium,

@resident-gay-bitch, @anaibis, @xxsutherlandxx, @forevermineliv, @mugloversonly,

@gregre369, @n0-1-important, @different-tale-student, @spectrum-spectre, @tartarusknight,

@devondespresso, @swimmingbirdrunningrock, @cheertain, @anti-ozzie, @autumncrocusandladybug,

@greeniebean911, @cr0w-culture, @stillfullofshit, @connected-dots, @daisynotquake,

@morgannotlefay, @a-little-unsteddie, @dolphincliffs, @maskofmirrors, @me-and-my-sloth,

@papergrenade, @waelkyring, @sweetheartprincess28, @katouasobj, @astercomoasflores

[randombush3]

YEAHHHH!!’

gladly x

---

“Y/n left me.” 

The limousine you are in is completely black, save for the white lines being measured out right next to you. 

“What?” says Jenni. 

“She left me,” Alexia says once more. The hotel room is a non-committal beige. They lie in the same bed, the older of the two welcoming her lost teammate wordlessly and without judgement. Tomorrow, they will return to Barcelona, losers yet another time. “She moved back to london. She took Nico.” 

“She can’t just take Nico, can she?” 

“Y/n, how’s Nico?” Your stomach turns, but whether that is provoked by the thought of the baby boy you left crying in your father’s arms or by the white powder outlining the rim of the woman’s nostrils, you don’t know. 

Your son’s creasing eyes, red face, and grabbing hands appear in front of you. He screams as you walk away. He doesn’t understand why he has not smelt Alexia in weeks, and he misses the comfort of home. 

Everyone waits for your answer. No one comments on the bags under your eyes. “He's fine,” you say with a smile. “He loves it here.”

“I think she is depressed,” Alexia tells Jenni, comforted by the arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close and tightly and reminding her that she is not as alone as you have made her feel. “She told me that she couldn’t be in Barcelona anymore, but she said that without giving me a chance to come with her. Her bags were packed before the conversation started — she might as well have called me from the plane.” 

“Are you angry at her?” 

“Yes.” 

Alexia thinks about it. 

“No.”

“No,” you say when they point at your very own line. The drug holds a place of both familiarity and hatred in your heart. The fine, white powder reminds you of greatness – of being the most successful girl group in the UK – but, also, of hospital visits. It’s not a past addiction, but it could have been. You light a cigarette instead, though it will make the vehicle reek.“I can't. I have a son.” 

“You’re not a saint.” They boo. “You’re allowed to have fun. I saw you the other day, and you had no qualms with any drugs then.” 

“No, I'm not a saint,” you reply. You regret that night — however little you remember. “But I am a mother.” 

“Is it that thing? Postpartum?” Jenni asks. “The baby blues are really shitty, I've heard, but they’re not supposed to cripple you. Maybe the relationship has other issues.” 

“I'm not angry at her, Jenni,” Alexia repeats. “I miss Nico. He looks like her. He has started to look a lot more like her now.”

“He would definitely suit those sparkly bralettes.” Jenni giggles at the thought. 

With an understandable lack of good humour, Alexia ponders something more realistic. “He would suit a Barcelona kit.” 

“He would be made for it. You are his mother.” 

“I'm not angry at her,” Alexia says for the third time, just to make herself believe it. Just to carve those words into her bones and tell herself that it isn’t anger, what she’s feeling. “I don't want to be angry at her. I think I'm going to see if I can move to arsenal.” 

“Don’t you dare.” 

“Well, I'm not angry at her.” 

“Alexia.” Jenni cups her cheek tenderly. “Ale.” She knows she shouldn’t. She’s not angry at you, and so there is no punishment needed. Not that… Not that kissing Jenni would ever be utilised as a weapon to get back at you. Or that she’d actually kiss her. 

“Daddy, I can't get him tonight. No, I don't want to stay over. Daddy, I…” You hate the baby. You hate yourself. You hate that Spain hasn’t done well, and that your fiancée is disappointed that nothing is how it was supposed to be. Alexia is probably lying awake in bed, missing her son, and missing you. You expect one of her teammates to call you soon, and tell her that she needs you. You’re her person. “I'm going to get some sleep and I'll pick him up tomorrow. Probably around lunchtime, okay?” 

“Alexia."

---

what do we think?

[klipgenie]

Good evening, nairyshi, please kindly consider this Diluc request: Donna, after seeing Diluc leave the 'With Wind Comes Glory' and tuck a ring box into the inner pocket of his coat, started to declare to anyone who would listen that Diluc finally wised up and decided to marry her. When the rumor reach Diluc's ears, it leaves the Pyro user completely perplexed as everyone and their grandmother knows he's dating you.

Please also kindly take as long as you need with this request; I have no qualms in waiting. Furthermore, by no means feel obligated to prioritize this request over your other requests.

i like this request!! thanks🙈

you and diluc have been together since you were both teens and he’d never trade you out for anything or anyone. You both shared embarrassing, awful, funny and horrible memories but in a relationship, ESPECIALLY a long term one, there will be hardships but love easily overcomes it.

he thought it was time to finally wed you and give you his last name and hopefully a family. It’s been years that you both called each other ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ you never complained about not being married yet or him not proposing. He just didn’t want you to jump to conclusions or think wrong— marriage is a big commitment.

you knew donna to be the florist inside mondstadts wall, you never conversated with her. Just a quick hi or hello or a chat about flowers. You were oblivious to the fact she secretly envyed you and your existence with the man she wanted but she never voiced it to anyone and she never made it known that she felt that way about you. Have you had known how delusional she was maybe your whole house wouldn’t be decorated and lathered in her flowers she spent hours picking for her shop.

diluc was free on this day while you were busy doing what needed to be done in your shared home. Diluc has class and was raised right by his father— you don’t ask for much because you don’t wanna seem greedy or like a user but he insist to get whatever you want even if it’s the most expensive thing on the list. Even if it were his last sack of mora he would spend every last coin on you and you only. You always assure him to not go for something that’ll cost him a leg and arm when it comes to being materialistic esp when he’s buying it for you. He’s a stubborn as a bull and doesn’t listen, so who expects him not to buy the most expensive and valuable ring in all of teyvat. unbeknownst to you tho; marriage hasn’t cross your mind yet! not that you weren’t ready..just other things occupied your mind.

so when donna seen her “lover” across the path— eyeing him down: a ring box was seen shoved in his pocket. He made his way towards donnas florist shop and without a doubt: she got excited and ran inside her shop shrieking to herself for a quick minute but when she came out..diluc wasn’t there? well that’s cause he wasn’t going to her shop in the first place, he was headed home; to his lover.

poor donna thought ‘maybe he’s just nervous..soon it’ll happen! he’ll propose to me.’ well, now she had her hopes up high right along with her delusion. Without a chance she went around the small town and started off telling friends of hers that diluc had finally manned up to propose to her, then the townspeople and her customers. Word got around quickly as it traveled pass the walls and eventually into Springvale.

a few days pass and you come out your shared home as venture the town and look at the shops to see what they are selling. While your walking in town, you get stares, But i mean..you are known for dating one of the richest people in teyvat. You continue to walk but then realize the stares aren’t looks of admiration but more like pitiful, disappointed and concerned stares. Something happened or you did something. Brushing it off you continue to shop and walk around taking in the sound of the busy roads blended together with chatter.

an old woman approached you and began to conversate with you “sweetie, did you here about what they are saying with diluc? such a shame, i heard he was already with a young lady.” this struck curiosity but you didn’t want to find out from anyone else, you wanted to hear from diluc or kaeya..they’d now more than an old lady you thought.

dismissing yourself from the conversation, you glided through the people in the streets to get to his tavern. You weren’t mad but you wanted to know what was being said that was ‘such a shame’. To your surprise he’s not there, no one is— it’s closed. turning your back to the tavern to walk in the direction of your home, you were stopped by one of the tavern workers who you knew. “y/n! i-is it true?” you give him a confused looked “what’s true? what are you talking about?” the change of expression on the man’s face could say alot

“rumors going around that donna and diluc are getting married” oh.

oh! you haven’t got the words to say to this man so you walk away. putting 2 and 2 together..that’s why everyone was looking at you like that earlier. Opening the door to your house with diluc— he welcomes you with open arms but you just slip right through them and drag yourself away from him. “dear?-“

“why are there rumored going around about you and donna..? and a marriage?” you say followed by a sigh of disbelief and worriness

“love.” diluc voiced before he came to embrace you “i don’t know why they are saying that. I knew the rumors would get to you soon and i was just as shocked as you when you heard it for the first time. But know that i would never throw our years of love down the drain for someone else.” his words struck you like a feather spear and healed the wound of worry you had in your heart. “so, why? what made her say that?” you ask with no left over worry in your voice..just concern and curiosity. “i’ve no clue, but you don’t have to worry about it.” you look at him with a smile before he comes and embraces you, reassuring you.

[onceuponastory]

first footing - bucky barnes x reader

Plot: Bucky thought he was going to spend New Year's alone, just how he likes it... until Y/N showed up. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader Warnings: A few mentions of alcohol and being drunk. There's also some light mentions of Bucky's past as TWS. But as always, if I miss any triggers, please let me know! Notes: Happy New Year my lovelies! In Scotland (where I'm from if you didn't already know) we have a tradition called first footing, where the first person to enter your house in the New Year brings luck with them (and usually alcohol, hahaha). I realised I wanted to write something with Bucky and this tradition (because lord knows he needs the luck) so here we are! Consider this fic me first footing you all ❤️

Also, incase you're wondering, a dram is a small measure of whisky. Not beta'd (I wrote this quickly bc the idea hit me like an hour ago), so any mistakes are my own.

“Happy New Year!” The TV host announces, cheering with the crowd behind her, and Bucky rolls his eyes, switching it off. He hates this time of year. He knows that the old him, the Sergeant, would be out there wooing girls, with a promise to kiss each of them as soon as the clock struck twelve. He misses those days. Back when the worst thing he had to worry about was looking good for his dates, and not… everything that’s happened to him in the last seventy years. And although New Year’s exemplifies change and bettering yourself, Bucky still hates it. Sure, everyone can make a change. He’s living proof of that.

But New Year’s is just so… loud now, and there’s so much pressure to better yourself, to change something about yourself. It symbolises everything he hates. God, he really is an old man.

Or maybe he hates it because he’s spending it alone, like usual. Or that despite the amount of personal growth he’s done over the year, each new year always seems to be a horrible reminder of everything he once was, and everything he’s lost.  

Now that’s not to say Bucky hasn’t been invited to things tonight. He’d just… rather do everything but. All he wants is to go to bed and pretend tonight never happened, like the old man he is.

Suddenly, a knock on the door cuts through the air, causing Bucky to frown. He’s not expecting someone tonight. He can tell who it’ll probably be though - Steve or Sam, telling him to stop being boring and to get over to Tony’s party with the others. The knock sounds again, the person clearly impatient. “Alright, alright!” Bucky groans, making his way to the door and opening it. “Steve, I told you I’m not- Y/N?”

“Took you long enough.” She teases. Bucky’s mouth drops open, and his mind goes blank. He’s speechless. All he can do is look at her. The snow caught in her hair seems to sparkle in the light, and the way she looks at him, her trademark bright smile on her face, makes his heartbeat increase and his stomach flutter. 

God, she’s so beautiful.

“Happy New Year, Buck.” She smiles, holding up a bottle of whisky. 

“What…what are you doing here?” Bucky gasps in confusion, yet he still can’t stop a relieved smile from gracing his lips. He doesn’t have to spend his New Year alone with his thoughts. This time, he gets to spend it with his favourite person. But another thought, one that makes his heart skip a beat, hits him. Y/N chose him. Out of all the options she had, including a fancy Stark party with the others, who are most definitely more fun than he is… she still chose to spend time with him. And that makes Bucky Barnes feel like the most important person in the world.

“Well, I was going to first foot you.…” She chuckles. “But I can’t do that if you don’t let me in.” Still frowning, Bucky steps aside and helps Y/N take her coat off. 

“You’re going to what?” Y/N laughs, another burst of laughter that Bucky swears is improving his mood by the second.

“First footing. It’s a tradition where the first person to enter your house after the clock strikes twelve brings good luck with them.” She grins. “So…here I am.” 

“Y/N, you don’t have to be here. I know spending tonight with an old man like me isn’t very fun. Go party.”

“No way!” Y/N shakes her head, heading to his kitchen. “There’s no place I’d rather be than here, with my favourite person.” She calls. Bucky’s heart almost goes into overdrive.

“Thank you.” He smiles, watching her go. “It means a lot.” More than she’ll ever know.

~ * ~

“Here we go.” Y/N grins, passing Bucky his dram of whisky. “Cheers Bucky.” 

“Cheers, doll.” He chuckles, clinking his glass against hers. Together, they down their drink. Despite the minimal amount of alcohol, and the fact the serum means he can’t get drunk, Bucky still feels the familiar warm feeling pooling in his gut, and the heat spreading across his cheeks. And especially how all he wants to do is smile.

But that could just be the beautiful woman sitting opposite him, the candlelight casting a soft glow over her features. The one who chose him over everyone else. The one he’s so deeply and irrevocably in love with. He swears he could just kiss her right there and then. He just can’t bring himself to do it, or even tell her how he feels. Despite how much he loves Y/N, Bucky swears that the pain of losing her and her friendship would be enough to finish him off right there and then. So, he stays quiet and lets the pain of not telling her, and the thought she could be with someone else eat him up inside.

“Any other traditions for me tonight?” Bucky raises a brow. 

“Other than finishing this whiskey? Nope.” Y/N chuckles as Bucky pours them both some more.

“Thanks again for tonight, Y/N.” Bucky smiles. “I mean, I wasn’t going to spend it alone. I wanted to go to the party, but-” He lies, trying desperately not to sound so lonely and pathetic. But a gentle, reassuring touch on his forearm stops him. Despite the gentleness of her touch, Bucky’s skin burns under it.

“It’s alright.” Y/N smiles. “I know.” What did he ever do to deserve someone like Y/N in his life? Perhaps he was a saint in a previous life. But even that wouldn’t be enough, make him anywhere close to worthy of having Y/N as a best friend. She looks at him intently, staring into his eyes. Bucky feels the heat on his cheeks deepening. “You know….” She chuckles.

“Mhm?”

“I know you think resolutions suck, but I have one this year. And there’s no better time than half twelve in the morning on January 1st to do it, huh?”  

“I don’t think they suck, they’re just not my thing.” Bucky corrects her, but he can’t stop his brow from quirking up. “What’s your resolution?” Y/N leans in, so close Bucky can feel her breath against his skin. It’s enough to drive him crazy.

“To not let anything pass me by, to take each opportunity as it comes.” She grins.

“That’s a good resolution.” Bucky nods, regretting his words almost immediately. Why the hell would he say that, of all things?

“So. Here it goes.” Y/N takes a breath. “This may be the whisky talking, but… I refuse to go another year without telling you this. I am in love with you, Bucky Barnes.” Bucky almost keels over. He almost asks her to repeat what she just said, or even to pinch him. But then she continues. “I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way… well, it would hurt a lot, but I just have to tell you because I couldn’t bear another day without you knowing.”

Bucky chuckles, cupping her chin. “I’ve been wanting to tell you that for so long.” He smiles, and Y/N’s grin grows just as wide. “You know….” He whispers. “There’s another New Year’s tradition I can think of.” Leaning in, he softly presses his lips to hers.

Something tells him this year is going to be pretty damn incredible.

~ * ~

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[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 21

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 5k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Wednesday, November 25; 6:10 AM - Ona and Alexia's Room

I was running late this morning. For the first time since the beginning, I stayed up past curfew to study a bit more. Luckily, I didn’t get caught, but it did mess up my wake-up time. I hurried to get ready in the bathroom while Alexia was already in the room.

“Oh crap!” shouted Ale. “Ona, come here!”

“What? Wait a second, or Bronze will be all over me if I’m not ready.”

I finished applying my mascara as Alexia rushed to the bathroom door, smiling from ear to ear. I barely had time to put the mascara away before she pulled me to the only window in our room. I was speechless.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s snowing?!”

“This is amazing!!!” Alexia exclaimed. “Look, everything’s white! It must’ve snowed all night. And we get out early today! Imagine the huge snowball fight we can have!”

“No way! And Bronze wants me to run with her this morning... She’s out of her mind.”

“You’re the one who’s out of your mind if you think you can get out of it.”

We jumped in sync at the voice. I closed my eyes, instantly regretting my words.

“And to your positions by the bed, young ladies? Immediately!” she scolded.

Alexia wasted no time trotting over. I swallowed hard and slowly turned around. She raised an eyebrow, seeing I wasn’t obeying.

“Seriously? You’re going to make me run in the snow?”

“It won’t just be a simple run if you don’t listen to me right now.”

In less than a second, I was in place. One look at her stern gaze changed my mind about defying her. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and noticed she wasn’t checking our room but rummaging through my wardrobe. I frowned, assuming she was looking for my sports clothes. I wasn’t wrong when she stood before me with a tracksuit and a thick sweater.

“You won’t leave this room until you’re changed.”

The witch! I sighed, grabbed the clothes angrily, and locked myself in the bathroom. I came out once I was done changing. Bronze smiled proudly when she saw me.

“Can’t we postpone this to tomorrow? I have a test later.”

“No, otherwise, you’ll keep making excuses, and you made it clear yesterday you needed motivation. Guess who’s in charge of your motivation?”

I rolled my eyes. She looked at her watch before looking back at me.

“You have half an hour to eat. I expect you on the field at seven. If you’re not there, I’ll drag you out by your ear if I have to.”

I grumbled as soon as she left the room. Alexia was laughing her head off. She could be happy about not having a supervisor on her case anymore.

“Why does she insist on you running today?”

“She remembered I missed my runs when things were tense between us. She’s determined to get me back on track. I guess she hasn’t figured out yet that I’m not interested.”

She burst out laughing. I only chuckled weakly. I could’ve done without this, especially today. I’m already sleep-deprived as it is. We headed to the cafeteria in the freezing cold. The temperature must have dropped at least five to ten degrees overnight. Until now, my uniform jacket and sweaters had been enough, but not anymore. I was freezing. I was glad when we reached the cafeteria. The meal went on cheerfully, as usual. Everyone was excited because of the snow. I must be the only one who doesn’t like it. It seemed no special arrangements were made for this type of weather. Alexia wasn’t kidding about the snowball fight after classes. I’d have to find a way to get out of it. Once I finished my breakfast, I joined Bronze after the meal. I knew she wasn’t joking with her threats, so I’d better not make her mad. I managed to arrive on the field early. I wasn’t surprised to see her already there. The snow had stayed on the ground overnight, but it didn’t seem to bother her in her run. I, on the other hand, had nearly slipped ten thousand times just on the way from the cafeteria to the field. Bronze smiled when she saw me.

“See, you can do it when you try.”

“Are you going to motivate me with threats every day?”

“Don’t take it that way,” she laughed. “It was the only way to get you moving. You need to clear your head before your test. I bet you’ve been thinking about it since last night, am I right?”

How does she know me so well? My silence answered her question. Thankfully, she couldn’t read my mind, or she’d know I stayed up past curfew last night. I hope she doesn’t notice I’m hiding something because I’m a terrible liar with her.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

I grumbled but got going. She matched my pace so we could run together. I went even slower than usual because of the snow. It wasn’t easy, and now wasn’t the time to break something. Bronze teased me, asking if I was running or trotting like a horse. Since I’m someone who can’t let my pride go unchallenged, I slightly picked up the pace halfway through our route. I regretted it a few steps later when I found myself sprawled on the ground. I heard Bronze laughing behind me. I groaned as I turned to see her trying to calm down, asking if I was okay, but failing.

“Stop laughing, it’s not funny! My back hurts!”

“Really?” she calmed down instantly.

She crouched next to me as I sat up. I groaned exaggeratedly, rubbing my back. I stifled a smile at her worried look. I took advantage of her lowered guard to push her shoulder with a big grin. I immediately lost my smile when I saw that my little push barely moved her.

“This isn’t funny, Ona,” she frowned. “I was really worried! Are you actually hurt or just messing with me?”

“A bit of both. My butt hurts a bit from the fall, but I’m okay.”

“And your back?”

“It’s manageable,” I giggled.

“Hm...”

I didn’t expect her to react so strongly. I bit my lip at the thought she might call me childish. That would offend me. But I let out a surprised gasp when snow hit my face. I barely had time to close my mouth and eyes before Bronze spread it all over. I spit out what got into my mouth, still in shock. I heard her laughing while I composed myself. I wiped my face with my arm to remove the rest. Well... It seems my supervisor knows how to have fun more than I thought. She got me at my own game.

“I hate you!” I laughed, throwing the first handful of snow I could grab at her.

Her laughter intensified as she brushed off the snow with one hand. She let herself fall to the ground, calming down. I laughed too, realizing what had just happened. I never thought Bronze would be capable of pranking me. My face must be bright red now. Anyway, I’m freezing. Snow must have gotten into my clothes. My thick sweater and small camouflaged jacket were no longer enough. I regretted not wearing the T-shirt Bronze had given me.

“Will you be alright?” she teased.

“You’ll pay for this! How old are you to be doing this?” I mocked.

“Okay, you win. We’ll stop for today,” she laughed. “It’s impossible to run in these conditions. Are you cold?”

“Yeah. Tell me, are we allowed to wear our big jackets over our uniforms?”

“Of course,” she smiled.

“Well, it won’t help me much. I didn’t bring any as big as I need.”

Bronze looked at her watch. I didn’t even know what time it was, but I hoped I had at least time to shower. I knew we started running early, so there was a good chance I did.

“It’s only a quarter past seven. Let’s shower, and I’ll bring one of my jackets to your room when I’m done. Is that okay?”

I nodded, smiling. She got up and helped me do the same right after. I was really cold but tried not to show it. We eventually split up to go to our respective rooms.

Wednesday, November 25; 2:50 PM - Math Class

I read through my paper one last time. I had ten minutes left if I wanted to change anything, but I couldn’t find any errors to correct. I really hoped I hadn’t messed up. I spent hours and hours working on it. Besides, Bronze asked me to tell her my grade once it was marked. She would kill me if I brought her a bad grade.

“Those who are finished may leave,” instructed my teacher. “The rest of you have five more minutes to finish.”

Many of my classmates sighed in relief. Chairs scraped noisily against the floor, creating a racket.

“In silence, please! Respect those still working.”

I look at Alexia, who is a bit further away next to me. My teacher had fun separating all the desks to prevent cheating. She's putting her things away. I put mine away as well. Anyway, I can't change much in five minutes. I managed to do all the exercises, so the die is cast now. I put my bag on my back and hand in my paper to the teacher before leaving. I see a lot of dejected faces as I exit, including Alexia's. Is it because of the test? I didn't find it that hard. It was even easier than I expected. Unless Bronze prepared me too well.

- Did you do well?

- Are you kidding? grumbled Alexia. Did you see how hard it was? I'm just glad it's over! He really went overboard with all those exponentials and everything! she added.

- I thought it was okay.

- Are you serious? You're the only one!

- Well, I must have spent at least six hours reviewing it since Monday.

- It's true, you fell asleep with your math book on you last night, she teased.

- Oh, come on! I grumbled.

Well, it's true. I fell asleep from exhaustion around midnight with my book on my chest. I really have to thank Bronze for preparing me so well. She did a great job by having me review everything from scratch. I have a lot to be proud of if I did well. Hopefully, that's the case. I take a deep breath, relieved that it's all over. It was my last class of the day. Alexia is all excited, and I don't think I can hold her back any longer.

- Come on, let's not drag. The girls are waiting for us!

- How can you be so eager to have a snowball fight, seriously? I chuckled.

- But it's fundamental! Don't you like it?

- Not really. Can't I be excused?

- No way! You won't back out.

- At least you'll have an even number, I argued.

- Alba is bringing one of her classmates, and I think Patri and Claudia are bringing people too.

Excuse failed. God will never be on my side. Alexia pulls me outside without giving me a choice. Fortunately, Bronze lent me a jacket and gloves. They keep me warm once outside. I find the jacket better than mine, which I forgot in Barcelona. It has fur inside that keeps me warm. I'm hesitating to buy a new one now that I know better. I might try to negotiate to keep it, or I hope she'll forget about it, though I highly doubt it. It's Bronze, after all. She never forgets anything. I don't know where Alexia is taking me. We just passed through the supervisors' dormitories. I didn't expect to find a large grassy and tree-filled area covered in snow just behind. It starts from one end of the school's wall and extends to the parking lot at the other end, hidden by a row of trees. Everything is white, it's beautiful. The place is already filled with many students having fun in different ways, alone or in groups. I find it surprising that they allow us to have fun here. Many snowmen have been made. Alexia guides us to our group of friends where I spot several unfamiliar faces.

- Ah! Finally, they're here, said Patri as we arrived.

- Sorry, we just finished a test, replied Alexia.

- How did it go? Lotte asked us.

- Too hard! Well... It depends on the perspective, apparently, she said, glancing at me.

I smiled, shrugging. I turned my eyes to the new faces. I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't know them, seeing how Alexia greets them. They seem to know me, though. One of the girls mentions my name while greeting me. It seems my reputation precedes me... They introduce themselves one by one. Ella, Misa, Maya, Laia, and Alessia. That's a lot of names to remember at once. I hope I won't mix them up. They all act differently. Alessia keeps smiling at me while Misa gives me a disapproving look. This whole situation makes me uncomfortable and makes me analyze it. From what I can see, the girls have a lot of spirit and won't back down easily. The battle is going to be tough.

- Well, I suggest we make two teams. Leah and I could be the leaders. Alba says.

- Are you kidding? retorted her sister. Why should it be the two of you?

- I agree with Alexia, Misa supported.I stand back as they start debating which arrangement would be best. I give Alessia, who comes to my side, a shy smile.

"The best thing is to let them argue among themselves," she comments.

"Absolutely," I chuckle. "Anyway, they won't have the final say against Alexia."

"It's true, she's hard to contradict," she agrees.

"Ona, in my team!"

"What did I say," I roll my eyes. "Never would be the right word..."

Alessia chuckles as I join Alexia, who, as predicted, won her position as team captain. Opposite her is her sister, who has chosen Laia as her first teammate. I'm relieved that Alexia asks for my opinion on the next picks. I suggest Leah and Alessia, since the latter seems nice. On the other side, Misa, Ella, Patri, and Maya complete the team. The last ones to join us are Claudia and Lotte. Alexia seems satisfied with her team. I thought we were going to have a little battle, but not at all. Alexia suggests we split up to find a "base" to prepare and come up with a plan of attack. I sense this game is going to be anything but fun. The two groups disperse into the small forest. Alexia finds us a big tree to hide behind. I crouch next to my roommate to prepare ammunition. I would do anything for her.

"Did you see the first girl Alba chose?"

« Laia »

« Yeah. She's my ex."

"Really?" I say in surprise. "What happened?"

"An overprotective sister who ruined everything, if you ask me," Alessia chimes in from across us.

"Because of Alba?"

"Yeah, among other things. She's friends with Leah here. They've been together in class for three years. Laia and I got together in our first year."

"And then Alba the savior threatened to beat her to death if she touched her sister."

I widen my eyes at Leah's revelation. I look at Alexia for confirmation. She just shrugs in response. I didn't think it was that serious. I understand better why she doesn't want to tell her about her instructor-turned-girlfriend.

"Why don't you put her in her place? You have the right to have relationships."

"You think I haven't tried?" she sighs. "We always end up fighting because she won't let it go."

"And you care too much about her, so you don't want to lose her."

Poor girl. I'm sure Alba doesn't even realize it. Because of her, her sister feels obligated to hide her new relationship from her. If I were in her shoes, I'd rather calm down than not know my sister is in a relationship. Well, with Joan, I still have plenty of time to worry about that.

"Enough with the balls," she says, standing up.

I admit we have plenty of ammunition already. I stand up too while Alexia discreetly looks behind the tree. I peer over her shoulder and spot Alba watching us a few meters away, also behind a tree.

"Should we pair up and take them from each side? One girl and one guy. One holds the ammunition, and the other shoots. How's that sound?"

"I'll pair up with Leah," I say without hesitation.

She smiles, approving our partnership. Alexia pairs up with Lotte and Claudia with Alessia. We each go our own way, trying to stay hidden behind the trees. I decided to hold the ammunition. I'm a terrible thrower.

"Why should I be the one to shoot?"

I giggle, thinking I’ve definitely chosen my partner well. She seems as motivated as I am for this stupid game. We're arguing about who should hold and who should throw when I’m already holding the balls in my arms. We stop when we're attacked by flying snowballs. We quickly locate the source. It's Alba and Ella - if I remember her name correctly - mocking us from not far away. I guess we weren't very discreet this time. Leah quickly reacts and sends a missile right into Alba's open mouth. Now it's our turn to laugh. We quickly take cover behind a tree, throwing snowballs at each other. Alba enjoys shooting at me since I can't respond with my arms full while Leah continues to attack them in turn. Our ammunition runs out quickly, so we decide to retreat. Our opponents don't seem to agree as they chase us. Finally, we abandon our initial plan, and I attack with Leah, both of us making our missiles. We try to lose them among the trees, but in the end, I just lose Leah . I sigh, seeing no one chasing me. Alba was following me, but she's no longer there. I try to hide to catch my breath. Bronze's punishments are taking a toll on my cardio. Maybe I should reconsider that jogging suggestion. It's always better to run for fun than be forced to do twenty laps as punishment. I jump when a hand touches my shoulder. My hand instinctively goes to my heart.

"Sorry," giggles Alessia. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Claudia?"

"And you with Leah?"

"We lost each other trying to shake off Alba and the brunette... Ella, I think?"

"Yes, that's right," she laughs. "I lost Claudia while escaping the others too."

Alessia moves closer to the tree to look behind it. Meanwhile, I’m still trying to catch my breath. I don’t even know if Alba caught up with me, but I think she did. She probably has better stamina than I do.

"Is someone chasing you?"

"Alba. Do you see her?"

"No."

I signal her to be quiet, and we start preparing some more ammunition. We leave our hiding spot. We find Alba more easily than I thought. We chain her up before she has time to realize what's happening. For the first time since the start, she's the one fleeing. I chase after her, not worrying about Alessia, trying to keep up with her pace. She's much faster, so it's hard. I try to throw snowballs at her, but I miss more than I hit. At one point, she stops abruptly to face me. She smiles while her chest rises and falls irregularly. She shows her hands in surrender. I'm not buying it. Alessia catches up to us. We simultaneously throw our last snowballs at her. I smile, seeing mine hit her squarely, unlike Alessia's, which lands much lower. She ducks to avoid it. My smile fades when I see who my snowball accidentally hit. I don’t even pay attention to the second snowball that must have perfectly hit Alba. I freeze in fear, imagining what's going to happen next. Her eyes are closed as if she’s absorbing the impact. The girl with her is laughing hysterically. I stifle a laugh, remembering her expression. My amusement fades when her eyes lock onto mine and her deep voice resonates through the forest.

"Ona Batlle! I hope you can run fast because if I catch you, you're in big trouble!"

I don't take this as a joke. I turn around, using Alessia for momentum. I weave through the trees, fleeing from my pursuing supervisor. I find the edge of the small forest, trying to maintain distance, but it’s no use. I lose my balance when she grabs my arm, pulling us both down. We roll in the snow before stopping further away. Bronze is quicker and pins me down with her weight. Realizing the mess I'm in, I muster my last strength to try to break free, but Bronze tightens her grip with one hand while the other shoves snow in my mouth. It’s the same scene as this morning. The difference is she’s holding me so I can’t struggle. I hear laughter in the distance, but I can’t tell who it is. Bronze laughs too as I spit out the snow. Opening my eyes, I see her cheerful face, now sitting on me.

"Are you okay?" she mocks.

"All this for a simple snowball?" I say between coughs.

She laughs, reaching towards my face. I flinch, not wanting more snow.

"Let me, she giggles. I just want to help."

I remain skeptical, even when she removes her glove. Unexpectedly, she wipes the snow from my face and pulls down my jacket that must have ridden up during our tumble. She stands up and offers her hand, which I accept. I'm completely soaked. I can't feel my frozen body. A gust of wind makes me shiver. I see my friends mocking me behind Bronze. Engen is also watching with an unreadable smile. I stop looking around when I realize we aren’t the only ones who stopped their activity to watch. Bronze snaps her fingers in front of my face.

"Are you listening, Ona?"

"Huh?" I say, startled. "What did you say?"

"Take off your jacket. It's soaked. You'll get sick."

"My jacket isn’t the only thing soaked. I'm completely wet."

Since I don’t react, she unzips my jacket and takes it off. I can't feel any difference because I'm so frozen. My shivering worsens. I try to warm up with my arms, but it's useless. She removes her own jacket and helps me put it on.

"No more playing in the snow for you today."

"Whose fault is that?" I grumble.

"I'm not the one having a snowball fight," she smiles.

"I'm not the one who accidentally stood behind Alba when she was supposed to get hit by my snowball."

Thinking back, I wonder if Alba did it on purpose given the smile she gave me before ducking. She laughs while trying to warm me by rubbing my arms energetically. I let her do it. I don't dare move my little toe because I'm so sore all over from the cold.

- I didn't know you were such a good thrower.

- Neither did I, I snorted. A stroke of luck, and of course it hits you.

She laughs as Engen joins us. She picks up Bronze's gloves from the ground and my jacket that my supervisor had tucked between her legs.

- Are you okay?

I nod to show her that I am.

- Your lips are all blue, Engen tells me.

- You're going to hear from me if I get sick because of you, I grumble.

- Hey, it's not my fault! You shouldn't have played in the snow.

- Are you okay, Ona? asks Alexia, who just joined us. Are you coming back to play with us?

- No, Bronze answers for me. I'm taking her back to your room so she can have a nice hot shower to thaw out.

- Anyway, the others acknowledged our victory by saying that hitting Bronze was the pinnacle, she giggles. Well played!

Even Bronze laughs at the news. My teeth start chattering loudly. That’s the last straw for Bronze, who cuts the conversation short. I have no choice but to follow her and Engen to the dormitory.

- Why were you there?

- To keep an eye out. Things can quickly get out of hand at times like this.

Engen revisits what just happened. She keeps repeating that I should have seen my face when I hit Lucy. She adds that our fall was memorable. I’ll probably remember my first snow day in Manchester for a long time. I’ll laugh about it when I tell the story later. It’s not every day a snowball accidentally hits your supervisor in the face. Engen turns back to her post at the dorms to continue keeping watch. Bronze accompanies me to my dorm, taking me through a back door I’ve never seen before.

- Are these the stairs you used when you brought me to your room?

- Yes. It’s our way to come see you. It’s actually an emergency exit, but it’s never used, so no students know about it.

- I guess I’m not allowed to tell anyone?

- Preferably not. We’d rather avoid having students hanging around this hallway to escape us.

I nod in understanding. This path is shorter for them, saving them from having to go around the building to get to our dorm. I only feel the warmth of the building once we reach the hallway on the first floor. The first thing I do when I get to my room is sit on my bed to try and take off my boots. Bronze helps me when she sees me shaking like a leaf. Even my socks are soaked, even though nothing should have gotten through the thickness of these shoes. I take off my jacket but keep my sweater on, remembering that I have nothing underneath but my bra.

- Take off your clothes so I can dry them and go take a shower, she orders me. I'll get you some dry clothes in the meantime.

- Get me some sweatpants and a big sweater, please.

I take off my pants and sweater while she has her head in the closet. She’s seen me more undressed than this, but I still feel just as embarrassed. I leave my clothes on the floor and lock myself in the bathroom. I take off the rest of my clothes before slipping into the shower. I sigh as the warmth calms my shivers. I stay there for a while, hoping I haven’t used up all the hot water, as my roommate might want to do the same when she gets back. This day has shown me that I’m not used to cold temperatures. Of course, I’ve seen snow before, but it’s extremely cold in Manchester. I also come from a warm country. I was born in Portugal and lived in Barcelona. That says a lot about my weather habits. Once done, I return to my room with just a towel covering me. I’m surprised to see Bronze has stayed. She’s lying on my bed, careful not to get her shoes on it. I bite my lip when I see she’s holding my sketchbook. I don’t like people entering my world without asking permission. I take a deep breath and move towards the clothes she’s prepared and laid out on my desk.

- You’re talented. I especially love this one, she says, showing me.

- Thanks...

- Sorry, she says, noticing my discomfort. It was on your bedside table, and I couldn’t resist.

- Oh, I must have forgotten to put it away then.

- Are you feeling better? Not too cold anymore?

- I’m fine, but I’ll get dressed before it comes back.

- Yep, I’ll leave you to it then. I was supposed to be keeping watch outside anyway. I’ve put your wet clothes on the radiator. See you tomorrow if I don’t see you before then.

We wish each other a good evening before she leaves. I smile when I see she’s thought of all my clothes, even my underwear. I glance at my sketchbook, which she’s put back on my bedside table, thinking I should remember to put it away. I finally gather my clothes and lock myself in the bathroom, not knowing when Alexia will return. In the end, despite being frozen, I loved this day. Now I just have to hope I don’t get sick from all this nonsense. I’m already sniffling ten times. That would be the last straw…

[digitaldiarystuff]

False Hope Pt.4

soo like i said i read the series last weekend and got inspired again but honestly, third part could easily be the last so read it with caution and hope you enjoy it love yall sm

————

pairing: Pedri Gonzalez x Y/N

summary: you’re close friends with Pedri and pretty much in love with him, pretending you’re not you went to comfort him but he seeks the comfort in a different way than you would’ve expected

genre: suggestive but not quite, angst

————

It had been a few weeks since you last saw Pedri and it couldn’t have been worse. He was occupying every thought and every dream, making you question your decision. Maybe it could’ve been better if you just agreed to go back and resume life without ever mentioning your undying love. You constantly stalked his instagram and even the gossip accounts just to see him being completely mia. He wasn’t spotted out in a while and hasn’t posted any training pics which was out of the ordinary but couldn’t bring yourself to reach out. It’s not like you haven’t thought about it but just was worried the reaction you’d get would be severely negative.

The only way you could be notified of his recent life was through Ferran and Sara. She was constantly coming by and trying to cheer you up, you weren’t particularly close beforehand but even the most stupid person aka Ferran could tell there had been something wrong with you and Pedri so Sara tried her best to be there for you even though you didn’t tell her much just that you had a falling out. It sounded stupid, like you were two high schoolers but you didn’t know how to put it into words. Sara understood and didn’t pry too much.

“You’re coming, right?” she asked excitedly but you were completely zoned out thinking about Pedri again.

“Coming where?”

“To Ferran’s birthday silly.” she bumped her shoulder with yours in a playful manner but you were quick to shake your head repeatedly.

“No no no no no no”

“Yes yes yes yes” she raised eyebrows trying to sound authoritative. “You need it, also Ferran really wants you there”

“Sara I really appreciate it but I’m going to have to pass.”

“Whyy?” she whined.

“You know why.” you looked at your hands anxiously.

“Y/N, isn’t it time that you let go?”

You didn’t answer, you couldn’t because you weren’t ready to start crying in the middle of a cafe on a random Thursday.

“Look, I don’t know the specifics but I know you two care about each other even though you don’t believe it right now. You were really close for a long time, that’s not something you could pretend never happened, if you want to talk to him this is your opportunity and if you don’t that’s also completely fine. Just don’t shut yourself out.” she sympathetically held your hand and made you look up at her.

“But if you seriously don’t want to, I’ll find something to tell Ferran. Do what you think is the best.”

You thanked her and left the cafe soon after needing a long bath to clear your head. There was no way you could go to a party Pedri would definitely be at, it was the dumbest thing you could do.

So here you were, waiting nervously next to Sara fidgeting with your hands while simultaneously trying to act chill. It was a hard combo to maintain and you often found yourself scanning the room vigorously to see if a certain someone showed up yet.

“He’ll come, just relax.” she said noticing your mannerisms and all you could manage to do was a small nod.

After a while with the help of alcohol, you managed to loosen up a little. You wished Ferran a happy birthday and danced with him and Sara for the most part but now had to use the bathroom. When you were finally done and making your way downstairs, your eyes immediately met with Pedri’s. It’s like he was waiting for you, under the stairs just looking up. He looked even better now, if that’s possible. He shaved and was surprisingly wearing bootcut cargo pants instead of his usual skinny jeans. He looked at you with such softness you almost melted but quickly told yourself off for being this delusional, if he wanted you he would’ve said something. He rejected you.

You tried to look unbothered and tried walking past him without having any conversation, as much as you wanted to see Pedri once you did you realized you were still so hung up on him and it made you pity yourself. But Pedri, being as annoying as he was, couldn’t let you to just leave without talking to him and followed you around like a lost puppy. You tried engaging in convos with random people beside you just to make him leave but he patiently waited until whoever you were talking to had to bail and play beer pong.

“Can we talk now?” he expectantly asked while you looked around for any possible escape routes but there weren’t any.

“About what?”

“Y/N I miss you” he said defeated and you immediately felt your eyes watering.

“We shouldn’t do this here, c’mon let’s find somewhere more quiet.” you said and walked ahead of him. It was actually because you didn’t want to cry in front of 100 people.

Once you were outside sitting on the loungers he took a deep breath and started again.

“Y/N I know it’s all my fault. I know that I hurt you so much and I’m sorry for all of it. I didn’t get a chance to properly do it before.” he looked down embarrassed and you slowly nodded. You weren’t actually waiting for an apology but hearing Pedri take responsibility made you feel a little bit better.

“Honestly, it’s okay Pedri.” you looked up at him and for a moment saw his eyes glistening when you called him Pedri instead of Pedro.

“This is life, you can’t always get what you want. I really don’t blame you, there’s no bad blood, yeah.” you smiled softly and he nervously gulped.

“I- I wanted to…”

“We should get back inside.” you announced as he was saying something.

“Did you want to say something?”

“Um, no no.”

You went back inside and successfully removed yourself from the awkward situation. Talking with him both felt familiar and new, like something completely changed in your relationship forever and you didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about it.

Throughout the night, Pedri watched your every move. His eyes never left your figure while you tried to keep yourself busy yet he never approached you again. As much as you enjoyed his attention, it was also a curse because you tripped on your two feet more times than you could count and it was becoming more and more embarrassing by the second. Your latest success was to spill your beer all over the floor and on yourself a little. Everyone laughed at how clumsy you were and so did you, the alcohol in your system making it easier. Sara told you, you could clean yourself in their bathroom and even get something to change into so you went upstairs oblivious to the fact that Pedri followed suit.

You clumsily picked out a shirt from Sara’s closet and as you pulled your shirt up the door opened slowly and Pedri was on the other side. He immediately looked away, took a step back and shut the door a little so there’s just a crack.

“Oh I’m so sorry I knocked but when you didn’t answer, just wanted to check up on you.” he excused himself and you were too shocked to realize you were in your bra when he walked in. You only remembered to put the other shirt on once he got out.

“Uh, it’s alright. I was just changing.” you said with burning cheeks. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Y/N I have some things I want to say to you and I wanted to talk to you outside but chickened out before.” he started and you stiffened up thinking this couldn’t be anything good. Maybe he had a girlfriend and wanted to let you know before they made it public or he wanted you to exclude yourself from his friend group.

“Why are we talking through a door? You can come inside and talk.” you laughed a little trying ti ease the situation but Pedri stayed outside.

“It’s easier this way.”

“Pedri if it’s…”

“Please let me finish. I prepared a speech and all just in case if I ever had the guts to talk to you. When I first came onto you, I didn’t know why I did it and I know this makes me a jerk but it’s the truth. I thought it was because I was frustrated and I just needed an outlet but… I would never have done something like that to you I care about you so much so when it happened I was a wreck. I was a proper asshole and I don’t blame you for leaving me like that. I chalked it all up to being lonely and having a close friendship but no, all day all night I thought about it Y/N. I tried my best to keep the act and continue being friends but when you pulled away from me it hurt so much that’s when I knew it couldn’t just be the friendship we have. It must be something more if I follow you around town just to prevent you from hooking up with a guy.” he laughed a little and you joined him. Even though that night was a nightmare for the most part, you couldn’t shake the feeling when he came to pick you up or when he begged the receptionist for the room number.

“So I knew then. I don’t know how I could be so blind for all this time actually. But after that you were so broken that I couldn’t cause you any more pain. I figured it’d be easier for both of us if I stayed silent and let you live your own life because truth to be told I’m a mess. I can’t promise you anything, I can’t say I’ll never hurt you because I did.”

You were slowly inching towards the door and didn’t even realize some tears falling from your eyes with his confession. He was right, he hurt you and made you miserable but he also made you the happiest girl with just a smile or a hug. You felt safe around him, you felt appreciated.

“And my life is so busy and I don’t ever want to make you feel neglected, this season has been… Never mind, we’re here to talk about us.” and with that you opened the door and saw Pedri also with teary eyes and a pout. When he saw you open the door he was taken aback and stopped immediately like he forgot everything he wanted to say.

“Y/N”

“Pedri” you smiled and once he saw you he started smiling too. You looked at each other for a moment before he reached for your hands pulling you a little closer.

“I meant everything I said.”

“I know.” and you really did know, Pedri may be a lot of things but he’s not a liar.

“And I know you deserve the best, you deserve a stable guy with the most time in the world to shower you with love and…” he trailed off.

“And?”

“And I’m willing to try to be that person, only if you allow me.” he raised his eyebrows in a curious manner and you thought about your whole history. Since the day you’ve met there was a voice inside you saying you were supposed to be together and here he was after all this time asking you.

As you were having an debate inside you Pedri took the chance to lean in closer.

“I’m not going anywhere this time.” he smiled and all you could do was lean into him and trust your gut feeling. Your noses were touching at this point and you could feel both your heartbeats going crazy.

Pedri closed the gap between you two and connected your lips. You reciprocated immediately and knew this was nothing like the last time, this was the Pedri you knew with all the determination in the world and he’d do anything to keep his word.

Maybe it wasn’t all false hope.

[alcoholfreenayeon]

What about some Jihyo x actor fem!reader fluff please! Maybe there’s been rumors that the two have been seeing each other for a while after meeting at an event. Pictures of the two taken from a far hanging out and eating at restaurants. Then the reader is in an upcoming major film and one of the premieres is in Seoul and Twice is invited to attend. Just some cute stuff like the two making small gestures like eye contact and smiling at each other across the red carpet or being seen taking photobooth pictures at the after party. Please and thank you hehe :)

AN: sorry for the long wait anon. Hope you like this!

Jihyo x Actor Fem!Reader

Caught in the Act

It’s always a good day when you are on a date with your lovely girlfriend especially when she’s none other than Park Jihyo herself. Add to that the pleasant weather and the good food that’s about to be served, life doesn’t get much better than this really.

So, how’s your day been darling?, “Jihyo interrupts your thoughts, her cute smile sparking with curiosity.

“Well, you know the initial reaction to the movie as been much better than expected from the critics so I think this might be it, my introduction to the world.” You couldn’t help but feel extremely proud. This was your potential breakthrough after all. You hear your phone go off a few times but ignore it and continue, “Then there’s the premier coming up in a few days and as you would have found out yesterday, Twice are invited!”.

Jihyo smiles sweetly and proudly as she listens to you be so happy. “Yea I got the invitations yesterday, why didn’t you tell me about that before!, she pouts.

“I wanted to surprise you”, you tease, glancing at your phone again as another bunch of notifications pop off.

“Ah well it was a very pleasant surprise!” Jihyo almost squealed. “I’m so happy for you”. She paused for a moment as your notifications went crazy yet again. “Ooohhh, the premier hasn’t even happened and miss y/n has become such a busy star already.” She teased with a wink.

“Ugh I’m so sorry about this”, you say sincerely deciding to check what the issue is, “I don’t know why……oh….no…..”, you mild annoyance slowly turns to dread as you look through your notifications. You’ve been tagged in social media posts, your manager has been messaging you, media agencies have been messaging you, fans have been messaging you with the only common denominator being some pictures. Pictures of you and Jihyo from yesterday, last month and other times when the two of you met recently. Your eyes scanning the same words in all of the messages

Caught

Dating

Exposed

Scandal

Your hands start to shake as you realize the ramifications this could potentially have. Suddenly the relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant felt very tense, the glass walls made you feel exposed and the other people here made you nervous. You felt absolutely terrified, your personal life, your career and your girlfriend’s career were all at stake here. As scared as you were right now, it was important to begin damage control as soon as possible. You look at Jihyo who was resting her head in her hand glancing at you seriously while using her phone presumably waiting for you to be done. She probably knows by now as well since she’d likely have been contacted as well.

Taking a deep breath, you grab her hand and quickly drag her, away from the windows, away from the people to the closest secluded area you could find…which happened to be the bathroom. Pushing Jihyo inside, your close the door, wait a few seconds and peek out to see if anyone saw you two come here.

“We need to hurry, someone might come in”,

You nod in agreement and sigh in relief to see no activity you turn back to Jihyo only to see that she has lifted up her top, her breasts exposed and was in the process of pulling down her pants, her cheeks slightly red and her face full of excitement.

“What the HELL are you doing????”, you ask in astonishment.

“What do you think love”, Jihyo flirts squeezing her tits together with a wink.

“Jeez! That’s not why I brought you here!”, you reply, your cheeks flushing. “Put your clothes back on! Someone might walk in!”

“Ahhn what’s going on with you”, Jihyo protests, feeling confused and a bit disappointed.

“They found out.”, you say grimly. “I’ve been getting a lot of messages and there’s pictures circulating and everyone is talking about a potential scandal and-”

“Whoa whoa, calm down. What are you talking about? People found out?”

“I don’t know how? I’ve been receiving so many messages and….didn’t you see it?”

“I keep my notifications off….”

You show her what you’ve found out and Jihyo looks worried now.

“Im surprised, I thought we were quite careful. Maybe we got a bit sloppy recently but for now…..Ok, I think we go back home for now, talk with our companies and then see if we need to address this publicly”, Jihyo says seriously.

You take a deep breath and nod. You let Jihyo leave first and wait about 10 minutes before you go back as well. You didn’t have the courage to check your phone again and were fearing the worst.

On your way back, you called your manager to ask what was going to happen and were a bit relieved to find out that all mostly speculation but the fact that two of five pictures had captured Jihyo and your face cleanly and it was obvious that it was the two of you. Your manager informs you that as of now it would be viable to keep quiet and then the company can say the two of you are friends hanging out, but this stance could change depending on the reaction of the general public. It was too soon to gauge the true reaction of the people right now and it would take a few more hours to assess the situation more accurately.

You spent the next few hours watching some Netflix, trying to distract yourself from the drama till you got further news from the agency. It wasn’t very effective though since your thoughts kept drifting back to it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity you got a call from your manager, no, it’s Jihyo. You take a deep breath and answer the call,

“Hey”

“hey….”

“did you see it?”, she asks with a hint of excitement in her voice.

“what? See what?”, you question back, confused.

“Open your socials, see what everyone has been saying”

You do as she says and immediately come across a barrage of negative threads about the two of you which only reaffirms your fears but as you keep scrolling through you are completely surprised to find out that despite the initial outrage the fans and public are actually overwhelming supportive of you and Jihyo.

“I never thought Y/N had rizz like that to pull Jihyo!”

“Jihyo is so real for going for Y/N”

“Just based off the photos I can tell these two are so cute together”  

“NOW I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THEM AT THE PREMIERE”

You didn’t know how to react now. People were seeming for rooting for you both but what does it really mean you and Jihyo got away with it? That there wouldn’t be any real consequences? It seems too good to be true.

“Hellooo are you still there Y/n?”

You were so relieved that you had completely forgotten you were on a call with Jihyo. “Y-yeah, I’m still here.”

“Everyone from my side thinks that everything will be more or less alright since people aren’t very angry about it.”

Hearing Jihyo say those words meant a lot and you felt a lot less tense now and were a bit more relaxed. “That’s so good to hear. I still haven’t heard anything from my side, so I hope they tell me the same soon.”

By the next morning your agency had assured you that everything was fine and there would be no major problems. With only two days left for the premiere, time seemed to fly by. Mostly due to how hectic and busy things had been for you but also partly because you were quite nervous about it all.

Finally, the day of the premiere arrived, the whole morning was nerve wrecking, you just kept thinking of all the ways that things could go wrong. Thankfully you managed to get it under control as the day went on until it was actually time for the premiere. When you arrived at the red carpet the first thing that you noticed was the sheer number of people present. Were they all there for you? That seemed entirely insane to you, maybe your driver messed up and now you were at the wrong place and now you were going to get embarrassed when you end up missing your own premiere. However, as soon as you got out of the car, you were absolutely hounded by the crowd of people. They seemed to be speaking in sync, but you couldn’t make out a single word with all the noise. After the initial excitement wore out you could finally make out some of the questions and began to answer them.

Just as you were beginning to get comfortable, the crowd goes wild again as someone else arrives at the carpet. As the car door opens, time seems to slow down and steps out Jihyo looking absolutely gorgeous, her hair perfect, her smile making you feel weak even if it wasn’t directed at you. She greets the crowd as the rest of Twice step out. You were still mesmerized when you snapped out of it realizing that a lot of eyes were still on you. Your cheeks began to flush a bit as you tried to act like it was nothing. Some people in the crowd seemed to have caught on and you could hear a few ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. Pretending like you didn’t hear them, you decided to move on.

As the rest of the cast turns up, time seems to fly by and before you know it, it’s time to watch the premiere. Everything was going well, in fact every time you appeared in a scene a certain section of the crowd a few rows behind you seemed to cheer loudly. Only when the interval began, and the lights turned on did you realize the loud section of fans were sitting near Jihyo. You didn’t really know how to feel about this. It was kinda sweet maybe-

Your thoughts were interrupted as she made her way towards you flashing you a quick smile before heading to the snack bar. Even though you were quite relaxed on the outside, that small smile from Jihyo made you feel really warm and fuzzy on the inside. You followed her to the snack bar, greeting some fans along the way before stopping next to her. The two of you looked at each other for a moment, smiled and then turned away ordering snacks.

Of course, you wanted to kiss her, but this was NOT the place for that despite the fans seemingly egging the two of you to do something. Coincidentally you both ended up walking back together which caused some whooping from the crowd causing both of you to blush a little while making your way back to the seats.

The rest of the premiere went quite smoothly, and the people absolutely loved it, and you couldn’t be prouder of your work. You ended up taking pictures with each fan in the premiere. While you were about to exit, you were pulled in by Jihyo who told you to keep quiet and that she wanted you to follow her out the back.

“I want you all to myself for some time now”, Jihyo says endearingly. You have no complains, in fact this was exactly what you wanted as well. While the rest of Twice and the movie cast were a bit confused at the disappearances of their members, both groups were busy enough to not put two and two together.