#ship it if you want but please stop pretending it makes more sense when both Zuko and Katara have their own separate romances 😭

[fromtheseventhhell]

Zutaras are really the original self-insert, "we understand the story soooooo much better than everybody else" girlies and they just never moved on

[magicschmidt]

LIVE DEMO

mike schmidt x fem!reader gif creds: klausbens a mix of pure fluff + antagonizing pining ՞• ཅ •՞ bleh!

this came to me right when i had to go to sleep. i did not go to sleep.

have this that's so raven girl next door vision of becoming abby's diligent babysitter who refuses to take the title of her favorite - even if the schmidt household is breaking your own charts - BUT ALSO mike's daytime college passenger princess who gets dropped off after abby has - positive this is the least he can do while he hasn't paid you + that he's up to ALL good getting to know who abby never shuts up about, right?

your free ride is actually mike's test run on you - your live demo.

PLEASE READ UNDER THE CUT & SCREAM WITH ME please 😥 im begging you 😓

whatever the boymath, you don't turn him or your guys' world record coffee runs down. it's convenient! caffeine is inevitable for you both: him to steer the wheel as high-alert as can be, & you who lies through her teeth about the couch being cozy - mike wants to make up for the neck pain by painfully obviously sliding the barista an extra to double-shot your cup, but you swat at his arm and claim the gas he's using on you is more than enough - ways ahead that pizzeria of his.

oh, in addition to their television as background asmr teensily tinily running up the electricity bill.

you've never been, but whenever you do zoom past freddy fazbear's, you make it a point to ask what was up that shift, and by that i mean squeeze absolutely everything you can out of him.

you don't take 'uh... it was interesting' for an answer, it leaves too much to the imagination - sometimes its begging mike to do his best impression of a very hallucinatory?? very sinister?? balloon boy laugh which you echo, and he pretends to find chilling - or bombarding him with unserious ass questions like 'did that ominous cupcake gnaw at the iron bars of the vent again yesterday/today?'

you throw all time expressions out there, having lost track of it when you're with him anyway.

mike racks - ransack's his brain for when you've gotten so curious. why he can't let the yawning do the talking instead. or music you both hate. why he's so bothered by your persistence, but not in a bad way. he used to guess it was fair game you wanted to get to know him too. he likes that you always, always seem to be having fun with both him and abby, despite the inconsistency of your payroll.

now, the change from interviewer to interviewee is just common sense - just a touch more rare to you. he appreciates you.

& don't even try lying to yourself; you wake up in the morning for mike's reactions. you tuck abby in bed like your life depends on it, improv story-telling your heart out with her sticky-note flipbook per her request; it's a team effort.

with her turn up first, abby usually sits at the backseat with her headphones on and music off to take note of the dopey looks you guys exchange. she thinks 'it's too early for this', and not in the 'non-morning person night owl' way, but to nag at herself to 'stop already shipping y/n with mike they don't know e/o that well yet!!!!!!' way.

it is almost as if getting the worst night's rest ever on the thinnest cushions even earlier compels the sun to rise and shine faster;

you fucking grind!

once your university not finally and moreso unfavorably comes into view, you touch up in your side's visor mirror. mike takes this as his cue to sneak what he counts as glances through the car's, and shockingly, you never catch on that he can't get enough of doing so - his attention divided with students scattered and stupidly j-walking outside.

your live demo has gotten a bit out of hand.

is mike kidding himself?

you are too presentable.

there isn't a need to babysit with mike there, snoring appropriate in position of cheery radio hosts. you don't need to remind abby if she brought her crayons after coloring with you all night the night before, or loan her your airpods when her headphones die.

this is overtime. you're just about hanging out on a time crunch.

you're beside him, barely awake but busying yourself with a tangled id lace. mike grounds himself, reminded your whereabouts was compensation enough.

that relief is temporary when you briefly flash him a sheepish smile, breaking it with a yawn and a nose scrunch for unintentional added measure.

you're overqualified, and a month's actual pay can't cover this! if this goes on, can he just sit idly by and allow you to take the bus home? the red alarms go off in his head.

mike is so screwed.

he scoffs when you flip the mirror up - what's light-hearted mockery to you fixing your hair up is him letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

he stares and yet, he never remembers to trace your features.

everytime mike looks at you, it is the first time; whether it's from the corners of his eyes with most of them on the road, or even the other way around on days he would morph everything else into a blind spot. he'd willingly run over a professor for seconds; in hopes its the one teaching you at ass o'clock & you'd maybe get a free hour to tail him to the station for probation and twirl a telephone cord in your fingers with a glass panel between you two just so you're face-to-face.

if luck strikes him, vanessa would be on perimeter, and you'd sit as you are right now but in her police car all together. mike, of course, sticks to the former, focusing so that none of you have to get in trouble. those are just thoughts that keep him up at ... well, noon, when he gets home.

so give him a break!

when he hazards infront of the main entrance after multiple repeats that you could walk there from the gate - he genuinely wishes you a day much much better than his shift, which you always giggle at.

you know today's already been granted when your back is off the seat, but your butt isn't!

this accidentally prompts mike to unbuckle your belt for you. his arm is not reached over across you in some cheesy romcom meetcute for one, because his car is actually practical and has the buckles and latch plates in the middle.

but your head whips to thank him a little too quick - you end up bumping foreheads.

you unapologetically giggle again, to which he groans an 'ow', and a sly 'what? want me to step out and grab the door for you too?' all while that damn seat belt on your shoulder is replaced with the strap of your tote bag - courtesy of mike slinging it back on for you.

your eyes twinkle with mischief; at how this kinda proximity isn't forced, but natural.

the tint on mike's car does not save for how flushed you are.

his tongue dances with a follow-up question to take you right there as well as out on a date, but for now a smile plays on his lips.

"jeez, i got it this time!"

you yell, and you're rushing off with your heart fluttering out of your chest.

mike just rolls his eyes when you manage to leave your door behind wide open - the cherry on top of the lack of sleep-induced ditziness, but just as he's about to do your single duty as passenger princess?

you come back to gingerly give him a kiss on his cheek.

"a tip as my chauffeur! be grateful i didn't fire you for getting out before me! i'll let it slide just this one-hundredth time!"

of course by tip you mean* payback* for what you are only now realizing are growing feelings for your new knight in airbagged armor - and you're off for real.

mike could care less what you mean though, now that he knows you voicelessly wished him the same thing. aren't you just the showcase of grace?

no way in hell mike has it in him to chat you up to the neighbors now. it's time padlocks get a price hike! and maybe you a promotion to girlfriend ... if you'll accept him?

... it's safe to say he has to avail more of your services 😵‍💫

bonus: mike's a puddle of a man in his seat, and the honks from the line that has formed behind him are music to his ears - if a puddle had any?? what an odd way to loudly encourage him to get a 'honk if you love love' bumper sticker 🤭

a/n:

YES we r on Christmas Break but as a college girly, abby isn't the only one who needs bedtime stories to knock tf out ... my go-to scenario @ specifically 6 AM was to imagine PINING, yea ewww

yearning

or worse yet: admit we r head over heels for our fictional cute neighbor whose favors never run out. they aren't even ones he asks us for, we just go the extra mile which cld srsly fit better on our resumes - to which he somehow returns tenfold - & no one feels like they acc owe each other, we just all-around GAIN A 2ND CONSCIOUSNESS IN THIS 1 CAR RIDE that we ARE IN FACT crushing on e/o VVV unprofessionally! just went in the direction we simultaneously literally + friendship-wise got so close all of a sudden!

AGAIN i wrote sleep-deprived for the ULTRA HD 4K STINGY YOUTUBE PREMIUM EXPERIENCE so clearly the act of 0 proof-reading has been perfected! feel free to point typos out - out typos ?!?!?!? whatevs so we can laugh @ them TOGETHERRRR & i wish you the polar opposite rest u had in this ficlet! great GREAT night everyoneeeee! 💤

[ryuichirou]

The darkest possible headcanons for all your ships with Idia. Make him suffer, humiliate him, go all out

Anon, this ask is absolutely insane and every single day I look at it with the softest smile, thinking that I’m going to reply to it one day. And today is the day.

Thank you for your patience and thank you for sending it, because you basically gave me an opportunity to write something more dark and messed up than I usually do. We always talk about how much we love darker themes, but I always feel like I underdeliver in my art and headcanons, so I tried my best to allow myself be more mean this time.

Yeah, so obviously, beware, and please enjoy if you like seeing Idia suffer.

God I love this pathetic little fellow 😔

If Idia breaks Azul’s heart at some point, he’ll never recover the trust he’s lost, because Azul never forgets those who hurt him. He’ll just stop considering Idia his equal that moment, he is pretty much his plaything now, not even a pet. He’ll keep him in a separate room, punish him both sexually and mentally on a daily basis, never letting Idia forget that he deserved it.

Also, since all the blackmail material on Idia that he and the tweels have been gathering is useless now, because there is nothing to gain from Idia who was reduced to being his cum rug, Azul can be petty enough to just spill everything on the internet, just to see Idia tormented and humiliated. Idia is never going to touch or go near anything with the internet access on it again.

After Azul is done playing with Idia, he’ll just toss him to the tweels and tell them that they can do whatever they want with him. And while it’s annoying to get a hand-me-down from Azul, they are going to be very excited to tear him apart. If Idia thought that being Azul’s slave is horrible, hoo boy, Jade and Floyd are so so much worse. By the time they are bored with Idia, he’ll barely resemble a human. He definitely won’t act like one anymore.

Lilia has a lot of power over Idia, even as Crimson Muscle. He sees that Idia is very eager for him to like him back, and that he really wants to make him happy. He also sees that Idia is very sensitive to his mood and can sense that something is off. Sometimes he pretends to be annoyed or mad at someone, hinting that it might be gloomy samurai’s fault, and just enjoys seeing Idia trying to either cheer him up or apologize. This little game makes Lilia smile.

Ortho is usually very sweet to Idia, but after getting a “heart” post-chapter 6, he began noticing some new weird urges; for example, now he feels especially tickled when he sees Idia being miserable, teary-eyed, scared of others and clingy. He always knew that Idia was clingy, but this sadistic pleasure he’s feeling is something new. A lot of times Ortho either suppresses it, or does very subtle upsetting things, but one time he secretly asked his new friends from the movie club to act annoyed and disgusted by Idia and invited his niisan to hang out with them. He was ensuring Idia that everything was alright the entire time, gaslighing him into thinking that he was just imagining that everybody is looking at him, and surely, after about 40 minutes Idia was a shaking trembling panting nervous mess, gulping his own tears, He was clinging to Ortho’s neck so sweetly miserably the moment he said “alright, niisan and I are leaving now”.

But even before that, when Ortho still didn’t have as good of a grasp of the way humans interact with each other, he arranged a surprise gangbang for Idia to help him get along with others Ignihyde students. The students were very pleased, Idia was fucked out of his mind, and Ortho collected a lot of very useful data that day!

Sebek, being a young half-fae, is very horny and hormonal, and sometimes he is very bad at controlling his urges. And the fact that despite Idia barely leaving his room they manage to fight every time they interact, so one time the timing was just a little bit too unfortunate; one snarky comment from Idia, and Sebek ended up getting aggressive and jumping him, ripping his clothes off. Idia got too scared and passed out almost instantly, only waking up after Sebek had been long gone: still naked, scratched all over the place, with a belly full of cum and throbbing boner. It’s a miracle he wasn’t found by anyone before he woke up.

[lestappenforever]

it’s funny to me how people project their hatred for lestappen both as a romantic pairing and as individuals onto their relationship. yes, people ship them, just like any other celebrity has been shipped with their co-star, band mate etc long before the internet existed. they are aware of this, it comes with the territory and so long as no one disrespects them or takes the ships to their face it’s okay (y’all know rps rules and this is not to talk about that)

what this is about is how people who hate them or hate seeing them together will say how charles hates max and just tolerates max because you know max is so annoying and the dev while charles is an angel princess who will just talk to him so as not to be rude and for pr purposes.

which this logic doesn’t even make sense because outside of the two of them, there are 18 other drivers on the grid. the funniest thing is that this evil max they claim charles hates and just tolerates is beloved and is friends with at least half and is cordial and well like by most. the same applies to charles. majority of the grid seems to get along (i recall half the grid went to horner’s cook out some time this year)

suffice to say, charles always seems intrigued by max and seeks him out after and sometimes before a race. they talk and you can tell they genuinely care about one another. yes, no one said they are best friends, or maybe they are not. they talk about each other in such a beautiful that i rarely hear them talk about any other driver. they do care, they probably even love each other now.

oops this got long. my point essentially was, people who make them seem like they are just doing things to appease fans or for or make them look bad. because i genuinely believe those two guys choose who they want to talk to or not talk to because they are mature adults. charles made it very clear in austria 2019 that if he was mad at max he wasn’t going to stand around and pretend to be happy when he isn’t. max has on several occasions made it clear when he’s pissed at other drivers, he is brutally honest about it. yet, he’s so soft about charles. it’s because they care about each other and have come so far. their relationship has evolved they are actually friends now (maybe even more not that we know) people should just stop projecting their insecurities and biases on those two and give them credit that they actually know what they are doing and genuinely respect each other. they are not some pretentious pricks who just want to appease fans. to what end? they are not even teammates.

This, this, this, a million times this.

Honestly, anon, anti-shippers are just so sad. In most cases, shipping is just a fun little thing people engage in because it brings us joy and makes up happy, and those anti-shippers that take it so damn personally have some deep-rooted issues they should probably explore in other ways instead of projecting their very intense feelings onto something that's just supposed to be fun.

I'm not implying you should be a fan of or enjoy every ship out there. Hell, there are plenty of ships out there I personally cannot stand. But, do I spend my time trashing them and trying to make those people who do ship them feel like shit? No. Do I go out of my way to try and prove how ridiculous their ship is? No. Why? Because shipping is supposed to be fun, and I don't take other people's ships personally.

If you have an issue with a ship, ignore it. Block their tags. Choose not to engage with or look at content of the ship you don't like. It's that simple.

The fact that Charles and Max actually do respect each other and do enjoy each other's company is clear as day. And those who try to insist that it's "all for show"? Please. F1 is one of the pettiest sports on the planet. If those two fully grown men didn't actually like each other, they would avoid each other like the fucking plague, they wouldn't bother pretending to appease anyone.

[spacelizzbian]

Ahsoka s1ep7

That guy be like: false Jedi? Witches?? Space whales??? In my star wars?¿?¿? Unheard of.

Respectfully, please stop wasting precious time from these last two eps on this new republic nonsense 😭

Omg please let it be an audio recording of Leia saying "fuck off" in pg way

Do you think Carrie Fisher would've been on this show as a cameo if she could? Would've loved to see her say fuck off (in a pg way)

You can tell Ahsoka hasn't put these recordings on in forever...the little bow?

She be healing 🥺

I also like the tone Ahsoka used in "he was a great master" cause you get the sense that she mourns for him.

Idk I think that's a neat way of her moving forward regarding her feelings on Anakin/Vader (though I still wish they acknowledged it more in ep 5 but I'm still chewing on my thoughts on that whole episode)

Ahsoka really out there pretending she doesn't give a shit if they're in the wrong galaxy lmaooo such a troll, I love her

NO ARE THEY SHOOTING THE WHALES?!?!

NO STOP NOOOOOO

IF I SEE A WHALE DIE I WILL CRY I LOVE WHALES SO MUCH

The relief I felt when they all jumped thank god

Poor Morgan, she's so aware of the nonsense the good guys get away with when defeating their foes but she comes off so paranoid in universe. Doomed by knowledge of star wars' silly narrative quirks 😔

"Put her on a path of her own choosing so that no matter what direction she takes, we'll always be one step ahead of her"

That makes no sense

Just cause Thrawn says it and it's briliantly acted does not mean that was sound logic 💀

Huyang is me, I too find it bs that they sensed Ahsoka coming for their asses via space whale

Love how Ahsoka and Thrawn are out here playing 3D chess while Sabine and Ezra are just vibing in these big pods lmao

"The emperor died" "that's what people say"

Ahaha don't remind me of that, I will start biting

Omg Sabine being so offended and Ezra being so confused has me in stictches haha

Same bro, wish they showed us how exactly that happened

Fellars, when she says "it's complicated" she means "I saw my master get murdered before my very eyes and disregarded the last thing she said to me all in a desperate move to find you"

WTF WAS THAT SHOT TO THE SCARY WITCH RIGHT AFTER AHSOKA IS LIKE "I SEE HER" 💀💀

Sabine upon seeing Shin and Baylan: "NYO" 😡

Baylan, tf do you mean Shin's path leads her in a different direction?!?! All I've gathered from the 5 lines of dialogue she was allowed is that she wants to be on top, secure.

She did not seem too keen on joining the witches and sees the Empire as a means to an end. What's stopping her from just outright joining the new republic if you leave her on her own?! Seemingly the only thing stopping her was her connection to you and your teachings, ya dingus.

I like this show, but this makes no sense for the characters they've set up, why wouldn't he take her with him so they can both wield the ancient superweapon?? 🙃

Wait. The raiders in this whole different galaxy shoot normal ass blasterfire?¿?¿?

Come on, that's so boring

(They do look cool if not like normal star wars bounty hunter types)

Huyang is such a little shit, honestly his banter with Ahsoka has been one of the highlights of this show for me. Especially now that Ahsoka seems to have regained some of her original snark spark

DEAD ASS

Ahsoka dropping out of that ship RIGHT where Baylan is, IS THE FUNNIEST SHIT 😭

He really be like "huh, was sure I killed you 🤔"

"The Force is my ally, it's all I need" very Jedi of him, Kanan would be so proud

That shot of the hermit alien headbutting a raider with a pot is my fav thing ever

Yooooooo, seeing the saber actually lose some of its form when being pushed back with the force was sick

That piano 👌

Did Huyang just know Ahsoka was in trouble and instinctively thought "guess I'll shoot flares at her" 💀

Ahsoka is riding a space wolf, Filoni can finally rest

Sabine getting flipped was such a funny shot

Fight choreo go weeeeeeeee

Ok this guy really embodies Ezra well, this is EXACTLY how he would bs his way outta this pickle lmao

Props to Shin, if I saw Ahsoka barreling in like that smirking like a real psycho I'd have noped the fucke outta there instantly

Did Ahsoka just kick a hand that was swinging a lightsaber at her?!?!?

Truely deranged behaviour, pop off queen 😌

Why did Thrawn have a whole ass ppt prepared 😂

Ah yes, time, the thing I feel like this whole show did not know how to spend correctly

I can feel this season ending on a cliffhanger, I don't even know if a second season was announced beforehand but ain't no way all of this is concluding satisfyingly in one more ep

Ahsoka seeing Shin looking like a wet stray cat and going pspspsps is so her

Not Ahsoka being 110% aware she must be immortal or smth and using that knowledge for trolling 😂💀

That was such a good hug omg

And the laugh?!? I dont think she's laughed since rebels 🥺😭

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

“Get in the fucking blanket fort.” For CJ? She is playing pretend; Freddie needs to play along now.

As always, the prompt got out of hand a bit. But I think it’s funnier like this.

I think that CJ had her bed done up like a make-believe pirate ship in Freddie’s dorm at Auradon Prep. If I’m wrong, don’t correct me, please and thank you.

Also, @tucktuck22 I remember you wanted a CJ/Freddie story, so I’m tagging you here?

I hope y’all enjoy!

CJ decided to decorate the dorm – of course she did. The fact that she’s basically a stoveaway here didn’t stop her. Or, you know. The fact that she’s technically wanted by the law? For kidnapping the king and then dipping and all that?

Anyway, CJ is the reason why Freddie has a blanket fort in her dorm right now.

„It’s not a blanket fort, Freddie,“ complains CJ, „It’s clearly a pirate ship!“

Well, it was pretty, ehm, structurally unusual, fort anyway, so, yeah. A pirate ship. Obviously.

…The haphazardly pilled up and hanged blankets could pass for sails? And, wait? Is that a spear?

Oh. It was a spear. It is a mast now, obviously.

It also has a string of fairy lights on it?

„CJ?“ Freddie asks reluctantly, „Why are there the fairy lights?“

„Well Harry has them! He hasn’t told me yet why, but he has them, so I must too!“

„Sounds fair–“

Okay, makes sense. Harry has fairy lights, so CJ must have them too. Nevermind that more accurate assessment is „Uma has fairy lights,“ Freddie knows.

Also, Freddie isn’t gonna question the assortment of daggers and knives and other weapons. As long as CJ doesn’t have any guns, she’s good.

„Freddie?“ CJ nudges her hand with back of her palm, „Wanna go into the ship?“

„Come on, Freddie. It’s awesome, look at it! It’s almost like being back home! Not that I miss home. Or anyone back there, obviously!“ CJ backtracks quickly, getting lost in her own thoughts and see-through lie, and Freddie takes a sharp breath.

She does miss home, and Celia and her father; the school and the arcade. Her allies.

CJ jumps up and down a bit and grabs her hand, dragging her towards the bed. She only stumbles a bit to kick of her boots and then climbs inside: She holds the blanket-sails open for Freddie with one hand and extends the other for her to take.

„Yeah, sure,“ Freddie giggles shakily; she can recognise an offer of comfort when she sees it. Especially when coming from CJ.

„Let’s go in there.“

So Freddie toes off her own shoes and climbs into the blanket pirate ship. It is a thing that she does now.

Holy fuck, it is a thing that she does now–––

(Great, and she is thinking of the Isle again.)

„No bad thoughts on my ship, Shadow witch,“ CJ tells her, and „What has you so glum, oh your Dark Majesty?“

„Hey! It’s a pirate ship, I told you!“ CJ defends herself, „Besides. I kidnapped the king, like, yesterday. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. Easier than playing a fiddle. Or a piano. Or an organ. Maybe even a guitar, really, but Diego won’t let me touch his.“

Against her will, Freddie giggles. CJ tends to have that effect on her. But even so, the laugh quickly dies in her throat.

„Just. Thinking about the Isle, yeah? About Celia. Wish she’d get to just build blanket forts too, just like that.“

And for a good reason, Freddie suspects. She has no doubts that her menace of a girlfriend would drive anyone crazy within, well, two days tops, if given access to any kind of loud noise-making instrument. In which case Freddie would conveniently vanish off the face of the earth for about a week. Not that she has any plans to gift CJ with a trumpet on FG’s watch, obviously. Absolutely not.

„Anyway,“ CJ shakes her head, which makes her hair bounce all around, and grabs Freddie’s hand with both of hers, „Point is, I’ve kidnapped the king, and I could do it again! We could take him hostage and tell him he must give us Celia and – and – and he will walk the plank if he doesn’t!“ CJ lets go of Freddie’s hand to mimic a hostage walking down the plank as well as their dramatic fall; her hands fly up high.

„Or,, Freddie joins in on the impromptu plotting session, „We could kidnap someone close to him. Maybe the old queen. Or this Audrey girl.“

„Boom!“ she finishes her dramatic reenactment and falls down, laying her head in Freddie’s lap. She looks up at her and flutters her eyelashes; Freddie brushes out some loose strands of hair that fell on CJ’s face.

„It’ll be easy, Freddsie. Really.“

„Oh!“ CJ sits up again in her excitement, „We could kidnap Mal! Harry would love it if we kidnapped Mal!“

„…Do you think he likes her enough to trade her for that many people?“

Freddie laughs at CJ’s pout.

„Yeah, no, you’re right,“ CJ deflates and fall back down. Yes, into Freddie’s lap. As she damn well should.

„Of course you are right,“ CJ continues, „No one likes Mal that much.“

„Yeah, come in,“ Freddie calls out, annoyed.

Which is why she doesn’t hear the knocking at the door at first. Though, honestly, knocking? No one has the decency to just quietly pick a lock here in Auradon.

The knocking doesn’t stop.

The doors open and through the gap in the blanket-sails, Freddie can see the king.

„Hi, Freddie,“ he says, waving awkwardly as he stands at the doorstep.

Freddie reluctantly greets back.

„I gather that you have CJ here too, so, hi CJ?“

…Okay, back track. Why does the king of Auradon know where CJ’s staying? Auradon doesn’t have a decent spy network, as far as Freddie is concerned.

…Unless?

„Greet the king, CJ,“ she whispers instead.

„CJ?“ she asks quietly. She doesn’t even need to finish the question before CJ flutters her eyelashes in utterly innocent manner, because of course she does.

And of course she did. Why would kidnapping a king in the middle of a very public event be an excuse not to run her mouth?

„Servus, Majesty,“ drawls CJ unenthusiastically before hiding her face in Freddie’s t-shirt.

„She says hello,“ translates Freddie just in case, as Ben likely isn’t used to, well, CJ. His loss, really.

„…Okay? Anyway, I wanted to, like, resolve your legal status in Auradon? Not like you’re in trouble, just–“

„Why am I not in trouble?“ CJ complains, „I kidnapped you! Held you hostage! That must be some kind of treason, right? I mean, Harriet would ground me for kidnapping her!“

„Shut up!“ Freddie hisses and nudges her in the ribs, hard, „Do you want to get in trouble?!“

„Yes!“ CJ exclaims like the crazy drama queen that she is.

„She said that she’d love to talk!“ Freddie calls at the king.

„I did not!“

„Yes you did. Now shut up and talk with the king who is insane enough to want you in his kingdom, you bloody menace.“

CJ makes a long face and mutters something like „But you love me!“, before backing out.

„Okay,“ she allows, „I’ll talk to the king. But he must come on my ship.“

She is talking to the king right now, if you couldn’t guess.

Freddie turns her eyes back at that.

„What?“

„No, nothing,“ assures Ben quickly, „I just– ship?“

Freddie peeks over the blankets and gestures at him: She means this?

„The… Blanket fort?“

„It’s a ship!“ protests CJ again.

„Yes,“ answers Freddie instead, „Now get in there?“

„Into the–“ Ben cuts himself off and gestures around, mouthing „The blanket fort“ for only Freddie to see.

„Yes, she says again, „Now get into the fucking blanket fort.“

And he does.

What is a little talk about skirting around the loosely written laws in a blanket pirate ship, really?

(Easy answer: A day to day reality, when you hang out with CJ Hook. And Freddie wouldn’t have it any other way.)

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Zutara shippers are constantly like, “Kataang being canon is typical and expected. Them remaining as friends would be much more powerful.” Which, no? It wouldn’t? I could name you 500 ships like Zutara (in looks and personality wise). I can’t name you a single ship that’s like Kataang. When Zutara shippers reduce Kataang to main girl x main boy, or “hero gets the girl,” it does so much injustice to both characters because Katara and Aang are both heroes, and their relationship is so much more than main boy x main girl. Katara and Aang remaining as friends is the norm, it’s what society would expect from relationships like theirs because they’re not used to couples that define western ideals. The fact that the writers went one step forward and stuck to their original plan and introduced romance is so much better. I want to see more couples like Aang and Katara on my screen - couples that look like them and treat each other with so much respect.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you here. Two heroes falling in love + best friends falling in love IS common in western media. That is not a problem in anyway, just like it wouldn't be a problem if Avatar had an enemies to lovers romance.

The problem is:

1 - Zutarians complaining that Kataang is cliche while swearing that enemies to lovers isn't exactly the same (even though it IS, and in fandoms in particular that is often THE cliche of all cliches).

2 - Zutarians pretending Kataang came out of nowhere and was a last minute twist to force the show to conform to a popular trope, while their precious ship was totally a main aspect of the story from the start, when it was actually the other way around - hence Kataang being endgame despite it not "subverting the audience's expectation" (can people stop obsessing with that shit and go back to just writting stories that make sense? Please?)

They just love pretending they're the underdog, so they'll use any excuse to pretend that they were "robbed." Pretending that enemies to lovers is actually super rare it's just another lie they tell themselves to make their ship seem more special than it really is, and that the writers somehow failed the story and it's themes by not making it canon at the last second just to make a bunch of spoiled children happy.

[nothums-from-tj]

Welcome back to TJ’s craving content for a niche ship/fandom and only has enough energy for hcs: Blinkley (Daph/Velma) edition

This is going for “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?” (Velma being Jewish and Hispanic in this canon), “A Pup Named Scooby-Doo”, and “Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated” along with several movies. Currently watching “Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!” so if I reblog w more there will be some adding from there. If you write/draw any of these PLEASE ping me/rb this post bc I can’t get enough of them rn

V calls Daph looking to vent rq and realizes like half way through part of said vent has to do w her crush on Daph so she switches to Spanish and Daphne’s able to pick up some of it due to whatever French she knows and the similarities of Latin languages and she’s very confused when she repeats back what she could kind of understand and Velma is very embarrassed

for some particular reason Shaggy has to be somewhere Scooby can’t be and Velma is his go-to dog-sitter (based on APNSD The Computer Walks Among Us, “Please, Scooby—for me?” + she kissed his cheek, “Aww, I’d do anything for you, Velma.”) and I just very much like the mental image of Scooby curled up at her feet or something while Daph’s over and they all just watch a movie or smth

following “Moon Monster Madness” Daphne can’t sleep for the life of her bc she can’t stop thinking abt this interaction and she just has to call Velma, it’s 2:00 in the morning and to her it doesn’t matter bc she needs Velma to know that she matters so much more than what she thinks after she didn’t really get a chance to say so beforehand [EDIT: written now haha]

Daphne loves watching Velma work, especially her thinking faces and stimming

thinking abt Large Dragon at Large from WNSD and Velma’s COSTUME with her and Daphne talking abt it beforehand and V’s so embarrassed to show it to Daphne bc she thinks it’s ridiculous so then jokingly Daph keeps accusing her of picking something “scandalous” (“does it show too much of your shoulders or something ;)” “I hate you”) and because Daphne genuinely can’t think of another reason as to why Velma would be embarrassed to show it off she puts it on for Daphne and she thinks it’s literally the cutest thing ever

due to past issues of Men™️ they both have crazy low expectations of relationships when they start dating, like heartbreakingly low- Velma getting a bit emotional when Daph isn’t ashamed of her/their relationship or when she wants a day to the both of them rather than constantly including friends/avoiding alone time; Daphne tearing up when Velma’s interested in what she has to say and makes sure she knows her opinions are valid/acknowledged/cared for; and both of them are pleasantly surprised when they make equal effort rather than begging for the bare minimum

whenever they spend the night together + Velma’s up too late working too hard Daphne will pretend to be asleep and pull a cat-like move in the sense of being cuddly as inconveniently as possible, trying to “shift” to cover her papers or laptop with her arm or slowly try to cover Velma/her papers when on her computer so she could be bothered just enough to not actually be annoyed and enough to give up and go to bed

even if it’s not the greatest in the world, Daphne’s in love w Velma’s singing voice and always encourages any bit of confidence boost she gets

Daphne tries to remind Velma that she’s gorgeous and stunning in every way especially (not because of) knowing that she has a few issues with her body image + Daph just loves her sm

similar to the previous, Velma will often try to find ways to compliment Daphne that don’t involve her physical appearance to show that she sees/acknowledges more than that

Velma started crushing first—they were in early middle school, Daphne started having a phase of calling her friends pet names and Velma’s poor gay heart could not take that (totally not how I got my first crush what r u talking abt)

in middle/high school during lunch/recess, Daphne would often sit with Velma and read under a tree in comfortable silence or Velma would try to sit with Daphne and her friends (Daph enjoyed reading w V more than V enjoyed being w her clique + that is more than ok <3), though of course they’d have their separate times when they’d want to too

Daphne loves going to hockey games w V bc she thinks it’s the funniest thing seeing how hockey can get so violent so quick and how V is just all over that (she also just loves seeing Velma get excited abt things)

Daphne would watch Jack Stauber’s “Opal” day in and day out and Velma would happily watch along; Daphne more or less comforted in not being alone as a child of neglect, Velma nitpicking the art style and the metaphors and how absolutely genius work it is

Velma seems like a clarinet player to me (as a clarinet player myself oops) and I think Daphne would have a lot of fun on low brass even if her parents keep pushing her to do flute or piccolo or something on top of piano and/or violin

I have more they’re just not in my phone so I’ll find them hopefully in the morning if not some other time😭😭😭😭 I wrote them in a notebook for class in my senior year of high school (3 years ago) so I guess I’ll be on a mission to find this particular notebook bc I hardly used it for actual class stuff

[khaleesiofalicante]

Idk the autor, but I love the quote: I only know how to exist when I'm wanted

I'M HAVING MANY MAX FEELINGS I AM DYING SEND HELP🥺🥺🥺

Magnus be like: Idk what is happening and at this point I'm too afraid to ask🙂

Alec’s smile at Max is everything I need in my life!!!

Robert is the kind of guy who would love his grandchildren more than life itself and now I'm emo😭

Of course Max likes the way french sounds huh?!? Kdhdkdbd

Ragnor is dramatic af lmao. But also I'm love him smacking some sense into Magnus to talk to Alec (and remembering it everyday!!) consider if this is something he wants and consider his age and career. Love me one grumpy idiot with the last braincell😌

God, him having an episode at that time... Fuck. He is so goddamn strong

Oh, patriarchy. Thou art heartless. THIS>>>

They are both so fucking chaotic!! Who let them take care of a child?!?😂 Max making "Fuck" one of his firsts words is so Max and Magnus blaming Alec for it is called iconic behavior😌

Petition to put Max’s laugh in Spotify please!!

ALL THEIR HEALTHY COMMUNICATION IS TOP TIER CONTENT AND I AM HERE FOR THEM GETTING THROUGH EVERYTHING TOGETHER!!

Can someone love me the way Alec and Magnus love each other????

“But this is the life I chose for myself. Do you understand? I chose you and I chose everything that comes with it.” I was crying at this point, ngl they are the fucking cutest💜

“Can I shave you?” Yes I cried but no one can blame me ok?!?! JSHDKFBDL

Shinyun sending him all that was actually so beautiful and I'm love it!!! 🥺🥺

THE BABY WRAP!!! AND BLUEBERRY!!! THAT IT. I AM DEAD. I DIED FROM ALL THIS CUTENESS!!! 😭

Catarina is a mood😎

“Overconfidence kills, Alexander,” Magnus points out. “As does your cooking.” Alec swats him with a spoon. “Fuck off.” “Fuck!” ✨I LOVE THEM✨

Magnus, you smart, evil babe😏

Max will teach him how to love. Max will be his first love. I honestly had to take a second after this bc this left me with such heartwarming feelings🥺🥺💙

I literally had to take several breaks while reading all the texts because they were just too damn painful😭😭

Okay now they are sleeping with each other and pretending like they don’t have feelings for each other 🤦‍♂️ jezz I wonder who would be idiot enough to do that?😒

I AM DAVID WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER. KDBDKDN

There is something so terrifying about watching your parents cry. It fucks up your head. It makes you feel small and insignificant and vulnerable. THIS IS SO FUCKING TRUE!!

As someone really wise would said: Women get shit done😌

Elyaas is the absolute BEST!! I AM LOVE HIM!! Everything he said is so on point and wise and.. jdhkdhdkdj he is my MVP😎

He was supposed to protect bapak from those people. Not become one of them.😭😭😭

Get this boy some self-love!!!

“Promise me you won’t give up on love,” Elyaas asks. “Whether it’s love for your David or your family or yourself. Promise me you will hold onto it. You are very much like your bapak, Max. You need love to survive. So, you need to hold onto it. Okay?” FUCK IT THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL!! AN DI LOVE THE PARALLELS BETWEEN MAGNUS AND MAX!!

“You ever love anyone?” “Yes,” the man smiles. “You.” Elyaas supremacy indeed😎

I miss you terrible. NO ONE DOES IT LIKE THIS MAN ISTG 😭

FUCK. THAT SCENE WAS JUST... FUCK!! Why do you insist on breaking my heart Dani?!?! 😭😭 I WANT TO HUG DAVID OK?!!?

Clary is scary af, but I love her so much!! 💙💙

He would recognize that face anywhere. He always will. How could he not? It’s the shape of his heart. PLEASE WHY DO THIS FAMILY INSISTS ON BEING ROMANTIC AS FUCK JDHSIDJDI

Keep singing, sweetheart. I’m coming. I got you. I love you. SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP NO ONE CAN DO IT LIKE THEM💙💙💙

I know this scene is sad and all, but Alec dear, please stop getting in the way of this ship😭😭

My feelings after reading this Timeline: ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED THANK YOU VERY  MUCH I AM DUYING INSIDE🙂💔

Ben is so fucking amazing and I am love him and I will protect him with my life💙

“Guess you’re not the only reckless lunatic in this house,” In this house we stan our saviour Janie😌

Note to self: You are soooooo bisexual. Me everytime I breathe kdhdkdhd

THE WAY I GASPED WHEN SHE SAID SHE WAS CORALINE MOREAU

SHE IS SO COOL AND PRETTY AND COOL AND WISE AND-

Note to self: Try not to cry on your first session. Mood af😎

As Taylor Swift once said: Fuck the patriarchy!

I could do a whole fucking essay about every single thing I loved about this chapter but it would be reaaaally long jdhdjdjd just some of my favorite parts I relate/just love the therapy session:

“You were battling grief and you were expressing it as aggression.”

///

"But remember that you deserve to be loved regardless of how you feel about yourself. If David loves you, then let him love you. Self-love can be exhausting to practice every day. Sometimes it’s okay to let other people do it for us.”

The way she saw he hold a lot of thoughts back??? That shit was beautiful as fuck???

You seem to hurt yourself before other people can do it. It’s called self-sabotage. It’s a very common coping mechanism.” THE WAY I DONT HAVE TIME TO UNPACK ALL THAT-

"We don't hurt the people we love."

He smiles. "I know."

"That includes you."

He smiles wider. "I'll try to remember that."

"Good," she smiles. "Now run."

BITCH I WANT TO CRY😭😭

Jace, Lexi and Selena are all already abord the Mavid ship and that is honestly so badass of them😎

CLARY>>>>>>> I LOVE HER😍

I fucking knew he was going to do some romcom-dramatic-chasing-him-on-an-airport thing!! I KNEW IT!!!

THAT FUCKING SCEN WHERE RAFAEL ARRIVED IN HIS BIKE!! FUCK THAT WAS THE HOTTEST, MOST PERFECT BADASS THING I HAVE SEEN AND THIS IMAGE WILL LIVE 34/7 RENT FREE IN MY MIND!! I LOVE RAFAEL!!

And this is more important than any fucking gold medal. JDHDIDND I HAVE STOPPED BREATHING AT THIS POINT!!

Jace watched his otp come to life FINALLY!!

We got Alec into the Mavid ship😎

Max has been keeping all of it inside himself for so long and it just spills out. His love for David just spills out of him. I SCREAMED AT THIS PART AND ACCIDENTALLY EOKR UP MY FATHER. AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN!!!

“I thought you missed out on all of that,” David closes his eyes. “I didn’t. I was there. I listened,” Max promises.🥺🥺🥺🥺

Note to self: Focus on David. Fuck everyone else. Don't let them take your David. Don't let them take him like they took your bapak. This shit hurted like a fucking stab wound😭

THEY KISSED!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL THEY KISSED IN PUBLIC AHDJSBDKDN

My David is unhinged as fuck lmao😂

The way Max wants David to go back to Cambridge bc he knows it makes him happy and the way he is going to make sure he shows that he loves and cares for him more than anything is so fucking healthy I AM DYING🥺🥺

"I’ll go to hell for you, sweetheart. England ain’t half bad.” Oh, if he knew how much he means it kdbdkfjd

THE I LOVE YOU'S JDGSJDHD THIS IS THE BEST THING IN MY LIFE

"I was scared of how much you love me. I was scared of how much it would hurt if you stopped. I was scared of your love. I was scared of your love even though it’s the most beautiful thing in the whole world. I’m sorry.” I-I JUST CANT😭

David presses a kiss to his shoulder. “I know love can be scary sometimes. But if you are scared, you can tell me. We can be scared together.”

///

“David Alexander Beauchamp. I love you,” Max smiles. “Every part of me loves every part of you.”

THATS IT. THATS A FAVORITE QUOTE FOREVER RIGHT HERE😍😍

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” A BITCH IS CRYING AND THAT BITCH IS ME.

Honest talk, I loved, loved, loved this chapter! I know I have said this a hundred times before, but this one an absolute favorite💙

I'm gonna miss this little shit and his 100% relatable thoughts so much. Thank you for writing him and making me love him with my whole heart. Ily💚

Take careeeee<33

I WAS SOOOOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU TO READ THIS CHAP BECAUSE OF ALL THE MAVID CONTENT.

I'm so glad you loved it.

Imma miss the little shit so much too. Thank you for loving him so much 💙

[jadedglory]

@nolantalks

Hey Fernando, if you're gonna lie, lie convincingly.

Jonesy isn't and hasn't ever been on Greed, which you would know if you or your 'friend' joined the server. Also for the record, outside of you posting your bs, I really don't care or follow your shit at all. And unlike you I don't sit on a Tumblr blog every day spewing more bs to make myself relevant in the rpc space. I DO have better things to do.

Also please tell me what's more unhinged: Keeping tabs of someone that is notorious in the RPC for harassment, who has harassed your friend, and making sure that any time some lies are said, you're there to shut them down with actual evidence and not just fabricated discord convos. (which btw isn't considered stalking) Or

Pretending to be multiple people, denying it despite proof and a rp source calling your ass out (and proving you are both Nolan & Nando), and constantly going on just rants that barely make sense. Like honey, your rambles sound like a person off their meds. On top of it, indicating someone who is completely innocent in your quest to find me (which is really fucked up btw that you discord dropped someone else that doesn't even know who you are).

But then again, you don't care who you hurt, you just want to hurt people because you're so miserable in your own life. And only way you can do that is with lies.

Not to mention going on a ramble about how you got my email and tracked it to my social media accounts? (Which I doubt but w/e, even if you do I really DON'T. FUCKING. CARE.) Like I couldn't honestly give a shit who you are outside of rp. Literally if you would stop spewing bs, I wouldn't be up in your business. I really don't care enough about you. I DO however care about protecting my friends, and that also means against false claims that are totally bullshit.

Also I will say, I'm sad you don't remember me. But then again you don't remember that Jonesy was the one that played Colossus on X-men boards, or that they usually only paired all their characters with their GF at the time. So your bs about them playing Starshatter and trying to ship with you is all bs. You were the one pushing for pairings and they weren't really that interested because you were so pushy and annoying. You were also the one when you were told no about Mimic (because he was banned for being OP) that decided to go on a fucking crusade to try to get Jonesy kicked from another board.

That's really fucking sad.

Irregardless, if it's one thing that has come out of this, I've made some really awesome friends.... As well as a few laughs.

Which, thanks for those!

Cheers!

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Azula’s friend but secretly dating Zuko behind her back

One of the first things you and Azula bonded over was your annoying brothers. Azula told you how her brother had stolen one of her best friends away from her and you related to that. Your twin brother was none other than Sokka of the water tribe, who was also very popular with women. Most of the women you knew liked him, from Yue to Toph to Suki to Ty lee! It sometimes felt like you were the second attraction in a friendship and so you and Azula quickly became close over your shared frustrations.

Then....you betrayed her.

Well, betrayal is a bit dramatic but maybe not given how upset she'd been when Mai and Zuko started dating. You knew that had been hard for Azula to process.  How difficult it had been wondering if her friends really liked her or just wanted access to her brother. So when you started liking Zuko you didn’t plan on acting on it at all. Then Mai broke up with him. 

Zuko was around at yours quite often, whenever he visited the water tribe he stayed in your home and when you visited the fire nation he extended the same hospitality. So throughout the years, you just naturally got closer and closer until....it happened. You started hanging out just the two of you and these occasions felt very date-like until Zuko just outright asked you out. You liked him and told yourself one date was fine, what harm could a single date do? But then as you kept seeing each other and one date soon progressed into many many more you knew your time to do the right thing and tell Azula you were dating her brother was approaching. 

However the idea of doing that idea terrified you. You guessed Azula wouldn’t take it well and didn’t want to lose your friendship with her because of your relationship with Zuko. You wouldn’t break up with Zuko just to make her happy but you also didn’t want to lose Azula’s friendship, so when Katara’s birthday arose you were fairly nervous. There was going to be a large party and all of Katara’s friends were coming...which included Zuko and Azula. You hadn’t been together with everyone since you and Zuko started dating so you had no idea how it would feel. The whole time you and Zuko would have to convincingly act like you weren’t a couple and not make anyone at the party suspicious of the two of you. So when Zuko’s ship got in you fixed your eyes on Azula and tried not to stare at him any more than usual. You greeted him formally and didn’t admire him as you usually would. You fell in step with Azula and decided just to focus on her. It wasn’t hard, you were best friends and very close...however fate was not on your side. You got seated across from him at dinner which felt like some sick punishment and struggled not to get lulled into conversation with him. It didn’t help that Zuko was in a playful mood. He kept making comments about the things you’d done on your date and then sending you sly looks across the table. When you met his eye he smirked blatantly and you lightly kicked him under the table. That only made Zuko chuckled and look adorable so you sighed and decided to just keep your eyes down the whole time to survive dinner. 

However, Zuko had no intention of stopping his teasing. After dinner you set about preparing the party for Katara tomorrow and having sent Sokka, Aang, Suki, Azula and Toph on their assigned jobs turned to your job of decorating. You were hanging streamers in the living room when you felt a hand curl around your waist. “Need some help there?” Zuko asked moving closer and he leaned up over you to hang it. “I could have done that myself” you smiled turning to face him and Zuko shrugged “I know you could’ve, but then I wouldn’t have been able to do this”. Zuko gently kissed your neck trailing down to your collar bone making you sigh. “Zuko...stop” you said faint heartedly and Zuko sensed that smirking "I don’t want to and you don’t want me to either, I can tell by how softly you said my name" he smiled "it’s been so long since we’ve had any time together". Your skin erupted in goosebumps and a shiver went down your spine as Zuko pressed closer against you. But you knew how badly this could end if literally anyone walked in. So swiftly you grabbed Zuko’s hands and twisted your way out of them. You held them tightly in one hand so he couldn’t try and slink around you again and used the other to make him look at you "Zuko we can’t okay, not on this trip. God knows i want to, i’ve missed you too but there’s too much that could go wrong i’m sorry". Zuko sighed but nodded his head "don’t worry i understand". Zuko’s shoulders sagged and you knew your insistance on keeping this quiet was difficult for him. "Thank you for understanding" you said hugging him quickly "i know it can’t be easy for you and I appreciate the effort you're going to for me". Zuko smiled resting his head on top of yours "it’s fine, i’d do a lot more for you if you asked but promise me it won’t always be like this....we will tell everyone soon?". You gulped but nodded pulling away "i promise, i will tell Azula...soon!". Zuko nodded “I believe you” and let his hands drop away from you. Not a moment later Sokka and Aang appeared in the room making the two of you jump. “Zuko just the man we need! We were thinking of making an ice sculpture, fancy some fire bending?”. Zuko nodded “sure” and with a last glance to you left the room. 

Hours later the party preparations finished you returned to your room which you were sharing with Azula for her visit. “Sokka made me blow up balloons” she said angrily “something about fire benders being full of hot air”. You smirked at your brother’s nerve when Azula’s next sentence wiped it off your face.  "Also I think Zuko’s dating someone again" Azula said softly and you paused. "Ow really?" you asked and she nodded "he’s been spending a suspicious amount of time in the southern water tribe lately. Lots of visits which he claims are diplomatic but I can’t work out what he actually does here! He doesn’t know that many people and so it got me thinking, y/n do you think your brother and mine....". "No Sokka's still with Suki" you said shaking your head. Azula sighed “and it’s obviously not Katara, she and Aang are basically married, have you seen him hanging around anyone else? He doesn’t know many people so it should be easy to spot". You paused pretending to think but were really just trying to buy yourself time. "Honestly i don’t pay much attention to him when he visits" you said cleverly covering your back "but i will from now on and let you know". "Thank you y/n" Azula smiled. You smiled back relieved Azula didn’t suspect anything and let out a large breath you’d been holding for this entire conversation. You were now more than ready for sleep and got into bed hurriedly. You laid your head on your pillow and closed your eyes utterly exhausted. 

"Goodnight y/n" Azula called and you nodded. You were very sleepy and after a long yawn smiled "good night Zuko".

You realised the name you’d said seconds after it came out of your mouth. 

You froze

As did azula.

"Did you just call me Zuko...". You blinked "did i? I’m sure i said Azula". Azula was quiet for 2 seconds before she shot up "it’s you!" she cried "you're the one my brother’s dating!". "No Azula that’s crazy!!! We'd just been discussing Zuko, that’s why he was on my mind!". Azula shook her head "you're lying! I can tell by the tone of your voice! You’re the new girlfriend aren’t you?". You sighed "Azula i’m sorry i was going to tell you...". "I can’t believe you" Azula yelled and suddenly the door opened. "What’s wrong?" Sokka and Zuko asked bursting in “we heard yelling” and Azula glared. "You! Couldn't just have Mai huh? Had to take another one of my friends? How about when you’re done with y/n you try things with Ty lee?". "Ow she told you...." Zuko frowned awkwardly. "No i worked it out!” Azula spat “Y/n accidentally uttered your name because she’s so lovesick" Azula cried "you both make me sick" and she strode away slamming the front door hard as she exited the house.

After Azula left you all looked at one another unsure what to do or say next. "So...you two are a thing?" Sokka asked and Zuko paused "yes...is your reaction going to be as bad as Azula’s or can i go deal with her?". Sokka shook his head "go deal with her before she burns the village down”. Zuko went to move past Sokka when your brother put a hand to his chest "but come back and see me after, me and Katara will want to talk to you about dating our sister". Zuko surprisingly looked intimidated and nodded "I'll be right back". "Zuko wait i should come too" you called "this is as much my fault as yours". Zuko nodded "let’s go" and led you outside into the cold night after Azula.

You found Azula trekking in the snow and as she wasn’t in proper shoes you gained on her quickly. “Azula!” you called and she jumped. She looked around and glared “ow look the happy couple, how nice of you to grace me with your presence”. Zuko rolled his eyes “only you’d be so attention-seeking to make this about you”. “Attention seeking? Who’s the person who can’t form his own friendships or respect boundaries? No always have to date my friends, is it some weird way for you to gain power over me? A sad way to boost your ego?”. As Zuko and Azula went to square up to each other you stepped between them. “Alright enough the both of you! Zuko please go back to the house, i’ll handle this”. “But she...”. “Zuko please” you said sharply and he nodded “fine” and with a glare left. You watched him go before turning back to Azula. You’d been about to suggest you go home given that Azula was surely freezing out here in the middle of the night but Azula broke into a rant. "Everyone leaves me for him" she cried "Mai! My uncle! Mother! Even my father...after i was smarter, a better fire bender, more loyal and younger he still gave Zuko every little chance and only crowned me after Zuko literally ran away! When will i be good enough people don’t just choose him without a second thought for me?". "Azula i didn’t choose Zuko over you! Just because i like Zuko doesn’t mean i don’t like you still". "That may be true but this changes our friendship completely, it did with Mai! People always prioritise their partners over their friends so i’ll be second best once again". "Are you kidding?" you asked "Azula now i need you more than ever! Relationships aren’t when you ditch your friends, they’re when you need them the most! Who else are you going to go to for a break or a nice getaway? Who else is going to support and love you in only the platonic way a friend can? Who else can i complain about Zuko to when he annoys me or we fight?" you asked "they’re all things you need your friends for! Desperately and that’s going to be the same for me". "But when Mai dated him...". "But i’m not Mai" you smiled softly "Azula we are good friends, i won’t sideline you because of this. You mean just as much to me now as before i started dating Zuko". Azula huffed but you could see her melting. "So...how about we go inside, get some warm milk and talk a bit more about this huh?". You offered Azula your hand and she took it but she didn’t stop there. Azula threw her arms around you and hugged you tightly. "I’m partly doing this for the cold but thank you" she said softly "nobodies ever tried to make me feel supported when they've chosen Zuko, they just tell me to deal with it but you’re the first to try and reassure me and so i know you mean it, to still be my friend". "Of course" you smiled "you're my best friend!". Azula smiled and linked her arm through yours "i like that!”. 

Zuko stared in awe as you and Azula returned grinning. "How did it go is everything okay?". You nodded "your extremely cool sister is fine with it". "Yes i thought this would be a great way to have an inside scoop on you zuzu". "She’s kidding i won’t talk to her about you...a lot". Zuko blinked "okay if everything's okay then i should go speak to Sokka and Katara, they’re waiting for me in the kitchen". Azula smiled "that’s a good idea, when you come back zuzu find me, i have some threats about what will happen if you hurt my best friend". You smiled at Azula and stepped to Zuko "good luck but don’t worry Sokka’s all bite, Katara’s the one to look out for but she has a big heart, just tell her how good a time we’ve had and you’ll be fine". "Good tips, any for my sister?". You smiled "Azula is one i have not worked out yet" you grinned "but i’m sure you’ll manage, you are the firelord after all". Zuko smirked and you patted his shoulder "after your appointment with my brother and sister and then your sister....you could always come find me in your room?". Zuko smiled "is that my motivation for surviving this?". You shrugged "you can think of it as that" and stepped away from him. Zuko watched you before sighing "alright let’s get this over with” he said loudly and strode towards the kitchen.

You turned back to Azula who raised an eyebrow at Zuko’s sudden confidence and she frowned. "Do i even want to know?" Azula asked and you shook your head "no". “Ow and don’t worry if I’m not in our room tonight”. “Euch Y/n!” Azula cried and you shrugged “what? I didn’t say why”. “I know why” she sighed before she smiled “at least I can have your bigger bed”. “Be my guest” you smiled, you had a firelord to get reacquainted with. 

[ajaxeology]

Hi! This is for the 100 followers event :]

Can i request venti and kazuha with "i thought my crush on you was obvious"?

Stargazing - Kazuha

Word Count: 0.8k

Genre: fluff

c/w: mention of drinking

Beneath the canopy of stars in the sky, it’s just you and Kazuha. You and your best friend that you like. Both of you lie down on a blanket on the wooden boards of the Alcor. It is a chilly night, but the cold doesn’t help much with the heat that fills your face.

Kazuha asked you earlier in the day if you wanted to stargaze with him. You readily agree to it, but you only find out that he didn’t ask anyone else.

While your eyes are on the stars that are sprawled above you, your mind fixates on his presence right beside you. Your heart thumps hard in your ears and you only dare to steal side glances at him.

You forget you never get away scot-free from Kazuha’s keen senses. He catches your gaze and he laughs as your eyes dart away. You think he’s moved his attention back to the sky, but you look at him again to find his maple red eyes trained on you.

You try to keep a straight face, but your stammer betrays you, “Wha- What is it?”

He says, “I’ve gotten a little tired of looking at the stars in the sky. For a change, I’d just like a little time to gaze at the stars in your eyes too.”

You pretend to be unaffected but a part of you is so sure that even the night cannot conceal the hues of red that bloom on your face.

“There aren’t stars in my eyes.”

“There are. There is a whole galaxy in your eyes. You just don’t see it.”

You cover your face and turn to your side, away from him.

He puts a hand on your shoulders. You let out an unintentional squeak and hope he doesn’t hear it (he does).

“[name], please don’t look away. There’s no need to hide your beautiful face.”

Oh, he's going to be the death of you. You detest how such flattering words could easily fall out of his pretty lips and how you always have to convince yourself not to twist its interpretation. He has a way with his words and there are just matters he talks about a lot more easily than others.

Still looking away from him, you stand up. You mumble “Don’t say things like that. It makes me think you like me.”

“But I do like you.”

You think you’re going to fall into the sea until he gently wraps his fingers around your hands. Your head spins harder, but his hand anchors you.

“You finally looked at me, huh?”

He rubs circles on the hand that he’s holding and you think you’re going to fall overboard. His mind and soul is always elsewhere and never on the ship, so why would it be on you?

You realise you might have spoken your thoughts aloud as Kazuha’s expression changes. Kazuha stands up and he puts both your hands in his.

“[name], I’ve always liked you.”

Kazuha still sees the disbelief on your face and mused, “What more shall I do to persuade you? I thought my crush on you was obvious and I believe I made it very much so tonight.”

In hindsight, maybe he was obvious. He always chose to help you out of everyone on deck. He always chose to follow you whenever you had to go on land. While the memory was hazy, you think he helped you when you had a hangover. You remember him pushing aside the hair pricking your eyes then, his fingers gently grazing across your forehead.

You just refused to believe any of it. He seemed weighed down by his friend’s death such that you never thought he’d make space for you in his weary heart.

You say with a shaky breath, “Say it again.”

He lets go of one of your hands and circles his free arm around your waist to support your trembling body.

“I like you, [name].”

“I like you too, Kazuha.”

“I know. The wind, waves and the stars told me.”

You burst out laughing, but you stop immediately and listen out for the footsteps of other crew members. When you don’t hear anyone, you settle for a fit of giggles, right in his arms.

Kazuha asked in a tender voice, “May I call you ‘my love’?”

The stars illuminate his face and you see slight red at the tip of his ears. You can’t help but feel flustered too. You nod.

Both of you lay on the blanket again. You and your lover. Your head on his arms, your fingers intertwined with his. Kazuha gazes into your eyes and you ask him to tell you what else he sees.

You soon take your leave to rest in your cabin. The name reserved for you since long ago falls off his lips with ease, right into your ears as his breath tickles them.

“Have a wonderful evening, my love.”

a/n: Sorry if this is a little on the shorter side, I still hope you'll enjoy it.

Thank you to my wonderful friend who brainrotted about this with me, ILYSM AAAAAA <3

Taglist (open): @almondoufu @ohmykazuha @yeetmeoffjueyunkarst @icecappa @abyssheart @tsubaki3192 @geolatt3u @mikachuchu @kallmekoi @shxnosuke

[butterflyyeo]

drunk in love

pairing - yeosang x fem reader

genre - fluff, angst (?)

tw - lots of alcohol consumption, swearing

wc - 10k

side ships - seongjoong, yungi

a/n -- was meant to be angst but turned into fluff... im trying my best to get better at writing angst aaaah. but please enjoy this for now <3 thanks for letting me tag you @iminchaosnow !!

------------------------------------------- you had known kang yeosang for nearly two years now. two, dreadfully slow and exhausting years.it was your final year of high school when he transferred to your school, he was a close family friend of wooyoung's. his parents had spoken highly of the school, insisting that yeosang transfers in order to excel for his last year of schooling. as far as you were concerned, he had decent grades, but he preferred to spend his time hanging around the skatepark after dark, when everyone else had left.

and in all the two years you'd known him, you had never once had a full conversation with him, despite being in your group of friends. his side of the 'conversation' usually consisted of monotonous 'yeahs' and 'mhms'. wooyoung constantly assured you it was because he's shy and that he'd eventually open up. but you weren't convinced. you tried so hard for him to like you, but your efforts were fruitless. it was infuriating, feeling like you were constantly doing something wrong whenever you were around him.

you currently found yourself in the backseat of yeosang's car, wedged between a drunken yunho and mingi while a chaotic wooyoung was singing along to his chosen playlist. (though, it sounded more like wailing.)

you and the eight boys had all decided to take a gap year, spend every last cent you earned on adventure and alcohol to make lifelong memories, before your careers became a blockade in your friendship. but the year was coming to an end soon, it was already mid november. on the bright side, that meant your favourite holidays were just weeks away.

yeosang was always the designated driver. that was something you had noticed about him over the last few years. to be honest, you weren't sure just how he coped with a screeching wooyoung, because you sure as hell weren't dealing very well with yunho and mingi who were playing a very intense game of rock paper scissors to decide who would be crashing on the couch in your apartment.

"i win!" mingi cheered, waving his hands excitedly. "you're on the couch, man."

yunho frowned, "damn."

you laughed, "it's okay, yunho. you can share the bed with me if you'd like."

"hey! that's not fair y/n! you said i could this time." wooyoung whined from the front seat.

"sorry, woo. you know i keep my promises, but you're going back to your apartment. remember?" you tried to reason.

wooyoung looked as though someone had switched a lightbulb on behind his eyes, "oh yeah! i forgot."

the four of you burst into laughter, mainly caused by the alcohol and partially because of wooyoung's realisation. and still, yeosang didn't crack a smile, hands just gripping the steering wheel tighter as his knuckles turned white.

soon, you arrived outside your apartment block, quickly stepping out the car after yunho. wooyoung wound his window down and you poked your head in, attempting to hug him goodbye.

"bye woo!" you said, giggling at your faltered farewell.

"good night y/n, thanks for the drinks!" he shouted, exclaiming a bit too loudly next to your ear.

"thanks for the lift as always, yeosang!" you yelled, pulling away from wooyoung's tight hug.

he nodded, "no problem." before putting the window up and driving away.

you pouted, turning around to face the two boys. "i just don't understand what i'm doing wrong." you buried your face into your hands, "why doesn't he like me?" you groaned.

"y/n." mingi began, "its nearly 1am, its way too late for this 'why does yeosang hate me?' crap." he shook your shoulders, literally trying to shake some sense into you.

"yeah, mingi's right. we've had this discussion a thousand times." yunho said grasping your wrist and pulling you up the stairs, stumbling along the way. (because lets be real, stairs are difficult enough as it is, let alone when drunk.) "now, let us into your apartment so we can eat your food and crash on your couch!" he joked, nudging mingi in a playful manner.

you reached into your pocket and fumbled around with they key for a moment before unlocking the door. the boys practically pushed you inside and made a beeline for the fridge.

"help yourselves! i'm going to shower." you called, dragging yourself to your bedroom.

once you'd finished showering you went back to the living room to check on yunho and mingi. not so much to your surprise, they had fallen asleep on your couch already, cuddled up into each other. it was cute, even picture worthy to show their sober selves. you reached for your phone which typically lived in your pocket, though you began to panic when it wasn't there. hurrying around the apartment, you searched every possible nook and cranny for your phone, but it was nowhere to be found. you collapsed onto your bed, snuggling into the soft sheets, too tired to worry about your phone anymore and content with the assumption that you'd left it in yeosang's car.

shortly, your heavy eyes fell shut and you began to sleep away the tequila.

————————

the next morning you awoke to mingi and yunho's deep, hungover voices, discussing their plans for the next week.

you reluctantly pulled yourself out of bed and dawdled down the hallway.

"ah! there's our favourite karaoke partner!" yunho greeted, jokingly.

you laughed, "shh, don't let wooyoung hear you say that."

"she's right, man. he'd be so offended." mingi said, stretching out his sore limbs. "how are you feeling today, y/n?" he asked.

"not the worst hangover i've had. what about you guys? you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like, until you feel better." you replied, knowing them well enough to know that they'd need at least a few painkillers and a good meal before they went home.

yunho chuckled, "i feel like crap, but nothing a sandwich and glass of water can't solve."

"i second that." mingi said, raising a hand.

"okay, well in that case, i'll go to the store and get something for breakfast. sound good?" you reasoned, running a hand through your hair. you loved these boys, and making them breakfast was just a nice way of showing you cared. drunk or not, they knew how to make you smile and laugh, which they loved to see.

"sounds amazing!" yunho said, breaking into a sincere smile.

you quickly changed out of your pyjamas and slipped some shoes on.

"i might be a bit longer, i need to stop by yeosang's. i think i left my phone in his car." you explained, picking your keys up from the kitchen counter. "see you guys soon! feel free to take a shower if you want." you said, waving goodbye and heading out the door.

"okay, bye y/n!" the boys called from behind you.

the first stop was yeosang's apartment, he only lived about ten minutes away with wooyoung and san, in the same building as jongho. both yunho and mingi lived on the other side of town, which is why they so often crashed at your place after parties. seonghwa and hongjoong were fortunate enough to live in a house, just outside town, they had actually been the hosts of last night's party.

it didn't take long to get there. you pushed open the lobby door and made your way over to the elevator, disappointed to see that it was out of order for maintenance. instead, you took the stairs and began spiralling upwards. less than a minute later you looked up, only to bump into the man you came looking for.

"oh, yeosang! i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to." you quickly apologised, worried about creating another reason for him to dislike you.

"it's fine." he shrugged.

you both began to talk again at the same time, "ah, sorry, you go."

"i was just gonna say, you left your phone in my car. actually, i was about to bring it back." he pulled your phone from the pocket of his jacket, handing it to you. as he did, your fingers brushed against his. he spun around suddenly and began to walk away, "i'll see you around."

he had left before you even had a chance to thank him. slightly confused and frustrated, you turned back around and traipsed down the stairs.

you gathered what you needed for a hearty breakfast at the local convenience store before heading home and spending the rest of the day in the enjoyable company of yunho and mingi.

yeosang had entered back into his apartment and sat down on the couch.

"back already?" wooyoung asked, rummaging through the fridge.

"she was coming to get her phone and i ran into her on the staircase."

wooyoung sighed, "when are you gonna stop hating her?"

"i don't hate her." yeosang said, not looking up from his phone.

"then why do you act like you do?"

yeosang pretended to not hear that question and continued to scroll through his phone. see, he'd rather not dwell on things that he couldn't understand.

————————

to fill up your weekdays during your gap year, you had picked up a job at a hotel in town as a receptionist. to your dismay, your boss had asked you to work night shift all week, which is how you found yourself here on thursday night, sitting alert and waiting for the slight chance that someone might check in at this time of night. it was a pretty fancy hotel, and the job payed well enough, so really, you had nothing to complain about.

the nights seemed to drag on for an eternity. to keep yourself busy, you often wasted time counting the cars that drove past, or tried to count the number of crystals that hung from the chandelier. so far, only a few people had checked in during your shift, having come from overseas and recently arriving at the airport. honestly, whenever someone walked through the front door, lugging a suitcase behind them, you got excited as it gave you something to do.

the clock was creeping up to 4am and you let out a quiet yawn, feeling drowsy as your body clock hadn't yet adjusted to the change of sleeping patterns on such short notice. taking a sip of water, you shook your head, trying to stay awake. your head suddenly jolted up at the sound of the front door opening.

a man stumbled forward, and you'd seen enough zombie movies to become instantly paranoid. you quickly pushed the thought out of your head, feeling ridiculous for even considering it. but as the man got closer, you could smell the cheap, potent alcohol lingering on his body.

he leant against the desk, peering down at you. "i need a room for the night."  he grumbled. "my stupid wife kicked me out." he said under his breath.

you forced a friendly smile, despite feeling uneasy, "of course! i just need you to fill in this form with some simple details." you said, sliding across a clipboard and a pen.

he huffed, picking up the pen and scribbling onto the sheet of paper before pushing it back to you. "can i go now?"

"just a moment, sir." you replied, eyes skimming over the form as you copied the information into the computer in front of you.

the man was growing impatient, stepping from foot to foot with his arms crossed.

"uh, sir, you missed a part of the form. could you please provide your phone number here." you pointed to the empty space on the sheet.

"for fucks sake." he muttered, "i don't have my phone on me and i don't know my phone number." he said, annoyedly tapping on the desk.

"i'm really sorry, sir, but—"

"can't you just find me a fucking room?" he snapped, hands balled into fists and slamming against the desk, making you jump in fright.

before you had time to try and reason with him, he continued to shout.

"you're as stupid as my wife! i'll just find a different fucking hotel." he yelled, swiping the clipboard and pen off the desk. "useless bitch." he mumbled as he kicked over a chair on his way out.

you chewed your bottom lip, trying to fight back the tears. with shaky hands, you picked up your phone and dialled the first place that came to mind. after a few rings, the phone answered.

"woo?" you croaked, trying hard to not cry.

"he's asleep. this is yeosang." he replied, evidently having just woken up by the sound of his voice.

"oh." you began, instantly feeling guilty for waking him up, "i'm sorry i didn't mean to disturb you."

"did you need something?" he asked.

"i just, i was..." you let out a sob, wiping at a tear falling from your eye.

this didn't go unnoticed by yeosang, "are you crying? what are you doing awake right now anyway?"

"i'm at work." you managed to choke out.

"at 4am?"

"i'm on night shift."

"why are you crying then?" he asked, feeling something slightly tug at his heart, but choosing to ignore it.

you began to ramble, "a man came in and he was really drunk and complaining about his wife and then he yelled at me because i asked him to give his phone number and—"

"i'm on my way." yeosang cut you off.

"what?"

"i'll be there in ten." with that, he hung up the phone.

exactly ten minutes later, you were sat in the passenger seat of yeosang's car. he was dressed in sweats, clearly having come straight from bed. you'd left a note on the desk, explaining to your coworker why you wouldn't be there when she arrived to take over your shift. a silence filled the car, and you felt the need to talk, but chose not to, worried about giving yeosang another reason to hate you.

once you arrived outside your apartment building, you were surprised that yeosang got out the car too and trailed closely behind you up the stairs to your apartment. when you reached the door you spun around to face him.

"thank you for bringing me home." you said, voice quiet and still rather shaken up.

"it's no problem. good night, y/n." he replied, sensing that you were still upset. he suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around you tightly and not let go until you stopped crying. he wanted to protect you from every drunk idiot on the planet. he wanted to make you feel safe.

but instead, he watched as you closed the door behind you and locked it from inside.

————————

you arrived at work the next morning, instantly feeling more comfortable with cleaners, employees and people coming and going. immediately, you headed for your boss's office.

"good morning, sir. i just wanted to come and apologise for leaving my shift early last night. i can assure you it won't happen again." you said, feeling nervous as to what your boss might say.

he shook his head, "i should be the one apologising, a man came in this morning and spoke very sternly about the safety problems here. i realise now how stupid it was of me to make you work night shift, alone, at such a young age. we've hired security guards and have also made sure that two people will be on desk at all times. i'm sorry that you had to deal with that."

you were at a loss for words, you didn't think that there would be such drastic changes just from the once incident. "thank you so much." you replied.

"for now, take the rest of the day off. you'll only be working day shifts for next week and can return to doing night shifts whenever you feel ready to do so." your boss said, motioning for the door.

the rest of the day you spent in deep sleep, catching up on some much overdue rest.

———————

weeks passed and you found that work was much more enjoyable. you still hadn't returned to working night shifts, but at least now you had someone to run the front desk with you and keep you company.

this weekend, you were going to visit hongjoong and seonghwa. hongjoong was sick and so you decided to go help out since seonghwa couldn't always be there to look after him.

you knocked on their front door and was surprised to be greeted by san.

"good afternoon! come in." he gave you a hug before ushering you inside.

"what are you doing here?" you said, following him down the hall.

in the living room, you saw all eight of the boys gathered around a couch-ridden hongjoong.

"jongho was already here when me, yeosang and woo arrived." san explained.

"yeah, and then mingi and yunho turned up." wooyoung continued.

"y/n! i have never been more glad to see you! you gotta save me from them." hongjoong laughed, arms open, signalling for a hug.

you went over and embraced him in a hug, "good thing i brought an excessive amount of cookies." you said, placing the box of cookies on the coffee table next to the couch. the table was covered in empty mugs and bowls, you could tell seonghwa had been busy and hadn't had the chance to clean up. you opened up the box and handed him a cookie before offering them around to the rest of the boys.

"you're the best cook ever." mingi said, taking a big bite.

"i made you spaghetti last night!" yunho countered, feeling offended that his roommate didn't think he was the better cook. mingi just laughed and took another bite.

"jongho get off the counter, please." seonghwa said, coming through the front door. "don't be so comfortable, you were throwing up in my toilet like a month ago." he joked.

yeosang glanced your way, his eyebrows furrowed like he was contemplating something.

"lets head off and give these two some space." yunho said, dragging mingi behind him.

wooyoung stood up, "yeah, lets get going."

yeosang pulled his keys from his pocket, "okay, bye guys." he said, heading down the hallway.

"can we get some food on the way home?" you heard san call as they left.

"bye hongjoong! i hope you're feeling better soon." jongho said, "bye seonghwa, i promise i won't throw up in your toilet any time soon." he joked, leaving through the front door.

"seonghwa, how are you? don't forget to take some time for yourself as well." you frowned.

"i'm tired, but i'll be okay. i just gotta clean up and—"

"why don't you go rest a while? i can keep hongjoong company for a few hours." you reasoned, wanting to help as much as possible. there was nothing you hated more than seeing you friends in distress and upset.

he looked between hongjoong and yourself, "i couldn't."

hongjoong let out an audible huff, "hwa! will you just let her help please, she clearly wants to."

you grinned, "exactly, now go read or sleep or watch some tv or something." you said, gently pushing him towards their shared bedroom.

you spent the afternoon tidying up and talking with hongjoong. you managed to do all the dishes and put them away before scouring their kitchen, deciding on what you could use for dinner. you found everything you needed for a decent meal and began cooking it up. hongjoong had dozed off mid conversation, surrounded in a pile of tissues, you chose to let him sleep so he would recover quicker.

about an hour later, you placed two steamy hot meals onto their dining table next to two full glasses of water. you quietly knocked on their bedroom door, finding seonghwa asleep amongst the covers.

you gently shook him awake, "hwa, i made dinner for you guys. you can wake joong up, i'll head off now." you said with a smile.

leaving the two of them to enjoy their dinner, you headed home and cooked yourself something to eat. it was nice having some time to yourself, but saturday nights were becoming more and more empty as winter grew closer. december was only days away and the year would soon come to an end. you reached for the phone, suddenly desperately missing your friends despite only seeing them hours ago.

"hey woo, are you free next weekend?" you asked.

he paused a moment, "i think so, why?"

"you wanna go out with the others? it's been a while since we have all caught up for drinks."

"count me in!" wooyoung cheered.

you called everyone else up and they all agreed, even hongjoong promised to come if he was feeling better.

————————

you found yourself surrounded by wooyoung, san, yunho and mingi as the music blared. it was a less popular club on the far side of town but it was a comfortable place for you all. you often came here for drinks and the staff members knew you, quite well, a little too well. san grabbed your hand and spun you around a few times with the music.

you laughed, leaning against him, "maybe spinning around isn't the best idea right after two shots of vodka."

"what?" san yelled into your ear, struggling to hear you over the music.

you laughed louder, pulling him closer to you, "i said, spinning is not a good idea after drinking vodka!"

"oh!" he joined you in laughing before trying to twirl you around once more.

hongjoong and seonghwa sat at the bar, holding hands and being intimate as always. yeosang was sat next to jongho at a booth, quietly talking with him, but from the corner of your eye, you saw jongho stand up and walk away. your eyes watched him worriedly and you couldn't help but run after him. you followed him as best you could, stumbling every now and then. he'd gone to the bathroom so you patiently waited outside until he came back, looking slightly pale.

you practically leapt at him, doing a quick scan to make sure he was okay, "jongho? are you alright?"

he smiled at your overwhelming concern, "yeah, i just drank too much as usual. i'll be alright, you can go back to dancing."

"let me just get you some water first. i'll be right back okay?" you patted his shoulder. "don't go anywhere i'll be back in a second."

you made your way back to where jongho had been sitting with yeosang. as you approached, yeosang eyed you up and down, taking in your drunken state, though, it wasn't the first time he'd seen you this way. you nearly tripped as you reached the table, struggling to walk in heels.

"i need a glass of water, do you have a glass of water? jongho needs a glass of water." you mumbled to yourself, reaching for the jug in the center of the table.

"are you okay?" yeosang asked, quickly pushing your hand away from the jug.

"i'm okay, but jongho needs water. can i take this cup? he's waiting for me, i told him not to go anywhere, i need to get back to jongho—" you tried to pick up a glass but yeosang pressed your hand back down once more.

"i'll take it to him, you stay here." he said, filling the cup full with water and heading towards the bathrooms.

your brain suddenly felt fuzzy and your eyes became blurry, it was like the alcohol hit your system all at once. your head spun round and round and you leaned forward, resting your hands on your head. you'd never felt this sick from drinking, maybe you'd had too much too quickly, maybe it was the spinning. there was no way to tell, all you knew was that you felt like you were about to fall from the top of a very high roller coaster.

your eyes felt increasingly heavy, you allowed them to slip shut, head falling to the table with a not so gentle thud.

"y/n?" someone shook you, "y/n wake up!" it was wooyoung.

"shit, is she okay? should we call an ambulance?" jongho said, reaching for his phone.

"is she breathing? has anyone checked?" seonghwa gently lifted your shoulders and sat you upright, relieved to see the rise and fall of your chest. "we should call a taxi and get her home."

"are you crazy? she's unconscious, she won't be able to get up the stairs to her apartment! what if the driver is dodgy? she's already had to deal with shitty men while working night shift, imagine if something happened while she's drunk!" yeosang blurted out. the boys were shocked over his sudden concern for you. yeosang had never once shown any interest or care for you in the presence of them.

"well, what should we do then?" mingi asked, worriedly running a hand through his hair.

"i'll take her, you've all been drinking." yeosang concluded. "she'll be fine, don't worry. enjoy the rest of your night, okay? i've dealt with woo passing out before remember?"

"that's true." san said, throwing a light hearted glare in wooyoung's direction, who showed a rather sheepish expression.

the boys went back to their drinks, taking it a little slower now and yeosang carried you to his car. it wasn't easy, but he managed to sit you upright in the back seat of his car with his rear view mirror aimed directly at you so he could make sure you were okay.

he was able to lift you up the stairs and get your house key from the pocket of your jacket, which would've looked questionable to anyone else, but he had the best intentions. he sat you down in a dining chair, watching as your head lolled forward and your body slumped. he quickly filled a glass of water and came back to you.

"y/n." he whispered, resting a hand on your shoulder. "y/n." he said again, louder this time.

the last thing he wanted to do was hurt you, but you weren't waking up and that was becoming concerning. he shook your shoulder, as gently as he possible could in a moment like this, and to his relief, your eyes hesitantly opened.

your head felt like a bowling ball and you groaned quietly. "yeosang?"

"here." he said holding the cup to your lips, allowing you to take a small sip.

"how did we get here?" you mumbled, head rolling to the side.

he caught your head and carefully pushed you back upright, "i drove you, this is your apartment."

"oh." you said, eyes drooping shut again. "oh." you repeated.

"y/n, i really need you to stay awake right now." he said, bringing the cup to your mouth again. "lets talk."

"we never talk!" you exclaimed. "this is the longest conversation we've ever had!"

"i know." he said, pulling up a chair to sit directly in front of you. yeosang felt that slight tug at his heart again tonight, the way you sounded so excited just to talk with him.

"no, no, no." you whined, "this is so bad!"

"what is it?"

you pouted before nervously biting your lip, "i'm really sorry."

"for what?" he questioned, leaning back in his chair.

"for ruining your night and making you stay here with me! now you just have another reason to hate me." you sighed, letting your head fall into your hands.

"i could never hate you." he said, voice barely above a whisper.

but you had fallen back asleep, so yeosang sat you upright once more and monitored you closely all night. with every minute that passed, he wished more and more that it was easier for him to show his emotions, to you especially. he wondered if maybe he wasn't so closed off that things would be different between the two of you. but it was hard for him, to let people in, he was afraid. afraid of people judging the real him, afraid of what might happen if he lets himself become vulnerable, afraid of facing his feelings about you.

you awoke hours later with a raging headache and extreme nausea. you headed straight for the bathroom and hunched over the toilet, feeling the sickest you'd ever felt. yeosang waited patiently outside the bathroom door with a glass of water and painkillers.

when you came out, he held his hand out, "take this."

you looked down at his hand and then up at him, slightly confused, "what are you doing here?"

"you passed out last night, and i drove you home because everyone else had been drinking." he said, passing the glass of water.

"oh my god." you ran a hand through your hair, "yeosang, i'm so sorry. i didn't mean to be any trouble! you must of been here all night, i promise it won't happen again, that was so stupid of me—"

"it's fine, don't worry about it." he said, shrugging, "i'll get going now, but make sure you take it easy and drink enough water." his eyes carefully scanned your body one last time, making sure you were really okay. he headed for the door and you followed.

"i'm really sorry." you frowned, feeling as though no amount of apologies would make it up to him.

he let out a slight chuckle, "it's okay, seriously y/n." he said before leaving. you heard the all too familiar jingle of his keys as the door closed behind him.

he'd stayed with you all night, eyes watching over you closely. ready at your side whenever you stirred in your sleep. he'd been there in the morning prepared with water and painkillers. this was never how it was, usually this was your job, taking care of the boys. it was your way of showing you cared, helping out wherever possible.

this wasn't like yeosang. at all.

————————

as soon as yeosang got home he was greeted by a very concerned san and wooyoung.

"is she okay?"

"are you tired?"

"did she wake up?"

he was bombarded by questions.

"she's okay, she fell asleep after a while and i made her take some painkillers when she woke up." yeosang said, collapsing onto the couch.

"so you really don't hate her then." wooyoung thought aloud.

"he can't, he spent the whole night looking after her!" san said, hitting wooyoung like it was obvious.

"owww," wooyoung rubbed his arm, "even she thinks you don't like her!"

"i know, she said last night. but she probably won't remember saying that." yeosang said, feeling increasingly drowsy from his lack of sleep.

"maybe you guys should like, talk things out?" san suggested, taking a seat next to him.

"maybe." yeosang said, drifting off into sleep.

you had spent the day curled up in bed, wondering how you could make it up to yeosang, and there was nothing more you wanted than to get to know him better, but what would he want? you called up san on that thought.

"hey sannie," you said, "i need your help, actually, is woo there as well?"

"oh my god she's alive!" you heard wooyoung call from beside san.

"what do you need help with?" san asked.

you paused a moment, "is yeosang there?"

"well yes, but he's asleep."

you groaned, "i feel so bad that he stayed up all night looking after me. i really wanna make it up to him but i don't know how. plus, it's not like he's that fond of me. maybe i should just thank him by staying out of his space."

"i don't think he'd like that." wooyoung interjected. "i still think he just needs time before opening up to you."

"i think its just me." you sighed, worriedly chewing on your bottom lip.

"hey! don't be like that! there's no reason to not like you." san scolded you for down talking yourself as he always does.

"agreed." wooyoung said, chiming in.

"i'm sure i'll work something out. thanks guys! enjoy the rest of your day!" you said.

"good luck!"

"bye y/n!"

————————

you had been staring at your phone for at least an hour, typing and retyping the message to yeosang. wooyoung gave you his number so that you could contact him when you'd finally worked out how to make it up to him. in the end, you decided that you would let him decide.

you drew in a sharp breath and squeezed your eyes tightly shut as you pressed send.

you: hey yeosang, i still feel really bad about the other day, i wanna know how i can make it up to you !!

yeosang: did wooyoung give you my number? T~T

you: yes he did.. i hope thats okay !

yeosang: of course yeosang: how about you make it up to me over a cup of coffee? >.<

you: that sounds great !! you: when are you free ?

yeosang: does tomorrow morning work for you ? i can pick you up ^_^

you: of course ! i'll see you tomorrow :)

yeosang sat in his room, facepalming. why was it so easy to be more open over text?

you on the other hand, felt your heart swell in a bizarre way. maybe it was the way you hadn't expected him to use such cute little emoticons. maybe it was the way that you'd be able to have a full conversation with him. whatever it was, excitement had taken over you.

————————

a knock pounded at your door and you rushed to open it.

"ready to go?" he asked, leaning against the door frame coolly.

"yes, lets go!" you said, sounding a little too excited.

the two of you made your way down the stairs and into yeosang's car. you found yourself smiling as you looked out the window.

your excitement hadn't gone unnoticed, "you seem awfully excited."

"i really wanted to make it up to you," you beamed. "it must've been boring to watch over me all night."

"i didn't mind so much." he said, shrugging.

you frowned, "you shouldn't of done it."

"and leave you passed out in the club?" he quirked an eyebrow up at you.

"well..."

"exactly." he said, parking the car outside a small cafe nearby his apartment. "come on, lets go inside."

you followed him in and took a seat across from him at a table close to the window. you both ordered coffees and resumed conversation.

"so, where were we?" you smiled, taking a sip of coffee.

"talking about how you wanted me to leave you passed out in the club." he said. you were almost convinced you saw a teasing smile pulling at his lips.

"right. i'm so sorry about that."

this time he actually chuckled, and you were taken aback. it was like the wall yeosang had surrounding himself was crumbling before your eyes.

"you need to apologise less." he laughed, bringing his coffee cup to his mouth for a sip. "half of the time we talk its just you saying sorry to me."

"i'm so—"

"hey!" the two of you broke into laughter.

his laugh was loud but warm and you couldn't help but notice the way his nose scrunched up cutely, the way his eyes looked full of stars and the way he brushed his hair out of his eyes after, revealing his beautiful birthmark. from that point on, you wanted to be the one to make him laugh every day.

he felt that familiar tug at his heart, the one he'd been feeling every moment he spent alone with you. the one he felt when he first met you. the one he couldn't make any sense of. it was as though his heart was a violin and you were the one playing it. (which would explain the tugging feeling.) but you were playing the sweetest song and he never wanted it to end.

the two of you laughed the morning away, gradually making up for what you'd missed over two years in a matter of two hours.

you'd discovered that even after getting him to open up more, he wasn't one for words. you found yourself talking his ear off while he listened intently, occasionally sharing his opinions and stories. in all his honesty, he didn't mind listening to you talk. he could've sat there all day, drinking countless cups of coffee, watching the way you bit your bottom lip whenever you paused to think or the way your eyes filled with sparkles when you talked about something that made you happy.

you insisted on paying for the infinite cups of coffee, as it was your way of making it up to him. he reluctantly agreed, but promised that he would pay if there ever was a next time, which he secretly hoped there would be. he'd finally had the chance to let his walls down. (it was actually more like you'd climbed the walls and torn them down with your bare hands.) but he was thankful for it.

he drove you back to your apartment, even after you persisted on walking home, seeing as it wasn't that far. he refused, insisting that he drive you. he even followed you up the stairs to the door of your apartment.

you turned around to face him, "you know, you're not so bad when you actually wanna talk to me."

"you know, you're not so bad when you're not drunk." he countered, his lips breaking into a playful grin.

you glared jokingly, "hey! don't make me apologise again."

"okay, okay. i won't." he said, raising his hands in defence.

you smiled, resting against the door, "alright, well, i've really enjoyed hanging out with you today. maybe we should catch up more often."

"maybe we should." he said, bearing a coy smile, "bye, y/n. i'll see you around."

————————

it was only about a week later he showed up at your work, at the end of your shift. you were pleasantly surprised to see him, and at first thought he was just someone coming to book a room.

"hello, are you looking for a r— yeosang?"

"when do you get off work?" he asked, glancing over to the clock.

"five minutes."

"i'll be waiting in the car, okay?" he said, turning on his heel and heading for the door.

on his way out, you saw as he ran into your boss, the two of them beginning conversation.

"it's good to see you've made those security changes." yeosang said as he nodded, extending his arm for a friendly handshake. "i'm very thankful."

your boss shook his hand, "and i'm thankful that you suggested them."

just over five minutes later you got into the passenger seat of yeosang's car.

"it was you who told my boss about the safety problems." you said, in near disbelief.

"hello, to you too." he joked sarcastically. "well, i would hate to think that the situation could happen again, so i just suggested some possible improvements. thats all." he shrugged like it was nothing.

"suddenly, i feel the need to make it up to you again." you smiled shyly.

"you can do that by accompanying me to the skate park." he said, motioning to his skateboard on the back seat.

"ah, so thats why you came."

"well yeah, i wanted to bring you to the skate park."

your heart swelled once again, feeling joyed that he wanted to share one of his favourite places with you. (despite him never telling you directly, you knew he loved the skate park as he spent majority of his high school time there when he wasn't studying.)

when you arrived, the sun was beginning to slip behind the horizon, causing the sky to glow a rosy pink. there were still a few kids, probably high schoolers, hanging around the park. you took a seat at a bench and waited for yeosang to come over, who was getting his skateboard out the car. you felt oddly out of place since you were still in your neat work uniform and didn't know the first thing about skateboarding.

yeosang rolled over with a grin plastered onto his face, you'd never seen him so happy, and it made you happy to see him this way. it was strange how all it took was a few cups of coffee for him to become a completely different person around you.

he didn't need to ask you to watch as your eyes were already glued to him as he dropped into the bowl, showing countless tricks and flips.

the truth was in fact that yeosang was grateful for you 'making it up to him'. he'd never been able to comprehend his feelings for you, if they were even feelings at all. he hated the confusion and decided it was easier to ignore it, and to an extent, ignore you, to make it go away. it had been working for the most part, until every time the two of you were alone together, he couldn't ignore the slight tug at his heart, that was becoming more of a pull over the last few weeks.

"you're amazing!" you cheered as he sat down next to you, out of breath.

"thanks." he smiled shyly, running a hand through his hair and out of his face. he leaned back, looking up at the sky. "do you sometimes wish you could see the stars from within the city? hongjoong and seonghwa are so lucky they can see them from their house."

you pondered a moment, thinking about the last time you actually saw stars in the sky. "i see stars in your eyes sometimes." you said, absent minded.

he felt warmth burning in his cheeks, "you do?"

"do what?" you turned to him, "did i say that out loud?" you gasped, covering your face in embarrassment. "i'm sorry, i didn't mean to say that it was just a thought and—"

"what did i say about apologising?" he laughed. "it's getting cold, right? you ready to head home?" he asked.

you smiled, "if you are."

he drove you home and said goodbye, feeling happy about spending time alone with you once again. he couldn't stop thinking about what you said and you couldn't stop feeling like a fool for saying it.

————————

the weather got colder and colder and soon it began to snow as the days of december passed. you had spent the day helping jongho move some new furniture into his apartment. it was a difficult job, but easier with the two of you, even san and wooyoung came to help. you couldn't resist wondering where yeosang was and why he didn't come, seeing as they lived in the same building. maybe he was busy, you thought.

"hey, where's yeosang?" you asked, lifting a box and placing it on the kitchen counter.

"at home, i think he's been feeling sick or something, he hardly comes out of his room lately." wooyoung shrugged, assuming it was all good.

"if he's sick i'll bring him over some food and painkillers, maybe keep him some company." you explained, not wanting yeosang to be unwell.

"i think he'd rather be left alone, to be honest." san said, giving wooyoung a side glance that you couldn't miss.

you pulled out your phone and sent yeosang a quick message.

you: are you feeling okay? san and woo said you were sick :((

he didn't respond right away and you just figured he was asleep. but as you finished helping out at jongho's house a few hours later, he still hadn't responded. when you were sitting down to eat dinner at home, he still hadn't respond. just before you were going to turn the lights out and go to bed, he still hadn't responded.

something was up. this wasn't like yeosang, not anymore. not since the two of you had been spending so much time together. maybe it was like the boys said, and he was truly very sick, but in that case, why wouldn't they let you help?

————————

days passed and you went to work as usual, repeating the same few lines, asking people if they want a room, asking them to fill in a form, then directing them to the right room. days passed and you still hadn't heard back from yeosang, you wondered if he was still sick. days passed and you began to think maybe you should go over there to see if he's okay.

but if there was one thing you'd learnt about yeosang recently, it was that he was the quieter type, and probably wouldn't appreciate you going over there to keep him company and would rather be alone. so that evening when you got off work, you didn't go visit him like you so desperately wanted to, instead, you went straight home.

you cooked and ate dinner for yourself, before picking up your phone, only to see still no messages from yeosang.

you: hey woo you: is yeosang feeling better ?

wooyoung: yeah he is

you: well then can i come visit tomorrow ?

wooyoung: i think he's busy wooyoung: sorry

you: its okay woo you: its not your fault !!

you switched your phone off and headed for the shower, trying to wash away the stress and worry for yeosang that had built up over the last few weeks. you had really grown to like him and there was still so much about him you wanted to learn, like when he learned to skateboard or how he got the small scar on the back of his hand, that you'd noticed when ever he brushes his hair out of his eyes.

two years he'd spent, not interested in holding conversation with you and two years you'd spent, wondering what you'd did so wrong. but lately, you felt like you were doing something right around him, getting him to smile and laugh, share his own stories.

you couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he still didn't like you, and had just been trying for wooyoung's sake.

or maybe he was genuinely starting to like you, but you went and fucked it up by weirding him out and telling him about his starry eyes.

or maybe he'd just had enough of you already. decided that a few weeks was enough time spent trying to change things between the two of you.

as you finished showering and changed into comfortable clothes, you glanced at the clock which read 10:56pm. you switched on the television to watch some youtube before going to bed. as you felt yourself dozing off, a faint knock sounded at your door, so quiet you almost missed it.

when you opened the door, you were shocked to see yeosang standing there, leaning against the door frame for support. he looked up at you, his normally starry eyes were dulled with tears.

you rushed forward to him, smelling the alcohol as you got closer, "yeosang are you okay? what are you doing here? i thought you were sick. are you drunk? you never drink, come inside." you gently pulled him inside, closing the door behind you. when you turned to face him, he was staring at you, tears about to spill over the brim of his eyes.

"i hate you." he breathed out, voice barely louder than a whisper. he didn't seem angry though, he looked fragile, like a glass vase balancing on the edge of a table.

you felt the urge to cry, finally hearing those three words that confirmed your biggest concern, yeosang disliking you. "yeosang, i'm so sorry. i never meant to—"

"i hate you." he said, louder this time before running a hand through his hair hastily. he let out a frustrated groan, dragging his hands down his face. "i hate the tugging feeling in my heart whenever we're alone. i hate the way you put yourself before others. i hate the way you ramble on when you're nervous. i hate the way your eyes sparkle when you laugh. i hate the way i don't drink around you because i feel the need to protect you and make sure you're safe. i hate the way i tried to ignore you for two years because i was scared and confused about my own feelings. i hate how it only took one cup of coffee with you for my walls to come crashing down!" he paced from side to side, waving his hands around crazily.

yeosang looked scared and lost, like he'd never felt this way about anyone before, and that was the truth. he didn't know how to comprehend these feelings and it terrified him.

you watched as he spiralled, seeming as though it would never stop. you weren't sure what to do, so you just listened to that swelling feeling in your heart once again, the one that had led you to develop feelings for yeosang, and you pulled him close into your arms. he clung onto you tightly, scared to let go, like if he did then he'd lose you forever. you ran your fingers through his hair briefly, trying your best to comfort him.

"i'm sorry." you repeatedly whispered to him. you'd never meant to upset him or confuse him.

yeosang let out a quiet sob into your chest, "i hate the way i've fallen in love with you." he croaked out.

he didn't hate you. never did. never will. your heart swelled completely in your chest, feeling as though it would burst through. but it couldn't be true. he's totally drunk out of his mind.

"you're not in your right mind, yeosang, you need to get home. you're drunk and talking nonsense." you embraced him tightly one more time, and you could've sworn you felt the beat of his heart through the hug. "come on," you urged, steering him towards the door, "wooyoung and san are probably worried and waiting up for you."

with much effort, you led him down the stairs of your apartment block and walked him home. the street lamps led you in the freezing city night air. you held his wrist lightly, guiding him up the stairs to his own apartment. he didn't speak a single word the whole time, instead, sniffling and wiping at his eyes. it hurt you so much to see him this broken, but you knew he wasn't saying the truth under control of the alcohol in his veins.

you knocked at his apartment door, hoping that one of the boys were still awake. luckily, they both were and quickly they flung the door open.

"y/n? yeosang?" san questioned, his eyes wide open with disbelief.

"we've been so worried about you!" wooyoung said, pulling yeosang away from you. "hang on, are you drunk?"

san had noticed his tired, tear stained eyes, "you look like you've been crying! are you okay?"

you let out a quiet sigh, knowing you didn't need to be here anymore. you gave a small wave goodbye and headed home, utterly exhausted.

and though you were so drained, you couldn't seem to fall asleep. those words yeosang said to you kept running through your mind busily.

did he mean any of it?

————————

yeosang felt bad. he felt terrible. like he wanted to vanish into thin air and float away with the breeze. though he couldn't, no, he desperately wanted to apologise to you. but he didn't know how, he wasn't good with words or expressing his feelings, and you wished he knew that was something you loved about him.

wooyoung and san tried to ask him what happened the night he drunkenly confessed to you, but he couldn't have them know that he'd been harbouring feelings for you for all this time, they'd never let him live it down. he could imagine the continuous teasing they'd give him, nudging him whenever you were together or giving him side glances after talking to you.

yeosang gave it lots of thought. he mulled it over in his head repeatedly. it was only after hours spent hidden away in his room that he decided to go back to where it all started, a text. a text that said how much he wanted to make it up to you for having to deal with him drunk, just like the one you'd sent initially.

yeosang: hey y/n, i feel really bad about the other day, i wanna know how i can make it up to you! T^T

your heart leapt a mile seeing his name appear on your phone. you grinned upon reading his message, realising it was scarily similar to the message you had first sent him.

you: hmmm you: that sounds familiar

yeosang: >.< yeosang: seriously though, how does dinner at my place tomorrow night sound? i'll cook

you: you can cook?

yeosang: there's a lot you don't know about me x_x

you: okay, i'll be there !!

————————

yeosang wasn't lying when he said he can cook. as you traipsed up the stairs of his apartment block you could smell something delicious laced in the air.

the usual swelling in your heart had instead fell to the pit of your stomach, you were feeling slightly nervous as to what would happen when you entered yeosang's apartment. you inhaled deeply before knocking at the door of his apartment.

"hey y/n, come in." yeosang greeted, holding an arm out, signalling for you to come inside.

"you must've been working hard cooking! it smells delicious." you said, feeling a sense of comfort just from the smell of food.

"yeah, lucky i sent wooyoung and san over to jongho's place, otherwise i doubt there would be any pasta to serve." he joked. "you can take a seat, i've just gotta serve up."

you sat down in front of a neatly laid table, it had somewhat surprised you how much effort yeosang had put into this dinner tonight. he placed a steamy hot plate of pasta in front of you and one where he would sit.

"so." he began.

"so." you copied, teasingly.

"i guess, i really just wanted to say i'm sorry for how i behaved the other night when i was drunk. you shouldn't of had to deal with that." he frowned, poking at his dinner.

you furrowed your brows, "it's seriously fine yeosang." you took a bite of pasta, "i was just surprised to see you drunk, since you never drink."

he chuckled, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth, "actually, i do. i just never drink when you're there."

"really? why?" you questioned, eating another mouthful of pasta.

"because..." he paused. "no, it sounds dumb out loud."

"it's okay, you don't have to explain yourself." you smiled warmly, "but that does remind me to ask... do you remember anything you said to me while you were drunk?" you leant forward, genuinely curious.

he sighed, "i remember.. enough."

"you don't really hate me, right?" you asked, playing with the food on your plate.

"of course not! that's why i invited you here tonight. to show you that i don't, and to make it up to you." he had to refrain from reaching across to hold your hand, just to show how much he cared that little bit more.

you nodded, "well, thats good. i was kinda worried that we'd gone back to square one."

comfort settled within you. it was relieving to know you weren't hated by the one person whose love you wanted most. a tiny thought crept into your mind, maybe, just maybe, now would be the right time to tell him about your blossoming feelings for him. or would that confuse him more? now you were the one feeling conflicted.

"are you finished eating?" he asked, reaching for your empty plate.

"yes, thank you! it was delicious. you're a good cook, y'know."

"ah, thanks y/n." he turned away to hide the blush appearing on his cheeks.

"would you like me to do the dishes? since you cooked." you offered, standing up. but he quickly opposed.

"don't be ridiculous." he shooed you back to your seat. "can i get you a coffee? water? wine?"

"a coffee sounds good, i think you and i have had too many drunken situations lately." you laughed.

yeosang pulled out two mugs and put the kettle on. he felt your eyes carefully watching him. once again, he hated the feeling that was pulling at his heart. the way you could say nothing, yet he felt everything.

"can i tell you something?" you asked, voice now quieter and more hesitant.

"sure, what is it?" he said, placing a warm cup of coffee in front of you.

you took a sip, humming in delight. it was exactly the way you liked it. when the two of you went out for coffee, he had unintentionally remembered just the way you like it.

"well," you began cautiously, in case you brought this situation into flames again. "i just... i always wondered why you didn't like me. if i was doing something wrong, if i said something once that really upset you. and then after we started spending time together, i finally felt like i was doing the right thing." you groaned, frustrated with yourself for not getting to the point quicker. "what i'm trying to say is that i have feelings for you. it's okay if you don't feel the same way. i wouldn't expect you to, i just thought you should know—"

yeosang basically choked on his coffee, eyes widening in shock. "it's okay, y/n! in case you hadn't noticed, i'm crazy about you."

you had continued to ramble nervously before hearing what he said.

"wait. you are?"

"basically ever since you said that thing about stars in my eyes, yes."

you cringed, remembering how you had said that so absent minded. "yeah, sorry about that."

"it's okay, it was cute. and what did i say about apologising?"

you shook your head and smiled, "i know."

————————

ever since the two of you confessed to each other, you had been almost inseparable, except of course when you had work. but he dropped you home most nights, even though you insisted it was okay and that you could walk. he came over every weekend just to spend time with you, even if the two of you just sat and talked, enjoying each other's company. you'd been dating for a few weeks now, but kept it undercover, not wanting to suffer the incessant questioning that would come if you told your friends.

it didn't go unnoticed either, wooyoung and san were constantly nagging yeosang about why the two of you spent so much time together, and each time he just shrugged it off.

christmas was just around the corner, so you were spending the evening at seonghwa's and hongjoong's house, who of course, were throwing an unnecessarily large house party to celebrate.

you were sat between a very drunk yunho and mingi, who were trying to talk to an also very drunk jongho. you eyed your boyfriend from across the room, as if asking for a way out and he just laughed at the situation you were stuck in.

after at least ten minutes more of having your ear talked off, yeosang came to pull you away to the dance floor.

"care to dance?" he asked, extending his hand to you.

you immediately jumped up, latching onto his hand, "i would love to!"

he chuckled, pulling you close to his side and leading you to the makeshift dance floor that seonghwa and hongjoong created.

the two of you laughed at the boys' reaction. they were completely shocked to see the two of you so close together and yeosang being friendly.

he twirled you around a few times with the music, before settling his arms around your waist. he brought you near to him as you placed your arms behind his neck. you swayed back and forth, engulfed in your own little bubble of comfort in each other's arms, completely out of time with the loud thumping music that blared around you.

you felt content, and yeosang no longer felt confused. he found his home in your arms and his happiness.

you reached up to place your lips on his, capturing the moment surrounding you. yeosang melted into the kiss, discovering that your lips were soft and sweet against his, just as he had imagined, which caused his knees to feel weak and his heart to skip more than just one beat. he never wanted to let you go, he wanted to compensate for every second that he didn't spend with you since the two of you met.

he leaned forward and whispered softly, just so you could hear above all the music and singing, "lets stay like this forever."

[thighs-of-betrayal-blog]

A Glorious Moment in Sakaar

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Summary: You’ve always disliked Loki, but when you end up stranded with him on an unknown planet, you put your hatred aside in order to work together. Turns out, the only thing you really hate is how much you actually like him. 

Warnings: weapons, violence, enemies to lovers, implied smut

A/N: Had this in my drafts and just decided to post it... I’m definitely in a Loki mood on this fine day haha. 

I hope you all enjoy and as always, feedback is appreciated :)

Loki Masterlist

Out of all the people in the world who you could’ve gotten stranded with on an unknown, trash planet, Loki is the last person you’d wish to accompany you. 

As soon as the two of you get thrown off the Bifrost and land on random dirty roads, he speaks. “Well, this looks rather unpleasant.” 

Rolling your eyes, you don’t bother to respond, instead opting to scan the area around you. Wherever you landed, it’s heavily polluted. 

“I think I’d rather have ended up in Hel,” Loki complains, his hands on his hips as he surveys with you. 

“I wish you had.” 

Loki looks over at you and chuckles. “What? Don’t want to be stranded here with your favorite God?” 

You pretend to frantically look around. “What do you mean? I don’t see Thor anywhere.” 

“Very funny.” 

“I know I am,” you say before smirking at him and walking away. Loki is quick to match your pace. 

“Let’s try to find some type of civilization and figure out an escape plan.” 

Continuing to walk, you head towards a tall skyscraper-like building that you see in the distance. “Already on it.” You point ahead to show Loki. 

Loki scoffs. “No need to point. I noticed it a while ago.” 

“Sure you did.” 

“I did. I’m a God for crying out loud. I sense things long before-”

A knife sits at the base of your throat, stopping you in place. You look over at Loki who’s in the same predicament. 

“Loki?” you ask before you’re pulled back harshly, the knife lightly grazing your skin. Loki growls, lunging towards you. 

“Hurt them and you’ll all suffer merciless deaths by my hand.” 

You gasp at Loki’s protectiveness. Is it possible he cares for you? No, don’t even think about it. You hate this man. Remember?

The man behind Loki laughs at him before looking over at his partner. “I think the Grandmaster would like this one.” 

The person behind you nods. “Let’s take ‘em in.” 

You share one last glance with Loki before a bag is thrown over your head, preventing you from seeing anything else.

---

The bag’s removed from your head and you squint, your eyes adjusting to the harsh overhead lighting. You’re strapped to a chair, seated right next to Loki. 

In front of you is a man. He’s tall in nature, just like Loki, and he’s smiling at the two of you. 

“Where the hell are we?” You ask, struggling against the restraints. 

The unknown man walks up to you before speaking. “Now, there’s no reason to do that. I’m just simply feeling you out before deciding whether to kill you or not.” 

Again, Loki speaks up, surprisingly coming to your defense. “You’ll have to get through me before you even think of touching them.”

The man laughs at this and turns his attention onto Loki. “You must be the one they said I’d like… Seems like they were right. I do like you.” He claps his hands together. “Okay, so here’s the deal. You’re on my planet, Sakaar. I’m what they call the Grandmaster and usually with newcomers, I’d either kill them or throw them into the pits… which I guess is also death, but that’s not the point! The point is I like you two… especially you.” He points at Loki. “So, great news! You’re welcome to stay, I mean once people land here, they never really leave…” He awkwardly smiles at that, not knowing what else to say. 

You look over at Loki, who’s already staring your way. The two of you gaze at each other silently before the Grandmaster once again claps his hands. “Let’s get the cuffs off these two!” 

Once the cuffs are opened, you rub your wrists and stand up. The Grandmaster motions for the two of you to get away. “Go! Go mingle and have some fun!” 

You look around the room and notice a gathering of people a few feet away. They’re all drinking and dancing, seemingly having the time of their lives. 

You grab Loki’s arm and guide him towards the crowd. “C’mon, we gotta find a busy area to talk.” 

Loki pulls his arm from your grasp. “Shouldn’t we find somewhere quiet to talk privately?” 

You roll your eyes. “No, because then someone might hear us.” 

“So instead, we’re to talk in the middle of a gathering?” 

Shaking your head in irritation, you gesture towards the group of people. “They all seem drunk! Sounds like the perfect opportunity to blend in and discuss.” 

Loki sighs. “Very well. I need a drink first.” 

As he walks towards the bar, you once again grab his arm, stopping him in place. “What’re you doing?” 

“I just told you. I’m getting a drink.” 

“We need to be level-headed for this.” 

He scoffs. “Darling, I really think you’ve forgotten that I’m a God. I can’t get drunk.” 

“Yes, you can. I’ve witnessed it multiple times.” 

He shakes his head. “I was just full.” 

“That’s not the point! Just please-” You look towards the dancefloor. “Dance with me.” 

“Pardon me?”

Instead of answering, you grab his hand and drag him over to the other dancers, pulling him flush against you, your back to his chest. You swear you hear Loki gasp as you sway your hips against him. 

“What’re you doing?” His mouth is right next to your ear, his hands moving to grip your waist tightly. Your body heats up with his touch and you want to scream over its betrayal. 

You turn your head slightly to look up at him. “We need to blend in.” 

As he stares down at you, you get lost in his eyes. They’re an exquisite, light blue, pulling you in and making you forget about the situation around you. Erasing those thoughts from your mind, you focus on the plan. “I say we find where their weapons are placed. Steal some and then find a ship to escape back to Asgard on.”

“Your plan sounds impossibly easy.” 

“Maybe it will be.” 

“You know just as well as myself that it won’t be. But, I’ll go along with it. It’s not the worst of plans you’ve thought of and I fear we don’t have many other options.” 

“Gee, thanks.” You spin around in his arms so you’re now facing him, chest to chest. Loki’s staring down at you, his eyes blazing. One of his hands moves to your face, grabbing your chin and tilting your face upwards. He licks his lips, his tongue sliding out to swipe across his bottom lip. You watch and you can’t help but wonder what his mouth would feel like against yours. 

He leans down until his face is only inches from yours and you find yourself panting with a neediness you haven’t felt in a long time. Loki’s staring at your lips, ready to claim them for himself-

You remember where you are and pull away quickly, putting some distance between the two of you. “What’re you doing?” 

Loki grins. “Just blending in, darling. You didn’t seem to mind.” 

Trying to steady your rising heart rate, you take a deep breath. “Let’s just go find their weapons.” 

Loki gestures for you to walk in front of him. “After you.”

---

Finding and stealing weapons turned out to be easier than you thought. Loki managed to grab multiple knives, as well as the same giant gun that you did. 

Now, you’re heading towards the ship’s garage, intending to steal the best one you come across. You’re in an elevator, heading up to the top floor. As the doors are about to open, Loki puts his arm out in front of you. “I hear voices on the other side. Follow my lead.” 

You nod your head. The doors open, revealing two guards with guns. In an instant, Loki has them both on the ground, knives stabbed into their chests. 

He turns to look at you and grins. “Told you they’d come in handy.” 

“You just wanted to show off.” 

“For you? Always.” 

You roll your eyes for what feels like the hundredth time today and follow Loki towards a large, circular ship. “You think they’d have more guards in this area.” 

Loki walks over to a station pressed against the wall, searching for the ship’s key. “You’d think, but let’s not stick around to find out.” Once he locates the key, he picks it up. “Ah, got it!” 

The elevator opens back up, revealing ten new guards. 

“Uh, Loki?” 

Loki turns just in time to see five guards running full speed at him. He laughs before throwing the gun to the floor, placing the ship key in his pants, and pulling out two knives. “Well, hello. This is going to be fun.” 

Across the room, you’re shooting at the other five guards, backing up as they move forward. You manage to knock three of them to the ground and drop the gun as the other two come running at you, full speed. 

“Y/N!” Loki yells. 

You turn to see him throwing you a knife and you catch it midair. Turning back to the two guards, you smirk. “Unfortunately for you two, I’m rather skilled with knives.” 

“Not as skilled as myself though, just to be clear!” 

You chuckle at Loki’s comment. “That’s what he tells himself to sleep better at night.” 

Right after you say those words, you’re lunging at the guards, slicing your knife into one of their thighs. They hiss out in pain and you use the opportunity to grab them, placing your knife at the base of their neck. The other guard rushes you and you kick out, hitting them square in the stomach before dragging your knife across the captured guard’s neck, causing him to fall to the floor. You fall down and roll over, jumping back onto your feet before the other guard can tackle you. 

Maneuvering around the guard, you swipe your leg out, tripping him up, causing him to fall to the floor. You roll onto the floor behind him and wrap your thighs around his neck, effectively cutting off his air supply. Once he’s knocked out, you get back up, wiping sweat off the top of your eyebrow. Loki is staring at you, an impressed look on his face. You stare back at him, admiring how he looks. He’s leaning against the ship, his hair disheveled with his arms crossed over his chest. The guards he fought are scattered across the floor, each one either dead or knocked out. 

He walks up to you, his tall frame towering over you. “It was rather hot to see you beat up those guards.” His hand reaches down towards your face, his thumb wiping a few spots of blood off your cheek. 

You close your eyes, trying to get a hold of yourself. When you reopen them, Loki is back over towards the ship, looking at you. “Ready, darling?” 

Letting out a shaky breath, you will your legs to follow him onto the ship.

---

A gentle shake to your shoulder wakes you up. Slowly opening your eyes, you come face to face with Loki, who’s looking down at you with a small smile on his face, his hand still resting on your shoulder. You stare at his hand and he pulls it away before clearing his throat. 

“We’re almost back at Asgard.” 

You nod. “How long was I out?” 

“Two hours? I didn’t want to interrupt since it was the first time you looked peaceful in years.” 

Getting up, you glare at him. “Has anyone ever told you how charming you are?” 

“As a matter of fact, yes. Quite a few.” 

“I’m shocked.” You walk to the front of the ship, taking a seat in the pilot’s chair. “This thing on autodrive?” 

Loki moves to take a seat next to you. “No, I figured I’d let it go so we can crash into the nearest crater and die. Put you out of your misery.” 

“Out of my misery?” 

“Yes, since you so clearly hate being around me.” 

Sighing, you turn the chair so you’re facing him. “Who said I hated you?”

Loki mimics you. “Nobody. I can just tell.” 

“I don’t hate you.” Well, maybe a little. But, not for the reason he thought.

He raises an eyebrow. “No?” He sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “It’s fine if you do. Most individuals I’ve encountered end up hating me.” 

“Well, I’m not like most individuals.” 

He smiles at that. “No, you’re most certainly not.” 

Nervous, you start picking at the arm of the chair. It’s Loki, for crying out loud. The man you can’t stand. So, why is he making you feel this way?

“You almost kissed me in Sakaar. Why?”

The question leaves your mouth before you can even think about the consequences. However, Loki doesn’t seem to mind. Instead, he seems excited by the question, his eyes lit up in amusement. 

“I told you. We needed to blend in.” 

“We were already blending in by dancing. No one was even sparing us a second glance.” 

“No? Well, maybe I just wanted to kiss you then. For my own pleasure.” 

His confession spills over you like a bucket of ice water. Your body is both hot and cold, feeling too much at once. 

Your mouth slightly opens as you gasp quietly. “Don’t say things you don’t mean.” 

All of a sudden, Loki’s moves closer to you. Too close. You can feel his breath wash over your face as his hand slowly crawls up your arm. “I may lie quite frequently, but when it comes to you, I only tell the truth.” 

With a surge of confidence, you grip the front of his leathered shirt. “Prove it to me then.” 

He growls before smashing his mouth onto yours. His lips are everything you’ve ever imagined. Soft and unmistakingly yours. 

“You’re mine now, darling. All mine,” he whispers into the kiss. Grabbing your waist, he pulls you onto his lap, your legs dangling off the sides of the chair. “Say it. Say you’re mine.” 

“I’m yours,” you manage to say, moaning when he bites down on your lower lip. 

After one more kiss, he rests his forehead against yours. “You and I, darling, have a lot of catching up to do when we get back.” He runs his fingers over your thigh. “The things I’m going to do to you. You better prepare yourself.” 

Gulping, you shiver at his promise. This ship couldn’t get you to Asgard fast enough. You’ll let him ruin you, from the inside-out. But, only him. Only Loki. You grin at the thought before leaning in to kiss him again.

[oliviajdjarin]

Chapter 11: A Squeeze

Warnings: mentions of violence and anxiety, people getting shot, reader gets tense, Mando is extremely touch starved, and softness.

Author’s Note: Chapter 11! This one is one of my personal favs, so I hope you enjoy!

Gif by bestintheparsec

As you traveled with the crew near the outskirts of town, you couldn’t stop thinking about what the child had done the night before.

Your entire life, death has plagued you. Everywhere you went you carried the guilt of death and knowing that there was nothing you could do to stop it. You had heard legends of a Sith named Darth Plagueis who had the power to stop death, but he was deep in the dark side.

You were never going to go down that road.

All you knew was this little kid was powerful. More powerful than you realized, and definitely more powerful than Mando realized. He had been so concerned about keeping this child safe for so long, when in reality, the kid had the ability to keep Mando safe the whole time.

But at the end of the day, the Empire was still around. They would figure out the child’s powers eventually if they kept coming after him, and you were not going to let what happened to you happen to him.

You had been in deep thought for so long, you barely noticed Mando giving a little tap on your elbow. You were a little startled, but relaxed at Mando’s voice.

“You ok?” he asked, and you nodded.

“Yeah… I’m ok,” you respond. “I just… never knew that was possible,” you say, referring back to the child.

You looked down at his sleeping form in the pram next to you, and you smiled at his vulnerable state. What could such a little brain like that dream about?

Mando went quiet after you responded to his concern, and you knew it was because there really isn’t a good way to respond. He obviously didn’t know the kid’s potential either, and he was probably in even more shock than you were.

“Thank you, for checking in on me,” you say, finally turning around to meet his gaze. You had been riding on the same blurrg for a while, but you were trapped in your own head. His closeness to you was starting to make a blush crawl up your neck.

He nodded in an understanding way, and you headed on.

~~*~~

After some time, you noticed that Karga and his two bounty hunters were talking in whispers as they walked in front of you, and that obviously rubbed Cara the wrong way.

“You guys think they’re having second thoughts?” she asked in a teasing tone, and you returned a breathy laugh.

You tried to hide your smile, but that had been the first time she acknowledged you in days, and she was even joking with you? You didn’t want to get her hopes up, but maybe Cara was having second thoughts as well.

“Could be,” Mando replied. “I need you two to help me keep an eye on them.”

You and Cara nodded your heads, and scanned the hunters’ bodies with your eyes for a few minutes. The three of you had switched to being on foot while Kuiil took the only remaining blurrg.

All of a sudden, a bluff overlooking the town appeared, and Karga was gazing down at the city below.

“I guess this is it,” he said, but he was still facing the view.

The other two bounty hunters had stated to make their way behind you, and the alarms in your head were blaring.

You heard every step, every ruffle, and every breath they made. And it was driving you crazy.

They were at your backs, but you had your longspear in hand. You had better skills than these two by a long shot.

Suddenly, Karga spins around, and fires at the two bounty hunters who instantly hit the ground.

You drew your own weapon, while Mando and Cara approached Karga from either side with their weapons drawn as well.

You knew it. This man was not to be trusted. He could have shot the kid!

“There’s something you should know,” Karga says, and you try not to roll your eyes.

“Please. Enlighten us,” you say sarcastically, but you have venom in your voice. Karga can feel it, so he immediately transitions into his explanation.

“The plan was to kill you and take the kid,” Karga says, and your blood boils.

“But after what happened last night… I couldn’t go through with it. Go on, you can gun me down here and now, and it wouldn’t violate the code. But if you do, this child will never be safe.”

Your weapon was still at the ready, and Cara and Mando didn’t seem convinced either.

“We will take our chances,” Cara says.

“Perhaps you should let him speak,” Kuiil says, and you glance over your shoulder to look at him. This poor man had been though a lot, yet his voice exuded such gentleness. It reminded you of Mando’s voice when he talked to you.

“We both need the client eliminated,” Karga said, “let me take the child to him, and then you three…”

“No,” Mando interupts. He lowers his blaster, and glances at you to lower your weapon.

Your eyebrows knit together in confusion, and Cara seems to have the same reaction.

“What are you doing,” she asks, and you are wondering the same thing.

“As long as the Imp lives, he will send hunters after the Child,” Mando says, and you are starting to understand what he’s getting at.

“Bring me. Tell him you captured me. Get me close, and I’ll kill him,” Mando says to Karga, and you hate the gleam of excitement that flashed in Karga’s eyes.

“That’s a good idea,” Karga responded. “Give me your blaster.”

“This is insane,” Cara said, turning to look at you. You see Mando giving his blaster to Karga, and you honestly don’t even know what to think.

Karga just openly admitted to betraying you and trying to kill Mando, so there was no way you would trust him in the slightest. But at the same time, what other choice did you have? The child had to be safe, and Mando was right. The hunters won’t ever stop.

You give Cara a look of pity, but you lower your longspear. Your shoulders slightly relax, and you feel your grip loosening.

“What else can we do?” you ask her, and she looked away in disgust.

“Well, I’m coming with you,” Cara said. “I’ll tell them I caught you.”

“Then she can bring the child,” Karga said, and Cara started to relax a little.

“No,” Mando said firmly. ��The kid goes with y/n back to the ship.”

You and Mando were normally on the same page, but you had to admit, that didn’t really make any sense.

“But without the child none of this works,” Karga said, and you hated that you agreed with him.

“I have a plan,” he says to the two of them, and then he strides over to you.

“I need you to ride to the ship with Kuiil and the kid and seal yourselves in. Engage ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors,” Mando says to you as he guides the Child in his pram over to your arms.

You look into Mando’s visor, trying to find his eyes, but an evil, anxious part of you starts to awaken.

This could be the last time you stare into that helmet.

If this goes wrong, Mando and Cara would be almost laughably outnumbered by the Imps.

You continue to search for his eyes, and you sigh quietly. You have to keep yourself together for him.

Mando breaks the eye contact to rub the child’s ears, and you long for him to look back at you. The trance you guys enter when you look at each other is so cheesy, but it feels real. You wanted to stare at him forever.

“Be careful,” you murmur, only loud enough for him to hear.

He looks back at you and nods, but you notice he is squeezing his fists at his sides again.

He keeps trying to stop himself from something, and you are too impatient to figure out what it is, so you take his hands in yours and give them a gentle squeeze.

He looked down at your hands in his. You didn’t know it, but Mando was soaking in the fact that you were showing him more kindness in your touch than he had experienced in decades. Mando struggled, he managed to meet your eyes again.

“You too,” he says, rubbing your knuckles, and you smile at him.

He lets go of your hands gently, and you pray to whatever God was out there that he would not leave them permanently empty.

~~*~~

After Mando gave you your assignment, you and Kuiil immediately got a move on back to the Razor Crest with the child in your arms.

You hold the child close to your chest as Kuiil drives the blurrg behind you, and you give the child a little squeeze. Your nerves are starting to get the better of you.

Before, you could have worked with a crew like this and never felt a thing. They were going in outnumbered, so what? You were in the safe position and you had the prize in your arms? What did you care?

But now, your very hope at being happy again was walking into an imperial guarded death trap, pretending to be taken prisoner.

You hated this plan. Mando and Cara were smart, so you decided not to question their decision, but that didn’t mean you didn’t still have your doubts.

The only thing keeping you sane was the cooling air hitting your face as you rode, and the little gurgles from the child in your arms.

This is all you could control at this moment. You could control his safety, and you were not going to fail.

Tag list:

@leahkenobi @farfromjustordinary @pinkninja200 @bookloverfilmoholic @440mxs-wife

[writefightandflightclub]

I see you (Din Djarin x GN reader)

Summary: Din is hurting, don’t look at him. No REALLY, DON’T LOOK AT HIM.

Genre: Angst / fluff + hurt / comfort.

Author’s note: This takes place after the events of Chapter 15, therefore SPOILERS if you keep reading!

Of course, I don’t know what will ACTUALLY happens in the rest of the series, but in this version, Din + Reader + Grogu are safe on a spaceship after Those Events Happened in Ch14, and after THAT happened on Moskar in Ch15 (reader was present on Moskar). Din is dealing with some trauma following That Event.

I wrote this in one go in a tired yet enthusiastic frenzy after watching. I didn’t want to spend ages on it... but I hope that it’s coherent and that you like it!

Warnings: nightmares, angst but it turns out okay. Final warning: spoilers for S2 esp. chapter 14 and 15. Meant to be GN but not sure if the Mando’a confuses that. Pls forgive.

GIF: a non-chapter-specific adorable GIF so that I’m not spewing spoilers onto my dash. By @calsblueponcho​

You hear him stir again. For the third night in a row.

You hear his groans start to build from within the cot opposite you - the sound wrung from his chest and strangled in his throat. You hear him thrashing, limbs and elbows and whatever part of him clunking against the walls of the narrow sleep space, the sounds tinny from within his metal box; like usual.

Metal between you and him.

Finally, you hear the shush of the door as he clambers out of bed, and you hear ragged breaths sawing in and out of him. You hear the weight of his blankets pool on to the floor as he throws them off with a grunt, and his bare feet making contact with the metal floor.

Now, his sounds are not tinny. They are organic. There are no layers of metal between you any longer. Now, only the darkness separates you from him. Only the darkness separates him from the knowledge you hold; that he is afraid.

You hold still. You stay quiet, as Din completes his now nightly ritual - as if the man needed any more rituals. Your heart breaks for him.

Each night now, he awakes in fear, and he throws off his blankets. You have no doubt that if you scooped them from the floor they would be warm and damp with sweat - the whole space is tinged with the odour of roused panic. Each night now, he shuffles hastily towards the foundling’s pram to see for himself that Grogu is safe and here, with him. As usual -you expect- the small child is sleeping soundly, despite what he has been through. Perhaps because of it. He knows now that no matter what happens, his father will keep him safe.

Each night now, as you lie in the dark, pretending to be asleep after his distress has awoken you, Din hovers over your bed for a moment, drawing in a gasp of a breath as if he might speak or plead for help; however, each night it is the same, and no words ever come. Each night he then breaks free of this hot, enclosing space and his suffocating sleep, and you hear his footsteps recede, heading in the direction of the cool, more open cockpit.

This time, though, when he tugs in a breath to speak, you do not pretend to be asleep.This man does not need any more rituals which hurt him, you think. You will help him to break this one.

“Din,” you breathe softly, turning your body towards where he stands, even though you cannot see him. Only because you cannot see him. There is no metal between him now, and you are determined not to look. 

Although he stays silent, you can guess at the tension in him. You can sense his stillness and hear his short, sharp breaths. If he was armoured, his pain would be sounding out. Gloves creaking around his balling fists, his clunky boots tapping agitatedly on the floor. Unarmoured, his pain is in stealth mode. Unarmoured, he is entirely more vulnerable to it. You imagine him stripped down -in all ways, unprotected- and your heart breaks for him.

You desperately want to lay your body over him; become his armour.

Din had almost lost it all, and even after what he had gotten back, he had still lost too much to bear.

He had done it all for the child.

It had been worth it.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t heavy to bear. 

He still doesn’t speak, his pain in stealth mode, and so, you shift and swivel on your cot until you are sitting on the edge of it.

“Din,” you repeat, and your hand somehow finds his in the dark, your eyes deciphering the shifting shadows enough to reach for him, and immediately his fingers close tightly around yours, as if they had been searching for a hand to hold.

His hand is clammy, slick with panic.

“Did you have a nightmare?” You ask, not even venturing your gaze up towards his shrouded face, out of respect.You have nothing but respect for him.

“Yes,” he states, and even with one word his voice cuts through the dark and splits your chest like you have been struck with a spear of beskar. Because of the pain in it, yes. But also because there are no layers between you. No vocoder. No metal. His voice is warm and deep and robust like this, and it splits you apart. “Sorry. If I woke you.”

His fingers grip yours a little more tightly, but before you can return the favour, he quickly snatches his hand away. “Try and go back to sleep.”

“I couldn’t sleep anyway,” you lie. “Would you like some root tea? Maybe we can have a cup and both of us can try again.”

If Din finds you out in this lie he doesn’t let on. You’re a bad liar, and he’s a good judge of truth, so you suppose he can make whatever decision he pleases, this way. But, he merely makes a gruff sound of agreement. “I’ll get my helmet,” he states, and yet you find his hand again and give a gentle tug to stop him.

“It’s okay. Go sit in the cockpit, keep it dark. I’ll make some tea for us, and I won’t look.”

There is a beat, and then he makes another gruff sound of agreement before turning on his heels, efficiently swivelling towards the front of the ship.

You stand, and you take a moment to still the racing of your heart. You take your own gasp of air. You feel the pounding in your chest at this morsel of skin on skin. Your hand in his.

You exhale a long breath, and slowly, quietly, so as not to wake the child, you slip through the darkened ship until you reach the cramped ration store, heating and brewing some tea under a dimmed and hazy cooklight.

You hurry, as all you can think of is Din alone and unprotected, and how much you wish to guard his heart.

When you reach the cockpit, you enter with your eyes down, averted, looking anywhere but at him, and then you enter, a cup of sweet sleep tea in each hand. You can make out his silhouette in your periphery, and, silently, you slot yourself into the co-pilot’s seat beside him, extending the tea for him to take. His fingertips brush yours as he takes it, and you almost jolt and spill the contents.

You calm your breath again, and you allow the darkness to settle around you, a barrier between you and him. The only barrier between you and him, you can’t help but think.

“Thank you,” the Mandalorian states after a moment, his tone dull.

“Don’t thank me until you’ve tasted it,” you warn with a gentle attempt at a smile. “Couldn’t really see what I was doing.”

“No,” Din says, and this time, his hand finds yours in the dark, where it rests on the arm of the co-pilot’s seat.

There goes your heart pounding again.

“I mean... Thank you for looking out for me. And Grogu.”

Oh.

What else would you possibly do?

“Of course, Din, you’re my...” you cut yourself off before you complete the thought. Din is not your family. You’re not his riddur. Grogu is not your child. Even though that’s how it feels. Even though that’s what you want. “You’d do the same for me,” you say, reeling yourself in. That doesn’t sound quite right either, you fluster. To a bounty hunter that must sound transactional. Like he owes you a debt now.

You’re getting it all wrong.

And all you want to do is comfort him. Protect him.

“Din...?” you ask softly, your eyes fixed straight ahead, not looking at him, even though you are desperate to. Even though from the shapes in your periphery, and from the direction of his voice you can tell his head is angled towards you. Even though you feel like he is staring intently at you. Like he sees you, even in the dark.

“Yeah?”

A heat rises in you and you snatch your fingers away from his. Your hand had become clammy. Instead of this heat, you take a sip of your hot tea, both hands wrapped around the ceramic, earthenware vessel.

“You know,” you say, unsure why your voice is shaking. “It might help to talk about it, the nightmare... if you’d like to.”

You hope you haven’t overstepped. Din hasn’t had anyone to open to for a long-time before you, and you know he may not want to- however, he surprises you. 

“I feel selfish,” he states, his words coming to you immediately and freely as if he had been waiting for a kind ear to listen.

“What in the stars..?!” you exclaim, in a shocked whisper, your eyes intent on the night sky through the transparisteel as you summon the stars in your setiment. “You’re the least selfish person I’ve ever met, Din.”

He emits another gruff sound, but this time it is not in agreement.

His pain...

Sweet man.

You are desperate to turn your head towards him in this moment, but you never would. You would not look.

“I keep having this nightmare, as if it’s the worst thing,” Din continues, and you recognise guilt in his tone. “And it’s not about Grogu. It’s not about you and the child and keeping you both safe.”

Your heart thrums again, from the fact he mentions you and the child in the same breath; mentions you alongside his everything.

“What is it about?” you ask gently, your voice barely above a whisper.

Beside you, you hear Din take a long sip of tea, and you don’t rush his words. You have all the time in the world for him. 

“It’s... about my face,” he says solemnly, and even the mere mention of his face has your heart unsure whether it is breaking or racing.

You had known this would take a toll on him. You knew that having to show his face on Morak; to you, to the Imperials, to Mayfield, would haunt him. For a long time. You had tried not to look. You hadn’t looked. And yet, you had still seen him. You had seen him, only for a moment, before you could avert your eyes - hard as it was to look away. 

That moment, though, was long enough to burn the image of him like a brand behind your eyes. His hawkish nose, his brown mop of grizzled hair...

Brown eyes.

Brown eyes as kind as his soul.

He was beautiful, exactly as he was to you already. Exactly as he had been to you before you ever had a hint of what he looked like.

Still, as much as you fell in love with his face the instant you saw it, exactly like you fell in love with his soul the instant you knew it, you wished you could take that moment back. You didn’t want it; not like this. It felt like a violation to even look at him, so can’t imagine how violating it must have felt to be seen.

No wonder he was having nightmares.

Your heart was in pieces for him. How in the stars could he feel he was selfish? It wasn’t as though he needed to prove his love for Grogu, when he had done that to get him back. When he had given everything he held dear.

“I let the kid get taken. I barely got him back alive. You back alive. And I’m dreaming about showing my face. I should be worrying about him. Not myself.”

Only this man could think himself selfish for experiencing a trauma, you could swear.

“It was a trauma, Din,” you state sensitively. “It makes sense that you would have nightmares about it. And... maybe,” you muse. “Do you think it’s possible... you’re not dreaming about the kid because you know he’s safe now? You know he’s back home and we can protect him. But the thing plaguing you... is something that was taken from you. Something you can’t get back?”

You’ve thought about this. You’ve had time to think about every single thing which might have been bothering him and how you might fix it, these past nights. That has become your ritual. To care for him. To notice when he holds Grogu a little tighter, becomes more reluctant to let go of his hand. When he grumbles about the specs of this ship, compared to the Crest. When he waits extra late, until it’s extra dark to remove his helmet these days. When he wakes in the night thrashing and gasping for air.

You can’t change what happened, but you hope you can be there as he heals from it.

Din doesn’t respond rightaway, but he takes a sip of his tea, mulling your words over.

“Do you want to talk more about it?” you ask gently. “About what happened?”

And, Din eventually begins, in a deep, empty rumble, sounding like an engine low on fuel. “They scanned me,” he says, and you can tell from the change in his voice that he has turned away from you - is now looking down at the floor. In your periphery you see his figure hunched over, head hung like a bird.

You want to reach out for him, but you don’t. Not yet.

“It wasn’t only showing my face to them, to you,” he begins, and you have a bitter taste in your mouth not only from his trauma but also from the fact you were any part of it. “They scanned me. My face is in their system. My face is everywhere. In every imperial back-up, all across the galaxy. Not only did I violate the code, but my violation is infinite, eternal. They have my face.” Your face twists in agony on his behalf as he speaks. “You know, I keep waking up, in a panic. Like I did when Grogu was taken... except this time it’s me they stole. They really did steal all of me. I’m not fit to call myself a Mandalorian.”

Tentatively, you do reach out your hand to him now, and you set it on to his shoulder, feeling the subtle heat of his skin through the thin, still damp fabric. You rub small circles there, hoping you can soothe him even a tiny amount. You let his heavy words sink in, before you speak.

“Din, I’m so sorry this happened to you,” you soothe. “I know I can’t fix it. I wish I could. But you should know, that it’s okay to feel this way, and I’m here -and so is Grogu- and we’ll help you however we can.” You suck your lips in between your teeth as he is unresponsive, wondering whether to go on. You decide you must. That he must hear this. “And, Din,” you say, through a watery smile. “I hope it’s not inappropriate to say- you know The Way better than I ever can- but, it seems to me, from what you tell me, that being a Mandalorian isn’t any one thing. It’s strength, and honour, and loyalty. And if it’s those things too, then, Din, you’re the most Mandalorian person I’ve ever met.”

Beneath your hand, your feel Din’s chest stutter and he takes a shaky, volatile breath in and out. You wonder if he is crying.

“Cyar'ika” he says softly, after a few moments. “How do you always make me feel a little better? A little safer?”

Your heart pounds. He called you darling.

“It’s just the tea,” you dismiss, through brimming tears of joy. It is all you want. All you want to protect this sweet man.

“It’s not,” he states painly. “The tea’s awful,” he says, and this time, his hand clamps over yours on his shoulder. His chest shakes again, but this time it is with a gentle, shaky laugh. The kind of throaty, beautiful chuckle which sounds out of him when Grogu plays with the silver ball of the flight control. 

Yes, he settles his hand on top of yours, but, this time, neither of you snatch your hands away. His laugh subsides, until it dissipates into the space between you, warming the room a little.

“There is one more thing I’d like to talk about,” Din says, his voice cracking.

Softly, you invite him to continue with a squeeze of his shoulder.

“You saw me,” he says, gently, and you can tell his gaze has turned back to you, head pointed where he’s looking. You feel his eyes on you.

Brown eyes.

Now that you know what they look like, it is all the harder to avert your gaze.

You did. You saw him.

“I’m sorry,” you state, voice brittle, and your heart breaking, tears tipping from your eyes. “I wish I hadn’t. I wasn’t looking.”

Just like now. You won’t look.

“Yes, I know. But you saw me. You always see me,” he states, his voice warm and revving like an engine suddenly full with fuel. You shake your head softly in confusion, unsure where he is going with this, syllables stuttering out of you. Luckily, Din picks up the slack. “I hoped you would see me for the first time as my riddur, but, now that you have already... what do you think? Is mine a face you could live with?”

Your heart is pounding faster now. It is definitely racing, and no longer breaking.

As his riddur? He meant to marry you? Means to, still? Your brimming tears spill over on to your cheeks.

And, this time, you turn toward each other, even though your gaze is cast down. Not looking. His eyes very much fixed on you- on whatever he can make out in this shadow.

You think that having such kind, brown eyes fall on you is a blessing.

“Din,” you start, your voice full and bowed with emotion. “Yours is a face I loved before I ever saw it. Loved when I saw it. Will love if even if I never see it again, and would love if I looked at nothing else but into your eyes for the rest of my life. Your face is as beautiful as your soul, and I never needed to look at you to see you.”

“Cyar’ika,” he whispers softly, scooping up your hand and bringing it to rest on his cheek.

An impossibly joyous smile splits your face as you feel the texture of his skin and the scruff of his beard against your fingers. Finally. As you feel his own face crease into a smile in return, his cheek appling beneath your touch. You are overwhelmed by the trust he must place in you, to sit with you like this.

“Do you mean it, Din?” you ask, scarcely believing it. “You want to be a family?”

This time, Din’s voice does not come to you from behind metal - behind beskar. It is close. It is unfettered. You feel his warm, sweet breath on your face as his joyful, certain words filter out of him. “We’re already a family. You and me and the kid. I’m never letting anything take you away from me.”

You believe him.

You smooth the pads of your finger over his face and he reaches out to cup your cheek too, feeling the tracks of your tears beneath his touch. With his broad hands, skin-on-skin, Din pulls you into him, and your lips find his immediately, his tongue delving eagerly into you as if he has been waiting for a mouth to kiss.

Din has been waiting for a long time, perhaps. Waiting for you to complete his family - officially. But he’s never had to wait to love you. He already did that, long ago. From the first time he saw you, in fact. You had a face as beautiful as your soul, and he knew you were the one for him. 

You close your eyes, feeling overwhelmed by happiness. You do not look at him; your Mando. You don’t even try to, but you don’t need to look to see him.

Still, you if you get the chance to look again, you think it will be a blessing to gaze into those brown eyes.

Those brown eyes as kind as his soul, and full of love, instead of fear.