#sorry i just keep looking at the little details you added - like the little christmas tree pancakes and adorabat's lil gingerbread house -

[wintfleur]

hi!! can i just possibly request a quick blurb about stella and her brothers cuddling?? the plot would be something like this!!

stella’s on her period and at the moment all she wants to do is cuddle, so she goes from room to room rounding her brothers up and bringing them back to her room for a impromptu sleepover!! and they all have just missed each other during the season!! so they don’t do the fake complaining siblings do when you come in to their room (or in her case bring them to her room) and they all just cuddle all night like they used to do when they were little☹️☹️

ps.. i would think stella’s periods would be HELL mine are (and i’m anemic) it’s just like the extra blood leaving your body even though it’s supposed to?? it’s just actual hell. i get SO dizzy and i throw up and the cramps are the WORST (and for the cake on the top!!) i get SUPER light sensitive🍾🍾🎉🎉🎊🎊 (everybody clap!!) so i just feel like i the worst hangover of my life dude

and the reason i’m humbly requesting this blurb is because i’m on mine rn😭😭 also IM SO SORRY if the period thing is tmi..

ꔫ dog pile!

°. — pairings ( Estella Hughes oc! X siblings! Hughes brothers )

°. — details ( g; fluff, humor. w; cursing. wc; 1.8k )

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( thank you so much for requesting! I absolutely loved the idea! And don’t worry about it being a tmi! I am also anemic and my periods are HELL! I tried to get this out as fast as I can, I just been busy with some family things. I tried to make it sweet, but I accidentally made it chaotic. I hope you enjoy! )

°. — ( feel free to send any requests of things you would like to see in this series, or if you just want to share some thoughts! I would absolutely love that! Please comment if you would like to be added to the tag list! )

au masterlist - you can find asks under #💌stellahughes!

°. — asks about stella and rut are under #⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🩷୧˚ stella & rut!

°. — smutty asks about Stella and rut are under #⋆ ˚｡⋆୨💒୧˚ smutty stella & rut!

Stella huffed in annoyance for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last five minutes, she sat up from laying in her bed and twisted her body to fix her pillows again. She just couldn't get comfortable, and God was it frustrating to keep on moving when she was having terrible cramps. But to be honest her being uncomfy isn't the full reason for her being frustrated. She was alone at home with her siblings, and instead of them spending time together, they were all spread out around the house doing their own thing. 

The more she thought about it, the grumpier she got. 

Stella decided she had enough of being alone, she grabbed her remote and paused the Christmas movie she was watching. She flung her thick blanket off her sweatpants covered legs (the sweatpants that she stole from Rutger) and got out of her warm bed. She slipped on her favorite grinch slippers and stomped her way out of her room and down the hallway to the closest room to her, Quinn's. 

Luckily his door was already cracked, and Stella pushed it fully open with her hand, standing still in the doorway, her hands at her sides. Quinn’s head snaps up from his phone and towards his sister at the sudden sound. He opens his mouth to ask if she's alright, but he quickly closes it when he notices the grumpy pout on her lips. Stella stares at Quinn and speaks in a freakishly calm tone “My room now please.” 

“Uhh alright” Quinn agreed in a confused tone, he got out of his bed and followed his little sister out of his room. His eyes widening at the sound of her slippers stomping against the floor. Jack, who opened his door, flinches at the sight of Stella standing right in front of him, not expecting to see her. Before Jack could say anything, Stella is grabbing his arm and pulling him with her. Jack just lets her pull him along to her room, looking behind at Quinn for some context on what's going on, but he just receives a shrug from the eldest Hughes sibling. 

“Sit down” Stella mumbles tiredly pushing Jack to sit on the edge of her bed, she glances at Quinn with her grumpy eyes, and he moves to sit on her bed, his back leaning against her headboard his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for stella to explain what's going on. Jack looks up at stella waiting for an explanation but instead he gets a quick “Stay here.” 

“What's up with her?” Jack turns around to ask Quinn once Stella waddles out of the room, moving up on the bed so he is leaning against the headboard, his legs sprawled out. Quinn looks too jack and responds casually “Its stella, we’ll never know.” 

Stella moves into the living room, her eyes going to Luke, who was sitting on the couch with his back to her, playing Mario Kart. He was muttering to himself as he played, Stella having to stop herself from laughing at the sight. Stella moves to stand next to the tv, Luke looks away from the tv for a second to look at her for a moment before looking back to his game. “Hey stell” 

“Lukey, come with me please” Stella sweetly asks Luke, taking a new approach to get him in her room. Last time she interrupted Luke at gaming, he tackled her to the couch (gently) and sat on her. Stella really didn't want to experience that again, especially with her cramps. She hoped that her sweet tone would convince him to come, but of course she was wrong. “Bro I'm in the middle of a game.” 

“Bro, I don't care” Stella quickly snaps back, doing her best to intimidate his tone. Luke looked away from the screen to give her a ‘really’ look. But Stella stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest and staring silently at him with her grumpy frown. Luke sighs and turns off the game, knowing there was no way he was gonna win this battle, not when she was extra emotional. 

Stella smiles triumphantly when Luke shuts off the TV and stands up to follow her, Luke rolling his eyes at his little sister's antics. Luke follows behind stella and asks "What are we doin” 

“We're having a sleepover, Quinn and jack just don't know it yet” Stella giggles, she knew she was being a ‘little’ dramatic, but she also didn't care. She didn't know how long she would be with all of her brothers until they had to leave. Luke grins, some of his best memories are him and his siblings having sleepovers. “Hell yeah! But I'm picking the movie.” 

“Fine, but I'm not watching Christmas story again” Stella agrees causing Luke to laugh, ever since stella was little she has always had a strong hatred for that movie, and Luke being the annoying brother he is, likes to choose that as his choice for movie night. 

“She got you too huh” Quinn jokes once the two youngest join them in the room. Stella rolls her eyes and slips off her slippers while Luke sets his phone on her side table next to Jacks, not before shutting it off, not wanting to get bothered by his notifications. “So, you gonna tell us why you kidnapped us?” Jack questions with an unnecessary amount of sass. 

“We're having a sleepover, and I won't take no for an answer” stella remarked with the same amount of sass. Jack's offended look on his face from Stella's sass turns to a look of relief, he was worried Stella gathered them all to tell them bad news or something. Jack lets out a heavy breath and dramatically rests his hand over his heart “You could have just said that. Fuck i thought you were going to tell us your pregnant or somethin!” 

Quinn grimaces at the thought, and Jack looks disgusted as he says the last part. Luke rolls his eyes at Jack's stupidity and scoffs “She's literally on her period dumbass” Quinn sighs, not liking the turn the conversation was going to. Jack ignores Luke's words and gives Stella a worried look “you're not, right?” 

“I’m not pregnant jack!” Stella shouts with annoyed huff, purposefully digging her knees into Jack's legs when she climbs over him to lay between him and Quinn. Jack winces and brings his leg up to his chest, rubbing the skin to soothe the pain. Luke laughs loudly and pushes Jack a little to the side so there was room for him to lay, causing Jack to loudly complain but nonetheless scoot over. Quinn lets out a tired sigh and wraps his arm around Stella and pulls her closer so there was more room for the other two. 

After a few more minutes the four siblings got situated in Stella's big bed, the blanket over all of them, poor luke had his feet sticking out of the end of the blanket since jack was being stingy and pulled the blanket all the way up to his shoulders. Stella yawned and rested her head on Quinn's chest, his hand that was resting on her arm came up to play with her hair. Jack, who was comfortably resting in the middle, had Luke resting his head on his shoulder. All of their legs somehow intertwined together just like how it was when they were little. 

Luke finally decided on grown ups, well more like Jack grabbed the remote and pressed on it. The siblings watched the movie in silence, with the occasional laugh, the siblings just enjoying being all together. Stella didn't want to get sappy, but she couldn't help but too “I really missed this” Quinn smiled and held his sister tighter, he understands how Stella feels the most, both of them being away from their siblings while Luke and Jack were still together. 

“I missed this too” Jack mumbled with a sniffle, he really did miss spending time with all his siblings, he loved having Luke with him, but it wasn't the same as having them all together. Quinn hummed in agreement while Luke sat up a little, staring at Jack with a teasing smile “Are you crying?” Jack glares at Luke and nudges him hard with his elbow, only causing Luke to laugh louder. “Fuck off luke” 

“Don’t tell luke to fuck off” Quinn snaps at jack causing him to look at his older brother in disbelief. Stella groans in annoyance and grabs the remote off Jack's lap to pause the movie before saying tiredly “Can we all stop saying fuck and just enjoy the moment” Quinn doesn't look away from jack and jack finally caves in with a sigh, turning to luke to apologize. Stella presses play on the movie with a happy smile. 

They continued to watch the movie, all of them laughing in unison at the same moments and talking about their favorite parts. It was like how it was when they were little, somehow all of them had moved closer together. Stella had a permanent smile as she watched the movie, finding so much comfort from being so close to her brothers, she felt so much better. 

Quinn and Stella felt themselves slowly drifting off to sleep, their eyes fluttering close.  Jack was munching on the candy Stella had on her side table, talking to Luke in hushed whispers so they wouldn't disturb the sleepy duo. Luke adjusts his position and frowns “Why is my ass so warm.” 

“Because you're sitting on her heating pad dumbass,” Jack laughs, and Stella, who is almost asleep, couldn't help but join Jack in laughter. Quinn's eyes flutter open, and he clears his throat in confusion, his voice tired “What happened” Luke scowls at Jack as he starts to laugh louder, tossing his head back. Stella giggles “Just Luke being luke”

 Luke pulls the pillow out from Jack's head and uses his long arm to reach over Jack and smack Stella right in the head with the pillow. Jack winces when his head smacks against the headboard and Stella gasps in shock at the hit. Luke didn't realize he had also hit Quinn in the face and soon he had three annoyed siblings staring him down. Luke laughs nervously “Uhh” 

And before they knew it, they broke out into a full pillow fight, Stella teaming up with Luke after getting a good hit on him. The next 10 minutes are filled with laughter and Luke's screams as Jack and Quinn target him. The exhausted siblings soon lay down and before the next movie reached the half point, they were all already asleep. Tangled into Stella's bed, Luke and Stella sleep peacefully between their older brothers. 

Another sleepover they wouldn't forget. 

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( the ending is kinda rushed, it could have been so much better but I really wanted to get it out as fast as I can )

°. — taglist ( @privatemythss @bradenschneider )

[unadulterated-syd]

I wrote this like a week back, when I had the motivation to write

I'll crack down on some reqs after Christmas <3 + I may be a little more inactive on here for awhile, I've been busy and frankly very tired.

Much love <3 and feel free to participate in either of my Events,, both are still up and running.

-

Standing in the door way, you sighed. Watching Judith and Rick curled up on the couch, who knew how long sleep had overcome them.

You pulled a blanket from the nearby closet, sliding it carefully over the two— truth be told wondering how they'd managed to fall asleep in the cold like this in the first place.

You heard the patting of steps coming from the stairs, though disregarded it as creaks in the home. It spoke rather often, squeaking here and there as if intentional.

However, as you turned to leave— after tucking the two in, you found Carl stood in the doorway. He just stared at you for a moment, adjusting to the idea of you living with them.

You'd moved in a while back, after being kicked from your solo home due to crowding issues. You were glad to move in, really, the home made life less lonely, more liveable.

Though you got along well with most of the Grimes— playing with Judith, working with Rick, even learning sword tricks with Michonne, Carl and you rarely talked.

You had a mutual agreement, though silent, that you'd keep your distance. The two of you saw hope for the future in each other, in one way it was close to love, though you'd never admit it.

"Sorry— you can have the room. I was just heading out anyway." You told him, in a hushed voice, careful not to wake the sleeping Grimes behind you.

He looked at you, it was still dark out, time for sleeping by all means.

"Where are you going? It's late."

"I've uh— got a spot a little ways out. Perfect for when I can't sleep."

"When you can't sleep..?" He asked, seeming to ponder on another thought, "What.. is it."

"Nothing special. It's a cleared home just outside the walls, has some cool stuff." You paused, "But from the roof you can see the stars really well. You're welcome to join if you want?—

— we can stay on opposite sides.. its plenty big."

"Okay." He agreed, though wincing at the idea of ruining your safe space. on opposite sides. That was the first time the agreement was ever voiced.

Upon arriving at the old home, you took it all in once more. It had high gates, well kept— stretching eight feet in the air. There was a strong padlock pressing the gate shut, one you'd added for security.

"How long have you known about this.." His eyes glanced around, noticing small details like you owning the key to the lock, or the way certain windows were pressed open to get the best circulation.

"Long enough to protect it." You guaranteed, locking the padlock back— once the two of you had already crossed the threshold in the gate.

You led him into the house, it was rather clean— evident you'd purposely kept it that way. You stopped in the hallway, looking at him.

"You can have free reign in here, I'll stay up on the roof." You whispered, extending the keys for him to take, "I trust you won't leave me."

He stared at the keys in his open palm as you exited up the stairs.

Carl looked around, his eyes landing on a picture of you and your family— who he presumed was your family anyhow. Had you lived here?

He shrugged off the idea, enjoying the look of happiness you presented. He'd never truly seen that in you, not in the time he'd known you anyway.

He walked further into the house, exploring the CDs laid out on the livingroom floor, before moving to the kitchen. The table was littered with pictures of people, some he knew, others he didn't.

They were of you with people, most taken after the rise of the Walkers. There was an odd happiness to you— in all pictures you'd seemed to try your hardest to look happy.

His eyes stopped when they landed on a picture of you and him, one he had no idea you'd kept. He remembered the day it was taken, Glenn had insisted on getting a picture of the two of you—

— he'd told you privately that you two'd make great friends, and he wanted Carl to branch out. You'd both agreed due to the silliness Glenn presented with the idea. He'd been so excited you couldn't reject.

And after it was taken, your silent agreement begun. You'd both stared at the picture so long Glenn thought he'd taken it 'wrong'. That was when it occurred to you both that you'd make more than good friends.

He shook his head, picking up the photo and looking at it. Flipping it over, his fingers glided over the back, which read 'Carl & Y/n' simply.

He could tell there had been more written on the back, though it was shakily erased. As if it had been something you couldn't convince yourself of.

His eyes soon caught a picture of you with everyone— Michonne, Rick, himself, and Judith. Right before you'd moved in, when they'd taken you in.

You seemed happy in this picture, he could tell that much. It made his heart flutter, though he wish it wouldn't, how happy his family made you. How happy you made them.

How happy you made him.

He put the photos down, a pit formed in him as he put certain pieces together— how many people never showed in new pictures, people he could tell hadn't made it.

The photos all showed a progression of happiness, newer photos wouldn't even feature a smile from you. He wished he could say his life had gone differently, but it hadn't.

He dropped the picture he was holding, when he saw you stood beside him, looking over his shoulder at the photos. You weren't mad, you didn't look mad, you looked.. sad.

He looked at you, analyzing the look on your face— he decided he never wanted to see you like this again. A part of him decided that this, agreement, it had to be over.

You reached over him, picking up the same photo of you and him— the one Glenn took. Clearing your throat, before breaking the silence.

"I'm really glad he took this, even if we're not close." You promised, "I used to think about what he said— he told me that we reminded him of Maggie and him."

"We act like we hate eachother in front of others, but one of us is always after the other in some way. That's what he said about us."

"He said that?"

"Yeah. I never really told you— considering the whole distance thing." You paused, looking at him, before reaching out and grabbing another photo.

"I don't even know why we took this one." The picture was a picture of you and Beth at the very beginning, goofing off, "But I'm glad we did. There was so much to her that she didn't get the chance to show."

He looked at you as you reminisced. "And this one, Tyrese told me to keep it forever, that I had to hold on to it because if either of us died it wouldn't be me."

You paused as you looked at it, "He was right." You swallowed the lump in your throat, "You think you'd lose humanity with how the world is now. I think I've only gained more."

"That's a good thing." He told you, taking the picture from you, and setting it back down. He stood up— pulling you into a hug.

"You keep them alive, Y/n. Half the shit they did for Judith would've been completely forgotten if you didn't tell her." He whispered, remembering everytime he'd hear you sharing their stories with her— with anyone that'd listen really.

"They deserve that much." You smiled at him, finally giving into the hug, "Thank you. I missed this."

"Missed what?"

"You."

He did a double take, stiffening in the hug as you continued.

"We used to be this close. When we were younger— before everything got complicated."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're here now, so am I." You paused, wrapping your arms tighter around him.

"I want to be like Glenn and Maggie. I just didn't think you.. I didn't think you'd want that."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe."

"Yes. My answer is yes."

-

Tags: @carlgrimesslover

if you want to be added to any taglist of mine, send in an ask :)

[lemoncrushh]

The Entertainer II - Track 09 - Something in the Stars

Summary: What if it wasn’t the end? What if Sky did actually see Harry at the Forum in the early 80s, and he saw her too? What if fate took hold of them both, and they realized their journey was not over? Set in 1981, Harry and Sky’s story continues with more music, more romance, and a few more twists and turns.

STORY PAGE

Track 09 Word Count: 4.2k+

Read The Entertainer

“What are you wearing tomorrow?” Donna asked me Friday afternoon.

I was seated on the floor next to a filing cabinet, trying to get the last of my filing done before I left for the day.

“It’s…a red dress,” I answered vaguely.

“Ooh, red’s a sensual color!”

“It’s also the color of Christmas,” I scoffed over my shoulder.

“Even so,” Donna shrugged. “I bet Harry will like it. I was afraid to go with red myself. Joel might get the wrong idea.”

“I thought you liked Joel,” I remarked, sliding a client’s file into a tight spot.

“I don’t know…” Donna sighed. “I like him enough to go to a party with him. But I’m still not sure if I like him enough to go all the way.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed, probably a bit too loudly. Then I cleared my throat. “So you haven’t…um…”

“Nope,” she replied. “Not that he hasn’t made a move or anything…I just…I don’t know.”

“Hey, it’s okay to wait as long as you need,” I assured her. “Also, he may just not be worthy. It’s okay to say that, you know?”

“It is?”

Closing the filing cabinet with my hip, I returned to my chair and faced her.

“Of course. This is the eighties. Women should be able to speak their mind when it comes to sex. And we don’t need to put out just because we think the man wants it. Give your body when you’re good and ready, and to someone who deserves it.”

Donna rested her chin in her hand as she clicked a pen in the other.

“I take it Harry was worthy,” she said.

I felt my face flush before I even sputtered a word.

“Wh-what? Am I that transparent?”

Donna grinned at me. “I just know how you’ve been acting since you told me about him. He must be something special.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah he’s…”

I let my mind wander to him for a second, trying to think of the words to say without giving too many details.

“Harry was always worthy,” I finally answered. “That’s really the only way I can describe it.”

“Hey babe, I’m sorry to call so late. Did I wake you?”

“Yeah,” I yawned. “But it’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Harry,” I insisted as I sat up in bed. “I told you it doesn’t matter what time you call.”

“Hmm, I have a feeling you could change your mind eventually.”

“Eventually? Does that mean you’re gonna continue to do this?”

“I hope not,” said Harry. “But this week hasn’t shown much promise.”

Since Tuesday night when Harry had called me from the party and then stayed the night, we hadn’t had much chance at conversation. Wednesday I hadn’t heard from him at all after he’d left that morning, and Thursday night he’d called me just after I’d gone to bed, but I hadn’t been asleep yet. I’d assured him then that I looked forward to our nightly talks, no matter how late or how short. I’d stayed up late tonight in case he called around the same time, but by midnight, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

“What time is it?” I asked, my eyes still adjusting.

“Just after one.”

“Oh.”

“Are you angry?”

“No. Just tired.”

“I’m sorry, babe. Go back to sleep,” he sounded defeated.

“No. No, it’s fine. I wanna talk. I missed your voice,” I added at the end to smooth things over.

“I miss all of you,” Harry declared.

I had to admit, that smoothed it over for me. I felt bad for being a little curt with him. I wasn’t adjusting to this inconvenience very well, and I was mad at myself for it. I had to laugh.

“Why’s that funny?” Harry asked, clearly not aware of my inner thoughts.

“It’s not,” I said. “It’s absolutely adorable. But listen to how ridiculous we sound. We’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in weeks.”

“Feels like it,” Harry chuckled. “My days are running together.”

“How was it today?” I inquired.

“Good, actually. Got a lot done. One song’s nearly complete.”

“That’s great! I can’t wait to hear it.”

“Yeah, I think you’ll like it. How was yours?”

“Nothing you’d wanna hear about,” I quipped. “So are you home now?”

“Yeah, in bed. Wishing you were here.”

“Harry…”

“What? I told you I want you all the time. If I’m not working on the record, I’m thinking about you. If I am working on the record, I’m thinking about you.”

“Get out!”

Harry chuckled again, the vibrations tickling my ear and down to my toes.

“I’d ask you to come over, or I’d come to yours if I didn’t have to be at the studio early,” he added.

“Mmm, that would be nice,” I commented. “But it’s okay. I’ll get to sleep in a little.”

“Rub it in,” Harry scoffed.

“Tomorrow we can be together all night,” I reminded him.

“I can’t wait to see you, angel.”

When we ended the call, I felt much better. Harry was coming to pick me up at six. I was just as excited to see him dressed up as I was for him to see me. I just knew it was going to be a magical night.

“Playin’ with the Queen of Hearts Knowin’ it ain’t really smart The Joker ain’t the only fool Who’ll do anything for you…”

“Alright, doll,” said Kimberly, my hairdresser. “Let’s have you sit under the dryer for twenty minutes.”

As I followed her to the row of hairdryers, I hummed along to Juice Newton.

“There ya go, doll,” Kimberly called as I began to feel the heat on my scalp. “I’ll be back to check on you.”

Sitting back in the vinyl chair, I spotted a magazine on the table beside me and began to flip through it. There was a lot of nonsense I couldn’t care less about. But when I turned a page after reading a blurb on Jane Fonda, a photo of a familiar face caught my eye.

There on page twenty-six was a photo of Harry with a woman I didn’t recognize. My heart began to beat faster in my chest, and a lump caught in my throat.

“Harry Styles, 27, pictured here in June with model Mitzi Lambert at the film premiere of For Your Eyes Only,” it read, “is rumored to be working on an upcoming solo project as well as being extremely available. Though sources say he’s been seen out in L.A. recently with someone, we have yet to confirm if this is true.”

I flipped back to the cover of the tabloid to confirm the date. It had just been released. So that “someone” it referenced could have been me.

Turning back to the picture, I looked at Mitzi. She was thin, tall and glamorous. Everything I was not. She must have been that old girlfriend who knew nothing about him, although the photo suggested they were having the time of their lives.

Closing the magazine, I decided there was no need to feel jealous. He was mine now. I smiled at the thought.

Kimberly finished my hair, and I felt like a million bucks. As I stepped into my apartment, I was on cloud nine. I flipped on the stereo and sang along while I finished getting ready. Slipping my red halter dress over my head, I got tingles all over as I imagined Harry’s gaze and his hands on me later.

“Tonight’s the night we’ll make history Honey, you and I…”

I stepped into my gold shoes that matched my gold clutch handbag and stood in front of the mirror. I watched my eyes dance before I even smiled - a crystal blue color that I’d rarely seen. My makeup, applied just a bit heavier than I usually did, appeared sexy and sultry. My lipstick, the same Christmas red as my dress, made my lips look like cherries. For the final touch, I placed a gold barrette with holly on one side of my head. Then I stepped back again and giggled in the mirror.

“Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime We’ll take the best, forget the rest And someday we’ll find… These are the best of times…”

I was so excited, I couldn’t sit still. I tried watching TV while I waited for Harry to arrive, but my mind just wanted to wander. I grabbed my guitar, but my fingers kept fumbling, as though they were frozen with ice. I paced around the apartment until it was finally six o’clock, my stomach doing somersaults. The only thing left to do was sit at the table and stare at the door.

I waited.

And waited.

By six-thirty I felt nauseous, so I dialed Harry’s number, but I got his machine. I felt partial relief, believing he was on his way. Perhaps he was caught in traffic.

Six-forty-five rolled around and I thought I might pass out. Frantic, I considered calling Halo, but I didn’t want to tie up the line.

He promised, I thought.

My mind started whirling around all of the possible scenarios, the bad and the worse. I sat still at my dining table for another ten minutes. I was just about to give up and head to the bedroom to take off my dress when the phone rang.

“Hello?” I barely made a sound, let alone accentuated the two syllables.

“Baby! Baby, I’m so sorry!” he said sincerely. “I know I was supposed to be there an hour ago.”

“What happened?” I asked, my hands shaking.

“I got caught up in a session. It ran longer than we thought it would.”

“Oh.”

“Please forgive me.”

“Okay,” I mumbled.

“Listen, I haven’t left the studio yet. And I still have to stop at Irving’s.”

“What?” I was teetering on the edge of livid.

“Yeah, he has my suit,” Harry chuckled nervously.

“Why does he have your suit?” My words sputtered out like bullets.

“Long story, babe. But he was getting things ready for me.”

“Probably should have given you a watch,” I spat.

Harry sighed. “I know. You’re mad, but I deserve it. I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah. So when will you be here?”

“Actually, babe, why don’t I meet you there? I can send a car for you. You’re already late.”

“I have my own car if I’m not going with you,” I commented.

“It’s the least I can do, baby. Please don’t be so upset with me.”

I had so many things I wanted to say - to yell at him. But I figured on the phone, when I was already hurt and late, was not the time to convey them.

“I’ll send a car to come get you, okay? Right now.”

“Okay,” I said.

“I’ll meet you at the hotel.”

“Fine.”

“Sky…”

“Hmm?” I sounded, not willing to say much else.

“It can still be a wonderful night. I promise.”

Inhaling a jagged breath, I let it out. He was right. We still had the rest of the night together.

“Okay. See you there.”

“There’s a party going on right here…”

The car that Harry had sent for me had dropped me off almost thirty minutes ago. Donna and Joel had pulled me out of my seat and dragged me to the dance floor. I was not in the party spirit. I’d stopped watching the door, but I wasn’t in the mood for dancing. I just wanted to go home.

“Smile, Mary!” exclaimed Donna. “He said he’d be here, right?”

I nodded, managing a tiny smirk. I hadn’t wanted to tell my friend the whole story, so I’d just told her Harry was running late and would be there soon. I figured it was best to at least act like I was having a good time, so when the Kool and the Gang track prompted everyone to “woo hoo”, I lifted my arms in the air. By the end of the song, I felt a tiny bit better.

“I wonder what’s going on,” I heard Donna say when the next song started.

“Where?” I asked.

“Over by the door. There’s a bunch of people crowded around.”

Almost like Moses parting the red sea, the group of people near the door dispersed, revealing the cause for commotion. I stood frozen on the dance floor, my knees locked.

He looked breathtaking.

I watched him for a minute or two, waving and shaking hands with strangers - my coworkers. He was dressed all in black except for the single red carnation pinned to his lapel.

“Holy shit, isn’t that the singer from Wildfire?” I heard Joel ask.

“Really?” squealed Donna. “What’s he doing here? Is he staying in this hotel?”

“Didn’t that band break up?” Joel interjected.

“Mary’s the music fan,” said Donna. “She probably knows. Mary?”

I heard my coworker’s inquiry, but she might as well have been in another room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. And when he weaved through a few more people and stepped closer to the dance floor, his eyes finally found mine. Stopping three feet in front of me, he clapped his hand over his chest.

“Be still my heart,” he murmured, his lips mouthing the words more than actually voicing them.

My own lips slowly spread into a smile as he took another step and grabbed my hands.

“My God, baby…” he shook his head. “You look absolutely stunning.”

“Do I?” I tilted my head.

Harry chuckled. “Yeah, you do.”

Slipping his arms around me, he pulled me to him.

“Am I allowed to kiss you?” he inquired in a whisper.

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Harry shrugged. “Seeing as this is a business affair. I wouldn’t wanna be improper.”

I grinned at him and shook my head. “Stop saying words that show off your accent and kiss me.”

I hadn’t been aware of anyone else around us until our lips met and I heard a howl. Harry lifted his head, his expression halfway between embarrassed and baffled. My face, I was sure, matched my dress.

“Sorry,” Harry smirked, not missing a beat. “I swear I asked her first.”

The crowd erupted into both laughter and claps. I rested my forehead against his shoulder until I heard the deejay announce the next song was for “lovers only.”

“Perfect timing,” Harry whispered in my ear.

I hardly had a second to question him with my eyes when the familiar words started.

“My love, there’s only you in my life…”

“Oh God, this song…” I groaned.

“You don’t like it?” asked Harry as he took my hand and led me into a dance.

“No, I do…” I nodded. “It just…makes me feel a lot of things.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Like…”

“And your eyes, your eyes, your eyes They tell me how much you care…”

Harry mouthed the words as he stared into my eyes, then lifted his hand to cup my cheek.

“Yeah, like that,” I confessed, already feeling my eyes getting wet. “It just gets to me.”

“Music’s supposed to do that. Isn’t that one of the first things we ever talked about?”

I nodded, unable to say anything else. I could feel myself swimming in his eyes, and I knew that if I dared to move, I could drown.

“‘Cause you, you mean the world to me…”

Harry continued to serenade me as we swayed on the dance floor. My eyes still locked on him, I felt myself falling even more.

“Jesus, baby,” he sighed. “You’re so fucking pretty.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Your eyes are like diamonds,” he added, sliding his fingers down my cheek.

I grinned. “You’re really making up for being late, aren’t you?”

“What?” Harry furrowed his brows. “No. I’m not trying to make up for anything. I’m being honest.”

“Okay. You’re right. That was unfair of me to say.”

“You get very suspicious when I’m trying to be romantic,” Harry accused. “Why is that?”

“I’m not, Harry,” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I ruined the moment. Let’s forget it.”

Harry continued to glare at me until I slid my hands up his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck. His face softened, and he pulled me tighter. I laid my head on his shoulder while he returned to singing along with Lionel and Diana. I sang along too towards the end.

“‘Cause no one can deny This love I have inside And I’ll give it all to you”

I lifted my head then to look at him again, his green eyes silently confessing to mine as his lips mouthed the words.

“My love, my love, my love My endless love…”

I thought he might kiss me again, but the deejay came back on the microphone, interrupting the moment.

“Alright! Love is in the air this holiday season! A big thanks to Harry for that special request. Now, let’s get things moving with this request from Sasha. Shake your groove thang, Sasha!”

The dance floor filled with more people as I stood and stared at Harry. Then with a turn, I weaved through people to get to the buffet.

“Baby?” Harry called after me. When he caught up to me, he grabbed my arm. “Sky. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Just needed some air. It got crowded fast.”

“Sky…”

“Have you eaten?” I asked, turning back to the buffet and grabbing a plate. “I nibbled a little earlier, but now I’m starved.”

“Sky!” Harry exclaimed. “Stop it. Why do you keep doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Avoiding the obvious.”

“There she is!” I heard to my left. “Why didn’t you tell me your Harry was a rockstar?”

I grinned at Donna shyly, setting down my empty plate.

“Sorry," I said. “I guess I didn’t wanna make it a big deal.”

Donna scoffed. “Kinda late for that. He walked in and swept you off your feet. I thought I was watching some romance movie.”

I giggled and slid my hand hesitantly around Harry’s arm, hoping he wasn’t too upset with me. But when I looked up at him, he beamed down at me.

“Harry, this is my friend, Donna. Donna, this is…my boyfriend, Harry.”

I watched Donna exchange nervous greetings with Harry, which only made me smile wider. Once again, Harry was ever the gentleman, making my friend feel special. He asked her about her job and how we became friends. It was a little awkward, but pleasant just the same.

“Well, I won’t bother you anymore, but feel free to join us at our table once you get your food.”

“Where’s Joel?” I asked, noticing he was nowhere near.

“Dancing with Sasha,” Donna pointed to the dance floor. “I wanted to sit this one out. In fact, I may sit out the rest of the evening.”

“Oh,” I chuckled.

“Lovely to meet you, Donna,” said Harry.

“You too, Harry,” she smiled. Then she pointed at me. “You I will have words with later.”

“Oops,” I laughed as she walked away.

I felt Harry’s hand on my back then. I looked at him and noticed he was inspecting the food.

“I am pretty hungry, actually,” he commented, rubbing his belly. “Haven’t eaten all day.”

“Harry Styles,” I shook my head, handing him a plate. “You can’t be an entertainer if you don’t keep your strength.”

“Yes, love.”

“Ooh, they have shrimp!” I announced, helping my plate to some.

I watched Harry out of the corner of my eye as he scooped some vegetables onto his own plate.

“You know, you look incredibly sexy,” I blurted. “Sorry I didn’t mention it before.”

Harry smirked. “Not as sexy as you. Can’t wait to get you out of that dress later.”

With a look, I grabbed the big spoon and scooped more vegetables onto his plate.

“Strength, Harry, strength!”

Harry cackled like a kid, making me smile so big my cheeks hurt.

“You two seem meant for each other,” said a woman who had just walked up to the buffet.

“You think so?” Harry asked her.

“Oh, yes. I was watching you while you were dancing. You looked like the perfect couple. And here you are laughing with each other…that’s so important in a relationship, you know.”

I beamed at Harry. “Yeah, we laugh a lot.”

“That’s wonderful. I hope you don’t mind my asking, how did you meet?”

Harry and I looked at each other, then back at the woman.

“Um…we actually met years ago,” Harry replied.

“Yeah, then he went away…” I added.

“Oh! A reunion story!” exclaimed the woman. “How wonderful.”

“Yeah,” Harry grinned.

“Well, that’s when you know it’s true love, don’t you? Something in the stars,” said the woman. “It was meant to be, for sure.”

Harry and I stole another glance at each other, and Harry winked at me.

“Well, I won’t keep you,” added the woman, giving Harry a pat on the arm. “I’m Delores Blake by the way. Charlie’s wife.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harry and I said in unison.

“Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

When Delores left, her plate barely half full, I gasped.

“What?” asked Harry.

“That was my boss’s wife,” I cringed. “I didn’t even know.”

“Have you met her before?”

“Maybe?” I shrugged. “I have no idea. I was pretty drunk at the last party.”

Harry chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. She definitely thinks highly of you now.”

“Thanks to you, Mr. Romantic.”

I felt Harry’s eyes on me as I finished filling my plate. Donna was thrilled when we joined her at her table, and I introduced Harry to Joel. He was a nice enough guy, and it seemed that Donna had warmed up to him as well.

We had a lovely evening. Harry and I danced a few more dances, some slow, some fast, even a Christmas song or two. Several more people came up to him as the night grew on and they felt more comfortable - meaning they probably had taken some liquid courage. Harry took it all in stride. I actually enjoyed watching him. He taught me a bit about myself and how I approach and talk to people. He always looked them in the eye, whomever was speaking to him, and listened intently. I wondered if that was something that came natural to him, or if it was taught. He was never cocky or arrogant, like the rockstar stereotype. And some of my coworkers I knew better than others came to me to whisper how nice he was, and that they were happy for me.

By the end of the night, and after a few glasses of wine, I was feeling good. I was happy. I’d pretty much forgotten about Harry being late. We, along with Donna and Joel, were some of the last people remaining.

“Hey you two, we’re gonna head out,” announced Donna.

“Oh, okay,” I said.

“We’ll walk out with you,” offered Harry.

“That’s nice of you,” said Donna. “But you can stay.”

“No, we’re leaving too,” Harry insisted.

“We are?”

Harry slipped his hand around my back, his rings touching my bare skin, and I jumped out of my chair.

In the lobby, I turned to Donna while Joel and Harry were out of earshot.

“Did you change your mind about him?” I asked.

She merely shrugged.

“I don’t judge,” I said.

“I know,” she smiled. Then she leaned closer to me and whispered, “Keep this one though. He is mad about you.”

I looked at her, wanting to ask questions, but I felt Harry’s hand on my back again.

“I can tell!” Donna mouthed before she turned toward Joel who held the door open.

“Have a good night!” she called with a wave. “Nice meeting you, Harry! See you Monday, Mary!”

As she walked outside with Joel, I heard her say, “Harry and Mary. That’s so cute!”

Harry’s chuckle in my ear made me turn and look up at him.

“I sometimes forget that other people call you Mary. It’s so strange to me.”

“It’s my real name,” I scoffed.

“Nope,” he said, taking my face in his hands. “It might be your given name. But your real true name is Sky.”

“‘Like the color of the sky just before the rain,’” I quoted.

“Not tonight though,” Harry shook his head. “Tonight…I swear they look like diamonds.”

I smiled as I took his hands in mine.

“You ready to go?” I asked him.

Harry seemed to ponder my question, his eyes darting around the lobby.

“Mmm…not yet. I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” I asked.

Harry nodded. “Come with me.”

With a sly grin, he took my hand and guided me past the large Christmas tree and toward the elevators. I gasped when he pressed the up button.

“You got a room?” I exclaimed. “Here?”

As soon as the lift doors opened, Harry pulled me inside. I felt my stomach flip as we ascended, and not from the elevator. I looked up at Harry as he brushed my hair back from my shoulder, his touch sending a shooting thrill down my skin.

The look in his eyes was the same as the one on the dance floor. His lips twitched and he licked them as though he was about to say something, but he didn’t.

I wasn’t sure which floor the elevator opened on as I hadn’t been paying attention. But with my hand still in Harry’s, I followed him down to the end of the hall where he stopped and pulled a key out of his jacket.

A loud gasp escaped my throat again when Harry opened the door.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” he said.

Songs mentioned:

Juice Newton - Queen of Hearts

Styx - The Best of Times

Kool and the Gang - Celebration

Lionel Richie & Diana Ross - Endless Love

Taglist: @fkinavocado, @daphnesutton, @freedomfireflies

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK

[elisysd]

Paper rings

Cruel Summer Masterlist

Lyanna & Charles wedding

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

On paper a winter wedding is an amazing idea. Watching snow falling outside big windows, with a view on the mountains, a Christmas and cozy atmosphere. as well as just a limited amount of guests like the family and close friends. That’s what Charles and Lyanna imagined their wedding to be like. Not hard to organise since they already had the venue in a little town in the middle of the Alps, and they knew exactly who they wanted to invited. It shouldn’t have been this stressful. But both of them forgot that with a six months baby, the smallest task could become as big as the Everest to accomplish.

But thankfully with the help of Pascale and Renée, they had managed. And the day had finally arrived. In his navy suit, Charles was pacing and was drinking glass after glass of champagne, to the point that Joris, his best man had to throw the content of the very expansive bottle down the toilet.

“You don’t want to have no memories of your wedding, mate.”

“Is it normal to be this stressed out?”

“You are going to tie yourself to someone for the rest of your life, it is scary, but you choose it and now it’s time to embrace it.” added Pierre.

“How is Lyanna? Is she as stressed out as me? Maybe you guys could just check on her you know, she has the tendency to run away when a situation is scary. And a wedding is definitely scary. Maybe we could lock her in her room to be sure that she won’t become a runaway bride.”

“Oh my God, Charles, trust your damn fiancée. You guys have a kid together, I’d say it’s a bit too late to run away.”

“You’re right but can you go check on her, Joris? And on Julia as well? Is she still with my mom?”

“If it makes you feel better…”sighed Joris before leaving the room.

“And Julia is with Fred I think, your mom needed to check on something with the florist.”

Charles nodded, playing with his cuff links.

“It’ll be fine Charles.” told him Pierre, patting his back.

On the other side of the venue, Lyanna was perfectly calm while her best friend was putting the last details to her hair. They were laughing and chatting when they heard a few knocks on the door. Renée stood up and went to open it.

“Hey Renée! is Lyanna here?”

“Joris, Everything is alright? And yeah, she is here where do you want her to be?”

“I intended to see her here too. Charles, on the other hand is panicking. He is having a bridezilla moment.”

When Lyanna heard her future husband’s name she approached to door.

“Don’t tell me he thinks that I’m going to run away…”

Joris looked at her with a sorry smile making Lyanna rolled her eyes.

“What a dumbass…”

“Still not too late to change your mind, Lyanna! Are you sure you still want to marry him?” joked Joris.

“He might be a dumbass but he is my dumbass. Let me go through, I’m going to talk to him.”

“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!” called out Emilie.

“I’m going to talk to him through the door!”

Joris followed her closely to Charles’ room. Pierre was in front of it, a glass of whiskey in his hands, the bottle on the side, next to his left foot.

“Is he really that a handful that you already resorted to the whiskey?” pointed out Lyanna

“We had to empty the champagne bottles because he kept drinking and just to make sure that he was not totally wasted before his wedding party I preferred to take away this one and keep it with me. I locked the door by the way.”

“Can I talk to him?”

Pierre motioned to her that she was more than welcomed to handle him.

“I’m gonna go see Kika really quick. See you once you are married, Michel!”

Shrugging he left her with Joris, not without taking the bottle with him.

“Charles, bro, Are you okay?”

“That’s not funny to lock me in like that! How is Lyanna?”

Joris looked at her and told her that he was giving them some privacy, not without wishing her good luck.

“Charles? I’m here.” she talked softly through the door.

“Lya? What are you doing here?”

“Joris told me that you were panicking and driving crazy everyone.”

“I’m not, I just feel a little bit stressed out that’s all.”

“Yea.. just a little bit.” she laughed.

“i just want this day to be over you know, I just want you to have you to myself tonight and forget about everything and everyone.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that our wedding day is such a pain in the ass.”

“You know what I mean. I just want to marry you but I don’t want to have all the stress that comes with today. I would have been perfectly happy with just a small ceremony, just the two of us with Julia because in the end, that’s all I need.”

“Me too. But our families and friends would have killed us.”

“Definitely. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I’m not going anywhere. See you down there?”

“Always.”

A few minutes later it was time for Charles to join everyone in wait for Lyanna to appear. Once in front of everyone, his eyes find immediately Julia who was cooing in Fred’s arms as Arthur was making weird faces to entertain her.

“How is my beautiful princess doing?” asked Charles taking her in his arms to kiss her forehead, her nose and both of her cheeks.

“She is an angel.” told him Fred.

“Of course, she is. She is mine.”

“Wait until she throws up on you.”

“She won’t. She loves her daddy too much.”

He gave her back to Arthur, this time, before taking place next to Joris.

“Feeling better?”

“I’m ready to get married.”

When Lyanna finally appeared a moment later, Charles could swear he had never seen her looking this ethereal and perfect than at this exact moment. Her white dress was simple but elegant and complimented well her natural beauty. Seeing her, walking down the aisle, on her own, with a bouquet of yellow and red roses, made him fall in love a little more with her. He never truly believed people when they said that they felt like the world disappeared in presence of the one they loved. until this very moment. He couldn’t, wouldn’t look away.

Everything was a blur, so when he had to pronounce his vows, vows he had specifically made personal, he couldn’t remember anything he had spent days to prepare.

“I…Lyanna. They said that you can find love at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways. If someone had told me two years ago that my shy and awkward new neighbour would end up being the love of my life, I would have laughed. Hard. And there we are. We’ve been through hell and back together but I would not trade our journey for anything in the world. You made me a better man. You keep making me a better man. You make the cloudy days brighter and the cold ones warmer and I know that everyone here must think that it makes me a simp and that it’s a cliché thing to say but I don’t care. It’s true. All of it is true. If loving you is making me a cliché then so be it. Lyanna, I promise you to always try. Try to be the best husband I can be, try to be the best dad to our Julia, try to be you shoulder you can lean on every time you need it, try to be your shelter. I’ll keep on trying. Every day, every hour and every minute. In this life and in the next, I’ll find you. I’ll be fast, I’ll come back to you and I’ll love you.”

“I promised Emilie that I wouldn’t cry to not ruin the make up she spent almost two hours to do but God, you don’t make it easy.”

Laughs and chuckles could be heard among the guests. Lyanna closed her eyes a brief moment and took a long deep breath before speaking.

“My Charles. I’ve read my fair share of romances and acted in them but nothing could have prepared me to our story. As someone once said: home is where the heart is. And you are not only my home, you are my shelter. You are my person. The one who knows me best, sorry mom. The one who I want to talk to about everything and anything. The one I longed to come home to whenever I’m away. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband. I must have done well in a past life to have you in this one. I’m not as good with words as you are but I’ll say that. Charles Leclerc, my heart has been yours from the very first moment I met you and it will be yours until my very last breath. I’m not scared to say yes to you today. I’m taking that road confidently alongside you. My hand in yours. Together. All the mountains we will climb, there are no doubts in my mind that we will be okay. You are my peace of mind and my greatest craziness. I can’t wait to know where life will take us, but one thing I know for sure, you’re my checkered flag.”

A moment later, they became husband and wife. As Charles was kissing Lyanna feverishly under the whistles of the guests, he could swear that his heart was going to leap through his rib cage. As they both were walking up the aisle, Arthur came to them to give Julia back to her parents.

The party lasted until late in the night. Lyanna’s feet were hurting from dancing, her cheeks from smiling and her lips from kissing Charles. When finally they were alone, the silence felt weird. Charles’ eyes reflected the brightness of the moon as he was looking at her.

“We’re married.” she whispered.

“We are, Mrs Michel-Leclerc.” he took her in his arms, spinning her around softly before pressing his forehead against hers.

“I can’t believe it. ”

“Well, believe it, Lya, because it’s real. Very, very real. And if I have to keep proving you that it is, I might as well start now.”

And indeed, Charles spent the night proving her that they were real. And he kept on doing so the next day, and then the next.

=========

taglist: @zendayabelova @purplephantomwolf @ru-kru @dakotali @blueflorals @aundercover @ruleroftheuniverse @fangirlika @writerscurse @elijahmikaelsonbitch @leclerc13 @karmabyfernando @stargaryenx @pitlanebabe @boiohboii @reengard @shikshinkwon

[madmazmind]

A Maxiel Christmas ramble

24th Dec, evening Australia time...

Daniel: I drank too much eggnog. I told my family about us.

Mum was so happy she cried.

But she is also drunk.

She's crying again.

They want to facetime you tomorrow.

Sorry.

Are you mad?

Max: That's amazing. I'm so happy for you.

Daniel: did you tell your mum??

Max: No, just my sister. She keeps making gay jokes. It is not funny.

Why are you texting gay jokes to my sister??

How did you get her number??

Daniel!!!

Daniel: She's a legend. Get it Victoria.

(I'm still drunk I may have told her you have a magic dick, sorry)

Max: OH MY GOD!!!

Daniel : Gonna pass out now.

Max: Goodnight over sharing idiot.

Several hours later. Night time in Europe...

Max: Victoria made me do shots.

She's using the word magic every other sentence. Fuck this.

I told my mum. She was too drunk to show her disappointment.

Actually.

She's happy?

I'm happy.

She said we should never tell my dad. Fuck that. Fuck him.

Fuck I love you.

I hate this time difference.

Wake up!!

December 25th, morning Australia time...

Incoming facetime call from Daniel.

"Merry Christmas, Maxy!!!" Daniel shouted through the screen.

"Hey Daniel," Victoria answered. "Max is checking on the babies."

"Husband material!" Sophie shouted towards the camera. She appeared on screen a few seconds later. "You will treat my Max well. I am happy for you."

Daniel was touched. "That means a lot, thank you."

"And if anyone has a problem with it, they will deal with me," Sophie added.

"I really appreciate it, seriously," Daniel replied.

"Thanks for all the juicy details, Daniel. I want to know anything I can tease Max with, ok?" Victoria said.

"What did he say?" Sophie asked.

"Blijkbaar heeft Max een magische lul," Victoria replied.

"He has a what?" Sophie asked, giggling. "Raised well, clearly."

"Oh my god, Victoria!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Yes?" She asked innocently.

Sophie was still laughing when Max appeared behind them and snatched his phone away.

"What did you tell them?" Max asked.

"Hold on, magic?" Sophie added through laughs.

"I'm not elaborating," Daniel responded.

"Oh my god, Daniel!" Max whispered, close to the microphone.

"It was Victoria!" Daniel defended himself.

"I'll deal with you later," Max warned his sister.

"Happy crimbo, Maxy," Daniel said.

"Happy Christmas, Daniel," Max replied.

"Izzy and Isaac want to say hi, if that's ok?" Daniel asked, walking out of his room and into the main living area, which was alive with activity.

"Ok," Max responded, slumping down own the sofa.

"More champagne, Max," Sophie said, passing Max a glass and sitting beside him. "The weather looks beautiful there, Daniel."

"Yeah, it's a hot one!" Daniel responded. "Max is on the phone!"

"Uncle Max!" Izzy shouted, appearing next to Daniel.

"Woah careful on the chair, I'll come down to you," Daniel said.

"Uncle Max?" Max questioned.

"Well, you're uncle Daniel's boyfriend, right?" Isaac questioned.

"Yes," Max replied, ignoring the little belly flip that he got from hearing someone else say that.

"So that's how it works, you're uncle Max now," Isaac continued.

"Uncle Daniel is very happy," Izzy said. "And he gets to have a boyfriend who is the world champion. We like you."

"That's really important to me," Max replied.

"Give me the phone," Grace demanded. Daniel conceded immediately and his mum came into view. "Hello my love, oh you look so good. I'm so happy for you both."

"Thank you, Grace," Max said between her ramblings.

"I know Daniel has been bisexual since he was old enough to know what that meant but I had no idea about you. I think he's happier than I've ever seen him. I thought it was the year off, but turns out it's you."

Max was blushing.

"It's his magic dick!" Victoria shouted towards the phone.

"There are children on the other end of the line, Victoria!" Max scolded her.

"Sorry!" She shouted. "I wasn't paying attention."

"They didn't hear, don't worry. I'll pass you back to Daniel. Lots of love to you, Max. Come and visit, ok?" Grace responded calmly.

"I want to," Max responded.

Daniel's smiling face reappeared on the screen and they talked for as long as they could, until Max was dropping off to sleep on the end of the phone. They promised to speak the next day and promised to send lots of photos.

"New years in Monaco, baby," Daniel whispered. "Love you."

"I love you too."

[lesbianlotties]

Ronancetober Day 4: Horror Movie AU - The Conjuring AU

Note: It is NOT important if you haven't watched the movies before.

But, for a little bit of context: There are 3 Conjuring movies (+ 3 Annabelle movies + The Nun movie (and The Curse of La Llorona counts too, okay?!)) They are about Ed and Lorraine Warren (they were real people but we're only focusing on the movies) paranormal investigators aka fighting demons, performing exorcisms, loving each other, being a girlboss/malewife couple. Lorraine has spooky visions and Ed loves her very much.

This is based on the third movie, set in 1981, Ed and Lorraine Robin and Nancy are certified ghostbusters milfs. Let's go!

read all 11k words of it on AO3: although I was burning, you're the only light

By 1981, Robin and Nancy had worked as paranormal investigators for over ten years, and they had been in love for much longer than that. Their house was a notoriously comfortable and warm place. Neither of them was the best at staying particularly tidy. Robin, because it wasn’t in her nature. Nancy, because she always had something more important to do. But, somehow, the mismatched furniture, the books strewn on every surface, the decorations that were a result of many years of gifts from their closest friends and people they had helped, it worked for them. It felt like a second home to everyone that was invited inside. That was one of the reasons why Steve felt so uneasy at the sight of the extremely uninviting basement door. It was a notoriously robust door, with a concerning amount of locks on the side, and a handful of warning signs on it.

While Robin worked methodically on unlocking the door, Nancy turned toward Steve and said, “Steve Harrington, welcome to the Buckley-Wheeler museum.”

“Thank you,” Steve chuckled, and followed his two best friends inside, “That’s a little overdramatic. I mean, I helped build the shelves and- holy shit, okay, yeah, I hadn’t been here in a while. It’s fucking creepy guys, what’s wrong with you?”

“You don’t like it?” Robin pouted, but her act was sabotaged by her own laughter. “It’s not meant to be pretty, dingus. This is a carefully arranged collection of mementos from each and every one of our cases. Every object has been blessed before and after joining the museum. A priest visits us every month to bless the entire house and especially the basement. We remember everything about every case and every trinket and okay, we might forget some details and no, I don’t particularly like everything we keep here, but it’s the safest place and-”

“Don’t touch that,” Nancy hissed. Her hand flew with shocking speed to grab Steve’s wrist before his fingertips could even graze the glass of the box where they kept locked a terrifying and hideous little doll. “A single touch could wake up any sort of evil force that we put to sleep years ago. And trust me, you don’t want to deal with her.”

Steve froze until Nancy let go of his wrist. He lowered his hand slowly and stared at the lifeless eyes and malicious red smile of that broken porcelain face for a second longer. “Okay, sorry. No touching, I got it. It’s just- damn is that a samurai suit?!“

“Steve,” Robin said, snapping her fingers and bringing him back to the tour of the museum. “Focus, buddy. We brought you here for one very specific reason. Are you ready?”

“I’m always ready,” Steve said with a grin as the three of them slowly approached the back of the room, glancing at all kinds of random cursed objects. The pair of coins, the broken piano, the pictures, the television, the children's toys, the plastic monkeys, the foggy mirrors, and the music box. “We’ve been working together for years,” Steve added proudly, “You guys are the reason I have cameraman, photographer, kicking down doors and screaming for my life in my resume.”

Robin chuckled, “As if you had a resume.”

“Guys,” Nancy interrupted them with a pointed look and tilted her head to the wall. “Steve, remember your first case with us?”

Steve’s breath hitched. He stared at the letters on the wall and the Christmas lights organized on top of them. Part of him expected the lights to start blinking again as a helpless little boy begged for help from someplace that Steve still didn’t understand. “The Byers,” he sighed.

“The Byers, 1971, right here in Hawkins,” Nancy nodded.

[circusgoth-dotcom]

Joyeux Noël

Ship: Gaston Legume x Kruk Von Lisse

Word Count: 1044

Summary: Some Christmassy vibes with Gaston. :0) Kruk puts up decorations, Gaston "helps." CWs for Christmas themes throughout, animal death mentions/references (trophies).

Tag List: @canongf @dudefrommywesterns @futurewife

Winter had descended upon the village and Noёl cheer sparkled in every home. While Gaston and LeFou went out to pick a tree, Kruk remained at Gaston’s home, putting up decorations by himself. He knew they’d be gone for a while as Gaston would be demanding only the best, so he indulged in taking his time with the little details. He hummed a carol he had heard the night before as he laid out a fresh, festive tablecloth and adorned the window sills with candles and branches of holly.

He knew Gaston likely wouldn’t acknowledge the hard work he was putting in, but at least he’d be happy when his peers began fawning over the intricate decorations. He was sorting out a small chest of baubles when the front door opened behind him, letting in a brief but terrible chill. He straightened up and turned, dusting off his hands.

“Gaston. Have you found a tree?” They glanced at the grandfather clock against the wall as he had arrived a bit earlier than expected.

“I told LeFou to keep looking, I wanted to come back and see what you’d done with the place,” Gaston hummed, but he didn’t look around to take in the decorations… his stony eyes were simply locked on Kruk.

“Yes, well,” Kruk waved their hand toward their work. “Have a look, then. It’s all pretty much done, just waiting on that tree.” He glanced up at the upper parts of the walls. “Could do with some garlands, where there aren’t trophies.”

Gaston nodded, rubbing his chin and following their gaze. “You did promise you wouldn’t try to make them more ‘festive,’ didn’t you?”

Kruk folded his arms and scoffed. “What, the deer heads? Yes, Gaston, I promised I wouldn’t touch them, as per your request. No le père Noël caps for them, as tempting as it is.”

“Oh, don’t act so disappointed, little dove.” Gaston grinned, pinching their chin. “You know how important they are to me. Now, I’d like to see those garlands you’ve been talking about up by the time I get back, comprendre? LeFou has surely found a tree by now.” With that, he turned and left before Kruk could reprimand him for his bossiness. They shook their head and considered the blank walls once more. Trouble was, they lacked the height needed for such a task, and Gaston didn’t own any footstools. He could use a dining chair, but that would mean dragging it across the floor every time he had to move down a little and put in a new nail for the garland to hang on. He could go back to his own house and retrieve his own footstool, but knowing his luck Gaston would be back by the time he picked it up. Perturbed, he knew he’d just have to wait until Gaston got back.

When he did, LeFou was pulling most of the weight of the large and handsome tree they brought back.

“What did I say about the garlands, Von Lisse??” Gaston asked, irritated.

“I couldn’t find them, sorry. You can help me look after we set up the tree,” Kruk smoothed over, stepping over to help LeFou with the load. It took all three of them to get it properly set up in the corner of the living room. Kruk and LeFou did most of the decorating while Gaston set his clothes to dry by the fire and poured himself warm cider. Between the two of them, barely half of the tree could be covered, as they couldn’t reach the higher branches.

“Ta-da!” LeFou panted, gesturing to the unfinished work and fumbling for praise, “isn’t it beautiful?”

“For some people’s standards, I’m sure,” Kruk added under his breath, still attempting to place a bauble just out of reach. Gaston rose from his chair.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

“What are you--??”

Without warning, Gaston had wrapped his thick arms around Kruk’s middle and hoisted him up so he could reach the upper part of the tree. Blushing furiously, they momentarily froze, completely caught off guard.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

“Right, sorry.” Moving quickly, they hooked the bauble on the branch they previously could not reach. Gaston continued to hold them up, moving around the tree as the baubles left in the chest disappeared one by one, handed to them by LeFou from below. Finally, all that was left was the angel.

“Steady, steady…!” LeFou warned as Kruk eyeballed the top of the tree.

“Shut up, LeFou,” Gaston growled. With slightly shaking hands, Kruk secured the angel in the tree and heaved a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, Gaston,” they pat his arm. “You can- you can set me down, now.”

“Ah, but there’s still the garlands! You won’t be able to reach without me once we find them,” Gaston boasted but slowly set Kruk back on his feet. He dropped his voice as he traced a strand of hair behind their ear. “Besides, I like how close we are.”

They continued to blush, smacking him in the chest with feather-lightness as the two of them went to check a closet for the garlands. Kruk knew exactly where they were, but continued to play dumb just for the sake of maintaining their previous excuse. It was a little less shocking when Gaston picked them up for a second time, holding them steady as they hung the popcorn and cranberry garlands on the walls.

“How merry!” LeFou complimented, beaming.

“You’re not staying for dinner,” Gaston commented, immediately knocking the grin off of his accomplice’s face.

“What?! Why??”

“It’s not that we don’t want you here,” Kruk reasoned, “but I think Gaston’s hoping for something a little… intimate tonight, after all this hard work.”

Blood crept into LeFou’s ears. “Ohhhh.” He then giggled, waving dismissively. “Alright, you crazy kids! I’ll take my leave.”

And when he had gone, Gaston spoke, “I thought he never would.”

“You’re so mean to him!” Kruk scolded lightly as his feet made contact with the wooden floors once more. Gaston said nothing, instead guiding them into a warm kiss, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his cheek.

“I love you, Kruk.”

They hummed. “Love you, too. Joyeux Noël, Gaston.”

“Joyeux Noël, little dove.”

[mrsbradshaw-seresin01]

Please feel free to be as vague or detailed as you would like. I'm trying to write more so these will be posted alongside a main story. That will be coming soon.

Characters I will write:

Top Gun:

1. Jake "Hangman" Seresin

2. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

3. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

4. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky

5. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

More to be added

Types

1. Smut

2. Fluff

3. Angst

4. One of my stories

5. Soulmate au

6. Supernatural au

7. x Reader

8. x New OC

9. x one of my existing OCs

Dialogue Prompts

1. "I don't think so."

2. "I wasn't sure you remembered me."

3. "No, it's really not that complicated."

4. "We need to talk."

5. "I missed you."

6. "Is this your first time here?"

7. "Kiss me, you piece of shit."

8. "Hey, stupid."

9. "I can't keep doing this."

10. "I never got to say goodbye."

11. "Take a deep breath."

12. "You made me touch starved!"

13. "You make me so unbelievably happy."

14. "He was right!"

15. "I told you not to touch that."

16. "How did you know?"

17. "You can't come back here again."

18. "I have never heard a bigger lie."

19. "Where did you find it?"

20. "I've told you a dozen times and I'll tell you again: it's not possible!"

21. "I'm tired of answering that question."

22. "Why didn't they come?"

23. "I'm sorry, I just don't think this will work out."

24. "I never thought I'd see you again."

25. "I don't know how to tell you this, but..."

26. "I'm not sure I can do this."

27. "I'm not sure what I'm doing with my life."

28. "I'm so sick of pretending like everything is okay."

29. "Why can't things just be simple?"

30. "Apologize. Right now."

40. "Let the game begin!"

41. "Watch where you're going!"

42. "Don't move."

43. "I'm your biggest fan!"

44. "There's no point running."

45. "Hey, look at me."

46. "Quick! Act surprised!"

47. "Truth or dare."

48. "Right, I'm leaving now."

49. "Don't do that."

50. "Well don't just stand there! Do something!"

51. "So that's what you are..."

52. "Are you there?"

53. "Do you remember that night in Paris?"

54. "I can't believe you told them I stole baby Jesus!"

55. "The police said they never found the suspect."

56. "I'm in love with a sociopath."

57. "This is the second time this week I've spilt coffee on my shirt."

58. "Your mother wants to come down for Christmas."

59. "Do you know what today is?"

60. "Why do you have that look on your face?"

61. "You'll never guess what ____ told me last night."

62. "Did you ask ___?"

63. "That was my favorite cup."

64. "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

65. "What on Earth happened in here?"

66. "Ma'am I'm afraid I've got some bad news. Sit down."

67. "Let's hear your side of the story."

68. "Get in the car!"

69. "Actually, I think this is the wrong way..."

70. "Well this is new."

71. "There's blood everywhere."

72. "It's taken me fifty years to get here. I'm sure as hell not giving up now!"

73. "I'm sorry. That sounds awful."

74. "Is that seriously your password?"

75. "Did you get my note?"

76. "You gonna eat that?"

77. "Hello, ma'am we're here about your son."

78. "The dog or me. Your choice."

79. "You won't believe what happened to me today."

80. "You know ... You really don't have to."

81. "When she looked back at me, I thought, in that moment, that everything could be okay."

82. "Did you really think you'd get a second chance?"

83. "Ugh! It's like I'm cursed or something!"

84. "Hey stupid. He likes you."

85. "Hmm, well, I guess that's broken."

86. "... Do you think it's dead?"

87. "He was right! We have to apologize!"

88. "I'll never be able to look at roses the same way again."

89. "No we'll never make it in time. We're too late."

90. "Whatever you do, don't push that button!"

91. "Don't you worry about a thing! I'm a pro at this!"

92. "I like her. Like I really like her. But... she scares me a little."

93. "Okay, that's .... A fun ... Idea. But here's another idea! How about we don't do that."

94. "You need to stop. People are going to think you're weird or something."

95. "What he don't know... won't hurt him. You can keep a secret can't you?"

96. "Sir... I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

97. "What makes her so special? What does she have that I don't?"

98. "I don't want to ask them! You go ask them."

99. "Sometimes, life deals you a bad hand, but just like with poker, you can still play your cards right and win."

100. "Wait, you can hear me?"

101. "We have to hurry. They're coming."

102. "Hey... We need to talk. Can you come down? Please...?"

103. "I have to say... You look different in person."

104. "But... I thought you were dead."

105. "You are no longer useful to me."

106. "It's time for you to repay that debt you owe me."

107. "Did you eat your breakfast?" "...No." "Get over yourself. You can't avoid taking care of yourself forever." "Yes I can."

108. "I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation." "Dude, I don't think I understand anything."

109. "Took you long enough." "Sorry, I had some .... Loose ends to tie up first."

110. "You can't get rid of me that easily!" "Oh, but I'm not trying to get rid of you. I have other plans for you..."

[floralseokjin]

⤑ made-up love song iii.

Your first encounter with Kim Seokjin doesn’t go so well, nor your second, or your third… and maybe that’s because it shouldn’t work on paper. You’re an elementary school teacher, never left the country despite hitting the third decade of your life not so long ago, and you’re unable to remember the last time you dated. He’s the dad of one of your students, nearly a decade older than you and divorced. Oh yes, and just another minor detail – he’s a multimillionaire. 

Your lives are lightyears apart, yet somehow, your paths having now crossed, things just seem to fall into place…

pairing; kim seokjin x reader  au/genre/warnings; strangers to lovers, romance, eventual smut, eventual angst, single dad! seokjin, ceo! seokjin, elementary school teacher! oc, age gap (oc is 30, seokjin is 37), seokjin is a dilf, lots of lasagne talk, flirting, kissing, fluff 🥰 words; 9,340

↪︎ chapter index

chapters; i • ii • iii • iv • v • vi • vii • viii • ix • x • epilogue (+ drabbles)

After you had time to calm down, of course you ended up telling Soojung about what happened on the date. You kept some things to yourself, mainly about how giddy you had felt throughout the whole thing, but you were sure she could see that for herself – she kept looking at you knowingly, and for once she kept the teasing down to a minimum. You ended up staying awake quite late, Soojung opening a bottle of wine. You were still excited from the date and the thought of what was to come next, but somewhere along the line, you and your best friend started getting into your feelings. (Was it really a Saturday night until you and Soojung ended it with slightly drunk sappy heart to hearts and hugs? Obviously not…) 

For the first time in a while you felt comfortable enough to open up about your love life (or lack of one) and felt it easy to talk about the past and to even bring up Donghae. He was a forbidden topic for the most part, no matter how much you were over him, but tonight had changed something. You didn’t know how to explain it, and no, it wasn’t because Seokjin was somehow the man of your dreams who had magically made things better with just one date. That was dumb and only happened in cliché Hallmark movies. 

No, it was because tonight had shown you that life goes on. No matter what rock bottom you hit, or how long it took you to get over it, no hurt was forever. You’d been single for a long time, and happy at that – after you’d gotten over the heartbreak of Donghae cheating on you – but tonight you’d had fun. You’d enjoyed yourself, enjoyed Seokjin’s company. You didn’t know what would come of your second date, or if there would be a third, but you were okay with that. You were just living in the moment, and right now you really liked that infuriating-not-so-infuriating bastard. 

You were taking a chance, just like he was, and it was actually pretty exciting…

.

.

You woke up late the next morning, something you didn’t reprimand yourself for because it was summer break after all, but also, you had a raging wine headache that had needed all the shut eye it could get. Your head was still throbbing slightly as you reached for your phone on the bedside table but seeing a text from Seokjin waiting for you made it miraculously disappear. 

Seokjin (10:28am) Hi Y/N, Thank you for such a great time last night. I can’t wait until Saturday. Would it be alright with you if I kept in touch throughout the week?  Seokjin

You giggled to yourself at his insane formalities. Why was that so adorable? But most importantly how could he be both cute and sexy at the same time? He was hellbent on making you lose your mind. You thought about teasing him, asking him when he’d grown comfortable enough to drop the Regards from yesterday, but despite how well last night had gone, and despite how much you loved joking around with him in person, over the phone seemed different. You were still a little nervous – giddy nervous, but nervous, nevertheless. Your conversation from last night with Soojung came back to you, reminding you that this was all too real. You were potentially catching feelings for this man, and it was new, and exciting, but equal parts terrifying now that you’d woken up with a hangover. 

Everything you typed out in reply seemed way too stiff, so growing frustrated, you settled on an emoji to cut through the formalities. 

You (10:49am) I had such a lovely time too, Seokjin. Of course it’s fine to keep in touch. I’m looking forward to Saturday night! 😊

What did he mean exactly about keeping in touch?, you wondered as you got out of bed, padding your way down the stairs and into the kitchen for a much needed glass of ice cold water. A good morning text? A how are you? You knew he was busy with work all week, so you weren’t expecting too much, but just knowing he wanted to stay in contact until next Saturday made you smile to yourself as you waited for his response. 

You didn’t have to wait long. 

Seokjin (10:55am) Great! I’m so excited to try your World famous Italian lasagne 😁

Cute. He’d followed your lead, ditching the last of the formalities and even signing off with an emoji instead. You instantly felt more at ease, but – 

Oh no. 

Why did he have to bring that up and remind you of your humiliating blunder? You knew what would be taking up all of your time for the few days – you needed to perfect this goddamn dish. 

Soojung on the other hand was unbothered by your predicament. Mind in the gutter as always. “Do you think that’s a euphemism for something else?” She asked straight away once you’d shown her your messages a few hours later. 

“Soojung!” You exclaimed, feeling yourself get a little hot in the face. You wish she’d stop bringing up sex, it was stressing you out. You told her as much. 

“You’re the one who’s invited him to your house for a second date.” 

You stared at her, greatly unimpressed. “You know why I invited him here.” 

You’d told her last night. You’d been hit with a surge of confidence when you’d suggested it was your turn to decide on something. In truth though, you didn’t know the first thing about restaurants, you hardly ever ate out, and when you did it was either fast food or at the food court in the department store Soojung worked at. You knew he wouldn’t have minded any choice you’d made, but that didn’t stop the slight apprehension you felt. 

It was normal, given your difference in lifestyles, and whilst that seemed to be no issue thankfully, that difference was still there. However really, that’s why you’d chosen to cook for him. Seokjin had shown you something close to him last night – the restaurant he owned with his brother, and now you were to show him something close to your heart. Something that was you. You loved cooking and baking in your spare time and you wanted to share that with him however small. Granted it was things you were confident with, but lasagne couldn’t be that hard, right? A true perfectionist, you’d master it quickly enough…

Soojung rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you could suggest McDonald’s and Dilf would be insanely happy.” She nudged you, squealing like a kid. “He’s just so into you!”

You wouldn’t bite. She was making you nervous again. “Stop calling him Dilf, he has a name.”

“Geez, sorry.” She held up her hands in apology. “Didn’t mean to offend your man.” 

You pushed her shoulder, silently telling her to quit it.

For the next few days it became your life’s goal to master the art of lasagne. Sunday night was spent googling recipes, trying to find the most authentic one. There seemed to be a lot of fuss on the right type of pasta. Flat edged would be fine, but the wavy edge was best. You made note of that. Next was the sauce. Two types. The tomato based one and then the white one – which you learned was called Bechamel. That seemed pretty easy to cook up, but the former seemed a little daunting. Every time you’d had pasta sauce in the past it had been premade, starting from scratch was giving you anxiety. Seokjin thought this was your expertise so you had to make it believable. What if you made it too salty? Too bland?

…Possibly you were thinking way too hard about this. Soojung thought the same. 

“Just buy it in a jar, Y/N, for Christ’s sake. You’re taking this way too seriously. You don’t need to learn fluent Italian to make your little white lie believable. It’s a goddamn lasagne.” 

She had a point. 

“He’d be happy with a sandwich. He’s coming over for you, not the shitty lasagne.” 

“Don’t call my non-existent lasagne shitty, you’re setting me up for failure.” You grumbled, looking at the ten tabs you had up on your laptop screen, all claiming to be the best most authentic recipe around.  

On Monday you went shopping for ingredients. You knew a small world foods store that was just outside of town, you’d been there a couple of times when you’d been baking with the children for class. With help from signposted aisles, you found what you were looking for in no time at all, so that night, you and Soojung both tucked into your first (sort of) homemade lasagne. Only the Bechamel sauces was harder to master than you’d first thought. 

“I think you added too much flour.” Soojung’s nose wrinkled as she spoke. “It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but the white stuff… I don’t know, maybe it’s supposed to taste like that?” 

Nope, she was definitely correct, too much flour, which was odd because you were pretty positive you’d followed the right measurements… 

Tuesday you had a day off from the sight, and even the word lasagne. You met for coffee with your mom but kept the date with Seokjin a secret. Not that she pressed about your love life anymore, she’d long given up on that topic. It was nice to catch up and you made plans for a trip soon. It was hard to find time to visit her when you were in work so you were always thankful for the summer and Christmas breaks. You were her only child, so it made your time together even more precious. She’d only remarried ten years ago, and while Jonathon had kids from his first marriage, they lived abroad. They were older than you and had families of their own. You weren’t particularly close for no other reason than the distance. You’d only met them a few times but they were lovely people. Your father had remarried while you were still in high school, having two more children (a son and daughter) with his wife. You were very close to them despite the age gap and saw them as regularly as you could. Your extended family had long been the norm and you wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Wednesday you were back on the lasagne. You purchased more pasta sauce and decided on the pre-made Bechamel sauce too, just to be safe. This time around everything went smoothly, Soojung had no complaints and neither did you, but you still invited Taehyung around on Thursday for a third go. He was way more enthusiastic than your best friend, singing your praises all night. 

“Y/N, that was amazing!” He exclaimed, leaning back in his chair to pat his belly. “Dilf dick – Uh, I mean, Seokjin, is going to love it.” 

“Guys, is that what you really call him when you’re alone together?” You whined. 

“Blame Soo,” Taehyung shrugged. “She’s rubbed off on me. But, I’m right,” he smirked. “He’s going to want to give you his DD once he tastes this, if you know what I mean.” 

Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, you looked on unimpressed. Maybe if you gave them no reaction they’d stop? 

“Oooo. I wonder what his dick even looks like. I bet it’s as handsome as his face.” Soojung squealed, sat beside her boyfriend. 

“SOOJUNG!” He cried, mouth open in disbelief. 

“Can we just stop talking about his… y’know…” You sighed, unable to say the word aloud. “Imagine if it was the other way around and he was wondering about what I looked like naked.” Soojung wouldn’t be impressed, that was for sure. 

“Fine, you’re right,” your best friend sighed. “I’m just way too excited because you finally like someone!!” She was getting loud now, she always did when she was excited. “And I want it to work out because you deserve it!” 

You chuckled. “Soo, calm down.” But you had to admit her words were sweet. You reached for her hand across the tiny table, giving it a gentle squeeze of thanks. 

“What about Barman dick?” Taehyung asked randomly, totally oblivious that you and she were having a moment. “Huh? Soo? You want my Barman dick tonight?” He wiggled his eyebrows again, a playfulness to his voice as he nudged her. 

She giggled but wasn’t having any of it. “It doesn’t really have the same ring to it, babe.” 

Highly offended he pulled away, pursing his lips. “Whatever.”

“Okay guys, let’s not have a domestic at the dining table.” You laughed. Which was a mistake because now Taehyung’s attention was back on you. 

“So, Y/N, when are you going to invite Mr. Dilf to my bar?”

You sniggered. “How about never?”

“Hey, you ladies are being very mean tonight. I complimented your lasagne.” Hm. That was true, you guessed. “What’s wrong with my bar? I think he’d love it. What does he drink? I see him as a dark rum type of guy.” 

You shrugged. “He was drinking red wine on our date last week.” It still made you feel funny to say the word date. You’d gone on a date. You were dating. A flurry of excitement found its way to your stomach, your excitement for Saturday growing. 

“Interesting,” Taehyung mused.

Soojung stood up, starting to collect your plates. “Okay, I’m washing, who’s drying?”

“Not me,” you sang. “I’ve cooked nearly every night this week.” 

Soojung eyes were wide when you met them, as if she was silently begging you. For what? “Just please promise me there won’t be any lasagne waiting for me after work tomorrow night? I’m going to turn into one at this rate.” 

Saturday arrived soon enough. You woke up the same time your phone went Bing and you knew exactly who it was. Seokjin had been texting you Good morning every day since Monday. He was no longer signing them off with his name, which was progress, and he was even adding more emojis, so you guessed you had rubbed off on him. 

Sometimes he’d drop a meme with the greeting. They were mostly to do with early mornings and workloads to which you’d tease him about because it was your summer vacation after all, you didn’t need to worry about work. But you always sent a Hope today runs smoothly his way too. You didn’t want to rub it in too much. 

Yesterday’s meme had been about dating, something about the guy trying to flirt but being garbage at it and asking if she liked cheese. You didn’t agree that was like Seokjin though – you were gradually learning that he was incredibly modest – but it had made you laugh. Only Seokjin could send you lame memes and you’d find it adorable… You were possibly whipped. 

Seokjin (8:01am)  Good morning. [Image sent] 

Today the meme was about lasagne, which made you question whether he was googling these every morning because no way had a lasagne meme popped up on his social media – if he used any at all. The realisation that he was searching for memes every day was even more endearing and your heart got a little gooey. You read the text on top of the image of lasagne. Dude, is that your new white shirt? Lemme just hop off this fork for a closer look. You genuinely laughed at that one, still wrapped up in your bed sheets. So incredibly lame, but equal levels funny. 

Seokjin (8:01am)  I will not be wearing white… I can’t wait to see you later. Just a reminder that I hope you omitted the garlic for tonight’s meal. I don’t want to embarrass myself by itching all night 😅😂

Immediately the smile dropped from your face and you shot forward, horror washing over you. Oh no. He was allergic to garlic. With the stress of perfecting the world’s best lasagne you’d totally forgotten. What were you going to do? Find a plain tomato sauce? Where the hell were you going to find one? Was that even a thing? You needed to leave now. Jumping out of bed you almost forgot to message Seokjin back. Looking at your phone again the image of the lasagne mocked you… 

.

.

Two hours later you were back at home, in need of a sit down after you’d rushed around town looking for a pasta sauce that didn’t contain garlic (very hard, by the way.) The stress had aged you about ten years. Soojung of course found it highly hilarious. 

“You’d have been in ER before 9pm,” she chortled, still in her pyjamas on the couch. She’d been still asleep when you’d dashed off, a woman on a lasagne mission. 

You ignored her. It wouldn’t have been that bad, right? He said himself he’d only be itching… Clawing off his own skin was probably better than his throat closing up… maybe… 

“How did you manage to forget?” She was still laughing. “AND you said you’d make a lasagne. Italian food always uses garlic. He must think you’re trying to kill him.” At this point you could hardly understand her, words blurring into one as she lost her shit. 

“We went over this. I wasn’t in my right mind when I said I’d cook lasagne.”

She stopped her laugher immediately.  “No way, you’re not blaming me again.” 

“Ugh.” You sighed, suddenly remembering something. “I was going to make my homemade garlic bread.” Now that was a speciality of yours. This night was going to be a disaster.

“Skip the garlic,” Soojung suggested. 

“So, just bread then.” 

She tried her best not to laugh again, not wanting to make it worse. “Yum.” 

It didn’t help. 

What did help though, was making her clean the entirety of the downstairs of the house. As the day went on you started to get more and more nervous, which was silly, but you couldn’t help it. You realised that your place was a shoe box in comparison to his, what the hell were you thinking when you’d invited him here?! It needed to be spotless, to distract him from the fact you would be eating dinner in the same place you would be cooking it… 

You knew there was no need to worry, it was just like last week when you’d grown self-conscious only to be fine once you’d set eyes on Seokjin. No doubt tonight would be just the same, he didn’t give a crap about stuff like that, so why would you even think he would? He’d probably be hurt if he knew… You just couldn’t help those little bubbles of insecurities from floating around inside your brain. You were a law unto yourself, and the garlic-less lasagne wasn’t helping. You’d had no time to prep for it. What if it tasted like cardboard? 

“Lasagne is lasagne,” Soojung reassured you, in the kitchen as you got all the ingredients together. “It’s not going to taste gross just because there’s no garlic in it. Put it this way, at least you can kiss without needing to pop a mint.” 

You whined, shaking your head, you couldn’t even dare thinking about kissing him right now. You’d spontaneously combust from anxiety. 

“Should we clean your room too?” She asked, picking up the jar of pasta sauce absentmindedly. You’d already read the label approximately fifteen times, double checking it was indeed garlic-less. 

“What? No,” you told her, voice all high-pitched. There would be no going upstairs besides from bathroom usage. “But hey,” you exclaimed, rounding on her with the spoon you were holding in your hand. “My room is always clean, bitch.”

She was the messy one.

.

.

Soojung left for Taehyung’s place at half 6, ready for Seokjin’s arrival at 7pm, a hug for good luck before you waved her off. You’d calmed greatly now, nothing like some table laying to ease some nerves. The lasagne was prepped and ready to oven cook, you had a fresh key lime pie in the fridge and you were dressed and presentable with ten minutes to spare. Wonderful. 

The doorbell rung not long after you’d made your way downstairs and you were quickly finding out that Seokjin was a very punctual man. Opening the door to reveal him stood at the porch your heart instantly warmed, skipping a beat when he gave you a dazzling smile and a soft Hey. You felt a little weak at the knees. Nope, you were not ready for tonight. 

In your tiny entryway he offered you a silver gift bag. “I didn’t know what to bring, so.” He said with a shrug as you pulled out a bottle of red wine. 

“Oh, thank you, Seokjin.” You hadn’t been expecting him to bring anything at all. It was a lovely surprise. 

“You probably have some waiting already. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” you reassured him. “We’ll use this one.” You were going to use a bottle of white wine you had laying around, nothing special at all. Red wine seemed better, fancier, maybe it would go better with the lasagne?

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I was gonna get you flowers but I didn’t want to freak you out or anything.”

You laughed. What was he going on about? “Why would that freak me out?”

His smile was crooked as he chuckled quietly. “I don’t know. I’m new to this, I thought they would’ve been too forward.” 

You gave a small shrug, voice barely there when you replied. “I like flowers.”

He gazed at you, warm eyes softening as he stepped forward. “Next time.” He smiled. “Next time I’ll get you flowers.” 

You swallowed fairly loudly, averting your gaze as you outstretched your arms. “Let me take you coat.” Was it hot in here? You felt a little stuffy. 

He shrugged off the beige wool blend, revealing the tight fitting black shirt he had on underneath. It stretched over his shoulders, accentuating how broad they were, how hard his chest was and how much his waist curved inwards. The pants he was wearing didn’t help matters too. He looked effortlessly gorgeous, hair parted to the side, a piece curled above his left eye, softening the blow of his exposed forehead. You moved to hook his coat on the rack, realising you could’ve been gawping. Not that you could help it, the man was trying to kill you.

As you turned to face him again, he smiled. “You look really nice.” His voice was soft which just made it even more dangerous. “I think this may be the first time I’ve seen you in pants.” 

“Really?” You wondered. You were partial to a dress in the summer, so he was probably right. You’d chosen a pair of black skinny jeans and a patterned chiffon blouse. Nothing too fancy, but he looked at you with awe-filled eyes. Unless you were imagining it. You cleared your throat. “You look good too.”

He stepped back, arms outstretched as he looked down at himself. “Thanks. No white.” He chuckled. 

You forced yourself to laugh too, nerves creeping back just because of your stupid damn lasagne. “No white.” 

Moving forward again he took your hand. It was warm and soft, just as you remembered from last week. Who cared about the lasagne when you were this close to him? When he was looking down at you with those brown, twinkly eyes? Not you anymore. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week, Y/N.” 

Oh.

.

.

You invited him inside the living room first, pouring him a small (and his only because he the car) glass of wine as you chit chatted for a few minutes. Sat next to him was RJ, who you’d taken from your bedroom to join you both for the night. He wanted to say Hi, had been your opening line and Seokjin had found it hilarious, cracking up instantly. Although his “I missed you buddy, how have you been?” went rudely ignored. Maybe the alpaca was nervous… 

Ever the gentleman, he complimented you on the house, noting the décor with a fond eye. That surprised you, maybe he had played a part with the interior of his home. Well, you’d only seen the cosy family room – but it suited him very well. You knew there had been no need to be nervous when it came to inviting him into your home. There wasn’t a judging bone in Seokjin’s body. 

You talked about your weeks, yours had been fine, but of course you left out all the stress over the lasagne. Seokjin’s week on the other hand had been quite demanding, but that was nothing new he told you with an accepting shake of his hand. He was used to it by now, but he had to admit tonight’s date had made it easier this time around. He was full of the charm, not that you were complaining…

Misook was babysitting Arin tonight, he told you when you asked how she was. It was his weekend this week, he and Nana took it in turns – when she didn’t cancel, he added as an afterthought – but he seemed a lot more relaxed talking about his ex-wife this time around seeing as last weekend she hadn’t broken any promises. He was happy if his daughter was happy, and that made you smile. You remembered Arin’s sorrowful face that day her mom had cancelled on her, so you were glad they’d found time to spend time together. You also remembered how irritated Seokjin had sounded when he was opening up to you on the bench at the school fate… You wondered just how often Nana cancelled plans, and couldn’t imagine how frustrating that was for both Arin and Seokjin… You hoped this marked the start of things being easier for them now. 

Soon after that, you served him your starter (“garlic – wait, no I mean, no-garlic bread.”), and you chatted some more over that and while the lasagne baked. It was surprising how little you’d touched the sides on your first date, so tonight you covered even more bases. Family mainly. You told him about your half and step siblings, your parents’ remarriages of course coming up too. He seemed interested in that, wondering about your views on it and if it had affected you as you grew up. As a divorcee you understood the relevance to him and because he was so easy to talk to you found yourself opening up freely. 

His parents were still married and Seokjin was the youngest out of their two sons, so it was quite unheard of for the second born to take over a family company. In fact, it was the first of its kind for his, which made it even harder for him. His older brother had been the rightful heir to LG Electronics but his passion had always been in culinary arts. His parents had been kind enough to let him follow his dreams, and thankfully, for Seokjin, that meant he could follow in his father’s footsteps. He’d been eager to prove himself but it had been hard in the beginning. His status as the youngest son meant that a lot of people set him up for failure, but with his family’s love and belief he’d managed to succeed and confirm himself as the rightful CEO. You didn’t doubt it. It seemed he’d worked hard to get where he was now. That was admirable. 

The influx of information was so interesting to you and it didn’t feel real. While you could imagine Seokjin taking charge, visualising him in that tailored houndstooth suit he’d worn when you’d first met him, it was strange to think the smiley and soft-spoken man sat in front of you was from a long line of power and wealth. He should be untouchable, yet here you were able to reach for his hand across the table. Able to feel his forefinger stroking delicate patterns into your palm as you opened up and got to know one another more and more… 

“So, if your family’s a big deal, what about things like arranged marriages? Are they still a thing?” You asked, maybe confusing fiction for fact. 

Seokjin laughed at your wording. “They used to be, not so much anymore. I met my ex-wife through a friend. They concentrate less on things like that these days.” He shrugged, adding as an afterthought, “As a divorced CEO I think I’m a great example of that.” 

That was true, you thought to yourself, wondering how the breakdown of his marriage had also played a part in the stress of his early years as CEO. 

“I know it all sounds pretty crazy, but I like to think my family is just like anyone else’s.” He continued, smiling bashfully when you met his gaze. “That I’m just like anyone else.” 

You wondered how many people had immediately judged him because of his status… You’d been one of them, right? Even if you hadn’t known any of the details, you’d written him off as some obnoxious, rich guy who flaunted his wealth… You felt guilty thinking back. He was the complete opposite.

You nodded in agreement before grinning. “I’d have liked to see what college Seokjin was like.” 

“A complete nerd, to tell you the truth.” 

He answered so seriously, you didn’t know how to react, and then he was laughing loudly, cracking up at himself. You couldn’t help but join in. That’s when your stove alarm went off, shrill and incessant, signalling the arrival of the dreaded lasagne…

It turned out he loved it though. 

“This is amazing,” Seokjin praised, mouth still half full as he chewed. You did have to admit it was good. It tasted just like the original, despite the lack of garlic. Seokjin quirked an eyebrow, smirking your way. “So, how lucky am I to be able to try this World famous Italian lasagne?” 

“Very lucky.” You kept your answer short. Hoping he’d just drop it. 

He didn’t. 

“How lucky?” He tried to pry from you. “How many people have tried it?” 

You gave him a small smile, hovering your fork over the plate. Technically he was the third, but you couldn’t tell him that, could you? “I can’t disclose that.” 

He emitted a short laugh. “What about the recipe? Care to share?” 

You brushed him off with a soft chuckle. “A chef never tells her secrets.”

“Not even me?” His bottom lip jutted out as he looked across at you. 

Your heart did a little dance. He was being unfair. “Don’t pout like that, it’s making me feel guilty.” 

Thankfully the lasagne topic fizzled out after a couple more minutes, your cold sweat having time to dissipate while you chatted and ate together comfortably. However a few minutes later you noticed Seokjin fidgeting slightly in his seat. You politely ignored it to begin with, unsure if you were just imagining it, but then he started itching the back of his neck. You put your fork down, a sick feeling washing over you. “Is anything wrong?” You asked, now watching him itch up his forearm. “Seokjin?”

He looked at you in mild confusion, eyebrows creasing together as he opened his mouth. “Are you sure there wasn’t any garlic in this?” 

You swallowed away the panic racing up your throat. “I’m sure.” You’d read the back of that jar and then read it some more. “I’m positive.” 

… Weren’t you? You watched him scoot his chair back, leaning down to start scratching the back of his calves. He made noises of discomfort as he did so. 

“Oh, no…” You were up before you could stop yourself, racing around him to start hunting in the recycling for the glass jar. 

“Wait, where are you going?” 

You could hear Seokjin’s voice behind you, sounding alarmed, but you were too panicked to really take it in. You needed to be sure. This was just your second date, you couldn’t ruin things already. Turning him into one giant itchy red blob had not been your intention.  

“I was only teasing you.” Still, his words didn’t sink in. That was until you felt a hand on your elbow, tugging gently for your attention. 

You spun around, worried eyes wide – even wider when you found him so close. He was on his feet too, bent a little to level with you, pretty much within kissing distance. His voice was soft when he spoke, you found yourself distracted by his mouth. “Y/N, I was just messing around.”

You blinked, not truly understanding with all those annoying distractions zooming around your mind, but slowly you pieced his words together. Oh. Despite the relief you felt, now you just felt silly. Plus, he was still so close to you… 

You took a step back, the small of your back pressing up against the counter. You needed a clear head. “Don’t freak me out like that.” You told him, but you still sighed in relief, hand against your chest. “I thought I’d poisoned you.” 

He looked a little concerned, but you could tell by his eyes he found your reaction amusing. “I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I just wanted to make you laugh.”

“Make me laugh? You nearly gave me heart failure.” However, you gave him what he wanted, a laugh that sounded weak and shaky, but it was something – you did see the funny side. 

He joined you, shoulders relaxing now that he knew you were okay. He looked behind you, eyes on the trashcan, a bemused smile on his face. “What were you looking for anyway?”

“The jar.” You answered, as if it wasn’t obvious. You turned, deciding to fish it out anyway. Holding it up to him, you were adamant. “See, no garlic. Check.” 

He chuckled. “I already said I was joking.” He took one look at your desperate expression and gave in, taking the jar from your hand. “But if it makes you feel better…” You watched him as he read the label, silently soaking in his handsome features. He looked softer tonight, the curve of his jaw rounding as he smiled. It took you a moment to realise he was done. He handed the jar back to you, and you prayed to God he hadn’t caught you staring at him all gooey-eyed. “It’s fine.” He confirmed. “I’ll be itch free tonight.” 

You smiled and plopped the glass back inside the can. “I looked around town for hour trying to find lasagne sauce sans garlic.” 

He looked guilty. “I’m sorry for being awkward.” Then he paused, eyes narrowing, the hint of a smirk itching at the corners of his mouth. “But… Y/N, are you a fraud?” Huh? What did he mean? You didn’t need to wait long for an explanation. “I thought a certified chef would cook up a batch of her own tomato sauce.”

Oh. You’d gone and put your foot in it, hadn’t you? It was probably time to explain yourself… “I have a confession,” you began, sounding wary. Seokjin looked interested albeit it mildly confused. “I… may have told a little white lie.”

He shook his head, a puff of laughter leaving him. “You’ve lost me.” 

You took a deep breath, knowing you were going to have to spell it out for him. “I’ve never made lasagne before. Ever. In my entire life.” 

He looked confused as silence spread out between you. He sounded it too when he spoke again. “Then why did you say it was your speciality?”

You groaned, dropping your face into your hands for one dramatic moment. “I panicked.” Peeking at him, you babbled on. “I know it sounds stupid but Soojung was curtain twitching and it was stressing me out and then you were asking me what I cooked and lasagne just popped into my head!”

Seokjin blinked, his mouth twitched and then he was laughing – loudly. 

“You find it funny?” You asked, relaxing a tad. 

“Very.” He laughed harder but seeing the look of bafflement on your face he tried is best to still it. 

“I’ve been practicing it like crazy,” you whined, happy you could finally tell him all about your lasagne struggles. “This is my fourth time eating it this week. Soojung nearly killed me.” You snorted at the memory. This started up Seokjin again. “And then I forgot you were allergic to garlic. Your text reminded me this morning and I had to rush out to the grocery store.” 

He was weak at the knees at that, and you were laughing just because he was. It was contagious. “Stop,” you wailed, attempting to get a hold of yourself. This week had actually been quite traumatic. “I’m glad you find it funny, I’ve been in constant stress ever since you drove off last week.” 

“I can’t help it.” He chuckled, although he did sound apologetic. “You’re just so adorable.” The air that settled around his effortless admission made your skin prickle. When he carried on, his tone was gentle. “You know I wouldn’t have minded if you changed the menu to something else, right?” 

You pouted ever so slightly. “But you were looking forward to it.” 

He gave a small shrug. “True, but… that was more so code for ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you again.’ The food was just a bonus. I’d be happy with a Big Mac.” 

You felt your cheeks burn and you tried to shake yourself out of it. “So embarrassing,” you murmured. You didn’t know what for… The lasagne mess or the fact he could have this much of an effect of you? You were inclined to go with the latter. 

“What about the no-garlic bread?” Seokjin asked, changing the subject a little. Maybe he’d sensed your embarrassment and didn’t want to make it worse. He was sweet. “Did you make that?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Well, I didn’t bake the bread. I just toasted it.” It was still a speciality of yours though. “It would’ve been much tastier with the garlic.” 

He gave you an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. This body wants to turn me into a miserable old man.” 

Pfft. Old? Miserable? He was anything but. 

“Sit,” he prompted you, smiling as he motioned with his head to the table. “Finish your World famous Italian lasagne before it grows cold.” 

As you moved he delicately cupped his hand around the curve your waist, giving it a soft squeeze before he got to his chair first. Your stomach flipped, head dizzy as you sat and tucked your chair in. Last Saturday popped into your head, the way you’d loosely held hands outside and how you were sure he’d been leaning in to kiss you – properly. 

You knew one thing. You really wanted to kiss him tonight. 

Trying to get a hold of yourself, you glanced at him, catching his eyes. He was already tucking in again, and he grinned bashfully, as if embarrassed. “This really is great. All that practice paid off.” A pause. “You should show me how you cooked it sometime.” 

Your face lit up in surprise. “You cook?” In the back of your mind you were aware that he’d probably been hinting for a third date, but you were so shocked by the possibly of Seokjin cooking you couldn’t stop yourself from asking. 

He chuckled quietly. “I mean, when I have time and can be bothered. I like cooking but it’s just easier to go to a restaurant or get it delivered.” He looked sheepish before adding, “Or Misook does it for me.” 

There was no shame when it came to that. Seokjin probably worked all hours of the day, no one could expect him to tie on an apron when he got home and start pulling out pots and pans. 

“Do you cook a lot?” He asked. 

You nodded. “Soojung and I take it in turns.” 

“So what is your speciality?” He smiled. 

This time around you were in your right mind and able to answer properly. “Veggie tacos.” 

He raised his eyebrows, impressed. Then he tried again. “Can you make them for me sometime?”

He was persistent, you’d give him that. You shrugged, trying your best to sound impassive but the little smirk gave it away. “Maybe if you say please…” 

He laughed, leaning forward, a hand clasping yours as he tilted his head. The piece of curled hair falling into his left eye. “Please?”

Your heart did another little dance inside your chest. 

.

. 

After dessert you both made your way back to the living room, settling on your couch with two pomegranate mocktails Taehyung had prepared for you yesterday. All you had to do was add the pomegranate juice and lemonade to the ice cubes and crushed lime segments and mint before serving, easy-peasy. Seokjin was highly impressed, but of course you couldn’t take the credit. It was all down to your best friend’s very helpful barman boyfriend. 

You were glad Seokjin wanted to stay as you didn’t want the night to be over yet. It had flown by so fast and you’d had so much fun. You already felt like you knew him better, even after only two dates. It was strange to you, how you could feel so relaxed in a stranger’s company, but then again, you guessed he wasn’t a stranger anymore… Plus, he was so easy to talk to, so interesting to get to know…. Everything between you two came easy. 

Like opening up to him, being a bit more vulnerable… 

“I’ve been slightly nervous all week,” you admitted, clutching your drink to you before chuckling softly. “– and not just about the lasagne faux pas…” 

“There was no need to be nervous. I thought we left all that behind on the first date,” Seokjin reassured, smiling warmly your way. 

You were sat together, turned to face one another. It was intimate and cosy. He had one leg lifted, the ankle resting on the knee of the other leg, and where his pants had ridden up, you could see an inch or so of his calf before it met the black cotton of his sock. For some reason, you found that very, very sexy. Maybe you had been single for far too long. 

“We did,” you agreed, hesitating slightly. “It’s just… I haven’t done anything like this in so long.” 

You didn’t even think you’d ever invited someone around for dinner before. You were still quite young when you found yourself in a relationship with Donghae so your dates before him had been very basic. Your dates with him hadn’t really classed as such just because you became official fairly quickly, and your dates after him, well, it was already known that they had been few and far between. 

“You already know we’re in the same boat,” he smiled before chuckling bashfully. “No, but really, when I asked you for dinner that day at the fate I was expecting you to turn me down.” 

“How come?”

He looked down at his drink, lifting a shoulder. “I thought you’d think that I was crossing a line… or maybe the spark I was feeling was all in my head and in reality you just found me really annoying.” 

That was cute. He’d been doubting himself. Human after all. Not that you’d ever thought he wasn’t. You still didn’t miss the opportunity to joke around though. “I mean, both can exist simultaneously.” He taking a sip of his mocktail when you replied so he ended up snorting into his glass, amused by your wit. 

A moment or so passed and Seokjin gazed at you, smiling softly. If he kept this up, you’d be a puddle on your parquet flooring. “So, tell me,” he hummed. “How did I luck out so good?” You raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant. “How come an amazing person like you isn’t married or in a relationship?”

He must’ve seen the slight shock on your face and panicked instantly. “Is that a weird thing to ask? I feel like it is. I apologise.”

“No,” you insisted, sitting up a little straighter. He followed. “No, it’s not.” You wanted to open up to him. You really did. You just didn’t know where to start. Although, it was pretty simple. “I’ve been single for a while.” 

“How long?” Seokjin was instantly focused, attentive, noticing the change in your body language. 

“Three years. My last relationship didn’t end very well.” You paused, wondering if you should continue. But then… It had been a massive part of your life. No matter how much time had passed and no matter how okay you were now, it had still happened. And Seokjin, he had trusted you enough to open up about his divorce – even before you’d gone on your first date. You wanted to talk about it. You really did. 

“I found out my fiancé was cheating on me.”  

Seokjin’s eyes widened, unable to cloak his surprise. He hadn’t been expecting that. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. 

“It’s fine,” you smiled. “It was rough getting over it. Took me a while, but it is what it is. It’s in the past now.” 

“Did it put you off dating?” 

You were pleasantly surprised to find it was actually easy to talk to Seokjin about this. Your mouth was opening before you had to think about it. “I mean, at first. I was still very much in love with him, even after he broke my heart. But I got over him and I started dating again – briefly – It just didn’t feel right.” You stopped to smile. “It’s been over a year and I can’t say I missed it… but you…” Nerves growing, you pushed them away. “You’ve changed that. I’m having fun.” 

Seokjin’s face lit up and he chuckled. “I did hit second date status after all.” 

“You did…” 

“So,” he leaned closer, a small smirk on his face. “You could say, hitting your car that day wasn’t actually my fault because it was supposed to happen.” 

You snorted as you laughed, head falling against the back of the couch. “I wouldn’t go that far.” 

He made a sound. “But we wouldn’t have met otherwise.” 

“We would!” You exclaimed. “The parent-teacher meeting.” 

He blinked, feeling dumb. “Oh, yeah.” 

It wouldn’t have had the same effect, granted, but you would have become acquainted with one another regardless. “Would you have still liked me?” You asked without thinking, surprising yourself. 

“Yes,” he replied immediately. “I was instantly attracted to you after all, it’s just…” Instantly attracted? Definitely a charmer... “There would’ve been no way for me to get to know you like I did.”

You narrowed your eyes. “You’re really adamant that you had to reverse into my car to make this work, huh.”

He shrugged casually. “It was the only way.” 

You laughed quietly, finishing the last of your drink. Time was getting on, it was pretty late, Seokjin had already finished his, you watched him sit up to lean forward and place the glass on your coffee table. His shirt tightened across his shoulder blades and you could see his back muscles as he stretched. Oh.  

Settling back into the same position, he looked over at you and grinned. His teeth were perfect. Did this man have zero flaws? Why were you so whipped? It was embarrassing. 

“I had fun tonight,” you told him, trying to keep a lid on whatever was going on with you right now. 

He seemed pleased with that, nodding his head. “I’m happy to hear that you think I’m a fun person.” 

You scoffed, body falling closer to his. Your shoulders brushed together. Seokjin didn’t take his eyes off you. “Hm. I don’t think I said that.” 

“Hey, don’t be so mean.” He murmured, one side of his mouth quirking up. 

Like you couldn’t stop yourself, your hand reached for the collar of shirt. He had the top two buttons loose and your pinkie finger brushed against his collarbone. Sparks flew, but you tried to ignore them. “I thought you liked it when I was mean.” You teased, voice low. 

Seokjin hummed, his eyes still twinkled like they always did but there was something else to them, a depth that made you feel funny. He sunk closer to you. So close you could study the thick curve of his eyelashes, notice that both his eyelids were different. He really did have beautiful eyes. You could stare at them forever. 

Preoccupied, you slowly realised that he was watching you too, studying your features in the golden glow of the floor lamp that hovered over the couch. His lips parted, you heard them rather than saw it, but then your attention was on them again. Just like it had been earlier on in the night. He was staring at yours too as he spoke. “I wanted to kiss you last week.” 

You heartbeat quickened but you tried to keep cool. “You did kiss me.” You laughed. 

He sighed. “On the cheek.”  

You lightly tugged his collar, fingertips now brushing the skin of his chest. “Isn’t that what you said you wanted to do?”

You could feel his own heartbeat against your forearm that was pressed into him. It was definitely running a little faster than it was supposed to – stronger. “Yes, but…” He glanced up to your eyes. “I was just being polite. I wanted to kiss your lips.”

It felt like you were holding your breath. Maybe you were, you just couldn’t think straight. Time seemed to stretch out, but you knew what you wanted. So you went after it. Giving him a small smile, you replied. “Maybe I wanted that too.” 

He swallowed, voice so low now it was barely a murmur. “Is that an invitation?” His eyes bounced to your lips again, then back to your eyes as he asked permission. “Can I kiss you?”

You ever so slightly dragged your bottom lip beneath your teeth as you nodded, breath catching in your throat as Seokjin leaned forward and closed the distance between you. The hand in between your bodies moved to delicately hold the wrist of your arm against his chest, holding you there as his other hand reached for your jaw, angling your face to press a kiss to your mouth. His eyes were already closed so you followed. 

He hummed at the contact, his lips soft and warm and you let yourself sink. His actions were light at first, faint as he kept constant pressure, as if he was familiarising himself with the sensation. You couldn’t even let yourself think about how this was the first kiss you’d shared with someone for a very long time. All that was going through your mind was how good it felt to be touched like this by him. 

He readjusted the hand on your face, tucking some hair behind your ear to cup your cheek. You liked that. You liked it when he touched you, and he eased from your mouth completely before coming back with a firmer pressure. It was your turn to make a sound; a tiny gasp as your lips began to move together ever so slowly. He liked that, a hum of satisfaction vibrating against the soft skin of your lips. You clutched at his shirt, gathering the crisp cotton in your fist, that would surely turn it creased, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was too preoccupied with reaching for the glass you’d forgotten was hugged to your body by your free hand. 

He unclasped it from your fingers and had no choice but to break away from your mouth to put it next to his on the coffee table. You whined, attempting to tug him back to you, and he chuckled, taking a hold of one of your hands. “I’ll be back,” he whispered, leaning forward to place the cocktail glass down. 

And he was. 

This time he used both of his hands to grasp your face and dive back in. He was more confident this time, moving in such a way his lips pried yours open. You reached for his shoulders, grasping them to hold him closer and this time you both made noises – sweet, quiet ones that worked beautiful together as your lips moulded with gradual urgency. 

When your hands found the nape of his neck, fingers through his hair, he had to drag the tip of his tongue across your bottom lip, seeking entry. You met it with yours, tasting hints of pomegranate and lime with each wash of tongue. A hand of his slipped down to your side, stroking up and down the curve as if he couldn’t help but to touch you. He settled at your hip after a moment, the other splayed against the side of your neck, his thumb rolling small circles under your cheekbone. 

This was getting addictive. You could tell by the way you moaned softly against each warm, wet curl of his tongue. This was everything you’d imagined and more – because you had imagined it. Late and secretly at night when you were trying to drift off to sleep and thoughts of lasagne were banished… You were glad your first kiss was here, inside, on your couch, because this wasn’t something for the open, your knees wouldn’t have been able to hold you up. 

You could have kissed him forever, you mean, you definitely didn’t want it to stop but you pretty much had to. Breathing was a necessity, right? If you couldn’t breathe you wouldn’t be able to ever kiss Seokjin again and that would be absolutely awful… 

You did it the right way though – gradually. Seokjin slowed it right down, only hints of his tongue left as he hummed indulgently, like he was savouring your taste before he had to inevitably pull away. It made your insides jump around like crazy, hearing him enjoying himself, and you tried your best to come to when he started easing the pressure of his lips, pressing small, chaste kisses to them instead as you ultimately (but slowly) broke apart. 

You opened your eyes, blinking up at him, hands falling from his hair, aware you had become one with your cushions. You struggled to free yourself as he sat back and you watched him smile fondly at you. His breath was shaky – so was yours, and you were sure his hands trembled slightly as one reached up to scratch the back of his neck. His neck that was blotched with red, flushed, travelling to his cheeks. They were rosier than you’d ever seen them before. Your gut stirred. 

“I’ve been dreaming of that,” he told you, before making a face at himself. “Too cringey?” 

You giggled – it sounded foreign. “Just a bit.” But didn’t deter the fact you loved it. 

You warmed when you felt him squeeze your hip, realising his hand was still there and you reached for it, tangling your fingers with his. He pulled them to his mouth, kissing your knuckles softly. His expression was thoughtful when he lowered your hands. “In all seriousness, thank you for giving me a chance, after well, you know, everything.”

You smiled, touched by his earnestness, but it was hard to keep a sane mind when his lips were as kiss bitten as they were – deep pink and glistening. You wanted to kiss his face off. 

“It’s no problem,” you quipped, as if you were doing him a favour. 

He chuckled tenderly, and luckily for you he was unable to stop himself from kissing you again. He reached forward, hooking a finger under your chin to press his mouth to yours softly. “I’d really love if we could keep on doing… this.” He murmured. 

“The dating or the kissing,” you grinned, stealing another kiss in the process. 

“Hm,” he contemplated. “Both preferably.” 

And then you were on one another again, eager once more. 

Although, you did manage to pull away briefly to tell him something, his mouth moving to the side of your face to kiss there instead as your hands dragged down his back. You were somehow able to get the words out – ones that made him laugh against your wet jaw. 

“I’m so glad you hit my car.” 

Written 2020 - 2021.  Please refrain from posting my work elsewhere. No translations allowed. © floralseokjin 2021

[lavenprinz]

On a cold night, a girl was walking through the docks of liyue harbor with thin clothes, the clothes look to be somewhat torn and wet hence made it a little transparent. The girl has lifeless eyes while staring into the open sea infront of her. She was once somebody who has it all and lived in a lavish and pampered lifestyle because of her wealthy loving family and her handsome rich boyfriend.

"Where did it all go wrong?"She whispered quietly,she recalled a memory where she first met him, the man she hated and loved, she knew he was trouble and avoided him but for some reason this man keep getting close to her, that man is so persistent on making her "his" and persue her by buying expensive things and food but those things didn't work because of her upbringing so everytime they met he would give her unique looking toys sometimes exotic flowers and invite her for dinner where everytime there would be different delicacies from all over the continent, he would talk about his homeland sheznaya, about his siblings, his job here as a "toy maker", with he naive heart she didn't last long before she fell for this charming man even with her family's constant warning to be wary of him but she just brushed it off at that time thinking that her parents were paraniod, how could this handsome and gentle soul be part of the fatui, she was happy with him but the longer their relationship last the shorter time childe spent with her, she was dissatisfied with this but she endured and keep believing his excuses even though a lot of those excuses were blatant lies.

By the end of their relationship it was too late, she cried while looking at her parents corpse, with her beloved boyfriend ajax no.....it was the 11th fatui harbinger childe behind her. "Foolish little girl, were over." Those were his last words and she felt he was right she was foolish, the warning signs were there ever since they met but she ignored it. She should have known that he was only talking to her for information based on the many odd questions he asked about her family business, she should have believed her parents after seeing him talking to one of the fatui diplomats once.

Well, she now knows that the 11th fatui harbinger is truly ruthless against to the people who stands in the way of his goddess, the tsaritsa. Her parents dead body were proof of it.

The girl looked down into the blue ocean depths and smiled bitterly because it reminded her of that man's lifeless eyes, she noticed her reflection and realized that she has the same lifeless eyes too. Her bitter smile turned into a sad one after looking at her reflection and so decided to be reunited with her parents.

(Hey laven, hiiii this is angst anon, sorry i haven't been present for a while, i was a little busy hehehehe. Here's my late Christmas gift?, i know this is angst but im anhst anon so yuuuuh, im not good at adding details but i tried hope you like it.)

WUUU WUUU ANGST ANON THIS WAS SO PRETTY !!! evil yan childe WAHHHH why are we over babe :((( no :((( stay or kill me :(((( i wont you even if you're ruthless n bad :( a death without dying by his hands,,, grumpy. will stab him for leaving me. I LOVVV YOU THANK YOU FOR DA GIFT <3

[migilini]

Not So Secret Anymore - Charlie Gillespie

summary: It’s hard to hide a relationship from the public, particually when both work on the same show.

words: 2.5k

warnings: fluff

a/n: not my fave but i still somehow like it.

Requests are open :)

MASTERLIST

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

September

"When do we have our first interview?" you asked the boy whose head was in your lap. He looked up from his phone and your eyes locked with his green ones "Hmm, my calendar says in about 30 minutes."

You groaned at that and stopped playing with Charlie's hair which earned you a grunt and whine from him. "Sorry babe but I think I have to go, so I still have time to get ready and set up." You muttered and gave him a small kiss on his brown hair.

"Uhh fine." The weight lifted from your legs, you stood up and before you knew it you were thrown over his shoulder. Laughing, you slapped his butt and back repeatedly. "Babe! I mean it" you tried to press out between giggles, "we both decided to keep us a secret." He sat you down on the kitchen isle and cornered your body in between his arms, standing right in front of you, you're back hitting the kitchen cabinet.

"I know... come back later?" he asked and tilted his head, looking at you with big puppy eyes. "You know it." After a swift kiss, or rather a little make out session, you were on your way back to your own appartement. Just in time to change your top and put on a lip-gloss before opening your laptop and joining the interview.

"Hello everybody! I'm here with the cast of Netflix' Julie and the Phantoms that came out on Thursday. How are you guys?" the interviewer asked and smiled into the camera of his laptop. The whole cast chirped in with a good, great, or amazing.

"That's fantastic!" he clapped his hands "Now, Jeremy, how would you describe your Character and the show in general?"

"It's a show about ghosts from 1995 who come back 25 years later and join a band with Julie who didn't sing a note after her mother died. Reggie, the character that I play, is one of those ghosts and he is a loveable himbo. Did I use that word correctly Maddie?"

Maddie smiled and the interviewer changed the topic "Madison and y/n, birds have told me that this was your first ever acting job is that right?"

You nodded and signaled Maddie to speak first "Yes, and it was both amazing and traumatizing! I was so nervous, but the crew really helped to calm me down, especially y/n who just was in the same position as me, so we freaked out together most of the time." She smiled and the interviewer waited for you to answer. "Except, Maddie had a least some acting training at school, that's why she is the best. I more or less walked into the whole situation." You said laughing.

"I love this story." Jeremy exclaimed, making you slightly blush at his words.

"Would you be so kind and tell us?" the interviewer questioned and smiled at your little nod.

"Yes, yes of course. Well, I was on vacation with one of my good friends from back home..."

"She means Germany." Owen interrupted with a smile on his lips. "Yes, Owen. Thank you for adding important details. Anyways, we saw that there was an Open Audition nearby and though why not? We don't have anything to lose or to do on that particular day. And here I am, my friend sadly didn't get in."

"That really is an amazing story, I can see why Jeremy likes it so much. So, Charlie how would you describe y/n's and Luke's characters, she wasn't supposed to be in the script and was later added in right?" Charlie quirked up at the mention of your name and stated proudly. "Indeed, she impressed Kenny so much that he wrote a character just for her. He thought that Sunset Curve, the band name before we died, needed a female to handle their chaos or well... at least tries to. Y/N plays Allie, who against common speculation isn't any of the boys' love interest which is a very nice turn of events. She and Luke bud head a lot because Luke only thinks about music and the band and she tries hard to make him take breaks every now and then." 

A lovesick smile sat on your face while you listened to your boyfriend of nearly a year, once you realized your expression you quickly shook it off. Hiding this relationship was definitely going to be harder than expected.

The Interviewer asked some more questions before the last and dreaded question was thrown your way. "So, most of your fans are wondering if any of you guys are in a relationship." You and Charlie had discussed a million times before what you guys would say in such a moment, the two of you shared a look.

Jeremy's eyes switched from Charlie's box on his screen to y/n's before answering "I have a lovely wife! The rest of us are happily single, right guys?"

"100%" Maddie added, while Owen only shrugged, his dog conveniently jumping into his lap.

"How about the other two?" he eyed up the last remaining.

"Very single" Charlie laughed, and you agreed "Totally."

As time went on it was harder and harder for the two of you to hide the relationship, as you two spent nearly every day together and therefore did the same activities. Particularly after your social media accounts have gained over a million followers and people started to ship actors and tv show characters. But you two loved the little secret bubble you've created, there was no pressure to take good pictures together, or to post stories, to be asked a thousand questions about your relationship and no hate towards any of you.

December

It has been 4 months since the show released and the hype it got definitely was way more than you ever expected. It blew your mind. Currently, you are on Charlie and yours one-year anniversary / Christmas / good deeds vacation. Charlie and you found a good mix, that made you both happy, between chilling and doing adventurous things.

It was Christmas eve and Maddie wanted to do a 'guess the song Christmas Edition' with the main cast. Eagerly you agreed and hurried from the beach, where Charlie currently took the quiz at the bar you both sat on just minutes before, to your shared bedroom. You shot Maddie a quick text that you were 'out of the relationship zone' and ready when she was ready.

"Helloooo. How did the others do?"

"Not the worst but I still have faith in you to win this. ARE YOU READY?" she screamed the last part.

“I’m going to read you the lyrics of a christmas song and you have to guess the next line. There are certain cards that give one point and others give two. Whoever has the most points at the end…”

“Hopefully get your earrings” you asked with a sly smile and your shoulders raised.

Maddie laughed but shook her head “Sadly, no. I haven't figured out the price yet, but I for sure will! I like your backdrop by the way.” she added and you quickly looked behind you. You sat crisscrossed on the hotel room floor, you used the coffee table and a water bottle as a phonestand and used a white checkered wall as a background to try and hide the fact that you didn't sit in your living room.

January

“This should be the last box.” you cheered into the empty hall and shut the front door with a light push from your hip. Charlie popped his head out of the bedroom and walked over to, dropping his head on your shoulder in exhaustion. Nothing was set up, boxes stood randomly all over the apartment, the fridge stood there still empty and a lonely mattress covered the bedroom floor.

“The walls look a bit bare don't you think?” you said about a week later, standing in the middle of the now a bit furnished living room. Strong arms sneaked their way around your waist and a head dropped on your shoulder.

“Hmm… you're right. What do you have in mind?” Charlie said and turned you around so you were facing him. He smiled at the spark in your eyes “I was thinking, a yellow akzent wall with random secondhand pictures and some pictures of us, all in frames of course. So it's gonna have this homey and creative atmosphere.” You rambled on for a while longer, telling him where you think his instruments could go, the pillows you saw online and thought they worked perfect with the colour of the couch. Charlie just stared at you, a dumb smile on his lips with his arms around you.

“Do you not like it?” you noticed that he hasn't talked for a while and got worried. “I love it. We could live in a dumpster for all I care, as long as I have you by my side.” You fake gaged at his romantic words and gave him a kiss.

The first time people got really suspicious was the time you accidentally walked in on a live he had on Instagram. He sat in front of his instruments, phone propped up before him. You thought that he was already finished but you were wrong.

“Do you think this…” you walked into the room, a shirt in your hand that you just took out of the dryer and lost your words the moment you saw him sitting in front of his phone. He looked at you with wide eyes, his brain clearly searching for a good excuse. 

“Is that y/n?” he read outloud from the chat, gesturing you do sit next to him. “Yes it's her! We’re hanging out and she helped me with my washing because I somehow still don't know how to do it.” he laughed nervously, his hand grabbing yours out of the frame.

“He promised me food and I live really close by, so I thought I'll help this poor man out.”

May

Looking back at this moment now, you and Charlie weren't sure why you just didn't come clean. You didn't mean to hide the relationship this long, it just kinda happened and at one point it just got too awkward to tell. It was fairly easy to hide most of the time, you didn't most that much on instagram and Charlie only showed parts of his daily life.

The easiest was the time you filmed JATP Season 2. You were expected to hang out and live together. Back in 2019 you already lived with Owen and Charlie. This time poor Owen had to live with a couple instead of just two friends. (You were already dating for a while back then but didn't tell the cast, to not make a fuss.)

It wasn't like the fans didn't suspect a thing, especially after Owen posted a video of you two fooling around. 

Everybody sat outside, enjoying the everwarming sun on their skin. Half of the cast was already in costume just waiting for the break to end. In typical Allie (your character) fashion you wore an overall with a tight tank top underneath, your makeup stood out from the others with the heavy blush, freckles and black eyeliner. 

Charlie, in his Luke wardrobe, thought that it was funny to stand in front of you to shield you from the sun.

"Stop that" you whined and tried to shove him away, which was harder than you thought considering he stood before you and you sat on a bench.

"Make me." He flirted and stood even wider before you, puffing out his chest. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, you stole his beany with a swift motion. His expresion quickly changed from cocky to shocked, snickering was heard from Maddie who was used to this type of behaviour.

"Ups… heavy wind blows in the shadows." You explained nonchalantly and pulled the beany on your head, sticking your tongue out at your boyfriend.

"Oh it's on my lady" he growled "I'm giving you a three second advantage. One…" your eyes widened and your heart rate picked up. "Two…" you got up and scanned the place internally making a good running line. "Th-.." you began sprinting across the lot. You heard the laughing from your castmates behind you as you and Charlie ran in circles. 

Unfortunately, he was still fitter and faster than you and about a minute into the running he had you thrown over his shoulder.

"Surrender!" he screamed as you tried to wiggle out of his grip.

"Never!" You screamed back and wiggled even harder.

"Surrender or i'll have to tickle you" he warned and those were the last words Owen was able to film before a producer yelled that the break was finished.

February

“Baby, if I would believe this News Article, you have a secret girlfriend, but it's not me.” you showed him your phone screen.

“I’m not cheating on you. I would never, i'd die rather than…” his frantic expression made you snort. “I know. Oh my god! People saw you with Lia.” you held his hands comfortably.

“Lia as in your best friend Lia?”

“The one and only. People noticed the hickeys... At least they’re getting closer now. So are we still on for the masterplan? You by instruments and I'm gonna sit in the bedroom?" He nodded and smiled at the sight of your equally plastered neck. 

Eventually, before you even were able to execute the as you'd like to say 'masterplan' your relationship got outed. I mean it was time, the two of you getting lazier with the hiding as time went by. 

Fans noticed that you wore a lot of Charlie's things and that you and him always seemed to be at the same place at the same time. It was actually one of your lives that spilled the secret. 

"That's a really nice akzent wall" you read outloud from the chat "oh thank you! It was a long process to get all the pictures but it was actually Charlie's idea to not only have pictures but also plane tickets, date memories and so on hung up on that wall. It really makes it homey. I think to get that wall this crowded it took us...what? About well since we moved in…" you didn't even realise what you said you just babbled and then it was out.

"Charlie actually is home! I could call him. Babe! Come here for a sec- oh my god!" Your hands flew up to your mouth in realizion. 

From that moment on you were public and your social media exploded once again. However the two of you were happy to finally show each other off.

[let-me-luve-you]

Almost a Goodbye

Tom Holland x Sister (with Sam and a little bit of Paddy)

Summary: Your brothers interrupt you before you make a life changing decision.

Warnings: attempted suicide, angst, comforting brothers, difficult talks, vulnerable reader

A/N: This is a very triggering story, so please do not read if you think you will be effected by it.

MASTERLIST

Three months. That’s how long it’s been since your family had been fully together. Tom and Harry were in the States filming for the new Spider-Man movie. They were set to return in a little over a month. Being the only Holland girl within the siblings, you were protected and worshiped by your brothers. Yes you had your fights with them, but at the end of the day, you were family and you all loved each other. Even though Tom took Harry with him all the time, Tom was actually closest with you.

Recently you had been quiet. You stayed in your room more. Only went to school and home. Everyone just thought it was school since finals were coming up. But what no one knew was all the hate you got online and in person. People kept saying how you were using your brother to try and make your life easier. Thought you were using his name to get good grades by bribing the professors. The list of things people thought about you were endless.

At first you ignored it. Especially when it was only online. Then it started to happen in person and it slowly started to get to you. You didn’t want to believe them, but the more they said it, the more you did.

After weeks of constantly looking at the hate on social media and hearing people whisper about you at school, you finally hit your breaking point. People who had been your friends stopped talking to you. You couldn’t do it anymore. You decided that morning that today would be your last day.

You skipped school. Found a quiet, isolated place in the park. You pulled out your spiral to write your final words. Writing a note to every single person in your family except Tom. That was going to be the hardest one. He would be so disappointed in you. Hate you for giving up. You couldn’t write one. At least not yet.

After walking in the house, you quietly declined the food your dad offered you. Saying you grabbed food on the way home. You went to your room and shut the door. You sat your backpack down and sat at your desk. Deciding now would be the time to write your letter to Tom.

What seemed so hard, flowed so easily. You expressed how hard it had been. How you tried to ignore it and fight. That nothing was getting better. It felt like your whole world was falling around you and trying to bury you. Tears fell on the paper. You didn’t even know you had started crying. You finished the letter with an “I’m sorry. I love you.”

You went to your bedside table and grabbed the over the counter pain pills. You sat on your bed staring at them. You didn’t realize you had been sitting there for so long until you heard Sam.

“Hey Y/N/N, I made a new dessert. Want to come try it?” Sam asked. You looked up startled. You quickly moved the pain pills to the side where Sam couldn’t see them. “You okay?”

You panicked slightly knowing you had tears still falling down your face. “Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll be down in a bit. I’m not very hungry.”

Sam moved to sit by you. “Y/N you know you can talk to me.” He said as he saw Paddy in the doorway. “What’s going on? Is it school? Friend problems?”

“You can talk to me too. I always listen.” Paddy added as he walked towards your desk to sit down. He looked at the note that still lied on your desk. “What… What is this Y/N?”

Your head snapped up to see Paddy holding the letter to Tom. You shot off the bed to grab it from him but he ducked your advance and showed it to Sam. Sam started reading it and then saw the pain pills on your bed. He teared up finally understanding what was going on.

“Y/N/N baby…” Sam said as he looked up at you. “Talk to me.”

“I.. I uh..” You stuttered. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Make me understand.” He almost pleaded.

“I just…” You sighed as you sat on the bed. You grabbed your pillow and hugged it close. “I just can’t do it anymore. I have no friends. Everyone just talks crap about me online. I’d be doing everyone a favor if I was just gone.”

“You’re wrong.” Paddy spoke up. “I wouldn’t be able to fully function without you. You help me so much. You’re always looking out for me. Making sure I do my homework, or helping me with it. You fix me dinner when Mum, Dad, and Sam are working.”

“Paddy anyone can do that for you.” You sighed. “I’m never going to be good enough. I just want to be good enough.”

“Y/N you are the best damn thing that has happened to this family. Between us siblings, you’re the glue that keeps us going. You are the one that helps all of us.” Sam said as a tear fell down his face. “You give and give and give but you never take. Let us take care of you for once. Let us take away some of the pain you are feeling. Talk. to. us.”

“I can’t.” You whispered.

Sam sat down on your bed next to you. He wrapped you in a hug and kissed your forehead. “You can. You know why. You’re the strongest person I know.”

“Ca-… Can I just wait for Tom to come home and talk to him? I promise I won’t do anything stupid.” Sam sighed. Sam knows Tom is coming home early to surprise you, but it was still a week away.

“Tom won’t be home for a month. You know this Y/N. We can’t let you sit on something like this for that long.” Paddy said.

“How about this? Tonight we don’t talk. We just hang out and watch a movie. We can sit here and when you are ready to talk to us. We can talk.” Sam said.

“Just please don’t tell anyone. If I have to talk to you, please don’t tell mum and dad. And please please please don’t tell Tom or Harry. I don’t want them to worry. They have enough on their plates.” You begged.

“Okay, for now this is between us.” Sam lied.

“I’ll go get the popcorn, dessert, and pick out a movie for us. Meet in Sam’s room.” Paddy dictated. “Also wear your onesies I got you for Christmas last year.” You and Sam laughed at his bossiness.

The next week flew by. It was Friday afternoon and you didn’t have any classes. Your parents decided to take a small vacation to Ireland for the weekend to have time for themselves. Sam was working. Paddy was at a friends house. You sat in the living room watching tv.

He had told Tom that night after you had gone to bed. He had to get Harry to stop Tom from missing his last week of work. He tried to tell him he was watching you like a hawk and getting small bits and pieces out of you. Finally, one night you blew up. You were so angry at everything that day, that you just exploded on Sam. He finally understood.

He talked to you about deleting the social media apps from your phone and not getting on any of the websites on your computer. You easily agreed after you calmed down. Sam had noticed the difference in your attitude. He knew you still had work to do, but it was getting better.

Tom and Harry had just landed. Sam had texted when he left for work that your plan was to watch tv and movies all day since you had the house to yourself. Tom hopped into the driver seat of his car with Harry in the passenger seat. Tom dropped Harry off at home, knowing this was a conversation that needed to be had between just him and his sister.

As Tom pulled into his parents driveway, he started to get anxious. He sat there for a minute trying to gather his thoughts. He sighed as he got out of the car. He went to the back seat to get the bag of things he had bought for you. He always brings back something from each movie he films, but this time he went a little overboard when he was at your favorite shop.

He quietly walked in the front door. He walked towards the living room where he could hear the movie playing. When he peaked in, he saw you cuddling up with your favorite blanket asleep. He gently put the bag down next to your head as he sat down next to you. He pushed some of your hair behind your ear. He looked at you for a moment just to try to remember every detail he can. He almost lost you and he isn’t willing to risk wasting anymore time not embracing the moment.

“If you keep staring, I won’t grow a second head like I’ve always wanted.” You said as you started to wake up.

Tom laughed, “Just wanted to see how long it took you to wake up.”

“Well I’m awake now.” You acted annoyed as you sat up. “I really missed you Tomothy. Why are you home so early? I thought you weren’t due home until next month?” You said hugging him as you said his nickname.

“I missed you too, Goofy Goober. We wrapped early. I told everyone else and asked them not to tell you so I could surprise you.” He gave you a kiss on your head. “How have you been? How’s school?”

“Everything’s great.” You lied.

“Please don’t lie to me.” Tom sighed.

“I’m not.” Another lie.

“Sam told me.” Tom said. The color left your face as you heard what Tom said. “I’m not mad. I just want to talk about it. He also told me what you guys talked about a few nights ago. Thought it would be easier to have this conversation.” You looked away from Tom.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered. “I swear I’m getting better now. I even scheduled an appointment with a therapist. Sam doesn’t know that though. I regret what I almost did. I’m going to get better. I promise you that.” You felt tears fall from your eyes. You tried to avoid looking at Tom.

Tom put his hand under you chin and turned your head towards his. “Look at me Y/N/N.” You refused to meet his eyes. “Come on. You can do it.” You slowly lifted your eyes to his. You noticed he was tearing up.

“I’m going to be with you in this fight. This isn’t something you have to fight alone.” He whispered. “No matter what, I will be here for you. I don’t care if it is 3 am and I’m on the other side of the world. I will answer a phone call or I’ll be on the next flight out. Nothing is more important than family. Not work, not Spider-Man, not anything. You are one of the most important people in my life.”

You started to cry harder as Tom continued. “When I got that phone call, it scared the living life out of me. I was on my way to ask for sometime off when Harry stopped me. He said Sam was helping you. That if I focused, the week would fly by and I could get home to you sooner.” You smiled at him.

“I’m really glad you’re home. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“Don’t worry about that now. Now we focus on getting you healthy and winning this battle.” Tom said wiping your tears from your cheeks.

“But I’m healthy.” You said confused.

“Mental health is just as important as physical. It’s okay to not be okay. But together and with the help from Sam, Harry, Paddy, Mum, and Dad, we are going to get you back to your normal self. Help you learn how to cope with thoughts like that.” Tom said.

“I’m trying to learn to ignore people. They don’t know me.” You said. Tom smiled.

“Exactly. And for the hate you are getting from my fans, I’ll be saying something about that. I’m not going to stand by and watch them hurt someone I love.” Tom said.

“I love you Tom. Thank you for being the best big brother.” You said wrapping him up in a big hug. “Okay time for the important question, what present did you bring me?”

“I love you too Goofy Goober.” Tom said kissing your forehead. He laughed at your last question. “It’s all in the bag right there.” He pointed at the bag that now sits by your feet. You moved to start looking through it. “Now, what movie are we watching next?”

[stargazing-enby]

“I can’t believe you told them you were my fiancé” + Drarry 😘

Thank you @stavromulabetaaa @secretlycrazyhummingbird and anon for your prompts! I turned them into a New Years story, I hope that's all right 😁 

Thanks @april-thelightfury115 for betaing!

Drarry | 2k | Teen and Up | Fake Fiancés, Auror Partners, Locked Down Together, Love Confessions | Read on AO3

“...And we’re still unsure whether the situation will be safe enough for us to marry in spring, so that’s why we haven’t organised much yet. Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know as soon as we have a date.”

Harry, mind still fuzzy with sleep, empty mug in hand, stopped in his tracks by the living room door. Had he heard right?

“We understand, Draco,” came Narcissa’s voice from the Floo. “But you must understand our concerns, too.”

“I do, mother. But you know this was necessary.”

“We do,” Lucius said. “The most important thing is that we’re all safe right now, even if we missed having you home last night.”

Harry didn’t hear the end of the conversation—didn’t notice Draco walking into the kitchen a minute later; he was too busy frowning at the kettle. 

“Morning,” said Draco from behind him. “Didn’t know you were up.”

“Didn’t know you were engaged,” Harry said without thinking—without turning around, without even understanding why he didn’t want to turn around; didn’t want Draco to see the whirl of emotions unravelling in his chest.

“Oh,” Draco said, voice low. “You heard that.”

Harry shook his head, eyes still fixed on the kettle. 

“Not on purpose.” His words came out strained, and he cursed himself inwardly. Why did he even care? It wasn’t like Draco’s personal life was any of his business. Sharing a flat didn’t make them friends, now did it? No matter how much Harry had grown to enjoy having the git around all the time, and watching him fall asleep while they watched telly together at night, and getting to see Draco’s tousled hair in the mornings—

Draco sighed—a slow, heavy sound—and leaned against the counter beside him. Harry did look up at him then, and the maelstrom of emotion probably still all over his face came to an abrupt halt when he realised Draco was holding back a giggle.

“I’m not engaged, Potter,” he said, grin widening. “You look really upset at the idea, though. It’s a cute look on you.”

Draco’s mirth was beautiful, and so, so good at softening Harry from inside out. Still, Harry crossed his arms over his chest with an indignant huff, grumbling, “Sod off, I thought you were keeping an engagement from me!” When Draco only laughed at him, he added, “Why on Earth do your parents think you’re engaged, then?” 

“I’ll tell you,” Draco said through another giggle, “but don’t murder me. I’m the best Auror partner you’ll ever have.”

Harry just raised his eyebrows at him—curiosity and concern mixing with a subtle hint of betrayal that refused to fade away just yet.

“My parents are…very traditional,” Draco started.

“I’d gathered that much, thank you.”

“Shut up, you giant prick. The thing is, they firmly believe people must live with their parents or on their own until they marry. Sharing a living space with anyone other than your spouse is…improper to them. I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail as to why.”

“You really don’t,” Harry said, grimacing. 

“So when I told them I was moving in with you temporarily, I sort of…kind of…had to tell them we were engaged, and the only reason I was moving in with you before getting married was that we wanted to wait until the pandemic was over to have a big wedding with all our loved ones.”

To Harry’s credit, he didn’t drop the mug full of piping hot coffee all over himself.

He did gape at Draco for a good three seconds, though.

“Your parents think we’re engaged?”

“That’s what I said, yes.” Draco had the decency to look sheepish, at least. “If it’s any consolation, they also trust me to remain chaste until my wedding night, so they don’t think you and I have—”

“Oh my god.”

“I would never, anyway. They raised me well.”

“Stop. Shut up.” Harry rested the mug on the kitchen table—sat heavily on a chair, gaze unfocused. “But didn’t you explain—”

“I did explain to them I was moving in with you because we work together and it’s safest to have you as the only person in my bubble so I don’t put them at risk, yes. They argued I had enough money to rent a place for myself, and I panicked and told them you and I had plans to marry anyway, so it wasn’t all that bad, since they trust me to wait until my wedding night to—” 

“Yeah, yes, got it.” Harry pressed his eyes closed, desperately trying to will images of a virginal Draco Malfoy draped over a white king-sized bed from his mind. “Were you planning on telling me any of this? You’ve been here for weeks…” 

“I was, of course.” 

Harry side-eyed him.

“It’s just—I guess…I was waiting for the right time to tell you, and it never really came up. And don’t give me that look! Remember how long it took you to tell me you weren’t dating Ginny anymore?” 

“That’s different!” Harry said. 

“Potter, you let me send both of you a Christmas card as though you were a couple and replied to it with her because it felt too awkward to tell me you’d broken up!” 

Harry took a sip of his coffee to avoid Draco’s gaze. 

“That may be true,” he muttered eventually, when he looked up at Draco again and found him still looking expectantly at him. “But this involves me directly. I mean, what if I’d answered a Floo call from them while you were in the bathroom and they’d brought up the engagement?” 

“Excuse you, I never schedule anything at bathroom hours!” 

“I...don’t want to know what that means.” Would it be too much for him to bury his face in his arms and fall right back asleep? “What are we going to do now?” 

“We wait until lockdown is over and pretend we’ve broken up and are no longer engaged, of course.” 

“What, so your parents hate me forever?” Harry asked. “No, thank you!”

“What do you mean, no thank you? The alternative, in case you hadn’t noticed, is to marry me, Potter!” 

“You’re making my year start with a headache,” Harry groaned. “I hope you’re happy.” 

“Very much so, actually,” Draco said. “Because you will pretend you’re my fiancé over Floo, won’t you? My parents have been asking to talk with you directly, and if it doesn’t happen soon, they’re going to start thinking you’re a bad husband…” 

“Fiancé! I mean—flatmate. Colleague. Ugh. Fine. Fine. I’ll do it,” he said when Draco just pouted dolefully. He couldn’t resist those puppy eyes, dammit. “But I’ll be cursing you to hell and back in my mind the entire time.” 

Draco’s grin was definitely not worth the sacrifice. 

***

“Harry! What a delight to finally be able to talk to you. Draco says you’ve been busy with work matters lately.” 

“Y-Yeah, it’s been chaos,” Harry said, resisting the urge to glare at Draco and hoping Narcissa couldn’t see the puzzle sitting on the coffee table or the stack of movies by the sofa through the Floo. “I’m really glad to see you, too.” Fuck, that’d sounded awfully awkward. “Happy new year, by the way—let’s hope it’s a better one.” 

“Oh, I’m sure it will be. The year an offspring gets married is always among the best of a mother’s life.”

“Right. Of course.” Add ‘upsetting Narcissa terribly’ to the list of reasons to curse Draco. 

“And I imagine it will be an even happier year for you two, especially if a future heir is in the picture by the end of it!” 

ADD ‘ALMOST CHOKING TO DEATH ON MY SALIVA’ TO THE LIST OF REASONS TO—

“Mother, please, I think it’s a little bit to early for that—” 

“I know, I know, sorry.” She didn’t sound sorry at all. “I’m just really excited for you, my Draco. You’ve wanted this for so long…”

Harry’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Harry, you are one very lucky man, I hope you know that,” Narcissa went on, oblivious to the look Harry and Draco were sharing—the colour drained from Draco’s cheeks, a breath caught in Harry’s lungs. “I do hope you will be taking the Malfoy name, too! It would be an honour to have you as a part of our family tree…”

She went on about the Sacred Twenty-eight for what seemed like forever, and Harry was only vaguely aware of Draco interrupting her with the excuse they had to get back to work and ending the call after a round of good-byes. 

For a moment, they both stared into the faceless flames. 

“You’re not going to buy it if I tell you I really do need to get back to work, right?” Draco said after a moment, voice low. 

“You know the answer to that.” 

Draco huffed. 

“Well, then, go ahead and ask what you want to ask. Don’t make me suffer for longer than necessary.” 

Harry sneaked a glance in Draco’s direction. Unlike a few moments before, his face was a dark shade of red, hand clutching the edge of the carpet, knees drawn close to his chest. 

“I don’t want to ask if you don’t want to tell me,” Harry murmured, looking back into the flames. 

“It’s not like I can Obliviate you,” Draco retorted. “You heard what you heard.”

Harry nodded. 

“That you’ve wanted me for a very long time.”

Draco didn’t reply. 

Harry glanced at Draco’s hand again, now playing nervously with the fringe of the carpet, and, after a moment of hesitation that faded with his next exhale, he reached out and rested his hand on it. Draco’s fingers stilled under his touch, and Draco’s eyes found his—wide, scared, vulnerable. 

He dared run the tips of his fingers over Draco’s knuckles, and his own breath caught when he heard Draco’s hitch. 

“Draco…” Harry started, not knowing what he was even going to say. “The past few weeks have been… they’ve been—”

“Don’t,” Draco said, voice strained. “Don’t. Just—” He looked away again. “Just tell me you just want to be colleagues and be done with it, please.” 

“Maybe that’s not what I want.” He slipped his fingers between Draco’s soft own; squeezed them gently. “Maybe what I want isn’t so different from what you want. You don’t know what’s going on inside my mind. You have no idea what the past few weeks have meant to me.” 

Draco didn’t move under his touch—didn’t seem to move at all, except for the quick, uneven rise and fall of his chest. When he talked, the words came out quickly, in a whisper, as though he was terrified to hear himself say them.

“What are you saying, Potter?”

“What I’m saying is I want more of this. More puzzles, and movies, and more of your way-too-salty chicken soup, and more evenings and mornings by your side. I’m saying I hadn’t realised until very recently how much I want more of you, Draco. But I do. Merlin, I do.” 

A sound somewhere between a whine and a choked cackle came out of Draco’s throat.

“You sound like I’ve actually proposed to you, you idiot,” he groaned. Harry rolled his eyes at him, squeezed his fingers yet again.

“I’m being serious!” he said, unable to hold back a laugh. “Don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not! I’m just—this whole situation, it’s…”

“I know,” Harry murmured. “But it doesn’t have to be. Things don’t have to be so different now. I mean, we already work together and we’ve been having movie nights every Saturday for, what, three years now? And now we live under the same roof, we cook meals together, we fall asleep together on the couch…Merlin. We’re already like a married couple, aren’t we?” Harry said, horrified. “No wonder your parents bought the engagement story!”

“Wait till I tell you they were actually surprised it hadn’t happened sooner…”

Harry buried his face in his knees to stifle a groan.

“Come on,” he said after a moment, and stood up still holding on to Draco’s hand. “Let’s make some lunch and pretend like this wasn’t the most embarrassing conversation we’ve ever had.”

Draco’s fingers were still comfortably hooked around his as they made their way to the kitchen.

[sapphire-innit]

Saddest Beach Party Ever :(

Watch out for this one folks, it gets a bit dark -- mind the tags (though nothing outside of what you'd expect for.. this episode)

VOD: Tommy Is Left ALONE at his Exile Party with Dream (Start - 35:30)

(rp) I have Absolutely been putting off watching this one because I WILL cry and I am scared

I can't imagine what it was like to watch live and see NO ONE on the beach

He's keeping up a good face, adding more chairs... I'm not looking forward to it setting in.

like fuck man, fuck Dream for chasing of Ghostbur for MULTIPLE reasons but also because no one else even KNEW about the party :(

He's so excited about maybe seeing Tubbo I hate it Thanks

and now he's putting things down for Quackity and adding more things he's still so happy and excited (though you can occasionally see the mask break - there's a lot of nervous energy here)

"Where... no, well go place this" "why did Fundy leave the game" THANKS I HATE IT

Lazer and Fundy have been some of the people who have visited toooo :(

Tommy's face when no one is on the nether path.............. ouch

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

log off right now green demon

log off RIGHT NOW

just stewing in silence ..... painful....

cc!Tommy really is one of the best actors on the server, this hurts quite a bit

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

I know that's Dream joining the call and I hate it

fuck

"I'm running a little late, sorry :)" >:|

fuck, Tommy apologized and tossed his armor immediately INCLUDING HIS GIFT SHOES AND AXE, Dream didn't even ask

Dream of course taking the chance to be '''''''benevolent''''.... probably as a reward for Tommy doing it immediately and without prompting >:|

and ofc Dream just straight up lies about the invites to rub salt into the wound. Cant have Tommy thinking people CARE ABOUT HIM OR ANYTHING.

Even mentioned Tubbo SPECIFICALLY YOU BASTARD "in L'manburg" was that truly necessary bastard

the sun setting... a symbol of hope... the symbol of their friendship.... disappearing into the ocean... I hate it :(

Dream pushing him into eating the cake.. "I've lost my appetite"

just digging in that Tubbo For Sure got the Invite Definitely and no one came except Dream.

"I didn't mind being a little bit late because I thought everyone else would be here" why did he keep pointing out he was late, kept hammering that point home. Like even Dreams attention is not important to Dream? like it has to be earned maybe ..?

"No one cares about me anymore" "that's not true" *BREAKS CAKE* "None of them care about me anymore"

IS HE BREAKING THE PATH OHNOOO ;-;

"No one cares... other than You(Derogatory)"

"Maybe they had something more important" I hate how Dream hides his digs behind sounding consoling it fucking SUCKS

I hate how depressed he sounds, how resigned

....threw away the chicken, and he isn't eating or healing. I knew to watch out for it but its never been this pronounced before. He's down to three hearts ;-;

"I'm pretty sure he burned it, or lost it" I do not believe that for a SECOND Dream, or at least its not as clear cut as it seems. Tubbo CARES ABOUT TOMMY, I *JUST SAW* a clip of him holding the compass aaaaa

ohno

"at least SOMEONE on this entire 30 person server got an invite" "He said he was going to give it to at least 13 people, and at least one person I saw give it in person"

ohno

ohnooooooooooo

he really is gonna toss the compass isn't he nooooooooo

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

staring into the lava again. "he burned it. On purpose"

Dream quibbling ... but doubling down i hate it

.......its just... so clear he's not only thinking about the compass in lava

Dream shooting at the Ghast,,, telling Tommy to sleep on it, coaxing him back from the edge "almost fell off, careful Tommy" I hate it here

"I don't sleep anymore Dream" "I just want to go home" "Please can I go home" he sounds so broken ;A;

"why can't I stay" :( :( :(

"It's not like they want you anyway Tommy. No one showed up to your party and everyone was invited" And THIS is why Dream tanked the party on purpose. Because if Tommy thinks no one even wants him, he won't even try to get back, and will just stay under Dreams control. There's such a mental and emotional difference and toll from "Outside forces (Dream) are keeping me from going home and maybe I can subvert or change them" and "Home doesn't want me and they're better off without me"

It truly is creepy how Dream is trying to coax him with the Christmas tree, like he's trying to pull this balancing act because he can tell Tommy is on the edge of really giving up and I hate it so much

He still hasn't eaten

"c'monn you want to see the Christmas tree :)" overwriting his feelings as well ugh

"I'm sure if you asked them, they'd say they care about you" I see you invalidating any future concern someone might show him

ALSO TOMMY CALLING EXILE HOME IS SURE SOMETHING

.....him asking Dream to defend him is... painful. Especially having just watched the latest stream where he asked the same of Tubbo right after being triggered as hell ugh. He really has gotten used to being made helpless and depending on Dream, even on the one day he didn't get his armor and weapons taken away from him. He sounds so resigned :(

(( LOL OK THE DNF JOKE WAS PRETTY FUNNY THO))

he's bribing him with the trident and I hate it. Though at least hes enjoying it??? Mixed feelings on that. He ate too and I hate that Dreams honeymoon stage is w o r k i n g )

that is the most sincere I have ever heard Tommy say Dream cares about him and it FUCKING SUCKS

I know we never could have had "Happy Party AU" because Dream never would have allowed people to come and validate Tommy but man Trident tricks w everyone would have been nice

...lol someone pointed out the red looks like blood. the fake girlfriend bits are so Weird

Dream what do you GET out of this, why are you so OBSESSED. He spends so much time here

"I wont bring it up with them because that would be awkward" oof and I bet he won't believe it if anyone says they didn't get the invite will he oof

.. He pulls out the Axe but lets dream actually kill the skeleton, he already put it away before Dream even got on screen how many times do i have to say THANKS I HATE IT HERE before it becomes meaningless

So this was around the point (or maybe a little bit later, but talking about this point) during dsmp where I started seeing it cross my dash without any context and saw a lot of takes about "oh but they didn't get the invite" and I had NO IDEA why Tommy was so upset about what was clearly a misunderstanding or why he was making it such a big deal.... well I get it now

Tommy really really isn't in a place where he can believe someone when they say they didn't get an invite. And it Really Truly WAS a big deal and actually I'm 100% on Tommy's side on this issue now (though I also don't blame the other characters for this: See Big Green Bastard Man who is truly at fault) I can understand completely why he throws it in their face later though

He's doubting if he wants to go back now.. that was exactly the point of it all :(

"Thanks for letting me keep my armor today btw" I hate how sincere Tommy is about this. I hate how Dream has so effectively done this, where Tommy sees it as a FAVOR that Dream doesn't come and blow up all of his things and hard work and THANKS him for it.

People much smarter than me have pointed out how 1:1 this is to real abusive relationships and how well its portrayed. I don't have anything clever or insightful to say here I guess, just that its exhausting and heavy to watch (but also really powerful as well, because we DON'T see shit like this played this realistically, or in this much accurate detail)

I just want Tommy to be out of here safely and realize what is being done to him is WRONG and not his fault and be given a chance to actually heal. I know the likelihood of that in the future, considering whats to come, is also. complicated to say the least.

[pipes-loves-writing]

(so i wasn’t really sure how to upload this anywhere so I kinda just copied and pasted it so if it looks weird I’m sorry) so this is my first fanfiction I’ve ever written/ shown to anyone/ finished so if there’s anything I could do to make it better, let me know!! Also there’s a little part of this fic that’s inspired by a post @starklysteve made and a comment (I think.. i don’t remember) that @redmeanslove made. They’re very small details but they kinda inspired some parts of this fic.

Okay I think that’s all I have to say!

Enjoy! :)🤍

“Let’s write a song.”

“What?”

Carlos had never been good at talking about his feelings. Like, at all. Ever.

Not to Seb, and not even to his family. But especially not to Seb. Speaking of Seb, it had currently been 5 days, 4 hours, 21 minutes, and 7 seconds since they had a true conversation last. 8 seconds. 9 seconds. But, it’s not like anyone’s counting.

Or anything.

He had been so stressed out with everything regarding the menkies, and the show, and not even to start with all the drama that didn’t happen on stage. But now he was in Big Red’s basement, with Ricky, writing a song.

What a night.

Carlos fiddled with his hands. “I’m sorry. I guess I've never really written a song before. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Well,” Ricky paused and cleared his throat, “Let’s just figure it out as we go along. Tell me where it started to go a little south.”

Carlos sighed. He hated talking about him and Seb fighting. It physically hurt to even think about it. But, he started to speak.

“It all sort of started a little bit after Christmas. I got his cashmere and he’s allergic. But he didn’t bring it up until I asked him about it.”

Ricky slightly tilted his head. “And that's all? Those are all the bad parts?”

Carlos stood up and walked towards the other side of the room. Then he thought for a moment.

Then he started to speak.

“That’s the thing Ricky. There are no bad parts of him. There’s only him. Him and his beautiful piano playing. Him and his way to completely make me melt with every word he says. Him and his pretty blue eyes. The way he understands my craziness. The way he makes me feel so lucky. And how do I repay him? I go and post a million pictures with a bunch of random guys I barely even know. And who barely know me. I never chose them. I chose Seb. And he chose me. Gosh, I’m so stupid. Ricky, he’s practically the perfect guy. He is the perfect guy. And I haven't even told him that. I love him and now I went and lost him.”

Ricky was silent for the count of seven.

“Wow.”

“I know. I’ve never even said that last part to myself before.”

Ricky said, “hmm.” And scribbled down something in his notebook.

………………………

“I can’t believe we wrote a whole song in half an hour.” Carlos was astonished. How had Miss Jenn never asked Ricky to write for the show?

“Woah woah woah, slow down Carlos. We still have to write the bridge and the last chorus.”

“But still! I mean, you’re a really good writer! Why haven’t you showed anyone else your music?”

Ricky sighed and paused for a second. “Well, I did write something for Nini and I ended up showing a little bit of it to Big Red. And the song I wrote about letting her go? I showed that to my mom. But no one other than them. I don’t know. It’s like what you said earlier. I get kinda weird talking about my emotions. You know?”

“Yeah I guess I get it.” Carlos thought for a moment. “Have you ever tried writing something that wasn’t about Nini? Or not about girls in general?”

Ricky shrugged and went back to his notebook. Carlos took a hint and changed the subject.

“Okay, we don’t have that much left to write. Let’s get back to it.”

Ricky grabbed a pencil and said, “Alright. Let’s try what we were doing before. You talk about Seb and I write some ideas of lyrics we could use.”

Carlos smiled. He loved talking about loving Seb. He nodded, “Works for me!”

Ricky grinned and asked, “So, about earlier, why haven’t you told him you love him yet?”

Carlos hummed and said, “I’m not sure. I guess I’m just worried he’d freak out and leave me.”

“Why? Dude, I know it probably seems scary, but Seb really really likes you.”

A smile grew on Carlos’s face and then quickly disappeared. “I’m just not sure. I mean, I can’t control the future, and neither can he.”

Ricky thought for a moment and said, “Well, it’s like you said earlier. You chose him and he chose you. And he’ll continue to choose you. Forever. Stuff like that doesn’t just go away cause he’s scared.”

Now it was Carlos’s turn to be surprised. “Wow.”

Ricky laughed, “Well?”

Carlos tilted his head and squinted, “Well?”

“Let’s get back to writing. I think we figured out our bridge.” he paused, “but Carlos? I think Seb really loves you.”

Carlos smiled and looked away.

………………………

“It’s perfect.” Carlos laughed softly, “It’s got everything I want to say and more.”

Ricky grinned and put his guitar down. “So, have you thought of choreographing it? Like, adding movements or anything?”

“Oh, yeah.” The second they had started writing it, ideas raced through his mind. “The only problem is the ending. I’m just not sure what to do with it. I don’t want it to be repetitive or anything.”

“Okay well,” he sighed, “ If all else fails,”

“Yeah?”

Ricky smiled more, “Just keep dancing.”

“I am pretty good at doing that.” Carlos giggled. But he soon stopped and worried, “I’m also kind of worried about the singing. What if I forget the words or something? I mean, we did only write it in an hour.”

“Listen man, if you forget anything, or need encouragement or something like that, just look at me,” he ran his hand through his hair, “I’ll even sing backup if that makes you feel more supported.”

“Thank you, Ricky. I’ll probably look at you a lot.”

“No you won’t. You’ll be too busy being lost in Seb’s eyes.” Ricky joked. Or at least, Carlos thought he was joking. He wasn’t sure yet.

“Well, we better get going. Seb isn’t gonna serenade himself.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. He assumed he would have to get used to Ricky joking about his relationship. He wasn’t annoyed or anything. He actually found it kind of endearing.

Ricky borrowed Big Red’s car since the other boys took Ej’s. Carlos kind of wondered why he didn’t bring his. Did he have one? He would have to ask another time. The two boys raced to the school (Without going over the speeding limit, obviously). They got there within 10 minutes. Carlos was intrigued with all the shortcuts to the school that Ricky knew. Another thing to ask about later.

“You go in the theatre first. I’ll be in the rehearsal room so you can bring Seb in from there. I’ll have the guitar set up and everything. All you have to do is tell me to start playing, and you’ll be great.”

“Sounds good.” Carlos showed him one more nervous glance, and scurried down the hall to the stage.

……………………………..

Carlos did it! He really did it! He didn’t forget any of the words and he danced with Seb. And best of all, he apologized. He had made it all right!

And it was all thanks to Ricky. Without him, he never would have found a way to say he was sorry. And he and Seb would still have been fighting.

Seb and Big Red had left, leaving Ricky and Carlos in the rehearsal room alone.

Carlos ran up to Ricky and hugged him, “Thank you.”

Ricky hugged him back.

“Bro.” Carlos laughed and left the room.

Ricky laughed and put his guitar down. He ran to the stage to join the rest of the theatre kids.

And when he saw Carlos and Seb, standing side by side giggling after not talking for a week, he knew that he had saved his friends and done the right thing.

thank you thank you thank you for reading!! This was very nerve racking to post but please give me any feedback!! Love you all!

-pipes :)🤍

[kuroo-shitsurou]

Auxilium (College!Xiao x College!Reader)

TW: mentions blood, depression, anxiety

note: it's my first time writing and posting something on tumblr so im sorry if it's bad!! reader is gn hehe.

Late February was never a good time for Xiao.

It was the second month of the year; People were starting to adjust and adapt to the ever-changing and progressing timeline. Although, he never really understood the concept of the "New year, new me!" shtick. Humans make decisions that eventually shape their personalities. What does a new year have anything to do with that? Does a change in the year automatically make you a good person? Does it make you less of an asshole than you might already be? He never really understood.

He found it rather silly, actually. Whenever a new year rolls around, Xiao would mutter silent curses to himself because he'd write the wrong year on his papers. Other than that, there wasn't any significant changes he made in his daily routine. He was still the same Xiao; The same anxious, mildly depressed, and coffee-high art major Xiao.

Now, Xiao was a respected figure in their college (or at least, that's what he was told). He was one of the most talented artists at Tokyo University, and professors have been eyeing him for a scholarship overseas (he, along with his brooding and mysterious senior, Diluc). His keen eye for details always produce great results as most of his portraits are featured in the university's gallery of students' greatest works. Not to mention, one of his larger canvas works were displayed at the Tokyo Museum, making him one of the youngest artists to have their art showcased there.

Admittedly, Xiao was aware of how people admired his talent. Unfortunately, due to a rough childhood where his parents barely showed him any love and affection, he had trouble reflecting his true emotions onto other people. That's why other art majors often labelled him as a self-absorbed, egotistical prick.

Xiao was the last person you'd want to compliment. It's not that he'd be a dick about it or that he'd scowl at you and act as if he was better than you in every way possible. It wasn't like that at all. It's simply because Xiao doesn't know how to handle compliments. He'll still keep his stoic face, lips pressed in a straight line, but deep inside, he'd be flustered to bits. He'd try to internalize his reply, stitching together the right words to express his gratitude, but it would always take him a few minutes. The person who complimented him would've already left after he finally constructed the sentence in his head. Not that he wasn't used to it

This led to Xiao earning his current reputation, as stated earlier. He was already expecting the rest of his college years to be spent alone in his studio, working on his artworks during the wee hours of the night, high on the fumes of his paint palette and his exhausted coffee machine.

Until you came.

Kaoru was... eccentric. You were loud, you were moody. He felt like you'd be the type of person he'd hate dealing with just because you was unpredictable. You were like the rain, and Xiao hated the rain.

He must have an Archon's cursed tongue, because he got paired up with you during the first semester of their second year in college. You were a familiar name to him, as you were in the same course since the first year, but he barely knew anything about you since you were in different classes.

"Hey, Xiao! I'm _____. I hope we can be good friends by the end of the semester!" His memory of your bright smile still remains vivid in his head. He wasn't really a brooding type like Diluc, but Xiao liked to believed that he presented himself as a silent person who had no intentions of interacting with other people. So, how were you so bubbly around him? Because she was forced to do so? You were to be his partner for the whole semester, after all. Maybe it was all formalities. Yeah, that's probably it.

"Hm." Xiao gave a nod in her direction, acknowledging your existence. you heard from your friends that the young artist didn't have a pleasing personality, but you weren't expecting to be shutdown from the get-go.

"Mind if I sit beside you?"

Again, a light nod.

You felt the awkward tension between you and Xiao, and you hated it. You were a person who hated it when people are uncomfortable in your presence. You didn't want to be a bother, and you did your best to make everyone like you. Not that you were a people pleaser, nor an attention hog, but you just wanted to get along with everyone.

The lecture was going to begin in twenty minutes, so the lecture hall was yet to be filled with people. You took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with the amber eyed man beside you, who was typing away on his laptop. Something about color theory and how it affects the perspective of people on different art types? You couldn't really see that well. He was a fast typer.

"So, Xiao, I heard that your painting was displayed in the Tokyo Museum last year. It must have been an honor. I was at the unveiling last year and I saw it up-close." You started off, testing the waters.

"And what did you think of it?" Xiao cringed internally. He meant to genuinely ask for your feedback regarding his art, but it sounded so harsh that he wanted to punch himself when he saw you wince (or maybe you shuddered because it was cold and you were wearing a sleeveless top? His nerves were getting the better of him at this point).

"Well, a lot of my friends told me that it wasn't anything special,"

Ouch.

"It was a large canvas. I can still remember how it looks. But, maybe that's because I'm at the museum every two weeks," You laughed. You noticed how Xiao's breathing noticeably changed after you started your sentence, and you have to admit that it sounded a bit too mean.

"You know, Xiao. My friends told me that your art was simple. Anyone could have done it. But honestly, they couldn't be more wrong. I love how your piece was painted. Auxilium. I'll never forget what you called it. That's... Help, right?"

At first, Xiao didn't want to listen to this person ramble about an art piece he made during one of the lowest points of his life.

His anti-depressants had run out during that one Christmas. It was 2:47 in the morning. He had morning classes the following day. He had a project to submit, but he was unable to continue working because of the unbearable pain in his chest. His head was throbbing. Voices were invading his mind. Flashbacks of his parents' negligence taunted him. He rushed to grab a glass of water, chugging it down in almost three chugs. He slammed the glass back onto the counter, smashing it into tiny little splinters and cutting himself in the process. His hand was bleeding, there were bits of glass on his counter and on his floor, but he couldn't care less. He was heaving, his breathing was unsteady, he wanted to die right then and there. His vision became blurry, but he rushed back to his studio.

With a bleeding hand, he picked up his brush and began to tear into his canvas. Not literally, but he started to create strokes onto the blank canvas. Different colors, different textures (he swore some of his blood got blended in with the area where he painted the sunrise, but it's fine. No one was going to notice, right?). He screamed and cried, wanting to throw the entire easel out his window.

It was Christmas. He was alone in his apartment. His anti-depressants ran out. He was having a panic attack.

That night led him to having one of the worst breakdowns he could remember, but he also ended up with a gorgeous painting that nabbed him a place in the Tokyo Museum.

"Help," Your voice echoed in his ears, snapping him out of his trance.

"People can tell me that it's nothing more than a simple painting, but the way that the sunrise was only showing in a segmented part of the canvas? The way that there were hints of red? It kind of reminded me how a new day can resemble hope but still contain hurt. Like, the promise of a fresh start isn't guaranteed a good one, right?"

Your words rang in his ears like a gong being hit continuously. He wanted to cry. People always complimented him and congratulated him about being recognized by art critics and national museums, but none of them ever really stopped to talk to him about his art. They were there for his recognition- not his work.

"I mean, you could begin with a fresh start, but wouldn't the remnants of yesterday still take a toll on your tomorrow?"

"Hm. Interesting take. To be honest, those specks could have been my blood." Xiao spoke up, to your surprise. A small smile formed on your face. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.

"My hand was cut up when I was painting that," He added quietly, not mentioning why his hand was in that state. "I think I accidentally added too much concentrated red. I couldn't blend it out the way I originally planned."

"Oh? But that makes it all the more great, though!" You beamed, "Maybe it was an Archon guiding you? I don't really believe in that stuff, but acknowledging some divine intervention once in a while can't be all bad, no?" You laughed.

"I guess you're right." For the first time in a while, Xiao actually gave someone else a small smile. It wasn't really a smile per se, but his lips curved even the slightest bit upward, and you decided that it was a win for you.

-

Fast forward to the second semester of their third year.

Late February was never a good time for Xiao.

It was the second month of the year; People were starting to adjust and adapt to the ever-changing and progressing timeline. Although, he never really understood the concept of the "New year, new me!" shtick.

It had been years since he was clinically-diagnosed with mild depression. So, why was he still that way? Shouldn't new years help him be a better person? Or something like that. Why was he still like this?

Late February meant the end of one semester, and the start of another.

What else did that mean?

His semestral feedback report (he refused to call it a report card. What was he, high school?).

"Xiao? Are you here? I bought almond tofu from Xiangling's place. Sorry for barging in, you weren't answering my calls." He heard your voice from the kitchen and he glanced at the clock on his studio's wall.

1:37 AM.

You were at Xiangling's place because you were working on a report about the history of acrylic paints or whatever it was. You were supposed to go home, but you still dropped by his apartment. He checked his phone.

[ 14 missed calls. ]

Yikes.

"I'm here." He answered meekly, but loud enough for you to hear. He felt tired. Defeated, maybe. He was blankly staring at the canvas in front of him. He has sketched the base of your face and upper body. He was planning on painting a portrait of his beloved to decorate his room with, but he couldn't find the energy to continue.

He could hear the soft "thud"s of your feet walking from the kitchen towards the studio, but he tuned it out with an annoying static he could only hear in his head.

Fuck. Where are they?

He rushed to the drawer next to his easels and rummaged around in a panic.

Where the fuck are they?

He kept a few anti-depressants in his studio because he spends most of his time here and he didn't have time to rush to the kitchen to get them if he ever got a panic attack.

"Fuck!" He cursed loudly, throwing the contents of his desk onto the floor. Some of his paintbrushes scattered on the wooden floor of his studio, marking the wood various colors. Maybe they're going to stain, but he didn't really care.

Xiao heard the footsteps retreating until he couldn't hear anything else except the constant ringing in his ears. It was annoying. It was loud. It started to make him want to split his head open.

"_____," He whispered, feeling his chest hurt and his throat tighten. The passageways helping him breathe seemed to close themselves, giving him a hard time and mocking him. It was coming back again.

Tears started to flood his vision, and they rolled down his red cheeks. He took the ponytail out of his hair and used two hands to tug at his locks starting from the roots. His breathing patterns became more erratic, but he tried his best to stay calm.

His knees and legs felt like jelly. He had to lean against the desk to avoid from toppling over.

Why? Why again? Why now? Why when you were here?

He screamed. It was loud enough for the neighbors to hear, but his care for any external entities was out the window the moment his eyes became blurry with tears.

Even though he was leaning against the desk, his legs still couldn't hold the weight of his entire body. His knees dropped to the floor, and he swore he must've dented the wood below, but he paid no mind to it. His knees were also aching, but he could deal with that later. He bent down and pressed his forehead to the floor.

"_____," He whispered again, longing for his partner. "Auxilium."

"Xiao?" The voice was muffled. His eyes were glued to the floor in front of him, but he knew it was you.

"Xiao, stay with me, honey." There was a hint of panic evident in your voice, but he was glad that you didn't let that get the best of you. You was still somewhat calm.

You kneeled down beside him, helping him back to an upright position.

"Honey, you left these on the counter outside." You handed him two tablets of his anti-depressants, and he gladly placed them in his mouth. You also gave him a glass of water, and he downed it in two swift gulps. Afraid that he might underestimate his strength, he returned the glass back to you instead of setting it down himself, nodding at you in the process.

You got into a more comfortable position where you rested your back against the wall, and you guided Xiao to follow you. It was a difficult task; He was very sensitive during his panic attacks.

His semestral feedback reports always made him anxious. He didn't have to please his parents anymore since he moved out years ago, but Xiao had this nagging feeling inside of him to do better with his academics. Nobody was really pressuring him to be a straight-A student, but did he feel like he needed to be? Who was he trying to prove himself to anyway? You knew about his sever panic attacks and how they were more active if he had a big event coming up. The first time you had to deal with it, you were still stiff and trying to learn how you could help. Now, you takes pride in yourself for being able to handle him in the ways you know would help him the most.

"Here you go, I've got you." You cooed, assisting him with moving. You laid his head flat on her lap and she began stroking his beautiful, tousled forest green locks. The highlights he had under the first layer of his hair started to fade, and you made a mental note to take him to a salon so they could get their highlights redone.

"You know, I've been listening to a lot of Coldplay lately," You started speaking, as if Xiao wasn't about to have a full-on panic attack. "Yellow would have to be one of my favorite songs. I guess it's kinda cheesy, but can you blame me?"

You used your free hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you." You began singing, voice just above a whisper.

"And everything you do. Yeah, they were all yellow."

Xiao was a reserved person who had a hard time dealing with other people because of his inferiority complex that sprouted when he was young.

"I came along, I wrote a song for you."

He didn't have love and affection growing up. He didn't know how to be the best person to talk to. He had poor communication skills. He was a mess, to be honest.

"And all the things you do. And it was called yellow."

You were the first person who looked past his rough and tough exterior. You were the person who showed interest not just in his name- but in him as a whole.

"So when I took my turn, what a thing to've done."

"Thank you," He murmured silently, noticing that the ringing in his ears vanished. His throat was beginning to open again, and he could finally feel the steady heartbeat he had in his chest.

"And it was all yellow."

Xiao curled himself into a ball, burying his face in your clothed stomach. You smelled a bit like smoke (maybe you ate yakiniku at Xiangling's?) and your faded cologne. It smelled like home. It washed a sense of relief over his entire being. He felt safe. He felt secure. He was being held like a child, but he didn't really mind. Maybe he needed this.

"Your skin. Oh yeah, your skin and bones,"

You craned your neck downwards to look at Xiao's figure. He finally looked peaceful. You knew about his rough past. You knew about the trauma he had to go through, but you chose to look past it because you knew that he was just afraid and... alone. He needed someone to be there for him, and you would rather the world die than leave him alone ever again.

"Turn into something beautiful."

You noticed how his chest started a rhythmic pattern of ups and downs. His breathing was finally steady. He looked at peace. He looked like he was right at home.

"Do you know? You know I love you so."

You couldn't help but chuckle as you watched him sleep in your lap. How could anyone think that this softie was an asshole?

"You know I love you so."

You barely whispered the last part of the song, but it was loud enough for his heart to hear it. Xiao hated when things were unpredictable; that's why he hated the rain. But now, maybe the idea of rain wasn't so bad. Especially since you were his rain.

"I love you, Xiao."

At that moment, you knew that the involuntary smile on Xiao's face was a response that contained more emotions than his words could ever bear.

"I love you too."