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6okuto · 2 years

Text

THEIR REACTION TO YOU DRESSING UP

gn!reader | suggestive, mild swearing.

matsukawa, atsumu, hinata, kuroo, suna, osamu, sakusa, iwaizumi, tsukishima

MATSUKAWA’s sprawled on the couch as he waits for you to show him the new outfit you bought. you had excitedly texted him before coming home, hiding the contents of your bag as you ran to change. it’s been a few minutes when he teasingly calls out, “you okay in there, babe? need help?” “no, actually i don’t, issei,” you reply, walking in. issei does a double take, mouth dropping a little. “goddamn.” the speed he gets up is almost comical. you do a slow turn, smoothing out the fabric that seems to hug you in the most perfect way. “i don’t know when i’m gonna wear this, but it’s really nice, right?” “really fuckin' nice,” he agrees, grinning. “respectfully and in love with you, i humbly ask, do you want to kiss and or make out with me right now?”

ATSUMU freezes when you walk into the bedroom. you do a quick spin and smile. “what do you think?” his eyes are wide, gaze fixated on you. “am i dead? are you an angel here to take me away?” he finally asks. you snort and make your way over, reaching to fix the collar of his shirt. “i’m gonna take that as a ‘you look good, babe,’ then.” “just good? baby, i think i’m sweating. maybe cryin’ a little,” he continues, half-joking. “‘tsumu—” atsumu shakes his head. “uh-uh, don’t say my name, i might explode.” you laugh at your boyfriend, face warm from his praise; his own flustered state keeps him from noticing yours. he shakes his head again, as if to get out of a haze. “you know what, let’s go. yeah, let’s go now before i keep you all t’myself. we’re gonna knock ‘em dead.”

HINATA spits out his drink and chokes a little. “oh my–oh my, god, sorry, i—” “shoyo?” you speed over, concerned but also trying not to laugh. “are you okay?” “huh? yeah? i’m so fine,” he says unconvincingly. his face is flushed when he looks at you, whether from the choking, embarrassment, or your outfit, you’re not too sure. then, as if he wasn’t choking a few seconds earlier, he starts showering you in compliments. “anyways, you look great, babe. like, like it really screams 'you,' you know? i bet everyone’s gonna be jealous of me.” “oh really? of you?” shoyo tilts his head, as if you asked a silly question. “well, yeah? 'cause you look this good and i get to date you.”

KUROO almost drops his keys walking through the front door. “tetsu, you’re back early.” “god, please don’t tell me i forgot about a super important event tonight.” he sounds both panicked and in awe, mind in shambles at the sight of you. you open your mouth to speak, but tetsuro's faster. “wait, don’t tell me,”—he paces toward you—“before i die, i want you to know you look incredible, and i’ll gladly be your poorly-dressed accessory for the night.” there’s a joking strain to his voice, and he sniffs before pressing his cheek to your head. “tetsu.” you laugh and pat his back. “there’s nothing happening, i just bought a new outfit and wanted to try it on.” he lets out a relieved noise between a sigh and groan then moves to look at you, now able to fully appreciate the sight. “thank god. i’m going to count that as the second win of the night then, 'cause seriously, you look so good right now.”

SUNA snakes his arm around your waist and kisses your temple. “hi, babe.” “rin! when did you get here?” “a couple of minutes ago. beelined for you after ‘tsumu shoved a drink in my hand.” you laugh and he smiles before finally registering what you’re wearing. he takes a sip from his drink at the same time his eyes scan over the new look. “this what you bought on saturday?” “hm? yeah, it’s really nice, right?” rin looks between you and his drink. “if i didn’t have manners, i would’ve thrown this glass and kissed you.” amused, you jokingly hit his stomach. “why can’t you compliment me like a normal person?” rin takes no offense, instead maneuvering so he can hold his drink while wrapping his other arm around you. he squeezes you, grinning when you yelp. “‘one, cause you look hot, and two, where’s the fun in that?”

OSAMU lets out a low whistle as you walk into the living room, eyes scanning you up and down. he gets up from the couch, and places his hands on your hips. “y’sure you have to go out tonight?” “'samu.” he laughs at your pointed look and puts his hands up in surrender. “i’m kidding, hon. you look stunning, though.” rolling your eyes, you thank him. “c’mon, i’m gonna be late if we don’t go now.” you walk to the door, but osamu thinks back to the weather forecast for the evening. “you aren’t bringin’ a jacket?” “hm? nah, we’re gonna be inside.” putting on your shoes, you respond without looking, and are surprised by the weight that suddenly covers your shoulders. you know osamu's favourite jacket from anywhere, and you let him shift it to cover you. he leans over to kiss your temple and mumbles in your ear, “now you’ll be warm and everyone will remember we’re dating.”

SAKUSA’s fingers slip from his cuff button again, earning a huff and frown from him. “‘omi, are you ready?” “yeah, can you just help me w—” he turns to the sound of your voice and pauses. the new outfit you told him about makes his heart skip a beat, and he almost forgets about his own suit predicament. “with what? oh, the button?” you make your way over to help, kiyoomi staring the entire time. “there ya go.” “you look incredible,” is the first thing he says instead of thank you. it catches you off-guard, “huh? oh. i—thank you. you look very handsome.” there’s a beat of silence as kiyomi weighs the pros and cons of going out or staying home. you have to stop yourself from laughing when he asks with a straight face, “completely related, am i allowed to be mean if anyone tries to flirt with you?”

IWAIZUMI looks up when he hears the changing room door open. you’re fixing the waist of your outfit, and don’t notice the way his eyes widen. he whispers under his breath, “holy fuck.” “haji, do you think it’s too much for the dinner? i know it’s ‘just your old teammates’ but, like, i want to look good,” you explain. his gaze softens and he clears his throat before standing. “no, it’s perfect. you look…you look perfect.” you smile at him and it’s all he can do to stop himself from covering his face and groaning. “oikawa’s going to say something about you looking better than me, and i won’t even be able to disagree.” the sound of your laughter fills the air and hajime huffs a laugh at himself. “well, we better get something just as good for you then.”

TSUKISHIMA’s not great with compliments, and he always wants to kick himself in the ass for it when it comes to you. you look at him standing behind you in the mirror. “i think this is the one. what do you think, kei?” biting his lip, he looks to the side and clears his throat. “it looks good.” he doesn’t have to look to feel you staring at him. “you sure? you don’t think it’s missing something?” kei takes a second to try thinking of a response, then he glances at your wary expression and lets out a breath. “no, i promise. you look great, and this is the best thing you could have chosen.” you smile at yourself, and his gaze softens a fraction before he’s back to being tsukishima—“you ready? because we’re going to be late if we keep standing here, and the group chat’s about to blow up our phones.”

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#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #matsukawa x reader #atsumu x reader #hinata x reader #kuroo x reader #suna x reader #osamu x reader #sakusa x reader #iwaizumi x reader #tsukishima x reader #x reader

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rileyslibrary · 1 year

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HR thought it’d be a good idea to handcuff you and Ghost together as a team-building exercise. It wasn’t. Or was it?

Relationship: Simon “Ghost” Riley x F!Reader

Word Count: 1,345 (approx. 5-6 min reading time)

Notes:

Fluff and the typical shenanigans

Warnings: language, suggestive content

For @ddiamondsdancing, who inspired me through her story

More of these.

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He secures one end of the handcuffs to your wrist and adjusts them.

“Is it okay?” He asks.

“It’s beautiful, Lieutenant, you shouldn’t have,” you reply and flick your wrist.

He makes a clicking sound with his tongue and rolls his eyes.

“I mean, does it hurt?”

He’s one of the most feared men on the base, yet he worries about hurting you. That’s… new.

You twist the handcuff, and he advises against fidgeting too much, asking you to let him know if it hurts so he can readjust it.

“No, it doesn’t hurt,” you finally say.

“Good,” he responds and clicks the other end of the handcuff to his wrist, “shall we get going?”

You nod.

Things have started changing around the base since HR got their hands on your superiors. They switched their focus away from resorting to punishment and toward more effective ways of communication.

That was all good and fun until Captain Price and the other higher-ups decided that this training shouldn’t be limited to them alone. They believed that everyone at the base could benefit from the same approach.

And here comes today, where you find yourself assigned to Ghost as a buddy with a pair of handcuffs—key not included—and instructed to spend the entire day helping each other. Or torment. Whichever comes first. Or more naturally.

He starts walking, but his strides are so broad that you get dragged along.

“Can you—” you struggle to find the words while keeping up, “can you chill for a second?”

He stops in his tracks, which causes you to bump into his back. You look at him, annoyed, and he stares down at you.

“You need to slow your pace, Lieutenant.”

“You need to pick up yours.”

“I can’t lengthen my strides,” you explain, “but you can shorten yours.”

He looks down at his boots briefly and lets out a sharp chuckle. You wonder what’s going through his mind. He turns his feet outward like a ballerina and starts taking little steps forward.

“Are you mocking me, Lieutenant?” you ask.

“Do you walk like that?” he asks back.

“No.”

“Then no, I’m not mocking you,” he replies, although you can hear the amusement in his voice. He stops and turns to face you.

“Go on,” he says, gesturing with his head for you to move to the front, “you take the lead, and I’ll adjust my walk.”

The rest of the day wasn’t easy, but it was manageable.

You went to the training room, where you had to do the same exercises simultaneously and adjust to each other’s pace to get work done, except in some cases where the Lieutenant wanted to put in more reps. So you sat on the ground, cross-legged, with your hand attached to his, and waited until he finished his push-ups.

“Ready to hit the showers with me, Lieutenant?” You tease and anticipate his reaction.

He stands up and helps you off the ground.

“From bonding to bondage...” He says, and you immediately get flustered. You weren’t expecting this kind of reaction, that’s for sure.

“Tempting offer, soldier,” he says in a flirtatious tone, “but first, you have to tell me...”

He pauses and seizes you, looking at you from head to toe. Your heart beats so fast in your chest that you can feel your pulse in your throat and head.

“...how are you going to remove your shirt?” He asks and shakes your handcuffed hands.

Good question. But you won’t let logic, or Ghost, take hold of you now.

“When there is a will, there is a way, sir,” you reply. “I can cut through it.”

“And what about putting another shirt on afterwards?” he adds, raising an eyebrow. “Will you be sewing one back on?”

You sigh and roll your eyes. “Always with the logistics, aren’t you?”

“Someone has to think ahead,” he explains, pulling you gently to keep moving, “just in case we have to explain to HR why we’re both handcuffed and naked.”

Touché.

You organised the warehouse for your next task, and the handcuffs forced you to communicate and collaborate more closely than ever before. Navigating through the cluttered aisles and shelves became a shared challenge. You relied on each other’s strengths to find the best way forward. Every movement had to be coordinated, and every decision was made together.

Even when you wanted to take a break and have a snack, he helped you by holding up your water bottle while you munched on your sandwich. It was as if the handcuffs became a synonym for unity and teamwork rather than restraint and suppression. You had to trust each other’s judgement and, by combining your resourcefulness, turn every obstacle into an opportunity.

Up until you had to pee.

“Can’t you hold it in?”

“Until the end of the day?” You ask, squeezing your legs together, “No way, Lt., sorry. I—we have to go now.”

“No wonder why,” he snaps and pulls you with him, “you drank the entire water bottle.”

“It was you who fed me the entire water bottle,” you snap back and follow him to the toilets. “You were squeezing too much water in my mouth—that’s why it went empty.”

You approach the bathroom stall and squeeze into one of the cubicles. Ghost looks away to allow you some privacy.

“Sir?” You ask, and he turns halfway.

“I need your hand; I mean my hand to unzip my pants.”

He lets out a long exhale and relaxes his arm, so you can use it as you wish. With his hand very close to your zip, you pull down your pants and squat.

But nothing’s coming out. You need more privacy, and unfortunately, under these circumstances, you had none. How didn’t HR think of that? The HR, of all the departments!

“You done?” He asks with his head facing the door.

“I haven’t started yet,” you explain. “I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable.”

“A couple of hours ago, you wanted to shower together, but now you’re uncomfortable peeing in my presence?”

“That’s different, Ghost; I think you know that.”

And, as if things weren’t awkward enough, someone knocks on your bathroom door. Ghost lifts his heels and peeks from the top of the door. He instinctively turns halfway to talk to you, but you kick him to look in front.

“It’s Janet from HR,” he jokingly tells you. “Want to say hi?”

“What the hell, Ghost?” You whisper, “Shut up.”

He chuckles and then turns to face her.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he apologises, “you’re going to have to find another loo; we’re trying to pee in this one.”

You glance at Ghost’s back, and your face flushes with embarrassment.

“We’re... experiencing a tiny issue, Janet,” you explain, “the handcuffs, you see...”

Before you can finish your explanation, Ghost interrupts you.

“It’s a team-building exercise, Janet!” He says in a threatening tone while peeking at Janet, who’s hurrying out of the bathroom, “We’re exploring new levels of trust and communication; ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU FUCKERS WANTED US TO DO?”

“GHOST!” You shout.

“What?” he asks, acting innocent. “They should have considered the consequences before implementing stupid shit.”

“Speaking of shit...”

“Don’t tell me you have to do that as well,” he says, throwing his head back. “We’re going to stay here forever.”

“No,” you reply, “I’m done—your feud with Janet helped me.”

With Ghost’s help, you zip up your pants, wash your hands—all four of them—and head to Price’s office, where you’re about to report how the team-building exercise went. In return, you will receive the key to your handcuffs.

You stand at the captain’s door with several other soldiers, handcuffed in pairs.

“I’ll miss you, Lt.,” you whisper, “my other half.”

He chuckles and shakes his head.

“No, really,” you continue, “who will I have now to unzip my pants when I want to pee and squeeze the fucking ocean in my mouth when I want water.”

“Don’t worry,” he replies, “I’m sure you’ll find another poor soul to torture.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

“No,” he says, taking your hand discreetly and interlocking your fingers in his, “not one bit.”

———————————————————————

#simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x f!reader #simon ghost riley x y/n #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #simon riley x y/n #simon riley #simon ghost riley fanfiction #simon ghost riley fic #call of duty #modern warfare 2 #cod mwii #cod ghost

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jlheon · 5 months

Text

୨ৎ — take a bite (nrk)

pairing. bff! nishimura riki x fem! reader synopsis. during your hangout riki tries to confess to you genre. fluff wc. 1735 notes. ft. eunchae, jongseob, & jake library.

the weather app had displayed that today would be sunny at a moderate temperature. the perfect weather to spend the day out of the house. you had planned to take advantage of the warmer day by walking around all day going shop to shop. texting riki first about your plan.

he offered to come along, though neither of you planned for it to be just you two.

you had both mentioned in the group chat the idea of walking around and window shopping but everyone else was not so coincidentally busy on this saturday afternoon.

but you knew better than to think eunchae would be busy today, she was the one who told you she wanted to go out this weekend. also the fact she said she was out with her parents when her location had been at home.

she was setting you up to go out with riki. eunchae had texted jongseob separately to answer the group chat saying he was busy as well. he was also a shit liar as he said he was at work when he was also home. you all shared locations but you didn’t even bother anymore.

which led to riki meeting you at the nearest bus stop to your house. you argued with him that you could go to a bus stop that was the same distance from both of your places so he wouldn’t have to walk as far, but he hung up. already starting to walk before you could make your final retort.

the reason why eunchae wanted you guys to hang out alone so desperately because you and riki had recently concluded that you both had mutual feelings. neither of you making a move yet.

“you’re both cowards!” eunchae yelled at you through her phone while you finished putting your makeup on.

“i’ll talk to him eventually, we don’t even know if he likes me back” you rolled your eyes.

“jongseob clearly told me that riki had told him he liked you!” eunchae aruged.

you looked through your drawer, picking out a lip tint for the day. you settled on the pink one you had bought with riki a couple of months ago, he’d picked it out for you himself. it was ironic how he chose a pink since he hated the color so much.

“i have to go now, riki’s already started walking.” picking up your phone and returning to the facetime app.

“when you get there you should give him a big smooch!” eunchae joked, making mocking kissy faces at her camera.

“shut up,” you sighed. “bye eunchae!” you waved.

“bye ____!!”

grabbing your bag from hanging on your door, shoving your phone and lip tint into it, and slinging it over your shoulder.

leaving your bedroom after to put your shoes on. quickly lacing up your shoelaces, grabbing your keys, exiting, and locking the door behind you.

you called riki on your phone while you walked like you always did.

he answered at the first ring, informing you he was close to the bus stop already, joking that you were too slow and wouldn’t get there before you. picking up the pace and speed walking to the bus stop.

seeing riki in the distance you hung up, running up to him. once you reached riki, you sat next to him on the bench.

“hi ki!” you kicked one of his feet, him kicking back immediately.

“hey no kicking,” he shifted his body so his legs were no longer in your reach.

the bus arrived seven minutes later, and nobody else was there at the bus stop but you two. he put an his hand lightly on the small of your back to make you got on before him. you picked a spot near the back of the bus and tugged riki by the sleeve behind you.

even though you loved the window seat you tried to offer riki the window seat since he also liked sitting there. but he refused, playfully pushing you to sit down. as the bus started on its route he offered you one side of his headphones, which you accepted.

the ride to the area you guys wanted to stick around for the day was roughly twenty minutes away. the movements of the vehicle paired with the music playing in your ear lulled you to sleep, riki guided your head to rest on his shoulder.

you jolted in your seat when the bus came to a sudden stop. riki extended his arm in front of you so you wouldn’t fly out of your seat.

“how many more minutes?” you yawned.

“i’ll just wake you up ____,” he retracted his arm and hooked yours with his. you nodded and fell back onto his shoulder.

the first thing you wanted to do that day was stop by the bookstore and see if they had new txt album in stock. you really wanted to get a beomgyu photocard. riki had protested against this, saying you didn’t need another one. even picking up the closest girl group album and trying to get you to buy it instead.

he failed to convince you and now you both sat at a random bench outside to unbox it.

“okay you check first,” you handed riki the stack of inclusions, then faced away from him.

“i hope you don’t get beomgyu,” riki huffed, flipping the card around. “oh.”

you turned around excitedly, waiting for riki to show who you pulled to you. he looked at you then back at the photocard and furrowed his eyebrows. you couldn’t take the suspense so you took the card from his hands to see for yourself.

“oh my god i did get beomgyu!” you squealed, you brought the card up to your face to admire it.

“ew.” riki rolled his eyes, putting back the other inclusions into the album and your bag.

“are you jealous ki,” you giggled, sleeving the beomgyu photocard and putting it in your phone case. he turned to face the other side of the bench when you grabbed his arm and pulled him along to the ice cream shop.

riki got a small cup of cookie dough ice cream while you got mint chocolate ice cream. riki had side-eyed you when you told the person behind the counter the flavor you wanted due to his one sided beef with the flavor.

he paid for the both of you before you could, to which you returned the side eye from earlier.

opting to eat your ice cream while you walked around to see more stores you had spotted a photobooth through the mall window. you told riki to finish eating his ice cream faster so you could take pictures.

finishing your ice creams you threw the empty cups in the garbage next to the mall entrance and brought riki along to the photobooth.

riki started to feel nervous about being in such a confined space with you. he saw the photostrip of the previous users fall out of the printer and in one of the pictures they were kissing. that gave him the idea of kissing you during the photos as a way of confessing to you.

he knew very well from jongseob and eunchae that you had reciprocated the same feelings as him but he had no idea how to go about addressing the elephant in the room.

riki let you get into the booth first, you scooted over as far as you could so riki could sit next to you. though his long legs still poked out from under the curtain as he sat at an angle.

you fed a five dollar bill into the machine and waited for the photobooth to get started. you and him quickly picking a random border for the photos and then the camera finally started. as you started to pose riki mirrored every single one of your movements.

first it was a peace sign, then half of a heart so the both of you could connect yours to make one full heart, and lastly a regular one of you just leaning your head on his shoulder.

riki knew that there were only four shots so when the last countdown started on the screen he boldly reached out to cup your face into his hands. your eyes widened, nervous for his next move, but all of the confidence left his body once he felt your breath on his lips. as he remained frozen you decided to take matters into your own hands.

no you didn’t kiss him. you bit him. and you still do not know what possessed you to do so.

“ow ____!” riki clutched his right cheek where you had nipped. “what the fuck was that for?”

“um sorry,” you cleared your throat, pulling back to create more space between you two in the cramped booth. “i don’t you didn’t do anything so i got nervous.”

both of you exited the booth to collect your photos from the side, not speaking to each other until the two photostrips fell out.

“oh look the camera took the photo right when i bit you!” you picked up the photo and laughed as riki took the other and examined it.

“i still don’t understand why you had to bite me…” riki frowned, holding his cheek as if you had bitten him real hard when in reality it was a quick bite. “you’re a vampire!”

“well i’m not the one who lost all confidence right as you pulled me in!” you defended yourself, taking a photo of the photo strip to send to the group chat.

eunchae had a good laugh about the photobooth incident when you called her on the walk home. she couldn’t stop laughing until there were tears in her eyes.

“it’s not that funny you know,” you sighed, reaching for your keys out of your bag. “it was more embarrassing than ever.”

“i still can’t believe you bit riki right when he was about to kiss you!” eunchae erupted into giggles again.

as soon as riki entered his room when he got home from your hangout he texted jake for advice. to which the older boy had called him laughing just like eunchae did to you before giving him a peptalk.

it was safe to say the next time riki would try and confess to you he would keep some distance from you to prevent being bitten again.

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itsvelyria · 8 months

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"little things they do for their s/o"

Charles Leclerc

he was raised a gentleman, taught to treat ladies with the utmost care and respect. but as much as it was part of his nature, he liked opening doors for you. perhaps it was the tiny smile that you would give him as you passed or simply because it gave him joy to have helped you in some way. whether it was cars, restaurants or hotels, he always made sure to take that two quick steps to the door, pulling the handle and turning to you with that cheeky grin and wink. the flush that dusted your cheeks with their matching giggle always making his day.

Carlos Sainz

he didn't think too much of it, taking your purchases from you when you two were out shopping one day. it had felt so natural, one of your hands laced with him while the other carried your stuff. then it was a november night when you were stumbling back home after a late night when you had taken off your shoes, whining about blisters. he had leaned down, long fingers reaching for the heels while the others came to circle your waist, stabilising you. you had shot him a grateful smile and he replied with one of his.

Danny Ricciardo

whether he was on a plane, or in a garage somewhere on the other side of the world, your boyfriend always *always* sent you a reminder to drink water. it was sweet, the way your phone would light up at random times of the day with a message from your lover telling you to hydrate. and it was never pushy, the way it felt when your mother did, though that could just be because of the person. even during calls at 2am because he had just gotten out of his debrief session, the man never failed to show concern for your health.

George Russell

in his defence, you were always cold and always sneezing in his car. when he'd picked you up for your first date, you had been shivering by the time you two had gotten to the restaurant. picking up the car from the valet after, he'd turned up the heat, noticing how your shoulders had loosened. ever since then, he had started paying slightly more attention to the weather and adjusting the temperature in the car accordingly. it was a little thing, but it made him smile whenever you would slide into the passenger seat and feel that much more comfortable.

Lando Norris

you had just chalked it up to the way of life, hair ties were meant to go missing. until one day. when you were watching a video of your boyfriend and noticed a familiar blue elastic around his wrist. still, you had assumed it was another of his bracelets. then came a particularly hot day in Austin, you were lying on his makeshift bed, wondering if this was how hell felt like. your boyfriend had walked in, taken one glance at you and offered you a hair tie. the brown band staring you in the face had a little smiley face charm and something clicked in your head. now, you had your very own hair tie dispenser in the form of a very thoughtful man.

Lewis Hamilton

the man knew he was doing it. you were considerably shorter than he was and he respected that you had a smaller gait than him. but this also meant that in order to be able to hold your hand, he had to slow down and match your pace, which wasn't such a bad trade-off. in fact he quite enjoyed it, even if it was through the sea of cameras pointed right at him and fans waiting for him to sign merchandise in the paddocks. it was poetic in a sense he supposed, the way you made life seem to slow down so that he could truly take the time to appreciate it.

Max Verstappen

your boyfriend had a miracle brain, something that should be studied by scientists and academics worldwide. how else could one explain how he manages to know where every single one of your possessions were at all times? what you didn't see, was that he spends a lot of time watching you. his eyes couldn't drag themselves away from you the second you entered a room, tossing your AirPods or keys on the bookshelf or nightstand. quietly, he'll note the location, loving it when you would shout across the house asking where your phone was and he'll be able to tell you it was in the bathroom. the reward of your lips on his cheek wasn't bad either.

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corroded-hellfire · 6 months

Note

Older Eddie freaking out when she tells him she’s pregnant. He gets worried he won’t be able to be there for them in ways he wants to and tries to run. But he sees the ultrasound picture and breaks down and goes back to his girl

Confused older!eddie, you still that dumb boy we all love

Words: 1k

I’m pregnant.

The words run through Eddie’s head again and again as he lies next to your sleeping form. The sound of your soft, slow breathing is the only noise in the trailer, but Eddie can hardly hear it over the beat of his pulse pounding in his ears.

He’s glad you’re able to sleep because God knows he’s the farthest thing from sleepy. Pregnant. Eddie’s starting to think he can see the word scrawled across the shadowy ceiling he’s been staring at for the past three hours.

You’ll be 52 when the kid is born, Munson, Eddie thinks to himself. Which means you’ll be 70 when he or she graduates high school. Well, at least 70 if the kid follows in my footsteps when it comes to education. Heaving a quiet sigh, Eddie tilts his head to the side to look at you. He watches the easy rise and fall of your shoulders with each gentle breath.

There’s a sudden sense of panic climbing up Eddie’s chest and it feels like an iron hand clamps around his throat. You deserve so much more than this, he thinks. You deserve to have someone your own age, who can be there for you longer than I’ll be able to.

Unable to bear the thought of you having to take care of your child and an aging Eddie, he pushes himself out of the bed and stalks out of the bedroom.

2:02 am the neon green numbers on the microwave remind Eddie as he steps into the kitchen. He runs his hands through his salt and pepper curls and begins to pace back and forth in the small space. The two of you had never talked about having kids. Obviously, what was between you was serious and you were both in it for the long haul. Maybe one of you should’ve brought up the subject but it was too damn late now, Eddie mused.

“Jesus,” Eddie says as he rests his hands on the back of a kitchen chair and hangs his head. “People are going to think I’m her dad and the baby’s fucking grandpa.”

The tightness in his chest returns tenfold as he imagines you calmly explaining to people their mistake, like you don’t mind it one bit. But Eddie knows it would bother you after a while and it would ignite embarrassment in him every single time. The same thoughts would spiral around his head that hadn’t been present since the two of you first started going out: she can do better; you’re too old for her; it’s selfish when you’re going to die at least twenty years before her.

The shame is too much. Eddie’s nails dig into the wood of the chair as his jaw tightens. Before he can think better of it, he heads towards the front door, where his boots are settled next to. He shoves them on and doesn’t bother to tighten or tie the laces. The keys to his truck hang on the hook next to his leather jacket, but the sight of the jacket only reminds him that he isn’t wearing a shirt.

“Fuck.” Eddie squeezes his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose. If he walks back into the bedroom to grab a shirt, he knows he’ll see you, sleeping there like the beautiful angel you are, and fall into your arms. But leaving is what’s best for you…isn’t it? “Get it together, Munson.”

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm down as much as he can, Eddie remembers seeing a sweatshirt hanging on the chair next to the one he was leaning on in the kitchen. It’s an effort to walk across the floorboards of the trailer in such heavy boots without causing a piercing squeak, so Eddie practically tiptoes his way. Calloused fingers snag on the worn gray cotton of the sweatshirt and snatch it up. In his haste, the sleeve of material knocks a few pieces of mail onto the floor.

“Shit,” Eddie mutters. He bends down on creaky knees to pick up the envelopes that bear both your and his names. At the very bottom of the pile, there’s a thinner piece of paper that had gotten mixed in with the mail.

A slightly trembling hand raises the grainy black-and-white picture to eye level. Even if the lightning weren’t so scarce, the moonlight shining through the window over the sink its only source, Eddie would need to squint to see the image clearly. The small fuzzy bean in the middle of the sonogram has Eddie falling back onto his ass, tears filling his eyes as he stares at the picture of his child. His baby. Your baby.

Fat tears begin to roll down Eddie’s cheeks and he brings his free hand up to cover his mouth. How could he be so stupid? How could he even consider leaving? Leaving you? Leaving this innocent baby? No, he knows with complete certainty that would be the biggest mistake he’d ever make. So worried about the amount of time that he’d have with you that he was about to throw away the best thing that ever happened to him. And who’s to say someone younger would have more time with you? The next day isn’t promised for anyone, no matter the age.

Eddie puts the sonogram back on the table and is quick to scramble out of his boots, kicking them beneath the chairs to be dealt with in the morning. Both his leather jacket and sweatshirt get tossed on the couch in his haste out of the kitchen, into the hallway, and back down to your shared room.

When he enters, you’re sleeping on your other side now, so he’s able to see your face. Letting his eyes roam over your beauty, more tears begin to fall. He roughly wipes off his cheeks with his rough palms before climbing into bed with you. Though you look so peaceful asleep and tucked in the blankets, Eddie can’t help but slide in as close to you as possible and wrap you up in his arms. A small, sleepy murmur tumbles from your lips as you snuggle up to your boyfriend.

“Everythin’ ‘kay, Eds?” you mumble as you lift your head and rest it on his bare chest.

Eddie nods as he holds you even tighter against his body.

“Mhmm, sweetheart.” He presses a kiss to the top of your head, a smile breaking through at the way you cling to him. “Everything’s great.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #older!eddie #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #request

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gibberishfangirl · 4 months

Text

WIND BREAKER | zoo date

Synopsis ✰ head cannons about how a zoo date would go between you and the boys

Characters ✰ Haruka Sakura, Hajime Umemiya, Hayato Suo, Akihiko Nirei, Jo Togame, Choji Tomiyama

Contains ✰ sfw! just cute content of the boys being happy boyfriends

Haruka Sakura ᡣ𐭩

𝜗𝜚 the zoo date was your idea but you were pleasantly surprised to see Sakura agree to it

𝜗𝜚 he’s secretly really excited about it, it’s his first time going but doesn’t tell you

𝜗𝜚 he LOVES it, is incredibly fascinated in the cutest way

𝜗𝜚 the day you two went happened to be incredible hot but it’s okay, neither of you complained

𝜗𝜚 one of the first exhibits you went to go see were the pandas

𝜗𝜚 “AWH! look Sakura! it’s us!” you giggled pointing to the two cuddling panda bears, he blushes at the comparison

𝜗𝜚 “hey, now that i think about it, you kinda do remind me of panda bears.” you murmured thinking aloud to yourself. “s-shut up! no i don’t!” he stammers with a furious blush as you giggle at him

𝜗𝜚 his second favorite animal to see were actually the giraffes he thought they were so cool for some reason, he stood there mesmerized for a moment

𝜗𝜚 his first favorite animal to see were the orangutans and apes, he seemed like a little kid in awe with his face up against the glass trying to get a better look

𝜗𝜚 you figured out after some time that this had to be his first time there

𝜗𝜚 in order to make the day extra special you went out of his way purchase him a panda plushie as a surprise and told him “i had to buy a plush animal that was as cute as you!”

𝜗𝜚 he grumbles a bit at the gift but accepts it and offers a small “thank you” with a light blush -> panda officially becomes his cuddle buddy after this day

𝜗𝜚 at the end of the day you two got sun burnt since both of you forgot to apply sunscreen

Hajime Umemiya ᡣ𐭩

𝜗𝜚 boy scout mode activated!

𝜗𝜚 he literally had every necessary item packed for the two of you

𝜗𝜚 once he found out you forgot to apply sunscreen before leaving the house he has you sit on a rock and applied the sunscreen on your legs and arms for you

𝜗𝜚 you struggled to catch up to him the whole day since his legs were so long, not to mention the steps he kept taking were massive

𝜗𝜚 you were exhausted the entire day by trying to keep up with him

𝜗𝜚 you took multiple pit stops in shady areas Ume found for you

𝜗𝜚 he was incredibly energetic the entire day as his pace never gave up, however, he did slow down after realizing you were struggling to keep up

𝜗𝜚 he offers you a piggy back ride which you happily accept

𝜗𝜚 thanks to his ability to carry you throughout most of the day you managed to get through the whole park

𝜗𝜚 you both saw every animal they had

𝜗𝜚 once he notices your face getting a little red, he takes off his hat and places it on yours

𝜗𝜚 he buys you water throughout the day to ensure you aren’t dehydrated

𝜗𝜚 you guys loved to do some window shopping at the end of the day

𝜗𝜚 he purchased a key chain and small animal plush for you

𝜗𝜚 funny enough you purchased the same key chain for him so the two of you had matching ones

𝜗𝜚 “this was fun, what should we do next time?” he asks at the end of the day before softly kissing your cheek

Hayato Suo ᡣ𐭩

𝜗𝜚 a complete gentleman the entire day

𝜗𝜚 he makes sure you have sunscreen applied before you two start walking in the hot sun

𝜗𝜚 he makes sure to walk at your pace and not leave you behind

𝜗𝜚 he ensures your hydrated the entire day by always providing cold water and drinks for you

𝜗𝜚 he buys you a plush of your favorite animal

𝜗𝜚 you two gushed over the cuteness of the koalas that happened to be sleeping

𝜗𝜚 you took so many photos with him

𝜗𝜚 you guys spent about half an hour in the photo booth taking photos

𝜗𝜚 he blushes when you refer to your plush as “our baby”

𝜗𝜚 “ah look so cute our baby looks!” you gushed as you put a hair clip on the stuffed animal

𝜗𝜚 “you know you can never leave me now right? i don’t want to be a single mother and you can’t become a dead beat father.” you said out of no where making him laugh “what a silly thought, i would never leave you.”

𝜗𝜚 you two actually ate at one of the restaurants to try it out

𝜗𝜚 it was both of your first times going to the zoo

𝜗𝜚 unfortunately you two didn’t see all the animals or get to cover a lot of the park

𝜗𝜚 “oh no suo, we didn’t see all the animals.” you pouted at him a little sad in all honesty

𝜗𝜚 he offers a hug and simply replies with “it’s okay, we’ll get to see them next time.” your heart fluttered at those last two words

𝜗𝜚 ofc he was already planning another date in his head from the first moment this one started

Akihiko Nirei ᡣ𐭩

𝜗𝜚 you guys were getting lost all day

𝜗𝜚 both of you kept getting confused by the map

𝜗𝜚 if you said go right he’ll go left, if he says go left you go right

𝜗𝜚 at least the two of you were getting lost together

𝜗𝜚 you both have fun regardless

𝜗𝜚 despite getting lost you guys would stumble across some of the animal exhibits

𝜗𝜚 one of the biggest highlights of the day was finding the petting zoo

𝜗𝜚 you both gushed over the cute animals

𝜗𝜚 “look we can feed them!!” you yelled in excitement after noticing there was food you can purchase for the animals

𝜗𝜚 Nirei couldn’t help but smile and take photos of your cute self feeding the animals

𝜗𝜚 until one of the animals starting nibbling on your sweater

𝜗𝜚 your sweater had a chunk get bitten off, “no this was my favorite sweater!” you whined

𝜗𝜚 not to mention the day you two went on happened to be chilly so you were cold without it

𝜗𝜚 after seeing you shivering Nirei took off his jacket and put it on you

𝜗𝜚 “can’t have my pretty girl getting a cold”

𝜗𝜚 you held hands all day and had so much fun watching all the animals

𝜗𝜚 whenever Nirei got cold you helped him out by cuddling him and giving him warm hugs

𝜗𝜚 you two happened to make your way back to the entrance around closing time

𝜗𝜚 you both were in shock when you realized you managed to get see everything in the entire park

Jo Togame ᡣ𐭩

𝜗𝜚 fortunately enough, you both were slow paced and kept up with each other

𝜗𝜚 you spent the whole day at the zoo being in no rush

𝜗𝜚 you guys took your time to explore

𝜗𝜚 despite it being so hot Togame kept holding your hand all day

𝜗𝜚 he would pout whenever you stopped holding his hand to wipe off your sweaty palm

𝜗𝜚 puts you on his shoulder so you can get a closer look at the animals

𝜗𝜚 he can’t help but smile whenever you’re in awe, “how cute” he would think

𝜗𝜚 he spent the whole day looking at you more than the animals his heart fluttering each time you smiled brightly

𝜗𝜚 “awh isn’t this so cute?!” you gushed talking about the sleeping koalas that happened to be cuddling. “yeah, very cute.” he smiled not even taking his eyes off of you

𝜗𝜚 to Togame there was no better view than you

𝜗𝜚 Togame had ice creams on hand throughout the whole day for the two of you to cool off

𝜗𝜚 he hadn’t realized how much concern he held for you until he saw you getting too close to some of the cages

𝜗𝜚 “wait! be careful, not too close.” he scolded out of pure concern, pulling you back into his chest by your waist

𝜗𝜚 “relax, i’ll be okay.” you pouted each time he pulled you back. “i just want to make sure.” he would say with a small frown

𝜗𝜚 Togame was on edge whenever it regarded your safety

𝜗𝜚 goodluck trying to convince him to let you feed the animals at the petting zoo

𝜗𝜚 would guard the bathroom doors whenever you were in there

𝜗𝜚 incredibly paranoid whenever you went too far

𝜗𝜚 “don’t go too far, what if i lose you?”

Choji Tomiyama ᡣ𐭩

𝜗𝜚 the zoo date was actually a surprise date that Choji planned himself

𝜗𝜚 he had the entire day planned out

𝜗𝜚 he knew exactly how the two of you would spend the entire day

𝜗𝜚 he also planned out the date to be on a day with the perfect weather

𝜗𝜚 he wanted everything to be perfect for you

𝜗𝜚 he was a ray of sunshine all day smiling and laughing at your cuteness and whenever you pointed something out about the animals

𝜗𝜚 you had so much fun! you both walked hand in hand all day swaying your hands back and forth with huge smiles

𝜗𝜚 he ensures that your hydrated by offering water to you all day, “you sure you’re fine? drink a little more water just in case.”

𝜗𝜚 he would steal glances at you being happy rather than looking at the animals

𝜗𝜚 whenever you were stuck in a trance of awe he would come hug you from behind and plant soft kisses on your shoulder

𝜗𝜚 the soft touch of his lips against your bare shoulder always made you blush madly

𝜗𝜚 “ah Choji this was so much fun! I loved it.” you squealed as you embraced him in a huge hug

𝜗𝜚 he would respond to your hug by picking you up and spinning you around causing the two of you to giggle

𝜗𝜚 “thank you for the perfect date Choji, it was perfect.” you said softly at the end of the date kissing his cheek

𝜗𝜚 he would blush at your praise and cup your cheeks before placing a soft kiss on your lips, “anything for you.”

#divider by v6que #hajime umemiya #hajime umemiya x reader #hayato suo #suo hayato x reader #nirei akihiko #nirei akihiko x reader #jo togame #jo togame x reader #choji tomiyama #choji tomiyama x reader #wind breaker #wind breaker x reader #sakura haruka #sakura haruka x reader

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stayteezdreams · 17 days

Text

Scenarios: First Realization of Love

Scenarios: First time they realize they love you + drabbles

Part One: Hongjoong/Yunho/Mingi Part Three: Yeosang/San/Jongho

Pairings: Park Seonghwa x Gn!Reader; Jung Wooyoung x Gn!Reader

A/N: I got two requests for the rest of the members with this Scenario (with one emphasizing on wanting Seonghwa and Wooyoung). So this will be for Seonghwa and Wooyoung, and then I will do a final part for the last three members.

Warnings: Kisses in both.

Words: Seonghwas: ~1.2k; Wooyoungs: ~1.1k ; Total: ~2.2k

Seonghwa:

When he thought you were in a relationship...

You had suddenly begun acting different and he couldn't help but notice.

You were keeping a secret, which was weird, you never kept secrets from him.

Called you one day to see if you wanted to hang out.

You whispered into the phone that you were busy and it would have to wait.

He could hear someone talking in the background, it sounded like a guy.

His heart started hammering in his chest as his mind raced.

'Are you on a date?' 'Did you have a boyfriend?'

He convinced himself he was overreacting, you might be doing something for work.

But then it happened again!

He wanted to hang out again a few days later, on the weekend, when both of you were free.

Yet, you were "busy". With something you apparently couldn't, or didn't want to tell him about.

Thinking more about the fact you might be with another guy made his chest tight. Sitting down to relax, he started to wonder.

'Why am I so upset about them being with another guy? I should be supportive right?'

The more he thought about you with someone else though, the more he felt jealousy, worry and fear filling him.

Then it hit him.

It was because he was jealous, he was worried, he was afraid. That you would be with someone that wasn't him.

Unable to deal with the fact that he might lose you now that he just figured out he wanted to be with you as more than a friend, he was off and on his way to your apartment.

When Seonghwa got to your apartment, only for you to not answer he cursed himself, just now remembering that you weren't event home. You said you were out so you couldn't hang out.

Sighing to himself, he resolved to wait. He needed to see you, to tell you how he felt. So he would wait here, for as long as he needed too.

After pacing for what felt like forever, reciting everything he wanted to say to you, he grew tired, and sat down in front of your door.

Finally hearing someone approach, he looked up to see you walking towards your door. Your steps slowed as you noticed him, your face contorting with confusion and worry at Seonghwa's slumped figure in front of your door.

Seonghwa's eyes fell to the bags in your hand. Did whoever you were with take you shopping? He could do that too, he could spoil you if thats what you wanted.

Kind of hiding the bags behind your back you approached Seonghwa. "Seonghwa? What are you doing here, what's wrong?"

As he rose from the ground, everything he had planned to say to you vanished from his mind. He stared blankly at you for a moment as he swallowed, before stuttering out a single question.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

You blinked a few times. "Huh?"

He glanced down at the bags, "You've been secretive lately, and haven't been able to see me. I just wondered, if maybe..."

"If I was in a relationship and wasn't telling you about it?" You completed his thoughts for him.

He nodded and you saw the guilt and worry in his face. Your heart began pounding at his reaction to his own worries.

"I wouldn't do that Seonghwa."

His eyes seemed to brighten a bit, "So...you're not?"

You let out a soft laugh as you pulled out your keys and began unlocking your door. "I am not in a relationship."

He couldn't keep the relieved smile off of his face as the weight on his chest lightened. He followed you inside and you set your bags on the couch with a sigh.

"But I was keeping something from you."

He frowned and you smiled softly, "I wasn't going to tell you until your birthday, but since you got yourself all worked up..." You reached into one of the bags before pulling out a large Lego set, one that Seonghwa recognized immedietely.

It had been a limited addition one he wanted desperately. It was only available in stores, and you had to queue up physically to get it, which in his position was not a good idea.

His eyes sparkled in realization and he looked at you with a bright smile. You smiled, "Happy Birthday Seonghwa."

Approaching you, he took the box out of your hand, set it on the couch and embraced you. You let out a soft huff of air in surprise as he wrapped his arms tightly around you. Your heart was pounding at his reaction, but you slowly hugged him in return.

"So the secret activities you were out doing, and the whispered phone calls were all because you were trying to get this for me?"

You nodded with a soft chuckle, "Took me three different stores and hours of queuing. But it was worth it."

He let out a soft sigh, "I thought I lost you."

You hummed, "What do you mean? Did you think that if I got a boyfriend I would drop you or something?"

He continued to rest his head on your shoulder, "Yes...No. I thought..." trailing off, he pulled away and looked into your eyes.

They were glossy and you saw emotion behind them you had only ever seen reflected in your own eyes in the past.

Leaning forward he pressed an unexpected, and soft kiss to your lips before pulling away again. "I thought I had lost you."

You were shocked, staring blankly at him for a moment before you took in a soft breath.

"Seonghwa, I- I..." You stuttered out, uncertain of how to respond.

He smiled softly as he gently brushed his fingers across your cheek. "I thought I lost you to someone else before I could ever be with you. Not just as your friend, but as your boyfriend. I'm sorry it took me until now, until I thought I lost you, to realize how much I wanted you all to myself."

You bit the inside of your cheek, so many thoughts rushing through your mind without knowing how to react. Relief, excitement, and shyness all rushed over you as you stepped forward and pressed your face into his neck. You were overwhelmed with the sudden confession and Seonghwa could see it all over your face.

He gently cupped the back of your head as he pressed a soft kiss to your head before whispered into your ear. "I can't really tell if you are accepting my feelings or not."

You chuckled into his shoulder as you nodded, before pulling away. "I am. I'm just..." You let out a bewildered chuckle "I wasn't expecting it."

He smiled as he cupped your face again. "I'll give you time to process it." Leaning forward and he pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, smiling at the way it obviously made you feel shy.

Taking your hand in his he chuckled softly. "How about we talk it over while building this." He tapped the box and you chuckled and nodded.

"Okay."

He grinned at you as he squeezed your hand. "Okay."

Wooyoung:

When you cooked especially for him...

Wooyoung had been so busy recently with the groups upcoming album that he had been surviving off of snacks and take-out.

You noticed this, and knew how much he loved a home-cooked meal.

So you decided to surprise him one day when he actually got off practice early.

You went to his dorm (you have a key) and made him all his favorite dishes, ready to surprise him.

Wooyoung was tired, as usual, but had promised to hang out with you tonight. And no matter how tired he was, he would not cancel on you.

He missed you.

He hadn't been able to see you apart from the occasional coffee break when he had free time the last week or two.

You said you would meet him at his dorm, but when he saw no sign of you he was disappointed, the excitement of seeing you having built up on his ride home.

Entering his dorm, he was immediately smacked with an abundance of amazing smells.

His stomach immediately woke up as hungry quickly filled him.

Walking into the kitchen in curiosity. His eyes landed on you as you were chopping up some vegetables.

Looking up, your eyes caught his before a bright grin spread across your face.

"You're back! Hungry?"

Wooyoung's eyes stuck to you, as though he was seeing the most beautiful piece of artwork to exist.

His heart skipped and his breath caught.

Were those butterflies in his stomach?

You were wearing one of his aprons, some unknown smears on it, as well as a few spots on your face.

The grin and bright-eyed look you gave him felt as though he was feeling the sun for the first time in years.

Finally his eyes dropped to the table, where various ingredients and dishes sat.

"Wh-what is this?" He finally muttered out, an incredulous smile forming on his face.

"Dinner! You told me you haven't been eating very well recently, and you wanted to hang out so I thought I might as well cook for us, then you can do both!"

Wooyoung set down his bag as he approached, looking at all the familiar dishes, some he taught you how to make. Seeing the smile on your face as you continued he couldn't look away from you.

"This wont take much longer, go clean up!"

"This is a lot, don't you want help?"

You shook your head fervently before shooing him "Go go, I got it."

Wooyoung reluctantly made his way to his room, looking back almost the whole time to watch you, his heart fluttering in his chest as his neck and ears burned.

Wooyoungs exhaustion took a back seat as excitement and infatuation took over. He always wondered if his feelings for you were stronger than friendship. Sometimes the lines blurred when you two were together, when the tension felt different. But neither of you acted, and he never fully tried to figure it out. Fear of it being unrequited, or ruining your friendship caused him to avoid acknowledging it completely.

But now, how his body and mind were reacting, he knew for sure, he was in love with you. He probably had been for years.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, Wooyoung came back into the kitchen to find you setting everything up.

You grinned over at him, "Good timing!"

Wooyoung approached you from behind before wrapping his arms around your waist and hugging you, pressing his face into your neck.

He felt your body freeze and stiffen against him, your heart beating faster, before relaxing as you chuckled.

"What is this?"

"You cooked for me."

You chuckled, "Yes."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you want to help me finish setting it out?"

He shook his head, "No. Not yet."

You stood still, waiting for him to let go, your heart pounding and ears burning hot. When he didn't move you let out a soft giggle as you lightning pushed against him, "Wooyoung."

He whined in your ear and wrapped his arms around you tighter, causing your heart rate to only spike again. You knew he was touchy, you often found him cuddling against you, but this was a bit much. You couldn't handle the extended contact, your heart racing too much.

"I love you."

His voice was soft, a whisper that almost went unheard by you. You froze, "Wh-what?"

He had told you he loved you before, he was your best-friend, it wasn't unusual. You always said it back, because of course you loved him too. But he would never know you loved him a little but differently.

For some reason, the tone of his voice, the emotion behind it this time, felt different. You swallowed telling yourself it was just the same Wooyoung you tapped his arm gently. "I love you too, now let go so we can eat."

Suddenly spinning you around to face him he pulled you into his chest, holding you firmly. "No. Not until you understand what I mean."

Your chest was tight, heart beating crazy, breath uneven. "What?"

His mouth brushed your ear as he spoke again, "I love you. I'm in love with you."

As your chest began to tighten you found yourself unable to breath. Wooyoung pulled away from you and gently gripped your arms as he moved his face to rest his forehead against yours, your noses brushed as your eyes met.

You took in a sharp breath, "For how long?" You asked, your voice a whisper.

"A long time, I think. It's been slowly building up, but I can't push it away anymore. I don't want too."

"And if I don't feel the same?"

You saw his eyes waver before he spoke slowly. "Then I'll wait until you do."

"And...if I do feel the same?"

A soft smile ghosted his lips, "Then I will never let you go."

There was a moment of silence, as tension built between you before you finally whispered in response,

"Promise?"

His eyes brightened at this, telling him not only you did feel the same, but you wanted to be with him. A smile spread across his face before he quickly leaned in and kissed you. The kiss was short, but intense, when he pulled away you could tell it was reluctant.

He met your eyes again with a bright smile. "I promise."

xx End xx

🌼 Taglist Form 🌼

Taglists:

General Taglist: @otsilliak, @brattybunfornct, @bahng-chrizz, @otakutrash669, @tinyelfperson,

@pinievsev, @teenyfinds, @everythingboutkpop, @shymexican, @stillwjk-channie-lixie,

@luckypaintertyphoon

Seonghwa: @ye0nvibezzn

#ateez scenarios #ateez imagine #ateez oneshot #ateez fic #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa/reader #seonghwa imagine #seonghwa scenarios #seonghwa fic #wooyoung x reader #wooyoung/reader #wooyoung imagine #wooyoung fic #wooyoung scenarios #ateez x reader #ateez/reader #seonghwa x gn!reader #wooyoung x gn!reader #ateez x gn!reader

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uc1wa · 1 year

Note

Xi it's my birthdayyyyyy, wondering what you think the boys might do for their partner's birthday?? DC boys or JJK boys, your pick my love (nsfw or not, dealer's choice I'm just honored to be here) 💖 no matter what your writing is scrumptious 😈 I hope you're having a good weekend!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY <3!!!! i hope you had the best weekend ever mwahhhh

BATBOYS & YOUR BIRTHDAY

dick grayson

dick would go all out for your birthday to the point that it’s embarrassing. he’s telling everyone in his family, all of his friends, everybody that your day is coming up. of course the titans help him throw a party for you! they’re going to stores to get decorations, hanging them around your apartment with the spare key dick has. dick’s making all of your favorite food & apps, creating a lil menu for it all that’s messily made via microsoft word. even making a specialty cocktail for you & your friends to have (a drink that will def get you fucked up but tastes like your favorite juice).

he’s kissing you when you walk in the door with an arm slung over your shoulder, making a plate for you, doing everything that you’d need from him for the night.

and once everybody’s leaving, wally deciding on sleeping on your couch, dick’s locking your bedroom door and gently stripping you of your clothes. he’s done so much for you, but do you really think he’s not going to give you a finale?

the finale? rounds and rounds of head that dick’s perfected in his time dating you. long and slow stripes up your entrance to start, making you finish at the slower pace a time or two before he’s quickening his movements.

he lays down, grabbing underneath your thighs so that you can fuck yourself against his face without a thought in your head. when you dare to look down, dick’s got a big smile across his lips as he licks up every juice you offer to him. "happy birthday, baby," he says against your swollen entrance, completely pussy drunk.

jason todd

a month before your birthday hits, before the thought of another year being added to your date, jason’s making a reservation at a restaurant you’ve been telling him you’ve wanted to go. the restaurant that you’ve seen tiktoks of, have read the menu and looked at chef specials, the restaurant that was highly exclusive and had a rooftop that the man rented out in its entirety for you.

he’s asking you to close your eyes on the way there, not putting a blindfold on because he knows that you did your makeup all pretty and would hate for it to get smudged. when you arrive, the sun is an hour away from setting and he’s leading you to the space with only a table and two chairs.

the courses are endless and the wine to pair, delicious. he has your favorite dessert come out last, ‘happy birthday’ written in chocolate on the plate with a single candle made for you to blow out.

once the private and loving fesitivities finish taking place at the restaurant, he’s driving you back to your shared place. his hand never leaving your thigh as he gives you a sweet kiss at every red light he stops at.

"you didn’t have to do all that, but i appreciate it, y’know," you say against his soft lips that turn to continue driving. "everything’s for you, always will be."

jason continues showing you that his statement is true for the rest of the night. every kiss to your soft skin proves that his lips are only for you to feel. every finger that spreads your legs apart wider and wider, only for you. and every long and deep stroke that hits that special spot deep inside you, is only for you! everything is for you, to jason.

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amasterpieceofmadness · 8 months

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comfort – bucky b.

pairings Bucky Barnes x reader

summary Bucky had a nightmare and you find him sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the night. You being there for him and comforting him makes you two confess your feelings for each other which ends in total fluff

wordcount 2.6K

warnings fluff, slight angst, Bucky needing comfort

______________________________________________________________

Bucky had a nightmare in the middle of the night so he got up and went to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter but after a few minutes footsteps are heard. You walk into the kitchen and frown as you can see Bucky standing there, leaning against the counter. His eyes widen at your presence and he raises an eyebrow. “What are you doing up?” he murmurs, his his voice husky from just waking up.

You shrug and look at him a bit concerned as you walk into the kitchen, leaning against the counter across from him. “Heard some noise, wanted to check. Why are you here?”

Bucky smirks and rests his weight on the counter, crossing his arms "I was hungry...I went to get something to eat" He replies, his eyes are tired and his face is a mask...cold and unemotional.

You let out a soft sigh. You knew him too well to believe that. “So... what did you eat?”

He gives you a deadpan look and you can tell that he is lying "cereal..."

You nod, looking around for some used dishes or anything, but there is nothing to be seen. “And now?”

Bucky’s lips twitch as he turns away, facing the opposite direction to you. You can tell he doesn't want to answer...that there is something else going on that he is hiding. You lean against the counter across from him, looking at him softly. “I know you are not big of a talker. But I'm here for you, okay?”

He closes his eyes and tilts his head back, you can tell he needs a moment to breathe, but when he opens them, his expression is unchanged. nothing seems to bother him and he shrugs "I'm good"

You give him a weak smile “I know you better than that, Bucky…”

Bucky bites his lip from frustration...you know he is lying but you can't tell why. He remains quiet and distant as he stares ahead.

After a few minutes of silence you push yourself away from the counter, reaching out your hand for him to take and shooting him a soft smile “Come.”

Bucky stares at your hand for a moment. He doesn't move, nor does he flinch, you can tell his body language is cold and closed off, yet his heart is beating out of his chest as he thinks about taking your hand. He doesn't want to open up but at the same time he does. So he reluctantly takes your hand. You smile gladly as he takes your hand. His is a lot bigger than yours and you can feel his calloused skin, yet his touch is gentle and soft. You pull him with you towards the couch and sit down next to each other.

Bucky feels a rush of warmth as he sits down next to you. His muscles relax and he leans back into the couch. It's almost as if his guard and mask are slowly starting to fade. As if this was exactly what he needed… you. It has been so long since anyone has cared about him. You look at him, smiling softly as you get comfortable on the couch as well. “We don't have to talk. But there is no way I'm gonna believe you are fine”

He sighs and I closes his eyes, not wanting to look at you just yet. His mask is starting to fade, as if you were the key. If you were anyone else, he likely would not have let his guard down. But his heart is beating out of his chest as he realizes you are the key that could unlock that guard. He lets out a soft breath and relaxes his body even more, glad you are there but aren’t trying to push him.

You sit there for a couple of minutes in silence. You don't want to push him and if he doesn't want to talk that's fine. But you want to be there for him because you know he needs this right now. After a while he speaks up nonetheless. His voice is husky and his words are quiet. He talks in a slow pace, almost as if talking about it drains him "I just...I had a nightmare...a bad one..."

You look at him comforting, yet a bit concerned “Another one?”

He presses his lips together and nods slightly "another one..."

You stay silent for a minute before speaking up again, asking carefully "About... our past?"

He looks away and lets out a shaky breath. He wants to refuse and reject, just shut down, hide everything. But he can't. This is you, his safe space. So he nods slightly.

A look of sorrow crosses your face. Even though you want to hug him right now and reassure him that he is not alone, you keep your distance. You know he has difficulties with physical contact so you don't want to push his boundaries “I'm sorry...”

Bucky raises his head to look at you. He holds onto your hand as if for dear life. His hand is bigger and his grip is stronger, but gentle at the same time, not wanting to harm you or make you feel uncomfortable. He closes his eyes and shakes his head as sorrow fills him. Your thumb starts to softly caress the back of his hand as he holds yours.

It's been so long since he have felt this comfortable with someone that he does something that he would normally never do. His thumb curls and rests in your palm, almost like the two are holding each other in a comforting way. His heart beats faster and he lets out a soft breath. He is starting to feel something. A feeling he hasn’t felt in a long time. His eyes are still shut, muscles tense yet his body is relaxing. He is almost starting to want you to hug him, but he stays silent.

A smile crosses your face as you look down at your hands. Bucky seems all cold and distant, but in reality this though guy is a huge teddy bear, needing comfort so badly.

Bucky holds onto your hand, not wanting to let go. He’s so used to hiding himself that he almost didn't know what true comfort felt like. He’s almost afraid to say it but he’s starting to crave your touch.

As Bucky looks up our eyes meet and you give him a soft and tender look. You can see the pain in his eyes and you are once again tempted to hug him “Your hand feels nice...”

His cheeks flush just slightly, not red, just a slight pink. He smirks a bit and looks away as he shakes his head, not believing what you just said. His hand is rough and his grip strong, yet you find it nice. He looks down at your hand in his and realizes how small yours is. "you're not scared of me, are you?"

You frown “Scared? Why... why would I be scared of you?”

"Because... because I'm me. I'm the winter soldier. I'm a trained assassin, and I don't think I can love like a normal person...I don't know how to..."

You scoot a bit closer to him and get more serious now at his words. You look directly into his eyes as and answer him “You are James Bucky Barnes. And whatever you did in your past, that wasn't you.”

Bucky nods slowly and his eyes are locked onto yours, they are deep and he is starting to drown in your beautiful eyes. A warm feeling starts to fill his chest. He is getting closer to the edge that will have him fall off this mask. He wants to say it, tell you how he feels, but he couldn’t. His voice is shaky as he replies "how can you be sure?"

“Because you may seem a bit cold and distant. But I know it's only a mask you are wearing, a wall you build up to protect yourself. But in your eyes there is still this young man from the 40s, from before all of that horror, who just wants to love and be loved” I tell him, smiling tenderly and lovingly at him.

His breathing is shallow and he feels like his walls are starting to crumble, his mask is falling apart. He looks at you and smiles, his voice shakes even more "what if the walls are too thick...what if they can never be broken down..."

You smirk softly at him, motioning to your intertwined hands. “You sure they can't be broken down?”

Bucky chuckles softly and his hand squeezes yours. His thumb strokes the top of your hand and he looks away, lowering his gaze. "perhaps not...but are you ready to put the work and patience into breaking down these walls?"

“Seems like I already am” You shoot a soft smile into his direction.

A soft laugh escapes his lips as he notices a hint of a blush across your cheeks. His breath steadies and his muscles relax a little bit further. He looks at you and you can tell he’s starting to feel weak from your touch. Your smile widens as you hear his soft laugh, it makes your heart flutter.

"how am I this weak...just your touch and I melt...just your words and my guard starts to crumble...just your smile and my heart starts to flutter..."

You chuckle softly at his words. “I wouldn't call this weak, but... I can tell you that you have the same effect on me”

His breath gets more shallow and his cheeks are pink. His eyes are locked with yours as he continues with a quiet tone "do you realize just how much you mean to me?"

As he speaks those words you look up at him surprised. Did you hear this right? “I... You... what?”

He keeps his eyes locked with yours as he speak. a warm feeling fills his chest, almost as if his heart is about to melt. He smiles softly as he repeats his words "you mean everything to me, Y/n"

Your eyes widen at his words. He has no idea what that means to you and you can feel your heart beating out of your chest “And you mean everything to me”

The feeling in his heart intensifies. He is getting weaker with each word. He can’t tear his eyes away from you. Though he is still afraid. He looks away and whispers softly "...promise me you won't leave me..."

“I promise, you won't get rid of me so easily” You chuckle softly at him, squeezing his hand a bit tighter as your heart is beating faster. You are so close to each other.

Bucky feels so vulnerable and yet so safe. He looks back at you “Hold me, please…”

You let go of his hand just to move closer to him, finally wrapping your arms around his neck slowly and carefully. He lets out a soft sigh as you wrap your arms around his neck, pressing your body against his. Bucky wraps his arms around you as well, holding you tightly. The feeling of your soft body against his is comforting and relieving. He closes his eyes and buries his face into your neck, wanting to be as close as possible to you. You can feel him slowly relax into your embrace.

After a while you pull away just slightly, your arms still around his neck, as you look into his eyes and smile softly. You lean in slowly, your lips just inches apart. You hesitate, as if not sure wether he wants this or if it’s too much for him.

Bucky notices you leaning in and he wants to give you a soft kiss. He notices you hesitate and a wave of emotions rushes over him as he doesn’t want to mess this up. He takes a deep breath before speaking “Can I…?”

You nod, feeling a bit nervous now. His heart races as he take the last step, his eyes close and his lips close the gap between you. His breath catches as you hold this kiss and there are no words to describe this moment. The kiss is short, yet passionate and loving. As you pull apart your faces stay close to each other, looking into each other’s eyes.

His breath catches and his lips are slightly parted. He leans in again to kiss you again and this time he lingers. When he pulls away he leans his forehead against yours and whispers "I...I like that..."

“Me too” You smile at him widely and a small blush appears on your cheeks as you look down.

He looks at your cheeks and notices the blush. He doesn't want to break this moment. So he leans in once again and kisses you, this time, he goes slow. He takes his time and doesn't pull away. His hands caress your jaw softly.

After a while you pull apart in need of air. Your face is completely red as you look at him, his eyes soft and loving.

“You’re blushing” Bucky says with a smirk playing on his lips.

A chuckle leaves your lips and you feel yourself blushing even more due to his words and his charming smile. “Yeah... I know”

He can't take his eyes away from your blushing cheeks. You look so cute to him, his eyes sparkle as he looks at you "do you realize how cute you look when you're flustered?"

“Do I?” You look up at him a bit shyly.

His eyes are dancing back and forth as he look at you. His smile is bigger and he can feel his heart beating faster and harder. every kiss and every touch is starting to melt him inside. His hands caress your neck as he moves up to kiss your jaw, his breath soft and sensual "oh yes...yes you do..."

You can't stop yourself from smiling at his soft and tender touch His fingertips are tracing over your skin, causing a shiver down your spine.

Bucky notices your shiver and can't help but grin. He slowly moves his hands down your neck and as his fingers trace your collarbone, they gently move up to your chin. He pulls your face to his and looks into your eyes as he moves in to kiss you softly again. He swallows as he tries to find the right words. “Y/n?” He asks, his voice quiet.

You look at him curiously as you notice a change in his expression. “yeah?”

“…I think I’m falling for you” His words hit you right into your heart. Did you hear that right? Was he actually confessing his feelings right now?

“Can you… Can you say this again?” You say, not believing your own ears anymore.

Bucky smiles and puts his hand softly onto your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin softly as he looks into your eyes. “I’m falling for you, Y/n”

Your mouth drops. You had heard him right. Without hesitation you answer him, a huge smile across your face “The feeling is mutual”

You can see Bucky’s face lighting up as you say those words, his heart melts and he can’t help himself but lean in and kiss you again and he puts all the love into this kiss. He pulls away slightly and breaths against your lips “Be mine, please” He looks at you with pleading eyes.

You can only nod “I am already yours, Bucky” You can see the happiness in his eyes and this time you lean in to kiss him another time. You forget the world around you as you sit there on the couch, holding each other close. And he just made you the happiest girl in the world.

A/N Here is my complete masterlist with all the ff, imagines, oneshots, smut and whatever. Check it out and leave a like :)

#marvel #mcu #oneshots marvel #buckybarnes #bucky x reader #james bucky buchanan barnes #winter soldier #bucky x you #bucky barnes fluff #marvel x reader #mcu bucky barnes #fluff #marvel fluff imagine #marvel imagine #sebastian stan

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spyder-junkie · 1 year

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EARTH-24 MILES MORALES X FEM! READER

warning: cursing, drugs, angst

‘Yo?’

“Miles?”

“Where are you???”

“Are you serious Miles….?”

You shut your phone off with a huff just after pressing send on your 6th text of the hour. You were waiting at the restaurant Miles agreed to meet you at, only he was an hour and a half late, and his phone was on dnd.

Its not like this was the first time either, Miles was habitually late to important things and you were starting to become fed up with it.

Suddenly you huffed in frustration, getting up from the booth and striding out of the restaurant. Miles promised he’d treat you to dinner to celebrate an internship you received, AND to make up for the last date he was three hours late to.

“Im not sitting in that damn booth for three hours.” You mumbled, beginning the walk back to your house. You thought back to a couple days before when the two of you were planning the event.

“Im gonna do it right this time, Mami. I wont let you down, I promise.” You mocked, rolling your eyes as your pace increased.

You flinched as your phone buzzed.

‘im otw.’

That simple text somehow angered you even more.

‘dont bother. I left.” You replied just before fumbling for the keys to your flat.

You stomp into the empty apartment, throwing down your bag and taking off the new outfit you bought just for the date.

Your grip was rough as you pulled a box from your bedside table. You grated, rolled, and sealed your first blunt so aggressively that you almost dropped it.

Then you took a deep breath. You were laying in bed in your bra and some pajama shorts, hair and makeup done, about to smoke your frustrations away when you should have been celebrating with your boyfriend. It was almost laughable.

So thats what you did, placing the blunt to your lips and lighting it while letting out a deep chuckle.

____

Miles stared down at his phone before letting out a low sigh. He had just gotten back to the garage, he was pulling his suit off while simultaneously texting you that he was on the way. He wasn’t surprised that your response was quick, but he was surprised at what it said.

He knew you were upset, he would be if he was you, but he just couldnt tell you what was going on.

He was too afraid to lose you, but he was starting to think he’d lose you anyway.

He took another deep sigh, saying bye to Aaron and beginning to walk to your apartment. And when he got there, he climbed the fire escape, peering into your bedroom.

The air in the room was foggy, you were smoking, something he knew you only did when you were stressed or anxious.

He lifted the window slowly, stepping in and closing it behind himself.

He watched as your eyes flew open, looking at him for a moment before closing again. You were laying on your back, one hand behind your head and the hand holding the blunt resting on her forehead.

“I missed you, mi corazon.” Miles mumbled, trying to ease the tension. The smell of weed was heavy in the air as you took a slow drag from the blunt, eyes still closed.

“Cool.” You replied, smoke falling out of your mouth as you spoke.

“The date thing was my fault, something came up, you know how that shit is.” He said. He was waiting for the yelling and the angry frustrated tears, but they didnt come, and he couldn’t tell if that was good or not.

“Maybe I should make marijuana my new boyfriend.” You said, taking another hit and letting it trail out your nose.

“Its always there when I need it to be.” Your eyes were still closed, chest rising and falling calmly.

“Mi vida, You know Im sorry-“

“mhm.” You hummed.

“Its not gonna happen again I swear-“

“right.”

“Imma make it up to you I swear.”

He watched as you took a hit from the blunt once again. Eyes opening this time, watching the far wall.

“Miles…” She blew the smoke.

“Get out.”

Miles’ eyes widened a bit.

“Hermosa, I-“

“If I have this conversation with you right now, Im going to break up with you. I suggest you leave my room.” You say calmly.

Miles felt an immediate pain in his chest, his hands beginning to shake. He was silent as he walked back to the window, opening it and pushing his leg through.

“I love you, y/n.” He said, pausing for a moment.

“I know you do.” You reply, tapping the ash off your blunt.

#earth 42 miles morales x reader #miles morales #earth 42 miles x reader #miles morales x reader #miles x reader #spider man: across the spider verse #across the spiderverse

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blockedbykei · 2 months

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𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ?

— synopsis: kageyama always had one agenda in his life: volleyball. it just so happens that you seemed to challenge him even more than the sport has ever done in his life.

— warnings: (this chapter) awkward kageyama, sucks at feelings. frenemies to lovers, a little angst bc kageyama's about to relapse lol pls don't attack me also i don't know how the academic system works in japan

— parts: i, ii, iii, iv

ii; love thorns all over this rose

kageyama is awake thirty minutes before his alarm rings.

and in those thirty minutes, he spends it like he usually does— planning.

and with a little bit of spice, reminiscing.

"they'll pay you," he said on the phone. he had sensed your relief despite your silence on the other side.

"thank god." you sighed. "okay dude, i gotta be honest with you. i'm only using this opportunity as some kind of job starter, 'kay? i won't be permanent. so don't get your hopes up."

"i won't be too hopeful on you." he deadpanned. a little too honest, to upfront, maybe brought up by buried pain. kageyama shook the thought. "when can you start?"

"anytime you want me to start, tobio-chan." you beamed. he heard ruffling in the background, and the familiar sound of keys jingling. "except today though. i have some paperwork to do. will tomorrow be okay?"

"okay."

that was yesterday, at 4:13pm. it was now 5:30 in the morning.

and it seems like you were awake too.

kageyama jumps at the sound of his phone vibrating against his wooden bedside table. he pushes the covers off his body, pushing himself up to sit against the bed frame before unplugging his phone off his cable.

you. u up? wanna jog around? 5:32am

he doesn't hesitate to reply.

kageyama. Sure. 5:32am

—

to his fortune, your apartment was near his home. so the idea of jogging around was easily fulfilled as his legs are now being warmed up outside the entrance of your building.

kageyama is a little eager to see you at this time in the morning, a rush of excitement adding a bounce on his heels. and he only waits for five minutes until he sees you exit the elevator in your sports attire.

jacket and leggings. same as his, except he wore sweatpants.

your hair is tied up messily, strands of hair above your head uncombed and bumpy. you walk towards him and give him a smile, stopping just a few friendly feet from him.

he thinks that image of you will stay plastered on his mind.

"ready to go, tobio?"

he looks at you, foot pressed on a bench. his fingers tie his laces as he stares at you.

kageyama was always a man of few words, and you'd learned how to read him through his eyes and body language alone. his stare may seem blank to others, but you read it as "yes, i'm ready."

and he says it either way. "yes"

—

"so what exactly is it that i'm supposed to do?"

you've matched his pace, or maybe he's slowed down to jog by your side, or maybe he's just slow and you're a bit faster than him. either way, you're happy to be in the same speed, enough so that you can talk to him without having a hard time.

kageyama hums. "uh. you will be like my life coach?"

"what the fuck is a life coach?" you grimace.

"i don't know either." his breath is white past his lips from the cold air, sparing you a quick glance. "i just think i'm too obsessed with volleyball that i kind of... don't have a life outside of it."

"i thought volleyball was your life."

"it is. until i became an adult." he swallows thickly. "when i'm not on the court, i'm in my classes. when i'm not in my classes and the court's not open i... i don't do anything. i think i'm a boring person."

"so you're like a loser?"

kageyama sighs dejectedly. "yeah."

"and you want me to make you more, what, interesting?"

"yeah."

"and i'm getting paid to do this?"

"yeah."

"i'm getting paid to teach you how to get a life," you guffaw, small pants leaving your mouth as you do so. "i never thought i'd be doing that after three years. holy shit, tobio-chan."

kageyama pouts. "do you find joy over the fact that i'm a loser?"

"oh yes," you shake your head, a smile on your face. "i do enjoy that."

you both stop after ten minutes, deciding to take a break by sitting on the bench. you place your feet on the space beside kageyama, bringing it to your chest, facing him. he tilts his head up and swallows the water rapidly as if he'd been parched since the dawn of time.

he wipes his sweat off his forehead, his biceps contracting, hair sticking to his skin. you blush at the sight.

"so what do you want to try doing?" you ask him, tugging on your sleeves.

kageyama shrugs. "how to not be too obsessed with volleyball."

"okay genius," you roll your eyes. "i meant do you want to learn how to ride a bike? how to paint? to swim?"

"i know how to ride a bike," then he pauses, looking down at the tips of your shoes grazing his thigh. he scratches his chin. "i wanna learn how to swim."

you scrunch your nose. "did you even attend the swimming classes back in high school?"

"no."

"god, tobio," you laugh through your nose. "where were you? hiding in the gym?"

"i was with you inside the janitor's closet remember?"

your smile fades a little, pulling your feet closer to yourself. and then you look away from him.

"so i'm teaching you how to swim then." kageyama wishes you'd look at him again, take your eyes off from whatever you're staring at and plant them on him instead. "i might push you into the deep part of the pool, then i remembered you're tall so you could just stand. unless i put a rock on you..."

"do i need to list it down?" he asks, and you look at him. your eyes seemed duller than earlier. he almost winces. "all the things you're going to teach me?"

"hm," you scoot closer. your arms rest on top of your knees, your chin resting on top of your left forearm. "first, you're gonna get a manicure with me. that'll be tomorrow because i want one."

"okay."

"then we're gonna do yoga," you beam. "so you could relax. you're always so tense."

kageyama pulls his phone app, and you assume he's opening the notes app. "okay."

"swimming. then skydiving. camping. joining those bike marathon thingies. oh! pottery. i think you'd like pottery."

"do we really have to do skydiving?" he shivers a little; partly from the cold, partly from the image of falling from the sky with the chance of dying. "i don't think that's a hobby that will help me with volleyball. i think that would just make me want to stay on the court."

you roll your eyes. "whatever. add cooking. unless you already know how to."

"just a little."

"add cooking."

his fingers type on the letters, the click-clacks emitting from his phone mingling with the soft breeze's gentle whisper. "anything else?"

"i kinda wanna keep the others a surprise." you smile, flashing him a bit of your teeth between your lips. the wisps of your hair fall on your cheeks, and your eyes almost smile at him. "done taking a break? i wanna run again."

kageyama stands up, putting his phone on his pocket. you kick your feet off the bench and place them on the ground, stretching your arms.

you start before he does. he feels a thread of nervousness coursing through his veins, tying it around each tendril. there's doubt knocking on his head telling him that at some point of this "life-coaching" of yours would eventually fuck up whatever it is that you have now.

he wouldn't want to fuck up twice.

his feet jogs himself up at your pace, his heart twinging at the smile you give him.

—

september 2014

senior year meant mandatory swim classes. which meant that kageyama would skip class for the 63rd time since his freshman year.

the table was jovial with excitement, albeit it seems that tsukishima was voicing the similar disdain towards swimming. "getting dressed in front of you guys is enough." he reasoned.

hinata and yamaguchi beam in excitement, mostly because they both knew they would be given free time to play around the pool. and since the boys and girls were separated, you and yachi made a silent vow to stick with one another.

"tobio," you placed your hand on his shoulder. he jumped out of his daze, food in mouth, his head turning to look at you, and you debate on telling him to stop looking at you like that, because while a second ago he seemed horrified, now he looked at you like you'd given him a miracle to be saved. "you alright?"

"yes." his head nodded, putting another broccoli in his occupied mouth. "i don't want to go swimming."

"me neither," you giggled. your hand was still on his shoulder, burning onto his uniform and seeping through his skin. kageyama fought hard not to blush. "i promised yachi though, so. please don't skip."

"okay." okay, i'll still skip.

"kageyama," hinata bumped his shoulder. "let's race to see who swims fastest."

"i don't want to, dumbass," kageyama snarled. "i want to eat lunch. let's see who gets to finish first."

their petulance had always interested you. their relationship would always trick people into thinking they despised one another, but no one ever really saw their true bond and how close they were. you laughed at the way they would swallow their food directly and at the way yachi had begin to voice her concern on choking and something about the heimlich maneuver.

in front of you, yamaguchi and tsukishima's slowly blooming ("platonic" they said, defending) relationship seemed to quietly berate the two.

later that day, you'd lost yachi with your other classmates right after you ascend from the pool. you quickly got yourself dressed, hair dripping wet and leaving streaks of water down the back of your blouse, and searched for her.

you found yourself inside the gym five minutes later, seeing that the doors were unlocked. but when you peeked, the sight of her bright blonde hair was nowhere to be seen.

a muffled cluttering sound startled you.

"hello?"

your voice echoed in the empty gym.

"(y/n)?"

kageyama's nervousness rang at every corner of the gymnasium. you saw him peek his head out from the closet, eyes wide. you furrowed your eyebrows.

"what the fuck are you doing there?" you asked hastily, walking towards him. "you're supposed to be at the pool—"

he yanked you towards him, inside the closet and closing the door behind him. it hadn't registered to you that kageyama began hearing footsteps approaching the gym and it put his heart at an alarming rate. your mouth snapped shut, hiding behind his body, your hair leaving droplets on his uniform.

then there's muffled conversation, a few laughs, a tone that mimicked questioning, and then you heard the doors slam shut. you froze.

"how are we going to get out?" you panicked, voice small and a whisper, even though you're certain that a normal volume would've sufficed.

"calm down," he scowled. "i have the keys with me. how'd you think i got in here in the first place?"

he pulled the keys out and twirled them in his finger. relief defeats the panic that settled on your face, though a smile never rose out of you. but it was enough for kageyama to reassure you. he walked to you, resting his back against one of the shelves beside you, keeping a distance that could've looked like he wasn't giving you any sort of distance at all.

"what are you doing here?" he asked, arms crossed. you took the keys off his hands, clutching it in your fist, and couldn't help yourself but sneer at him.

"you said you'd go to the class."

"i only said okay, doesn't mean i'm agreeing."

you gawped. "that is agreeing!"

"you didn't answer my question." he instilled. "what are you doing here?"

you scratched the back of your neck, fingertips dampened from your slowly drying hair, chlorine and faint conditioner evident through the scent. "i lost yachi. i thought she could be here 'cause the doors were open."

he showed his acknowledgement through a hum, no words leaving him. you sighed and approached the door, twisting the doorknob and peaked through the small slit you created.

"i should probably go," you said, looking back at him. "we should probably go."

you give him a stern look, vexated at his lie. kageyama pushed himself off the shelf, walking towards you, and you thought that maybe he'd decided to follow your orders, but instead his arm reaches out to pull the door close.

the brightness from the outside is only evident through the cracks beneath and between the doors, the only light in the dark room. kageyama stood in front of you, both of you leaning your bodies against the metal door.

your heart beated a little faster, the sound reverberating in your ears. you hope he doesn't hear how fast it gets with the way he slowly leaned closer to you, his head tilted just the slighesg, hair falling just above his eyebrows.

his eyes are dark, but there's a little shine at the edge of his irises, his gaze soft. his lips are parted the slightest, tongue coming out to gloss the dried skin. you swallow thickly.

it felt too oddly intimate to be in a situation like this with a friend you've known since the beginning of junior high. and you wondered if it was inappropriate of you to blush wildly; if it was disrespectful of you to want to tiptoe the edge of your friendship just because you're in a closet with him hiding as if you'd both be shot dead and you're enjoying the last, quiet moments together.

you knew you've never seen him as more than a friend. at least, that was what you've manipulated yourself to think. you convinced your excitement to see him as a way to be excited to start your day. you tell yourself you're concerned for his safety because you worry his sister would eat you up if he'd gotten hurt without you rather than because you wouldn't want him to get hurt in general.

you forced him to take breaks from volleyball because you poke fun at his lack of social life, not because you worry he may drive himself away from you from his over enthusiasm and passion.

you do not feel lovesick over kageyama.

and he thought that the look on your face— surprised, blushing, wide eyed— was the most endearing sight out of all endearing sights. the corner of his lip tugs upward, his teeth beginning to poke out of his awkward smile.

"we don't have classes right after," he reasoned. "we could stay here for a few more minutes."

"you-" you point your finger to his chest, nail digging on his shirt and onto his thick skin. "-have practice. i have a student council meeting and volleyball training at the local court, thanks to your fucking greedy asses, by the way. both of which will start in like-... uh...-"

"seven minutes." he cocked a brow. "let's stay here until then."

so you did.

you sat on the floor and ate the snacks he had on his bag, cross legged, on opposite sides. you started the conversation by asking when the nationals were, and that if it fit right into your schedule, you could bring the student council to up the level of the cheerleading team for karasuno. kageyama beamed at your offer.

your phone lit up, a notification bar on the screen, and he knew what your wallpaper was– it was the six of you, on one of the carnivals last june, on the ferris wheel that showed hinata yelling out the edge, tsukishima gripping on the sides for his dear life, yachi and yamaguchi laughing at the chaos they ensued;

you, holding the phone up, with kageyama beside you, smiling with his eyes set on your laughing figure.

he saw the way your eyes lingered on the screen for a moment before you tapped on the text, screen brightening, your fingers tapping on the keyboard.

"who's that?" he asked, curiosity undecided if he should be jealous (and deny it) or be relieved.

"kuroo-san," you said. "he's inviting you guys to play at nekoma next week. says he and the old team are visiting to check out the new team, and he thought it would be great if you guys fought with them again...? what...?"

"why is he texting you, though?" he shoves a hello panda in his mouth. "shouldn't he text yachi? or literally anyone else."

"i don't think he has her number."

"why does he have your number?"

"because hinata gave it to him."

he swore to murder him after 7 minutes.

"i'll tell them," he said, forced to give you a smile; forced to hide the distaste on his tongue at the thought of kuroo sending you a text. "you gonna come?"

"maybe, i could play, too, bring my team so we could finally play at a court where we wouldn't have to share with kids." you scowl at him. "can you impress me for a hundredth time?"

he'd take that chance at any given moment.

—

kageyama finds himself on the court again after your jog. the cold air still fresh on his damp skin, the sound of your voice still evident even if you'd already left almost an hour ago to meet up with your team one last time.

"so, how'd it go?"

hinata plays with the ball on the other side of the court, bouncing it between the floor and his palm. kageyama shrugs, placing his towel on top of his gym bag.

"she said we'll start tomorrow," he answers, walking towards the net, fingers poking through the square slots. "i'm nervous about this."

"i think it's a big mistake." hinata blurts out, his hand immediately covering his mouth. his wide eyes do nothing but start the fuse in kageyama's temper.

"what do you mean it's a big mistake?" he ducks between the net, towering over his shaking friend, who walks backwards and shoots him an ever nervous grin.

"i'm just saying– i mean well, we've talked here and then, and she hasn't exactly– dude, you're scaring me–"

kageyama stops in his tracks, sighing heavily with a hand on his forehead. "exactly what, hinata?"

his friend shakes his arms, snapping them. his right hand comes up to his left and rotates it, looking at kageyama like he hadn't scared him beforehand. "she hasn't exactly forgotten about what you did, you know. i mean its nice of you to take the chance and make up for what you did, but if you ever fuck up again, i don't think she'll be as forgiving as last time."

"i won't fuck up." he scowls, going back to his side.

"and if she finds out you only did this to keep her from getting that job with kuroo-san?"

kageyama places his hands on his hips, looking up yo the ceiling. it was high; the lights a bit blinding, the basketball hoop folded upwards to keep out of the way from high serves. his eyes close and counts to three, until he feels his nerves calm down, before looking back at hinata.

"has he mentioned it to her?"

"i don't think he has." hinata says. "i don't think he's forgotten, either."

"okay."

"kageyama," he begins, looking at him warningly. "if she finds out you're only doing this so that you won't lose her– so that she'd be here with you, she's not going to like it."

"i know that."

"then stop whatever it is that you're doing!"

"whatever, man! i'm doing her a favor," he spins the ball in his palm, squishing it with the other. kageyama glares at his orange hair, not at his eyes– because he doesn't want to actually make him feel that he was mad at him. "she said she quit because she didn't want to be associated with volleyball anymore. kuroo's offer is associated with volleyba-"

"an offer is an offer, kageyama, it's her decision to decline it or not," hinata sighs. "don't confuse her. don't make her fall again. don't make things even more complicated than it already is."

kageyama feels the gasoline inside him about to burst, his eyebrows furrowing further, scowl deepening. he throws the ball into the air, and jumps at the right time to serve. hinata, thrown off guard, ducks and covers his head with his hands as the ball hits the wall behind him.

hinata looks back at him with wide eyed anger. "you- you jerk!"

he runs to him, diving beneath the net to tackle his legs. kageyama falls to his back, his yell echoing, wrapping his legs around hinata's neck.

his anger, albeit predictable, is rooted on something he can't identify. he knows he's mad at hinata, but he also knows it's not exactly the actual cause. there's a deep set of guilt planted in him that coalesces with the anger he decides to displace on others. maybe it's because he knows that hinata's right— that the offer kuroo was supposed to propose was yours to accept or decline; it wasn't his position to keep you from doing so.

but at the same time, he knows that if he hadn't done anything— even if he could— to keep you here, with him, while he's slowly easing the pain he'd caused you, he would die with the regret he'd feel. and even so, he would do anything to get you back.

so at the feeling of his head meeting the floor, kageyama is snapped into a dilemma of morals and deluded wants. hinata pins him to the ground, knees on either side of his hips, looking disappointedly down on his heaving friend.

"we haven't fought this hard since freshman year," he laughs tiredly. "she's my friend, kageyama. and you're my friend either. i don't want you both to be hurt to the point where it affects all of us. i was honestly surprised that she was able to act normally after the shit you pulled. she was that afraid to lose you."

hinata pushes himself off him, offering his hand to kageyama. he takes it, pulling him off the ground. "please don't tell her."

kageyama could see him contemplate. he knows how easy hinata is to control under pressure, most especially if it included his guilty conscience in honor of a friend— he can't bring himself to lie. he was never a liar at the expense of someone.

but if it was something he had to do for the people that he cared for...

"okay," he says in his pleading gaze. "i can keep quiet. but i don't know when kuroo will bring this up to her. she'll find out eventually."

"i'll tell her myself."

—

after spending five hours in relishing the exhilarating thrill of spiking a ball across the court, his free training is cut "short" when his phone begins to ring.

doused in sweat, he walks to the bench where his bag resides. hinata plops down to the ground, elbows on his knees, panting. kageyama picks up his phone and sees your icon—

in a small circle, with a smile, in the karasuno uniform with your hair in a ponytail. he does not remember the day the picture was taken nor what the event was, but he swears he's had the same icon of yours since high school, even after he'd switched the phone.

he clicks the green telephone button.

"hello?"

"are you at the court?" there's a busy crowd behind you. you sound uncomfortable.

"no."

"don't lie."

"yes."

you laugh, he blushes. "okay. can i come there if it's okay? we've got matters to discuss."

he says yes and you're there 20 minutes later. you discard the thick coat off your shoulders, revealing something that looked too comfortable to be considered as casual— literally a large shirt and sweatpants.

"ey, (y/n)!" hinata comes up to give you a one-armed hug, trying not to get you wet with his sweat. you smile at him, sitting down on the bench beside kageyama's bag.

"hey, sho-chan." you beam. "mind if i'm here for a short while?"

"i don't mind if you stayed here until midnight." he laughs, sitting down crossed legged in front of you on the floor. kageyama sits on the same bench, his bag dividing the two of you.

"so what's up?" he wipes his face with a towel. do players actually sweat this much?

"so i got a call from your management," you begin, taking your phone out and opening your notes app. "i took in minutes of the meeting as a habit. anyway, so your pr manager told me that we can't exactly be seen together all the time unless we want people to think that we're dating. yuck."

the emphasis on your yuck makes him laugh out the pain.

"anyway, so she said we can't do whatever it is that you want all the time. we either have to do it with your friends, the two of us on a very private area, or just you alone." you explain. "so i decided to, like, create a list of all the things we should do. and i also need you to sign this contract because i'm not doing this forever."

a soft copied contract he assumes is sent by his management is displayed on your phone as you hand it to him. you zoom in on his name, types in capital letters beneath a line where his digital signature is to be placed. with a shaky finger, he writes his signature.

you stutter. "you- you didn't even read it."

"i don't want to."

"you have to," you roll your eyes. "okay so, your management says that i have to do this life-coaching shit of yours only until your next big match."

"which is in a few months." hinata butts in, a granola bar in hand.

a few months. he has a few months with you.

a few months of making up for the damage he caused. a few months to change the way you act around him. a few months to keep you with him. kageyama doesn't know what happens after then— maybe you'd already found out the offer kuroo ought to give you, and maybe you'd take it with no hesitation, leaving him behind.

the stress of lying catches up with the way his stomach twists and his tongue loses its taste. the hollow feeling of nervousness emits from the way his palms begin to sweat. he feels pressured to plan already— to figure out what to do right after the contract ends; what to say when you found out he interfered with a major opportunity.

"yeah. so. i also can't interfere nor be the cause of your downfall in volleyball or they will sue me." you bite your bottom lip. "is that even possible? like, defamation?"

"what's defamation?" kageyama asks, fingertips fiddling with the cap of his waterbottle. you huff.

"it's by ruining one's reputation by creating false statements. i'd do that if you piss me off," you jest, going back to your phone and scrolling. kageyama thinks of it as a real threat. "anyway, so i will have to ask your teammates or friends to come join us for the following weeks, although i do prefer if you also do it."

he frowns. "why me?"

"because you hired me and it's also your job to be less of a pain in the ass," you poke the space between his eyebrows. he groans, grasping your wrist and pull it down from his face.

hinata's eyes narrow at the sight of two tinted cheeks.

you break free from him. "i'll be sending you the list tomorrow. i'll get going now."

kageyama stops you from slinging your bag over your shoulder, a hand on one of the straps. "how'd you get here?"

you make a confused face. "uh. by bus?"

"let me drive you home."

"i'm fine, tobio," you laugh lightly, standing up, adjusting the strap on your shoulder. "it's only one bus ride. plus, i don't think hinata's done with practicing yet—"

"we're done!" hinata claps his shoulder, squeezing it, tight enough to make him uncomfortable. kageyama glares at him through his peripherals. "it's fine. i'll close up."

it's gotten to the point where hinata had pushed the both of you off outside the court and into the parking lot.

kageyama almost feels desolated— the silence caused by confusion almost deemed you a ghost, thus making him feel like he was lost in a very crowded parking lot. but when you nudge his shoulder, and the look on your face was replaced with a small smile, he takes his keys out of the pocket of his gym bag, his car beeping not too far.

you sit on the passenger side, quickly buckling your seat belt and dropping your bag on your lap. kageyama shuts the door and sticks the key in the ignition, a random song on the radio playing as it lights up blue.

no one says a word during the drive.

you can sense the tension was brought by thoughts that are wanted to be shared but never spoken. something about the past— the past you'd tried to forgotten; the past kageyama was trying to mend. it was not because of the sudden professional relationship created by the both of you.

(it actually also was that.)

the ride was short— maybe five songs had passed and three ad breaks. he parks just at the side, where he wouldn't be told off, and you unbuckled your seatbelt.

"thanks for the ride," you say, finally. he sucks in a breath of relief.

"no problem." and just when you're about to reach out and leave, he puts his hand on your wrist again. you stop on your movements, looking back at him over your shoulder.

"is something the matter?"

"why'd you take it?" kageyama asks, his hand still on your wrist. you blink at him, sitting back down and resting your back on the car seat. but his hand now hovers over your burning skin.

your eyebrows furrow. "what do you mean?"

"why'd you take the job if it sounded stupid?"

you look into his eyes. kageyama looked unsure— almost in disbelief. he seems to be doubting you at this moment which almost brings a scoff out of you. his bottom lip is quickly bitten, a habit of anxiousness.

"i told you– it's a starter job. it's not easy to get a job while i'm still in college. i kinda need the money as soon as possible too, y'know? i'm not exactly a pro athlete so i don't get paid—"

"why are you helping me?" he urges. kageyama leans over the transmission, a hand on the wheel. his elbow is placed on the shoulder of your seat, and he's unbelievably close to you that you feel his hot breath. "you could've taken a job at a cafe. tsukishima could've helped you with it. or yachi-san. so why did you accept my last minute offer?"

it was like he was searching for a reason for your sudden acceptance at an incredulous offer for a job that he made up. he wanted to know the reason behind it— maybe something that could get his hopes up on fixing a relationship that's barely even there; something that could feed on his nightly routine of delusions about you and what could have been.

your eyes flicker between his. kageyama has always had intense eyes. too intense that you can't decipher what he's actually feeling sometimes. but even so, they're the only ones you're forcing yourself to look at— because he's so close. there's barely any friendly proximity between the two of you. you're afraid of glancing down his lips to avoid any miscommunication; you don't look at anywhere else because you don't want to seem shy.

your heart starts to beat faster. you curse it.

"because you're my friend," you murmur. "and i'm actually concerned about your obsession with volleyball."

kageyama leans back just the slightest, but you can still feel his heat.

"i've always wanted to help you lessen your obsession since high school, y'know? at least this time i'm– i'm getting paid."

"you still want to help me even after—"

"i don't want to talk about it, kageyama."

it seems as if you knew what he was going to say. the sudden use of his surname, the softness that immediately hardened at the memory flashing in your mind; the guard you instantly put up. kageyama's heart twinges, leaning back on his seat.

he expects you to leave him and slam the door, watching you walk towards your building.

instead, he feels your hand on his.

your hand on his.

his head snaps to you, twitching slightly. your fingers squeeze the back of his hand a little, offering him a sad smile.

"i care for you," you say. "i hope you don't abuse it again."

kageyama feels like he's been holding his breath for years.

you exit his car and close it properly, crossing the front and enter your building. he watches you disappear behind the doors of your elevator, and he thinks you may have been looking at him as well.

the feeling you leave on his hand remains. he puts it on his chest, placing his other hand on top of it, and feels the way his heart skips multiple beats that he considers rushing to the hospital.

nervous. guilt. an unfamiliar sensation on his belly that rises up to his chest filled with heat.

he does not want to fuck this up.

reblogs and feedback are appreciated <3

#hq kageyama #kageyama tobio x reader #haikyuu kageyama #kageyama x reader #kageyama tobio #tobio kageyama #haikyuu #haikyu x reader #haikyu fluff #haikyu #haikyuu fluff

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munson-blurbs · 1 year

Text

Single Dad!Eddie x Fem!ReaderSeries

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Summary: With no friends and the looming threat of losing custody of his son, Eddie's the lowest he's ever been. But you know what they say: “Rock bottom just means there’s nowhere to go except up."

Warnings: angst, visits from CPS, Reader's grandma has Alzheimer's

WC: 6k

Chapter 5/20

Scruffy!Eddie edit credit to @eddiemunsons-missingnipple Divider credit to @saradika

The phone rings as Eddie wrestles Harris into his jacket. He still hasn’t figured out how to break the news about his classroom change; at this rate, he’ll be dropping him off at school before he works up the nerve. Is there any good way to tell your kid that he no longer gets to spend his days with his favorite teacher?

“Keep that on,” Eddie instructs Harris, pointing to the navy blue sweatshirt. “I’ll zip it for you in a sec.” He jogs over to the phone, answering with an irritated, “Hello?”

“Ed?” Wayne’s voice drifts from the receiver. “It’s Wayne.”

Eddie nods before remembering that Wayne can’t see him. “Y-Yeah, hey,” he says, tone softening at his uncle’s familiarity. There’s a dull ache in his chest when he thinks of how he willingly shut him out over the last month. “How’ve you been?”

“Good. Can’t complain.” Wayne clears his throat. “I’d love to see you and Harris. Whenever you get the chance.” Eddie can hear his concern, the unasked questions that dissolve on his tongue: Are you okay? Is Harris? Do I need to file that custody agreement?

He glances over at his son, who, despite Eddie’s promise, is unsuccessfully trying to thread the zipper with its teeth. He motions him over, cradling the phone to his ear and stretching the cord while he kneels to fasten the jacket. “We were actually about to head to the park if you wanted to meet us there,” he says. “This kid’s got way too much energy to keep him cooped up in the apartment. We’ll both lose our minds.”

Wayne lets out a kind chuckle. “Sounds like a Munson.” Eddie can hear the tinny jangle of his keys. “The park over on Porter Drive?”

“Yup.”

“Dad, let’s go!” Harris whines, twisting the doorknob back and forth to emphasize his impatience.

“We’ll be there in ten,” Eddie tells Wayne, catching a glimpse of the neon orange cast peeking out from under Harris’s jacket. It’s now adorned with his classmates’ names. Your signature seems to beckon Eddie, taunt him, even, and he tries to convince himself that it’s because it’s the only one that doesn’t resemble chicken scratch. “Oh, Harris broke his wrist, but he’s fine. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”

“Hoo boy,” Wayne breathes. “Definitely a Munson.”

Harris spends the short drive to the park bouncing in his carseat. “Is Grampa Wayne gonna play with me?” he asks, rocking back and forth excitedly.

“Mhm,” Eddie nods, keeping his eyes trained on the road. He nervously thrums his fingers along his jean-clad thighs. What if Wayne still didn’t think he was a responsible parent? What if he took one look at Harris’s injury and raced home to call his lawyer? “But I gotta talk with him first, okay? You can play by yourself for a little while.”

Harris hums his agreement, eagerly unbuckling as soon as Eddie parks the car. He starts to run towards the field, and all Eddie can picture is him tripping and hurting himself again.

“Harris, don’t–” he starts, but he then remembers those magic words: “Walking feet, bud. Don’t want you breaking that other wrist.” He grabs the soccer ball from the trunk and kicks it in Harris’s direction.

Wayne pulls up in his truck a few moments later, almost as exuberant as his grandson. “Har-Bear!” he calls out, opening his arms wide for a hug. Harris picks up his pace, slowing down when he remembers his dad’s instructions.

“I’m using my walking feet!” he chirps proudly, and though they’re fast walking feet, Eddie beams at him.

Wayne squeezes Harris so tightly that Eddie worries he’ll inadvertently cut off his oxygen supply. When the boy starts squirming, Wayne laughs and puts him down.

“Go ahead and play,” Eddie tells his son. “Grampa Wayne and I are gonna catch up real quick.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence as the two men sit on the bench, waiting for the other to say something first. Finally, Wayne breaks through the tension.

“Missed you two,” he murmurs, not looking at Eddie. “‘S too quiet around my place without that little rugrat.”

“We missed you, too,” Eddie admits, chewing on his thumbnail. “Harris won’t stop asking for Grampa Wayne.”

Wayne preens slightly at this, shifting in his seat. “This is the longest we’ve gone without talking since…”

“I know,” Eddie cuts him off, not wanting to revisit the part of his past that Wayne’s referencing. “I, uh, started working at Rock Records,” he tells him, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “It sucks, but it’s a job.”

He feels Wayne clap him on the shoulder, pulling him closer to him for a brief side hug. “I’m proud of you, Ed.” He purses his lips before asking, “and no more of the…”

Eddie shakes his head. “Nope, I’m done with that. Returned the rest of what I had to Rick; told him I was out.” His gaze drops back to the ground, and he stares intently at the blades of grass as though they might disappear if he blinks. “But that might not matter anymore anyway, so…”

“The hell you talking about?” Wayne pinches his eyebrows together, adjusting his position to face his nephew.

Sighing, Eddie tells him about what happened at the hospital last week. Wayne’s eyes widen when he hears that they filed a report with CPS. “That’s some bullshit,” he mumbles, scratching at his gray beard. “Kids get hurt all the time. Can’t keep ‘em in a bubble.” He shakes his head incredulously. “They’re not gonna take him from you, okay? They’re gonna see how you provide for him, how great you are with him, and they’re gonna be sorry they wasted their time.”

“I’m not great with him,” Eddie mutters, standing up in a feeble attempt to exert some of his nervous energy. “I’m ruining his life.” He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “He had this teacher, and he adored her. Calls her ‘Ms. Sweetheart.’ And I was just…just a total asshole to her. I accused her of telling people about the CPS thing and said some really fucked up shit about her sick grandma and…fuck, Wayne. She had Harris transferred to another class just so she doesn’t have to deal with me. And now I have to say, ‘Hey, you know that teacher you fuckin’ loved? Well, she’s not your teacher any more, and it’s all my fault.’”

Wayne absorbs the information, contemplating what he says next. “So fix it,” he shrugs.

“It’s not that simple,” Eddie argues, plopping back down onto the bench in defeat. The wood digs into his lower back uncomfortably, so he stands up again.

“It’s not?” Wayne questions, digging a pack of Newports out of his jacket pocket and offering one to him. “Because it sounds to me like you owe this ‘Ms. Sweetheart’ an apology.”

Eddie takes a cigarette, toying with it before tucking it between his lips. It takes a few flicks of his old Bic lighter to get a spark, and he lets the nicotine calm his nerves before speaking again. “I don’t think she’ll forgive me.”

“Never said she would,” Wayne counters, plucking the Bic from Eddie’s hands and bringing the flame to light his own cigarette. “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apologize.”

Inhaling sharply, Eddie watches his son kick the ball around before letting out a slow, controlled exhale. “My boss asked if I could teach guitar lessons once or twice a week,” he says, using his empty hand to toy with the frayed holes in his jeans. “If…if you wanna, could you watch Harris? I can pay you.”

“Don’t insult me, boy,” Wayne scoffs, but a playful smile dances on his lips. “You’re not gonna pay me to watch my own grandson. Just let me know the day and time, and I’ll have a pot of mac and cheese ready to go.”

The pent-up tension dissipates from his body at Wayne’s easy agreement. An unspoken I love you floats between them, and he could cry from the sudden surge of relief.

“Daddy! Grampa!” Harris calls out from across the park. “Let’s play!”

Wayne stands up with a grunt, rolling his shoulders back to loosen them up. “You heard the man,” he jokes. “Up and at ‘em.”

It’s your first day off of work since the start of the school year, yet all you can think about are your students. Well, one particular student and his god-awful father. Eddie’s comment replays in your mind, cutting through you like the chilly mid-October air. The sting still hasn’t faded, despite it being three days since he’d said it.

You say goodbye to your grandma and Elise, her home health aid, grabbing your car keys and closing the door behind you. This morning was already overwhelming; Grandma had woken up at 5 AM, ready to start her day. The sound of her TV blasting at the highest possible volume jolted you from your sleep, and you’d spent the following twenty minutes trying to persuade her to go back to bed. Unsuccessfully, you might add.

You wince when you see your reflection in the rearview mirror. Your eyes are puffy and bloodshot, with pouches developing beneath them that only emphasize your exhaustion. You practice smiling a few times before starting the car, peeling out of the parking lot to meet Jess, Viv, and Jeff for lunch.

The pleasant aroma of burgers cooking on a grill wafts past your nose as you push open the doors to the restaurant. It isn’t too crowded when you arrive; you assume that the usual lunchtime rush is quelled by the Columbus Day holiday. Your new friends are already waiting at the table, waving you over excitedly.

“Hey,” you call out, forcing pleasantries into your otherwise flat tone. You slide into the seat next to Jess and across from Jeff. “How’s everyone been?”

“Better, now that I’m out of the first trimester,” Viv says with a small laugh. “Now that I have my appetite back, I’m definitely getting the grilled cheese.” She glances at the menu again, adding, “and a side of fries.”

Jess nods. “I think I’ll do the same.” She turns to you and her cheerful expression shifts to one of concern. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah, just tired.” Your lackluster reply is unconvincing, but she doesn’t challenge it in front of Jeff and her sister. “Chasing after kids all day is wearing me out.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Viv exclaims, taking a sip of her water. “You’re a preschool teacher. The one with Eddie’s kid in your class!”

“Mhm,” you manage; the mere mention of Eddie’s name turns your throat into sandpaper. “Well, not any more, I guess.” Your throwaway comment is met with inquisitive stares, so you give the group a rundown of last week’s events, watching their eyes grow wide.

“He’s such a fucking douche,” Jess grumbles, resting her hand over yours. It feels like forever since you’ve experienced the simplicity of a kind gesture, and you have to swallow the emotion that comes with it.

“Seriously,” Viv agrees, looking over at Jeff. “Why were you even friends with him?”

Jeff lets out a terse chuckle and shakes his head. “Believe it or not, he actually used to be a good guy. The best, in my opinion.” Disappointment flashes across his face as he continues. “Something changed when he went to Chicago. He was always on-guard, had his walls up, but it used to be more of an ‘if you mess with me, I’ll mess with you’ attitude. But when he came back home, he was…different.”

“Different how?” Curiosity gets the best of you, and the question slips off of your tongue before you can stop it.

“It was like he was determined to hurt people before they could hurt him. No matter what I did, he never fully believed that I was on his side. I was constantly trying to prove that I wasn’t out to fuck him over.”

Viv drapes an arm over her fiancé’s shoulder. “How long did he live in Chicago, again?”

“Long enough to knock someone up,” Jeff muses, mind wandering for a moment before he brings himself back to the conversation. “About four years, I think? He left to chase his dreams of being a rockstar. Then one day, he shows back up in Hawkins with an infant, trying to act like nothing had changed.” He snorts at the very idea of it. “But it obviously did–I mean, besides the fact that he had a whole child, the rest of us had grown up, too. College, work, all that stuff.

“When he suggested getting Corroded Coffin back together, we figured, why not? It seemed like a decent way to chill out, blow off some steam at the end of the day.”

“Let me guess,” you chime in, cocking your head knowingly. “Eddie had other ideas.”

Jeff nods. “He still wanted to do the rockstar thing. And he’d always get angry at us because we didn’t. Not professionally, anyway. Kept mocking us for having 9-to-5 jobs, like it was the worst thing in the world.” He pauses, screwing up his face in contemplation. “Which, come to think of it, was weird. Because back in high school, he told me that it really messed with him, not having that stability growing up. Y’know, before Wayne took him in.”

There’s so much more you want to know, but the waiter striding over to the table to take orders brings the conversation to a natural conclusion. What you’ve gathered so far is that Eddie Munson is a many-layered man, each one more puzzling than the last. Despite your festering hurt and anger, you can’t help but hope that he untethers himself from his complicated past. If not for his sake, then for Harris’s.

“Daddy, what’s a new cents?”

Eddie’s taking the left turn onto the main road when he hears his son speaking from the back seat. “What’s new since when?” he asks, craning his head to check for oncoming traffic.

“Noooo,” Harris whines, letting out an exasperated sigh. Eddie has no clue where his new attitude came from, and he can’t say that he’s a fan. “A new cents.”

“That’s not a thing, buddy,” Eddie answers, starting to twist the radio knob.

“Yes, it is!” Harris insists, clearly growing frustrated. “Ms. Marion told Ms. Paula that I’m a ‘new cents.’”

It suddenly clicks for Eddie, and he grips the steering wheel tighter and hopes Harris doesn’t notice the edge in his voice. “You mean a nuisance?”

“That’s what I said!” Harris groans. “What does it mean?”

Eddie pushes past the question to ask one of his own. “What exactly did Ms. Marion say?” Maybe there was a misunderstanding, he reasons with himself.

But Harris’s answer only confirms his initial suspicion. “She looked at Ms. Paula and said, ‘this one’s a ‘new cents.’ An’ then she pointed to me.”

“Why the hell would she say that?” Eddie’s speaking to himself, but his son replies, still too young to grasp the concept of rhetorical questions.

“‘Cause of my shoes being untied. An’ she doesn’t like when I ask her to tie them.”

Eddie cringes. He’d meant to teach Harris how to tie his sneakers, but the lessons had to be put on hold when the kid had broken his wrist. Pausing before posing his next question, Eddie carefully selects his words. “Did…Did Ms. Sweetheart ever do that? Get mad about your shoes or call you a nuisance?”

“Nope,” Harris shakes his head. “An’ Mr. Will didn’t either.” And considering that his laces had always been tied in neat bows when Eddie arrived to pick him up, he can only assume that the two of you did this without a second thought. Jesus, why even bother to be a preschool teacher if you’re gonna bitch about tying shoes?

“So, what is it?” Harris snaps him from his thoughts.

“Huh?” Eddie’s right foot presses on the brake as he approaches a stop sign. “Oh. Um, I don’t know. Sorry, Har.” It’s the second time in as many days that he’s lied to him in order to spare his feelings. Yesterday, he’d waited until they were already in the school to tell Harris that he was picked for a super special project where he’d act as a secret agent in another class. He didn’t know whether to be proud or ashamed that he’d spent all night thinking of that excuse.

“‘S’okay,” Harris shrugs, raising and dropping his legs so they bounce off the bottom of his carseat. His ankles are exposed, and Eddie realizes that he must’ve grown. Again. Which means that he needs to scrape together some money and buy him new clothes. Again. “How much more days until I get to go back to Ms. Sweetheart’s class?”

“Not sure.” Lie number three. He flicks on the radio, the sounds of Ozzy effectively distracting Harris for the remainder of the car ride.

If only it was that easy to fool himself.

A harsh knock on your classroom door and the formality of your first and last name draws your attention from the mountain of paperwork on your desk. Will left thirty minutes ago with the rest of the TAs, so you’ve been sitting alone, humming a song you’d listened to on the car ride to work.

“Yes, that’s me,” you tell the tall man standing in the doorway. His intimidating stature and sullen disposition juxtapose the orange and yellow hues of autumn-themed artwork lining the walls. “Can I help you?”

He flashes a name tag as he steps into the classroom. “My name is Andrew Smith. I’m here on behalf of Child Protective Services to speak to you regarding one of your students…” he checks his notes, “Harris Munson.”

“Oh, um,” you stumble over your words, “he’s–he’s not my student any more. Not since Tuesday of this week.”

“Right,” the social worker nods slowly, patience already running thin, “but I briefly spoke with his new teacher, and she said that she didn’t have enough information to answer the questions, and directed me to your classroom.” When you don’t respond, he gives the legal rundown about the process and your obligations as a mandated reporter. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s proceed with this, shall we?” He clicks his pen, eyes boring a hole into you as he speaks. “How well would you say you know Harris’s father, Edward Munson?”

More intimately than you know, you bitterly think. “Fairly well. He dropped Harris off and picked him up every day.”

Mr. Smith scribbles that down. “Was Edward Munson punctual? Did he drop off and pick up Harris on time?”

“Yes,” you confirm, and your mind flickers back to the very first day of school. “There was only one time he was late for pick-up, but it’s common for that to happen once in a while with any parent.”

“Right, okay. And how would you describe Harris’s disposition around his father?”

“He adores him. He’s a generally happy kid, but he lights up around his dad. Or even when he’s just talking about him.” One lunchtime conversation in particular centered around how his dad could play anything on the guitar, even “Old MacDonald.” Harris had been bursting with excitement to report that Eddie made the funniest animal sounds, and you’d be lying if you’d said your interest wasn’t piqued. “I’ve never seen Harris act nervous or scared around him.”

Pen flies across the paper, and you swear he’s writing more than you’d even said. “Besides the broken wrist, did you ever notice any injuries or abnormal bruising anywhere on Harris’s body?”

You shake your head before realizing he’s waiting for a verbal response. “Nope, never. Just the usual bruises that come with being a kid.”

Mr. Smith cocks his eyebrow, pressing his lips together. “And where were those bruises located?”

Shit. Did you say too much? Why can’t you just shut up when you’re nervous? “Knees and calves?” You point to the spots on your own body, as though the social worker needs visual aides, while silently berating your own stupidity.

“And based on your interactions with him, how would you describe Edward Munson as a father?” It’s a loaded question, and its magnitude is a weight on your chest.

“Caring, attentive, very loving,” you answer honestly. “Responsible. Harris always showed up with lunch and a snack, bathed, clean clothes, whatever supplies he needed. I never worried that Harris was unsafe or in an unhealthy environment.” You force yourself to meet Mr. Smith’s gaze when you say the next part. “We, um, actually were at the hospital at the same time. My grandma got hurt, and we bumped into them when being discharged.”

This grabs his attention. “And did Mr. Munson appear to be impaired or otherwise behaving out of sorts?” The way he looks at you could easily be mistaken for a glare. “Under the influence of any substances, perhaps?”

“Not at all.” You keep your tone firm and even.

He shoves the paperwork at you, pointing to where your signature is required. “Thank you for your time,” he says flatly, leaving the room before you have time to reply. It seems nearly impossible to go back to the task you were working on before the interruption, but you try to push away the intrusive thoughts about everything that could possibly go wrong.

An hour later, the heavy-handed knock raps on the door to the Munson’s apartment. Eddie knows the drill; unfortunately, this isn’t his first run-in with Child Protective Services. He’s double, triple, quadruple-checked that every electrical outlet is covered, the matches and lighters are far from Harris’s reach, and there’s no remaining product from his recently-abandoned dealing days. The visit is technically unannounced, but since he’s not getting many visitors these days, there are limited options of who could be at his door.

“Edward Munson?” The social worker asks, giving him the same opening spiel he gave you. “I’ll just need to take a look around your home and make sure it’s a suitable living environment for your son.”

“Of course.” Eddie hopes he sounds more confident than he feels, but he can sense the waver in his voice. “Yeah, come on in.” He opens the door a bit wider and lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, drawing unwanted attention from the social worker.

“Something the matter, Mr. Munson?”

“N-No,” Eddie insists, shaking his head. If he confesses to being nervous, this Smith guy could mistake it as an admission of guilt, and that’s the last thing he wants. “Just, um, long day?”

Smith recognizes the response with nothing more than a disbelieving glance as he makes his way through the apartment. Eddie watches silently, pushing down his anxiety with a thick swallow. His mind races when the social worker rummages through the refrigerator. Are there fruits and vegetables in there? Did I throw out that container of leftover spaghetti that overstayed its welcome? His stomach sinks when Smith marks something down in his notes but doesn’t have time to ruminate over it before Harris pokes his head out from the bedroom.

“Daddy? You gonna come back an’ play Hot Wheels with me?” His big brown eyes instantly melt Eddie’s heart, and all he wants to do is scream at the man, See? See how much my kid loves me? See how happy he is? Now, why don’t you go deal with the parents who actually deserve to lose custody and leave me to play with him.

Before Eddie can stop him, Harris traipses out and sees Smith rifling through the pantry. “Who’re you?” he asks.

“Har-Bear, this is Mr. Smith. He’s, uh, one of my friends.” Eddie scrunches his face and shakes his head defeatedly at the blatant lie, but Harris doesn’t notice.

Mr. Smith gives a short wave, neither kind nor impolite. Just one slight movement to acknowledge the boy’s presence. He’s determined to get back to his job, but Harris has other plans.

“I like your glasses.” He points to the wire-rimmed frames on the man’s face. “My Grampa Wayne is s’posed to wear glasses, but he doesn’t. Daddy says it’s ‘cause he’s a mule.”

“Stubborn as a mule, Har,” Eddie gently corrects him, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “I’ll be in in a minute, okay?”

But Harris ignores his request, forging towards his dad’s friend. He lifts his arm and flashes an innocent smile. “Look at my cast! It’s from when I jumped on my bed and breaked my arm.”

“Harris!” Eddie hisses, trying to keep his cool. “Can you go play? In the room?” Pleading with him is like negotiating with a terrorist, and he knows his efforts are futile.

“Actually, I do need to take a look at Harris’s bedroom,” the social worker muses, tapping his pen against his lower lip. Eddie has to stifle a scoff at the charade that this just occurred to Smith. Like he didn’t have this mapped out, another bullet point on the list of uninformed judgments he needed to make.

“We, um, we share a room,” Eddie mumbles, as though there would be another possible reason as to why there’s a twin bed nestled into the same space as Harris’s race car bed. “I used to sleep on the couch, it’s just easier to be close to him when he has nightmares an’ stuff.” His heart races when Smith jots this down. “N-Not that he has nightmares a lot. I don’t let him watch scary movies or anything. Just normal kid stuff.”

The man nods, visibly irritated by his rambling. He clamps his mouth shut to inhibit the flow of unnecessary explanations that freely pass through his lips without a second thought.

Harris motions Smith over, using his uninjured hand to grab the stranger’s and leading him into the room. “That’s my bed,” he announces. It sounds like he’s giving a tour, and Eddie almost laughs at the absurdity of the situation. “And that’s where I falled,” Harris points to the unassuming patch of carpet alongside it.

“Ouch,” Smith mutters, and Eddie swears he can see a semblance of a smile. Leave it to Harris to thaw the most hardened of hearts. “I bet that hurt.”

“Yeah, but there was no blood,” Harris says nonchalantly. “An’ I didn’t need a shot. Just this cast. All my friends signed it. Even Ms. Sweetheart!”

“Ms. Sweetheart?” Smith repeats.

“She’s my teacher. Well, she was my teacher. Now I’m a super secret spy in Ms. Marion’s class, but don’t tell anyone!”

Eddie scoops up a couple of toy cars off of the floor and hands them to Harris, determined to end the conversation before anything else can be revealed. Can you get your kid taken away for being an asshole to his teacher? He doesn’t want to find out. “Here ya go, bud. Why don’t you get the racetrack set up, and I’ll play with you as soon as Mr. Smith leaves.”

“Actually,” Smith says, “I’m about finished. Mr. Munson,” he says, his natural stoicness settling back in as he turns back to Eddie, “after completing this investigation and conducting our interviews, I’ve determined that Harris may remain in your custody. I’ll just need you to sign a few forms and I’ll be on my way.”

Eddie’s relief is palpable. He sweeps Harris into a hug, clutching him to his chest and wordlessly swears to never put him back down. “Th-thank you,” he mumbles, acutely aware of the tears leaking from his eyes. “Wait–what interviews? No one interviewed me.”

Smith nods. “Yes, we spoke with Harris’s teacher. She only had great things to say about how well you take care of him.”

She did? He barely knows the woman; Harris has only been in her class for two full days, and she never indicated any partiality towards him. He makes a mental note to thank her tomorrow at drop-off. For now, all he wants to do is treasure every moment with his boy.

Eddie doesn’t want to let Harris out of his sight, but he begrudgingly takes him to school, not wanting to add a truancy charge to his growing list of misgivings.

Ms. Marion greets both Munsons with a muted stare, harsh enough to drain Harris of the excited energy that typically buzzes through his little body. “Are we going to listen today?” she quips.

“Yes,” Harris says.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Harris’s affect is robotic and monotone, and the uncharacteristic spiritlessness nearly distracts Eddie from thanking the older woman for her interview.

“The guy–um, the social worker–he told me that you said some nice things about me. About how I am with Harris,” he stammers. “So, uh, thank you.”

Ms. Marion crosses her arms over her faded pink sweater, pursing her overlined lips. Her forehead is marred with frown lines. “That wasn’t me, Mr. Munson. I directed him to speak to Harris’s previous teacher, since she spent more time with him.”

Ms. Sweetheart.

After everything he’d said and done, you’d still vouched for him. Spoken so highly of his parenting abilities that CPS allowed him to keep custody of his son. You could’ve easily ruined his life, but you didn’t.

What Eddie doesn’t understand is why.

Perhaps he doesn’t need to; at least, not immediately. Right now, he just needs to fix this. And he knows exactly where to start.

Friday marks one week since your blowout fight with Eddie. One week since he’d caught you pathetically crying in your car because of the venom he’d spewed. One week since you’d informed him that you’d had Harris transferred to another class.

Which is why you’re confused when the boy bounds up to your classroom door, shouting, “Ms. Sweetheart! Ms. Sweetheart!”

“Hey, Harris,” you greet him, unable to mask your confusion. “What are you doing here? You’re in Ms. Marion’s class now, remember?”

Harris nods, his curls bouncing with each movement. He drops his backpack to the floor with a thud and unfastens the zipper, tongue poking from between his lips as he digs through it to brandish a cassette. “This is for you.”

You take it from him, eyes widening as you take in Toni Braxton’s face staring back at you. “Harris…where did you get this?”

“My daddy put it there and said to give it to you. So I did,” he answers with a shrug. He looks up at you, innocuous and angelic as he adds, “I miss you. I wish you could be my teacher again.”

“Me, too,” you reply before thinking. Clearing your throat, you kneel down to meet him at his height. “Thank you for my gift. It was very sweet. Go ahead and head to class now, okay? I don’t want you to be late.”

“Mmkay!” he chirps, slinging his still-opened bag over his shoulder. “Bye, Ms. Sweetheart.”

Why would Eddie buy you a tape? Why this tape, the one you’d come in for when he’d said such malicious things to you? You can’t make sense of it, regardless of how many times you try to piece together the puzzle.

At dismissal, you find yourself waiting by the door, hoping to catch Eddie before he can dash out of the school. There’s no logic to his actions: he despised you enough to weaponize your grandma’s cognitive decline, and then he gives you a gift with no further explanation.

You distractedly hand parents the sign-out sheet, barely registering when Joshua Harrington’s dad asks you about any upcoming plans for a class Halloween party.

“Is there gonna be a list of things you need? Candy or cupcakes or something?”

“Oh, uh, I’m gonna send home information about that next week,” you stumble over your words as you try not to make it obvious that your mind is elsewhere.

“Great,” he says, stretching out the word as he tracks your gaze to the spot behind him. “Everything okay?”

“Yup.” You slap a smile on your face just as you spot the mane of frizzy curls you’d been searching for. “Um, excuse me for a second.” You call out to Will, letting him know you’ll be right back, before sprinting down the hallway.

“Ms. Sweetheart!” Harris’s eager face twists into a frown. “You gotta use your walking feet in school. Or you could get hurt.”

Eddie moves to correct him, but you just smile sweetly. “You’re right, Harris. Thanks for reminding me.”

You allow your gaze to travel upwards, eyes locking onto Eddie’s. You can’t quite read his expression; his brows are furrowed in confusion but the flush in his face indicates that he knows why you’re here.

“Harris gave me the tape. The Toni Braxton one.” Like he’d gifted you myriad cassettes that required this distinction. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Don’t mention it.” The right corner of his lips turns up into a half-smile. “Besides, I should probably be the one thanking you.”

“Me?” What is he talking about? As far as you know, you’re the bane of his existence.

“Yeah. For, uh, what you said to that social worker guy. Even after I treated you like a piece of…” he presses his palms to Harris’s ears and lowers his voice, “shit.”

That makes sense; he was relieved that you’d sang his praises when it had mattered most. This was an expression of gratitude; nothing more and nothing less.

“You’re a good parent, even if you’re mean to me,” you say nonchalantly. “I wasn’t going to make up lies and ruin your lives out of spite.”

The statement hangs in the air, gathering an awkward silence that has you and Eddie both grappling for ways to end the conversation.

He’s the one to interject. “Well, anyway, I hope you like the tape.”

“Mhm.” It’s all you allow yourself to utter in front of Harris. A thousand questions swarm your head, threatening to spill off your tongue, the first of which is simply: why? “I’ve gotta get back. But, um, enjoy your weekend.” You pivot on your heel before Eddie can wish you the same. With the necessary chaos of your life, you can’t invest any more time trying to unravel him.

“Daddy, when is Ms. Sweetheart gonna be my teacher again?”

Eddie knew it was inevitable that Harris would ask about going back to your class, but he thought he’d bought himself more time with the spy game he’d concocted. He can’t delay the truth any longer.

“I’m sorry, buddy. I don’t think you can switch back.” There’s a pang in his heart when his son drops his hand, digging his heels into the parking lot asphalt.

“Is it because you were mean to her?”

His question catches Eddie off-guard. “Wh-What?”

“In there,” Harris points towards the school, “she said you’re mean to her.” He squints when he looks up at his father, the midday sun shining in his eyes. “Why were you mean?”

Eddie exhales, puffing out his cheeks and rubbing the back of his neck. “Sometimes grownups accidentally hurt each others’ feelings.” Or purposely, in his case, but he omits the complexities from his explanation. He reaches out to once again take Harris’s hand, but the boy pulls back.

“Ms. Sweetheart says that when we hurt someone’s feelings, we gotta say sorry. Even if it’s on accident.”

“I did,” Eddie counters, raising his brows. “I gave her the tape.”

But Harris remains unconvinced. “That’s not saying sorry. You gotta actually say it. Or else it doesn’t count.”

“It doesn’t count, huh?” Eddie clicks his tongue and puts his hands on his hips. “All right, I’ll say it the next time I see her.”

“And then you can be friends?” The question is posed innocently, but it rattles Eddie. Friends? Did he even know how to be a decent friend any more? He’d fucked it all up with Gareth, Jeff, and Danny, and he’s known them for forever. “Daddy?” “Uh, maybe,” Eddie replies meekly; this time, Harris grabs his hand when he offers it. “We’ll just have to see.”

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rintoorou · 2 months

Text

ALOHA, HAWAII — ix. old habits

(wc: 870-ish)

you’re wide awake and your head is spinning.

you’ve been in meetings since the afternoon, only peeling away from your computer screen to refill your mug with water or tea. you were so engrossed in your work that the last bits of food you had were lunch—almost 11 hours ago. only the bar was open at this hour, but you’ll take what you can get.

after shutting off your computer, you pocket your room keys in your sweats and step out.

the moon casts a faint glow on your path, creating ambiguous, eerie shadows. the summer air is warm on your skin, but shivers run down your spine when you hear a twig snap from your side. gradually, you pick up your pace and clutch your keys tighter, feeling the cool metal dig into your palm.

you continue walking for a minute until the crickets suddenly go silent.

your shoes skid to a halt. paranoia slowly creeps up on you as you scan your surroundings, looking between the trees and in the dark corners of the street, like someone’s watching you.

hesitantly, you take a step forward, and another, and another, still keeping your eyes trained anywhere except the pavement in front of you. your heartbeat echoes in your chest the more your imagination runs wild—a ghost? a serial killer? one of those creepy guys from the fifth floor you and kenma secretly hate? no, you can handle the last two, but not a ghost. you’re starting to regret watching incantation with kenma the night before your flight.

you’re too lost in thought to notice the person a few feet before you, who is also completely unaware of your incoming presence.

it only takes a couple of steps until you collide, causing a frightened scream to slip past your lips and his phone to slip from his grasp.

“jesus, (—). are you okay?”

“suna,” you breathe out before your initial shock is overcome by frustration, “make a sound, will you?! god.”

suna raises an eyebrow, lips twitching to hide his amusement at your spooked state. you notice, but it doesn’t seem to annoy you. he bends down to pick up his phone, his movements slow and deliberate, before he slips his hands into his pockets. curiosity laces his tone when he asks, “what are you doing out at this hour?”

you��ignore the way your heart skips a beat under his gaze. “i was going to grab a snack,” you tell him, blinking more times than necessary.

“from the bar?” suna hums, humor mixed with concern.

“yes,” you assert, “from the bar.” a smile threatens to spread upon suna's lips but he holds back. why are you lying about something as small as this?

ah, he then remembers kiyoomi mentioning that you’d be caught up in meetings at work for almost the entire day, explaining why you two didn't have to do anything regarding wedding preparations. if he knew you, he’d recall how much of a workaholic you were years ago; how easily you’d get swept up in your work trying to make it as perfect as possible, only filling your system with tea or coffee and all other sorts of caffeine. but it’s hard not to know you—not to forget—when sneaking in both of your lunches inside the study hall practically became a part of his college routine. or how he’d add two packs of dark chocolate to his basket, along with his fruit jelly sticks, when finals were approaching. or how he started filling his training bottle with the blue gatorade you liked instead of his usual purple one so that when you'd ask for a drink, he could hear you gush about how similar your tastes are. and if he knew you, he’d remember how you held your pride over even the tiniest of things, such as admitting whether you’ve had dinner or not. he remembers how adorable or frustrating your stubborn pride could get.

all these thoughts rush into him in a second like they were his own instincts, a second skin.

so without another thought, he suggests, “do you wanna head out instead? i heard there’s this night cafe just fifteen minutes away.”

he's hoping you’d say yes—he can admit that to himself. however, what he can’t acknowledge is that, somewhere deep down, you’re still dear to him in more ways than one.

he sees an ounce of hesitation in your eyes, and he thinks he might have pushed a little too much. maybe you still hated him despite agreeing to keep things civil between you.

“sure,” you tell him, a softness lingering in your eyes that he couldn’t quite decipher, “lead the way.”

suna couldn't control the pleased smile that formed on his lips. he cocks his head to the side, motioning for you to follow him before he pulls out his phone from his pocket. perhaps it's a shame that he doesn't notice the light blush that dusts on your cheeks as you trail behind him.

in the cafe, you sit across from suna, doing your best to appear casual. but even as he eases you into another conversation, you push back the familiar feeling you recognize a few years back.

prev — masterlist — next

notes kind of a filler chapter (?) bc i’m torn between making this slowburn or nawt lolz but i wanted to give an insight into how their relationship was before! (the lyrics of summer, night is sooo fitting for this chap) also.. sakuatsu & sunayn parallelism kinda ??? 🫣

tags @ilyless @strxwberri-s @bbybibi @milesmoralesluvs @hanniemylovelyquokka @nbcvs @crispchocolates @cnnmairoll @trash-master-3000 @tojirin @ryuverse @megumiif @chemiru @theycallmenanamisgirl @neoclb @krissiekris @nyxlai @tsukiran @frvppe @le000xxgrd @kr1nqu @kunihaver @toges-cough-syrup @myromanempiree @baskin-robinhoods @jeongintwt @itsdragonius @moucheslove @ichcocat @miiyas @samuel1004 @reignsaway @sonicsolos @httpshoyo @walllflowerrrsss @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @wolffmaiden @diorzs @zumicho @riabriyn @hqtoge @unhinged-atrocities @t8tiana @deluluforcarlos55 @kissingkzuha @mfcherry @tamimemo @geniejunn @peehall @h3xi2g0n3 @gsyche @meguemii @savemebrazilhinata

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theemissuniverse · 1 year

Text

“YOU HAVE CHOSEN WAR WITH A GOD” LIU KANG X FEM!READER

SUMMARY : To say Liu Kang is in love with you is an understatement. You’re a princess and Kitana and Mileena’s younger sister. You start dating a guy but he doesn’t respect you at all. Liu Kang won’t stand for it. (The lowest of keys inspired by that one “that 70s show” episode. If y’all know know then you know)

WARNINGS : none I think lmao

Liu Kang was absolutely miserable. The Royal family of Outworld once again was throwing a party but this time in celebration for their father’s return. Of course, Liu Kang would show up to pay his respects but there was one small problem: you were with another man.

Now, it took Liu Kang a lot and I mean, a lot to get jealous. Liu Kang was usually always secure in himself but not when it came to you.

Instead you had your hand over this man’s arm. Your lips on him. Laughing at his jokes. It made him feel physically ill.

Johnny had noticed Liu Kang’s behavior and he knew why too. It was because of you. “Come on, dude. You’re the God of literal fire. You totally beat a guard of a palace.”

“Johnny is right…surprisingly.” Kung Lao said. “I have never seen you so nervous around someone before, Lord Liu Kang.”

“If you created this timeline then why didn’t you get her to fall in love with you?” Johnny asked. All his Earthrealm friends looked at him as if he was stupid. “What?”

“Do you not hear yourself right now?” Kenshi questioned him.

Liu Kang sighed. “I created the timeline to allow people free will. If she doesn’t want to be with me then so be it.”

Johnny let out an irritated moan. “You don’t even know. Why don’t you ask her?”

Raiden shook his head. “And jeopardized their friendship?”

Johnny flicked Raiden’s head and Raiden let out an ‘Ow.’ “We’re not talking about you and Kitana. We’re talking about Liu Kang and (Y/N).” He turned his attention back on you feeding your date with some grapes. “There’s gotta be something up with this guy. I don’t trust him.”

“I agree…again surprisingly.” Kung Lao said.

“Looks like we’re about to find out.” Kenshi said as you started to walk towards the champions.

Johnny gave him a confused look. “Look? You’re blind.” Kenshi flicked Johnny’s head and Johnny let out an ‘Ow.’ Kung Lao and Raiden snickered.

“Hey you guys.” You yelled out happy. They all bowed to you and you rolled your eyes playfully. Compared to your sisters, you were laid back. “I told you to stop that.” You then pulled Liu Kang into a hug. “Hey, Liu.”

Liu Kang was always happy with your guy’s relationship. Considering you were a princess and he was a God, the two of you did not act like there was a power imbalance. He hugged you back. “Hello, (Y/N).” He had stuck it in his head to call you just by your name every time he addressed you because you told him to.

The two of you pull away. You motioned over to your date. “This is my boyfriend, Brady.”

Kenshi felt his head and then turned his attention to Brady. “You’re not from Outworld. I can read your thoughts.”

“Strange…” Brady said with a laugh. “Yeah no, I’m from Earthrealm but my business is in Outworld.”

“Pretty interesting move…Brady.” Johnny Cage said, eyeing him up and down.

“Yeah…it is..” Brady said a little uncomfortable.

You listened to the music. The music had slowed up. “I swear they always do this. I’ll be back.” You kissed Brady’s cheek and walked away. “Hey! I said I wanted fast paced!”

It was just the Earthrealmers and Brady. There was a bit of an awkward silence. Liu Kang, as much as he hated it, did not want to be rude and now felt inclined to keep the conversation going. “So, you and Princess (Y/N)?”

Brady nodded. “Yeah isn’t she something?”

Liu Kang didn’t like how he spoke but decided to push it aside. “She’s a wonderful person.”

“Yeah, but sometimes I kinda hate it when she talks.”

The group was shocked at what he said. They all turn to Liu Kang to see his reaction.

Liu Kang looked pissed as ever. Why was he with you if he couldn’t stand you? Liu Kang was madly in love with you. He could listen to you talk for hours. Even if it was literally about paint drying. How could he not? He still tried to keep his composure and offered a fake smile. “Why are you with her then?”

Brady let off a chuckle. “I mean, I figure it’s worth it if I can nail her.”

Raiden was the only one confused by the statement. “Nail her? Like with a hammer?” Kenshi bent over towards his direction and whispered in his ear, explaining to him what Brady had meant. “Oh…”

He wanted to use you for sex? This was crossing a very big line. Though, Liu Kang still tried to use reason. “You should think about that. (Y/N), doesn’t really get into relationships so-“

“That’s not a surprised.” Brady said. When the Earthrealmers waited for his response, he gave them a look as if they should know why. “I mean, she’s an annoying bitch.”

Again, the Earthrealm champions turned back to see Liu Kang’s reaction. This time Liu Kang looked even more angry. They took one step back, knowing what was going to happen.

Liu Kang was a simple man. He did not evoke violence or promote it. Did not believe that fighting was the first resort to anything.

That didn’t matter when it came down to you.

Liu Kang grabbed a hold of Brady’s shirt and made him look directly in his eyes. “Take it back.”

Brady tried to hide his fear. He scoffed at Liu Kang and tried to get him to release his grip on him. “What are you in love with her or something? Relax. You can have her when I’m done.”

That was the final straw. Liu Kang started to feel himself lose control. In one swift motion, Liu Kang used his power to fling him across the party. Brady hit the brick wall and fell onto a table where he then broke it.

“Yeah! Kick his ass!” Johnny said, pulling out a phone and recording. The others gave him a look. “What?”

Liu Kang was not finished. He walked over to Brady and picked him up by his neck. His free hand started to build up fire and he was ready to use it on him until you came along. “Liu Kang?”

The sound of your voice snapped him out of his rage. Liu Kang looked over towards you and immediately dropped Brady. “(Y/N).”

“What happened?” You asked concerned. You then realized that obviously it had to be Brady’s doing because Liu Kang would not attack anyone for no reason. You turned your attention to your boyfriend. “Did you start the fight?”

Brady looked at you like he couldn’t believe you. He stood up from the ground and pointed in the direction of Liu Kang. “Me? He attacked me! I didn’t lay a hand on him.”

You were stunned by the accusation. You turned your attention to Liu Kang, who looked ashamed by his actions. “Is that true? Did you attack him first?”

Liu Kang kept his head down, not daring to look at you. “Yes, Princess (Y/N).”

You couldn’t believe that Liu Kang would start a fight. No. Something was missing. You turned back to Brady. “Okay, well what did you do or say because Liu Kang doesn’t just go out attacking people.”

“Are you serious?” Brady questioned you in disbelief. “You’re picking his side-a psycho, over your own boyfriend.”

By this statement, Raiden decided to speak up. “Brady told us that he was only using you for intimacy and then called you…” He tried to find the right words.

“An annoying bitch.” Johnny helped him out.

“Yes. That. Lord Liu Kang was just defending your honor, Princess.”

Of course you believed your Earthrealm friends. You were beyond angry. You looked at Brady. “I’m an annoying what now?”

Brady looked scared out his mind. If he feared Liu Kang, he didn’t know you at all. “No, no. Baby, I would never. They’re lying.”

Two of your guards had walked up to you. “Is everything alright, Princess (Y/N)?”

You looked between the guards and him. You didn’t even want to deal with him anymore. “Escort him out of here. Make sure he never enters the palace again.”

The guards grabbed onto Brady. Brady tried to break out. “Baby, wait. We can talk about this-“

“No, we cannot.” You leaned in, making sure your eyes met his. “Be incredibly grateful I offer you mercy.”

The guards escorted Brady out of the party. Not without him screaming after you. You rolled your eyes at his dramatics. Then you turned over to Liu Kang. “Thank you for standing up for me. I didn’t know you could get so angry.”

Liu Kang smiled at you. “Only for you.” You smiled a little, feeling the butterflies you always felt for him erupt. Liu Kang gently took your hand. “May I have a moment with you?”

“Sure.” You took Liu Kang inside the palace and all the way to your room. When you made it to your room, you closed the door and looked at him. “What did you need to talk about?”

Liu Kang bit his lip. It shouldn’t be this hard to confess his feelings for you but it was. He didn’t want to ruin any friendship he had with you. “I didn’t just do that because of his disrespect for you…I did it because I love you. I have had feelings for you for the longest but I didn’t want you to feel incline to have them for me or push me away. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you. Every time I look at you, it’s as if time itself stops. I have never felt so strongly for anyone the way I have with you before.” He took your hands in his. “Please, if you do not feel the same, don’t shut me out. I still would like to remain as friends.”

You were shocked by his confession but not at all surprised. You’ve waited forever for him to say that. You pulled Liu Kang close to you and kissed him.

Liu Kang happily kissed you back, deepening the kiss. He kissed you as if you were the only woman in the world.

The two of you pull away. You smiled up at him. “It’s about time.”

Liu Kang smiled at you and pulled you into another kiss. Everything felt right within the world now.

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #liu kang #mortal kombat 1 #kitana #kung lao #mileena #raiden #johnny cage #mk #mk 1 #kenshi takahashi #mk sindel #liu kang x reader

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