Tumgik
#these shows are special enough without this weird energy the last few weeks have had idk
thisapplepielife · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
Written for @corrodedcoffinfest.
Stayin' Alive
Day #17 - "This One's For You" | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Eddie | Pairing: Steddie, Mention of Pre-Robin/Vickie | Tags: Post S4, But Eddie Lives, But Is Still Recovering, Getting Together, First Kiss, The Band Has a Surprise For Eddie at The Hideout, Steve Harrington Just Wants To Help, Henderson Too
Tumblr media
Eddie didn't want to go, didn't want to be paraded anywhere in this town, not after the whole wrongly accused of a grizzly murder or three, saga. But the band was insistent that he come out tonight, and if he has to show his face somewhere in Hawkins, The Hideout isn't the worst place to be, he supposes. At least a few of the regulars here know him well enough to not expect him to skin them alive after the first set.
"You comfortable? Need anything? A drink?" Henderson asks in quick succession, hovering around, squirming, like it's his first time in the place. Come to think of it, it probably is.
"Henderson, just calm down. It's a bar, not Babylon," Eddie says dryly, and Dustin slumps in his chair.
"Just trying to help," Dustin says, petulant. Sullen. 
"What's the little asshole doing now?" Steve asks, sprawling himself into the seat on the other side of Eddie.
Oh, thank god. Another adult. 
"Thinks he's gonna be corrupted," Eddie answers, "Glad you made it, Harrington."
"Robin's still coming, but she's still trying to get Vickie to come with, but she's too scared to ask. So, that's not, you know, working out so well for her. Vickie's not all mind read-y, last I checked," Steve says, stretching his arm behind Eddie's chair, resting it lightly against his shoulders. 
Eddie tries not to lean into the touch. Has to remind himself that Steve's just being friendly, and has been that way, since they got out of the Upside Down. All through his stay in the hospital, and rehab, and the weeks, months, spent at home, just trying to regain his strength and sense of normalcy. 
Steve's been there, too close, too invested, and Eddie's dealt with it. 
But tonight, here they are, out in public, and Steve's acting the same way.
Eddie kind of hates it.
Kind of loves it, too.
Steve is absentmindedly running his fingertips up and down Eddie's shoulder as he talks, and Eddie's not hearing a word he's saying. His whole body dialed in on those little movements, as Steve's brushing his t-shirt, ruffling the soft cotton against his skin.
He wants to lean in. He wants to lean away.
Mainly, he wants to run. 
But that's definitely not an option, running isn't in the cards, not yet. Maybe not ever, so he's stuck here. Wedged between the nervous bundle of energy that is Dustin Henderson and the lazy relaxation of Steve Harrington. 
It's hell. Pure hell.
They sit through the first two bands that aren't very good, and by the time Corroded Coffin is set to take the stage, Eddie's already exhausted. He feels eighty instead of twenty, but he's had a hard time bouncing back. Everything feels harder, and worse, and he'd really rather just be home in his bed, or chair, left alone.
Well, except for Steve and Henderson. And Wayne. None of them give him a moment's peace. They are a tag-team of mother hens, and Eddie's certain they have an internal schedule that never leaves him alone for longer than ten minutes. When Wayne or Dustin or Steve aren't there, can't be for whatever reason, Gareth is. Or Jeff. Or Goodie. Maybe all three at once. Showing up like clockwork, some flimsy excuse for their sudden arrival. 
He's being babysat. Hardcore. 
The band is ready on stage, and it feels weird, seeing the three of them up there without him. He knows he's not out, he's just not able, not yet. Can't quite play the guitar as well as he used to, and definitely can't stand long enough to play a full set.
So he's here, in the crowd, watching. It's a special kind of torture, he thinks. Watching his own band go on without him. It's not permanent, at least Eddie hopes it's not, but still. Torture.
"This one's for you, Eddie," Jeff says, and Eddie's eyes lock on the stage. 
Gareth clicks his sticks together, counting them in, and Goodie comes in with a smokin' bass line, and Gareth's riding his cymbals, and Eddie perks up in his seat. This isn't, no way…
And it is. 
Jeff's falsetto is something, that's for damn sure. 
This is Stayin' Alive.
And Eddie laughs, really laughs, for the first time in months. Since maybe before spring break, and Steve is looking at him, like he's in awe, Eddie can feel it. But he can't look away from the stage. From his friends.
They play some of their own songs, and some more covers, but that one had been for Eddie and Eddie alone.
After, the band crowds around, and Eddie is happy to have them nearby again. He's missed them, and when it's time to go, Eddie is pawned off onto Steve to take home. 
Steve helps him into the car, putting the walker in the backseat, folded up and out of the way. Eddie hates it. Hates everything about being laid up, still hurt, still weak. 
"Everything good?" Steve asks, looking in his direction and Eddie nods. He's as comfortable as he's ever gonna be, at least, unmedicated.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"I'm glad you came out tonight," Steve says, looking in his direction, smiling, "I was worried Dustin wouldn't get you here."
"You don't have to worry about me, Harrington," Eddie says, and that just makes Steve smile harder for some reason.
"I'm always worried about you, Eddie," Steve says, and that can't possibly be true, and Eddie laughs.
Steve looks so fucking earnest, "Really. I'm happy you're here tonight. I'm happy you're anywhere tonight."
"Quit flirting with me, Harrington," Eddie teases, and it's funny for the brief second before Steve's face falls.
Shit. 
No fucking way.
Eddie reaches out, leans over, snagging Steve's hand, "You're flirting with me?"
Steve kind of shrugs his shoulders, in the most non-committal way, but his face tells all his secrets.
"Steve?"
"A little. If you're not interested, if I'm-"
Eddie cuts him off, crushing their lips together.
Tumblr media
If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @corrodedcoffinfest and follow along with the fun! 🦇
264 notes · View notes
kindahoping4forever · 2 years
Note
It always makes me so sad when I see people demand different songs that are not on the setlist to the point where they almost bully the band into playing them 😬 I went to see them in Düsseldorf and it was such a great show! My friend and I were so happy with the setlist because it felt inherently 5SOS (idk if that makes sense haha we just felt like it represented who the band is very well) ☺️ I get that people have very strong emotional connections to certain songs, but so does the band and it seems like they are very deliberate with their song choices. The shows of this tour especially are so thought through and everything seems to be connected with the visuals and everything, that it somehow feels wrong to disrupt that. And it’s not a bad show just because they don’t play the songs you might want them to play 🤷🏼‍♀️
Yes, I agree with all of your points! From the very first show, I was so blown away by the set list - I feel like it's an impressive overview of their entire discography thus far and it's incredible how well the songs flow and transition together, even ones from different eras! And yes, the staging elements like the lights and visuals make it even more apparent just how tailored and fine tuned the whole production is. I really do think it's their best show yet and I say that as a hard YB/MYT era stan 😌
It'd be impossible for them to make everyone happy all of the time, so complaints about the setlist come with the territory and I think they know that - the thing that's wild to me about the people who flipped out when Talk Fast/Beside You/Lover of Mine started fluctuating is that you can bet those songs were removed with good reason (The combined total time of those three songs is about the same amount of time of their live arrangement of Blender plus Me Myself and I, both mid-tour additions to the set. Obviously we don't know if that's the reason for that switch over but it would make sense that with the set approaching 30 songs now, they would want to start evening it out, especially in light of Ashton's hospitalization, I'm sure they're being mindful of how much energy they're exerting during an already exhausting show 🤷🏻‍♀️), it's not like they just stopped playing them on a whim.
My whole thing with the Pizza debacle is just how disrespectful it is? Like yes, we have a Very Specific relationship with this band and we like to tease each other back and forth but yelling over them (even after they adamantly tell you no we're not playing that) to the point that they can't get thru their speeches is rude and inappropriate in any context. (Not to mention how awful it must be for them as artists who have two full albums of songs they're proud of, that they've never gotten to play live and people are still more interested in demanding a joke song from when they were kids 🙃)
They gave in and "spontaneously" played Pizza 5 times on this tour (before Cincinnati) and each time with increasing reluctance in my opinion. (I watched a live stream of Chicago and I believe the way I described the performance to someone was "defeated") Adding it to the set isn't a fun victory or a bit, they clearly decided that sacrificing the 40 seconds it takes to play the song is easier than the show being disrupted for minutes on end while people riot for it. And that... kind of sucks lol 🤷🏻‍♀️
21 notes · View notes
spaceoddball1969 · 2 years
Text
Falling for the Freak - Eddie Munson Fix-It Fic - Chapter 23
Hi hi! OH my gosh today was grand. I started moving into my apartment today. I did it all on my own so I could see it by myself for the first time. It is gorgeous. It’s literally nothing special but it is mine and I love it so much. I don’t even have a bed yet in there but every part of me wanted to just stay there tonight. I was walking through the bedrooms trying to decide which one I wanted to claim as my own and I went into one and the energy in this room felt so good. I didn’t think I would care that much about a bedroom, but ooh boy this room felt so special. It felt like a room where good things happen. And it has a window that looks out at the cutest little street and a bathroom straight up connected to it which is amazing. I am so excited to start living there full time. It just feels so right. Also, this is really weird but a year ago on this day my ex asked me to be his girlfriend and now I’m moving into my first apartment. Maybe August 5th is meant to be a big day in my life. Weird.
CHAPTER SUMMARY: We’re going to do a little time jump. Nothing crazy, but at least enough to the point where Eddie and the reader are mostly healed from their Upside Down wounds. After getting freed and caught up on school work, Eddie and the reader spend some much deserved down time. It’s fairly short but today was real long for me so I’m gonna keep it brief tonight. It’s a simple fluffy chapter. I hope you enjoy!
WARNINGS: FLUFF - literally just all the fluff. 
Chapter 23
It had been a few weeks since we had stopped Vecna from literally destroying Hawkins. The story about Jason went over without too many eyebrows getting raised. It was known to the town that Jason had gone a little haywire that week of spring break and most people bought it. The biggest disbelievers were his parents - of course - because they couldn’t fathom how their son could have been so cruel. However, most people seemed to roll with it and soon enough people were saying things like “I always knew there was something off about him,” and “He seemed like such a normal kids. Shows you can never really know what someone is thinking,” 
Unfortunately it didn’t make things much easier for Eddie. People were still wary around him, even though he had been declared innocent. It probably didn’t help that this declaration was made by the recently returned from the dead police chief. Hopper had told the town some story about how he wasn’t dead, but none of that really matttered to me. 
All that mattered was getting Eddie freed and healthy again. In the weeks after spring break, he had been taking his school work at home. His uncle would pick up assignments for him at the high school and bring them to him. In order to ensure that Eddie actually did his work, I spent most of my evenings at his trailer. I had to take time off work because after being nearly torn to shreds by demobats, standing on my feet all day renting movies didn’t seem like a great way to spend my time. I took the free time that I now had to help Eddie. And to catch up on my own school work. 
It was difficult to maintain my focus on my work when I had been traumatized by the events of spring break. I felt my dedication to school slipping and fought to keep it up. Luckily my professors were understanding and cut me some slack on due dates and things of that nature.
---
One particularly Friday nice afternoon, I had stopped by the grocery store after class and picked up supplies for grilled cheese and some canned tomato soup. Spring seemed to have sprung in Hawkins within the last week and suddenly everyone was wearing shorts and T-shirts. It wasn’t that warm, but after months of the could, a little sun felt like a drop of heaven.
I biked over to Forrest Hill and climbed the wooden steps to Eddie’s trailer. I knocked and Wayne opened the door. He greeted me with a smile and let me in. I had gotten to know Wayne quite well in the last few weeks. He was incredibly kind and hard working. He also truly loved Eddie. 
“I thought I would make us all some dinner,” I said, holding up the bags of food.
“Oh that’s sweet of you,” Wayne said. “But I’m getting ready to be on my way to work. I’m sure my nephew would appreciate the food though,”
“That’s too bad,” I said. “It’s always nice when you can join us for a little while,”
“You’re too kind, Miss Y/LN,” Wayne said. He had never called me by my first name. It seemed old fashioned but I thought it was cute.
Eddie stepped out of his bedroom then. He was wearing black cotton sleep pants and his new Hellfire shirt. He had to make a new one after the one he wore into the Upside Down got ruined. Eddie smiled when he saw me and planted a kiss on my cheek.
“Hey there,” he said, “I thought I heard you out here,”
“Ok Ed, I’m off to work, but you better be on your best behavior. This young lady just brought you dinner,” Wayne said. 
“Will do, sir,” Eddie said saluting his uncle.
Wayne smirked and stepped out the front door. Eddie turned to me with a soft smile on his face. “You brought me dinner?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yeah,” I said. “I was going to make us grilled cheese and tomato soup,” 
Eddie smiled and gave me a kiss. “Thank you,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” I said.
---
I got to work cooking the sandwiches while Eddie put some music on his stereo. I stood at the stove watching the sandwiches cook when Eddie wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.
“Those look amazing,” he said. 
“Thank you,” I said, “I try my best,”
“Well your best is amazing,” Eddie said. “You’re amazing,”
“Oh my gosh shut up,” I chuckled. “Where is all this coming from?”
“You’ve done so much for me in these last few weeks,” Eddie said, kissing my cheek. “I just want you to know how much I appreciate it,”
“I know you appreciate it,” I said. 
“Good,” Eddie said. “Because I really don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you,”
“Never,” I said. “I like taking care of you,”
“Yeah?” Eddie asked, a small laugh rumbling through his ribs.
“Yes,” I said. “How very domestic of me,” I laughed.
Eddie kissed my cheek again and then started trailing kisses down my neck. It made my toes curl but I had to keep my wits about me.
“Whoa, hey,” I said. “I have an open flame in front of me and sandwiches to cook. You hold back on all that funny business for now,”
Eddie moaned and dropped his head onto my shoulder. “Sandwiches can wait,” he said. “Can’t they?”
“Not when they’re already cooking, baby,” I laughed. “Eat your food and we’ll see what comes next, ok?”
“We’ll see what comes next?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “We’ll see how I decide to take care of you after we eat.”
“Or I could take care of you for a while,” Eddie said, kissing my neck again.
“Oh wow you have to not do that while I’m cooking,” I said. “Unless you want to burn down your uncle’s house,”
“Might be worth it,” Eddie said pressing another wet kiss on my neck.
“Seriously,” I said. One of the sandwiches was done and I loaded it up on plate for him. “Here’s your sandwich, take some soup and eat,”
We sat and ate our food in eager silence. Then Eddie looked up at me with a curious expression on his face. 
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said.
“What?” I asked. again.
“Seriously, it’s nothing,” Eddie replied.
“Eddie,” I said. “I saved the world with you, you have to tell me why you just looked at me like that,”
Eddie stared at me for another moment as if he was trying to size me up. He sighed. “What’re your thoughts on prom?”
“What?” I asked.
“You know, prom, the big dance,” Eddie said. “Totally lame or like something fun?”
“I don’t know, I guess it depends on who you’re with,” I said.
“What if you were with me?” he asked.
“I would have fun anywhere if I was with you,” I said. “You know, except for an eternally dark alternate universe.”
“So you’re saying you’d go to prom if it was with me,” Eddie said.
“Eddie, are you asking me to prom?” I asked.
“Possibly?” he said, uncertainly.
“You want to go to prom?” I asked.
“Maybe,” he said. “I haven’t for the last two years, and I don’t know, I thought it might be fun if we went together. We could get all dressed up and go dance to shitty music with a bunch of people younger than us that all kind of think I murdered three of our classmates. Now that I think about it, it’s probably not a good idea,”
I took his hand in mine. “Eddie, if you want to take me to your senior prom then there’s nothing else I’d rather do. I’d be honored to be your date. And who cares what the others think? We’ll have fun with each other. And I won’t lie, I would love to see you all dressed up,”
“Oh yeah?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Can’t beat a man in a good suit,”
“You’d really go to prom with me?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” I said. 
“Cool,” Eddie said. “Because I already asked my uncle to buy the tickets,”
I couldn’t help but smile at him. He was perfect. He was literally just perfect. 
Falling for the Freak Taglist:
@dilophosaurusatenewman @efvyqrs @babeyglo @aestaethicvante @kbakery @aereth @livlaughquinn @kaqua @starryeyedkoko @paintballkid711 @cryuki-patootie @lorrainlikesprivacy @possiblyexisting @beepisbeep
Previous Chapter: Chapter 22
28 notes · View notes
rocorambles · 3 years
Text
Proving A Point
Pairing: Toji x reader
Genre/Warnings: NSFW, Yandere, Dub-Con/Non-Con, Degradation, Murder, Violence, Gore, Borderline Necro??? But not really??? Listen...there is a dead body and things are done in very very close proximity to that dead body so take that as you will.
Summary: You make the mistake of accusing Toji of being jealous of sorcerers and he proves that he has nothing to be envious of.
Steady...Steady…
You wince as your stomach grumbles in complaint, hunger eating away at your patience and concentration. But you steel your nerves, stubbornly shaking your head and willing away the pangs in your abdomen as you focus on your surroundings, eyeing the cameras and employees, waiting for the right moment…
Skittish eyes. Rustling. Quick movements.
You tamper the pep in your step, hiding the glee in your face as you casually stroll outside of the sliding doors, leaving the grocery store and its shoppers in your wake, baggy sweatshirt much less roomy as you walk away. Your fingers itch to immediately grab the banana tucked inside your bra, but you know better.
Patience is a virtue. Out of sight, out of mind. And you wait, fighting every urge to run far away and dig into your stolen loot, sighing in giddy relief when you finally turn the corner, blocks away from the scene of the crime.
It’s almost animalistic how you practically rip off your hoodie, letting your precious cargo of fruits, bread, and chips fall to the ground. You plop on the ground, hand wrapping around the banana still tucked in the fabric around your chest, but you freeze at the sound of amused chuckling.
Your fight and flight instincts war inside of you, teeth baring, body back on its feet as you gauge your intruder. But your heart drops in your stomach when you take in the large muscular figure, the feral scarred grin leering at you from down the alley.
Years alone and left to fend for yourself have made your survival instincts strong and you know just from a brief glance that you don’t stand a chance against the man slowly meandering towards you. You’re no stranger to using your body for protection, money, just another night under a warm roof and you can only surmise that’s what he wants, that he’s just another predator in search of hapless prey. So you brace yourself, willing your body to relax as it trembles, letting it go limp as he draws near.
But you open your eyes in shock, looking warily on as he plucks the banana still nestled in your bra and peels it open, holding the opened end to your lips.
“Don’t let me interrupt your meal.”
You gape, eyes flickering between the yellow fruit and the amused face of the man in front of you. Back and forth, back and forth.
“If you’re not going to eat it, maybe I’ll have it. I’m getting kind of hungry anyway-”
“What is this? Some kind of weird foreplay?!”
Hunger makes your tongue sharper than you intend as you angrily chomp on the soft fruit before he can pull it away from you, your hands ripping the rest of the banana from his grasp as you quickly shove the rest in your mouth, uncaring of how ridiculous you look. So what if you look like an oversized furious chipmunk, cheeks bulging as you rapidly chew, scowl set in place? You’d be damned if you let someone else take your hard-earned food, even if he does look capable of choking you with his bare hands, and your eyes linger a little too long on the ways his shoulders and biceps bulge in his tight black shirt.
But his next words have you snapping back to attention, nervousness curling inside of you.
“I saw your little stunt back there. Not bad. How long have you been stealing to provide for yourself?”
You immediately deny his words, feigning ignorance, beads of cold sweat trailing down the side of your face the longer he just impassively stares at you as you continue stuttering.
Had you misjudged him? Was he some kind of undercover cop?
“What if I told you I could keep you off the streets, find jobs that would pay enough money to put a roof over your head, keep your stomach full?”
Your head snaps up, hope fluttering inside of you, your voice coming out more desperate and shaky than you wish.
“You won’t turn me in?”
The man snorts, bending down to pick up the rest of your meager belongings and food, not even looking back to see if you’re following as he begins to walk away, arms laden with your possessions, silently commanding you to follow him. And like a duckling imprinting on its parent, you instinctively trail after him without a single question about where you’re going, what jobs he’s talking about, or who he is. But as you exit the narrow alleyway and get ready to merge with the bustling street, he pauses, turning around to gaze at you as he answers one of those questions.
“I’m Toji. No last name. Just Toji.”
Neither of you dwell too much on what exactly brought the two of you together, what had Toji curiously watching as you skillfully and efficiently stole your next few meals and deciding to tuck you under his wing, what had you eagerly following after the man like a lost puppy. The harsh conditions and day-to-day survival of your lives don’t give either of you the luxury of wallowing in loneliness or the warmth that builds in your chests the more time you spend together.
But on nights after a successful job, bellies full of food and alcohol, bodies lazing on a cushy hotel bed where you splurge and rest for the night, neither of you fight the way your limbs naturally entangle, the way your lips meet in the dark, the way it feels so damn right to be together.
You learn about sorcerers and curses, shuddering when you become aware of an entire world that surrounds you. Toji laughs when he gifts you a pair of glasses that helps you see the evil around you and you scream, jumping in his readily outstretched arms, clinging onto him in fright.
Toji learns that aggressive shows of confrontation and brute force aren’t always the best answer (even if they are the most fun option) and he follows your lead, letting you quietly sneak around, swift hands dexterously picking locks, easily plucking and pocketing stolen goods. It’s your turn to laugh when he pouts at not being able to use his blade, strong arms crossed in front of his chest as he impatiently waits for you to finish your task.
But despite the months you spend together, you never get used to the crimson stains he returns with, eyes always averted and looking anywhere else when he deals a final blow. He knows if you had a choice, you’d always opt out of joining him on these specific types of requests. He knows it’s selfish to force you along, to make excuses as to why he needs you by his side as his sword guts yet another sorcerer. He knows he should feel some shame for the way you dry heave and vomit the contents of your guts at the sight of the countless corpses he forces you to look upon.
Yet all he feels is annoyance laced with guilt and fury at the pity in your eyes, the softness in your gaze as you watch him slay another individual who just happened to be born with cursed energy, the gentleness with which you handle the fallen bodies. Maybe that’s why he keeps on dragging you with him assassination after assassination, gloating about his new moniker “Socerer Killer” in front of you despite your clear discomfort towards the title.
But maybe the unspoken punishment is too soft for you, too subtle. And Toji scowls when you begin to question him and his motives, angrily growling right back at you when you raise your voice as you argue with him about his drive to kill every sorcerer he crosses paths with.
You plead and beg for him to reconsider. Sorcerers are humans after all, just with special abilities.
Toji wonders if you’d still think that if you met anyone else from the Zenin clan and both of you back down, your arms wrapping around him in an attempt to soothe and comfort as you see his mind and eyes glaze over in painful reminiscing.
It’s during one of these sessions that you utter the lines that end up being your downfall.
“Toji, do you think that maybe all your hate towards sorcerers is just jealousy? Are you jealous that you weren’t born with cursed energy like they were? Because if that’s what it is, there’s nothing to be jealous about-”
“What the fuck did you just say?”
Harsh language and cursing are all things you’ve come to expect from Toji. But what has you paralyzed with fear and a desperate need to make things right is the pure animosity and seething rage in his voice.
You whimper as a large hand reaches to grip your face, squishing your cheeks painfully, forcing you to lock eyes with fierce emerald orbs.
“I’m not jealous.”
He abruptly lets go of you with that sentence, turning his back on you, slamming the door in his wake. And you know you should be grateful that this is the extent of his lashing out. Yet somehow your heart aches more in his absence and you almost long for more of his heated words, even a spiteful strike as the days drag on without his presence.
It’s embarrassing how much you miss him, how accustomed you’ve grown to him being around. But you can’t help the way you scramble and flail in your rush to greet him as he finally enters your bedroom almost an entire week later. And he snorts when he easily catches you as you stumble and topple into his arms, tightly flinging your arms around him and holding him in silence, nuzzling and inhaling his scent as you bury your head in his chest.
You don’t miss the way a large hand gently rests on your head, the way he lets himself bask in your embrace. But all is not forgiven or forgotten and you warily listen as he barks at you to get ready, telling you he has another job for the both of you, grimacing when a razor sharp grin cuts across his face when he tells you it’ll be a messy one.
If there’s one positive attribute about Toji, it’s that he’s a man of his word. Your stomach churns, nausea swirling inside of you as he uses his bare fists to seemingly break every bone in the target’s body, unnecessarily cruel as he drags out the sorcerer’s death. The victim’s agonized screams fill the air and you clamp your hands over your ears, wishing you were anywhere but here, hesitantly stepping towards the exit, but stopping at Toji’s curt command for you to stay put.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh finally stops and you let out a shaky breath, tentatively lowering your arms as you turn back to face Toji, waiting for his exit plan. But your eyes widen when you see the sorcerer’s chest still rising and falling, still hanging to life by a fraying thread. And realization weighs down on your shoulders like a ton of bricks when Toji beckons you over, pulling your reluctant body until your back is pressed against his chest.
He places the hilt of his sword in your hands before gripping your hips, holding you still as his thumbs languidly rub lazy circles through the fabric of your pants. Hooking his chin over your shoulder, he watches the tremble of your arms as you vigorously shake your head side to side, eyes dizzyingly flitting between the half-dead sorcerer laying at your feet and the sharp point of the weapon your holding.
“Toji, I don’t- I can’t-”
“Kill him or be punished. Pick your poison.”
You know there’ll be hell to pay if you don’t follow through and every ounce of self-preservation screams at you to put your own well-being above the pitiful stranger on the ground. But when you lock eyes and see the fear and pain, see him as just another human like yourself, you know you’ll never be able to forgive yourself if you deal the final blow, know that his death will haunt you, curse you, for the rest of your life.
You’re terrified as you begin to loosen your grip, getting ready to let the object clatter to the ground, knowing full well Toji will be livid. But before you can fully release the sword, strong hands wraps around yours, forcing you to hold the blade once more, and you scream as Toji guides your hands, forcing you to cut through flesh, muscle, skin, and bone, the body parting like butter beneath the overwhelming force. Hot crimson splatters decorate the both of you and all you smell and taste is metallic copper.
All you’re cognizant of is the dimming light in the sorcerer’s eyes, the way your hands are still holding onto the weapon buried in your victim’s guts.
Murderer. Murderer. Murderer.
You don’t know anything except the need to flee, to separate yourself as far from the crime scene as possible. And your legs jerk back to life, only to give out on you as you’re forced to the ground, body unable to do much against Toji’s brute strength as he forces you on all fours on top of the still warm corpse, your limbs encasing the figure, eyes unable to look anywhere but straight down on those vacant eyes.
“Take a close look, sweetheart. Still think I’m jealous of a pathetic meat sack like that? Still think I care about having cursed energy? His special little powers didn’t help him much, did they?”
Toji’s laughter rings in your ears as your shaky arms struggle to hold your bodyweight up, trying to create as much distance between your torso and the hardening corpse beneath you, your eyes clenching shut, trying to block out the gruesome scene. You’re so focused on your predicament that you barely register calloused hands pulling down your pants and underwear, leaving your most intimate parts on display.
But Toji’s never been a fan of being ignored, especially by you, and you wail as he suddenly shoves his cock inside of your dry and unprepared hole, the pain and force of his thrust throwing you off balance and fat tears stream down your face as your body falls on the lifeless form beneath you.
Fear, pain, and disgust coil and slither inside of you as you futilely flail and try to lift yourself off the body beneath you, loud sobs escaping past your lips as your face is squished against a much colder visage, your tears and saliva mixing with the congealed blood on the sorcerer’s face. But every time you try to push yourself up, Toji rams into you from behind, and you instinctively tip forward, trying to escape, trying to pull away from him, only to further trap yourself against the corpse.
“God, you’re such a fucking crybaby. He’s dead, get over it. Look. There’s nothing to be so upset about.”
A new wave of salty tears trail down your face as Toji uses one hand to pin you down, forcing your lips to connect with colder, stiffer ones in a mockery of a kiss. He pauses his relentless thrusts to boisterously laugh as you fight against his hold in renewed vigor, fueled by your disbelief and terror.
“Alright, I guess that’s enough punishment for you. Don’t want you to die from shock. Let me make it all better.”
If you thought the ocean of negativity you had been drowning in before was bad, this is worse. So much worse. And a disgust so thick, so potent, so irreversible washes over you, seeping into every part of you, as pleasure begins to flicker and grow deep inside of you. Toji knows every inch of your body inside and out, and it’s pathetic how quickly your pleas for him to stop become lewd moans and wanton sounds as his fingers rub and play with hardening nipples and clit, as he angles his cock at just the perfect degree that has you seeing stars, as his teeth possessively bite down in the junction of your neck.
You don’t want to feel good, not like this, not here, not sprawled on top of a man you had just killed in cold blood. But it’s hard to think of anything else other than the arousal and lust fogging over your morality, over your humanity as Toji turns you into a well-trained mindless slut desperate for him, for pleasure. And he smiles victoriously as you stop resisting, letting your body mold against the corpse beneath you, uncaring of how absolutely sinful and depraved you look as you moan and drool like a bitch in heat, writhing shamelessly against the body underneath you.
He knows the image is going to be seared into his mind for life, fap material for years to come, and his hips stutter, his tempo fluctuating as his balls tighten, his thrusts becoming even more feral and desperate as he chases his end. And when you cum first, convulsing and milking him of all his seed, pushed over the edge by the brutality of his pace, he spills thick white spurts deep inside of you, grunting in satisfaction as he slams balls deep into you one last time.
It’s amusing how you’ve seemingly had a complete change of heart, looking almost at home and at peace as you continue laying on the motionless sorcerer, body twitching and eyes rolled back in your head as you laze in post-coital bliss. His softening and spent cock twitches in interest again as a sticky trail begins to trickle out your used cunt, mixing with the blood of the broken body beneath you. And it takes all his willpower to refrain from having you, tasting you all over again.
You’re still on the clock after all and there’s payment to be collected.
But as he coldly barks at you to get up and tidy yourself up as best as you can, smug satisfaction swells inside of him as he watches you exhaustedly pull your panties and pants back up above your ass, a dazed pleasured look on your face as you quickly make your way to him, tucking yourself closely to his side and leaning into his body heat.
You always were a clingy and needy thing after an orgasm. But he can’t bring himself to mind, sneering as he tosses one last backwards glance at the dead sorcerer you’re leaving behind before finally settling into a self-satisfied smile as he pulls you in closer.
Cursed energy and all...no sorcerer could ever make you feel as good as him.
659 notes · View notes
i-need-air · 4 years
Text
Hybrid!AU Wolf!Bakugou HCs: NSFW.
Tumblr media
Summary: By the title you can already tell what's going on. The long awaited NSFW part of Hybrid!Bakugou. [ 3k words ]
Warnings: NSFW; dom!bakugou, impregnation kink, praise kink, filthy mouthed Baku; also some sub!Bakugou because why not;
Notes: It's important to point put this is a F!Reader. The first 2 parts of the series [sfw] + any ask involving hybrid!bakugou were as gender neutral as possible though. [ Part 1 and Part 2 here, Masterlist here for more ]
Tumblr media
× believe it or not, he's a respectful guy
× shy with physical contact at the beginning
× learns incredibly fast though
× feels, listens, smells you, notes what you enjoyed, what you didn't
× you would have to take the first few steps
× lead his hands, put a peace, encourage him and he will surely get the drill
× Bakugou will be eager and curious, and trust me, your moans will drive him insane
× naturally, as you share a bed, one thing will lead to another, soft kisses will turn into a full blown make-out session and his hands will be everywhere on you;
He grunted, grindind his body into you, lips capturing your own in a heated kiss. It just started with a peck after he caressed your features gingerly, catching him in one of those tender moments you oh so loved. He returned it harder, moaning into your mouth. Breath fanned your face when he retreated, his somewhat cloudy eyes made you squirm under his frame and you had to pull him by the shoulders back into you.
From there you lost yourselves into each other. Your touches drove him to the edge and slowly clothes started coming off until you found yourself under an Adonis of a man. He looked mesmerized for a second, drinking you in with a hungry gaze.
Lips clashed, the tension between you, specially in the past few weeks built up and none could take it longer. His calloused hands touched your neck, your shoulders, going further down and making you shiver. He was a little bit rough but you could feel his excitement, both on his face and poking your tights.
Katsuki waited though, slowing down his movements until you whispered "Are you sure about this?" into his ear. A shiver took over him as he lifted his face to yours, lips feathered over your own yet again.
"*Are you?*" his voice just as soft.
"I want you, Katsuki." He had to close his eyes for a second and take a deep breath in at your confession.
"You're fucking perfect." He growled back, the intensity of his words formed a bolt of energy that ran through your whole body. "I just— I've never—"
"We'll take it slow."
× again, he is a fast learner, but needs instructions
× can be a bit selfish at first, this new feeling, this heat driving him insane
× but once he smelled your arousal he almost lost all strength in his body, his mouth watering
× and I bet you almost lost all strength in your body when you saw what he's packing
× big, thick and veiny, curved just enough to know he'd reach the best spots for you
"Fuck, fuck, fuck—" he'd growl out into your ear as you moaned under him, nails clenching his shoulders as he held into the bed-frame. He was going insane, he thought. The feeling of your cunt clenching around his dick erased anything else in his brain and your moans— Delicious. Your smell was intoxicating, addictive.
He'd rail you eagerly, getting drunk in the feeling when he noted you move your hand to rub yourself under him, moans increasing. He'd guide his hand towards yours, breathing heavy, anticipating.
"Show me." He'd order.
× clit, you say, huh?
× the moment he understood you could become undone under him because of that little button, you're a goner
× which takes me to my next point
× he's a giver
× once he does his homework and finds out ways to drive you crazy, he'll demand to go down on you
× will dominate in bed, it's natural in him
× so when he tells you to spread your legs and to be a good girl, mischief in his eyes, heat filled your guts
× to which he almost rolled his eyes into the back of his head because holy shit your scent
× loves having his tongue lapping into your sex; he'd suck, he'd lick and thrive because of your reactions
× just having your tights trembling by his ears as he gripped them to keep you in place made his cock hard
× but what he really loved was knowing he could get you off just with his tongue; he'd even smile into your cunt as you'd moan louder and louder, the only thing left in your vocabulary being his name;
"Katsu—" you'd say, out of breath, back arched as you couldn't focus your vision. You struggled to keep your composture as he licked over your clit brutally, two digits inside of you.
"Look at me when I fuck you with my tongue." He said, stopping and earning a groan from you. With a deep breath you settled back, opening your legs a little bit more, not even realizing you were almost choking him with your tights, not that he really cared. He gave you a grin as you locked eyes and proceeded, slowing his peace and pumping his fingers inside of you.
"Good girl." He growled, not breaking eye contact. He felt it too, the shiver running through your body as you knew you got even wetter, and he got to work, proud of his accomplishment.
And as he sucked slowly and made you see stars, he resumed his brutal rhythm until you were a blabbering mess.
× doesn't mean he does not like to receive
× seeing you between his legs sucking him off is a treat to his eyes
× very much into power-play and dominating; he'd tell you how good you look with his cock in your mouth, very vulgar, loving your reactions;
× he grunts, but isn't very vocal so don't expect loud moans for him unless;;
× spread his legs slightly, suck on the tip, pump his cock, milk it into your mouth and with another hand play with his balls
× his leg will start shaking as he'd throw his head back, and if you suck on them while pumping him he'll let out such sinful growls that will reach your core
× that is when you can amp it up by scratching his tights and he'll cum like a fountain under you
You hollowed your cheeks, tongue running on the tip of his hard dick, watching him try to maintain his self-control. He was stubborn, gritting his teeth and acting tough yet he fisted the sheets, that giving him away.
It was always a pleasure to see him like this but it was never enough for you.
"Look at you, hmm?" He said between his teeth. "Such a good little slut for me." You moaned, taking him deeper in your mouth as you rubbed your legs together. "You love my dick in your mouth, hah?"
Little did he expect for you to start playing with his balls gently, your orbs sparkling while watching him almost choke on his own spit.
"Fuck, baby—" he'd growl, tensing up, almost moving his hips forward to fuck your mouth. You took as much of his hardness as you could and sucked, attentive of his balls and whatever you couldn't take in your mouth you pumped slowly, your cunt getting soaked just by hearing him swear to no end.
"Shit, [Y/N], so fucking good—"
With a last good suck, you kissed his tip them smirked at him, getting a confused and desperate look, begging you to continue, but you just lowered yourself and started licking his balls, his head fell back and the most lewd groan left his mouth.
"God, fuck me—" he said breathless as he started moving his hips upwards, fucking into the hand that still had his cock in a grip. It was a little hard to do so, but you licked in circular motions as he stumbled on his words until you felt them tighten and throb, cue for you to put the tip back in your mouth and await your treat, one last choked moan before he came everywhere.
× fucks you hard, will drill into your body, and you'd think fucking hard means fucking fast but he can still fuck you slowly and shake you to the core
× skin slapping skin can be heard all around the apartment and the dude has stamina
× bioengineered as he is, he will make you cum a few times before he comes too
× when you both have enough experience with each other that's when he realizes making you cum beforehand is the best way to fuck you, so yes, you will cum and you will cum hard
× favorite place to cum into? your mouth, so if you don't really dig it, he's okay with you spitting it out or cumming over your body
× his favorite position is doggy [ no duh ], with your ass up and face down, but don't get me wrong, it doesn't matter as long as he fucks you good and long
× he's also more into longer sessions, quickies are fine but not enough for him;
× might also be into praise-kink yet still with his dominant side on
× of course he has to tell you how good you look stuffed up with his cock, from any position
× marking
× oh, yes, he loves marking you
× before you got this intimate he liked to scent you but now that you're lovers expect to have marks all over you and you better not hide them
× definitely bites, sorry, absolutely not sorry, babe;;
× but nothing, nothing compares to his ruts
× just as wolves, it happens between
× hear me out and prepare yourself
× mating season happens between January and March;;;;; 💀
× it has different stages, yet the most fascinating one to you has to be the first weeks because it shifts his behaviour so much
× he goes from cocky, confident, dominant and territorial to whiny, needy, easily made jealous and kinda submissive
Katsuki started acting weird, something that at first you linked to the time you were apart. Maybe he missed you, who knows? The blond started touching you more, asking you to pet him, giving you blushing side glances and seeking your approval even more than normally. You caught on quickly as you once praised him for his amazing cooking, his chest puffed and cheeks burned without shame, contrary to normality, where he'd try to adorably hide it. He started to be really honest through his body.
The biggest difference was, without doubt in mind, when you got intimate. He'd whine for your touch so much, actual whines, gutural, deep from within would even shock you whenever you decided to tease him.
"Please, baby, please..." he'd beg but wait patiently for you to get on top of him and ride his cock until he couldn't take it any longer. You'd test the waters, of course, starting to praise him for being so good for you and he'd melt in your arms.
"You feel so good inside of me, baby." You'd say, slowly raising and falling over him repeatedly, a much calmer rhythm compared to your normal sessions. His hands would be gentler, just feeling you up and enjoying being taken care of, absolutely enamored with the sight of you.
Even if he was on top, he'd go gentler, whispering how incredible he feels, calling you all sorts of praises.
× when the actual rut finally hits, he turns territorial yet again, and the roughness comes with it
× now you're marked with hickeys and bruises from being manhandled by him
× of course he'd still be careful not to hurt you and if ever crosses any line with you and you'd tell him, he'd whine like a wounded animal
× because he would never want to hurt his mate
× but again, doubt it would ever happen
× although be prepared to have sex everywhere inside the house
× he'd pound on you unexpectedly, knowing to perfection how to touch and where to touch to get you in the perfect mood for him
× sometimes he watches, a filthy promise in his eyes to break you so good, just the way only he knows how
× he is hyper-aware of everything about you, the way you breathe, the way your heart pounds in your chest, the way your pupils dilate, how you clench your tights together, every single thing
× one thing that doesn't change from his pre-rut attitude is the honesty, now more verbal
× his first rut is where he learns just how much his words affect you
You were on the edge, just as the past few weeks. He told you a few nights ago that his mating season came to a high this week, so you suggested taking a week off work to help, and he eagerly agreed but not without teasing you about how much you loved being railed by him.
Sure, he teased, but it was so true and both of you knew. Katsuki was watching you silently from the couch. He spent all morning just watching you, walking without making any sound around you, sizing you up while licking his lips. These past weeks you were all over each other every night and now that you finally took a whole week off, he didn't touch you the first day at all? Strange. You definitely felt something was coming though. You were excited, nervous, you felt his eyes all over your body that left a trail of warm in your body. Acting occupied, as if you really had something to do even if the house was impecable, just so you could calm yourself to no avail.
He felt you and he liked seeing you nervous, anticipating his next move. How fucking amazing you looked, how delicious you smelled, his hunger grew and grew for you, excitement to have you for a full week to pleasure each other...
A growl froze you in place making you drop whatever you had in your hands. You turned slowly towards him only to almost collide with his chest.
A rough hand pulled you into him as he burried his nose in your hair.
"Mine." He grinded into you, hand on your ass. "My fucking mate." He breathed you in. "Mine."
He lifted you up without any struggle, just moving a little to press your back against the wall.
"So fucking perfect." He grinned at you then leaned to kiss your neck. "Fuck, you smell ready for me already..." he'd whine, spreading more your legs to adjust himself between them, tights gripped hard. "My sweet little mate..." he'd bite down the same spot he kissed. "I'm gonna fuck you so good you won't remember your own name." He promised and be sure to not wear many clothes because he'd rip them off you.
× impregnation kink; if you don't want pups right away [ ye, he calls em pups ] it's no problem, but you should definitely consider any sort of birth control, condoms...
× beg him to fill you up and he's done, he'll lose himself into you completely
× praise kink would hit again but this time telling you how sexy you'd look with his pups inside of you
× if you did find a method of birth control early on and you're safe, he's gonna fill you up and then finger you while you still had his cum inside, keeping it there while you rode through another orgasm
× mother-fucking filthy about it too
You were exhausted, your bones felt like jelly as you stood in place in bed, legs now opened for him as he admired his hard work. His cock stood proud as he jerked it off to the sight of you, cunt in his face stuffed with his semen, his fingers pushing any drop that dared to come out back inside.
"You took me so good, baby, look at you stuffed like the slut you are." He said after licking his lips. Precum ran over his hand as he pumped himself, head red and needy and both of you knew it wasn't over. "You're gonna take me one last time, understood?" He moved to your face, placing the fingers that were inside of you on your lips for you to lick, and did not need verbal confirmation since you took them in your mouth and sucked hard. He swore silently then grabbed you by the neck, getting close to your face. "So I've fucked you stupid, hah? Can't even say a word back? Can't fucking tell me how much you want me to break that cunt of yours until you see the stars, baby?" He mocked through a grin.
Even as exhausted as you were, you knew he'd take care of you, so when you finally regained the strength to touch his cheek, just the way you learned he liked, tenderly even when he fucked you like a pornstar, you threw him over the edge again... with a few simple words.
"Fill me up, daddy, give me your pups..." you begged in a whisper, curving your body to meet his, rubbing yourself into him.
The maniacal way his face contorted made you regain all your energy back in an instant.
He'd lift your lower part up and trust into you like a mad beast after opening your pussy up and spreading his cum over it to lube you up.
"I'm— gonna— fill— you— up—" he'd say between hard trusts, watching with lust as your tits bounced and you threw your head back.
The bed was a mess, cum leaked from inside of you, you were covered in hickeys and bite-marks, you begged his name like a broken record. He'd lose himself in the moment, falling into your body, hugging you tightly while rutting into you, reaching both of your releases.
× after the rut he's more laid back, both of you would need some time to just rest
× but he'd be very attentive, much like a prolonged aftercare
× he'd take care of you, do everything for you and even feel bad thinking he might've hurt you, even if it wasn't the case
× will hold you close in silence, enjoying your presence, will kiss your temple and just havung you in his arms
× has considered you as his mate from very early, even before you actually got together as a couple officially but after this, you're bonded together, since mating is very important for his species and as I clarified in the sfw version, wolves [ and wolves hybrids ] mate for life;
× will whisper how much he loves you into your neck as he holds you.
Tumblr media
Tags: @bakugous-mamas @tspice283 so sorry to a couple of people that reblogged and asked to be tagged too, I've been searchin but I can't find you 😭😭
1K notes · View notes
personasintro · 4 years
Text
our tiny christmas | ksj
Tumblr media
𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 | Our Tiny Christmas
✱⏤𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒔; this year's christmas proves to you that even though they're tiny, there's something special about your tiny and maybe not completely perfect family.
✱⏤𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: seokjin x reader
✱⏤𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: fluff, tiny angst, parents au
✱⏤𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 5.5k+
✱⏤𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: none
✱𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒙✱
⏤𝒂/𝒏: Merry Christmas luvs! I hope you've enjoyed seeing these two again!!
𝒎.𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 | 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 | © 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐 (𝒏𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅)
Tumblr media
Christmas should be a holiday full of love, calm and nice energy with a possible beautiful decoration that could easily set everyone into a good mood. The holiday has a completely different meaning than it had a few years ago and the very own reason is right in front of you, watching the Grinch movie.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us? It’s just the two of us anyway, and I miss baby pumpkin.”
Your best friend’s voice sounds a little bit beaten up over the thought that you’re not spending Christmas with him. You’re not sure why though, it’s not like you’ve spent last year’s Christmas with him and his girlfriend. Still, he makes sure that if you’ve any doubts about today, there is still a chance for you and your son to join your best friend on this year’s Christmas.
“No, no, it’s all good. I promise, thank you. He’s already invited and he’s coming, I can’t decline it at the last minute.”
“You can’t or you don’t want to?” Your friend asks and if you could see him, you know you’d see his tiny frown and suspicious eyes. Well, you’re glad you can avoid them right now because his words certainly make your heart jump a little. It’s like you got caught over something that never even occurred in your mind until now.
“Hobi,” you whine through clenched teeth, “I can’t because it’s not appropriate and he deserves to be with Yoojin too. He’s trying, okay?”
Last year’s Christmas was a little bit awkward to be honest, and it’s something that Hoseok knows because you told him everything. From the moment he came wearing some expensive and designer suit which you can’t even guess the price (nor you want to because you’re sure it’d make your head spin) to the point you were just awkwardly sitting together in your living room, staring at Yoojin who was too little to notice the awkward atmosphere between his parents. But of course, it’s only understandable how awkward it was because you’ve never been in that situation before and considering your relationship (or whatever the two of you have), it was awkward for the both of you. But it was quite funny to see him stuffing his face with gingerbread and other deserts you bought in the grocery shop. You just didn’t have time to bake anything, nor you knew how to bake Christmas cookies that time.
So you, wearing some Christmas sweatshirt you ordered from the internet and him sitting in a full designer suit, just awkwardly sat through the entire Christmas evening. But as sad as it sounds, you don’t think he’d get to spend the Christmas with anyone. You’re not sure if he’s still in touch with his father but something tells you they’re not that kind of family who spend and celebrate this family holiday together. And it breaks your heart at the thought that he’d get to spend it alone (even if he might not care about Christmas) but he has a family now. It’s different because there is your son connecting you for the rest of your lives.
You hear the deep sigh that he lets out. “I know, I know... maybe you could bring him over?”
You’ve to chuckle at that, even if he sounds unsure about the proposal and although you appreciate your best friend’s effort of trying to make things better, you’re definitely not sure him and the man who got you pregnant in the same room and on Christmas most importantly, is the greatest idea. Certainly, they get along better than they used to, but there’s still a weird tension lingering in the air whenever the two of them are in the same room. Your best friend eyeing your baby’s daddy and your baby daddy eyeing your friend like he’s about to stab him any second.
“As much as I appreciate that, I don’t think the last minute changes would be a great idea. I think we need to get used to being a family and celebrate Christmas together. Last year was awkward but I hope this year will be different.” you explain to your best friend who listens attentively, and you just know that he’s nodding along your words before he lets out another sigh.
“Well, you know him better than I do,” Of course, you do. You’ve spent months trying to persuade your best friend that the father of your child isn’t as cold as he makes himself out to be. “But I hope you’re coming tomorrow, there are a few presents waiting for you and baby pumpkin.”
You smile at the nickname, the nostalgia when your son was born and the first months of being a new mom washes over you. It’s crazy to think it was more than three years ago and so many things have changed.
“Hobi,” you whine, “I told you not to buy anything.”
You seriously don’t need any presents and Yoojin has everything he could possibly need or dream of. His father makes sure of it, just like you do.
“You did. But I never listen to you, do I?”
You chuckle, shaking your head at him. “You don’t, but me neither and I got you and Paige presents too. Don’t think I didn’t know you’d do this.” you grin, teasing tone evident in your voice as you hear him groan.
Of course, you bought him and his girlfriend presents too. You knew he’d never listen to you and your pleas of not buying anything. There’s nothing materialistic you or your son need. Like you said, his father makes sure of it. Even though you’re not his responsibility, he still asks whether there’s something you need. A few months ago when your bathroom battery stopped working, you just mentioned it when he asked what’s new because you’re just that awkward and didn’t know what to share besides Yoojin. The next day he visited with a new bathroom battery in a box holding it in his hands  as he bought it for you without any trouble.
And that just proves that he’s trying and doing his best, bringing a completely new side of him that makes you speechless every day.
When the call is over, another set of assuring words that you will be fine and enjoy this Christmas more than the last year, Hoseok finally lets you off the hook and says Merry Christmas. You glance at your son who giggles at the Grinch on the television screen, wondering just how he’s not scared of it but rather finds it funny and interesting. If you were his age, you’d run for the hills but somehow, he is brave for his age in a lot of things.
And you just know he takes that from his father.
Tumblr media
As soon as the doorbell rings, you freeze for a moment and quickly stand up as you're trying to straighten the non-existent crinkles on your red dress. The ones you bought for yourself a few weeks ago, remembering just how awkward you felt in a Christmas themed sweater, especially when there was the father of your child looking like he came straight from the photoshoot. You know he's handsome just like that and he barely has to put any effort into his looks, which makes it even more stressful for you to look somehow representative and nice. And that's why you've decided to buy a dress with a price that made you scoff at first. Surely, it wasn't as expensive as any of his suits or just simple shirts he owns, but the couple zeros in the price were enough to make you feel doubtful whether you should buy it or not.
Thinking back to last year's Christmas, you've decided to put it into the cart and two days later you had a package waiting for you. You want to feel beautiful, you know you probably aren't from his circle where people don't think twice about spending money. You don't have expensive clothes and jewelry to show around. You still dress nice enough and you think your fashion taste isn't that bad either, but it all goes away when you look at him and realize that you are not coming from the same place or inner circle.
Anyway, you'll try to make this Christmas less awkward and more comfortable for the both of you. It's the second Christmas you're spending together as a family. Yoojin's third Christmas, the first one you spent with Hoseok together.
“Pumpkin,” you call out to your son, his dark eyes glancing at you from the sofa. “Your daddy is here. Are you coming to greet him?” you ask lightly, putting a huge smile on your face even though you feel like you can throw up any second.
You're not sure why you are so nervous anyways, it's not like he's not here almost every day to visit Yoojin or take him somewhere.
Your son, completely clueless to your inner battle, contrasts to the nervosity you're feeling and sounds ecstatic at the mention of his father and shoots up from the sofa before you can even utter a single word. His little feet paddle to the front door and you catch up to him, knowing he's too little to open it but you still rush yourself to get there just in time. Taking a deep breath, you reach for the doorknob as Yoojin jumps up and down yelling 'daddy' all over again until you open the door.
You barely manage to open it fully as Yoojin throws himself at his father, the tall and completely handsome man letting out a surprised 'oof' as he hugs his cheerful son.
“Hey pumpkin,” he greets him, dark eyes looking up at you.
Seokjin looks handsome as always. There's not a time you remember him looking opposite of that, his dark hair is swiped back revealing his forehead as his thick brows shoot up as he takes your appearance.
His eyes travel down your body, admiring the simple red dress that you're wearing. They hug your curves just in the right places and end just above your knees, so they are appropriate enough for Christmas. Black stockings hug your legs that look somehow longer than usual, but that's just an optical illusion.
He looks surprised at your choice of outfit and you almost feel like you overdid it or done it completely wrong, but as soon as Yoojin lets him breathe and steps aside, you understand why.
You've never thought you'd get to see Kim Seokjin, The Kim Seokjin, wearing a Christmas sweater underneath his coat, that somehow looks familiar to the one you wore last year. The sight of him wearing dark jeans isn't that unfamiliar, you got to see him wearing jeans before quite a few times but this complete outfit is a whole nother story. You let your mouth open before realization hits your and his face.
While you were trying to look like he did last year, he did the same thing by wearing an ugly Christmas sweatshirt he would probably never wear under other circumstances, but he makes it work and there's no lie that he looks good in it nevertheless.
“Oh my god,” he chuckles, you reacting with a set of giggles as you laugh and point at his sweatshirt.
“I can't believe you're wearing a Christmas sweatshirt,” you laugh, letting him to come in as you notice him grabbing a huge bag off the floor, full of presents. “Have you ever worn one before?”
He rolls his eyes at your teasing, patting Yoojin on the head who seems to be too curious with the bag rather than the conversation his parents are having. “No, I did it because you wore it last year. I thought--” he stops himself, glancing at your dress before he lets out an amused chuckle while he shakes his head at himself.
“Yeah,” you nod, knowing what he means. “I thought the same thing.” you tell him, glancing down at your dress.
“Well, you look beautiful,” he tells you, surprising you as your eyes snap to his, a lump creating in your throat as you give him a tight smile.
“Thank you, you look… good too.” you say, trying to hide a smile which he notices and rolls his eyes again.
“Please, don't.” he utters, shrugging off his black coat, fully revealing the Christmas sweatshirt that makes you smirk but you hide it by taking Yoojin's hand.
When Seokjin is done with taking off his boots and coat, he smiles at the sight of Yoojin waiting for him and outstretching his hand to him, and he doesn't hesitate to take it. You give him a faint smile, the one he quickly returns before Yoojin goes to show off your Christmas tree that you and Yoojin decorated.
When you see them sitting in front of the Christmas tree, while you're preparing the cookies and hot chocolate, as they're chatting and commenting on each decoration as Yoojin seems to be extremely proud at how your Christmas tree looks, you know this Christmas may not be bad at all.
Tumblr media
“Let me help,”
You almost flinch at the sudden voice sounding behind you, before Seokjin appears next to you and takes the kitchen cloth from your hands. You're about to open your mouth, protest that you're able to dry off the clean dishes but you stop when he gives you a glare. That glare that tells you that he's trying to help and you shouldn't stop him from doing it.
“Is he asleep?” you ask, probably knowing the answer since Seokjin is standing beside you in the kitchen while helping you.
Each dish he dries off, you go and place it back to its place. The way two of you work is fine even while doing such a simple thing, it feels domestic and you don't persuade yourself that it's not. It feels nice, too nice that you could get used to this even though it's impossible.
“Yeah, it took a while. He was so excited about all the presents, kept talking about it until his eyes closed.” he says, a soft smile playing on his plump lips, a smile you see much more these days.
Since he's staying for Yoojin's bedtime every day, he decided to put him into bed while reading from one of the books 'Santa Claus' got him. You took that time to get rid of all the wrapping paper and mess in the living room. You're surprised that Yoojin didn't even ask for you, his attention focused on his father that read him to the bed. It's not like you've to watch Seokjin's every step, especially when it comes to Seokjin because you know he's perfectly capable of taking care of him without you being present. But curiosity got the best out of you and you caught yourself listening behind the door, appreciating how Seokjin's gentle voice carried around Yoojin's bedroom. Of course, you've heard him reading to Yoojin before – but it never gets old. It's the little things that make your heart bloom with warmth, remembering how scared you were when you found out you were pregnant. Telling Seokjin was never a plan, and as you look at it, you understand how scared you were at that time. You didn't want him in your life because he made himself clear, it had been all sex for him. But at the same time, you understand that you'd make a mistake if he didn't find out. Maybe later as Yoojin would be older, he'd certainly ask about his dad and grow curious why there's only one parent figure in his life. There's still a huge chance Seokjin would find out anyway, maybe in a few months or years even. Of course, you couldn't have known that he'll be amazing as a father and he's capable of changing his attitude. But deep down you know you'd regret if you didn't tell him. Maybe not straight away, but later.
“He was so excited about the presents.” you smile, remembering your son's bright eyes whenever he opened the presents or watched with big eyes as Seokjin helped him with opening it.
He brought a lot of presents with himself, a few gifted to you which you were completely speechless about. It wasn't anything you truly needed, but very well appreciated because he's trying. The thought of him picking up presents for you does warm your heart. A lot.
“What about you?” he asks slowly, the cabinet leaving a small thud as you close it.
He's done drying off the dishes, folding the washcloth carefully and skillfully, which you've never noticed before. You wonder if he cleans his own apartment, you know they had a maid when he used to live with his ex–wife.
“Me?” you ask, heart fluttering for a second as you nervously chuckle.
“Did you like your presents?” he asks, nibbling on his bottom lip which is very rare because he looks like he's contemplating whether he should bring this up or not.
The smile you give him is enough to calm down his nerves, his eyes flickering to your lips before he quickly looks back into your eyes, straightening himself. He's trying to mask whatever that could be, but you know he's just trying to look nonchalant. Luckily for you, you get to know him without him actually telling you. Just watching him is enough for you to know that he's nervous and not exactly comfortable. Yet he stays, eyes boring into yours.
“Of course I did,” you answer, “Thank you. You didn't have to buy me anything.” you remind him, smiling as you lean against the kitchen counter.
“Of course I did,” he repeats your words, causing you to amusingly roll your eyes which he reacts to with a chuckle before he continues, “How can I come here for Christmas and bring nothing to you? You deserve it, you know.”
You cock your head to the side, glancing at him curiously. “Yoojin is all that matters, I don't need anything. But I do appreciate you buying me all those things.”
Extremely expensive and not needed things, from cosmetics to some clothes which surprisingly, are casual and not the usual Seokjin style he'd go for.
“You bought me presents too.” he reminds you.
You did, but they weren't partly as expensive as his were. And you've found it extremely hard to buy him something because he can buy anything he wants to. There are barely any hobbies he likes to do because he's running between the company and Yoojin back to forth. He never mentions anything he likes to do or just generally likes, other than your home food. But you can't exactly give him your food as a present. So you just went along with cosmetics boxes and got printed Yoojin's picture which made him the happiest, you think. Hoseok went for a shopping spree with you and you can remember him clearly scoffing or whining about you being indecisive when it came to Seokjin's presents.
You couldn't help it. You had the need to do well, to buy him something that'll make him genuinely happy.
“Those were nothing,” you wave your hand, “I didn't know what to buy you. I spent the whole day in a shopping center trying to buy you something useful and something you'd like. Kim Seokjin, you're a very hard person to buy presents to.” you joke, causing him to let out a slight laugh which rings in your ears and causes you to smile automatically.
“Don't think I had it any easier,” he teases, slightly nudging you in your shoulder and you almost gasp at the sudden contact. “I dragged Namjoon's ass with me while he was trying to help me. I figured he's pretty useless when it comes to presents and giving advice.”
Giggling, you shake your head at the mention of Namjoon. You haven't seen him for a while, but you know he asks about Yoojin a lot and even forces Seokjin to show him some pictures of him whenever they're together. You know that because Seokjin told you that.
“Don't say that, he's a great friend to you.” you tell him, smile stretched onto your lips as there is honesty to your words.
“I know,” he tells you, letting you know that he's partly joking about that. Namjoon is his closest friend. “I just thought he could help me out a bit more.” he admits.
Giggling at him, there's a beat of silence for a moment while Seokjin stares at you with those dark eyes, the same ones you can't shake off ever since you've met him. You want to ask him why he's staring at you like that, knowing there's something more to his face expression but before you can even utter a single word, he beats you to it.
“I've got something else for you.” he says, coughing lightly as he reaches for the back pocket of his jeans while your eyes widen.
“But you gave me so much!” you exclaim, gasping when he pulls out a piece of paper.
“I'd give it to you when we were unwrapping presents but I didn't know what your reaction and answer would be… and I didn't want Yoojin to be excited about nothing, so… yeah. Here it is.” he says, lips giving you an awkward smile as he holds up the paper for you.
You take it slowly and look straight into his eyes with confusion. “What is it?”
“I thought we could have a little family trip. As much as walks in the park and other stuff are fun too, I think it'd be nice to get out of Seoul and make some new memories. Yoojin is older now, so he's perfectly fine sleeping elsewhere or we could just come back. There is this village, Boseong, I looked it up and there's such beautiful nature. There is also a kids park and lunapark nearby, I thought we could visit it in April. There is probably more that I'm forgetting right now, just look it up and let me know.”
This is probably the most he said to you for the past week and when you process his words, you're left speechless and gaping at the man in front of you. You don't hide the surprise and gratitude when you look up at him, seeing a few pictures of the place and information about accommodation. He's certainly right, the place is beautiful and you're sure Yoojin would love it there.
“I'm--wow, this is so… amazing of you,” you breathe out, “You know you can take Yoojin wherever you want.” you remind him, not wanting him to think that he has to ask you for permission to take your son away. As long as you know where they're going and he'll be taken care of, you've no intention in standing in the way of their father and son bond.
He took Yoojin to his apartment or out without you being there with them before, it's no news. However, taking him to a village for a weekend trip is something new but you don't see any problem with it.
“I know,” he says, “But I thought you'd come too.”
He sounds unsure, the tip of his ears are red as he tries to look away from your curious and big eyes. He looks cute and frustrated, definitely a rare sight for sure. And it does make your heart flutter at the fact that he wants you there too.
“Really? You did?”
“Well, don't sound so surprised,” he almost scolds you but refrains himself from doing so, as he gives you a pressured chuckle. “I want us to go… as a family.” he explains, a little smile spreading on your lips as you place the paper onto the kitchen counter.
He watches your every movement like a hawk, looking somehow uncomfortable by the silence and the lack of reaction you give him. He's desperate for your answer and you don't want to tease him any further, nor that was your intention.
“Of course, I'd love to go,” you tell him, your throat running dry as soon as a big smile erupts on his lips and the top of his cheeks get chubby. He reminds you of Yoojin a lot. It doesn't necessarily be about features, but the way they act. “As a family.” you add, smiling at Seokjin who doesn't hide the relief and even sighs in relief.
“That's… good,” he murmurs, taking a step closer to you as your breath hitches in your throat. “How have you been?”
You're startled by the sudden question but you quickly shake the surprise off as you shrug. “Good, really good. You're taking care of us really well.”
He does, it's true. Even though Yoojin spends his days mostly in daycare, and you've got a new job – Seokjin always makes sure you have everything.
“You're all I got,” he whispers, your eyes widening at his confession. “You and Yoojin, I mean.” he adds, same quiet almost as if he's scared of saying it any louder.
You know expressing his feelings and thoughts have never been easy for him, and he struggles most of the time. But whenever something like this happens and you get to see another piece of tender and honest Seokjin, your heart blooms with pride and happiness.
Your eyes flicker shut as the tip of his fingers tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear, his thumb lingering against your cheek. He's barely touching you and you find yourself leaning to his touch.
There are times when you wonder if Seokjin is really alone, especially in his apartment that he bought after he divorced his ex-wife and left her the house they were living in. It's his private life, something that's none of your business especially if it comes to his lovelife. Still, curiosity is a really interesting emotion to feel and sometimes you find yourself wondering if he already found someone. He's a better version of himself than he used to be when you met him. There is certainly someone waiting for him, someone who can bring out the best out of him and set another, different light than Yoojin does. It's sad to think that he'll be alone for the rest of his life. Well, not exactly alone because he has Yoojin – and you.
“It doesn't have to be just us,” you remind him softly, feeling his hand retreat slowly from your face. “I'm sure there's someone out there for you.”
He scoffs at that, although it doesn't come out as bitter or harsh. He looks straight into your eyes, making sure you see the look in them before he says; “I don't want anyone else.”
“You're saying that now, but you'll meet someone eventually,” Well, not if he'll be totally against the idea. “Someone who you'll be interested in.”
You want to give him hope, something he can think about even if it settles a weird feeling in your chest. Him having a new partner means that person will be a part of Yoojin's life and probably yours as well. It's not that easy, because that someone can be a total bitch and you'll just have to accept it.
“Are you interested in someone?” He surprises you by asking you such a question, causing you to gulp as you stare at him with doe eyes before you shake your head.
“What about that guy? Taehyung?”
You're surprised that he remembers his name, you never thought he gave that much attention to him. He did tell you you deserve someone better, someone who can give you something Seokjin couldn't. You remember those words like it was yesterday, they had and still have a huge impact on you. Maybe that's why you've decided to tell Taehyung that you're not ready for a relationship yet. The kind guy he is, he completely understood that but you did feel extremely bad when you saw the hurt he tried to hide and mask with his boxy smile.
Maybe Taehyung isn't the right person. Maybe there's someone else waiting for you. Or maybe that person is in the same room like you, looking at you as nothing else matters right now.
“I told him that I'm not ready.” you whisper, licking your lips nervously as Seokjin watches the motion before he looks back at you.
“And are you? Not ready?”
“He's a great guy, but he isn't the one constantly on my mind.” you admit, heart hammering in your chest because you know Seokjin is smart enough to understand your words and read between the lines, without you being completely direct.
“Is there someone else on your mind?” he asks diplomatically, cocking his head to the side like he's completely oblivious to your quickened breathing and the red flush on your cheeks.
“I think you know the answer to that,” you whisper, looking down to your feet just to avoid those mystery eyes that are watching you.
But Seokjin doesn't like that, he wants to see you and that's why he tucks a finger under your chin before he lifts up your head and meets your gaze. “I told you I'm not the right one for you. I'm just gonna hurt you.” he reminds you softly, eyes holding something you can't put a finger on but it's something between sadness and guilt.
“You're not hurting me, you haven't hurt me in a while.” you whisper, glancing at his lips before you look back into his eyes.
“What if I will? I can't ruin our relationship. I ruined too many things with you.”
In other words, he appreciates your relationship and what it had become compared to the beginning and that you used to be just someone that kept his bed warm, until he had his fill. As harsh as it sounds, it's true and there were more painful words said during that time. And if being just a father to your kid is all that makes the relationship between you two calm and nice, he'll take it and he doesn't want to risk anything. Sadly, he knows himself and even if he slowly reflects on the wrongs he did, and realizes how badly he fucked up, he's certain there will come time when he'll just snap and let that dark side of him out once again.
Having something more with you, something more than just sex, scares him. He's not even certain if he truly loves you, he doesn't know that feeling. All he knows is that he wants to make it up to you how he treated you, and that he cares about you. He may not say it loudly, but his actions speak up for everything.
“Let me decide on that,” you tell him, hand slowly approaching his chest before you smile at the soft material of his Christmas sweatshirt. The fact he still left it on is somehow amusing and cute at the same time. “You don't see yourself the way I see you.”
“But I know myself enough to know that you deserve someone much better.”
There he is again with his words. You sigh, ready to pull yourself away from him but he doesn't stop you as he wraps his arms around your frame. You gulp, staring up at him as he slowly licks his lips.
“Maybe I do,” you murmur, “But there's no one else I want right now.” you admit, causing him to blink a few times as you don't wait for him to react, slowly leaning in.
He doesn't move and you wonder if you crossed any lines. Surely if you did, he'd push you away or say something. But he's standing there, arms still wrapped around your frame as he lets your lips connect in a soft peck. It's too quick, too light for him to truly appreciate the softness of your lips.
You pull away, his arms slowly sliding off your waist as he stands there dumbfounded, looking cute as ever. Chuckling, you bite your lip as you walk out of the kitchen, stopping yourself just between the door's frame as you look at him past your shoulder.
“You wanna try my mulled wine?” you ask, wiggling your brows as he chuckles, straightening himself. “You can stay over too. I'm sure Yoojin will appreciate seeing you here in the morning.”
“Just Yoojin?” he finds the courage to ask, wondering if he crossed any lines with you this time and you see the way he gulps, staying glued on the spot.
But then your warm smile spreads onto your lips and it feels like the room just lightened up.
“Maybe his mom too,” you tell him with a smirk, nudging your head towards the living room. “Come on, the night is still young. Let's see where it brings us.”
He sees you walking to the living room, your hips swaying naturally as he gulps, feeling stunned for a moment before he forces his body to move to join you. Your words affecting him more than he was prepared for.
Somehow, Seokjin knows you're not talking about tonight's night at all.
612 notes · View notes
wizkiddx · 3 years
Note
Not sure if you are taking request at all but if you do, do you mind writing something about Harry agreeing to be the birth photographer at the birth of his niece (tom and reader’s daughter) 🥺🤍
this was so interesting!! personally I am way too self conscious to have a photographer when I *eventually* have a kid aha, but I hope this is what u were looking for x x p.s. coming at my brand w the white hearts :)
tomholland x reader
summary: harry gets terrified by toms request about the birth of his child, but the reader smoothes it over
Having just had a round of golf with Harry, Tom invited him back to yours for a cuppa and a catch up too. After all the years of living and travelling with Harry by his side, Harry in particular was massively important to TOm. Especially since he’d moved in with you, Tom constantly made a super special effort to spend as much time with him as possible. Harry had a key and had no quam with letting himself in uninvited. Though since he had walked in at *the wrong time* a bit too frequently, and then the announcement of your pregnancy - he had cut down the unexpected visits.
“So, I actually wanted to ask you something.”
“This does not sound good” Harry furrowed his eyebrows together, looking suspiciously at his brother as he poured the kettle into the two matching ‘Brothers Trust’ mugs.
“Since when? I only ever ask you to do good things?”
“We both absolutely know that is not true.” Harry deadpanned, pointing to the palm of his right hand which carried a large scar. Scar in question had been sustained during one of Tom’s incredibly ‘good’ aka stupid ideas.
“Right fair… I’ll allow that.” He receeded, placing the two mugs onto the counter in front of Harry. All it took was one look at the pale brown colour for Harry to turn his nose up, shooting Tom a look as though he’d just murdered a puppy. The elder of the two sighed, knowing exactly what his brothers snobbiness was about.
“Seriously?”
“It’s not your fault your awful at this, some people just aren’t born with it.” With a sarky pat on the back Harry rounded the counter, pouring the freshly brewed but slightly too milky tea down the drain - before flicking the kettle on to make his own brew… properly this time.
Tom knew his brother well enough to know not to argue or protest, instead perching on the counter as he watched Harry work his ‘magic’.
“But seriously me and Y/n have been talking about the birth cos you know, it’s not too far away now.” This was true, you were now only 3 weeks from your due date - but going by the size of you, you were ready to pop. Quite literally, you didn't know how much longer you could last.
“I’d be concerned if you weren’t mate.”
“Well yeh and I basically um …  had the idea to get a photographer for the birth right? It’s quite an American thing but I don’t want to forget anything and I’m sure it’s gonna be magical.” In response, Harry slowly turned around, empty mug in hand and eyes fierce.
“Are you fucking stupid?!”
To be fair to Harry, that had pretty much been your reaction when Tom first suggested it - word for word. He’d got the idea from one of the crew he’d filmed his most recent projects with, the guy had been raving about how beautiful it was and once he’d shown the pictures to Tom - he had to agree. Eventually Tom had worn you down to it and actually the idea of being able to save the moment you met your kid for the first time didn’t sound too bad. You had firmly set the boundaries of no photos of your ‘labour face’ and absolutely nothing from the ‘other end of the bed.’
The worry for both of you, as it always was given Tom’s reputation, was privacy. Especially the birth of your child, having a stranger there had you straight refusing, even a friend seemed still a little invasive. It was only when Tom had remembered he had a brother (who you were also incredibly close to) who was handy with a camera. Even if he had no experience with this particular type of photography, Harry was a pretty safe pair of hands for a camera in any situation. God knows he’s had enough practice at it.
“No hear me out, Y/n agreed too-“
“Of course this was your idea! So she’s totally fine with me staring at her fanny through a camera lens?”
“Harry” That was a warning tone, which the frizzy haired boy chose to completely ignore.
“No I-I mean, you want me to stare at your finances bits? Isn’t that some sort of weird incsest?”
“Shut the fuck up about Y/n’s body. You OBVIOUSLY wouldn’t be taking photos of that end, more like when the baby gets handed to us you know?”
“When its covered in gunk that came out of Y/n?”
“I’m pretty sure they clean it-“
“Not properly!”
Thankfully perhaps, the conversation was interrupted by the kettle clicking off, the water coming to a boil. With a huff Harry turned round, pouring and then stirring the tea as Tom watched his back from a distance. Neither spoke till after Harry finished, returning the milk to the fridge and then leaning against the counter top.
“Look I get it if you dont want to but your the only one Y/n trusts to do it and it means a lot to me.”
“Y/n wants me to stare at her fanny?!”
“No calm down you div. But you are the only one she trusts to be in the room when our first child is born. Will you just think about it?”
Harry opened his mouth to reply, probably protest, but before he could the front door opened and you called through the house.
“Tom? I’m home!” And becasue the boy was whipped he instantly trotted to the front door giving you a peck on your lips. He murmured to you that Harry was there, his lips moving against yours and you nodded with a small smile. You knew, instantly, that Tom in all his idiocy hadn’t handled it well.
“Would you mind getting all the shopping from car? Pregnant and all, so I’m not allowed to lift a finger.” You cocked your head, laughing as he rolled his eyes with a nod.
“I’m excited for when you can't play that card.”
“But then I’ll be the women who pushed a baby out for you… the mother of your child.”  Winking, you then quickly moved through the house before he could protest, just knowing he was pulling a pouty face as he watched you sway away.
Once in the kitchen you saw Harry nursing his mug like it was the last drink on earth, hunched over it from where he was sitting on a stool on the breakfast bar.
“ You lose at golf?” Opening the conversation, Harry instantly shot his head up, looking slightly terrified to see you.
“Wha- no, no I didn’t actually.”
“Tom asked you huh?” He nodded, seemingly not wanting to commit with words. “I had exactly the same face when he first told me. It’s weird right?”
“Yeh no shit.”
“He’s really keen on it though, I mean he’s like an excited puppy about the whole birth.”
“But you want it too?”
“Sort of. What I do want is for him to be happy though. And I’m fairly certain he’s gonna be terrified throughout the whole birth while I won’t be in a position to help himl.”
“You’ll probably have other stuff on your mind to be fair.” You laughed, at that, nodding in agreement with him.
“Just a little. I did think though, who is a person who I can trust to look after him too during that... and even I draw a line at your dad… Look if you don't want to, I totally get it and I can’t promise that I won’t be screaming at you during if you do. But it would comfort me to know you were there, with or without the bloody camera.”
“Seriously?” Rather than exclaiming it, Harry whispered in shock, not expecting this sort of a revelation.
“Course H! You're my little brother too.”
“I might pass out.”
“So will your brother, at least he won’t be on his own then.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Thnakyouthankyouthankyou!” You squealed, running over to hug him from the back, arms round his shoulders as he squirmed on the stool.
It was at this point Tom walked back in after unloading the ridiculous amount of baby clothes shopping you had done. Big strong Tom had to take 2 trips up and down the stairs to the nursery. Of course, all it took was a few words from you and Harry was falling at your feat. He was hardly surprised. Annoyingly you seemed to have this power over all the Hollands. They never stood a chance.
It wasn’t till later than evening, long since Harry had left and the dishwasher had been put on after Tom had made a mess cooking you dinner. Only then did your phone ping with a text message from Sam.
Sam H
‘I dont know what you’ve done to Harry but I’m scared, he’s binge watching one born every minute.’
Immediately you cracked up, knowing that it was his nervous energy and need to ‘be prepared’. Tom, who was lying behind you on the sofa whilst his hands caressing your stomach, jerked his head up intrigued as the what the ‘ding’ was. You showed him and he snorted in laughter too, whilst nuzzling his nose into your neck.
“How did you bring him round by the way?”
“Oh you know, I’ve got all of you wrapped round my little finger when I want.”
“That you do… do you think I should be worried?”
“Nah your just all softies.” Laughing softly, you pulled his arms tighter around you, wiggling back into him a bit more.”
“You didn’t tell him about the godparent thing though?”
“Course not… we can give him a separate heart attack about that.”
340 notes · View notes
colossal-fallout · 3 years
Text
[ Classified ]
The full report - Eren Yeager
The following report details all information on Eren Yeager. Contains NSFW content and reader must be over the age of 18 to view this document.
For your eyes only.
Tumblr media
Name: Eren Yeager
Birthplace: Shiganshina
Height: 180cm / 5ft 9"
Tumblr media
General
[ A1 ]
Appearance & Hygiene practices:
Eren's chestnut brown hair is always clean and fresh. Whenever he pays you a late night visit, he'll have most probably just gotten out of the shower. Coconut scented shampoo of sorts? Whatever it is, it smells so good.
Prefers showers over a bathe. He says it's to save time, but he spends a good 40 - 60 minutes in there, easily.
Once he's dry, likes to throw on jogger bottoms and a hoodie over his bare skin. His bare skin that is now so soft and scented as his favourite shower gel which is either tea-tree oil or Coconut.
If he wants to remain clean shaven, Eren must shave every 2-3 days. Sometimes he likes to grow it out but nothing ever past a long stubble.
Minimal body hair.
Trims the hairs on his pubic bone/lower stomach. Has pleasuring you in mind as he does so. Will take into consideration the friction against you.
Totally clean shaven testicles.
Eren's nails are short but that's because he bites them. [ see section A3 ]
Beautiful set of teeth. Brushes twice daily in a modern AU.
Eren adores it when you brush his hair for him. He finds it extremely relaxing as you massage his scalp. His eyes will close and a small, barely audible hum will emit from time to time.
Eren's skin care routine is pretty basic. All of the steam from sitting in his hot, frequent showers for so long seems to do him wonders - his skin is flawless and worthy of envy.
Due to the healing power of being a Titan shifter, Eren has no scars.
Eren has quite large hands with long fingers. He doesn't wear rings or jewellery as it reminds him of the burden of when he had to keep that damn key on him at all times. Will however, put up with a wedding ring.
[A2]
Body & Love language:
Eren is a pretty introverted person. His hands are usually tucked away inside of his pockets - be it either trousers or hoody/jacket.
He hunches a little too. Likes to feel hidden. He's had enough attention over the years and wants nothing more than to just shrink away in a crowded room. Or maybe, it's the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Brooding, moody exterior. Extreme "resting bitch face"
Shrugs a lot. At first glance, you'd think he was a moody teenager trapped in a grown man's body.
Likes to sit with his feet flat up on the chair with his knees splayed - you'll usually find him like this with an arm resting over a knee while the other is at a 90 degree angle pointing away from his hip.
Fumbles his hands together in formal occasions when he can't sit so casually or tuck them away.
Likes to drape his arm over you without touching you. His arm will rest above you on the top of the chair. A clear indication of "They're mine" and "I will keep you safe"
His hips will usually be swivelled in your direction, regardless of where you are in the room. A subconscious body language of sexual yearning.
Eren likes to hold hands with you when you're walking. He's not huge on PDA but likes the strong yet subtle showings that you're together.
Tends to rub his thumb over the back of your hand absent-mindedly when you do so.
His love languages include physical touch. Can get very needy and touch starved pretty easily. Not in a overbearing way, but even just a run of his slender fingers through your hair is enough to keep him going until the two of you are in a more private setting.
[A3]
Bad Habits & Tendencies:
As mentioned above, Eren bites his finger nails. His toe nails too. It's pretty gross to be honest.
He never does it in public, but he has been known to do it in front of you when he feels comfortable enough to do so.
Get's very fidgety when irritated or annoyed, which is pretty often. Especially if Jean is around.
Short temper. He's learned to tame it more over the years where he doesn't show it so easily. But everyone has their limit and when his is reached, his yell is booming and pretty intimidating.
During an argument with you he has been known to raise his voice, but it's not the frightening roar you've heard him unleash on others before.
Always apologises to you after he's calmed down. Even though it wasn't that bad.
If you two ever have a bad falling out, will lock himself away for days. He'll be pissed at himself for letting it get so bad and depressed that you two are having such problems. But he'll do anything he can to fix it.
[ A4 ]
Common misconceptions:
Obviously everyone has their own cannons and opinions. But I don't personally see Eren as being an abusive partner. Yeah, he has his problems and treats his friends like shit but there's a reason for that we'll probably see in the last chapter. If you're worthy enough to pierce that cold and distant shell, you're a very special person and he'll treat you as such.
Eren actually has a large heart hidden under that huge chip on his shoulder. He cares and loves the people around him unconditionally. Even to the point of carrying out mass genocide to protect them.
Still... He does have a dark side to be weary of at times.
Even though he's gross while in Liberio, usually Eren is actually pretty clean.
[ A5 ]
Food & Drink:
In a Modern AU Eren loves fancy coffees with the weird names. The longer to pronounce, the better. He just likes the fact they give him energy and the fancier ones taste good.
Due to not having meat for so long, a good ol' fashioned beef/lamb stew is his favourite.
Doesn't drink in canon.
Modern AU, his alcoholic beverage of choice is bottles of beer and craft ales. Sometimes is a sucker for red wine.
[ A6 ]
Modern Au:
Eren wears loose clothing. Hoodies, loose jeans, those baggy cardigans too.
His texting style is spam over one long message. Especially if he's pissed off. He's too impatient to sit and type in paragraphs.
Drives a black car. Don't ask me what type, I don't know cars. But it's black, 'kay?
It also has "black ice" air freshener inside.
Likes to ride quads and mopeds along fields. He's a thrill seeker. Rollercoasters, bungee jumping... you name it he's game.
Eren plays the guitar. He took lessons for it but after about a year he just went his own way and self-taught.
If he sees a guitar at a party, he will pick it up and play it. He won't sing though.
He actually hates singing. He finds it embarrassing.
Always has in his air pods/earphones.
Likes any sort of music that is catchy.
Probably streams on Twitch. He won't talk much though.
Could have a wide range of jobs. Coffee shop, could be in college, might be a ride attendant... who knows? It's anyone's guess what Eren is doing. He doesn't talk about himself that much.
Romance & NSFW
[ B1 ]
Crush:
Eren would definitely be in denial he has a crush on you at first.
• “Does y/n seem different to you?”
Armin; “No…? In what way?”
“I dunno… Just, different.”
• His poor stubborn brain would be ticking for weeks as to why he suddenly wants to be near you a lot more often and has urges to touch you, even if it’s just a slight brush against your arm.
• Will find any excuse to do extra training with you
• Once he FINALLY clicks on as to why he’s had these feelings, he’ll be pretty knocked off his feet and a little annoyed at himself.
I’m here to kill the enemy...
• Still though… Can’t seem to keep himself away.
[ B2 ]
First kiss & general kisses:
After the initial denial and keeping himself away, he'll just decide one day he's had enough of feeling this way and decides to to something about it.
He won't shove himself onto you. He'll do some sly probing to see if there is any indication of reciprocation.
Knowing Eren, he'll indirectly piss you off or insult you. He didn't mean to. He's just lacking social skills. Man aint smooth.
You'll slap him, probably, where he'll keep his head away from you for a few seconds, realising he's pushed you too far. Whichever side you palmed him away, he'll stay.
He'll slowly return his gaze to yours before gently holding your arms, apologising and planting his lips onto yours.
His general kisses are quite firm and forceful. Not in an aggressive way, but a "god I want you so bad" way.
Always either slides his arms around your waist or cups your face/head.
He tastes like sweetened tea <3 / Coffee in a Modern AU
Loves coming from behind and snaking his arms around you, nuzzling into your neck when you're doing something. Doesn't like it when your attention is away from him for too long.
When he's feeling soft and tender, will dance his nose with yours and catching your mouth in a caress.
When he's super turned on, he'll suck your tongue, bite your bottom lip and kiss anywhere he can.
[ B3 ]
Sex:
Ha ~~!
Eren is up there with the best when it comes to sex. He knows what he's doing and he does it well.
Extremely skilled with his fingers and tongue. He'll have you crawling the walls with hysteria as he likes to tease you throughout the day. He more than makes up for it, though.
Gropes, nips, kisses, licks, bites, flicks... anywhere and everywhere he can.
Is the most vocal when you perform oral sex on him. Will groan so deeply, his entire body will vibrate.
Dirty talk is this man's second language.
"Look how desperate you are for me." / "Look how desperate for you you've gotten me..."
"Do I feel good like this?"
"Am I making you feel good baby?"
"You're so good at that. Fuck, such a good girl/boy"
"S'so fuckin' tight."
"You're my little fuck thing, aren't you?"
"You're perfect."
"I love you..."
Are some of the many things you'll hear while he's fucking you.
He doesn't really have a favourite position. He'll gladly take you anyway he can. If he's in a rough mood, he'll bend you over the sofa, take you up against the wall... But if he's feeling more soft he'll make slow, passionate love to you for hours.
He does have a strong soft side at times.
Dominic Dominant. He loves seeing you totally at his mercy, the power over you the most arousing thing in the world to him.
Big daddy dilf vibes. He knows what he’s doing and he’s fucking good at it too.
The only time he’ll sub is if he wants to be lazy - letting you ride him and use him to your heart’s content.
Dirty talk. It can get pretty degrading at times. If you’re not into that, he respects that boundary.
Will absolutely ruin you.
Low-key loves it when you claw his back in hysteria. He thrives knowing he can send you absolutely insane, and he can just heal the claw marks in a matter of seconds. Sometimes even during sex (which is the hottest thing ever)
In an AU modern, he would love to fuck you near a large mirror or record you both getting at it to watch at a later date.
A lot of hissing, humming and low groaning, especially when he’s close to unloading.
Likes to watch you masturbate, putting his head close and observing intently. Loses his shit if you moan his name while doing so.
Hair pulling is his overload language. Will tug fistfuls when he gets too turned on.
[ B4 ]
Kinks:
The risk of getting caught. He likes having risky sex in semi public locations. Makes a game of how loud he can get you to moan, knowing someone would probably hear you.
Light Degradation. When he’s in a rough mood, he doesn’t mind calling you a few names. Nothing too extreme. And if it’s not your thing, he’ll respect that boundary.
Loves a good ol’ 69. Having you on his face with your ass in view is just… *Chef’s kiss*
Speaking of ass, he loves to bend you over too, allowing himself in nice and deep with a great view and something Juicy to grab.
[ B5 ]
Aftercare:
Aftercare with Eren isn’t anything special unfortunately. He’s another who gets sleepy after sex.
Won’t ignore you though. Often lazy pillow talk is on the cards and telling you how much you mean to him and how beautiful you are.
Will run his fingers across your scalp to soothe you.
Also will kiss any bite marks or finger bruises he’s left behind and ask if you’re okay.
Relationship with loved ones & becoming serious
[ C1 ]
Friends & Family:
When Eren meet's your friends family he will be polite yet quiet. He wants them to like him but he won't pine for their approval. If they like him, awesome. If they don't...? No big deal.
Same goes with your friends. He'll stay quiet until spoken to at first, but once he's been eased into conversation, he'll flow with it a lot easier.
Again, he'll be polite but don't expect him to kiss ass, because he certainly wont.
[ C2 ]
Marriage:
You couldn’t actually believe Eren had proposed. Although he was down on one knee in front of your very eyes, your mind just wasn’t accepting it. Folks and onlookers watched with bated breath, awaiting your answer. He sure kept this surprise hidden well…
Of course, you said yes and he picked you up by your waist in a spin, colliding his lips to yours.
And now here he was, watching you walk down the aisle, a lump in his throat and his heart racing.
You looked gorgeous, like something from a fairy tale.
And of course, he looked as handsome as ever. His suit was smart and his hair was up in its usual bun.
Armin is his best man, of course; who is standing and beaming with pride.
Eren holds back his chokes and tears as he reads his vows;
“Y/N… From the first time I ever laid eyes on you, all those years ago, I knew you would be in my life forever. Back then, I didn’t think it would be as my wife, but God I am so glad it is. I’m sorry for my stubbornness and irrational behaviour when we were young. But despite that you still loved, and stood by me and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. I vow to always stand beside you, whatever the world throws at us. I vow to hold you when you need support. I vow to remember how you always had my back no matter what. And I vow to always love you, with my heart and soul, until the day I die and after.”
The room erupts in cheers and tears when you seal your kiss.
The reception is wild.
Everyone is drunk (except Levi) and dancing. Reiner and Connie are dancing like weirdos, Reiner's blazer removed and at one point Connie is on his shoulders.
Sasha has too much to drink and is spewing in the bathroom.
Mikasa can’t stop crying with happiness and pride.
He carries you to your room afterwards where you spend all night sealing a special bond that will never be broken.
[ C3 ]
Children:
Eren has a soft spot for children, believe it or not. As seen before the expedition to the forest of giant trees. He sees his old self behind the innocent glint of unaltered admiration within a child's eyes.
He's not super into child play though. He wont pull weird voices or funny faces. He'll sit at their level and speak to them like they were anyone else. Obviously, watching what he says around them.
If they're unchecked and acting themselves, he'll become quickly annoyed as they wreck havoc around him and will have to leave the room or he'll get too agitated.
If his s/o discovers they're pregnant he'll seem to take it well. But inside he's falling apart and freaking out. He won't ever show it to them, but he doesn't know how he could be a father. Would he be like his own? Would he be able to be a good figure to look up to? What if he fails? Is it selfish to bring a child into this cruel world?
He'll be shocked but understandably so. After after a couple of weeks of self-reflection and brooding, he'll start to feel better about the whole thing.
More protective over his s/o than usual. Will make sure they're eating, drinking, resting and god help you if he finds you doing something you shouldn't such as trying to lift something heavy.
Will hold your hair and rub you back, as well as bring you water while you're having your morning sickness.
"Babe? It's four in the afternoon. How come you're still sick?"
"Eren, it's called morning sickness but it can happen any time."
He'll click his tongue. "....That's a dumb name, then."
The first time he feels the baby kick within you, his heart absolutely melts. His eyes enlarge and you could swear you saw them soften with that spark behind his emerald greens he had when you were younger.
His large palm is warm against your stomach as he feels around, the little flutter of your child hitting against his skin making him flinch in surprise at first.
"Woah..." He'll gasp in amazement. "They're already so strong. Hey, y/n? Doesn't that hurt?"
"Sometimes." You'll laugh softly.
He'll gingerly place his face to your skin, a little embarrassed he's doing this; but he feels the need. "...Don't hurt your mom, okay?"
As your pregnancy progresses and you get larger, he will not leave your side. If he has to, he'll be worrying and you'll be occupying his mind. In a modern au, he'll constantly call and text and will get Mikasa or Armin to check in on you often.
Will be so gentle during love making. He's terrified he'll hurt the baby.
One of the only times you've seen Eren panic in his adult life is when your waters break.
You'd gotten up in the middle of the night to pee. Climbed back into bed and felt a strange pressure, followed by a pop. Then a warm gushing sensation. You wait a few seconds to settle your own panic before you nudge Eren awake.
"Eren..."
He'll bolt up, confused. "What? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"
"Eren, my waters have broken."
"Shit. Okay. Shit. What do we do? Shit." He'll leap out of bed and throw the lights on. You get to your feet where more water will start to drop onto the floor. "Shit, shit. I'll get the bag. Do you need help getting dressed? Okay, where's my jacket? WHERE'S MY JACKET?!"
"Eren, honey I need to you calm down."
"Okay, sorry. I'm calm. Shit. Shit..."
Will hold your hand with a worried look the entire time you're in labour. Has water and snacks on hand.
Will watch in amazement as your child is pushed into the world. This magical moment changes something in him, but right now he's not sure what that is.
They will bond immediately. As soon as he holds your son/daughter he can't take his wide gaze off them.
They're inseparable.
Any doubts of being a bad father is washed away as he takes them under his wing and teaches them about the world.
263 notes · View notes
cno-inbminor · 4 years
Text
domus
a/n: here we have another short drabble dump! i wrote this up very quickly -- i’m still working on that long fic i’ve been talking about! i apologize for taking so long to put it together. pls take this short fic as an apology for now. stay hydrated, wear your masks, and be safe! love you all so dearly <3 
plot: when kuroo tetsuro drops the hard-hitting truth that he’s fallen out of love with you, your first thought is to escape. but you find comfort in the least likely person: akaashi keiji, a boy you had grown up with out of forced family interactions, who always seemed so distant from you. yet you probably knew more about him than anyone else. 
characters: fem!reader, ex-bf!kuroo, & family friend!akaashi 
wc: ~3.7k, will probably have other parts in the future.
genre/warnings: angst with dashes of fluff; mentions of alcohol
pt. 2 | pt. 3
edit: now crossposted to AO3!
When you’re in love, you spend weeks and months wondering why time won’t stop. You sit and ponder over why you’ll have to die someday and leave behind the person you’ve dedicated your entire soul to, or what might happen if your death came early and you didn’t get to say goodbye. You wonder why the seasons seem to pass you by so quickly, that in the blink of an eye, you go from enjoying a cup of iced tea on the porch to holding a mug of hot chocolate inside watching snowflakes swirl in their journeys to the ground.
But when love ceases to exist, time seems to stop. The days drag for longer, the seasons crawl at a turtle’s pace, and the inevitable end feels less terrifying. You no longer fear the eventual sagging of your skin or the spider legs that grow at the corners of your eyes. You no longer cling onto a hope that there will be a lover’s hand holding yours at your bed of eternal sleep. You simply become, just you. Solitary, single, independent you.
It’s no longer you and someone else. The realization stings so badly that it physically hurts you, a whimper leaving your throat. You shakily reach over for the next blouse and fight back the tears, teeth gnawing at your bottom lip. The skin is chapped and broken to the point that you would need layers and layers of chapstick to save any semblance of it, a terrible habit that you wish you hadn’t possessed. It’s muscle memory, the way you fold the blouse in half, fold the sleeves in, bending it over your arm before it lands in a neat stack of other tops in your suitcase. Your eyes take a glance at the clock, and you gather you have about another hour before you needed to leave for the airport and make it on time for your flight.
You ignore the male figure hunched over on the edge of your bed, tuning out his pleas and broken promises. He begs you to give him time, to implore that it’s all his fault and he’ll make it work for the two of you. Tetsuro promises that he didn’t mean to and that it wasn’t anything you did, but you feel so empty inside that you can’t even find the energy to argue, to turn on him and say that he was pretending to take all the blame so it’d be a better explanation to all your friends. A relationship involves both parties, and while there were special exceptions, this wasn’t one of them. Something was clearly wrong with you, and you were okay with that. You were just tired of Testuro attempting to take everything onto himself.
“I thought it’d be best to come clean with you,” he says, throat hoarse from lack of hydration. “I know you would question it and I haven’t done anything, I swear, I know you’re amazing and don’t deserve to live a lie and—”
“Do you want me to say ‘thank you’?” You interjected quietly, morosely. Your hands slide open the underwear drawer and take out a week’s worth of underwear, bras, and bralettes. “Do you want me to express my gratitude in your honesty for telling me that you don’t love me anymore? You can easily buy a trophy online and make the inscription yourself. ‘Most honest man alive’? Is that what you want?” You ask, tone flat and not possessing the least bit of amusement and humor.
“Can’t you give me some time? I’ll try, I’ll try to figure out what went wrong, and I can love you again. We can still get married and everything, but please don’t leave.”
“I’m not leaving forever, Tetsu. I’m just gone for a week, maybe more.”
“Where are you even going?”
“That’s none of your business,” you quickly reply, defenses back up as you make a beeline for the bathroom. You pick up all the toiletries you can, the ones that would be allowed in your carry-on. Strangers won’t care about your missing skincare routine and your complexion not looking its best.
“What if you get lost? Or kidnapped? What if people ask—”
“Easy. Just tell them I had a last minute business trip, family emergency, whatever floats your boat.”
“Can’t you see that I’m trying? I—”
“This isn’t just about you!” You snap, whirling around to look at him for the first time in the last hour or so. Testuro notices with a pang in his heart that your cheeks have sunken in slightly since he broke his revelation to you just last week, the eye circles darker than ever. But your eyes are soulless, dead, no shine or spark that he’d wake up to every morning even muddled with sleep.
“You can’t just expect me to be okay and continue to bend over backwards for you without question. The least you could do is give me my time, give me some space to think about all of it. That’s the bare minimum.”
And with that, you zip your suitcase shut, grab your passport (even though you probably don’t need it), keys, wallet, and phone, and walk as quickly as you can to the front door. The scheduled Uber will arrive in just a few minutes, and as you slip into a pair of flats, you can hear the creak of the bed and Testuro’s padded steps nearing you.
“Just be careful, okay? Call me if you need anything, anything. You’re still one of the most important people to me, so just – text me at some point. Let me know you’re alive at least.”
“You need to rest. You’re on call tomorrow,” you digress while opening the door.
“(Y/n)—”
“I’ll text you. Promise.”
And the door shuts behind you.
-
Your relationship with Akaashi Keiji is…hard to explain. In fact, you’re not even sure what to refer him as in your life. Anytime you spoke of him or attempted to explain, you’d fumble over words and draw blanks. While it was irritating and aggravating at times, you learned to just accept it.
Akaashi Keiji was the neighbor down the street, two years older, and someone who had known you since you were 8. Your moms were attached at the hip not longer after you moved to Tokyo, and that meant holidays were spent together, impromptu get-togethers and dinners were a common occurrence, and you saw him frequently at school. He was a quiet soul, gentle, but reserved. In fact, most of the things you knew about him were secondhand conversations from your mother talking about the family, because honestly his mom was basically your second mom now, and your mother trusted you with everything. His past, his troubles, his personality all relayed through your mom from his own, and when you saw him in the hallways, he wasn’t much of an enigma to you. Many other girls had found the mysterious air around him to be attractive, that the pretty setter who only ever smiled around his volleyball team and kept a tight circle of friends had something significant beneath the layers.
Keiji grew up with you, playing Smash on the Wii to pass time as your parents gossiped away. Sometimes, you’d play an intense game of Monopoly with him, a game that typically tipped in his favor. He never said much about himself, always relayed more about others that overlapped in your lives. The most he ever spoke to you about was when it came to teachers at school, even giving you some of his old notes and pointers. But even you could tell that he kept his guards up, and you wondered if he even classified you as a friend.
Your go-to explanation of Keiji’s standing in your life was a family friend. But that insinuated you were close with him, which you weren’t at all. No matter how many times he walked home with you (mainly at the pushing from his mother), no matter how many times he was forced to entertain you at dinners and holidays, no matter how many times he gave you a small smile in school, there was such a large gap between the two of you. He always seemed so different around his team, like they had the privilege of knowing the real him, and at times, you felt…jealous.
And the weird thing is that you can rely on him somehow – whether it be because he’d get an earful from his parents if he didn’t help you when you asked it or out of the goodness of his heart, he was simply always there. Sometimes, you were bold enough to text him about a show he talked about in the past, and he would reply quickly as if your unexpected, rare text about something benign didn’t faze him at all.  
Yet despite the distance, despite the lack of any semblance of an actual friendship with him, he was the first one you thought of when all this happened. He was the one you wanted to see – maybe it’s because he was the closest thing to home, and you didn’t want to go back to your parents explaining everything. It’s been a while since you’ve been back in Tokyo, ever since you moved to Sapporo for your job and Testuro got matched for a residency at a hospital there.
At 7PM on a Friday afternoon, past the baggage claim with the sunset beaming in through the sliding glass doors, you stare at Keiji’s contact on your phone, thumb hovering hesitantly over the call button. You could count the number of times you’ve called him on one hand, but this was an emergency, right? Is this why your heart is pounding against your chest, so anxious that you feel like you’ll break into a cold sweat any time soon?
You jump into the deep end.
Your hand nervously brings the phone to your ear, waiting with bated breath as the dial tone echoes in the chamber of your brain. Part of you wants him to miss the call so you can avoid this awkward conversation, but another part of you desperately wants him to pick up as if he’ll be able to save you.
Oh god oh god oh god, you panic as the tone stops, there’s a pause, a rustle, and then a hesitant, “—Hello?”
You didn’t plan this out. You’re not ready for this. Shit, what are you supposed to say?
“—hello? (Y/n)?”
“Have you had dinner yet?”
Wow, you’re a terrible conversationalist.
“…um, I haven’t actually. I was about to warm up some leftovers?”
Your eyes focus on the taxis driving by, picking up passengers as they get waved down. Maybe you should just find a cheap hotel nearby, continue this conversation tomorrow.
“Well…I’m in town, actually. I just landed about 30 minutes ago and realized I didn’t have anywhere to go and I don’t really want to call anyone else and I don’t exactly know who else to call so I just, um, thought about calling you and asking if you’ve had dinner? Which if you’re busy and stuff, that’s totally fine, I should’ve texted you beforehand instead of springing this on you and—”
“(Y/n), it’s okay, alright? It’s okay. I’m not busy, so you can stop by. Did my mom ever give you my address?”
Keiji’s brief attempt to calm you down works, surprisingly. You allow yourself to take a deep breath despite the stale airport air, but it was some much-needed oxygen. This is going to be okay, Keiji doesn’t hate you quite yet.
“N-no, she never did.”
“That’s fine, I’ll text it to you. My place is about 30 minutes from the airport, I’d recommend getting a taxi instead of an Uber. I’ll order some delivery—”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“You still like the miso ramen from that shop not far from your house, right? They opened up a second store not far from where I live.”
How did he remember that? You’re pretty sure your own mother had forgotten that fact by now.
“Y-yeah, I do,” you smile to yourself. “I still think about it sometimes.”
“Sounds good then. Get here safely then.”
“Okay. Thank you loads again. I’m sorry for all this—”
“Don’t worry about it. Keep me updated, see you later.”
“Yeah, bye.”
Not 30 seconds later, a text arrives to your phone with an address, a keycode for getting past the main door, and other relevant instructions.
-
Keiji’s apartment is exactly as you expect it to be – prim, proper, neat almost to a fault, with minimalist decorations. The apartment complex he lives in is rather high-end, if the security guards standing outside the main entrance indicated anything. You almost feel completely out of place or like a bug on the wall as you step in after him, a rather comfortable silence between the two of you. His kitchen is spotless and almost sparkles back at you, and the only thing that seems out of place are the containers of your ramen he so kindly ordered for you.
“Your place is really nice, it’s really…you,” you comment, setting your stuff down at the door. Keiji indulges you with a quiet laugh, making sure that there wasn’t anything that would be in your way. His glasses are perched on his head, an old monochrome t-shirt on his shoulders and sweatpants hung low on his hips, yet in this apartment that almost seems like it should be in an interior design magazine, he looks at home. His ethereal beauty, the softness in his eyes, the gentle up-turned strands of his hair – he belonged here.
“The ramen came not too long ago, so it’s still hot. I’ll go ahead and put it together, you can put your jacket on the couch.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Instead, you fold your jacket over your suitcase and quietly make your way into the apartment. Straight across from you are doors to a balcony – darkness had long taken over the city, so you see nothing but your reflection at first. But as you near the plexiglass, the reflection disappears into the view and you almost gasp from the beauty of it.
Blinking lights, flashing billboards, and the brightly lit Tokyo Skytree peer back at you. It only hits you now how much you’ve missed home, and that even though Sapporo was one of the largest cities in Japan, it still wasn’t Tokyo.
“I never get tired of it,” Keiji chimes in while carrying your bowl of ramen to the dining table.
“It’s an amazing view, I can see why you’d live here,” you reply while moving away from it. The table also has two empty wine glasses, and just as you’re about to ask him why they were there, he returns with a newly opened bottle of chardonnay.
“I haven’t had a lot of time to restock the wine fridge, but I knew I was going to kick myself for not having a bottle of that dessert wine we had before you went off to college,” he said with mirth and amusement. “You remember that one?”
“Yeah,” you nearly splutter, almost flushing that once again, Keiji was remembering details about you that you didn’t even know. “Your mom wanted to throw me a graduation dinner and you made it back in time after finals. And she had a bottle of it and between the two of us, we probably drank most of it. Our parents said it was too sweet.”
He nods and sits across from you, elbows on the table as you mutter, “Itadakimasu,” and start eating. You finish your meal silently for the most part, making small talk here and there. Keiji refills both of your glasses and the two of you sip the wine demurely, and while he seems okay with the lack of an explanation, you’re struggling to find the right words.
“So what’s with the impromptu trip to Tokyo? Are you going to see your parents?”
“Should I try to lie to you?”
“It’s up to you.”
Oh, okay then.
But he looks expectant, as if he knows you wouldn’t lie to him – in fact, you’ve never lied to him before. There was never any need to, but did that just mean neither of you ever cared enough?
“Something happened with me and Testuro. I don’t want to bore you with the details, but at the end of the day…I just needed to get away, as cliché as it sounds,” you laugh brokenly. Keiji continues to carefully observe you with a stare that you can’t escape. “I don’t want to tell my parents – you know them, they’ll ask a million questions. Without thinking, I booked a ticket to Tokyo and…now I’m here.”
That was a lie. How are you supposed to tell Keiji that he was the first person you thought of in an effort to run away? You and Keiji have never gotten personal before, he made sure of that. The last thing you want to do is weird him and scare him off.
“…did he cheat on you?” Keiji asked. His voice is darker in his inquiry, deeper than you’ve ever heard before. He has his hands folded in front of his lips and his eyes harden. Testuro may be an old friend to him, but you were in his life longer.
“Nonononono,” you quickly wave off. This isn’t the time to slander your…boyfriend? Could Tetsuro still even be your boyfriend if he no longer has any feelings for you? “Nothing like that.”
“That’s good to hear. If you want, you can tell me another time then. You’re welcome to stay here until you go back to Sapporo.”
You look up at him, eyes incredulous. Could Keiji really be this comfortable with you?
“I wouldn’t mind staying tonight, but I can stay in a hotel for the rest of the week that I’m here.”
“Nonsense,” Keiji refutes, standing from the table and taking your wine glasses to the sink. You follow with your bowl and he starts washing them before you can even offer. “Mom would kill me if she knew I let you pay for a hotel when I have a perfectly functioning bed you can stay in.”
“I mean, if it’s not a bother…”
“It’s not. The futon’s pretty comfortable, I’ve definitely fallen asleep on it plenty of times.”
“We can switch, I would never let you sleep on the futon for a whole week.”
“If you say so then. But for tonight, you can take my bed. Let me grab you an extra towel so you can shower. I’m sure you’ve had a long day,” he says while drying everything off, folding the kitchen towel neatly before heading off to his room. He returns with a large, soft grey towel and you shyly take it from him with a word of thanks, but he stays there in front of you, waiting for something.
“I’m really glad you picked up the phone,” you whisper softly, feeling the effects of the alcohol. You’re entering uncharted territory for the two of you, and this could either kill or strengthen this odd distant friendship. “I meant it when I said I didn’t know who else to call. You were the first person that came to mind and just…I don’t want to make this weird, like you can kick me out,” you begin to ramble. “Don’t feel like you’re obligated to take me in because your mom would be disappointed if you wouldn’t, you’ve already put up with me for over 15 years and it’s fine, I can be on my own and—”
Smooth, calloused hands delicately hold your face, large palms and nimble fingers cupping your cheeks. Your words die on your tongue as Keiji stares straight into your eyes, holding your gaze until your breathing calms down to a steady, languid pace. “You’re my friend, (y/n). So it’s good that you called me.”
“I’m your…friend?” You ask unsteadily, feeling a sense of disbelief.
“Yeah,” he confirms with the corners of his lips turning up slightly. “We’re friends.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. Now go shower.”
“Okay.”
-
You’re fast asleep before Keiji finishes his own shower, his bedroom door left ajar as the hallway light beams through. He pauses in the midst of drying his hair with a towel, letting it bunch and hang off his neck as he cautiously pushes the door open. Keiji notices your even breathing and how much more relaxed you look in sleep. You’re curled up on your side with the blanket pulled up to your face and he can’t lie: it’s adorable and cute, and he shouldn’t really be thinking these things.
He sits on the edge of the bed in the little space that’s provided, lithe fingers reaching out to brush back a few stray wisps of your hair. Watching you sleep pulls him back into a fond memory he’s kept of the two of you, one that might’ve held very little significance to you but meant something so much more to him. He knows you know him well, he knows how much his mother babbles on about him, and adults were more prone to gossip than the rowdiest of teenagers – he’d be painfully oblivious if he didn’t think you knew that much about him, or more than the average friend.
But it’s comforting to him, sometimes. Knowing you, how kindly you think of others, he might not have to explain what he’s feeling in the moment. You would be able to know, and that soothes him to some degree.
Maybe he had a little bit too much wine as well, but ever so subtly, motions steady and unhurried, he deftly leans closer and closer until his lips brush the apple of your cheek. He lingers for no more than a few seconds and sits back up, gazing at you before standing. His hands adjust the blankets and make sure you’re properly tucked in. He pads away, shutting the door behind him as quietly as possible as to not wake you.
And when he’s found a comfortable position on the futon with his most comfortable throw blanket, he realizes, begrudgingly, that this week will fly by too fast for his liking.  
997 notes · View notes
lumosandnoxwriting · 4 years
Text
Enough - George Weasley
Tumblr media
Title: Enough Pairing: George x Fem!Reader, Adrian Pucey x Fem!Reader Summary: Losing the girl of his dreams was never in George’s plan, and watching her marry someone else certainly wasn’t either. He can only hope that it’s not too late to make things right. Warning: mentions of vomiting, alcohol abuse and comments that can be references to child abuse, but nothing is specifically mentioned.  A/N: I combined two different requests for this one because they were pretty similar! So this is for the anons who wanted George crashing the wedding off the woman he loves! Feedback is always welcome!! Tags: @feltondarling​ @pandaxnienke​ @raerae27​ @thefifthweasley 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
“There’s my girl,” George greets happily as Y/N skips towards him out of the Arithmancy classroom. He’s still slightly out of breath from running there from Herbology, but it doesn’t stop him from wrapping his arms around Y/N’s waist and lifting her up slightly.
“George!” Y/N giggles, wrapping her arms around his neck when he finally puts her back on the ground. “You can’t have missed me that much,” she teases, before pulling him down into a brief kiss. “You could have just waited for me in Transfiguration.”
George kisses Y/N again briefly before he grabs her hand, intertwining their fingers. They head towards McGonagall’s classroom slowly as the hall starts to fill with students heading towards the last lesson of the day. “I could have waited for you. But I wanted to walk you to class. I’m a gentleman after all, Y/N.”
“Mhm, sure you are,” Y/N teases, a pink flush on her cheeks.
George truly is her prince charming come to life. Despite the fact that they’ve been together for over three years, George is still finding ways to surprise Y/N and make her feel special. Every evening before a big test there’s a red rose and a bar of her favorite chocolate on her pillow, whenever she gets ready to leave school for a holiday break one of George’s jumpers ends up folded neatly in her trunk and most days George runs across the castle to make sure he can walk Y/N to class, even if it makes him late for his own.
“You break my heart, Y/N,” he jokes, using his grip on her hand to twirl her in a circle. He watches as a smile spreads across her cheeks, his heart pounding in his chest.
From the moment he first talked to Y/N his heart has beat for her and only her. George often feels like he gets lost in a sea of Weasleys, like he’s the one everyone glazes over. To George it seems like all of his siblings stand out in some way, Bill is the oldest, Charlie has his cool job with the dragons, Percy is the smart one, Fred is the loud charming one, Ron is the goofball who’s friends with Harry Potter and of course Ginny is the strong willed younger sister, while he’s just kind of there. He’s always felt like an extension of Fred, he’s George of Fred and George. And he loves being half of the dynamic duo that they are, he loves causing mischief and chaos with his brother. But sometimes he wants to be just George.
Y/N was the first person to just see him. He remembers the day it happened like it was yesterday. It was dinner time, and most of the people at the Gryffindor table were watching Fred recount their great escape from Filch after they charmed his broom to fly away every time he tried to grab it. Everyone seemed to be entranced by him, except for Y/N. She was sitting on George’s other side, completely oblivious to Fred’s antics. She had nudged him and asked what he thought of the transfiguration quiz they’d had the day before. Despite the fact that they were in the same year, George had never spoken to Y/N. She was pretty quiet and kept to herself, far away from the chaos George and Fred created.
But that night she had sought George out, and it made butterflies erupt in his stomach. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but he enjoyed it all the same. They had sat there and talked about which transfiguration spells they found most useful until dinner was over, and they had to head back to the common room. From then on just the sight of Y/N increased George’s heart rate and made butterflies appear in his stomach. Every time he felt himself getting lost in Fred’s shadow Y/N was there, usually with some kind of thought provoking question that would distract him.
When he finally got the courage to ask her on a date they had sat in the Three Broomsticks for hours, sharing shy glances and talking about anything that came to mind. George had asked Y/N how she knew transfiguration was his favorite class, and she revealed that she often watched him in the common room, and it was the only book he ever seemed to open. George had kissed her right there in the middle of the pub, his heart feeling like it was about to pound out of his chest. Y/N had seen him. Just him. And it made George feel like the most special person in the world. From that day on George didn’t care that most people only saw him as that Weasley boy. Or that he was only known to the masses as George of Fred and George. Because Y/N saw him as just George, and that was enough for him.
They reach the Transfiguration classroom then, and George pulls Y/N in for another brief kiss. “You’re my everything,” he breathes, holding her face in his hands.
“Everything okay, George?” Y/N asks, turning her head to press a kiss to his palm. While it’s normal for George to be affectionate, he usually saves such sentiments for when they’re alone and away from prying ears. Mostly Fred’s ears, but it’s unlike him to say something so meaningful while there’s students swirling around them.
Before George has a chance to answer McGonagall is sticking her head out of the classroom door and ushering them inside so class can begin.
-
“Next week? What do you mean we’re leaving next week?” George asks Fred incredulously.
Fred shushes George and looks to make sure no one heard before leaning in closer to his brother. “Yes, next week. I’m tired of dealing with mega bitch Umbridge and everything else is ready to go. The sooner we get into the space in Diagon Alley the sooner we can open up business and start taking over the world.”
George sighs and rubs his hands over his face. “I thought we would have more time. Leave closer to the end of the school year.”
“You’re not chickening out on me, are you, Georgie?” Fred jokes. When George doesn’t say anything Fred’s face drops. “Are you?” he asks again, his tone more serious.
“I wouldn’t say chickening out,” George mumbles.  
Fred slams his fist down on the table, causing George to jump. “We’ve talked about this, George. We’ve dreamed about this, for years. I can’t do it without you, you know that. How can you just abandon me?”
“Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” George responds with an eyeroll. “I’m all in, of course I am.” He bites his lip. “It’s Y/N that I’m worried about.”
“You’re such a fucking sap George, honestly,” Fred teases, ruffling George’s hair. “So, you’re dipping out of school a few months early? What’s the big deal? She’ll graduate, you guys will get married and make a fuck ton of ginger babies. You think she’s going to stop loving you because you don’t finish school or something?”
The thought of his future with Y/N spikes George’s heart rate, and he has to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. “I don’t know. Something like that. What if she doesn’t think I’m good enough for her anymore? Or she forgets about me or something?”
“Now you’re being an idiot. Y/N is crazy in love with you, George. Like you’re the center of her universe sort of love. Mum and Dad kind of love.” Fred watches George for a moment, frowning when his brother refuses to meet his gaze. “Invite her to come with us if you’re so torn up about it, Georgie,” he suggests softly.
“What?” George asks, unable to believe what he’s hearing. Fred usually loves to tease George about how Y/N has him wrapped around her finger, and usually his remarks are accompanied by him pretending to crack a whip. George knows that it’s his way of showing his approval of their relationship, so it doesn’t bother him too much. But it doesn’t make it any less weird to hear Fred be so blatantly supportive of George and Y/N.
“Invite her along. Having an extra set of hands while we start everything up wouldn’t hurt, and Y/N is the perfect candidate. She’s way smarter than the two of us combined and she’s the perfect balance to all of our chaos. She’ll keep us grounded.” Fred rolls his eyes when George still doesn’t seem satisfied. “Okay, spill it. You clearly have been worrying about this for a while. What’s going on in that big ‘ol head of yours?”
George leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. His and Fred’s grand exit from school and how Y/N fits in to all of it has been weighing on his mind for weeks. The thought of bringing Y/N along crossed his mind ages ago, and as much as he wishes it was a viable option it’s not. For one, Y/N has always dreamed of being an Arithmancer. Arithmancy fascinates her to no end, and George has spent endless hours admiring her as she pours over different books, always making sure to listen to everything she tells him. He doesn’t want to take that away from her. She’ll need her NEWTS in order to work in the field, and if she comes to work at the joke shop now she’ll never be able to.
But mostly, he’s completely and utterly terrified of the joke shop failing. He and Fred have found success with their products within Hogwarts walls, but taking them out to the world at large is a huge risk. They’ve put every ounce of energy and what little money they have into it, and if it fails they’ll have nothing to fall back on. And George can’t subject Y/N to that. She deserves to have the world handed to her on a platter and even though George’s love for her reaches the end of the universe, that’s not enough to give her the life she deserves. They’ve talked about what they hope their future holds, and George wants to give Y/N everything her heart desires. But he’s not sure he’ll ever be able to do that, and his worst nightmare is letting her down.
“There’s a lot going on,” he admits honestly, choosing to ignore Fred’s tease. “I think I know what I have to do about Y/N and I’ve just been trying to deny it. But it’s the only option.”
“What’s that, George?” Fred asks, but he fears he might already know the answer.
George looks at Fred, a sullen look on his face. “I have to break up with her.”
-
“Tell me what’s wrong, Georgie. Please,” Y/N asks quietly, looking up at George.
It’s Saturday afternoon, and they’re laying together on George’s bed. It’s a Hogsmeade day, so they’re completely alone, just enjoying being together. George is laying on his back with Y/N cuddled on top of him, one of his hands is under her shirt, pressed against the small of her back while the other is holding one of her hands in his. He and Fred are leaving Monday afternoon, and George is trying to enjoy his last fleeting moments with Y/N.
“It’s nothing, baby. Just thinking about stuff,” he responds, his eyes refusing to leave the ceiling and meet hers.
Y/N presses a kiss to George’s bare chest before nuzzling the soft skin. “Thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other?” Ever since the day George walked with her to Transfiguration Y/N has been able to tell that something is off with him. Usually she can read him like an open book, and the fact that she can’t tell what’s going on in his head scares her.
George digs his fingers into the skin of Y/N’s back. He can feel her heartbeat against his chest, and he’s sure she can hear how loudly his heart is pounding in his. “Baby,” George coos, finally looking down at her. “Look at me, please.” When Y/N finally looks up at him George can see tears pooling in her eyes and it breaks his heart. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything in this world. You know that, right?”
“George,” Y/N breathes, squeezing his hand tightly. Normally George confessing his love for Y/N makes her feel dizzy, and makes her heart beat out of her chest. But this feels different to her. Like it’s the last time he’s ever going to say those things to her. “Don’t do this, George. Please.”
George swallow thickly. “I can’t be with you anymore, Y/N. I’m not. I’m not good enough for you. I don’t deserve you and I never have. You deserve the universe and try as I might I’m not the person who can give that to you. I’ve been telling myself I am, but I’m just not, Y/N.”
Tears stream down both of their faces and when Y/N surges forward to kiss George she can feel his tears mixing with hers on her cheeks. She kisses him hard, desperately trying to get him to return it. “Georgie please. I love you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything before.”
“I know you do,” George says sadly. “But I don’t deserve your love. I’m sorry, Y/N. But it’s over between us.” George watches as Y/N scrambles out of his bed before turning on his side so he doesn’t have to see the woman he loves walk out of his life for good. The sound of the door slamming shut behind Y/N punches a crater in George’s chest, and he finally lets himself sob into his pillow.
-
“Turn that frown upside down,” Y/N’s mother tuts as she enters Y/N’s bedroom. “Today is supposed to be a day to celebrate. You should be happy.”
Y/N is sitting in front of the vanity in her bedroom, and she locks eyes with her mother in the mirror. Today is her graduation party, a day Y/N had been looking forward to since her parents started planning it at the beginning of the school year. But then George Weasley shattered her heart to pieces two months ago and she’s failed to find the joy in anything since. Y/N is surprised that she even managed to make it through the rest of the school year. The last thing she wants to do is pretend to be hopeful about her future in front of a room full of people when the future she’s spent the last 3 years dreaming about no longer has any possibility of becoming a reality.
“I don’t want to be happy,” Y/N responds lamely. “And I don’t want to pretend to be happy either.”
Y/N’s mother’s expression turns cold. “Your father and I have put up with your dramatics long enough, Y/N and we will not tolerate you embarrassing us today. So get yourself together, get dressed and put a damn smile on your face. This party is happening whether you want it or not.”
“Ugh!” Y/N huffs once her mother is gone, knocking her brush off of her vanity. Of course, today isn’t about her. It’s about her parents showing her off to all of their pureblood friends. Not only had George been the love of Y/N’s life, but he’d been her salvation, her savior from the horrid life her parents had been grooming her for. Y/N’s parents had raised her traditionally, and from a young age it was clear to her that she was going to marry a pureblood boy whether she loved him or not. And even though the Weasley family doesn’t prescribe to many of the pureblood traditions Y/N’s family does, their blood is as pure as can be and her parents reluctantly approved of their relationship.
Y/N and George had talked about what their future would look like, and they both easily came to the conclusion that it would include getting as far away from Y/N’s family as possible. Y/N sparred George from the more intimate details of her childhood but told him enough to make it clear she didn’t want anything to do with her parents once she was an adult. They decided on a large house on a hill in the country, near where George grew up. So their kids could run around barefoot and free, causing all the chaos they want. As graduation had neared, Y/N figured along with it would come a ring on her finger. George had promised to whisk her away from her family as soon as he could, he promised that he would be her new family and it was all they would need. But George had also promised to love Y/N forever. And now all she has left of him are his broken promises to match her broken heart.
Of course, Y/N’s parents had been thrilled when she returned home from Hogwarts with the news that she and George had broken up. All they’ve ever wanted was for Y/N to marry a pureblood boy that would take care of her and give them perfect pureblood grandchildren to spoil. Y/N is their only child, and therefore the only hope of their family legacy continuing on. They had been okay with Y/N marrying George not because they wanted her to be happy, but because they thought giving her what she wanted would give them the opportunity to instill their values in her children, so their traditions could carry on. But now that Y/N and George are no longer together, her possible mates are endless, and they’ve spent much of the past week discussing which son of their friends is best suited to marry her.
Not wanting to face her mother’s wrath, Y/N complies with her wishes. She fixes her hair just right, and puts on enough makeup to accentuate her features, before she changes out of her pajamas and into the expensive silk ballgown her mother had custom made. Y/N is sure it costs more than what most wizards make in a month, and the feeling of the smooth fabric against her skin makes Y/N want to throw up.
“There’s my princess,” Y/N’s father greets as she comes down the stairs.
Every click of her heels against the marble floor makes her stomach lurch, and Y/N can see her hand shake as she reaches out to take the arm her father has offered her. Guests have started to arrive, so she plasters her best fake smile onto her face. “Hi Daddy,” she greets, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Y/N lets her father guide her around the room, shaking the hand of every person they meet and pretending to be interested in what they have to say to her. Y/N is great at pretending, she’s spent her whole life watching her parents pretend to love each other. They had been paired together in an arranged marriage and while they love to put on a show as the perfect couple for their friends, Y/N knows that they sleep in separate bedrooms and her father has had a string of mistress’ her whole life. Everything they do is for the sake of appearances. They don’t care about genuine happiness or pure love, as long as they give off the illusion that they hold those things. George had made Y/N feel both of those things, and now she’s not sure if she’ll ever get to experience them again.
After taking Y/N around the room to greet everyone, her father gets distracted in a conversation with Lucius Malfoy and Y/N takes the opportunity to get away. Her mother has strategically placed a few of their house elves near the staircase so Y/N can’t sneak back up to her room. Instead she finds an empty table as far away from everyone as possible and sulks over to it, sinking down in one of the chairs.
“Why the long face?” a familiar voice asks as they approach Y/N.
Y/N looks up, mustering up the best fake smile she can. “Oh, Adrian! How nice to see you!”
Adrian rolls his eyes as he takes a seat next to Y/N. “You don’t have to pull that crap with me. You know that, Y/N.”
Y/N sighs in relief, and lets her sullen expression take over again. Adrian grew up in the estate next door to Y/N, so Y/N spent a lot of time with him growing up. She spent time with the children of her parent’s other friends as well, but Adrian is the only one she truly considered a friend. He found many of the things his parents taught him utterly ridiculous as well, and it allowed them to grow closer. Their friendship had ultimately faded when they arrived at Hogwarts and Adrian was sorted into Slytherin and Y/N was sorted into Gryffindor, but Y/N still considers him a friend.
“Thanks. I think if I have to pretend to smile one more time my face will actually freeze that way,” she jokes.
“Yeah, I heard about that. About George. I’m sorry.” Adrian reaches out to give Y/N a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
Y/N rolls her eyes. “Pretty sure the whole fucking world has heard about it at this point. You should have seen how happy my parents were when they found out. Pretty sure it was the only time either of them has felt genuine joy.”
“Yeah, I heard your dad talking about it with mine the night after we got back from school,” Adrian says. “I see he went out and bought you that diamond bracelet,” he comments, gesturing towards the piece of jewelry on her wrist.
Y/N snorts in laughter. “Graduation present my fucking ass. Only my parents would give me a present to celebrate my heart getting stomped on. Fucking pricks.”
Adrian reaches out and puts his hand on top of Y/N’s, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. “I really am sorry, you know. I could tell how much you loved him.”
“He was my everything,” Y/N admits sadly. As weird as it sounds, it feels good to be talking about this with Adrian. Her parents clearly think one week is a sufficient amount of time to get over a three-year long relationship and she’s been dying to talk about her feelings with someone. “We had plans, you know? Turns out he had plans of his own.”
Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes has been the front-page story of the Daily Prophet since it’s opening last month. The store has been breaking records left and right and people can’t seem to get enough of it. The store was packed with people when Y/N went to Diagon Alley with her mother for a dress fitting earlier in the week and the sight of the store alone made her want to cry.
“You didn’t know? About the store?”
Y/N shakes her head. “I knew he and Fred wanted to start one. He had talked about it loads, it always made him so excited. I just didn’t know how close they were to making it a reality. Though I suppose that was on purpose, since he dumped me right before opening. I guess the future we talked about starting wasn’t good enough for him.”
“He’s a dick, Y/N. You’re amazing. He should have been on his knees praising you everywhere you went. Any guy would be tripping over themselves to give you anything and everything you could ever want,” Adrian comforts, squeezing her hand again.
Y/N smiles her first genuine smile in months, completely unaware that her mother is watching her intensely, a plan forming in her head.
-
Y/N wakes up the next morning to a soft knock at her door. She lets out a yawn and stretches before muttering a soft ‘come in.’ She figures it’s one of the house elves, so when Y/N’s mother enters her room with her father trailing behind her stomach lurches and she sits up. “What’s going on? Did Nan die?”
“Oh of course not, it’s nothing like that Y/N,” her mother assures with a laugh, sitting down on the edge of her bed.
“We just have something to talk to you about,” her father says from his spot in the doorway.
Y/N sighs a breath of relief. Ever since her grandfather passed away Y/N’s Nan has become much more vocal about her distaste for some pureblood traditions and she’s the only family member Y/N can even remotely tolerate. “Thank God. What do we need to talk about then?”
“Your father and I have been talking a lot since your graduation about the next steps in your life,” her mother starts. “Marriage, children, things like that.”
“And we know that you thought that Weasley boy was going to marry you but it’s time to be realistic about things,” her father says firmly.
Y/N rolls her eyes to keep from crying. “Do we really need to talk about this right now? I just woke up.”
“Yes, we do. Because I saw the way you were talking with Adrian Pucey yesterday, and told your father all about it so he could have a conversation with his father.”
Y/N’s stomach drops, and her chest starts to tighten. “No. No you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.” The tears she’d tried to avoid a moment ago start to form in her eyes.
“I did,” her father confirms. “He agrees that you and Adrian would be a perfect match. Adrian already has a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry making good money, and his father has agreed to pay for your estate if your mother and I pay for the wedding.”
“No,” Y/N cries softly, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Adrian isn’t a bad person, but Y/N always hoped she’d marry for love, not for connections.
“Oh quit the dramatics, Y/N. Adrian comes from a good family, you should be happy,” Y/N’s mother squeezes her leg a little too tightly to be comforting as she stands up. “Now get out of bed and get yourself ready. Adrian will be by with his family this afternoon to formally propose so that the announcement can be printed in tomorrow’s Daily Prophet.”
Once her parents have disappeared Y/N collapses back into bed and sobs.
-
“Will you at least act like you’ve touched a woman before, Adrian!” Adrian’s mother scolds from somewhere behind the camera.
Adrian sighs and gives Y/N an apologetic look before placing his hand on the small of her back. They’ve been trying to get the perfect photo to include with their engagement announcement for the past 20 minutes, and Y/N feels like a doll being played with. Her and Adrian are standing facing each other, and per her mother’s demands Y/N has her left hand on his bicep to show off the fat diamond sitting on her finger while her right hand rests on Adrian’s shoulder. One of Adrian’s hands is cupping her cheek, while the other rests on the small of her back. At least now it does, Adrian has spent the last five photos with it just hovering over her body.
“Okay, now look at each other like you’re in love,” Y/N’s mother demands. Y/N looks into Adrian’s eyes and plasters her best fake smile onto her face and she can hear her mother make a satisfied noise. “Now as the picture is taken Adrian I want you to lean in and kiss Y/N’s forehead.”
Adrian opens his mouth to protest, but Y/N gives him a look. “Just do it,” she murmurs between gritted teeth as she continues to smile. “I just wanna get this shit over with.”
When the photographer tells them to move they do, and the flash of the camera nearly blinds Y/N as Adrian kisses her on the forehead to complete the photo. Thankfully the photo seems to satisfy both their mothers, and Adrian and Y/N can finally break apart as they head into the other room with the photographer to write the announcement.
“I’m really sorry about all of this,” Adrian apologizes.
Y/N collapses onto the couch with a sigh. “It’s not your fault our parents are the way they are.”
“I know,” Adrian responds, sitting down next to her. “But you’re very obviously still in love with George. This can’t be easy.”
“It really fucking sucks,” Y/N admits with a sad laugh. “I always thought we’d skip all of this bullshit stuff and just get married in his parent’s backyard or something. I don’t care about all of this traditional crap. I mean who even reads those stupid engagement announcements? Why do people care who’s getting married?”
Adrian laughs. “I’m sure no one we know does. It’s just for them to show off to all of their friends. Your mum can show the picture off and brag about how big that stupid diamond is, and my dad can show it off and brag about how hot of a wife he found me.”
“Ew,” Y/N grimaces, a shiver running down her spine. “I really hope no one we know sees it. Not because you’re a bad person or anything, but just because of how embarrassing that photo is gonna be.” In reality, Y/N hopes that no one in George’s family ever sees that picture.
-
“Nice of you to finally join the living,” Fred comments as he watches George shuffle out of his bedroom. It’s Saturday, so the shop opens a bit later than usual and George has decided to take full advantage and sleep in. Fred puts the Daily Prophet down and pours his brother a cup of coffee as George sits across from him.
“Very funny,” he groans, grabbing the cup and taking a large gulp.
George should feel like he’s on top of the world. Their shop is a huge success, he and Fred are living on their own and they’re finally making some real money. But in reality he feels like shit. He hasn’t felt the same since he broke up with Y/N. His chest feels empty and hollow without her in his life, and he spends all day at the store pretending to be his usual jovial self only to lock himself in his room with a bottle of firewhiskey every night. He knows drinking is not the way to solve his problems, but the firewhiskey burns his throat as it goes down, and it’s the only time of day where he truly feels alive.
“You reek, George. How much did you drink last night?” Fred asks, his voice full of concern. Over the past two months Fred has watched George slowly become a shell of the person he once was. He fakes it quite well for everyone else, but Fred can see through all the bullshit. He feels absolutely helpless as he watches George destroy himself, and Fred’s starting to get desperate.
George shrugs, taking another sip. “I don’t know. Half a bottle, maybe more. Who cares?”
“I do,” Fred insists. “You can’t keep living like this George. I’m worried about you.” Fred pauses. “I know you still care about Y/N-“
“Don’t,“ George says harshly, cutting Fred off. “Don’t talk about her, don’t even say her name. She’s all I can fucking think about and it hurts too much to hear you say it.”
“Okay,” Fred says softly, picking the paper back up. He starts to flick through the pages mindlessly, just trying to seem occupied to give George some space. Fred wants to help him, but he also doesn’t want to push him deeper into his depression. He’s just turned the page to the engagement announcements when George clears his throat.
“You get to the engagement announcements yet?” George asks. When Fred looks up at him confused George rolls his eyes. “Lee and I have a bet going, to see how long it takes for someone from our class to show up in them. You know how those traditionalists are, they pair their kids off before the ink on their diplomas starts to dry.”
Fred laughs, and let’s his eyes scan the page for a moment. He’s about to hand the paper to George when his eye catches a rather large photo. He gasps and immediately crushes the paper up. “Nope. No one from our class yet.”
“You’re full of shit,” George chides, narrowing his eyes. “Come on, give it here. If there’s an announcement in there I win 10 galleons.”
Fred holds the paper just out of George’s reach. “I told you there’s nothing in there. No Galleons for you. Now drink your coffee and get ready so we can head down into the shop.”
George gets up as if he’s going to head towards the bathroom, but he ends up charging at Fred and grabbing the paper from him. “I don’t know what your problem is, did Lee promise you part of his winnings or something?” George opens the paper, letting his eyes scan the announcements. He’s not really paying attention to the photos, just trying to find a name that sounds familiar. “Ha! There it is! Adrian Pucey, who would have thought.” But as George continues to read the announcement bile comes up his throat and he throws the paper down so he can run to the bathroom and heave into the toilet.
-
Y/N strolls through Diagon Alley slowly, basking in the freedom. Ever since the engagement announcement appeared in the Daily Prophet her house has become wedding central. Gifts and cards from distant family members and acquaintances arrive in droves every day, and Y/N’s mother is driving her crazy with the plans. Every day from the moment she wakes up until the moment she goes to bed is filled with wedding decisions that she truly doesn’t give a shit about. She doesn’t care about the seating chart or the color scheme. The only thing she cares about is that she’s not marrying George Weasley, and no matter how many plans they make that fact will never change.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Y/N apologizes. She’d been so lost in thought she ran right into someone. She looks up at the man she bumped into and her heart stops beating when she looks into a pair of familiar brown eyes and spots a shock of fiery red hair. But a moment later she realizes it’s not who she thinks it is. “Oh. Fred.”
“That’s all you have to say?” Fred sneers, suddenly filling with rage. He knows what happened between Y/N and George is not her fault, but his resentment towards her has started to grow since the engagement announcement. George has stopped leaving his room at all, and the sound of his drunken sobs keep Fred up at night. It kills Fred to see his brother hurting, and he can’t help but blame Y/N for all of it.
“You saw it then?” Y/N asks, hanging her head in shame.
“Even if I didn’t that god-awful gaudy diamond on your hand is a dead giveaway.” Fred clears his throat. “George did too.”
Y/N’s head snaps up and she can feel tears forming in her eyes. “No, no, no. He wasn’t supposed to see that. Is he okay? How’s he doing?” Y/N watches as Fred’s jaw clenches. “Please, Fred. I need to know.”
“Why do you care?” he practically shouts. “So you can go and laugh about it with Adrian? I can’t believe you, Y/N. George gave you his all. You were his entire world. You were apart what? Two months? And now you’re about to get married to some other fuck head. Why? Because he has money? Because his family has a better status?”
Y/N wipes away some of the tears that have started to fall down her cheeks. “Fuck you, Fred. I don’t care about any of that, you know that. And do I need to remind you that George is the one who broke up with me? I trusted him with my heart, and he crushed it. All I ever wanted was George, all I still want is George.”
Fred takes a deep breath, needing to calm himself down. “Then why the hell are you marrying Adrian? George is beside himself. He doesn’t even come out of his room anymore.”
“You think I have a choice?” Y/N asks, her voice cracking under the weight of the emotions she’s feeling. “I’m not marrying Adrian because I love him, I’m marrying Adrian because my parents arranged it to be that way. My parents are vile, Fred. They don’t see me as their daughter, I’m a pawn for them to play with. It’s either submit or be punished and I’m not going to stand here and let you make me feel even worse than I already do.”
Fred grabs Y/N’s wrist as she turns to walk away, and he pulls her into a tight hug. “Y/N, I had no idea. George said your parents were traditionalists, but he never mentioned anything like that.”
“Because I never told him,” Y/N admits as she pulls away from Fred. She wipes away a few of the lingering tears as she looks up at him. “George is too innocent, too pure to know about the shit they put me through growing up. George is the only person who ever truly made me feel loved and without him I feel like I’m in a horrible nightmare that I can never wake up from.”
“You can’t marry Adrian, Y/N. You and George, you guys are soulmates,” Fred says quietly. “You have to be together.”
Y/N scoffs. “Tell your brother that, he’s the one who dumped me out of nowhere. Clearly he doesn’t feel the same away about me as I do him.”
“You can’t seriously believe that, Y/N. George is going crazy without you. He barely eats, he barely sleeps.” Fred swallows thickly. “He’s been drinking. A lot. Way more than anyone should. It’s scary. Every time I try and talk to him he shuts me out. He’s lost without you.”
The ache Y/N has felt in her chest since the day George ended things intensifies with Fred’s every word. It kills her to know that George is hurting just as much as she is. “I still love him, Fred. With every fiber of my being. But I don’t know if that’s enough anymore. Everything’s gotten so complicated.”
“Just promise me one thing. Promise me that you won’t walk down that aisle and marry Adrian until you talk to George.” Y/N opens her mouth to say something, but Fred puts his hand up to stop her. “I’ll take care of George. I’ll Stupefy him and drag him to you if I have to. Just promise me you won’t marry him until you see George.”
“I promise, Fred. The wedding is next week on Friday. I’ll wait for George until the moment I have to walk down the aisle. But if he doesn’t make it.” Y/N shakes her head. “It’ll be too late.”
-
When Fred gets back to their flat after his conversation with Y/N he’s filled with determination. George is the person he cares most about in the world and he’ll be damned if he lets him ruin is life. He goes straight to George’s bedroom door, using his wand to unlock it. He throws it open, flipping on the light switch.
“What do you want you fucking prick?” George groans, rolling over in his bed.
Fred carefully moves around the firewhiskey bottles strewn about on the floor and heads over to the window. He throws the curtains open, letting the sunlight shine on George for the first time in weeks. “Get your ass out of bed. You’re done wallowing in self-pity.”
“Fuck you,” George grumbles, opening his eyes to glare at Fred. “What’s the point in doing anything anymore? I ruined my chance with the only girl I’ve ever wanted. She’s supposed to marry me, Fred. Not that fucking moron Adrian. He doesn’t love her like I do, and he never will. But she doesn’t deserve me. Not anymore anyway.”
Fred sighs and sits down on the edge of George’s bed. “You’re right, he doesn’t love her like you do. And she doesn’t love him either.”
“Nice try, Fred. But I’m not getting out of this bed no matter how many lies you tell me,” George sighs, before turning over in bed.
“Her parents are making her marry Adrian, George,” Fred says firmly.
George turns back to face Fred and sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I’m sorry what did you say?”
“I ran into Y/N, when I was down in Diagon Alley. I really let her have it, Georgie. I told her off for getting with Adrian so soon after you ended it with her, and she just broke down crying.” Fred reaches out and puts a comforting hand on George’s knee. “She’s in love with you, George. Not him. Her parents arranged their marriage, she doesn’t have a choice.”
George puts his head in his hands, letting Fred’s words sink in. Of course, it all makes sense to him now. Y/N had once briefly mentioned that her parents never loved each other, George had brushed it off at the time, but it’s all becoming clear. Arranged marriages between pureblood families is pretty commonplace, and he feels like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
“I’m such a fucking idiot, Freddie,” George groans, looking up at his brother. “I never should have even dumped her in the first place. What the fuck was I thinking? I was scared of disappointing her when in reality I was being a big fat idiot.”
“Big fat idiot is right,” Fred teases, trying to get George to smile. “But the important part is that it’s not too late. I made her promise not to marry him until she talks to you again.”
“Why didn’t you start with that?” George asks, finally cracking a smile. “So what’s the plan then?”
Fred grins at George, his eyes alight with mischief. “We’ve got a wedding to crash.”
-
Y/N fidgets as she stands in the middle of her room, unable to keep herself from glancing at the clock. She’s standing there in her wedding dress, thirty minutes away from walking down the aisle and she’s yet to see George or hear from Fred. The possibility that George doesn’t want to see her ever again makes her want to throw up, but she has to hold out hope that he’s going to show up. She knows now more than ever that George is the person she’s supposed to end up with, and she prays that Fred made him realize that too.
“There’s my girl.”
At the sound of George’s voice Y/N turns around a smile spreading on her face. “George,” she greets. In the blink of an eye George is across the room and wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling Y/N into his chest. Y/N wraps her arms around George’s neck and presses their lips together in a desperate kiss.
“I love you,” George murmurs as they pull apart. “I have always loved you Y/N. Breaking up with you was the worst decision I made in my entire life.”
Y/N can feel the tears falling down her face, and she presses their foreheads together. “Why did you do it, George? You mean everything to me. I would walk to the ends of the earth to be with you. You have to know that.”
“I do baby, I do,” George whispers, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I was scared of letting you down. You are a Goddess, Y/N. You deserve to have the world handed to you on a silver platter and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to give that to you. You deserve the future we dreamed of having, and it killed me to think you’d never get that with me.”
“I don’t care about having any of that. All I care about is having you,” Y/N admits, kissing George briefly. “You made me feel safe, and happy and loved, and that’s all I need, George.”
George kisses Y/N again, needing to feel her lips on his. “I know that now. And I really hope it’s not too late to give that all to you, Y/N. You are the only person who has ever made me feel special, the only person who’s ever bothered to look at me. And if you let me I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you feel special too.”
“I love you, George. It’s always been you. It will always be you.” Y/N breathes in deeply as George kisses her again, finally feeling like she’s home.
“I love you so much and as much as I would love to stand here and kiss you forever we gotta go. Fred should be almost done setting things up by now. Get changed and grab some stuff, okay?”
Y/N nods and gets undressed, throwing on whatever clothes her hands reach first. She throws a few of her favorite things into her school trunk, which is still packed with her things from the end of the school year. “Good riddance,” Y/N mumbles as she yanks off her engagement ring and throws it onto her dresser.
“Ready to go?” George asks, grabbing Y/N’s trunk.
Just as her hand closes around her wand explosions start to go off and people downstairs start screaming. “What the hell is that?” she asks, hooking an arm around George’s.
George grins down at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “A new line of whizbangs we’re testing out. A little goodbye present for your parents and Adrian.”
-
“Well would you look at that,” George chuckles as he reads the paper.
Y/N presses a kiss to the side of his head as she sets his coffee down on the table, letting George pull her into his lap. “What’s that, love?”
George puts the paper down so he can rest one of his hands on Y/N’s ever-growing baby bump and the other can cup her cheek and pull their lips together. No matter how many years they’ve been together, kissing Y/N makes him just as giddy as the first time. “Adrian’s getting married.”
Y/N laughs and rests her hand on top of the one George has on her belly, intertwining their fingers. “Think we’ll get invited?”
“Considering the way we ruined his first wedding? Not a chance in hell.” George teases with a smile, pulling Y/N in for another kiss.
They might not have as much money as Adrian, or a big rolling estate to show off. But Y/N and George have each other and their growing family – and that’s enough for them.
296 notes · View notes
laurenairay · 4 years
Text
Prove You Wrong - J. Skinner
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Summary: Audrey James, the girl with the loving heart, and Jeff Skinner, the boy with the brilliant smile, had been best friends for most of their lives – will their friendship ever develop into anything more?
Word Count: 9.1k
Warnings: pining, childhood friends to lovers, a little angst, a lot of cute fluff
A/N: I’ve wanted to write for Jeff for a while because I love this smiley pretty boy - and now that I’ve reached a new follower milestone (600!!) I thought I’d finally crack this out! I hope you all like it 💖
Tagging some lovely people who make hockeyblr a better place for me: @itsbadgerbadgermushroom​ @danglesnipecelly​ @texanstarslove​ @princessphilly​ @broadstbroskis​ @denis-scorianov​ @chicagoblackhawkslover96​ @kallmekmk​ @thebookofmags​
*
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” – Emily Brontë
Audrey James had known Jeff Skinner for as long as she could remember. Having grown up together in Markham, Ontario, Jeff the second youngest of six siblings and Audrey the youngest of four siblings, they’d bonded so quickly – and so strongly. Where Jeff went, Audrey was sure be by his side, most often a calming presence, a balancing figure, even from a young age.
When Jeff started skating like his siblings, Audrey was scooting along beside him.
When Jeff started figure skating lessons, Audrey twirled right there with him.
When Jeff started hockey practice too…Audrey helped him practice in his backyard.
She kept his many emotions as level as possible – he made sure she strayed out of her comfort zone. Friends came and went, schools changed, injuries healed, but things never changed between Jeff and Audrey. She trusted him as wholly as he trusted her, and their friendship only grew stronger every year. It didn’t matter that they couldn’t have been more different in appearance and personality – her long straight blonde hair versus his dark brown curls, or her grey eyes versus his brown eyes, or even her sweet retiring nature versus his joyful energetic nature. They complemented each other perfectly, balancing each other out and boosting each other up, and this only strengthened as they grew older.
Summers were spent practicing hockey in the backyard with all of their many siblings, road hockey games leaving sunburn, grazed knees, the occasional tears, sticky ice-cream and fond memories. Whenever Jeff got cuts on his knees, elbows or on one occasion his chin, he accepted Audrey’s pretty princess bandaids with a shaky smile. Whenever Audrey got knocked on her ass (by accident) by one of the older girls, she blinked away her tears as Jeff fiercely defended her, yelling at his sisters and hers in turn. When Jeff’s curls got too much for the summer heat, she held his hand as his dad clipped his hair short, watching sadly as the curls fell to the ground. When Audrey broke her arm in the last hockey game of the season, Jeff pestered his sisters to teach him how to braid their hair, so he could surprise Audrey by braiding her long blonde hair back out of her face for her, earning him the biggest smile he had ever seen. Every summer held a special memory for Audrey and Jeff, the sweetness of childhood and the beauty of friendship, and it didn’t matter what else was going on, what other friends joined or left – they always made time for each other. Summers were their thing, even more so when Jeff went to Kitchener – this made summers even more special, their time to spend together without normal-life distractions, and Audrey treasured it more than anything.
Time seemed to only be going past faster as they grew older though, and with that came changes. Growing up came with growing out of love with figure skating for Audrey.
While her interest in figure skating waned by the time she was 12, she never lost interest in his skating, whether that was figure skating or ice hockey. Audrey was even there watching with his family at the Canadian Junior National Figure Skating Championships (she couldn’t have been more proud of his bronze medal) before he chose to focus just on hockey. And as for hockey – Audrey truly was his biggest supporter. She went to every game possible, with either his family or with hers as well, and whether it was a win or a loss, Audrey was ready with a big hug and a smile. And Jeff appreciated it more than he could ever say. When he heard murmurs of people commenting on his small size, she would fiercely defend him, insisting that his speed, skill and heart were more than anyone could ever hope to measure up to. Because it was true. Jeff had always been special, Audrey knew that, and her heart could only fill with pride as he continued to prove people wrong.
But he never proved her wrong. She always knew he was going to be magnificent.
That was the funny thing about love – when you know, you know. And Audrey had known how she felt about the boy with the brilliant smile for a very long time. Her heart had been Jeff’s before she even knew what it meant, and as they grew older, especially as early teenagers, Audrey realised just what her feelings for her best friend meant.
She knew there was a glimmer of hope that Jeff felt the same. She knew that Jeff shared things with her (thoughts, feelings, fears) that he shared with no-one else. She knew that there were moments that lingered with a what if? She knew that the boys on his teams always teased him for having a girl best friend and that he always shrugged it off. She knew that the way he blushed around her sometimes was more than just nothing.
But she also knew that she could never tell him how she felt. Why? Because even at 16 she knew that he was destined to play in the NHL – and she wanted a career of her own too. Was it selfish? Perhaps. Was there a hint of cowardice? Perhaps. The thing is, Audrey had only ever known herself by Jeff’s side – and she wanted the chance to know who she was without him, as much as the very thought scared her.
So when Jeff was drafted to Kitchener, Audrey buckled down in school to get herself into college. She still went to as many games of Jeff’s as she could, still told him all the time of how proud she was, still phoned him every week to talk about anything and everything, still went with him family to his draft day and cried when he was selected 7th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes.
He was finally living his dream – now it was time to live hers.
Over the next four years, Audrey completed a civil engineering degree from University of Toronto. Staying in Toronto meant she got to stay close to her family – and to Jeff’s, who she saw in some capacity at least once a month. And naturally, regardless of exams or school events, if Jeff was in town playing the Leafs, Audrey would be there watching with his family – always with that big hug and a smile.
And as Jeff’s career continued to soar, Audrey’s narrowed into focus. After another year in education, completing a Masters in Environmental Sciences, she graduated straight into a job for a green energy company, staying in Toronto like she always had done. Same old Audrey.
That was, until the summer of 2018. That was the summer that Jeff got traded to Buffalo. That was the summer that Audrey’s company offered her a promotion with the condition that it came with an office transfer…to Buffalo. She would be managing her own pollution project with a small team, her first by herself but an opportunity that she knew she was ready for. And Jeff had been ecstatic – the nerves and anxiety of moving to a new city, to a new team, was lessened by the promise of being in the same city as his best friend after all these years. Audrey called it a happy coincidence. Her mom called it fate and a kick up the backside.
She ignored her mom on that one.
Two years passed and that happy coincidence was working out perfectly. Around both of their busy schedules, they tried to see each as often as possible, whether it was dinners after a long day in the lab, meeting each other for lunch nearby Audrey’s office, weekends off chilling on the sofa, or going out for drinks after her meetings or after his games.
With that came the standing tickets that Jeff always put aside of Audrey for all home games he played in. Audrey had yet to miss one, so happy she got to give him that big hug and a smile like she used to when they were younger.
And Jeff couldn’t have been happier. He had his calming rock, his confidante, the person he could be his most vulnerable self with. Just like he listened to her vent over her frustrating lab results or her long admin days in the office, she listened to him vent about his stresses in hockey. She listened to him get angry and sad and frustrated and desperate about the slump he had last year – and every time she reminded him of the love he has for the sport, for his career, always encouraging and telling him that if nothing else, she thought he was wonderful. She also listened to his nerves and excitement about Eric getting traded to Buffalo this summer, knowing that as much as Jeff was worried that things would be different within his friendship with his old mentor, their reunion would be a good thing for both players.
Audrey was his everything, and Jeff only wished he could show her how much she truly meant to him.
*
One thing that moving to Buffalo did change about their relationship was that they both saw the other one go on dates. Sure, Audrey was well aware that Jeff’s charm had worked well for him in Raleigh, and Jeff was more than well aware that Audrey turned heads wherever she went, but before they’d never seen the other one going on a date or being in a relationship.
Not that either of them had lasting relationships over the past two years, but there had definitely been enough dates to affect both of their hearts.
Audrey was the one that was currently dating – had been on a few dates now with the same guy. David. Jeff had weird vibes from this one already and he hadn’t even met him. But just from the way that Audrey described him, recounted their dates, Jeff had a bad feeling about this guy. David was an attorney, ambitious and confident, and he’d taken Audrey out to three fancy cocktail bars, a night out watching a play, and two very fancy restaurants, but…Jeff didn’t know. He just had that niggling thought that something wasn’t quite right about him.
And unfortunately, Jeff was proven right.
It was 10pm on the night of their seventh date that Jeff’s phone rang. Audrey. A pang of dread ran through him, and he quickly answered.
“Hey, Aud, you okay?” he asked, worried.
“No. He…”
He heard her take a shaky breath, and immediately felt sick.
“I’m coming over,” Jeff said, walking over to his front door and shoving on the first pair of shoes he picked up.
“Jeff, no, it’s okay,”
“I’m coming over,” he repeated firmly, before sighing, “you sound like you need a hug,”
Audrey choked out a laugh, settling Jeff’s stomach a little. At least she could still laugh.
“I’ll be with you soon, okay?” Jeff said softly.
“Yeah, okay. See you soon,”
He wasted no time in driving over to her apartment, potentially pushing the speed limit a little, but as soon as he saw her tear-streaked face he knew it was worth it.
“Hey, it’s okay, I’m here,” Jeff cooed.
As soon as he pulled her into his arms, Audrey started crying into his chest, making Jeff curse under his breath. He carefully walked her backwards, shutting the front door behind himself, and manoeuvred them both over to the sofa, letting her curl up on his lap. It was all he could do to hold her tightly as she cried, rubbing her back and murmuring nonsense into her blonde curls, trying not to tense up too much as he plotted David’s murder in his head.
Eventually she calmed down enough to lift her head, the smudged mascara under her eyes breaking her heart. He rubbed at the marks with his thumb, making her laugh a little watery, before he sent her an encouraging smile.
“So what happened?” he asked softly.
Audrey’s bottom lip wobbled briefly, before she took a deep breath.
“He broke up with me,” she whispered.
Jeff immediately scowled, and Audrey’s lips twitched in a smile.
“That asshole,” Jeff growled.
“Well, it wasn’t a break-up break-up because we were never official, but it was 7 dates, y’know? I thought we were exclusive and heading somewhere,” Audrey sighed.
“It was still the end of something important, Aud. And you liked him,” Jeff said firmly.
“Yeah, I did,” she said shakily, sniffing as her eyes filled with tears again.
“Hey, no, don’t waste any more tears on that asshole,” Jeff said sadly, cupping her face with both hands.
Then he squished her cheeks making her pout like a fish until she giggled, batting at his hands to let her go. Jeff smiled again, earning a soft smile back.
“Did he say why he wanted to break up?” Jeff asked, wincing.
Audrey swallowed heavily, dropping her eyes from his face, before she forced a smile on her lips.
“Apparently he didn’t want to waste any more time trying to get into my pants when he could get sex on tap with his secretary,” she said as calmly as possible.
Jeff’s jaw dropped, rage immediately flooding through his body. Audrey saw this and held her hand up to stop him exploding, which barely made him simmer down.
“Oh that fucking asshole!” Jeff spat, hands gripping onto her hips where she was still sitting on his lap.
She just nodded, smiling sadly. “At least I never actually slept with him,”
“Thank fucking god for that,” Jeff scowled.
Audrey placed her hand over his heart, making him look at her properly. “Hey, it’s okay. Well, it’s not, but it’s better that I know now than before we went into anything more, right?”
Jeff’s anger melted down a little, realising that she was trying to be brave, trying to protect herself, and steeled himself, nodding.
“Yeah, you are so much better off without him. He never deserved you,” Jeff said firmly.
“I know you didn’t like him,” Audrey said dryly, making Jeff blush a little.
“No, I didn’t. But you did. I only ever want you to be happy,” he said softly.
Now it was Audrey’s turn to blush.
“I know. And I appreciate that,” she said sweetly, although the sadness in her eyes told him she wasn’t quite there yet.
Jeff smiled sadly, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her blonde hair.
“I’m here for you, no matter what. You know that,” he said, looking into her grey eyes.
Audrey’s eyes filled with tears again, and she looked away, trying to blink away the sadness that he didn’t deserve.
“Are you okay?” he frowned.
“Yeah,” she sniffed, nodding.
Jeff paused for a moment, looking over Audrey’s exhausted face properly.
“Honest answer?” he pushed.
She choked out a laugh, a small smile teasing at her lips. She should’ve known she couldn’t fool him, not the one person who knew her better than anyone.
“No,” she admitted.
Jeff nodded, smiling sadly, as if he had expected that response. “Would it help if I stayed?”
“Oh god, so much. But you-”
“If you’re about to finish that sentence with don’t have to then I will be so mad,” Jeff interrupted, raising an eyebrow, making Audrey blush lightly, “You’re my best friend, Aud, of course I want to stay,”
“Okay then,” Audrey said softly, “let’s get to bed then,”
Jeff followed her silently, smiling at the familiarity. This was far from the first time they’d shared a bed, sleepovers when they were younger a very common thing, and it wasn’t the first time they’d shared a bed in Buffalo either, a few drunken nights out leaving them passed out snuggling. But it was the first time they’d shared a bed after a broken heart – and that changed things.
They stayed silent as they got ready for bed, Jeff just pushing off his sweatpants to leave him in his t-shirt and underwear while Audrey changed into short-shorts and an old t-shirt, but Jeff was basically vibrating with the need to talk by the time Audrey came back from the bathroom.
“You know what, this isn’t enough,” Jeff said suddenly.
Audrey jumped at the sharpness in his voice, earning a sheepish smile from her best friend.
“You deserve to be happy. I want to make you happy,” Jeff said softly.
“You already do, Jeff,” she said, a little confused.
“I just mean…you deserve a date that makes you happy. You deserve to be so happy. So I want to take you out,” Jeff explained.
Audrey inhaled sharply. What did he…
Take her out?
Jeff saw the confusion, the nerves, the hope on her face, and swallowed heavily. Maybe he hadn’t been thinking when he first opened his mouth, but now he couldn’t take the words back. He didn’t want to take the words back.
He wanted to take her out.
He’d wanted to take her out for so long, the urge getting stronger and stronger with every terrible date she went on, with every terrible guy she met. He’d loved the girl with the loving heart for as long as he’d known what love is, but she’d always been just out of reach, never the right moment. And he didn’t want to scare her off, not after her heartbreak tonight. So…a dinner could work, right?
But he had to do this properly. She deserved that.
“Go out to dinner with me. Tomorrow night?” Jeff asked softly.
“In what context?” Audrey found herself asking.
Because as much as she wanted to curse herself for not just saying yes, she needed to know. Jeff chewed his bottom lip, thinking over his words carefully, and Audrey just waited with a fluttering heart.
“I want to make you happy. Can we just say that for now?” Jeff eventually said.
Audrey let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding but nodded. That…perhaps that was for the best for now. The thought of anything more, so out of the blue, after such a bad break-up, was extremely overwhelming. The thought of anything more with Jeff in itself was overwhelming after so long. Maybe it would feel too weird at dinner with him – keeping it low-key would limit any damage to their friendship, right?
“I would like that,” she nodded.
The smile that Jeff sent her was devastatingly happy, and it was impossible not to smile back.
“So we’ll have breakfast together before you have to leave for work, and then I’ll come come back around 7 to pick you up?” Jeff suggested.
It was all Audrey could do to nod, the smile still on her face. Whatever tomorrow night would bring, whether it was just a nice dinner out or the start of something new, she couldn’t wait.
*
7pm came around for Audrey before she even realised it. Her outfit was on, her hair was curled and pinned half-up half-down, and she was wearing a cute little pair of heels she had been saving for a special moment. And this was a special moment, no matter what they’d agreed. The butterflies in her stomach told her that much.
Of course she’d gone into work and told her colleagues all about what happened with David (who were all completely shocked and disgusted – and she had her suspicions that one of them would send him a glitter bomb to his office), as well as letting her older siblings know in their group chat. Her oldest sister Laura offered to send an anonymous tip to his work place to ruin him. Her older brother Simon offered to fly down and punch him in the throat. Her sister closest-to-her-in-age Dana offered to visit for as long as Audrey needed. She smiled and thanked all of them, but said it wasn’t necessary and that Jeff was taking care of her. Laura and Simon teased her like they usually did (and she knew that Laura, who was good friends with Jeff’s sister Jennifer, would be telling the Skinner family too), but Dana messaged her separately.
Because after Jeff, it was Dana who knew her best. And Dana could tell that something was different this time.
So Audrey had confessed everything during a call on her lunch break, telling her sister how Jeff had asked her out to dinner, admitting that it wasn’t quite a date but that he wanted to make her happy. Dana, naturally, had been over the moon, basically squealing in excitement down the phone, but Audrey had sworn her to secrecy. It wasn’t a date date. Nothing had been said between them. And she didn’t want to get her hopes up. Reluctantly Dana agreed to keep quiet for now, but she did insist on helping Audrey get ready for their not-date after work.
And to be honest, Audrey had really appreciated the confidence boost. Over video call, her sister her helped her narrow down her outfit to a cute long sleeved blue dress with a swishy skirt, knowing that blue really made her hair and her eyes pop. Pairing that with the cute comfy silver heels and a matching silver bag, Audrey was waiting by the door with her grey coat in hand, trying not to chew off her lipstick.
Then her phone buzzed. Dana.
~
From: Dana
Have fun tonight!
I know you’re trying to keep things low-key, but just see what the evening brings.
Go with the flow.
Be open to opportunities.
Call me tomorrow!
~
Audrey couldn’t help but smile, sending back a trio of heart emojis. Her sister really was the best. It was only moments later that Jeff arrived, and she rushed downstairs to meet him with a smile. She could do this. She could be open to possibilities. She could go with the flow.
“Wow, you look amazing,”
Audrey blushed at Jeff’s words, earning a blush back. She looked him up and down dramatically, making him laugh, but to be honest? He looked incredible. Jeff was wearing her favourite dark grey suit, a slight tweed in the pattern, with a white shirt that had the top two buttons undone. Incredible.
“You look great yourself,” she replied.
Jeff’s answering smile made her heart skip a beat. They walked to his car without further hesitation, just talking about their days as he drove, until Jeff parked up outside of a nice sushi restaurant.
“I hope this is okay?” Jeff said hesitantly.
“You know I love sushi,” she mused.
“I know, but we’ve never gone into an actual sushi restaurant, we always just order take-out,” Jeff pointed out.
She put her hand over his on the gear stick, making him inhale sharply.
“Then it’ll make a nice change to try a new setting, Jeff. I’m excited, let’s do this,” she said happily.
Jeff just nodded, the nerves in his stomach settling a little. They ate sushi all the time – this was just a nice dinner. Nothing weird or unusual about this at all. He could totally do this.
The way she looked shyly at him as they walked to the door still made his body thrum with nerves though.
But neither of them should’ve been nervous. The dinner went past so smoothly it felt like magic to Audrey. The food was fantastic – both of them daring the other to try at least one dish they hadn’t had before – and their conversation flowed like it always did. To be honest it felt like their usual nights – if Jeff hadn’t added that level of what if then it wouldn’t have been any different. But he did add it, and neither of them could forget that.
As always, Audrey made Jeff feel like the only guy in the world, her warm smile focused only on him. As always, Jeff made Audrey feel like the most important person in the world, so sweet and kind. And as always, they laughed and smiled and talked, and Audrey couldn’t have been happier.
Jeff achieved what he had promised to do – he had made her so happy. So what next?
They arrived back at Audrey’s apartment building late, having taken a walk after dinner, not wanting the night to end so soon, wanting this idyllic moment to continue on as long as possible.
But eventually they had to call it to an end, both of them having early starts in the morning, as much as they wished otherwise. Like the gentleman he always was with her, Jeff walked Audrey up to the front door of the building, both of them pausing.
“I had a really good time tonight,” Audrey said softly, looking up into Jeff’s eyes.
“So did I,” Jeff replied.
They both blushed, Audrey ducking her head, before she looked back up at him. She’d always seen him look at her like this, so open and happy, but for some reason tonight added another level. He was looking at her like there was nowhere else he’d rather be. And that sent a thrill through her body that both excited her and overwhelmed her. But in a good way?
“I know you’re busy for the next couple of days, but we could do something on Saturday?” Audrey offered.
Jeff nodded so enthusiastically that she couldn’t help but laugh.
“That sounds perfect,” Jeff grinned, not deterred in the slightest, “I’ll bring takeout?”
“I’d like that,” Audrey nodded in agreement.
She bit her bottom lip, hand reaching out to brush against his hand briefly, before she stepped away, heart pounding in her chest.
“Thanks for tonight Jeff. Call me tomorrow?” she said, a little breathless.
“Yeah, of course. See you,” he said, smiling a little hopelessly.
They lingered in silence a little longer, before Audrey laughed, opening her front door as Jeff rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Bye Audrey, sleep tight,” Jeff smiled, finally starting to walk away.
And she absolutely did.
*
Audrey spent the next day in a daze. She’d woken up with more butterflies in her stomach than she ever thought possible, a stupid smile on her face as she read Jeff’s good morning :) text. Last night had been different. So different. But she liked it? She had definitely liked exploring this new side of Jeff, the guy she’d known since they were toddlers, but who walked to their dinner table with a hand on the small of her back and pulled out her chair for her.
He showed her the romantic side of him last night, and she definitely liked what she saw.
And when she gushed down the phone to her sister Dana on her lunch break again, she knew her sister was at least a little smug.
~
“I told you that being open to opportunities was a good thing!”
“I know, I know, but I didn’t expect this,” Audrey laughed.
“What, the boy who’s always been in love with you making you just as happy as we all always knew he would?”
Audrey blushed at the dryness in her sister’s voice, and shook her head.
“He’s not always been in love with me, don’t be ridiculous,” Audrey said simply.
“If I was with you right now I would be shaking you by the shoulders. Talk to him. I swear to god. You know I wouldn’t say it, not now, if I didn’t mean it,”
Audrey swallowed heavily. Dana’s voice had so much conviction in it, like she truly believed what she was saying, and that only sent Audrey’s head into more of a spin. Jeff…was in love with her?
~
That phone call hadn’t helped, to be honest. This was all still throwing her for a loop. Her feelings for Jeff had been building up for two decades, two long decades, and to have the potential of his feelings matching hers? It was almost too much to bear.
And she had to wait until Saturday to be able to see him in person again. This was so much more than something she could do over text, or over a phone call, but she knew that maybe waiting was a good idea. Maybe it would give her time to get her thoughts together, to not be impulsive. Maybe it would give her enough time to get her head around the thought of Jeff’s feelings. Maybe.
The day after that passed with a blur as well, going faster than she thought possible, and even after another phone call with Dana on the Friday night, Audrey still didn’t know what she was thinking. But she knew she had to try. So just after midday, changing into a pretty pale blue dress and curling her hair lightly, she headed over to his house. Jeff opened the door with his usual smile, and he welcomed her in straight away. She bit her bottom lip as he not-so-subtly checked her ass out in the dress, trying to stop the smile that threatened to break out. Maybe. Just maybe.
“So I told Dana about our dinner the other night,” Audrey blurted out.
Damn it.
Jeff’s eyes widened in fear, making Audrey laugh slightly, leaning against the kitchen counter.
“I swore her to secrecy, she’s not going to say anything to anyone,” she reassured.
“I mean, if it was Laura you told, I know she would’ve already told Jennifer, and then everyone would know within the hour,” Jeff admitted.
Oh god yeah, that would’ve been the worst idea.
“So, um, what did you tell her?” Jeff asked hesitantly.
“That you took me out to dinner because you wanted to make me happy. And that I had a really good time,” Audrey summarised, not wanting to admit the full extent quite yet.
Jeff’s instant brilliant smile made her heart race a little, before he blushed. “Okay, that’s not so bad. What did she say in response?”
Audrey hesitated, not sure how much detail to go into. She definitely couldn’t say that Dana thought Jeff was in love with her…
“That I should be open to opportunities, that we should see where this goes,” Audrey eventually said.
Jeff bit his bottom lip, but nodded, looking deep in thought, which Audrey didn’t know whether it was a good thing or not.
“She makes a lot of sense,” Jeff said softly.
Audrey inhaled sharply. Just like that?
“What if something goes wrong between us?” she whispered.
“What if something goes right?” Jeff countered, stepping towards her.
Audrey didn’t dare move, Jeff getting closer and closer until he was standing right in front of her, barely a foot of space between them, his beautiful brown eyes dark and intense, making her head swim. So she shook her head, trying to clear out the haze.
“I can’t lose you. If something didn’t work out between us, I couldn’t bear to lose you, I don’t know what I’d do,” she said firmly.
Jeff licked his bottom lip nervously, his eyes going through various emotions.
“And if we didn’t let ourselves feel? We just carry on as we always have done, never knowing?” Jeff frowned.
Let ourselves feel. Was he admitting his feelings? Did he know hers already?
“I don’t know, Jeff. I just don’t know,” she mumbled.
Jeff reached out with both hands, cupping her elbows gently.
“I don’t think we can just go back,” Jeff admitted.
Well, shit.
“So where does that leave us?” Audrey asked softly.
“I don’t know! But I can’t stand the thought of you giving your heart away again to some guy who doesn’t appreciate it! Who doesn’t deserve it!” Jeff snapped, stepping away from her sharply.
Audrey’s jaw dropped slightly, her heart beating faster as a lump rose in her throat.
Jeff swallowed heavily, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you, I swear. But can’t you see that these other guys have only ever treated you like shit?”
Audrey’s lips pressed together in a tight line, trying to control her emotions, and she clenched her fists.
“I know that I haven’t exactly had a good track record, but you haven’t really had the best taste in dates either Jeff. All the exact same type of woman traipsing through your life and not a single one has stuck around,” Audrey said angrily.
“That’s because none of them ever measured up to you!” Jeff retorted.
His words hung in the air, Audrey inhaling sharply. Jeff groaned and closed his eyes, wishing he could take his last statement back, but knowing that he couldn’t. It was out there now, the real reasoning, but he was nervous to open his eyes and see Audrey’s reaction.
Would she be angry? Disgusted? Happy?
“Jeff, please look at me,” Audrey said softly.
“I don’t know if I can,” he said, choking out a laugh.
“Please?”
Jeff took a deep breath, before doing so, the pleading in her voice making him powerless. When he finally looked at her, he could barely read her face, the first time in a very long time.
“None of them measured up to me?” she said quietly.
It was the sheer volume of hope in her eyes that made Jeff brave enough to speak.
“You’ve been it for me for a long time, Aud,” he admitted.
There it was.
The noise that Audrey made was so full of both surprise and hurt that Jeff flinched. But she quickly reached out towards him, tugging him back towards her with her hands at his waist.
“I’m it? You…you really do love me?”
Jeff laughed a little wetly, full of emotion, but he nodded which only made Audrey’s heart clench. After all this time…
“I love you Audrey Marie James. I have done for a long time,” Jeff said simply.
“Oh Jeff. Jeff, I love you too,” Audrey whimpered, “so much,”
Jeff grinned, so hard that he made his cheeks hurt, before raising his hands to cup her face. He squished her cheeks into a fish pout like he always did, making her laugh and bat at his hands, breaking the tension.
“Fuck, I love you,” Jeff said happily, hands moving to rest on her shoulders.
“I love you too. Oh my god. I love you. I can’t believe I finally got to say it out loud,” Audrey giggled.
Jeff just laughed as well, giddiness overtaking him, not letting him think of anything but her.
“We’ve wasted so much time,” he huffed.
But Audrey just shook her head, her smile a little sad. “I was just so scared of not having you in my life that I didn’t dare risk you rejecting me,”
“There is no parallel universe in which I would reject you,” Jeff laughed.
“Nerd,” she said fondly, earning a brilliant smile, “I just…I wanted my own career too, y’know? And I didn’t know what would’ve happened if I just followed you for the rest of my life,”
Jeff swallowed heavily at her confession, but nodded.
“I don’t know what would’ve happened either. We’ll never know. But what I do know is that you’re a brilliant woman, who is crazy smart and wonderful and beautiful, and I’m so proud of everything you achieved. Like, you’re literally a civil engineer and an environmental scientist! That’s so cool! I’m just happy you could possibly want to be with boring old hockey-playing Jeff,”
“You’re not boring or old. And I fell in love with hockey-playing Jeff a long time ago, so I really don’t think I’m losing out here,” Audrey mused.
Jeff huffed a laugh, his heart racing a little more at her firm words, leaning his head down to rest his forehead against hers. “Well would you be this hockey player’s girlfriend?”
“Only if you’ll be this engineer-scientist’s boyfriend,” she countered.
Jeff grinned, dimples out in full force, making Audrey tilt her head back to laugh. This was real life. This was really happening. Holy shit.
But there was just one thing left…
“Hey, Jeff?” she said suddenly.
“Yeah?” he asked, one hand rising to cup her face.
It was when his thumb stroked over her cheekbone that she knew this was everything.
“Will you kiss me?”
Jeff looked a little astounded, jaw dropping a little, before that brilliant smile came back.
“Yeah, ‘f course,” he murmured.
Audrey inhaled sharply, before tilting her head up, leaning up towards him as Jeff leant down to her. Their lips touched softly, sweetly, both of them breaking off to laugh, both a little stunned, before Audrey pressed her lips to his again a little firmer. Jeff made a soft happy noise, kissing her back, his free hand sliding around her waist to bring their bodies together. She moaned in surprise at the feeling of his strong body against hers, but melted in his arms, lost in the motion of their kisses, completely consumed in a way she’d never been before.
Jeff broke away briefly with another soft moan, eyes searching her face a little desperately, before he kissed her again, clutching her a little tighter. And then he broke away for a final time, taking a step back with wild eyes, leaving her head spinning.
“I don’t want to get carried away,” Jeff panted, cheeks heating up in a blush.
Audrey bit her bottom lip but nodded, knowing her was right even if her racing heart didn’t want to admit it. “At least it was worth the wait?” she offered.
Jeff just groaned, making her laugh. Then her breath caught in her throat as Jeff adjusted his dick in his pants, alerting her to just how riled up he gotten. Oh fuck. Carried away indeed.
“You’re worth so much more to me than rushing into sex. I want to ease into things, y’know? I’ve waited this long for you to be mine, I can wait a little longer,” he said seriously.
“I love you too,” Audrey said happily.
Jeff just smiled that brilliant smile.
~
To: Dana
He loves me.
He loves me!
~
From: Dana
Holy fucking shit, about time.
Can I actually tell everyone now?
*
The next two weeks were the happiest that Audrey could remember. They had three days in a row together where Jeff wasn’t doing anything other than light training and rest, ahead of a 10 day roadtrip, and they made the most of it. Well, after another long talk about their emotions, because they could do that now, and fielding various calls from their many family members, they’d also spent a lot of time sweetly making out on the sofa whenever Audrey wasn’t working. Because hey, they could do that now too. To be honest, Audrey was a little addicted to the feeling of his lips on hers anyway – she fantasised about it for years on the occasional forbidden burst of weakness, but the reality of it blew away all fantasy.
Jeff was finally hers, and she couldn’t be happier.
The 10 days that Jeff was away on his sweeping road trip was harder this time though too. She didn’t expect it to be this hard, but she supposed that the emotions she’d locked away for so long were finally out and they were vulnerable in this newness. It did help with Jeff calling her every night though. She did tell him he didn’t have to, that she sure as hell didn’t expect it, but he just said that he’d always wanted to call her every night but he felt like he would be pushing boundaries. So how could she say no to that?
And it did make having him home finally a sweeter moment.
Tonight was the first home game since they got together officially, and Audrey was a little nervous. It was tradition for the players’ partners to wear a special customised jersey, and Jeff had presented her with one in the hopes that she would wear it to the game tonight. She had immediately agreed, of course, but it didn’t make this new step any less daunting. It was a big declaration, so public, but she did want people to know that Jeff was hers just as much as she was his.
It wouldn’t be so scary, right? She hadn’t missed a home game since he’d been in Buffalo, and she wasn’t about to start now.
So after kissing Jeff goodbye, leaving him with a sweet smile as he headed to the rink early to prepare for the game, Audrey got herself ready to enter the arena as Jeff Skinner’s girlfriend, a little more make-up and hair curled a little neater than usual, just like armour.
“Oh my God, Audrey!”
Audrey jumped at the sound of Tanya Staal’s shriek as she entered the family box, unable to stop the smile that spread across her lips. There had been a few occasions in Raleigh, when Audrey had visited while Eric was still playing there, that Audrey had met the former captain’s wife, and she had always been so sweet and welcoming. And although Tanya mostly stayed up in the family box with their kids, there had been a few team occasions since Eric was traded to Buffalo this season started that Audrey had attended as just Jeff’s friend (as that’s obviously all she had been until recently) where she’d been able to make friends with the older woman properly this time round.
Audrey always had the impression that Tanya thought she and Jeff were more than friends, but obviously now with the statement of the jersey, it was clear that the situation had changed.
“Is this true? Is this really happening?” Tanya asked hopefully.
Audrey blushed but nodded, earning a happy squeal.
“Yeah, Jeff told me he loved me two weeks ago and we’ve been dating ever since,” Audrey admitted.
“Holy shit, about time,” Tanya laughed.
It was all Audrey could do to nod, laughing a little wetly, still a bit overwhelmed.
“Okay, let me introduce you to the other player’s partners? It’s totally different than just being a friend,” Tanya offered.
Thank fuck for a friendly face. Audrey nodded in relief, letting Tanya guide her around the various women and children, the partners that she’d met previously thrilled with the news of the relationship status change (most of them saying finally or about time, which really made Audrey reconsider how obvious she’d been), and the rest of them just as welcoming. She’d done it. She was officially introduced, and she felt almost giddy with it.
The game itself was choppy, rough with hits and scrappy with goals, but the Sabres managed to pull out a win making all the people in the family box cheer. Tanya walked down by her side to wait for their men, linking their arms together like she knew just how much Audrey needed the support. As soon as Jeff saw her by Tanya’s side in their customised jerseys, his face got a really dumb lovestruck look, making Tanya laugh and nudge Audrey over to him.
“Hi, wow,” Jeff said happily.
“You like it?” she asked softly.
“You know I do,” Jeff murmured.
It was all Audrey could do to lean up on her tiptoes and kiss him, earning happy sighs and coos from the other women around them. She broke away with a laugh, moving so that they were just holding hands, but couldn’t stop looking at him despite how sappy she knew it was.
“You were amazing. I’m so proud of you,” she said softly.
“Couldn’t let you down, not when I knew you were watching as my girl,” Jeff grinned.
Audrey just laughed, rolling her eyes fondly. More players started walking out now (Jeff must’ve rushed out, bless him), including…Eric Staal.
Eric took one look at the way they were looking at each other and whooped.
“Holy shit, about time,” Eric grinned, unknowingly mimicking his wife.
“Nice to see you too, Staal,” Audrey said dryly, although she leaned up to kiss his cheek in greeting with a smile.
“Oh god yeah, you’ll know about their long suffering pining, won’t you Staalsy?” Jack laughed from behind Eric, joining their little group, Tanya already under Eric’s arm.
“So much pining, it was painful,” Eric said solemnly, although the laughter in his eyes mostly ruined the effect, “Audrey visited a few times down in Raleigh and she was at every game against the Leafs too, and Jeff’s smile was always at it’s brightest when she was there,”
“Gotta support my best friend,” she said simply, nudging Jeff with her arm.
Jeff nudged her back, but she didn’t miss the pleased smile on his lips.
“Oh come on, it was so much more than that! Jeff’s crush was so damn obvious, right from the very first time Audrey visited,” Eric mused, looking at Jack.
Audrey grinned. Was it now? Jeff just rolled his eyes, making her laugh.
“We literally only started dating two weeks ago,” Audrey pointed out.
“You’re shitting me, I thought you were joking Jeff,” Eric said, jaw dropping.
“I can actually confirm that. That day that Skinny came in to practice smiling like it was Christmas and his birthday all rolled into one really was the first full day,” Jack smirked.
Jeff blushed furiously, making Audrey laugh. Eric just shook his head, still shocked.
“All that time and you never did anything about your crush?” Eric asked, confused, “I thought you were just keeping things low-key,”
Hah, not quite.
“We tried telling him,” Jack sighed dramatically, although he was clearly loving this.
“Holy shit Skinny, took you long enough,” Eric snorted, Tanya just giggling.
“If we’re done gossiping like old grandmas?” Jeff asked dryly.
“Never,” Eric grinned.
Jack just looked delighted, and Jeff knew there was no way that the rest of the team wouldn’t hear about this.
“I’d say it was worth the wait,” Audrey said happily, squeezing his hand.
Jeff’s irritation immediately faded to a soft happiness, and Jack made a loud gagging noise at their heart-eyes.
“Okay, I’m out. Hurry up and shower, Skinny. We’ve got team drinks to get to,” Jack said firmly.
Jack sent Audrey a wink, letting her know how happy he really was for them, before leaving them.
“So does this mean I can tell Jordie? He’s going to be thrilled,” Eric grinned.
Jeff just groaned.
*
Dancin' in the kitchen, You singing my favourite songs, Swinging on the front porch, Just laughing at the dogs, Now you swear you love me more, When you're whispering goodnight, All those little moments are every reason why.
Jeff watched from the kitchen door as Audrey sang to herself, swaying slightly as she stirred whatever she was cooking in the pot on the stove. He didn’t think he could love her anymore than he already did, but seeing her like this in his kitchen, blonde hair loose and messy, wearing one of his t-shirts instead of one of her own, well…he was happy to prove himself wrong.
Then she spotted him out of the corner of her eye and shrieked, swirling around to face him with one hand clutching her heart.
“You almost scared me to death,” she gasped, pouting.
Jeff laughed, shrugging apologetically. “I couldn’t help myself. You looked so cute singing and dancing to your music,”
Audrey blushed a little, but shrugged too. “I’m obsessed with this Kane Brown song right now. Although if I’d known you were watching I probably wouldn’t have sung…”
“Aww no, don’t ever stop because of me,” Jeff mused, shaking his head, earning a smile from her, “maybe I can make it up to you?”
Audrey frowned in confusion, before Jeff moved his hand out from behind him, revealing the flowers he’d been hiding behind his back.
“You bought me flowers? How sweet!” she cooed, reaching out for the bouquet.
“Yeah? You like them?” Jeff asked hopefully.
She nodded, smiling widely as she inhaled deeply, making Jeff smile in turn. “I love them Jeff. And, um, no-one’s ever bought me flowers before,”
Jeff’s heart flickered with rage, at all those stupid guys she’d dated, who never deserved her, who never treated her like she deserved, before he forced himself to take a deep breath. No, past assholes weren’t worth thinking about any more. He was going to prove to her that he was worth it instead of them.
“Well I happen to love buying flowers, so be on the look out for more,”
“Jeff!” Audrey giggled, “You know I don’t want to buying me things, spoiling me,”
Because it was true. She didn’t want it or need it. And she never wanted him to think that it was expected.
“Oh they’re definitely not for you. They’re for me,” Jeff grinned, clearly lying.
Audrey rolled her eyes fondly, before smiling. “Oh, well, if they’re for you then that’s definitely acceptable,” she teased.
Jeff just laughed, moving to slide his arms around her waist, Audrey sliding her arms up around his neck, the flowers still in her hand.
“Will you dance with me?” Jeff asked softly.
“Right now?” Audrey laughed.
“Right now,” Jeff nodded, deadly serious.
Audrey laughed again but nodded, letting him sway her from side to side in a simple two-step shuffle, resting her forehead against his. It was little sweet moments like this, Jeff surprising her with his romantic notions, that made Audrey’s heart ache a little for all the potential missed moments over the years, but also made her heart sing that she got to experience them with him now.
Because this guy was everything to her, and even something as simple as him buying her flowers, or asking her to dance in the middle of the kitchen, made her realise just how lucky she was.
*
Mornings were quickly becoming Audrey’s favourite time of day. Whether it was waking up in her own bed or waking up in Jeff’s, seeing his face first thing as she woke up just made her day started so perfectly.
How could she not love feeling his arms wrapped around her? How his face was usually buried in her hair? How his leg slotted between hers?
She knew she loved that first sleepy smile, his wonderful dimples soft and gentle, always giving her butterflies without fail. She definitely loved the way his groggy voice murmured her name, how he pressed a closed-mouth kiss to her lips, never wanting to wait for that first simple pecked kiss before he brushed his teeth.
It was everything she could ever have asked for, everything she could never have dreamed of. With the highs came the lows, of course, and being in his arms those mornings was just as important. Like this morning, for instance.
“Last night was rough…” Jeff sighed, scrubbing at his tired eyes with the palms of his hands.
The game. The game was so stressful even just watching, so Audrey could only imagine how it would’ve felt being on the ice. Turnovers, stupid penalties, sloppy passes – it really just wasn’t their night. And when Jeff had finally walked out of the changing room ready to go home…well, it was all Audrey could do to go to bed in silence and let him curl into her side.
“…but waking up with you by my side makes me feel a million times better already,” he finished.
“You, Jeffrey Skinner, are a sap,” Audrey said fondly.
“Well you already knew that,” Jeff mused.
True, she did.
“Kiss me?” she prompted.
“I haven’t brushed my teeth,” Jeff said hesitantly.
“Don’t care,” Audrey shrugged, “you didn’t kiss me last night,”
Jeff’s face looked horrified, making Audrey burst out in laughter.
“Babe, I’m so sorry,” Jeff insisted, eyes wide and serious.
Babe. Huh. She could get used to that.
“Well luckily for you, you’ve got all day to make up for it,” Audrey teased.
Jeff’s eyes lit up at that, making her laugh again, before he rolled on top of her. He looked down at her fondly, face soft in the morning light, before he leaned down to kiss her slowly, softly, sweetly, over and over again. One of Audrey’s hands reached up to slide into his messy curls, the other clutching at his waist, Jeff just moving in to lie between her thighs, making Audrey’s body stir with excitement. Yes, she could definitely get used to this.
Eventually their kisses slowed down to a final few pecks, Jeff leaning back to look down at her properly.
“Have I told you that I love you?” he asked, resting his weight on his forearms as he hovered over her.
“Not today,” she grinned.
“Well let me rectify that,” Jeff grinned back.
Audrey shrieked as Jeff pressed a flurry of kisses to her face and neck, saying I love you between every few.
*
6 months later
Jeff’s hand was resting on Audrey’s thigh as they drove through the familiar streets of Markham, two weeks of vacation booked for her and invitations to come home from both their families guiding the way. To be honest, Audrey was pretty excited to experience their childhood homes with this new evolution of their relationship, to see things through a different perspective, and she knew that the childhood friends that were still around were excited to see them as them too.
It was a long time coming, after all.
“My mom is thrilled that I’m bringing you home as my boyfriend for the first time,” Audrey said softly, when they were about 5 minutes away from her family home.
“She’s known me for nearly three decades…” Jeff pointed out, trailing off in confusion.
“And she’s been cheerleading us for at least half of that,” Audrey admitted.
Jeff’s face froze briefly, before it shifted into fear.
“We’re about to be ambushed by your whole family, aren’t we?” he sighed.
“Definitely. Potentially all of yours as well, if I know my mom,” Audrey smirked.
And Audrey did know her mom – she knew in her gut that the moment Audrey told her that she would be bringing Jeff by as her boyfriend, that her mom rang Jeff’s mom to organise a joint group effort. There was no way that the women weren’t going to see them both at the same time, and there was no way their siblings wouldn’t be around to say I told you so. It would be ridiculous…but it was just who their families were.
Jeff just groaned, making Audrey giggle.
“There’s still time to turn the car around you know. Say we changed our minds, hide away in a cabin somewhere for a couple of weeks?” she offered.
No amount of stress was worth losing Jeff, not now she finally had him by her side.
But Jeff anxious face split into a smile. “As much as I would love to avoid the combination of our giant families…we can’t avoid them forever,” he mused, “and besides, you’re worth it,”
Audrey didn’t think she could love him any more than she already did, but there he goes, proving her wrong.
184 notes · View notes
miridiums-writing · 4 years
Text
Punishment
Tom riddle x reader chapter 3
Tumblr media
Story masterlist
Summary : Tom’s punishment was to live a muggle life, his past and life story chosen by the ministry of magic to ensure he learned. Reader was chosen to live as his partner to ensure nothing goes wrong
Warnings : none really, just a bit of Tom being bullied again
Tag list : @dearseungie @the-gazette-of-tea @girl-between-worlds @starlight-boo @bornbeautiful123
Tumblr media
Ryan tapped his fork against his glass, raising it towards everyone and gathering everyone attention, except for the young boy next to Tom, who was busy fiddling with Tom’s jacket sleeve. Tom looked bored, watching the boy play with his jacket, making sure he didn’t ruin it. Y/n found it rather cute, but they didn’t dare speak up about remembering mentioning it earlier when the boy gave Tom a rabbit teddy and wanted him to play house with him. Tom just made the rabbit hop around until it ‘died’. Which made the small boy get frustrated and said he was going to tell on tom if he didn’t play nicely. Tom had sighed and tried to ‘play nicely’. In reaction Y/n had said he should be a babysitter making Tom kick them under the table.
“Thank you for all gathering and attending my dinner party, as you all know the library is going to be 100 years old today so I thought it would be appropriate for us all come together and unite, please enjoy the food and the party” With that he sat back down again, turning to a woman who looked slightly underweight, her thin sickly figure leaning rather uncomfortably in her chair, her face looking like she had just ate a rather sour lemon. It was rather comedic seeing the large man talking to a woman who looked the complete opposite to him, and clearly wanted to leave. Tom was still preoccupied trying to keep the kid from getting bored, his parental figure had disappeared off somewhere, leaving Tom to look after him. Though weirdly enough Tom wasn’t complaining, over the last twenty minutes they had bonded a little.
Tom chased his hand across the table towards the boy, pretending his hand was a spider as the boy smacked his hand down of Tom’s hand to kill it, rinse and repeat. Tom just hoped the boys family would come around soon, if he was going to be his babysitter, it would be nice to have something in return. “Can I sit in your lap?” The boy said, tugging on Tom’s arm. Tom stared at the body shocked for a moment before Y/n nudged his arm. He sighed to himself, picking the boy up carefully and placing him on his lap, Tom allowed him to continue playing around with his fingers as he turned to Y/n hoping for something better.
“Talk to me” Tom said, staring at Y/n as they continued to watch Ryan and the woman. Y/n turned to him, slightly surprised at his request, but not minding obliging. “You see the couple over there, the ones holding hands but looking completely away from each other” Tom followed Y/n’s gaze to a man and a woman holding hands but looking rather uncomfortable around each other, like they had just met, or something had gone wrong. The woman was preoccupied staring at the floor, maybe hoping it would swallow her up, while the man stared at the ceiling, swirling a drink in his free hand. “Yeah, what about them”
“They’ve both been cheating on each other, but due to the ladies father they are unable to break up for publicity sake, so in public they try to act like a couple, while in secret they both knowingly cheat on the other, living separate lives within their lives in the hopes that one day soon her father will die and they will be able to stop this publicity stunt”
“why not just break up now, wouldn’t that be easier”
“well they could, but the woman’s father is filthy rich, and they need his income of money to supply each of their families they have created outside their marriage, they both can’t get out until he dies, so they are waiting till then”
“Why not just kill the dad, make life easier”
“There’s no guarantee they would get away with it without being arrested, neither would want to risk something like that, now, pick someone in the room and ill tell you a dirty secret about them”
“ooooh, I like this game, ok, her” Tom nodded his head over to an old lady sat laughing and smiling at a baby in a stroller next to her.
“good choice, ok, she murdered her husband” Tom turned to look at Y/n rather shocked, the woman’s calm and motherly air definitely didn’t scream a killer. “You have me intrigued, why did she kill him”
“Simple, when she was young there was no way to divorce people, her husband was abusive, and she decided she deserved better. She made sure everything was ready and got away with it. A lot of women in the area go to her when they feel alone, she has an aura that women find calming and safe.” Tom nodded along while Y/n spoke, watching the old lady from the corner of his eye. “Anyone else you want to know about?” Just then Ryan started making his way around the room headed straight towards Tom and Y/n. Tom turns to look at me panicking slightly. Though Y/n looks pointedly down at the boy in his lap. Bingo.
Tom slightly loudly asks if the boy needs the bathroom, the boy preoccupied with the toy in his hands, he nods. Tom sighs lightly and goes to take him to the bathroom, while Ryan decided to talk to Y/n while he was gone. The man gives Y/n a large grin as he sits in the seat Tom had sat in, turning to Y/n ready to converse. His presence gave Y/n an off feeling, and now realized why Tom hated him so much, he gave them a sick feeling and it made her want to run. “Enjoying the dinner then?” Y/n stared at the man for a second before silently nodding at his question not really wanting to talk to him.
Meanwhile Tom stood in the hallway, the boy stood at his side staring at him in disbelief. “That was the only reason you wanted to leave? Weak” Tom stared angrily down at the boy who had been roasting him for half the evening now and didn’t show any sign of stopping the onslaught towards Tom. “Its not like that, I don’t like the feeling he gives off”
“So, you left him alone with your partner knowing full well has a weird guy, what a great boyfriend you make”
“Hey, I’m an amazing boyfriend, I make them pancakes for breakfast every morning”
“Uhuh, so does my mummy, that isn’t anything special” Tom was getting more agitated at the boy by the second, how was he so easily able to get under Tom’s skin?
“Fine then, ill go swoop in and save them like an amazing boyfriend would”
“See you in a few seconds when you come back scared” Tom ground his teeth together at the boys last comment before stalking over to where Y/n and Ryan were sat. he was trying to figure out how he should play this before he just casually threw his arm over Y/n shoulders and stared at Ryan. Ryan smiled at Tom, glad that he had finally arrived. “Tom, just the man I wanted to see”
“Whatever for?”
“Oh, just to tell you that due to your diligence last week on noticing that screw loose on the shelves we were able to fix the problem and stop a lot of property damage, so I was going to give you a bonus this month” Tom sighed quietly in Y/n’s ear, kicking himself for being scared for no reason.
“Thankyou that is really appreciated” And with that, Ryan stood up to walk back over to his chair. Y/n started to giggle to themselves trying desperately to hold it back so as not to invoke the wrath of Tom, but Tom was too tired now, the day of work had been tiring enough, not to add on the panic Ryan always ensues, how much energy it takes up cleaning up after Debbie’s kids, plus the kid from earlier, who he still hadn’t figured out who he belonged to. He slumped back down into his chair, ready to go home and go to sleep.
“If you’re really that tired just put your head on my shoulder” Tom turned to look at them with a look that screamed ‘bitch what?’ “Earlier you came in to help me thinking I was in trouble, least I can do is return the favour.” Tom considered the offer before thinking ‘what the hell if he looks like he’s asleep people will leave him alone’. So, he gently places his head on Y/n’s shoulder, unsure quite what to do until they brought this head down so the full weight of his head was on them. It was surprisingly comfortable for the both of them, and as the night drew to a close both of them felt that a bond, no matter how small had managed to form. If they were stuck here together, they were going get out that way.
Tumblr media
Please reblog if you enjoyed
Requests are open please just ask
84 notes · View notes
fakeloveaskblog · 3 years
Note
aw, sweet loceit in the evening sun. logan is actually super good at explaining healthy relationships and boundaries and stuff actually, i betcha he could recognize abuse no problem
…aye remy! REMY!! HAve you thought about going to that gay bar more often? who knows, maybe you'll encounter someone nice, make friends with like-minded people, hear some disco, the full nine yards. janus might be there, remus might be there. (just look around for the guy with the blue tie, he's a great guy, if he's not wearing it he'll look like he has that blue tie kinda energy! you could totally just get drunk and unload your grievances on him and i bet he won't even mind!)
(Mentions of U!Virgil but I say beforehand when that happens so those who don’t like U!Virgil can enjoy the rest of the fic up until then)
(Words: 4100)
Remy wiped away a tear while looking at your message. The cold light from their phone was the only thing brightening up the room. Virgil was sleeping beside them, his arm was laid around their waist.
"You just like tots gave me the greatest idea! I'm gonna invite Rem out to the bar! It's gonna the funnest thing like ever! Thanks girl!!"
--
2 days later Remus was dangerously close to eating the moss straight from the gay bar's wall. He had been left without supervision for over 15 minutes while he sat outside waiting for his friend to show up, what else was he supposed to do?!
"SSSSUUUP BABE!!!"
Remy came towards him as fast as they could. They had on a short leather skirt, a neon mesh crop top and a leather jacket over it.
They did a little turn "I just like felt a bit glamorous today!" 
Remus choked on his own spit "The world must be a dark place when you aren't feeling glamorous"
"Awwww babbbe"
He sent them a big grin. He'd just put on his usual oversized dysphoria hoodie and matching oversized (:O) sweatpants.
Remus' smile disappeared in an instant as he noticed dark bruises all around Remy's neck. Shades of purple and green collided against each other.
"Ehm did a vampire come and attack you last night? Seriously are you alri-"
"JUst a reminder that it will be loud in there" Remy interrupted.
"Oh. Right!"
He fumbled around in his bag after his headphones. After putting it and a chew necklace on he did a thumbs up. Remy took off their sunglasses and leaned down so they were face to face.
Their face was so close he could feel their breathe against his lips. They put the sunglasses onto him and sent him a soft smile.
“There’s like lots of bright lights too” They explained.
Remus’ heart fluttered. He didn’t understand why “T-thanks”
They moved their arm around his shoulders as they went into the bar. It was past 12 am so some of the daytime furniture had been moved to make place for a dancefloor. There was indeed lots of neon lights flickering all around the bar and fast pop music was blasting through the speakers.
It was hard to see any details of anyone around him so Remus quickly forgot about the bruise. In this lighting it just looked like a weird choker anyway.
A guy with a see through shirt bumped into Remus. He had top surgery scars. For a moment they looked at each other in the most knowing way. The stranger looked away and continued talking with whoever he was with.
Remus whole body seemed to vibrate. There were so many butterflies in his stomach it felt like he was going to puke, in a good way.
Remy sat him down on one of the tall barstools and slumped down right next to him “So whatcha gonna drink?”
“The squashed down organs of my enemies!!!” He shrugged “Soda?”
They burst out into laughter “What? You catholic or something? Not allowed to drink alcohol?”
He slumped in on himself and started fiddling with his necklace “I-I dunno-”
“No. No babe I was just like joking. Like a stupid bitch. It’s okay” They waved at the waiter “Your most alcoholic fruit mix and your finest coca cola please!”
Remus leaned in to whisper “With salt”
“With salt? Please!”
He kept vibrating like an overexcited weasel. After getting their drinks he kept tapping the glass to stim some of the happiness out.
“Honestly I’ve never been to a gay bar before. I’m digging it. Just like how I’m digging graves”
They playfully hit his shoulder “Then I’m tots gonna try my best to make this the  ultimate first gay bar experience! I can’t think of any other lil fucked up gremlin buddy I would wanna have by my side!”
"Muhahah!! I am officially assigned ultimate gremlin buddy-”
“Greetings” A voice suddenly came from behind them.
Both of them flinched away. Remy let out a short yell and Remus was close to throwing his drink in the person’s face when he saw it was just Logan.
He had on jeans and a black button up with the top button unbottoned. He had with him iced coffee from starbucks because he had to drive home later.
“LOGIE!!!” Remy threw their arms around his neck to pull him closer “Babe this is the Log-legend. Once he was like sooo drunk so when he like tried to kiss me puked on my shoes instead!”
Logan grimaced “I am still very sorry about that”
“Oh I already know him through Janus” Remus replied. 
“Oh my gawd babe” Remy looked between them all “So like we all know Janny?! Wig! Sad he isn’t here then”
Remus held up his cola “Cheers to J-anus!” The other two held up their glasses in agreement.
“Cheers”
“Cheerio!”
“He is very pretty and charming and cute” Logan dreamily sighed. He stopped himself from continuing to say compliments.
“Yeah” The other two sighed back in unison.
Logan sat down on a chair next to them. Remy looked around the bar before squinting at him “No Patty?”
He instantly started looking like a Very sad seal “Sadly my wife is away on a convention with her magical girl anime fanclub this whole week. I estimated that going to the bar would make me feel less lonely”
“You have a WIFe??? Like a real one???” Remus exclaimed, his eyeballs were close to popping out from surprise.
“Yes. This may be a controversial opinion but when I marry someone I prefer them to be physically real” He replied druly.
He got a smug grin on his lips “Does she peg you?”
“She does far more than just peg me”
“Nice!” His eyes went even wider “IS That a stim toy??!”
He pointed at the tangle Logan kept between his fingers “Correct. If I do not have something to relieve my focus onto I can easily go into senso- OH a chewie?”
Remus nodded while showing of his chew necklace. The two of them started rambling about their favorite stim toy. Until they went off into special interests (star trek/astronomy and art/animal biology respectively).
Soon enough Remus was showing pictures of the animal bones he’d found. Logan ooeh and ahhed at all of them before asking the most nerdy of questions (where he’d found them, their bone density, if any damage had been done to them) which only made Rem infodump which made Lo infodump which made them both happy stim.
Meanwhile Remy sat beside them completely zoned out. They got time to drink 2 more of those fruit mixes and a few shots. The room was starting to spin.
The loud music wasn’t keeping out the yelling. They dunked their forehead against the bar table and covered their ears to try and get it out. The music was supposed to keep it out! Why was nothing working! The bruise ached. Their throat closed in on itself until they couldn’t breathe. 
“Remus” They gasped out. They looked over to their friend with a desperate look in their eyes. They just needed a distraction.
“So my theory for why you keep finding bones in specifically that part of the woods is because of the kind of dirt making it take longer for them to deco-” Logan was explaining while Remus nodded along.
“Rem! L-let’s like go up and dance or something. Please” 
This time it caught Remus’ attention. He looked over to them “Sure- are you feeling alright? Did you drink too much? You’re looking like a mummy”
“Yes. No. I just like- Like- They’re playing Charli xcx of course we gotta like dance!!”
“I will protect your belongings then” Logan added.
Remy stumbled up on shaky legs. Remus sent them a warm smile that made them want to cry before taking their hand. He let them lead him out to the dancefloor. Honestly he was pretty nervous about it, but being with them always made some of the anxiety melt away.
They stumbled on their own feet and fell forward. Their friend took ahold of their wrists and pulled them close to his chest. Their faces were so close to each other. So so close.
He didn’t let go. They couldn't remember him ever letting them hold him this close. Their chests pressed against each other. Their arms around his shoulders. His hands on their back. 
"You’re right. It is a good song. Good to crash a car too" Remus said absentmindedly.
Remy let up into shaky giggles from how sudden he’d said it “Yeah. Yeah I guess” 
They kept giggling. He chuckled back. He started spinning around on the dancefloor. They moved with him. His arms wrapped closer around their waist. Their cheek leaned against the slope of his neck (even though they had to lean down to get on his height level).
Remy quietly sang along to the music which made Remus start yelling along to it. The enby threw their head back from laughter. They took his hand and intertwined their fingers.
Remus moved his hand out and spun them around before pulling them close again. Their cheeks were flushed red, his was as well. He playfully dipped them down when the song ended.
It continued on into a song neither of them knew but they kept dancing anyway. They didn’t stay as pressed close to each other but they always had some contact. Holding hands. An arm around a waist. A head leaning against a chest.
When they finally got back to the bar table they were both panting. Remy was completely leaning on Remus since their body had started to hurt, but even through the pain they were both bubbling over with so much happiness they kept breaking out into bouts of giggling.
To their surprise Logan wasn’t sitting alone. A tall person with long dark hair sat on the chair beside him. Xir hand was on his thigh. The nerd had a soft smile on his face as they leant close to talk.
“Uh Lo?” Remus had to wave his arms around to get his attention.
His head shot around to look at them “Hello” He glanced to the person “These are the ones I was protecting belongings for” He stood up and held out his hand “Shall we?” Xir took it. Logan waved at his friends before going off to the dancefloor with the stranger.
“Huh. Good for him” 
“I guess”
Remy ordered another high alcohol fruit mix. Remus happily chewed on his necklace while humming along to the music. Between their chairs their hands hang with their fingers intertwined. Holding their hand had started to make Remus feel all funny in the head for some reason.
The enby watched on as Logan and the stranger danced for a bit before moving to a corner to make out. When the stranger started to lead him towards the bar’s bathrooms Remy turned to their friend.
“Yeah okay he’s not coming back for like a while. Smoke break?”
“Of course!”
They finished their drink before leaving the bar. The pair stopped right outside. Remus sat down on the side of the pavement. Remy tried to sit down but they stumbled over themself and fell flat on the ground.
Remus got up to help “Are you okay? Are you sure you haven’t drank too much?”
“I’m fine. I’m fine” They laughed out.
He sat them down on the pavement while dusting off their clothes. He patted them on the head while pouting “You should get some water”
“Naaaah babe. I’m good”
In the moonlight the bruise was visible again. That horrible dark purple bruise around their neck. It looked like it hurt.
Remus put his hand on their shoulder “Beanie are you alright? I do know it wasn’t some halloween monster that got you that bruise”
For a moment their whole body tensed, they forced a smile “It’s fine. me and my boyf just tried like some new kinky shit in the bedroom y’know. Nothing more” They lied.
They took out a cigarette pack and a lighter from their bag. They traced their thumb over Remus’ lower lip and opened his mouth just slightly. Remy leaned closer while putting a cigerette between his lips. They lit it.
Remus took a deep breathe. It’d been a while since he’d last smoked. He leaned so close the cigarette nearly touched Remy’s skin. They parced their lips as he breathed out the smoke right into their mouth.
A smile spread on their lips. He held the cigarette over to them but they shook their head. They looked around in their bag again and took out a small poppers bottle.
“Should you really take that. Won’t your brain melt out of your ears?” Remus asked “I really don’t wanna have to slorp up your brain juice...yet”
“Relax babe. It’s like not dangerous as long as I don’t like take too much and I only take when partying” It took a moment before they quietly added “And I only party when I need to get out of the apartement”
“What?”
They forced on a bigger smile “What?”
Remy moved the popper up to their nose and inhaled as much of it as they could. It took a few seconds before they let up into a giggle. It was in a higher tone than their usual bubbly laugh, it almost sounded like cackling. They could see stars.
(U!Virgil mentions from here on out)
“Y’know my boyfriend gave me like a flashback or whatever last night” They giggled while swaying from side to side.
Remus gently grabbed their shoulders and moved them to lean against him so they wouldn’t fall over “Uhu. Did you stab him?”
“No silly. He just. He’d been soooo sweet all weeek and I just I just ruined it ‘cause i like overeacted to some joke he made while like we were washing the dishes” They were barely even aware they were speaking “And like it just kept going until we were like screaming at each other”
Remy was still smiling and giggling between every word but tears started to form in their eyes. Their fingers felt numb. Bile was rising in their throat.
“And he just like threw the plate he was holding down on the ground. And it like didn’t hit me. He wasn’t even aiming at me. He was just throwing it at the ground. But it shattered and it was so stupid and overemotional and stupid and pathetic but I just I just curled up on the floor and like had a panic attack like a stupid baby”
They smeared their hand across their face to try and get the tears away. They felt sick. Remus quickly put out his cigarette, it didn’t feel like the right time to smoke.
“And I just like- Is that normal? Is that fine? Like throwing stutff like that? I-I- he’s never done it before. Or I mean like not plates” They looked up at Remus “Is it fine?”
He gulped while fiddling with his hoodie sleeve “Well uh did he apologize?”
“Mhmm. He like- like for some minutes he like kept yelling ‘cause he thought I was just like faking a panic attack to like I dunno manipulate him but then he like comforted me and like calmed me down and like held me and cuddled all night until I fell asleep and- and he said sorry a bunch of times and like he said it would never happen again. He uh usually doesn’t lie”
“Well ehm then it should be fine right? Right?” They both shrugged at each other “I mean everyone can make mistakes! And it was during an argument! Everyone does drastic things during an arguments! So it’s fine. I think”
A shaking breathe of relief left Remy’s lips. They stretched themself over his lap and he moved his arms around them. “Thanks babe. I was like tots worried for a bit but y’know i was thinking like that too. So it’s fine”
“Yeah” He combed his fingers through their hair “You do know you can vent to me whenever right? I promise I won’t gross you out with details about how to pull out rabbit teeth ever again so if I can hold that back then I can also listen to stuff! I can super listen!!”
They closed their eyes. They felt so tired. So tired and sick and horrible. “Mhm. I know babe. I know”
Remy sent him a soft smile before suddenly puking. Some of it came on his pants but mostly on the ground. Remus stood up and carefully moved them down to a sitting position.
He rubbed up and down their back with one hand and held their hair back with his other. Their shoulders were shaking and they were taking in shallow breathes between every sudden throw up.
“It’s okay beanie-boo. Breathe. Breathe. You got all the time in the world. Until the sun blows up at least”
“I-I took- too much- too much” They slurred out before lurching forward again. It seemed to stop for now.
“I’m aware” He carefully wiped away some of the puke left around their mouth with his hoodie sleeve.
They leaned back against his chest. They closed their eyes and focused on breathing. He held them so so gently. As if they would break like glass otherwise. He pressed a kiss to the top of their head.
“There you are!” Logan said as came through the bar entrance “What a relief. I assumed you had left without me because you thought my actions were unacceptable” He noticed how pale and shaky Remy looked and got a worried look on his face “Is everything alright?”
“They feel like someone has slammed a fish into their stomach. Not good” Remus replied.
“I see. I suppose it woud be best to get them home”
Logan picked Remy up with ease to carry them to his car. He was quite sure he’d carried dogs that weighted more than them. Remus anxiously followed along.
He sat them in the passenger seat. He shook their shoulders until they opened their eyes. They let out a quiet whine.
He held up 4 fingers “Remy how many fingers am I holding up?”
“Fuck yourself”
“Noted”
They moved to the side and seemed to pass out again. Logan closed the door before turning to Remus.
“Did they take anything?” He whispered.
“Only a popper”
“Good. Do you need a ri-”
“Bus”
“Okay” Logan was about to go but stopped midstep and lowered his voice even more “Oh and Rem...Could you please not ask Janus to hang out next weekend? I am planning a surprise...I hope it will make him happy”
“Good luck comrade....Please text me once Remy is home safe. Please?”
“Of course”
He did a little nod before leaving. Logan got into the car. He couldn’t stop looking at the bruise around their neck. Remy continued to sleep for most of the ride until they they were 5 minutes or so away from their apartment. They suddenly flinched awake.
“Stop the car!” They gasped out. 
“Are you still feeling the same?”
“Logan stop the fucking car!” There was fear in their eyes. 
Logan stopped by the side of the road. The road was barren and dark. It had to be past 3 am at least. Remy crawled back into the backseats while their whole body shook.
“Don’t. Look. At. Me”
“Sure” He stared down into the steering wheel to not accidentally see their reflection in the glass.
“I just. I just have to change clothes. I just. I don’t want Virigl to call me a whore again. I mean. He won’t. But what if. What if he gets mad. I just. I just have to change” They slurred out.
They stumbled out of the car after changing into a pair of long pants and closing their leather jacket. A cold chill went up Logan’s spine. He quickly stepped out of the car as well.
“Okay bye bye Logie!!”
They tried to move but Logan grabbed onto their shoulders. He forced back a choking feeling in his throat “What do you mean by your boyfriend getting mad?”
“Pff! It’s nothing! I’m drunk!! Byyyeeeeee”
They started to stumble away but Logan easily followed along “It did not sound like he called you a whor-...you know what...with your consent. I am simply going to remind you that calling a partner things like that is not okay. Not in any circumstance”
Remy’s expression turned cold. They walked faster “I don’t like what you’re implying”
“I’m not implying anything”
“Yes you Fucking are!”
“Exscuse me for being worried about your wellbeing. What you just said sounded like a very bad sign”
“Yeah exactly it only SOUnded bad! My boyfriend isn’t bad!” Remy snarled out.
“I am not saying he is. He doesn’t have to be bad to say awful things, as long as he changes”
They shoved their hands into their pockets. Their hands moved into fists “You don’t know a fucking thing about me. You tried to kiss me once when you were drunk and that’s all. We don’t know each other”
Logan took a deep breathe “I don’t need to know you to see red flags. Remy-” He searched for words “Remy you’re bruised. How- you can’t expect me to not get worried”
Remy suddenly stopped and turned around to meet his eyes. “MY BOYFRIEND ISN’T ABUSIVE! I-”
“I’m not necessarily saying he is. I just wan’t to talk-” His voice started to sound desperate.
They looked like a cornered animal. Tears were brimming at the edges of their eyes “YOU DON’T KNOW A THING!”
“Remy-”
“I DID THIS TO MYSELF!” Their hand went up to the bruise “I DESERVED IT! VIRGIL DIDN’T DO A FUCKING THING! I DID! I TOOK A BELT AND HURT MYSELF! OKAY?! VIRGIL CARES ABOUT ME!”
He tried to sound soothing “Remy please take a deep breathe-”
“NO! NO! YOU KNOW WHAT LOGAN?! THERE IS STILL CUM ON YOUR FUCKING LIPS FROM YOU SUCKING OFF SOME STRANGER IN A DIRTY BATHROOM! SO NO! I AM NOT TAKING LOVE ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO IS CHEATING ON HIS GODDAMN WIFE!”
They stormed away. For a moment Logan was frozen in place before he forced himself to run after them to try and make sure they would be okay.
“I am not-”
Remy looked at him for one last time. The look in their eyes made him feel cold. It was pure hatred.
“Logan get the fuck away from me! I am drunk and high and alone on a street with no one but you who is sure as hell fucking stronger than me and all you’re doing is spouting bullshit! So please get why I want you to leave. And why I don’t ever want you to talk to me again!”
He stopped dead in his tracks “...Right....Yes....I am so sorry”
Remy didn’t even respond. They simply turned and walked away. Logan stayed and watched to make sure they got home to the apartment safe before going back to his car.
He slumped down in the seat. His heart was racing and his thoughts were for once an illogical flurry. He sat motionless for several minutes before finally getting some semblence of an idea.
He took out his phone and dialed one of his usual numbers. It took several signals before Emile Picani picked up.
“Mhm? Logie bear? I can’t today I have clients in the morning” He yawned out.
“This is about one of your patients. I am fearing that they are in danger”
In an instant all of the sleepyness in Emile’s voice disappeared “In danger? Physical? Is it urgent? Do I need to call someone? Which patient are you even referring to?”
Logan hesitated. If Remy had reacted that strongly to him just attempting to ask about his boyfriend it was very likely that they would stop going to therapy if Emile brought it up. His throat tightened, he didn’t want to put them in any more danger.
“I....Nevermind Emile....This was just a far too gone joke...Someone dared me to call you. I am sorry. Have a good night”
He ended the call. He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel and let out a long sigh. His hands held onto the wheel so hard his knuckles whitened.
Logan had no idea what to do. No idea at all. All he knew was fear. Fear for Remy’s safety. Fear for their well being. Fear that anything he did would only make their situation worse.
14 notes · View notes
crab-in-a-pocket · 4 years
Note
Greetings fellow wizard fucker👋 I am very glad to find someone else who appreciates mr. Magic man! I would also like to request some headcanons of wizard and a shy farmer, please! Cause I would much rather hang out in a tower doing spells rather than overwhelm myself trying to befriend an entire town. Thank you!
aw shit this is so cute. not as general as the wizard and the (shy) farmer chilling but more specific as to how they got into a relationship mwah. lowkey based on the romanceable rasmodius mod and always @iniro's wizard portrait mod. quite long so you can check it out under the cut!
the first time you met him, there was a sort of relaxing feeling to his place. sure, cold stone walls and all that wizard jazz, but he wasn't pushy or too nice or judgemental. he was just... there
you liked that feeling. he didn't expect anything from you and you didn't expect anything from him. and he was rather good at ending conversations without making you feel awkward.
making friends with the townsfolk is cool but it's weird making friends with them just one at a time— you couldn't handle that. you had to choose.
the first time you visit the wizard for no reason in particular is a rainy, rainy day. lightning lights up the dark clouds and the thunderclaps are so loud it threatens to tear the sky apart.
you wanted to show the wizard some things you had found in the mines. a tiny, warm orb of swirling golden light, and a tiny, icy ball of pitch black ink. and you made sure to leave before it rained but by the time you stood at his doorstep, you were already soaked to the bone.
you hesitate a little— it was always like this at the start— and then knock firmly. once, then twice.
he is shocked to see you standing there, dripling wet at his doorstep. but he ushers you in after a slightly suspicious squint, and when he offers you tea and you hold the little orbs out to him as if sharing marbles, he is so, so, surprised.
he shows you what the orbs do, teaches you little snippets of magic, and then it carries on like so. it becomes a routine, a steady habit you didn't wan't to break.
he eventually tells you to call him by his name. magnus, you say, letting it roll off your tongue, practicing it. magnus, magnus, magnus. i like your name.
his amused smile helps you say with more certainty.
you didn't really want to go to the flower dance. you had no one to dance with and you had chores to do. but attending community gatherings is the first step to forging friendships, isn't it?
your hellos are weak and half-hearted. you finally crack— you don't want to be here ans you're desperately looking for a way out without getting spotted (bridge? pierre. river? willy, pam, leah, and elliott.)
eyeing a crack through the fences, you duck and slip past it, pushung past thick brambles and sidling past trees ubtil you reach what appears to be a steep sort of natural staircase. you climb it and, much to your surprise, you see a familiar face.
you aren't supposed to be up here, the wizard tells you. neither are you, you reply.
did you ask anyone to dance?
laughing, you say, no, i don't think any of them would like to dance with me.
funnily enough, he smiles back (though with a different sort of emotion, you couldn't quite tell which) and says, you could be wrong. you could be a very good dance partner for all you know.
oh, then, would you like to dance with me? you rib, grinning at him now.
the expression on his face shifts and it becomes unreadable. you're hardly surprised when he says, i wouldn't know the steps.
it is his polite way of rejecting you. you're quite sure of that. smiling, you tell him, well, i wouldn't know them either.
sometimes, you just watch him while he works on enchantments and spells. it's nice, watching him work on his craft while you read about firemaking, something you've been working on for a while. you've made a few crops bloom early and even grew a fruit out of season, but you've never tried making fire, something made of raw emotion and passion and magic.
you need to let the energy burst from you, magnus says. then, you need to pull it back in just so. he sounds like a broken radio at this point, always repeating it.
like a lighter? you ask, as if you haven't asked it a thousand times before.
yes, just like that.
you try every emotion. you try when you're happy, when you're sad, when you're angry, when you're not feeling a single thing at all, and when you can feel every damned feeling in the world. it doesn't work.
my hand is broken, you grumble, clutching your cup of tea so fiercely your knuckles are white. or it could be my feelings. probably my feelings.
don't be silly. your hand can't possibly be broken, magnus scoffs, taking the seat across you and picking up his own cup of tea.
incredulously, you ask, you think my feelings are broken? seriously?
magnus shrugs. yes, maybe, i don't know. put down your tea cup and give me your hand.
you oblige and lean across the table, outstretching your arm. he takes your hand in his (you've always admired his hands, rather large and long-fingered but still elegant. you imagined them to be soft... you didn't think you'd be right.) and you're taken aback at the sudden flare of emotion rushing through you. not one you've never known, but one you didn't quite expect.
he flips your hand over and his thumb presses into your palm. he is so, so, so focused on your hand (is that dirt under your nails?) that he fails to see you struggling not to blush
he tells you to flatten your hand, as flat as it can go, then he says something surprising.
how about you try and think of someone you hate? think of burning their face into ash. his face colors a little but his smile is razor sharp. that's how i first did it.
you laugh at that, startled, then you realize he's being serious. you try, trying to see your ex's face hovering over your palm being burnt to a crisp. you try and try and try until you're blue in the face.
it's not working, you tell him angrily.
a pensive look falls across his face. magnus has a tendency to stick out his lower lip as if he was pouting when he thinks. you feel your anger ebbing away at the silly face he's making. your heart pounds harder than ever and you can hardly look at him, your cheeks flushing.
he is still holding onto your hand when a fire bursts into life, white hot. it cools to a pale shade of blue, flickering like a kitchen flame. it is as hot as the summer sun on your shoulders, so hot it could burn.
magnus yelps. so do you, and the fire dies. your hand is unmarred but, clearly, at magnus' hisses of pain, you've singed his fingers.
i'm sorry, i didn't mean to! you cry out, a worried look on your face. to your utter shock, he smiles.
what did you think of? he asks, a pleased smile on his lips. your flame was as blue as spirit fire.
i- i- i didn't think of anything, really. i'm not sure, you stutter out, avoiding his eyes. fuck. you're screwed. he's always been good at seeing lies and he didn't like any kind of them.
his frown tells you that he didn't not believe your weak excuse.
you avoid magnus for a while. you break your comforting routine and you thrust yourself into making friends with people in town. it helps just a little, lifting your spirits. one day, in the forest, you see leah asking for your help-- she wants to reach a fruit on a tree. you never looked in the direction of magnus' tower anymore. you hesitate for a moment, then you help leah, your gaze anywhere but on the tower.
try as you might, your gaze is on the tower. how could it not be, when what you are drawn to is its sharp little roof and the large telescope sticking out of it, and the ivy creeping up and down its stone brick walls? how could you not be drawn to it when it was a place you could almost call home?
i shouldn't be prying, leah says all of a sudden once you've let her down and you turn to walk away. but you used to visit the tower's occupant, didn't you? i just always saw you walking back and forth.
you stare at her for a moment, and then two. yes, i did, you finally reply. i'll visit soon. just... not now.
you are far too confused to go back. not yet. did you really like magnus that way? or was it a fluke, just a lonely, touch-starved person reaching for a body to hold on to, friendships be damned? you didn't want to fuck this up. you haven't made a proper fire in a week. you miss the surge of energy, of power, of emotion. you miss him.
pierre has taken to selling bouquets. bright, colorful flowers. they're for a special someone, he says to you when he catches you looking at them curiously. for heartfelt confessions, if i couldn't be any plainer.
you buy one and keep it in your house, in a vase with water to keep it alive. you wonder if it is worth the risk. you can see the tower's roof from the second floor of your house. you settle in with the bouquet at your right hand and a cup of tea in the left.
it has been an entire two weeks since you've last seen him. in fairness, it is nearing the end of fall and most of your heavy rumination has been during your farm chores as you work to keep in pace with your harvest to prepare for the incoming winter season.
you decide to tell him that you like him romantically. and if he doesn't care for you in that way, you will try and salvage your friendship to the best of your abilities. it is a foolhardy plan, as magnus would put it, but it is the best plan you have.
the last autumn rain is slowly falling and you pick up the pace, not wanting to get the bouquet dripping wet. your bag hangs at your side, filled to the brim with glittering balls of light and darkness.
when you finally stand at his dooratep, lightning lights up the dark clouds and the thunderclaps are so loud it threatens to tear the sky apart. you are soaked to the bone, but you have heated up your hand just enough to dry your clothes at a pat and touch.
you hesitate a little— just like at the start— and then knock firmly. once, then twice.
the door swings open and the surprise on magnus' face would have been comedic, if it were not for the circumstances. he stares at you, lamely carrying a bouquet upside down, dripping wet.
can i come in? you ask, surprised at the unwavering tone of your voice. unless you're busy. then i'll go.
magnus nods mutely (you're confused for a second there, and he steps aside to let you in before locking the door behind you. for a moment, you two just stand there silently, drowning in the awkward silence. then, he breaks it just as you do.
let me get some tea for you, you're dripping water on my floor, you might get sick—
i brought something for you, you weren't actually doing—
for a moment, everything is back as it was and you laugh and he chuckles at the predicament. then, you try and stomp off as much water as possible right at his door. you keep drying yourself with your heated hand and you remove your shoes and socks, marveling at the warmth of the floor. magnus disappeared to make tea— you follow after him, careful not to ruin the bouquet.
so, why are you here? he asks, his tone careful, once you seat yourself at his tea table. you've been gone a while. busy with the fall harvest?
yes, i was busy. but i was also avoiding you, you tell him honestly, and you can see him stiffen at that.
why? did i do something?
no, i did. i was confused and scared... i didn't want to lose my only friend, you know. it wasn't right for me to just up and leave for 2 weeks, though, i'm sorry.
he sits across you and hands you your cup of hot, steaming tea. what did you do?
i acted like a fool, you say, taking a sip to warm yourself. you feel your confidence waning. you have never been so straightforward in your life— what on earth is wrong with you? so you see, magnus, this is for you. you jerk your head in the direction of the bouquet on its side, flowers a little limp and raindrops on its many bright petals.
he looks confused. confused but appreciative. er, thank you for the bouquet. it's lovely. and he leaves it at that.
you stare at him, bewildered. then, you start to laugh. you... you don't know what it means, then? you move your tea cup of the saucer and you rip your bag open, fumbling for the balls of solar and void essence.
no, i'm afraid i don't, he replies, starting to sound a little annoyed and exasperated. care to enlighten me?
you put the solar and void essence on the saucer and push it towards him. you smile a little mournfully at the sudden surprise on his face and say, it means i like you, magnus. romantically.
the room falls silent. he looks up at you and you can hear him thinking and you can see the flush on his face as he stammers out a response, but you shake your head, i was thinking we could still be friends if you didn't like me back. but that’s not fair for either of us, is it? you’re right and you know it, but that doesn’t mean you don’t feel the hot shame prickling under your skin.
you turn to leave. i’m really sorry about this. i’m so sorry i had to ruin it.
no, no, don’t go. i didn’t know what the bouquet meant, really, i didn’t. i’m glad you were honest with me. look, i didn’t say i didn’t like you back that way. don’t go. please? he says all this in a rush and you freeze, trying to comprehend what he just said.
you... like me back? you ask, your voice suddenly meek.
i haven’t ‘liked’ anyone since i was a teenager, magnus says, mirth in his voice. but, yes, it could be just that.
a hand clasps your wrist and you turn around to look at him, his eyes shining with warmth and his cheeks a soft pink. are you still going? he asks, his brows knotting. you know he’s referring to the storm.
no. no, i think i can stay, you tell him, and you take your seat once more. to your utter surprise an amusement, you hear the scrape of his chair and find him sitting next instead of across you this time.
making friends becomes easier during the winter. you don’t have much to do, really, and so you split your time between the mines, fishing, the pub, and the tower.
you didn't really want to go to the flower dance. you had no one to dance with in particular and you had chores to do. but attending community gatherings is important, especially because you’re part of the said community.
you greet everyone cheerfully and they ask you about your farm. you’re grateful that they are too eager for the festivities to begin to make any more conversation aside from small talk. it is time to make your exit, you think
eyeing a crack through the fences, you duck and slip past it, pushing past thick brambles and sidling past trees until you reach what appears to be a steep sort of natural staircase. you climb it and, to your amusement, you see a familiar face.
you aren't supposed to be up here, magnus tells you. neither are you, you say cheerfully.
did you ask anyone to dance? he says, and you can hear the jesting undertone.
laughing, you say, no, i’d much rather dance with one person in particular.
he smiles back (though with a different sort of emotion, you still couldn't quite tell which, but you know it is something warm and sweet) and says, not that i would dance down there, but i think i’d rather dance with a very specific person, too.
oh, then, would you like to dance with me? you rib, grinning at him now.
the expression on his face shifts and he huffs out a laugh. you're hardly surprised when he says, i wouldn't know the steps.
you shrug, then reply, well, i could teach you. what do you say?
he blushes, but smiles in return. later, perhaps. when we are alone.
leaning towards magnus, you press a kiss to his lips, one he gladly returns.
125 notes · View notes
leahseclipse · 4 years
Text
May the show begin (Part 1)
Tumblr media
May the show begin masterlist | Masterlist 
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader
Category: Angst
Warnings: Kidnapping, general criminal minds stuff, angst, cursing
Summary: While working on a case, y/n gets targeted by the unsub that kidnaps her.
A/N: Hello! This is my veryy first Tumblr fic, I’ve never written any until now! I really worked hard to write as well as possible, so I hope you’ll appreciate it-
I plan to write ~3 chapters, maybe a 4th if I can. There will be an Epilogue, who will be extra fluff, an awesome ending. You’ll maybe cry during this fic, but do not worry, the story ends well. Have a good time reading!
Word count: 5.7k
______
It finally was one of these times where we got to have a break without being interrupted. Sure, it wouldn’t last very long, but it was better than nothing.
A few minutes earlier, we played rock paper scissors to decide who would go to the coffee shop to get everyone’s orders. Guess who lost? …the one and only y/n.
I hated going out, but what choice did I have? Not much to be honest. It was that, or taking care of Morgan’s enormous amount of paperwork, so, without hesitation, I preferred getting coffee for everyone.
As I was getting out of the shop, one bag in each hand, after getting sure that the drinks were secured so that they wouldn’t open and spill everywhere, I made my way back to the building, walking fast not to make them wait longer.
In order to get back quickly, I had to pass by a small street, not many people were there, if so, they’d block the others from walking. That wouldn’t be very convenient.
A part of me was always scared to walk there, I would always make sure not to stay here more than a minute, probably my paranoia talking. Since working at the BAU, seeing all of these cases of people getting kidnapped, or even cases in Criminal tv shows, documentaries, where people would get kidnapped on their way home, would simply terrify me, I couldn’t stop but think that it could happen to me. I would be suspicious of every person that would walk in the street.
What if that guy is a psychopath?
What if he’s dangerous?
All of these worries would fill my mind in a snap. I would automatically go on defensive mode in these situations.
Finally, I was about to make my way out of the tight street, when strangely, I felt like someone was watching me. I slowly turned my head to watch behind me, walking backwards in case something would happen.
No one was there.
The street was empty.
The only people there were only walking in front of it, but not going here.
I am going crazy or something?
I really felt someone watching me, and thought I heard footsteps. I waited a few seconds, still no one.
Okay. I’m either going crazy, or someone was following me.
Oh well, I guess I won’t know.
I shrugged and made my way out of the street, walking a bit faster when I heard my phone ringing.
“Alright, alright, I’m coming, stop calling, I can’t answer the phone if my hands are full!” I said, while the phone stopped ringing after a few seconds.
A few minutes later, I made my way into the building, taking the elevator to the 6th floor, when Morgan was coming.
“Pretty girl! You’re finally there. I almost thought you got lost for a minute.” He exclaimed, while taking the coffee cup I handed to him, letting out a sight of desperation.
“Well, ‘turns out that I’m not the only one that wants coffee, so there’s a verb called 'waiting’, so I waited for my turn, and for the employees to prepare the order, because in case you don’t know, they don’t have cups prepared in advance for us.” I said, letting out a smirk.
“Okay, okay, I apologize, Mrs Reid.”
“We’re not married yet, stop calling me Mrs Reid.”
“Yeah, but that’ll be soon, you guys just got engaged.”
“Probably not now, maybe in months. But like, I’m even afraid of my wedding day, like, what if we get called in emergency while I get prepared? I can’t say 'oh, let the victims die, I have a wedding, that’s more important’, I already had to cancel two dates with Spencer because we got called. I’m even afraid to have a call in a middle of a shower now!”
“Wow, how can you live with so much stress? You’re like a balloon about to explode.”
“I can’t do anything about it, I’ve always been stressing about everything. I’m even wondering if I should take medication at this point.”
“Okay, calm down. No one will call you on your special day. In case you forgot, other people work here, and these people will replace us. We’ll be gone only one day, they’ll be able to last that long” He said, grabbing my shoulder, while talking to me like I was a toddler.
As we got to the 6th floor, several eyes got on me, the coffee slave was back, I thought, as a joke to myself.
“Sorry, apparently a ton of people wanted coffee too, had to wait” I explained, putting the bags on the table, getting the cups out, as everyone would take theirs, heading back to their desks as they thanked me.
“Well, let’s hope you’ll get luck next time.” Morgan said, as he headed back to his desk.
“I won’t do that everyday, don’t dream about it.” I addressed, which earned a few laughs from the team.
Only one cup to give was remaining, I was about to look around, when two arms wrapped around my waist, I recognized him by his scent.
Spencer.
“There you are. I was getting worried about not seeing you coming back.” He stated, kissing me on the cheek before standing in front of me, taking his cup. “I see that you thought about me princess.”
“How could I forget? There’s also a ton of sugar sticks, to add a ton of sugar into it. You don’t like when they add because it’s never enough.” I exclaimed, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Indeed, it’s never enough. I just don’t know how people can like black coffee, with no sugar, nothing. That’s weird to me.”
“Everything is weird to you, can you even name one thing that’s not weird to you?”
“Well…you.”
He knew how to make me blush. Every single time, he’d always say the right word. And as a girl that loves him so much, I can’t resist.
I glanced at him, giving him the smile that he adores. Whenever I’d smile, he would say that among all of his hobbies and interests, it was his most favorite thing.
Before we knew each other, I never really liked my smile, I’d never look in a mirror, or take pictures because of it, I wasn’t confident about it, like the rest of my body, until…I met him.
Spencer Reid.
He changed my life in so many ways, he noticed that I wasn’t confident about myself, that I didn’t like the way I looked, but to him, I was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.
Every detail I didn’t like about myself, these were the ones he loved.
Whenever I’d feel down, he’d come on the couch with me and hug me; he helped me in so many ways that I can’t even name them all.
“You know I like it when you smile like that, and you know I can’t resist, especially at work.” He complained.
“I guess you’ll have to resist a little bit, in case you forgot, we have work, and work isn’t very patient, especially when Aaron Hotchner is your boss, so, sit there, and work.”
“So harsh…you broke my heart.” He said, dramatically putting his hand on his heart.
“And if I smile? Will that repair it?” I asked, smiling at him.
“Yeah. That’ll always repair it.”
“Good to know then.” I glanced at him before walking to my desk.
For the next minutes, we couldn’t stop glancing at each other every minute, I even had to swap desks with Morgan for this time, after he decided to separate us so that we could work. If I dared to continue, he even threatened me to give me all of his paperwork for an entire week.
So again, without hesitation, I chose to stop looking at Spencer, and finally work.
We still managed to send messages without him noticing, and even if he did notice, what could he do? Take our phones? He can’t even do that. We have to keep our phones on us 24/7 for work. So, he couldn’t do a-ny-thing.
After that, we didn’t really look at the time, paperwork takes a lot of time and effort, especially when it’s a case that took, several days, with several suspects, several victims, you must really have courage and energy for it.
We sometimes even trade or give excess paperwork to others, Hotch doesn’t really like it, but hey, we gotta help each other.
—-
Finally. The last file. I was so exhausted. I would have preferred sitting for hours in the conference room instead of sitting at my desk, writing again and again.
“My team, conference room, now.” A deep voice executed, as everyone was getting up the following second. No one really wanted to be yelled at by Hotch. Trust me when I say that.
Everyone made their way into the room, images were already on the screen as they took a seat, Garcia near the computer, giving the remote to Hotch.
“A few hours, local police found bodies, two women, aged 16 and 22, both found wearing a dress, heels, and a red ribbon around their necks, probably used to strangle them.” Hotch explained, before two pictures appeared.
“His first victim was Annie Evans, 16. The second one, Jane Harris, 22, both have been killed by strangulation; they also had various bruises on their bodies. It seems like they’ve been dropped at random locations, the unsub probably dropped them where he was. We’re looking for a male in his 40-50s, but we’re not quite sure yet.”
“I don't know if anyone else noticed...but it looks like they’re both dressed like dolls, in a pretty way, you know. He must have kept them several days, if he took the time to dress them up, and beat them. If you really look, they have a bit of makeup. They also found jewelry, but not real one, just the kind of things that you buy at a shop, it’s a transparent plastic string with beads on it. And for the dress, it kinda looks like it's handmade, there's a lot of strings there and there, a machine wouldn't have left that much.” I explained, as Morgan shook his head, apparently agreeing with my explanation.
“Yeah. They weren’t killed there. He kidnapped them for a bit and just killed them after.” He said, moving his hand while talking.
“We could be looking for…a doll maker, a guy obsessed with dolls or even another job, hobby, something that has to do with the art domain maybe…?” Spencer added, lightly tapping his pencil on the paper.
“Turns out we have some research to do then.” He concluded.
“We’re gonna make teams. Reid, y/l/n, go with Garcia; Morgan and Simmons, Alvez, JJ and Prentiss, you all know what to do. Let’s get to work.” Hotch ordered, everyone exited the room, going where they had to go.
As we left the room, Spencer and I quickly laughed, happy to have been paired up together again. We happen to work better when we’re together, and it’s…nice. Not that if we’re not together we do bad work, it’s just that…I really like working with him, there’s no big pressure, we understand each other, I like being around him in general, his presence reassures me.
After having enough information to have a possible lead, we were all told to go home to rest a bit. We’d probably have no sleep in the next few days due to all of the work waiting for us, so none of us complained.
“Come on y/n, let me drive you home this time, and no, you don’t get to complain, I’m driving you home, that’s it.” He said, not even letting me place a word, smiling at the end of his sentence, happy to have won this time.
“You’re such a kid. I even wonder if your brain didn’t get stuck in daycare sometimes.” I exclaimed, showing a fake disappointed look on my face.
“Actually, I didn’t go to daycare. I was too smart for that.” He smirked, glancing at me, as he started the car.
“Okay, you win. I don’t have any arguments to throw at you. I always run out of these before you do.” I added, pouting.
“You can’t even hate me, I know you can’t resist looking at my face. Come on, don’t be mad, look at me baby.”
Not wanting to make him wait more, I looked at him, as he smiled, seeming happy just at looking at me. He would always tell me that whenever he’d feel down, thinking about me would always cheer him up. I don’t really know why, there’s not much special about it, maybe it’s the glasses, I don’t know.
“Are you satisfied now?” I added.
“More than I ever have.”
“I’m not mad, don’t worry, I was only faking. I can’t be mad at you, how could I?”
“I know. I can separate your fake angry face from your real one. And indeed, you can’t be mad at me, you’d immediately fail by looking at my gorgeous face.”
“I can’t say anything about it either because, indeed, you have a gorgeous face, as you said.”
“Yep. I do.” He proudly smiled before bursting into laughter with me.
—-
After we arrived, despite insisting that I could walk to the doorstep on my own, he didn’t listen and took my hand.
“Okay, we’re here. Not a minute of your sleep will be wasted.” He said, briefly looking at his watch.
“Yeah. Hurry and go, I don’t want to wait any minute of yours. You won’t take long to drive back, but as soon as you get home, don’t take too much time to do whatever you do before going to bed, and then immediately go to sleep when you’re done.”
“Yes, mom.”
“Now go before I kick your ass.” I added, a serious look plastered on my face.
“Got it.” Spencer said, before putting his lips on mine, to which I answered by kissing him.
“Goodnight babe. I love you.”
“Goodnight princess. Love you too.”
On his sweet words, I closed the door. And to my surprise, I was still smiling. He had that strange effect on me, he’d always find light when I’d see nothing but pure darkness, in a way, he saved my life. Now that I’ve met him, I can’t imagine a life without him, I just can’t.
But being in a relationship when you work at a place like the BAU, It’s barely impossible but think about the worst scenarios. Our job isn’t without risk, so there’s always a chance that one of us gets hurt on the field, it is stressful, I won’t hide it, but we always do our best to not think about it. If it does happen, we’ll be there to support each other, I know we’ll do.
After taking a quick shower and changing into a comfortable outfit, I added an alarm for 6am, as I got into bed, falling asleep without even realising it.
——
THE NEXT MORNING
Spencer’s POV
Arriving at the office this morning, my first habit was to search for y/n. I would always see her first before starting to work on anything. If she was sick, or unable to come to work, hearing her voice was enough.
The first place she’d be at was her desk, but she wasn’t there. I searched for a note, nothing, her desk was as she left it, nothing changed, the only different thing that didn’t belong to her was some of Morgan’s files, they swapped desks yesterday for a moment, so he worked on hers. I was even wondering if he didn’t do it on purpose, it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.
I continued searching for her in all of the possible places she would usually be at. The conference room is usually calm in the morning, so she likes to go there, even if it’s not for work, she wasn’t here.
Again, I searched for traces of her, for her bag, perhaps. Maybe she was at the bathroom or somewhere else, she would have left something like files, or just her bag, she doesn’t bring it at the bathroom, even at home, on this point, she’s like me.
As I was going out of the room, I noticed Emily and JJ, talking together. I tried my best to keep a calm face, walking in their direction in order to talk to them. The two girls glanced at me as they saw me coming.
“Hi Spence!…what’s up?” JJ asked, as she noticed that something was slightly off with you, you saw her furrowing her brows.
“Um…hey. Hope I’m not interrupting anything but, have you guys seen y/n? I’ve been looking for her, basically at every place she’s usually at, but no sign. I’m starting to wonder if she’s not late..” I added, nervously laughing.
“No, we haven’t seen her. I don’t think she’s here yet, she didn’t log in this morning, her computer’s off. I noticed she always does it when she arrives, even if she stays on it for a minute. Maybe she’s late, it happens sometimes. Your alarm goes off, or you don’t hear it, so you end up waking up thirty minutes later. Just wait a bit longer, she’ll end up coming in.”
“Yeah, okay. Thank you guys.” I said, waving at them as I walked to my desk, sitting in my chair.
During the following minutes, I couldn’t stop but look at her desk, around me, through the glass of the room in front of me, hoping to see her in. I don’t usually worry about that, being late happens sometimes, but when I don’t see her, or hear anything from her, I immediately start to think about the worst scenarios, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that does.
Because when you work in the police, in my case, the FBI, seeing hundreds of cases of people that get murdered at their houses, killed while taking a run, kidnapped on their way home, you can’t help but think about these things happening to the ones you love.
That’s what I was afraid of right now.
Did something happen?
What if she’s hurt?
After an hour and a few minutes of waiting for her to come, the worries began to grow bigger and bigger each minute.
I couldn’t wait anymore, I decided to take the elevator and go to Garcia’s office. Looking at the building’s cameras isn’t illegal, so she could do that with absolutely no problem. Even if it was illegal, I wouldn’t care, I just wanted to know where she was.
I made my way into her office, not even having the time to place a word, she had apparently already heard the sound of the door, and turned to face me.
“Hey Spence, you need somethin’ ?” Garcia said, gesturing to me to close the door as I got in.
“Actually…yeah. I know it isn’t something that someone would do.. because it’s absolutely ridiculous to me, but,” I took a deep breath before saying what I needed to do, as I saw Penelope furrowing her brows. 
“… I’m really getting worried, I don’t know why. I haven’t seen y/n this morning, I’ve been waiting for exactly one hour, thirty minutes and ten seconds, so that shows you how worried I am.”
“Okay, okay. Calm down a bit…” She added, before turning to the monitors. 
“So…if I guessed well, you want me to look at the cameras?”
“…yes, please. I literally feel like my heart is about to pop out of my chest any minute with all of the stress I’ve accumulated.” I took a seat on a chair next to her, focusing on the monitors as she looked into the recordings.
“Um..I hate to say this to you, but…she’s not on the cameras, I just don’t see her. I looked everywhere I could think of, but the last time she showed up was yesterday, in the parking lot with you. Except that, nothing.” She said, as she got worried too. “Um…have you tried calling her maybe?”
“No, not yet. If she was on her way, I didn’t want to disturb her. I’m gonna try, I hope she picks up.” I explained, taking my phone from my pocket, dialing the number as I placed the phone to my ear.
'Hello, you’re on y/n y/l/n’s voicemail, I’m currently not available, so please leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.’
“Her phone rings, but I ended up being directed to her voicemail. I don’t know what’s going on, it’s not her, she’s not usually late and if she does, she always sends a message, you can look at them, she never forgot to say it to me, or even at anyone else. Maybe I’m getting worried for nothing, and she’s on her way, but what if something happened? At this point, I’ve waited long enough, and something definitely feels off to me.”
“Uh…try calling again, I’m gonna locate her phone. That’s the only thing I can do right now. And I just…thought about it.”
I nodded, calling and placing the phone to my ear once again, staring at the screen.
“Uh…wait. Got it. Yeah, it’s definitely at her place. Look. It’s the right address, right number, IP, whatever. The phone’s definitely there.”
“She didn’t answer again. Her phone is always with her, she places it in her bag every night, if not, it’s on her nightstand, and she definitely sees it.” I said, getting even more worried. 
“I can’t wait here anymore, I’m going to her place. Thanks Garcia.”
“No problem…keep me posted!” She yelled as I was on my way out.
“Will do.” I said, closing the door behind me, walking to the elevator to take what I needed at my desk.
—-
As I arrived at the 6th floor, I got out of the elevator, still looking around, while rushing to my desk. I didn’t even see Morgan until he noticed me. I think he must have seen how stressed out I was and interrupted me in my race.
“Woah, hey pretty boy, what’s going on? Does it have something to do with the case? Did Garcia make you her slave today?" 
"No, no, it…doesn’t have anything to do with it.” I explained with a shaky voice, causing Morgan to ask me to calm down. 
“Look, I’m just really, really, worried that something happened to y/n, I haven’t seen her, she doesn’t answer her phone, we even traced it, and it’s at her place, I can’t keep waiting here, I have to go to her place now. Maybe I’m getting worried for nothing, but I need to know if she’s okay or not.”
“That’s not y/l/n you’re describing to me, she’s basically never late.” He shook his head, like he didn’t want to believe that something may have happened. “Okay, If you’re really going, I’m coming with you, just in case you end up passing out on the way. We never know.”
“Whatever you want, I just want to know if she’s okay." 
"Now that you’ve stressed me out, I really need to know too.” Morgan glanced at me, before exiting the office. He was about to take the elevator when I just rushed out into the staircase, not wanting to wait for the elevator. “Oh, okay, we’re taking the stairs apparently." 
I wasn’t even thinking straight anymore, all I could think of was her, it’s maybe ridiculous for me to worry about a two hour absence, when she was probably at home, safe, but I needed to know, she doesn’t answer her calls, and there’s no way to contact her away from this. The only way was to go to her place. 
I really hope she’s okay.
Please, be okay. Please.
Arriving at the parking lot, I took my keys out of my pocket, almost dropping them on the floor out of panic, while I headed towards the car to open the driver’s side door.
"Nuh-uh, I’m driving pretty boy, I don’t want us to get in an accident because you’ll be too stressed on the way.” He said, stopping me, as I made to the passenger side of the car, rolling my eyes out of frustration. “I’ll drive fast, but safely. I just want us to get there in one piece.” He said, while we both got in the car before he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.
I quickly activated the siren before Morgan even had the time to, the sound of it blaring in the streets. I just guess I was…a bit nervous. No, a lot.
Even though Morgan was driving as fast as he could, it still was too slow for me. I just wanted to get out of the car and run there, I restrained myself from doing it by putting my hands on my lap.
I kept looking at the GPS, even though we didn’t need it because we, including myself, knew where she lived, I just wanted to keep it on to see how many miles were left until we would get there. 
As soon as we got in front of the building, Morgan didn’t even stop the car, yet, I already had taken my seatbelt off, getting ready to open the door.
He wasn’t even fully parked, but I still shoved the door open, furiously closing in behind me. Morgan eventually joined me a few seconds after, taking the keys out of the car, before locking it.
Strangely, as we went through the entry of the building, walking in the direction of the stairs (again), all I could hear was my heart beating faster each minute I would get closer. I don’t even know if Morgan talked, I didn’t even hear anything, except the wave of the worst scenarios that could have happened drowning the only hope I had before coming here.
Morgan suddenly interrupted me in my intensive thinking, as I noticed that we were standing in front of her doorstep. 
“The door is closed. You got the key?”
“Yeah, I got it.” I said, taking the set of keys from his hand, picking the key of her apartment. I could still remember the day she gave me a double copy of her keys. It was on a Sunday night, we managed to get out of work earlier, so we decided to go to her place for once.
She even let me choose what I wanted to watch, she insisted for me to not hesitate, even if it was a show she hated. And I knew that even if she hated the show, she would just lay down against me, and watch with me. Sometimes, she would either end up falling asleep a few minutes later, or try to distract me by sitting on my lap, so all I could do was look at her. 
And when she’d do that, you can already tell who lost the game. Yeah, me.
Most guys would usually try to get them out of the way, trying to gently reject him without upsetting them, but I just couldn’t,
She meant everything to me. (And still does.)
It’s weird to explain your feelings with metaphors instead of just saying that I love her, I don’t why, I can’t help but do it.
These metaphors can explain all of the feelings I have for her, in a way. I know it’s really cheesy, but to me, even though there’s more than 170,000 words that exist in the English language, not any of them is powerful enough to describe my feelings. 
She’d always laugh at me when I would say that, because let’s be honest, when you look at me, you see everything but a man that uses romantic sentences when talking with his girlfriend. Well, in my case, my fiance. It’s really recent so I tend to forget. 
We’ve been together for so long, so having to call her 'my fiance’ after years and years of calling her my girlfriend…feels really weird to me. I guess it’ll take some time for me to remember it. I’m sure she won’t be mad. 
Well, I hope…?
As I got out of my brief thoughts, I glanced at Morgan, entering the key in the hole, turning it two times before I heard the click of the door. 
I quietly opened the door, as my eyes widened at the sight of her living room.
“Morgan. Why is her…apartment in this state? This isn’t normal.”
It didn’t take long for the us to understand what happened. 
Someone broke into her apartment. 
Something happened.
Something…happened.
We both froze for a minute, as we looked at the…chaotic living room. Nothing was in the place it was supposed to be, like…someone pushed them out of the way, the question was, was it her or whoever broke into her apartment that did that? 
It wasn’t a matter of having strength or no, if she tried to defend herself, even if the couch was heavy, she wouldn’t have stopped fighting just because of that. The things you can do when in a situation of danger…are unbelievable. You never think yourself capable of it…until it happens. 
After looking at each other with panicked eyes, we quickly made our way into the apartment, Morgan heading to the rooms situated in the back while I stayed in the living room.
It wasn’t until something caught my eye on the kitchen counter. At first glance, it looked like a piece of paper, I walked to the counter, taking the paper in my hand.
“The doll has returned to the shop.” I read out loud. “The doll has..” I said, stopping in the middle of the sentence, slowly realising, that just yesterday; y/n noticed that the way the women looked were similar to…a doll. 
I made my way to her bedroom, as I heard Morgan talking.
“Her room looks the same. I think he must have grabbed her, and she tried to go away. And then he…he took her. The phone is on her nightstand …” Morgan said, with a trembling voice, touching the phone with the tip of his fingers.
“I found this…it was on the counter. And I think that we both know who did it.” I handed the note to him, as he took it, his hands trembling.
“She said that the victims both looked like…dolls.” He didn’t say anything after that, he immediately understood what I meant. 
We were both devastated by the scene in front of us. We couldn’t believe it. I think that in this exact moment, we both wished for that to be nothing, but a bad dream. But it wasn’t. We had to face the reality that was standing right in front of us.
She was gone.
“Fuck!” I yelled, as I hid my face in my hands, on the verge of tears. “This can’t be happening, no…this can’t." 
Where was she now? 
Was she even alive?
I couldn’t stop but ask myself a thousand questions. This couldn’t be real. I couldn’t believe it. 
I should have stayed with her. I should have, even if she didn’t want to. I should have hugged her, so she would have moved out of the door and I would have come in.
Why didn’t I do it.
I should have. If I did do that, I could have protected her. 
As I was drowning in my thoughts, I heard a faint sound coming from my pocket, I soon realized that it was my phone. 
Hotch.
I took a deep breath, before answering the phone, putting it on speaker while Morgan stood behind me.
"Reid, why didn’t you, Morgan and y/l/n showed up-” Hotch said, clearly annoyed, before getting interrupted.
“Y/n’s gone Hotch.” Morgan claimed. “We went to y/n’s place, and she’s not here. The guy in the case we worked on yesterday took her, that bastard took her Hotch! Now we have absolutely no idea where y/n is!" 
"Oh shit. That son of a bitch.”
“He left a note, it says 'the doll has returned to the shop’. Hotch, it’s him. I mean who else could it be? I’m all ears, go ahead." 
"No, I share the same opinion as you. Did, did you guys find anything else?”
“Except the fact that her apartment is completely turned over, no. The only thing of her that’s left are the traces of her fight.”
“Okay, um…I’ll see you guys at the office. We’ll be in the conference room, is that alright?” He asked, visibly destabilised by the current situation.
“Yeah, sure.” I said, before hanging up. I collapsed into Morgan’s arms, sobbing. I couldn’t contain myself anymore, I had to let it out. Since this morning, with all of the stress that I accumulated, I had to let everything out.
Morgan wrapped an arm around my back, as he was restraining himself from crying. He knew that he wouldn’t stop crying if he started. So he just stayed for a few minutes with me, I really needed some support.
The car ride back to the office was devastating. 
The silence of the car was horrible. 
No one talked, not even a single word.
We both were devastated by the recent news, and even more by thinking of the reaction of the team once they would hear what happened. 
I couldn’t even think about what was happening to her, she must have been so terrified when a stranger broke into her apartment to kidnap her. 
I couldn’t even say “I’m sure she’s okay.” , because deep inside, I knew she wasn’t, she was probably terrified.
———
No sooner than we had stepped off the elevator, we just didn’t want to be here. We’d have to work, while thinking about what might happen. 
We both stepped into the conference room, as we noticed the devastating atmosphere in the room. 
“Everyone. We have a lot of work in our hands right now. Let’s get ready.” Hotch said, breaking the heavy silence, probably in the room for a few minutes now.
Everybody opened their files, exchanging glances at each other from time to time. 
I just hoped…we hoped, that y/n would be safe and sound when we’ll find her.
I can’t lose her.
She’s the love of my life.
_______
Taglist: @thatsonezesty13​, @amanda-rotigliano​, @eevee0722 ,
213 notes · View notes
okaywitheverything · 4 years
Note
hi! can i request minato fall for naruto kindergarten teacher please? thank you 😁
Ma'am: A Possible New Mom? Minato x KindergartenTeacher!Reader
My actual first request! Hope I did it justice! Thank you honey for the request. I wrote some sort of mixed AU so I hope you don't mind.
 A/N: This took a lot of time because I have a lot of tests every month. Also i threw up a week ago and was somewhat sick. Then I lost the two drafts and was so irritated with ms word but somehow I managed to write again. So a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this. Please shower it with love if you even read this awful Author’s note.
Positive A/N: I did like how it turned out tho, the ending is too cute and you won't know what to expect as I didn't either. I genuinely hope you have fun reading this piece.
Word count: 3K
Tumblr media
 Your POV
 “It must be fun to play with the kids all day."
People who think that are the biggest fools on the planet in the universe.
You were picking up the various toys scattered throughout the main classroom, sorting them category wise while the kids took a nap. Most of them anyways.
A few babies had insane amount of energies that they refused to sleep whatsoever. But it wasn't as big a problem as people think it is. All kids have different strengths, a variety of ways to function and unique physiology. You knew if a kid was not tired, forcing him or her to doze off isn't healthy.
Just let the kids be.
So that explains why Naruto was alongside you helping you to collect the sponge shurikens scattered around while you put away the stuffed ninkens on the high shelf. Usually Kiba and Rock Lee would be awake as well, and this trio would play in the hall until their limbs gave out but today even they slept after tiring poor Akamaru out for weird challenges.
“Ma’am, I almost forgot! I want to show you something! Come with me!” Naruto suddenly grabbed your hand leaving his task in the midst and urging you to leave yours too. You looked at him puzzled but giggled at his enthusiasm nonetheless, sometimes kids were too darn cute. You loved the ways kids’ eyes lit up, so optimistic and happy and hopeful until the world snatched it all away. You wanted to preserve this for as long as could.
He took you to the room where the kids kept their small backpacks filled with their favourite articles that they thought were absolutely necessary to take everywhere.
No Neji, you don’t need to have three combs for the care of your luscious hair every possible instant.
Naruto generally brought a lot of snacks which you had to retain sometimes so that he would eat healthy but it became even harder to do so when all he wanted was for Sasuke to taste the tomatoey flavour ‘these’ chips had and gift Rock Lee the curry flavour. That boy had a heart of gold.
 He pulled the zipper of his orange backpack open, and took out a stuffed fox.
“Ma’am meet Kurama! I told him all about you and he wanted to meet you!” He held Kurama up while you were gently petting the plushie’s head, he was so excited to see your happiness to meet his esteemed companion.
These kids and their imaginations! You loved every ounce of it!
“Hello Mr. Kurama!” You didn’t feign excitement, you actually were. You loved kids and their creativity and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“He’s my best friend! Don’t tell anyone else though! Others might get sad.”
You did an action of zipping your lips, “Your secret is safe with me, sweetie.”
“Look! I also drew something!” He hastily handed you Kurama and proceeded to take out his yellow sketchbook. He kept turning pages filled with rainbows of colours morphing into one another that made some sense in his cute, little head and finally reached his desired page. He pulled your dress with his little chubby hands, an action he often did when he wanted you to sit beside him. You kneeled down, his plushie settled in your lap now as you waited for him to go ahead.
He handed you his open sketchbook where there were three figures, two adults and one kid judging by the height, all wearing triangular outfits. One kid and an adult had striking yellow hair and blue eyes while the other adult wore an orange dress with a large circle in their hands. On closer inspection, you saw your own hair colour and eye colour being illustrated to the best of the toddler’s ability, as far as the crayons allowed him to portray it. You had a circle in your hands, almost the size of your drawn head with black spots in between while the child in the photo held an orange squishy ball. To save you from your confusion, Naruto came to the rescue and started explaining.
“That’s me and Dada over here. And I’m playing with Kurama! And that’s you Ma’am! Bringing me and dada cookies for being good boys like you do in class!”
Your heart melted right there and then. For some reason, your face heated up too.
“Oh my God, honey, that’s amazing!” You pecked his cheek as Naruto blushed slightly and rubbed his head, “You liked it?”
“I Loved it! What did Dada say about it?”
“He got so red like Sasuke’s tomatoes haha. But he put it on our fridge like my other drawings and he said it was the best one yet.”
Before you could reply, crying was heard from the nap room and you sighed. Looks like someone woke up.
“Yay, someone is up! We can now play!” Naruto began running but you stopped him.
“Let’s be sure to pack this all up before, Ma’am Anko will see to your friend okay?”
Tumblr media
Minato was waiting alongside other parents, it was 10 minutes till the kindergarten was over. His mind wandered afar, thinking about his journey to this town.
Minato was very afraid when he moved to Konoha, about Naruto settling in and making friends. Of course, back in his previous town he had already got Naruto a place in the best Kindergarten there, pulling all the needed strings but his promotion caught him off guard. Being a single parent was hard enough as it is, and with the worry of adjusting to new surroundings for his growing son, he was almost going to decline the offer. Only after much conviction from his friends that he deserved this, he took the offer, albeit hesitantly.
He was happy with his new workspace and colleagues as well, and was over the moon when he one of his erudite associates had a son the same age as his own, and recommended the city’s best kindergarten where his son was set to go. He went blindly on his associate’s word, because he knew him to be a wise dad.
For the first two months, he had to work relentlessly to prove his position as the new leader in the branch, and so he had his assistant pick Naruto up while he prepared lunch at home for his precious boy, barely making it home fifteen minutes before they did. But when the company celebrated their first real accomplishment, only then did Minato feel he could take a step back and indulge with his son more as he used to do.
When he began picking him up himself, he realised what he had been missing on: small quirky tales, new words his toddler learned, new friends’ names, his favourite teacher’s cookies apparently. Minato quickly noticed, being the perceptive man he was, that Naruto could go hours and hours talking about his Ma’am. He would have thought of it as a crush, had Naruto been older.
But when he first saw you, he could relate to his son if Naruto did have a crush. He knew he was being superficial, being attracted to your appearance at first sight but he couldn’t help himself that you were almost ethereal, too gorgeous to be true. It seemed as if you were glowing when you laughed alongside the kids or held one of them on your shoulders while searching for the parents.
However, your personality was even more so captivating when he finally talked to you at the parents-teachers conference. You were such a quality teacher, he deduced when he noticed how apt you were at describing each kid individually and how dedicated to their growth you were. He loved the bond you had with Naruto, the boy couldn’t stop grinning upon meeting you on his day off.
The bell rung, breaking him out of his reverie, and he waited as the kids ran to the parents, waving goodbyes here and there, ready for their weekend. He could hear your faint shouting over the buzz, “Make sure you have taken all your belongings, kiddos! Have a good weekend!”    
He knew if you had a special place in his son’s heart, he could let you stay in his heart as well.
Tumblr media
It was 8 PM, one hour past the Uzumaki kid’s bedtime, but the blatantly crying kid was nowhere near sleeping. A distressed Minato held him on his hip, as he searched the entire house for his favourite plushie, Kurama, without whom Naruto had never slept.
“We’ll find him, Naru. Do you remember where you last saw it?” Minato asked, pausing and sitting in the comfy sofa, looking at Naruto, hoping he’d have an answer.
Naruto’s wails quietened down, fortunately there were no tears, as he pondered and spoke, “I last showed it to Ma’am!”
Minato sighed, he grasped that Naruto would have left it at the playschool because no inch of his house was unsearched. He settled Naruto down on the couch as he deliberated calling you over a toy. He had your number for emergencies, but was this one? The real objection, the actual reluctance he had for calling was totally different though. He hated to admit it, but talking to Naruto’s daydream of a teacher always left him stuttering like a teenager. He could barely listen and respond when he met her at the kindergarten, but talking to that Goddess one on one was more terrifying and nerve-wracking than moving to a new town.
But he knew there was no way Naruto would sleep without Kurama and it was only Friday, nights to wait if he doesn’t ask you about the plushie today. He couldn’t imagine how disheveled will Naruto be without Kurama by then. He would surely award himself with wine if he managed to finish the call without fainting.
With clammy hands and a vigorously pounding heart, he dialed the number.
Tumblr media
You were finishing up the last batch of forms and cleaning up, when you saw something abruptly put in the otherwise shipshape playroom. Before you could further inspect, your phone rang, Mr. Uzumaki flashing on top of the screen. Your heart hammered as you wondered what he could be calling about.
You were not going to lie, Mr. Uzumaki was easy on the eyes, always in class A condition with his well-tailored suits as he came to pick Naruto up. Even the married housewives ogled him not-so-subtly. He was such an excellent father, really devoted in his son’s life while simultaneously conquering the business world. An eye candy, with all the best qualities that existed, an immensely put together God’s creation. He was dream partner to have, yet somehow he was single.
Your phone’s ring broke you out of your musing, as your sweaty palms grabbed the phone and received the cal.
“Good Evening, Mr. Uzumaki.” You managed out, your neck suddenly heating up.
“Good Evening, Miss. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
“Not at all, I was about to head home. How may I help you?”
“If you are still there at the playschool, could you please…… If you don’t mind….. I’m sorry again I called-”
“I assure you, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it. Although you do need to tell me the problem if you want me to help.” You giggled lightly, amused at that man stuttering.
“Thank you. Umm Naruto left his night time plushie there I suppose and he doesn’t sleep without it. Could you please, please check if it’s there?”
“Of course.” You held the phone and as you hummed and went to the Kid’s playroom you found Naruto’s sketchbook with the drawing laying on it, and the Kurama toy beside it. You swore you promised Naruto pack it earlier in the day.
“Looks like he did leave it here.”
“Can you keep the school open a bit late, I’ll come and collect it right aw-”
“Its pretty windy right now outside, and you’ll have to bring Naruto too at this hour. I’ll drop it at your home on my way back, I was planning in leaving in five anyways.” Your mouth spoke before you could process what you said, offering to go to his house? Nice going there, you desperate weirdo.
His choked out “Okay” almost surprised you as you ended the call.
This will be a nice, little detour.
Tumblr media
About twenty minutes later, the doorbell to the Uzumaki household rang and Minato sprinted to the door, opening it immediately.
There you stood, with tousled hair from the wind, in your long red pea coat and black heels. Your cheeks lightly tinted, no doubt because of the unruly weather outside. Somehow you still looked absolutely perfect in Minato’s eyes as he traced your form, unable to initiate the conversation.
You, on the other hand, had halted completely when the door opened revealing a ripped Minato, his muscles bulging underneath his black shirt while grey sweatpants hung loosely on his hips. His biceps were so thick, you wondered how he managed to exercise on top of all the responsibilities he had.
You handed it over to Minato whose eyes widened at the piece of paper and stood there awkwardly, processing what to say.
Somehow stopping yourself from all the gawking, you cleared your throat as you dug in your black purse and took out Naruto’s best friend and his masterpiece.
“Guess he left this as well.” He gave a forced laugh, trying to make things less uncomfortable after he stood silent for two minutes.
You chuckled lightly in agreement when suddenly thunder boomed behind you, causing you to shriek and slip, only to be caught by Minato, his hands holding you around your middle tightly in a protective manner. You coughed as you stepped back again and he cleared his throat this time when suddenly it started pouring like hell’s rage on Earth.
“You should stay for a while, at least until the rain lightens.”
You were going to decline, but when you saw how bad it was raining, you knew you would have to accept. “Looks, like I’ll have to. Sorry to impose.”
“It’s no imposition at all. I’m inviting you, don’t fret.”
You stepped inside, shrugging your pea-coat off, revealing your black dress underneath. Minato reddened visibly, taking your pea-coat from you and hanging it. He cursed himself as he thought of conversation starters, wanting to say something, anything to not stand like a fool.
“Would you like wine? I have this blush flavoured bottle reading to drink.”
“I would love that, Thank you. What are you celebrating though, if I may ask?” You agreed, maybe the alcohol would calm your buzzing nerves. Besides you were a sucker for wine.
“Nothing much, a simple personal achievement of sorts.” He said with a grin as he led you inside, hopeful of where the night might lead. Maybe the liquid courage would help him finally ask you out.
Behind the wall, Naruto grinned with a pacifier in his mouth. Mission successful.
Tumblr media
So that was that. Until next time, cookies.
324 notes · View notes