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ciaossu-imagines · 11 months

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Love autumn but don't know which character to choose so prompt 15 but for anyone you think likes and/or has the strongest opinions about autumn please?

I’m with you on the loving autumn! Everything about it makes me so happy! I went with Poe from Blush Blush for this, because we all know this cute little emo-boy has all the feelings about autumn in general and spooky season in particular, so I hope you’ll enjoy the headcanons!

WOULD YOU RATHER?

Go apple picking V.S. Go on a hay ride

It would really depend, honestly. Is the hayride one of those haunted hayrides? Because if it is, Poe is really picking that option in a heartbeat, as he loves anything like that. But if it’s just a regular old hayride, he’s going to pass. Too peopley and little kiddish and he’d much rather go apple picking, if only because he enjoys eating the apples afterwards.

Scary V.S. Sweet

Scary all the way, one hundred percent. Poe is in love with everything macabre and dark and spooky, from books to movies to just the general aesthetic, no matter what the season is. He really does keep his Halloween spirit all year long.

Sweaters V.S. Boots

Oh fuck, that is like asking him if he’d rather cut off his left arm or his right arm! It’s an impossible choice for him because he’s equally attached to both things. He really can’t live without his boots. They’re comfy and broken in just right and he wears them every day, but he’s also a big fan of sweaters and layers because he tends to get cold easily and almost all his outfits in the autumn features sweaters of various types.

Halloween V.S. Thanksgiving

Duh! It’s Halloween all the way. There’s simply no other holiday worth celebrating, in Poe’s opinion…except maybe his birthday. It’s pretty cool when people remember and celebrate his birthday, though it’s even better if they remember and celebrate his unbirthdays too.

Bake Pie V.S. Bake Cookies

Controversial hot take on Poe’s part?? Pie sucks and isn’t even worthy to be called dessert – it’s just hot mushy fruit on top of usually dry crust. He’s team cookies all the way, particularly gingersnaps or molasses cookies, something slightly spicy on his tongue that pairs well with a hot mug of tea or coffee.

Rain V.S. Fog

Oh, this is another really hard one for him, because he’s a sucker for a great thunder and lightning storm, simply for the ambience and general aesthetic, but he doesn’t drive and the fog is easier to walk in, while still maintaining that great, gloomy aesthetic that he really loves.

Black Cats V.S. Owls

Owls are going to win out, simply because after spending some time as a bird, Poe feels he really needs to support his avian brethren.

Ghosts V.S. Wizards

As if it’s even a contest? While stories with wizards in them can be cool, Poe is more of a horror geek than a fantasy nerd and ghosts win out for him every day, especially if the ghosts in question are creepy and scary or delightfully tragic.

Harry Potter V.S. Halloweentown

Another hot take from Poe? Harry Potter isn’t a Halloween movie. It only had like, one scene that took place at Halloween but other than that, it’s just a fantasy movie. It’s a good fantasy movie, don’t get him wrong, but there’s nothing seasonal about it! Give him something at least related to Halloween, like Halloweentown is, even if the movie is a little juvenile for his liking (or so he says, though he really does enjoy it more than he’d care to admit).

Go Hiking V.S. Sleep in

Poe has troubles sleeping a lot of the time and does have some struggle with insomnia, so he’s going to pick sleeping in just because he needs the extra hours of sleep to catch up on the massive amount of sleep deficit he’s built up over the years.

Cinnamon V.S. Nutmeg

I think he’s leaning more towards nutmeg, though he does generally like both spices. A cinnamon stick in a cup of hot apple cider is great, but he eats more things that have nutmeg in them and it kind of wins because he prefers the smell of it slightly more.

Reading V.S. Writing

What fresh hell is this question??! Poe couldn’t choose. Like, his brain would break even attempting to choose between the two because they’re both necessary to him. He can’t survive without writing, whether it be in his journal or sitting down and trying to compose a new poem. But at the same time, to be a good writer, you must first be a reader and he does tend to read a lot, getting through at least a book a week that isn’t school assigned.

Hot Chocolate V.S. Tea

I think Poe leans more towards tea, especially black teas with added flavourings to them, like a nice London Fog or even just something as simple as a vanilla chai tea. He tends to drink them more towards the evening, when he’s kind of already overloaded on coffee but still wants a nice warm drink.

Live in a Cabin In a Forest V.S. Have it be fall 24/7

Both options really do hold some appeal to him, since becoming a tortured reclusive artist is among his dreams, but he wouldn’t be able to pass up the opportunity to make it fall all the time, because it’s got the best weather in his opinion and that would mean that Halloween would come about more often and he’s very much okay with that.

Candy Apples V.S. Caramel Apples

Neither. He loves apples, but just apples. He doesn’t want added sweetness to them and finds both caramel and candy apples hurt his teeth trying to bite them.

Blankets V.S. Pillows

Pillows. If need be, you can always layer jackets or clothing over you to keep warm but Poe’s tried using his jacket as a pillow once and it really isn’t as comfortable as his actual pillows, which he spent much more on than he would care to admit.

Roasted marshmallows V.S. Roasted Chestnuts

I don’t honestly think Poe has ever had a roasted chestnut, so he’d probably go more for those just to figure out what they taste like, since he’s heard about them in so many songs and such.

Coffee V.S. Apple Cider

Coffee is essential to life. Or at least Poe’s life. As previously mentioned, he really is always a little tired and never gets enough sleep, so caffeine has become a mainstay in his diet and he drinks way more coffee than a person really should.

Red Leaves V.S. Orange Leaves

Poe will think that the blending and juxtaposition of all the different coloured leaves in the fall is really what makes them really stand out and look as beautiful as they do, so he wouldn’t want to pick one or the other.

Braids V.S. Bows

If it’s on someone else, it’s going to be braids, especially if they’ve gone all fancy with their braids. On him? Neither please.

Scented Candles V.S. The Smell of Fresh Baked Goods

I do think that he’s going to go more for scented candles, simply because, no matter if he was full before, the smell of fresh baked goods always makes him instantly hungry again and he doesn’t want to be walking around constantly hungry. He tends to go for more spicy or earthy scents in the candles, like ‘pumpkin pie’ scented candles, cinnamon scented candles, or evergreen or cashmere scented candles.

Carve Pumpkins V.S. Make Pumpkin Pie

Because of his opinions on pies, he’s of course going to want to carve pumpkins. He really works hard to figure out a really scary design and he’ll put a lot of effort into his pumpkin, but someone else has to scoop out the pumpkin guts, because there’s something about the texture of them that makes him a little bit queasy.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes V.S. Chai Tea Lattes

Can he have both? It’s the only time he allows himself to be a basic bitch, when pumpkin spice lattes come out because he does find them really delicious but he’s also such a huge fan of any tea based latte.

Coats V.S. Oversized Sweaters

Poe kind of leans more towards oversized sweaters, but only if the weather allows for it. If the weather is really crisp, he’s wearing both, just to stay warm. He definitely has circulation issues he really should get checked out.

Beanies V.S. Berets

Neither. Despite getting cold easily, Poe will not wear a hat. There’s just something about hats that he really doesn’t like, whether it’s how they look on him or how they feel on his head or how his hair ends up afterwards but there is something. So he just generally avoids wearing any sort of hat. He can more easily see the appeal of an artistically tilted beret though.

Candy Corn V.S. Peanut Butter Cups

Candy corn is just brightly coloured Styrofoam and nobody will ever convince Poe otherwise. It does not taste good…so why can’t he stop eating it? Seriously, if there’s a bowl of it around, he ends up eating it handful after handful, despite complaining about how gross it tastes. It’s a problem.

S'mores V.S. Apple Crisp

I think Cole would lean more towards s’mores, mostly because apple crisp to him is very much the same thing as pie and falls under that same category of just hot, mushy fruit. Overall though, he’s also not a huge fan of s’mores, because of how messy they are to eat and how sticky his hands are afterwards.

Jump In a Pile of Leaves V.S. Swing on a Tire Swing

Swinging on a tire swing is more a summertime thing to Cole, for some reason he can’t fully explain, so it’s no wonder that he’s picking the more autumny feeling option and jumping into those leaf piles…or he is if he’s not the one who has to rake the leaves up in the first place or afterwards.

Corn Maze V.S. Haunted House

Okay, but there are not enough words in the human language to explain just how very, very, VERY much Poe desires to live in a haunted house. It is such a huge dream of his and it would make him so happy to spend any amount of time in any haunted house, even just a touristy one set up for the season, because it’s like living little sneak previews of that dream.

Bob For Apples V.S. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

He’s definitely visiting a pumpkin patch at least once, if not twice, during the autumn because Poe loves jack o’lanterns and, as previously mentioned, he puts a lot of work into churning out some really spooky looking ones.

Whipped Cream on Hot Chocolate V.S. Marshmallows on Hot Chocolate

Neither. I really don’t see Poe as drinking hot chocolate. It’s simply not his hot drink of choice.

#mini event asks #blush blush #headcanons #poe blush blush

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ronearoundblindly · 2 years

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The Dignity of His Choice (3)

Brand, Part One (see previous or series)

Summary: Why Steve decided to fake his own death.

[Minors DNI. Warnings for implied smut, canon-level violence, angst]

How this all started…

They stopped a terrorist cell.

From intel retrieved at the leader’s residence, a small team immediately dispatches to a warehouse within ten kilometers where explosives are suspected. Steve and Bucky sweep the facility first since they could also escape the fastest were anything triggered. They split up. Bucky takes the large spaces while Steve clears a short labyrinth of offices and storage closets.

Bucky gives the all-clear to the team outside. Steve confirms “no explosives” over the channel before catching his friend’s eye and waving for him to follow. Steve doesn’t say a word until the door is shut to the windowless room. He even takes out his comms.

From Bucky’s wide eyes, Steve was right to bring him in immediately.

Bucky removes his earpiece, too, then flips the volume up on his walkie and orders, “I want the warehouse handled but then await further instruction. No other rooms. Got it?”

“Acknowledged, Sarge.”

Steve holds up several papers from a makeshift desk littered with files. His skin crawls in panic. “Tell me this isn’t what I think it is, Buck.”

Among the papers are photos, dozens of photos of just one person: you, including a picture of you out celebrating your promotion months ago, one of your friend Gracie’s birthday party from just last week, and one of a particularly disturbing nature inside a dressing room. He can’t tell when that’s from; he doesn’t recognize the clothes or the walls. The papers detail all kinds of things, thorough tracking your movements and records of your preferences of everything from food and drink to skincare and feminine hygiene products. Steve’s gut knots itself entirely when he comes across a file containing medical records and an accurate calendar of your menstrual cycle. He’s gonna be sick.

Bucky doesn’t have to say anything. The intent is obvious enough.

“Looks like kidnapping,” Buck mutters anyway. “You don’t do this level of recon just to poison or kill. My guess is leverage over you.”

The papers are like heavy knives in his hands. His tact suit feels excruciatingly tight, and Steve’s brain is on fire with rage.

“Down to her fucking period,” he blurts, low and violent. Bucky’s eyebrows shoot up at the language but an air of holding his tongue has Steve more nervous. “What?”

“A pregnant woman would be even more valuab—“

Steve punches the table so hard the plastic buckles, toppling to one side, stacks of surveillance intel sliding to the floor. His jaw locks. The thing is that there is nothing for his rage to stand on because Steve doesn’t understand how this could be happening.

“But we caught them all, right?”

His voice is tight, Steve admits, weaker than he hoped. There’s no confidence in it. There’s less than none when Bucky speaks.

“Today was one of the leaders, yeah…” His friend rubs the back of his neck.

Steve’s hands sink deep into his hair as he weighs options. “How many more?”

Bucky slides his walkie back up to his mouth, eyes fixed on Steve’s barely contained meltdown. “Torres, come in.”

After a beat, “yeah, Sarge?”

“I’m gonna need a crate brought to the back hall here. Just leave it there and we’ll pack it up.”

“You got it. Looks like we’ll be finished here in twenty.”

“Okay. Crate now, and we’ll be ready by the time you guys are done.”

A minute later, a hollow thump from beyond the door signals the drop-off.

With an armful of files, Bucky turns back to Steve. “I’ll handle the box myself. No one will see these,” he assures, opening the door and dragging the solid-sided, black bin inside. He drops in his armful, and just as he straightens, he sighs, “but we need to think of something, pal. This investment? The time they’ve spent? They won’t let her go.”

Steve worried Buck would say that, but then he never answered the question.

“How many?” Steve throws the force of a punch behind each word, and by the unblinking look on his friend’s face, Steve is already unprepared.

“Compiled list is thirty-five members—” Bucky puts his finger up before Steve tries to ask “—and that’s the ones not crossed off yet.”

Steve takes his rage and frustration out on the files until Bucky stops him from destroying evidence. Steve uses every ounce of his training, focus, and serum-laced enhancement to not show any agitation outside of the room.

On the return flight to HQ, he settles into a stoic—but very edgy—version of his normal self. His mind races at the speed of light. One of his first decisions is to not tell you because he doesn’t actually know anything yet. With so many enemy operatives still unaccounted for, he has to proceed under the assumption that some of that mountain of intel was fed through sources inside the Initiative. To allow Bucky time and distraction to haul the crate to his own quarters, Steve oversees unloading and takes point at the debrief.

He only becomes more paranoid when he gets back home. As you speak about your day, you mention at least two names he doesn’t recognize, so he pries, harder than he ever would before. You tease him about being jealous and swear that Tom the Barista only has eyes for Jake Hudson from your lab. Tom even came as Jake’s date to Gracie’s birthday party. You tell Steve he’s met him.

Steve shifts leaning forward on the couch while you casually lounge in his rocking chair. “Who? Thomas?”

“Yes, Steven,” you sass, twirling a finger through the chain of your necklace, a gift from your lab group given for your promotion (that dozens of nefarious scumbags have a picture from), “that’s generally what ‘Toms’ also go by.”

Steve considers how long that means you’ve been watched. He considers it for too long.

“Are you feeling okay? You’re very twitchy.”

“Tired.” Steve isn’t lying about that, and since he knows he’s a crappy liar, Steve has to be more careful.

“Go have a shower, love.” You kiss his forehead, running your fingers lazily through his hair. It makes his skin crawl again, painfully exhilarating and terrifying all at once. “I can bring dinner back here if you want.”

His grunt and sigh suffice as an answer.

Steve never was a stealth operative (well, not for anything longer than sneaking into a building), so he only stops obsessively over every product you kept in the bathroom—on the counter, in the drawers, and in the cabinet—when you peek in to ask if he wants sweet or savory sauce for his egg rolls.

Your curious look turns into a smirk. “What? Not liking the way I smell now?”

“Uh…” He blanks.

You pluck the jar of cream out of his hands and replace it with a tube of balm.

“Better for your dry elbows,” you hum with a smile and pat the meat of his bicep. “I’ll put out all the sauces. Just take your time, Sketch.” You shut the door behind you.

Steve knows he will throw up if he forces himself to eat his normal amount of food, and since he’s a super soldier and doesn’t get stomach bugs or food poisoning (or lose his appetite for any other reason), he is forced to do something he has never, ever done before. Steve fakes getting a call from a team member and leaves the apartment for a while. He walks the whole tree line around the complex in the dark and then returns to say not to worry, they had food upstairs. He gets away with this because there is food up in the lounge right by the main conference room; he just doesn’t fill in the part where he didn’t go anywhere near it.

The only thing that settles his stomach is to be near you, as near as humanly possible, so that night when you two make love, Steve holds onto you a lot tighter, his face never more than an inch away from yours. He pushes your hips against him and grips the back of your neck. You respond to his intensity with extra affection, which leads to a second-round where Steve was nothing shy of overbearing and possessive. He knows you sense a change, but you didn’t ask. You never ask for details after missions, and he usually likes that you help keep those things separate. You always wait for him to be ready to talk. He will never be ready to admit what kind of danger you were in.

So he spirals for hours. Each time he closes his eyes, he sees the photos. He sees you going about your everyday life not knowing you’re being watched. He sees you, twirling and biting at your necklace, deep in thought. He wishes he never scolded you for that nervous habit. He wishes he’d been nicer about the bear on it (even though he’s right and it is actually the same as the California state flag), but you love it anyway. He can’t take any of it back now. All he does is stare at the metal chain laying against your softly rising chest, pendant settled just between your breasts, and he feels helpless.

The next day, when he gets a chance to speak with Bucky far away from HQ on their run, it only gets worse.

The reason someone would want to kidnap you is to control him. It doesn’t take the brain power of anyone over the age of five to notice Steve will do anything for his wife, and the biggest problem boils down to the time it takes to tick off all the names on that list. Of the listed thirty-nine, four are already captured or killed as of yesterday’s mission. However, the Team only started acting on intel for this group a week and a half ago. They currently have leads on seven more, but the info ranges from “we know he lives right here” to “I heard someone talk about seeing him in this other country a year ago.” Tracking, verification, and takedown of thirty-five targets could take…well, it’s impossible to estimate.

Keeping you in hiding is an option, but you’d be out of work for who knows how long (and pissed about it). Bucky is fairly certain Steve would not be able to join you in hiding either, so you’d be alone and pissed and he’d still be afraid. You could have a heavy security detail, but that’s no good because some of that research came from HQ; at the very least there’s a data leak, but there could also be an operative working amongst them. Even if Steve up and quits, retiring from the Avengers, he’s still capable of being wielded as a physical or political weapon, and just because he isn’t fighting on the Team, doesn’t mean he can’t influence the Avengers (and several world governments) anyway. There is no clean path forward. All options require coordination and too many resources.

Eventually, it’s Bucky’s suggestion that offers the quickest and most efficient solution. If Steve dies, no one has use of you as leverage. Steve now wants to throw up. He doesn’t like the idea of being stuck away from you indefinitely, but he soothes himself by comparing this to any other mission. In fact, he wills himself to calm down since this mission is entirely for your safety, but he can’t fully accept it. He just keeps feeling sick.

A vague semblance of a plan is discussed. Bucky has a safe house from his time on the run (left unfound because of how useless the location is for fieldwork), but it is remote—can’t find it on a map even when it’s marked with an x remote—and in a wilderness surrounded by tundra. No electricity, no running water, no satellite signal. Nothing.

A new leader will take over the terrorist cell. That could take some time, but not much, and Steve and Bucky can’t coordinate an elaborate rouse on their own. With each person they’d bring into the fold, or each prepared part of the deception, they risk whoever is feeding information from inside knowing Steve is still alive. Worse yet, their plan to take you might be moved up if the group knows that he suspects. Steve and Bucky agree to tell absolutely no one. They have to go by opportunity with knee-jerk reactions as their guide.

Steve spends half of each night watching you sleep, memorizing your body, stroking your hair and hip. He reminds himself not to behave differently. He can’t savor your touch more or convince you not to spend a day with your sibling at port that week. He catches you watching him sadly a few times. You sense something still, but he convinces himself over and over that it’s for the best. Nothing helps him sleep.

Ten days later, Bucky, Natasha, and Steve are all sent to dismantle an Inhuman fight club that acts as a rendezvous for two names on the list, theoretically. Steve never gets to see their faces. One of the Inhumans can explode and then reintegrate, so there’s basically a bomb moving around the place that can go off as many times as it wants. It only takes one shared look between Steve and Bucky to know: this is it.

Steve tosses the shield at the man as he’s triggering, drops his comms where he stands, then sneaks back to the jet, hiding, while part of the building collapses. After the Inhuman and his associates are captured, Bucky behaves like he’s looking for Steve in the rubble. Nat finds the shield, scorched so badly the color’s gone off, and her distraught announcement to send a cleanup crew, one that should expect human and superhuman remains, sounds genuine because it is. Nat thinks Bucky is being quiet and brooding because he’s in the field and she wouldn’t expect him to slip into an emotional scene no matter how epic the Brooklyn boys’ bond. Steve hides for almost two and a half hours until Bucky and Nat finally return to the jet. Once in the air, Steve hears muffled voices, then yelling, and then Buck calls his name. If Steve didn’t know Nat so well, he’d swear she barely blinks as he steps out of his expansive cargo locker onboard, but she’s upset.

All Steve has to say, though, is that you’re being targeted, and Nat springs into action, finding any supplies that can be overlooked as missing or a regular inventory discrepancy. A certain number of rations. Some first aid supplies. Ammunition. Two of Bucky’s (many) knives and one of her own guns. Steve notices Bucky smiling at his gal fondly several times and feels a stab in his own gut for how much he already misses you. Bucky packed his own go-bag with several helpful additions (including clothes and an extra duffel to carry it all in) and wrote down extremely thorough directions to the cabin, directions which Steve is to destroy as soon as he gets there.

Natasha raids every locker and storage area onboard for liquor (which covers up the evidence of removed supplies) and splashes some vodka on her chest after a few swigs. She insists Steve and Bucky drain every bottle, too. Finally, she explains that any extra time the jet is in the air and doesn’t return to HQ will be chalked up to her and Bucky wallowing in their own unique way. Steve adores Nat’s genius at that moment, but he half-wishes for Thor’s refilling container of Asgardian ale—the only thing he and Bucky can really get drunk on—because Steve already hates what’s about to happen.

They fly the jet in stealth mode as low and as close as possible without wavering from a reasonable flight plan. It’s the one time Natasha doesn’t mind Steve jumping out of her jet; she’s a pragmatist and knows it’s necessary. It still takes Steve about twenty-seven hours to find the damn cabin, a needle among needles in a needle factory, but that’s why Bucky’s the best.

And then all Steve can do is wait.

(Next part) Don't hurt me, dearies /o\

@im-a-slut-for-fluff @whiskeytangofoxtrot555

#fools rush in #steve x reader #steve rogers fic #steve rogers #steve x you #fanfic #series #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers angst #angst with a happy ending #captain america fanfiction #captain america x reader #captain america x you #captain america angst

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benjimarii · 2 years

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An Open Book

Here's a small snippet of my writing, since I haven't been drawing consistently. For some context, it's part of a post OV story that I've been working on for a while. This scene in particular takes place at a dining hall, where there's a celebration banquet for Grandpa Max's birthday. It's been a year after the events of the OV finale, and Ben hasn't been talking to most people, including his friends. He barely even texts Gwen and Kevin at this point, both of which are worried about him. He hasn't talked to Rook in a while as well, trying to push everyone and anyone away.

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

Being there felt like torture. All of the stares and glares he got was enough to make anyone go crazy. But that was normal to him. The hero was more-so unsettled by the newer looks of concern being casted upon him. He had to admit that he didn't exactly look his best at the moment, despite the suit and tie.

Ben finished what was left of his punch and gracelessly tossed the cup into a trash bin. Officially feeling like he was done for the night, the human stared at the glass exit door. It was muddled with the reflections of party-goers, faces he'd rather not see again. He'd decided that he would just text Gwen that he felt sick and left the party, so that she wouldn't worry about him disappearing.

Huffing, he took a few steps forward before he felt a familiar, fuzzy hand connect with his. Time itself felt like it froze around him, like everything else had vanished.

Tracing his arm downwards, Ben's eyes landed on said hand. That's all he needed to see. Not having the energy to tug away, he stood there, expecting to be reprimanded and scolded about how he was being a horrible friend, or a bad plumber, or being generally a nuisance. Something that would make him angry enough gain the energy to yank his arm away and leave.

But that didn't happen.

Ben got goosebumps when he heard the delicate, yet raspy voice of his former partner hit his ears. Instead of the anger he'd prepared himself for, he heard hints of worry and fear. "You do not have to leave. We can talk, Ben." The hand holding his squeezed ever so slightly tighter, almost as if it was trying to beg him for an answer. Ben tilted his head to face the ground and took a deep breath. If he said anything now, he knew he couldn't back out afterwards.

Refusing to answer felt like the worse option, so talking it was. He would try his best to keep this interaction as short as he could.

"Rook, you... Chose to leave." The human winced slightly at his tone before quickly continuing his thoughts, "And that's great! For, uh, you. But... that was your choice. There's nothing to talk about. You're doing great, and I'm happy for you." Ben could almost feel Rook's eyes burning the back of his neck, and his chest ached. He could feel the familiar twinges of fear pulling at his muscles, telling him to get out as fast as he could. Telling him that he's in a dangerous situation, and that he needs to leave. To run, to fight, hell, even to hide.

But there was no danger here.

Just Rook.

The air was thick, as both beings could sense the tension rising. Even as nothing physical was happening around them, emotions were rapidly swirling and brewing in their heads. Neither of them quite knew what they were doing, and neither of them knew just how big that divide between them was until it was opened up.

The seconds of silence were deafening. Ben felt as if he wanted to scream and yell, but his throat closed up, and his thoughts flew throughout his mind like a tornado. Rook, on the other hand, just needed a few moments to collect his.

"You know that this is not healthy. I..." Rook paused, "I know that I should not push you with these things. But Ben, what you are doing is..." He inhaled sharply, and gave a quick sigh before giving up on that thought. He replaced it with one with a gentler tone. "I see those dark circles around your eyes. I see your shakey hands. I saw how you tensed up when Kevin touched your shoulder." Rook looked to the side, and let go of Ben's hand. "I do not care if you tell me what is wrong. I feel as if we both know that I know. But I will not stand by and let you hurt yourself like this."

The genuine care and concern caught Ben off guard. He'd spent the last year berating himself with words that probably weren't true. And he'd been doing so alone. But that's what was for the best, right? He didn't need to burden his friends with those thoughts. This was his battle, and his battle alone.

Ben turned slowly to meet Rook's stare with his own. Those vibrant, green eyes. Staring at them once made Rook happy, but looking at them now pained his heart more than ever. His friend looked so exhausted, so... lost.

"What do you expect me to do, Rook? You left, Gwen left, Kevin left, and it's fine. I'm fine on my own. I want to be on my own. And..." He stuttered, "I want you guys to be happy!" Ben forced a small smile, a smile all too familiar to Rook. The smile that he plastered on his face when fans ran towards him, and camera crews followed him around. Rook never thought he'd be on the receiving end of that smile.

The revonnahgander stepped slightly closer to Ben, which made the hero's facade drop a bit. As much as he wanted to back away, the human's legs were frozen in place. All he could do was turn around, to look away from his alien friend. Ben felt everything slowly collapsing, but why? He's always been able to keep things in, to keep everything at bay, to never show that things actually get to him. Why was it so difficult to control his emotions all of the sudden?

That's when a long, warm pair of arms wrapped around him like a safety blanket. All of this thoughts fell apart after that. Tears formed in his eyes, and dripped slowly down his reddened cheeks. Grabbing the arms slung over his shoulders, he held on tight. It was an awkward hug, but then again, they were awkward people. And, for the first time in years, he let himself cry.

#ben 10 #ben 10 omniverse #rook blonko #b10 #ben tennyson #ben ten #fanfic #finally showing off a bit of writing?#im honestly a baby when it comes to tumblr stuff im so new #i have no clue how to work this site for i am dumb #but if anyone is interested in this story id love to give some details #its very long and acts as a full arc based continuation of the prime timeline #with different villains and seasons and whatnot #i still have a lot to work on but i can try my best to answer without spoiling everything lol #its nowhere near done just so you know #but id love to hear ideas as well #all of yall are so creative its amazing

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justtluffythings · 1 year

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HOME: Book 1 - CHAPTER NINE

MASTERLIST

The last four months had been the best months of Veronica’s whole life. She had read and memorized every one of her textbooks within the first week of being at Hogwarts, so naturally, she was at the top of her class. Despite being born to Squibs and raised in the muggle world, she had been the first in her year to successfully cast a spell, and it happened to be in charms class with her head of house as the professor. Ravenclaws and Gryffindors had charms together, so Charlie had been there to see her feather float in the air. The excitement on her face made butterflies erupt in his stomach, but he had no idea why this happened every time she was around.

They had also had their first flying lessons, and Veronica had been terrified, but the feeling of riding a broom was better than she could have ever imagined. This didn’t change her mind about Quidditch though. She was still mystified by the sport, and this only intensified when she had watched the first match of the season between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Charlie had dragged her along, and proceeded to try to explain everything that was happening throughout the game.

Speaking of Charlie, he and Veronica had become inseparable. They were almost always together; only ever apart when they had different classes or when they had to return to their separate dormitories at night. They had fallen into a routine very quickly. Everyday, they would alternate between eating meals at the Ravenclaw table and the Gryffindor table. Charlie would always walk with Veronica to class, and he would either stay or continue on to his class depending on his schedule. When class was over, Charlie would be waiting for her outside, and they would walk to the next class together. Bill always teased Charlie about his relationship with Veronica, but Charlie insisted that nothing was going on; they were just friends. However, Charlie couldn’t understand why his heart sank every time he said it.

Over these four months, Veronica had even managed to do something that all the students thought was impossible: she got Snape to like her. It was clear to everyone that she was his favorite student, and she had even gotten him to laugh once when no one else was around. She was very proud of this. She had also become good friends with Bill, albeit in a different way. Charlie was her best friend, whereas Bill was like an older brother. They watched out for each other.

But as it got closer and closer to the Christmas holiday, Veronica grew more and more concerned. She had learned that students had the choice of staying at Hogwarts over the break or going home to see their families, and Veronica knew right away which option she would choose. The only problem was figuring out an excuse to tell Bill and Charlie as to why she isn’t going home; she had chosen not to tell them yet about her parents, so she had to come up with a different reason. To make things worse, they had been celebrating Charlie’s birthday on December 12th in the Gryffindor common room when Bill mentioned that his mother had offered for Veronica to come and stay with them at the Burrow over the Christmas break. According to Bill, Mrs. Weasley had been told a lot about Veronica through Charlie’s letters and really wanted to meet her. She had even offered for her to come and visit for a few days if she couldn’t come for the whole two weeks. Veronica truly appreciated the offer, and she would have given anything to go, but she didn’t want to impose on their holiday. She wanted them to enjoy their time with their family. Veronica knew she had to come up with an excuse fast; she couldn’t avoid the topic much longer.

That was when she got an idea. The next morning, she had gone to see Dumbledore in his office. Once she had explained the situation to him, she asked for his help. “So you see, Professor, what I’m asking is if you could approach us tomorrow at breakfast and ask me to stay at Hogwarts over the break so that I can help you with something. It doesn’t matter what it is. I just need an excuse to stay.” Dumbledore had urged her to change her mind and accept the Weasley’s offer, but Veronica refused. Eventually, Dumbledore gave in and agreed to help. So the next day, he approached the trio at the Gryffindor table during breakfast.

“Good morning, students. Ms. Singer, what are your plans for the Christmas break?”

“Oh, I was planning on going home to see my parents, Professor.”

“I see. Well, I hate to ask this of you, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, but would you be able to stay? I have a task that requires your assistance.”

“Of course, Professor. No problem, I’ll send an owl to my parents right away.” Veronica didn’t like how easily the lie came out of her mouth. Dumbledore simply nodded as he walked away.

“What do you think he needs your help with?” Charlie asked curiously as he stared at the retreating figure of their headmaster.

Veronica shrugged her shoulders as she stood from the table. “Not sure, but it must be important if he’s asking me to stay back. I’m going to the owlery to let my parents know. I’ll catch up with you in charms, Charlie.”

“Oh, okay.”

Veronica thought Charlie sounded a bit disappointed, but she wasn’t sure if it was because she wouldn’t be coming over during the break or because they wouldn’t be walking to class together. Either way, Veronica didn’t have time to think about it. She had to go to the owlery and pretend to send a letter. She didn’t mind though, she enjoyed visiting the owls.

Veronica loved all animals; she was great with them and they seemed to love her too. Professor Kettleburn always told her that she seemed to project an aura around animals that made them trust her and want to protect her, even the dangerous and deadly ones. He had never seen anything like it. He had noticed it once when Dumbledore had sent Veronica to deliver a package to the professor during one of his lessons. He had been teaching fifth years about fire crabs, which could be very dangerous when provoked. There were a handful of crabs loose in the outdoor classroom for students to observe, but the fifth years had been warned not to get too close or make any sudden movements. Veronica, however, had not received that warning, so when she came bounding over, the crabs noticed her immediately. Kettleburn gasped as they swarmed her, but instead of harming her, they all clammered for her attention and rubbed themselves on her legs. He watched in awe as she sat amongst them and pet them as if they were domesticated dogs. He knew right away what it was; he had only ever read about it in theory as there weren't any records of people actually having this aura. Until now, it had been nothing but speculation amongst magizoologists. He looked forward to having her in his classes in her third year, where they would get to experiment with it further and really see what she can do with it. It was like a superpower just waiting to be explored.

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alwaysmarveling · 3 years

Text

To Be Seen

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x gn!reader

Warnings: Hints at neglect

Word Count: 3.5k

Summary: All superpowers seem to have a downside to them. Invisibility is no exception.

You got your first pair of glasses when you turned seven. The black frames were a birthday present of sorts. You had your eye set on a transparent blue pair, or honestly any of the many colorful options that lined the shelves, but your mother had grabbed the black ones without a word to you and placed them on the counter. Then the two of you went home, back to the always busy house, buzzing with the sounds of your siblings’ chatter and the television that entertained your constantly preoccupied father. There was no cake, no other presents, not even a “congratulations” or a “happy birthday,” but that was okay. That was okay because you had already gotten the gift of sight.

“Happy birthday, Y/N,” you whispered to yourself that night, your younger sister already sound asleep beside you while you looked up at the glow-in-the-dark shapes taped to the ceiling. The glasses turned the green fuzzy blobs into actual stars, their points clear and easily counted as you drifted off to sleep with the lenses still on. “You can see now.”

---

You found out you could make yourself invisible on the day you hit ten years old. When you woke up, the first thing you did was look at yourself in the mirror, trying to see if you looked any different from the day before, when you were nine. Double digits should mean double the change, right? But there was no change from when you weren’t in the mirror to when you were.

At first, you thought it must’ve been a prank from your older brother, but one look in the bathroom mirror told you that this was something else. It took you about half an hour before you somehow managed to become visible again, but when you did, you walked into the kitchen to find everything the same as it was the night before. No one hung streamers around the house or left a card on the counter, but that was okay. That was okay because you had a gift.

---

On your twenty-seventh birthday, you were recruited to be an Avenger. Three years ago on that exact day, you had quit your office job and joined SHIELD, only as a trainee, but you made your way through the ranks. You had the advantage of a mastered superpower—turning invisible came useful on the countless days you wished the world would just swallow you whole—but you still had to learn to use it like an agent. You were never remarkable, never being praised as the top of your class nor critiqued as one of the worst. You were always in the middle. Always just… there.

But Fury had seen something in you, and now here you were, packing your things to move into the Avengers Tower. You honestly weren’t sure what he saw in you; no one did. There were other SHIELD agents with far more useful powers and much better combat skills, yet he had picked you and no one else, making you the third SHIELD agent to join the Avengers since Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff.

You looked around the empty apartment, scanning for something you and your imperfect vision might have missed, but saw nothing. Was that what others saw when they looked at you, thinking they had packed the whole room while you were standing right in front of them, arms waving in their face and voice begging for them to acknowledge you? No matter. Fury had told you Natasha would be picking you up at 2, meaning you had just over thirty minutes before she got here. Life moved on, and so would you.

Just like in years prior, there were no claps on the back, shiny bows, or patterned gift wrapping, but that was okay. That was okay because you had gotten the gift to protect and serve others.

---

You laid into the punching bag, twenty-eight non-stop uppercuts for your new age as of today. You brushed one hand across your forehead to interrupt the sweat droplets that ran from your hair, Bruce doing his best to praise you in the meantime.

“Good work, Y/N, yeah. Um, stronger than the ones you’ve been doing in the past. Better form too. I think.” You were sure you weren’t meant to hear his last sentence, but a roll of Natasha’s eyes next to you was enough to make you laugh it off. It wasn’t like you could blame him. Training others wasn’t his forte. You weren’t even sure if he trained himself.

Fury’s interest in you had been short-lived, it seemed. To be fair, you were lucky he recruited you in the first place and even luckier that he let you stay on the team. Still, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t disappointed in how you turned out to just be a new puppy to him. With your novelty now wearing off, you became the responsibility of people like Bruce, who never quite wanted you in the first place.

You had nothing against the gentle and kindhearted scientist, but Steve, Nat, or even Clint would’ve been much more obvious choices. Yet somehow the scientist was who Fury appointed. Maybe he was just the only one who accepted the task, the only one not bold enough to deny Fury’s orders outright. Strangely enough, Nat always showed up, but you weren’t entirely sure why, seeing as she usually sat there silently for most of it. She’d occasionally lean in to whisper something to Bruce, but she rarely said anything to you.

Much to Bruce’s—and maybe Natasha’s—relief, Tony strutted into the gym, his charisma already filling in the awkward gaps between you guys that never seemed to disappear, no matter how much time passed.

“Bruce, Nat, just the people I was looking for! It was great to see you guys at the party last night.” You pushed your glasses back up the bridge of your nose before going back to the punching bag; obviously, he was not here to speak with you. As you beat into the bag, getting lost in the rattling of the chain and the rhythm of the combinations, you thought back to last night, when you heard the Avengers’ laughter as they prepared for the gala.

You sat in the living room watching a movie with the tiniest but fiercest hope that someone might see you and ask you to come along. This was a party for the Avengers, after all, to celebrate the success of a mission that you had been part of. It had been up to you to cut the power and incapacitate the leader. Somehow the credit had gone to Clint, all the news stations celebrating the archer and his amazing feat. It was fine, whatever, just another chip to brush off of your shoulder—a teeny, tiny chip, really, honestly probably more of a scratch—but you thought you would’ve at least been invited to the party. Yet there you were, your posture slowly drooping as you sank into the leather sofa while your teammates gathered in the elevator to head up to the party. You had taken your phone out and opened the camera app, checking to make sure you hadn’t somehow triggered your invisibility, but, nope, you were very much there. The tears that fell were very much there.

“Alright, Tony, I’ll be there for Movie Night tonight, but you gotta go. I need to get back to my training duties.” It was then that Tony finally seemed to realize your presence, turning around with a surprised look on his face.

“Oh, hey, Y/N. You, um, you should come tonight too.” All of his charm was gone, the relaxed smile only hanging on by the tiniest lift of the corner of his mouth. So you did your best to reassure him with a small nod. The smile came back immediately. All was well; Tony Stark does indeed have a heart.

Later that night, as you sat alone on the three-person couch, you drew the blankets closer to you. The same movie you had watched last night was playing on the TV. The original plan had been to watch Jaws, but Sam was delighted to find the DVD box to Space Jam on the coffee table, insisting that he’d been wanting to watch it again and how it was such a coincidence it was already out. He wasn’t saying that last night when you asked if anyone wanted to watch it with you, but at least you weren’t watching it alone this time. You looked around at the small groups the Avengers had formed on the other couches, some of them even sitting on the floor—there wasn’t enough space, you guessed—before letting out a sigh. There were no party hats or festive noisemakers, but that was okay. That was okay because… A tap on your knee brought you back to the present moment. You looked down to find the outstretched arm of a familiar redhead, a bowl of popcorn in her hand.

There was no time for wallowing in self-pity. That was okay. You were okay.

---

The harsh sunlight woke you up in time for your thirtieth birthday. Or maybe it was the stiff and lumpy mattress that did it. Either way, you were hoping you’d be able to sleep through it. The rational side of you knew that wasn’t possible—what with being on the run from the US government and all—but one can always hope, right?

You’d stuck with Natasha during the Avengers’ split, pushing for the team to stay together even though you’d never really been part of the team. It wasn’t about you though; you’d seen the amazing things the Avengers could do when they were together. The world needed them.

Well, that line of thinking got you here, in a small cabin in the woods with all the Avengers who had followed Steve, Natasha joining the group later. Happy birthday to you. Although to be fair, it wasn’t like any of your past birthdays had been much better. Once your childish naivety had faded away (which probably took much longer than it should have), the day became something you dreaded, something you hoped each year you would forget about but never quite could. This time, though, you had a small plan. It was going to be different this year.

Your knees cracked as you stood, announcing to no one in particular that you were heading off to bed. Rather than heading straight down the hall to your room, though, you cut through the kitchen and grabbed a few things.

Your shoulders dropped slightly as you closed the door, and you allowed yourself to study the contents of your hands: a lighter, candle, and one of the leftover store-bought cupcakes from Steve’s birthday. The cupcakes weren’t great, but no one had the time, energy, or ingredients to make a cake, and, let’s be honest, most of the people here couldn’t bake anyways. Plus, this one had frosting in your favorite color, so you couldn’t complain, especially since it was more than you’d had for your birthday since you could remember.

The wooden bed frame creaked as you shifted to place the candle in the frosting and light it. For the first time that day, you were grateful the windows had no curtains, as they allowed you to see the stars that dotted the sky.

“Happy birthday,” you murmured to yourself, your eyes never leaving the constellations, instead darting around to watch in awe as more and more of the twinkling lights showed up the longer you cared to look.

Just as you tore your eyes away to blow out the candle, a knock rang out against the door. Were you guys spotted? Did you have to leave? You immediately ran to open the door, running through a list of things you’d have to pack the second you heard the order. You weren’t exactly surprised to see Nat standing outside your door, but you were surprised to see her holding a small rectangular box and a bottle of champagne.

“Hey, um, sorry to interrupt.” Your cheeks immediately heated up when you noticed her eyes dart to the cupcake still in your hand. You must’ve forgotten to put it down in your rush to open the door. At least the candle’s flame had gone out. “I get it if you don’t want to celebrate with anyone, but I figured you still deserve a treat on your special day.”

Natasha’s brows furrowed as your head tilted slightly.

“What special day?”

“Um, well, isn’t it your birthday?” You nodded, still not quite understanding what she was asking. Not to mention, the spy’s continued use of filler words surprised you. Sure, the two of you hadn’t interacted with each other much, but a lack of familiarity didn’t usually make her this uneasy. Were you really that invisible that she felt uncomfortable around you despite having known you for three years? But you couldn’t dwell on it with Nat speaking again, her voice pulling you out of your thoughts. “And, um, I noticed the only alcohol you drink is champagne, so… this is for you.”

You stepped back slightly as she nudged the objects towards you, but the spy misunderstood you, taking your surprise as an invitation to enter the room. Before you knew it, you were asking her to sit next to you on the mattress. It wasn’t like you had much of a choice, though; keeping her standing would be rude, and there were no chairs in your room. The two of you sat at least a foot apart, both of your spines straight and neither of you quite meeting the eyes of the other.

“So, um, do you want to open the present first or have your cupcake? Or we can open the champagne if you want.”

“This is a present?” You eyed the brown box she held in her hand. You weren’t sure what it could be. Based on its size, maybe a watch or a pocket knife? But Natasha laughed, simply pushing the box towards you.

“Of course it’s a present. Open it!” So you set the cupcake down on the unstable bedside table, making sure the dessert wouldn’t fall due to the furniture having one leg shorter than the rest. You cast one last glance at Natasha, who gave you a reassuring yet pointed nod, and with that, you lifted the cover.

It took everything in you to prevent the tears springing in your eyes from overflowing. You lifted the goggles with shaking hands. You had to touch them to make sure they were real, to make sure this wasn’t some sick and twisted dream your brain had forced on you to make you remember how disappointing your past birthdays had been.

“Do you like it?” The blonde asked you softly, her lower lip caught in between her teeth. Had you been thinking clearly, you would’ve been surprised at how apprehensive she sounded, how unsure she was. “I thought it could be something you might want to wear on missions. I noticed your other ones kept slipping down or breaking, and um…” Both of you became antsier as Natasha rambled on, you at how she was being more intimate with you than anyone ever had, and she at how she just couldn’t seem to stop talking despite the fact that, in her opinion, she was digging herself into an increasingly deeper hole. “It’s a lot more sturdy, and there are some other features that I think you’ll appreciate. I had Tony and Bruce make it for you… before, you know, this whole thing happened. And I brought it with me when I left.”

The frames reminded you much of the glasses you had first wanted as a kid, the ones your mother had looked past in favor of the plain black ones. They matched your combat suit, though, even having a small carving of your symbol on the side. You nodded as you choked down a sob, forcing yourself to meet the former assassin’s gaze to try to thank her properly.

“I love it, Natasha. Thank you so much. I- it’s… it’s amazing.” Nat dipped her head as if to nod, but you didn’t miss the way her cheeks flushed red or how a hint of her characteristic smirk appeared.

“Of course. It’s the least I could do.” Your eyes returned to the glasses in your hand. You’d try them out the second Natasha left. “So, cake now?”

“Yes, right, of course,” you nodded immediately, shaking your head at how you had managed to forget about the one thing you had planned to do for your birthday. Before you could reach for the frosted dessert, Natasha relit the candle and handed the cupcake to you as she began to sing “Happy Birthday.” When she reached the last note, you could hold it in no longer, and all the tears immediately began to flow.

“Oh my god, Y/N, I’m so sorry. Is my singing really that bad?” The redhead wasn’t sure whether to pull you closer or move away as she ran a hand through her hair, but she felt slightly comforted when she noticed you shaking your head.

“No, no, it’s just…” Natasha hesitantly began to rub your back in an effort to calm your sobs, “No one’s ever sang that for me before.”

“Ever?” She winced slightly at how her voice cracked, betraying her emotions to you despite her attempts to remain composed.

“Well, there used to be a video of it from my third birthday, but… I was three. So I don’t really remember it.” Natasha thought back to the many birthday celebrations the team had held, none of them being for you. The door to your room was always closed on your birthday. She’d always thought you had just gone out with friends and family, people outside of the Avengers, and who was she to get in the way of you and those you loved? But it had been the opposite. You had been hiding away in your room, and she hadn’t helped matters at all by waiting for three years to do anything. If only she’d gained the courage earlier, she could’ve helped ease your pain much sooner.

But all you saw through your tears was the way her head was cocked to the side, her spy training paying off as you couldn’t even begin to predict what she might be thinking. Your confusion slowed your tears somewhat, but that didn’t last for long as your mind shifted gears. You were ever the fool for sharing something so vulnerable with someone you barely knew.

So it was much to your surprise when Natasha finally reached her hand toward you, using her thumb to brush off the last few tears that made their way down your cheeks.

“You’ve never been invisible to me, Y/N. I see you. Always.” And with that, without responding, you turned away from her with a sniff to blow out the candle. “What’d you wish for?” the spy asked lightly, hoping the joke would help lift your mood.

“Nothing. This was more than I could’ve ever asked for.” Nat nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on you as she reached to take out the candle. Your eyes remained on the cupcake as if it would be ripped away from you if you turned away for a second. With her hand returned to your back, you began to dig into the cupcake, your eyes closing as you savored the taste. A cupcake just for you, on your birthday. Sure, it was a leftover cupcake, the frosting a bit too sweet and the cake itself dry and somewhat stale, but that didn’t matter. It was still the first in thirty years.

That night, you lay in bed with the stars overhead, a smile on your face as you thought about the day’s events, your best birthday ever.

And maybe it was naive of you to believe what Natasha had told you earlier that day—it wasn’t like the thought hadn’t crossed your mind several times in the few hours since she told you that—but then you thought about the champagne and the glasses she’d given you. You thought about the way she’d examined your apartment with you one last time before she brought you to the Avengers Tower, about the way she gave you an encouraging smile during training when you became exhausted with Bruce’s cluelessness, about the way she’d shared her popcorn on movie nights with you and only you.

And in the room next to you, Natasha thought about your confusion, your tears, and the way desperation, hope, and amazement filled your face when you looked at her right before you blew out the candle. It was then that she made a vow to herself, to show you that you’d never be invisible, especially not to her.

“Happy birthday, Y/N,” she whispered, “You are seen.”

-----

🏷 : @vancityfire13 @007giu

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x gn!reader #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff #avengers x reader #marvel #mcu #I wrote something #alwaysmarveling

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creweemmaeec11 · 3 years

Note

Villain X Hero Writing Prompt- Today is the Villain's birthday but due to a bad memory accosiated with it (and because the villain is kinda lonely) they dont celebrate. The villain has a battle with the hero with the hero merging victorious, kidnapping the villain. The villain thinks they've been kidnapped for information however the hero made made dinner and got a meaningful gift for the villain. Have fun with this prompt!

I love this concept. Villains being surprised with pleasantries is everything♡ I know I didn't quite get to the present part, but it felt like the right place to cut it off. I also just realized I kinda forgot about the "for information" part, oops. also I'm so sorry this took so long!

As if their day couldn't suck any more than it already did, the villain had to go and top it off with losing in a fight with the city's hero.

Could this day get *any* worse?

They were handcuffed in the back of the hero's police car, driving through the city, towards the city jail, just like they had so many times before.

The villain had escaped jail multiple times, so this wasn't much more than a large inconvenience for them, at least it would have been, had it happened on *any* other day.

The criminal in question had gone out to avoid sitting at home alone with their thoughts today. Having to sit alone with their thoughts in a jail cell was an even worse option.

Letting out a deep sigh, they flopped back against the seat. Miserable. They just felt miserable. It felt like they couldn't even see colour in the world around them anymore.

"You're much quieter than usual," the hero commented as they drove, "Is something wrong?

"Excuse me‽"

"You're usually more talkative. These drives have never been this quiet before,"

"What do you care?" The villain muttered as they turned to look out the window.

That's when the villain suddenly realized something.

"Wait, we aren't going the right way," the villain blurted out, sitting up straighter suddenly.

The hero in the front seat gave a laugh under their breath, "you only just noticed?"

"This isn't the way to the station or city jail,"

"That would be because we aren't going to the station or city jail,"

The villain felt their throat tighten.

"Where are we going?" The villain asked, trying and failing to sound demanding. There were notes of slight fear. Nerves.

In the rearview mirror, the villain saw the hero glance at them, before their gaze fell back to the road ahead.

They didn't say anything.

"Hero..." the villain tried, "Where are you taking me...?"

"You'll see," was the hummed response.

A feeling of dread settled in their stomach.

Looking out the window, the car was already on the outskirts of the city.

Suddenly the radio was flicked on.

The villain swallowed nervously.

What a day to go out on, of all the 365 to choose from in a year.

After driving for close to half an hour, they were well outside the city and into the surrounding woods, pulling up to what looked like a small cabin.

It wasn't that the villain exactly *blamed* the hero for what they were about to do. Clearly, they'd pushed the other too far, or maybe the hero had finally grown tired of their game of cat and mouse.

This just wasn't how the villain imagined themselves leaving this mortal coil. It was always in a blaze of glory, last stand type of thing.

Still, they couldn't find it in themselves to fight back. Not today. Perhaps it was fate, to be taken out on the same day it all began. Poetic, if not ironic.

The hero got out of the car, straightening themselves and stretching for a moment before turning and opening the back door.

"Are you coming?" The hero asked, before surprisingly taking a step back away from the door so the villain could get out on their own. Not like it mattered, the hero probably knew there was nowhere to run out here now.

"Do I have a choice?" The villain muttered under their breath, looking at the ground.

The hero had the *audacity* to look *surprised* at that. As if they were shocked the villain wasn't jumping with excitement to get this over with.

"Well, I mean... no... I guess... I'd like to think I'm not forcing you but..."

The villain sighed, before swinging their feet out and standing up. Luckily, they'd been cuffed in the front this time, which- now that they thought about it, was also abnormal- but it made it easier to get out of the car on their own.

Still, they felt the hero put a hand under their arm to help steady them -as if polite bedside manner would change anything, only for the villain to shrug them off.

"I'm assuming there's nothing I can say to talk you *out* of doing this, is there?"

"What?" The hero asked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Ya know, pull the whole 'you don't have to do this, I'll be better, I swear' kind of thing?"

"Excuse me-?"

"I mean-" the villain continued. They were rambling now. Maybe the fear was finally fully starting to kick in. The desperation, because they really *didn't* want this. There was no way they'd allow themselves to beg, but- "it would be a lie either way, I guess, despite the fact I probably shouldn't have said that I'm assuming you'd already know anyway, so-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," the hero said, placing a hand on the villain's shoulder gently, snapping them out of their spiralling thoughts, "What in the world do you think I brought you out here for?"

The villain rolled their eyes, "At least make it quick, will you? And stop acting oblivious or like I forced your hand. At least own up to what your about to do,"

The other's eyes widened as the final piece clicked into place, "You think-! I'm not gonna kill you-!" They cried in what could have been mistaken for horror.

The criminal furrowed their brows.

"I brought you here to *show* you something, silly!" The hero explained, before stepping forward and unclipping the handcuffs off the villain's wrists.

Said villain's eyes widened, "what‽"

The hero nodded, smiling, "I have a surprise for you,"

"What?!" They asked again.

The hero only nodded excitedly before turning the villain by the shoulders and giving them a gentle push towards the door, "Go on! Look inside!"

The villain glanced at the hero uncertainty before stepping forward toward the cabin.

When they opened the door, they froze on the spot.

It wasn't anything crazy.... the inside looked like any other cabin. Table, chairs, small kitchen and living area with a couch and tv. Warm glowing lights and-

A banner hung from the ceiling that read in large letters "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"

The villain spun around so fast they nearly gave themself whiplash, turning to the hero that had sense come up behind them.

They jumped back slightly, words and air catching in their throat as they gawked at the hero like they'd grown 3 more heads.

Said hero laughed lightheartedly, "Surprise!"

"What..."

It was like that had become the only word in their vocabulary.

"I know it isn't decorated much, but I didn't think you'd like the cliche ribbons and streamers and party hats," they made some jazzhand-like gesture, "I was also going to blindfold you but I didn't think you'd let me do that either,"

The villain could only stare, like their brain couldn't process the words they were hearing.

"I also made dinner, and a cake! Oh! I also have a gift for you too!"

The villain didn't move.

"Oh, and one last thing, I gave up and the fun cliche stuff just for you so I'm gonna make you suck it up and accept a birthday hug,"

"Why..." the villain managed, "why would you..."

"Why not?"

"I don't deserve this, I don't-" their voice cracked.

"Hey," the hero said softly, taking a step forward, "I heard you didn't celebrate, and I couldn't just let that happen. Everyone deserves to have a good birthday,"

The villain couldn't find any words, but the single tear that managed to quickly slip out and down their cheek did all the speaking for them.

The hero gave a small, sympathetic smile before opening their arms.

Nobody moved for a moment, before the villain caved, stepping forward and looking at the ground. They didn't reciprocate, keeping their own arms close to their chest, but allowed the hero to wrap theirs around them.

They'd never realized just how much taller the hero was until they were basically burying their face into the heros collar.

The villain couldn't even bring themselves to care at the moment, because they suddenly felt so safe, which was bizarre, considering how they felt on the way, but here they were.

"I still don't think I deserve this. Especially from you," the villain muttered from where their head was still tucked down against the hero's chest.

"I don't think your qualified for that kind of thinking, considering what you thought you deserved on the way here, which I'm almost offended by, by the way,"

The hero was rewarded with a small laugh.

"So, come on," the hero said before suddenly pulling back. They reached up, gently using their thumb to brush away the tear track on the villains face, "no tears," They reached down, grabbing the villains hand to gently tug them further inside "let's make some better birthday memories,"

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15-dogs · 3 years

Text

everything and anything |s.b.|

hello hello!! this is for @chudleycanons writing challenge!! everyone go check emmy out, she’s an amazing writer!! congrats again on 600 emmy :)

pairing: young!sirius black x reader

summary: sirius offers to take you to the ball but has other intentions in mind

warnings: the reader describes being insecure about their looks

prompts: fake dating, “Did I mean anything to you?”, “Dance with me”

guide: (Y/N) = your name, (Y/L/N) = your last name

word count: 3797

If anyone ever asked if you liked being the mom friend, you would instantly say yes. There was no doubt in your mind that you absolutely loved the position. You had this knack for taking care of everyone out of the pure goodness of your heart but you certainly weren’t afraid to throw a few punches if someone looked at your friend funny. That’s just who you were and you never wanted to change that.

However, as all things do, the title came with its downfalls. One being that you were always last in line to be picked from the group of eligible bachelorettes that were your friends. It usually would have never bothered you if it weren’t for a large, end of the year ball that Flitwick had decided to throw together.

Alice had partnered up with Frank, Marlene was going with Dorcas, and Mary was going with Peter. Remus had the full moon the night before and Sirius had decided not to attend so there goes your two other options. Lily had promised that if you and her didn’t get dates by the time the ball rolled around, you two would go together. However, James had his way of working into her heart with very little effort. So there you were, stuck without a date.

It didn’t just make you embarrassed, it made you ashamed. And you shouldn’t have been! A few weeks prior, you thought that a Ravenclaw fancied you but you were quite mistaken, seeing as how they blew you off for dates. It wasn’t until you spotted him making out with the prefect opposite him during rounds did you realize he didn’t like you at all. You choked back the sobs that bubbled up in your chest and ran to your dorm to tell the girls all about it. When you got there, Lily was jumping up and down with excitement, claiming that James and her kissed. Decidedly, you did not tell the girls about what happened between you and that Ravenclaw, feeling like you were clouding Lily’s joy.

Yet, the thought of you being the “less attractive” option than your friends still kept you up at night. Your friends were beautiful, they always were getting asked out on dates and you were always cheering them on, giving advice, whatnot. It was fun, or at least for a while. Sometimes it became tiring having to hear about how they were dating a new person each week while you sat, wondering what on Earth you did wrong.

You always pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind as you celebrated Marlene’s birthday in the common room. She squealed as she opened your present— a new jean jacket with patches of which you had hand picked and sewn on yourself— and immediately began to thank you. You felt awkward under her praise, opting to get the food ready instead.

You came back a moment later with snacks in your hand and some drinks, leading Dorcas to suggest you all play a drinking game. You teetered with anxieties as you remembered how everyone (and that meant everyone) acted when they were drunk. Maybe you should just stay sober. The group booed you but you merely shook your head, claiming that they’d thank you later when they were stumbling up to their dorms in their drunken stupor.

About an hour in, the drinking game turned into a group of drunk 7th years playing truth or dare. You decided to hop into the game, considering that you didn’t have to drink but instantly regretted your choice the second everyone started talking about the ball.

“Have you picked out a dress?” Mary asked Lily, leaning forward and biting her thumbnail. Lily nodded excitedly.

“Yes! I’m picking it up this weekend at the tailors from Hogsmeade.”

“You’re joking!” Marlene gasped. She looked between her and Dorcas before looking back at Lily. “We’re picking our dresses up this weekend at the same place! We should all go together! Mary? Alice? (Y/N)?”

You felt your heart sink and forced a smile on your face. Sirius, sitting beside you, nudged your knee with his. You looked up at him and he raised his brows.

“What?” you whispered.

“Are you okay?” Shockingly, his breath smelled the least like alcohol which was a rare occurrence for the party-crazed boy.

“I’m fine,” you shot out quickly. “Totally, perfectly fine.”

The truth was, you were not fine. Sirius knew it, too. Hearing that the girls were going to get their dresses felt like a slap in the face— you shouldn’t go to the dance at all. If you were going to mope around the whole time, what good would you be?

But it wasn’t because you were going alone, not really, anyway. It was because you were scared. To say that you didn’t like the way you looked was an understatement. You loved wearing dresses and skirts just as much as you loved wearing jeans and pants, but something about formalwear had your heart lurching in your chest. You wanted to be pretty, that was it, and you were afraid that people would laugh.

Someone of sound mind would have been able to reassure you that no one would have laughed at you, but no one knew of your insecurities and you didn’t plan on telling them. You constantly scolded yourself about those feelings but they kept resurfacing in every way possible.

When your attention shifted back to the group, you had realized they asked you a question. James let out a stifled giggle at your blank face and Lily swatted his arm.

“Huh?” you mumbled.

“We wanted to know how things are going with that Ravenclaw, Elliott,” Lily explained. “Did he ask you to the ball yet?”

Your lips parted and closed again, feeling that familiar sense of shame form deep in your stomach. “Oh,” you muttered lamely, “well, er, we aren’t...he’s not…”

“Oh, Godric. What did he do?”

“Oh, it’s— believe me— it’s nothing. I just, well, I think I misinterpreted a few signals here and there.”

“And how’s that?” Remus asked.

“I, um, walked in on him...snogging Jennifer, the other Ravenclaw prefect.”

A chorus of disgusted and shocked exclamations sounded around you. You looked away from their penetrating gazes, fiddling with your hands in your lap instead. One gaze struck you as particularly attention grabbing: Sirius’s. You looked up at the boy to the right of you on the couch, his gray eyes softened at your somber expression.

“He was leading you on, (Y/N). He’s a right git, easily. This wasn’t your fault.”

“I…” you trailed off, confused by his words. Yet, they comforted the part of you that was aching most. “Thanks, Sirius. I think I needed to hear that.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Your eyes locked with his and you felt a strange shift in the air. It was like an electrified silence. Although, it wasn’t silent. Marlene had been calling your name for the past minute now.

“Babes, hello!” Your eyes snapped up to Marlene’s at her words. “Who are you going with then?”

“About that, well, I don’t think I’m going to-”

You were cut off but groans and sighs from the girls around you. They immediately shot out protests, seemingly begging you to reconsider. You awkwardly shrugged when Sirius nudged you with his foot.

“Just because some bloke was an arse to you means you aren’t going to the ball? Come on, (Y/N), that’s not the you I know.”

“That’s not it,” you shot.

“Listen, I’ll go with you.”

Your eyes met Sirius’ with shock. You blinked a few times, then rubbed your eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, please, love”— he leaned in towards you so that his breath was hot against your ear— “I’m always Sirius.”

You elbowed him with a smirk, feeling a sense of guilt creep up in your throat. You blushed and shook your head. “It’s fine, Sirius, you don’t have to do that-”

“No, I want to.” His words took you by surprise. “It’s not like I was going with anyone so why not you?”

You shifted awkwardly in your seat, trying not to think about the implications of his words. But you couldn’t help thinking about how he wasn’t even going in the first place. Your heart sped up in your chest but you were convinced it was from gratitude and surprise. So, as you were swept off your feet by your friend of 7 years, you said, “Okay, let’s go to the ball together.”

A decision you’d later come to regret.

—

You sat with your friends at the Gryffindor table, eating your breakfast before you left for Hogsmeade to pick up your dresses. You were rifling through your bag to see if you had some extra money to buy some chocolate for Remus when you heard excited gasps surrounding you. Your eyes snapped up just in time to see a single rose fall in front of your face. The owl that held it hooted and flew away, only for another owl to repeat its actions.

All eyes in the Great Hall were on you as the few roses soon turned into a bouquet. You held a careful hand over your mouth as you searched for the culprit. Fortunately, you didn’t need to look that hard. Unfortunately, it was because the sender— Sirius— had jumped onto the Gryffindor table as he called out your name. He walked towards you, students pulling their plates to their chests with each step. Finally, he stood in front of you, arms crossed and grin smug.

“Sirius!” you hissed. You glanced up at the professors’s table, where McGonagall eyed Sirius warily. “Would you get down from there?”

“Only if you go to the ball with me!”

Murmurs quickly filled the room.

“That’s what this is about? You’re mental! I said yes a few days ago!”

“Is it still a yes, then?” Although Sirius was acting with a confidence like no other person you’d seen, he still seemed nervous to hear your response.

“Yes, you git! Now get down!”

You stood up as you reached out your hands, tugging Sirius back to the ground as he cried, “She said yes!”

Glares from people without dates landed on you but you tried your best to ignore it. You chanced a look over your shoulder to meet the confused eyes of Elliott boring holes into your back.

You felt your cheeks heat up furiously but you couldn’t help but laugh at his behavior. Your laughter was suddenly silenced as Sirius stood inches apart from your face. You tried your best not to inhale his cologne that strangely had you weak in the knees but you simply couldn’t help it with your close proximity.

To make matters worse, Sirius reached up to tuck some hair behind your ear and you were positive that you felt something towards him that you hadn’t felt before. He winked at you and chuckled handsomely before pushing away to meet up with his friends.

Your friends quickly surrounded you as they asked repeated questions about what in the world just happened between you and Sirius. You couldn’t process, though. Not then. All you could do was hold your face in your hands with blank eyes as you feared the tiny, miniscule, barely there crush that you might have on Sirius Black.

—

In Transfiguration a few days later, you sat at your desk near the front, awaiting Lily’s arrival. When you heard a familiar, bubbly laughter, your head whipped around to the back to see James with his arm around Lily as she sat in Sirius’s seat. You were a little saddened that she had left you to sit with her boyfriend, but you didn’t let it show— after all, you were happy that they had finally gotten together.

You felt an arm snake around the back of your chair, causing you to jump. When you looked over, Sirius was in Lily’s seat, his arm wrapped around your shoulders, the dumbest grin on his face.

“Good morning, (Y/L/N).” You hated the way his deep, slightly raspy voice made you shiver.

“Morning, yourself, Black.”

You studied him out of the corner of your eye as he relaxed into his chair. Merlin, he looked handsome with his sleeves rolled up and hair mussed. You sucked in a sharp breath with horror at your thoughts, butterflies occupying your stomach as his thumb stroked your shoulder. You thought that you might die when his hand slipped down the chair to rest on your waist, only for him to tug you closer.

“I asked Evans to sit with Prongs today; she didn’t seem to mind,” he whispered roughly against your ear.

You hummed. “Hm, I wonder why?”

He stifled a laugh as he tipped forward, looking at the blank piece of parchment on his desk.

“I meant to ask you, what color is your dress?”

You blinked in shock at the change in topic. “It’s blue.”

He rolled his eyes. “Shades of blue, love.”

“I didn’t know that the different shades mattered to you,” you said, pretending to be impressed by his prompt.

“Shockingly, I’m more than just a pretty face.”

“Really?”

He fought back a chuckle and shook his head. “Shade, love, go on.”

“It’s baby blue.”

His eyes roved over your body for a moment too long. You became self-conscious at his stare, angling away from him. His eyes softened at your actions. You felt his slightly calloused hand take yours, raising it to his lips as he kissed your knuckles. Your eyes darted around the room to see if anyone saw what was happening, if it was as out of the ordinary as you imagined. Your eyes landed on Elliott who watched with distaste as Sirius acted like he was much more than just a friend, a sense of satisfaction filling you.

“You’re going to be gorgeous, love. You are gorgeous.”

When you looked into Sirius’ captivating gray eyes, you knew you were done for. You didn’t know what game he was playing, but you were sure you didn’t want it to end.

—

You were rushing back from the library, just having noticed that you were late to meeting your friends. You had all decided to get ready for the ball together, mostly because you were no good at makeup but quite good at hair, Lily was no good at hair but quite good at accessorizing, Marlene was no good at accessorizing but quite good at makeup, and so on.

You made it to the portrait and were about to state the password when someone stopped you. “Hey, (Y/L/N)!”

You turned around to see Elliott bombing towards you. “Hey, what’s going on?”

He slowed to a stop in front of you, his lips twitching into a smile. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to the ball with me?”

You scoffed, but felt an immediate sense of guilt at your response. “Sorry, Elliott, but I’m going with Sirius-”

“I know.”

You looked around, seeing if Sirius was hiding somewhere to tell you he set this up, that it was all a joke. You clenched your eyes shut before eyeing the Ravenclaw in front of you.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Elliott.”

“Say yes. Go with me, not Black.” He took a step forward, ducking to meet your gaze. “I fancy you.”

You shook your head hurriedly, whispering the password as you darted away from him, your head swarming with severe thoughts. He called after you but didn’t dare follow as you ran up the stairs to your dorm.

You slammed the door shut behind you, panting as you slid your back down it. Lily nudged your foot with hers, causing you to look up at her.

“What happened to you?”

You jumped to your feet, running your hands through your hair as you muttered, “It’s bad, quite bad.”

“Well, we have the time as long as you get ready.”

So as you got yourself ready for the ball, you explained the direness of the situation. A sinking feeling set into your stomach with each word as you realized that you might fancy Sirius a little more than you let on. Mary blinked with shock, studying you carefully.

“Aren’t you and Sirius going together?” she asked.

“To the ball, yes.”

“No, no.” Mary waved her mascara wand in the air as she shook her head. “I mean going together. Like, dating.”

“What?” you cried, causing Marlene to smack your arm in order for you to stay still while she did your eyeshadow. “What made you think that?”

Dorcas snorted. “What didn’t make us think that?”

You went pale. “All of you thought that?”

You heard grumbled agreements and your stomach flipped. Was it because you were too obvious about your little crush? Or was there something else that had caused them to think that? Either way, you desperately needed to talk to Sirius.

The six of you went downstairs to meet your dates, all waiting in the Gryffindor common room. Seeing Sirius standing there with a tiny, blue morning glory which matched your dress had your heart lurching. You didn’t even realize that he was talking to you until he took your hand in his.

“Are you alright, love?”

You sucked in a sharp breath, nodding at your friends that they should leave without you. Once the common room was empty (and Sirius was thoroughly puzzled) you said, “We need to talk.”

Sirius sighed knowingly, scuffing his food against the ground. “Take it Elliott asked you to the ball, then?”

“I-...y-yes, how did you know?” You fiddled with your hands to avoid meeting his eyes. Everything about this situation made you want to run away and hide forever.

“Because that was the plan, (Y/N). Did you say yes-”

“The plan?” Your eyes snapped up to his, a new feeling ruminating behind them. Sirius cowered under your glare. “What plan?”

“That’s what this was all about, wasn’t it?” he tested. You crossed your arms and huffed. “It was about getting Elliott to realize he was stupid, it was about me pretending to be your...something until he realized that he shouldn’t have turned you down.”

Your heart shattered. All of Marlene’s hard work on your makeup went completely to waste as traitorous tears slipped down your cheeks, streaks of mascara coating your face. You felt sick.

“That’s what this was about, then? You were my something.” You tried with all your might to control the shaking in your voice but there was nothing you could do; you were a mess.

Sirius, finally aware of how his words affected you, took a step towards you with the intent of taking your hands in his. You jerked your hands away from him with a strangled sob.

“No, listen, that’s not-”

“Did I mean anything to you?”

The words weren’t supposed to come out of your mouth, they weren’t. Yet, they did. And you meant them. That was the worst part.

Sirius was silent.

No, that was the worst part.

Your breaths became labored and you didn’t want to cry in front of Sirius, so you ran up to your dorm room. As you leapt onto the stairs, a strong voice stopped you.

“You mean everything to me!” Sirius shouted after you. You froze midstep. “You’re always going to mean everything to me!”

You slowly turned around on your heel. “I don’t understand-”

“It was supposed to be innocent, good natured fun. I was supposed to be helping you out with Elliott. But then you had to be yourself! You had to be funny, and beautiful, and gentle and I was not supposed to fall for you, but things never go according to plan. So, yes, you mean everything and anything to me.”

The room was silent save for the music that radiated from the Great Hall into the common room. You took a few sobering breaths as Sirius awaited a response.

“I said no, by the way. I couldn’t do it. Not when I knew how I felt about you.”

His eyes lit up and he took a step towards you. “And, er, how do you feel about me?”

You rolled your eyes as you made your way back down the stairs. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

He chuckled as he outstretched an arm to you, helping you walk down the last few steps. He pulled you close to his chest, searching your eyes for something that wasn’t present. He guided you to the portrait hole but your feet bolted to the ground.

“I can’t go out there looking like this!” you explained.

Sirius fought a snicker as he saw your panicked expression. He guided you back to the middle of the room, an intenseness in his gaze that you’d never seen before. He let go of your hand only to hold it out to you again.

“Dance with me.”

You tried to protest but your words died on your tongue. You reluctantly took him up on the offer, gasping when he pulled you flush against his chest.

Suddenly, things began to feel out of place. You didn’t deserve this. You didn’t deserve Sirius. You had never been “chosen” out of your friends because that wasn’t you, you weren’t the girl that people went after. Your heart panged with guilt as you looked away from his piercing stare.

“You’re doing that thing again.” Sirius tucked your head into his chest, his voice vibrating against your ear.

“What thing?”

“You get that little look on your face where your eyebrows knit together and you can’t look anyone in the eye because you’re scared.”

“Scared?” you asked incredulously.

“Scared of getting things that you deserve.”

You lifted your head from his chest to meet his eyes. “And what exactly do I deserve?”

You expected something smart from him, something that would make you roll your eyes and groan. Instead, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as Sirius said, “Happiness, complete happiness.”

In a moment of impulse, your hands wrapped around the back of his head to plant a kiss firmly against his lips.

In a shocking turn of events, Sirius hesitated. His eyes went wide when you kissed him and it took him a moment to process your actions. However, once he did get hold of himself, he pulled you impossibly closer by the waist, kissing you passionately like there was nowhere else he’d want to be.

And that was true, of course. There was nowhere else he wanted to be besides with you.

And seeing the way that Sirius looked at you made everything worth the wait.

#emmys600 #sirius black #sirius black x reader #sirius black x you #sirius black headcanon #sirius black imagine #sirius x y/n #young sirius imagine #young sirius black #young sirius x reader #harry potter #fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction

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janetbrown711 · 3 years

Note

“I just really miss talking to you.” Wakko dot

A week had passed since the funeral, and the warner siblings could feel the ticking clock on when they expected their grandmother to strike everywhere they went. She hadn’t done anything in so long, it was highly suspicious.

However, there simply wasn’t anything they could do anymore. their parents were dead, simple as that. Whatever protection they had before had now evaporated into thin air-

Well, unless you were Yakko, who was determined now more than ever to be his sibling’s shield and protector from their grandmother. He swore an oath to himself he’d never let anything bad happen to either Wakko or Dot ever again- not if he had any say in it. He was their guardian now, simple as that.

The queen seemed to understand this somehow, as she summoned Yakko to the throne room for a private discussion. Regarding what, she wouldn’t say. Reluctantly, Yakko left his sibs alone in the playroom and met with his grandmother.

“Yakko,” she nodded at him, still wearing the veil.

“Grandmother,” He said coldly.

“A short temper will get you nowhere in life, even you ought to know that by now,” she shook her head disapprovingly.

“I’ve summonsed you to inform you that Angelina will be beginning her lessons with me by this time tomorrow, right after yours are finished,” The old queen said.

“What? But she isn’t even five yet, she’s not old enough for schooling,” Yakko protested. “And what about Wakko? You still haven’t started his tutoring and he’s eight, should he be your focus?”

“I don’t educate wild animals,” she brushed it off. “And as for Angelina being too young, that’s ridiculous. A lady is never too young to get some manners in her.”

“It’s only been a week since Mom and Dad-”

“Died, yes, I’ve been plenty patient,” She nodded to herself.

“Patient-?” Yakko stepped back in bewilderment at her self-assurity.

“Are you really questioning me?” She raised an eyebrow from behind the veil- or at least, Yakko assumed she did. With how thick it was impossible to tell, but it seemed something she’d do. Yakko shook his head.

“No, grandmother,” he looked at the ground.

“Head up, Yakko, you’re a prince for crying out loud,” she scolded, and he obeyed.

“So...?” he asked quietly. The queen sighed, annoyed.

“So Angelina begins her lessons tomorrow, and I expect you to make that known to her.” she declared.

“Right... okay,” He knew better than to fight with her any bit more than he already had.

“Oh, and one more thing I forgot to mention: I’m separating yours and Wakkorotti’s rooms,” She said.

“Wh-what? Why? What harm does us sharing rooms do?” Yakko did his best to sound in control.

“Wakkorotti is a distraction for you and Angelina. It is my duty as queen to prepare you for the throne, and for her to become a lady, and part of that si separating you from the filth... though if you’d prefer I move him to the tower, that is an option I’m more than willing to take,” She smirked. Yakko growled.

“No, that’s fine,” he said.

“Good,” she smiled. “Run along then. I expect her to be there as soon as our lesson is over. No later, no earlier, understood?”

“Understood,” he nodded begrudgingly.

The moment Yakko was safe to tear his grandmother’s arms off, he wouldn’t hesitate.

“Good. You are dismissed,” she waved her hand, and Yakko left the throne room.

So... great. Another thing for him to worry about.

Dot wasn’t even five yet, but now she was going to be exposed to her grandmother’s influences. Yakko just hoped she wouldn’t start acting like he did when he started taking lessons- he still couldn’t believe it took seeing her hit Wakko to snap him out of being a total jerk. Sure- he was only eight at the time, but still. It was bad.

He really hoped Dot would be different.

And Wakko... how on earth was he supposed to tell him that? It’d sound like Yakko didn’t want him anymore- which wasn’t good. Of course, he could always blame the queen- it was her fault really- but that could get him mad which he also doesn’t want.

Was this how his parents had felt 24/7? if so, Yakko felt really bad for them, all those times he insisted on knowing or just plain making problems worse.

A wave of numbness washed over him, and Yakko tried to suppress it as he entered the playroom once more.

“Yakko! We’re playing Dragon Princess,” Dot grinned up at him.

“Oh? And what’s that?” Yakko sat down on the floor next to them.

“It’s a game where you’re either a dragon or a princess, and if you guess wrong, the dragon eats your face,” Wakko grinned, showing him the doll. Yakko snorted.

“Sounds fun,” He chuckled.

“So... what did grandmum want?” Wakko asked cautiously. Yakko sighed.

“Dot, you’ll be beginning lessons with grandma tomorrow, right after my own end. And Wakko... you’re moving bedrooms.”

“What? Why?” both said in unison.

“Well... I started lessons with grandma when I was five,” Yakko decided to address Dot’s questions first.

“That’s not fair, Wakko doesn’t take lessons,” She frowned and crossed her arms.

“Yeah! Why don’t I get lessons?” he huffed and copied his sister’s motion.

“Wakko, you don’t even like her. Why would you want lessons?” Yakko pointed out.

“Well- I... uh...” Wakko came up blank.

“She’s mean, I don’t wanna,” Dot turned up her nose.

“Dot, you don’t have a choice,” Yakko said. “Bad things happen when we disobey her, remember?”

Dot paused at that, making eye contact with Wakko. She lowered her head.

“Okay...” she mumbled.

“What about me? Why do I have to move rooms?” Wakko frowned.

“It’s out of my control, Wak. I wish I could explain, but you know how she is...” Yakko sighed, figuring that was the best way he could explain without hurting Wakko further.

“But I like sharing a room with you...” Wakko’s tail twitched. “It’s a lot less lonely.”

“I know Wak, I like sharing a room too,” Yakko opened his arms, and Wakko hugged him. “But this just isn’t in our control... it’ll be better than the tower at least.”

Wakko nodded, and Dot looked even guiltier than before.

“That place sucks,” He said.

“I bet, from what I’ve heard,” Yakko patted his head.

“...I’ll miss you,” he sighed.

“Hey, it’s not like you’re moving across the country. You can still stop by my room any time- I’m even sure that if we’re extra careful and quiet, we could all organize a sleepover some time,” Yakko winked, and his sib’s faces lit up.

“That sounds faboo!” Wakko grinned.

“Yeah! That sounds fun,” Dot grinned too.

“Alright, alright, I hear you two,” Yakko chuckled. “I’ll figure out a time... hopefully when she most certainly wouldn’t notice...” he said that last part to himself mostly.

And so it was settled. Dot was to begin her lessons, and Wakko was to get a room of his own, a little bit away from Yakko and Dot’s. So far it wasn’t so bad... right?

A few months passed, and Dot began her lessons. It was pretty obvious that she had a strong distaste for them, but it was also very clear that despite being just shy of five, she still understood the consequences of her actions. Yakko couldn’t say he was happy at that though...

She wasn’t even five. She should have time to be a little kid, play wild games, and make mistakes, not bottle everything up in attempts to be the perfect princess their grandmother wanted her to be.

Yakko did his best to encourage her wild side, but he knew just how badly they’d get in trouble so despite desperately wanting to try and undo what she was trying, there was nothing they could really do.

This really sucked.

Yakko missed his parents tremendously when he thought like this, so he tried not to dwell. Instead, he focused on planning that sleepover for Dot’s fifth birthday, which he was actually looking forward to.

Though it’d be the first birthday they’d celebrate without their parents...

No... he shouldn’t focus on that. They were together, they were safe. This was a day of celebration- a day they were all going to sneak together and celebrate as much as they could. Plus, if he got one of the cooks to agree, he could even get him and his sibs a mini cake they could split, which would be fun.

And luckily he did. Quietly and carefully, he brought the dessert to his room and Wakko and Dot were thrilled. They sang, played a few games, and talked and talked and talked and talked. They didn’t have any presents to give her, but Dot was fine with just their company.

Truthfully, the lessons had done quite a bit to isolate the sibs, so being able to just hang out again felt really good- for all of them, despite what was weighing on their minds. It didn’t matter they didn’t really have much to discuss outside of lessons- they just missed being together that much.

“-It’s not all bad- I get to wear big skirts, and I get taught how to dance- like this!” Dot sprung up from her bed and began to waltz, and it wasn’t too shabby. At the mention of the lessons though, Wakko frowned and looked at the floor.

“That’s not too bad Dot,” he complimented her, and she beamed before running up onto the bed again.

“I think it’s stupid,” Wakko mumbled.

“Wakko, that’s rude,” Yakko frowned.

“It’s true,” He huffed.

“Dancing is quite the skill- I know for a fact that I’m a terrible dancer- grandma gave up on teaching me years ago,” he snorted. Wakko raised a knee and leaned against it.

“Wakko, what’s wrong?” Yakko frowned.

“I just... I wanna learn too,” he mumbled.

“But you hate-”

“I know I hate her, Yakko.” he snapped. “It’s just-... I miss talking to you two about things I know. You keep talkin’ about history and dancing or whatever... I wanna learn too.”

Wakko’s words hit Yakko like a slap in the face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize you felt that way sooner Wak,” he apologized. Wakko shrugged.

“I just-... I know she thinks I’m stupid... a-and you keep telling me I’m not, a-and I want to believe I’m not, but... I don’t know things. She won’t give me a chance... even though I’d probably screw it up,” Wakko sighed.

“Wakko... you aren’t stupid, and you don’t need grandma to teach you to prove otherwise,” he placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Still... it’d be nice... I can barely even read,” he muttered, and Yakko felt another wave of guilt.

He had forgotten Dad had been teaching Wakko to read while he was at his lessons before the attack, and that Wakko was slow, but eventually getting a grip. He should’ve remembered- he should’ve continued.

“I can teach you, if you want,” Yakko offered.

“Me too! We can help each other,” Dot grinned.

“R-really?” Wakko blinked.

“Of course, Wak, what are siblings for?” Yakko teased and poked him with his elbow, which made him laugh.

“And I can teach you other stuff too! Like waltzing and tea parties and manners- though that’s kinda boring...” Dot thought about it.

“I like tea parties,” Wakko said, and Dot grinned.

“Okay,” She said.

“And I’ll help teach you what I know- it can be our little secret,” Yakko winked at his sibs.

“Right. No telling Grandma,” Wakko did a ‘lips are sealed’ motion, and Dot copied.

And so it was decided, Yakko and Dot would try to give Wakko lessons of his own, with varying degrees of success. However, it brought the sibs closer together, and they hadn’t been caught yet, so for the first time in a little while, things felt... in control.

Not good by any means, but a routine had been formed, and nobody had gotten hurt yet, and Yakko was determined to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

#my fics #angelina 1 lives au #queen angelina i #yakko warner #wakko warner #dot warner #animaniacs #yakko wakko and dot #feels #neglect #idk what to tag man- im tired

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cherryyharryy · 3 years

Note

request: (only if you'd like to continue it or maybe in a different universe) bf!h realizing he likes the mc more than friends, while they're talking one day at her work and he can't registered what she's saying because he's thinking about her, I know you said fluff wasn't your forte but I really love your way of describing situations

I ADORED Grammy best friend Harry! It was my request, I'm so happy you wrote it!

Thank you for requesting this! I’m starting to like these two haha

Continuation from this blurb.

WC: 1.3K

“Will that be all?” You tuck your pad and pencil into your apron as soon as a family of three nods, scurrying to the back to place their orders.

Your pants cling to your legs from the pitcher of tea spilt on you an hour ago. It’s not the first time you’ve had a beverage as part of your outfit, but today is not the day. Two waitresses never showed up and no one tips well, ever. One of the cooks keeps crying and no one’s asked him why, and soon it’ll be you trying to help pick up the pieces of his life. The manager doesn’t like the way you set drinks down. A woman tried to bring her dog in because it’s her birthday. There’s a baby, somewhere, screaming, and you are never going to have kids. Ever. Not that kids are an option with how pathetic people tip.

You check the time and give yourself three minutes of salvation, throwing the bathroom door open and hiking your leg up under the hand dryer. It burns, and for a second you worry your jeans will catch fire, but surely that would be too much, even for a day like today.

“What the hell are you doing?”

You drop your leg and spin around, smoothing out your apron. “I’m just trying to dry off a bit. This guy knocked an entire pitcher—

“I don’t care if he poured soup all over your head. This is not your break. Get back out there.”

You can feel the resentment Savannah has for her entire existence oozing off of her as you rush past, holding your breath until your ears are filled with all things work.

She’s just mad she would never be able to get her leg up that high.

“Table nine.”

You take the command and glide through your routine: snatching a menu off the cart and waltzing through the restaurant like you own the place, smiling at people like you care, wetting your lips to recite whatever the fucking special is today.

“Good evening, I’m—”

“Exhausted?”

All the tension you’ve been storing up for the night deflates. “What are you doing here?’

“Well hello to you too.” Harry fiddles with his rings, but it’s nothing to admire. You are at work. “Long day?”

Fuck Savannah. Fuck sticky pants. Fuck the fucking tips.

You slide into the booth across from Harry, back towards the corner. “Never ending.”

“Thought I’d drop by.” He shrugs and slips the menu from your hand.

“Has no one said anything to you?”

“Look,” he nods out to the floor, “sea of gray.”

He’s right, most of the customers are pushing eighty tonight, more concerned with getting home by seven than the celebrity drumming his rings on the table in the back.

“What happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“You look like you’re about to cry.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes you do.”

You bite your lip, because not crying at work is unspoken rule number one. Do. Not. Cry.

“Today’s just been shit. I hate everyone, I might get fired for the fucking wobbly glasses we use, Savannah’s a bitch and the cook is allowed to cry all he wants because no one even sees him. I don’t even know his name.” You take in a breath. He didn’t ask for all the details but you’ve got to release some steam or else you won’t make it to the end of your shift without exploding. “And then my jeans are gross and a kid laughed at me because he thought I peed my pants. But it’s tea! And then there was this dog and then this morning I almost missed the bus and this night will never end. And then I get to wake up and do this all over tomorrow. I’m so sick of everything!”

He’s silent, and you wait for his stupid advice that only a rich person can offer, but the sentiment will hold you over until your shift ends.

“Are you listening?”

“Hm? What?”

You suck in a breath, counting to ten, ignoring the utter stupidity of your best friend.

“Sorry, was just thinking.”

“Clearly. Thanks for stopping by.” You go to stand, but he moves faster and grabs your arm.

“No, don't go. M’sorry. I was just…”

“What?”

“I—I don’t know.” His face heats up, a heavy shade of red growing up his neck and onto his face, ears like tomatoes. “I just missed you.”

“I’m right here.”

“But I haven’t seen you...in like a week. A whole week.”

“Do you want your boa back?”

“Fuck, no y/n,” he shakes his head and looks away, toying with his lip, “I want to spend more time with you. I want you to...I just want you!” He scrunches down after his outburst, lowering his voice to a whisper, “Not much. Just your complete, undivided attention, twenty-four seven.”

You stare at him, no longer aware of your wet jeans or the pain in your neck. “Wait, like, like…”

“Yes. Like that. Like, you should tell Savannah or whoever that you’re sick so we can leave.” His eyes widen. “I mean only if you want to!”

“Just leave?”

“With me. Yes. Really, you should just quit. You're a sucky employee, I mean look at you, sitting here talking to me. And this place is shit. Why do you think I never come here?”

“Hey!”

“You hate this job.”

“I don’t have a choice now do I?”

“You could work for me?”

“Doing what?”

“I don’t know, I’ll pay you for something.”

“Oh yeah, that’s not sketchy sounding at all.” You roll your eyes, reminding yourself to not indulge in his weird fantasy.

“What about going back to school?”

“Your lack of awareness, of how all of the regular people live, is no longer funny.”

“I can pay—”

“If you offer to pay for one more thing I’m going right back to work.”

“Shit, y/n, I hate seeing you work yourself to death. Never getting to see you because you’re always working.”

“I do believe you’re the one that has the globetrotting job? At least I pick up the phone within a reasonable amount of time!”

“Okay, here we go about the phone again for fuck’s sake,” Harry rolls his eyes, pushing against the table so he’s slouched in the corner, “excuse me for being busy.”

“Well don’t pick on me for not being available.”

He huffs, tapping the wooden table, cinching his mouth to the corner of his face. “You know what this is?” When you shake your head, he leans forward and licks his lips. “We’re just fighting because subconsciously, we think flirting would be weird.”

“We’ve had sex.”

“That’s different.”

“So...this is us...flirting?”

“Basically.”

“Insulting each other?”

“Pretty much.”

“You like that?”

“I’m still here, aren’t I? Go ahead, call me a name. Go on.”

You huff, trying your hardest not to smile, but it’s no use. “You’re acting like a complete psycho right now.”

“Great! See? That was hot.”

“Harry you’re insane.”

“Stop, darling, we’re in public.”

“Y/n?” At the sound of Savannah’s voice, you scramble out of the booth. “Are you asking to be fired? Get back to work.”

“I was just taking an order.”

Savannah rolls her eyes. “Looked like it.”

Once she walks away you turn back to Harry. “You’re getting me in trouble!”

“That’s all you babe.” He picks the menu up and scans his eyes over it. “Can I have spaghetti?”

“Are you serious right now?”

“I’ll stay until your shift’s over.” He sounds like he’s pleading, or like he’s doing you a favor.

You reach for the menu, but he tugs it back towards himself, bringing you along with it to kiss your forehead.

“Harry.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Harry…”

“I want my boa back.”

#not sure if it's exactly fluffy...#but i tried lol #request #requested #blurb #harry styles writing #cherryyharryy

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nalu4emily · 3 years

Text

The Unexpected Reward - Chapter 17

Summary: Natsu and Lucy go on a job together, but what they bring home is something neither anticipated. Forced to make a life changing decision, they have to adapt quickly, but that's never easy, especially given the circumstances. As they work together on their toughest adventure yet, they find themselves drawn to one another, in ways they never realised. Rated Mature.

"Hey, Flame head! Wait up!" Gray called over, catching the fire mage as he hurriedly made for the guild's exit. "Where're you going in such hurry?"

Turning to catch the ice mage walking straight for him, Natsu stopped to answer, "Home. I left Lucy and Haru asleep this morning, so I better get back to 'em."

"Oh... You've not been at the guild much lately, is everything cool with you?" The ice mage pushed further.

"Uh… Yeah! Been kinda busy and stuff, ya know." The slayer shrugged, not seeming too interested in divulging any further information.

"Well, are ya too busy to come on a mission? It's been some time since our last job together as a team." Gray asked, scratching the back of his head.

"It has been a while, now you mention it… I'd have to ask Lucy if she's feeling up to it yet, she's still not feeling too good… Anyway, catch ya later!" Natsu spoke cheerily and turned back towards the door, his hand reaching for the handle.

"Lucy's been sick for an awfully long time now, Natsu." He heard another voice say, halting him in his tracks, "Are you sure there's not something else going on?" Lisanna came up and elbowed him playfully in the arm.

"Hm?" He replied, retracting his arm back to his side.

"That's right! Lucy hasn't shown her face in months now. Has something happened? Are you guys having relationship issues?!" Levy gasped at the thought, her eyes wide with her mouth hung low.

"Relationship issues?" Natsu cocked his eyebrow in disdain; what kind of nonsense was that?

"I think you're getting a little carried away there, Shrimp. You've been reading too many books again." Gajeel teased, poking Levy's pouted cheek as he came up from behind. "And Lucy hasn't been gone that long… has she?"

"How suspicious… His beloved is sick and yet he's not with her!" Juvia murmured, appearing creepily behind Gray, making him shudder. "What is he hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything! You guys are looking way too much into this." Natsu lied, but for good reason.

The truth was a little more complicated than that. With Lucy being so unwell, she'd not been able to leave the confines of their house, having suffered greatly in the first months of her pregnancy. It'd been hard for the both of them, but Natsu had promised to look after her—to not leave her side, and he'd kept to his word. Having skipped out on job after job, and taking longer and longer breaks between each visit to the guild, it was only natural for their friends to worry and speculate, but it did put him right in the firing line.

He was wasting time. He had to get back to his partner and son, it wasn't fair to keep them waiting. The guild would get their long awaited answers when Lucy returned, which with any luck, would be very soon.

"Can I go now? I got things to take care of." Natsu huffed, starting to get frustrated with their incessant intrusiveness.

Trying to slip out from under the guilds snooping nose, the fire mage was beginning to question whether that was even an option any more, not with the amount of people now crowding him, wanting in on the action. He just hoped the great Titania didn't decide to intervene, then he'd be doomed.

"What things would that be then, Natsu? You're not usually this secretive." Lisanna hinted again, even more curious than before. "I thought you said you had to go home?"

"Just leave the kid alone, he's got his reasons." Laxus shrugged nonchalantly, pretending not to be interested, when really he'd heard everything.

"Yes, listen to Laxus!" Freed jumped in, also creepily appearing out of no where, making the lightning mage quiver. "Natsu doesn't need you all pestering him!"

Said boy sighed, glad to have someone on side and took the opportunity to make his leave—But things were never going to be that easy. The slayer found himself almost smacking his head against the thick, wooden door frame, utterly exasperated, when yet another of his guild mates decided to pipe up and add their two pennies worth.

"Yes, you're right. However, doesn't he usually have the kid with him? Why not today? So many questions that have yet to be answered. It makes you wonder really…" Evergreen chortled to the dubious guild members, hiding her conniving smirk behind her fan.

This was getting out of hand! They were just going 'round and around in circles and at this rate he would never leave. Being backed into a corner, he had no idea what was really going on. His guild mates were chucking all sorts of nonsensical bullshit at him.

Who knew what they were accusing him of? Because he sure as hell didn't know, and was pretty convinced now that they didn't either.

"I've already said Haru's at home with Lucy… The only reason I'm here, is to check in with Mira to make sure everything's ready for his party later. You know, for his birthday today." He explained once again, sighing loudly and slumping forward in despair. "I wasn't gonna bring him in early and spoil the surprise, now was I?"

He wouldn't have bothered with any of it, if it hadn't been for the take over mage and her desire to throw some massive party for the little boy, such was the way of Fairy Tail. But this time, Natsu would've much preferred to celebrate at home where Lucy could be present to enjoy it, too. However, Mira had made her own plans, having suddenly sprung the idea upon the unknowing young man one day in passing, and had given him little choice in the matter—his ultimatum much scarier than Erza could ever be.

"We're well aware of the little one's birthday celebrations today, Natsu." Erza's stern voice echoed through the hall, startling everyone into silence and swiftly marched herself right up to the slayer's retreating body. His heart raced as his worst fear became reality and felt a wave of dread as she approached at speed, her hardened features coming in way too close for his comfort. "However, that doesn't mean I'm any less suspicious of you."

"But why?! There's nothing to be suspicious about, I swear!" Holding his hands up in submission, the fire mage was stunned into silence; his mouth dropping open in disbelief; why were they all so hell bent on this? What even was this? He'd told them what he could; what more did they want? "Lucy and Haru are at home where I left them… What else do you want me to tell you?"

"So secretive and elusive… like you have something to hide. Have you no shame?" Ignoring Natsu's plea, the armoured girl had already come to her own conclusions and summoned one of her treasured swords to point directly at the slayer, her icy glare not the only thing threatening to pierce through him, "Our Natsu would never act like this! He's impulsive and reckless and just downright stupid! What have you done with the real one?"

The fire mage would've taken offence, had the red head not so angrily directed her sharp sword at the bridge of his nose. Narrowing his eyes at the sharp metal so close to him, he gulped thickly, praying to whatever god there was, that today of all days, Lucy might just walk through those big doors, saving him from the hell that was Erza Scarlet.

He shook in his sandals, showered in sweat as the red heads sword tip made contact with his skin, pushing his head right up against the wall, "B-But I am the real Natsu…"

"Then prove it! Explain yourself, now!" She was taking no shit from her fiery companion, not after convincing herself that he was, indeed, an imposter.

Desperate not to be on the receiving end of Erza's wrath, Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but just as quickly shut it again when the old guild doors suddenly creaked open. The sound of an infants voice followed by bickering between two others could be heard filling the loud silence, abruptly halting the interrogation of the defeated fire breather.

"See, Happy! I told you he'd be in here!" The young woman pointed, her eyes landing right on the dragon boy she'd been arguing with flying cat about, only realising moments later the presence of Erza's sword and every eyeball in the building staring unashamedly at her, "Uh… Am I interrupting something?"

"Lucy... you're here..." Natsu croaked in relief, never more glad to see his beautiful girlfriend as he sank to the floor. His voice cracking from the genuine fear the older girl had provoked in him, her sword now fully removed from his face. "My sweet saviour…"

"Uh-oh! Is Natsu in trouble again?" Happy giggled, glancing over at his pink haired friend, taking pity on his horror-stricken features.

"Lucy… You're alive?" Erza stated more than asked, stomping over to the young blonde to inspect her further.

"U-Uh…" The girl in question looked down at herself, confirming that she was definitely alive before looking back up again, confusion etched into her expression. "D-Do you want me to answer that?"

"Maybe you should lay off her a little; I'm sure Lucy's had it rough enough." Gray proclaimed bravely, unable to make eye contact with the unsettled knight.

"Please don't scare her off, not when she's only just returned!" Levy all but pushed Erza out of the way and threw herself at the blonde, who was now trying to balance the new weight along with the baby and herself. "I'm so happy to see you! I've missed you, Lu!"

"I've missed you too, Levy, but I'm sure Natsu's kept you updated." Lucy reassured her, then looked up to all of her other friends, "Hasn't he?"

"Natsu told us you hadn't been feeling well, but that's a suspiciously long illness Lucy, one I hope has a good explanation for making us all worry so much." Erza explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's one long tummy bug!" Mira giggled, walking over to the ever growing group to stand near Lucy. "Anyone would think that you were p-" She paused, eyes growing wide with realisation and darted them down to the stellar mages midriff, before promptly fainting on the spot.

"Huh? Mira! Would think, what?! What were you going to say?!" Lisanna yelled, desperately trying to wake her sister up.

"Oh! I get it!" Gray understood, thinking back to the weird conversation he'd had with Natsu in the park and how it all made perfect sense now. "It definitely explains that idiots weird behaviour." He reached out to pat Lucy on the shoulder affectionately and smiled at her, then turned to smirk at said fire mage still recoiling on the ground. "So that's the way you wanna play? Game on, Pyro!"

Turning his head, Natsu smirked back, accepting the silent challenge as he jumped back up to his feet, looking cocky as ever, "You know it, Frosty!"

"Wait, what does Gray know? Is he a part of it too?" Levy gasped, pointing her accusatory finger at the demon slayer.

"Hell no!" Natsu and Gray yelled out in defence, both offended and totally disgusted by the very thought.

"Then what? What is going on here?" Cana shouted from her bench, having heard everything. "Quit with the suspense and just be out with it already!"

"Juvia understands." Out of the shadows, said water mage appeared before her once 'love rival' and smiled happily at the girl she was about to congratulate, "Juvia is so very happy for you both!" She looked down to her own rounded tummy and placed a hand on it, a noticeable difference in size to Lucy's, "They will be the best of friends, Juvia is sure of it."

Lucy's smile reached the corners of her eyes, relieved the rain woman didn't see this as another rivalry, like their partners apparently did, "Thanks Juvia, I'm sure they will be, despite what their father's might think." They both giggled at the expense of the boys gormlessly standing there, along with the rest of the guild, who still had no idea.

"Hold up! So, what does that mean? You're having a baby too, Lucy?" Lisanna asked, cradling her sisters limp body.

The guild's eyes fell to Lucy, more specifically her stomach where if they looked closely, they would see a small, but noticeable bump stretching out her pink summer dress. She could see the expectant faces of her friends waiting for her to answer, and the warm presence of her beloved dragon slayer come to stand next to her, obviously noticing her hesitancy.

"Natsu, I think you should tell them, I know you're dying to." She murmured, her voice quiet but firm.

"Are ya sure, Luce?" He asked, assuming she'd want to do it after all this time, but seeing the certainty in her eyes and the bright smile lifting her cheeks, he took her hand and turned back to the crowd, not needing any more confirmation than that. He glanced at each person in turn, a sense of pride filling his chest as the words left his mouth, "Heck yeah, we are!"

The entire guild erupted in a chorus of whistles and loud cheers, shaking the very foundations of the building in their excitement for the couple, "Oh, wow! Thanks guys! You're too kind!" Lucy's smile shone brighter than it had done in ages, overwhelmed with glee that their guild mates were so pleased for them.

"They've all been worried about ya, Luce." Natsu whispered closely so only she could hear and leaned in to kiss her cheek, knowing just how much this all meant to her. He took the excitable little guy off her hands, giving her the freedom to catch up with everybody.

"I knew it! I knew there was something fishy about you two! But congratulations guys, that's great news!" Levy cheered, ready to get down to the nitty gritty of every dirty detail.

"You had us worried there, Lucy. For a while, I thought you were never coming back!" Lisanna shared, hugging the celestial mage tightly, probably a little too tight.

"Oh… I'm sorry to have made you all worry, but I'm feeling much better now." The blonde explained, a light tint of pink dusting her cheeks from all the attention she was getting.

She could see Natsu hadn't moved too far away from her and tilted her head to look at him. Chuckling to herself, she could hear Erza try to apologise to him, suggesting the boy punch her right in the face for making such a mistake, a suggestion that was right up his alley, if it weren't for Haru in his arms.

Catching his beautiful blonde staring at him through the corner of his eye, he turned in her direction and winked, grinning as he held the little boy up on his shoulders to walk back over to her, "You feeling alright, Luce?" He asked, worried she may have forced herself into attending the celebrations before she was ready.

She nodded shyly, a little taken aback by the overwhelming attention she was receiving. Feeling his hand once again take hold of hers, she stared up into his confident eyes, then up to the child having the time of his life on his fathers shoulders, "I'm okay, but today's about Haru, not me, and I wasn't gonna miss this for the world." She grinned up at the small boy and reached up to stroke his cheek affectionately, chuckling at his enormous smile.

"You're right! Come on, Lucy! I wanna show you what we've done!" Natsu all but dragged the poor girl outside, Haru and Happy in tow, to show her the sheer amount of effort that had gone in to making Haru's first birthday, special.

The entire guilds courtyard had been lit up like a Christmas tree, with nothing left untouched. Banners and bunting of every colour hung from every post, table and tree. Tables upon tables of delicious food had been laid out with the most gargantuan home made birthday cake (courtesy of Mira) proudly sat in the middle of it all. An enormous pile of gifts had also been laid out, all individually wrapped with little cards to say whom they were from and most importantly, the pool had been filled with all kinds of fun inflatables and toys for all the children to play with.

Lucy looked around in amazement. She couldn't believe they'd gone to so much effort just for a one year old, a child that would unfortunately never remember this, but it didn't matter, she and Natsu would for him. "This is incredible, Natsu! I can't believe you did all this without me!"

"Don't sound too surprised; I can help organise things when I want to. And it wasn't all me, Mira came up with the idea." He looked up to the child above him and chuckled, "You like it, Haru?" The child had no idea what was going on, with no concept of birthdays or parties, he simply cheered anyway, responding to his Daddy's infectious grin, "Good! Well then Luce, let's get this party started!"

With his grin turning evil, he squeezed her hand tight and dived head first into the pool, with no consideration for his, Lucy's or Haru's clothing. She yelped at the top of her voice, her only reply a cackle before being submerged under water, thus setting the mood for the rest of the day.

After a full afternoon of playing with the other children, eating lots of cake and other treats, and opening presents, Haru found himself in the pool once again, this time in more appropriate attire for the water. A pair of cute little lion themed trunks (gifted by Loke), and a cute turtle inflatable ring adorning his middle (a present from Lisanna), made it much easier for him to stay above the surface while enjoying a swim in the water.

Natsu, in his usual flamed swim shorts, also found himself in the pool, diving under and popping back up in random places to surprise the little boy. Haru loved a good game of peek-a-boo, the anticipation of where his Daddy was going to pop up next was just too exhilarating. He squealed and laughed every time he resurfaced, then his eyes would grow wide in anticipation when he dived back down again.

"Gotcha!" Natsu exclaimed, appearing behind the little guy and grabbing his sides. "Does Haru want a go?" He asked, lifting him out of the rubber ring and holding him above the surface with just his hands, letting the infant tread the water to keep himself up, "Look at you! You'll be swimming in no time!"

Lucy watched on from her sun lounger, not remotely amused that the slayer had got her cute dress soaked, or that she now had to lay in just her pastel blue bikini, feeling somewhat self conscious with everyone staring at her exposed belly. She laid comfortably basking in the hot sunlight kissing her skin, trying to catch some semblance of a tan, relaxing while she could. She felt happy, content even, thankful that her symptoms had calmed down just in time for Haru's big day.

It'd been a long time since she'd been able to do this without having to run to the bathroom. With no spell or potion being strong enough to truly rid her of the awful feeling, she'd become well acquainted with the toilet in their house, having spent most of her time with her nose down it. It'd been hard over the last few months adapting to her changing body, her wild mood swings and questionable cravings, but she also knew it would be worth it in the end and it was on days like this, with her friends and loved ones surrounding her that she sincerely felt it.

Smiling to herself, Lucy placed her hand on her small, protruding stomach, feeling the tiny flutterings of the little one moving around inside, "You're an active little one today." She giggled, looking to be talking to herself by onlookers, but she didn't mind. "Then again, you're active everyday."

"Juvia's baby is quite active too, but he's closer to his due date than yours and is much bigger." Juvia said, coming to sit on the next lounger. She cradled her own, much larger bump that'd been covered by a flowy, light green summer dress, finding her regular clothes to form fitting and hot to wear now. "It's quite the feeling when he does somersaults in Juvia's belly."

"He? You're having a boy?" Lucy asked, intrigued to learn more and catch up with her friend.

"Yes, Porlyusica told us the last time we visited. Juvia always imagined she'd have a little boy, maybe watching Haru has something to do with that." She gleamed, looking over to the small fella splashing about in the pool still, having the time of his life with his father.

"I'm so pleased for you! I bet Gray was thrilled!" The blonde exclaimed, knowing he would be.

"Of course! Gray was very pleased. In fact, he made us go out and buy all the boys clothes we could find in the market afterwards. Then he took Juvia home and made-"

"No, it's okay… I don't think I need to know any more!" Lucy felt her cheeks burn red at the very thought.

"Made Juvia dinner…" The water mage finished, furrowing her brows at Lucy's assumption.

"O-Oh… Oops! Sorry Juvia, I thought you were going to say that you guys-"

"Made love? I think those hormones are getting the better of you, Lucy." Cana appeared, wagging her imaginary tail at the slightest mention of sex. "They say you get more horny when you're pregnant. I bet you and Natsu are at it all of the time? Actually, I'm kinda surprised he's not over here right now, with you looking all juicy like that!"

"Cana!" Lucy spluttered, her cheeks burning even more furiously. "You can't say things like that in public!" She didn't want to discuss her sex life in front of others, even if what they were saying was true—when she wasn't heaving of course.

"She's right though, Lucy. Juvia hasn't been unable to keep her hands off of Gray." The blue haired girl reaffirmed, her eyes like love hearts as she thought of her beloved Gray. "And Gray hasn't been able to keep his hands off Juvia, either."

"Wow, looking kinda smug there… You were like that any way…" Cana murmured, shaking her head at the love struck girl.

Well, there went Lucy's relaxing in silence, now she could barely keep from her head exploding—Good ol' Cana! "I don't wanna hear any more!" The celestial mage reiterated, covering her ears for emphasis.

"Oh, come on, Lucy! You're pregnant! That didn't happen by accident! You and Natsu knew exactly what you were doing." Cana retorted, moving herself closer to the flustered girl, her boozy breath permeating the air.

"U-Uh… Well… No, actually. It was kind of an accident…" Lucy admitted, feeling a little awkward by saying that out loud, her friends surprised faces not helping matters, "But it was a good accident!"

"Huh… And here I was thinking you were the cautious type, Lucy… Not that it matters. It's good to let the mood just take ya." Cana grinned, her shock forgotten.

"Don't look so ashamed Lucy, you'll both have another sweet baby to call your own and that's a wonderful thing. I imagine Natsu was over the moon when you both found out." Mira beamed her usual motherly smile as she came to sit near them all, having wanted to get the details on Lucy's pregnancy since earlier, "If Juvia's is a boy, then I bet yours is going to be a girl, Lucy."

"You think so?" The blonde asked back, never having actually considered what the sex would be before, but the thought of having a little girl join the family sounded rather appealing, especially in a house dominated by boys.

"Yes, with Haru as well, we need a little girl to make it more even. And she's gonna have the cutest pink hair and big brown eyes, I can just see it now!" Mira was off in a little world of her own, thinking of blue haired baby boys and pink haired baby girls—she was incorrigible.

"Boy or girl, I just hope that after living in a house full of ravenous beasts, this little one might be more like me. Haru's just a dark haired Natsu, he even laughs like him." Lucy placed her hand where she could feel the little movements of her baby and chuckled down, "But who am I kidding? You've already got your father's energy, that's for sure."

"Hey! Don't say that like it's a bad thing, Luce!" Natsu overheard as he appeared out of no where. "There's nothing wrong with having a mini-me, ain't that right, kid?" He hi-fived the now dry child in his arms, having already dried himself using his magic. "Who cares what they are or who they look like? You'll be in there somewhere, Luce; you're their mother, after all."

"Yeah, you're right." She said, always fascinated by Natsu's simplistic, yet logical way of thinking.

"Any way, it's getting kinda late, I was gonna take Haru somewhere a bit more quiet," Natsu gestured to the current brawl taking place behind him.

"Leaving so soon?" Mira asked, standing to say goodbye to the grizzly birthday boy.

"Yeah, he's all pooped out from the busy day he's had and I think he's ready to go to sleep now. Thanks for organising it, Mira!" He said, before turning swiftly to Lucy, "You coming?"

The bikini clad girl jumped to her feet and stretched her arms up, feeling the tiredness begin to set in, completely unaware of her partners roaming gaze, "Yeah, sure... Just let me put my dress-"

"Lucy! Watch out!" She heard Natsu shout suddenly as she bent to grab the item of clothing.

Feeling herself being pushed back onto the sun lounger, she flailed and reached her arms out to catch herself. Darting her eyes up to see what was going on, she was met with the exposed back of the dragon slayer that had moved to shield her from something. Smoke clouded him and the infant; an unfamiliar heat emanated off of his body. The girl hadn't seen what'd happened, or what she'd been saved from, but if the harsh, heavy breathing of the man in front of her was anything to go by, it was a close call.

"Natsu…" She started, but stalled there after, unsure of what more to say to him.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, you old geezer! Do you have any idea what could've happened just then?!" Natsu bellowed, his voice teeming with rage as his eyes narrowed at the culprit. "You're lucky I was here to catch your stupid attack, or that would've gone straight for Lucy!"

The brawl had come to a complete stand still and Macao, the one that'd thrown a fire ball initially at Wakaba, had gone ghostly pale as the dragon slayer's piercing gaze stared him down. "Hey man, I'm sorry… I didn't even know she was there, it was an accident!" He held his hands up in submission, not wanting to enter into a fight with the maddened slayer, knowing that was one he'd never win. "We got a little carried away, that's all."

"Oh yeah? Maybe I should go all out and see how you like it? Try and dodge this one!" Natsu roared, sending a blazing ball of fury of his own hurtling through the air, aiming it right at Macao's cowering body. Turning hotfooted back to Lucy, the distant cries of the offender being struck by his magic was like music to his ears, his anger satiated.

"Are you hurt, Luce? Did anything hit you?" He did a full search of her body, checking for any kind of injury. His worried eyes eventually fell upon her exposed belly and instinctually brought his hand out to caress it softly, "Is the baby okay?"

Smiling up at him, she brought her own hand to rest on his cheek and pulled him closer, loving just how protective he could be, "Of course, our baby's fine. No need to worry." She guided his palm to where the little one was doing somersaults and allowed him to feel the light pads against his skin.

Unable to keep his infectious grin down for long, he pushed his mouth hastily against Lucy's in a kiss that turned heated all too quickly. Buzzing with adrenaline from the incident, Natsu moved his hand from her belly and tangled his fingers into her hair, holding her in place as he enjoyed the taste of her warm lips.

"That's it, fire breath, you took it too far this time!" He heard Gray shout from behind him, knocking him out of his 'Lucy' trance and pull away, glancing over his shoulder, "Look at what you've done to the pool, you dumbass!" The ice mage pointed to the steaming pit that was once the guilds pool, fuming at the state of it.

"Ha! Looks like you and Juvia are gonna have a fun time filling that back up!" Natsu guffawed, passing the fidgety Haru to Lucy.

"Screw you, Pinky! You're going down!" Gray threatened, launching himself at the fire wizard and starting yet another brawl.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy looked down at the sleepy boy rubbing his tired eyes, and decided to creep away from the fight that just seemed to be attracting more and more people, "Come on then, sweetheart. It looks like Daddy's got himself distracted again." She chuckled, disappearing back inside before anyone had noticed she was gone.

By the time the evening swept in, Lucy had found herself a quiet spot up on a small hill a little ways from the guild, overlooking the lake behind it. She sat cosily against one of the many old oak trees, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and the baby laid across her chest, begrudgingly, but slowly falling asleep. She hummed her sweet lullaby to soothe her tuckered out child, hoping to coax him into closing his eyes.

It was moments like this that she cherished the most with Haru, just her and him with no one to interrupt. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm, exactly what she was looking for compared to the ruckus that was the guild's 'after' party that continued on down the street. She could even hear the rumble of their antics from where she sat, but luckily, it was pretty muffled, unable to spoil her quietude.

After weeks of staying at home, it sure made a pleasant change to be watching the sunset instead. She'd grown tired and achy after such a busy day, her feet were sore and her head had grown weary, but still she watched contented as the beautiful evening began to fade.

The young mother could finally hear the soft, even breaths of the slumbering child and gently placed him upon her bent up legs, covering him with her blanket to keep him from feeling the chill in the air. Staring at his little angelic features, she found it hard to fathom how drastically her life had changed compared to just twelve months before. She'd grown so much as a person and gained everything she'd ever wanted and more, making new memories along the way.

She and Natsu had unknowingly plunged themselves into a completely new world, taking on the responsibility of an abandoned child and calling him their own. Haru had opened their eyes to a life they never thought they'd get to experience, especially not with each other. The little boy had brought them together in a way that would forever bind them, creating the family unit they were today. It only seemed fitting to name this day as Haru's official birthday, for it was the day his life, and theirs, had begun anew.

Leaning her head back against the tree, becoming lost in her memories, her eyelids began to close, a wave of exhaustion rushing over her while sleep tempted her in. A rustle of a nearby bush was quick to quash that feeling though, as a startled Lucy snapped her eyes wide open and darted her head over to where the sound had come from.

"Oh, Natsu… It's just you…" She breathed, laying her bleary eyes onto that familiar toothy grin and untameable pink hair, a scaly, white scarf to match. "Tell me, what were you doing hiding in the bushes?"

"Looking for you." He said simply, walking out onto the hillside to join her, having deliberately left out the part that he'd been hiding there for much longer than he'd care to admit. In fact, one might say he'd been there the entire time, watching the beauty that was Lucy quietly sing their son to sleep and hadn't wanted to disturb her until she'd finished. "You left, so I had to come find ya."

"Oh, you didn't have to. I just wanted to settle Haru before he started getting grumpy. It's nice and quiet out here." Her voice sounded airy and light, her eyes half lidded and a little bloodshot. "You can go back and join the others if you want, I'm okay." She offered, but Natsu knew better than that, he always did.

"You don't have to pretend for me, Lucy. I can see how tired you are." He'd learnt pretty quickly in the past few months that pregnancy didn't just make her exceptionally sick, but that it had an array of different symptoms, some physical and others emotional, but all unpleasant and incredibly draining for her. "Why would I leave any way, you're all out here?"

"Happy's not."

"Yeah, and Happy's capable of looking after himself. He's too interested in Carla to notice we're even gone. You know what he's like." Natsu explained, scooting closer to Lucy to take the infant from her legs.

He set the baby down in his lap to keep him warm, the fluffy blanket tightly swaddling his body. The two mages cuddled up to one another, watching the twinkling stars come out to glimmer and shine down onto the glistening water in the distance.

"It's crazy to think it's been an entire year since we brought him home. Who knows where we'd be without him here?" Lucy reminisced, her gaze drifting from the moonlit lake, to the baby snoring peacefully without a single care in the world. "Or where his life might've gone, if we hadn't taken him in."

"We'd be what we always were," Natsu stated bluntly, tearing his own gaze away to look at the girl beside him, "Best friends, going on adventures and honestly, that's kinda the sad truth of it all. As for Haru…" He glanced down at his cuddled up son, smiling sadly as he remembered the first time he ever set eyes on the tiny, lifeless baby, that fateful day, "I made a promise to keep him safe; to make sure he lived… He was always going to come with me, there was never another choice. I just didn't know it then."

"And I'll be forever grateful that he did, because..." Lucy cleared her throat, feeling a little emotional at the thought, "Now, I have you and him! And nothing has ever made me happier! Choosing to adopt a child was the most daunting thing I've ever done, but it's proven to be the best decision I've ever made, one I'll always be thankful for." She gave her own toothy smile, a slight tint of pink dusting her cheeks as she poured her heart out to him.

Natsu felt his heart squeeze tight, her words reminiscent of his own feelings and quirked his lips up at her. Reaching his hand forward, he smoothed his fingers through her golden locks, before coming to rest it under her ear, guiding her to him, "Me too, Luce. Which is why…"

Lucy's breathing deepened the closer she got and felt his other hand come up to hold hers tenderly, paying no mind to him fiddling with her fingers, "Which is why, what? Is there something else?" She asked, cocking her head cutely as their breaths began to mingle. "Natsu?" Her eyes fluttered between his dark ones, waiting expectantly for him to finish.

"I… I wanna ask you something." He murmured just before claiming her mouth, connecting their lips in a kiss so sickly sweet, it made Lucy's belly fill with butterflies.

She could have melted into a puddle right then and there, the feel of his affections always had a way of making her turn to goo in his hands. Her spine shivered and the adrenaline buzzed through her system, not having the capacity to comprehend the words that'd been spoken, for her mind had been taken over by the feel of his hot mouth. Letting go of her hand, he snaked his fingers up to the other side of her neck and pulled her closer, craving those sweet cherry lips that he liked to nip at with his teeth.

Her fingers were now free to roam and touch as they pleased, tangling them up through his hair and tugging on the pink strands at the base of his neck. Desperate for breath, she pulled herself away and gazed into his half lidded eyes for mere seconds, before he impatiently delve down to ravish her neck. The sucking and biting just under her ear caused small gasps and whimpers to escape the increasingly aroused celestial mage, her eyes fogging with lust, until something bright caught her attention.

"What was that?" She asked panting, her voice raspy as she tried to catch sight of whatever it was again. It had flickered like a light, shined like a reflection and sparkled all at once, making her wonder if she'd really seen anything at all.

"What was what, Lucy?" He asked her, not meaning to sound quite so unsurprised, when usually he was the first to go looking for trouble.

"I thought I saw…" She didn't really know what she'd seen, her mind too muddled from the heated moment they were having; maybe it was just her eyes playing tricks? Or worse… someone was spying on them.

Natsu clasped at the hand she had buried in his hair and brought it into view, "Was it this, maybe?" He asked, drawing attention to one specific digit.

Feeling the contrast between his warm skin and the cold hardness of something else against her finger, Lucy peered down in curiosity, her breath stalling when her eyes laid upon the object of confusion. Gasping loudly, she clasped at her mouth, two enlarged chocolate orbs flickered between him and her hand in utter astonishment. Somehow, in the midst of their make out session, Natsu had managed to band the most simplistic, yet beautiful ring onto her finger, where it sat proudly and spoke of untold intentions.

"It's… I-It's beautiful! B-But how did you- When-" She stuttered, too lost in what this all might mean, searching deep within his dark eyes for the answers to her silent, but obvious questions.

"That's the right finger, isn't it?" He asked, looking uncharacteristically nervous, a small pink hue dabbing his cheeks. His heart was beating much quicker than he would've liked, hoping he hadn't screwed up already.

That was all she needed to hear to confirm her suspicions, her brown eyes wet with unshed tears, "N-Natsu, I… I don't know what to say-" She couldn't speak, this was too much and he'd not said anything yet.

"Lucy…" He spoke with every sincerity, taking the ringed hand and entwined their fingers. "I'm not so good with this stuff, but I know that getting married is important to you, which makes it important to me, too. I promised you forever and I guess you could say, this is me making good on that promise." He caressed her soft cheek with his thumb and smiled when he saw the glint in her eyes shine back at him. "So, what do you say? Prepared to commit yourself to this," he gestured to himself and winked playfully, "For the rest of your life?"

Finding herself unable to keep her emotions in check, the girl didn't answer, but instead, launched herself at him, giving him barely any time to move the slumbering child out of the way and brace for impact. Landing on top of the winded dragon slayer, she managed to catch herself with her hands and gleamed down at him, tears falling from her eyes and the smile on her face rivalling his. She leant down and connected their lips once again, taking the lead this time, unable to keep her happiness from pouring out.

To the side, still held in Natsu's opened out arm, was Haru, completely unaware of what was going down, his dreams taking him to far off places. His developing sibling in his Mommy's tummy, however, didn't seem quite so pleased, having been wedged between the two loved up adults as they made out under the sea of stars, had decided to take matters into their own hands. With one almighty kick, the kiss came to a quick halt when Lucy groaned and pulled back, grabbing hold of her bump to sooth the sore area.

"Jeez! Was that the baby kicking you? 'Cause even I felt that one!" Natsu looked surprised, amazed that their baby was so strong, at just five months, that he'd been able to feel the force of the kick against his own abdomen. "Is it still hurting, Luce? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it just shocked me, that's all. They've never been quite that strong before." She chuckled, sitting herself up and straddling his hips as she looked down to her belly, gently caressing it with her thumb, "You were just trying to tell Mommy to move, weren't you?"

Balancing himself up onto his elbow, Natsu also placed his hand on top of Lucy's bump and smirked, "Or maybe, they were just tryin' to get their Mommy to say yes."

"Like you needed an answer!" Quirking her eyebrow up at his smirk, she shifted back a little as he sat himself up against the tree, laying Haru gently next to them while Lucy remained in place, "But you haven't actually asked me anything yet. Who knows what I could be agreeing to? This is you, after all."

The young man chuckled and grinned his thousand watt smile, knowing she'd catch him out eventually, "Alright, have it your way." The mischievous look on his face didn't disappear, even when he tried to take it seriously, "Will you marry me, Lucy?"

She returned his beaming smile with one of her own, glad to have heard it come from his mouth and nodded her head enthusiastically, "Of course, Natsu, the answer was always a yes."

"Good. Can I go back to kissing you now?" He asked, but didn't bother waiting for a reply and went to pull that enticing mouth back in for a third kiss, hoping this time there'd be no more interruptions in the forms of sparkling rings or unimpressed unborn babies.

But just as their lips were about to touch, Lucy paused ever so tantalisingly close to him and furrowed her brows, causing the boy to sigh impatiently, "What is it now?"

"Have you been holding on to that ring all day?" She enquired, only realising now that he must've got it from somewhere.

"Nah, not all day, just the party. I had to ask Happy to go and get it for me while you were distracted with Haru." Natsu explained, scratching the back of his head, "I was gonna do it myself, but stuff happened and then you suddenly showed up."

"Stuff… happened?" Now she was even more curious; what could've gone on in her absence?

"Yeah… them." He shivered still traumatised, pointing over to where Fairy Tail's guild hall stood, still alive and partying, and Lucy understood immediately just what he was referring to, giving her an insight into what she'd unsuspectingly walked in on earlier that day. "So, I had to change up my plans."

"Oh! Why didn't you just do it tomorrow instead? Rather than make it difficult for yourself." She asked, feeling a little smug when she saw the light go on in his brain.

She'd stumped him there. Always the brains of the operation, he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that. He'd wanted to do it on a day that meant something to the both of them, but really, did it matter? The result would've been the same.

Noticing her cocky smirk and the playfulness in her eyes, he rose to the challenge, a fire in his belly, "Because, Miss Know-it-all, today was special, just like you said… And it wasn't difficult… I had it all under control…"

"Uh-huh…" She watched him become a little fidgety as if he weren't quite telling the truth and her smirk widened into a smug, toothy grin, "So you were just pretending to be scared when Erza was threatening you? I get it."

His eyes were sharp and intense, just like they were in battle, the one sided grin to boot as he bore into her playful expression, "Your playing with fire, Lucy…" His voice dangerous and brimming with cockiness.

"Then let it burn." She whispered close to his ear, barely able to get the words out before she found herself being forced onto her back, her hands held down above her head, with a fired up dragon slayer carefully leant over her form.

"You asked for it!" He growled, gulping down a large breath as he connected his mouth to the sensitive skin of her neck, torturing her senses with his loving but fierce embrace.

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thekitschdiet · 3 years

Text

the kitsch diet part II

part one alr posted!! this chunk is about 3,000~ words long... let me know what u think :-) thank u all for all the luv already!!! looks like I really will hit 31 followers by easter!!!!!!!!

Who is the Kitsch Girl?

I think this is more loosely defined, but The Chic Diet did a truly admirable way of reducing a girl to her YSL bag and her really skinny legs. Now, that implies an archetype, or a population in a specific location. I think kitschness is kind of the niche you fill when you’re not really much of anything else, sort of your own conglomerate of mainstream-specific. One major requirement, though, is being a little too into something somewhat uncool. And the whole illusion falls apart if you have any sort of outward insecurity. See, the Kitsch Girl is somewhat undefinable because she is so much of everything. She exists in multitudes, in a way that is also quite simple to understand; think of a list of axioms, or principles to live by. And now add a section to each one that says “but…” to make a collection of verified exceptions. Say, the kitsch girl will never wear jeans. But she thrifted this pair of vintage flares she just loves. She doesn’t reply to texts efficiently, but sometimes she will within a couple seconds. No mascara, no dinner forks, candles are to be collected not burned; but that was a gift, or something. It’s not personal, of course, those are just the contradictions she exists in. Don’t try to understand it, the enigma is essential to the facade. Or maybe she just lives like this, and her character is so homogenous with her inner world there’s no sense in trying to separate it. You have to have a little bit of an individuality complex about the whole ordeal, which is normally so eugh, but if you’re kitschy enough it works on you. Trust!The Kitsch girl is not someone unlikeable, but amiable and well heeled. I double checked that last one, assuming it meant liked by most, but apparently means affluent. I suppose that is an aspect of the kitsch girl too, having seemingly endless frivolous expenses with no real strain, but that’s not important right now. People that don’t like her think so out of jealousy, or something. Envious that her clothes are all kind of shake-it-up-esque and her highlights desperately need touching up, but she still seems so enthralled with the whole of life… How does she enjoy her own company so much when other people want to know her better? Doesn’t she feel weird about blowing people off to make a joke about reading Kafka in the bath? Why would she document her cluttered, unexciting life on Instagram so delicately, so vibrantly? Of course, no one would say this to her face because they are really baseless claims. She’s nice, generous, and valuable to have as a friend. Trade-offs exist, as they do with anyone. But I like thinking it’s easier to overlook a forgotten birthday when your kitschy best friend gave you a multi strand pearl necklace to celebrate the welcome breeze of June. Or some other made-up holiday. She is so unassuming if you’re not really looking. Girls want in on her inner circle. Or they just don’t care. Nothing wrong with being liked or thought of naught, for the most part. Boys are either enthralled or repulsed by her. Her doctor knows her as something of a hypochondriac, but only minorly. It’s just carpal tunnel, don’t worry… The sales staff at CVS turn a blind eye when she slips an eyeliner pencil into her tote bag. She shoplifts on occasion, just to see if she still knows how. But she is not a shoplifter. $9 here and $6.45 there doesn’t really add up to much. Everywhere she goes, she makes a tertiary friend or two. The term of friend is loosely used here, of course. But it is nice to tell a stranger you like her earrings. Or her phone case is so fun, is it Wildflower? The kitsch girl has an eye for this kind of detail. Simply put, she is sort of unspectacular. But in a way that makes you sort of wish you knew her better.

Phone cases

The phone case is, like, religious for the kitsch girl. Sorry, but there’s just no other accessory as flippant and expensive and single-purpose as a trendy little iPhone case with some semitacky stickers plastered over the design. I used to have an iPhone XS- extrasmall- with like, 18 phone cases. It was kind of a sordid affair. I jest, but really… owning that many phone cases was kind of sick. We get it, you are frivolous and spontaneous and sooo stylish! Stop posting mirror selfies on your Instagram story, your crush isn’t going to see it. Kidding again. Having an extensive collection of phone cases is just so fun because while attainable, most people just simply do not partake in it. That makes you kitschy and unique. I really thought I had more to say about the IDEA of the phone case, but I guess in practice it is all very, very simple. You can slide your driver’s license in the back of a clear case. At what point does it stop being cool to have legal operational control of a vehicle? I don’t display mine because I don’t really like the photo. I look round. In the eyes but also just in general, swollen, unglamorous. Whatever. Not like I drive a Nissan or anything. I drive my *Mom’s* Nissan. Playing Bladee in the car seems sacrilegious. She would hate it.Back to phone cases. Sonix ones are cute but kind of overpriced retail- unless you have like, an iPhone 12 Pro Max or whatever the fuck is new this year, just go to Winner’s. They always have Xs and 11 cases. I had a cherry one for my previous phone, like the exact one Lana Del Rey had? Thank god I sold it before she got outed as a copfucker or whatever. Casetify is for an inadvertent flex. Flexing your lame, lame taste. Sorry, I know you bought it because you liked it, but what you failed to consider is just how un-Kitsch they are. SO common, and they advertise on Instagram. Sorry, I just can’t get into it! Kind of how I just never liked the Brandy Amara tanks. Or lowtop converse. Otterbox is just distressing. Like, if my boyfriend gave me an otterbox phone case I would probably break up with him because somebody clearly isn’t paying attention- one of my favorite, potentially overused joke is how Otterbox cases are the equivalent of orthopedic insoles. Sorry but if you have poor arch support or whatever, but no pain is worth giving up a good pair of Margiela slingback tabi heels. Obviously I couldn’t afford that right now because all loose income goes directly to Wildflower and my cig boy. But like, one day. I hope you want to punch me in the face a little bit after reading that. If Wildflower isn’t your thing, at least have the decency to get a beaded phone strap. But not from String Ting. Pray tell you aren’t keeping score, but they are one of my several parasocial enemies. That should have been ME collaborating with Wildflower! Should have been ME mailing shit to Caroline Calloway (more on her later, but she is the only blue check I follow. I adore her! I was on her patreon for a bit I thinkl!!) …. Side note. Phone cases are cute but there is no way to properly protect your laptop without looking just absurd or colossally lame. The foam sleeves… ick.

Having the shittiest music taste ever

So like, here’s the thing. I’m an Apple Music user, which sort of reinstates my status as an unironic My Bloody Valentine Hyperpop Death Grips kinda gal. Read; volcel. My most recent conquest ended up being a huge L on my part, but also… I totally dodged a bullet. The guy had an iPhone 11 (female trait) and didn’t know who Rei Brown was, which just seemed suspicious given his Niche. I just know he had a “making out playlist” comprising entirely of like, Joji. Which isn’t a bad thing I guess but so unembarrassing it horseshoes back to being humiliating.Like I said. Having the worst music taste. It’s nice how subjective and deeply personal your music taste can be; no one really Needs to know you’re a die hard drainer. But there’s also no point in being a die-hard drainer and Not capitalizing off it somehow. I added it up and I have well over 150 hours of just Bladee and Yung Lean. Which is so yass? The more I write, using myself as a case study, I realize just how desperately jobless I am. And Yogenfruz isn’t even hiring! UGH!I think there is something very kitschy about liking hyperpop in the least ironic, least obnoxious way. Sort of feeds into a “I’m not like other girls” thing, but I mean… That’s kind of the idea of kitsch, isn’t it? Be a little different but also the very same as your lipgloss brethren?!Side note. If you make monthly playlists I am genuinely kind of afraid of you. That is just so organized!! I just make playlists with esoteric titles and then make a new one when I’m sick of the stuff on the last. I have exhausted most genres but I think my favorite is the “I’m wearing f****ng air forces and my teeth are SO white”. Guess what genre it is. Or don’t, but it’s probably what you think is. Okay, moving on….

Curating a scent

I like thinking I smell like mango and peach, Glossier you, whatever citrus is in that Lush shower jelly and mint 5Gum. But of course it is probably less distinct and just kind of generally fruit-floral-mint. Anyway. I think Glossier You is the perfect scent for anyone with a rather elementary understanding of the whole.. Perfume business. Every bottle of intentional fragrance I own was made via aesthetic choices… it really helps that Glossier You is so cute And so universal. Now, Glossier is kind of interesting to me because it really is at the intersection of cheugy and kitsch. Kind of basic, overplayed, unspectacular. But also…. Often popular things are popular because they are good. Glossier has excellent customer suurv, they ship SO fast (and no import duties! W!) and their stuff is just so sweet and nice if not unoriginal, in kind of the same way strawberry ice cream is. Which is still my favorite, of course, especially if there’s a vegan option. I was talking about Glossier. What the hell! It’s really worth trying out. A huge principle of kitsch is just… having as many possible layers and appendages to your composure as possible. And adding a signature scent just really completes that! When curating your own, I say this as a complete amateur, know-nothing; make it something that comes kind of naturally to Your Character. Like, I’m just not a Chanel No 5 kind of girl. Odds are you aren’t either. My bottle (before she asked for it back when I told her I didn’t use it, in exchange for a Nordstrom’s gift card) was from my grandmother. Ummm.. Yeah, I really have no expertise in curating a scent. But it is nice to have a signature. And having a bottle displayed on your dresser next to your aughties McDonald milkshake themed beanie baby and a handful of lip products is just way too fun! This is the kind of girl I am, everyone! Cluttered, but prioritizing pretty-delicate things!

Cheugyism

Cheugy is a relatively new word that has unfortunately wormed into my vocabulary to replace “uncouth”. Which I use to mean graceless or tacky, but if that isn’t what it means…. Don’t tell me. That would hurt more than weighing myself after a “feast” slash pastry binge at my dear Grandmothe’s house. Like I was saying. Cheugy. It’s sort of a fucked up concept to me because it is a critique on consumption, but not the pace or volume or magnitude of it. But rather… the idea of not being “good” enough at engaging in microtrends, or involvement in the fast paced fashion cycle. Don’t get me started on TikTok, or do, but… yeah,. No. That will require a cigarette because I’m so sorry, but writing a thinkpiece on social media is so lowbrow I would need to find about six ways to aesthetically counteract it…. Moving on. I think the idea of cheugy is good, we really do need a word to simply and efficiently define “out of date/uninspired/lame”. But the way it is used to shame others for not liking the same trends or whatever is kind of gross. If you use cheugyism to put other people down and not as a neutral identifier umm… you will become what you fear. Sorry, that’s what happens. Some things that I think are cheugy or embarrassing, or just not part of my stylistic lexicon are… 1. Hooded or zip up clothing, or things with a large graphic on the back. Bingo if it's all three! I just can’t get behind it. Side note, my summer home outfit is brandy sweats and a tube top (Urban Outfitters tank I ripped the straps off) and a large cardigan that should have belonged to a stoner, but probably didn’t. I can dunk on bulky, uninspired clothes because I would honest to God NEVER be caught DEAD out of the house wearing any of it. I’m so serious. Next segment should be about the kitsch girl’s inadvertent affinity for diuretics. Remind me….. One of the ports of my laptop is dead. Not really sure what to do about that.

Eye makeup and what it means to me….

Personally, I am one of those people who never wears foundation and kind of has a complex about it. The kitsch girl wears fluffy eyelashes and owns a plethora of sparkly eyeliner. Or maybe she doesn’t, but she has something distinct and a little ritzy, if not haphazard. We all saw Euphoria and it like, totally imprinted on us. The way glitter sits on your face after a long day is so resplendent. When it’s shining and a little bit melted off from your long, semi-productive day… ugh! Just made for film. Pictures on film. But not the Prequel app. I keep getting fucking ads for it. But it’s so embarrassing. Like, isn’t the whole point of film the authenticity of the moment? The texture of the afternoon? Why would you fabricate that? Prequel is just so cheugy. More on that later. But anyhow. Wearing a ton of eye makeup kind of fits with the idea of film too I think. Like, look at you, in the moment. With your strip lash falling off! It’s all so tres-chic. Plus, for whatever reason, it’s kind of unique or notably dedicated to ~Pull up to the function~ with more eye makeup on than everyone else. Sorry, but it really doesn’t take that long! But yes I will gracefully accept your praise… it’s kind of like the dropshipping of complements if you think about it. Easy to source with little to no effort in the curating. Side note, lashes are like $20 for 40 weeks if you cut them in half and use each pair about 5 times. You could probably do more but I lose track. How the fuck is it almost June? I was trudging through the snow to check the mail for my Online Ceramics shirt just last week, I swear. The trick to cutting your lashes (the way I do it anyway) is pretty simple. Get out two lashes that are symmetrical. Find the middle and cut one slightly to the left and one slightly to the right. This means you have two sets (one set is a little more dramatic than the other but at least they are symmetrical) with longer outer edges. Glue this to the outer corner of your eye and you will look so Composed… obsessed with how this layers with three eyeliner tails (one traditional one pointing up and one pointing down directly below it, sort of like the tail light on a 2019 Lexus UX) and one below your eye, like a clown. Fun, irrelevant fact, is the first time I added this third tail to my eye makeup, my dad had just gotten home from the hospital because he was sure he had like appendicitis or something and it was actually.. Not that. Typical indie hypochondriac. He made me bring him cottage cheese on a plate with a teaspoon that evening. I put black pepper on it for flair, which he hated. Walking up and down stairs with a plate of cottage cheese is much more imprinting than most of the multiplication tables. Don’t forget to use a bright shimmer eyeshadow in your inner corner. It really opens up your eyes. I recommend Too Faced. One time I got a little bit too high and tried to film an “editorial” makeup tutorial. You will never, ever, ever see that video. But I essentially covered my whole eyelid in the ABH shadow “palermo” and smudged out the edges with a tan Tartelette Toasted shade, coupled with my long-expired Milk Makeup holographic stick. Lopsided lashes and near-blinding eyeliner experience aside, it was kind of cool. My point is, you really cannot go wrong with an arsenal of shimmers, taupey mattes and a good eyeliner pen.

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gaymershigh · 3 years

Note

hi! can i request riddle, ace, epel, deuce, and floyd finding out their male s/o is an age regressor to cope with stress? pls make it fluffy!! (also it's ok if you can't do my request !! /genuine)

Despite this being so long in my inbox for so long, I'm actually pretty excited to do this one, anonnie! However, this is a shorter since I don't fully know about age regressing, sorry about that! ಥ_ಥ

Triggers: none

Riddle, Ace, Epel, Deuce and Floyd discovering their male s/o is an age regressor

He was always the one who gets stressed out from his dorm members so you're probably the one that needs to comfort him if anything but it doesn't mean he doesn't know how to comfort you as well.

But that doesn't mean he automatically knows what to do when he's finds this information about you, though. He has learned several things throughout his garbage childhood but age regression is not one of it.

When Trey said it's been days since you looked drained and tired from what he presumely was because of you studying for the final exam and just prefect duties in general. This got him worried because you're his lover and obviously he doesn't want to see you worried.

When he did check up with you, he was loss for words. There were coloring books everywhere and then there's you connecting dots to finish the drawing of the book.

This is probably the times you are really stressed and of course he wants to help at all cost but he really doesn't know what to do. Of course, with your little explanation, everything gets a little bit easier to handle.

He didn't really have a good parent role models and the only thing that his mother did to him was celebrating his birthdays and sometimes act nice. He's not gonna act like that of course but he might accidentally project what his mother has done to you and if he did, he will be on his knees and apologize.

He'll do research's about things he should do with children/toddler/infant around your age. He wants you to feel fully comfortable on age regressing around him, this could also help him with parenting if you two would ever consider adopting or so.

Dating Ace won't save you from all the chaos and disasters from this school and he DEFINITELY won't stop from causing any trouble and stressing you out unintentionally.

To be honest, you're a whole different breed of alien if you don't get stressed out at the slightest by your boyfriend and friend's shenanigans. Not only do you have to deal with daily disarray but you also have prefect duties to be doing thanks to that deatbead of a principal.

You always run up to the dorm as soon as you had finish your tasks from headmaster. At the first few times you did it he didn't really give one. You probably want to sleep since it's just tiring but as more day passes by, Ace gets more pissed. You have been lessening your time with him and barely even check your phone.

He gets it, you're tired and all but he's a selfish bastard and wants your love 24/7. So when you kept ending your calls with him very early and he HAD it. So when he barged in to your room, my man went stiff. You were just in the middle of playing with some toys until he interrupted your little session.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Just by telling him you're age regressing, he already knows what's up and what to do for some reason. He be sprinting to Sam's shop, not caring the weird looks he's getting from buying all these children/toddler type stuff. Does he care? HELL NO! You're his top priority at the current moment and this might be some way to spend time, no?

He'll dote and spoil you to bits. You're so cute, there's no way he could ever say no to your little self! Cuddles? Of course! New toys? Definitely! Headpats? Say no more! He'll love you and treat you like the lovely prince.

He sometimes accidentally forget that you can change to your big self and you'll have to remind him. He once treated you like a baby when you're in your bedroom, thinking you are still in your little self. It was awkward and he wished and beg for you to not speak about it ever again.

He was probably forced to take care of a baby in his hometown back then. Though, this doesn't mean he's automatically good at taking care of kids. If anything, he's horrible at it. He hadn't learned much from that babysitting experience.

Now, when he discovered that you age regress, those terrible memories of the baby crying up a storm comes back but this is potentially a time for him to enhance his babysitting skills, maybe? He freaking hopes so, he doesn't want to be a lost cause.

He's the one that always gets stressed and always in the lowest from the VDC practice. The burden that Vil keeps throwing on him makes him so worked up, he doesn't even see you getting also a tiny bit stressed from both manager duties and just watching others getting pressured in general.

You've been holding it back for awhile to turn to your little self in worries of getting caught. He finally notices when Ace asked if you're ok because you seemed like you're struggling with something. He got super suspicious when you kept brushing him off.

He thinks that you're just uncomfortable to talk about in public or it's something so private that even talking about it to your friends is a no-no. So when you're in your bedroom, he'll pester about you to spill the beans.

So when you did and explained to him what age regressing, he just let out a simple "oh". He doesn't know what to do other than asking questions on what you like to do. Please be straightforward with your answer because he's garbage at reading hearts and also just looks tragic when taking care of people younger than him.

He forces you that you're going to be little but in little and have to lock the door if you do because you need to let the stress go. He will also ask you if you're little subtly if your signs of being little is not as obvious.

He will learn how to take care of you and buy the things you like by looking at the things you already have or have a lot of quantity. He's not the best at taking care but he's getting better so give him a clap for that.

No little kid in their right mind would approach him when he's in his middle school days, meaning that he has have not a single interaction with a kid that could be remembered. If anything, they'll run the second he tries to even approach them. Sure, he now has experience with talking to kids but it's so painfully awkward it hurts your soul.

He knows what little space is but only the meaning of it and nothing else. He thought that people only do this because they want to literally go back to old memories which is partly true but that's not enough. You must educate this fool.

Just like Ace, you're not safe from the disasters of the school and your own boyfriend's idiocy. Him being less smart than Ace doesn't help it either. You're the god of patience if you can handle all of the messes both you, your friends and boyfriend have caused. Also again, you're something else if you can handle all the prefect duties from Crowley because he sucks.

You usually have study sessions with him so you can help him get better at history and other subject he sucks at and this could also help you memorise and learn new things as well. Though, you're have been either showing up late or keep coming up with excuses when you just don't attend at all. He's getting really impatient but doesn't want to sound like an asshole so he just deals with it.

You got caught for being little while in call without realizing. He swear he thought he can speak baby/toddler language when he spoke to you when you're still immersed in your little toys.

He ran to your room in Usain Bolt pace to your place, worried sick for you. You were finally back to your original state and explain the situation to avoid any stupid conclusions that he possibly can come up with. He was shocked when he found out this is a way to cope with stress. He asked will it help him too and if he should do it, are you against it or are you all up for it? Your choice.

He googled about how to deal with you when you're little and it miraculously help! Kinda. I mean, he knows what things to but for you and how to kinda get along with your activities. How to dote and actually treat you like your younger self? Eh...not so much but just like Epel, he's learning but not as fast as the purple haired boy. Still, praise him for putting this much effort!

It's known that he's spectacular with kids. Despite his intimidating height, he knows exactly what do without even making a single kid quiver in fear. He's way more experienced than anyone here and knows how to deal with age regressing people without himself even knowing it.

He does know what age regressing fully is just like Ace. Just say the word and he's lock and loaded with bunch of children activities that you two could do. He makes sure he brings the "fun" ones only according to his taste.

Being the manager for the VDC competition is such a burden, you knew it will be stressful but NOT this bad. From listening to others' worries to knowing the fact that there's nothing you can do at all about Vil's strictness. Watching others being in dilemmas while you're forced to sit back, watching your friends and peers at the lowest shatters your heart.

You feel absolutely useless and you hate it and telling your boyfriend about your problems won't help that much either. If anything, you don't want to annoy Floyd by seeing you in such a downer state so what's the best option? Don't spend too much time to the point of showing your problems until VDC is over! Definitely a good horrendous idea.

You didn't really think this through when he gets annoyed that you're being non-commital and looks like you really want to get out of here. He'll let it slide for a bit, thinking you're not in the mood like him sometimes but when it keeps happening consistently, he's had enough. He wants answers asap.

You should've expected him questioning and being unable to hide things from him. Since you know it's technically useless to hide things from him at this point. Might as well tell the whole thing, in a private place of course. There's no way you can let anyone else hear your little secret.

The only thing he asked is to confirm that you're age regressing. Once you say yes, he immediately goes down to business. You want that dino toy? Purchased. You don't know which playdough set you want? Out of stock. You want a kids meal type of food? All ready and served. He's really doing all this for you and wants to spoil you rotten. In exchange for cuddles and some praises of course!

Like I said before, he doesn't want your activities while being little to be quitet and dull. So he bought every single game that suitable at your little self's age and very fun for him. Get ready, because you're going to have a bomb of a time with him!

You could potentially be taller than him but he's going to pick you up and doing little circles like you're an actual baby. He'll coo you and everything, he makes the experience like you're actually back in childhood which is an amazing job.

Since there's people in your dorm thanks to the boot camp and he really wants you to be fully and all, he's going to let you be in his room so you can be his little self. Ain't no way some dumb boot camp will stop you from having a fun time with Floyd!

Can you tell that I got a sudden energy boost when writing Floyd's part? Lol~

-𝕸𝖎𝖗𝖎

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suchalonelysunflower · 3 years

Text

Strings Attached (m.c)

Pairing: Michael Clifford X Reader

Summary: It’s been four months since your break up with Michael, but you still have to give him one last birthday gift. ~ A small piece for @devilatmydoor and @blackbutterfliescal Michael’s birthday celebration ❤️🦋

Warnings: Soft Angst, language, overthinking, some bad grammar probably (English is not my first language, I’m sorry)

Word Count: 1.9 k

Author’s note: Well hello there 👀 I have been struggling to find a promt for this Michael fic but I think I got it right this time ✌🏼 This is a genderless fic and I hope you can all enjoy it ✨ Reblogs, likes and comments/feedbacks are always welcome and encouraged! I love to hear about you guys ❤️ Hope you like it and Happy reading 🦋

My materialist and other Michael fics if you wanna be tag in future pieces please let me know!

Picture from Pinterest

You have to stop staring. It’s been half an hour already, probably even more. It’s almost pathetic, but you had to make a choice and it’s a matter of now or never. Though, you had to admit that the “never” option sounds really good at the moment.

You groan as you run your hand through your hair and turn around, away from the object that had you in this horrible dilema.

You have to give it to him, you have to. It’s his, after all. You bought it for him but how the hell could you know what would have happened just a few days later?

The fight started like any other, the usual ones you used to have whenever he came late from the studio or forgot an important date. Although this time you can’t really seem to remember the reason you both lit the match that ended up burning your little world. All you can remember is walking away and slamming the door on your way out. And just like that, it was over.

Almost three years of relationship thrown away by some harsh words and invalidated feelings. At least you could say it was mutual, you needed to get away and he didn’t stop you. Would you have stayed if he did? You knew the answer was yes.

The first few days after the break up were filled with angry emotions and bad coping mechanisms, yet once it all became real you realized the mistake that you both made. You were burned out, stressed and too tired and angry to have a normal conversation, and, suddenly without realizing, the spark became a fire and it was too late to salvage anything. The damage was done and you regret every single word as you saw the ashes fall once it was over.

You can’t deny the disappointment of him not calling, but, to be fair, you haven’t called either. You two can be very stubborn, you are alike that way. The thought of “maybe this was for the best” came as it went. How can this be for the best when you are still in love with him?

You miss him, with every beat of your heart you miss him and long for him and his touch. Not even when he went away for months on ends you missed him this much. Of course, whenever he had to leave you were reassured of his love for you. You were his and he was yours. No doubts, no walking away. And yet, you did.

The guilt of it all consumed you. And maybe, just maybe, this object could be the chance you needed to fix everything you once had.

“Oh, fuck it” You said in a sigh.

You grabbed the heavy object and walked up to your car, placing it carefully on the back seat, stopping only to take a look at yourself on the reflection of the window. You were set on what you were going to do, yet you still failed to hide the fear in your eyes.

What if he started over? What if you don’t have a place in his heart anymore? Maybe he doesn't even miss you as much as you do. Maybe he doesn’t miss you at all and you will just ruin everything for him today. Could he still love you still?

Shaking those thoughts away, you open the driver’s door and start your way towards the house you once (and still hope to) call home. There was no time to back up now. You had to do this, if not to fix it then to find some closure to all of this mess.

The music on the radio served as background noise to the thousand scenarios you created in your head, not all of them with a happy ending; but you still stayed hopeful, you had to be.

Your heart skipped a beat as you pulled on the too familiar driveway, the feeling of being so close and yet so far made your stomach rumble with anxiety. But you felt an odd sense of calm as you stepped out of your car, almost like coming back home after so long of being lost by your own mistakes and missteps.

You rehearsed the words you wanted to say to him in your head without realizing that your hand acted on its own and already knocked on the door, so once you saw him open the door and stand in front of you, you were a loss of words.

“Michael…” You breathed, the shock of seeing him became too much.

He was standing there, his hair was longer and a bit unkempt. His scruffy beard framed his face and made him look more mature, you always loved his beard and how it tickled every time he kissed your cheek. You almost smiled at that thought before you remember why you were there “Hi”

“Hi,” Michael said softly, almost like a whisper. The surprise was evident in his eyes as he looked you up and down. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, you lowered your gaze and noticed that he was still wearing the hoodie you gifted him a few years back “Wh- what are you doing here?”

You winced at the sound of his voice, it did not sound like him at all. The Michael you knew was always loud when in public, his bubbly laugh filling any silence there was and, when in private, his voice would always be soft, loving and calming. That was the Michael you knew, not this timid and broken man that was standing in front of you.

“I-” You started, but soon had to clear your throat as your voice sounded as weak and scared as you felt “Happy Birthday, Mikey” You offered instead.

Michael’s green eyes soften at the words. He hasn’t heard from you in months, yet he somehow knew, hoped even, that you wouldn’t forget him today “Thank you” He murmured, gaze gracing the floor.

You wanted nothing more than to hug him and hold him tight, you had to physically fight every urge in you to do so.

“I have something for you” You said with a more uplifting tone, trying to comfort him this way.

“Babe-” He said before realizing “Sorry. You didn’t have to…”

“I wanted to” You rushed before you dwell on the way he called you, feeling your heart grow with love “I mean, I already had it and I’m not really sure what to do with it since it’s yours and well, I can’t really use it and I really want you to have it so you-” You sighed. You were rambling and it didn’t make any sense right now “Just… It’s in the car. Michael, please?” You pleaded.

He sighed as he nodded his head. Seeing you has taken a toll on him since you were the last person he expected to see today, or ever if he was being honest. It gave him too many memories, too much hope.

Keeping his distance, he walked with you towards your car. He could tell you were nervous, he guessed it was because you didn’t want to be here in the first place but you wanted to get rid of whatever was in the backseat. One last piece of him for you to forget.

Funny how all those thoughts disappeared when you opened the door and his eyes fell into the object that was meant for him, making him almost forget to take a breath and keep breathing.

The guitar was perfect. That was all he could think off. The body seemed made out of marble, shining against the bridge and buttons that were colored silver and black. The strap was embroidered with his initials in a soft glittery grey, claiming itself as his. Yet none of that caught his attention like the stings and how 5 of them were clear, almost transparent as they clashed with the color of the neck, and perfectly in tune. But the sixth string that was placed in the middle of it all stood up with its ruby color, balancing everything just perfectly.

You watched expectantly as his eyes scanned the guitar up and down, wanting nothing more than to touch it but feeling reluctant to do it.

“I had it customized a few months ago… after we visited that shop you like?” You ventured, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence “I- I know it’s not that impressive given that you have thousands of other guitars and probably have one now that might be similar to this one. But you seemed to like one like this and-“

“It’s perfect” You heard him say. No shaking in his voice, no whispered tone or rushed words. Only sincerity and gratitude “It’s perfect, magnificent, even. I-I.. thank you”

When your eyes met his you could barely hold your emotions at bay. Oh, how you missed those green eyes. Especially now that they were looking at you with such gratitude and love that you almost forget you are not together anymore.

You cleared your throat, shaking the thoughts away “I’m glad you like it”

The two of you stayed silent for a moment, too much to say yet no words being exchanged between both of you. That’s until Michael noticed “The string… the middle one, why is it red?”

He knew you were a sucker for symbolisms; Easter eggs; hidden meanings; and surprises, this could not be a random thing.

“Remember when you went to Japan last year?” You asked, not daring to look at him just yet “You told me about that legend you heard about the red string of fate, that no matter how long or tangled it's become, the two people that are connected by it will find their way to each other. No matter time, place or circumstances, what’s meant to be it’s meant to be” You felt tears rolling down your face, but you couldn’t do anything to stop them as your eyes met his one more time “You’re my red string, Michael. Always has and always will be. And I’m such a fool for letting it tangled this much and letting you go”

Michael stared at you with glossy eyes, not wasting any other second without having you in his arms as he pulled you closer into a hug, wrapping his arms around you as you molded into him.

“These past few months without you have been turture” He said with his face hidden in your neck “I- I don’t know what went wrong but I was so afraid of fucking it up further that I just thought it was for the best. That you would be better off without me”

You chuckled through the tears “I was scared, too. I thought you were the one who would be better off without me and that you moved on” You held him tighter “I’m so sorry, Michael”

“I’m sorry, too, love. So fucking sorry”

“Can we please start over?”

Michael let go of you for just a moment before cupping your cheeks and crashing your lips into his in a slow, sweet, loving and awaited kiss “We were never over, love. I love you, now and forever. We are meant to be” He said as he placed his forehead on yours.

You smiled and brought him down to kiss him once again. “Meant to be” And you knew that from that moment on, everything would be alright.

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112aang · 3 years

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Kataang Week 2021: Day 2- Home

Welcome to day 2 of Kataang Week, Home.

Words: 2,112

You can find my ff.net account here, where the whole of my Kataang Week submissions will be posted, as well as my other stories.

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Growing up in the Southern Air Temple, Aang was always told that he wasn’t allowed any earthly attachments. The Air Nomads didn’t believe in tying themselves down with worldly possessions or people - they believed in freedom and spiritual enlightenment. So, for a while, he did too.

Until he met her: the Watertribe girl with deep, cerulean blue eyes and dark, chocolate colored hair. The airbender had never seen someone so beautiful, so captivating.

Aang knew what a physical home was, his being the Southern Air Temple; but something had always been missing for him, even at his young age.

His mentors had long since released their attachment to the world, achieving spiritual enlightenment. He had always been told to do the same, and until meeting Katara, had planned on doing so. Something about her, though -be it her caring nature, the way she spoke to him, or even just her smile- seemed to keep him grounded.

As they traveled the world together, his attachment to her appeared to grow- transforming from a simple crush into something more. Aang never told her, or anyone else for that matter; but he did speak to the stars.

The Air Nomads had been gone for one hundred years, but when Aang would sleep under the stars at night, he could feel them. It was as if they were always there, watching over him.

***

One night, when he couldn’t sleep, he looked up at the stars with glossy eyes, and spoke softly.

“I miss you all, more than anything in the world, and I will never truly forgive myself for leaving.”

He choked back his tears, knowing that if he started crying, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“I just feel so lost, so alone. If I were at the Air Temple- if I were home… maybe I could stop feeling this way. But something, or someone, has been helping me to feel less alone recently.”

Aang smiled softly, looking in Katara’s direction, then turned his eyes back to the stars above.

“I think… I think I might love her- Katara. I know I’m not supposed to have any earthly attachments, but I just feel… connected to her. What should I do?”

Almost on cue, the wind began to pick up, swirling all around him. As he looked around, Aang smiled, watching as the leaves and loose flower petals danced in the wind. He knew it was a sign, a message from the Air Nomads, telling him what he should do.

As the wind died down, he set his gaze back upon the stars and smiled, bowing in respect.

“Thank you.”

***

After that night, Aang had decided to keep his feelings for Katara at bay, at least until he knew whether she felt the same. She had given him subtle hints, through kisses on the cheek, frequent hugs, and soft-spoken words. The waterbender had a rather tight grasp on her feelings, and often kept them bottled up inside. Although Aang wasn’t blind to the way she looked at him, or the stares they received from their friends, he didn’t try to push his luck with her, as he was scared of pushing her away.

It wasn’t until he met with Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple that he knew the depth of his connection with Katara.

***

He had arrived at the Eastern Air Temple with Appa, in search of a Guru. This man had attached a note to Appa’s horn when he was lost, informing Aang that he had been awaiting him, ready to help him take the next step in his Avatar journey.

Nervous, but ready, Aang set his eyes upon the man and eventually began working through what needed to be done.

Guru Pathik had told him that in order to master the Avatar State, he would need to open all of his chakras. Aang agreed, and with the help of the older man, had opened the first three chakras rather easily.

However, when he made it to the fourth chakra, he made a realization.

“The fourth chakra is located in the heart,” Guru Pathik had told him. “It deals with love and is blocked by grief.”

Aang began to see a vision of the Air Nomads, lined up behind one another, appearing to be meditating. He felt his heart begin to swell at the sight of them and smiled, until they started vanishing, one by one.

He heard Guru Pathik’s voice, “you have indeed felt a great loss; But love is a form of energy, and it swirls all around us.”

Aang watched as the floating smoke that was once the Air Nomads began to swirl in the sky, transforming into something else. He was floating in the air, waiting for the smoke to settle.

He squinted, trying to focus on what the smoke had transformed into, when he saw her.

“The Air Nomads' love for you has not left this world. It is still inside of your heart, and is reborn in the form of new love.”

Aang listened and watched as the cloud of smoke formed a face- the face of Katara, the moment he first saw her after waking up in the South Pole.

He knew, in that moment, that he and the waterbender were connected, and that she meant more to him than he had ever known. The airbender began to shed tears, and gently wiped them away, opening the fourth chakra.

The fifth and sixth were simple and he was able to move through them quickly. But the last, and final chakra was the moment he had decided what his choice would be, forever.

They sat atop a platform under the stary, night sky. Guru Pathik informed Aang that opening the final chakra would grant him full power and access to the Avatar State, but once the process began, it must be completed.

Aang had agreed, until he knew what, or who, he had to let go of.

“The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head.” Guru Pathik explained, “It deals with pure cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world.”

Aang began to see visions and images of Katara, bringing a smile to his face, before the older man spoke again.

“Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river, forgotten.”

The airbender’s eyes flew open, appalled. Angrily, he said, “What? Why would I let go of Katara? I... I love her!”

Guru Pathik shook his head, “Learn to let her go, or you cannot let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe.”

Throwing his hands in the air, Aang protested. “Why would I choose cosmic energy over Katara? How could it be a bad thing that I feel an attachment to her?”

He felt at a loss; just a month prior, he had received a sign from the Air Nomads, telling him that his connection with the waterbender was what he needed. But now, he was being told to let her go in order to master the Avatar State.

Conflicted, he weighed his options, eventually coming to the decision to let go of Katara, despite his connection with her. As he did so, he saw a giant figure of himself glowing purple, at the end of a long path. He followed the glowing trail, coming to a large orb and stepping inside. Before he could fully open the final chakra, a vision of Katara chained up clouded his sight, and he jumped from the orb, falling through the sky.

Despite Guru Pathik’s protests and admonitions, Aang left the Eastern Air Temple, choosing his attachment to Katara over the cosmic energy, locking the Avatar State.

***

That event had been some time ago, but had never left his mind. Before his battle with Ozai, the airbender had found himself in a strange place, and was at a loss of what to do.

Aang had decided to contact his past lives in hopes of receiving advice about whether to spare the firelord’s life. In the midst of doing so, he had met the Air Nomad Avatar before him: Avatar Yangchen.

After much talk of the Air Nomad ways, Avatar Yangchen had told Aang something that he hadn’t thought about in months, bringing him back to his choice at the Eastern Air Temple.

“Many great and wise Air Nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment,” she said. “But the Avatar can never do it. Because your sole duty is to the world.”

Before having been through what he did with Guru Pathik, he wouldn’t have thought much about Avatar Yangchen’s words. But after choosing his attachment to the world, it became clear to him why he couldn’t let go of Katara.

To choose detachment and spiritual enlightenment would have kept Aang distant, separate from the world. As the Avatar, he needed something, or someone to keep him grounded- someone to keep him connected to the world. For him, it was Katara.

Aang kept this in his mind during his battle with Ozai, as he still was unable to reach the Avatar State. But during his lowest point, when he thought all was lost, he was able to reconnect with his Avatar Spirit, savoring his connection with Katara.

***

It had been almost 30 years since the end of the 100-year war, and Aang was celebrating his 43rd birthday alongside his friends and family. He stood on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon, looking out into the sunset over the tops of buildings.

He had asked for a small get together with his closest friends and family, not wanting to make a large spectacle about it. He and Katara had been together for the majority of the 30 years, and had been married for 25 of them. He thanked the spirits every day for her, as she did for him.

They had three beautiful children: Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin.

He smiled, leaning his elbows on the railing. It felt just as it did all that time ago, where everything began.

Aang heard someone behind him and looked over his shoulder, not surprised as his wife made her way beside him.

She smiled at him, “feels familiar, doesn’t it?”

He chuckled softly, “yeah, it really does.”

They stood in silence for a few moments, watching the sunset with each other’s company. Aang was the first to break the silence. Turning towards Katara, he placed his hands on her waist and looked into her blue eyes.

“Did I ever tell you about my time with Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple?”

She looked up in thought, “well, you told me that you chose attachment over cosmic energy, but nothing more.”

“Yes, well,” he nodded, and she placed her arms on his shoulders. “I chose my attachment to you over everything.”

She tilted her head slightly and raised a brow at him.

“Why would you have done that?”

Aang looked out into the sunset before turning his head to face her once more.

“Growing up as an Air Nomad,” he began. “We were always taught that earthly attachments would drag us down and keep us from spiritual enlightenment.”

She nodded, so he continued.

“Before I met you, I had every intention of detaching myself from the world, but that all changed the moment I opened my eyes and saw yours.”

Katara blushed and looked away momentarily before turning back to him.

“How did I change your mind?”

He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek softly.

“I’m afraid that’s a long story that I can explain another time.”

Katara started to speak, but Aang continued.

“The short of it is,” he smiled lovingly and placed his forehead on hers. “I felt a connection with you from the moment I laid my eyes on you, but it took me awhile to figure out exactly why.”

She returned his smile before placing a gentle his on his nose.

“And what did you figure out?”

Aang waited for a moment to answer, making Katara anxious.

“You’re my home, Katara. You always have been.”

Tears began to fill her eyes and she kissed him, pulling him closer. He returned the gesture in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Katara pulled away after a few moments and smiled at him, love emanating from her eyes.

“I love you, Aang.”

He pulled her into another kiss, and she smiled before returning it.

The two benders remained on the balcony for what seemed like hours, reliving their first official kiss as a couple, in the arms of each other. In the arms of each other’s homes.

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Next will be ‘Dance.’

Thank you to everyone who is reading, and I can’t wait until the next one!

#kataang #kataang fanfic #aang and katara #katara #aang is baby #cloud babies #they are perfect #atla kataang #atla aang and katara #kataang week

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