#this inspiration brought to you by watching pastry shows

[paris-geller-was-straightwashed]

February Writing Challenge (1/28)

surprise! guess who’s doing a writer’s challenge! I’ve never done one of these before bc the idea of having to finish a writing piece every day seemed a little intimidating - but, I feel like more recently I’ve been slipping off the writing saddle and not doing as much, so I kinda wanted to try a new project and challenge myself.

I’ve collected a pile of writing prompts for the whole of february, that, with luck, I’ll fill every one out! each one will be centred around one of my otps, so if you check in each day you’ll get to see which one it is :) or, you’ll just see it in the tags LOL and if there’s anything I feel like I especially like or whatever, I’ll add it to my ao3 after the month.

without further adieu, here’s day one!

Prompt: ‘Sweet Tooth (aka binging on candy with them)’

Pairing: Rory/Paris (Gilmore Girls)

Words: 2,853 (this is my first one, but ideally they won’t be this long)

Rating: G

Notes: when I saw the prompt, I just knew it had to be gellmore, obviously :) takes place during later season; you can imagine this is after rory dumped logan after the bridesmaids fiasco, or you can simply just imagine she dumped him on her own and then her and paris got together (really, the timeline doesn’t matter, the only reason logan is mentioned is bc I couldn’t resist the roast against him in this)

Really, any garbled, frustrated noise erupting through her apartment walls should come as a concern.

But, knowing her girlfriend had absorbed herself in some, all-important secretive task, Rory could only imagine what this entailed. Her head drew up from where she was studying on her bed, breaking away mid-paragraph of her textbook – the door was closed, but it clearly didn’t take a genius to sense something was awry. The question remained though, did Rory want to go out there to calm Paris down and risk getting in trouble for prying into secrets, or stay behind and simply watch this tornado grow until it swallowed up the whole apartment?

Rory held still in the silence. Then, came some more enraged muttering and that’s not how you run a business!! and the slam of a cell phone closing. Rory sighed in defeat.

Unfortunately, she knew better.

The brunette took in a breath, straightened up and squared her shoulders, before swinging herself off her bed. When she tentatively opened her bedroom door, she found Paris hunkered over the couch, a messily scrawled paper note on the table and hissing words under her breath that probably weren’t suited for children.

“Paris…?” Rory called out, quietly broaching the couch from the side, knowing her girlfriend needed to be approached with the caution you’d give to a wounded, snarling animal “Everything okay?..”

Ever the eagle-eye, Paris quickly caught Rory from the corner of her vision. Before Rory could even blink, Paris leapt with the spring of a jack-in-the-box, swiping the paper.

“You can’t see it!” Paris yelped, spinning around to glare daggers at Rory “And what’re you doing out here?! I told you that you can’t see what I’m working on – I need a ten-foot Rory-free radius around me!!”

“Just like in high school.” Rory said dryly “Well, when I heard you lay five different kind of insults down in one sentence, plus some Portuguese which I’m definitely sure isn’t also R-rated language, I figured I should check in. You sure everything is alright –”

“It’s fine!” Paris snapped back, pulling away at the gentle hand Rory raised, and, oh no, she’s in this mood “I’m just – I’m..working out some kinks! And, you know, god forbid that I ever expect anyone else on this planet to actually use their full brain to do things!..”

“Well, is there anything I can do?” Rory offered, trying to sneakily glimpse the paper the blonde held tight in her hand “Is it an assignment? ‘Cause if your concern is that I’m going to steal your ideas, I think you can let that one go –”

“Ha! I wish it were that easy – a school paper I can accomplish in my sleep.” Paris grumbled, leaning over the couch to swipe her phone “This is ten times both more complicated and dire!”

“Paris, relax, it’s going to be okay –”

“Don’t tell me to relax!” Paris hissed back “You don’t even know what it is!!”

“Then let me help! It’s clearly stressing you out –”

“No!” came the panicked yelp, and, this time, Rory could actually see rising anxiety break through the anger glazing over the brown eyes “I-I have to do this by myself! It’s of the upmost importance I get this perfect –”

“Paris, if you just tell me what it is –”

“No, you can’t know! This is my project Gilmore, stop trying to piggyback.” Paris deflected as she went over her sheet, causing Rory to sigh “If I can just – I just need to – I..dammit, okay, fine, not that I’ll..I’ll..ugh, I can’t do that either!!..”

“Paris –”

“Rory –”

“Paris.” Rory broke in forcefully, finally able to place a hand on Paris’s back, feeling the jittery girl relax against it slightly “At this rate, you’re going to get another noise compliant put in against us. Please just tell me what it is, and then maybe I can help so that neither of us have to worry over whether the next second is the second you’ll implode.”

That got her to quiet. Paris nervously teetered on her feet, vulnerable browns holding Rory’s gaze, but you could see the metaphorical flames start to dial down. Eventually, Paris sighed, shoulders slumping and arms folding in, finally uttering so low Rory could barely hear –

“...I’mtryingtoplanourValentines..”

“..What?”

“I’m trying to plan our Valentines!!” Paris tossed up her hands, her cheeks going pink “Alright?! And I want, I need, it to go perfectly! I’ve been trying to plan but I keep coming up against blockade after blockade – and, of course, usually, there’s no wall I at least can’t bulldoze my way though, but this is different! The ideal restaurant, my top pick, is apparently booked out for a month, no exceptions, and now apparently, the waiter has too high of morals to accept my offer of two hundred bucks under the table! So I went with the next best option, but when I called them they couldn’t even guarantee a window-side view! Who the hell runs their business like that?! The other place has more availability, but I know they don’t have as many of your favourite dessert options, and obviously, I know you enough to know that’s a high priority – and that’s not even to mention the Valentines Lights stroll put on at the park I wanted to take you to after, but depending on the restaurant we’re at, we may not even make it with the fifteen minute window I laid out –...”

Rory simply stood back, letting Paris roll out her frustrations – and, listening, couldn’t help but feel herself melting. A soft smile pulled over her lips, watching the blonde. She hadn’t even imagined that this was about her, but now, of course, she should’ve expected nothing less then Paris, her Paris, wanting to make their date night perfect. No detail spared, all cards on the table.

There’s been jokes passed around that Paris wasn’t exactly the romantic type – nothing about Paris was conventional, obviously, but Rory knew enough about her to know this was just as big of a display of love as anything mushy.

Rory reached in, grasping onto Paris’s wrists. That was enough to click Paris back into reality, slowing her rant, and finally turning face to face so Rory could lean in and kiss her cheek. Paris blinked back in surprise, finding not upset or annoyance, but Rory smiling back at her.

“Paris.” Rory began, grasping on her hands “While I should expect nothing less from you for going a hundred and ten percent, trust me when I say, that I do not need all the red carpets pulled out for me, especially when it comes to Valentines day. I mean, aren’t you the first to say that it’s just a consumerist trap anyway?”

“I mean, it still is – racking up five dollars for some cheap heart shaped crap is just one of the failing points of consumerist capitalism.” There she is “But I was also single then too.”

Rory snorted “I see..”

“Also..”

“What?”

“..This is our first Valentines together.” Paris explained earnestly “And I love you. You deserve the best, to put it bluntly.”

Rory’s smile grew “..Well, that goes for you too. And I don’t want to have you stressing yourself over some extravagant event that’s one night only.”

“I’ll reiterate Gilmore – it’s our first Valentines together. It needs to be special. Frankly, you’re the best relationship I’ve ever had; you’re my best friend. I won’t go half-way for you.”

“You never go half-way for anything.” Rory couldn’t help but tease, seeing the twitch of Paris’s lips.

“This is true. The fact that you thought I wouldn’t pull out all the stops for you, or even just for any event I’m planning..”

“How foolish of me.”

“Also, I refuse to be out-done by Logan Huntzberger – I know that Rolls-Royce car show model cut-out would’ve flown you to the moon if he could’ve, and I will not fall in second place.”

An uncontrollable laugh burst out of Rory. She had to bite into her bottom lip to tamper it, rising the back of her hand to her mouth as a poor mask. Paris was, of course, deadly serious by the finger she pointed in Rory’s face, but there was still mirth dancing along her tilted lips.

“..I appreciate that.” was all Rory decided to say, smiling as she swung her and Paris’s clasped hands “But am I allowed to voice an honest opinion on this whole thing?”

“You know I only speak in honest opinions.”

“..I really don’t want a whole red-carpet, put-out-all-the-stops Valentines. I mean, you do know me Paris; I’ve never really been a Valentines gal. And..doing a whole fancy restaurant ordeal..you know I get nervous just standing in those super spotless, sparsely packed boutiques where a t-shirt costs more then a brand-new car. You put me in a restaurant booth where our neighbours are some rich guy who owns three different blocks of the town sitting with this fourth wife, I feel like I’m gunna be more nervous over that ordeal then focused on us.”

As always happens, Rory expected some kind of argument, a rebuttal, so she was pleasantly shocked when Paris just nodded mutely. Not without some disappointment though, which got Rory to squeeze their entwined hands in gentle encouragement so Paris’s nervous eyes find hers.

“I love that you wanna make it special. Again, I should’ve known better then to assume that you wouldn’t have done all you could. But, I don’t want all that glitz. I just want you.”

By now, Rory knew how to parse her words with the firecracker that was her girlfriend. And when that quiet, careful rarity of a smile grew over Paris, Rory couldn’t help her own.

It’s true, that there was something special when someone who bares sharp teeth at everyone else, allows themselves a soft happiness towards you. About being the only one who gets to see it.

But Rory also just loves that smile.

“..But you’re still expecting some kind of chocolate or dessert too, of course.” Paris finally spoke.

“Oh, well, I assumed that was a given.”

Paris scoffed warmly. She lifted her and Rory’s entwined hands up to her face, kissing the back of the pale hand.

“Just like in that ‘Princess Bride’ movie you made me rewatch at least ten times, as you wish. I will find the perfect alternative.”

“I don’t doubt it. Am I allowed to offer any kind of input or help in this whole thing?”

“Try and intervene and you’ll be sleeping with one eye open.”

“Got it.” Rory rolled her eyes playfully, pulled away when she heard her watch interrupt with a beep! “Crap, that’s the hour – I gotta get ready for my evening class. I’ll see you tonight?”

Paris hummed in reply, a wry smile still playing on her lips, altogether letting Rory know that she was back in the confidence saddle. She placed her freed fingers under Rory’s chin, tilting her face in her direction to place a light kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“You go on my love.” Paris encouraged as she began backing up towards the bedroom, holding up her scribbled piece of paper with a grin “In the meantime, I’m going to cook up an idea for the best Valentines you’d ever witnessed.”

“So we’re actually going to have desserts then?”

“Don’t insult the hand that feeds Gilmore.”

-

And impressed Rory was.

To be fair, she didn’t have a lot to go off of in the first place. After that initial bump, there were no more moments of finding Paris tearing her hair out because she couldn’t make time-constraints bend to make her Valentines plan work. She seemed to have crafted the perfect idea, content to wear a smile of secrecy and keep it from Rory.

Now, Valentines was here and come. Rory was waiting for the invite, waiting for an ask, but Paris hadn’t even said boo about her idea; now, Rory was coming off of her late study-hall group, the evening encroaching, and when she’d called her girlfriend to say she was headed home, all Paris said was that she was just waiting for Rory to walk in the door, and then things would kick off from there.

Rory wasn’t expecting anything too wild, especially after explicitly telling Paris that wasn’t what she wanted – but, that didn’t stop her from speculating. She figured when she walked in, Paris would be ushering them right back out to head to the event she’s picked out. Something like that.

What Rory wasn’t expecting, was for her to open the door and find Valentines staring back at her instead.

No, there wasn’t any red and white balloons shaped like hearts clouding the room. There were no giant ‘Be Mine!’ teddy bears, or pink hearts strung up everywhere. What was there, was a complete massacre of candy.

Their whole coffee table covered in treats. Rory couldn’t even see the table anymore. Bowls of brightly coloured confections and chocolates, lined up creating a rainbow of colour. A pile of red licorice matched beside packets of oreos. Near the table, was an ice bucket of champagne accompanied by two flute glasses.

Rory stood gobsmacked for a good couple seconds. This was the last thing she would’ve thought of – and it was the best thing she could’ve thought of.

A noise of shuffling feet got her attention. Paris had appeared, idly standing off of the couch with the ghost of a smile on her face as she watched Rory. She was dressed in a nice, white sweater and simple jeans, blonde strands of hair grazing over her cheek. Rory always did like her with her hair down.

“Told you it’d kick off the moment you opened the door.”

“Paris..” a bemused laugh fell out of Rory as she took in the sight again, sliding off her bag and kicking the door shut behind her “I – you did all this?..”

“Don’t look so surprised.” Paris raised one of her brows, but her smile widened “Putting all this together was nothing – the hardest part, really, was hiding all the candy from you.”

“Oh, yeah – where did you hide it?”

“Behind that healthy cereal I bought that you claim tastes like cardboard.”

“Devious.” Rory grinned. Paris smirked. She walked over to take the brunette’s hand, pulling her into the apartment.

“But that’s not all – if you could glance upon the kitchen counter..”

Rory turned to follow Paris’s directions, finding an all new assortment – of chocolate and caramel sauces, with some whip cream and peanut butter. Surgery condiments, which could only mean..

“Unfortunately, you don’t get the whole picture as the ice cream had to stay in the freezer, but trust me that I bought at least three different flavours so you can double-stack your sandwich.”

“Ice cream sandwiches?? Wait, so, where’s the replacement bread –”

Rory followed Paris’s pointed finger to see the oven, which was usually only used to reheat leftovers when the microwave stopped working, this time had a cooling rack ontop littered in chocolate chip cookies. Cookies. Now Rory’s jaw hit the floor.

“You baked?!”

“You can thank Nanny for those. I needed something to sandwich the ice cream, and though I’ve yet to conquer the culinary world, that woman knows a baked good well enough she was able to walk me through the steps of her signature recipe.”

“Are they edible?”

“Funny. I actually tried one afterwards, and dare I say, they’re more then edible.”

“..I can’t believe you cooked.” Rory beamed back at her girlfriend “You cooked for me.”

“I baked a simple cookie recipe Rory, it’s not rocket science.” Paris waved off, smiling back “After having to reroute my original Valentines plan, I mulled over what it is you’d really like – and, frankly, in the end, I knew you would’ve loved a night in watching all our favourites, gorging on surgery snacks, over any elaborate escapade. Or, at least, that’s what I’m hoping you’ll say..”

The way Paris was looking up at her through her lashes, nervously biting on the answer, Rory couldn’t stand how cute it was. An all new smile bloomed over her lips.

“It’s perfect.”

The smile that burst over Paris could’ve made Rory lovesick. She lit up, rocking up on her toes, her grin reaching up all the way to her ears.

“Really?..” She asked softly. Rory let out a gentle laugh. She reached into cup Paris’s faces, a tiny pull inwards so she could kiss her cheek.

“I love it so much, and I love you. The array of treats – you really know the way into a Gilmore’s heart.”

“This many years on, I’ve learned some tricks.” Paris teased back, crossing the space to softly kiss Rory in return “Happy Valentines..”

“The best one yet.”

“Does that mean I beat Huntzberger then?...”

“Well, he never make me homemade ice cream sandwiches..”

“Ha!”

“Alright, alright, hurry up with your gloating – I wanna try these sandwiches paired with that champagne I saw earlier, and I want my girlfriend to try it with me..”

“As you wish, my love.”

[jiminjamms]

sex therapy :: 25. messed up

chapter tags/warnings: naoya fucks toji's ex-wife again. aggressive sex. creampie-ing. misogynistic! naoya. hurt/comfort. naoya views women as nothing but a hole. broken marriage. heavy angst. infidelity/adultery. family drama. strong language. manipulation undertones. corruption. 

word count: 4.1k

notes: thank you always for all the support! on to the plot for our final arc! this beginning excerpt is a rewording from a line in “spy x family” (any fans out there?) that i believe captures the dynamics in our characters as well. enjoy! likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated. xoxo

fic masterlist | 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

❝ Every person has a self that one conceals, a side not shown to anyone else. Not to friends. Not to lovers. Not even to family. Behind lies and painted smiles, individuals shield their true natures and desires…and, in doing so, the world thus maintains its thin veneer of peace. ❞

Who in the world was Toji Zenin?

The Toji that you had always known was Toji Fushiguro, so what was your husband’s cognomen doing besides your sex therapist’s first name on the latter's university diploma?

Even Google seemed to deny that Toji Zenin existed.

Showing results instead for ‘Toji Fushiguro.’

No, that was not what you wanted! 

One step forward in understanding this enigmatic man might as well be three steps backward because, each time you thought you had learned something about him, you only come to the realization that nothing much had been discovered at all.

But as investigations via search engines, social media sites, and Wikipedia pages proved futile, sources that could quell your curiosity dwindled.

So, you turned to your last resort.

“Who’s Toji Zenin?”

“What—”

Across from you, the raspberry macaron in Mai’s hand stopped by her lips as the girl snapped her focus from the pastry to your unanticipated question, with Maki visibly turning stiff in the adjacent chair. The three of you sat surrounding a small table in the twin’s private lounge, located in the northern wing within the Zenin residence. 

Visiting the central family property was not uncommon ever since your engagement and wedding earlier this year, but the architecture would never fail to impress you. The mansion itself resembled the Imperial Palace more than anything—an edificial centerpiece defined by the elegance and simplicity inherent in traditional Japanese design, with latticework embellishing the wooden exterior and, inside, carefully painted doors opening into tatami rooms.

Given that Mai and Maki were back in Tokyo for their summer breaks from universities abroad, the sisters established themselves as your close friends and had brought you into their tea room, adorned with European furnishings that would come off as atypical compared to the Japanese heirlooms elsewhere in the residence. On the table sat an imported tea set from England, at the center a French-inspired pastry tower prepared with caramel-topped croquembouches, chocolate-covered profiteroles, and the like. 

In great admiration, the sisters had been barraging you with inquiries about your life back in your bachelorette days, asking about your volunteering trip to the Philippines or the charity auctions in Dubai.

Now, with the shift in discussion, the sisters exchanged an uneasy look.

An entire conversation appeared to be held in the way they traded glances. The usual sparkle in their eyes faded, which must mean the girls were remarkably uncomfortable, but Mai forced a polite smile as she placed down her macaron. 

“Y/N,” she began carefully, “May we ask how you know Toji?”

Even though she tried to spin the question as casual curiosity, her apprehension could not be more obvious. 

“I don’t know him, really,” you lied. While dishonesty went against your morals, watching the twins’ shoulders fall with relief was enough to assuage the guilt. “He’s just…” My friend, to put things in the mildest terms. “He’s just a name I have heard. That’s all.”

Maki dabbed at her mouth with a lace handkerchief, not making a big deal as she added, “Toji’s a cousin.”

So, the Zenin last name on his diploma was not a coincidence at all. 

Such a groundbreaking discovery should have thrown you into a whole whirlwind but, to be frank, the realization did not come off as too surprising at all. If anything, Toji as a member of the Zenin family was the perfect explanation to why Toji seemed so astute, why he would talk like he knew more about Naoya than you, and—as Geto had once said—why Toji was ‘not where he could possibly be.’ 

While Toji’s reason for opting for the Fushiguro name remained a mystery, what you did know now was that he was indeed affiliated with the twins before you by blood, which—by extension—must mean that Toji would also be a cousin to…

…your husband. 

Wait.

An unsettling chill ran down your spine.

“Cousins, as in,” part of you didn’t want to know the answer, “distant cousins? Or…?”

“No,” the older twin interjected matter-of-factly, not knowing the full background behind your seemingly innocuous question. “First cousins.” 

Ah, so the closest type of cousins possible, which was exactly what you had hoped not to hear. With this additional information, you tried to hide the clamminess in your palms. What would be the best word to describe this void now? Did you feel disappointed? Misled? Betrayed? Toji certainly had known that you were wed to his younger cousin, yet he willingly chose to hide his background as he kissed you, touched you, and fucked you.

A reversal from your sentiments before, you currently felt both disgusted and hurt.

Why did Toji keep this information from you? What sick person derived satisfaction from having sex with his first cousin’s wife? You were so damn stupid for placing all your trust in him. Looking at the situation now, he was just another iteration of the same manipulative and disrespectful man you had been trying so hard to avoid. 

“Are you close with Toji?” 

Mai shook her head. “No. We don’t talk to him anymore.” Her comment struck as odd. Anymore? Had they once been, then? Before you could ask, her gaze darted around in caution before she leaned forward and said lowly, “For your information, Naoya got into a huge dispute with him earlier this year.”

That’s quite recent. 

You understood that Mai and Maki had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped as they did not want to slander the family heir in front of his wife. Blissful ignorance was what the twins must be thinking, hoping to preserve the peace between you and your husband. However, what you had yet to reveal was the broken marriage that had been masked for everyone’s sake, disguised by a pretense that all was well.

Which was why, on that note, the timing could not have been more perfect as a tall young man with ombre hair and hazel eyes flung open the door in one unforgiving slam, rattling the fine china and startling the seated individuals inside.

“There you are, you whore!” 

Your eyes widened with shock upon seeing Naoya Zenin in the entryway, your husband’s scowl icy and malicious. He came stomping toward you as his eyes held a dangerous hostility that was impossible to ignore, and you could oddly sense an impending doom when he stormed with zero regard for anything in his path, kicking aside a potted plant and toppling over a ceramic vase.

Standing up, you tried to hide the confusion that befuddled your already mish-mashed brain. 

Today was Tuesday.

Was he not supposed to be at work?

“Naoya,” you began calmly, cognizant of the onlooking sisters behind you, “this is not the right place to—”

“You’re such a fucking desperate bitch, aren’t you?” His words were sharp and bitter, his glare filled with hatred like a fire doused with gasoline. Before you could request clarification, he stopped steps away and swung his right hand up, pressing a black business card to your stunned face, the paper crinkled from his intense grip and rendering you petrified in your stance. 

No, this couldn’t be…

From your peripheral view, you watched Mai and Maki place their hands over their open mouths as they read Toji Fushiguro’s calligraphed name on the business card that also had in obvious words: 'sex therapist.' Shame racked your stomach. Merely minutes ago, you convinced the twins that Toji was to you nothing more than a name, and now, karma bit you back like a bitch. 

With your voice evaporated, you croaked.

“Where did you find that?” You had been sure that you placed the badge away.

Naoya used his anger to crumple the card and tossed the now useless paper ball to the side. “In your purse,” he gritted, “How long were you planning to hide this from me?”

The ensuing guilt suffocated you. “I—” I don’t know.

Sensing the weakness in your will, Naoya burst into a maniacal laughter that cracked through the air, creating a disconcerting symphony. He bent forward, shoulders convulsing with every diabolic and mirthful guffaw. 

“You’re so god fucking pathetic, woman. Do you have any idea who Toji Fushiguro is? That bastard is Toji Zenin, you ignorant slut—he is my cousin. Well, I guess I never told you about him, though, because he doesn’t fucking matter anymore anyway. I don’t know how you ended up crossing paths with him, but this is hilarious!” The man kept cackling and roaring like he had gone insane. “Were you two brewing shit about me? Actually, let me guess since you’d gotten hold of this business card: did you have sex with him? Did you have sex with Toji? Going around fucking your husband and then your husband’s cousin is nothing to be proud of. Tell me, did you meet the other sex therapists as well? Did you get stretched out by them, too? Whose dick did you like best? Whose? Whose? Is that what you like, being passed around and used like some sick trophy? What a fucking animal! How dare you disrespect our marriage. How dare you disrespect your own hus—”

Your hand lashed out before you could suppress the impulse and delivered one resounding slap across Naoya’s face. You watched him shut up and stumble backward, clutching his cheek. 

"Ow!"

For a moment, the world seemed frozen still: the sisters gaping in complete stupefaction, your husband staring at the ground wide-eyed, and you heaving from the incoming emotional onslaught.

”How dare you…How fucking dare you disrespect me!” The coalescence of anger, agony, and resentment—bottled up in your heart for months upon months—was now being released as you dissolved into tears. “What the hell is wrong with you?! How could you say such messed up things? You are sick in the head, Naoya, you know that? Out of respect for myself, how could I possibly respect you?!” The only sound echoing in the room became your uncontrollable cries, sobs that escaped past your lips in raw and muffled bursts. Torn apart by sorrow, you could hardly breathe from how constricted your throat had become, your knees wobbling and weak. “Y-You have no idea how lonely and miserable I have been since I walked down that aisle. For the past six months, you—as my husband—have done absolutely nothing but make me feel like a rat in my own home, a mistress in my own marriage!” 

“Fantastic! Exactly what I wanted to hear, I am glad I have made your life horrible!” Naoya snarled, not caring for how everyone else’s eyes widened at the scathing statement. Unbelievable. Truly, painfully unbelievable. Did your husband really just say that to your face? He could not give a shit that you wept pitifully, instead catching your shaky wrist in the tightest grasp possible as he added on, “My only regret is that I had not made your life even worse.” 

“What the fuck!” you heard Mai gasp as a gut reaction.

What the fucking fuck, indeed.

While you had been subject to Naoya’s verbal harassment during these many weeks, for him to tell you that he wished he had tortured you further was beyond heartless. The searing ache that burned your skin might as well be fatal because your respiration turned erratic like someone had trapped you inside a bubble.

Hyperventilating, you subsisted on shallow gasps.

“Don’t go around thinking that you’re any better, alright? You’re calling me pathetic for sleeping with your cousin, but have you considered that I had been placed in that position because, since the start, you’ve been cheating on your wife?” 

Yelling at his face allowed you to release more tears from your lachrymose eyes. Now, Mai and Maki must truly be appalled at all these revelations. What happened to the fairy-tale marriage you had told them about? Well, that never existed to begin with, and with these thoughts in mind, you found a sadistic satisfaction in watching your lawful spouse fume with deep-seated rage. 

“That’s right,” you mused with derision, “we’ve been two sides of the same coin all along.”

Naoya clenched his hands at his sides, disgusted to have been compared to you. “Do not put me on the same level as—”

“No. No, you don't get to talk! All you have done since we have been married is for you to talk and complain and bitch about everything, but now, this is my turn,” you screamed in return. “I…I hate you!” and you pointed right at him, “In fact, I despise you. You never tried to see what I had to tolerate to stay with an asshole like yourself because you had been too busy sticking your dick into another woman while you could hardly look at me! No wonder your cousins worried about me. No wonder Toji told me to file for a divorce. Because you, Naoya Zenin, are a total piece of shit!”

His momentary pause hinted at the tiniest self-actualization that flickered within him. Perhaps he finally realized how you had been feeling now that you freely spat out all the turmoil that had been chaining your soul. He took one additional step toward you, torn between whether he should keep up with his anger or succumb to remorse for hurting you.

But, knowing this man, he—of course—opted for the former. 

“I never,” he seethed lowly, “wanted this marriage.” 

Maybe you truly have become deranged or maybe you genuinely found his statement funny, for you began to emit tearful cackles in your laughter.

“Now, that is one big fucking lie.” Since your earliest encounter, Toji had suggested that Naoya solely regarded you as nothing more than ‘a sweet, innocent fuck,’ and the longer you had stayed with your husband, the more you began to acknowledge how these accusations were all true. “We all know that you’re going to be nothing without me. A CEO who could hardly keep his wife for half a year? What a loser. What makes you believe that I wanted to be married to you? Who do you even think would want to do business with you after this? You never had respect in the real world because all that respect rests upon me.”

While you never fully understood Naoya, your words must have snapped a particular chord in him because he suddenly lunged forward.

“Fucking cunt—” 

But before he could get too close, you darted away from him. “Don’t touch me!” you shrieked, voice shrill from the top of your lungs. “Do not ever touch me again. If you want to lay your dirty hands on someone, go touch your girlfriend instead!”

That’s right, he had another woman who he doted on far more than he could appreciate you. This wedding band, this engagement ring on your left hand meant absolutely nothing. Toji had been spot on—why the hell did you cling onto stupid shit like this, twisting the jewelry as if that would save your messed-up union? Without further empathy, you slid off the two rings and hurled them toward your husband’s chest before the circlets clinked upon hitting the ground.

At first, Naoya scoffed. He watched the ludicrous scene with a comical gaze, and when his brain processed what he just saw, he quickly fell onto his knees. All at once, he tossed his head back and let out a chortle—a full-bodied cachinnation that took the room completely aback—as his hysteria mounted.

“Good, good, good!” His screeches were like those of a maniac, his chuckles haunting, throaty, and lacking in sanity. “I’m glad that you’ve come to show the witch that you have been all along! Look at yourself! No wonder no one wanted you!”

Unable to be a bystander any longer, Mai stood up and hurled toward her cousin. “Shut the hell up, Naoya!” 

But the said man was quick, using one powerful movement to punch the older twin first. “You shut the hell up, scum. Unless you want to be pummeled to the point where people will feel sorry to look in your direction.”

“Watch what you say!” and when Naoya turned to the new voice, the evil glint gleaming from his brown eyes appeared ablaze.

“Oh? Someone’s bold, too. Shall I bully you first then, Maki?” the timbre in his disdainful laugh crescendoed into unhinged amusement. “Say one more word, little girl,” he taunted, his imp-like face riddled with mockery. “C’mon. I dare you. I will throw you into the courtyard and beat your ugly face up. That’ll bring back warm memories from the good old days, huh?”

The younger twin gritted her teeth, her sister reaching for her arm as a signal to back down and stay levelheaded.

Meanwhile, once Naoya rose from the floor, he nonchalantly kicked at the rings because those emblems of your union had always been meaningless garbage anyway.

“If wanted to leave this badly, then fucking leave,” he deadpanned, his tone the calmest he had been this whole time. “I don’t give a fuck anymore.” 

Those were your husband’s last words as he walked away, leaving you sobbing and shuddering with a lost soul and sore heart. While weeping and gasping, you had to endure watching his figure fade from view, all while wanting to stop the uncomfortable distress that heightened with his departure. You were huffing, panting, trying to stop your trembling.

The second Naoya slammed the door behind him, Maki ran up to your side and embraced your shaking form, all while you bawled and clutched at yourself. Her expression remained strong, but her palms were damp as they pressed onto your back, her arms quavering slightly as she soothed your cries.

“Sh, don’t cry. My sister and I are here, okay? Mai and I will protect you. Everything will be alright.”

Despite her reassurances, she sounded nearly as broken as you appeared, especially when your hand violently trembled because nothing could save you from the agony that drowned your tattered soul. You felt the disgusting urge to throw up—you were completely broken inside. In a futile attempt, you sought to regulate your breaths with one deep inhale.

Yet, at some point, Maki peeled back and she mouthed something.

Was she talking to you? 

Why…why could you not hear her?

She sounded so muffled, as though you were underwater.

Why did everything sound so far away?

With your throat constricted, you could not breathe. Gagging. Gasping. Big, huge gulps of air, but the oxygen failed to enter your lungs. You couldn’t breathe. You could not fucking breathe. 

You gripped the fabric by your chest and your other hand sought for something else to hold, but you ended up on the ground anyway. Choking. Coughing. Was something foaming at your mouth? Something warm and wet spilled from your orifices. Were you vomiting? Why were you vomiting?

Holding your body upright, Maki was the only reason that you had not remained on the floor like a fool, but even she stared at you with concern and…horror? Why did she look so scared? Was she screaming? She looked like she was screaming, but her face appeared all contorted like you were looking at her through a fish-eye lens. 

After a while, you could not even see her or her sister anymore because your vision turned spotty and then black. 

See! 

Open your eyes, and see! 

Why could you not see?

When your hearing returned to some degree, the sounds that filled your ears were frantic shouts and endless clamor.

“Call Toji! He’ll know what to do. Hurry, where is your phone?” It was Mai. Scrambling. Bags were being opened. Items being tossed. “Call Toji, now!”

A phone started to ring.

Buzzes and buzzes and more buzzes as the waiting intensified.

Then voicemail. 

Hello, this is Toji Fushiguro.  

“He is not picking up!” 

Unfortunately, I am unable to pick up the phone right now. 

“Get…”

But please leave your name and number—

“Get Megumi.” 

—and I will return your call as soon as possible.

“What about Tusmiki?”

“Tsumiki is still in London at university, idiot! Call…Call Megumi!”

“Okay. I know, I know! I’m calling him already!” someone screamed back. Was this Mai? Was this Maki? You could no longer tell, but the same person shouted, “Wait, wait. He is calling back. Toji is calling me back.”

“Then pick up the phone!”

“Toji…” one of the twins started, the cracks in her tone making her sound like she was weeping too, and her words composed your last bits of memory before the world dissolved completely. “Please…help us.”

Even labeling Naoya Zenin as ballistic would be far too much of an understatement.

The rage, wrath, and sheer indignation that swelled in his every capillary surpassed the twenty-five years' worth of virulent rancor that he had for his fucked-up family.

Since when did you get so goddamn arrogant? Naoya wanted to hurt you, ruin you, and do everything in his power to sabotage you. 

Not just you, though. Because that would be too easy.

But also his father, his cousins, his ex-coworkers, and—most importantly—Toji. 

Such ill feelings were what led the Zenin CEO to practically leap into the Mercedes-Benz that awaited him at the entrance to his family home, and he immediately ordered his chauffeur to press on the pedal toward a very certain condominium several kilometers away.

Fifteen minutes later, a very surprised Mari opened her door and an enraged Naoya greeted her, shoving her against the wall and colliding his lips into hers for a fierce kiss. His actions lacked passion, only charged with aggression as he stripped her and threw her onto the living room sofa. He could hardly care that he treated the woman as though she was nothing more than a prostitute, while the latter mistook her boyfriend’s rage for desperation, and she begged for him to pull at her hair and force his tongue down her mouth. 

At some point, Naoya drove his mistress’s face into the couch cushion and dragged her hips to have her ass raised high. He was too clouded by fury and too blinded by anger to think twice before he forcefully penetrated the woman. He fucked her raw and held her close, jostling her body as though she was a ragdoll, eliciting her loudest mewls that cried for his name. 

“J-Just like that!” she whimpered, eyes rolling to the back of her head as he pummeled into her dripping hole, paying no mercy for destroying her with his ruthless pace. Her knees gave out from under her, and she crumbled from the sofa and into the carpet, only for him to tumble too to follow the socket he needed to keep his dick soaked. 

“I need to break you,” he hissed.

Fuck, he was going to come soon. 

His nails left crescent marks on her flesh, his hands burning her scalp as he tugged her strands and met her buttocks with hard thrusts, and he knew he was going to come. 

Feeling the first of his seed trick into his mistress’s life-giving cavern, he toyed with the idea of giving Tsumiki and Megumi a baby sibling. That would be fun. He could then imagine the subsequent mortified reactions from his deplorable cousin and from his wretched wife (whom he would hardly call himself married to anymore, anyway). The fantasies, everything that he would do to spite those who had wronged him, had Naoya cackling as his viscous cum spurted from his tip and deep into his mistress’s womb.

He pulled out once he made sure that every single drop had been milked from him, his ejaculate dribbling from her pussy like someone had taken a bite from a cream-filled donut.

Rolling into the carpet and onto her back, a panting Mari took two fingers and pressed his precious seed back into her cunt. “That was so hot.” A lazy smile pulled across her face. “Thank you for the unexpected visit.”

Naoya completely dismissed her comments as he tucked himself back into his pants, not in the right mood to respond. 

“Cool. Clean this mess up,” he demanded instead, “I’m leaving for work.” 

He ignored the woman’s ensuing pleas to stay at least five minutes longer. Unlike her, he had better things to do, and he rushed out as he fetched his phone from his back pocket and surveyed for any messages he might have missed while he had been away. 

But when he turned on his screen, his most recent notification had his blood turn cold.

last chapter || next chapter

end notes: The absolute fury in the argument, the complete panic between the twins, and the maniacal temperament in our husband…so much packed in this chapter! If you can’t tell already, my favorite POV to write from is Naoya’s, ha. Also, I took some creative liberty here to convey the intense emotions, so let me know what you think! Hugs to all.

taglist: @dissociatingdiva @httpsplanetmarsdotcom @nemoyr @huangfairy @shadowarchon @203steph @agentdedf1sh @cloudybabes @lynn-writes-things @illicitwriter @7oji @kikuchimi @chaoticjojofan @musicisme333 @kumocchin @s-guru @mwahilovemylife @hey-gurls69 @cloudsinthecosmos @moon-mumu-moon @kazscara @skilerfrostfairy @funicidals @nico707 @proteovaldez @tsukiyohanayome @marimoares @qirbys @puffaloxx @sakanoshitaa @arizzu @kissditrio @lewd-bunny14 @mistyheart @szired @supsii @yvy1s @tokyometronetwork @downtown-roponggi @the-cosmos-network

[deliciousangelfestival]

"Darling, bad luck seems endless." - Bucky Barnes - 2

Summary: You've always been haunted by bad luck your entire life, despising it deeply, until you meet someone who finds it amusing.

Character: softdark!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 .

Author's Note: Hello, everyone; this story is for thesleepover eventhosted by @the-slumberparty. What I chose is a strawberry sundae with gummy bears as the topping.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more.

Bucky didn’t trust you yet. To test if what you said about your lousy luck was true, he sent you to his competitor, Damien, a mafia boss who owed money to Bucky.

Damien spent most of his time at a museum. Bucky gave you an order, “And I want to see if what you said is true.”

You didn’t thoroughly dislike the idea because, as an artist, you enjoyed going to museums. The museum was a grand, historical building with high ceilings and intricate architecture. Walking through the halls filled with timeless masterpieces, you felt a sense of calm despite the task at hand.

As you wandered, you spotted Damien. He was exactly as Bucky had described: an older man, about the same age as Sir Galileo, with an air of authority and a sharp gaze. You stood at a respectful distance, admiring the same painting he was fixated on—"Portrait of Madame X."

Noticing your interest, Damien turned to you. “A fine piece, isn’t it?” he said, his voice rich and cultured. “John Singer Sargent’s ‘Portrait of Madame X’. It caused quite a scandal when it was first exhibited.”

You listened intently as he explained the history and significance of the painting. His passion for art was evident, and you found yourself genuinely engaged in the conversation.

Suddenly, your phone rang. It was Bucky. “Where’s the bad luck? I see you talking to him without anything happening,” he demanded.

“Uhm…” You hesitated. You never knew when bad luck would strike.

Just then, a scream pierced the air. “Kyaa!”

You turned to see another visitor pointing in horror. The painting you had been admiring had fallen off the wall, landing dangerously close to Damien. You were too stunned to speak.

“No kidding,” Bucky muttered through the phone, equally shocked. It seemed impossible for a securely hung painting to suddenly fall in a museum. He was beginning to believe your curse might be real.

For the second test, Bucky sent you to a café. “Just choose a table and sit near my other competitor, Ivan. It’s an easy task,” he instructed.

You entered the cozy café, its atmosphere warm and inviting with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries. You found a table near Ivan and started sketching another jewelry design for Bucky.

Ivan, seated nearby, glanced over and noticed your drawing. “That’s quite impressive,” he remarked, leaning in slightly.

“Thank you,” you replied, offering a polite smile.

“What inspires your designs?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Before you could answer, a waitress tripped and spilled a hot cup of coffee right onto Ivan’s thigh. He yelped in pain and surprise, the conversation abruptly ending.

Bucky, watching everything unfold on a screen, was astounded. “You really do bring bad luck.”

“...” You remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

“But I’m getting all the advantages,” Bucky continued with a sly grin. “Thank you.”

You didn’t know whether to feel offended or relieved that Bucky was starting to believe you.

The last incident that convinced Bucky was when he brought you to a ball party hosted by another gangster whom Bucky despised, who was there to show off his wealth.

The host planned to reveal a rare diamond during the party, but it was stolen. This was unexpected and seemingly impossible due to the high level of security. While everyone else panicked, Bucky remained calm. He looked at you and said, "You’re my lucky charm."

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

All these experiences made your once dull life exciting. You started to appreciate the bad luck you had. You realized that working with Sir Galileo was the longest job you had ever held.

One day, you asked him if he had ever faced misfortune. Surprisingly, he said, “I did. My former driver got into an accident, and the electricity short-circuited on the first day you worked here.”

You were shocked and felt guilty. “It must be because of me.”

He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing. I’ve lived a long time and faced a lot of things, especially working with gangsters and mafia. I just keep on living.”

‘Just keep on living.’ He’s right. Even with bad luck, you continued living. Life always punched you to the ground, but you got back up again.

Slowly, you started liking your bad luck. You experienced exciting events, even assisting Bucky in getting rid of his rival businesses.

But then you noticed that your bad luck didn’t happen as often. In fact, you started getting lucky.

You found $100 on the street one day, got a free coffee when the barista mistakenly made an extra, and even won a small prize in a local raffle. It felt like life was turning around.

Curious, you revisited the same paranormal. She said, “Bad luck left after you started liking it.”

“How?” you asked, bewildered.

“It’s complicated,” she replied with a knowing smile.

You still couldn’t believe it. You remembered the saying, “Fall in love with your problems, and maybe they will leave you too.”

Damn. Even bad luck left you.

If there was no bad luck, how could you help Bucky?

Since then, you stopped meeting Bucky, leaving him wondering. Days turned into weeks, and Bucky felt your absence deeply. Determined, he went to find you.

“Do you think I only wanted you because of your bad luck?” he asked, his eyes searching yours.

“Didn’t you?” you replied, your heart pounding.

Bucky stepped closer, his gaze intense. “I said before, you’re the only woman who’s willing to risk her life for me.”

You felt a warmth spread through you as he spoke. "Bucky, I—"

He interrupted, "It's not just your bad luck. It's you. You're brave, resilient, and you’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you."

You looked into his eyes, seeing a depth of sincerity that took your breath away. "I never thought I'd hear you say that," you said softly.

"I mean it," he replied, taking your hand in his. "You bring something into my life that no one else ever has. Bad luck or not, I want you with me."

For a moment, you hesitated, memories of your past misfortunes flashing through your mind. But then you realized that with Bucky, you had faced and overcome those challenges together. And now, without the constant shadow of bad luck, you felt a new kind of strength.

"You really mean it?" you asked, needing to be sure.

He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, I do. We make a great team. And I want us to continue, no matter what comes our way."

You smiled back, feeling a sense of relief and joy wash over you. "Alright, Bucky. Let's face the future together."

With that, he pulled you into a tender embrace, holding you close. "Thank you," he whispered. "For everything."

You looked up at him, your heart full. "Thank you for believing in me."

From that moment on, your life with Bucky was filled with new adventures, challenges, love, and support. Together, you faced whatever came your way, more vital than ever. And you knew that, no matter what, you would always have each other.

-the end-

Taglist:

@thezombieprostitute

@thetravelingtyper

@scott-loki-barnes

@mostlymarvelgirl

@chemtrails-club

@dexter99

@seresingirlie

@missvelvetsstuff

@kjah97

@tfatwsoldir

@buckysdoll85

@lokislady82

[gadriezmannsgirl]

Nine days a little too late💀 but here's Pedri's birthday fic!🎉 also not me inspiring this fic with the quesillo and torta de auyama I helped my mom do last week🤭 also I'm sorry if this is a bit shitty I need to get back into writing ASAP😭😭 Please let me know your thoughts on this one😭😌

Warnings: Spanish swearing, lots of mentions of sweets (?), Pepi is whipped for reader, I didn't revise this so bare with me😭 let me know if there's any grammar mistake pls also it's a bit shitty, sorry😭😭😭

A New Diet - P.G8

Summary: Your love for sweets eventually brings you to the guy of your dreams

You didn't remembered when you started loving sweets so much, maybe you had it in you since you were little or maybe it was when you first got your period, only a big amount of chocolate could calm down your anxiety; maybe it was after watching bake-off TV shows, you didn't knew when but you did knew that you loved sweets and you also loved making them.

You tried your grandma's recipes, your aunt's, your mom's, the ones you find in internet, the ones you find in magazines and eventually you started adding your own "sparkle" into them, mixing random ingredients, taking off some while adding other ones.

It was that much that your parents got you into a course on baking and pastry-making. You loved it and got a certificate for it, one you felt truly proud of and even marked it to put it on your small living room of your new house.

You had recently moved to Barcelona to finish your degree in veterinary medicine and also to achieve your baking dream, you only had some months in your new house but you loved it, even through the rough patches of not knowing anyone in here.

Well... you did met some people and weren't so lonely now and those people were your mates from Uni and your neighbours which were mostly older people but two lovely and funny brothers who you often talk to when the three of you get out of your houses at the same time.

"¡Bienvenida al vecindario!" (welcome to the neighborhood) They had said once you opened your door making you smile

"Soy Fernando, puedes llamarme Fer and he's my brother Pedro but you can call him Pedri" (I'm Fernando but you can call me Fer) The guy next to him smiled and waved at you lightly

"Hola y muchas gracias. I'm Y/N" You replied softly with a smile on

"Un placer, Y/N. We brought this little gift as a welcome. Hope you like it" (It's a pleasure) Pedri extended a small food container with a smile on

"Thanks! What it is?"

"They're croquetas. Family recipe" Fer explained "I made them and I hope you like them"

"Well, they smell incredible so..." Both brothers laughed lightly and you joined them "I'm pretty sure I'll love them"

"Let us know!" You nodded with a smile

"Pues nada, bienvenida, somos tus vecinos, aquella casa de la esquina es la nuestra y nada... Si necesitas algo, estaremos encantados en ayudarte" (And well, welcome; we're your neighbours, the house at the corner is ours and yeah... If you need something, we'll be happy to help you) Pedri said. He's so pretty, you thought.

You smiled nodding "Muchas gracias e igualmente. Si necesitan algo y está a mi alcance pues estaré encantada en ayudarles" (Thank you so much and likewise. If you need something and it's within my reach then I'll be happy to help)

"Thanks" Fer smiled and they started walking away

"Let us know if you like the croquettes!" Pedri yelled and you laughed softly

You remembered your first meeting when you saw both brothers walk towards their house joking around as you were taking out the trash and suddenly realized that was already four months ago.

They waved at you and you waved back with a smile on your face.

You returned inside your house and settled everything up to do your quesillo, you had your period and everything you wanted was something sweet to ease your anxiety and pain.

Turning up your music, you blasted Rosalía, Karol G and some Taylor Swift while you happily made your quesillo, forgetting about everything. However being too into your own world, you didn't realized you did for more people than you were supposed to do.

"Oh fuck" You cursed lightly "What do I do now?" You asked yourself.

As much as you loved sweets, this was a big portion since you basically duplicated the recipe that originally is for 6-7 people, you didn't wanted for it to go to waste.

Your parents weren't in Barcelona and neither was your brother to give them some quesillo. You could give some to your friends and still a big portion will be left.

You closed your eyes groaning and your mind went to the González brothers.

Would they even like it? Would they accept it? You groaned again and your body acted before you could even think straight.

You went around and looked for a food container to give them some quesillo to them when you suddenly saw their food container. The one you forgot to give back because of your Uni and work.

Now you, at least, had a good excuse to give them the sweet.

Preparing yourself mentally you walked over to their house and knocked on their door only for a few minutes later, Pedri to open the door with a pretty smile on his face.

"Y/N! How are you?" You nodded a bit nervous. You were truly hoping for Fernando, to open the door like he always does.

"I'm good, what about you?" He nods

"I'm great! Tell me, what can I do for you?"

"I-mm... I'm actually here because I did this quesillo and I had some problems calculating the ingredients, turns out I did more than usual and I don't want it to go to waste so I was just wondering if you guys would like some?"

Pedri spent a few seconds in silence and those were the worst seconds for you.

"Sure, yes!"

"Perfect!" You pull the food container towards him "And also, sorry I didn't give it back right away. I'm pretty busy with my finals and with work too" He laughs softly grabbing it

"No te preocupes" (No worries) He winked and you felt like instantly dying right there.

"I hope you guys like it. Let me know how is it!"

"Will do! Thank you so much!" Pedri smiled and you waved walking away, he got inside his house and exhaled looking at the sweet in his hands.

It smells divine. He thought softly.

"Was it Y/N?" Fer yelled from the living room

"Yes!"

"Did you ask her out?"

"No"

"And what did you do then?" Fer asked impressed

"She came by to give us a quesillo"

"Joder, increíble" (Fuck, amazing) Fer inmediately said standing up and taking then food container out of Pedri's hands "All for me" He sang quietly

Pedri lamented not being able to eat it, as soon as he saw the quesillo his mouth watered "Puta madre" Pedri cursed as Fer laughed watching his younger brother leave the room.

One month and half later, Pedri was tired of watching the amount of sweets in his refrigerator and not being able to eat a single piece of them. Thanks to Fernando, you have been doing random pastries, cakes, muffins for you and for them, it made you happy knowing people liked your baking and felt on Cloud 9 once Fer exclaimed you could have your own succeful bakery.

Pedri didn't know how much he has resisted to it but he's sure it won't last long and even more when you were once again stood in front of the González brothers house, with a pumpkin cake in your hands.

"I swear this wasn't suppossed to happen. My aunt asked my help for my cousin's birthday but I overdid the recipe once again and I have this small pumpkin cake-"

"I'm pretty sure it's delicious, thank you Y/N" He smiled grabbing the cake from your hands. Pedri shakily opened his mouth to speak "So... How's-" Your phone ringed

"Shoot. I'm sorry I need to leave, I had these muffins on the oven but let me know if you like them!"

"Do you need help?"

"I-uh... I kinda do but no worries I can do it on my own! You might be busy as well and I don't want to interrupt anything"

"Nonsense" Pedri said "Gimme just a quick second to put this in the kitchen and I'll be right back"

True to his word, Pedri was back to you in mere seconds. You both walked to your house

"Make yourself at home" You had said smiling. "Are you a good kitchen assistant?"

"Bueno, que se me ha pasado decirte que soy un poco lento pero que soy un asistente de cocina decente" (Well, I kinda forgot to tell you I'm a bit slow but I'm a decent cooking assistant) You laughed softly at his words

"That's okay. Esos son los mejores" (Those are the best) You replied "I used to be like that and even worse" You giggled softly

"Practice makes a master" You nod agreeing with him "So... What's my job?" You smile starting to explain him what you need help with.

°°° °°°

"I hope your aunt is paying you for this" You laugh at Pedri's words before you looked over at him and found him with his face (and some of his hair) dirty with flour, you couldn't help but laugh harder. "¿Qué?" (What?) He asks with a small smile

"You have some flour in your face" You clean your hands with a towel ", you look funny" you admit softly

"Ah but that's normal. You do as well" You share a laugh

"You want something to drink? I'm about to make me some coffee"

"No bebo café" (I don't drink coffee)

"Really?" You asked impressed "Maybe some tea?" Pedri shook his head "Juice? Water?"

"Those two can do" You smile nodding starting to work on your coffee and on his drink.

"I also have some cheesecake from Monday. You want a bit?"

Pedri's body froze, he hasn't broke his diet, it takes a lot of willpower for him to quietly leave the room his brother's eating in to your baking.

And he also didn't wanted to make you feel bad for saying no.

"I'm not that hungry actually" He hated the fact, his heart hurt him when he saw how your face fell a bit. And without knowing, yours did too a little bit "I'm sorry, I-"

"No worries, that's okay!" You said smiling softly

"No, you know what? I'll accept it"

"If you don't want it, it's okay" You giggled softly to not make him feel pressured

"I want to" He smiled at you "Now... I'm waiting for my slice of cheesecake"

This time, both of your hearts beat strongly at the sight of each others smile.

°°° °°°

"Joder, you're whipped" Fer said shaking his head

"I'm not!"

"You fell so easily into it!"

"I don't think she realized it but she gave me this pout and her eyes dropped, I couldn't watch her like that!"

"Si, hermano. You're whipped"

"Puta madre" Pedri cursed "Now I have to do double session" He said getting ready for his morning training

"Don't overwork yourself, Pedrito"

"Don't call me that!"

"Ask her out already!" Fer laughed watching his brother get out of their house

"¡Cállate" (Shut up!)

Pedri did wanted to ask you out but he was afraid of your answer, he just didn't knew if you liked him in that way and he didn't wanted to make things awkward between you two.

But as if it was something of destiny you were going out of your house with a backpack. You were going to Uni.

Pedri quickly got into his car and started it, to stop in front of your house. "Need a ride, señorita?" (Miss)

"Yes, please. I'm way too late" You smiled and he laughed nodding his head for you to get inside. "Buenos dias" (Good morning) You said leaning forward to hug him "¿Qué tal todo?" (How's everything?) He nods smiling

"¿Tu que tal? ¿Acaso se te han pegado las sábanas el día de hoy?" (How about you? Didn't wanted to get out of the bed?) He joked and you lightly groaned

"I was up all night studying for this exam, it's worth about the 35% of the whole grade and I'm freaking nervous" You admited ", plus, I kinda forgot to set up my alarm so that's the reason I'm looking like a mad woman and I didn't had time to revise my notes" You huff "But let's say I'm good"

"Don't stress so much about it, I know you'll do fine and you'll smash this exam" Pedri reasured you with a smile

"You have a lot of faith in me"

"Que eres muy inteligente, guapa. A veces te subestimas demasiado" (You're very smart, beautiful. Sometimes you underestimate yourself so much)

"I just get really nervous, I've never failed any of my classes and I have this scholarship so I have to be the best of the best"

"And you are. Stop stressing so much, you'll get wrinkles" You blush and laugh shaking your head

The rest of the drive was spent with you talking of random things and listening to the whole "Un Verano Sin Ti" album by Bad Bunny

"Thanks for the ride, Pedrito. You just saved my life" You both hugged each other over the console

"Anytime, Y/N" He smiled watching you pick your things and leave his car. Before you got inside the building, three car honks stopped you. As you turned around you saw Pedri still there and looking at you

You went back to him "What's up?" You said leaning into the drivers window

"Are you free this weekend?"

You nod lightly "I am... why?"

"Wanna go out with me?" You were shocked hearing those words came out of his mouth but at the same time, you were so happy

"Sure, I'd love that" You smiled and he smiled back

"Perfect, I'll text you so we can talk about it" You nod once more

"Good, nos vemos Pepi" (See you)

"Nos vemos, guapa" (See you, beautiful) You blushed once again and separated yourself from his car, turning around you went inside the building

You were walking to your exam when you felt your phone vibrate and saw a text from Pedri

Pedro G: Por cierto, estás muy mona cuando te sonrojas (By the way, you're pretty cute when you blush)

You smile and giggle shaking your head at your phone, replying with a small Sush🙈

And with that you entered with confidence into the classroom

°°° °°°

Two months later

"Estás muy guapa el día de hoy" (You're looking gorgeous today) Your now, boyfriend of one month said looking at you with a smile

"You're exaggerating. I'm covered in eggs and onions"

"Still very guapa" He gave you a small kiss to your lips before entering inside your house "Need help with something?"

"I've got it covered, lindo. Thanks tho" You smiled washing your hands before getting into what you were doing "What are we watching today?"

"Creed?" You think of it for a few seconds and then nod lightly

"Only because we saw Me Before You last week" He laughs softly

"What are you doing?" His arms wrapped themselves around your waist and Pedri brought you into him

"I'm cooking for my brother's date tomorrow night"

"You sure you don't need help?" He kissed your cheek and you smiled resting against him

"I'm almost done, give me just a few minutes and then I'm yours"

"Can I at least do the popcorns?" You smile nodding

"Top left shelf"

A few minutes passed and you finished what you were doing. You wrapped the food and pulled it in a food container into the refrigerator as Pedri was munching on some popcorn

"You will not leave for the movie"

"There are a lot" He brushed off your comment while putting some in front of your mouth

"They're good, baby" Pedri nodded

"I know, I'm the best"

"Oh shut up, come on"

"Amor, do you like football?" He asked out of nowhere as you got the movie ready

"I'm not much into it, to be honest. Why?"

"Would you like to come with me and Fer to a match?"

"Will you teach me every single thing of football so I don't look like a foreign?" He laughs nodding

"Of course" You smiled at each other

"Then sounds good" You nod happy "What are you doing tomorrow, amor?" You ask him

"Nothing important, why?"

"Can you accompany me tomorrow to get some copies I need to get done for Uni?"

"Sure. What time, amor?"

"Maybe around 2pm?"

"I'll be here" Pedri nodded "Shall we start?" You don't say anything but click on the start bottom before you cuddled up to him

°°° °°°

"Hey Fer"

"Y/N!" He said excited hugging you "How are you? My brother has kidnapped you" You blush lightly

"I'm doing well, dear. How about you?"

"Good, good!" He smiled "How can I help you?"

"Is Pedri here? He's supposed to accompany me to do something right now" He shakes his head

"He's in training right now"

"He's training?" Fer nods "For what?"

"This weekend's match"

"What match?"

"Football match?" He asked back confused

"He's playing?" He nods

"He's a football player, Y/N/N" You were confused

"Right, yes, of course!" You said "Well, thanks Fer and sorry the bother!" You jogged back to your house

You instantly went to your phone and searched for Pedri González, to your surprise a photo of your boyfriend came up along with the name of FC Barcelona. Your boyfriend is a FC Barcelona player.

Copies can wait, you decided, Pedri had somethings to explain. And that he did, as soon as he got to your house. You let him know that the door was unlocked and that you'll be waiting for him.

"Amor, I'm sorry, I got caught up on-"

"Pedro "Pedri" González López, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga FC Barcelona and the Spain NT" You read from your phone as soon as you see him coming to the living room "And then there's a picture of a guy who looks just like you" You look at him serious "Why didn't you told me that?"

" I can explain that to you"

"Please do"

Pedri sighed "I didn't tell you because I wanted you to like me for me, for Pedri not because of Pedri the football player from Club Barcelona" He sighs "It's not often when I don't have people trying to get my attention just because of fame or money. I'm just a simple guy living his dream and I want for everyone to treat me like that. I liked you from the moment I knew you and when I saw you didn't even recognized me for being Pedri the football player and cared for just Pedri, I wanted to keep that going and protect you from that world. You're my safe space"

"Pedri, I don't really care if you're famous or not and you know that"

"I know and I was eventually going to tell you this weekend after you see me playing" He winces now thinking of his idea "It might not be my best idea but I truly wanted to tell you because I like to think that we can have a long road together ahead of us"

"You're trying to get your way out of this with sweet words" He laughs softly

"I don't. That's what I truly think" you stayed silent for a few minutes

"You have some other secret I should know about?"

"No" He said shaking his head. You smiled and went to him kissing his lips

"Don't lie or hide things from me again, please. I think the same way but I want us to be honest with each other" Pedri nods

"Will do" Pedri smiles leaning down to kiss your lips

"Would you teach me some football right now?" Pedri nods smiling wide

"Let's go, bonita"

"But before that... Wanna have some chocolate muffins?"

Pedri secretly winced before nodding "Not one, not two... give me three of those"

He couldn't break his diet but for you he would.

°°° °°°

"So..." You begin "How do I look?" You turn around with your boyfriend's name on your back

"Gorgeous" That's what he said smiling "The eight looks really good on you" You smile turning to face him with blush covering your cheeks "In fact, everything looks good on you"

"Well, wish I could say the same" He opens his mouth in disbelief.

"I can't believe it" You laugh kissing his cheeks

"Vamos, amor. You are needed" You grab his hand and led him through the door "Hopefully you win tonight 'cus I made a winning cake for you" He laughs

"We will win" Pedri says "But we also know that winning or not, I will eat it" You smile nodding "Let's go to Montjuic!"

You both got into the car and Pedri drove off, it's your first time in a stadium, so you were pretty nervous.

"Call me or Fer. He told me he's already here" You nod taking in Pedri's words. "If you need anything let him know"

"I will" You said smiling "Go ahead and score some goals"

"They'll be for you" You blush and push him lightly for him to start walking

"Go. I'll be fine" with doubts Pedri started walking away only for him to walk back to you and kiss you softly before out of nowhere, leaving you in the hall.

You followed his intructions and soon you were in the yards along with the fans. Your eyes scanned the crowd and quickly divised Fer.

"Hey" You say getting closer to him

"Hey! Happy to see you here!"

"Happy to be here!" You hug

"You know what this match means?"

"Pedri told me something among the lines of El Clásico?" Fer nods

"Our worst rival RMA" You nod lightly

"Yeah, he told me those small things as well"

"Did he told you a fight could break out?" Your eyes widen and you cough

"No! Will he be-?"

"He'll be fine as long as the problem isn't with him. A small fact? It never is"

The tension could be felt in the air, you didn't have any idea what could happen. But you did knew the ones with the blue and red shirt were the ones your boyfriend played for and you were going to yell at everything they do.

Match started and it was already rough some players fouling you guys and the ref said nothing. You were complaining the whole 1st time about that while Fer laughed and maybe even recorded you.

You were stressing out, it was minute 88, four fights already displayed in the spam of the 2nd time and no score. Until he did it. De Jong stole the ball from one of the oponents, you still don't know who it was; when De Jong passed it to Gundo and Gundo to Ferran to start dribbling around players and once he was starting to get close to the net, he shot it to Pedri who scored.

He did his natural signature + a wink to your direction

"That was to me" Fer said

"Sure it was" You laughed and joked around with Fer until the game ended

You receive Pedri by his car with a piece of cake, he hissed when he saw the chocolate and it didn't helped that Ferran made fun of him.

"As I have just the recovery session, you have to take a double one to forget about the calories that cake has, good luck on that, Pepi"

"You're just jealous you don't have a girlfriend who bakes for you" Pedri said hitting the back of Ferran's head while the shark laughed "See you, tiburón"

"See you, Pepi" Ferran waved at you lightly as you waved back with a small smile on your face

"Hola guapa" Pedri said wrapping his arms around your shoulders to bring you close to him. You smile taking in the scent of his soap and shampoo

"Hola guapo" You kissed his cheek before leaning up to kiss his lips "Congrats on the win, you did great"

"I felt motivated tonight" He winks at you and you laugh, blushing "However, I'm starving and this cake looks so good to me right now"

"Ah ah ah!" You push the cake back when he tried to reach it "I found out a little something and I just confirmed it"

"What did you find out?"

"You guys have a very strict diet as I could see" Pedri's heart stopped working for a while "And your friend isn't the most quiet when it comes to talk so... Have you really ate all of the sweets I have made for you this past months?"

Pedri got quiet for a while and before he opened his mouth you beat him to it "Honestly, Pedro"

"I didn't..." He said guilty and he watched how your face fell lightly "But I eventually did that time when I was at yours! And I didn't say any kind of lies when I said that they were the best ones!" You sighed softly

"But you could have told me that before!" You said "Now, I feel guilty"

"Why?"

"I was there making and bringing you guys the most sweet stuffs I could ever made for you to try and you had to suffer seeing your brother eat them without a single regret!" Pedri felt his heart grow warm "If you could have told me I have this strict diet, I could have done something different for you because everything I did was mostly for you, Pepi" You admit and he smiles before kissing you softly

"Now you know, amor. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, you were just really excited for me trying your baking out and I didn't wanted to make you feel bad by saying no"

"You have to do double sessions, I still feel bad" He sent you an apologetic smile as you groaned lightly "That's why this cake is for both of us now" You said

"Hey, it was mine!"

"It was" You agree "That was before I learned about your diet. So I made this one" You said "Half it's especially made for you and the other one is for me, like I usually do"

"Did you seriously just made me a piece of healthy cake for myself?" You nod

"And be prepared because now that I'll try more fitness stuff, you'll be the first one to try them out"

"I can't wait for it" He smiled before grabbing a piece of cake with his fingers and eating it, he groaned in delight "So far, try to make the pumpkin cake for me so I can eat it. That was the best one" He munched the cake once again

"Stop eating it"

"This is so delicious, I just can't!" He shook his head "In fact" He pulled out his car keys out and handed them to you "You drive tonight while I eat this masterpiece my girlfriend made for me, thank you"

°°° °°° °°° °°°

Taglist: @gaviypedrisbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover @azzpenswrld @http-isabela

[juanysusalchica]

Cupcakes! Wally Darling x Reader

[Warning: Mentions of cannibalism, force feeding and malnutrition]

Today was a special day, it was your birthday!

Wally already had it labelled on his calendar surrounded by hearts. Not knowing you favorite pastry, he spend the whole night searching for the perfect cake, strawberry cheesecake! Everyone likes that.

Making it was easy peasy but searching for the right ingredients was a different story.

After adding the finishing touch, Wally walked down to the basement, being mindful not to slip from the wooden stairs.

"Neighbor, look what I made for you" he cooed with his monotone voice while searching for you until his eyes spot you laying on the cold floor. After receiving no answer, Wally placed down the sweet pastry on the table and hurried to your 'sleeping' form and shook your shoulder anxiously. You weakly flutter your eyes opened at the sudden movement, hearing a soft sigh of relief from the small puppet's lips.

"Oh goodie, you're awake! I almost thought you were dead, hehehe." He clapped his hands excitedly, looking down to admired your disheveled appearance. Your hair was matted, sticking all over the place, your clothes that was once ironed and tidy was wrinkled and covered in dust. He had you chained to the floor to make sure you weren't going nowhere. When your number showed up, Wally tricked you in making sweet cupcakes together for the neighbors. Just when he was about to gut you like a fish, your beautiful cries was what made him stop, seeing the fear in your eyes was what brought a spark to his little heart, that's where he knew that he had to keep you.

You groggily looked at Wally, he had been feeding you nothing but cakes and sweets that your body had grown weak from the lack of nutrition, there was a heavy pounding in your head that makes you want to faint again, the gastric juice that was contained in your stomach was burning the thick lining of your stomach. The pain was excruciating that you've been vomiting the watery, colorless fluid for days.

Wally flew to the table to pick a slice of the surprise that he had worked during the night, "Today is a special day for my special neighbor!" he chirped, kneeling down on one knee and presented you, oh shocker, another piece of cake.

"Happy birthday neighbor" He said in a low sinister tone, leaning awfully close to your face, his smile growing wider and wider that it disturbed you, you fearfully looked down at the paper plate in order to avoid his gaze. Wally cut a large piece and shoved it on the corner of your lips, roughly stabbing your dry skin with the fork. "Come oooon, neiiighbor. Say Ahh~"

You were extremely hungry, your stomach grumble from the excruciating pain, that single slice of cake won't be enough to satisfy your hunger but it was all you could receive.

Without hesitation, you opened your mouth and took a piece of the luxurious looking cake making Wally's eyes dilate at your cooperation. His mouth watering as he watched you eating his special treat for you.

You munched at pastry, taking in all its flavors on your tongue until suddenly you felt something in your mouth.

When Wally wasn't looking, you took out the string of line from your dry cracked lips and took a closer look.

Is that hair...?

A/N:

Who will groom me tonight? That's the question

I remember that I wrote a short story an year ago, I wanted extend the story a little to improve my writing. Back then, I was going through days without eating due to being short of money, main reason why its so detailed.

Cupcakes! Wally darling belongs to @azraelcreates mainly inspired of that one Wally Darling feeding you cake

[kpop-s-akura]

𝒮𝒸𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 || 𝓉.𝓇𝓀

🌸Pairing: Takayma Riki x fem!Reader 🌸Description: When your boyfriend decides to sniff you. 🌸Genre(s)/Content: SFW; fluff; domestic fluff; some humor; established relationship; Riki is referred to as Taki; Taki sniffs you lol; Taki and Reader are so down bad for each other😋; kissing; pet names (baby, worm(?), pup, love); written for mobile; let me know if there's anything else! 🌸Word Count: 898 🌸A/N: At the end; was too long lol

Happy reading!🤎🩶

⭐️Inspiration:⭐️ [BE ORIGINAL] &TEAM(앤팀) 'War Cry' (Behind) (ENG/JPN) at 5:17

🎶Now Playing:🎶 Scent of you by &TEAM

❀❀❀

“Taki. Baby. Why are you sniffing me?”

After finishing your chores early on, you decided to wait for Taki by lazing around on the couch for the majority of the day with entertainment from your phone.

When your boyfriend finally came home from a late practice, he took the liberty of free-falling onto you and laying all of his weight on your body.

“Oof! Takiiiiiii~~~” You whined with a near gasp. You were barely able to keep your phone in your grip with your left hand dangling off the couch. “Why are you crushing my airways?”

Dramatic as always, his head shot up with a look of betrayal.

“‘Crushing your airways?’ I’m showing my love!”

“Well ‘your love’ is not letting my lungs work properly so you need to get off.”

Taki didn’t hesitate before incessantly wiggling around on top of you, for what seemed longer than necessary, while letting out little gremlin noises.

By the time he finally settled half on you and half on the couch, your lungs could barely recover from how much you were laughing.

“God, you’re such a worm.”

“Mm, thank you.” He said with a comfortable sigh, placing his head gently near yours and draping his arm across your stomach.

You chuckled while setting your phone down on the side table behind you. 

You then brought a hand up to pet his hair, fingers occasionally sifting through the soft brown-blonde oreo strands.

Usual chit-chat occurred as you both cuddled: he told you about his day, practice, and how the boys were doing. You replied with how uneventful yours was and how glad you were to have him home.

The domesticity of your current entanglement was not lost on either of you, and it warmed both of your hearts.

You two stayed like that for an indefinite amount of time, having settled into soft mutters and eyes fluttering in half-sleepiness.

Your hand was continuously moving through Taki’s hair, both parties thoroughly enjoying the soothing action. At this point, your eyes were resting closed and you were unsure if he was even still awake.

Until you felt him shift upwards and gingerly plant his nose in the juncture between your jaw and neck, focusing on the column of skin and inhaling.

Your eyes gradually opened at the sensation, bringing you to this moment.

“No reason; you smell good.” Taki’s words were slightly mumbled as he dragged his nose up and down the side of your neck tenderly. This went on for a couple more seconds before he returned back to the space in between your head and shoulder.

This wasn’t the first time Taki has done this — to you or any of the other members. It was no wonder he was able to identify you all by your scent alone.

You’ve grown more and more used to it when you two started dating.

It was endearing and contributed to the puppy-like image you held of him, much to the chagrin of Maki.

So, you rarely questioned it. And even then, you didn’t get much of an answer besides a nonchalant shrug.

“What do I smell like, pup?” Taki felt his heart jump at the nickname, your words being accompanied by languid strokes up and down his back. You gazed at the top of his head, watching your other hand go on with its ministrations in his hair.

“Like ripe fruit; maybe strawberries and melon?” You hummed.

“Kind of reminds me of summer. Like sunshine, but not sunscreen. Not too strong, but sort of addictive once you notice it. It’s sweet, but not like pastries or candy. It’s not sickly,” he continued. “It’s uniquely you.”

Taki then looked up at you, possibly the first time since he flopped on top of you some hours ago; your hand fell from his head with the motion. 

Your breath nearly caught in your chest as you locked eyes.

His eyes seemed more soft than usual, rounder. There was a slight haziness to them, water slightly lining the edges like he was about to cry. The minute redness told you that it was partly from the drowsiness and partially something else.

His lips were naturally pouty and puckered, the rosy pink becoming even more tempting when his tongue peaked out to lick them fleetingly. 

You wanted to kiss them so, so badly.

He looked ethereal like this.

You smiled deeply at him, not allowing the shyness to take over, and cupped his cheek in one hand. You resisted the urge to pinch and pull at it like usual, opting to brush your thumb delicately across the soft skin.

“Thank you, love.” You lifted your head off the pillow and slightly craned your neck in order to briefly peck his lips.

Once you pulled back, you observed Taki taking a moment to seemingly recover from the kiss by blinking numerous times. 

He must’ve been really caught off guard to look like a deer in headlights.

Such an adorable deer.

He then mirrored your expression with a growing grin, blush painting his cheeks prettily, though it surely wasn’t any match for your own.

Wordlessly, he adjusted his position to lay on your chest, arms coming to wrap around your waist like you were a teddy bear.

As you went back to caressing his head, quietly humming a random song, you wondered if he could feel the prominent beating of your heart.

❀❀❀

🌸A/N: I'm so shocked and proud at myself for how short it took me to write this, might be the shortest amount of time I've ever took. I also honestly can't believe I was able to write a drabble since I always tend to draw my stories out, but Taki broke my curse!

I was first inspired by a clip from &TEAM's 'War Cry' Behind video on STUDIO CHOOM where Taki goes around sniffing the members lol. I also thought of a new perfume I got recently that I fell absolutely in love with. That then led me to remember the several times my friend, @my-starhwa, sniffed me and complimented how I smell lmoa. So I wrote this! This isn't what I was originally working on when I posted that last note, but I'm glad I was able to publish something nonetheless! I hope to be back again very soon with another one!

[divineecelestial]

Misfits & Love Stories — Eddie Munson x F!Reader

| Word Count — 6k |

| Series Summary — The adventures of [Y/N] and the monster-fighting-world-saving group. Join them as they journey through the struggles of high school, getting away from law enforcement more than once, and falling in love. |

| Warnings — Use of female pronouns, eventual smut, possible violence, mentions of drugs, and drinking as the series progresses. |

| Author's Note — This is a series I'm beginning where it's going to be based on dialogue prompts I find online. It's loosely inspired by rom-com shows such as New Girl and Friends. It's basically going to be all the fun and cute stuff we don't get to see on the show. Feel free to send prompts you want to see with yourself and a character. |

Part One — The Introduction of [Y/N]

“ She is beautiful in a way that makes people forget what they were going to say when they look at her. ” — Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven 

[Y/N] smelled like a platter of freshly made cinnamon and vanilla cookies, a fragrance warm enough to have someone tightly close their eyes and wonder where the large dish of pastries was. Max stepped outside the rickety stall and disregarded the echoing thud as the stall door slammed against the wall. She trudged to the array of porcelain sinks and placed her skateboard against the rim of the sink, pumping a glob of neon green hand soap. She vigorously rubbed her hands together, and the stickiness of the soap bubbled. Besides Max Mayfield was the source of the intensely sweet perfume. As she lifted the smudged handle of the faucet, she chanced a small glance at the woman beside her as she scrubbed her hands and her movements slowed.

The woman leaned against the porcelain and reapplied lipstick on her plump lips, the color of the lipstick brought an intensity to her. Max glanced at the woman with slightly enlarged eyes, taking in the sight of her. Everything about her screamed she was from out of town because no one residing in Hawkins had ever looked like her. 

The delicate ends of her eyelashes fluttered as her mesmerizing eyes moved across the mirror and connected with Max’s crystal-blue eyes as they widened before she tore away. Max quickly yanked a tan brown paper towel from the dispenser and dried the wetness from her hands. She glanced at her own reflection, attempting to tame the unruly frizz of her bright red hair. She had combed her hair before she skated to the gym but the strong wind and sweat had mangled her hair. She never would have attended a basketball game before Lucus joined the team and she still didn’t want to attend even now. She was planning on watching for a few minutes before leaving, remaining unnoticed and unseen by her ex-boyfriend, but he had spotted her by the crowded entrance at the end of the game. She rushed inside the bathroom before he could even process saying anything to her. She wanted nothing more than to congratulate him for making the team, even if he was nothing but a benchwarmer, but she couldn’t bring herself to. 

She brushed her palms against the loose strands of frizz and wiped the back of her hand against her damp forehead. She hadn’t expected Lucus to see her and she wasn’t supposed to care if he thought she looked pretty or not, but there was that dull ache within her constricted chest when his eyes met hers and as soon as she saw her reflection, she groaned. It was such a girly concern, something she had never worried about before, but here she was, trying and failing to look presentable. 

The woman beside her watched as the small girl tucked her fiery hair behind her ears and wiped at her freckled skin with evident frustration. She closed the cap of her favorite lipstick and dug through her purse, revealing a small comb, and silently offered the item. Max froze and warily eyed the comb as if it were going to jump at her. The woman’s hand was smooth, freshly manicured, and was still waiting expectantly. Max glimpsed at her and watched as she raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “I don’t have lice if that’s what you’re thinking.” She said, and her voice was soft and sultry. Despite herself, Max’s lips curved with a light chuckle and she hesitantly plucked the small comb from her grasp. She smoothed the frizz and loose strands, readjusting her wrinkled clothes. “It’s a boy, isn’t it?” Max stopped her frantic movements and her mouth opened before closing once more. “Or girl. You look pretty, regardless.” 

Max stared at her for a moment and considered telling her to mind her own business, but there was a genuine softness in her gaze. She sighed before giving her the comb back. “I just wasn’t expecting him to see me.” She reluctantly admitted.

“Watching him from afar?” Max nodded wordlessly, almost shamefully. “You either have a crush on him or you guys just broke up?” 

Max simpered. “You ask a lot of questions, huh?” 

The woman smiled. “Definitely,” She said brazenly. “And you’re deflecting.” 

Max rolled her eyes, but there was no malice behind it. “We dated, but I needed to focus on myself for a while. It’s just been hard seeing him.” She stared at her reflection, her stomach lurching as she saw the detachedness in her eyes. “Anyways, I haven’t seen you before.” 

She seemed as if she wanted to comment on the obvious deflection, but decided against it. “I just moved here. I was actually just getting all my textbooks. I didn’t even know there was a game.” She gently kicked her heeled shoe against her brimming bookbag. There was an array of loud noises from the other side of the door as the game concluded; echoing screams and a loud buzzer. “You look a little young. Freshman?” The question brought Max’s attention back to reality and away from the events happening on the other side of the stained door. She wondered, even if it was for a brief moment if Lucas chose to stay outside and wait for her. She didn’t think he did, but that intrusive thought was a pleasant one. 

Max nodded, her two braids brushing against the exposed skin of her neck. “Let me guess, senior?” The answer was somewhat obvious, she was older and reminded Max of the popular cheerleader archetype she’d seen countless times in movies and TV shows; ridiculously pretty with glistening smiles and beckoning eyes that boys falling to the floor for a mere glimpse from her. The woman nodded. “I’m Max, by the way.” 

“[Y/N],” She said, “My parents thought it would be a good idea to pack everything and move and enroll me a month after school started,” The words were simple and forcefully casual, as if she were trying to express she wasn’t bothered with reality, but the emotion seeped through her voice. “Can’t wait to be the new-girl on Monday.” She added sarcastically.

Max frowned slightly, entirely all-too-familiar with the experience. Hawkins, although small and the epitome of a white-picket fence homelife for some, was filled with judgmental whispers and mocking glares if you weren’t what they considered acceptable. “You can hang out with me,” She said, and [Y/N]’s expression softened. “Trust me, I know the feeling of being new in town and not knowing anyone.” 

[Y/N] smiled, obnoxiously glitteringly. “I’d like that.”

—

The small and rusted bell above the door frame at Family Video rang as the glass door slammed open, nearly yanked from the hinges attached to the painted wall. Steve furrowed his eyebrows as three children stormed inside as if they were being chased and Robin appeared from the backroom with a perplexed expression as the sound increased with their clamoring voices. Eddie leaned against the countertop and watched the spectacle with amused and raised eyebrows as they hurriedly spoke against each other and not a single sentence could be deciphered. 

Dustin rushed forward and clutched on the green lapels of Steve’s uniform, yanking him closer. There was an immediate protest falling from Steve’s mouth as the younger teenager smoothed the loose strands of Steve’s hair and patted down the wrinkles of his t-shirt. “What the hell are you doing,” Steve questioned as Dustin took a small step backward before lurching forward again. He licked his palm and was inches away from Steve’s hair before his wet hand was smacked away. “That’s gross. What are you doing?” 

Mike weakly pointed at the glass door as he slowed his labored breathing. “Max is bringing her new friend,” He panted as if he had finished running a marathon. “And she’s—”

Dustin wiped his palm on his jeans. “Hot!” He glanced at the panels of windows but she hadn’t arrived. “That’s an understatement. She’s Cindy Crawford-hot and what kind of friend would I be if I let your first impression with her be looking like that.” 

Robin chuckled as she placed another organized stack of returned movies aside. Steve glanced down at his attire with his brows puckered together. “What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?” 

Dustin chuckled as if the answer were completely obvious. “Yeah, good one, Steve.” He glanced outside once again before his eyes widened. “Oh, shit, they’re coming! Act cool.” 

The group of them rolled their eyes before returning to their tasks. The bell jingled, alerting everyone of their arrival. Robin grabbed the stack of films, shuffling through them. “Welcome to Family Video,” She recited blandly, eventually tearing her eyes from the movie covers in her hands and to the duo. “How can we help—Oh, shit.” Her voice trailed off into nothingness as the movies slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. The loud sound caught Steve’s attention, moments from scolding her, and followed her starstruck gaze with widened eyes.

Eddie, who’d been distracted from the cover of some adult film, sipped from his straw with an unbothered casualness and mimicked their movements. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the strange behavior from Steve, it was growing to become quite embarrassing watching him struggle to speak with a girl, but he hadn’t expected for Robin to react as she did. Although she wasn’t suave and collected, she wasn’t as obvious as her friend. When his doe-eyes landed on her, he choked on his soda with an embarrassingly loud cough as the ice-cold fizz burned his nose and throat. She pulled her black sunglasses from her face and glanced around the store with a small smile. There were movie stars who couldn’t even compare to the woman standing a few feet away from them. Max mumbled something and she laughed beside her. “I thought Dustin was exaggerating,” Robin whispered as the group of them watched her with entranced eyes. “But, no. She’s actually freakishly pretty.” The sunlight from the midafternoon poured inside the small video store and warmed her gleaming smile, an aureole of sunbeams surrounding her as she casually grabbed a VHS from the display and mumbled something about the man on the cover, causing the younger girl to laugh. 

Eddie Munson didn’t think she was pretty. He saw pretty things and people every day; some of the cheerleaders were pretty, the women on his naughty magazines underneath his mattress were pretty, and some of the girls at The Hideout were simply pretty. The woman across the room, speaking with Max painfully unaware of the attention she was garnering from his friends and other strangers roaming the store, wasn’t pretty. She was, undoubtedly and distressingly, breathtaking. The word was theatrical, something he had only seen being used inside romance novels and poems, but it was also completely true.

Max continued onward, her voice becoming much clearer as they drew near the counter. “Hey, guys, this is who I was telling you about. This is [Y/N], she’s new here.” The introduction was disregarded as the entirety of the group didn’t speak for an awkward moment, merely standing there with slack mouths. Robin was attempting to restore a casual facade as she struggled to restack the movies, Steve readjusted his green vest, running his fingers through his hair as he awkwardly smiled, and Eddie coughed obnoxiously loud as he brought a napkin to his nose and quickly wiped the soda away. Max gave a deadpan expression. “You guys are idiots.”

Steve cleared his throat and he lightly shoved Robin aside, who rolled her eyes and stepped aside, before he nonchalantly crossed his arms on the countertop. The group wordlessly watched as he transformed into another version of himself—a version that was undoubtedly going to embarrass himself. “Hey, I’m Steve.” His voice was smooth and suddenly slightly deeper? “I haven’t seen you around before.”

Max furrowed her eyebrows together with distaste. “I just said she’s new here, of course, you haven’t seen her.” 

Steve discreetly glared, or what he thought was discreetly, before he nodded once firmly. “It’s a way of starting conversation,” He said through clenched teeth. 

She rolled her eyes, aware he wasn’t simply starting conversation. “It’s a stupid way, so stop it.” The warning was clear, she didn’t want him making her uncomfortable with his pathetic excuses he called flirting. “So, that’s obviously Steve. And that’s Robin, Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Eddie.” And Steve provided a charming smile, something that should have had her swooning and batting her eyelashes at him, but she remained unfazed. 

[Y/N] stepped forward and her eyes illuminated as she glanced at the glinting silver around Eddie’s lengthy fingers. “Oh, nice rings!” She exclaimed, the smoothness of her voice warming him as she grabbed his hand, examining the assortment of jewlery encircling his wrists and fingers. He didn’t know how to react as the softness of her hands caressed him, igniting a gentle flame through him. But he definitely wasn’t going to complain that the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen was touching him and admiring his sense of style. “Totally metal.” She joked, eventually dropping his hand and he was struggling to breathe. 

Steve watched the exchange with disbelief. “There’s no way,” He muttered. He knew that look [Y/N] was giving the metalhead, something he knew like the back of his hand; keen interest. But how was she giving that look to Eddie Munson? “There’s no fucking way.” 

And at that moment, Eddie was a blushing mush in her hands.

Part Two — The Senior Prank

The chilled midnight air crashed against [Y/N] with a frigid force as she glanced around the desolate parking lot. Her teeth chattered as the faint sound of metal clanking echoed behind her. Eddie pressed his pick lock between his lips as he quickly unlocked the thick chain around the school’s gate. Robin aimed her dull flashlight on the rusted lock, watching him with furrowed eyebrows as he moved with casual ease. “Do I even want to ask,” She whispered as the chain collapsed and he smiled as he tossed it aside. He closed his lock-picking kit and shoved the small container inside his back pocket. 

Standing and wiping his palms on his jeans, Eddie pulled open the gate. “Definitely not,” The rusted hinges creaked as he stepped aside, motioning with his hand for them to enter the premises. [Y/N] whistled a low note to the mumbling duo across the parking lot, jerking with her chin for them to follow her inside. Steve was easily convinced to join them on their senior prank, quickly disregarding he wasn’t even a student anymore, but Nancy wasn’t as easily swayed when the idea was mentioned. She found the concept childish and didn’t want to be included, but [Y/N] was relentless and concluded she was going to make Nancy’s everyday life a living hell until she agreed. It didn’t take long for her to agree so [Y/N] could finally stop talking. “Are you sure they’re not back together?” Eddie quietly asked as she entered the campus beside him. 

Steve unlocked his trunk and grabbed their required items, offering Nancy the lighter bags with a small smile. [Y/N] rolled her eyes as they walked further inside, choosing to ignore their longing gazes being exchanged with blushing cheeks. “No, definitely not back together.” She said, pressing the button on the bottom of her flashlight. The bright beam illuminated a path in the courtyard and she glanced around the empty area. “If they were, I wouldn’t have to listen to him whining about every failed relationship with a new girl every week.” Eddie chuckled lowly as he clicked his own flashlight on. 

She wasn’t completely exasperated with enduring the same conversation about his failed conquests every time she stepped inside Family Video. She would mindlessly type away on the keyboard of the computer as he ranted and raved about another girl who couldn’t bother offering him a sliver of her attention. She had repeatedly told him any attempts with pursuing another relationship while actively still being in love with another person wasn’t going to work. He swiftly threw a bag of chips at her forehead.

The gate creaked as Steve closed the metallic door behind him. He mumbled something and Nancy laughed, lightly slapping her palm on his shoulder. Robin was across the courtyard, curiously peering into the teacher’s lounge. Eddie flashed his light inside a corridor. “It’s tragic, isn’t it?” He whispered, pushing the door open. “An unfortunate case of star-crossed lovers right before our very own eyes.” 

The door closed behind them with an echoing thud. “Shakespeare would be so proud,” As soon as her beam of light moved across the pattern of tile, she knew where they were. This was undoubtedly the corridor where Mr. Smith would stoically glare at every passing student until the hallway was entirely empty. As most would assume, he wasn’t a pleasant man. He also recently gave her a failing grade on her essay, which she definitely deserved but she was pathetically hoping he would have been somewhat lenient. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t. [Y/N] opened his unlocked door and shrugged her large and brimming bag from her shoulder, lazily tossing it to the polished floor. “How red do you think he’s going to get when he sees this tomorrow?” 

He mimicked her actions and unzipped his backpack, pulling a container of tin foil from inside. “I think that vein on his forehead is going to explode.” 

She opened her newly purchased box of tin foil and laughed at the bubbling image of the burning shade of red Mr. Smith was going to transform into. She glanced around at the furniture across the classroom and was already exhausted from thinking of how long this would take. It was Dustin’s idea of wrapping tin foil around everything inside the classroom and she shouldn’t have listened to him. With a sigh, she began the task.

An hour must’ve passed and they were more than halfway completed with their task, most of the furniture completely covered with reflective sheets. [Y/N] was unwrapping another brand new box when there was thundering footsteps echoing through the hallway. Robin, wide-eyed and frantic, sprinted across the corridor, her flashlight moving erratically through the darkness. “Every man for himself!” She screamed, her voice slowly disappearing into nothingness as she ran further. 

[Y/N] and Eddie glanced at each other, a thrilled smile rising as they hastily gathered their belongings and stood from the floor, giggles and loud laughter tearing through them as they pushed each other away from the doorframe. As they sprinted through the hallway, they could hear the sound of heavy footsteps following them from the other end of the corridor. “Hey! Stop right there!” 

The duo peered over their shoulders, adrenaline coursing through them as they laughed loudly at the sight of the campus security struggling to keep up with them. 

Part Three — Slash

The burning rage coursed through [Y/N] as she glared harsh daggers at Jason’s departing figure. The morning was relatively calm, uneventful as she intently listened to Dustin’s ramblings about the sudden revelation during their campaign. He leaned against the chilled wall of lockers, his textbook and messy notebooks pressed between his chest as he spoke without even pausing for a breath. She raised an eyebrow as he recalled the prior night’s events with wide and child-like eyes, the words falling from his mouth like a frantic waterfall. Despite all the times she loudly declared she despised him, she would never admit she had a sisterly soft spot for the freshman.

There was an echoing thump as Dustin’s words were interrupted, his belongings suddenly collapsing onto the marble floor. [Y/N] tore her gaze from her reflection in her small mirror and glanced at the exasperated expression on Dustin’s sullen face. An obnoxious and boisterous laugh rang through the air and the fury burned through her bloodstream as she raised her narrowed eyes on Jason, who peered over his shoulder with a satisfied smirk before returning his attention back to his group of assholes. 

Dustin sighed as he quickly gathered his scattered belongings from the floor. The Golden Boy of Hawkins was initially all pearly-white smiles and unwavering charm when he introduced himself to [Y/N], but when she swiftly and boldly denied his advances, crumbling his fortified ego in a few seconds in front of his friends, the pleasing mask disappeared. And there was no denying he despised everyone and everything about the Hellfire Club. 

Standing and readjusting his notebooks and dirtied papers, Dustin glanced at his friend, a wave of concern flowing through him as he recognized that fiery gleam swirling within her eyes. He opened his mouth to ease her anger, but she slammed her locker closed and he jumped at the ferocity. He knew her and he knew that look meant nothing but trouble. “[Y/N],” He cautiously warned. “It’s not worth it.” 

With an obvious finality, her cold and detached expression transformed into excessive sweetness, a diabolical smile gracing her glossed lips as she turned to him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She said and Dustin didn’t believe her for a second. “I’m gonna get something from my car. I’ll meet you inside.” Dustin couldn’t utter a word as she whirled around on her heel and pushed open the heavy door, disappearing from view. He sighed and made his way to the cafeteria. 

The clamor of the cafeteria doubled as the young freshman stepped inside the crowded room with a glowering expression, his shoulders drooping as he neared the designated Hellfire table. He removed his backpack and carelessly tossed his belongings aside. The conversation between the members quieted as they noticed his disconcerted mood. Mike’s lighthearted smile dwindled as Dustin perched beside him. “Dude, what happened?” 

The simple question pulled a heavy sigh from him as he shoved his face into his crossed arms. “Jason,” Was all he said, his voice muffled. The teasing and taunting were bearable when Jason began, it wasn’t anything too concerning, only the occasional dirty glare and name-calling. That kind of bullying wasn’t something he wasn’t familiar with. But as the weeks progressed, so did Jason’s behavior. Mike slouched as he expelled a weary breath. He was all-too-familiar with Jason Carver’s antics. 

Eddie glanced between the two freshmen, contemplating a course of action. These two were undeniably a constant pain in his ass, but he would never willingly admit aloud he cared for them. His frustrated gaze moved across the room and glared as Jason spoke with his clique. His friends watched him speak with intensive eyes, the bright yellow and green stitched onto his varsity jacket was enough to incite a rage within him. He slammed his palms on the table, pushing himself from his seat. He was going to storm over to him and—

[Y/N] appeared from the crowd with a tray stacked with her lunch. A few students stepped aside as she marched through the crowd, a pleased smile curving her plump lips. There wasn’t a single misplaced strand of hair as she moved through the room with glamorous energy. She placed her tray onto the tabletop beside Eddie and removed her bookbag. “What did I miss?” 

Dustin removed his face from his arms and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He quickly gave her a once-over, but his confusion deepened as he noticed there wasn’t a difference. She was free of bloodstains or bruised knuckles or anything that would have revealed she was indeed up to something. “Where were you?” He asked warily. 

A sugary sweet grin rose and she casually sipped her drink. “Nowhere.” Her smooth voice was unconvincing as her lipgloss stained the rim of her drink.

There was a brusque screech across the cafeteria as Jason hastily stood, his chair thrown to the floor as he sprinted outside the room. The cafeteria quieted as questioning mumbles filled the air, and curious glances were exchanged as everyone wondered the reason for Jason’s outburst. [Y/N], however, nonchalantly stabbed her plastic fork into her food, her lip gloss gleaming. Dustin nearly gave himself whiplash as he looked at her with wide eyes. “What did you do?” He knew he shouldn’t have allowed her to leave his side after Jason’s brazen antics.

Her smile widened as she shoved her food inside her mouth, behaving as if they were discussing something as simple as the weather. Eddie watched for a brief second as everyone hesitantly peered out the panels of windows displaying the parking lot. He practically threw himself back onto his chair and leaned forward, an excited smile growing on his pink lips. A larger crowd gathered around the windows, shocked gasps erupting as they pointed and whispered. “[Y/N], what did you do?” Eddie asked impatiently, eager to hear about her antics.

Her eyes glittered with mischief as her gaze connected with his. The air was almost stolen from his lungs. She fished inside her bookbag and slammed a shiny item on the table; the personalized pocketknife Eddie gifted her. The item was expensive, he saved a considerable amount of time to afford it, and he was always pleased when he noticed the bright pastel pink knife inside the organized piles of her backpack. 

“Oh, I just slashed his tires.” 

The Hellfire Club’s eyes widened at her casual admission, glimpsing at the engraved hot pink flames on her pocket knife. “[Y/N]!” Mike exclaimed, but he couldn’t contain the shocked smile.

“Holy shit, that’s metal.” 

“I’m pretty sure that’s illegal!” Dustin whisper-shouted.

She rolled her eyes. “And?” She sipped her drink. “He’s a dick and only I can be mean to you.”

Dustin glimpsed over his shoulder as he watched the gathering crowd. He imagined Jason Carver crouching on the asphalt with frustration crinkling his eyes as he seethed through clenched teeth. There was a small sliver, practically nonexistent, that pitied him because Dustin was fairly certain that his car was just purchased, but the remaining majority was brimming with wicked delight. 

As she shoved her pocketknife back inside her backpack, it was only then Dustin noticed the faint black stains painted on her fingers. He pulled out his lunch and devoured it with a small smile. 

Part Four — The Prank Gone Wrong

[Y/N] closed her locker with a heavy sigh, joining the departing crowd of students leaving the campus for the weekend. The exhaustion was flowing through her and as she trudged through the wave of people, she was barely functioning. There was an uncommon and, admittedly, misguided choice to study for an exam. She changed into her satin pajamas, applied her hair care as she intently read over her highlighted passages, and forced her eyes to remain open as the darkness of the night outside her window slowly transformed into a pastel morning. Her textbook passages were color-coordinated, which only consisted of varying shades of pink, some with glitter and faint shimmer. And she pressed a neon pink highlighter between her mouth as she gently rubbed her skin with moisturizer, mumbling the words beneath her breath. She even had the notebook opened as Steve drove her and Robin to school, her eyes scanning the words over and over again. 

She was going to collapse onto her duvets and tightly close her eyes and shove her face beneath her pillows. She could hear the softness of her mattress calling her, pleading for her to stay inside the comfort of her blankets. She was seconds from stepping outside and having the burning heat warm her skin, but her loose hand was squeezed and yanked. She almost lost her balance as a small shriek escaped her. “Don’t ask questions, just follow me.” A tense, boyish voice whispered.

Dustin pulled her through a corridor and she glanced behind her, expecting to see something that would explain his behavior, but there was only the depleting crowd of students. “Are we being followed?” She hesitantly asked, her exhaustion seeping away. 

He kept his eyes ahead of him. “Possibly.” He thought for a moment. “Well, technically I am, but—” She raised an unimpressed eyebrow as she stopped in the middle of the hallway. Dustin’s eyes widened as he latched his hand around hers, trying and failing to move her. “What the hell are you doing? Keep moving.” 

She rolled her eyes as she opened the unlocked door of an empty classroom, shoving him inside as he protested. “Explain,” His mouth opened with an objection and she narrowed her eyes. “Now.”

He expelled a defeated sigh. “Mike and I were trying to prank Lucas and we messed up. Big time.” He rushed toward the small window on the classroom door, carefully peering outside. “We threw a stink bomb into his gym locker.” He cowered away from the door as the sound of heavy footsteps approached before dissipating. “Turns out it was Jason’s locker.”

[Y/N] laughed loudly and he immediately shushed her, a small finger pressed to his lips. “Did they see you?” She eventually asked after she collected herself.

“No, I don’t think so.” 

She chuckled, opening the door with ease. “Then why are we hiding?” She pushed him outside with an amused expression as he muttered a string of profanities. He walked beside her, his limbs stiff and odd. She furrowed her eyebrows together, looking at him strangely. “Why are you walking like that?” 

“Like what,” He asked, “I’m walking perfectly normal.” There was anything normal about the way he was walking and he was only gathering more attention to himself.

“You look stupid. Stop that.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

[Y/N] pushed open the entrance door and the heat of the burning sunshine warmed her cheeks. “You look like you have a stick up your ass.” From across the parking lot, Steve rested his forearm on his rolled-down window as he spoke with Robin, who was standing with her back pressed against the driver’s door, laughing at something he said.  “How pissed was he—”

There was a distant shout as Jason and his basketball team stormed through the entrance of the school, their uniforms still on as they pinched their noses with their normal clothes bunched in their fists. The students near the group stepped away as the smell of the stink bomb oozed from them. Jason screamed something about finding whoever was responsible and his group separated, running in different directions. Dustin’s eyes widened. “I’d say really pissed.” 

She gnawed on her lower lip to refrain from laughing. “Get in the car.” Dustin complied with unfamiliar ease as he practically threw himself in the back of Steve’s car. 

Part Five — In Your Dreams

The yellow beams of the afternoon sunlight warmed [Y/N]’s exposed skin as her fingers brushed against the splinters of the wooden bench. A gentle breeze flowed through the crevices of her hair, her delicate fragrance moving with the wind. Eddie was supposed to be studying alongside her, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything other than her as she absentmindedly moved the pink eraser of her pen against her lower lip. He watched as the sunbeams illuminated the shadows of her face and she was drowning in a wave of golden sunshine. He would have taken a picture of her if he could. 

Her eyes slowly moved from her color-coded notes to his softened gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked, her warm voice was light-hearted as she placed her pen between the crevice of her notebook. His chin rested against the palm of his hand as he finally tore his awe-struck gaze from her. He glanced at his pitiful attempt at color-coding his notes. His were practically illegible, seeping through the thin paper, and crooked. He didn’t understand how her annotations were orderly and almost elegant.

He feigned a frustrated sigh. “You know the first time I ever saw you, I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were.” The casualness lacing his words would have been unimaginable a few weeks before. That was something he couldn’t have ever thought of saying directly to her. But he considered her a friend and he was fairly certain she considered him one, and his visible distress regarding her was slowly beginning to ease. 

Her calm and collected expression softened as the words fell from his blush-pink lips and her eyes wavered for a brief second as she looked away from him, glancing at the metal spirals of her notebook. “Flattery won’t get you out of studying.” She said as she expelled a slow and deliberate breath. She picked up her pen again, attempting to centralize her focus back on the small loops of her words. It wasn’t often when she was flustered, especially by something she’s heard throughout the entirety of her life, but there was something about Eddie Munson that had her struggling to control her shaking hands. 

He didn’t even seem to notice the waver of her hand as she continued transcribing her cluttered thoughts. “Flattery would imply I’m being insincere in some way.” 

She dropped her pen against the snow-white paper, feigning a shocked expression as her jaw lowered. “Have you been paying attention in English?” She mocked, and she was completely unaware he almost never paid attention in English because she was merely a few feet away from him, distractingly pretty. 

“Careful, [Y/N], if you keep being mean to me, I’m gonna start thinking you don’t like me.”

Her eyes remained on the passages of her notebook. “I don’t like you,” She retorted unconvincingly, a ghostly smile raising as she saw him dramatically press his palm to the fabric of his t-shirt.

A teasing smirk rose, the softness of his light-pink lips beckoning. “You love me,” He said, and he chuckled airily as he saw her roll her eyes. “Absolutely head-over-heels for me.” 

She was unable to restrain the threatening laughter from escaping her. “Oh, in your dreams!” 

“Every single night, babe.”  

“It’s never going to happen,” She said, and he might’ve been drowning in hope, but there wasn’t anything convincing about the words falling from her lips. She resisted the overwhelming urge to smile as she glanced beside her, his warm eyes glittering with sunlight. There, with intense and consuming beauty, was Eddie with a small wildflower freshly plucked from the bushes growing throughout the woods. He bore his typical insolent smirk, but there was a twinge of sweetness swirling in his dark eyes reserved just for her. “Ever.” She lied straight through her teeth.

In one smooth movement, his calloused hand interlaced with hers and she decided to keep her remarks about his damp hands to herself. “I see we’re still pretending you aren’t madly in love with me.” He said, his voice laced with sweet amusement.

 She plucked the blushing pink wildflower from his gentle grasp, absentmindedly twirling the green stem between her fingers. “I’ll stop pretending when you do first.” She placed the stem between his curls and ear, the light pink contrasting from his typical vibe. 

His breathing hitched at the closeness between them, intently watching as her eyes searched him. “In your dreams, babe.” He muttered breathlessly. 

She raised an eyebrow, looming closer and he might’ve died right then and there. “Every single night.”

[doodle-pops]

Happy Birthday, Tyelpë

Celebrimbor woke up next to you. It was an early summer morning, mists rolling lazily over the forests around Ost-in-Edhil. You were still deeply asleep, tiny smile playing on your lips, making him wonder, what you were dreaming of. He still could not believe he made it so far as to marry you, the love of his life, about six months ago.

He had been quite busy lately and it seemed you were too, with some project of your own. He did already ask, what were you doing, actually more than once, but you always grinned playfully, telling him it is a surprise. He didn't press you for the answer though. You were always so happy when you managed to surprise him with anything nice, that he would regret ruining it.

He watched you for a while as you slept, all cuddled against his side, before he knew he should leave the bed and attend to his duties. He placed gentle kiss on your forehead and chuckled quietly as you let out a long sigh and turned. He stood up carefully, making sure he wouldn't wake you up and went about his usual morning routine.

As his servants brought him his breakfast, he blinked. There was his favourite pastry with sweet fillings, along with the tea he liked most. He also quickly noticed a small message, written by you.

"Happy birthday, Tyelpë. Hope you will have a beautiful day. - Love, Y/n."

He smiled at that and shook his head amusedly. You liked festivals and celebrations. You were always interested in various customs of not only the elves, but also humans and dwarves. Last year you surprised him with including bithday celebration to your life and relationship with him.

"It's a good way to remind you, that the day you were brought to this world was a day that should be remembered, because you brought and keep bringing good things to people around you," you explained to him, while kissing his lips that time. His heart soared hearing that, so the next day, he asked you to marry him after years of courtship.

He relished his breakfast and his mood was bright and happy...and lasting. He realized he somehow didn't have much paperwork to do. It did happen from time to time, but the timing hinted, that you might have something to do with it. Or he was just lucky for once. By noon, his other duties were taken care of, and you both saw each other at lunch.

Your eyes were sparkling with mirth and playfulness. Since there was nothing urgent for him to deal with, he gladly agreed to ride out and enjoy small picnic and each other's company. When you both returned, all content, you both met Celebrimbor's friends, who brought him little gifts. Even Narwi showed up, giving him his own gift - beautiful buckle for a cloak in shape of holly leaves and berries.

The dinner turned into small feast with most of his favourite dishes, treats and drinks. There was a lot of laughter, merry songs and many teasings. When you finally retired to your shared chambers, your hands full of presents, you parted from him for a moment, claiming you needed to change into something more comfortable.

When he saw you again, he froze. His pupils dilated as his gaze fell upon you -you were dressed in sheer and thin indigo silk mimicking the nightsky with small glittering gems, reflecting the light of lapms in your chambers. Your cleavege was adorned with dazzling intricate neclace of his making and your arms and hands were decorated with other his works. He found his heart beating rapidly.

You came close to him, cupping his face with both your hands your thumbs running lovingly over his cheekbones.

"Wouldn't you like..to unwrap ALL your presents?" you asked him with you own cheeks burning. You wanted to sound confident and seductive, but...it ended up shy once again. "The best idea ever, my queen," he exhaled, his eys dark with yearning.

This piece was inspired by many beautiful headcanons about Celebrimbor, written by @icarus-fell-in-spring. They are so beautifully written I can't help but return to them again and again. Try to check them on your own, I'm sure you won't regret it.

Two things I have to say before I comment on the imagine. I first misread the asks when it popped up in my notification and thought you were wishing me happy birthday which made me confused😂. And I do follow their blog, since 2019 - they write amazing content for all the characters.

This was wonderful for Celebrimbor - baby deserves to be treated with lots of love. I always get soft whenever I read about him and this made me melt.

[achillieus]

let you down. (sebastian stan x reader)

summary: it's a universal truth but it's worth repeating; feelings eat us raw. or just an actor and a girl falling in and out of love over the course of three months.

(this was inspired by sebastian's visit to greece for his movie, monday, and is based on that, so that means in the story we’re in 2018. also i have this posted on ao3 too but while i’m writing the last parts i thought of posting it here too)

quick note: i wrote this back in 2018 after meeting sebastian in greece but i redited it now, so if you see any mistakes or typos please tell me :)

pairing: sebastian stan x reader

warnings: alcohol, sexual references, implied depression, sebastian desperately needs to hug the reader, it's kinda slowburn because i love the yearning

part: 2/6

(other parts)  (masterlist)

It’s Monday when they come back from their small trip to the south. You’re watering the jasmine in your balcony when you hear the engine of Argyris’ car slowly shut down and see two figures getting out of the back seats.

It’s him and a blonde woman. You remember meeting her that night in the terrace. You’ve learnt that she’s a great actress and will play the other main character in the film.

When she notices you looking at them, she waves.

“Hey, Sebastian it’s your friend there.” She gives his shoulder a soft nudge.

We’re not friends. That’s what you almost yell back at her.

His head shots up, smiling.

He’s always smiling. It’s getting annoying.

You can see him going through his bag as he calls your name.

“Look, I brought you some traditional sweets.” He’s holding a small wrapped up package. He starts wiggling it in the air.

He looks so jolly and proud of himself. It makes your throat dry.

And before you can control it, you laugh. You can’t see it from where you’re standing but he bites his bottom lip at the sound.

/

Two hours later he’s sitting in your kitchen devouring half of the pastries he got you.

“These are actually so good, how can you not like them?” He says and it comes out all garbled. His mouth is full of sugary dough.

You do like them. But he does too. And you can find them anytime you want here. You doubt it’s the same in New York.

“They’re just not my favorite,” he nods “but thank you anyway.”

“Well let’s say you owe me,” you furrow your brows in confusion “and will repay me by sending me some of those once I’m gone.”

He laughs before taking another bite.

And as you stare at him, you notice that he’s different. His gaze is tranquil, his voice is soft and he has some cream at the corner of his lips.

Like that, he looks more like a guy you met at college than a well known actor.

Like that, we could be friends, you think.

You talk a lot. He tells you about his time in Romania and his first audition. It makes you realize you are far more interested in acting than what you thought. You tell him how you think team Iron Man is the superior team. He gasps, as if he is hurt.

He doesn’t mention his girlfriend. You don’t ask about her. It’s easier for both of you this way.

/

A stifling heat rises to your body as you walk under the burning sun. You don’t realize how Argyris gets you to give Sebastian a tour around the city, but you can remember a pair of light eyes pleading you.

You can easily hear him humming to himself. You turn to look at him. He’s wearing a hat and his forehead is sweating. He doesn’t seem to mind.

“You’re in a very good mood today.”

“Aren’t you?”

“Well I’m stuck with you for the day so what choice do I have?” You shrug.

He makes a face at you. You crack and a huge smile forms in your face.

He leans closer, mouth to ear and then he speaks.

“You know, I can’t tell if you hate me or just like me too much.”

His breath hits your cheek.  

You try not to blink at the sudden foreign touch.

His words find your skin and they’re so clear and powerful. Suddenly you’re an open page to him.

He crosses his arms in front of his chest and waits for an answer, a nod, a glance.

You are still standing close, the city sounds doing nothing to ease the heated silence between you two.

He realizes you’re not going to give him any response so he lowers his eyes.

And then, when he looks up again, it almost feels like he gives you mercy and agrees to let you get away with it this time.

He smiles.

“So where is Acropolis?”

/

When he’s lying on your couch after six hours of being a tourist and under the summer sun he looks exhausted. Still he’s his typical talkative self.

“You are always so pumped.”

“And you rarely are.”

“Doesn’t it get tiring?” you ask each other at the same time. It seems like you are two different sides of the exact same coin. One body. One heart.

“Today was nice.” He stretches his arms. “Thank you.”

You open the window. There is barely any wind out there. The air smells of hot cement and flowers.

The man on your couch has closed his eyes, breathing softly.

You try to ignore him over and over for the last days. Until you cannot ignore him anymore; your world has come to an end.

So many people know who Sebastian Stan is.

Only few will ever know him like this; falling asleep on a cheap brown couch with his hair messy, his chest rising and falling and his mind empty of thoughts.

These are photographs of your memories now.

An involuntary smile spreads across your face at the thought.

You see him swift and his hand clenches tightly around a throw pillow.

“Stop looking at me like that you creep,” he says.

“Come closer,” he means.

/

The sun is long gone and he’s still asleep when there’s a knock on your door. It’s Argyris.

“Please tell me he’s here.”

You nod and motion towards Sebastian’s drifted away body.

“When I left you this morning, I didn’t actually think you’d last this long together.” He tells you the moment he sees him.

The words fall out of his mouth too easily for your liking. “But I should have known better.”

You don’t understand much. You take a step out of your door. You don’t want to wake him up.

“Do you know how many times he mentioned you while we were away?’

Everything stops and falls quiet in the hall.

The words choke you. You shake your head.

“I need you to be smarter than him.” He says and touches your shoulder. “His world moves too fast for people like us.”

It’s effortless not to look at the man in front of you. It’s hard not to shallow his saying.

/

He wakes up an hour later. He looks at you and it feels sacred. His eyes are still red and the pillow has left a mark on his left cheek.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep here.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it was rude, you should have yelled at me to wake up or something.”

“But you looked tired.”

You carry on with doing the dishes and you hear the couch squeak as he stands up and steps towards you.

The water is refreshingly cold on your skin and the soap smells like lemon.

His hands find your waist and his touch is burning. You wish he disappears. You wish he stays for the night. You don’t even know what you’re wishing for anymore. He comes closer and rests his head on top of yours.

And then he wraps his arms around you and you get flashes of days and nights where there was not enough air for you to breath and your ribs ached.

His action is not so noble. It feels like his body steals all the rationality you have. But it gives you this feeling that there will be no more starless skies at night. And that’s enough for now, so you don’t complain.

His skin feels soft and he smells of sweat and vanilla. Somehow you find that alluring.

He looks at you for a second, like he’s trying to memorize your face. And then he pulls away completely silent.

You try to understand what he’s thinking but he gives nothing away. You were never good at reading people.

You blink and he’s almost out of your apartment.

“Goodnight” he shouts.

“Goodnight” you whisper.

/

You close the window. You wonder how he will spend the night. He probably won’t sleep soon. He just woke up.

But you can’t sleep either.  You just move around in your bed. You sink into the sheets and try to close your eyes.

Your phone buzzes.

He follows you on Instagram.

I need you to be smarter than him.

You go through his profile. You want to think he’s doing the same. You want him to do the same.

His world moves too fast for people like us.

You sigh. Perhaps there could have been a time when you would have stayed away from him, but you can’t pretend to ignore it for much longer. And you’re scared of it. And you’re scared of him.

But you’re more scared of how hard it’s for loneliness to fade. And you wish this doesn’t end like a greek tragedy.

/

One day of the following week you go out for coffee. The curly haired woman comes with you. You don’t understand why. And while you’re adding more sugar to your espresso, she tells him she loves his acting. She uses all kinds of adjectives to describe it; hopeful and poignant, celestial.

You like the way she talks. She sounds beautiful. You almost envy her abundance of words.

But Sebastian stops listening.

He watches the way your fingers wrap around the sugar box. He can see your nerves and your synapses move underneath your skin and he thinks he’s watching a dance show.

He will never tell you, but it’s then; under the morning sun and with sugar in your hands, that he feels his heart beat with the power of cymbals for the first time.

He thinks you don’t have to know.

He’s wrong.

You learn the girl is an actress herself. They’ll be in the movie together. They look stellar together.

Looking at them, gives you a violent feeling that wrenches your stomach around.

You can’t hate her for that. You feel like it’s more your fault than hers. That feeling however, grabs you by the shoulders and doesn’t let go. You try not to let it show.

But for some reason when Sebastian almost touches your palm, you look at her and you’re certain this is entirely mutual.

You make a silent agreement to not include him in any of this.

/

“You were extremely quiet earlier.” He says as you reach the building you call home.

He wants to spend time together until his scheduled shooting. You don’t complain.

“You always say that.” You try to joke. He looks right at you.

And then you notice that his eyes aren’t the color of the sea. They’re more grayish blue. They’re like a frozen lake in December.

“I know,” he starts messing with his hair “But you can’t deny you barely talked back there.”

When you enter your apartment, he immediately throws himself on your couch. These last few days it feels like he owns that right spot there in front of your big window.

“I’ve told you, I talk when I have something to say.”

He smiles at your words.

“Then I must be lucky you talk to me.” He whispers softly.

You sit next to him. If you move a little closer you could touch him, feel his warmth. You don’t.

You never thought of how easy it has become to talk to him. You don’t keep your thoughts locked and your teeth clenched around him. And that’s a novice feeling for you.

You let your eyelids fall close and lay back.

There’s a language between you two. It starts with secret glances and whispers and now it contains words that build and ruin bodies and souls.

Sometimes you want to say them all together. Sometimes you just want to open your mouth and let everything flow out but then you’re scared you’ll make him mad. Or you’ll make him love you.

You can’t decide which is worse and that’s enough to stop you.

“What is this thing between us?” He sounds all tender-like, but his blood feels heavy at the moment. He’s not sure if he can keep breathing. He regrets the words that leave his lips, when it’s already too late.

You have the answer figured out long time before he asks. But you’re not ready to give it to him.

“I don’t know” you open your eyes “I don’t know.” You repeat.

/

He doesn’t tell anyone but sometimes he feels nauseous before a shooting. You can clearly see that now. His pacing up and down the room and his roaming eyes give him away.

You are surprised. You never thought he could be nervous. He looks so confident and radiant all the time; you sometimes forget he is still a regular human being.

“You have no reason to worry.” His lips twitch.

“I know.”

“But you still worry.”  You grin and catch his arm to stop him from moving.

The look he gives you is acute.

“You have no reason to be sad,” he starts, without breaking eye contact “but you still are.”

You feel naked and hug yourself close.

It’s very strange to have someone scratch everything from you and see your raw truth. You’re not certain it’s something you enjoy. You wish it didn’t make you quiver.

Sebastian wishes he could scratch deeper under your dermis and your fingernails and slither there between your muscles and your heart where blood runs thick and melancholy hasn’t conquered yet.

“I’m sorry.” He shakes his head.

“You didn’t say anything hurtful.”

You worry your words may come out bitter. You don’t want that.

“It won’t last forever.” he says and then your name appears in his tongue. You like the way he says it. It almost sounds like poetry. “You won’t be sad forever.”

You smile and, in that moment, you aren’t a worldwide known celebrity and a girl in her early twenties. You are just two people seeking comfort.

/

The same night there’s a party for the first day of shooting. You don’t feel like going, but he doesn’t let you stay home.

What did you do last night?

Went to a party with Sebastian Stan, typical Thursday night.

You can picture the look on everyone’s face. It makes your lips turn upward just a little.

“I told you to be careful.” The voice sounds almost far away but your neighbor is standing right next to you as he mutters.

“I am.” You say with a laugh. He crosses his arms.

“No, you are here, watching him starry-eyed.”

Your fingers start playing with the rough fabric of your dress.

“I don’t know how to stop it.” You whisper.

He tells you to not entail yourself in something you don’t know the way out of. But what does he know about solitude and rushed breaths?

What does he know about a pair of eyes that look like a frozen lake?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

/

He’s watching you from afar while you talk with Argyris. He notices how your chest moves along with your breathing in a way it looks like it’s made of pure glass.

For a while he thinks of staying there and keep observing you but then Argyris leaves and you’re all alone. And he starts walking closer to you.

All eyes are on him as he goes through the main dance floor. The curly haired actress stops moving to the beat and follows him with her gaze.

They both reach you.

And you know he’s moving towards you before you can see him. It’s like your body is aware of his presence madly fast.

His eyes seem darker under the hazy light.

He grabs your hand.

You almost heave.

“Let’s get out of here.” He breaths.

/

You walk for some time. It’s late and Athens is quiet around that time. There is only a soft broken sound of cars and you think about that time you saw a car crash happen in front of your eyes.

You sit close in an old dirty staircase in a forgotten back alley. The city has a lot of those, but people don’t notice. They just walk past them, always in a hurry.

Sebastian sighs heavily. He looks at you in a way it makes you think he’s trying to memorize everything. The way midnight air caresses your body, the way red lighting falls in your hair from that street lamp. He looks at you for an indefinite and long period of time and it feels exquisite.

You place your fingers on his palm and the world flickers. He’s still wearing the rings they gave him for the movie and they feel cold against your skin.

“Do you ever miss Romania?”

The question startles him.

“Every day.”

You nod. Maybe he knows more about sorrow than you give him credit for.

“I remember the dog fence and our neighbors’ daughter and the orange sky through my window, minutes before sun set.”

Your hand locks around his and you stay silent for a while.

“This is the Lyra constellation.”  His eyes light up as he looks up.

You remember reading about how much he’s into space. It’s intriguing.

“Where?”

He doesn’t let go of your hand. Instead he picks it up and guides it with his own. His body moves closer. There’s no cold in the air.

As your eyes search for the stars that your hands point at, he watches you and he’s certain that one day he’d love to lay on his back, with you on his side and show you all the little dead planets in the sky. Show you the secrets of the universe.

And he feels like this is the type of beauty that musicians try to write songs about.

“Ah!” Your grip becomes tighter and you smile. “I can see it!”

He laughs at your childish enthusiasm.

You laugh too.

And then you let your head fall on his shoulder, your hair touching his bare skin. You don’t blame them for making him wear sleeveless shirts for the film.

You can him feel shudder at your sudden motion, but then he exhales and his muscles relax.

He observes the features of your face from this angle. He almost traces them with his fingers.

“They’re probably going to kill me for stealing you away from the party.” You whisper.

“I think I was the one who grabbed your hand and left.” He laughs again and you can feel his chest pounding.

His phone buzzes. He doesn’t look at it. He closes his eyes.

“Δείξε μου όλα τα αστέρια. ”

He doesn’t understand a word but your voice sounds too close. You feel too close. And that’s almost tearing him apart.

“What does that mean?”

You turn to look at him. The neon sign on the old building behind him keeps trembling.

“It means, show me the stars.”

And he does. And he feels like he could burn alive.

And you will never tell him; but you still think of him when you catch a glimpse of burning stars.

i really appreciate feedback, it motivates me tons and also tell me if you’d like to be tagged :)

tagging: @lharrietg  @awkward117 @dannaloureen @broccoligf @cutestfangirlvevo @caitdaniels @arymb @buckybarnesishot310 @roguesthetic  @itsaliceheree

[usmsgutterson]

Yellow- Pin Hawthorne

OKAY, YES-- I’ve wanted to write for Pin Hawthorne since having finished the show, and I’ve decided to do it, because I simply can’t resist and Pin is my favorite moody horseboi, plus, this blurb (imagine? I don’t know how long it’s gonna go yet!) is entirely inspired by the songs Yellow and Sparks by Coldplay, because the show is modern and the songs were released W A Y before the years that show is set in, so yay! 

Pins aged up in this, as well. In the show he’s around 16-17? In this, he and the reader are both 20!

I might have Pins characterization a little off because I’ve only watched the show once (I’m gonna rewatch it before I do a shadow and bone rewatch,, moody pin is just a bit too endearing) but other than that, lets do it!

The reader is American for this, and I did mostly keep it gender neutral, aside from an outfit description! Even then, though, I did try to keep it androgynous

Fic type- fluff

Warnings-none

It took a ton of convincing on Pins part to get his dad to let him use the castle for something that, to anyone else, might’ve seemed small. He’d known it might’ve, and started the process a good month before the event was even to happen. A decision that he’d made that wound up working in his favor. 

“You really love them, don’t you?” His father asked, pressing the keys into his palm as Pin gave a nod. “Even with all the stupid nicknames?” Pin grimaced, but nodded again. 

“Even the stupid nicknames, Dad,” he assured. “All of them.” His father broke out into a smile, pulling Pin in for a hug as he tucked the key away into his jacket pocket.

“Well then, happy anniversary,” his father mumbled. “Five years? Gotta admit, I had faith, but I didn’t think you’d make it this far. Not with someone like them.”

“I know,” Pin retorted. “I’m pretty lucky.” Pin knew that ‘pretty lucky’ might as well have been understatement of the year, but went along with it anyway, pulling away from his father and slowly approaching Elvis, patting his side a few times before climbing onto the saddle and riding down to the castle that he, as the duke, could technically call home. 

The castle was big and at times, tough to get around, but he made his way just fine, letting Elvis move at a slow gallop rather than a run, figuring that he had the time, considering you’d agreed to meet at 8 and it was barely 7:15.

When he arrived, he put Elvis away safely, and made his way through the entrance and up to the outdoor balcony, which had a view outlooking the expansive land on which the castle was built, and the trees that went around the outerrim of the space.

He grabbed his bag off the chair on which he’d had his butler leave it the day previous, almost grinning to himself as he sat at the glass table, rummaging through the bag for everything that he’d put in it.

A bottle of wine, because why not, several sweets, a ton of the polaroids you’d taken in the seven years you’d known each other, some fairy lights that he’d hang up so that you weren’t totally and completely in the dark, and a bluetooth speaker that Becky had gotten him that Christmas; one that he’d still not bothered to use, despite the fact that it was almost June. 

“Can I get you anything sir?” Arthur poked his head through the balcony door way, and Pin found himself startled. 

“Uh, yes please. Wine glasses,” Arthur gave a single, solitary nod.

“The dinner that you requested will be here by the time you requested for it,” he responded. “Though, are you really sure fast food is what you want? It doesn’t seem right to celebrate an anniversary with fast food.” Pin forced his gaze to his lap so that Arthur wouldn’t glimpse his smile. 

You’d come from America, just like Zoe had, but you’d moved with your family to the island when you were eleven. You’d met Pin when you were thirteen. 

One summer, Pins father was insistent that he get away from the stables, spend some time somewhere he’d not gone before, travel a little, and your family had agreed to let him spend the eight weeks of summer with you in the united states. 

You’d had your first date in a McDonalds that same summer, when you and Pin were fifteen. He’d felt weirded out, at first. The fact that he’d never eaten from a McDonalds, despite there having been a couple on the island, almost made him confused. You’d gotten chicken nuggets to split and a couple of the pastries to count as a desert of sorts, and thus sparked the relationship.

“No reason,” Pin murmured. “It’s quick. It’s easy, and the last meal that they ate was lunch.” Arthur gave another nod, and Pin began fiddling with the speaker as he heard Arthurs footsteps grow farther and farther away. 

It was a speaker that was almost the size of his hand and designed to look like a vintage radio. Forest green was the color, and the dial on the right side would control volume. The three buttons below the dial were the power button, the on/off button, and the skip button. Pin turned it on, checking the sound quality by playing two MCR songs, silently bopping his head as Arthur returned, the supplies that Pin had asked Arthur to gather in a bag perched neatly on his arm.

Arthur placed the bag on the table wordlessly, leaving Pin to do his thing as he stopped using the speaker,  deciding that the sounds of nature; the river, the rustling of trees and the beautiful view of the sky as the sun grew closer and closer to setting was much better company than Gerard Way scream-singing his lungs out. 

He’d spent the remainder of the time he had working on your gift. At the end of it, he felt proud of himself, even despite how dumb he’d thought the idea was at first.

It was all of his favorite photos of you--polaroids he’d taken via polaroid camera and polaroids that became polaroids when he’d used a polaroid printer alike-- neatly put into a big picture frame, plus a couple of his sweaters that you liked to steal, some of your favorite sweets, and a journal he knew you’d been eyeing at one of the shops. 

Arthur put the McDonalds onto the table in the last ten minutes before eight, putting the wine glasses beside the bag. “I’ll send them here when they’ve arrived,” he murmured, shooting Pin a smile as he turned and walked away. 

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Pin had the dinner mostly set up, the chicken nuggets at the center of the table, fries on either side, wine glasses filled the appropriate amount. 

“You’re lucky I love you, Hawthorne,” Pin was almost breathless as he glanced over to you, putting the bag that he’d put your gift in on the ground to his right. “If you were anyone else, I’d not have waited so long to eat dinner.” You’d worn a simple pair of black jeans, with a black turtleneck and a dark gray blazer overtop. You styled your hair like you always did, and your smile was bright, eyes warm as you looked at him.

“McDonalds and wine,” you sat, putting the gift you’d gotten Pin on the ground to your left, reaching across the table and taking his hand in yours. “The perfect way to a persons heart.”

“Do you like it?” He asked, gesturing to the fairy lights Arthur must’ve put up while he was busy in the world of gift making. They weren’t lit yet, as the sun had barely begun to dip over the horizon, but he’d light them once it grew darker. You nodded.

“It’s absolutely lovely,” you responded. “I didn’t think you’d put this much effort in, to be totally honest.” You were poking at him, pricking gently at his work ethic in the hopes of getting a kiss across the table. 

“I’d have been fine just cuddling the day away,” you admitted. “And I know you would’ve, but thank you. For everything.” He smiled, feeling grateful for Zoe’s suggestion that he use the castles balcony to his advantage when he’d brought his plans up to her and Marcus. 

“You’re welcome,” he responded. 

After that, you lapsed into a comfortable silence, making occasional conversation as you ate and drank. You let Pin ramble about the sick horses at Bright Fields and made a mental note to visit the hospital part of the stables, see how they were doing and make sure they knew that they were loved. As you cleaned up, putting your garbage back into the McDonalds bag, you gave Pin updates on some of the horses around the stables and the wild horses that you and Jade had been tracking. 

“There’s a foal, too!” Pin loved seeing you get so excited, and that was no exception. “I know that we shouldn’t name the wild horses, but I couldn’t help myself, so I named the horse November.”

“Why November?”

“The foals coat is white. Snow is white, and snow happens in November. It just seemed fitting!” You grabbed the bag, going inside only briefly to put it into the nearest trash bin before walking back out and sitting back down. 

Pin grabbed the bag with your gift in it at the same time you grabbed the bag with his. He slid yours to you with a bright smile, and you slid his to him with the same.

You opened yours first. “Your hoodies!” You yelled out, smile turning into a full on beam, “Pin, you know that we’re moving in together in the fall, right? You’re just gonna get these back!” Pin shrugged.

“You get them until the fall, I’ll wash them, wear them a couple of times, and then they’re yours again. I get to see you in my clothes and you get to be warm and comfortable constantly! I call it a win-win situation!” 

“Can’t disagree with that!” You put the sweaters back in the bag, grabbing the photo frame next. 

You sighed, feeling your legs turn to jello as your heart melted. You looked up at him, feeling tears well up in your eyes as you did. “Five years of polaroids,” you whispered. “And you’re giving them back to me?” Pin just shrugged, feeling tempted to round the table, crouch next to you and kiss you senseless, but he resisted. 

“I took photos of them,” he responded, pulling his phone out of his pants pocket and waving it around. “I can always get more copies from the polaroid printer.” You laughed lightly.

“Thank you, Pin, so much.” You’d never stop saying it. You had so much to thank him for. Every smile, every laugh, every dinner date, every ride out into the countryside and every kiss. 

“You don’t need to thank me, love,” he responded. “Theres one more thing in there for you.” He gestured to the bag as you put the photo frame back into it, pulling out the journal you’d been eying a moment later. 

“No fucking way!” You cursed, turning it over in your hands. Pin leaned back into his chair, shrugging while he nodded. 

It was a simple journal: a brown leather bound thing that was the same color as Elvis’s fur, but it had pages that were suitable for practically anything.

“I know you’ve wanted it for a while, and, well, I figured you could use it for just about anything. Sketches, diary entries, even putting bank statements in the thing would make a good use for it,” You slightly stood, planting a kiss to his nose across the table. 

You put the journal back into the bag and gestured to the bag he’d put in his lap. “It’s your turn, duke.”

“Don’t call me that,” he whispered. He narrowed his eyes at you, but the smirk that followed after told you he’d not been serious. 

The first thing he’d pulled out was a scrapbook of the years that you’d spent together. From photos like the victory one that Ted had taken after you’d completed riding lessons, Pin doing a thumbs up on the right side of your horse while you sat on it still, throwing a peace sign and smiling, to random photos you’d taken together. 

Blurry ones that’d been taken with the timer feature. You flipping off the camera while Pin flopped back onto his bed. One from when you were both sixteen, in the middle of turning around, his arms snaked around your waist and yours resting on his shoulders as you kissed, the screen blurred but not so blurred that you couldn’t tell what was happening. 

A couple that Zoe, Jade, Becky and Marcus had taken. You, exhausted, with your head in Pins lap as he fiddled with a camera, curled up and almost hidden from sight in the haybales. You and Pin at the pony prom, slow dancing, looking at each other with nothing but love in your eyes. A shot taken as you and Pin left the stables, backs to the camera, hands interlocked. A photo of you and Pin in the haybales again, you with your head on his chest, his arm around your shoulders, hay in your hair. A laptop sat discarded beside Pins sleeping body, playing old episodes of Criminal Minds. Both of you had sleepy smiles on your faces. 

Pin laughed as he saw more than one picture of you two asleep in the haybales, some taken by Jade, most taken by Zoe, though there were a few shots that’d been taken by his father. 

“I love this,” he glanced up at you, then to the speaker that sat on the edge of the table. “I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, horse-boy!” He snorted, putting the scrapbook on the table and grabbing the next thing in the bag.

It was a sweater; one that he’d not seen since before his eighteenth birthday. “Thief,” he murmured, folding the sweater and putting it atop the scrapbook. 

“You’re my favorite person,” was your lovestruck retort. He blushed as he grabbed the last thing in the bag.

It was a camera; a polaroid to replace the one that’d been broken in the months before, and it was vintage. 

“You didn’t,” he looks up at you, face showing disbelief as clearly as his voice did. In response, you just shrugged.

“We’ve taken a lot of photos, and you loved the polaroid camera. I used a connection or two that I have and I grabbed it for you.”

“How much was it?” He asked. “We had a limit! No more than fifty pounds!” 

“It was forty nine pounds, and the taming of a wild horse found just outside the coast of Maine. She comes in a couple of days, by the way.” Pin put the things back in the bag and stood, grabbing the speaker and turning it on, connecting his phone to it a minute later.

“You love chaos,” he teased. “But I love you, so I love it by association.” He held his hand out to you, and you took it, giggling as he pulled you in close, bringing you into a passionate kiss that lingered on your lips even after it’d ended. 

He paused only to have Yellow by Coldplay stream through the speaker, putting his phone on the table next to it.

“May I have this dance?” He asked, emphasizing more on his accent in a silly way to get you to laugh. It worked, to his delight, as you nodded, cheeks flushing bright red.

“You may have every dance, if you so wish it,” he felt his cheeks heat up as he pulled you closer, pressing a kiss to your forehead and gently swaying with you as your arms moved to rest at his shoulders and his moved to your waist, wrapping around it, his hands meeting and folding at the small of your back. ‘

He’d found a way to loop the song so that it played a couple of times back to back, but you didn’t mind. You had Pin. You had Pin and his sarcasm, his smiles, his voice, still drenched with sleep in the mornings and his peaceful face while he slept. You had tea in the mornings, quiet afternoons spent riding or in helping horses, and evenings laughing with your friends, Pin at your side. 

You’d known Pin for seven years, and you’d been dating him for five. He was like the lgiht at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel, and he embraced you tightly as you finally escaped it. 

“What makes you happy?” he asked you absentmindedly, just to get to hear the melodic sound of your voice again. You laughed, meeting his gaze with a smile. 

“You, Pin,” you responded. “You make me happy.” He stared at you for a long moment, wishing that he had what he’d kept in his sock drawer since Christmas. 

“What makes you happy?” You repeated.

“You, Y/N. Always you,” you leaned up, pressing your lips to his without so much as thinking twice.

The kiss was messy, and you stumbled backward a little, but you giggled as you did. When you pulled away, you were delighted to find that Pins cheeks were burning as bright as yours, the same red that coated some parts the sky as the sun dipped down the horizon. 

“You’re the love of my life,” Pin was almost in awe at how easily you said it, like you’d been reading off a grocery list or ingredients for a recipe. Pin had wanted to say it since he’d bought the thing that sat in that pathetic little sock drawer, but he’d still not figured out how to say it and make it worthwhile.

“Do you want forever?” The closest he’d get, but he was fine with that, and relieved as you’d nodded. “I promise you forever then, Y/N.”

[magalidragon]

paris is always a good idea | a Jonerys Drabble

Thank you @youwerenevermine​ for my wonderful birthday gift, I love it so much and I love Paris so much and Jonerys and you for making this for me so I felt inspired and wrote a quick little drabble thing, lol. It’s only the fourth time I’ve written Jonerys in a modern, non-Westeros world, but it was fun!  And I wanna’ go back so much!  Paris, je t’aime!

They met while in university, oddly enough, as fate would have it, on her birthday.

She had been there to study art, for a year abroad, savoring every last second wandering the wide, arched hallways of the Louvre, staring at grand masters for hours on end, burning the vibrant colors and mesmerizing brushstrokes into her memory, wishing she could be as good as them one day.  One day, someone would have her art in their house, and proudly boast they'd gotten it back when she was but a nobody, painting on the streets or in the grassy parks.  

Since it was her birthday, she decided to treat herself, and instead of heading straight to the university to get some time in the studio, she decided to get an ice cream at Berthillon, heading to the Ile-St-Louis instead of to the metro, taking her time to admire, as she often did, the glory of Notre Dame, it’s gargoyles and buttresses.

At the glacier she took her time selecting a flavor, did not even mind paying the exorbitant price and shouldered through tourists taking refuge from a cold rain that had begun to fall. She savored it, the clean water bouncing off her peat coat and the beanie she’d tugged over her silver hair.

She was about to set off, to eat her ice cream and wander into the Marais, perhaps drop down into the Latin Quarter— maybe take a trip to Chanel or Dior or Celine to admire the creations she couldn’t afford— when her ice cream went flying, straight onto the wet sidewalk. Where a mass of pidgins attacked it with gusto.

“Merde! Faites attention!” she shouted, stomping her Doc Marten on the ground in petulant annoyance.

The man who had bumped her because he’d been roughhousing with another friend had been apologetic.  He bought her another and said his name was Robb Stark. He was from Scotland, was on spring break with his buddies, which she didn’t care about. To apologize he invited her for a drink, especially when the worker who she’d told it was her birthday had commented on it again when she got another ice cream.

She figured why not?  He was attractive, sorry, and nice enough so she agreed, although she had commented his French was terrible best to speak English. “You’re English?” he had teased.

“Half and half,” she answered. English father, French mother.

At the comptoir where she suggested they meet, in Montmartre, she brought her roommate Missandei and Missandei’s boyfriend Grey. It was just a drink and they’d leave and go to the dinner Missandei planned to take her to anyway.

Except that’s where she met him.

The dark, brooding figure at the tiny table in the corner, ignoring Robb and Robb’s friend Theon, and a couple others, favoring silence and his drink. He was in all black, barely acknowledging her and slipped out for a smoke when Robb began to shamelessly flirt. She didn’t care about Robb, she cared about him.

Jon.

She exited, saw him lighting a cigarette against a lap post. She flicked her coat collar up and sidled towards him. “Puis-j’en avoir un?”

“Sorry I don’t speak,” he began, and his eyes— black in the orange lamplight glow— flicking to her. He smiled gently “French.”

She smiled and repeated her question in English.  “Can I have one?  A smoke  that is?”

He stuck the cigarette between his pouty, sinful lips, framed with a cropped dark beard, and reached into his coat pocket, removing a pack. She took one delicately and he lit it, cupping his hands around the tip so the wind didn’t blow it out.

A stream of smoke escaped her nostrils when she puffed and she smiled up at him, hoping he got the hint. “Do you like Paris?”

“Not especially.”

“Aw come on,” she teased. She hummed, closing her eyes and taking in the cold night. The electric buzz is people on the street and at the cafes and bars around them. “Paris is always a good idea.”

“Someone famous said that.”

“Audrey Hepburn.”

He sucked on the cigarette and smiled, a tiny one, the curve of his lip sly rather than shy.  “You aren’t in there with the rest of them.”

“Because it’s my birthday and I want to do what I want to do.”  She stubbed the cigarette out on the post and turned, disposing it in the bin by the door.  A quick text to Missandei: I’m going to skip dinner, I think I have a date, she turned and studied him.  “I’m…”

“Dany,” he said. He shrugged, finishing his smoke. “I remember.”  

Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t think you were listening when Robb introduced me.”

“I was.”  He pulled the tartan scarf around his neck tighter.  He glanced towards Sacré-Cœur, illuminated white in the lights around its base. He smirked at her.  “You going back in?”

She shook her head. “No,” she drawled. She followed his gaze to Sacré-Cœur. “Have you been up there?”

“No.”

“You should. Some of the best views of Paris.”

He chuckled, voice tight. “You should invite Robb.”

“I think he might be a third wheel.”

It took him a second, the gears in his mind turning, understanding what she was saying. He cocked his head. His black curls were in a mess around his face. A few scattered rain drops landed on them, and he shook it free like a dog. Or a wolf, she thought, noting the animal embroidered on the edge of his scarf.

He narrowed his eyes again. “I told you I don’t really like Paris.”

“Why?”

“It’s loud. Busy. Dirty.”

She laughed. “Every city is like that but in Paris it’s different.”

“Why?”

Her bravado got the better of her and she stepped towards him, linking her arm through his. If he didn’t get it now, he was a stupid fool who deserved it when she kicked him into the gutter. “Because,” she murmured, rising to her toes, trying to gaze as directly as she could into his eyes, which she now saw were actually gray. His breathing quickened. “You’re with me.”

The wolf got the point with that comment. He allowed her to keep her arm around his and lead him towards the cathedral.  They spoke of nothing and anything on the long walk through Montmartre to the highest point in the city.  

He was in Paris for a research trip.  He was studying medieval weapons and was going out to Bayeux to study some relics. His cousin Robb and friends came along for the free trip.  They spoke about being starving artists in their field-- her literally an artist as it were.  They talked about Paris-- how much he disliked it, how much she adored it.  The top of Sacre-Coeur might have changed his mind, but he pretended he still didn’t get the appeal, so she dragged him back down to the streets, to her favorite all-night boulangerie, into the metro and across town to the Eiffel Tower, spinning in circles on the Champs du Mars.  They ran across the Pont-de-la-Concorde and across the Tullieries.  They wandered down the Seine, smoked cigarettes in the doorsteps of old buildings in the Latin Quarter, and drank cheap wine in one of the tourist-cafes near the Jardin du Luxembourg.  

They meandered back through the streets, the city oddly quiet, the rain stopping, and she brought him to her garret studio in the Bastille, up the six flights of stairs to the top of the building, where she shed her coat and boots adn scratched her fat cat Drogon’s ears, leading him to the wrought-iron bars in one of the four windows she had, pushing the window open and crawling out, up onto the roof where she wanted to show him something.  

“Look,” she directed, when he climbed up next to her-- less gracefully-- pointing to the lit-up Eiffel Tower.  

He cursed under his breath.  “It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s my favorite place in Paris.  The rent is steep, but it’s worth it for this.”  She chuckled.  “And it has the best view.”

He whispered.  “Yes, it does.”  

And to her surprise, since she didn’t realize the time, the tower began to twinkle, the 20,000 lights across its metal beams flickering and she glanced sideways; he wasn’t watching the tower, but her face.  She arched her brows.  “You know, the lights twinkle for five minutes every hour, on the hour.”  She smiled and shrugged, whispering.  “It’s a sign that you’re supposed to return to Paris.”

Instead of saying anything, like how silly that was, he leaned in and cupped her face in his wide palm, callused and warm, bringing her face to meet his, kissing gently, in the twinkly glow of the lights.  He pulled back a moment later, breathing, “I think I like Paris.  And you’er right...this place has the best view.”  His eyes were wide on hers, focused.  She chuckled, nodding in agreement, and pulled him back to her for another kiss.

That night she savored every moment with him, as they pulled each other’s clothes off slowly, kissing and touching, every smooth curve and muscle of each other, each hard ridge and plane of his strong, muscular body or her soft, lean one.  He touched her and kissed her and stroked her in ways she’d never experienced, bringing her to heights she’d only dreamed about.  It was intense, the lights behind her closed eyelids when she came, over and over, gripping his shoulders, hair, the bedframe behind her.  He rose up and over her, in and out, their bodies moving as one, thrusting and arching.  

She didn’t know if she’d see him again; if this was a one-time, romantic Parisian adventure, but in the morning when she woke, she found him coming back inside from getting pastries and coffees, the faintest scent of cigarettes and her toothpaste on his lips when he kissed her good morning.  

They exchanged their information, vowing to speak daily, and he would see her when he got back from Bayeux.  She couldn’t believe when he did call and he kept his word.  “When you lie, words lose their meaning,” he’d explained, obviously reading her surprise.  

And when her year ended in Paris, she found herself in London, back at university, dreaming of their magical time there, even when they made time for each other, going back and forth from London to Edinburgh; and he from Edinburgh to Paris during the last couple of months of her year there.  

They made it a priority; every single year they spent time in Paris, like they were students again, on that magical night.  

They grew older, no longer needing to find the cheapest drinks and cigarettes, or staying in studio garrets, eventually able to experience some of the best hotels and restaurants the city had to offer, as he sold books and became a well-known author and professor, and her dream of becoming a famous artist came true, when sure enough, someone bought one of her paintings on the side of the Seine, someone who happened to be an art dealer in New York.  

It was their city, where they met, and where they could remember.  

After they married, about fifteen years after that fateful birthday, they visited again, and spun together on the Pont-Neuf, kissing and murmuring how they loved each other and always would, and he took her back to the tiny studio garret, which was now theirs, and sat on the rooftop and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle.  

“Paris is always a good idea,” she murmured, head in the crook of his neck, her back to his front, wrapped in a warm blanket, and his arms tight around her middle.  She tilted her face up to his, sated, and still hopelessly in love with him.  “Take me to Paris, Jon.”

He nuzzled his nose into her cheek, whispering.  “You are Paris, Dany.”

As it was the city where they’d met, fallen in love, and found true happiness, she grinned, because that was his way of saying how much he loved her.  She brushed her lips over his, sighing, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”  

And they kissed, as the Eiffel Tower lit up, and she curled up into him, falling asleep in the city of love and lights.

[writing-blog-iguess]

Do you have any headcanons about the insecurities fic you wrote about? I can't help but headcanon a lot, like:

both Harley & Ivy enjoys watching reader finishing her food, they also call her their mom since reader has been making them food since their first meet (Harley loves her egg sandwich, while Ivy was the baked potatoes bread)

Alfred always bakes matcha swiss roll with red bean paste or pastries that's easy too shallow with reader (so that she could shallow without feeling like choking and needs to drink a lot of water) whenever she stops by and keeps giving him hugs which he gladly return it everytime, the Alferd&Y/N's hug, is what everyone comments it

Dicks showing pictures he took of seven years old (a journey of Y/N's growing he calls) and then reader to all his teammates and the league as soon as he learnt the engagement's finally announce 'Look at this! Can't you imagine?! She's my little sister! This is when she seven years old! It's very heartwarming right blah blah blah... " and that's how the other superheros and older Teen Titans and Barbara knows how much Dick adore his future little sister-in-law who's s cinnamon roll

Sassy and baddass way to talk for so people won't dare mess up with her confidence (Jason help her built up, after he met her and quick into adoption of her, siblings!) Not that he would ever admit, Jason will sent glares to whoever who diss Y/N's like to children picture books (for example, The Guardians of Childhood aka inspiration of Rise of the Guardians movie) come on, his little sister had great taste in books!

Tim forbid her drinking coffee when they first met and even after (since he nearly caused a seven-years-old gone missing in the manor after the reader can't fall asleep decided to have a exploration situation) but will make it for her sometimes later after she used to it, made account for art websites she wants to register that so she can admire arts but underage back when childhoods, so he used it under his own only name (defiantly annoymus, and no, it's not illegal website) and every then and how

Makeover and dress-up with Barbara, Stephanie and Cassandra after they learnt of her (which they give Damian few lessons of 'how to treat the girl you like' with Dick who's extremely enjoy it, Jason and Tim who's enjoy the show all day), in the end, all heads to movie since it's sister bond time and apparently, the ideas of XL caramel popcorns and coke are the best choice!

Bruce pat or ruffle her hair softly everytime they met, a habit since the day he had ten years ago when she's seven, a touch of 'my daughter is growing up' feel will seldom appears in his heart

Damian from straightly ingored to slowly falls in love with reader after everytime he saw her sincere smile whenever she enjoyed Alfred's food heartily (like this, but a more faintly heartwarming one haha, at the very last pic, not sure if you could see it, so here's another link you could try out☺☺ )

Innocent, 'naive girl playing tough' charm whenever she and Damian together alone (first kiss, cuddling, hair massaging, teasing, which he finds not annoying because it's how really she is, and he enjoys keep on trailing and turn on her wildness)

How reader slowly felt left out though it didn't really occur me, just the thought of Batfam night activity and how we're isolating from each other slowly and inoccasionally when growing up just made me feel that way, you know, the feelings of it's not the same like it used to anymore😞😞

And once again, thank you so much for accepting my request at the beginning, I've been having this thought in my mind but I just couldn't write it, I'm so glad you accepted it and it's totally the way I want☺☺ (And about part 2 Talia which you accepted it too, I hope my words didn't scare you out lol... I'm too exciting that day...) Hope you have a very good day ahead, author!

Tumblr really needs to let me know when I have something in my inbox, I swear.

Of course! I loved writing it, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. No, your words didn’t scare me lol, I’m just outlining part 2 and I hope you love it just as much. With that said, and you don’t mind the wait, send in your ideas! I love reading them.

Okay, onto the headcanons! I love these! I put mine under the readmore, there's a bit;

Y/N didn’t have the best home life. Like I’m not saying abusive, just her parents neglected her a little. And it didn’t help that her whole life was planned for. So when she met Harley and Ivy, they basically went, you’re mine now no take backsies. And y/n just rolls with it, because through them, she finds out what it feels to be loved by someone who cares about you. This of course, she keeps from her parents and the day she turned eighteen, she moved out and it was a lot easier to hang out with those two.

Ever since knowing Harley and Ivy, y/n’s been slowly getting out of her shell. When she starts to hang out with Jason, she becomes more confident. She has Jason wrapped around her finger without even knowing

The girls love her, everyone loves her and Damian’s just, why

She loves cooking, and she even swaps recipes with Alfred. (even from the beginning of the whole arrangement) she became fast friends with Alfred first before everyone else.

y/n has known Damian since his first day of school. But I’m not going to lie, y/n was kind of scared Damian.

She got so offended when Tim took away her coffee when she wanted to try it. And when she became a regular coffee drinker, they would talk about different coffees they had tried and compare notes.

When the arranged marriage was first brought up in conversation, there was a lot of protests. Especially from Dick and Damian, but Bruce just shrugged saying that it was a good match. And if they don’t get married in the end, than that’s fine. Everyone was very confused but stopped bringing it up

They have theories though about the whole thing, the most popular one in the manor is that Bruce is looking for the next Robin when Damian hangs up the Robin cape to be someone else

When Bruce announced that, everyone did their own research about y/n. Everyone but Damian agreed but she must be protected, though it kind of blows up when they kind of cast her aside when she started hanging out with them at the manor, (but that’s not until later)

She and Damian have lunch together everyday at school, much to Damian’s displeasure. And he’s mean to her at the beginning, ignoring her and whatnot. She doesn’t do anything cuz she hates this setup just as much

But slowly, she starts to catch feels but keeps it to herself.

As you said, Damian takes longer to fall in love with her. And its one of those moments when she looks at peace within his family and it just hits him like ‘oh. Oh no I’m in love and I can’t tell anyone this’ and he doesn’t. So up until they confess to each other, their just pinning after each other and people who aren’t family sees that their in love but no know says anything

However, they do get more cuddly when they’re alone. Like, they don’t kiss or anything. But when they have movie nights, y/n’s curled up on the end of the couch with Damian’s head on her lap. And she’s always plays with his hair, of runs her fingers through it and Damian has discovered that it feels nice and helps him to de-stress

She knows when he’s stressed about something, so her just pats her lap and he grumbles about it but is secretly happy (they have been caught on multiple occasions by his brothers and they chooses to ignore them

She’s been so use to feeling alone, that being with people who care feels foreign to her

When she starts to feel like she’s alone again, she doesn’t see it until it’s too late

It starts off slowly, the fam is to busy with missions and saving the world that they kind of forget they she doesn’t know, and when she comes over, their not there or just brushes her off when she is. And she’s tried to talk to them, cuz she’s spend years being a part of their family but then one day it stopped.

But they just brush her off and she’s reminded about her parents so she stops pushing and then altogether stops going to the manor.

No one really realizes at first, only Alfred, and when they do, y/n had already broken off the engagement.

[mxvladdy]

heyy i just read your fic Case of the Munchies on ao3 and im Loving it!!!! its amazing!! i was wonder if youre accepting requests and if you haven’t done it could you write the same for the rest: mammon, levi, satan, belphi, dia, barbatos and smth for simeon and luke (ofc platonic) like how angles have a true form and that means they can never relax around mc and how solomon has so much power at his fingertips he can just snap and end them or smth like that? pretty please and thank you!!!!

A/N: Of Course! Of Course! I already did Mammon and Levi HERE so I’ll do the other four in this request! You sent me a lot of good ideas and I’ll sprinkle them out into other requests soon!

Hope you like it!!

Case of the Munchies prt 3!

Word Count: 4.2k

Characters: Satan, Belphie, Diavolo, Barbatos

TW: Mentions of eating and cook humans, very mild gore

Satan

As the only full-blooded demon of the seven, he has thought about it...just hypothetically of course. When you were new to the Devildom he did find your scent more appetizing than the others. It’s a good thing he has the most restraint and control of all his kin, especially when it comes to his more base urges.

He doesn’t hide this knowledge from you. It’s readily available in the library and his own room in the history books. He just won’t bring it up. So if you don’t say anything, he won’t either. What would he say anyway? “Yes, I’ve thought about it, up until it was outlawed it was a staple of our diet after all…” Ye, probably not the best thing to say.

When you finally brought it up he was exasperated. Did you have to bring it up during the few hours he had alone with himself? He wasn’t going to lie but the thought of hurting your feelings would just about do him in.

He will alleviate your worries if you have any. If Satan was anything, he was genuine.

Mini Fic

His wine curdles in his stomach, turning sour along with the take-out he had nabbed for the two of you to enjoy tonight. Drinks and dinner were becoming a staple in your T.V. night tradition. If one of you had had a rough day you would drop by your favorite shop of the hour and pick up a meal to share while you vent.

Today in particular had been a shit day for him. Failed experiment after failed experiment, and one bottle that didn’t explode on impact with the potion he dropped. Sigh. At least your comforting words soothed his wounded pride a little. You chuckle at his escapades glad to see he is not hurt at least. It was nice to have someone to see the humor in something that normally would have dampened his mood.

“You’re a pest.” He laughs at you while snapping his takeout chopsticks in half to use. “I need sympathy-hours of work wasted.” You snort into your own bowl of udon.

“You need words of praise like Beel needs another stomach.” Satan gasps in mock insult pointing a sauce stained chopstick at you.

“How dare you insult your host! After I toiled over this meal of-” What did he get exactly? Honestly, when he placed the order he was near boiling with rage at his careless fumble. It was to be a surprise for you, something to give you a bit of magic while supervised by himself. He knew how frustrated you were with your lack of magical ability in class so he wanted to gift you something grand. Now he has to wait months to try again.

Ah, well...nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.

You watch him sulk over his soup dumplings, his mile away from the comfort of your company and his room. “Come on blondie.” You poke him with your foot before burying them under his pajama-clad thighs on the couch. “Eat your ‘hard earned’ meal before I do.” You snatch up his D.D.D forgetting your own food for a moment to set up your favorite streaming service to cast to his small T.V. “Want to watch a bunch of humans fail miserably at baking?”

"I thought you would never ask."

Satan feels you stiffen in his arms two hours into your bake-off marathon. Your takeout boxes are cold and forgotten on his coffee table, a bottle of wine gone between the two of you. He glances down at you curious.

You were transfixed on the screen. The novice baker on screen was struggling to keep his monstrosity of a cake upright. It was the annual Halloween episode and this fool went for a Silence of the Lambs inspired cake. A good concept really, but very poorly executed. The fake body parts and sugar blood weighted the pastry down dangerously. If he were, to be frank, the cake was also tacky as hell. Heh, he'd have to try to make this for Lucifer.

"Does his abuse of the piping gun offend you that much?" He jokes wrapping an arm around you.

Your laugh is breathy and lacks its usual warmth. "It is excessive isn't it?" You look up at him. "Hey, Satan-have you ever eaten people before?"

"Uhh…" Great, how eloquent. This came out of nowhere, did Lucifer set you up to this? No-no you wouldn’t. Would you hate him if you knew? “I have.” He admits through clenched teeth waiting for your reaction.

“Didn’t Diavolo ban it?” He can tell you are doing the mental math in your head.

He chuckles dryly. “Well, you never asked if I did it legally.” You move away from his touch and pause the show. “I mean...I did it legally! ” His mouth runs freely, his brain screaming at him to shut up.

“Satan.” You cross your arms unimpressed.

“It was a new law and I never meant to eat it for the most part. It was at a time where I was still struggling to control myself.” Young and stupid as Lucifer had said defending him every step of the way when he would slip up. Was it sold on the black market now? Yes. Did he know how to get it? Sure, but he would never nor would he tell you about it either.

You nod thinking about his words. “I can empathize.” Oh, thank the Devil. “Have you thought of eating me?”Ahhh. “Oh my God, you have.” You chuck a pillow at him with a laugh.

He catches the pillow and clutches it to his fiery hot face. “Everyone did at first!” If he was going down then he was going to take every one of his brothers down with him. “I wasn’t going to act on it! It was a spur of the moment-why are you laughing!”

“Sorry, sorry.” You wipe at the tears in your eyes wishing you had your phone to take a picture of his blushing face. “I kind of figured you did.”

Satan looks at you incredulously. “Shouldn’t you be a bit more torn up over this?”

You shrug. “After everything we’ve been through? I admit it was a shock to think at first but I mean, you would have done it by now right?”

“Well, thank you?” He flops back on the couch, still clutching the pillow to act as a barrier between you two. He’ll take it as a compliment.

You scoot close, nudging his knee with yours. “You ok?” He nods. “Can I touch you?” He nods again eagerly. You wrap your arms around his shoulders and squeeze. “Sorry, I made you uncomfortable.”

Satan chuckled, dropping the pillow to hug you back. “It’s ok.” He peaks your forehead. “Now, with that out of the way. Shall we finish this?” He swipes up his phone to hit play. You nod, flinging your legs over him to snuggle closer. “Good, I’m dying to know how he tries to save that thing. I’m putting money on icing.”

“You know.” You break the silence once more, unable to stop yourself. “I wouldn’t be opposed to being eaten...in some ways.”

Belphegor

After your first *ahem* encounter, he doesn’t bring up the whole food thing. He is afraid that if you learned about it, it would be the last strike for you and his relationship. Perhaps it’s paranoia on his part but better safe than sorry.

In all honesty, he didn’t eat it that much anyway. Killing humans was something he did often in his youth as a demon. A stupid attempt at revenge on his part. It filled the holes in his hearts to hurt those he believed killed his sister.

But to eat their flesh? Disgusting. He tried it a few times and it turned his stomach with every mouthful. He just hated them too much to even stomach them. He’s mellowed out with time but still never got a taste for it.

When you asked it was a shock but welcomed in a way. Like he could finally get this weight off his shoulders every time he looked at you.

Mini Fic

“It’s gross.” Belphie yawns, jumping up to sit on the high garden wall. He bends down to help you up placing you gently next to himself. The wind catches you by surprise threatening to topple you back from the wall before he rights you. He tosses his sweater over you with a nod of satisfaction.

You snuggle into the fleece lining burying your nose into the fabric. It smelled of elderberries and honeysuckles. Belphie watches you curl up into his side with a fond smile. “Seriously, you all are nasty.”

“Ouch!” You push his shoulder with a grin. “I feel like I should be offended on behalf of all humans.”

Belphie snorts, looking up into the bright colors of the night sky. “Good. Be offended. You, humans, are slimy.” You squawk indignantly. “It’s true, never in all my years would I willingly ingest it.” He shudders theatrically.

“Rude.”

“Shouldn’t you be happy? Lest I eat you?” He growls playfully, taking a swipe at you. He pulls you close to kiss the pout off your face. He stops only when your face is hot and your smile threatens to pull a muscle. “I’ll keep you safe, always.” He vows resting his chin on your head.

“Do you think other demons would try to eat me?”

“Have you met my twin?” He teases. He takes your jab to his ribs with a smile. “But if one of those lesser demons even tries to breathe in your direction I’ll kill them.”

“Ok, Mister sleeps till dinner.” You joke. His vow warms your heart a little, chasing away the small bit of fear that had rested itself in your chest. You saw how some demons looked at you at R.A.D, the longing and hungry looks got to be a bit much sometimes. A few older demons would discuss it loudly when they knew you were close by. Apparently, it was a long standing tradition of demons eating humans both body and soul when a pact was concluded.

Imagine what those brothers would do to them…

You shake your head hugging Belphie closer. You had nothing but his word that he would keep you safe, yet that was enough for you. Besides, he wasn’t one to follow the rules even at the best of times.

“I’m serious. You're off limits for everyone.”

You nod into his shirt, closing your eyes to enjoy the peace of the moment. “I’ll hold you to it.”

Diavolo

It is so far from his mind that when you say something it is like a rug was taken out from under him. He could be diplomatic about it, but you deserve better than a half-truth.

He was a wild child in his youth. Sometimes he would overindulge in his father’s heritage and gorge himself on his newfound powers and privilege. He would dine with the elders and eat with abandon under their proud eyes.

He regrets it now, in your company it brings up a slurry of emotions. Sometimes when he looks at you he sees flashes of his past behavior.

The urge is stronger in him than the brothers, a constant nagging tug in his guts, but he is strong. Stronger both in willpower and sheer physical prowess than them so the pull is more of an annoyance than a burning need. He can temper the hunger in other ways if need be *wink*

He fears what you might think of him if you ever found out the truth, but however you take it he will handle it in stride. He loves you too much not to.

Mini Fic

Dinners, when Diavolo could eat alone, were a rare and special treat. The solace of just being allowed to exist without constantly checking his posture or presentation was a blessing, just him, his thoughts, and a good meal. It was nice to have no paperwork to worry about staining this time or a tedious meeting where he couldn’t savor his meal. No, no this was good. He looks down at his heavily laden plate and smiles. Well, almost… Pulling out his phone he snaps a quick picture and sends it to you with a simple question. Join me?

Private meals were wonderful, but with you, they were perfect.

You arrive faster than he expected, flushed face and clutching a stitch in your side from rushing over. He almost felt bad before he saw the eager look in your eyes. Barbatos helps you with your school bags and coat before placing another plate of food across from the young lord. He winks at the prince before disappearing back through the door.

“Thank you for the invite!” You beam taking your seat across from him. “I hope you don’t mind that I'm not dressed for the occasion. I was just wrapping up a study session with the boys.” You look down at your rumpled lounge clothes.

Diavolo waved his hand disregarding your concerns. “I would emulate you if I had the time.” He looks at his own pressed school uniform. He had another meeting this evening, much to his distaste. “You look rather comfortable.” You smile in delight before tucking into your own plate.

You eat in a comfortable silence reading the room well enough to tell that he wished for some company but not needless chitter-chatter. Barbatos arrived moments after you put your fork down and left with the plate leaving behind a delicious smelling hot drink. You couldn’t put your finger on the flavor but it tastes spicy like cinnamon and coats your throat like warm honey.

Whatever was in the drink seemed to work some magic on the prince. His shoulder droop, his back sinking into the chair as his legs stretch out till they are close to brushing against yours. He starts talking over the drink, eyes slowly lighting up with delight. You drink, nodding along with him as he builds up steam. It was nice to see him so unguarded and light. You listen to him talk about simple innocent topics. You knew how he tried to have these conversations with the others to no avail. The brother’s always tried to stay clear of him, and Lucifer simply dismissed these things most days. Barbatos and the angels were a bit better but still listened mostly to placate him.

“Ah!” Diavolo stops mid-sentence as his door opens once more Barbatos holding a small platter in his gloved hand. Dia claps his hands in delight. “I’ve been wanting to have you try this with me for forever. The human palate is so different, but I hope this is tasty.”

“What is it?” You eye the covered plate curiously.

Dia says a word in infernal. It is harsh and guttural in his throat but his delight was evident in his tone. “It is like...a roasted nut? Sorry, it is difficult to explain but it has been a favorite treat of mine since I was a boy. I hope you like it too.” He opens the lid with little ceremony and tilts the bowl to you. Inside were several golfball sized pods piled on top of each other. Even from across the table you could feel the molten heat radiating from the porous black shell. It looked...ugly. Like a hunk of dried lava. You eye it suspiciously as Diavolo picks one up with his bare hands and bits it. The shell cracks under his sharp teeth, a fang catching in a weak spot with a noise that makes you shiver. Underneath the thick casing, you could see a dark red and fleshy core. He hums in delight pulling put the meat of the seed and discard the shell pieces onto an empty plate. He makes quick work of the innards already reaching for another by the time you casually pick up a seed.

The seed itself was dense and warm to the touch. You squeeze it, noting that the porous coating felt like a mass of steel in your hand. “Dia-how do I open it?” No way you could bite it, not without breaking your jaw in the process.

“Allow me.” He takes it from you and effortlessly cracks it. “It is a tradition to break them with teeth, instead of hands or utensils. Something about a show of strength. I just find it fun.” He shrugs, handing you the broken seed.

“Fun!” You marvel at his pearly fangs. “Those are some big chompers.”

“All the better to eat you with my dear.” He chuckles.

You blink in shock, eyes widening. “Would you? Eat me?”

Diavolo’s smile drops. “No.” He lies on reflex, his political nature kicking in. “No-no wait.” He shakes his head. “I...at a time would have without hesitation.” He feels you recoil. “It was common practice back in the day. To the common demon it was a great meal and for the ruling class a show. He looks down at the broken fragments of shell on his plate. Breaking the shell was far too reminiscent of other things. He squashes the unwanted wave of memories coming up. Instead, he looks up at you.

You sit quietly mulling over his words. You haven’t run yet. “Why did you stop?”

He leans back with a loud exhale. Why did he stop? There were many reasons, none he wished to divulge into at the moment, but he had to say something. “I grew up, and began to resent and regret it.” He used to read human stories of demons and his kind. They hurt their characterizations of him and his people. Yet, they had all been scarily accurate. He wanted to prove that they weren’t stagnating beasts, slaves to their desires. Even if it wasn't a popular opinion.

“I see.” You pick up the seed again. “Thank you for telling me. You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to, and to apologize… such admissions must have ruined your appetite. If you wish to retire-”

“Is it weird if it didn’t?” You cut him off. You felt-not apathetic to the knowledge but close to it. It confirmed a lot of things for you and put certain things in perspective. You still felt safe with him even with this new bit of knowledge. Without a second thought, you pop the treat into your mouth. You gasp in delight. The flavor and texture were not what you were expecting, but was delicious all the same. “Can you open another for me?” You push your plate over to him.

“Of course!”

The food was as wonderful as his company.

Barbatos

You knew he cooked it. He probably knows a million different ways to prepare a human. He is also very blunt about his dabblings in the market.

He doesn’t eat it, hasn’t ever. He sees no reason to, especially since he doesn’t need to eat anyway there is no temptation. He did find the meals he created beautiful though.

Once he lived for the praises of the courts and his young lord. He was a master at all mediums he cared to work with. Time, decorum, or of the flesh.

He is 100% unashamed of his past with the dark side of the Devildom’s history. In fact, he is damn near proud of it. He is a demon and it was a part of his life, if that frightens you, well there is nothing he can do about it.

He’ll entertain your questions and will try to put any lingering worries at ease. Just don’t expect to be coddled when he does.

Mini Fic

Barbatos had very few personal pleasures in his life. His schedule simply didn’t have the space for such things. So why even bother looking for a pastime. It wasn’t until Diavolo gifted him with an old worn cookbook did he find it.

Cooking was a necessity for his prince, but with that little book, it became something he looked forward to doing. Slowly, he began to seek them out, filling his growing quarters with cookbooks and loose-leaf slips of paper. He enjoys reading them. Each book was a little time capsule into the cook's life and memories. Could a mix of spices really remind someone of the arid heat of their motherland? Or does following a certain way of aging meat really honor the writer's late grandfather’s memory? He tries them all, each recipe a little invasion to a happier time.

He wrote his fair share of cookbooks too in his day. Simple modifications to things the young lord liked to the odd machinations of his own imagination. He got good at experimenting with flavors and textures over the years, mastering certain cooking techniques and flavors just for fun. He didn’t share many of them, a lot of his recipes were just too complicated for most. Luke was allowed to look at his pastry books only. The little cherub was enamored with his techniques and wanted to learn as much as he could in the short amount of time he was in the Devildom. Admirable, but he made sure to keep some of his...less savory books away from the boy. He shudders to think what Simeon would do if he scarred the young angel.

You are the only one who has full access to his collections. Whether you liked to cook was inconsequential to him. He simply enjoyed sharing this interest with you. Some nights you would take it upon yourself to be his “sous-chef”. Which meant you sat in the corner of the kitchen and read out the ingredients and steps for a recipe he knew by heart. Sometimes you would add in extra steps in an attempt to stump it. Cute...but ultimately failed each time. So, most nights when you tagged along to the kitchens you just flip through his collection, reading his immaculate scribblings crammed into the corners of the pages or where he scratched out certain ingredients for more demon-appropriate foods and more sustainable options.

You had gone through many beautiful books before you found it. The cookbook was small and inconspicuous compared to most. Just a simple black cover with a well-worn spine. What made you take notice of it was just how dusty it was. That wasn’t like him to do. Barbatos would never let something get so dirty. You wished you never had opened it. You weren’t stupid by any means, but after reading a few pretty graphic recipes it had unsettled you. So you withdrew from Barbatos trying to forget about the book tucked away deep in the bowels of your school bag.

“You’ve been distant.” You choke, hand flying up to your chest as you swear your heart skipped a beat. Damn demon. Should put a bell on him. “What’s wrong?” His eyes are piercing, cutting away at your feeble defenses.

“Nothing…” You fiddle with your bag’s strap. Your eyes drop to the floor taking in the differences between his polished shoes and your scuffed boots.

“Of course not…” You could hear the skepticism in his voice. “I trust that if there was something wrong you would feel safe enough to confide in me.” His words hit like a ton of bricks on your shoulders. He sighs seeing that his words got no reaction. “Please?”

Wordlessly you rummage in your bag and thrust the book into his chest. “Sorry. It shook me up more than I thought it would.”

Ah. He knew this book all too well. For a time it had been his favorite, one to pull out with Diavolo had guests or a deal that needed to be sealed. He accepts the book, noting how much your hands shook. “I understand.” He slips the book into his breast pocket making a mental note to hide it in one of his lesser used rooms. “Would you like to discuss this? In my room perhaps?” You follow with a timid nod.

“Where shall we begin?” Barbatos asks the moment he closes the door to his room.

“You don’t seem perturbed.” You frown. Barbatos shrugs, pulling the book out and opening it. He had a lot of good memories stored here. Some of these were still considered signature dishes, oftentimes a visiting dignitary would lament to him about the good old days when he could show off his craft when flesh was plentiful. He takes pride in that still to this day even. For as much as he loved you, he would not be ashamed of this.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” You shake your head when he says as much. “It just confused me. Do-do you see me as food?”

“I never saw humans as food, no more than I see demons or angels as it.” He picks at an imaginary bit of lent from his pant leg. “As for seeing you as food no. No matter how sweet your lips are, or how honeyed your words can be.” He smiles, taking impish delight in your squirming. “I merely did my job as a butler for my lord.”

“Oh- sorry for not coming to you sooner.” You felt foolish now. Barbatos waves it off, pleased to have this issue put aside so quickly and cleanly. “Wait-" You gasp as his words finally sink in. “Have you prepared angels before?”

He flashes you a mischievous smile putting a single finger up to his lips. “Perhaps~ do you wish to read that too?”

[genesisrose74]

Christmas With the Karasuno Boys (HC’s)!!

Part 2: Kageyama, Hinata, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Kinoshita, & Narita

Part 1 (Daichi, Suga, Asahi, Nishinoya, Tanaka, & Ennoshita) here!

A/n: Tumblr said my word count was too much so I’m splitting this bad boi up into two parts :p Enjoy!!

*****

Kageyama

This boy has a secret soft side for Christmas istg

He HATES showing it to other people on his team and shit

But holy bejeezus he is mesmerized by the holiday in every way possible

Lights, sweets, snow, just like,,, the general magic of December is the most awe-inspiring thing to him

Since he is still a sporty and pretty active mofo, you decided to fuel that on your holiday-themed date as Kags had noted that he’d never gone sledding before

Your jaw was on the FLOOR when he first told you because he would 10000% enjoy the hell out of it

And so you dragged him out to this popular sledding hill that you frequented as a child and taught him what to do

Not gonna lie, he was kind of nervous

“Well you’re experienced at it. I don’t wanna mess up”

🥺🥺🥺 bubby

“You won’t, Tobio! I can already tell you’re gonna be a sledding pro”

Feels a little better after that, but he asks you to help him out for his first run down the hill

He sits behind you with his arms secured snugly around your waist and his head nestled on top of your shoulder

Which would probably seem really funny to passerby because this boy is tol and intimidating in most other situations

As soon as the sled started down, Kags tightened his grip and made this cute little yelp of surprise

But you were laughing insanely hard at the combination of going really fast downhill whilst also having your boyfriend cling to you for dear life

And then when the sled stopped safely at the bottom he started to chuckle

FULL ON, GENUINE SOUND OF ENJOYMENT

That shit is rare

Y’all stayed at that hill for half the day because it was so fun

You got him a new, very high quality athletic roller for Christmas because his old one was just not cutting it anymore

And you also gave him this really cute bracelet with a volleyball, his jersey number, and a little strawberry milk set of charms attached to it

It matched this really pretty and subtle chain he’d bought for your birthday

His blueberry eyes got all wide with affection dfjdskfjsdk—

Got super blushy and couldn’t get a handle on his speech for a fat minute

He thinks you’re the coolest person ever no I do not take criticism

Geez you’re both adorable together, ideal “stoic boy becomes warmer during the holidays around his love” movie plot and I love it

Hinata

He is all in on Christmas. Not a chance this boy doesn’t get excited as hell

Will openly go into holiday mode as soon as November is over

Was secretly already listening to his Christmas playlist before then

He is one of the sweetest gift givers, that is FACTUAL

If you want something really badly, he will take notice and get it as your present immediately

He’ll also gift you an extra thing that’s handmade 🥺

Like some pastries that his mom helped him make, or a specially made basket of soaps with your favorite scents in it

It’s absolutely adorable and you cherish those ones especially

Is happy if you simply get him something; mans doesn’t care what it is

New practice volleyball? A brand new sweatshirt? Elated either way

You had seen an advertisement for a friendly match between Japan and Poland’s men’s volleyball teams, so you waited online on the ticket sales website until the minute it opened

Spoiler alert: you got some banger seats 😌✨

Shoyo may or may not have tackled you when he read the ticket details, letting out his excited giggle (you know the one)

“I can’t believe you got these, angel! You’re coming with me, right? You’ve gotta! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Gives you sweet little kisses between each individual ‘thank you’

“Of course I’ll go with you, Sho! I’m really glad you like it!”

He will give you the brightest smile of all time — that shit makes Christmas lights pale in comparison

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

RIGHT BACK AT YOU BBY

Hold his hands to warm up together when temperatures drop pls :)))

It’s become a weekly December tradition to watch a Christmas movie with Natsu at the Hinata household

She’ll sit in your lap while the three of you are cuddled under a blanket together, and Shoyo will lace his fingers with yours all discreetly

In conclusion, I am a sucker for holiday Hinata 🥺🥺🥺

Tsukishima

His room is decorated to the very minimum simply because his mom and brother had insisted on him being festive

You know those holiday instrumentals that are really calming and jazzy and stuff? Yeah, that’s the only Christmas music he will tolerate in his house

While he’s still got his usual icy demeanor, this blond bitch does get slightly less snippy with the Karasuno boys

Is always on the nose with getting you the exact thing you wanted for a present

Like,,, TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL

You don’t even have to bring that shit up beforehand, he just KNOWS

“Tsukki, how did you—?”

“It’s pretty obvious, with the way that one ad kept showing up on your phone.”

b r u h

How does he pay such good attention without even letting on??

As for his own present, you’ll usually get him two: one gag gift and one more serious gift

His dino plush collection size is partly due to the former’s contributions this time of year

Yes the dinos have names

You exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve with all the team (you made him go) and he saved your more serious one for last

It was a scarf that you’d gotten custom made, which had a Spotify code knitted into the fabric

Scanning the code opened the app to a playlist you’d created especially for him

He got pretty quiet when figuring it out and scrolling through the playlist

Would let out a certified Tsukki Nose Exhale™ when he came across certain songs

The more subdued reaction was expected because it’s Tsukishima

His little chuckles and warmer eyes were enough of a giveaway to tell you he very much enjoyed your gift

But on the walk home, he took the scarf and wrapped it around you both, and then brought his arm around your waist

“Thank you.”

You deadass almost combusted because it was so unexpected??

“You’re welcome. Merry Christmas, Kei”

Way to respond calm and collected 😌👍

But on the inside your body was in freak out mode

He wears the scarf all the time jdfsklfjdsk

Yamaguchi

Take the most tooth rotting fluff you could imagine

And then double that and put a fucking cherry on top

That’s the equivalent of what Christmas is like with Yama Yama

Y’all are like kids in a candy store — literally

For your Christmas dates it’s all about sweets and shared giggles, so frequent trips to the candy and baking isles of the grocery store is a must

Making gingerbread houses, peppermint tasting (mostly trying those different and wild ass candy cane flavors), you name it and it’s there

Stomach aches? I don’t know her

Yeah you do but they go away with enough butterfly kisses 🥰

Tadashi is exceptionally good at decorating gingerbread houses for whatever reason

He put a poll on his instagram between yours and his final products and he won by a landslide

It’s not like yours was necessarily bad, more like he’s just an icing master

You also might have eaten too many gumdrops which left your rooftop lacking in ✨spice✨

But it’s okay because Tadashi donated some of his leftovers to you

He’s such a sweetheart uwu

Please for the love of everything get him something heartfelt as his present

You know those long distance bracelets for couples?

Basically if your s/o taps the icon on the bracelet it’ll send a little vibration to the other person’s as a notice that you’re thinking about them

This boy seeks constant reassurance, and you love to give him his deserved love and validation, so it was the perfect present

It takes a second for him to figure out what it is, but after reading the directions and testing it out, the most adorable smile erupted on his face

And then since you already had yours on, he tapped the little icon again with a giggle

“Hey there”

It becomes common habit to tap it at least once every couple hours

GOD HE IS SO CUTE

He is just so soft this time of year, give him all the love and he will return it tenfold ☺️

Kinoshita

This boy is absolutely an awkward cutie and an avid romantic

Give him the cliches and he will eat em up, no doubt

It naturally gets more apparent around the holidays

He’ll take you on pretty winter walks, give you lots of little gifts (while blushing a hell of a lot), and is just a professional at stumbling upon some mistletoe

Wow wonder how it got there, Hisashi

He’s quite a bit more confident when simply alone with you than in a crowded space

And that definitely shows when he takes you out on a secluded sleigh ride around town

Yeah you heard me

A fuckin’ sleigh ride

Horses and blankets and everything

Don’t even ask how he managed to pull it off, because he loves watching the cogs turn in your head and simply will not give you a straight answer

Of course there’s the nice driver guy who’s there, but in the back alone Kinoshita’s confidence goes 📈📈

Lots of flirting, tons of skimmed touches and shared giggles throughout the ride

I legitimately simp really hard for him

Anyways it was a gorgeous ride through town and super fun

On Christmas Eve you both exchange gifts together and tbh whatever you got him will leave him happy and flustered regardless

But when he opens the wrapping paper to find an entire set of vintage VHS tapes, he’s stunned

He owns a VHS (actually canon!) and honestly loves it to death, and the fact that you’d get him tapes of pretty high quality for his collection meant a lot

Gosh he’s so underrated but a definite sweetheart, give him all the holiday love

Narita

Another underrated bby 🥺

He’s so chill and is pretty open to anything during the holidays, so long as he gets to spend ample time with you, his friends, and his family

Definitely more of an indoor person despite being accepting of most situations

Hence why you thought a cute little indoor winter picnic would be right up his alley

Which it absolutely was 😌✨ nice work

You’d made plans while in secret communications with his family members about the whole thing

He’d been pretty stressed lately with trying to handle his schoolwork, while also helping out others with theirs

Despite being a wonderful tutor, it was clearly becoming a bit overwhelming as he tried to grapple with so much at once

So when he came home one day to find a pristine house with you settled on a blanket in his living room, he was quite surprised

There’s a cheese plate, soda cans in a cute ice box, sandwiches, snacks, a presparked fireplace — you and his family went all out

Really adorable I cannot lie

“I thought you said you were going gift shopping today?”

“I might have maybe lied :P”

So he gives the sweetest little smile and sits across from you

Y’all stay there and talk for hours

After finally getting through everything previously laid out on the blanket spread, you slid him a little rectangular box that he looked at curiously

“Already? I haven’t wrapped yours yet!”

“Mine can wait a bit! Just open yours”

And so he does, and you watch with a face-splitting grin as he looks down in awe

You got tickets to see his favorite rock band in concert while they were on tour

He sprung onto you and pulled you into the tightest hug ever

“Holy shit you’re the best I love you so much how do you get even more loveable every day—!?!l”

It’s a jumble of words but you’re able to put it together and it makes you giggle

He deadass sprints upstairs to go get your gift and make sure that you feel as equally appreciated as he does

In simple words: wholesome holiday sweetness 🥰

[mymelodyheart]

All I Want For Christmas Is You Chapter 11 ~One More Day~ The Final Chapter

Previously in Who the Hell is Harry? ...

They lay there like that for a long while, listening to the fireworks subside until only a few isolated booms from a distance could be heard. Their breathing and heartbeats harmonised, bodies interlocking to fit each other. Finally, Jamie eased himself off Claire, kissing her lips tenderly before disposing of the condom. 

Moments later, when he returned, she was on her side, watching him with a satisfied smile. "Happy New Year," she said hoarsely.

Jamie got into bed, pulled her into his chest, and bit her earlobe. "Happy New Year to ye tae. That was the best New Year firework display I've ever seen." 

She laughed and slid an arm across his waist. Nuzzling her nose on the hollow of his throat, he felt her smile against his skin, but her hold on him remained only for a few seconds before she passed out cold.

Not wanting to disturb the perfection of the moment, he gathered her closer and whispered, "I love you," into her hair, hoping and praying that the New Year will bring them together for good.

If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.

If you wish to read this from the beginning:

AO3 link

Tumblr link

  Laughing, Jamie and Willie noisily strode in from the kitchen backdoor at ten in the morning with Rollo in tow. They found Annalise and Claire making shortcrust pastry for the Cornish pasties and preparing sandwiches for lunch. Apparently, the boys were expecting a few of their mates to come over and help with a project.

With no forecast of rain for the whole week, the brothers had decided to knock down Jamie's old shed and build a new and bigger one. A day ago they'd torn it down, cleared the debris, levelled the ground for the extension, laid down some slabs for support and poured the cement for the foundation. This morning, they've completed the base and put up the wall frames, including the waterproof sheeting.

"Good morning, ladies." The brothers said simultaneously, making the girls smile in acknowledgement. Willie gestured for Annalise to follow him, leaving Jamie and Claire alone.

Jamie washed his hands, made himself a coffee and came around to where she was stood dropping cubed butter into the flour. "Have ye seen our progress with the new shed yet?" he asked. But before she could reply, he leaned in and gave her a swift kiss on the lips, making her knock the carton of milk over. 

Claire gasped, and Jamie grinned with triumph for catching her off guard. He brought his cup up to his smiling lips and winked.

"I have," she laughed, picking up the milk and wiping the countertop. "Are you sure, it's a shed you're making out there and not a small house?"

He leaned back against the counter and smiled. He'd taken off his jumper and was now only wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt that stretched across his chest, showing the definitions of his toned muscles and broad shoulders. His eyes gleamed in the soft morning light, and Claire thought of how handsome he looked, making her heart pick up a little.

"It's a shed, but I thought while I'm in the process of restoring it, it would be a brilliant idea to build an additional extension for when ye come over for a visit, and ye wish to write. I'll have a huge window facing the field so ye can look out when ye need an inspiration. It's a grand view overlooking the greens. I'll even soundproof it for ye, so ye willnae be distracted by outside noise."

She arched an eyebrow in surprise. These past few days, she started to notice a lot of new items cropping up in Jamie's cottage. There were a couple of floral throw cushions she'd never seen before. And after Annalise had casually mentioned how much Claire missed her mermaid blanket, a handmade crochet mermaid tail blanket had shown up one night on his sofa while watching a movie. His cupboard was now fully stocked with her evening herbals such as chamomile, Valerian root and lemon balm tea. There was even a pair of soft fluffy memory foam slippers, waiting for her whenever she stayed over. Somehow, she was sensing a sense of permanency and more and more each day, she was starting to feel she belonged to him and his home.

Claire tried not to examine it too deeply and focused more on enjoying the moment, but it was getting harder. Because as each day slowly neared to her departure date, the hollow in the pit of her stomach became wider. And tonight was her last night with Jamie.

"Well, I suppose I won't see the finished product until I come over for a visit," she said with a little sadness in her voice.

Sensing the shift in mood, Jamie put down his cup and closed in on her, his fingers coasting past her jaw into the back of her neck, gently urging her in. He stilled for a moment, smiling an inch from her lips, as she inhaled him, his masculine smell, the coffee on his breath, the faint intoxicating scent of his aftershave mixed with sweat. Then he closed his eyes and kissed her.

"What do ye want to do on yer last night? Fancy going out?" he breathed against her mouth.

She swallowed and shook her head. "Shall we stay in?"

He cupped her face, opened his eyes and held hers with his. "I was hoping ye would say that." 

"You don't want to say goodbye to Annalise? It's her last day, too," she half-teased. 

"I think she'd want to spend her last night with Willie," he said seriously this time. He glanced down at her lips. "As I do with ye. But I want to spend the evening, not saying goodbye but making memories." He looked back up at her. "Memories that will bring ye back to me sooner."

Her heart pounded. She knew what Jamie was trying to say to her. 

She smiled at him. "I'd like that too, Jamie."

"Good, that's settled then."

..........

When Claire and Annalise brought out the Cornish pasties, sausage rolls and sandwiches for lunch, they arranged them on a makeshift buffet made out of wooden planks so the men could help themselves. Although it was in the middle of winter, the sun was out, and it was a lovely day to sit outdoors and soak up the heat. The hungry men descended on the food and sat on the benches Willie had earlier put out. Jamie filled his plate and grabbed a can of cider, and they sat on a thick blanket-covered ground, away from the rest, making sure the sun was on them since it was very chilly in the shade. 

"The shed is going to be massive," she observed, her chin in her hand. 

"That's the plan," he said, smiling at her, taking a huge bite of the Cornish pasty and humming in his throat to let her know how much he was enjoying his food. "Once the exterior is done, I'll send ye some photos, and then ye can tell me what colour ye want yer writing studio to be painted in." 

Claire looked at him for the longest time and then sighed. "Why are you doing all this, Jamie? It's not like we've known each other for a long time."

"But it feels like we've known each other for a long time. Ye know it too." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "And if ye dinnae like the wee studio, I can always turn it into a workshop."

She smiled. "At least allow me to put some money into it."

He shook his head. "Dinnae fash. Most of the woods we're using are from work, and I got the rest of the stuff from the reclamation yard," he explained with the eagerness of a young boy, his eyes all lit up.

She wanted to kiss him right there and then, and realised how much she would miss this place, especially him. He looked so rugged and at peace with his surrounding and very much part of it. And knowing that he wanted her to be part of his world, made her even more determined to wrap up her work in London as soon as possible and start that writing career she'd always dreamed of. Although a little niggling voice in her head was telling her to slow things down, she dismissed it, knowing that for once, her life had a direction she could look forward to.

She noticed, he hadn't put back his jumper on and was only wearing that long-sleeved shirt.

"Aren't you cold?" 

He shrugged. "Here in the sun ...no' at all."

"I'm sat in the sun with you, but I can still feel the chill. Even after working all morning next to the oven, I could not for the life of me just wear a thin shirt like that in this Highland weather. Are you sure you're warm enough?" She frowned, looking over him.

"I am. Do ye want to sit on my lap so I can warm ye up? I have a few ideas on how to quickly achieve that." His eyes gleamed.

She crumpled a paper napkin and threw it at him. He laughed out loud, making the group of men look their way. 

The sun rose higher, and the sky was cloudless, a rarity at this time of the year. Somewhere on a speaker played a Simple Minds song  Don't You Forget About Me,  and Rollo and another dog ran back and forth in the open field. 

"I have something to ask you," she said, plucking a weed from the ground and watching the dogs frolic. "At the risk of sounding clingy and needy, I want to know if you've had a lot of girlfriends ...or say, sexual partners." She shrugged and looked down at her hand. "I-I can't help but wonder ...well, you know, not that I have anybody else to compare you to, but I must say you sort of know things, like when we touch and love each other. And you seem to be good at it. So I figured that maybe you've had a lot of experience." Her eyes suddenly widened when she realised what just came out of her mouth. She waved a hand. "I mean, I'm no prude or anything, and I understand a lot of people are early bloomers and have had a lot of sexual partners. I-I just wanted to understand ...if  it  comes naturally to you."

He grinned at her over his sausage roll as if he was pleased to hear the possessiveness in her tone. "I'm thirty years old, Sassenach, and in as much as I would have loved the idea of ye being my first, I must admit I didnae live the life of a monk. So aye, probably ye can call it that ... experience. But if ye must know, I've never been drawn to anyone like I am with ye."

She cleared her throat. "Fair enough, and since we're sharing our thoughts, I want you to know, I feel the same way." She bit her lower lip and thought over the words she wanted to say. "You kissing me on a first date, making love to me on our second, running after me at the airport on the third day. Very rash, I'd say." 

"Only with ye." He laughed. 

He slugged the last of his drink, and she got up and grabbed him another cider. "How about your ex-fiancee? Any lingering feelings for her still floating around in the ether?" She asked, sitting back down in front of him. 

Looking at her straight in the eyes, he took her hand and rubbed the inside of her wrist. "I will always care for her, Sassenach. But what I feel for her is nothing more than friendship. She's about to be married, and she wants me to be the godfather of Simon's child. And if ye must know, I'm thrilled she's found somebody to share her life. I think Simon would have wanted that for her too as do I ...someone who will take care of her and their child." He twined their fingers together. "What we have between us is rare. Like what ye said, I was rash, but that's ever since meeting ye. Somehow I've lost the ability to guard myself. When it comes to ye, I lose all perspective and control. It's chaotic and scary at the same time, but I wouldnae wish it to be any other way."

She gave him a smile. "Sweet and convincing as you sound right now, I'm still not allowing you to come to London and visit me. It's too risky. I want you to get better first, and one day you will. I believe that."

"I believe that too."

They stared at each other for a while, their surrounding fading into a haze, and it felt like there were only the two of them left. Until the dogs' barking reminded Claire, they weren't alone. "Right now, I would like to kiss you," she said softly. "But I don't know what I feel about people watching us."

A gradual grin crept across his face as he let go of her hand. "Weel, I dinnae see how I cannot oblige ye. Just close yer eyes and dinnae mind them lads."

Smiling, he leaned in close and brushed his lips on the corner of her mouth. When she thought they were done and started to pull away, he caught her lower lip with his teeth, keeping her still. After a few heartbeats, they began to kiss, achingly slow and gentle, his tongue probing into her to tease, taste and mate.

The cheers, sallies and whistles from the men nearby kicked-off almost instantly, and even Rollo started to howl in unison. Intent only on each other, they ignored the raucous banter in the background and continued to kiss.

"Ye ken I'm gonnae get a lot of pelters for this," he murmured against her smiling lips, his eyes closed.

 "Well, you might as well make it worth your while." 

His chest rumbled with laughter, as he kissed her again, causing more cheers to intensify, utterly oblivious to their surroundings.

"Ah, here's my not so wee brother!" a voice cut through their own bubble, making them both jump.

Jamie tore his lips away from her, and they both glanced up. "Jenny!" He immediately shot to his feet and hugged the petite woman wearing a puffer jacket, black jeans and a pair of wellies. "When did ye get back? I thought I'd see ye just after Christmas."

"Aye, had a last-minute change of plan. I left yer pressies in yer kitchen, and Ian says he'll call one of these days to see ye. He's just got some catching up to do with work."

Claire absentmindedly wiped her hands on her jeans and got up, noticing the other woman's delicate features and black hair tied in a high ponytail. At first glance, Jamie's sister could be mistaken for an adolescent with her five-feet height and small frame. The only tell-tale sign that she was a Fraser was the same blue eyes and dark hair she'd inherited from Brian.

"I told ye no' to bother ..." Jamie's voice trailed off as he looked past her sister's shoulder. "You brought company."

Still not acknowledging Claire, Jenny beamed at Jamie and then motioned for the beautiful tall dark-haired girl standing several yards away to come over. "Ye remember Geneva? Aye? Met her at the centre today and we're going for coffee after. Actually, she told me she's going to be yer new therapist. Yer former one had to leave temporarily for the south of England because of some family emergency. Now isnae that grand Geneva's back? She's going to stay here for good."

The girl, Geneva practically skipped, stopping short of throwing herself in Jamie's arms as her eyes briefly caught Claire's. "Jamie!" she greeted breezily, giving him a slack embrace. "Nice to see you again."

"Aye." Jamie nodded, looking perplexed. "It's been a while. Didnae realise ye were around." Not waiting for Geneva's response, he grabbed Claire's hand, drew her to his side and planted a kiss on top of her head. "By the way, this is Claire, my girlfriend," Jamie said, with a hint of finality in his tone. It was almost as if he was giving a warning to his sister that there would be no discussion about it. 

He must have noticed Jenny ignoring her presence and wanted to reassure her he was on her side.

Claire offered a polite smile, a few words of greeting and shook both women's hand, all the while conscious of Jamie's comforting hand on her back. Its weight served as a reminder the promise he'd made to her at the airport, lessening the sting of Jenny's lack of warmth.

"Weel, Jenny, Geneva, nice seeing ye both but I'm afraid I have to cut this short. As ye can see, I still have work to do and Claire and I are in the middle of discussing some personal matters. So if ye'll excuse us, both." Jamie gave his sister a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for the pressies."

"I'll give you a call one of these days to arrange for our first round of session," Geneva said, smiling at Jamie.

Jamie nodded and then he firmly grabbed Claire's hand as they edged past them, without another word. Once alone in the kitchen, Jamie pulled her in his arms and sighed into her hair. "Dinnae mind my sister. I'm sorry she wasn't as welcoming to you as the rest of my family."

She swallowed. "I'm fine, really, and I understand. Jenny is only concern about you. Who is that girl, Geneva?" she asked.

He exhaled and stroke her hair. "A friend of my sister. She used to live in the village but moved to Glasgow a while ago. I guess she's back and will be my new therapist."

"Oh, alright."

Jamie hugged her tight. "I want ye to know, it's ye and me now, Sassenach. I need ye to trust in that. Ye with me?"

She buried her face against his chest, as Jamie's words plunged deep and unearthed the truth she'd been grappling with ever since the count down to her departure date begun. For years she'd been living in a fog in London with no sense of direction searching for something she never had a name for. Now that she'd found it, she didn't want to spend a long time analysing it while doing a job that never gave her a sense of fulfilment. She knew now Jamie would follow her anywhere in the world, but she didn't want him to do that and lose a piece of himself. This was the place where he belonged, and she would find a way to belong here too, with or without Jenny's blessing.

She snuggled closer into his hold. There was a reverence in the way he held her, and all she could think of how cherished, safe and anchored she felt. More than ever, she felt secure in his affections and more optimistic about their future. Jamie was right. All that was left was them. Who would have guessed a month ago she would have her life all planned out around this man in such a short time. 

Shivering slightly with excitement, her mind flitted through the countless tasks that needed to be done before she could start her new life. To get back to her Jamie.

Looking up at him, she smiled. "It's you and me now, Jamie and I trust in that. Always."

He looked relieved as he relaxed in her arms, telling her something had lifted off his chest.

..........

That night, Jamie watched Claire from the sofa as she rearranged her suitcase for the umpteenth time. His parents had given her a boozy fruitcake, homemade preserves and a bottle of single malt to take with her, and she'd insisted she didn't need another bag to make everything fit in.

Though her beautiful face looked concentrated and determined with the task at hand, her whisky eyes looked haunted, already dreading the time when she would leave. They'd had a light supper earlier and made love twice, and there was only one truth that mattered. They loved each other. Though he didn't want her to leave, he needed to let her go, for now, be the voice of reason and the face of courage for what might be a lengthy separation. God knows, he understood what she was feeling, but he didn't want their last night together to be filled with uncertainty. He wanted tonight to be a celebration of their love and the future to come. 

How many times had he thought of persuading her to let him come even for just a few days? But then again it wouldn't be fair to her if she had to worry about him every single minute of the day when she would be better off concentrating on the work she needed to do. He had enough on his plate as it was with his arboricultural business and his own mental health, and he needed to refocus his attention on that. 

He told himself, it was a wee sacrifice, and this time next year, she would be here for good.

With a sigh, he slid down to the floor and picked up her travel diary. 

He glanced up at her, waiting for her permission. When she nodded, he smiled. He liked that they sometimes communicated without talking, like it was their own wee secret, instinctively knowing how the other felt or when the other was looking trying to get one's attention.

He carefully opened the travel diary which was thick with postcards Claire had pasted on its pages. A few photos slipped out. Thinking they were postcards, he was about to slide them back into the diary, when he realised he was looking at one of Claire's family photos. His heart leapt, and his eyes immediately zeroed in on Claire's father, confirming his suspicion.  Harry is Henry Beauchamp! But how and why?  Goosebumps coasted down his back. He didn't know what to feel other than have this urge to laugh out loud. He'd never believed in spirits or ghosts, but something inside him told him tonight was not the night to delve into it. He needed to talk to his godfather and find out more about Harry. And find out why Claire's father's spirit was helping him.

He felt Claire's eyes on him, and they stared at each other for a few moments. He put the diary down, and he opened his arms, and she slid into his embrace and onto his lap. 

He breathed in the clean scent of her hair and savoured the length of her body, fitting perfectly to his. His hand travelled down the curve he'd memorised and worshipped with his lips and tongue and touch. And he realised this woman had healed him, with her presence and humour and stubbornness.  Harry must surely approve.

Her whisper drifted to his ears like a wisp of smoke. "I have to leave tomorrow." 

"I ken." 

"Oh, God, but I don't want to." 

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "I ken." 

She tilted her head back, a soft smile curling her lips. "Speechless for a change, huh?" 

He laughed, even though his heart was ripping apart at the idea of her gone from his bed and everyday life, realising what a gift she'd given him this holiday season. "So many things to tell ye but we have little time left. So I'm just gonnae hold ye like this to make up for the long winter ahead."

She blinked twice, a moist sheen apparent in her eyes. "Always the sensible and practical one, aren't you? " 

"I willnae be tonight." 

Claire caught his intention, and the longing they thought was already sated rose between them once more. He kissed her slow and thorough, taking his time, savouring the taste of chocolate, whisky and sweet honey, sinking deep and demanding everything. And she gave it all and much more, as they made love until all their energy had been spent and fell into a deep sleep in each other's arms.

..........

Claire walked out of the cottage and found Jamie waiting for her, her suitcase already deposited into the rental car. Willie and Annalise were in their own bubble locked in each other's embrace, whispering promises and secrets. She smiled at them, her heart hurting. Though Annalise's and Willie's relationship looked seamless, they'd had their own share of teething problems resulting in a couple of fights. Claire was glad they'd made up already before their departure. Claire walked with heavy feet over to them and cleared her throat, making Willie grinned boyishly at her. He let go of Annalise and gave her a big hug. Jamie did the same and enfolded her friend into a tight embrace.

"My brother and I are going to miss ye both" Willie whispered into her ears. 

"Me too. I heard from Annalise, we'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks. Is that right?"

Willie laughed and drew away. "Aye but unfortunately, I willnae be taking my brother with me. Someone has to be here to run the business." 

"I know." 

"I'll bring ye his love letters though," he teased.

She laughed.

With one last squeeze, Willie let her go. Claire watched Jamie said his own goodbyes to Annalise, making her friend tear up even more. Who would have thought, Annalise would be reduced to a bumbling mess when she had always been the one who had everything under control. Claire watched them both laugh with moisture in their eyes, both trying to downplay what they were feeling.

"Take care of my lass," Jamie whispered gruffly. "Ye have my number in case anything happens. Ye can call me anytime."

Annalise laughed and pulled Jamie in for another hug. Claire knew Annalise was trying to hide her own tears "You have my number too. Send me some candid photos or videos of Willie, whenever ye can."

"I will. I have a few embarrassing ones already on my phone. I'll send them once ye're in London."

Annalise wiped the tears with the back of her hand. "I'd love that."

Willie motioned Annalise over for another final goodbye. 

Her friend looked at Jamie before walking over to Willie. "I'll see you when I see you." 

Jamie nodded, smiling.

Claire faced Jamie, sliding her arms around his waist. "I don't like goodbyes," she whispered. "I wish I could teleport myself now to London, so I could just go back to bed and sleep off this feeling." 

Jamie caressed her cheek, his soft blue eyes filled with adoration. "Dinnae be sad, Sassenach. Enjoy yer trip back home and have a few laughs with Annalise. I took ye away from her a lot of times, keeping ye all to myself. Maybe ye can both catch up with whatever ye lassies talk about." 

"I'm glad I'll have her with me on the way home. She will at least keep me distracted from being sad." 

"Ye'll keep one another distracted."

They smiled, and Claire was about to say something when a loud excited barking filled the air, and she glanced over to see Rollo bolting towards them, tongue lolling with excitement. She laughed and let go of Jamie. "I haven't seen the kitten. Where is he?"

"Oh, Adso?

Claire frowned. "Adso?"

"Aye, I've named the wee cheetie, Adso. My ma used to have a cat called Adso, and I couldnae think of any other name, so I'm calling him that."

"Goodness, what a horrible name!"

Jamie laughed. "Try saying that to my ma. Anyway, he's at Mrs Fitz's for now until he's big enough to be on his own."

Smiling, Claire got down to her knees and hugged Rollo, burying her face into its warm fur and inhaling the doggy smell. "Going to miss you, handsome," she murmured, stroking the dog's back. "I'll never forget our first breakfast date. You were a perfect gentleman." 

Rollo replied by nudging her neck with his snout. 

She unfolded herself from the ground and walked towards the car, where Jamie waited. Annalise was in the driver's seat already while Willie leaned on the window talking to her.

Claire glanced at her watch. "I'll call as soon as we arrive home." 

"Looking forward to it." 

"Well, this is it." She stuffed her hands in her jean pocket and looked away, rocking to and fro on her heels. "Try that mediation I told you about so you don't have any nightmares at night." 

"I haven't had them for almost a fortnight, so I guess you have to talk to me on the phone until I fall asleep," he joked.

"That's very good, Jamie," she said, looking at him thoughtfully, this time ignoring the jest that was common in their conversation. "But try to look into meditation. If it isn't your thing, then at least you've given it your fair shot."

"I promise I'll give it a go tonight."

She smiled. "Good."

"And one more thing, Sassenach."

"What?"

"This." He braced her jaws with both hands and kissed her tenderly, the warmth and feel of his mouth, making her sigh, and her heart expand. When he raised his head, he had a beautiful smile etched on his face, almost beatific if it weren't for the mischief that always seemed to shine from his eyes. "I love ye, Sassenach." 

"I love you too. See you around?" Claire whispered, suddenly feeling the odd lump in her throat.

"I'll be waiting." 

She stepped away from his hold and quickly got into the car, allowing herself to take one last look at Jamie through her window. Time slowed in that instance, as if her brain needed a mental photograph, a keepsake to give her strength in the times to come. With his legs braced apart, one hand on Rollo's head, his coppery hair blowing in the wind, the leashed strength radiated in waves around him as his pale-blue eyes locked with hers. Annalise started the car, bringing her back into this moment, and he smiled and raised his hand in goodbye. She knew that took a lot of effort to keep that happy expression plastered on his face, so she smiled back, though wobbly, and blinked back the tears. A choked sob rose up from her throat, and it felt like she was losing a piece of herself she'd just found. 

With one deep fortifying breath, she tore her gaze away from him and looked straight ahead, as Annalise reversed and drove away. 

This time, she didn't look back. 

She knew if she did, she'd never leave.

Dear Readers, 

Well, here we are ... the final chapter of All I Want For Christmas. I thought I'd still be writing this until Easter. 😂 My problem with me is I get so focused on one scene and write too lengthy details about it, instead of quickly moving to the next. But hey, we live and learn. And the main thing is, I finished this story, even though two days later than I projected. 

If you think the ending to this chapter is sad, please don't be disheartened because there will be an arc or Part 2 as I wish to call it. 

As I mentioned in the previous chapter, I have decided to make this story into a series. The title of the series is, WONDERWALL. So if you wish to subscribe to the series, click here. As for part 2 of this series, I still have no definite date when I will publish it, but you can always subscribe on AO3 here or check my Tumblr blog if you wish to be updated.  

My plans are to start publishing the second part around holidays/special days. So either before Valentine's day or St. Patrick's day, all depending on how well I've rested and how quickly I can put the story together. 

Having said that, I thank you all for being part of the journey with this story, and I look forward to writing part 2 of Wonderwall for you. And also thank you so much for the kudos, feedback and follows. It warms my heart to know that you enjoy my story. Big hugs for that! 

So for now, I wish you good health and strength in these strange times. Keep the good vibes up, take care always and sending you all love. X 

PS: I will be updating the Masterlist of this story soon here.

[unmaskedagain]

Oh Lady Luck (How I miss you so!)

Okay; first off. I hated this. I had a massive case of writer’s block while doing it and lost inspiration near the end.

Oh Lady Luck (How I miss you so!)

           Bustier’s class was the luckiest in school, everyone knew it. They got to go on the most amazing trips, win contest after contest, competition after competition, met all sorts of celebrities, frequently got to meet Ladybug, through the best dances and school plays, and always seemed to have a pep in their step. Anything any of the students went after they always managed to get. Everyone knew Bustier’s class was the luckiest in school. Then one day that changed dramatically.

“You’ve changed,” Alya accused Marinette after the class voted her out as Class president. “You become a bully.”

           Alix snorted, “More like a jealous bitch.”

           There were nods from the other students in class. Lila smiled at Marinette; happy that her promise to ruin the girl was coming true.

“You’re always so mean to Lila,” Rose added. “It’s not nice.”

“You’re worse than Chloe now,” Kim glared.

           Juleka frowned, “We miss the old Marinette.”

“You should’ve chilled out like I told you to, dudette,” Nino said with a shake of his head, clearly disappointed.

“We can’t be your friends anymore,” Alya crossed her arms.

           Marinette had listen to them quietly as they relayed reason after reason why they were ending their friendships with her; all to do with Lila. She didn’t bother to look at Adrien. He had warned her what was going to happen; Nino had told him. There had also been a group text apparently. Adrien made it clear he stood with Marinette. Even more so, when he chose to sit with her in the back of the class, a fierce glare on his face at the other students.

The bluenette placed down her pencil, closed her sketchbook and said, “Fine. Then we’re not friends anymore.”

“That’s counts double for me,” Adrien hissed. “Lose my number. In fact, don’t bother; I’ll just change it. That goes for every last one of you. I’ll be informing my Father and Nathalie that only Chloe and Marinette are on my visitors list.”

           The class blinked in shock. Not expecting that reaction from the blond boy who was usually so amicable and nice.

           Chloe watched with amused eyes. She had been sentenced to the back of the room not long after Marinette. “We’ve never been friends but consider all extra little perks you’ve gotten used to: dead and over with.”

           That was it. None of the other students knew what to say or do. They hadn’t gotten the reaction they expected. Marinette didn’t seem to care. Adrien seemed ready to set them on fire. Chloe looked rather pleased at the idea of seeing them burn. Most shrugged it off; figuring at least two of the three (Marinette and Adrien) would come crawling back in no time.

           They didn’t.

           Things started to change for the students in Bustier’s class the next day.

           Lila woke up in the morning to an email confirming that she would no longer being a model or any type of employee for the Gabriel Agreste brand. Or as Nathalie put it when the sausage hair girl called her, “We will no longer be needing your services, Miss Rossi. Do not contact us again.” Click.

           That was when Lila realized her plan of using Gabriel to get Adrien under her thumb had went up in flames. She hoped that Adrien wasn’t informed so that maybe she could still use his father as a threat against the boy.

           When she go to class, the blond model sent her a vicious smirk. Lila paled. She knew without a doubt that Adrien didn’t just know Lila was fired, he was the one got her fired.

           Nino woke up to the news that the gig he was due to play, his big break, had replaced him. It would’ve been huge for his career.

Oh well, he thought, back to DJ-ing for birthday parties.

           Alya accidently dropped her phone in the toilet; ruining hundreds of videos and pictures for the Ladyblog.

           Alix took a dive while skating; broke her ankle and the watch her dad gave her.

           Max broke his glasses.

           Kim got food poisoning.

           Ivan’s dad ran over his drum set while parking in the garage.

           Rose tried to call Prince Ali and found out he changed his number.

           Nathaniel spilled coffee all over his Ladybug comic strips. Marc had been pissed.

           Juleka’s mom accidently put bleach in with a load of her laundry; it ruined everything.

           By the time they had all got to class, all the students were in a terrible mood. However, when Marinette walked in with a box full of delicious smelling breakfast pastries; they perked up. The bluenette always seemed to know when they needed a pick me up. And there was nothing like a treat from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.

           Marinette didn’t acknowledge any of their presences. She walked straight to the back of the classroom, sat in her seat between Chloe and Adrien. “Morning!” She beamed at her friends. “I brought treats for the three of us.”

“Awesome!” Adrien smiled, quickly opening the box and snagging a chocolate croissant. “Delicous, Thank you” He said. Or least they thought he said that. His mouth was full and it was mostly garbled.

           Chloe rolled her eyes. She grabbed a mixed berries and cream cheese pastry, “Perfect way to start the day. Thank you, Marinette.”

           Marinette took out her favorite: a berry and jasmine scone. Then she promptly through the box away; making clear that she hadn’t brought any for anyone else. “Anything for my friends.”

“We’ll do lunch at Le Grand Paris,” Chloe said. “On me of course. The chef there is to die for.”

           The other students visibly wilted. Alya in particular who loved going to Le Grand Paris as her mother was the head chef.

           It all went downhill from there.

           Over the next week things went from bad to worse for the students.

           Bustier told the class their trip the Presidential office was cancelled due to an unexpected flooding incident. The plan had been for the class to tour the office and have amazing picnic on the beach afterwards

           Lila’s mother, who had been busy nearly 24/7, officially went on vacation, meaning she plenty of time to spend with her daughter. Her daughter was panicked when her mother inquired about visiting her school.

           Alya discovered that the hits to her site had started to declined dramatically. She didn’t have time to worry about that as her internship with a local new studio had been cancelled; something about realizing Alya didn’t have enough experience. So her summer plans were cancelled.

           Nino’s Dj equipment sparked or shorted out or something but nothing would work anymore. He had cancel the rest of his gigs until he could buy new ones.

           Kim lost a swim match against Ondine.

           Markov got a virus and broke down causing Max to break down in tears.

           Nathaniel lost the expensive sketch pencil he won in a contest.

           Alix’s grandmother brought her a new dresses; frilly monstrosities that Alix’s forced her to wear to school for the entire week.

           Rose, Ivan, and Juleka were heartbroken when Luka announced he was going Solo.

           It didn’t help anyone’s mood that every day Marinette, Chloe, and Adrien walked into class with big smiles on their faces and pleasantly discussed their amazing plans.

           On Wednesday, Adrien invited Marinette and Chloe to come with him to meet the Prime Minister.

           Apparently, Adrien’s dad had called in favors so the three would tour Palais Bourbon, where the French Parliament meets.

“He said I could invite all my friends!” Adrien smiled.

           Marinette had been shocked at this. Until Adrien explained that his aunt had threatened to reveal to the world Gabriel Agreste’s neglectful behavior, his tendency break child labor laws, and his need to isolate Adrien. Thanks to his aunt, Adrien had a much free-er schedule and Gabriel had been in therapy for weeks. “I’ll bring food from the bakery. We can have a picnic!”

“Beach day!” Chloe cheered.

           No one else so much as smiled at the news. Even more so when pictures surfaced on Friday of Marinette, Chloe, Adrien, Ondine, Marc, Mireille, and Aurore with various members of Parliament; including the prime minister.

           Thursday, Chloe loudly invited Marinette and Adrien to an event for her mother, “It’s a fashion show! It’s tonight. Adrien can relax behind the scenes, while Mari and me model on the run way. Mama’s lost a few models so I told her I could recommend a few friends.”

“I’m modeling!” Marinette paled so much, her friends were sure she’d pass out.

“I get to do nothing!” Adrien grinned.

           Pictures of Chloe and Marinette modeling exploded across the internet; multiple fashion websites and online magazines deeming the girls’ Style Queen’s secret weapon and modeling next big thing.

           Most of the guys in class shrugged it off. But a few of the girls turned greened with envy; Lila in particular.

           On Friday, Marinette invited Adrien and Chloe to meet her uncle and her cousin, “He’s back in town on Saturday and he wants to meet all my friends.”

           No one else in class paid too much to that. Who cared about Marinette’s uncle? Or her cousin? They were probably just as stuck-up and nasty as she was.

           Then on Saturday, picture of the same group who went to Parliament, plus Luka, with Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale started trending on the internet. Jagged Stone posted a tweet about how awesome his honorary niece was, with a picture of him and Marinette. Clara posted a pic with her favorite little cousin, Marinette.

           Alya couldn’t believe her eyes and immediately started texting Marinette for the deets. She received a text back saying; new number; who dis?

           Nino flat-out called Adrien only hear that the number had been disconnected.

           The rest of the class faced the same issue.

           And then one by one, they each remembered that they weren’t friends with any of the tree Ostracized students anymore.

           Monday, Alya found out that BugOut, a competing Ladybug blog, had been officially endorsed by Ladybug and Chat Noir. Something that hadn’t happened with the Ladyblog.

           Max lost the science fair. For the first time. He had to go see the school guidance counselor.

           Kim got kicked off the team for his poor grade.

           Lila’s finally called the school to schedule an appointment. Lila was Akumatized within the five minutes.

           Alix’s grandma brought her more clothes; some which were tacky sweaters with cats all over them

           Nathaniel misplaced his new sketch book, with his redone Ladybug comic strips. He never found it. Marc wasn’t happy.

           Nino got a call to dj a huge event only to have to decline as he hadn’t bought new equipment yet.

           It was Adrien that brought in breakfast for the other two; Mcdonalds. Much to the Chloe and Marinette’s dismay, but they didn’t say anything as the boy was clearly happy about being allowed to eat it for the first time.

           Marinette unwrapped her sausage Mcgriddle, wondering who she hurt in a past life, “Jagged is doing a private concert. You two want to come?”

           Adrien nodded, his mouth full of fried hash brown and bacon. “Count me in,” They think he said.

           Chloe held the egg mcmuffin in her hand like it was physically hurting her to do so, “I’m in,” she said. “And I’m bringing breakfast tomorrow.”

           The class was dismayed at missing at meeting Jagged Stone again.

“Are you going to invite us?” Alya asked with a huff.

           Marinette didn’t even look in her direction, “Sorry Uncle Jagged said I can only invite my friends.”

           Ouch.

           Over the course of the next few months, things continued to fall apart for the class. They tried planning one of their usual amazing dances, only for everything to crash and burn. Then they remembered that Marinette planned everything, and before her, Chloe.

           The class never made enough money fundraising so nearly all planned class trips were canceled.

           They had to deal with seeing pictures of Marinette, Adrien, and Chloe and all their friends meeting all sorts of celebrities.

           Ladybug disowned the Ladyblog; causing Alya to burst into tears.

           No matter what any of the students tried, did, competed in, they never won. They practically failed at everything.

           Rose tried to bake cookies for the class; her kitchen caught on fire.

           Max applied for science camp; all spots were full.

           Nathaniel who had lost his comic drawing for the twelfth time in a row was finally told by Marc to take a hike.

           Nino lost his hat, broke his glasses, a dog at his homework, and he tripped landed face down in the mud; all on the way to school one morning.

           The students were constantly late, frustrated, and always seemed to have something accidently spilled or thrown on their clothes.

           Lila’s  mother, who finally decided to just randomly drop by the school after being told repeatedly by her daughter that it was closed so she couldn’t do the appointment for months, was shocked to say the least when it was clearly opened and active. She had a long talk with the Principle and all of Lila’s lies were revealed to class.

           Class was very apologetic to the three ostracized students after that but it didn’t matter. The three made it clear they weren’t interested in renewing their friendships.

           By the end of the year Bustier’s class went from the luckiest in school to the unluckiest kids on the planet.

           The students of Bustier’s class couldn’t help but wonder aloud why they lucked changed do much.

           Tikki, Plagg, and Pollen, hidden away in their chosens’ school bags just smirked.