#this is for the girlies that can’t physically watch any movie quietly

[thinkingnot]

what’s the point of consuming any media if i cant have 50 different monologues that is constantly at war and debating over who’s right or wrong and also commenting and providing a live analysis of the plot, props, acting, actors, ..etc. out loud 😔🫶

[prose-for-hire]

Life’s not a movie

Pairing: Spike x fem!chubby!reader

Request: Hello if your requests are still open...how about spike with a chubby reader who is 24 and still a virgin and she is shy and depressed but tries to hide it by acting happy go lucky. She loves his poems and is a good friend to him but she secretly loves him and she finally confesses her feelings to him and he kisses her and it's her first kiss? Maybe they are having a night out as friends which turns into a date when she tells him, and that's how they end up kissing?

Requested by: Anon

A/N: Hey, so I wanted to simplify reader’s personality a little because not everyone will be able to access something so specific. 

Warnings: Mention of sex. I’ve written her a little insecure about her weight (only vaguely mentioned once) and being a virgin/having not kissed anyone (hope that’s okay).

💖 Don’t worry if you haven’t had these experiences yet either, everyone has their own time for everything !! 💖

You and Spike were walking from opposite directions, with the other on your minds. Things with Spike were nice, he made you feel more human. Which, of course was ironic, because he wasn’t even a little bit human. In physicality, at least.

You smiled when you saw him, giving him a little wave. He enjoyed the way your chubby form didn’t appear to make you second-guess yourself. You appeared confident and more so when he was by your side. He especially liked the way you lit up the area you were in, always so cheery when you greeted him. On the surface, at least.

You were very good friends, so good that everyone already just presumed that you were dating. You spent most evenings with him, sometimes watching crappy tv and other evenings reading while Spike wrote poetry.

Some evenings, if you were really lucky, he would let you read them. Only a few he selected (he was very secretive about certain poems you couldn’t see as they were too intimate). You always gushed about how much you loved them, smiling and rereading them - trying to memorise them. 

He wished he could read to you the ones he had hidden sometimes. They spoke of deep, unrequited feelings that longed to be free. Feelings for you. Alas, you had never initiated anything or so much as hinted similar feelings. Besides, he enjoyed having you to himself as a friend at least and couldn’t bear to jeopardise this so he just hadn’t acted on it.

You were meeting to go to the Bronze, neither of you realised the feelings the other harboured, but it didn’t stop you both wanting to spend every waking minute with each other. He loved your tummy. Sometimes you felt perhaps a little too big but to him that was a ridiculous thought. You appeared so soft he often imagined himself wrapping his arms around you and resting a hand there. Maybe rubbing his hand sooothingly while you were watching one of those movies he allowed you to pick from the rental store. He was thinking about this as you both sat down and had realised that he was staring at you. Again. 

When you both sat down in a booth, he tried his best not to make his loving gaze so obvious - he had a reputation to uphold after all. To make himself feel better, he moved the conversation to something else. He asked about your younger friends, the Scoobies. He did this often, sometimes to try and figure out if they still thought of him as a threat and other times just because it amused him to hear of the often tumultuous teenage drama that the Slayer and her gang got caught up in. 

They were doing their coursework tonight, Willow had called it a study-over - the priority was work, not sleep apparently. You were a lot older than them, having met them by coincidence. You got on with them well, but they were a bit younger than you (and they liked to tell you to stay away from spike a lot). You explained what they were up to to Spike, making him snort at how lame the group that used to ruin all of his evil plots were.

“People at that age should be out shagging anything that bloody moves - not sitting in memorising facts about historical events” He saw you shift slightly uncomfortably and paused, before asking, “What? You don’t agree, love?”

“No- it’s, uh, not that-” You say softly, trying to make your mouth stop forming words. But that plan went out of the window as you started to squirm under his stare and continue bashfully, “I, uh, haven’t actually…”

“What?” he asked, not letting it go. his eyes boring into yours. You sighed, deciding to just say it. Like ripping off a plaster.

“I haven’t had sex, Spike. Okay?” there was an edge to your voice as you snapped, clearly embarrassed.

“That’s alright, love... you, uh, don’t have to do anythin’ you’re not wantin’-” he started to reassure you, still confused as he knew the feelings he had for you - so he knew others must have had such feelings over the years.

“That’s not the problem, I want to have sex I just haven’t- haven’t found anyone. Or, well, no one’s found that they like me…”

“Bollocks!” he cut you off abruptly, “Life’s not a movie, pet… it’s not one of those girly flicks you watch when you think I’m sleepin’ in the afternoon... Life can be messy, it can’t be predicted, no matter what the magic voodoo types ‘round here think… so bloody what if you haven’t shagged a bloke yet-?”

“Spike! You’re talking too loud! People are looking!”

“So fucking what? She’s a virgin!” He said louder, but nobody was really paying much attention to either of you, or they at least had enough manners to act as if they hadn’t before you looked up to check, “Who bloody cares?”

“Me spike. I care” You mutter, embarrassment permeating through every pore, “I haven’t even- I haven’t even kissed anyone” you hissed, deciding you might as well get everything out into the open.

“But you’ve been on a date?” He askedslowly, a little frown. You shook your head, no. He was confused. Someone like you he was convinced someone would have taken you out years ago. You were smart, funny and very sweet. He had been convinced you had a boyfriend and cursing this imaginary man as he had been missing you recently. Not realising that you had been trying to sort through your feelings for him.

He shrugged, looked you in the eyes, grabbed your hands from across the table and knew exactly what he needed to do.

“Let’s make this a date then”

“No- Spike you don’t-” you started to 

“No arguments. I want to, love. Beautiful woman on my arm for the entire evening – make all the buggers jealous and you can say you’ve been on a date” He grinned, as if this hadn’t been an in-the-moment decision. He moved around the table making sure not to give you any room. Sitting beside you and watching your every move. He leaned in, moving his hand from yours to the small of your back as he whispered into your ear.

“Drink?” he asked, just the one word making the hair on the back of your neck raise as you shivered, hoping that he didn’t notice as he got up from his seat.

“Yeah - please. Could I have-”

“I know my girl’s order” he said with a wink. You smiled not able to help yourself enjoying the interaction but a light frown on your brow as he walked off. He exhaled an unneeded breath as he went, thinking about what he had just said, about how he wished you were his.

You continued to frown a little, mulling over how he could switch to flirting so easily. It worried you, how easily he could pretend. He had very obvious feelings for you, but you took it as him feeling sorry for you.

When he returned, he set your favourite drink in front of you before he slipped his hand back over yours, resting it there gently. He was ecstatic, he had been dreaming of becoming closer to you for a while now and he finally had a chance, even if it was under the guise of a friend helping a friend out.

You stayed there for a little while, Spike making small talk asking you questions that he tried to pretend weren’t probing as you sat together before your insecurity got the better of you.

“I do-don’t think I can do this. It’s too hard” You say suddenly, looking down at his hand on yours. You released your hand from his and getting up to leave. He takes your wrist, pulling you back to him but your face tells him he needs to let go. Hot tears were threatening to spill and a thick lump in your throat almost choking you. He was confused, why were you reacting that way? Was he that repulsive to you?

You move to get some fresh air, each intake of the cold night having you wishing that you could just swallow up Sunnydale in its entirety. Take it from the map and leave a crater in it’s place. No more embarrassment, no more admitting that you’re a virgin. That nobody had even appeared to want to kiss you before. That you had never had the confidence to make a move yourself. A happy coincidence being that if you swallowed the town there would be no more hell mouth and demons.

You could start fresh, nobody feeling sorry for you or pretending to care to make you feel better. You appreciated Spike and what he had been trying to do. Helping out a friend. But you so desperately wanted him your heart had started to ache with every accelerated beat.

He had followed you, taking your jacket from where it had been draped on the chair behind you that you had left when you got up. He draped it over your large shoulders, his hand lingering on your back before moving.

 “What’s wrong? Did I do something?” he asked quietly, leaning against the wall as you stared into the night. You shook your head, there was a pause before everything started to bubble over and your feelings started to tumble from your mouth.

“It’s like those poems you write, Spike. The feelings you conjure I can’t fake. I like you and this is cruel, almost worse than having never been on a date because I want it to be real and it’s just not it-it’s theatre. It’s you feeling pity – just helping out a friend-” you rushed out, each word crashing into the next.

“Hey, slow down, pet” He halted you, “Bloody motor-mouth” he muttered, with a shake of his head.  A ghost of a smile on your lips. He often called you that, but for gushing about something you really enjoyed. It was a term of endearment, “That – in there was the most honest I’ve been with you. I wanted all of that… I wanted more” he admitted softly. The same voice he reserved for discussing the most romantic feelings his poetry had revealed.

He knew you had been platonic for a long time, missing all of the signs that you liked him back until now. He looked at you, a silent conversation between you. You could almost hear his mind screaming out for you as he pulled you into him.

His eyebrow quirked, ensuring he hadn’t read the wrong signals. If he was honest, he had been waiting for this for a very long time. Since before even your friendship had suddenly developed he had that feeling of concentrated affection for you that he knew was leading to this. He could only hope that this was where it could end up.

You barely started to nod your approval before he pulled you crashing your mouth into his. He kissed you hungrily, your soft lips a beautiful sensation that had only been fantasy until recently. Despite the evident passion, there was an undercurrent of understanding. A hint of sweet amongst it all that told you it was still spike, the man that had written those words. Words that now made perfect sense. His poetry only now making sense to you as you felt it. You were connected to him so intimately and you were sure his poetry had now been about affection for you. You couldn’t fake something like this.

The kiss was special, you had thought you would be nervous, unsure what you were doing as it was so new to you. But it was perfect, your lips moving with his in a way that you were sure meant this was destiny. All of the stars aligning and pointing towards the spot that you were kissing under. 

You realised that you hadn’t been doing anything with your hands, they had been suspended in mid-air as if you were worried to reach and contact his skin your hands would go straight through him, revealing that he was merely a spectre. This moment being too good to be true. You were half convinced that he would be a hallucination, not corporeal to the touch. 

It was like a dream, but it was better than any you had ever thought up. His skin on yours. The way he lingered against your chubby curves in adoration, as if he had never been allowed to touch something so precious. The kiss deepened and you didn’t have time to worry if you were doing anything right, you were wrapped up in how good this felt. The heightened feelings mingling with just how much you cared for the vampire that was now press himself against you as close as he could physically get.

One of his hands had been in your hair, the other at your hip until he realised your hands hadn’t touched him. He smirked into the kiss, remembering that you hadn’t done this before. His hands moved, gliding along your soft skin, leaving goose-bumps as he made his way to where your hands were still tentatively waiting to catch up with your brain. He moved your hands and guided you to rest on him, his eyes scrutinising your face as he did.

You smiled, breathless, wrapping your arms around him further and nestling to rest your head on his shoulder. He ran his hands along your shapely form before resting against your waist. You closed your eyes, enjoying the sensation of his body under your hands. Neither of you had to say anything. You knew it was the start of something, it was rising in both of your chests.

That kiss was definitely worth the wait.

[oftenderweapons]

Introducing: the Girlfriend — Giggles

Hello bumblebees!

Since the girlfriends will feature as original characters in some of the pieces I’ve planned, in this small serie you will find some general information about the girls, presented with their aesthetics. Here you will find Hobi’s Giggles. NSFW content is featured.

You can find more of her and the other girls here.

And here is my masterlist

Giggles is the cutest little potato. That could be all. However, I'm gonna elaborate.

I think she's a couple years younger than Hoseok, or maybe the same age. She is medium tall (slightly smaller than him, but barely) and quite thin. Her body is lithe and stretchable — she does yoga — but quite curveless, however this is not an issue to Hoseok. He loves her small, girly physique. In terms of nationality, she could be Korean, but her parents might be foreigners: I see her being pretty pale and a natural readhead.

She is a vet; Hoseok met during an emergency with Mickey and after that she was stuck in his mind. Though economically independent, she can’t afford a comfy apartment in the city, that’s why she lives squished in a small three-room apartment; still, she doesn’t mind since cleaning up takes less time and the tiny den seems fitting for her being a tiny human. The only problem with her apartment is that she can't keep any pet, however she wishes she had a cute, fluffy, big cat. She likes thrift-shopping, coloured things and animals. She’s really gentle and has a sparkly, although introverted personality. She’s basically the stereotype of a Hufflepuff.

This girlie is soft, she has the quirkiest sense of fashion and she often wears children clothes since her size is THAT small. Of course Hoseok jokes about it, but secretly he loves it: whenever she gets into his clothes, she looks extra small and he needs to snuggle her like his favourite teddy bear. Yes, she might be in her twenties, no, do not take her Winnie the Pooh onesie away from her. She still watches cartoons (attentively) and enjoys spending her evenings in front of the TV with a Disney or a Studio Ghibli movie.

Nature makes her happy. Hoseok likes making her giggle and smile, therefore he likes doing whatever she likes. He takes her out on picnics, or to pick cherries and strawberries.

She likes animals so whenever she spots a cute pet, Hoseok is more than glad to ask their owner if she can pet them. When she spots a kitty out of her reach she pouts and goes all big, sparkly, sad eyes; of course Hoseok can't stand that and he has often picked her up so she could reach for the kitty and pet it.

She loves cherries and strawberries a whole lot. She might be a vegetarian and her diet is mostly made of fruit and several types of tea and herbal tea. She is addicted to cornflakes and milk.

Publicly, Giggles and Hoseok hold hands a lot, with Hoseok tugging at her hand to pull her into him when he wants her close. Normally you would simply see them trotting like two excited puppies when going on dates, while during official public appearances he would simply catwalk like a model while she ethereally strolls behind him. I see her dressed in lots of chiffon and light, airy fabric, making her look like a fairy floating around him like a spirit of the woods.

Giggles is delicate both emotionally and physically. She hasn’t had meaningful relationships before, only dates and small flings with maybe three or four partners, one of which might have been a friend with benefits, maybe. Her flings were usually calm and quiet, mostly vanilla, and normally they ended because of a lack of chemistry and because those people couldn’t make her feel comfortable enough to let her inner freak out, or simply turned down her propositions to explore and venture into more daring activities. With Hoseok it immediately turns out that they have an excellent connection, his bubbly and sparkly personality meeting her childlike side, but at the same time, his darker, demanding and open-minded persona immediately answering her needs for sexual exploration. Their bodies seem to know each other instinctively from their very first encounter and this kind of “perfect match” based on physicality brings them closer and closer to each other, but also helps them use sex and their bodies to explore each other’s minds. With Hoseok, Giggles gradually discovers several degrees of submission as they both venture into the mechanisms and techniques of BDSM. This shared exploration is the glue of their relationship, but it also creates an intimacy so deep that they manage to completely remove shame from their bond. Hoseok can be ruthless in bed, however Giggles’ girlish nature hides a spine of steel that comes out while undergoing tougher, harsher scenes; still she prefers Hoseok to fondle her verbally and emotionally as he delivers the most vicious treatments. Giggles and Hoseok took a bondage course after both of them discovered a certain interest for this discipline. She is excellent at it: Hoseok trusts her blindly and she is generally more wicked in her use of the lessons; on the other hand, Hoseok uses ropes and knots more often but more gently, paying extra attention to Giggles’ skinny, delicate physique.

In terms of sex positions, Hoseok likes changing a lot. During a round he can go through two or three positions, which sometimes extenuates Giggles. His most recurrent positions are missionary with her legs on his shoulders, doggy, and spoons with her laying on her front; occasionally he might fuck her while standing, hooking one of her legs around his waist, or also making her lay down on her side and lifting her free leg up, pressing it to his chest while he straddles her lower leg and enters her — we all know he can handle the most unbelievable positions and those hips can be pretty cruel with deep strokes and hard and fast thrusts. He is more than willing to make up for his restlessness by pleasing her, especially with his fingers — he can make her squirt easily and likes doing so very often. She is also extremely ticklish: torturing her with ticklers, feathers and fur gloves is a huge turn on for him, however he rewards her plenty with several sessions of oral sex.

Hoseok in bed can be very demanding, both physically and spiritually, therefore she often prefers to be allowed some space during aftercare. He understands and follows her will, quietly leaving for a few minutes to let her calm herself, check the results of their session and clean up. It usually doesn’t take long before she calls for him or actively looks for him, asking him to massage her sore body, or to apply lotion over her skin. Normally, if they engage in a scene before going to sleep, he makes sure she takes mild herbal sleeping pills and water to relax before sleep, to avoid her gritting her teeth in her sleep and having small twitches because of the physical effort, or waking up with painful cramps — after all she is a delicate creature. She prefers having him by her side after making love: he likes showering with her, washing her hair and drying it afterward. Generally he likes cuddles after domming, since he feels vulnerable and he needs to know that he didn’t go too far. He also needs to be reassured with love affirmations, especially since during punishments and certain kinds of (so to say) torture — like sensation play, edging and overstimulation — Giggles might say hurtful things or might have unpleasant reactions such as biting, scratching, trying to escape or in some extreme cases, crying.

During the day or when chilling on the sofa, Giggles likes cuddles. Hoseok often squishes her cheeks and kisses her nose. His most frequent form of cuddles is playing with her hair or nuzzling into it while spooning her. Her hair always smells like flowers. Hoseok lives that. He gives her loads of small kisses, especially on her cheeks, sometimes biting into them since they’re the roundest part of her face. She might have cute, hamster cheeks. Hoseok’s favourite cuddles are her hands in his hair, combing it or massaging his scalp while he rests his head on her stomach or lap. They give each other a lot of kisses — more like playful smooches.

They don’t have a favourite sleeping position, Hoseok is too impatient and shifts a lot in his sleep so he falls asleep as he feels like doing. Normally they sleep simply next to each other: Giggles likes falling asleep while he spoons her and normally she falls asleep first, while Hoseok moves away once she is soundly asleep.

Overall, Giggles is a cute and delicate creature, a gentle soul who is fond of animals and nature; still, she has a kinkier side that matches Hoseok’s experimental one: their bubbly personalities, instinctual communication and sexual needs match perfectly, creating a strong and well-balanced couple.

[saeyoungs-sunflower]

A Piece of You: Chapter 2

Pairing: Zen x MC

Synopsis: After the death of his sister, Zen is entrusted with raising her daughter. Six years later, MC has now settled into the RFA, but she just wants to be back on the roof with the love of her life like she was two years before. But dealing with teenage years, dragged out engagements and a lot of unsaid feelings, you start to lose a piece of you. Or, perhaps, find a piece you had that had been missing the whole time.

Warnings: Only that this chapter is beefy. I’m sorry but I couldn’t find a good place to end it earlier, so it is a little longer than usual! Next chapters probably won’t be this long don’t worry haha.

Song: Leaving My Love Behind - Lewis Capaldi

⇦  Previous Chapter

***

The dense scent of coffee intertwined with the fresh air that soared through the open windows of Jaehee’s car. The radio, though quiet, was babbling away to itself — not unnoticed, but not entirely present either. The two women sat in a weighty silence.

Jaehee sighed, “I’m sorry, MC, it hurts me to say this but I just don’t think it’s going to work out the way you want it to.”

To be honest, MC knew it was coming. She had been waiting for months for those words to be said to her by someone. By anyone. But it still stung.

To an outsider looking in, Jaehee’s words would have sounded cold, cruel even. But in MC’s eyes, her honesty was the most loving gesture she could ask from her best friend. MC wanted her honesty, needed it in fact. It was going too far.

Once Jaehee had finally opened up to the idea of Zen and MC being in a relationship, their friendship skyrocketed. The two could finally bond, with all guards down. It was like they were giddy teenagers again, having sleepovers and talking about boys — or rather, talking about one boy in particular. They would discuss for hours about ‘the look he gave her during the meeting’ and how he ‘doesn’t just take any girl onto his roof’; that he was ‘obviously interested in her!’

However, more time slipped away and their evenings of gossiping turned into nights of consoling. It had been two years since Zen took MC onto his roof to watch the stars, and nothing had escalated from that. Jaehee would reassure her, tell her that Zen just needed time to raise Gi and work on his career, that they had grown apart after MC spent months helping Saeyoung get Saeran back on his feet. She would tell her they just needed to spend more time together like they used to, and things would pick up again.

But they didn’t, and it had been too long. Two years of nothing, and Jaehee couldn't bare to see MC tearing herself apart anymore. She would constantly check her reflection before turning away with a gentle frown, she would type then re-type messages before throwing her phone away from her. Her smile faded, her light dimmed. MC hid it well, but they noticed, all of them did. Of course they noticed, but only Jaehee knew the reason why. It was time to stop this and allow her to move on. She had to before she faded away completely, becoming nothing more than a shell of what she used to be; what she could have been.

After a long sigh, MC finally spoke up, “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“He still cares deeply about you, MC, you haven’t lost him. I know he still loves you, even as much as he loves Gi, he just might not see you in the same way you see him. You love each other equally, just differently.”

“…A bit like Newton’s third law of motion?”

“Oh my God I swear if Saeyoung doesn't stop giving ‘free physics lessons’ in the messenger I’m going to kick him straight into orbit.”

The women laughed, just like they always ended up doing, no matter what life threw their way. Jaehee knew how to cheer MC up and how to make her laugh until her tears ran dry. Jaehee stopped the car in front of Zen’s house before turning to her friend and giving her hand a comforting squeeze, “I don't think it’s as bad as you think. I think you just need to put yourself out there and I’m sure someone will come along and surprise you.”

MC looked back into her eyes, not finding an ounce of dishonesty in them. She knew deep down that Jaehee was probably right, she always was. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed Jaehee’s hand in return, “Okay, I’ll try.”

***

“Hey, Gi! Look who’s here!”

Gi had the biggest grin on her face as she charged towards the door and jumped into MC’s arms, almost knocking her over from the impact. MC scooped her up and spun her around, blowing raspberries into her tummy, making the young girl squeal and wriggle in her arms.

Gi was six now, and was four when MC met her after nearly being kidnapped in Rika’s apartment. From the moment Gi saw her, she instantly took a liking for her, constantly asking Zen when “pretty MC” would next visit — which made MC an absolute blushing mess when Zen revealed this in the chatroom.

Gi had also managed to worm her way into MC’s heart and made herself at home there. MC loved that child like she was family, which she was in all fairness. The RFA was her family, and therefore anyone they loved, she loved too. She was always up to babysit her or take her on girly days out whenever she asked.

Today was a little different though.

“How’s the little madam today then? You excited for your day out with Jaehee?” MC asked, still trying to hold on to the wriggling child.

“Yay! Where are we all going?”

“Well, I’m going to watch your dad’s rehearsal whilst Jaehee takes you out for ice cream and a movie, is that okay?”

Gi watched the two women carefully, before nodding confidently, “Okay, but you have to come next time!”

MC laughed, “Fine, diva.”

“I’m not a diva! Dad’s the only diva in this house.”

“HEY!”

The three girls burst into laughter, and MC watched Zen as he feigned offence, but he was unable to control the sides of his mouth as they curled upwards. His eyes locked with MC’s, and she felt her heart stop for a split second. When was that going to stop happening? He gave her a warm smile, which she happily returned before placing Gi back on the floor, ruffling her hair.

Gi then darted to Jaehee and embraced her leg, waiting to be picked up. Jaehee chuckled before granting her request, earning a satisfied chuckle from the excitable young girl. Both Zen and MC felt a pang of affection as they waved the two goodbye, Gi’s babbling fading away the she walked hand-in-hand with Jaehee on their way into town.

MC turned to Zen who was rummaging around for his keys. She chortled at him, “How is everything? Gi doing okay at school?”

“Yeah, she’s doing pretty well actually,” Zen replied, still searching for his keys, “She’s very popular, according to her teachers. Stirring up trouble though.”

“In what way?”

He sighed, “Well there’s a group of them, apparently, and they like to wreak havoc for the teacher’s and get up to all kinds of mischief. Hiding the teacher’s supplies, little things like that. They say she’s an angel when they talk to her one-on-one, but she likes to follow this group around, copying what they’re doing. They're in the older group I think,” Zen said as he sifted through the draws, and MC could see a crease form between his eyebrows. He was worried about her.

“I’m sure she’s just enjoying herself. She’ll grow out of it, I’m sure. She’s a bright kid.”

“I know, I should have more faith in her,” now he’s patting his jean pockets, “She’s getting good grades for her work anyway. You know, when she doesn’t lose her exercise books or pencil case or whatever.”

MC chuckled, grabbing his keys from the trinket box on the windowsill, “I wonder where she gets that from,” she said, chucking the keys to Zen.

He caught them with ease, grinning at MC, “Thanks. Ready to go?”

MC smiled back, though it didn’t feel as bright, “Ready.”

She turned to the door, but felt a hand on her bicep, turning her back to him. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and rubbed it with his thumb, “Hey, you okay? You don’t seem yourself today. Did something happen?”

MC plastered a smile on her face, beaming up at him, “Of course I’m okay! I’m just excited, that’s all.”

Zen returned the smile, although he wasn’t convinced by her answer. She slapped his arm playfully, “Come on, you. You can’t be late for your rehearsal,” she said, turning on her heal and walking out of the house.

He watched after her, wishing she would open up to him more. Just like he did with her.

Just like they used to.

***

The two walked to the theatre in a comfortable silence, the only sound heard was the leaves crunching beneath their feet and the wind rustling through the trees over them. MC closed her eyes briefly as she let the breeze caress her skin and her hair, a sense of peace washing over her.

“Thank you for coming to my rehearsal,” Zen said unexpectedly, catching MC a little off guard.

“You don’t have to thank me, I wanted to come! It feels like ages since I’ve seen you perform,” she exclaimed cheerfully, “Although, I admit the offer did come a bit out of the blue. What made you want to invite me now?”

“Well,” Zen started, scratching the back of his head, “you’ve always been so supportive of my career, more than anyone else I think…and I’m really proud of this show. I guess I wanted you to see that your belief in me wasn’t in vain, and all your support hadn’t gone to waste,” he stated, his eyes locked on the path in front of him.

MC stopped, grabbing his sleeve so he would stop and turn to her, “You don’t have to prove anything, especially not to me, you know that. As long as you’re happy, then it would have never been a waste, okay?”

Zen smiled fondly at her and let out a little chuckle, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side, “And that’s why I love you.”

And with that, MC felt like a bullet had shot through her chest. Because she knew what ‘I love you’ meant when it came to Zen, and it didn’t mean what she longed for it to.

Because yes, she loved him too. Painfully, hopelessly, quietly.

Equally, but differently.

***

When they entered the theatre, MC’s eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. The theatre was really very beautiful. It was old-fashioned, but had clearly been done up recently. She could tell by the even gold paint, the vivid red seating and the perfectly polished stage where the set that she had painted stood proudly.

Art and painting had always been a huge passion of MC’s, and she would often sketch Zen when he was focussed on playing with Gi when she would visit. She accidentally left a sketchbook open at his house once, and he was dumbfounded by her skill and artistry. Unfortunately, MC was never able to make a career out of her art, and she was also way too modest to sell her artwork, so Zen made it his mission to give her as many opportunities to express her art and passion as he could, just like she helped him. The company obviously paid her for her work, but Zen couldn’t help but feel that her art deserved a place in a gallery rather than a tucked away theatre. He told her numerous times to ask V for help, but she always refused. He wondered why.

Zen chuckled at her loss for words, “It’s amazing, right? Come on, I want to introduce you to the cast and director!”

“Oh, they must be busy, I don’t want to interrupt-“

“Don’t be silly! They are so excited to meet you!”

MC frowned, confused, “Wait, really?”

“Of course! Without you I might not even still be in this company, and besides, look at your beautiful set! You’re a part of this show too, MC. Of course they’d love to meet you.”

This theatre company was actually founded by Zen and the director, and it was well known for the way it defied typical theatre conventions. They didn't do a show every night of the week with a matinee on a Wednesday and Saturday, instead they did a matinee every weekday and an evening show on Saturday. Zen said that it was partly so that he could be take care of Gi in the evenings and work whilst she was at school, but also because it meant that schools could watch their shows during school hours, as an educational trip. He was always passionate about allowing kids to fall in love with theatre like he did. And to hopefully save some like it saved him.

Giving Zen a shy smile, MC finally let him lead her backstage. The cast were genuinely very lovely, praising and thanking her for the set and for being by Zen’s side over the last two years, making MC blush fiercely. Even the director said that he had heard so much about her and was glad they finally met. Did Zen really talk about her this much? She tried not to think about it too much.

Just when she thought they had spoken to everyone, Zen took her to his dressing room that he shared with the other male lead. His name was Chul, Zen told her, and he had given her a little talk before going in.

MC laughed, “What do you mean?”

“Listen, I love Chul to bits, but he is a man after all. You can imagine what actors are like, and male leads are even worse.”

“Aren’t you also a male lead?”

“Yes, but I also have sharpie on my kitchen wall and stuffed animals scattered across my living room. Did I also mention that I live with a six year old?”

“Fair play. But seriously, Zen, it’s fine. So what if he’s a bit of a flirt?”

“He can just get carried away sometimes, and I don't want him to get any ideas. All men-“

“-are wolves. And I’m a grown woman, Zen. You don't have to protect me like that, I can handle it,” MC chuckled.

“I know babe, just…if he bothers you you have to let me know, okay?”

“Fine, dad.”

Zen made a face at that and MC laughed even more. She knew how to push his buttons. But seriously, she wasn't a teenager, she could keep her cool in front of a man. Zen knocked on the door briefly and they both entered.

“Hey, Chul, I’d like you to meet my friend, MC.”

Oh, good Lord. She definitely should have prepared herself more for this. Sitting at his dressing table was Chul. Six foot tall, brunette, buff as hell Chul, getting his makeup done for the dress rehearsal. Did I not mention that he was also shirtless? Whilst a lot of women would be drooling at this point - understandably so - MC just felt embarrassed.

Catching his attention, Chul looked over at MC and gave her a bright smile, making her heart race and her face burn. He chuckled, standing up and heading towards the door.

“Ah, the famous MC! It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Chul,” he offered his hand for her to shake, which she did. His grip was firm, yet soft at the same time as he stared directly into her eyes. It was intense, to say the least, and MC mentally scolded herself for how red her face must have been.

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Chul,” she replied, surprised at how smoothly the words came out of her mouth despite how flustered she was.

He kept his grip on her hand for a moment longer than necessary, making Zen strangely impatient, “Okay, great, well I have to show MC around the rest of the theatre so we’ll catch you later.”

“Of course, I need to finish getting ready anyway. I’ll catch you later, MC,” he said with a wink, returning back to his seat. MC could feel Zen’s blood boiling next to her, so she ushered him out of the room swiftly.

“He seems nice.”

“Hm.”

MC rolled her eyes at him and gave him a playful nudge, giving him the silent reassurance that he needed. Both of them continued on the tour, but inevitably Zen was called to the stage for the rehearsal to begin, leaving MC on her own.

“You can sit anywhere, babe. There’s drinks and snacks on the table over there, so help yourself. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

Her smile grew at his concern. He really was very sweet, “Thank you, Zen, but I’ll be absolutely fine, don’t worry. Enjoy your rehearsal, okay? I can’t wait to see you get up there!” she beamed, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before he ran off to join the rest of the cast.

She watched him as he went, a gentle thumping in her chest and a numbness in her spirit.

***

The first couple of hours of rehearsal were truly fascinating. Despite what some may assume, whilst Zen was incredibly good-looking, his acting skills were definitely his biggest strength (apart from his parenthood, of course). MC had no doubt that he would have been successful regardless of his looks, and it frustrated her to no end that he was primarily praised for his face and body rather than his talent and hard-work. The way he could show so much emotion and character and make her feel so much through just one look was, quite honestly, extraordinary. For a moment, she forgot he was her best friend at all; she was completely absorbed in his character.

The scene they were currently rehearsing was one where Zen’s character confesses his love to the female-lead’s character — a woman stuck in an arranged marriage who longed for freedom. The scene ended in a passionate kiss, bringing MC back to reality. It sent an ache through her chest as she watched Zen fall in love with someone else. For goodness sake, MC, he was acting. He wasn’t actually in love with her. And even if he was, what would it matter? He wasn’t hers, and she wasn't his. He was free to kiss whomever he pleased.

The director called for a short break so he could discuss the scene with Zen and the female-lead, and MC took this opportunity to get a coffee and to focus her mind on something other than Zen kissing another woman. Ugh, stop being so pathetic. She had no right to be jealous. She had no right to regret what never existed.

She made her coffee and searched for the sugar, deciding that a little sweetness in her coffee might lift her spirits a little. However, even after scanning the table she couldn’t seem to find-

“Looking for this?”

MC turned her head to find Chul standing there, sugar in one hand and his own coffee in the other. She took the sugar, offering him a kind smile, “Ah, yes, thank you.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Chul watching her face closely. He frowned a little, an eyebrow raised, “Rough day?”

She chuckled, she tried her best to hide it but clearly she wasn't as good of an actor as Zen, “Nah, it’s just tiring watching other people run around and dance all day,” she joked. He laughed at that.

“What about you?”

“Well, my wife is currently over there making out with the gardener’s son so, yeah, I guess you could say it’s been a rough day,” he also joked.

Ah yes, he must have been playing the female-lead’s husband. MC looked over at the stage where the other two leads were making out again, sending a shiver down her back. Trying to conceal it, she laughed, “Arranged marriages, huh?”

“Tell me about it.”

They both chuckled before a silence fell over them as they drank their coffee, but MC couldn’t help the occasional glance at the stage. Chul turned so he was face-to-face with her, shoving one hand into his pocket, “You’re the one who painted the set, right?”

“I am indeed.”

“It’s really beautiful, you have an incredible gift,” MC could feel her face turning red again, so she turned away slightly.

“Ah, thank you, but I really don’t. I just…have a lot of practise I suppose.”

“You also have a lot of modesty,” he stated, nudging her playfully with his elbow, “we’re not used to that in this industry.”

She let out a small chuckle before sipping on her coffee again, trying to hide her smile behind the cup. Zen would be so mad if he saw them both right now.

But really, he had no reason to be mad. MC and Chul talked casually for around half an hour and it was harmless, enjoyable even. She discovered that they both actually had a lot in common. They both enjoyed painting and drawing, they had a lot of the same favourite bands, and they even went to the same high school.

“No, no way. I refuse to believe it. You were NOT the kid playing Oliver who fell off the stage during ‘Where is love?’”

“I absolutely am, and don't forget how I brought the whole set down with me.”

“I was so pissed off at you! I spent hours making that set!”

“Hey! I was seriously injured! I couldn't walk for a week after that, I’ll have you know!”

“Once a drama queen, always a drama queen.”

MC actually enjoyed laughing and joking with Chul, it felt natural somehow. She couldn't help but feel that Zen was wrong to tell her to be so cautious around him. He was sweet, and didn’t say anything suggestive or try to flirt with her once. She found it easy to talk with him, and she was even disappointed when he had to head back to the stage.

“Well, I really enjoyed our chat, MC. If I don’t catch you before you leave then I hope you get home safe. I’ll see you around,” he said leaning in for a hug which she happily returned. It was, she noted, a friendly hug. No agenda, no sneaky touches or grabs, just…comfortable.

He ran back to the stage and her eyes couldn't help but follow him. She felt a warmth inside her, mixed with a fondness and excitement after their conversation together. She hoped they could keep in contact somehow, maybe she’d ask Zen for his contact information later.

MC reached into her pocket for her phone to check the time, but she found a folded piece of paper in there too. She took it out, reading it’s contents:

I didn’t want you to feel pressured into giving me your number if I asked, so here’s mine. You’re more than welcome to ignore this if you’re uncomfortable, but I couldn’t let you get away without trying ;) If you want to contact me, I would love to talk more, if not, then no hard feelings. Take care, MC. C x

She tried to control herself, but it was no use. The corners of her mouth curled up as she read the note, and she bit her lip like she was a teenager with a crush. Sneaky bastard. She felt flattered though, and she noticed her heart thumping a little harder as she placed the note back in her pocket and took another sip of her coffee.

Sweet indeed.

***

“You were incredible, Zen!”

Zen twirled around to find MC running towards him at full speed. He caught her easily as she jumped into his open arms, “Thanks, babe. You didn’t get too bored or anything?”

“Of course not! I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! Ah, aren’t I lucky to have such a talented best friend.”

Ouch.

Wait…why exactly did that hurt? He liked that he was her best friend, didn’t he? Of course he did.

He mentally shook the thought away as he continued to hug her, his hold on her tighter than before,  “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m sorry for keeping you so long, I didn’t expect for us to run over time. Let’s get you back.”

Zen noticed MC had more of a spring in her step as they walked back to his house, and how she seemed more chatty than usual. Definitely a change from her mood that morning. Maybe she just really enjoyed the show; she always did have a soft spot for theatre.

When Zen opened his door, they both found Jaehee and Gi fast asleep on the couch. Gi was lying on Jaehee’s lap, surrounded by crayons, whilst Jaehee limply held an open children’s book. Zen looked at MC and they made eye contact, trying with all their might to suppress their laughter, both their hearts warming at the pure sight in front of them. MC moved carefully, gracefully towards the mess on the floor, “I’ll help you clean up and then we’ll wake them.”

He couldn’t help but smile as she started to pack toys away and collect crayons. She really was an angel.

About halfway through clearing, Zen noticed that she had stopped and was completely spaced out. He raised an eyebrow, “MC? Are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, right, yeah I’m fine. Sorry, just zoned out a little.”

Again, he wasn't convinced by her answer, especially since she had been acting strange all day. He knew her very well and had never seen her like this, so he continued to push, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know. Thank you, Zen. I just…,” she paused, considering whether or not she should continue, “I just don’t want to make you mad…”

Okay, that hurt a little. He didn't want or mean to make her worry about something like that, “MC, I don’t want you to be afraid to talk to me. I promise I won’t be mad, I just want to know what’s bothering you so I can help.”

MC watched him cautiously for a moment and then sighed, she would have to tell him eventually, “It’s about…Chul.”

Instantly Zen felt the hairs on the back of his neck shoot up, his hands already twitching to make a fist, but he held back. She gave him a pointed look, “Stop freaking out, silly. It’s not a big deal, he didn’t do anything wrong. He was actually very nice to me. He just gave me his number, that’s all. I don't even think I’ll call him, I just wanted you to hear it from me before you found out on your own and decided to kick his ass,” she laughed.

Wow, was he really that overprotective? He always warned MC to be cautious and all that, but he hadn't realised it got to the point where she felt the need to reassure him when a dude gave her their number. She was an adult, after all, and a very capable one. He made a mental note to go easy on her from then on, “Ah, I see.”

“But like I said, I probably won’t call him anyway so you don't need to worry.”

He paused for a moment, watching MC closely as she continued to pile up books. This was the first time she’d talked openly with him about dating. In fact, he didn’t think she’d even been on a single date in the two years he'd known her. She did always seem reluctant, perhaps even anxious to put herself out there, especially when it came to men. But finally, there she was with the opportunity to start something with someone. Someone who, he had to admit, would take care of her. Someone who gave her a spring in her step after what felt like months of dragging herself from place to place, and he wanted that spring to stay. He considered his words carefully, “Do you like him?”

“What was that?”

“Do you like him? Would you like to call him?”

MC cleared her throat, “Uhm, well, I've only known him for a few hours and we only spoke for a short time but, he seemed sweet and I enjoyed talking to him I suppose…but, I dunno…”

Her sentence drifted off, and he looked away. She’d always been so supportive of him, it was his turn to return the favour, “Well, if you'd like to start something with him, I think you should go for it.”

Her eyes shot to his so quickly he couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, he really needed to back off on the whole ‘all men are wolves’ thing, didn’t he? He gave her a soft smile, “I mean it. If it would make you happy, I’m all for it.”

She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her hair as she smiled, the action completely mesmerising Zen. She continued to clean up, breaking Zen out of his trance. It wasn't long before everything was tidied away and the two sleeping beauties were awakened from their slumber. MC gave Gi a warm hug before she left, a sight that always made Zen’s heart ache more than he cared to admit. She moved to hug him, and he held on to her more tightly than usual, only then noticing the smell of her shampoo and how perfectly she fit into his embrace. MC pulled back, looking him dead in the eye, “About what I said earlier, you sure you’re okay with it?”

His eyes stared straight back into hers, desperate to keep her from looking away. Why did the thought of her turning away hurt him so much? “Absolutely. Go get ‘em.”

Little did he know, that that was all she needed. All she needed to give up. She was so hoping he fight a little harder, that it would be more difficult for him to accept it. She was praying he would change his mind, that he would want her to choose him instead. But Jaehee had told her to move on, and now he had told her that too. There was no way she could justify it anymore.

In the car, Jaehee placed a hand on MC’s arm, concern etched all over her face, “MC? Is everything okay?”

She’d been asked that a lot that day. Maybe she actually wasn’t.

MC smiled sadly at her, blinking away any tears that dared to fall.

“Yeah, I just need to make a call.”

***

Zen sighed as he made himself and Gi their meal, absent-mindedly stirring the pan. He felt odd, almost unwell after his conversation with MC, but he pin point why.

“Is MC getting married?” Gi said sweetly as she continued her colouring at the dining table.

Well where did that come from.

“Um, no, I don’t think so. Unless I really haven't been paying attention.”

“But she will though, won’t she? She’s gonna marry that man from your work.”

Zen laughed, “No, sweetie, they are just going spend some time together. And…hang on, were you pretending to be asleep that whole time?”

Gi ignored the question and continued colouring, “Do they love each other? Like Prince and Princess?”

Zen started plating up the food,“No, not…not at the moment anyway,” he poured himself a glass of water, suddenly slightly bothered by this conversation.

Gi sighed, clearing away her things and setting the table, “That’s a shame. I was hoping you would marry her.”

He choked on the water, looking back at Gi who sat as sweet as a peach at the table. Little terror.

“You, little miss, need to stop watching so many movies. Come on, eat your food, you squirt.”

They ate as Gi prattled on about her day with Jaehee. Zen tried to listen carefully, but his attention wandered as he considered Gi’s previous confession. Why did the thought of Gi wanting Zen to marry MC make him feel so uneasy? Anxious…excited?

Well whatever it was he was feeling, for the sake of Gi and MC, he would have to endure it by himself until it went away. Painfully, hopelessly, quietly…

Equally, identically.

***

Masterlist || Next Chapter

[mattygraygubler]

our campus: chapter 8 (tom holland fic)

summary: frat!tom and reader go to the same college and y/n is tasked with being his tutor, they don’t really get along at first (because i love reader and tom hating each other trope)

warnings: drinking, drinking, more drinking, mentions of sex

word count: 2.6

a/n: sort of a cliff hanger at the end???? we’ll see what happens! 

as always texts are bolded

for a list of characters click here

to be added to the tag list send me an ask !

masterlist

✰✰✰✰✰

You slowly opened your eyes and were immediately confused. You were in your room, but you felt someone’s arms around you. 

You drank almost an entire bottle of wine last night, so needless to say, you didn’t really remember anything. You didn’t think you slept with someone… But did you? 

The body groaned, but you still couldn’t figure out who it was because the lights were off and blackout curtains closed. You pushed their shoulder a bit and heard a british voice say “Whaa?” 

“Tom?” You asked incredulously. 

“Good morning, darling,” he said. His voice was raspy and low, so incredibly sexy. 

“What are you doing here? Why are you shirtless, where are my pants?! Did we- ohmigod tell me we didn’t…” 

“You don’t remember?” He asked and you shook your head, still very aware that his arm was around you and your legs were intertwined. “Relax, we didn’t have sex, love. We just hung out and then watched a movie and fell asleep.”

“Then where’s your shirt?” He laughed. 

“You’re wearing it. You were cold and wouldn’t let me leave the bed, so I gave it to you.” You bit your lip, very uncomfortable. It was one thing to sleep with someone and not remember it, but to spend the entire night cuddling? You weren’t a couple, who does that?!

“Oh. I’m sorry.” You said and sat up, untangling your body from his.

“What are you apologizing for?” He asked. 

“I mean… I’m your tutor, we’re just becoming friends, it’s weird for us to-to sleep in the same bed together and-” 

“Y/N, slow down. We’re friends. It’s really not a big deal, totally platonic. I mean, c’mon, you’ve never slept in the same bed as Kyle? Or Emily?” 

“No, I have…” “Then what’s the big deal?” He asked. 

“I guess there isn’t one…” You replied. Tom swung his leg over the side of the bed, stretching and getting his stuff together. You couldn’t help but watch his back muscles flex when he stretched. You wanted to run your fingernails along it. 

“I gotta take care of some stuff, I’ll see you later today?” He asked. You nodded. 

“Sure, I’ll see you later. Wait, Tom!” You said before he could walk out the door.  

“Yes?” He turned back to look at you. 

“You’re, uhm… You need your sweatshirt back.” You started to take it off. 

“I’m only going down two floors. You look comfy anyway.” He said and smiled at you before walking out. 

You lied back down in bed, picking up your phone and checking the alerts. You scrolled through all the drunk texts from last night, laughing at a lot of them. 

♡girly girls♡

Em

GUYS

Al

whaaaaaat em

Em

GUYS GUYS GUYS

Iz

em what happened

Em

NOTHING HAPPENED

YET

CHECK THE WEATHER REPORT

You rolled your eyes and checked the weather report, unsure of what she was referring to. It was the first weekend in February, so you weren’t expecting your weather app to show you a 100% chance of snow starting in a few hours and lasting until Monday night. 

Em

THATS RIGHT LADIES

SNOOOOOOWWWW DAAAAYYYYYY

Al

Y/N we’ll be over at 9 to play games, iz you and i are goin to grab the booze, em youre in charge of food

You

what am i in charge of? 

Al 

dont you have homework? plus were using your room, we can take care of all the stuff

Iz

are we inviting anyone else?

Em

thank you for asking i would love to invite harrison

Iz

im fine with that if i can invite cal

Cal was the nerdy boy from delt who Isabelle was seeing. It was really low key, they’d only gone on a few dates, and things hadn’t gotten physical yet. 

Em

Y/N! invite tom and we’ll make it a total delt nite !!!

You

yeah ok ill invite him. were gonna be studying anyway. 

Al

wow i expected more push back

You

were friends now, it wont be weird. its not like its a quintouple date

Iz

it is if one of those delt boys has a gay sister

Al

not interested. besides i doubt more than 7 people can fit comfortably in Y/N’s room

You

fine ill see you guys tonight.

You hopped in the shower, putting on a pair of leggings and a cropped sweatshirt. You decided to text Tom. 

You

hey so it looks like its gonna snow i was wondering if we could work at my place instead?

also ive been told to invite you to our game night tonight

Tom

interesting, because i was already invited

what took you so long Y/L/N?

You

sorry i was in the shower

Tom

likely story

but yeah that sounds great ill see you in a few hours

A few hours. That’s plenty of time for you to put your glasses on, earbuds in, and really focus on your homework. 

* * *

You were pulled from your law reading by a knock at the door. You opened it, seeing Tom in a soccer tee shirt and gray sweatpants. His hair was wet and he ran his fingers through it. 

You hoped he didn’t see the fact that you bit your lip, but you couldn’t help yourself. He just looked so incredibly sexy. 

“You look... “ His eyes scanned your body and you immediately wrapped your arms around you, insecure. 

“What?”

“No, you just never wear stuff like this in front of me. You’re always so put together.” 

“Your point?” 

“You look cute, that’s all.” Tom said and walked into the room. He thought you were cute? No, you needed to calm down, he’s the biggest player ever, he didn’t mean anything. Just some accidental flirting. 

“I brought tequila, Harrison said it’s your favorite.” He said and dropped his backpack on the floor and put the tequila on the table where you kept your booze. 

“That’s sweet of you, thank you, it is my favorite.” “Really? I thought he was joking.” “No, why?” 

“You’re just… you’re really something else, Y/N.” He said with a laugh. 

You grabbed your notebooks and started the session, you checking his homework, him redoing the mistakes, and you answering any questions he had about the material. 

“You’ve definitely made an improvement,” you said as you finished reading his essay on the power shifts in England from the 1600s to today. 

“Thank you? I think?” 

“You’re welcome. You’re almost there, but you’re still not incorporating this source correctly.” 

“That’s because that source makes no sense. The writing is so convoluted, it’s mental!” 

“Then why don’t you find a new source?” You asked. 

“Well… I thought I’d be easier if I just stuck with this one.” Normally you would have rolled your eyes at that, but instead you found yourself laughing. 

“Read it again,” You said and handed him the library book he was using as his last source, “And if you still can’t understand it, I can explain it or we can just find a new source.” 

You grabbed your own book, Rage Becomes Her, which you were reading for your Women, Politics, and Public Policy class, and started highlighting right where you left off. 

You both got lost in your books, highlighting and annotating in silence. Every once in a while Tom would stop to ask you about a particular passage. 

It was another hour or so before you both heard a knock on your door. You got up to open it, and as soon as you did Emily burst into the room, Harrison right behind her holding three pizzas. 

“TOM!” Emily said and tackled him in a hug. “It’s so good to see you again!” “I didn’t realize you two had met,” you said and helped Harrison with the pizzas. 

“Just once,” Tom said with a laugh. He made himself comfortable on your bed instead of the floor, Harrison took a seat on your comfy chair and Emily made herself comfortable on his lap. 

“I better leave this unlocked,” you said. “I would offer you guys a drink, but Isabelle and Ally are-” 

“Did someone say something about a drink?” Isabelle said, pushing the door opened. 

“What’s up bitches,” Ally said and put a bottle of wine, svedka, prosecco, and a 30 on the booze table. 

“How long do you guys anticipate this storm lasting, because that is a LOT of booze for 7 people,” you commented. 

“Lighten up, babe, it’s not like we have to drink it all tonight.” Isabelle responded. 

“Better to be safe than sorry.” Ally said with a mischievous grin. They greeted the others in the room when you heard a knock on your door. 

“I heard there was a party happening here?” Cal said as he pushed open the door. You closed it all the way behind him so no one else could stumble in. 

After everyone introduced themselves to each other, Harrison said “So what does everyone want to play first?” 

“Oh, you’re new.” Ally said. “See, we kinda of have an agenda.” “Is that so?” Harrison asked. Emily kissed his cheek. “Tell me more.”

“Well the first time we had a snow day, we took turns picking our favorite games, and then we just stuck with that formula. First is A which means kings,” Isabelle said. “Then Emily, which means never have I ever. Then me, which means truth or dare. And then Y/N.” 

“And what does Y/N pick?” Tom asked.

“Y/N picks poker, of course. But most of the time were too drunk to get there.” Ally said. 

“Yeah I really got the short end of the stick there. It’s a good formula, though.” You replied and grabbed a deck of cards and a beer. 

“Let’s go, boys and girls.” You said. Everyone sat in a circle, the beer in the middle like you were worshipping it, and you spread out the cards in a circle around it. You saw Tom and Harrison exchange a look across the circle. 

“Something wrong?” You asked. 

“Well… Don’t judge us, but we’ve never played this game before. They don’t have it in England.” Everyone else laughed quietly at Harrison’s statement. 

“It’s easy. Everyone picks a card, and each card has an action assigned to it. Ace is waterfall,” You said. 

“Two is you, so you pick someone to drink.” Isabelle said.

“Three is me, so you drink.” Cal said as you went around the circle explaining the rules. 

“Four is floor, so the last person to slap the floor loses.” Emily said. 

“Five is guys,” Ally said. 

“Six is chicks,” You said and the circle started again. 

“Seven is heaven, so last person to touch the ceiling drinks.” 

“Eight is date, so you pick someone and whenever one of you drinks the other has to too, for the rest of the game.” 

“Nine is rhyme, so you go around the circle saying words that rhyme and the person who can’t continue the rhymes drinks.” 

“Ten is categories, so it’s the same as nine but with a category of something, like animals.” 

“Jack is never have I ever.” 

“Queen is questions, so the next person who answers a question they ask drinks.” 

“And finally, king is the ruler, so you make a rule that everyone has to follow until the next king is pulled.” 

“Make sense?” You asked. 

“Not one bit.” Tom responded. 

“You’ll get the hang of it, I promise it gets easier.” You said. “Al goes first.” 

“Why?” Harrison asked. 

“Gay goes first.” The four of you said in unison. The boys looked scared. They had no idea what they had gotten themselves into. 

“One last rule. First drink is a shot of your chosen poison. After that, you can drink whatever you want.” You explained as Isabelle gave each person a shot glass and the handles of hard liquor were passed around.

“Four,” Ally said and everyone slapped the floor except Tom and Harrison. Harrison realized first, so you watched as Tom downed the shot across the circle. He tensed his jaw after, which made you wet already. When he saw you looking at him, he winked at you.

Your turn was next, so you quickly pulled a card, a six, so you and the other girls did your shots and then began to pour yourselves your chosen drinks. For you, that was a second shot of tequila and then a rum and orange soda.

“Two.” Isabelle said with a grin. “I choose our kings sponsor, miss Alexandria Park.” Everyone whooped as Ally dramatically took a sip of her beer. 

“Five,” Cal said. The boys took their shots, except Tom who took a sip of his beer. 

“My turn then?” Tom said and drew a card. “Eight. Which one is that?” 

“Date. You pick someone and for the rest of the game whenever one of you drinks, the other has to too.” Cal explained. Tom looked around the circle, but you already suspected who he was going to pick. 

“Y/N,” he said. “Would you care to be my date?” 

“You’re exhausting, Holland. What, are you trying to get me drunk or something?” That shut him up, right as Harrison said ‘seven’ and everyone reached for the ceiling except Tom, who groaned and complained about having to drink again. 

Cal was the one who finally popped the beer and had to chug it. You put the cards to the side and everyone held up ten fingers, already ready for never have I ever. 

Things started off innocent enough, with Emily sharing that she had never peed in a pool. By the time you all went once and it was Harrison’s turn, he made things more interesting. 

“Never have I ever slept with more than 15 different people.” You and Tom were the only ones who clapped. 

Harrison rolled his eyes. “Jesus fucking christ, it’s like you guys were made for each other.” He commented. Your face got red, which Emily noticed, so she went quickly next. 

You finally lost, getting rid of your ten fingers before anyone else. You were always a bag of secrets, and Tom found himself learning more and more things about you he didn’t know. Like that you had a tattoo, or that you’ve gone skinny dipping, or that you’ve never had a gin and tonic. 

You were all wasted, that was clear. Isabelle was in between Cal’s legs on the floor, leaning her back against his chest. Ally was lying on the couch all by herself, upside down. Harrison was in your big chair with Emily on his lap, and you and Tom were on your bed, you lying on your stomach and him sitting against the headboard. 

“Isabelle, truth or dare?” Cal asked. 

“Dare,” she said, looking back at him. 

“I dare you to ditch your friends and come back to my room with me.” He said. 

Isabelle shared a look with all of you before saying “Sorry guys, I’m not one to turn down a dare.” They grabbed the half-drunk bottle of prosecco on their way out. 

“Al, truth or dare?” Emily asked. This went on until Ally passed out from drinking, still upside down. 

“We’ll get her home.” Harrison said. He picked Ally up as Emily collected their stuff and bid you and Tom good night. You both sat in silence for a few minutes, when Tom’s phone lit up. 

“Do you mind if I chill here for a while? I’ll stay on the couch if you want to go to sleep, but Harrison just said him and Emily want some alone time and her roommate is home.” 

“Of course, I don’t mind.” You responded. You stumbled off the bed, going to pour yourself another drink. 

“Ok, Y/N.” Tom said, moving so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Truth or dare?” You turned to look at him and saw a dark look in his brown eyes. 

“Dare.” 

“I dare you to kiss me.” 

[tarithenurse]

Orphan - 2

Starring: Fem!Reader and MCU characters! Contents: Spoilers for Endgame!! Takes place after the Attack on New York and The Snappening and deals with both. Angst, confusion, loneliness, sadness, loss, a twinge of humour maybe, clarifications, more mystery.

2. Back to the Roots

You’ve managed to get a bed in a hostel, probably paying overprize now that the demand has risen suddenly. Rumours fly that the returned are starting to find abandoned homes in the outskirts of the city, but it’s just rumours and you don’t really feel like heading further out considering how things are looking just on Manhattan. Derelict. New York City has been a ghost town, and even now as the ghosts have taken physical form it’s going to take a lot of work to set things right.

Your mind is far from the worries of what’s to come.

Lying on your stomach on the squeaky bed, a fat stack of papers rests before you together with a very fancy cell phone (accompanied by charger and ear plugs). There’s a recording on that which you haven’t dared watch yet, favouring the documents instead…and those you’ve read and re-read so many times you can almost recite the contents by heart.

“Fuck me…” you sigh as you bury the face in the musty pillow.

“Now now,” Gloria tuts sweetly, “chin up baby girl, it’s gonna work out just fiiine, ya wait ‘n see.”

Gloria is another returned. Originally from Harlem, she’d been surprised to find the rest of the family had moved to New Orleans sometime during the five years. Surprised but not dejected. Kindness incarnate, she has an ability to find the silver lining and she’s become the unofficial mother hen for everyone on the hostel. Soft, round, and with an understanding smile that holds just as much unruliness as her gorgeous ‘fro bobbing on the top of her head, the woman might as well have been made for caring.

Now she tiptoes over to you, sitting on the edge of the bed to give you a friendly squeeze. “Tell mama Glory what’s up, hon.”

It’s a jumbled mess of memories and explanations you present her with, and it takes a while before you’ve calmed down enough to really begin to make sense. Gloria lets you talk, holding you close and rocking you gently when the memories of your mother are too hard, and all the while the sounds from outside filter in through the half-open window, hinting at a life where people reunite and are happy.

“Okay, so ya tellin’ meh tha’ yar daddy was there all along but he ain’t got the balls t’ tell ya?” It stings to hear it put so simply. “But nooow he gone left y’a message sayin’, ‘girly come find meh I’m sorry’? Well shugs! Sounds to meh like ya owe it t’yaself more than him to go face the guy, don’tcha think so?”

“…I can’t…” The sweet woman looks at you with a puzzled look until you point at a name on one of the documents. “He died yesterday.” Leaving behind a wife and a daughter – your half-sister.

 …   Morgan   …

Grown-ups are coming and going, all sending her tiny smiles that don’t reach the eyes before they go to mom. Mom’s sad. She cries a lot but only when she thinks Morgan doesn’t see, like last night when she should’ve been asleep but snuck out of bed to get a juice pop. Dad will know what to say…but he’s not here and mom cries even more when Morgan asks when he’ll be home, then they cuddle up with blankies and their favourite books or maybe even a movie instead of mom telling what is going on and where dad is.

Then there’s a day where mom sits Morgan down. Nose red and eyes puffy.

“There’s something I have to explain, sweetie,” mommy begins as fresh tears dangle from her pretty lashes, “about daddy…”

It doesn’t quite make sense how dad has left without going to any place. People can’t just be gone, can they? Morgan knows the story of when daddy went to space and found auntie Nebula, but this isn’t like that. At least it doesn’t feel like that.

…

The next day the house is full of people again. Most are grown-ups as usual but there are a few almost-grown-ups. Everyone talks very quietly, making Morgan nervous about being too loud or too wild…maybe it would upset mommy anyways, so it’s better to be good even if it itches in her entire tiny body to pull a prank or say something funny the way dad always does. But she doesn’t, sticking instead closely to mom or Happy while looking at the many people.

I’ve seen them on pictures. Photographs with daddy from before Morgan was born or old movie clips that she once found when playing with FRIDAY without dad knowing. A few of them came around to the house as well and it had made dad upset, she could tell. Now they’re all here, watching silently as the flowers and the metal flow out onto the lake like it belongs there instead of with mommy and Morgan and Happy.

That’s when she sees the woman standing on the other shore. Silent and alone, it looks like she’s hugging herself. I’ll hug her! But it’s far to the other side, and when Morgan finally has gotten the attention of a grown-up, Nebula, and turns to point her out then she’s gone.

 …   Reader   …

Tears sting in your eyes and you’re not even sure why because you’d never gotten to know the man! He hauled your ass out of a damaged building, but that’s it, that’s the only fatherly thing he’s openly done for you…well that and apparently save the world from getting torn apart by some purple space-grape of a giant…and returned all of you who’d been dusted. But nothing that gave you the right to scour the internet for clues just so you could show up like some creep and watch his funeral from afar.

Wiping the face angrily, you stumble through the woods without bothering to skirt around bushes or avoid sliding on the half-rotten branches hidden beneath old leaves. It’s a pure miracle that you can see enough to notice the shining metal swinging at you and stopping an inch before your throat.

“Who are you?” There’s anger in the female voice, anger and pain.

More concerned with what appears to be a fucking sword than the speaker, you focus on standing stock still rather than answer. Wrong move. Slowly but surely, the incredibly sharp looking blade advances, driving you backwards until your back hits the trunk of a tree.

“Who are you?” the angry woman repeats, “Why did you spy?”

“I’m – I didn- it was stupid! Okay?!”

Frantic with fear you finally look up only to receive a new shock at the sight of the owner of the voice: blue skin, eyes that looks like the black emptiness of camera lenses but even that’s not the weirdest. It’s the parts that are obviously metal that gets to you. This is a dream, a nightmare. This can’t be real.

Maybe she’s used to people staring and perhaps it annoys her, or she’s hell bend on finding out the truth that she allows the metal edge to rest against your throat for a second before she pulls it away, raising it overhead with a sneer, ready to slice through your faltered excuses and throat. Oh crap. I’m gonna get killed by a Smurf.

“Nebula!” A new arm appears from behind you to grab the woman’s wrist, quickly followed by the owner who looks considerably more normal. “You can’t just go around stabbing people. We’ve been over this…”

The blue woman, who doesn’t seem overly cloud-like, shifts uneasily like a toddler who has to explain why they were doing something bad. “I was…not gonna stab her…just decapitate her.”

“Please…just le-let me go!”

It’s nothing more than a croak that escapes your lips but it’s enough to make the man turn awkwardly to face you. Shit... The face isn’t that of an unknown. You’ve seen it on photos from news outlets but more importantly from the files Tony Stark had left in the bank box for you, explain who you can trust if you ever come back and want to get a hold of him. You’re staring into the face of James Rhodes and he’s staring right back, mouth agape as he takes in your features and especially eyes.

“You’re Tony’s big girl,” he simply states.

[morinokunikara]

Double Date Night

Read on AO3

Fandom: Persona 5

Ships: Shiann, Ryushima

Summary: Shiho, Ann, Yuuki, and Ryuji have a double date planned-but what do they do when Shiho’s still-recovering body has other plans for her?

Notes:  Okay there’s a lot of reasons I wrote this fic, but it can basically be boiled down to wanting some gay shit, and wanting people to appreciated Shiho and Yuuki and their potential for friendship more (though the latter ended up…not showing as much as I would have liked). Canon sucks, I’m the writer now, and I will not be stopped.

I have the fic posted here, but please give it a look on AO3 as well, and maybe leave kudos and/or comments! It’d mean a lot to me.

Months had passed since Shiho’s release from the hospital, and things were going rather well. Her biggest problems were she still had to go to physical therapy weekly, and couldn’t walk on her own most days. At the very least, she needed a cane, which didn’t bother her too much. The cane was cool, Ann helped her paint it, and she got compliments on it all the time. On worse days she needed crutches, a little less enjoyable but still tolerable. Then there were wheelchair days. Shiho hated wheelchair days. Lots of places were very inaccessible, and she always got looks, or people trying to help when she didn’t need it. If she had to use the wheelchair, she would rather not go out at all.  But overall, she made amazing progress in her recovery. Not just physically, but mentally.

She was never able to return to playing volleyball at her new school, even if she could have physically, but she found joy in watching her former teammates play and almost never missed a Shujin game. She always made sure to be the loudest, most excited fan she could be. She made more friends, and would hang out with those friends when she could. Yuuki became her closest friend. Neither of them really talked when they played together, but they found out they had so much in common from both being trans to having similar struggles in life, and their friendship just stuck. He even helped her with asking Ann out, in return for her helping him ask Ryuji out. The four of them actually had a double date planned, a fairly common occurrence for them. The plan for this one was a movie, shopping, and dinner. However, it seemed that Shiho’s body had other plans.

She woke up nearly paralyzed by pain, so much just pulling herself out of bed made her feel like she just ran 100 laps. Why today of all days? She sat back in bed and pulled out her phone to text Ann.

Shiho: Hey…I don’t think I’m going to be able to go out today.

Ann: Everything okay?

Shiho: Not really. I can barely move. I’d have to use the chair. I really don’t want to have to get around in it. Sorry. You three can still go without me.

Ann: I’ll let the guys know. I hope you feel better soon. <3

Shiho: <3

Ann sighed as she looked at the texts again. She hated having to see Shiho hurt so much. They were all looking so forward to today, too… Sure, Ann could just go with the Yuuki and Ryuji but that defeated the whole purpose of the day… She couldn’t just let their day be cut short like that. She had a plan. It wasn’t guaranteed to work, but it was worth a shot. She made a group chat for her and the guys and sent a text.

Ann: Shiho’s not doing well today. She cancelled our plans.

Ryuji: Damn. Pain again I’m guessing?

Ann: Yeah…

Yuuki: It feels wrong to go without her…should we just reschedule?

Ann: No, I have a plan. Meet me in the underground mall. Bring something fun to do.

Ryuji: Gotcha.

Yuuki: See you soon!

The three met up in the underground mall a little over an hour later, Yuuki with some puzzle books and board games, Ryuji with some video games and DVDs, and Ann with makeup, magazines, and flowers she just bought.

“So I guess the plan is we surprise Shiho with all of this?” Yuuki asked.

“Yep! I can’t say for sure if she’ll like it or not, but I want to try. I’d hate just leaving her out…” Ann’s voice faded a bit, but picked up as she smiled. “So we’re gonna bring the double date to her!”

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji cheered. “Let’s get going!” He started to run off, then stopped a few feet away. “Wait uh…where’s she live again?”

Ann sighed and shook her head. “You’re hopeless… Why did you run off if you don’t know? I’ll lead you guys there.”

There was a short train ride to the Suzui residence, during which the three excitedly talked about what they brought and their plans, and shared their hopes that Shiho would enjoy their day together. Before too long, they were in front of the house. Ann rang the doorbell, and an older woman, Shiho’s mother, answered the door. She smiled as soon as she saw the three.

“Oh, are you three here to see Shiho? She’ll be so happy…she’s in her room right now.” She welcomed the three in, they took off their shoes, and went over to Shiho’s room quietly.

Ann knocked gently on the door, and Shiho called back. “It’s open…” Her voice sounded rather gloomy and strained. It hurt all three of her guests to hear it. Still, they all three kept smiles on their faces as Ann opened the door.

“Surprise!” Ann said cheerfully. “Hope you don’t mind that we showed up.”

Shiho’s whole face lit up slowly when she saw the three. Her pained, grim expression turned into a wide smile, and small tears of joy formed in her eyes. “You three…I told Ann you could go on without me…”

“Well sure,” Ryuji said. “But it wouldn’t be much of a double date if half of one of the couples was gone, would it?”

“We all made sure to bring something to do.” Yuuki showed off the books and games he brought. “We want to make sure your day in is a fun one.“

"Thanks, guys…” Shiho sniffled.

Ann went over to the bed. “I got you these too,” She said as she placed the flowers on the end table and sat on the edge of the bed. “So what do you want to do? We have magazines, makeup, video games, movies, some puzzle books, board games…take your pick!”

Shiho thought for a second. “Oh! Let’s all do each other’s makeup!” She said excitedly.

“Ehhh, I think I’ll pass on that one,” Ryuji said. “That cutesy shit is more Yuuki’s thing.” He patted his boyfriend’s head, and got his hand swatted away in return.

“He’s terrible at makeup,” Yuuki added on. “He tried to do mine once and it was awful.”

“I didn’t even know what half that shit was!”

“It’s really not as hard as you’re acting like it is.”

“It is too! I don’t get how you keep up with all those brushes and colors and stuff…”

Shiho laughed softly at the little playful argument. “You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah!” Ann agreed. “You can judge our looks instead.”

“Fine…” Ryuji grumbled softly. “But I’m warning you, I don’t know what’s good or bad…”

“Yuuki, can I do yours?” Shiho asked.

“And I wanna do yours, Shiho!” Ann said excitedly.

“I can do Ann’s then.” Yuuki said. “I actually have a look that’ll be perfect for you.”

The three took turns doing each other’s makeup, each person’s unique style showing up in the look of the person that did their makeup. Yuuki ended up with a simple, more natural look, Shiho with a very trendy girly look with lots of pink, and Ann with a more showy dramatic look.  

“Alright, Ryuji. Who did best?” Ann asked with a confident grin. She was certain that she’d win.

Ryuji looked closely at the three, spending his time really studying each look and thinking long and hard about his decision. “Uh…they all look the same to me.” He finally said in defeat.

Ann and Yuuki both sighed. “They couldn’t be more different from each other!” Ann exclaimed.

Yuuki took a deep breath. “Ryuji…I say this with all the love I have in my heart…you are completely hopeless.”

Shiho laughed, a bit more than her previous laugh. “Okay, lay off him you two…let’s just call it a tie, okay? I think we all look amazing.”

“You’re way too nice to him, Shiho.” Ann said. “He’ll never learn if we lay off…but fine, if you insist.”

“How about instead, we let him pick what we do next!” Shiho smiled at Ryuji. “You brought some games right? How about we play something?”

“Hell yeah! I brought my full collection cause i wasn’t sure what you liked…” Ryuji brought a stack of games over to Shiho. “Go ahead, pick your favorite!”

Shiho looked at the games thoughtfully, and ultimately picked a co-op RPG they could play together with minimal competition. The four enjoyed their game together, to the point where Shiho’s mother had to come in and ask them to quiet down. They spent hours on the game, eventually coming to a stop when they realized how long it had been. “Wow…I usually don’t play that much,” Ann said with a soft laugh.

“Me either, I just got so caught up in working with everyone, I lost track of the time,” Shiho admitted.

“So…What’s next?” Yuuki asked. Before anyone could suggest their next activity, Shiho’s mother peeked in the room.

“Are you kids hungry? I’m making beef stew tonight!”

“Beef stew?!” Ryuji perked up excitedly. “I could go for some beef!”

“Where are your manners?!” Ann scolded. “Thank you, Mrs. Suzui. Food would be lovely. Do you need any help?”

Shiho’s mom shook her head. “No, no, I wouldn’t want to pull any of you away. I may need help bringing the food here, however. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

While dinner cooked, the four looked at some of Ann’s magazines. For all his griping about makeup, Ryuji was actually quite invested in the fashion (or maybe just the models) and was eager to point out some of his favorite looks, or outfits he thought would look good on others (mostly Yuuki, of course). Once Shiho’s mom called that dinner was ready, Ann went to the kitchen to help her carry the bowls into Shiho’s room. The four all sat and chatted about school, sports, and their other friends while they ate. Once they finished, Ann brought the bowls back to the kitchen, and the four spent some time playing some of the card games that Yuuki and brought.

“And a perfect match~!” Ann cheered, showing off her cards. “I win again!” She sung.

“Man, this is getting boring,” Ryuji whined. “How do you keep winning? You have to be cheating.”

“Or I’m just luckier than you,” Ann said, sticking her tongue out.

“I’m just not getting any matches!” Ryuji griped as he threw down his cards.

“Uh…Ryuji…sweetheart…” Yuuki looked over the cards on the ground. “You have 3 matches here.”

The others looked and sure enough, there were 3 matches scattered across Ryuji’s cards. “Wha…I…Damnit! It’s hard to tell when they’re all scattered like that!” Ryuji’s voice grew even more frustrated than it was over losing.

“You know if you sort them as you get them, that wouldn’t be a problem,” Shiho said. “That’s what I do.”

Ryuji looked at her in shock, completely dumbfounded by the fact that he hadn’t ever thought of that before. “That’s freakin’ genius!”

The four of them spent the rest of the night playing card games and board games, at some point also playing some movies and anime in the background. Before long, it was late into the night.

“We should probably get going,” Yuuki said, slowly rising to his feet. “Wouldn’t want to miss the train home.”

Ann got up and stretched. “I was actually going to stay the night if that’s okay with Shiho.”

“I can’t,” Ryuji said. “Gotta help my mom with chores tomorrow.”

“And I promised my sister we could play some games tonight,” Yuuki added on.

“Well, you two head back then. We don’t need you boys anyways,” Ann teased.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryuji grumbled before turning to Shiho. “Hope today helped you a bit.”

“Of course it did,” Shiho replied with a bright smile. She opened her arms for a hug. “Come over here.” Ryuji and Yuuki both accepted hugs before heading out and going home.

Once the boys were gone, Ann and Shiho spent the night cuddled up together talking for hours until they got tired.

“Hey Ann?” Shiho said softly as the two began to drift off. “Thanks for this.”

“Hey, it was the guys too,” Ann pointed out.  “I can’t take all the credit.”

“But it was your idea, wasn’t it?”

“I mean yeah…but still, we all did our part because we wanted to see you happy.”

“I know you do…”

“I was kind of worried you might be mad to be honest. Like maybe we were being too intrusive or something.”

“Not at all! I’m…” Shiho found herself a bit choked up, but tried to fight back the tears. “I’m glad you all care so much. I felt so useless today but…you all made it a lot better.”

Ann smiled and kissed Shiho’s forehead. “I’m glad. That’s all I want to do for you, ever.”

“I love you so much, Ann. I don’t think I could ever thank you enough.”

“I love you too. Now let’s get some sleep, okay?”

The two fell asleep peacefully in each other’s arms, both so, so thankful for each other and all their friends

[justaramblingromantic]

~ send me a ship and i’ll tell you who ~

@snigz17 (Part II of III! Decided to do the three ships separately because the HCs all got so detailed...! Last one to be up soon!)

EiRin here

IshiNene here

RyoAli here

SouEri

curses like a sailor

Neither are the type to curse prolifically. That said, Souma can be rather inventive with his choice of epithets when thoroughly provoked…just as he is with his never ending, questionable experiments with different variations of grilled squid. The first time Erina hears an, uh, unusually creative combination of words coming out of his mouth, she stares at him like she has never seen him before. He is more amused than embarrassed by her comically appalled expression, and then he makes it a point to get this sheltered princess of his to loosen up a little by teaching her how to swear, too. She is very ruffled and affronted by his instructions, much to his everlasting glee. The first time she accidentally blurts out a cuss word in a fit of frustration, she is visibly horrified by her lapse in decorum, but he laughs until his face is red and calls out proudly ‘atta, girl!’

does the chores voluntarily

Souma is faster with the chores, Erina is more careful and meticulous. Her womanly pride is offended by his easygoing efficiency at first, and like almost everything they do, she tries to turn it into an unofficial competition, albeit a largely one sided one since Souma is never too bothered about that sort of thing in the first place. He is bemused by her sudden, unexpected enthusiasm when it comes to doing housework, this highborn ojou-sama who never had to dirty her hands with domestic chores all her life. She is also very hilarious when she runs to him all bright eyed with excitement and wonder, waving the ‘latest’ housecleaning gadget she finds, usually something incredibly cheap and for sale in 100-yen shops, marveling over the device like it’s the most magical thing she’s ever seen and boasting about it in the most adorably amusing fashion. 

wants to marry their bed

That massive princess canopy bed that she has slept on for the majority of her childhood and through her teenage years is a work of art and a frou-frou monstrosity, both at the same time. When they finally moved into their first apartment together, she wanted to take that humongous bed along too, regardless of the mind boggling logistics and limited space constraints that would render such a feat physically impossible. Souma carefully eyeballs that gigantic, polished, mahogany bed-frame with the equally mammoth mattress that could probably sleep an entire family comfortably, and firmly sets his foot down on this one. ‘Erina,’ he tells her matter-of-factly. ‘You won’t need all that space anymore.’ Not with me.

gets awkward about romantic gestures

She agonizes and worries and frets over them with all the solemness and graveness of making a major decision during a Tootsuki board meeting. Is it too much? Is it too little? What is that even supposed to mean? What if he thinks that I’m overbearing? What if he thinks that I don’t care? She’s so adamant on making everything equal and perfect that she gives herself no small amount of grief just pondering the proper thing to do. Souma watches all the mental gymnastics that she’s putting herself through, highly visible via the earnest emotions that flashes across her hesitating, clouded features, and eventually, he stands up, walks over to her and sets his hand on her shoulder. She glances up at him, startled by his presence. She always looks young and vulnerable and unsure to him during moments like this. He leans down and pecks a kiss on her cheek, silently reveling in this exquisite tenderness that she evokes so effortlessly in him. ‘I love you,’ he tells her simply, because sometimes she needs to hear the words to be reminded that he isn’t going anywhere. ‘What would you like to have for dinner? I’ll make your favorites.’ 

stays in the shower for what seems like hours

She’s a princess through and through, and princesses take long baths, apparently. He is endlessly bemused and fascinated by her girly ways and elaborate evening rituals; how she adores applying those faintly flowery, subtly sweet smelling creams on herself after emerging freshly washed from the bathroom, her ivory, moonlit skin flushed pink after a good, invigorating scrub in the shower. She has so many different bottles and containers of stuff in their bathing area he cannot even begin to fathom what each and every one is for - women sure are an endless mystery, and she has always been the most mysterious one out of them all. 

would adopt a million cats if given the chance

She’s never been allowed to have any pets growing up, and Souma didn’t think he has ever seen such a blissful, content expression on her face until they went to that cat cafe and she’s swimming in a furry pile of happy, purring felines who seem to adore her just as much as she does them. She looks so forlorn when it’s time to leave that he ends up petting her head and telling her they can come back again anytime she wants. She gazes at him with such childlike hope and delight, part of him starts to realize that he will be in trouble once she figures out that he can’t say no to her whenever she’s looking at him like that.

fixes stuff around the house / apartment

Every once in a while, Erina harbors manic fantasies and delusions of grandeur when it comes to being a good homemaker and DIY-er, but much to her dismay and endless bewilderment, most of her (non-culinary) home projects usually end in unspeakable disasters. Thankfully enough, there’s Souma to fix her messes and save her clumsy handiwork; the man is ridiculously handy to have around, even when she sometimes finds it immensely irritating that nothing she throws at him seems to faze him for too long.

watches too many Disney movies

Whenever she gets too stressed out with work yet is too tired to do anything to alleviate that tension, she switches on the television and plays Disney movies to relax. He comes home and finds her fast asleep on the couch with a flick playing in the background on more than one occasion, and whenever that happens, he turns off the TV, quietly picks her up in his arms, and carries her to bed. He tucks her in with uncharacteristic gentleness, careful not to rouse her from the rest her body so desperately needs. She wakes in the morning with no recollection whatsoever of getting in bed, but his familiar scent lingers on her sheets even when he’s already left to attend to work. Erina wistfully wonders if this fuzzy, content fondness is what Rapunzel feels as well when she thinks of her adventurous lover. 

gets drunk off of champagne

She has a secret, guilty weakness for expensive champagne, atypically French, rose gold and sparkling, of a certain rare vintage and an unforgettably full bodied, sophisticated flavor that’s strong, radiant, tense and sharp. Fitting for a queen...Yet he’s the one who grows inexplicably intoxicated as he drinks deeply from her mouth, seemingly unable to get enough of her heavenly taste. 

cries when the ASPCA commercials come on

She always insists with disgruntled vehemence that she’s not crying- how dare he say otherwise and is he secretly laughing at her? - and he pacifies her upset indignation with good humor - yes, yes, you’re totally not cryin’, I gotcha; our Erina has a heart as hard as steel - all the while drolly handing her pieces of tissues to blow her nose and dab with at her wet eyes.

[lavernawiper]

THIS ISN’T EVEN HER FINAL FORM

(Why is the first personal drawing I post of a Barbie character? Because I’m an ENIGMA.)

I’ve wanted to draw Elina for a very long time now, and yesterday I finally sat down and did it. I first watched the original Fairytopia movie when I was five or something, and this pink fairy girl quickly cemented herself into my heart as a role model and an inspiration. That probably seems pretty shallow; this IS a Barbie character, after all. Well, joke’s on you, because Elina is an absolute badass. The Fairytopia trilogy was and is markedly different from other Barbie movies, and Elina is a markedly different Barbie iteration. There is no Ken or Prince Charming in her story (mostly). None of that fashion crap is even mentioned. Elina is not a princess. She doesn’t really have any unusual magical powers for a fairy - heck, she even starts out the series handicapped, without wings. What makes her remarkable is her spirit. Elina is absolutely selfless and incredibly brave; she values her friends and her world more than herself and never stops fighting on their behalf. She’s also intelligent and even relies on her physical strength to solve problems sometimes. She radiates this quietly powerful, positive energy that draws people to her even if she doesn’t realize it. Despite all this, she’s also quite human in her emotions. She experiences frustration, fear and sadness, and makes mistakes. However, her faith in the goodness of the world and her determination to succeed keeps her going when everyone around her has given up. She saves Fairytopia three separate times, using her mental, physical, and emotional strength to do so. If there’s a better role model for a little girl, I can’t think of one.

Barbie movies are definitely an acquired taste (and some are just girly trash, as you may expect), so it’s hard to truly reccommend them to the, ah, inexperienced viewer. However, there’s a handful that do hold their own as very good. Others may suggest different movies as the absolute best of the bunch, but I think I have to deviate from the norm in this respect. If I could convince you to watch one Barbie film (or, well, a set of them), I’d have to suggest the Fairytopia trilogy. Yeah, the animation isn’t exactly amazing, but the story and characters are good, along with having one of my favorite heroines of all time. Oh, and if Bibble creeps you out too much, just think of him as some kind of benevolent demon or something and all will be well.

(If someone wants to repost this, it would make my day! Make sure you credit my work as mine, though.)

[another-tmnt-writer]

Raph and the Ballerina

Raphael x Reader

Raph and the Ballerina

Note: Okay, so someone requested something like Cold-Blooded, but with Raphael. So basically, I wanted to write a little fluffy piece about Raph having the biggest crush on this beautiful girl and bein’ a little cuddle-bug, so here.

It was a crush. A dumb crush. Raph knew that. He knew the moment he laid eyes on you that you were going to break his heart someday. That this gorgeous human girl had her perfect little hands wrapped around his heart. God, he felt his stomach drop at the mention of her name. His cheeks would flush as red as his mask, and every time she spoke, he felt as though he was melting into a great big green and red puddle. And yet, he somehow managed to keep his cool. Sometimes, that is.

Now, while you were looking into the mirror and fussing over your hair, he tried not to let his eyes wander over to you. Tried being the keyword. You looked so hot in your black leotard. No, hot wasn’t the right word. You looked gorgeous. You messed with your bun some more before groaning and taking out the hair donut that was holding it all together.

“Dammit!”

“What?” Raph glued his eyes to the TV as though he hadn’t been watching you the entire time.

“I can’t get my bun right! I have practice in fifteen minutes!” An idea struck you. You ran over to Raph and set the donut in his large green hand. He raised an eyebrow. “Can you…?”

“Uh, what exactly do ya expect me ta do with this um, this thing?”

“You just put the ends through and roll it up onto my head.”

“Uhhhh….” He eyed the little ring cautiously, looking from it to you and back again. “I don’t know if I can-”

“Please?”

“I can try. But I ain’t makin’ any promises.” You handed him your brush. He looked to you expectantly. “All right, turn around.”

You turned around and sat on the floor in front of him. He tentatively ran the brush through your high ponytail a few times before making a careful attempt to get your hair around the goddamn donut. It was much harder than you made it look, but in the end, it didn’t look half-bad.

“Uh, how’s that?” He asked. You rushed to the mirror to look. A smile pulled at your lips as you shoved the pins into place and then covered it in a light layer of hairspray.

“It’s perfect. Thank you so, so much.” You ran back over to him, your light footsteps sprinkling across the floor quietly and gracefully. You were a dancer, indeed. But what you did next made him think you might be an actress too.

You leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before grabbing your ballet bag and dashing out the door to catch your train.

Raph sat back, his cheeks gradually coming to match the color of his mask as he processed what had just happened. It was then that Mikey looked back at his older brother from his spot on the floor playing video games.

“Dude, you’re screwed.”

“Tell me about it…”

***

When you got back to the lair, you were beyond exhausted. Physically, mentally drained. New York’s production of the Nutcracker was nothing to scoff at, and God, did you know it. You flopped onto the couch face-down and exhaled a huge sigh. Raph chuckled at the sight of you. Your make-up had been washed off, and you were wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. A far cry from the leotard and dramatic eyeshadow you had been wearing only a few minutes ago.

This was Raph’s favorite version of you. The real one.

“Ya all right over there?” his gruff voice reached your ears, sending a rush of adrenaline through you. God, you loved him. You were so pitifully in love with him that you weren’t sure how he didn’t see it, but you wanted him to. You figured maybe you were too girly for him. Maybe he wasn’t into the pretty pink princess type.

“No. Wiped.” You turned your head out of the cushions and towards him.

“Anything I can, uh, do to help?”

“Raph, will you cuddle with me?” Your voice was quiet, whiney, downright adorable. His heart just about leapt out of his chest. He could feel it doing pirouettes inside his ribcage, dancing around like a ballerina. Like you.

“Will I- what?” he did a double-take. You, a beautiful human girl, wanted him, a giant mutant turtle, to cuddle with you. This wasn’t happening. This was a dream. When was he gonna wake up?

“Please?”

“Uh, yeah! I mean, yeah, sure. If you want, I guess.” He tried to play it off cool, but you totally saw the blush he was trying to hide. You got up off of the couch and he laid down, spreading his legs across it. You climbed on top of him. Tentatively, he moved his arms around you, terrified that any second you would decide this wasn’t what you wanted after all. But instead of being repelled by him as he feared, you snuggled further into him, burying your face in the crook of his neck and letting your fingers trail up and down his plastron.

You exhaled a huge sigh, finally relaxed for the first time that day. Raph’s large fingers started to undo the knots on your back, rubbing slow, steady circles on the fabric of your t-shirt. You looked up at his undeniably red face. He smirked at the sight of you while his heart hammered in his chest. You reached up for the tails of his bandana, undoing the knot with your fingers.

“W-what are ya doin’?”

“I wanna see your face.” You mumbled quietly as you pulled the mask from his green head, exposing his skin. It was the first time you had seen him without it. “God, you’re hot,” you whispered, index and thumb trailing down his cheek. He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm.” You hummed as you rested your head against his plastron. You reached for the remote and put on some movie. Raph wasn’t paying attention in the slightest. The only thing he cared about in the whole world was curled up in his arms, and he couldn’t have been happier.

Maybe Mikey was right. Maybe Raph was a big cuddly teddy bear. Or he would be. For you.

[lookatmerosalie]

Love’s Consequences, Thirteen

"Josh, you're so funny!" Marie laughs boisterously, walking toward us with her new boyfriend on her arm.

  The whole group gathered together for lunch today, even Tristan, Jade, and Liam. Of course, I'm not loving it today.

  Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

  Everywhere I walk, couples are holding hands, kissing, hugging. They all are free to do whatever they want, and here I am, sitting next to Austin, not even being able to tell anyone we're together.

   Marie and Josh sit down together next to Sammy. Tristan rolls his eyes and quietly sticks to his meal at the end of the table. I feel a little bad for him, but he kind of brought it on himself.

  "You ready for tomorrow, babe?" Josh says, stuck to Marie's side with an arm over her shoulder. She giggles.

  "Of course, babe. I wouldn't miss it for the world," she says, kissing him. While all of us were pretty uncomfortable, I could feel Tristan's disgruntled aura getting stronger by the second. Eventually, while they kiss, he gets up and goes to the bathroom. Austin and I look at each other, both feeling weird about Josh being here.

  Meanwhile, Jade and Liam sit next to the two of us, looking at Jade's phone and laughing, not paying any mind to anyone else.

   The only person who wasn't in this crazy love heap was Sammy. I feel a lot worse for her than I do for Tristan.

  "Hey, Sammy. Did you finish that piece you were working on last week?" I ask, trying to get her out of her sad, quiet shell. She peers up, and feigns a smile.

   "Yeah, I can show you on Monday." She goes right back to picking at her food, clearly not in the mood to be in school, let alone at this table.

  Tristan returns to Marie and Josh continuing to canoodle.

  "I love you, Joshy," she coos. They couldn't be physically closer to each other. It makes me a little nauseous.

  "Love you too, sweetkins," he coos back.

  Austin also rolls his eyes. At this point, I could tell Tristan was pissed off, but he did a very good job of trying to stay out of trouble.

  Not really wanting to be at the circus that is our table, I let Austin know I'll be right back and ask Sammy to come with me. She hesitantly gets up and follows me out to the hallway.

  We stand in an empty alcove, halls barren.

  "How are you holding up? Anything I can do to help?" I ask her. She purses her lips.

  "Seeing all these couples around while trying to stay friends with the guy who rejected me less than a week ago is a little overwhelming. I'm sure you understand. You know, with me around." I furrow my eyebrows.

  "Yeah, totally," I lie. "You saw right through me, that's why I've been upset." She nods.

  "I still really like Austin, you know. I don't really understand why he doesn't like me, and I'm hurt that he didn't even grace me with an explanation," she sighs. I frown and rub her arm to comfort her.

  "I'm sorry, Sammy. I know for a fact that someone will truly love you for who you are, and will be with you romantically. I just... don't think Austin is that person."

  She nods, sadly. "I know. Thanks. And thank you for talking to me."

  She walks away, heading back to the cafeteria. I can't help but feel guilt spread through my body, feeling like I betrayed her. She's hurting, and all I did was take her crush.

  I walk back, a bit after she started walking away. But before I can make it back to the lunch room, I'm stopped by Tristan.

  "Hey, is there something going on with you? You've been acting weird. So has Austin. All day today, and the other day," he asks, genuinely curious.

  My heart races, but I simply say, "Nope. Just single and sad."

  He looks at me, not really believing what I said. "Aight. Fair enough."

  He continues walking, presumably just loitering to stay away from Marie and Josh's make out session. I head back in, letting the shitty day continue onward.

————————————————————————

   Austin and I decided not to hang out after school yesterday, not wanting to arouse any more suspicion.

   Now that it's Valentine's day, it's officially been one week since Austin and I kissed for the first time. It's felt like so much longer, as our efforts to conceal our relationship have been so tiring.

   Now, to top it all off, we may not even spend time together on what's supposed to be the romance holiday. I should be grateful to even be with him, but I still feel shitty.

  I sit in my room for most of the morning, doodling at my desk. My artistic ideas have been floundering, and I've had a hard time drawing anything worthwhile. Eventually, I just give up and look through Instagram on my phone.

  My timeline goes as follows: couple, couple, dog, couple, couple, couple. Everyone and their mom are posting about Valentine's day, and it makes me even more upset.

  My mom enters my room. She looks around and notices that it's messier than usual.

  "Dylan, didn't I tell you to clean up this mess days ago?" she lectures me, hands on her hips. I groan.

  "I'll do it now," I tell her, a little peeved. She nods in satisfaction and leaves, closing the door behind her.

   With nothing better to do, I organize. I pick up the clothes sitting on my floor, put away my clean laundry that's been in a pile on the ground, gather all the cups and water bottles I've left lying around. I don't mind living in organized clutter, it makes sense to me. But my mom says otherwise.

  As I'm finishing up my various chores, I see my phone lit up on my bed. I walk over and pick it up to see that Austin is calling me. My heart flutters.

  "Hey," I answer.

  I can almost hear him smiling through the phone. "What's up?"

  I sit down on my bed as I talk to him. "Just cleaning my room," I sigh.

  "Jennifer Peters rage?" he laughs.

  "You know it."

  "Well, I know this week has kind of sucked. Mind going somewhere with me today?" he asks. I blush.

  "Yeah, of course. When?" I ask, trying to contain my excitement.

  "Whenever you're ready. Now or later," he says. I bounce up and start pulling out drawers to get nicer clothes.

  "How about a half an hour?" I ask, sifting through my clothes.

  "See you soon. I can drive," he says kindly.

  "See you soon."

   We hang up, and I toss my phone so I can get changed.

  I usually just wear t-shirts and hoodies. Today, I wanted to look good, though. I search my lowest drawer for my brown dress pants. Church has some benefits. If it didn't exist, I wouldn't have any nice clothes.

  I find my favorite sweater in my closet. It's a striped orange and beige turtleneck, which I don't wear very often. My parents never really liked it on me, thinking it was a little too "girly." Tough luck for them.

   To finish off the outfit, I put on black socks and my dark brown church shoes.

  Once I exit my room, my mom looks at me from her seat on the couch, questioning with her eyes.

  "Do you have a date today?" she jokes. I shake my head.

  "My friends and I are going to see a movie," I lie.

  "You're awful dressed up for a movie," she says, a little suspicious.

  "I wanted to try out a new outfit," I shrug. She purses her lips.

  "Well, I hope you and your friends have fun. Make sure to keep me updated," she says. I nod.

  With the amount of lying I'm doing, I'm starting to feel like a criminal.

  I head out the door and walk over to Austin's house as inconspicuously as possible. Rather than knocking, I text him to let him know I'm out by his car. I tap my foot nervously.

  When he exits out of the front door, my heart flutters. Austin doesn't usually dress as casually as me on a regular day, but he's even more dressed up than usual. It's cute. The blue button down shirt along with black dress pants, with black dress shoes to match, suits him well.

  He simply glows when he walks over to me.

  "You ready?" he asks, not wanting to make a scene in front of his house. I nod, smiling. I hop in his passenger seat and he starts driving. To where? No clue.

  "Where are we going exactly?" I ask, playfully. He smiles slyly.

  "You'll have to wait and see." I grin.

  We sing along to the radio happily, and I forget that I'm even on my way to a date. The experience is so much different than when I took Sammy out.

  Austin parks as we arrive at a hiking trail. I look at him curiously, and he smiles, letting me know I'll find out what's happening soon enough.

  We exit the car, and Austin pops open the trunk. He hands me a basket. I understand what's happening a little bit more now.

  We walk side by side, heading up the trail. It's still brisk outside, so there aren't many people around. But it's not biting cold like it had been earlier in the month. Neither of us even wore jackets today.

  He leads me onward, eventually going through a spot with no path. We trek over leaves and branches, out of sight from the original trail.

  Then, we get there. I knew instantly where our destination was when I saw it. A gorgeous patch of grass next to a little pond. Austin takes the basket from my hand and reaches in to grab a blanket. He spreads it across the ground, leaving space for us to sit down. He gets on it first, patting next to him for me to join.

  I happily take a seat next to him, and lean on his shoulder. He puts his arm around me in an attempt to make me a little warmer.

  "I know it's not the best season to do this in, but I hope it's still okay."

  I peer up at him, smiling. "It's perfect. Thank you." I kiss him.

  He rubs my back. "You look cute." I can feel my face grow bright red.

  I laugh a little, nervous. He smiles.

  In an attempt to act a little less weird, I say, "You look super handsome too."

  His eyes smile with him. I can tell that he's never been told anything like that before. Growing up with only a brother and father can do that to you.

  We sit, watching the movement of the pond. Minnows and hopping bugs work their way around, thawing out from the harsh winter.

  Austin eventually opens the basket and takes out a few sandwiches, a big bag of chips, and some sodas.

  "You know me too well," I grin.

  "The way to your heart is food. Obviously," he laughs. I lean on him a little, playfully.

  He hands me one of the sandwiches and I notice it's my favorite kind. "You're so thoughtful. Thank you," I smile. He beams.

  "I'd hope that I know you at least a little bit after 17 years," he jokes, unwrapping his own sandwich.

  "Who are you? Do I know you?" I quip. He pushes me playfully.

  We eat happily together. The sandwich was perfect, and the time we spent was even better. We reminisce back and forth about different things, and laugh the whole time.

  When we finish eating, we cuddle up together again.

  "I do have one more thing," he says, handing me a closed envelope. I smirk.

  I open it up and reveal a tacky Valentine's day card. He grins, still holding his arm around me. I look at him and laugh.

  I read it: "I'm wild about you." It has two giraffes on it.

  I open it up to see a whole side of the card taken up by writing. I look up at him, trying to convey my appreciation with just my face.

  I don't read it out loud, rather taking it in personally.

  "Dylan,

    I know everything has been a little strange since I told you how I felt. I just want you to know that I will always be here for you, by your side, if you're feeling down. We'll work through this together, as hard as it may be. And as soon as you say the word, I'll come out alongside you.

  I'm so glad that I can say that you and I are together, and I really hope you're as happy as I am.

  I love you to the moon and back <3

  Austin."

  Tears well up in my eyes a little bit, but I do my best to conceal it. "Thank you. Thank you for everything today," I say, hugging him tight.

  He strokes my back. "You're my boyfriend. I wanted to make sure your first date and Valentine's Day were special." My heart stops momentarily and I pull away.

   "Boyfriend?" I ask, beaming.

   He smiles nervously and asks, "Yeah, is that okay?"

  I hold his head with both hands and plant a kiss on his mouth. "Of course."

  The wind picks up and makes me shiver. He pulls me back into his arms, getting me as close to his torso as humanly possible. He rests his cheek on my hair and we simply hold each other for a while. I close my eyes and just let myself feel his warmth next to me.