#we had none of the same friends. he was more popular than me. whenever we were faced w each other he was very polite

[britneyshakespeare]

Who sends their high school classmate a Facebook friend request six years after they've graduated

[xhdream]

ok last ask for a while bc I feel like I'm being annoying BUT I just had a really good thought.

what trope would you say each xdh member is? for example I'd say gunil is very fwb and maybe fwb to lovers. I hope this makes sense!

-🦈

xdinary heroes as popular tropes

cw: none

a/n: THIS IS SO FUN your mind amazes me with your ideas every time!! this is such an interesting concept, anon, where’s your writing blog huh??? also, do not EVER think that you’re being annoying even for a second <3 i looked up different tropes and picked out the ones i think fit the members in my opinion

♡ gunil

friends with benefits to lovers

what you said is so true, putting this one right here!! i think he’d be good at it in a sense that he’s a man of his word, so he’d be open with you about everything from the start - if you set some lines/boundaries he’d never cross them. i can totally see him gradually becoming more concerned if you see/talk to other people

fwb gunil = jealous gunil 🤤

insta love

i mean not falling in love, but feeling strong attraction at first sight, so more like insta lust. he sees you and there’s immediate physical connection between you, that pulls him in

♡ jiseok/gaon

enemies to lovers

not gonna lie the only reason i put this one is because i think banter with jiseok would be soo entertaining. it would lead into such a nice & hot tension - the build up would be insane!!

it could be just some small misunderstanding that makes you have the wrong impression of him (or the other way) so you bicker every time you’re together in one room and everyone’s like they’re into each other

♡ hyeongjun/junhan

forced proximity

he’s a shy boy when it comes to strangers or big crowds, so i have a feeling that being stuck somewhere with him would give you a better chance to get to know his personality, than having to be around him within a group of people. by stuck i don’t mean getting locked in a room or something like that, just getting to spend some alone time together before people start coming around you

it’s gonna make him anticipate the next opportunity he gets to have some privacy with you

the bet

you all know how the members say he’s very competitive and he never gives up? junhan confirmed it’s true, saying he chases the win even when it’s literally starting to get unhealthy, soo this trope fits him really well

you’re good friends that occasionally hang out whenever his schedule is free, until one day you bet on something that leads to daily messages and calls, strengthening your friendship and gradually turning it into something more

♡ seungmin/o.de

coworkers to lovers

seeing each other every day, chatting during breaks, helping with your tasks, sliding in some more intimate questions during work calls - i can see seungmin in all of this. he would try repressing his feelings at first, trying to convince himself it’s nothing - you’re just hot that’s all, but oh no! he’s whipped

♡ jooyeon

friends to lovers

do we all agree on this one? i think jooyeon would fall for a friend. i think in general he’s the type of person that finds it important that his s/o is his friend first, lover next. sharing the same humour, the trust you’ve built with time, knowing you can always count on each other would definitely add to his attraction to you

that’s why i think best friend’s sibling fits him well too 🤭

age gap

i see the possibility of him being with someone few years older than him pretty high. i see him finding intelligence & maturity attractive traits that also make him feel secure in a way

♡ jungsu

secret identity

here i’m not saying that i think he will lie or pretend to be someone he’s not, just that i can see him avoiding the conversation that he’s in a band for a while when he meets someone for the first time; he would not straight up say it

if you meet one day and start chatting, because you both felt an attraction, he would spark your interest with how easy going, but also a bit flustered he is. when you get to the questions so what do you do? he’d mumble shyly uhmm i make music… yeah, i’m in this band… do you gets what i’m saying? >< especially as the group gets bigger with time. he wants you to get to know him a bit as a person firsthand before telling you what he does straight away, so he has a sense of what your intentions are

love triangle

why do i see him falling for someone that’s already taken? i’m not talking anything toxic here, maybe you’ve been friends for a while, but you get into relationship and he’s forced to watch you being happy with another person… ok i don’t wanna get angsty, but the thought crossed my mind and i decided to share ><

[spicyclover]

None of you

Summary: Friend, become love, become stranger. 

Hope you’ll enjoy this part. Let me know in the comments section! And to support me by tipping me!

Little information, I will, for now, only post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Thank you, and Enjoy! :)

Lots of love, xxx Spicy Clover

For years, you have been friends. You can always see each other whenever you have time off. It wasn’t easy, but you thought you could someday become something more. You always had feelings for Lando. Well, for as long as you can remember.

You always fancy his curls and his sweet smile. The way his eyes shine when he speaks of something he loves. You loved it when you cuddled and when you spent time together. Just the two of you. No responsibilities, no homework, no families. Just you and him. 

And it was like that for many years, but life went on, and he started getting increasingly popular, and you haven’t changed. You stayed the same old you. Maybe it was you, the problem after all. Never changed and always had the same ambition. 

And then you saw on the internet that he had found someone. For some reason, you couldn’t be happy with that. You didn’t want to be happy, and you were upset, and you were sad and angry. 

After weeks of ghosting you, he finally said he couldn’t come to your birthday. Well, it’s sad because your birthday was a month ago. You didn’t reply, and he didn’t pursue. 

You still saw some time to time the news about what he was doing with his girlfriend. And each time, it hurts more. She was so much prettier and skinnier than you, and she is a model. It makes you sad because you still see his mom at the market or library, and she’s always lovely and warm to you. 

The last time you saw her, she even asked you if you wanted to come to Lando diner return. You politely refuse, and without losing any seconds, you start walking away. Walking far from your pain. 

You came to cross them during their trip here, but you pretended you didn’t see them even though Lando screamed your name. “Oh, how much you miss hearing his voice calling you.” You want back home crying. You know you love him, but you can’t pretend to be friends anymore. 

Months passed, and the season changed. October was already here, and you walked down the street to the grocery store. You headphones on, you listen to your music, living in your own world within your thought and dream. 

You didn’t notice something calling your name. It’s only when he grabs your arms that you turn yourself quickly towards him. You are a bit shocked to see him here. You didn’t have the time to take out your headphones, and he already did with his hands caressing your cheeks. 

You blushed, but no words came out of your mouths. He invited you to take a coffee, and you wanted to refuse, but he was already dragging you across the other side of the street to the nearest coffee shop. 

Coffee in hand, you didn’t want to stay put, so you start walking down the street to the field. You didn’t really say much to him. He tried to make some conversations, but you stayed quiet. Putting yourself mentally away from him. It took you months to return to your old self.

“Why did we suddenly stop speaking?” Finally, ask Lando. 

“Because I found out I was an option, Lando,” you say with a clear voice looking him in the eyes. 

He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. You were strangely really calm about this. Maybe that’s part of growing up. Being able to control your emotions more. 

“Luisa and I...”

“I know, your mother told me.” 

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” You ask, knowing that he just saying that because he knows you're upset.

“I didn’t want to hurt you...”

“You already did, Lando.” 

[tierneysodegaard2]

Florist - Daniel Ricciardo x reader

Daniel Ricciardo x reader

Word Count: 1.9K

Warnings: None

Summary: After Daniel hits Lando with a space hopper he decides to apologise with flowers but doesn’t expect to be so captivated by the person helping.

—

Opening your own florist was something you never thought you’d be able to achieve yet here you stood, thanks to the family business. The shop was located in England, not too far from Silverstone. Every time F1 came along, you always saw an influx of fans coming to look inside, especially as you always made bouquets themed around the teams and always made the logos out of flowers. When opening your shop, you never expected to get an actual driver to walk in, especially not Daniel Ricciardo. 

The small bell hanging above the door chimed loudly, letting you know that someone had entered the shop. You glanced over at the time, furrowing your brows a little. When the race weekend was taking place you would rarely get customers, it was the middle of the day and the events would still be taking place and no one would dare make the journey from any nearby towns due to the traffic. 

Curiosity took over as you lifted your gaze from the bouquet you were preparing for an order when you met a pair of deep chestnut eyes. The man smiled as he caught your gaze, walking towards your counter, a slight spring in his step. 

“Can I help you?” A smile presented itself on your face as you spoke to him. 

“Hi yeah umm, have you got any flowers that say ‘I’m sorry I hit you with a space hopper, I regret what I did, can you forgive me, Lando?’.” He finished with a bright smile. “Or is that too specific?”

A light laugh escaped your lips. “Nothing is too specific for me.” You returned his smile before setting the flowers you were working on. “So what do you have in mind? You can either have a bouquet of all the same flowers or we could make a bouquet with multiple different flowers, you can have just one singular flower or -”

“Could I get one like this?” He pointed to a display you’d set out that morning. The display was a large bouquet, one you’d see a wealthy man give to the love of his life in films or on social media. 

“Sure, do you have any specific flowers or colour scheme in mind?” 

“Are there any flowers specific for space hopper apologies?” His smile stood proudly on his face as he spoke.

“Not that I know of.” You moved around the counter so you could scour your shop for the flowers you had in mind. You picked up a single pink carnation, holding it out to him. “Pink carnations are often used to apologise to a close friend.” Daniel took the flower into his hand, his fingers grazing yours as he held the stem before lifting it to smell the flower. Your heart jumped when your skin touched his. No one could deny that Daniel was an attractive man, his dark curls fell just above his eye as he continued to run his hands through his hair, the action itself only making him more attractive. 

“They’re beautiful.” Daniel twirled the flower around as his eyes flickered at you. 

“You could partner them with…” You stepped away, missing the scent of his cologne as you walked through your shop. “These.” You handed him a white flower, your hands touching once again, this time at the contact Daniel looked straight at you, rather than studying the flower. “It’s called Lily of the Valley, arguably the most popular flower when it comes to apologises. You could just have those two and then an orange flower in the middle to represent McLaren, or the space hopper if you want to look at it from that point of view.”

Daniel let out a light laugh at your words. “Would you be able to do that for me?” His eyes met yours. 

“Of course, I could.” You grabbed the flowers you needed before turning on your heel and walking to the counter which doubled as your workstation. “When do you need them by?”

“When can they be done by?”

“Whenever you need them by.” You smirked, already getting to work on them. 

“When’s the earliest you can do it by?”

“Give me time and they’ll be done within the hour.” Your smirk was glued on your face as you started to work whilst Daniel pondered around the shop. 

“Is it yours?” He suddenly asked. 

“Hmm?”

“The shop?”

“Oh yes well, it’s my nan's shop well… used to be.”

“Was she a florist too?”

“She was.” You smiled warmly at Daniel. 

“So it’s a family thing then?” 

“Pretty much, can’t say the same for you though.”

“The Ricciardos are adventurous but I can’t say we’ve all ran to Formula 1.”

“Probably for the best.” You kept your gaze on him. “It’s not exactly the safest sport.”

“But the adrenaline makes up for it.” Daniel had moved to lean against the counter so he could watch you work. His eyes fluttered between your face and your hands working away on the flowers. 

“Each to their own.” You smiled back at him. 

“So did your nan have the idea for F1-themed flowers?” 

“My Grandad actually.” The fond memory swarmed your mind, something Daniel picked up on. “He always used to go to Silverstone, every single year.”

“Have you ever been?” 

“No, I was always too young and then we lost my Grandad, no one has gone since, too busy running the shop.” 

Daniel’s expression dropped at your words. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You don’t need to apologise, he’d be in his element if he saw you here now.” You smiled warmly at him. 

“I’m sure he’d be happier seeing how well you’ve handled this place, must be a lot, surely?”

“It is but I’ve grown up here so I’m used to it by now.” 

“Do you run it on your own, or have help from your boyfriend… or a girlfriend!” He said the last part rather quickly, his expression a worried one that he may have offended you but the small laugh you let out wiped his worry away. 

“No I don’t have a partner, I run it by myself, sometimes I’ll get help from a friend but mostly it’s just me.”

“No wonder why you’ve never been to Silverstone, you’re always here.” 

“It was my dream to take over the shop so I wouldn’t have it any other way.” You smiled at him, adding the last flower which happened to be an orange rose in the middle. You’d wrapped the flowers in orange paper, drawing the McLaren logo on the front before handing it to Daniel. 

“Could I also get something else, if it’s not too much to ask?”

“Sure.”

“A McLaren bouquet? If it’ll take too long you don’t have to worry -”

“You can take the one off the display if you’d like.” You moved around the counter and over to the shop window, taking the bouquet in your hands before handing it back to him for him to study. 

“Thank you.” He looked down and smiled before paying. “I never got your name…”

“y/n.” You smiled, handing him the flowers he’d now set down on the counter. 

“Daniel.” He returned the smile. “Although it seemed as if you already knew that.”

“I did indeed, good luck this weekend. Silverstone is special so I’m sure you’ll do well.” 

“Thank you.” Daniel backed off from the counter. “Maybe one day you’ll be there to watch me.” He winked as he opened your shop door. 

“Maybe one day Ricciardo.” 

—

The next day you watched Daniel give Lando the flowers, the gesture making the brit go bright red as it was broadcasted on national television after their practice. Your smile was as wide as Daniels as you watched the encounter. Daniel ran his hand back through his hair, much like he had done when he was with you. The gesture alone makes your heart run as you watched the interview concluded. 

You expected the weekend to be rather dull, the only excitement coming from the race that was set to take place but it seemed the world had other plans. As you came down the stairs to open your shop for the day you were greeted with a large white envelope. 

Your name was neatly written on the front. The envelope was slightly weighted, evidently, something was inside. Tearing open the letter a paddock pass fell out into your hands along with a note. 

If Silverstone is as special as you make it out to be then I’d like you to at least experience it for yourself. 

- Daniel 

A large grin broke across your face as you held the pass in your hands. As quickly as you could you darted back upstairs to the flat that stood above the shop to get ready. Hopefully, if you had timed everything right you should have been able to make it to the race just before the second practice started, hopefully, you could catch Daniel and thank him for everything.

Thankfully luck was on your side today. Approaching the entrance you scanned your pass and went to enter when the security stopped you. “Where’s your luggage?”

“I’m sorry?” You arched your brow at his words. 

“Mr Ricciardo said you were to be staying with him and we’d take your things to the Silverstone Hotel.”  

“Oh…” Daniel had failed to mention that. “Umm well I’ll be going back to mine tonight and I’ll be joining him on the weekend.” 

“No worries, just thought I’d ask.” He smiled, letting you through. You gave him a quick smile before heading off to find Daniel. The Australian wasn’t hard to find, anyone could hear his laugh from a mile away. He was still in his race suit, his curls sticking to his forehead as he glistened with sweat mixed with light spots of rain which had started to fall. 

Daniel’s eyes fell from the engineer's gaze and fell onto you if it was even possible the smile once on his lips grew even wider. “y/n!” He moved towards you, his large arms engulfed you, pulling you into his chest in a tight hug. Your arms wrapped around him, smiling as your head fell against his chest. “I’m glad you could make it.” He pulled back, looking down at you. “Did you just get here?”

“Yes.” You smiled back. “I came as soon as I got the letter.”

“Good-”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“What’s all this about me staying with you?”

“Shit, God I hope that isn’t weird… look I have a room that overlooks the track and I know I should have asked before I even mentioned it to security but if you want to stay there you can or even have a few drinks up there with me -”

“I’ll stay with you as long as you drive me home to get my stuff.” You smirked up at the man who was now getting rather flustered. 

“Happily.” He let out a breath of relief. “So you’ll stay tonight? And through the weekend?”

“Only because it’s Silverstone.”

“Is that you telling me you wouldn’t stay with me anywhere else?”

“Maybe Australia…”

“What about Austria?”

“Let’s see how special Silverstone can be first.” 

It was no lie that the pair of you had chemistry, anyone could see it. 

Silverstone really was special.

[mystic-shadows42]

Eddie Imagine: Making You Smile

Almost every girl swooned over Jason Carver. He was the most popular guy in school and captain of the basketball team.

Even with all of these qualities, this wasn’t who you had a crush on. No, the guy you had a crush on was called a ‘freak’ and deemed despicable but you found him charming and funny where others didn’t. He had long hair, wore rings, liked rock music, played games, and best of all…had a sense of humor.

Just like any other day Eddie was walking down the hall smiling once he saw you.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Hey, Eddie,” you seemed to squeak back as he walked past. It was always the little things with him. 

Sometimes it’d be him opening the door, giving you a ride home, or making a bunch of references you didn’t understand but would smile anyways. He was always so animated and lively that you couldn’t help but love to be around him.

He just radiated good energy. 

Despite what people thought, he was a good wholesome guy. 

Whenever you were alone and your friends would be somewhere else he’d sit down next to you and keep you company until they came.

If you were having a bad day he’d quote Shakespeare in different funny voices. Whenever the flowers would bloom in Hawkins he’d pick the prettiest one and leave it either in your locker, at your desk, or in your bag. It was always a surprise.

Despite all of these wonderful things that Eddie did, it was never anything more than that. You wanted to take the initiative but always chickened out. It made you feel bad that you never really showed him your appreciation. You didn’t have the confidence like he always seemed to have. 

Every night you’d lay in bed and pray and hope and dream that something will happen. Something good. Something more.

It was all the same until one day Eddie stopped by your locker.

“Hey, beautiful,” Eddie smiled putting his hands in his pockets. He always seemed confident and outspoken but right now he looked a bit nervous as he stood in front of you. “I-uh wanted to ask,” he rubbed the back of his neck as he visibly swallowed. “Uhm would you, perhaps, maybe-you can say no. Uh, maybe wanna come see me,” he blinked his eyes, sighing before correcting himself, “me and my band play this weekend?” You bit your bottom lip to keep yourself from full-blown smiling. He was being cute. The stuttering and his clear nervousness around you was heartwarming. “You can tell us how we are,” he chuckled then ceased smiling. “So, will you?”

“I will.”

Eddie broke out into a big smile. “Great, that’s...great.” You chuckled at him loving how he was being right now. “I’ll see you then.” He turned down the hallway and you watched him have a little more pep in his step than usual.

“Eddie.” You called out down the hallway.

“Yeah,” he turned around with his full attention on you. “As long as you take me out afterward.”

His mouth opened and closed but no words seem to come out, at least none coherent enough. He still seemed to be processing it all. You walked towards him not caring that people were starting to stare and watch all of this unfold.

Eddie watched closely as you came closer. His eyes were wandering, going from your eyes to your lips when you got closer. So you decided to make his heart race a little more and kissed the corner of his lips. He tensed up almost as if he was holding his breath.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend,” you smiled then turned around smiling like a fool. It happened! You kissed Eddie Munson! He asked you to come see his band play! He was going to take you out!

You were freaking out on the inside. This was a dream. How else can you explain it? 

Your racing heart was a reminder that this was all very much real.

You didn’t know where this confidence came from but you were glad that you had acted on it.

[swfteverlqrk]

Always Been You.

Austin Butler x fem! Reader

You have always looked for the love of your life, and maybe, it's not who you think it was.

Warnings: None ¿?

Chapter 1 here

Chapter 2

Yn got home, and when Tom heard her coming in he got up from the couch.

-Hey yn!- he said so smiley and even helped with her bag. -How was your day?

-Fine Tom, thanks for asking, I got earlier so I could cook something for you- yn replied smiley which made him more confused than the fact that yn didn't slapped him the minute she got in.

-So, have you checked social media?- He asked, according to his mind, discretely.

-yn shook his head while pretending to be cooking so she wouldn't see Tom's face- No, didn't had the time, why? Did I missed something?

She heard a relief breath in response.- oh no, nothing important, call me when the dinner is done.- He was about to got upstairs when he heard something bagging the kitchen counter- Yn? What happened?

-You know what's worst? That you lied to my face!- yn screamed the last words, chuckling sarcastically, Tom froze on the moment. -Yes Tom, I saw everything related to you.

-Look yn, I can explain to yo- now she interrupted him.

-I've had it with you and your apologies? If that's what you call that.- yn was mad, but was ready to let it all out.- You know, the first time you did something like this, I was okay, it's an accident, maybe it was my- she raised her voice - fault. The second time, the same excuse and gaslighting to me, but Thomas, I'm done with all this- She took the ring out and threw it to him. -But now, explain me.

Tom was speechless, he didn't even knew what had happened, he picked up the ring from the floor, tried to get close to yn, but she didn't let him.

-I know, this is unforgivable, but I'm sorry- yn just rolled her eyes- And, don't worry about breaking up... It was gonna happen, and now I have to leave, I'm gonna go to London to meet with my fam and then start the press tour for spiderman. -All that time yn didn't even looked at him once, which hurt Tom the most.- I'll just pack and leave.

-Good for me.- Yn got upstairs and locked in the guest room, she cried into her pillow, falling asleep during hours and hours, when she woke up, there was no noise at the house and Tom clothes were gone...

August 15

Yn started to pack her suitcase with some essential things for two weeks and went to Megan place, she was there ready for her guest, like it was her tradition the place was filled with candies so you could grab one whenever, and of course that vanilla smell so characteristic of Megan.

-Hey honey!- She hugged Yn which made her feel better like a weight was left from her shoulders.

Megan helped her to get ready and set everything to film and it started, yn felt so good and free like she hadn't in a while, all her emotions floated and it was like magic, she could feel all of the characters feelings and it was great.

meganmanagment1

Audition day! Fingers crossed. 🤞🏼

*View 5 comments*

↳Yn_Keery We totally killed it :)

↳ynlover CAN'T WAIT! OMGGG!

-And sent!- Megan said excited about the audition tape going to the producers.

-Thats perfect Meg, it's getting kind of late, isn't it?- yn checked her phone which currently had just a black wallpaper.

-Have you erased everything with him?- Megan asked looking at your phone, yn just nodded.

-Yeah, the wallpaper took me a little bit longer to get rid of it but it's fine now.

-And, what you wanna do with the fans? You wanna tell them or should I?- she picked up her phone -I could talk with Tom's manager and- yn hand stopped her friend's.

-No need, I'll tell them, I'm always transparent and honest with them, this should be no exception.

Yn_Keery

Hey you guys! So my name's been really popular this weeks, and I wanna clear everything for you. So yeah, me and Tom broke up, it's not for what you think, time and life decided to split us like it united us, and we are fine! I'm so grateful for him and the things we lived together and I wish nothing for the best for him and his family.

Now that's clear, I just want to tell you that I'm working on some amazing stuff that soon you'll get to see, can't wait. Love you guys!

*comments desactivated*

-You did a great job honey- Megan smiled and went to sleep, you on the other hand got to your room but start to write some songs.

GossipGirlyCelebs

Yn Keery was seen after weeks of not knowing what was going with her, she posted some decorations of her relationship with Tom Holland, she looks kind of sad, what you think?

↳Keeryfan1 Sad? Yeah, cause we can clearly see her eyes 🙄 god.

↳flaminhotgirl Idk if Tom really cheated on her but men, she didn't deserve it.

↳Lovely_yn Stop speculating guys! We don't know what's going on.

↳OliviaRodrigo This isn't my business, I know it but, leave yn alone, ok? She's doing good and surrounded by people who ADORE her!

↳ynfan @OliviaRodrigo OMG! THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF HER!

↳liviesour @OliviaRodrigo COLLAB WHEEEN?!

August 17

Yn_Keery

Coffee time 🤎

*15 comments*

↳JoeKeery Sis you have an addiction to coffee!

↳TaylorSwif Can't wait to see youuu 🤎

↳Milliebobbybrown hey! Love me pleaseee :(

-Boo!- Yn scared a blonde guy from behind which made him jump.

-Yn, hey,where have you been?- He asked as she sat down and like it was tradition, the old lady who owned the place, Nana, brought yn the cup of coffee.

-Thank you so much Nana- She thanked and smiled to the lady.

-So are you gonna tell me or?- Austin asked.

-I've been busy Aust, why? Did you missed me sooo much?- the girl teased him while making her coffee sweet.

-Of course I missed you, girl.- He said with a honest smile and laugh.

Yn just chuckled and pull out from her backpack a little notebook. -What's that?- The guy asked and before she could react, the notebook was on his hands- You write songs?

-Yeah, I'm trying to, but God is so hard mostly the part of the music. -The owner of the notebook spoke really red.

-Im not a professional musician but I know some stuff, want some help?

-Sure!- that came out of her more excited than it should have been.

The hours passed, Nana and Austin had brought out an old piano, who yn learned was Nana's husband, they played and sang over and over, their voices just mixed so well, and suddenly yn saw the time.

-Oh god! I have to run.- She got up from the piano with Austin next to her.

-Oh sure, do you want me to give me a ride?

-No thanks, I'm fine- She was ready to go and then she stopped. -Can I get your number or Instagram, something?

Austin thought for a few seconds. -Um, no, sorry, I'd rather if we just keep meeting like this. -Yn eye's got sad but understood.

-It's fine, don't worry, I'll see you tomorrow?-before him could answer, she spoke- Nevermind I can't tomorrow.

-Me neither- Austin replied

And at the same time,they said "Work" which made them laugh, they hugged goodbye and went home.

Milliebobbybrown

W my girl 💓 @yn_keery

*view 590 comments*

↳Yn_Keery love youuuu 💓

↳SadieSink Cutiessss 😍

The noon passed, Millie was staying to sleep at Megan's house, you were watching Instagram together and suddenly you got a notification.

ENews!

Just confirmed, @AustinButler and @Yn_Keery will be staring the new rom com and musical by Steven Spielberg, 2024!

We cannot wait!

*view 20,457 comments*

*AustinButler just started following you. *

Chapter 3 coming soon

[reina-royale]

Don't you think you are missing the point? Because of how often Ron is overlooked whenever he gets any ounce of attention, it usually goes to his head. I think the chapter focused on this flaw not to make the conflict as one-sided on kim's end. Ron was being a bit patrionizing through the episode. So, Ron acknowladging it was the Kim factor, despite being Ron who defeated the villain showcase his character growth and is a sign of humilty and modesty.

Is one of my favorite moments of his character, I like how supportive and kind he is to Kim. Maybe what was missing was Kim acknowladging Ron more often? how would you've liked to see the episode/ending play out? What would you change?

I wouldn't say I'm missing the point. I'd say I'm saying it's stupid. Huge difference.

Furthermore, as I have rewatched the series recently, I can confidently say that, attention does not, actually, go to Ron's head when he receives it.

(And even if it did, that's not an excuse to constantly beat on the guy's self-esteem when even the anon asking this question admits he's constantly over looked.)

At this point in time, "Ron Millionaire" hasn't happened yet, so Kim's only examples would be "Bueno Nacho", "The New Ron", and "Two to Tutor", and in none of those did Ron get a big head.

(But if you're someone who's threatened by other people being successful and confident, it's the same thing.)

In "Bueno Nacho", Ron invented the Naco and got the job as the boss because of it. Being good at his job and actually enjoying it doesn't mean it went to his head, nor was asking Kim to do the job she originally signed them up for.

In "The New Ron", Ron started caring about fashion and hair-care, but this still doesn't mean he had an ego problem.

In "Two to Tutor", Ron was successful, popular, and confident because of his baking skills, and that still doesn't mean he had an ego problem.

Know why? Because he was enjoying the positive attention without putting down others or making fun of them.

Was Ron a little rude in this episode? Yes. But to say it's a recurring problem when it provably isn't shows more about Kim than Ron.

Namely that, to Kim, it doesn't matter if Ron actually has an ego problem or is just confident, it's unacceptable for Ron to be anything but her insecure, bumbling sidekick.

(Seriously, Kim is allowed to say she can do anything, but Ron isn't allowed to say he's good at one thing? How is that a fair and equal relationship?)

It's also worth mentioning that, yes, Ron is provably important to Kim's success, because she has failed any mission she tries to do alone.

Ron's already humble and modest, to the point of insecurity and self-deprecation. He really didn't need to be told, again, that he's nothing special.

How would I have liked this to go? Easy:

It starts out pretty much the same, but, at some point, Kim is watching feeds of her missions and sees, from an outside perspective, how important Ron actually is to her success.

*cue dawning look of realization*

At the end, after Gemini is defeated, we get an exchange like this:

Kim: "I was so upset about this whole Ron-factor thing at first, but, after watching some surveillance videos, I realized they're right."

Ron and Rufus: "Huh?!"

Kim: "I'm really good at the action stuff, but your quick-thinking and resourcefulness has been more helpful than I realized. I'm sorry I never acknowledged that before."

Ron: "Thanks, KP. That means a lot. Sorry I was kind of rude earlier. Friends?"

Kim: "The best."

*hug*

Ron: "But, for the record, it's not you or me, it's us. We're a team. It's not about a Kim Factor or a Ron Factor, it's us together that makes it work."

Dr. Director: "Hmm...perhaps we should spend time studying both of you."

[writethesleepaway]

Getting to Know You - P1

Summary: Mike isn't exactly excited when he sees who he's paired up with for chemistry, not because you're a bully, but because you're a mystery. Now, he's doing what he can to solve said mystery.

Pairing: Mike Wheeler x Fem!Reader

WC: 1540

Warnings: none! (maybe swearing?)

A/N: SORRY FOR THE ABSENCE i have been busy preparing to leave for uni (which is quite literally across the world) but i have been reading so many mike wheeler fics i cant get enough of this skinny malnourished emotionally constipated boy

(divider by @delishlydelightfuldividers)

Mike’s eyes trailed down the blackboard as he looked for his name. His teacher said that they’d be starting experiments, and the name of your lab partner would be listed next to yours on the board.

Mike Wheeler & Y/N Y/L/N

He wasn’t exactly sure what to think. Y/N Y/L/N was sort of an enigma to the Hawkins High community. There was no girls team for sports besides cheer, so naturally, she fought tooth and nail to be on the boy’s soccer and swim team. Half of the team adored her for her blunt personality and respected her ability in the sport, the other half hated her for ‘contaminating’ the guy’s team. Y/N didn’t care at all what people had to say about her, claiming the coach had ‘no respect for the sport or any person’s ability in it’ when he initially didn’t allow her to be on the soccer team. It took even longer for her to be accepted to swim, something about ‘you can’t have the girl swimming with the guys, she’ll be a distraction!’ 

Lucas had dragged him and the rest of the party along to a few of her soccer matches before, saying she was a whizz on the field and definitely someone to watch. Most of the group didn’t exactly enjoy the sport, or the people who played it, but they watched to keep Lucas happy. El and Max thought she was so cool, for standing up to her challenges and fighting to play. Dustin laughed as he watched the opponents complain and whine whenever Y/N scored or stole the ball from them. Will wasn’t exactly opinionated, he just tagged along for the general excitement that comes from any sports game. Steve was forced to babysit, who brought Robin along, and they seemed to just talk amongst themselves for most of the game, except for any time someone would score. 

Mike didn’t exactly hate her, to be fair he didn’t really know much about her, other than her ability to argue to be on sports teams. He wasn’t exactly excited to work with her, but at least she wasn’t some bully, so he didn’t have too much to complain about either.

“Wheeler, hurry up, let’s get this done with!” you called out to him as you finished setting up the equipment on the bench.

“How the hell have you already got this, class started like 3 minutes ago?”

“I’m fast like that, now come on, let’s get this done early so we can spend time doing what we want?”

“Yeah but it’s a whole titration…”

“And? Like I said, I’m fast. Wouldn’t you rather be figuring out stuff for Hellfire?”

Mike gawked at you as you continued to pour the various chemicals into the glassware.

“Close your mouth. Are you going to sit there or will you help?”

“You know about Hellfire?” he asked as he handed you the other material.

“Yeah… Why wouldn’t I?” you responded as you bent over to look at the burette more closely.

“Uhm… I just thought… It’s not exactly your style…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, y’know, you’re all, sporty and stuff. You hang out with the popular kids!”

“Please, you think my friends and I are popular? The popular kids give me shit for being a girl on the boy’s team, I am not popular.” you couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction.

“You totally are! You’re a jock!”

“And just because I play sports means that I wouldn’t know about your club?”

“Yeah, wait no, I mean, yeah! I didn’t know you cared about us!”

“I don’t.”

“Oh.”

“But I know y’all exist. Your leader, Munson? He’s”

“Loud.” “A freak, I know.” you both said at the same time. Mike’s jaw dropped again, surprised that you didn’t say the same thing as him.

“What, why would you call him a freak? Isn’t he your friend?”

“He is, but, I expected you to say that he’s a freak.”

“Why would I call him that?”

“Because, that’s kinda what we’re known for…? Y’know? People call us devil worshippers, especially Eddie.”

“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t follow popular opinion. I don’t think of you as freaks, or devil worshippers. You guys just play a game you like and you’re passionate about it. Munson just so happens to be loud, so of course I’d notice the guy standing on top of the table and yelling about his club.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Okay switch, I’ve done the first part, you do the rest. I’ll record the results.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

Mike wasn’t sure why he was feeling so weird. He barely knew you, and yet somehow he was so surprised at your personality. He half expected to be laughed at for the whole lesson, but to learn that you’re not as judgemental, but also know about him, and don’t see him and his friends as devil worshippers? He felt like someone had turned him upside down onto his head.

“Wheeler.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re staring at me. Stop staring at get your work done.”

A blush rose to his cheeks as he kicked his ass into high gear to finish the experiment. Your words from earlier, telling him to finish early so you could to what you wanted, resonated in his head, but he no longer wanted to think about DND. His mind was occupied with you, standing in sweats and a crop top with your swimsuit peeking out from underneath. 

“Do you, uh, have a match later?” he muttered as he continued the experiment.

“Nah, just practice, I have the state championships this weekend.”

“Oh really? I’m sure you’ll do great, in…” he trailed off as he tried to think of what stroke you were known for, earning a giggle from you, as you could clearly tell he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“It’s okay Mike, I know you don’t keep up with swimming.”

“But I want to!”

“Do you want to because you enjoy swimming, or because you feel bad that I’ve noticed your interests and you haven’t noticed mine?”

“How the hell do you do that?”

“How the hell do I do what?”

“Be so, smart? And honest? You like, say what you want, and you’re right.”

“I’ve kinda learned to not give a shit, y’know? I stand out already with being the only girl on the team, why not just be myself? I don’t care for labels or stereotypes.”

“That’s really cool.”

“Yeah? You should try it sometimes.”

“What do you mean?” he asked as he stood up to look at you properly.

“Work, Wheeler, get the experiment done.”

“Right, sorry.”

“You seem to care a lot about cliques, about the reputation you and others have. Who gives a damn if someone thinks y’all are devil worshippers, they don’t know you, so why do they matter?”

“That’s a… good point. Dunno, I just hate bullies.”

“So do I, but I don’t pay any mind to them, and that makes em leave me alone because they know they can’t bother me.”

“That’s admirable, but I’m not at that level yet.”

“That’s fine, it comes with time and practice. I wasn’t always like this.”

“Really? You seem so badass.”

“Nah, I cried so hard the first time I was denied entry on the soccer team.”

“What?! You can cry?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at Mike’s comment. 

“Do you seriously think I’m some stone cold no feelings no bullshit girl?”

“Yeah…? Are you not?”

“Mike Wheeler, you know nothing about me, at all.”

“Can I… get to know you? Okay wait, that came out weird, I swear I’m not like, obsessed with you or anything, I mean it’s really cool that you’re all ba-“

You doubled over laughing at his nerves, panting as you tried to catch your breath from laughing too hard. Luckily someone else had made a mess of their experiment, meaning the teacher’s attention was on them and rather on you.

“Mike, do I make you that nervous?” you teased as you noticed his face slightly turning pink.

“Is it that obvious?” he replied as he laughed at himself. 

“I know you didn’t mean it in a creepy way, don’t worry. And sure, if you promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Try not to judge a book by it’s cover yeah? You’ll end up doing the same thing those ‘bullies’ do.”

“Yeah, got it. Is uh, your swim competition open to anyone to watch?” 

“Nah, you need a ticket, why you want one?”

“Yeah, I wanna watch you win!”

“Mike, do you even know the four strokes…?”

“No, but, you can teach me?”

“Yeah, I’ll teach you. I’ll get you your ticket tomorrow.”

For the rest of the class you couldn’t help but laugh as you made small talk with him, conversing about really anything and everything. Mike could have sworn that he felt something, some slightly foreign feeling, somewhere in his mind, but he pushed it away as he tried to get to know you better. Every time you sent him a smile he couldn’t help but feel hot, like he was coming down with some cold. It was definitely something to ask Eddie about, but that was for another day. 

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Checkmate zine! Originally this was going to be a story about strip chess but I am not sexy or flirty enough to pull that off XD So I’ll leave that game to your imagination and I’ll give you the build up to it.

…

…

…

…

i.

The library was a great place to hide. At least, it was a great place to hide for anyone named Sylvain. No one expected to find him there, whether it was the disapproving Ingrid, the exasperated Dimitri, or the countless angry significant others who caught him in bed with their lovers.

To be honest, privately Sylvain had to agree with his friends. He might have been biting off more than he could chew these days. Point in case: today was a beautiful day and he was spending it lurking between the bookshelves, hoping that a man with an axe didn’t stop by for a visit.

A hand tapped his shoulder and he jumped. As he spun around, he found Claude hiding a laugh behind a hand. No that it mattered, his mirthful eyes and shaking shoulders gave the game away. “Twitchy, huh? Girl problems?”

Sylvain sighed, relieved. A little embarrassed, he rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Guy troubles this time. But they’re really the same.”

 The afternoon sun shone through the windows, leaving a dappled pattern on Claude as he didn’t bother to hide his amusement this time. For a house head, he carried none of the stiffness nor formality that Dimitri and Edelgard did. “Maybe try picking a single person next time?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sylvain joked lightly, watching the library entrance from the corner of his eye. Up on the second floor, he had a commanding view of students entering and leaving. “Besides, it’s not like I find them, they come to me.”

Claude raised a brow, not buying it in the least. Sylvain had received the same look from his childhood friends whenever he gave that excuse and he wasn’t sure if he was just that bad at lying or if it was just that obvious. Still, unlike Dimitri and Ingrid, Claude dropped the matter with a careless shrug. “Must be hard, being so popular.”

“A real burden.” Sylvain relaxed slightly, following Claude as he moved through the shelves, picking up a book here and there. “As I’m sure you already know—you’re pretty popular yourself.” He winked roguishly.

Claude laughed and Sylvain was mildly insulted that his flirt bounced off as though there was a ward in place. “I’m nowhere near your level.”

“No one’s at my level.” Sylvain couldn’t help himself. The opening was right there.

“I think we’d die if we tried.” Claude stopped by a small sunlit alcove. Several books were stacked around it, bookmarks sticking out randomly like small daggers. A chessboard sat in a corner of the alcove, partially through a game.

Sylvain studied the board. Only a few pieces were missing but judging by the thorough mixing of the black and white pieces, it was a long game. “Who’s your opponent?”

“Myself.” Claude replied lightly, setting down his newly acquired texts. “I’m harder than I expected.”

Sylvain laughed before cutting himself off. “Seriously? Isn’t it a little…boring?”

“Not really.” Claude shrugged, sitting down. “It’s a good way to think. Or test strategies.”

Privately, Sylvain disagreed. There were far better ways to fill time than sitting in a darkened corner of the library, playing chess against yourself. “If you say so.”

Claude studied him, something sharp in his gaze. For a moment, Sylvain thought he’d insulted him. Ingrid would kill him if he got the entire Leicester Alliance on his case. Then Claude smiled and asked, “You’re right. It is kinda dull playing myself. Why don’t you play?”

Sylvain suppressed a shiver. He knew a fake smile when he saw one. Even most of their conversation so far had been superfluous. Forcing his own smile, he held up his hands. “Me? I’m terrible, ask anyone.”

“That’s fine.” Claude was already putting the pieces back, setting the black set on his side. Sylvain wasn’t surprised—Claude looked like the kind of man who liked reacting instead of taking the first move. That was more Dimitri’s or Edelgard’s kind of thing. “It’s just a game.”

They were already playing a different one, though Sylvain wasn’t sure just what the rules were. He doubted this was just a whim; he’d seen enough strategists to recognize when something was being set up. Yet, one look at Claude told Sylvain there was no point in asking; he wouldn’t find out no matter how many questions he asked. Part of him was worried, a bigger part intrigued.

He had some time to kill anyways. Why not see where this led?

Wetting his lips nervously, he sat down in the free spot. “Don’t complain if you’re bored.”

Claude smiled mysteriously. “I doubt that’ll happen.”

ii.

There was exhaustion and then there was exhaustion. Sylvain slumped on a chair in the academy’s gardens, worn to the bone. He just wanted to sleep. Alone, even.

“You look dead,” Claude commented.

Sylvain could barely keep his eyes open now. Slowly, he turned his head and spotted Claude two tables down. In front of him was a chess board. His brown skin looked bronze in the sunlight. Dryly, he asked, “Do you only play chess?”

“I sometimes play other games. And this isn’t chess.” Claude moved a piece. Now that Sylvain was paying attention, he noticed it didn’t look like a bishop but more like an elephant. And the board wasn’t covered in the familiar black and white checkers.

“Oh.”

Claude laughed. “Oh indeed. Training was rough today?”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Sylvain groaned, leaning back into his seat. He closed his eyes. “You could have gone a little easier on us, you know. It was just a mock battle.”

There was a soft tap as another piece moved across the board. “You were really tough. We got lucky.”

Sylvain snorted. “There was nothing lucky about it.”

It would have been one thing if the battle had felt close. Instead, the Golden Deer had steamrolled the other two houses. Dimitri had taken it hard. Sylvain understood self-loathing, but he wished Dimitri wasn’t so intent to take them all down with him. With all the extra training sessions, they’d all be dead by the end of the month.

“Well, maybe a little bit of scheming was involved,” Claude admitted, moving another piece. Clack. “But the tide could have easily turned.”

“You’re just saying that.” A cool breeze tousled Sylvain’s hair and he sighed.

“Maybe.” Claude teased. “Though, seriously, it was a hard fight. The other houses were strong. You’re a lot better than I expected.”

Sylvain cracked an eye open but Claude didn’t look like he was joking.  It didn’t feel like a compliment, nor was it clearly an insult. “Thanks?”

Claude watched him over his pieces. “You know, our house is always open if you want to join.”

Sylvain slowly processed the offer before jolting upright, ignoring his aching bones. When Claude didn’t react, merely continued to play his inane game, Sylvain laughed weakly. “Don’t you wait till a second date before asking that?”

“Isn’t it a second date?” Claude played along. 

Technically. Sylvain rubbed his nose, perplexed. “You’re kidding, right? Why would you want me?”

“Well, our last game was interesting and I’d like a rematch.” Claude shrugged, leaning back into his seat. Despite how relaxed he looked, Sylvain had a feeling he was studying, assessing. His mind was always going in a hundred different directions at once. “And like I said, during the mock battle, you were strong. Not just with your lance, but…strategic. Grouping Ingrid and Felix with you at the hill was a good move.”

“You still rammed straight through to Dimitri,” Sylvain pointed out.

“I said you were good, not perfect.” Claude winked. “Just think about it.”

iii.

While it wasn’t forbidden, there was something taboo about going into another house’s classroom. Sylvain crossed the threshold into the Golden Deer’s room anyways. His eyes darted around the nearly empty room before they landed on Claude. As usual, the guy was alone, plotting some nefarious prank.

He didn’t think twice before making a beeline to the man. Vaulting over the table as Claude looked up, Sylvain hastily whispered, “Act natural,” before ducking under the table.

“So, I take it you want to join my house?” Claude teased, leaning forward on the table.

“Still thinking about it.” With his large frame, it was a cramped hiding spot. Still, it was better than nowhere, and Sylvain hunched over as he adjusted his position. The table pressed against his back and Claude’s legs hemmed him in. Suddenly, he understood how a stable felt. “Do I need to say yes to stay?”

“No, but this does mean you owe me a favour.” Claude chuckled.

While he was certain it wouldn’t be anything too nefarious, it wasn’t an ideal trade off. Claude seemed like the kind of guy who collected favours until he used them for something big. Still, fair was fair. “Deal.”

“Boy troubles?” Claude guessed, his fingers softly drumming on the table.

“Girl,” he corrected. From above, Sylvain could hear the soft clack as something moved. “Are you playing chess again?”

“A variant I learned from Shamir.” Claude’s legs shifted, brushing against Sylvain. “I’m not sure which is more impressive, that you find the time for all of these affairs, or that there’s still people out there who haven’t heard of your reputation.”

“I think half of my troubles are because they know my reputation.” Sylvain stiffened as Claude’s foot rested on his thigh. Everything about his position felt oddly intimate.

“I gotta say, I don’t see the fun in it.” There was another soft thud as the chess game continued. Claude hummed softly as he considered his next move. “Unless you like the chase.”

“Only if I’m the one chasing,” Sylvain quipped glibly, raking a hand through his hair. Reluctantly, he had to admit, “It isn’t all it used to be.”

“Was it ever?” Claude challenged.

That was a question Sylvain didn’t know the answer to. “Is it really all that fun playing chess by yourself?”

“I’d prefer to play you. The coast is clear.” Claude poked his head down and grinned. “Now, this is a nice view.”

Sylvain recognized the innuendo immediately. He’d used it himself before. That didn’t stop the hot blush creeping up his neck as he scrambled outside.

iv.

There was something oddly public about sitting in front of Claude in the lunch hall. It was just lunch. Byleth invited them together every now and then. Sylvain had friends in the other houses. It wasn’t entirely unusual for him to eat with someone else than his usual Blue Lion friends.

Yet, Claude was a house head. Somehow, that made sitting with him feel like a statement. Sylvain wasn’t sure if he was ready for it, whatever it meant.

Looking up from his lunch, a bemused Claude peeked around Sylvain before asking, “So, who’re you hiding from now?”

Sylvian chuckled. “What, I can’t sit with a friend without an ulterior motive?”

Claude raised a brow.

He held out his hands in front of him and smiled innocently. “I’m not hiding, really. I might join your house, so I figure I should have a somewhat good reputation or you’ll just kick me out.”

Claude burst into laughter. “It might be too late for that.”

“Ouch.” Sylvain clutched his chest. “You wound me, sire.”

“Sounds serious.” Claude peered at Sylvain’s chest, squinting as though he was trying to find the wound. “The good news, I think you just might live.”

“Are you certain?” Sylvain lowered his hands. “My heart still aches.”

“Well, I’m not a doctor, but…I think the odds are high.” Claude thatched his fingers and rested his chin on them. “So, what really brings you here?

You, but Sylvain didn’t say that. There was a strange sort of gravity around Claude, one that dragged him closer and closer with every orbit. Maybe it was the myriad of masks Claude wore, the way he smiled without giving anything away. Maybe it was how fast his mind worked, pulling apart puzzles even as they talked.

You would have been the honest answer, but Sylvain has lied for too long to start telling the truth now.

“You promised me a rematch,” Sylvain said instead.

iv.

Claude sat next to Sylvain, slipping in as naturally as though they came to the church together often. It was the first time the younger man had sought him out and in other circumstances, he would have teased Claude about it. Sylvian might have even felt pleased over it.

Now, though, it was barely a blip on his radar. Sylvain clasped his hands together, his knuckles whitening as his grip grew tighter and tighter. Sunlight streamed through the glass mosaics, casting soft patterns on the ground.

Sylvain would have preferred rain. Or wind. Or something wilder than the clear skies today. Not even nature wanted to mark his brother’s passing.

Claude squeezed his shoulder. “Sorry.”

“For what?” Sylvain laughed dryly. It had been his choice to join the Golden Deer on this mission, his choice to follow the bandits that led to his brother. He wasn’t sure if it was better to see what had happened, or to hear it second hand.

Either way, he couldn’t erase the memories now. Sylvain shrugged. “Miklan made his choices.”

“That doesn’t make it easier.” Claude’s hand stayed on his arm, warm and heavy and grounding. He didn’t look at Sylvain as he added, “I can’t say I’ve experienced anything like this but…I know complicated feelings.”

“Do you?” Sylvain watched him now, the way Claude’s jaw tightened, the way his smile dropped ever so slightly. Miniscule things that told him for once, his companion was being entirely honest with him.

“Yeah.” Claude dropped his hand now. “It’s not like I appeared out of thin air. It might not be as permanent as yours, but…I’ve said more than my share of goodbyes.”

It was obvious what he meant. Little was known of Claude’s past outside of the rumours—his mother eloped with a commoner, or his mother ran to hide an unwanted pregnancy. Some sort of scandal that happened every other day amongst the nobles.

It must have been hard to return to his grandfather a year ago. It must have been hard to put himself back out there, despite the gossip and hate.

Claude gripped his thigh. “It’s hard, even when you hate the person.”

“I don’t know if I hated him,” Sylvain finally replied, his voice cracking as he tried to find the words. “Miklan had been kind, once. When I was really little. I can’t even remember it now, just…a feeling. An imprint. His hand on my hair.”

Claude didn’t say anything, his hand reaching down to tangle with Sylvain’s. He squeezed softly.

Encouraged, Sylvain kept talking, the words escaping as though they were overflowing. “The worst part is that…I’m not sad. My dad’s definitely not sad. I don’t think anyone is. Miklan died and no one’s crying over him. What…what kind of legacy is that?”

Even now, he couldn’t cry. A dull ache filled his chest.

vi.

Sylvain bit his lip as he stared at the pieces in front of him. He was going to lose today. He knew that in his gut, had known that even as he’d moved his first piece: today, he wasn’t going to beat Claude. To be fair, he didn’t beat Claude all that often. His victories were inconsistent and sparse, feeling more like a fluke than something he’d earned.

Claude leaned back in his seat, utterly relaxed. They were outside and the warm, summer air was enough to make one feel sluggish. “So, figured it out yet?”

“I’m still thinking,” Sylvain lied, unable to throw in the hat yet. He loosened his collar slightly. ”It’s boiling today, I should just take it off.”

“Now that’s an idea.” Claude perked up, leaning forward. “Strip chess. We should do that next time.”

Despite himself, Sylvain glanced at Claude’s collar, at the smooth expanse of his skin. Strip poker.

It was the kind of game that he felt he’d lose no matter the outcome.

vii.

The world was at war. Houses burned, people died, maps were redrawn. Sylvain did not think of chess, did not think of tawny skin or sharp eyes, did not think of a cocky smirk and a confident voice.

He thought of nothing but the path ahead of him.

viii.

In five years, Sylvain had not expected to return to the academy, let alone as a Golden Deer. It was a ruined place, filled with ruined dreams, yet there was something utterly nostalgic about walking through its halls.

Even more so, walking through the dusty library. Everything had started here, all those years ago. Sylvain gazed upon the shelves fondly, remembering running and hiding amongst the novels.

Remembered finding Claude in the alcove, playing chess.

Claude was here now too, standing next to the familiar spot, thinking the same thoughts. He reached down to an abandoned chessboard, wiping the dust off the king. He glanced back at Sylvain and smirked. “Fancy a game?”

Something about it felt like a homecoming. Sylvain smirked. “Maybe we can try strip chess this time.”

[camgoloud]

a couple days ago the lovely @nancywheeeler​ tagged me to do an ao3 wrapped here! i have had a Very busy weekend so i am only now getting to actually posting, but here are my belated responses:

Works published: 5 at the moment (with at least 2 more i’ll be putting up before the end of the year; possibly one or two more than that if i can get my act together and finish up the treat(s) i’ve been chipping away at in exchange to my main assignments in a couple holiday exchanges. busy end of the year for me!)

Words written: 41510 posted this year so far—more than i thought!

Hits: 3647 on my 2022 fics

Bookmarks: 118

Most popular by kudos: Do my friends think I’m dying? (or do I just need to go to sleep?), my singular to-date contribution to the ted lasso/colin hughes fandom and first foray into redditfic (which by the way was SUCH a blast to write that i think i’m going to have to do it again sometime soon. i ought to be more sorry about that than i am)

Most hits: look at the desperate man (omg rip to this fic... worked on it for a little bit this summer when i was feeling particularly angsty about Some Stuff i was dealing with. ran out of angst steam halfway through the final chapter because my life improved lol, got re-possessed by various locked tomb wips around nona release day, and now i kind of just don’t ever want to look at it anymore. maybe i’ll finish it someday?)

Longest: same as previous

Shortest: shovel talk (in f major) (most of which was hurriedly written in one day as a last-hurrah before nona came out to smash my entire life into bits!)

Most comments: inside problems which people have been VERY nice to me about agghhhh

Fic that made me cry: any discussion about the fics that did maximum emotional damage to me MUST mention syntheseas’ INCREDIBLY ambitious and well-written nothing but dark and sound, which i reread following its most recent update. if you’re a locked tomb fan and you’re not already keeping up with this fic... well you need to be. basically. shoutout also to @forjodssake​’s feeling good was easy when he sang the blues, which i just read this thursday and have STILL not recovered from—AMAZING character work!!!

Fic that made me smile: so many! but my favorite comfort read for the last year and change has been @nancywheeeler​‘s four weddings and no funeral. melts my heart every time! cannot recommend highly enough :)

Gifts: does this mean gifts given or gifts received? unclear. anyway in terms of gifts given—do my friends think i’m dying was my tribute to @nancywheeeler​‘s excellent good old-fashioned lover boy, and i’ve got exchange fics i’ll be posting for a few people shortly. for gifts received, there’s whatever comes out of those exchanges!

Collaborations: none this year—or ever before, actually! BUT i am very very interested in the prospect… 👀 friends/mutuals/likeminded individuals active in any of my fandoms, if you’ve ever got an Idea you want to bang on about together or are particularly interested in fleshing out any of the half-formed Concepts i toss out into the void, hit me up and maybe we can make something happen! (well, hit me up whenever my dms are working again, anyway… the shadowban glitch which i’ve been living under for going on a MONTH now is a curse upon this earth)

Events taken part in: yuletide 2022, and the 2022 locked tomb holiday exchange!

thanks again em for the tag! in turn i will tag @aberfaeth​, @rnanqo​, @palamedes-sextus​, and anyone else who’s interested! (and who actually sees this—unsure if any of you will get a notification when i post this, due to the aforementioned shadowban :/)

[basgevers]

Desert Island Discs: Oasis - Cast No Shadow

Ah. Britpop. Some of it was good. Blur. Sleeper. Suede. Supergrass. The Divine Comedy. Dodgy. And some of it was, well, not so much. Menswear. Drugstore. Northern Uproar. Salad. You get the idea I’m sure.

Whenever I think of Britpop I always think of the bloke who lived in the flat above me. Stan, his name was, and he’d play Robbie Williams every night before he’d go up the town. I reckon he only had the single “Angels” as it was all he ever played. After a night out you’d hear him struggling up the stairs at 2am, more often than not with some bird he’d picked up on his trawl, followed by a lot of crashing and banging. Then silence (“wait wait wait, you’ve got to hear thish song from Robbie Williamsh, itsh <belch> fabuloush.”), then “Angels”, the loud singalong version, and then after two repeat plays there’d be more banging, if you get my drift …

None of which has anything to do with my next choice on my indie desert island other than that it came from the same period.

So, I was an Oasis fan. Well, to my friends and acquaintances at least that is, because I was in fact, during that whole period, a sheltered, closeted Blur fan. To me and most of the popular press at the time, Blur where the Beatles, purveyors of carefully crafted, lyrically clever music, while Oasis where the Stones. Grunts, balls to the wall, in yer face RAWK. Blur had cheeky chappie music, they had Phil Daniels, they had music with wit and humour.  Oasis just had volume, an overdrive pedal and someone named Bonehead. Oasis was real man’s music, Blur whimsical art-college faffery. But to this day I still prefer the Beatles, even though I’ll admit to anyone who asks that the Stones wrote the better music.

Still, it’s Oasis that seem to have stood the test of time. Every weekend, “Wonderwall” is played at some wedding somewhere around the country. After a Christmas single (apparently Paul McCartney still rakes in more than £500k per year from “Wonderful Christmas Time”), this is the next best thing, having your songs sung in chorus in a Best Western hotel next to a motorway by groups of drunken middle-aged men standing in a circle with their ties tied around their heads, air-guitaring away and getting the lyrics wrong. (I suspect this is very much the way that my neighbour Stan spent his early Sunday mornings back in the day.)

So, where was I? Oh yes. Oasis. Desert Island. So in the early 90’s I was working for a large computer company that no longer exists, having been bought over by a company that makes printers as well as, it turns out, a malt vinegar-based sauce, blended with tomato, dates, tamarind extract, sweetener and spices. They’d send us down for a week to Farnborough where we had a training centre. Essentially, this training turned into a week-long binge-drinking session on account of our ridiculous per-diem rates which allowed us, if we pooled our resources together, to clean out the hotel mini-bar every evening for a week and still come out the other end with money to spend. So we’d get drunk, then decamp to someone’s room where we’d all sing along to “Angels” at top volume.

After one particularly gruelling trip in which I had learned nothing except the price of a pint of Bailey’s (£27 back in the day, or £45 in today’s money) I remember hearing “Cast No Shadow” on the radio, and I remember thinking that this was not the way I imagined my life to go, in a shitty hotel in a shitty town, eating shitty food with a stinking hangover in a dining room full of photocopier salesmen from Guildford while the air show was going on (“shut the fucking windows!!”) . Somehow the words “Chained to all the places that he never wished to stay / Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say/ As he faced the sun he cast no shadow” resonated with me, and I resolved there and then to change my life, just as soon as I got back to Aberdeen.

So whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of a time in my life when change was needed, something I reflected upon sitting in Terminal 2 at Heathrow waiting for the flight back home.

It’s a song that fills me with hope, even though the lyrics are not that positive. I guess the message is not to turn into the man in the song - casting no shadow, being invisible, a nobody. It’s what I strive for everyday I think, though not always with success.

[boyishly-cute-and-masculine-too]

It was his 18th birthday and I received this text. I recognized him, of course. I stared at him since I first saw him freshman year, four years ago. I was too nervous whenever he was around, so I just never became friendly with him. He was a fellow student, but I can’t even say we were acquaintances. I knew his name is Atlas. I didn’t think he knew my name or that I even existed, to be honest. So receiving this text with no accompanying words made me think it was sent to me accidentally. I recognized the spot where he was. It was a favorite of mine that very few were aware existed. It was a bit off the beaten path and so I thought maybe it wasn’t accidental. How’d he get my number? It seemed that some effort was put into this by Atlas and so I decided to head there on my bike. ATLAS PART ONE Is it possible that Atlas had caught me looking at him? That hasn’t been for a while since I figured I was so out of his league, besides the fact that I’m gay and he is straight. He must be straight since he is popular with all the popular girls and his friendship group are mostly into sports like he is. I’ve seen him play basketball and he’s pretty good. At 5’10” he’s by far not the tallest, but he uses what he has as an advantage. He plays baseball, too. As a sophomore, he was only 5’7” and played shortstop. There too he was quick and instinctive and had what’s called “sneaky power” as he had the third most home runs in the league. I liked boys that knew how to use the cards dealt to him as advantageous, rather than complain about it. What I really dig about Atlas is how intense he gets when he is focused on whatever task is at hand. Whether positioning himself at shortstop as the pitcher delivers a pitch, or reading a book. He is laser focused when he’s talking with his friends. It’s like they’re the only person in the world as he listens to whatever is being spoken to him. Whether it’s a joke, in which he laughs and enjoys with a gusto and love of life like no other, or something serious that he seems to know how to best react. Sometimes a friend just wants to be heard, other times they are seeking a solution. He is adept at whatever comes his way. His girlfriends have always spoken kindly of him. That’s why I’m thinking, hoping really, that maybe he may play for the other team, my team. Doubtful, but this photo from my hideout is too curious. I check my email and I see a Facebook wish your friend a birthday greeting. The friend is none other than Atlas Cunningham. I pedal along with just my thoughts to keep me company. I stop, I need a moment to think. I fish the phone from my pocket and click on messages. It is still there. I think of how absolutely cute and adorable he is. I always loved his shape of his body. The wide shoulders and how his chest narrows at the hips. His belly is flat and his waist can’t be more than 27”. I like that he is strong with undeniable strength, yet skinny enough that his clothing always seems to be sliding off of his body. It’s like he is nude underneath the clothing, which by definition we all are. But, he seems to inhabit another dimension that separates his body from his clothes. A dimension I wouldn’t mind being a part of. That’s not to say his clothing doesn’t fit him and is oversized. On the contrary, everything he wears appears as if it were custom for him that very morning by the greatest tailor in the world. My favorite outfit for boys is the standard jeans, sneakers, tee-shirt, sneakers and ankle socks. It may sound simple and that’s because it is. But, that doesn’t mean it’s simple to pull off. (RESTAURANTS are said to have a chef make a simple order of scrambled eggs to determine whether to whether the jib interview will continue) I’d say the same is true if I were to judge a boy worth as a model. Atlas would pass that test so easily. He takes a pair of jeans and magically they are transformed as the greatest work of art once they’re on him. He makes them his very own. I am fascinated by every thing that Atlas does. He is magically … (continued below)

[stevesorgasmicriffs]

“ask her out, it couldn’t hurt.”

that’s the advice my younger brother jason gave to me as we were sitting on my bed in our shared bedroom. i was debating whether to ask vin, who sat behind me in my biology class, out on a date. well, more like an activity. something to test the waters out, since neither of us had quite yet built up the courage or strength for something more romantic. i always got nervous whenever the prospect even popped into my mind. so this would be good for now.

at home, our quarters were pretty tight. not cramped, but tight. we lived in a trailer park back behind the school. i wasn’t too self-conscious about it, though. in fact, the entire district in which we lived wasn’t the prettiest. but we still made ends meet.

our room had a bunk bed, and i took the bottom one, jase the top. the biggest reason for that was because he was considerably lighter than me. quite skinny. like a toothpick. but also because i had a giant plush flamingo that was essentially my comfort blanket, or rather, body pillow, that i cuddled every night. and that took up a lot of room. it was nearly as tall as me. jase didn’t mind it, though.

jason, or jase as i affectionately called him, was a peculiar kid. he always wore either a fedora or bowler hat, and always tipped it towards you when you met him. and he had the absolute weirdest obsession with axolotyls. those slimy pink lizard looking things with the gills that lived and breathed underwater. he had a plush one he still sleeps with every night, but it was actually green. and he got it at the zoo when we last went. and that was another thing. he was so crazy about them, that as soon as his eyes met the sign pointing to the amphibian exhibit, he’d tug my arm in that direction and drag me along as he took off running. when i told vin about this, their first response was “an axo-what now?” i laughed and said, “that was my exact response when he first introduced me to his obsession.”

unfortunately, they don’t sell them at the local pet store, perhaps because of how exotic they were. he was quite bummed about it. so his plush one would have to do.

people assumed he was just built different. my parents say he doesn’t need meds. “wonderfully whimsical” was what his teachers called him.

but none of them knew the torment he put himself through before he arrived to high school.

long ago, he used to not be my brother, but instead, my sister. and i would call her jayne. it wasn’t something he ever grew into. so, at the age of ten, he decided to do something about it.

our parents were respectful of his decision, and helped him along the way. and i was incredibly supportive as well. to be honest, i’d always wanted a brother. so i guess fate realized that they made a mistake, giving me a sister, and wanted to correct it. funny how those things work out, y’know?

last year, he underwent vocal surgery. and he had a bandage in the shape of an x on his throat to prove it. he said that he’s quite proud of that battle scar. and since then, he’s grown right into his deeper voice.

he also wears glasses now, to “complete the look,” he claims. he’s pretty funny whenever he’s not being a quiet string bean. he had to rest his voice for a bit of time as well. it sucked not being able to hear him. but we always passed notes to each other.

just like vin and i passed notes to each other in biology. only once did we get in trouble for it, and it honestly wasn’t even that bad.

often times, it did feel like i was passing those notes to jase. they were around the same height. and, in the same grade.

while i was a junior, they were both freshman. i got to show vin around the school a little during freshman orientation, as i was a volunteer that had signed up. really, i wanted to make a few new friends. because all the other juniors at my school were either popular and judgemental, or weird and dare i say not judgemental enough. it was a tough crowd to reside in. but i managed somehow.

anyway, vin struck my eye because they wore this cute green beanie that reminded me of my purple one i wore all the time during the winter. so that was the first compliment i gave to them.

vin was, i could tell, so nervous as we were walking through the halls on orientation day, maybe a bit too close to one another. “relax, don’t sweat it,” i kept reassuring them, maybe a bit too constant, and i’d rest my hand on their shoulder, maybe a bit too many times. but no matter, they didn’t seem to mind. that made me feel better about it.

they were mostly confused about their schedule, and so when i asked them if i could examine it, they showed it to me, and i was pleasantly surprised to find that we had the same fourth period class. and so we began to talk to each other a bit about our schedules. how i had drama camp, and pre-calculus, and gym class, since i skipped it as a freshman myself. they had gym first period, followed by english and government. i told them that i’d be taking u.s. literature next semester, and that i would be dreading taking it. i think they got a kick out of that.

so we continued to talk, eventually reaching the point where we could comfortably and casually exchange phone numbers.

and through texting non-stop that entire night (until 2 am no less), i got to learn all about their family, their mom, their stepdad, their baby sister named pepper. i was pleasantly surprised to find out that the stepdad was a gym teacher at our elementary school that i had years ago and that i used to have a fat crush on, but back then, he didn’t have a wife, or any children. but he lived with his brother and sister back at his parents’ place. his brother was my general education teacher, and his sister was vin and jase’s age. apparently she’d become one of the popular ones. one of the bullies. jase made sure to stay far away from her. i too made sure to steer clear of her, because it didn’t matter what grade you were, if you were an outcast, you were an outcast to all.

i began to talk a bit about my family, my mom, who was a secretary at the school, my dad, who i never really saw, but he worked in construction. and then all about jase. “oh, he and i are cool!” was what vin texted me. and i didn’t even bother to breathe a huge sigh of relief. i simply celebrated quietly. because making friends didn’t come easily to jase. everyone commented on how he was too quiet. but… he was always talkative towards me? oh, and to vin too. i wonder what it was about vin that struck him so fondly?

but eventually the subject of that question pivoted in my direction.

because now, i was starting to become smitten.

i’d hung out at their place once before, right around the beginning of the school year. we’d texted, made arrangements, executed the plan seamlessly. their house was amazing. beautiful. gorgeous. definitely not worthy of the presence of a bum living in a trailer park.

i was in awe. even their bedroom looked exquisite. the neighborhood i drove through to get to their place was like nothing i’d seen before.

and that was when i met vin’s family. their stepdad, who was carrying pepper in one arm (apprently it was a hard time separating those two) and he used the other to shake my hand. the most amazing part? he actually remembered me.

“louise, right?” he asked me.

“well, i kinda go by connie now,” i chuckled. “but impeccable memory!”

and then i got to meet vin’s mom, who was an absolute angel of a sweetheart. she made me these organic butterscotch cookies that tasted delectable.

and when i’d arrived to vin’s room, it was bright magenta and fabulous. it certainly beat my crimson wallpaper that was on the cusp of tearing itself right off the wall, that’s how fallen apart it’s gotten.

“my favorite color is pink,” they’d said in a joking tone, gesturing around the room. “i know, it’s pathetic.”

“no, no, i… i dig it. it’s a vibe.”

we spent the rest of that afternoon chilling on their bed, laying down, staring up at the ceiling. i got to meet their stuffed unicorn, whom they’d endearingly named brian. “you’ve got a stuffed therapy animal too? how neat,” i chuckled.

“yeah. isn’t it normal to have one?” they retorted.

“well, i mean…” i shrugged. “yeah, obviously.” then i told her about my flamingo. i forgot to mention, the same day jase got his axolotyl at the zoo, i got my flamingo at that same gift shop. we had trouble fitting it into my dad’s clunky sedan (which my mom was driving, since they shared that car).

and then vin began to rattle on and on about their fascination with wildlife and conservation, saving the animals, all that jargon. that was something her mom was helping her with. they wanted to start up a whole marketing campaign for it.

it was then i knew, they were for sure a keeper.

not that i had any background or idea of wildlife conservation in the first place. i wasn’t exactly a nature freak. but… just hearing them talk so passionately about it, made my heart swell to an immense degree. i was both awestruck and smitten.

so, i decided to make the place that i took them out on our date activity somewhere really special. somewhere that was out in the open. out in nature. out where the wildlife was.

a small pond, at the edge of the trailer park i lived at, where ducklings could waddle up to us and squeak out their hello’s. just us. and the ducks.

“does the trailer park ever get crowded?” vin asked me once.

and i told them, no, never, i kept a count of how many trailers there were, and there were 29. we lived in trailer number 13, overlooking the forest, and a gravel pathway. it was a nice view.

of course they instantly accepted the invitation, that i wasn’t too shy to simply write on a note, that i could muster up the audacity to verbally execute. and they seemed excited about it. which warmed my innards just about as quickly as the acceptance.

and so i drove us down, one friday after school (i made sure their parents were okay with it, as they normally picked vin up from school, and they were).

and as we were sitting together, swaying a bit, subconsciously holding hands, vin turned to me and said, ever so quietly, “y’know… i like it here. we should do this more often.”

i smiled and nodded, muttering “yeah, me too… i could get used to this.”

just like i got used to them calling me their girlfriend as the semester approached its end. and i was more than happy to have a partner in my life, and to hopefully keep them for the rest of it.

[caitimetravels]

fierce

-> minho x (fem!) reader

-> fandom: the maze runner

a/n: "'do your part'.. does being eye candy count as my part? cus it sure seems like it" - i had this idea and i really struggled to put it into a scenario so i hope this worked out well :/ anyways enjoy !

warnings: none? nothing explicit in this imagine, just mentions of flirting and inappropriate male attention i guess?

masterlist

you were a runner. you liked being a runner. it gave you a little more freedom than most gladers had. however, you didn't like the supposed popularity that came with it.

you were already the only girl and it annoyed you to no end when the boys would doubt your skills and how well you were able to do things. you could do everything they could.

maybe that's why you liked minho so much though. he never saw you as lesser. he knew you were good at your job, better than most of the boys anyways. you weren't scared to run the maze like they were either. you knew what you were doing.

maybe that's why minho liked you so much too. he thought you were great, you got your job done, you didn't complain. you were good at running, you had a good eye for detail, you were the one to point out the pattern the maze moved in in the first place. you were smart.

and you were pretty.

minho couldn't help blushing every time you stood near him. he didn't want to have a crush on you like so many other boys did. that was why he liked the teasing banter you two had going on, it distracted him from his crush and hid it from the other boys.

you were both competitive, always racing each other throughout the maze.

the races however were also what got you into trouble with newt. he constantly scolded the two of you, worried that one day you weren't going to make it back. you and minho always failed to hide your smiles when he did scold you, it was funny how angry he got and he always got worse when you did laugh.

you didn't think you saw minho as more than a running partner. maybe you could even call him a friend, most of your time was spent with him despite the fact that both of you were just doing your job. but why did you always wish that he would like you more than a friend? why was he the first boy to always come to mind? why did you wish he was the one flirting with you all time?

the same thing that annoyed you to no end was what you wished from minho. you wanted him to like you like you liked him. whenever someone called for your attention you hoped it was him. when someone would come up behind you, wrap their arm around you you wished it was him. you wanted him.

all these feelings made your irritation much worse. you were getting more angry with each boy that would touch you or make an inappropriate comment.

"piss off!" that was it. you had snapped. the whole glade seemed to freeze. the boy talking to you wasn't even the worst you had dealt with but he was treading on thin ice already with your heightened anger. you were just trying to enjoy your day off and once again it was ruined by another hopeful, horny boy.

"why won't you leave me alone?!" the boys looked shocked, you weren't just talking to the boy beside you. they knew what you were referring to. "don't you shuck faces have jobs to do?" you crossed your arms, glaring at the closest onlookers. they didn't move. alby stepped over, hoping to calm you down.

"y/n, calm down, we don't want you hurting anyone" he started, "remember our rules"

"our rules?!" you turned on him now, allowing the scared boy to rush away before you could yell at him again. you noticed newt sending chuck somewhere out the corner of your eye but ignored it. "maybe, alby, here's a suggestion, you make a new rule! tell everyone to shuck off!"

"y/n" he sighed heavily, obviously tired. "we only have three rules-"

"yeah, 'do your part', 'don't hurt another glader' and 'don't go outside those walls unless your a runner' i don't need reminding alby" you growled, "is being eye candy my part? 'cause it sure seems like it!"

you threw your arms up in exasperation, glaring at the boys still watching. quickly, they rushed back to their work, hoping to avoid any more confrontation. nobody wanted to anger you again.

"please, just- calm down-"

"calm down?! cALM DOWN?!"

before you could start a fight you felt arms wrap around your waist, lifting your feet off the floor so that you couldn't lunge at alby.

"careful" a familiar voice spoke into your ear. minho. "we don't want you breaking the rules"

you sighed, anger slowly leaving you. "i'm not breaking any rules"

"not yet you're not" he teased, gently letting you go now that you had calmed down.

"yeah well, i wouldn't need to if everyone would back off the first time i ask" you cracked your knuckles, still intent on making your point.

"stop that" minho shook his head, fighting a smile as he grabbed your hands. "you're meant to relax on your day off, not start fights"

"if you don't shut up i'm about to start a fight with you, pretty boy" you sneered, obviously playful. "i don't like your 'know-it-all tone"

"pretty boy?" minho smirked now, watching as your face turned red. "that's a new one"

"shut it" you crossed your arms, looking away.

"hm, no, i don't think i will" his face softened, "i do know one way to get everyone off your back.." he seemed unsure now, worried about your reaction.

raising an eyebrow, you glanced back over at him. "what?"

slowly he leaned in so that you could pull away if you wanted to. but you didn't. you knew what he was hinting at and you were definitely all for it.

you felt him smile. this was definitely what you wanted.

[hugheshugs]

Hey!! Can you write #46 for Jack Hughes?? Love the idea of blurb Saturday ☺️

hi nommie !! (thats what i call my anons now), thank u so much, im so excited to get started with it :)) and thanks for the request as well, idk this one kinda went weird but i hope u enjoy it nonetheless <3

"let me hold your hand."

you and jack weren't exactly the closest. it wasn't like you guys hated each other — in fact, it was quite the opposite. jack knew you had a crush on him.

he wondered how you could develop feelings for him after only a couple interactions... but then it got cute. he didn't like you back, at least he thought he didn't, but the way you blushed whenever he was in your sight was something sore to his eyes.

you didn't know he knew. he acted the same as he always did and you didn't suspect anything. he didn't want you to know, either. you guys were moreso acquaintances than friends — you barely ever talked — so he thought it would be odd of him to tell you.

the problem arised when he tried one upping his older brother. see, what happened was, their parents were praising quinn and everything he'd accomplished in such a short amount of time. jack got a little.. jealous, and sorta maybe told them he had a girlfriend — which he didn't. his family insisted on meeting the girl and now he was stuck.

he asked all the girls he knew. every girl he was friends with refused to be his "date." he almost gave up, until you showed up to your shift at the local smoothie bar — the most popular hangout spot, and where he just so happened to be spending his time.

he'd been complaining to his friends before he saw you, talking about how every girl simply refused to go out with him. he knew he was desired, which is why none of this made any sense to him.

you felt his gaze on you the minute you walked behind the counter and tried to act indifferent as you went through an array of customers. at the end of the line stood jack, making your heart skip a beat with every passing second.

"hey jack, what's up?" you asked, brow beginning to sweat.

"i need you to do me a favour," he said quickly, not even bothering to greet you.

it was odd of him to ask you for anything and he could see the confusion on your face moments after those words fell out of his mouth.

"listen, i asked every other girl i know and they all said no. you're my only hope, please."

"jack, that doesn't exactly make me want to do anything for you.. you know, you telling me i was the last person you thought of doesn't really help."

he sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "i need you to pretend to be my girlfriend, just for one night. i need to show my family i have someone."

it felt like a weird taste on your tongue. you didn't know how to describe it but you were quite taken aback yet intrigued. the idea of meeting his family wasn't exactly ideal (at the moment), but the idea of spending time with him was incredibly pleasant. of course, you didn't want to agree so easily so you tried playing it cool.

"what's in it for me?"

his face lit up. "really, you'll do it?"

"as long as i get something in return."

"i'll give you whatever you want, i promise."

and that was that.

--

it was awkward. jack picked you up after work and took you back home to get ready. he sat in the car the whole time and the ride was silent, other than him telling you everything was going to be casual and it was basically just a hangout at his house with his family.

you didn't tell him that made you more nervous than before. as you got to the house and stood upon the doorstep, jack unlocked the front door before turning to you.

"let me hold your hand."

"what?"

"we're dating, remember? we have to act like it," he explained, not waiting for a reply.

neither of you denied the feeling in your hearts as his fingers intertwined with yours. you'd be more willing to admit it but jack would take it to the grave if he had to. he'd realized then that maybe he knew the real reason he was distant with you this entire time.

everything went extremely well. from the moment you walked in, you were wrapped in inviting arms, and you realized where jack got all his charm from. it ran in the family for sure.

you stayed longer than you had expected to. jack left you to talk to his mom for a while, trying to keep the physical affection to a minimum. although he tried to keep you away, he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering back to you.

he hadn't noticed, even later, when he was sitting with his brothers. quinn and luke looked at each other with an oh my god look as he stopped his sentence midway to focus on you.

"buddy's whipped."

jack's head snapped towards luke. "what?"

"she has you wrapped around her finger," quinn explained in other words.

the gears in jack's head were turning. he was processing everything, from the way he's felt about you since the day you met until now. how maybe it was a blessing in disguise that no one else agreed to help him. how you were the only one willing to meet his family and put up a stupid act just because he was being stupid himself.

he was trying to protect himself, but then it hit him, that you were what he wanted all along.

he stood up from his seat on the couch and walked over to you hastily, pressing a kiss to your cheek when he reached you.

you looked up at him in shock. "what was that for?"

"c'mon, i'm taking you out on a date."

"wha—"

he didn't give you a second to reply, for the only thought on his mind was to finally treat you the way you've always deserved him to.

the way he'd always wanted to.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Azula’s friend but secretly dating Zuko behind her back

One of the first things you and Azula bonded over was your annoying brothers. Azula told you how her brother had stolen one of her best friends away from her and you related to that. Your twin brother was none other than Sokka of the water tribe, who was also very popular with women. Most of the women you knew liked him, from Yue to Toph to Suki to Ty lee! It sometimes felt like you were the second attraction in a friendship and so you and Azula quickly became close over your shared frustrations.

Then....you betrayed her.

Well, betrayal is a bit dramatic but maybe not given how upset she'd been when Mai and Zuko started dating. You knew that had been hard for Azula to process.  How difficult it had been wondering if her friends really liked her or just wanted access to her brother. So when you started liking Zuko you didn’t plan on acting on it at all. Then Mai broke up with him. 

Zuko was around at yours quite often, whenever he visited the water tribe he stayed in your home and when you visited the fire nation he extended the same hospitality. So throughout the years, you just naturally got closer and closer until....it happened. You started hanging out just the two of you and these occasions felt very date-like until Zuko just outright asked you out. You liked him and told yourself one date was fine, what harm could a single date do? But then as you kept seeing each other and one date soon progressed into many many more you knew your time to do the right thing and tell Azula you were dating her brother was approaching. 

However the idea of doing that idea terrified you. You guessed Azula wouldn’t take it well and didn’t want to lose your friendship with her because of your relationship with Zuko. You wouldn’t break up with Zuko just to make her happy but you also didn’t want to lose Azula’s friendship, so when Katara’s birthday arose you were fairly nervous. There was going to be a large party and all of Katara’s friends were coming...which included Zuko and Azula. You hadn’t been together with everyone since you and Zuko started dating so you had no idea how it would feel. The whole time you and Zuko would have to convincingly act like you weren’t a couple and not make anyone at the party suspicious of the two of you. So when Zuko’s ship got in you fixed your eyes on Azula and tried not to stare at him any more than usual. You greeted him formally and didn’t admire him as you usually would. You fell in step with Azula and decided just to focus on her. It wasn’t hard, you were best friends and very close...however fate was not on your side. You got seated across from him at dinner which felt like some sick punishment and struggled not to get lulled into conversation with him. It didn’t help that Zuko was in a playful mood. He kept making comments about the things you’d done on your date and then sending you sly looks across the table. When you met his eye he smirked blatantly and you lightly kicked him under the table. That only made Zuko chuckled and look adorable so you sighed and decided to just keep your eyes down the whole time to survive dinner. 

However, Zuko had no intention of stopping his teasing. After dinner you set about preparing the party for Katara tomorrow and having sent Sokka, Aang, Suki, Azula and Toph on their assigned jobs turned to your job of decorating. You were hanging streamers in the living room when you felt a hand curl around your waist. “Need some help there?” Zuko asked moving closer and he leaned up over you to hang it. “I could have done that myself” you smiled turning to face him and Zuko shrugged “I know you could’ve, but then I wouldn’t have been able to do this”. Zuko gently kissed your neck trailing down to your collar bone making you sigh. “Zuko...stop” you said faint heartedly and Zuko sensed that smirking "I don’t want to and you don’t want me to either, I can tell by how softly you said my name" he smiled "it’s been so long since we’ve had any time together". Your skin erupted in goosebumps and a shiver went down your spine as Zuko pressed closer against you. But you knew how badly this could end if literally anyone walked in. So swiftly you grabbed Zuko’s hands and twisted your way out of them. You held them tightly in one hand so he couldn’t try and slink around you again and used the other to make him look at you "Zuko we can’t okay, not on this trip. God knows i want to, i’ve missed you too but there’s too much that could go wrong i’m sorry". Zuko sighed but nodded his head "don’t worry i understand". Zuko’s shoulders sagged and you knew your insistance on keeping this quiet was difficult for him. "Thank you for understanding" you said hugging him quickly "i know it can’t be easy for you and I appreciate the effort you're going to for me". Zuko smiled resting his head on top of yours "it’s fine, i’d do a lot more for you if you asked but promise me it won’t always be like this....we will tell everyone soon?". You gulped but nodded pulling away "i promise, i will tell Azula...soon!". Zuko nodded “I believe you” and let his hands drop away from you. Not a moment later Sokka and Aang appeared in the room making the two of you jump. “Zuko just the man we need! We were thinking of making an ice sculpture, fancy some fire bending?”. Zuko nodded “sure” and with a last glance to you left the room. 

Hours later the party preparations finished you returned to your room which you were sharing with Azula for her visit. “Sokka made me blow up balloons” she said angrily “something about fire benders being full of hot air”. You smirked at your brother’s nerve when Azula’s next sentence wiped it off your face.  "Also I think Zuko’s dating someone again" Azula said softly and you paused. "Ow really?" you asked and she nodded "he’s been spending a suspicious amount of time in the southern water tribe lately. Lots of visits which he claims are diplomatic but I can’t work out what he actually does here! He doesn’t know that many people and so it got me thinking, y/n do you think your brother and mine....". "No Sokka's still with Suki" you said shaking your head. Azula sighed “and it’s obviously not Katara, she and Aang are basically married, have you seen him hanging around anyone else? He doesn’t know many people so it should be easy to spot". You paused pretending to think but were really just trying to buy yourself time. "Honestly i don’t pay much attention to him when he visits" you said cleverly covering your back "but i will from now on and let you know". "Thank you y/n" Azula smiled. You smiled back relieved Azula didn’t suspect anything and let out a large breath you’d been holding for this entire conversation. You were now more than ready for sleep and got into bed hurriedly. You laid your head on your pillow and closed your eyes utterly exhausted. 

"Goodnight y/n" Azula called and you nodded. You were very sleepy and after a long yawn smiled "good night Zuko".

You realised the name you’d said seconds after it came out of your mouth. 

You froze

As did azula.

"Did you just call me Zuko...". You blinked "did i? I’m sure i said Azula". Azula was quiet for 2 seconds before she shot up "it’s you!" she cried "you're the one my brother’s dating!". "No Azula that’s crazy!!! We'd just been discussing Zuko, that’s why he was on my mind!". Azula shook her head "you're lying! I can tell by the tone of your voice! You’re the new girlfriend aren’t you?". You sighed "Azula i’m sorry i was going to tell you...". "I can’t believe you" Azula yelled and suddenly the door opened. "What’s wrong?" Sokka and Zuko asked bursting in “we heard yelling” and Azula glared. "You! Couldn't just have Mai huh? Had to take another one of my friends? How about when you’re done with y/n you try things with Ty lee?". "Ow she told you...." Zuko frowned awkwardly. "No i worked it out!” Azula spat “Y/n accidentally uttered your name because she’s so lovesick" Azula cried "you both make me sick" and she strode away slamming the front door hard as she exited the house.

After Azula left you all looked at one another unsure what to do or say next. "So...you two are a thing?" Sokka asked and Zuko paused "yes...is your reaction going to be as bad as Azula’s or can i go deal with her?". Sokka shook his head "go deal with her before she burns the village down”. Zuko went to move past Sokka when your brother put a hand to his chest "but come back and see me after, me and Katara will want to talk to you about dating our sister". Zuko surprisingly looked intimidated and nodded "I'll be right back". "Zuko wait i should come too" you called "this is as much my fault as yours". Zuko nodded "let’s go" and led you outside into the cold night after Azula.

You found Azula trekking in the snow and as she wasn’t in proper shoes you gained on her quickly. “Azula!” you called and she jumped. She looked around and glared “ow look the happy couple, how nice of you to grace me with your presence”. Zuko rolled his eyes “only you’d be so attention-seeking to make this about you”. “Attention seeking? Who’s the person who can’t form his own friendships or respect boundaries? No always have to date my friends, is it some weird way for you to gain power over me? A sad way to boost your ego?”. As Zuko and Azula went to square up to each other you stepped between them. “Alright enough the both of you! Zuko please go back to the house, i’ll handle this”. “But she...”. “Zuko please” you said sharply and he nodded “fine” and with a glare left. You watched him go before turning back to Azula. You’d been about to suggest you go home given that Azula was surely freezing out here in the middle of the night but Azula broke into a rant. "Everyone leaves me for him" she cried "Mai! My uncle! Mother! Even my father...after i was smarter, a better fire bender, more loyal and younger he still gave Zuko every little chance and only crowned me after Zuko literally ran away! When will i be good enough people don’t just choose him without a second thought for me?". "Azula i didn’t choose Zuko over you! Just because i like Zuko doesn’t mean i don’t like you still". "That may be true but this changes our friendship completely, it did with Mai! People always prioritise their partners over their friends so i’ll be second best once again". "Are you kidding?" you asked "Azula now i need you more than ever! Relationships aren’t when you ditch your friends, they’re when you need them the most! Who else are you going to go to for a break or a nice getaway? Who else is going to support and love you in only the platonic way a friend can? Who else can i complain about Zuko to when he annoys me or we fight?" you asked "they’re all things you need your friends for! Desperately and that’s going to be the same for me". "But when Mai dated him...". "But i’m not Mai" you smiled softly "Azula we are good friends, i won’t sideline you because of this. You mean just as much to me now as before i started dating Zuko". Azula huffed but you could see her melting. "So...how about we go inside, get some warm milk and talk a bit more about this huh?". You offered Azula your hand and she took it but she didn’t stop there. Azula threw her arms around you and hugged you tightly. "I’m partly doing this for the cold but thank you" she said softly "nobodies ever tried to make me feel supported when they've chosen Zuko, they just tell me to deal with it but you’re the first to try and reassure me and so i know you mean it, to still be my friend". "Of course" you smiled "you're my best friend!". Azula smiled and linked her arm through yours "i like that!”. 

Zuko stared in awe as you and Azula returned grinning. "How did it go is everything okay?". You nodded "your extremely cool sister is fine with it". "Yes i thought this would be a great way to have an inside scoop on you zuzu". "She’s kidding i won’t talk to her about you...a lot". Zuko blinked "okay if everything's okay then i should go speak to Sokka and Katara, they’re waiting for me in the kitchen". Azula smiled "that’s a good idea, when you come back zuzu find me, i have some threats about what will happen if you hurt my best friend". You smiled at Azula and stepped to Zuko "good luck but don’t worry Sokka’s all bite, Katara’s the one to look out for but she has a big heart, just tell her how good a time we’ve had and you’ll be fine". "Good tips, any for my sister?". You smiled "Azula is one i have not worked out yet" you grinned "but i’m sure you’ll manage, you are the firelord after all". Zuko smirked and you patted his shoulder "after your appointment with my brother and sister and then your sister....you could always come find me in your room?". Zuko smiled "is that my motivation for surviving this?". You shrugged "you can think of it as that" and stepped away from him. Zuko watched you before sighing "alright let’s get this over with” he said loudly and strode towards the kitchen.

You turned back to Azula who raised an eyebrow at Zuko’s sudden confidence and she frowned. "Do i even want to know?" Azula asked and you shook your head "no". “Ow and don’t worry if I’m not in our room tonight”. “Euch Y/n!” Azula cried and you shrugged “what? I didn’t say why”. “I know why” she sighed before she smiled “at least I can have your bigger bed”. “Be my guest” you smiled, you had a firelord to get reacquainted with.