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stephspurs · 3 years

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A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction

Life is beautiful and life is cruel. This is a window into the souls of the victorious and the vanquished. In a way, football did come home during the summer of 2021. Follow along Amelia’s journey, navigating the football world as a tactical analyst for the Italian football team, with a brother and father part of the three lions. Will Amelia leave Italy and come back to England? Will she leave the Serie A for the Prem? Will she set aside the bianconeri stripes for new colours, leaving behind friendship for love? Maybe she can have both...

Wow - the response i received in a little under 24 hours since i posted the first taste of part 1 has truly bowled me over! I wasn't expecting that reaction & tbh i would have been happy if 2 people wanted to read this story hahaha! So, i've been writing in the background & the first few parts have already been proofed and are ready to go. HOWEVER! I am open to your suggestions so please please let me know what you think and how you want to see Amelia's story play out. As far as i'm concerned, this fic is as much yours as it is mine! So please enjoy this first part, in its entirety, and let me know your thoughts! Love always,

Steph xx

UPDATE as of 31/07: I've made some additional editing changes due to some feedback about the confusion between ben white (her brother) and ben chilwell (not her brother LOL). Nothing has been added to the story, just the addition of either surname has been added where i think it could be more straightforward - for future readers!

Part 1 | prima parte

warnings; none - maybe a bit of angst? (what sibling rivalry doesn't have a bit of angst)

word count; 1978 words

writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter.

next update; Sunday 25/07 5pm AEST. Updates will be twice weekly at this stage. Probably Wednesday’s and Sundays from next week!!

link to fic masterlist here

The world of football, no matter how big it may seem, is as tight as a close-knit family. Whether its management staff, senior players, scouts, academy players, business developers, medical team, groundskeeper - everyone knows someone who knows someone else involved in the sport. For Amelia White, it was a family affair.

Having grown up with her father as a senior tactical analyst for many different clubs throughout his career, and an older brother currently playing for Brighton in the Premier League, there was no opportunity for her to escape the fanaticism of the sport. It was what her household lived and breathed, football. Most would think that, with her brother being as successful as he is now, her childhood was shadowed by her brother's success but that's not the case. She capitalised on her ability to think both logically and creatively, and absorbed all of the information her father could give her as if she was a sponge, to establish a name of her own in the sport and advance her career in the sport. At the age of 21 she upped and left the comforts of her home in West London, accepted a position at Juventus within their graduate program & worked her way up the ranks to be their youngest tactical analyst by the age of 24.

So far in her career, the support of her mother, father & brother were unmatched by any. They were all so proud of her for making her own name, proving herself and succeeding in one of the most competitive football leagues in the world. She was smart, tactful, both meticulous and ruthless in her approach to her career and the success of her players. Because after all, they were her players. She worked day in and day out, studying them and their opponents, drafting performance plans and set pieces for every possible outcome of the play, so that they could perform at their best. They had her trust and faith, and she had theirs. This is probably what her family was most proud of, and wished her every success, until she was appointed as a tactical analyst for the Italian National Team for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. Which happened to be the same tournament that her brother had received his call up to the Three Lions. Which was the current level at which her father was a senior tactical analyst for the English National Team. The Euro 2020 Tournament was about to be a real family affair...

10 July 2021

It had been 2 months since she last had any contact with her family. 3 months ago, Amelia signed a contract with the Federcalcio, the governing body of football in Italy, to become the Azzurri’s tactical analyst for the foreseeable European Football Championship. In turn, her silky signature at the bottom of the agreement, also constituted a digital and physical contact ban with members of her family that were also involved with the tournament...her father and her brother.

At the time of the contract, and against her better judgement, Amelia hadn’t told her family of her opportunity. She knew her father would be proud, but her brother would be bitter. Her mother was switzerland, completely neutral and rooting for both of her children - but that's not how football works. No matter your role you have a job to do, and you do everything you can to make sure it is your team that lifts the trophy at the end of the tournament. So, on May 23rd her family congratulated her for another successful season at Juventus, and unbeknownst to them, said goodbye for the next 2 months. Until the day before the final match of the tournament, Italy v. England.

Her heart dropped when England won their semi final match against Denmark. She wanted nothing more than for her brother to be happy and for her father to succeed, but she didn’t want to have to go up against them in the final. Ultimately, she knew they were good, but she also knew that she could hold her own and compete with the best. Having a close relationship with her brother, up until this period, meant that she often paid attention to the premier league. This was a major benefit to her as she had already started analysing the azzurri’s opponents. It was her job to know what foot Raheem Sterling preferred to pass with, what direction Declan Rice preferred to take the ball up the field, what direction of receiving the ball did Harry Maguire struggle the most with. So that's how she spent the three days between matches, solidifying her knowledge of her opponents & predicting the plays her dad would be instructing the English team to complete, to attempt to outperform the Italians. However nothing would prepare her for the knock on her suite door, or for what was on the other side…

_____________________________________________________________

“Ciao Amelia, vieni con me per favore. abbiamo organizzato una visita supervisionata con tuo fratello prima della finale di domani sera. sorpresa!” (hi amelia, come with me please. we have arranged a supervised visit with your brother prior to the final tomorrow night. surprise!). I stood there in shock staring at one of my players & closest friends, Federico Bernardeschi. I was a person who didn't enjoy spontaneity, who thrived off of preparation and organisation. I needed the opportunity to overthink every situation so that I could prepare for every possible outcome. This was not my idea of a good time. Of course I missed my brother, but I know just how volatile he can be. Nevertheless, I grabbed my jacket and shoved my sneakers on before following Fede down the hall and into a blacked out van that was waiting to take me to St. George’s Park for my family reunion.

Upon arriving, and after a stern pep talk from Fede (who was my appointed supervisor for the visit - not sure I would say he was the most responsible choice but he did talk some sense into me) I walked into the main entrance and saw my father leaning against the reception desk waiting for me.

“Papa!!” I called as I walked over to him, ready to smother him with my love and affection. My father, Dean White, and I had as good of a relationship as possible, being that he was always heavily involved with my brother Ben’s footballing career as well as his own. I think when I came along, my father didn't know how to be a girl dad, so he took my mothers advice and just involved me like he would Ben. I was glad that I would be seeing him first, and he would be taking me to see my no-doubt pissed off brother.

“Dad, this is Fede, one of my players”

“Ciao Dean, it’s very nice to meet you but i am also her bodyguard for this evening” Fede introduced himself to my father and they exchanged pleasantries. I had a look around the foyer of the facility until I heard my name brought up in conversation.

“Amelia, come on. The boys are just over here. I don’t think you have long before heading back to your camp” My dad called to me. Boys? As in...more than just my brother?

“Hahaha that's funny dad, just show me to his room and we can have our screaming match there. Should only be about 20 or so minutes”

“Ben’s not in his room, we have a recreation room for the players and staff to lounge about and relax in. Pretty sure he’ll be in there. Come on, you’ve never been scared of your brother before. Why start now?” Before I knew it, Dad was leading us through some doors and into a large common area with bean bags, pool tables and couches - all occupied by current first team members of the English National Football team.

“Dean mate, don’t normally see you down here after 7pm. Oh look at that, someone let the trash in.” A loud mouthed player, that I used to adore as if he was my own brother, calls out as he notices us enter the room. And just like that, I shake off my nerves, stand in front of my taller & more argumentative bodyguard, relax my shoulders and stare into the eyes of Kyle Walker - daring him to challenge me and push me further.

“Relax Kyle, Benjamin White - your sister is here to see you.” Dad cut Kyle off. I didn’t need him to defend me against Kyle’s harsh comments, I could defend myself.

“Wow, I thought hell would freeze over before I got the opportunity to speak to you. Of course, I didn't realise hell would look quite like seeing you in that shade of blue.” My brother, Ben, spoke bitterly at me as he approached me from the other side of the room. This, coupled with Walker’s exclamation earlier, got the attention of the majority of the players scattered about.

“Ben, if you let me explain in private I'm sure you will be able to understand why things had to be this way” I tried to reason with him. Letting go of my always-defensive guard and pleading with my big brother to open his mind to see my side of the story.

“As if I would even talk to you right now, the night before the final, you’re probably here to try and get some insider information. Boys make sure you don’t say anything to her, she’s as sly as they come” Ben’s words were as sharp as a knife - but I knew what I had to say would cut him deeper.

“Ok that's enough! You are ridiculous! What did you expect me to do? Not take the job because you’re my brother? This is my career we are talking about here” I challenged him. “If you think for one second i stopped supporting you then you must be even more stupid than i thought. Of course this isn't the ideal situation, I'm proud of you for reaching a final but I'm just as proud of myself for doing the same thing.” I got progressively closer to my brother, who stood there with his hands beside himself, unable to get a word in.

“I came tonight to wish you good luck, to tell you I loved you, to give you a hug and tell you to stay safe and play smart. Whilst I still wish all of this for you, I now want you to know that I want you to play your best so I can be better than you. I can show you exactly how good at my job I am. I want you to know that no matter what way you play the ball, I'll be right there waiting for you. I am prepared for this, I hope you are too - so that it will feel that much more sweet when we beat you” I sneered at my older brother, who at this point, is quite visibly feeling a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

I take a step back, let out a breath and shake the tension from my shoulders. Breaking eye contact with my brother, I look briefly - yet confidently - at the other players in the room and take a step back. I turned to my dad, who was looking at me solemnly, as though he wasn’t happy with my outburst but understood it came from a place of frustration with my sibling. Walking up, giving him a kiss on the cheek and wishing him luck, I turned to look at Fede and began to walk to the door. This interaction with my brother, although supposed to be a nice moment shared between siblings, has only gone and motivated me to be at my best tomorrow, to prepare my players to go to war and to come out the other side victorious.

Part 2 | seconda parte

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rosyfingereddawnn · 3 years

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That’s The Way (Chapter 2)

Pairing: Jimmy Page x Reader

Word count: 3.3k

Warning(s): mentions of cheating, cursing

Author’s notes: Hey y’all, welcome to Chapter 2! Thank you so much for all your positive feedback and responses. A little heads up: Jimmy is not in this chapter...since this is a slow burn, he’ll be introduced in Chapter 4, but it won’t be long, I promise. Just sit tight! As usual, please enjoy, happy reading, and send us messages if you have theories, comments, music recommendations for the playlist, or if you want to be added to the tag list :)

Chapter 1

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Evening of 4 May 1965

Walking into the kitchen, Y/N slid into a seat between her brothers, Tommy and Charlie, just as her mum was placing platters of that night’s dinner on the table. A sinking feeling in her stomach plagued her all day, as she knew that she would be interrogated intensely by her family about the previous night. More importantly, she knew that if they felt that any of the musicians had viewed her as a possible love interest, she’d be in big, big trouble.

“Dad, can you pass me the vegetables, please?” Y/N asked her father, sitting a few seats down from her. If the girl hadn’t been glancing down at her plate to avoid eye contact, fighting the gut feeling that the inevitable would soon occur, she would have seen him glance at her from over the frames of his glasses.

“Sure, dear,” he replied, briefly looking up from the newspaper he was reading as he gave Y/N the dish. The clanking of utensils on plates was all that could be heard until Charlie broke the seal by asking the dreaded question.

“So Y/N, how was the concert last night?” he asked, raising the glass of water in his hand to his lips. Y/N couldn’t blame Charlie for asking, because he had no idea what had happened, but she knew that this conversation could go south fast. Tommy’s hums of laughter quietly escaped his lips, and Y/N nudged his arm from under the table, giving him a glaring look that sent daggers from her eyes. It screamed, “Shut up!”, and another bout of giggles was the only response.

Tommy knew the outcome of last night because of what Carolyn had babbled to him on the car ride home, and was doing everything in his power to tease his sister.

“Why are you laughing, Tommy?” Y/N’s mum asked, finally taking a seat between Charlie and Lillian. Silence settled over the table as all eyes locked on to the oldest daughter, and Tommy evilly smiled at Y/N, who only glared at him again. “No reason. Actually, I think Y/N should tell you instead.”

Y/N huffed as she put the dish of roasted chicken, generously seasoned and herbed, back in the middle of the table. She painted on a smile before answering, “It went pretty well. Brilliant show.”

“That’s it?” her dad asked, folding up the newspaper, knowing his daughter was downplaying it.

“Yeah, Y/N, that’s it?” Tommy added. Y/N knew he was taunting her, but the rest of the table did not pick up on it. From under the table, Y/N’s leg begins to bob up and down, and she bites her lip, debating whether or not to tell the whole story. It’s obvious they’re not going to be happy…

“My God, Tommy,” With an exasperated sigh, Y/N, very annoyed at her brother’s pushing, throws her hands up in unwilling acceptance. “Fine, Carolyn and I were invited backstage, and we met the band.”

The table audibly gasped, the loudest of course being Lillian, who looked disappointed, almost devastated at the revelation. Her lips turn down in a sulk, and she rests her cheek, almost permanently flushed with youth, on a fist. “You promised me you wouldn’t let any boys mess with you, Y/N!”

Y/N reached her hand across the table to hold her sister’s in an attempt to coax her. “They didn’t, Lil. We just talked for a while. I just made some new friends last night, that’s all.”

Lillian’s frown turned upside down, content that her sister was safe, a naïve smile that Y/N felt a little guilty about. She, along with Charlie and their parents, didn’t know that most members of the band had shamelessly flirted with her and invited her back to see them again. Tommy was the only one aware, and Y/N made him promise to keep the whole rendezvous a secret. Carolyn had brought the flirting to Y/N’s attention on the car ride home, because in the moment, she didn’t think much of it.

“If they’re mean to you, I’ll be mean to them, just for you!” Lillian exclaims through a mouthful of mush, and the table burst into laughter, shaking their heads in amusement.

“How did it go?” Y/N’s mum asked, cutting into her chicken with a knife and fork. For the first time over the course of the whole dinner, Y/N broke into an unadulterated smile at the memory. “It was really nice, genuinely. They were all so sweet to us, and we just bonded over music and stuff.”

Y/N’s mother quirked her brow. “No ‘you know what’?”

“No Mum, nothing explicit. It was good, clean fun. Seriously.”

“Alright, I hope you’re telling the truth… I’m happy you had a great time.”

“She is telling the truth, Mum,” Tommy quipped through bites of roasted potatoes, “I can attest to that.”

Y/N’s mum smiled, but her dad piped up with some two-cents of his own. “Musicians are a tough crowd, Y/N. Very fickle blokes, their attractions change all the time. You can’t get too attached to them, dear, you’re just a small fish in a very big sea.”

“I know, Dad,” Y/N replied, trying to sound understanding. She couldn’t lie to herself, though. The Yardbirds made her feel very special last night, and disappointment was lurching in her stomach at the comment. As much as her father’s words stung, she harbored a small feeling of hope that they truly enjoyed her company and meant what they said.

After everyone finished dinner, and Charlie and Lillian left the table to go play in another room, Tommy, wallet in hand, walked over to his mum, who was washing the dishes with the help of her husband.

“Hey Mum, I’m gonna take Y/N for ice cream,” he whispered, glancing at Y/N who was sitting in a chair in the living room, almost unconsciously playing with her fingers and staring out the window with a pensive countenance.

“Okay, love. Just bring something home for Charlie and Lillian,” she replied. Tommy walked over to Y/N, tapping her shoulder. The girl looked up at him, confused.

“I’m taking you for ice cream. Let’s go,” he said, already walking towards the door. Y/N grinned, then chased after her brother to the car.

~~~~~~~~

27 June 1965

Y/N and Carolyn weren’t able to attend as many Yardbirds gigs as they would’ve liked in the end of May and beginning of June, as they had exams at school. Now that they were over, Y/N could be fully immersed in the travelling British rock and roll circus for the greater part of the summer.

The girls agreed to make a venue change tonight: instead of going to the Marquee, as they usually did, they decided to go to the Crawdaddy Club. Y/N hoped Jeff, Chris, Paul, Jim, and Keith would remember them by their faces instead of just their clothes, because there was no need to wear school uniforms anymore.

Carolyn decided to drive to this particular gig, probably because she was expecting the two of them to go backstage again, as having her own car would grant them more time with the band then that first night at the Marquee.

The Crawdaddy Club was architecturally and aesthetically different from the Marquee; there were no chairs or booths, so standing was the only option, and the boundary between the stage and the audience was virtually nonexistent. The ceilings were low and beamed, and the stage backdrop had a painting of a measure of music. Y/N thought that particular touch was a bit cheesy.

Carolyn and Y/N walked in together, squeezing past the army of fans already hoarding the front of the stage. They managed to find a spot by Jeff’s side of the stage, his amps towering a few feet from where they stood. Thankfully, they were able to see most of the stage, including Jim’s drum riser in the back. The conversations among all the audience members were deafening, but Y/N heard a loud whisper within her periphery that she could just make out.

“Pssst! Y/N!” a familiar voice whisper-shouted, which was followed by a wave.

It was Jeff, widely smiling with his guitar slung over his shoulder. He was walking out the backstage door, meticulously making sure the door wouldn’t harm his guitar in any way. He then waited near the stage steps to go on, which the girls discerned could be any minute now.

“Oh my God, Jeff!” Y/N replied excitedly as she walked over to the steps. She made her way through the crowd, a lot more ungracefully than she would’ve hoped.

“It’s so cool to see you at some place other than the Marquee,” Jeff said. He looked genuinely happy that she was there. Maybe Y/N’s dad was wrong about these “fickle musicians”.

“We’re happy to be here! I’m so sorry I couldn’t make any more since the last time… exams and school and all.”

“Oh, that’s where you were! I hope you got good marks,” Jeff playfully grinned, “because you ought to mind your studies, Miss Y/N. Sam was starting to think he scared you off and that you didn’t want to come back.”

Y/N scrunched her nose in a confused way, as if to say “who?”, which resulted in a soft chuckle from Jeff.

“‘Sam’ is Paul’s nickname.”

Y/N nodded in understanding with an endearing smile. “Oh, okay. That’s definitely not it, then. I was just stuck with exams and graduation, that's all. Be sure to tell him that.” A wink punctuates the end of her sentence, and, gearing up to respond, Jeff is interrupted by a sharp noise next to him. Mere seconds later, another familiar face entered the scene, walking out of the door. Chris Dreja, also with his guitar slung over his shoulder, warmly smiled at Y/N as he closed the door behind him.

“Hello, Y/N. It’s so lovely to see you again,” he greeted. She noticed that he had a substantially deeper voice than the other four, something she hadn’t the last time they met since he was talking with Carolyn and Keith.

“Hi Chris! Same to you,” Y/N grinned.

“No uniforms this time I see,” he teased, discreetly scanning how stunning he thought she looked.

Y/N laughed. “Yeah, I’m off from school for the summer so there’s no need anymore, thank God. Now I can attend your shows more frequently, and wear a decent outfit too!”

“That’s great to hear. We do love your company.” Y/N beamed at his comment, unconsciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Chris’ eyes track the movement, and he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He thought Y/N was beautiful, but he had a wife and a child on the way. He also felt a little jealous that Paul and Jim had their eyes on her, but there was not much he could do about it. If he was cunning and quick enough to steal Y/N before they had the chance, though, and if his wife never found out…

Quickly regaining his wits, he remembered why he was sent out. “Jeff, Keith needs you backstage again.”

Jeff groaned. “What? I thought we were starting, like right now!”

“I know, I know. We were supposed to, but he wants everyone backstage again for some reason.”

“Ugh, this is why he can’t fucking be in charge,” Jeff replied, clearly annoyed. Then, as Chris was heading backstage once again, Jeff pulled something out of his pocket, a knowing smile on his face.

“Here, love, have this. You’ll be needing it after the show,” he said, placing a card with a lanyard attached to it into Y/N’s hands. Y/N smiled giddily.

“Thank you. Good luck with that meeting, and good luck in the show, even though you don’t really need it,” Y/N replied playfully.

“Oh, I think I need it more than you think I do,” Jeff smirked, disappearing behind the door.

~~~~~~~~

Just minutes later, The Yardbirds came out and played their set, which lasted a couple hours, and didn't fail to stun the crowd. Y/N and Carolyn received a lot more smiles of recognition than the last time at the Marquee, since the boys knew who they were now. The only similarity to last time was the electrified fans who were completely immersed in the music.

Jim McCarty, in particular, looked at Y/N a lot more often throughout the show than he did last time. She caught him a couple times, which was really embarrassing on his part, but not the entire time, much to his pleasure. He didn’t think it was possible, but it seemed that she had grown even more beautiful than last time.

Was it absence that made his heart grow fonder? Possibly. Was he in love? Yet another possibility. Did he know for certain? Perhaps, but he wasn’t exactly sure yet.

Besides focusing on the music, Paul’s mind was elsewhere. He was planning on asking Y/N out on a date with him sometime this coming week. He hoped she’d accept, since she did an awful lot of blushing and giggling around him when they met in May, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Paul was concocting the perfect formulation of words so that she couldn’t refuse the offer. She looked like the type of girl who would enjoy a nice dinner date, and he would do anything to make that a reality for her.

Chris’s mind was the opposite of Paul’s: he didn’t want to think about Y/N because in the event he did, he knew he would mess up a chord or two on the guitar.

God, he thought, she was perfect. Purely enchanting.

Jeff was just happy, almost giddy, that he’d found a new friend in Y/N. He knew she was special, and he hoped she trusted him, because some people in this business could be very sleazy. She was different from all the girls a lonely musician would find on the road. Y/N was the type of girl that Jeff wanted to see after a thousand and one nights touring, catching up and sharing stories over a pint. Sure, he had a steady girlfriend, but something about Y/N was comforting, friendly, and trustworthy. Just what he needed in a friend.

The set was similar to the one at the Marquee, but with little variations here and there, still holding the audience under a trance. After the performance’s conclusion, Y/N rummaged through her pocket and showed Carolyn the backstage pass given to her by Jeff, to which Carolyn squealed with delight. Y/N took Carolyn’s hand and walked with her to the door, showing the security man her prized relic. At once, they were granted access, and they skipped and trotted and leapt down the hall in excitement.

When the pair got to the correct door, Y/N took a deep breath and knocked a couple times; momentarily, they were greeted by a smiling, but sweaty, Jeff Beck.

Y/N didn’t care. “Brilliant show, my friend,” she gushed, giving Jeff a congratulatory hug.

“Thank you,” he replied gratefully, reciprocating it with a beaming smile, “security didn’t give you trouble I hope?”

“No, we were fine, thankfully.”

“Good to hear, good to hear. Well, come on in!” Jeff exclaimed, getting out of the way of the doorframe, “do you fancy yourselves a drink?”

Y/N and Carolyn walked into the room, starstruck once again by all five of The Yardbirds being in one place. This time, some members of the road crew, management, and lighting company were there as well, chatting and planning among themselves. They all greeted the girls amicably, and grabbed some chairs and arranged them in a similar formation to the Marquee.

“Um, yeah, sure, if you don’t mind,” Y/N accepted as she sat down, throwing a kind “thank you” over her shoulder at the roadie that had brought her chair over, voice a little lost in amazement at the current happening.

“Here, I’ll get it,” Jim said with a smile, “you stay put.”

“Thank you, that’s so sweet,” Y/N grinned appreciatively. She could feel herself warming up to these guys, as she didn’t feel as nervous as the last time. But a little twinge of it was still there, rippling through her stomach.

Jim was turned away from Y/N getting the drinks, so she wasn’t able to see him blush. He found it unbelievable, the effect she had on him.

The whole group was sharing conversation and laughs over drinks for almost three hours, but it was almost as if time did not pass. They talked about music, books they liked, restaurants they recommended, places they’ve travelled to, philosophy, history, the environment, conspiracy theories...you name it.

Y/N and Carolyn stood up from their seats, as a cue to the party that they had to leave soon. Paul, who again was sitting next to Y/N, tapped her shoulder. Turning to face him, Y/N could see the flush on his cheeks, and the way he was almost curled into himself.

“Hey Y/N, can I ask you a question really quick?” he asked, much more nervous than he sounded a few seconds ago.

“Yeah, sure,” she smiled. Y/N, taking his outstretched hand, found herself being whisked away by Paul to a corner of the room, near a row of vanities attached to the wall. She hoped that the others were all too distracted talking, so that no one would notice her and Paul’s absence.

Looking at each other, face to face, the two smiled happily, as though there wasn't a care in the world.

Paul then took a deep breath, his expression turning more anxious. “Okay…” he exhaled, “here goes.”

“You don’t have to be nervous,” Y/N chuckled, “it’s just me.”

Paul’s face softened a little, gazing down at her. “But you see, that’s the whole point. It’s you. I have every reason to be nervous.”

Y/N’s face cascaded into a red flush, her lip quivering in the hopes of concealing a foolish grin. Paul reached down and grabbed Y/N’s hands, holding them in his own as Y/N’s heart started racing at what felt like two thousand miles a minute.

“I just wanted to preface this by saying that I, uh… I have been absolutely bewitched by you, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the night at the Marquee,” he began. Y/N melted with every word, but at the same time, she felt as if she had been electrically shocked. When she looked into the twinkling depths of his eyes, she couldn't help but swoon.

“So,” he continued, “I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime. If you’ll let me, of course.”

Y/N was at a loss for words, composure, and any sort of rationality. She never thought, in her wildest dreams, that a musician in a world-renowned band would fancy her. Just able to restrain an awestruck grin, she finally gave in.

“Yes,” she replied, happily breathless and dazed, “I would love to go out with you.”

Paul, ecstatic with her answer, beams down at her as she launches into his arms in a sweet embrace. He asked for her phone number and address, and, spotting a nearby miniature legal pad, she wrote everything down, signing it with a cartoonish smiling face and a heart.

~~~~~~~~

After Y/N and Carolyn had said their goodbyes and left the Crawdaddy Club, the five musicians were left alone in the backstage area, to relax after such an electric show. Jeff and Keith approached Paul, who was collecting his belongings in the corner of the room.

“Did you do it?” Jeff asked, face a picture of feigned nonchalance as he took a sip of his beer.

“Yes, I did it,” Paul grinned, bending down to grab something of his that had fallen on the floor.

“I guess she accepted by the look on your face,” Keith observed, a sardonic smirk on his handsome features.

“You’d be correct,” Paul replied.

“You wanker,” Jeff shook his head disapprovingly, “why would you bloody do that? You’re gonna break her heart!”

Paul’s expression quickly turned unimpressed. “Because if nobody here tells her, she’ll never know.”

What Paul had failed to tell Y/N was that he had a wife, with whom he shared a home. He felt bored, with all the travelling and the touring and the nonsense, so he wanted a lovely, intelligent young woman like Y/N to “keep him company”.

He knew he wasn’t in love with Y/N. Sure, he fancied her immensely, thought she was ethereal, but his heart truly belonged to his wife.

“Congratulations, Sam,” Keith said sarcastically, “you just potentially ruined a friendship with a very pretty bird.” It was clear that Jeff and Keith cared very deeply about Y/N and her happiness, because she was a great girl.

Paul rolled his eyes, annoyed. “You lot have to do me this solid and don’t say anything to her. It’ll work out fine. Oh, and spread the message to Chris and Jim so they don’t spill the beans either.”

“You fuckin’ owe me, Sam,” Jeff warned, already walking backwards towards Chris and Jim, “you owe me big time.”

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Taglist: @blood-on-blood @reincarnated70sbaby

#that's the way #jimmy page #the yardbirds #led zeppelin #jimmy page fanfic #jimmy page fanfiction #led zeppelin fanfic #classic rock fanfic

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bxllafanficc · 4 years

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Masterlist

Fanfictions:

Damiano David:

Take me out: (teasing)

Summary: Going laser tagging seemed like a great idea back then. But after an hour of both the teams refusing to surrender, Vic suggest that the only way you can bring your team to victory is a dirty one. And it involves seduction.

Matching YSL-bags:

Summary: You’re a writer coming to your favorite coffee shop to write and have a coffee just like every morning for several months now. Expecting everything to go exactly as it always does, you enter and take a whiff of the lovely scent of coffee and pastries. But had you entered that shop at all today if you knew that nothing would be like every morning leading up to now? Even if you knew in advance that the gorgeous stranger with eyes like melting honey you’d been watching for months would bump into you? That you’d by mistake put the notebook with embarrassing drawings of him in his Yves Saint Laurent bag, the same model as yours?

In your eyes: (angst)

Summary: one-shot angst of which Damiano misses to shoot his shot with (Y/n) and she ends up going home to her country for a month. Damiano believed in a few seconds of her return that their friendgroup would never change. However, much can happen in a month. (basically just Dami our poor baby being miserable so read on your own free will:))

Marvel

Bucky Barnes:

The winner takes it all (teasing, kind of smut)

Summary: When Steve and Natasha invites you to a game night laser tagging, you happily accept and pair up with Nat as your team player. When you later find out that Bucky's coming to, and with that, pairing up with Steve, you understand that the way to victory won't be a piece of cake. And the losers has to pay for pizza and drinks for the entire team. Needles to say, you have to win. And every creative way of getting there is an option.

What lies within our voice (part one)

Summary: The hottest current singing competition in your country; Beyond The Voice, is taking contestants for this years new season. And you’re competing, something you’ve dreamed of since you were a little kid. Your best friend Natasha joins you on your audition day with the assurance that everything’s going to go just as planned. As in; you preform, get all the standing ovations from the jury and then you go out to celebrate. But it doesn’t quite work like that, does it? Especially not when a handsome blue eyed singer with angelic pipes (and dare I say, jackass?) enters the competition and gives you some serious problems; both on a competitive and on a personal level.

Cap’s shirt; his girl (smut)

Summary: The laundry gets messed up on the day your boyfriend comes home from a hard undercover mission. Not a big deal, it would seem? Wrong. Cause when you accidentally wear one of Steve's shirts to Bucky's arrival, it's not the greeting he imagined from you. And he intends to show you exactly why.

Loki Laufeyson:

Lady of Mischief:

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part five

Summary: Asgard is having a change of power so there are several events Loki has to get right before he can announce victory as the next king. But one lady’s approval will change the whole outcome if the stakes are right. That lady is you, intended heir to the throne of Olympus but tied down to a marriage of convenience with one of the princes of Asgard. The prince you choose to marry will be the next king but you refuse to let yourself be a pawn in this game for power. Loki, with his intentions to take you as his queen has far greater reason to marry you than just for the reason of being king. You however, would rather cut off your left arm than exposing yourself for the fact that there’s another purpose besides Loki getting a throne to sit on.

For your entertainment (smut)

Summary: Loki decides to loosen up your sore shoulders with a tender massage after a hard days work. Little do you know that the God of Mischief also has something else in the back of his mind. And he let's you know it without hesitation. But if he only was prepared for what you were up to. And if he only would have known that there's a different side to you that you have yet to show.

A world without heroes - (angst)

Summary: Loki is imprisoned after the sudden attack on New York and with that, rest of the earth. And while you always thought you would have your lover's back, you find yourself unable to forgive this one. It's time for you to decide when enough's enough.

Steve Rogers:

Sparkling diamonds (smut)

Summary: Steve's sent out to receive a chip containing important intel from an undercover agent working at a strip club. Here's where the situation gets complicated. See, Steve knows how this job should be done in a proper professional manner but a subject is clouding his judgment, making him fall for the heat of the moment. The subject? You.

Star Wars

Anakin Skywalker:

My dear apprentice:

Summary: Things have been falling behind for Anakin lately. So how do the council plan to make him feel better? His own Padawan, of course! While Yoda thinks this is an extraordinary idea, both Anakin and the Palawan has some complaints.

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part five: (part 1) (part 2) Chapter 5 is divided into two parts since I reached tumblr’s maximun word limit. Sorry...

Part six

Yuri on ice

Yuri Plisetsky:

¡Skate/sing your hearts out!

Part one. Part two Part three. Part four Part five part six Part seven

Summary: After last year's cancellation of Figure Skating Grand Prix, Yuri Plisetsky finds himself unable to bring out his inner skater after a year of doing nothing but enjoy life like a regular teenager. That's when you enter the picture; We Are Voice Grand Awards's currently hottest competitive vocalist come first place two years in a row. Just like the other competitors of Grand Prix, it turns out that Victor and Yuuri faces the same issue. With an arrangement between Victor and Yakov, they agree to travel to Japan and hire you as a mutual coach for Yuri and Yuuri to help bring back the emotion into their performances like before, maybe even more intense than ever. Yuri however, who's never experienced issues with his coaches before, for some reason finds this one particularly difficult to coexist along with in their (reasonably) odd partnership.

Imagines:

Bucky Barnes:

Night at the bar

One-shots:

Damiano David:

In your eyes - angst

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nealiios · 3 years

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The Supernatural 70s: Part I - Corruption of An Innocent

"We're mutants. There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us - we're soldiers writers."

-- with apologies to the screenwriter of "Stripes"

Dear reader, I have the darkest of revelations to make to you, a truth when fully and wholly disclosed shall most assuredly chill you to the bone, a tale that shall make you question all that you hold to be true and good and holy about my personal history. While you may have come in search of that narrative designer best known for his works of interactive high fantasy, you should know that he is also a crafter of a darker art, a scribbler of twisted tales filled with ghosts, and ghouls, and gargoyles. I am, dear innocent, a devotee of horrors! Mwahahahaha!

[cue thunderclap, lightning, pipe organ music]

Given the genre of writing for which most of you know me, I forgive you if you think of me principally as a fantasy writer. I don't object to that classification because I do enjoy mucking about with magic and dark woods and mysterious ancient civilizations. But if you are to truly know who I am as a writer, you must realize that the image I hold of myself is principally as a creator of weird tales.

To understand how and why I came to be drawn to this sub-genre of fantastic fiction, you first must understand that I come from peculiar folks. Maybe I don't have the Ipswich look, or I didn't grow up in a castle, but my pedigree for oddity has been there from the start. My mother was declared dead at birth by her doctor, and often heard voices calling to her in the dead of night that no one else could hear. Her mother would periodically ring us up to discuss events in our lives about which she couldn't possibly have known. My father's people still share ghost stories about a family homestead that burned down mysteriously in the 1960s. Even my older brother has outré memories about events he says cannot possibly be true, and as a kid was kicked off the Tulsa city bookmobile for attempting to check out books about UFOs, bigfoot, and ESP. It's fair to say I was doomed - or destined - for weirdness from the start.

If the above listed circumstances had not been enough, I grew up in an area where neighbors whispered stories about a horrifically deformed Bulldog Man who stalked kids who "parked" on the Old North Road near my house. The state in which I was raised was rife with legends of bigfoots, deer women, and devil men. Even in my childhood household there existed a pantheon of mythological entities invented explicitly to keep me in line. If I was a good boy, The Repairman would leave me little gifts of Hot Wheels cars or candy. If I was being terrible, however, my father would dress in a skeleton costume, rise from the basement and threaten to drag me down into everlasting hellfire (evidently there was a secret portal in our basement.) There were monsters, monsters EVERYWHERE I looked in my childhood world. Given that I was told as a fledgling writer to write what I knew, how could anyone have been surprised that the first stories I wrote were filled with the supernatural?

"The Nightmare" by John Henry Fuseli (1781)

My formative years during the late sixties and early seventies took place at a strange juncture in our American cultural history. At the same time that we were loudly proclaiming the supremacy of scientific thought because we'd landed men on the moon, we were also in the midst of a counter cultural explosion of interest in astrology, witchcraft, ghosts, extra sensory perception, and flying saucers. Occult-related books were flying off the shelves as sales surged by more than 100% between 1966 and 1969. Cultural historians would come to refer to this is as the "occult boom," and its aftershocks would impact popular cultural for decades to come.

My first contact with tales of the supernatural were innocuous, largely sanitized for consumption by children. I vividly remember watching Casper the Friendly Ghost and the Disney version of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I read to shreds numerous copies of both Where the Wild Things Are and Gus the Ghost. Likely the most important exposure for me was to the original Scooby Doo, Where Are You? cartoon which attempted to inoculate us from our fears of ghosts and aliens by convincing us that ultimately the monster was always just a bad man in a mask. (It's fascinating to me that modern incarnations of Scooby Doo seem to have completely lost this point and instead make all the monsters real.)

ABOVE: Although the original cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You? ran only for one season from 1969 to 1970, it remained in heavy reruns and syndication for decades. It is notable for having been a program that perfectly embodied the conflict between reason and superstition in popular culture, and was originally intended to provide children with critical thinking skills so they would reject the idea of monsters, ghosts, and the like. Ironically, modern takes on Scooby Doo have almost entirely subverted this idea and usually present the culprits of their mysteries as real monsters.

During that same time, television also introduced me to my first onscreen crush in the form of the beautiful and charming Samantha Stevens, a witch who struggles to not to use her powers while married to a frequently intolerant mortal advertising executive in Bewitched. The Munsters and The Addams Family gave me my first taste for "goth" living even before it would become all the rage in the dance clubs of the 1980s. Late night movies on TV would bring all the important horror classics of the past in my living room as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Godzilla all became childhood friends. Over time the darkened castles, creaking doors, foggy graveyards, howling wolves, and ever present witches and vampires became so engrained in my psyche that today they remain the "comfort viewing" to which I retreat when I'm sick or in need of other distractions from modern life.

ABOVE: Elizabeth Montgomery starred in Bewitched (1964 - 1972) as Samantha Stephens, a witch who married "mortal" advertising executive Darren Stephens (played for the first five seasons by actor Dick York). Inspired by movies like I Married a Witch (1942) and Bell, Book and Candle (1958), it was a long running series that explored the complex relationship dynamics between those who possess magic and those who don't. Social commentators have referred to it as an allegory both for mixed marriages and also about the challenges faced by minorities, homosexuals, cultural deviants, or generally creative folks in a non heterogeneous community. It was also one of the first American television programs to portray witches not as worshippers of Satan, but simply as a group of people ostracized for their culture and their supernatural skills.

Even before I began elementary school, there was one piece of must-see gothic horror programming that I went out of my way to catch every day. Dark Shadows aired at 3:30 p.m. on our local ABC affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma which usually allowed me to catch most of it if I ran home from school (or even more if my mom or brother picked me up.) In theory it was a soap opera, but the show featured a regular parade of supernatural characters and themes. The lead was a 175 year old vampire named Barnabas Collins (played by Johnathan Frid), and the show revolved around his timeless pursuit of his lost love, Josette. It was also a program that regularly dealt with reincarnation, precognition, werewolves, time travel, witchcraft, and other occult themes. Though it regularly provoked criticism from religious groups about its content, it ran from June of 1966 until it's final cancellation in April of 1971. (I would discover it in the early 1970s as it ran in syndication.) Dark Shadows would spin off two feature-length movies based on the original, a series of tie-in novels, an excellent reboot series in 1991 (starring Ben Cross as Barnabas), and a positively embarrassingly awful movie directed by Tim Burton in 1991.

ABOVE: Johnathan Frid starred as Barnabas Collins, one of the leading characters of the original Dark Shadows television series. The influence of the series cannot be understated. In many ways Dark Shadows paved the way for the inclusion of supernatural elements in other soap operas of the 1970s and the 1980s, and was largely responsible for the explosion of romance novels featuring supernatural themes over the same time period.

While Dark Shadows was a favorite early television program for me, another show would prove not only to be a borderline obsession, but also a major influence on my career as a storyteller. Night Gallery (1969-1973) was a weekly anthology television show from Rod Serling, better known as the creator and host of the original Twilight Zone. Like Twilight Zone before it, Night Gallery was a deep and complex commentary on the human condition, but unlike its predecessor the outcomes for the characters almost always skewed towards the horrific and the truly outré. In "The Painted Mirror," an antiques dealer uses a magic painting to trap an enemy in the prehistoric past. Jack Cassidy plots to use astral projection to kill his romantic rival in "The Last Laurel" but accidentally ends up killing himself. In "Eyes" a young Stephen Spielberg directs Joan Crawford in a story about an entitled rich woman who plots to take the sight of a poor man. Week after week it delivered some of the best-written horror television of the early 1970s.

In retrospect I find it surprising that I was allowed to watch Night Gallery at all. I was very young while it was airing, and some of the content was dark and often quite shocking for its time. Nevertheless, I was so attached to the show that I'd throw a literal temper tantrum if I missed a single, solitary episode. If our family needed to go somewhere on an evening that Night Gallery was scheduled, either my parents would either have to wait until after it had aired before we left, or they'd make arrangements in advance with whomever we were visiting to make sure it was okay that I could watch Night Gallery there. I was, in a word, a fanatic.

ABOVE: Every segment of Night Gallery was introduced by series creator Rod Serling standing before a painting created explicitly for the series. Director Guillermo del Toro credits Serling's series as being the most important and influential show on his own work, even more so than the more famous Twilight Zone.

#horror #70s #occult #supernatural #television #writing

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com105moment · 3 years

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1. Which character in any of these stories do you identify with the most and why?

The character that I most connect to out of all these stories is Stevie from Mid90s. His constant attempts to fit in and be cool with the other, mostly older skater kids are futile at first. He literally obtains his nickname “Sunburn” because he didn’t know what those were, which speaks to the disconnect the two parties share at first, and how Stevie hasn’t initiated himself into the group yet. In short, he hasn’t proven himself to these people, who are more experienced in lounging, skating, smoking, and drinking. But what he has done is receive a nickname, which is the first step to establishing a connection with the group. It’s these subtle moments in the film that initially gave me flashbacks to my own personal high school experience, where being accepted by a clique can take time, maybe even a little bit of ridicule, before eventually becoming accepted. There is a sacrifice that comes with associating with certain people and taking part in their own vices. Unfair judgment can come from deep insecurity, which is a lesson I’ve been taught time and time again from people I used to consider friends. The relationship would start and end the exact way: that I was simply an inferior individual. For some reason, I considered their insults playful jabs because I looked up to them for guidance, much like Stevie. I thought these people knew so much about the world, and that they had it all figured out, when that wasn’t the case at all. The realization comes from knowing when to leave and accepting that people drift apart, and that this outcome was natural. If the story of mid90s were to hypothetically continue after its iconic ending scene in the hospital, it would be up to Stevie to choose whether or not to continue hanging out with the ones who continually get him hurt or in trouble. Either that, or he would stick by their side. The film’s exploration of toxic behavior made me recall when I applied the former choice to my own life, which is something I can’t say for any other film that I watched.

2. Identify three (3) common themes that are present in these stories and elaborate if they are relatable to contemporary youth culture. Draw from your personal experiences and elaborate on how these themes may have impacted your adolescent life.

Sex, drugs, and authority are the three most common themes in these stories. Promiscuity is one of the focal points of certain episodes of Euphoria’s first season, where the accessibility of Internet pornography is explicitly referenced by certain characters. This theme also directly affects how Kat Hernandez deals with self-image after a video featuring her leaking onto a porn site, and subsequently leads her to intentionally create more after it racks up views. One of the focal points of the movie Kids is to teach the audience about the dangers of unsafe sex, and how it can lead to the spread of disease. Both of these are realistic situations that have the potential to affect young people, especially in the modern day, when, statistically, “nearly half of children between the ages of 9-16 experience regular exposure to sexual images” (Antonia). Thanks to the Internet’s growing presence in everyday life, these situations, naturally, are going to be shown in media that attempt to portray the current lifestyles of youths. For the more traditional youth films (The Breakfast Club, Kids, Mean Girls) that do not tackle the Internet, it’s important to note that they still approach the theme of sex, just in different ways. The morals they teach also apply to the current day because the amount of high school students who have engaged in sexual activity is roughly half, depending on which grade they are in (Krisch). Drug use is perhaps the most prominent theme of these films. In each one, it’s integral to fully examining youth culture because it applies to each narrative. This is necessary, because of the overwhelming amount of evidence that supports the idea that teenagers are drawn to using drugs. About eight percent of teens have used them in the past month, to be exact (“Teenage Drug Use Statistics”). There are stories to be told about that common experience, which is what these films effectively do. Authority is the one that hits home the most for me, because it felt like every single day in high school was spent reminding the students to follow rules. However, these constant reminders, along with several other important factors (peer pressure, how boring school can be to young people, their own personal life, etc.) can fuel an adolescent’s drive to do whatever they want, and to think they have it all figured out. In essence, it can lead to the destructive behavior mentioned earlier, which is even more ironic considering authority tells them to avoid drugs and alcohol, to wear protection, and to avoid making similar mistakes in health class. Meanwhile, the statistics remain. A good point that these films will bring up in regards to authority is when it only adds to or is ineffective against dealing with a youth’s destructive behavior. Whether it be Rue hiding her addiction from her mother in Euphoria, or how the characters in The Breakfast Club will rag on their parents for being too hard on them, the prominence of authority is undeniable considering how it affects these characters. It reflects what tends to cause these things to happen to actual teenagers.

3. First, explain how a soundtrack of a film/TV series impacts the narrative of a story. Second, create an Apple/Spotify playlist of ten (10) songs that best define your adolescent experience, and embed this playlist onto your blog. Third, briefly explain what each song means to you.

If there’s anything I have learned about youth culture, it’s that the soundtrack of any film/TV show revolving around the subject has the ability to communicate what the culture was, musically. Contrast the jangly guitar on “Don’t You Forget About Me” that opens The Breakfast Club with the boom bap laden soundtrack of Mid90s, or the trap music played at the party in the first episode of Euphoria, and it’s easy to see how times change. Not only that, the use of licensed music fits each narrative to provide a backdrop for when the stories take place, and are added sparingly to emphasize certain emotions. In my attempt to personally replicate the feeling of being an adolescent, I have created my very own playlist. The first song is “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger, which is the first one that popped into my head. Its use of irony is unmatched, in my opinion, and the chorus “I’m not sick, but I’m not well” is a rallying cry for teenagers everywhere, including me. The second song is “Twenty Four Hours Ago” by 12 Rods. The lyrics are vague, but the guitars are dreamy. It manages to capture a whirlwind of intense emotions, which reminds me of how wild and rebellious it feels to be young and full of energy. The third song is “Out of My League” by Fitz and the Tantrums. Apart from it being a very important song that soundtracked my adolescence, its catchy, driving groove and exuberant lyrical content make it an excellent portrayal of young love. The fourth song is “New Scream” by Turnover. When analyzing why this song works so well, it’s hard not to mention a line as good as “Adolescent dreams gave to adult screams / Paranoid that I won’t have all the things they say I need.” Not only does the song itself sound very lush, it is a pitch perfect portrayal of what it’s like to grow up dazed and confused (no pun intended). The fifth song is “Jesus of Suburbia” by Green Day. This is probably the most personal track to me, because the American Idiot album was the first one I ever owned with explicit language in it. I vividly remember being twelve years old and not wanting my parents to find out that I was listening to something so “inappropriate.” How naive I was back then. The sixth song is “Sowing Season (Yeah)” by Brand New. Its lyrical themes are about bettering oneself, and it has spoken to me throughout my teenage years with its potent imagery. Not to mention that wailing guitar on the chorus, which can’t be beat. The seventh song is “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads” by Less Than Jake. Yet another inspiring tune, this time because it’s a sugary ska punk romp that I replayed endlessly in high school. I appreciate it’s message of acceptance very much, even now. The eighth song is “Pile! No Pile! Pile!” by the Brave Little Abacus. Out of everything on this playlist, this one is probably the most chaotic. However, there were certainly days as a teenager when that frustration was simply a given, and it helped me face that outlook directly. The ninth song is “What Do You Want Me to Say?” by the Dismemberment Plan. This track was easily my most played as a teenager, primarily because of how catchy it is, but also due to how it accurately describes being out of place. The tenth and final song is “Doin’ the Cockroach” by Modest Mouse. It’s an exercise in juvenile satire that appeals best to a high schooler, which is why I’ve replayed this song dozens of times by now. Here is the link to the playlist in question: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2SKxsH70Ukovu7ChysdQUs?si=078fba9c8f4f4eef

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quartzturtlecosplay · 4 years

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Plus Size Cosplaying and an Industry that fails us [Long post]

In late 2020, I purchased a cosplay from a popular online store, EZCosplay. This was before more recent accusations of false advertising and poor craftsmanship came out. I knew the store had some issues (I’ve purchased from them before and I knew first hand), but it was my only option for this specific cosplay.

I could go into detail about the many controversies of the store itself, but for now I’m going to talk about the main problem many of these online cosplay stores seem to have: working with non-standard sizes.

The struggle of finding good, plus size cosplays can be really difficult and almost heartbreaking. Most “plus size” cosplay listings still follow Asian sizing (where American 2XL is an Asian 5/6XL and still may not be big enough). Even if a costume can meet certain measurements, there’s no guarantee that it will fit or be flattering.

I’ve often had to find myself emailing specific stores, asking if their custom sizes go up to my measurements (I am B: 52, W: 46, H: 53, for reference). For my most recent attempt, I was looking for Asami Sato’s outfit from the first couple seasons of Legend of Korra [outfit reference]. Nothing too complicated, just a pair of wide fitting pants and a jacket. I was either met by emails saying “no, that’s too big for us” (despite their size guides saying they can make men’s cosplays in that size) or those that basically said “put in the order, and we’ll see what we could do” with no definitive answer. At the end of my search, I had only one option: EZCosplay.

The cosplay itself ended up being fine, a couple of details missing here or there and the gloves were practically worthless. But hey, at the end of the day I found something that fit, I should be happy right? Yes and No.

I’m not going to defend this store. I’ve bought a total of 3 cosplays from them, only 1 of which I’m actually alright with. And there are countless other stories from buyers who have suffered the same disappointment, ranging from all sizes. It’s the lack of care for customers that drive these companies to neglect their plus size markets. Although I was happy with the outcome this time, it was only because I’ve seen how bad things can get if you try finding something more fitted and structed.

Looking back to my first time working with EZCosplay, its easier to see the problem here. Back in 2018, I ordered a Love Live! Flower Bouquet Nozomi dress [pictured below]. For those who are unfamiliar with the design, Nozomi is a larger chested HS Idol. With this outfit, the white is supposed to go completely under the bust and the skirt should begin right above the hips [link to the reference].

Technically speaking, it did fit around me. They were able to make it in my measurements and it fit all the information I gave them. HOWEVER. as we can see, the white hits about halfway down my chest before stopping, not at all as pictured in her design. As larger people already know, when you translate smaller patters into bigger sizes without accounting for actual forms and shapes, you’re left with something like this. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy wearing this cosplay.

As someone who is more used to making their own costumes, this is not how you make plus size clothes. Simply making a pattern bigger doesn’t automatically make it fit plus size bodies. If you’ve ever had to take standard patterns and upscale them to fit, you understand what I mean. Alterations must be made, otherwise you feel like you’re in a potato sack. This is the problem that most people have with EZCosplay. While their costumes do technically fit up to larger sizes and they offer custom measurements, they lack any suitable structure or fitting. I’m sure the Love Live! cosplay would look great on a smaller size, however that’s not what we’re working with (and no way in hell I’m changing myself to wear it).

Now, there are some ways to get around this. If you need less complicated and less structured cosplays, you’ll probably be fine. Or if you find one that allows you to customize the waist line yourself (like how a lot of Toph Beifong cosplays are or maid costumes with aprons, for example). You could easily get a My Hero Academia uniform or a Ouran High School Host Club jacket. Those would be no sweat for larger sizes. Again, bringing up my Asami cosplay, it doesn’t have much structure to it and it fits relatively okay.

But as plus size/larger cosplayers, we should be allowed to be WHOEVER we want and we should be able to find costumes that fit us that aren’t just suit coats and robes. I’m not saying we can’t wear these kinds of cosplays, I’m just saying we shouldn’t have to limit ourselves in what we wear just because that’s all they have for us. America’s standard size is 14/16 for woman. Just like in the regular fashion world, anything above those sizes are either incredibly expensive or they just straight up don’t exist.

As cosplaying becomes more popular, we need to push for more size inclusivity. There have already been so many changes in the last 10 years, with more online stores becoming readily available with larger size options, but we’re not there yet. We need to keep working and demanding big cosplay companies to expand sizes for more inclusivity. Not just plus size cosplayers, but those who are also in the body-positivity movement who actually want to see change.

Both the cosplay community and cosplay industry have a lot of problems. But it’s by talking about these problems that we can work to fix them. We don’t need to change ourselves to fit our fandom spaces, fandom spaces and the costume industry needs to change to accept us, regardless of size, age, race and gender.

If you are looking for sites that offer plus size options, check out:

Note - These are places I’ve found that fit my measurements of 52/46/53, I’ve stared (**) the ones that go beyond that

MicCostumes - Anime and Video Games (I’ve worked with them before, may review at a later time if anyone is interested)

Cosrea ** - Superheros, Disney, and Some Games (Free custom sizing)

HalloweenCostumes.com ** - General Pop Culture, US/UK based

FortuneHouse on Amazon - Large Anime selection

WoShow on Amazon - Large Anime selection

Angel Secret ** - Disney Princess (custom sizing)

And of course, EZCosplay with custom sizing and good discernment .

If you have any questions or would like a full review for how it was working with EZCosplay or MicCostumes, please let me know. As mentioned, I usually make cosplays myself but I’ve been trying to branch out with cosplay sites and closet cosplays, as they can be an easier and more affordable option.

#plus size cosplay #cosplay #cosplay community #cosplay review #pnw cosplay #ezcosplay #body positivity #plus size resources #plus size acceptance

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the-blind-assassin-12 · 4 years

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The Decision

A/N: Well, well, well... it seems as though I have fallen victim to the things I said I’d never do yet again. What a clown. I do place a portion of the blame for this piece coming into being on @something-tofightfor who literally recruited backup to coerce me to write for Mando... but I like honesty and I believe in owning up to things. So to be fair, I probably would have ended up writing this anyway. That doesn’t make it less terrifying to share it, because it is so far from what I normally write, but one of my writing goals for the new year was to branch out so, no time like the present, right? (aka lemme post this right quick before i chicken out.)

ANYWAY THAT’S ENOUGH OF MY BABBLING. This falls into the season 1 storyline. You’ll know where.

Word Count: 2,540

The Mandalorian had been a member of the guild for years. Hunting was second nature to him, his skills in tracking and combat making him perfectly suited for the job. Fighting was simple when the only acceptable outcome was victory; win, and maintain his honor, dignity and reputation, or die in defeat. Do whatever necessary to ensure the latter never happened. There was no middle ground. Even if these ideals weren’t written into the code that he followed, they would still be a part of his code.

The Way.

He never questioned the rulesets that he lived his life by. He was never given a reason to. How many bounties had he collected? How many pucks passed across tabletops or fobs followed to the far reaches of the galaxy, to dusty desert planets and backwater swamps? The number wasn’t worth even thinking about. He didn’t keep track, he kept busy, quickly moving from one quarry to the next, collecting his pay and setting a course for his next destination.

Why then, after all those years, all those successful missions, had this one caused him to go against everything he had ever known? He never cared to learn anything about the bail jumpers and criminals that he captured. He never asked what would become of them once they were handed over to whoever it was that was after them. It mattered less to him than the number of completed jobs he’d done. They’d made the wrong deal or stolen from the wrong person, gotten in over their heads and gotten their heads assigned a price. Mercenary or nobleman, gambler or thief, it didn’t matter to him. All that mattered was getting the job done.

He hardly made a profit after spending on fuel and provisions, but he wasn’t in it for the credits. He wasn’t looking for riches or fame. He wasn’t really looking for anything. Just a life that didn’t require him to stay still for any length of time. It didn’t suit him, settling down. He’d had a home, twice. He’d lost his home, twice. His ship was the only home he needed anymore, and since it was just him, he didn’t have a need to profit so long as he had food and fuel enough to carry him through his next mission. So the questions? The hang ups? They weren’t about negotiating his prize or garnering recognition.

Then why?

He sighed, leaning back in his seat and letting his gloved hands fall from the controls to his lap.

Why this one?

It had started before he’d set out to track his bounty, before he’d even agreed to the job- a prickling sensation in the back of his brain. Whether it was an instinctual warning, some cosmic intervention, or a simple lack of sleep he couldn’t say, but it started as soon as he saw the first brick of beskar.

He wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of taking on an imperial client. But the presence of a few stormtroopers wasn’t enough to give him pause. There had only been four of them, and for all the resources that the Empire had at its fingertips during the height of its power, top of the line weapons and armor for their foot soldiers had never been a priority. He liked his odds at four to one even if they had been properly armed and armored in more than the flimsy white gear that he had no doubt he’d make short work of. Regardless, once the door had opened there was no going back, not with a client like this.

The pin pricks in his brain weren't due to them at all.

It was the heavy ingot, dark ribbons of silver-gray running through it, a distinctive clanging sound reaching his ears as the client set it on the table that had ignited the sensation. Beneath his helmet his eyes widened and his mouth fell open as the feeling intensified.

Expensive, Greef Karga had said of the Mandalorian’s rate. Expensive typically translated to bulging sacks of coins, the origin of which didn’t matter much to him so long as the spending of them didn’t line imperial pockets. The Empire is gone. He’d said the words himself, but he knew that there were still hold outs, still those benefiting off of the crumbs of the former regime. He also knew that gone didn’t always mean gone forever, and he refused to play a part in its return by continuing to circulate the currency of the corrupt. Lower pay in less offensive coin was preferable to him, but lower pay wasn’t going to be the case with this one. He knew that going in.

He’d taken unconventional jobs before, certain clients looking for an extra level of discretion or speedy results. His reputation as the best in the parsec was hardly a secret nor was it an exaggeration, and it got him more than his pick of pucks from Karga’s stack. A few times it had gotten him private meetings, face to face rendezvous in locked rooms and hidden basements with desperate customers seeking a chance to hire the Mandalorian. The pay for jobs like these was always as unconventional as the nature of the job itself, coming in the form of black market weapons or obscene amounts. Expensive.

He’d never been paid in the stolen riches of his own people, though.

He closed his fists tightly, the worn leather of his gloves groaning as he curled his hands into clubs. He could still feel the weight of that one single bar and the way that holding it made the foreign feeling intensify. His breathing was deep and heavy as he tried to fight the frustration and anger that were rising at his inability to reconcile his code with his creed.

The alloy, stripped from the bodies of his fallen brothers and sisters, melted down and stamped with the symbol of the Galactic Empire, looked almost grotesque to him in that form. It wasn’t currency. It wasn’t something to be traded or sold. It had more meaning than money. And it didn’t belong in the hands of the client.

It belonged in the hands of his people. The Tribe. And it was his duty to secure it. This is the way- he could already hear the Armorer’s modulated voice speaking the words as she hammered away at the metal, forming it back into a piece of gleaming, impenetrable plating. He could already see the flashes of his past that sparked each time he watched her work, the flames melting the walls he built around the memory of the last time he saw his parents. Each strike was a blast that brought him back to that day- his mother’s arms strong and tight as she hugged him one more time, his father’s steadfast determination to get him to safety. The day his future was written- in blood and beskar.

Even though he hated the thought of being paid in it, there was no scenario in which he was presented with the metal in any amount or form and he denied it. And with the promise of more upon the capture and delivery of the asset? The Mandalorian was many things but fool wasn’t one of them. This job wouldn’t be like others before it. It would no doubt be one of if not the most difficult and dangerous assignments he’d take in his life. But the unsavory demeanor of the client, the overly eager troopers, even the unusual tingling inside his own mind- none of it was enough to make him walk away from the brick or in turn, the job. Not the lack of information on the target or the zealous way that the man across from him spoke of having the asset in his custody.

But that was before. Before I saw the kid.

He moved without wasting time to think, and without taking his eyes off of the child that was staring up at him. Before the IG unit had even locked on to the small green thing peering up at them, his right arm was raised, his blaster putting a gaping hole straight through the bounty droid’s head.

It was supposed to be fifty years old. An adult. It... It wasn’t supposed to be a-

When the hatch on the hovering carriage that the child was tucked into opened, he saw more than the tiny being’s giant ears and enormous eyes as it shied away from the droid’s weapon. He saw himself, felt the helpless fear that he would never fully forget as the bunker that his parents had sacrificed themselves to get him to was torn open, a robotic assailant greeting him with the end of a blaster. But before he could even cover his eyes there had been another flash of movement as a man encased in armor, his face completely covered by a sleek helmet, appeared to dispatch the droid, extending a hand to help him climb out to safety.

It wasn’t supposed to be a foundling.

He had done his best to shake the unexpected connection to the child, closing the carrier and bringing it back to his ship, trying to treat it like any of the countless other targets that he’d captured. But it seemed that the more he tried to ignore it, the more that feeling in the back of his mind grew, two words bouncing around his brain as he set the course for Nevarro. Asset. Foundling. Asset. Foundling. Asset. Punching the shifter into drive, he took off before the other word had a chance to be the last.

He had naively hoped that once he made the drop off, delivering his quarry to the client, that he’d be free of the conflict- that he could collect his payment and return to the covert. That false hope popped and fell flat the second the first question was out of his mouth.

“How many fobs did you give out?”

It shouldn’t have mattered.

It never had before. Occasionally he’d run into another guild member while on assignment, and, more often than that he’d have to stave off other sloppier, non- guild hunters and mercenaries. High value targets tended to draw a lot of greedy attention from multiple sources. He had always come out on top, leaving his challengers empty-handed or incapacitated, and his target shackled or dead. Their presence was always negligible to him. Guild or not, no other bounty hunter came close to the Mandalorian in any measurable way.

Instead of a numerical answer, the client had merely stated that obtaining the asset- the foundling. The asset. The f- had been of great importance. The man had then set a camtono on the desk, pressing a button to open the pressurized unit and silencing the war of words. It was more pure beskar than he had ever seen outside of the covert. Stacks. He’d been drawn to it like a woolly moth to a flame, mesmerized by its dark shine. Stacks of the invaluable metal that belonged to his people, the people who had saved him, raised him, made him what and who he was. Taking another step, he couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it, feel it’s weight and know for sure that it was real. Stacks of the very same beskar that had been pillaged from the corpses of men and women who had taken the very same creed that he had.

He wondered what illicit riches the client had used to tempt the others into taking this job. Setting the bricks back into the container with the rest, he wondered if perhaps some of them hadn’t been offerings, but threats. He wouldn’t put it past the man, who still proudly wore the empire’s symbol around his neck- the symbol that had been pressed into each brick of beskar, as though it gave him some kind of right to possess it. He wondered why he was wondering these things, and before he could answer himself yet another question was tumbling from his lips; one brought on by movement in the corner of his vision as the child’s carriage trailed behind the doctor into an adjoining room.

“What are you going to do with it?”

While asking questions about the fates of the unfortunate beings he collected, most frozen in carbonite to keep them quiet and cooperative for the return journey, wasn’t standard procedure for a guild bounty hunter, following his instincts was, and the prickling had not ceased even after the camtono was sealed and handed over to him.

If anything it had become less of a needling, nagging feeling, and more of an acidic burn.

He hadn’t gotten an answer. He’d been paid, the job finished. It was time to move on. What was it that the client had said? Those parting words that had been laced with authoritarian venom? Something about restoring balance, about the beskar being returned to the Mandalorians, and things being as they should be?

Why then, had the entire trek back to the covert been consumed with those large round eyes as they seemed to plead with him not to leave? Where before there were two words, now there was just one.

Foundling.

It echoed through his brain with each spur studded step he took through the city. It followed him as he descended to the underground hideout that the Tribe had been forced into. It was what he heard when another Mandalorian had called his honor into question. Coward, the man had called him.

Was he right?

The Armorer had ended the scrum by reminding both men of the creed they’d taken. This is the way, she’d stated with finality before continuing to forge the beskar he’d reclaimed into a sleek new full set of armor. Again he saw his past with each strike of her tools against the hot metal. Again he saw himself in the same position that he’d found the child in. He’d refused the Mudhorn as his signet, and he’d left the excess beskar to be used for the foundlings under the Tribe’s care. But neither of those acts of penance erased the thing that had replaced the prickling; the guilt of turning the child over to those men and their agenda.

“The foundlings are our future.”

“I was once a foundling.”

Beskar may hold up against most forms of force. But not even the glinting, impenetrable breastplate he now wore could keep the guilt from curling around his heart beneath it. It squeezed tight as he reached for the small round piece that the child had unscrewed from the gear shifter.

This is wrong. This one is… He swallowed, eyes locked on to the silver orb between his fingers. This is wrong.

Slipping the ball safely into his pocket, he quickly flicked every switch back to the off position, the Razor Crest’s engines powering down as he stood.

The conflict between code and creed had come to a head, one superseding the other by a large margin of personal importance. He was a guild bounty hunter, and he’d delivered the asset to the client.

But he was a Mandalorian first, and the child was now his responsibility.

This is the way.

I have no real clue who to tag here, so if you would like to be removed from or added to this or any of my stories, please feel free to let me know!

@something-tofightfor @pheedraws @valkblue @gollyderek @alraedesigns @malionnes

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian fic #mando #din djarin #the child #mando fic #the decision #idk what else to tag here i am out of my depth #this is the way i guess

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tren-fraszka · 3 years

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Fandom5k 2021 Letter

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, violence, friendships, and character bonding,

DNW: explicit sex (makeouts and fade to black is okay), A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmate AUs, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur, character has cancer or other real-life terminal disease AU, word “queerplatonic”.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship I haven’t mentioned, you can always ask through mods just in case).

On a separate, but similar note, I’m okay with OCs as long as they don’t overshadow the characters I requested.

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats. Also, feel free to peruse my old letters if you get your hands on them. I never stop being interested in fandoms, and if I requested something once I will still want it in the future.

REQUESTS

MARIMASHITA! IRUMA-KUN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in English.

Kirio Amy/Suzuki Iruma

There are many good ships with Iruma, but this one just has a lot things I like. I love enemy ships with both sides being way too emotionally invested into each other so this was inevitable. I love how this relationship starts as this really wholesome friendship and school festival preparation, except Kirio turns out to be a bit messed up and wants to blow up everyone. But then they both accept the outcome and go on with their lives still thinking about each other. Iruma goes through a lot of trouble to keep the club operating even though Kirio has been pretty much expelled. And then Kirio is now obsessed with Iruma as his anthitesis and perfect enemy.

I’m okay with the potential story happening at any point in the canon. I would love both a story set before the festival while Kirio is still hiding his true colors or a story set after it. Maybe Iruma runs into Kirio somewhere after he escapes prison and instead of calling an adult, he tries to stop Kirio from causing trouble on his own. As for pre-festival story. Maybe some upperclassmen steal important parts from the club and Iruma and Kirio set out to get them back.

Naberius Callego & Suzuki Iruma

I love Callego for being a much better take on Snape than original Snape ever was. The second the series made Callego Iruma’s familiar I knew this was about to get good. And it was. I love how Callego slowly warms up to Iruma, even if he is still allergic to his and Sullivan’s antics. I love that Callego is actually a competent teacher who cares about his students, but at the same time he would rather eat a whole lemon than admit it out loud.

For prompts, maybe Sullivan ends up having an important business and Opera isn’t available so he dumps looking after Iruma on Callego for a few days. Or Iruma is struggling with studying since so many things are new for him, so Callego ends up forced to help him catch up with the material (if you are following manga inclusion of Balam is always welcome). Or maybe Iruma gets into usual trouble ends up stranded somewhere and the only one he can call for help is his familiar.

Crocell Kerori | Kuromu/Gyari

One of the last thing I expected to get this year was a canonical yuri romance in this manga, but here it is and it’s perfect. I love how it is pretty much built on mutual pining. I love how Kuromu loves Gyari, but refuses to reciprocate her feelings, because she knows that she needs to remain unattainable to keep their relationship alive, and I love how Gyari is never ever going to give up.

I would love to see more of the time when they worked together. We know it was love at the first sight for Gyari, but I would love to see how Kuromu’s feelings grew. Those hours they spent together practicing, maybe a not-date where they sneak together to scout a venue where they will be having their first big concert, or maybe a small contest that would sow the seeds for their future rivalry. I would love any and all of it. Also, Gyari doesn’t seem to be aware of Kuromu’s civilian identity, so I would love a story where Gyari meets Crocell Kerori rather than Kuromu. Does she recognize her? Or does Kerori manage to successfully trick her? Maybe Gyari makes a full investigation after hearing rumors that Kuromu is attending Babylys. I would also love any sort of future fic for those two.

AUs and ships

I love the worldbuilding around the demon world, so I would ask that if you decided to write an AU that it still incorporates demons. I would definitely love an AU where rather than getting summoned to demon world, Iruma accidentally summons either Kirio or Callego into the human world. Maybe Iruma’s parents try to use him as an offering, but instead he ends up bound to a demon. I would love to see Kirio excited to unleash suffering (even if his weak powers severely limit him in that regard) onto human world just to discover that he made contract with the biggest pacifist possible. Or Callego being torn between wanting to return home as soon as possible (he has classes to teach!) and wanting to somehow help the weird human child that just keeps getting into trouble. Any other demon-focused AU is also welcome. For Gyari and Kurmou, maybe one of them is a human who ends up summoning the other as a demon. How different would their relationship be then? I’m also fine with any sort of AU divergences scenario. Maybe Iruma keeps accidentally sabbotaging Kirio’s terrorist plans without realizing it. Or Iruma ends up summoning Callego more often as his familiar when he gets into trouble. What if Gyari also attended Babylys.

As for ships, I’d rather avoid any love triangle scenarios for this canon, so please focus on just one pairing per character (competing for Iruma’s attention is normal for this canon, I’d just rather not see outright romantic competition). It’s self-explainatory for Kirio request, but if you want to include some shipping elements into the other requests I also ship Iruma/Amelie and Callego/Balam.

RE:ZERO

I watched the two season of anime, as well as the two OVA. Please don’t include any spoilers for events that haven’t been yet adapted. I’m fine with mentions of stuff from the light novel that adaptation has skipped, just please make sure to establish them properly, as I haven’t read the light novel.

Natsuki Subaru/Otto Suwen Natsuki Subaru & Felix Argyle & Julius Euclius & Reinhard van Astrea Roswaal L. Mathers (Re:Zero)

Echidna the Witch (Re:Zero)

Feel free to mix and match my requests (or cut off parts of the requests and stitch them together). Or include any other characters, I love all of them.

Natsuki Subaru/Otto Suwen

I came out of second season with a burning desire to see Otto and Subaru getting together. Otto was the MVP of the second season. Like sure, Emilia killed it in the last few episodes, but none of it would happen if Otto didn’t slap Subaru in the face when he needed it the most. Subaru even commented that Otto was like a heroine in a game at one point. They just care so much about each other and I would love to see them actually get together.

I would love to see them going on an undercover mission. Maybe they are trying to gather the information about witch cultists. Maybe they need to pretend to be a couple for the sake of their investigation. Or Emilia sends the two of them on a fake mission that actually consists of them visiting places of relaxation to make sure Subaru finally gets a break. And Otto’s mission is to make sure that Subaru actually rests and doesn’t get in trouble, but this proves to be a much more difficult undertaking that he expected.

After first season I had a working theory that Otto is actually a sin archbishop who is pretending to be a normal person for some unknown reasons (or maybe has a split personality). Season two pretty much disproved it, but I still adore that idea and would love anything with it.

Natsuki Subaru & Felix Argyle & Julius Euclius & Reinhard van Astrea

I immediately loved the queen candidates’ knights and the relationships between them. I would greatly enjoy seeing them work together. Maybe someone is plotting to harm queen candidates and they join forces to bring them down. Or maybe the queen candidates are busy with some bureaucracy and the bored knights decide to spend a night at town, which ends with all sorts of shenanigans. Maybe Subaru and Julius decide to have some sort of competiton that hilariously goes out of control. Or Reinhardt and Subaru rope everyone into helping some poor grandma, but her straightforward request ends up becoming much more difficult to execute than anyone predicted. Also, at the end of second season Subaru officially became Emilia’s knight and I would love to see other knights throwing an unofficial party for Subaru to celebrate this achievement. Or maybe their planned celebration doesn’t go as planned and Subaru ends up accussed of a crime he didn’t commit. Luckily, there are three very handsome and equally capable knights who believe in him and are willing to help him clear his name.

Feel free to also include Aldebaran into the group if you want. He had very little screen time in anime, so I didn’t want to make this request more difficult than it already is, but if you want to write him too I would be very happy with his inclusion.

Roswaal L. Mathers (Re:Zero)

Roswaal was incredible in the second season. I loved the parallels between him and Subaru! I loved his unrequited crush on Echidna! I loved Ram’s unrequited crush on him and how her actions ended up affecting him! I loved how Emilia made him apologize! He just had so many great interactions. I would just love to see more of Roswaal.

We know that Roswaal attempted to undertake the trial, but was rejected. What if by some quirk of fate Roswaal could undertake the trial. How would it go? Would he be able to accept the past? I would also love a deeper insight into his thought process during the Sanctuary arc, but also earlier arcs. How did he feel about Subaru and other characters? What happened to him after the Subaru failed? (we don’t know if Subaru dying creates new timelines or if there’s one that gets reset, while this prompt leans on former, I’m fine with both interpretations) I would also love to see if maybe Ram had attempted to destroy Roswaal’s book or shown her feelings for him before. On a different note, I would love Roswaal being a bit too interested in Otto (after he had changed the fate written in the book) and trying to figure out how he had achieved that. Honestly, I would love to see Roswaal interact with anyone. You could write him and Reinhard meeting in a bakery and I would love it.

Echidna the Witch (Re:Zero)

Echidna is best witch (at least until anime shows more of Sekhmet who I can already tell is my spirit animal witch). I loved Echidna’s character, the aura of mystery she built around herself, and her plans involving Subaru. She was just incredible.

I would absolutely love to see Echidna holding trials for other characters. It doesn’t matter who. Maybe Garfiel ends up completing all of them. Or maybe by some twist of fate Otto gains qualification and takes up the trials. Or Ram, or really anybody else. I just loved how personalized the trials were and would love to see them for other characters and what Echidna would think of them. I would also love to see more of her interactions with Subaru. Maybe Subaru makes deal with her, but belatedly realizes it was a bad idea and tries to find a way to break it. I would be also very okay with seeing more of her interactions with other witches. Or Emilia. I will gladly take 5k words of Echidna being completely done with Emilia’s positivity. Maybe Echidna finds a way to escape her deadness, but she needs to enter a contract with Emilia and now she is her familiar like Puck was.

AUs and ships

I would prefer no setting changes for this story. Any other AUs are fine. I especially love Subaru’s reset mechanic, so feel free to abuse that if you want. If you want some AU ideas, maybe another character starts remembering bits and pieces of the reseted timelines.

I like Subaru/Emilia, but the show is doing such a good job with it that I’m not craving more. As such I’m okay with acknowledging Subaru’s canon crush on Emilia, but if you are planning to do any other pairing involving Subaru I would prefer to reframe Subaru’s feelings for her as friendship. I’m okay with pairing Subaru with pretty much any other guy in the series (especially other queen candidate knights) or leaving who he will end up with ambiguous.

SOUSOU NO FRIEREN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in English.

Frieren

I love how this manga is a slow-paced fantasy dealing with loss and inevitable passage of time. And I love Frieren for being one of the best depictions of an elf whose long life actually affects their outlook on life and actions.

I would equally love the insight into Frieren’s present with her charges and the past with hero party. What other shenanigans they get into on their journey? What kind of weird magic Frieren pursued? I would love to see more of her mentoring Fern and Stark. I also love to see her interactions with the hero party. Maybe some more insight into how they fought with demons, since Frieren seemed to have picked up a number of enemies during that time. For some more specific prompts: maybe Frieren accidentally stumbles ona cursed item that erases her memories (or just her memories of Himmel). How would it affect her? What would the party do to help her? Or maybe a demon kidnaps someone from Frieren’s party?

Feel free to include any other characters, they are a colorful bunch.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with AUs as long as Frieren’s long lifespan is preserved. Her perspective is very much shaped by how long she has lived, so I wouldn’t want that aspect to change. An AU with mythological creatures or similar could be interesting. I would also love a roleswap where Himmel is an elf, while Frieren is a human, and exploration of how both of them would be affected by having a different lifespan.

I would very much love Himmel/Frieren, though I also enjoy how the manga softly builds on their connection. I also enjoy the budding romance between Fern and Stark.

HATARAKU MAOU-SAMA!

While I made this request mostly with anime in mind, I also consumed the original novels up to (and including) volume six. So feel free to include anything from the novels up until that point if you want, but nothing beyond that.

Maou Sadao/Ashiya Shirou

If Demon Lord’s right hand man/strategist turned into a househusband isn’t one of the most shippy ideas then I don’t know what is. Fics are just writing themselves. I just love seeing utter domesticity and loyalty Sadao and Ashiya have (and trouble they have with their prodigal not-son Urushihara).

I would love to get some insight into their relationship before they had to escape into another world. Maybe Ashiya realizes he is actually happy with the current arrangement and feels shame over indulging himself, while his lord is working hard to earn money and regain their powers. For some more specific prompts, maybe instead of becoming househusband he ends up working in MgRonald’s alongside Sadao. Or maybe while he’s doing shopping he ends up winning a lottery organized by some local shops and receives tickets for an onsen visit for two, so he and Sadao go to have a much deserved break. Or alternatively a story where they don’t get a break and need to face some new enemy.

Maou Sadao/Sasaki Chiho

I love Chiho Sasaki. She’s one of my favourite renditions of a normal person accidentally becomes entangled into a supernatural plot I’ve seen. And amidst it all, I love how she keeps supporting Sadao, even after learning that her MgRonald’s senpai is in fact a demon lord from another world.

I would love to see more of them working together in MgRonald’s. Maybe a precanon story where Chiho is still learning her ropes at MgRonald’s, while Sadao is still not completely used to passing as a human, so he keeps accidentally mentioning things about his demonic past and then has to quickly amend them into something more human. Or maybe a “tragic” story of Chiho who instead of applying to MgRonald’s goes to Sentucky Fired Chicken (I don’t mind changing it so SFC opens earlier than in the canon). Even though Sadao works for the rival store Chiho still falls for him and his impeccable work ethic and so she keeps counting days until her contract ends so she can apply to MgRonald’s instead (bonus points if the Sariel’s plotline happens during that time and Chiho gets increasingly distreased that Sadao will hate her even if she successfully moves to MgRonald’s). Alternatively they both go on some sort of training or charity action for MgRonald’s employees. Or maybe a more fantastical adventure where a new threat appears, so Sadao and Chiho work together to neutralize it.

AUs and ships

I would prefer no setting changes for this story, because this shows premise is just way too good. I’m fine with any other AUs. One slight exception (since it’s a bit of borderline case between a setting and divergence AU) would be that I would love to see Sadao and Chiho working at a coffee shop chain instead of MgRonald's.

Please only focus on one pairing requested when writing. I’d rather not have a triangle situation and see either Ashiya or Chiho rejected (requested character feeling slight jealousy over Sadao getting along with someone else is fine, I just don’t want a full on rivalry). I’d also rather not see Sadao paired with anyone beside the requested characters.

#exchange letters

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mimymomo · 5 years

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Don’t Forget To Say I Love You Part 1

Orphydice Soulmate au! Orphydice Soulmate au!!

Title from Reeve Carney’s “Don’t Forget to Say I Love You”

...

Orpheus couldn’t wait to meet his soulmate. He dreamed of holding them close in his arms, of their warm smile, the sweet sound of their voice, and laugh. He wondered what color their eyes would be, the exact shade of their hair. Would they be small and feisty? Tall and demure? Would they be an early bird and take joy in watching the morning sun peek out from the horizon every morning? Or a night owl, spending those dark nights snuggled up under a blanket, cracking jokes basked in the moonlight until finally caving to slumber? Did they love music? Did they prefer fast lively songs with pulsing beats and heavy bass? Music that called for dancing close in the dark, played in the neon lights of a smoky club? Or did they prefer slower ballads, swaying back and forth to the melodious tunes of brass instruments and piano? What were their hobbies, their likes, and dislikes, their favorite colors, and seasons? Orpheus dreamed of the answers to them all.

He constantly found himself staring down at the static number tattooed to his forearm: 24198. Twenty four thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight days. That’s nearly sixty-seven years. Sixty-seven years to spend with his soulmate, to spend by someone's side. Sixty-seven years to have someone to have and hold, love and cherish, to be within the brightest and darkest of times. Someone, he’d get to experience the rest of life with. Orpheus wanted that closeness, ached for that next level of intimacy.

His parents didn’t last. According to Mister Hermes, a now distant friend of his mother, Orpheus’ parents weren’t soulmates, but to them, that didn’t matter. They were in love. Their relationship, a turbulent storm of passion and lust was followed quickly by a fervent marriage and abrupt divorce, leaving behind a small child in its wake, Orpheus. A casualty of two young lovers falling out of love.

His mother was still young when her marriage dissolved and Orpheus was born. A youthful and wild summer flower, not ready to be tied down to the burdens of motherhood. She hungered for freedom and independence, not a curious toddler who constantly cried for attention and teethed. She itched to leave, and one day, she did. She walked into Hermes’ bar, a barely coherent Orpheus in her arms and a baby bag strapped to her shoulder. “I want to find my other half, to live my life. I need this Hermes,” the young woman cried passively, handing the toddler over to the older gentleman, adjusting the aviator glasses stuck into her hair. “I’ll be back once I find him.”

And with a toss of her velvety caramel hair, and not a single glance back, she was gone. Orpheus didn’t blame her for leaving him behind, couldn’t. Even for the short time he had been in his mother’s care, he could tell that her heart had not been in it. While he was with her, her mind was somewhere else, not tucked away in their quaint one-bedroom apartment, but out somewhere far away. Orpheus always wondered if his mother had ever managed to find her soulmate? If she was happier now? He hopes she is. In the twenty years since she left, she never returned to the bar- was she still out there looking or had she just forgotten about him in the process? Orpheus wasn’t sure which one he would rather be the case.

Orpheus viewed what happened to his parents as the worst outcome, something he wanted to avoid at all costs. They were why he was so adamant about finding his soulmate. He wouldn’t face the same ill-fate as his folks, his heart couldn’t bear it. He would love his soulmate with all he had, he wouldn’t leave them as things get difficult. He told his vision to everyone who’d listen: his soulmate would come marching through the doors and Orpheus would instantly know they were the one. They would chat then reach for each other’s hands, their numbers would begin The Countdown, as most called it and they would live happily ever after. He would hold them forever, never letting them go. They would walk hand and hand, side by side through any storm or change.

Mister Hermes and Lady Persephone had always called a hopeless romantic, joked that his head was stuck in the clouds, that his eyes were permanently tinted rose-colored. He spoke in sonnets and could only see the world for what it could be. As a child, Orpheus had minded the teasing, thinking that the two adults hated his quirks and flowery mind. He brought up his concerns one night as Mister Hermes was tucking him into bed.

“Child, I wished more people could be like you. The world would be a much more pleasant place if that were the case,” Hermes said.

“You mean that?” the young boy asked, voice full of hope, eyes wide and bright.

“With all my heart,” he replied. Orpheus trusted the older man’s words and hadn’t doubted himself since. He kept his head in the clouds, he continued to write melodies and lyrics he once heard in his dreams. He kept his eyes wide, soul light and heart open. Others called him naive and too soft, but Orpheus learned to pay them no mind.

“Orpheus,” Hermes called out snapping the boy out of his daydream.

“Yes, Mister Hermes, sir?” Orpheus replied, still in a slight daze.

“You peering at that number again?” he asked pointedly, his tone reminiscent of a father scolding a young child over stealing a cookie from the jar before dinner.

Orpheus tugged the end of his pulled up shirt down over his arm, “no…”

Hermes sighed, “Boy, what did I tell you about having your eyes glued to that number of yours at work?”

Orpheus lowered his head, “not to.”

Hermes walked over and placed a hand on the poets sagging shoulders, “they’ll come, Poet. Just gotta be patient.” Orpheus gave his guardian a small smile before pulling out a damp dishrag from the front pocket of his apron. As he started to dry the freshly washed glasses, steam still radiating from off their rims, his mind wandered back to his soulmate. Would tonight finally be the night where they would walk through those doors? Orpheus could only hope and pray to the gods that it was. But whether it was tonight, tomorrow, months or even years down the line, there was one thing that Orpheus was certain of, he loved his soulmate with all his heart and soul. And he couldn’t wait to meet them.

…

Eurydice hated her soulmate. Sure, she had never met the person before, but with just one glance down to the dark printed numbers etched into her tan skin, a burning sense of rage coursed through her veins. Ever since childhood, she was never a fan of the whole soulmate concept. The fact that the number of days you had to live post-meeting the supposed “person your soul most desires,” permanently stuck to your arm never sat well with Eurydice. To some, it was romantic but to her, it was just a cruel reminder of your fate and mortality, that life wasn’t permanent and death was coming for them all.

Her father, when he actually was home and not blacked out drunk, would always without fail, give her such a somber look whenever she would walk into a room. Was it pity from the pathetically tiny number on her arm? Or maybe it was from the guilt of dooming his only child with such a short existence just like what happened to her mother? Eurydice didn’t know nor did she care to ask. She hated the damn pity everyone dealt her once they saw her number, that they mourned the end of her life like she wasn’t still alive and breathing in front of them. She was a walking ghost that unfortunately, everyone was still cursed to see.

Eurydice quickly developed rules that she followed to a “T”: she took to wearing long sleeves or a jacket, even in the hottest of months, just to spare herself the accidental peek. She would keep to herself, always wear a sharp glare to keep others from coming too close. If someone didn’t get the message and chose to approach, she refused to let them talk first, checking the state of their clock before allowing them to speak. Of course, she knew that she was just prolonging the inevitable but she had plans, things in the future she needed to accomplish before she kicked the bucket. If no one wanted to believe she would live long enough to see those dreams become a reality, then she’d just have to prove them wrong.

Eurydice was walking around aimlessly after an exhausting day; she had to attend all four of her classes and her boss had called her in to do an extra shift despite today being her day off. And to make matters worse, the heating in her apartment had decided to go out on one of the coldest days in March. So, to say she was tired and more than a bit pissed off would be an extreme understatement.

The sun had set and the moon was out, shining in its full glory. The smoke and lights from the city buildings made seeing any star in the sky nearly impossible. She continued to walk down the street further away from her apartment, had no clue where she was heading, no set location or direction. She stepped one foot in front of the other, the wind harshly whipping at her face, eyes getting teary. Why did she think this was a good idea? She should’ve stayed in her icebox of an apartment.

Suddenly, a flashing neon sign grabbed her attention. The splendid fluorescent light, obnoxiously blinding in contrast to the dark indigo sky. HERMES, it spelled out in large, incandescent letters, hanging from the side of the building just at the end of the street corner. She didn’t know what drew her to the building but she quickly found herself fast tracking down the pavement, to the front of the brick building. She pulled open the heavy wooden door and was greeted to a rush of hot air, the sour smell of liquor, a hint of smoke and something...floral, wafted around the room.

She cautiously tiptoed into the bar and looked around the establishment. It was virtually dead besides one or two other patrons. Well, I guess it makes sense. It is a Wednesday.

With scant more courage, Eurydice marched over to the bar counter. As long as she was stuck in here, she might as well get a drink. She sat down in tall barstool, her feet dangling slightly off the ground. She waved her hand to get the bartender's attention, but his back was turned to her, humming an unfamiliar tune. After another minute, Eurydice spoke up,“‘Scuse me.”

That was her first mistake. Rule number one: never speak up first. So simple yet so vital.

The young bartender turned around and jumped. His humming silenced and his sweet, yet professional smile shifted at the sight of the woman who called for his attention. Despite his best efforts to appear neutral and undisturbed, his eyes went wide and mouth hung partially agape. Eurydice felt the air escape her chest, this boy was beautiful. Warm hazel eyes, brown shaggy hair that reached mid-forehead and a cute boyish face. He was on the taller lanky side, but Eurydice swore she could see the tiniest bit of muscle poke out from the cuff of his worn white shirt. A striking red bandana was tied snugly around his neck, the color matching his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

Orpheus was in awe. The young woman in front of him was beautiful, stunning, an angel. Her face was round, chubby cheeks and nose a dusty red from being outside in the cold. The end curls of her midnight black hair reached just above her shoulders and her bangs were perfectly symmetrical. Her oversized wool coat draped over her small frame. Orpheus focused on her eyes, oh, her eyes. Her eyes reminded Orpheus of melting chocolate, sweet and rich and utterly enticing. As he stared into them deeper and deeper, he struggled not to melt from their heat and completely indulge in their splendor.

Eurydice whipped her head to the side and forcibly cleared her throat, Orpheus taking note of the white feather that was clipped in her hair. “I, I’m sorry,” Orpheus sputtered, jumping back into action. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“An old fashioned,” Eurydice answered, eyes still glued to anywhere but the cute bartender in front of her. Orpheus nodded and got to work on her drink, restarting that song he was humming earlier once again. “What song you humming?” Eurydice asked, unable to keep herself from prying.

“Oh, it’s just something I’m working on,” Orpheus smiled.

“You a singer?”

“Singer, musician, and writer. I play the guitar and perform here sometimes.”

“Wow, a real jack of all trades you are,” Eurydice smirked, snorting lightly.

Orpheus laughed, “I guess you could say that. What brings you here?”

“The heater in my apartment kicked the bucket,” Eurydice sighed.

“Oooh, I’m sorry,” Orpheus said, more than a hint of concern lacing his voice.

Eurydice just waved him off, “it’s whatever. Just gotta call the landlord in the morning.”

Orpheus gave her a small grin, the ends of his mouth curling up the slightest bit, “least you’re out of the cold now, right?”

Eurydice gave a nod, returning the grin, “yeah, you’re right.”

Orpheus poured the finished drink into a polished glass and gently handed it over to the young woman, “your drink.”

That’s when Eurydice broke the second most important rule: no touching.

She carelessly reached out to grab the glass and before she knew it placed her hand over Orpheus’. “I’m sorry-” Orpheus began until a sharp, pain-filled groan forced him to let go of the glass, causing Eurydice to nearly drop it on the counter. Orpheus stared down at where the pain was coming from: his forearm. With a shaky hand, he slowly peeled his shirt sleeve back and glanced downwards. He gasped, his number, once a dull gray was now a searing blistering red. The Countdown had started.

Eurydice set the drink down and turned back to the young man. “Hey, what gives? Are you-” she gazed down at what he was staring at. No, no, no, oh gods, please no! Eurydice began to back away but before she could step too far Orpheus reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Wait!”

Eurydice froze. A quick excruciating sting began to radiant from her arm, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Tears sprung into eyes, salty and involuntary. This couldn’t be happening, not now. She had so much to do, so much planned. She had been so careful for all these years, and it was all for nothing.

“Come home with me!”

Eurydice whipped from head up and glared at the boy, eyes ablaze. Who the hell was this guy? First, he ruins her life and now he’s trying to lure her back to his place just to get a quick fuck? Screw him. She felt scalding hot, a pool of poisonous venom boil in the pit of her stomach. “Who are you?” she lowly growled.

“The man who’s gonna marry you!” he answered earnestly with desperate eyes. “I’m Orpheus.”

Orpheus. Orpheus, that was his name. Orpheus, the name of the damned man who ruined her life forever. “I hate you,” she whispered ghostly quiet, head tilted to the floor. She watched as tiny droplets of hot tears fell to the dirty floor.

Orpheus frowned, a chill ran up his spine. He was stunned by his soulmate’s reaction, “what?”

Eurydice ripped her hand away and held it close to her chest as if just touching Orpheus brought her all the discomfort in the world. “I hate you!” she screamed through teary eyes and ran to and out the bar door, leaving a confused and heartbroken Orpheus behind.

Eurydice tore out the bar, down the street, past her apartment complex, further and further into the dark envelope of the night. She just ran, and ran, and ran, and ran. Her knees buckled and her chest was on fire, each intake of frigid air burning her lungs but she kept running. She ran until she reached the edge of town, right in front of the public park. She fell to her knees and sobbed. She sobbed for the future she’d never have, for the dreams she’d never accomplish. She sobbed for herself and Orpheus, the poor bartender who had done knowing wrong and now was cursed with her shit luck. She sobbed for her fate and her limited days left. She sobbed and sobbed and never once looked at her number, couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not that she needed to, she had it memorized:

194.

One hundred and ninety-four days.

She’d be dead in just over six months.

She ducked her head into her knees and mournfully sobbed as the rays of moonlight gleamed up above, bathing her in there light. She couldn’t escape her fate, no matter how hard she tried.

#hadestown #orphydice #orpheus x eurydice #orpheus #eurydice #my wriring #my fic #im sorry this is gonna hurt

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prettywordsyouleft · 5 years

Text

Could You Marry Me? - Part 1

Summary: Marriage was something you dreamed of reaching after falling in love with the man of your dreams. Yet the romantic in you is thrown out the window when you end up having to fake your engagement with your personal assistant.

Pairing: Son Hyunwoo x reader

Genre: office au / ceo x personal assistant / co-workers to lovers au / romance / fluff / fake dating

Warnings: none

Index: Preview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Once again, you were sitting in the middle of a restaurant waiting for someone you didn’t even know to arrive. Well, you had done the initial profile check to ensure you weren’t meeting with just anybody, even though that was kind of how it felt. Smoothing down your striped pantsuit before reaching for the glass of water, you scanned the room for a sign of the man you were meant to be enjoying dinner with.

You smiled to yourself, you wondered if you would even get as far as to eat this time around.

For the past three months, your parents had been actively trying to marry you off to the finest bachelor they could find. It appeared this city had an abundance of single men since you had been on countless blind dates so far. It was exhausting and quite frankly, it cut into your precious time you could have spent working at the office or enjoying a quiet night at home.

It wasn’t like you were trying hard to not be picked; you were just, not trying at all. You had no desire to meet up with someone you had no choice in meeting in a natural setting. This was manufactured to the point that it was the parents talking more than the children. You disliked how unromantic it all was.

It always threw those around you by surprise when they realised just how much of a hopeless romantic you were. Perhaps it was because when you were in your executive role as CEO of your company, you were strictly business. You would strive relentlessly to get any deal you set your mind on, and investors all saw you as competent, smart and straight to the point.

You guessed that was why your best friend Tanith would shake her head incredulously whenever you swooned over something completely and utterly cliché. “That is not real love.”

“But I want it,” you breathed, watching the screen in front of you both dreamily. The smile from the male protagonist warmed your heart even further and soon you were smiling back at him as if this was your moment.

You wanted that feeling more than anything.

“Then why aren’t you dating one of the men thrown at your feet every weekend? How many do you have lined up this week?”

“Four,” you admitted, barely tearing your eyes away from the drama you were watching to reach for the popcorn Tanith held. “Dinner on Friday, brunch and dinner on Saturday and coffee on Sunday.”

“You never know, you could meet Mr Right.”

You glared at your best friend, not sure if she was teasing you or hoping for your sake that you would. Tanith chuckled when she noticed your expression. “Yes, I know it’s not real if you don’t get to choose how you cross paths with him. But not everything in life is a drama, Y/N. You might meet someone this weekend who makes your heart sing like every one of your favourite leading ladies experience. Which I will remind you again-”

“Isn’t real life,” you concluded sourly, grinning at her all the same. “You sound just like my mother.”

“Well, there are worse things she could ask of you right now.” You cocked your head to the side expectantly and Tanith shrugged. “Like, leave your business and return back to the family home.”

“She threatened that if I’m not married soon she and my father will insist on just that,” you mentioned with a sigh, throwing yourself along the sofa and kicked out a leg in protest. “I’m already married to my work, why do I need to get married now?”

“Because you’re thirty and they see that as ancient compared to when they got married themselves,” Tanith pointed out and you smirked, nodding slowly.

“It’s not the same era though. Careers are important.”

“So is love.”

You agreed. “When it’s done right.”

You humoured Tanith initially. Who were you to judge how fate would bring forth someone for you? Even if you hated it, you could meet your future husband over dinner set up by your parents.

But you knew better. After all, you were a seasoned pro at these things now. You were either too ambitious and not nearly as accomplished as a prospect for running the impending future household they wanted you to. Or you were just the right amount of driven for them, except all they could do was talk business and nothing else. You wanted someone to connect with. Someone who would reach deep into your soul.

And that’s why by Saturday evening, you hadn’t even waited until you snuck off to the bathroom to put the ring on your finger.

Desperate times had called for desperate measures. As you smiled demurely up at your date, it didn’t take him long to spot the subtle sparkle on your left hand, or for him to politely excuse himself either. Dinner had arrived but it was only for one and you were pleased with the outcome. As you ate, you planned strategies for tomorrow so you would be yet another weekend unsuccessful. And ready to start a new week at work.

“Y/N?” a voice called out and you glanced up from your meal, faltering when you saw who stood there in front of you. Mina grinned before sliding into the empty chair across from you. “It is you!”

“Ah, it’s been awhile, how are you?”

“Busy as always. Married life keeps you on your toes,” she stated airily, throwing her hand out in an obvious manner to bring attention to the giant rock that resided there. You nodded mindlessly, your appetite now forgotten.

You didn’t want to feel jealous but Kim Mina had it all. She had been beating you in life for years, first in high school, then at university and finally in adulthood. You couldn’t even hate her for having done so well, her accomplishments were all genuine. She had a great career, met the man of her dreams and even had the cutest toddler.

And she had done it all without the help of her family.

Some people had all the luck in the world.

Mina’s startled gasp pulled you out of your envy, her hand shooting across the table to grab your own. “You’re engaged?!”

To anyone else, you would have refuted it with a laugh. Oh, this? No, it’s just a decoy to stop blind dates from going further than they need to. But you couldn’t say that to her. The woman you had inadvertently compared your own success and failure to for years having that kind of information over you would be social suicide. Whilst it was smart practice for you to wear the ring for your own safety, if word got round your alumni, well, you shuddered to think of how damaging that could be to your career.

And to your psyche.

So like a deer in headlights, you flailed about, trying to decide what to say to her. She was giggling with delight, gripping at your hand as if you had suddenly joined some elitist club. Welcoming you in to feel as if you belonged in this world she was rapidly creating. “Oh Y/N! Who is he?! You finally found love huh? I’m so happy for you! We’ll have to have you over for dinner sometime soon with your beau. Oh my goodness, wait until everyone hears about this! When’s the date?!”

You should have corrected her.

You knew that lying about something as big as this was only going to come back to haunt you.

Yet you smiled, albeit weakly and nodded at Mina. “I guess I am.”

And just like that, you were engaged.

To well… that you would drastically need to figure out.

_________________

Part 2

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285 notes · View notes

t0ngue-tech · 5 years

Text

Deadline | Three

“Without saying a single word, you emerged turned around and reached out to wrap your arms around Jungkook’s torso. He stumbled a bit before finding his footing. You knew you caught him off guard because it took him a few seconds before he snaked his arms underneath your hair to secure them around your neck.

‘U-Uh--’ Jungkook stammered.”

↠fluff, angst, highschoolAU, fakerelationshipAU↞

word count: 7.4k

↠series: 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ↞

A/N: HI GUISE OMG IT’S BEEN SO LONG HASNT IT, BUT HERE I AM!!!! ive honestly been working on this since finals and even when finals finished, i hit a writer’s block. then, all of a sudden i was hit with a rush of motivation and this is the outcome huhu. i hope you all enjoy!!!!

The clock ticked endlessly on and on as the students of your history class were in disarray. Usually everybody would be working with their partners on the history project, but a substitute teacher sat at your teacher’s desk instead; this meant a free period.

Jennie sat with you, huddled in a corner of the classroom catching up on other work for another class. You assisted her with whatever she needed while also proofreading a paper from your AP English class.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit by Jungkook?” Jennie whispered.

Your eyes darted across the room and spotted Jungkook with his head down on the desk, buried within his arms.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” You brought your attention back to your paper.

“You do know that two of Chaeyoung’s goons are in this class, right? They’re probably going to tell every single detail about you and Jungkook that happens here.” Jennie leaned in closer to keep her voice at a hushed whisper.

Jennie did have a point, but despite that, you stayed planted in your seat. You were used to having Chaeyoung’s friends’ eyes glancing at you from time to time in class but ever since the night in the diner parking lot, they’ve been watching you like a hawk. It was a bit concerning.

The substitute reminded everyone that the sign-in sheet was at the front of the class and to straighten out the desk before leaving. Before the bell rang, Jungkook awoke from the sound of the desks scraping against the tile floors. He stretched out his limbs and lazily threw his backpack over his shoulder.

As soon as the bell rang, the students stampeded towards the door and Jennie bid you adieu. Jungkook glided across the class to where you were, still putting papers in their correct folders. He held your water bottle and phone in one hand, patiently waiting for you to get situated. When you finished adjusting your bag on your bag, he silently reached for your hand and slid his fingers in between yours. It’s been roughly two weeks and you still weren’t used to the feeling of holding his hand.

“I’ve never seen you look this tired.” You spoke over the rush of students in the hallway.

Jungkook yawned deeply and shook his head to wake himself up a little. “I’ve had three consecutive late night training and it’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

“Do you have a fight coming up?”

“Next month, but I need to make weight and train as much as I can so I have a lot of work to do.” He explained.

“Hm,” you hummed. “I guess this means you have to cut back on the fries.”

Jungkook dropped his jaw slightly. “Oh my god, you’re right.”

Since the two of you started this fake relationship, Jungkook always walked you to your fourth period. He didn’t mind being a few minutes late to his class because his teacher was “cool.” It worried you a little, but he stressed that it was really no big deal.

“Do you have a meeting after school?” Jungkook stationed you against the wall near your classroom to let other students pass through.

“I just have to drop off a few folders to the club classroom and then I have to pick up a package for my mom at the post office right after.” You reached for the items Jungkook held for you and he gave them back to you with ease.

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’m gonna head straight home after school to sleep before my practice tonight.” Jungkook sighed as he enveloped you into a tight hug. The hug lasted roughly a minute and just before he let go, it felt as if he placed a soft kiss to the top of your head; unless that was his chin bumping against you because of how tall he was compared to you.

You were used to seeing Jungkook with an abundance of energy and seeing how physically exhausted he was now worried you a lot more than it should have. Instead of focusing like how you usually did, you spent the entire class period looking up different kinds of foods that boxers could eat while trying to make weight. A lot of the information you found were similar lists of light proteins and reminders to watch the sugar and fat intake.

A lightbulb went off somewhere inside of your head and you were now creating a small shopping list in the notes section of your phone. This wasn’t your problem, but somehow you felt compelled to support him. Maybe it was the title of being his “girlfriend,” who knows.

↠↞

You [3:04]: hi mom, i just picked up your package and i’m heading to the grocery store. let me know asap if you need anything

When you arrive at the grocery store parking lot, your mother replied with a short list of a dozen eggs, cherry tomatoes, and a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

“Ground turkey...ground turkey...ground turk-ah.” You dropped the package of lean meat into your shopping cart.

You never tried cooking any of the dishes you had bookmarked on your phone, so your nerves were shaking inside of you. There was a lot more options that weren’t as complicated, but of course, you didn’t want to settle with that.

It never occurred to you that there was a possibility you could poison Jungkook just before his boxing match. This thought made you want to put everything back on the shelves, but you also thought about how tired Jungkook looked today and it gave you some strength to follow through with your plan.

“Ooooh, mama y/n. Making dishes for your man.”

On your way home, Jennie called you to talk for a bit before she took her sister to her dance lesson. You filled her in with your plan to make a few meals for Jungkook so he can keep his energy up and Jennie was elated.

“Jennie, calm down. He’s not my man. I’m just trying to better a good...person? For him?” You pulled up to your driveway and disconnected your phone from your car. “Am I taking this role too seriously?”

“Sigh, y/n. You’re doing exactly what you need to do.” Jennie explained in your ear. “This is going to help you feel more like a girlfriend-girlfriend for him! I’ve seen you hang out with him at school and I can tell you’re still awkward with this whole thing.”

You shuffled into your house with your bags of groceries dangling from your arms and your phone tucked in between your shoulder and ear. “I’m still trying to get used to him, okay? You still have a point, but I might kill him.”

Jennie laughed in your ear and sighed. “That’s okay!”

Your mother waved at your from the kitchen counter and rushed over to help you with your bags.

“I’ll let you know how it goes, bye! Love you!” Just like that, you hung up before Jennie could say anything else.

You remembered that you didn’t tell your mother about Jungkook and you weren’t ready to confront her about him yet.

“How was school, y/n?” Your mother glided over to help you unload your bags.

“It was fine—it’s okay mom, I got this, you can continue with whatever you were doing.” There was a tinge of panic in your voice which didn’t sound as convincing as you wanted it to be.

Your mother lifted an eyebrow and reached in to grab her bag of chips. “Okay, honey. Just uh, don’t forget to put the eggs in the fridge.”

It took a few minutes for your mother to leave the kitchen because she rummaged through the fridge to retrieve a bottle of iced tea to have with her chips. She sat down at the dining table where her laptop was set up as well as a stack of papers.

You silently moved around the kitchen to put certain foods inside of the fridge and laid out a cutting board and other cooking utensils. The first order of business was to wash the lettuce and other vegetables you were going to use.

“Let’s see, lettuce wraps…” After rinsing the vegetables, you tied an apron around your waist. “Season the ground turkey with salt…” You whispered the instructions to yourself and carefully measured the spices and dropped them into the bowl with the ground turkey. It was such a delicate process and you wanted to get everything right on the first try because besides preparing him a few meals, you wanted to surprise him during his training tonight.

To an extent, you knew your way around the kitchen. You could easily whip a meal for yourself that could be done with minimum ingredients, but you weren’t skilled enough to create detailed meals meant for others to eat. This was one of those cases.

You were tempted to ask your mother for assistance because she cooked more often than you did. It wouldn’t hurt to do so, plus you could easily say that the food was for yourself.

“Mom…?” You called out quietly.

Your mother hummed and typed away at her keyboard.

“I may or may not need help.”

She stood up from her chair to take a glance at whatever you were doing. All of your ingredients were sprawled out all over the island in the kitchen. Everything was in disarray and your mother chuckled at the chaos.

“And what in the world are you making?” Your mother closed her laptop and strolled over to the mess of vegetables and packages of meat.

“I—uh, I’m making a whole bunch of shi—“ you stopped yourself from completing your sentence. “Stuff. A whole bunch of stuff.”

You barely started the cooking process and you already felt defeated. It was in your nature to figure things out and handle things on your own, but this was cooking for another party so you needed all the help the universe could give you.

“Okay, well, what exactly are you making y/n?” Your mother asked while tying on her own apron.

“Ground turkey lettuce wraps, roasted vegetables, sweet potato fries, and some sort of protein bowl with these chicken tenders, and a lot more stuff.” As you listed your menu, your mother stared at you suspiciously. “What?”

“Nothing, I just—I didn’t know you had such a healthy diet that’s all.”

There were two reasons why you felt yourself sweating: 1) prepping ingredients was tough work and 2) you hated lying to your mother.

“Yeah, I just wanted to try something new, you know? Gotta stay in shape somehow someway.” You let out a nervous chuckle and your mother stared at you, unconvinced.

It took a few seconds before your mother scaled the island to stand next to you. She eyed out the mess in front of you and sighed.

“You know, y/n,” she began and you swallowed the lump in your throat. “When your father was still alive, I used to prepare a lot of meals for him just like this because he always left for work before the sun came up.”

You knew exactly what your mother was trying to tell you and yet you still hesitated.

“I may be going out on a limb here, but is this for that boy who dropped you off back home a few days ago?”

Right on the money.

It only took a matter of seconds plus the piercing gaze coming from your mother to crumble and nod your head. You had no problem in confining in your mother with absolutely anything, but this was painful for you to do. Despite what you told Jungkook, the reason why you didn’t tell your mother about your “relationship” is because it was only temporary. She had just witnessed you sulk throughout the entire summer and you didn’t want to burden her a second time by telling her that you and Jungkook “broke up.” Keeping the relationship a secret would have been hard work but you had to do what you had to do.

“You saw him?” You asked quietly.

She nodded her head and pulled out an extra cutting board from one of the compartments in the island. “I was repotting some of my flowers at the side of the house and when I got up to stretch, I saw you two through the gate; he opened the door of his car for you.”

For the record, you and Jennie both bet that your mother was going to say something within the first week.

“Uh, y-yeah. His name is Jungkook.” The smile that appeared on your face happened on an impulse.

You proceeded to tell your mother the forged story Jungkook came up with and also mentioned that you known him since elementary and that he was your partner for a history project.

“Wait, is this the same Jungkook who put the gum in your hair?” Your mother exclaimed with a laugh.

“That’s—That’s the one.” The bitter memory of having to cut your hair just below your shoulders flashed in your head. You also remembered the moment when Jungkook’s mother showed up the next day to pick him up from school and made him apologize again. She also gave you a ziploc of powdered brownies because of how terrible she felt.

“Wow, what a small world, huh?” Your mother smiled fondly at you. “Y/n, you know that I don’t want you hiding this kind of thing from me. You can trust me.”

It truly broke your heart hearing her words. If it was already difficult admitting the relationship, you knew you were going to suffer when the deadline would occur.

“I know, mom. I’m sorry.” You replied sadly.

She patted your back and grinned. “Don’t be sorry, honey. Now let’s get this chaos in order because first and foremost, you should always prep all of your ingredients first.”

Cooking took a lot longer than you expected because of your lack of skills. It was a trainwreck, but your mother managed to assist you in making a few days worth of meal prep for Jungkook. Even though you burnt your fingers on the pans from roasting the vegetables in the oven, you were satisfied with the outcome.

“Hopefully Jungkook isn’t going to die.” You sighed.

Your mother pulled out a reusable bag from the cupboard and neatly stacked the tupperwares inside.

“He’s going to be fine, y/n. I taste tested your food and it tastes fine. Just be sure to tell Jungkook that I’m going to be needing my tupperware back.” She instructed.

You nodded and mentioned that you were going to use her car because your keys were in your room which was “too far” for you.

As you boarded the driver side of her car, you sighed deeply thinking about if this was too much of a gesture. Giving someone food is one thing but making a home cooked meal was another.

“It’s fine, y/n. It’s fine. It’s just food, it’s not like your kissing him or something—okay wait, no. Just shut up and drive.” You muttered to yourself and started the engine.

↠↞

The gym that Jungkook trained at was about a fifteen to twenty minute drive from your house which meant it was most likely closer to his house. It was no secret where Jungkook trained, plus you had him on almost all of your social media platforms so you saw parts of what the gym looked like.

When you pulled into the parking lot, you spotted Jungkook’s car easily because of how bare the lot was at that time of night. You had time to abort your mission, but you found yourself stepping out of your vehicle and grabbing the bag from the passenger seat.

Entering the gym, there was a strong stench of overused body spray mixed with the tiniest tinge of sweat. There were a few people still using the exercise equipment and a few boys and girls working with a trainer. You took a couple of more steps inside and you easily spotted Jungkook sparring with his coach in the boxing ring towards the left wing of the gym. You approached the surrounding area cautiously, not wanting to distract Jungkook from his training.

You watched Jungkook take forceful jabs to the sparring equipment that his coach was holding. The sound of his boxing gloves hitting his coach’s punching mitts was intense, almost making you flinch with each punch. With the headgear blocking majority of his face, it was still clear it was Jungkook because of his strawberry blond hair.

From where you were standing, you could hear his coach tell him to take a break for a bit. He helped Jungkook remove his mouth guard and boxing gloves. Jungkook took off his headgear and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. He quickly glanced in your direction and took a double take just as quick. Jungkook climbed out of the ring and you met him half way as he wiped down his body with a towel.

“Hey, uh, this is a nice surprise.” Jungkook chuckled.

“Hi.” You said blankly. You didn’t realize you were spacing out until Jungkook waved his hand in front of your face. “I come bearing gifts.”

Before handing him the bag, Jungkook offered you a seat at a bench nearby. He sat down a couple of inches away from you, apologizing that he probably smells disgusting and is drenched with sweat.

“I couldn’t shake the thought of you being exhausted all day and you also mentioned that you had to make weight. So I took the liberty to meal prep you some food.” You explained and handed him the bag.

Jungkook smiled at you with a shocked expression and peered inside of the bag. He rummaged through the tupperware that were labeled with post its.

“Y/n, I--I don’t know what to say, thank you so much.” He couldn’t erase the smile from his lips and opened up the tupperware that contained a thick turkey wrap that was cut into two. There was also a batch of roasted sweet potatoes, parsnip, and red bell peppers stuffed inside. “Did you eat dinner yet?”

Well shit. You were so focused on cooking for Jungkook that you haven’t even eaten anything since that afternoon.

“N-No, I haven’t.”

“Great! No, not great but, wanna stay for about ten more minutes? I’m gonna do one more session and I want to share this with you.” Jungkook closed up the tupperware and stood up.

You were worried that Jungkook felt hesitant about eating the food you made yourself; with the help of your mother of course. But he looked extremely excited about asking you to eat with him that saying no didn’t seem like an option.

“Yeah, I’ll stay.” You answered sweetly.

“Okay, just sit tight.” He spoke, practically skipping all the way back to the boxing ring.

Before getting started, Jungkook and his coach exchanged a few words and peeked over Jungkook’s shoulder to wave at you. It was most likely he introduced you as his girlfriend; it was still a weird title to have under your belt.

It was exhilarating watching Jungkook in the ring. You didn’t mean to stare, but you found yourself gawking at his biceps that were glistening under the fluorescent lights. You remembered Jungkook being scrawny back in middle school and freshman year. Then all of sudden, he grew taller, gained muscles, and gained the habit of dying his hair often. Honestly, he had always been adorable but you never saw Jungkook in that way, ever. It was difficult to admit, but he looked attractive in his element.

That was it though. Just attractive.

The ten minutes flew by in a blink of an eye. He politely asked you to wait for another five minutes because he wanted to wash up before sitting in close proximity with you for the second time. Just like those ten minutes, the five minutes passed just as quickly. Jungkook came out from another room, waddling with his drenched hair bouncing everywhere and his duffle bag swinging from his side. He gestured you over to exit the gym which you were thankful for. The overwhelming smell of the body spray started to give you a headache.

↠↞

“Are you sure you want to share this with me? I made this for you, Jungkook.” You questioned as you sat on the parking block in the empty parking stall next to Jungkook’s car.

Jungkook tossed his duffle bag into the backseat of his car and proceeded to sit next to you. He changed into a dark gray track suit and still had water dripping from the ends of his hair.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I always drink some protein after training and that’s going to fill me up pretty well. You can have the other half of this wrap since you didn’t eat yet—oh fuck, my blender bottle.” He retreated back to his car and retrieved his blender bottle that already had a measured amount of protein powder and a bottle of water. “Have you made one of these before?”

You shook your head and he handed you both bottles and just as you were making his meal prep, you felt like you were going to ruin his protein.

“You see this line here? 12 ounce? Fill the blender up to there, close it tightly and then shake as if your life depended on it.” He instructed.

The instructions were simple and yet you still continued to second guess yourself over something so trivial. You did as you were told and as you shook the bottle, Jungkook laughed at the strained look you had on your face.

“Hey! Cut me some slack. I don’t shake protein on a regular basis.” You abruptly stopped the motion and Jungkook continued to laugh whilst pleading for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just--” Jungkook still failed to stifle his laughter. “Your face---” He took the bottle from your hands and imitated the look of your eyes screwed shut and your lips pursed closely to your teeth. Jungkook’s expression caused a burst a laughter to rise out of you and playfully shoved him off of the parking block.

“Just eat your food, Jeon!” You chuckled.

Jungkook recovered from him fit of laughter and proceeded to take the lid off the tupperware. Your fingers trembled as he handed you the other half of the wrap. While your eyes held the gaze of anxiety, he had the gaze of astonishment mixed with hunger.

“So, what’s in it?” He asked whilst examining the wrap.

“Uh, turkey breast slices, yellow bell pepper, spinach, tomato, and hummus.” As you explained, Jungkook lifted the wrap closer and closer to his mouth.

The deafening silence between the two of you as Jungkook bit and chewed was astounding. Your throat had gone dry and it felt as if your half of the wrap was going to slide out of your hands.

Jungkook abruptly stopped mid-chew and looked at you with his eyebrows knitted together. Your eyes turned into moons as you felt your heart break piece by piece.

“Y/n…” Jungkook mumbled slowly.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, trying to prepare yourself for the rejection of your food. However, you did expect it.

“This is fucking delicious.” He said in pure bliss. “I don’t ever eat anything like this, but holy shit, this is amazing.”

The disappointed look on your face twisted into a confused facial expression. “Really?! Are you sure?”

“Try it.”

Even after your mother’s approval and Jungkook’s compliment, you were still hesitant in taking a bite. Jungkook gestured at you to try the turkey wrap as he took his own bite.

You took a breath and proceeded to follow through with the action. After chewing for a bit, you came to the realization that, “wow, okay, this isn’t bad.”

“See?! It’s great!” Jungkook gave you a pat on the shoulder. “Why were you so nervous about it?”

“It’s because the only people I’ve ever cooked for are my mom and Jennie.” You explained. “I make the most basic things ever, so you know, of course I’d be nervous making you something that I made.”

He nodded his head and reached for one of the vegetables in the tupperware. “Well, I really appreciate it, y/n—for doing this, I mean. You didn’t have to.”

“I know.” You sighed. “I wanted to.”

Jungkook smiled at you with his cheeks puffed out from the food that he stuffed inside. You felt compelled to poke one of his cheeks, but you fought it because bringing him food was already as “intimate” as you could get.

You still found it hard to make the first move to hold Jungkook’s hand in school or even hook your arm with his. He always initiated skinship first which you were grateful for because you were obviously too chicken to do it yourself.

“So,” You started after swallowing another bite of the turkey wrap. “I uh--my mom, she uh, you know, knows.”

Jungkook stopped midway through his bite and stared at you with concerning eyes. “What happened?”

You began to tell the tale of your mother’s smart instincts. Jungkook’s cheeks flushed for a moment.

“She remembers you as the kid who put gum in my hair.” You gently nudged his shoulder and he snorted at the memory.

“Ah, yeah, I remember that. My mom got so mad at me.” He sighed and flicked at a lock of your hair with clean fingers. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

You envisioned the eleven year old version of Jungkook who “stealthily” stuck a wad of gum in your hair but tripping over someone’s backpack while trying to flee.

“It’s alright.” You chuckled and put your hand up.

Jungkook quickly finished the rest of his wrap and chugged half of his protein shake. “You want to try some? It’s chocolate.”

You hesitated at first, only because you had that split second thought of sharing an indirect kiss with him.

I need to stop watching anime.

After what seemed to be forever, you reached out and took a swig from his protein bottle and scrunched your nose.

“It tastes like...grass.” You shuddered and smacked your lips, still tasting the chocolately-grass flavored protein on your tongue.

Jungkook laughed sharply and escaped to grab another water bottle to give to you out of his duffle bag. “Yeah sorry, it’s a vegan protein. You get used to it when you drink it often.” He offered you another sip which you declined with a sour facial expression.

Your brain sifted through the thoughts that were racing inside of you and you thought about whether or not Chaeyoung was used to the taste of Jungkook’s protein flavor. You wondered if she ever gave him a home cooked meal or if she randomly showed up at the gym while he was training.

Duh. Of course she has y/n. She was his girlfriend.

You weren’t trying to compare yourself to Chaeyoung, but he did date her for three years which meant he was accustomed to random acts of flirtatious banter and actions. On the other hand, you were also used to those things but with Sehun, not Jungkook. It never really occurred to you before, but you wondered why he never hesitated to show public displays of affection to you; his breakup with Chaeyoung was just as “recent” as yours and yet it almost seemed like a second nature for him.

Just this once, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Hey Jungkook,” you began softly waiting for a signal from him to continue your words. “How is it so easy for you to do this?”

He tilted his head and pointed to his blender bottle. “Do what? Drink my protein?”

“No.” You chuckled. “I don’t know, pretend to be in this relationship with me. Pet names, holding my hand, you know, the works.”

Jungkook stretched his legs out in front of him and took a deep breath. “Honestly,” he started. “It isn’t easy.”

You raised an eyebrow. You weren’t expecting this answer at all.

“For three years, I’ve only affectionately held one girl’s hand and called only one girl babe or whatever. It’s all I’ve ever known--routine, you know. So, jumping right into something new terrified me a little, but I knew I had to be confident about this so Chaeyoung could finally leave me alone.” Jungkook explained.

This was probably one of the most serious moments you ever had with Jungkook. While you always made it known that you weren’t used to PDA with Jungkook, he remained confident with every move he made that you never suspected him to feel the same way as you did. It was honestly impressive.

Also, Jungkook was right. He had to do this in order for Chaeyoung to finally get off his back. Although you held his hand in the hallways and hugged him whenever he initiated it, Chaeyoung and her lackeys could probably tell from a mile away that there was something suspicious just from the look in your eyes; a woman’s intuition.

If you put as much effort as Jungkook did in the beginning, then maybe this whole thing would be over much quicker. After all, that was the stipulations of this fake relationship: it would last until Chaeyoung gives up. You also had a hidden goal embedded in this relationship which was to make Sehun jealous. Selfish? Yes. Did you care? A little.

You left the conversation as that and carefully eased into a different subject. Jungkook never questioned your question, he just casually followed your lead.

You decided to spend another ten minutes with Jungkook before deciding to head home; it was still a school night. Jungkook tidied up the backseat of his car to make proper room for the bag of meal prep so it wouldn’t fall over while he drove.

“By the way, am I still picking you up tomorrow morning?” Jungkook asked taking the bag from you.

“Yeah, if you still want to.” You gave yourself a few more seconds before continuing. “My mom actually starts a little later than normal tomorrow, so if you want to come out to say hi then..”

Jungkook took a noticeable breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, yeah. I’d love to say hi. I’ll stop by the usual time.”

You nodded your head and waited for Jungkook to ready himself to get into the driver’s seat. Instead, he shut the backseat door and gestured you your car. You cocked an eyebrow and spun around on your heel with Jungkook walking closely behind you.

“New car?” He asked.

“No, my mom’s.” You unlocked the car and just as he’s done every single time, Jungkook moved ahead of you to open the car door. You placed your phone into one of the cupholders and opened the middle console to double check if your wallet was still there.

There was a voice inside your head screaming at you to turn the fuck around and give Jungkook a hug or at least a high five. You hesitated because it’s what you do, but the voice grew louder and louder until your thoughts boiled over.

Without saying a single word, you emerged turned around and reached out to wrap your arms around Jungkook’s torso. He stumbled a bit before finding his footing. You knew you caught him off guard because it took him a few seconds before he snaked his arms underneath your hair to secure them around your neck.

“U-Uh--” Jungkook stammered.

This was your cue to release him and you did just that.

“Drive safe.” You playfully swatted his chest, making him flinch and then sliding into your mother’s car.

“You too. Drive safe.” Jungkook closed the car door and before he shifted his body, you caught a glimpse of a smile on his face. You started the engine and rolled the windows down. Jungkook turned back around to you and you waved him off so he could go to his car. He also waved goodbye and you waited until he got into his car before you pulled out of the parking stall.

The hug you gave him was going to be the first of many that you were going to initiate first. You promised yourself to actually act like a girlfriend for once. Hugs were a bit on the easy side for you because you didn’t need to look at him while doing it. Little by little, you were going to push yourself to initiate PDA towards Jungkook. Sehun would get jealous, Chaeyoung would officially call it quits with Jungkook and then everything would go back to normal.

↠↞

You loved it whenever your mother started later in the mornings. This meant you could sit at the table with her and chat before heading to school. It was rare for her to be home before you went to school because even on her days off, she would catch up on some sleep.

It was a quiet Wednesday morning and you were enjoying a plate of waffles drizzled with maple syrup and dusted with powdered sugar. Your mother sliced you up a few strawberries and poured you a nice tall glass of orange juice. Whenever she prepared a decent size breakfast like this, it reminded you of your childhood; breakfast with your parents on a typical Sunday morning with you begging your father to add whipped cream to your waffles and your mother nagged at you to not pile on more sugar on your breakfast. There wasn’t a lot of memories stored in your headspace, but you cherished them all.

“So that’s what you were working on yesterday.” You forked a slice of your waffle into your mouth.

“Yeah. I don’t know why the head honcho decided to move the meeting today on such short notice.” Your mother spoke from the kitchen, spooning another serving of the batter into the waffle maker. “At least I finished it, but I might be coming home an hour or two late because today’s schedule got completely rearranged.”

Nowadays, it was not uncommon for you to be home alone or alone until late hours of the night. Over the years, your mother worked hard and became head of her department in the office. By the time you were a sophomore, she went on a few business trips that left you home alone for a few weekends. You had to admit, it was a bit lonely at times, but you were extremely proud of her accomplishments.

Your phone vibrated against the hardwood of the dining table with a surprising text message from Jungkook.

[6:53] jeon kook: Outside

Your fork clattered on top of the plate and you bolted towards your driveway, disregarding your mother’s question.

“I thought the usual time meant 7:15?” You questioned Jungkook as he stood at the passenger side of his car, flattening out his shirt and ruffling his hair. He nonchalantly opened his car and pulled out a drink carrier that held three drinks.

Your eyes grew wide and your jaw dropped slightly.

“What--What is going on?” You asked suspiciously.

“Iced hazelnut latte for you and two orange-mango iced teas because I don’t know how your mom takes her coffee.” Jungkook explained holding up the carrier and shutting the car door.

“O-Okay.” You stuttered, still confused as to why he was doing this. “Let’s go in then.”

As the two of you walked up the pavement, you suddenly remembered this would technically be the first time he’s been in your home; the one time during elementary didn’t count because it was for your birthday party. Jungkook would be stepping into your home as your “boyfriend” and it was nerve wracking. Was your mother going to embarrass you? Were you going to embarrass yourself?

“Mom!” You called out, almost hesitant to let Jungkook inside. “Jungkook is here.”

You stepped out of the way to let Jungkook in who was struggling to kick hi shoes off before entering.

“H-Hi! Good morning Mrs--”

“Oh just call me ‘auntie’, Jungkook. It’s alright.” Your mother always instructed your friends to call her ‘auntie’ while Jennie called her ‘mom’.

“A-Auntie..” Jungkook repeated with a small smile. “I’m sorry to drop by on short notice.”

“It’s no problem. Have a seat and have some breakfast before you two head out.” At your mother’s words, you flashed her wide eyes. Even if this was all apart of the relationship package, you only prepared yourself for them to exchange greetings not have an entire conversation over breakfast.

“I don’t know how you take your coffee--or if you even like coffee, so I got you an orange-mango iced tea.” Jungkook took a few steps forward, nervous to enter the kitchen. You gave him a gentle push and he glided across your wooden floor to hand over her beverage.

“Oh, Jungkook, thank you.” She traded the drink with a plate of waffles for him to indulge in.

As he walked back towards you, you gave him a reassuring “okay” sign with your fingers. Jungkook seemed to want extra “good-boyfriend-points” and he seemed to be on the right track.

↠↞

Breakfast with your mother went surprisingly well.

One of the first things Jungkook said was an apology for ruining your hair and with a full hearted laugh, she forgave him. Your mother asked about school and shockingly, he didn’t quite lie about his academic performance. He expressed his struggle to focus in class sometimes and he was glad to have you tutor him from time to time. Nothing embarrassing, nothing too cringey, everything went exceptionally well.

Your mother thanked Jungkook for picking you up and also thanked him once again for the iced tea as you two were preparing to leave. She even witnessed him open the car door for you. You have to admit, you were impressed and proud of Jungkook for doing this.

“I’m pretty sure she likes you.” You commented and rolled down your window.

Jungkook chuckled and slicked his hair back. “Of course, why wouldn’t she?”

“Oh my god, I take it back.” You leaned further away from him, cringing at his greasiness.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Jungkook gently tugged at your wrist to bring you back to how you were sitting before. “I swear I was shitting bricks though, but your mom is a lot easier to talk to than what I thought.”

You smiled as you listened to Jungkook rant about how he couldn’t sleep last night because he was too nervous. His eyes flickered from you back to the road and even still holding onto your wrist, he still spoke with a few hand gestures. This would have been your cue to wriggle yourself free, but you suppressed the urge. You had to get comfortable somehow, someway and this was your way of trying.

“By the way, how does your mom take her coffee?” Jungkook released your wrist as he reversed his car into a parking stall.

“Straight up black. Iced or hot. Ugh, it tastes disgusting.” You shivered and rubbed your wrist.

“I guess I’ll bring that over the next time I meet with you two.”

Small words were exchanged as the two of you exited Jungkook’s car. You had both of your backpacks at your footside during the whole car ride and he walked over to your side to take his bag from you, you offered to put it on for him. He squinted his eyes at you, wondering what you were up to this time. But you nudged him on to slip his arms through the straps.

“Hmm, y/n. What’s going on? First the meal prep then--oh fuck, my waffles!” Jungkook thrashed around and quickly opened the passenger side door of his car to reach for the ziploc with extra waffles that your mother made for him. “Anyway, first the meal prep, then that hug you gave me--which by the way, you never do first. During breakfast, you dressed up my waffles for me and now your helping me put on my bag? What exactly are you planning, Ms. y/n?”

You rolled your eyes at him. “First of all, at my house, it’s called manners. Second of all, I’m not planning anything. I’m just...playing my part.”

Jungkook chuckled and slyly weaved his fingers in between yours because of the amount of students that were in the parking lot.

“Well, whatever pushed that on, I’m glad it did. Chaeyoung was seriously doubting us.” He whispered.

“You know that for certain?” You asked intrigued because he did sound certain.

“Yeah, she told me.” Jungkook kept his hushed tone. “Remember at the diner? She went on and on saying that you didn’t seem like a ‘girlfriend’ because you acted differently with Sehun or whatever. I told her to just mind her business.”

A quiet sigh slipped past your lips. Chaeyoung wasn’t wrong, which was why you were trying your best to push past your boundaries and act like a better girlfriend. Jungkook hasn’t done anything that you didn’t like. He always quietly warned you if he was going to do something out of the ordinary like a back hug. You were always grateful for this, so you needed to meet him halfway for once.

“I--” You started. “I’ll try my best to do better, okay?”

Jungkook smiled at you and shook his bangs out of his eyes. “Thanks.”

He guided you all the way to your locker and leaned against the cool metal. This was practically routine for the two of you; you’d head to your locker first to grab whatever textbooks you needed for first and second period, then head over to Jungkook’s locker to grab a single notebook.

“Any plans for lunch?” Jungkook asked as he entered his locker combination.

“I was going to go to the math lab. I have to go over some criteria with Chanyeol since I didn’t get to stay for a full meeting for the past week.” You explained.

“I feel like that’s my fault since you’ve been helping me with my math work. Sorry about that.” Jungkook kept his head in his locker searching for god knows what.

“It’s no...problem.” You said barely above a whisper. Across the hall, you easily spotted Sehun with his group of friends chilling against another row of lockers. There was no doubt that he was staring right at you while his friends became background noise.

It wasn’t fair. You wouldn’t need to be making Sehun jealous in the first place if you two didn’t break up in the first place. You and Sehun would have been happy together and nothing would be messy right now.

Ugh. Shut up, y/n.

You didn’t even need to make Sehun jealous in the first place; this was just you being selfish. Sehun became unhappy at some point in the relationship and you had a personal duty to show him that you were happy with someone else.

“I guess I’m seeing you after school then.” Jungkook shut his locker, making you break the eye contact with Sehun. He kept his back turned without knowing who or what you were staring at.

“Yeah.” You absentmindedly tugged at Jungkook’s shirt to smooth out a couple of the wrinkles that splayed across. In return, he gently pushed a few hairs out of your face with his fingertips.

“Alright, let’s get you to class, Ms. y/n.” Jungkook took the textbook out of your grasp so he could properly hold your hand.

As you laced your hand into Jungkook’s, you stole a glance of Sehun whose eyes were still trained on you. You swore to yourself once again that you were going to show Sehun that you were happy with your boyfriend, Jungkook. Sehun was going to have to watch in the background as you walked the halls of the school with someone who wasn’t him.

Your class was in the opposite direction of where Sehun stood with his friends. Just as you started to walk off with Jungkook, you softly squeezed his hand and lean your head against his shoulder. There was an intense feeling of eyes piercing through the back of your head and just before Jungkook could look down at your face, you smirked.

Bingo.

♡ rae jagi

#bangtan boys #bts #jungkook #bts scenarios #jungkook scenarios #fake relationship au #high school au #bts angst #bts fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff #baby kookie #rae writes

92 notes · View notes

chim-chimmie · 6 years

Text

Pernicious | m.

PROLOGUE: “CURIOSITY OVERDUE”

⤳ pairing: namjoon x reader, jungkook x reader

⤳ genre: will contain angst, smut + slow burn

⤳ words: 2k

⤳ summary: that club laid in the darkest quarter of the town seemed to be prior gossip talk amongst everyone, especially the certain owner of it – kim namjoon. your thirst made you visit the place, making your blackest fantasies see the light. pernicious, not only to your relationship with jungkook, but to yourself as well.

⤳ warnings: none yet

⤳ chapters: prologue | ...

It was no secret anymore, every single person in your town knew about it. Even outsiders from cities far, far away seemed as though they were talking about it. When you passed by the streets, the word was uttered; when you stood still at the bus station, the same word was uttered; you hang out at the sofa of your favorite coffee shop, the word was again repeated, again. The same words fell from people’s mouths over and over, again and again, developing into some kind of cycle – a vicious circle as you would say. But the thing was, even though the word was the same, they still weren’t indifferent, at all. Every person had a different story behind it, each mouth spilling it out had a different way of telling these stories. Some were disgusted, literally hissing it out of their mouths as if they were experiencing some sort of purification when they released it from inside their bodies. Others were worshipping it, which they showed by spreading it out and about, carrying something lightful in their eyes – as if it was a drug to them.

But you didn’t understand it, you probably never would. Of course, you had the chance to explore the different meanings of the word, to appropriate your own signification like the rest of the people did, but your decision was not to. You’d rather not fall into this, what you could call a trap. Your mind has been made up a long time ago, already deciding to not let yourself be bothered by indefinite things mainstreaming around you. In this case, you’d be the fish swimming against the stream. Oh, only you didn’t know yet how you weren’t as special as you thought you were.

You exhaled loudly, taking a sip of your coffee as you felt the caffeine relish through your body, warming you up as needed to feel a sense of starting for the day. But your boyfriend knew very well a sigh didn’t mean anything good, especially when the outcome was as heavy as it was right now. His hooded eyes nagged at you and you rolled your eyes, knowing too well what awaited you. But what really annoyed you more, were the dark circles under his pretty eyes – they didn’t deserve it. This man was getting no sleep lately, causing you to be stressed out even more than you already were. It was a battle, day and night, for the both of you and you knew it. He knew it. Even though you seemed to come through, it wasn’t how you imagined life to be. But, what were you supposed to do? Oh, right, a lot actually.

“What’s up, boo?” he finally questioned after somehow finding the strength to do so. It wasn’t even 8 A.M. yet, and neither of you were morning people. Preferably, you’d lay down with him and cuddle together to forget that the cold present around you existed in the first place.

You stared out of the window right next to you, observing the snowflakes glide ever so smoothly through the air, land on the floor just to be stepped on by the hectic people passing by. It was peaceful and calming to watch something so trivial, but the reality hit you once again; it was winter and it was the season you despised the most. “Nothing, Jungkook. I’m just tired, the usual,” you replied finally, not showing any sign of sincerity or honesty, and you didn’t even try to come off as such.

“You just said my full name, which you never do except when something is wrong. You can’t lie to me, I don't know why you try to in the first place,” the man stated calmly, his voice carrying a soothing tone to your ears. He wasn’t mad – no, not one bit – he was simply worried about you.

Exactly, why were you even trying to lie? You visited this coffee shop every morning, having a little date with your boyfriend to wake each other up and prepare each other for the day that awaited both of you. You loved it, and it had truly helped ever since you started doing it. But something was off today, of course he would notice the sudden change in your behavior. How could you even be naive enough to think Jungkook wouldn't.

“Ahh,” you tilted your head back to him, dipping your chin into your hands and gazing up at him from a lower angle. “It’s the club. I hear it everywhere and I’m so annoyed by it.”

“Seriously?” Jungkook frowned his eyebrows even though you could not see them due to his soft looking chestnut strands falling into his eyes, but you saw the cute way his nose scrunched – that’s how you noticed. “Why is it bothering you that much? We agreed on not going there and we won’t. Let the people talk.”

You bit at your lower lip and chewed on it, trying to peel off the dry bits out of them. Which wasn’t really a good idea as you immediately felt the taste of iron linger over your tongue, a deep red now coloring your lips. “Ouch, shit,” you mumbled, sucking in drops of blood to make your mouth clear again.

“You really think that’s going to help?” the man at the other end of the small table snickered at your pointless action, seeing that how it impacted the opposite – it only wounded you more. But he couldn’t just sit still and watch you as he would solely laughed his ass off, so he picked out a tissue to hold it right at your lips. “Here you go.”

You flashed him a teethless smile, rays of warmth radiating in between the two of you. Holding his wrist while he dabbed the tissue over your lips, you realized that even the smallest touch of his was loving, and oh, you did love him so much. His bunny teeth appeared brightly in front of you and finally, your body was starting to work properly for today.

Catching an unwanted glimpse of your watch, you didn’t even realize it was already past 8 A.M. “Shoot, I’m already late, gotta go!” you gasped in pure marvel and hectically packed your things, wrapping yourself up in the thickest jacket accompanied with the fluffiest scarf. Neither your fuzzy gloves and your favorite beanie could be forgotten – you had to survive this coldness somehow, or at least try to.

“Alright, boo, see you later tonight,” he murmured in pout as he was a tiny bit disappointed that you already had to leave. But as usual, he stood up to take your hands richly covered in wool, and pulled you up to him, just to give you a small but indeed a very significant kiss. “I love you, and stop thinking about the club!”

You let go of him in a sly smirk, knowing too damn well you would definitely not stop thinking about it. “I love you too,” you almost yelled back as you were heading outside already, leaving him behind in the warm and comfy surrounding while you were hit with the bluntness of the icy weather outside – it could be considered insolent, really.

“Heaven and Hell! You should come tonight, too!” her loud and naggy voice screeched through the whole office, something which she wasn't even oblivious of. You could’ve simply thrown the staple you were holding in your hand at her, but that would only cause the chaos in your head to convert into a physical mess. You were sure your boss wouldn’t like that very much.

You somehow kept yourself restrained, but the word kept repeating itself in your mind. Working on the papers on your desk, you might even start writing it down to at least get it out of your head. Focus, Y/N!

To your unfortunate, the quick silence left the room, as the other then shouted back, “I’ll be there, girl! Count me in!”

“Great! I’ll send you the deets!”

“God! Can y’all just shut the fuck up about Heaven and Hell?” The anger burning inside got the best – or in this case, the worst – out of you, as you were the one to bark into the bureau now. But the only thing you gained were eyes narrowing, eyebrows furrowing and looks bothering you disdained. Just when you looked down at your very own self, you came to the realization of how you stood grand, your right hand lifted with the staple so tight in between your fingers, your knuckles went white. The fume in your blood immediately washed through you newly in embarrassment – what were you even thinking?

But that was it. The word you had been hearing anywhere and anytime.

Heaven and Hell.

Well, surely it wasn't literally only one word, but they certainly connected to give the same damn effect. It took you quite a long time in the beginning to even figure out what Heaven and Hell was meant to be. But once you found out it was the club – oh – everything about it seemed to bug you. It was a club, but definitely not a usual one. It was the one laid back somewhere in the darkest quarter of the town, unreachable by public transportation. You either had to take the bus to the nearest stop and walk at least fifteen minutes, or if you went by car you’d have to park a little further away, making you walk a few minutes as well. You weren’t even sure if it was in a forest or on an industrial area. Wherever it was, it was surely outlying and fucked up. But what seemed to fuck you up truly were all the rumors. You knew the club existed, everyone did, but you weren’t fond of the events happening in there. Every week you’d hear something different – once it’d be innocent as a little party was being thrown, other times you’d hear about people carrying out orgies. And you truly had needed to listen twice to justify if your ears had heard that correctly. And what fucked you up the most though, were the gossips about the certain owner – Kim Namjoon. And as far as you picked up by now, he was an oh, so mysterious man full of oh, so many dark secrets, which only a few people knew about, and these were probably the ones closest to him. It only made you roll your eyes when women chattered about him in the break room of your company or at the local market store. The man also seemed to be very good-looking, even smoking hot, as roughly ninety-nine percent of the women already tried hooking up with him. Failed missions, of course. And something pitiful for you to laugh at too, for sure.

Any person in your situation would be curious and will quickly check the place out to see what everyone had been talking about. But sincerely, not you. Or at least you tried fighting back the curiosity you felt sub-consciously until now, maybe it was even Jungkook holding you back all the time, because that man was never for experiencing new things. But now was nothing else but the perfect moment to explore your own meaning of that word that seemed to be cruising around people's mouths each and every day. It was overdue a long time ago for you to see if your constant behavior of mocking the club visitors has been paying off, or if you would finally acknowledge what everyone has been telling around. Otherwise you would keep yourself up all night, wondering why it must be that good to go there. And you didn’t want to waste your time like that, wondering whether the water is cold or hot, when you could just tap into it and feel it yourself.

“Sorry, guys. You can count me in tonight as well,” you declared to your co-worker with a put-on smile, and calmly sunk back into your office chair as if nothing ever happened. Only thing left to do now was count down the hours left until knocking-off time.

a/n: here I am back with a new series! whoop whoop. I know this is only the prologue and it ain’t even long but I just wanted to get the start out here. are you excited? are you not? lemme know, lovely, <3 I for sure am sjhkfdjh

223 notes · View notes

patatacosmica · 5 years

Text

Drarry Fanfics’ Recommendation (masterpost)

I’ve been postponing this for too long!

And then I were working on it for five days and I though I would die before finishing it! But here it is, finally! *cries*

The organization of this post is a little bit rubbish, but I hope that you enjoy the fanfics if you decide read some :) Also, english isn’t my first language, so I’m very sorry if there’s some grammar mistake or misspelling :___

Enjoy! <3

CANON COMPLIANT

Perfección, by OneMinuteBlack

Harry Potter tenía una vida perfecta: tenía una esposa a la que amaba, tres maravillosos hijos, una familia cálida y numerosa. Era el Jefe del departamento de Seguridad Mágica más joven de la historia y la prensa por fin había dejado de atosigarle. Todo era perfecto. Todo, hasta que su hijo Albus decidió invitar a su mejor amigo a su fiesta de cumpleaños. Entonces descubrió que la vida no era tan perfecta.

31 chapters

Spanish

Explicit

Are you mine?, by gracerene

A trilogy of fics set in an Epilogue-Compliant Harry Potter 'Verse, with various accompanying time-stamps and one-shots. Fics are in chronological order.

Three fanfics + one-shots (91.008 words)

English

Explicit

MY FAV CANON COMPLIANT FIC!! Also, one of the three fanfics it’s a Jeddy fanfic <33

Dating Potters, by GoldenTruth813

Scorpius and Albus have been together for awhile now and decide it's time to have a family dinner and come out to their fathers. What they're not counting on is the fact that they're not the only ones with secrets to share. A story in which innuendos are made, hoodies are worn, secrets are revealed, and Albus hides under the table, though not necessarily in that order.

7.733 words

English

Mature

PERFECTION! I mean, this has Drarry and Jeddy and Scorbus and it’s absolutely perfect. Plus, it’s illustrated! I love this one :__

Freedom to be, by Quicksilvermaid

Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived.

12 years after the war, he's become the Boy Who Lived For Everyone Else. He has the perfect wife. The perfect house. The perfect job. The perfect friends.

Only nothing feels perfect.

Until one day he stumbles across a club called Release and begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a very different place.

19 chapters (169.540 words)

English

Explicit

OMG THIS FANFIC!! Mix Drarry + BDSM + poweful!Harry and you’ll have my heart forever and always <3

Fate has different plans, by MarchnoGirl

Harry drew in a breath.

The man must have felt him, because he spun his head towards him, leaving Harry completely speechless. He was wearing a white mask, covered in plumages and diamonds around the eye holes. The diamonds were almost too shiny in the darkness of the room and made the man’s eyes pop out more evidently: they looked like liquid silver. Or, where some casual anal fingering changes Harry’s destiny.

3 chapters (24.336 words)

English

Explicit

Why have this boys to insist in being so angsty? I don't wanna suffer (well, maybe I do)

Play dates, by bixgirl1

Harry never thought seeing Malfoy as a dad would affect him this way.

7.722 words

English

Explicit

Draco and Harry being dads is so sweet :___ Also, good old praise kink *wink*

Predictable little curses, by brightowl

Two single fathers. One rather inconvenient bonding spell.

14.481 words

English

Explicit

In this post you’re going to discover that I’m a sucker for bonding fanfic

What you left, by MalenkayaCherepakha

Dear Mr. Malfoy, the letter began.

May I begin by extending my deepest condolences on the death of Mr. Potter. It is a great loss for all of wizardkind, and an even greater one for those who knew him personally.

I am writing to you today to inform you that Mr. Potter left you a bequest in his will; the key to Vault 467 at Gringotts. I do not know what the vault contains.

The key is currently in my possession, but if you would like to retrieve it, please do visit my offices at your earliest convenience.

My deepest sympathies once again,

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Alexander Stewart

Draco didn’t understand. Why would Harry leave him the key to his vault?

3983 words

English

Mature

Don’t read this fucking fanfic. It’s going to break your heart. This is the most angsty thing I’ve ever read, I swear.

HOGWARTS EIGHTH YEAR

Tug-o-want, by dysonrules

Harry is back at Hogwarts minding his own business when he finds himself magically drawn to Draco Malfoy. Over and over again.

16.664 words

English

Mature

Not exactly a bond fic, but... more or less.

Dreaming of Harry, by Writcraft

The first night Draco Malfoy dreams of Harry Potter, everything changes.

11.377 words

English

Explicit

Draco is so soft, I need to hug him :___

Hey, Potter, by SunseticMonster

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.

16.024 words

English

Mature

This is so funny, they’re so idiots... But the thing with the ghosts :(((

Candy, by bixgirl1

It was only after careful consideration that Draco came to the wildly preposterous conclusion that he and Potter were actually friends.

Sweet fic. May cause cavities.

5.858 words

English

Mature

THIS IS SO FLUFFY ASLKJALKSJD I love oblivious Draco :’)

It’s joggers season (or so the muggles say), by carpemermaid

Everything about Draco’s life since May has been one bloody long exercise in subverting everything he’s known, that’s expected of him, in an effort to get as far away from the mistakes he’s made—the wrong choices he was forced into. He’s returned to Hogwarts to take his N.E.W.T.s and everything is different—namely, Harry Potter strutting around in clingy joggers that Draco can’t get off his mind.

10160 words

English

Explicit

Kiss, by heyitsamorette

Harry and Draco are forced to kiss over and over again, because that’s just what happens to two arch-enemies around Christmas.

6 chapters (15.344 words)

English

Explicit

This is very cute :__

You cannot save people, you can only love them, by heyitsamorette

Upon returning for Eighth Year, there are so many strange things going on with Malfoy, Harry doesn’t know where to start. He won’t talk to Harry, but he’s talking to ghosts. He won’t apologize for his past, but the Black Family tapestry has crossed him off its tree. And the worst of it all, he still has that infuriating, snotty mouth on him that gets Harry’s dick hard as a rock drives Harry insane.

9 chapters (51.732 words)

English

Explicit

Let it burn in hell, by ImmortalAcorn

Pansy is a cow. It’s unbearable. This whole year will be horrible, I can already tell.

Draco hates the stupid diary and he will not be caught dead writing in it.

Not complete! 126/151 chapters (33.593 words)

English

Mature

I love this one ‘cause it’s written like a diary and I think that isn’t common (?)

before & after, by endoftheline7

Loving Harry James Potter was this: soft, extended longing, stretching out forever in his heart, only faltered by the knowledge that having Harry Potter's love would be entirely different. It would be bright and coarse and real. It would be that brash Gryffindor nerve translated into feeling, and Harry's hands would be rough when they cupped Draco's face and his lips would be bitten raw and chapped with cold and perfect, perfect, perfect.

It would be. If he had it.

2 chapters (23.942 words)

English

Mature

MY POOR HEART! MY POOR BABY DRACO!! The first chapter hurts so, so much... But the second *^*

Dragon’s Hide, by featherflairs

“Finally got me on my knees, eh Potter?” Draco smirked up at him, scandalously close to flirting as he placed Potter’s foot on the scale.

“Could you please carry on?” Harry coughed, awkward when faced with his brashness.

Draco gave a dry smile, writing down his measurements and reaching for Potter's other foot.

“You should consider yourself lucky. I’m usually quite picky with who I service.”

14 chapters (61.156 words)

English

Explicit

Draco’s working as a Quidditch boots’ maker and living in Hogsmeade. Harry is in Hogwarts for the 8th Year. And then the drarry happens :D

The Nightmare Club, by Elle Gray

Hermione and Ron are going back to Hogwarts to do N.E.W.T.s, Ginny isn't. Harry hasn't decided, until he has, in front of the Wizengamot and now he's responsible for Malfoy as well. A tale of enemies who learn to get along, get it wrong and get it on. Everything is purple, some things are on fire and no-one is sleeping properly. But don't worry, there's tea!

16 chapters (85.073 words)

English

Explicit

Harmonised Consciousness, by Talizora

"Potter's spell is still active, but I can shield my thoughts from him. I've been stirring him up all afternoon! It's hysterical!"

Blaise gasped, "It's still active! But it's… Dinner time!"

"Yes, so?"

"S-so? That spell is supposed to cancel itself after an hour! It's been, almost four hours!"

Draco shrugged, "I'm not worried. It's probably due to Potters magic. I'm sure it'll time-out eventually."

Blaise frowned, "Draco I don't think this is a good idea. Maybe you should end the spell?"

"No way! Blaise! I can hear everything! Before, in Runes, Potter was ranting about how he wanted to kill Weasel and Trelawney! He's all over the place! I had no idea he had such homicidal tendencies!" Draco giggled.

One of Blaise's eyebrows rose, "…Draco? Did you just giggle?"

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

3 chapters (24.318 words)

English

Explicit

BOOOOOONDIIIIIING *^*

Something I don’t want to stop, by lq_traintracks

It's Harry and Draco's eighth year, the Houses have been all but demolished in favor of unity, and they're being forced to room together. How ever will they cope?

16.228 words

English

Explicit

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES

Love comes tumbling, by taradiane

'Harry's thoughts were of how much he would have done differently with Malfoy over the years, and of Dumbledore's final words to the other boy . . . "It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now." Maybe, Harry wondered, he could find some mercy, too, and give Malfoy the second chance that Dumbledore had believed him worthy of.'

22.221 words

English

Explicit

(Un)Calculated Risk, by loveglowsinthedark

He thought about the way Harry looked at him, smiled at him; about the way Draco’s head was nearly always full of him, all day every day, and about the way Draco sometimes deliberately went to bed still smelling of him, refusing to acknowledge what it meant – because he already fucking knew what it meant. What all of it meant.

And then Draco decided, fuck it, he was going to risk it. They were going to risk it together, Harry and Draco.

6.917 words

English

Explicit

So sooooft :___ And so smutty *smirks*

Slip into my lover’s hands, by lq_traintracks

Draco licks his lips. He shuts his eyes, because he doesn't think he can look at Potter when he says it. When he asks for it. "One finger?"

5.933 words

English

Explicit

Good old smut~ I found this fic thanks to this fantastic fanart <3

In evidence of Magical Theory, by bixgirl1

When a hex meant for Draco accidentally catches Harry as well, they're forced to learn to understand each other in ways they previously might have thought impossible.

In which Harry and Draco can't fight, so they fall in love instead.

7 chapters (43.747 words)

English

Explicit

ACCIDENTAL BONDING LAKSAJLJKDLSJD

The ties that bind us, by Faith Wood

An accident leaves Draco and Harry bound tightly together. Literally.

27.890 words

English

Explicit

It’s not exactly a bond fic, but it’s very funny!

The standard you walk past, by bafflingaze

On returning to Hogwarts for their Eighth Year, Headmistress McGonagall decided to room Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter together. She may have hoped for a leading example of house unity; the other students fully expected insults and fights. But nothing happened.

That was, until Harry sleepwalked into Draco’s bed.

14 chapters (46.202 words)

English

Mature

THE CUTENESS!!! OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES

Right hand red, by lq_traintracks

Harry felt Malfoy's breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory.

Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy.

Malfoy felt inevitable.

3 chapters (73.173 words)

English

Explicit

The bois playing muggle games and being awkardly in love

Rarely pure and never simple, by motleygrrrl

"Is stalking me some sort of compulsive need of yours or something?"

Harry Potter won't stop following Draco around—no matter where he goes, Potter is there, watching. And Draco knows what that means—Potter is clearly planning his death, despite what Blaise and Pansy think. Because if it's not murder he's after, what else could it possibly be? And how could Draco find a way to use that information to his advantage?

Not complete! 4/? chapters (35.006 words)

English

Explicit

HOW CAN BE THIS SO CUTE?!?!? Draco’s so cute falling in love for Harry and Harry is so in love already :______

Through the looking glass and what Draco found there, by magpie_fngrl

Draco discovers the Mirror of Erised is a portal and he enters an alternate reality where your deepest desires come true. Or how Draco found himself in the world of his dreams and Potter had to come and ruin it.

2 chapters (17.440 words)

English

Explicit

This is cute and sad and cute ;___; I feel so sorry for my baby Draco :((

Lumos, by birdsofshore

Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.

41.746 words

English

Explicit

I promise you, it’s cuter than it seems, hahahah

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES (again) (this trope is everything)

The romantic prawn who loved Christmas, by bixgirl1

When Draco, forced into sharing a room with Potter for the year, finds out that Potter has a sleepwalking problem, he expects the odd conversations and the weird games of chess.

What comes as a complete shock are Potter's other activities...And why he seems so intent on having Draco join him.

2 chapters (39.404 words)

English

Explicit

More roommates ^^ This is so funny and smutty :___

Beautiful meanings in beautiful things, by dwacos

After a cocky comment from Malfoy and a (totally, 100% justified) punch in the face from Harry, Malfoy ends up with a bruise on his cheek that just doesn't seem to want to go away, no matter what is attempted. Harry's confused by his Amortentia smells, Malfoy keeps asking him to punch him (literally,) and everybody seems to think that they can just tell Harry that he isn't straight anymore. On top of all of that, Harry now has to figure out what the fuck to do when you find out that you've got a soulmate. A fucking soulmate.

2 chapters (76.944 words)

English

Explicit

Wow, another soulmates/bonding fanfic, what a surprise *insert pikachu’s meme here*

Then comes a mist and a weeping rain, by Faith Wood

It always rains for Draco Malfoy. Metaphorically. And literally. Ever since he had accidentally Conjured a cloud. A cloud that's ever so cross.

21.139 words

English

Explicit

THIS IS SO FUNNY!! Draco is a grumpy kitten <3

In need of a proper hug, by Faith Wood

Draco rescues a poor, poor koala, which won't stop hugging him. Inspired by this pic of DanRad hugging Jack Huston aka Jack Kerouac in Kill Your Darlings, and this comment: "I've decided that he is part koala, and I think you should write a story where Harry becomes an Animagus, turns into a koala, and clings constantly to Draco." Beware of cute. Bring a toothbrush.

2.086 words

English

Mature

THE FLUFF!! KOALAS!!!! MY HEART!!!!!!!!

An issue of consequence, by Faith Wood

Draco has woken up in an alternate universe. Or he has woken up utterly insane. Nothing else can possibly explain why Harry Potter suddenly seems to think he's Draco's boyfriend.

5 chapters (20.798 words)

English

Explicit

This one hurted so much :( But there’s a happy ending, I promise <3

Written on the heart, by who_la_hoop

Harry doesn’t mind that so many Slytherins from his year have returned to finish their NEWTs, really he doesn’t. It’s just – do they have to be so friendly? He’s not prejudiced, really he’s not. It’s just – they’ve got to be up to something, right? Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

When he’s hit by an illegal love-spell though, Harry finds he has more to worry about than whether or not Blaise Zabini actually wants to be his friend. For if everyone affected has been blessed – or cursed, by the look on Malfoy’s face – with a magical tattoo revealing the name of their soulmate, what does it mean that Harry’s skin remains completely bare?

20 chapters (113.984 words)

English

Explicit

AND THEY WERE S O U L M A T E S

Say my name, by Thunderbird587

Harry witnesses something unexpected in the 8th year boys' showers and starts to see Draco Malfoy in a whole new light. The question is now, what is he going to do about it?

A coming of age Drarry tale about letting go of the past and building the future.

21 chapters (199.135 words)

English

Explicit

I have a special affection for this fanfic, because it made me realize the bad things about the relationship of Harry and Ginny and that’s always a good thing (?)

Things worth knowing, by Femme (femmequixotic)

After the Battle, Harry thinks he's left Hogwarts for good, but Minerva insists that all students return for an Eighth Year if they wish to sit for NEWTs in the spring, and Harry needs those NEWTs to go into the Aurors. Draco's just grateful not to be in Azkaban. Or the Manor. He's hoping he can steer clear of Potter this year and grapple with his own problems. Unfortunately for him, Potter appears to be one of those problems. And that's not even addressing the fact that Potter's got serious issues of his own, which Draco realises as he's forced to share an Eighth Year dormitory room and several classes with the Gryffindor Git. If only they can make it through the year without killing each other, it should be all right, shouldn't it?

10 chapters (164.523 words)

English

Explicit

I think this is my favourite Hogwarts Eighth Year fanfic. All the thing with the hate towards the Slytherin House and DRACO DRESSED UP AS HYPNOS OMG WHAT A BLESSING <33 Also, Ravi is the best and the talk :___

Alliges Duplicia: Bound, by Anonymus

Harry and Draco both go back to Hogwarts for the 8th year. Harry goes because he skipped his 7th year, and Draco goes because he failed his.

The get stuck working together on a Potion’s project because they both skipped the same class in which pairs were chosen. Due to the clumsiness of another student, their brilliant work turns into a disaster when, somehow, their magical energies get bonded together, which forces them to stay in close proximity to each other.

This isn’t a permanent situation, but it will take quite a bit of time for the proper officials to figure out how to unbind them, seeing as this type of instance is extremely rare. Somewhere along the way, Draco bonds with Harry in a different way. Enemies become friends, and friends become something more.

Not complete! 23/? chapters (76.089 words)

English

Explicit

Do you remember that I’ve lost a fanfic and was looking for it? WELL, I FOUND IT AND IS THIS! :D

Strangers, by LucyLightwood

The first time he sees Malfoy up there, he points his wand at him. And even though he knows he should leave, he decides to stay and sit as far away as possible while they both look over at the same set of stars. They shouldn't be sharing the same room or breathing the same air, but after a month of silent company, it's not Harry who crosses the line first.

Not complete! 24/? chapters (146.845 words)

English

Mature

I think this was one of the first Drarry fics I’ve read :__ They’re so soft, help ;__;

Harry Potter y las Cicatrices Invisibles, by OTPshipper98

Tras la Batalla de Hogwarts, todo el mundo ha perdido algo. Algunos han perdido a familiares y amigos. Otros han perdido la inocencia. Pero Harry Potter ha perdido la sonrisa; se ha perdido a sí mismo. Y la única persona que se siente como él es, para su sorpresa, Draco Malfoy.

61 chapters (253.651 words)

Spanish

Explicit

Okay, this fanfic competes with Things worth knowing for the first position of my favourites Eighth Year fanfics :___

The wolf pack, by dracogotgame

Nobody said achieving your animagus form was easy. Draco could handle being a wolf pup for a while, right? How bad could it be?

13.672 words

English

Teen and up audiences

The fluffiest thing in this galaxy <3

Friday night gossip, by jamesilver

“You two are my best friends, you know that. It’s just...” Hermione paused. “There are just things I can’t talk about you two with. It’d be too...weird. For all of us. It’s just a thing girls like to do, you know. We want to talk about our boyfriends, the guys we like—the cute things they do, the stupid things they do, all their quirks that we really like, our feelings about them."

After her friends were gone, Pansy Parkinson got her attention. "We couldn’t help overhearing.”

Draco leaned forward. “If you want to talk about crushes and feelings and your boyfriend, you can join our Friday night mani-pedi group.”

“Okay,” Hermione said.

“Good.” Pansy pointed at her. “Bring what colors you want for your nails. I’ll provide accent colors and decorating tools. Also, bring towels and whatever hair products you use. I bring drinks, Draco brings chocolate, fine something to add to that. Be at Draco’s room at nine on Friday.”

_____

Or, in which Hermione just wants to talk about boys and ends up becoming a small sort of matchmaker

(above is a heavily-edited excerpt)

6.424 words

English

Mature

I love the idea of Draco and Pansy being big drama queens and befriending Hermione <33

Tie me up in knots, by lauren3210

“Harry, are you wearing a Slytherin tie?”

2.065 words

English

Mature

KASHJJKDAJSDKLAJSDLAKJD (that’s the most coherent thing I can say about this fic)

Unexpected consequences, by lauren3210

Harry was going back to school. He was going to play Quidditch, sleep in lessons, hang out with his friends, and generally just enjoy being a kid for a change. And he was also going to do it while being bonded with Malfoy, because apparently life was just going to continue throwing curveballs at him. Harry didn't know why he expected anything different.

7 chapters (39.192 words)

English

Explicit

OMG THIS FANFIC!! B O N D I N G <333

AUROR POTTER

Dueling, by heyitsamorette

Draco is an Auror trainee. They have dueling practice every week. All dueling really amounts to is a game of domination and submission.

Written for wand_in_a_knot for pasdexcuses' delicious prompt, "domination is the name of the game."

3.211 words

English

Explicit

Have yourself a kinky little Christmas, by keyflight790 & tsundanire

As the holidays loom, Harry feels the weight of everything and everyone he'd lost. Working as an Auror, while exciting hadn't filled him with the same kind of satisfaction he'd assumed it would. It takes one extremely kinky secret admirer to pull out a side of him he'd been pushing away since his youth, and actually make him want to come into work everyday.

12 chapters (21.433 words)

English

Explicit

The man in the scarlet cloak, by bixgirl1

There's usually a better time and place to participate in seduction than the Forbidden Forest. Unless, of course, it's Mating Season.

In which Draco is sneaky but not sneaky enough, Harry is confident but goes a bit mad, and the Trees are either incredibly romantic or just sort of perverts.

16.350 words

English

Explicit

This fanfic is fantastic! I loved the trees’ thing <3

Work it out, by GoldenTruth813

The Auror Trainees now have required gym time, and Draco is distracted by Potter’s equipment. His workout equipment, that is.

4.454 words

English

Explicit

Hourglass heart, by bixgirl1

It only happened once — depending on how Harry counted.

5.252 words

English

Explicit

WHY ARE THEY SO IDIOTS?!?!?!

Draco Malfoy’s Stupendous Seduction Seminar, by Anonymus

Draco Malfoy offers to help his coworkers to improve their seduction techniques, with unexpected consequences.

8.700 words

English

Explicit

This one is so funny :__ Also, it contains the best kink ever aka praise kink (uwu)

Cauldron full of hot, strong love, by aibidil

In which a group of wizards' rights activists goes on the offensive after a prohibition against love potions, forcing the magical world to confront the horror of magic's role in sexual assault and the murky legal nature of consent. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco are swept together to solve the case, and in the process they're made to confront their own love and lust—with and without potions.

4 chapters (80.466 words)

English

Explicit

THIS IS A FUCKING MASTERPIECE!!!! You can’t imagine how much I loved this fanfic :___

Fake it til you make it, by mssldiaz

Draco hates soul marks. He hates all marks in general. Especially one that ties him to the Boy Wonder. Draco just wanted to finish his probation in peace and slowly remove himself from the public eye. Being soul matched with Harry Potter is definitely not the way to avoid attention.

Especially when he won't shut up about it.

A sort of Modern AU.

4 chapters (24.274 words)

English

Mature

I don’t believe in soulmates irl, but in fanfiction... oh boi

Little Prince, Kneel, by Selly87

Almost immediately after the war, Harry Potter took his godson and Andromeda and left England behind. He returned five, nearly six, years later; changed, healed, and a very different man altogether. Now an extremely handsome bachelor in his late twenties, and with a promising career at the Ministry, he suddenly finds his life turned upside down after unexpectedly bumping into his former school nemesis, Draco Malfoy, Prosecutor Extraordinaire.

Is Harry going to be able to stay away from Draco? Does he even want to? And exactly how will Draco react once he discovers how the Saviour prefers to spend his free time?

Not complete! 40/70 chapters (209.400 words)

English

Explicit

I’M ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THIS FANFIC, IT GIVES ME LIFE, CURES MY DEPRESSION, CLEARS MY SKIN!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA *dies*

This year’s love, by trishjames

This year’s love had better last, heaven knows it’s high time when you try to make lovers from friends. But Harry Potter realises time and time again that it’s simply not possible for him. And then along comes Draco Malfoy— the ultimate foe on the mend. Whatever will become of them? A story about love.

6 chapters (84.000 words)

English

Explicit

Dean is such a shit in this fanfic :((( Also, Harry and Draco being idiots *eyeroll*

Antlers and Ivy, by violetclarity

The thing is, Draco has always known he wouldn’t be able to marry his soulmate. Finding out his soulmate is Harry Potter shouldn’t change anything.

Or: soulmarks, a masquerade ball, and gratuitous use of The Daily Prophet as a plot device.

6 chapters (19.124 words)

English

Explicit

Write the way out, by carmemermaid

When Draco finally gets his first real assignment as a reporter for the Daily Prophet, he didn’t imagine that he would be given the Potter beat. Resigning himself to writing boring pieces about dull charity functions and various Auror missions, Draco is more than surprised when he follows Potter into Muggle London and discovers Potter’s secret.

14.578 words

English

Explicit

The Full Monty, by magpie_fngrl

Harry poses for a naked Auror calendar and Draco goes batshit crazy with lust.

9.860 words

English

Explicit

PROFESSORS

Of roses and dragonfire, by xErised

Years after That Kiss, Potter (and his new pet snake) appears again, this time as Hogwarts's Quidditch and Muggle Games instructor (what are Muggle Games anyway? Is this why Potter is swimming in the Great Lake wearing such a tiny pair of pants?), disrupting Draco's peaceful life as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. It's bad enough dealing with one exuberant Gryffindor (Charlie Weasley as Care of Magical Creatures professor) on the faculty, and what's all the gossip about Potter courting Draco?

3 chapters (53.123 words)

English

Explicit

Asakdjslkdjas this is so cute and funny :__ And the Parseltongue kink, help xdd

Nosy niffler, by dracoismytrashson

Harry can't stop watching him. It's starting to feel a bit like sixth year, except this time he's a grown man with classes to teach and no time to obsess about his favorite subject: Draco Malfoy. Unfortunately, Harry's pet Niffler keeps stealing things from Draco and only Draco, making it entirely impossible for Harry to avoid confronting that stupid smirking face he most assuredly doesn't want to kiss.

6.582 words

English

Explicit

A secondary education, by Thunderbird587

Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. But Harry Potter is being weirdly nice to him, leaving Draco no choice but to play along. As Draco reckons with his ex-wife's infidelity and questions about his own sexuality, he finds himself going to an openly gay Potter for guidance. As their friendship deepens, Draco realizes that there is quite a lot that Potter can teach him. And that he is surprisingly ready to learn.

21 chapters (234.528 words)

English

Explicit

Not to be dramatic, but I would die for this fanfic

IN THE MUGGLE WORLD

Yours to keep, by dracoismytrashson

Some people think concepts like fate and destiny are romantic, but for Harry Potter, fate has always meant one thing: a swift kick in the arse. Why else would he cross an ocean to New York and enroll in Muggle university only to find Draco Malfoy living two doors down the hall? The universe and its twisted sense of humor can fuck right off.

A story in which two broken boys try to repair themselves halfway across the world. Too bad trauma doesn't care how far you run.

22 chapters (135.830 words)

English

Explicit

OMG I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS FANFIC! I think it’s my fav fic and without a doubt this Draco is THE BEST DRACO IN THE UNIVERSE <3333 Plus, the mental health is treated so well in this story, it’s a blessing. Seriously, this fanfic is everything ;___;

The lost bet, by Selly87

It is 2019 and Harry Potter, Ex-Auror turned full-time dad and writer of magical children's books, finds himself making a startling discovery about none other than his former school rival Draco Malfoy. Just where will this relationship, rekindled over several cups of exquisite coffee, lead those two men?

27 chapters (60.700 words)

English

Explicit

This is so sweet <3 Also, it triggered my need of coffee :__

The Magic Cat, by dot_the_writer

When Harry sees Draco Malfoy with painted nails and wearing an oversized jumper covered in cat fur, his obsession from school comes back in full force. Featuring supportive friends, cute cats and lots of Harry figuring out what he wants.

17.455 words

English

Explicit

CATS CATS CATS *^*

There’s no I in team, by JulietsEmoPhase

When Draco's babysitter cancels on him, he has no option but to bring his son to work, despite the fact he has an extremely important day ahead of him. Rescue comes from the most unlikely of places, and Draco ends up having a day he never could have planned, or hoped for.

Muggle AU, smut. Birthday present!

13.389 words

English

Explicit

Oh, the cuteness :___

Listen, the snow is falling, by dracoismytrashson

It's the coldest day of the year, and a blizzard is threatening to bury the city at any moment. All Draco Malfoy wants to do is get through his shift at the homeless shelter so he can go home to a warm cat and a comfy bed. Too bad the universe has other plans.

12.450 words

English

Explicit

I have a soft point for Draco trying to redeem himself and so does Harry <3

Highly (in)compatible, by gracie137

Draco’s been shagging The Prat Who Lived on and off for a few months when his soul mark starts to change. Draco’s had to accept a lot of adjustments to his life, but accepting that Harry Potter could be his soulmate is one step too far. It can’t be true? Can it?

37.300 words

English

Explicit

Me and the soulmates au, the soulmates au and me (a love story)

Anyone but him, by RuArcher (Coriesocks)

Harry thought going to a Muggle university would be the perfect opportunity for a new start. He hadn’t counted on having Draco Malfoy as a flatmate.

19.323 words

English

Explicit

I laughed so much with this one, it’s so relatable xddd

CREATURES

In the red, by bixgirl1

When Harry goes looking for a vampire at a Creature club, the second-to-last thing Harry expects is to find Malfoy working there.

The last thing he expects is to fall in love with him.

5 chapters (45.629 words)

English

Explicit

This hurt a little bit :__

A Choice of Wings, by Lomonaaeren

A Choice of Wings is Harry's matchmaking business for Veela who have trouble finding mates. And Draco Malfoy is his most difficult client.

18.738 words

English

Mature

Harry Potter and the Maudlin Merman, by FleetofShippyShips

Not a proper series, more like, I might dabble in this AU and when I do I'll just post things as oneshots.

At some point after the war, Draco Malfoy was cursed and dumped in the lake at Hogwarts.

2 one-shots (8.946 words)

English

Teen and Up Audiences & Mature

Merman!Draco is pure fantasy :___

Today, Forever, by Palendrome

As if his recent divorce and sleepless nights weren’t bad enough, a rash of escalating crimes against purebloods forces Harry and his team of Aurors to protect the riskiest target in all of Wizarding Britain.

Of course, Draco Malfoy would still be ridiculously infuriating and impossibly gorgeous.

As well as a Veela.

Who happens to be Harry’s mate.

6 chapters (60.960 words)

English

Explicit

I loved this one <33

RANDOM JOBS

Phoenix Repairs Services, by carpemermaid

Phoenix Repair Services — We’ll bring it back to life as if it was new! Draco hires a suspiciously private wizarding handyman to fix his kitchen when he returns home to find it destroyed. He expects a middle-aged wizard with greying hair and a pudgy gut to show up. Instead, he gets Harry Potter—with a utility belt and a charming smile—who is more attractive than he has any right to be.

20.550 words

English

Explicit

What’s my age again?, by lazywonderland

Harry Potter has had enough of pleasing the public, and his reckless tendencies are finally getting out of hand.

The Quidditch World Cup is only a week away; as Captain of the English National Team, Hermione has assured him that his immaturity won’t be tolerated by the Ministry.

And then Malfoy shows up.

(Inspired by the blink-182 song of the same name.)

12.249 words

English

Explicit

Harry being a rebel and doing with his life whatever he wants is my kink

Notes on a resurrection, by newleaves

The plan was never to raise Sirius Black from the dead. Draco’s intentions were only ever to free him from the veil, most likely so that he could move on. It’s Harry’s actions as he entered the forest, ten years ago, which have afforded Black the prospect of life and are causing these accidents along the way…

A story about hope, courage and the act of changing state.

Not complete! 10/13 chapters (88.248 words)

English

Mature

I’M SO GLAD I FOUND THIS FIC *^* IT HAS A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS: UNSPEAKABLE!DRACO, WOLFSTAR, HARRY AND DRACO BEING IDIOTS IN LOVE...

Touch, by bixgirl1

When Harry is referred to a professional cuddler for the soothing power of touch, he’s dubious — even more so when the Cuddler who shows up turns out to be Malfoy. But in the years since the war, Malfoy’s changed, and over the next several days Harry is confronted by how much he still doesn’t know about this new version of his old enemy — and by how much he wants to learn.

5 chapters (44.791 words)

English

Explicit

Let’s take a chance on happiness, by endless_grey

Harry works with Luna at her magical antique shop, and everything is going pretty well until a mysterious ring makes an appearance. Cue curse-breaker Draco Malfoy and an accidental bond, and suddenly Harry is magically married to his former nemesis. They need to break the bond before Hermione's fundraiser, but Harry doesn't remember "fall in love with the git" being part of the plan.

21.178 words

English

Explicit

Boooonding tiiiiiime <3

A man like him, by darkestbliss

Draco Malfoy has made a name for himself after the War as 'the wizarding world's best interior architectural designer' (his words), taking old, decrepit spaces and transforming them into exquisite homes for those who can afford the hefty price tag. His most recent assignment is number twelve, Grimmauld Place, which has only deteriorated more in condition since the elusive Harry Potter inherited it after Sirius Black's death. When he stumbles upon a collection of questionable items in one of Potter's wardrobes, he finds himself appalled, shocked, distraught, and just a little bit turned on.

23 chapters (60.132 words)

English

Explicit

I’m in love with Dom!Harry, sorry :___

FANFICS I DON’T KNOW HOW THE HELL CLASSIFY

Draco Sodding Malfoy, by Shewhxmustnxtbenamed

Harry finds Draco outside a pub and takes him back to his place, only to find out that Draco is in an abusive relationship. Harry invites Draco to stay until he can get back on his feet. They go to Draco's ex-boyfriends house, and come back with more than they bargained for.

73 chapters (250.248 words)

English

Explicit

Oh, godness, this fanfic. It was one of the first Drarry fanfics I’ve read and I’m completely in love with it.

He kneels, by Selly87

“What do you want, my gorgeous little prince?” Harry asked softly and Draco stared up at him, eyes wide, lips trembling slightly beneath Harry’s gentle caress.

8.841 words

English

Explicit

This one inspired Little Prince, Kneel and :___

The Day The Weasel Crashed The Party (And Got More Than He Bargained For), by Selly87

It's a perfect evening, the restaurant is exquisite, the champagne is cool and bubbly and Harry is in the company of the only man he wants to spend tonight with...until his best friend, Ronald Weasley, makes a surprise appearance. Things can only go pear-shaped from here on, or can they?

3.348 words

English

Mature

I would kill Ron, I swear... agh :/

11 notes · View notes

livingcorner · 3 years

Text

The Untold Truth Of Kitchen Nightmares@|what happens to restaurants after kitchen nightmares@|https://www.mashed.com/img/gallery/the-untold-truth-of-kitchen-nightmares/intro-1525718012.jpg@|25

FOX

There’s nothing quite like turning on a cooking show and hearing the dulcet sounds of Gordon Ramsay screaming at a befuddled chef. One of Ramsay’s most popular profanity-riddled shows was Kitchen Nightmares, where the hot-tempered Scottish chef and TV personality helped struggling and failing restaurants, mainly by shouting at them about fresh produce and frozen appetizers, while the owners crossed their arms stubbornly. By the end of the episode, the restaurant’s inedible food and sub-par service were (usually) transformed and saved from extinction by crippling debt or sub-par Yelp reviews.

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Even though this popular restaurant makeover show was cancelled in 2014, there are still plenty of behind-the-scenes secrets that you probably never knew about Kitchen Nightmares. From how the reality show was filmed (and how much of it was actually reality) to how well restaurants fared after Ramsay’s team took over their kitchen, this is the untold truth of FOX’s Kitchen Nightmares.

Most of the Kitchen Nightmares eateries are now closed

Photo courtesy of FOX

Although Gordon Ramsay spent a glorious six-and-a-half seasons transforming restaurants from one-star duds to passable eateries, apparently his professional magic wore off quickly for many of the restaurants that appeared on the show.

In 2014, shortly after Kitchen Nightmares was canceled, The Daily Mail reported that 60 percent of the restaurants that appeared on the show had closed.

“You don’t ask to take part in a show called Kitchen Nightmares if your restaurant business is booming and therefore it is not surprising that many of the restaurants which Gordon has visited over the ten years are now closed,” a spokesperson for Ramsay told The Daily Mail at the time.

We did a quick update on those statistics for 2018 and found that only 15 restaurants out of the 77 that appeared on the show between 2007 and 2014 are still open. That means that for nearly 81 percent of these restaurants the “nightmare” is over.

One restaurant closed before the Kitchen Nightmares episode even aired

As we now know, most of the restaurants that appeared on Kitchen Nightmares didn’t exactly go on to have successful runs. But some of the restaurants fared worse than others. According to The Daily Mail’s report, some restaurants were closed mere months after filming. One restaurant — The Black Pearl in New York — closed just four days after their episode aired. But there is one featured restaurant that takes the cake as the unluckiest of them all: Lela’s in Pomona, California closed before viewers even saw the episode.

Before the episode aired, one blogger noted that Lela’s website and contact information had been taken offline. According to Screen Rant, the restaurant already faced struggles before Gordon Ramsay got in the door, and was facing bankruptcy after only eight months in business. After the episode was over, a message flashed on viewers’ screens saying that, “the restaurant’s debts were too much and it closed.”

One restaurant owner said that Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares makeover “ruined” his restaurant

Although many of the restaurants featured on the show were happy to receive Ramsay’s help, one chef in particular didn’t mince words when it came to criticizing the changes the chef and his team made when he appeared on Kitchen Nightmares.

In an interview with The National Enquirer, John Chapman — restaurateur and owner of Chappy’s on Church, featured in season six — said, “it was truly a kitchen nightmare for me. Gordon Ramsay destroyed my business!”

Chapman said that Ramsay “hated everything” and redid the entire menu, replacing more authentic Creole fare with cheeseburgers and fried chicken. “My customers hated it,” he said, and told The National Enquirer that business went from about 200 customers a night to a mere table of patrons per evening. Chapman repeated his story to multiple news outlets, including Biz Journals and FOX News.

Chappy’s on Church closed in June 2013 for nonpayment of taxes, a mere month after the episode aired.

Gordon Ramsay has been sued multiple times by participants on Kitchen Nightmares

FOX

John Chapman isn’t the only restaurant owner who was unhappy with the outcome of the show. Gordon Ramsay has been sued multiple times for his (sometimes explosive) temper by unhappy restaurant owners and chefs on the show.

In 2008, Ramsay was sued for £500,000 ($679,000 USD) for calling a restaurant manager “a lazy t*****.” Martin Hyde was the restaurant manager at Dillons — a restaurant in New York City — and said that he was reamed out by Ramsay even though he had no responsibility for the kitchen, and mostly looked after the bar and restaurant events.

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“Being ridiculed by Gordon Ramsay on TV has wrecked my life,” Hyde told The Daily Mail. “My reputation is in tatters and nobody wants to employ me.”

In 2014, another show participant sued Ramsay after he and the show’s host had “an explosive row,” according to The Mirror. Joe Naggy, who owned the Norwalk, Ohio restaurant, Mill Street Bistro, sued Ramsay and his crew for damages to the restaurant, including a gutted ceiling that was never fixed, and received £900 ($1,233) in compensation.

The famous Amy’s Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares was not staged

Do you remember that episode of Kitchen Nightmares where the owners were wackier than usual? The Amy’s Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares is probably the most infamous in the show’s history, and the conflict was so severe that the crew didn’t even get to complete their transformation. The shenanigans didn’t end when the credits rolled either: The owners of the now-closed eatery were notorious for threatening customers who left bad Yelp reviews and for posting long rants on social media.

Although Amy’s Baking Company is now closed, apparently their antics were just as off-the-wall as they appear in the show. One Medium blogger who was there during the filming of the two-part episode, said that the “epic blowouts” from owners Amy and Samy were “100% true to form and not doctored for TV.” Although blogger Greg Taylor said that the food was “just ok,” the owner’s behavior when he threw a tantrum was “shocking.”

Gordon Ramsay’s temper only explodes when he is on camera on Kitchen Nightmares

Ramsay may be infamous for his “nightmarish” behavior on his shows, including Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, but apparently most of his on-air tantrums and profanity-laced rants are hammed up for the camera.

According to one show crew member who did an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit in 2013, you’ll rarely see Ramsay get angry when the cameras are turned off, although he said that Ramsay’s temper is real (even if it is edited later on):

“You never see him get mad off camera, but that’s because he doesn’t have a reason to,” the former “Kitchen Nightmares” the crew member said. “The only time I saw him explode was during the dinner service when the kitchen staff was serving food that was a legitimate health risk […] He only gets mad when he has a reason to, otherwise he’s a very funny and nice dude. You can even see that in all of his UK shows. The US versions like to selectively edit to play up drama.”

Restaurant owners don’t interact much with Gordon Ramsay on Kitchen Nightmares

FOX

Even though you may think of the show Kitchen Nightmares as Gordon Ramsay’s show, one couple who appeared on the show in season three, said in a 2010 interview with The New Jersey Record that they mostly interacted with Ramsay’s team and crew, and barely conversed with the famous TV chef at all:

“You have no interaction with Ramsay at all. He comes with a very big machine of assistants and helpers. The only time that I ever spent any time with him was on camera.”

The couple also pointed out that the producers of Kitchen Nightmares would generally try to stir up drama by asking them pointed questions like, “If this fails now, how can you stay with your husband?”

The couple ended up being happy with the way that Ramsay’s team “set their restaurant up for long-term success.” However, their restaurant, Bazzini, in Ridgewood, New Jersey is now closed.

It’s not the same Kitchen Nightmares the UK originally got

You’re familiar with the Kitchen Nightmares formula, right? Ramsay comes into a failing restaurant, berates owners and staff alike, and bullies them into being better. There’s a lot of swearing, a lot of name-calling, and the sort of abuse you sort of always wanted to see heaped on authority figures. Only, that’s not what you get at all in the original UK version — and The AV Club took a look at the differences.

When they watched the original UK version, they found a totally different Ramsay. The swearing, the cursing, and the yelling was gone, for the most part. He worked with restaurant owners, instead of coming in like a bulldozer. The narration was Ramsay himself, and it was Ramsay that seemed to know many were trying their best, they just had no clue how to fix what had gone wrong. There was some yelling, sure, but nothing on the scale of the US version. He’s so different you’ll have to wonder if he’s actually someone else wearing a Gordon Ramsay skin-suit, and it’s a shame Americans don’t get to see that side of him very often.

One restaurant owner from Kitchen Nightmares had mob ties

During the first season of Kitchen Nightmares, in 2007, Ramsay and his team actually gave a helping hand to an ex-mobster. Peter’s was a New York restaurant featured on an episode where the problem was the owner’s extravagant spending. It only came out later, when Gang Land News (via Cosa Nostra News) uncovered an FBI report from 2003 that said Peter “Pasta” Pellegrino had been a recently made man associated with the Bonanno crime family.

According to the Cosa Nostra News, Peter Pasta had already been kicked out of the family by the time he was on Kitchen Nightmares, as he had apparently been “falsely labeled ‘a rat’, with all its obvious nasty ramifications and ugly possibilities hanging over his head.”

It may have been for the best that Pellegrino had already been ousted by the mob before he saw how his episode turned out, as he had nothing good to say about the way he was portrayed. “That makes me look like… some kind of an animal, and worse. It’s a real-life nightmare,” he told Gang Land News.

Customers on Kitchen Nightmares are paid

There have been a lot of accusations leveled at Ramsay and Kitchen Nightmares, including claims that the show’s team plants a lot of the rotten food he “finds” and that all of those incredibly grossed-out customers that sit down to eat are paid actors. According to The Guardian, Ramsay doesn’t take the accusations lightly, and after one newspaper published stories about fakery, he sued for libel and won.

But there’s one claim that might have some weight to it, and that’s the one where customers are said to be paid actors. It’s likely a half-truth, if the fine print of the credits is to be believed.

Reality Blurred picked up on the disclaimers, written in the credits that most of us fast-forward through. One reads, “The producers may have provided customers at the restaurant with a financial contribution towards the cost of their meal.”

What, exactly, that means isn’t clear, and while it doesn’t suggest they’re actors, they are getting compensated for being on the show. But isn’t that fair? You wouldn’t want to pay for some of the food these places are serving up pre-Ramsay, would you?

One Kitchen Nightmares restaurant sued him twice

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It’s no secret that the restaurants on Kitchen Nightmares don’t feature the kinds of kitchens you’d want your food coming out of… not at first, at least. So, it’s also not surprising that some have taken issue with the way they’re portrayed — perhaps none more strongly than Oceana Grill.

The New Orleans seafood joint has sued Ramsay not once, but twice.

According to Today, the first lawsuit came in 2011. The owners of Oceana didn’t want the episode to air because they felt they had been misrepresented — and in case you’re wondering just which episode this was, you know the infamous clip: Ramsay vomiting after getting a whiff of some supposedly rotten shrimp. The episode still made it to air, but there were concessions made in the form of a settlement where the show’s producers agreed that if footage from Oceana was used in the future, the restaurant would be paid for it. They were also required to update viewers to the changes made at the restaurant any time they were featured.

The second lawsuit came in 2018, when the Kitchen Nightmares British Facebook page posted that infamous, aforementioned clip with the caption, “No wonder this restaurant is failing…” Oceana and their legal team took issue with the fact that the post made it look like the restaurant was still in the same state it was seven years prior (which they called “largely fabricated in the first place.”) Lesson? Be careful what you post on Facebook.

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Yes, there are some success stories from Kitchen Nightmares

Sure, Kitchen Nightmares is a little notorious for its failure rate, but there are some major success stories.

Like Pantaleone’s, the Denver pizza place with an owner who just couldn’t understand why no one was coming in the door. It was the typical Kitchen Nightmares mess: denial, stress, and struggle. Fast forward to after filming, and the Gazette Review says the pizza place went on to become a success. Sure, there’s still some grumbling, but based on their TripAdvisor and Yelp reviews, they’re consistently 4-5 stars.

Also still open is Cafe Hon, featured in Season 5 and run by an owner who had managed to alienate much of the town with her attempts at trademarking the word “hon.” They’ve got around a 3.5 rating on TripAdvisor now, and a 2.5 on Yelp, which means they’re not a huge hit — but they’re not out of business, either.

Yanni’s Greek Cuisine is still open, too, from Season 6. The hundreds of reviews on Yelp have them sitting at a comfortable 4 stars, while TripAdvisor has them at 4.5. Not all the restaurants Kitchen Nightmares have visited reverted back to their old ways and for some, the experience truly was life-changing.

The suicide of one restaurant owner had an eerie connection to the Kitchen Nightmares episode

In 2007, Kitchen Nightmares visited Campania, an Italian restaurant in New Jersey where the problem was a boss that was too laid-back to tell employees what needed to be done to make them successful. When NJ.com ran a follow-up article with the headline “Joe Cerniglia of Campania survived Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares“, he didn’t have anything bad to say about the experience. But they had no idea what kind of terrible foreshadowing the headline held.

In 2010, ABC News reported that chef Joe Cerniglia had committed suicide. It was only a day later that the New York Post (via Fox News) connected his personal problems to an affair he’d been having with a pastry chef at the restaurant (amid a separation from his wife), and only a day after that E! News found he’d had previous issues with cocaine and narcotics.

The tragedy happened a few years after Kitchen Nightmares, but news outlets were quick to point out something eerie: Ramsay had told him “Your business is about to f*****g swim down the Hudson”… which was precisely where his body was discovered.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at +61404532026-TALK (8255).

That time Gordon Ramsay tricked a vegetarian into eating ham on Kitchen Nightmares

The decision to go vegetarian isn’t one for everyone, but it’s simple enough to respect it. Ramsay got quite a bit of heat from the media after the airing of a UK episode of Kitchen Nightmares at La Lanterna in Hertfordshire (via The Telegraph), because of a cruel “prank” played on one vegetarian on the show.

The incident involved volunteers, including one eight-year vegetarian, recruited on the street to sample pizzas from the featured restaurant. When it was time to try the pizza, Ramsay assured a volunteer that one was, in fact, vegetarian. After the man ate it, he clarified… it was vegetarian except for the ham. Ramsay laughed as the man ran off, and a slew of celebrity chefs condemned the disrespect.

The Guardian was quick to point out just how bad an example he was setting, asking if he would have played the same “joke” on someone who avoided certain foods for religious reasons or because of allergies. When it comes to food, it shouldn’t be a case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’.

Here’s why his failure rate for Kitchen Nightmares is really so high

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For all the restaurants that do fail after a Gordon Ramsay-led makeover on Kitchen Nightmares, it seems a little mind-boggling from the viewer’s point of view. But Gene Marks of the small business consulting firm The Marks Group says (via Entrepreneur) that there’s something going on here that viewers don’t see.

He says that running a successful restaurant is about more than just good food, it’s the ability to think on the fly, to organize, to manage, to market, and make the tough business decisions that pop up on a daily basis. Some of that can be taught, but some can’t. What it comes down to is that some people have the innate ability to run a successful business, and some don’t — but everyone seems to think they’ve got what it takes to run a restaurant. According to Marks, it doesn’t matter how good a menu is, if there’s not that innate business acumen, it just isn’t going to work.

He’s got a different take on the numbers, too. Marks says: “… a whopping 60 percent of the restaurants Ramsay tried to help failed after his visit. Does this surprise you? […] Based on my experiences, I would’ve thought that the number was higher. The fact that it’s only a 60 percent failure rate is a testament to Ramsay’s abilities.”

Gordon Ramsay regrets ending Kitchen Nightmares

FOX

Are you a Kitchen Nightmares superfan who misses the show? Ramsay feels your pain. The popular show that launched Ramsay’s TV career ended in 2014 in part because Ramsay was tired of the restaurants he fixed reverting back to their old ways and failing (which may explain why so many of the restaurants closed since their episodes aired!).

In an interview with The New York Daily News in 2017, Ramsay explained that he was tired of the criticism he was getting from fans for Kitchen Nightmares restaurants closing left and right.

“I got fed up with Kitchen Nightmares because I was getting s***,” he said. “So I woke up one morning and I thought ‘f*** it, I’m done.’ ”

He added his remorse at the decision to pull his own show off the air, which was admittedly made in anger: “Yes it was wrong to pull my own show off air, but that’s it.”

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