#will probably be less thrown if i know to anticipate skipping things ahead of time

[septic-skele]

US - Taking A Toll

Summary: You know that the others are planning a surprise for you and want to appease your curiosity. Blue is the only thing standing in your way. Fortunately, your plan to get past him might work out even better than you'd hoped. (Swap Sans x Reader)

A/N: Is the setup slightly lazy? Yes. Did I write this just as an excuse for a cute schmoopy kissing scene? Also yes :D

_______________

“Forgive me, human—er, Y/N,” Blue begins as he motions apologetically at the gate behind him. “But I’m afraid it’s my job to make sure you don’t pass this point! By the order of the Royal Guard.”

It is by the order of the former king and queen, actually. You’re well aware that Asgore and Toriel have been planning some kind of surprise over the past few weeks; the furtive smiles and low voices have been piquing your curiosity more and more along the way. Now all that stands between you and a peek beforehand is Sans: dashing royal guardsman, one of your most charming friends, and without a doubt the biggest crush you’ve harbored in years.

The anticipation of something special ahead—and even more so your plan to get past him—have you feeling almost sick with butterflies.

You can’t make the excuse that you’ve come unprepared. With every step to reach this point, you’ve told yourself that you’re ready. Papyrus has assured you as well. He swears to you that Blue reciprocates your feelings. In more private conversations, there’s never any end to you and all of the appreciative things Sans has to say.

“He just can’t admit it to you,” he explains ruefully. “Please, pal, just pass him the sugar now or I’ll have to listen to him spiral until he’s literally blue in the face and I’ve got a dozen cavities.”

Pap wouldn’t lie about something like this just to embarrass you. Those are not the kind of pranks he would ever play—especially not when pertaining to his brother’s soul and safety.

There’s no better time than the present. “What about a toll?” you question, mentally hailing a small victory when your voice doesn’t squeak or shake.

“I’m sorry?”

“Is there some kind of toll I could pay to win you over?” You allow a short, breathless laugh. “So I don’t have to fight you again?”

“What—? No, no, this isn’t that kind of checkpoint,” he stammers with a shrug of flustered confusion. Belatedly he adds, “Although I’m sure if it were Papy standing here, he would find some way to make it more profitable. Old instinct, you know; find gold wherever you can, pawning, scavenging. I’m afraid I might have trained that into him years ago. In the Underground every little bit helped, so we’d—”

You’ve always thought his tangents were sweet and interesting; you love to learn more about his history, but if you try to wait through the entire thing you’ll lose the remnants of your courage. As you snatch him by the armor, he can’t help but yelp, cheekbones glowing cyan in an instant. Your sweaty hands slip as you draw him close.

“W-What are you—Y/N—?” His eyelights are huge in his sockets, uncertain, hypnotizingly bright.

“I…I didn’t really mean gold, Sans, but…just let me pay you anyway, okay?” Past You, Pre-Feelings You, might have thrown up at uttering such a line. Now you’re here, it’s out and you’ve already forgotten the rest of the incredibly cheesy dialogue Papyrus had you rehearse, so you opt to skip to the important part.

It’s an odd experience, kissing someone’s teeth; trying it out on another human sounds less than desirable, but with your fingers hooked into his breastplate you can feel the rise and fall of Sans’ ribs quicken. Is that a good thing? The warmth of the magic flushing his face is pleasant and tingly against yours.

After a few beats time restarts and his mandible quivers. Gloved hands shift to cradle your face as he tilts his head, nipping softly at your cheek and then the corner of your mouth.

You had imagined his bite might sting, might even leave a mark. Blue approaches so many things with fierce enthusiasm, not the tenderness he displays now, but there’s still clear intent in his actions that affirms all of your hopes. You can breathe in relief.

After stealing a kiss your original intention was to pull away, duck past toward the surprise party and leave Sans star-struck, reeling over what had happened. Kiss and run until another day when the two of you were braver and readier to talk about it in detail.

Deep down, even Past You knew that was a lie. Whatever surprise the others have in store, it probably won’t hold a candle to Sans’ smile as he briefly breaks away. He shakes his head, exhales shakily, and lets out a laugh of utter delight before leaning in to meet you again. One hand traces the curves of your jaw, neck and shoulder, as if marveling at the shape of you, while the other nests gently in your hair.

No more talking necessary.

[3laxx]

Bring It Home - Chapter 6

To her right, Emira was hopping in place, before winking at her while shaking her arms out.

They were ready and poised and wouldn’t leave any of this in one piece.

Growling in anticipation, Amity looked ahead to see Willow holding up the flag.

Another chapter???? I'm spoiling you guys

But I already wanna start on my big fanfiction!! And for that I promised myself to finish all open fanfics first, before starting the megaproject not to lose my motivation with too many options again. So bear with me, please xD

Ah right, warnings:

- MENTIONS OF ALCOHOL - DRINKING - THEY'RE ALL OF AGE RELAX THEY'RE ALL 18 OR OLDER

Ao3 / FF.net

---

Cracking her knuckles, Amity huffed, before focusing on the backyard full of things.

The eighteen-year-old had managed to convince her siblings to empty the attic of any and all furniture her parents didn’t and wouldn’t need anymore, most of it probably treasured family heirlooms that were left up there to rot.

Straightening her back and rolling her head, Amity breathed through, before looking ahead again.

They had assembled some furniture to the best of their ability after transporting them down here, but they had also just thrown some off the roof, for the fun of it. The backyard was littered with boards, glass shards, and assembled furniture, which looked kind of funny, actually.

Their parents were still on a business trip, for at least another week, so the twins had readily accepted Amity’s offer to clean up the attic. Especially if that meant smashing stuff.

Grinning, she looked to her left where Edric was rolling his shoulders and showed her a thumb up, grinning deviously. He had gloated about some new powerful spell he had been working on and had impatiently waited all day to try this out.

To her right, Emira was hopping in place, before winking at her while shaking her arms out.

They were ready and poised and wouldn’t leave any of this in one piece.

Growling in anticipation, Amity looked ahead to see Willow holding up the flag.

They had roped her in on this, mostly by worrying her about any injuries they could possibly get from punching glass, so Willow had proclaimed herself the judge of the race the siblings were planning and had positioned herself on the other end of their backyard.

Their goal was to race to the other side and leave as much destruction to the furniture as they possibly could. Leaving anything whole or causing damage to the lawn in any way would result in fewer points for the score since they didn’t want to have Willow repair their backyard for their parents not to notice what their children were up to.

Smirking to herself, Amity readied her fingers by flexing them, already planning on using her abominations to leave nothing but destruction and chipped wood.

Willow’s hand with the flag fell and Amity pounced.

Immediately, she conjured an abomination to crush the first piece of furniture beneath it, while she took off its arm to slice through the nearest chair. She worked quickly and effectively, using all her training with Eda and Lilith to be as fast and deadly as she could. She had learned to utilize her abominations as basically anything by now, to crush, slice, envelop and even impale if she wanted to.

After half the way, sweat already started running down her forehead and temples but she couldn’t deny how amazing it felt to smash up all the furniture the Blight family had hoarded over the years, probably hundreds of them, for her to smash up. The rotting boards were flying all around and she fell into a sort of trance while continuing to hack everything up to the best of her abilities.

Emira was mostly using magically enhanced martial art, which allowed her to move quicker but left less destruction than Amity or Edric.

Edric, on the other hand, was using fire magic and highly directive explosions, almost like fireworks and flamethrowers combined. She’d have to ask him for that spell after this was over.

Coming in as second, Amity finally held herself up on her knees and chuckled, before straightening up and high-fiving both her siblings. The sweat was running down her face and a flying glass shard had left a small cut on her forehead, making a small trail of blood run down her tumble as well. One of her lower arms had also gotten a cut, but she didn’t even feel the pain, she was too ecstatic for that. Neither did her siblings because they also had minor injuries but didn’t speak up about any of them.

Grinning, the Blight siblings approached Willow who was already waiting for them with her eyebrows quirking up.

“You look like you just fought for your lives.”, she remarked, before joining into their laughter and high-fiving them as well.

The youngest Blight straightened her back and glanced back to their warpaths. Edric’s furniture was still burning, Amity had stayed true to her promise only to leave chipped wood, and Emira’s side showed a similar state of destruction.

Unsurprisingly, Amity got the highest score for destruction, while Emira had won the time and Edric the most impressive spell. She suspected Willow had just given him the reward not to make him feel bad, though, even if his spell was really impressive.

“Hey, we still have a bit of furniture left. Edric, wanna show us that spell?”, Amity finally asked after regaining her breath, and her brother eagerly nodded, showing his sisters and Willow the spell on an old piano they had found. Imitating him, the girls giggled and laughed while blowing up all scrap furniture they found, before sitting down in the grass with some cool drinks and a few towels to dry the sweat on their skin.

Humming, Amity touched glasses with everyone, before taking a deep gulp of her beverage, already feeling the alcohol pleasantly numbing her nerves after such a workout. Willow and Edric shared a harder drink while Emira and her had gone for a lighter cocktail because they had physically worked harder and didn’t want to lose their minds immediately.

Their backyard was still partially burning, but the siblings and Willow were all relaxed about it. They were probably going to burn all the scrap they had produced later, and they were positive about nothing else catching fire, so they opted to lie down for now and relax.

Amity removed her arms from beneath herself and lied down on the grass, closing her eyes when she enjoyed the evening sun. Smiling to herself, she finally indulged in her memories again.

Luz would’ve had so much fun today. Amity knew how much her late friend loved to use her glyphs in new and exciting ways and she would’ve given everything to graduate with a blow like this.

She briefly wondered how Luz would look like now. Maybe her face would be sharper like Amity’s had become, and she’d lose her chubby baby cheeks that made Amity smile every time she looked at the pictures of her and the human.

Maybe she’d be taller than her now, but she imagined her laugh would still be the same. It had to be. Amity imagined it as cheerful as back then, even if she could never know what it would sound like now.

And her eyes wouldn’t change she was sure. They would still be the same wonderful brown she remembered, and they would still shine with everything that she enjoyed. She would still probably fangirl about Azura ever since their favorite ship got together at the end of the last book almost four years ago. Smiling to herself, Amity daydreamed a bit but flinched when her sister punched her arm.

“Hey mittens, what’re you thinking about.”, she playfully asked and Amity growled.

“None of your business.”, she snapped and Willow chuckled.

“I know what she’s thinking about.”

Without further prompting, Amity felt something fluttering on her stomach and opened her eyes to see the old piece of paper, almost falling apart from the usage, that Willow had thrown there.

When she sat up, her old friend already gave her a pen and softly smiled.

“It’s time for another check off the list, isn’t it?”

With her breath hitching, Amity opened the bucket list and looked over the tasks she had completed.

The Azura book had three checks behind it by now, and she had given up on counting Skiing. She had also skipped school about five times, resulting in five checks.

Next was to smash something.

Grinning, Amity clicked the pen and drew a satisfying check behind the task, before looking up to their backyard with the chipped wood and burning furniture.

“She would’ve enjoyed this.”, Amity mumbled and Edric nodded.

“I’ll drink to that.”, he slurred and downed his drink, making his sisters giggle.

“Slow down Edric, we don’t wanna clean up your bedroom from your vomit again.”, Emira chastised him and smacked his shoulder, making him scowl.

“That never happened!”, he retorted but Amity just shook her head.

“Sure, that happened!”, Emira bit back and lifted her chin at him, “At the graduation party we threw!”

Willow laughed and nodded.

“Oh yeah, I remember that party. That was fun.”

Emira pushed Amity’s shoulder.

“Mittens’ first blackout!”, she giggled and Amity rolled her eyes, taking another gulp from her drink. Rolling her eyes, she finally replied.

“Only because you gave me the drink. I didn’t know it was way harder than you let on.”, she grumbled but Emira merely laughed, along with Edric and Willow. Thinking back to the party, Amity shook her head over her blazing blush. She was just glad Luz hadn’t been there to see her throwing off her shirt and jumping on the table in a bra before proceeding to breathe fire. It had been funny, admittedly, and she had enjoyed living it up like this for once, but she was still glad her crush hadn’t witnessed that.

Smiling to herself, she looked out to the backyard again, drinking a gulp from her bottle.

What she would’ve given to share this moment with Luz, though.

Sitting in the grass with people she loved, looking out to the destruction they had caused, completely powered out and holding a drink, feeling like an adult. Smiling to herself, she finished the drink before getting up.

“Come on, let’s put out the fires before the grass starts burning.”, she called and Edric groaned.

“I need more alcohol for that!”

“No, you need less alcohol for that. That stuff burns, you idiot.”

“Who said I wanna pour it on the flames?!”

Willow and Amity laughed at her siblings’ bickering, shaking their heads as they went to start collecting the pieces of wood.

---

Let me know if you liked it!

[cordytriestowrite]

Keeping Up Appearances

Bucky x Reader

Fake Dating AU

Chapter 3 - All Other Parts

Summary: When an old friend comes back into your life you struggle to maintain the lies you've told. Bucky Barnes has no idea what he's gotten into by agreeing to be your fake boyfriend, but you have no idea what to do about the very real feelings you have for him.

Back again in the relative safety of Bucky's car you let out the breath you had been holding since leaving La Bernardin with Bucky, hand in sweaty hand.

"Holy fuck." You cried burying your face in your hands. You voice echoed through the parking garage, its range extended by the open driver's side door. Bucky had yet to enter the car, a worn leather jacket he had pulled from the back seat sitting in his place. The blue button up came sailing into the car, settling in a wrinkly ball on the center console. The arm of the shirt landed on your leg and you reached out to touch the fabric unthinkingly. The leather jacket disappeared and the seat was filled by a now jacketed Bucky.

"Hey, look at me." Bucky called in a gentle, calming voice. You turned your head without bothering to hide your distress. He pulled a half smile that stole your heartbeat for a few skips.

"Its all over. You survived." He whispered in the same calm and gentle voice. You scoffed and turned your head to face the windshield and the blank, concrete wall just beyond the car.

"I don't know." You said lowly. You knew it wasn't over, because when Pepper was standing with you, smiling and laughing and sharing her joy, you felt like you used to. You didn't want that feeling to end but there is no way in hell you'd survive this.

But how you used to feel...well that feeling existed because you could afford it. Now, you were making dumb, costly decisions with long term effects, and dragging Bucky along from the ride.

Bucky tried to meet your eye, but you were steadfast in your staring contest with the wall ahead. You couldn't look at him, couldn't admit you fucked up. Your eyes flicked to his hand as it reached toward you but stopped just short of your thigh to encircle the gear shift and put the car in reverse.

"I don't know about you but I am hungry for some real food." He said in a purposely lighter and louder voice. You nodded absently.

"Look, no offense, but oysters taste like snot."

You weren't offended, you thought they tasted like snot too.

-

A large pizza, fresh and hot, sat upon your lap. It smelled divine and you couldn't wait to get home, get out of your dress and into some sweats, and head over to Bucky's and Sam's and eat this giant, greasy pizza. You wanted to hear about Sam's date. You hoped your friend had a better time than you did. As if Sam knew you were thinking of him, his name appeared on Bucky's phone, which lay atop the pizza box in your lap.

"You got a text from Sam." You told him and he distractedly picked it up. He read the message at a stop sign, only taking a couple seconds to take in the contents and let his face fall into a slight frown.

"That bastard kicked me out of my own place!" Bucky exclaimed, dropping the phone back onto the box. You smirked at the dark screen. Sam's date must be going really well.

"Looks like you're sleeping in the hall tonight." You teased.

"Nah, I'll just stay at my girlfriend's for the night." He countered. It sent a jolt of panic through your chest, thinking he had a girlfriend you didn't know about, but just as quickly as your body tingled with nerves had they settled into bashfulness at the realization that he meant you. You were the girlfriend he was talking about. He intended to stay the night with you.

"Yeah, yeah of course you can." You managed to stutter out. He turned into the garage under your apartment building and suddenly let out a laugh, like he just remembered a joke.

"I'm gonna finally see what you were hanging up on your wall. It is the reason we are together after all. Better be a Monet or some shit." He winked, a brief and blurry vision in the darkness of the underground car park.

Bucky had never been in your apartment, you always going to Sam and his instead, so when he walked in behind you carrying the pizza you were nervous. You had manage to salvage a few pieces of decor and furniture from when you lived in Manhattan; a nice large L shaped couch, your bed frame, and an ornate, gold-framed full length mirror. All the other items in your apartment where either provided by the building manager or purchased from consignment shops. It was an eclectic mix of quality and convenience.

Whatever comment you thought Bucky would make was not spoken out loud. He simply parked himself on the couch like he owned the place and opened the pizza box. Without waiting for you to grab plates he dug into a hot and greasy slice of pepperoni pizza. He moaned loudly as the taste flooded his mouth. The sound sent a shiver down your spine and you busied yourself with gathering plates and napkins until your face felt less heated.

"This pizza is way better than any other food we had tonight." He said as you settled in on the other side of the couch. You nodded in agreement.

"Cheaper too." You added offhandedly. You wouldnt have said it if you had known it was bring you into a discussion you didnt want to be having with the fake boyfriend you had a very real crush on.

"So how did you get yourself into this mess? To me it seems like you used to be loaded like them and now you're not but you dont want her to know?" Bucky's finger moved between invisible points in the air between you as if he was connecting the dots to a larger picture.

"That's basically it yeah." You admitted. You had no intention of telling him more than you had to. You ate your pizza slowly, it was good but the taste in your mouth was dampened by anxiety.

"But how does she not know?" He asked incredulously.

"She's been traveling all over the world since college. We've only communicated through letters and they were very infrequent. Only one or two a month."

"Does she not have Facebook? Instagram?"

"She does," you leaned back against the couch, chewing thoughtfully as you reminisced on the days leading up to her departure. "She said she wanted to be pen pals while she was gone. She thought it would be more exciting to anticipate a letter than an email. Pepper is the kind of friend who will create something special just for you and make you feel like you mean something. She wanted to write letters, they meant something to her. And to me." You realized with a slight bitterness that now that Pepper was back that special connection would be gone.

"If your friendship is so special why hide things from her? Why lie? I dont get it." Bucky's voice broke into your head and along with bitterness you felt a pinch of guilt.

"I'm in too deep now. I've been lying for months. About my living situation, my job, my family-"

"Your boyfriend." Bucky interjected, his tone accusatory though his expression was nothing but playful. You nodded and leaned forward to drop your pizza crust onto a chipped blue plate before sinking back into the couch.

Bucky put down his slice as well and closed the distance between you. You tensed as he invaded your space, his shoulder pressed against yours heavily as he leaned into you.

"Ya know, she's probably going to be using social media more. Might not hurt to take some pictures together. Just to really sell it?" He asked it like he wasnt sure you would see his reasoning and you were doubtful, suspicious even.

"You're willing to do that for me? What about other people? What if you actually like someone and they think you're with me?"

He shrugged and pulled out his phone pressing his thumb to the camera icon. You took in the image of your two faces. You were close but not boyfriend girlfriend close. You angled your head closer and tried to smile naturally but it was obviously strained.

"No, no come on my ma's gonna see this you gotta look like you dont hate me." He laughed, staring into the phone instead of your face. You shoved him and pulled your head away to look at him.

"I don't hate you." You said in your defense, "I just dont think we look-"

"Like a couple?" He finished. He was really good at finished your thoughts.

"Here." He said and shifted into the middle of the sofa. Once he was settled he all but dragged you onto his lap. You felt like a ragdoll in the way you let him maneuver you, but when he pulled up his phone again you could not be upset at his manhandling. You two looked cute. You looked like a couple. You smiled, a small, shy smile and Bucky hit the big white button to capture your image.

"Better. Right babe?"

You smiled wider and another photo was taken. His free hand dug into your side and you laughed and the button was pressed again. His lips pressed against yours, only a peck, enough to produce one more photo. You sat frozen on Bucky's lap as he brought the phone close to his face and scrutinized the images. His hand rested warmly on your hip and occasionally his thumb rubbed back and forth.

"I like this one." He finally declared, showing you the screen. It was the one where he tickled you unexpectedly. Your head was thrown back, eyes closed and mouth open in laughter. Bucky was looking up at you, the corners of he eyes crinkled in delight as he smiled widely, and there was a crinkle in his nose. You bit your lip to suppress a smile.

"I like it to." You whispered, moving your finger over the screen to glance at the other photos. You wanted to see all of them but you mostly wanted to see the kiss, to make sure you didnt imagine his lips on yours. The proof was there, clear as day, but you didn't linger too long on the photo. You were afraid of what Bucky would think, if he would regret kissing you because you were being weird about it.

"I'll send these to you. We need to post a few online."

-

It was hours later as you lie in bed that you had a chance to really take in all the pictures Bucky had sent. You drank in each image, zooming in and out on your face, then Bucky's. Bucky was right, the laughing photo was definitely the best. It seemed natural and fun. But your favorite was the one where he kissed you, because he had kissed you! Your mouths were off center and the muscles in your neck were too tense. His eyes were scrunched tight too. It was a really terrible picture.

You locked your phone and plunged yourself into darkness as a creaking sound emerged in the silence. Bucky was spending the night on your couch, his attempt to persuade you to let him join you in your bed had failed almost immediately as nerves overcame you. You thought if he had been there in bed, all warm and hard against you on your queen sized mattress, that you would not be able to sleep a wink. Your instincts were right; you weren't able to sleep now with the man crashing in your living room, how could you have handled him in your bed?

The bedroom door opened slowly, bathing your dark space in light. You squinted against the sudden brightness, attempting to make out Bucky's expression but he was silhouetted in shadow.

"Its late enough. I think I can sneak into my own apartment."

You nodded and sat up, but Bucky was already beyond your doorway. You turned the corner into your living room just in time to glance his backside as he closed you front door gently behind him. He didnt turn back, didnt even say goodbye. You locked the door with a dejected sigh, suddenly feeling like your apartment was dark and cold without Bucky's bright, warm presence. You shuffled your way back to your bed. It took a minute to get settled but once you were snuggled in the blankets you pulled up your phone again, swiping through the images of you and Bucky. Somehow these moments already felt so long ago.

Knock knock knock

A gentle rasp of knuckles on drywall near your head stole your attention. You smiled and bit your lip, bringing your clenched fist to the spot where you heard the knocks.

Knock knock knock

He knocked back twice more. Your face was split wide in a grin as you posted a couple photos of you and Bucky to Facebook. You decided to keep the picture of your first kiss with Bucky to yourself for now.

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[writing-makes-me-antsy]

Finch/Reader Stargazing

(A/N: Hi!! I take Finch requests because I love writing about him. Also let me know if you want me to add you to a tag list! Also I’m cross posting this to AO3 lol)

You stretched out your arms above your head, letting out a hum of contentment. The ride here had been quite long, but hopefully it would prove worthwhile. The air was a little chilly, but that was okay, after all, you would be warmed up soon enough.

Suddenly, you felt something poke your side, and you jumped in surprise. “Are you enjoying yourself?” Finch grinned at you, the mischievous little bastard.

“I was until you so rudely interrupted me.” You stuck your tongue out at him, and he mirrored your expression. You held each other’s gaze for a moment, a scowl present on your face, before he placed his hand upon your head. You instantly melted into his touch, damn him for knowing your weakness. A small smirk graced his face at how instantly you relaxed.

“Come on, you’re gonna love this.” His hand slid from your head to your hand, taking it in his. Turning the two of you around, he gestured to the back of his truck. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it had been what he could afford. Plus, it was absolutely perfect for the purpose of tonight. He led you forward, tugging you along slightly. When you were standing next to it, you realized a bit of a problem.

“Uh, Finch?”

“Hm?”

“I, uh…” You gestured to the height of the truck. You weren’t short by any means, but damn it was rather high. Getting up there would be a challenge for you. Of course, Finch had those slender long-ass legs you love, so he wouldn’t have even thought of it as a problem.

“O-oh! Right!” Finch’s fingers were twitching. Had he been this nervous a minute ago? “Is it okay if I… “ He gestured to you, indicating he was going to pick you up.

“Go ahead!” You smiled brightly, hoping that your face wasn’t flushing. Truth was, you kind of maybe had a massive crush on Finch. You didn’t really act on it though, because you weren’t sure whether he would be comfortable with it. Most of the time, you had gotten used to your playful banter and affection, but every once in a while something still caused your heart to skip a beat, and this was one of those times.

Now that he had your permission, within moments he had you swept up in his arms. It wasn’t anything romantic, just something practical in order to get you up there. At least you told yourself that. With his help, you grabbed onto the edge of the bed and hauled yourself over, rolling into the bottom. You groaned from how chilly and hard the surface was. “Finchhh, it’s so cold.”

“Give me a moment!” He said, a cheeky grin lighting his face. You heard him open the door to the truck.

For the brief moment he was gone, you tried to calm your brain. It was flooding you with happiness, trying to tell you that this was a date. But it wasn’t. This was just you and Finch having a surprise adventure, nothing weird, completely platonic. Although, if you were being quite honest, sometimes things didn’t seem to be completely that way, even with you in constant denial. There were hidden glances here and there, which would linger for too long to be innocent. There was his constant blushing when he was with you. How he would flirt with everyone, but you. Except for today, this was the exception, and it wasn’t even really flirting, was it? It was just two friends hanging out. You were startled out of your train of thought when he flung a large bag up with you, the bump rather loud. Soon after followed Finch’s favorite leather jacket, which was thrown a little less violently.

When he climbed up into the trunk too, he sat with his legs crossed, facing where you were kneeling. He looked, almost, nervous? But Finch was never nervous, only jittery around Spot Conlon. His hands kept fiddling with his pants, and he was looking past you as he said, “You know I tossed that up here for you, right?” He picked up his jacket and handed it to you.

“Are you sure? I know it’s your favorite.” You felt your face heating. He never lent his jacket to anyone.

“Yeah, of course.” God damn his little smile was so cute. You shrugged on the jacket, savoring the warmth that enveloped you. Not as good as a hug, but close enough. While Finch was a touchy-feely person with everyone else, he only gave you brief hugs, and only when you asked for them. You treasured them anyway.

“So,” You began, pulling your knees up to your chest, “Care to explain why we’re in the middle of nowhere?” Finch had taken you to the middle of a random forest, and had randomly pulled over to the side of the road. It really showed how much you trusted him that you weren’t the slightest bit worried.

He was biting his lip, a nervous habit he seemed to have picked up again in the past few days since he’d asked you to this. “Well, I remembering you saying you really like the night, and stargazing and… “ He trailed off, getting even more twitchy.

You were absolutely beaming at him. Holy shit this is the cutest thing. You were so damn lucky to have a friend like him. “Thank you, this is wonderful.”

“N-no problem.” He reached over and pulled that bag closer to him. He fished his hand around in it for a moment, before a dreadful expression filled his face. “Shit.” He murmured.

“What’s up?” You cocked your head at him.

“I thought I packed two blankets. Here, you take it.” He pulled it out, tossing it at you before you could protest. Too bad though, you would anyway.

“But you’ll be cold! I already have your jacket!” You tried to shove it at him, but he just pushed it right back.

“I’ll be fine, you’re more important.” Shit that’s hot. Actually wait no, not really. This boy needs to value himself more, and you’re not going to take advantage of that.

“W-we can share it, if you’re okay with that.” You offered, half hoping it would come true, but also doubting that it would. To your pleasant surprise, he agreed. You scooched closer to him and unfolded the blanket, wrapping it around the both of you. Like any time you sat next to each other, you were both rigidly upright, keeping at least an inch of distance between you. Except this time, the blanket wasn’t having it. It wouldn’t fit on both of you like this.

“I know I tried to be all chivalrous a moment ago but it’s really fucking cold and you’re hogging the blanket.” Finch complained, and he might have been a bit right.

You made a weird squeak noise and curled your fingers into your palms. “Then… Are you okay with me sitting closer?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” He looked at you as if you were crazy. As if someone would have to be crazy to want to keep distance from you. You shifted closer, and a second later he wrapped his arm around you. It wasn’t your should, no, it was your waist, and GOD DAMN WERE YOU OKAY WITH THAT.

This was comfy.

So very comfy.

You leaned your head into his chest. It was hard but comfy. It would probably sound really creepy if you ever told him, but you really loved how he smells. It’s such a comfortable scent that you can’t place as anything but him, it’s so warm and relaxing, and right now you were surrounded by it and him.

Lifting your gaze to the sky, you were met with such a beautiful sight. It was one of those nights where the moon had lit everything enough that you could still see some. The dark contrast of the tallest trees of the forest against the blue of the sky and the dainty white stars was gorgeous. Despite this wondrous sight, you were even more tempted to look a bit farther up at the boy you refused to admit you loved. He was the most beautiful human you had ever known, inside and out. Finally, you gave into the urge and snuck a glance up at him, only for your breath to hitch in your throat.

He was looking at you.

There was no way you could deny it this time, that boy was staring right at you, and it was the greatest sight you had ever seen. His sharp features were lit up by the soft moonlight, his hair tussled and messy, just how you loved it.

You couldn’t quite tell in the lighting, but did his face just flush the moment your eyes met?

“I-I was just going to ask you something.” He stuttered.

“Uh-um yeah, sure.”

“I… “ He withdrew his hand from your waist and bunched both hands up. Taking a deep breath, he looked you in the eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

Holy

Shit

“Please.” You breathed.

He took your jaw gently in his hand, and you ignored how cold his slender fingers were. His thumb gently brushed your cheek as you gazed up at him. He began to lean in, and you quickly shut your eyes, holding your breath in anticipation. His lips were soft and plump against your own. The contact was quick, but gentle. It was comfy. He is comfy. You opened your eyes to see him pulling back, but still near enough. Your eyes traced every inch of his face, and his yours. After a moment’s silence, you closed the distance between you once more, placing an equally gentle kiss upon his such lovely lips. Pulling back again, you both smiled at each other.

And you yawned. “Sorry,” You mumbled, “I’m really sleepy.”

“Don’t be.” Was all he said, and it was enough. You loved that about him.

After a minute, you tucked your head against his chest again. This didn’t need any more words for now. Those could be decided in the morning. As you closed your eyes, he began softly singing a song, one of your favorites. He wrapped one arm around you, and began softly stroking your hair, his movements deft and light upon your hair.

Maybe it wasn’t so platonic after all.

[ikonislife]

My Professor 5

-Hanbin x Reader (Professor!Hanbin)

-1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

-It was universally known that friend with benefit between best friends would be a chaotic ride from the start till the heartbreak of either one or both party. No one says anything about being in one with your dear professor…

-Rated M for language, mention of sex (secretly rated B for bullshit 😏)

-a/n: I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW SHORT THIS PART IS... and how long it took to get written. Life is rough as always and I lost all my writing mojo so i took a step back and just let myself enjoy the excitement of anticipating their comeback. 

This part and the one after will just be story filler/ fluff to really build up to the climax of the series. I hope you guys won’t mind the story slowing down a bit before I can go full throttle with what I had in mind as to where our dear professor will end up.

Which of the most basic human emotions is the strongest? That’s a question you’ve always struggled with and more often than not, disagree with the general consensus. The large sum of the population seems to think it’s fear, While others think it’s love. You could certainly see how fear can drive people to do things they could never, or would never agree to had they not been under duress. You’ve had enough first hand experience with this particularly menacing emotion today to speak on the matter. Same with love you suppose, having gone though already a more than rocky start and Hanbin haven’t even got a chance to utter that question yet. 

However for you, it’s the combination of these emotions, when they so perfectly mingled and worked together to lull you into a spot so sweet, its effect is deafening.  That certainly is the case right now as you watch Hanbin figure trailing further and further away from your stilled one, fear runs deep within the veins of your incapacitated body. You both had been so careless, a sense of happiness produce by your new found love had left you both negligent of the possibility that someone might still be lingering about, even as high into the sky as the man in the moon is this time of night. Happiness, love, and fear created a perfect mixture of poison that set your heart ablaze, wanting nothing more than for Hanbin to turn around and let you fall into his protective arms, to listen to his soft cooing of assurance.  Yet at the same time, your mind scrambled from the thought of losing him forever if this messed up secret surface to take a breath of fresh air, body wanting to regurgitate your non existent dinner, leaving souring taste in your throat. 

But beneath it all, perhaps curiosity struck an even bigger impact as you watch your man near skipping toward the stranger, his mannerism... happy? How could he be so relax at a climatic moment, the wall that had been protecting his darkest secret, protecting you were about to crumble with the tick of the clock. What has he got going in his mind?

Cold sweats are now breaking over your stiffening body, your eyes so frantically searches for any sign that he had noticed your distress, to read your mind but alas his attention too focus on the person ahead with a strange cheeky smile on his lips. Then without a warning, his arms thrown up in the air as if he’s performing a flashy mating dance, similar to those magnificent birds in those documentary you love to watch so often, awaiting the arrival of the shadow man. 

“POOH” 

Yet another unexpected thing happening way too fast to add in the list of things happening so fast and unexpectedly, they’re leaving your head spinning in circle. 

“MICKEY!” And so the looming shadow  replies. Curses this old building and its less than standard lighting, you can’t even make out the other person’s face yet something, something is so familiar it’s on the tip of your tongue. 

It’s Jiwon. Crap.

Your mind silently gasp, he wouldn’t suspect anything, would he? After all, up till this point it was more likely you were fooling around with him than Hanbin going off on just public interaction alone. No way he’d suspect anything. You tell yourself yet you know deep down just how sharp the other professor Kim could be.

You must not be very convincing because as it tells itself not to worry, a monologue worthy of awards is being created simultaneously in your mind, the excuses to explain the fondness in your behaviors putting into a list. Your short barely qualify as a relationship relationship flashes before your eyes as the last chance to escape now being block by your dear professors

The two men crash into each other as if lovers reunited after a treacherous month long separation - dramatic, over the top, and down right unnecessary in the way they’re embracing each other so tight, Jiwon’s hands wandering in places that you hoped only yours had gotten the pleasure to feel. Hanbin was even worse in his touchiness, hands snaking around the other man’s waist, resting on his lower back before ruffling up his hair.  Chatting away happily, the pair has completely forgotten your lingering present, that is until Jiwon peeks behind their shoulders, an eyebrow raised in intrigue. Noting his expression, Hanbin also turn toward the direction of his curiosity, a warm smile beaming bright at you, near prideful. 

“Your girl?”

“Something like that.” Hanbin chuckles like a school kid, cheeks blooms like fresh roses in spring with a slight scratch to his head. His tone almost bashful, shy even as he repeats to himself softly under his breath Jiwon’s word. “My girl” a strange giggle you’ve never seen slips under the moonstruck smile. 

Who is this soft man in front of you and what had he done with your sex God?! Is this the kind of boyfriend he’ll be, giving you a full range of the rainbow from the softest to making you beg for mercy under the pale moonlight? If so, you’re about to be in for the ride of your life and truthfully, you’re all for it.

“Come. On. Man. Again with the “something like that” speech. Is she your girl or nah?” His feet planting firm into the worn out floor of the ancient building that had you bracing for the destruction of the infrastructure any second now. Well, if the building isn’t collapsing anytime soon then you will because Jiwon manages to shoot your a sly wink all the while looking stern as he grills his very clingy friend.

“DO NOT wink at her, I will murder you.” The sudden thought of your lie fills Hanbin’s mind with imageries that will probably send him into a murderous feat had he not has so much trust in both his girl and his best friend. A quiet “thank you” slips his lips as Jiwon abandons his teasing way at the piercing glares, feeling the wrath of a man who has everything to lose. “I was gonna introduce her AFTER, i make things official. You jumped the gun bro. Plus it’s not like you don’t know her, she’s in your class.”

“Alright, so protective already. I’m scare to know what you’d do to those boys that always flirt with her in class.” Yet another sly raise of the brows find its way into your peripheral, and yet again Hanbin looks as if someone had just insulted all his ancestors and his future children all in the same sentence. 

“No, Binnie, don’t kill me. I’m sorry, alright. I’ll leave you kids be then, I’ll go die all alone with my endless stacks of work.”

Honestly at this point you didn’t know if you have to worry about the witch or Jiwon because to any passerby, their intimacy level is that of an old married couple. The way their arms so naturally draping around each other’s bodies, the familiarity in their touches, and down right to the gentle whispering between the two. They even got the bickering down to an art... Oh lord, Jiwon is the one you really have to watch out for.

“I’ll see you around… sister-in-law!”

You stare incredulously at the disappearing Jiwon, laughing manically all the while trying to avoid Hanbin’s playful punches, not quite sure if you’re just having a strange midday dream or their bromance of a meeting really did just happened. Sauntering back your way, Hanbin couldn’t help but let a smile blooms on his lips at how adorable and befuddle you’ve become watching his interaction.

“Have I gone mad or did you and the other hot professor Kim are like bros...”

“You have not and you should only know ONE hot professor Kim, alright?” Near growling under his breath, Hanbin has his hand brushing against your waist, even if the contact lingering barely a second, you could feel the green with envy dripped fingertips.

“Yes, professor.”

Even with the desires burning deep within both your hearts to spend as much time as you could together, the sudden chatter lingering by the courtyard reminds you both of just how much is at risk. With one last smile, your dear professor begins his short trip to the confine of his office, a much happier man than this morning, heart grown just a bit larger at the thought of you cozy in his bed just a few hours from now, and many days to come.

Quite strange really to think of all the ups and downs Harbin and you have gone through, all the sadness and the pain even before the relationship really even got a chance to bloom. Out of all the nonsense and wonderfulness of it all, the only thing you haven’t managed to comprehend, to really wrap your head around is the how of it all. You’re mystify, so utterly lost at just how easily, despite all the tears and words of hurts of course, everything had fallen into place when it could have just as easily fizzles out, a romance snipped in the bud before it could bask in the bright sunlight to show off all of its vibrancy. Yet here you are, near skipping your way toward that dingy old room filled with endless stacks of paperwork, coffee in hands awaiting the end of his work hours.

Friends with benefit relationship is hard, no argument there, it rarely worked and more often than not ends up in a string of heartbreaks. But when friends and benefit get thrown into a professional world, a world where everything is grey rather than clear cut black and white. A world that require an intricate dance of not crossing the line all the while taking an axe to all other lines set up by society to differentiate what’s acceptable, that’s just something beyond any of your calculation, and Hanbin as well you suspect. 

In those days when you were just a bored student, just another face in the crowded lecture hall that seemingly there only for the gorgeous face and smooth voice, did you ever think this rollercoaster of a fuck up relationship would ever work out? God no, not even in your highest highs and wildest of vivid dreams of a horny college girl lusting after her professor. The thought of him even looking your way was even preposterous because lord know he got some on the daily. You have to admit, had he been any less handsome or charming, you would’ve said fuck the 5% of your grade depending on attendant, and maybe one day you’ll admit that to Hanbin but for now to yourself is enough. You were fine with that, showing up for a few hours to watch him dance and sing his way to the betterment of the future, it’s not like you won’t concede to feeling just a tad bit more encouraged when Hanbin offers up in a few lingering stares and a sweet, coy smile or two as you waddle your way out after class. 

The first time you had worked up the courage to storm into his office, it was vast different from tonight but in many ways, alike.  The bleeding sunshine so gentle and silky against your skin, basting everything in a near glittery tone not even filters could get such beautiful light. You didn’t know if it was your heart was beating just a bit faster but the brilliant hues of the sky was especially stunning, the golden ray bowing out for the day leaving the stage open for roses to overtake the pristine white clouds. You circled the building, three times, as any one would of course on their way in for some one on one help with homework, it’s a big deal, facing your professor. It wasn’t until the clock ticking close to 6 that you had realized professors do not in fact live in their office, that they do have a life outside of the university. You felt stupid, barging in so last minute and watched as his handsome features faltered just a bit knowing whatever his plan was that night was out the window. So in your insane delirious mind of hunger accompanied by the worst string of insomnia, you flirted. You flirted because if he’s to be kept here by your pestering self, the very least you could offer up some pleasant banter, because that’s exactly what your catch of a professor need… His student shooting heart eyes his way to make up for taking up his free time. It’s not a good plan but a plan nonetheless. 

The walk now, silvery moonlight grazing your skin with its cool wisps, nothing warming your soul aside from the warmth emanating from the scalding hot coffees and the excitement of once again retreating to the place where your heart longs for. Yet that distinct bubbling in your chest, the excitement of seeing that soul melting grin, that definitely cannot be misplace. Although the uncertainties, the hope that you were somehow more special than any other girls in his class long gone and was now replaced by just how loved you feel from his words, from his action, and simply just from the soft gazes accompany by the most adorable moonstruck smile. You want to sing to the world, to show everyone how amazing this man you get to call yours is but for now these private meeting at the most intimate hours of night will do so long as you get to be in his arms. Who know if you’ll both last through the trials of time in the future, or if there even is a future for you both but getting to see Hanbin in ways others can only wish to is definitely worth it all. 

As with any high, the come down of when reality hits you in the face with its bitterness is especially hard in the form of that ear piercing, gut wrenching shriek of a laugh from the one and only. With still nearly 3 doors to pass, her shrill laughter still pierce your heart, freezing it over with that haunting menacing tone. You know nothing will happen, you trust Hanbin with your future quite literally so there’s no questioning his action yet you couldn’t help that souring volcanic of a reaction deep within your gut. With a heavy sigh, your steps deter from the small door that holds your happiness, the single person that could make you feel a million buck with just a simple utter of your name… All of that was being stain by the stench of the enemy.

Is this what jealousy feel like? 

You have to see this, what the hell are they even talking about for her to be laughing so carefree. Loud grunt lost to the frigid breeze, you tiptoe toward the entrance with great care, flushing so tightly against the grossly stained wall. Boy did you blood curdle in anger at the sigh beholding, irritation drowns your body in its toxin and it pains you to physically be incapable of just dumping these cups of joe all over her goddamn inappropriate flaunting happening right on top of Hanbin’s desk. In what world did she thinks it’d be within the school code of conducts to be perching so precariously atop another professor’s desk, short skirt rising over her crossed legs so high just one more inch and you’ll be able to spot her intimates. Her back arches strategically, putting forth her most worthy assets as if Hanbin would really buys whatever she got to sell. Your lips nearly split open and her poison dipped fingertips brushes against Hanbin’s soft hand, she really crosses the line now. As much as it pains you, walking away is the only right answer and so before your heart could overpower your brain, your body slowly inches away.

[9:40] Well, I wasn’t expecting that

[9:40] Nerd 👓❤️: What do you mean, baby?

[9:41] You know what I mean. God, did she thinks that was appropriate, putting her ass on a place your students use to do work? Where you do work? Your desk! My desk! GOD!

[9:41] Nerd 👓❤️: And the work we do on it isn’t, huh sweetheart? 

[9:41] IRRELEVANT!! 

[9:41] How is that irrelevant, my God this girl. And anyways, since when is it your desk?

[9:42] Since I claimed it. Or did you forget how many time you fucked me raw atop it, professor?

[9:42] Nerd 👓❤️: I have no word for you… You’re lucky I love you.

[9:42]  Tell me when the witch is gone. I’m going over to Jiwon, I have homework questions.

If there be someone lost for words, it’s you. Yes, she’s his co-worker and co-workers are meant to bond but she had gone well beyond trust exercises, into territories of scandalous. Well, nothing nearly as dramatic as your relationship with Hanbin of course but that’s beside the point.   There’s no denying the guilt deep within your heart for Hanbin, caught in between a cry baby girlfriend and a person who does not seems to possess an ounce of IQ despite being parade as one of the best newcomer the school had seen since, well the recruitment of Hanbin and Jiwon. The two seconds you had the pleasure of passing by her during class changing was by far your least favorite experience so how could your man put up with her days after days, that piss indecent laugh and unnecessary mating dance… You’ve no words. 

The beautiful dance of pleasure and pain bestowed upon your quivering body so many nights and counting, that’s not something she ever going to experience, not in her wildest dream simply because you won’t allow it. The sweetheart you get to come home to, the absolutely breathtaking, caring man that could make you smile simply by looking your way, his heart, his soul, there’s no questioning the love he has for you and just how utterly infatuated you are with him. Yet this typhoon of jealousy, the green tinge of envy lurking its ugly head, winding itself around your heart like a python ready for the kill, there’s just no helping that. Is that wrong? Would Hanbin laugh if you share this with him, or would be be offended you have such little faith in the person you claimed to love. In truth, this whole whirlwind of a romance has you so wrapped around his slender finger, mind drunk with his whole being yet in reality, you know next to nothing about this person you call your man. Who is Kim Harbin really in the pocket of space and time when your present ceases to exist. Is he a kind son to his parents, what about siblings, aside from a vague mentioning of a younger sister, he speaks of nothing else in regard to family. What kind of bar does he and friends frequent, those trendy hipster one with more type of beers than there are hair on your head. Or are they the rugged type, pool halls and smoke filled dimly lit room while sipping on neat glasses of whiskey. So is it so wrong for you to have the tiniest bit of paranoia in your heart.

The bright light shining through the frosted glass boding gold lettering “134 - Kim Jiwon” and harsh yet quite beat of hiphop spilling through the crack of the door like a slap to your consciousness as your steps screech to a halt, the near 10 minutes walk from the room that left your heart torn like a missing piece of time, lost in the whirlwind of worries and guilt for even be worrying in the first place. With the softest knock you could muster while juggling two cups of pipping hot caffeine, your lungs finally let go of their clutch on a big puff of oxygen held in from the overwhelming emotion, waiting to be exhale only to find yet another lung full frozen inside. You clear your mind as best as you could but that in itself proving to be an impossible task… Kim Jiwon no longer just an innocent face you’re forced to lie to, he’s in this now, an important player judging by Hanbin’s decision to let him in on your secret. Will he be a trustworthy ally or an opponent lying in wait, only time can tell and for now all you can do is trust Hanbin’s instinct. For now the only thing you could do is play nice and observe.

a/n part 2: So many of you told me Hanbin and Jiwon from Konfidential night reminded you of this series so here ya go, something to aid your imagination.

[ladylynse]

You're always cranking out works And I just - how??? How do u do it? Cuz I always get stuck and I really wanna write more but I can't and here you are writing a lot consistently! Do u have any tips? Cuz I really need them DX

To be honest, writing a lot consistently would probably better describe me a few years ago. But here’s the thing. Writing is a stress reliever for me. (Or a way to just get my emotions out of me, which is how Broken started. Figured I’d share my pain.) It’s not school, it’s not work, it’s something I can do for myself–and for the lovely people who read and comment upon the work I actually post. So, I try to keep it as something I enjoy rather than something that stresses me out, so I’m more likely to write (or try to write) in my free time. (I still have days where I spend most of my free time reading or binging something on TV. I am sure everyone does. You do not need to feel bad about those days. Sometimes you need to do something more mindless to recover from whatever life has thrown your way.)That being said, I still get stuck. Everyone does. A few years ago, I always had an outline–however vague–of where my stories were going. I’ve been mostly winging Broken and Whirlwind, which is why updates are slower for those. But when I get an idea, I try to jot it down, however vague it is. If I’m on my computer, I’ll write out as much as I can as quickly as I can, in a huge paragraph of me talking to myself about this idea, interspersed with a few choice lines of dialogue. If I’ve got my phone or a pen and paper handy, I’ll write down what I can, even if it’s just a line or two so that I can recall the idea the next day.If a scene isn’t working, leave it. Go write something else. A different scene in the same story or work on another WIP or start a new fic entirely. It might turn into something. It might never see the light of day. It doesn’t matter. Maybe you just need a break to get your head realigned, and you might figure out a new way to write the scene–or a way around it entirely–after you get some sleep. (Or while you’re attempting to fall asleep. Or in the shower. Or driving.)Instead of deleting the work you aren’t happy with, save it in a separate document. (I have a scrap file for every longer story I’ve ever written and a few for various one-shots.) You might be able to scavenge ideas from it later, or you might decide it’s actually not as horrible as you had thought. Don’t worry about writing chronologically. If you have a great idea for a scene while in the middle of a different one, write the one that’s trying to play itself out in your mind. Maybe it’ll fit right in later; more likely, you’ll need to tweak it, and maybe you won’t even use it, but at least you’ll have it down. I typically keep this in my scrap document or farther down in the main document, depending on how far away the scene is from the point I’m actually at in the story and how likely I am to use it in the end.Go back and revise and edit, but don’t strive for perfect right away. Chances are, it’s better than you think it is anyway, and you don’t need to stress yourself over getting it exactly right the first time, which is nigh on impossible. Rereading what you’ve already written can remind you of the story and the characters and might help you see something that will help you out of a tricky situation, and it’s more useful to do that every once in a while as stare at a document and try to figure out how to word a sentence when you aren’t entirely sure what’s happening next. Rereading and editing and planning/jotting down ideas is still writing, even if you’re making no actual progress on the word count of your story.If you can, take a break (at least a few days) from a particular story before going back to do a hard edit. You’ll be more likely to spot some of your own mistakes if you’ve given your mind a chance to forget what it thinks it remembers you writing. If you get a plot bunny, don’t be afraid to play with it for a bit before sticking it in an ideas file for later. It’ll give you an idea of whether or not you might be able to turn it into a story, and you’ll have it written down to examine later if you decide to go back to it. I write far more when I’m excited about an idea than trying to slog through a troublesome scene, so don’t feel bad for running with an idea when you get it.That being said, plan if you can. However vaguely; detail-oriented is going to be overkill unless you have a specific idea for certain scenes. Like I said, I was better off before I started to entirely wing it. (I used to start with an ideas paragraph or three and go from there, jotting down ideas and possible plot points as they came to me and figuring out what worked as I went.) Flexibility is good, but you’re probably more likely to finish something if you have an idea of where you’re going.Try to let the characters drive the plot rather than you forcing them into doing what you want so the plot will go where you want it. They will fight you less and it will turn out to be a better story. Put yourself in their shoes if you can, imagining how they might realistically react to what you threw at them, and write accordingly; chance are, you can still find a way to go where you want to, and the story will seem less forced, and you’ll ultimately be happier with it. If you just can’t get the hang of the characters, do some more ‘research’–start rereading the books or rewatch the show/movie to get a feel for it again. There will still be difficult characters to write, but hopefully they won’t all be as painful.If you trust anyone IRL to read your work, go for it. If you don’t, and you keep getting stuck, see if one of your internet friends minds being a sounding board. You can bounce ideas back and forth, and this will help to get you excited for the story again–because chances are they will be excited for this story as well–and get you more in the mood to write. Just be sure to thank them in your author’s note. *grins*Some people have time to write every day. I don’t, unless I want to stay up really late, which I tend not to do when I need to get up early the next day. There are also days where I have the time to write and I just don’t. Those days are fine. Sometimes, you just need a break. Sometimes, you can get in the mood by reading other fanfiction or rereading/rewatching the actual material, and sometimes you just need to take a stab at something else. If it’s a WIP you’ve started posting, rereading reviews is great motivation, too. Still, it’s okay to take breaks. Sleep. Eat. Go for a walk if it’s not freezing outside. You need to take care of yourself; being exhausted–mentally, physically, emotionally–isn’t going to help you write.If you have an idea and aren’t sure where to start, just try to break it down into smaller parts. You can try rewriting a scene from different perspectives–not every character is going to notice the same details, which could allow you to fool the reader even if you as the writer knows the truth–or try an omniscient POV. If that doesn’t work, move on to the next scene–the second part, if you will–or skip ahead to the middle or the end. The idea is to try not to overwhelm yourself by thinking it’s too big of an idea and you’ll never get it done.Try not to compare yourself to other people; everyone is at different points and has a wealth of different experiences behind their writing. Instead, compare yourself to how you were writing a year ago, two years ago, five years ago. You will have improved. I know I have.…this turned out longer than I’d anticipated, but hopefully something helps! I believe in you; if you want to write, you’ll be able to if you allow yourself to instead of heaping on unreasonable expectations or listening to that little voice in your head that says everything you’re doing is terrible (this is why talking to someone else about your ideas can be a plus; that little voice lies). Try to believe in yourself, too, and when you can’t, lean on those who do believe in you and borrow their strength.

[calavir-fr]

It’s Not Over by Tamabukku1000

Alfie paced anxiously outside the healer's den, as he'd been doing off and on for the past few hours. He'd worn a trail into the dirt outside the door, occasionally looking up in anticipation, only to see nothing had changed. He was extremely worried by this point. It shouldn't be taking this long, right? Right? The only thing that kept him from having a mental breakdown was his determination to be at least somewhat composed when someone came to give him the news. But inside he was repeating the same five words in his head over and over like a mantra. It should have been me. It should have been me. If he hadn't done that it would have been me. It should have been me... Night had fallen by the time someone finally came outside. Alfie rushed over to the dragon frantically, probably looking somewhat like a crazed lunatic, but he didn't care. "How is he?" He asked worriedly, his whole body trembling. "Is he okay? How bad was it? If he needs blood I'm pretty sure I'm a match-" The wildclaw held up a hand to stop his rambling before looking at him solemnly. "He's alive," she said. "but there were... problems while we were patching him up." "What sort of problems?" Alfie asked shakily. "Before I get to that, I'll start with the slightly better news," the wildclaw stated. "first off, yes, he'll be fine. He'll be in pain for a while, but we got most of his cuts and wounds cleaned without too much trouble, and none of his ribs were broken like you thought, just bruised. His right wing was dislocated, but we snapped it back in place, and it should be fully healed in another couple of days." "Then... what's the bad news?" Alfie questioned softly. "I think it's better if you see it for yourself," the she-dragon murmured, almost as if she was afraid to even go back in and face the reality of it. She led Alfie into the dimly lit healers den, and he had a hard time not rushing ahead and seeing the dragon who'd saved him just a few seconds sooner. When they got to the back room, at first Alfie didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Daymion's body, while bandage-covered at the moment, looked very much the same. But then he saw it, and his stomach dropped to his toes and his heart skipped a beat. Daymion was missing his entire left front leg. There wasn't even a stump, just bloody bandages wrapped tightly around his torso where it had used to be. Alfie was no longer listening to the healer, who had started telling him how long it would take before Daymion was healed enough to even start the physical therapy for him to walk again. He couldn't stop remembering what had happened. If those same five words had been a mantra before, now they were a never-ending string of words that blocked out any rational thought or emotion. He just stood there, stunned. Itshouldhavebeenmeitshouldhavebeenmeitshouldhavebeenme... Another three days passed before Daymion could leave the hospital. Alfie took him back to where he lived under strict instructions from the healer on how to take care of his new "condition." He placed Daymion gently on the bed and tucked the blankets around him. He then collapsed to the floor, not even bothering to move to a comfier spot. He just laid there, listening to Daymion's raspy breathing. Daymion didn't wake up for almost another week. The only reason Alfie realized that he had woken up at all was from the faint groan he heard coming from his bedroom area. He immediately dropped the plate of breakfast he'd haphazardly prepared for himself and rushed to Daymion's side. The darker dragon had yet to open his eyes, but he was slowly rousing himself from his half-comatose state. "Daymion?" Alfie whispered softly. Daymion's eyes fluttered open slowly, and it looked like it took a fair amount of effort if the grimace that graced his face was anything to go by. His gaze slowly flicked over to Alfie, who smiled gently at him. However, Daymion's face immediately turned into a scowl (or as much of one as he could manage). "-hat 're you doin' -ere?" He managed to croak out, the venom that would have normally been in his voice all but nonexistent in his weakened state. "Daymion, do you remember anything?" Alfie asked cautiously. Daymion nodded carefully. "Well, something...something happened to you, and you got hurt really badly, and..." he trailed off, unsure how to tell Daymion that he'd had his entire leg amputated. "Hero, you'd better tell me why I'm in your house and what the heck happened or I swear I'll-" Daymion demanded, attempting to sit up before a look of horror crossed his face and he came to an abrupt halt. He looked down at the covers, before using his wing to slowly shift the covers off of his body. The bandages covering his torso were fairly bloody (Alfie hadn't changed them yet that morning) and Daymion could do nothing but stare at the place where his leg should have been. "Daymion, I-" "Get out," Daymion interrupted, his voice barely audible. When Alfie didn't move, frozen to the spot, Daymion looked up at him, anger mixed with fear blazing in his eyes. "I said get out," he repeated. Alfie backed away slowly until he could no longer see his rival. He made his way to the living area before sprinting outside as fast as he could. He had never seen such a look on Daymion's face before, never would have expected how...composed he sounded about the whole thing. It would have been less terrifying if Daymion had screamed at him. Daymion didn't let Alfie in to see him or feed him or change his bandages or anything for a couple of days. Eventually, however, Alfie steeled himself and went inside, fully prepared to defend himself against any verbal onslaught the darker dragon could throw at him. He was not ready for what he saw, though. Daymion's bandages were completely soaked through, his face was pale, and the whole room smelled like pee and vomit. The so-called "villain" attempted to glare at Alfie as he came in, but all Alfie saw was the shame and embarrassment that shone so clearly from his icy stare. "Come on," Alfie said as he strode over to Daymion's side. "get up." Daymion opened his mouth to protest, but closed it just as quickly. Without another word, Alfie went over to the other side of the bed and pushed Daymion into a sitting position. He then went to support his side as he shakily rose to his feet. It took the two of them a good five minutes to get to the living area and another five to find a comfortable position for Daymion to lay in while Alfie went back to the bedroom and began cleaning up the mess. He soon realized why Daymion had pushed him away before. He didn't want Alfie to see him like this, weak and useless. No matter how much he hurt or how hungry he was, he would never say it. He had too much pride to admit to such a thing. And right then, Alfie made a decision. He was going to do it right this time around. Daymion had saved his life and Alfie knew he deserved nothing but hatred from the other dragon, but he was going to do his best to make sure that he wouldn't screw up his last chance with the dragon he once considered his best friend. To say it was difficult was an understatement. Daymion was restless, and hated the fact that he had to rely on Alfie for everything. Alfie had snide remarks thrown at him on a regular basis, and after Daymion was healed enough to shuffle around on his own, Alfie was relieved at the fact that he would no longer have to help a grumbling Daymion to the bathroom in the early hours of the morning. Despite Alfie's warnings to take it easy, Daymion was determined to get back to his normal self as quickly as possible, and pushed himself more than he should have. Alfie woke up one day to find Daymion in a heap on the floor by the kitchen. They fought a lot. About everything. Alfie had come to accept that as long as Daymion was still somewhat of an invalid, he would have to keep a fairly close eye on him, and that would eventually lead to some sort of argument. Usually it was about little things, like Daymion claiming he could make his own dinner thank you very much, or you don't need to watch me every second, I'm not dying. The worst fight they had resulted in Alfie actually leaving the house and staying at the neighbor's for a week to let them both cool off. When he came home, Daymion sent him a half-hearted glare, which Alfie returned. They didn't speak to each other that night until it was very late. Alfie went into the living area to where Daymion was sleeping in the couch. "I know you're not asleep," he stated simply. Daymion opened his eyes and looked at him. The two were silent for a few moments before Alfie asked, "why did you save me?" "Because being a villain without a hero to fight would be boring," Daymion replied almost immediately. Alfie gave him a "come on, really?" look that made Daymion roll his eyes. "because I didn't want you to get hurt, okay? They could have killed you," he finally said. "and even if I'd known what I do now, if I'd known what would happen, I would still do it. I wouldn't wish this (he gestured to his non-existent leg) on anyone." They stared at each other for a long time. Eventually, Alfie nodded before slowly making his way back to his room. "I may hate you half of the time," Daymion's voice called softly, "but you're still my hero. No one screws with you but me." Alfie smiled, just a little bit. "Goodnight, Daymion," he said. "Goodnight, Alfie." Things changed after that. They didn't fight as much, it was more witty banter instead of full-blown arguments. Daymion could sort of run with just three legs again, and when they went to the healer every three weeks even she said Daymion was healing faster than expected. The only thing Daymion was still unable to do was flying. He felt extremely unbalanced whenever he tried, and landing was almost always disastrous. Even with his limited capabilities, Daymion could be gone for longer and longer periods of time by himself now. Alfie was surprised he hadn't left yet. Every night without fail, Daymion would walk through the he opening to the lair and say something snarky or witty to get Alfie's attention. The two were tentative friends again, but Alfie couldn't shake the feeling that Daymion would leave him as soon as he could, and they would be right back at the beginning again. It was killing him, because for the first time in months, he had hope that things would turn out okay, and at the same time he was prepared to have his heart shattered. Sure enough, one night Daymion didn't come home. Alfie stayed up later than normal, waiting for him to return, but midnight came and went with no sign of him. Worry turned into fear as he realized that Daymion might be out there and unable to get back. Even though he was doing remarkably well (they had even been able to take the bandages off during their last visit to the healer), there was always a chance that something had happened. Alfie rushed out and took to the skies, not wasting even a second of precious time. He flew around their small neighborhood for a bit before heading out towards the woods nearby. An hour passed with no sign of Daymion anywhere. The scorched forest wasn't large, so Alfie had searched most of it by now. He was losing hope, thinking that he may never see Daymion again, when he heard faint noises coming from his right. He slowly made his way in the direction of the sounds and stopped when he reached a small clearing. At first, he saw nothing. He was about to turn back around when something whooshed by in a hurry. He looked again, only to see Daymion, attempting to take flight. He would get a running start before launching himself as best he could into the air and landing somewhat unceremoniously. And as he repeated the process again and again, Alfie just...watched. Daymion was tiring, Alfie could tell. But just when he thought the darker dragon would call it a night, he gave one last attempt. He hurled himself ungracefully into the air...and didn't fall. He wobbled a bit, but stayed airborne. He made his way upwards, and Alfie could see the joy on his face. It was a look he hadn't seen in years. Daymion let out a loud cry of jubilation, and before Alfie even registered what he was doing, he had taken to the air as well. Daymion was shocked, to say the least. But Alfie grinned at him before poking him on the shoulder and then darting away. A small smile graced Daymion's face as he flew after the green Skydancer's retreating form. The two continued their game of tag into the very early hours of the morning, and by the time the sun rose, they had fallen to the ground together, laughing together in a way they had not done since they were children. And as Alfie looked to the dragon next to him, he knew they would be okay. Because they might push each other's buttons, they might still have differences to work out, they may never be anything more than friends, but what they had wasn't over. No matter what they went through, whether as friends or enemies, they would do it together.