#work had been so busy but I think it should slow down after the big gala I worked at

[tinysupervicki]

Sharing this here from Twitter, I think a big goal of mine for 2024 is to definitely make another passion project but animate it, I got a lot of inspiration from @afraidparade and I just gotta do it 💖

[koostattoos]

➳ wait for your love || j.jk (teaser)

~ Synopsis: simply loving is not enough

~ Genre: strangers to friends(?) to lovers, college au, fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

~ Warnings: jk is a fuckboy, he plays too damn much 😔, smut (big dick!jk, unprotected sex, fingering, oral (f. receiving), soft sex, multiple sex scenes, etc.), lots of crying and pining, all she wants is to be loved 💔, she a baddie 😛, she standing on business (as she should), more to come

~ teaser wc: 1.2k

• currently play: we can’t be friends (wait for your love) by Ariana Grande and opera house by Cigarettes After Sex

A small crowd of students file into the quiet library. Books surround you with knowledge of classes that you are taking. A pencil clad in your hand as you think of more notes to write down on your notebook in front of you. Jungkook has been texting you since the day he took you out. Asking you random questions throughout the day, but to your surprise he hasn’t said a single thing about your number. 

You jump a bit in your seat when the chair in front of you screeches against the floor. When you look up you see Jungkook’s handsome face, a chuckle coming from his lips at your reaction. “Hi” he says in a whisper. Shaking your head at him you go back to writing your notes. “How did you know I was here?” He watches as you write down words on your piece of paper. His tattooed hand reaches out and starts playing with the edge of the paper and you look up at him. “I was on my way to get some lunch and saw you through the window, you don’t work today?” his head tilts to the side like a puppy dog. You shake your head, “No, I have a day off today and I wanted to spend it studying. But I can’t do that with you bothering me” he rolls his eyes and lets go of the paper. 

It’s silent for only a minute before he starts speaking again. “When will you be done?” He's like a nagging child, always in need for attention. You let out a sigh of frustration and put your pencil down beside the notebook. “You don’t have any other friends you can annoy?” a small pout forms on his lips. Sulking, because of your attitude. 

“I wanna hang out with you” he says, ignoring him you return your attention back to your paper and try one more time to focus on studying. Opening one of the books lying beside you. A loud groan comes from the grown man in front of you and you quietly slam the book shut. “Fine! What do you want to do,” placing your remaining things into your bag and you stand from your chair to pull it over your shoulder. Jungkook beats you to it, though. Placing the white tote bag over his shoulder and carrying it out with him. Puffing a breath of air out you follow him to the door.

The weather is nice today, it wasn’t too hot like those other summer days. It seems to be cooling down as it gets closer to fall. “Where are we eating?” you ask behind him. He turns his head to look back at you and slows his pace down to match yours. “This place that serves the most delicious pork belly,” his posture straight, determined to get to the restaurant as fast as possible. Before he came into the library he had already been planning to ask you out to lunch with him. 

He was originally planning on walking to the cafe you worked at, so he had been waiting a while. When you walk into the restaurant you are hit with the warm air with the scent of meat floating in the air. To your surprise it wasn’t as busy as you’d expected it to be considering it being lunch hour. Jungkook picks out a table in the middle of the restaurant. Taking a seat in front of him, he grabs a menu that had already been placed there and picks out his favorite dishes. 

“Hello, what can I get started for you guys today?” The server walks up to the table with a notepad and pencil in his hand. His attention is drawn to you first. You look up at him and give him a sweet smile. His hair was wavy and dimples showed whenever he smiled. You look down to your hands resting on the table and you look at Jungkook. His stare already on you, clearing his throat he begins to order. 

Once it is written down on the notepad the waiter grabs the menus from the table. “I’ll be out shortly with your food” You nod your head politely and bring your attention back to the man in front of you. “You still haven’t given me another hint” He brings up again. Sighing with a smile on your lips you slightly shake your head at him. “You are never going to give up, are you?” 

“Nope, I’m determined” 

“Why? Is my Instagram not enough?” You say tilting your head. 

“No, it’s not. Are you gonna give me another hint or what" Sass can be heard in his tone. Instead of having the poor boy go on for ages figuring out your number you give him the first six digits. “Fine, I’m starting to feel bad for you now. I’ll give more than one number” At this his eyes light up like the galaxy. Excitement growing in his chest and a smile that brings out his dimples appear on his face. 

Laughing at his excitement you write down on a piece of napkin you pull from the box next to you. ‘823257’ written in bold ink with a pen you grabbed from your bag. You fold it up and slide it over to Jungkook’s side of the table. “There, now you need to find the last four” Now feeling a bit more relieved he stuffs the napkin deep into the pockets of his jacket. The food is brought out and the same waiter places it on the table in front of you. 

“Thank you” you tell him with that same smile you gave him earlier. Blush begins to grow on his pale cheeks and he bows, walking away to serve other tables. Scoffing Jungkook looks away from the boy and takes the scissors from the tray, cutting up the meat. “What was that look for?” you say to him picking up a pair of utensils. “Nothing” he says you laugh lightly at his pouty lips. 

The sizzling of the meat on the grill resounds and smoke lifts into the air from the hot pan. “Do you think it’s cheating if another man helps separate your perilla leaf for you with his chopsticks if you’re already with someone?” The ridiculous question gets you to chuckle. “I don’t think so, why does it matter if you're just going to end up eating it anyway?” you say, taking a piece of meat he grilled and placed on your plate for you into your mouth. 

His eyebrows furrowed as he chews on the pork belly and his legs jump a little under the table. “It does matter! I feel like it's cheating plain and simple. If I were dating someone it should only be me helping you. Not some other guy that you happen to be friends with” 

“Whatever you wanna believe, Jeon. But personally, I really don’t care. As long as I have food in my mouth then I’m happy” you say as you stuff your mouth with rice. 

The check comes around when you finish eating. You go to grab the piece of paper but, once again, Jungkook beats you to it. “Yah, I’m the one who brought you out to eat. I should be the one paying for it” he held the paper away from you. Slumping in your seat you cross your arms across your chest. “But it’s expensive, let me help pay half” With a proud smile Jungkook signs off on it and gives it to your waiter. “Too late, already paid for” he sends you a sly grin and you let out a puff of air.

a/n: finally ya'll it's been wayyy to long since i've published a story. i have so many ideas for this one and I really like how it'll turn out!! i love you guys <33

also!! If you'd like to be apart of 'wait for your love’ taglist click this link!!

[guessimjoiningthespidermanfandom]

HELLOO COULD I request earth 42 miles morales saving reader from someone who tried to kidnap them and what he does after? Hope ur havin a gud day

Here

Earth 42!Miles Morales x fem!reader 

Earth 42!Miles Morales x black!reader

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: Langauge, mentions of death, a tiny bit of nudity, and mentions of violence

Requested: yes 

A/N: OKAY ONE REQUEST DOWN MANY MORE TO GO. I wrote most of this sleep deprived on a plane so it might not flow the best but I tried. Still wanna try out headcannons so I might use that format for another request. I'm almost at 200 followers tysm I might do a prompt list and blurb night type thing.

300 Follower Special <3

Masterlist

“I’m gonna kill him.” Miles declared a little too calmly for Y/N’s liking. He looked for his shoes so he could get out of there. 

Her heart had finally slowed enough to process what had just happened, the adrenaline wearing off. 

Y/N worked the graveyard shift at a gas station a couple of blocks from her apartment complex. She had to save up for school and it rarely got busy that late. It wasn’t a bad deal. 

She emptied out the register, but before taking out the trash, she texted Miles to see how far he was. 

He always walked her home from work, however today she felt especially tired and Miles wasn’t answering his phone and it was barely a 10-minute walk to her apartment. 

What she hadn’t expected was for someone to try and grab her on the way home, Miles had shown up at the exact right time to scare him off. 

“Miles,” She called softly, using her voice to beg him to look at her. After a moment's hesitation, he finally looked over at her curled up at the edge of her bed. 

He was so angry he was shaking. He snapped at Y/N on the way to her apartment he wasn’t mad at her but he needed someone to be mad at. 

“Can you please come sit down?” She patted the spot on the bed beside her. He continued to pace around her room as if he were looking for something.

 “Miles,” she begged again. 

“I have to do something,” 

“Just sit down,” The shakiness in her voice seemed to get him to listen. She grabbed the hand closest to her and held it tightly in her own, before leaning into his side. 

She inhaled deeply, relaxing into his warmth and earthy scent.

“Don’t go, won’t change anything,”

“What would’ve happened if I wasn’t there?”

“But you were,” She reminded him. 

“You could’ve been killed or worse.” He said. “And you want me to just do nothing?” 

“I don’t want you to leave,” She countered. “Need you to stay with me,” 

“I’m so sorry I was late,” He kissed her hand. Miles rarely apologized even when he absolutely should so she knew he meant it. 

“Not your fault baby,” She mumbled into his shoulder to which he huffed incredulously. “I mean it.”

Instead of corroborating his innocence, he shed light on his thoughts.

 “I keep thinking about you dying and it’s all because I didn’t get to you fast enough.” He sighed. “I can’t lose you too.”

Ever since his father's passing Miles had some pretty big shoes to fill. Head of the house, the son of a late police captain, but never just a kid. 

Sucking in a breath Y/N immediately shifted her body to grab Miles’ face. She pressed his ear over her heart letting him listen to the continuous thump. 

“I’m alive,” She whispered for only him to hear. “I’m right here.” 

He twisted himself to hide his face in her chest and wrap his arms tightly around her waist, she ran her hands over the hair at the back of his head humming a song. Miles spoke up never moving his face “I’m supposed to be the one comforting you,” 

With a smile never stilling her hand movements she responded. “You don’t have to be a big macho man all the time you know?” 

He finally released her with a small dismissive yeah. She pushed herself off the edge of her bed with a groan, bending backward to stretch her back. Miles leaned back on his elbows to watch her. 

She made her way over to her dresser before he sat up and then spoke up. “Where you going?” 

“I wanna take a shower,” She answered grabbing a plain cotton shirt and some underwear. “I feel dirty,” 

He seemed content with her answer and leaned back on his elbows again. “Will you come with me?”

He raised his eyebrow suggestively before she laughed and threw the shirt at him.

 “Not like that,” She clarified “You’ll just sit there. I don’t wanna be alone.” 

He nodded grabbing the shirt off his chest before following her to the bathroom. 

The stuffy humid air surrounded Miles as he sat patiently on her toilet seat. 

“You still here?” You called over the running water. 

“Yeah babe, still here.” 

“Can you talk to me?” 

“What’you want me to say?” 

“I dunno,” She shrugged despite the fact he couldn’t see her behind the shower curtain. “Just tell me about your day,” 

He told her about how in AP BIO they did fetal pig dissections and he got to cut into the brain. By the end of his spiel, she was listening to the creaky twisting of the knob to turn the water off. After asking for the towel she was making him turn around so she could get dressed shushing him before he could make an offhand comment. 

He followed her back to her room pulling her comforter back so she could slip in. The second she hit the cool sheets her eyes fluttered shut, sleep dragging her down. He tucked her in, and before he moved to grab her bonnet she gripped his arm keeping him still. 

“Don’t go home” 

“I won’t, I’m just gonna grab your bonnet, swear,” 

“Mhm,” She agreed, releasing his arm and curling in on herself. 

He slipped into the bed next to her wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back into his chest. She let out a hum of discomfort before turning to face him, her eyes still shut. 

Miles stayed still watching her until her breathing evened out and her body relaxed. Shuffling onto his side to reach into his pocket he pulled his phone out pausing when she stirred at the noise. 

Opening the messages app he swiped on his uncle's contact texting him 

Some white guy in Bushwick green civic and skull neck tattoo. Call me when you find him. 

Shutting his phone off with a click he readjusted himself. 

Y/N could say whatever she wanted he was going to kill that man.  

©guessimjoiningthespidermanfandom

[xxsabitoxx]

Blizzard {Giyu x Reader Imagine}

Warnings: Unprotected sex, outdoor sex, big dicks lmao, creampies, praise kink, awkward fumbling, rough sex, breeding kink, delirious dirty talk, possessive Giyu

A/N: this isn't the surprise fic!!! This was supposed to be a short imagine but I got a bit carried away and it's turned into a decent sized fic lol. ENJOY!!

Word Count: 4K

You were sitting side by side in a dark cave, shivering slightly as you tried to process your current situation. A joint effort mission up in the mountains wasn’t exactly unusual, considering many slayers had unfortunately disappeared over the course of a few months after being sent up here. “Do you think there is enough material in here to make a fire? I don’t think we’ll be getting out of here any time soon… it’s too dangerous to send our crows out.” You squinted at the water pillar, his eyes focused on the cave wall opposite of the two of you. “It’s likely just rocks, not enough to start a fire unless a bird or some animal left something up here.” 

You sighed, pushing yourself upwards to begin rummaging around. Nevermind needed fire to see, you needed fire for warmth. There was no way the two of you would survive up here without some sort of warmth. “We’ll have to look around then…” Giyu watched you move deeper into the cave, getting up himself to accompany you. Getting sent on a joint mission wasn’t odd, but being paired together certainly was. Typically Shinobu would be the one to accompany Giyu on these missions, however she was busy with a wave of patients at the butterfly estate. Though, Giyu couldn’t really complain. If there was any other hashira he wouldn’t mind getting stuck in a cave with, it would be you. You were probably the least judgemental and the only one who he didn’t feel awkward trying to converse with beside Shinobu and Rengoku. 

“The storm will probably go through the night, it doesn’t seem to be slowing any time soon.” The only way you were able to see each other was due to the moonlight bouncing off of the falling snow by the entrance of the cave. “Then we really need to hope some animal abandoned a nest up here… if not we’re going to freeze to death.” You really didn’t want to die in a cave. You both moved forward, rummaging around the cave for what felt like an hour until finally… “Here! Something must have been living up here.” Brush, sticks and rocks were piled into some odd shaped nest. Not that it really mattered, all that mattered was that you had enough material to make a fire for at least a few hours. “Great…” his voice was a bit strained, the cold was already getting to him. In your own excitement, you had briefly forgotten how cold you were as well. 

“We should probably make it a little further up, there were some rocks that would block the fire from getting hit by the draft.” Giyu brought his hands to his mouth, blowing warm air on them as you gathered enough sticks and brush to start a small fire. You carried the materials back, sitting down as Giyu got to work creating the pile and creating a flame. You were starting to lose feeling in your fingers as a small spark erupted before turning into a burning flame. You both let out sighs of relief, pushing past any awkwardness as Giyu moved to settle beside you. In situations like this, body heat would be your best friend. “Do you really think it will last through the night?” the chill was subsiding just a bit, you were no longer shivering uncontrollably. “It’s likely. We’ll have to be ready to leave the moment it looks like it’s letting up.” 

“But what if we start moving and it begins again? Then we’ll be stuck in the snow with no shelter.” He was quiet for a moment, thinking over your words. “We’ll have to hope it clears all together.” He glanced at your crows, both huddled together by the flame and covered with some of the brush for extra warmth. “I guess so…” you sighed, watching your breath fan out around you. “We should try and get some rest… or take turns so we can make sure the fire doesn’t go out.” You could already feel your eyes getting heavy, leaning into Giyu’s shoulder subconsciously. “It’s probably for the best, you sleep first and I’ll watch the fire.” You hummed out a response, eyes closing as your body relaxed. His warmth on your side and the fire before you was enough to lull you into shallow comfort. 

Your sleep didn’t last long, maybe forty minutes had passed before you woke up shivering. The fire was still going strong, but the sheer cold of your environment was outweighing the warmth before you. “It doesn’t seem to be letting up…” Giyu spoke softly, watching as you pushed yourself upwards. The sudden loss of contact didn’t go unnoticed, the warmth fled just as quickly as you pulled away. “Shit…” you cringed, moving  yourself back over to press against his side again. This situation left no room for awkward feelings when it came to personal space. Giyu was shivering worse than you, haori pulled tightly around him, knees pulled to his chest. You needed a way to keep warm, the fire wasn’t cutting it and neither was huddling together like this. 

“I have an idea…” you spoke softly, eyes shutting as you remembered a particular survival tip. You weren’t sure if it would work, hell someone could have been lying to you for shits and giggles. But you were  desperate enough  to give it a shot. “Yeah? What is it…” you swallowed, focusing on the fire as you mulled over your options. “I’m… not sure if it will work but it’s something I was told a few years back…” you started, pulling your legs to your chest to mimic his position. “The best way to keep warm in situations like this… is skin to skin contact.” Your words hung in the air for a few beats of silence before Giyu mustered up a response. “So you’re saying we need to strip?” If you weren’t so cold, you may have laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I-I mean we don’t need to be fully…uhm…nude but like… our tops…need to come off.” 

You glanced at him, jumping just a bit when you realized he was already looking right at you. There was a moment of silence between the two of you before you finally started moving. “We’ll freeze to death if we just keep staring at each other.” You were shouldering off your haori, your own embarrassment outweighing the cold as you fumbled with the buttons of your top. Beside you, Giyu was watching intently as he too pulled his haori off. “S-stop watching.” You ground out as your top fell to the floor beside you. Pushing up on your knees, you watched as Giyu’s skin was revealed to you. Muscles wrapped his body, scars littering his torso. You wished you were seeing him like this under better circumstances. That thought  made you look away, this was no time to think such lewd things. But the way he was looking at you… 

A moment later, you were both shivering and topless. You stood before him, watching as he shifted his legs open. “The easiest way to d-do this is for you to sit on my lap. We’ll uh… face each other and hug? If that makes sense.” He concluded, his cheeks red from embarrassment and the cold air blowing in from the storm. You nodded, eyes focusing on a spot just above his shoulder so you didn’t have to look directly at him. You clambered awkwardly into his lap, closing the distance by pressing your chest to his and wrapping your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly in hopes of slowing your racing pulse. Giyu’s arms snaked around you, grabbing his haori and throwing it over you. You tried to focus on your breathing, nerves getting the best of you regardless. 

It was deafeningly silent, neither of you speaking as you were waiting for some sort of relief. Though, you really couldn’t tell if it was helping at all, instead of warmth you were more focused on the rise and fall of his chest pressed to yours. You were all too aware of the muscles pressing into your softer skin, the pressure of his grip on your body. Then, finally, if you could push all of that aside, you’d be able to focus on if this was even helping at all. If anything, you were hoping Giyu would be the first to speak up. Unknown to you, he was going through the same mental battle. Your body was soft, your chest squished against his. The weight of your arms around his neck paired with the pressure of your lap on his was enough to let his mind wander to dirtier places. If he wasn’t so damn cold, he would let himself think this was for more than warmth. 

“I-is it helping?” your voice is hushed, you couldn’t speak above a whisper if you tried. “I can’t t-tell yet.” Giyu was trying to force his body to relax, his own nerves were beginning to put a death grip on your body. Not that you minded, you were fairly certain your arms were squeezing his neck. How he could breathe, you weren’t quite sure. You remained silent for a few more minutes, the body heat trick was beginning to work but both of you were too caught up in your nerves to even realize. “Y-you know…” Giyu started softly, a particular survival trick coming to his mind now. It was from Uzui, so naturally he didn’t trust there was any science behind it… “Yeah?” you spoke softly, muscles just barely beginning to relax into his embrace. 

“Uzui uh… he told me about another way to create heat during situations like this…” he swallows, debating on if it was even worth saying. Then again, you squirmed a bit in his lap and all logical reasoning went out of his mind. “Oh…Uzui gave you survival tips?” you couldn’t even begin to imagine where he was taking this. “I think he was fucking with me… but he said that a good way to create body heat is uh…friction.” He squeezed his eyes shut, embarrassed that he couldn’t just spit it out. “Friction… as in…” You figured he meant sex. “As in… intercourse.” You couldn’t help but laugh, “Intercourse? What are you, eighty?” you forgot about your nerves momentarily, pushing off of him a bit to meet his gaze. “You’re suggesting we have sex?” The red on his cheeks seemed to spread, down his neck and up to his ears. “Y-yeah.” 

“I-if it’ll keep us from freezing to death…” you begin, eyes locking with his. “It’s purely for the sake of survival…” he added to your reasoning. “It’s not like anyone will know…” you continued, searching his eyes for validation. “It’s to save our lives… completely justified.” he concluded, hands gripping your waist just a bit harder. “T-then let’s do it…” you swallowed, throat a bit dry as heat began to pool in your gut. You were already forgetting about the cold, clit throbbing as you felt Giyu twitch to life beneath you. “Yeah…let’s do it…” you don’t quite recall who moved in first. All you knew is that his lips were pressed to yours, your hands tangling in his long, black hair and tugging at the surprisingly soft strands. All the while, Giyu’s slender fingers were nimbly undoing your bottoms, trying to shove his hand down as far as it would allow. 

You mewled against his parted lips, cool fingers meeting the scorching heat of your cunt. He made a noise that sounded something like a strangled whimper. “N-no time to mess around… I need you in me… let me warm up.” Your breaths mingled, heat growing steadily between the two of you as the blizzard raged on outside. “I-I’ll hurt you if I go right in.” he murmured, lifting his hips for you as you pulled the belt and his bottoms apart. “I can take it…” or so you thought. The last thing you expected was… “Christ, Giyu. What the fuck…” Your heart thumped wildly at the sheer size of him. “I told you…” if you tore your eyes away from his cock, you would have seen the ghost of a smirk on his lips. “You’re massive…” you were saying it more out of shock than a complement but he twitched regardless, keen and eager to accept your praises. 

“Which is exactly why I’m not rushing this…” He’s slipping two fingers between your slit, collecting your warm arousal on his finger tips before dipping them inside your awaiting entrance. Giyu watches your face, studying the way your pupils seem to dilate, watching as a breathy whine slips past swollen lips. His saliva is glistening on them, drawing him in to kiss you again. He wants to see you covered, not only in his bites and marks, but in his cum. He swallows against your lips, fingers stretching you open awkwardly as you try to get your pants off without interrupting him. It’s not going to happen, pants be damned for the time being, all you can focus on is his fingers brushing along the spongy parts of your walls. “G-giyu…” your hips are driving down on them, begging him to add a third finger in. 

He stills you with his other hand, introducing a third finger slowly before moving his hand from your hip to tangle back in your hair. He holds you in place, tongue slipping past parted lips and sliding around your own. He could sob as your smaller hands wrap around his length, offering him warmth and relief as you pump him slowly. Your fingers toy with the tip, collecting his pre before dragging them delicately down his shaft. You take a mental note of the veins that feel oh so prominent against your fingers. It’s not nearly wet enough, but Giyu isn’t willing to let you tear your mouth from his. Your squelching as his fingers fuck you open, any sort of discomfort melting away to wet pleasure as you suck him in. You’re aching for his cock, clit throbbing in neglect as you try to pull your head away from his iron grip. 

“T-this is more than enough… Please, I can take it. I’m a big girl you know, Giyu. Your cock isn’t going to break me.” You’re fighting to keep your gaze on his, yelping as he retracts his fingers. “If you’re so eager, take your pants off and put it in yourself.” His tone is as icy as the weather outside and you find yourself jumping up to follow his commands. Giyu pushes his pants down further in order to not ruin them, watching as your bare cunt is exposed to him in the golden, shadowy light of the cave. You’re on your knees again a moment later, grabbing his base and angling your hips in a certain way so the dull head of his cock is pressing to your entrance. “Do me a favor…” it’s your turn to bark out a command, he’s more than willing to listen. “Rub my clit.” You would laugh at yourself if you weren’t so serious. You knew the stretch would still be a bit uncomfortable, you needed something to pull your mind from it. 

Giyu didn’t question it, hand coming down to rub circles on your pulsating cunt. You sunk down slowly, biting your inner cheek as he speared you open. You didn’t slow down, dropping your hips lower until half of him was sheathed inside of you. You were torn between pain and pleasure, thighs aching already from the effort of keeping yourself up. Giyu’s gaze was shifting between your face and where he was disappearing inside of you. You held your breath, sinking lower until there was barely any space between you. One more go and he would be fully inside of you, yet you were mentally wondering how you’d go about doing that. You swore he was pressing into your cervix, that there was no way you could fit the rest of him. “Fucking Christ, Giyu…” you scolded him, as if he had any control over the size of his dick.  

“I told you you wouldn’t be able to handle it… there is no need to rush-oh.”  you sat down the rest of the way, fighting the urge to immediately pull back up from the pressure. “I… can take it.” you grounded out, eyes shutting against your will as your walls spasmed around him. “Yeah…seems like it.” Giyu grounded out, fingers still diligently rubbing your clit as you tried to adjust. “I… got it in…  did what you asked…” you huffed, raising your hips slightly to slowly drop down again. “Fuck me… please Giyu.” you were giving up, skin nearly burning as you were waiting for his response. Instead of saying anything, he flipped you. Just like the kiss, everything seemed to happen in a blur for you. You barely registered the ice cold stone pressing to your bare back as Giyu hovered over you, hair falling down around you. You must have tugged the tie of his ponytail at some point.

“I’ll fuck you, just like you want, but you have to promise me something first.” you were looking up at him with wide eyes, hands by your head because you didn’t know what to do with them. “Anything… anything you want to hear, I’ll say it.” You were losing your sanity in this situation. Whether it be from the cold or his dick, regardless you were willing to do anything he asked of you in that moment. “Promise me you can handle this.” His voice is husky, eyes lidded as his hips rock gingerly into you, too eager to stay still. “Promise… I can take it.” That was all he needed to hear, hips drawing back half way just to snap back into you. The moan you let out was nothing short of animalistic, heat blossoming over your face as the noise seemed to echo. It only fueled him, hips repeating the motion over and over, addicted to the way your breasts and thighs jiggled with the force of his movements. 

“C’mon, you’re doing so good for me.” He’s shifting his weight onto one hand, reaching down between your bodies to toy with your clit again. “I can feel it already, you’re going to cum all over my cock, aren’t you? Make a fucking mess of me, yeah?” you’re babbling nonsense, agreeing with every word he says as his cock stretches you just right. “It’s a damn shame, nobody is going to know we did this… our own little secret. Nobody is going to know how good I fucked you.” your eyes are watering, not expecting this side of Giyu. “Then again…” he buries deep, forcing you to look at him as he lowers his head. “We could do this any time you want, I’d gladly be at your mercy.” You nearly choke on air, unable to get enough in your lungs as he looks at you. “You’d like that, wouldn't you?” He’s moving again, watching tears well and slip down your temples. 

“You’d love for me to fuck you where everyone can hear. Let everyone know that lame ass water hashira is dicking you down, real fucking good.” You’re nearly drooling, fucked stupid, drunk off his cock and the terribly degrading words. “Tell me, tell me how good I make you feel… tell me how you’ll never be satisfied by another cock.” He’s lost in his own pleasure, the warmth of your pussy enveloping him, forcing him to utter words he shouldn’t say out loud. “Never… I’ll never be satisfied… fuck… by an–ah..another.” you’re babbling again, this time it’s just a bit more intelligible as he pounds into you. You’re coming before you can prepare yourself, body arching upwards as your eyes squeeze shut. You’re tense all over, wailing loudly as Giyu fucks you through your high, no intentions of stopping. “Good girl… fuck that’s my good girl…” 

He’s watching your arousal cling to his shaft with every thrust, collecting at the base in a sticky ring. He could cum just from the sight of it. “Your good girl…” you whine, hands clinging to his biceps as he continues to rut into you. You can’t even feel the sting on your back, the ache of your thighs as your legs are wrapped around his hips, nor can you feel the pain of overstimulation as it’s already returning as arousal. “Come in me… please Giyu… need you to keep me warm even after you leave me.” you can’t think straight, mind fuzzy and vision blurry as you clench around him. You want to feel his warmth impossibly deep, even deeper than he is now. “W-what if I knock you up? Then what?” He chokes, your pleas are too appealing to deny. “Then everyone will really know how good you fucked me…fuck… just think about it, yeah?” 

Your head is falling back, chest heaving as your pleasure grows to be overwhelming. “Think about you? Stomach swollen because you’re carrying my baby? That’s what you want, isn’t it? Everyone to know I fucked you so good you let me cum in you, breed your greedy, fertile cunt?” You’re squealing, not used to Giyu being so bold. “Yes! Fuck how many times do I have to say it?! Cum in me… please…” it left your lips in a broken prayer, urging him to just give in even though the logical part of his mind was screaming at him to pull out. He doesn’t, hips forcing into you with one last, hard thrust. Spilling the contents of his release deep inside of you, ears ringing from the sheer force of it. You’re gasping for air with him, shivering despite the warmth you feel as his release fills you. Your heart is pounding, blinking stars from your eyes as your body relaxes for the first time since getting stuck in this cave. Giyu, on the other hand, is tense, forcing air back into his lungs before he can look at you again. 

“U-uzui’s advice worked.” you choke out, giggling as Giyu nearly collapses on you. “It… it did.” his head is buried in your neck, inhaling the scent of you, skin slightly sweaty and warm. There was not one ounce of cold you could be bothered by, feeling warm from the inside out, especially with Giyu still inside of you. “This storm better end soon…” you could only begin to imagine the cold air biting your damp skin as soon as your body regulated again. “Sick of me already?” His voice is muffled against your neck, forcing a smile on your lips. “No… definitely not…maybe the storm could do us a favor and last at least a few more rounds…” you're running your fingers through his hair, tensing a bit as he raises again to pull his softened dick out of you slowly. “No… not yet.” you stop him in his tracks, hips gingerly pressing the little he took out, back in. 

“I don’t want to lose any of that…just yet.” coming out of your lust filled dazed, you are slightly worried about the possible consequences of your hormone induced actions. Giyu only hums, mind wandering about the possibilities of what you two had just done. That was something to worry about when you weren’t technically in a life or death situation. His  eyes trailed over your unmarked neck, mind wandering to the things he wanted to do to it. Slowly he’s moving back up to your swollen lips, the urge to bite them clawing at the back of his mind. He doesn’t realize how close he’s gotten to you again until you’re laughing softly. “Let’s just stay like this for a bit… for warmth….” you wink at him, watching that blush blossom across his pale cheeks yet again. Giyu’s head is falling forward, huffing out a small “...for warmth.” as he kisses you again.

[delphi-shield]

push and pull // leon s. kennedy & jill valentine

Leon x Reader x Jill Smut wc: 2,860 mdni - 18+

the plumber at my house reading this over my shoulder: 😲 this has been in my drafts for like two months, i finally ripped the bandaid off and touched it up. i cant believe people want the jill/leon ship name to be jilleon when 'breakfast sandwich' is right there. ohh nooo i had to cut the scene where they high-five after you cum...... guess i'll have to write more jill and leon......what a tragedy.....

summary: Jill said she'd be home two hours ago. She's stood you up for dinner again. You're so upset, Leon's got to fuck you about it to make you feel better.

content: fem!reader, all porn no plot, piv (reader receiving), some praise from leon & some degradation from jill, spit, crying, hair-pulling, masturbation, blowjob, dom!jill, use of strap-on, established poly relationship, sorry yeah there's more religious imagery, stealing the jill & leon dynamic from this post, fucking your relationship problems away does not work and you should not attempt. very loosely proofread.

Jill's late.

She promised. You cooked, you cleaned, and she promised she would be here. Bought a special candle and everything, three wick, fresh linen scent. Not your kind of thing, but you know she likes those clean, bright smells.

The first half hour, you’d clung to the idea that her physical therapy appointment was just running late. Forty-five minutes in, three unanswered texts, your hope diminishes. An hour, and Leon’s helping you put the food up and clean the dishes.

Leon’s not exactly happy with Jill. This isn’t the first time she’s done this to you. He hates to see you pout. Even more than that, he hates to see the way you’re trying not to cry in front of him. He does everything he can think of to make you feel better. Watch one of your godawful shows with you, play with your hair for you, give you a nice bath if you wanted - none of his offers made much of a difference. He knows better than to take it personally. He’s not Jill. He can’t fix what she broke.

He can fuck you about it, though. That always seems to take your mind off things, at least for a little while. 

He let you use him however you like, dealer’s choice. You wanted him in the dining room chair, wanted to ride him slow, grind down on that fat cock till you unwound and your pretty tears weren’t because your girlfriend stood you up, and that’s what you’d get. Not his first choice, but he’s not the one who looks so pretty with those big, wet eyes.

The only downside is that you can't hear Jill's key turning in the door when Leon's got his cock stuffed so deep in your pussy you can feel him in your ribs, when you’re too busy rocking yourself to a gradual, slow-built end. You'd missed your ringtone too - and Leon's for that matter. You weren't intentionally being petty, but intentions never did soothe Jill's moods.

"Nice," she drawls, dropping her bag with a thud. "Real nice."

Your head falls back just enough to get a look at her, pouting in the doorway. Maybe it's supposed to be intimidating. Really, she just looks like a dejected cat, all puffed up for attention. The hand splayed on Leon’s chest flops back uselessly, reaching for her.

“Jill -”

Leon’s hips jut up, reminding you he's here, reminding you who's inside you. Whatever you were going to say melts away into a whine so pathetic even you want to roll your eyes.

"Got started without you," Leon says, callous on your behalf. His hand cups the back of your neck, pulling you back to him. It doesn’t take much prompting for you to curl back into his chest, walls fluttering around his cock, gripping him like your life depends on it. "Saved you some dinner. It’s in the fridge."

How can he be so casual? Feels like you’ve got lava running through your blood. His hands settle on your hips again, push-pulling you back and forth to get you to grind again. You oblige, faster than before, mouthing open kisses against his neck. They ought to canonize him for his patience, crown him Patron Saint of Not Plowing You Into The Carpet.

Jill doesn't say a word. She marches off to the bedroom, leaving her boots behind as she goes. Her cardigan gets flung over the couch - poor thing. It didn't do anything wrong.

She’ll come out when she’s ready, you tell yourself. Ignoring the ingrained need to manage Jill’s emotions for her is hard, but not quite as hard as Leon’s dick. Makes it a little easier to forget. You press your moans into Leon’s skin, let him have them for safekeeping.

Her footsteps pound back into the room. You don't know what she's done that's so funny, but Leon shakes with a laugh. You move to look, and his palm pressing against your cheek stops you. Something clatters onto the dining room table, a heavy thunk and buckles. He presses a light kiss to the crown of your head, strokes your hair.

"Go ahead and finish up, baby. Doin' so good. All yours."

It's all the permission you really need. It doesn’t take long - you’re good for him, after all. So good, you don't even need his help. You just need him to hold you up when that slow heat finally expands, spreads like fire through your limbs and leaves you making a mess of his lap, baptizing his cock with your release and moaning hymns for him.

You slump against him, eyes heavy and limbs loose. Your head nestles against his chest, his heart hammering like crazy. Poor guy. So patient. So sweet. You want to offer to take care of that for him - he's still inside you, sitting so still and so good, the stretch all you need. It feels like a bomb went off in your skull, though, scattered all your thoughts around the apartment. You need a moment before you can be considerate, before you can formulate any kind of offer. You reach up, pat his cheek gently to tell him how good he made you feel, lazily kiss at the hollow of his throat.

Jill's got plenty of words, though. She's not the one who just fell apart.

"You so needy you can't wait forty-five minutes?"

"Closer to an hour," Leon counters, and for the first time you hear the strain in his voice. "More like two, actually."

Jill’s irritation boils over. "Shut up. Why don't you go jerk off in the corner?"

After all, he's supposed to be on her side. He's the one who knows what this life is like, the one who knows what their work entails and the stress of it all.

He's also the one who texts when he's running late. He's the one still on active deployment, the one who hadn't been dodging home like the plague. He got over himself a year ago, figured ways to deal with his emotions that didn’t include running as fast as he could, drinking until they drowned, or working himself to the bone.

Jill’s still working on that part. Again - saint-like patience.

“Maybe I will,” he says, casual as he can. He jostles you in his arms. He’d say it’s to keep you awake, but it’s mostly to keep his dick hard. You pulse around him, groan into his t-shirt and drool a little dark patch onto his shirt.

You’re all soft and pliable when her hands slide up your sides, fingers curling in the spaces between your ribs. You lean back to her, longing for the softness of her tits under your head, and you glide back through the air unsupported, like you’ve faded through the ghost of her. Your head lolls back, pretty, pathetic pout on your swollen lips.

“Gonna be good?” She asks, staring down her nose at you, eyes half lidded. You nod your head. Her eyes narrow. “Words.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Shifting you off of Leon's lap is a group effort, one that Leon doesn't particularly care to be too enthusiastic about. His poor dick is lonely, and fucking his fist is a poor substitute for the sticky warmth of your cunt. Jill cradles you in here arms - the first hint of tenderness you've had from her all night - and settles you on the floor in front of the couch. She kicks your legs into position, sways back to appraise your form, and gives you a long-suffering sigh that's a far cry from approval.

"Whatever," she mutters under her breath. "It'll do. Don't move."

She shuffles off to the side. You hear the rustle of fabric. You turn your head to look, and -

"I said don't fuckin' move."

Your head snaps to the front again, hands fisted against the tops of your thighs. No arguing with that tone. Your back is ramrod straight. There's movement to your right, and Leon finally comes into view, settling against the far side of the couch. He's at least kind enough to give you a show, stroking his cock for you in long, slow strokes, massaging his palm over that shiny red tip and sliding his own fluid down to squeeze at the base. Makes your mouth water just looking at him.

Not that you have to wait long for a treat. Jill finishes her prep work, drags herself back over to the couch and drops down in front of you, strap-on making you go crosseyed.

“Go on,” she sighs, waving her hand lazily. Like she’s doing you a favor.

And she is. It’s a privilege to suck her strap.

You rock onto your knees and take too much of her at once, gag yourself right off the bat in your eagerness. They both groan, Jill in exasperation, Leon because holy fuck, if he hears you make that noise again he's going to blow his load immediately. His hand shucks his t-shirt up. He's not trying to stain this shirt with cum. Not his cum, anyway.

"Your mouth is so perfect for this," Jill says, leaning forward and fisting a hand in your hair, "and you're still so bad at it. Do I have to show you how to do everything?"

You nod uselessly, tears pricking the corners of your eyes. Jill rolls her eyes, smothers the hint of a smile that threatens to twist her lips up. She guides your head back to the head of her silicone cock and sets an easy pace for you. Lets you take it nice and slow, get accustomed to the weight of her cock on your tongue as if you haven't done this a hundred times - as if she knows you went too hard right off the bat just to get her to guide you like this.

"There you go," she drones, the praise feeling like anything but. You bob your head freely, her hand in your hair just a suggestion now. "Finally figured it out. Not as dumb you look."

You push further, tucking your thumb tight in your fist and gagging only a little when the head of her cock prods at the back of your throat. Leon's hips buck into his fist, quick and rhythmless, swearing under his breath. His leg kicks out, nudges Jill's calf and you swear she's going to snap at him.

Your eyes cut from Jill to Leon, a tear rolling down your cheek, and that’s the final push that has him cumming all over his stomach, head tipped back into the arm of the couch, pretty moans so loud, so perfect that it makes you feel your heartbeat in your pussy.

You don’t have time to savor the way that he looks, paint him in your mind and hang it up on the walls around your skull like a pin-up. Jill lifts you off her cock, stuffing her hands under your armpits like you’re a stray kitten. You would be, for her, if she asked. Let her slip a pretty collar around your neck, hope you’re lucky enough that it’s got a bell.

She doesn’t wait for Leon to recover, just manhandles the pair of you so your back is pressed to his chest, his cum smearing against your skin. Leon’s got that loose limbed laziness that comes with a release that built-up.

“Hold her,” Jill growls. “Stop fucking around.”

Leon's hands curled around the back of your thighs, spreading you wide for Jill. A warm chuckle rumbles through his chest and pours into you. His head ducks down, mouth by your ear.

“She's mad ‘cause I had you first.”

You turn your head, stifle your giggles in his shoulder. The silicone head of Jill's cock slides through your sopping folds, nudging at your clit. Her hips rock agonizingly slow. It’s tough to tell whether she’s teasing you or herself at this point, but your sensitive body twitches and jerks with every pass of her spit-slick cock.

“Gonna make a mess?” Her hand grips your jaw tight, pulling your face from Leon's shoulder. It’s less a question and more a demand. You nod as best you can in her grip, remember too late to try and bumble out words. She taps your cheek twice, hard enough to sting, hard enough to make those pretty eyes water again.

Jill doesn’t wait for you to say it. She enters you in a quick, jerky thrust, no hint of warning, your breath stuttering and back tensing. She rabbits her dick into you, your moans falling as staccato as her pace. Her head bows to spit a fat glob of spit onto your clit. Her fingers rub you frantically, a pace so at odds with the slow push and grind of her hips that it makes you burn. You try to squirm back, the way your blood starts to singe a little too quick for your liking, but there's nowhere to go when you're pressed so tight against Leon's broad chest.

His hand slithers up and over the point of your hip, pressing down firmly just below your navel. Betrayal. You thought he was on your side. Your whining sharpens into a moan that has to have rattled the windows. Jill huffs a laugh, low and cruel. She pulls back just far enough to leave you wanting - and when you claw at her shoulders to drag her back home she's already moving, hard and slow, the light dancing in front of your eyes, her hips driving the breath out of your lungs, your chest caving in. It feels like you've imploded, blood on fire, singeing your bones and leaving the ash to remember it by.

She’s not done. You promised her a mess. Your voice is splintered, her hips still driving into you. You don’t feel yourself gushing around her until it’s already happening. You sniffle, your moans choppy and your tears falling quick, humiliation warming the embers in your stomach. Her pace slows and finally stills, finally lets you find yourself in the pile of ashes.

"Already?" Jill mocks, hands rubbing your quivering thighs soft and sweet despite the way she sneers.

You want to scoff, but you haven’t got the breath. Already, she says, like she hadn’t just ripped that orgasm out of you fast enough that you’ve got cartoon tweety-birds spinning around your head.

“My turn,” Leon pipes up.

“Fuck off. You’re not even hard. I'm just getting started.”

“Shoulda thought about that before you made her cum.”

God, they’re like lions fighting over a piece of meat. You push yourself up on shaky arms, give Jill your best gazelle-trying-not-to-get-eaten pout.

“M’tired,” you slur, your brains thoroughly fucked out. You form a T with your hands, calling for a time-out. “Need a break.”

Jill looks like she wants to bite anyway. But you were good, used your good girl hand signal and everything. She sighs, her shoulders slumping, and loosens the straps around her hips.

“C’mere, pumpkin.” Leon gathers you into his arms easily. “Gonna get you all cleaned up. Tuck your ass in.”

You ache when he moves you, in places you weren’t quite sure could ache. It’ll be worse later. Always is. They always have to fuck you at some weird angle. Can’t ever let your muscles get used to it, like you’re some kind of glorified exercise equipment. At least they wipe you down after they use you. Very polite of them.

Leon hands you your water bottle and settles in behind you, slotting up against your back. He’s got the both of you cleaned off even though he seems just as tired as you, bless him. Say a prayer to the patron saint of the bedroom.

Jill found dinner, apparently. You hear the microwave beeping distantly and share an amused look with Leon. Sure enough, she’s got a bowl of food in her hand when she settles at the end of the bed, legs crossed.

The silence lays somewhere in-between battlefields, landmines hidden all around your bedroom. Everything you want to ask is too loaded, too heavy. You’re not even sure you have the energy to stay up for a serious conversation, much less an argument. Jill looks so soft right now, the bags under her eyes seeming lighter in the warm lamplight of your bedroom. You don’t want to see her eyes sharpen. You don’t want to hear her teeth click together when she bites back her words. You search for some other topic, something that will make the tension evident in her shoulders melt away.

"We should do one of those clone-a-willy kits," you murmur, eyes shut, head tipped into the pillow. You open your eyes just enough to gauge her reaction. Warmth blooms in your chest when you see her eyes crinkle and her smile lines deepen.

"Why?" Jill laughs.

"You don't wanna fuck me with Leon’s dick?"

It’s the first time you’ve heard Jill laugh like that in a while. Pride spreads in your tired little grin. Leon's cock gives a tired twitch against your thigh. He groans, pressing his forehead to your shoulder blade.

“You two are gonna fuckin’ kill me.”

[luimagines]

Soulmates from the Start Part 6

Another commission!

It's extra long this time. :D And guess who couldn't finish the story in one go like I thought I would?

Masterlist

First Chapter/ Previous Chapter/ Next Chapter

Content under the cut!

Twilight was too busy being stuck in his own head to fully take into account what was happening around him.

You had mentioned bokoblins.

Bokoblins.

You had never mentioned them before. At least not in the way that told him they were near you. You had once told him, years ago when you both were fantasizing about meeting each other, that you were far away from Hyrule. You said that you didn’t have bokoblins where you were from.

You said ‘Bokoblins suck. I didn’t think they were as big as they actually were. Did you know they smell? I feel like I’m going to pass out.’

Twilight wasn’t sure he was processing that right. It would have to have been the first time you had seen a bokoblin in person for you to say that. Bokoblins were only in Hyrule.

YOU WERE IN HYRULE.

The knowledge of being so close to you had frozen him in place. Twilight could only vaguely recognize that The Champion, with all his loyalty, was sitting next to him. He noted that the stances were eerily similar to what has happened many times before.

However this time the roles were versed.

Wild had sat him down against a tree while he kept his guard up. Twilight would be thankful later, when he was done trying to make everything make sense in his own head. The Rancher knew he was in no position to even remotely defend himself at this moment.

What else had you said? What else could he decipher if he tried hard enough?

No idea. I heard a horn and then an arrow shot by my foot. I just took off running.

Twilight wants to bite off his own tongue. Everything stopped once he heard you were in danger again. He was too focused on trying to not panic and make it worse for you. He was such a useless soulmate. Everything in his body was telling him to find you, to protect you, to hold you close and tend to every cut and cruise that would have been inflicted on you should he have been even a hair too late.

He heard a horn too but it was Hyrule, Warrior and Time that had gone to investigate the nearby monsters. It would be foolish to think that it was in any way related. 

Twilight shook his head, feeling things calm down in his head to think clearly again. It was incredible luck for you to be in Hyrule as it was. Anything more would be asking for too much. But he could work with this. He was a hunter to some degree. He was a wolf for a reason whether he liked it or not.

He was going to find you.

He was going to meet you and hug you and follow through every promise he had ever made to you since he fell in love with you.

There are a lot of them. He has to make up for lost time.

***

You all but screamed.

How is this possible? How are you here? How is he here? Wait-! You DO recognize him! You’ve seen him before!

Fully aware that you’ve been staring at the poor boy as if he had grown a second head, you give him your hand to shake. It was slow and robotic. Your limbs didn’t want to cooperate just yet.

The boy laughs under his breath as you shake hands. “I don’t bite.”

“...Right…” You force a smile on your face. It’s awkward and tight. You remember him now, even though you’re not entirely sure from what game he belongs to. His clothes and appearance are too unassuming. There’s nothing to tell him apart from all the other Links you’ve seen in your life. However, he travels with Link. Your Link. Your Link should be somewhere nearby.

Your muscles tense with the idea of getting to see him after so many years of pining. You introduce yourself to the person in front of you first and dust yourself off. Everything hurts and you’re tired. But instead your brian is now going a thousand miles a minute.

Link is here. Link is close. You’re in Hyrule. You’re in Hyrule.

The Link who is not your Link tilts his head as you speak. “That’s an unusual name. You’re not from around here, are you?”

You shake your head with a weak grin. “What gave it away? My ears?”

You tease by exposing the ears that would have no doubt made you stick out like a sore thumb in this type of world. As it stands, you figure you might as well get it out of the way as it is. You’re not entirely sure how it’ll blow over but the only person who’s even remotely connected to people with round ears is your Link. You’re hoping beyond hope that this little thing will lead him closer to you, if only so they don’t send you away immediately now that you’re saved.

“Hyrule? Find anything interesting? Where’s the person that screamed?” Another voice calls out. It’s deeper. Far more deeper than you would have anticipated, and yet, you know it too. Although far more intimately that you would have realized at first.

Within moments, a man steps into the little space you’ve found yourself in and looks you up and down. A vague sting reminds you of your current injuries but you’re struck dumb at the look of him. So familiar, yet so different. He’s younger. He’s alive.

“Hero’s Shade…” You whisper under your breath. Do you make eye contact? Is that rude? Would that be a threat? Oh my god- he’s the Hero of Time! Isn’t he related to your Link? Wouldn’t he be related to you too? Maybe? By marriage? God- you hoped so. At least in your future. It would mean that Link would have forgiven you for pushing him away and for what you still have to confess now that you’re here in person. It would be awful to do so in front of all these other people but they deserve to know.

Guilt sinks deep into your gut and you feel your face get warm at the very thought of it.

What would they think of you when you tell them?

“Do you require immediate medical assistance?” He asks you instead, unaware of the turmoil going on in your head.

You shake your head and pull your arms close to your body. He nods once and gestures for you to follow. “Come. We’ll tend to you first before we move on.”

“O-oh…” They’re taking you with them anyway? At least for now it looks like. Your feet feel like lead but you follow them.

“All clear!” A third voice calls out when you step back onto the path. He looks straight out of a model magazine if you ignore his clothing. But even with his clothing, there’s a sort of cutting edge to him that would have certainly held your attention if you didn’t instantly start comparing him to your Link. 

It felt really good to say that. Your Link. You doubted you would ever get tired of saying it like that.

However, your eyes instantly narrowed in on the scarf that he had slung around his shoulders. You don’t remember it being that big- but it takes every fiber of your being so turn your eyes away from him. Knowing him and all that he’s been through- was probably the worst one you’ve investigated. He was the one you hoped to meet the least. Should he learn, no, when he learns about the things you’ve done, he would most likely take it the hardest.

Unfortunately, you can see the moment he pinpoints your unease and tucks it into the back of his mind. You flinch. The others see that too.

“You know…” He says slowly, taking his time to walk over to you. “There aren’t a lot of people with ears like yours.”

“I’ve gathered that.” You say softly. You want to own up to what you’ve done and what you know. You want to be the adult you are and take accountability… but not yet. You have to see him first. You have to see that your soulmate is safe and real in the flesh.

The Hero of Warriors bites his lip awkwardly. You’re not sure what he’s thinking but you have the slight suspicion that none of you are on the same page. He scratches the back of his head. “I haven’t met a lot of people like you but we know a guy who grew up with cropped ears. Come form a group of them. They live in Ordon Village. Heard of it?”

You can’t help it. You perk up and your heart starts beating faster. There’s no denying your recognition, or the way your face lights up. “Yes! I do!”

This could be your ticket straight to your soulmate! And you didn’t even have to say anything yet!

“He might be a bit out of it though.” This ‘Hyrule’ Link mentions quietly. “Is this really a good idea after everything he’s going through right now?”

You bite your tongue. If this ‘he’ is who you think it is, then you have to be patient. You’ve waited years to meet him. You can wait a little bit longer.

“You know him?” The Hero of Warriors looks back to you instead of answering his friend. “He knows about everybody from his village. Name’s Link.”

You have to force yourself to nod normally and calmly. “I… should.” This is a make or break moment. Now or never. You have to be brave and face the consequences no matter what happens. “...I’d know for sure once I see his face though.”

“Very well.” The Hero of Time, albeit older and more scarred. You’re not sure why he has the Fierce Deity marking on only half of his face or why he has a scar over his eye already. “Maybe a familiar face would do him some good for a time. He needs someone other than us to talk to.”

You don’t comment, too focused on appearing normal as they begin to lead you back to where they were as a group. You faintly notice that ‘Hyrule’ (you have to figure out where he’s from or quickly before you accidentally spill any secrets he may be trying to keep) has glowing hands as you walk. Your injuries and the pain begin to fade.

So this one does magic? Which Link can heal?

You try to keep the conversation light and away from true thoughts and feelings as you nervously follow them through the forest. You didn’t think you would be so shaken by all of this. You didn’t think you would find yourself this anxiety ridden. Oh you hope that he’s here, that he will forgive you! You have to apologize for everything you never said.

***

Twilight finally managed to get a grip on himself and on reality after what felt like an eternity later.

“Hey. You ok?” Wild reaches over and pats him on the back, trying to be as soothing as possible. “Are they ok?”

“Y-yeah… I think so.” Twilight takes in a turbulent breath. “They feel… calmer. I’ve never been able to simply feel them before. They must have stopped shutting me out so much…”

“That’s great, Rancher!” Wild cries, punching him on the shoulder. It’s such a brotherly move that Twilight can’t help but smile, albeit weakly. “You’ve just hit a rough patch. It’ll all be ok in the end. You’ll see.”

Twilight coughs and nods along. “It’s something… I just hate that they were so scared for so long… I couldn’t… I can’t do anything…” He shudders. “But I think… I think they’re here. I think they’re close.”

Wild freezes in a similar fashion that Twilight had earlier. “...Are you serious?”

Now that he’s said it out loud, it feels weightier. Hearty. Real. He nods fervently as the smile on his face turns into a grin. “I am. I think they’re here, Cub. …I need to find them.”

“Then we’ll help you.” The Champion replies without hesitation. “After all of this, this is the least we can do. We’ll find them first. Everything else can wait.”

Warmth and adoration bloom in Twilight’s chest as he brings the younger hero in for a bone crushing hug. There are no words that he can say that would properly convey what he’s feeling but he’s going to fight to keep it.

There’s rustling to the side of their makeshift camp. Everyone turns to the sound with expectant eyes. Time brushes some of the brambles out of the way as Warrior comes through, stretching his arms as he goes. “Hey Rancher. We got someone we thought you’d like to meet. You up for it?”

Twilight raises an eyebrow and stands. “Depends on the per-”

The words die on his tongue. You walk in, roughed up and dirty. But beautiful. So, so beautiful.

You seem nervous as you look around. Hyrule walks around you and everyone is watching for anything to explode. You see him and suck in a breath.

You stare at each other.

Twilight thinks his heart has stopped entirely. Surely this was too easy. He had only come to the conclusion that you were in his grasp. Now you’re just here? Like that? All but plopped onto his lap to love and adore and spend the rest of his life with?

The weight of the situation seems to finally settle on everyone’s shoulders. Wild shoves Twilight forward and he stumbles from the action. He can’t even be mad. He can’t bring himself to glare at his friend. It would mean he would have to take his eyes off of you. And he refuses to do that.

“...It’s you…” The words leave him breathlessly. You’re perfect. Better than anything he could have imagined. Those visions did not do you justice. “...It’s really you…”

Suddenly you tear up and the hazy dream of it all shatters. Twilight feels like a bucket of ice water has been dumped over his head. “What is it? What’s wro-”

“LINK!” You run and jump on him, holding onto him like he’s a life line. It’s enough to knock him over and knock the wind out of him, but he’s used to a little rough and tumble. He catches you with ease, spinning to disperse the remaining momentum and holds you just as tightly as you descend into heart wrenching sobs.

It breaks his heart.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Twilight says quietly. He starts crying too. 

Everyone else is aware that this should have been a private moment but they’re too invested in this to look away now.

You pull away and cradle his face. Your fingertips are gentle but shaking. You’re drinking him in just as much as he’s drinking you in. He feels you trace the markings on his face, lip wobbling with unspoken words as fat tears continue to roll down your cheeks.

He wipes them away gently.

You sniffle, caressing him in a similar manner, no doubt wiping away his own tears he’s been set on ignoring. “I could kiss you.”

That’s all the permission he needed.

***

Link kisses you.

He’s sweet and tender and although you’ve never kissed another person before it was everything you thought it would be. You’re not sure why. It was clumsy and awkward but you were too caught up with finally being in his arms to care about it at all. It was as it should be.

You let yourself have this. You kiss him back. You hold on tightly. You run your hands through his hair and try to map him out as fast as you can before you inevitably have to explain everything.

You know this because you cried out his name.

It was a spur of the moment thing. You hadn’t intended to. Since you had never shared each other’s name, he would no doubt start to ask questions once the high dies down. It would ruin everything for you, kill you off before you had a chance to fully live through this, but you wouldn’t lie to him. You’ve done enough damage without him knowing.

So you’ll take what he gives you while he’s still willing to give it. And you’ll hold the memory close for all your future years to come when you inevitably separate.

You finally allow yourself to pull back and gulp down the air that you’ve been missing.

You’re messy and tired and you’re sure that this is going to end poorly but for the hell of it, you kiss him one more time before relaxing slightly.

Link for his part, was absolutely stunning. He was warm and solid. The arms around you spoke of pure power. His strength was no laughing matter and you knew that. You were completely caged with his grasp but instead of feeling threatened or concerned, you were at home. Every cylinder in your brain was firing off that this was where you belonged.

You have to force yourself to pull your hands away.

You sniffle, looking away from his enchantingly blue eyes. Have they always been that shade? Were they always so bright? You could have sworn they were different. You fix up his fur pelt and the collar around his tunic, trying to bring yourself back into some working order.

You feel his hands gently, almost hesitantly card through your hair and around your ears and neck- toying with the idea of feeling your skin. It fires off goosebumps over the rest of your body.

You gulp and force yourself to speak. “...I didn’t think I would ever see you in person.” Your voice gets thick with emotion. You can feel your heart betray you further, nearly sending you into another sobbing fit before you can reign it back in. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

He nods and laughs wetly as he gives in to his compulsion to play with your hair between his fingertips. “Neither did I… I was so scared I lost you.”

You shudder at the raw and thick feeling that shoots through your bond. You can feel him. It’s warm and sturdy. You think you can feel the brush of fur along your heart- a calling to the beast he holds within. It shakes you. Was this how your bond was supposed to eb from the start if you weren’t separated from realities? You take in another deep breath, the tears fall anew regardless. “I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head and holds you impossibly tighter. “Never say that to me again. You have nothing to apologize for.”

You’re stunned. After everything? He was obviously frightened. And at the same time, you know that your time is up. You have to explain yourself.

“That’s not true, Link.” You sniffle, hoping that by ripping off the bandaid it would make it easier for you to heal later on. You can’t bring yourself to hide it any longer. “I have so much to apologize for.

His face crumbles as he rubs his thumb over your cheek. A deep, dark growl emanates from him as he bares his teeth. You’re not entirely sure he knew that he did that. “You’re hurt.”

It’s startling how otherly he looks in that moment- but you’re not afraid. Guilt is replaced by intrigue.

There’s so much you’d love to learn about him. But you can’t keep up this charade. It might as well be that everyone is still watching your very downfall before you could truly begin.

***

Twilight could feel himself growl before he could stop himself. You tensed up but didn’t pull away.

Good. He was worried that the effects of the magic in his life would have turned you away the second you saw it in person. He forces himself to relax. Putting aside the driving need to tear apart the very things that harmed and threatened you into shreds, he gently bonks his forehead to yours. “I forgive you.” He tells you, because it’s true. Whatever you want to apologize for- if it’s for scarring him, for blocking him out, for dropping out of your bond for those terrifying 7 hours- he forgives you. You’re here. He won’t lose you so easily now that he has you. “I don’t care about what’s happened. I’m glad I finally get to see you after so many years.”

He’s dreamed of this moment for as long as he knew you were meant to be his. He never would have imagined that it would have been under these circumstances but he can feel you. He feels you. There’s no more door in his way. There’s no more tampering the connection or even remotely trying to hold back what you’re both thinking and feeling.

You’re bright and fluttering and sharp. Like a rose if he had to pinpoint both your intricacy and your ability to put him in his place whenever he would need it. It’s almost delicate but intimidating. You could cut him in a heartbeat- but he could crush you without meaning to. The thought is exhilarating. He hadn’t imagined that the bond would have been this intimate or vulnerable.

You’re feeling guilty. So, so guilty. It’s enough to catch his heart in a vice grip and mangle it beyond its bruised exterior. He wants to wipe the sinister feeling from your heart and mind. Twilight wants to soothe all your worries and troubles with a single swipe of his hand.

He kisses your forehead. “I don’t believe you. This mess wasn’t your fault. You’re not a malicious person. I would know. We’ve been in each other’s head since we were old enough to toddle.”

The guilt gets worse and he’s questioning how he could feel everything about you but not your thoughts. Maybe he misunderstood the manner of your bond and this new strange and wild feeling.

You hang your head, hitting his chest gently as you sink into him. The feeling is good and drives itself deep into his bones. He sighs, closing his eyes to block out his unfortunate audience. You hug him and begin to shake slightly. “You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know what horrible thing I‘ve been keeping from you… But you have to promise me, let me explain it all first! I just-... I didn’t know at first how bad it would have been. I didn’t think it would have gone this far.”

Twilight feels his heart start pounding. He doesn’t understand. What kind of trouble did you find yourself in? “What are you talking about?” He pushes you away with his hands on your shoulders, looking deep into your eyes. “Are you in danger? Did it bring the shadow to you?”

“Shadow?” You echo weakly. You seem to get what he’s saying and shake your head. He sighs of relief but then you tense up again and wince. “Actually- maybe? I wouldn’t know. I don’t think it would work like that but I can’t be certain.”

He grits his jaw and squeezes your shoulder a little tighter- keeping a conscious decision to still be gentle with you. “Are you working against us?”

He has to ask you point blank. He has to know you got caught up with the enemy. He had thought that you were in danger before. You would have had to spill secrets to save your own life. He wouldn’t be happy with it- but he doesn’t think he would hold it against you in the long run. You had a lot of secrets to give, that he knew. You were a perfect target with zero training and zero experience. He shudders at the thought.

He wouldn’t blame you. You’re clearly beating yourself up over something and it’s tearing you apart on the inside. He can forgive you- even if it would complicate a few things.

To his surprise though- you jump, looking like you’re about to smack him for the very thought to your honor. “What? No! I would never! I would never put you in danger. I would rather pitch myself off a cliff before I ever come close to anyone wanting to hurt you.”

The spark of indignation overshadows the guilt for one bright moment and Twilight finds it himself to smile. “I know. But I had to ask.”

You huff and pout. It’s cute, Twilight thinks to himself, being careful to not send the thought your way. He chuckles and twirls your hair around his finger. It’s so soft. Softer than he would have ever imagined it to be. Would you let him brush it for you?

“I just…” You start again. Twilight sees you hype yourself up to say the words but you hang your head again, guilt creeping over the bond you share like shards of ice. “I’ve done a not good thing, Link. I… know things I shouldn’t. About you. About your friends.” You flinch violently as if you’ve finally remembered that everyone else is watching you. “I owe them an apology. I owe them all an apology. I’m worse than Cia.”

The familiar name sets a good portion of the group on edge. Twilight sees Warrior stand up straighter as a dark look comes over his eyes. Before Twilight can so much as warn the other man to back off from his soulmate, the Captain strides forward and speaks lowly. “How do you know that name?”

You start to shake again. When you speak, your voice is weak and quiet but Twilight hears it all the same. “Can we sit down?”

“Of course, darlin’. Come on.” Twilight guides you to one of the logs around the cooking fire and sits you down. He’s quick to put himself between you and Warrior just in case he tries to get any closer. 

Warrior gets the memo and doesn’t try to approach either of you any more but he crosses his arms. “There are only a very select few outside of my Hyrule that know that name.”

You flinch and bring your hands to your lap, fidgeting with your hand nervously. “I know, Link. But there are places outside of Hyrule that know that name and it’s quite common among those who know the Hero of Courage.”

Twilight feels like something is off with that sentence. Then something clicks. “I never told you my name. I was never able to, no matter how much I wanted to or how much I tried..”

You wipe your eyes and your nose with your sleeve. A long beat of silence passes. “I know… I learned it… As soon as I heard you say Midna… I managed to search for you…” You turn to him. There’s so much unspeakable emotion in your eyes. Your heart feels light but turnt in a way that’s painful for you both. “I found you, Link.”

Twilight sucks in a breath. “...what do you mean?”

“I found you.” You say again. “I found Ordon. I found Hyrule. I found the Twilight Realm. I found your story.”

He suddenly feels sick. It’s as if he’s been punched in the gut. “...What?”

You take a second to swallow your spit. You take a moment to reach for him but decide against it. Twilight reaches out for your hand anyway before you could fully take it back. He’s made his choice. He won’t let you push him away again. But he needs to process the implications of this.

There’s an even longer pause. Slowly, you squeeze his hand. He squeezes your hand back. You lick your lips and keep your head down, focusing on the way your hands are laced together. “I found your story. I found out everything. I knew how it was going to end before you even knew what it would lead up to. I …knew Midna would leave. I’m sorry, Link.”

Your hand squeezes his tighter and shakes. “I wanted to tell you. But I was scared. I was so scared. I found that no matter what I saw, what I knew, I couldn’t spoil it for you. I was worried it would hurt you in the long run. All I could do was point you in the correct direction so you wouldn’t get hurt worse.”

Twilight can feel the memories coming back to him in an avalanche of recognition. “All those puzzles…” He finds himself saying. “...I was always impressed that you could figure them out so quickly.”

“I was cheating.” You try to joke. It falls flat. “I found a walkthrough and it told me the solution. Of course I had to tell you.”

Twilight chuckles but it’s not quite where it should be. It’s not fully fake, not fully bitter, but it’s certainly toeing the line between the two of those. “...I can’t even be mad. You saved me so much time and effort.”

You whine and try to pull your hand away. He doesn’t let you. “I wish you would be. I wish you would be mad. Even if it was a little bit. I deserve it, Link. I know so much. I saw so much. You don’t even know my name yet I know your darkest secrets!”

Twilight takes a deep breath and tries to put away the sting of betrayal. It feels stupid to get upset over this. After all, you had truly helped him. Through the worst of it, you were still protecting him. “You’re my soulmate. Our bond shares thoughts and visions. You would have my secrets even if you didn’t find my story. It would be silly to be mad at you when you helped me with everything. You were my rock. My safe space. I trust you with my secrets.”

You shake your head again and choke on another sob. Twilight still doesn't understand what’s the problem. You finally look up to the rest of the group and whisper. 

“I know all your secrets too.”

[oliverstarksbae]

Picked up pieces

♡ hi, this is my first ever one shot, so this might be bad, but I hope you enjoy 😉

♡ summary: in which they realize they are made to pick each other pieces

Evan buckley was a player but that was before he met (y/n) she very much was the complete opposite "the ray of sunshine type of girl" So why did she fall in love with him beacuse behind the bad boy act was someone who was hurt and needed some one .

Now it was a normal Saturday he was at work she was at home doing some house work at there shared home made some food read a book and catch up on her favorite show

It had now hit 11pm Evans shift does not finish till 2 so she went to the living room and saw the news.

When she click channel 8 she heard "this is a live broadcast of a horrific hotel fire so far many firefighters are having a though time helping." said a red hair woman

(Y/n's) mind spiraled of what she heard but then took a worried breath beacus the first thing the she thought was ok maybe this is a different firehouse in the 118 area beacuse they were busy

She tried and tried to belive that but then she saw the 118 written on the firetruck that's when she panicked and started to pace around the house with her mind full of worry but it was still not his time to get off so she decided to look at her phone every 5 seconds for the time he gets off.

Evan buckley was stressed to say the least first he was trapped where there was a huge fire which he got out of beacuse he thought of who he cause the most for and how if he did not get out how many people would have been devastated

Then he was not able to save someone today which hurt worst then he thought it would.

He went on his phone and called (y/n) by pressing the contact lover girl <3 ❤️

Then the first thing he heard was, "OH MY GOD EVAN ARE YOU OK I WAS SO WORRIED I SAW ON THE NEW-"

"I'm fine" he replied with not so nice but not that serious tone still in shock on what happen

"Ok let me know when you get home E I love you" said (y/n)

" Yeah see you bye" he said not realizing that he did not say I love you back

(Y/n) on the other hand was confused but decided not to think much beacuse maybe he was tired?

*A few minutes later *

A knock sounded on the door she rushed up to it and ran to evan the give him a hug

"Oh my god, evan, I was so worried. I'm so glad you're ok." she pulled him into a hug, but then he started shaking, and it lok like he was going to cry?

"Evan are you ok? Ok-i-I- need you to calm down fallow my breathing ok?" He agreed while shaking and tears slowing coming down his face

"Baby, I need you to tell me why you are crying. Are you hurt-" he gulped and said, "No-no im-not"

"Ok did something happen?" She asked

"Yes-yes-some-thing-did," he said

"Ok, what happened? I need you to tell me when you're ready, ok?"

"I w-as g-etting some-one an-d we put h-Im on the gurny and in the amb-ul-an-ce he cod-ed" he said it while it replaying in his mind what happened

" E oh my God it's ok you did the best you can and you saved many people ok I love you I want you to know that"

"B-ut I didn't save them I ki-lled hi-m"

"Evan buckley do not think that way you did the best you can and your ability to risk your life every day for strangers now I think you should go take a shower and get ready for bed"

He replied with a happy gentle smile

After everyone was done they both hopped

Onto bad a cuddled she being to big spoon

And slowly he fell asleep but before he said.

"I love you so much and thank you for being there for me"

"Of course I am there for you now I'm tried so goodnight"

"Good night"

Before she fell asleep she thought about what she said and she knew he was hurt plot but she really didn't think it was bad enough for this to happen but she realizedThey were made for each to pick up the pieces other people broke

[httpiastri]

lucky charm? – al12

arthur needs your support after the feature race in austria.

genre: fluff, comfort

pairing: gender neutral!reader x arthur leclerc (i think i used the female form of a french word, but that should be the only female mention)

warning: hmmmm none!

requested: yes!

author's note: hello hello! i had bigger expectations on myself for this but i haven't been able to write a lot these last few days soooo... anyways! please forgive me if i use the wrong terms when i wrote about the dams garage and drivers room and so on, i don't really know how it all works and where people are allowed to be haha! hope u enjoy<3

f2/f3 masterlist

you feel yourself being unwillingly pulled out of your sweet sleep way too early for your liking. you could just as well just turn over and fall asleep again; the combination of the soft mattress and the fluffy hotel covers could lull anyone into a deep slumber. but just as you’re about to relax again, you hear the shuffle of socks against the carpet, followed by a thud and a quiet swear word.

you open your eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the morning light seeping in through the messily closed blinds, before they find arthur standing by the edge of the bed.

his eyes fix on you too, a guilty look spreading across his face. “did i wake you?” he asks. “i’m sorry, i dropped my phone…”

he reaches down to pick it up from the floor as you shake your head. “it’s fine,” you hum. “good morning, love.”

“good morning, ma chéri.” he flashes you a smile as he scoots over to you, pressing a kiss against your forehead.

you shut your eyes again. “why are you up so early?” you ask. “didn’t we say breakfast at seven?”

“it is seven,” arthur chuckles, but just as you’re about to sit up and scold him for not waking you up in time, he speaks again. “don’t get up, i’ve already had breakfast. you can continue sleeping.”

you frown with your eyes still closed. “what’s that supposed to mean? why-”

“i’ve been called in for an extra team meeting. they want me to meet them there in 30 minutes.”

your eyes open again, looking at your lover now sitting right by you on the bed. he’s got a hint of sadness in his eyes, and he feels another sting of guilt pass through his body.

he still looks as handsome as ever, though, and you can’t help but to let your hand cup his cheek. “when did you get up? you must be so tired.”

he shakes his head, a slight smile adorning his features; half due to the concern in your voice, half due to the love he can feel even in your touch. “we went to bed so early, i’ll be fine. you can still get another hour or so in, though.”

you pout. “i can’t sleep without you.”

arthur’s pretty laugh meets your ears. “you had no problem falling asleep while i was brushing my teeth last night, amour.” he takes your hand from his face, intertwining his fingers with yours. “but if you really don’t want to sleep any more, you could get some breakfast and then watch me get ready in the garage.”

you consider the options for a moment. “maybe i will,” you say, squeezing his hand once.

he takes your hand up to his mouth, placing a few sweet kisses to your knuckles. "my lucky charm." even more kisses. "i do unfortunately really need to go now. but i'll see you on the track?"

you nod, looking up into his eyes. "good luck, darling."

your boyfriend leans down towards you to meet your lips with his. both of you are still sleepy and it's evident in the kiss because it's lazy and slow. yet, it's filled with so so much love. when you feel him starting to pull away, you place a hand by the back of his neck to keep him close. he laughs against your skin before he manages to leave your lips – his neck muscles are apparently stronger than your hands.

"i'll see you soon again, okay?"

"mkay."

and after one last kiss, he's gone through the door, leaving you all alone in the big bed.

arthur was, as usual, quite busy right before the race.

that meant that he didn't have a lot of time to spend with you, but by now you'd learned to enjoy spending time in the dams garage, despite how different it felt to the prema garages you visited last year. you followed arthur on the tv as much as you could during the race, while also having time to chat a little with the crew every now and then.

you found it funny how it seemed like arthur and his friend ollie bearman found each other even on the track, the two of them following their former teammate through the laps and even into the pit stops.

arthur came out on the track just before ollie, which made many of the dams workers cheer. but just a short while after they left the pits, it happened. one of the few things that was not allowed to happen.

in one of the turns, not even one minute later, one of his tires flew off the car.

arthur couldn't have done anything to stop it or make the situation better. it was in no way his fault, and yet, it had all of the worst consequences for him.

thankfully, there was no crash and the tire didn't hit another driver, so it wasn't really a dangerous incident. but when arthur gets up out of the car and you can tell he's uninjured, you still let out a thankful breath you didn't know you were holding. you know this is awful, as it is any time he's forced to retire out of a race, but at least he isn't physically hurt, which was the most important to you.

a couple of minutes later, arthur arrives back in the garage, where he receives a bunch of pats on the backs and compassionate looks from team members. you are still sat on a chair a bit further into the garage, wanting to give him some space instead of approaching him, but you watch his every move carefully. his dark eyes stay aimed on the floor and he doesn't give out much more than small nods to the people trying to talk to him. he's holding his helmet in one hand, his balaclava still on and helping cover what you assumed was a regretful look.

you were so sure he wouldn't notice you, but his eyes land on you just as his hand reaches for the door to his driver's room. you kind of expect him to give you some kind of reaction. a smile, a nod, anything. but just like to everyone else, he looks away.

as he's gone through the door, you feel some kind of disappointment in the pit of your stomach. you know it's not personal, but it still pains a little to think about him treating you just like everyone else.

you wait until the race is over and the staff is busy celebrating the other dams driver's podium before making your way towards the door. after knocking on it a few times, you can hear his voice from the inside, muttering something about leaving him alone.

"arthur, can i come in?" you ask, ignoring his request.

when he hears that it's your voice seeping through the cracks of the door, he's instantly on his feet, making his way to you.

when he opens the door, you're met by an exhausted face. the balaclava is off now, lines on his face still showing where the seams had been pressing for the long race. he steps aside to let you into the room and then closes the door behind you. he sits down on the couch and you take a seat right next to him, eyes never leaving his sad ones. he's looking everywhere but at you, though, feeling way too sensitive to take in the way that you were looking at him. with so much comfort, support, love.

"i'm really sorry," you say, voice low. "that sucked."

he nods, eyes moving to look down at his feet as he leans his elbows onto his knees. "shit happens."

you stop for a moment but then you decide to be brave, putting a hand on his shoulder. when he doesn't shrug it off, you begin stroking over his white fireproof shirt with your thumb, hoping to comfort him even the slightest.

"i just... felt like the pace was good, you know?" you nod, even though he isn't looking. "i was ahead of ollie, and he ended up in p5..." your hand moves to the back of his neck, softly rubbing up and down his skin. "i don't know, i just feel like i could've scored some points too."

"yeah, definitely," you hum at him. "you did really well, love."

one of his hands comes up to wipe over his face, before he finally turns to look at you. "thank you." a slight smile takes over your lips. "and thank you for being here."

"of course. anything for you, mon amour."

arthur leans towards you, molding his lips against yours. the kiss is a lot different than how he kissed you earlier this morning; it's soothing, tender, gentle. yet, it's filled with just as much love.

"sorry i wasn't your lucky charm like you said i am," you tell him once you pull away, faces still close enough to feel his breath on your lips.

his mouth curls into a smile before he kisses you again. "don't worry," he moves to give you a couple of pecks along your jawline. "i'll buy a new charm since having you around doesn't work."

you gasp, slapping his chest as a big, teasing grin lightens up his face. "hey!"

and when his wholehearted laughter fills the room, you smile, despite his insult just moments earlier. you smile because you know it's all going to be fine; you smile because after his next race, he will be smiling too.

[leossmoonn]

snow day | mike schmidt

summary - abby has a snow day and spends it with you and mike

warnings / includes - not edited

————

“hey, abs,” mike whispers, shaking her away. she groans and pushes his hand away. “i don’t want to go to school.”

mike glances at you, seeing the excited smile on your face. “you don’t have to, abby.”

she opens one eye. “why?” “your school called and cancelled school. you have a snow day!” you exclaim.

abby sits up in bed, a big smile on her face. “we can build a fort and a snowman!”

“you got great ideas, babe,” you grin at her. “do you want to sleep in some more or are you hungry?”

“i’m hungry,” abby says. “can i have waffles with chocolate chips?”

“you sure can. get to work, chef,” you turn to mike. he chuckles softly. “i need my sous chef.”

“alright. you need any help getting ready?” you ask abby. “no,” she says, hopping out of bed and heading to her closet.

“okay. call us if you need anything. we’ll be in the kitchen.”

you and mike make your way to the kitchen, grabbing a box of pre-made pancake mix and putting some milk and eggs into it. mike’s hands rest on your waist, his chin sitting on your shoulder as you both wait for the batter to cook. you lean into his chest, enjoying the warmth radiating from him. it’s so cold in his house during winter time since he tries to cut down on the electric bills, but you don’t mind. you had him as a portable blanket and he doesn’t mind. it’s an excuse for him to be closer to you.

“you sure you can take work off today?” you ask. “yeah,” mike nods. “even if i couldn’t, i am not driving in that mess.”

you both look out the window. you got eight inches of snow. you didn’t even want to try and walk in it, much else drive.

“well, i’m glad we can take the day off.” you spin yourself around, leaning your back against the counter. mike smiles, “me, too. it’s well-deserved for both of us.” he leans in, pulling your lips in a slow kiss. you sigh into him, your eyes fluttering shut like you’re in a movie. his kisses always make your brain feel numb and body tingly.

little footsteps pad behind two. mike is quick to pull away, positioning himself to where he’s beside you, his hand resting on the small of your back.

“did you out chocolate chips in the waffles?” abby asks. “yes, ma’am,” you answer.

she sits down at the table, placing her crayons and blank pieces of paper in front of her. after the whole freddy’s fiasco, she’s stopped drawing those kids and now has started drawing her friends from school and her teachers. she’s been very into drawing you and mike, as well as your cat that you and mike are 99% sure she’s plotting to steal.

“you should show that drawing to cornelius, abby. he’ll probably be confused that there’s two of them,” you remark.

“or you can bring him here and we can keep him,” abby says.

you can’t help but snort at her request. “maybe if mike invites me to move in.”

mike rolls his eyes, flipping the waffle maker and taking the waffle out. “you basically already live here. your cat probably thinks you’ve abandoned him.”

“not true. i haven’t stayed a night here in a couple weeks.”

“mmm, yeah. what’s up with that?”

“been busy. you miss me or something?” you grab some plates and silverware, starting to set up the table.

“maybe,” he says. you glance at him, catching the coy smile playing on his face.

“after breakfast can we make a snowman ?” abby asks.

“sure,” you nod. “it’s cold, abby,” mike says.

“there’s nothing else to do here. and i want to build the fort after we go outside.”

“that’s not a bad idea,” you look at mike. “i’ll look if we have a carrot for the nose.

abby eyes light up and mike shoot you a glare. you pat his back gingerly, grabbing some napkins and cups.

“you have to put on a sweatshirt and coat, okay? and a hat and gloves,” mike says. abby let’s our a big sigh. “fine,” she says, knowing it’s part of the seam.

abby gobbles down a waffle and a half before she pops up out of her seat like a jack-in-the-box, running to her room and putting on all her warm clothes. she throws on a beanie and grabs a scarf, having you help her tuck it into her coat.

“hurry up, guys! the snow will melt!” abby exclaims, running to the door.

“hey, hey, hey,” mike stand up. “i’ll get my coat on so at least one of us is outside with you.” he goes into hips room and grabs his winter coat and some boots.

“here, you need this.” you slip a black beanie onto his head. “i’ll be fine.”

“you made abby bundle up, so you need to, too,” you say. “fine. don’t worry about the dishes, i’ll clean them up after this.” mike kisses you on the cheek before going outside.

you at least put the dishes in the sink before getting yourself ready to go outside. you close the door behind you, seeing the bottom hall of the snowman already standing.

“that was fast,” you say. “abby was very enthusiastic. now she’s a little tired i think,” mike says.

“it’s hard to roll snowballs, even for me. they always fall apart when i do it,” you sigh.

“ah, finally something you’re not good at,” mike grins at you. you roll your eyes and punch his shoulder, a smile breaking the straight line on your lips. “i’m pretty good at this.” you say as you bend down and pick up a handful of snow, molding it into a small hall and throwing it right at mike’s face.

“hey, i’m right next to you! that not fair!”

you give him a wink, walking over to abby to help her roll a snowball. you’re almost done when you feel snow it the back of your neck. you gasp and look up, seeing mike’s hands in his pockets.

“what?” he asks, a telling smile on his face. “abby schmidt, would you like to form an alliance with me in a snowball fight against your brother?” you turn to her as you help her put the body of the snowman on.

“yes, duh!” she giggles. “looks like you’re alone, micheal,” you look at him, putting your arm around abby.

he shrugs, making another snowball. “i’m not worried.” he hits you in the face like you did to him.

“looks like we have a war on our hands,” you remark.

you and abby end up using half of the snowman as your shield. mike is careful not to knock down the snow balls, but he has impeccable aim from playing little league, so it’s no sweat for him. abby is your snowball supplier. her little hands mold them quickly, handing them to you one after the other as you aim them at mike’s face and chest.

“you getting cold with all the snow in your clothes, schmidt?” you ask.

“nope. i’m pretty warm, which means you suck at this.” he throws a snow ball at you, hitting your shoulder. the snow fans across your neck, hitting a sliver of skin where your scarf doesn’t cover.

“we need to make a huge snowball,” you whisper to abby. “on it,” she nods excitedly. she’s already lined up 10 snowballs for you to use in the meantime.

“no conspiring secretly!” mike says. “we can do what we want!” you laugh, throwing another snowball, throwing it with too much force to where it lands behind him.

mike ends up using a tree as his shield. even with it’s small branches, you find it more difficult. you look down at abby, seeing a snowball half the size of your snowman.

“good job, babe,” you pat her back. “after this can i have some hot chocolate?” abby asks.

“of course. we can celebrate with it,” you grin. you look back at mike who aims a snowball at your head, knocking your beanie off. “oh, it is on.”

you and abby stand up, carrying the big ball of snow. it’s heavier than you thought it would be, but you’re hopefully that this will work.

“woah.” mike’s jaw drops. “this is really not fair. i don’t have a teammate to do that with!”

“sucks to suck i guess,” you laugh. you and abby count down and throw the snowball at mike, causing him to tumble over. it covers most of his body, his face covered in snow now. “we won!” you exclaim, high-fiving abby.

“alright, nice play guys. next time i’ll get you,” he says, dusting himself off.

“we’ll see about that,” you grin.

you three make the rest of the snowman, using a carrot for his nose and blueberries for his eyes and smile. you grab your scarf and wrap it around his neck, mike grabbing a baseball hat from his closet and putting it on the snowman’s head.

“very nice,” mike remarks. “let’s go inside. i’m so cold,” abby says, running to the door.

“yeah, i’m going to take a shower,” mike says as you all step inside.

“me too,” abby says.

you and mike let abby shower first. mike showers after her and you make all of you hot chocolate and bake some cookies in the shape of christmas cutters.

you take a quick shower after mike, more so to warm you up than anything. you pull on one of mike’s sweaters and some pj pants. when you exit the bedroom, you find abby and mike building a fort over the tv.

“good idea, guys,” you say, grabbing your mug and sipping some hot cocoa.

“can we watch a movie?” abby asks. “of course,” you nod.

abby puts on a christmas movie, laying on her stomach in front of you two. mike is laying against the bottom of the couch with you in his arms.

“mm, i’m so sleepy,” you yawn, snuggling up to his chest. “that snowball fight wear you down?” mike asks.

“unfortunately, yes. i’m surprised you’re not snoring already.”

“i do not snore.”

“oh, yes you do.”

“well, you sing in your sleep.”

“you’re making that up,” you laugh. he shakes his head. “the other night you were singing ‘crazy train’ or something.”

“that is…” you breathe out, “a lie.”

“i’ll record you next time, how about that?”

“okay. prepare to be wrong.”

he chuckles and kisses your forehead, hugging you tighter. “i love you.”

you hum and smile, reaching up and kissing his lips. “i love you more.”

————

taglist

@celestbarnes

[theblue6ook]

The Young Years PT 3

Summary: This is a prequel to "Shit Interview" in the "Out of My League" series. Read about Bruce and Y/N in their troubled teens. What about their past makes them work so well together? You'll find out. (Hint: they've both been through major struggles.)

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x fem!reader

a/n: Death and blood. Also, Bruce is all the drama. [Eventual slow burn with Bruce]

Caught [B(19) Y/N(17)]

First, it was selling illegal car parts. Then, it was modifying cars illegally. Then, it was racing. Y/N didn't have to worry about money anymore, but she still kept appearances up at Dorthie’s Flowers with Carrie; she didn’t want to look suspicious. The house was paid off, the utilities were paid, and she started saving money for her brothers' school funds. She was set, and even better, she was a winner.

Ronnie taught her how to properly drive at 13. The lot for the mechanic shop was pretty big, and honestly, there were barely any cops in this part of town. The only rule was don’t go past the narrows. Once she hit 14, she was starting to get good. After modifying cars, she’d head out and watch the races, watch the different moves people made with their cars, recreate them on cars they were working on, and if they got fucked up, she’d fix them before anyone knew. 

By 15, she was in races. By 16, she was coming in second. By 17, she was dominating. The money she had saved was insane, but there was one problem. The races were moving out of the narrows, and the cops were cracking down, particularly Don Colley and his partner Jim Gordon. All she had to do was keep her head down. She should have stopped. She had money saved, but the rush was so addicting, and the money was so rewarding. In her eyes, as long as no one knew who she was, what was the damage?

Getting caught. Getting caught was the damage. 

The last race she was in was over by Gotham Harbor. She was in first, per usual, when the police swarmed. She was on her way out, swearing and huffing, when one of the drivers, trying to make a break for it, spun out and crashed. She didn’t even think. She stopped the car and ran out to help, but it was too late. It was a horrid scene. The airbags didn’t go off, and his car had smashed him into the steering wheel. His chest was caved in, and there was so much blood everywhere. It smelled like gasoline and death. There was no mistaking it, the driver that passed was David Colley, the Comminsioner’s son, and oh did he blame Y/N. She was caught on the scene and the only one he had to blame. Boy, did he fight hard when she went to court, lucky for her, Jim Gordan saw right through it, and so did the judge…

“You were a part of the Martha Wayne Foundation?”

“Yes, your honor.”

“You say you were doing this to provide a good home for your brothers after your mother left? Help your father pay the bills?” 

“Yes, your honor.” Y/N felt the sweat on her temple, and her heart was beating so quickly. She felt fucked. She felt like she ruined her life, but the judge only hummed and thought quietly. There was a pregnant pause before he spoke, and the entire courtroom was on the edge of their seats.

“Despite having the wrong motivation, I think you have a good head on your shoulders. You’re young,” he continued, “I don’t want you to throw your life away in jail. So, here’s what I’m going to do. Not only will you return the money won to the court, but you will also complete six months of community service. Pay two fines, each $1000. One for the drag racing conviction and the other for the illegal gambling. Is that clear?”

It didn’t go over well with Don Colley. He ended up stepping down from the position of commissioner as Jim Gordon stepped up…it didn’t go well with her father either.

“What are you doing with your life?!” he covered his face with his hands. “You know what, it might have been easier if you were in jail and not wasting my money, my time-”

“Your money?!” Y/N interrupted. “Who’s been running your business? Who’s been providing? You haven’t even stepped out of the house in years!”

“Will you shut up! Do you not understand you are ruining your life-”

“Oh, so now you want to be a parent?” Y/N was up in arms. After years of picking up after him, providing, and putting food on the table, this is what she gets?

"You know what, go fuck yourself. You don't want me as your parent? You can get the FUCK out of my house!"

“The house I paid for? The house I clean and cook in and drag your ass into when it’s snowing. That house!?” she shouted until her throat hurt. Maybe she shouldn't have, she knew she fucked up, but she was so tired. So tired of taking care of other people. Every sentence she punctuated with a step closer to him until she was up in his face. 

"You're unstable. You're not good for me. You’re not good for the boys. You need to leave," he looked into her eyes. 

"I may be unstable, but you've always been a shit father." That seemed to be the last straw.

“GET OUT!” he grabbed her by the hair and shoved her out the screen door. He had never in her 17 years ever put his hands on her. He had always been silently grateful. Silently watching as she keeps the house running. He had never shoved her the way he did now. 

“What the fuck-” she said, stumbling down to the ground.

“You don’t live here anymore. Tell Carrie to pick up your things.” He went to step inside but paused, looking over his shoulder. "You can't live here until you get your act together, and I can't live with you until I get my act together."

Her father stepped inside. She heard her brothers through the door asking what was happening and where she was. Y/N sat out on the concrete steps and said nothing. Was there anything to say? Slowly, she stood and made her way down the block.

-

Bruce wasn’t sure what to consider his position here. Was he a prisoner? Would they let him leave when the time came? At least they were training him. They’ve been training him for the past two years. 

It wasn’t hard for him to leave Gotham. When he was fifteen, he received his diploma. He had skipped enough grades to get it and had enough credits through online courses. That was the deal with Alfred. You can go and travel, but you’re going to be officially educated. He traveled with Alfred for some time. Moving to different places, training with different people, learning different languages. Then, things went sideways. He was recognized. He was robbed. He could defend himself at this point, but not from twenty people. That’s ridiculous. In the end, he ended up in a Bhutanese Prison. This is where he met Ras Al Ghul. A strange man who had broken him out of prison and asked him what his plans were. Bruce didn’t really have a choice, so he told him. Now he was here, but honestly, where was he? He had no clue.

He had learned so much. He would continue to learn so much. He would solve his parents' murder, and he would solve Gotham. That was the plan. If he can survive here, he can survive anywhere.

He looked up at the ceiling of his bunk. He was bunked with many other soldiers and assassins; he wasn’t sure who they were. He had thought about Alfred. What he might be doing? What he did do after Bruce had been taken? The door to his bunk had opened, and there was the strange man who had found him.

“It is time,” he said. Bruce stood and followed him out to the training grounds. He sparred with different soldiers, at some points, several at a time. Another trainee was sparring as well. Eventually, they were tasked with sparring with each other. Bruce moved flawlessly, and his master smiled. He fought easily and used his opponent's faults against him until he had him on the ground.

“That’s good,” he grinned. “Now kill him.”

Bruce’s blood went cold. He looked over at the man, startled. “I can’t - I can’t kill him. He did nothing wrong. We were just training.” 

“Training is to prepare you for real-life situations. You may have to kill someone, so it’s best to do it now. Kill him.” 

Bruce held his breath, and his sword rose to strike. Training. That’s what it was. If I want to clean up Gotham, there has to be sacrifice. I have to do this- 

You really think this is what your father would have wanted? You going to prison for the rest of your life? To kill someone? 

The sword came down hard and swiftly, puncturing the ground. His master turned toward him, angry. He grabbed Bruce by the shoulder, shoving him to the ground as he dug his own sword into the struggling trainee on the ground. “Is this what you’re so afraid of? Death. These are the necessary sacrifices we must make for the good of the world.”

Red stained the snow around them, and the smell of blood lingered in the air.

“Well, that’s not the way I’m going to do it,” he stood stubbornly. 

“How do you expect order? How do you expect to deal with the chaos?” 

“Fear.”

[goddess-in-heaven-and-hell]

The F-Word (BR) - A Gwynriel One-Shot for Gwynrielweeks2024

@gwynrielweeksofficial My first of two contributions to this years Gwynriel weeks, yay!

Thread: After Azriel accidentially hurt Gwyn in training, his apparent lack of care makes her question the true depth of their friendship.

word count: 4.2k

warnings: faint swearing, miscommunication

“I will kill him.”

Healing salve was applied generously to Gwyn’s throbbing wrist. The overwhelming smell of peppermint and oak bark put her frayed nerves at ease, and she was finally able to relax into the soft cushions despite the flash of pain that racked up her arm and into her shoulder.

“I will rip out every hair on his head one by one.”

A bandage snaked its way around her wrist, the gentle but firm hand guiding it nearly shaking with anger.

“I will plunge his oh-so-dangerous knife in his oh-so-dangerous head and see if he’ll still have enough bravado to hurt you then.” Nesta continued to wrap the bandage around and around Gwyn’s wrist and secured it with a pin as she continued to mutter unintelligible curses with venom in her voice. Like an over-protective ghoul squatting in the attic.

The priestess snorted, testing the stability of the wrap by flicking her arm back and forth cautiously. “You know he didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t think he even noticed what happened.”

Nesta levelled a stare at her that would have sent lesser females running. “And why would that be? What could possibly have happened for Azriel to not notice he sprained your wrist during training?”

Gwyn averted her gaze, lest Nesta see the faint smile that stole itself on her lips. “Maybe because I pretended it didn’t happen?”

The female kneeling before her rolled her eyes dramatically and got up to discard the medical items.

“It was my fault anyways”, Gwyn stated quickly, trying to calm down her best friend, “I didn’t warm up properly. No wonder my wrist couldn’t handle his weight without preparation.”

What a white lie that was…

Nesta scoffed, clearly not in the least convinced of Azriel’s innocence. “He is your instructor. He should know better. Especially when its just the two of you. The bat doesn’t have any reason to not dedicate every ounce of his attention to you when you train in the evenings.”

It was true that Azriel technically just had one trainee during their nightly sessions. The extra attention he paid her was only one of the many perks. But also the reason for her downfall.

“Let it go, Nes. It’s no big deal. Give it five days and it’ll be as good as new.”, Gwyn murmured, absentmindedly testing the bandage. Thankfully, Az had only rendered her non-dominant hand useless. Maybe he didn’t even have to know and she could ask Cassian to focus on leg training tomorrow morning-

“Five days where you can’t lift a shield, let alone weights. Not to mention having to slow down your library work.”, Nesta retorted seriously while observing Gwyn with a hawk’s eye.

Gwyn sighed, letting her head fall back on the couch. There was no denying it, was there? It went against every fiber of her being, but she needed to tell Azriel and Cassian that she sustained an injury during training.

Her ego will have to take the hit.

It wasn’t that injuring herself was so difficult for her to handle, it was more so how it happened that brought a wave of heat to her cheeks.

Because she did in fact warm up properly. Mother, the incident happened during the last ten minutes of training, every muscle – wrist included – had been ready for combat.

So how was she supposed to tell everyone that she was too busy losing herself in Azriel’s eyes to pay attention?

“I’ll tell Cassian tonight and he’ll relay it to Az.”, Nesta decided, clearly taking Gwyn’s lack of argument for permission.

The priestess nodded, heaving herself out of the comfy cushion and bidding Nesta goodbye.

As she lay in her dorm room a few hours later, cradling her injured wrist close to her chest, she debated whether or not skipping tomorrow’s training would be worth the trouble.

Nesta didn’t wait for Cassian to come home.

No, as soon as she heard the door down the hall clicking shut gently, she was out of her chair and on her way to kick some Illyrian ass. Even if that ass had more than a few inches on her.

“Az, may I come in?”, she shouted through the door while simultaneously knocking. The Shadowsinger probably sensed her agitation and opened after a few heartbeats, still in his leathers and eying her with a wary gaze.

“Nesta.”, he greeted her, stepping aside to let her in when noticing her expression. The male was smart enough to sense when her anger was directed at him.

She stormed into his room, turning around to a confused looking Azriel.

“Care to take a guess why I’m here?”, Nesta asked, her voice dangerously low.

Azriel had the decency to look mildly concerned. After thinking it through, he concluded to not have done anything wrong and wordlessly shook his head in her direction.

“Something to do with Gwyn in training?”, she prompted, angling her head.

Azriel crossed his hands before his chest, leaning back against the door. “With Berdara? Do you mean tonight or another day?”

“Tonight.”, Nesta replied, “During hand-to-hand-combat.”

She could have sworn a little blush crept into his cheeks, but it might have been there from the start. She was too agitated to care. “Nes, I seriously have no idea what you are talking about. Did I do something wrong?”

Nesta let out a long-suffering sigh. Honestly, didn’t his job entail paying attention to details? “You managed sprained her wrist during training. She came to me just an hour ago to have it set and bandaged.”

Silence ensured.

She expected her words to have some effect on him. After all, the two of them seemed quite close. But the pure horror that slowly took over every feature of his was another thing.

“I did what?”, Azriel whispered, body taunt with shock.

“She says it’ll probably heal in a few days. But she obviously shouldn’t do any training – morning or night – in the meantime. I wanted you to know that, just in case she shows up tomorrow pretending it didn’t happen.”, Nesta added, trying to calm him down again. She’d wanted him to grovel a bit, but now he seemed dangerously close to suffering an aneurism. “She’d rather have kept it a secret and suffer through her exercises than telling you. So I did.”

If it was possible, Azriel looked even more crestfallen at that. A low curse escaped him, and Nesta took that as her cue to leave.

As she approached the door, she paused to put a hand on his arm. “I didn’t tell you to make you feel bad.” Well, maybe a little bit. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. She’ll live. And you are both fools for how you acted.”

Azriel nodded, but it was so absent-minded that Nesta turned to leave him to his thoughts, bidding him goodnight quietly.

His reaction left her wondering, though. Had she been too harsh? If it got Gwyn a heartfelt apology and maybe some sweets to make it up to her, it might not have been too much. But the Mother knew Azriel was an overthinker. She only hoped that, whatever was going on between them for Gwyn not to admit to an injury would soon be mended.

She did it. She skipped training.

Throughout the whole day, Gwyn felt rotten to the core. She had never abandoned her responsibilities, at the very least not without explaining herself properly. Nesta had probably informed the two Illyrians by now, and the other priestesses had noticed the glaringly white bandage, but still – it felt so wrong to sit on all these weird feelings towards Azriel, to not talk to him as regularly as she used to.

It felt like abandoning him.

And only the Gods and Gwyn new how that made the already confusing and borderline frightening emotions she harbored towards him more complicated.

She realized it was wholly her fault. She should have admitted to the injury right away, blaming a loose stone on the ground, or an errand shadow or anything for her mess-up. But no. As soon as his arms had wrapped around hers from behind, as soon as she twisted her head to meet his gaze, she was lost. Utterly and hopelessly caught up in whatever daydream it was that took over her mind at that moment. And she didn’t have the capacity to free herself as he sent her tumbling down, painfully bending her wrist in the process.

She’d laughed it off, turning her back to him to stabilize and feel out the injury, all while joking that ‘at least he bested her once this entire session’. When she faced him again, he’d looked away too quickly for his eyes to linger on her form and suggested a water break.

Gwyn couldn’t pinpoint exactly when her feelings for him had taken such a turn. When their nightly talks or training sessions became a little less accidental, but rather more and more anticipated. She only knew that one morning, when her alarm allowed her a few more minutes to slumber in bed, her mind had drifted to him.

And it continued to do so until now.

She sincerely hoped she would get a grip on herself, or she’d completely ruin their friendship.

If Azriel didn’t manage to do it first.

Days after the accident, Gwyn’s wrist still too sore for training, the Shadowsinger remained as silent as death. No note, no impromptu lunch visits. Gwyn even trekked up the stairs one night, hoping to catch him waiting for her on the roof of the house. But it was Gwyn who ended up waiting for hours in the cold, without any luck. Not even Nesta had a message to relay on his behalf when they met for their weekly reading night.

It left a sour feeling in her stomach. Friends were supposed to take equal interest in each other. And Nesta assured her she informed Az of her injury. What was keeping him back, then?

Another long day of work passed and Gwyn returned from evening service, walking into the dimly lit hall that contained some of the priestess’s dormitories.

And stopping dead in her tracks when she beheld the massive bouquet of flowers that adorned her doorstep.

Peonies and tulips, lilac and lavender in the most beautiful hues of white and purple made the whole hall smell like spring. With measured steps, Gwyn crouched down to retrieve the card attached to the crown of the bouquet. The handwriting itself made her heart flutter with excitement.

Dear Gwyn,

please accept this as the first of many apologies to come for by behavior in training and afterwards. I hope you are feeling better.

Your friend (?) Azriel

The priestess’s brows scrunched in confusion. She appreciated the gesture, but something in his message bothered her. She read it again, and again, gaze snagging on his signature. And just like that, with as small of a symbol as that question mark, Gwyn’s smile was whiped clean off her face, her heart plummeting into her stomach.

Her friend. The word in itself should have been enough to elicit a little happy dance. Because that was what Azriel was to her, and so much more. It was a first step, the first time she heard him reciprocating the feeling.

But the question mark put the virtual nail in the coffin of her affection.

He either thought so little of their friendship he thought it breaking at the slightest mishap, or, and Gwyn’s lungs fought for air at the thought, he didn’t really consider them friends.

And it made sense. She never heard him say it. They never let a few days pass without seeing each other, but it took him a whole week to ask for her? Mother, she didn’t even know if he came willingly to their nightly training, or if he was ordered to – keeping an eye on the unstable female he had to save and making sure she didn’t crumble under pressure.

On some nights, she had poured out her heart to him and he had listened, comforted her, just as she had on nights where his own façade revealed the hurt and shame he carried around.

It couldn’t have been a lie, could it?

Gwyn’s thoughts spiraled, feelings of being unworthy of his affection eagerly feeding on her uncertainty. Until she was sure: he only sent flowers because he accidentally hurt one of the frail and traumatized priestesses and felt bad about it. Clearly not because they were friends.

Gwyn picked up the flowers and, trying to steady her breathing, brought them into her room where they found a place on her nightstand. Unfocussed eyes remained on the flowers while she debated whether she should cry or fight that overgrown bat – it only took a second to decide.

The priestess stormed out of the library, Azriel’s handwritten card fighting for breath in her fist.

She mulled it over as she took the stairs to the house proper two at a time, how he could negate their relationship with one simple message. Had she been so mistaken in his kindness, his interest? Had he seen their time together as an obligation, rather than a blooming friendship?

It agitated and confused her to no end. And as she finally arrived in the training ring, eyes already pinpointing the swirl of shadows with Azriel in their midst, she was positively furious.

“Azriel!”, she shouted across the ring, eating up the space between them in no time. She pointed her finger at him in accusation, her other hand grinding his message for her to mush.

The Shadowsinger turned, his expression morphing from wary to concerned in a split second. “Gwyn? What’s wrong? Do you need a healer?”

He actually had the nerve to step towards her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders as he ran his eyes over her form. Trying to detect whatever it was that made her upset.

“Don’t you touch me!”, she snapped, and his arms dropped to his side immediately. “You forfeited your right to that.”

Azriel gaped at her, but nodded nonetheless. Massive wings behind him folded together tightly as he braced himself for her.

If anything, his actions made Gwyn even more angry. She came to pick a fight, not for him to roll over. So, the priestess stepped into his personal space again and pushed at his chest until he stumbled backwards.

It was petty, and unfair, and nothing like her usual self. But seeing the little slither of hurt flashing on his face made it worth it. She pushed again, ignoring the stab of pain emanating from her wrist as it collided with mountains of muscle.

“You are a coward!” Push. “You don’t deserve my friendship!” Push.

If Gwyn’s late high priestess could have seen her now, she’d have washed her mouth out with soap to negate the curse words leaving it.

But she didn’t care. The pain flooding her heart at his apparent betrayal was too much to deal with on her own. It needed an outlet.

After enduring another minute of her assault, Azriel saw his opening. He caught both of Gwyn’s wrists in his hands, stopping her dead in her tracks, and cradled them to his chest.

“Gwyn.”, his voice turned pleading and soft, “please stop, you’ll hurt yourself.”

And as the tenor of his beautiful, stupid voice reached her ear, all fight evaporated. With heavy breathing, she returned his stare. Somehow, even in the depts of hurt, the only thought her head could muster was how she had missed him the past week.

“I’m sorry.”, he whispered, his thumbs stroking up and down her hostage-held hands, “I’m so sorry I didn’t notice it. You truly deserve better than that.”

Gwyn didn’t find words for him, frozen in time as she stood before him, her chest nearly touching his armor. She didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. But an apology sounded about right.

“I was so caught up in my own head that night.”, he continued softly, his voice trying to soothe her into tranquility, “But I realize it’s not an excuse. I should have checked on you after that fall. Gwyn, I’m so sorry I failed you. It will never happen again.”

Gwyn’s eyes hardened. She stepped away from him, forcing Azriel to release her.

“I don’t care you hurt me in training.”, her voice turned cold. “I don’t care if you didn’t check up on me. What I care about is this.”

She flung the crumpled piece of paper at his feet.

Azriel’s eyes widened for a split second before he picked the message off the dirty floor, trying to straighten out the paper. He stared at it for a long time. Enough for Gwyn’s anger to subside, until only resignation was left.

She knew he was about to apologize again. But he’d never understand where she was coming from. Mother, she’d confused herself with the onslaught of feelings the little piece of paper elicited. So she spared him the mental effort.

“You don’t think we’re friends, do you?”

The silence that ensured was deafening.

“I mean”, Gwyn started, her eyes focusing on a stone on the ground, “it’s completely fine if you don’t think so. After all, we’ve been seeing each other only for a few months, and I know you have a hard time making friends. But I thought-“

With all the courage she had left, Gwyn lifted her eyes to him again. If she wanted his honesty, she needed to give it in return. “I have seen you as my friend for the longest time now. You are the person I can rant to with all the stupid, miniscule facts I read about daily. I feel like I can tell you about my hopes and dreams and don’t be judged. You make me stronger, even challenge me to dream bigger.”

She breathed in deeply, trying her hardest to keep her emotions at bay. “And until tonight, I hoped the same would be true for you. Yet I can’t shake the feeling that you keep me company because you have to, not because you want to.”

There it was, all her thoughts and deepest fears spread out before him as cohesively as possible. Minus the crush of course, Gwyn could only take so much heartache in a day.

Azriel gaped at her, as unmoving as stone, his message stretched taunt between his fingers.

And even though his voice remained quiet, the hurt in it carried all the way to Gwyn to bury straight into her heart.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Now it was Gwyn’s turn to gape at him. With each second passing, Azriel looked more and more agitated, his eyes pinning her to the spot.

“What did I do for you to come to that conclusion?”, he began pacing before her, each and every one of his next words a punch in the gut, “Was it the time I poured my heart out to you with feelings not even my brothers are privy to? Or was it when we spent nearly a whole night in each other’s arms when I can’t remember the last time I hugged someone that wasn’t family? Maybe it was that particular day when I nearly threw a temper-tantrum because you couldn’t make it to a session and I needed to see you so badly?”

He stopped in his tracks, hazel eyes so open and vulnerable that Gwyn had to swallow. “Or was it the night when I literally sprained your wrist and didn’t notice because your eyes are so gods-damn blue that I got distracted?”

Not even trying to process that last admission, Gwyn remembered all the instances he talked about. She’d considered them accidental at the time. That he was so stressed from work he took it out on the next-best person. But it slowly dawned on her that Azriel wasn’t the type to just dump his emotions on the next-best.

“You put a question mark.”, she tried weekly, suddenly feeling very small before him, “On the message, I mean. And you waited to contact me for a whole week.”

Even in the dark, Gwyn could actually see the vein in his neck pulsing with anger. He held his emotions at bay as he answered tough, his voice taunt. “Nesta came to me the night you got injured. She informed me of what I did and voiced her concern that you’d likely show up in training, pretending nothing happened. And the only logical conclusion I drew from that was that you clearly don’t trust me. I must have done something for you to keep an injury that I caused a secret. So forgive me if I didn’t think you considered me a friend, that I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.”

Well, that actually made a whole lot of sense.

Blood rushed into her cheeks. How did she let her emotions get away with her like that?

“Oh Mother”, she mumbled, her hands fumbling her hair out of her face as she tried to come up with a way to salvage this. “I misunderstood.”

“Clearly.”, the Shadowsinger deadpanned, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He observed her for a moment, his own emotions seemingly calming down. “So why on earth would you think I spend time with you out of-what? Obligation?”

With a deep, heartfelt sigh, Gwyn let herself sink on the nearby rock. The adrenaline that had been running amok in her body had left her to fend for herself, apparently. Even if it got her into this situation.

“I honestly don’t know. I guess I didn’t think you’d actually like me as a person, or as someone you could consider close to you. The fact that you were the one to save me that night in Sangravah doesn’t help this feeling either.”, she chuckled humorlessly, wringing her hands together for support, “I tend to think people see nothing in me but my trauma. That I need to be catered for specially, handled with care. I never wanted that.”

Azriel slowly stepped before her, kneeling down right before her spot on the rock. “And when have I ever handled you with more care than necessary?”

He pointedly glanced at her bandaged wrist and Gwyn couldn’t help but laugh. The admission did something within her, lightening the heavy feeling in her chest. He has always been real with her, holding her accountable, giving her his honesty. “That’s true. I know you designed the obstacle courses last year especially to vex me.”

The sheepish grin Azriel showed her was enough to get her stomach to do a little flip. “Worked like a charm, too.”

The priestess had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too hard. She remembered how she’d taken personal affront to the difficulty of those obstacles, and how she spent every waking minute planning how to best them – and in turn wipe the smug look Azriel liked to sport at that time off his stupidly handsome face.

The lightheartedness of the situation vanished, though, as she remembered how she spoke to him a few minutes ago. She’d pushed him for Cauldron’s sake.

“Azriel, I’m so sorry for coming at you like that, for screaming at you. You didn’t deserve that.”, she admitted, searching his face for any sign of anger. But she only found sympathy.

“It’s okay. You overacted a little today, but I didn’t react at all when it mattered. I’d say we’re even.”, he reached out his hands for her to take, resting them palms up on her knees. She complied, loving the warmth of his skin and the attention he showered her with.

“I agree. Let’s never talk about this again?”

Azriel nodded once, before lowering his head to press a light kiss on both of her knuckles, one after the other. His gaze snagged on her still lightly bandaged wrist. Pulling her hand closer, he kissed it too, his lips lingering on the gauze until Gwyn could feel the heat of them right through her skin. Her heart fluttered so loudly at the gesture she was sure he must have heard it.

So she blurted out the next best thing she could think of. That she couldn’t stop thinking about since he’d said it, actually.

“My eyes are teal.”

Azriel just watched her, a slow smile spreading on his lips as he took her in. As if he had nothing but time, as if he didn’t feel this overwhelming urge to shoot up and run from this situation. The bastard surely enjoyed her squirming.

“I know. But you didn’t seem to pay enough attention to the way I acted around you – and I wanted to make sure you do, from now on.”, he pulled her up with him as he stood to his impressive height. She would be paying attention now, that much was clear.

“Friends?”, Gwyn asked, not releasing him just yet. Their fingers must have found a way to interlace autonomously in the past few seconds and she savored the feeling of them a little longer.

“Friends.”, the Shadowsinger replied. But his face betrayed his even voice. Gwyn couldn’t quite put a finger on what happened, what change between them.

She only had this nagging feeling that more than friendship shone from his face as he bid her goodnight.

And she that she was well and truly in love.

[honkytonk-hangman]

Line of Sight [2]

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Reader

Summary: Jake had offered you his services the next time some guy made you uncomfortable at a bar. He just hadn't thought that guy would be your shitty ex-boyfriend.

Warnings: shitty exes. i dont know how pool works. jakes internal monologue mostly.

Notes: Part two, as requested folks!!!

Masterlist

Jake hadn’t even realised you were out tonight.

After the incident at the club several weeks back, you’d seemingly made yourself scarce when it came to nights out at the Hard Deck. Apparently you’d had some big work project lined up this month and were too tired to make it, but Jake can’t help but think that excuse sounded a little too convenient. You’d been distant before the club anyway, and in a halfway desperate attempt to reel you back in, he’d stepped out of his well established routine with you that night and offered his service when it came to creeps in bars.

He didn’t think you’d really take him up on it, not that he wouldn’t be happy if you did, but he did think it might lend you a little more confidence to hang out, even if Phoenix and Rooster weren’t going to be there.

The weeks went by agonisingly slow for him when you weren’t there, which was a ridiculous way for him to feel considering he barely even spoke to you when you were there. But Jake liked you. He liked listening to you talk and laugh, and if he’s perfectly honest, he didn’t want to end up being the reason that talking or laughing stopped. In his mind, the best way to avoid that was to interact with you as little as possible. He was nice to you, sure, but outside of simple politeness, he didn't know how not to be himself, so naturally, he kept his distance and bit his tongue.

He was content with just being in the radius of you. It was better that way, or so he had thought until you’d started keeping a distance, which had resulted in you being bothered by some douche in a club who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Jake had let himself get closer than he’d ever allowed before, and it was almost enough to sustain him during the weeks you weren’t around.

Jake lets fly his last dart, and whistles as it lands predictably, directly in the centre of the board. Why any of his fellow aviators still played with him, he had no clue, but honestly he’s glad they still do. Fanboy scoffs and rolls his eyes, and Jake manages to dodge the elbow Javy tries to send into his ribs.

“How about this; the winner gets the next round.” Coyote announces, flinging his last dart wildly to the left, earning him little points. Jake simply shrugs, his grin still fixed in place as the others all call out their agreement.

The remainder of the game is played in record time, and the blond bites back a remark about all of their purposeful botched-shots only being slightly worse than usual, and lets himself be dismissed toward the busy bar with a self-satisfied smirk he knows is still infuriating.

When Jake returns, he notices his group has grown larger, an unfamiliar couple laughing and joking with the others. He also notices that you’ve shown up, which immediately saps the rest of his interest.

“Well, if I’d known we were having company I would’ve bought more drinks…” Jake announces as he steps up from behind you, handing off three of the drinks in his hand, and then ignoring Bob and passing you a fresh beer instead. He should have been tipped off that something was wrong when you turn to face him quickly, eyes slightly widened like you’ve been looking specifically for him.

“Jake! There you are!” you exclaim, and Jake blinks down at you dumbly.

“Here I am,” he confirms, unable to stop his frown as you seem to glance briefly back at the unfamiliar couple, and then back at him. You move closer to him, and he watches you hesitate before reaching out and wrapping your hand around his arm. Jake blinks at you again, but finds himself distracted by the feel of your hands as you tuck yourself into his side.

“Ah, so is this him, huh?” the unfamiliar male seems to step toward you, and gestures at Jake, who quickly starts to put together at least some of what the hell is going on. He looks down at you, and you look back, eyes pleading.

Jake falls into character just a little too well. He grins wide, smirking with full force as he gently pulls his arm out of your grasp to wrap securely around your back, his hand resting at your waist in a way that’s incredibly nice.

“Lieutenant Jake Seresin. Call me Hangman.” Jake leans forward and offers out a hand. The other man takes it, and Jake makes sure to squeeze just a little too hard as they shake.

“I’m David. We used to date,” the man, David, says, gesturing between him and you. Jake smiles brighter and cocks his head.

“I figured.” Jake says dismissively, before quickly looking away from your ex and focusing on you.

You’re staring up at him the same way you had that night, like you’d asked him for help but had expected him to refuse. Expected him to hang you out to dry. He supposes he hadn’t given you much else to expect of him.

“Pool?” you ask, jerking your head off in the direction of the nearby pool table, and Jake nods, separating from you for only a moment to place his own beer into the still floundering Bob’s hands, before following you off a small step away.

Standing slightly separated from the rest of your group, and more importantly, your ex, Jake feels you pull back from him a little as you go about racking up a game, seemingly refusing to look him in the eye. It’s only when you’re taking your first shot that you finally talk again.

“Thank you… I didn’t know what else to do…” you mumble, eyes shooting back and forth between him and the table in front of you. Jake purses his lips, but gives you another nod as he leans down to make his own play, before standing to his full height and staring you down.

“What’s he doing here?” he asks, hoping not to sound too stern, but he can see by the way you quickly flick your eyes away from him and down at your feet that he’s failed.

“Said he’s back in town for a convention or something… brought his new girlfriend.” If you're trying to sound casual about it all, you fail spectacularly, punctuated by the way you briefly glance over to glare daggers at the back of David’s head.

“You haven’t forgotten how much he sucks right?” Jake says sourly, before quickly straightening up and clearing his throat, nodding over at your group again. “I mean, I’ve never seen Rooster look so unfriendly before…” he adds, making you both look at where Bradshaw stands looking somewhat uncomfortable, but not not glaring either.

The sight causes you to chortle softly into your hand, though you do try to hide it as you move around the table, closer to Jake to take your shot. He doesn’t pretend to not be watching you as you do.

“I really am grateful for all of you that night,” you say sweetly, and it makes Jake sneak a glare back in David’s direction, where he finds the other man has positioned himself to where he can watch the two of you playing.

“Here, like this,” Jake says suddenly, quickly placing his own cue down and stepping up behind you. You startle a little, shooting a questioning glance over your shoulder at him, though it falters when he glides his hands over your hips, and then up to your hands. It falls even more when you seem to also catch sight of David. You turn your head back to the pool table as Jake does his very best to keep things appropriate while still bending you over.

“Sorry ‘bout this, gotta make sure David sees you're better off, don’t we?” he hears himself whisper in your ear as he helps you position your hands better. He can’t get enough of the feeling of you beneath him like this, and even though he knows he should quickly help you with your shot and then disengage, but the most selfish part of him outright refuses, instead drawing it out for as long as he can get away with.

“It’s okay,” you all but squeak back, and Jake can’t help but smirk.

“Is it just?” he almost regrets flirting for a moment, until he spies your sweet little smile, and hears the sound of your laugh.

“You’re so weird.” is the next thing you say, and it takes him somewhat off-guard.

“Weird? I’m trying to be sexy…” he tells you flatly, earning another laugh that rings sweetly in his ears.

You finally take your shot, mostly with the help of Jake, and it quickly sinks four of your balls at once, automatically winning you the game. You both stand straight, though when you turn to face him, Jake makes no move back or to give you space, his frame caging you in against the pool table.

“It is sexy… that's the problem.” You tell him almost shyly and with a small frown. At that statement, he immediately takes a small step back, cursing himself out for clearly making you uncomfortable. He knew keeping his distance was the best option.

“You’re always so hot and cold with me, I can’t figure it out.” Your voice sounds a little sad almost, and his own emotions give him whiplash as he suddenly berates the distance he’s always kept between you, wishing he’d just be hot from the start, and kept it hot the whole way through.

“I still can’t even tell if you like me… like, as a friend… I don’t even have your phone number, I have everyone else’s phone numbers, I–”

“–I like you.” Jake cuts you off, blinking rapidly and taking a step forward again. “Why would you think I don’t like you?” He knows its a dumb question, but he feels like he deserves to hear it, torture himself a little.

“You never talk to me, you don’t– you know– you just treat me different. It’s not like I can’t see that, you know!” you get a little indignant at that, and almost look like you're about to cross your arms over your chest when your eyes suddenly skip to something over Jake’s shoulder.

He could almost deck David when his voice sounds from just behind him, but he manages to at least hold back from that.

For now.

“That was a pretty good shot, Jake–”

“–Call me Hangman,” Jake grits out, half turning back to face the other man as he steps into view, his girlfriend tucked under his arm. Without even thinking, Jake lets one of his hands come to rest at your waist, and he gently pulls you closer to him.

“It was all her,” He tells your ex, who inches closer to getting punched when he laughs.

“You must have improved since we dated, then!” David says to you, and the ever so slight downward turn of your lips makes Jake squeeze you softly.

“How about another game, huh?” David asks, already racking the balls and handing his beer off to his girlfriend, who he still hadn’t bothered to introduce. Jake grins, but turns to look at you, his eyes sparkling as he leans in a little closer to you.

“You want me to destroy this guy, for you sweetheart?” He asks quietly, before moving even closer, so close he hears the tiny little gasp you let out, feels it against his lips.

“Wouldn’t do that for just anyone,” he continues, as if tempting you. You blink up at him and he sees that same awestruckness he had that night at the club, relishes in it being directed toward him. He gives your waist a little tap with his fingers when you don’t reply, and it seems to jolt you back. You nod, seemingly trying to tame your own grin, which only feeds into his own.

“Nothing left to bury,” you reply at last, making Jake genuinely have to throw his head back as he laughs. Giving your waist a last squeeze, he kisses your cheek, before stepping away and grabbing his cue again.

“I’d love to play, David.”

[malum-forev]

Ooo hiiiii! If it’s okay (I’m sorry if this is too detailed!!),

Can I please request a Everyone lives au! (All of the Avengers are alive and well, and the team is still together as a family😅) Bucky x fem!civilian!reader where they first met when he was The Winter Soldier, and again in TFAWS? He miraculously had saved Y/n’s life back when he was the Winter Soldier, something that he had never told anyone about (as Hydra probably would’ve had her killed for seeing the Winter Soldier). It all comes to the surface years later when Bucky, Steve, and Sam are out at a restaurant when they run into Y/n, who is their waitress, and drops their food once she sees who Bucky is (he thinks it’s because she’s afraid, but she’s not, it’s because she recognizes him as the man who saved her life). + she hugs and thanks him? Sam and Steve being proud of him🥺 + Y/n and Buck falling in love?

I feel like it’d be really meaningful and emotional for Bucky to have someone see him as their hero, rather than the villain that he thinks he is (POOR BBY)🥺🥺

Hiii thank you sooo much for your ask!! This is my first one! I hope I do it justice!

The chill of the midnight breeze made Bucky shiver, he shouldn’t be out right now and he knows he doesn’t need to be. It’s a conscious decision. Steve, Sam, and Bucky are veterans and they have no business taking on the graveyard shift but they didn’t care. They didn’t care that the new recruits were younger and would adapt to the bizarre sleep schedule better, they didn’t care that they had to bundle up with an extra layer of clothing before leaving the compound so they wouldn’t get a cold, they didn’t care that now they understood the term: ‘I know tomorrow’s gonna rain, my knees always hurt before it does.’

After they ‘gently convinced’ (as Bucky would say) the person who supposedly knew information about the new mission they were on, the three men found themselves at a 24hr diner at 2am. Hoping to get in their third cup of coffee on the shift.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” Sam groaned, leaning his head on the back of the squeaky red booth. 

“I knew I was going to stop at some point, I just didn’t know that the end would come with me having to crack every single bone before fighting.” Steve laughed into his coffee. 

Bucky looked up at the flickering fluorescent lights. “I dislocate my shoulder every time, I’m starting to think I should just keep it out of the socket. It’ll give me less trouble that way.”

“When did we get so old?” Bucky said with a groan, putting his face in his hands.

“We should get some food in, wouldn’t want to get acid reflux before a fight.” Sam flagged the waitress down. 

Bucky didn’t know what he was expecting, scratch that- he knows exactly what he was expecting and it wasn’t you. He thought his waitress would be an older woman, she would smell of stale coffee and fryer oil. But suddenly you were here, with him, and everything started moving in slow motion. 

At first you didn’t recognize him, it had been years since you’d last saw him. And even that time you first met, you didn’t get to truly see him. You were too afraid to even peek through your hand covered eyes. You balanced the tray of food, meant for the person a few tables behind them, with one hand while the other one rummaged through the pocket at the front of your apron for a pen. 

You finally found it and clicked the top.

“What will you guys be-“ Your mouth suddenly turned dry as you met his crystal eyes. In a matter of milliseconds your world shifted. Like one second you were working the late night shift your obnoxious boss had forced you into doing and the next your back in time. Exactly eight years ago, the night your life changed.  

Everyone around you worried, your first-time leaving home and you chose a big city. “You know they have pickpockets there, right?” someone had told you, trying to convince you not to go. But you’d roll your eyes and say: “I’m more scared of the guys around here who drink and drive than a couple of pickpockets.” 

You were surprisingly autonomous for a person who had never been apart from- well- anyone you knew. All of your family, friends and safety net now resided a couple of thousands of miles away. 

But there was something about that day eight years ago, the first day where everything went wrong. Maybe it was your brains way of giving you some sort of bad omen. You had stayed out a little too late that day and missed your train, now you had to take the bus. But the only route available took you to an unknown part of town. From there you would have to walk some 40 odd minutes to get back home. 

Your boots clicking on the hard cobblestone was the only thing to be heard, the light of the moon the only thing that was shining. A strange feeling took over your being as you looked around the foreign place. And just to make things worse, it started raining.

As you started feeling the droplets becoming more aggressive you decided to wait the storm out in what looked like an old hotel. But as you pushed the door open, you realized it was abandoned on the inside. You stayed close to the door and took in your surroundings. 

There was an old wooden door to your left, it was slightly open so you peered inside. It creaked as you opened it and your heart sank as you saw what was inside. A man tied to a chair, his cheekbone was cut and bleeding, a knife was sticking out from his upper thigh. You gasped as you came closer.

“Help me.” The man groaned but before you could do anything, something came out of the shadows. 

Half of his face was covered and his hair was long, but your eyes were glued to his. His dark cerulean eyes were lit by the moonlight coming in from the skylight. 

He marched towards you until you were backed up against the wall. You’d heard about him before. The Winter Soldier, but you thought he was a character made up by mothers across the world so their children would do as they said. A sort of Boogeyman. 

Your life flashed before your eyes as you saw his metal hand come up to your throat. You closed your eyes tightly and waited for the light at the end of the tunnel, but it never came. You opened one eye and saw the shining red star at his shoulder slightly shake, the only indication that he was there because when you saw his face it was blank. The dark hue in his eyes you saw a second earlier had disappeared. In its place was a light crystal blue shine. His silver hand was still around your neck but he didn’t apply any pressure.

“Who are you?” He muttered through gritted teeth. The lines in his forehead a clear indication that he was battling with himself.

“I’m nobody.” You squeaked, your eyes never leaving his. 

He opened his mouth to say something but turned his head to the side, listening for something. “You have to leave.”

“What?” You gasped. 

He took your hand in his right one and lead you to the window in the room. He smashed the glass, making sure there was no sharp edge as he picked you up to sit on the windowsill.

“What are you doing?” You asked quietly, not sure how you even got one word out. You finally heard some voices coming closer to the room you were in.

“Leave!” he ordered looking from you to the door. “They’ll kill you if you don’t!”

You jumped out into the rain and looked back at him. 

“Run!” he yelled before taking a knife and stabbing it into his right arm. He groaned in pain.

“What’s going on down here, Soldat?” You heard someone ask. 

“Someone came in, wanting to take the prisoner out. I took care of them.” The Winter Soldier said. 

Your fight or flight finally kicked in and you ran, you ran until your legs gave out and you were far away from him. 

He recognized you too, you saw it flash in his eyes. You took a step back in shock and bumped into the table behind them, dropping the contents of your tray on the floor. You gasped.

“I-I’ll-“ You stuttered. “I’ll bring over a mop.”

You rushed back to the kitchen, taking the cleaning supplies from the closet and passing them over to your coworker, Frank.

“What’s this about?” He rolled his eyes.

“I’ve covered for you hundreds of times.” You spat out. “Clean up the mess at table 17 and call it even.”

Before he could even answer you rushed out the back door, desperately needing fresh air. Your breaths were shallow and no amount of air could relieve the pressure you felt in your chest. You ripped the apron off and threw it on the ground, pacing back and forth. 

You heard the back door creak open. “I don’t need your shit right now, Frank!”

But you could recognize the sound of those boots anywhere. You lifted your head and saw the Winter Soldier walking towards you. Your breath got caught in your throat. He picked up your apron up and brought it closer to you.

“We’ve met before.” He gulped. “When I was someone I no longer am.”

His voice had a strange quality to it, like he was unsure as to what to say. Your eyes widened at his tone.

You wanted to find a way to say what you felt but how can you put into words: ‘Thank you for saving my life eight years ago and not killing me even though you were programmed to kill anything in your way back then.’

Maybe you could find a Hallmark card?

He looked down at the floor with shame as you didn’t answer, almost embarrassed. 

But before you knew it, you were wrapping your arms over his shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. Now it was his turn to widen his eyes. 

You let go after a few seconds. “I’m sorry about that. The hug, I don’t know if you’re a hugger.”

His mouth opened slightly and his cheeks had a pinkish hue to them. 

“Thank you.” You whispered.

His eyebrows furrowed. “Did you- did you just say thank you? You’re not afraid?”

“Afraid?” You asked. “You saved me that night. You fought all your instincts and saved me, even when it would have been easier to just get rid of me. I don’t know how I can repay you.” 

“I- I don’t understand. I don’t know what to say.” Bucky was shocked, he thought you were scared of him. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be on the other side of the Winter Soldier. A young woman being almost choked to death by a machine. But here he was, being thanked by you.

You shook your head. “Don’t say anything, just listen. Thank you, you saved my life.”

A rare, small smile tugged at his lips. Those words changed him. Six silly words that came out of your mouth like sweet honey seeped into his fractured heart. He felt something, for the first time in decades. 

 Bucky cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you to it.”

You smiled at him, brushing back your hair. 

When you returned to the table much more composed, you finally asked for their order. One cheese and spinach omelet for the Falcon, one BLT for Captain America and just a black coffee for the Winter Soldier. Was this real life?

They asked for the check a while later, surprised when you said it was on the house.

“If I’d known you guys give food for free, I would have come by sooner.” Sam laughed.

“It’s not every day you get to see the man who saved your life.” You said with a smile. 

Both men turned to look at a now blushing Bucky. 

“Please, it was nothing.” He said shyly, not looking up. 

You nodded your head, a feeling of pride filling your body. This man who has only felt feared deserves to be awarded for his good. “He saved my life eight years ago when I wandered into a place I was definitely not supposed to be in.”

A smile appeared on Steve’s face as he patted his best friend on the back. “I’m proud of you Buck.”

----

The shift happened immediately after that day. Suddenly Bucky started to push Steve and Sam to take the graveyard shift with him more often, and when they stopped going he decided to go by himself. 

“My head feels clearer at night.” Was Bucky’s excuse once. 

But everyone could see the Sergeant’s true intentions. He had quite literally fallen in love with you, he’d slipped on the linoleum floors one night after missing the caution cone you’d put out, but Bucky couldn’t for the life of him figure out a way to ask you out. And today was no exception.

“Can I get you anything else?” You asked as you placed his regular order in front of him.

His lips were sealed tight and he shook his head furiously. 

You smiled. “I’ll be around if you need me.”

You’d become quite confused, he had flirted with you a couple of times now. Cute compliments would flow out of his mouth constantly, he’d even called you beautiful once as a pet name. But maybe you had mistaken his kind words for something other than what they were. 

“I’ll leave this here, whenever you’re ready.” You placed the receipt in front of him after he’d been in the diner with only his coffee for around 30 minutes. 

You didn’t expect him to grab your hand, and you certainly didn’t expect the sparks that shot.

“I will not be paying this.” He said, his eyes on yours.

You furrowed your eyebrows. “If you want I can get my manager.”

“I will not be paying this.” He repeated. “Until you accept my date offer.”

You went from confused to truly shocked, and he noticed because he immediately backtracked. He slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead, mumbling under his breath.

“I am so sorry, I don’t know why I just said that. I sounded like a total creep. You obviously don’t want to go on a date with an old man like me it- it’s just I think you are beautiful but more than that you are kind and I would love- if you gave me the chance to, maybe I’m not used to this modern way of courting but I think that-“

You placed your hand over his babbling mouth. “Of course I’ll go on a date with you.”

Bucky let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding.

“Thank god.” His muffled voice said. 

[albertasunrise]

Seeing Things - Oops Baby

Masterlist

Summary: Being best friends with Frankie meant movie nights, drinks with the guys and a shoulder to cry on when you got your hear broken. He is head over heels for you but you don’t feel the same… yet a drunken mistake will tie your lives together forever!

Relationships: Frankie Morales x Reader

Warnings: Like AO3 I choose to give none. Read at own risk. 18+ (So... I am trying to update my other pics but the reaction I getting from this ones really giving me the motivation to continue it... so thank you and I hope you enjoy this update! ♥️ It's not a super long one but everything gonna become clear I promise!)

Series Masterlist - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

In the weeks that followed, the sightings of you only increased. You seemed to be everywhere he looked, asking him the same thing over and over again. 

Come back to me

He wished he knew what you wanted. Surely you didn't want him to leave little Esme? You would never have wanted him to hurt himself so why did you ask him to go back to him? You were dead!

"I brought you your favourites." He stated plainly as he pulled out the old bouquet of flowers Ben had brought you the week before. He poured out the stagnant water and replenished it with some from the bottle of water he'd stashed in his pack. Then, just as you had shown him on one of the many evenings you'd spent together, he arranged them carefully, sure to make sure they were just how you would have liked them. 

"I'm sorry I haven't visited sooner." He said as he got to his feet and rubbed the back of his neck nervously "Things have been busy with the baby and work... Don't want to bore you with the details but ya know... It's been hard." He let out a long sigh as he scraped his hand over his face to wipe away the traitorous tears that tracked down his cheeks "Esme's getting so big so fast." He continued "You should see her Titch, the spitting image of you! With the addition of my hair and eyes." He chuckled. 

His eyes traced over the words carved into your headstone. 

The words Here Lies carved in an elegant font followed by your first name and last name, 'Titch' at the end by request of Ben

Friend and Mother 

Forever loved

Never forgotten

Ben had selected the words. Frankie hadn't been able to bring himself to do it so the younger Miller had stepped up. Taking the 'anything I can do to help' statement he'd made to Fish when you'd died so literally. 

"Seeing you everywhere is killing me Titch." Frankie said after a short pause "Is this what you meant? Come to me, did you mean this? Because I am wracking my brains baby, trying to understand what it is you want from me." He sobbed "The guys all think I'm losing the plot but I know you're there. Just out of eyeshot or something and I know you're trying to tell me something so please... help me understand Titch." 

He paused, his eyes locked on the headstone as he let out a shaky breath before pleading one last time. 

"Please..." 

"Frankie." Your voice made him just and his head shot up, scanning the surroundings for you. 

"Frankie please..." You pleaded "Please don't leave me." 

No matter where he looked he couldn't see you. But he could hear you like you were right beside him. 

"What do you mean?" He begged, tears openly spilling down his cheeks "I'm here Titch... Baby I'm here!" 

"Please don't leave me, Frankie." You repeat, your tone breaking his heart as he desperately looked for you among the headstones "I can't do this without you." 

This statement let Frank's brows draw together. What did you mean by that? He was the one who'd been left behind. Your pleads disappeared like smoke on the wind and Frankie was left with the sound of his own breathing and the rattling of branches. He pressed his palms firmly against his eyes as he tried to slow his breathing, his pounding heart hammering against his ribs. 

"I can't do this." He whispered to no one in particular, allowing the dam to break "Fuck I can't... I can't cope with this." 

You didn't say anything else and Frankie audibly groaned before pushing himself to his feet. He didn't understand why you were doing this. Torturing him. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. 

...

"Well, ain't that better Lil' Titch?" Ben said as he finished fastening her babygrow "Uncle Ben's not so bad at this huh?" 

Esme smiled in reply, her legs kicking and arms waving in visible excitement before he scooped her into his arms and planted a big kiss on her cheek. She settled quickly on his shoulder and he smiled as she let out a little sigh and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. 

"Shit Titch... I wish you could see how perfect she is." He whispered as he placed a kiss on the infant's brow.

"Hands off... she's mine." Frank teased as he walked into the lounge, grinning as his best friend cuddled his daughter so closely.

"You gotta share the baby Fish!." Ben chuckled as he gently gingerly sat on the couch. 

“Yeah, yeah...” Frank grumbled as he waved off his friend, traipsing to the kitchen to fetch a beer. 

“How’d it go?” Ben asked when the older man reappeared, giving him a sympathetic smile as he watched him sit on the armchair across from him. 

“How’d what go?”

“Seeing Titch!” 

“Was fine.” Frankie shrugged, fooling no one once again. 

“There’s something you’re not telling me.” Ben pushed and Frankie groaned. 

“Ben…”

“You gotta talk about this shit man!” Ben pushed, pleading with his eyes for his friend to just open up to him. 

“You won’t believe me!” 

“Why would you-“

“I heard Titch again.” Frank snapped, keeping his voice low so he didn’t wake his baby. 

“What do you mean you heard her?” 

“I keep hearing her talking to me. Sometimes I see her and she always says the same thing!”

“Which is?” 

"To go back to her." Frank replied, scraping a shaky hand over his face. 

"Go back to her?"

"Yes, Ben!" He snarled "And today she was begging me not to leave her!" He choked "But she left me Ben!... I loved her and she left me all alone..." He trailed off as he broke down into tears, head in his hands. 

Ben got up and placed Esme in her Moses basket with practised ease before sitting on the arm of the chair Frank was sitting in and pulling him close. 

"I can't do this..." He sobbed and Ben sighed "I don't know what she wants from me." 

"Fish... this is just your brain's way of holding onto her." Ben sighed "We all deal with grief in different ways... Shit, I keep listening to the last voicemail she left me over and over again just so I don't forget her voice!" 

"No!" Frank all but shrieked "That's not what this is Ben! It's her I know it is!" 

"You can't seriously believe Titch is haunting you, man!" Ben sighed as he stood up to check on Esme as she started to fuss. 

"I don't know how else to explain it, Ben!" He growled "I keep seeing her everywhere and she keeps repeating the same thing over and over!" 

"Fish-" 

"But then today she said something different." Frankie interrupted " She begged me not to leave her... Told me she couldn't do this without me..." He trailed off whilst nervously pacing his lounge "What does that even mean? She can't do this without me... She can't be dead without me? Doesn't make any fucking sense!" 

"Fish... Man, you need to calm down!" Ben pleaded, noting how breathless the pilot has suddenly become "This won't be doing your heart any good man!" 

"My heart's fine!" The older man grumbled.

"You say that but this can't be good for you!" Ben warned "Just take a breath man... I believe you, okay! I believe you saw her." 

"You're just saying that." Fish scoffed, rolling his eyes when Ben frantically shook his head. 

"I'm really not okay!" The younger man pleaded "Just... Just please." 

Frankie sighed as he ran a shaky hand through his mussed hair. His eyes then drifted to Esme who was staring over at him with her large, teary eyes. His heart ached and he was quick to scoop her up into his arms and lay a soothing kiss on the crown of her head. 

"I'm sorry baby girl." He whispered as he bounced her gently in his arms "I just miss your mummy so much." 

"We all do brother." Ben said as he placed a comforting hand on Frankie's back "I'm not trying to say that I even remotely understand the pain you're feeling brother but know that I miss her so much it hurts... And that I am here! Whatever you need..." 

Frankie nodded, giving his friend a weak smile before resting his cheek on the top of Esme's head. 

"I know Ben." He said softly "Thanks." 

"Any time." Ben replied, giving his friend a friendly wink before grabbing his stuff to leave "See you tomorrow for dinner yeah?" 

"Sure." The pilot replied softly "See you then." 

...

"Why the fuck did you pick a restaurant that didn't have a parking lot asshole!" Ben grumbled as he pushed Esme's pram along the pavement, the steep hill making it a little harder. 

"It had good reviews okay!" Will grumbled, "It's not that bad!" 

"You're not the one pushing a pram up a 90-degree hill!" Ben grumbled, pulling a smirk from Frankie. 

"You offered brother!" Frank pointed out, sniggering at the groan that he received in reply "I can take her if you're struggling."

"I am not struggling!" Ben argued and Fish threw his hands up in surrender.

"We're nearly there!" Will piped up "Just across the street."

The three of them reached the crossing, breathing a small sigh of relief when the restaurant came into view. Will crossed first with Ben following closely behind him. Something had distracted Frankie, leading him to step out a few steps behind his friends but your voice calling his name stopped him in his tracks and he looked to his left, your figure illuminated by a bright white light. 

"Come back to me." You pleaded as you always did and Frankie froze. Tears sprouted as he looked at you smiling back at him as you held your hand out to him "Come back to me." 

You disappeared as quickly as you appeared, a horn sounding before Ben screamed his name. Then suddenly he was flying for a brief moment before his body connected with something solid and he rolled over it before hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. 

"FISH!!" Ben screamed as he ran to the pilot's side, hands shaking as he took in his friend's condition "Fish stay with me." He choked as he saw how bent and broken the older man looked.

Frankie winced as he turned his head, noting how Will was standing with the pram as he frantically spoke to who he assumed was the emergency service on his phone. He also noted that the driver who had hit him was nowhere to be seen. 

Hit and run. 

"Ben." He coughed after he spoke, blood filling his throat at an alarming rate. 

"Shhhh." He hushed the man and stroked his hair, desperately trying to keep himself together "Just keep breathing for my Fishsticks!" He pleaded 'Please don't leave me..."

His last statement blended into yours. He could hear you again, pleading not to leave you and he only felt more confused. He was dying... it was clear that he was so surely he was going back to you. 

Surely you should be happy?

"Please, Frankie... Please don't leave me." 

You pleaded... your voice shaky. 

"I'm coming Titch." He whispered. His eyes fell shut as darkness took him. 

"What's happening?" You sobbed as hands moved you from the room.

"He's crashing!" Stated someone in the room and you shook your head as you were pushed into the hallway, still able to see everything through the glass walls of Frankie's room. 

"Please, Frankie... Please don't leave me." You sobbed "Please..." 

Another set of hands pulled you away but not before you witnessed them shock the man you loved, desperately trying to restart the heart that was supposed to save him. You were placed in a room where you had spent more time than you cared to remember in the past month and a half. Hours sat waiting for news on whether Frankie was going to pull through. 

He'd gotten the heart he so desperately needed yet for close to two months he'd been in a coma, fighting battle after battle. This was just the latest in a long list of complications he'd suffered. 

Kidney Failure... Infection... His body had even rejected the donor heart but that was something they had managed to detect early. It seemed his body just refused to get better, even if his mind wasn't willing to let go. 

"What's happening?" Asked Ben as he stepped into the room after being directed here by a nurse, his brows tightly drawn in concern. 

"He crashed." You sobbed as you threw your head into your hands.

"What?... What caused it?" 

"I don't know." You replied, shaking your head "They dragged me in here as they tried to bring him back... I haven't heard anything yet." 

Ben nodded solemnly as he sat down beside you, handing you Esme when you held your arms out to receive her. You needed to hold your baby. 

"Why won't he get better Ben?" You sobbed as your eyes locked with his.

"He's really poorly." He replied softly "He needs time to get better." 

"But that's just it... He's not getting better!" 

"He will, Titch." Ben assured you and you sighed. 

"How do you know that?" 

"Because he's got something to fight for." He stated plainly. 

The two of you then sat in that room for what felt like hours, glad of Esme to keep you somewhat distracted from what the outcome of this latest setback might be. The doctor appeared sometime later. His expression was difficult to read. 

"How is he Doc?" Ben asked, holding your free hand tightly in his. 

"We managed to bring him back." The doctor announced, "He's weak and we have had to up his anti-rejection meds." 

"He's rejecting the heart again?" 

"He never technically stopped." The doctor stated "We have been able to keep it under control with medication. He seems to be responding well though and we're hopeful." 

You both breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief, glad that finally, something was going right. 

"There's something else though." The doctor stated and both you and Ben shared a grim glance before looking at the doctor again. 

"What is it?" You asked, your voice shaking slightly. 

"He's awake." 

Next

For updates follow @albertasunrise-ficsblog

[ravencincaide]

A rough patch

Summary: You hit a rough patch- a big issue that could have been solved with a sentence or two and instead it seemed to ruin everything. Came about because of your own actions. And so you try but everything seems to somehow get worse. OR you and Chuuya are more alike than you think when hurt.

Pairing: Couple! reader x Chuuya Nakahara Warnings: Angst? Shifting perspective

You don’t care 

You watched as the clock ticked time away, painfully slow, it ticked the seconds away into minutes which turned into hours in a haze. Just shy of four in the morning. Four. Then five. 

At quarter to six the front door opened, a heavy sigh echoed around the dark space. As if the mere act of ‘coming home’ brought a sense of dullness, a sense of responsibility with it. And with it, dread.

You moved off your spot in the living room couch and headed to the kitchen. There you picked up a mug and a wine glass; one you filled with bitter ‘get awake’ liquid, the second with sweet poison which would knock him out and to bed in a matter of minutes. After months together, you knew which one Chuuya would choose but you still, naively, offered both. 

“ Oh you’re still up doll? couldn’t sleep?” his voice was a sigh, accompanied by a guilty, tired smile. He flashed you another one, this time an inch less forced as he reached for the coffee. Of course, because spending any more time with you than he already was, even in an inhibited state or while asleep equated to a chore. So typical Chuuya, a ‘mature’ executive who’d hide behind work, being busy and his own-induced tiredness than risk sitting down with you. Risk hearing how much his actions hurt you, and in the process, knowingly or unknowingly, hurting you more. 

You might have cared before- or maybe it was a carefully curated lie to lure me in.

You watched Chuuya avoid your gaze. Look anywhere but the dark rings under your eyes and the cold mask of indifference which so clearly radiated pain. In contrast to you he looked awkward, as if unsure where he should have come home at all; maybe he should have sent a message and slept over in the office instead? Kept the distance you seemed to cherish  Or maybe, just like you, he wondered where it had all gone so wrong. 

No, you cared before. But along the way you hurt me, again and again, and each time a little bit of care from your side faded away. Until you had nothing but fakeness and hurt left to give. 

The silence was an awkward witness. It seemed to say so much and yet uttered so little. A contrast from when you two would chatter every moment of every day and so the silence would not fester between you. 

Now it was a constant present; a cocky one which didn’t hesitate to rub this difference in. 

“ Sorry doll, didn’t get that you were waiting up for me..” Chuuya trailed off, swallowed, sighed. Then he took a large clunk of hot coffee. No doubt burnt himself in the process; but rather than show it, he barely winced. 

His human side, his vulnerability, no longer for your eyes to see. 

His actions stung. Yet you had to remind yourself that you had no right to get hurt. Not anymore. 

Along the way I screamed  ‘I love you’ ‘I love you’ ‘I love you’ wholeheartedly. I give you my heart, all that I have, so please don’t hurt it more; don’t break it. 

You replied with unfulfilled promises and more hurt. Not because you were- are- a bad person but because you couldn't understand me. My screams to you were easy to miss whispers. 

You asked for distance; voiced your hurt fuelled feelings. You got exactly what you asked for. You made your bed and it was time to lie in it. 

“ How was work?” you tried to sound normal, cheerful even. To show you were insanely happy that he chose to reach out to you; that he chose to come back home even if staying in the office would have been more efficient. But even to your own ears, you sounded cold and tired. 

And you cursed yourself for it. You wanted so badly to explain what you were trying to convey but your thoughts were all a mess; did you have the right to? Could you? Would he want to hear your explanations?

Chuuya sighed again and took another sip of coffee, effectively silencing you with a singular comment; “ As good as work can get.”  

You felt stupid. 

And now everything hurts; the presence hurts as it reminds me of the sweet past and broken future, the absence hurts because it’s filled with regret, fear and longing. What can I say? What can I do? Can it even be fixed anymore- or is it all in shambles? 

You felt yourself deflate. Stumble over words that would normally come so easy. Jokes felt too insensitive to pull, and comfort felt too frightening to give. You settled for something standard. Because, what else could you even say? 

“ I’m so sorry to hear that…” you trailed off. You didn’t need to say that the mafia- his job especially- was not a cheerful place. Where were you going with that thought? You didn't know, just like you didn't quite know what you were apologizing for in that instant. It seemed for everything and nothing all at once. 

You saw a change in his demeanor, and cursed yourself again as you saw that your intentions did not shine through. That the careful hand, a fear filled offer to share his burdens seemed to be misunderstood as apathy from your side. 

I want to run because that’s what I’m used to. I want to run to make the ache stop hurting; the fear and helplessness to disappear. To rip what feels like an inevitable future off, like a bandaid.  To start to grieve for what was and what could have been. 

“ Sorry hun, it’s been a long day. I need a shower then gotta head back” Chuuya set the half finished cup of coffee on the table. Gave you a moment before he turned on his heel and headed upstairs. 

“ Chuuya-” you cut yourself in hopes that he would come back down. That maybe you two could sit and talk everything through, the way you had done in the past. Try to solve through the hurt and try again. 

But to your dismay he did not stop climbing the steps. Albeit he did slow down. 

But ultimately I’m a coward, and so I cling to this limbo in hopes that you, too, one day will realize what’s lost. And wake up with the will to fight; for me, for us. To prove me wrong. And show me I’m not as replaceable, as I seem to be. 

“ No, It’s nothing, have a great day at work. I hope I’ll see you later.” you plastered on an obviously fake expression that still held a glimpse of hope in it. 

A hope that died as he kept walking to the bathroom without glancing back.  

You made your bed, and now you had no choice but to bite through the pain and lie in it. 

©ravencincaide 2024. Do not copy/repost/translate or spread my work(s) without my explicit permission. If you see any of my work(s) reposted/copied anywhere else without my consent, please inform me!

[arysbruv]

Overtime - A New Customer [prologue]

You’re new to town, only having moved here a week ago. After exploring for a while, you found a quaint little cafe near your work with amazing coffee and a hot barista! Thus, that place has become your regular visit after work.

Meanwhile, Nanami Kento has been a worker at the cafe for a long time; working there after his regular job for a few extra bucks. The people who visit are always the same boring people, that is until a new visitor comes in and shows him a new world.

pairings: nanami kento x gn!reader

warnings and whatnots: cafe au! turning into a series! Nothing much happening in this chapter. Haibara mentions 💕💕 I hope you enjoy’

MASTERLIST | -> NEXT |

Tokyo was beautiful.

When people told you that the place was busy and stunning, you never thought it would be like this. Yet, as you rounded your way through the innards of the city, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe get instilled into you.

The sun was setting. The golden rays of light hitting the scenery and causing the landscape to grow in beauty. You smile to yourself.

You recently moved in from a smaller town outside of Tokyo, having gained a good office job in the big city. It had been a week and you were still baffled by the complexities and intricacies of the city. You always found a new area to explore every time you went out.

Today, you decided to check out your new office. It was a Monday, and you wouldn’t start working until tomorrow, so you thought it would be a good idea to get a gist of your surroundings. As you rounded into an alleyway near your office building, you spot a small sign lit up with LED. You tilt your head, heading towards it. Excitement growing in you as you realise it was a cafe.

How fortunate! Lord knows you would need a coffee after a hard day’s work. You hope that the coffee in that place was good.

Entering the cafe, a small bell rung, announcing your presence. The cafe was quiet, only a few people sat there on their laptops, working. There was a small queue.

That must mean it’s good. You think to yourself.

Heading towards the counter, you look at the coffee and teas on the menu. All of them looked so creative and good! Your mouth salivated as you read the descriptions. What should you get?

•

Nanami was done with his job. But, he needed the money.

The cafe was slow but brought forth a sizeable income, mixed in with his 9-5 job, he had a good flow of cash flowing into his account. He sighed as he made another iced matcha latte, listening to his coworker, Haibara, chatting away to the elderly lady in front of him. How was he so energetic at the time of day?

The soft sound of the bell ring through the cafe, announcing the arrival of another customer. Nanami quickly glanced up, noticing your figure walk in, looking at the menu. He had never seen you before. Normally, the people who go to this cafe were regulars. Seldom came new customers.

He shrugs it off, continuing to make the coffee and putting it on the counter, calling out the person’s name. He leaves it there as he goes to make another order.

Raspberry frappe.

He moves quickly. He had gotten used to the mechanics of each machine he had to use, making him quite quick in preparing all the orders. That’s why he had always been the one making the coffee whilst Haibara handled the customers. Haibara was more amicable. He was pleasant to talk to and could break down people’s walls easily. That’s how he and Nanami became friends quickly. Haibara was patient with people. Not to say he wasn’t, but he would rather handle the backstage work then talk to the crowd.

A tap on the glass followed by a small ‘excuse me’ pulls him from his thoughts. He looks to his side, noticing you looking at him through the pastry case. You give him a soft smile.

“Yes?” He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. “You need to line up if you are to order a pastry.”

You lean back, standing straighter. “Hm, no, I wanted to order a drink, but I don’t know what’s good. Do you have any recommendations?”

Nanami thinks for a second. No one had really asked him that. He wasn’t prepared to answer such questions. He left those to Haibara. He glanced at the brown-haired boy who was now quickly talking away with another customer. Truth be told, he had never really drank any of the drinks. He found them to be a bit too expensive on his budget.

“I…” He trails off, not knowing what to say. He glanced at his hand. “The strawberry frappe is good.” He manages out.

You give him an encouraging smile, pleased with his answer. Somehow, that made him more motivated to speak.

“Truthfully, I’ve never drank anything here. But, our most popular items are Iced Matcha Latte, the Butterfly Tea, and our Strawberry frappe.”

You nod along, giving him a smile. “Thank you sir!” You say, moving to the back of the line.

His eyes follow you as you move. He nods at you before continuing on with his work.

•

You walk up to the counter finally, smiling at the brown haired boy in front of you.

“Hi! I’m Haibara. What would you like?” He asks positively, his voice full of care and love. You smile back at him, recalling what his coworker had said.

“I’d like the Butterfly Tea please.”

He smiles jotting down the order, making quick conversation with you about your name, the level of sugar you want and ice.

“Are you new around here? I’ve never seen you before!” Haibara finally lets out, masking his excitement. You nod, explaining that you had gotten a new job recently which caused you to move here.

The conversation between the two of you didn’t fall on deaf ears to Nanami. As he made your drink, he listened offhandedly to your conversations He listened up until you went to the side to let the customer behind you order. You smile at Haibara before moving to the end where your drink would end up, watching Nanami focus on mixing your drink up.

“Your drink.” He says to you, handing the drink to you. You give him a warm smile, taking it from him. Your fingers grazed his cold hands.

“I like your hair.” You state nonchalantly, pointing over to his blonde hair.

If you were being perfectly honest, the barista whom you didn’t know the name of was quite good looking. Hell, he was handsome. If the coffee wasn’t good, maybe you would just come over to gawk and admire the blonde haired man who made drinks. He couldn’t have been any older than you. Maybe… you shake the thought away. First week in the city and you’re already having thoughts on marrying the first hot guy you see.

The unnamed barista smiles at your compliment, nodding politely. Your eyebrows lower down slightly, saddened a bit by his lack of conversation. It was no wonder why Haibara was the one treating the customer and not him.

Either way, you move towards the entrance again, waving goodbye as you leave, fully intending to come visit again even if the drinks were bad.