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#I was into certain groups and things for years before I eventually got out of that stuff
sabertoothwalrus · 8 hours
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I'm going to think out loud about the dungeon meshi ages for a sec
I'm going to preface this by saying that this is based on my existing knowledge, and fact checking is difficult because there is A LOT of contentious research out there.
First of all, I think a lot of people come at this from a modern lens, forgetting the context that this is fantasy medieval era. this is fiction. on top of that, this is specifically Ryoko Kui's understanding of medieval era aging. plus fantasy. So before anyone comes at me with a bunch of 'ermmmm actualy's just consider that I don't really care and also it might not matter in this context lol
as far as the "age of maturity" assigned for each race, something I don't see many people talk about is that "teenagers" are a fairly recent concept. For a long time, you were either considered A Kid or Not A Kid. but this doesn't necessarily mean kids were more/less developed then, just our cultural expectations for certain age groups have changed.
Laios says the age of maturity for tallmen is 16. I don't think that means 16 year olds in the dungeon meshi universe are necessarily "more mature" than modern 16 year olds, but moreso that they have more responsibilities. However, things like medicine, smoking, drinking, sun exposure, physical activity, etc all affect age, so it's possible that developmentally they're closer to modern 18 year olds? Izutsumi is 17 (less than two weeks from turning 18, actually), and very much acts like a modern 17 year old.
The age of maturity for half-foots is 14. Chilchuck was 13 when he got married and had his first two children. Even though, at age 29, he's the equivalent of a modern 50 year old, I don't think he was That much more developed at 13 than a tallman. I think if half-foot 14 is equal to tallman 16, then Chilchuck was Pretty Damn Young for a parent LMAO. Even if you're generous and say tallman 16 is a modern 18, he still would've been younger than that.
The long-lived races are interesting. Marcille is obviously a unique case, and not a lot of this applies to her. We do know what Senshi was like as a minor (miner, lol), and he seemed like a modern 15ish, considering he was 36 and dwarf maturity is 40. I think it'd be really interesting to delve into how a culture functions with people being developmentally adolescent for soooooo long. Imagine middle school lasting 20 years. that would fucking suck. I suppose it makes sense why long-lived races are so patronizing.
Moving onto lifespans, I want to emphasize that they're average lifespans. Even in the manga, they say some half-foots live to 100, it's just rare. So it's less that a tallman 60 year old is "older" than a modern 60 year old, it's that it's easier to keep people alive for longer nowadays. Modern medicine is a BIG contributor. Dental health as well, considering how much your health is affected by your diet (and how much the action of chewing alone aids in digestion). Curious to know what the FUCK elven dentistry is like.
It also makes me wonder if half-foots would have a longer average lifespan if they weren't like, used for bait and treated so poorly, but half-foot 29 does seem to be middle-aged for half-foots. so who knows!
In that vein, I don't know if I can see Mithrun quite making it to 400 😬 like, his experience as a dungeon lord took a lot out of him quite literally, and he's doing exceptionally well despite it! I imagine he'd eventually start to develop a lot of heart problems if he doesn't have them already. Perhaps early-onset dementia. His memory seems still quite intact (he corrects Kabru on his story's accuracy) and he doesn't act like, lobotomized. He doesn't seem forgetful or confused, and he has a sense of humor/sarcasm still. It's mostly his task initiation that's been affected.
I almost want to say that mana affinity could affect long-lived races' lifespans, except dwarves have very poor tolerance for mana, so it's probably not that.
okay anyway I didn't really have a point to this post so I'm just gonna end my rambling here
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alphajocklover · 2 days
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I'm 23 and have been obsessed with body-building for years. I'm nowhere near big though. I'd love to be blown up into an absolutely massive freak. I wanna struggle to fit through door ways, I want furniture to bend under me. I want most guys I hit on to think I'm too big.
Please can you blow me up and grow me into the biggest bodybuilder possible.
It’s finally time for another one of my personal transformations. It’s been a little bit since I helped turn that guy into a bodybuilder jock with a supernova charged battery, but last time was so much fun I knew I had to do it again when the chance came up. I guess the only real question is what transformation method is right for you. I could always use the supernova battery again, or one of the other transformation methods I mentioned in my first personal transformation, but if I’m being honest part of the fun last time was sharing all the ways I could transform people. So how about we take a look at some of my newer transformation methods.
Your first choice is a CD. It’s a special video made for me by a local football coach who has recently introduced the Jock Studies program to his school. I reached out in the hope of getting an interview with him, and just got this in return. Not even a proper response. It’s… kind of an obvious trap too. I mean, I ask a bunch of people who are famous for turning people into submissive jocks to give me an interview, and they send me an unmarked CD? I mean, you can’t report on this kind of stuff like I do without someone trying to transform you eventually. I was actually kind of honored that they considered me enough trouble to target me… but not enough to actually watch the video. You can have the CD if you want. I’m absolutely certain you’d turn into a massive jock. Although you’d also be incredibly submissive to the coaches who made this, which might not be your jam. Let’s look at the others before you decide at least.
Your next option is a bit complicated. It’s a time machine, recently stolen from a group named the SAD (society against douchebags) by the Douchebag Revolution. I did a favor for them recently so they gave me this. Said they could trust me to use it responsibly. Well, sort of. The way they said it included a lot more ‘bros’ and ‘fuck yeahs’ but that was basically the gist. Anyways, we could use it to change you by changing your past. A little manipulation of your life and you could end up a bodybuilder. The thing is that time travel is… risky. Ever heard of the butterfly effect? That’s why I try to avoid time travel as much as possible. Too much can go wrong. Let’s move onto something else, since this one is so… unpredictable.
How about this one? It’s water from a familiar little town called Maxford, the one that turns anyone who enters it into a straight, conservative jock or bimbo. Turns out drinking water that’s bottled inside the town has similar effects. Turns you into your Maxford self for 24 hours. You wouldn’t believe what I had to go through to get this. Entering Maxford was an… interesting experience. Um, anyways, it might not be the best choice for you. It’s temporary, and it will turn you straight the entire time you’re a hunk. That can be fun to try, but I get the feeling you want something more permanent. Let’s look at something else
Finally is a specially made necklace, a gold chain with a miniature dumbbell pendant. It’s made by a jewelry store chain that might sound familiar to you if you’ve read some of my earlier stories: EB Jewelry. Normally these are pretty expensive, and you’d have to buy them directly from EB Jewelry, but there was a mistake with manufacturing and they ended up with a surplus of these things. I bought a ton of them and wouldn’t mind parting with one. Put it on and you’ll transform into a total bodybuilder jock. More than that, I can give you more than one. You can share them with your friends, make an entire group of bodybuilder jocks that barely fit through doors. Yeah, that one is definitely the best choice. Go ahead, try it on.
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Fuck you look good. You seem quite a bit dimmer now, which is to be expected, but god you look like walking sex. Make sure to share those necklaces with your friends. Using more than one might have… side effects. Plus, the more huge jocks, the better.
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insanechayne · 9 months
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~ ~ ~
#you know now that I’m thinking about things more clearly I’ve got more questions than answers#the way you used to talk to me and the conversations we used to have were too elevated and practiced#I was into certain groups and things for years before I eventually got out of that stuff#so I know what it sounds like when someone’s been doing it for a while even if it’s been off and on#and I have to wonder then how many other girls did you do these things with?#how many girls did you say sweet nothings to and make them feel so special and desired just to eventually drop them like you dropped me?#how long exactly have you been doing this kind of shit?#it does kind of hurt to know just how special I’m not and start connecting these dots#it does sting to see that you seem to just be like every other man trying to get what you want without caring what happens to the women#you leave in your wake#and idk maybe that’s not fair of me and maybe you did care for them on some level just like you care for me on some level#I guess I just wish you’d been more honest with me from the very beginning#sometimes wish I’d never met you at all because look how you’ve ruined my life for so many months#now I just feel stuck and angry#you are a very good close friend so I don’t want to just cut you off completely#but at the same time I feel used and like you’ve lied to me this whole time and that’s fucked#so what am I supposed to do now? is it even worth bringing any of this up to you? or will you just lie to me some more?#personal
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AITA for being honest about what I would change about my boyfriend?
🥊🥊
I’m a cis guy (22m) and I have a boyfriend that’s transgender (20m). We’ve been together for 2 years.
My boyfriend is a very cute guy and he gets hit on a lot in queer spaces tbh. even by lesbians, and they fully see him as a guy. He’s just very sweet and approachable I guess. A lot of people tell him he’s super attractive and I agree, but there are just certain things about his body that don’t appeal to me.
We were at a friend’s birthday party. People got drunk, I was tipsy. We played this game that was like cards with questions about relationships/love/intimacy on them and the whole group would discuss.
One of the questions was something along the lines of "If you could change anything about your partner, what would it be?" Or whatever.
Now, I went first and said I’d probably make him less hairy and get rid of the dark spots in his crotch area and his acne scars. He has some discoloration around his private areas from a rash he got when he was like 13 and some faint scarring from pimples I guess. It’s not an issue, but definitely not my preference. Plus he can’t really shave clean down there because he has thick hair and it always makes him get those razor burn bumps or whatever. Fine by me, he’s hot as hell either way.
Plus, he has a lot of discoloration around his shoulders, back, chest and face from severe acne outbreaks from his puberty and then later again when he started taking testosterone. It’s calmed down a lot, but the scarring is still very prominent. It’s not an issue, just not very pretty to look at.
Please don’t get me wrong. He’s an incredibly attractive person, I just wish his skin was a little prettier. It’s a bit of a turnoff, that’s all. It never stopped me from being absolutely enamored with him.
But when I explained this, a little less explicitly than this of course, the group went dead silent. Everyone was staring at me, some of the girls even clasped their hands over their mouths etc.
When I looked at my boyfriend he was completely pale and was just blankly staring at me before getting up and saying he needs to pee. I just said okay and then gave the card to the person next to me. She very quietly said she’d take away her girlfriend’s anxiety because it hurts her to see the person she loves like that. That’s when it sort of dawned on me that I messed up and that I was way out of line for saying these things in front of our friends.
He apparently left soon after that, which I only found out through a friend. I was a little confused but figured he was just a little embarrassed. We don’t live together, so it isn’t unusual for one of us to leave before the other. But then I found out that his best friend left with him because he was sobbing and couldn’t stop.
I tried calling him and texting him for multiple hours and didn’t want to overstep any boundaries by just popping up at his home, so I gave up and eventually went home. That was two days ago and I still haven’t heard from him. He’s usually a very clingy and noisy person and always sends me small updates throughout the day, but I haven’t heard anything from him the entire time.
I’m so scared. I love this guy so much, he’s the sweetest and the single most interesting person I’ve ever met in my life. I know he has a lot of severe insecurity issues around his body, especially regarding his scarring. But it’s all gotten a lot better in recent months and he even began to love how hairy he is because it makes him feel euphoric.
Now I can’t help but feel like I took that away from him because of some stupid game. But at the same time, I don’t think it was fair for him to just up and leave without talking to me. We could’ve talked it out and I just wish he would communicate with me.
I already know I was a bit out of line for this, but I just tend to be uncomfortably honest. He knows this and loves me for it, so I’m confused why he’s THIS upset about this one. He’s never gone this long without talking to me.
Am I the asshole? I was just playing the game. I don’t think it’s fair to call me cruel for this just because other people are scared to be honest and say shit like they’d take away their partner’s mental illness. It’s so fake and that shit just pisses me off. Everyone has something they would change about their partner’s appearance.
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strawberry-cowmilk · 8 months
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the brothers when they realise mc will die one day
-> brothers x mc
a/n: it's been a good minute since I wrote actual ultimate painful angst so here you go while I wait for my hot makeup sponge soap soup to help me clean the things
mc's gender is not mentioned, not proof read
content warnings: angst, death, crying, sports injury
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Lucifer
he was peacefully listening to a new record he got with you next to him
lucifer was a great fan of this certain composer so he started to talk a little about the music and the meaning behind it
'the composer wrote this piece for their deceased partner-' he suddenly went quiet once he realised he will be like the composer one day
you had already fallen asleep to hear what he said, lucifer carefully pressed you close, afraid of waking you up and afraid of the day you'll leave him
Mammon
mammon was very bored since lucifer took away his card as a punishment, so he decided to watch tv
he was just browsing the channels and ended up watching the news
mammon was already upset about not having his card, and all the depressing stuff on the news made him more sad, and one certain report hit him with the reality that humans die way before demons
tears stung at his eyes as he instantly called you, asking where you are and if you're willing to cuddle him
Leviathan
he got a new game off of akuzon and you're playing it together
it just happens that you're absolutely terrible at this game so you keep dying every two minutes
it was funny at first, you and levi were laughing about it until he suddenly went quiet and started crying
before you could ask him what happened he hugged you and started begging you to not die for real
it took some while for him to calm down a little, you're his (only) friend, how will he live without you?
Satan
he was working on a group rad project with solomon, eventually he started talking about how he accidentally made himself immortal
eventually satan demanded to know how he did it, and he was pretty angrily asking too, during the conversation he realised you are not immortal (unlike solomon)
the prof literally had to separate them because satan was getting too angry
satan wasted no time, he went to look for you so he can spend time with you and forget his awful thoughts
Asmodeus
there was some fashion week event in the devildom and some high fashion brand asked asmo to model for them (he accepted)
but on the day of the event, it got cancelled
asmo was not pleased with this, but you told him it's ok and you can watch him on the catwalk next time he gets invited, but the thing is that probably won't be until another 500 years-
he realised there's a very good chance you won't be alive for the next time, he cried and clung to you, denying reality
Beelzebub
beel was playing the finals of his fangol game and things were getting very serious, there were players getting tackled left and right pretty badly
his mind started to drift away from the game for a while, and remembered that time you asked him to play with you
but if you, a human, were on this field, you'd probably get badly injured, or worse
the coach had to get a time out because the team's got beel literally crying his eyes out on the bench
the team won, but beel is not in the mood for celebrating
Belphegor
it just randomly hit him
he was looking at the stars next to you in the planetarium and something about the stars today made him think about everything, and eventually the fact that humans don't live long compared to demons
he turned to you, said something along the lines of 'don't go' and curled up against you, falling asleep
belphie needed to give himself a good dream right now otherwise he feels like he won't be able to handle it now
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celestie0 · 4 months
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gojo satoru x reader | college au [18+]
kickoff ch.1 gojo satoru sent you a message
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ᰔ pairing. college au - soccer player! gojo x film major! reader (f)
ᰔ summary. gojo satoru is the most popular guy on your college campus. he's tall, funny, hot, not to mention he's the most talented soccer forward the school has seen in years. but he's also a frat dude, which puts him in a world very different from your own, as he spends most of his nights partying & drinking while you spend most of yours working on your annoying film major assignments. but when he reaches out to you for a favor, you realize that helping him out might have something in it for you too.
ᰔ warnings/tags. 18+, fluff, angst, smut, college au, fraternities, sororities, partying, drinking/alcohol, mentions of weed, romance, jealousy, pining, slow burn, opposites to lovers, friends to lovers, she falls first he falls harder, gojo being an idiot
ᰔ chapter. 1/x (probably 12)
ᰔ words. 1.3k (short one to start off, but the rest are longer)
a/n. welcome to this pilot chapter! this was originally going to be a one-shot but i got way too carried away and ended up planning out a whole series. i hope you enjoy!
nav. ch1 :: ch2 :: ch3 :: ch4 :: ch5 :: ch6 :: ch7 :: ch8 :: ch9 :: ch10 (pending)
☾·̩͙꙳ moodboard no.1
♬.*゚playlist
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|| 2:13AM Gojo Satoru has requested to follow you
You blink the sleepiness in your eyes away as the harsh light of your phone hits your face. Somewhere in the middle of the crazy dream you were having, you heard your phone incessantly pinging and eventually woke you up to make you realize you forgot to turn the ringer off before going to sleep. Among all the spam email, iCloud storage warnings, and news headliners, there was one notification in particular that had you wondering if you were still dreaming.
“Ugh…y/n, please, turn your phone off,” you heard your roommate Mina mumble in the twin sized bed at the other end of the room as she shuffled her pillow above her head so that it covered both of her ears. You glance out the window of your shared apartment, peering at the pale moonlight, before your tired and heavy eyes travel back to your phone and press on the Instagram notification.
Suspecting this was maybe some prank account, you clicked on the small icon in your inbox that took you to a profile page. Gojo Satoru, Senior at University of Tokyo, Business Major, D1 Soccer #10, SAE. 12k followers, 172 following, 38 posts. 
Still thinking you’re dreaming, you accept the follow request and watch as the number on his following increases by one, now 173. Your thumb swipes up on your phone as you take in the square images of his profile. Pictures of him and his friends recreating memes…food that he’s eaten recently…frequent vacation posts in exotic countries…and a whole lot of what seemed to be professionally taken soccer photos of him striking goals and hitting balls with his head in mid air. You have put a lot of effort into your own Instagram photos (despite your modest 464 followers), mostly posting compilation slideshows of your favorite film photos that you’ve taken recently, yet somehow his feed looks much more inviting than yours.
You turn onto your side and continue to look through his photos. 624 comments, 373 comments, 958 comments. Many were from his friends trying to embarrass him, and many others were from girls that probably wanted him to notice them. You noticed he only really replied to comments from his friends. 
You knew who he was, of course. Gojo Satoru was one of the most, if not the most, popular guys on your college campus. When you got to college, you thought the whole “social hierarchy” thing would be over but it still seemed like there were certain groups of people that almost everyone knew about, "elite" individuals who other students could only dream of associating with. At UTokyo, the fraternities and sororities practically owned the place so of course Gojo was well-known since he was a member of the school’s most iconic frat, SAE. Not to mention, the school adored its soccer team–undefeated since 2012–and Gojo Satoru was the most talented center forward the division has seen in years. 
But as for why he requested to follow you, a film major that doesn’t play any sports and isn’t even in a sorority, well you’re just not sure. 
It’s then when you get yet another notification. 
“Oh my god, y/n, turn it off!” Mina mumbles into her mattress. You click the side button to turn off the ringer. 
|| 2:24AM Gojo Satoru sent you a message 
Your heart starts to beat a bit faster as you quickly slide to your DMs page. You notice three unread conversations from a few of your friends, probably from when they decided to send you their entire explore page, and then you see a little (1) next to your message requests box. When you open it, you see his icon in your inbox. It’s a simple picture of him in his soccer jersey, his smile wide as one of his team members who was mostly cropped out of the photo seemed to be putting him in a headlock. You see the first few words of the message.
|| 2:24AM Gojo Satoru: Hey, sorry if this is weir…
You’re about to click on it when you stop yourself. It was really late at night and you didn’t know if you wanted to entertain a conversation with this man you knew literally nothing about (at least on a personal level) and weren’t even sure why he was messaging you in the first place. Plus, he would see that you’ve read it and so you would feel anxious to respond. But there was no way to see his full message unless you opened it. Even though you considered this to be weirdly intimate since it was a message sent at two in the morning, you figured that was probably normal for the likes of people like Gojo Satoru, who probably were out drinking and partying until five in the morning every night, regardless of any 8AM lectures or not. 
But unfortunately, curiosity always kills the cat (that’s the expression, right?) and so you click on his message. 
|| 2:24AM Gojo Satoru: Hey, sorry if this is weird…I don’t think we’ve ever met before, but my buddy’s really into your roommate, and he’s tried to invite her out to our frat’s house parties but he’s had no luck. Think you could convince her to come this weekend? You’re welcome to come too, of course
You blink in surprise before rolling your eyes, not entirely sure why you were expecting any different. Maybe Mina wasn’t budging on his friend’s advances because she wants to be asked out on an actual date, and not to some house party. But you figured frat guys wouldn’t really understand that. Besides, how did he know that you were her roommate? You’re just about to type a response when you see three little dots in the left side corner, indicating he was typing, and you hold your breath.
|| 2:27AM Gojo Satoru: Here are the details
And then he sends you a post from what looks like his fraternity’s Instagram page. There’s an address, a time, the name of the DJ and girls get in free bolded at the top. You realize you’ve never even been invited to a fraternity’s house party until this very moment. 
You briefly consider not responding to him and just setting your phone back down on your nightstand, rolling over, and falling asleep. But you find your fingers moving on their own to type.
|| 2:31AM You: you’re messaging me to help your friend get with my roommate?
There’s an uncomfortable two minutes where there’s no response from him and for some reason your anxiety is through the roof. You remember the countless times you’ve heard people describe Gojo Satoru in passing: there’s just something about him that demands your attention. 
His notification pops up at the top of the Instagram app when you were scrolling through reels to distract yourself and you accidentally clicked on it too fast. 
|| 2:33AM Gojo Satoru: Uh, yeah? 
You sigh as you ponder the proposition. You don’t even know for sure why Mina wasn’t really responding to his friend’s advances, maybe the guy was a creep or just not her type. And even if she was somewhat interested in him, she’s already refused to go to any of their frat’s house parties, so how would you be able to persuade her? 
You finally convince yourself you’ve had enough of Gojo’s messages for the night and you’ll choose whether or not you want to revisit the topic again in the morning, until another message flashes across your screen.
|| 2:38AM Gojo Satoru: What can I do to get you to convince her to come this weekend?
You bite down on your lip at his question, and an idea flashes through your mind.
|| 2:40AM You: i’ll find a way to convince her. my terms and conditions will come later
He responds in a second.
|| 2:40AM Gojo Satoru: Deal 
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a/n. thank you for reading! i also post this story over on AO3, if you're more into that format, but i just wanted to start posting over here on tumblr too. hope to see you in the next one!
➸ take me to chapter two!
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shakirawastaken · 1 year
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dsmp if... you were a romance trope
i got inspiration (sapnap, dream, george, karl, quackiy, wilbur) 
sapnap (hockey x figure skater): - im in the middle of heartbreaker rn and SHUT UP - i LOVE THIS TROPE - IM NOT EVEN A FIGURE SKATER I DO TAEKWONDO BUT I STILL FROTH OVER THIS SHIT - and then in addition to that one tommyinnit is a figure skater and everyone else is on a hockey team “ice these hurts” or smt h like that - i love this trope. - anyway i think that this trope comes hand in hand with enemies to lovers - his hockey team and ur figure skating group are at the same winter sports competiton - and you have to share a rink - booooo - so everyday you end practice with the sight of a bunch of hockey buffs roughhousing in the stands, waiting for you to finish - and everyday a certain brunette one sneers and smirks at you as you walk off the ice - “had a nice practice ice queen/king?” he asks you teasingly - “shut up, yeti” you mutter back gratingly as you bump your shoulder into his build as you pass him - and he comes up with a new one everyday - and you quip right back at him, unphased - one day, he comes into practice early just to spite you - what he wasn’t expecting is to see how good you actually were on the ice - he sat there like “ :O” and just watche dyou glide across the ice with what seemed like barely any effort - and he watched how passionate you were in your craft and the dance - and bro was whipped right then and there - so that day as you were leaving he said “you were amazing out there” and it took u jumpscared - you were like “no insult today?” - and he was like “dang, didnt know u liked them that much ;) but not today, not for something as beautiful as that” - and i think you can guess where it went from there... :)
 dream (ceo and employee romance):  - AKAIAKAKAHAKH TELL ME YOU SEE THE VISION - i mean hes a ceo alr so its like one step in the door you know - anyway hes a ceo - bro wears those fancy ass suits everyday and has like a wine cellar mini fridge shit thing in his office  - any way you pull up to his headquarters one day for like an interview and you were so fucking nervous  - you ran into him in the elevator (and no clue who he was) - and you basically vented to him for the 30 second elevator ride before scurrying off to your interview - bro didnt even get dreams name or anything - he kinda just smiled and wished you well as you ran away  - he thought you were so cute  - and you thought dude was hot as fuck  - anyway you got the JOB!! LETS GOO - the next day, your supervisor is like taking u around showing u the works - ....and you meet the ceo - its dream - and youre like :0 and he’s like  *smirk wink* ;) “hey” - and youre like “well fuck hes the ceo i cant be in love with him” - and you avoid him - but he makes it his life’s mission to get on ur radar - in the break room, in ur cubicle, in the cafeteria, in the parking lot man is ON YOU LIKE A MOTH TO A LIGHT - eventually he convinces you to go to fancy dinner - and WOW hes paying?? so that shit was FIREEEE - fancy wagyu steak and 102379182 year old wine i mean cmon - it was good ok - he asks you out after dinner and assures u ur job wont be at risk and everything - ba da bing ba da boom  - now youre dating happily and he spoils the FUCK outta you  - lmk if you want this one as a big fic with dialogue
george (neighbors): - tell me why whenever i have my delulu daydreams with george he’s always a neighbor - very much boy next door vibes - omg HES YOUR COLLEGE ROOMMATE NEXT DOOR - stoppppp - on move in day he pulls up with his family and u with urs and youre like - “hi ! nice to meet you im so exicted to move in!” and bros like “same!” - sometimes hes loud bc hes talking to his friends but you dont mind - hes a cs major and ur  whatever u want major - one day you decided to start singing  rlly loud while cleaning - ur singing taylor swift - and then george could hear you from the room next door to yours - so he writes up a little post it note that was like “loved the concert! when’s the next one?” and stuck in on your door - you found it and started mad blushign - you had a crush on him since day one awwww - anyways you two started communicating via post it notes and songs played loudly through the walls <3 - till one day you hear boyfriend by big time rush - and then you play girlfriend by avril lavigne back - and then he slips you a post it note under the door and you open the door before you could read it  - and its an unspoken like thing that you start dating - its so romantic how you can saw you guys starting dating because of taylor swift !!
quackity (academic rivals): - DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON THIS TROPE IT BRINGS ME LIFE ALRIGHT - alright - two law school students FIGHTING IT OUT ACADEMICALLY - you guys met in ur freshman year english class or some shit - clashed together in a discussion group - and its been game on since then - your texts with each other are flaunting texts - “hey alex, guess who got a 97 on the last midterm?” - “guess who got a 99 ;)” - over time, the texts started getting more and more hostile - people started to thing you two actually hated one another’s guts  - but in reality it was more for the thrill - but this continued throughout your law school careers - and you both become successful lawyers in the end!! - and when the headmaster calls you both into his office and says - “youre both valedictorian! congrats! you have to give a speech together” - well its like all the hatred faded away - you grinned and cheezed at each other before giving each other the biggest hug ever - so you both wrote a speech together - and soon the day of graduation came - and q goes at the end “i wouldn’t be here without the person who motivated me through it all, so thank you (y/n)” and youre like “hey man *sob* wtf *sob” - and you kiss him on the cheek and cheer to all the graduates  - after the ceremony he catches up to you in the parking lot, grabbing your wrist before you could go off with ur family - and blurts out word soup - and ur like what - and hes like “i really like you, and law school wouldn’t have been the same without you. can we be more than friends?” - and youre like “duhhh” and kiss him right there karl (best friends to lovers): - YOU ARE IN LOVE BY TAYLOR SWIFT  - that is the song for this SCENARIO - you two met when you were little kids in like first grade - your friends werent there on that day so you hung out with each other - hooked to the other since then and there - it was always “karl and you” and “you and karl” - you came as a packaged deal - through ups and downs you were there together - you graduated high school together and were going to the same college together now - while karl barely got into any romantic relationships, you seemed to be going through a few of them  - you were desperate for a love connection and honestly i aint blaming u - one day after a horrible date he came over to your dorm and u had an impromptu sleepover - you were in karls old shirt and some pajama pants and he was in his pajamas - and you two were just watching a movie together - before he turns to you abruptly, and you turn to look at him - and he’s like “you’re my best friend”  - and you saw a switch flip in him - since then, the dynamic between you two changed (for the better) - you became more flirty more touchy  - you started to act like you were a couple more and more - one day you saw him open his wallet to pull out his card  - and u saw that he has a picture of the two of you in his wallet - and then you knew that he was it for you - you ask him out that night - and hes so happy hes picking you up and spinning you around - <3 wilbur (musician x fan trope): - okay this is inspired by those tik toks that are like “did you see the way he looked at me” and its harry styles staring and eyeing down a fan in the audience like YES - and he’s a musician so it fits! - imagine lovejoy is like a HUGE HUGE Band so maybe this is in the future - anyways you and ur friend go to a lovejoy concert - for the sake of the story, youre not that big a fan of lovejoy just familiar with hits like sex sells and one day - the whole time ur friend is like “theyre so good hes so good its all so good” - you two end up a few rows from barricade  - and you and ur friend start screaming it up as you should - youre not oblivious to the way the lead singer keeps looking over in your direction, winking and smiling - imagine a sweaty, singing wilbur glancing over at you during sex sells and giving you a smile as he rasps out “you know sex sells i know that” - brb ascending to heaven - anyway a time comes when he stops to speak to the audience - he wastes no time - he struts over to your side of the stage and points at you  - “what’s your name?” - and you scream it at him - “what a lovely name!” - the crowd cheers - “ahre you single?” he asks with a grin on his face - the grin grows when u nod at him - “give me ur number!?” he asks and you nod at him as ur friend is dying next to you - he gestures u and ur friend to the front of the stage by the barricade  - and he passes you a marker and make syou WRITE YOUR NUMBER ON HIS GUITAR OR HIS SHIRT OR SOMETHING - oh yeahh go you go you thank yoU! let me know if you want any of these to become a bigger story/imagine and LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT A PART 2 WITH OTHER PEOPLE :D reblogs appreciated
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alphabetboyluvr · 8 months
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PALLADIUM - MYG
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title credit: palladium- greyson chance
pairing: dilf!yoongi x reader // friends to lovers, slowburn, eventual smut
synopsis:
min yoongi is urgent.  in the way he bites his nails down to the bed, and the way his sore fingers type out desperate sentences just minutes before deadlines, he is urgent. how he prepares jaehyun’s day bag before grandma comes by, and how he double checks everything is packed, he is urgent.  the requests for you to watch over jaehyun each and every deadline day are, always, predictably, urgent. but the way min yoongi falls in love with you is slow. gradual. tepid. until, like everything with min yoongi, it becomes urgent.  
wordcount: 3.2K
note from holly: this was a prompt from a winner of one of my kofi quizzes! was supposed to be a drabble but now we are looking at a lil three parter. no smut in this part, just setting up our dynamics &lt;3 yoongi is a boy dad! idc! argue with the wall!!!!
PART TWO // PART THREE
minors dni // cross posted to wattpad
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"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't urgent," Yoongi pleads across the bakery counter. Nails bitten down to the bed, he's got bags underneath his eyes. Hasn't been sleeping well these days. Hasn't really been sleeping at all.
"I told you last time—"
"I know, I know," he sighs, pushing off of the countertop and pacing a few steps away, raking a stressed palm through his long, dark hair. Dishevelled, he hasn't had it cut in a while. You'll never tell him, but you think it looks better this way. "Look, it's the last time. I promise. I just really fucked it this time."
With a raised brow, you fold your arms over your chest. The apron beneath you bunches a little awkwardly, but you've never cared much for composure around Yoongi. Have simply known him too long and seen him through too many clumsy stages of life to be bothered. 
Tipping your head back, you exhale a sharp breath from the very depths of your lungs. 
"You are so lucky Jaehyun is an angel baby," you eventually say, shaking your head as you reluctantly agree. "What time do you need me?"
"Deadline is at midnight," Yoongi says, "So whenever you can get to mine, really. Mum has him till seven, but then she's got Bitch'n'Stitch—"
"Hey," you scold. "My mum goes to that knitting group, too."
"I'm not calling her a bitch—but I've heard their conversations," Yoongi reminds you. He swears they don't actually do any knitting (as if they haven't handmade half of Jaehyun's closet). Thinks they spend the entire time gossiping. And while yes, they do do a lot of gossiping, they can multitask. Unlike him, apparently. "But fine. She has her knitting group at seven."
Yoongi will never simply call it a knitting group, if he can help it. 
Bitch'n'Stitch is his go-to, but he's also partial to Stitching Hour. 
Last week, you'd just gone on a rant about how it's inappropriate to insinuate that all women of a certain age from your small town are witches—"Women used to get burned at the stake, Yoongi. Burned!"—so he knows better than to say it out loud today, even if it makes him laugh whenever he thinks about them knitting on broomsticks.
"I'll probably be outta here at just gone six," you tell him. 
It's the late shift, so you're responsible for closing and cleaning up, but after two years of part-time work alongside your studies, you're a dab hand. Can action off every item on the to-do list in record time, and to a standard even your boss can't achieve. 
You're wasted on a small town like this, but someone's gotta do it. 
"That's fine," Yoongi nods. "I just need to straighten this essay out and get my citations done. You can go as soon as I'm finished—and hey, you can order takeout. I'll pay."
Knowing Yoongi, he's probably surviving on instant noodles, and spending all of his money on Red Bull and Jaehyun's meticulously planned diet. 
Jaehyun's been off formula for about two months, now, and Yoongi is terrified of feeding him the wrong thing. By the looks of his slightly skinnier-than-usual frame, he's the one in need of a good meal.
And so, as you're doing your final tasks of the day, you don't bin the breads that need to be chucked. Instead, you bag them up. All of them. The pastries, too. Will just have to hope Yoongi has freezer space.
By the time you make it home, you've only got ten minutes to spare for a quick shower before you need to rush to Yoongi's. You'll be a little after seven, but it's fine. You've resigned yourself to staying at Yoongi's until midnight, now. 
It's how it usually goes. 
He'll work up until his deadline, rewriting and revising paragraphs that are perfectly fine and need no alterations. His own worst critic, you know that he really doesn't need to stress himself out like this.
Still, he does. You think he'll always be this way—at least, he was in high school, and he remains to be this way, even in university. Too much of a habit has been formed. It's ingrained in the ridges of his brain. Pink and permanent—just like the pout on his lips as he opens his apartment door for you later that evening.
Forearm tucked under Jaehyun's pudgy thighs, Yoongi cradles his son into his side, as a look of relief relaxes onto his face. It's a stark reminder of why Yoongi stresses himself out so much. 
You can afford to make mistakes. The only person you have to answer to is yourself.
Yoongi doesn't have that luxury anymore. Hasn't done for a while, now. Won't ever get it again—or at least, not for another seventeen years.
"Hey," he whispers, then casts his eyes down to Jaehyun's sleepy head. Nestling into Yoongi's shoulder, Jaehyun's dark hair now has a little length to it. Much like his own, Yoongi is refusing to cut it. Another thing he's scared of getting wrong. 
The subtle nod Yoongi gestures towards Jaehyun is a request for you to be quiet. 
You're familiar with his paternal habits by now; the behaviours he exhibits only when he's wearing his invisible 'Dad' hat.
He tucks back against the door, letting you walk on through and into his apartment.
Shoes off by the door, Yoongi locks up as you shake off your jacket, and hook it on the empty peg in the middle of the rack.
Small and a little dark, Yoongi hates his home. Is strapped for cash, so turned the open plan kitchen and sitting room into a studio-type set-up. Has his bed where a sofa should be, and manages to cram everything somewhere. His desk, his small keyboard, his clothing rail that he really needs to reorganise. A bunch of his things are in storage. 
Jaehyun's room is what once was Yoongi's. It's got the most natural light, thanks to the window placement, not that it matters at this time of night. The curtains are drawn, playmat full of yellows and oranges scattered across the floor. Beside it, is Yoongi's laptop. The screensaver is running, and it's pretty obvious he'd been playing with the little toy octopus sprawled across the keyboard instead, when you had arrived.
"Bit late for nap time?" You question quietly as you pop your phone on the charging pad Yoongi keeps on the dresser.
Nodding, Yoongi gently rests his son down in his crib. These past couple of days, everything has been a little out of sync. He feels guilty—like he's failing—but the pressures he's been putting on himself are just getting far too great. He's doing the best he can, but it always feels like it's not enough.
But Jaehyun is loved, and sheltered, and provided for. Yoongi is doing all he can. He just still isn't sure he knows how to be a dad.
Which is silly, because as you watch him stroke across the dark hair that sits flat to Jaehyun's scalp, quietly monitoring his condition, you think that Yoongi was made for this. Is far more paternal than you are maternal.
Truth be told, you don't like kids all that much.
Your idea of a fun evening doesn't typically involve hanging out with an infant, and yet you'll do it for Yoongi. Of course, you will. Have known him for too long and have been through too much with him to not help him.
Plus, you really do adore Jaehyun. Sweet as can be when he sleeps, he really does look just like Yoongi at that age—or so you gather from the baby pictures you've seen a dozen times over at his parents' place. It's easier to count which features they don't share. Saves ever needing to do a paternity test, not that Yoongi would do one anyway.
Jaehyun is his kid. A little bit of DNA wouldn't change this fact, not in his eyes.
It worries you. Not because you think Yoongi isn't his father—again, they're too alike to not be related—but in case his mother decides she wants to play an active role in Jaehyun's life. You fear that the 1% of doubt could come true and tear any legal right away from Yoongi. You're not really sure how the courts would work it all out, but you doubt they'd side with him. 
Yoongi was never meant to be a father. Not now, at least. The outcome of a one-night-stand, Jaehyun's biological mother didn't realise she was pregnant until it was too late. Had no real choice in the matter. Was also nearing the end of her tenure in law school. A kid was not—and remains to not be—a part of her plan. 
You know the documents were signed. Legal rights, shit like that. Know that she must have an understanding of the law far greater than Yoongi. Just hope she hasn't done anything that will fuck him over in the future.
Still, it's not a topic of conversation Yoongi likes indulging in, and so you don't push, no matter how much you'd like to know the details. 
"Let him sleep," Yoongi eventually sighs, before sinking down to lie on the rug. "Better he rests while I'm working—and plus, he slept through till five-thirty this morning."
"Till sunrise?" You chirp, a little surprised but conscious of keeping your voice down. 
Yoongi nods, face rubbing against the carpet. "He's basically a teenager."
Rolling your eyes, you reach down for his wrist to drag him to his feet. He's got an essay to finish. 
"Shut up," you smile. "You've barely stopped being a teenager."
Sometimes, it makes you a little sad to think that Yoongi is missing out on his early twenties—but then you glance across to Jaehyun and know that he's not missing anything. Just experiencing different things. That's all. 
"Don't remind me," he grunts, lamely getting to his feet, letting you pull him down the hallway as you swipe the baby monitor that lives next to the charging pad. You'll come back for your phone later. 
"C'mon, gotta finish your essay. Can't be a DILF unless you get this degree."
"Untrue."
"You'll just be a D without a good job," you tell him. "DILF's are always suited up."
"That's simply not true," he doubles down. "I've been told I'm a DILF at least, like, six times. Maybe more."
Definitely more. If he knew the way girls on campus spoke about him? God, his head would be so big he wouldn't be able to walk through doors.
But for now, you shoo him back through Jaehyun's bedroom door and to his sitting room-come-bedroom. The apartment isn't large. A baby monitor isn't needed, yet one is set up by Yoongi's bed, regardless. 
And so, as Yoongi knuckles down with his work, you flop onto his bed, and take prime babysitting position—though you're pretty sure you'd get fired if you ever got under anyone else's sheets on the job.
But it's late, and you've worked a long shift. You're only gonna rest your eyes for a moment. A second. A fraction of one, even. Just to hydrate them a little. Replenish your—
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You're out like a light.
The curse of Min Yoongi's bedsheets. You really should have known better. It happens every damn time. You know this. He knows this. 
Yet when he eventually wakes you, neither of you mention it.
"Hey," Yoongi mumbles as he gently nudges your sleepy body. Flopping down beside you on top of the duvet, his exhausted eyes close instantaneously. 
"I'm going, I'm going," you grumble into his duvet, half asleep but knowing that you should go and check on Jaehyun. 
The baby monitor hasn't made any noise to wake you, and Yoongi's just been with him for the last twenty minutes, quietly watching on as he slept. Is pretty confident he's gonna sleep through again tonight. 
Reaching out to pat you down, Yoongi doesn't really acknowledge the way he accidentally taps your ass. Nor do you. Just sort of pretend that he didn't. Pretend that it didn't make your heart race a little.
"S'fine," he says, voice muffled by his need for rest. "He's still sleeping. Just checked on him."
"Sure?"
"Mhm," Yoongi nods, the sound of his hair smooth against his sheets. "You gonna crash here?"
"You all done?" You question right back. Shuffle, and his hand lazily moves with you. His wrist now rests on your hip, and you both pretend like it's normal.
"All done," he confirms. "Was late, so I've lost ten percent, but whatever."
For someone who stresses himself out as much as Yoongi does over his grades, as soon as he's hit the submission button, he just ceases to care. Has a 'what'll be, will be' attitude towards it all. Part of you wishes he would adopt that mentality when he's actually writing his essays.
What you don't realise is that it manifests from the same fear. 
He panics and panics and panics before a deadline—and then is so worried about his grade that he just pretends like they don't exist.
Too sleepy to care at this moment in time, Yoongi's placement of his wrist on your hip becomes more intentional. Deliberate. 
It's not like you're a stranger to the weight of Yoongi's arms draped over your body. Not like it's the first time—it's just every time it does happen, you swear it'll be the last.
It never is.
And it's not like it's anything illicit. Not anything you shouldn't be doing. Nothing that takes you beyond the realms of friendship—but it does threaten the integrity of your oldest connection to another human outside of familial ties. 
So every time Yoongi gets a little too close, or you find yourself lingering a little long on his words, you tell yourself to stop. That this is just a symptom of the dry spell you've been going through.
"Are you staying here tonight?" He asks.
Again, it wouldn't be the first time. Have been having sleepovers with him since you were kids. Ghost stories, midnight feasts. Sneaking out to the park to find UFOs and stopping by the corner shop for snacks. 
Once high school hit, it was deemed unwise by your parents. Open door policy. 
You'd been furious. Outraged that your privacy was being taken from you, and being told it was for your own good.
And so sneaking out the park became sneaking in windows; films watched with headphones on, dinner eaten in your bedroom under the guise of a melodramatic teenage strop, but actually shared with the boy from two doors down who knew better than to deceive your parents.
All innocent. Nothing that required a closed door. Those escapades were saved for—or wasted on—other people. Either, or. Neither you nor Yoongi gave it much thought. Why would you?
Friends, is what you were. What you are. What you always have been.
Which begs the question: why the fuck is Yoongi looking at you like that?
But then the wrist of Yoongi's resting on your hip becomes his hand. The grip becomes intentional. The stillness of your body comes not from tiredness, but from trepidation. 
"Do you want me to?" 
"It's late," he husks, thumb stroking against your hip as if that's what friends do. "You're off tomorrow, right? Don't need to go home?"
"Right."
"Well, then stay," he shrugs, loosening his grip to roll onto his back. The ceiling is far less interesting than you are, but he has to stop looking at your lips and wondering if they taste like the strawberry lip balm you'd tossed on the side cabinet earlier. "Makes sense."
"Stay?" You question as if he still needs to clearly outline that, yes, he'd like you to stay. "And do what?"
"Sleep," he dryly replies, because it's the obvious answer. Because it's what you should do. You're tired. He's tired. Jaehyun is asleep in the next room over.
"Sleep," you nod. "Sounds good."
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Domestication becomes you in times like these. A toothbrush sits in an old glass on the top shelf of Yoongi's mirrored bathroom cabinet. The rest of the shelves are pretty much empty, but he always puts it up there. Says it annoys him anywhere else.
"Surely it's more annoying having to get it down for me every time I crash here?" You banter with him as you lean against the back wall of his bathroom, waiting for him to retrieve it. 
Plucking it from the glass, Yoongi is swift with his movements, and the way he wets the brush, puts a pearl of toothpaste on the bristles, then hands it back over to you.
"Doesn't bother me," he shrugs, turning back around to shut the cabinet. When he does, he's greeted with your eyes in the mirror, and a feeling in his stomach that should bother him. 
See, the D in Yoongi's DILF actually stands for dependable (although occasionally dickhead also fits). He likes being asked to do things. Likes being helpful. Useful. Knows that he depends on you far more than you do him, and so he does this to settle the score. 
You help him pass his exams, and he helps you keep good dental hygiene habits. A win-win situation. 
Leaving you to finish washing up, Yoongi does the final checks of his apartment. Bolts the door. Turns out the lights. Makes sure Jaehyun's day bag is packed for tomorrow with his Grandma. Adds the day's clothes to the laundry pile. Stands in the doorframe of Jaehyun's room to just simply watch his son exist for a little while longer. 
He loses track of time doing this. It's a nightly routine, so you think he'd get used to it, but he never does. Still can't fully comprehend that a living, breathing creature relies on him for basic survival. 
Sure, he hides your toothbrush away, and puts things out of reach for you just to get you asking him for help, but this is different. He cares about nothing more than making sure Jaehyun is surrounded by abundance: love, shelter, food. Everything the world has to offer, Yoongi wants for his son—and that's why he's working so damn hard to make sure it happens.
There's a tenderness to how Yoongi strokes your back when you stand beside him. He's far gentler than he used to be. Benevolent with age. Isn't the same kid who used to chase you around his parent's yard with a worm in one hand, and a pile of mud in the other. 
"C'mon," you whisper, walking away because you know you need to break the contact. "Let's rest."
Yoongi nods. Is slow as he tears his gaze from his son, but just as stoic as he watches you saunter down the hallway and into your bedroom for the night. His bedroom.
You slip out of sight, just in time for Yoongi to exhale the air in his lungs. His sigh is full of unspoken words. Uncertain terms—and as he follows you down, he wonders how many more secrets will bloat his lungs throughout the night.
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977 notes · View notes
maple-the-awesome · 5 months
Text
He Becomes a Dad! || Part 1/2
PART 2
Pairing: Time, Four, Legend, Hyrule x Reader
Overview: Congratulations, you're new parents 🎉 Some of the Links are prepared. Others...might need a moment to gather themselves. But rest assured! At the end of the day, they're all going to get a handle on this whole dad thing. I'm a sucker for family tropes and there simply aren't enough out there for the Chain to quench my thirst, so here it is, I'm adding my contribution👍 Btw, there will be only two parts for this prompt since Wind will be excluded for obvious reasons. Baby making isn't a platonic activity🤷‍♀️
Zelda Masterlist 🩵Fandom Masterlist
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You only brought the topic of children up to your husband once. It was at some point during the early half of your marriage and after a particularly lengthy day of enduring Malon’s well-meant pestering. Time, beside being caught slightly off guard, delivered a straightforward answer:
“It wouldn’t feel right bringing kids into this world, especially when I would hardly be home to help you rear them.”
Now, you can’t lie and say you weren’t at all disappointed by this answer, although you wouldn’t say you had the rug completely pulled from beneath you. You understood the true implications behind Time’s statement right away. It’s the same reason he took so long to let himself marry you. It’s not you nor a disgust towards children, but rather an unspoken fear of building a life where he’s too happy - one that could be ripped away from him at a moment’s notice as has seemed to be the case for his younger years.
Although his worries are needless, you never pushed against his boundaries because you could at least see the sense in his argument. Sure, the idea of having children did always appeal to you deep down, however between Time’s constant traveling and your hard work helping at Lon Lon Ranch, it would be difficult to squeeze a family into the schedule. There was no sense in forcing him into a commitment he wasn’t ready for nor one you weren’t in a  position to properly foster.
Twelve years of blissful marriage passed before your plans changed. The blame lies with those other heroes, too. One would think traveling alongside a group of unruly young boys would’ve made someone more certain of their decision to never again subject themselves to such a headache, yet it apparently had the opposite effect on your dear husband.
Discovering first hand how much pride he could feel towards a descendant was life-altering, to put it light. Twilight was living proof that somewhere along the line, Time does something right. Whatever kids he might have will grow up to have children of their own and so on…Not to mention Twilight isn’t a terrible outcome by any means. To raise someone with the possibility of them turning out like him and to do so with you of all people? Well, needless to say, it was settled rather quickly after that: Time wanted kids.
Call it baby-fever if you will, but he was suddenly rather eager about the concept he had once avoided like the plague. He brought it up through not-so-subtly hints at first, then when you outright asked him if he was being serious, he went on a slightly nervous spew about your home being too quiet and how he could officially retire from traveling to be home more and it’s really a shame that you have an extra bedroom just sitting around - You just had to kiss him to shut him up which eventually led to…other things. Let’s just say you both got started right away.
It took you twelve years to realize you did indeed want kids yet less than a year to actually be holding them for the first time. It turns out even the universe was impatiently waiting for you both to come to your senses, so once you finally had, it decided to award you with not one, but two beautiful girls whom you affectionately named Saria after Time’s old friend and Mallory, a mix between melody and Malon, their ever-so-excited godmother.  
It’s safe to say that the twins are pretty spoiled. Malon has been over almost everyday, bringing you plenty of baked goods as a bribe to let her spend more time with her favorite goddaughters and you have practically every baby related item that you could need, courtesy of the Queen of Hyrule herself, but of course, it’s their parents who love them the most.
Never in his wildest dreams did Time think it would be possible to feel so at peace with the life he’s built. For so many years, he feared true happiness was impossible - that every turn would result in the same cruel fate he had been subjected to during most of his existence - and yet for the last couple of nights, he’s held it in his arms. He’s watched the moon rise outside his window while playing soft lullabies on his ocarina, you cuddled by his side with your daughters shared between you both. You wear a small smile even in sleep and he swears the girls match it, too; he definitely does himself…This is a priceless treasure he’ll give his life to protect.
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Four and you had already been married for a few years by the time you found out you’re pregnant. It’s not to say you were actively planning for it, although you also weren’t actively trying not to either. 
It had been agreed upon early in your relationship that kids would be nice should they come your way, therefore you were both equally excited that your wishes were finally being granted, so much so that the nursery was finished within the first month (courtesy of your handy husband). It’s painted in beautiful pastels that are easy on the eyes and decorated with many toys Four had hand-carved himself; a useful craft he’s now very appreciative towards Sky for teaching him.
Seeing as this was already a somewhat anticipated next step in your lives, Four’s pretty relaxed throughout the process despite its many challenges. For starters, pregnancy itself unfortunately isn't as much of a 'blessing' for you as some have made it sound. You’re rather sick from beginning to end. If it isn't your inability to keep food down (especially in the early stages) or your fluctuating blood pressure, then it’s the aching you constantly feel thanks to both your very heavy bump and extremely active baby who just loves to make sure you never forgot about their existence by kicking you as hard as possible day and night. 
Worry not. Four has made your struggles more bearable by being a darling husband through and through. He’s by your side during each doctor’s visit, does his own personal research on all things baby-related, and helps with every chore he can to give you at least some rest even if just for a quick nap, however most spectacularly, he does all of this without ever being too overbearing. 
Although certainly concerned for your health, Four can recognize your strength any day of the week, especially when you've been rolling with the punches like a warrior queen during such a draining pregnancy. Anxious, sure, but not afraid. Why would he be? He’s confident that you’re both prepared to face anything together! …That is, until you actually went into labor…
Yeah, remember that previously mentioned, relaxed and darling husband? Forget about him. Your water broke and so did Four's calm demeanor, but can he really be blamed? You went into labor early - and not just by a couple of days either. Oh no, we're talking a couple of weeks early. 
Regardless of his newfound fear, Four does his utmost best to still present himself as calm and collected in front of you, not wanting to freak you out any more than you’re already freaking out yourself. He first helped you lay down with plenty of pillows and cushions before running to get help. After that, he doesn’t leave your side, encouraging you throughout the process with a smile on his face, however don’t be fooled: the second you turn your head to the midwife’s voice or close your eyes to scream, your poor husband’s face reflects his inner thoughts as the situation fully begins to sink in. 'Scared shitless' - that's a good word to describe it; eyes wide in terror with a mouth that’s hung agape and slightly twisted in pain as your nails clawed into his hand.
As said, he never leaves your side - not even for a millisecond. You don’t have to worry about him being the type of guy to get grossed out by natural fluids or complain about your expressions of pain; none of that is remotely a concern of his. He’s just grateful to see you okay and even more so to hear his baby crying as they should.
A girl; small like her daddy, but healthy all things considered. Four couldn't wait to hold her, knowing damn well he was going to cry the second her soft skin touched his, but he isn’t ashamed of it in the slightest. Who wouldn’t cry holding something so precious?
Then you scream again. He thinks something must be wrong until the midwife announces that it isn’t over - that there are more squeezed in there waiting.
At the end of the day, you're just relieved to finally breathe easy without going through agonizing pain while Four, on the other hand, is left in shock staring at not one, not two, but three little babies, all healthy girls who wiggle and whimper in their parents' arms, but oh well. The nursery may have to be expanded, although there's plenty of love to go around. At least he can thank Hylia that it wasn’t quads (he's had enough of those).
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Legend and you have been in a relationship for several years, although you had mutually agreed earlier on that neither of you were big fans of the whole 'marriage' thing. What difference would a ceremony and piece of paper make, anyway? You already act as any officially married couple would. You live together, go on dates, occasionally argue, and even share a bed which is exactly what resulted in a recent, unplanned detour in your lives: a baby.
When you first told Legend the news, he panicked, asking himself all those stupid questions like ‘what now’ and ‘how could this have happened’ even though he knew damn well how. Then he left. Giving some half-assed excuse about needing fresh air, he turned his back to you despite your pleas and didn’t return for hours. 
Now, rest assured, he did immediately regret having that reaction and apologized for it as soon as he came home. He didn’t mean to scare you with the thought of abandonment, but as he would quietly confess during his apology, the thought of being a parent had just been too overwhelming in the moment. Neither of you had ever talked about having kids, and while he could at least have some peace of mind knowing you’ll obviously be a great mom, he fears that the same won’t be applied to him.
You have always been the light in a dim room, as Legend would put it. You’re fun, sweet, and amazing with kids. Any child of yours, planned or not, will love you with all of their heart exactly as he does. Meanwhile he’s stubborn, cranky, and the last kid to cross his path literally started sobbing. Maybe it had to do with him being covered in monster blood after just having crawled out of a dungeon but he’s pretty sure he traumatized a kid nonetheless…The thought of being just as bad around any kid you share together scares the crap out of him.
Deep, deep down, Legend’s actually somewhat excited to be a father. Although he’s too stubborn to admit it to anyone other than you, he’ll sometimes daydream about how nice it would be to tell a little replica of you both about all his adventures or to teach them how to use some of the items he’s collected over the years like his trusty boomerang. Seeing the excitement in their eyes would definitely be worth listening to you scold him afterwards. If that’s all there was to being a father, Legend wouldn’t have a single concern, yet it’s his insecurities that always have a habit of souring things. Would his kid actually find his stories cool or would they just be tempted to throw the boomerang right at his head?
You’ve done your best to reassure him, often falling back on the argument that the baby will be a part of him. Like father, like son, right? Legend was almost ready to believe you, too, especially upon laying eyes on his child for the first time. As you passed the tiny bundle over to him, he thought that maybe being a dad wasn’t going to be that scary after all, and it might not be so bad to even have more someday either…However, his worries were quick to return when the baby started screaming two seconds after being set into his arms…
Baby screams if he holds him. Baby whimpers if he looks at him for too long. Sometimes, Legend swears the thing starts crying simply by hearing his voice in another room. It doesn’t happen with anyone else, though. The baby just adores you as predicted, but what Legend can’t stand is the fact that the baby seems to like Ravio, of all annoyances, over his own dad.
He’s forced to watch as the little brat happily lets Ravio cradle him, the sight filling him with bitter jealousy and sorrow. You’re convinced that he’s just overthinking everything - that he should give himself time to adjust to his new position as a father instead of holding himself to unrealistic standards, but how long is he exactly supposed to wait until it clicks? It’s been a whole month already and he still feels as confused as day one! Will he ever get the hang of this whole dad-thing or is he a lost cause…?
If there’s any comfort Legend can have, it’s that even Ravio doesn’t know what to do with the baby once he starts crying, so at least he’s not alone in that aspect. The only problem is you’re busy making lunch and stubbornly refuse to pause your efforts. Instead, you shove a bottle over to Legend, insisting that he be the one to feed his son since it should be a ‘good bonding exercise’ for them. You won’t take ‘no’ for an answer and judging on your glare when he tries to protest, you probably wouldn’t be happy if he tries passing the task onto Ravio either.
Thus, Legend is left to awkwardly sit down and take the baby into his arms. He already knows it’s obvious he has no idea what he’s doing, Ravio doesn’t have to point it out, but luckily after some swift around, he manages to hold his son more securely against his chest before shoving the bottle in his face. The baby continues to fuss while turning his head away from the bottle, and Legend’s almost tempted to call for you in defeat until at last, the room falls silent.
Looking down, he watches in quiet awe as his son accepts his meal eagerly. His little hands quickly rise up, gripping onto Legend’s which holds the bottle in place. They’re so tiny; barely able to wrap around a single finger - Oh, and his eyes as well! They’re wide as he stares up at his dad with unbroken eye contact. It’s like a wordless conversation - one more valuable than any he’s heard before.
You return, offering to take your son now that your work is done, but Legend is quick to shake his head. Why don’t you take a well-deserved break while he handles this little troublemaker? It would be a shame to bother him when he looks so comfortable in daddy’s arms.
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You've been dating Hyrule for longer than either of you can really remember, however you aren’t in any big rush to get married, figuring that it would make no real difference in your commitment to each other. You love Hyrule and he loves you. What more is there to say? For a while there, you were both perfectly satisfied with simply taking things slow and letting fate decide your course, although more recently you’ve had to switch up that method to something more stable for the baby. Yes, a baby.
You wouldn’t necessarily call it a surprise, but you also can’t truthfully say it was planned either. You had agreed that kids might be nice if the goddesses ever blessed you with any in the future, however you weren’t exactly trying for them…You just weren’t being very careful…
Hyrule must admit he was rather nervous at the start. The only prior experience he really had around kids was with Wind, but there’s a pretty big difference between a young teen and newborn. Pair that with his not so ‘kid-friendly’ world and there’s plenty to worry over. Anything could happen, but Hyrule’s determined to be the best dad and partner he can.
First thing was first, of course: you needed a place to stay. Traveling is fun and you both enjoy being on the move, but that’s no life for a baby. Hyrule and you had actually already considered the idea of settling down someplace before, so you didn’t think of it as a massive loss to take off your adventure boots for a while. If anything, it was a welcomed change once you remembered how lovely it is to be able to kick your feet up for a rest or be surrounded by warmth during a terrible rainstorm.
Again, Hyrule takes his job as your partner very seriously which wasn’t ever a surprise to you. He found a small house for you both to rent in one of the safer villages around; a perfect place for raising a child. While he might not have a talent for decorating or making a place feel ‘homey’, he does thrive when it comes to making sure you’re comfortable, his spare rupees definitely going to fluffy wool blankets and a rickety rocking chair that he saw at a market.
Early on in the pregnancy, you noticed that your boyfriend also began showing a new found determination for cooking which did scare you a bit at first - Okay, so maybe a lot. Hyrule began taking cooking lessons from some kind elderly ladies in town who must have an endless pool of patience because while you can’t say every dish is a masterpiece (or even editable for that matter), you are happy to say Hyrule can now make things like toast and tomato soup successfully. It’s progress.
There aren’t a ton of doctors in your time and none in your village, so you have to take a lot of notes from local women regarding the process. Hearing all their stories and the possible ‘what if’s for what could go wrong made you anxious, especially once you finally go into labor, but it doesn’t faze Hyrule - not on the outside, anyway. He does an excellent job of swallowing his own fears for your peace of mind, talking you through each painful contraction and doing his best to distract you from it all until it comes time to start pushing.
Some people may get squeamish at the thought of childbirth, however Hyrule isn’t one of them. He’s fought through some terrifying dungeons and has bore witness to more than a few gory injuries over the years, so bodily fluids don’t bother him one bit. He’s kneeled down right in front of you without a second’s hesitation, multitasking between mentally reviewing what he’s been told to do and reassuring you even though he’s sure you don’t hear a word of it over your own screams.
One minute Hyrule’s encouraging you to keep pushing, the next he’s holding a small, crying baby in his arms. His movements after that feel almost automatic as he carefully cleans her off and just admires the fact that this baby - this tiny, precious gift of life is his. She’s yours and his and she’s beautiful despite having come into existence within such a broken world filled with more hardships than he could count…
Your tired voice brings him back to reality - asking if the baby you hear crying is okay. You clearly feel the same thing Hyrule does upon seeing your daughter for the first time, the two of you sitting side-by-side as you soak in this wonderful emotion. Hope...That’s what she represents. Hope for a brighter future...
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cryinginmyroomsposts · 10 months
Text
Dancing With Our Hands Tied
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pairing: Hyunjin x fem!reader
tags: angst, fluff in ending, dancer Hyunjin, non-idol!au, college au, swearing
summary: Being in the coveted dance team of the university was no small feat. After being in the team for a whole year, you find yourself about to participate in a prestigious inter-college competition for Duet performance with none other than the college IT boy and dance team captain- Hyunjin. You'd spent one year suppressing your big fat crush on the charming boy, but now that you find yourself dancing in his arms, he just might paint you golden.
wordcount: 6.4k
Note: This can be read as a one-shot but I was kind of expanding on the universe from the Lee Know oneshot Mr Gorgeous.
masterlist
Let me know your thoughts and feedback.
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It was a nice Sunday morning and like every college student, all you wanted to do was sleep in. But unlike every student, you’re part of the university dance team. From the outside looking in, it was the most glamorous group to be a part of. Being a part of the team inherently gave you the highest social status on campus. You got special exemptions from certain tests and even privileges for missing mandatory events.
Little did they know that all the shine comes with a mountain of hard work. Getting into the dance team itself was a major task lasting 5 entire rounds of selections in multiple genres, solo and group showcase. And once you make it, there is no room for complacency. The team did at least three performances a month- in-house and external. So the only constant in your lives was practice sessions, assignments and sleepless nights.
For being the most desired group on campus, the dance team never got the time to do any of the popular kid things, apart from the validation itself. Except for the dance team co-captain, of course. Hwang Hyunjin will not let busy schedules and tiring practices stop him from being the campus IT boy. Nobody, literally nobody, is privy to his charms.
Including you.
Despite a lifetime of training in dance, the primary reason you tried out for the dance team was Hyunjin. You still remember the goosebumps on your skin and the way your jaw was on the floor the entire time he was on stage. On the day of your freshman orientation a year ago, you had joined hundreds gathered in the amphitheatre to see the dance team perform. The then sophomore, Hyunjin along with his friend Lino (Lee Minho), had been the stars of the show. The entire team, including the charming ex-captain- Chris, were immaculate. The performance was so power-packed mixed with equal parts grace and emotions. While the boys had done a hip-hop rendition, the girls had taken a contemporary approach. The two eventually collided to meet in the modern-pop genre for the finale. You decided then to join the dance team, so you did a few months later.
Although you should’ve decided against harbouring a huge crush on said It-boy. In the first two shows after making the team, you were nothing but a blubbering mess. It took all of your conscious energy to not stammer every time he so much as looked at you. Ultimately, you mellowed down, or maybe the reality of seeing Hyunjin woo more than half the campus with his charms and leave a trail of broken hearts got to you.
You still respected him as a dancer, it’s hard not to when he oozes power, grace and sometimes the literal demon while dancing. His on-stage persona was almost entirely different from the idiot who runs around pissing off his Co-captain Minho, or constantly trying to borderline harass the newest and youngest addition to the team- Jeongin.
Your phone alarm starts ringing bringing you back to reality- Sunday morning rehearsal. You silence it before it disturbs your roommates’ precious sleep. Trying your best to tiptoe your way around the dorm room, getting ready and after grabbing a granola bar from your desk, you make your way to the practice room.
On the way you meet your favourite person on the team- Felix (truth be told he’s everyone’s favourite).
“Hii Y/n.” He waves furiously giggling as he walks up to you.
“Hi Felix” you giggle back, simply because it’s impossible not to get affected by his infectious joy.
“How are you so cheerful at 6:30 AM?” You ask as he gives you a side hug. He just shrugs and skips alongside you to the practice room. You let out a little laugh at the little ball of sunshine that is Felix as he starts animatedly telling you random stories.
The practice room is in shambles. You and Felix exchange a flabbergasted look at each other and look around the room again. Everyone is crowded in the centre and talking over one another.
“Y/N! Come here. Fast.” You hear your Sumi, your teammate, call from somewhere amidst the chaos. When the team starts noticing you enter the room, they fall silent. They move back from crowding in the centre and you realise all eyes are switching between you and Sumi who is holding a paper in her hands.
“What’s going on?”
Sumi gulps and hands over the paper to you.
Inter-College Dance Competition Category: Duet Participants: Hyunjin and Y/N
Shit. Holy shit.
“Morning guys.”
The voice startled you. You whip your head to see Hyunjin enter the room, his duffel bag on his shoulder, clothes crumpled, and hair in a messy bun. Yet he looked ethereal.
He looks at you and smiles. “Oh Y/n, you’ve heard the news. Good, we can get down to the details then.”
Details? What details? Oh, right dance.
“Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure.” You finally manage with a nod.
“Alright guys let's start, we’ll do a couple run-throughs till noon, take a break and convene here at 4:30pm to get ready for the show. Finally, we go up there and rock the crowd. Sound like a plan?”
Everyone cheers and you nod, still processing the fact that you had been chosen to dance a duet with Hyunjin. Not just any performance but the biggest inter-college competition in the state. With Hyunjin. A duet. You. And Hyunjin. Good god it’s going to be a ride.
The team goes into a practised routine of rehearsals, chaos, more rehearsals and even more chaos.
At 1 PM you’re glad you can finally rest for a few hours before the performance. The evening rolls in, and you head to the green room. One by one, the girls start getting ready and the green room is already chaotic but becomes a full-blown circus once the boys crowd in.
From your place, you watch as Hyunjin hugs Jeongin so tight that the poor junior looks like he could die. Lino is sitting in his favourite corner (he has one everywhere he goes), cuddled up with his girlfriend- man has been the biggest simp since they got together a month ago. Felix is going around giving everyone motivation and cheering them up- typical Felix. He hugs you so tight and warm, you can feel the nerves physically leave you. Then there’s Yeji and Lia, discussing choreo parts with Sumi and others. The air in here is infectious, everyone is equal parts excited and nervous.
The performance goes by in a whizz, the adrenaline rushing through your entire body as you stand on stage witnessing your friends, classmates, seniors and juniors in the crowds enjoying the performance.
You feel alive.
Afterwards, you change out of the costume into your sweats and meet all your classmates who had come backstage to support you. The gratitude that fills your chest leaves you emotional.
You give Jeongin a tight hug, congratulating him on his official performance as part of the team. Even if he hates the hug, he gracefully accepts it and smiles wide. You were very entirely endeared by his cuteness- everyone was. Specifically his super fan Hyunjin.
Think of the devil and watch as he walks to where you and Jeongin are. Even though you squished down your tiny crush, you've always felt nervous around him- simply because he is Hwang Hyunjin. Now the impending performance and the sheer idea of having to spend weeks practising with Hyunjin- one on one, is doing no help to your nerves.
"Jeonginahhhhh," he squeals and you step back as he hugs the younger member. Jeongin tries his best to smile and endure it but fails, making you crack up.
"Hi Y/N," Hyunjin says, finally letting the younger one go free finally and turning to you.
"Hey, Hyunjin. Amazing performance." You manage to say, trying to keep your nerves at bay.
"Thanks. You did well too." He flashes his smile, his fringe falling to his face and his eye twinkling as his cheeks light up.
There goes any attempt of calming your nerves.
Hyunjin continues to shower Jeongin with compliments, rightfully so, and you watch how he looks carefree and young as the latter is glowing in pride and embarrassment.
Right as you turn to take your leave, Hyujin calls your name.
"Yeah?"
"We need to discuss the performance, when can we meet about that?"
The frown on your face turns up before you realise it and he laughs.
"I get it. I need a break too. Maybe we can meet on Friday evening?"
"Yeah, sure. That works for me."
"It's a date."
A what?
But before you can mull over what he meant, your friends drag you out of the green room to celebrate. You were glad for the welcome distraction. Especially watching Seungmin and Yumi constantly fight over everything as you and Jisung sit there laughing at their antics.
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"Y/n, You can do this! It is just dancing. You've been doing this your whole life. Well, not dancing with Hyunjin, but the semantics don't matter. You can still do this. It is just called a duet, maybe the two of you will not even be on stage at the same time. Hyunjin is a busy guy, he might just ask you to do your own choreo for your part. Y/n, I know you're gonna sla-"
"Y/n, I will MURDER you if you don't get out of the bathroom right fucking now."
Yumi's voice breaks you out of the pep-talk you were giving yourself in the bathroom mirror. You give yourself one final thumbs up and head out to see a fuming Yumi standing on the other side.
She grunts like a wounded dog and you giggle as you hug her in apology.
"Sorry. Anyways, I'm heading out now. Haffun." You pick up your bags and start walking toward the dorm room door.
"I will. All the best for your meeting. And Y/n?" You hum looking at her.
"It'll be alright, don't stress out too much." You nod appreciatively and wave as you head out.
The whole way to the practice room, you keep repeating the pep-talk to yourself. You've spent a good amount of time in the last four days telling yourself that the date comment is just a habit for the pro-charmer Hyunjin and it means nothing. You might've also spent a good few hours warning yourself not to develop any embarrassing feelings for him.
When you enter the practice room, you see Hyunjin, Yeji and Minho sitting in a corner discussing something. As the only seniors in the group, they make all the logistical and creative decisions for the team. Minho spots you first, smiling politely and Yeji follows suit. Hyunjin nods in your direction as the three of them start to pack up.
Yeji and Minho make small talk with you before leaving and you're left alone with Hyunjin. He sits down in the centre of the room, in front of the full-length mirror, and ties his shoes as you walk toward him. He's in his usual sweats and hair tied in a half-up bun.
"Hi." You mutter as you sit down next to him.
"Hello. Had a nice break?" He smiles and you nod.
"Yeah, slept like a pig. What about you?"
"Meh, I mean I got a break from the dancing but still... senior year you know. I'm just perpetually tired." He does look tired and you nod sympathetically.
"Well, I'm sure you'll fare better than me as a senior next year." He says with a smile, sounding sincere and it takes everything in you not to blush.
So much for no embarrassing feelings.
"Oh, sure. Don't downplay your achievements. No one could lead this team the way you do." You were speaking the facts but seeing him smile wide and bright made your stomach flip.
"Aye you don't need to butter me up anymore, you got the part in the biggest competition now."
"Hey, I wasn't trying to butter you up." You feign mock offence.
"Okay, I believe you. Anyway, let's start with the concept."
Please say anything except sexy or love.
"So the concept is love- more like finding your way back to love. So I thought we would do something where estranged exes find their way back to each other kind of."
Big time fuck.
You nod and smile as you process his words and what this might mean for said embarrassing feelings (which you will not harbour). You decide to be a professional and only focus on dancing.
"Yeah, that sounds cool. Do you have any choreo already planned?"
"Yeah." He pulls up his laptop from his bag and shows a video. Hyunjin and Yeji are dancing in the video, the dance is… touchy to say the least. You refuse to acknowledge the churning in your stomach as you see the two of them dance closely.
The dance is split into three parts- starting with solos expressing the regret and anger that both parties have, proceeding to a mirroring sequence where their anguish aligns and finally, the slow dance symbolising the happy ending.
Once the dance ends you stare at the blank screen for a minute before turning to see that Hyunjin is expectantly staring at you.
“So?” He asks with raised eyebrows and a small smile playing on his lips.
“Umm it’s amazing. As usual.” He smiles and waves away the compliment.
“I have one doubt though, why didn’t Yeji and you perform this?” Your voice comes out low and quiet. A part of you hopes your question doesn't make him rethink and choose Yeji instead- for dance, of course.
He shakes his head sidewise, a shy smile on his face. "It didn't feel right."
"Oh."
"Alright, so I can start teaching you the common parts and we can modify according to our needs as we go. I'll leave the solo to you. Okay?"
"Yeah cool."
Lord knows how this is going to end.
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"Hyunjin, let's do this once more and then we'll move on to the next part." You reprimand a whining Hyunjin, lying face-first on the practice room floor. It's the fourth day of practice sessions and both of you are running out of fuel quickly.
"Y/n, you're doing good. Let's just take a break and start with the slow dance part." He whines turning to face you with a pout.
You want to give in to his antics but you hold your stand. Partly because it is a mirroring dance and you desperately want to be completely in sync with Hyunjin (the man dances like he is the god of dance). Another part because you wanted to delay the thought of starting the next section of the performance because the thought of being close to Hyunjin and doing the slow-contemporary dance section made your legs turn to slime.
"No. I just want to perfect this. Just onceeee. Then we can take a break, and start the- the other part." You flash him your best puppy-dog face and he sighs as he gets up from the floor.
"Alright let's do this but I don't know what you are worrying about, you're perfect already."
Cue embarrassing butterflies and feelings you definitely do not feel.
And like clockwork, the two of you start moving according to the beat. You had watched Hyunjin's every minuscule movement and so had he. Now you are in so much sync that the perfectionist in both of you is almost entirely satiated.
"Okay... that was brilliant Y/n. Please let's take a break and start learning the next part." He says taking deep breaths and chugging water. You can barely nod as you catch your breath.
The next hour is spent eating the dinner you ordered a while back, reviewing the latest run and the choreography video.
"What are you thinking for the solo part?" He asks between bites and you have to admit he looks cute with his cheeks filled as he chews and frowns as he enjoys the food.
"I'm thinking of sticking to my roots- just contemporary."
"Oh that's good. You're good at contemporary."
"I- Thanks." He smiles.
"You should do something similar to your audition performance."
You nod involuntarily and then his words sink in. "You remember that?"
"Yeah, I do. It was an amazing performance Y/N. I'm sure everyone remembers it." You scoff and he raises an eyebrow.
"Minho asked me if I am new, last month."
He laughs. "No no, that's just his messed up humour sense. But anyways, I speak for myself when I say it's hard to forget such a good performance. And you."
You end up swallowing a big bite of your burger and start to choke as he just smiles and hands you the water bottle. Before you can say anything, he is up for the next part.
It starts fine, the two of you slowly moving toward each other with each step- from mirroring each other to reaching out. Then comes the trickier part. It starts with your hands brushing, the two of you circling around the other, looking into each other. Obviously, you look anywhere but his face. Because staring into those eyes will not do anything good for you. He doesn't say anything if he notices the little flinches or lack of eye contact.
The two of you keep practising the moves over and over until both of you are satisfied with the flow. Now it is becoming increasingly hard for you to focus on these details. Especially considering how your heart is beating in your ears with every step the two of you take.
He needs to hold your hand and move it in a curve while his other hand is on your hip. And it gets worse, as the following step requires you to turn and face him, your hands on his neck, his on your hips as you bend away and come back to his embrace. He suggests going over each movement slowly and it worsens your plight. You hear his voice from a distance as you do your best not to stare at his lips that are inches away. You can see that he is saying something and you find yourself nodding along. You do the step according to his counts and return to his embrace.
This is when you do the mistake of looking up at his face, he is staring down at you too. You see the black fringes that have escaped the bun, sticking to the corners of his face. His forehead is lined with beads of sweat, thin darkened eyes, and plump lips slightly apart. The clock ticks somewhere but neither of you seems to realise, until eventually, you snap back into sense- the inherent panic of feelings stirring in your stomach.
You step back and look at your feet, he stays still and starts fidgeting with his hands.
"I- Um... It's almost 10. I- I should head back." You stammer, slowly looking at him. He looks at you for a second and nods. You nod and start collecting your things.
"Do you want me to walk you back?" And thud goes your water bottle, slipping from your hands- entirely due to your clumsiness and nothing to do with butterflies, of course.
"Uh no not necessary. It's just a 5 min walk." You hope he looks disappointed but hope is a dangerous game for a fool trying to live in denial.
"Ok. Bye." He turns to his bag before you can say your bye and that's that.
------
"Two days. That's all we have for the performance! And this is when Hyunjin decides he can just go galivanting about and not show up to practice." You groan to yourself, standing in front of the full-length mirror in the practice room.
The last two weeks of practice have been a lot less eventful compared to the first. After the first day of doing the slow dance, things shifted between Hyunjin and you. Both of you became more distant and closer, at the same time. Some days you bickered like childhood besties, and on others, both of you walked around each other on eggshells. He often showed up to morning practice with crumpled clothes and messed up hair and your heart would drop to your stomach realising he must've spent the night with someone else. You would immediately reprimand yourself for making assumptions just to get your feelings in check.
And yet here you were, mind running in a million different directions as you figure he could be with anybody right now, while you sit in the musty old practice room at 7pm on a Saturday evening. These thoughts never helped, so you resort to your comfort zone- dancing.
And for the third time that evening, you go over your solo part and the rest of the dance. You are tired of dancing the same things so you start freestyling to your favourite tracks. Dancing always made you feel good, especially when you poured all your emotions out through your body. You lost yourself to the song, letting the beat and your body carry you away.
That's how you fail to notice Hyunjin's arrival until you get startled by the loud claps coming from the door. You whip your head around to see him standing with his go-to sweatshirt, duffel bag and hair in a bun. He is smiling wide, the kind that made his eyes small and cheeks full.
"Y/N, that was sooo goood. I've never seen you move like that till now. That was amazing, really!"
This boy made it so hard to live in denial with his charm, kind words and that smile. And that's why you can do nothing but smile and giggle like a little girl as you mutter a small thanks.
"Sorry, I got caught up in work. Have you been waiting long?" You watch as he puts his bag down and starts stretching and you see that his sweatshirt is inside out, and his hair is messier than you've ever seen. Here's the thing about this boy- he goes around breaking hearts without intending to. And here's the thing about unrequited crushes- you become somewhat of an Agatha Christie, just connecting all the randomest dots just to make up reasons to let your heart down again, it's almost a masochistic need. Logically, you knew better than to assume messy clothes meant anything of significance. But as a woman on a mission to prevent herself from falling deeper, you would grip onto anything that provides an anchor for your heart- even if it means you end up breaking your heart anyway.
And which is why you blurt out, "Why do you care if I wait... I'm sure you have better people to attend to anyway."
The piercing tone of your voice makes Hyunjin stop in his tracks and look at you through the mirror. The room is dead silent as you pick apart the skin in your cuticles in an attempt to keep the tears from falling and your heart from breaking further. Maybe it was the exhaustion, the all too familiar feeling of heartache that comes with unrequited love, but the shell you had so carefully maintained had come crashing down.
"Wha- What are you saying?" His voice comes soft and nervous. You do the mistake of looking up, through the mirror. You scoff and swallow the tears back, "No, nothing. I just- forget it. Let's practice."
"Are you sure? You just said something abou-"
"Can we just practice once and get over with this. I'm exhausted." You snap.
He just nods and proceeds to start the music. You don't look at him, not even during the mirroring sequence, he huffs a little too loudly at that. The run-through itself goes smoothly, until the last sequence. It's hard to do a romantic slow dance when you refuse to meet his eyes and keep flinching every time he touches you. Still, both of you push through. You get out of his clutches the second the song ends and start to pack your things.
"Y/N, why are you already packing?"
This boy makes it very hard not to get unreasonably angry at him because he doesn't let you hate him.
"It's almost 9 pm Hyunijn. I have been here since 6, I'm tired." He just nods and stays silent. You gather your things, throw your bag on your shoulder and leave. If he realises that this is the first time in two weeks you didn't wave or say bye enthusiastically like you usually do, he doesn't show it. If he realises that this is the first time in two weeks that he hasn't asked to walk you back to your dorm and you refused the offer like you usually do, he doesn't show it. The walk back to the dorm feels a lot heavier for the first time.
The next day is nothing short of a struggle, your eyes burning due to the incessant crying from the previous night, mind spinning everywhere and body weak. You were ashamed to have let your feelings mess you up so bad. Usually, you'd be extra careful to eat more and rest well during practice and performance times. This is probably the first time that you show up to the dress rehearsal with big bags beneath your eyes and feeling like a mess. It's not your first unrequited heartbreak, just the first time it feels this heavy and lonely.
The rehearsal is sullen- neither you nor Hyunjin makes any effort to talk. The tension in the air gets to the audiences for the day- Minho, Felix and Yeji. They exchange looks and try their best to engage both of you in some kind of conversation- it doesn't work. You put on the outfit and it makes you look decent despite your haggard state. The salt in the wound is how gorgeous Hyunjin looks in his outfit- not surprising, but still annoying considering he walked in looking downright homeless and sleep-deprived. The outfit doesn't hide the state of his face, yet he looks gorgeous. A week earlier both of you had been so excited to see the outfits, you even had hopes of Hyunjin finally seeing what is in front of his eyes. Yeah, stupid embarrassing feelings.
There are two full run-throughs, and the emotions until the last part is so enthralling to the audience. The three watching can see the tension flash as the two of you do your best to avoid each other's eyes and finish the dance. They don't press much, you're thankful for that. Getting out of the outfit, ready to head back to the dorm, you step out of the door only to find Hyunjin standing there- back in his oversized sweatshirt, messy hair and sullen expression. He always looked a lot younger and innocent when he wasn't performing, and you liked that about him- until now.
"Y/N, can I walk you to your dorm?" His voice quivers and he looks like an actual wounded puppy.
"Not needed." You avoid his gaze to evade giving in and walk away before he can retaliate. You always refused his offer knowing it was just another steep step right into disaster- as if the one already caused wasn't enough. You've also seen him pull the same gentlemanly moves with girls and boys across the campus and watch the poor suckers fall for him only to get burnt. Even after trying your best, you got burnt, you didn't need more reason.
------
"Y/N, can we just talk once before going on stage please," Hyunjin begs from the driver's seat. He is driving the two of you to the competition and the minute you sit down he says this.
"Let's just go. I have a headache." It wasn't a lie, but it felt bad rejecting him that way. The rest of the drive is silent, save for the faint music coming from the radio- which was annoyingly filled with love songs. After an hour's drive, you both arrive at the location. the entire place is filled with students from multiple universities across the state, all excited and dressed up, except for the two of you. You hate yourself for making this hard for both of you, especially when he did nothing actually wrong.
Stupid feelings.
"Stop fidgeting with your nails." Hyunjin snaps at you. He is sitting next to you in the green room- looking ethereal with makeup and costume on.
"I'm trying." You grunt back. There are ten minutes left for the performance and both of you are getting increasingly agitated.
"I'll help," is all he says before taking your hand in his and caging it there as looks toward the side of the stage. You try to protest but he clutches your hand pretty firmly.
"I won't burn you, stop squirming." His words effectively shut you up. You try to numb the feelings arising from his touch. You almost manage to do it until you realise he is rubbing circles around your palm. You're simultaneously calming down and getting more worked up. But he does manage to distract you till it's go-time. He gives you a small genuine smile and you nod, almost letting the tears fall. His face deflates but he immediately collects himself and goes into performance mode.
The music begins, you look out into the crowd, the nerves turn to excitement, and you feel alive. Hyunjin's solo leaves the crowd in awe. The audience goes wild during the mirroring sequence. But all the sound starts draining out as you move closer to him. You look at him, he looks at you, and your hands intertwine. The both of you move according to the beat- the only thing that exists right now is the music, Hyunjin and you. For the next minute he's yours and you're his. No one needs to know, the world could divide you later but for now, this was your sacred oasis.
A tear rolls down your cheek, and he reaches to brush it off in sync with the beat. His eyes sparkle, and there are a million emotions behind them. You want to hold on, you want to dance with him as long as you can. Both of you are in the tightest embrace you've ever been in, with shallow breaths, wet eyes and a big lump in your throat. The applause makes you break and look at the audience.
Neither of you speaks as you wait backstage for the last performance. You look everywhere but at him, trying to be as discreet as possible while rubbing the tears off your face. Eventually, all contestants are called up on stage. Hyunjin and you stand shoulder to shoulder, his palm brushing against yours but never reaching to hold on. The third and second places have been announced, the room is pulsing with tension and yet all you can think about is the man on your right.
You faintly hear your name, along with Hyunjin's, and it takes two seconds to realize that you've won the competition. What should've been the highest of highs of your life feels anti-climatic. You look up at him, both of you are smiling wide with teary eyes. You bear tears of fear and heartache, while he is probably teary-eyed on achieving this prestigious prize. The two of you collect the prize, congratulate fellow participants, and socialise with the other people there with practised smiles.
After an exhausting hour, the two of you are back in Hyunjin's car, still in outfits and makeup. He drives silently and you close your eyes fearing the tears will fall down otherwise. The car halts a while later as you've reached the campus. Both of you collect your things, take the cup and medal you won to the practice room and change out of the costumes.
Just as you turn to leave the room and head back to the dorms, he stops you with a hand on his wrist. You turn to question him but he doesn't look at you. He's locking the door with one hand as he holds on to you with the other. You roll your eyes.
"Hyunjin let me go."
He turns, now done with the lock, and starts walking forward as he drags you with him.
"Let me go, Hyunjin. I'm serious." He keeps walking, and you follow, until you've reached a room that looks like a storage room. He stops in front of the door and still doesn't let go of your hand. You're too confused to say anything although your head is buzzing with a million questions.
"When someone asks to walk you back, you should let them."
"Huh?" He turns to look at you, eyes dark and serious. He hasn't taken his makeup yet and he looks positively dangerous if not enthralling.
"I said, stop refusing when I ask to walk you back." His words are sharp and his voice is low.
"Why? What does that change?" The sting in your eye returns, you can't bare to look at him so you turn away.
But he holds your chin in his palm, the one that isn't holding your hand, and turns you to face him. "Y/N, I don't understand what I did wrong. Just please tell me, I'll do anything to make you happy."
"Why? Why do you want to make me happy? So that you can break my heart like you break everyone else's?" He looks shocked and the tears are now flowing desperately from your eyes.
"What are you even saying?"
"Hyunjin stop pretending... everyone knows that you just charm people and sleep around. Actually, it's not even your fault. I'm the idiot who knew all this and still let myself fall for you." You can feel your heart disintegrate and sincerely wish he'd let you go so that you can go hide in the comfort of your bed.
"What the fuck Y/N? Just 'cuz people say something doesn't make it true. I don't just go around flirting and sleeping with people." He's angry and you can hear it. You know he has the right to be but can't help your emotions. He is still holding your hand despite his anger, you note.
"Then where do you disappear off to every night? And why do you always show up in dishevelled clothes and messed up hair?" You sound stupid, now that the words are out of your mouth, but then no fool in love ever remains sane.
He sighs and throws his head back in frustration.
"You idiot. That- that's not because I'm fucking someone every night. It's- I go to.."
"To what Hyunjin?" Your patience is running low and he looks nervous.
He sighs. Letting your hand go, he opens the door to the storage room and turns the light on. It is an art studio, filled with paintings upon paintings. You turn to Hyunjin, more confused than before.
"This is my makeshift studio. A gallery owner has signed me on as the artist for their upcoming exhibition. I'm trying to get stuff done for that. It's next week. That's why I am always late to practice and why I look 'dishevelled'." He says quietly, with air quotes and a desperate tone in his voice.
"What?" To say you're surprised would be an understatement. You know he is an art major and that he paints, but all of this is new information. You look around the room once more, there are various kinds of paintings- places, flowers and even people.
"Yeah. I've been trying to show you my work for weeks now, that's why I keep asking to walk you back. I have always wanted to show you my work but didn't get the courage to talk to you personally till the practice." He looks nervous and his mouth forms into a pout. You just let out a laugh as more tears roll down your cheeks at the relief. "Why are you still crying?" He asks slowly as he wipes the tears away and you just laugh.
"So... you're not with someone else?"
He smiles now and shakes his head. "But I want to be..." Your eyes widen and the lump in your throat that was finally starting to dissolve comes back in full force. Seeing your face he starts to laugh.
He faces you, letting go of your hand to hold your face in both of his hands and leaning toward you. Your heart is beating in your chest.
"Dummy, it is you I like. Don't know how or when, but yeah..."
It appears that the act of having someone reciprocate our feelings can be perceived as rather endearing rather than embarrassing.
"Can I kiss you?" He asks slowly, his voice dangerously low.
"How are you so sure I like you back?"
He smirks at you and rolls his tongue in his inner cheek.
"Hmm... let's see how. You just acted like a crazy idiot for a week and told me it is because you thought I was fucking other people." Your face burns up in embarrassment as his smirk turns into a full smile. "Also, you get so extremely flustered every time I come close to you and your face is all red and cute, just like right now."
You close your eyes shut tight at his words, ready to combust.
"I didn't do a good job keeping my crush in control at all huh." You manage to say, slowly opening your eyes to see him smiling brightly.
"Absolutely not." The both of you laugh, he pulls your face closer and you hold onto his waist for balance. The lump of anxiety in your throat has turned into a plethora of butterflies.
"So can I kiss you or do you just want to keep staring at my lips like you do every time we dance."
"Oh shut up, Hyunjin."
He laughs and leans in but pulls back at the last minute. You let out a whine in protest.
"I- I just wanted to confirm, I like you and want to date you. Only you. Is that clear?" You just nod, breaking into a smile so big your jaw hurts.
"Also you might be the muse of my paintings."
"What? How many?"
He looks shy. "One?" You raise your eyebrows. "Okay, five."
"Hyunjin wha-"
You never get to finish the sentence as he takes your mouth in his and you've never loved rude interruptions before. Seems like wouldn't mind anything as long as you get to hold and be held by Hyunjin and dance with him through a thousand storms.
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katebishopshands · 6 months
Text
But I’m a Cheerleader ! !
(Cheerleader!Kate Bishop/ Reader)
Pt. 1
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»»-------------¤-------------««
Your team is good, you know it is. Yet, every year your team is a mere few points from winning the spirit stick at the end of your annual cheer camp.
You’re sure this is your teams year at camp. You and Yelena are captains this year and after a year full of successful competitions under your careful guidance, you’re sure anything is possible. That is until Kate Bishop walks through the gym doors.
Perfect as can be and cocky as hell, and the winner of the spirit stick for the last two years, the rival captain is the bane of your existence. Nothing, not even Kate Bishop will get in your way of that stick….unless?
(Not 18+…..YET)
»»-------------¤-------------««
Your ponytail was too tight, certain parts of your hair tugging on random places of your head. You took your hair down for what was probably the millionth time that morning and redid it. Eventually you ended up in the same spot you started with, a too tight ponytail pulling on your hair. Sighing, you gave up, instead choosing to focus on the spanx that seemed to be riding up your thighs as you stood in the too hot gym.
“Snap out of it!”, a slap to your bare shoulder made you jump, snapping the spandex on your thigh. Yelena smiled and laughed a bit at the look of concern on your face.
“Gotcha! But seriously cut it out”, the blonde dropped her smile into her regular resting face, which was scary enough. She could see the anxiety that you held in your shoulders. The way you fidgeted with your shorts, the way you bit your lip.
“I’m just worried we won’t get it this year” you crossed your arms frowning. For the last five years you had been on the team, not once had you been awarded the ever so coveted Spirit Stick. The stick was to go to the team that showed the morals of what cheer camp was supposed to be. The most spirited, dedicated,creative, and most improved over the course of the week. Initially, you weren’t upset. It was just some tradition that the camp did. That is until you noticed the same team got it year after year.
The Archers were your biggest competition. Coming from the same district you competed at all of the same competition, always coming in neck and neck with placements. You had been running circles around each other for years. And they never failed to get the Spirit Stick, ever.
“Natasha said we’re the best captains she’s seen in years, we’ve got this in the bag” Yelena was oozing with confidence. Blonde braid strewn over her shoulder, arms crossed showing off her biceps. She LOOKED Like a cheer captain.
“I don’t know if that counts Lena, she’s your sister. She HAS to be nice to you”
“That is not true! She said it as my coach…not as my sister” Yelena scoffs at you. You roll your eyes at her before turning around to converse with other team members.
Yelena getting the co captain spot with you was a topic of conversation in what you liked to call the “cheer verse”. Some teams were saying she only got the spot because Natasha is the coach and Yelena is her sister. But they couldn’t be more wrong. You had never met someone with a better work ethic than Yelena. She gave it her all, putting in overtime in the gym to perfect her tumbling, she was one of the strongest bases on the team. You had seen her throw herself on the ground to prevent her flyer from hitting the mat on multiple occasions. She deserved the role.
The conversations flowed freely as you bounced from group to group. More teams started filling in the room, each claiming a spot on the mat before the camp officially started. Some giant speaker blared music in the corner, effectively hyping up the crowd of cheerleaders. The noise level growing exponentially in the gym you stood in. A quick glance over the sea of athletes showed you one thing, The Archers had yet to arrive, and opening ceremony started at 12:30.
You double checked your phone for the time. The clock read 12:15. The team had 15 minutes to show. A surge of excitement coursed through your veins. The team not being in attendance this year meant you actually stood a chance at the spirit stick this year.
After monopolizing the spirit stick for so many years, The Archers had lived in your head rent free for way too long. Rumor had it they had a new captain this year, and part of you wished they sucked. It’d be so nice to watch the once great team crumble to nothing as yours did nothing but rise to the top.
A roar of clapping drags your from your revenge filled thoughts. You turn to face the entry way to the gym, struggling to see anything behind the sea of bows and ponytails that lie infront of you. You weave your way up to the front of the map where you’d have a clear view at the chaos. You manage to snag Yelena in the process, linking arms.
“What the hell is happening?” She looks at you before leaning forward to get a better look.
“Beats me, maybe we’re starting early??” You had five minutes to go, but it wasn’t completely out of the question.
Yelena makes a gagging sound followed by a disgusted “oh my god”.
“What! What’s happening!?” You ask frantically, wondering if maybe someone has already hurled and camp hadn’t even started yet. Yelena yanks your arm down, making you lean forward like her.
It doesn’t take you long to see why Yelena gagged. In the entry way of the gym, stood The Archers. The crowed cheered, the spirit stick being held confidently in the new captains hand. The stick had been decked out in their team colors, purple and black. Your eyes follow down the black nail polished hand and arm that held onto the spirit stick, eventually making eye contact with the holder.
Kate. Bishop.
She was your least favorite person on this planet.
She had joined The Archers at the same time you had joined your team. And ever since then it had been a constant competition between you two. You got your tuck? Kate got her round off tuck. Kate was point for jumps? Oh yours were now hyperextended and you were also center point. Wherever you went, you were both in the others orbit. She was perfect, even if you didn’t want to admit it. If only she wasn’t a cocky son of a bitch, you might admire her a bit.
So Kate Bishop was the new captain, of course she was. Of course she was captain the year you got to be captain.
“Kate Bishop…” Yelena sneers as Kate gives you both a smirk. You could’ve swore Yelena growled at her
Kates blue eyes linger on you a little longer than you would’ve expected. She lets her smirk drop a little into a facial expression you can’t quite put your finger on. You watch as her gaze is pulled from your form. America Chavez, another rival of yours, who you’ve collected from observing the team is the co captain with Kate, jumps the other girl, grabbing the spirit stick and eliciting another roar of cheers from the crowd.
Kate flashes America a dazzling smile and puts her arm around the other girl in a side hug. Their coach, and Coach Nats biggest rival, Clint Barton, shoves his captains aside as he gears the team towards a new spot on the mat. Kate turns her head back in your direction as she follows Barton’s lead, her black ponytail swinging in tandem. She catches your eye again, resulting in you crossing her arms and raising and eyebrow at her. She smiles and bites her lip a little before sending a wink your way.
You stomach drops. Feeling as if you drank TV static. What the fuck. You swallow the spit in your mouth nervously as Kate continues to follow her team. Suddenly your tongue felt too heavy in your mouth and your palms were clammier than you remembered.
“Fuck them, seriously, fuck them” Yelena mutters as she walks back towards Coach Nat at the back of the mat.
“I hate them so much” you join in on the menagerie of negativity in an attempt to push down your weird feelings about Kates wink.
“I swear I want to crush their little skulls into this mat..” Yelena cracks her knuckles to punctuate her feelings. You put your hand on her shoulder, making her look at you face to face.
“I promise. This year is our year. Nothing..and I mean nothing, not even Kate Bishop’s perfect ass can keep us from wining that spirit stick”
»»-------------¤-------------««
“On the doors are your names, please move your junk into your dorms. We’ve got dinner in 30 so make it quick” Natasha stands at the end of the hallway, arms crossed. You groan, and begin dragging your luggage down the dimly lit hallway, searching for your name.
Eventually you found it at the halfway point of the hall. Your name was written on a little megaphone ins sparkly letters, cute.
Taking your key off your neck you unlock your door. The dorm smelled musty, a fine layer of dust piling on the windowsill. Clearly the room had not been cleaned since the sad freshman moved out at the end of the spring semester. It felt like cheer camp.
The doorknob on the left side of the room jiggles, eventually busting open. Yelena falls through it, a big smile plastered on her face.
“Look! We’re neighbors!���
Part of you was sad that you guys weren’t sharing a room, but the other part of you was incredibly grateful. Yelena lived in a constant state of tornado. All of her belongings strewn across the room. Being captain had some perks, such as a single room. Sharing a bathroom for a week with Yelena was doable, but a room might kill you.
You give a smile back to her before gonna to poke your head out of the door that you had left propped open. Another team on the other side of you had begun to move their things in. So you were the bookend of your own team, great. This was a perfect way to make sure everyone was in bed during lights out and doing what they were supposed to be doing. Being well rested and punctual was crucial to your teams success at camp this year.
As you observed the excited girls giggling as they moved in to their new homes for the week, your vision was blocked. Blue eyes and full dark brows crowed your eyesight.
“Oh..hi” you knew the voice. You knew it too well. Kate Bishop was standing a mere few inches away from your face.
“Hello..” you clenched to your jaw. Staring at her stupid perfect face. Beauty marks scattered across it, full lips and lashes. You could’ve gone the entire week without hearing her voice, but of course you literally almost bump heads with her in the first hour.
“Looks like we’re neighbors…” Kate’s arms are crossed. She stands defensively opposite of you.
“I guess so”
She glances you up and down again. And once again that static fuzz feeling fills your gut. Goosebumps prick up on your exposed arms and you feel your cheeks flush a bit.
“Just…try not to be too loud at night..I want to get good sleep this week. Be on top of my game” you break the silence with an awkward blurt. She chuckles a little bit and leans toward you a little. You had never been this close to her. She smelled nice. Like lavender and chai with a hint of her deodorant. Probably some expensive perfume she has.
“I’ll try my best. But honestly..” her eyes make contact with your lips before she looks back up at you,
“I even think at the top of your game, you and your team still won’t win the spirit stick this year..” she chuckles a little bit. The snarky remark you wanted to make dies in your throat. Your fingers making contact with your lips, where Kate was just looking.
America calls for Kate down the hall.
“Coming!!” Kate stands up to her full height and genuinely smiles at you before turning on her heels and making her way towards America. But not before she sent another wink in your direction.
She left you standing in the hallway, blood boiling, hands clenched into fists at your sides and that tv static in your gut. If this was a cartoon, steam would be shooting out of your ears.
You were going to pummel Kate Bishops perky ponytail into the ground and rip the spirit stick out of her cold dead hands….or at-least, you hoped you could..
»»-------------¤-------------««
Omg hi guys!! I thought I’d try something new for this piece?? It’s for sure gonna be multiple parts and I promise you it’s gonna get HOT real soon. So stay tuned, this was just an introduction to the cheerverse
-ET🏹
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hoomandoescosplay · 5 months
Text
Becoming Mrs. Potter | James Potter x Reader
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Trying to be quiet so as to not wake up his friends, especially Sirius as he can be very grumpy if woken up, he grabs his uniform and robe and goes into their shared bathroom.
After taking a quick shower he gets dressed and brushes his teeth. With one last look in the mirror he ruffles up his hair and leaves the bathroom.
"I was wondering where you were." Remus says from his bed while looking up from the book he was reading. "Hey Moony. Just got up early today for once." James shrugs with a coy smile.
"Yes. The James Potter just happened to get up early for once in his life." Remus playfully taunts. "Hey hey now. Today's a special day which requires special exceptions." He eyes James curious to what he meant. Not saying anymore he heads to their door calling out one last sentence before leaving their shared dorm. "If all goes well you'll know by the end of tonight my dear Moony."
As James is sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast the others eventually join him not too long after. As all of them sat and ate they all joked about random things and tried to plan out their next prank on the school. James's eyes quickly darted over when a certain female walked into the Great Hall finding herself a seat among her group of friends. He watched as she quickly added food to her plate while laughing at something it looked like Marlene said.
He places his head atop of his hand and continues to stare at the girl he's fallen head over heels for. "Prongs? Earth to Prongs." James shook his head and diverted his attention to Sirius. "What's up?" He asks with a lopsided grin. "What's up with you today mate?" Remus sighs and butts in. "Don't bother, he won't tell anyone until later tonight apparently." He only grins at the boys as they finish eating and head off to their first class of the day.
When stepping into the potions classroom he noticed that they were the first ones to get to class. All four of the boys decided to continue thinking of new prank ideas until more people showed up and they had to go sit in their assigned seats.
James never liked being separated from the boys in class but this was the one exception since he was assigned to sit next to (Y/N) (L/N). They've actually become quite close throughout the years of being sat together in potions. And this was the perfect opportunity to slide her a note explaining that he wanted to meet her in the astronomy tower after dinner.
He took out a piece of parchment and wrote a simple note before signing his name and folding it up. Now all he had to do was wait until she sat down which was easier said than done for the anxious boy. He gently tapped his fingers against the wooden desk trying not to attract attention from the sound.
Finally, she pulled out the chair and sat down exhaling and he ruffled up his hair once more. She turns her head and smiles at him. "Hello James." He puts on a huge smile and greets her back. He stared at her for a moment taking in all of her features before snapping out of it and sliding the folded up parchment in her direction. She eyes him quizzically before unfolding it and reading the words written down.
He starts up his tapping once more trying to read the expression on her face as her eyes scan the parchment. When she finishes reading she looks up at him once more and nods her head. "I'm free after dinner so I'm good with meeting up." He lets out a breath of air he didn't know he was holding in and smiles at her. "I am curious why you can't just talk to me now though." She ponders mostly to herself. He puts a finger up to his lips and replies "it's a secret my love." This causes the girl to roll her eyes and try to suppress a grin. "Alright lover boy. I'll leave you to your secrets until we meet up."
The rest of the day felt like it was dragging on to the Potter boy. He has always been quite impatient when it came to waiting for something he was excited for or even something important.
As James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all walked to the Great Hall for dinner they spotted (Y/N) and her friends and decided to sit with them.
Alice and Frank were sitting together while Mary, Dorcas, and Lily were next to them. The boys sat on the other side of the long table with (Y/N) and Marlene. James tried to sit next to (Y/N) but Remus beat him to it as she was sitting at the edge of the table and only had one spot next to her.
As they filled their plates and ate until they were stuffed they all joked the whole time and even planned to all go to Hogsmeade sometime in the upcoming week. James excused himself a few minutes before dinner officially ended so he could get to the astronomy tower and calm his nerves.
As he began to walk his mind started to race. He hasn't been nervous about anything in a long time. He was known as the cocky and confident bloke around Hogwarts and he lived up to it pretty well. However, it mattered to him how this girl was going to respond to something he brought up five years ago. Merlin, he was worried she forgot and would treat him like he was only trying to play with her emotions.
Getting up the final steps he walks to the balcony's railing and leans his body against it as he stares up at the moon shining onto the lake below. He fluffs up his hair for the millionth time today as he hears footsteps approaching.
Turning around he's greeted with a small smile on the girl's face as the moon reflects onto her. She walks up to the stunned boy as they both face the sky. She nudges her shoulder onto his forearm as she speaks up. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" He gulps then takes a deep breath.
"I'm just keeping you to your promise love." She raises her eyebrow to him and places her chin on her hand. "What did I promise the Great James Potter?" He blushes and debates whether he should tell her or just make something up. After a moment he decides he's in too far to back out now and just tells her. "Don't you remember what you promised me back in year two? I remember it quite vividly." He grins while adding, "but you didn't expect me to remember huh?"
(Y/N) stands up straighter trying to rack her brain about what he's talking about. She almost speaks up again saying she really doesn't remember until her eyes widen a bit. James perks up at a reaction from her and hopes she finally remembered.
"If I ask you to marry me again five years from this exact day will you?" James asked the girl with a large grin on his face.
"Yes Potter. I suppose I will." She chuckles lightly. "I doubt you'll remember anyway." As she says this she smirks up at the boy and starts to walk back in the castle.
"You promise (Y/N)?" He calls out to her. "I promise lover boy." She responds without turning around.
After revisiting the memory she turns to the boy gawking at him. "James, that was five years ago! You honestly can't expect us to keep our promise can you?" All he does is grin down at the bewildered girl causing her to blush. "For Merlin's sake we were twelve." She sighs and looks up at James putting on his best puppy dog eyes.
(Y/N) eventually cracks and starts to laugh at the situation. "You should at least take me on a date before you propose you know." That comment was all he needed to hear as he pulled her into his arms. She laughs even more as she cups his face into her hands and kisses him on the forehead. "You're right. I really didn't expect you to remember that." James looks down at her and responds. "How could I ever forget proposing to my future girlfriend." (Y/N) grins up at him and embraces the Potter boy.
As the pair walked through the portrait and into the commonroom with their hands intertwined they were stopped by curious looks from their combined friend groups. (Y/N) sheepishly smiles as James raises their hands up like he does every time he and his team wins the quidditch cup.
The boys hoot and holler as the girls give each other knowing looks while giggling. James pulls (Y/N) into his side and whispers into her ear causing her to blush. "I guess you're one step closer to becoming Mrs. Potter."
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batneko · 5 months
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I'm forced to listen to Christmas music all day at work, so here's a Last Christmas bowuigi idea for your enjoyment featuring everyone's favorite* trope: misunderstandings!
*(lol nope)
Bowser has unintentionally achieved "friendly rival" status, and is invited to a big lodge to go skiing and snowboarding for a week. He still feels awkward around everyone, but they're all pretty welcoming, and he's not even the only former antagonist invited. Still, he's not quite willing to mingle with the whole crowd, and finds himself spending more and more time with fellow wallflower Luigi.
Luigi is a good listener. So good, in fact, that Bowser finds himself opening up a lot more than he meant to. So good that even Bowser realizes he's been dominating all their conversations. By the end of the week he thinks they're getting along well enough that he might actually call Luigi a friend.
Then, on the last day, he gets a note from Luigi asking him to meet in private. He's happy to do it. Looking forward to it, even. Maybe he can make things more balanced between them by listening to whatever it is that's so important. It had to be preceded with a note.
Then Luigi confesses that he has feelings for him. And Bowser doesn't believe it.
He's certain that this is a prank, and furious that Luigi would toy around with him like that. So he tears into him, breaking down all the reasons he would never even consider a relationship with him. He gets mean. He gets personal.
By the end both of them are heartbroken and convinced they were wrong about each other.
A year passes. Bowser is still sort of kind of friends with the others, and still gets invited to things, but he doesn't talk to Luigi at all. Bowser doesn't know who else was in on the "prank," so he's back to being cautious about who to trust.
Luigi and Mario are close, but they don't tell each other everything about their dating lives, so Mario doesn't press when a depressed Luigi says he got rejected and he'll get over it eventually.
He does, mostly, but seeing Bowser doesn't help, especially since the crush never quite goes away. There's a part of him that knows - even if he thinks it'll never happen - that if Bowser changed his mind Luigi would jump at the chance.
Next winter there's another trip to the ski lodge, and Bowser is invited, and Luigi resolves to put it all behind him and move on. Ask someone else out. Someone... safe.
But Bowser sees that Luigi has his eye on somebody else, and all the anger he thought he'd gotten over rises up again. How dare he act like nothing happened? How dare he think he can just have a normal holiday fling, as if he didn't use that exact premise to shatter Bowser's heart last year?
So Bowser starts blatantly flirting with Luigi whenever they're in a group. Compliments, playful teasing, one or two double-entendres. Whenever Luigi tries to talk to Bowser alone, Bowser walks away and refuses to say a word, but the rest of the gang think that Bowser is Staking His Claim.
The plan works, and Luigi's hopes of a new relationship are dashed before they can really start. The worst part is that the first time it happened Luigi had almost fallen for it. If he hadn't seen the glare Bowser shot him when nobody was looking, he might have done something foolish. Like flirt back.
It's a week of torture, but finally on the last day Luigi manages to corner Bowser and confront him. Ask him why he's doing this, why he feels like he needs to ruin Luigi's chances.
"Are you kidding? After what you did to me last year? You think I'd just forget?" "What I did to you?" "You didn't think I fell for that, did you? I don't know if you were recording it or if someone was waiting to jump out and laugh at me, but-" "You thought it was a prank?" "Yes! ...wasn't it?"
It takes some time (and some more yelling) but eventually Bowser accepts that Luigi wasn't lying, and they both have to re-think the entire last year... as well as what they know about each other. Bowser realizing that he was right the first time about how nice Luigi is, and that he could have had something great if he hadn't jumped to conclusions. And Luigi realizing that if Bowser thought a genuine confession was a cruel joke he's probably not nearly as confident as he acts.
"Give me a second chance," Bowser blurts out. "You're interested? After everything you said about me last year?" "I was mad, I was ranting, I don't even remember what I said." "I do." "Give me... a third chance."
Luigi says he needs time, Bowser (reluctantly) says okay, but also says he will do anything to make it up to Luigi. Favors, public humiliation, anything.
"If you still think I'm the kind of person who wants you to publicly humiliate yourself, you really don't understand me at all."
Neither of them sleeps well. In the morning while everyone is packing up, Bowser sees Luigi step into a quiet corner with the person he'd been planning to confess to this year. He's practically steaming from jealousy, but Bowser forces himself to stay away. He's not going to get a fourth chance.
But as he's about to leave, Bowser is stopped by Luigi. He hands him a scrap of paper with his phone number, and beckons him closer.
"Kiss me." "You sure?" "My brother is watching. So is the princess. You know what it'll mean if you do it, so..."
Bowser doesn't have to be asked twice.
He does get punched thirty seconds in as soon as Mario puts everything together, but it's worth it.
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a-yellow-van · 19 days
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Wish You Were Here | Part 1
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We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year. Running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fears. Wish you were here.
20 years after the outbreak, you’re a stable, well established member in the community of Jackson, Wyoming. You have been for a long time now, the horrors, the brutality of survival buried deep inside, leaving place to the safe simplicity of routine. You didn’t think there’s anything that could disturb that, after all you’ve been through. That is, until you meet Joel Miller, and a drunken choice leads to…much more. Set in between Part I and Part II. Canon compliant (I'm breaking my own heart)
Series masterlist
Pairing: Joel x f!reader
Fanfic tags : canon compliant, slow burn, romance, eventual smut, angst, hurt/comfort, joel and the reader are terrible at feelings, female reader, no use of y/n, reader is in early 30s, past relationships, trauma/PTSD, grief, loss, post-apocalypse, joel is a good parent to ellie, major character death, original characters, queer characters, bisexual main character, age difference, canon-typical violence
WC for Part 1 : 4.5 k
Warnings for Part 1 : drinking, swearing, implied sexual content
New Year’s Eve 2034. Jackson’s tavern is packed to the brim, people in every corner of the room, almost shoulder to shoulder. It’s hot and humid inside; layers have been shed, revealing patches of sticky skin. A musky, sickly sweet smell assaults your nose : a mix of sweat, booze and dust, making you nostalgic for a time you never knew, before the world fell apart. The windows are fogged up, blocking out the view of snow falling peacefully, coating the street. You’ve rarely seen anything like it. Nearly every adult survivor in the community has seemingly decided to come out tonight, and the fact that Eugene has finally dipped into his batch of mead, home brewed by the barrel, is most certainly to blame. Maria, Jackson’s leader, doesn’t exactly approve, but she’s making an exception. Just for the holiday. You spot her at the back; she’s holding hands with Tommy, her husband, protectively watching over the crowd. Eugene’s feeling particularly generous this evening; he offers a hefty bottle to whoever asks, reminding each lucky recipient to “savour ‘cause she’s been fermenting since July!” You must have heard that sentence a good twenty five times since you got your own bottle, the words getting progressively less intelligible as Eugene indulges in his creation. You’re still not certain why he refers to his mead like it is a woman, and frankly, you’re afraid to find out. One thing’s for sure, the beverage is incredibly strong, has a horrid taste, burning your throat like acid with every drop. It’s questionably safe for consumption, but the occasions to get shitfaced in the midst of an apocalypse are quite limited, so you endure. Even Jackson’s most reclusive members agree with that notion. Including him. Joel Miller. He’s nursing a drink at a table near the bar, opposite to the one you’re sharing with your usual group. You wouldn’t exactly call them friends, but they’re fellow patrollers, close to you in age, so, naturally, you’ve grown familiar. 
“What are you looking at?” Max, the one you’ve known the longest, nudges you with their elbow.
Your gaze quickly snaps back to meet theirs. You realise you’ve been staring at the older man. Noticeably. You don’t quite know why. Maybe he intrigues you, all quiet and pensive in the middle of a rowdy celebration. His expression is hard to read, but there’s a hint of…sadness? You get a hold of yourself and brush off the thought. 
“Nothing,” you lie. Max cocks an eyebrow, a little grin forms on their lips, freckled cheeks dimple. 
“Uh-huh.” There’s a glint of malice in their green eyes. “You sure? No one particular caught your attention?” 
You don’t let their teasing get to you. “Nah. Just checking at Seth trying to hit on Leanne,” you reply without missing a beat, “for the millionth time.” This one isn’t a lie, as the scene really is unfolding a few metres away. You blink at Max, feigning innocence. They narrow their eyes, not buying it. 
“Man, when is he gonna get the hint?” Fred chips in, breaking the unspoken exchange between you and Max. She quickly peeks in the direction of the duo, a muscly arm propped on the back of her chair, long cornrows draped across the other shoulder. She scoffs, and takes a swig of her drink. “She looks like she’s seconds away from kicking him in the balls.”
“Don’t know how she hasn’t done that, like, years ago.” It’s Astrid’s turn to talk. She sighs, shaking her head, her wavy golden blonde hair rustling with the movement. 
“Maybe you should go beat him up for her, A,” Fred jokingly suggests. “Bet she’d like that.”
“Don’t give me ideas,” Astrid responds, seriously. “I’d have him in a wheelchair for the rest of his days.”
“Oh, yeah. And then you and Leanne would run off into the sunset,” Max adds, taking their attention off you, finally. They start screeching in a horrible, high-pitched voice. “Oh, Astrid! Oh, thank you! You saved me from the big, bad man! I lo-”
“Shut the fuck up.” Astrid cuts them off, cheeks reddening. 
“Hmm. I think they hit a little nerve there, A,” Fred continues, laughing, moving her arm to playfully put it around a flustered Astrid. She’s too easy, you think. It’s pretty endearing.  
“Who are you kidding,” you join in Astrid’s torment. “You can’t even say hi to Leanne without stuttering.” The woman gets even redder, the angry tint reaching her pale neck. Fred and Max giggle. “You’re such a teenager,” Max strikes. 
“Just fucking drink.” Astrid commands the three of you, pouring the group another round. 
“Fair enough,” Max says, before clinking glasses with Fred in front of them. Astrid finishes hers in one gulp, which makes her cough, while you sip slowly. The buzz is setting in. It’s nice. It eases the burden on your aching shoulders.
You let your companions carry the conversation as the night progresses, occasionally humming or laughing at a remark. You’re not exactly concentrating. You keep getting drawn back to Joel Miller, for some reason. He arrived in Jackson last summer, about six months ago. Him and a kid, a girl, around fourteen or fifteen. You assumed that was his daughter, but soon learned that you were wrong. People talk, especially in such a small community. Something about Joel smuggling her across the country for the fireflies? A failed operation, clearly. You heard the organisation disbanded since then. It was about time. You’re surprised they lasted that long in the first place. He’s Tommy’s older brother. There’s history there, you know some of it; Joel already had a bit of a reputation before ever passing through Jackson’s gates. He hasn’t done much to help it since then; he barely interacts with anyone besides Tommy and Ellie, the girl. He keeps to himself, brooding, silently observing, tough, cold, detached. That’s how Joel’s treated you on the few patrols you’ve had to go on together these past months. He usually works with Tommy, you usually work with Max, but Maria likes to switch around the schedule occasionally to test out different pairings. You and Joel have done a very efficient job, only speaking when absolutely necessary, technical terms only, mumbling salutations. However, on the last patrol, in early December, you made a great shot at a stalker, and you could have sworn Joel’s mouth twitched in approval. It was so short it might have been a product of your imagination, but then, after coming back to Jackson and bringing your horses to the stable, he mumbled your last name instead of his usual grunt goodbye. It’s fair to assume there’s mutual respect for each other’s skill there. Nothing else. So then, why does your gaze keep returning to his tousled, greying curls, scruffy beard, piercing brown eyes, and the scar on his left temple? Maybe it’s the alcohol. Yeah, that must be it-
Joel’s eyes suddenly lock with yours. Your heart skips a beat, making you choke on your drink. Shit. What the hell was that? Fred immediately interrupts the story she’s telling and you feel three pairs of eyes on you. You clear your throat, looking down at the table. 
“Sorry. Went down the wrong pipe,” you mutter. They keep staring. “Uh, Fred, what were you-”
And then, as if the universe takes pity on you, Mike, Jackson’s butcher, jovial fellow in his early sixties (but barely a wrinkle creasing his dark skin) claps loudly and calls out over the incessant chatter. 
“How about some music, huh?” A few supporters acclaim him. He pushes through the crowd, reaching the old console piano standing at the south wall, underneath a window. Around, some tables have been stored away, allowing some space for dancing. The instrument is in poor shape, the keys are yellowed, a pedal has fallen off. Mike sits on the worn piano bench. Most survivors in the tavern have momentarily lowered their volume, following the man’s moves. He tries a little riff. Not as bad as was expected, just slightly off tune. You know he’ll make it work. “Alright. Get ready to groove, everyone!” He plays the intro to Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry perfectly, earning cheers and applause. Chair legs scrape on the ground, glasses and bottles are snatched up as the crowd converge around Mike. 
“Woo! Come on!” Fred exclaims. She stands and takes Astrid’s arm, forcing her patrol partner up. Astrid resists, but just for the principle, a beaming smile on her face. The pair leaves, already bobbing their heads to the rhythm. Max takes another shot before shuffling away from the table on legs rendered wobbly by the booze. They hold their hand out to you, but you don’t take it yet. You dare look over at a certain someone again, who is grounded in his seat, indifferent to the change of mood. Max wiggles their fingers impatiently.
“I’ll, uh- I’ll join you later,” you say, averting their eyes. 
“Ugh. Fine. You suck,” they reply.
You raise your middle finger in response. They turn away abruptly, flashing the back of their frayed jean vest, the sleeves cut off by hand. Max catches up with Astrid and Joey, and you watch as they start dancing, snorting at how uncoordinated the three are. You’ve downed a good five drinks now. One more won’t do any harm, right? You fill up your glass with the last drops of mead from the current bottle. Warmth spreads through your veins, making your head throb in a pleasant way. Your eyelids are heavy, your surroundings blurred. Something is clear, though. You and Joel are amongst the very few survivors that aren’t taking part in the fun. Hell, even Maria’s letting her husband spin her around. 
And then it happens again. Joel meets your gaze. But this time, he holds it for a couple of seconds, before looking to the side and rubbing his chin. Almost like he’s doing it on purpose. You must be drunker than you thought, because that makes no fucking sense. And what your clouded brain makes you do next is even less logical. Slowly, you rise, and walk unsteadily to the now deserted bar, heading towards Joel. Your heart picks up its pace. This is so stupid . You sit down at one of the stools, just a few feet away from him. You lean over the counter, resting your head in your hand, staring straight ahead at the row of vintage bottles aligned on a shelf behind the bar. On the piano, Mike has moved on to I’m Still Standing by Elton John, his voice strong, smooth. You catch a glimpse of Joel in your peripheral. He’s tensed up ever so slightly, his back straightened. He’s aware of your presence. This is so stupid.
“Hey, Miller,” you hear yourself speak, still looking ahead, but loud enough he can hear you. 
He sighs. That’s something. He hasn’t gotten up and walked away, he hasn’t told you to get lost. He’s acknowledged you. It’s full of irritation, sure, but it gives you enough motivation to keep going. 
“Not a fan of the music?” You attempt a sultry tone and make yourself cringe. Great start. Joel grunts, takes a swig of mead and crosses a leg over the other, nonchalant. 
“Yeah, I didn’t exactly peg this as your scene,” you continue, gesturing vaguely at the crowd. The booze has taken the reins, and you can’t hold your tongue. 
A full minute passes in silence. You’re about to give up. And then Joel talks, gruff, sarcastic, the inebriation accentuating the southern drawl in his voice. “Right. And like you’d know, of all people.”   
A sentence. Joel Miller just spoke a full sentence to you. You’re stunned.  
“Fair point,” you recover after a few seconds. “You just, uh, don’t really seem like the social type.” A pause. You feel Joel’s gaze burning the back of your neck. “No offence,” you add.
“None taken.” Joel downs the rest of his drink, exhales. “You’re not dancin’ either,” he observes. 
“Perceptive,”  you retort. You spin on your stool, now facing him. A corner of his mouth curves upwards almost imperceptibly. It goes back down immediately, but you caught it. And it gives you a boost of confidence. You’ve made the grumpy bastard smile, or, well, the closest to it he can probably manage. 
“Why not?” he questions. “Your friends looks like they’re havin’ fun.” He nods his chin over at Max, who’s gone up to the piano and is belting the lyrics to the song, stomping their feet, while Mike plays the melody. Two things : first, Joel knows who you hang out with, which means he’s not completely oblivious to who you are, and second, he’s making conversation with you. Astonishing. 
“Guess I’d rather be bothering you.” You shrug, trying to suppress a smile. “Thought you’d have cursed me out by now, if I’m honest.”
Joel scratches his forehead. “Dunno why I haven’t,” he mumbles. 
“Maybe you should.” Did you really just say that? Did you just try to flirt with him? And why did his gaze flicker to your lips?
He looks back up and narrows his eyes at you. “Nah. You don’t want that.” 
You don’t miss a beat. “Hey, I could take it.” You’re maintaining eye contact from your seat at the bar. “I’m tough.” Well, this is happening. Damn Eugene and his mead .
The ever-so-subtle smirk passes over Joel’s face for the second time. He shakes his head.  “Don’t wanna make you cry.” 
“Hm. How considerate,” you reply, unable to fight a little smile. Joel emits a short, low, rumbling sound. 
“Was that a laugh?” You ask, the smile growing larger. 
“Hm. No.” He goes right back to irritation. But still, he’s not pushing you away. So, in your drunken state, you decide to test the limits. You slip off the stool and take a step towards Joel. He furrows his brows, but doesn’t say anything. You take another step, and then another, until you reach his table. There’s no going back now. 
“Uhm, mind- mind if I sit?” 
“Are you really gonna leave if I say no?” He asks, rhetorically. He’s challenging you. You feel your cheeks heat up and your stomach drop. You pull the chair out and settle on it. You’re suddenly very conscious of your near proximity to Joel. The courage you had mere minutes ago is disappearing; you have to fuel it up. You grab an empty, upside-down glass sitting near two bottles of mead, one empty, one half full. Joel is acting quite coherent for a man who’s had that much. You tilt your head in request. 
Joel scoffs. “Go ahead.” 
You pour yourself a seventh drink, knowing perfectly well that it is an absolutely terrible idea. You down most of it in one gulp, wincing, before putting the glass back down with a thud. 
“Something wrong, sweetheart?” Joel asks, the nickname dripping with irony. Still, your stomach does another flip. “Can’t hold your liquor?” He mocks. He leans back in his chair, legs open, right hand on his knee, left hand palm down on the table. Your gaze travels from his face, down his neck, to his broad chest where the small unbuttoned portion of his flannel reveals a few dark hairs. What the hell are you doing? Your eyes snap back up
“Fuck off,” you mutter under your breath. Joel looks pleased with himself. You finish your drink, looking straight at him, taunting.
“What was that?” he asks, even though he heard you perfectly. His smug smirk is assured now. You don’t answer. Joel fills up his glass. You take it as a sign that he intends to see this interaction through. Fine by you. You search the depths of your sluggish brain to find something witty to say.
“So, Miller. What’s with the accent?” This is the best you can come up with. The words are slurred. 
He scoffs again. “Don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout,” he says, pointedly adding your last name. He’s playing you.
“Ah, come on, cowboy ” you continue, impressed by your own audacity, “Where you from?” 
Tommy has mentioned this to you before. Definitely somewhere south, but you can’t recall in your current state. And you want to hear Joel say it. 
He rolls his eyes at the nickname, but he doesn’t stop smirking. “Texas. Austin.” He takes a sip. “You?” 
Texas. Right. Makes sense. In a way, you feel proud to have gotten this minimal piece of information out of him. You didn’t think you’d ever witness Joel Miller opening up to you, not even a tiny crack. But here you are.  
“Washington. Seattle.” You copy the structure of his answer; Joel nods, casual. “Uh, you’re a long way from home,” you add.
“Yup.” He doesn’t elaborate. Takes yet another sip. “Seattle, huh?” His gaze pierces through you, eyebrows knitted in reflection. “Born and raised?”
“Yeah…” You’re not certain what he’s getting at. 
“There’s a QZ, right?” A pause. “D’you end up in it?” he questions. 
The words are like a slap in the face, sobering you up a little. You don’t want to think of that right now. Not at all. You look down, fidgeting with your empty glass. 
“Hmm,” you confirm. 
“Damn. Heard things got pretty bad up there,” Joel says. You wish he’d just shut up. You don’t like this turn the conversation took. 
“Yeah, well, I left, so.” The sentence comes out harsher than you had planned. Joel understands the message; he raises his hands up in defence.  
“Got it. Sorry I asked.” The guy doesn’t look one bit apologetic. It frustrates you, and yet…You’re enjoying this little game. 
“Yeah, watch it, Miller,” you warn, but your tone has gone back to being playful. Joel relaxes in his seat. He rests an elbow on his denim-encased thigh, shifting his weight. 
You proceed. “So what’d you do? In Texas?”
“Hm. Contractor.” He really is a man of few words. His past occupation suits him like a glove.
“Fitting.” You give him an unimpressed pout; he stays unbothered. 
“Yeah, yeah. What’d you do, then?” He asks. 
It makes you chuckle. “Uh, middle school student. 6th grade sucked ass.”
Joel takes a second to register. Something quickly washes over his face, an emotion you can’t quite discern, before vanishing. You’re too drunk to analyse it. 
“Huh. I would have guessed elementary,” he states. 
“Aw. Don’t flatter me,” you reply, dryly. 
“I’m not. Just sayin’ you don’t seem like you’ve learned much past fourth grade,” Joel says with a shit-eating grin. 
Wow. You’re speechless. And then you burst out laughing. And, miraculously, Joel starts chuckling with you, the corner of his eyes crinkling. The sound is hearty, surprisingly warm. It’s the kind of laughter that you would try your hardest to hear as often as possible. That could make you all fuzzy inside, if you’d let it. And just like that, the tension that had been building between the two of you breaks. It’s comfortable, you’re at ease. The moment stretches out; you feel a strange connection with Joel, and you wonder if it’s mutual, or if you’re going completely insane. It’s probably the second option. You manage to utter a few profanities, between two breaths. Joel watches, amused, waiting for you to calm down. 
“Alright, you’ve got me there,” you concede, a smile lingering on your lips. 
Joel’s expression has softened. He looks younger, somehow, like a few years of constant stress have been erased just by talking with you. 
“I may not be the brightest, but at least I can take a joke.” 
“You’re not wrong there.” Joel fills your glass with the remnants of the mead, while you push a strand of hair behind your ear, trying to conceal a blush. “You deserve it,” he explains, “if you can take another round.” 
“You keep underestimating me.” You raise your glass up in the air. 
Joel imitates you. “No hard feelings?” He suggests. 
“Deal.” You clink Joel’s glass with your own, and tilt your head back to swallow the foul liquid as quickly as you can, your gut churning in protest. You groan.  
“Think my estimation was correct, actually,” Joel quips. You look over at him. Besides a slight glaze over his eyes, he appears unaffected by the alcohol.
“How are you doing this?” You ask, baffled.
He shrugs. “You’ll get there eventually.” 
“And by there, you mean kidney disease?” You naively bat your eyelashes at him. 
“I’ve survived worse,” he remarks. It’s lighthearted, but it hides a bleak truth you know all too well. You ignore it. 
“Yeah. It shows.” You tease, giving him a scrutinising up-and-down.
“Hm. Funny. You didn’t seem to mind it that much when you were starin’ earlier.”
Jesus Christ.
Game over. Joel wins, one million to zero. You want to bash your head against the table, or run very far away, preferably out of Wyoming. And get torn apart by clickers. Instead, you stay right where you are, mouth agape, cartoonish. Fucking idiot. Are you twelve?
“That’s not- I- I- wasn’t-” 
Joel is delighted by your reaction. 
You wisely decide to shut up and quit stuttering. As if on cue, Mike hits the iconic intro to Don’t Stop Me Now. Max starts singing dramatically, in an offensively bad Freddie Mercury impression. Some survivors join in, not a single one on key, resulting in a cacophony. You take it as an opportunity to get out of the situation. You scramble off the chair and start walking away, stumbling and catching yourself on a nearby table. 
“Where you goin’? We weren’t done.” Joel calls after you. You turn around. 
“Me? Oh just stretching my legs.” You start stepping side to side and swaying your shoulders, following the rhythm. “Showing some love to the artists.” You shoot two fingers at him, moving your arms to the music. Joel shakes his head, chuckling. “You’re terrible.”
“Well then why don’t come here and try to do better!” You shout back, doing a ridiculous twirl as the sheer quantity of mead you ingested finally hits you. The room spins, transforming into blobs of colour. So, you close your eyes, and you flail around carelessly, your mind too foggy to worry. The tempo of the song increases. 
I'm burning through the sky, yeah! Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit-
Suddenly, there’s a presence next to you. You crack your eyes open, checking on who’s intruding. Joel is standing about three feet away from you, hands awkwardly shoved in his pockets. His left heel is tapping the beat. 
“S’a good song,” he mumbles. 
Joel Miller, nervous to dance with you? Anything truly is possible tonight. You approach him, not interrupting your dance. He stays put. You two are away from the crowd, and it feels like you’re alone in the tavern with him, like no one can see you. 
I'm travelling at the speed of light, I wanna make a supersonic man outta you!
As Max puts all of his might into the chorus, you get closer to Joel, because he lets you, close enough that you could reach out and take his hands if you wanted to. And you do, but they’re hidden in his pockets. So you keep dancing, wiggling your hips, jumping up and down. Joel still isn’t budging, but you feel his gaze on you, eyeing your bare arms, the tattoo right under your left clavicle, and going lower down your chest…You take a step towards the man. 
“Who’s staring now?” You hadn’t planned to say that out loud, but it’s too late. You take another step, now inches from Joel’s  chest, which is rising and falling faster than before. His lips are parted, his eyes intense. It’s now or never. Fuck it.   
Your right hand moves up to rest on Joel’s shoulder, causing him to tense up. His expression goes stern, serious, like he’s fighting an internal conflict, debating whether he should pull away. Yet, he remains still. So your left hand goes to his other shoulder, looking up at him through your lashes. He holds your gaze, then inhales like he’s about to say something.
A clunking noise interrupts him, shattering the moment. Your arms fall back to your sides and you glance over Joel’s shoulder, searching for the source of the disturbance. You find it easily. Astrid is standing near the table your group had claimed before, her hair thrown in a ponytail, face glistening with sweat, the sleeves of her sweater pushed up. Her water gourd lays on the ground, its content spilled. Her eyes are wide with surprise, jumping between you and Joel. Her mouth contorts in a silent, one worded question. 
That’s bad. That is very bad.  
Joel notices the shift in your attitude and whips his head around, as a snickering Astrid jogs up to the crowd, merging into it again, certainly to tell Fred about what she just stumbled upon. Joel turns back and leans in, his lips brushing your ear as he whispers:
“Outside. Now.” 
His breath tickles your skin, sending a shiver down your spine. Something stirs in your lower abdomen; a longing, a desire that demands to be dealt with, urgently. 
Joel snatches his coat from the back of the chair he sat in, before striding towards the exit. You follow behind, docile, not bothering to retrieve your own jacket. Once you’re out of the tavern, the freezing wind barely even pinches your skin. You’re too preoccupied with another feeling that’s dangerously rising up inside. You need his touch. And you get what you want. Joel grabs your forearm, and drags you to the alleyway at the side of the building, lit up by a single, flickering street lamp. In a second, your back is pressed against the logs, Joel’s face taking up your entire field of vision. He’s seething with anger. His pointed finger digs into your sternum. 
“You- you- ” he growls. You look back at him like a deer in headlights.
And then he kisses you. Hard. His lips crash onto yours and you let out a startled yelp, jerking your head to the side. Joel stares, anticipating your reaction. You don’t let him wait for long before you kiss back. His hands glide down to your waist, gripping it, while yours go to the nape of his neck. You pull each other in and a burning heat spreads between your bodies. Time seems to slow down as you part your lips to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue in. He tastes bittersweet like the mead. Your heart races. An ache forms where your thighs meet.
Just as suddenly as he came in, Joel shoves you away roughly. Your head bounces on the tavern’s facade. He storms out of the alley without another word, leaving you alone in the cold, panting, riled up, confused. 
What the fuck just happened?
Next chapter
To read on AO3
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qu1cks1lversb1tch · 30 days
Note
Aw those best friend hcs were fun! Can you do everyone else at the hotel? Especially Vaggie?
A/N: I absolutely can! I'll make a part 3 or edit this one if I somehow forget someone (it could happen). This is quite the little grouping 🤣 I hope you like it!
Having them as best friend's part two:
Includes: Vaggie, Sir Pentious, Niffty, and Cherri Bomb.
Part One
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Vaggie
Her deal is tough love.
As her best friend, you're used to being called an idiot half a dozen times a day.
You'll just be chilling after making some decision or saying something and she'll be like: "Not only are you blind, you're fucking stupid too!" But it wouldn't hold any malice
She's never really been one for gossip, but you can bet that she'll listen to how your day was.
Definitely the friend who would interrogate anyone you show interest in.
If someone says something out of line about you, she's putting them in their place before you can open your mouth to defend yourself.
Vaggie isn't very touchy, but she'll hug you sometimes. Especially if it was something like after the battle and she was just happy you were alive.
She's almost always there to ward off the bad.
Sleepovers! They're never her idea, but she can't say no when you give her those puppy dog eyes.
Really, she's always there for you, but with a sibling dynamic that makes some question if the two of you really tolerate each other at all. You do, but barely lmao.
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Sir Pentious
He's a drama king. Sweet, but definitely dramatic.
100% the friend to hold your drink at a party. . . Because he's HOLDING EVERYONE'S DRINK!
If you had to go anywhere, he's sending the Egg Bois with you. They call you 'not master' and it's the cutest thing ever.
Sleepovers would be his idea, no doubt. An offer that couldn't be refused.
He calmly interrogates any potential suitors of yours, and if they seem fine, he might let them go on a date with you.
Will literally cry if you call someone else your best friend. Friend's are okay. But if you called Angel Dust or Charlie your best friend? Immediate tears. "But. . . I thought I wasss your besssst friend." Apologize, right now.
Gives you some new weaponized invention and your favorite Hellish sweet treat every year on your 'death day'. He takes it very seriously.
He's all for the tea, but only if there's 100% truth behind it. Like you witnessed the HOTTEST tea of the month and just went 'Sir P NEEDS to know'.
Everyone mistakes the calmness and caring nature of Sir Pentious as having feelings for you. Common misconception. That's just your slithery best friend.
Y'all take naps together at random because you can. And naps are life.
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Niffty
You're almost as chaotic as she is, but you're better at hiding it. Sorry not sorry.
Because of her, everything you own is cleaner than when you got it and you found it disturbing at first, but eventually got used to it.
She climbs you like a tree and uses you to see better in large crowds.
She talks so fast half the time you could barely understand her until it clicked and you could reply.
She's very knife happy. Someone breaks your heart? "STAB! STAB! STAB!" Followed by maniacal giggles and her footsteps down the hall.
She tries new recipes and uses you as the taste tester to see if the others would enjoy it. The answer is usually yes.
Niffty is super blunt. She won't hold back a single thought, even if it could potentially hurt your feelings.
She rarely takes breaks, but when she does, her small frame is usually beside you, watching TV or relaying the latest drama she heard on the streets.
She's a good listener, but once again, she's also blunt.
Every picture of the two of you, she has that same far away look in her eye. Every. Single. One.
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Cherri Bomb
She's a bad influence, that much is certain, but no amount of peer pressure could get you to do something you didn't want to do. That's why you're best friends.
She loves partying and dragging you out, but most nights, you stay in, which then in a way, forces her to stay in too.
"[Y/N/N], you bitch, why aren't you dressed? I thought we were going out tonight!" No. No you weren't.
She encourages you to step out of your comfort zone 24/7, because you're in Hell and it could only get so much worse.
She listens, but doesn't really pay attention all that much. There's almost always something else on her mind, but she makes it up to you somehow.
She'd probably push you down the stairs for fun if she felt like it.
Most likely to sing karaoke with you, absolutely plastered in a bar somewhere on the outskirts of the Pride Ring.
If you handed your cup to her to go to the bathroom, she'd probably misunderstand and drink it.
Glares at anyone who looks in your direction, purely because she doesn't trust very many at all.
Would reluctantly agree to a sleepover if you asked, just because you're her main bitch.
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mio-actuallywrites · 7 months
Text
The World You Once Loved 3
3/?
There is always two sides of the story is it not?
PREVIOUS NEXT
//May be a bit OOC and probably a little lazy
I’m feeding y’all with over 1,000 words… by the way not proofread!
Started to slack off on the end might go back and edit tomorrow!
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Grim found it werid how one side of the bed felt empty when he woke up. He even felt wrong when he looked around. Ramshackle looked emptier then ever, most of the stuff that you had bought or got from traveling or just plain and regular stuff was missing. 
That was until, he had found out the reason why, yes he did feel you shake him in the middle of the night but he just thought it was normal, you probably just really wanted to bother him about “Mickey” or something else. Until he eventually found and read the letter. 
“HENCHMAN!!!!!” Was the only thing that could be heard from Ramshackle. Before he quickly stormed off to go see headmaster. 
“As you see, I was very kind and generous and found a way home for them. Me being so kind had sent them home last night.” Was the only thing Crowley had said to Grim. 
“MY HENCHMAN WOULD REALLY LEAVE ME?!” 
“Well they had to. My kindness reached so far that they of course had to accept it.” 
“You… Headmaster couldn’t even let me see them before they left?!?!” 
 Adter that conversation no one had seen of you or Grim for the next few days. They thought it was off. But a certain group of first years became concerned and tried to enter (force) their way into Ramshackle, and truly see what was wrong.  
After entering (breaking down) the door and a bunch of shouts of Grim! Or Prefect! And probably breaking a of many items (that were left) to find you. Eventually they stood infront of your room. The last room that they hadn’t checked yet. 
“GRIM ARE YOU OKAY?!” Sebek yelled as he saw Grim their with tears down his face, or should I say fur. 
“Prefect… left me!!!!” Was all he could muster a reply for as he began to sob again. 
“Eh, what do you mean prefect left you? It must be a joke wasn’t it?” Ace responded ending it with a laugh. 
Suddenly however, Grim shoved them the note that you left as the read it outloud. The more words they said, the more there eyes widened. 
“Yer must be jokin’ right?” (I butchered Epels accent lmao)
Soon after Epel said that, all the first years came together and probably cried. Even Jacks motivational speeches couldn’t even heal those wounds. 
Eventually, after they left the word quickly spread. From Heartsybul to Pomeifore, Scarabia, Hell even Ignihyde eventually came to term that you left. 
Crowley being the (worst excuse of a ) headmaster recived the news and complaints of multiple students of not saying goodbye, he eventually called them all down to talk to them. 
“As we all know, prefect came from another world suddenly at the beginning of the year. And I ever so kind decided to bring them in and help them figure out a home. A week ago I had finally figured it out a way home for them. After telling them, they immediately accepted and went home. Simple as that.” And by then, Crowley finished his speech of how he returned you home. 
Yes, although you had broken a few of the many rules of the Queen of Hearts. Riddle will always remember you, perhaps it’s due to your mischievous nature, or how you helped him during his Overblot. He would never know. 
As the horrible headmaster gave his speech, Trey thought of all those times you baked with him. And the time of making that chestnut(?) tart with Adeuce so he could be forgiven. However on the other side of him, Cater was mainly thinking about showing you how to use the phones or whatever they had at TWST. And especially how to use Magicam, and even showed you how to make a account!
Although you stepped on his tail the first time you met, Leona was still surprised about your smartness about finding the weak spot of Azuls Unique magic, but he was still happy he got to turn his own contract to sand. 
Ruggie enjoyed your hustle and really enjoyed you hanging out and getting money with him. 
“Shrimpy!” Floyd cried once Crowley finished his speech. “Why did you have to leave?!” Jade sighed, him and both Floyd agreed for once, that you were fun to be around. Especially during the time you were trying to get the photo from the Atlántica Museum. 
Kalim was already full on sobbing due to you being missing. But you returning to your original world?! That was his breaking point. He didn’t even get to throw you a party…
However, Jamil, wasn’t crying with Kalim, he could agree with him for once. Yes he doesn’t really or maybe regrets what he did to you during Book 4, he did enjoy your company at times when you did bother talking to him, that is if you even liked him during what happened. 
“You Potato…” was the only thing Vil could get out of his mouth. Although you started talking much later then the others, forced to go through STYXS headquarters together, you guys truly bonded. 
“Ah, the Trickster finally found a way home…” Rook's voice rang. (I literally cannot figure what else to add to his, I’m sorry Rook lovers!)
“Ofc an Otaku and boring person like me would be so leaveable..” Idia mumbled…
“Big bro I’m sure they didn’t leave you! They probably just wanted to go back to their own world!” Ortho responded. Trying to comfort his brother. 
The one time Malleus got invited somewhere, he truly did not want to go. You were the only one who truly wasn’t afraid of him. 
(Rest of Diasomnia left out due to some people not wanting book 7 spoilers/ it’s not finished.)
However who had it worst was with the first years. 
 Ace and Deuce who usually looked tough, even looked like they were able to burst out in tears. 
While Epel was just standing there. Still kinda surprised you actually left with no warning. Standing next to him, Jack was there also. Yes he was happy you finally found a way home. But he truly thought you just didn’t want to go to school those days. 
Meanwhile Sebek ran to malleus making sure his Liege was alright. (And to probably no show the others how sad it probably looked.)
“Henchman…” Grim probably still had teary eyes as he mumbled your name once again… not knowing what to do next. 
However, he eventually did. Instead of spending the summer with you like you both planned to, he instead switched between homes, between the 1st or now 2nd years. He got to spend time and learn about the Queendom of Roses, The Shaftlands, and somehow Briar Valley. 
However summed quickly came to an end. Yes he did think about you everyday, but he had to get over it one day, Right?
When they eventually came back to school, he did still stay in Ramschake, but was often found in other dorms. Still causing the usual ruckus, but this year, without the other 3rd, I mean 4th years. It wasn’t as nostalgic, yes Riddle would often shout “Off With Your Heads!” At them. However, Sebek would still talk about Malleus, but still it did not feel the same, he would always think about you. 
They would never mention you, like once on a full moon. It was like you never existed, probably due to how sad they would get whenever Grim used to mention your name on “they would like that,” or “that reminds me of them.” After a few times though, he probably never mentioned you due to their facial expressions. 
One day, near the first exams of the semester, him and the 2nd years were all messing around the mirror. Somehow Ace had an idea. 
“So like what if we say Prefects location to the mirror?” 
“Why’d yer say that?” Epel responded. 
“I don’t know I just want to see what happens.” Ace replied with his usual grin. 
However before anyone could respond, Ace just started saying where you told them where you lived/ what city you lived in. 
And then suddenly, he felt like he was falling down. 
“MWA WHAT HAPPENED?” Grim suddenly felt concrete under him and looked around. 
“Uhh, where are we?” Jack looked around, noticing a sign in whatever language twisted wonderland had that read: “Tokoyo, Japan.” Around that were very tall buildings and it looked like it was nighttime. 
“Hey isn’t this where Prefect lives?”
“I SHOULD HAVE STAYED SO I COULD PROTECT WAKA-SAMA!”
“Sebek quiet down, we don’t even know what happened to us…” Deuce mumbled. “Maybe because it was someone’s fault…”
“What if we use our magic and figure out where Prefect lives?? Didn’t we learn that in Magic class?” Jack suggested, pulling out his magic pen (or whatever it’s called) and getting ready to use it. 
“But Malleus Sama!”
After getting your location, they had started making their way their way to your house, or what they believed it to be. 
(Time skip because I wanna get this out early.)
After figuring out your house, they all decided to knock, however they hid Grim in a bag they found, knowing that your world probably doesn’t have magical cats or monsters that talk. 
Suddenly a young adult opened the door and she widened her eyes. 
“I’m who are you? Also why are you all here with a furry?”
“A furry what the hell is..? Uhh we are friends of Prefect do they live here?”
“They… do? What business do you have with them.”
“We really need to talk to them! And then get back to my liege!” Sebek practically screamed, 
“Dude you really have to chill…” Ace mumbled…
After a bit of chatting and confirming if they did truly know you, she did eventually somehow gave in and welcomed them. 
“I guess they really do meet werid people, but since you really need to know them I guess I’ll let you in? There not home though, still working. Oh by the way, I’m Oboko.” Oboko mumbled as she opened the door more and stepped out of the way. Weird, a bunch of grown ass boys knowing Yuu? What the hell do they do?” 
As suddenly as they entered they raided the kitchen, much to Obokos dismay they made themselves at home. With Oboko watching closely, making sure nothing would happen. 
Soon though, the front door opened and they heard a familiar voice. 
@twistedcece @nothingfuninthislife
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