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#IT'S OKAY TO NOT DO IT PERFECTLY OR IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY

ooffmlsorry · 5 months

Text

OP Men When You're Injured

Context: I don't mean mortally injured, I'm talking something not too serious that kind of inhibits your movement like a broken bone or recovery from a surgery

Law, Kid, Ace, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji

Law

A/N: can we get a little commotion for this gif tho?? Why is he so perfect?? 😭

Law as a doctor is perfectly normal about your injury. He knows with some rest and eventual rehabilitation you'll be just fine. No big deal.

He makes sure you're healing well and comfortable, like he would with any patient

Law as your boyfriend is different.

In the case of an injury with no risk of infection, he'll press a kiss to it. Yes, like he's kissing your boo-boo 🥹

Law does not leave your side. He is your shadow. Where you go, he's right beside you or at the very least in the same room as you.

At first he deadass tries to convince you he's not lingering at all and he's the same as he always is.

But you both know he's lying. He practically moves his office wherever you decide to be for the day.

He can't help himself. What if you fall? What if you reinjure yourself? He's so pressed about the worst case scenarios, and given his past, can you blame him?

He quietly grumbles and pouts about his own "irrational" behavior because he knows in reality you can absolutely go about your day. You're a little slower but you're fine. But he just can't let you. As soon as you start to struggle, he's right beside you offering to help.

If you're aggravated by his hovering, he's twice as annoyed by it. He's literally so frustrated with himself lmao, you might end up having to comfort him instead.

Even if he complains (is it really complaining if he's actually happy lol) you're happy because all this extra time around you makes him extra affectionate. Law snuggles close to you, justifying his closeness by explaining how physical affection can lower cortisol levels.

KID

Oh Kid smh 😔he has no idea how to treat you so he just decides to behave like everything's normal lmao

Legitimately though, even if a inanimate object is what caused your injury, he's destroying it. Just out of pure fury that you were hurt.

He'll huff when you fall behind or have trouble doing something, but he just can't leave you to suffer

He's a man of action lol so he'll probably end up doing things for you just for efficiency sake. You're walking too slow? He picks you up. Can't grab or hold something? He'll do the whole thing for you and next time you try to do the same thing you find he's made something to make it a lot easier for you while you heal.

Anything you need to assist you he'll happily build.

If you have a cast or anything like that, he's gonna draw all over it (honestly, the whole crew will. You're gonna have the most bad ass cast ever)

He absolutely calls you a baby for wincing or complaining. He doesn't mean it...mostly.

If he's not keeping an eye on you than Killer is.

It's not like he's worried or anything! Fuck you for saying that!! He just doesn't want to hear or see you whining and complaining. It's annoying. Okay, sure Kid.

He genuinely hate seeing you in pain though, even if it's just wincing it reminds him of losing his arm and he never wants you to experience anything close to that.

ACE

Ace is your little emotional support boyfriend...or maybe it's the other way around 🤭.

He'll curl up at your side while you recuperate and completely dozes off.

He takes looking after you very seriously and asks Marco lots of questions, even if there's not a whole lot he can do.

He doesn't pity you, but he does feel really bad. Even if it was just an accident, he hates seeing you limited in any way.

He might accidentally treat you like you're made of glass.

It's just because he cares a lot, and he really doesn't want anything else to happen to you.

Every single morning he wakes up and asks how you're feeling or if you're in any pain.

There's a lot of people on the Moby Dick and accidents happen all the time, so don't be surprised when he literally clears a way for you to traverse around the ship.

I'm not saying he's impatient buuuut he will definitely glare at whatever part of you is injured and say, "Jeez, can you heal up already?"

He gives you space, but only if you ask for it. He just doesn't want you to feel like you're ever in this alone.

LUFFY

Luffy is neither patient nor gentle lol but he's extremely loyal

He'll goof off and continue to go on adventures, but he's not gone for long

Even his crew is surprised when tells them he's not going to get distracted because he knows you're back on the Sunny waiting for them.

He's always bringing cool things back to you since you can't do as much as you usually can. Just because you can't be right beside him doesn't mean you have to miss everything.

God bless him he's gonna try to bring you some meat so you'll heal faster 🤭.

He'll absolutely forget you're injured at some point and probably tackle hug you.

The last thing he'll let you do is stay cooped up in bed unless Chopper insists that you have to. Even if you need to rest you can do it right next to him on the head of the Sunny, right?

Exactly like Ace he's going to frown at whatever part of you is injured and say, "Jeez, can you heal up already?!"

He gets whatever you need and probably overdoes it. Need a glass of water? He just straight up brings you the whole barrel.

More is better! Besides, you need to hurry up and get better!

ZORO

He's not worried. He's so chill about it, actually. ...Until you start to move around.

The way he switches up is laugh worthy. He goes from nonchalant to overprotective in an instant.

He practically holds his breath as you make your way around the Sunny, watching you like a hawk.

Admittedly, he does tease you a little. He'll grab things for you, but hold them out of your reach or call you a little turtle if you move slower. He thinks it's very cute hehe.

For better or for worse, Zoro's not a hypocrite. He won't hound you to take it easy if you think you're up to a task. Even if Chopper really wishes he would.

He still won't leave you though, unless you're resting and stationary, he's by your side.

Zoro is your attack dog boyfriend. There's no way anyone (*ahem* Luffy) is fooling around too close to you. There's not going to be a chance you could get hurt more or reinjured.

When you're alone he checks in with you to make sure you're okay, not because he's shy about being soft in front of people but more so to protect your privacy.

He kind of likes doing extra things for you, he won't say it out loud but it makes him really happy when he can do things while you recover. He considers taking care of someone he loves to be such an honor.

SANJI

Unless whatever injured you is vitally important (e.g. the Sunny), he's kicking the shit out of it on principle because how dare anything even dare to hurt you lmao

Are you surprised that he dotes on you hand and foot? You shouldn't be.

I think it also goes without saying he is cooking you best meals.

They're gonna have to tie him down when it comes time for your rehabilitation because he wants to do everything for you.

He's such a sweet heart! He leaves you little messages like "you're doing great!" and "I love you!"

Literally this man lives with you on the ship and he still got you flowers, a get well card, and a little stuffed animal like he's not going to see you every single day

He loves carrying you (as long as it's Chopper approved). He's beaming down the sunny with you in his arms.

He makes the cutest little picnics so you can eat comfortably

Sanji's also an emotional support boyfriend lol. In between cooking for the crew and other duties, he's curled up right next to.

He might coddle you a little too much but it's just because he loves you so so so much

#one piece x reader #one piece x you #law x reader #one piece #one piece x reader headcanon #luffy x reader #sanji x reader #zoro x reader #kid x reader #ace x reader #roronoa zoro #portgas d ac #trafalgar law

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hardlyinteresting · 2 months

Note

Can I get "stop being so pretty, it hurts" with hotch and a drunk reader ?

Perfect

Day Six of the #MarchHotchness event. Find the other days HERE Thank you to @hotchfiles for creating this event 💕

I did a pole and most of you seemed okay with using this request to fill the daily prompt. The ideas were already so similar in my head, that it made sense to do it this way. (I have two more requests in my inbox, I have been working on them. I've been really busy with work lately, so I'm playing a bit of catch-up here! They should be out soon though!)

As always Request here! | Masterlist

The smell of cheap vodka lingers. The taste mixes with the flavour of your cherry chapstick. Around you the room spins; your vision is unfocused, but your laughter bubbles as you move through the kaleidoscope of lights and colours. It's been too long since you've been able to spend a night this carefree.

You hips can't help but sway to the beat as your feet carry you with uncoordinated steps back to the table. Tripping over your own shoes sends you careening towards the floor, but you're spared the fate by a set of familiar hands.

“Careful,” his voice is steady and even as he helps you to stand up straight once more. His palm is warm at the small of your back as he guides you over to where your friends are sitting. The world around you goes quiet. In this moment you think you'd follow him anywhere. Unquestionably safe, and entirely blissful by his side. It's perfection.

“I think it might be time to go home,” compared to his speech, your words are mumbled and slightly slurred. Your mouth struggles to keep up with your mind. Or maybe the other way around?

“Then let's head home,” Aaron agrees easily.

Your eyes stay fixed on him as he collects your purse and your coat for you. He moves with purpose. Calculating with each motion to complete the task as quickly and efficiently as possible. He has no desire to leaving you standing on your own longer than necessary. Ever the gentleman, the perfect man.

“Thank you,” you smile, leaning into him after he's draped your coat over your shoulders. Your bag is still in his hand, the other rests on your hip.

He's perfection; The slope of his nose. It's almost impossible not to want to trace it with your finger. The line of his brow line, and the cut of his jaw leave you nearly always caught in awe of him. With your bottom lip caught between your teeth, you think he's far more handsome now than the day you met him. “Stop being so pretty. It hurts”

“It hurts?” He asks, waving goodbye to the team as he leads you towards the door. He's teasing you, a smile playing at his lips. Beneath the playful tone you hear the trace of his concern. Upset by the very thought of you any less than perfectly content.

“Oof,” you huff with a laugh, “quit blinding me with the smile handsome”

Your giggling only makes him smile more. Perfect.

#aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner imagine #hotch x reader #criminal minds fic #answered #ask #requested #marchhotchness

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stllmnstr · 3 months

Text

easy mode — a lee heeseung drabble

pairing: lee heeseung x f reader

genre: brother’s best friend au

word count: 2.5k

warnings: swearing, alcohol consumption, jealousy, (brief, non descriptive) vomit mention, veeeeery suggestive (but no explicit content/smut), sorry feminism I let heeseung win this round

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Lee Heeseung likes to do things the easy way.

It’s not that he’s lazy, just... efficient. A fan of the path of least resistance. He knows how to pick his battles and does so sparingly.

Heeseung minds his own business, keeps his eyes on the path in front of him and rarely lets them stray. And he definitely, definitely never pokes his nose into other people’s problems.

It’s a philosophy that keeps his head on straight, that allows his friendships to remain low-maintenance and sans drama. It’s what’s kept Jay at his side for the last fifteen years, even through the trials and tribulations of elementary school playground altercations, puberty-fueled fights in the middle school locker room, and most recently, the frustrating misalignment of their post-graduation work schedules.

Four years ago, Heeseung thought a bachelor’s degree would be his ticket to success, not a soul-sucking nine-to-five that leaves him itching for a drink or three most Friday nights. Luckily for him, Jay’s in the same boat.

But tonight, sitting next to his best friend on his favorite slightly wobbly bar stool, Heeseung almost misses the monotony of their usual Friday evening happy hours.

He’s nursing his third beer, which would usually go down like cold water, even though time and tipsiness have turned it lukewarm. Tonight, though, Heeseung’s eyes keep wandering towards the same corner table just over Jay’s shoulder.

And every time they do, the muscle in his jaw strains a little further. The beer on his tongue tastes a little more bitter.

Heeseung hates making things complicated. He doesn’t get involved. He doesn’t. But–

“Are you gonna do something about that?”

On the adjacent bar stool, Jay glances at Heeseung. “About what?”

Heeseung just keeps his eyes trained on that table, that spot over Jay’s shoulder.

Picking up on the hint even through the pleasant haze in his mind, Jay turns his gaze to follow Heeseung’s nonverbal cue. It takes him only a matter of seconds to locate what has his best friend in such a mood. Or rather, who. Although Jay isn’t quite sure why.

He’s digging for clarification when he looks back at his friend. “What do you mean? Did she do something weird?” It wouldn’t be exactly unlike his younger sister to do something slightly embarrassing in public.

Heeseung’s jaw just tightens further, betraying his annoyance. Finally, he puts words to his irritation, saves Jay from his suspense. “You’re gonna let that idiot put his hands all over your little sister in the middle of the bar?”

Jay frowns, turns over his shoulder once again to make sure he isn’t seeing things. He’s not. From this angle, at least, Sunghoon’s hands are at a perfectly respectable distance from you. Not that Jay could do much about it either way.

He tells Heeseung as much. “What am I supposed to do? Drag her out by her ear and force her to join a convent? Ship her off to a girls only boarding school?” Jay laughs humorlessly. He’s not exactly thrilled that you and your friends chose to patronize the same bar as him and Heeseung tonight, but he doesn’t want to linger on it either. In fact, he doesn’t want to do anything but forget his woes this evening, drown his sorrows in overpriced pints of whatever’s on tap. He’s perfectly happy with his back turned towards you. Out of sigh, out of mind and all that. “She’s twenty-two.”

And that wasn’t what Heeseung was suggesting exactly, but now that Jay mentions it…

“You’re okay with Park trying to play tonsil tennis with her then?”

“Dude,” Jay winces, setting his beer down on the bar, stomach suddenly queasy. “Gross. That’s still my little sister.”

Which is exactly the card Heeseung is hoping he’ll play. But all Jay does is sigh. If Heeseung didn’t know better, he’d think the exasperation was directed at him instead of the loser he’s pretty sure is currently trying to make himself Jay’s future brother-in-law.

Jay checks over his shoulder one final time for good measure. It confirms whatever he’s looking for. Mostly the fact that Park Sunghoon’s lips are too busy cracking mediocre jokes to be making sloppy passes at his sister in public.

Hoping to put it to rest once and for all, at least for tonight, he turns back to Heeseung. “Besides, it’s Sunghoon,” Jay reasons. He finds it in himself to reach for his beer again. “She’s known him since preschool. He’s practically like a second brother to her.” Jay takes a sip, misreading the rise in Heeseung’s agitation as familial affection. Trying to soothe it over, he concedes with a nod, “Or third, I guess. I’ll let you be her second.”

Like always, Heeseung lets it go. Goes with the flow, at least on the outside.

But even if he weren’t so committed to never rocking the boat, this is hardly the time or place to correct Jay’s assumptions that his feelings towards you are anything but brotherly. That, he decides, will have to be a revelation for another time. Preferably in a situation where Heeseung is well out of arm’s reach and Jay is in restraints of some sort.

Those, after all, are the only circumstances in which he could ever disclose just how decidedly not brotherly his feelings towards you are.

In fact, they’re a lot more aligned with that stupid game you used to make him play as kids. The one where you put on the white dress you’d gotten from your cousin as a hand-me-down, an assortment of grape juice, finger paint, and pasta sauce stains scattered along the hemline. The one where you’d gather a bunch of dandelions from your overgrown backyard and call them a beautiful bouquet. The one where you’d live out all your grandest six-year-old dreams of walking down the aisle towards a handsome prince with the latest Kidz Bop rendition of whatever love song was most popular on the radio setting the mood in the back.

The one where you’d drag Heeseung away from the player number two console, much to Jay’s unending annoyance, and force him to play the part of your groom. Even at six, you were a force to be reckoned with. An argument-winning fiend that even your older brother could rarely best in a fight.

Heeseung played along, more than anything, because he was scared to face your wrath if he declined. But he’d be lying if he said his heart didn’t feel a little funny in his chest every time he watched you walk down a makeshift aisle made with your mother’s missing tablecloth.

And Heeseung doesn’t give a shit how long you’ve known Sunghoon. After all, what does Sunghoon know about your childhood dream to get married in a garden full of roses? Judging from the way it looks like he keeps trying to get you to try his drink, he doesn't even know you can’t stand the taste of Coke mixed with liquor.

But Heeseung knows. He was there the night you developed the aversion. The night you decided bottom shelf tequila and the soda you snuck from your parent’s fridge were your best friends for the evening after junior prom. The night he held your hair as it came back up a few hours later.

And he was there for the rest of it, too. All the little moments, the big moments, and everything in between that spun the tapestry of your formative years. The day you finally got your braces off and didn’t stop smiling for three weeks straight. The time you sprained your ankle trying to hide Jay’s favorite pair of sneakers in the alarmingly tall tree in your backyard. The night you cried for four hours straight when you found out Jake Sim from biology was a big, fat, liar that was indeed texting other girls for homework answers.

There may have been moments, tangled up in that swirling mix of memories, when Heeseung felt nothing but a brotherly sort of affection for you. A desire to protect you from the world and a distinct sort of pride when he inevitably failed and you rose to the challenge anyway.

But Heeseung also remembers what it felt like to stand across from you as you recited your six-year-old brain’s attempt at recreating marriage vows, and he thinks he never really stood a chance.

Glancing over Jay’s shoulder again, Heeseung watches as you lean a little further into Sunghoon, straining to hear him over the cacophony in the bar. And the anger he feels in his gut is not brotherly in the slightest. Nor is the red, hot, scalding jealousy that burns his throat every time he forces himself to swallow it down.

Searching for a distraction, he busies himself with his beer once again, lets Jay’s unwanted evaluations fall to the wayside for the time being. Immersed in the dregs of his own despair, he almost misses it. The flash of movement as you slide out from your seat next to Sunghoon.

Heeseung mumbles some excuse about needing to go to the bathroom that Jay only partially hears before he’s stepping off of his bar stool, beer forgotten on the counter behind him.

Your footsteps are easy to follow as he traces the predictable path you forge to the opposite corner of the bar. Heeseung’s bathroom excuse was a good one, he’s pleased to discover, once he realizes that’s precisely where he’ll be meeting you.

The line is long, but it moves quickly. Only a handful of minutes have passed when you emerge again. This time, Heeseung doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t give you the chance to walk back and make him watch you from a distance for the rest of the evening.

Instead, he wraps the skin of your wrist in long, precise fingers, drags you to the adjacent hallway where it’s empty, quiet. Secluded. Away from any wandering eyes or unwanted ears.

Any protests of yours are overtaken by surprise, and by the time you finally find them again, they’re replaced by questions.

Heeseung may be a captain of a steady ship, a firm believer in the merits of smooth sailing, but he’s never been able to resist the urge of liminal spaces like these. Moments with enough plausible deniability that Jay won’t have a reason to give him a bloody nose or threaten his life if he so much as looks at his little sister again. Exchanges that he hopes will linger with you long after the two of you have parted ways.

Desire for ambiguity aside, the position he puts you in is compromising no matter how you spin it. Your back against the wall, and Heeseung leans over you, cages you in like he’s after something other than your answers, something more. But the gap between your bodies is deliberate, a way for him to backtrack if the situation calls for it, an out if he needs it.

Your wrist is still in his grip, light but demanding, when he finally says, “Park Sunghoon? Really?”

“What?” You hope you can blame the obvious breathlessness in your voice on shock. “What are you–?”

Heeseung won’t leave you wondering for long. “You think he can handle you?” With the way you’re wrapped up in Heeseung’s hold, the challenge, the comparison is apparent.

Your shock morphs. Hardens. “Handle me? Am I a wild animal? I don’t need to be han–”

And, oh, this is Heeseung’s favorite kind of tightrope. His very best balancing act. He loves it, thrives on it, revels in it. This exchange of heated words that never go anyway but to your head. He hopes you’re seeing fucking stars.

Heeseung leans an inch closer. He’s breaching dangerous territory. He’ll blame it on the alcohol if he has to. Glancing at your eyes, holding your gaze, he doesn’t think he will.

“Who said anything about you needing it?” He’s so close you feel his breath on your cheekbone, ghosting across your temple. “I’m talking about what you want.”

Something unreadable flickers through your gaze before you’re masking it with contempt. As if Heeseung is nothing but a pest, a fly to swat at until it stops buzzing. “Awful presumptuous, don’t you think?”

Heeseung only grins. “I don’t know.” He leans in closer. “There are a few ways we could find out, though.”

If your breath stutters, you’ll disguise it as a scoff. “Pray tell.”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Heeseung inclines his head in a mockery of an apology. For a moment, he lets his eyes do what they want. You feel the heat they track in their path from your nose to your chin back up to your molten gaze. “I’d rather show you, and I don’t think I can do any of the things I want in public.”

You hate the way he does this. The way he never says what he means. The way he skirts around things with such heavy footsteps but still leaves you feeling foolish for drawing obvious conclusions. The way your heartbeat stutters regardless. But tonight, you’ll hold firm. If he wants anything from you, he’ll have to spell it out. “What are you saying?”

Heeseung is as evasive as always. “I’m saying that Sunghoon’s too nice for you.” There’s a hard edge in his eyes when he adds, “You’ll eat him alive and still be begging for more.”

Fine. If he wants to play games, then you’ll roll the dice too. Make scathing comments and heated taunts with whatever numbers you land on. This time, it’s you that leans in. “Should I make sure to find you, then? When I’m all done with him?”

You can’t tell if he’s furious or the most delighted you’ve ever seen him. “Careful,” Heeseung breathes. “That’s a dangerous game you’re playing at.”

“I’m not playing at anything.” It’s a blatant lie, but you’ve become well acquainted with denial, too. Picked up a few tricks from the ringleader himself. “You’re the one that dragged me here and started demanding that I ditch my friend.”

Heeseung smiles as if you serve no purpose but to amuse him. “You let all your friends look at you like that?”

“Only the ones I really like.”

But now you’re under his skin. “Careful,” he repeats, even lower this time. “I’m not as nice as him.”

You won’t heed any warnings, and especially not ones given from him. He’s all talk. All bark and no bite. You almost wish he would bare teeth, just once. “What are you gonna do?” Unblinking, you hold his gaze. “Handle me?”

A blurred line dissolves completely. Heeseung’s resolve slips, just a fraction. “Is that an invitation?”

“A challenge,” you correct, sliding out of his grasp, maneuvering away from his hold. This time, he has no choice but to turn as you begin to back away, to let his eyes follow your lead.

After his misstep, the results of this game are under your sole control. You have choices, ones that leave him in the dust and ones that put a trophy in his wandering hands. In the end, you discard it all. You have only one final demand for him. It’s a whisper that’s barely audible, “Rise to it.”

Heeseung doesn’t need to hear it twice.

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note: I was having serious heeseung brother's best friend brainrot on my friday evening and decided to make it everyone's problem. (you're welcome/I'm sorry). and thanks for reading! thoughts, comments, tags, reblogs, and screaming are appreciated as always <3

#enhypen x reader #enhypen x you #enhypen fanfic #enhypen fanfiction #enhypen scenarios #lee heesung x reader #lee heeseung x you #heeseung x you #heeseung x reader #heeseung fic #heeseung fanfic #heeseung drabble

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janeyseymour · 3 months

Note

hellooo i hope you’re well!

i would like to make a request, a melissa x reader. where they’re married and the reader has always struggled with sleeping. they’re on meds but sometimes they honestly don’t work or help. so mel has gotten into the routine of staying up with reader and eventually r will fall asleep on the couch, in mels arms etc.. one night ava decides to have a sleepover at the school for teachers and the students (like the field trip ep in abbott). the r freaks out a bit because they won’t have the routine with mel like they usually do.. after what feels like hours of fun the r passes out in mels arms as they are in the floor with the rest of the staff (telling story’s to each other).. mel goes into loving wife mode (basically saying to everyone to be quiet so her wife can sleep). SORRY FOR THE RAMBLE I JUST THINK THIS IS SO CUTE.

lots of fluff, lovey mel, overprotective mel..

I intended on writing a different fic tonight, but this one just started writing itself so... as always, not edited in the slightest.

Insomniac's Lullaby

WC: ~2.5k

You’ve always struggled with sleep. It was just a part of who you were. Insomnia haunted you late at night, and you would be lucky to get three hours of sleep most nights. You had tried melatonin early on into these sleeping problems, and it didn’t help. You didn’t feel like going to the doctor about this though- not when you were perfectly functional with the amount of sleep you got.

Melissa, your wife, has come to understand this about you, and with a little pestering, convinced you to go to the doctor for it. They were able to officially diagnose you with insomnia, and they were able to prescribe medication for you.

The first day that you were supposed to take it, you flat out refused.

“Mel, what if it really knocks me out and then I’m not up for work tomorrow?” you asked her hesitantly.

She sighed. “We’ll try them over the weekend, okay?”

“I really don’t think I need it to begin with,” you told her.

“Amore, it’s rather unhealthy the lack of sleep you get, and I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t need the rest of your life to be cut short because you don’t get nearly the proper amount of sleep,” she pulled you into her arms. “Please, just try them over the weekend.”

So you did. And they worked magically. You took your medication religiously for about two months before it stopped working its magic with 100% efficiency.

On those nights where the medication doesn’t work, Melissa has made the habit of staying up with you to let you know that you aren’t alone. Or at least, she tries.

��Babe,” you sigh. “You really don’t have to. I know you’re tired, and you deserve to sleep.”

“I am a dedicated wife,” she tuts as she settles into the couch with you. “If you’re up, I’m up. If you’re heading to bed, I’m heading to bed.”

“I can just watch tv in bed,” you tell her.

“But I know that isn’t super comfortable for you,” she rolls her eyes. “I’ll be fine. We have a big couch, and we can sprawl out.”

“But your back-”

“Will be fine,” she raises a brow. “Don’t call me old.”

“I said no such thing,” you raise your hands in surrender.

“Just lay down,” the redhead huffs.

You lay down, and she lays down and holds you to her chest. You turn on the television, and you lay there for hours. You know Melissa is still awake because you can feel the way that her right hand is lazily tracing your hip bone. So you start to feign sleep.

“I know you’re still awake,” she mumbles into your neck.

“I am,” you admit. “But you need sleep.”

“So do you,” she mutters. “How can I help you relax- without sex? I’m too tired for that right now.”

“I don’t know,” you whisper and turn to face her. Her eyes are half open, and she’s clearly fighting the sleep that wants to take her so desperately.

“Roll over,” your wife tells you as she helps you lay on your stomach. Before you can ask what she’s going to do, you feel her warm hand start to draw patterns on your back. It lulls you to sleep rather quickly, and as soon as she’s sure you’re out for the night, she too gives into her slumber.

That becomes a habit, but even then, that doesn’t always work. On those nights, after seemingly forever, you can convince her that the two of you can lay in bed so she’s more comfortable. She begrudgingly agrees, but she insists on carrying you.

“I can walk, Mel,” you roll your eyes as she fireman carries you up the steps and gently lays you on the bed.

“But then you’ll wake your body up, and we’re so close to getting you to sleep,” your wife tells you as she turns on the overhead fan and crawls into bed with you.

“You’re ridiculous,” you chuckle softly.

“Yeah, and you love me,” she huffs as she starts to spoon you. Her arms find their way around your waist, and you feel as her fingers trace delicate patterns on your stomach. Melissa kisses the back of your shoulder, and lulls you to sleep with her gentle humming.

Nights like this continue, and the two of you are set in your routines. Get to sleep however you can, and if it’s a particularly late night, you’re in charge of making sure the redheaded teacher has enough caffeine in her system to keep her going through the day.

The two of you are rather content in these routines- even if it means your wife can be testier on days where she isn’t as well rested as she’d like to be. You apologize to both her and the staff for her cranky attitude on those days. None of them know you suffer from insomnia and just assume the two of you had a wild night the previous night. Melissa’s stupid smirk does not help put these assumptions to bed.

But it all changes one day when Ava comes sauntering into the staff room during the lunch period claiming that she has a foolproof way to get everybody to bond. A staff sleepover with the students.

Your eyes widen, and they meet Melissa’s. She can immediately read your mind and understand that you’re internally freaking out because your routine will get messed up, and you thrive on routine. The second grade teacher also understands that you won’t be able to take your medication because that usually knocks you out pretty well, and you have to be somewhat coherent if something happens in the middle of the night with your students. She lays a gently hand over your thigh and rubs her thumb back and forth to soothe you until the two of you can get home and talk it over.

“I don’t think I can do it, Mel,” you mumble tearfully that night. “I just don’t think I can handle our routine being messed up.”

“I’ll figure it out… Ava owes me a few favors,” the redhead tries to assure you.

Unfortunately, she can’t deliver. She tells your wife regretfully that they can’t have substitutes stay in overnight, and she’s already sent out the school wide newsletter announcing this plan. So the two of you are stuck doing this lock-in. She promises you’ll be taken care of.

The day of the lock-in comes quicker than you would have liked, and you’re beyond nervous. The two of you head home quickly to eat dinner and pack your things before returning to the school. The kids are beyond happy to see you, and you’re able to forget about your worries for quite a few hours as the students participate in activities with you. It’s all laughs and smiles, and you can tell Melissa is thrilled to see that you’re having a good time.

At some point, a few of the students who had Melissa in second grade and you in third grade flock around you, giggling.

“What?” your wife rolls her eyes. “Oi, I thought I got rid of youse years ago,” she teases them.

“Mel,” you playfully smack her arm. “Be nice. They’re just saying hi.”

“Actually, we have a question for you two,” Jada giggles.

“Oh good lord,” you mumble before looking to her. “What’s up, kiddo?”

“How did you and Ms. Schemmenti get together?”

“Mrs. Schemmenti, now,” your wife corrects.

“How did you and Mrs. Schemmenti get together?” Jada repeats her question.

You tell them the child-friendly version of your love story, and by the end of it, the kids are giggling with glee.

“Thanks, Mrs. Schemmentis!” the group of girls hug the two of you before running off and sitting down in a circle a few paces away. They’re clearly talking about their own love lives, and you can hear one of them say that they hope they find a partner like the two of you.

Eventually though, the students start settling down, some in the gym and some in the cafeteria. A few of the other teachers have volunteered themselves to stay in the different rooms with the kids, and your usual crew somehow gets hallway duty together.

Your wife was smart enough to bring one of your blowup mattresses from home and gets it set up while you make sure that your kids are settling down well enough to not give the other third grade teachers a hard time. When you get back, your bed is made, she’s in her pajamas, and she’s propped up by the wall as she chats with Barb. The two of them are watching is Janine lays out a sleeping bag, telling the two of them that she’ll actually be fine sleeping on the floor because the tiles are cold and it’ll help her sleep better.

“Yeah kid,” Melissa laughs. “Don’t complain when your back is killing you tomorrow.”

You grab your bag from next to Melissa before heading into the bathroom to change. When you’re finished, you settle on the bed next to your wife, but she has different plans. She gestures for you to sit in between her legs and prop yourself up against her. The two of you take up this position at home quite often, but you’re shocked she’s allowing you to do it at school in front of your coworkers.

The teachers that you’re sitting with all trade stories and reminisce about their years at Abbott. Every once in a while, you put in your own little quip, but you mostly let your friends do the talking.

You feel Melissa’s arms around you, her right hand tracing patterns on your hipbone like she does at home, while she uses her left arm to hold you up, her left hand finding it’s place to rest on your stomach.

Barbara is telling some story about the first year that her and Melissa started, a story that you had heard hundreds of times between the two, when you feel your eyelids get heavier.

“And then Melissa-” and that’s the last thing you hear before you fall asleep in your wife’s arms.

It takes a bit for your wife to realize that you’ve fallen asleep. She had noticed your breathing start to even out, but she just assumed that you were relaxing for once.

“Aw,” Janine coos. “Y/N is so cute when she’s sleeping.”

“She’s asleep?” Melissa raises a brow as she looks down at you. Sure enough, you’re sound asleep in her arms. “No more stories. Goodnight.”

“What?” Jacob asks. “But we were just getting to-”

“I said good. night.” the redhead silently challenges him to argue back.

“Melissa dear,” Barb says softly. “We’re all just having a good time, and Y/N has been asleep for the last fifteen minutes. Surely, us continuing to chat won’t wake her.”

“Barb,” Melissa grits out.

“What’s the fuss?” the kindergarten teacher asks.

Your wife bites her lip before glancing back down at you and kissing your temple. “None youse better tell Y/N I told you this.”

They all cross their hearts silently.

“She struggles a lot with sleep. She takes medication to help her, but sometimes it don’t always work. On nights where she really has a hard time, the only thing that can really get her to sleep and stay asleep is me.”

“How cute,” Jacob says softly.

“Y/N was pretty nervous about tonight, knowing she couldn’t take her medication with the kids being here and having to respond to something if we have to. We also have routines for when she can’t take her medication or when it just isn’t working.”

“Sex?” Ava chimes in.

“No,” Melissa rolls her eyes. “But she really thought tonight was going to be a sleepless night for her. So if she’s sleeping, youse need to shut up so she can stay asleep. And if she wakes up, there will be hell to pay. Woman needs it after only getting two hours of sleep last night.”

Barbara nods and starts to get herself comfortable on her own mattress.

“Is that why she always comes in looking exhausted?” Gregory asks.

“On days when she can’t sleep, yeah.”

“And you come in looking exhausted too?” Janine clarifies.

“Yeah. I stay up with her and try to find ways to get her to sleep.”

“Damn,” Ava sighs as she lays down. “I just thought y’all were freaky.”

There’s a chorus of a hushed, “Ava!” before everyone else lays down and gets ready to sleep.

“If any of the kids need anything, Y/N is last resort,” Melissa warns as she gets you to lay down. She curls up next to you, kisses your temple, and lets her eyes flutter shut.

You wake up the next morning feeling absolutely refreshed. There’s no chatter around you like you thought there would be.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Melissa whispers as she brushes a few hairs away from your face. You blink your eyes open, and there is your wife looking as gorgeous as ever holding her coffee mug. You glance around- there’s no students.

“Everyone else is up with them, and they’re all having breakfast in the classrooms,” she tells you as she hands you your mug.

“Crap,” you mumble as you go to sit up. “I guess I gotta get to my room so they can-”

“Mr. J has our classes handled,” your wife tells you.

“How did the kids get around me?” you ask as you run your fingers through your hair.

“Silently,” she chuckles. “I pretty much told them that if you woke up, everybody would get a demerit, and the offender would get a detention. That kept them quiet.”

“Mel,” you sigh.

“You needed sleep.”

“I’m sorry I fell asleep on you guys last night,” you sigh as you take her mug out of her hands and take a sip. The coffee tastes perfect.

“You needed it. The others knew you needed it too, so they told me they would help wrangle the kids back to the classrooms for breakfast.”

“They knew?”

“They see the way we walk in here sometimes… after long nights,” the redhead clarifies. “I kind of had to tell them when I threatened that if anyone woke you up, there would be hell to pay.”

“Oh good god,” you mumble.

“Jacob already gave me an herbal tea recipe that supposedly helps with sleep, so we can try that tonight,” your wife rolls her eyes in good nature.

You nod and take another sip of her coffee. “Okay, let’s go deal with our kids.”

“Mr. J has it.”

“I don’t need Mr. J telling my kids that Illuminati runs the world,” you roll your eyes as you climb off the air mattress. The two you get into the room just as Mr. Johnson finishes writing the word.

#melissa schemmenti x you #melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti fanfic #melissa schemmenti #abbott elementary fanfic #abbott elementary fanfiction #abbott elementary

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night-raven-tattler · 4 months

Note

JCJXJXJXJDNDNNXJXJXJXNZNXNXNXMXKMCJCJCJS

SORRY, I'M FANGIRLING (Is that even a word?)

Tattly, I swear, I was thinking about sending this request DURING New Year's Eve, BUT MY ENTIRE CITY SPENT THE FIRST DAY COMPLETELY WITHOUT POWER 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

But if I can ask you now, tell me: in what pose do you think the twst boys sleep?

Who has the Dracula pose, who looks like they were run over and, most importantly, WHO HAS THE "POWER BOTTOM, ASS UP" POSE??

I've been completely high on coffee for 4 days, sorry about that~

-🌙

(You'll see a lot of me here, I loved the place)

Hello and happy new year, 🌙! Mx Tattly is pleased with your return. They have conducted a very elaborate investigation, with the help of some of the fellow NRT members. Hope you enjoy the findings!

Turbulent sleep or unperturbed slumber?

Characters: main NRC students cast, NRC staff, Che'nya, Neige (separate)

Warnings: none

By opening the document, you agree to Mx Tattly's terms of source confidentiality.

-ˋˏ’✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

The yearners/cuddlers: Deuce, Ruggie, Azul, Kalim, Trein, Neige

These are a bunch of people who yearn for warmth and affection. Either they're used to being cuddled to sleep, or they have a natural urge to grab onto something or someone and hold onto it/them until the sun comes up. Their grip is sturdy, their sleep is sound and their pillow is very likely drooled on. They're the most likely to snore, from small kitten snores to bass bosted remixes.

『••✎••』

The pristine logs: Riddle, Jack, Silver, Crewel

This is the sleep position of a person who totally has their life together (/s) and absolutely nothing is wrong with them (/s). They are totally okay with their life (/s). Even from the moment the go to bed they know how they want to wake up in the morning. The pose is unshakeable and they are statues, impossible to wake up from the outside, even with the aid of the loudest Sebek available.

『••✎••』

The space hoggers: Grim, Ace, Jade, Floyd, Crowley

Their mission is to occupy as much of the bed as possible. Either from spreading their limbs for comfort or from moving in their sleep as if they're dreaming of participating in a yoga class, they will never wake up the same way they went to bed. Their dedication to claim as much of the bed as possible no matter who else shares it could be rivaled only by the Roman Empire.

『••✎••』

The squishy limb havers: Jamil, Cater, Idia, Che'nya

These people don't fall asleep, they collapse of exhaustion on their bed after being awake for too long, only to wake up a few hours later and wonder why their new bed was the floor. Unfortunately for them, it would be hard for them to fall back asleep, as they somehow managed to get some rest in the position they powered down in. If by some miracle half of their body is still on the bed in the morning, they consider it as a win.

『••✎••』

The coffin dwellers: Trey, Vil, Rook, Ortho, Malleus, Sebek, Sam

This is another position of a perfectly normal person with absolutely no issues whatsoever (/s). This pose is not only absolutely mundane and normal (/s), but it's also efficient: it's the position that allows them to sleep the best and to wake up the fastest in the morning. They sleep (or charge) in a position worth grading, and the school should implement a scoring system that would benefit their overall grade only based on the perfect stillness and grace and total normalcy (/s) of their sleep.

『••✎••』

The freefallers: Epel, Leona, Lilia, Vargas

These people have nothing to fear, as sleeping with you butt upwards and on your stomach is a pose used to assert dominance and superiority. It shows fearlessness, because an unprotected back is a show of vulnerability. Despite the risk they subject themselves to in order to make a statement, they refuse to change their sleeping position. They prefer their freedom and the superiority complex... and the neck / back pain in the morning.

『••✎••』

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daisynik7 · 4 months

Note

Hi, how are you? I hope that well. My delusion for Ino led me to wonder how he would react to receiving a somewhat unusual (if you know what I mean 🫣🔥) photo of his girlfriend during work hours. But it's okay if you don't want to write 🥰🫶🏻

cw: established relationship, smut

Author’s Note: Hello my dear! I’m not open for requests, but I’ve also been thinking about this so I couldn’t resist writing this drabble. Enjoy! Divider credit to @/cafekitsune.

Ino usually knows better than to check his phone during work hours, especially when he’s on a mission with his mentor. It’s a Saturday night and he’s been called in last-minute to exorcise curses infesting the basement of a local elementary school. Nanami accompanies him, so naturally, he’s on his best behavior, always striving to impress his senpai. Typically, his phone is on silent, tucked away in his pocket, his attention completely focused on completing the task at hand. He normally doesn’t let anything distract him.

Today’s a little bit different. It’s your anniversary.

You surprise him earlier with breakfast in bed, starting off with you riding his face until he’s devoured every last drop of you. It’s his absolute favorite; the best way to start any morning, in between your thighs with his tongue stroking your clit until you’re gushing all over him. Then, the two of you cook an actual meal consisting of some of your favorite dishes: a steaming bowl of miso soup, steamed rice, fluffy eggs. It’s routine now, the way you maneuver the kitchen together. Ino leaning over the kitchen stove, steam surrounding his face as he smiles down at the pot, stirring the broth slowly. You peeking over his shoulder, dropping the cubed tofu pieces carefully, sneaking a quick smooch on his cheek. For lunch, Ino reserves a special sake tasting at your favorite bar in Shinjuku, where you both indulge in the smooth liquor and tasty appetizers. Afterwards, you pick up food for take-out and head back home to enjoy the rest of your evening comfortably.

It's just when the two of you are exchanging presents that Nanami calls him in for work. Ino already unwrapped your gift to him, his fingers exploring the silky fabric of the lingerie delicately, his lips parted in awe, salivating at the thought of you modeling this for him. He almost lets the call go to voicemail, ready to take you right here, right now. “Taku,” you giggle as he scatters wet kisses along your neck, his hands trying to work your shirt off, his phone still ringing. “Nanami is calling you.”

He groans into your skin, clearly frustrated at the horrible timing of it all, but he eventually picks up, reluctantly agreeing to meet his senpai as soon as possible. “I’ll be back soon, okay? And we are going to continue exactly where we left off,” he demands, kissing you fiercely on the lips.

As much as you love and adore your boyfriend, you can’t help but mess with him just a little bit.

That’s how he ends up in his current situation, in the middle of his mission on a quick break, rock hard as he stares at his phone screen. It’s a selfie of you, his wonderful, naughty girlfriend posing with the lingerie on, the lace hugging all of your curves perfectly, the sheer fabric exposing the parts of you that only he’s lucky enough to see. The message sent with the photo reads as follows:

Hurry, baby. I’m waiting for you.

That’s what does it. Ino effortless eliminates all the remaining curses in record time that even Nanami praises him, which is rare for him to do. Within the next half hour, he returns home, takes the quickest and most efficient shower he’s ever taken, and is in bed with you, raring to go. And for this, he takes his damn time because both you and he deserve it.

#ino takuma #takuma ino #ino takuma x reader #ino takuma smut #ino takuma x you #ino takuma fluff #takuma ino x reader #takuma ino smut #takuma ino x you #takuma ino fluff #ino smut #ino x reader #ino x you #jjk x reader #jjk smut

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onmyyan · 11 months

Note

Okay so the idea one of the other asks had about a platonic to romantic relationship for neglected reader has me thinking again ( dangerous thing for 6 am I know)

For Bruce, the only way I see it working is if a neglected!reader isn’t their child at all. This requires a whole new concept to be introduced. Hear me out, a marriage of convenience. It makes investors happy to see the Wayne family having the added stability and reader attending events in Bruce’s stead let’s him do his work more efficiently. But even if it’s a loveless contract, the way they treat reader is cold- too cold. It’s like they’re a stranger in their own home, always out of the loop.

Reader may not have any Wayne family genetics to back up their intelligence but they’re no idiot. They know that there are secrets the whole bat family is keeping from them. And more importantly… with how often they roam the halls of the manor on their own they realize that it just doesn’t add up.

Rooms are simply too small for the length of the building and halls. Blueprints don’t match up when reader redecorates, Bruce just waving away their ask for permission and letting them do whatever- so long as they don’t touch his study. What does that mean? Only one thing.

Secret passages.

A neglected reader stumbling on the bat cave and realizing everything, but it doesn’t matter.

They didn’t sign up for this shit.

It was one thing being mistreated and avoided like the plague by every member of the bat family. To have peace making family meals be skipped over, for what reader now knows to be patrols and training. To have to take on not only the running of charity events in Bruce’s name, but deal with the snide remarks and comments of the nouveau riche about where their beloved fiancé might be. To have their name dragged through the mud by tabloids and reporters when Bruce’s escapes from events are seen as evidence of infidelity rather than him going to stop a bank robbery.

But to be sitting on top of a hidden fortress, or bat cave, of military grade weaponry and equipment? To be misused and left unaware by Bruce? Batman??? The guy who has more enemies apparently than Jason has bullets for his gun?

Yeah no, the money and stability isn’t worth it. It isn’t worth your life nor the dangers.

And damn, when Bruce realizes what he’s lost, it stings. More than he’d expect no doubt. He’s not naive enough to misread his own emotions, he knows he cares for his neglected fiancé or ex fiancé now… but how it came to be eludes him.

Maybe it’s because he’s a man of action rather than word. It makes him a piss poor father, many of the bat family seeing him more as a mentor than anything. So when he thinks back to how reader acted, playing their role as fiancé perfectly regardless of whatever impossible standard or task they had to complete. Wasting countless hours doing their best to be amiable with him at every turn just to shut out, the reality of it all was a bitter pill to swallow.

You tried with him, more than most have, more than most ever will. And look where that got you.

Your things all gone in a span of an afternoon, divorce papers or a waived contract and engagement ring left on his desk. Papers he can’t even remember signing, normally happy to sign and approve whatever budget you’d need just to get you out of his hair. And to think, not a soul knew where you were, not even Alfred.

Then he notices the alert from the bat cave

Security footage shows you wide eyed in the base, Bruce will probably remind himself as he suits up. It’ll be a liability for you to just run free he tries to say in his mind as his cape flutters in the night breeze.

He’s so used to working alone for so long that even now, with his expansive bat family, he still shoulders so many burdens alone- this one especially.

He did this, he needs to fix it. And he’ll start by finding you first and bringing you back home.

Let’s get it out of the way, assuming reader is part of the bat family by blood, Damian isn’t gonna be romantic in my mind. For the youngest Robin, it’s been a battle of wanting to fit in but also harshly rejecting those around him because the feeling of vulnerability is uncomfortable. He was raised by a ruthless assassin after all, as well as an admittedly less ruthless vigilante/hero. So it’s natural to reject a child of Bruce’s and write them off as annoying or scowl and curse at a fiancé reader trying to play nice with him. He didn’t need a half sibling or a mother. He already had a mother anyway. It’s only when either are gone that he realizes just how empty it is without their presence. The rest of the bat family had gotten used to their behavior and to some extent, so did the reader. The only difference is, reader kept trying to be nice while the rest shrugged off Damian’s abrasive personality and hardened heart as just a part of him. Like it would go away with enough patrols and training. Feeling colder than he’d like, all Damian wants to do is feel and see that warmth again, already out the door and taking to the streets to see if he can find them and make sure they still feel the same way once again.

Now… focusing more on a long lost neglected kid of Bruce’s-

Dick has a reputation for being the dependable one out of the bat family and it’s well earned. He works hard and sticks to his morals, but keeps it light and friendly when he can. Even out working in Bludhaven, he remains a contact for Damian and Barb to reach out whenever they need any help or advice.

A question for you though, just who do the dependable and the ones being leaned on depend on? Who do they lean on?

A younger Dick would have laughed and waved off such a question with a joke or witty comment. He was strong, capable, and in no need of saving he’d assure you.

But then reader leaves and it’s like the ground itself falls away beneath his feet.

Whether he can admit or not, he cares for the members of the bat family. Gotham may not be his home anymore, but he knows the people and streets. He cares for them, even from afar. Sure, the text he’d get from reader were mostly ignored and always left on read, but every once in a while when his worry would get too high or his mind would wander too far, he’d scroll through the logs, happy to see that everyone was okay.

But that subtle reassurance is gone. Even worse, Dick failed you. He failed the rest of the family too. They say hindsight is a bitch but for someone as empathetic and friendly as Dick it’s more like an oncoming train hitting him. He could have done so much to help the situation, called back, texted back. Hell, even a hallmark gift card could have been more preferable to the big wall between the two of you. It’s like his heart’s split in two, the hero running through flashes in his mind of when he and you were younger, every hesitant smile you gave, every face of discomfort on your features…

There’s so much he could have to prevented this. It’s like a mantra in Dick’s head on the way to Gotham, the dependable one of the bat family desperate to find the one he could lean on most once more.

Jason’s rift with Bruce is something that feels more like an endless chasm at times. One that you’ve tried to bridge over and over again with little success. Even if the intention was to see him, it’s almost laughable when it’s your disappearance that has the two working more together than they have in years.

He was definitely one of those who assumed your gifts of medicine and supplies at his doorstep were the work of Alfred, the vigilante never bothering to inquire otherwise until the day the whole truth spills out. And the truth has the man floored.

He’s not close with the others in the bat family as is, preferring to work alone with his own differing moral code than his mentor. It’s a rather insular and lonely path but one he’s happy to take. At least then he’ll get results, unlike Bruce. It’s when he comes back from a long, tough night of fighting to find not a single item or person at his doorstep that Jason truly feels the weight of reader being gone.

They’re a healing presence, one that makes- or made the rough road Jason is taking all the more bearable. Having reader gone just fuels a fire for them that Jason didn’t even know he had, a fire of love that has his resolve strengthening again.

Bruce could intent to take you back all he wants, but Jason Todd has never been the type to follow his vision. Instead he’s going to play along until you’re found. Then he’s going to carve his path to you, bloody or otherwise, and beg forgiveness he knows he doesn’t deserve. It’s not like he has much of a choice, the man’s hurt with an injury no ointment or medicine can heal. The only thing left that he could think of working, well, that’d be you.

Tim slid himself easily into the role of Robin. He chalks it up to his genius deductive abilities and spatial awareness. This makes it easy for Tim to look around a social situation and adapt, the same thing happening when he first enters the Wayne manor and sees how they treat the out of the loop reader.

Only a child would use the “everyone else did it card though”, and Tim isn’t a child anymore. He realizes what they did was fucked up and his mind is already racking for solutions the moment the guilt sets in.

He’s also no fool either. He can recognize the love in his heart like a cauldron of water, bubbling and on the verge of over flowing at the memories of your many acts of kindness. He also knows how much the others love you too. Some platonically, others romantically. Buts not about what they want or even what he wants, though it doesn’t take a super detective to figure that one out.

It’s about what you want, and with how kindly you treated everyone and how that kindness still lives in you, the answer is just as obvious to Tim, the cunning hero already weaving a wine web to ensnarl you in to take you back to your rightful place.

Home.

Barbs is surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, a stubborn one, you’d certainly have to be to survive what she’s been through. Though, it certainly didn’t help her relationship with you before you left since a persistent offense and stubborn defense rarely made for a good match with one another.

When she does realize her true feelings though, the hero is thankful for a chance at redemption. She’s already gotten her second lease on life and she was a fool if she’d ever let you slip through her fingers once more.

Stubbornness becomes less of a problem now that the hunt for you is on, traces of her days as Oracle coming back to light as Barbra takes every ounce of activity on the internet and processes it, combing through every search and text to see if she could find you.

While she turns Gotham into a temporary surveillance state, her sharp memory digs through what she could find in your room, desperately searching for where you could have thought of going.

She’ll find a solution to this, a perfect little bow to clean up this chapter in your relationship with her and have it pushed behind the two of you. That she’s certain of when she looks through social media for you.

After all, you’ve already lost to her stubbornness once, are you quite ready to do it again?

What a fantastic thing to wake up to fren!! This is so scrumptious,,,, I live omg...

Barbara low-key so scary I love it??? I feel like she'd be the one who finds you too, the very same stubbornness that pushed you away being the thing to pull you back in arms reach!!

Omg this got my brain wheels a'spinning and it be so fun if this reader just so happens to be childhood besties with one of Gotham's big bads, and they're the ones she goes to for comfort after the separation, while leaving the cold family was the best course of action, it still make you want to cry until you couldn't, (I'm specifically imagining the T.V. show Gotham's version of Oswald Cobblepot, I feel like he'd be such a good bestie like yeah he psychotic and quick to kill but if he likes you he a ride or die fr) plus I imagine you being close to anyone the family considers dangerous is just like throwing gasoline on a fire regarding their Yandere feelings, it would only drive them further off the deep end, even more desperate to have you back where you belonged

#yananswers #yandere batfamily #neglected reader #villain reader

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theminecraftbee · 4 months

Note

Hi! I’m like 90% sure you answered this already, but I was wondering if you had any advice on keeping all the hermits in character? There just too many for me to keep track of.

actually, unlike the answer to "do you have a list of characterization notes for each hermit, i want help writing [x hermit]", i have an answer to "there are too many hermits to keep track of"! and it's, uh, maybe not the answer you expect/want to hear? but...

my advice for keeping all the hermits in character is that you don't actually need to write all the hermits.

some stories ARE served by an ensemble cast! but many stories are not; you'll note most of my fics have a cast that is really only two or three leads deep, sometimes four or five in my larger casts but normally two or three! and that's because trying to keep a bigger cast than that perfectly in-character is REALLY HARD because you do not have the space in your story for it. read a LOT of things; MOST people do not fully flesh out a cast of 26 in their stories! because there just is not time.

there are two solutions to this. the first is, if you are committed to an ensemble cast, accept that everyone won't have as much depth to begin with. in large ensemble casts, it's pretty normal for everyone to just sort of have One Character Trait each, except for whoever the most common POV characters are, and that's okay.

additionally, you'll note most TRUE ensemble casts are found in things that are long-running; the way something like an ace attorney game or a shonen fleshes out its ensemble cast is that it'll take turns with who's turn it is to get characterization. before it's that character's "turn" to have their backstory/characterization/motives explored, they typically stick to the point in their arc/character traits that have already been revealed, and that is okay! economy of storytelling is important, after all, and no audience is going to be able to follow twenty-six character arcs happening simultaneously. like, that's normal. that's fine. so use shortcuts to get through them!

the second solution is like... just don't write all the hermits! choose the ones you are comfortable with (or, alternately, you want to get more comfortable with by practicing). those are now your leads. focus in on characterizing THOSE GUYS and ONLY THOSE GUYS correctly for your story. use other hermits as bit side characters as needed, but they won't need to be characterized as well, because they are side characters.

and like. okay. that's the thing: it is OKAY if you have particular hermits you write less often or that you use as side characters. fandom sometimes shames people for not having everyone be a richly-characterized, perfectly in-character character, but like... there are TWENTY-SIX HERMITS. you will not be able to write them all perfectly. hell, i take shortcuts to write them all too (mostly related to my ability to write efficient dialogue but that's a thing you learn with practice and i can't really easily teach you to do), and i still get praised for writing them alright! i certainly don't even try to claim i keep track of all twenty-six hermits in every fic i write with them. that would be absurd. it is okay to have leads, to focus in on specific characters, and almost certainly better for your story, i promise.

anyway the third answer here is "also you just need to practice" but i acknowledge that's the boring non-answer. it's true, unfortunately. just... practice, and if there's a specific hermit you're trying to write that you're shaky on, practice them and watch a few of their videos to at least get the cadence for how they talk down, and you'll start to figure out what to do with them.

so,,,,,,,, yes i hope this actually helps with your question,

#answered #anyway sorry if this is not answering the question you really had #but 'how do i write all the hermits' is an interesting quetsion to me!#because like... there's really no reason to?#like OBVIOUSLY if you WANT to write all the hermits more power to you #but in most cases you do not need to and probably even shouldn't you know

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david-talks-sw · 1 year

Note

Since people were talking about it recently: is there any official reason given of why Padme forgave Anakin immediatly after the Tusken Raider massacre? I always see a lot of diferent reasons given on the internet, from long and deep analises of theirs characters to "the writers didn't think about it".

Okay, folks (or single person who messaged me three times) I'm finally talking about this XD !

I got no official answer.

That said, here's a few points that I do think merit consideration, and I haven't really seen them mentioned anywhere.

1. Anakin is more regretful in the script.

If you look at how the scene is portrayed in the Attack of the Clones July 2001 draft of the screenplay, in Scene 118, pages 83-84...

... he's sorry and ashamed. He is in absolute shock of what he did. We get a bit of this, in the film...

... but in the script it's much more explicit. It starts out with him lashing out at Obi-Wan, at his own lack of power, but it ends with him breaking down and just apologizing over and over.

He didn't just kill them, he went Wolverine-style berseker and murdered EVERYTHING in his path, and he's thinking back on it with a clear-ish head now and realizing the gravity of his monstrous act.

When it's on paper, it reads very differently, to me. He's more remorseful, so Padmé's reaction makes more sense.

But there's a big difference between what you write in a script and what comes out in the film. Once you're shooting, myriad other factors come into play. So Anakin's dialog changes as the delivery and the rhythm are narrowed down, the beats in the scene shift around... but Padmé's reaction stays the same.

And that's where you get the disconnect.

Because what sticks with the audience more is this moment, now.

The anger. Not the shock and remorse.

So why the change? Well, George Lucas had this to say:

"He's very unhappy about that. Very sad and depressed. There was some dialogue here before that I took out, because it seemed to get in the way of the emotional moment of this scene where she says, "To be angry is to be human," and he says, "But to control your anger is to be a Jedi." And so that issue was actually laid out in dialogue at one point, and I decided to pull back from it... because it seemed to me that it was pretty obvious that was what was there. And I didn't think I needed to state it quite as boldly as I did. And that issue will come up at a later time, and I just felt it took away from the moment of his sadness. And I thought the sadness pretty much said the same thing without words." - AotC, Commentary Track #2, 2002

The reasoning was: too much dialog takes away from emotion.

An audience member will have a stronger emotional reaction from Anakin crying than Anakin crying while screaming "woe is me!"

I get (and generally agree) with the reasoning. But, personally, I have mixed feelings about this particular artistic choice.

On the one hand... if the intent is to show that Anakin made a big mistake and is sorry and sad because of his actions, then I think it's safe to say that it's not what most people took away.

Which then leads to things like John Ostrander writing Anakin as thinking he'd kill them all over again.

Also, it makes the viewer question the wisdom of Padmé's judgment.

But on the other hand... whether Anakin was feeling apologetic or not, he still did it. He still effectively massacred a whole tribe, he made that choice.

And whether the intent in that specific scene is conveyed efficiently or not, Anakin's character flaws (which the Prequels are really about) aren't really impacted and still tie together perfectly.

The only real change to that scene is that Padmé goes from having a more understandable reaction to "missing a lot of red flags".

2. Padmé thinks she can fix Anakin.

Here's what Natalie Portman had to say on the scene, which I think is an interesting take.

"She's this very powerful woman, and I think Padmé is sort of intrigued by this darker side she sees to him, especially because she's such a person who tries to fix everything. She sees problems in the world and she still has that idealistic passion… to think she can change everything, and she can change people who have darkness to them. And she sees goodness in him. She sees this passion. And she sees that there's a lot of anger in that passion, that it's not just the goodness and purity of her passion. So I think that is definitely attractive for her- that there's something that she can try and help heal or mend. That might be a big surprise for her when she can't." - Natalie Portman, AotC, Commentary Track #2, 2002

A part of Padmé is intrigued by Anakin's darker side, the "handsome bad boy" part... but that's coming from a place of "I can change him".

But the only thing that can change Anakin... is Anakin himself. Unfortunately, he keeps:

indulging his darker selfish impulses because he lacks discipline, acting on emotion despite knowing better,

regretting it for a moment and acknowledging that it was wrong,

starting again, never learning from his mistakes.

Which is part of the reason why their relationship is sort of doomed from the get-go.

#Screenplay Analysis #bts tidbits #Anidala #Anakin Skywalker #Padmé Amidala #Attack of the Clones #Star Wars #Episode II #hayden christensen #natalie portman #george lucas #QnA

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miabebe · 9 months

Text

The Legend of The Sea

"You're crying? You must be turning human, the MerFolk don't cry."

"Of course we do. Why do you think the Sea is nothing but salt?"

Pairing: Choi Seungcheol × reader

Genre: Heavy Angst, Romance, Implied smut

Word count: 14K (completed)

A/N: This was supposed to be a very long fic with lots of dialogue and lot of plot but I decided to take a turn and write a shorter version! It's very different from my usual writing style, it would be great to recieve your thoughts and comments! I'm considering writing a epilogue if the response is good :)

Tags: @xcynthiaaa @dr3aluv5 @unlikelysublimekryptonite @orcasandtea @letsplayitcool @idubutily

It all started the day you woke up on the beach with that unbearable pain searing through you.

The air was cool, the sand was hot; the seagulls were flying across the blue sky, the sound of the waves was like a beautiful melody – it was like a perfectly painted picture. It should have felt pleasant, it should have felt serene, instead you felt immense pain, like your guts were turning inside out and your chest was being split into two.

And it just wouldn’t stop. Even if you thrashed about in the sand or let out soundless screams clutching your chest, nothing could make the pain stop.

Except the soft laughter.

Someone else was here.

As the pain ebbed at the sound of a voice, fear came rushing in its place.

Someone else was here.

Your instincts told you to hide so you did, scrambling to your knees in the sand, crouching behind one of the many large boulders scattered around, trying your best not to be found. And to not let curiosity get the better of you….. until it eventually did.

You allowed yourself to peak, just a little, just to put a face to the voice and instead saw a bouncing fluffy cloud of white. Strange. You didn’t know clouds came down like that. Or that they had eyes, because suddenly, this one looked right at you.

You immediately retreated back into your hiding but it was in vain - within seconds, it made its way over and much to your surprise, jumped right into your lap, covering you in wet, eager licks. You panicked, trying to defend yourself, although it didn’t feel like much of an attack.

And that was when you saw him.

First, he was just a silhouette, a dark outline against the sun but when he crouched down to meet your eye, you realised he was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. He had such pretty hazel eyes, lighter in the middle, darker on the outside. Then there were the thick, dark eyebrows and thicker darker hair, swept back by the wind. He was wearing a white dress shirt, the first two buttons (unnecessarily) undone, the sleeves (needlessly) pushed up to his elbow. But your eyes were stuck on his lips – red, full of life and moving – he was saying something.

You can’t hear him, not with the way your stomach was turning and turning and turning and then unable to hold back, you gave in. You turned and doubled up, finally throwing up all that discomfort into the sand, breaking into a fit of cough. The man before you though, wasn’t fazed. Rather, he was efficient, quickly getting up, pulling you away from the mess gently and handed you the bottle of water he had on him. You refused - water was only making you more nauseous.

He didn’t insist, instead he unfolded a large piece of cloth, (later you learnt that it was called a picnic blanket) and threw it over you. It was only its warmth that you realised – unlike him, every bit of your skin was exposed. You held the fabric closer to yourself hoping you could just bury yourself in the sand instead of having to face him – something about the way he looked at you made you feel very vulnerable.

He then asked if you were feeling okay but only received silence as an answer. The truth was, you weren’t. Not only were you in the middle of nowhere, you had no idea why or how you got there. It seemed like he understood that; like he realised you were lost and needed help. When he got up and held his hand out though, you didn’t take it. Instead, you took support of the boulder behind you and got up on your own, only to lose your footing and stumble right into his arms. You instantly pulled yourself away and took another faltering step and then another, and then fell right back into his arms again. He was amused but didn’t say or do anything except watch you try, ankles sinking in the sand, knees unfaithfully giving away every time, until finally you gave up and took his hand. Slowly and silently, he led you far away from there.

That day you learnt his name was SeungCheol.

----------------------------------------------------------

That white cloud, Kkuma, was apparently what humans called a dog.

While humans efficiently seemed to walk on two legs and could converse for hours, dogs apparently walked on four legs and couldn’t talk. Though you certainly looked like a human, you often wondered if you and Kkuma were the same. You too happened to find long hours of walking and talking difficult and more than anything, you didn’t seem to enjoy the company of other humans that much. That’s why the last one month, you spent most of your time with Kkuma, far away from most people, all the way across the town, in a small settlement between the lake and the mountains, in Seungcheol’s cottage.

Seungcheol’s home was your safe haven. Rather, Seungcheol was your safe haven.

When you were with him, when you looked at him, you always forgot that it had been four weeks and you still had no idea who you were, that you had no memories, you had no life.

Because Seungcheol gave you a life. He taught you to walk the way you saw mothers hold the hands of their little babies, encouraging them to take a step forward. He taught you to read, scribbling away alphabets with you for hours on end, even when little children laughed at you for not understanding. He taught you that a fork was not the same thing as a comb and that water was used to wash yourself, and that fire was hot and burnt things.

He didn’t just teach you things, he cared for you. He noticed you liked the red and filled your wardrobe with red dresses. When you told him you really liked the taste of fish, fish was all he cooked for weeks. Though he never seemed to like being away from Kkuma, his little princess, he would always leave her behind to give you company whenever he left.

Seungcheol left the house every morning at the break of down. So did most men, you noticed. The lady who lived down the stone pathway told you that men went out to make money while their wives, who stayed at home, cooked for them. That day you tried to cook for the first time, and asked Seungcheol if you were his wife. He laughed, then choked on a fish bone and asked you to leave all the cooking to him from here on and so you did.

Every day, Seungcheol would cook before he left while you stood beside him, watching in awe, handing him whatever he asked for. You usually ate breakfast and lunch with the animals in the stable but you always had dinner with Seungcheol. No matter how long he was gone for, end of the day, he always made it back to you.

You watched the sun slowly setting behind the mountains. He should be here soon, which was why you shouldn’t be sitting by the lake anymore. Seungcheol always warned you to maintain a safe distance from it, to never go too near. He said it was dangerous, that people drown because they cannot breathe under water. You had seen it.

When the woodcutter’s young boy fell into the lake a few weeks ago, you watched him thrash in the water, struggling to come up. A few brave people jumped in to save him but the boy never came out again. Everyone in town was scared of the lake, they hated it. Only the old ‘crazy’ lady that lived by the edge of the forest ever went near it. She wasn’t afraid of it; she said the lake was barely dangerous - it was the sea that was bad. That it had terrifying monsters and horrors that should never be uncovered. She liked the lake and honestly, so did you.

You liked how it never really felt cold and how the temperature was always just nice. You liked how all the fish swam up to you whenever you dangled your feet in, sitting by the bank, how at peace it all made you feel.

But when you saw Hannie in the sky, you immediately pulled your legs out of the water and hid the wetness of your feet under the fabric of your long skirt. Hannie was Seungcheol’s other pet, a pretty, baby white dove. He wasn’t a pet, not really, he belonged to the skies but Hannie loved to follow Seungcheol everywhere and Seungcheol loved it just as much. Actually, the whole town seemed to love white doves – it was on their flags, their shields, their uniforms. Seungcheol said it was the emblem of the kingdom. You had no idea what that meant, and frankly you didn’t care much. All that mattered was that whenever you spotted this little white bird, instantly recognisable by the small tinge of red right in the middle of its chest, it meant Seungcheol was home. As it softly landed on the fence, right before the sun was completely engulfed by the mountains, you heard Seungcheol’s horse and opened the gates to let them in.

Over dinner, Seungcheol told you about the fight that broke in the marketplace. It’s a funny place the market, something always seemed to be happening there. On the weekends, you would follow him through it as he went vendor to vendor, making his purchases. The people of the market were actually sweet. They would always smile and try to talk to you but you could never bring yourself to talk back, you could never find the right words to say. Instead, you’d simply stare blankly then move closer to Seungcheol, holding on to him. Eventually, they all started assuming you couldn’t speak. You didn’t correct them and looking at your reluctance, neither did Seungcheol. He would simply wave them away, or shoo the kids who seemed to tease you. As long as you were outside, Seungcheol would never leave your side or your hand.

You didn’t like going out very much, the big crowds and all those loud noises were always highly uncomfortable but the few times Seungcheol insisted you come with him and said it would be fun, it was actually not that bad. He took you to the town’s lights festival, where every inch of the streets and houses was covered with the prettiest coloured lights, and also to the annual horse racing competition which was exhilarating beyond belief. Your favourite though was children’s drama day, when the little kids of the town participated in skits looking a lot, lot smaller than the original characters were supposed to be. He didn’t though, take you to that big feast that happened in the castle. You didn’t really mind – something about the castle was just very unnerving.

It stood tall and proud, all the way at the edge of the town, up a long winding route, at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the sea waters. Initially you had no idea what a castle even was, but over time you learnt that it was where the king lived. The king was the most important person in the town and supposedly the kindest, wisest and strongest man too. If you didn’t know better, you would have thought Seungcheol was the king. Afterall, he helped everyone in the neighbourhood, he solved the fights in the markets, he protected the settlement from the wild dogs and other beasts of the forest. But Seungcheol was not the king. The king lived in the castle and Seungcheol lived with you.

After dinner, like every other day, you sat in Seungcheol’s study, practicing writing your alphabets as he went through endlessly long scrolls of his own. Today when you handed him your work, he scolded you yet again for rushing through the last few lines. You knew you shouldn’t have but you can never help it because the faster you finished, the sooner Seungcheol would read to you. Granted you knew how to read now but you weren’t really good at it, not everything made sense. The small books were easy but they were boring - it was always about animals and children and other things. The big books were where everything interesting was.

Every night before you went to sleep, Seungcheol would bring out a book, sitting down by the fireplace and you would curl up next to him, leaning over as he read to you. Sometimes he would read out history, recounts of great wars and heroes and sometimes about legends, the fire breathing dragons, sea monsters, fairies in the woods. While you listened to all of them with the same fascination and curiosity, a selected few made you feel somewhat…..different – the ones about true love. About two people fighting all odds to be together. About two people wanting to be with each other more than anything.

Whenever Seungcheol read those to you, you somehow saw yourself in those words. Or rather, those words in you. You found that ‘quickening heartbeat’ whenever your hand brushed against the man beside you. His compliments made the ‘heat in your cheeks rise’. There was a constant ‘nervous fidgeting of the fingers’ when you were around him and sharing of the ‘secret glances’. Even now as he was reading you were looking at him, at the way his lips were moving and how soft they looked and wondering how much softer they would feel against yours.

When Seungcheol turned to you, sensing your eyes on him, meeting them without hesitation, you could have leaned in, you could have found out. But you didn’t; you didn’t dare. Instead, you looked down at the book, at the pictures of the prince and princess dancing, wondering if you too had a happily ever after written in your fate.

Maybe it was, because a few days later, when Seungcheol looked at you like that again, you didn’t hold back anymore. You didn’t want to. This time you leaned in, gently pressing your lips onto his, discovering much to your relief that they were indeed every bit as soft as they looked. His eyes widened when you pulled back immediately, but he didn’t say or do anything. Then a silence followed, heavy with confusion and anticipation and so many other things that you couldn’t quite fathom so you quickly excused yourself from there stating it might rain and you forgot to close your bedroom windows.

As you shut the doors of your room behind you, hand on your chest, you felt your heart racing away but you should have been at peace, right? You had finally plucked up the courage and satiated all that bubbling curiosity. Instead, you felt like you were going to lose your mind – now that you had a taste, you wanted more.

Days passed before you finally kissed him again.

It was on a rainy night and you were sitting closer to him than usual, as though the fire was not enough to keep you warm. It started the same way, first a few stolen glances, then a long silent stare and then you were kissing him, soft and sweet but this time he pulled back and you didn't let him. Instead you grabbed a fistful of his shirt, holding him close, whispering that you wanted to do it again. He listened, kissing you back but it was different this time and god did it set off something in you.

His lips became demanding, and his hands were everywhere - in your hair, running down your back, on your waist. He took your breath away, quite literally because he just wouldn't stop and you couldn’t breathe. You didn't want to either but after what felt like eternity, you had to break apart, feeling all giddy. Seungcheol then gave you the brightest smile and one last peck.

That went on for many more days. Sometimes it was sweet and simple, sometimes hot and heavy. Initially the books were your only witness then there were more. The peaking sun as he gave you a peak before he left in the mornings, the pots and pans of the kitchen while he focused on you instead of the burning bread, and kkuma, when he forgot to seek while she hid, his attention on your mouth instead. Everything was going blissful.

Then one day Seungcheol didn't come home even after the sun set.

You waited by the gate for a long time, but neither Hannie, nor Seungcheol, nor his horse could be seen. That was the first night you spent alone - shivering in the cold and terrified. The storms had begun outside, the rain was drowning everything in its way and as each hour passed, you sunk deeper and deeper into despair.

Even when the sun came up again the rain didn't stop, the pain didn't stop. Though you hadn't slept or eaten in hours you only thought about him. Even kkuma got tired of waiting and curled up in the warmest spot in the house but you stood by the door the whole time until you couldn't anymore.

Not when you saw finally saw Hannie in the sky but Seungcheol didn't follow. That was when you knew something was terribly wrong. You immediately grabbed a lamp and were ready to set off to find him on your own when you saw the paper tied to the bird’s little foot. I'll be back soon it read in the handwriting you recognised was Seungcheol's, a wave of relief crashing over you.

But it took very, very long for 'soon’ to come.

The rain had stopped, the sun had set, the sky had cleared and the stars were pitifully watching the way you sat against the door, desperately fighting your eyes threatening to fall shut. That was when you felt Seungcheol's hand on your face, gently tucking your hair behind your ear.

You instantly got up, throwing yourself into his arms and for the first time ever, broke down, sobbing into his chest. He held you like that for as long as you didn't let him go, softly patting you, telling you it was okay, and that he's home. There was apparently a landslide near the mountains and he had to help the people stuck there but you didn't care what his reasons were. You were never going to let him go ever again, you'd fight the sun from coming up tomorrow morning if needed.

Seungcheol simply laughed and said first you should fight your stomach, it seemed like it was struggling in there. It was only when you admitted you hadn't eaten since last night that he let you go and walked into the kitchen to whip you a quick morsel.

That night he said he was too tired to read to you. Instead, he placed a soft kiss on your forehead with an apology and was about to retire to his room when you held him by the hand, scared to let him go again. He tried to comfort you but the tears just wouldn’t stop, not until he cupped your cheek and kissed you, whispering about how he missed this, how he missed you. You confessed that you did too, and his absence made you feel terrible, like never before.

Let me make you feel good then he said. But if he wanted to help you, why did it seem like he was pleading? Like if you didn't agree he would lose it? So you agreed, letting him do whatever he wanted, whatever he needed.

His mouth was hot on yours, hands wandering all over and when they tugged the strings of your dress, you let out an inaudible gasp against his lips. He swallowed your words, undressing you slowly, with his hands and his eyes. You felt so bare, so exposed yet you didn't feel like hiding from him - you wanted him to explore you however he could and god did he do it.

If you thought his mouth on yours felt good, the places he put it now were wild. It was like he somehow knew every sensitive bit of your skin and went straight for it. He wasn't lying, this was better than good, it felt euphoric. He unravelled you with his touch, his hands in places even you hadn't felt yourself. You wanted more, you wanted so much more and he gave it, over and over again, letting you feel every inch of him, reaching as deep inside you as he could, like any distance between the both of you was unbearable. You let him consume you in his fire as the pain turned to a pleasure like never before, a coil tightening in the pits of your being. The both of you whispered each other’s names for as long as you could hold it until you finally let go and so did he, filling you with every last essence of him. As you laid side by side breathless, staring at the roof, you saw the stars have come down, swirling across the ceiling and you fell into a deep slumber.

When you woke up that morning, the sun was almost right on top of the cottage, half the day having already passed. Seungcheol didn't leave that day, instead he was right there, pressed against your back, wrapping you in his embrace, your limbs messily tangled with each other’s. When you tried to free yourself from him, he pulled you closer, burying his face in your neck, taking in as much of you as he could before he said he had to leave again. I'll come back to you, he promised and you did not let him see how tears brimmed in your eyes as you waved him away.

After that day though, you never cried again. Or ever slept in your own bedroom. Like promised every night Seungcheol returned to you and every night you lay between the sheets together, some days making love, some days simply talking and laughing away, some days just drifting away to sleep in each other’s arms. It truly felt like happily every after but you forgot, happily ever after was only for fairytales.

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It was just another normal day. The both of you had woken up as usual to the crowing of the rooster before dawn. You gathered the vegetables in the garden while Seungcheol made the most wonderful soup, perfect for a cold day. After he kissed you goodbye and left, you cleaned the stables, drew water from the well, tended to the garden, washed up, donned your favourite red dress, ate lunch, took a nap, played with kkuma, and finally, sat by the lake again, trying to catch your breath. It was the same routine as the last eight weeks.

As you unconsciously plucked on the grass, your mind couldn’t help but wander back to a question that had been plaguing you these days. Was this all your life was going to be? The same routine, waking up everyday knowing it was going to be the exact same as yesterday and will be the exact same as tomorrow? Sure, you loved Seungcheol and Kkuma and Hannie and this little life you had built together, but you couldn’t help but think if you were made for something more. This couldn’t be it right?

It wasn’t. And you were moments away from finding out.

You were so lost in thought, you didn’t notice Hannie in the sky until he landed right next to you, making you hurriedly jump to your feet to get away from the lake only for your damned dress to get tangled between your feet, making you fall right into the waters. Thank God Seungcheol had reached just in time to see you disappear under the surface and immediately dived in. Using all his might he pulled you up before you were lost in the depths, coughing and catching his breath as he crawled onto the bank.

That was the first day things went very, very differently.

Instead of greeting Seungcheol like you usually did every day, you shivered, walking away into the house to dry yourself. You didn’t change into another red dress but a blue on this time that made even Seungcheol raise an eyebrow in surprise. Dinner was not the same too. The kimchi which never ran out had finally run out, there was apparently no fish in the market today and seungcheol bought eggs for the first time. When he insisted you would like the taste, you tried it and you indeed did like it, a lot. He grinned at you and said you could always trust his word but how could you anymore?

He told you to stay away from the lake, that people couldn’t breathe under it but when you fell in, you could. In there you felt, if not more, just as alive and breathing and the water – it spoke to you. At first you were sure you were dying - you should have listened to Seungcheol, you should have stayed away but here you were in the middle of the lake, so close to death that you were hallucinating voices. But when you realised you were actually breathing, you listened.

Finish your mission Y/n. Finish the mission and you can become who you really are again. You can join the waters again.

You didn’t understand.

That night instead of a fairytale, you ask Seungcheol to tell you about the legend of the sea again so he did.

Centuries ago, back when there was magic on Land, there was an ancient war between two of the most powerful kingdoms of Earth – the Chois and the Kangs. They battled tirelessly, day and night, for months to the point where uncountable bodies began piling, resources began running out and even the heavens begged them to stop - there would be nothing left of the Earth this way. But that’s the thing about power – relinquishing it was not an option.

Finally, one unfortunate day, the Chois gained an upper hand in battle, forcing the Kangs to seek refuge in hiding. The Kangs though, disappeared overnight - though the Chois searched every corner of Land, they could not find them. It was only when they sort to use magic to find them that victors of the battle realised, they had lost their most prized possession – the Sceptre. The sceptre was like the motherboard of all magic on Earth – it was the source. After years of combing every inch of Land, the Chois finally came to the conclusion that the Kangs and the Sceptre were in the one place that no one on Land could reach – The Sea.

Indeed, powered by magic, the entire kingdom of the Kangs and all those who stood by their side had retreated into the ocean, making a life for themselves there. Using the magic, they kept themselves alive, preparing once again to battle for what they believed was rightfully theirs. But the Earth could not take another war, at this rate, nothing would be left and so, the Council of the Land and the Council of the Sea were formed, to keep peace between both kingdoms. After months of debate, both councils came to a Pact.

The Kangs were allowed to keep the magic but were forbidden from ever stepping on Land. The very magic they stole was used to strip them of their ability to breath air, forcing them to stay in the waters for life. The Chois on the other hand, were allowed to rule Land but were never to see magic again – the Land would not know of it and would not use it anymore. And most importantly, the Land and the Sea were never to meet. Every single ship in sight was burnt, boats were torn apart, walls were built at the border of every coastal city.

Over generations, not only did the Land never interact with the Sea but they began to fear it, malicious stories of monsters and merpeople making their way into children’s bedtime stories and fairytales. A few brave, rebellious souls would try to break The Pact and venture into the Sea but no one really lived to tell the tale.

Seungcheol said that there will never be anyone with a tale to tell because like all legends, this too was no more than just a story and a speculation. But for the first time, you don’t believe him.

Instead, you think merpeople truly do exist and as impossible as it sounded, you might just be one of them

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You looked at the pretty red dress you had laid out on the bed for today.

Today was important for more than one reasons.

Today was the annual citizen’s banquet, which meant it was the first time you were going to the castle. Today was also the first time you were going to see the king and most importantly, today was also probably the day you were going to find out who you really are.

You didn’t tell Seungcheol about what happened that day in the lake. Maybe because he believed that the Legend of the Sea was not true or because you yourself were not sure you entirely believed it, but somehow you, who told Seungcheol about everything, didn’t tell him about this. You needed more confirmation first, you needed to go into the lake once more.

But surprisingly, the lake you once liked so much looks more daunting now. You were not afraid of drowning, rather you were afraid what being able to survive the waters would mean. You kept avoiding it, telling yourself one day you couldn’t go in there because you had to brine the vegetables and that you had to bathe the cows or whatever other excuse you could find until one day all the chores were over and you ran out of excuses. You had to go in now.

Carefully looking around to make sure there was no one in sight, you sat down on the bank, put a foot first, then the other, then slowly lowered yourself in, submerging into the waters, kkuma’s barks fading out, the voices taking over.

Finish your mission Y/n and join the waters again.

It was true.

You weren’t imagining things, you were indeed breathing in there, the voices were real, everything was ridiculously real. It didn’t make any sense but it also really did. The water felt like home, like you belonged. You could swim much faster, better than you could walk. You felt stronger, more powerful, more like you in there. Even though the lake looked like it held darkness, you could clearly see everything below – the animals, the plants, the life, all of it. Oh, you wanted to join the waters, you wanted to be here forever.

But when you opened your mouth to ask what the mission was, only the gurgling sound of bubbles left you. Somehow just the thought was enough because you heard the answer soon enough and it sent a chill down your spine.

Kill the King.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, donning your dress.

The price for finding out who you were was to kill the king, the most important man in the town.

You couldn’t.

Taking the life of another could not be the price of your truth. So, you had decided to forget about it. It was wrong and unethical and whoever asked you of that had clearly lost their mind except….. it was you.

The more you thought about it, the more you could not deny it – the voice in the lake was your own, as though you had left yourself a message, a reminder. Why on Earth would you want to kill the king? Then again, how did you, someone who clearly belonged to The Sea, find themselves on land? Why was it that you remembered nothing?

Maybe killing the king had a bigger purpose, a noble one, after all, all kings were not necessarily good.

You had to find out. You had to meet him and see for yourself.

And as though the universe was aligning things into place for you, the night you decided to ask Seungcheol about visiting the castle, he mentioned that the king was arranging a grand banquet to which all citizens of the town were invited. He said if you were not comfortable you didn’t have to go but you cut him off much to his surprise, insisting that you want to attend.

That’s how days later you found yourself standing at the gates of the castle as the crowd of town poured into the estate on either side of you. Seungcheol was supposed to pick you up tonight but instead there was a carriage waiting for you, with a message relayed by the footman that he got caught up in something and will meet you in the banquet.

The banquet was arranged in a large hall right in the middle of the castle and it was perhaps the most stunning place you had ever seen. The stone walls were covered in drapes of red and purple, the large windows shining with the views of prettily trimmed gardens. There were beautiful paintings everywhere, statues of men in armour and food of all kinds being serve around. Almost the whole town fraternised under the large golden chandelier, each dressed better than the other, chattering away in small whispers. You stayed near the large pillars of stone, as far away from the crowd as possible, eyes still looking for Seungcheol, ears trying to tune out all that people were saying around you.

But you couldn’t ignore the loud sound of the trumpet as it echoes through the hall, followed by an announcement that the King had arrived. As your heart thumped away in your chest, he appeared, at the top of the stairs that led down into the hall, dressed in what you thought was rather simple for a king. You wanted to move closer to get a better look as he descended down the stairs but you realised everyone around you was bowing down to him so you mirrored it, staring at the white marble of the floor. Its only when a pair of pretty leather shoes appear right before you that you allow yourself to look up, facing the one person you were to see tonight – the king.

He was nothing like you hoped. He didn’t look malicious, or evil or like he was even capable of doing something wrong. He had the kindest eyes, crinkled with crows’ feet as he smiled at you so warmly, you felt nothing but comfort. Only one other person in this whole town ever made you feel safe like that. From the looks of his salt and pepper hair, he looked like he was aging, and the wisdom that came with time also shone on his face. He smiled so pleasantly, didn’t dress in a way that showed off all his wealth, and didn’t seem to harbour any sort of superiority because the moment the music swelled to life, he held his hand out to ask you, a commoner, for a dance.

The whole town looked at you as though they were waiting so you placed your hand on his, letting him lead you to the middle of the floor as everyone else immediately moved to pick partners of their own.

Seungcheol had taught you how to dance. When you expressed your interest to go to the banquet, he told you there would also be a dance accompanying it and showed you how it was done. He was so patient with you, even though you stepped on his foot and banged his head with yours a few hundred times, bursting into a string of apologies whenever you did. But he only laughed, holding you close and dancing with you through the rainy night. You wondered where he was right now but that was the least of your worries considering you were dancing with the man you were deemed to kill and to your absolute disappointment, you could not find one reason to do so.

You hoped so hard that you were right, that the king was a bad man and you were given this mission to make things right but he wasn’t. As much as you tried to not eavesdrop, you still heard whatever the people around you were whispering away. They were all in praises of him. They said he was a great man and under his ruling, the town was doing better than ever. They said the harvest was good thanks to him, that the they were safe from invasion thanks to him and were all living well thanks to him.

A part of you knew they were right – you had seen how happy and peaceful the townspeople always were, something that was only possible if they were in good hands. You could see for yourself what a wonderful man the king seemed to be and how everyone truly seemed to love and cherish him.

But a part of you didn’t want to believe that. You had to find a reason, something had to be wrong, you needed to justify why killing him was important. That was the only way to find out who you are.

And as though the universe which had been so helpful so far decided now was the time to create chaos, the trumpet echoes through the hall again, announcing the arrival of the crown prince. When you see the person standing at the top of the stairs, you instant freeze, feeling your guts twist the way they did the first time you ever saw him – Seungcheol.

Seungcheol was a prince. He was the crown prince of this land which meant he was the first born of the king.

That meant...... your mission was to kill the father of the man you loved.

As the townspeople gathered in the gardens below, you stood in a balcony of the castle, looking at the stars dancing in the sky.

The whole night you had been feeling nothing but numb. The moment Seungcheol had appeared you excused yourself from the king, rushing out of the hall, trying not to throw up. Seungcheol immediately followed asking if you were okay but you didn’t answer. You did not see things unfolding this way. Not only did you not find a single reason why you had to kill the King, now you had one for why you shouldn’t do it.

Seungcheol asked again, looking for answers in your expression but you just looked away, muttering that you had no idea he was the prince. He said he wasn’t trying to hide it from you, he just didn’t think about it. The whole town knew he was the crown prince so he never had to introduce himself that way. Besides, he didn't like to his status as royalty to define him so he didn’t usually mention it to anyone. As far as why he didn’t live in the castle was concerned, he started living in the cottage when he was 14 years old. That house was his mother’s, before the king and her fell in love and got married. After she passed away in the childbirth of her second child, he moved there so he could feel closer to her. His father too thought it was good for him to live among his subjects, to learn their problems and to gain their trust.

You had nothing but silence to offer in return. It was all too much, all at once.

The loud whispers of the town started fading out as the King walked in, standing among them. Seungcheol didn’t look too happy as he stared at the scene below him. He said he was worried about his father. You felt that churning feeling in your stomach once again. He said that he was getting old and it was getting harder for him to negotiate with neighbouring kingdoms, to keep war at bay. You didn’t understand what he meant.

He claimed the town was happy now but 3 months ago, nothing was going well. Their kingdom was under attack, everyone’s lives were threatened, the future looked very bleak. The king had somehow managed to save everyone then but unknown to the people, it was temporary. His father tried his best to negotiate and talk to the neighbouring kingdoms but there was no use – war has been declared against them yet again and he was worried King Choi was not strong enough for battle.

You held his hand stroking the back of it softly. He then apologised to you, confusing you even more. You asked him why but you had an idea already – he was taking his father’s place in war; he was going to lead the army.

You felt as though someone pulled the ground below your feet and Seungcheol’s grip on your hand was the only thing saving you from falling. As crown prince it was his duty and you knew and understood but the thought of being away from him again was killing you on the inside. He said he wouldn’t be gone for long but you know what war meant - there was no guarantee of him even returning.

You hugged him shaking your head, refusing to let him go or insisting that he take you along with him but he simply hugged you back claiming that was not possible, it was dangerous. He told you to move to the castle while he was gone. Here you would be taken care of, you wouldn’t be lonely and most importantly, you would have the chance to get closer to his father.

You froze.

Seungcheol let you go, making you sit on the moss-covered stone bench, sitting next to you. He said he wanted to leave you in good hands in case he didn’t make it back. You refused to listen to anything else, he promised he would always come back to you, that meant he had to come back. He laughed at your futile stubbornness, tucking your hair behind your ear, looking at you with a strange longing. You give him a soft peck on his lips to let him know he had no reason to long for you, you were always his. He pulled you in for more, taking your face in his hands, his mouth desperate against yours, like it was the last time, like a silent goodbye etched in his kiss.

It was only when the applause rang downstairs that he let you go, pressing his forehead on yours, sighing. You felt tears threaten your eyes once again as he caressed your cheek with his thumb softly, like he was trying to memorise how your face felt under his touch. He said he wished he had longer with you, he wished had done this earlier and slid onto the gravel floor onto his knees, looking up at you softly.

Marry me, he whispered, holding your hands.

You stared at him wordlessly as the sky behind you came alive with lights, fireworks prettily burning against the black canvas of the night. Maybe a few days ago if he asked you would have said yes without him even needing to finish. You would marry him right there and then but now you were torn. Kill the King. The words were constantly ringing in your head. How could you marry him if your mission was to…..

He understood your silence as hesitance, saying you didn’t have to answer now, you could tell him when he returned - that way he would have something he had to come back for. He then pulled out a small necklace from his pocket, making you wear it, saying it was a reminder of him while he was away. You touched the pendant, feeling it with your fingers. It wasn’t like any jewel you had ever seen - it didn’t shine, it was an odd shape and it looked rather dull. He said it was a shell and it was from the sea.

If he noticed your shocked reaction and stuttering as you asked him how he got it , he didn’t mention it. Instead, he answered that there was a path from behind his cottage that led to the other side of the forest, to a sea cave where land and sea met fearlessly. Before you came into his life, that was his favourite place to go - he often spent his free time there and that’s where he found this.

You wonder if it’s a sign from the universe, receiving a part of the ocean at a time when you didn’t know what to choose.

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The next morning, trumpets rang through the entire town, announcing that the neighbouring kingdom had declared war and the crown prince was leading the army to fight. People spilled onto the streets to watch the armoured and determined cavalry going to serve their kingdom, Seungcheol leading the troop all the way in front on his horse. You stood at the highest terrace of the castle, watching him leave, going further and further away, until the distance engulfed him and you couldn’t see him anymore. You barely had him to yourself for five minutes in the morning to say goodbye before he was called away. You convinced yourself that all this was temporary anyways, he would come back.

With a heavy heart, you walked down the wide corridors of the palace, kkuma following your every step. You lived here now. Seungcheol had people shift your few things from the cottage to his room in the castle. Though the bed was beyond comfortable and the room was bigger than the whole cottage you lived in previously, you didn’t spend much time in there. Instead, you roamed around the gardens and corridors or stepped out into the marketplace that you never ventured in without Seungcheol by your side. Any place was better than his room. It reeked of loneliness and most importantly, it overlooked the sea. As much as the breeze gave you unexplainable comfort, it was also a constant reminder of your mission.

As time passed, you found yourself less and less inclined to fulfilling your task. You tried your best to not let yourself be swayed but in vain – you could not help but like the king. He was nothing but welcoming and kind to you. Maybe Seungcheol told him or maybe it was just a constant in the Choi family, but he insisted that every night you join him for dinner. He would ask about your day and make light conversation, but unlike Seungcheol, he would retire early to bed. He was sick. You could see in the way he coughed through his meal, the way his eyes keep fluttering shut in tiredness towards the end of the night. Yet he did all he could to make sure you were alright.

He introduced you to the library in the castle and if you thought Seungcheol’s study had a large collection of books, this place was massive. Books were lined all the way up till the ceiling, there were all sorts of maps and globes scattered all over the room, shelfs lined with little trinkets and souvenirs from his travels. The King explained that Seungcheol like his mother, loved to explore and like him, loved science and this library was where it all came together. He used to be unstoppable ever since he was a child and his curiosity always landed him in trouble – the whole town was banned from stepping on the beach but nothing could stop him. He always wanted to explore the sea.

It surprised you to learn about Seungcheol’s fascination with the sea because he had always told you to stay away from water, that it was dangerous. You spent days of your time in that library, going through his journals and drawings, but didn’t really understand all the scribbles of notes he had jotted everywhere. You did see on the map though, the location of the sea cave that Seungcheol had mentioned about, wondering if you could get any answers there, but somehow you could never bring yourself to go. The answers of the questions you had so far had not been pleasant.

Then one day as you sat on the wooden floor of the sunlit room studying what looked like drawings of some strange contraption, Hannie appeared in the sky.

You immediately got up, running out of the room, down the corridor, up the stairs, all the way to the top, to try and see Seungcheol reappear where you last saw him.

He didn’t.

Clouds made their way, covering the strong sun, submerging the town in a strange gloom. It all felt too apocalyptic. You rushed to find the King, learning that he was holding court, making your way to the hall, stopping right by the door and hiding yourself to overhear the discussion.

The Chois were ambushed.

More than half the forces were dead or injured, many were missing and as though your greatest fear came true, Seungcheol was missing too. He was also very badly injured and no one had seen or heard from him in two days, it was highly likely he succumbed to his injuries. You refused to believe it. He said he would come back to you, which meant he would, you believed him. But no one else seemed to share the same faith as you. They were going to give up, surrender the throne to prevent an attack on the town itself. That was when to everyone’s surprise you barged in.

You insisted nothing was wrong with Seungcheol and they had to find him and finish this war. They tried to reason with you, tell you the facts but you refused to hear it. You questioned how they could give up so soon and why they aren’t even trying to find him. They claimed they had to clear out from enemy territory, that it could be dangerous going back there. You turned to the King hoping you could at least reason with him but his tired old face looks like he’s already mourning his son. You ran out of there, unable to come to terms with what was happening.

You would find him yourself if that’s what it took.

Rushing to the royal stables, you picked the horse that looked the strongest and forced its gates open, ignoring the crimson bleeding out of your hand as you cut it on the metal. Before the poor stable boy could stop you, you mounted it, riding out of the palace, into the unprepared town. People hurriedly ran out of the way, pulling their carts and children to the side, nothing but wind left behind as you raced through. You had your eyes on Hannie flying in the sky above you. You knew it could lead you to him, you just had to follow. You were almost successful in crossing the gates of the town, into the woods, when the royal guards caught up, surrounding you.

The head of security begged you to stop, that you were putting the kingdom in more jeopardy and you couldn’t let your desire to protect one man affect everyone. You wanted to argue, tell him that you didn’t care about anyone else and to insist that they let you go but when you turned and saw all the people stepping out of their houses to see what the commotion is, you let go the reins of the horse. Yes, finding Seungcheol was most important to you, but not at the cost of so many people’s lives. You knew better than that, you could never be that selfish.

As though Hannie sympathised, it landed on your softly shoulder, nuzzling your neck, cooing in your ear. You took him in your hands, the bloodied hand further darkening the red on its chest, a thought forming in your mind. You smudge the blood onto your fingertips, tracing a word onto its white, a word that you knew would bring Seungcheol back to you. As you set it free hoping it would find him, you watch the yes etched on it, praying to the skies that when it returns, Seungcheol follows it like always.

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You didn’t return to the castle after that.

Turning your horse in the other direction, you rode to Seungcheol’s cottage by the woods, the only place you felt close to him. The big room and big bed of the castle might be physically comfortable but nothing made you feel at peace like this house, your safe haven. You were curled up in the bed for hours now as the sun slowly began to descend behind the mountains. You just had to give it time. You kept telling yourself it wasn’t a matter of if Seungcheol returned but when. He would come back for you, he would fight all odds and come back, you knew it.

The sound of the horses neighing at a distance made you sit up. The royal guards must be here to escort you back to the castle now that it was getting darker outside. You didn’t want to go. You couldn’t stand being in that castle again.

Grabbing the oil lantern nearby, you soundlessly left through the back door, kkuma following you just as quietly. You thought you could just wait it out until the guards didn’t find you and returned to the castle but when kkuma began wandering away, you had no choice but to follow her. Not listening to your hushed whispers, with a mind of her own, she ventured into the forest and thoughtlessly, you followed. It’s only when the trees parted that you realised where you were – the sea cave.

You didn’t know what you were expecting when Seungcheol mentioned about this place but it was beyond beautiful. The crystal blue waves were racing back and forth on the golden sand, the stone wall of the caves were gradients of brown rocks and green weeds. There were holes eroded onto the roof, the evening sun softly pouring in and in that soft light you noticed in the corner, folded are some blankets and books that clearly belonged to Seungcheol – he indeed must have spent a long time here. Kkuma settled herself down in the warmth of the bundled cloths, as you placed the lantern on a nearby rock and kicked your shoes off, feeling the warm sand under your feet.

The water was inches away. The Ocean, the place that, if you had assumed right, was your home. Every bone in your body was craving to be in it, to submerge in it, to just feel alive in it once again. You walked ahead, taking one step after another, but the closer you moved to the waters, the further it seemed to be moving away from you. You quickened your steps, but the Sea kept retreating, pulling away. It surprised you to receive such hostility from waters that always looked so welcoming but not more than the voice that boomed through the cave, making you look around in panic. There was no one, you were all alone and kkuma too was fast asleep, like she didn’t hear anything. When you turned back to the sea, you bit back a scream, coming face to face with a woman, whose eyes were piercing into you, her lips curled into a smile as her voice echoed through the cave again.

I see you’ve finally found your way home.

Pain like no other seared through your head, making you fall to your knees in agony, your dress fanning out in the sand. As the woman bent down to your level, you scrambled back, swallowing the phantom lump in your throat, taking a better look at her. Holding a staff in one hand, she looked as old as time, her white hair and ragged clothes floating like she was still in the waters and that’s when you realised, she wasn’t actually here – it was apparition, like… magic. As though she read your mind, she confirmed it indeed was magic, that she controlled all the magic of the Sea - she was after all the Sea Witch.

You recalled Seungcheol’s story about how the Sea had taken away magic from the Land, watching the legend come to life before you as the woman floated a few feet above the ground, looking at you expressionlessly. Who am I? Do I belong to the Sea? Why am I on Land? You knew she was the only one who could possibly have the answers and she did - for a price.

She pointed at the shell on your neck, claiming it belonged to the Sea – give it back and you could have all the answers you wanted. You held it in your grasp; it was the only thing of Seungcheol’s you had with you. You could either lose it and learn who you are or keep it and walk away, return to the castle. You could let your forgotten past remain forgotten and think only about the future with Seungcheol.

But is there a future? She asked, reading your mind yet again. You knew what she meant. Seungcheol went to war and people died in war all the time. If he did not make it back, you had no place on Land, no home, no one to call your own. But if you were to find out who you truly are, you could then return to where you truly belonged. You tightened your grip on the shell, the pressure opening your wound, the blood spilling again. Giving up this necklace meant admitting to the possibility that Seungcheol will not return. How did that make you any different from all the others in the court who you lashed out at?

The Sea Witch looked at you fighting your own battle in your head. She held out her hand saying if it was meant to be, then Seungcheol would return to you, regardless of whether you had this necklace or not. You know she’s playing you but give in, ripping the chain from your throat and throwing it into the waters, watching it sink into the dark bottom.

The waves which seemed so afraid of you, raised themselves, almost as though bowing to you and the Sea Witch mirrored their action before straightening and looking up but this time, respectfully not meeting your eye.

What do you seek, Princess of the Ocean.

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You held the dagger in your hand tight, hands not shaking as you approached the dining room.

The moment you returned to the castle, the maids had told you dinner was served and the king was waiting for you. You washed up and changed out of your sand filled clothes into one of your usual red dresses. Maybe there was a reason why you liked red so much – maybe deep down you knew you needed to hide the blood on your hands somewhere.

You had to kill the King tonight.

You stood in front of the large doors, the dagger that the Sea Witch gave in your hands, hiding efficiently in the large fabric of your dress. Once you stepped in, everything would change. You would become the killer of Seungcheol’s father, but you would also finally be fulfilling your duty to your people, the MerFolk.

The Sea Witch told you the story from when it all began. The legends were all true. The merfolk were real, the life under the sea was real, everything you had experienced was real. 3 months ago, you were a part of the Sea, living a carefree life as the youngest princess of the royal family. Then one move by King Choi and everything changed.

Over the centuries even though the entire ocean was ruled by just one family, without the power of magic, land had split into many Kingdoms and many rulers. Unlike the peace in the Sea, Land was always at war with itself, neighbouring kingdoms attacking and occupying towns – they never got rid of the battle they thought they won. One such battle happened three months ago at the Kingdom of the Chois where they were invaded by their neighbours, the Hans. At the brink of losing war, King Choi did the unthinkable – he set sail.

His deep interest in the Sea, that his son eventually inherited, had led him to spend years of his youth designing and building ships, the last of which had been burned during the Pact. The Sea allowed his soldiers to take an alternative route to attack their invaders and drive them out but the moment the ships had touched the ocean waters, years of peace dissolved into chaos.

As the calm waters were shaken, towns under the Sea began falling apart – many merfolk died, many lost their homes, many lost their way back and among all the tragedies, the greatest one was losing your mother, the Queen.

Her death left the entire Ocean without a leader, without a protector. Your sister, the oldest in the family, who had been trained for years to take over as queen was missing, like many others in the aftermath. The kingdom waited for days for her to show up until it was not practical to anymore – the ocean needed rebuilding, it needed leadership and guidance. As the only one left in the royal family, you had offered to take your mother’s place as queen but the Council of the Sea refused. You were young and inexperienced and unlike your sister, you were not trained to take over the Kingdom. They wanted to hand the Sea to the Hwangs, another family who had their eye on the throne for centuries now and were willing to take up the responsibility of the Ocean.

You couldn’t let that happen, not only would it crush your mother’s dreams if the Kang lineage of rulers ended with her but also the Hwangs were notoriously famous for their aggressiveness. Under their hands, there was no saying what the future of the Ocean would look like. The citizens of the sea protested too – they were all on your side, they wanted you to rule and so the Council of the Sea and the Hwangs agreed – if you could prove yourself worthy.

Kill the King of the Land.

Blood for blood. Get revenge for the destruction of the Sea, that was the order. That was the price for you to get back your kingdom and 100 days was all you had to do it.

That’s when they called on the Sea Witch. Breathing on Land for 100 days would require very powerful and ancient magic, something only she was capable of. But it would not be so straightforward. The process would be excruciatingly painful, almost like becoming a new person, like being born again - quite literally because it would wipe out all your memories, everything you know of the Sea would be taken away. You would be sent to Land like a blank slate.

That meant you had 100 days to go on Land, figure out who you were, learn of your mission and complete it. Should you fail, not only would you lose your kingdom, but the waters had no forgiveness for those who disobeyed magic so ancient – you would join them again, but as sea foam.

Today was day 92. You only had 8 days left.

You pushed open the doors of the dining hall, eyes falling on the King tiredly slouched in his chair waiting for you. He must’ve fallen asleep because he didn’t move when you approached. You looked at face responsible for the death of your mother, the disappearance of your sister, the destruction of your kingdom and you felt numb. You still couldn’t bring yourself to hate him, but you also couldn’t walk away. Yes, if only he didn’t bring out his ships you wouldn’t have lost so much, you wouldn’t be here but you know like any other good king, he did it to save his people. And now you had to do whatever it took to save yours.

And then fate smirked.

Just as you raised the knife and were about to plunge it in his chest, you heard the fluttering sound of wings and on the balcony landed Hannie, looking more red than white. The knife slipped from your hands, landing on the floor with a thud as the king stirred awake. His guards burst into the room as the royal trumpets echoed through the night. You rushed to Hannie in the balcony, the one that overlooked the town, and saw the oil lanterns of the houses, slowly increase in number, getting brighter and brighter in the darkness. The king and his men departed immediately and so you followed them, holding Hannie in one hand and your dress in the other, running down the palace corridors and out the gate to see a crowd gathered.

As it parted, it revealed Seungcheol's horse and holding onto its reins walking it was Seungcheol, bruised and battered, blood splattered all over him, multiple wounds gashed open, barely but still alive. Take a staggering step at a time, he approached his father bowing and whispered, We won before collapsing into the gravel.

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Seungcheol was immediately taken away by the royal physicians as the king announced to the people that the war was over and the town erupted into cheers. You tried to follow the doctors to be with him but they closed the door on your face, asking you to stay out. So, you stayed right outside, the whole night, prancing about, biting your nails, as you waited for the news.

Instead, you were met with screams. You don’t know what they were doing to Seungcheol in there but he was evidentially in unbearable pain – you could hear in the way the screams ripped out of his throat, like he was in pure agony. It went on for hours and it was so terrifying to hear, you felt your heart shatter every time it rang through the halls.

Finally at the crack of dawn he seemed to calm down and the doors finally opened. He was deeply wounded and his body was beyond exhausted, he just needed some sleep, the physicians assured you and the king, who unknown to you had also arrived. You thanked them and hurried in to see Seungcheol peacefully lying on the bed, bandages wrapped all over his body.

You sat beside him as the king gently stroked his son’s hair both proudly and sadly, muttering that he would pray for him to heal soon. As you held Seungcheol’s hand in yours, the king requested you to stay by the former’s side till he woke up. You assured him you would, to which he nodded and to both your shock and horror, pulled out the dagger which you had dropped in the dining room the day before. You held your breath as he placed it on the table beside the bed, not even looking at you. I believe this is yours.

He knew.

He figured out that you had attempted to take his life, but the tired old man didn’t say anything as he left. Instead, the royal guards placed at the door told you what you needed to know.

You failed your mission. Not only had you let down your people, you were discovered and now you were to be tried for treason. You only had till Seungcheol woke up. Lips quivering, you held onto his hand tighter.

You didn’t know if fate was showing you mercy or prolonging your agony but it took almost 2 whole days for Seungcheol to finally wake up.

You hadn’t left his room since you had entered it. Not only were you not allowed to, but you didn’t want to leave Seungcheol’s side. You either sat beside him, or in the balcony overlooking the ocean for hours together with kkuma curled up next to you and hannie flying around in the sky. The two of them had been awfully calm, as though they too knew what was coming.

Finally, on the 94th night, just as you had closed the doors of his bedroom and prepared your bed to sleep, Seungcheol stirred awake. You immediately rushed to his side as his eyes fluttered open, and the moment they landed on you, he broke into the most peaceful smile. You sighed in relief, softly holding his cheek in your hand, asking him how he was feeling.

You said yes.

Hannie flew into the room like a reminder of your message to him but his words only pained you. Things had changed so much since then. Not only could you not marry him but you had now become worthy of his hatred. You don’t think you can bear to see anything but love for you in his eyes.

Leaning down you kissed him, whispering that you loved him and that you wish no matter what, he always remembered that. He didn’t seem to understand your words, still reeling in the happiness of your acceptance of his proposal as he pulled you into his arms, wrapping you in the embrace you were craving for.

As the two of you laid for hours together, wrapped in each other, he told you how they had been ambushed before they even reached the battlefield - someone had betrayed them. His horse had saved him, taking him away into the woods, far from his attackers but he was already very badly injured. It was Hannie who arrived with your yes that truly saved him. He knew he had to come back for you so he pushed through. He regrouped what was left of the army and infiltrated the enemy camp that was prematurely celebrating their victory and gained the upper hand.

You snuggled closer in his warmth, hoping he wouldn’t see the guilt on your face when he spoke of you like you were his saviour. Everything would change tomorrow. Tonight was your last night with him, your last chance to create a memory for him to remember you by. As he went on about how tomorrow morning he would talk to the king about the wedding, you kissed him, cutting him off. Tonight you only wanted to love and love you did.

Of all the nights you spent with Seungcheol, nothing felt like this. There was a strange desperation carved in the way you undressed each other, hands roaming, names whispered against skin. You took the lead this time, clambering on top of him and he stared at you like you were his whole world and more. Tucking your hair behind your ear, he told you how lucky he was to have you and you pushed the recurring feeling of guilt down and claimed him for yourself one last time.

A clash of hands, tongues and moans, he matched your need, leaving marks of love on your shoulder and chest. Burying your face in his neck, you held back the tears of pain and pleasure and a goodbye all dissolved in one as you came apart above him. Like always his arms held you in his embrace as though stopping you from losing yourself but it was too late. Everything had fallen apart already.

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When you woke up, the bed was empty.

Seungcheol was not in the room, neither were the maids scurrying in as usual, cleaning up and neither were the guards who were placed outside the doors all these days. You walked down the corridors which were overtaken by a strange emptiness, wondering where everyone was. It was late in the afternoon judging by the sun but the palace was looking bleaker than usual.

That was when your eyes fell on the flag of the kingdom hoisted down, flying low.

Mourning.

You rushed back towards the bedroom wing of the palace, heart beating erratically against your still lungs, till you found the royal physicians walking out of a chamber, looking dejected. The kings chamber.

As you got closer, you noticed the officials of the royal court had all gathered around, dressed in black, heads hanging, faces in sorrow. They parted, letting you walk in to see Seungcheol standing at the edge of the bed, looking down at the king who laid peacefully in a slumber he would never wake up from.

The moment you put your hand on his shoulder Seungcheol turned. He wasn’t crying but there was so much pain in his face, it made you want to take him in your arms and hide him there forever. But you didn’t. You rubbed his arms softly whispering that you will wait for him outside, knowing he needed time with his father, the last of his family.

But the moment you stepped out, the royal guards surrounded you, their spears pointing at you from a distance and you knew the time had come. By the order of the late king, after Prince Choi was awake, you were to be imprisoned for treason. For life.

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You might have been forced into a four stone walled dark cell for 5 days now but there was no greater prison that your own mind. As the moonlight creeped through the metal bars of the window on top, you sat crouched in the little dark space, leaning against the cold rocks. It was always so silent in here, you only ever heard the crashing of the waves against the walls, each ebb and flow reminding you of where you truly belonged.

With the king now dead, your mission was complete, you could go back home. You could go back to your people, you could take back your kingdom but somehow you lacked the strength or the will to fight your way out of here. It would mean facing Seungcheol, who in the last many days had not come even once to see you. With each passing minute in his absence a part of you was glad to not see the disgust he would hold for you but another was broken at the thought of this being the end of the love you shared. As you fought your inner battle as a lover and a princess, time, the one thing that you did not have, kept slipping away.

And then for the first time in 5 days, a shadow other than your own was cast in the moonlight. Seungcheol’s.

You stood up, taken aback by his presence after so long but more by the sound of the gates opening and the guards asking you to step out, leading you out of the prison cell. You were free.

It was only then in the light of the fire lit corridors that you saw him, dressed in finery like never before and on his head rested the whole responsibility of the kingdom - the crown.

It was no longer Prince Seungcheol, he was now King Choi Seungcheol.

Seeing him like that, your heart swelled with pride. When you found out Seungcheol was the prince you weren’t really as surprised as you should have been because it was only then that things made perfect sense. You had seen the king in him all along. One of the reasons that you loved him so much was because of what a good man he was, always thoughtful of others, always helping those in need, always looking out. No one was more worthy of being king than him.

But before you can say anything to him, the maids brought you away to his room, complaining that you needed a change of clothes and a good bath. As they helped you strip out and scrubbed your neglected skin, they talked about how Seungcheol was furious when he learnt of your imprisonment. He insisted that you be released at once but he could not do anything as the royal guards would only take orders from the king. Stubborn to get you released no matter what, he sped up the coronation, which was due two weeks later and was crowned king just hours ago. His first order as ruler was that you be immediately released.

You asked to be left alone for a bit, soaking yourself in the water after days now. Why did Seungcheol let you go? Did he not believe you tried to kill his father? Or did he love you so much that he was willing to forgive you for the attempt?

You couldn’t even ask him. He would not be free of the coronation festivities which apparently went on till sunrise and you didn’t have long before you had to return to the ocean – it was already day 99.

Maybe it was better this way. You had your duties like he had his. Maybe if you left without giving him an explanation and without getting one, it would be easier for the love between the two of you to die. It had to die. The two of you belonged to two different worlds. There was no a happily ever after written for this story.

You slid against the bath, submerging yourself into the waters, trying to breathe in peace again.

But the nightmare had not ended. The voices were not gone.

Kill the King.

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When you walked out of the bathroom, Seungcheol was there.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in his usual simple clothes again. In fact, he was wearing the same white shirt as the first time you ever saw him. The irony was not lost on you. It was like fate was not tired of the joke after joke after joke it was playing.

You walked in, asking him what he was doing away from the celebrations when you noticed what was in his hands. The dagger. Your dagger.

It's been a while since I told you a story.

He looked up, meeting your eye in the mirror, his finger dangerously dragging against the blade.

Do you remember the legend of the sea?

Why was the talking about this to you right now?

There's more, he claimed, standing up, turning to you. In that blue sea of dangerous creatures and vicious beings also lived the most beautiful woman in the world.

You can hear your heart thumping in your ear.

One day, the woman of the waters found herself on land. She was sent with a mission.

You took a step back. How could he possibly know all this?

You may have forgotten everything Y/n. But I didn't. He walked up to you. You may remember only 3 months of our love, but I remember 10 years of it.

You didn't understand. You didn't understand at all.

The young woman had been interested in the Land and humans ever since she was a little girl. Even though the merfolk were clearly warned to stay away from humans and shallow waters were dangerous to swim in, she would always escape the barricades quietly, to see whatever little of Land she would.

Finally, when she was 14 years old, she discovered a little secret - a sea cave. It was the only place where the waters next to land were deep enough, where she could get close to the land without being in much danger. She would come there often just to look at the sand and the rocks but she never saw any humans.

Until one day, a young, 14 year old Prince, distraught at the loss of his mother had ventured into the forest all alone and found the cave.

You remember Seungcheol telling you he moved to the cottage after the death of his mother when he was 14.

The price was also just as interested in the Sea as she was in land but unlike her, he did the stupid thing of entering the waters - he immediately started drowning.

That was the day she saved him the first time. Holding her breath to the point she couldn't anymore, she pulled him onto the sand before disappearing into the ocean. The last thing he remembered was seeing her most beautiful face.

After that the prince came everyday. Initially the young girl never showed herself. He knew she was there though, deeper in the waters, lurking silently. He would come every morning and just sit in the sand doing his assignments, glancing at the sea every once in a while and when the sun would start to set, he would return. Slowly, much to his anticipation and delight, she started coming up closer and closer to the surface until one day when he was 16, Seungcheol for the first time, put his hand in the water and touched hers.

It was magical, like nothing he ever felt before.

Then he started to get reckless again, trying to enter the waters, almost drowning too, but this time she held his hand and taught him to swim. Of the many hours he spent in the cave, a few minutes were always in the water, swimming by her side, and the rest were just watching her glide through the waves.

When he was 18, he created something extraordinary. He had always been a bit of a science man but after years of trial and error, he had finally made a device - a little mask of sorts that could help him breathe underwater, for about an hour or so. He didn't have to hold his breath anymore - he was able to spend longer under the sea, longer with her.

When he went to show it to her, she had discovered a little secret of her own - weeds. Not any kind but a very particular one that only grew in the Sea witches house. She apparently used to work for one, to learn magic, like all her other siblings did. There she had come across these very special plants that allowed merfolk to breathe on land.

That was the first time she stepped on land. The moment she did, she succumbed to her knees, throwing up water in the sand. Even the weed had its downsides, the most important one being that its affect only seemed to last an hour or so. But the hour she had with him on land and he had with her in the waters were more than enough - Their worlds were no longer barriers.

That went on for years, these secret meetings. Initially it was just sharing laughs, then dreams, then the thought of a whole life together. He taught her how to read and write their language, she drew him maps of different lands, far away in the sea. He taught her about science and she taught him about magic. His stories about the land animals fascinated her and her stories about the sea creatures terrified him.

When he was 20, he kissed her for the first time. When they were 22, they made love and when they were 24, around a 100 days ago, she told him she had to come to land for a mission.

It felt like someone had knocked the air out of your lungs. How was any of this possible?

She didn't say what her mission was, just that she had something to do and she needed him to help her. She would apparently arrive on land with all her memories gone and she needed him to guide her to find her way back. He didn't understand but she didn't have the time to tell him more. She just handed him a shell necklace and told him to give it to her when the time was right, it would help her figure things out.

So did you figure it out Y/n? He took you hand, placing the knife laced with his blood in it. Was your mission to kill my father?

You shook your head slowly, still processing all the information.

"It was to kill you."

The moment you heard your voice again in that bath, you felt like your life just left you. You thought the mission was completed - the king was dead. Then why were you still hearing it.... except you didn't complete the mission. You didn't kill the king, you didn't use the dagger.

Now the king was right in front of you. The man you just discovered you had been in love with your whole life. The man who made you fall in love with him all over again. The man who you had to kill to stay alive.

But he didn't look even a little fazed.

The sky behind you was starting to get brighter. The sun was rising. The 100th day was nearly here.

"Its okay." He whispered, moving closer to you without an ounce of fear. "Do it."

How could he love you so much, enough to die for you?

You could feel the tears rolling down your cheeks. He gently wiped it away, shaking his head. You kissed the inside of his hand on your cheek, and then pulled him close, feeling his mouth against yours for what you knew was the last time.

As you whispered an apology, he assured you it was okay. That you were the most beautiful thing that ever happened to him. And there was no better way for him to go than you being the last thing he saw.

You took a step back.

"Till death do us apart."

And then another step.

"Till death do us apart."

And then another, till you reached the window overlooking the ocean, you back against it.

You smiled at him.

He was not the only one who loved you enough to die.

The sun had risen quite high by now. You were simply a silhouette against the light, an outline and soon a memory. Before Seungcheol could even realise what you were doing, you leaned back. He ran towards you, as you let yourself drop, only just missing his outstretched hand trying to pointlessly save you, taken away by the winds, taken away to the sea.

As the sun fully rose in the sky, the dagger in you hands landed in the ocean with a splash, sinking to the bottom slowly, disappearing from existence.

And around it was sea foam, finally reclaimed by the waters where it belonged, gently floating away in peace.

#seungcheol oneshot #seventeen seungcheol #seungcheol angst #seungcheol smut #seungcheol fluff #seungcheol x reader #choi seungcheol #seungcheol scenarios #seventeen series #seventeen one shot #s.coups #s.coups angst #s.coups smut #s.coups fluff

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simmerandwrite · 1 year

Text

Sink Into Me - 01 - mob!Steve Rogers x plus size! reader

Pairing: mob boss!Steve Rogers x plus size female reader

Summary: You were simply doing a good deed, pulling the handsome stranger out of the way when a car jumped the curb. Little did you know that the life you saved belonged to Steve Rogers, the Army veteran turned art dealer with connections to the Brooklyn crime syndicate.

Steve Rogers, who won’t stop calling you his guardian angel.

Steve Rogers, whose new goal in life just might be repaying his debt to you.

Steve Rogers, who isn’t shy until it comes to his feelings and will stop at nothing to keep you safe.

Chapters: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

Wordcount: 4.2k

Warnings: canon level violence (series), body image issues (series)

Notes: So, this just happened, okay? On the one hand, it helped me unslump when it came to writing. On the other, it's been a very serious distraction from other important writing, currently. I promise you a fun ride with this one, though. if you see me in the wild, i’m @simmerandcry

---

You were goddamn grateful it was Friday. The entire week had felt like walking through wet, heavy sand - each day had been harder and harder to survive and you were so happy to be finally on the other side of the busy season at work. And you had rewarded yourself with your favourite overpriced smoothie from Juice Press - the Pineapple Mango Tornado.

It was the easiest way to reward yourself not only after the long work week, but for agreeing to go to a ‘Happy Hour’ spin class with your old roommate Maria. Despite your insistence that the average spin bike would not support your hips and ass, she had peer pressured you into the entire thing. Mostly based on the premise that she required your opinion on the spin instructor and whether or not she was out of Maria’s league.

By the time the class was over, you decided that A. yes, the instructor was super hot, and yes, Maria should pursue, and that B. spin was not being added into your new fitness routine. You weren’t sure you’d even be able to walk soon enough because your quads were still on fire.

You hoped that your dog Hercules, a rescued pitbull staffy mix, would be happy with a very short walk that evening.

The next street you cut down was relatively quiet and you were grateful for that, too. You weren’t afraid to admit how much of a creature of habit you were, regularly choosing the same path to and from the subway in the most efficient manner. Of course, you tended to notice when things changed though - like how the scaffolding was finally removed outside of the building that was being renovated just up from the corner.

When you realized a new restaurant was opening up, you were both excited and disappointed. You loved having new places to check out but trendy restaurants always brought extra foot traffic and real traffic to the neighbourhood.

(Maria, on the other hand, insisted there was no chance the restaurant was going to be real and open to the public anyway. Apparently she’d heard a rumour the owner was connected to the mob. The mob. You couldn’t get over how dramatic she could be.)

This new place (that was definitely not run by the mob) had a patio going in too and well, that made up for the potential disappointment of overcrowding at least. Just as you were approaching and gawking at the patio furniture, you caught the eye of a man exiting the brown paper covered door pulling a phone up to his ear. And holy shit, what a man.

Dressed in a blue linen suit, whomever this person was exuded a kind of confidence you couldn’t even bear thinking about for too long. When your moment of eye contact continued for one too many seconds, you panicked and reached for your phone because apparently anything was enough of a distraction to keep from hyperventilating over this man’s stare.

By the grace of God, he flipped his sunglasses down from his head and ran a hand through his perfectly messy coiffed hairstyle as he made his phone call.

Keep it together. All you needed to do was keep staring straight ahead and get on your way home. Your phone buzzed in your back pocket, with a message from Maria who was stuck on her subway line as she headed home. She had sent a sweaty faced selfie along with the text.

You took a selfie to reply with, too, featuring your own post-workout face and your smoothie.

Then you heard it.

You turned at a sudden noise behind you, the screeching of tires and a roaring engine pulled you away from your phone. You pivoted on your heel quickly, only to see the sleek black SUV speeding up even more. And not only was it coming closer at a dramatic pace, it seemed to be veering off towards the sidewalk too.

The sidewalk you were standing on. Just a few feet ahead of you, Blue Suit remained oblivious with his back turned and phone to his ear.

For some reason, you sprang into action.

“Hey!” You sprinted ahead of the vehicle as quickly as your heavy legs could carry you, reaching your hand out to the suited man and grasping onto his bicep. With all the force you could muster, you pulled him towards you and you both tumbled to the ground, with your head ricocheting against the stacked tables as you fell towards the concrete sidewalk.

The man landed directly on top of you, unscathed from the car that had crashed into the glass storefront of the future restaurant. His body acted as a shield from the spray of glass and before you could even understand what had happened, the engine revved again. Despite the damage to its front, the SUV backed up and adjusted its path, coming towards where you and this man were laid out.

He grabbed onto your shoulders with a tight grip, rolling you both through the shards of glass and closer towards the tables and the building. Just quickly enough too, as the SUV narrowly missed you both before it sped away from the scene.

What the fuck just happened?

You heard shouting as your ears rang, the raspy sound of Blue Suit’s voice from above you as he removed himself from practically covering your entire body as you remained laid out on the ground. You tried to pull yourself up too but you were thwarted by the spinning feeling in your head.

“Steve - what the fuck happened?”

Hah, you and whoever had just run out from the restaurant were clearly sharing the same sentiments.

“I don’t fucking know - but I can only guess it was..” Blue Suit trailed off, shaking his head of whatever that thought was as he kneeled before you. You blinked a few times, realizing he was speaking to you. “Hey, hey. Look at me. You okay? What’s your name? Did you hit your head? Are you in any pain? Can you sit up?”

Slowly, you blinked and tried to focus on him. Narrowed blue eyes laced with concerns stared down at you. You took in a slow breath. “That’s a lot of questions..” You clenched your hand then released it, running your fingers over the ground for your phone.

“Why the fuck did you do that?”

His question caught you off guard. “What? Are you seriously mad that I..” You tried to sit up and immediately recognized the bad idea. How hard did you hit your head? “Oh my god, I’m going to..”

“Woah, woah. Okay, just stay here on the ground, angel.” Above you, he adjusted and shed his jacket, folding it quickly in his hands and cradling the back of your head to place it under as a neck support. “No passing out. Oh, shit. Are you bleeding?”

“Angel?” You closed your eyes and tried to resist arguing. Stay on the ground. The ground was safe. The ground was stable and not spinning. Spinning equals bad. “Wait. What?” Using your hand, you searched your head and - fuck, yep. That was blood, just near your hairline. You could hear a crunch of glass underneath your back too.

The man twisted his head, looking back towards the shattered window and door of the restaurant behind him. The familiar sound of police sirens called out in the distance. “Sam, we’ve gotta get her checked out-”

You hissed out in pain when you tried to sit up again. Stay on the ground. “No, please. I’m fine. Just give me a minute..”

The other man shouted back. “Listen, I’ll deal with the blue. Hopefully Ward isn’t on duty today. Call Katy, she should be nearby.”

“Hey! Hey. Wait. Please.” You grasped Blue Suit’s hand as he turned back to you. “The co-pay on my insurance is terrible, I- I can’t afford a hospital bill and-”

“You don’t have to worry about a hospital bill, I promise.”

You turned your head when you caught the crack in his voice, the sincerity in his tone. A multitude of questions and arguments raced through your mind but when you met his eyes and absorbed his soft gaze, you faltered.

“It’s the least I can do, angel. You saved my life.”

---

You had to chalk it up to the rush of adrenaline - how it just made sense to go with this man and get into a car and trust he was really going to get you medical attention. It wasn’t until you were actually arriving at a little clinic further into Brooklyn that you were hit with the gravity of the whole situation.

That and the pain that was radiating through your skull hit you in full force.

Speaking of full force, why did you throw yourself into this situation? RIght, because that car was going to barrel into the man. And if you could help prevent that… Though it was just occurring to you that you could have been hit by that car too. You both could be dead and -

“Hey, come on. Let’s get you inside.”

Blue Suit had managed to vacate the front seat and open your door in the back in seconds. You quietly said your goodbyes to the sassy dark haired woman who had driven you both and reluctantly grabbed his hand as you stepped out of the car. Slowly he helped guide you into the quiet little building, home to the Roosevelt Clinic.

Under normal circumstances, you might be annoyed by how Blue Suit was resting his hand against your back, carefully walking you past the front desk, giving a quick nod to the woman who sat there. She had motioned him down the hall towards a certain room and when you got to the door, he paused.

“Listen, Sarah is the best nurse here and she’ll take a look at that cut and make sure you’re okay.” He peered down at you with the most sincere look, finally moving his hand from where it was splayed against your spine and dragging his fingers across his beard. He seemed more shaken now, a bit less secure in his words. “I don’t know how to say thank you for..”

You offered him a tight smile as he trailed off. “Don’t worry about it, that’s not..” You were lost for words too, nodding and stepping into the small medical room. Not before watching him speak quietly to himself as he walked away, tugging his phone from his pocket.

Inside the room you sat on one of the chairs, reaching up again to analyze the cut on your forehead. The bleeding had stopped, at least. You barely had any extra time to think about it before someone else came into the room.

You could only assume this was the nurse, Sarah. You weren’t sure what to expect, but the woman standing in front of you put you at ease. Her graying sandy blonde hair was pulled back into a low bun and she offered you a small smile, grabbing a pen from the pocket of her scrub pants as she took a few steps in towards you.

“I’m Sarah, I’m a nurse practitioner at this clinic,” she said as she dropped into the rolling stool beside you, showing you her identifying badge before tilting her head as she studied your face. Her eyes landed on the cut. “Can you tell me your name, honey?”

You nodded and gave her all your information as required and moved your hand as she inspected your cut.

“Oh,” Sarah let out a small whistle. “How did this happen?”

“I, uh,” you took a deep breath and released it. “That guy who brought me in here. I don’t even know his name.” You laughed, though it was short lived as Sarah started to brush a small wipe across your forehead to clean it up. You hissed in pain.

“Steve?” She asked. “In the suit?”

“Blue Suit, yeah. Steve.” You bit your lip as she moved along. “I kind of tackled him to the ground because a car was veering off the street in his direction. Hit my head on the way down.”

Sarah paused her hands and pulled back, moving her stool slightly to the side to get a better look at you. “You tackled him?”

“I mean,” you laughed again. “I’m not strong but clearly if I have enough momentum and, you know, mass - it can cause some movement. It was sort of like a full force hug, I guess. But it meant he didn’t get squashed in front of that car…”

Sarah laughed stiffly too, shaking her head. She stood and crossed the room, opening up a cabinet. “Are you okay if I use some temporary sutures on that?”

You nodded again. “Sure.”

“Steve,” Sarah pursed her lips as she said his name. “He brings a lot of his friends here. I’m happy to patch anyone up for him, really. But this is a first. Usually he doesn’t bring me any strangers.”

You frowned. “Oh. I’m sorry if we got in the way of any real patients or..”

Sarah stopped you with a hand, grabbing her supplies and returning to the stool. “No, no. You didn’t get in the way, honey. This is good. I’m glad he brought you in.” Her smile was unusually joyous, grateful even, and you couldn’t figure out why. “And thank you for doing that, saving him.”

“No one needs to thank me,” you replied, “Seriously. I just… well, what else was I supposed to do but try to help?”

Once Sarah had taken care of the cut and gone through any possible concussion symptoms with you, she offered you some mild pain medication then stood again.

“Did you go to Briar College?” You asked when she stepped away. “I just noticed that lanyard you’re using..”

Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out the badge again, running her fingers over the bright blue lanyard. “I did. I’m a proud alumni of that little place.”

“I didn’t mean to be invasive,” you apologized. “My mom went there too. She did her nursing degree part time when I was in high school.”

Sarah quirked an eyebrow. “What year did she graduate? I did the same thing when my son was a bit older, actually.”

You shared a few more details and, well, wasn’t the world small. It turned out Sarah was in the same class as your mom, although they hadn’t really stayed in touch beyond their classes. They had shared some experiences in a few group projects though, bonding over being the older women in the classroom.

You and Sarah were really chatting like old friends when there was a knock on the door frame.

“How’s it going in here?” Steve reappeared in the doorway, dragging a hand across the bottom of his jaw as he watched you and Sarah. He looked much more collected than he had before, perhaps having taken the time to sit with whatever he couldn’t say earlier. And god, even under the fluorescent lights above him, he looked good.

There hadn’t been time before to really take the man in, but as he took up most of the doorway, you couldn’t help but scan him. From his well kept beard, down his wide chest hidden behind the vest of his suit - what kind of man wore a three piece linen suit? And was that a gold chain and tattoos hiding on his chest, too?

You sucked in a breath but let Sarah answer for you.

“I think we’re all done.” Sarah stood up, turning away from you a playful smile on her face before moving towards Steve. When she pulled him into a hug, your mouth twisted into a confused frown. Then you thought about their matching blue eyes and…

“I’m okay, ma,” Steve muttered out, placing a kiss on the top of his mother’s head before he pulled away. “She saved my life.” His eyes flicked to you and suddenly you felt guilty about watching the personal moment that had been playing out.

You weren’t sure how to react to that. “Seriously, it’s not…” Maybe you were better off not arguing about it now, as you realized what a worst case scenario might have been. If this Steve guy needed to have a soft moment with his mother, that was fine.

I’m okay, ma..

It was a bit odd, in a way, that Steve’s busy, working mother dropped whatever she was doing to help whomever he brought in. And for you to be the first stranger he had guided through the doors, you couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of friends this guy kept if they ended up needing medical care so frequently that there was a room always ready for them at the clinic.

Clearly you had been consumed by your string of thoughts enough to not even realize Sarah left the room because when you blinked again, Steve had taken a few steps in.

“Are you feeling okay?” Steve started, thankfully. You had no clue what to say or do now, given that you were somewhere in the heart of Brooklyn with a minor head injury. Life saved, head stitched, exchanging awkward platitudes might have been next…

You nodded. “Yeah, pretty good, considering.” You pointed to your forehead and laughed. “Sarah was very helpful.”

Steve let out a quiet laugh. “You know, I’ve almost died before. A couple times. I was sick all the time when I was a kid, bad lungs..” He tapped against his chest with his hand. “I got a really bad infection and it was touch and go for a few weeks when I was in fifth grade. I also survived a lot of bad fist fights, a bullet to my hip and-”

Your eyes grew wide. “A bullet?”

“I served overseas after college,” he brushed it off. “I’m here on the other side of it. But for the last hour, all I can think about is that my time might have come to a quick end today if it hadn’t been for you, angel.”

“Please don’t call me that,” you shook your head. You insisted he call you by your first name instead. And after you gave it to him, he repeated it to himself, as if he was committing it to memory.

“Steve, I was just right where I needed to be, I guess. It doesn’t have to be that…complicated.” You were really trying to relieve this man of his guilt. “Anyone else in the same position would have done the same thing, I’m sure.” You could tell he wanted to say more but after letting out a long breath, he must have changed his mind. “Plus, you saved us both, really. When that car zoomed past us again and-”

“And I rolled you through the debris and glass. Sure. But I just feel like I owe you,” Steve sighed, raising his hand to drag across his neck. “I’m in debt to you forever.”

“Could you just cover my taxi fare for a ride home?” You reached for your phone to check the time. Shit. “Hercules is gonna be so pissed.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed for a brief moment. “Your boyfriend’s name is Hercules?”

“What?” You blinked a few times, shaking your head as you finally stood up. “No, Hercules is my dog. What kind of person would be named Hercules in this day and age?”

“Listen, my best friend goes by Bucky. Anything is possible.”

“I usually take Hercules for a walk right after I’m done with work, he’s been cooped up all day.” You couldn’t hide your frown as you thought about the journey home. “Maybe the subway would be quicker-”

“Let me give you a ride, please.” Your name left his lips as he pleaded. “It’s the least I can do.”

You supposed it would be the quickest way back to your neighbourhood. And given you had already gotten a ride with the man and had just met his mother and you knew where she worked so…

As you headed back out to the front of the clinic, you were surprised to see a police officer standing there. Steve took a few extra strides to get ahead of you, greeting the officer first.

“Hammond, it’s been a while,” he started, extending his hand out to shake that of the policeman.

“Has it?” The officer shot back, a small grin appearing on his hard lined face. “What have I told you about leaving the scene of a crime, Rogers?”

Steve scoffed, pulling his hand back and crossing his arms over his chest. “We have different answers for what makes a crime scene.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“She was bleeding, I couldn’t wait around.” Steve gestured to you now.

You gave a small wave to the officer, feeling a bit unsettled about what the heck was unfolding ahead of you. “Uh, hello.”

After he introduced himself to you as Officer Hammond, he took out a small notepad and gave you that same small smile. You assumed it was supposed to be comforting but it came off a bit stiff. “I just need a statement. You saw what happened? Did you see the driver’s face?”

In the middle of giving your recount to the officer, alongside all your contact information, you froze. “Oh my god. Would it help.. Would it help if I had a picture of the SUV?” You shook your head and reached for your phone, quickly scrolling through your recent pictures. Then you hesitated, given how unflattering your face looked when you had taken that earlier selfie to send to Maria. But, you could see the car as it approached behind you in the photo and maybe they could do something with that. Police departments must have fancy technology that could decipher a bit of information from it.

You turned your phone to show the officer. “It is a selfie, unfortunately, but..”

Hammond just nodded. “Yeah, that could help. Can you email it to me?”

Steve had a really nice car. A car nicer than anything you had ever sat in before. And despite the overwhelming day-to-day insecurity you held about your body, it didn’t feel like you were squeezing yourself into the vehicle. Inside, the leather seats looked immaculate. Steve weaved through traffic with ease, exchanging very boring normal small talk as neither of you seemed to be able to connect your true thoughts after everything that had happened. But dammit, if he didn’t look attractive with one hand on the wheel, as his other worked the gear shift. Had that sort of thing always been sexy or was it a Steve thing?

Because until an hour ago, you didn’t think anyone could pull off a blue linen suit and now…

Maybe you had hit your head harder than you thought.

By some miracle, the parking spot in front of the townhouse, home to your basement apartment, was free so Steve effortlessly parallel parked his car into place. Was that sexy too? You made a mental note to check with Maria if you were insane. Maybe you had brain damage after all.

“Well, there we go. One ride home. We’re even, Steven.” You laughed at your own joke, feeling a tiny bit proud when you saw a smirk rise on his face.

He said your name as he shifted in his seat. “Listen, I’m not going to say thank you again. Or call you Angel.”

You smiled. “Appreciate it.”

“But I believe in the universe putting people in the right place at the right time and..” He closed his eyes and took in a breath. “I’m truly in your debt forever.” He reached into one of the front consoles of the vehicle and grabbed a small card. After retrieving a pen from the inside pocket of his jacket, he scrawled onto the back of it.

“I owe you a thousand favours, alright?” He handed you the card. You stared at his handwritten phone number. “Call me to cash them in, anytime.”

You reluctantly took the card, knowing there was no point in arguing. Besides, this was a gesture. If he needed to hand you off with this promise, you’d play along and accept it. “Sure.”

“That photo you shared with Hammond - do you think you could send it to me, too?”

You frowned, struck between confusion and, well, embarrassment. You hadn’t taken that selfie with the intention of anyone other than Maria seeing it. Sharing it with the police officer made sense but sending it to this Very Handsome Man felt really awkward. Wasn’t it police evidence now?

“Uh, yeah. I could do that.” You sighed, glancing at his email address on the card then twisting in the seat slightly to look at him. “Just don’t laugh, okay? It was not meant to be shared with the world.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad, An-” He stopped himself, letting out a short breath before saying your name. “Thanks. Stay safe, okay? And like I said, a thousand favours. If you need anything, anytime - you reach out.”

Chapter 02

What's next? well, you can look forward to flirting, romance, danger, protective Steve Rogers, some smut, some drama and moreeeeeee.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x plus size reader #steve rogers x plus sized reader #simmerandcry #simmerandwrite #mob boss steve rogers #protective steve rogers

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hereforreadandwrite · 9 months

Text

Chapter Five

Masterlist

"I don't know why I didn't think of this. The elevator is by far the most efficient way to get around the factory."

Willy pressed a button, the elevator. The double doors opened, allowing the small group to enter the cramped cabin. You were uncomfortable seeing the void beneath your feet. You leaned against the glass wall, taking a deep breath. Your gaze rested on the many buttons that covered an entire wall. How was it possible for a chocolate factory to have so many floors? Even Mike was puzzled.

"There can't be this many floors," muttered Mike, glaring at Willy.

"How do you know, Mr. Smarty Pants?" Willy asked, glaring at Mike. "This isn't just an ordinary up and down elevator, by the way! This elevator can go sideways, longways, slantways, and any other ways you can think of! You just press any button and, whoosh! You're off!"

Willy pressed a random button. The elevator doors closed and the cabin moved suddenly, tripping the group. Because of the jolt, you fell on Willy. You had to cling to him to keep from falling. Surprised, Willy wrapped his arms around you, keeping you from crashing to the ground. You felt your cheeks heat up as you met Willy's amused gaze. The chocolatier helped you to your feet, wrapping his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him.

"You should be careful, Barley sugar. You shouldn't hurt yourself," Willy said smiling at you with all his perfectly white teeth.

"S-sorry."

"Oh! Look! Look!" Willy suddenly exclaimed.

The elevator entered a dome. You were surprised to see the glass cabin pass over a mountain. Oompa Loompa were climbing the mountain, collecting the ingredients.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fudge Mountain!"

The glass elevator continued on its way, leaving the dome and entering a room with candy pink sheep being shaved. You cast a puzzled look at Willy who tensed slightly, saying he didn't want to talk about this room. The elevator left the sheep room and entered a room for the badly burned welcome show dolls. Willy giggled, commenting that this piece was relatively new. You couldn't help but roll your eyes as the elevator descended into the administrative department. The chocolatier greeted a woman named Doris who greeted him back. The elevator started again suddenly, arriving in a huge dark room. The sound of cannons and fireworks was deafening. It was all strange, but oddly enough, you and Charlie liked it. But Mike was unimpressed. He even seemed bored by all this.

"Why is everything here completely pointless?"

"Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy," Charlie replied, which made Willy smile.

"It's stupid! Candy has a waste of time!"

You felt Willy's grip tighten around your waist. You turned to the chocolatier. His eyes were lost in the void. He seemed, once again, reliving a painful memory. Mike groaned as he turned to Willy.

"I wanna pick a room," the boy growled.

Willy shook his head slightly, snapping out of his thoughts. The chocolatier was smiling, showing all his teeth. His smile made you feel uncomfortable.

"Go ahead," he replied in a deceptively soft voice.

Mike turned to the buttons. His gaze was drawn to a button leading to the TV room. The elevator stopped short, before heading off in another direction. You looked at Willy out of the corner of your eye, the chocolatier had become silent, swallowing painfully. You didn't have time to ask him if he was okay when the elevator suddenly stopped. Willy quickly let go of you, rushing out of the cabin to put on some weird glasses.

"Here! Put these on quick, and don't take them off whatever you do!" Willy ordered, putting his weird glasses on your nose. "These lights could burn your eyeballs out of your skulls! We certainly don't want that, now, do we?"

He finished his sentence by pressing his finger to your nose before turning his back on you.

"This is the testing room for my very latest and greatest invention: television chocolate! One day it occurred to me: Hey! If television could break up a photograph into millions and millions of tiny little pieces and sent it whizzing through te air then reassemble it on the other end, why can't I do the same with chocolate? Why can't I sent a real bar of chocolate through the television all ready to be eatent?" Willy explained as he walked towards the checkpoint.

"Sounds impossible," replied Mr. Teavee.

"It's impossible!" Mike cried, following Willy closely. "You don't understand anything about science! First off, there's a difference between waves and particles, duh! Second, the amount of power it would take to convert energy in matter would be like nine atomic bombs!"

"Mumbler!" Willy shouted, turning to Mike. "Seriously, I cannot understand a single word you're saying."

The chocolatier's body was tense because of the little hacker. Mike hated being contradicted and having no one follow his point of view. You hated that kind of person. Even if you put all the evidence in front of him, he would still tell you that you are wrong. Mike might be smart, but he wasn't going to last long in the real world.

"Oki Doki! I shall now send a bar of chocolate from one end of the room to the other by television! Bring in the chocolate!"

Oompa Loompas entered the room with a huge Wonka chocolate bar. It was the biggest bar you had seen in your life. The little men put the huge chocolate bar on a pedestal. Willy explained the fact that the bar had to be huge in order for it to come out of the television at a normal size. That it was the same basic basic as when a camera filmed a tall person and he came out normal sized. Willy pressed a button. The pedestal rose, to your surprise, the chocolate started avoiding it, a huge glass tube joined the pedestal, holding the huge bar of chocolate as a strange camera pointed at the candy. A flash illuminated the room. The bar had disappeared.

"It's gone!" exclaimed the two cousins.

"Told you. That chocolate is now rushing through the air above our heads in a million tiny little pieces," Willy explained smiling at the two cousins before rushing over to the television. "Come over here! Come one. Come on. Come on!"

The group followed the ecstatic chocolatier. They stood in front of the television, blocking the view of the Oompa Loompa settling into his chair. The screen image showed howling monkeys. It only took a few seconds before the chocolate bar appeared. Willy had succeeded? It was surreal.

"Take it," Willy said, jostling Mike slightly.

"It's just a picture on a screen," replied the young hacker, unimpressed by what had just happened.

"Scaredy-cat," Willy replied before turning to Charlie. "You take it. Go on, just reach out and grab it."

Charlie looked at you puzzled. Should he? You nodded slightly before nodding at the television. Charlie took a deep breath, moving closer to the screen, slowly plunging his hand into it. Your cousin's hand entered the screen, grabbing the chocolate bar he pulled out of the television.

"That's great," you breathe.

"Eat it. Go on," Willy said, catching Charlie's attention. "It'll be delicious. It's the same bar, just got a little smaller on the journey, that's all."

Charlie slowly opened his tablet, a little perplexed. His gaze rested on Willy who bit into the void, encouraging him to bite into the chocolate. Your cousin bit into the chocolate bar before smiling at his idol.

"It's great!"

"So imagine!" Willy exclaimed, stepping away from the group, facing them. "You're sitting at home, watching television and suddenly a commercial will flash onto the screen, and a voice say: 'Wonka's chocolates are the best in the world. If you don't believe us, try one yourself.' And you simply reach out and take it. How about that?"

"So… can you send other things? Say like… breakfast cereal?" asked Mr teavee uncertainly.

"Do you have any idea of what breakfast cereal's made of?" spat Willy in disgust. "It's those little curly wooden shavings you find in pencil sharpeners."

"But could you send it by television if you wanted to?" you asked, eyeing the chocolatier.

"Of course I could," he replied, shrugging.

"What about people?" Mike asked suddenly.

"Well, why would I wanna send a person? They don't taste very good at all."

"Don't you realize what you've invented?! It's a teleporter!" Mike exclaimed, frustrated that no one thought like him. "It's the most important invention in the history of the world! And all you can think about is chocolate!"

"Calm down, Mike. I think Mr. Wonka knows what he's talking about," said Mr Teavee, trying to calm his son.

"No, he doesn't!" Mike spat angrily. "He has no idea! You think he's a genius, but he's an idiot! But I'm not."

Mike suddenly runs towards the checkpoint, jumping over the chair and pushing Oompa Loompa out of his way.

"Hey, little boy. Don't push my button," Willy warned.

Unsurprisingly, Mike didn't listen to anyone. He pushed the button, jumping over the checkpoint to land on the pedestal. Mr. Teavee runs ahead of Willy, helplessly watching his son's stupidity. Mike began to float in the air. The arrogant boy began to dance before waving at Willy. The chocolatier was rolling his eyes when a flash lit up the room before disappearing. Mike had disappeared.

"He's gone," said Mr. Teavee under his breath.

"Let's go check the television and see what we get," Willy suggested as he walked back to the screen.

The rest of the small group moved closer to the television, watching the screen intently. Looking for Mike who was slow to appear.

"I sure hope no part of him gets left behind," Willy muttered, bad luck, Mr. Teavee heard him.

"What do you mean?!"

"Well, sometimes only half of the little pieces find their way through. if you had to choose only one half of your son, which one would it be?"

"What kind of a question is that?!" cried Mr. Teavee, turning angrily to Willy.

"No need to snap. It's just a question," Willy muttered before turning to the Oompa Loompa. "Try every channel. I'm starting to feel a lillte anxious."

The Oompa Loompa picked up the remote, beginning to zap. An image of a reporter Oompa Loompa appeared on screen with Mike, miniaturized, materializing on his desk.

"There he is," you say, pointing your finger at Mike.

"Mike..."

The Oompa Loompa began to sing about Mike being in front of the television for far too long; that it was rotting his brain and driving him crazy. The boy was always close to dying crushed under the tenderizing hammer of a cook, under the drumsticks of a drummer, a boxing game and under stab wounds which he managed to dodge before ending flattened under the papers of the Oompa Loompa journalist, startling the small group.

"Ew! Somebody grab him!" Willy exclaimed.

Mr. Teavee ran his hand across the screen, grabbing his son, now tiny and speaking in a high-pitched, unpleasant voice. You couldn't help but feel sorry for Mike, even though it was deserved for playing with fire. But you didn't wish that, even on your worst enemy.

"Oh, thank heavens. He's completely unharmed," Willy commented without being truly relieved for Mike.

"Unharmed?! What are you talking about?!" exclaimed Mr. Teavee, placing Mike in his hand.

"Just put me back through the other way!" Mike ordered.

"There is no other way. It's television, not telephone. There's quite a difference," replied the chocolatier.

"And what exactly do you propose we do about it?" asked the father between his teeth.

"I don't know. But young men are extremely springy. They stretch like mad. Let's go put him in the taffy puller!" Willy finished with a huge smile.

"Taffy puller?!"

"Hey, that was my idea," Willy replied before looking at Mike. "Boy, is he going to be skinny. Yeah… taffy puller. I want you to take Mr Teavee and his… little… boy… up to the taffy puller, okay? Stretch him out."

The Oompa Loompa rose from his seat, tugging Mr. Teavee's pants a little. He followed the little man out of the room, leaving Willy with you and Charlie. The light went out, allowing the people in the room to remove their strange glasses. The trio tossed their glasses into a small bin on their way to the elevator.

"There's still so much to see! Now, how many children are left?" Willy asked, turning to the two cousins.

You and Charlie looked at each other for a few seconds. You cleared your throat, looking nervously at Willy.

"Willy...Charlie's the only one left," you say, putting your arm around your cousin's shoulders, pulling him closer to you.

Willy was surprised by your words. His gaze fell on you, then on Charlie before scanning the room, looking for other children.

"You mean...you're the only one?" Willy asked softly.

"Yes," Charlie answered with a slight nod.

"What happened to the others?"

You didn't know what to answer to that. With everything that had just happened in this strange chocolate factory. It was a miracle you and Charlie were still together.

"Oh my dear boy, that means you've won!" Willy cried grabbing Charlie's hand, shaking it frantically. "Oh, I do congratulate you. I really do. I am absolutely delighted! I had a hunch right from the beginning! Well done! Now, we mustn't dilly, or dally. We have an enormous number of things to do before the day's out. But luckily for us, we have the Great Glass Elevator to speed things along-"

As he spoke, Willy let go of your cousin's hand, heading for the elevator. But to your surprise, and Charlie's, the chocolatier collided with the glass doors before collapsing to the floor. Willy sat up quickly, putting his hat back on his head, an embarrassed smile on his lips.

"Speed thing along," he finished pushing the button, opening the doors. "Come on."

You took Charlie's hand, stepping into the glass elevator. Willy entered in turn, looking for a button before pressing a button labeled: Up and Out. Charlie asked which room it was, to which Willy told him to hang on with a huge smile. The elevator moved, going up faster and faster. You felt your heart race, especially hearing Willy say that the cabin had to go a lot faster if he wanted to get out.

"I've been longing to press that button for years! Well, here we go. Up and Out!"

"Do... do you really mean?" you asked terrified, hugging Charlier to your chest.

"Yeah! I do!"

"But… It's made of glass! It'll smash into a million pieces!" you exclaimed horrified. "Stop it!"

Unfortunately for you, Willy just laughed like crazy. You looked at the ceiling, seeing the device approaching at full speed a huge window. The glass elevator passed through the window. With the impulse, the elevator rose high in the sky before plummeting. Charlie was burying his face in your chest, not wanting to see what was going to happen. The cabin was passing between the chimneys when Willy pressed a button, activating the reactors. The glass elevator suddenly froze. You slowly let go of Charlie when you saw the device floating in the air. It wasn't more reassuring, but it was better than being in free fall. The cabin began to move, flying above the entrance to the chocolate factory. The trio could see the children, punished, going out. Augustus was covered head to toe in chocolate, Violet was back to normal size, but she was still blue and had become extremely flexible, Veruca and her father were covered in filth and trash. You noticed the spoiled girl looking in your direction before talking to her father. Probably to request a flying glass elevator. As for Mike, he was now taller than his father and as thin as a sheet of paper.

"Where do you live?" Willy asked, leaning slightly towards Charlie. Charlie smiled before turning to look around for his house.

"Right over there. In that little house."

Willy pressed another button. The elevator started up to the little house. You were about to tell Willy to land in the garden, but the elevator went through the roof, landing in the only room in the house. Your uncle, aunt and grandparents looked at the trio surprised by their sudden entrance. Charlie was smiling broadly, greeting his mother. The elevator doors opened. Charlie rushed into his parents' arms, you followed more calmly, leaning against the table. Willy walked slowly out of the elevator. All eyes fell on the chocolatier.

"Mr. Willy Wonka," Grandpa Joe said with a huge grin.

"He gave us a ride home," you say, smiling at the chocolatier.

"I see that," your aunt commented looking at the hole in the ceiling.

"You must be their-" Willy yawned trying to say the word.

"Parents?" Mr. Bucket asked puzzled.

"Yeah. That," he replied with a forced smile.

Under the puzzled gaze of all, Willy began to search the house. Opening all the cupboards and closing them quickly.

"He... he s'ays Charlie's won something," you say, turning to your family.

"Not just some something. The most "something" something of any something that's ever been," Willy said, turning to you with a huge smile. "I'm going to give this boy my entire factory."

"You must be joking...," you say under your breath.

"No, really. It's true. Beacause you see, a few months ago I was having my semiannual haircut and I had the strangest revelation. In that one silver hair, I saw reflected my whole life’s work. My factory, my beloved Oompa Loompas. Who would watch over them after I was gone? I realized in that moment: I must find a heir. And I did, Charlie. You!"

"That's why you sent out the golden tickets," says Charlie excited by his award.

"Uh huh! I invited 5 children to my factory and the one who was the least rotten was the winner," Willy explained before stopping his digging to turn to Charlie with a huge smile. "So, what do you say? Are you ready to leave all this behind and come live with me in the factory?"

"Sure. Of course. I mean, it's all right if my family come too?"

"Oh! My dear boy! Of course they can't!"

This announcement throws a chill in the dilapidated little house. You couldn't suppress a nervous chuckle, tucking hair behind your ear. Maybe you heard wrong. Willy couldn't say such a thing.

"You can't run a factory with a family hanging over you like an old dead goose. No offense."

"None taken. Jerk," Grandpa George muttered.

"A chocolatier has to run free and solo! He has to follow his dreams! Gosh darn the consequences!" Willy continued, ignoring Grandpa George's insult. "Look at me. I had no family and I'm a giant success!"

Your nails dug into your arms, you wanted to cry, to scream, to run away. Why was he doing such a thing? Was it just a cruel game for him? A big joke? The news of the chocolatier had considerably dampened Charlie's joy. The boy's gaze fell on you. You had curled up on yourself, refusing to look at Willy.

"So… if I go with you to the factory, I won't ever see my family again?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah! Consider that a bonus!"

You couldn't help but shake and lower your head, cupping the bridge of your nose between your fingers. You didn't have to cry. You shouldn't be cracking up now. You turned your back on the chocolatier, going into the small kitchen.

"Then I'm not going," Charlie replied with a neutral expression. "I wouldn't give up my family for anything. Not for all the chocolate in the world."

"Oh... I see. That's... weird. There's other candy too besides chocolate," Willy tried.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wonka. I'm staying here," Charlie replied.

Willy hadn't expected such an answer. Why Charlie refused to leave everything behind to live in his marvelous chocolate factory? His gaze fell on you, trying to find support, but you turned your back on him, refusing to look at him. The chocolatier felt his heart sink when he saw that you were upset. So it was going to end like this? Without an heir and without being able to talk to you anymore?

"(Y/N)?" Willy called, taking two steps towards you.

"Leave me alone!" you growled without turning to the chocolatier.

"Okay... If you change your mind Barley sugar, my door will always be open to you."

Willy returned to the elevator, stunned. It was a surprising turnaround.

"Wow... well, that's just unexpected and... weird. But I suppose, in that case, I'll just... goodbye then," he said, pointing his finger at a button before stopping, looking one last time at Charlie. "Sure you won't change your mind?"

"I'm sure"

"Okay. Bye." Willy pressed a button.

The doors closed and the elevator left through the hole it had made. Once the chocolate maker left, the house fell silent. You couldn't hold back your tears any longer. Charlie was the only one to come and console you while the others preferred to look away until Grandma Georgina spoke.

"Things are going to get much better."

#x reader #charlie and the chocolate factory #fanfiction #charlie bucket #grandma georgina #grandma josephine #grandpa george #grandpa joe #willy wonka #willy wonka x reader #mr.bucket #mrs bucket #oompa loompa #female reader

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intimidating-fettuccine · 6 months

Note

10:32, so

Puppeteer slowly realizing that the reader is falling into depression? But it's not too obvious; a lack of appetite (always insisting they aren't hungry, not realizing they are hungry but eating ravenously when forced to eat), they're setting timers for everything because they keep forgetting/needing extra motivation to do things, they're withdrawn, and--- most of all--- puppeteer just feels a little more energized when he's around them (absorbing depression haha). Maybe they aren't aware they're depressed, just saying that they "feel tired, not sad" and that it'll go away soon. The reader is a huge germaphobe so they still obsess over hygiene, and take that as a sign that they're fine (even though they keep postponing their showers and then waking up in the middle of the night feeling gross, forcing themselves to take care of themselves to avoid attention). It just feels like they're forcing themselves to continue going about their day in order to avoid worrying or disappointing anyone.

It doesn't truly take long for him to put the pieces together. You used to pride yourself on your schedule and efficiency, and now here you are without one at all, scattered and barely getting through your days. He notices immediately when you stop eating properly, and your late-night showers are also quite out of the ordinary. He wants to convince himself that you're still okay, that you aren't slipping into depression, but the more he looks at you and the habits you're taking on, the more he sees himself inside of you, and it gives him one thought he'd never wanted to consider...

Could he be the reason you're getting depressed? He's so used to being the cause of depression for his victims that he worries that you could be falling into depression with him around as well, which terrifies him and upsets him greatly. Although, the two of you have been together for so long that he tries to optimistically reason that hopefully, he isn't the cause. He doesn't want to confront you head-on and force you into a corner, as he knows that's not likely to work at all, so he tries to be more subtle about it. "How has work/school been lately? Has it been getting harder recently? Is there any way I can help?" "Have you been sleeping well, my dear? I always worry about your resting habits." "Have you been having any problems with your friendships or your family? You haven't been as social recently." He starts to subtly, over the weeks, question you about any life changes that could have been causing your sadness, and with his higher amounts of energy from being around you so often, he starts to help alleviate any stress he can pick up on.

He handles all of the chores in the house for you, and he takes over cooking as well so you don't have to worry about that. If you have any schoolwork or any work relating to your job you need to get done, he provides assistance and reassurance that you're doing a fantastic job. He tries to get you more regulated by having you shower with him so he can get you back on a schedule and he helps you clean yourself so you don't have to feel quite as gross, and he always compliments your looks, saying you look wonderful (as you always do to him no matter what), and that you smell lovely (because he can't get enough of your scent). He'll also try getting you some new shower products as well, testing them out with you and when they work well he lays on even more compliments so he can try and boost your mood. He also gets you back on an eating schedule. He cooks you breakfast, lunch, and dinner and presents them all at the same time every day, eating with you so you don't feel as pressured, and consistent food and hydration (as he's constantly bringing you glasses of water/your favorite drinks), definitely helps you out. He's not convinced himself that this will perfectly help you as there's no guarantee, but if he can do even just one small thing to try and help you, he's going to do it. You have looked happier in the last few days, and you seem to be enjoying his cooking and your new soaps, even if you're still tired, and even if some mornings you wake up extra early for another shower, there's an improvement, and that's enough for him. He'll do whatever he can for you, as long as he has to.

#creepypasta #creepypasta headcanons #creepypasta headcanon #creepypasta x reader #puppeteer #puppeteer headcanons #puppeteer headcanon #puppeteer x reader

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dairy-farmer · 7 months

Note

Another Tim as batman’s secretary please? I hope your summer’s going great!

thank you!!! sorry for the late reply 😅most asks that are sent take some time for me to reach them because of the volume of asks i have and i want to make sure i answer all of them!! i was a little buy in the summer but it went well❤️❤️❤️!!! i hope everyone else had a good summer as well!!!!!

tim being bruce's secretary is such a beloved genre of mine!!! often in au's where tim is a civilian finding a way to associate him with the bats is very difficult because aside from the whole 'knowing about robin' there's little opportunity for him to cross paths with them. and tim is fully the type to keep the batman secret and take it to his grave. but him being bruce's secretary??? such a perfect set up!!!

because WE is the most fair employer and the highest paying for entry level work in the entire city??? and if all things in tim's life go as they would have without having bruce or the others involved its likely he would've been orphaned pretty young and without his training from bruce wouldn't have likely been successful with some 'fake uncle' thing. and so tim ages out of the foster system and manages to snag a job at WE, he ends up being bruce's secretary after being picked out of a whole pool of candidates and its just!!!!! he's working for batman!!!! and its hard to shed that thought while bringing bruce his meeting notes and discovering how he takes his coffee!!!! tim as bruce's secretary is just so good!

especially if tim takes great pride in his work. he's working for batman afterall! and part of tim never really quite shed that wonder no matter how disillusioned he grew with the world and everything in it. tim will admit that maybe time in foster care had made him...bitter. it'd made him possessive, and maybe it had infected him with some thin layer of cruelty to protect himself. so tim has a hard time making friends with other workers. he's a no nonsense type of individual. he likes everything be a certain way and making sure everything is efficient so that bruce is never inconvenienced because it's the least tim can do. doing his part to help batman protect the city by making sure his coffee is always hot and his papers are perfectly filed and that he's always at his side ready to take his coat.

tim's attentive to bruce in a way previous secretaries weren't. and that's not to say other secretaries hadn't been paying close attention to bruce. but that was more from a desire to live out some 'boss-secretary' fantasy with one of the wealthiest men in gotham. its why bruce went through secretaries like toilet paper. but with tim...there's a sincerity in his actions, a real concern that flashes in his eyes when bruce's dark circles are a little more visible than usual. and bruce...god bruce might just be having a hard time of it all because his children have basically all flown the nest with the exception of damian who was really only around to go to school and left most weekends with the titans. so...god. so bruce gets lonely. and with tim there's no need for a front or to pretend and sometimes its nice to have company during lunch or to have someone to talk about during long nights in the office.

tim is young and sweet and around bruce's sons ages and maybe he likens himself to something of a father figure to tim because he heard the young boy had lost his quite young. so bruce tells himself its okay to get close to tim. that they have a parent child like relationship so the two of them developing inside jokes and sharing personal numbers and hanging around together outside of work hours. its just nice...having someone young and lively in his life again. someone who will spend time with him because those zoo passes he bought for himself and damian go unused and its such a shame to waste them and those season baseball tickets he often invites jason to but he never turns up because he has another paper due or because he's planning out his lectures or complaining about the administration. bruce loves his son, he does, but there's only so much he can listen to his son talk about 'bullshit tenure contracts' before it gets old. and with dick...if they could even stand to be around each other long enough to spend quality time together it would be a miracle.

so....so bruce asks tim if he'd like to joing him on those things. its not like he's doing anything wrong,...taking a young boy under his wing. but...bruce can't deny they grow closer. he gets to know tim better.

tim tells him things. private things. his dreams. his fears. how his life hadn't panned out the way he'd wanted it to but he had a nice job and a roof over his head so who was he to complain? and bruce...he...starts allowing himself to be...honest.

with tim it's easy. its like he could tell tim anything and he wouldn't judge him.

bruce finds himself going over to tim's apartment sometimes. after a long day out they'll go back to tim's comfy little home filled with thrifted furniture, trinkets, personal items and bruce is always so fascinated with tim's home. it's like he can tell a million things about him from his basket of unfolded laundry and his collection of throw pillow and pinned up paintings he'd made as a teenager.

bruce is at ease with tim, feels lighter, comfortable. he knows tim's home like the back of his hand. knows tim's food and drink of choice order. bruce and tim take refuge in his apartment when a freak blizzard hits gotham and they managed to make it out of WE before they were trapped inside. bruce borrows tim's phone and informs alfred about staying the night.

and...bruce makes himself at home. he knows where the remote is, he has a spare toothbrush in the bathroom, a change of clothes from when they were caught in a rainstorm, knows the fridge carries the root beer he once confessed to loving but stopped drinking because it was "unrefined".

bruce is comfortable. he feels at home with tim. relaxed. putting a hand over tim's shoulder and holding him close while watching a movie on tim's little tv feels...natural.

bruce isn't sure when it turns romantic. just that the progression is so natural and easy that he barely notices when he's started pressing kisses to tim's mouth, holding his hand, and simmering with interest. it doesn't hit him until he's in a drug store picking up some milk and slows to a stop in front of the condoms. he's picking up boxing and expertly identifying the best one when it hits him that he's weighing a choice between his favorite brand and the 'ribbed' ones while wondering if tim would enjoy them.

bruce isn't as shocked at the realization as he thought he'd be. still. a haze follows him home, plastic bag full of a carton of milk and a hastily chosen box of condom swinging at his side while wondering what tim will say when he finds that box.

bruce had a lapfull of tim the night before, the two lazily pressing kisses to exposed skin and paying half attention to a documentary.

bruce knows tim wouldn't bawk at the boldness. but...some little part of him can't help but feel nervous at a rejection he's certain won't come.

still. the butterflies remain and bruce continues his walk home.

#answered asks #asks #anonymous #brutim

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deadbydangit · 8 months

Note

Hello! Thank you for your great work as always, and I have another potential prompt. How would you feel about Wesker, Trapper, and Trickster reacting to a reader attempting to fight back with an improvised weapon/trap. Thank you!

Brutal. Efficient. I love it. Hope it's okay. I'm on so much cold medicine right now and am barely functioning. Please enjoy.

With a Reader who fights back.

Mastermind, Trapper, Trickster

Mastermind

Wesker has mixed feelings about it.

He doesn't like his job being more complicated than it has to be.

But, at the same time, he enjoys a bit of a challenge.

When things get too boring, he mentally checks out.

First, he'll want to see if he can psych you out of it.

The use of intimidation has always been his first tool.

"Do you really think that you can defeat me?"

"Seven minutes. Seven minutes is all the time I can spare to play with you."

He'll pull the whole intimidating frown with a knife is brandished out toward you.

But when you grab for a weapon?

Negotiations are off the table.

You're going to have to grab something sturdy.

Otherwise he's Uroburos will rip right through it.

But it will also have to be a weapon that can be moved with ease.

He's fast, and he knows every little opening you have.

A lead pipe?

Beggars can't be choosers.

You probably won't be able to fight for very long.

This is Albert Wesker we're talking about.

This man is a bioweapon.

But, he'll be impressed by your strength and determination.

So much so that he'll give you a ten second head start as he knocks the pipe out of your hands.

As annoyed as he seems, he was actually enjoying himself in a sick twisted way.

He's smirking and laughing.

"Do you think you can hide from me?"

Trapper

He isn't the type to actually take pride in his job.

He does what he has to do, and leaves.

Evan is that co-worker who goes to work and never spends time with anyone else outside of work.

Don't talk to me or approach me unless it has something to do with work.

That guy.

And he's perfectly happy keeping it that way.

Until you pick up a broken plank off a pallet and start swinging it around!

Why?

Could you please stop?

He doesn't see this as some sort of challenge or threat.

He sees this as an inconvenience.

For the most part, he will try to ignore you.

Moveing out of the way as you swing the plank around.

If you do try to attack him, he will easily grab the plank and take it out of your hands.

Like taking candy from a baby.

He'll make sure to crush it too.

Not just so you can use it anymore.

He's also hoping this will serve as a scary enough example.

Want to end up like that piece of wood you just had?

No?

Then I suggest running.

Trickster

It depends on how he's feeling that particular day.

If things haven't been going his way that day, he'll pout and scream.

It's actually really embarrassing to watch.

If trials have been good, he'll indulge in your little game.

With him, you're more likely to find out of something that resembles a shield rather than a weapon.

Knock down tables for him to get his knives stuck in.

Then use those knives against him.

Unless you're an expert in throwing, there isn't much damage you can do.

But you can try.

And he'll watch.

Ji-Woon will even start laughing.

Your pathetic display of heroism is just too precious.

He'll brutally attack you.

Throwing hundreds of knives at you.

Dancing around as he performs.

Smirking and laughing the whole time.

This is now a game to him, and you are just another toy.

The pleasure he gets from this makes up for the fact that the others will probably escape.

And he'll watch you bleed to death on the floor after they all leave.

"Thank you for the little show. I do hope we can play again."

#dbd imagines #dbd ask blog #dbd x reader #dbd killer #dbd trickster #dbd mastermind #dbd trapper

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