Tumgik
#SIGH. ALRIGHT. CRACKS KNUCKLES
itsbrucey · 6 months
Text
I hope Matt Arnold understands that he has impact on lives bc I'm why am I researching the best Warhammer 40k novels to start with.
7 notes · View notes
inkdrinkerworld · 2 months
Note
Dad!Spencer forgetting to take a hair clip out of his hair that his daughter put in earlier that morning 🤭 and nobody telling him until he goes home LMAO
Georgia has a cutesie little routine with her dad, he does her hair and she does his.
This morning Spencer has spent the better half of twenty minutes braiding her hair back and out of her face.
“Daddy, can you put the ribbons in today? The orange ones, please?” It would clash with her outfit but who is Spencer to deny her that?
“Course Georgia, on both braids or one tying them both together?”
He likes giving her choices like this, letting her decide little things so she feels she has a say. Spencer likes her to be knowledgeable and a little independent- but not too much, he still wants her to need you both.
“Invididually,” he smiles at how she says it and nods.
“Individually, you got it.” He ties the ribbons in cute little bows and then pats her back. “All done, go get breakfast with your mom.”
She starts to hop off the stool she’s stood on and then stops. “Wait. Daddy?” Her eyebrows pulled tight together as she reaches in her hair bag.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Spencer looks equally perturbed.
“Can I put this one in your hair? So we match?” He nods and kneels down, letting her little hands push back his hair and set the orange clip in his hair.
Breakfast is busy, as it usually is with a five year old. She wants waffles and you and Spencer spend a little time coaxing yogurt and fruit on her plate.
You pack her lunch kit, pack yours and then Spencer’s and you’re all rushing out of the door- you need to beat traffic.
You kiss Spencer goodbye and you both rush off- you to drop Georgia and Spencer to the bau.
His day doesn’t get less busy, an all paperwork day, so he’s stuck at his desk and while he gets weird looks from Derek, he doesn’t take it on much.
It’s not unusual at all.
“Okay guys, get home. We’re not getting much else and we’re all updated on the paperwork.” Hotch makes the announcement around four thirty and Spencer sighs, cracking his knuckles as he stretches in his chair.
“Alright, I’m headed home guys. Georgia started fractions today and that math is never good for six year olds.”
He’s packing his back and catches a look of himself in his laptop’s reflection before he closes it.
“Oh shit,” he mumbles, turning round Emily and JJ. “Did I have it in all day?”
They both nod, JJ smiles gently. “It’s a good look Spence, a nice touch from Georgia.”
“She’s getting better at gripping your hair back. Fine motor fully developed.” Emily compliments.
He blushes but doesn’t even bother to take it out, knowing she’s going to love it that he’s kept it in all day.
2K notes · View notes
shoyostar · 7 months
Text
𝓓𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝓕𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝓗𝐔𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃!
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
oh future husband, better love me right!
premise. the nhk is hosting another special broadcast featuring the popular fiancées of the jnt’s lineup! and this time, it’s truth or drink! ❤︎
content. haikyu!! jnt / f!reader. (koutarou bokuto, morisuke yaku, kiyoomi sakusa & tobio kageyama). fluff. downbad fiancés. suggestive jokes & allusions to sex. petnames. alcohol. overseas!kageyama & yaku (LDR). reader lives in japan (does not equal being japanese). a little angst.
notes. this part is… a little long! sit down for it ❤︎
soundtrack. dear future husband : meghan trainor.
part one can be read here.
dear future husband m.list // hq. masterlist.
Tumblr media
KOUTAROU BOKUTO.
“Been awhile since I last drank,” Bokuto cracks his knuckles upon seeing the many selections of beer he gets to choose, fingers twitching eagerly as they hover over the bottles. “Wonder what I should get…”
You sigh beside him jokingly, nudging his shoulder with your elbow, “We don’t have all day, Kou.”
“I’m just looking!” He chuckles, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
He randomly picks up a bottle of Sapporo, rotating it in his hands before nodding to himself, “This seems good!”
You place your hand on the small of his back, guiding him towards the studio for a final run through before the broadcast, “Alright, Kou. Now let’s get this started!”
The NHK film crew do a final mic and sound check when you arrive as a staff member seats you both at the table in the centre of the studio, a pile of cards with questions written on them, two shot glasses and the Sapporo bottle your fiancé picked out lined on it’s top.
After fiddling with the microphones hidden inside your clothes, the crew give you two a thumbs up and rush back to their cameras to start the recording.
Bokuto’s entire body is turned towards the cameras, sitting on the edge of his seat as he eagerly greets the viewers, “Hey! I’m Koutarou Bokuto,” he catches your eyes with a bright smile, grabbing your hand from across the table, “And this is my fiancée!”
“And we’ve been together for three years now,” You finish for him, hands folded neatly on the table, the cameras pan to show off the engagment rings that sits prettily on both you and Bokuto’s fingers.
“Four months engaged.”
“And we’re playing truth or drink!” You and Bokuto announce happily together, smiling at each other before turning your bodies back to face the cameras. The film crew adjust their angles, moving their cameras off their stands to get better opening shots of you and your fiancé.
“You guys ready to play?” The head camera crew member asks, giving you the okay to start the game.
The studio lights illuminate the white backdropped room, enveloping your eyes in waves whenever you stare at the camera lenses for a little too long.
You and Bokuto nod as he shifts his gaze towards you, “Want me to go first, Baby?” He asks, already grabbing his shot glass and the bottle of Sapporo. You giggle, “So eager to get drunk, Kou?”
“I told you, it’s been awhile!” He beams, pouring out the alcohol carefully into his shot and grabbing the top card from the pile on the table.
“What do you like most about me?” he reads aloud, looking up at you curiously, “I’m pretty sure you’ve told me this exact answer before.”
“Have I?” you tilt your head in thought, thinking the question over, “I mean, probably. It has been three years, after all.”
Bokuto places the card face down on his side of the table, combing through his hair, “I think when we first started dating, you told me it was my hair.”
“It is nice,” you agree, causing Bokuto to start laughing and in turn making you giggle as well. The two of you are already giddy and snickering despite no alcohol being present in your systems yet, “But I think now that we’re engaged, I can give a more detailed answer.”
“Oh?”
He leans over the table excitedly, a wide grin plastered across his face, “Tell me, Baby! What do you like most about me?” His hand is still placed atop of yours, the perfectly cut gems in both of your rings twinkling in sync underneath the studio lights, perfectly complimenting you fiancé’s eyes.
You hum in faux thought for a moment before smirking, “Hmm, your muscles.”
Bokuto’s smile drops slightly to a pout, still keeping his bright composure while masking his lowered grin, “Awe, Baby I thought you were going to say something like, real deep and emotional!” He jests, “Like how you love that I make you smile, y’know?”
You throw your head back in laughter, nudging his shoulder with your free hand, “I’m kidding, Kou!” Your smile is genuine when you see how disappointed he was at first at your reply, looking straight into his eyes as a way reassure him.
“Yes, Kou. What I like most is that you make me the happiest every day I’m with you.”
His smile brightens significantly, a chuckle of his own escaping his lips as he leans back into his chair, “Damn, played by my own girl.”
He slides the pile of cards over to you with a mischievous smirk, “Not that I’m complaining.”
You take the top card off the pile and read it over, fingers twirling the empty shot glass in your hands. Your lips purse as you try to contain the giggles making their way up your throat while reading the question on the card, hands quivering in silent laughter.
“Have you ever wanted to fuck one of our friends while with me?” Bokuto’s eyes seem to pop out of his head at the vast difference and shift in questions, turning to the NHK staff while laughing, “Are you sure this is okay to broadcast?”
The film crew nod, to which Bokuto shrugs, “Alright, then,” before turning back to you. “Uhh, can I just like- take a shot right now?”
“You’d rather drink than not tell me?” You joke, pouring out the Sapporo for your fiancé, “Damn, Kou. Do I not satisfy you enough?”
“Of course you do!” He corrects himself hastily, “It’s just, uh..” he leans in closer to you whisper in your ear quietly, “I don’t want to say Atsumu on national T.V...”
Your hand flies to your mouth in shock, shoulders shaking as you try to contain your cackles, “Atsumu?” you repeat in a hushed tone, making sure you heard him correctly. “Him?”
“He’s got nice hair!”
You both start to laugh at how hair seems to be a common appealing trait you notice in people. Shaking your head in mock disappointment, you shove the stack of questions back over to your fiancé’s side for his turn.
“What is the most embarrassing thing you caught me doing when I thought I was alone?” Bokuto asks, reading from the card he picked off the top of the pile and glancing back up at you.
You hum in thought for a moment, pondering the question.
“Uhm, I think that time you were rehearsing your Valentines day speech to me before we went out to eat at that restaurant a few years ago,” you reveal cautiously, “but you were using a pillow with a photo of my face taped on it as a stand-in.”
Bokuto’s jaw drops at the revelation, nearly falling out of his chair from the shock of what you just divulged to him, “You were there? Watching me do that?”
You have to practically fight the cackle bubbling it’s way up your throat, a smile creeping onto your face when you answer, “Yes, Kou. But it was sweet, so I didn’t mention it to you.”
“You kept that a secret for two years?” He asks again, and you nod.
Your fiancé’s face remains stunned for a few more moments before breaking out into a smile of his own, hand running down his face while laughing to himself. “Damn, I must’ve looked so dumb.”
“I thought it was cute!” You attempt to salvage things, giggling as you pick up the next question card, this time it’s for Bokuto.
“What part of wedding planning is the most challenging part for you?”
“The money…” He pouts, taking the card from you to read it over again before turning to the cameras.
“Weddings are so damn expensive— Did you know wedding flowers can cost up to two million yen?” He exclaims in shock, “For flowers!”
You sigh, plucking the question card from his hand and setting aside on his pile with a smile, “This is why you should leave the financial decisions to me, Kou. Our floral arrangements will not be that expensive, I can assure you.”
“Of course, Baby,” he grins, “I trust you completely on that,” his hands move to pick up the next card, lifting the corner and taking a peek at the question before flipping it over and reading it.
“What is something you’ve wanted to try in the bedroom but haven’t told me about?”
“Impact play,” comes your answer a bit too hastily to be considered normal.
Bokuto has a silent stare off with you for a few seconds after before you both break out in hysterical laughter, your fiancé cackling at how fast and prepared you were when you answered while you exclaim that’s why you could never tell him.
“Baby, that was so fast!” Bokuto reels over the table, pounding his fist into the wood while howling with laughter, gripping his empty shot glass in hand.
“Were you— were you that prepared to answer?”
Wiping the tears from your eyes, you make an attempt to defend your response, “I know you’d absolutely wreck me if we tried, that’s why I never asked!”
“I mean…” He trails off, glancing at you and letting his eyes roam your ring finger as a smirk makes it’s way onto his face, leaning closer to you over the table. “We could always try it at home later—”
“Last question!” You interrupt him, pulling the cards over to your side and grabbing the last question from the stack, you see Bokuto’s smile drop when he sits back in his seat from how you changed topics until he sees you wink at him from the corner of his eye.
“What is something you wish to tell me before we get married?”
Bokuto’s eyes light up at his question, holding up his shot of Sapporo and beaming brightly. Despite not drinking much during your game, his cheeks are flushed like he’s been drunk on your love this entire time, eyes crinkling with glee when he smiles.
“I hope I can keep being this happy when i’m with you after marriage,” He declares, “I love you, Baby.”
“I love you too, Kou,” you smile with him, raising your own shot to clink your two glasses together and down them simultaneously, the cool smoothness of the beer running down your throats.
You can feel the mild bitterness on your tongue afterwards, it leaves it’s taste behind even several hours after your drinking game when you two return to your shared home.
But the sincerity in Bokuto’s eyes when they fell on you back in the studio, and the way he gazes at you like you’re the only thing in his world even with the several NHK staff and film members recording your every move washes that all away instantaneously, overpowering it with sheer sweetness.
It’s just not one you can taste as easily as the flavour of Sapporo.
You might not have gotten drunk that night, but Bokuto’s certain he’s been drunk on your love for the entirety of all three years you’ve been together and wouldn’t mind if things stayed like this forever.
Tumblr media
MORISUKE YAKU.
“You’re going down, sweetheart,” Yaku warns you with a teasing wink, lifting the bottle of Vodka in his hands to inspect the label, “Playing in the Russian League gives me an alcohol tolerance advantage that you don’t have.”
“I didn’t know just playing in Russia meant you were an experienced drinker,” you hum, playing along with his jokes for the fun of it. “I don’t think athletes are supposed to consume a lot of vodka anyways.”
“Well, you might as well back out now,” Yaku advises, shrugging with a sly grin, one of the camera crew’s members rushes up to fix the loose microphone on his suit before scurrying back to their position.
“Don’t wanna get beaten by your own fiancé now, do you?”
You merely roll your eyes at his antics, a reluctant smile making it’s way onto your face as you realign the messy stack of cards on your table, sounds of the director doing a final run through of lights and cameras are heard around you.
“Yeah yeah, save it for after you get wasted, Mori.”
The cameras start up as the director nods in your direction, indicating for you two to introduce yourselves to the viewers tuning in, Yaku holds your hand as he recites his lines.
“Hi, I’m Morisuke Yaku,” your fiancé beams, giving your hand a comforting squeeze, “And this right here, is my wonderful fiancée, whom I adore very much.”
Even several years later, Yaku’s swoon worthy words have an effect on you after all this time, making you feel like you’re still in that young and eager love stage. Attempting to hide your giddy face from him, you turn to face the camera as well with a wide grin.
“We’ve been together for four and a half years,” You gush, the sparkling engagement band on your finger being shown outwardly when the cameras zoom in for a closer look. “Engaged for eight months, now.”
“And today, we’ll be playing truth or drink,” Yaku reveals to the excited viewers, the cameras change positions to new angles while the sound crew makes sure your microphones are picking up your words.
After signaling to the director that they are indeed working, he asks you two, “Are you ready to play?”
You and Yaku both agree as he opens the bottle of Vodka, pouring it into your shot glass first before he pours out his own, “Hm, what a gentleman you are, Mori.” You joke, noticing he gave you your alcohol first before serving himself any.
“Always, for you.” He sighs dreamily, setting the bottle down beside him and pushing the cards over to you with his familiar cheshire grin. “And because I’m such a gentleman, you should go first, love.”
You stifle a laugh into the palm of your hand at the sudden switch in personality but take the top card off anyway, flipping it over and reading the question for Yaku written on it, “What is one thing you wish I did more of in our relationship?”
He groans, slumping down in his seat with his Vodka in hand, “Fly over to come visit me overseas,” he jokingly groans, faux-booing you with a thumbs down and all as he turns to the film crew.
“Did you know she doesn’t get on the first plane to Russia whenever I ask, can you believe her?”
You merely snicker at his jeers and turn your card over, placing it down on the table beside your shot. “Well I’m sorry, but I’m unable to predict whenever you’ll miss me spontaneously.”
“It’s not spontaneous,” Yaku argues, “I tell you like, two minutes in advance.”
You raise an eyebrow at his claims, “Wanna bet, Mori? I have screenshots.”
“Maybe I’ll just drink to this instead.”
You both giggle as he shakes his head in defeat, taking the next card off the pile and reading out loud the first question for you.
“Have you ever—” Yaku begins to lose his composure as he reads, holding back his giggles before sputtering out, “faked an orgasm with me?”
You burst out into laughter as Yaku discards the card to his side, head thrown back in hysterics while using the table to stabilize himself.
“Well?” He asks, wiping the tears that have begun to form around his eyes, “Have you?”
You begin to reach for your Vodka shot, causing your fiancé to break out into another, more excessive fit of cackles, “Are you serious, honey?”
“Okay well, maybe!” You confess wholeheartedly, raising the Vodka to your lips, “Back when we were first dating!”
Yaku scoffs disapprovingly, but you can tell he’s not seriously mad when you down the vodka and he’s looking at you worriedly, asking if it was too strong for you afterwards.
You dismiss his concerns, saying it’s fine and that you can handle it before he relaxes and pushes the cards back over to you.
“Have you ever had a dream about me cheating on you?” You ask him, Yaku’s face immediately sours at his question, you look to him expectantly and wait for his reply.
“… Ugh, yes,” he begrudgingly admits after a few moments of silence, eyebrows furrowing as he recalls it unpleasantly, “I had a dream once where you cheated on me with Lev.”
“Lev?” You cackle, “The— the 6’5 russian guy from your highschool volleyball team??”
Yaku’s hand moves to his vodka-filled shot glass, “Yes,” he moans, “It was awful. Hope I never see Lev butt-naked in my dreams ever again.”
“You don’t have to drink to this one, Mori,” you giggle as Yaku downs his vodka quickly, not even flinching at the burn, maybe he was right about the tolerance advantage. “Since you answered it.”
“Ah, don’t care,” he groans, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his suit, “After having to reimagine that scene, I needed the alcohol.”
Yaku takes the next card off the pile of questions skeptically, flipping it over and reading it out loud.
“Do you have any insecurities when it comes to me playing overseas in Russia?”
The question causes you to stop and think as Yaku places the card face down next to him, pouring another shot and sliding it over to you. “You don’t have to say anything, sweetheart.”
His gentle tone reassures you but you shake your head, pushing the vodka away, “No it’s okay, I don’t mind saying it.” Yaku looks surprised but nods understandingly, taking the glass back and giving you the room to process your next words while he remains quiet.
“I think my only insecurity is not knowing if you’re safe while overseas,” you admit to your fiancé. Yaku doesn’t say anything in response, knowing you have more to say as he lets you say what you need while silently encouraging you to elaborate.
“I hate not having you beside me because I don’t know where you are, and I just miss you a lot you know?”
Yaku’s cheek rests against the palm of his hand, concern washing over his face again as he looks across the table to you, “Awe, honey. I didn’t know you felt that way,” he coos, “do you hate whenever I leave for volleyball season?”
You shrug dismissively, the weight of your words beginning to catch up to you as your voice becomes quieter, trailing off at the end. “I mean, I don’t hate it, but like- I wanna know you’re alright while in Russia…”
Yaku’s about to speak when you shake your head dismissively, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” before you’re reaching for the deck of cards, already pulling the top question up and flipping it over to read.
Your eyes drag over the words as a pit begins to form inside your stomach. The next question for Yaku causes you to cringe, still reeling from the uneasiness of the last one as you awkwardly ask him, “Have you… ever regretted or had doubts about our engagement?”
Yaku’s face of concern turns into one of astonishment, he looks almost appalled at how unsure you look and sound while asking him.
“Absolutely not,” he states firmly, holding your hand that holds engagement band on it, you can feel the distress radiating off him as he reassures you in a hushed tone.
“I’ve never once regretted proposing to you, and I fully intend on marrying you.”
Yaku’s words dislodge the lump in your throat as you begin to chuckle to yourself, eyes looking down at his hand where the engagement ring he wears that matched your own. “I’m sorry if you thought I was doubting you, Mori. It’s just—”
“You don’t need to justify your feelings,” Yaku reiterates sternly, “I know, okay? You don’t need to explain this on live T.V.”
Knowing he’s only trying to make sure nothing of what you say can be interpreted wrongly later by media, you nod as he sighs in relief with an uneasy smile.
“I think this next question is our last one,” he announces, his smile morphing back into that familiar cheshire grin, the one that always brightens your day. You think he’s doing it in an attempt to lighten the mood, or maybe he just naturally makes you happy.
Yaku picks up the final question card and flips it over, reading it over with a calm smile, “What have you enjoyed most about being engaged to me?” His voice is gentle as he looks up to you, placing the card down on his pile.
“Well, love?” He encourages you, knowing he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable he gives you the choice, “Do you want to answer, or take a drink?”
You’d be a fool to drink at this question, there isn’t anything to drink for here but there’s just so much about being engaged to Yaku that you love that you can’t quite find the words for it. And while the majority of your engagement has been spent with Yaku being away in Russia, it doesn’t mean you enjoy it any less than if he were with you in Japan.
“… I enjoy knowing you will always be with me,” you begin to speak slowly, making sure your words are clear and concise while twirling your empty shot glass in hand absentmindedly.
Trying to fit all you want to say to your fiancé in a few words is tough, but you manage to shorten it enouhh to say all you want to tell him. “Because even while you’re playing overseas, I know you will always come back home to me.”
Yaku’s face unexpectedly heats up at your words, the apples of his cheeks turning bright red as his lips form into a shy and nervous grin, one isn’t anything like the mischievous and playful personality you’re accustomed to seeing while with him.
“I… I love you, sweetheart.” He manages to speak after some time, loosening the collar of his dress shirt nervously, but the smile on his face never falters. “I always have and always will.”
He extends his hand out to you, motioning for you to give him your shot glass. You hand it to him and he pours out some Vodka, sliding it back over to you once full before filling his own.
“Yes, honey,” he whispers unconsciously while pouring his alcohol, and it’s the happiest you’ve seen him all day. From his flushed complexion, dopey smile and euphoric demeanour, he appears to be glowing. Or maybe it’s the blaring lights behind him that are playing tricks on you.
Your fiancé has never looked so sure of himself until this moment, Yaku’s eyes never straying from yours as he raises his shot glass, breaking into his biggest smile yet.
“I will always come back home to you. No matter how long we are apart for,” and to that, you both cheer, clinking your glasses as you toast to your engagement.
Downing the alcohol in unison, the bitter sting of the Vodka attacks your throats relentlessly, but neither you or Yaku care about that in this moment or the next.
The world’s most intense Vodka brewed directly in the heart of Moscow, Russia could never be so strong as to have an effect on either of you when you’re in the presence of each other. You’re certain that Yaku would drown himself in the harshest of Vodka’s if it meant it was all for you.
A little Vodka is nothing compared to what he’d go through for you.
The way Yaku’s entire demeanour changes when with you, the largest of smiles etched onto his face for a side he only shows while you’re with him here, in Japan.
Remaining wholely committed to you even while seperated by land and sea is all a true testament to your relationship, and it puts your heart at ease.
Yaku may not always be at home; but Yaku knows that home is with you, and he knows he’ll always be with you in due time.
Tumblr media
KIYOOMI SAKUSA.
“Oh, he’s a lightweight,” you tell the film crew who are adjusting their camera stands nearby as Kiyoomi pulls out the chair at the table for you to sit at, giggling when you hear the faintest muffled groan come from underneath his face mask.
Sitting atop the table is a bottle of Scotch, the deck of question cards and two shot glasses on it’s sanitized surface as per request by your fiancé.
“This’ll be so easy for me.”
“As if,” Kiyoomi scoffs, taking his own seat across from you and scooching his chair forward, “I’ll beat you and then have to hear you drunkenly cry about it back home later for the next several hours.”
“Nope,” you declare mischievously, folding your arms over the table and laying your head in them while looking up at your fiancé, “Hey, did you know Atsumu told me you’re an emotional drunk?”
You can see Kiyoomi’s eyes twitch underneath his thick black locs, hand reaching to grip his hair in annoyance. “That fucking—”
The director interrupts him unexpectedly when he calls to the rest of the crew in the studio for everyone to take their places behind the cameras, Kiyoomi sighs deeply as his shoulders relax and he leans back in his chair waiting for the broadcast to begin.
“I’m Kiyoomi Sakusa,” he states to the viewers plainly, barely acknowledging the cameras pointed straight at his face when he motions to you, “And this is my fiancée of almost a year.”
You can hear the way his voice softens lightly when referring to you as his fiancée.
“We’ve been together for four years now,” You welcome the viewers much more warmly than your fiancé does, announcing eagerly, “Engaged for eleven months, and we’re playing truth or drink!”
Again, you’re a lot more excited than Kiyoomi is when the director asks, “You guys okay to start playing?” but he agrees to it nonetheless, the subtle nod of his head doesn’t go unnoticed by you.
Kiyoomi grabs the stack of cards full of questions and shuffles the deck around a bit, when asked by the director why he did so he answers, “So if anyone planted any weird questions at the top of the pile for her they’re pushed to the bottom.”
After reorganizing the cards, Kiyoomi hands the stack to you, letting you have first pick of the game. You try to argue, but he doesn’t listen.
“Ladies go first,” he says, expectantly waiting for you to start.
You take the first card of the newly shuffled deck and begin to read it for your fiancé, “Favourite memory of us, pre-engagement or post-engagement?”
Kiyoomi taps his empty glass against the mahogany of the table repeatedly for a brief moment, thinking it over before letting out a deep sigh-turned groan, reaching over and pouring out some Scotch for himself as you sit back in stunned shock at his actions.
“Wait, what—”
“Don’t question me,” he rasps, lowering his face mask and downing his shot with ease, there’s hints of floral notes in the Scotch he can taste.
He pulls his mask back up seconds later and looks up at you, you swear you can see a smirk forming under his mask from the way his eyes lift in amusement afterwards, causing your cheeks to heat up at what he could’ve been thinking about that he had to take a shot to get out of saying it.
Finishing off his Scotch, your fiancé takes both the top card off the deck and his empty shot glass before reading aloud his first question for you.
“What was your first impression of me when we met?” Kiyoomi reads monotonously, his stare hardens when he notices you jokingly reaching for your shot glass, tossing the card over to your side with a groan.
“Really?” He huffs, arms crossed over his chest and glaring halfheartedly at your tease. “Didn’t Motoya say you like… hated me at first or something?”
“I didn’t hate you,” you giggle, pouring the Scotch into your glass while avoiding your fiancé’s gaze, “I just.. am a little thirsty right now.”
“Haha,” Kiyoomi laughs dryly, watching as you down your shot quickly, the citrusy notes in the Scotch make it pleasant to drink. “You’re soo funny, dear. Must be really thirsty today.”
“I am,” you wink, placing your glass back down on the table before taking the next card off the pile.
“What is the most embarrassing nickname for me you have in mind?” Kiyoomi asks, and you snort.
“It’s only embarrassing because Atsumu came up with it…” you turn to the cameras to whisper to the viewers, facing your fiancé who’s giving you a skeptic look that soon turns into existential dread when you begin to snicker.
He groans, “I swear to god if it’s Omi-Omi—”
“It’s Omi-Omi.”
You can practically feel the annoyance radiating off of Kiyoomi while you bat your eyelashes innocently at him, playful shrug of your shoulders as you pull the cards back over to your side, taking the next card off the deck while your fiancé whispers something about killing Atsumu at the next practice from across the table.
“What colour or colours are your favorite on me?” You look up at the director almost immediately before Kiyoomi can even open his mouth, “Can I just say it— Because I know.”
The director nods, “He told me once it was black and gold,” Kiyoomi mumbles something incoherent under his breath, whatever he’s saying being muffled by his nask as he hides his face away from the cameras, the camera crew exchange a look amongst themselves.
“Aren’t those the colours of the MSBY Black Jackals?” One of the crew members mentions offhandedly and you smirk, looking over to your flustered fiancé with the most shit-eating grin you can muster, “Yes, yes they are.”
“Should’ve just let me answer instead,” he mutters while pulling out the next card from the deck to move the game along, coughing as his face slowly returns to it’s natural colour.
He chuckles when he reads it over, “How would you spend an entire week without me?” he turns to the cameras with his own smug face, placing the card down on the table. “She doesn’t.”
“I can,” you interject and he gives you a deadpan stare, “Yeah, can. Doesn’t mean you do, though.”
“Anyways,” you swerve back to your answer, taking the card from his side and reading it over yourself.
“I would have a very relaxing week without you, consisting mostly of singing and dancing in our empty kitchen without you to judge me.”
“I don’t judge you.”
“Yes you do.”
“Nope.”
You two could probably have this back and fourth for hours on end but you stop when you catch the director’s eye, one of his assistants motions to you hurriedly that it’s nearly time to end the broadcast.
With that in mind, you pick up the last question card, flipping it over and reading it for Kiyoomi.
“What’s one thing you’d like to tell me at the alter if you couldn’t say anything else.”
“That I love you,” Kiyoomi says almost immediately, tracing the rim of his shot glass with his ring finger delicately, you can hear the gentleness in his voice when he speaks. “And that I hope you’ll always be my lover, whatever that means for us in the future.”
“That’s more than one thing, Kiyo.”
“I don’t care.”
You scoff playfully, tossing the card aside and pouring out two shots of Scotch for you and your fiancé. Whilst handing him his glass your rings bump together momentarily, the clinking of the diamonds makes the two of you smile, though Kiyoomi’s is hidden underneath his mask.
“Cheers, my dear,” he mutters softly, lowering his mask again to drink and allowing you to finally see the beautiful smile he hides underneath, usually reserved only for you.
“Cheers, Kiyo,” and you two drink, the Scotch tastes lovely and refined on both of your tongues when it runs down your throats with ease.
It’s light and sophisticated, and the flavour profile fits Kiyoomi so well. You consider telling him that, but refrain because you think he won’t understand what you mean; not knowing he’s thinking the exact same about you.
Kiyoomi thinks you two may be a match made in heaven, if such a thing exists then it perfectly encapsulates the two of you.
As the cameras cut and several crew members rush around the studio, Kiyoomi doesn’t notice any of that in this moment— his gaze continues to be locked onto you wholly; lovingly enraptured by the beautiful image of you across from him that he hopes will be burned into the back of his head like the taste of this Scotch, but for many years to come and not just a mere few hours.
Kiyoomi can drink Scotch at any time he pleases, but being married to you is something he is excited for and craves everyday of his life as the days on the calender tick down to your wedding, it keeps him motivated to continue each day if he knows it’s just one day closer to a life with you, one where he knows you will be with him every day going forward.
The day you two will finally be united as one. Kiyoomi can’t wait for that morning to come, when night falls and after the ceremony is done he can finally refer to you as his wife and not just his fiancée.
Tumblr media
TOBIO KAGEYAMA.
Tobio gulps upon seeing the Sake being poured into his shot glass by the NHK staff member, being handed the alcohol before they pour out another shot for you, to which you graciously accept with a smile and nod of your head.
“Uhh…” His piercing gaze reaches across to you across the table, nervously fiddling with the glass in hand as he twirls it inbetween his fingers, “I don’t, really hold alcohol well, love..”
“Really?” You stare at him blankly, squinting down at the alcohol in your own shot, “what do you drink in Italy then, Tobio?”
“Limoncello,” he sighs, “but it’s supposed to be sipped slowly, not downed like shots usually are.” He makes a face as the thought of attempting to drink Limoncello like shots ripples through his mind, it would most definitely not end well for him.
You chuckle and give him a reassuring smile, placing your hand over his gently. The diamond on his ring is cool to the touch when you run your thumb over it, with sharp and well defined cut corners. “You’ll be fine, Tobio.”
He nods unsurely but allows the NHK camera crew to do their final run through, making sure everything is in order before the cameras begin to roll and the director is motioning for you both to recite your lines.
Your fiancé’s voice is a little strained, a faint stutter can be heard as he speaks slowly, “I’m… Tobio Kageyama,” he manages to say before craning his head to his left, across the table.
“And I’m her fiancé,” his eyes shift towards you as you give the cameras a polite wave, “We’re playing… truth or drink.”
“We’ve been together for five years,” You excitedly tell the viewers, holding up your ring finger to show off the dazzling diamond atop it, “And engaged for two.”
The director asks from out of frame, “Why have you two been engaged for so long?” A question that most viewers are probably wanting to know, Tobio answers it for you.
“I wanted to marry her sooner,” he timidly admits, looking down at his lap to avoid the harsh glares of the camera lenses, “But with me playing in Ali Roma, it’s hard to plan things out, I guess.”
You nod, “Besides,” you chime in giddily, taking over for him, “It’s fun to be in this little engaged stage for a long time, makes everyday that bit more exciting.”
You ramble on about how fun it is to call Tobio during his off days; calling him at three in the morning in Japan while in Italy it’s 7PM to tell him about a cute floral arrangement you saw earlier that day while shopping that you’d love to have at your wedding.
Facetiming him in the dark of the night, wrapped in blankets and wearing his highschool volleyball jersey to ask him what kind of food from Italy he wants to incorporate into the wedding menu, and texting him photos of different style of wedding dresses you’re considering wearing on your big day while getting out of the shower.
You unintentionally forget about your jittery mess of a fiancé while you speak, beaming as bright as the glowering studio lights as Tobio looks at you amazed.
Tobio’s nervousness slowly fades when he sees the ring on your finger and just how happy you are to be engaged to him. It’s always been a worry of his that you hate the long wait to get married to him, that playing overseas would hurt your relationship because of long he is away from home at times.
But your gleeful joy in telling thousands of viewers in real time that you love just being engaged to him for two years; that you don’t mind it at all, brings some peace of mind to his fragile heart.
“Are you two ready to play?”
Knuckles slowly unclenching as he takes a deep breath, he nods his head to the director, indicating the start of the game. He starts first, picking up the first card from the pile.
“What is the most awkward date we’ve ever been on?” Tobio’s face drops immediately upon reading, turning the card face down on the table and turning to the director, “Can I start over? Or make her drink?”
“It’s her choice if she wants to answer or drink.” The director answers.
Tobio turns to you hastily, eyes practically pleading with you not to say what you have on your mind, he’s already inside your mind and fears for what you could potentially reveal on national television, causing you to erupt in a fit of giggles as you reach for the Sake.
“Fine, fine. I won’t say, Tobio.” You’ve never seen your fiancé so relieved, almost seeing the metaphorical weight lifting off his shoulders with your own eyes when you take the shot.
The Sake is sweet, like sticky rice. It’s feels cool when it hits the back of your tongue and nice to drink, reminding you of the Italian sweets Tobio would send you from Italy. Noting that they’d pair nicely with Sake, you consider getting Tobio to send you more of them in the mail soon.
“You owe me for that one, Tobio,” you chuckle after finishing your shot, “Whatever the next question is you have to answer it.” He groans in protest but agrees after some convincing as you reach for the question pile and grab your first question for him.
“Have you kept a secret hobby or interest hidden from me?”
Shockingly, Tobio nods his head and unexpectedly calm about the question he was supposedly ‘forced’ to answer, “I got into gardening when I first came to Italy.”
“You what?” You utter, delightfully surprised at this revelation, “What plants do you take care of in Italy?”
“I have a few hanging Boston Fern and Ivy in some pots around my apartment…” Tobio tells you, adverting his gaze from your eyes the more your smile grows towards him. “I didn’t mean to keep them from you, I just… forgot to mention it everytime we call.”
“Tobio…” You laugh at how empty headed your fiancé can be at times, sometimes you think he’d forget his head if it weren’t secured to his body. “We call almost every day!”
“Yeah, but you usually call me late at night!” He defends himself, “I don’t normally leave my room that late at night, so you never see them!”
You shake your head in disbelief at this, faux disappointment at your fiancé for keeping this interest of his hidden for so long, “When I visit you in Rome, you have to show me these plants, deal?”
He nods in approval at that arrangement, a small smile creeping onto his face as he takes the next card off the deck, “Have you pretended to like a gift I gave you when you actually didn’t?”
You consider reaching for the Sake but reel your hand back at the last second, deciding to tell him straight up.
“Yeah, the lingerie you sent me a few months ago.”
“You didn’t like it?”
Tobio’s mouth hangs open, visibly swallowing his shame away as he sets the question card down on the table, a hand running through his hair in deep thought.
“Okay well, didn’t like isn’t the right word per se—”
“Was it the style?” Tobio begins interrogating you sternly, brows furrowed and that determined look in his eyes you’re so familiar with while watching his volleyball matches.
“Was it the colour, or was it too flimsy? I tried going to a new store that time, I knew I should’ve just stuck to the other one—”
“Tobio!”
He’s immediately brought out of his thoughts by your cackles, blinking as he’s focused on your laughing figure in front of him. His cheeks are tinted a dark shade of red, thinking he’s said something embarrassing when he whispers a low, “Yes, love?”
Through fits of giggles and laughter, you barely manage to sputter out, “It was just the wrong size, babe!”
Tobio’s eyes widen significantly at the reveal, looking down at his hands where his engagement ring sits comfortably in his ring finger, feeling his body shrink in on itself further into his seat while you’re howling across from him.
If you were seated beside each other he’s sure you’d be slapping his arm too for good measure.
“C-can we move onto the next question…” He mumbles just above the microphone strapped to his dress shirt’s minimum level to pick up sounds. If his old highschool teammates were here— if Hinata were here, god, he’d never hear the end of it. “Please?”
Finally settling down from your giggly high, you vaguely nod, still catching your breath when you reach for the next question card on the pile and flip it over as Tobio tries his best to calm down his reddened face.
“What is the most romantic thing your partner has ever done for you?”
After Tobio’s managed to relax himself, he thinks the question over, chin in hand as his gaze lands directly on the Sake bottle on the table beside him where he gets lost in thought while mulling over the question.
“I think…” he mutters to himself, “When you told me it was okay to go play in Ali Roma, instead of discouraging me to stay in Japan.”
His answer legitimately surprises you, “Is that, really your response, Tobio?”
He nods, hands reaching up to the nape of his neck. “Yeah… I don’t know if romantic is the right word, I guess.“
“But knowing you were there to support me; even if I could tell you were scared for me going overseas, it felt like the most romantic gesture someone could ever do to me.”
Tobio blinks, suddenly remembering his words are being broadcasted on national T.V and coughing awkwardly, “Uh, yeah, that’s my answer.”
He begins to notice the gazes of the rest of the film crew and director that are burning right through him, feeling the colour returning to his cheeks.
Tobio looks over to you anxiously, finding you with the brighest eyes he’s ever seen, he could get lost in them if he stared into them long enough. You purse your lips for a moment, before a smile blossoms across your face.
“Wow, Tobio,” you breathe out dreamily, “That was… so sweet of you to say,” Tobio has a hard time meeting your gaze, you can tell he’s still feeling anxious so you grab his hand and force him to look you in the eye.
“I will always support you, okay?” You tell him firmly, he’s a bit startled at how forward you’re being but nods before you quickly add, “Even if I don’t like being so far away from you, you don’t need to worry about me. Don’t be so nervous about this, alright?”
Tobio’s lips quiver into a strained frown before he sighs, “It’s not that simple,” you feel his hand give yours a light squeeze for comfort, interlocking his fingers with your own. “I wish I could just… not be so worried for you. But I love you too much for that.”
“Loving me means you understand that no matter what, I am right behind you,” you voice to him directly. “Maybe not physically, but no matter where you go, I will follow eventually.”
Tobio goes silent for a few seconds, even when he knows dozens of people in this studio— hundreds of thousands are watching him live, he’s only looking at you; having eyes only for you. With a shaky nod of his head, he finally manages to crack a smile.
“I understand.”
Releasing your hand from his grip, he pulls his next question for you from the pile, looking far more relaxed than he did at the beginning of your game. He’s comfortable in this stage of your relationship, even if he knows that others think it’s strange— the distance between you two, the long engagement period.
He knows the only opinion that should matter to him—that does matter to him is yours alone.
“When you hear my name in public, what comes to your mind?”
“That you have done another amazing set,” You answer with ease, allowing yourself to feed his ego for once. “Or won another game, who knows at this point? You can do it all.”
Tobio seems satisfied with that answer, even uncharacteristically relishing in your praise. “Ah, I am pretty good at volleyball, aren’t I?”
You lean over the table to punch his shoulder lightly, a teasing grin dances on your lips which matches his own, “Yeah yeah, you’re welcome for being so supportive of my fiancé.”
“Well thank you then, love.”
One of the camera crew’s members motions to the director, indicating it’s almost time to wrap up the broadcast. Feeling at peace, you grab the final card of the question deck, eyes flickering to Tobio as you read.
“Anything else you’d like to say to me about our engagement?”
Tobio takes a deep breath, steadying himself before he speaks. He wants to make sure he tells you everything on his mind, but maybe that will have to wait for another time— a more private time.
One that isn’t being broadcasted on national television. So he’ll settle for the next best course.
“I just wanted to say…” He hesitates for a moment, his mouth opening and closing at times until he can find his bearings. “That being engaged to you has taught me a lot of things.”
You’re about to say something in response until he holds his hand up, indicating he isn’t done yet.
“And… I wouldn’t mind if we stayed like this forever.”
Tobio notices the slight look of confusion in your eyes as he continues, “Wh-what I mean is, uh… even though we aren’t married yet, you make me so happy that I feel like I could be okay with what we have.”
“I still want to marry you!” He blurts out worriedly in an attempt to explain himself, “But knowing you’re not bothered by how long we’re engaged for is enough to reassure me that no matter how long we wait for, I’ll still be as happy as the day we marry.”
Tobio shuts his eyes, burying his head in his hands from sheer embarrassment, “Fuck, that was so stupid sounding-”
“Hey now..” You pry his hands away from his face with a pout, leaning across the table’s surface to cup his cheek, “That wasn’t stupid, that was sweet!”
“Really?” He asks, unsure if he believes you, “I’m not really good with my words, y’know.”
“Well I understood what you meant,” you smile, pressing a kiss to your ring finger and placing it on your fiancé’s lips, “And I feel the same way.”
Tobio’s face erupts into a bright scarlet red as you pour the two of you a shot of Sake each, downing them together with your rings on prominent display for all of Japan to see.
Your fiancé is still quite popular in Japan despite now playing overseas, overhearing the NHK film crew and the thousands of viewers who tuned in were watching his broadcast with you while dying in laughter.
It’s not laughter to mock him however— as he soon finds out when after the cameras cut and he can still hear the staff talking about how adorable he looked during the live special.
And his old highschool friends blowing up his phone, sending him clips of his broadcast with hearts and kissy face emojis, but you swear to him that it’s all well intentioned. Maybe not Tsukishima’s to some extent, but nontheless.
All Tobio knows he can do is sigh, turn his phone off and settle into your arms after everything’s been said and done. His time in Japan is limited after all, he has to fly back to Italy in a few days time.
He knows it hurts to leave you again, and you hate sending him off at the airport. He wishes he could marry you immediately— but there’s still so much to be done until that day can arrive.
Tobio doesn’t know when the lucky day will come when you can instead wear a wedding ring on your finger rather than an engagement ring, but as Tobio has discovered today; the two of you will be okay until then despite it all.
It takes a lot to make Tobio anxious about your engagement, but it also takes a lot to shake the strong foundation the two of you have built with each other over the years.
The two of you have planned your future with each other as the main component of it all in the centre of it for as long as you can remember, and he’s prepared to withstand any obstacles that threaten his happiness with you.
Tobio is at ease knowing you have his back, and he has yours even while separated by thousands of miles of stretching oceans and ground.
Tumblr media
reblogs are appreciated .ᐟ ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა
© property of shoyostar / thomae 2023. all rights reserved.
Tumblr media
2K notes · View notes
sunvmars · 5 months
Text
only you || s.r.
pairing: steve rogers x reader (brief platonic!nat, sam, and bucky.)
Tumblr media
*navigation/directory | request box | taglist | masterlist
word count: 7.1k summary: only a few weeks after a breakup, you go out for the night with the team. steve doesn’t show up, and he’s been purposefully not showing up to anything non-work related after the breakup. however, tonight you drink a little too much, and insist that steve pick you up. warnings: angst (breakup, talk of bullying, body image issues), swearing, drinking, *smutty implications.
Tumblr media
"I'm sorry, I just didn't know who else to call," Sam explains, his voice raised to speak louder than the blaring music.
"She keeps asking for you, and she won't go with anyone but you," Bucky adds as he and Sam lead Steve through the crowded dancefloor.
The blond sighs and shoves his phone into the pocket of his jeans. "It's alright, really, but just how drunk is she, exactly?"
Before Sam can respond, they come to a stop right in front of the team's reserved booth. Bruce had only come for all of an hour of the night, but Clint and Tony had left about thirty minutes prior to Steve's arrival, leaving your well-being in Natasha, Bucky, and Sam's hands.
Steve looks over you and Nat; you're laid down on the long, cushioned seat with your head resting on her lap. Her jacket is slung over your lower half to cover your exposed legs from your dress rising up on your thighs. You're looking up at her adoringly, reaching up to twirl strands of her hair between your fingers as you mumble about how pretty her hair is.
"That answer your question?" Sam whispers, chuckling slightly.
Another sigh falls from Steve's lips, and although his heart aches, he has to stop himself from cracking a smile. "That it does."
He steps closer to the booth, taking in the sight of you with softened eyes. Typically, you never let yourself get this drunk, not in the public eye at least. Even though it's clear you've had more than a bit too much to drink, the sight is endearing.
Nat directs her attention from you and up at the three men approaching the table instead. Her expression is one of amusement with a slight hint of relief as she looks down at you again. "Hey, look who's here, honey," she says softly to you.
You turn your head in her lap and let your hands fall back down, finally releasing her hair from your gentle grip. Your eyes land on Steve and you blink up at him before a wide, drunken smile spreads on your face.
"Steeeeve!" you exclaim in a slur, reaching your hand out for him. "You came!"
He crouches down next to the booth, hesitantly taking your hand into his. "Hey, doll. 'Course I came, I always will. Looks like you've had fun tonight, huh?"
You nod excitedly and your smile spreads into a grin. "Nat's hair is sooo pretty, did ya know that? 'S soft too, like a pillow," you ramble, your words somehow not coming out scrambled.
"I bet," Steve says, watching Nat brush your hair out of your face. "Let's get you home, yeah?"
"Your home?" you ask in a softer voice.
Right. His home.
"I don't..." Steve starts before falling into silent contemplation.
He looks up at Nat who's already looking back at him, her expression apologetic and soft. Then his eyes shift back down to you, and his heart clenches in his chest. Your eyelashes flutter as you blink at him, your eyes light up and twinkle in a way that they only do for him, and your lips part a little as you take slower breaths.
How could he say no to that?
"Sure, yeah, we'll go back to mine," he concedes gently, rubbing your knuckles with his thumb.
You smile again and scramble to sit upright. Nat lays a hand on your back to help keep you balanced, Steve taking your other hand in his free one to pull you up gently. When you're sat up straight, he takes Nat's jacket off your legs and helps you tug your dress back down.
He slides your phone off the table and into his pocket before throwing your arms around his neck. You take the hint to hold on as he slides one of his arms under your legs and the other behind your back.
Effortlessly, he lifts you into his arms. You clasp your hands together behind his neck and a giggle slips out of your lips- a sound that was once music to his ears which had now become one he longed to hear again.
"G'night, Nat," you say sweetly, turning your head to look at her.
Steve's body follows the direction of your head, turning towards the table so you don't strain your neck. Her eyes meet yours and she smiles at you once more.
"Goodnight, babe. Text me tomorrow, alright?" she requests before looking up at Steve and saying, "Make sure to get some water in her, we had to trick her into drinking some by watering down her tequila."
"Will do-"
Your gasp cuts Steve off effectively, her words only just now sinking in. "That wasn't tequila?!" you exclaim, your voice coming out quieter than you realize.
The three at the table laugh a little- even Steve lets out a low chuckle of his own.
"I'll let you in on a secret," Nat starts, her voice dropping to a whisper before continuing, "It was definitely tequila, but you know these guys are no fun, so we can't tell them that."
"Ohhh, right, right. I can keep a secret- you're the world's bestest adult sitter," you reply softly.
"The best, huh?" she questions with a half smirk.
When you nod, she takes a sip of her drink, placing the glass down before saying, "I'll be expecting my plaque soon then."
"You wanna say bye to Sam and Bucky?" he asks, looking over slightly to meet your eyes.
You hum in response and he walks you over a few steps to Bucky and Sam who are sitting at the other end of the table. The pair smile at you, though it's more of an amused grin on Bucky's end, and you return the gesture.
"Bye, Bucky," you say, sleep and intoxication ridden in your voice.
Bucky chuckles and rises to his feet to ruffle your hair playfully. "Bye, doll. You get some good sleep, alright?"
Your nose scrunches at the feeling of his hand in your hair. "Always good sleep when with Stevie."
Bucky sits back down, and Sam starts to speak, "Punch it in," he instructs, raising his fist up to your level.
You oblige happily, curling your hand into a fist to the best of your ability and bumping it against his. "G'bye," you slur, nuzzling your face into the crook of Steve's neck.
"Call us if you need us," Bucky says to Steve.
"Yeah, thank you for watching over her," Steve responds appreciatively, "Goodnight, be safe getting home."
"'Night," the three say collectively, smiling at him in a way that's bordering apologetic.
Steve forces a smile before turning to walk away. He makes his way through the crowd, holding you tight and protectively against his chest.
"You can go to sleep if you want, I can tell you're sleepy," he murmurs low enough for just you to hear him.
A small whimper emits from you, making a warmth spread through his body. He looks down at you adoringly before looking back up, shifting his focus back to the rather slow journey to the exit. Although some people part to make way for who they know to be Captain America himself, most of them are too drunk to care. So, Steve focuses heavily on navigating through the maze of bodies.
When he steals a glance down at you again, you're sleeping peacefully and your head has fallen back away from his neck. You must've felt him move though, because you immediately nestle your face back into his neck, and the warmth of your breath against his skin makes him shiver. The scent of the alcohol you'd been drinking lingers, but it's mixed with the familiar fragrance of your vanilla perfume, and it creates a blend that only you could pull off.
When you reach the exit, the cold, autumn night air hits both of your faces. Steve adjusts his grip on you to make sure you're comfortable and then walks to the car he ordered that dropped him off. The driver steps out, and opens the passenger side door for the two of you, allowing Steve to slide you comfortably onto the seat.
He thanks the driver as you whine at the loss of contact. You melt sleepily into his touch when he reaches in to brush your hair behind your ear to let you know he's not leaving. The bright city lights reflect in his blue eyes, and a soft, but achy, smile plays on his lips at the sight of you. Careful not to wake you or pinch your fingers, he fastens your seatbelt, making sure you're secure before closing the car door.
He walks to the other side of the car and gets in, choosing to sit by the window instead of next to you in the middle seat. As the car starts up, he can't help but look at you and admire you. The admiration quickly turns into longing, though. He takes in every part of your face, his mind plaguing itself with the memory of just over two months ago.
Tumblr media
"I don't think I'm right for you."
The words flow easily from your mouth like water between open fingers. Steve looks at you, utterly confused and hurt. His jaw tightens, his eyebrows furrowing as he opens his mouth to speak, only to close it again when he can't find the words.
He gets off the couch, rising to his feet and looking at you from across the room. "You want to leave, to forget everything from the last year and a half, just because you don't think you're right for me?"
The weight of your decision and his words sit heavily on your shoulders as you slouch over, putting your face in your hands for a moment. "I... I'm no good for you, Steve, and you deserve better than me... I can't be what, or who, you need."
"What are you talking about, y/n? You're perfect to me, I wouldn't trade you for anything," he explains, trying to keep his voice soft and reassuring despite the fear and irritation building up in him. "Please, tell me what I can do to make you feel better and I'll do it, I'll do anything-"
"You can't do anything!" you finally snap, your emotions being misdirected towards him. You let the warm tears that were welling up fall freely from your eyes as you continue, "There's nothing you can do, Steven, I'm not the person you need, and I never will be. Drop it, just leave it at that, and move on."
"'Leave it at that?'" Steve repeats back in bewilderment. "We have been together for almost two years and you expect me to drop all of it just like that?"
All you can muster up in response is a quiet, "I'm sorry."
He watches you stand up and sling your purse over your shoulder. Desperately, he scrambles for the right words to say to make you stay. "Baby, please, tell me what's really going on here- this cannot be it for us, I won't let it be."
Steve takes long strides towards you only for you to back away from him. For some strange reason, that small action hurt worse than any of the words that came, or could possibly come, out of your mouth. He stops dead in his tracks, trying to search your face for any sign of changing your mind. When he doesn't find it, he bites down on his tongue to save himself more heartache from the useless begging he wants to let out.
"I'm sorry, Steve. You deserve better, and you always have," you mumble, wiping the tears off your cheeks and walking quickly to the front door.
"I love you," he says, only to receive no response other than the front door slamming shut as you walk out of it.
Tumblr media
“You alright back there?” the driver’s voice snaps Steve out of his thoughts. “You need heat or air? Seat warmers? Anything?”
Steve shakes his head slightly, snapping himself out of it. His hand reaches over to you, and he rests the back of his hand on your forehead. “A little heat, thanks,” he says with a smile after nothing the tinge of cold your skin has.
“Of course,” the driver says with a returned smile as he turns the heat on.
As he avigates the familiar route to Steve’s apartment, with the sleepiness Steve feels, he's thankful for the fact that there's only a minute or two remaining of the drive. And on the other hand, he’s sulking about the short time left because that’s two minutes closer to you being gone by the time he wakes up.
He turns his gaze back to you, still peacefully asleep with your head resting against the window. The soft hum of the engine provides an almost calming backdrop that yet does nothing to soothe the ache that persists. Focusing on the rhythmic rise and fall of your chest always seems to soothe him though, and it still does so now.
The car comes to a stop in front of the apartment, and Steve reaches into his wallet to pull out some cash. He pulls out his keys too, to make it easier when he gets to the door. Then he hands the cash to the driver with a grateful nod before getting out of the car and making his way to your side. Gently, he opens the door, reaching up quickly to lean your head back on the headrest.
You grumble a little, and he's quick to ease you as he unbuckles your seatbelt. "Sorry, sweetheart, but we're home now."
"Home?" you murmur, still half asleep.
He carefully lifts you into his arms once more, and you instantly cling to his jacket. "Yeah... home."
The building's lobby is quiet as he enters through the automatic doors, the night shift doorman giving him a knowing smile. Steve offers nothing but a small and short nod in return, his focus solely on your drunken state. Luckily the elevator ride is short, but every second feels like an eternity to him.
The weight of your body curled up in his arms provides a comforting familiarity. It's a familiarity he soaks up though, having not seen you outside of work during the few missions you had together. In fact, you hadn't spoken to him outside of work since you left either.
Even during missions, you were short with your comments. And when you picked up your things from his apartment, of which you were actively moving into, you did it on a day when he was gone. You'd left your key under the mat and shot him a brief text letting him know. He replied, only asking how you were doing, but he got no response back.
The elevator dings, snapping him out of his thoughts again as he steps out, taking long strides until he reaches his door. He turns to the side, bending down ever so slightly to unlock the door with his keys in the hand hooked under your legs. He twists the doorknob and pushes the door open, carrying you inside with practiced ease.
The soft glow of outside city lights filters through the open windows. Paired with the dim tv, the lights cast a cool ambiance over the living room. With a deep breath, he heads straight to his room and slowly lays you down on the bed.
The bedroom is dark except for the blue and green aurora projected on the ceiling from the starlight projector you insisted he get since his room was too 'plain.' At first, the light kept him up at night because he found it too distracting, but since you'd left, he couldn't sleep without it on. After all, it was the only piece of you that you left with him other than the few shirts and undergarments.
Steve sighs deeply, taking your heels off your feet and placing them next to the bed. He covers you with your favorite blanket from the foot of his bed, and with a heart heavier than typical, he makes his way to the kitchen to fill up a cup with water. He then carries the glass back to the bedroom and sits it on the bedside table.
He takes a moment to simply watch you as he sits on the edge of the bed next to you. The soft features of your face relaxed in sleep makes him contemplate waking you up- you were always a peaceful sleeper, and he hated disturbing those few moments of peace.
Before he can attempt to wake you, you begin to stir, your eyelashes fluttering as your eyes slowly open. You blink slowly a few times, allowing your eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, and then a sleepy smile forms on your face when you see Steve.
"Hey," he greets you softly, reaching over to offer you the glass of water from the nightstand.
"Thank you," you say.
It's obvious that you're still not sober as you take the glass and sit up too quickly, the sudden movement resulting in your head throbbing as you groan. "Ouch," you mumble, pressing the palm of your free hand against your forehead.
"You okay?"
"Think so," you reply, sitting up much slower than before.
The cool water soothes you a little as you take small sips of it. A contented sigh falls from your lips, your body appreciating the non-alcoholic beverage. You place the glass back onto its spot on the nightstand and then focus your attention back on Steve.
Your eyes reflect the projector's lights as your eyes rake over him for a few seconds. Slower than you realize, you raise your hand and brush it gently over his cheek in admiration. "You're like... like an angel, but a reaaally handsome one," you croon.
Steve chuckles, a mixture of amusement and genuine joy spreading across his features. "I'm flattered, but you're the angel here, honey," he says with a smile.
He captures your hand in his and brings it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your palm. You giggle in response, the alcohol still evident in your system, and then your happy expression fades away. You look down, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious.
"I'm sorry for, uhm, causing a fuss t'night. I never meant to ruin your night..."
The look on his face becomes one closer to sympathetic as he drops your hand, now reaching over to cup your cheek. Carefully, he forces you to look at him as he speaks. "Hey, you didn't ruin anything, alright? I'll always come when you need me, and I'm just glad you're okay."
Missing the feeling of his skin on yours all too much, you lean into his touch, letting his warmth soothe you. "Thanks for...everything."
"Anytime, truly," he replies.
There's a comfortable silence that falls between you, the weight of the obvious unspoken words lingering in the air. You look up at him, trying to keep yourself awake. Steve drops his hand and tries to memorize every detail of your face. He knows that tomorrow things will go back to how they were, and he's not sure he can stomach that.
It only takes a few more beats of silence before he breaks the said silence, his voice low and gentle. "Can we talk?" he asks, his blue eyes searching yours.
You hum for a moment, taking a slow breath before saying, "Jus' for a minute, very sleepy."
"I just... I have one question, that okay?"
"Hm?"
Steve musters up the courage to speak, only breaking apart from your gaze for a second. "Could you maybe tell me why you left? Like why you really left?"
When your eyes flicker with hesitation and sadness, he starts to regret asking. The air feels heavier than it ever has, holding the weight of everything spoken and not yet said, but he breathes it all in. Right as he's about to tell you to not worry about it, you take a deep breath and smother your vulnerability with the knowledge that he deserves the truth. Slowly as to not give yourself another headache, you nod.
"S'like I told you, that was the truth, 'm not good enough. You look at me with so much love and admiration, and I know...I know I could never live up to what you think of me," you explain, drawing out each word a little more than you would if you were sober. "'M holding you back, always have been, and you deserve better."
His eyebrows furrow as he takes in your words, his gaze intense and sharp. "I look at you like that because of who you are, not because of who I think you should be," he says in an attempt to reassure you. He reaches out to take your hand in his as he continues, "You're always been more than enough, honey. I mean, hell, you're more than I deserve, and-"
"No, no, you don't get it!" you exclaim lowly, cutting him off and taking your hand out of his grip. "Y-you're perfect, you're America's golden boy, and 'm jus' me. I hate my body, my mind, an-and everything about me. Could never be good enough for you, Steve. As if I don't already hate myself enough, everyone says and sees how much more you deserve, except for you."
Steve's mind races and his heart tightens as he takes in your words. The obvious pain in your voice cuts through him like a scalding knife, the tears welling up in your eyes cutting him even deeper. He's now sure that nothing could measure up to the pain of hearing you talk about yourself in the complete opposite way of how he thinks of you.
Silence passes as he dwells on your words. Then it clicks.
"Who's been saying that?" he questions sternly.
You avoid his gaze like the plague, immediately breaking the eye contact you were holding. Physically, you can feel yourself shrink. Whether it's the guilt from your outburst, the shame from everything you've heard and thought about yourself, or the intensity of his gaze- you're not sure.
His jaw tightens in anger, but not directed at you. "Who, y/n?"
A deep and heavy sigh falls from your lips as your eyes dart around the room. "Phone," you say quietly, holding out your hand to him.
Steve looks at your outstretched hand, confusion covering the concern etched on his face briefly. He pauses for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out your phone. Placing it in your hand, he watches closely as you unlock it with shaky fingers. Your eyes scan over the screen, but it doesn't take long for you to find what you were looking for, and your expression tells it all.
You hesitate to hand the phone to him, but you do so anyway, lying down on the bed and curling up into yourself as soon as the phone touches his hands. And, not that you see it, but his eyes narrow as he reads over everything rapidly. You'd had it all saved in a little folder; every message, every media report, every post made about you.
He's not sure what's worse of the situation, to be honest. To know that you'd felt this way about yourself for God knows how long and not have said anything about it was painful, sure. However, the words written about you were downright cruel, analytical, and simply not true at all.
But the amount of things that were written and you had saved for you to read at your whim, only reaffirming whatever untrue things you thought about yourself? That was a different level of hurt that he could imagine hurt you hundreds of times worse than it does him.
Unable to stomach anymore, he places your phone face down on the nightstand. Silently, he scoots up on the bed to be closer, reaching out to place his hand on your cheek. You flinch at the contact at first, but his touch is gentle, a stark contrast to the words you've been subjected to.
"I'm so, so sorry, my sweet girl," he says softly, trying to force down tears of his own.
You take a shaky breath in and out, your voice barely above a low murmur. "Didn't want you to leave me, so I left first."
Steve's heart sinks at your admission, his thumb gently stroking your cheek to wipe away the stray tear that escaped your eye. He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, a gesture that's meant to offer some kind of comfort and reassurance.
"I would've never left you, and I still won't, okay? I know you care about what they say, but I don't. Nothing could ever skew my image of you, angel, you're my definition of perfect- you don't have any image to live up to in my mind," he promises with a soft-spoken tone.
You can't find it in you to respond even though you want to, all too scared of your voice failing you. Sheer pain radiates from you to the point where it's almost suffocating. While he's more than aware that no words can take back anything you've read or heard, the simple fact that he can't undo what has already been done riddles him with guilt still.
If he could, he would take all of that ache and bear it all for you.
"When did all this start?" he inquires, waiting patiently for your answer.
"I don't know..."
"I know you do, honey, you can tell me."
"Only... Only a week after we got together, got worse after I started moving in here."
"Scoot," he instructs gently, careful to control his tone with you although he feels a deep rage.
You oblige and scoot over slowly. Almost instantly, he lays down behind you, curling up so that his body molds with yours. He brushes a few pieces of your hair back before wrapping his arm around your midsection to hold you protectively against him.
"Can I ask you one more thing?" he asks, adding on, "And you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
After thinking about it for a second, you nod. He tries to find the best way to ask what he wants to ask. Deep down he wants, but somehow already knows, the answer, yet he doesn't want to make things worse. Nor does he want it to seem like the subject is the only thing he was thinking about.
"Is…is all of this, meaning what people have said and what you think about yourself- is this why we've never, you know, done anything together?" he inquires with furrowed brows from the overwhelming amount of emotions. "I'm just asking because I never thought this would be why, I thought I was doing something wrong or you just weren't ready."
Your body tenses at his question, and you have to steady your voice before answering, "Part of it. Never felt good enough, and I didn't want you to see me like that and be disappointed."
Steve frowns, sighing lowly as he presses a gentle kiss to the back of your neck. The gesture is simple, but it effectively conveys the depth of what he feels.
"I don't care how long it takes me to convince you, but I'll spend forever trying to get you to see yourself even a fraction of the way I do if I have to," he says as his thumb traces circles on your side. "You're absolutely breathtaking, angel. Fuck anyone who says you're anything other than beautiful."
A quiet giggle slips from between your lips, unable to hold contain your momentary amusement. For the first time in a while, he smiles a real, genuine smile. "You don't know how long I've missed the sound of that pretty laugh."
"You said 'fuck,'" you tease, trying to soak in the temporary joy.
He chuckles and the sounds rumbles through his chest. "Sometimes I can be a little hypocritical, especially when it comes to protecting you."
The smile you hold fades again, and you're left with nothing but the sadness and warmth of Steve's body behind yours. "Thank you," you whisper.
Steve tightens his hold around you and presses another gentle kiss to the nape of your neck. "You don't need to thank me for telling you the truth, it's what I'm here for, and I meant every word."
The two of you lay there in silence for a while. The room stays filled only with the sounds of your delicate breathing and the occasional passing of a distant car. This time, the silence isn't agonizing though. Steve's presence makes it feel comforting, and his words make your brain go mute even if just for tonight, making the weight of the world lift just a little.
"Stevie?" you murmur, breaking the silence.
"Hmm?" he responds.
Your fingers wrap around his wrist. "Don't wanna be alone t'night," you admit.
"Then you won't be," he promises softly. "Do you want me to help you out of that dress? No pressure, of course, I was just thinking it might be more comfortable for you to sleep if you changed. I think you've still got a shirt here or you could wear one of mine, and like I said I could leave if-"
"Steve?"
"...Yes?"
"Don't think I could get out of this dress by myself right now if I wanted to, and I'd love one of your shirts."
Steve smiles at your response, relief washing over him at your comfort with him. He unwraps his arm from around you, sitting up slowly before helping you sit up. When he slides off the bed, walking over to his dresser to find a shirt, you scoot yourself slowly to the edge of the bed. Your legs dangle off the edge and your shoulders slouch as you try to keep yourself awake.
With a worn-out gray t-shirt in his hand, he walks back over to you. "Alright, sweetheart. Let me take care of you," he says.
He places the shirt on the bed and reaches behind you to unzip your dress. You allow your head to fall against his chest, trying to soak in his warmth. His movements are slow and delicate, precise too, ensuring that he doesn't cause you any discomfort.
Once the zipper is down, he leaves his hands resting on your back to help you slide off the bed. Then he slips the thin straps down your arms, allowing the dress to fall to the floor, leaving you in just your underwear.
Crystalline, icy blue eyes rake over your body for a moment as he bends down to pick up the discarded fabric. It's not a sexual ogling, and you know that; he's simply admiring you the way he has always wanted to.
Suddenly feeling bashful, you avoid his gaze. You look at anything but him or your body, opting to focus on the street lights outside the big window. He catches your slight shyness immediately and quickly tries to soothe you.
"Hey," he coos with concern written on his face, one hand resting on your waist and the other cupping your cheek, "You're perfect, angel. Are you feeling uncomfortable, do I need to step out for a minute?"
"N-no," you answer promptly and force yourself to meet his eyes. "'M jus' not used to being looked at like this."
Steve's gaze softens, clearly showing he understands the vulnerability you feel. He leans in to press a lingering kiss on your forehead. "If you let me, I'll help you get used to it- and I'll make sure you never feel unsafe or uncomfortable with me. How's that sound?"
The corners of your lips manage to quirk up into an appreciative smile. "Sounds nice, Stevie," you reply, your voice low but still audible.
Returning the same appreciative look, he picks up the t-shirt and says, "Thank you for letting me see you, and touch you, but let's get into something more comfortable for right now. You need some sleep."
You nod and raise your arms up in the air so he can slide the t-shirt onto you. It's then that you notice he'd given you the same shirt you wore the first night you ever spent the night at his place, and almost every time since then, threatening to make you cry.
The fabric is as soft against your skin as it always has been, and the scent of Steve's cologne envelops you, providing a sense of security. A warm feeling spreads through your chest at how he cares for you.
Steve takes a small step back to admire you in the shirt, and just to get another look at you. A fond smile plays on his lips as he looks you over once more. "Always has looked better on you than it does on me. Good to know it still does," he says, honesty obvious in his voice.
Again, your eyes lock with his. You search him for any sign of anything negative, coming up with nothing almost instantly. He searches you for any look or hint of discomfort, but he finds nothing other than sleepiness and adoration in your gaze.
Silence passes over the two of you like it had just mere minutes ago. The quiet environment feels even more natural and comforting than it did before, though.
He clears his throat, trying to prevent the eye contact from becoming awkward for you. "Uhm, let's get you into bed, alright?"
You step to the side so he can pull the comforter back, your hands playing with the bottom hem of the shirt. He turns to face you, and you take a wobbly step towards him, balancing yourself by placing your hands on his chest. His hand flies to your lower back to offer you more support, and you look up at him through the eyelashes of your sleepy eyes.
Slowly, tracing your way up and down his chest once, your eyes stare into him with something he'd never seen in you before. In fact, the look is so intense that it could make any man weak, he's sure of it. His eyebrows raise ever so slightly at your sudden touchiness.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asks, somehow oblivious to exactly what look it is that you're giving him.
"Mhmm," you hum, drawing out the 'hm,' with a voice laced with a soft and sleepy seduction from still being tipsy. "Y'know, 'm not thaaat tired."
"Oh? The way that you're hardly able to hold yourself up says otherwise, angel. We have all of tomorrow to talk, let me just help take care of you tonight."
A giggle slips from between your parted lips in response to his cluelessness. "S'cute when you're so sweet," you croon.
"Do you, uhm, do you need something before bed? Like an Advil maybe?"
Instead of a verbal response, you grab onto his jacket and give it a slight tug. You take a step forward, pushing him back gently to force him to sit on the bed. He looks up at you in confusion, but you don't let go of him as you slowly straddle him. With your weight being supported by your knees on the bed and his legs under you, you lean in, nuzzling your face into his neck.
"Angel, what're you-"
Your lips brush lightly under his jawline, leaving a trail of tender kisses as you gradually make your way down to under his chin.
Steve's breath hitches, and his free hand comes to rest on your waist with a delicate, but firm, grip. "O-oh," he murmurs in a sigh.
You nibble gently on his jaw. "Jus' need you," you mumble before pressing your lips to his.
He lets you kiss him, unable to resist the feeling because, well fuck, how could he?
The taste of your lips is all too familiar, and as his lips work against yours, his hands find your hips. His hold on you is secure, and it does nothing to ease the arousal building up in your stomach. You whine from the contact, and he tugs you closer, still careful to keep you steady on his lap.
His resolve weakens, and he becomes hyperaware of your vulnerable state again. So, he breaks the kiss, looking down and into your eyes.
"Y/n, I'm not sure if-" he starts, only to be interrupted by you dipping down to bite on his neck. You suck harshly on his neck as you reach down and palm him through his jeans.
A low groan emits from his chest, his voice husky when he speaks. "God, baby.”
Thoroughly enjoying the reaction he gives, you whimper against his neck. He can feel the corners of your lips turn up into a slight smile. His other hand is on the other side of your waist, gripping it firmly, as soon as you start grinding down onto his thigh. He loses himself in the moment for just a second before reminding himself of your inebriated state.
“F-Fuck,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky. “Wait, wait- stop.”
You bite down once more, whining slightly before pulling away. The sensitive spot on his neck pulses, rushing with blood from the sucking and vibration. He tenses up with a mixture of both surprise and arousal at your forwardness. Then he lets both of his hands find your hips and settle on them, his hold tightening on you.
"D-did I do somethin' wrong? Did that not feel good?" you ask with a deep frown.
"No, no. That's not it, I promise; everything you've done feels amazing," Steve reassures you, quickly shutting down your negative thoughts.
Once again, he clears his throat in an attempt to regain his composure. "Angel, you're just… not in the best state right now. I won't take advantage of you, and I don't want you doing anything you might regret," he explains as he looks down to meet your gaze.
You're staring up at him with those big puppy dog eyes that you always use as an effective method to sway him. Tonight, though, is vastly different.
"C'mon, doll. Don't look at me like that. If you still want me in a few hours, when you're sober, that is, then I am all yours," he promises, trying to bargain with you.
You stick your lower lip out a little unintentionally, giving him the cutest pout he's ever seen. "Sober..." you repeat, looking away almost in shame as you add, "Promise you'll still want me then?"
Steve tilts your chin up with his finger and forces you to lock eyes with him. "I can promise you. I've never wanted anything more in my life than I want you. And that's never going to change."
Tantalizingly, he runs his thumb across your lower lip, a small smile playing on his lips. "But, I need you to be sure that this is what you want. I want you to remember every moment, not just bits and pieces of it, and know that everything we do is your choice," he says softly.
After taking a moment to process his words, you nod in understanding- noting the sincerity in his eyes. The room fills itself with an assortment of emotions, ranging everywhere from desire, uncertainty, and just a touch of venerable fragility.
Steve brushes a strand of hair away from your face, his expression one of soft neutrality. "Alright. Let's get you tucked in," he whispers, his voice a low murmur.
You let go of his jacket after he scoots back on the bed, bringing your knee from the other side of his leg and lying down. You curl yourself into a ball, and Steve's eyes never leave you as you do so. He takes a moment to appreciate the mere sight of you back in his bed, and a wave of warmth rushes through his chest. His earlier desires are still very much present, but so is the respect for the boundaries he set for your well-being.
He gets up briefly to pull the blankets over you before sitting down in the comfy chair in the corner of the room to take his shoes off. The chair you'd begged him to get as well to fill up the empty space in the room.
After sliding the boots under the chair, he makes his way to the dresser to change into some loose-fitting sweatpants. When he's about to put a shirt on, you grumble a 'no,' that catches his attention and makes him turn to face you.
"No?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow up questioningly.
"Nuh-uh," you respond with a shake of your head.
He chuckles lightly. "Why not?"
"Warmer without it, not a bad sight either," you say softly, following it up with a yawn.
Steve smirks in appreciation of your usual playfulness. "If you insist," he concedes, deciding to forgo the shirt. He slips the shirt back into the drawer and walks back over to the bed.
He settles himself in beside you and lifts his arm up, allowing you to scoot into his side and rest your head on his chest. Happily, you hum, soaking up his warmth and focusing on his steady heartbeat. He then reaches down with his free hand to pull the blanket over himself.
"Uncomfortable?" you murmur, sleep laced in your voice.
"No, I'll be alright as long as you're comfortable."
A second passes by before you speak again. "Thank you."
"For what, angel?"
"For being so...you."
You feel Steve's chest rise and fall with a deep, contented sigh. His fingers trace slow circles on your back through your shirt. "Always," he whispers, his soft voice lulling you even closer to sleep.
The room stays wrapped in a soothing silence, the only sounds heard being the quiet breaths from both of you. As you lay there trying to sleep, you can't help but marvel at the man beside you. Everything about him is truly perfect, from his basic concern for your well-being to the way he has always taken care of you.
Your eyes begin to feel heavy, slowly shutting fully as you find yourself on the brink of slumber. Just before you succumb to sleep, you muster up the energy to mumble, "Steve?"
"Hmm?" he responds, his chest rumbling under your cheek.
"'M glad it's you."
"Wouldn't trade you for anything, sweetheart," he murmurs, placing a kiss on the top of your head. "And, for the record, I'm glad it's you too."
Steve continues to run his fingers over your back as you fall asleep. His fingers create a rhythmic pattern that mirrors the peaceful in and out of your breathing, only making your rest more soothing. He looks down at you and smiles to himself, reveling in the sheer joy of having you back, even if it's only for tonight.
Often the weight of his responsibilities feels too heavy to bear, but with you, there's a sense of solace that transcends the chaos of the outside world. Everything about you and your presence is a sanctuary. It's all a nice reminder that, after everything he does for everyone else, he's worthy of a little tranquility at the end of the day too.
Steve presses another gentle kiss into your hair before closing his eyes, savoring the sweet moment. "Goodnight, angel."
He hears your tired, softly grumbled response before he falls asleep. Though he tries not to let himself get too wrapped up in the moment, too used to your presence again, he does anyway. If there is anything he wants for the rest of his life, it's you next to him.
Tumblr media
taglist!
@pigeonmama @rogersbarber @buckysprettybaby
if you'd like to be to my general taglist, feel free to ask or visit my taglist form to be tagged in more specific fics :)
2K notes · View notes
riality-check · 2 years
Text
This is not how Wayne was expecting to come home from work.
He had expected, as usual, that Eddie would be asleep, and he’d be free to watch the 5:00 AM news. He’d have a bowl of cereal for dinner (or was it breakfast at that point?), and then he’d be out like a light while Eddie did whatever it was he did before noon. Usually, that was sleep.
The exact opposite of what Wayne was expecting is happening right now. 
He didn’t even get his keys out of his pocket before Eddie whips the door open. He looks a mess: hair tied back loosely, pajamas off kilter, panic mixed with exhaustion on his face.
“Oh, thank Christ,” he croaks. “Wayne, I need your help. I have no idea what to do.”
Wayne can count on one hand the number of times he’s seen Eddie panic like this. He shoulders past him into the trailer and is greeted with the sight of Steve Harrington standing in the middle of his living room.
“What on God’s green earth,” he murmurs. He blinks, then blinks again, but Harrington is still there, in pajamas, the tire iron Eddie still keeps under his bed in his hands. He’s breathing real heavy, and he stares out the window, stock-still.
“The hell happened?” Wayne asks, keeping his voice low.
“I don’t know,” Eddie whispers desperately. “I don’t know what happened, but he got up and grabbed the iron and just stood here-”
“How long?”
“Ten minutes, maybe.”
Wayne doesn’t like where this is going. “Has he responded to you at all?”
“No-”
Shit.
“-but I can try again?”
Wayne eyes the white-knuckled grip Harrington has on the tire iron. He’s ready to swing, and Wayne knows he’ll swing hard if given the chance.
No way he’s risking Eddie. No way he’s risking Harrington. Wayne doesn’t know him well, only met him a few times in passing, but he knows he’d never forgive himself if he hurt Eddie.
“No. Don’t try again.”
“I’m not leaving him.”
“Didn’t ask you to. All I’m saying is don’t go near.”
Eddie is very good at following instructions to the letter and to the letter only, much to Wayne’s fond annoyance. So, he doesn’t go near.
Instead, he says, voice strangely soft, “Stevie, sweetheart.”
Harrington doesn’t respond, but he turns a little in the direction of Eddie’s voice. Wayne takes that as a good sign, even if he can see the tension on his face now.
“Will you come back to sleep? Please?” Wayne hates hearing Eddie’s voice crack the way it is right now.
Harrington faces them a little better, and Wayne sees what he was expecting.
He’s staring through them, not at them. Wherever Harrington is, it sure ain’t here.
“I don’t know how much that’s gonna help, Eddie. He’s having-”
“I know he’s having a flashback, Wayne!” Eddie snaps. “I’m not stupid. It’s usually just not this bad, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
“Alright,” Wayne says because snapping back won’t help anyone. That and because he’s trying to process the fact that Eddie has had to deal with this before. “Let me try.”
He takes a few steps toward Harrington, keeping his hands up and his movements slow.
“Harrington,” he calls, keeping his tone light. “You’re at Eddie’s place right now. It’s almost five AM on a Friday night.”
Harrington blinks, and it looks like his eyes are coming back into focus.
“You’re safe right now. Eddie’s safe right now.”
Harrington shakes his head and lifts the tire iron a little higher. Christ, his arms must be aching by now. “No. I saw the lights flicker, and I heard a thud outside, and it got cold.”
“Stevie, the gate’s closed,” Eddie pleads. “You saw it happen. Nothing got out. You’re safe.”
Wayne doesn’t know what any of that means, but even though it was supposed to reassure Harrington, he just shakes his head again.
He hears Eddie sigh behind him, and he knows without turning around that he’s trying not to cry.
Guess he’s gotta try something different, then. “You just wake up?”
Harrington blinks, and for a minute, Wayne thinks this won’t get them anywhere. But then he whispers, just loud enough to be heard, “Yeah.”
“Okay. I just got off work.”
Harrington stares at him, confused.
“So, I think I’m a little more awake than you. I’ll take what you’ve got in your hands, and I can stay up.”
Harrington shakes his head. “It’s fine. I stay up most of the time when I’m alone.”
Alone. Wayne knows from experience, both personal and witnessing this shit, that alone is the last thing anyone should be when they’re having a flashback. Harrington says it like it’s the only thing he’s ever known.
He dismisses his questions - why is Harrington having flashbacks, why is he alone - and focuses on getting him to put down the tire iron and go to bed.
“You’re not alone this time,” Wayne says. “You’ve got Eddie here, too, and I think both of you would feel better if you were together.”
Harrington looks over Wayne’s shoulder. Wayne doesn’t turn around, but he can imagine the pleading look on Eddie’s face just fine.
Wayne holds out his hands for the tire iron, and after a minute, or maybe a month, Harrington sets it there. Immediately, he looks lighter and heavier.
Eddie walks up next to Wayne and murmurs, “Come on, sugar.”
Harrington goes to him and just rests his head on his shoulder. Eddie holds him there, just standing in the middle of the living room, sunrise just starting to peek in through the windows.
Thank you, he mouths to Wayne.
Wayne nods, but he’s got a hell of a lot more questions than answers - what the hell brought this on, what exactly is Harrington to Eddie. That can wait for morning, though.
For now, he just hopes Harrington will be okay by then.
No, not Harrington. Steve.
After something like this, Wayne has learned, you start using first names.
10K notes · View notes
astroph1les · 8 months
Text
kiss it better [h.c]
Tumblr media
summary: after receiving one too many hits in the fight club, hazel tends to your cuts. you test to see if kissing a cut really makes it heal faster.
pairing: hazel callahan x fem!reader
contains: mature language, slight violence and blood, hazel being a little cocky flirt, making out, extremely light choking if you squint, reader is smitten.
word count: 1.5K
a/n: based on this request, i wrote a little oneshot for you guys. i’m obsessed with this. also thank you guys for over 100 followers and for all the support and kind words. i hope you all enjoy <3
Tumblr media
When you heard about this women empowering fight club, you didn’t expect to actually get beat up. Hazel had approached you in the hallway randomly asking if you wanted to join. Having the most insanely massive crush on Hazel, you agreed like a pathetic idiot. You thought it was going to be practicing on some dummies or punching bags. Not actually throwing punches, kicking and wrestling your friends and peers.
It was the third day and you and Sylvie were in the circle. You had already fought against Isabel and PJ and that had gotten some pretty good punches to your stomach and jaw. You were nervous beyond belief as Sylvie scared you in some ways but all the girls were encouraging the both of you to just take a swing. You shake your hands out and crack your neck as you prepare for anything.
If it was Hazel, at least you could have her hands on you. Sure, it might be a slap or punch but it’ll be from her and not Sylvie.
“C’mon guys. Someone has to punch first,” you heard PJ shout.
Sucking in a long breath and clenching your fist, not wanting to stretch out the tension for much longer. You swung at Sylvies cheek. The contact burned throughout your knuckles all the way to your elbow, muttering curses to yourself. Sylvie held her cheek where you punched, everyone gasping at the sudden blow.
You freeze, waiting for some sort of rebuttal. Sylvie then quickly bops her fist three times to your bottom lip and then the apple of your left cheek. You jerk back at the punches that were thrown. The entire group cheers with a mixture of ‘oohs’ at you tripping over your own shoe-laces, falling to the ground.
You scrunch up your face to in some way ease the pain that was flooding from cheek to cheek. You feel someone kneel down next to you and you look up to see Hazel checking on you.
You raise a hand to feel over your bottom lip to see the deep crimson dripping down the length of your features. Suddenly, everyone was clamoring around your laid out body.
“Shit, are you okay?” Hazel was the first to ask.
You nod and glance at the way she was merely inches from your face. You tense up and sit up slowly, everyone backing up from you except for Hazel.
“God, Sylvie, it was light punching today.” PJ sighed, rubbing at her temple. “You almost knocked her fucking teeth out.”
“Shit, I-I’m sorry. Light punching,” she slowly nodded, glancing over at you. “Got it.”
“I’m alright, guys. Don’t worry about it,” you nod but as soon as you stand up on your feet, your head begins to throb.
Hazel seemed to notice your discomfort and placed a hand on your clothed shoulder.
“I’ll take her to the restroom to, uh, get cleaned up. Someone else go.” Hazel motioned towards the group with her black spiral notebook before jerking her head towards the bathroom.
PJ and Josie seemed to glance at each other knowingly before shouting for someone else to fight against Sylvie. You followed Hazel to the girls locker room in the gym, rolling your bloody lip into your mouth. The metallic taste made you wince.
For a moment, you felt Hazel’s palm on your lower back as she led you to the sink. She grabbed a small hand towel and ran it under the tap. You could hear the echoing of everyone’s shoes squeaking and bodies hitting the ground.
“Hazel, you don’t have to do this. I can clean up this on my own,” you protest but in reality, you knew the second she put her hands on your face, you would flush an embarrassingly deep red.
“I know but I don’t know, you had already taken some blows from fucking Brittany and Josie so I wanted to help.” Hazel confessed, lifting her head up from the running water. “To make sure you’re okay.”
She cares about me? You didn’t even think that Hazel saw you as a friend, let alone someone she cared about. You had only spoken very few words outside of the club in the one shared class.
“I’m a big girl, you know? I just got thrown off guard. Sylvie wasn’t joking with those punches.” You force out a nervous chuckle, fiddling with your bitten nails.
“Still, I wanna help you.” She emphasized, clutching onto the damp towel to ring a majority of the water out. “Can you sit on that bench, please?”
You looked down to attempt to hide your blush. You push your body off the wall to walk over to the red bench, sitting down as you were told. You were thanking all the Gods above that Hazel could not see you shamelessly checking her out from behind. How was her even back profile hot?
You hear her turn off the tap, removing your stare from her beck side and glancing down at your shoes. You feel her hand grab the underside of your jaw, her thumb accidentally pressing into the bruise that was forming from Josie’s swing. You wince and she whispers a soft ‘sorry’, readjusting her hold.
She began to dab the towel onto your puffy and bleeding lip, her face centimeters from yours now. Your eyes stared at the furrow in between her brows as she focused on not pressing too harshly onto the open wound.
“Are you, like, my nurse now?” You break the silence, your words forming a lisp as she was pressing onto your lip.
Hazel cracked a small grin, eyes locking with yours. She shrugged her shoulders, sucking in a deep breath.
“I do have experience of tending to wounds when I would get my ass kicked when I sparred,” Hazel released your face, the now bloodied-towel in her other hand.
“Ah, okay, gotcha,” you nod, reaching a hand up to touch your lip but Hazel was quick to snatch your wrist.
“Don’t touch it. You haven’t washed your hands.” Hazel lightly chuckled.
You blushed, embarrassment flooding through your veins.
“You can’t risk that pretty lip of yours to get even more fucked up with an infection,” Hazel continued to dab at the area for a couple more seconds.
Your eyes widened at what she had just said, trying to keep your cool. Your hand gripped onto the bench, your knuckles turning white. She just said it so nonchalantly. It caught you off guard.
“You think my lips are pretty?” You whisper, your eyes flickering from each of her pretty eyes.
Hazel set the towel on the bench, looking at you with a small smile.
“Yeah,” she nodded as she sat down next to you now, your shoulders brushing. “I think everything about you is pretty.”
Your hands are twiddling with each other as you take in the compliment. You hadn’t said anything yet as you didn’t know what to say to her. Compliments didn’t come your way as often as you desired so when that rare occasion came around, it made you awkward beyond belief.
Hazel whispers your name to get your attention and you lift your head up, turning your neck to face her. In the blink of an eye, her hands are cupping your cheeks and pulling you into a delicate kiss. You gasp but move your lips against hers, a hand holding at her elbow.
You pulled back to whisper, “I thought I wasn’t supposed to touch my cut.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Hazel hummed, her thumb brushing against your cheek the forming bruise from where Sylvie had punched you.
“No,” you press your lips back onto yours, eager and inhaling at the feeling of her hand cupping your neck.
You let out the faintest of sounds as she squeezed lightly. Your hands caress at her arms as she continues to just rest her hand at your navel. The soft sounds of your panting and your lips connecting and disconnecting every once in a while was all your thoughts were filled with. Hazel smiles onto your lips before slipping her tongue past your bottom lip, a slightly metallic undertone from your cut lip.
“Wow,” you jumped away from Hazel’s lips at the sound of PJ’s voice.
Embarrassment floods through your system as the entire group was standing there in the locker room, a variation of reactions on everyone’s faces. Hazel wipes at her own lips, seeing a hint of red on her fingertips. She smiled to herself and looked up at everyone else.
“If you guys wanted to tongue fuck each other, you should’ve told us,” Josie stated with a grimace.
You groaned and rested your head on Hazel’s shoulder. “Alright, leave. We’ll be there in a second,” you tell everyone who scurried out of the locker room.
“Did you wanna… make-out some more or?” Hazel offered with a cheeky grin.
You chuckle and place a kiss on her cheek. “Take me out on a date and then we can.”
“We can do that.” Hazel nodded, her tongue prodding into her cheek.
Maybe you should get beat up more often.
Tumblr media
taglist: @matchamilkislover @curiousshifter101 @imjustapearl @seethesin <33
1K notes · View notes
elliyoyo · 1 month
Text
Adverse Effects (Gale Dekarios/Reader)
Hello hello, long time no see. With over 700 hours on BG3, I figured it was about time I cracked my knuckles and got to work delivering the goods. Hope you enjoy and just a reminder: Requests are open!
Desc: You give Gale a magical ring but don't check it's magical properties first. He ends up hot and bothered, and it's on you, good leader.
Warnings: Smut, p in v, oral (m receiving), sex pollen, and a good ol' creampie
Words: ~2.5k
Tumblr media
“My condition is worsening again, I need to consume some powerful magic, or it may become volatile,” Gale begs, nearly collapsing against the tree trunk behind him as he missteps behind you and the rest of the group. If not for you stopping, Astarion and Lae’zel would’ve kept trekking along, but you weren’t just going to leave your poor resident wizard behind after all he had done. He clutches at his chest, heaving as he expectantly looks at your pack for an item to extinguish the enchanted flames building inside of him.
“Here, Gale, use this.” You offer a ring you dug out from the pile of jangling jewelry collecting at the bottom of your bag. The pink stone seemed to glint and shift colors as it was plucked out of your fingers, but you paid it no mind.
He examines it for a moment but has no problem rasping out a “thank you” before pressing it to his chest and letting himself absorb its magical energy. One moment, he’s engulfed in a purple, violent flame, and the next he breathes a sigh of relief, sans ring. His desperate breathing slows and his pain seems to be minimized, however, he is still looking off into the hills, dazed as all Hells.
“Doing alright now? How was that one; still helping less and less as we go?”
He solemnly nods, the relief of the magic already fading away from him. He collects himself for a moment, turning into the dull full-body aching that was a new, not-quite-unwelcome side effect… Better than having no bodily sensation at all in the grave, eh?
“This one was off… different… But I should be alright. Thank you very much, again.”
Should be alright was far from the truth, as you would find throughout the day. Missed attacks, too many close calls to be comfortable with, and just general Gale mishaps that were worthy of genuine concern. One specific battle called it— every single spell missed its target, or had a payoff so low that it would’ve been laughable in some other scenario. After narrowly avoiding death for almost 8 hours straight, you’d had enough and it was time to make sure this was the end of it.
“Okay, I’m beaten, and I bet you guys are too, so how’d you feel about heading back to camp for the night?”
“Yes! Gods, Heavens, Hells, yes, my bedroll is calling my name like a harpy,” Astarion proclaims, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. Lae’zel seems to agree in her own more contained, Githyanki way, pressing her lips together with a subdued nod. And Gale, standing there still-dazed, could only nod and turn in the direction of camp. Your eyes met his for only a moment, but in that moment, you saw a half-lidded wildfire going on, yet you couldn’t help telling yourself he must just be tired as all Hells as well.
So, as you make the trip back to settle in for the night, you can’t help the confusion that hits you when you catch him rubbing and adjusting his waistband. Can’t help but be intrigued by the little faces and noises he makes as he does it. Seems like that ring you gave him had some adverse effects…
Interesting.
Astarion had scurried off to his set up, Lae’zel immediately went to work on maintaining her sword, and Gale took off inside of his tent at mach speed. No grabbing a book, no sly joke, nothing, just bolted out of sight. You take a moment to say hello to and check in with everyone else around camp, but Gale stays prominent in your mind. As you realize nobody else is around to see you flocking to his tent, you clear your throat to let him know you’re there.
“Are you alright in there? Is it the tadpole, or do y—”
“What did I previously say about privacy? I just— ah— don’t feel well at the moment, I’m a little out of my element,” Gale stutters out between gasps and breaths through his teeth. You keep your eyes fixated on the telescope in the front, waiting to see if he continues, but he falls silent.
“Out of your element how? Something you ate, overexertion, magic-related…?”
“Magic-related. For sure. But alas, I’m a wizard! Made of magic! Perfectly capable of handling it, so you should just get some sleep. Forget about my ailment for the night, and it should be dealt with by the time we have to depart in the morn.”
“No, Gale, I’m sorry, but I’m coming in— make yourself decent,” you joke as you walk in, not expecting him to be gripping his cock tight as could be. You gasp, trying to find something, anything, else to look at, but all you keep coming back to is his rubbed-red and raw, weeping head. “Gods, wha— are you alright? What is going on?”
“That ring is happening. It was enchanted, obviously, but differently than we initially thought.” He’s so casual about it that he doesn’t even seem phased, continuing to slowly caress his shaft. “I, uh, I apologize, it’s like I’m charmed, aroused by nothing in particular, it’s strange…”
“Is there anything I can do? Is there a…” You trail off, clearing your throat and turning to look at the moon above you. “Uh, anyway I can help?”
“Without your mouth? Unlikely.”
And he goes beet red, cursing his jabber jaw, his blabber mouth, his fatal flaw of not being able to just shut the fuck up. Clearing his throat, stammering as he pushed out a rushed, “I’m so sorry, you should go. I should stop, this should stop— I didn’t mean to offend, I’m so— Oh gods!”
Without any hesitation at the offer, happy to help a friend in need, and very happy that said friend happened to be Gale, you’re closing the makeshift tent’s door and dropping to your knees in front of him. Even with him lying down, you can still wrap your hand around him and give him a few firm tugs.
“I can do a lot with my mouth, but I can still work some magic without it if you will.” There’s a devilish glint in your eyes as you continue tightly jerking him off, his eyes and mouth wide open in shock and insane pleasure. He’s unable to will any words to escape him, save for the moans, groans, and grunts that involuntarily slip from his sweet lips.
“Is this—” He’s broken off by a whine as your finger grazes over his tip. “The ring? The enchantment?”
“No, no, I don’t feel off, I just… want you. I desire you. I’ve thought of this— maybe not like this exactly— but I never thought… I would ever have a chance.”
“Well, here I am, at your disposal, so please, please.” His eyes flit between your lips and himself, wishing, waiting, hoping, praying to feel the warm, beautiful wetness of your mouth around him. And as if you read his mind, you happily oblige, leaning down under his hiked-up robe to wrap your lips around his head and gently suck. His head flies back in ecstasy, fingers gripping the blanket beneath him to keep himself from tearing your hair out or pushing your head down to make you choke on his cock, as much as he’d love to feel the sensation of the latter.
Small rhythmic bursts of sucking turn into licking him down to his base, tracing a vein or two on your way down, which then turns into lazily dragging your tongue over his balls while your hand makes up for the lack of attention higher up.
“Can I… touch you? Please?” He gives a tug on your shirt. And who are you to say no to Mr. Wonderful, Gale Dekarios of Waterdeep? You pull your nighttime shirt over your head slowly, exposing your bare chest to the chilly evening air. 
“Are we… both okay with this? Are we on the same page here? Is this okay with you?” You can’t help but rapid-fire questions at him now that the thought of him being under the ring’s influence has intruded your mind. He shifts his hand to your face, letting his index finger gently rest against your lips.
“This is not just the ring. I… have harbored some feelings to do with you for quite a while now. It’s all just pouring out at once now, but I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life, I can tell you that.” That was all that you needed. That confirmation that he wanted to know what it felt like to sink inside of you as much as you wanted to know what it felt like to have him fill you nearly to the brim.
“Then come here,” you whisper, just barely audible enough that he follows your instructions. His lips crash against yours in a deep kiss, his fingers knotting into your hair to keep you as close to his overheated body as possible. He is desperate, teeth gnashing against yours and capturing your bottom lip at points, saliva mixing and temperatures rising. 
“I don’t know who or what enchanted those rings as such, but I must acquire several more if this is the result; me being at your will… needing,” he pants out, still holding your foreheads together.
“Let’s get through this first, then we’ll see about finding some more aphrodisiac trinkets. Tell me more about your growing need, my dear evocationist?” You lazily slip your leg over his waist and begin grinding yourself down against his exposed length. The pressure combined with the texture of your pants’ fabric puts him in pure ecstasy, obvious by the small whines that leave him and the way his teeth catch his bottom lip in a pathetic attempt to hide them.
“My need for you— it hurts, it burns in my core,” he pushes out like a plea for help. His eyes are glossy, his body vibrating with arousal, pleasure, shock, disbelief… and pure attraction.
“And is that right there good, Gale?”
“Gods, yes, don’t stop unless I get to be inside of you,” he groans, bracing himself against the ground to grind his hips in time with yours just a bit harder, further, more any way that he can.
“Ask and you shall receive.” You push yourself off of him, pulling your slacks and undergarments down to the ground. There’s a moment of low, shallow breathing, where both of your eyes dilate as you simply take in the sight of each other. Pleasuring yourselves, more for the other than yourself, and drinking in the expression on the other’s face. The point was to tease him and see how long he could sit in anticipation, but you find yourself getting impatient enough to forget all of that and pounce on him.
You take hold of him by the base and carefully guide him inside of you. It’s impossible to put the fullness you feel into words, it’s all-consuming, and it sends shivers and shakes through your entire body. In sinking down on him, you feel as if you’d been reunited with your girthier other half— complete. A wonderful pressure begins to bubble up in your abdomen as you begin moving, evident to him by the way your nails dig into his shoulders. His hands have found their place on your hips, and in no time, they’re gripping you half-to-death. He’s using his tight grasp to slam you back down onto him, meeting you in the middle. The symphony of skin against skin was sure to be keeping quite a few of your companions up, but it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission in this scenario. His mouth finds its way to your chest, gently taking a nipple between his teeth and grazing his skillful tongue over it.
His lips make a soft pop as they unlatch from you, and all he can do in this moment of boiling hot lust is prop himself up on his elbows and watch you in all your glory. He gazes up at you with that same half-lidded gaze you saw on him earlier, except there’s a bit of boyish wonder. He’s not just perceiving you, but admiring you. One hand eventually trails its way up your leg to your waist, and he begins to help you come back down on him harder, faster— his twitching legs and quick breaths gave away that he was already getting close from the change in pace.
“Gods, Gale, you’re so good,” you groan as you lean forward, forcing him to sit up a bit to support your head as you rest it on his shoulder. This just gives him more of a chance to fuck up into you like a wild animal, chasing more of your moans and his climax. “Fuck! Gale, please!”
“I love this, I love you, I love the feeling of you, I love it!” His voice goes up and up and up until his high pitched breathy ramble is cut off with one last loud groan. Now it’s your time to admire; eyes screwed shut, forehead scrunched up as his mouth lays open wide. With the show you were getting and the feeling of him filling you with warmth, you were helpless against the waves of your own orgasm crashing into you. You two take a moment, nothing but the sounds of your gasps for air between you, limbs still intertwined and sweat still mingling.
“If all I have to do is ask for this, what do I get if I really beg?” Blabbermouth, indeed. You pull his chin up to give him a sloppy kiss, continuing to hold his face as you pull yourself off of him, making a mess of him as his cum drips out of you.
“Save it for next time, I’ll think of a few things we can try down the road,” you joke with a small chuckle as you allow yourself to fall on your back and reach for your clothing. “How’s everything feeling with, uh… the ring?”
“Yes, yes, that was very beneficial. It was like my body was held in lava, until I felt your touch.” He gazes at the mess you two have made, but makes no moves just yet. He pushes his hand through his hair and takes a deep breath, beginning to fall into a daze admiring you as you dress. “Are you going?”
You pause. Are you going? Should you stay? Would that make the journey awkward? What did this mean for you and Gale, that you had slept together to help him out after the being influenced by some magical ring? There was nothing there besides the ring?
Gods damn it all.
“No, no, I just... I used a cloth that was lying around to wipe myself off, it was instinct to get dressed afterwards.” You avoid the question, hoping to take his mind off of your quick separation from him instead of any pillow talk. You fold the cloth you used and hand it over to him, looking away while he cleans himself up as if you didn’t just ride him into next week. “Any way you could conjure a second pillow?”
“Anything you wish, so long as you join me tonight.”
And you do. And many nights after.
452 notes · View notes
bigification · 1 month
Text
Step Daddy
"You really need to get over your stepdad man." My friend tells me, concerned.
"Look, I'll try this one last thing and if it doesn't work then I'll give it up." I respond. "Did you bring the sunglasses?"
"Yes, but just remember he's like 25 years older than you. He's probably not going to be into you, even after this." He says as he hands me a pair of old pilot shades.
I told him I could let it go, but I can't. I'm just putting all my eggs into this basket, the sunglasses. Apparently they're supposed to transform someone who wears them mentally and physically to match my type. He already is my type, but I guess I wouldn't mind him bulking up a bit and growing some hair. It would be sexy if he got more charming, but he's already charming as it is. I guess there's only one way to find out.
I wait on the living room couch watching tv. He always gets home from work at the same time, so I know he'll be here any minute. I sit and stare at my reflection in the glasses. Am I really ready to change this man's life so drastically. My friend said no one else would take notice of the change, so it'll be like nothing happened. As I'm thinking over it, I hear the roar of his engine from the driveway. I try to calm down, but I can feel my body vibrate from the nerves. The door flies open.
"Hey buddy, hows it goin?" He asks me with his hot southern accent.
"Not bad. By the way, I found these sunglasses lying around, and assumed they were yours." I try to play it cool as I lie to his face.
"Oh, thanks. But these aren't mine." He responds.
"Well you might as well keep em, they don't fit me anyway." I try to convince him to take them without seeming too pushy.
"Well alright, thanks kid." He swipes the glasses and throws them on.
That was easier than I thought. As soon as he put them on, he stopped moving. His jaw slacked as if there was not a thought running through his mind. It started slow, his button up started to look a little bit tighter. His once flat chest started to push against his shirt and the shape of a belly started to show. Then it started to speed up. His chest started to pulse, growing in size with each one. They grew until the button on his collar popped off, then another button popped, then another and another. His juicy pecs flopped down after being released from his shirt. His stomach was next. His midsection widened and his stomach grew into a respectable beer belly, straining against his shirt. It wasn't long before more buttons began to pop, until his shirt was completely open. His arms also looked like they doubled in size, filling out his sleeves with thick muscles.
Next his legs start to look like they're gonna burst out of his dress pants. I can hear the rips ripple through his pants as his thighs grow inside of them. His ass fills out all the space in his pants and proceeds to rip open his fly and snap his belt in half. I can tell his underwear is barely staying in one piece as a large bulge formed in between his legs.
Finally his face begins to change. His once skinny face fills out with fat, giving him a rounder look. I can see that hair is falling out of his hat until he is left completely bald under there. Though in return his clean shaven face grows a bushy beard. But the hair doesn't stop there. It continues down his chest and to his belly, and presumably the rest of his body. He finally regains control of his body. He sighs as he stretched out his arms and cracks his knuckles before looking right at me.
Tumblr media
"Come here, son." He says in a deep buttery voice.
A shock travels through my spine as I think he might know what I've done to him.
"What'd I say boy!" He raises his voice.
I jump a bit before I walk closer to him. I realize how imposing he is up close. He must have gotten taller because he seems well over six feet tall now, and at least 250 pounds.
"Daddy had a stressful day, why don't you help him release some tension." He says as he pushes me to my knees.
I blush, this is everything I wanted from this, it just happened so much faster than I thought.
"Don't be shy, boy. This will be our little secret." He says as he pulls his underwear down.
475 notes · View notes
k1ngpin42 · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
𝕀𝕥 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕀𝕥'𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦
✨Popular Abby x quiet reader✨
I’m sorry I really yapped on at the start, I used to be a wp writer so it’s kinda engraved in my thought process sorry, (I'll put the keep reading part where it get's interesting.) Smut will be in bold tho if u don’t wanna do allat 🤪
MINORS DON’T INTERACT: read at your own risk but there will be mature themes and minors really shouldn’t have Tumblr in the first place. Bare minimum 16+ plsss
——————————————————————————
Warnings: Fisting/fingering (receiving), cunnilingus (receiving and giving), strap on (finally I know- (receiving)), Dominant Abby, provocative sub reader, choking, hickeys, restraints
You had been with the WLFS for almost three months now. You had managed to impress some people during your first month with your shooting skills in addition to stealth combat and how crafty you were. People, specifically Isaac, found you to be an asset. In theory, you were the ideal friend and even partner, however trying to make friends was much more difficult than it should be, especially when the world you lived in was so fucked. You had some, sure, a nice girl called Chloe was your best friend and you had a few others you were close with. It didn’t help that you were known for never going to events and it also didn’t help that one person in particular liked to gloat about it.
Abby Anderson, Isaacs favourite, built like a fucking war hero with muscles bigger than most men and beauty to match them. She was very picky with who she went on patrol with. It was Manny and Owen or Owen or Manny, no outsiders ever. You had asked to join once on a mission you knew you could have been very helpful in, but Abby denied it faster than she could ask your own name. After that, she went out of her way to make sure the embarrassment really hit, asking you to get their weapons for them, making sure Isaac assigned you where you would see her coming back and fourth from the mission she had so confidently denied you from.
You were in the library, if you could call it that. It was really just an old locker room which now had a bunch of books in it, mostly uninteresting. Everyone knows the good shit had to get smuggled in, but you were right out of trading supplies. It’s not like you got many items of value in the first place, everyone else in your patrol groups would take the majority of the rewards, and you were too much of a people pleaser to say anything.
Chloe walks in and your smile widens, your shoulders dropping as you let out a breath with all your tension inside it. Holy fuck, you didn’t realise how tense you were until now. 
“Chloe!” You exclaim with a smile, waving at her. She smiles back.
“Hey…you alright?” Chloe probed. You nod.
“Mmm, yeah just…got some stuff on my mind.”
“Abby giving you trouble again?”
“God, when is she not? It doesn’t bother me though, I’ve learnt to just tune their whole group out by now.”
“Didn’t she take your clothes from the laundry and swap them with Owens?”
“…I’d…rather not talk about that.” You say quickly, putting a dull copy of some fuckin book you were reading back on the shelf.
“To be honest, you rocked his ‘chill-dad-with-no-taste’ look. At least in my opinion.” Chloe declares with a smile. You groan. 
“Thanks.” You stand up, stretching and cracking your knuckles. 
“She put a whole chilli in your burrito.” Chloe reminded you, not letting the subject go.
“I love spicy food.” You explain, nonchalantly. She smiles, rolling her eyes playfully.
“You hate spicy food.”
“Untrue, I love spicy food, spicy food just doesn’t love me.” Chloe sighs.
“…Okay.”
“She also-“
“I get it. Abby gets off on my embarrassment, it’s great.” You sigh with irritation. She nods sympathetically. 
“Well, it’s not just Abby, Mel and Owen are also dicks.”
“Yeah, they are.” Chloes eyebrows furrow and a familiar look touches her ordinarily soft features.
“You want to say something, right?”
“I- heard Isaac assigned you with Abby, Mel, Manny and Cole to secure a shipping zone near the old station.” You laugh loudly and her face remains the same, worrying you mildly. 
“Yeah, sure he did, now what’s the news?” You ask again. She says your name quietly, almost like a warning. Your smile drops. “What…?”
“I had to grab a radio from the old apartment and I overheard Isaac and Abby talking.”
“Jesus, Chloe.”
“No, no I didn’t go up I swear.”
“You heard them from all the way downstairs?” She rolls her eyes.
“They were arguing.”
“Oh great, Abby was arguing with Isaac, now I know this really is a joke.”
“It’s not a joke, okay? Abby was arguing because she didn’t want to be assigned with you. Isaac said you’re more agile and equipped for stealth than the others. He said he’s pairing you with Abby.”
 You’re frozen. Fucking frozen in time and space.
“No…”
“Hey, hey, hey you’re gonna be just fine.” 
“Oh my god…” You gasp.
“She’s friends with three thirds of the WLFS in here, if they all like her she’s gotta have some good qualities?” Chloe attempts.
“I don’t love how unconfident about that you sounded. Fuck I can’t fucking believe this.”
“You said you didn’t mind her now though, right?”
“Well that was a fucking lie wasn’t it!” You say, and you both burst out laughing.
“Oh fuck I’m so gonna have my head bashed against a wall aren’t I?”
“Uh…may your death be swift?” You sigh.
“Thank you.”
The door opens harshly, making an echoey bang as it hits the wall. You and Chloe both whip your head around to see Abby, standing there in all her glory. You roll your eyes.
“We’re in a library asshole, you probably don’t come in here much, or know how to read- for that matter, but you’re typically meant to be quiet in these-“ “Ah, if it isn’t the two nerdiest people left on the planet.”
“Speak of the devil.” Chloe whispers. Abby smirks, looking into your eyes.
“Ah, you were talking about me? No surprise there-“
“Fuck you.”
“Mmm, I bet you’d like that too.” Her words shock you and you give Chloe a look through the side of your eye. She returns this by giving you a little shrug of confusion.
“I’m here to set up ground rules. If you even want to step one of your dainty little feet in the direction of me or my friends, you’d do your best to follow it, okay?”
“Good, I’ve got some boundaries I’d like to set up as w-“
“Shut the fuck up.” Abby interrupts. You roll your eyes.
“Okay first of all, don’t talk unless it’s strictly about the mission or someone asks you a question. Second of all, don’t ask me why, if I tell you to do something do it and last of all don’t fuck things up. I can add more rules as I see fit as well.” Abby states.
“You’re a fucking psychopath.” You mutter to yourself and Abby smiles widely. You hug Chloe tightly before you leave, placing a hand on her pale face.
“You’re gonna be fine.” She mouths. You nod and turn to follow Abby out the hallway in silence for some time until she randomly stops in her tracks. She clears her throat.
“Go get our weapons.” You open your mouth to object, but you can’t be fucked wasting words on her. You don’t reply before heading in to the armoury. 
“I need Abby’s usual, Manny’s usual and I’ll take a pistol and a silenced literally anything, please.” The man looks at you a little suspiciously, but nods, walking over to the weapon wall. 
“Why isn’t Abby just getting them herself?” He asks, not in an overly probing way. 
“She prefers me to do stuff for her.” You explain. “Oh, cute.” He says, handing you the things. You look at him, bitterly.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I thought you meant you were…”
“Nope. Do you have any daggers?”
“Daggers…? What century is this? BC?”
“Fine, knifes, then?”
“Here.” He says, handing you a rather average looking metal blade. You sigh. 
“Thanks…”
“The ammos on the side of that crate over there.” You nod, giving him a fond expression.
“Thanks.” You say as a rather devious thought comes to mind. You grab a box of Abbys ammo and make your way to the shooting range. As swift as you can, you turn it on and hit the bullseye over and over until there’s just over 10 bullets left in the packet.
“Hmm…” You murmer, looking down at the gun. “Fuck it.” You say, shooting four more bullets. You quickly make your way back to Abby, quickly putting your ammo and weapons in your bag. 
“Took you long enough.” She says simply, trying not to laugh at all the shit you’re holding. You roll your eyes.
“You try carrying all of it then.”
“Are you implying I’m stronger than you?” She teases. You continue to glare at her.
“Is the air thin in here?” You question, and Abby looks confused, opening her mouth to retort but you stop her.
“Or is it just the size of your ego making it hard to fucking breathe.” You say. She shrugs, still smirking smugly. 
“Who could know?”
You and Abby head over to the wagon and Mel immediately stands up. You sigh.
“Fuck me.” You murmer, and through the side of your eye you see Abby give you a look of what could be mistaken as sympathy, if that girl possessed the capacity for that emotion. 
“It’s you.” Mel says, as if the words are physically hurting her to say. You sigh, forcing a fake smile.
“Yep, hey Mel.”  Alice runs over to you, leaning her legs against you and kissing you all over. 
“Hi beautiful girl.” You utter quietly as you stroke your fingers through her fur. Abby watches you intently, fighting a smile at how affectionate you were. Mel looked less than impressed.
“Come on Alice, here.” She beckoned. You roll your eyes as Alice hesitantly returns to her place beside Mel. Owen sits down aggressively, crossing his arms and looking away from you. 
What the fuck is with these people? They don’t even know you. Manny sit’s next to the driver and you sigh as you sit beside Owen. He was a repulsive guy, childish, looked weird, smelt weird and his only personality trait was his relationship with Mel that everyone was so obsessed with. ‘The couple,’ you had heard them be referred to as. So fucking dramatic.
“Did you hear that Brenda’s sister snuck in to that party last night, drank half the liquor and then tried to kiss like 10 guys there?” Abby laughs. Mel shrugged.
“Owen and I were busy, so no.” She says, and they both smirk. Gag.
“You should have seen Manny’s moves, he did a full flip, I wish I could have recorded it.”
“Oh yeah Aidan told me! What a guy.” Owen remarks, placing his hand in Mels.
“Abby how have you been sleeping these days?” Mel questions. This catches your attention but Abby just dismissively shakes her head.
“Fine.” She said, signalling at you with her head. You would rather be in a room of clickers right now.
“Hey, um…where do you sit?” Mel asks you. You look at her, a little surprised. 
“Um…what?”
“Well I never see you, so.”
“Oh…I sit with Chloe, Sophie…sometimes Beatrice and Whitney too.” Her expressions remain unchanged and the others look at each other, clearly not familiar with those names or people. 
“I’ve…heard of Whitney, I think. She plays the games right?” Abby asked. You glare at her. 
“Yeah.” You say simply.
When the wagon finally arrived and you handed out the weapons to everyone, Abby immediately started assigning roles.
“Okay so um, Cole will stay here and scout the perimeter, guard the exits and the truck, I’ll go with Manny to take out whoever, Owen you can go with Mel to get the supplies.”
“Um okay what am I supposed to do?” You practically spit. She sighs.
“Go with Owen and Mel then I don’t care.”
“Hey fuck that she’s not going with us!” Owen says. Mel hits him playfully.
“Owen..” She says, only pretending to care.
“Isaac assigned me to do stealth take downs because brutes like you have no agility, I’m better off with you.” You tell Abby plainly. She looks at you, annoyed. 
“Fuck it, we’ll all cut through that building and we’ll go from there.” She says, and everyone nods, Owen still looking considerably more irritable than the others. 
“I’m gonna make sure this rooms clear.” Manny says.
“Oh, I’ll go with you-“ Abby starts to say, but he shakes his head. 
“No that’s fine, do you want to go with me?” He asks you. You smile slightly.
“Yes, sure.” You say, feeling quite grateful. You walk through the room and check the benches and cupboard for suppliesf. You find some parts and start using a large item on the edge of a bench to adjust one of your weapons.
“What are you doing?” He asks. You smile cautiously at him.
“I’m refining the scope.” “With just that?”
“Well, yeah.” You explain awkwardly. He chuckles and you turn to face him, confused.
“Well shit, you’re actually smart, huh?”
“Um…I don’t know.” You laugh back. He walks over, examining the weapon more closely. 
“You think you can upgrade one of my weapons?” “Sure, which one?”
“My pistol, the recoil on that is shithouse.” You can’t help but laugh.
“I’m sorry ‘shit house?’” You ask, still laughing. He smiles back.
“It is what I say.” 
“Let me look at it.” He hands you his gun and you examine it closely, getting some tools out of your pack. 
“The hammer spring’s smashed. Here.” You unclip the flashlight from your shirt. 
“Aim the light on that part there.” You instruct, and he nods, watching as you replace it. You look around the room and find a mostly in tact glass bottle. You approach it and line it up on the bench.
“Try it now.” You say, and he nods, shooting the bottle from a safe distance.
“Oh shit, that’s heaps better.”
“It’s no problem.” You say, your face feeling rather hot. He lets out a deep breath.
“I know being put with our group isn’t ideal.” He starts. You groan, feeling a pep talk approaching. 
“They’ll see how good you are.”
“Oh yeah, how? By doing free weapon upgrades?” You mock. He laughs.
“It’s a good start.”
“Did you know Abby put an entire chilli in my food?” He sighs. “She can be…petty.” Manny explains.
“What did I even do?”
“I don’t know, she seems, and don’t tell her I told you this but…obsessed with you. Ever since you wanted to join our patrol that day she made it her whole personality.”
“Ugh, I know right? ‘Look at that loser’ sounds familiar I’m guessing?”
“Um, not really, she talks about you pretty genuinely. It’s more ‘did you hear she slipped past that massive scar base without alerting them? And “did you see what she was wearing?”
“Mmm of course cause she made me wear her crusty ex boyfriends clothes all day. Did you know Mel accused me of sleeping with, quote unquote “her man” when she saw me in those?” Manny wheezes at this comment. 
“They’re quite an intense pair.” He admits. 
You two return to the others and your eyes immediately fan to Abby’s body. She’s wearing a sleeveless black top and she was clearly lifting something heavy because there was a light dusting of sweat all the way up her arms. You could also tell because of her veins. Fuck, her veins. Her veins were so visible. 
God what is wrong with you? No, what is wrong with her? How dare she look so fucking….fuckable? Only to be a genuine dick AND like men? What a waste.
“There’s a lot of them, but if we split into groups we can take them by surprise. Manny, with me.” Abby instructs. You force yourself out of your daydream when Manny taps you on your shoulder.
“Come.” He says, and you follow them out, staying prone in the grass. 
“We’ll need to be stealthy, I can go and you guys can stay here and cover me.” You suggest. Abby scoffs.
“No fucking way.” 
“You’ve already seen me do more-“
“We’re not putting you in danger!” Abby says quickly. She anxiously avoids eye contact.
“Of…the mission, I mean. You’ll compromise it easy.”
“Abs, this girl is resourceful. At the first sign of trouble we’ll be there, but let her do what she’s here for.” Manny tries. Abby rolls her eyes and then look into yours for what feels like an eternity. 
“First. Sign.” She warns. You nod.
“Thank you.” You say, sneaking out towards the group.
“I don’t fucking like this Manny.”
“She’ll be fine.”
“What? That’s not what- ugh…” She says before accepting her defeat and letting the silence win. She watches you the entire time. The way you skilfully pick off the men who are there is like a work of art and your movements are smoother than silk. You enter one of the buildings where Abby and Manny’s vision of your is corrupted. Manny looks over at Abby and is surprised to be witnessing such panic on her face.
“Are you alright Abs?” He asks. She doesn’t reply.
“Abby?”
“Fuck.” She says, before jumping down out of their spot. 
“Abby what the actual fuck-“ He mutters as he climbs down beside her and they scurry into some grass.
“What the fuck are you doing? They’ll see us.” Manny protests. Abbys sighs. 
“Oh yeah? Well if she gets shot in there who will be there to get the stuff?”
“No one’s gonna get anything if they shoot US for getting out of cover, Abs.” One of the men holding a large rifle stops, looking around. 
“Finn?” A woman asks him. He continues looking around, shining his light through the grass.
“I thought I heard something.” The woman nods.
“Keep your guard up.” She tells him. Abby groans.
“How do we get in the building now??” She whisper-shouts. Manny thinks for a moment. 
“I think we need to take them both out.”
“Okay, let’s do it.” They crawl towards the building when, to their dismay, Abby’s foot crunches on some broken glass.
“Fuck-“
“WHAT WAS THAT?” Finn calls, alerting you. You hear several gunshots and consider whether or not you should run towards them. It could be Abby or Manny. No, just stick to your mission, you were almost at the jackpot. Right when you get to the safe you start spinning the dial until you hear Manny’s voice.
“Look out!” More gunshots. They probably had it under control, they’re strong, unstoppable really, and Abby would be enraged if she found out you were right in front of the supplies and went to rescue her instead. 
“Abby?” Manny calls, desperately. That did it, you run behind the next cover and dive into the grass to look for her. A man points his gun at her and you quickly shoot him with your silenced gun, grabbing her arm and pulling her into you. She falls over you, pinning you under her and using her arms as support on the grass on either side of your head. You’re startled, feeling her warm breath on your face, seeing her eyes up close.
“Abby what are you doing here?” You demand once you finally find your words again. 
“I…we’ll talk about it later, where the fuck are my bullets?” Your face goes numb.
“Um…” You say. She practically yells.
“UGHH WHY?”
“Okay well why are you always a dick to me man?? I didn’t expect you to be taking down an entire camp…if you had just trusted me-“
Abby get’s off of you and you sit up. 
“You TOOK my bullets?? Give them back.”
“No.” 
“Give. Them back.”
“I used them okay??” Abby grabs you, pulling you so you’re standing. Your heart races as she does this.
“Fine, you’re coming with me, we’re getting more bullets.”
“I found the safe.” You blurt out. Abby stops dragging you, letting out a deep breath and smiling ever so slightly. 
“Thank god, did you get the supplies?”
“Um…” Abbys groans again at your response.
“And WHY…not?” She asks. Your face flushes crimson.
“I heard you scream.” You admit. You lower your voice to a whisper so quiet that it’s almost inaudible. “I was worried.” You add. Her face softens. 
“Alright, that’s fine, we’ll take them out first and come back to it. Let’s just get these fucking bullets since you feel the need to fuck everything up even though I said before we started-“
“Hey you fucked up too, okay?” Abbys rolls her eyes.
“Irrelevant. Now let’s go.”
You follow her into a room and hear a massive bang sound from behind it, feeling the ground shake as a result. 
“Abby…”
“Fuck, we’re locked in aren’t we?”
“Try the door.” You say. She lets out a huff.
“If this doesn’t open I’m never letting you come with me again.”
“You’re so annoying, Abs.” You say, and she turns back from the door to face you.
“I’ve never heard you call me anything other than Abby, asshole or dick.” She states. You smile.
“Oh I’m sorry, did I leave ‘motherfucker’ and ‘ignorant, arrogant asshole’ off the list, Abigail?”
“Abigail?” She asks, and your neck feels hot when you say it. She was right, it did feel unnatural. 
“I like that.” Remarks Abby, trying the door handle and coming to the conclusion that you were, indeed, locked in.
“What…your name? You really do have an ego second to none.” “Only when you say it.” She tells you in a manner you haven’t heard before. It was sort of…kind? Or something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.
“Abigail? Or Abby?” She smiles wider. 
“I think it was part of the roof that fell.” Abbys says and your mind is still lingering on her previous comment.
“What makes you say that?” You question, taking a seat on the floor. 
“I saw crack marks on it when we entered and there wasn’t anything else around us that could be blocking the door. No shelves, no fridges, nothing.”
“If it really was part of the ceiling, we’ll never get this door open.”
“Okay, well…see if there’s another way out.” Abby instructs. 
“Always so authoritative.” You remark, and she raises an eyebrow with intrigue. 
“What was that?” She asks. 
“Forget it.” You stand up and look around.
“There’s a small window but it’s really high up, even if you boost me I wouldn’t be able to get up there.
“Fuck. I guess we’re going to have to wait for Manny to clear the rest of them, we’ve already taken out a fair few.”
“Even if Manny does take them all out, how’s he going to find us through all this debris?”
“I- you talk a lot.” Abbys says. God you could hit her. 
She sits down now too.
“You’re giving up?” You question. She shrugs.
“We’re gonna be stuck here a while, possibly for the end of our lives, might as well not waste our breath.”
“I’ve always loved your optimism.” You tease, and she looks away to hide her approaching smile. 
“Why did you join the WLFS anyway?” She questions after some time. You look over at Abby, confused.
“What happened to wanting me to shut up?”
“Fine.” She replies, grimly. You chuckle softly, taking a seat beside her. 
“My last camp was close to a large group of these brutal raiders. My group always believed in each other, thought we were all we ever needed but, it was safer to form allies. We were relocating when we discovered those seraphites you’re so fond of. When we took them out the WLFS thought we were doing them a solid or something, invited us to join the WLFS if Isaac thought us decent enough.” 
“Oh. Cool.” She says, lamely. You just smile, letting the quiet fill the room again.
“You’re not gonna ask why I joined?” Abby asked. You can’t help but laugh at this.
“Wow, you are…something else Abigail.” Abby doesn’t say anything, her cheeks becoming a light shade of pink.
“Besides, I know where you’re from. You were in a firefly group at salt lake.”
“I’m sorry, what? How did you-“
“My friend works in the apartments. The walls there are thin.”
“Oh. What…else do you know about me?”
“Practically nothing." You say, thinking a while. "I’ve seen you looking at different coins in the main hall late at night like they’re the prettiest thing you’ll ever see. Do you collect them or something?” Abby, still surprised, nods. 
“Yeah, some dumb thing my dad used to do. We collect quarters. Collected.” She corrects. You nod. 
“You got them here?” Her face warms up as she grabs her bag, pouring the pile of coins into her hand.
“This one’s from Virginia, 1788. I found these ones around the stadium, this is um, from Alaska, Mane, New Jersey and the last one I found was from Vermont.” She explains in a tone so giddy it makes you want to laugh, but you don’t, you just listen intently. 
“You think it’s stupid?”
“I think it’s adorable.” You tease, and in reality, you really did. “My friend, Chloe, collects magazines. She’s got like 500 or something crazy.”
“500?”
“Well…49, but it really does seem like a lot.” You explain, and she laughs gently. Once the laughter dies down, you wrestle with yourself internally. Should you mention it? You really shouldn’t, but what else did you have to lose?
“Abby, why are you so mean to me?” You ask. 
“I’m not mean. My pranks are funny.” Abby replies, defensively.
“Are they?” You ask, not looking at her directly. Abby hesitates. 
“Yeah, I guess not.”
“So why do you do it?”
“I like harassing you.” She says. You stand up and storm angrily to the other end of the room.
“Fine, be like that.”
“No it’s… my friends.” You don’t turn around, but you stop pacing.
“What?” You order. She sighs.
“My friends and I…only hang out with certain people, you know?”
“Wow….”
“No what, what I mean is they wouldn’t appreciate if I was friends with someone different. People would talk and I didn’t want anything to change so I decided being mean to you was the only way we could talk.”
“Abby that is fucking stupid and petty you actual dick! FUCK I could just…HIT YOU.” Abby snorts at your comment. You sigh.
“Fine, maybe I couldn’t, but I still hate you.”
“Don’t.” “Don’t what, fuckwit?” 
“Don’t…hate me. I know it’s shallow but being popular, going to parties, it’s the only fucking distraction I have. I work out or party to avoid sleeping, you know? I’m friends with heaps of people because I’m scared that if my group was small enough, they’d see through…me.” You sigh and walk back to her.
“Who knew Abby Anderson had ‘layers?’ You teased with a small smile. Abby forced a smile too, clearly feeling vulnerable. 
“Why wouldn’t they like you? The real you who doesn’t poison peoples food?”
“Oh please it was one chilli, it was good for you!” She defends, her smile becoming increasingly more genuine. You smile back.
“Cause I’m angry…and selfish.” Abby admits. You sit down beside her and put a hand on her leg.
“You just exposed yourself to a group of armed men and women with like 4 bullets in your gun to make sure I wasn’t in trouble. I wouldn’t call that selfish.”
“It was incredibly selfish.” “Why?” You ask, softly. She stands up, turning away from you. You stand up too.
“Abby…?”
“Because I let my feelings get in the way. I could have killed you, or Manny.” You feel a chill over your body and you don’t know whether it’s the temperature or her words.
“What…feelings?” You ask, and she turns around and kisses you harshly on your lips, taking you by surprise and making your hands frail around desperately in that confusion.
“I know about you too.” She says, and you’re breathing heavily, surely in some level of shock.
“I know how much you love animals, how you collect knives and are crafty. You hate spicy food, and olives, you love onions, your favourite colour is purple and you always wear a bit of colour in your hair. You can sing, you can cook, and you constantly impress others, and particularly me. You don’t particularly like reading but you can recite any line from just about any movie and I know that because at movie nights I see you mouthing the words, it’s adorable. You always have your feet up on another chair when sitting in meetings, you always double knot your shoe laces because you suck at tying them and you know what I hate about you?”
You don’t know how to respond, you can’t even think real thoughts at this point, so you just let her answer.
“I hate that you hate me because all I’ve ever wanted was to be your friend.” Abby breathes out. She shakes her head.
“That’s not true, I want to be more than that.” Your mouth is open and your wide eyed, not knowing what to say, or do.
“You were such a dick to me.” You say quietly, your eyes on the floor. Abby nods.
“Let me make it up to you?” She asks. You nod and that’s all it takes before Abby’s lips are crashing on yours again and her tongue is deep inside your mouth, tasting you like she’s been starved for a week. She puts both of her large hands on your face as she does this, moaning into the kiss as the tension from both of your bodies starts to calm. 
“Can I? I mean, do you want to?” Abby questions, and you nod with a massive smile on your face. 
✨SMUT✨
She tears your shirt off, immediately applying firm pressure on your warm skin with both hands as she explores and familiarises herself with your body. She looks at your tits and the way they sit perfectly in a light blue bra. 
“Fuck you’re gorgeous.” She exclaims before unclipping your bra and fondling your breasts. 
“So fucking sexy.” She hums, delicately rubbing your nipples between her fingers.
“mmm…What about Manny?” You ask. She shrugs.
“May his survival be long.” She says, lowering herself to the ground and your pants along with her. 
“Hmm.” She says, clearly unsatisfied with the current conditions. She stands back up and slams you against the wall, supporting your head with one of her wide hands. 
“Suck.” She says, pressing her two middle fingers to your lips. You do so without protest and enjoy the way her long fingers push further into your mouth. She removes them quickly, letting a long string of saliva soak her hand. 
She pushes them both inside you with no warning, curling the tips of her fingers and moving your clit with her thumb. 
“H….holy fuck~” You cry out. This whole situation was so unexpected. You thought you hated her but now Abbys fingers you were always thinking about were actually inside of you, and it felt fucking unreal.
“This doesn’t make us…mmm~ okay, you realise?” Abby smirks. 
“If I make you cum will you forgive me for being a dick?” You thrust slightly into her fingers, letting out a loud moan.
“You were a dick more than once.” You manage to say. She grabs you by the neck and kisses you deeply, still playing with you using her fingers.
“Challenge accepted.” She starts practically slamming her fingers inside you, watching you squirm and cry out.
“A…abby-“ “It’s okay, my girls doing good, you can take it.” 
“Hurts…” “Just a little longer for me baby.” Abby coos, not letting up her speed. She starts kissing and sucking on your neck as hard as she fucking can, tasting you, admiring you. 
“Abby…I’m…gonna….”
“You’re gonna cum already? Aw, alright, show me how good it feels.” 
“It f…mmm…”
“I said show me baby.” She says, putting in a third finger.
“MMM!” You cry and she puts her other hand in your mouth, letting you suck it eagerly again. Slowing down ever so slightly, she takes her hand out of your mouth.
“Take a deep breath for me.” Abby instructs, her face riddled with focus. You blush, your eyes struggling to stay open.
“Wh…why?” She whispers a safe word in your ear.
“You say this if its too much okay?” You nod and she forces a fourth finger inside you.
“H…holy…Abby…” 
“You’re doing so good baby.”
“I feel so full…don’t….don’t-“
“I know you can take it, look how easily my fingers can slide inside you, you can fit one more for me can’t you?”
“Mmm….mmm…hurts.”
“Say the safe word then.” You finally look at her, still blushing and she chuckles smugly. 
“You won’t will you? You want it to hurt, you want your pussy filled with me you’re just too afraid to ask. Admit it.”
“…No.” You try. God, it doesn’t even sound real to you. She just laughs.
“Try again or I’ll stop.”
“Fuck, fuck yes I like it…I like it rough, I want it to hurt just- please don’t stop.” You blurt out, wrapping your arms around her neck to support yourself. She nods and slowly eases her fist into you, making you moan. 
“Fuckkkkk, fuck Abigail….” “See? I knew you could do it.” “Fuck….mmm…you..” You stutter. She smiles.
“Fuck me yourself, coward.”  Heat swells inside your stomach and slick starts leaking down your thighs and fuck, Abbys never been more turned on in her life. She gets on her knees and licks it eagerly, sucking at your inner thighs and then your pussy.
“Tastes so good.” Abby mumbles between your thighs, moaning as she tongues between your folds.  You let out a whimper as she sucks sloppily at your cunt. 
Your hand grabs onto her hair, pulling her head in more and practically riding her face.
“Mmm, so…so…” Is all you can manage. She keeps going, using her mouth and fingers at the same time. 
“Fuck…fuck….cumming…cu-“ You cry out as you shut your eyes tightly. When Abby returns to your height, her face is glistening. You blush brightly. 
“I…um.” You say. She grabs your chin to open your mouth and kisses you passionately, moving her head around to make sure her tongue explores every angle before taking a breath. 
“You taste…fuck….” Abby says, grabbing you and pushing you onto the floor. 
“Take off your clothes.” You tell her. She smiles, smugly. 
“Where’d your manners go?”
“I thought you weren’t gonna be a dick anymore.” You huff. She smiles brightly at you. 
“Mmm, that’s right. Wait here then.” She says, walking over to her bag and taking out a black strap. It’s over 6 inches for sure, you guess 7 or 8. You’re not sure what to think.
“I guess that whole ‘I know your favourite colour’ speech was bullshit then. Do you expect to fuck all girls you take on patrol?” You ask, bitterly. She puts her large hand on your cheek, rubbing her thumb over your skin delicately. 
“You’re so precious. It’s not…for fucking. I never know how long I’m gonna be stranded somewhere so…I use it. On myself.” She explains. You can’t help but laugh.
“Shut up.” She says, hiding her own smile.
“Aw, can’t handle a patrol without your vibrator, huh? Do you get all tense?”
“Shut. Up.”
“You’re all talk, I bet no one’s ever made you cum, right? That’s why you need this pretty piece of plastic?” You question, not sure where this sudden confidence boost is coming from. Abby blushes.
“I’m gonna make you shut up soon.” She warns. You smirk.
“How many women have you been with?” You ask her. She gives you a death glare.
“Ah, so none.” 
“Shut the fuck up. I can still fuck you better than you’ll ever be fucked and that attitude will go along with your ability to walk.”
“Soo defensive.” You tease. She grabs your hands, pinning them down roughly. 
“You’re not gonna be this chatty in a second.” She says, letting go of your hands and putting the strap on. You use this break to push all your body strength onto her and start unzipping her pants.
“The fuck do you think you’re doing?” She laughs, pinning you back down effortlessly. You roll your eyes.
“Please will you just let me taste you…” 
“After that little display?” Abby just laughs, taking her shirt off and using it to bind your hands together tightly. 
“My fucking girl.” Abby grumbles, and it sounds almost like an order. She towers over you, grabbing onto your jaw with one hand.
“Open your mouth.” Abby orders. You consider putting up a fight, but she’s so intimidating and strong, you don’t know what she’d do. Maybe that excited you more, but you didn’t want to push your luck right now. Your mouth parts obediently and she guides almost the entire strap in your mouth, not giving a fuck whether you gag on it or not. 
“Remember who you belong to when you’re gagging on my dick, baby. I don’t take kindly to people who provoke me.” You just whimper as your saliva completely covers the strap. She doesn’t stop though, not for a few more minutes of your precious sounds. She holds your hair as you suck it and already this is one of the best things either of you had experienced. It made you forget about how hard, cold and potentially dirty the floor was. It made you in particular forget how many times Abby had acted so pathetic and childish when it turns out all she wanted was to be something for you. And even though it was still in your mind, it made the reality that Manny could be in danger seem like a distant memory.
She finally removed the strap from your mouth and forcefully pulled open your legs, thrusting into you slowly. “Mmmm….” You moan, lowly. She watches as it goes in and you can tell it made her wet too. She continues at that painfully slow pace, holding your pinned arms as she does so.
“Abby…don’t be a- oh fuck- a tease…” You say, desperately. She smirks again.
“So eager. If you can manage to be completely quiet, I’ll take my shirt off for you, okay?” She asks. You look away, nervously. This is what you had imagined whenever you passed the gym and saw her use her tank top to wipe sweat from her face. You’d see the men around her take off their shirts to work out and at that moment and that moment only, you had wished she was a man just so she could do the same. Another part of you didn’t want anyone else to see a shirtless Abby, though. Yes you would much prefer the private showing she was offering you. Fuck, you’d do anything to see it. When you’d pass her apartment and hear the shower run, your mind would go crazy. You wondered if it would live up to your fantasies.
“M’ I to take your silence as a yes, gorgeous?” You nod enthusiastically and she starts increasing her pace, then, seeing how well you handled that, her pressure as well. Fuck, that had almost got you. You loved how rough she could be with you because you knew she’d balance it perfectly. She’d never hurt you, she had proven that.
“Wow, look how good you can be.” You don’t say anything, but you would let out a desperate squeak at her praise. She thrust harder and you wanted to scream, biting your lip to stop yourself. 
“You did so good for me, baby.” She says, slowing down slightly but not stopping as she takes off her shirt. You gape at the sight of her glistening chest in a pretty, pale bra. Fuck…you’d do anything to have her tits in your mouth, to have your hands free and play with them, to treasure them like fucking artefacts. 
“Like what you see?” She asks. You whimper in response and she lets out a light chuckle. 
“Mmm, I’ll take that as a yes. You almost there, baby?”
“Fuck…yes Abby I’m close…please will you take off the binds?” And for a moment, it seemed like Abby was considering it before she thrust more aggressively and put a hand over your neck, being cautious about how tight she squeezed. 
“You’re precious.” Is how she replies, and you would hit her…if you could. 
Soon, the heat between you two was growing, leaking onto the floor and each others thighs, not knowing what liquids were what and who’s belonged to who. You were so fucking close. You wanted to grip on to Abbys hair or biceps. Maybe in some other perfect world or one where the woman fucking you wasn’t Abby Anderson. Abby could tell you were close, she could see it on your face, feel it in your body and hear it in your voice. Fuck, she was becoming more in love with you at every moment. 
“You gonna cum for me baby?”
“Fuck…fuck please…please can I?” She smiles so wide you were worried her face was gonna stretch. She loved hearing you beg, hearing you make sounds at all that only her ears would be blessed with,.
“Mhm.” Abby agrees, and with her permission you allow your eyes to roll back. Your legs shake ever so slightly as your glowing slick illuminates the strap and Abby’s thighs. Unlike how she had treated you before, she pulls out so gently, untying the strap from behind and pulling you in towards her so your body is against her.
She strokes your hair while hugging you still and you don’t know why it’s the most comforting thing you’ve ever felt, but you don’t complain.
“You listened so well baby. Made me feel real good.” Abby babbled. You look away, nervously and Abby picked up on your shift instantly. 
“What?” She asked, softly. You sigh.
“I wanted to…” Your words trail off. Abby nods understandingly. 
“Oh. You still want to do that?” She asked, and you nod your head eagerly. 
“Please Abby?” You beg. She nods again.
“Only because you were so good.” She says, untying her shirt from your hands and leaning back on her elbows.
“Go on then, take what you want.” She says with another one of her signature smirks. You practically leapt to the chance, removing her bra with the flick of one hand. You immediately start licking and sucking at her tits, leaving adorable bruises in your wake. Abby gives you a warning look and you know she won’t allow it much longer, so you quickly position your head between her thighs. Her muscular, large fucking thighs, you might add.
“Can I suck it through the boxers?” You question, looking up at Abby with doe eyes. She smiles comfortingly. 
“Sure.” She says, still not expecting to feel any real pleasure. That is until you suck at the lowest part of the fabric, making her pool in your mouth and drench her boxers. 
“I…mmph~” The unexpected and beautiful noise leaves Abbys lips, making you want to explore more of her. You lick a trail up her concealed folds all the way up to her clit which you start drawing vicious circles over. 
“F….fuck how are you- fuck….” Abby cries. She’s on the verge of orgasm already, you didn’t expect Abby of all people to be the kind of person to cum too fast, but you’re delighted to have something to tease her about later. You finally remove the boxers right before she cums and you put your tongue deep inside her. Then, you return to her clit and put your fingers inside her hole instead.
“Mmmmm.” Abby’s pornographic moan should be recorded, transformed into a vile and put straight into your lungs. And then, just like that, she’s coming, her pretty pink pussy pulsing under your tongue. 
You go back up to face her. 
“I knew no one had touched you like that.” You remarked. She rolled her eyes playfully. “Whatever.” Abby said, pulling you in for a tighter hug and kissing your cheek.
“Wanna go again?” Abby asked, only somewhat joking. That was until Manny’s voice echoed outside of the building they were stuck in.
“ABBY???” He yelled. He called your name too and you both quickly scrambled to put at least your shirts on. She boosts you up so you can see out the window. 
“We’re in here!” You call to him. He lets out a relieved breath. 
“Thank god I found you, you guys must have been so scared.” You turn over to Abby who’s watching the situation unfold with amusement. 
“Yeah.” Abby calls out as loud to be audible to Manny. “We were terrified.” 
449 notes · View notes
drabbles-mc · 3 months
Text
Out of Practice
Bucky Barnes x F!Reader
For the Alternate June-iverse prompt: milf/dilf
Warnings: 18+, language, alcohol, steamy things, reader is a mom, bucky hasn't dated in like 70 years
Word Count: 7.7k
A/N: I had no idea what I was going to do for this prompt for the longest time but then tonight this all fell outta me in one sitting lmao. enjoy some cameos from Sam and Tony! And thanks again to @buckybarnesevents and @rookthorne for putting this event together 💖
MCU Taglist: @garbinge @artemiseamoon (If you want to be added to any of my taglists, please let me know!)
Tumblr media
Bucky was standing at the bottom of the walkway that led to the main doors of the school. Despite the warmth that came from the late spring weather, he still had on his leather jacket and gloves. He was far from the only person standing out and waiting for the final bell to ring, but he still felt like he stood out. No matter how much time went by that was a feeling he had yet to shake.
He pried his eyes off the cracked concrete beneath his boots when the bell rang, shortly followed by the front doors of the school being pushed open by dozens upon dozens of kids desperate to get out and head home. Many of them were sprinting off towards the buses, but some were making a direct line right where Bucky was standing with the rest of the parents and other family members. He kept his eyes peeled, but he still didn’t see who he was looking for.
A couple minutes ticked by and for a moment he wondered if he had shown up at the wrong place, or on the wrong day. He was about to take his phone out of his pocket when the front door opened up again. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw Morgan walking out, jacket tied around her waist and backpack settled on her shoulders. She was looking up at the woman next to her, the two of them talking as the woman balanced a child who looked like she was just barely old enough to be in kindergarten on her hip.
When Morgan looked away, she immediately saw Bucky. A smile broke out across her face as she threw a hand up to wave, an expression and gesture that he returned. He took a few steps so that he met her right where the walkways met. She walked right up to him, holding both hands out in closed fists. Bucky’s grin widened slightly as he held his fists out as well, tapping their knuckles together before the both pulled their hands back, making an exploding sound and gesture as they did.
Once they completed their ritual, Bucky turned his attention to you. You were smiling at the sight of the two of them, but he could see the questioning look still lingering in your eyes. “You must be Uncle Bucky, then?” you asked, although the answer seemed fairly obvious.
He chuckled, looking briefly at Morgan before he returned his attention back to you. “Yeah, but just Bucky is fine.”
He held out his hand for you to shake, and you did so carefully so as not to disturb the sleeping child on your hip as you gave him your name in return. “Hope you don’t mind me bringing her out.” You shifted your weight from one foot to the other. “Just like to make sure that everything’s alright when someone new is picking up one of my students.”
“I tried to tell her you weren’t new,” Morgan interjected, her sarcasm making her sound so much like her father despite only being nine years old.
You shook your head with a knowing smile. “New to me, then,” you corrected.
“It’s fine,” Bucky said with a small shake of his head. “I get it.”
“I appreciate that.” You looked back and forth between the two of them, an odd but fitting pair. “I’ll let you two go. It was nice to meet you, Bucky.” You shifted your gaze to the young girl standing beside him. “And I will see you on Monday, Miss Morgan.”
Morgan was already saying goodbye and turning to head off towards Bucky’s care by the time the words left your mouth. Bucky, however, was still staring at you, looking at the way you were balancing the little girl on one hip while you had her backpack on the opposite shoulder, your own bag hanging in the crook of your arm. He knew that this was probably far from the first time you left the school building with your hands full but he still felt like it was wrong to not at least offer to help.
“Do you need help with—”
“I’ve got it,” you reassured him with a smile, taking a step towards the parking lot, “but thank you.”
He didn’t try to offer again, taking your word for what it was worth. Turning, he easily collapsed the distance between himself and Morgan in one stride, and the two of them started walking off towards his car. You heard the two of them talking as they walked away. Or, rather, you heard Morgan talking about her day and Bucky chiming in with a word of acknowledgment. You cast a couple brief looks at them as you walked over to your car, smiling at the sight of them.
You returned your focus to the task at hand as you tried to get your daughter into her booster seat in the back of your car. You weren’t too worried, since she had luckily been a heavy sleeper ever since she was born, but you still tried to be extra careful. You were clicking her seatbelt into place when you heard Bucky’s car engine rumbling to life.
You caught a glimpse through your own car’s windshield as they drove by, Morgan sitting behind the empty passenger seat of Bucky’s car. They were out of you line of sight as quickly as they’d entered it. When they were gone again you set both your bag and your daughter’s on the floor by her feet.
~*~
“Ew, no,” Morgan said as she shook her head, her and Bucky looking at each other through the rearview mirror, “he’s gross. All the boys in my grade are.”
Bucky laughed, nodding. “Your dad will be happy to hear that.”
“I don’t even want a boyfriend.”
Bucky fought to the urge to give his knee-jerk response which would’ve been, “Well, yeah, you’re fucking nine.” Instead, he asked, “You tell him that?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “He went and asked Chrissy instead.”
“Worked out for you,” Bucky said, throwing his directional on before turning onto the main road away from the school. “You don’t need a boyfriend—you’re fine.”
“Dad says that you need a girlfriend.”
Bucky nearly choking on the breath he was pulling in. His eyes drifted from the road and back to the mirror to look at her. “What?”
“What?” she parroted back to him, blissfully unaware of why he reacted that way. “That’s what he said.”
Bucky was shaking his head, gaze fixed back on the road once more. “Yeah? Well your dad’s a—”
“Have you ever had a girlfriend?” she asked.
Bucky chuckled, a genuine sound. “Ever? Yeah.”
“This century?”
His eyebrows raised, surprised but also not. “You gotta stop listening to your dad all the time.”
A wide grin blossomed across her face. “But have you?”
He shook his head. “I thought we were cool,” he said sarcastically.
Morgan laughed hard enough at that to usher them into another topic of conversation with the rest of the drive home. Bucky went the long way, swinging through McDonald’s on the way since he was told that was fine this time around. It killed a little more time anyway, which was really what he needed. The only reason that he has the one enlisted to go and pick Morgan up in the first place was because Tony and Pepper were both running late with work. Not terribly so, but late enough that they didn’t want to ask her teacher to stay and wait.
Even with the extra stop planned in, and the most scenic route as possible taken, it still didn’t take them very long to get home. Before either of them could think much of it Bucky was rolling into Tony and Pepper’s driveway.
Bucky had just put the car in park when Morgan jumped out of the car, backpack strap in one hand and happy meal in the other. Bucky shook his head at her, laughing as he got out of the car much slower than she had. He finally felt comfortable enough to take off his gloves, tucking them into the back pocket of his jeans as he walked towards Tony’s porch.
Morgan had left the door opened behind her, so Bucky walked through and closed it as he did. When he looked around the room he saw that Morgan had already made her way over to her father and gotten swept off the ground in a hug.
As Tony was setting her back down on the floor, he asked, “You got some extra fries for me, right?”
Morgan laughed. “No way.”
Tony faked deep offense at her response. “It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”
Bucky piped in. “I didn’t get you any either, for the record.”
Tony smirked. “That much I expected.”
Morgan looked around the room a little more, and when she didn’t see Pepper, she asked, “Where’s Mom?”
Tony gestured deeper into the house. “She’s out back.”
Morgan tossed both her backpack and her McDonald’s box of food onto the counter. “I’m gonna go say hi!” She pointed at Tony. “Don’t eat my fries.” She turned and pointed at Bucky. “Don’t let him eat my fries.”
Bucky gave a small salute. “Yes ma’am.”
When Morgan had scampered out of the room, Tony’s full attention shifted to Bucky. “Thanks for picking her up—I know it was short-notice.”
Bucky shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“Went okay?”
He nodded. “Teacher came out to make sure I wasn’t some kidnapper, but yeah, it went okay.”
Tony chuckled as he opened the fridge. “Figured she would.” He grabbed a beer for himself and offered one to Bucky, when he declined he shrugged with a suit yourself expression and let the door fall shut.
“Why’s your nine-year-old telling me I need to get a girlfriend?” Bucky asked as he watched Tony pop the cap off the bottle.
Tony didn’t miss a beat. “My guess is because you need to get a girlfriend.”
“Tony—”
“You met her teacher then, right?” Tony shrugged and took a sip of his beer. “She’s single. And cu—”
Bucky’s tone shifted drastically as he repeated himself. “Tony.”
The hand that wasn’t holding the beer bottle was held up in mock surrender. “I’m just saying.”
“That why you sent me to pick her up? Is Happy even busy?”
Tony laughed. “Like Happy would ever be too busy to get Morgan from school.”
Bucky rolled his eyes. “Oh my fuc—”
“Watch it.” Tony lifted the hand he was holding the bottle with, pointing accusingly at him. “There are little ears in the house.”
Bucky sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t need you playing matchmaker.” He leaned forward, bracing his forearms against the smooth dark stone-top of the island. “And I definitely don’t need you roping in your nine-year-old to help.”
“I actually didn’t tell her to say anything to you.”
“I don’t need you talking to her about my love life at all.”
“I was talking to Pepper about it. But hey,” he took another sip, “little ears hear everything.”
He watched as Bucky chuckled in disbelief. Tony knew that it wasn’t his place to say or do anything, that out of everyone he was probably close to the bottom of the list when it came to people who had the right to give dating advice. Even with that being the case, though, Tony had been watching Bucky muddle through and get along without ever really learning to get close to anyone since everything happened with Steve. He was gone now, and while Bucky might’ve accepted that, he still hadn’t really made any moves to let new people in. A girlfriend wouldn’t solve all of those issues, as Pepper had swiftly told him. But it probably also wouldn’t hurt, as Tony had told her in response.
“Gonna make me go to parent-teacher night next?” Bucky asked, his tone light enough to let Tony know that it wasn’t going to turn into an argument for the time being.
“Don’t be ridiculous—you’re not ready for anything more than an open house.”
He scoffed out a laugh. “Thanks.”
They both had plenty more comments to make about the topic but they let it drop as Morgan re-entered the room, Pepper in tow right behind her. Bucky and Tony exchanged a knowing look, one that confirmed that their conversation as on hold for now. Pepper caught it, but knew enough to know not to ask. Instead, she started a new conversation by thanking Bucky for picking Morgan up. He stayed long enough to make a little small talk before excusing himself, making sure to give Morgan another double fist-bump before heading for the door.
“I’ll walk you out,” Tony said, leaving his half-empty beer bottle on the counter.
Bucky knew exactly what Tony was doing, but didn’t say anything. The two of them slipped out the door, and Tony followed him down off the porch and all the way to his car.
When he realized that Bucky wasn’t going to say anything about any of it, he spoke up himself. “I could probably get her number for you.”
“Don’t.”
“Why not? You don’t think she’s—”
“That has nothing to do with it and you know it,” Bucky cut him off. “Just leave it alone, Tony.”
“Mmm.” He shook his head. “Don’t think I can do that. Matter of national security at this point—you’re left unattended an awful lot.”
“And you think I need an elementary teacher to keep me company?”
“She knows how to wrangle kids and keep ‘em in line—sounds perfect for you.”
“Don’t say anything to her.”
Tony stared at Bucky for a long, hard minute. “Fine.”
Bucky didn’t believe it for a second but be also knew that continuing to argue about it wasn’t going to fix anything either. “Thanks.”
They exchanged a quick handshake and a brief goodbye, and soon enough, Bucky was on his way. The drive back to his apartment felt longer than usual, his thoughts wandering in the silence of the car since he didn’t make any move to turn the radio on. He thought about you, not that he would ever give Tony the satisfaction of knowing that, the way you smiled as you balanced your daughter on your hip. He thought about the apparent ease there was between you and Morgan. He thought about your dress and the way it fell just above your knees, the way the bright colors looked so nice and seemed so fitting.
Then he shook his head to dispel the thoughts. Tony was just in his head now, having him overthink about a woman he’d met for all of two minutes. The likelihood of him seeing you again wasn’t very high, not unless Tony started asking him to play chauffer for Morgan a lot more often, and somehow he didn’t really see that happening.
When he walked into his apartment, Bucky was immediately greeted by Alpine running up and rubbing against his legs. He chuckled, crouching down so that he could give him a light scratch behind his ears. Part of it was because Alpine was happy to have his owner home, Bucky was sure. But the other part was about the fact that it was definitely past Alpine’s usual dinnertime. Bucky understood all of that.
“I know,” his metal fingers can down Alpine’s spine, causing him to arch and purr, “I’m late.”
The next few minutes was just Bucky hanging up his jacket, giving Alpine his dinner, and then pulling something out of the freezer to cook for his own dinner as well. While he was waiting for the oven to finish pre-heating, the only sound that could be heard was Alpine crunching on his kibble as he stood above his bowl. Bucky watched him for a moment, a small smile on his face at the simplicity of the life he had now. Something that for a long time he didn’t think he would ever have.
It was a good life. It was quieter now than it had been for a long time—he was almost used to it. But maybe Tony was right, not that Bucky would ever tell him as much in so many words, but there might’ve been something to what Tony had been trying to tell him. A truth that was simpler to ignore because continuing on as he had been required far less work than trying to get to know someone, trying to let someone get to know him.
He pulled his phone out, tempted to search your name just to see what would pop up, what he would be able to learn about you. Then he stopped himself, shaking his head to try and dispel the thoughts. What good would it do? Why was he thinking like you were someone he knew already? Or like you were someone that already knew him? For all he knew, you’d forgotten him already. Hell, for all he knew you had no desire to get to know anyone, let alone someone like him. The beeping of his oven saved him from going down that spiral any further.
~*~
Sam was sitting on the stool to Bucky’s left. The music in the bar was loud, but not so much so that they had to shout to talk to each other. But once Bucky processed the sentence that Sam had just spoken to him, he instantly wished that the music was loud enough so that he couldn’t hear the other man at all.
Bucky pulled a long drink from the beer bottle in his hand, gloved fingers wrapped tightly around the neck of it. “Can’t believe he got you in on this shit too.”
Sam shrugged, unfazed by Bucky’s blatant annoyance. “I’m just sayin’, I think the guy might have a point.”
“Since when do you agree with Stark?”
Sam laughed. “I’ll agree with anybody if I think they’re right!” He paused, studied the look on Bucky’s face and then added on with a laugh, “Well, yeah, not you. But other people.”
Bucky tried to keep his annoyed expression but then chuckled. “Fuck you.”
Sam wasn’t going to let the conversation get derailed. “Alright, so you don’t like the girl he was telling you about, so why don’t you—”
“I didn’t say—��
“They got apps for that now. Oh, sorry,” Sam held up his hand in a pausing motion, “Apps are things that you can put on your pho—”
Bucky’s brows knit together. “I know what apps are.”
Sam allowed himself a minute to laugh at his own joke before saying, “So it’s not the girl. Then, what? Afraid you left all your game back in the forties?”
He shook his head, eyes suddenly glued down to his beer bottle. “Sure, yeah. Something like that.”
“Want my advice?”
“No.”
Sam gave it anyway. “Get over it.” He ignored the increasingly annoyed look on Bucky’s face. “Go buy a girl a drink. Ask her for her number. Use whatever corny line you used back in the nineteen hundreds the last time you had to pretend to have some game.”
Bucky didn’t want to laugh but he couldn’t stop himself. Sam might’ve been oversimplifying but Bucky was also vaguely aware of the fact that he was overcomplicating things for himself. “I’ll think about it. But,” he paused to point at Sam accusingly while he grabbed a sip of his beer, “I didn’t have to pretend to have game. I had it—have. I have it.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Riiiight.”
The topic dropped, and they moved onto talking about other things. There were frequent pauses in the conversation, both of them turning to look at people coming into the bar. Neither of them ever thought they would fully break that habit, no matter how often they went out into the world as civilians.
The door let out a quiet chime, and Bucky’s head instinctively snapped in the direction to see who was coming in. His eyes widened and he stopped himself in the middle of the sentence that he was saying to Sam. There was no brain to mouth filter as he let out a quiet, “Shit.”
Sam’s face contorted in confusion as he turned to see what it was that had Bucky reacting that way. He looked over, his confusion immediately shifting into a smug grin when he saw you standing in the doorway. Bucky hadn’t even given Sam a description of what you looked like, but he could tell from Bucky’s reaction that there was no way that you could possibly be anyone else.
“Talk about good timing,” Sam joked.
Bucky was still staring at you, not that you’d noticed, as he spoke to Sam. “Shut up.”
“Now’s the time.”
He fought the urge to shove him off the stool. “I said shut up.”
You were only a couple steps inside the bar, you phone clutched tightly in one hand as you looked around the semi-tight space. The focused furrow of your brow said that you were looking for someone. The tight black jeans and lacy grey top you were wearing said that you were probably looking for your date. There were five million reasons Bucky felt his mouth go dry and none of them were doing him any good.
He saw the rise and fall of your shoulders as you let out a sigh. You typed on your phone for a moment before making your way over to the bar, carefully weaving your way through the clusters of other patrons. The closer you got, the more Bucky hoped that the floor would open up and swallow him whole. You were so focused on getting to the bar and snagging a rare empty seat, that you didn’t even notice that the seat was next to him until after you’d ordered your drink. You wouldn’t have looked in his direction at all if you hadn’t heard someone laughing.
When you turned, the first thing you saw was Bucky, the familiar face and leather jacket. The next thing you noticed was the man on the other side of him, the source of said laughter. You tilted your head as your eyes made their way back to Bucky. You allowed yourself a laugh of your own. “Bucky?”
He nodded, clearing his throat. “H-hey. Yeah, hi.”
“So funny seeing you here!” You paused, looking back and forth between him and the man next to him. “How are you?”
He nodded again, pulling the words up one by one. “Good. I’m good. You?”
“I’m, um,” you chuckled awkwardly, “I’m alright, I think? Supposed to be meeting someone here but,” you glanced around, “I don’t see them yet.”
The man on the other side of Bucky leaned across him and held his hand out. “I’m Sam, by the way.” He flashed you a charming grin. “Not the person you were looking for, but figured I’d introduce myself anyway since this guy wasn’t going to.”
You laughed as you told him your name. “Nice to meet you, Sam.”
The three of you chit-chatted, and you tried not to think too much about the way that Bucky was looking at you. You were putting too much thought into it, you were certain. Maybe you were just projecting, taking all the growing disappointment you were feeling about your supposed “date” still not being there and channeling it into the way that Bucky seemed to be so attentively listening to you.
Taking another sip from the straw in your drink, you checked the time on your phone one more time. Letting out a deep sigh, you looked over at Bucky, and Sam too. “I’m glad I ran into you two tonight, because from the looks of it the person that I came out to see is not showing up.” You shoved your phone back into the pocket of your jeans with a shake of your head.
“He’s an idiot,” Sam chimed in without hesitation.
You laughed and nodded. “I appreciate the sentiment.” You finished off your drink and you didn’t try to dissuade the bartender who was grabbing your glass and heading off to make you another. Looking back at the two of them, you said, “My friends were the ones who convinced me to get on those stupid dating apps anyway.” You shook your head. “Lotta good it did, huh?”
Bucky nodded, shooting a pointed look at Sam as he said, “Yeah, I know the feeling.”
Sam was laughing, but Bucky noticed the way that he was moving to throw some cash down on the bar. He gathered up his jacket as he got off the stool. “Well, not to be the bearer of more bad news, but I gotta take off.” He clapped Bucky on the shoulders as he walked by. “But you two crazy kids stay out and have some fun. It was very nice to meet you.” He flashed the two of you another grin. “Call if you need bail money. Not me, but, you know, call somebody.”
You laughed as you and Bucky each said goodbye to him. The two of you watched him as he practically skipped out of the bar and out onto the street. Bucky was caught between wishing he could chase Sam down and tackle him, and wishing he could skip right out the door alongside him. There was no buffer between the two of you anymore, and Bucky felt so strangely exposed.
“Sorry about your date,” Bucky finally offered up.
You smiled good-naturedly. “I’m not that heartbroken over it,” you said honestly as the bartender set your fresh drink down in front of you. “My expectations were pretty low, but, you know,” you took a sip, “not so low that I assumed he wasn’t gonna be here.”
Bucky chuckled. “That’s fair.”
“Honestly, I’m just more pissed off that I wasted one of my few free weekend evenings on some guy who didn’t even bother texting me to cancel.”
“Few?”
You smiled as you said, “My daughter. Every other week she’s with her dad. I miss her when she’s gone, so I try to stay busy. Usually with friends, but every now and then it’s some pipe-dream of a date.” You took another sip. “They usually do show up, though, at the risk of making myself sound horrible desperate,” you joked.
Bucky laughed. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
Your smile softened a touch, but it was still there. “Well, thank you for that at least.”
You had every intention of finishing off your drink, paying your tab, and heading right home. You weren’t typically one for staying out all hours in a bar or a club somewhere, even when you were out with your friends. And, as nice as it was that you had a chance run-in with Bucky when everything else seemed to be going wrong, you were still ready to turn it in and go home. Back to your pajamas and fuzzy blankets.
That’s not what happened, however, despite your best intentions. Somewhere along the way you switched from cocktails to soda just for the sake of being able to stay longer without getting too much of a buzz as you talked to Bucky. He wasn’t exactly a chatterbox, per se, and you hadn’t really expected him to be. The two of you managed to keep up a good pace of back and forth regardless of that. He did a little more listening than he did talking but it didn’t seem to bother him. It also made you realize that even though you had your friends, and your fellow teachers at school, there weren’t a whole lot of times when you went out to socialize with other adults. It also didn’t hurt that Bucky was so nice to look at, that he seemed to be just as interested in looking right back at you.
You’d both lost track of time as you sat there, and when you were both finally making your way towards the door of the bar, it was much later than either of you had bargained for. The two of you walked, and Bucky pulled the door open for you. The two of you were mid-conversation when you landed back out on the sidewalk. It was only then that you realized you probably weren’t going to be heading in the same direction.
Bucky watched as you motioned back over your shoulder, the opposite direction from the way he was heading. “I’m parked this way, but, it was really good seeing you. What are the chances, right?” You laughed lightly.
He smiled, nodded. “Yeah. It was, um,” he could feel the words that he wanted to say resting on the tip of his tongue and he was conflicted about whether or not he wanted to actually say them, “it was good to see you again.” He paused, hating every bit of hesitation that he was feeling. “Do you, um, I was wondering,” he was reaching for the pocket of his jacket for his phone as he fumbled his way through the question, “I mean on your next free weekend…”
You felt your face warm as he continued on. You knew where the line of questioning was going, and part of you knew that maybe you should put him out of his misery. But it was sweet, and you were enjoying that. Finally, you nodded. “That’d be nice.”
He let out a sigh of relief as he took his phone out. “Great. Okay, yeah. I’ll…I’ll call you. You know,” he managed a smile with a little more ease, “save you from all the apps.”
You laughed as you typed your name and number in. “You’re a lifesaver.”
In the back of his mind he knew that he should be making some sort of move now. Walk you to your car, give you a hug, something. But if asking for your number was as difficult as it had proven itself to be, he didn’t know what it was going to be like trying to manage anything else. So he took the win, and bid you goodnight.
Over the course of the next couple days, he was caught between wanting to tell both Tony and Sam separately that he’d gotten your number. He thought maybe it would help get them off his back. What he didn’t want, though, was for them to just get on his case about a whole new slew of things. He also didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they’d been right.
So, instead of reaching out to either of them, he texted you instead. It was casual at first, just brief messages here and there. Texting wasn’t his favorite way to stay in touch with people, but he at least recognized that it was what people did now.
He called you once, when he wanted to actually try and make plans to see you. That conversation wasn’t one that he wanted to have over text, and he told you as much. You also found that to be sweet as well. It wasn’t a long conversation, one taking place while you made dinner and your daughter was busy with her toys in the living room. But the two of you settled on a date, a time, and that he would come by your place to pick you up. You couldn’t remember the last time you smiled so much while making pasta.
~*~
“Tony is never gonna let you hear the end of this when he finds out,” Sam said as he sat down at Bucky’s kitchen counter.
“Yeah, I know,” Bucky grabbed drinks out of his fridge. “That’s why I haven’t said anything to him about it.”
“Nothing?!”
“No!” Bucky said, breaking down into laughter after a moment. “You gonna tell him?”
“What, you think that we’re texting about you all the time?” Sam shook his head. “Get over yourself.”
Bucky was about to come back with something snarky as per usual when his phone chimed on the counter. Sam looked, too nosey to stop himself. The grin that spread across his face when he saw your name on the screen. At the look on Sam’s face, Bucky’s instinct was to reach and flip the phone over, but he stopped himself. Instead, he grabbed his phone and messaged you back before setting it down.
“You wanna call me while you’re getting ready?” Sam joked. “I’ll help you pick out an outfit. Tell you how to do your hair.”
Bucky chuckled. “Fuck you.”
~*~
He didn’t call Sam before the date. He also hadn’t heard anything from Tony which led him to believe that Sam had been kind enough to keep his mouth shut. That was all well and good, but he wished that it did anything to soothe the nerves that he was feeling as he stood outside your door.
He felt like an awkward sixteen-year-old again as he stood on your front step. He rang the doorbell, flowers clutched tightly in his hand as he waited. He’d spoken to you earlier, and you had seemed excited about it all still. That gave him hope. But again, it still wasn’t enough to eradicate the lingering feelings of anxiety he had.
Another few seconds passed by and then you pulled open the door. You were smiling at him as you were trying to do the latch on your necklace. “Hey! Sorry, I still have to get my shoes on and stuff. Please,” you stepped back and nodded for him to step inside, “come in. I’ll be ready in like, two minutes.”
He smiled as he somewhat nervously followed your instructions, stepping just past the threshold of your house. “Take your time,” he said calmly as he shut the door behind him.
He looked around while you finished putting on your jewelry and went to grab your shoes. He wasn’t sure what he had been picturing your house looking like, but what he saw felt fitting. It was tidy considering how young your daughter was. There were some toys scattered about in patches, framed photos on the walls and drawings tacked onto the fridge by magnets. It was a home in a way that none of Bucky’s places since he came back had ever been.
“Okay,” you said as you reappeared, smoothing out your blouse, “I’m ready. Sor—” you stopped short when you finally noticed the bouquet of flowers in his hand. The smile on your face was wide enough to make your cheeks hurt. “Those are beautiful.”
Bucky’s eyes widened for a moment, like he’d forgotten that he had them. He held them out to you. “Just figured, you know…”
You smiled as you took them, flitting off to the kitchen so that you could put them in a vase with water. “Thank you.”
As the two of you drove, you could feel him slowly starting to relax. The two of you talked, and you could see the way that his grip on the steering wheel started to become less vice-like. There was something refreshing in the way that he opened the car door for you, and the door to the diner that the two of you had agreed on. He sat down across from you in the booth and you noticed the way that he still had his gloves on as he looked through the menu. You wanted to ask but you didn’t—if he wanted to say something about it you had a feeling that he would.
The conversation felt easy, the same way it had been that night at the bar. The only difference now was the feeling in the air. There was a different kind of tension now that hadn’t been there before. Sure, you’d been attracted to him even then, but that hadn’t been a date. Not like this.
Every now and then if one of you shifted in your seat and your feet or legs would brush. Neither of you said anything about it, but you could feel the upward curl of your own lips as it happened, the occasional pink flush of Bucky’s cheeks. Sometimes it’d make him stumble in his sentence and you’d do him the courtesy of not commenting on it.
The two of you were splitting a piece of pie for dessert, something you insisted on because you knew the woman who baked them for the diner. It wasn’t as though Bucky put up any great fight about it. The closer the two of you got to finishing it, the more you engaged in low-stakes warfare, dueling with your forks over the pieces with the best crust-to-filling ratio.
“You can have the last bite,” you conceded with a laugh, leaning back in the booth.
“Oh, come on,” he joked, “it doesn’t feel good to win by forfeit.”
You laughed, warmth blossoming up your neck and across your face. “It’s not forfeit. Think of it as, I don’t know,” you drummed your fingers against the tabletop, “me being nice since it was your first time here.” You paused, studying the amused look on his face. “That better?”
He shrugged, a smirk on his face. “Little bit.”
The two of you walked back out to his car, and you found yourself walking much closer to his side than you had been on the way in. Your arm brushed against his as the two of you walked, and you found yourself about half a step away from leaning into his side.
He reached to open the car door for you, but before he could you leaned back against it so that you were facing him. You let one arm hang by your side, with the other you brought your palm so that it rested against his chest, pads of your fingertips pressing lightly against the leather.
Bucky almost pulled away out of reflex, but he didn’t. “Yes?”
You shook your head, still smiling. “Nothing, nothing.” You let your hand drop, the pads of your fingers dragging for a moment before your arm was back at your side once more. You moved just enough so that he could open the door again for you. “Thank you.”
Bucky walked you up to the door of your house, and he felt like his heart was beating clean up into the back of his throat. He didn’t remember dating being this nerve-wracking before. You seemed perfectly unfazed, though as you sauntered up and slipped your key into the lock.
“You wanna come in?” you offered as you opened the door. “Have a drink?”
It took more effort to swallow than it should have. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”
You chuckled. “If you don’t want to—”
“I do,” he reassured, his voice earnest.
Your smiled grew. “Okay.” You stepped and waved him in with you. “C’mon.” You noticed the way that he still had his jacket and gloves on when you came back out of the kitchen with a bottle in each hand. You handed one over to him. “Nothing fancy, but it’s also usually just me drinking them, so…”
He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s fine.”
There were a few beats of silence, each of you sipping out of your bottles before you said, “You don’t do this a lot, do you?”
His eyes widened for a moment, slight panic. “What?”
Your smile was warm as you gestured with your hand that held the bottle. “This. Dates. Not…not your thing, is it?”
He held the bottle between both his hands. “I’m…out of practice, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “That noticeable?”
You shook your head. “Not really. You just seemed, I don’t know, a little nervous. And I don’t know why a guy who looks like you would have any reason to be nervous on a date other than…”
“Other than I don’t go on them,” he finished with a soft laugh.
Your face heated up as you smiled. “Kinda.”
“How’d I do?” he asked, mostly joking.
You stepped in closer to him, noticing a different kind of tension in his body. “You’re doing great.”
He huffed out a laugh but it was much softer than he intended, betraying more of his real feelings than he bargained for. “This part?” He made a small gesture between you. “This part I’m really,” he forced out a puff of air through his teeth, “yeah.”
There was a flutter of butterflies in your stomach, something you hadn’t felt in a long time. “Want some help?”
He laughed but he didn’t say no, didn’t move away. He swallowed hard as you took the bottle from his hand and set them both on the coffee table in your living room. He was fighting hard to say something—ideally something smooth but at this point he would’ve settled for just about anything. Within seconds you were standing close to him again, bodies a breath away from being pressed flush against each other. Your hands rested on his chest for a moment, and you waited to see if he would change his mind and pull away—you were giving him the chance. But then you felt his hands tentatively land on your hips and you smiled, your body easing against his. You brought one hand up to the side of his face, thumb caressing his cheekbone.
“Not so bad,” you asked softly, “right?”
He shook his head, finally forcing out a quiet, “No, it’s not.”
You smiled and leaned in, lightly pressing your lips to his. It was delicate, fleeting—you were pulling away as quickly as you’d leaned in. The sliver of space left between your lips and his was the silent ask for him to let you know if this was the end of the night or not. He could pull away from you, no harm no foul, or he could lean in and kiss you again and figure it out from there.
It felt like you were both holding your breath for a moment, faces just too close to be able to get a good look in each other’s eyes. You were about to pull back to really look at him when he leaned in and kissed you, more conviction than the quick gesture from before. You readily gave into him, hand sliding from his cheek to the back of his head to keep him pulled to you. As his lips moved against yours, one of his hands slid so that it was resting at the center of the small of your back.
The two of you stayed like that in the middle of your living room, all locking lips and wandering hands. You would’ve let the entire night fall away spent just like that and been more than fine with it. When the two of you finally came back up for air, when Bucky pulled away from you enough to really look into your eyes, you saw that more than anything he was surprised. Maybe it was at you, maybe it was at himself, but regardless it was there. Underneath that, though, you could see that there was something more. His hand that wasn’t on the small of your back came up to cup your chin, the leather of his gloves smooth to the touch against your skin. He tilted your chin just slightly and then your lips were back on his again.
Out of instinct you tugged down the zipper of his jacket. Your hands came up to his shoulders, getting ready to push his jacket down off of them. It was only then that he pulled away from you again, breathless as he desperately searched your face.
“What?” you asked gently, pausing your movements.
“Nothing, nothing. I,” he pressed his lips into a thin line for a moment. “I wasn’t expecting…I just…”
“If it’s too much,” you said, taking a small step back, “we can—”
“No,” he stopped you short, shaking his head. “It’s not that. I just…” He took a breath. “Do you know? Who I am?”
You chuckled. “You’re friends with Iron Man and Falcon. I,” you shrugged, “I connected some dots along the way.”
He laughed, a sound of relief. “A lot of people don’t…you know…”
“A lot of people don’t have people from The Avengers dropping off school snacks once a week.” You paused and let both of you laugh. Allowing your tone to get a little more serious, you said, “I know, Bucky,” you moved once more to push his jacket down off his shoulders, “and it’s okay.”
He allowed you to do it, allowed his jacket to drop to the floor. Even with the long-sleeve shirt that he had on underneath, you could see the difference between his arms. You brought your hands to his, helping him pull the gloves off next. He was holding his breath—you could tell. When his gloves were off you ran your fingers along each of his palms, skin and metal, with equal delicate care.
When you looked into his eyes again you saw the way he was looking at you—bewildered, eager. You brought one hand back to his face again, urging him back towards you. It was a cue that he gladly took, kissing you with fervor. His hands were on your sides, and when he felt the way your other hand was running up his arm, he couldn’t stop himself, from letting his hands slip beneath the fabric of your shirt.
It’d been so long, he realized as his hands roamed your sides and back, since he’d last felt someone like this. When your fingers slid underneath the collar of his shirt, splaying across what they could reach where the nape of his neck turned stretched into his shoulders, he also realized that it’d been a long time since he’d let someone feel him like this too.
All the nerves, the tension of the night, it all started to melt away as he felt you reaching for the bottom hem of his shirt to pull off over his head. He didn’t want to stop you, and he knew that that meant something. Maybe they’d all been right—maybe there was something to letting someone else in again. As he felt the warmth of your palms against his skin, he could only hope that the rest of it felt this good too.
424 notes · View notes
charliemwrites · 5 months
Text
Girl rage, girl rage, girl rage!!
CW for Simon being a Jerk and a Creep, mentions of violence and murder, and kidnapping.
One time in high school, there was a boy that wouldn’t leave you alone. You gave him a million chances to knock it off, growing more and more hostile, snapping your teeth. The inappropriate touches in the hall, the lewd comments at lunch breaks, the fucking pictures. Nothing salacious, just long shots of you from afar, trying to go about your day.
One day he reached for your chest and you snapped two of his fingers. His parents wailed that you ruined his rugby career. You told them he should get better at football.
When you’re annoyed, you crack the knuckles of those same fingers on your own hand.
It’s the first thing you do when you wake up in a bare, grey basement, laid on a thin cot on the ground. Pop, pop. Recalibrating your foggy mind.
You don’t quite remember how you got here. Last clear thing is the bar. Doesn’t matter how you got here though, at least for the moment - just that you are here. And you don’t want to be.
You’re handcuffed, chain looped through an exposed pipe above your head. You clink it once, twice. Decide it’s fairly sturdy and take stock of everything else.
Your stomach is a bit tight with nausea - drug induced, you figure. Ugh. And your head aches, nothing a glass of water won’t fix.
But all your clothes are intact, no ache between your thighs or burgeoning bruises on your breasts. No shoes, though. Bummer, you liked those.
You crack the knuckles on your other hand; pop, pop.
You think of the scent of cheap whiskey, shattered glass, policemen wrapping you in a shock blanket. Remember your date chocking on his own vomit in a dark alley, then someone much bigger and stronger grabbing you as you tried to leave.
Hm.
The pipes are warm. You settle back against them and wait.
You don’t scream when Simon enters the basement. Don’t make a single peep. You shift against the pipes, tucking your feet under you as he approaches. Your eyes are so big, rounded as you peer up at him through your lashes.
“Such a smart girl,” he coos, “staying quiet for me. Or are you just that scared?”
You blink at him, the tiniest indent dimpling your bottom lip from your teeth. He crouches down in front of you, arms balanced on his knees. You’re curled up so small. He wants to bundle you in his lap, tuck you away.
“It’s alright, little one,” he soothes. “There’s no need to be scared.”
You twitch a bit, the metal cuffs clicking together. He flicks his eyes to them, sighs.
“Those are so that you don’t do something stupid,” he explains patiently. “Like you did earlier.”
A little furrow of confusion creases your brows. He exhales, amused despite himself. So precious, his girl. Like you can’t fathom why he would be upset with you.
“Going out with a strange man.”
He tuts, feels that black rage simmering again, same he felt when he realized you and that slime were no longer at the bar.
“He almost hurt you in that alley,” he reminds, “had he not been so drunk he tripped over his own fucking feet.”
He takes a second to breathe, fingers twitching. They feel too dry, too clean. He was so worried about getting you home that he had no time to bother taking care of that scum.
“I tried to let you have your fun, baby. I really did. But I can’t — I can’t anymore. The world is far too dangerous.” He brushes the backs of his fingers down your cheek, coos at the little shudder that runs through you. “And you’ve proven that you can’t take care of yourself.”
Your lips part. Shock, confusion, protest. It doesn’t matter, he’s more distracted feeling the soft give of your plush bottom lip beneath his thumb, bitten pink.
“It’s alright. You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” he soothes. “I’ll take care of you from now on.”
You squeeze your eyes shut, dropping your head to your arm. He hums.
“I know, sweet girl, I know. This is for the best, I promise.”
You sniffle a bit, blink wet eyes open. Wet your lips with the tip of your pretty pink tongue.
“What… what do I call you?” you ask, voice soft and raspy.
Oh, such a sweet thing. Such a sweet, clever girl. You’re going to be so, so good for him.
“Just Ghost for now, luv. Let me get you some water, you’ve earned it.”
You exhale slow and soft, counting every fourth heartbeat. If you don’t, you’ll start trying to break things. The smart money is on your bones giving before that stupid pipe. So. Breathing it is.
You’ve never felt out of control in anger. Everything is always so sharp and clear, you think and move with a precision you usually can’t coax from mind or body.
This… Ghost, though.
It was a pleasant surprise that he didn’t realize what you did in the alley. Too dark, perhaps. Too quiet. Perhaps he thought you were fleeing in fear.
It’s an advantage you can’t squander. He’s much bigger than you, much stronger. Carries himself with posture and purpose reminiscent of military or former military bearing. There’s a physicality to the way he moves that echos violence.
You know that you will only get one proper shot to escape. There is no point wasting it on shouting and cursing and snarling. Even if he did only consider it bluster and bark, it would plant seeds of doubt in his mind. Make him careful and conscious of any slip ups.
Sometimes, rabid animals appear friendly or docile. The virus gets a new victim close enough to turn and bite, spreading and infecting.
You run your tongue over your teeth, imagine the taste of blood if you’d bitten through his thumb like you wanted to. Inhale and exhale again, start the counter over.
Pause to resist another sneeze, blinking past watery eyes and sniffling it away. Christ, he couldn’t have at least cleaned the basement before chaining you up down here? Could barely focus on his ridiculous monologue through the allergies.
Not that you think you missed much; and you’re sure you’ll be hearing it again.
He’s just like every other man you’ve ever killed, you muse, settling in again. And it’ll be so, so sweet watching the blood bloom.
935 notes · View notes
bedoballoons · 7 months
Note
Can i ask a venti and/or xiao with a reader that ALWAYS cracks some parts of their body? (imagine reader cracking their back and xiao as an heart attack because he thinks we broke our back)
Can i be anon-🍄?
I have a family member who does this often and it always freaks me out...but I think this is a super fun request!! Of course you can be a anon! Welcome to the anon squad, I dub thee mushroom anon! (You can change it if you'd like :p)
─⊰⁠⊹ฺ🎃𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ🎃
{༻~Snap crackle pop~༺}
CW: Fluffy!!
(Includes: Venti and Xiao!)
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
𑁍༄Venti:
Venti watched with wide eyes, trying not to panick as your knuckles cracked loudly and your back popped, it sounded like you were breaking every bone in your body. Of course he knew you weren't, in fact you seemed to like it...even sighing in relief afterwards, but he just couldn't handle the noises, "Heh....my dear, I know you aren't doing anything dangerous but can you wait to crack the rest of your bones? I'm just worried for my heart..."
𑁍༄Xiao:
You stretched upwards, a satisfying crackling sound coming from your back as it popped and your body loosened up, but you didn't get get to enjoy it long. Xiaos arms suddenly wrapped around you, eyes filled with horror and his voice panicked, "Are you alright?! Did you break your back?! I'll take you to Baizhu!"
"N-no Xiao-"
He lifted you up bridal style rushing out the door as you tried to explain, blush creeping onto your cheeks out of embarrassment, "Xiao I was just cracking my back!"
"Just try not to move, Baizhu will know how to help. Humans are such fragile creatures..."
"Xiaooooo!!"
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
◥(•̀₩•́)◤☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 ☾𖤓~Have a nice day~*⁠.⁠✧
645 notes · View notes
cosmoeticss · 11 months
Text
Haven’t I Loved You Well? | Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!Reader (part two)
Tumblr media
my masterlist
Words: 2.8K 
Warnings: (18+ minors dni) angst, mentions of death, violence, marital problems
Notes: I’m so manic rn I can’t even decide if I like how the end of this turned out. I want to wrap this up but I don’t think I know how to continue this without making it a full fledged fic, and I don’t have the mental capacity to do another one of those right now. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this. I love you guys. Also I’m sorry there’s no seggsiness, mom and dad are fighting, their grandpa/father just died.
Part Two of Haven’t I Been Good to You?
Tumblr media
You stirred awake in the early hours to find the bed next to you empty and the faint sound of toddlers playing. Your hand smoothed over Aemond's side of the bed, your fingertips meeting cold and empty sheets. Your husband had been gone long before you had awakened. A deep sigh erupted in your lungs as you stretched your limbs, uncovering yourself and rising from the bed. Bare feet hit the cool stone floors as you reached for your silk, Velaryon Blue robe, slipping it over your thin white night shift and finding your woolen slippers under the bed.
A bright smile split your lips at the sound of your son's laughter in the adjoining chambers. You practically skipped to the sitting area, pulling the doors open to find the two silver haired boys playing with your handmaiden. When they finally spotted you, they jumped up with glee, running to tackle you.
"Mama!" Your youngest son, named Laenor after your father, had jumped into your embrace and twisted his arms around your neck. Aemon, your eldest boy, hugged your knees tightly.
"Good morning, sweet boys," you beamed, bending to place a soft kiss on little Aemon’s hairline. "How long have you been up? You should have woken me earlier."
"They've only just stirred, Princess." Brynna, your chambermaid, assured you softly. "I thought you could use rest in your condition."
"Mama," Aemon grabbed your hand in excitement. "We're playing Conqueror again! Come play with us."
You smiled sadly at his request. "I'm afraid it shall have to wait, my love," you squeezed the boy's fingers in comfort. "Your father and I have a council meeting this morning, and I must dress."
"Princess, I’ve been asked to deliver the message that all your engagements have been canceled for the day,” Brynna interrupted. “The Queen has asked that everyone stay in their chambers.”
Your brow furrowed in confusion. “Well, where is my husband then?”
“I was told to inform you that the Prince has urgent matters to attend to and will return when he has finished.”
Something static is evident in the air, raising suspicion deep in your bones. You cling to any ounce of calm you have in you, as not to distress the children, breathing slowly. A forced smile reaches your lips, and you hope your sweet sons are none the wiser as you address them. “Why don’t you boys keep playing with Brynna, and Mama will join you after I’m done talking to Ser Arryk, alright?”
The boys do as they’re told happily, and you make your way to the door of your chambers, attempting to open it to no avail. Panic shoots through you as you pull at it again, bringing your shaky knuckles to wrap against the hard wooden door. “Ser Arryk?” you call out, and you’re met with a moment of silence before the whirring of the lock before the door cracks open.
It’s not the familiar face of Ser Arryk Cargyll you’re met with, but a man a bit shorter and stockier, with dark black hair and hard features. “Princess,” He bows his head to you. “The Queen has requested that everyone remain in their chambers until further notice.” “So I’ve been told,” you affirm, confusion written all over your face. “Who are you? Where is Ser Arryk?”
“I am Ser Gyles Belgrave, your highness,” he says stiffly. “Ser Arryk had very urgent matters to attend to, I have been tasked with guarding your apartments in his stead.”
Your hold in the groan of annoyance that threatens to unleash itself. “Well, everyone just has very urgent matters to attend to today, haven’t they?
“It appears so, Princess,” his tone is flat and unwavering as he addresses you. 
“Forgive my unusual lack of patience on this morn’, Ser Gyles,” you sigh, closing your eyes as you briefly regain any semblance of composure you can manage. “Might you take me to see the Queen to find out what in the Seven Hells is going on, or at the very least to my husband.”
“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Princess.”
You furrow your brow. “Yes, you can. I’m a Princess of the Realm in direct line for the Iron Throne, and I have – very politely might I add – asked you to escort me to Queen Alicent at once.”
“I’m sorry, Princess,” he urges. “It is a direct order from the Queen that you stay here.”
You huff out in frustration, your fingers tightening on the handle of the door until your knuckles turn white. “Thank you, Ser Gyles,” you force the corners of your lips to curl into a synthetic smile. “You’ve been ever so helpful.” And with that you slam the door shut, pressing your forehead to the wood and breathing deeply to calm your nerves and trying to quiet your own nagging voice hissing in the back of your mind.
It’s happening. 
The King was in good spirits yesterday. He addressed the courts just last night, and was conscious and present all throughout dinner. He is fine. We have time.
Time is up.
Your mother and the Queen had reconciled their differences, toasted in each other's honor, embraced before the night had ended. Everything would be fine.
There will be no reconciling. Spool of green, spool of black. The cuts run too deep, the wounds have festered. 
Where is Aemond?
Not even your love can save the noble House of the Dragon now.
“Mama!” you snap out of your panic at the sound of your son's beckoning, your chest heaving in time with your labored breath.
“Coming, my loves,” you call, swallowing the feeling of dread whirring deep in your chest, and putting on a brave façade as you face your sons.
Tumblr media
It feels, for a moment, as if time freezes when your husband finally returns to your marital chambers that evening, his good eye heavy with empathy and guilt. You shoot up in your chair, the boys both looking up from playing with their model dragon figurines on the floor to their father. He doesn’t have to say a word. The truth you’ve been denying yourself since they locked you away is written clearly on his face.
“Kepa!” The boys cry out as they run to jump into his arms, their father’s entrance being the most exciting event of the day.
“My little princes,” he laughs, embracing them, the wear of the day's trials is hidden just underneath the surface of his smile. You wonder to yourself how many lives Aemond has lived today, what he had seen, what he had done.
Slouching back in your chair, you slide a hand over the swell of your stomach, the other coming to pinch the bridge of your nose. 
Aemond tends to the children, answering their miles of questions and listening to their detailed accounts of make believe lands they’ve visited and play pretend battles they’ve fought during the day since they’d been confined inside. Aemond takes the explosion of excitement from your boys steadily, with a kind of patience he didn’t have for many others. The boys adore him. You adore him more than anything, and here you sat picking apart your husbands every move, trying to determine whether he was friend or foe.
The hour is late when Aemond finally gets the boys settled. You had not spoken a word to him, not touched him since he came back. You didn’t join in as he read the boys a bedtime story. You didn’t assist him as he carried their sleeping figures to their beds one by one. You hadn’t moved from your spot in the lounge chair since. You weren’t even sure you were real until Aemond was kneeling before you, his large hands engulfing yours as he pressed delicate, apologetic kisses to your palms, not yet daring to find the courage to meet your gaze.
You hold back the tears pricking at your eyes, swallowing the bile rising in the back of your throat. “Tell me the truth of it, Aemond,” you manage, your voice pained and hushed.
He finally meets your hollow stare. “My love, please—“ his voice is soft and desperate as his lips work their way to the skin of your wrists. 
“—I just need to hear you say it,” you press, words wobbling from the threat of your unshed tears. “Tell me what news of the King.”
He clasps your hands tightly in his, clinging to them like a prayer as he hangs his head low before you. “The King is dead,” he rasps the words, silence filling the room in their stead. A strangled, guttural gasp forces its way through your lips, your eyes fluttering shut as hot tears finally fall freely. In truth you hadn’t expected to be so shocked when news came of the King’s passing. Despite his faults, you loved your grandsire deeply, and though this day had long been lingering just out of sight, you never expected it to happen so suddenly. This felt wrong.
“Say it,” you snap, trying desperately not to fall apart before him. He didn’t have to speak it, you knew in your heart what was coming next.
“My father declared to mother on his deathbed, that it is Aegon who will inherit–”
You scramble to twist out of his grasp before he can even finish his sentence, but he clings to you, holding you in place and forcing you to look at him. “No–”
“-- Aegon will be crowned before the masses tomorrow morning.”
You try your best to wriggle from his torturous warmth, grunting and hitting his chest as you attempt to push him away from you with all your might. “How can you let them do this?” you wail. “You’re liars! Traitors to the Crown!” “My love, please,” Aemond begs as you cry out. “You must understand–”
“--I must understand?” She barks a humorless laugh, silver hair clinging to her tear stained cheeks. “What is it that I am to understand? That you are no better than the rest of them? A liar? A traitor to our house and the realm? This is treason! Don’t you understand the gravity of this?”
“It was the will of the King,” he proclaimed, as you gave up your fighting out of pure exhaustion. “With his dying breath, this is the succession he wished for. We have no choice in the matter.”
“You expect me to believe that after twenty years of upholding and defending my mothers claim, the King relinquished the throne to your drunken, depraved, imbecile brother moments before his death with no one around to hear but your power hungry mother?” you snipe, face hardened with distaste. “I at least thought you to be a sensible man, husband.”
Aemond catches you off guard when he captures your jaw in his hand forcefully. “You will watch your tongue, wife,”  he snarls. 
You had seen that familiar glint of anger in Aemond’s eyes many a time, you were no stranger to his fire. He was a man with a quick temper, it often didn’t take much for him to unleash the fury of the dragon. You just never thought in all your years he’d direct it towards you. 
You attempt a disinterested laugh, but it comes out as more of a whimper, your eye’s glistening as they fan over his features in disbelief. “Is this what we are to become?” you whisper pitifully. “Is it true what they say, that I am wife to a cruel man? A man who has now fashioned himself a traitor. Perhaps I do not know you at all.”
His eyes flutter shut with shame, his stinging grip softening as he drops his forehead to meet yours, pulling you closer until you're practically on his lap. You don’t fight him this time, exerting your strength proving to be fruitless. “You are married to a man who loves you. A man who has been fighting all his life to protect you. You know me, you are the only person alive who truly knows me, and I love you with everything that I can give,” he tries, squeezing his eye shut tightly as he forces his next words out. “But I have a duty to my family–”
“I am your family,” you plead, taking his face in your hands. “Our sons are your family. That is your duty. What do you think they will do to us when war ensues?”
“I will keep you safe,” he promises, pulling back to hold your gaze. His expression is desperate, for what you don’t know. Forgiveness? Submission? Blind Devotion? In your fury you could not muster any of it. “Anyone who dare harm you or our children is a fool.”
“You are the fool for thinking that you could protect us from what is to come,” you interject, pressing your lips together. “No one wins this war, and there will be war, Aemond. “Everyone knows what I am,” you don’t say the word itself, but you can see he understands. Its venom is hissed towards you at every turn you take. Aemond holds his tongue as you brush his hair back over his shoulders, smoothing down the disheveled strands as you choke out the words, trying despairingly to get through to him. “It is another doing that is not my own, one that I have suffered for everyday of my life. If this is where your loyalties will lie, husband, it is another price that I must pay.”
“That is where your loyalties lie? You would crown the woman who placed that cloak of shame upon you,” he reasons.
“As opposed to staying with the man who is practically handing his wife and children to the executioner himself?”
He whispers your name, only your name, softly and stoically like a prayer, and you continue your pleading. His face is held in between your hands, your lips peppering persuading kisses across his velvet skin.
“Please,” you echo over and over. “Don’t do this. You promised.” 
Aemond seems to snap out of your trance quite suddenly, pulling himself far enough away so that your prodding halts. His gaze lifts to yours, slower and more certain than before. Your heart clenches in your chest as he takes your wrists in his hands, pulling them away from his jaw.
Aemond’s tongue darts out to wet his lips. “The decision is final,” he clears his throat, rising from the floor and leaving you behind on the cold stone below. “I will tell the boys, or at least Aemon, he is old enough to understand.”
Your hands fall to your lap as you sink further to the floor in defeat. “He is six,” you grumble.
“He will be a man grown sooner than late,” his voice is distant and nearly unrecognizable. “He is old enough to stand by our side in the Dragon Pit tomorrow in support of his uncle, and he will, as well as his mother.” 
“I will never bend the knee to that man,” you hiss, hot tears caking your rosy cheeks. “I will not stand by as he is crowned.”
“You will come freely or there will be consequences,” Aemond commands. “Not only for us, for the children.”
“Let them see the consequences,” you stand, legs wobbling as you force yourself upright. “Let them see how quickly their father folded before a usurper, let them understand how thinly his loyalty runs. Then they shall know who to blame when the sky falls down upon us.” 
Before your husband can interject, you push past him, fleeing to your shared chambers and slamming the heavy door behind you as hard as you could. The sound of it echoes heavily through the room, you can feel it in your bones and it rattles your soul. You spin on your heel, gaze softening as you eye the wall between you and the man you love – the wall you’ve just put there. You stifle a cry, it feels final, it feels like the entire Keep is crumbling from beneath you. 
Your mind and your senses are at war as you approach the door slowly, trying with everything in you to push down the desire to be held by him, to forgive him, to do anything he desires just so that you might be together. 
Your loyalty is stronger than your yearning to be his and his alone. Your palms, aching for contact, find their solace against the surface of the door. It’s cold, harsh, and stiff, but if you close your eyes and concentrate you can pretend it's his soft, burning skin pulsating under the tips of your fingers. If you focus on nothing else you can remember what it feels like to be enveloped in his arms, you can almost smell the smoke on him, almost hear his voice lulling you to sleep, almost taste his perfect lips against yours. 
In your anguish, you can’t fathom that his heart is aching on the other side as well, and you don’t feel his palms pressed against the other side of the door begging to be let back in.
2K notes · View notes
softhairedhotch · 7 months
Text
AHHHH FIRST FIC OF COMFORTEMBER YEAHHHH >:D comfortember day one: safe aaron hotchner x gender neutral reader after having a rough night out, you call aaron and he rushes to find you immediately. he fixes you up and the two of you finally admit how you feel about each other. word count: 1.5k warnings/content: mentions of fighting and alcohol but mostly fluff.
comfortember masterlist here! also on ao3 <3
you make me feel safe
Aaron wakes up to the sound of his phone ringing beside him. It gets to the fourth or fifth ring by the time he grabs it and anxiety bubbles low in his gut when he realises it’s you calling at almost three in the morning. Answering the phone, he immediately asks, “Is everything alright?”
“No.”
He’s up and out of bed instantly, throwing on the first shirt he finds and the closest shoes to the bed. “Tell me where you are.”
“I’m at, uh, I don’t, I’m… somewhere. My mind is all over the place.”
Aaron’s heart hammers widely in his chest. “Somewhere? Can you look around for me and see if you recognise something? Anything?”
“Okay,” you reply, voice shaky. After a few moments, you clear your throat. “I’m outside the bar we all went to a few weeks ago.”
“The Tipsy Ship? The one closest to work?” 
“Y-yeah, yeah.”
Aaron grabs his keys and runs out of his house, not even thinking about locking the door as he runs toward his car. Jack is sleeping over at JJ's; the house will be fine unattended for now. “I’m on my way. Are you hurt?”
“I think so.”
“You think–” Aaron stops to take a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before shoving his phone into its holder and slamming his car door shut. “Don’t worry, I’m on my way.”
“Can you stay on the line with me?”
“Of course.”
***
When Aaron reaches the bar, his heart breaks at the sight of you standing alone outside. He tenses up once he notices that, not only are you alone, but dry blood covers your face, there’s a large bruise forming on your cheek, and the knuckles of your dominant hand are cracked and bloody. “God,” he mutters, running straight for you and grabbing you by the shoulders. He can smell an overpowering scent of alcohol on you and he winces. “What happened? Where’s the bastard that did this to you?”
You point toward an ambulance down the road. “The coward freaked out when I punched him back and thought he needed medical attention. Most they’re gonna diagnose him with is Dumbassery and Stupid Prick Disease.” You look back at Aaron and weakly smile. “And maybe a concussion.”
Aaron can’t help it, he laughs. “At least you haven't lost your sense of humour. But let's get you home and cleaned up, alright?” 
“Can I go to yours? I don’t really wanna be alone right now.”
He smiles. “Of course you can.”
***
Aaron holds a wet cloth to your face, reaching out to grab your chin between his fingers gently when you flinch away. “Sorry, sorry.”
“It’s cold, is all.”
“Sorry,” he repeats, gently dabbing away the dried blood under your nose and the corner of your lips. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“I got into a fight.”
“I can see that.”
You shrug, stumbling on your feet at the movement. Aaron gently grabs you by your elbow and shuffles you toward the kitchen counter so that you’re leaning against it for support. Once you’re stable, he begins to dab the other side of the cloth over your knuckles. “It was stupid, really.”
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“I know,” you sigh. It’s quiet for a few moments as you watch Aaron continue to clean up the blood. “He… the guy who punched me… I was on a date with him.” Aaron tenses. “And he kept buying me drinks and told me I had to drink them. I did because, well, free drinks, y’know?” You sigh and shake your head again, letting out a groan when it results in pain. “So stupid of me.”
“Hey, none of that. You’re not stupid.”
“Whatever you say. Anyway, I think he was trying to make sure I was drunk enough so that he could take me home without much complaint. I don’t know. I refused because I really wasn’t in the, uh, mood, and the night was a bust anyway, and he started… tryna touch me, grab me and all that, his hands were everywhere and I didn’t want them to be and…” You stop to take a few deep breaths, feeling sick at the thought of what could have happened. Aaron feels anger rip through his veins. “Anyway, he ended up punching me and I guess he wasn’t expecting me to punch back.”
Aaron grits his teeth. "Twice as hard, yeah?" 
"Twice as hard," you grin. 
“Good. That’s what I expect to hear.”
You tilt your head at him, trying to read his expression. “You’re not mad at me?”
Confused, his eyes meet yours. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“I don’t know,” you shrug, watching as his large hand moves over yours, his thumb gently sweeping over your skin. “I woke you up.”
“You woke– You– That’s what you’re worried about?” He gives you a fond look. “Yes, you woke me up. But I’m glad you did. Thank you for calling me. And for trusting me to help you.”
“I don’t think I trust anyone more than I trust you.”
Aaron’s hand stills as the words sink in. When he looks up at you, he notices that you’re staring at him with so much love that his breath catches in his throat. He hasn’t been looked at like that in… he can’t even remember. But when he thinks about it, eyes never leaving yours as you blink innocently at him, not understanding his revelation at that moment, he realises it’s the way you’ve always looked at him. With complete and utter adoration. 
As if he hung the moon and the stars.
“Oh,” is all he can get out.
“Oh?” 
“Yeah. Oh.”
Your face falls and he feels guilt grow deep in his gut. “You don’t trust me back?”
“What? I never said that.” He steps closer, moving a hand to your shoulder and looking into your eyes. “Of course I trust you. More than most people. More than anyone else, really.”
“Really?”
His eyes search yours and he nods firmly, squeezing your shoulder. “Really.”
You look all over his face before looking down at his lips, licking your own as your mouth immediately goes dry. “I didn't want… I… I didn't go home with that guy because of, uh, well, you. I couldn’t stop thinking of you... when I was with him.”
Aaron hums as his gaze drops to your lips. “That’s why I don’t go on dates.”
“Hm?”
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you either.” He inches closer, moving a warm hand up to cup your cheek. “Can I kiss y–"
“Yea–"
And your lips are pressed together before either of you can finish. The kiss is soft, sweet, gentle, and full of so much raw emotion that it’s almost suffocating (in the best way). Aaron moves his lips against yours desperately, holding your face in his large calloused hands as if you might break at any moment, and you wrap your arms around his neck to pull him closer. The moment your tongue brushes against his bottom lip, though, he pulls back with a heavy sigh. “Shit, you’re drunk. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’m totally taking advantage of you and–”
“Aaron.”
“I should know better and–”
“Aaron!”
“You should feel safe here–”
You press your lips against his again, effectively shutting him up. It’s a much shorter kiss this time, but not any less enjoyable. “I do feel safe, Aaron. Here, with you.”
“You do?”
“Of course. You make me feel safe; you always have.”
He visibly relaxes and pulls you into a hug. “So have you.” He sighs against you, resting his forehead against your shoulder. “I like being with you.”
“I like being with you too, Aaron.”
He smiles against you and holds you for a moment more before pulling back, hands still wrapped around you. His heart breaks at the sight of the dark bruise forming on your face and he leans forward to press a tender kiss against the skin, careful not to hurt you in any way. “I wonder how long we’ve liked each other.”
“I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, I think.” 
Aaron’s breath hitches at the admission. “You’re in love with me?”
You tilt your head at him, fighting back a smile. “Did I not make that obvious enough?”
“I… didn’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Well, get them up, Hotchner, because I’m in love with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Aaron’s face softens and he presses a kiss to your cheek, sighing in relief. “I’m in love with you, too.” He runs his hands lovingly over your back. “Now let’s get you changed into some comfortable clothes and into bed, yeah? It seems like we have a lot to talk about tomorrow.”
“Can I sleep in your bed with you?” 
He presses another kiss to your cheek. “There’s no other place I’d rather you be, sweetheart.”
tag list: @criminalskies @ssahotchnerr @hotchs-big-hands @citrusiove @sillyhotchsgirl
lemme know if you wanna be tagged in future fics
708 notes · View notes
angelwonie · 5 months
Text
in which coriolanus snow might have beaten someone up for talking badly about you.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
PAIRING: academy!snow x fem!reader
SUMMARY: coriolanus snow does reckless things when it comes to you.
WARNINGS: mentions of broken ribs and a crematorium (coryo is dramatic lol), up to interpretation whether he's morally gray
WORD COUNT: 0.8k
Tumblr media
“Why’d you do it?”
Coriolanus’ head snaps up at the sound so familiar to him and yet resounding in a somewhat foreign tone through the room. He’s at the academy past hours, finishing up homework his aching fingers didn’t allow him to write this morning. You’re leaning against the doorway, a few stairsteps below him, arms crossed over your chest. Your face is almost entirely hidden from him; the only source of light, his oil lamp, does little to change it.
“What do you mean? Why are you standing in the shadows? Come sit.”
He hears a scoff, now sounding much more like what he’s accustomed to with you. 
“Answer the question,” you say.
“I don’t know what you m—”
“Why did you hit him, Snow? I won’t ask again.” 
Finally, the contours of your figure appear clearly in his line of sight. The vague light illuminates your face contorted in chagrin, brows furrowed like they so often are when the two of you are working on assignments. He leans back in his chair, blonde locks falling onto his forehead.
“You know why,” he counters, watching as you approach. Instead of sitting down next to him, you stand before his desk with expectant eyes. He mimics your stance, crossing his own arms over his chest half-seriously. “You know, so how come you’re here asking me stupid questions?”
Finally, you crack. 
“Because you’re an idiot, that’s why.” Sighing angrily, you plop down next to him and land a slap to his shoulder. He hisses in pain and the corners of your mouth lift in satisfaction. “A self-aware one, at that—which is even worse.”
“That is entirely subjective.”
“Don’t even start.”
“Why? Were you worried?” 
You let out a humorless laugh. “For Festus more than you. Have you seen him?”
“I wish. Bet he looks awful with half his ribs broken.” Your open palm hits his shoulder and he gasps anew. “When did you become so violent?” 
You scoff and push him, but he barely moves. “I’m violent? You’re so infuriating. They wanted to throw you out. I had to beg his parents for mercy. Me, who, by the way, did nothing wrong. So if I want to hit you right now, I have every right.”
He sighs and tilts his head against the wall. “I’m sorry, alright?”
“You don’t mean it.”
He smiles. You raise your hand to hit him again, but decide against it, instead laying it on the side of his face. His shoulders tense momentarily before he remembers it’ll be weird if you notice and he forces himself to relax as your fingers run over his cheek and neck, before they slide down to hold his right hand. You bring his bruised knuckles to your eyes, inspecting them. 
“How many times did you even hit him?”
“I don’t know, like, fifty before Sejanus hauled me off.”
“You’re insane,” you say. 
He thinks you’re probably right. But Festus said what he said and paid the price. At a discount at that—because if it were up to Coriolanus the asshole wouldn’t be lying in the hospital but the crematorium. Silence settles and all he hears is your breathing. Your fingers stay caressing his hand and each time they run over the bruises on his knuckles, he twitches indiscernibly, fighting the urge to jolt away. 
“Will you tell me what he said?” you ask, this time softer. 
“I don’t remember in detail…” he starts, but you stare at him knowingly and he cannot bring himself to lie. “Something about how you’re going to share my mother’s fate.” 
“Coryo,” you say. 
The two of you remain silent. He thinks you might stand up and leave; he thinks you’re terrifying at this moment, with your hair framing your face and your eyes on fire and your lower lip trembling. He thinks he’s said too much of the truth. Suddenly, you make a sound close to choking and he stiffens all over. 
“Coryo.” Your voice is feeble, shaky, as you wrap your arms around him and pull him in. In shock, he can do nothing more than let you hold him, taut as a string. “You should have told Dr. Gaul or…”
He has enough fervor in him still to chuckle, although it’s only half-hearted. “And what would she have done?”
“I don’t know,” you admit. 
You sit, embracing in the dark, in silence. He’s tense until you start rubbing his back, then he considerably relaxes with a hot sigh against your neck. It raises hairs all over your body, the heat, and you breathe out slowly. You smell like victory, he thinks, like roses and winter and gold. 
“He was wrong.” Your fingers dig into his shoulders as you pull away for a brief moment to look him in the eyes. Blue, piercing eyes which gaze at you in a manner so unidentifiable. “You hear me? He was wrong about me and you and everything. I promise. I’m glad you punched him.”
“I did it for you.”
“I know. I know.” 
In the half-dark room, he wraps his arms around you tighter. 
Tumblr media
i havent posted for so long so have this. also always remember i liked him first bcs i was in love already when i read the book two years ago. everyone else back off!! please let me know if u liked this and maybe ill write smth longer for coryo later xx
753 notes · View notes
shoddynomenclature · 6 months
Text
How They’d React to Your Secret Fear of Thunderstorms
It’s raining here and this may or may not be a self insert.
Headcannons for Shadowheart, Lae’zel, Karlach, Minthara, and Jaheria. The reader is gender neutral.
I tried to write the men but I just don’t know how.
——————————————————————
Shadowheart
She’s praying when you come in. She opens one eye slightly when she hears you enter, motioning over to the bedroll.
She thinks you’re just coming in to get out of the rain at first; you are the only one without a tent, afterall.
It isn’t until she’s done praying that she realizes you seem to be hiding inside the bedroll.
“Are you… looking for something in there?” She asks, pulling back the top of the bedroll.
The look on her face lets you know you’ve been caught.
She sighs and scoots into the bedroll next to you. She’s not much of a cuddler, but this counts as an extenuating circumstance. You snuggle up next to her and thank her.
[Tiefling] She won’t even say anything when she feels your tail around her waist.
Lae’zel
Lae’zel also fucking HATES thunderstorms. She wouldn’t dare say she was scared but she doesn’t care for them at all.
She already pissy by the time you get to her tent. “I don’t understand why the sky in your ‘faerun’ finds all this noise necessary. If I wanted to listen to insolent shouting, I’d talk to Shadowheart about the Selunites again.”
She makes fun of you if say you’re afraid, but you see her jump a little bit every time a particularly violent crash rings through camp.
She won’t try to hug or comfort you in anyway, but she inches closer to you every time the ground shakes.
Ya know… for you protection
Karlach
She is somehow asleep despite the all the noise.
You move into her tent with Scratch at your heals and gently shake her awake.
“Hey Solider,” she says, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Is everything alright?”
“I… um… Scratch is actually afraid of the thunder,” you say, pointing accusingly at the confused dog.
Karlach smiles a tired smile “well then I guess I’m left with no choice.” She opens the bedroll to welcome you in. The dog happily trots to her feet and curls up.
“Hey um, Clive’s actually pretty scared too. He could probably use a nice tight squeeze,” she says handing you the stuffed bear.
You happily snuggle up to her warm body with the bear wrapped tight in your arms.
You instinctively bury yourself in her chest when thunder booms so loud it sounds like the sky may crack. Your face runs hot, and you refuse to lift your head.
She kisses you gently on the top of the head. “I adore you, ya know?” You can feel her ‘you’re so fucking cute I’m gonna explode’ smile.
You decide you’re actually just probably gonna melt right there from the embarrassment.
Minthara
Minthara doesn’t like the rain at all. Something about her feline nature. But she doesn’t mind the thunder and lightning. She actually finds it sort of calming in a way.
When you come into her tent, she’s reading on a pillow. She doesn’t look up. “You can take the bedroll. I don’t mind.”
You hurriedly take the invitation, shoving yourself as quickly as possible into the bedroll.
She continues her reading for a few minutes before looking up. “You’re shaking the whole tent. Are you cold?”
She doesn’t wait for an answer. She unfolds a blanket and moves to throw it over your shaking body. That’s when she realizes you’re trembling, white-knuckling the blanket.
“Oh,” she pauses, unsure of what to do. “Something has you frightened?” It doesn’t occur to her that the thunder could be scary.
“It’s the storm. I don’t like it,” you say weakly, refusing to meet her gaze.
She silently moves her reading pillow closer to you, sitting down cross legged right above your head. She drags your shoulders so that your head is in her lap. She plays with your hair, hands moving protectively over your ears at the start of each rumble.
Minthara thinks it’s kind of silly and juvenile at first, but her attitude changes as she watches you visibly calm. It actually makes her feel kind of powerful. She’s protecting you from the sky itself.
Jaheira
She’s lounging just outside her tent, still covered by the awning. “It’s a beautiful night, no?” She asks as you approach, staring up and watching the lightening crack across the sky.
You look at her aghast, standing in the rain like a drowned rat. “Oh, come in, of course.”
She gives you some rags and helps dry you off. She helps you out of your soaked clothes and into something dry.
She notices the way you jump at the thunder and close your eyes when the lightning flashes.
“Do not worry, cub. This is nothing to be afraid of. It is just the *explains in science terms how the thunder and lightning works*”
She seems to notice that her extensive explanation did little to soothe you. She doesn’t really know what will soothe you though.
She ends up sitting down next to you on the bedroll, allowing you to rest your wet hair on her shoulder if you so choose.
She settles for telling you stories of the Harpers and other heroes. Her tales serve as a distraction enough to get you through the night.
449 notes · View notes