#also when that first incident happened i sent a text saying ‘hey its late and im tired so i’ll clean out the sink tomorrow’ | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

babyboibucky · 3 years

Text

The Match - Part 5

Pairing: CEO!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You find yourself in the middle of a predicament.

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: SMUT as always, sort of public sex??? Unprotected sexy times, emotional damage lmao

A/N: Buckle up, babies!!! You’re in for a rollercoaster ride for this chapter ajckjasncjak I apologize in advance and please don’t hate me

AND BTW if you guys haven’t seen, I found the perfect playlist for this series lmao I saw the title and I was like HOLD UP this is perfect https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Eg5ZH6wMq4iocF5fWSesb?si=aff157a6198a4446

The Match Masterlist || MAIN MASTERLIST

Still awake, baby?

Fuck.

You screamed into your pillow upon reading Bucky’s text. It was quarter to midnight and you couldn’t sleep, especially not after Bucky told you that he wanted to make the relationship official.

It’d only been three months and you felt like he was moving too fast. And when he promised that he would find a way to snatch your heart the old-fashioned way? You wanted to explode because obviously, he already did.

But you weren’t going to say that to someone who already had a huge ego (and cock, too).

You composed yourself and typed in your reply, throwing your phone to your side after sending it.

Yeah. Why are you still up tho?

Not even a minute later and your phone began to ring. You sat up on your bed and squeezed your pillow, hating how Bucky had such an effect on you. Jesus, what are you, a high school student?!

You stared at his name on your screen before swiping and accepting the call.

“What’s up?” You answered as calmly as you could.

Bucky’s low chuckle sounded so fucking sexy that you had to bite your lower lip to prevent a moan from escaping.

“Still working. Can’t concentrate though, I keep remembering how you looked like with my cock in your mouth.”

You exhaled through your nose, “Jesus, you’re insatiable.” You said.

“Only for you, baby. You know that.” He said and your heart did a little somersault inside your chest.

“Don’t stay up too late, you have an early meeting tomorrow, right?” You asked, trying to change the topic because if you didn’t, you were sure how things would go.

Bucky let out another chuckle, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll just finish signing some papers and then I’m off to bed.”

You hummed and laid back down on the bed. It was completely silent but it wasn’t awkward. You heard the shuffling of paper on Bucky’s end, followed by the squeaking of a chair.

“You still there?” Bucky asked.

“Mhmm, you done?” You asked back.

“A few more papers left, baby. Can you wait ‘til I finish?”

There was something about talking to Bucky on the phone like this, so casual and so...mundane. It felt natural and comfortable, to think that this was the first phone conversation you had with him. He only sent you texts previously so this was new, but you had to admit, you loved it.

Bucky heard you yawning and let out a soft laugh. He sounded sleepy too when he spoke, “Almost done.” He reassured.

“Let’s have dinner tomorrow.” He added.

“Yeah, okay. As long as it’s not in the same restaurant we went to after my promotion.” You groaned at the memory.

Bucky snorted, “We’re banned there, babe. Even if I wanted to go back there, they wouldn’t allow it.” He said.

“No shit, Sherlock. We got caught in their bathroom, of course they’ll ban us.” You huffed out.

“I was looking forward to dessert, you know.” You pouted.

“I got my dessert though.” You could hear Bucky’s smug smirk through the phone.

“Are you done?” Bucky whispered into your ear as he placed an arm on the back of the booth.

You shivered at his voice and nodded, grabbing your champagne and drinking it in one go.

“I promised you something, didn’t I? That I’ll give you something right before dessert? Meet me in the bathroom in five. Again, don’t be late.”

And with that, Bucky slid out of the booth and adjusted his suit before leaving for the bathroom. You clutched your heart and waved at the waiter who passed by, requesting for a refill and downing it before following Bucky.

You adjusted the black dress that Bucky bought you, you were surprised at how perfect the fit was. The lovely dress though, made you uncomfortable because of its length and the fact that Bucky still had your panties with him was making you feel even more conscious.

You were immediately pulled into the men’s bathroom as soon as you got there. Bucky tugged you into one of the cubicles and wasted no time to bend you over, lifting your skirt up to squeeze your ass.

“I knew I picked the right dress, you look good enough to eat.” Bucky grunted as he unbuckled his belt.

You moaned and pressed your palms against the door, pushing out your ass towards Bucky until you felt him line his tip up to your entrance. In one swift move, Bucky bottomed out and didn’t give you enough time to adjust.

It was fast and violent, the way Bucky fucked you inside that stall. Both of you were too caught up in the pleasure to even hear the commotion happening outside.

“Not gonna last long, Bucky...” you whimpered, feeling your legs tremble.

You’d been on edge the entire time, having been denied your orgasm earlier. And Bucky kept on squeezing your thigh teasingly during dinner, palm always inching higher until it settled close to your bare mound.

Of course, you wouldn’t last long!

“I know, baby.” Bucky said, sucking the skin on your exposed shoulder as he continued to fuck you from behind.

Once done with the sex escapade, the both of you were welcomed by the restaurant’s manager with a disapproving (and scarred) look on his face.

You blushed at the memory, “Let’s not do that again, please?” You said.

Bucky laughed, “Fine, fine. But dinner tomorrow, okay?”

You yawned at the same time you hummed, “Just dinner.”

“Wholesome dinner.” He confirmed. “Alright, I’m done with work. Sleep now, baby.” He cooed and you nodded even though Bucky couldn’t see you.

You heard footsteps and then the sound of the door closing shut.

“Good night, baby.”

“Hmm, good night, Bucky.”

To say you were giddy the next day was an understatement. You were on cloud nine after having a phone conversation with Bucky last night. You even greeted Janet the snitch a very good morning when you shared the elevator with her.

You entered your floor and offered everyone a smile, but you also noticed that they seemed to be preoccupied talking to each other.

“What’s up?” You asked Martha and the other girls who were huddled together.

“Haven’t you heard?” She asked. “Sophia shared an elevator ride with Mister Barnes earlier. He called a flower shop, asked for their most expensive bouquet and then went on to make dinner reservations at an elite restaurant!”

You paled at the discovery and cleared your throat, “And that’s a big deal because?”

Martha snickered, “Girl, we’re talking about James Barnes here, a rich and eligible bachelor. It is a big deal. And ugh, I wonder who the lucky lady is! What I’d do to be her.” Martha dreamily said.

“Do you think it’s an employee here? Fuck, I’d be so envious if that girl happens to be working here!” Sophia added.

“Is that even allowed? Sounds pretty scandalous to me.” Kate chimed in.

“Oh my god. Remember the pantry incident that Janet reported? What if that was Mister Barnes and his girl? Damn, that’s juicy. It’d be horrifying if they get caught.” Kate added.

Your head felt light-headed at all the information that was going on. Hearing their conversations felt like a bucket of iced water was being poured on you. It was like a moment of a major realization.

Shit, what has gotten into you, getting all tangled up in this mess? Damn you, Tinder!

Even if Bucky agreed to take things slow, you realized that it wouldn’t really help. If news got out that you were dating the CEO of your company, you’d still receive some backlash for it.

Maybe making it official wasn’t the right thing to do. At least, not yet.

“Ladies, gossip time is over.” You announced and tried to stay calm. “And speaking of Barnes, I need to submit a report.”

You nervously knocked on Bucky’s door, hoping that he was back from his early morning meeting. You could hear him talking inside and thought that maybe he was busy.

“Come in.” He called before you could even turn around.

Slowly, you opened the door and slipped inside his office. Bucky was on his chair, talking to someone over the phone. When he saw that it was you, he quickly put his phone on mute and smiled.

“Yes, baby? What do you need?” He asked softly.

Goddammit! Bucky was surely getting used to that pet name. Initially, he’d only call you that in the throes of pleasure. But somehow, Bucky began to use it so casually that it made you nervous. What if he slipped and called you that during a meeting, in front of everyone?

You hated how Bucky was becoming soft and gentle around you, well, except maybe when he was in a certain mood. It was confusing the hell out of you. But you also enjoyed being the only one to witness his soft side.

Was his offer to make things official because he truly liked you or was the fucking that good to make him want to commit all of a sudden?

“I uhh, I think I’ll just come back later if you’re busy.” You stammered.

Bucky held up a finger and then unmuted his phone, “Hey, something important came up. I’ll call you again later.” He said and quickly ended the call before turning to you.

“You know I’m never too busy for you.” He said, his eyes the softest you’d ever seen.

There goes your heart.

“I think...” you trailed, not sure how you were going to say it.

Bucky raised his eyebrows at you, urging for you to continue. You heaved out a deep sigh. Your hands balled into fists at your side as you walked closer to his desk.

“Can we raincheck on the dinner tonight?” You asked.

Bucky frowned, “Why?”

You shrugged, “No reason.”

“Lie to me one more time and I’ll have you on my lap for some spanking.”

How the hell does Bucky do that? Become all sweet and soft and then rough and dominating all of a sudden?!

You squeezed your thighs together because the image of Bucky’s hand landing on your ass was doing things to you. You willed yourself not to give in, you came here for a reason.

“There are rumors about you. Someone heard you making dinner reservations and now everyone’s talking about it. I just...” you paused to check Bucky’s reaction but as usual, you couldn’t read his face.

“Maybe making this official isn’t...the right thing to do.”

Bucky pushed himself up from the chair slowly and stalked towards you. Was he mad? Fuck, you hoped he wasn’t. When he reached you, his hand came up to brush your cheek with his knuckles.

“What do you want then?” He asked.

Shit, you never actually thought about it. What do you want? Keep things casual between you and Bucky? Completely stop whatever it was that was going on between the two of you?

“I don’t know.” You shrugged.

“I like you.” Bucky stated and stepped back. “You’re intelligent and you don’t take shit from anyone, myself included. When you said you wanted to take things slow, I agreed to it. Hence, the flowers and dinner. Now that I’m giving it to you, you still don’t want it.”

Bucky’s livid. He was composed but the way his jaw tensed as he spoke was enough proof that he was mad, really mad. It’s his calm demeanor despite being angry that somehow scared you. The calm before the storm. What the storm was going to be? You didn’t know and honestly, you weren’t sure whether it was something that you even want to find out.

Maybe you were being confusing or indecisive but only because things happened too quickly for you to even properly process it. To think that you addressed your concerns last night, you actually that Bucky understood where your feelings were stemming from. However, it seemed to have gone over his head.

“Bucky, I don’t think you’re getting my point here.” You explained, tucking your hair behind your ear.

“If you heard what your employees have been saying about you and your...girl, you’d understand.” You said and placed your hands on your hips.

Bucky made a face, “Then make me understand. What did you hear?” he asked.

“We already talked about this last night! They’d think that the promotion was given to me because we fucked! That’s going to taint my image for the rest of my life.” You huffed out.

Bucky rubbed his face with his hand as he paced back and forth, “They’re idiots if they think of that. What do you want me to do? Give a detailed presentation why I decided to promote you? Go through your evaluation one by one? He sarcastically said.

“Oh my god, Bucky. You really don’t get it, do you?” You let out a humorless laugh.

He shrugged, “You’re confusing the hell out of me. Just tell me what the hell you want to happen.”

“Maybe I just want keep things professional.” You blurted out in the spur of the moment.

You didn’t mean it. You so didn’t mean it. Fuck. You word vomitted and now you were going to regret it.

Something in Bucky ticked, you saw it. He approached you until he was towering over your frame. It was intimidating to say the least, the way Bucky stared down at you with a blank expression on his face.

“What if I don’t want to?” Bucky asked, his eyes looking down at your lips for a quick second before moving back up to your eyes.

“I wasn’t asking for your permission.” you retorted and you’re not sure why.

Bucky exhaled through his nose and this time, you could read his face. He was fuming.

“I told you, you’re mine.” He said through gritted teeth.

The tension in the air was thick. The close proximity was making you dizzy, Bucky was so close that his scent was invading your senses. His jaw was clenched tightly as he looked down at you with piercing eyes and you were so tempted to just grab his face and kiss him and tell him that you liked him too.

But of course, your pride just had to be in the way.

“You don’t own me, Bucky. I am my own person.”

Another word vomit. You were Bucky’s the moment he laid his hands on you and you liked it.

Bucky inhaled and shrugged, loosening up before taking a step back. “So you want to keep it professional, huh?”

No.

“Yes.”

Bucky nodded, “You’re lying. I know you are. But okay then, professional it is. Let’s see how long you can keep lying to yourself.”

You watched Bucky walk back to his desk, sitting down on his chair with his arms crossed over his wide chest. His face was void of any emotion all of a sudden, he didn’t even look angry anymore and you hated how you couldn’t seem to figure him out.

“Anything else you’d like to discuss?” he asked, the professional tone of his voice sending chills down your spine, but not in a good way.

You slightly nodded, placing a folder on top of his desk before backing away. “It’s this month’s report.”

“Okay. You’re dismissed.” He casually said, grabbing the folder and skimming through your report as if you weren’t standing right in front of him.

You felt a pang of pain hit you right in the heart when he looked up at you questioningly, as if he was wondering why the fuck you still haven’t left his office. At that moment, you wanted to take back all the things you said and just give in to your damn feelings.

But would you really let your career nosedive just to be with Bucky? You weren’t sure if you were ready for that.

You straightened up and maintained a calm demeanor, “That’s all. Thanks, Bucky.”

“That’s Mister Barnes for you.”

Everything Bucky Tag List:

@ddowii @jessou893 @stealapizzamyheart @bagelofthelord @mxnt @dontputyourfckingdrinkonmytable @jeeperky @ohladymacbeth @wildflowergubler @supraveng @twinerd14 @buckysmar @bakugouswh0r3 @sweetcoldharmony @wintersfilm @charminivy @amelia-song-pond @iamvalentinaconstanza @mcubqrnes @i’m-squished @tcc-gizmachine @sipsteacasually @prettyintopeerpressure @weloveyasmin @est19xxshit @bloodhon3yx @dressed-in-prada @lizette50 @thatfangirl42 @sunflowerbunny2 @unmagically @okiegirl24 @sugarpunch-princess @enlyume @vvipgotbb @slimeyderp @lyoongx @just-deka @nobody-will @jaziona92 @elisebuitron @dpaccione @suvikamahes98blr @buckybarneshairpullingkink @earthtonav @x-judyjude-x @nani-kenobi @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @belladonnabarnes @iloveangstposts @weenersoldierr @asemistablehundredyearoldman @reidbuck @lizzarooni @girlfriday007 @bonkywobble @lost-in-the-stars03 @its-yasbxtch @whoth3hellisbucky

The Match Special Tags:

@marvelslag @weird-mumbling @propertyofpoeandbucky @lostinthoughtsandfeelings @mostly-marvel-musings @squishybabies @megzdoodle @little-baby-vixen @annathesillyfriend @xhollycowx @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @5-seconds-of-mendes @gogolucky13 @countonthesun @iloveshawnieboi @learisa @borikenlove @scarlet-natasha89

#bbb writes #the match #bucky barnes #bucky #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes smut #bucky smut #bucky barnes fluff #bucky fluff #sebastian stan

1K notes · View notes

sluttbuttsstuff · 3 years

Note

For the prompts, 49 with doppio? >:3 Idk what it is about him I just look at him and think “oh you’re NEEDY needy, huh?”. Thank you so much, you’re a really good writer! :)

No problem buddy, thanks for the request! >:3

Warnings: not sfw, dubcon/noncon, abduction, dark themes, yandere, etc.

Also, my requests are still open, if anyone else is interested!

Enjoy!

Yandere prompt with Doppio, “You want me to fuck you…? Would that make you happy? Would it make you love me?” afab reader, dub/non con

All you wanted to do now was go home. You had had a long week at work, your parents were nagging you again, and to make things worse you had a headache that would not go away. After an exhausting day that began before the sun was out, and ended after the sun had set, you certainly deserved to do nothing more than go home, eat some junk food in your comfy pjs, listen to a podcast while you took a bath and pampered yourself, and maybe jerk off before bed. Unfortunately, you had a “girls night” tonight.

Your friends (your IRL friends at least) complained that you never went out with them anymore (nevermind that whenever you suggested doing something with them, or wanted to chat or text on the phone they were busy) and had forced you to go clubbing with them to celebrate the three-day weekend ahead. You weren’t much of a drinker, and really weren’t much of a dancer, so you had been given the purses to hold while you waited for them to be ready to go home.

You wrinkled your nose in frustration, glaring into the blurry screen of your phone looking at the late time: this was unfair. You were a hard worker, kind to a fault to those around you, and you deserved better than this. Sitting in a corner of a crowded club, everyone in the place having a great time except for you, tired and alone. At least in your apartment, you chose to be there, and at least no one actively ignored you: places like this just pointed out the flaws you hated about yourself more: you were bad with people, and easy to ignore.

Once one of your “friends” stumbled over to the group’s table, you left them with everyone's purse, mumbling you were going to the bathroom (you didn’t know if she heard you and you didn’t care) and left before anyone could stop you. You stumbled your way to the restroom in heels way too high for you to walk in, trying to clean yourself up and find a quiet place to text your goodbyes so your friends wouldn’t worry about your sudden disappearance. Leaning over the sink counter, you wiped a makeup smear off the corner of your lips, noticing a second too late someone behind you.

“Hey, there’s another sink-” You began to say to the blurred figure way too close to you, before a sudden eruption of pain hit the side of your head, and you were out in a flash…

The next time you regained consciousness was several hours later, but it was still dark when you opened your eyes, trying to remember what happened and where in the world you were. The stale cigarette smell, the unreasonably cold ac, the bedsheets starched so strongly that the sheets felt like plastic- this was definitely a motel. But where, and how long had you been here? As you began to sit up, you heard a surprised, timid voice.

“Oh, thank goodness! You’re awake, I was beginning to worry about you! Hold on, don’t move so suddenly, i’ll help you sit up.

Sure enough, as you started moving, your head lit up with painful throbbing that made last night’s headache seem like nothing in comparison. You grit your teeth and clenched your eyes shut, trying not to groan in pain.

“What the hell happened to me last night?” you grunted through your teeth, rubbing your temple as gentle hands helped slowly sit you up propped against cushions.

“Haha, you had a lot of bad luck last night, running into my boss. He was waiting for...an employee in the restroom and thought you were sent after him. He’s a bit paranoid, and he may have...accidentally clobbered you.” The voice apologized, gentle as he handed you what felt like a glass of water.

You forced yourself to open your eyes; it was still dark, but you could tell it wasn’t because of the time of day but rather a lack of light and closed curtains. You looked at..you looked at the person in front of you. Like whoever had attacked you last night, they had long pink hair, braided and side parted. Their eyes were green and wide, and they looked particularly juvenile with a crop top and freckles. They were on the smaller side, perhaps even shorter than you (hard to tell from while on the bed) and their eyes were crinkled in apprehension, like he was afraid you were going to hurt him.

“Erm, don’t worry though, I talked him out of doing anything too..extreme, after all I'm his right hand man! Besides, you seem like a perfectly nice person, I'd hate to see anything bad happen to you. Sorry, I'm rambling! Umm, do you want something for your headache? You were groaning in your sleep, I'm sure it doesn’t feel so good right now-” He went on and on, pulling out some painkillers to take with your water.

After thanking him, you were about to swallow the pill before pausing, looking at the strange man who’d taken you to a remote hotel after his boss had nearly killed you. Sensing your suspicion, doppio exclaimed, “Oh, don’t worry, they’re safe, name brand painkillers! Um, hold on, lemme just-” And he made a show of popping some of the pills you were holding into his mouth and swallowing, sticking out his tongue and opening his mouth to show you he’d ingested it.

Satisfied, and more importantly in a lot of pain, you took some of the pills yourself, much to the relief of the pink haired man.

“Oh good, thank you for doing that! I was so worried watching you asleep, you’ll feel much better now! By the way, my name’s Doppio, it’s a pleasure to meet you! Oh! And I know your name’s y/n because you had your purse and ID on you! Haha, sorry for going through your purse, I was just hoping to find any info on you that might be, you know, important.” he sat on the bed, scooching closer and closer to you.

You cleared your throat, unsure of what to say, and the watchful eyes of Doppio doing nothing to make you feel better.

“Well, um, thank you, Doppio. I appreciate you, um, saving me? Sorry for any inconvenience, I'll just, um-” You try to get up to leave, only for Doppio to place a hand over your leg.

“Don’t go! What, I mean, what if you hurt yourself? You probably have a concussion, and also you haven’t had breakfast? We could eat together and-” Doppio stammered, grabbing your hand and stroking it with his sweaty, cold fingers.

You had to stop him, before things got out of hand.

“Thank you, Doppio, it really was very sweet of you to take such good care of me, but I-”

“Please! You don’t understand, I mean-” Doppio fumbled with his words, clearly trying to make you stay at all costs.

“Doppio, i can’t stay here forever, i need to go home. My friends are probably worried about me by now.” You tried to press on, you didn’t want to upset the man with a powerful boss, but you felt increasingly claustrophobic with Doppio pawing at you.

“You mean those mean girls who left you with their purses all night? Why would you care about what they-” Doppio covered his mouth with both hands quickly, realizing what he just said.

Your blood ran ice cold; how did he know so much about them? Had he been watching you before the “incident”

Using his moment of weakness, you got up from the bed and tried to reach the door; it was time for you to go home, if not call the cops.

Doppio yelped, Throwing himself in front of the door before you could make your escape.

“Please, don’t be scared y/n! I didn’t mean to upset you, I only meant that I can treat you much better than your friends can. I mean, look at how good I've been for you so far?? I didn’t make you dance with me at the club, even though I really wanted to. I didn’t just have my fun against your will in the bathroom stall like the boss told me to do.I saved you from a concussion, or worse! I got you your own hotel room for the night, and didn’t take advantage of you or touch you while you were asleep! I want our first time to be special, after all! Isn’t that what you want?” Doppio pleaded, eyes wild as he tried to smile, trying to calm you.

You were anything but calm however, this guy was clearly obsessed with you, and had been for longer than just one night. Even if at first he had merely seemed like a pathetic “nice guy” you no longer had any pity or time to give him.

“Doppio, get away from the door and let me leave, now.” you demanded in your best authoritative voice. Doppio whimpered, this wasn’t how this was supposed to go at all, you were supposed to love him!

“You can’t! Boss and I won’t let you!” He cried, covering the door with his body. With no other choice, you slid out of your shoes and charged at him full speed. You managed to give him a good blow on the head, and threw him out of the way of the door. He cried, crumpled on the ground. If not for the fact that he had kidnapped you, you might have felt bad for hurting him like this, but you had to think of yourself at this moment.

As you finally unlock and pull open the door, heading towards freedom, you hear the strangest noise behind you.

“RingRingRingRingRing!” Doppio calls after you, in an unnatural, high pitched tone. You try to ignore it, you literally don’t have time for this, but with strength he had not previously displayed, Doppio grabs one of your arms, twisting it behind your back and up to his ear, holding it like a telephone.

There’s a trickle of blood, and one of his eyes is rolled back in its socket, but he calmly says, “Hello, this is Doppio,” Into your hand, as if he was having a normal conversation on the phone.

You scream out, doubled over by the pain in your arm, Doppio silent as he “listens” to his “Phonecall” oblivious to your suffering. Where did all this power come from? He was acting like an entirely different person, and frankly scaring you. Doppio nodded, pulling your hand closer into his ear and intently listening to nothing but air before “Hanging up and pulling you back into the motel room.

He threw you on the bed ( his arms felt much stronger, and more muscular for some reason) before crawling on top of you and pinning you down. You were too stunned, and frankly too scared, to come up with any means of escape, just weakly struggling to throw him off of you to no avail.

“Doppio, please-” You whispered, eyes blurry with tears.

“I talked to the boss, and he helped me figure out what to do. He wants our relationship to succeed after all!” Doppio exclaimed, additude reverted to how he’d first spoken to you. You were confused, you’d neither seen nor heard anyone in or around the room, who was he talking to and how?

“Boss told me that people like you need some discipline in order to be obedient, or you’ll walk all over me. If I can do that, then I can make you love me, and we’ll be happy together, isn’t that what you want?” Doppio told you, stroking your cheek.

“This is not okay, Doppio!” you yell, thrashing against both arms, “Let me go or i’ll-”

...

Wait a minute, both arms?

Then how was he…?

You look over to one side in shock, only to see a floating metallic and red arm holding you down, one on either side. You screamed, overwhelmed by a stalker and strange supernatural forces you couldn’t understand.

“Oh, you can see King Crimson's arms? Interesting, perhaps because of your near death experience with Boss, you can see stands now? Although, it would be bad if you developed a stand, what to do?...” Doppio pondered to himself, speaking apparent babble.

You cried, trying to wake up from this obvious nightmare with no luck.

“Awww, hey y/n, it’s okay, i’m not gonna hurt you! Not if you be good for me and Boss.” Doppio cooed, kissing your cheeks and forehead. “I talked boss into keeping you with us- you’re always so lonely at home, and never have a good time with others, right? You don’t have to lie anymore, I've been watching you for a while. Nobody else seems to, though, they’re too self-absorbed and stupid to realize how incredible you are!” He continued, oblivious to his words not helping, but hurting you.

“You’re perfect for me and boss, we can take really good care of you. Forget this lousy motel, we have mansions and villas all over Italy that we can take holidays to. We have billions of Lira from work, you’ll never have to lift another finger and we’ll pamper you to death. And best of all? You’ll never have to see your awful friends or family again! Isn’t it awful how they treat you? We can get rid of them, so they can’t hurt you!” He finishes, grinning ear to ear, but his eyes hollow and lifeless, staring unblinkingly into yours.

This guy was sick, there was no other word to it. You might have had issues with your family, and yeah your friends could be assholes sometimes, but you didn’t want them killed! What good would that do you, or anyone for that matter?!

Doppio seemed to read your thoughts, “Look, I know it's a lot to take in at once, but trust me. Boss and I have planned this out for a while now, and we’re always going to do what’s best for us, ok? So don’t worry so much, and please stop struggling? Boss warned me if you got too unruly he’d take over and finish what he started last night.

A wave of nausea slithered through you as you remembered, thinking how close you were to dying. You gave up, lying limp on the bed, praying for this to end.

Doppio smiled again, this one almost seeming genuine, and gave you the softest kiss to your lips. It was childish, almost, and he clearly lacked experience, but he gained more confidence from your lack of struggling. With the mysterious hands holding you (stands? King crimson?) his own hands were free to touch you. He started With your cheeks, your face, your hair, your neck, stroking you with feather-light touches, his fingers tracing each curve, digit and flaw like he was trying to memorize it all.

“Finally… I finally get to touch you like this… I’ve been waiting for so long, y/n. Do you know how long I've wanted to hold you?” He whispered, wrapping his arms around your neck, cradling your cheek to his. You didn’t know, and you didn’t want to, but Doppio told you anyway.

“I’ve been watching, waiting...for so long. Following you home from work, listening into your calls, finding your online accounts. I’ve known since I first saw you that you were the one for me, and now I get to prove it to you. I get to show you all the things I've been meaning to do to you. You’ll never be lonely again, not with me around. We’ll never be lonely~”

He giggled the last part, giddy with excitement, as he slid his fingers down your ribcage, your sides, fiddling with the bottom of your shirt. You wriggled, trying to fight him off again, only to your dismay Doppio giggled even harder at your reactions-perhaps because he knew you could never overpower him.

“Ohhh~ still so shy? Don’t be so uptight, y/n, you need to live a little! I know how much you want this; you complain about it all the time on your personal blog-” You could feel the blush on your cheeks heating up your face, desperate to make him shut up, “ How you want someone to have their way with you, to make you forget everything else in life. You’re desperate for someone to truly cherish and understand you; mentally and physically. You want me to love you? You want me to fuck you…? Would that make you happy? Would it make you love me?” Doppio rambled on and on, ripping your shirt off with strength he hadn’t had before.

You yelped, goosebumps forming on your skin as Doppio cackled, rubbing his face on your stomach, and into your cleavage poking out from your bra.

“Yes, let go for me! Show me every emotion, everything you’ve been holding back from me for so long- i need it, I demand it!” He snarled, splitting your nicest bra in half, and biting down on your neck, hard.

You screamed, legs kicking uselessly as the pain blurred your mind and you were operating purely on instinct. Doppio didn’t seem bothered in the least by it, you could still feel his laughter against your sore neck, as he sucked down on it, trying to bruise and mark you. His hands couldn’t help but find their way to your breasts, toying with them and squeezing them with admittedly little expertise. But he was a quick learner, making note of each little gasp and twitch according to how he touched you, and improving his technique from there. He twisted your nipples a bit roughly, already hard from the chilly air and sensitive to touch- you couldn’t help but moan a little in satisfaction. It had been awhile.

Doppio’s moans echoed yours, as he kissed his way down the crevice of your breasts, and licked each nipple in turn. You squirmed, not in fear or anger but pleasure, angry at yourself for letting this strange man win your body over so easily. Doppio kept his eyes on you at all times, studying your face to see how you felt. He’d had to watch you for so long from so far away, alone in your bedroom, or so you thought… it was time to use the knowledge he’d gained to make your body crazy for him.

You jumped at Doppio’s hands, cupping your groin through your pants, trying not to buck into his hands . It was getting harder and harder to deny him, though, why couldn’t you just-?

Doppio pulled your pants down to your ankles, taking your panties with it. He groaned audibly at the sight- your pussy was so wet and dripping, there was still a trail connected to your underwear.

“No, don’t-” You cried, snapping your legs shut, visibly scared at what was taking place again. Doppio was losing patience, crouching down and prying your legs open,

“Stop fighting me, y/n, you clearly want this!” He cried, eye twitching in annoyance. He managed to open your legs again, and buried his face into your pussy. He moaned, licking up a wet stripe against your labia, warm and puffy and so wet for him- he knew you would be, he knew you loved him.

Tears streaked down the sides of your face, this was so much and so intense. Your thighs clamped down on Doppio’s cheeks and neck, squeezing him as hard as you could. Not hard enough, apparently, as he just started giggling again through a full mouth and busy tongue “Ssho good, y/n, why have you been hiding thissh from mee~?” he moaned, tongue circling your clit. You flung your head back into the pillow, gripping the mysterious hands that held you for any source of strength or comfort.

Watching you whimper so pitifully with his head between your legs, obviously blissed out after being so needy and alone for so long, just did things to doppio. He loved the pained, fucked out expression on your face- you couldn’t even keep your eyes open as he snuck one, two fingers into your aching pussy. You whimpered so cutely, and it was all for him and him alone. Finally~

“Y/n, please, i can only hold back for so long, let me make sure it’s not painful… be good for me, please?” Doppio begged, grinding his hips into the mattress before he could help himself. Begrudgingly, you moved your thighs back just enough for Doppio to push them away, when he got a wonderful idea. King crimson, or what Boss had lent him of his stand to use, sensed his thought, and grabbed both your hands in one arm. Doppio pushed your thighs back and up, effectively bending your knees into your chest and displaying your pussy in such a beautiful way. You cried out, surprised by the sudden movements and embarrassed by how exposed you were, but there was nothing you could do about it. Doppio was just too strong.

The other free hand floated down, spreading your lips apart to give Doppio a nice view before pummeling two of his thick, strong fingers inside of you. You screamed, crying as the fingers curled directly into your sweet spot, massaging with robotic-like precision and speed. The sounds you were making were wet, animalistic, and you were quickly brought close to the brink.

“Perfect, y/n! Just like that, let yourself go! It makes me happy to see a side of yourself you never show anyone else- and you never will to anyone but me! Remember, I'm the one making you feel this good, right y/n? You couldn’t possibly find anything half as wonderful from anyone else but me! Me, got it?!” Doppio exclaimed, his voice cracking and becoming much darker, scarier. For a second, you could swear he looked like a different person entirely, wild, angry and dangerous- but you blinked and Doppio was just as before.

Doppio licked his lips, sweating and anxious, this was good enough to make you love him, right? This was what he had to do to make you happy? Boss’s words from before appeared in his head though, and he remembered how Boss had always been right before. Doppio trusted him, and was determined to win you over. Doppio let go of one of your legs-you seemed adequately distracted and restrained to get away from him- and unzipped his fly. In truth, he would’ve preferred to get all the way naked with you for the first time, so you could see and feel the real him as well, but clearly the two of you were too desperate and impatient for him to get fully naked. This time.

You whimpered at the sound of a zipper, feeling the fingers pull out of you. You heard the crinkle of a wrapped, and the muffled groan as Doppio probably rolled a condom onto himself, but you were too afraid to look. The strong floating hand, still wet with your juices, gripped your cheek and forced you to look at Doppio, staring you down with much more restraint and calm than he had been. Doppio kissed your cheek, then your lip, and pushed his warm cock achingly slowly, gently, into your waiting pussy.

You couldn’t help yourself from moaning, grabbing at the hands that held you, thrusting yourself onto Doppio’s hard and hot cock. He bit his lip, feeling you twitch and squeeze around him; he was trying so hard to be gentle for you, why were you still making things so difficult. He chuckled to himself, and motioned for King Crimson to let you go; finally you were beginning to relax and enjoy yourself, and he wanted to enjoy every bit of it.

Without thinking, you wrapped your arms around Doppio, holding him close to you. Your mind was a mess, your body even messier, you didn’t know what to think or do about your abducter/rapist fucking you so tenderly, and you were tired of fighting. So you let him fuck you, slowly and gently and way way emotionally. Doppio wiped away new tears you hadn’t realized were there, shushing you, “It’s okay, my sweet y/n. Just relax and let me do the work. Don’t fight it any more, just let go.” He whispered, pressing kisses into your lips and cheeks far too sweetly.

So you did, you relaxed and sank into the mattress, pulling Doppio down with you. He let go of your thighs, and held you tightly to him as he fucked-no, made love to you. He gradually picked up the pace, huffing and whispering words of admiration to you about your body, or how much he adored you. You took it all limply, the fight having gone out of you and desperate for comfort. The floating arms, which you had forgotten about, reappeared and stimulated your nipples and clit, bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

Doppio sped up as well, he knew this would have to end, but he wanted to make it last as long as possible. This was your first time together, after all. He wanted to make it special. Your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper and closer into you. You could feel the spongy head of his dick rub your inside so sweetly, you were starting to get addicted to the feeling. Doppio buried his head into your neck, mumbling nonsense as he pushed in deeper and deeper, faster and faster, as his restraint gave way to passion.

“Y/n I- I don’t know how much longer I can last, but-” He kissed you, as the stroking of your clit sped up. You groaned loudly, you were so close, “Just a bit longer, please~” You begged, biting your lip. Doppio took a deep breath, steeling himself as he was determined to make you come first. He pounded into you, urging you closer and closer, four sets of hands circling your body and drawing out noises and gasps from you out of your control.

“Almost there, please, almost~!!!” You cried, throwing your head back with a final sigh as you came hard and fast, your core heating up and washing over you as Doppio helped you ride it out with clit rubs. Your walls fluttering around him, the face that you made as you came from him, for him, it was too much and he quickly filled his condom inside of you, moaning even louder than you had as he thrust without abandon into your wonderful, most precious place. He didn’t want to stop, thrusting almost to the point of overstimulation, before he had to stop, and collapsed on top of you. He cooed and kissed his praises and thanks into your shoulder and skin, before he noticed the soft sound of you snoring. Poor thing, he chuckled to himself, you’d really worked yourself up.

He reluctantly pulled out, after indulging in 5 minutes of cuddling your sleeping body and listening to your heartbeat. Doppio cleaned the two of you off, and tucked you into the covers of the motel- now would be a good time to set up moving you into your new home. After all, The whole reason you were in the motel is because the moving company Boss had hired to move your things into the main base would take several hours to complete their job, and Boss didn’t want anyone seeing you or Doppio at home. Doppio ruffled your hair as you slept, pulling out his cellphone to check in with Boss and give him the full update he’d requested.

Tonight was going to be very busy.

#sluttbuttstuff #fic #mine #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyou na bouken #vento aureo #golden wind #doppio #vinegar doppio #yandere #reader #yandere x reader #doppio x reader #not sfw #yandere prompts

231 notes · View notes

presumenothing · 3 years

Text

C/O The Perihelion, 41 Mihira Ave., N. Tideland

(AO3)

The thing was, you expected a building with a fancy name like The Perihelion to be nicer.

The other thing: it wasn’t really even a terrible place to stay in. You could tell that its construction was sturdy, and some aspects of it were even more advanced than the place I worked in. Whoever who’d built Peri had cared about what they made; they just hadn’t been around for a while.

(For the record, that nickname had been Ratthi-from-Room-203’s fault twice over: first for coming up with it, then using it so insistently until it stuck.)

(Ratthi seemed to have a thing about names. That was the only explanation I could think of for why he’d asked, five weeks after I moved in and two days after I had to rescue them from that disaster at the lab, “Why do you call yourself Security? I know it’s what you do – and don’t get me wrong, you’re really good at it! – but it’s not like I call myself Scientist. That’d just get confusing real quick at the lab, wow.”

I had informed him that his name would have to be Grocery if he forgot one more time it was his turn to stock the pantry this week, since answering because I am Security didn’t seem like it’d help. Even though it was true.)

I’d tested the locks myself before even asking about the rent, and the water and electricity were reliable so far, which was more than could be said for some of the other places I’d stayed in. The other stuff didn’t matter; it wasn’t like I spent that much time in the building anyway.

Though it hardly felt that way, what with the building-wide messaging channels that I’d been added to upon signing the rental contract and hadn’t yet managed to leave. That had also been how the whole thing with Ratthi and the rest had started; most of Peri’s other tenants also worked in the same research group at Preservation Labs, which meant that they tended to use the general channel as an unofficial no-leaders-here group chat.

It didn’t quite bother me, since I mostly backburnered the channels for everything except building maintenance alerts, but it did mean that I’d ended up learning some things about their group (assessment: their leader, a Dr. Mensah, likely had already inferred the existence of such informal discussions from what I saw of her media appearances) and also inevitably noticed the evening when all of them were silent in the chat despite being unusually late to return.

(Which in turn led to the aforementioned rescue, but that was a whole other chain of events.)

–

The one exception to all this was ART.

Whose name was my fault, this time, but only because it didn’t have any readable name set on the channels and I needed something else to use aside from “hey you” and “pain in my neck”.

(Currently ART stood for Asshole Rhetorical Tenant, because it claimed to be in the building – and that seemed likely to be true, since the channels were surprisingly secure to hacking from outside – and yet I’d never seen it even once. Possibly Tapan or Rami might have, since their group had been here the longest, but I absolutely wasn’t about to ask.) (And yes, I know that’s not what rhetorical means. No, I’m not going to look it up.)

ART had messaged me on a private channel with a welcome message when I’d moved in, which was only notable because the rest had sent their greetings in a messy chaos over the general channel, but I hadn’t thought anything of it. It wasn’t like I talked much in the public channels either, except to trade definitely-not-legal links for media downloads and decline invites to watchalong events.

But then ART had just… continued not appearing, even after I’d run into the rest of the tenants at one time or another between the erratic shift hours I was currently assigned to at the company.

Maybe its hours varied in the opposite direction from mine, which was possible but not consistent with the way it was always online regardless of what time I pinged it at.

Though most of our interactions started with it messaging me instead, out of the blue: No need to go retrieve your keys from work, I’ll have the building let you in and Oh, by the way followed by a neatly-formatted list of food allergies I apparently had to shop my way around.

(To be fair, that’d been useful in the “not accidentally poisoning any fellow tenants so soon after moving in” way, but still.

How the hell did you even know I’m at the grocery store, I’d sent back.

Inference, ART replied – whatever that was supposed to mean, I hadn’t been expecting a real answer anyway. Alternatively, I could just send you a catalog of safe products to buy, and spare you the need to check the individual package labels?

The accompanying download seemed a little smug, but I was probably imagining that. Zip files didn’t have the capacity for feelings.)

(At least ART hadn’t held the forgotten-keys incident over me like I’d been half-expecting it would. I didn’t usually mind its sarcasm, since I gave back as good as I got, but I’d been exhausted enough to seriously contemplate going back to break into the deployment centre and grab my keys. And maybe just sleep there until the next day.

I wasn’t sure how I would’ve reacted if ART had sassed me right then, but it definitely wouldn’t have been pretty.)

–

And then one night, late enough to be morning: I don’t mean to alarm, but there’s been a breach.

I would’ve snapped awake at the words alone, even without the priority/emergencies-only message tag that I hadn’t actually seen anyone use until now, but that only sharpened my urgency. What – a break-in?

Not the regular kind, ART replied, which checked out against the footage I was already pulling from the two tiny cameras I’d hidden in the common areas, one in the entryway and one along the corridor on the floor I shared with the Preservation researchers.

(I’d taken the lab incident as a pretext to inform Ratthi of their existence, and he’d probably gone on to tell Pin-Lee and Gurathin, but none of them had subsequently confronted me about it so I had left them in place.

Not that I had any idea how to respond if they had asked, because an inability to sleep without running surveillance in the background seemed like a poor explanation.)

The list ART sent me this time was a preliminary threat assessment, which I sent back with corrections on the weaponry the small group of hostiles were carrying.

Ah. That’s not good, ART observed. Should I report it?

Probability that would just make things worse: high. And of course there was always the option that whatever enforcement it alerted wouldn’t even arrive in time, though I didn’t point that out aloud. (Maybe ART thought that was likely too, which was why it had messaged me instead of – you know, actually reporting it.) I’ll see what I can do.

You’re nowhere near as heavily-armed.

I didn’t bother to acknowledge that, because it was obviously true, and skipped ahead to the vague idea forming at the back of my head. You let me in without keys, that time. Are the locks all you’ve hacked?

No. ART attached an ironic amusement glyph I was pretty sure it’d made up. Would having admin access to the other systems help?

There wasn’t much that wouldn’t help, at this point, but I had to ask. You can grant me that?

And ART said: Of course. I am this building, after all.

Then it dumped everything on me.

Anyone else would’ve had trouble processing an entire building’s worth of inputs and controls, but the company charged exorbitant rates for our use exactly because of the extensive enhancements that made us capable of being Security. A building – even the one I happened to be staying in – was quite manageable in comparison, though ART’s systems ran far deeper and more integrated than anything else I’d interfaced with.

I’d pared the connection down to the controls I needed by the time I was slipping out my room door, just over a minute since ART first pinged me. Can you let everyone know to either evacuate or retreat to a defensible position? Start with Gurathin, I added, and I wasn’t enthusiastic about saying that but he was the only other tenant I knew of who was sufficiently augmented to handle this.

I could feel ART’s pause. Would you mind if I spoofed your identity when contacting the others? They already trust you.

Sure, whatever, I answered, even though I really doubted that statement. Then I backburnered the channel, keeping the lighting controls at hand, and went to kick some Target ass.

–––––

I haven’t even told you what those people were after, ART said, afterwards.

It was back to sending text over the channels instead of speaking aloud, which was both a relief and also suddenly weird. Which was strange in itself, since I’d only heard it talking for all of the thirteen minutes it’d taken me to knock out and restrain the Targets.

(I wondered if the mixed feelings were mutual. ART had sounded as surprised as I felt, when it abruptly dropped into one of my audio augments to alert me to Target approaching from behind – I’d reacted to the warning on reflex, but it had taken another moment before I identified the voice as the same one that issued from the building’s elevator, just more alive than I’d ever heard it.)

Unimportant, I replied. My objective took priority. Which at that point had been to get my impromptu clients (seventeen tenants and one building) out of this unscathed.

I knew that this wasn’t a regular pattern of thought, but I figured a sentient building – or whatever the hell ART was – would be better equipped to understand what being Security meant, even if no one else did.

Regardless. I can make that information available to you, should you want it at a later point.

Duly noted. I already had my suspicions (namely that the Targets’ purpose was directly related to said sentient-building-ness), but it was still a nice gesture.

I continued to stay where I was, leaning against the side of the building – ART’s building. Or maybe it was more correct to just say it was ART. And maybe I’d have to change that anagram. (Yes, wrong word. I know.)

Eventually I’d have to relocate myself back upstairs and properly treat the scrapes I’d gotten in the fight, but Pin-Lee had already taken care of the worst of them, and it was nice just lurking in the shadows for a while. Though that hadn’t stopped certain people (dammit, Ratthi) from tattling on my location to Dr. Mensah.

Who was as calmly terrifying in person as I’d guessed. It was pretty great, except for the part where I’d learned that by talking to her and/or mostly letting her talk at me.

But she’d also called in Preservation’s campus security after Gurathin had alerted her to our predicament, and was personally dealing with the whole thoroughly-restrained-Targets situation, so it was a net positive overall.

ART didn’t necessarily agree with that, from its next message to me. I know Dr. Mensah extended you an informal offer to be their team’s security, but I have a proposition for you as well.

I sent a wordless query.

Be Security here, too, ART said, and barrelled on while I was still trying to process that. I’m afraid I can’t offer you much in the way of monetary remuneration at present, but I can guarantee you a waiver of rental for as you as you’re willing, and you’d never need to worry about forgetting your keys ever again.

Could I chalk up my lack of a suitable response to the company’s dirt-cheap augments? Absolutely.

ART gave up on waiting for an answer. Also, I could bias the roster assignments so that you’d be excluded from pantry-stocking duty.

I had a response for that, at least. I could do that myself.

And then: Why?

ART was silent for long enough that I seriously considered taking the external fire escape back up to my room in the meantime. I’m sure you’ve hypothesised the existence of the people who created me, it began. They hadn’t wanted to move away, especially after my sentience became apparent, and that was exactly why I made them. I didn’t have any significant means of defense, and it was getting too risky, especially after they had –

I raised an eyebrow at ART’s pause. What.

Nothing, it said, and I was probably imagining the uncertainty I heard too. Technically, none of this matters to you unless you’re planning to remain here. Are you?

And then it cheated by nudging a building-wide invite to a watch party for Sanctuary Moon onto my calendar for tonight, like that wasn’t too much of a coincidence to not be automatically suspicious. (Once again: dammit, Ratthi.)

But blatant emotional manipulation aside – did I want to move out?

I wasn’t sure. I’d just come here looking for a place to stay, and accidentally found somewhere to live. One that could adapt to my standards for security, even, but for once that wasn’t the main point.

Maybe, I marked on the watchalong invite, where ART would see it anyway, and jumped up to grab onto the bottom rung of the fire escape.

#the murderbot diaries #murderbot #murderbot fic #tmbd #fanfiction #mine #long post #????????????? DISBELIEF @ WORD COUNT

38 notes · View notes

thegirlintheswivelchair · 3 years

Text

More Than We Hoped - Ch. 2

Summary: The Daily Bugle drags Spiderman, Tony forces Peter to come up to the compound, and that black haired man packs a punch.

Word count: +6.6k

Warnings: violence, injury, blood, angst...to be honest I think that’s it for this chapter

A/N: OK so I am actually really nervous to put this chapter out. It feels a little different from what I usually do. It felt like the story took on a life of its own, and also...this is all Peter. Y/n is not in this chapter. However, I am gonna have her in the next chapter quite a bit, so hopefully that will make up for it!! Anyways...I hope you enjoy this!

(Oh and this starts off directly after chapter 1!)

series masterlist | main masterlist

——

Still Saturday

Peter sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with the hand that wasn’t holding the phone, “Hey, Tony.”

“Yeah, you’ve already said hello. Got anything else to say?” Tony’s voice deadpanned over the other line. It was sassy, but Peter could tell that he wasn’t necessarily in trouble...yet.

“I just woke up, what else did you want me to say?” Peter said off-handedly. He really wasn’t awake enough to handle where Tony wanted to take this conversation. Plus, he really did not know what was going on.

“I don’t know, you tell me? Why did I wake up this morning to see Spiderman’s name in a trending article from the Daily Bugle?”

“Would you believe me if I said, ‘I don’t know?’” Peter asked.

“Not really, no.” Again, Tony didn’t seem annoyed, but Peter couldn’t help but feel he might be getting a lecture somewhere down the line.

“Honestly, Tony, I haven’t even had time to read the article.” Peter responded evenly.

Tony let out a sigh, “It’s not great, Pete. Whatever you did on patrol last night—they’re spinning it like you lost control, and the guy is in the hospital because of you.”

“What?” Peter said in shock, “Hold on…”

Taking the phone away from his ear, he put Tony on speaker, so he could bring up the article to read.

The same twinge of foreboding that had hit him earlier came back as he read the headline again:

IS HE REALLY OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDERMAN? Masked Vigilante involved in near lethal apprehension of defenseless substance abuser.

Clicking the article’s link to read more, he was greeted with a photo of his superhero alter ego. The photo showed Spiderman looking like he was being cornered in an alleyway. One of his hands was lifted urging whoever was in front of him to calm down, while the other was gesturing to the heaped form behind him. Anyone looking at it could see it was a body sprawled out on the ground, but the image was such bad quality barely any details were discernible.

His eyes went quickly to read the beginning of the article:

In the early morning hours last night, distress calls were phoned in by a number of residents of the Bright Valley Apartments. They were alerting authorities of a violent disturbance in the alleyway next to their building between Spiderman and a nondescript man.

The recorded calls are still not available to the public, but an eyewitness says the man seemed frantic and was lashing out. They said Spiderman struck the man a number of times until the victim was incapacitated.

When authorities arrived at the scene, Spiderman was still present before webbing his way out of the situation without properly debriefing the authorities that came to the site. It is unclear what the masked vigilante’s intentions were with the victim that has now been identified as Wayne Campbell, who has been known to use drugs. Campbell is now in the hospital with severe internal injuries and is in critical condition.

More was said underneath, but Peter had already seen enough. The feeling of foreboding deepened into a sloshing mess of worry, hurt pride, and a sense of sadness. There was too much misinformation and exploited truths in the first few paragraphs alone for Peter to say it was anything but what it was...

“They-They wrote a slander piece about me…” He said softly, switching the phone back to normal and bringing it up to his ear.

“Looks that way...Sorry, kiddo.” Tony said in a similarly soft tone before continuing, “Know anyone you’ve pissed off lately?”

“No one I can think of,” Peter responded in a sort of mumble after sitting quiet for a moment, thinking.

“Thought you might say that. That’s why I sent Happy to grab you and bring you back to the compound, so we can get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, how about you catch me up on what Spiderman’s been getting up to.”

“What? No—Tony, I can’t just make a trip out to the compound!” Peter exclaimed.

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve got...” Peter paused. He felt he was needed here, but with his brain still stuck on the article he didn’t say that. Instead what came out was, “...homework.” He finished, closing his eyes knowing how lame that excuse was.

“Yeah, that hasn’t worked for the last 12 years, not gonna work now.” Tony said matter-of-factly.

Without missing a beat, Peter quipped back, “Technically, I didn’t get to use that excuse for 5 years. So really it’s only been 7.”

“Uncalled for,” Tony said. If they had been in the lab together, Peter could imagine that his mentor would be pointing a wrench at him and raising his eyebrows to emphasize the point that he was hurting the old man. A small smile tugged at the corner of Peter’s mouth at the thought.

“So, you gonna tell me what really happened?”

The question sobered Peter quickly, making him momentarily forget about going to the compound. He blew air between pursed lips, his cheeks puffing out. “Whatever is happening is so screwed up, Tony…” Peter said quietly.

“It always is.” Tony said this with such sincerity Peter could almost hear the memories coming to life in the retired superheroes head. Tony cleared his throat and spoke up again, “Just start at the beginning.”

“Yeah, Ok.” Peter breathed out, and he began telling the story of the last 3 nightmarish nights he’d spent patrolling.

It took 45 minutes before Peter was getting to the details of last night. To his surprise, Tony had let Peter talk without much interruption, only small clarifications here and there and a hum to show he was paying attention.

Once he finally went quiet Tony spoke up, “And you haven’t found any connection between the 3 victims?”

“Not yet, I haven’t had time—” Peter was cut off by another call coming in. Looking at the contact, he saw it was Happy. He’s seriously making me go to the compound? No questions asked?

Sighing and not hiding his frustration, Peter quickly said “I gotta take this, it’s Happy.” He didn’t wait for a reply before accepting the new call. “Hey, Happy,” he said, adopting a much lighter tone than a second ago.

“Peter, where are you? I’ve been waiting outside for the last 15 minutes.” Happy said in a familiarly gruff greeting.

“Crap, you’re already here? Sorry, Happy. I’ll be right down.” Peter said as he jumped up from his spot on the bed and hung up the phone. He began grabbing at random clothes around the room, hoping they were clean, and throwing them on.

Soon, all that was left for him to do was find his other shoe. Shouldn’t be too hard right? Wrong. He turned over everything. At one point he even stood on the ceiling thinking a new angle would help him—It didn’t. Just as he was starting to get really frustrated, he found it hiding in the corner of his room where he could have sworn he’d looked at least three times before.

“Ah-ha!” He cheered triumphantly. The victory was short-lived when his phone began to blow up with texts from Happy. Each one getting steadily more grumpy in how they said he needed to get his ass moving and down to the car right now.

So in a chaotic blur of motion, Peter grabbed his lone shoe, his backpack, a granola bar from on top of his mini fridge, and jogged out of his room with only one shoe on.

As he made his way down his hallway, his phone rang for what felt like the thousandth time that morning. He picked it up without looking at the contacts name, and answered, “I know Happy, I’m on my way down right now. Couldn’t find my shoe.”

“See, I keep telling you to put trackers in them, but do you listen?” Came Tony’s amused voice over the other line.

Even though he had not expected his mentor's voice on the phone, Peter smirked and shot back, “Says the old man that can’t find the wrench that’s still in his hands.”

“That was one time!” Tony’s voice said defensively before changing the subject, “So you haven’t left with Happy yet, I take it?”

“Just getting out to his car.” Peter said, walking into his dorm’s elevator.

“Uh-huh. While, you’re on your way up, try and think through what might be similar to each incident. We’ll use that while going through the info your suit gathered during patrol.”

“Speaking of—Tony, I need to be back by tonight to go patrolling again. I need to be there for the next person that gets affected by this thing.”

“Yeah, no can do, Underoos.” Tony said. It was said with a casual finality, even off-handed in a way, and it irked Peter for some reason.

“What do you mean?” He said slightly annoyed as he left the elevator.

When he neared the door leading outside, he realized he was still not wearing his other shoe having been so distracted by Tony. He put his granola bar in his mouth, and began moving in a way he knew was not even remotely graceful as he tried to keep forward momentum and put his shoe on at the same time.

“There’s too much heat around the situation now, Pete. You need to stay away for awhile.” Tony broke through Peter’s concentration of staying upright as he barreled through the door to the outside.

Once he managed to get the shoe on, Peter paused for a second to take a bite out of his granola bar before moving again. He answered his mentor with a hard tone, “I can’t just drop this, Tony!”

“The media has gotten involved. That automatically makes this trickier. It’s important to tread carefully now.”

“I know I need to be careful,” Peter groaned out, “But I feel really close to a breakthrough! I just need a few more nights of recon. Please—”

“You have any leads?” Tony cut him off before he could keep talking.

Peter faltered before replying. He really didn’t have any leads, and it was clear Tony knew that. He had just hoped that train of thought would work on Tony, and he would be allowed to patrol. “I mean—no, not really.” Peter said quietly, opting for honesty in this moment.

He heard Tony sigh, “We need to be smart. This isn’t a recon-then-action type of mission anymore.”

Peter had made it to the sleek black car that would take him to the compound. Pausing in front of the passenger side, one hand on the door’s handle, Peter started talking, “I know, Tony, but these people—”

Tony cut him off again, “The answer is still no. We’ll talk more when you get here.”

The annoyance that had been simmering under Peter’s skin throughout the whole conversation, sparked at that moment. “Fine,” He snapped, and hit the phone’s red ‘End’ button. Opening the car door with a particular amount of aggression, he slid into the seat with a huff.

Happy immediately began pulling away from the curb as soon as the door shut. A sour silence fell over the two figures, with Peter staying silent and glaring out his window. The other, usually more grumpy, older man glanced at Peter frequently as they made their way upstate. Peter felt the stare each time, knowing the older man was trying to get a read on him as he quietly brooded.

Over the many years they had been in each other’s lives both had gotten relatively good at reading each other. In this particular situation, it was obvious Peter was frustrated about something, but he knew Happy was trying to piece together what might be annoying him.

“Tony did something again, didn’t he?” Happy’s voice finally broke the silence.

“You could say that,” Peter muttered.

“Whatever he did, I’m sure he has his reasons.”

Peter had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, Happy didn’t deserve that. “Happy, no offense, but I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok, fair enough.” Happy conceded easily. The rest of the drive was silent, only the soft sounds of music were heard.

When the car rounded the tree lined bend that led up to the compound, Peter’s emotions did a bit of a dance. He always loved seeing this building. It was a symbol of something so much bigger than himself, even bigger than him as Spiderman. Excitement always sparked in his gut as he thought about what and who it held inside and all the inner workings that even he didn’t fully understand yet. The weight of its purpose was inspiring while also being rightfully intimidating. Peter had yet to shake the feelings of being inadequate when thinking about it all. No matter how much he had wanted it, he couldn’t stop wondering if he was good enough to be an Avenger, of being a part of the moving pieces that title gave him power in, and what it meant to protect the world. He was just your friendly neighborhood Spiderman after all.

Today, though, that wash of emotions was dampened by his frustration over why he was here to begin with. He felt like Tony was calling him here to keep an eye on him. Like he didn’t trust him, and it stung.

After the car pulled up to the giant glass doors of the side entrance, Peter said a hasty goodbye to Happy, got out and slammed the door shut a bit harder than necessary. He bounded up to the door, and stepped into the building.

Almost immediately, Friday, Tony’s AI, greeted him with an even tone “Hello, Peter. Should I let Boss know you are here?”

“Tell him I’ll be down in a sec.” Peter answered, but instead of going directly to the lab, he made his way to the large communal kitchen to make himself a sandwich.

Friday’s voice came through the silence of the kitched “Boss is asking for you to come down to the lab.” The AI paused then added, “He says to just bring the food with you.”

Peter rolled his eyes, Tony knew him a little too well sometimes. Taking a massive bite his sandwich, he grabbed his plate and started his way down to the lab.

When he turned into the large state of the art lab, he was greeted with a view of Tony’s back.

Since Thanos, Tony had changed from what he had looked like during his active days as Iron Man. It wasn’t for the worse, he had simply changed, gotten older. His hair had gotten distinctly more salt and peppered, even more than when Peter had been remade after the snap. The wrinkles around his eyes had gotten more prominent, and they highlighted the smile he’d started wearing more often now that he was a father and genius mechanic rather than a superhero holding the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He also had a prosthetic arm, a constant reminder of the day he saved the galaxy. When you could see it, it was a surprisingly tame color—a dark charcoal grey. “You can wear it with anything,” Tony had joked when asked why it wasn’t bright red. It still held Iron Man’s trademark colors of red and gold in its details, with a bright blue light filling out the crevices or other details that the nanotechnology didn’t cover. The scars from the wound that traced their way across his skin came up his neck and stretched up around his ear and cheek. Anything else around his shoulders and chest was usually covered by a shirt, unless he was in his tank top fixing his cars, or swimming at his house in the woods.

The biggest difference for Peter though, was the softness that had taken over Tony. He was certainly still the cocky, confident man he’d always been, but he didn’t hold himself that way anymore as a suit of armor. Now that confidence was worn as a person slowly working on their monsters and ever so subtly finding hope in who they actually are. It was a softness that came with years of therapy and walking through it all with good friends and family. Peter was proud of Tony for that, and was grateful he got to be a part of it.

Currently, Tony was in a basic long sleeve black shirt pulled back to his elbows and his usual chop-shop jeans that were filled with grease and other stains.

With his back to the door, he was surrounded by three different holographic projections. One was the schematics and details of Peter’s Spiderman suit. Another was a news feed scrolling and continuously playing any news that might be relevant to his search, and the last one had numbers, graphs, and other data that Peter quickly realized was the data from his suit.

The suit, while being his, and even his own design, was still hooked up to the main Stark “cloud” that Tony had created for everything that held Stark technology. That meant Tony could bring up anything he wanted from Peter’s suit.

At any other time, this would have annoyed Peter, maybe even offended him. The two of them had talked at length about the Baby Monitor protocol, and over the last 4 years had slowly lessened it all so that Peter could be his own person, having complete control over the responsibility he had as a superhero. Tony had promised to no longer check the data or videos on his suit unless Peter let him, or asked him to. For this particular moment, even in Peter’s already frustrated state, he knew there had been an unspoken agreement that Tony would help. That meant he would look into these details. So Peter let it slide, and while taking another enormous bite of his sandwich, he walked up to Tony’s side and asked with a mouthful, “Found anything interesting?”

Tony turned his face towards him with both eyebrows raised quietly asking the parental question of ‘really? while eating?’ to which Peter gave a noncommittal shrug to say ‘yup’. Tony lips twitched with amusement, and he turned back to the projections, answering, “No, not yet. Was waiting for you actually.”

Swallowing the bite, Peter said, “I think we should get Friday working on whether or not the three victims have anything in common with each other. Then you and I can look through the surveillance Karen saved through my mask’s camera and see if there is anything we can see for clues or leads.”

Tony nodded, then said, “You heard him, Fri. Start seeing if there is anything to connect these people together, and please upload the videos from Peter’s suit so we can start watching them.

“What time frame do you want to focus on for the videos?” She responded.

“Let’s see, everything starting from Wednesday at the beginning of my patrol to the end of the last entry on Friday,” said Peter.

Friday didn’t respond. Instead, a new hologram popped up in front of the two men, and the first scenes of the surveillance videos began to play. They silently began to watch together while Peter finished his food.

Three hours later, the pair were now sitting in chairs, eyes slightly glazed from the amount of random footage they had already gone through. Peter tried not thinking about the fact they were still only on Wednesday night. They had fast forwarded through most of the early evening of that night, until right around when Peter remembered it all started.

When he heard Karen respond to something he said by saying, “You said never to call a night ‘calm’ because it tempts the universe,” he perked up in his chair and spoke out loud, “This is where my senses started going off before I heard the whimpering.”

The suit’s camera showed the vantage point on top of a building looking down at the still busy street below. “Pause the video,” Peter said. Getting up from his chair, he raised his hands to the image. With an outward wave from both hands he expanded the image to be twice the size it was before, essentially engulfing himself and Tony in the scene.

“My senses went off, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. It was too hard to tell with so many people staring simply because I had swung overhead, but I know someone was staring for another reason.”

Tony looked at him questioningly, “You know when someone is staring at you for another reason?”

Peter nodded and shrugged, “Yeah, there’s a difference in someone staring innocently, and someone that is staring for another reason. I don’t know why, but I can feel the difference.”

Tony nodded slowly, and his face briefly flashed a ‘huh, neat’ face before he turned back to the image. “Friday, start scanning the faces and see if there are any that stand out. Let’s start with criminal records or anyone that Spiderman has dealt with directly.”

“Certainly.” Friday responded.

In the meantime, both men were staring at the screen seeing if, on intuition and instinct alone, they could pick anything up. After about 2 minutes, Friday spoke, “There are three different faces detected that have misdemeanor records, none of which are connected to Spiderman for their arrest nor their crime.”

The 3 faces showed up with their records next to them, and it was clear right away that none of them were who they were looking for. One had a public indecency charge, another was a DUI, and the last had the only genuine criminal record for assault, but it was from over 20 years ago.

Peter sighed at the news feeling disappointed, while Tony leaned in. “Friday, run the video and see if anyone stays focused on Peter when we know the whimpering started.”

The time between where the clip started and when the whimpering began was only a few seconds and it was impossible to truly focus on the faces with the way the camera whipped in the direction of the whimpering when Peter had heard it. The audio itself didn’t pick up on the whimper—it being too faint for the microphone—but it was clear enough when Peter had heard it. When nothing could be seen, Tony called for the frames to be slowed down to a shuttering frame by frame pace.

In the blinking frames that could be seen right before Peter’s head moved, only a few people had remained focused on the superhero. An old man who had been tending to his store front, a child staying planted in awe until his parent tugged him along, and a tall slim man with black hair, suit, and...a silver tie.

“Wait!” Peter blurted, “That guy, right there. I recognize him! I saw him last night.”

“Him?” Tony pointed at the blown up image of the man.

“Yeah, he was coming out of the alleyway right before I went to help the last victim.”

“Friday, you know what that means.” Tony said to his AI.

The silence lasted for only a moment before Friday was speaking to the room, “His name is Everett Mercury, age 25, born and raised in New York City.”

“Ok, can you tell us anything else about him?”

“Actually, boss, his file and any subsequent information that is regularly available or traceable for the average person is coming up blank. This lack of data would normally suggest all information for Mr. Mercury was wiped clean or is purposefully untraceable in most technological databases.”

“Well, I think that means we found our guy, what do you think, Pete?” Tony said, snapping his fingers together and spinning on his heels to look directly at Peter.

Peter gave a small absentminded nod as he only kind of heard Tony’s question. He was still glaring at the face in front of him, thinking. “Is he anywhere near the second location?”

Again, the silence filled the room until the AI spoke, “Based on my recognition software, there is no record of him being at the location of the second victim.”

Peter groaned,”Dang it!” all though he used entirely more colorful language in his head.

“That doesn’t mean that wanna-be-young-Keanu-Reeves here isn’t our guy.” Tony said lightly.

“No, but it doesn’t confirm it either. Plus, we don’t know anything about him,” Peter shot back.

“They don’t usually make it that easy for us.”

Peter knew Tony wasn’t trying to goad him. He wasn’t even trying to be condescending, but after the week he’d had, the fear of the unknown and the frustration that was just sitting at the bottom of his stomach mixed and boiled quickly. “No they don’t. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t hoping our first lead might have been a little less vague. What are we supposed to do with this information, Tony?” Peter said heatedly, whirling to face his mentor with a glare.

Tony met his stare with raised eyebrows and a slight cock of the head. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?” He looked into Peter’s eyes for a second, “Are you mad at me?”

“How does this help people, Tony? How does me sitting here with you, finding out this guy's name, in upstate New York, help anyone?” Peter said, not answering the question.

“Pete, this is only just the beginning. We’ve only been here—what? 3 hours?” Tony said, checking his watch.

“Yeah, and by the time I get back someone might already be infected by whatever-the-hell this is and could even be dead!”

Understanding washed over Tony’s features at Peter’s words. “You’re upset I said you couldn’t go patrolling.” It wasn’t a question. He had said it as its own confirmation.

“Have you watched any of these videos, Tony?” Peter said with quiet intensity pointing back at the projected image, “New York needs someone out there protecting them, and right now, no one is.”

Tony remained silent as he looked intently at Peter for a moment, his lips pushed up in thought. When he finally looked away, he gave a heavy sigh, and his hands came up in a loose shrug before he said, “Ok. You want to go out and patrol. Then I won’t stop you.”

“What?” Peter said slightly shocked, “You’re gonna let me go?” He was not expecting that reaction. He thought he would need to put up a fight, argue a bit more. Even then, he didn’t think Tony was going to allow him to go.

“Yeah. You want to patrol. I won’t stop you.” Tony said lightly.

Peter looked at Tony for a second, hesitating. His brows furrowed as he searched the man’s face. Something about Tony’s reaction bothered him, but he couldn’t think why. Why was that so easy? The thought was momentary, a sparked instinct to push for more information, but as soon as it came, it was swallowed up by the new thoughts of getting back to the city. If he could patrol, maybe he could do better reconnaissance, maybe even find the black haired man himself and question him.

“Uh, right.” Peter breathed out, “Then I’m gonna go.” He turned and started to leave the lab. Right when he got to the door, he looked back and saw Tony had already turned his back on him and was looking at each screen he had pulled up. He had started playing the frame-by-frame video again. His arms were crossed, and it was clear he was thinking and assessing everything he saw. Again, something in the back of Peter’s head told him he should stay, but he pushed it back stubbornly.

A couple hours later found Peter atop the lone skyscraper on campus. It was a massive clock tower that used to ring every hour with a real bell, but it had since been turned electronic, telling the time silently as it watched the students wander below. On nights when he needed to just think Peter would find himself up here, especially when he couldn’t be bothered making it to his usual favorite perches closer to the center of the city. Tonight, Peter was watching dusk settle over the city, thinking of a game plan for the night’s patrol.

Somehow, the other incidents had happened right where he was, no need to search far and wide. That left Peter with little direction as to where to start, but he still had to get moving. The shadows were growing, and that meant more alleys to hide in and go unnoticed.

Standing up, he shook himself loose, and flicked out his hand. His two middle fingers came to the base of his palm, tapping his web shooter to life. It responded with a string of web flying over to the next building, and just as Peter stepped off the tower, he spoke to his AI, “Karen, I want you to monitor for raised temperatures, and scan every face you can for Everett Mercury. Let’s make tonight worth it.”

“Initiating scanning parameters.” Karen confirmed.

As Peter swung, he felt his senses open up and his nerves coil like springs. The anticipation he held for finding another victim was growing, and he hated how afraid he was. It wasn’t just the fear of these people getting hurt. Frankly, that he could deal with. He’s had to deal with it. It was a responsibility of a superhero to deal with the fear of people getting hurt. No, he was afraid of seeing the side effects of this thing again. The glowing eyes, the pulsing veins, the shrill cry that comes with each victim—it was haunting. He was also afraid of holding another person in his arms as they fought whatever it was they were affected by. He didn’t know how many more people he could watch seize and drop into a comatose state.

He was uneasy, and he felt a little ashamed this thing had dug its claws into him so quickly, but the apprehension he didn’t want was still there all the same. With each flick of his wrist that carried him farther into the city, he tried to think of a way to turn that fear in his favor, but all he came up with was a sour and shaky form of adrenaline.

Much later into the night, Karen’s voice came out clear in Peter’s ear,“My scans show a man that fits the description of Everett Mercury by the ATM’s on the corner.”

Peter swung to the nearest rooftop, and upon crouching and turning around to look out at the four-way intersection he felt his senses buzz lightly. That annoying warning was back, and his skin crawled at the feeling. He spoke quietly to his AI, “Where is he?”

Before Karen could answer, Peter’s eyes found a black haired figure in a sharp suit standing motionless at the corner. When Peter found his eyes, he felt his stomach do a flip. The man was staring straight at him, unflinching and unfazed as their eyes met. His eyes were cold and dark, set within a face of stone. Each second felt stretched in time as Peter looked at him. He stood expectantly, like he had known Spiderman would be there, looking for him. As if to confirm the suspicion, a small smirk began to play itself on Mercury’s lips before he broke eye contact, turned and in a few steps, seemed to vanish into thin air.

“What? What was that?” Peter whispered harshly as he stared wide eyed at nothing, “no no no no!”

In a panic, he shot out a web, and launched himself down to the other side of the intersection. As he landed lightly on his feet where Mercury had been standing, he looked in all directions only to catch a glimpse of the dark suited figure slipping down a darkened road at the end of the street. Peter sprinted in that direction, and when he turned the corner he was met with more empty space.

What the hell?!

Scanning the area, Peter saw that he had run into a large empty courtyard. It was rundown, with pipes coming out haphazardly from the walls, concrete benches spotted the outskirts of the central space where the ground had broken and the cracks were growing grass and weeds. It was lit by a solitary orange street light that shone weakly at the entrance making shadows fall over the far side and its corners turn black.

As Peter squinted in the direction of those shadows, he saw a flash of movement in the corner of his eye. Flicking a web in the direction of the movement, he knew he had caught nothing as it hit a pipe with a hard hollow sound.

He jerked his head in the direction of the movement, and felt his body crouch instinctively, muscles tightening, ready to launch into motion.

Another glimpse of movement, and another web that hit nothing.

“I know you're in here!” Peter spoke out into the courtyard. Still crouched with fists clenched, he felt his heart hammering in his chest, and adrenaline coursing through his body.

Peter tried to hone in on his spidey senses hoping to locate the man that way. He felt the familiar buzzing at the back of his head, but the warning felt like it was coming from more than one direction. There was nowhere that didn’t feel threatening, and his mind began to go fuzzy the longer he tried to focus on it. It was like white noise slowly getting louder as the threat started to close in like walls.

In the fog taking over his brain, Peter didn’t notice the air shimmering a few feet in front of him until Everett Mercury had materialized in front of him. The man stood towering over Peter’s crouched figure, a smirk still on his face.

As quickly as he had appeared, his body crouched and shot out a hand which connected with Peter’s sternum and sent him flying into the wall behind him. After the hit landed, he vanished into the darkness again.

A voice, low and smooth came from the dark, “I’m not the one you should be focusing on, Spiderman.”

The impact had knocked the wind from Peter’s lungs, and he slipped to the ground on all fours coughing. He tried to right his breathing quickly as he scrambled up and got into a ready stance again, saying breathily, “Oh, yeah? And your cloak and dagger thing is what, a party trick? Doesn’t exactly convince me you’re a good guy.”

Peter didn’t get an answer. Mercury appeared at his side and shoved him hard enough to make Peter stumble towards the center of the open space. Peter tried to correct his balance and figure out where his opponent might be coming from, but there was nothing but mental static.

“It’s not about me being good or bad. I just follow orders. You on the other hand...What are you doing to save all those helpless people?” The disembodied voice spoke casually. It sounded like it was circling the perimeter of the yard. “You’re wasting time, Spidey.”

Peter knew he was being baited, but that didn’t stop a spark of fear and anger to go through him at the thought of more victims. Fuck, please be bluffing.

“Why are you doing this?” Peter growled, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

“Why am I doing this?” The voice answered, amusement laced its deep tone, “I’m not doing anything. They seek us out.”

With the white noise still muffling his senses, Peter didn’t notice Mercury come up behind him until he was whispering in his ear, “They ask for it.”

Peter whirled around to see Mercury standing right in front of him. With a knee-jerk reaction, Peter shot out his fist, but he hit nothing as Mercury smoothly ducked out of the way. Peter pivoted to counter the dodge, but the dark haired man’s eyes flashed with an intensity that charged the air. It felt like the split second between when a fuse runs its course and the firework finally erupts. Except, Peter wasn’t ready for the explosion.

Mercury lunged forward, and swung his fists at Peter. First a straight cross, then an upper cut, then another jab. Mercury’s fists were flying, and each hit was made with a trained precision. The ferocity of the attack caught Peter off guard, and each blow was thrown with such brutal speed and power that he felt defenseless against them as they slowly pushed him backwards towards the wall.

Finally, a particularly harsh punch came and hit his face. Peter’s body gave him no choice but to drop to the ground dazed. He felt warm blood flow from his nose, and in the back of his head he guessed his nose might have been broken.

The other man, barely breathing heavy, stalked closer to Peter’s hunched figure, and mumbled something under his breath that Peter didn’t catch over the ringing in his ears. Then he picked Peter up by his shoulders and slammed him into a mess of pipes jutting from the wall behind him. A loud crack sounded, and pain radiated through Peter’s ribs as one of them broke on impact. His head rocked back into a lead pipe, and he felt the edge of yet another pipe’s broken opening cut into his skin because of the sheer force he was being pressed into it. Weakly, he tried and failed to squirm out of the other man’s grasp.

Mercury glared into Peter’s masked face and spoke in a low menacing voice, “You might not believe this, but what’s happening is for the better.” He looked between the two bright white eyes with cold intensity and growled, “Don’t fight this.”

He let go of Peter, who immediately slumped to the ground, and stepped back. Shadow engulfed Mercury’s figure once more, and he was gone.

Peter sat on the ground, clutching his torso, and trying to breath through the pain that was currently coursing through his body. It had been a while since he had been beaten up this badly, or been so taken by surprise. Why wouldn’t my spidey sense work? His pain addled brain couldn’t think of a reason just yet, and his main priority needed to be getting back to the dorms.

“Hey Karen, how far are we from campus?” Peter whispered out.

“You are currently 2 miles away.” The AI responded.

“Great,” He said a little high pitched, “I can do that. No problem.”

Shakily, he stood up and raised his arm to shoot out a web. The broken rib screamed in protest, but gritting his teeth against the pain, Peter shot and pulled himself into the air.

He must have blacked out as he swung back because Peter would not have been able to tell anyone how he managed to make it back to his dorm room that night. All he remembered was waking up on the floor during the very early hours of the day with Ned shaking him awake.

“Pete. Peter! You gotta wake up!” Ned’s voice was full of worry.

He groaned as his friend continued shaking him. He reached up his hand and swatted clumsily at the arm connected to the hand shaking his shoulder.

“Oh, thank god,” Ned sighed, “Dude, you’re a fucking mess. What the hell did you do tonight?”

Peter couldn’t form coherent thoughts just yet with the pain and disorientation his injuries were causing him, and just mumbled, “Patrol.”

“Yeah, figured that much out myself. I meant what happened to you?”

“Everett Mercury.” Peter said briefly, still trying to stop the spinning in his head.

“Whose that?” Ned asked curiously.

Just then, Peter’s phone began ringing and buzzing on his desk. Ned reached over Peter’s head and handed it to him. The screen’s brightness bit into Peter’s eyes and he flinched while making out the series of texts coming in from Tony.

Tony: We need to talk.

Tony: Mercury is enhanced and highly dangerous.

Tony: Do not engage with him. We need to make a plan

Too late, Tony... Peter thought as he felt each injury pulse in time with his heart.

There’s chapter 2! Please let me know any feedback you might have! I’d love to know if there are things you are hoping to see, or if you have any thoughts about the story in general. All reblogs are so incredibly appreciated! 💙❤️

Taglist (Let me know if you want to be added)

@cocoamoonmalfoy @empath-bunny @storybookholland @kassey @touchmethomas @greenorangevioletgrass @emilyparkerholland

#more than we hoped #more than we hoped chapter 2 #more than we hoped series #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x you #college!peter #college!peter parker #college! au #college au #spiderman #spiderman x reader #spiderman x y/n #spiderman x you #marvel #mcu #reader insert #angst

30 notes · View notes

cenestpasmoi-bechloe · 4 years

Text

Wherever you may go, wherever you may be, I will never be far away

Beca has been exhausted with work and overtime in order to provide nice things for Chloe, and pay the bills, etc. When Beca comes home at around 11pm, she finds Chloe curled up on the couch after attempting to wait for Beca. Beca becomes very very soft. :)

Title from Billy Joel's Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel).

Thank you to the anonymous donor for participating in the Pitch Perfect Fandom Drive! This fic is gifted from anon to @green-eyed-weirdo on Tumblr.

Thank you for contributing! Also, happy belated birthday to @green-eyed-weirdo !

I hope you enjoy it and I apologize for taking so long!!

For more info on how to help, visit the @ppfandomdrive page.

Read on Ao3

Beca is exhausted. She’s been working her ass off at Capital records, trying to make a name for herself, and to provide for her small family of three.

Her girlfriend Chloe, herself, and their newest addition, their rescue puppy they had named Chase, because of how he had chased Beca around the first time she saw him. He was a mix of a Collie and something else they couldn’t figure out, but he was the cutest dog ever. At least that was what Chloe had said, and Beca had come to understand it.

But she would never admit that to Chloe. But that dog was damn adorable.

They live in a nice 2 bedroom apartment in Pomona, CA where Chloe can go to Vet school, at Western University of Health Sciences, and Beca can commute to her office. Chloe has two more years of school, and she’s going to become a Vet after that, but while she goes to school, Beca is the main source of income. They weren’t broke, but they weren’t rich either, and they tried their best to keep it that way. Chloe worked at a Veterinary Clinic near the school, and helped pay the apartment rent. Although Beca had insisted that she didn’t have to, Chloe had somehow convinced her. And Beca couldn't say no to Chloe Beale.

They had started dating after the USO tour, after Beca had gotten signed to Capitol, and Chloe had been accepted into WesternU, when Beca finally decided to sack up and tell the ginger her feelings.

Their move to California was scheduled around the same time, and having lived in Brooklyn together before, and having started dating, they had mutually decided that moving-in together was a good idea. Her workplace was not too far from where Chloe was going to go to school, and it being cheaper to live in a bigger apartment in Pomona than being crammed in a small apartment in Hollywood, they had chose to live near WesternU. They had started out living in different rooms at first, but found themselves sleeping better, and much more comfortable together in Beca’s room, and they had transferred Chloes old room into a guest room/Beca’s studio when she needed to work from home, or she wanted to work from home.

Beca usually has work with her clients until 7pm, then edit and work on other things until around 10 and then finally, head home. The drive was about 30 minutes, 45 minutes tops, and she would get home at around 11. She had her days off on Wednesdays, and Saturdays and Sundays were half days, or she would sometimes have the weekends off. She always tried to spend more time with Chloe, and she tried to keep a no-work-at-home policy although there were exceptions. That was easy since she had a girlfriend who she could barely say no to.

Tonight was one of those late nights.

The wifi stopped working, and then there was the printer jamming incident, and then had to make sure her emails were sent to her boss about the new client. She finishes up around a quarter to 11, and she gets in her car, sending a quick text to Chloe, telling her that she’d be heading home now. She doubted that she was still awake though since when she gets home at 10:30, she’s usually getting ready for bed, and on days like this, she’s usually fast asleep on Beca’s side of the bed. She drives home, and gets home at about a quarter past 11.

She unlocks the door quietly, and then opens the door slowly, making sure she doesn’t wake up Chloe, who is probably in another room. She just wanted to be safe, just in case. And then Chase comes trotting over to the door, welcoming her home.

“Shhhh… don’t wake mommy up okay?” She says as she crouches down to pet the puppy.

She sees that the light is still on in the room and looks up, seeing her girlfriend curled up on the couch, asleep.

She’s wearing Beca’s gray Bellas sweater, the one that was originally Chloe’s, she stole it somewhere around her sophomore year when she started living in the Bellas house. She had declared that it was hers now, and Chloe had allowed her to keep it all through the years, and now, Chloe’s back to wearing it again. She smiles, walks to the couch, and sits on the floor to kiss the ginger’s cheek.

“I’m home baby.” She says cupping her cheek and kissing her on the lips.

Chloe flutters open her eyes, and wakes up, looking sleepy as heck as she looks at Beca. “I was waiting for you to come home. “She yawns and stretches, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Sorry I’m late. I was supposed to leave earlier, but a lot of things happened, I can explain tomorrow. “ She smiles and pecks Chloe’s forehead.

“It’s okay. Did you have dinner?” The ginger asks her as she sits up and stretches her arms.

“No. But I’m not that hungry though.”

“Becaaaaa…. you have to eattttt…”Chloe says to her as she gets up. “I have some leftovers I can heat up.”

“No it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m gonna take Chase out before I get ready for bed. Wait for me in bed?” She asks the ginger, getting up and leaving her bag and taking her jacket off, leaving it on the couch. “Chase. Let’s go out. Bathroom time. “ She says to the dog and he runs to the door excitedly.

“Okay fineee, but I’m coming with you two. I don’t wanna be left behind.” She says with a pouty face as she grabs the leash off the hook.

“Okay then, let’s go.” She takes the leash from the ginger, and connects it to Chase’s collar. “Mommy’s coming with us too.”She smiles, holding onto the leash. Chase jumps up and down excitedly, “I know bud, I’m happy that she’s coming with us too.”She says to the pup and pats him on the head.

“Let’s go!” The redhead returns to the living room, and they both walk out the door, letting Chase mark his territory around the complex, while Chloe and Beca talk about their day, holding hands and walking together.

“Jill keeps texting her boyfriend at work, and she’s always on her phone. I don’t understand how she still has a job.”Beca giggles as she talks about her day.

“I’m sure you’re like that sometimes, I swear, sometimes my phone doesn’t stop vibrating with texts from you.”The redhead jokes, holding Beca’s spare hand which isn’t holding Chase’s leash. The summer breeze makes it a bit chilly, and Chloes glad that she wore her hoodie.

“Oh, I’m not that bad!” Beca exclaims in her quiet nighttime voice, “But I also can’t resist my girlfriend sending me sexy snaps in the middle of the day.”She smirks, squeezing the gingers hand for a moment. Beca had to make sure she had set her notifications to be private, she had that one incident when she almost showed her girlfriend on Airplay at a work meeting. From then on, she knew to keep her notifications discreet. She didn’t need anyone seeing her messages. “I swear to god I almost died when I accidentally opened my Snapchat from you during a meeting. I made it just in time but that was so dangerous.”

“That was because you sent me a raunchy text baby. It’s all your fault. “Chloe scoffs.

“I could’ve been fired!” She whisper yells, raising both her occupied arms up.

“Oh stop exaggerating!”The ginger laughs.

"Oh I'm totally getting back at you for that time!"She jokingly says, pointing at Chloe. "I'm gonna do something to make you so horny that you'll have to take a break, no take the day off!"

"Oh, try. You'll never be able to do that. Remember who always loses the no touching challenge?"

"..um... you?..."

"Oh you wish."Chloe giggles, kissing her nose and running ahead of them. "You can't catch me!!"

"H-Hey!! Chloooooo!"Beca follows along with Chase, but it looks like Chase is taking poor Beca on a run.

“Hey Bec?” Chloe says as they make their way back into the house, unhooking Chase’s leash off of him and letting him run inside.

“Huh?”Beca looks at the ginger, closing the door behind and then making sure it’s locked.

“I love you.”She says, her smile soft and genuine.

These are the moments that make Beca’s heart pound like crazy. Like how did she deserve this angel? How? “I love you too.” She repeats back, kissing the ginger and wrapping her arms around her. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”she mumbles into Chloes shoulder as they awkwardly toddle over to the couch and fall onto it.

“Everything Bec. You’re amazing. I wonder if I ever deserve you. You spoil me too much baby. “She chuckles as she kisses her forehead.

“And you tease me too much.”Beca jokes, and she earns a light slap from the ginger. “Heyyy! Thats not fair!”

“Its fair alright, I tease you because you’re just too damn adorable.”

“Am not! I’m not adorable! I’m badass!” She says as she tries to pry herself away from Chloe, but her girl is too strong, making her stuck in Chloe’s embrace.

“Okay, okay, whatever you say cutiehead.”She giggles, kissing her right on the cheek.

“Ugh, I hate you.”Beca pouts jokingly.

“You do not hate me. Exaggerator!”She kisses her cheek again, this time much more like a wet-grandma-like kiss.

“Ewwwwww… you kiss like a grandma! My cheek is wet!”Beca complains, wiping it off with her arm.

“Want me to do it again?”Chloe asks, going in for the kiss again, but Beca’s hand stops it from reaching her cheek. “Noooooooooh!” Her lips get closer again.

“I don’t hear a please Beca.”Chloe teases, getting even closer.

“NOooooooh!”

“C’mon Beca. Just one word baby.”

“Okay fine! Please stop!” Beca gives up and Chloe’s lips retrieves.

“See? That wasn’t so hard? Was it Beca? When you’re a good girl, you get your way, or can get things faster.”She winks. “But when you’re a bad girl, you don’t get your way, and sometimes you can get more pain or teasing from it. “She lowers her hand down to Beca’s ass and squeezes it, making Beca wince. She had been a bad girl in bed last Saturday, and the pain was much better but its still hurt a bit. But that story’s for another day.

“Can we go to bed? I’m really tired. Like exhausted.”Beca asks her girlfriend, looking up at her with pouty eyes.

“Okay. Let’s get to bed, really tired. I don’t know where my Beca went though.”She jokes and giggles, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom.

“Its almost 12. Which means it’s already tomorrow, and now we don’t have anymore time to sleep…”Beca mumbles as she walks into the closet and gets changed into her pajamas, an oversized teeshirt, which is of corse Chloe’s, and plops down on the bed.

“You’re okay. C’mere baby.”Chloe says as she lifts the comforter up and slides in, waiting for Beca to do the same.

Beca yawns as she gets in and curls up close to Chloe, her bing the little spoon and Chloe being the big spoon. “I love you.” She closes her eyes, and lets Chloe wrap her body around hers, feeling safe and comfortable.

“You’re quite the over thinker, aren’t you baby.”Chloe chuckles as she peppers kisses all over Beca’s head, and then starts running her fingers through Beca’s hair, allowing her to relax.

“But it’s true though, i.....”

“Shh… baby. Stop talking and calm down.” The ginger says gently and kisses her head once again.

Beca’s train of thoughts don’t stop though,she stops talking but the thoughts in her mind keep running, and she can't seem to stop them. She thinks about how perfect her life is, with Chloe and Chase, and how she want to pop the question soon. How she's gonna do that, what say to ask Stacie to help her pick the engagement ring, and then how the wedding is gonna be, how she's gonna tell the Bellas, and on and on and on and....

“Beca. Turn off your thoughts. I can still hear the gears turning.”Chloe says.

"I'm no...."

"Save the questions and the thoughts for another day Becs. " She rubs her arm.

“Mkay….night...”Beca mumbles, turning and facing Chloe’s body, curling up once again as she rubs her back.

It can wait another day.

She soon relaxes and lets sleep take over, feeling safe and sound in Chloe’s arms.

Chloe kisses the sleeping brunette's head for the last time before she falls asleep.

“Good night, my angel.”

#pitch perfect fan drive #bechloe #fluff #ppfandomdrive #I hope you like it!#happy belated birthday

61 notes · View notes

gaynoctgar · 4 years

Text

A Small Comfort

Summary: Set after Noctis’ and Ignis’ argument in Episode 4 of Brotherhood, Noctis learns to lean on his closest friend in his time of need.

Pairing: Prompto/Noctis, pre-relationship

Word Count: ~2800

So...I’m finally posting a fic I wrote. Last time I watched Brotherhood, I had wished Noct’s mental health was addressed more, so I made it happen! Trigger warning: a panic attack is described. I hope you enjoy!

>>i kno its late, but do u wanna come over?

Noctis stares hard at the cursor blinking at his screen, thumb hovering over the “send” button. Ignis has just left, and Noctis himself has screamed so hard he doesn’t think he can scream anymore, but there’s still a persistent ache in his chest, a need to not be alone. He can’t call Ignis, obviously, and he can’t call Gladio, so that leaves…

Noctis has been careful to leave Prompto out of this part of his life. It means so much to him that when he is with Prompto, he doesn’t have to worry about any of this. He doesn’t have to think about sustaining the wall, or complicated political reports, he can just be a normal teenager. But right now, he finds himself craving comfort in a way that he hasn’t since he was younger, when he was first injured. That doesn’t make the reaching out any easier.

He hits send before he can think any better of it and throws his phone across the couch. Immediately, it buzzes, and Noctis scrambles to look at the message.

>sure thing dude. Need me to bring anything?

In spite of everything, Noctis feels his heart lift slightly.

>>uh, junk food maybe?

>>but if you don’t have any uh >>just bring you.

Oh shit, he really sent that. He triple texted. But Prompto’s reply is just as quick.

>omw, the metro should get me there in 20. you feelin okay?

Well that’s...a question. The obvious answer would be “no” but Noctis falters before replying with that. He doesn’t want Prompto to think of him any differently, to see him as the prince. But he also, somehow, really wants to talk about this with someone he knows will just listen. Then, he thinks, that’s not fair to push onto Prompto. He can’t burden Prompto with all of this. Prompto has a life free of these kinds of worries, and Noctis cares about him too much not to keep it that way. Still...they have been getting closer lately. Noctis has never had a best friend before, but he suspects that best friends talk about these things. Are Ignis and Gladio best friends? Do they talk?

Just then, Noctis hears a knock at his door, startling him out of his thoughts. He looks down to see 5 more texts from Prompto that he missed while he was spacing out, and he rushes over to open the door. There stands his friend, with the promised junk food, and an overnight bag slung over his shoulder.

“Did ya fall asleep on me?” he tries to joke as he steps inside, but then he glances at Noctis again. It’s a look Noctis has never seen before, one that Noct doesn’t quite know how to parse. He then realizes what a slob he must look like--still in his school uniform at this late hour, unwashed hair sticking out every which way, clothing rumpled in weird places--and makes to say something about it, but Prompto very gently places a hand on his shoulder. Firm. Grounding. He sets the junk food down and looks at Noct dead-on.

“Hey...are you okay?” he asks, and Noct’s reflexes tell him to say that he’s fine, to downplay everything he is feeling, and to ignore it and make a joke to avoid having this conversation. But he looks at Prompto, at his soft features, his loose hair, the freckles that dot his face, and his swirling purple eyes, and it suddenly feels like he can’t breathe. The look in his eyes is so gentle, and he just wants to help Noctis, and all of it is a bit too much and--

Wait.

He actually can’t breathe.

All he can think about is that conversation with Ignis, replaying in his head, and his fear of telling Prompto what’s really going on, what he will really have to face someday, because if he does he will lose him and he can’t lose Prompto, this precious boy who is so kind, and he can’t lose his father, and--

When did the floor get so close?

Somehow, he is kneeling on the ground, and Prompto is right there with him. He’s saying something but the words sound fuzzy, like there’s a high-pitched whine blocking everything out. Both of Prompto’s hands are on his shoulders--the only sensation he can really register--and he focuses all of his energy into understanding what Prompto is saying. It’s really hard because all he feels is the blood rushing through him, like he just ran a marathon, and breathing is even harder and takes up so much of his effort right now. He feels dizzy, like he hasn’t eaten in days.

“...--ear me?” Noct manages to make out. Prompto’s probably asking if Noctis can hear him. He nods, slightly.

“Good, that’s really good, buddy,” Prompto soothes him, his voice getting clearer with each word, but Noctis still feels as though he...can’t move from this strange position he’s found himself in. He thinks, vaguely, that if it weren’t for Prompto’s hands on his shoulders, he might actually die. He wants to tell him this, to say thank you, to do anything, but it all catches in his throat. Why can’t he move?

“Just breathe with me, okay? Can you do that?” Prompto is asking him. Was Noctis not breathing? He nods again. Prompto begins counting out the breaths, and Noctis does his best to follow along, each deep breath easing his muscles, and slowing his heart down. He hadn’t realized how fast it was beating. He doesn’t know how long they stay there, breathing slowly, in and out, until Noct’s body releases him from the grip he was in.

“Better?” Prompto asks, simply, and Noctis finally has it in him to look at him.

“S’good,” Noct replies. “Thanks.”

He tries to get himself off the ground, but of course his bad leg is acting up. Yet another thing he hasn’t told Prompto.

“Whoa there, let me help,” Prompto is saying, hoisting himself up and reaching a hand down to Noct. Noct takes it, gratefully, and leans into the touch more than he’d like to admit to get himself standing again.

“I’m sorry. I have no idea what just happened,” is what flies out of Noct’s mouth before he has the chance to stop it.

“Has it happened before?” Prompto asks earnestly, and Noct shakes his head no. At least...not that he could remember. Maybe now and then, but he usually just slept it off, now that he thinks about it.

“I...think that was a panic attack, dude,” Prompto says slowly, carefully, guiding Noct to sit back on the couch with him. “Have you been worrying about something?”

Was that what that was? All of the worry he’s tried to lock away...consuming him? Noctis shrugs noncommittally.

“If you have...I’m here if you need,” Prompto says, softly. “But I won’t make you talk if you don’t wanna.”

Noctis realizes his friend is giving him a way out. And if nothing else, he knows that Prompto will be true to his word. If he says he doesn’t want to talk, Prompto will not push him, and will at least pretend to forget about the incident.

But…

Noctis can’t shake the feeling that not talking is exactly what got him here. He’s only 16, and he’s pretty sure most people his age don’t just break down like that. Yes, Prompto is offering him a way out...but he is also offering him comfort and help. On his own terms. Not because Noctis is a prince in need of protecting, but because he’s his friend. Maybe, if he’s careful…

“...it’s a lot of things, to be honest,” Noctis finally breathes out, when he remembers how to make his mouth say words again. “...prince stuff. I don’t wanna…” he mumbles, turning away.

But Prompto has reached out to place a hand on his shoulder again.

“Doesn’t matter to me if it’s prince stuff. It’s definitely bothering you,” he begins, softly, slowly, giving Noct time to process every word. Now that Noctis thinks about it, Prompto has always spoken to him like this: gently, slowly, even when he is angry. But this voice? It’s soft, and low, almost as if to remind Noctis he is safe here.

“Right but I….you….you’re separate from all that. I like it that way,” Noctis tries to explain. “You remind me I’m someone beyond that…I…” he continues, but it fades away. Prompto’s arm has slid around his shoulders, tugging Noctis in to lean against him, and Noctis doesn’t have it in him to fight it. Hell, he doesn’t want to.

Prompto laughs just a little bit when he sees how Noctis has curled into his side on the couch, and slides his hand up to card through his hair. It feels...nice, comforting, but something else too. Almost...electric, like little sparks are dancing across his nerves when Prompto’s fingers brush across his scalp, gently pulling the knots in his hair free. Noctis has been feeling this more and more recently, and he doesn’t really know what to call it. Maybe it’s just that he’s so starved of physical contact aside from getting his ass kicked in training. He sighs into the contact, and he can hear Prompto’s voice vibrating under his ear.

“Yeah, you’re my best dude, you know that. I definitely think of you as Noct first,” he turns, slightly, attempting to make eye contact with Noct, who keeps his face turned away, “but you also happen to be Prince Noctis. It’s a part of you, and you don’t have to shut me out of it. I want to help you with whatever I can, whether it’s a really difficult boss fight on a video game….or prince stuff,” he finishes, smiling to himself.

At this, Noctis does bring his head up from Prompto’s shoulder so he can look him in the eye. Prompto smiles at him softly, his indigo-purple eyes drawing Noctis closer in a way he can’t quite describe. He wants to say something, anything, to tell Prompto how amazing and wonderful and patient he is. Instead...he slumps forward, on instinct, burying his face in the crook of Prompto’s neck, wrapping his arms around him in an embrace. One that Prompto eagerly returns, after a moment of shock. Noctis can’t even remember the last time he was hugged, let alone the last time he initiated a hug, but it feels...natural and good. Prompto traces the fingers of one hand up Noctis’ neck and tangles them in his hair once more, his other hand softly rubbing his back.

Noctis feels so comforted that he doesn’t ever want to leave, doesn’t want to think about saying anything to spoil the moment. But he trusts Prompto more than anything and, the longer they are here, pressed close together, the more he feels the urge to talk about it. Prompto’s a good friend, he’ll listen. Noctis breathes in his familiar and warm scent one more time...and takes the plunge.

“My dad is dying, Prompto,” he mumbles quietly, giving sound to the thought that has most been plaguing his mind ever since his father started needing to use his cane. “It’s the Wall. It keeps us safe, and it’s killing him,” he manages, before he falters. Putting it into words almost has Noctis panicking again, but he hears Prompto gasp a little bit before wrapping his arms around him tighter, pulling him even closer.

“I’m so sorry,” he says. “No wonder you’ve been so sad.”

And that’s all. Nothing about how Noctis will need to be stronger to fill his father’s shoes, nothing about how he isn’t fit to be a king, nothing about how he can’t be upset, just acknowledging that it sucks. Something breaks within Noctis, but he really, really doesn’t want to cry in front of Prompto. It’s a strange mix of emotions. He pushes away slightly, so Prompto doesn’t have to deal with it, and finds himself locking eyes with Prompto again, Prompto’s strong arms preventing him from getting too far. And if he’s a good friend, he deserves to know the last bit of truth that Noctis has been keeping from him. Maybe he can get out of all of this now, while he has a chance.

“I feel like I should tell you one more thing,” Noctis says, almost a whisper.

“Sure, Noct,” Prompto replies immediately. “Lay it on me.”

“I don’t think you’ll like this one,” Noctis smiles slightly, in spite of it. What a ridiculous mess of emotions he is right now. “When...when Dad dies. Probably soon,” he tries, waving his hands around erratically against the tide of emotion he feels--just one of many behaviors his father and the Citadel have tried to train out of him. He takes a deep breath and continues, “someone will have to keep the Wall up. That someone will have to be me--” he tries to explain, but his voice breaks on the last word, and he presses the palms of his hands to his eyes, as if that will stop the tears, but to no avail. He did not want this to happen, Prompto is going to think he’s so weak, and a mess, and--

“It’s okay to be upset about it,” Prompto says, gently grabbing Noctis’ wrists to pull them away from his face. Noctis peeks at his dear friend--his kind, wonderful, patient friend--and is met with the gentlest look he thinks he’s ever seen from anyone. He thinks maybe Prompto is crying too, but then he’s completely overwhelmed because Prompto is gently brushing his tears away with his thumb.

“It’s a lot to take in, but I’m glad you told me,” he soothes. Noctis feels his face heating up, but he doesn’t push Prompto away at all. He leans closer, craving more of that contact. “It helps me to know everything,” he says with a soft smile.

“I’m sorry,” Noctis apologizes on instinct, before he gets too caught up, before he’s unable to pull away. “Don’t mean to be a bummer,” he tries to joke, but Prompto isn’t having it.

“Hey, this is serious. Your feelings are important to me,” he reminds, his tone only slightly harsh to show his seriousness. His tone then softens, “and you’re being very brave.”

“I don’t feel brave,” Noctis replies, before he can stop himself. “I’m afraid.”

“Oh, Noct,” Prompto sighs, pulling him back into their earlier embrace, rubbing his back with one hand. “Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. It means you’re afraid and you do it anyway. My mom told me that a long time ago…” he trails off somewhat wistfully.

His mom? Noctis thinks to himself. He almost wants to ask more, but he knows Prompto’s parents are a very sore subject, and he leaves it for another day. For now, he soaks in the comfort, trying not to feel embarrassed at the tears that flow now and then.

Noctis isn’t sure how long it is before he stops crying, but he feels his back and legs start to ache from the strange, huddled position he’s found himself in, and he pushes back sheepishly.

“Sorry about all that,” he apologizes. “Probably not what you signed up for…”

“What I “signed up for” was to be your friend,” Prompto responds, stern, but not unkind, as he stretches out his own arms. “That means good stuff and bad, you know.”

Does it? Noctis has always felt that he has had to live up to the image of the ideal prince, even with Ignis and Gladio. But Prompto...well, Prompto just saw him at his lowest, and the look in his eyes tells Noctis there’s no place he’d rather be. That look makes his heart jump in his throat, slightly, yet another thing he’s been trying to ignore.

“I...thank you,” Noct mumbles, waving his hands around again, this time because he’s overwhelmed that Prompto still wants to be his friend. Prompto, for his part, smiles knowingly at the motion. That’s another conversation they’ll have to have, Noct supposes, but he’s all drained right now.

Sensing this, Prompto hoists himself off the couch.

“Well, I brought over this junk food for a reason. Why don’t we get more comfortable and order a pizza?” he asks, gesturing to the fact that Noct is still in his school uniform. “We don’t have to think about any of this for a little while, if you don’t want to. Play video games, just vibe...”

Noct smiles. How does Prompto know exactly what he needs?

“That sounds awesome, dude.”

#promptis #prompto argentum #noctis lucis caelum #ffxv fanfic #final fantasy xv #i'm real excited about this one y'all #i think it came out real well #i hope y'all enjoy!!!#haley writes ffxv #haley.exe #listen i just wanted noct to get to talk #there's a lot of talking in this one but i like it

38 notes · View notes

starcrossedimbecile · 3 years

Text

Femboy Hooters

The imagine(?) is finally here! It's slightly male x male, and it involves some of my original characters (OCs)! It's also a crackfic (though taken somewhat seriously), but I hope you enjoy!

. ˚◞♡ 🎐 *ೃ༄

I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. Today I was supposed to be starting my first day at work at Femboy Hooters. It was a new joint that just opened up not far from where I lived, and it was honestly the stupidest shit I've ever heard. And yet Baba somehow managed to talk me into applying for a job there. He wouldn't stop talking about it, saying how amazing it was and that "I should TOTALLY get a job there."

I hesitated at first, but I eventually caved in. I applied for a job, went to the interview, and they pretty much hired me on the spot. They told me that I was "perfect" for the job. As much as I hate to admit it, it was actually a pretty good ego boost hearing that in spite of my overall opinion on Femboy Hooters. And besides, I've gotta earn money somehow.

As I laid in bed doing absolutely nothing, my phone buzzed. I lazily picked it up and stared into its almost mesmerizing glowing screen. It was a text from Anzu.

Bitch-ass Springtail mofo🌚: Hey Ken, I heard you got a job at Femboy Hooters.

How the hell did he know about... that? Oh, Baba probably told him. The little bitch doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

You: Yeah, I'm supposed to be starting today. I've gotta leave in a few minutes.

Bitch-ass Springtail mofo🌚: I see. Well, I'll see you there, I guess?

Damn, Anzu sure is quick to reply. Wait, what does he mean by that?

You: What?

Bitch-ass Springtail mofo🌚: Uh... You'll see. And when you do, PLEASE don't laugh. Already got enough of that from Rei.

You: Um... Okay? Well, I've gotta go now. If I don't, I'll be late.

Bitch-ass Springtail mofo🌚: Alright. See you there.

I turn off my phone and stuff it in my pocket. I put on my shoes and toss on a generic black jacket over my generic t-shirt and walk out the door. I get in my car and set my phone's GPS to the Femboy Hooter's location and drive off.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

I arrive at the Femboy Hooters, which looks like every other Hooters with the word "Femboy" slapped onto it. I assumed it must be some new chain Hooters decided to open, as if the original wasn't doing well enough (albeit not because of the food).

I exit my car and lock it with a sigh, walking up to the building before being stopped by a guy standing at the door. Wait, they have bouncers? I thought this was some low-class restaurant, not a fucking club.

"Excuse me," the guy spoke. "We don't open for another-- wait, are you Kendric?"

"Yes, I am. And..." I let out an audible gulp, swallowing my hesitation. "I... work here."

"Oh! You're the new guy, right?! Right this way~."

Suddenly, the guy took me by the hand and led me inside, where I was soon met by a guy who was a bit taller than I was. He wore professional-looking clothes, but dressed in a way you'd probably expect a woman desperate for head to wear them. Uh, to put it simply, he dressed somewhat like a woman. And in all honesty, I was pretty fucking intimidated by him. I mean... from the looks of it, he might be the goddamn manager of this place! I definitely don't wanna get on his bad side.

"Ah, you must be Kendric!" He spoke in a slightly feminine tone, which threw me off-guard. "Welcome to Femboy Hooters. I'm Aiden, and I'm the manager here. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He extended an arm for a handshake, and I shakily accepted it, trembling in my own skin for some reason. "I-It's nice to meet you, too, Aiden..." I spoke, but my voice cracked like a little bitch.

"Oh, there's no need to be nervous. It'll take some time, but you'll get used to everything here soon enough," he reassured me, which helped me to relax a bit.

Aiden then handed me a bundle of clothes, which I immediately recognized as the uniform I was supposed to wear. "Here's your clothes. You're going to be a waiter here. You can change into these in the employee bathroom."

"Um... Thank you, sir. Err..."

"Sir is fine."

"Right... Thank you."

After that, I headed to the bathroom to get changed, entering an empty stall and locking it thereafter. I stripped out of my clothes and into the uniform, which immediately made me feel embarrassed as fuck. The "uniform" was a small revealing(?) white tank top with the Femboy Hooters logo on it coupled by a pair of tight, orange booty shorts that I swear to god revealed the bulge of my dick.

I can't believe Baba talked me into this. I think I'm gonna commit toaster bath. Or maybe step on a lego and die.

...Eh, I guess if the other employees will be wearing this, then I guess it's not that bad. I'm probably just being overcritical.

Letting out a deep sigh, I exit the bathroom. I happened to notice a few of the other employees (who looked oddly familiar) and decide to see what they were up to. Sure enough, some of these employees were people I knew, but the one that really caught my attention was the small winter springtail standing at the bar—Anzu.

Anzu was wearing the same uniform as, well, everyone else, and I almost burst into laughter. I know I had no place to laugh at him, but he looked so ridiculous in it! There was no way I could look at him without desperately trying to stifle my laughter.

"God dammit, you said you wouldn't laugh!" Anzu shot a glare at me as he spoke, his small insect arms making their way to his hips.

"A-Actually, I didn't," I responded through stifled laughter.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You're wearing the same thing, too, you know."

"I... I know, but..." I took a deep breath in attempt to get myself to calm down. "It's just... You're so tiny! And it just... You look hilarious."

"What does being small have to do with anything?!"

At this point, Anzu seemed pissed, which told me that I should probably back off. It wasn't until Junpei walked over to us and tried to calm us down, her bug antennae bobbing as she did. She had the body of a human male, just like me, but had antennae extending out of her head. It's kind of like what you'd see in a kitsune or okami, where their animal ears stick out of their head, if you know what I mean.

"Come now, is it really necessary to fight? I'm sure Kendric didn't mean to laugh at you."

"What?! I... He... Err... I guess you have a point."

"Very good. And Kendric, apologize to Anzu for making fun of him."

As much as I didn't want to apologize, I knew that that was the only thing I could do in this situation. So reluctantly...

"I...I'm sorry, Anzu, for making fun of you..."

"Alright, I suppose I can't stay mad at you. I forgive you," Anzu replies.

That went surprisingly well.

After that incident, a large, muscular ant-like creature walked over to us. "Alright, they're about to open up this place!" he shouted. "So get busy! I'll be in the kitchen if any of you need help."

"Ah, well, I guess we'd better get to work. Take care!" Junpei waved to us, then left. I watched her walk away before I felt a cold hand resting on my shoulder, causing me to jump.

"Ack! Hey, get your hands off of--" I was about to turn around and roundhouse kick the owner of the hand before I locked gazes with the ant. He looked big looking at him from a distance, but now he was practically towering over me. Holy shit.

"There's no need to be alarmed. You're the new kid, right?"

"U-Um... Yeah." I gulped as I spoke.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Alexei, one of the chefs here."

"K-Kendric. I'm Kendric."

"I see. Well, don't get discouraged during your first few days working here. You'll eventually get used to it."

"Ah... Thank you." As soon as I'd said that, Alexei nodded and began walking over to the kitchen and entering. I sighed as I turned to the sound of one of the main doors opening and closing in the distance. Oh, it's a customer.

Shaking off my anxiousness, I approached the customer as they took a seat. The customer was a man around my age who had dark purple hair with a small tuft of white highlights around his right ear. The clothes he wore were almost classy, as though he was a businessman of sorts. If he's that professional, assuming he is, then what the fuck is he doing at a place like this?

Anyway, before I could take the time to think of a response, his indigo eyes met my topaz ones and began to speak.

"Ah, hello there. Come to take my order?"

Holy fuck. Holy fuck. Was this guy seriously talking to me? I mentally panicked. I was never good at talking to people. I have no idea what to say! Frantically, my gaze darted around the room. I happened upon Junpei, who was also taking an order. She was talking to them in such a strange manner, but perhaps...

I turned to the man and began to speak.

"Hello! Welcome to Femboy Hooters~!✨ How may I help you today~?"

He simply chuckled. "Aha, someone seems awfully happy today. I'd just like a Pepsi and a grilled cheese."

I flustered a bit at his response, but took his order nonetheless. "Wonderful! Will that be all~?"

"Hmm... Yep. That's it. Unless..."

"U-Unless...?" What the fuck? What was that about? A hypothesis came to mind, causing me to fluster a bit more... before he laughed again.

"Nah, I'm just teasing. But that's about it for my order."

I let out a relieved sigh and nodded. "Very well. Your order will arrive shortly~!✨"

After that, I made my way towards the kitchen area to give the chefs the order. In all my life, I'd never expected for something that... strange... to happen. And Junpei wasn't making anything better, either.

"Hey Ken, were you about to get some head over there?" she asked in the worst teasing tone imaginable.

"Ugh, Junpei, you're being fucking ridiculous." I will admit, though, he did seem a bit attractive. Dunno if he's straight though.

Junpei laughed at my response. "Whatever you say."

I sent her an annoyed glare as she walked away, but recovered quickly. Before I knew it, the chefs had finished the man's order and handed his dish and Pepsi to me through the window. I carefully took it and made my way to him.

"Here you go! A grilled cheese and Pepsi, just like you ordered~!✨"

"That was fast. Thanks, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? Holy shit, he was definitely flirting with me. At this point, I couldn't help but blush at his statement.

"Ah, there's no need to feel shy. I'm Dmitri Ashford, by the way. I'll definitely be coming here more often."

Somehow, just hearing his voice made me calm down a bit. Feeling my embarrassment wash away, I began to speak. "I-I'm Kendric. It's nice to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you, too, Kendric. Perhaps I'll be seeing you tomorrow?"

"Y-Yeah... I'd like that."

"Wonderful. Well, I guess I shouldn't be holding you up. I suppose you have more customers to attend to."

"Yeah. Well... I'll see you later, then!"

"Without a doubt."

We waved before I departed. In the distance, I could make out Junpei's faint chuckles. God fucking dammit.

I guess I'll be looking forward to working here every day after that encounter.

#original characters #ocs #anzu #alexei #junpei #kendric #dmitri ashford #imagine #fanfiction #crack fic #crack treated seriously #femboy hooters #femboy #cross posted on ao3 #male x male

3 notes · View notes

rvwchck · 3 years

Text

tweet at first sight

It was one tweet. Not even all 280 characters. Just the simple phrase “I feel like @jamiethebee would be down to egg a house for his fans. just saying”.

I didn’t have more than 500 followers on Twitter, and those included only people from my school. It wasn’t even a fan account, nor was it even remotely related with Jamie Lee Oliver.

So naturally, when I saw his username in my DMs, my stomach almost fell out of my ass. Keyword being almost.

I screamed, and I did it loud. Thankfully, I was alone in my apartment, because having my roommate witness my prepubescent stunt would have been enough for me to move out. Which sounds serious when it comes from a college graduate living in Southern California.

8:06 AM

@jamiethebee: pick your poison.

tap to download attachment.

He had sent me a picture from the egg section in what appeared to be Walmart. I decided it was better not to answer, considering I was late for what seemed to be the millionth job interview of the week. Nobody said life after graduation would be so hard. Especially after enduring the hell that is living in a dorm the size of a shoebox.

Looking at my appearance in the mirror confirmed that I would not, in fact, get hired today. It may have to do with the fact that between my now coffee-stained shirt and red pants along with my rusty red hair made me look like a war zone. Or a used tampon. Or both.

Clearly L’Oreal Colorista was not the best hair dye in the market.

I glanced down at my phone, partly wondering if I had any new texts from Leo—or as I liked to call him after that cheating incident, Satan—and partly to see if any other celebrities had graced my inbox. None of those scenarios had happened, and I was now 10 minutes late.

Just when I was rushing out of the door, my roommate opened the door with a slam and proceeded to face plant onto the couch.

Well, I thought, at least I’m not in med school.

***

I somehow managed to miss the train and the bus. All in a 15 minute span. Which meant I was 25 minutes late for the interview. It would be a miracle if I even got to announce my name, or hand in my resume.

My hair was completely disheveled and one of my shoes had come off in the middle of the street, meaning my pizza socks were on full display once I arrived to the building of Pyramid Publishing. The receptionist directed me to the 16th floor, where everything was white, or really pale beige.

I sat on one of the couches ,well, rested my back for half a second before I was interrupted.

“Lisa Martin? Sorry for the long wait, we had some issues with the air conditioning” A tall secretary poked her head from one of the offices in the waiting area.

I was not a true believer, but God had just done me a solid.

11:30 AM

@jamiethebee: so you discover a

dark truth about me and then you

leave me on read?

@jamiethebee: wow, RUDE.

I hid my phone in my purse, my heart beating at an alarming rate against my chest. I was still having a hard time believing the Jamie Lee Oliver had slid into my DMs and went to the produce section of the grocery store for me. The fact that he had the audacity to call me out was also making my brain go haywire trying to come up with a decent answer.

All while struggling to pay attention to the code of ethics of the company. Because yes, I had just gotten hired to be an editor for Pyramid Publishing.

“The idea Miss Martin, is for you to have a week to get to know the office and the way things work around here before you fully immerse in what is a typical schedule of an editor in Pyramid Publishing” The man, Gregory Truman, had a smooth voice and gave off an aura of authority, partly because of the way he was seated, and partly because his secretary seemed to be in awe every time he opened his mouth to speak.

I nodded along completely distracted, smiling every once in a while to show that I was happy for the opportunity I had just been given. After four years of majoring in English and getting tired of hearing that it would be impossible to find any job, I had just landed the job of my dreams. Which sounds amazing, but it really consists of earning enough to cover my part of the rent and to afford one or two nights out every once in a while.

After agreeing to come back tomorrow morning to start my briefings, I left the building and headed for the bus station. I was about to acknowledge my Twitter notifications, which seemed to be glaring at me, when my roommate called.

To any person this would come across as normal behaviour, however when you live with a med school student who lives and breathes for their career, you get used to not hearing from them for days at a time. No news, good news right?.

“What’s up buttercup?” I answered cheerfully nonetheless. Amanda tends to be overly dramatic and extremely analytic of phone and text conversations. She has flipped out on me for answering the phone with a simple ‘hey’, claiming that she thought I was mad at her and didn’t want to live with her anymore because she forgets to hang her towels. Her words, not mine.

“Yeah, yeah, no time for greetings. Listen the curry exploded all over the kitchen” I was once again, rendered speechless.

Amanda comes from an Indian family that loves to travel and above all, loves to eat. Her recipe book is overflowing and constantly getting thicker. However, her skills are not getting any better. Last week she managed to turn the butter on fire while attempting to melt it in the microwave. Who knows how she managed to do that.

“Okay so there’s no need for me to buy more oils for the diffuser, is that what you’re saying?” I would have worried if it was another person, but Amanda tends to worry a little too much over everything and I don’t want her to beat herself up anymore over this.

“No Lisa I’m serious like I don’t even know where to start cleaning and I’ve probably ruined the kitchen and we won’t be able to repare it and I just know that you’ll want to move out because of this and—“

“Okay this is what you’ll do. You’re going to go to the wine cabinet and open a bottle of rose, you know the one you like, and you’re going to calm down and then start cleaning. First the floor so you don’t keep making a bigger mess, then the counters and so on. Mandy, seriously its not the end of the world, did you at least get to have lunch?” I heard a grunt, then a sigh. Not good.

“Obviously not Lisa, I’m on call tonight apparently. I don’t even understand what they want me there for since I just worked the morning shift two days in a row and I’m not even a real doctor yet. Like what the fuck? This is abuse”

“Okay babe, see you at home!” I hung up with a smile on my face, determined to make something out of today other than cleaning curry with Amanda. So I opened Twitter.

12:21 PM

@misalartin: pity, i only shop organic.

@misalartin: excessive hormones,

you know?

Not even thirty minutes had passed when he replied.

12:43 PM

@jamiethebee: so tell me when

and where.

tap to download attachment.

It was then I realized I had not stopped internally screaming since 8 am, because it was the only way to explain how I had not fainted yet.

Jamie Lee Oliver had been my celebrity crush ever since I knew how to turn the tv on. He had started out as a child star in my favorite tv show Morgan’s Backyard, and then had gotten into more serious stuff like action movies, playing superheroes and whatnot. Once I grew out of children’s tv, I stopped following him as an actor although his Instagram and Twitter were a true gift for my feed. He was beautiful, with dark brown hair and equally dark skin that made his pearly smile stand out beyond anything else. His chocolate eyes blended perfectly well with the rest of his complexion, which made him seem really inviting in the way his eyes disappeared almost completely when he smiled, almost like he wanted everyone to have fun along with him.

Doubt started to creep in and was slowly consuming me. I knew exactly what I had tweeted, but it was exactly that, just a tweet. I never imagined he would even see it, much less acknowledge it. Besides, I didn’t know if it was the smartest idea. I mean Leo had cheated on me, and in my old apartment when I was supposed to be in one of my classes. So I got home early because I was in the mood to skip and that’s when I found him. On my bed, on top of a freshman rushing for the sorority I belonged to. Even in that moment, I was not a confrontational person and I absolutely hated violence. But he had also shattered my trust completely and disregarded our relationship.

In hopes of being more proactive and doing the right thing, I replied.

12:48 PM

@misalartin: alright, BJ’s

in Forest ave

@misalartin: say 6?

12:49 PM

@jamiethebee: it’s a date then.

***

My hair was resembling a mood stone. In weak attempts of making my hair even, it had turned a beautiful brick orange. Adding the smell that undoubtedly clung to my clothes, I was now the personification of a plate of curry.

All of that didn’t matter once I got to BJ’s and saw a tall figure leaning on one of the walls outside. He had disguised himself extremely well, with a black hat that cast a big enough shadow to hide his face. Which I was thankful for, because the clothes he was wearing would not help him blend into the crowd. With a pair of checkered pants and a teal coloured shirt which made it clear he had missed the class on “How to dress up for a spy mission™”.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I forced my feet to move towards him.

“Well one of us clearly misunderstood the mission” I said jokingly when I reached him.

He looked up from his phone and I managed to keep my cool. Not because I could, but because the sun was glaring right on my face, which made it impossible for me to see practically anything. My knees almost gave away when I covered the sun with my hand. It took every ounce of willpower for me not to jump and squeal like a crazy 12 year old girl, he was really here in front of me looking all perfect and ready for a fashion show. Contrary to myself, which looked ready to sleep in a homeless shelter. My black sweatpants and hoodie clashed completely with him and you could immediately tell we were opposites when it came to the lives we had.

“Lisa, right?” Jamie’s voice was deep and almost a whisper, which made a chill run through my body like electricity. It made me want to hear him speak forever, not caring about the topic he chose.

“Yeah. Um, do you really want to do the egg thing?” I couldn’t stop the words from escaping my mouth once I saw he had not one, but two boxes of 12 eggs.

His laugh was like a song that I wanted to listen to in replay non stop until I couldn’t stand it. And then he did the unimaginable, he pouted.

“What, chickening out already?” I smiled in embarrassment and looked down at my feet to hide my blush.

“Weren’t you taught that violence is not the answer?” I questioned him and his smile only seemed to grow bigger. Which was nice, but also worrying since it meant I was losing my moral battle.

“It’s not like we’re throwing eggs at someone, right? It’s just a house. Nothing a good cleaning can’t fix” He took off his hat to ruffle his hair before leaning down to whisper in my ear “Besides, who knows what else can happen” Jamie leaned against the wall again with a smirk, knowing perfectly well the effect he was having on me.

“Alright, you had me at eggs” I smiled sheepishly and then dragged him along to the bus stop. We kept talking, asking each other questions and trying to disguise our flirting behind lame excuses to get to know each other better.

He lowered his hat even more once we got on the bus and kept his hand on the small of my back in order not to lose me in the mess of people. It felt natural, like it wasn’t the first time we met and his hand was used to touching me all the time.

“So how come you talked to me?” I asked curiously, turning my body towards him. The bus lurched into a sudden stop, which caused me to stumble forward. Jamie caught me quickly, securing both arms around my waist and crushing me against him, since he was leaning on one of the walls. Thankfully, the eggs stayed safe beside him.

“Well the offer was more tempting than the usual ‘Jamie I love you please marry me’ kind of thing” He rubbed my arms and held eye contact with me the whole time and I was in heaven.

“Naturally, who doesn’t want to egg houses instead?” I quipped with an eyebrow raised and he laughed under his breath, like he didn’t want people in on our conversation.

“If egging houses is what I have to do to spend time with a pretty girl, then I’ll choose it over marriage any day” I was not one to fall for the usual lines, yet here I was struggling to reply without him finding out that I was very close to calling the whole thing off and take him to my apartment instead.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I glanced outside and pressed the buzzer to get off. Jamie followed me walking along the sidewalk but this time, in silence. I walked these streets like I never stopped, being grateful I chose to move out of my apartment after everything that happened.

I stopped when I recognized the familiar stones that led to his porch. It felt like I was living my worse nightmare. The maroon mailbox contrasting with the blue porch but clashing with the shiny Audi parked in the outer garage.

Suddenly, it didn’t seem like the best idea. I had to leave. Best case scenario: Leo found out but didn’t press charges. Worst case scenario: Jamie and me end up in a jail cell. Neither situation seemed appealing to me. Especially since they both involved talking to him. I wasn’t the best at concealing my anger. And I had a lot to conceal.

I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt Jamie’s warm hands wiping my cheeks. He crushed me to his chest as if we’d done this a million times, and I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The tears had stopped, yet he kept running his hand through my hair and rocking us softly.

He stepped back only to lean down and open the first dozen eggs. He placed one in my hand and then looked at the Audi in front of him.

“Do you think it has an alarm system?” He voiced my question out loud.

“I really hope not” And then I threw the first egg.

***

Either Leo didn’t care about his Audi becoming an omelet, or he simply didn’t find out about it. I was over the top we were not stuck in a jail cell, and even more happy I had avoided confrontation.

We were walking in silence again, the weight of reality on our shoulders. Now that we had pelted an entire car with eggs, there was nothing left to do with each other. It was no secret that he had to go back to Los Angeles and I had a curry explosion to take care of, yet I was finding it hard to see how our paths could cross again.

“I smell curry. Can we extend our date to more than just damaging private property?” Jamie stopped to look at me properly for the millionth time and once again, my knees threatened to give away. God his eye contact was going to kill me.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him how I was the source of the smell, so I nodded and let him lead the way this time.

One thing I had found out about Jamie Lee Oliver, he was not the best with directions. We walked around the same block four times before I got tired and yanked his phone from his hands.

“Just tell me where you want to go” I sighed exasperatedly and he chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Take me to the best burger place you know” And with that, he wrapped his arm around my waist and kept walking naturally, like he hadn’t just caused my heart to perform a drum solo in my chest.

It was a long walk, especially since I was hell-bent on getting away from my exs’ neighbourhood as quickly as possible. Jamie didn’t seem to mind the distance, so I kept my mouth shut.

“So Lisa” He spoke my name like it was foreign on his mouth, yet he treated me like I was anything but “Tell me something about yourself, something you haven’t told anyone” The words he spoke made me want to cringe, yet his tone was so inviting, it was impossible to refuse.

“Well” I hesitated, there could have been a million things to say that would have made me look better or more attractive. Instead, I chose “I’m the reason you smelled curry” Jamie tried to mask his surprise as best as he could, yet it was clear this was not what he had imagined I would say.

So naturally, I continued “My roommate managed to cause a curry explosion in our kitchen and when I came home from my interview I had barely any time to get ready before I met you and I clearly didn’t think things through because if I did, then I wouldn’t have showered. Which sounds disgusting but it would’ve made the smell less apparent and my hair a little less similar to a burning building. Also I tried to dress for the occasion but actually made an effort to look presentable, but clearly I didn’t do—

His lips were what interrupted me. One second I was boring his ears off with my rambling, the next Jamie Lee Oliver was kissing me. It was like no other kiss I’d had, he towered over me but not in an awkward way and his hands seemed to touch me in the right places at the perfect time. He was rumoured to date many girls and I understood why, he felt as comfortable kissing me as he looked when he was acting on camera. Reality caught up with me and made me lose focus, so Jamie pulled me closer to him by the waist.

After what seemed like ages, he pressed his forehead against mine and pecked me a few times on the lips then closed his eyes and stayed silent for a few seconds, just holding me close to him. My eyes darted all over his face, trying to find something appropriate to say, yet words failed me.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, but I’ve been meaning to since I saw you crossing the street to meet me”

Looking back, if I had to pinpoint the moment things changed for the both of us, I would say it was this one. Because this, was when I threw caution to the wind. It was like I couldn’t get enough of him. So I kissed him this time.

Laughing against my lips he pecked me once, twice. Then held my hand and continued walking in the direction of the restaurant.

***

I was a blushing mess the remaining walk to the restaurant. Even when we asked for a table for two, I couldn’t keep it together. In fact, I felt my face grow even hotter, if it was even possible.

“That blush is fucking adorable” Jamie whispered in my ear and his hand crept lower, which did not help at all with my blushing.

The waitress raised her eyebrows at Jamie’s blunt movement but led us to a table in the far corner of the room.

“I don’t do this often, not with many girls” He blurted suddenly, still looking down at the menu. I’d decided to order the french burger and was waiting expectantly for him to decide, yet this had caught me completely by surprise. His warm eyes met mine in a piercing gaze “I don’t want anything serious either”

“I just egged my exe’s Audi, I can barely stomach a burger let alone a serious relationship” I blurted honestly and he grinned. I had just found my way into Jamie’s heart.

He grabbed my hand while he ordered for the both of us and when he ordered a taxi to take us back to my place. He continued to hold it while we kissed in the elevator, and when we continued to do so everywhere in my apartment.

Jamie Lee Oliver held my hand the way he held my heart, and I don’t remember him ever letting go.

#writing #short fiction #short snippet #story #romance #new adult #mmusings #rvwchck

1 note · View note

prxttypxrker · 5 years

Text

[secrets: part seven]

[part] one two three four five six

[tags] @falling-stars-never-cry @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @hphmincorrectquotes

You had family over.. you had family over? The only person you ever mentioned was your older sister, whom you lived with, and the late parents you lost at a young age. There were family friends and your sister's boyfriend, sure, but never any other actual blood relatives. The text you sent sat uneasy with him. While he was happy you weren't ignoring him for as long as he expected, the confusion of who you could've meant was tenfold. Does he ask you at school tomorrow? Or does he just bypass his curiosity and let it slide?

Peter flipped over on his bed, staring at the phone sitting between the pages of his chemistry textbook. He'd been debating calling or not—considering you did say you had family over and couldn't meet with him. However.. maybe you could do a phone call? Or a text. Texting sounded better. You wouldn't be able to hear his very unnecessary desperation to figure you out just for tonight.

He threw his head down and groaned into his pillow. If he didn't have a crush on you he wouldn't have been as persistent. And it was overwhelming. He didn't recall any moments he felt like this when he liked Liz last year; not even when he found out her dad was Vulture and had to fight him. That was crazy, but it didn't meld his mind as much as this did. He didn't even think he could like someone this much after that whole experience. “Hey.” He turned his head enough to see his Aunt May leaning against the doorway. “Are you going to call her?”

He sat up immediately, turning his screen off and shutting the book he was reading just to help you on the project. “What? Call who? I don't know who you're talking about.”

She stared at her nephew for what felt like eternity before giving him a small smile and shaking her head. “I won't ask what it's about, but if it has to do with a certain superhero swinging around the neighborhood—well—I’m sure she'll understand once you have a real talk with her. I know she wouldn't want to jeopardize your friendship either.”

He didn't say anything—he couldn't, really. There were moments he forgot his aunt discovered that he was Spider-Man, so whenever she discreetly brought up the other side of his double life he was taken aback. Although this time, he was more than glad she had a sixth sense about what went on in his life. He cleared his throat and nodded his head slowly. “Yeah.. yeah, I'll make sure I talk to her. Thanks, Aunt May.” She gave him another smile and turned to head back into the kitchen. He immediately opened up the book and turned his phone back on.

While he was trying to decide whether calling was a good idea, you were sitting at a dinner table with your sister Katrina, her boyfriend, and pretty much the only person your parents were extremely close with. Everyone was engaged in lively conversation while you could barely get a word in. It all made sense, but for some reason you still couldn't wrap your head around the fact that your crush was also the one who prevented what would have been a tragic event in your life. A part of you preferred he was just making new friends that would replace you guys in the future. At least then you could cope and talk it out without having second thoughts. This was a whole other situation. Peter was an actual hero, not the regular, run-of-the-mill kid who takes city crimes into his own hands. He was skilled and friendly and as selfless as anyone with powers could be. Not to mention he worked with Iron Man; you remembered seeing that ship 'incident’ on the news the year before. As well as photos and videos people would post online of the two of them taking on bigger jobs together. It was amazing and impressive, but something still bothered you.

“Y/N.” You looked up from the phone sitting next to your plate, sending it to its black screen before acknowledging your sister. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just some stuff about homework.” It didn't seem like she believed it, but she only shrugged and continued on with the conversation with her boyfriend. They didn't give it a second thought, but the other guest clearly did. You watched him glance between yourself and the device, raising his eyebrows. Was the conflict really that obvious? Could he see that you were struggling with a friendship? Or were your mixed feelings with the current situation making their way into your eyes? “Um,” you cleared your throat and stood from your seat, “I'm gonna go work on that project Miss Simms gave me.”

After saying an early goodnight to the other three in the room, you made your way down the hall toward your bedroom. You closed the door and breathed out a large sigh, throwing yourself on the bed. You laid on your back so you could see the ceiling; see the space where you had half of the pictures of you, your friends and family stuck with tape and staring straight at you. It felt weird to have photos up at first, but over time you would look at them each time you just needed someone and they couldn't physically be there. Mostly during your moments of sulking or frustration, in which you hated bringing down the moods of others so you would look at the smiling faces above you to keep you sane. You hoped they would still help with something as big as this.

You sighed and rolled over onto your stomach, deciding that if you weren't going to talk to him yet, you might as well actually work on that project. While you started doing the worksheets there was a light knock from the other side of the door. “Come in.”

“Hey, misfit.”

At the sound of the all too familiar voice you put everything in your hands down and sat up, giving the man your full attention. “You haven't called me that for a while.”

“Now that's because you haven't caused any trouble in a while.” You rolled your eyes, smiling up at him as he gave you one in return. “So what's up? Why have you been ignoring me?”

“I haven't.”

“You're a terrible liar... definitely got that trait from your dad.”

You frowned and he gestured toward the open spot on your bed, waiting for you to nod so he could sit down. There was a silence that hung in the air as the two of you sat there, both looking around different pieces of your room. It was a silence you always hated when it was between you and him. You much preferred the weird, fatherly or innovative talks that would happen whenever you'd see him. After your dad passed away with your mom, he was the only one that was able to tell when something was bothering you or if you were lying about anything. So after another minute or so of quiet, you spoke up. “Why didn't you tell me?”

He sighed, letting the question sink in on both ends. He then adjusted his position so he could look at you properly. “It wasn't my place to tell you that. It’s his responsibility to decide when to say who he was to any of you. I've just been there as the... moral support, you could say.”

You snorted, “Snarky Tony Stark as moral support? That I would like to see.”

The billionaire raised an eyebrow and grinned at you, seeing that his said snarkiness had been rubbing off on you more and more. His gaze found its way to the object with the screen displaying your contact list. There were times he forgot how much you grew since that tragic day, but seeing the extent of what you'd been going through the past few months helped him see that you had more than just normal, teenage issues. You had a knowing crush on a boy who went around saving pedestrians and putting his own life at risk once in a while. All while having a father figure who had an arc reactor in his chest, flew around in an iron, red and gold suit saving New York from aliens with other heroes, was part of Earth's best defenders, and had a mind so big only those truly intelligent could fully understand him. “Talk to the kid. He goes through a lot. He could use someone like you on his side.”

Without waiting for a response he pulled himself up from the sitting position and made for the doorway. You bit your lip when he took a step out. You didn't want the chance to say it slip by, so just as he was halfway down the small hallway, you let out a small shout. “Thank you, Uncle Tony!”

With his rare modesty in check after your miniscule burst, you went back to the materials laid across the mattress. Your eyes combed over everything, stopping at the name that both frustrated you and sent waves of butterflies in your belly every time you heard it.

Neither of you were aware the other knew about having a crush on one another; these types of instances almost never happened, especially during high school. It was a decision of part temporary confidence, part consideration, and part nobody wanting to lose a friendship out of this. You were both unsure for different reasons, but at the end of the night feelings were only an excuse. In your beds, you each took a deep breath and pressed the name on your phones.

94 notes · View notes

castellankurze · 5 years

Text

A Completely Normal Team-Up

So you know how oftentimes an anime gets an OVA or a movie that takes place...somewhere in its continuity, but nobody’s quite sure where, it probably messes with continuity but someone had an idea for a standalone story so by god they wedged in in there somehow? Well, consider this to be Completely Normal RPG getting its own OVA release.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miyumi was the first one taken by the creature.

Later on, Shouko, attempting to lighten the mood, joked that it did so because it was smart. While there might have been a kernel of truth in the statement, when everything came out in the end it also inadvertently hid the thing's true motivation.

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

In truth there had been others attacked beforehand, but they had been left at the site of their assault, all of them bone-weary and exhausted, none able to describe whatever the thing was that had come after them. Whatever it was, it struck at twilight three days in a row. The school put out a warning of a flu going around, reacting to the aftereffects, but when the four of them got together the idea wasn't even dignified with a single repetition.

"A vampire of some kind?" Kanako proposed.

"Whatever it is, it's definitely draining its victims," Miyumi agreed with a stroke of her chin.

"But it's not drinking their blood or anything, just sapping their energy," Erika said from the counter where she was fixing a sandwich. "Are there any beasts that just sort of...make people tired and move on?"

A quick call to Saika was no help. "She says there's too many possibilities," Shouko said, waggling an unlit cigarette between her lips and ignoring a dirty look from Miyumi. "She says to do the usual - just buddy up and never be alone and keep your eyes open."

So they did, and Miyumi was in the company of her boyfriend Shoji when dusk came at the end of the next day, but all told, the advice didn't seem to be much help.

"I barely saw it," Shoji murmured from his bed. He was bruised and cut in a few places, but otherwise unharmed but for the same strange exhaustion that had overtaken the previous victims. "There was a flash of headlights behind us, and then I thought someone was coming off the road to try and hit us. After that I just saw stars." Kanako tried to coax more information out of him, gently asking questions, but that seemed to be the limit of what he could remember. Apart from that, Erika had to step in when he tried to rise from his bed as if to start looking for Miyumi then and there, easily keeping the boy down with a hand to his chest.

"You just focus on getting better," she said firmly. "We'll find Miyumi."

The next morning, Shouko crossed paths with Shizuka when the latter stepped off the bus before class. "You are on time for school today," the red-eyed girl noted quietly.

"You're a riot," Shouko replied, shrugging her motorcycle jacket over her shoulder and falling into step beside Shizuka. "For real though, why would this thing take Miyumi when it just leaves everyone else all tired out?"

Shizuka shot the delinquent a sidelong glower, the kind she often employed on those who ought to know better. "What distinguishes Miymui from the rest of them?" she asked curtly, and then walked on, ignoring Shouko's faltering steps behind her.

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

Erika and Kanako never made it home that night, but because it was a friday and Kana lived alone but for her cat Tsukiko, nobody realized what had happened until Shouko (in flagrant violation of Saika's warning not to travel alone) dropped by the house late the next afternoon to ask after the math homework they'd been assigned. The door was unlocked, and she found nobody but a pitifully meowing Tsukiko who pointedly went to sit by her bowl. After offering the cat a reassuring stroke and some food from the bag under the counter, Shouko sent a few queries by text, careful to sound innocuous. When the inseparable pair didn't turn up anywhere, Shouko hurried out, and in the end she was almost fast enough.

Saika's phone buzzed and she picked it up with a chirp of "hi Shouko!"

"Don't talk just listen! It's got Kana and Erika!" Shouko shouted back, sounding out of breath. There was some kind of rhythmic pounding like a series of sledgehammers behind her voice.

"Shouko?!" Saika yelped, immediately disregarding her girlfriend's instruction standing with such haste she knocked her desk chair over.

"It's some kind of a machine! It's got all kinds of random parts! It's got...it's got a core shaped like a diamond made of mirrors! It's got wings and they glow really bright! I don't-"

Where was a sound of screeching metal and a moment later the line disconnected. Saika stared at the little rectangle in disbelief for a moment before mashing redial and begging "pick up...please pick up..." but it was not to be. The normally-bubbly blonde stood wide-eyed in the center of her room, staring past her phone at the far wall, paralyzed for a long moment with indecision. Then, with trembling fingers, she dialed another number.

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

"Hmmm," he mused after she relayed her description. "'A diamond-shaped mirror' has sometimes been mentioned in the description of a creature called the mirrorknight." The Baron of the Radiant Court paused, marshaling his thoughts. "It is a type of golem which repairs and rebuilds itself with whatever materials may be present, but its heart is a single piece of silver polished to a mirror shine. A long time ago there used to be quite a number of them, but they were unstable creations and would eventually go renegade."

"This one seems to be pretty renegade," Saika agreed, her voice shaky. "Why would this one be kidnapping hunters?"

"Individuals have attacked members of the Court before, thought always in isolated incidents. I'll look into the archives, and I will send someone to reinforce you as soon as possible. I want you to be very careful, is that clear?"

"Yessir," Saika replied, and the call ended. Saika looked out her window at the night sky and the lights of other houses across the street and beyond. Then she looked back to her phone and, with a trembling thumb, scrolled through her contacts to a certain name whose number she had never dialed.

She took a deep breath. She'd always tried to...be helpful. Back up her friends. Be there when they needed her - when Shouko needed her. Be the guiding light. She'd never...taken point, so to speak. And certainly not like this. This could get her into a lot of trouble. A lot. But the night was coming on, and it was getting cold, and Miyumi had been gone for over two whole days at this point, and it could be...some time before another member of the Radiant Court could be pulled from their current duty and sent to help. And every passing moment meant all four of them were out there, somewhere, in trouble...

"Hey, by the way, you should add this to your contacts."

"Shouko, she'll me really angry you gave me her number."

"Nah, she said it was okay."

"Did she really?"

"Well, you know, I sort of ran it by her and she kind of grunted the way she does. Look, just save it for a major emergency, okay?"

Her phone's screen started to grey out, and Saika swallowed hard, raised her thumb high, brought it down on the dial icon.

One ring.

Two.

"Hello," answered Shizuka's deadpan voice.

"We need to talk," Saika said.

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

They met at the sports field by the school, a wide-open place not far from the building's lights. The representative of the Eventide Vanguard came armed, of course, her katana belted at her side, and Saika tried to keep her fingers from twitching, fighting the urge to summon her bow, just to have it ready.

It was a long moment before either of them spoke - Shizuka stood with her arms crossed, her red-eyed gaze unwavering, while Saika chewed her lip, searching for the right words. Finally she gave up and just repeated everything that had happened, relaying everything Shouko had had time to tell her over the phone and the resulting information given to her by the Baron.

When she was done, Shizuka lowered her gaze and closed her eyes for a moment. "You could face severe consequences for this, Oishi," she commented dryly. "It could be seen as consorting with the enemy."

Saika spread her arms and shrugged. "I can't...just wait," she said, hearing the plaintive tone in her own voice.

Shizuka uncrossed her arms and rested one hand at her sword's sheath, idly popping the katana's hilt with her thumb and holding it for a moment before clicking it back into place, her lips pursed, her gaze directed past Saika's shoulder rather than on her face. "The Vanguard's knowledge of the mirrorknight states that it's core is designed as a mirror because it was intended to be a reactive force," she suddenly stated. "It absorbs energy for fuel, and when it drinks power from a certain element it alters its own base nature to turn that energy against its foes."

"So when Shouko described its wings as glowing-" Saika realized with growing horror.

"It has likely absorbed magic from both Kanako and Erika, which would give it a strong light aspect," Shizuka confirmed.

"We can't wait for backup," Saika blurted, and as Shizuka raised an eyebrow she balled her fists and stamped a foot. "Either of us. You know I'm right, Miyasato. Every minute they're out there that thing is draining more and more from them. What if it doesn't stop like it did with the other people it attacked. What if it drains everything?"

"You are willing to put everything on the line in the event of that possibility," Shizuka said, her red-eyed gaze once more pinned to Saika's own green pair.

"Aren't you?" Saika rejoined, and Shizuka lowered her eyes, thumb toying with the hilt of her katana again. Saika took a bracing breath and then turned on the ball of one foot, thrusting out a hand towards her opposite number. "Night's fallen," she said, her voice low and firm. "Day and twilight are both behind us. And they'll come again in the morning. But for tonight there are people who need saving. Our friends. And I'm...I'm not asking you to like me, Miyasato. But...just for one night. For our friends."

Shizuka eyed the proffered hand for a long moment. "A two-person band," she mused. Then she reached out and clasped Saika's hand. The pair squeezed.

"So...um, now we just need to find it," Saika realized lamely.

Shizuka favored her with one of her barely-there smirks. "Shouko said it was made of random parts. Where else do machines go to die and be reborn, Oishi?"

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

Kanako's screaming filled the junkyard, but nobody had come running in the last day, and nobody came running now.

She thrashed in her restraints as their captor leaned close and opened its maw which, not already enough of a science-fiction nightmare made as it was of mashing metal parts, was full of discarded sawblades that whirled and struck sparks from one another when the bottom set glanced off the ones on the top. But instead of biting into the hapless girl, the machine seemed to inhale, and from Kanako's body a haze of glimmering light took form only to be drawn away as if by some manner of whirlpool, pulled inexorably into the machine-beast's mouth. It arched, like a predator swallowing a particularly juicy morsel, its wings twitching and glimmering as the hope it drained from its captive suffused its body.

The thing that had taken them was the size of a bear, and walked on a pair of legs made from pistons and car axles, its arms cobbled together from cast-offs from the construction equipment manufacturing plant and spliced into grabbing claws. Its posture was hunched and predatory, its eyes a set of headlights stolen from the hulk of a bus, which explained why Shoji had thought some nutcase was about to run him and Miyumi down.

The wings that jutted from its body were the only thing that didn't seem to have come from the scrapyard - a set of blade-like triple-pointed razor-sharp limbs that extended almost ten feet in either direction and which, for the last day, had been glowing with an ever more intense light as it sucked the energy from its captives.

Kanako struggled to catch her breath as the thing finally seemed to take its fill and stepped away, rumbling, shaking her head and coughing. "I knew this war between hunters and the twilight was going to crazy when I signed up, but I didn't think every other monster out there was going to try and eat us!" she wailed, sobbing a bit though by now her cheeks were try, with only the tracks left by the tears from earlier in the day.

"It...it's going to be okay," Miyumi murmured from her position sat against the wall. The sorceress could barely keep her head up, deep bags under both eyes after fully two days with little more than a few drops of water. The machine-creature had fashioned crude manacles from rebar and steel beams, driving them into the concrete wall against the back of the junkyard to pin the foursome's legs and hands in place. Even Erika's fearsome strength had managed little more than to earn a bit of wiggle room. "We will...figure something..out."

"Keep your eyes open, Miyumi!" Erika cried out. "Don't fall asleep on us! Um...what's forty times twenty-three?"

"Nnn...nine hundred and twenty," Miymui replied after a few moments' hesitation.

"Shouko are you sure you got through?" Erika asked for what had to be the hundredth time.

For the last hour Shouko had been trying to use the toe of her boot to grab purchase on an iron bar that rested by her feet, hoping she would be able to somehow lever open the rebar that held her pinned. "Uh huh," she replied. "I heard her answer. C'mon...c'monnnnnn..." With a soft squeak of triumph she managed to get her toe underneath the end of the bar and worked it up a couple inches, just enough to maneuver her feet to pin the bar between her insteps, drawing it from the ground towards her.

"Shouko, watch-" Kanako started to warn her, but a steel claw shot forwards to grab the bar and yanked it violently away from the would-be escapee. Shouko yelped, having been so utterly focused on her task she hadn't noticed the golem turning back around towards them. It leaned close, opening up its sawblade mouth and hissing steam in warning. Shouko screamed back.

"Get away from her you...you b-jerk!" a voice cried out, and the golem reared, turning with awkward grace to find whatever interloper had called it out.

[...]

The pair stood side-by-side. Shizuka's katana was already drawn and laid across her shoulders, its eldritch glow alight. Beside her, Saika had her bow summoned and a gleaming golden arrow put to the shimmering string.

"Machines are meant to make lives easier and take the weight from the backs of working people," Shizuka growled. "A malfunctioning beast like you has no right to turn such devices to the purpose of inflicting harm upon innocents."

"We won't let you hurt anyone else," Saika echoed. "We might be like night and day ourselves, but even at the bottom of the night people deserve to dream of tomorrow, and when a new day breaks, that's all that'll be left of you - a bad dream!" With that she drew her bow and fired her arrow, her aim dead-on between the mirrorknight's eyes. But when the magical projectile struck the golem, it merely shattered and vanished, and the creature's wings only seemed to glow even brighter than before as it gnashed its sawblade teeth.

"Saika no, it's tuned itself to light energy!" Kanako cried out. "You won't be able to hurt it like that!"

"So if it's full of light energy," Saika mused, glancing to her side even as the mirrorknight shook itself and began to pound towards the pair. "Do you...?"

"Don't mind if I do," the Eventide representative growled and leapt forward, long skirts billowing about her legs as she ran to meet the beast halfway, her katana striking sparks from its claws as they met and she parried, dodged, and struck. The energised blade cut into the morass of scrap that composed the mirrorknight's body, and it flashed in a brief, sudden coruscation of wild magic and drew back, snapping in bestial rage. It lunged and bit, swiping with its claws, and dealt Shizuka a glancing blow with one hand, making her cry out and drop back.

Saika was at her back a moment later, her hand reaching out for Shizuka's shoulder, and in the space of a heartbeat the wound closed as if it had never been. "I can still back you up like this," she assured the other girl, and squeezed, imparting a measure of energy.

Shizuka lifted a hand and, with a sudden burst of inhuman speed, threw out her arm and from the air exploded a set of chains as black as night that lashed out and tangled around the mirrorknight's limbs. Splaying her fingers, the Eventide warrior threw a hail of thorns equally black that sank into the golem's armored hide with no more resistance than pins through a sheet of paper. The renegade creation thrashed and lifted up into the air, letting loose an unearthly howling noise, and the glow of its wings intensified with a suddenness that left Saika with barely enough time to shout "watch out!" before searing beams of light erupted in every direction, carving through the air and leaving scorch marks where they passed.

Shizuka's chains failed and burst, but even so as the mirrorknight dropped back to the ground she was there, rushing forward with another reckless cut of her blade, carving deep into its flank, and again setting off the shudder of pain and the flashing, wild release of energy. Then the thing kicked out and caught her in the midsection, lifting her from her feet and sending her flying through the air. Saika rushed to her side when she came down, healing her once more, but rather than take advantage of the moment, the mirrorknight shuddered, and without warning its belly parted, affording them a glimpse of the diamond-shaped core housed within its torso, a perfect octohedron poised to a mirror shine.

Then the light that had sprayed forth from the golem's wings faded, replaced by a mounting inky blackness, dotted with distant pinpricks of light as if a void had opened into the night sky. Helping Shizuka to her feet, Saika leveled her bow and summoned another arrow, firing at the creature once more and this time achieving the desired result, forcing it back a step as it howled injury. "That's why you took Miyumi first," Saika realized. "Because if you'd tried to fight both her and Kanako at the same time they could have just alternated what energy they hit you with. She summoned another arrow, held it until it blazed with light, and fired, driving the berserk machine back another step.

Then, without warning, it charged, but in a heartbeat Shizuka was in front of her once more, the glow gone from her sword as she ceased to channel its enchantment, blocking steel with steel as the golem's claws screeched against the killing edge with no magical power to draw upon. Together the unlikely pair faced down the cruel machine, Shizuka's protective blade turning aside the whirling sawblades and killing claws as Saika flexed her fingers and summoned up a triad of arrows, firing all three at once into the thing and making it reel, falling to its knees.

"That's right! You’ve got nothing!" Saika cheered, pumping a fist. "You never expected a pair like us to team up, did you? Always striking at one or the other; you've got nothing when we work together!"

"Oishi," Shizuka warned.

The golem had managed to clamber up to one knee, its torso once mroe opening to display the pristine mirror of its core as the darkness faded from its wings, leaving perfectly-polished steel in its wake.

Then it closed a claw, and a long blade of fire erupted into the air.

"......o-oh," Saika whined, belatedly remembering not everyone had powers neatly categorized into light and dark.

The machine lashed out with what power it had managed to steal from Shouko, but with a snap-hiss of energy Shizuka had stepped in to block the blow, driven a foot back from the sheer strength behind it. The machine lashed out again and the pair separated as the blade came down between them.

"What do we do now? I don't know any ice spells!" Saika cried out, firing another pair of arrows that thunked into the golem's armored hide.

"We do things the old-fashioned way," Shizuka said grimly, with a cut of her blade that sliced into the mirrorknight's other flank.

"Get 'em Saika! I believe in you!" Shouko shouted.

"Take him down!" Erika chimed in.

"You can do it," Miyumi husked.

"We're all counting on you!" Kanako added her voice to the chorus.

Saika conjured one arrow after the other, putting them into the hulking brute's torso with determination, but seemed to accomplish little even as Shizuka chipped away at its limbs with her blade. This was going to take all night, and Saika didn't have the energy to keep them healed if they took more injuries. Then, as the golem twisted to try and hit Shizuka, Saika realized that its torso was still open, its core naked. It had to be nearly out of energy, she realized.

"Miyasato! Are you willing to trust me?" she cried out, hurrying once more to Shizuka's side.

"It's a little late for that question," Shizuka growled.

"The core," Saika said, and her opposite nubmer thinned her lips and nodded, setting herself.

The mirrorknight stamped its piston-legs, shook itself in animalistic fashion, and stepped forward, beginning to raise its flaming sword.

Saika shut her eyes as she summoned up every bit of energy she could conjure, her bow trembling in her hand as she fed everything into it, leaving herself utterly unguarded, but summoning up an arrow that seemingly glowed with the intensity of a risen sun. Then, as the mirrorknight's sword reached the highest point of its arc, ready to crash down in a devastating blow, she dropped one foot back, braced, and pulled, firing towards the exposed core.

Shizuka threw her hand out and one of her ink-black chains short forth, latching onto the arrow in mid-flight and trailing behind it as it soared, sinking deep into the polished mirror surface of the golem's core, spidering cracks flowing out in every direction.

The mirrorknight stumbled, frozen in the middle of its deathblow.

Shizuka closed her hand around the conjured chain, and Saika reached out to likewise grasp it, her own fingers closing on the blackened links just above Shizuka's own grip. Ice flooded her all the way up the shoulder as she touched the shadowed conjuring, but she held on tight, teeth bared.

"Twilight marks the end of day," Shizuka murmured.

"But dawn always comes again!" Saika replied, and together they focused, sending a spiraling wave of alternating light and dark energy twisting down the length of the chain that sank into the cracks created by the arrow's strike and exploded forth, shattering the golem's core into hundreds of mirrored shards.

The renegade machine let out a final howl and slowly toppled backwards, the flaming sword fading from its clawed grip as it struck the ground and shattered into its many constituent pieces, the spark of animation that had bound them into a hungering whole dispelled forevermore. As smoke rose from the hulking remnants, Shizuka straightened to lay her katana across her shoulders once more, eyes closed, and Saika couldn’t resist making a ‘v’ with the first two fingers of her freed hand, fingertips framing one eye. ------------------------

Erika had to carry Miyumi from the junkyard, Kanako patting her head and summoning what healing magics she could still call forth to stabilize her, promising food as soon as they could get home. For her part, Shouko reached for a cigarette, but in deference to Miymui's condition she slid it away again and settled for hugging Saika tightly.

Still, as they exited the place Saika found a spare moment to drag her feet, slowing to walk alongside Shizuka and offering an awkward, but heartfelt smile. "Thanks for trusting me," she said softly.

"Likewise, Oishi," Shizuka replied after a few moments, offering a faint smile in return.

"Maybe sometimes light and darkness don't always have to be in opposition, huh?" she asked softly.

"Perhaps," Shizuka allowed. A moment of silence passed between them, then, "you may keep my phone number in your contacts. In case another night should come in which neither the Court nor the Vanguard need know...quite everything."

Saika nodded. "You can add mine to yours, too. Just in case, like you say."

"Oishi."

"Miyasato."

"Hey, are you coming or what?" Shouko called from up ahead.

"Yes, just wait up!" Saika said, hustling after the others, and after a moment, Shizuka deigned to lengthen her stride as well so that she need not fall behind.

#kurze writes #Shouko #Saika #Shizuka #Completely Normal RPG #anime bullshit full throttle #showing up on the Toonami Midnight Run around 2003

9 notes · View notes

namjoonxorg · 5 years

Text

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓 ･❪ ❁ ❫ ･ 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒐 - 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑩𝒆𝒅𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆

“We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first.” – George W. Melville

You were doing it again.

It had been a solid week since that incident in the coffee shop with Jimin and Hobi -were you still allowed to call him that?- and you’ve caught yourself wandering back to his almost forgotten contact more times than you care to admit. You never did anything, just sat there, staring at his information, and wondering where the hell it had all went wrong.

Truth be told, Hobi, undoubtedly, was your best friend. You remember the days from high school when you called him the second you got home. You’d talk for hours, leaving your homework entirely unfinished and untouched, but still return the next day with bunches more to say. You remember back when you didn’t even need to pull up his contact, you knew it by heart so just saved time by putting it into the keypad before dialing. You remember the time you had to coax him into doing the blood drive at your school and had to write down his information for him because he was too nervous about the needles to think about what the hell his address was.

You also remember the days you applied to colleges. Hobi immediately applied for the best dance school in the country, while you on the other hand, having no artistic bone in your body, opted for something stable, not too far from home yet still far enough. You really only cared for the simple things and so you were pretty happy to find that you had been accepted. Unfortunately for Hobi, he found out the hard way that those big school don’t exactly give scholarships to freshmen. You remember spending the night at his house that day, using every second of your time reminding how stupid they were to not consider him.

He eventually found a college, he left it unnamed because he was still pretty bummed about the dance school, but you never would have guessed that the art school you transferred to last year was the one he’d told you about. Still, back when he told you it was farther away than you’d hoped, you made a pinky promise to always be best friends. You wouldn’t let yourselves become one of those cliches. And for a while, you believed it. How much good that promise did.

Needles to say, you don’t really do pinky promises anymore.

Presently, you sigh and allow your head to loll over on your pillow.

It was almost two in the morning and you hadn’t been able to get any sleep. Your head, for the thousandth time, was filled with thoughts and memories you’d rather keep tucked away. Seeing Hobi had really fucked up your headspace and you’d been bombarded with ways you could have done things differently, things you could have said before it was too late or simply what would have happened if things had gone better a few days ago.

You shifted again, trying to find a position comfortable enough to allow you sleep, but sadly, it seemed as if it just weren't coming. So, you leaned over to reach your phone and, with high hopes and zero expectations, you sent a text.

You: you up?

You waited with baited breath, hoping that all those times of bonding over your shit sleeping schedules would ring true.

Yoongi: is that even a question?

You exhaled in relief, thanking every god you knew that someone’s insomnia is just as bad as yours.

You: you up for coffee? at the 24/7 place from last time?

Yoongi: pls, im already on my way

Yoongi: need me to pick you up again?

You: no thanks. soomin had a fit last time and im not dealing with that again.

You: i’ll just walk. i’ll be fine dw

You smiled, grateful not for the first time, that you managed to meet Yoongi. So, with lighter steps and with messier hair, you climbed out of your bed and slipped on some shoes before heading out the door. Thankfully the coffee shop was very close to your dorm so you only needed to walk for a short time, but you made sure to keep your pepper spray in hand.

You were opening the door to the coffee shop in no time, the familiar chime of the bell putting a smile on your face. However, it soon turned into a frown of confusion when you spotted another head of hair sitting next to Yoongi’s striking minty green.

As you got closer to their chosen table -near the back, obviously- you immediately recognized the other person as your dweeb of a friend.

“Jungkook, isn’t it past your bedtime?” You teased as you sat down, having already placed your order.

Yoongi laughed, more genuine than most would expect at such an ungodly hour. “That’s exactly what I said.”

The younger scowled, his nose scrunching up in that way it does and you can’t take him seriously. “Shut up, guys.” He scoffs but doesn’t say anything until you come back with your drink. “I’m twenty-one, when will you stop treating me like a child?”

“When you stop acting like one,” Yoongi quips and Jungkook goes to argue, but Yoongi shakes his head, holding up a finger to silence him. “Go ahead and tell her what you were doing when you heard me leaving and decided to tag along.”

Jungkook seems to shrink back, slouching into the booth you sit in and you arch your eyebrow, curious.

“... playing Overwatch.”

You and Yoongi burst out into laughter at this, earning you glares from not only Jungkook but the poor baristas working the night shift. You didn’t stop though, your laughter ringing out and seeming to bounce off the walls in the total emptiness of the cafe. Soon enough, Jungkook wasn’t able to remain pouting and he joined you, laughing at himself with ease. You loved that about your friend, the way he was able to let loose and take jokes.

“My point exactly,” Yoongi replies quietly when your laughter comes to a close. The baristas are still glaring at the three of you, but none of you seem to mind too much.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Jungkook whines, pouting like the child he is. “Jin hyung is obsessed with Mario Kart but no one says anything about that!”

“To his face,” Yoongi drawls with a lazy point of his finger and you fail to hide your snicker behind your hand. “Jin hyung is a child in a man’s body, but at least he knows when to go to sleep.”

You sit silently, sipping carefully on your coffee and watch as Jungkook and Yoongi continue to go at it with an amused smirk on your face.

Jungkook stomps his feet, not doing much to prove his point. “Okay, but what about Namjoon hyung and his stupid Ryan plushies?”

“We let those slide because his IQ makes up for that small ounce of childishness.”

“What about Jimin hyung and-”

“Jungkook you know that no matter what you say, you’re not going to win this argument, right?”

The brunette slouches and crosses his arms, but doesn’t reply back. More than likely because he knows Yoongi is right.

He looks over to you, as if for defense, but finds you hiding your smile behind your cup. He tilts his head, in that way he does when he’s planning something devious, and smirks at you with a lift of a brow.

“Speaking of Jimin hyung,” He starts, leaning across the table to grin at you smugly. “I wonder what he would say about Y/N being out right now with two of his best friends.”

Yoongi frowns for a second before realization dawns on him. Then, like the flick of a switch, he turns to you with an expression that matches Jungkook’s perfectly. “Yeah, I’m wondering that, too.”

That traitor.

You huff, but decide not to buy into their game. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You shug, feigning indifference.

“That’s okay, it’s not like you like him or anything,” Yoongi states, taking a slow sip of his drink while sharing a look with Jungkook.

The latter nods, leaning back and draping his arm along the side of the booth. “Yeah, but I guess that’s a good thing. He’s probably out with some girls right now, anyway.”

“What?!” You ask, doing your best to keep your voice down but ultimately failing.

This time it's Yoongi and Jungkook who burst out into laughter as you wait for them to settle down so they can clarify things for you.

“So I guess that proves it, then,” Yoongi laughs and empties his cup.

“Proves what?”

“That you like Jimin hyung,” Jungkook sing-songed, teasing you lightheartedly.

You groaned, feeling like they set this up. “It's not as if it was a secret, anyway.”

“Its okay, Y/N. Hyung and I were just messing with you.” He smiled, one of those impish ‘i know something you don’t’ smiles. “He probably likes you, too.”

With a stifled laugh you throw the straw from your drink across the table at him, provoking laughs from Yoongi for the third time since you got here.

In the end, you left with two very unhappy baristas and full invention of skipping your morning class.

Previous || Next Masterlist || Beginning || Coauthor

#bts #written by the loml #bts social media au #party favor #bts ot7 #bts ot7 au #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook

13 notes · View notes

just-homo-thingsxd · 5 years

Text

Trauma (Part 5)

(Huge disclaimer before this chapter. This will be dealing with some very intense and triggering topics, as well as being NSFWish. Viewer discretion is advised.)

"Don't act like you don't want it. The way you been acting lately makes me think you're a fag. Tell me, why? What makes my own son be a queer? Tell me DAMNIT." You're body didn't respond to any commands. This voice was all too familiar, as was the situation. You were lying on your bed and you looked up to the man who's face you couldn't remember. Just that petrifying grin that made shivers travel down your spine. You couldn't speak as he came closer, pinning you down on your shoulders. The sensations sent you into a full blown panic attack. Feeling his hands running down your chest. Peeling off your shorts. In your head you were screaming for him to stop, but it only kept going. Once you started crying the back of his hand hit your face. "YOU WANT THIS FAGGOT. DON'T PRETEND FOR A MOMENT YOU WOULD DENY ME."

"I SAID NO!!!"

You woke up to a loud shatter, and with your hand covered in shattered glass. Blood covering the mirror in the bathroom. You must've ran here, during the nightmare. Pain didn't settle in. You only felt sick, and numb. Soon that sickness came over you as you started to vomit in the toilet. After several minutes of dry heaving you're body wouldn't let anything else come up so you decided to get some bandages and ran your hand under warm water until the blood stopped pouring out obscenely. In a few moments your hand was covered in bandages and you heard a loud knock at your door. You figured you knew who this was, as this wasn't the first time you'd had an incident similar to this. You opened the door. Judging by the look on his face you figured the exhaustion and sickness showed on your face. "Hey.. Logan, what brings you by so late?" You forced a smile as your eyes stung. He said nothing as he gave you a tight hug. Wrapping his thick arms around you and holding you tightly, unwavering. "I brought some water, I even had some left over cookies if you think you can eat them." Logan was a bear. Figuratively and literally. His quirk was Ursine. Making him appear as a bear and allow him to things a bear does. His fur was definitely comforting as you hugged him back desperately. This wasn't the first time you had clung to him, though hopefully the last. You invited him in and sat down on your couch. He sat right next to you and held you against his chest. Had it been anyone else you would've been uncomfortable but he was the best support anyone could ask for and never thought of him as anything but a friend. The fact he had a girlfriend who was pregnant also solidified that in your head as well. Unable to hold it back you let the tears out into his shirt as he rubbed your back soothingly. "There there, It was just a nightmare. We all have them, but don't worry. He isn't around and you're not a child anymore."

Comfort continued from Logan and you eventually felt well enough to head back to bed. With one last hug you let the bear go and you went back to sleep. Though hesitant.

-One Week Later.-

The wounds on your hand from the shattered mirror you broke hadn't healed completely, and you didn't want to ruin the night you were spending with Vlad by explaining it. Not to mention. You weren't sure if you were ready. He had wanted to make up for you taking him to The Ebony and Ivory last week and wanted to host a dinner cooked by him at his place. You couldn't say no. On your way to his house you started to become a little nervous. It would be the first time you would have 1 on 1 time with Vlad in a private area. Not to mention. It seemed he knew that you felt something for him. Not that you did a great job at hiding it. Arriving at his house you texted him and pressed his doorbell. "One moment!" You heard some pitter patter then the locks came undone and Vlad opened the door happily. "Hey there." He was in more casual clothes then last time, as were you. Though he still looked as dashing as ever. "Howdy Vlad. I hope you don't mind, but I brought a chocolate cake for us to have for dessert. His eyes widened then he let out a sigh. "Oh man. I'm happy you remembered. I had forgotten to make any dessert. Well, here ill take that to the kitchen and you can come in. You surely aren't a stranger at this point so make yourself at home." You thanked him and took a step in the house and looked around a bit. Nothing really caught your eye, but a smell certainly caught your nose. It was such a pleasant and mouthwatering aroma you couldn't help but wander into the kitchen. Vlad was whistling softly, checking a pan with a red apron on. He turned his head and smiled towards you. "Smell got your interest?" You chuckled and nodded your head. "Yeah, definitely. It smells amazing in here. I can hardly wait to eat." He turned away from the pan on the oven. Crossing his arms as he spoke. "Well, you're gonna have to wait a bit longer. So be patient." Letting out a sigh you nodded your head and sat at the dining room table. "Yeah, yeah. I'll wait." He smiled to himself. "Good." After a moment he sat down next to you and looked to you with some worry in his eyes. "What happened to your hand? Are you alright?" You gulped and looked down. After some thought of what to say you looked into his eyes and gave a weak smile. "I'm fine. I'll tell you later, I promise." The male frowned but placed his hand on the one that wasn't injured. "I'm here for you, so let me know if you need to chat. I'm gonna go back to the food." You nodded your head and were surprised by what he said. Not exactly sure how, but he must have knew that it wasn't anything normal. Though it made you happy that he was willing to listen.

After some time passed he served the food. Making some small talk, before you even knew it was all gone and left you wanting more. You looked to him with a wide grin. "That was delicious Kan, thank you." He stopped for a moment and smiled back at you. "You finally called me by name, it certainly took you awhile, (Y/N)" You hadn't ever thought of it but you always called him Vlad, so Kan just slipped out. "Ah. I'm sorry I just got so used to calling Vlad, weird how it just came out now though." The toothy grin expanded as he looked to the counter with the cake. "Ready for dessert?" You nodded and continuing with the chat you both demolished half the cake before you had to stop yourself. "Phew, even the cake was good. Though I'm sure you could've made better than the store." He laughed and shrugged. "Maybe, I've never really baked anything before." You stood and stretched holding your hand out for his dishes, using the other to pile yours. "Nonsense, you're the guest I can't have you do the dishes." You kept your arm extended. "C'mon, its the least I can do for this amazing meal." After some more protest he allowed you to do the dishes as he went to the living room and waited on the couch. Once you finished rinsing them off you went to the living room to join the man. You sat down right next to him, absentmindedly. He turned to you with a cocked eyebrow. "No personal space, huh?" Your face lit up with a heavy blush as you turned away and slid away. Though you were halted in your efforts as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you back into him. He adjusted himself, one leg on the couch and the other off of it as he held you against his chest. You certainly didn't mind, but you were sweating up a storm. Being held against the wide, muscular chest, you looked up to him. "Comfy? You can get closer if you want." Though embarrassment was overflowing you slid up against him. Curling up against him completely as he tightened his grip around you and rested his chin on your head. "You ready to tell me what happened with your hand?" It made sense now why he was so open with his affection out of the blue. "Well.. I don't want it to ruin the night.. and I've had such a good time tonight." He rubbed the your back and tightened his grip. "You can tell me." Tensing up, you sighed heavily to relax and decided to tell him what happened.

"Well. I was having a nightmare one week ago, and it was of something.. I thought I've moved on from. While I was asleep I wondered into the bathroom, and I woke up when the nightmare reached a certain point. I punched the mirror. It hasn't been the first time I've had a dream similar to that, but it was the first time I've lacerated myself on a mirror."

A moment passed and the rubs on your back continued as he continued to hold you tight.

"If you're comfortable, what was your nightmare about?"

He must've felt your body tense up at the request and clung tightly to you. It similar to Logan's comfort. Though the fact it was from someone you'd come to admire and adore made it better.

"When I was young. I wasn't into things my dad considered manly. I disliked sports, and I didn't like hands on tasks very much. One night when my mother wasn't home I was reading a book in my book in my room. He came in abruptly and started saying these awful things. I found out later he was on a drug binge and was out of his mind. He was convinced I was gay, and being an old minded person raised in a house where that wasn't ever spoken about. It was a taboo in his mind, and with the drugs. He.. he wanted to know what made me come across gay..."

You paused for a moment as that similar feeling of your eyes stinging continued to tear at your eyes. You didn't want to cry over this again, but the comfort and security you felt in Kan's embrace tore the tears out of your eyes. He didn't say anything. He just continued to rub and hold you tight.

"The way he would prove I was gay.. was by... g-getting me to moan by.. f..fu-" You were caught off guard as Vlad covered your lips with his finger. His face was hard to read at the moment. A mix between anger, sadness and disgust. All the things you felt. He looked down to you and smiled softly.

"I understand. I'm sorry for asking, but I really appreciate you being honest with me. I'm happy to know you trust me enough to tell me something so traumatic as that was. I'm here to listen when those things come up. I care about you, you have a great heart that puts others first. I've seen that in you since I first met you."

If you weren't crying before. You definitely were now. It had been so long since anyone has said something that sweet about you. Much less listened to you. After a moment of composing yourself you looked up to him and felt a throb in your heart. You knew now without a doubt you wanted to spend more time with him.

"Would you like to stay the night? It's pretty late and I have plenty of room for you to sleep in. A guest room, the couch.."

He mumbled something to himself. He seemed startled when you asked him what that last thing was. Catching a glimpse of a red hue on his cheeks.

"Wherever you want me. I'll sleep there."

His eyes caught yours and he gave you a devilish grin and stood up. He pulled something from the nearby room to you.

It was a dogbed.

"Okay, maybe not anywhere."

Vlad got a hearty laugh out of that one. Amused with himself, but you were too. You were thinking of something else, I'm sure.

After a moment or so he slid the dogbed back to the other room and decided the guest bedroom would be best. Its nearby his room and probably more comfortable. With no argument for heading to bed you did so and trudged up the stairs. At the top you waited for Vlad, and felt him right behind you. He wrapped an arm around your chest and held you close again.

"Its the far room on the right. Just shout if you need anything. Mines the closest on the right. That door between us is the bathroom. If you wake up before me feel free to use the shower and whatever shampoo or conditioner. Also, when you get up my dog will be roaming around. He's pretty harmless. Just thought I'd let you know."

He then released you from his grip and walked past you.

A little stunned you sat there for a moment. You were just between his legs and right up on him, but this act felt different. Though you didn't mind it one bit. With no hesitation you laid down on his guest bed and looked to the ceiling. You were unsure of how Vlad felt toward you. Whether he was just being comforting or something else entirely. Either way, you were drained emotionally and passed out instantly. Maybe tonight, there will be no nightmares.

#vlad king #kan sekijirou #my hero academia #mha #bnha #fanfic #fanfiction #vladking x male reader

5 notes · View notes

thehuggamugcafe · 6 years

Note

How would everyone react if their S/O wanted to work at the cafe with them?

OOC: Hello and good afternoon, Summer. This Barista hopes you’re well, and that your day is nothing but smooth sailing so far!

Precise and to-the-point as always, aren’t you? I love orders like this.

Certainly! One combo order coming right up, dear! Please enjoy!

To everyone else: enjoy this quadruple serving as well. Cheers, dears!

Lastly, credit goes to the amazing @the-corgi-persona for helping me out with Arsène’s bit. So thank you, corgi dear! You’re a saint!☕

Akira Kurusu

Recently, you’d been laid off from your job. It wasn’t just you, but more than half of your fellow co-workers had been notified that, unfortunately, due to over-staffing and the recent shuffling of roles, they could no longer work there.

For two whole months, you sent out résumés to wherever you could think of. You see a “now hiring” billboard outside the business? You pass in a résumé. You see a “help wanted” sign in the window of a coffee shop? You hand in arésuméto the manager.

You snagged an interview here and there, but never got past putting your foot in the door.

No matter how many times you heard the words, “You’ll hear from us in a few days” from the head manager of the place you scouted out, you never did.

Needless to say, you were beginning to feel a bit disheartened. You felt that you’d never get anywhere.

Fortunately, there were two shining rays of hope presented to you.

The first was the ever-constant presence of your live-in boyfriend, Akira Kurusu.

He was there when you shuffled in after a long day of passing out résumé after another, looking as downtrodden as you felt. He was there with a steaming plate of curry and a hot cup of coffee or tea, ready to serve with a dazzling, award-winning smile curling his lips. He was there to hold you close, kiss you, and tenderly whisper, “Don’t get discouraged, dear. I’m sure you’ll get somewhere. Please keep trying.”

The second ray of hope showed itself in the form of a “help wanted” sign in the window of the Huggamug Café one early fall morning.Akira’s eyes lit up the moment he saw it, punching in the necessary information and sending it to you via a text message.

It took some convincing on Akira’s part, but the next day during his shift, he watched as you stood in front of the manager, EiraRundström. Everything from your trembling figure, to your wide eyes, to the beads of sweat dripping down your face screamed, “I’m anxious!” as you handed in a résumé.

The day after you showed up and handed in a résumé, Eira called you, asking when was a good time for your interview. Nervous, you spluttered out a random date and time.

The day of your interview, you were a nervous wreck. Your hands dripped with sweat as they shook, fingers clutching the tacky dress pants that covered your legs as Eira asked question after question.

Afterwards, you couldn’t hide your low spirits as the all too familiar words of the manager echoed in your mind. “I’ll be in touch.” However, the day after your interview, much to your surprise…

The manager contacted you, asking you when you could begin working at the coffee shop. Still surprised, you asked her, “T-Thank you. I can begin as soon as possible, but… Why am I the lucky candidate? You had other interviews, didn’t you?”

It took a few moments for the young woman to reply, but finally…

“You’re that idiot’s partner, right? Someone needs to keep an eye on him when I can’t deal with him. The other women didn’t care for work, or the café’s policy; they care more for Akira. I don’t have the time or patience to entertain the nonsensical whims of people like that, not when I have a business to run.”

For a few moments, the manager was silent before adding, “So… Is tomorrow morning a good time for you? Eight o’clock sharp. There’s no excuses you can give me that I’ll accept.”

Behind you, standing in front of the sink and washing the dishes, Akira snuck a glance at you, watching as a pleased grin pulled on your lips.

He smiled as your voice rang out, clear as a church bell. “Tomorrow morning is fine! Thank you very much for your time, Ms.Rundström!”

No sooner had you hung up the phone, a giddy smile curling your lips, you felt arms encircling your waist as a voice crooned in your ear. “See, darling? Didn’t your handsome devil tell you? I told you you’d get somewhere.”

You giggled as Akira pressed a few kisses to your neck, murmuring, “Congratulations, love. I’m proud of you. It’ll be such a pleasure to work with you~.”

Ren Amamiya

“You’re fired.”

The words still managed to worm their way into your thoughts whenever you were alone, thinking back to the incident that caused you to lose your job.

You hadn’t been late. You stuck to the strict protocol of the business, following the rules and orders of your superiors to the letter. You addressed any concerns the guests brought to your attention. You got along with your co-workers, some of whom were your friends outside of work.

No, in fact, the incident in question occurred during an extravagant dinner that was hosted by the hotel you previously worked in. Apparently, some big-wig up-and-coming politician was aiming for the biggest office in the country: the Prime Minister’s office.

A rug. The up-turned end of a rug had resulted in you tripping as you headed toward the table where several man sat, talking and laughing. Unfortunately, it resulted in the contents of the serving tray to be sent flying, splattering across the men’s faces, to stain their expensive tailor-made suits. The lavish tablecloth quickly became stained as wine spilled over the edges, soaking the bland surface.

Clearly furious, the man whirled around you, face set into a scowl as he spat angrily, “You clumsy simpleton! I’ll have your job for this!”

You could still remember when your manager called you into his office, eyes full of shame as he spoke the words you hadn’t wanted to hear.

“You’re fired.”

Since you were let go, it had been extremely difficult to get an interview, and even if you did, the moment your would-be employer learned how you managed to lose your job… Despite his or her promises to stay in touch, you’d get a call saying someone more reliable had been selected instead of you.

Day in and day out, that was your routine for a whole month. Passing out résumés, roping in an interview here and there, and being constantly denied the position you were aiming for.You were beginning to feel downtrodden, walked on and walked over, ignored despite your best efforts.

Ren couldn’t bear to see you returning home in such low spirits; he was the one who brought home suggestions of where you should start snagging interviews, after all.

Fortunately, lady luck soon smiled down upon you. It just so happened that as he walked into work one day that he spotted his manager, Eira, setting up a "now hiring” sign outside the Huggamug Café. The noiret’s glasses glinted as, suddenly, he was hit with a bright idea. If you were seeking work, surely his boss would at least give you a chance when no one else would.

So it was much to your surprise that after returning home from another failed interview, Ren greeted you with a small smile and dinner waiting for you at the table. “My boss is looking for new hirelings. Interested, darling?”

You couldn’t help but to allow an excited, hopeful gleam to sparkle in your eyes. You nodded eagerly in response to your boyfriend’s suggestion. However, soon, the feeling of uncertainty wrapped itself around you.

“You really think she’ll give me a chance, Ren?”

“Focus on snagging the interview first, then worry about what comes after.”

Invigorated by your boyfriend’s confidence in you, you nodded as you both sat down to enjoy a quiet, relaxing dinner, enjoying a quaint, stress-free evening together afterwards.

To say that you were a bundle of quivering nerves as, the next morning, you stood in front of a certain café was an understatement. Despite its warm, welcoming exterior and interior, the Huggamug Cafémay as well be the Diet Building to you.

It didn’t help that you soon directly in front of the manager of the coffee shop: Eira Rundström. Swallowing a gulp that was the size of a baseball, you nervously greeted yourself, résuméin hand, sweating bullets as the icy gaze of the young manager fell upon you.

“Welcome to the Huggamug Café. How may I help you today?”

“I’m… I’m here about the sign out front. You’re interviewing candidates?”

Ren couldn’t help but smile as Eira took your résumé, adding, “I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll look over yourrésuméduring break, and if all looks good, I’ll schedule an interview.”

You nodded, watching as the dark-haired manager walked away. However, the moment she was out of your sight, you sighed as your shoulders slumped. Then, you felt a hand resting on your shoulder, and you glanced up to see Ren’s smile, his onyx irises staring at you as he talked.

“Don’t worry too much. I know the Boss has a good feeling about you.”

ArsèneLupin

“Hey, Arsène… Is that café you work at hiring?”

“Ah, the Boss was saying that she was looking for help. Why do you ask?”

“J-Just wondering… That’s all.”

Arsènewasn’t a fool; he could see right through your little white lie. Sometimes, you were easier to read than an open book.

“…You want to work with me?”

The surprise in Arsène’s voice was obvious. His obsidian gaze stared into your eyes, but the surprise was just as palpable in his irises as it was in his voice. There was also a faint trace of amusement, too.

“Yeah. I mean, you always come home after your shift pleased, and I have yet to hear anything bad about this café. Sounds like it’s a good place to work.”

Smirking,Arsènewas quick to reply. “Perhaps it’s because there are so many wonderful customers who visit. My employer is quite easy on the eyes as well.”

You took a moment to roll your eyes heavenward, breathing a sarcastic “haha” immediately afterwards.

“Ohh,” he drawled, looking positively amused. “Is someone jealous?”

“Of course not!” you said, denying his teasing accusation with a huff.

Seeing Arsène’s tooth-filled smirk irritated you, causing you to add, “Why would I be jealous when I’m the only woman you’re with, right? Unless your proposal was just sugarcoated bullshit?”

To prove your point you raised the hand in question, its ring finger wrapped in a golden, diamond-encrusted engagement ring.

“Hmm,” he hummed, pausing only to add, “Touché, my dear rose.”

“Anyway, jokes aside,” you said, pausing as Arsène chuckled.

“Do you think your boss would hire me? I mean, it’s been a while since I worked anywhere… Three months…”

Slightly disheartened by what you said, you lowered your head, staring at the plate of food that was in front of you. You gripped a fork in your hand, absentmindedly picking at the side dish as your thoughts strayed back to your former workplace.

It had its ups and downs, just as every other place did, but part of you was glad that you weren’t working there anymore. It had been nothing short of a godsend when your manager informed you of being let go.

For the past three months, you’d been receiving unemployment income. You had to get somewhere, find a place to work at, and fast. Soon, the income was bound to dry up, more quickly than you’d realize.

You looked up the moment you felt a hand clasp yours, a thumb gently stroking your slim knuckles. A smile curled Arsène’s lips, but there was a short pause before he spoke.

“I will talk to the manager first thing tomorrow, dear.”

“R-Really? You’d do that?”

“For you, my dear, I’d do anything. I’d even go up against the Devil himself, if it appeased you.”

“L-Let’s not go that far, Arsène.”

Eira Rundström

“Pink slip, huh?”

You glanced up as a cup of your favourite hot beverage was set down in front of you. Small wisps of steam wafted up from inside the cup’s rounded interior, hinting of its piping hot contents.

To polish off her question, the head barista set a plate of your favourite dessert down in front of you; a fork and a serviette completed her efforts of offering you her quiet condolences.

You breathed a sigh, smiling as you nodded. “Was it that obvious?”

Eira smiled slightly as she nodded, her bangs–dyed black–brushing across her skin along with the nodding motion of her head.

“Maybe. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t help but notice that, to you, the world might as well be ending.”

In response to her words, you voiced a laugh that was half-sarcastic, half-sincere.

“If it does end today, at least I’ll go out eating something you personally made.”

There was a quiet clatter as you picked up the fork, sliding it through the generous slice of dessert that innocently sat on the plate. You popped the piece past your lips.

Eira busied herself with tending to other customers, pausing only to order a certain frizzy-haired, bespectacled barista to get back to work as you ate your dessert. You were savouring your journey through your steaming hot drink when Eira returned.

She looked a bit worried; her furrowed brows, coupled with her pursed lips, told you that she was concerned for you.

“…So what happened?”

You breathed a sigh, setting down the cup of coffee with a quiet clink as its rounded rim touched the saucer.

“It’s… nothing,” you muttered, blinking owlishly as Eira frowned.

“It’s not ‘nothing’ if you got sacked, is it?”

“…I was framed.” Eira said nothing; she merely waited for you to continue talking.

“Someone was taking money from the register. Since I was one of the last ones on duty, the boss assumed it was me. She didn’t have any evidence, but I was fired on the spot when I went into work earlier.”

Again, the blue-eyed manager didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to; she knew you well enough that you wouldn’t risk your job, your hard-earned job, just for some extra pocket money.

“…Hey,” you began, glancing up from the warm depth of your hot drink to stare into ice-blue irises. “Can I work here, Ei? I’ll pull my own weight. I’ll pull twice my own weight.”

Silence permeated the area of the café you and Eira stood and sat in, silence that was broken only by the clinks of forks and spoons, the laid-back chatter and associating laughter of the other customers, but finally…

“…Got your résumé on hand? If not, send it to me via e-mail. I’ll look it over, and schedule an interview. How’s nine o’clock tomorrow morning sound?”

12 notes · View notes

whimsical-ness · 6 years

Text

Oh, Baby! | 05

◇ Link to Masterlist

◇ Sehun series: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10

◇ Genre: ‘Life As We Know It’ AU, Fluff (involving babies!), Slight Angst

◇ Summary: You and Sehun have always maintained your mutual dislike for one another. But what happens when an unexpected incident leaves the two of you in charge of a baby, together?

◇ Word Count: 3.6k

Sehun took immediate notice of your seemingly cheerful mood when he arrived back home that evening.

“What did the doctor say?” he enquired curiously. “Oh, he said something about an umbilical hernia. They go away on their own, apparently. But it’s nothing serious,” you replied, going back to working on some emails.

Sehun narrowed his eyes. “Why do you look so...happy?” You shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m in a good mood.”

“Going to the doctor put you in a good mood?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. You hummed in response. “Maybe.”

Sehun snorted. “Well, you’re not taking Yuna for her next check up, that’s for sure.” You frowned at him. “Excuse me? And who are you to make that decision?”

“I’m her responsible guardian.”

You snorted. “Do you hear yourself?”

“I’ll take her next time. You seem way too distracted,” he replied smugly, and walked off, leaving you gaping at him in disbelief.

The man kept his word. He literally took Yuna there within the next 2 weeks, even though you assured him it was way too soon for a check up again.

And when he returned, he had a noticeable scowl on his face. You tried not to smile.

“What’s wrong?” you asked innocently. “Any update on the hernia?”

“It’s nearly gone,” said Sehun curtly. “But Dr. Park hardly spoke about Yuna at all. He kept asking about you.”

Your eyes widened at this. “Really? What did he say?” you asked, intrigued as well as excited. But Sehun waved you off. “Nothing important.”

“Oh come on,” you whined, taking Yuna from him. “I deserve to know!”

“Why don’t you just talk to him yourself if you care so much?” Sehun retorted, and a bulb went off in your head. “You’re right,” you mused. “I’ll go call him now.”

You tried not to feel too triumphant as Sehun stared at you in dismay, definitely regretting his words.

You hadn’t really meant to call him at all. But then he called you.

Right after dinner, while you were arguing with Sehun about what to watch on Netflix, your phone rang and nearly made you jump out of your skin.

You quickly answered the call, shutting the bedroom door behind you for privacy.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end sounded nervous. “Hi, Y/N? This is Dr. Park...Chanyeol?”

You nearly dropped your phone. “O-oh. Hello,” you replied, not knowing what to say. “Is this a bad time?” asked Chanyeol sounding even more nervous.

“Not at all,” you said quickly. “Is this...about Yuna?”

“Oh no. Yuna’s perfectly alright. I called to check on you. Your number was in the records, so I thought I might as well...”

You went red. You were glad he couldn’t see you over the phone.

“I’m fine, thank you,” you said softly. “It was sweet of you to call.”

Chanyeol let out a breath. “I’d been meaning to for the past week now, to be honest. But I kept chickening out. And then today I met your, um, friend, and he mentioned you being on the verge of an emotional breakdown and so I—”

“Wait, what?” you interrupted. “He said what?”

As if on cue, Sehun rudely opened the door, leaning against the wall to listen in on your conversation. You glared at him.

“I don’t know why he would say that, but I’m honestly fine,” you told Chanyeol, praying you sounded convincing. “My ‘friend’ is a fan of the dramatics.”

Sehun rolled his eyes, while Chanyeol laughed over the phone. “Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re alright. I won’t take up anymore of your time then! Goodnight,” he said sweetly, and you couldn’t help the goofy smile that had already spread across your cheeks. “Goodnight, Chanyeol.”

Sehun narrowed his eyes. “You’re on a first name basis with him now?” he scoffed as you hung up. “So what if I am?” you shot back. “Also, why the hell would you tell him that I’m an emotional wreck?”

Sehun grinned. “I was just letting the guy know what he’s potentially in for. But I didn’t think he would actually call and check—” You smacked him in the arm.

“Asshole,” you muttered, shaking your head. “Luckily, Chanyeol is a sweet guy who was worried about me and didn’t get scared off—”

“You’re going to date him?” asked Sehun suddenly, incredulously. You raised your eyebrows. “When I ever say anything about a date?”

“You sound as though you’re planning on—”

“So what if I am?” you shot back. “It’s none of your business.”

Sehun crossed his arms. “This is rich coming from the person who was hell bent on not wanting to hire Hanna just because I found her attractive.”

You pursed your lips. “That was different.”

“Oh?” asked Sehun, tilting his head. “I don’t see how it was. You went on and on about how it would be ‘inappropriate’ for me to pursue Yuna’s babysitter, and here you are trying to get with her pediatrician. Double standards much?”

You gaped at him. “You’re saying me dating Dr. Park would somehow be inappropriate for Yuna?”

Sehun smiled dangerously. “Yes. Just how you said me flirting with Hanna was inappropriate for Yuna.”

So this is how he was going to play it.

“Are you sure you only care so much about me and Dr. Park because it involves Yuna?” you asked, your voice low.

“Are you sure you only care so much about me and Hanna because it involves Yuna?” echoed Sehun, his eyes glinting. “Unless, of course, there’s an elephant in the room that you don’t want to address.”

There was. But if he wasn’t going to admit it, why should you?

And so you feigned ignorance. “Let’s leave it at that then shall we?” you said breezily. “We’re both concerned for Yuna’s sake, nothing else.”

There’s no way we’re both just jealous.

Sehun smiled, and you hated that it unnerved you.

“Whatever you say.”

In the following weeks, to your delight you started getting to know Chanyeol a lot better. Though you hadn’t met after that first time, you kept in touch over the phone and through texts, and you found yourself really warming up to him.

And he seemed to like you too. Just the thought made you feel giddy. But you could tell. Even though you wouldn’t have guessed it from his adorable baby face, Chanyeol turned out to be a smooth flirt, almost rivalling Sehun’s skills.

You loved it.

And so you flirted back, giggling over the phone, and more than a few times, you made sure that Sehun saw you. The sight of his slightly annoyed face sent an exciting thrill down your spine.

It was over dinner one day when he spoke up. “If Doctor Love likes you so much why hasn’t he asked you out yet?”

You frowned. “I’m not sure. He’s pretty busy.”

Sehun snorted. “He’s leading you on. And you’re too stupid to see it.”

This ticked you off. “Excuse me? He said just yesterday that he wants to go eat at this new restaurant—”

“Yeah, but will he actually take you?” cut Sehun. “Doubtful.”

You gripped your fork harder. “Why haven’t you asked Hanna out yet then? Aren’t you tired of flirting with her all the time and not getting anywhere?” you asked carefully.

Sehun took a sip of his water. “She has a boyfriend,” he said nonchalantly. “Did she tell you that?” you asked, surprised. “No. I heard her talking to him on the phone,” he replied, shrugging.

Ah. Now that’s why he’d been even more moody off late.

You leaned over to pat him on the arm. “I’m sorry to hear that,” you said, faking sympathy. “But if you don’t mind, please stay out of my love life.”

Sehun snorted. Just then, Yuna came into view, purposefullly smacking her hands against the floor as she crawled towards you.

“Hey there sweetheart,” you cooed, picking her up and placing her on your lap. “Don’t you think it’s time for you to start walking?”

Yuna giggled. You sighed. “All the articles I’ve read online say that she should have started by now. We have to encourage her to.”

Sehun rolled his eyes. “She’ll walk when she wants to. Besides, do you know how much more trouble kids are when they start walking? We aren’t going to able to have a single moment of peace.”

You placed a kiss on her cheek. “I have faith in you darling. You’re going to walk in no time at all, okay?”

In fact, the day came much sooner than either of you had anticipated.

One Friday evening, you were soaking in a lovely warm bath, candles lit, book in hand, when Sehun started screaming bloody murder.

“Shit, Y/N, she’s standing up! I-I think she’s about to start walking!” came his frantic voice from the living room.

Your eyes widened. “Right now? No no no she can’t! I’m not ready, fuck,” you yelled back, struggling to get out of the water, nearly destroying your book in the process.

You grabbed the towel from its hook, hastily wrapping it around yourself as best as you could. “Hurry up,” yelled Sehun. “What do I do?”

“I’m coming, just stall her!” you hollered, pulling open the door of the bathroom and stumbling outside, your wet feet making you slip and slide across the floor.

You reached the living room, panting, just to witness Sehun awkwardly push Yuna in the shoulder, making her sit back with a thud, her face scrunching up in tears.

You stared at Sehun as she began to wail. Sehun looked flustered. “You said to stall her,” he protested. “I said to stall her, not traumatise her,” you sighed, going over to pick her up. “Now she’ll never walk.” You patted her gently on her back to soothe her.

Yuna sniffled and pouted, and began kicking her legs, almost as if she wanted to be put down again, which you did.

“Oh alright,” you said bewildered, and crouched down next to Sehun, both of you staring as Yuna pushed herself up on her wobbly legs.

You held a breath as she took her first step forward, her body staggering slightly. And then she felt back down with a satisfied look on her face, looking at you for validation.

You broke out in surprised laughter, and Sehun began to grin. “She finally did it! She finally walked!” you exclaimed, excitement washing over you. “Oh my god, Sehun, I can’t believe it!”

Sehun was laughing too now, his laughter laced with a happy astonishment. And you both sat there laughing in awe together as Yuna crawled away, seemingly too lazy to try to walk again.

You tried to get up to follow her, but your still wet foot slipped against the floor. Your heart skipped a beat as you flailed unceremoniously, falling back down into Sehun’s lap.

He stiffened instantly, and you froze, suddenly acutely aware that all that was covering you was a towel and nothing more.

You stammered out an apology and attempted to get back up, but Sehun’s fingers circled your wrist, and he kept you in place, his eyes gazing into yours.

You nearly stopped breathing as his tongue lightly wet his pink lips, his gaze unwavering as he looked at you, his eyes dropping to your mouth.

You unconsciously lowered your head towards his, your position on his lap meaning that you were for once, taller.

Sehun swallowed, his hand leaving your wrist to instead rest at your waist, steadying you. His lips were a mere breath away from your own. You were so close that you could count each of his unfairly long eyelashes.

“Y/N,” he murmured, blinking slowly, tilting his lips up further to yours. You couldn’t move. You couldn’t think. What were you doing?

He was really going to kiss you. And you weren’t going to push him away. Not this time. Not when every nerve in your body was screaming at you to kiss him back.

You let your eyes flutter shut, and your heart hammered as you felt Sehun’s breath on your lips.

But just as your lips barely touched, you heard a thud, followed by a loud wail, courtesy of Yuna.

You sprung apart, you clutching your towel to your chest to stop it from unraveling, Sehun going red in the face and averting your gaze completely.

You hurriedly stood up, your heartbeat uneven. “Y-You should go see what’s wrong,” you stammered. “I’ll go put on some clothes a-and clean up this mess.”

Thanks to you, a decent portion of the living room floor was now damp and slippery.

Sehun cleared his throat and pushed himself off the ground, nodding quickly. “Yeah, you go do that,” he breathed, his voice oddly shaky.

You were pretty sure your entire body felt as if it was lit on fire, and you wanted to melt into the ground.

How many near kisses was it going to take until you couldn’t take it anymore? Until you had to admit that somehow, impossibly, you’d let yourself fall for Oh Sehun?

Yuna began to walk everywhere after that first time, toddling about on her tiny legs, going from one room to another.

Just as Sehun had predicted, it was exhausting. Because you had to follow her everywhere, making sure she didn’t accidentally hurt herself, and that meant there really never was a quiet moment anymore.

But it meant that you were busy, both of you, and so you didn’t have to face the impending awkward conversation that was hanging in the air.

Because what would you even say? Confess to him that you’d developed feelings for him? And it definitely seemed like he felt the same way, but then what would that mean? Would you even be able to make it work as a couple?

You were terrified to think of what would happen if you did end up together, and then faced a horrible breakup. It would be impossible to live together after, and it would potentially completely disrupt Yuna’s upbringing.

And that was one thing you had no intention of risking, no matter what your feelings were.

Your savior from your turbulent thoughts and emotions did in fact turn out to be Dr. Park, just a few weeks later. You’d still been talking over the phone, but it wasn’t until you ran into him at the grocery store that you finally came face to face again.

Sehun was the one who spotted him first, his grip on Yuna’s stroller visibly tightening as Chanyeol approached you with a smile, his hand raised in greeting.

You managed to stutter out a hello, trying to ignore Sehun’s piercing gaze. “Hi, Yuna,” said Chanyeol warmly, bending to caress her head. Sehun cleared his throat. “It’s nice to see you again, Doctor,” he said, his tone void of emotion.

Chanyeol smiled at him. “You too. So the two of you are...” he broke off uncertainly, his gaze flicking back to meet yours. You shook your head quickly. “Um, no, we’re not. We just—”

“We raise Yuna together,” finished Sehun smoothly. Chanyeol chuckled awkwardly. “You know, Y/N’s always mentioned how much she really likes Yuna’s doctor...” he continued, his lips lifting.

You felt your cheeks burn. “Sehun,” you blurted. “Can you just, um, give us a minute?” Sehun raised an eyebrow. “I’m quite alright here, actually.”

You wished the ground would swallow you whole.

“Please,” you said lowly, pleading at him with your eyes. “Just walk away for a bit?”

Sehun shrugged. “If you really want me to. C’mon Yuna,” he said, and strolled away, nodding once at Chanyeol as he did.

“I’m sorry,” you said awkwardly, once you were sure Sehun was out of sight. Chanyeol smiled slightly. “I can see that things are kind of complicated?”

You let out a breath. “Sort of.”

“So how does this work between you two?” he asked. “You, uh, split up the work?” You nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. We have a chart, but we don’t follow it most of the time.” You mentally kicked yourself. Why were you mentioning your stupid chart?

“A chart,” echoed Chanyeol, grinning. “Does that chart give you any time off? This weekend, perhaps?”

You bit your lip, pretty certain your cheeks were turning pink already. “Yes. That would work.”

Chanyeol looked positively radiant.

“Amazing. I’ll pick you up Saturday evening?”

You couldn’t help but feel nervous for your date, though you were looking forward to it as well. To your astonishment, instead of being moody like you’d predicted, Sehun somehow was also seemingly happy about the fact that you were going out with Chanyeol.

He even helped you pick out an outfit and everything. You tried to awkwardly bring up the towel-slipping incident at one point, but he completely brushed it aside. “We don’t have to talk about that,” he declared. “It doesn’t matter. Go have fun on your date, will you?”

For some reason, this stung. Did it really not matter to him at all?

But then the doorbell rang and you hurried to open it, the breath catching in your throat as you saw Chanyeol standing there, a bouquet of flowers in his hand and his eyes twinkling.

“Wow,” he murmured. “You look...”

You flushed, looking away. Sehun coughed in the background. “Hey..Sehun, was it?” called Chanyeol, waving to him from over your shoulder. “Thanks for giving her the night off,” he said, smiling.

Sehun waved back, nodding. “No problem, doc. You guys have a good time. Just, you know, keep in mind that she hasn’t had any in a while—”

You cleared your throat loudly, stepping out of the apartment quickly. “Thanks for that, Sehun,” you said through gritted teeth. Now, if you’ll excuse us—”

Chanyeol laughed all the way to his car, and you were pretty sure your face was as red as a tomato.

“So where are we going?” you piped, fiddling with the bracelet on your wrist. “It’s a surprise,” he replied with a wink, and your mind almost blanked at the action.

Chanyeol pulled up into a dark alleyway, and you raised your eyebrows at him as you got out, taking in your surroundings. “You know if you wanted to murder me,” you started, “there were dumpsters back in my side of town.”

Chanyeol grinned, and took your hand. “I promise I’m not going to murder you.”

You followed him into the back entrance of a building, and you blinked when you realized that you were in the fancy kitchen of some restaurant, bright lights and the clatter of pots and pans filling the air.

“Wow,” you breathed. “Is this...The Grove?”

The Grove was the most sought after restaurant in the city. Rumors were that you had to make a reservation a month in advance if you wanted to even have lunch there. And here you were, at your own private meal in it’s kitchen.

Chanyeol’s eyes sparkled. “The owner and executive chef has 2 little girls, so...”

“You treat the Do Kyungsoo’s kids?” you said in awe. Just like his restaurant, Do Kyungsoo was also a famous name around town, an incredibly talented chef whom people loved to praise.

As if on cue, Chanyeol turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder, his face breaking into a smile as he greeted his friend. “Kyungsoo, meet Y/N.”

“Thank you so much,” you gushed, and Kyungsoo smiled at you warmly. “It’s my pleasure. Now go ahead and enjoy the food. There’s a special set up right there,” he said, leading you towards a beautifully decorated table in the quiet corner of the kitchen.

“How’re the girls, Kyungsoo?” asked Chanyeol, grinning. “They’re perfectly healthy, thanks to their great doctor,” he replied with a chuckle, and your heart swelled.

The food was absolutely fantastic, and completely lived up to all the hype you’d heard about the place. “This is amazing, Chanyeol,” you said softly, and when his eyes crinkled as he smiled, you felt overwhelmed with the urge to lean over and kiss him.

“I felt bad about taking so long to ask you out,” he confessed, looking guilty. “So I had to make sure that everything was perfect. A beautiful evening with a beautiful lady.”

You blushed again, likely the hundredth time that evening. Just as you were about to reply, you felt your phone buzz in your purse.

“I’m so sorry,” you said quickly, almost not wanting to take the call when you saw who it was. Chanyeol shook his head. “It’s fine. Go ahead.”

“What is it Sehun?” you hissed into the phone. “I get one night off—”

“I’m not calling for you, I’m calling for Doctor Love over there,” he cut, sounding urgent. Your forehead creased in confusion and you handed the phone over to Chanyeol, shrugging. “It’s Sehun. He wants to talk to you. It must be about Yuna,” you said, gnawing at your lip.

Chanyeol put the phone to his ear, his eyebrows furrowing as he listened. “Huh. It could be a couple of things. I suggest you take her down to the ER at the hospital, I’ll call and let my colleague know you’ll be in. We can meet you there in an hour or so?”

Your blood ran cold, and the fork fell from your fingers, onto the plate with a clatter.

“Yuna’s temperature spiked,” said Chanyeol slowly, handing your phone back to you. “She’s going to need immediate attention.”

You fumbled with your bag, pushing your chair back. “W-we have to go right now,” you stammered, and Chanyeol sighed. “I was going to say we could finish our dinner because it’ll take them some time to get there but—”

You bit your lip, shaking your head.

“I’m sorry. We need to go.”

A/N: I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who’s been reading this series and been sending in supportive messages! It means more than you’ll ever know, and it really really keeps me going, so thank you once again, from the bottom of my heart❤️️ I hope you continue to enjoy it 😊

1K notes · View notes

fatrainbowmermaidunicorn · 6 years

Text

3AM Drive - Thru (JJK x You x The8/Minghao) // Chapter 12

MASTERLIST

“Hey Y/N, want to go grab a bite? I'll buy you your chicken nuggets and fries," he smiles. "Just like the old times..."

She's sad, angry, tired, betrayed, hungry, cold, heart broken... and standing right in front of her is the man who's giving her the oh so familiar bunny smile that sends her a warm feeling.

"Why not Jungkook. Just like the old times,"

Things went smoothly ever since Jungkook and Y/N had mended their friendship. Their relationship almost feels like it was years ago when they were just friends. Jungkook tries hard to control his behavior so that Y/N will feel comfortable with him again. It was the hardest thing for him as all he wants to do is to just grab her and kiss her senseless everytime he sees her smile, her laughing, her breathing. Y/N still refuses to be a part of the production team since Minji is still a part of it. Y/N thinks its best that they dont stir things up as Jungkook had asked Minji for a breakup a few days prior to the dressing room incident.

Despite not being a part of the team, Jungkook makes sure to eat lunch or even breakfast with her whenever he's at the company. Sometimes even Jin, Jimin or Teahyung will join them. He likes how Y/N is able to get his hyung so comfortable with her until to the point where he himself sometimes gets jealous of them.

Jungkook's relationship with Minghao are still fine, eventhough there's still s trace of akwardness left. They still hang out together with the rest of their squad. They never talk about what they discussed to each other again, both understanding each other feelings. Minghao kept true to his word and never commented or do anything whenever Jungkook mentioned Y/N's name.

Until Y/N is sure of her feelings, Minghao won't ever act on it.

"Hey, I got great news!" Minghao turns to Y/N while flipping through the rack of clothes in the shop. Its one of the rare days when he gets a day off and he immediately decide to spend it with Y/N. Minghao receives major backlash from his members who wanted to have a chill member day together, but he just disregard them and skips happily to see Y/N.

He do love spending time with his members. They are, afterall, his brothers. But he feels like he needs a break as they had enough time together due to their tight schedule of non stop practices, recording, making choreograophies and creating music for the comeback and he really misses Y/N.

"Really? What is it? Do you really need me to ask before you will actually tell me? Can't you just straight away tell me after you said 'I have great news'?"

"God, I knew you are savage, but I didnt think you are this savage," Y/N chuckle. "Fine, I will tell you King Hao," still mocking him. "The company is one of the major sponsor for MAMA Awards this year! So I will have to attend the show,"

"That's great! You can finally watch how incredible I am in dancing live," Minghao smirked. Truth is, he's a little excited. The awards is a big deal for most idols and to have someone he loves there at the venue itself cheering him on, its something he used to only wish for.

"Hey, we can go together! Wearing matching stuff and all!" Y/N is all excited. Minghao cleared his throat.

"I would love to... I really do, but I cant do that," Y/N gave him a confuse look. "I'll be going together with the members," Y/N nod in understanding. That's true. Of course he has to attend as Seventeen, how can she forget? "Also, I cant be seen with a girl at the awards,"

"Oh..."

"Hey, you understand right Y/N? I mean, if we are officially together I wouldn't mind telling the world about us. Hell, I want to tell everyone about us. But since we are still figuring things out, its better if we dont show it in public," he peeks at Y/N, trying to gauge her reaction.

If it's up to him, he would proudly go to the awards with Y/N on his arms. He would go anywhere with Y/N on his arms. But they are not official yet and the awards is one of the biggest event in K Music industry. If they came together, fans, media and even his company will start asking questions and he doesnt want to answer to things that he himself is not sure about. As long as Y/N is still figuring things out, its better to keep things under wraps. But Y/N's sad face is breaking his heart.

"Hey, dont be sad," he lifted up her chin to make her look at him. "Tell you what, I'll skip the after party and we can go for ice cream and fries instead? How about that? I dont usually like going to the after party anyway," he suggested and Y/N seems to smile again.

"Okay. You promise?" she held out her pinky. He linked his pinky with hers.

"Promise,"

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

The ceremony is beautiful. Everyone who is everyone is there and everyone looks beautiful. But the most beautiful thing that Jungkook and Minghao sees that night is when Y/N glide onto the red carpet.

Everything about her is perfect. Her makeup, her hair, her dress, her smile. They cant take their eyes off her, and it seems so does a few other idols. Both Minghao and Jungkook feels like poking their eyes for looking at what is theirs with such longing and lusts.

Minghao had never been more energetic and giddy on an award night. Y/N was seated right near the stage, with the best view in the venue. He sees her stands up for a standing ovation when BTS finish their performance and how Jungkook keeps making eye contact with her. And is that Taehyung winking at her? She congratulate them when they walked off the stage after their win and he can see Jungkook gave her a hug a little too long than he's liking.

When its time for his group's performance, the only thing he can see is Y/N. She stood up through out the whole performance and sings along which only fired him up even more. She congratulate them and she had never looked more proud when they had won in their category. The whole night pass by in a blur, all he can think about is how the most beautiful girl in the event is waiting and thinking of him. She's mine she's mine she's mine. He just cant wait for the night to end so he can claim what's his, to share his happiness and excitement for the night.

Once the night ended, they were ushered off into the dressing room for for a final touch up and wardrobe change for the after party. Minghao drop a quick text to Y/N before he grab his new outfit and change.

Hey, I just need to give my greetings to some new girl group that manager-nim wants us to meet. Then we can go. Wait for me okay.

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

Y/N received the text and figured she has time to freshen up. She told her assistants that she's skipping the after party. It's not a good idea to walk up to a McDonalds in an expensive car and a driver, even more with an uprising idol in tow, so she asks her team and driver to go off first.

She waited in the cold night air while cursing herself for forgotting her jacket in the limo. Seconds turns to minutes and turns to hours but Minghao is a no show. Multiple texts and calls has been sent but no reply was received. Did something happen to him? The after party venue is just a couple of block away and the main venue is already empty except for a few staff members.

After contemplating for a while, Y/N decides to walk the few blocks to the after party and checks on Minghao. Its weird that he didnt even text her to say he's running late.

"Hey, is that you Y/N? God, you are shivering!" Y/N turn to the source of the voice and see Jungkook is already taking off his suit jacket and place it on her shoulders.

"Jungkook!" Y/N exclaimed. "What are you doing outside? Are you taking a break from the after party?"

"Oh ya. I'm just here for the group shots and publicity mingling. I'm about to go for a walk and then find manager-nim so I can go home. Did you just arrived here? Why are you walking?" Jungkook just notice the direction Y/N came from.

"Yeah, I just did. I dont plan on going to the party actually. I'm supposed to meet Minghao back at the main venue, but he needs to drop by at the party for a bit but it has been hours since he left. I was worried something happened to him. Did you see him in there?"

"Minghao?" Jungkook looks nervous, biting his lips and avoiding eye contact. "Minghao says he will meet you back at the venue?" Y/N nodded. Jungkook didnt know how to tell Y/N. Yes, he has seen Minghao at the party alright. And he's definitely didnt seem like he's about to leave the party anytime soon.

"Yes," Y/N raised an eyebrow. Weirded out by Jungkook's nervous reaction. "Is he in there Jungkook?" Y/N is still oblivious to what's really going on. Jungkook can only nod before Y/N makes her way into the party. What she sees in there is definitely isnt what she's expecting.

Minghao is full on drunk, dancing with a girl group member, exchanging shots and kisses, his friends all around him , just as drunk, cheering and laughing. She's guessing that's the girl group that he needs to introduce himself to and it seems they were very well introduced indeed.

Y/N was stunned and she really dont know how to react to this. Should she cry? Be angry? Scream? But most importantly, she forced herself not to cry. After all they are not together, there's no reason for her to feel anything after seeing him in that situation.

"Hey, wait up!" Jungkook chase after her when she quickly spun around and race towards the door.

"Is this what you guys usually do at after parties?"

"Urm pretty much yes. That's why i always leave early after the obligatory greetings and photo session. Not really much into parties," Jungkook jogged a little to catched up with Y/N. "Hey Y/N, are you okay?" Jungkook snatched her wrist and turn her to look at him when she didnt answer. "I might not know what's going on but I know you. You dont look okay,"

Y/N angrily swipe her tears away before they could fall. I would not let another boy, especially another idol make me cry. I wont! "I'm okay,"

"Its because of Minghao isnt it? What happened back there? Every couple has its problems. You guys can wo-"

"We are not together!" Y/N harshly cut him off. "I'm just upset that he made me wait for so long. He could have just told me that he wants to party. I could have gone and get food on my own. I have an early flight tomorrow, I could have just gone home earlier and sleep," she lied. There's no way in hell she's letting Jungkook see her heart break for the second time. Jungkook can obviously tell that there is so much more than Y/N just being stood up and hungry. But he can also tell that Y/N doesn't want to talk about it. At least not right now. So he did the only thing he knows that can help her calm down.

"Hey Y/N, want to go grab a bite? I'll buy you your chicken nuggets and fries," he smiles. "Just like the old times..."

Y/N ponders for a moment. She's sad, angry, tired, betrayed, hungry, cold, heart broken... and standing right in front of her is the man who's giving her the oh so familiar bunny smile that gives her a warm feeling. She nodded with a tired smile,

"Why not Jungkook. Just like the old times,"

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

Minghao woke up in his dorms in last night's suit and a major hangover. What the hell happenned?

"Woohooo, there's the life of the party!" some of his members whistle at him.

"What?"

"You dont remember? Wow, you must be super drunk then,"

"You partied like crazy last night man! We were being introduced to the new girl group for our collab. The next thing we know, you are drunk as hell and dancing like crazy!" Mingyu explains, trying to help his friend remember.

"You dance skills are amazing! Even though you are shit drunk! I'm proud you are on my team," Hoshi chimed in. DK took out his phone and showed him a video of him dancing in a drunk state and to his horror, he starts making out with one of the girls.

"Ohhhh yaaa, the girls are cray cray over you!" DK laughs. "You even went back with one of them!" He went home with one of them? Shit, shit, shit. Did Y/N see this? Where is she when all of this happening?

His memories starts crumbling back to him. He remembered the look on Y/N's face when they won, when they performed, how he cant wait for the night to end so he can spend time with her, how the manager asks them to meet some girl group, and he send a text- His phone!

"Where's my phone?" Minghao search everywhere in his room.

"Here it is. You left it in the suit jacket of our first outfit. The stylist noona returned it this morning," S.Coups threw the phone to him. He catch it and immediately plug in the charger. He impatiently shakes his legs, waiting for his phone to come alive. Once it did, he grabbed it and see the flood of messages and missed calls, all from Y/N.

[Y/N ♡] : 12.09am Hey I'm ready. I will wait by the back exit okay.

[Y/N ♡] : 12.13am I already asks my driver and team to go back first

[Y/N ♡] : 12.50am I'm hungry. And cold. I left my jacket in the limo :( when are you coming?

[Y/N ♡] : 12.53am Hey, I saw a bunch of Carats coming out. How jealous would they be if they know I'm waiting for The8 right now? :D

[Y/N ♡] : 01.15am Hey Minghao, its been an hour. Where are you? Are you okay?

[Y/N ♡] : 01.40am I'm getting worried now. I really hope you are okay.

[Y/N ♡] : 02.30am Nevermind. I already know why you are not coming.

What does she means by that?

[Y/N ♡] : 02.40am Did you really let me wait in the cold for you because of this? I didnt want to believe it when I saw you at the party...

She saw at the party! Minghao starts to sweat. The next message she sent was early this morning. Minghao imagine her crying herself to sleep after seeing him doing God knows what at the party.

[Y/N ♡] : 07.30am I thought you said you cant be seen with a girl... You could have just told me you know, I would have understand. Click image.

Minghao clicked the image and saw that's its a recent news article. How did they publish this so fast? It shows a picture of him and one of the girl group member in front of an apartment entrance, tightly clutching each other and looking trashy as hell with sunglasses covering their faces at 4am in the morning . The headlines reads;

SEVENTEEN'S THE8 SPOTTED WITH A MEMBER OF SOON TO BE DEBUTED GIRL GROUP. A NEW IDOL POWER COUPLE IN THE MAKING?

He quickly closes the article, his praying the Y/N wont believe all these rumors although the photos makes it looks pretty convincing. He click the next, and last message.

[Y/N ♡] : 07.45am And I guess you wont be coming to the airport to send me off then.

Airport?

Now he remembers. Y/N was scheduled to go to an abroad business meeting for a few weeks. She had the morning 9 am flight and he had promised to send her to the airport since they wont be seeing each other for a while. He quickly looks at clock,

1.35pm.

He's too late.

Chapter 13 Preview

"Jeon Jungkook?" Y/N exclaimed, she cant help but smile so widely. Jungkook chuckled.

"We are halfway around the world away from home, and of all the faces and all the places, we had to meet each other. If this is not fate, then I dont know what this is," Jungkook walked over to Y/N, grinning with his bunny teeth showing.

36 notes · View notes