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whitestaghere · 3 years

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Don't be late - Levi x reader

Hey!! So I had this in my drafts for a while and finally decided I'd continue with it.. Happy reading❤️

Warnings :- none xd.

Y/n's pov

Waking upto the sound of my alarm I groaned; mindlessly patting the air to turn it off. Stretching my arms and legs, with eyes half closed I looked back at my clock. Still trying to adjust to the lighting, my eyes widened when the display cleared up.

7.54 a.m

Screaming I jumped off my bed.

Now.. imagine a human, spinning like a hurricane and circling a room? Yeah that's an actual representation of what I looked right now.

Normally, I'd not wake up this late. But today.. today was different. Let's just say I had a long night talking with my best friend, which ended up with me sleeping in really late and well here I am now. Besides who could reject a call from their best friend am I right?

Dashing out of my house (reader locked the doors, yes she did) I shot down the streets. Thanking the heavens that I was able to run this fast; then again, that also had it's downsides. I managed to avoid running face first into a lamppost but in the midst of dodging that, I ran into something else.

Huh.. not that hard for a lamppost..

Stumbling backwards and losing my balance, I met with the cold ground. I groaned as I thought of how my day could get any worse.

"Tch. Watch we're your going," a male voice spoke.

Standing up slowly I dusted my clothes mumbling a string of apologies, "I'm sorry I was running late an-"

My breath hitched as I locked eyes with the man in front of me; steel gray orbs glaring daggers at me. He was clad in a black suit, jet black hair slightly toussled and he wore a crav- wait-

That's when I noticed how I was a few inches taller than him. It took every ounce of energy within me to hold back my laughter; no height idealogies but with that stoic expression and this height, he looked absolutely adorable.

I was broken out of my thoughts when he scoffed; I had been staring.

I shifted uncomfortably as he continued to keep his piercing gaze on me.

"Are you going to move?" voice laced with annoyance.

I raised an eyebrow at his words, what does he mean? He had all the time and space to-

"You're blocking the door," I turned around and realised that I was indeed blocking his way.

"S-sorry," I mumbled shuffling to the side.

His expression remained stoic as ever even as he got ready to walk away but he stopped abruptly. I watched as he bent down and picked something.

"You dropped this," he turned around holding out a book. I gasped recognising the cover, "oh my- thank you."

"Don't mention it brat," I reached out to take the book from him all the whole giving him a look of disbelief.

"Hey you can't call me that.. and yes I should mention it, because my friend would have thrown a tantrum had I lost her book," suddenly realisation struck me and my eyes nearly fell out their sockets.

WHAT WAS I DOING?! I was wasting time, that's what I was doing!!

So I ran, without a word I turned around and ran, leaving behind a very confused man.

Levi's pov

Next thing I know, she ran.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but decided to brush it off; only then did I notice the book in my hands.

Tch that brat, how could she be so forgetful?

Sighing I contemplated going after her or hoping that I'd see her sometime later so I could return it. I went with the second seeing that she was already long gone.

*time skip brought to you by the fidget spinnerrrrr*

There I was in the local tea shop sipping on my usual cup of tea.

What I loved about this place was how calming it was, not too crowded, the fresh smell of tea and coffee filling the air, making me feel at ease, but not today. Today was different.

My gaze kept shifting between the book I was reading and the book that belonged to the girl from before.

I had gone with the second option of hoping I'd see her again or that I'd find any details in the book, but to my luck I found nothing of the sort.

How was I supposed to return this thing? I can't just leave it can I?

I sighed running a hand through my hair, "shit."

The sound of the little bell filled through the air signaling either someone's entrance or departure. Not wanting to look I kept my eyes locked on my book.

Suddenly there was a voice, an all too familiar one which broke me out of my own world. I glanced up from my book and caught sight of a very familiar face.

Hanje.

By her side stood two other girls, engaging in a conversation with her. The bell filled the air again, and in came a girl with (h/c) locks.

My eyes widened, was that her?

I hadn't seen her face yet but sure enough it had to be her, she had the same hair length and wore the same attire from before.

Once again I debated with myself, should I just go upto her and give her it? Maybe I should just wait till she sees me..

She turned around and sat a few tables away from me, still she hadn't noticed. Her two friends and Hanje had disappeared off to somewhere.

This is my chance

Y/n's pov

I couldn't help but sigh in frustration, how could I have been so forgetful? He literally held the book in front of me and I left without it.

My mind was mangled with the same image of him holding out the book to me repeating over and over. Then it stopped, it stopped right on his face and I felt the heat rush up to my cheeks.

What was I thinking? I mean he's a complete stranger, who also not to mention, called me a brat, I shouldn't be so flustered. As if on cue, the book came back into my mind and I rolled my eyes at my own forgetfulness.

It was right there.

I kept my gaze locked on the table, too stuck in my own self-pity to notice the person that stood right in front of me. Then there was a book pushed into my line of sight.

Great, now you're hallucinating y/n.

There was a clear of throat and I snapped my head up. Wait I wasn't imagining it-

For the second time that day, I locked eyes with him.

"You forgot this."

I stood up immediately causing the chair to scrape against the floor. The man visibly cringed at the sound and I began to stammer upon my words.

"Y-YOU! My b-book! How? How did you- no no wait- thank you so much!"

Placing the book on the table I turned to him and took his hands in mine, "you're a life saver I tell you!!"

He only stood there in shock; although I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, his cheeks were tinted a faint pink.

"Don't mention it," with that he returned to his stoic expression.

The air around us was beginning to get awkward with none of us moving or saying a word.

Finally deciding to break the silence I cleared my throat, "I-I'm y/n.. what's your name?"

"Levi."

I coughed awkwardly at his blunt reply, the sound of my heart thumping suddenly filling my ears.

"We're back! Y/n-" relief washed over me at the return of my friends but that relief disappeared just as fast as it came.

They stood there eyes wide and mouths agape.

I felt a tug at my hands and that's when I noticed how I still had Levi's hands intertwined with mine. Gasping I slipped my hands out of his and moved away slowly.

"Y/n? You didn't tell us you had a boyfriend.." I widened my eyes at this and waved my hands frantically in their awe struck faces, "what noo!! He-he's just-"

What was I supposed to call him? We just met, so I couldn't call him a friend. At my loss of words my friends smirked mischievously.

Then a loud voice boomed through the shop causing a few heads to turn in our direction, "LEVI?!!!! SHORTY IS THAT REALLY YOU?!"

Hanje knew him?

Levi scoffed at her in response.

"Oh my gosh! Well isn't this a big coincidence, are you really dating little y/n here? Why didn't you tell meeee?!" she poked Levi's cheeks repeatedly.

"Tch, keep it down four eyes and no, we're just friends," Levi grunted swatting her hands away. I choked on my own spit and glanced at him immediately.

He gave me a look and I instantly nodded my head in agreement, "yeah, we're friends.." I tried to bite back the smile that crawled up my face at his words.

My friends shrugged and made their way back to sit down. Meanwhile, Hanje nudged at me curious to know why I hadn't told her I knew Levi.

"Well you see-"

"We met today," Levi cut me off.

Hanje let out a hearty laugh and patted my back, "well isn't that nice! Now y/n, shorty here can be a little bit of a grumpy man sometimes so I must warn you, but overall he's an absolute bab-"

"Oi that's more than enough four eyes," Levi hissed and Hanje laughed in reply.

She moved her glasses to a side to wipe away her fake tears and continued, "but y/n here is an angel, so shorty you better not treat her wrong or I don't think I would even need to come when she unleashes her inner bea-"

"HANJE," I whined tugging at her arm in attempt to stop her. She grinned in response and pinched my cheeks, "well I'm going to go make our orders okay? I'll see you later Shorty!" with that she ran off to the counter.

"Thank you for that Levi," I smiled to which he only replied with a grunt.

"You thanked me enough for today brat."

I rolled my eyes at the nickname, "I told you not to call me that."

"Tch," with that he walked back to his table not sparing a second glance.

Levi's pov

Snap out of it Levi, you've done your job now read in peace.

I stared at my book finding myself reading the same sentence over and over. Glancing up from my book a little I'm met with the not so subtle looks of y/n's friends.

Why were they looking at me like that? I noticed how Hanje had a smug grin on her face and I rolled my eyes.

What was she smiling about?

My gaze shifted towards y/n who was listening intently to one of the girls. Suddenly the room felt too hot to my liking and I reached for my cravat, loosening it a bit. My breathing increased a little as her (e/c) eyes met mine.

She gave me a warm smile to which I felt my gaze automatically begin to soften.

What's wrong with me? Snap out of it Levi.

Soon enough I heard them get up.

Don't look.

But I couldn't help it.

Eyeing them as subtly as possible I realised they were going to leave as they picked their things up. I tore my gaze off and returned back to my book with a sigh.

Y/n's pov

"Say do you like Levi?"

I choked on nothing but air, "Hanje! What? Noo! I just met him and that would just be wierd-"

"Oh so you're saying you'd like him in time?"

"No wait what? I mean I-" I couldn't find the words to reply to her and seeing this she took the opportunity to give me a proud smile.

"Guys, we should leave.." Riley spoke up as she looked out the window.

"What why?" Hanje frowned.

"It's going to rain and it's a little bit of a walk back to y/n's place right?"

I hummed in agreement seeing as the sky was getting gloomy by the second. Everyone got up and gathered their things and headed for the door.

I stood up last and just as I was about to leave I heard a voice call out for me.

"Oi, are you really going to leave it again?" I saw Levi walking upto me.

"Huh? Leave what?"

He pointed at the table and I noticed a book on it, but not the same one. This one belonged to Hange.

"Oh that's Hanje's she must have forgotten it," I reached out for the book and simultaneously, he did the same.

I pulled my hand away as soon as it landed on his, but he swiftly took my hand in his. With the other he rummaged through his pocket and stuffed a piece of paper in my hand.

"What's this?"

"See for yourself."

I unfolded the paper slowly and when I did, I swear my heart skipped a beat. I tried my best to swallow the lump in my throat, and force some words out.

"W-what is this?"

"Tch. What do you think?"

"I-"

"You what?"

"I-yes.."

For the first time that day, I saw the corner of his lips curl into a small smile. It was a smile that lasted only for a few seconds alright, but it was enough to make my heart flutter.

"I'll see you later brat.." he walked past me towards the counter but not before calling out for me once more.

"Oh and y/n?" he looked at me over his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Don't be late," he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

I shook my head with a quiet laugh glancing down at the paper in my hands;

Tomorrow noon, here. For tea? - Levi

Hope you all enjoyed❤️ stay safe and keep smiling..

Ps :- I can't wait for Season 4 part 2!!! 😭❤️ So excited to see all of them again, though we really are in for a lot🥺💕

⚔️Shinzou wo sasageyo⚔️

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sleephyjhs · 3 years

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the ghost of you ; myg

pairing; human!yoongi x ghost!reader

genre; angst , supernatural au , lovers au , ghost au

tw; description of death and accidents, death mentioned throughout, heavy descriptions of grief and loss.

wc; 2.96k

playlist; too much to ask - niall horan

m.list

Forty-three. Forty-four. Forty-five. And counting. His shoulder must’ve ached by now - there’s no way it couldn’t have done. Why was nobody helping him? Nevermind. If I knew Yoongi, I knew he wouldn’t want to give anybody else the hassle. It hadn’t been that long. Such a prominent trait of his wouldn’t have withered away so soon.

He’d hardly ever ask me for a favour when I was alive. Now that I’m dead, isolation was his only company.

I watched from the balcony landing on the upper floor of his new apartment. Slowly, it had begun to dawn on me that I was nothing more than a phantom - an unfamiliar spirit that haunted his hallways. I wasn’t expecting to leave Yoongi as soon as I did; the guilt hadn’t quite drained from my blood. On the first night, I sat opposite him in the dimly lit living room. A single whisky glass, still coated with the third refill of the night, hugged the black coaster on the coffee table. The phone screen glowed with condolence and devastation, and his cheeks glowed with the numbing sting of grief and alcohol. There was a pizza box too. It still steamed with the anticipation of being eaten - I’m not sure whether he ever did or not.

I sobbed with him. Uncontrollable, I was. He was. He couldn’t hear me - nobody could. It was for the better, I could wallow in my own grief without being disturbed. But I could hear him. God, could I hear him.

“Why her? Why me? It should’ve been me. I need her.”

Vulnerability was far from Yoongi’s regular state. Seldom did I see him so emotionally honest. I’ve had time to reflect. Actually, all I’ve done is reflect - there isn’t much else for me to do. Watching him cry out into the echoes of a now apartment for one reminded me of the times where my echoes were met by his soothing presence; supportive and caring words which may have only been so effective since Yoongi was the one delivering them.

I wondered if he knew I was here. Who am I kidding? Yoongi doesn’t believe in ghosts. Spirits, phantoms - none of it. Why would I be here? Why would I want to stay with him? “Heaven is a better place for her, she belongs in a better place,” is what he reminded himself, verbally, leaning against the bathroom counter. He couldn’t even look himself in the eyes.

Everything happened so quickly. I hate that I remember so much of it. It wasn’t Yoongi’s fault at all, nor was it mine. Engraved in my memory was the image of the approaching car, spinning, pulling up heavy dust from the low grade country road. Clashing headlights blinded us both, and yet somehow I still could see the doom that we were to encounter. I screamed. Yoongi scrambled hurriedly at the wheel, urgently attempting to accelerate past the uncontrollable vehicle.

But it was too late. Instant collision led my passenger window to burst into a thousand rainbow shards. They showered me; it was as though I was being grated. Perhaps if I hadn’t worn short sleeves, the coarse edges of the glass wouldn’t have shaved me as closely as they did. Airbags were past their purpose now. I can’t remember if I was still screaming. Or if it was Yoongi. Maybe a bystander?

With all the reminiscence death brought me, what I believed to be my last thoughts may well have been a lie; a façade to disguise my lack of memory. I hated not being able to remember. If I did find a way to communicate with Yoongi, I could never truthfully tell him he’s the last thing I thought about. I simply didn’t know. I never will.

There are things I’m certain of. He told me over and over again, “We’re okay. We’ll be alright.” That was a lie, I knew it was then, too. I had no choice but to believe it. Believing the alternative was too scary. Too real.

“I love you.” I must’ve said this. Everyone takes the opportunity to confess to their loved ones that they do indeed love them when in such a peril dilemma. They’re almost preprogrammed; do we even mean it when we say it?

I meant it. I loved Yoongi. I love Yoongi. Sequencing the shower of shards came my last thought. A void in my mind; the silhouette of a missing sticker from the book of my life. Grief completed the last gap in the book, and it’s replacement was good enough for me to convince myself it was reality’s choice too.

“I’m so sorry.”

This could’ve been the guilt of grief interrupting my focus. I knew I was going to die, but for all I knew, Yoongi easily could’ve joined me. He was fortunate, always had been. Even if it wasn’t my honest last thought, it was more than valid now. I am sorry.

The short transaction of my spirit from reality into the unknown was short. I lingered at the sight of the crash, watching over Yoongi. I learned quickly that I was now nothing more than an apparition, perhaps one of the imagination only. The glass crumbs that had pierced his skin begged me to remove them, but I couldn’t. Aligning my fingers with his fresh wounds, I persevered with trying to extract the debris from his body. But I couldn’t. My nails scraped through, clean; from my perspective, I was mere steam in the shape of my now lifeless body.

Sirens wailed and beckoned from miles away; at least for as far as I could hear. Thick evergreen trees were unable to filter the swirling sapphire lights from illuminating the crash scene. I counted how long it took a stroke of light to return to Yoongi’s weakened face. Three seconds. One, two, three, and then a strip of blue curtained his forehead. And then again.

I only learned that I was the only casualty after eavesdropping on the attending paramedics. Now that I’d thought about it, I didn’t even turn to my lifeless body. I needed no awakening; I was well aware of the realm I had now entered. Yoongi was alive, he was more important. Checking his pulse was impossible; all the help I could provide was watching him breathe.

Help. What am I talking about? If he had stopped, what was there that I could’ve done? I suppose now that watching him inhale and exhale with shaky breath was for my own sanity rather than his well-being.

His breath was laboured, heavy with shock. He was still talking to me, rocking me, begging me to respond. And I did. I screamed at him, telling him that I was there, I was with him. He didn’t hear me, but that wasn’t enough for me to stop. I cried, howled with shallow pain. Yoongi was then unreachable. He was only sitting next to me.

Since then, I haven’t left his side. Our shared grief is unbalanced, however. I know he’s there. I can see him, smell him, hear him. But he can’t. Of course, there are photos of me in his phone. Even a few of us together. It’s all that was left of my image. And it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t give him any more, and he couldn’t gain any more.

Funnily enough, that there was one of my pet peeves that I’d festered since meeting Yoongi. He took more photos of me than he’d allow himself to feature in. Nothing spectacular would have to occur either. One night, I watched over his shoulder as he scrolled through, what seemed like, the hundreds of photos inhabited his camera roll, ones I hadn’t noticed he’d even taken. In one, I was timidly hiding behind one of the couch pillows as I intensively watched one of the horror films he’d hilariously recommended. In another, I was messing about with Holly on the floor of his parent’s house, ruffling his unshaven winter fur.

He stumbled across one of us together. Finally. Us at his brother’s wedding, under the rice white canopy threaded with the gentle subtleties of wildflowers. I dwelled on how particularly handsome he looked in his suit, with a smaller bouquet of fern sprigs and poppies attached delicately to his breast pocket. My arm was intertwined with his; he held my hand tighter than he ever had before. There was another from the same day; his brother and his bride joined us, and then his family, and then the remainder of the guests. I’ll never forget that day, ever.

My risen cheeks fell as the memories shifted to the back of my mind again. With memories came heartache and remorse. Heartache; I’ve lost the love of my life. Rather, he lost me. But I can no longer touch him or remind him how much I treasured him. That’s the unconventional type of heartbreak. And remorse? I took our time together for granted. Too short, it was. We were together for over 5 years, and he made them feel like minutes. In the end, we really couldn’t have been any closer than we were. But all the memories I had of Yoongi were the tiniest fraction of those that I wanted. I wanted more than that. I still do.

A week after moving into our new apartment, no, his new apartment, Yoongi’s piano arrived. Grand was a shortcoming. Sleek monochrome keys and polished curves competed the modern design of the main hosting room; beautiful was miles from capturing how impeccable it actually looked.

I took my time in exploring its position. The piano and I were familiar; it was the first big purchase after moving into our first home together. Yoongi cared for this piano as if it were his child. He sang to it too, although I’m not sure he always knew I was around to hear. His own songs, those that he’d dedicated to me, ones he played as a young teenager still learning the most complicated chords. One day, I asked him to teach me something. A simple infant lullaby, something easy. Bearing in mind the amount of commitments this man usually had, the act of taking time from his schedule to teach me what really was a useless skill was near enough tear-jerking.

“See? You’re a natural.”

“Some people can play this at three, Yoongi. It’s nothing impressive.”

No matter the skill or talent involved, Yoongi never failed to encourage me. There’s a lot we did together that alone I wouldn’t have even considered. Really, encouragement was an understatement. Neither of us were particularly adventurous, yet together we seemed prepared to try anything. I was never able to thank him for that.

I hovered my fingers over the middle keys, examining for any marks or bruises. Sure enough, there were none. I’m not sure what I expected. Sometimes, I was convinced Yoongi took better care of his piano than himself. I didn’t mind in the slightest. The songs he wrote me for special occasions made me quite glad he did.

There were days when dragging him away from the piano to return back to the real world for a minute or two was near impossible. Instead, I developed a habit of joining him on the stool. Looking at it from the landing made it look small. It was, really. But it didn’t feel like that when I sat beside Yoongi. If it did, I never noticed. That’s the Yoongi effect.

Minutes become hours, hours become days, days become forever.

Today, I haven’t paid much attention to Yoongi’s whereabouts. The glass banister that enclosed the upstairs landing was my usual seat; I watched everything from here. A few people had come to see Yoongi, his parents, the members, a couple old friends, it was the first time I’d seen him smile since I’d gone. He ate without hesitating, he laughed heartily again. He even cracked a joke in response to another.

He looked happy, and that made me happy.

It wasn’t necessarily moving on, though. Each day, something was different about the apartment. I sat on Yoongi’s bed as he set up the wardrobe. His monochrome closet hadn’t lost its ‘Yoongi’ essence. Next to the wardrobe was a spare cupboard of an identical size. Would I have been able to, a tear might have just fallen from my eye. Yoongi filled the rails with my clothes. They still smelled like me; the same perfume with a base note of my regular deodorant. A pair of my best heels which he bought me for attendance of a some grand event or another next to my white canvas converse sheltered in the top cubbyhole on top of smaller garments of mine that he hadn’t quite brought himself to donate.

The day after, I caught him spraying a couch cushion from our old home with my signature perfume. He always did like it. On the nights where we became closer than close, I always made sure to wear it for him; I knew I’d be rewarded for it. My memory now lived on in the form of a staining stench. One that I was certain would one day suffocate him.

Today, there were no changes. Yoongi left the apartment early in the morning - I suspect for work. He needed to get out, desperately. I was around him all the time - both ironically and genuinely - so much so his new apartment had become a smaller trinket of a shrine to me. I’d get sick of it too.

Wherever he went, I let him go. What was I supposed to do to stop him? Ghosts don’t pack much of a punch.

It was the first time I’d gone more than a few hours without seeing him since my death. Usually, Yoongi was never further than the corner of my eye, and if he was I could at least hear him humming to himself

But the silence was still. There was chaos in the calm. This sudden isolation was my first opportunity to mourn Yoongi alone since we lost one another. I didn’t cry though. Instead, I wallowed in the emptiness I felt. Of course, I was empty. I felt as though I were the right side of a friendship bracelet, missing the ‘Best’ side of me.

Somehow, I’d managed to traipse downstairs. Aimless wandering was on track to become my first spiritual habit. I approached the piano - I had meant to do this. I understood now how there could be comfort in music. When Yoongi aligned himself so closely to his piano and his songwriting, it was difficult to now associate one to the other.

The stool was already ajar - I could squeeze in here. Pianos are overwhelmingly daunting the first time you sit at one without somebody who can play. There are more keys - more options - than you first assume. I ran my fingers down from the highest octave down to the lowest. Strangely, I could near enough feel the rumps of the keys against my plushy skin. Pushing down, the melody Yoongi had taught me began to play like an exclusive soundtrack of my 20s.

It was all in my head, but it felt real. Grief has always done strange things to people, and it seemed I was no exception.

For hours, I continued to replay the limited memory of what Yoongi had taught me. After a while, I began adding my own chords or notes, completely oblivious to the overall value they deducted from my solo performance. Eventually, I became lost in my own serenade. Miscellaneous noise blocked itself out; I was alone with my piano.

His piano.

And so, when Yoongi walked back into his home, he seemed quite stunned to hear our song echoing through the marble-accented walls. He stood, utterly speechless, in the archway to where he left his prized possession. I only noticed him after a few seconds.

If Yoongi didn’t believe in ghosts before, he was left with close to no other choice now.

Maybe he thought he was imagining the sound? Until his jaw dropped, that’s what I had believed too. Yoongi’s gummy smile revealed itself to me; it was almost as though I could read his thought procession from his eyes. Scrunching the tip of his nose, I watched as Yoongi fought back what I was positive were tears.

How the melody was audible to us both was far beyond my comprehension; perhaps it was our connection that made the melody viable to us. The keys were real, I could feel them. I shouldn’t have been able to, but I could.

Yoongi stalked up to the piano like a lion stalking his prey. Except Yoongi wasn’t preparing to pounce. He was scared of frightening my melody away.

Nothing could have frightened me away. This was as close as I’d ever dared to return to Yoongi. I knew too well that if I got too close, I’d never be able to separate myself from him again. I wouldn’t put myself through that heartbreak again. Or him, should he even realise that I was there.

The stool that matched the piano was longer than the average, but it still wouldn’t have seated both me and Yoongi. He edged himself to the end of the stool as though he were making room for me. Still, there was no gap between us. My leg overlapped his. He was warm. I was not.

He played my same melody in a lower octave, even adapting to my added chords and adlibs. He smiled to himself, tears finally slipping from his lower eyelid. Some rushed to the cliff of his jaw and fell to their demise on the black keys of the piano. I would’ve given anything to wipe them away. Anything at all.

tag list !!

@mama-m0chi @liriaus @loveyoongles @weltmaya @mrsfortune1306 @janeelizabeth1216

#yoongi #bts angst #yoongi angst #min yoongi #suga #yoongi imagine #yoongi one shot #bts #bangtan #bts reactions #bts imagines #bts one shot #bts drabble #request #bts headcanon #bts mtl #bts fluff

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the-coffee-story · 3 years

Text

Rise of the Forest God

Chapter 17 - Professor Tally Winchester

Winchester Hall was a beautiful, dark Victorian mansion á lá Addams Family that rested proudly upon the tallest hill around. The windows, grey with age and dust were tall and skinny and a rusted iron gate, with weathered carvings now indistinguishable rested half swallowed by dirt and uncut blades of long dry grass. The whole thing blended rather well with the crawling forest behind it.

The team was waiting by the gate, curious and giddy with half-numbed nervousness.

"Well, now I'm definitely interested," Walther commented, peeking through the towering, rusted gate. "This looks like it's haunted by at least three ghosts who died a horrible death. They never found the heads."

October laughed.

"Seriously October, imagine the Addams Family's mansion, now scale it down a little."

He raised an eyebrow. "Can't wait for Morticia to pop out."

"Well, Morticia was definitely not on the phone," Violet noted.

Suddenly, the carved, dark-oak door that rested comfortably in the centre of the home's front opened, and a young man peeked out, adjusting his glasses as he took a moment to assess the situation. After a few moments passed, he noticed the team waiting by the gate, waved to wordlessly grab their attention, and quickly scuttled over.

Tally Winchester was a medium-heighted, slender and bald individual with large, wildly blue eyes behind thick glasses and a countless amount of scattered silver piercings dotted in and around his earlobe. Despite the fact that it was it had just dawned early spring, his skin was sunburnt and tanned, as if he spent most of his days somewhere lost outside. He walked with a noticable limp, and Walther didn't need to wait long for an explanation, when a prosthetic briefly appeared between his worn brown converse sneakers and faded jeans.

"Hi!" He flashed a toothy smiled at the group and opened the gate. "Great to see you, I'm Professor Tally Winchester!" He shook everyone's hands as they trickled past. The sleeves of his petrol flannel were rolled up, revealing a rather out-of-place, faded tattoo of a crawling lizard and a bunch of old scars. "You can call me Tally though."

Violet held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Violet, we talked on the phone."

"Great to meet you all!" He grinned. "Are you coming inside?"

***

"Before anyone asks, I inherited the house," Tally explained while leading them upstairs. "It's rotten and I hate it and the bills are a naked horror but I doubt I can find anything that has more capacities for a library." He opened a door. "Intrate, everyone."

"Remarkable," Doc commented.

Remarkable was indeed an understatemt. The room they'd entered was a library- with a beautiful brick fireplace and huge windows that let in the sparse afternoon sun, bookshelves brushed against the webbed ceiling and sunk into every wall. The floor was carpeted, through incredibly uncomfortable to walk on, and the furniture antique. One wall was plastered with photographs and notes.

"Nice," Walther mumbled, taking the second to once again soak in their surroundings.

Tally grinned, idly brushing aside pages and old notes compromised of incomprehensible scribbles and drawings. His teeth were somewhat crooked. "I didn't replace any of the furniture, but I did sell a chunk of the old books. There was just no space for mine." He closed the door behind them. "So anyway, you wanted to know about the cult?"

"There's been a bunch of murders in Forest Lane that were eerily similar to what it did, so yeah." Thasfield shrugged his broad shoulders. "We suspect the cult might be involved."

"Oh, I heard about that on the news!" Tally sorted the files on the table until he found what he was looking for. Then he looked up. His face was serious now. "At this point I'd like to admit I have a slightly selfish motivation in this."

"What is it?", Violet asked.

"You see..." Tally leaned against the table. "For context, I'm a history professor, but my focus is on cryptids and modern legends. Historical context, potential explanations, yada yada. A few years ago I stumbled across the legend of the Forest God."

Walther's face lit up. "Oh, I remember that story, my parents used to tell it to me when I was a kid! This one guy got lost in the woods, was found dead and after his funeral his reanimated corpse came home and his wife who loved him very, very much-" They side-eyed Violet and Coffee, who in turn glared back. "-couldn't accept that maybe it's not exactly normal that your husband's corpse is vibing around, then after a while he started killing people, then he killed her and then the neighbours buried him in an iron casket in the woods so he would stop randomly murdering people. Right?"

"You summed it up." Tally nodded.

"But who believes in that?!" Violet frowned. "I mean... it's just a legend, right? Somebody finally snapped, had a rough week or something, and people straight up believe his bullshit?"

"He came back from the dead and started murdering people, Violet," Doc commented.

She shrugged dismissively. "We've all been there."

"I don't want to meet you after a bad week," Tally remarked with mild discomfort, absentmindedly flipping through pages of notes and nonsense. "The existence of the man who allegedly became the Forest God is proven. His name was Eustace Wyndham and if you ask me he had rabies and some things were added for drama. But that's not even relevant, because the cult came almost a hundred years later." He slid around the table and opened another scattered file. "1969 they started to worship the Forest God. At first it was nothing special, you know, just the average college student nonsense." He held up an old photograph, subtle wonder in his eyes as he stared into it, before handing it to Walther. "Here, you can take a look at this! That's the entire cult. The guy in purple with the long hair is one of the founders. The other founder left in 1970 after getting a bad feeling about the whole thing. I caught him for an interview five years ago. Lovely guy, sadly died of cancer shortly after. It's a shame. You can pass the photo around! Notice how they're all wearing cow parsley wreaths. That was the flower associated with the Forest God and the flower scattered all over their murder victim's body, or rather what was left of it."

"All the victims had cow parsley in their mouth," Doc realized, dragging a hand up to rest in his soft ginger curls, staring blankly into the distance, thinking.

Tally nodded hastily. "Exactly! And now please look at what I found on my windowsill this morning!"

He limped over to the tallboy, half relying on the nearby furniture for support. Leaning down and throwing open a drawer, after a short while of sifting through papers and photographs, he took out something else. Then he held it up.

It was a wreath of cow parsley.

"That's....not good," Walther murmured after a long moment of stunned silence.

Tally nodded, twirling the flowers between his thumb and forefinger. "You get it. You know..." He leaned heavily against a dusty, worn table and heaved a small sigh. "When Wilhelm called me at first I was very sceptical of it all. I'm not a group project person, if you know what I mean. But this is just the tip of the ice berg and I have a feeling that I might be next, so I decided to work with you." He shrugged his shoulders.

While he'd been talking, Coffee had been furiously typing. He handed Tally his phone and Tally read it out loud.

" 'How about we use you as a bait?' Um... Can you...can you please explain what exactly you mean? That doesn't sound particularly safe-!"

He handed Coffee's phone back to him, paranoid he might accidentally drop it, and the detective started typing an answer, this time with significantly more determination.

Hear me out. So my idea was basically that tonight we let the killer come, but were going to be prepared. In other words, we gather a big group that's going to protect you, and we're going to arrest the murderer once he's here. What do you think?

Tally hesitated for a short moment and chewed his lip, opening his mouth to reply, then closing it again.. "I mean... I guess you have a point, sooner or later he's going to get me either way."

"I mean, let's be real, you can't run forever," Thasfield said, leaning forwards. "Even if you move, it's still going to take a while, and judging by what we know you're being pretty actively stalked, so it's quite possible he'll just follow you and then you'll be killed by a Forest God in a hotel room in Central Graytown. Which probably makes for an interesting plotline in a noir film, but we're talking real life here and I highly doubt you're so keen on landing in the morgue anytime soon. Although the Doctor is an expert at autopsies."

Doc smirked.

".........yeah," Tally admitted. He sat down on the table and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that sounds...icky but realistic." He closed his eyes took a deep breath. "Alright. Who's gonna be on this team?"

Doc's phone's rang loudly to shake up their newfound confidence, and he excused himself, stepping back into the dusty hallway to take the call.

"I mean, most of us for starters," Violet said. "But I was also thinking of grabbing Gary Fox and Wilhelm. Strength in number, you know?"

Doc eventually came back to the group. His weathered face was stricken with subtle anxiety. "Bad news."

"What is it?", Walther asked.

"Alice found her mailman by the stables."

Walther frowned. "Okay, and what's so special about that?"

"His left arm was by the stables. The rest of him was scattered across the field."

"Dear God, is he okay?"

"He's okay, but he's dead." Doc turned to Tally, lowering his voice just enough. "Can we settle on tonight?"

Tally nodded. His sunburnt face had notably paled, turning his skin a somewhat pasty yellow. "Sure. What time are y'all coming?"

"Is five o'clock alright with you?"

Tally shrugged his shoulders. "Sure."

#reviews are welcome ;)#remember to listen to the song #the coffee story #rise of the forest god

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aperrywilliams · 4 years

Text

The Right Moment (Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader)

(Not my gif!)

Masterlist

———————

Summary: Love confessions doesn't count in Spencer’s strengths. Don't you think?

Word Count: 5010.

Warnings: Curses… is so soft anyway. Fluff.

A/N: I’m so happy. This is my first fic with a beta, so y’all will not suffer with my all writing mistakes of before ones. All the love to the great @imagining-in-the-margins

——————–

The first time I saw (Y/N), I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing for a few seconds. I could have counted the exact time, but I was so focused on looking at her that I only realized it when I was almost choking on my own breathlessness.

We were all in the conference room waiting for Prentiss to review a new case. She had already notified us a new member would be joining the team, which was a relief considering the amount of cases was getting quite heavy. Even just one more member could be of great help. When the two of them entered the room and Emily began to speak, I lifted my head from the file in front of me.

"Guys, this is the SSA (Y/N) (Y/L/N). She is joining our team since today. (Y/N), meet the SSA Luke Alvez, SSA Tara Lewis, SSA Jennifer Jareau, SSA David Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid".

Everyone gave their welcome words except me, of course, given my edginess. I just nodded my head in greeting without saying a word. She waved back and quickly sat down to begin reviewing the case.

I couldn't say exactly what was the first thing about (Y/N) that I fell in love with. Perhaps it was her appearance as a determined woman, confident, intelligent, friendly, and very nice. She looked like those kinds of people who are able to fill a room with their mere presence. It wasn't long before my hypotheses about her were confirmed. Indeed, the entire team loved her immediately. She was the first person to say hello to Penelope in the mornings. She teased Luke as she passed by his desk, and bonded quickly and closely with JJ, Tara, and Emily. Rossi loved her too, especially at dinners at his house, where (Y/N) was always the first to compliment the chef.

And me? Well, it wasn't long until we became best friends. She was one of the few people who didn't bother or interrupt my ramblings. There were many times we had to make geographical profiles and visit crime scenes together; clearly not very romantic things. But the time we spent together was growing both inside and outside work. In our rare free time, we would go for a walk or watch a series sitting on the couch at her place or mine.

Those were the moments where I felt I fell more and more in love with her. For a long time, I tried to push those thoughts away by telling myself that it was something platonic, that it was the attraction of someone with a very different personality than mine. I tried to convince myself that eventually, the infatuation would pass and our friendship would persist. But seeing how the months passed and the feeling didn’t subside, I began to sink into despair within myself. I tried not to feed myself any hope.

(Y/N) was leading her life very well and I fit perfectly as the best friend – just that. Someone to trust and a shoulder to cry on. I tried to convince myself having her around was more than enough for me, even if there was no romantic interest from her.

"Do you know what it’s called? The Friendzone." Emily said to me one day after I had to confess my feelings towards (Y/N) to someone. A somewhat forced confession, since the whole team knew it already without me saying a word. It sure was printed on all my face.

"Whatever your name it, I’ll never get out of there". I replied with a shrug.

"But why don't you tell her? You should be honest with her about this, Spencer. You’re friends. You trust each other, right?" Emily inquired, trying to awaken some courage in me to express my feelings to the woman herself.

"Tell her? No, of course not. Our relationship would become weird. I don't want that.” I replied with a shake my head.

"How do you know if isn’t mutual? You two spend a lot of time together, and I've seen how you seeing each other. Maybe she also likes you." Emily was a very good FBI agent, but not the best cupid. There was no point in what she was saying to me. Friends can also spend a lot of time together. That doesn't mean anything.

"Of course it is not reciprocal! Two days ago, she told me she had a date with Tim Robertson from Organized Crime and she was 'excited.'” I emphasized the word ‘excited’ by making the quotes marks with my fingers.

"Uh-oh" she replied with that 'oh poor boy' look. “Spencer, eventually you’ll have to do something. Love is not going to disappear spontaneously.”

I only took a deep breath and drop the subject, but I kept thinking about Prentiss’ words. Was I meant to be the eternal friend? Statistics were not on my side: Studies show that if a man over 30 invites his female friend to dinner on a weekend, only 40% of women will likely consider it a date. But if the invitation is made by a non-friend male, the odds increase to 85%. If a woman is the one inviting her male friend, she is more likely he considered it as romantic date, because men are more frequently to consider everything as a date. Conclusion: I have no chance.

I felt more defeated when (Y/N) told me one day that she was now regularly dating Robertson. The boldest thing I asked her was if she liked him. She confessed to me it was ‘very likely.’

As the weeks passed, the cases came and were resolved. (Y/N) didn't spend as much time with me outside of work anymore. She had a formal relationship with the... guy... from Organized Crime. At this point not even the 'friendzone' comforted me, because I also felt I was losing my friend. What did that lead me to? Frustration. Anger. Introversion. Everything very Spencer Reid style.

One day flying back from a case, (Y/N) sat at the front of me and looked at me with concern, as I plunged into a book.

"Spencer, is something wrong?" she asked, leaning down and resting her hands on the table between us.

"Uhm? No. I'm fine." I replied, barely looking at her.

"Spencer, I know you..."

Oh, how I hate people think I’m an open book and everyone feel free to say they know me!... Even if they are right! For God’s sake!

"Are you upset with me?... You have barely spoken to me these days and we haven't sat down to talk for a long time..." She said, taking the book I had in my hands and laying it on the table. Thus, I was forced to look at her.

"No. I'm fine. Totally fine. And if we haven't talked for a long time, it's because you're apparently very busy…” My last comment wasn't very nice, but I couldn't help it.

"Oh, I see." I took my book again and opened it to resume my reading. "You’re jealous of my relationship with Robertson." She stated seriously.

What? Did she know it too? Had the pilot been told, too?

"No. Of course not. Where do you get that from? You can do whatever you please with your life…” I said with the greatest calm that my boiling blood running in my body allowed me.

“You're jealous because I don't spend time with you outside of work anymore. Spencer, honey, you’ll always be a priority for me. It's just I have less time now, you know? We're just starting something, Tim and I. But I promise not to be one of those women glued to my partner all the time and neglecting my friends". (Y/N) ended her statement by gently stroking my hand over the book I was still holding. I felt relief and defeat at the same time. Clearly, it didn't feel better.

But (Y/N) was genuine to her word. Indeed, she looked for a way to adjust her time with him so we could return to some movie nights on the couch and occasional walks in the park. It felt good to at least fit into her life again. Of course, this had a flip side: knowing how her relationship with Tim Robertson worked, or not. The guy showed clear narcissistic features and although (Y/N) seemed to be aware of that - as the good profiler she was - her infatuation clouded her judgment. I couldn't blame her, either. I just tried to be gentle in my criticisms, but I saw how easily she dismissed them by always excusing him.

One night I was lying on the couch reading. It was close to 2 am when I heard two knocks on the door and a loud sob. I quickly got up to open the door and saw (Y/N) standing in front of me, crying. When she saw me, she threw herself into my arms and cried harder.

"I knew you would be awake..." She murmured with her head buried in my chest. I helped her into the apartment and sat her on the couch.

"Hey, what happened?". I asked in a soft voice so as not to disturb her more than she already was.

"I broke up with Tim..."

And here I was, with my shoulder ready to contain her tears. (Y/N) clung to my neck sobbing and cursing at the same time. It wasn’t the first time I had to witness a love breakup from (Y/N). As I said before, I was her best friend, and that forced me to know things that I often didn't want to hear, but it was only fair. She also was there for me many times. I had also cried on her shoulder and cursed - a bit - at situations that overwhelmed me.

I tried to comfort her by hugging and stroking her back. The sobs subsided over time, and eventually she fell asleep. I tucked some pillows under her head and covered with a blanket. I sat for a moment to watch her while she slept. I would have done anything not to see her this sad. She didn't deserve to be hurt by an idiot like Robertson. She deserved someone who truly loved her, unconditionally. Someone she could trust, who could be always there for her, who made her laugh and comforted her when she was sad.

She needed someone... like me?

I know, it sounds not so humble. But I would be all that for her and more if necessary. Maybe Prentiss was right. Maybe I should be honest and tell her about my feelings. At least I could know if I'd ever have a chance. Well, I would have to try. Here the results.

First Attempt

The next morning I woke up smelling a pleasant scent from the kitchen: freshly brewed coffee. I got up, rubbing my eyes before I saw (Y/N) making breakfast.

"Good Morning. Breakfast is ready!” She gave me a warm smile.

"Hey... you didn't have to bother with breakfast." I replied in a raspy voice due to the disuse as I slept. "How do you feel?" I hastened to ask.

"Like I broke up with my boyfriend. But it's okay. It'll okay.” (Y/N) said, giving a deep sigh. I approached the counter where she was while she passed me two plates ready with pancakes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, placing the plates on the table and sitting in one of the chairs. She got two mugs with coffee and sat across from me.

"The usual; men who end up being assholes. The initial spark’s gone. The end.” She shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "You know my taste in men follows an evident pattern, right?" (Y/N) stated with a sad smile.

"Maybe you need to double check your parameters and change it..." I said, testing the waters before I dove in. I didn't know what kind of reaction to expect, but she burst out laughing.

"I've thought about it – don't think I don’t. But bad habits are persistent.” She answered me as she cut her pancakes before popping a piece in her mouth.

"You could try at least..." Bringing out a confidence I thought I didn't have, I dared to take her hand over the table. She looked at me curiously.

"Do you think so? I honestly think I’m meant to be a total failure in love, always.” She told me with a grimace.

“I think you need a guy who understands you. A guy that’s there for you when you need him. Someone you can trust…” I didn’t know whether to persist with the description so as not to sound... too self-referential?

“But that's what I have you for, Spence. You are all that to me. That's why you are my best friend.” She said, squeezing my hand and smiling at me. I held my breath for a second and tried to continue.

"Perhaps... I could be more than that, more than a just..." I couldn't finish my idea because our phones started ringing. We had a case. End of conversation.

Fate: 1, Reid: 0.

Second Attempt

After a hard case that had us seconds from emotional overflow, Penelope had the wonderful idea we should go to a bar to 'drown' our frustrations. Hanging out with the team is always a good thing, although the idea of a bar never seemed entirely appealing to me.

Of course, I usually ended up being the designated driver since my alcohol consumption was minimal or nil. That night was no exception. Sitting with Rossi and Luke, I heard them talk about their love experiences as I watched the dance floor where Emily, Penelope, Tara and (Y/N), with high levels of alcohol in their blood, danced as if the world were to end in that moment. Rossi and Luke’s voices sounded distant to me. I could only focus on how (Y/N) moved on the dance floor and how I wished I could touch her... and kiss her... and...

"Reid? Reid!" Luke's voice brought me out of my fantasy. Not even in my own mind could I have in peace! Not even a single damn fantasy with (Y/N).

"Uhm?" I replied by inertia.

"I was asking you if you agreed with what Rossi said..." He asked. I wasn't even listening.

"Eh. Yeah. Sure. He has more experience… in everything.” I guess that answer was enough for the moment. "I'm going to get something else to drink". I said, getting up and walking to the bar. On my way I looked again to (Y/N), who kept dancing sensually with the others.

My emotional and sexual frustration by now was killing me. I gestured to the bartender for another soda. Focused on my own misery I didn't realize when (Y/N) gave me a gentle knock in the ribs with an elbow.

“Hey Reid! Don't tell me you're going to drink alcohol…”. (Y/N) joked.

"No, just a soda. You know I'm the designated driver today…” I replied as I nervously tapped the surface of the bar with my fingers. (Y/N) in her obviously drunken state suddenly hung her arms around my neck.

“Sorry Reid, always… always… you end up being our watchman. You can't even have some funnnnn…” She sighed, resting her head on my chest.

"It's okay. Seeing you all drunk to the bone can also be some fun.”. I replied, daring to take her waist to prevent her from slipping to the floor. She sighed again.

"I think... I don't feel okay... oh my… I'm feeling drowned… Spencer, I feel sick… I’m very dizzy … I feel like… ”

"Come, let's go out for some air. That’ll make you feel better."

We left through one of the back doors of the bar. Once outside, the fresh air made (Y/N) feel somewhat more restored. "Better?" I asked her.

"Yeah… I guess. But despite how drunk I’m… because I know… I’m soooo drunk… It isn’t pleasant to see that couple fucking on that wall...".I looked in the direction of her finger pointing a wall and the couple there didn't even bother acknowledging our presence. I must say some envy awoke in me. I took (Y/N)'s hand and led her further away from the alley before I pointed to the sidewalk and we sat down.

"Now we don't have to look at them." I told her. (Y/N) nodded. Breathing more coolly, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and smiled.

"Thanks Spencer. I don't know why you have such patience with me…” Oh boy. The emotional moment of (Y/N). Despite that, my love didn’t give up even a single millimeter.

"You don’t have to thank me. That's why we’re… friends, right?” I replied, barely outlining a smile.

"Yes. But… I don't know… you are always beyond that… I feel like I don't deserve you Spencer…” Her sobs began to mix with hiccups.

“For you (Y/N), I’ll do everything I can. Always”. I said it in a sincere tone. I never expected after having said that, that she would throw herself towards me and start kissing me. After the initial stun, my head began to wonder if that was okay.

Her drunken state told me that it was wrong, but it felt so good to have her lips on mine - ignoring the smell of alcohol, of course. It only lasted a few seconds. She pulled away quickly, as if a wave of sobriety hit her abruptly.

"Sorry! ... Spencer, I’m sorry!... I didn't want..." She started to stutter and cry at the same time.

"Hey, no... don't apologize. It’s okay…” I tried to calm her down.

"I don’t know what happened... I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable..." She kept stammering, hiccupping and waving her hands in the air.

"It’s okay (Y/N), I don’t feel uncomfortable... Matter of fact, it’s the opposite." I was going to tell her; I couldn't take it anymore.

"No?..." Her confused face in another context would have made me laugh, but in that moment I was too busy being nervousing about confessing my love to a drunk woman.

"Well…". I took her hands and started stroking them gently. "For a long time I wanted to tell you... and I know we are friends, but I would like..." I had to clear my throat again. "What I mean (Y/N), is I love..."

Unable to finish the sentence, (Y/N) suddenly leaned into my lap, letting out an explosive puke on me. A second followed... and then a third.

The next day all she remembered was the dance floor, and the fact she emptied her stomach on me.

Third Attempt

I hate cases where unsubs try to escape. That always means a chase, and dramatically increases the probability of someone getting hurt. It was in Alabama, and the unsub had hidden himself in a barn. (Y/N) and I stepped in with our flashlights and weapons in search of him. J.J. and Luke were in the backup group.

What we didn’t expect was the bastard climbing onto an attic with his gun pointed at us. When I lit up his face with my flashlight and pointed at him with my gun, I only managed to shout "Stop! FBI!” before I heard a shot in my direction.

I felt a burning and intense pain near my face before falling to the floor. With another shot, (Y/N) struck him in the chest and the unsub fell to the floor.

Oh God, my body hurt a lot. I felt the blood run down my shoulder. The bastard had shot me in the neck! I was going to die in a filthy barn and without having ever declared my love to (Y/N). She quickly knelt down and tried to locate the source of the blood, pressing her hand to my wound.

"We need medics here!" She yelled frantically. I felt dizzy, and (Y/N)’s voice was further and further away.

Was I really going to die there? At least if that was going to happen, I had to tell her. "(Y/N) ..." I said to get her attention.

“No, no… no… don't speak Spencer, keep your eyes open, but don't speak. The paramedics are coming. Come on, squeeze my hand!"

"I have to tell...".I tried to speak but between the dizziness and the pain, I had trouble articulating words.

"Spencer, please. Listen to me. You're going to be fine… everything will be okay.” She tried to reassure me.

"I... love you..." I managed to say, trying to look her in the eye. She looked at me tenderly.

I said it! I said it! I could die in peace now, couldn’t I?

"Spencer, honey..." She said while stroking my hair. I closed my eyes and the paramedics came to check me. One of them asked (Y/N) what happened and how I was doing. She summed up the incident and finished off by saying between sobs, “Please do something. He is dying. He even started to rave."

Fuck!

Then I fell passed out and I don't remember anything else.

The Summary

I could keep on listing the times when I tried to tell her. None of them seemed to be the right moment. And when it did seem to be, something happened. Destiny definitely didn’t want my confession to come to light. So okay, I thought, maybe I should just keep it to myself forever.

One morning, I stepped in the conference room with my usual coffee in hand. There were Luke, Emily, Penelope, Tara, JJ and (Y/N). The conversation was about the latest BAU girls' night. I sat down, taking one of the files settled on the table and starting to leaf through it.

"No! In defense of (Y/N), I must say she was as calm as we were at the table when the guy approached to her.” Tara said.

"Ah, so there was no flirting?" Luke asked.

"Hey! Who do you think I am, Luke? We were there for girls' night, not to catch lovers." (Y/N) replied laughing.

"Of course, they didn't stop looking at each other all night..." Stated JJ with a giggle.

"No JJ! I don't know who you were looking at, but it wasn't me." (Y/N) defended herself. The conversation was inherently awkward for me at that point. I silently didn’t take my eyes off the file in my hands.

"Well, even if she did it, (Y/N) is a free woman and could have run away with whoever she wanted, right?" Luke had a point and that made my blood boil. I'm sure Prentiss noticed.

"Okay, but nothing happened in the end. The guy left and we kept drinking. And here we are, safe and sound.” Prentiss summarized, trying to end the conversation. My hands were sweating, and I looked sideways at (Y/N) who was giggling nervously. Prentiss was probably lying just because I was there.

“Oh yeah, but just before leaving he slipped you a piece of paper with his phone number. I'm sure you saved it in your contacts and called him later!” Penelope said directly to (Y/N), who didn't say anything back. Okay. I was fed up. This conversation had to end at that very moment. I closed the file and dropped it on the table with all the force of my frustration. I got up from the chair, clenching my fists and saying "Enough!" with my jaw clenched. Everyone in the room froze and stared at me in astonishment. Prentiss was the first to react.

"Okay, Luke, Tara, JJ Penelope... to my office. Now." Emily quickly left the room and the rest following her almost instantly. (Y/N) looked confused as the group left, then fixed her eyes on me.

"Spencer?... what's going on ?"

In silence, I closed the door of the room and leaned my back on it, crossing my arms over my chest looking at (Y/N). "You okay?"

"Not. I'm not okay. This is driving me insane.” I said, uncrossing my arms and scratching the back of my neck.

"Tell me, what's going on? Maybe I can help..." (Y/N) tried to get up from the chair to approach me.

"Just don't say anything, okay? I just need you to listen to me, and I need no one and nothing to interrupt me this time.” Just as a precaution I locked the door. (Y/N) opened her eyes with concern.

"Spencer, you're scaring me..." I just stared at her as she remembered I told her not to speak. "I’m sorry..."

“I'm going to start at the end, to make sure you hear it well. Okay?” I cleared my throat and continued speaking. “I love you (Y/N), I've loved you since practically the first day that you walked through this same door with Emily. And no, this goes beyond our friendship. Of course, I love being your friend. But that is no longer enough for me. Every time I see a man in your life, I feel something burning inside me. It hurts me deeply to see you suffer for some idiot who doesn't deserve you. I can’t take it anymore. I tried to tell you so many times, I think I’ve lost count. But if you never even considered the possibility, then I can't do anything else.

You don't even remember that you kissed me outside a bar! When I told you that I loved you while almost dying in a dirty barn, you thought I was delusional! Every time... every single time I thought I gave you signs, you either didn't see them or you didn't care. I don't know what hurts me the most, your blindness or your indifference. You’re a profiler like me! How is it possible that you never…? Damn it (Y/N)! The thing is, I can't live with this stuck inside me anymore. And I'm sorry if telling you all this ends up ruining our friendship, but not being honest with you seems so much worse now. And... and... since I told you this, I think you can go on with your day... Goodbye".

I pulled the lock and opened the door to leave the room. After my confession/outburst, I didn't even dare make eye contact with (Y/N). I was about to cross the threshold when one of (Y/N) 's hands slammed it shut again. I turned around and (Y/N)'s arms wrapped around my neck before she lifted on her feet and collapsed her lips against mine. My first reaction was to raise my hands and smash my back against the door. Stupid reaction, I don't even know why I did it.

That didn't stop (Y/N), who gripped my hair to keep our mouths together. Realizing what was happening, I took her by the waist and brought her as close as possible to me, emptying all my accumulated frustration into that kiss. I don't know how long we were like this.

Okay, yeah, I really do know. It was 2 minutes and 45 seconds. After that time, we both pulled away because we could hardly breathe.

"Wow... (Y/N)... what ...?" I tried to articulate some coherent phrase, but nothing else came out.

"Now you are going to listen to me." She said as she began to play with my tie between her fingers. “First of all: neither blindness nor indifference. Denial only. Spencer... I'm clear on all the times you tried to tell me. Really, even before I broke up with Robertson. Since the time we talked on the jet and I asked you if you were mad at me. I just wanted to deny it all this time. It’s stupid, I know, but I didn't want to hurt you. I was scared I would hurt you if I crossed that border of our friendship. And yes, I also remember the night at the bar. And when you got shot in the barn. I must insist, it was all to deny myself the possibility.

And here comes the second: I did it because I... I love you too. I have for a long time. Why didn't I do anything about it...? Well, it’s kind absurd now I think about it. I did nothing because I was afraid of ruining it. All my relationships end in disaster and I didn’t want that to happen to you. And if that meant locking myself out of the possibility of going further, I was willing to do that so I wouldn’t lose you…”

This time it was I who connected my lips with hers. It felt so good, so soft, and so warm. Not even my best dreams could compare to it. When we pulled back to catch our breath, we looked at each other and started talking at the same time.

"I’m so sorry Spencer... I never wanted you to feel like this..."

"I was waiting for the right moment..."

"If I knew how to compensate you for this..."

"(Y/N), if I had known..."

“What the hell Spencer, why we are so bad at our job…”

"We are the worst ... we should resign..." We both started laughing.

"Come here, Reid." She said, taking one of my hands and pulling me into a hug. "Could you forgive me for making you suffer all this time?"

She didn't need to ask me that. I would do anything for her.

"I let you puke on me... 3 times in one night. I think that exceeds all tolerance limits on my part, don't you think?"

She started to laugh, stifling the noise on my chest. It felt so good to have her this close, to be able to touch her.

"I love you (Y/N), so much." I said, stroking her cheeks and looking at her almost without blinking.

"I love you too Spencer. My friend, my partner… and now, my lover.” She replied, winking at me.

"Hey, that last one you still owe me... with interest due to all the time that’s already passed."

"Don’t worry, honey, you just have to hold on for a few more hours, and I assure you that we will catch up quickly".

———————

#spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid fluff #criminal minds #dr. spencer reid

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raindancer2004 · 3 years

Text

Aro’s Choice

Word Count: 2,606 Demetri x reader Part Two. Warnings: Fluff, Angst

Summary: Aro chooses a mate for Demetri; someone that will link his coven to Carlisle’s, a gifted human like none he’s met before. But Demetri isn’t happy, he didn’t choose her, doesn’t want her so he does the only thing he can think of, he pushes her away despite agreeing to a compromise proposed by Y/N. So what happens when an event occurs that changes everything for Demetri and Y/N? Will he go and rescue her...save her? Or will he stay in the castle and wait for his mate as he has done the last 1000 years? Will he realise that the one he’s been waiting for was the very one he had rejected and pushed away? Is it too late, will she ever forgive him? Will she give him a chance to love and protect her or will she walk away from him for forever...?

Jane knocks on Demetri’s door and finds Y/N in the room alone “Good morning Y/N Aro would like to speak with you and introduce you to Demetri” Jane says with a small smile “Good morning Jane” She replies and follows Jane down to the throne room. Alec finds Demetri and Felix in Felix’s room “Morning you two, Aro wants to see you both in the throne room” Alec greets them “How come you are not in your room Demetri?” Alec asks along the way “Considering we have never met I assumed it would be best not to startle the girl when she woke this morning” Demetri replies “Sounds fair” Alec replied.

Jane and Y/N enter the throne room first and walk to stand beside Aro; Demetri, Felix and Alec arrive a few moments later. As the three male vampires enter the room they notice Jane and the human girl standing beside Aro and that there are no other guards in the room. Alec moves to stand on the other side of Y/N so she is now stood between the twins. “Thank you for meeting with us this morning. I have some news to share with you all, although it will affect Demetri more than the rest of you” Aro begins gaining the room’s attention. “I would like to introduce you all to Y/N Swan, Bella’s younger sister and she is to join our family…as Demetri’s mate” Aro adds looking at Demetri now to gage his reaction at the news. ‘So that’s what Jane meant when she said Y/N was mine’ He thought to himself and smiled at the girl, who smiled back.

“Brother, how do you know they’re mates?” Caius asks curious “I don’t brother. Jane discovered Y/N’s gift by accident and once I met her I knew that she would need to be changed as she was made aware of our world during our visit…” “You mean the Cullens told another human about us?” Caius cut Aro off “No, brother. Y/N found out about us after I asked to meet her as I was curious about her gift. Carlisle and Esme offered to turn Y/N and make her a part of their family but I knew you would not like that brother” Aro looked back at Caius, who nodded “So I proposed an alternative solution. Demetri has been on his own for a very long time and thought he would welcome Y/N as his mate. I have every confidence that he will treat her well and look after her” Aro adds smiling at Demetri, who was still looking at Y/N smiling “So you have ‘arranged’ this paring brother and are hoping that it works out?” Marcus asked “Indeed brother. Now I think Demetri and Y/N should go back to his room and get to know one another a little” Aro says and motions for Y/N and Demetri to leave the room. Y/N nods at Aro and walks to over to Demetri but before they can say or do anything Caius speaks up again “Brother you mentioned the girl has a gift. What is it?” “Ahh yes brother, Y/N has the gift of Telekinesis” Aro replies; Y/N notices Felix looks a little confused “It means I can move things with my mind” She explains to him and she hears Demetri chuckle beside her “I think we’ll get along just fine cara” Demetri says to Y/N and takes her warm hand in his cold one and they make their way back to his room. Aro was pleased as it seemed Demetri was interested in getting to know his ‘mate.’

A few days later Demetri leaves the castle to run a few errands and when he returns he immediately seeks out Y/N, finding her in the library. “Hello Y/N, I hope you have not been too bored in my absence?” He asked as he sat beside her “I think it’s hard to get too bored when you have a library as big as this” She replies with a smile and he nods “Yes, I must admit it is rather large and we do add to it every few decades” Demetri stands and holds out his hand “Come with me please, I have a gift for you” She places her hand in his and he leads her back to his room. Once inside he lights the fireplace and then sits beside her on the sofa “Here, this is for you” He says as he hands her a small box. She opens the box to see a gold ring inside with a small diamond set in the middle of two small rubies “Th-Thank you Demetri…you-you didn’t have to…” “I know but I wanted to Y/N” He said taking the ring out of the box and placing it on her finger, placing a kiss to her forehead.

Demetri also seemed interested in Y/N’s gift of Telekinesis as noone else in the guard had that gift and he and the Volturi had never come across anyone with that gift before either. “So how does your gift work Y/N?” Demetri asked one evening as they sat reading by the fire “I can show you…if you’d like?” She offered and he nodded smiling “Ok, then” She added looking around the room and noticed that his desk was littered with papers and books. She stood from the sofa and made her way closer to his desk and waved her hands in the air over his desk and Demetri watched wide eyed as the papers were neatly stacked on the left side of his desk and the books on the right. She made her way back to the sofa and waved her hand over the coffee table and the book she had finished reading found its way back into the bookcase “That’s impressive Y/N” He said smiling at her “Thank you” She blushed a little looking down at her feet “I know it’s not much but Aro says if I practice my gift will improve” She looked up at him through her lashes and saw that he was smiling at her “He’s right it will improve over time. I can help you…if you’d like?” He offered and she nodded.

During the second week of Y/N being in the castle Demetri started to get a little frustrated at taking care of his human “How are you and Y/N getting along?” Heidi asked “It feels more like I’m babysitting the girl than spending time with my mate. Humans need so much attention and not to mention they need to sleep like eight hours a night, so whilst she sleeps I get to spend my nights alone just as I have done for the last 1000 years. I mean what’s the point?” He replied as he helped Heidi prepare for the following week’s ‘tour.’ “Don’t speak like that Dem, Y/N is your mate and yes she’s human but only until you change her” Heidi said defending the girl “That’s another thing…I have to change her, take responsibility for her…all because Aro thought he’d solve me being a little lonely by giving me a human as a mate” He replied sounding a little bitter “I’m surprised at you Demetri. I would have thought that you would have loved looking after her, taking care of her and eventually changing her as it meant that she was truly yours” Heidi added, Demetri didn’t respond so they continued with their task in silence.

Y/N had been at the castle for about three weeks when Demetri’s behaviour changed towards her; he no longer wanted to be around her, no longer wanted to take care of her. Having Aro choose his mate for him is something Demetri was not happy about and he made sure she remembered she wasn’t his choice. He stopped spending his free time with her, this included not spending evenings with her; choosing instead to spend them with Felix or Alec or Santiago, sometimes the four of them got together and played cards, other times he just spent the night reading in Felix’s room thus leaving Y/N all alone except for the times when Jane went to see her, which wasn’t often.

After a few weeks of being left alone all the time Y/N begun to feel lonely but she didn’t say anything to anyone instead opting to just put on a smile whenever she was around the guards. Deep down she knew what was happening but she didn’t want to believe it.

Demetri was sitting in Felix’s room one night and their conversation turned to Y/N and that was the night Demetri finally rejected her. “I’m guessing as you are sitting here with me again things haven’t improved with Y/N over the past month?” Felix asked “She wasn’t my choice Felix, she was Aro’s. What happens when I meet my actual mate?” Felix didn’t answer, just looked over his friend’s shoulder to see Y/N standing in his bedroom doorway. “I didn’t think vampires chose their mates. I thought they had no say in who they were mated to” Y/N said sounding a little confused “Fate chooses our mate for us. Someone who is meant for us, the other half of our soul, the missing piece that compliments us…completes us” Demetri replied turning to look at her and empathising certain words to make his point. She nodded in understanding before she answered him “You weren’t my choice either Demetri. I had things I wanted to do with my life and now I’ll never get the chance. So...I propose a compromise...we get to know one another a little...become friends even and if / when you meet your mate, your other half…you can claim her and live happily ever after if that’s what you want. She never has to know about me being Aro’s choice” She tried to keep her voice level and Demetri thought for a moment before nodding “Fine...I suppose we can try and become friends” “Ok then. I’ll go pack my things and move out of your room…tonight” She turned and walked back to Demetri’s room going straight into his closet and began packing her clothes and shoes, biting her bottom lip hard to prevent herself from crying at being rejected by the man she had started to have feelings for. A few minutes later she heard Demetri’s voice behind her “The room opposite mine is empty, I’ll help you move your stuff when you’re ready” “Thank you Demetri, but I think I can manage” She replied not looking at him and continued to pack.

It took her less than an hour to pack her clothes, shoes and her other belongings, she wheeled her suitcases across the hall and into the closet of her new room. She turned to go back to Demetri’s room to collect the rest of her stuff when she saw him in the doorway “Here, they looked heavy so I thought I’d help you. Where do you want them?” “Er…thank you. You can just put them by the door as I’m not sure where I want things” She replied giving him a smile. He placed the boxes down by the door, making one last trip to bring her the rest of her stuff before going back to his room, happy he could spend a night in his own space…without her.

About a week later Aro found out about their compromise but did nothing about it for Y/N was still apart of his coven even if she wasn’t bound to Demetri as his mate. In fact he was impressed at how she handled Demetri’s rejection of her; being the bigger person and offering a solution to the ‘problem.’ Aro decided to let the two of them figure out how to become friends, hoping that it might become something more.

Over the next few weeks Y/N tried many things to try and connect with Demetri; to get to know him as a friend. She found out from Felix what his favourite book was and read it so they would have something to talk about; that conversation didn’t last long and nor did it lead to further conversation topics as she hoped. She even asked him to help her with her ‘gift’ to practice and hone her Telekinesis and he agreed to help after guard duty one Friday evening, agreeing to meet her in the training room. She made her way to the training room on the day and time they agreed but realised after ten minutes that he had stood her up. She made her way back to her room passing the Games Room along the way and heard him talking and laughing with Felix and Alec. She ran back to her room and locked the door before climbing on her bed ‘I didn’t choose to come here, to be with him but as least I tried’ she thought to herself. She cried herself to sleep that night at the realisation ‘I’m just not good enough for him.’

Despite the compromise they had made Demetri still wasn’t happy with the situation but he tried to get to know her or at least that’s what he told himself as he continued to push her away. Following him standing her up in the training room Y/N decided not to push him into spending time with her; she stopped trying to get know him. She had finally realised that he only agreed to her suggestion of a compromise as it meant that he got his room back, making it easier for him to avoid her.

Demetri spent so much time pushing her away that whatever little connection there was in the beginning was now fractured. This saddened Marcus most of all as he knew what it was like to spend forever alone; he would give anything to have someone to love, someone to take care of. For the first time since Demetri joined them he was disappointed in the tracker; disappointed with his behaviour and treatment of Y/N. For if he took the time to get to know her he would realise that she was indeed chosen for him by fate; that Aro was merely the ‘middle man’ bringing them together, ensuring their paths crossed. Y/N was the key to Demetri’s happy ending and he had rejected her. Marcus decided to keep this information to himself after finding Y/N in the garden upset one day whilst Demetri was away on a mission.

“Good afternoon Y/N. How are you settling in?” He asked softly taking a seat beside her on the bench “Good afternoon Marcus. I’ve settled in ok, thank you for asking” She lied and he knew it “Really? You have been here for a few months now and you don’t seem to have made many friends…” “Well as a human in a castle full of vampires it’s hard to make friends…especially as they are already friends with the one who…” She stopped herself from finishing that sentence “The one that rejected you. Is that what you were going to say?” He asked looking at her; she turned to face him her eyes filled with tears and just nodded in response. “I am sorry my dear that you are so unhappy…I wish there was something I could do” He replied softly, wrapping an arm around her “It’s ok really…I’ll be ok” She said trying hard not to let the tears fall. After that conversation Marcus figured being rejected once was enough heartache for the girl to endure and decided he would not meddle; he’d let things run their course, confident that fate would intervene and bring them back together before it was too late. If only he knew what the future held.

#demetri volturi #felix volturi #jane volturi #alec volturi #aro volturi #marcus volturi #caius volturi #volturi

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xbladekitkat85 · 3 years

Text

Why Clint is on Tony’s Sh*t List

Word count: A bit over 3k.

Chapter summary: Peter and Harley are brothers and the children of Tony Stark. Which is highly classified knowledge that nobody outside of the Avengers knows. Until Clint Barton accidentally spills the secret with a technology related mishap.

Warnings: A bit of language here and there. Tony threatening Clint’s life because he did an oopsie.

Peter's POV

In the school that is Midtown School of Science and Technology, everyone is basically a genius of some sort. You have biology geeks, math geeks, chemistry geeks, robotics geeks. You name a branch of STEM subjects, there are guaranteed to be at least 5 masters in every subject.

That being said, being a master in a subject doesn't mean that you would be instantly popular. Sure you might get hounded for homework help, but it doesn't mean you actually make friends as easily. It's more like people want to leech off of your knowledge and don't bother to get to know you.

There's a social pyramid in all schools and let's just say I'm towards the bottom of mine. I build Lego sets, I love Star Wars, I'm a whiz at chemistry and math. But people ignore the fact that I'm 'somewhat' intelligent and focus on the Lego and Star Wars part of my image. Which sucks big time. At least I'm graduating this year.

But at least I have my brother Harley to confide in. We argue over stupid stiff but we both enjoy poking fun at each other.

3rd person POV

Peter was sitting at his usual table with his small group of friends. Ned, MJ, and Betty made up this small group of people.

"So, what are you guys doing this weekend?" Ned asked the group.

"Uhhhh, I was planning on going to see that new movie coming out." Betty answered. "You know, the one with Emilia Clarke and what's his name."

"Oh yeah, I know which one you're talking about." Ned replied.

"You losers can go see a movie, I'm going to a protest outside of Oscorp." MJ replied, sipping her thermos of coffee.

"What did Oscorp do?" Peter asked curiously.

"They're trying to cover up an employee getting severely injured, the safety protocols are shitty, and HR is as usual, the worst part of it all in addition to the censorship of the incident online."

Peter nodded his head, eyes widened.

"Gotcha. I definitely understand why you're going."

MJ set her thermos down and opened her latest book, Speak.

Ned turned to look at Peter.

"Stark internship all weekend?" He inquired.

Peter shrugged and took a sip of water.

"I'm gonna hang out with Harley. Probably do some stuff in the lab. Usual stuff."

Betty shook her head in disbelief.

"I still can't believe you're friends with him." She said. "He's pretty high on the social ladder here. I mean I know you guys have the internship together but it's still kind of baffling that I never see you interacting in school."

Ohhhhh, if you only knew Betty. Peter laughed to himself on the inside.

Nobody at school knew that Peter and Harley were half brothers and the children of Tony Stark. Not even Ned or MJ knew although he suspected that MJ somehow knew or was close to figuring it out. She's scarily perceptive and freakishly good at knowing things about other people that she definitely shouldn't.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

The four friends parted ways and headed to their respective classes.

*After school*

Peter arrived at the tower straight from Delmar's after picking up snacks for the weekend. He had grabbed an assortment, ranging from potato chips to pretzel M&Ms. He waved at Ms. Maldonado, the lady who commanded the reception area and dashed to the elevator, scanning his pass when prompted.

FRIDAY greeted him when the doors closed.

"How was your day Peter? Harley is already waiting for you. He told me to tell you, and I quote, "Peter, I hope you remembered my PRETZEL M&Ms not PEANUT M&M's like last time. If you forgot, I'm going to steal that new Lego set you were planning on building tomorrow. And I WILL hide it somewhere you'll never, ever, find it. Insert maniacal cackling, blah blah blah."

Peter stifled a laugh at Harley's message.

"Uh, well my day was the usual, you know. And tell Harley I got his stupid M&Ms. And I grabbed him something else too if he promises not to threaten the Legos again."

"Sure thing, Peter."

He exited the elevator to the floor which housed the labs he shared with Harley. There were multiple as the duo tended to accidentally blow things up and would need to have another place to work while repairs were being done. Needless to say, Tony was more than a little annoyed that his kids needed multiple labs because they kept blowing them up. But whatever, he loves them and will pay for it as long as he gets to blackmail them with all the ridiculous stories of what blew up and how it happened.

Harley looked up towards the door Peter walked through and lifted his welding mask off his face.

"Hand over the merchandise, blockhead." He said, his arm stretched towards the bag of goodies Peter was carrying.

"Only if you promise to leave the Legos alone, biotch." He replied.

Harley rolled his eyes and dramatically lifted his hand in the air as if he was testifying in court.

"I promise not to touch the Legos." He said in a half joking tone.

Peter handed him the pack of M&Ms as well as a container of Oreos.

"I still don't understand why you like pretzel M&Ms." Peter remarked. "There's too much pretzel and not enough chocolate."

Harley stared directly at him as he tore open the M&Ms and popped a few in his mouth.

"I don't understand why you don't like pineapple on pizza." Harley shot back as he swiveled around in his chair

Peter groaned.

"We are not having this discussion again."

"Peter you're an idiot if you don't like pineapple on your pizza."

"Harley, you're a disgrace to the entire state of New York if you do. Fruit is not supposed to go on a proper pizza."

Harley chucked a bolt at Peter's head.

"Hey!" He protested as he turned to look at Harley. And then he saw a glint in Harley's eyes.

"Pizza is a dish with everything from the food pyramid. You have grain, dairy, meat, vegetables, fats, and oh, wait, you don't like pineapple so you're missing out. You could be getting every nutrient from the food pyramid but you're an idiot so you miss your daily serving of delicious pineapple on your pizza."

"Oh my god, stop."

The boys busted out laughing for a full 3 minutes, eventually with Harley falling out of his chair. Tony walked in to find his kids cackling at who knows what, and one on the floor, almost incapacitated by his laughter. He sighed before clearing his throat to gain their attention.

The boys sobered up and finally stopped laughing but they had unshed tears left from the fun.

"What on earth were you two dying of laughter over? Should I call a therapist? Do I need to be concerned? Did you eat something that you shouldn't have?"

Harley sniggered as Peter was trying to keep a straight face.

"He was eating pretzel M&Ms!" Peter said, holding back his laughter. "The type that should be illegal!"

"Peter, you don't diss Pretzel M&Ms, they're an underappreciated member of the M&Ms family. If you think pretzel M&Ms should be illegal, you clearly haven't tried the raspberry ones." Harley replied while doing his best to keep his face straight. "If anything, you should call a therapist for Peter and help him overcome his aversion to pineapple on pizza."

Tony looked even more lost than he was before.

"Ok, I don't know what I'm supposed to make of this. FRIDAY, show me footage of what the hell happened while I wasn't here."

"Sure thing boss."

Friday pulled up security footage of Harley and Peter's conversation. Tony watched it as the two teens were snickering behind him. After he understood the situation he turned to his kids and let out a tired sigh.

"Ok, I don't understand your sense of humor, but I came to tell you that we're having Italian for dinner."

Peter pumped his fist and Harley just shrugged.

"Italian is fine by me I guess."

"All right kiddos, be in the dining room by 7ish or else I'll cut the power to these labs. We eat as a family."

*Time skip*

It was 2 am, Monday morning and everything was silent except for the faint noise of shuffling towards the ceiling.

Clint Barton was crawling around in the vents, obviously on his way to do something he probably shouldn't be.

He had lost a bet with Nat earlier and the punishment was that he had to steal something for blackmail off of FRIDAY's databases.

He quietly dropped out of a vent shaft into an important looking office. He didn't bother checking who it belonged to but he was already too far gone to ask.

"Ok Nat, what do you want me to look for?" He whispered into his earpiece.

"Check the computer on the desk. The password is written on a sticky note in your pocket."

He checked his pocket and there was indeed a post it with a password on it.

"Ok, what am I supposed to find?" He asked once he logged in.

"Look for footage from the labs." She said. "Check labs CTS2 and IAI1."

"CTS2 and IAI1, gotcha." He reaffirmed.

He browsed around until he found the cameras he needed.

"Ok, found em. What dates should I look at?"

"Look at this past Friday," She answered, "around 4:45 to 6:15 pm. Tony drank from a can of motor oil instead of his coffee cup. I would like this footage in my posession. For my entertainment, and possibly blackmail to pull on him."

"All righty, ok, uhhhh." He muttered as he searched through that window of time.

He watched snippets of the footage and fast forwarded a few times until he glimpsed footage of Harley swiveling around in his chair as Peter looked exasperated. He paused and rewound to see what the situation was.

As Clint watched the whole argument play out and the aftermath, a shit eating grin began to spread across his face. He emailed himself the whole interaction for his own entertainment (blackmail, cough cough) and went back to searching for what he originally came for. He eventually found it, sent it to Natasha, logged out of the computer, and climbed into the open vent.

"You get it?" Nat asked suspiciously.

"Oh yeah, I got it." He said, trying to hold back the mischievous laughter that was threatening to let loose. He checked his phone to see whether he got the email he sent to himself. But to his surprise and sudden panic, it was not there. His social media, however, was blowing up with comments about the two kids and who they were and theories people were spouting.

"Oh shit."

"What did you do, Clinton?" Nat asked in a threateningly monotone voice.

Clint banged his head on the vent, forgetting that he still had his comms on.

"I may or may not have accidentally exposed Peter and Harley as Tony's kids."

Nat was silent for a moment before she finally responded.

"Tony's probably going to kill you for this, so you should pack your bags right now. Make funeral arrangements as well and update your will."

"Ah shit."

*Monday morning, 6:45 am*

Peter woke up to his phone ringing. He groaned and turned on his side to ignore the call. The phone rang again and he sighed before reluctantly sitting up and grabbing his phone.

What the hell, who's calling this early?

He looked at his notifications and saw multiple missed calls and texts from Ned and MJ. Something must have happened because Ned had typed in all caps, 'PETER EVERYONE KNOWS! CALL ME NOW!' MJ's text just said, 'I knew already. Don't try to hide it from me whenever you come to school.'

Instantly, Peter was wide awake. Did the whole world know he was Spiderman? But how did this happen, who would leak that information and how did they get it?

He called Ned and before he could even say, "What's up?" Ned butted in with a sentence he was not expecting.

"Peter, when were you going to tell me your dad was Tony Stark?! This is even bigger than Spiderman! As your Guy in the Chair, I think this knowledge might have been missing in our conversations."

Peter was at a loss for words as he stood up.

"It's all over social media and people are going apeshit over this!"

"Ned, you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet." Peter replied in a nervous tone as he began pacing back and forth in his room. "How do you know the source is credible? Remember what Ms. Hernandez said about credibility when giving information in an essays or whatever?"

"But Peter, Hawkeye was the one who posted it. You know, the Avenger who shoots arrows?"

Peter stopped pacing and froze midstep.

Uncle Clint was behind this? But why?

"You sure he wasn't hacked?" Peter asked as he feebly attempted to get out of this confrontation.

"No, it's security footage from a lab. Tony said in the video that you guys were a family."

Peter then realized that he couldn't worm his way out of this situation. The whole world knew he and Harley were brothers and the sons of Tony Stark. Of course this happened, why wouldn't it?

"I'm going to call you back, I need to talk to Clint." Peter said.

"Ok, just let me know if you and Harley are going to be ok or not." Ned replied.

"Bye Ned."

"Bye."

Peter hung up and took a deep breath before leaving his room to go find Clint.

He entered the kitchen and almost everyone was there except the one person he wanted to talk to.

"Hey, uh, where's uncle Clint?" Peter asked.

Uncle Steve looked up from his breakfast.

"He left last night. Family emergency."

"Uh huh, so correct me if I'm wrong but Clint left because dad was going to kill him, right?"

Suddenly everyone was avoiding eye contact with Peter. Yup, everyone knew what happened.

Just then, Tony walked in with a very irritated expression.

"I don't think you and Harley are going to be able to go to school today. Some kid from your school, Dash or something posted you go to school with him and know you both. So there are multiple news stations outside the tower and surrounding your school. Might be best to just stay home today."

"Is Uncle Clint still alive?" Harley asked as he walked in, yawning.

"He is alive," Tony responded "Not for much longer though."

"Dad, you can't just kill him." Peter protested. "It's not like he actually did anything that warrants his death."

"I don't think he meant to do it." Harley added. "He deleted it maybe 10 minutes after he posted it but other people recorded it on their own devices and re shared it. He probably realized what he had done and tried to delete it but of course, once it's out there, it's out there."

"Don't kill Uncle Clint, he's got a wife and kids. Besides, we need him on the team." Peter said.

"We don't need Clint," Tony said, waving his hand. "I already got a replacement set up."

Peter had not heard of this new team member that was apparently going to replace Clint.

"Who is it?" Harley asked curiously.

"Kate Bishop. She's already on her way here. Clint trained her to take over the mantle of Hawkeye anyway so it shouldn't be that big a deal." Tony shrugged. "She's a bit older than you two, 18 or 19, I can't remember at the moment."

"Ok, then, as long as she's trusted by you." Peter relented.

"Don't know what she might be like, but if Clint trained her, and they share similar personalities, whatever spirits above help us." Harley said solemnly.

Peter smacked Harley's arm.

"Hey!" He complained.

"She's not even here yet and you are badmouthing her already. Have some manners, dude."

"It doesn't matter at the moment right? You said it yourself, she's not here yet and I will 'have some manners' when she does."

All of a sudden, Peter heard a nearly imperceptible shuffling coming from above. He felt a shiver go down his spine and the instinct to get into a defensive position.

"He's right, you should have some manners young man." An unfamiliar voice boomed from above.

Harley looked around wildly in confusion.

"Who's there?! Are you a spirit from above???" He asked.

All of a sudden, a figure dropped out of the vent directly above Harley and tackled him to the ground.

"And that is Kate Bishop." Tony said, answering the question in everyone's mind.

Kate released Harley from her grip and she helped him up.

"Clint was right," She said, smiling. "Crawling through the vents to prank people is fun."

She looked up to the open vent and held out her arms, to everyone's confusion.

"Lucky, come on down!" She called.

To everyone's shock, a dog with one good eye poked his head out from the vent and jumped into Kate's arms.

"Oh crap, nobody has allergies to dog dander, right?" Kate asked, looking at everyone.

"Maybe? I'm not sure." Peter replied.

"Damn, I should have checked before bringing him, huh." Kate muttered.

Tony waved his hand at the dog.

"As long as he's potty trained, we should be fine." He said, trying to reassure her worries. "We're all fine with dogs."

Peter thought back to all the dogs he's pet on patrol. They always seemed happy to play with him and now there was a dog in the tower. Huzzah, he didn't get to only pet dogs on patrol now!

"Well, all's well that ends well, right?" Peter said.

"How about everyone gets acquainted with Kate?" Tony suggested. "It's not like you two are going to school today anyway."

Peter and Harley agreed and that day became a get to know the new team member day.

Peter texted Ned to let him know he was going to school the next day and invited him to the tower after school to meet someone. Oh the look on Ned's face when he found out would be priceless.

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#marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #peter parker #tony stark #harley keener #kate bishop #ned leeds #mj #michelle jones #clint barton #natasha romanoff #irondad #irondad fanfic #fanfiction #hawkeye #ironman #spiderman

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7wanderingpaws · 4 years

Text

Summer Rain ☔

Pairing: Baekhyun x reader

Genre: one shot, university AU, fluff

Word count: 2.1K

Warnings: none

A/N: This was soo unplanned!! But my mind is full of ideas recently! The moodboard is my first ever so apologies; it isn’t as aesthetically pleasing, but I still had fun :((( if you could let me know what you thought... I’d be glad! 😊

There was a laugh that resonated the space in the university park. It was a bright summer day, making you feel pleasant since the recent storms cleaned up the air and brought in cool breezes.

You were humming a song to yourself and an instant smile spread over your face when you heard that contagious smile. Not even looking up to know whom it was coming from, you continued drawing, his image vivid in front of your eyes even though you weren’t seeing any of him in that instant. Your left leg was folded under your backside while the other one was dangling from the bench, enjoying the freedom and the gentle breeze.

Another round of that same laughter came to you and this time you looked up, your gaze focusing on his face.

He was sitting opposite you, thankfully. You arrived to the place before him and his friends, and as much as you suppressed the gnawing thoughts, you felt like it was a beautiful fate that he sat across you so you could have a proper view while you were drawing exactly him. Right now, his eyes were almost invisible given how wide of a smile was plastered on his face before he chucked down a bottle of water he kept slurping from the entire time. He listened to what his friend had to say before starting to giggle again.

You sighed blissfully, slowly averting your gaze back to the little drawing you had going on. It had been weeks since you started working on this comic book, drawing all your desires down. Desires and images you had with him. As much as it could have been creepy, you liked to imagine him in different universes. If he wouldn’t be a university student, what would have become of him? Or he had been one but he liked to smoke and not smile too much, his reserved posture still a charming point. You imagined him in various clothing that wouldn’t be scandalous, but the lines you sketched with your pencil would be able to give the image a sensual feeling, your heart fluttering just at the thought of him dressing that way.

But the most common sketch you almost always ended up drawing unconsciously was him smiling down at you, holding sunflowers out for you to take. His long hair would fall into his warm eyes and the sun kissing his skin would turn it into gold. And just like that, it would end up with another sketch where you kiss him. Because that was the only way you were willing to have the story end. Kissing. Both of you smiling.

But you didn’t know him. You never talked to him. And his smiles were basically for free, given how he would smile at anyone who met his eyes even for a split second. A walking sunshine, indeed.

And just like that you were crying.

A drop fell onto your sketch, exactly on his smiling face as he was looking at you.

Except, it weren’t your tears for once.

“Guys, let’s go! It’s raining!” you heard his friends shout, grabbing all their belongings they had sprawled out on the table.

The crowded park suddenly moved. Everyone was rushing into the surrounding buldings as the rain intesified, while you took the time to collect all your sutff, trying to avoid the rain drops ruining all your artwork.

The weather not hinting it would suddenly let rain fall, you didn’t come prepared, umbrella dutifully stored in the corner of your apartment. Reaching for the last sketch, another hand, quite feminine, appeared in the line of your vision, grabbing it and handing it to you. Murmuring a thanks, you barely got to look up while you zipped up your backpack before you heard a voice.

“Come quickly, you don’t want to get drenched,” said... Baekhyun.

Snapping your widened eyes up at him, you froze, not understanding what was he doing in front of you, his jacket above his head as a shield as he motioned his hand at you to hurry you. Without waiting for your answer, he stepped next to you and widened his right arm so that you were under his jacket too, before he said: “Run!”

And well. When people tell you to run, you run. And so you did, the backpack now on your back. The rain was so heavy, puddles were already reflecting him and you when you stepped into them, splotching the dirty water to every direction. You giggled happily and you heard his breathy laugh, too. Daring to look up, you saw his profile that you so well studied for all those weeks, trying to get each and every curve, spot, scar of his face correctly. Even though you really were good at your craft, no one could give justice to his face, not even your steady, skilled hand.

“Which building?” he shouted over the rain, looking down at you, to catch you stare. He gave you a genuine smile as he slowed down a bit and only then you heard yourself panting.

“Art building,” you replied, not dropping the eye contact. He nodded before he turned to the left.

Thankfully for you, art building was further away from the university park. At least five-seven minutes of walking. You knew you had some little time with him for now.

“So an art student, huh?” he asked. “I saw your drawings. They are amazing.”

Your heart stopped beating for a split second. The drawings of him. Was he able to recognize himself?

You blushed, biting your lip as you stared on the pavement trying not to step into another huge puddle, although your white sneakers had been already drenched. “There are better people out there.”

“But you have a very distinct style,” he stated and when you looked at him again, his smile was even wider. “Like, really, really cool one. And, I don’t think I have met you before,” he added nonchalantly.

Smooth talker. But your heart was still beating hard and fast. “Eh, yeah, I am not the most known person on this campus.”

“Neither am I.”

You scoffed gently and he gave you a curious gaze. “If you say so. But,” you stopped for a second, quickly contemplating whether what you were about to say would ruin your conversation or not. “I defintely met you before. Well, saw you.”

You might as well admit your crush on him.

He was genuinely surprised at your words. “Really? I am so sorry, I usally don’t pay attention...”

“No,” you quickly said, shaking your head gently, “it is all fine. Anyway,” you said and told him your name, smiling at him brightly. At your name, his eyes sparkled and murmured: “I’m Baekhyun.”

“Nice to meet you.” Finally.

“The pleasure is all mine,” he said, sending you a playful wink.

You giggled again, looking ahead of you, just to spot the art building. Not very happy about it, you stole another glance at the male next to you and when he felt your gaze, he turned his head with a lopsided grin.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice light.

“What is your major?”

“Singing and performing.” He shook his head to get his long hair out of his eyes. “But I am also very intrested in music production and such.”

You knew it. You knew it all. His major - it could be easily figured out, and your crazy high school-like crush on him made you sniff out information quite easily. The latter information though, you overheard in the cafeteria when, yet during another fateful meeting, he sat opposite you at the table in front of you, and spoke with passion about creating music.

You still feigned surprise. “So art building is your main place for lectures, too! I am a bit offended you never paid me any attention,” you acted.

Baekhyun laughed but you felt it wasn’t completely honest. He was sorry. “Hey, no, no, I am just so ignorant towards my surroundings sometimes,” he spoke gently. “You have no idea how mad I am right now that I missed a chance to talk to someone like you.”

You almost stopped walking, redness and heat giving away your emotions to him. Was this a dream? “Well, we can always just do that. Start talking,” you smiled genuinely.

He hummed. “That we should do.”

Climbing up the stairs that led to the main entrance, you stopped once safely under the roof, turning to stare at the huge downpour. If Baekhyun wouldn’t be next to you right now, you would have closed your eyes and imagine him next to you. Just how lovely was it you didn’t have to imagine and dream?

“So,” he said sheepishly as he turned to you, his jacket drenched and leaving a small puddle on the concrete where he was standing. He observed your red cheeks and your curled up hair from the humidity and suddenly forgot the question he was planning to ask you. You blinked rapidly at him, which snapped him out of his reverie, because damn, that was cute. “Eh, would you like to show me your drawings? And then,” he hesitated, his hair falling into his eyes again. Your hand itched. “We could grab a coffee if... the game would be still on for you.”

If the game would be still on for you, he had said. Leaving those words up to your forever colourful imagination, you nodded, somehow not shy to show him the sketches of... him. The on-going comics would be considered too, but you would have to see.

Sitting in the common area, you took out your sketchbooks, some having donkey ears because you used them so much. A shiver ran down your spine when he sat close to you, his knee almost knocking into yours.

Catching the goosebumps on your forearm, he was quick to shrug off his shirt that he wore over his white t-shirt. Before you could protest, he stood up and put it gently on your shoulders from behind, making sure the skin was covered well. Smiling to yourself, you thanked him as he sat back down, an intense emotion in his eyes as he nodded in acknowledgement.

One deep breath, and you slowly opened up the sketchbooks. He was still watching you, though, the sharp light of the common room highlighting features a daylight wouldn’t do.

“This is,” you started and caught his gaze on you, but you didn’t let that discourage you. If anything, you were more than sure of this. “This is all my recent work that I take pride in. So be kind,” you added, raising your index finger to warn him.

Baekhyun chuckled at your antics when he caught your index finger and gently shook it, letting it go. “Okay, okay, calm down, tiger.”

Laughing, you tucked your hair behind your eyes, observing him observing your work. He was studying each piece with interest, humming in approval, dragging his fingers over the surface, over your signature. “The details are almost perfect,” he muttered and after a second he raised his eyes to meet yours.

“Yeah, almost,” you agreed, shrugging. “Nothing is perfect in this world, Baekhyun.”

He raised an eyebrow at you, and smirking, he reached a palm out to you. “A pencil, dream girl.”

Staying still and staring, it took you a moment to break his eye contact. His encouraging smile made you move finally, taking out your pencil case you doodled various versions of banana milk on, and placed your favourite pencil into his awaiting palm. “Here.”

Baekhyun didn’t wait, as he grabbed one of the sketches of him. “Almost perfect... Why almost, when it could be just perfect?” he murmured, leaning in close, the pencil’s sharp point hovering above the drawn lips. He moved it just above the right side, and placed a small dot.

Your mouth was hanging open by then when realisation hit you.

And all your racing thoughts were confirmed when he looked back up at you and leaned in close, pointing to a mole just above his lip. Just where he drew the dot on the lip on your sketch. “You missed the part with the biggest sexappeal, cutie.”

Still not giving in, you frowned. “No more dream girl?”

“I don’t think it would suit you anymore,” he said, tapping his chin. “Since you might change from a dream girl to...?”

“Baekhyun-”

“If I only knew you had a crush on me,” not letting you finish, he laughed softly, shaking his head as he let it hung for a moment before looking up at you. “You are gorgeous inside and out.” He paused and let his eyes wonder over your facial features. “Would you still want to grab a coffee with me? Is the game still on?” he muttered, his voice almost intimate.

“Yeah,” you breathed eagerly and you wanted to scream and shout from happiness. “Yes.”

He giggled and leaned in, still grinning, making you squeal from the proximity. “Baekhyun!”

He laughed. “Sorry! I wish I had the sunflowers that you drew... Thought I could at least smile at you like that. Just like you dreamt.”

You were red like a tomato, sweating and bothered. Was this really happening? Since when was he like this? And did this mean he liked you?

“And the kiss,” he teased. “Can be the next step.”

🎉🎊🎀

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#baekhyun fluff #baekhyun one shot #baekhyun scenario #baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun fanfic #baekhyun moodboard #baekhyun au #exo fanfiction #exo fluff #exo scenario #exo one shot #exo au #kpop au #kpop fanfiction #kpop one shot #kpop scenario #mywritings

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holy-hyuck · 3 years

Text

Hocus Pocus, Please Focus!

Trying to make a sleeping potion for your parents so you and your best friend can sneak out to a senior party is only ever good in theory; especially since Lee Felix really sucks at being a wizard.

Pairing: Wizard!Lee Felix x Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Genre: Comedy, Platonic relationship

Warnings: A dead rat?

happy halloween y’all!!!

“Is that a dead rat?” Felix questions just as you enter his parents’ office. He picks up the rodent by its tail, inspecting the bloody ball of fur, and you nearly gag as he dangles it in front of your face.

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s that bloody book of yours that called for it,” you tell him as he puts it back in the box you brought it to him in. “Why do we need it anyway?”

The freckled boy wipes his hands on a rag. “Because-” he picks up the small book, bound in scarlet-red leather, “-it’s in the recipe for a sleeping potion. For our parents. Well, more specifically mine, but you get the point.”

He drops the book back on the table and returns to mixing the liquid inside a small, store-bought cauldron. He said a pot would do but Felix’s just extra like that.

“Have you ever considered, I don’t know...asking them to let us go to this Halloween party?”

Felix shrieks in laughter as an answer, causing you to roll your eyes. “Yeah, and then I’ll ask them for a million dollars.”

“Don’t be silly.” You plop down on a chair. “They’re more likely to give you the money.”

Your eyes lock and you smile at each other. You roll on the office chair towards the table, grabbing the leather book and opening it. A faint smell of roses hits your nostrils, and you trace the pressed flowers with the pads of your fingers. They’re imprinted onto the pages and the covers, and you feel delighted every time Felix lets you even touch that book. He doesn’t trust you any more than he trusts himself, and he’s a shit wizard, so that’s saying enough.

Hearing a plop, you look up to the grimace on Felix’s face.

“The rat?”

“The rat indeed.” He takes the book out of your hands despite the frown it causes on your face. “Eighteen drops of coffee, locust twigs and weeping leaves, lemon juice, hydrochloric acid, and a dead rat.” He sighs. “Well, if they don’t fall asleep after this, they’ll probably drop dead.”

“And we’ll get to go to Brooke’s party! Yay!” you exclaim, urging your best friend to finish the sleeping potion. Only two more hours until the party starts, and you still needed to iron your outfit.

You watch Felix chant, eyes flicking back and forth between the bubbling liquid and the book in his trembling hand. A large bubble pops, creating a vile sound and smell, and despite Felix’s chanting, the bubbling stops.

“Great, it’ll fart them to death at this point.” You turn and grab a newspaper, sending it flying at your friend’s hand. You miss, and it falls into the cauldron.

“Look what you’ve done,” Felix cries and fishes it out but there’s only half of the paper there; the ridges are burnt off, black liquid dripping off of them. “On the contrary...”

“Hocus pocus, Felix, focus!”

Felix groans at your words as you shoot him a stupid grin, ushering him to continue. As much fun as you're having - and, let's be honest, it's not every day you get to witness Felix's failed attempts at magic - the clock is ticking, and the last time your friend's parents found him doing magic without supervision, his voice sounded like Mickey Mouse for a week straight. Yes, you do have evidence. And yes, you are planning on using it as blackmail.

"Okay, done," Felix alerts you after about five more minutes, closing the book and setting it down, then adding, "I think."

You sigh. "So much thinking from you today, Felix, I'm proud."

He smacks you on the head with the half-burnt newspaper as both of you gather around the table, inspecting the liquid swimming inside the cauldron. Felix takes a long wooden spoon - the one you used last night to stir mac and cheese - and moves the liquid around. It comes out thick in consistency, like syrup, except it's dark green and when you look at it in the artificial light, you see specks of glitter.

The boy brings it up to his lips and you look at him, incredulous.

"What if it works and you fall asleep?"

“What do you mean 'what if'? You really have that little faith in me?" The look you give Felix answers his question. "Besides, they need a bigger dose for it to work on them, don't worry."

He offers you some and you reluctantly lick some liquid off the spoon. It tastes tangy, like when you add too much salt to your tomato salad and the taste is so overwhelming it leaves you swimming and drowning in sodium. Well, at least it doesn't taste like a dead rat...not that you know what that tastes like.

"Okay, you get this ready and I will get myself ready. Expect me here in an hour. Don't screw things up." And with your words of encouragement, you leave Felix to do his thing.

The good thing about the large glass embedded into Felix’s front doors is that you can check yourself out whilst waiting for the boy to haul his ass downstairs, admiring the black-and-gold short robe reaching your mid-thighs, with a giant hood and some old, lace-up boots with the crispy remains of mud still atop.

The bad thing about the large glass embedded into Felix’s front doors is that when you lean forward to check you have nothing between your teeth and start using your fingers as a toothpick when you notice doughnut remains wedged between the two top incisors, is the exact time Felix decides to open the door to his house, leaving you looking like a freak of nature by choice.

“Gross,” he comments but locks the doors behind him promptly and changes the subject. “They’re out cold. These potions work for up to six hours but-”

“-with your magic?” you interrupt.

“-I wouldn’t count on it,” he finishes up, giving you a death glare.

Just before you enter your car, you clock the blue, black, and white tunic over the thinnest leggings you’ve ever seen draped over Felix’s body and you shiver at the thinness of the material. Isn’t he cold?

“Is that your actual hat?” you question after you start your car and make your way to Brooke’s summer house, and Felix adjusts the pointy hat on his head.

“Yep, and look at this-”

“I can’t look, I’m in a- Is that your ring? Your actual magic ring? Lix, your parents are gonna cut off your fingers and feed them to squirrels if they find out you’ve taken it outside without their supervision. I mean, you’ve already been doing magic without them knowing, and used a sleeping potion on them, and- and-”

You hear Felix snort.

“Relax. They’re sleeping, and we get to sneak out. That’s all that matters. Besides, I got you something too.”

Finally parking your car in front of a medium-sized house, you get out and rush to your friend’s side. “What’s that?”

“It’s a magic mirror. It’s connected to every mirror in my house, so we’ll see if my parents wake up, so then we can change our names and flee the country. I want you to keep hold of it.” He pushes the small mirror into your hand and you pocket it inside the rather humongous pockets of your robe.

You thought it’d be ironic if you dressed up as a witch because...well...you know. Felix is a wizard? No? But then Felix decided to do the same and you already know you’re never gonna hear the end of the comments from your classmates.

Well, here comes what you’ve been waiting for.

About an hour into the party you’re already tipsy but you expected nothing less going into this. Felix is nowhere to be found, although to be fair, it’s not like you bothered looking for him. He’s probably with Seungmin, Jisung and Hyunjin - his other friends from a book club he promises isn’t as nerdy as it sounds - and up to no good, as always. The last time you left them unsupervised because you couldn’t stand being around Jisung for any longer than necessary, Seungmin’s hair was neon green, and Hyunjin had a bald patch at the back of his head. It was fun being a witness of their stupidity instead of a victim for once.

You walk outside to enjoy the fresh air, into a grand garden decorated with white fairy lights. It’s so beautiful you actually let out a gasp as you admire the work put into it until the sight of the pool makes you sober up on the spot. The pool is small and at first, you think the water’s just unfiltered, giving it its green hue.

But then you feel it; the sticky substance beneath your feet as it makes the most obnoxious sound you’ve ever heard when you lift up your foot. The dark goo travels across the tiles and the grass only to end up in the pool, staining the water green.

It looks...stupidly like what you and your best friend have given your parents - and at that realisation, your eyes widen and you scurry back inside to find Felix.

“Lix, there you are,” you say after good ten minutes of searching, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

He turns to you with the smuggest grin plastered on his face as he hands you a drink.

“I’ve heard this new energy drink kicks ass. Try it.” He ushers you to take a sip and you do, alongside him. It does taste nice, almost like pink lemonade, and you find yourself drinking the whole cup before you know it.

“Where did you get it from?”

“Oh, someone gave it to me.” You slap his arms, causing him to yelp. “What on earth was that for?!”

“Felix! What idiot accepts drinks from a stranger?”

“The one that wants to have-” he stops himself, getting dangerously close to your face, so much you can clearly see his freckles, “-fun. Ever heard of that?”

You push him away with a shove to his stomach, eliciting a laugh. “Whenever you have fun, someone ends up paying the price, Felix.”

You look over to him and brush away some orange hairs from his cheek, only to find them stuck to his skin. You shrug it off.

“Oh, I remember now!”

Without another word, you drag him into the garden, and he spills a bit of his drink in the process.

“What am I looking at exactly?” he questions when you finally stop, motioning to the pool, which brandishes clear water much to your surprise.

"What the..."

You both jump up at the loud thud behind you and whip around to see a body dumped on the ground. You feel like throwing up, clutching Felix's hand, which is...hairy?

Looking down, you notice more of those ginger hairs growing on the back of his hand and you jerk your own hand away.

"How does that feel?"

You hear a female voice alongside a deep laugh and slow clapping. From the shadows of the trees surrounding the garden, Felix's parents emerge, and suddenly you feel yourself sinking into the ground, knowing it won't be long before you join your friend on the floor behind you.

"Mum!" Felix yelps. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

"Well you see, your dad and I were planning to have a movie night but it seems like we took a little nap. Must be something to do with that wretched slime you slipped in our drinks."

"There was a bit of a branch in there, have you noticed, love?" his father interjects, pulling out a familiar book from behind his back. "Eighteen drops of coffee, locust wings and weeping leaves, lemon juice, hydro-"

"W-wings?" Felix stutters out and you observe him for a second before the realisation seeps in.

"Fucking wings," you mutter under your breath so his parents don't hear.

"Yes, I do believe the spell calls for locust wings, but you always were bad at grammar son." His dad smiles. "So anyway, after we woke up, we saw the house number through that magic mirror I believe you gave your friend."

"Um, (y/n)." Felix traces his finger down your cheek with wide eyes, and you do the same, the feeling of roughness underneath your fingertips.

Taking out your phone, you look at the dark reflection on the screen and gasp in horror. The green and yellow scales reach all the way up to your eye, which begins turning a fiery orange colour. You blink your slit pupils and drop your phone in shock.

"I hope you enjoyed your drinks tonight, by the way. We added something special. You'll find out in the next hour anyway. Or, well, sort of."

The adults laugh, and you look to Felix's arm, now covered with thick orange fur.

"That should serve both of you a reminder not to perform magic unsupervised. Because you, Lee Felix, aren't very good at it." His mother comes up to him and pats his hairy cheek. "At least you'll make a cute weasel."

#skzwritersclub #stray kids scenarios #felix scenarios #lee felix scenarios #stray kids imagines #felix imagines #lee felix imagines #stray kids comedy #felix comedy #lee felix comedy #stray kids x reader #felix x reader #lee felix x reader

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rumpledgoldenweaver · 3 years

Text

The Gold Boys

Written for the @a-monthly-rumbelling November prompt “Like Father, Like Son” this is a Storybrooke based AU that has been rattling around in my head for a while. When Rumple stabs Peter Pan he doesn’t die instead he turns back into Malcolm and stays that way. Since Bae/Neal and Henry are in town too, Rumple finds himself with more family than he knows what to do with.

He wasn’t hiding. Not really. Anyone could walk through the door of the shop, the little bell jangling their arrival and find him leaning on the counter. There was a cloth spread out over the glass top, a small bottle of silver polish and a second cloth that he was using to buff up every single piece he could find. Mindless, repetitive work. His spinning wheel stood motionless, he couldn’t face that. Far too many memories of times far too long ago that he didn’t want to think about for now. No, he could retreat back into his Mr Gold persona. Pawnbroker, landlord and loan shark. Mr Gold didn’t need to concern himself with the return of errant fathers, long lost sons, new found grandsons and a girlfriend. Mr Gold didn’t need family and the complications that came with it.

And for as long as he could get away with pretending that suited Rumpelstiltskin just fine.

Neal Cassidy wasn’t hiding either. No Ma’am, he was seated at the counter of Granny’s Diner nursing a cup of coffee in full view of anyone passing by. He opened up the Angry Birds app on his phone, firing pissed off birds at smug looking pigs. You wouldn’t know to look at him that he was the son of the Dark One, father of the boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer (don’t forget the capital letters) and grandson of Peter Pan – Malcolm as he was now known. It sounded ordinary in comparison. But then so did Neal when you stood it next to Balefire.

A pixalated pig exploded when a cartoon piece of timber fell on it’s head, he smiled in satisfaction. Bae would have been fascinated by the game. But Bae wasn’t there. Neal Cassidy was and for now he too could pretend that his real personality didn’t exist.

Malcolm had no choice but to hide. After his disastrous defeat at the hands of his son, being unceremoniously turned back into an adult and finding that blaming his alter ego for everything wasn’t going to work, he’d holed up in a room at the inn called Granny’s – what kind of name for an establishment was that anyway? - and there he had stayed. There wasn’t a cursed or invented persona to provide him with knowledge as to how this land without magic worked. He lay on the bed and sighed. Most of the basics seemed the same, a bed was a bed, a table was a table, water was water. The bathroom had been a revelation. Instead of an iron tub in front of the fire, there was some fancy looking contraption called a shower – it reminded him of a waterfall and a thing called a toilet that he really didn’t trust. What was wrong with a good old fashioned hole in the ground or a nearby tree?

He did know he couldn’t avoid his son forever. Or his grandson. Or his great grandson. People he’d traded away in exchange for eternal youth. If he was very honest he’d admit that it hadn’t all been a barrel of laughs and that he was, very deep down, relieved to be himself again. Malcolm wasn’t given to honesty though.

Henry was beside himself with excitement. He had a father, a grandpa and a great grandpa! None of their stories were fully complete in his book and now a golden opportunity had presented itself for him to find out all the facts. He reckoned his mothers would be fine with him talking to his dad and his grandpa but Peter.. Malcolm.. not so much. Frowning he began tapping his pen on the notebook that lay open on his bed. This was an operation and as such it needed a name. There were so many names involved – Gold, Cassidy, Swan, Mills and whatever Malcolm’s surname was.. Pan? Henry crossed his mothers names off. He knew about them. Staring at the list one name stood out to him above all the others. He smiled.

Operation Gold Boys.

“Henry for the tenth time I am absolutely positive your Grandpa won’t mind you asking him questions. In fact I’m sure it’ll make his day. Talk to him really nicely and he might show you some of the old Dark One razzle dazzle”

Henry snorted a laugh as his dad made a weird looking gesture with his arms

“I’m a little out of practice” Bae pushed open the door to his father’s shop and ushered his own son inside “Hi Papa”

Rumple’s smile could have illuminated the entire town “Hello Bae! Hi Henry. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure”

“Henry has questions for you. About your life” Bae winced slightly as the same smile froze but carried on anyway “I said you’d be okay with it and that he should talk to Belle too since she knew you after I….left…”

That earned him an eye roll from Henry. Seriously grown ups. Little wonder everyone still clung to their old scores and rivalries. How could anyone move on when they couldn’t even have a simple conversation.

“What Dad means is…”

“It’s okay Henry, I know what he means and no I don’t mind you asking providing that depending on the question I might choose not to answer”

“Deal” grinned Henry pulling a notebook from his coat pocket and setting it down on the counter “Now then…”

Despite his misgivings Rumple answered all of his grandson’s questions, he particularly enjoyed reminiscing about his days back in village with Bae and making his son squirm by regaling tales of his youthful misdeeds. Henry listened in wonderment, his father’s childhood different to his own although he could sympathise completely with having a vilified practitioner of dark magic for a parent.

Some of the memories perhaps should have stayed put, however Henry listened without judgement. It seemed as if it all happened to someone else, Rumple merely the narrator, like reading from a book or interpreting a dream. All a long long time ago, in a place far far away.

Bae stayed quiet for the most part both amazed and amused at how his papa opened up to the young boy. The one he’d been convinced would be his downfall. There were stories that he had never heard before, like the real reason his father had needed a walking staff. It made his heart clench as well as his stomach to think the man had dropped an enormous mallet on his foot and then walked home, branded a coward so that he could be there for the son he’d never even met at that point. The same son he’d taken a dark curse to save from the same battlefields fighting the same enemy. The same son he’d torn realms apart to search for just so he could apologise and tell him he loved him. Me. He did all that for me. Maybe Belle was right. Maybe he wasn’t beyond hope. Bae levelled his gaze at the floor, casually wiping at his eyes.

After they’d gone Rumple retreated into the back room, he gave the spinning wheel a push, it turned a couple of circles before slowing to a stop. He sat down, picked up a bundle of straw and began threading it through the machine, losing himself in the spin of the wheel.

“I could never get that hang of that”

Rumple turned to see his father standing just inside the curtain that divided the back room from the shop.

“You didn’t have the patience”

“Couldn’t sit still for long enough”

“Indeed”

They lapsed into heavy silence that lasted maybe a couple of minutes but seemed more like hours.

It was Malcolm who spoke first

“So laddie, do you have anything decent to drink?”

Rumple paused for a whole minute before getting up from the wheel, going over to his desk, pulling a bottle of single cask whiskey and two glasses from the bottom drawer. Pouring two measures, his own slightly smaller, being tipsy around his father would not be a good idea.

“What do you want Papa?” there was a sarcastic tinge to the last word.

“To spend some time with my son”

Thankfully Rumple’s glass remained safely on the desk because if he’d been holding it he would have either smashed it into his fathers face or dropped on the floor.

“Ha! Well it took you bloody long enough but what’s almost three hundred years between family eh? Now that I’m not such a drain on your time and money you’ve decided to be one on mine is that it?”

“There’s no need for that laddie…”

“My name” Rumple spat “is not laddie. It’s Rumple Bloody Stiltskin, the longest, most ungodly name anyone has ever been saddled with” his eyes blazed making Malcolm take a couple of steps backwards.

“I was angry” he spluttered

“I was a child and you abandoned me”

“I left you with those spinster women. They looked after you. Kept you fed. You turned out alright besides you can’t talk about being abandoned. You did the same to Bae. Like father like son eh laddie”

Suddenly Malcolm felt the air rush from his lungs, his body propelled backwards by an unseen force, slamming into the wall. He tried to protest but forming words was impossible. He clawed at his throat desperately trying to find a breath.

“Don’t you dare” snarled Rumple advancing on the prone figure “Don’t you BLOODY DARE. I am nothing like you. NOTHING. I took the dagger to save my son from a war. You took your curse to avoid your responsibilities. Because you didn’t like being a grown up. BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T WANT ME!!”

“Papa that’s enough” Bae’s voice cut through the room but Rumple didn’t seem to hear him. He laid a hand on his father’s shoulder “I said that’s enough”

Malcolm dropped unceremoniously to floor. Rumple staggered backwards, Bae guided him to a chair “I’m sorry son. I lost my temper. I…”

“Shh. Papa it’s okay. It’s okay”

Malcolm groaned, trying to push himself up “A little help here eh”

Balefire and Rumple exchanged a look. The younger man went to assist his grandfather whilst Rumple tried to get his composure back. He knew he shouldn’t have lashed out, it’s probably the reaction his father was looking for. Always pushing to see how many lines could be crossed. He wiped his hand over his face “I apologise papa. I shouldn’t have done that”

Malcolm looked flustered, that wasn’t what he’d expected, his son was the Dark One and not known for showing remorse. He nodded “No harm done lad…son”

Bae smiled his approval.

“Stay still Papa and I’ll send you home” Rumple made to wave his hand.

“Wait! Can I come and see you tomorrow? I er I have know idea how this world works and I think I need new clothes. The only other person here dressed anything like me is that bloody pirate”

“I suppose we can’t have that now can we” Rumple almost smiled “We’ll organise you something more appropriate in the morning”

Malcolm was engulfed in a cloud of red smoke and disappeared. Bae was still smiling at him “I’m proud of you Pop”

Perhaps Rumple mused in his case it wasn’t like father like son but more a father trying to be more like his son.

Read it on my blog here https://earlyrisingwriting.home.blog/2020/12/02/the-gold-boys/

#a monthly rumbelling #november #gold family fic #papafire

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smolbeandrabbles · 4 years

Text

Stay Here Tonight - Gerry x Reader (Mississippi Grind)

100 Sentence Challenge Request @mandy23b @happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad (If it works this way I’ll keep it in mind for future! Sorry guys! Tumblr is a mess!)

Gerry + 6 - ‘I need a place to stay’ Not that I ever looked for an excuse to use this gif but @zsaszette78 gave me one 😁 Thank you for requesting! Author’s Note: Gerry has once again not survived being the subject matter of projection and ...well I guess self reflection? I don’t know what it is about him that makes it so easy? But it get’s you and me some good content! And here we are!

Goodnight n Go - Ariana Grande Disclaimer: Mississippi Grind and characters not mine / lyrics not mine / gif not

Premise: When Gerry comes to your town to catch up with Curtis, there’s nothing he would like more than to pay you a visit. When it becomes a little too late in the evening, you seize an opportunity...

Words: 1870

Warnings: Small swears

______ Tell me why you gotta look at me that way You know what it does to me So baby, what you tryna say? Oh, why'd you have to be so cute? It's impossible to ignore you, ah Why must you make me laugh so much? It's bad enough we get along so well Just say goodnight and go One of these days You'll miss your train and come stay with me (It's always say goodnight and go) We'll have drinks and talk about things And any excuse to stay awake with you And you'd sleep here, I'd sleep there But then the heating may be down again (At my convenience) We'd be good, we'd be great together I know how you want it, baby, just like this Know you're thinking' 'bout it, baby, just one kiss While you're lookin' at 'em, baby, read my lips I know what you want, but you can't have this

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It wasn’t very often that Gerry came to visit you. Not because he didn’t want to - rather, both of you were often busy. But, Curtis was back in town and Gerry had driven up here to catch up with his good friend. It’d been a little while since their jaunt across the Mississippi to win big, so they had a lot of catching up to do. Still Gerry had called you, before he even had it solidly booked with Curtis, joyful:

“Y/N!” “Gerry-!” You couldn’t help smiling, it was so good to hear his voice. You caught up on the phone often. And it wasn’t to say you hadn’t met up a few times. You both liked each other - that much was obvious. But it was distance. And he’d all but admitted that himself. So it’d never really gone anywhere - one day it’d work, you were sure. One day Gerry would admit to himself that it didn’t matter... heck you had a friend living in NYC in a long-distance relationship with someone in LA. It might have been a drive from him to you, but it was pretty much next door in comparison to that. “It’s good to hear from you!” You said like you didn’t end up in 4-hour conversations, staying up nearly all night when you really should know better, every time one of you called. The way he laughed every time you said it making your cheeks pink, “It’s great to hear your voice, Y/N…! Guess what? I’m coming to you! I don’t know when yet, I’ll keep you updated! But Curtis is in town so, I’m gonna head up to see him. It’d be awesome to see you again, too.” “Well when you have a firm date let me know - I’ll be free.” “You sure?! I mean, I don’t want you waiting around for me to figure this out with him...” “Gerry, honey, I’d clear my calendar for you, you know that.” He very nearly giggled, “Yeah... yeah I guess I do.”

So he did keep you updated as to when Curtis finalised the date, and then promised that as soon as he had finished there, he’d come see you. As you might expect, the two of them hung out nearly all day and well into the evening. You guessed they had way more to catch up on, considering they hadn’t seen each other since the trip ended - before you finally received a knock on the door. Which you opened probably a little more enthusiastically than you should have. “Hey!” “Hey! Y/N!!” Gerry lit up immediately and accepted your hug with a bashful little smile, “How you doing?” “Good-! Great! So much better!” That bashful look was now accompanied by a light blush in the knowledge that it was him that’d caused it. “That’s nice to hear...” He followed you back into your house and you offered him a drink “Coffee, is probably a good idea.” “He’s not had you out at casinos, has he?” Considering how well Gerry was doing, the last thing you wanted was for Curtis to drag him back. “Oh, no, no! Seeing the sights.” You scoffed at that, as if there were any around here. “Would you like something to eat, sweetie?” “Oh! No! You don’t need to, thank you! We did go to a restaurant.” You nodded, glad that Curtis was at least taking care of him. You would have found the guy and slapped him if he’d taken Gerry anywhere near a table.

You sat and held hands as you talked, like you were in love. Because you were - it was everything but a relationship. In reality you had barely spent enough time with him to say such a thing. But you’d talked SO often, and for so long that you knew him and he knew you. Maybe better than anyone else, he was so easy to talk to – you’d told Gerry things you’d never said to another soul. It didn’t seem like such a strange thing to say that you were in love...

You just wished something would happen that could allow him to see that it’d all work out.

It was funny how as soon as you thought that his eyes flicked to your clock. The conversation was long from over, but he gasped in shock. “Is that the time-!?” You glanced over your shoulder; very nearly midnight. “Oh! God I... I gotta get...” Gerry faltered and you turned back to him, “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you drive all the way back at midnight! It’s Saturday, you don’t need to work tomorrow, right? His eyes made their way back to yours and they were wide. “It’s so late!” Gerry covered his face for a moment, hand slipping from yours for the first time since he’d placed it there upon his realisation, “Oh shit! I have nowhere to stay!” His exhale was hard; “…I need a place to stay.” You sat in stunned silence for a minute - because if ever the chance to do something was staring you right in the face, it was now. And you realised you had to say something before he got the bright idea to check into a hotel and you missed it.

Taking his hands back in yours, you gave him your sweetest smile, “Gerry, it’s okay, you can stay here.” His eyes somehow got wider, and he spluttered through his reply; “Oh-! No, no! I wouldn’t want to trouble you-!” “You’ve seen the hotels around here right? I wouldn’t trust ‘em. And I’d be worried.” You gave him your best pleading look. Gerry blushed again, but his smile was adorable as he warmed a little to the idea. “Well, I wouldn’t want that.” “Mhm... I mean it would be the couch, as a sofa bed but it’s better than-” “Y/N...” He pulled your hand and kissed your knuckles delicately enough to have you blushing along with him, “it’s okay. I’ll be fine - I can survive on a couch for a night!”

*** You didn’t sleep. Heck, you couldn’t sleep. You’d just about manage to stop thinking for long enough to forget that you weren’t meant to be thinking on the fact that Gerry was asleep on your couch, and then your heart started beating on overdrive again. It was so unreal to you that this was actually happening. Even though he was downstairs and you were here, all you could think about was running down there and wrapping him in your arms. What it might feel like to have his around you. Well – you knew what that felt like, he’d hugged you before. In this context, though? You let your mind run away with you, and suddenly it was going from getting kisses and cuddles, to what would it be like for him to lie beside you and hold you every night, to thoughts not so innocent at all – which you almost slapped yourself for, before the inevitable dressing in white scenario popped into your head. The dream indeed. You just about managed to halt yourself firmly there. Hell, you weren’t in a relationship yet, you couldn’t start thinking about walking down an aisle to him. Your eyebrows furrowed at your own thoughts for a moment – and you realised that you felt incredibly guilty for him, for these thoughts running around your head. Maybe you wanted him too much. That’d cause problems of its own. You took a deep breath to calm yourself, attempting to close your eyes again, no – best to bury all that. If you wanted it to become a reality, you couldn’t think on it, or risk forcing it to happen too fast. ** You must have got a little bit of sleep because the next thing you knew it was light outside. Although your alarm clock alerted you to the fact that it was still the small hours of the morning. You stayed in bed, unable to get yourself to drift off again you didn’t want to rise and wake him already. Eventually you found tossing and turning up here was no good – and it would be more practical for you to just start your day. And the day didn’t start much better than with your favourite hot drink. You tried to keep quiet and to yourself in the kitchen until you heard him shuffling around, turning instinctively at the sound of his yawn and groan through his stretch. You couldn’t help but smile, turning your coffee maker on; you knew how to make his favourite by now. You knocked on the living room door before you entered to see him curled up on the sofa rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Morning.” You’d never heard his morning voice, and right now it was giving you the good kind of shivers. “Good morning, I’ve put coffee on…” You smiled sweetly, “Did you sleep well?” “Yeah! Comfiest couch I think I’ve ever slept on!” You both laughed, before Gerry returned your question, “Did you sleep well?” “Uh, I’ve had better evenings but – I’ll be fine. I’m just glad you’re okay. You’ve got a long drive home…” You paused, unsure of what to say next – a little unusual considering the relationship you shared. Before you giggled nervously, feeling yourself blush, “Right-! Coffee-!” You skipped back into your kitchen and he called after you; “Y/N!” “Mhm??” “I could always drive back a little later if you wanted to do anything today?” You bit your lips together and resisted punching the air in celebration; “Y-Yeah! That’d be nice!” You collected Gerry’s cup and walked back to him, holding it out. “That should make the morning better!” “Oh I dunno, you’re here aren’t ya?” You only laughed again, clasping your hands in front of yourself to watch him; once again you found yourself unable to think of anything to say. You had probably done this to yourself by overthinking last night. Just another reason you shouldn’t have. Gerry took a too hot gulp of coffee that he didn’t mind and set his cup down, hand outstretched to you. “What?” “C’mere.” “Gerry?” “I can’t watch you stand around staring at me, c’mere!” You were a little unsure as you took his hand, but he pulled you down into the comforter with him and wound his arms around you, nuzzling your face for a moment. “There, better, right?” You knew you were bright red – but beaming. And looking into his eyes you had to admit he was right, “Much.” “That’s what I thought.” Gerry smiled himself, pressing a kiss gently to your forehead, “Now, about today…” So you sat cuddled up on your couch with coffee and discussed what you were going to do for the rest of the day. It felt good to be in his arms; comfortable to be the way you were right now. Maybe this was how you were meant to be together – how things were supposed to be between you right now. You found yourself suddenly smiling – if that were true, then you had to enjoy this while you had it. Dreaming was for later; reality was good right now. All that mattered, all you knew, was that you couldn’t lose this.

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4/16 down! Thank you so much for reading! 💙

#Stay Here Tonight is the song I was going to originally use but.... decided not to.#Then decided to keep the title!#Gerry #Mississippi Grind #Gerry x Reader #Ben Mendelsohn #154 #Why does he handle projection so well?#Like I... I don't get it either-!#I guess I just went /I started so I'll finish/#/Start as you meant to go on!!/#Linzi Writes #Linzi Writes Requests

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paodequeijofeliz-blog · 4 years

Text

Let me tell you a good story

Bloodbound Fanfiction (characters and main story belongs to Pixelberry Studios).

Pairing: Kamilah Sayeed and MC (Annie)

Information: this takes place after Bloodbound 3, here I’m recreating how Kamilah and MC would meet if she had never gone to Raines Corporation right away.

Summary: Thirty years after meeting Annie for the first time, Kamilah is now a wife and a mother. During a regular family dinner, she decides to tell her daughter and their new son-in-law the story of how she fell in love with Annie after an unusual meeting through the hallways of NYU.

Warnings: none.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 7 (Finale)

Let me tell you a good story - Part 6

March 2nd, 2048

“So… When and how did you find out, exactly?” Drake cupped his own chin, intrigued. “I mean, you DO know that the woman beside you is Kamilah Sayeed, Ms. K. Sayeed of Ahmanet Financial, right?”

Anna’s snorted a laugh. “Yes, I actually DO know I married Ms. Kamilah Sayeed, although she isn’t a “Ms” anymore.”

“Jump to the part you realized it. It was a painful and funny scene to watch, all at once. And it wasn’t long after you two started making out, right?” Adrian’s hands are always resting in his pockets when he feels safe and relaxed. Especially around family. Right now, they had been there ever since he entered the house. There was no safer place to be.

“Four days after that. September 16th.” Kamilah gave a soft smile. She was damn good remembering dates. “Because on September 15th, I asked her to follow me to the Penthouse after work and share a drink. We had made great advancement on the research…”

“…and on other things…” Anna cofed.

“…that too…” The vampire relaxed back against the chair. “I think it’s your turn to talk. We’re all excited to hear this part from you, darling. Tell them how you found out the truth.”

The historian sighed.

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September 15th, 2018

That place was nothing remotely close to what Annie had pictured in her head. She knew Kamilah was rich, of course, the woman wore only Armani and Louis Vitton for days, but not that rich. It was so big, she was afraid to wonder off and get lost in there. They would need to call the firefighters to find her back. Maybe even set up some search teams, hire a few detectives…

“My goodness, you’re so dramatic. Stop stalling already.”

“You hush, wife. You had your time telling, now it’s mine.”

It was indeed a huge apartment. But it had nothing that could lead Anna into finding Kamilah’s last name. Not a document, a picture, a tag, anything. It was mostly fancy and elegant furniture carefully selected to match a refined set of Egyptian displayed objects. Everything there seemed to cost thirty times the historian’s pay check, so she kept her arms pretty tight to her body while walking slowly at a safe distance from anything that could be bumped into.

“Are you feeling well?” Kamilah arched an eyebrow from the beverage side cart where she was choosing a drink.

“Yes. I’m perfect.” Anna turned to walk in her direction but stopped after a few steps. There were too many fancy glasses and bottles on that cart.

“What do you usually drink?”

Her eyes scanned it from the distance. “Hm… Rum.”

Kamilah lifted her gaze, impressed. Since Anna’s face looked confident, she didn’t argue, putting a generous dose on a short glass. “With…?”

“Ice and peppermint.”

“Who would’ve thought…” the Egyptian handed her the drink, choosing for herself a highly alcoholic liquor with scents of cocoa and cinnamon.

“What?” Anna smiled, turning the glass and drinking half of it like it was some tasty light tea. “Were you expecting me to ask for something else? Something lighter or sweeter?”

“Maybe. Although, you are a woman of good tastes for coffee. I should’ve expected you to own good tastes for alcohol either.”

“Why, thank you. I also have a good taste for women.”

Kamilah gave her a malicious smile, leaning in enough to brush the lips on Anna’s. The kiss she placed there was a light one, just enough to speed her heartbeat. After a couple seconds, the Egyptian gently took Annie’s hand and guided her to the balcony, so they could talk beneath the moonlight. Ever since the first kiss at the office, it had been impossible to keep their hands off each other. In the past few days, the historian was always finding an excuse to go see Kamilah unexpectedly. She had the permission to do so even before the kiss, and now it was using it on her advantage, showing up in different hours so the Egyptian would be caught off guarded. That morning, it was Kamilah who flipped the game.

“Was I a good visitor today?” the CEO took their glasses once they were finished, leaving it on an iron table.

Anna narrowed her eyes. “Yes. You could’ve announced your presence before pinning me on the wall, though. I almost had a heart attack.”

Kamilah laughed, hugging her from behind and pressing Annie’s body against the balcony. They could see the entire city from there, but all the Egyptian’s eyes wanted was to admire the smooth curve of the neck where she started to kiss. “I like to keep you on the edge. You’ve been way naughty for my taste… I think I allowed you too much freedom around me.”

“Is that so? Do you prefer me to give you space?”

Kamilah’s grip around her waist tightened harshly, nails sinking. “No.” She turned the girl in a fast movement. Those brown eyes were glowing dangerously. “I do not wish any space to be put between us. What I want is for you to be a good girl and stop teasing me around.”

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“Now I have to skip a few parts…” Annie smiled at them, biting her knuckles to muffle a spicy laugh. “For my daughter’s sake.”

“Thank God.” Lysia agreed.

“My sake too, ma’am. No offense intended.” Drake lifted his hands, blushed.

“Non taken… So… Hm… In the next morning…” Anna’s voice was starting to get slower, loosing track while her accent seemed to strengthen.

Kamilah is a smart woman. And knows her wife too damn well. The vampire’s gaze was lingering at the ceiling, but her ears and perceptions were capturing every single movement Annie made while telling the story. The historian was already showing her regular signs of being too sleepy. Kamilah fought the idea of interrupting and taking her wife to bed. But then, her attention caught the adorable giggle Anna made while describing how beautiful Kamilah looked that morning years ago. She just couldn’t stop her wife’s fun. Ten more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

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September 16th, 2018

“Good morning.” Kamilah woke her by gently stroking the woman’s hair, trying to uncover her sleepy face. She found out two dozy big black eyes opening to meet hers. “It’s almost ten, already. Did I tire you this much?”

Annie denied it with a scoff, but her silly opened smile was there to unmask the truth. For a while, they just stayed there, breathing comfortably with their bodies still kind of tangled on each other. Kamilah kept caressing that wavy long hair, her face resting on the top of the historian’s head. She could smell vanilla on it, a sweet scent one day the Egyptian would know so well, it became part of her home. Mixed with it, there was Opium, Kamilah’s favourite parfum. Knowing she had touched Anna so much to the point of their scents getting mixed made the CEO smile. The idea of being all over the professor’s skin was too appealing.

“I need coffee.” Annie finally said something, although her voice sounded half asleep. Slowly, she turned to kiss Kamilah between her breasts, tracing a path that finished under her earlobe. “Let me make you some. Ok?”

The Egyptian loved the sweet way Anna would always ask “Ok?” after anything and everything, even though the answer for that question had only been “yes” so far. – “Of course. I’ll take a shower and meet you in the kitchen.”

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Annie hesitated, a pan with boiling water on her hands. “Kamilah? Someone’s at your door…”.

No answer. Still uncertain, the girl went to look through the peephole, but there wasn’t anyone there. She slowly opened a crack to find two silver boxes wrapped with satin ribbon bows and a small note with “Ms. Sayeed” written on it.

“What are you doing?” Kamilah’s hand took the hot pan in a flash. “Don’t walk around with boiling water in your hands, you could’ve gotten in an accident.” Which was an extremely probable outcome, since she saw the historian dropping too many books and pens while working, besides constantly tripping on her own toes.

“Uh, sorry, I forgot I had it… The doorbell rang…” Anna’s eyes scanned the carpet, afraid she might have dripped the water somehow, but there was no stain.

“Bring it in, it’s our outfits.” With that, Kamilah head back to the kitchen to finish the coffee. It took a moment for Annie to follow her, as the woman was walking with extreme caution, like the boxes were made of crystal. “Relax, darling. Nothing in there is breakable. Leave it on the bed, please.”

“Why is there a note with Ms. Sayeed’s name? She gave you this?” her voice came from the distance, while Anna was taking the boxes to the bedroom.

Kamilah bitted her lower lip, pondering about telling or not the truth already. “Yes”, she finally said, deciding to let Anna find it out on her own, “It’s for tonight’s gala. She desires us to look elegant.”

“Hmmmm I love the smell of a fresh batch of morning coffee.” The historian was right back, jumping happily to sit at the table. The smell of coffee was killing her. “Why did she send both here? Wouldn’t it be easier to just mail Adrian’s to his house?”

For a moment, the Egyptian leaned her head, confused. “Oh” - she finally realized it, stopping on her tracks with the pot still on her hands. Kamilah cleaned her throat, suddenly uncomfortable. “Anna. The second box it’s not Adrian’s. I was, in fact, hoping you would accompany me to the gala tonight. Therefore, we received two dresses. In case you do decide to accept my invitation.”

She smiled. An adorable, sweet and still kind of sleepy smile. “Are you asking me to be your date tonight?”

Kamilah didn’t blush but dropped her gaze to focus on putting them coffee. “I’m terribly sorry for giving you such short notice. I’ll understand if you can’t make it.”

“I can. I want to.” She whispered, leaning in to steal a quick kiss from the Egyptian. Those brown eyes widened a little, a hint of surprise quickly supressed.

“Good. Then I hope you like the dress that… Ms. Sayeed… Chose.”

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“Come on!!!” Drake couldn’t take it any longer. “That’s not possible!”

“We’re getting there, I promise!” Anna covered her face. “It was at the gala. Or course it had to be in front of everybody.”

“You’ll love this part.” said the human girl, gently squeezing her fiancé’s hand.

“It was a very, hm… Interesting… Revelation.” Adrian confirmed with a wink. “Go on, Annie. Rip the band-aid off. It’s time.”

#kamilah x mc #kamilah sayeed #choices kamilah #bb kamilah #choices: bb #choices: stories you play #now the next part is the last one because I can't make Annie suffer anymore #and I'll post it today already? yeah probably

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eyes-of-simha · 3 years

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my love is like a dream

Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)

Pairing: Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji

Word Count: 1500

Summary: Lan Wangji comes home, not even aware that it's his birthday. Wei Ying on the other hand is fully aware of it.

Beta Reader: @spots-of-gold

Read On AO3

The cloudy sky was a good reflection of how Lan Wangji felt. He was exhausted. His day at work had been longer than usual and now he couldn’t seem to get rid of the pounding in his head. Even though it wasn’t that long the quiet ride home in his car was a bliss. He knew that he shouldn’t work that much overtime but if it meant that other people would get to go home earlier to their families, it was worth it.

But there was also someone waiting for him at home.

The thought of Wei Ying made Wangji smile and the pounding in his head seemed to slow down. Wei Ying always had this effect on him. He calmed him down and grounded him. When Wei Ying was present, Wangji instantly felt relaxed and comfortable. Time and time again, he was surprised how well Wei Ying could ease his anxiety and make him feel safe.

Lost in thought about his boyfriend Wangji didn’t even realise he had already arrived home. As he made his way through the cold evening from the car to the door of their apartment building he thought he could maybe drink a cup of tea with Wei Ying before going to sleep. Of course that would only be possible if Wei Ying wasn’t sleeping already.

Wangji shook his head. When has Wei Ying ever gone to bed this early?

That suspicion was confirmed as soon as Wangji reached the door of their apartment. He could still hear noises from the other side of the door. He was excited to see Wei Ying. Although he saw him everyday, there was still a slight flutter in his stomach as he unlocked the door.

But what he saw then was indeed unexpected.

The room was mostly dark. The only light came from the coffee table in the living room. On it were a bunch of lit candles that glowed like stars through the black of the room. In between the candles lay a plate of muffins as well as a couple of packages wrapped in colorful paper. Gifts, Wangji realised.

It was his birthday.

How did he forget that? He usually had his calendar very well memorised. But mostly concerning his appointments and meetings, not really birthdays. Although he was certain he would never forget Wei Ying’s birthday.

Speaking of Wei Ying, he sat on the couch looking up at Wangji and even though the light was dim, Wangji could see the bright smile on his face. It glowed even brighter than the candles.

Once he got through the stage of surprise and shock, Wangji realised what was happening and a warm feeling like he had already drunk his tea began to spread through his body.

Wei Ying bounced off the couch and a took a few steps towards Wangji, still smiling.

“Happy birthday, Lan Zhan!“, he said and and threw his arms around Wangji.

He buried his face in the crook of Wangji’s neck and his warm breath caused Wangji to get goose bumps. Ignoring the feeling of his ears blushing vigorously, Wangji closed his arms around Wei Ying. He was wearing an oversized hoodie and had his hair in a messy bun so it felt like hugging a big stuffed animal.

They broke apart but Wei Ying still had his arms on Wangji’s shoulders.

“Well?“ Wei Ying said in an expectant voice. Wangji wasn’t really sure what to say to that so he remained silent.

“Are you surprised?“ Wei Ying added.

“Yes.“ Wangji tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible. Wei Ying raised a brow.

“Did you forget?“

Wangji didn’t say anything but it seemed to be enough.

“Oh my god, Lan Zhan! You forgot your own birthday! How could you just forget? I always spend weeks looking forward to mine. Now I’m even more glad I planned this. It really is a big surprise now, isn’t it? Oh god, next year I promise you I will plan the biggest birthday party just so you never forget again. Stop smiling! Do you know how long I’ve been looking forward to this-“

Wangji cut Wei Ying off by pressing their lips together. He could not express how much he loved this man in any human language. Wei Ying giggled and deepened the kiss.

After a few minutes of blissfull kissing Wei Ying suddenly pulled back. “We have to stop. You have to unpack your gifts!“ Wangji didn’t want to stop so he leaned in again but was stopped by Wei Ying putting a finger on his lips half way. “Nope. I will not let myself get distracted by you. You have to open your gifts.“ Wangji gently kissed the tip of Wei Ying’s finger and Wei Ying groaned. “To be continued,“ he said with a suggestive look on his face before turning towards the couch and pulling Wangji with him.

They sat down and Wei Ying turned the lights on so they could actually see the gifts.

“Look what I made!“ Wei Ying exclaimed and pushed the plate of muffins in Wangji’s direction.

“You baked?“ Wangji raised an eyebrow.

“I did,“ Wei Ying stated proudly. “Well, Jiejie helped. But it was my idea! And they’re vegan.“

Wangji smiled at Wei Ying’s demeanor. He looked like a proud toddler presenting something they made to their parent. “They look very delicious,“ Wangji said as he picked up one of the gifts to start unwrapping.

The first gift was a book of poetry by one of Wangji’s favorite authors. Wei Ying complained about the poet having written “just way too many“ books and him not knowing which one to get.

He ended up choosing this one because he liked the cover art. It was a watercoloring of a cherry blossom tree on a mountain. Wangji smiled to himself as he had actually been planning to read this one next.

The second gift was a bunny plushie. It was pearl white and stared at Wangji with big eyes. Wangji stared back.

Wei Ying started petting the stuffed bunny. “I know we were talking about getting bunnies because you had them when you were a kid and you really like them and I know that we can’t right now because of our jobs but I thought this little guy could stand in for them until we get real bunnies. Do you like him?“

Wangji answered Wei Ying by kissing him on the cheek. Wei Ying turned pink and quickly handed him the next present.

It was a box with different kinds of teas. Green, black, fruity, herbal, sweet, and some that Wangji had never heard of before. “We can try some tomorrow if you want,“ Wei Ying suggested. “Mmh,“ Wangji nodded.

He was quite proud of turning Wei Ying into more of a tea drinker. He still drank a lot of coffee. More than Wangji thought was good for him but at least he wasn’t at the three-cups-just-to-wake-up-stage anymore.

Wei Ying handed him the last gift. Wangji hesitated but before he could even say something, Wei Ying already protested, “Don’t even say that it’s too much. It’s your birthday. It’s your day and I want to do something nice. And I didn’t have to pay for this one, so…“ and he put the gift in Wangji’s lap. Wangji sighed and unwrapped it.

It was a framed drawing. Wangji immediately recognised that it was Wei Ying’s work.

The drawing itself was of Lan Wangji. He was sitting with his legs stretched out but slighty bent. He leaned back on his arms for support. He was naked except for a thin silk cloth which was elegantly laid over his crotch. His head was thrown back, his eyes were closed and his mouth slightly open as if in deep satisfaction. Strands of black hair fell into his face and a flower was tucked behind his ear. It looked a bit like a lotus.

At the bottom of the drawing were a few finely written chinese characters. They spelled out two lines out of one of Wangji’s favorite poems. They translated to:

‘my love is like a flower my love is like a dream‘

Underneath, Wei Ying’s signature was scribbled.

Wangji looked at the drawing for a couple of seconds. It almost felt like he was holding his breath. Then he touched the glass of the frame and started to gently follow the lines of the drawing with his hands. He hovered over the arms, the legs, the chest and the face of his drawn self. Lastly, he caressed the delicate lines of the words at the bottom.

„My love is like a flower,“ he breathed, barely more than a whisper. „My love is like a dream.“

He looked up and found Wei Ying’s eyes softly looking at him. Wangji moved his hand to meet Wei Ying’s and intertwined their fingers. Wei Ying scooted closer to him until there was barely any space between them anymore.

„Happy birthday,“ Wei Ying whispered.

„Thank you.“

#own post #own fanfic #the untamed #the untamed fic #the untamed fanfiction #chen qing ling #cql #cql fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #mdzs fanfiction #wangxian #fluff #one shot #happy birthday lan wangji!

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seoulnotes · 4 years

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Luce in altis | viii. Hemera, Kingdom of Light

S Y N O P S I S | Passed down from centuries worth of history, the remnants of a hatred between two kings reside in a small village that serves as a border between their two feuding kingdoms. y/n lives in that village and must seek aid from one of the kings. Her trust is tested when she learns of the king that is truly wicked.

C H A R A C T E R S | Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin, reader (y/n) ; (mentions of other members)

G E N R E | fantasy, romance, drama — royalty au ; PG-15

W A R N I N G S (chapter specific) | none

W O R D C O U N T | 4.3k

All parts here

⇠ prev. (vii) | next (ix) ⇢

The trip to Hemera was as Taehyung described it in his greetings to Jimin when he had arrived in Erebus. Taehyung had allowed me to leave in one of his carriages and drawn by his horses and men. Trailing behind my carriage was a wagon with two chests containing clothes and such. I suppose I should be thankful Taehyung sent me off with such, regardless of him not being present.

They would return when we arrived at his kingdom and make their way back to Erebus.

We made one last stop at the town right before leaving the kingdom, staying the night at a tavern with an owner who was not so happy with the arrival of the entire court of their enemy kingdom. Right after the night, the procession would enter the forest.

We didn’t stop once through the entire forest on the outside of Erebus and I understood why. Creatures of unspeakable origins and hunger prowled the forest and from one look outside of the window of the carriage, I saw that soldiers were ordered to walk right beside each carriage including mine.

A soldier noticed me peering from the window and rode close, bending his head down slightly. “My lady, we are passing through the forest outside of Erebus. His Majesty had ordered me to stay by your side for this trip.”

I did my best to muster a gentle smile in return. “Thank you.”

The trip through the forest took an entire day and a half, much faster on horseback than the trip I had taken on foot. Once we made it clear through the forest, the procession would set camp for the night where soldiers were to build tents for different members from the court.

The soldier who was supposed to guard me for the entirety of the trip helped to set up my tent. Different animal hides were placed on the outside and a rug was placed on the floor of the inside. I realized that my tent was near Jimin’s tent, perhaps it was his order to do so.

When I glanced over to his tent being built, I noticed that he was a part of the building process with the rest of his guard. They tried their hardest to refuse his help, but he still tossed his outer jacket to the side, leaving him in a tunic and him rolling up his sleeves.

The gesture made the corners of my mouth turn and I turned away to hide my looking.

I thought rumors were just by word of mouth and over many mouths passed, it would not be considered the truth it once was but rather a twisted form having gone through wear and tear. However, seeing Jimin attempt to give help to his guards to build his quarters for a single night had proven the rumor of the kingdom of light’s ruler to be just as kind as they say and host a heart of gold.

I wanted to trust him, but Taehyung’s warning still rang in my ears. I decided to wait longer.

For the night, I dined with Jimin and a few members of his court. Jimin was welcoming as he always was, but his court’s stare reminded me that I was the outsider, the fiance of the kingdom they didn’t have a favor for.

I was not unwelcomed outright, but they made it clear that they didn’t enjoy dining with me at their table.

—

It took a week to arrive at Hemera and when we had finally made it through the front gates, it was nightfall. I kept my gaze out of the window and the grand palace was in my sight. Although it was dark, the palace was breathtaking. Rather than the dark looming feeling emitted from Erebus’s palace, this palace had felt every bit of inviting.

Despite the darkness of the night, the light of candles allowed the exterior of seemingly white stone to reflect its light. Like vines of flowers were intentionally overgrown to make the stone less empty with life, they crept up the sides of the palace.

“Your highness, we are here and are to meet His Majesty at the front of the palace,” the soldier spoke.

The carriage came to a stop and the soldier helped me step off of it.

“Since it is nightfall, I will have to postpone showing you around my kingdom until tomorrow,” Jimin said when I had made it to the entrance of the palace. “I will have to be your personal tour guide while you are here,” he smiled and bowed as a joke.

“Your Majesty!” I was shocked that he had bowed even as a joke. A king should never do that. “I am fine just being at this palace; it is beautiful enough for my humble self to be in the presence of.”

Phrasing was everything I had learned through my weeks at Erebus. The politeness in my tone was always there when I spoke.

“I will have a palace staff show you to your room and see you in the morning.” With one last smile on his profile, he had begun up the grand stairs towards what I assumed to be his quarters.

—

Servants were at my door the next morning when the sun was passed its rising point. It must have been around nine in the morning.

It was a new feeling waking up in the morning to birds chirping rather than silence and I was given the opportunity to sit by the large window and peer down at the city in the distance beyond the courtyard.

“Your highness, we’ve been instructed by His Majesty to be your personal staff whilst you’re here. My name is Isobel,” a quite short girl bowed lowly and the two staff behind her bowed as well.

Regardless of being served on, I was never going to adjust from being a simple girl from the village to being someone served on. Thus, I made the gesture to return the bow in kindness.

“Needn’t bow to us,” Isobel smiled. “We will help you prepare in the morning,” her tone was suggesting, to let me know.

I took notice of their clothing, rather than the dark tones of fabric worn in Erebus, they adorned a simple dress beneath an apron. Each wearing their preferred pattern or simple tone of color, but much lighter. One of them even wore a dress of simple flowers made from light pastels, distressed over time.

“Thank you.” I returned a smile not sure if I was able to refuse their help.

“We can help you into one of your gowns from your chest if possible as there are not many gowns in this palace. His Majesty has sent for a royal seamstress who will arrive tomorrow afternoon. For now, His Majesty would like to know if you’d join him for breakfast.”

“I’d be delighted to.”

I joined the servants in tearing through the wardrobe Taehyung had sent me with and choosing pieces to hang in the closet. I realized quickly that the fashion of this kingdom was nearly the opposite of Erebus with a style closer to the one from my village which followed more modesty.

Unfortunately, the clothing I brought were mostly dark tones. I managed to find a burgundy dress with white flowers beneath a layer of tulle and hoped it was enough to get me through until the seamstress came to rescue me. With dark dresses, I was most likely to stick out like a sore thumb.

The dress was simple, no plunging neckline or back, rather a scooped neckline that revealed my collar bone with a flowing skirt passed my knees. The sleeve went to my elbow which I was not happy to see the crescent moon right below it. If only the sleeve had been a bit longer.

Isobel helped to pin a strand of hair back, leaving the rest of my hair to flow freely.

Some of the court joined for breakfast and I was glad that I was not the only one who might have dressed up too much for the occasion. The long table was set with different pitches of juices, coffee, teas, and an assortment of breakfast baked goods.

To be completely honest, the scene seemed like a closely knitted group of friends enjoying breakfast together rather than a royal court.

It seemed everyone had left a seat next to Jimin’s right and I was designated to sit there. He was not wearing his crown this morning.

“I hope I’m not too dressed up for this.” I looked down and brushed my hands on my dress out of habit.

“It’s perfectly fine,” Jimin brought a kind smile onto his lips. He reached out to pass a plate with muffins on it to me.

“I know I said I would show you the city today, unfortunately, I have forgotten my schedule and that I was to visit the capital’s schoolhouse and deliver the new books I acquired from the continent.”

“You deliver them yourself?” Confusion knitted in my brows. It was such a small task, anyone in this palace could carry out for him, but he was doing it himself. I peeled a piece from the muffin.

He nodded. “Since the schoolhouse is in the capital, I am able to visit it easily. For other cities in this kingdom, I have them delivered.” He shifted closer to me with a hand covering his mouth as if we were sharing a secret. “I also have some gifts for the school children. I was advised not to do this since my council thinks it might spoil them too much.”

I smiled in return. I was somewhat shocked a king went through such lengths, but it was the type of shock that wore off into happiness. He was indeed a kind king.

An idea struck. “Would it be possible for me to come along?”

“Yes! Yes, it would be a great opportunity to show you some of the capital then.” Jimin grinned in excitement.

After breakfast, we walked to the entrance of the palace. Outside were a few wagons with chests on them and a carriage.

I kept my eyes on the window the entire time, fascinated at the buildings passing. There was a road to one side where many sellers had stands of produce. Most importantly, there were so many colors.

I could not help but once again, compare the two kingdoms. The moment I had stepped foot onto the kingdom’s land, I felt a difference whether it was the change of scenery or the atmosphere.

As we passed through the city, I noticed beautiful shops set up. It seemed the bottom level was a shop, french doors wide open for business selling different crafts. The top-level were living quarters as I noticed clothing hanging on the balcony. It was wonderful to see a casual environment.

The citizens wore smiles of joy, satisfaction of life. Their eyes were kind as they spoke to their neighbors and visitors to the market. Everyone greeted each other as if they had been friends. It reminded me of home.

There answers why those from my village wished to marry into the kingdom of Hemera instead of Erebus.

When we had arrived at a stop in front of a building with many windows, I knew it was the schoolhouse with different young faces peeping behind the glass with excited smiles. The children had to have been around elementary level.

“We’re here.”

Jimin had given me a hand off the carriage as children escaped from the building’s door and crowded around him.

“King Jimin! You’re here!” A young boy shouted, nearly exploding with excitement as he jumped a few times.

“His Majesty,” a young woman, who I assumed to be the teacher, tutted, correcting his language.

Jimin only smiled wider, not minding the use of his name. He kneeled down and opened his arms accepting a small group of children who wanted a hug. Immediately, the few who weren’t particularly shy and young, jumped into his arms, nearly tackling him while the rest who were older excitedly chattered amongst themselves.

“Don’t worry, King Jimin has brought gifts for you guys.” It was strange hearing less formality from him.

The woman who seemed to be regarding formality still broke a small smile and his declaration received happy cheers.

I stood back, my own lips tugging into a smile unconsciously. A young girl raised a finger towards me. “Who is she?”

“She’s the princess of a foreign land visiting,” Jimin said, glancing over to me with a smile.

The crowd gasped and gave a singular ‘oooo…’ in fascination.

I waved to them, not used to the attention of so many curious eyes.

I realized that he didn’t mention I was from Erebus on purpose and I was grateful for it. There was no judgment on the table.

As we entered the schoolhouse, the chests were unloaded from the wagons. I didn’t know what Jimin’s schedule exactly entailed besides delivering the books and gifts. I trailed behind the group and a girl came to my side.

I noticed she had been one of the children who excitedly hug Jimin. She pulled onto my hand. “Hi Princess, I’m Olivia!”

I smiled in response and allowed her to pull me towards the group as they entered a classroom.

It turned out that Jimin planned to spend quite some time with the class. There was a time where the teacher returned to lessons and Jimin simply sat at one of the group tables and worked with the children whether helping them learn to write the alphabet letters or draw pictures to help represent words.

I sat at the table adjacent to his with other children. For the letter ‘R’, my table had chosen to draw rainbows while Jimin had chosen to draw a rabbit and then proudly show it to my group and the rest of the class.

Thankfully being a king didn’t involve drawing talents. I held back a giggle when he presented it. One of the ears was too large compared to the other and I didn’t think it was possible to make a rabbit frown so sadly.

“Why is the rabbit crying?” A student asked head tilted slightly as if trying to interpret the drawing.

Jimin frowned. “It’s supposed to be smiling.”

I was not strong enough to hold my giggle and Jimin passed a false glare towards me.

“Hey! Let me see your drawing then!” He was playing along for the children and crossed his arms.

“An easy drawing, of course,” he teased when I presented my rainbow.

I would never have the guts to tease back, but perhaps it was the atmosphere of being in a classroom surrounded by young children that brought out the child in m. “Of course, with such talents as yours, your rainbow would be indeed as beautiful as a real one, Your Majesty!”

—

Ironically during the break, we played an interesting game of saving the princesses and princes. Along with a few other girls and boys, we were guarded by a mean dragon played by Jimin and the rest of the class had to save us with foam swords.

I had not realized we spent nearly the entire school day with the children. The day had washed away with laughter and smiles, something I was not sure I had ever experienced even when I was at home. By the end of it, I felt levels of happiness and carefree higher than my own height.

“It’s always a pleasure to have you visit, Your Majesty,” the teacher bowed deeply. “The children were beyond excited and counted down the days to your visit. Thank you for the new books.” I couldn’t quite read her eyes between admiring her caring king or something beyond that. I’d go as far as to say it resembled something only a lover could produce. How often did Jimin visit this school?

“It’s my pleasure to provide the best for this kingdom’s next generation and it’s always a joy to visit,” Jimin replied, nothing in his eyes resembled quite the emotion she had.

When we got back into the carriage to leave, it was a short ride compared to the one to the palace. “Are we not going to the palace?”

“If you’d like to, we can. If not, we are heading to dinner.”

I shook my head. “Dinner sounds great.”

“Then shall we?” He extended his hand towards the door of the carriage.

I realized this restaurant was not a grand large one, but rather something that represented a small quaint cafe. The restaurant had inviting french doors, wide open, and from the outside, I could see it was quite crowded. Everyone dining inside was laughing or chatting happily.

Then came the aroma of food, many spices were clinging to the air and my mouth was actually beginning to water.

“Your Majesty! I didn’t know you were stopping by for dinner today!” A short woman ran from the door when she noticed the carriage outside. She was wearing a white apron although by now, many stains adorned the white fabric and her graying hair was tied into a bun.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Jimin chuckled.

The woman gave him a feigned disappointed frown. “Always trying to surprise,” she tutted. “You should have told me. Thankfully I always am ready to make your favorite,” her frown adjusted into a wide smile. This time I noticed the wrinkles near the corner of her eyes worn from many years of smiling and age.

The scene reminded me of a mother who was seeing her son again and was ready to feed him until he was too full to move. She was quick to rush to both of us and placed a hand onto our shoulders before bringing us inside.

It seemed that the woman was already prepared to serve a full meal the moment we were seated. She dashed into the kitchen and disappeared for a while, presumably preparing the meal. I had absolutely no idea what was in store.

In the meantime, a different server returned with red wine.

“When I was betrothed, we used to come here every week. She was the one who showed me this place. The woman you met was just a girl when we came,” Jimin kept his stare on the glass of wine. Even though his eyes were not lifted, I saw the slight bitterness hidden in them. Underneath the lightness of his tone, I knew there was something hurting within to speak of this topic. I just wasn’t sure why he had decided to tell me of all people.

“Your queen?” I knew it was stupid to even continue the conversation he had started, but my curiosity spoke before I realized. I never saw a queen at the palace.

“She was. She was a wonderful queen with a kind heart for our people, but I had to learn to rule without her by my side. I-” he paused, words stuck in his throat. “I continued to live and she did not.”

That was that.

Silence took over and I didn’t want to continue down the path of talking of his past love.

“The children call you by your name?” A random thought caught me. I swirled the glass watching the liquid whirl around the side not really sure if I wanted to meet his eyes after the hurt I heard in his voice previously.

He paused for a second as if to gather his thoughts and took a sip from the glass. “I don’t mind. Titles do not make a king or queen. Although it is our position, the person who does the rightful job is naturally the king or queen. A weak king is not a true king even if his citizens grovel at his feet, regardless of the crown he might bear.”

I nodded. A true king he was if he spent much time amongst his people.

“On that note, you don’t have to address me as ‘Your Majesty’,” he added and I realized the previous somber tone in his voice was gone.

“I couldn’t, it would break formality,” I insisted. “I am no person of impoliteness.”

“Don’t worry about it, y/n. See? I broke formality first, so it’s okay if you do so as well.”

It brought on an atmosphere of casualness I had not experienced in a while. “Okay, Jimin.” The name felt weird rolling off my tongue when I had only referred to him as His Majesty thus far.

“Okay! Here we are,” the woman returned with a tray as well as the server holding another tray.

After arranging all the dishes onto the table, there was barely room for the wine.

“This is more than what I usually get,” Jimin mentioned, a feigned frown. He looked like a child and I couldn’t help the slight giggle at the back of my throat.

“You brought a guest and no one is allowed to leave here until they are one-hundred percent full!” She exclaimed.

My mouth watered at the sight before me. There were breads, a variation of roasted turkey and veal, all sliced, and many dishes I had never seen before, although the aroma was enough to tell me they would be delicious.

“I will be back when I see the dishes empty!” She left before Jimin could protest.

“Thank you!” Jimin shouted back as she disappeared behind the kitchen doors.

I was not sure if both of us could even put a dent in the amount of food on the table. I gave Jimin a look. “I don’t think she’ll be returning. We’ll never finish all of this,” I chuckled.

“I agree,” he began to bring food onto his plate.

We were both right because by the time we were full, the food was barely touched.

“Alice, we’re done! I’ll leave money on the table,” Jimin made no movement to get up but slipped me a mischievous smile. It was a tactic to get her to come back out although we haven’t heeded her wish to finish everything.

In a split second, she was rushing back to our table. “No, no, no, absolutely not! You are not allowed to pay!”

“Just enough to break even, to cover the cost of preparing this. How about that?” Jimin suggested.

“It was a pleasure to serve you, that was payment enough.”

“You can’t keep doing this every time I come here,” a whine was present in his voice. I could only stay out of it with a laugh begging to come out.

“Okay, okay,” he raised his hands in surrender, but his eyes all but said that.

“Okay, now take the rest of it back home. Eat it for a snack, give it to your friends.”

I was amused by her casual tone, the nagging to a son as if Jimin was not centuries older than her.

“I will, I will.”

She was quick to pack the food into different containers and walk us out to the carriage with it.

Once the food was settled, I was remembered to thank her. “The food was delicious. If I had space to eat more, I would have!”

She returned a smile, happily accepting my words. “I’m happy you enjoyed it!”

Then Jimin snuck a hand into the pocket of her apron, probably payment of some sort because she reached a hand to slap his shoulder. “Do not do that!”

He already disappeared into the carriage and shut the door behind him. Realizing she could not open the carriage in any way, she turned around. “This child, no matter how old he is,” she muttered under her breath.

“Thank you again,” I chuckled and entered the carriage just in time for Jimin to open the door and shut it.

The ride back to the palace allowed time for me to laugh about how the situation played out. My stomach felt sore by the time I was back in my bedroom.

When I was finally in my room, being alone and the silence allowed my thoughts to surface. I found myself comparing the two brothers.

Jimin liberated me for the first time in a month after being confined in Taehyung’s palace. Jimin allowed me to travel outside of his palace and even see the kingdom’s capital whereas Taehyung never allowed me to step foot outside of the palace.

Taehyung only hid his motives and ambiguous secrets behind the commands he gave me to follow. I didn’t know what he was truly after.

He told me to not trust Jimin yet gave me no reasons as to why I shouldn’t.

He made me his bride through the means to protect me from his kingdom yet he didn’t tell me what I was needing protection from. I was not harmed yet I didn’t know what I could be receiving harm from.

All the while, I was forced into performing the tasks of a bride and went along to plan the wedding even though at the end of the day it wasn’t real. It wasn’t real, but it only pulled me farther away from understanding the man who allowed me to choose whether I would marry him during the Winter Solstice and closer to the man who made me his bride.

In the matter of a month, I only came up with reasons to not trust Taehyung.

With the fresh feeling of freedom and joy that I felt today, it was easy for me to ease my trust with Jimin. I had only been in Hemera for a single day and already, I was not sure if I should heed Taehyung’s advice further or begin to trust Jimin instead.

I feared that it was easier to do the latter.

I shook my head to clear it of the thought. Perhaps it was just the feeling of liberation Jimin gave me mixed with the desperation to find my family that made me want to trust him so easily.

a/n

awww man jimin was sooooo fluffy in this chapter and this chapter was too cute with him playing with the kids. i hope yall’s heart was as fluffed as mine by it :)

yours truly, Selene ♡

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